Tuesday, August 2, 2005

An Inuyasha story (Return to You:The Fate of the Shikon)
Prologue: The Unexpected Sealing

February 1576 - Musashi's Domain

“Fine then! I’m going home.”

Miroku paused, a steaming sweet potato halfway to his mouth, and winced. He sighed and lowered the treat for a moment as Higurashi Kagome stormed out of Kaede’s hut. “I take it you had another fight with Inuyasha, huh?”

Kagome hefted her bookbag over her shoulder. “He is the most stubborn person to walk the planet, Miroku-sama.”

Miroku thought Kagome just as stubborn, but valued his life enough not to voice it aloud. Being around Sango for months taught him well. “There’s little reason for you to fight now, is there? The Shikon no Tama is complete and Naraku’s dead. We can all live in peace.”

“He still wants me to come back right away.”

“So?”

“Well, I can’t! My entrance exams are next week! I’ll be spending day and night studying for them. I’ll be lucky if I can pass, much less get into a decent high school.” Kagome shoved the strap further up her shoulder. “I’ll be back a week from today in the afternoon. Tell Sango-chan I’ll be here then?”

“Of course, Kagome-sama.” Miroku lifted his potato, took a bite and immediately tossed it away, too cold to eat.

“And tell Shippo-chan too? He’s off with Kaede-baa-san.”

“Of course.”

“Then I’m off. See you later, Miroku-sama!” Kagome waved and headed down the path to the well.

About a minute later, Inuyasha stormed out of the hut. “Where is she?” he yelled at Miroku.

“Calm down, Inuyasha. You, of all people, should know she’s gone home.”

“Idiot woman.” Inuyasha shoved his hands in his kimono sleeves and glared down the path heading to the well. “I still don’t see why she needs to take those stupid exams when she could stay here.”

“Because they’re important to her, just like defeating Naraku and helping Kikyo-sama find peace were important to you. She’s helped you without question all this time. Why are you standing in her way now?”

Miroku expected anger. He didn’t expect the sudden fatigue and weariness that seemed to zap the strength from his friend. Inuyasha leaned back against the wall of the hut, staring at the road. Miroku found it oddly disturbing, but wasn’t sure if he wanted to comment on it. He ran through the possibilities, but Inuyasha’s mind was a lot harder to read than anyone else he knew. He bit his lip, then suddenly hit on the reason.

“You’re afraid she won’t come back, aren’t you?”

Inuyasha glowered at him, then stalked down the road toward the well.

“Do you really think after all this time that she wouldn’t come back? Of course she will, Inuyasha.” Miroku called after him, then decided to follow. He had nothing better to do, and besides, he figured, once Inuyasha got to the future he would be safe. “I mean, you’ve done everything you possibly could to drive her away, yet she always comes back. I’ve a very safe feeling that she will return again.”

“Shut up, bouzou!”

“Ah, but a bouzou gone straight. Or need I remind you of this?”

“Remind me of it? Could you and Sango be any louder?”

“Are we not loud enough?” Miroku rubbed his chin. “We need to work on that.”

“I’m not hearing this!”

“I’m hoping we’ll be a good influence on you, Inuyasha,” Miroku added as they reached the well. “Perhaps this will inspire you to do something with Kagome-sama.”

“There’s no way you’ll be a good influence on anyone!” Inuyasha nimbly sprang from the ground and landed inside the well. He was satisfied he gave the monk a good parting retort. He closed his eyes, waiting for the sense of weightlessness that always accompanied his trip through the well.

What he got instead was a sudden crash on hard dirt, pain radiating from his feet up to his head.

“What the…” Inuyasha knelt and scratched at the dirt. He peered up, expecting, hoping, to see the wooden roof of the Higurashi well house.

What he saw instead was Miroku’s face staring down at him.

“Inuyasha? Are you all right? Inuyasha!”

He heard him. Still, he sank slowly to the ground, his claws digging deep into the dirt and crushing it in his hands. He closed his eyes, thought back to the argument he’d just had with Kagome. Miroku was right.

And it looked like his greatest fear was coming true.

*****

February 1997 - Tokyo

Kagome breezed through the remaining week she had before her exams. She didn’t allow herself to think of the Sengoku Jidai. She didn’t even tell her family much beyond the fact that Naraku was finally dead and the Shikon no Tama restored. They admired the jewel, then left the issue alone. She promised she would tell all, but when her exams were finished.

