Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Painful Decisions ❯ Chapter 1

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

Title: Painful Decisions

Author: Ryutsu and T.K. Incognito

Disclaimer: Ryukotsusei and Tsubasa Kya do not own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho characters, but for our own personal and rather sadistic enjoyment, we have chosen them to be the stars in this story just so we can place them in torturous situations and string them from their intestines from our ceiling fans, though we beg of you not to try that at home.

A word from our authors: This is a joint project being worked on by Ryukotsusei and Tsubasa Kya. The links to our personal profiles are in our joint profile, and if they aren't, they'll probably be there soon.

Chapter One

His breath came in short pants for him as he raced for where he knew she would be short moments from then. While she had been walking sedately along toward her destination, he used all the speed within his power to make it to where she wanted to be before she could get there. Why would he want to, one might ask?

Because he desired, no not just desired... he craved blood. He yearned for it so much that it had begun to mess with his head ever since realizing that she was not yet dead like he had assumed.

Of course, everyone knew that when one "assumes", they make an "ass" out of "u" and "me", but he didn't care. That was a past reaction. It had happened long ago now. This time... it was his time...

He would see her off indeed. A smirk graced his dark eyes as he opened the door to the well house and closed it behind him softly, hearing the nearly inaudible click as the latch swung back into place. Here was where he would lay his trap. Whether or not she liked being seen off... well, that wasn't entirely his problem, was it? Indeed not. She would have to deal with it all the same though.

------

Kagome stepped outside the doors that marked the entrance into the school and stopped for several long moments allowing the sun to warm her body. She was thankful that she managed to avoid her friends by taking refuge in the library until she was certain they were gone. The constant questions regarding her health had long begun to irritate her. Never mind the fact that they actually had a reason to ask this time, spending time in the Feudal Era in the middle of the rainy season had taken it's toll on her.

They could not afford to delay hunting shards regardless of the weather and because of that she had come down violently ill. The result had been that she returned home for close to two weeks to recover, spending the last day collecting the necessary school lessons she would need to complete while she was gone. Today was the day that she would return to Inuyasha's side and resume the hunt of the jewel shards.

No doubt the Inu-hanyou would be most displeased that she had taken the extra day but it was necessary. She couldn't afford to ask Hojou to bring her the school-work any longer though no doubt the boy would be more than happy to do it. No, the last time Hojou had come around he had placed an arm around her when she had turned pale.

Unfortunately Inuyasha's keen sense of smell had picked up the scent of him on her body and they had spent a couple of hours arguing about it. She couldn't understand why he was so jealous, not that she was interested in Hojou in that way. No, it was more annoying that Inuyasha acted as if he controlled every aspect of her personal life.

It would be one thing if he would admit that he cared for her, as more than a friend but he was unwilling to do even that. No, instead he drove away any male that attempted to show any interest towards her. It was as if he was trying to say that he didn't have any romantic feelings towards her but no one else was permitted to either.

She began making the trek home immersed deep within her thoughts. She still believed that all it would take was time for him to make his decision and she was willing to wait. It wasn't as if she was interested in anyone else anyway.

Besides, with her constant trips to the Feudal Era it wasn't like she had time to have a boyfriend at this point. Her absences would be impossible to explain to anyone. It was a headache she had no desire to have.

--------

Souta tried to come to a screeching halt. He really did! But he'd been running so fast that instead of actually halting like he had intended, he barreled right into his sister, knocking both him and her right into the street where cars were likely to drive if one was not careful.

He'd tried to catch up to her, and seemed to have succeeded at that, but of course bad luck was smiling upon both of the supposed siblings that day and an eighteen wheeler was coming there way. Sure, it wasn't going eighty-five miles an hour, but it would still do some lovely damage to their pretty little faces if it actually hit them.

With a groan, Souta grabbed his sister and rolled out of the way of the wheels with her, earning them both the privilege of seeing exactly what the bottom of a semi looks like while it is moving. Sure, Souta was younger than Kagome, but children did tend to grow up after a while and with Kagome always gone she hardly knew him anymore.

But the past couple weeks with her living back in the modern world, in her home and the era she was born in, Souta had made sure to show her just how much he had grown. Of course, this really beat all those stupid little 'look-how-much-older-I-seem' plays. Now it was him saving her rear instead of the other way around like it had been when the Noh mask came to get the Jewel shards from Kagome.

One would be accurate in saying that Souta had really taken it upon him to be just like "big brother Inuyasha". From lifting weights and learning karate all the way to getting top grades in school--which he just hoped that Inuyasha would have done in the past, though he wondered often what the school Inuyasha would have gone to looked like--and learning things like kendo, he certainly could take care of himself. At least the bullies now thought twice about taking his lunch money...even if they still took it anyway. Yes, he would have to work on that...

