InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Lost Souls Found ❯ Summer Vacation ( Chapter 2 )

 

Author's note: Goddess Takahashi owns all these wonderful characters.

 

Lost Souls Found

Chapter 2: Summer Vacation

 

They camped out at the base of the Volcano for several weeks, tending to their hurts, resting up and waiting - waiting to see if Naraku would pull another miracle from his body and rise to wreak greater wickedness upon the land.

 

The birds chirped. The sun shone. The rain fell. And most of the wounds healed.

 

One early morning found them sitting around their makeshift camp, Sango, Miroku and Kohaku closest to the fire where the medicinal poultice for Kohaku's burns bubbled gloppily. Kohaku himself had been extremely quiet since becoming conscious again. Still in a great deal of pain, he rarely talked, only asking after Kikyo, and Sango never left his side.

 

As they sat this morning, Sango stirred the medicines while Miroku massaged the blood into her injured foot as Kagome had instructed him. Sango could walk now, but Miroku still needed InuYasha or Koga to support him on his broken leg. It would be summer's end before he walked normally on his own. Miroku had treated this news as though he'd been given a great gift, letting out whooping laughs upon learning of his disability. As he had told the group when they reacted strangely to his cries, crushed legs were an easy trade for the disappearance of the kazaana, which had almost eaten away to his heart by the time the battle came upon them. Miroku had been their savior these last weeks, using his good mood to try to bring some humor and happiness to their days. It was a tough job.

 

InuYasha and Koga both sat back from the group, on opposite sides of the fire, always squaring off from each other, seldom interacting. Still, they seemed to have reached some kind of truce because they weren't constantly throwing verbal - or other - punches at each other since the battle.

 

“Now what?” squeaked Shippo into the early morning mist.

 

Kagome was still tired, but she was getting sick of sitting around in the gloomy shadow of the battle field, and in the even gloomier shadow of whatever was still haunting InuYasha. He had continued to keep his distance from her and it was pissing her off. She thought she would try to lighten things up a bit, if only to lift her own spirits. Rising to rummage through her bag, she pulled out a paper with little boxes on it. “All right!” she whooped, and everyone turned to look at her, surprise etched on their faces. “Today's June 14!” They all looked at her with the same So? expression.

 

“So ...” she said teasingly, “it's the start of summer vacation!” She did a little dance. “No more tests! I don't have to go back to school for three months!”

 

Everyone looked at her blankly, trying to absorb the fact that she was talking about tests when the battle of their lifetime still hung around them unresolved. Miroku seemed to understand first what she was trying to do and joined in.

 

“What is a … `vacation'?” he rolled the leading question out in front of her, waiting for her to pick it up.

 

“Time off,” Kagome lobbed back at him while reassembling her pack. “Three months to just do nothing. Relax. Go for walks with no destination. Enjoy ourselves.”

 

They took in the idea, knowing they needed more rest, and not sure what was next in the battle against Naraku, if indeed there was a `next'. The thought of what came after Naraku's final demise had always been a tentative subject for the group. They all knew that someday this adventure would end one way or another, and it would be time to move on - possibly separate. It was not something they discussed often.

 

“Three months,” Miroku said thoughtfully, continuing his game with Kagome. “I'm guessing that if Naraku is going to make a reappearance, it would be in that time.” He flexed his hand as he often did now when he was deep in thought. He'd opted to keep the wrist cover and beads on it despite his skin's new normalcy. Superstition or habit, his friends weren't sure.

 

InuYasha relaxed a little for the first time in days. Time off had a nice ring to it. He was even the one to break the silence, unusual for him lately. “A vacation-thing doesn't sound so bad,” he seemed about to say something else and then stopped. The group began discussing the options they had for this vacation-thing Kagome had introduced to the feudal era, but Kagome noticed InuYasha's reserve in the conversation and wondered, if he would use the time to come to terms with whatever secret he was keeping from them. Would he open up to her in that time?

 

“Well, it's been fun,” Koga said, standing gingerly on his still healing legs, but holding the rest of his body with its usual confidence. “I gotta go. I've had enough time off already.”

 

“Bummer,” InuYasha said, but actually cracked a slight smile when Koga looked up at him, “you know how much we'll miss `ya.”

