friendship: ` yuujou友情
She had felt the swell of energy surround her as she fell forward. A feeling she had known so well, but forgot about the past three years she was cursed to be stuck in her own time. She had graduated high school, which was her mother’s dream. Only because she couldn`t return to the place that felt more like home than the time she was born in.
When her feet met solid ground and her head casted upward, she met open sky. Many times she had tried, closed her eyes and wished only to find the open sky covered by the old wood of her shrine’s well house. This time, she knew for sure that this was the place she had hoped it would be. Using the old tattered made shift latter that had seen better years Kagome climbed to the lip of the well and sat. The only thing she could think of, it was nice to be back.
Though Kagome wasn`t surprised that she walked back to the village on her own. Why Inuyasha hadn`t sensed her or smelled her, she wouldn`t know. A smile broke across her face when the village came to sight, which had grown it would seem in the last three years. Biding her time, she walked and walked until she finally stood in front of the old woman who saw to make her life less stressful when she first came to the feudal era. Pushing back the mat that fell in front of the door, she saw the old miko Keade and the young child Rin seated around the pot of brewing strew. Was it really that late?
“I`m home.”
After the reunion with the miko and child it wasn`t long before the hut was filled with many familiar faces and many new. Inuyasha was there, but he avoided her gaze. She had wondered why. That was until she met Hoshi – a very beautiful woman, with light brown hair and expressive eyes. She and Inuyasha had married a year before and by the looks of it, she was quite along in her pregnancy. Kagome congratulated the both of them.
It also surprised her that she felt no remorse over her longtime friend’s decision. What was he supposed to do, wait and wait some more until she returned? She hadn`t expected him to, not in the least. Time was fleeting and their feelings it would seem were as well. In all honesty she was very happy for him, that someone other than herself and the ones that grew to love him gave him the chance. Hoshi from what she saw loved Inuyasha very much. Kagome explained that to Inuyasha when he came to her a couple days after her return.
He tried to tell her he was sorry and Kagome wouldn`t hear any of it, she only waved her hand and gave him a long hug – which he returned fully. He was her closest friend and she didn`t want to feel like was had betrayed her by developing feelings for someone else while they were not sure if she would ever return. So she decided to ease his worry, because she did not hate him nor did she want him to suffer grief for falling in love.
“You are happy, you deserve to be happy – with a woman that loves you, whom will give you children whom will also love you, unconditionally.”
It was the birth of Inuyasha daughter Sora that made Kagome decided that even if her friends did love her and wanted her around her skills her best used in travel. Not long after the miko had returned she began venturing off to other villages in hope of adjusting to life here, learning there ways. Everyone expected her already know this kind of stuff but she hardly gave it much thought before because she knew she always had a home to return too in the future. That wasn`t the case anymore, it would seem that the well had closed up again in all of her time visiting to tell her family that she loved them. That well was the only connection she had now, to a family she left behind.
"In one moment a life can be lost; a memory born and a soul saved."
That was the last thing she said, the one last offer of wisdom before she left. Friendship was everything to her and she didn`t want to be a burden to her friends.
So she set off, in hopes of finding herself. She was twenty at that time and she saw many things.
Improving her skills in many things was on the top of her list while learning as much as she could as well. During the time she met two females on their way across the lands to meet up with a distance clan. They joined Kagome for a short time before they too went their separate ways. Though the woman miko was very glad for the company since her four months of complete solitude unless her stops within the village. Then some months later she helped the passage with a middle aged couple. Though her longest companion was a younger boy who she thought only wanted some company. They got along pretty well, though he did remind her a little of each male that brought memories to her. Arrogant like Inuyasha, yet in the presents of woman he completely flipped personalities and then like Shippou – kind and childish.
Though it would seem, his life was not supposed to beyond seventeen years. It saddened her to watch him past, but she was there at his side the moment the light left his eyes. She could do nothing to save him, her powers were limited.
After the passing of the boy, Kagome spent most of her time away from civilizations. She was tired was feeling pain from losing people she got attached too.
At the age of twenty three that was when she discovered the hidden village deep in the mountains. The monks in the scared mountain taught her the studies of youkai and other creatures she had no idea existed. Though after passing through time all those year she shouldn`t have been so surprised. They say that her emotions get the best of her in the long run and it was because she had such an old soul that made her so sensitive to life and the feelings around her.
