InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Wishmaster ❯ The Calling ( Chapter 1 )

Scritch scritch. Scritch scritch. Kagome set her pencil down and took the opportunity to admire her work. Smiling and satisfied that she had answered everything correctly, she stood up and made her way to the front of the room to hand in her paper. As she did so, she cast a glance out the window. Sun shining, not a cloud in sight, and a cool eighty degrees outside. A beautiful day, to be sure, and she had been stuck inside for most of it.

'Yes! Final test of the day then I'm free! No school for a month!' she rejoiced silently. 'A month of freedom! I can spend that time with Inuyasha and not have to worry about anything other than hunting for jewel shards. I can take it easy for a change.'

She waited for the teacher to correct her paper and give her the go-ahead to leave. Kagome smiled, patting herself on the back as she ran out of the building and towards the shrine. Inuyasha would be waiting for her when she got to the shrine, being impatient as usual - that was to be expected with the hanyou - but nothing would spoil her mood today. Mama had a nice dinner planned for them before they left for the feudal era and she wanted to enjoy it. In fact, she intended to enjoy. She just hoped Inuyasha wouldn't put up too much of a fight about staying for a few hours longer.

"Mom will have the supplies ready for me," she murmured as she went. "There was the gauze and band-aids, anti-septic and medical tape, ramen . . . Inuyasha'd never forgive me if I forgot that . . . Miroku wanted some green tea soda . . . Shippou, some candy . . . I hope I didn't forget anything on my list. But I'm all packed so I should only have to come back when it's time to restock and possibly do my laundry. I just need to change my clothes and help Mama with dinner. This is going to be so great!"

She slowed to a walk as the shrine's steps came into view and she took them two at a time. Skipping up them had been more like it, that's how excited she felt. The chance for a little bit of relaxation in the feudal was just what the miko had ordered. As she walked by the Goshinboku tree, she glanced up. A tingling at the back of her neck told her that a certain hanyou had been there within the last few minutes, but he wasn't in the tree, like she had expected. Kagome frowned as she stepped inside the house, kicking her shoes off.

"Wonder where he is," she muttered to herself then announced, "Mama, I'm home!"

"Oh, hello, dear," her mother smiled, sticking her head out of the kitchen. "Inuyasha was just here. I told him you'd be home any time now and that he could wait here for you, but he went back through the well already."

"Huh? Just here?" she blinked.

"Of course," came the nod. "He came and took the supplies you requested back to the feudal era as well as the clothes you had packed. Said he'd be back a little later to make sure you were ready."

"That's odd," Kagome frowned. "Why'd he do that?"

"I'm not sure," Mrs. Higurashi shrugged, "but he did look a little upset about something. A little more so than usual. I didn't ask him about it, though."

She mulled it over for a moment then offered her mother a smile. The last thing she needed was her mother worrying and fretting over her because of Inuyasha's brooding. Inuyasha had a nasty habit of causing her mother no amount of worry when it came to his snits.

'Whatever it is, he'll tell me one way or another,' she thought.

"Oh, I'm sure it's nothing," Kagome managed to chuckle some. "Shippou's just probably getting on his nerves. That usually happens when I'm gone for more than an hour or so."

"If you say so, dear," her mother smiled back.

"I'm going to go change. I'll be right down to help with dinner."

Not waiting for an answer from her mother, Kagome took off up the stairs and into her room. She had just closed the door and slipped into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt when the sound of window sliding open caught her attention and she turned just as Inuyasha came in. Her hand flew to her mouth, strangling the scream that tried to escape her. He never came in through the window . . . at least, not when she was awake, anyway.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing? I should say it for sneaking in on me," she hissed. "Have you any idea of what my mother's going to say if she catches you in here? Especially since I've just changed my clothes?"

"Quiet," he hissed back, sliding the window shut. As was his wont, he crouched onto his haunches, his eyes darting here and there, his fingers fidgeting with the end of his sleeves. His ears stood at attention and his entire body had been tense from the moment he came in. Normally, she'd have sat him for his behaviour, as she had told him that she should have, but something told her now wasn't the time. Something had the hanyou spooked, so to speak. He never acted cautiously, preferring to rush into things head on, and he hardly ever fidgeted with the sleeves on his haori. If anything, he seemed to have relaxed a little after climbing through the window. She knew she had to find out what had gotten him riled up.

"Inuyasha, what's wrong?" she murmured, crouching in front of him.

"Something isn't right," he huffed, keeping his eyes averted from hers.