 

“Yeah,” Koga took the compliment in the spirit it was given, “I know.” He came to Kagome and took her hand. She noticed InuYasha lean closer, and it made her feel warm inside that he still got jealous over Koga's strange overtures of platonic romance. “Kagome, I'll miss you.”

 

“Koga-kun,” she said, worry in her voice. “Are you sure you'll be ok on your own?” She realized after she said it that her words could be construed as disrespectful of his strength and cunning, but he seemed to find her concern touching.

 

“I'll be fine,” he assured her, “besides, I've got these,” he said and he flexed his strong hand to let the tips of his Goraishi claws poke through. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “You take care, Kagome.” He didn't' add the you're my mate line that usually came with his good-byes, which was perhaps why InuYasha didn't jump to knock him over. Kagome couldn't decide if she was glad or sad that InuYasha stayed leaning against his tree.

 

Koga seemed to notice this too, since he chose to exit their circle by walking past the hanyou. Approaching InuYasha where he stood by the tree, arms crossed in front of him, the wolf demon pointed a finger directly at the half-demon's nose. “You take care of her, dog breath.” Then he opened his hand and lowered his arm, inviting a true good-bye.

 

InuYasha looked at the hand, under which the Goraishi claws hid, his thoughts unreadable. He took one arm out and swiped his claws gently across the wolf's open palm in as friendly a slap as they'd ever seem him mete out, considering that he didn't draw any blood.

 

“Don't I always?” InuYasha said, perhaps a little defensively.

 

Koga grunted and walked slowly away, his legs less than normal now that the shards were gone. Kagome thought he looked a little sad, and she wondered if she would ever see him again.

 

+++++++++

 

They decided to spend their vacation near a lake a few miles away. Kagome, Shippo on her shoulder, walked much of the way while InuYasha and Kilala shuttled the rest of the band, who were unable to move on their own, and then went to the village for additional supplies. Finally, just after noon, InuYasha brought Kilala to Kagome, still on her walk, and indicated she should ride to their new camp.

 

“I'm going hunting,” he said when she asked him where he was off to. She was sad, watching him leave. She had hoped to ride on his back that afternoon.

 

As his red haori took off into the dark forest, Shippo voiced her thoughts. “What a jerk!” the little kitsune cried after the disappearing flash of red. “He hasn't paid any attention to you in weeks.”

 

“Hm,” she said, wondering if it was as obvious to everyone else as it was to Shippo. Probably even more obvious, she thought depressingly.

 

“Come on, Kilala,” she said as they flew off.

 

+++++++++

 

InuYasha ran fast and hard. Since the battle, he had fallen into a routine of taking care of the group, which was definitely in need of his protection and strength right now. He felt it was at least a little penance he could give them for his role in their current state of injury. He felt frozen inside, waiting for someone to say something, blame him, yell at him. He almost needed them to so he could scream back out his own anger. But they were too weak, too hurt. And he knew if he was alone with Kagome, she would ask him again, ask him to tell her what was wrong. And if he told her, she would be scared. Scared of him. He wouldn't do that to her. He couldn't stand the thought of her looking to him for assurances he could not give, assurances that he would never become that demon again. Better to just keep his distance from her and everyone else. Although he was barely conscious of it, this distance just fueled his anger at himself, which continued to grow and fester. Right now, he needed to get away and run some of it off.

 

He caught the scent of a rabbit den and changed course to circle around it, approaching from downwind. He fell easily into hunting, slowing to quiet his step and become attuned to the sounds and smells of the forest. He saw the den and settled down to wait behind a tree, ready to pounce when dinner showed itself. As he sat, relaxing his conscious mind to let the unconscious predator come forth, another memory came to him unbidden, the memory of the moment he lost his soul. There had been one moment of hesitation, a brief second when the other was present but not one with him. In that moment, using the strength of Tetsusaiga's shield, he could have said no, could have turned it away … couldn't he? But he didn't. And when he didn't, his soul moved aside, receded to make room for the other, and he became lost within himself. Even though the other had pulled away again after the battle, he realized with a shock, his own soul didn't feel solidly seated even now. It was as if, having moved aside once, it no longer fit comfortably inside him. His body and soul felt ajar. A shudder ran through him, and he almost missed the rabbit.

