InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Broken Hearts and Crushed Dreams ❯ Two Discoveries and a Date ( Chapter 9 )

~Chapter Nine~

.:Two Discoveries and a Date:.

*Beep, beep, beep!*

Kagome jerked awake at the sound of her alarm on her nightstand.

“Ugh…” she plunged her head deeper into her warm pillow in hopes of drowning out the sound. The night before she had cried herself to sleep and spent the duration of it tossing and turning. Every hour she woke up from the same dream. It was more of a memory of what had happened with Inuyasha and Kikyo.

Not thinking of what she was doing, Kagome got up and wandered out of the hut. For the second time that day, she walked down the path to Goshinboku. She was terrified of what she would find.

Maybe he's not there.

…But every time he needs time to think he goes to Goshinboku.

An image of Kikyo and Inuyasha locked in a kiss eluded her mind. I don't know if I can take it if I lose Inuyasha too…

Goshinboku was in sight. The leaves shifting in the breeze, the crescent moon hovering over the horizon. Her fears were realized once more as she caught a glimpse of Inuyasha and Kikyo. They were deep in conversation. Inuyasha's brow was furrowed and Kikyo with a sad look on her face. She couldn't hear what they were talking about but she didn't care.

He snuck out to see Kikyo. How could he…?

She didn't want to risk Inuyasha catching the scent of her tears; she hurriedly walked back towards Kaede's hut. She started jogging after the first five steps, then started to sprint as fast as she could. Her heart beat loudly in her ears. She could feel her blood rushing through her veins and her cheeks flush at the exercise. She could no longer breathe and cry at the same time.

Every time she would be jilted back to reality at this point. She would awake with beads of sweat on her face and her pillow moist from tears. She would turn her pillow over and try and fall to sleep again.

Kagome slammed the small button on her alarm in order to quell the noise. There was no way she could fall back to sleep now. It would be no use; even if she did go back to bed she would only have restless dreams recapturing the pain in her memories.

She threw back the light, summer sheets on her bed and sat up. She looked around her room, observing every picture, every small trinket, and all the love she had poured into making her room the way it was.

Time was never on her side, was it? It moved to fast when she wanted the moment to last forever and went slower than molasses when she wanted it to quickly pass. She sat for what seemed to be an eternity until there was a soft knock on her door.

“Kagome?” came her mother's soft voice from beyond her door.

“Come in,” replied Kagome in a cracking voice.

The doorknob turned slowly and the door creaked as it opened. Her mother's head appeared around the corner of her door, “Breakfast is ready.”

“Alright, I'll be down in a few minutes,” Kagome said.

The door closed and Kagome was left alone with her haunting thoughts once more.

She clumsily stumbled out of bed and down the hall to the bathroom. She turned on the light and then moved her way over to the shower. While the water was heating up, Kagome took the chance to examine the damage to her appearance caused by the emotional night before; her eyes were red and swollen from crying, her hair was tangled and she could already see the knots that would clearly need to be cut out, and to top it all off, she had large dark circles forming under her eyes from lack of sleep.

Great, I look like Frankenstein's bride…

Realizing the shower had been running for more than ten minutes, she quickly undressed and stepped onto the white tile lining the inside of the shower, letting the water caress her aching muscles.

 

After getting ready for the day before her, Kagoem made her way down the stairs for breakfast, even though she knew she wouldn't eat anything.

She sat down at the table and stared at the flower designs on the empty plate in front of her. Kagome knew she had a vacant look on her face and her eyes were glazed over. She could feel her family's looks of worry on her.

“Kagome, are you feeling okay?” Souta asked.

She deliberately ignored her little brother's question, “May I be excused?” she asked blandly.

“But you haven't eaten anything,” replied Mrs. Higurashi, a bit confused.

“I'm not hungry…” she trailed off.

“Alright, but you need to eat something later.”

“Okay,” she was standing before anyone could do or say anything else. Kagome made her way to her room. As soon as she turned the doorknob and entered her bedroom, she realized she had nothing to do. School was over and done with, so no homework to keep her occupied; her room was nearly spotless and she had read all her books on the shelf. The television was, of course, going to be on with Souta's eyes glued to the screen.

She let loose a large sigh and fell back on her bed. She stared up at the ceiling and thought of Inuyasha. It hurt her, but she couldn't help herself.

Maybe he has a good explanation…

Doubt it.

He loves Kikyo. I can never change that, nor can I make him love me instead.

I did ask to stay with him… so I don't think he'll mind if I come back.

He probably thinks I over reacted and is in a huff in Goshinboku right now.

Yet another knock on her door brought her out of her reverie.

