A/N: We all wish we owned the rights to Inuyasha and the characters within, but we all know we don't, myself included! My greatest thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for creating such a wonderful series. :D
Return to Reality
Kagome Higurashi woke up and stretched before rolling out of bed and shuffling to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. Honestly, if she didn't absolutely have to get up for work, she would have stayed in bed for another several hours, at least. She brushed her hair listlessly as she thought about how grateful she would be to finally be leaving her hated waitressing gig. The diners at the place she worked seemed to constantly hit on her, and she simply wasn't interested. In fact, nothing interested her much at all anymore, it seemed, except the rare occasion when she would find some remnant of the Sengoku Jidai to clean up or display at her first job, the Edo-Tokyo Museum.
Pulling her tresses back in a low ponytail, the once renown Shikon Miko glanced in the bathroom mirror quickly before changing into her work clothes. She didn't bother with make-up. Why put on a face to attract men she didn't want anything to do with in the first place? It didn't feel right on her skin, in any case.
Kagome stopped in the kitchen long enough to grab a to-go cup of coffee for her morning commute and stuff a pastry in her mouth before heading out. She barely even tasted the sweet, creamy filling as she chewed mechanically and swallowed. Even her mouth wasn't interested in her hum-drum meals. Life was boring here. One monotonous day after another Kagome worked to earn enough to pay the bills for her tiny apartment. Maybe she should have stayed in college and tried harder so that she could have found a satisfying career, but she just didn't have the heart to continue letting her mother pay for school when she was barely passing. Oh, how she used to love History in high school! She had thought a History major in college would have been the perfect choice, but she had quickly been disabused of the idea when she realised that the "history" she was being taught was nothing like the history she had actually lived. Demons and Daimyos simply didn't exist anymore, but at least the humans hadn't been written off as myths and legends.
Sighing, Kagome clambered aboard a the train that would speed her off to her last day waiting tables. She was so glad to have been able to finally quit without worrying that her income would no longer be sufficient. Souta, sweet brother that he was, had managed to get his fiance' to find an in for Kagome to work at her school. As a teacher's aid Kagome wouldn't be making more than she did at the diner, but at least she wouldn't have to fake interest in men to get better tips. As a bonus, she would get to work with kids.
Kagome had a real soft spot for children. Although leaving her little Shippo behind had been in his best interest, it hadn't been in hers. She missed her kit fiercely and only managed to pull out of the depression leaving him had caused by becoming a foster mom to animals from the local shelter. Unfortunately, when she moved to her own apartment, she discovered that pets were prohibited. Once a week now she volunteered her time at the shelter, but she always felt bad for having to leave her furry friends behind when it was time to leave. She wished she could have her own children some day, but at the rate she was going, she would certainly wind up an old spinster. Sometimes she wondered if she could put up with a modern man for the sake of having children, but she realised it wouldn't be fair to the man or the kids she wished to raise. Sometimes she considered adopting, but with virtually no savings and realistically not enough income to support anyone beside herself, that though was also quickly squashed.
The train came to a grinding halt and Kagome made her way through the throngs of passengers to the exit. Just one more shift at the diner wouldn't kill her, would it? In the five minutes it took her to walk from the train station to her job, Kagome managed to banish her thoughts of children and her past. Although she didn't like her job, she did try to do it well. That meant not being a sour-puss while she worked. Adjusting her shirt and plastering a fake smile on her lips, Kagome walked in to start her last shift.
*********************************************
"Congratulations, Kago!"
Kagome rolled her eyes at the enthusiasm of the bus-boy who insisted on the ridiculous shortening of her name. "Thanks, Gorou," she said, backing away to keep him from wrapping his arms around her in a bear hug.
"Well, I guess this is it for us, huh?"
"Gorou, there never was an "us"," she sighed as she moved toward the door.
From the kitchen the cook laughed at the young boy's attempts. After 8 months of being rebuffed by the pretty waitress he would have thought the boy would have taken the hint.
As Kagome walked out she heard the dramatic sigh of her 19 year old co-worker. She shook her head as she moved out on to the street and headed toward the bus, grateful that the only man she worked with at the museum was too old and too happily married to attempt the same antics as other men around her. She just didn't understand it - what did they find so attractive? Her constant moping? Her drab, boring black hair? After asking herself the same question over and over, she had finally come to the conclusion that the men probably all just wanted to have something that was unobtainable. It wasn't like she was playing hard to get, but they all seemed to think she was!