As soon as the eighteen wheeler had passed over them, he grabbed his sister's arm and drug her out of the street, intent on playing it off as entirely her fault even if he was the one who ran into her. "Geez, Kagome, can't even stay outta the road anymore?" he scoffed. Even his attitude had taken a liking to Inuyasha's, which actually might not have been such a good thing.

Kagome stiffened with indignation and yanked her arm out of his grasp. Souta took a step back as he glimpsed the look on her face, she always said his mouth would be his undoing and this time it seemed as if that would be true. When it seemed that all hope of survival in the face of Kagome's wrath was lost he quickly looked about for a quick escape.

However Kagome had known what he was attempting to do and latched onto his shirt before he could run off. Souta seriously considered the possibility of running through Tokyo shirtless if it meant he would live to see another day but dismissed it since Kagome was steadily pushing him to the wall of a nearby building so he could fully appreciate her anger.

"Might I remind you that you were the one to push me into the road, you little brat?" Kagome growled out, it didn't help matters that her school uniform offered no protection from the harsh ground and her legs were bleeding in several areas from meeting the asphalt. Souta wisely kept silent even though he thought about mentioning how he was now slightly taller than her.

However that would only further her anger and he had no wish to have bodily harm invoked upon him. He did have a date tonight after all and explaining to your girlfriend that you were beaten up by your sister would crush any male's ego. "You could have killed the both of us and you blame me for this? By God Souta, you're beginning to act like Him and that's not something that I would be proud of if I were you!"

Souta opened his mouth to protest, he had looked up to Inuyasha from the very first time he had met him. And if the way Inuyasha acted was such a bad thing then why did his sister follow him around like a lovesick puppy? It was plain to anyone who knew Kagome that she was hopelessly stuck on him.

But as luck would have it, Fate happened to be against Souta that particular day; Kagome cut him off before the first words of defense for the hanyou passed his lips. "Perhaps if you want to act like him I should help you along with it. I'm sure I can find a rosary with your name on it Souta, would you like to give it a try?" Kagome had a gleam in her eyes that worried him.

Souta shut his mouth quickly and shook his head. He had no doubts in his mind that she would do exactly as she threatened. As amusing as it was to see Inuyasha hit the floor on occasion he had no desire to be on the receiving end of the same treatment. "I thought not." Kagome stepped back after releasing his shirt, the few people who had gathered around to watch quickly dispersed seeing that there was not about to be a beating.

Souta breathed a sigh of relief knowing he would live another day and fell in step beside his sister. He hadn't meant to piss her off, it just seemed to happen more and more often and so far she was not opening up when he questioned her. Kagome remained silent; feelings of guilt began to set it.

She really hadn't spent any time with Souta recently and lately anytime they were around each other she lost her temper. At first she blamed in on how rotten she felt, after all few people are happy and cheerful when they are sick but eventually she realized it had been nothing but an excuse.

As they walked toward the shrine, Souta took a deep breath to prepare himself for what would surely end up another shouting argument. As always, it was the same question he would ask and would probably evoke the same response. She would rant and rave about how it wasn't his concern--not that anything seemed to be his concern anymore--and that he could just can it and leave her alone.

Then, doubtless, she would run off! The nerve! He looked at her sidelong and saw she seemed to be preoccupied in her own ponderings. But it was an important question he was going to ask. "Are you positive you and Inuyasha are the only ones who can get through the well?" He had a reason for asking this. A very important reason to know the answer.

He already knew the answer. Did she though? Did she know the real answer to that question or not? Or was she ignorant to the truth? He guessed he probably should apologize or something about barreling into her, but as usual the apology wasn't coming easy. She really didn't have to go mid-evil on his hinny, did she? Or ballistic... or both...

When she sent him a deadly glare that stated he really shouldn't have asked and told him that she was about to run, he grabbed her arm and said, "I have to know, Kagome. It's important."

Once more she jerked her arm out of his grasp; she was tired of him asking her that question. What was so damned important about it anyway? It wasn't as if anyone would try to go down in there after all. No sane person would say 'Hey I want to climb down a dry well for the hell of it!'

Her voice was cold, like it was a wind coming down from an arctic glacier. “You know that no one else can get through Souta. Shippou and I were trapped together in the bottom of it once and you've never seen a kitsune kit running around our house. Now tell me why it's so important that I just had to answer.”

Souta looked down to the ground for a long moment. Kagome was not likely to take his news well at all. He could only hope that she didn't decide to give him that necklace for this, she never did like being told that she was wrong about something. “Well.... It's like this...” Curiosity lit in Kagome's eyes for a moment. Her brother sounded positively guilty about something and she couldn't help but wonder what it was.