 

InuYasha carried his catch back to their new camp slowly, not really wanting to engage in social banter around the campfire. Looking for diversions, he thought to explore their new territory and followed his nose to water. He was not prepared for the sight of a familiar waterfall and small clearing on the mountainside, a place he had been before, a place where Kikyo and Kagome had been before. Stepping into the clearing, he recognized the place where Kagome had once cleansed Kikyo's wounds from Naraku's shouki.

 

Maybe it was just old memory, but he could swear he smelled Kikyo's presence here still. He sat and let the thoughts from their last meeting come back to him. Did she really still want him dead? Once, he had been ready to die with her out of guilt and pain, succumbing to her spell. But that was when he felt he had nothing to live for. Did he still feel that way? Things were different now. He had friends who depended on him. He had … he had Kagome. Of course, what good was he to them, to her, if he had a monster living inside him; if he couldn't trust his own body and mind? What kind of protector could he be? He fingered the Sit Beads at his neck, hating them and remembering that they were the only thing that had allowed him to stay with her this long. Much as he detested them for limiting his freedom, he recognized the protection they gave her over both his stupidity and the demon inside him. Could they protect her from this new demon? The one that could break Tetsusaiga's shield?

 

Kikyo's scent became stronger and his ears caught the snap of a twig. Was she here? He looked to the other side of the clearing and saw her red and white shape form out of the darkness of the forest. She stepped into the light, looking at him without surprise or welcome.

 

“Kikyo,” he stood and moved towards her.

 

“You found this place,” Kikyo's words were slow, her eyes lidded, “I am glad, InuYasha.” She stepped slowly into the water.

 

“What are you doing?” He did not like the look of her, she was not well. Although the fabric over her wound had been mended, something in her movement told him she herself was still torn underneath. “Can I help you?”

 

She put on a humorless smile. “Perhaps someday.” She knelt into the water so that it covered her shoulders, her hair floating out aimlessly in the water around her. “I need to rest here sometimes. It slows the poison.”

 

“Where were you, just now?” InuYasha was genuinely curious as to what Kikyo was doing now that Naraku was gone.

 

“Out,” she said quietly, “out looking for any sign of him. A sign of the jewel.”

 

“Did you find anything?” InuYasha's ears perked at the thought of chasing Naraku again, “Kagome says she can't feel the jewel. She thinks he's gone.”

 

“As do I,” Kikyo might have sighed if she'd had breath. “My spells and my shikigami have found nothing.”

 

Her words sent a cold jolt into his heart, bringing forth the real possibility that he'd not allowed himself to consider fully. What if Narku and the jewel were really gone? A jerky movement from Kikyo drew his attention back to her; she shifted in the sand under her knees.

 

“But there are places yet unsearched.”

 

“Kikyo,” he let his worry creep into his voice, “how long can you live like this?”

 

“InuYasha, I do not live,” she looked sadly into his eyes. “I will come to you before I let go of this body. I will not die without you.”

 

InuYasha was again unnerved by her words. Part of him wanted to ask her what she meant, but the other part of him did not want to know.

 

“Go back to your friends,” she said simply, “they need you now and there is nothing you can do for me here.” She shifted again and began to lay back into the water. “I will be here if you need me.” As her face slipped beneath the water's smooth surface, not a bubble or a ripple disturbed it. He watched her still form, her perfect features, encased in the liquid, unmoving. He left quietly, shaking off a chill.

 

+++++++++

 

Five weeks later, only a few things had changed. InuYasha was still keeping to himself, but he had found a few minor demon nests and enjoyed eradicating them. Unlike the other times Naraku had disappeared, the larger demons had not emerged. It was almost as if Naraku was truly gone and had taken the world's evil with him. No one really believed this, of course, but they had fun imagining it and enjoying their own opportunity to relax from the hunt.

 

InuYasha had also taken a new interest in teaching Shippo some of the finer points of demon detection and attack, which kept them both busy. He even sat with Kohaku sometimes when the others couldn't, talking to the boy who was still so sad. Kohaku was now able to sit up and move slowly, but his spirit had not returned. InuYasha seemed particularly aware of this and had begun spending more time with him. Sango noticed and was grateful. But she also noticed how sad Kagome was becoming. InuYasha wasn't spending any time with her, even seemed to be avoiding her. Everyone noticed this, especially Kagome.