She spent two years with them, though it was pretty awkward being with all males and she the only female. But she really wanted to learn, so she stayed for almost two years before the monks said that they had nothing left to teach her, show her. Saying her thanks she picked up and headed out. Of course nothing prepared her to see the growing kitsune in the village at the foot of the mountain. All she could do was drop her things and engulf him in the tightest huge she could muster. Baby Shippou was now taller than her, surprised to see that – though she kept her thoughts to herself. Shippou although knew what to say, know wouldn`t if it had only been four years and he was a head taller than her now.
Simple. When a kitsune finally decides that it’s time to grow up – learn how to be a proper kitsune does his body start to grow. Kagome accepted that and lied saying she heard about that somewhere, Shippou only laughed. It was then he mentioned Inuyasha and only then had Kagome thought of him in a long time. The young youkai suggested a visit and the miko was more than happy to accompany him.
Inuyasha and Hoshi had added yet another girl to their family and Kagome couldn`t but giggle. Which he knew the reason, what was up with men and having boys? Though Sango and Miroku still have those twin girls and their boy, which she was surprised about. In all honesty, she had guessed that by the time she came back they would have at least two more. She was just happy that they were content. All of them. Kagome stayed a week before she decided her visit was overdue and bid farewell, all the while Shippou starting at her retreating back.
That was then that Kagome had got a permanent travel companion.
Winter had rolled around and Kagome couldn`t fathom why winter in the feudal era was worse than in her own time. Maybe it was because of the disrupted land.
Shippou had begged her to take a break, but as per usual she pushed forward. The young kitsune could only follow until she collapsed.
“Kagome, wake up!” she heard him call to her, but for some damn reason she couldn`t begin to raise herself from the ground. The snow damping her layers of clothing as she sank deeper into the growing snow. Shippou had reached her pulling her up from her shoulders so that the snow wouldn`t smother her breath.
Although he was practically an adult and he outweighed her by much the weight of her unconscious body and her layers of soaking kimono was giving him a hard time as he attempted to get her up and under the nearest tree where snow had not seeped through the branches to the ground below.
“Kagome – oneesan!”
“Interesting.”
Shippou shocked by the sudden voice had him drop the woman and stood straight, his hands instantly to the daggers strapped to the back of his waist – his fangs baring at the intruders who seem to be walking blindly in the blizzard.
Though when he finally caught appearance of the three males now standing just feet’s away his hands never left the hilt of his daggers nor his snarl fall.
The lords of the East, North and West stared at him with blank expressions, though the eastern lord had his brows raised at the sight of feral kitsune. He seemed slightly – amused. Shippou was guessing that he was the one who had spoken in which had gathered their existence. He must have been out of it to not have even sensed their youki. Slightly ashamed his expression did not falter, when with the western lord had shifted his attention to the miko who was now sinking into the slightly lesser snow since he had managed to drag her closer to tree line.
Having not seen the inu youkai in over six years Shippou was surprised, even with Rin living with the elder miko – Sesshoumaru himself never visited though the young girl always received gifts.
“She burns,” the one in the middle spoke this time as he too turned his attention back to the female on the ground. He moved so that his hands were linked together underneath his sleeves. Shippou had never seen any of the other lords – besides Sesshoumaru – one meeting he could do without.
Letting one hand drop from the daggers he reached down and placed the hand on Kagome’s forehead. He was right – she was burning up. The kitsune cursed and his jaw tightened in his strain from wanting to drop his guard and take Kagome away or stand his ground with his fangs baring at three youkai in which he shouldn`t be threating. Which they probably didn`t even take seriously.
“Ne, take the girl, we head to the western domain. Have a healer look at her, it seems reasonable.” The older inu with the amused look stated as he looked at the western lord whom gave the elder a warning look.
The rugged elder smirked at Sesshoumaru`s reaction and chuckled, jerking his head in the direction the inu was now walking to Shippou. The other inu from the north tilted his head before following the other two. Debating about it for a moment, but decided it was the best chance he had. He knew nothing of healing. Before they were out of sight Shippou lifted the miko onto his back and rushed after them.
She was going to be seriously ticked off with him.