Welcome to my actual, first fanfiction! I am quite excited about this story and i hope you all grow to love it like i have ^-^
Just to let you all know, romance takes, as forthy puts it, "the scenic route" for a little while in this one, but i do warn that there will be mature themes in this story but if you're a minor, don't fear, i will mark the chapters with such content. *smiles* Be patient with me and just enjoy the story at it's intended pace. Thankies!
Love to my beta *huggle* ^ 3^
All characters of InuYasha belong to Rumiko Takahashi and i in no way own them or profit from this fiction.
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The air felt uncomfortably bitter. Kagome tucked her straying ebony locks back behind her ears although the wind continued attempting to toy with them.
Winds rustled her outfit, causing her to wrap her arms more tightly around her torso. Her mother had insisted that it was simply too late in the season to wear such apparel but stubborn as she was Kagome insisted she wear her white spring dress.
“Kagome!”
Twirling lazily, the little girl turned back at her mother’s call. She pushed her small hands against the billowing skirts, swollen and wild from the winds gust. With poise and a young yet matronly grin, Mrs. Higurashi stood in the shadow of the open door awaiting her child.
She knelt before the girl, ran her hand across the crown of glistening hair through the locks which traveled down to her back careful not to obstruct the emerald ribbon, holding a bit of Kagome’s hair.
“Didn’t I ask you to wear a jacket if you insisted on playing out on the grounds?” The question was sternly spoken, however her eyes still glistened with the kindness she always exude.
A soft mumble of apology came as the elder woman promptly swathed a soft, hand knit sweater across the girl’s slim shoulders and with care helped Kagome slip each arm into its place. Just as the girl went to skip away her mother yet again caught her, wrapping a warm crimson scarf around her small neck then letting each end drop itself to her front.
Nimble fingers had already begun their attempts to unweave the emerald garment slipping its edges past her childlike limbs.
“Now dear, you mustn’t ruin your lovely sweater.”
Kagome scrunched her nose at the memory of its origin. She did not care to well for her aunt, always wafting the air with her odious perfume. Shocking was the day the gift appeared to her, a potently perfume drenched and hand crafted jacket made in green wool. Although gladly now, plenty of wear and wash had rid the fibers of the smell and allowed her own scent to rub itself in.
“Mommy, can’t I play now. Please?”
The woman briefly tapped her nose while looking at her daughter with strict eyes, glittering lightly with gentle humor. “Kagome dear do not whine that way, it is rude to others.”
Nodding with swift understanding, a smile came to her mother’s features to which the little girl reciprocated in earnest.
“Go along then!” Her grateful step resounded with flat echoing in the enclosed area of the family shrine. “And be sure to keep out of the well house, you know your grandfather doesn’t like you to mess around in there.”
Barely to be considered a real answer, the slights of her responding agreement rang back sure enough in order to send her mother away into the house with satisfaction.
With a sly twist of her head, noting her parent gone, Kagome’s curiosity and unkempt stubborn will never ceased to take control in such situations as this. Giggling, she couldn’t help but comically tiptoe her way over to the wooden sliding doors. A bit heavy for a ten year old, the wood rolled on its tracks in slow ease until the opening was just enough for her to slip in then shove it back into place. Not a soul the wiser for her sneaking.
Her back pressed to the entrance, she looked around the small shrine house with minor unease as her eyes had yet to adjust to the ancient darkness heavily weighing about. Soon delicate rays of sun appeared from their slim openings, breaking in thru the old wooden walls framing the dry water hole.
Careful to avoid any creaks in the steps or splinters along the hand rail, Kagome made her way calmly to pause in wonder before the square well. Protruding as life always did, strong vines of dull green and muddy brown tied their way against the edges and rim. Unnatural though was the many old seals placed upon the closed lid. Her fingers touched the paper almost of their own accord, to one that had been there so long that mere contact caused the sutra to crinkle and break away into fractured bits and dust remnants.
Like a twitch to the body, her limb retracted immediately. Eyes wide as she tucked her lower lip in to gnaw. “Oops…” Rather than to continue inspecting the enchantments, Kagome switched her attention to the slit of unattached space that separated the well edge to the board hiding its unexplored depths.
She had been making her way to the restricted well house for a good while now and with a flutter of excitement believed that today would be the chance to remove the cover at last. It had been quite suspenseful the last few months, slipping in at every opportunity to slowly tug away at old nails keeping the aged boards down.
Luckily her fingers were just able to wedge into the fissure. Kagome forced at the softened board, fragile skinned tips tried grasping at the wood however besides roughly treating her hands and nails, the surface was simply too heavy to budge more than a few centimeters.