“Well while you were sick Bouyou disappeared for most of the day. And when I found him he was in the well house again. But this time he was at the bottom of the well and he couldn't get back out.” Kagome nodded for him to go on, wondering where he was going with this.

"Did I say he couldn't get back out?" Souta inquired, procrastinating the inevitable momentarily. Then, he looked around, noticing they were just waiting at the side of some odd antiques building. An old man was sweeping the walk with a broom, glaring at the two of them at intervals, clearly suspecting them to be some sort of troublemaking pair.

"Let's take this elsewhere..." Souta told her, a frown firm on his face as he grabbed his sister's arm none-to-gently, dragging her down the street by the wrist. She was surprised at the sudden change in character to him and realized that this was what all those recent years of training had taught him. Emotions were the enemy.

But then again, she knew otherwise. While his teachers might have taught him that emotions were the enemy, she had actual life experience that proved that emotions could be the best friend of someone in a dire situation. One couldn't help but be awed by the drastic change to the younger brother.

"Souta, what--" She started only to be cut off by the very person she was trying to be objective to, "Quiet." He told her. "Walls often have ears, and I won't have people thinking we're both cracked in the head."

"Are you suggesting something?" she asked with an almost Inuyasha-like growl.

He grinned at her, not really answering verbally, but all she needed to know was in his eyes. He was teasing her, despite the fact that some dangerous secret seemed to be held right between them.

When he came to the Shrine, his long legs carried him up three steps at a time, but she had to practically race a marathon to keep up with him. "Souta, would you just let me go?" she asked, realizing for the first time how strong he had become in those classes. It made her feel ill to know that her younger brother, the one who she thought she would always be protecting, was stronger than her. She could not break her wrist free.

"We'll talk in the well-house." He told her, releasing her once they had reached the top of the stairs. "Go get your things, and I'll see you off."

-------

His wait was nearly over; he felt the purity of her energy approaching long before he ever caught her scent. But there was something off about her aura which made him slightly uneasy. Fear and unease was laced through it but she wasn't panicking so he refrained from revealing himself.

She wouldn't recognize him anyway at this point and there was no sense in startling her any further. He also recognized the aura of the second person, it would seem that her brother was the one to walk her home today which in his mind was all to the good. But it didn't explain her level of unease. Perhaps something had happened on the walk home?

He cursed under his breath as soon as he picked up the scent of her blood. Something had happened on her way home and she had been injured. He growled softly as he gazed through a small opening in the doorway. The boy Souta still had a hold of her wrist and whether he realized it or not he was gripping too tightly.

His superior eyesight picked up the discoloration of her skin where a bruise was beginning to form even from this distance. There were also several areas on her legs that looked as if she had been dragged along the ground, tracks of dried blood clearly visible.

It was completely unacceptable but he was not going to assume that her brother had been the one to cause her injuries. Whether Kagome realized it or not Souta had placed her on a pedestal and would never harm her on purpose.

He resigned himself to waiting as he watched her disappear into the house to gather her things and get herself cleaned up. He had no doubts that if she was to go back in her current condition the hanyou would be screaming for someone's blood until Kagome managed to calm him down enough to explain what happened. That was assuming that there was a reasonable explanation to begin with.

-------

"Meet me in there." Souta said, tipping his head toward the well house before releasing her wrist. He winced when he saw the bruise he had left on her. He had to be careful. He hardly knew his own strength anymore. With a heavy sigh, he watched as she turned and went toward the house to clean up and get her things before he turned toward the well house and headed for it.

The man, or demon as he may be considered, was surprised that the boy would come toward the well and so was careful to remain out of sight. He had to bite back a growl because he didn't want any witnesses to what he would do, and he didn't want to have to do anything brash to the kid. Like it or not, though, it would be done before she returned to the era long gone.

Souta ran impatient hands through his hair before carefully opening the door and entering in. Thoughts arose in the back of his mind as to why it should have happened to him, but he was allowed no reprieve from these dangerous ponderings. It made him only more frustrated as he sat heavily on the lip of the well and waited for his sister to appear.

He stared at his hands. He stared at the walls to the building. He stared at the dirt floor and the stairs and the door, but still the answers were not forthcoming.

And, as humans were won't to do, he didn't look up. Later on in life, he might look back and think of himself as stupid for not doing so, but it just didn't seem urgent at the time to do so.

-------

Inside Kagome's mind was circling over Souta's cryptic answer. The boy made absolutely no sense whatsoever but that wasn't all that surprising. She had given up long ago attempting to understand him. It wasn't worth the headache. Sighing heavily she trudged up the stairs wincing at the slight ache she was experiencing from her multiple cuts.

