InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Seal ❯ Going back ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: Don't own any of the characters in this story (if I did I'd be rich, filthy stinkin rich. I'd be off to the Bahamas and… and… and I better come back down to earth as they aren't mine) ; Inuyasha and co all belong to Miss Rumiko Takahashi. Just having plain fun writing about them. ;-P

Hope you enjoy the story, though I can't promise regular updates as I at this point ain't completely sure how the story is going to enfold. Oh well, getting there is half the fun!! Enjoy!

The Seal

Part 1: Going back...

Kagome popped her head out of the well carefully, wary of other monsters grabbing her, the first one had been more than enough… 'I thought all that was over…' Her eyes turned huge, when instead of the inside of a mini-shrine from where she had left, there was now a huge forest. 'Where…?' she caught herself midthought, shaking her head, 'No, when?!' As she cautiously wandered throughout the unknown, yet hauntingly familiar realm the well had brought her to, her mood started to sink, the place was too familiar for her tastes. 'I know this place…' Following a path not too often walked by the looks of it, she looked for anything to prove her wrong. "Alright, nothing to be scared of… I'm sure this happens all the time… it's bound to work out," she muttered trying to lift her spirits and not freak out. 'I just knew my luck would run out. The gods must be having a ball,' she thought somberly. After stumbling along the broken path her savior came in the form of a tree. 'Oh! The goshinbuki-tree!! I'm saved!' her thoughts cried out as she started to run towards the one seeming constant in her life. As she neared the tree, her hopes began to sink, when a long forgotten shape took form resting pinned to the tree. 'No, not here…!' she thought worriedly, leaning against a tree for support, 'How did I get here?' Her eyebrows scrunched up in denial, silent tears falling as she ran, never glancing back at the goshinbuki, 'Not this time, they won't. I won't let them… never again.'

As the well came into view Kagome came to an abrupt stop. Her thoughts were chaotic, millions of possibilities of what could happen when she jumped. "It'll work out, it'll work out, it'll work out," she chanted as she closed in on the offending well. It looked totally innocent, just a normal, shabby, wooden well. Hardly something that ruined lives. Carefully Kagome swung herself up on the wells edge. 'Right. This is it. All I have to do is jump…' Starring into the abyss, she swallowed hard, 'right… jump…' The whole scene must have looked surreal; a girl poised to jump into a creaky old well… "I am insaneeeeeeeeee!" was the last thing heard as Kagome gathered her courage and leapt in. 'This better work.'

***

"NNNNNnnnnnnnnoooooooooooooooo!!!!!!" The scream echoed throughout the forest, startling both the animals living there and the villagers nearby.

***

Deep down something stirred.

***

Kagome could be found crouched down in the well. Not a sound escaped her. It was so quiet that you might think her dead. Outside the well, one could still see the surrounding forest, and hear the twittering birds. The sun was shining, and it was a beautiful day, but none of that mattered to the girl in the well. She was still in the past…

Finally she stood up. She brushed her clothes free of dust. She climbed up the well. She looked around. The girl looked rather numb, only one thought circling in her mind: 'No. No. No. No no nononono…!!' Kagome squeezed her eyes shut. Her hands fisted. Her whole body shook. The forest turned silent, witnessing her trembling, as Kagome slowly lost control. Shaking a fist at the sky she screamed, "Do you hate me so much? DO YOU HATE ME SO MUCH?! ARE YOU LAUGHING NOW, HUH?! ARE YOU LAUGHING NOW?!" Lashing out at the cursed well that had brought her to this miserable state, kicking at it with all her might, she continued her mantra: "I hate you. I hate you! I HATE YOU!!!"

In the end there was nothing she could do, she was stuck here. She could scream some more, and maybe draw back that monster; or she could pull herself together, grit her teeth and go in search for help. Wasn't much of a choice was there? Gathering her wits, Kagome once again made her way towards the goshinbuki, not knowing where else to go. 'Well at least it's a beautiful day.'