An exasperated sigh slipped past her lips.
It wasn’t fair! Pouting in thought, she ran her eyes over the small enclosure. There had to be something, anything which could assist in her endeavor.
With a sudden gasp of memory she whispered, “the hammer!”
Careful not to trip, she ran over to the left wall and groped along until she reached a loose panel among the cluttered shelves of her grandfather’s knick knacks. The empty wedged piece she located and gently looped her finger through in order to pop out the portion of wall revealing a large hammer.
Kagome dragged it out by the handle, careful not to lift it to her face should she lose balance and become impaled. Information her grandfather loved to beat into her mind with constant lectures, while he wasn’t casting away some demon which had descended upon the household or retelling a long passed down tale of fascinating creatures, powerful lords, and great warriors. Thinking on such things hurt her brain.
Returning to her previous spot, the little girl hefted her arms up so that she could notch the hammer’s flat, split edge into the empty line of space to begin forcing up the board. Undeveloped muscles strained in her upper arms and shoulders as she in essence pulled down the handle until she could slip her hands beneath the new opening to catch the wood before it fell back into place. In her effort to maintain the ALMOST horizontal placement, Kagome could feel the hammer begin to slip from its already precarious position on the wells splintered lip.
With a sweat inducing thrust out, the cover toppled backwards in a loud and awkward thump—thump—thump to the ground. Unfortunately as the board went out the hammer decided to take its leave and went in, down…down into the black, hardly emanating its tap at the dirt riddled bottom.
“Uh oh.” Sapphire eyes widely bore into the endless pit, searching for the dull glimmer that should prove to be the escapist tool. Despite having been hiding the hammer for months now, she was sure this incident would come back to haunt her. A faint and sudden gleam caught her eye, to which a relieved smile grew upon her face.
But how to get down there?
The ugly looking vines she had noticed earlier eating space along the old wooden well, her fingers soon felt that not only did they continue on inside, the green brown plants were in fact much thicker and woven.
This gave her an idea, a likely very stupid one, but at least it was something that didn’t involve asking for help.
Keeping that very thought in mind, Kagome took hold of the wells edge and forced herself up, hissing in pain when her hip bones smacked against the rim. With a grunt of effort, she drew her right leg over the edge and just before she would allow herself to deposit the other, her fingers gripped the largest of the many vines and a calming breath swept through her lungs.
“You will not break your leg again. You will not break your leg again.” Consistently repeating the words helped to spur on her bravery and firmly her limbs gripped onto the vines as she released her opposite leg, dangling now above the abyss.
She peered over her shoulder with anxiety, legs and feet dug in for a place to secure her as she began a slow, nail raking drop to the dry dirt floor.
Nearly half way down, Kagome managed another glimpse to the bottom in order to spot her target. Shockingly however, the girl found not a dull looking tool but a glistening orb staring up at her. A sudden pulse like sensation shot through her and in the confusion she felt her limbs drop their hold sending her even faster to the floor of the well. Butterflies danced in agony against her chest and abdomen walls, as if they would tear holes and be free when a lung shattering smack to her body alerted her brain to where she now was. Although, the battle of her existence to actually breath was far more precedent then caring where she had landed or so her ribcage screamed.
Kagome rolled over to spit out the bloody taste in her mouth. It tasted as though her gums were bleeding, lovely, she only hoped no teeth came loose. She dragged her arms beneath her and crawled up to a sitting position against the wall, breathing now a bit less ragged and intense though she kept spitting on occasion.
From the corner of her eye, the familiar shine she had detected before caught her attention again. Her brows furrowed as she locked onto an orb, the orb which had seemingly caused her fall. The prior pulsating sensation drove through her another time, yet stronger and more centered on the jewel like object.
Something inside her really wished to possess that pretty thing; uncertainly her hand went to grasp it. Fingers tightened gently in opposition to the slick surface, she brought it carefully to rest in the cradle of her conjoined palms.
Before a single word slipped out in reverence, an abrupt weightless drowning sensation took over and the surroundings reflected multiple colors all swirling and unsteady. Her legs dangled freely yet she didn’t quite fall away like her brain told her she would.
In a flash of reality, the parallel nuances sucked away, everything seemed to have returned to normal. Kagome glanced up to find the only unmistakable difference, shining down with glory was a bright unhindered blue sky.
This was certainly not in the well house.
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Any reviews of either praise or critique are much loved and quite appreciated! ^ 3^