No doubt Inuyasha would be demanding to know what had happened to her and if she told him that Souta managed to surprise her enough that she couldn't stop from falling no doubt he would laugh at her. Humiliation from him on top of everything else today was something she didn't think she could take.

She dumped her book bag in the corner, not really caring how it fell and walked into the bathroom. She seriously considered taking a warm, relaxing bath and leaving Souta to wait in the well house. It would serve him right after all. It was his fault she was a bloody mess to begin with. But no, she would not be that rude to him.

Besides, she was anxious to get back to her friends on the other side of the well. Two weeks had already gone by and she had missed them. Quickly she turned on the shower and adjusted the temperature.

She stripped out of her clothing, dumping the soiled garments in the hamper and climbed into the shower. It didn't take her very long to get cleaned up, she debated on whether or not to tend to her cuts but decided against it. She could take care of them once she was on the other side of the well.

Quickly dressing in another uniform she grabbed her old, worn backpack. She wouldn't forget her books this time; it was going to kill her to make up all that back work anyway. She didn't need to add more to it. Once her books were stuffed into it she hoisted it over her shoulder and went downstairs. She didn't have to worry about packing the rest of the stuff, her mother had seen to that for her while she was in school apparently.

Her mother heard her coming down the stairs and was already by the door waiting on her. She always worried each time she sent her daughter off. But there wasn't anything that she could do to prevent Kagome from going. This was something they all knew that she had to do. She could only pray that she would never get a visit from Inuyasha saying her only daughter was dead.

She held out her arms and Kagome dropped her bag to walk into them. She was thankful that her mother was so understanding of the situation; she didn't know how long she would have been able to put up with the stress she lived through if it wasn't for her mother.

“Be careful dear and take care of yourself this time. You wouldn't want to get sick again.”

Kagome nodded and hugged her mother tighter. She didn't want to worry her anymore than she would normally. What she wouldn't give to make this all go away. “I will Momma, I'll be back in a couple of weeks.”

Goodbyes having been said Kagome picked up her backpack and walked out the door. She didn't like drawing out goodbyes any longer than necessary, it only made leaving that much more difficult.

It was time to find out what secret Souta was hiding, she opened up the door to the well house and stepped into the darkness. She could make out Souta's vague form sitting on the edge of the well.

“Time for you to tell me what is going on Souta and don't think you can put it off any longer.”

Souta looked up at her, his brown eyes shining with a hidden knowledge of what was to come, but he spoke not a word to her. His hand once more went through his hair as a sign of his nervousness, though he doubted she would know that.

She never hung around him anymore. After all, he was just a dumb little fifteen year old, and barely that. His birthday was two months before. "Kagome..." he breathed out, sighing heavily before reaching in his pocket to pull out something and toss it to her.

He watched her catch it and look at it before she gasped and turned angry eyes on him. "How did you get this?" She demanded hotly. Souta was sure that if she was a dog, her fur would be bristling. Her anger made the hair on the back of his neck rise. "Not only that, how did you manage to keep me from noticing it?"

Souta winced, all ounce of hope gone from his body. She would probably beat him up and his date that evening would be trashed because of it. He really didn't want his girlfriend to know he was beat up by his sister, not because he couldn't defend himself, but because he had allowed it to happen. "I know it looks bad, Kagome, but that's why I asked you if others could get through the well."

"But a Jewel shard?" she insisted. "How did you get this Souta?" Suddenly going back didn't seem all that wonderful. Inuyasha would question her on the new shard--he always kept a firm count on how many shards Kagome held--and would want to know exactly how she, a mediocre priestess, had managed to wrest a Jewel shard free from a demon.

"The jar I received from Grandmother Genkai. The shard was embedded in the wood of a shelf at school. Do you remember the shelf that was supposedly haunted? Because anytime someone would walk under it, all the books would mysteriously land on their head?"

Kagome nodded, frowning. Souta had managed to secure a shard? Was everyone able to do that except her? "Yeah, go on..." She shifted on her feet, alternating between wanting to take the backpack off and sit on the stairs and not.

The demon in the rafters listened curiously to the story. He had known of all that Souta trained lately, and had seen the boy practicing, but he didn't realize he could secure something such as a shard while it was haunting something.

"I happened to walk under it once. Never believed the tales before that of it being haunted; that is until all the books landed on my head. I looked up, and there on the underside of the shelf in plain visibility was a dirty, grimy shard--the very shard you now hold." Souta turned his face away from his sister's. He didn't want to know how she felt about not being able to secure a shard on her own, even if it was in plain sight.

"Stop stalling." She snapped at him. "Just finish the story."

"Well, I got the shard and went to see Grandma about something to hold it so it wouldn't be sensed or anything. She gave me that jar. Then Bouyou fell down the well, idiot cat, and I went down to get him and the damn well took me for a little ride."