"Something isn't right? In this era?" She tilted her head slightly at him, her eyes furrowing in worry.

"No," he shook his head. "Something isn't right in my time."

"Like what?"

"I don't know . . . Something I can't explain." He glanced around with hooded eyes. Whatever was bothering him, he didn't want her to see. His eyes had always been a dead giveaway.

"Well, if something's happening or going to happen, shouldn't we be back there? What about Sango, Miroku, and Shippou? They could be in trouble," she pointed out. With hooded eyes, he glanced up but said nothing more. A moment later, he nodded.

"We'll go back then. I'll meet you at the well . . ."

"I'll go let Mom know I won't be home for dinner." She turned towards the door.

"We don't have to go back right away . . ." he began.

'What is the matter with him? He's never acted like this! He never wants to stay in my era for any given length of time.'

"I know," she stated, "but I'd be too worried to enjoy anything so we might as well head back now."

"Hmph."

"I'll meet you at the well in a few minutes, Inuyasha. Go back out the window so Mama doesn't get suspicious," she ordered.

The window slid open and the rustle of his clothes and her curtains told her that he'd already gone back to the well. She wasn't about to admit to him but he was starting to scare her and it only made her that more anxious to return to the feudal era.

'Whatever it is, it can't be good. I have to get it out of him. Why doesn't he let anyone help him whenever something's bothering him? Stubborn hanyou.'

She took the stairs three at a time, calling for her mother as she went.

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Inuyasha sniffed the air as he and Kagome climbed out of the well. Something had been tingling at the back of his neck for the last day and a half, and it had him on edge. He looked around as Kagome swung her legs over the edge then started to lead him towards the village. Kagome's era had felt safe to him the moment he'd climbed out of the well. But at least the air here had no pollutants, the sun had become a bright orange fireball in the sky, and not a cloud was in sight. The day had been perfect . . . if only he'd been able to enjoy it. He still didn't feel like anything could be enjoyable as long as he stayed on this side of the well.

`Dammit. Just when the feeling had started to go away, too.'

"Inuyasha . . ."

"What?" he growled, not even bothering to look at her.

"I thought you said something wasn't right . . . Everything looks all right to me . . ."

"You know as well as I do that looks can be deceiving, Kagome," Inuyasha retorted, turning to face her. He hated it when everyone questioned his instincts. She scowled at him.

"You don't have to be so snippy about it," she snapped back. Then Kagome sighed before he could say anything more. "Look. Let's just get to the village, okay? We'll figure something out when we get to Kaede's."

Grudgingly, he followed her back to the village. The entire time he kept his guard up, eyes darting everywhere. But nothing happened as they went. Crickets chirped and birds called out to each other . . . but nothing happened. He felt Kagome's eyes staring at him as they approached Kaede's. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, something was after them. More specifically, him.

"Inuyasha . . . what's going on? I know you said something's not right but I'm just not detecting anything."

"I don't expect you to be able to detect everything, wench," he snapped. "Let's just go in."

He brushed by her, not meeting the questioning look in her eyes and ignoring the anger he felt in her aura. What else could he say to her? He'd already told her that he felt that something wasn't right, that he hadn't been able to figure it out, and that's all he had to go by.

"Kagome!" Shippou cried out, catching the attention of Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and Kaede.

"Kagome-sama!"

"Lady Kagome!"

"Welcome back, Kagome," Kaede smiled. "How are things in your era?"

Chatter filled the air as Kagome told them about how well her tests had gone and about how her family had been faring as they sat down around the fire that Kaede had built. A pot of beef stew simmered over it, its scent wafting up to the noses of the traveling companions. Before too much longer, the stew was ready and everyone began to eat. Everyone, that was, except Inuyasha. Occasionally he'd sniff at it but he didn't touch it. It didn't appeal to him, he didn't feel hungry, not even for the ramen Kagome had prepared for him, but he couldn't sit around watching everyone else eat. He just felt nauseous thinking about it. Without saying anything, he stood up and walked out of the hut.

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Kagome watched as Inuyasha stalked out of the hut. As soon as they were sure he was out of earshot, everyone relaxed visibly and let out sighs of relief, even Kaede. She looked at them, her eyes wide.

"Has it really been that bad?" she inquired. Sango and Miroku nodded.

"I'm afraid so," the demon slayer sighed. "Ever since yesterday morning. The funny thing is . . . he's the only one feeling whatever it is and he can't even tell us what's bothering him. It's really affecting him, too. He hasn't eaten, he hasn't slept much . . ."

