Mad World

2. Home.



The sun was rising over the darken Tokyo skies as light filtering through onto her slightly conscious self. She furrowed her brow as long dark onyx lashes fluttered open slightly to reveal troubled blue grey stormy eyes. The suns happy rays finding a most unhappy miko. She felt needles in her hands, patches on her head and chest, and beeps, gawd awful beeps. She looked to her sides and saw a rumpled heap, her mother, her brain supplied, the scene was familiar as it had happened enough times in enough lives, she was in the hospital, but it was a voice from the past that made the beeps go off worse. Damn the beeps.



“Your awake.” came the dark, concerned and baritone like voice of her father, startled blue grey eyes locked with deep concerned blue grey eyes from the past. With every bit of the power and strength she had Kagome literally curled up against her pillow in a ball and screamed at the top of her lungs, because of all the things to have happened this had never! The scream registered on an ear shattering levels, startling the sleeping members of her family, which included her brother, grandfather, mother, and who the hell was that? She thought looking at a little girl.



‘Rin?’



Her brain hurt so much looking at the little girl. She could feel the magic rushing threw her head as it filled her brain with new corresponding memories to suit this new life. It was a pain she was all too used to, but at the same time it was more intense then she had ever felt before, it felt like a the sun was swallowing her conscious, it burned, god did it burn. A light trickle of blood flowed from her nose, her eyes wide as blood tears began to run down her face, while her brains urgent need to feel free from all these happy memories that the time line was pressing into her conscious. At some point she realized someone was screaming, the screaming was hurting her head, it took the sight of the worried looking doctors and nurses rushing family out and to her to realize it was her. But something was horribly off, she knew them to be in a hospital, but the doctors looked more like priests, and the nurses like mikos? She couldn’t think about it, it hurt to think, she felt hot tears welling and cascading down her cheers like a fury. And then there was light, white hot scolding light.



She heard them screaming too now, drowning out her own yowled hellish roar of a scream, she didn’t know who they were but there were a lot of them, and oddly she could only concentrate on the pained face of her mother as one of them held her back. Kagome felt herself being lifted, with the task complete there was no need to lock her powers in, the shock and sight of her long dead father had sent her into a up roaring panic. Her bodies natural response was of coarse to rectify that, her powers pushed outwards lashing out wildly. The weight of the power was deafening, it was almost as though her soul was thunderously roaring, her scorching light enveloped her, and soon her room, and then the rest of the hospital as well. From the outside, onlookers would say to reporters that would show up later, ‘that they saw a tremendous light, a warm glow of sorts…‘, but from the inside many were temporarily blinded from the light, and when the doctors/priests finally made it back to Kagome they only saw a passed out fifteen year old that they would have to re-evaluate. This hospital was only equipped to handle a Class-four Spiritual energy, she had to be at least a seven of higher, and remarkably she seemed untrained.



All around Kagome heard murmurs, whispers, but none of it registered to the slightly conscious miko. The healers were all busy checking patients, as it seemed that the surge of light had in fact helped, or saved many in the hospital. Though it had not been her intention, Kagome had just healed most of the patients there. Her family was told by the head healer priest that they would not be charged for Kagome’s stay, that she had done for them what many of them could not. To be a healer you had to be at least a Class-six, even to assist those of lower classed spiritual energy, if what they saw was correct of their passed out patient, she would be getting a lot of attention shortly.



“What caused this?” asked the head healer, “Was there someone that upset her?” her father looked saddened before he answered.



“I..I asked if she was awake, that’s when she screamed, I don’t think I’ve ever heard her scream like that. It sent a shiver down my spine as if it were the first time she‘d seen me in a very long time, it was like she was terrorized, or shocked. And the look in her eyes, Kami it made me want to cry.”



“Hn.” said the head doctor as he made notes.



“Will she be okay?” asked her father as he had his trembling wife in his embrace.



“She’s stable, and there are no signs of a Spiritual leak, but she needs to stay clam, or she could inadvertently purify some demons in the local area, I would suggest until she can be sure another serge of power wont come like that, Do you live in the area?“ asked the doctor as he watched them shake their heads ‘no.‘ “ Then you should look into finding housing here in Tokyo. It is a human district, many monks, priests, and miko’s live here. She’ll need to be trained fully as soon as possible. What we all felt was at least a Class-seven serge, or higher. The Government will have to be informed, but its nothing to worry about, they only really go after Class-eights and up. Your little girl could very soon be working for Japan, to keep rouge demons in line. You should be proud.” The doctor couldn’t know that was exactly what they didn’t want for their daughter. Working for the government in one of their demon hunting squads was like being an assassin of youkai. Neither wanted that for their little girl, they had always taught her that peace was the way to resolve everything, and that only when forced was fighting an answer, and often not then either.



“What are we going to do? She’ll need to be re-trained, and to move?” asked Sayuri to her husband.



“Well my father does own the shrine we’ve been staying at remember, he’s always wanted us to move closer to home, we could make this permanent. And it is closer to my job, not to mention we won‘t have to shuffle the kids between schools between breaks.” Kenshiro looked towards his wife and his family, receiving a nod from his youngest daughter, his only son and his wife, as a family they decided for Kagome they would bring her back home and help her in any way they could. It had been decided that when she woke up would be good for only her mother to be there, seeing as how the whole holy experience Kagome had her eyes locked on Sayuri, neither Rin or Souta liked this idea, let alone Kenshiro but they knew in the end it would be for the better. It took her five days to wake, her body was physically healed, it had been her mind keeping her in the dark.