As she boarded the bus for the museum, she let her thoughts drift back once again. Inuyasha, she thought. Oh how she had loved her hanyou friend! After two years of shard hunting and awkward conversations, though, the pair had decided that romance was just not an option for them. When Kagome left to return to her rightful time period, they had parted on sad, but friendly terms. But that love she had had for him in the early times hadn't faded, it had only changed into something more platonic. That romantic feeling, though, was the one she had been waiting to know again ever since, and she had yet to find it. Even silly little crushes were foreign to her now. What she wouldn't give even for Kouga to show up and snatch her up mid-stride. Not that she ever loved the wolf, but she did always feel safe and wanted when she was with him. Protected.
Another demon she missed didn't quite inspire romantic feelings, but he had made great strides toward friendship before she had left, and Kagome had started feeling...something toward the Inu Lord, but she knew without a doubt that any feelings she might have developed for Sesshomaru if she had stayed would have never been reciprocated. She laughed at herself as she stood up from her seat to get off at her stop. How silly of her to ever have cultured those feelings.
It's just that he was so...something. For a few months before the spider hanyou, Naraku had been defeated, Sesshomaru had become a much closer ally, often times even following along with the rag-tag group of her friends. Inuyasha's animosity had made things difficult at first, but like most things, the hanyou's obsession with revenge and feelings of hatred slowly faded into the background. She and Sesshomaru had even managed a couple of late night conversations, although, mostly they only spoke about Rin and Inuyasha. The Inu wasn't very verbose, but he was very intelligent, and, she had discovered, quick witted. He was fiercely loyal and unbelievably powerful, not to mention good looking.
Kagome grimaced as she realised that she was very much like so many of the men she had written off - longing for someone unobtainable. For all she knew, Sesshomaru was still alive somewhere and raising a family. Hell, it had been 500 years, he could be entertaining children who were several times 'great' grandkids.
As she walked into the public restroom to quickly change out of her waitressing uniform and into a fresh pair of khakis and a tweed blouse, she found herself once again longnig for children of her own.
Freshly clothed, she used the bathroom's lone mirror to pull her hair up into a bun and splash a bit of cool water on her face. Banishing her morose thoughts, the miko once more plastered a smile on her face before ditching her dirty outfit in her locker and clocking in to work. As she went over a list of items that were just in and had yet to be cleaned or polished and displayed, Kagome walked the eastern hall of the library to the store room where new acquisitions were held. Two hours later, she had a small stock of items that were ready to find homes around the museum, and she needed to report to the head curator to let him guide her in their placements.
She had nearly made it to Mr. Takaro's office when a man in his early 30's approached her with a sly grin. Wincing internally at the look on his face, Kagome smiled politely and asked if he needed help.
"Sure, sweet thing," the man replied, his voice drawling out as if his mouth were coated in honey. "I'm sure you could help me. You interested in a new job? I have a couple of positions open..."
Kagome scrunched her nose slightly and took a small step back. This man had "slime-ball" written all over him. Honestly, she had seen enough of these types at the diner, did they have to show up at the museum as well? Her smile falling into a tight frown, Kagome shook her head minutely. "I'm sorry, sir, but I like my current employment just fine." His eyes hardened slightly as she spoke, and she eyed him cautiously as she continued. "If you are interested in learning about something here in the museum, I would be happy to find someone to show you around, but -"
"I'm not interested in someone else showing me around, sweetie," he nearly hissed. Composing himself a little, he tried another tactic. "I just was hoping that a pretty lady such as yourself could be persuaded into a free dinner?"
Kagome shook her head. "I'm sorry, sir," she said a bit more quietly, "but I'm very busy here, as you can see. If you don't mind..." She attempted to step around the taller man to continue on down the hall, but in a lithe movement he side-stepped her and grabbed her elbow.
"Listen, miko," the man suddenly hissed, "I know-"
"Excuse me, is there a problem here?" boomed a masculine voice from right behind Kagome.
Kagome gulped a breath; she hadn't realised she had stopped breathing. Thank goodness her boss had been somewhere down the hall instead of in his office!
The creep quickly dropped his hold on Kagome's arm and took two quick steps back. "Not at all, good sir," he said, feigning surprise that someone would think he was doing anything wrong. "I was just -"
"Leaving," Mr. Takaro finished for him. The man squinted, his contempt evident, before turning on his heel and storming back toward the exit.
The aged curator watched the degenerate leave before turning to console his young employee. "Kagome, are you alright?"
"Ye-yes' Mr. Takaro," she stuttered. "I...um...I just need a minute."