 

Kagome had begun taking walks in the afternoon to think and be alone. She believed that InuYasha usually followed her. She sensed him more than heard or saw him and he always returned from `somewhere' shortly after she did. It did make her feel better to know her protector hadn't abandoned her completely, but she wished he'd just come out and walk with her sometimes. She had hoped that once Koga left, InuYasha would want to spend more time with her. Her walks had gotten longer, giving him more chances he didn't take.

 

One day, she decided to follow a little stream further up the mountainside than usual. She planted a crossed stick at the intersection of the streambed and the path that would take her home and headed deeper into the wild forest. It did amaze her how much she'd grown since this journey began. She was emotionally, mentally and physically more confident. Never one to take much guff from anyone, she was now positively sure she wouldn't put up with it, even from InuYasha at his most fierce. Maybe that's why he's leaving me alone, she thought suddenly; maybe he wants someone more … passive. She sighed, knowing this train of thought was bound to leave her sad again. She looked up into the tree tops, closing her eyes to enjoy the dabbling sunlight filtering down on her face. She couldn't help herself, and peeked through her closed eyelids hoping to catch a glimpse of red flitting through the branches above. Nothing. InuYasha was downright nonexistent if he didn't want to be seen.

 

The little stream began to grow, sending the water rushing more vigorously over the stones, and she heard rushing water somewhere beyond the trees. Curious, she picked up her pace and soon stepped up into a picturesque opening in the trees with a beautiful clear water pool, a waterfall dropping into it over a rocky wall. The place was familiar, and soon she placed it. This is where I healed Kikyo from Naraku's miasma. For a moment, the embarrassment of that time, when Kikyo hadn't even had the decency to thank her after she'd very likely risked her own life, came back to her, as did some of the anger she'd felt. Gradually, as she looked around the clearing at the perfectly placed rocks and crystal clear water, a new feeling overcame the embarrassment and anger. Kagome slowly realized that, after all the time that had passed, and all the maturity she'd gained, it was her choice whether to stay or go. And if these silly ancient people, InuYasha included, couldn't see clear to appreciate her - all of her, her gifts and her needs - someone somewhere would. She knew it.

 

“I don't have to worry about it until vacation is over,” she said out loud to the rocks and trees and waterfall. She clapped her hands in front of her, as if to snuff out the worries and banish them off to the future where they belonged. An image of InuYasha being particularly haughty and disrespectful of her newly found confidence came to her then, folding his arms in front of him and turning away. For some reason, this action, one she'd seen him do so many times, brought a buried anger out of her and she said out loud, to release her own frustration, “Oh you jerk! Just SIT already!” The world around her was silent in response. She sighed. It had felt good even if she didn't get to see the smug look wiped off his face, which was really the only thing about that command she liked anymore.

 

On impulse, Kagome decided to take a swim. Glancing around one more time to make sure her invisible friend had not appeared, she moved to a rock and left her clothes there in the warm sunlight. Stripped bare, she felt the light wind and comforting sunlight on her body as she moved into the chilly water. Maybe they could find a hot spring somewhere nearby, she hoped to herself, as she felt the goose bumps rise all over her body, including on her nipples. It was exhilarating and she threw herself happily into the water. She swam and splashed in the waterfall, feeling very young - still mature, but young, too. This was exactly what she needed, time away from the serious creature she'd become so accustomed to worrying about, clinging to and wanting.

 

After a bit, she climbed out and lay on a flat rock to let herself dry off. She felt good. Maybe a little sleepy. She didn't quite snooze, but let herself drift with the wind, noticing when the wind stopped chilling her wet skin and became a warm caress as the water evaporated off her. It was the first time she'd felt wind on certain parts of her body. The first time she'd ever been that exposed to the elements. She sensed no danger and so she let herself enjoy the feelings until something in the angle of the sun changed and she knew it was time to go. Rising to put her clothes back on, she dressed and returned to the encampment at a leisurely pace, feeling confident and at ease.

 

When she returned, InuYasha was not there. As she set about helping Sango ready the fire for dinner, sending Shippo on small errands for water, firewood and plants, a nagging thought came to her. What if he was there? What if he saw me? She stopped for a moment, staring into space. So what if he did? Her newly confident voice whispered in her ear. You just showed him what he's missing. She giggled out loud and Sango gave her a curious look. “Nothing,” Kagome said to her friend.

 

InuYasha did not return to camp for a long time.

 

 

***TBC***