"Making him worse than usual to deal with," Kagome finished. "Right?" Sango nodded.

"We were hoping that he'd calm down after you came back, Kagome," Shippou piped in. "He's normally this cranky when he misses you."

"I think he was worse this time around," Sango supplied.

"Yeah but his mood hasn't changed since he came to get me. In fact, he even told me that something wasn't right in this era. It was like he didn't want to come back here and he's never acted like that before," she sighed.

"Perhaps we shouldn't take this lightly," Miroku murmured, "especially if it has something to do with Naraku."

"You think maybe that it could?"

"It is a possibility," the monk stated.

"Yeah . . . He is more sensitive to Naraku's movements than what we are and who knows what it is that he's been planning . . . We should head out tonight then."

"Tonight, Kagome?"

"If he's that on edge," she began, "then he won't get any better until we go in search of whatever it is that's bothering him."

"In other words, Lady Kagome, take care of it now before it gets any worse and humour him," Miroku supplied.

"Exactly. Come on. Mama told me he brought the supplies back already so there isn't any reason why we can't leave tonight." Kagome stood up.

"Yes, but will Inuyasha be willing to leave?" Sango asked. "You know he hates it if it feels like we're just humouring him."

"I know he does but he might," Kagome offered. "Especially if it relieves any of the tension he's been feeling."

She slipped into her shoes then out the reed door. Glancing around, she found Inuyasha sitting on a nearby hill, his head lifted to the sky.

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'Why am I feeling this way? No one else senses anything wrong . . . I'm the only one who feels it.' His eyes had fixed themselves on the full moon overhead. 'Even Kagome can't feel it.'

Idly, he fingered the rosary around his neck, ignoring the faint power surge that nipped at his fingertips. It had been sending surges like that to his fingers for a few days now but he paid no attention to it. He figured that it was the subjugation spell making sure that he wasn't trying to take it off. A light breeze picked up, ruffling his hair some and bearing Kagome's scent towards him. For a moment, he ignored her and kept his gaze on the full moon above him. Then, slowly, he turned to see her approaching.

"Kagome?"

She waited until she had seated herself next to him before she spoke.

"Inuyasha . . . we're going to setting out tonight."

"Tonight?" he echoed.

"Mm-hmm."

"Why?"

"Well," she took a deep breath, "everyone says you've been on edge for since yesterday morning and we decided it would be best not to ignore this feeling you're having."

"In other words, you're humouring me," he scowled. He hated it when they humoured him. It felt like they weren't always taking him as seriously as they should and that they just wanted him to shut up.

"It wouldn't be a good idea for us not to humour you on this, Inuyasha. Out of all of us, your instincts are the strongest," she pointed out. "Especially if it has to do with Naraku."

Inuyasha ripped his gaze away from her, his face still scrunched up in a scowl. Part of him didn't want to leave, that if they did leave, something bad would happen and he didn't want that. The other part of him, however, wanted to leave, to get rid of the frustration he felt and to focus on something more than faint hints and feelings. The part of him that wanted to stay, however, had become stronger than the part of him that wanted to leave.

"We should wait until morning," he finally announced.

"Inuyasha . . ." she opened her mouth to protest. He knew that she wanted to help. That was one of the many things that drew him to her and he couldn't deny her anything that she wanted . . . He just didn't want to tell her he didn't want to leave just yet, that he'd rather stay and hope, at best, that the feelings would just go away. They had nothing to do with Naraku at all but he couldn't bring himself to say anything more than to wait until morning. It was like someone had tied his tongue.

`Tell her. Just tell her. This is Kagome . . . I can tell her anything . . . Tell her!' an inner voice screamed at him.

`No. You don't have to tell her. She'd just humour you once more,' came the argument. `Just wait until tomorrow to set out. Everything will be fine in the morning. Wait and see. What she doesn't know won't hurt her.'

"We can wait until the morning," he stated, a little gentler this time, sending that annoying little voice into a screaming fit and the other laughing. "The feeling hasn't changed since it started, been faint at best . . . It can keep a little while longer."

"Are you sure?" she frowned. "I mean if it's been aggravating you that bad . . ."

"Hai," he nodded. "I'm sure. Go get some sleep. I'll wake you when it's time to go."

"Okay," Kagome hesitated. "If you're sure . . ."

"I'm sure."