The tree was still there, surprise, surprise, when Kagome walked into the clearing. So was Inuyasha. Looking up at the sleeping youth, Kagome's curiosity peaked. She needed something to distract herself with, and climbing up the old tree was no real challenge. As she hoisted herself up on a branch, eye to eye with the sleeping figure, she was surprised. 'Why he's just a boy! I always wondered…' Frowning at him with mild disappointment, her eyes slipped over to Inuyasha's doggie-ears, 'Hello?! What's this?' Carefully reaching out a hand to touch the oddities, she found herself smiling, forgetting her troubles. Blushing in embarrassment she thought to herself, 'I can't believe I'm doing this. What would he think if he woke up…?' Catching herself in that thought, her smile fell, 'But he's not going to wake up is he…? Poor Inuyasha…' Leaning into him she closed her eyes, smiling while snuggling closer, 'Mother always said 'Misery loves company…'

***

Contentment. Something warm was closeby. Nothing else mattered. Only the warmth. And then, abruptly, it was gone…

***

"Let me go!! You didn't have to tie me up you know!!" The villagers continued to ignore her, chattering amongst themselves. Instead of with Inuyasha, she had woken up alone, bound to a pole, in a village she had thought she would never see again. How had she slept through that?! Why had they bound her?! And why would no one listen to her?! "What is it with you people? Let me go!" Nothing. She was still ignored. 'I can't believe this!' she thought steamed, 'They don't even know who I…' Her thoughts were abruptly cut off, when the villagers fell silent. Someone important was coming. As the villagers parted, Kagome craned her neck, trying to catch a glimpse of who was approaching. An old miko stepped forward out of the crowed, eyeing her, and Kagome couldn't help feeling she should know this person. 'But I don't know any one-eyed miko's,' she thought puzzled. The withered old miko continued to eye her warily, while she circle around her, making Kagome nervous. 'Does she know? Please don't. Please don't…'

After minutes of silence, and endless circling, Kagome lost her nerve. "What?" she demanded, "Never seen a girl before?!" Quiet mutterings broke out among the peasants, something about her and demons. 'But that's ridicules!' she thought as she stared into the miko's eyes in defiance, looking much braver than she felt. "You are a clever one, the very image of her…" the miko finally spoke, grasping her face, "Not too clever though. My elder sister, Kikyo, died 50 years ago." Kagome's head snapped up, 'I look like Kikyo…?! Wait! 50 years?! This old thing is…' "…Kaede?" she breathed out in surprise, 'It couldn't be…' The miko snapped at her, her brows furrowing in anger: "Who are you? Why were you in the forest of Inuyasha?!" Caught by surprise by Kaede's tantrum, Kagome could just stare, feeling totally flustered, and thus blurted the first thing that came her mind. "I look like Kikyo?" she squeaked. 'Oh great! Very smart of you, Kagome. Ignore her question. Can't even deny you don't know them now. Kaede. And she's sooo angry… Wait! I really look like Kikyo? I look like Kikyo. Right! I look like Kikyo, so what of it? What to do, what to do…?' The miko Kaede cleared her throat, bringing Kagome back to the world of living, apparently she'd been speaking for some time it seemed and was expecting an answer. "Kagome, I'm Kagome," crossing her fingers that that was the right answer she stumbled on trying to ease their anger, "I came from the well…" '…and I can't get back,' she couldn't finish her thought, despair setting in, 'I'm stuck… I can't go home… I can't… go… back… '

Kaede grew quite flustered herself when the girl she'd been interrogating suddenly quieted, sniffed, and started sobbing. Not that Kagome cared at the time. Not knowing what to do with the crying Kikyo-look-a-like, she acquardly bent over patting the child on the back.

***

The smell still lingered. The smell the warmth had left behind. It brought some comfort, but… it wasn't enough. He wanted the warmth back, the feeling it brought. Feeling? He? Who was he? Where was he? Was he supposed to feel anything? Slowly, strugglingly, he started his climb towards consciencesness.

-

Praeceps: This is where the story is supposed to get more interesting. (whether it is or not is up to you). At this point there's still not much to say, I don't even know if anyone has bothered to read this rather humble story. *sniff*

I actually have written the first few chapters already, but I'm withholding them as I'm not completely satisfied with them at this point.

Well that was all, for today at least, toodles!! ;-D