InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ What Hurts The Most ❯ At The Shrine ( Chapter 4 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

The two arrived at the modest but charming shrine as silently as they had come. Both of their minds were racing with thoughts about the other. Kagome finally turned to Ian to speak.
"This is the Higurashi Shrine," she said softly. Ian looked around the humble shrine. His eyes came to rest on a large and clearly ancient tree standing tall in the middle of everything. Kagome noticed where his gaze was directed.
"That tree right there is called the..," she started.
"God Tree," he interrupted. Kagome nodded and Ian looked shocked that he knew the answer. More memories filled his head. There was an arrow stuck in his shoulder attaching him to the tree, and then a girl, Kagome it looked like to him, was pulling it out. Then a tiny fox-boy was skipping through his memories. There was another memory of them meeting a lecherous monk. A feeling of jealousy filled his gut. Then there was another girl who weilded a giant boomerang and her two-tailed cat. These people were, his friends? But he didn't know them. A cloud passed in front of the sun causing the bright day to darken.
"Are you okay?" Kagome asked in concern, noticing the look of panicked confusion on his face. He looked up at her and shrugged, his face completely clear of any emotion he had just felt.
"Is... Is there a well here, Kagome?" he implored quietly. Kagome nodded. "Show me it, please," he requested.
"I don't think that's a good idea right now. Why don't we go inside, have a drink, and discuss what's going on."
"But," a look of severity from Kagome cut Ian short. He hung his head in defeat and they entered the Higurashi residence.
Surprisingly enough to Kagome, the house was empty. She put on a pot of tea to boil and sat down waiting for it to be finished.
"Hope you like tea," she said, adding, "If you're hungry, I think we've got some ramen I could whip up quickly."
"Sounds great," Ian replied, his gut suddenly growling. He'd always liked ramen. "Not trying to be rude, but do you mind if I look around a bit?"
"Um sure, I guess.. If you want to," was all Kagome said in reply.
He ascended the stairs and entered Kagome's room. Somehow Ian had known where it was. On her bed was a sketchbook that she had left open, and the page it was open at was a picture she had sketched of a man sitting in a tree. The man looked exactly like him. Ian skimmed through the other pages in the sketchbook. He found a picture of the fox-boy, one of the monk he had seen, and another of the girl with the large boomerang. Who were these people? He decided to take the sketchbook down to Kagome and ask her who they were.
Kagome heard Ian climbing down the stairs when the gleaming, silver teapot started whistling loudly. She prepared two mugs of tea and listened to the humming of the microwave that was cooking Ian's ramen. Ian sat down on a stool at the counter and she handed him his tea.
"So, that wasn't much of a look around. Something you were looking for in particular?" she asked nonchalantly.
"No, but I found something that interested me," he replied.
"Really, what would that be?" she implored. He threw her sketchbook on the counter.
"So.. You took a little tour of my room did you. I don't remembering telling you that you could go in there," she remarked not bothering to mask the annoyance in her voice.
"You didn't say I couldn't either. Now tell me who these people are and explain why that one looks like me," he demanded opening the sketchbook. Kagome just glared at him.