Her mother, out of the entire household, understood the most. She kept her grandfather and brother occupied while Kagome studied and worried. A week from her argument with Inuyasha and her storming out of the past, she stepped out of her middle school feeling the stress slip from her body and dissipate. She closed her eyes and allowed the cool February sun to bathe her face. She was finished at last.

“How do you think you did, Kagome-chan?” Eri asked as they walked toward the Higurashi shrine.

“Not as bad as I thought. I’m glad I wasn’t trying for any of the private high schools though. I know I wouldn’t have gotten into them.”

“That’s so sad. You’re very smart. For the longest time, you were in the top 30 out of the entire school.” Eri kicked at a rock. “Too bad you were out most of the year. I’m surprised that the teachers let you take the exam.”

Kagome shot her a wry grin. She wasn’t quite sure how her grandfather had talked the school into actually promoting her. She figured it was because she actually managed to keep up with her studies to a degree while in the past. Then again, she thought, she could be a walking, talking history book of the Sengoku Jidai.

“Are you doing anything this afternoon? Let’s go celebrate!”

Kagome shook her head. She had a promise to keep. “No thank you, Eri-chan. I need to do something this afternoon. But I’ll be back tomorrow!” She gave her friend a genuine smile, knowing that for once she spoke the truth. She didn’t have to remain in the Sengoku Jidai for weeks on end any longer. She could come and go as she pleased.

She bid farewell to Eri and ran the rest of the way home. She briefly told her mother how the exams went, then scooped up her yellow backpack, not quite as heavy but still full of modern treats. She hurried outside to the well house, then shouldered the bag. She knew she would have to fight with Inuyasha again once she got there, but at least all of their trials were over for now. Kagome grinned, then jumped.

And landed on solid dirt.

*****

February 1576 - Musashi's Domain

They gathered around the well, peeking in every so often. At least, Miroku, Sango and Shippo did. Inuyasha simply paced, becoming more agitated by the minute. When the sun hung low in the sky, Kaede walked out from the village and watched the group grow more nervous.

She knew what she had to tell them would break their hearts. Her eyes darted to Inuyasha for a moment, then approached the well.

As she walked, Miroku’s eyes lifted and met hers. He nodded briefly and stepped back, his arm around his new wife’s waist. Kaede stepped up to the well just as Inuyasha stopped pacing. He stood, back to the well, eyes locked on the sunset.

“Inuyasha.” Kaede swallowed and refused to look at the others. She could see, out of the corner of her eyes, tears filling in Sango’s. She heard Shippo sniff once, then twice. Kaede swallowed hard, forcing air past the sudden lump in her own throat. She gripped the edge of the well hard. “I…”

“If you’re gonna say it, baba, say it.”

He knows, she thought. It didn’t make the burden any lighter. “You’ve tried, every day this week, to access Kagome’s time through the well. However, Houshi-sama and I came out and looked at it more thoroughly early today. We’ve both determined that whatever magic surrounded this well before is now completely gone. Kagome can no longer travel to this time nor you to hers.”

Shippo gave into his tears and clung Sango’s skirt, sobbing openly. Sango attempted to brush the tears away from her own cheeks. “But Kaede-sama, why?” she asked.

“Kagome-sama was most likely allowed back in this era to defeat Naraku.” Miroku replied. “For whatever reason, the magic that allowed her and Inuyasha to travel back and forth is now gone. For awhile, I thought it was linked to the Shikon no Tama, but that’s not entirely it. She had the Tama inside of her before she came through the well and she has it with her now. She was brought here for a specific purpose. Now she must remain in her own world.”

“Kagome knows things about this time and our future that we don’t. If she accidentally said something, she would change history,” Kaede added. “So history must follow its course. It’s fate.”

“Fate is cruel then, not allowing us to tell her good-bye!” Shippo sobbed.

“She did though,” Miroku smiled at him. “I recall seeing Kagome-sama give you a hug before you started off getting herbs with Kaede-sama. And she hugged Sango as well before she headed to the taijiya village with Kirara. Those are good memories that will help you remember her.”

“I suppose…”

“Don’t cry, Shippo.” Inuyasha turned to face them and all four of them nearly fell over in shock. Instead of anger, his face was cold and serious with the exception of a small, wet track running down his right cheek. “You didn’t yell at her at least.” He approached the group and ruffled the kitsune’s hair. “Besides, we’re youkai.” He gave Shippo a small smile. “Or half-youkai in my case. We’re going to see her again. This I promise you.”

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