The elder nodded and waited patiently while Kagome took a couple of deep, relaxing breaths. She closed her eyes and quickly went over the confrontation again. The sleazy man had called her a miko. How would any human know what she was? She hadn't encountered any demons since she had returned, at least, not that she knew of. She hadn't felt any strange energy signatures from the man, but...he had to be a demon, or at least hanyou. A shiver ran down her spine. Was that visit random, as she hoped?
"I'm sorry, sir," Kagome breathed as she finally re-opened her eyes.
"No need for that," the curator replied with concern in his voice. "He didn't...damage you at all, did he?"
Kagome shook her head in the negative. "No, sorry...I, um. Hey! I finished the new inventory," she said quickly to change the subject. Mr. Takaro nodded, deciding to allow her to do so.
"That's good. I have drawn up a list of their placement already, if you are feeling up to the task?"
Kagome nodded and followed him to his office to retrieve the paper. Thanking him again, she turned and headed back to the store room.
"ARG!" She growled after slamming the door. She stomped her foot several times before growling again. How could she be so stupid? Of course there were still demons! Why hadn't she bothered trying to find them? She had not used her powers even a little since she had returned from the past; she suppressed them instead. "Grrr!" Kagome punched an empty box she had placed on top of a pile and the lightweight cardboard crumpled and fell to the floor with a thud. The miko cocked her head to the side after the box landed - it had sounded like there was something in it still.
Now worried she might have damaged some important piece of history, Kagome flipped the box carefully upright and peeked inside. An ancient looking, leather bound book was resting in the bottom, looking mostly unharmed. She reached in and snatched the book out, only to discover that it was actually a hand written journal. The pages were brittle and worn with time, but she carefully opened the first page to see an elegant hand had recorded their entries. The entire first page was listed under a single date.
September 4, 1499
I went last month to the village where my ward is being apprenticed, only to find that one of her teachers has disappeared. My brother told me at first that she had returned to her own village to be with her family. Something was decidedly false about this story, however, and after much harassment, he has admitted that the whereabouts of this woman are slightly less...substantiated.
Kagome blinked. No way.
Supposedly, she has not gone to another place, but to this place, at another time. Normally I would not believe such a ridiculous notion, but there had always been something...different about this woman. I now find myself at odds with this situation. For the past several weeks I have been unable to rid myself of thoughts concerning this woman's whereabouts. What "time" has she transported to? Why has she chosen to go when she seemed quite at home here with friends who cared for her? And, most annoyingly, why did she leave without consulting me?
On one hand, I am both angered and insulted that she thought to leave permanently without any concern for my regard. On the other hand, perhaps she has done me a great favor by leaving in this way. I do not know how her continued existence in my life would have played out, and perhaps she has saved us both from disastrous consequences by leaving...I may not have wished her to go had I known that she was considering it, but perhaps this way is better.
I have tried to dismiss these thoughts for the last fortnight with little result. Her face plagues my dreams and her voice haunts me during my waking hours. I can only hope that with time, like all things, this...obsession will fade. Then again, if it is only time that is a barrier, perhaps some day again I may see this woman.
Where did you go, Kagome?
The journal slipped from Kagome's numb fingertips and careened to the floor. A resounding "smack" as the leather slapped the concrete floor seemed to snap the woman from her trance.
"No. Fucking. Way."
Carefully, but quickly, snatching up the worn journal, Kagome decided to go against every rule she would normally adhere to and stashed the book within her billowy blouse. If she sucked in her stomach as she moved, perhaps no one would notice the small rectangular shape pressing against the inside of her shirt. Practically running down the hall, she nearly burst through the main office door before making a quick apology to Mr. Takaro and claiming that the creepy guy had really frightened her more than she let on and could she be dismissed for the rest of the day?
Her elderly employer nodded, sympathy shining in his old, gray eyes as he acquiesced. "Would you like an escort to the bus, then?" he asked generously.
"No. Thank you, though," Kagome replied. "I...um...the bus station isn't far and if I see that guy I'll just, uh, come right back here."
Her boss nodded again. "Please call me, Kagome, if you need anything," he said more informally. The old man had known her for 2 years now, and often looked on her as a granddaughter.
"Thanks," she said again as she backed out of the office. "Really, thank you." She offered a genuine smile at the old man's kindness before she left for the day. Once outside of the museum, Kagome dashed down the street toward the nearest train station. The next bus wouldn't stop for over an hour, the train would get her home faster, even if she had to walk much farther to get there. The sooner she could get home, the sooner she could read more of her pilfered piece of cultural, and personal, history.