She got to her feet and headed back for Kaede's hut, and he lifted his gaze back to the sky above. The stars winked out at him, wrapped in a black blanket of velvet. If he stared at it long enough, he half-fancied he saw a face on the moon, staring back at him, even winking at him. Then he shook his head.

'Snap out of it, you stupid hanyou,' he berated himself. 'We're leaving in the morning, getting ready to hunt for more jewel shards. Just ignore this feeling and stop staring at the moon. Pick yourself up and head back to the hut.'

Instead, he remained still, eyes locked on the moon. Something tugged on him - what was it? He let out a yawn - when had the exhaustion overtaken him? Too many questions, not enough answers.

'Better get back to Kaede's. Haven't been sleeping well lately,' he thought tiredly as his eyes closed and darkness overtook him.

"Come to us, Inuyasha . . ."

"Where . . . where are you?" he murmured, his eyes opening partway. He'd heard some strange voices in his sleep and he'd half-imagined he heard Kikyou's voice mingled in. The tug he'd felt earlier had grown stronger and more noticeable. His fingers went to the rosary around his neck and they tingled with the power that emanated from the beads. He felt his senses being overridden. Any thoughts he might have had, any feelings . . . they were drowned out in the sense of now. Whatever he had to do, he had to do it now.

"The white rock . . . Look for the white rock . . ."

"White rock? What white rock? What are you talking about? I don't understand . . ."

"Look for the white rock and you will . . . We'll be waiting for you."

"White rock . . ."

His eyes opened fully to see that the world had been shrouded in a blue-ish white mist. The trees and the huts of the village had become black silhouettes against the midnight-blue sky, and the temperature had dropped. Several glowing beings surrounded him, reached for him, but he just stared at them, his eyes glazed from sleeping.

"Come . . . follow us . . ."

"Follow you," he murmured, getting to his feet. "To the white rock."

"Yes. To the white rock. Come . . . Follow us."

His entire body tingled, like the time he'd been Kagome's era and he had taken Souta up on a dare by sticking a wire in one of the electrical outlets. He'd almost pounded the boy for it, if it hadn't been for Mrs. Higurashi's intervention. Only this time it felt a little more pleasant . . . like he was being wrapped in a nice, warm blanket. Part of him mind screamed, "Trap!" but he quickly drowned it out. It was a dream, after all. A nice and pleasant dream. He yawned and started to slow down. Sleep sounded good at that moment. Inuyasha dropped to one knee.

"Focus, Inuyasha. Come with us . . . Follow us . . . They are waiting for us. We must not disappoint them . . ."

"I'm coming," he slurred, getting back to his feet and stumbling along. They floated in front of him, never turning away, never wavering, but, through his sleep-addled mind, he never noticed. He was being pulled, dragged along but was unable to resist the lull. He didn't even want to resist the lull.

'I'll be back in the morning . . . I'll wake up on the hill and be back in the morning . . . In time to go with Kagome.'

He stumbled along.

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Kagome awoke with a start. Since she had left Inuyasha alone, she, too, had developed a strange feeling that something wasn't quite right. For a moment, she'd feared that he'd slip off into the night, having some midnight rendezvous with Kikyou then had immediately dismissed it. She'd have felt Kikyou's presence, the undead miko seemingly wanting her to know that she was there. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she glanced around the hut and saw everyone curled up in their respective corners. Everyone, that is, except Inuyasha.

'Wonder if he's still out on the hill,' she frowned, climbing out from under her sleeping bag. Shippou protested slightly but quieted right back down. Carefully, she snuck outside, hoping to catch a glance of the hanyou. She saw none. He wasn't on the hill, he wasn't in his tree, and he was nowhere near Kaede's. She only saw the occasional torch lit here and there, the darkened outlines of the trees and the homes of the villagers, and a light, blue-ish mist shrouding the rest of the world. But no Inuyasha.

"Now where did he get himself to?" she muttered to no one in particular but it didn't ease the growing knot of fear that had formed in the pit of her stomach. A thousand thoughts, a thousand fears filled her mind, even the previous fear of him being with Kikyou. But she couldn't detect the undead miko's aura and all she could do was hope that he'd be there in the morning when everyone woke, that she was worrying over nothing.

`He couldn't be with Kikyou . . . I'd have felt her coming for him . . . Her soul stealers would be everywhere, distracting us and trying to stop us from reaching them . . . I don't like this . . . Oh, please, Inuyasha, be safe.'

She re-entered the hut and curled up with Shippou, falling into a restless slumber.

tbc