“Come in.”

Mrs. Higurashi walked into the room and sat down on the bed next to her daughter, “Kagome, you can't stay in this room all day. Why don't you go out and see your friends?”

“I don't feel well,” she stated flatly.

“I know you don't, but it isn't doing you any good sulking.”

She let out an exasperated sigh, “Fine, I'll go shopping.”

Mrs. Higurashi kissed Kagome's forehead and stood to leave. Kagome watched her mother leave and sat up. She grabbed her purse sitting on her desk and fished to find some money. Once she found a measurable amount of cash she slipped it into her back pocket and zipped up her purse.

Kagome dragged herself downstairs and out the back door. She looked where her bike normally would have been but she saw an empty space.

I left it in the Feudal Era… Inuyasha…

 

 

Inuyasha opened his eyes to bright glare of sunlight. He looked at his clothes; they were soaked with blood, his blood. His silver hair was caked with mud, making him appear to be one of the undead.

 

What the hell happened?... I don't... Kagome...

His encounter with Sesshomaru came back to him in a flash, along with other painful memories of Kagome, his friends, and Kikyo. The emotions threatened to overcome him but he refused to give in. He had to get back to the village and find a way to get to Kagome. She was all he had left.

Inuyasha rose to his feet and shakily made his way faster and faster through the forest towards the village. He emerged from the woods all the while thinking of what Sesshomaru had said.

He was right

I give up too easily,

I need to find a way to get to Kagome

Kaede, who was tending to the garden in front of her hut, looked up to see Inuyasha coming towards her from the brush.

“Inuyasha, where have ye been? What has happened?”

“Kagome's gone. She found me with Kikyo. Your sister has died, Kaede. She told me that if Kagome went through the well she would never be able to come back,” Inuyasha said, averting his eyes.

“Inuyasha, I may know a way you can get to Kagome one last time. There is a tale of a monk who lives on Mt. Hakurei. He may posses enough power to open the time slip once more. However, he is very elderly and will surely die if he leaves the sacred mountain. It will be near impossible to convince him to help you but if ye truly wish to see Kagome again I believe that is your only chance.”

Inuyasha looked at the old woman and a look of determination settled onto his features.

I'm coming Kagome... whether you like it or not…

Without even thanking her, Inuyasha immediately turned around and set off to find the mysterious monk who resided on Mt. Hakurei.

 

 

Ugh… I might as well go back and get it. Inuyasha will never know I was there.

She turned towards the old well house on the other side of the shrine grounds. Kagome slid open the old door and walked down the steps. She jumped over the wood siding of the Bone Eater's Well. As the ground approached, the time slip remained closed. When she was close enough to the bottom, she prepared herself for an injury and tightly closed her eyes. She made an impact on the nearly solid ground. She choked out a cry of pain as her knees landed roughly on the floor of the dry well.

What's happening? Why can't I get through?

Is that what Inuyasha was trying to tell me? That the well would close?

I'll never see him again. He's gone…

I bet he's happy without me, with Kikyo.

She climbed up the ladder her grandfather had installed to make it easier to climb out of the well. She walked down the shrine steps and down to a public sidewalk in the city of Tokyo, Japan. Kagome absent mindedly made her way down the street, passing stores and people, all the same.

“Hey, Kagome!” came Houjo's voice from behind her on his bike.

She kept walking without even looking back, pretending she hadn't heard him.

He quickly closed the gap between them, “Hey, Kagome. I haven seen you since graduation. How's it going?”

“Fine,” she didn't bother to look at his face and kept walking.

Houjo fell into step with her, “So are you going to university in the fall?”

“I don't think so; I have other responsibilities to take care of.”

“Like what? Isn't your education the most important thing?”

She was caught off guard by his question, “Oh, I- Uh, I got a pretty good paying job, so I don't need to go to college...” she lied.

He was surprised and added, “Wow, I didn't expect that out of you. I always imagined you'd go to the university. I mean, you're so smart and everything…” he trailed off.

“Oh, uh, thanks.”

They walked on in silence for a couple of minutes longer, listening to bustling strangers and the noises of the cars on the road.

“So, Kagome, what are you doing this Saturday? I was hoping to, uh, go to a movie. Would you like to come?”

“Who else is going?”

“Oh, uh, just you and me.”

“Oh, like a- a date,” she gulped.

“Yeah, like a date.”

Her mind flashed to Inuyasha and Kikyo, “I'd, uh, love to,” she replied in a chipper tone.

“Great! I'll pick you up around six, okay? I'll see you Saturday,” he said, running off towards some friends in the distance.

A date? With Houjo?