Laying in the bed she felt heavy, not just physically, for that was true each limb she head felt as though it had been held down by lead weights, but emotionally as well, her mind had registered two people that she not be here, and now, and where it shouldn’t shock her, it did, greatly. IN all her travels that she was aware of she had never met another reincarnate, she was one, Kikyo’s supposedly, but never once had she seen another reincarnate, she had met Hojo’s ancestors once, but nothing more. Feeling heavier then she had in her life, dark lashes fluttered open and whispered out to the world, “Momma?” Sayuri was on her feet and by her daughters side faster then any one could have guessed the nearing forty year old woman could have moved. The mothers small and delicate hands found those of her daughters, and warm rich caramel brown eyes met scared and almost shimmering blue. Sayuri watched as her daughter looked into her own eyes, “Was it real? Was that really daddy?” she asked feeling more like a child then she had since her father died so many life times ago. She watched as her mother nodded. “And that little girl?” asked her daughter. Kagome watched as her mothers eyes became confused.



“Your little sister?” asked Sayuri.



“S-sister?” staggered Kagome, while both females eyes widened in shock thought for two completely different reasons. Kagome knew something was up, she had never had a sister before, her father had died just after Souta’s birth, when he was still just a young babe in fact, if her father was indeed alive it stood to reason that her mother and father would have additional children, and thus she had a sister. Her mind supplied where with memories as if on queue, which mentally she laughed, it was, she thought, as she saw herself holding the small pink swaddled child and her younger brother whined that he couldn’t hold the small babe, but she remembered he’d been three when her little sister was born. More memories crashed through her minds strong barriers, as none had ever before. Sure going back to live life over and over again did tend to cause ‘ripples’ in the time stream, but every time she started over so did the glass like surface of time. This was so much more then that, it was like she had thrown a rock into a still lake and now all one could see were the ripples of time. Kagome was brought out of her painful musing when she heard her mothers voice.



“Kagome are you okay?” Kagome knew what was happening to her but she didn’t know if her mother could handle the truth, but then her mother, regardless of the stream of time had always accepted these things with the grace and endurance of a goddess, so why would this be any different. The teen nodded her head ‘yes’ and then looked to her mother.



“Its okay to ask, I know you want to, I will be fine when you ask, the question is will you be okay when you hear the answer.” said Kagome to her mother with a warm yet sad knowing smile. Kagome had had this kind of conversation with her mother at least once every time she relived her life, it was always the same question, the same yes the same voice when she asked, and always she would be standing, and then would sit with an un-ladylike thud in the nearest chair, her mother would be silent for a while and then she would just accept what was told to her.



Sayuri on the other hand was looking at her child as though she had grown another head, just days ago, her nearly fifteen year old daughter was loud, rude when her brother and sister were involved unless someone threatened them, and then she was worse then an enraged inu. She slept late, and was immature, whined, and had to be forced to get off the phone so that others could use it, her daughter was a completely different creature then the one that sat before her in the hospital bed. Being a Class-three miko she did the only thing she could, and read her daughters aura. To say she was surprised was an understatement, everything read identical to what it had before but stronger, far stronger then she had ever seen in any live human to this day, reminiscent of that of Midoriko the great mother of their kind, she sat with of huff as Kagome had predicted and asked.



“What happened?” she asked breathlessly. Kagome took in the sight of her mother before sighing and begging her story, it was a long and tiring story but one that would need to be told in order for her mother to understand, that thought she was her daughter, in the same she was not, and the girl that feel down the well, was indeed herself but at the same time the girl that came out was not the same. It was confusing to say the least to hear the basic story of her daughters life, alarming was the word Sayuri would use.



“…And so like always I woke up and fell down the well, every time, I freed the hanyou, and then went on the quest, this time I just freed him and left. But before I could jump gracefully, I fell in because the horse I was riding reared up, causing my unbalanced fall, and me landing in the well hard like I did.” finished Kagome noticing her mothers rather shocked face, like she predicted, and then she watched as her mothers face went to that of acceptance before she spoke again. “Listen Mom, I know it’s a lot, right now I’m a bit confused myself, I’ve made small ripples before but this times different, this time its bigger, like its supposed to be this way, I know it’ll be hard for everyone but honestly I don’t remember my life here before my birthday, I know my brother, and you, Jiji as well, I even know my ‘sister’ to some point but not as my sister, I’ll need you all to tell me about my life, our life, help me ‘remember.’” Kagome pleaded with her mother. Sayuri nodded and began to tell her daughter about her life, most of it was the same as Kagome remembered, until her mother came to the point where her father had died in her life, here it seems that the car had missed by just enough that Kenshiro had managed to keep his life, from there on was a completely new experience.



Finishing her daughters life she watched as Kagome absorbed it all, “So my little sister’s name is Rin?” her mother nodded, hoping that she would take to Rin as her daughter before the well had, because now so almost considered her like another child even though she was still her Kagome, it was not exactly the same. “And she’s six?” again her mother smiled. “please tell me do we get along? I always wanted a little sister, but instead you guys gave me Souta.” Kagome smiled with a playful pout, something Sayuri knew was completely Kagome, maybe this wouldn’t be so different, she thought.



“She thinks you hung the moon and the stars, but she knows her father hung the sun.” answered Sayuri. The rest of the afternoon and well into the evening the elder two female Higurashi caught up on life, loves, hobbies, and everything in-between. It was Seven when they heard a knock at the door and Souta’s head stepped in, he gave his mother pleading eyes who in turn turned to Kagome, who of coarse wanted to re-meet her family. Slipping a robe on, the teen Higurashi female slipped out of bed, hoped by her mother, and watched as her brother and Ji-ji came in first fallowed by her father, and her little sister, who hid behind Kenshiro’s leg. Kagome could do nothing but look at her father, everything looked the same but a bit older, there were a few grey hairs where there had not been ones before, but then he had seven years longer to live and had lived through 2 years of a teenage daughter, she thought with a small laugh, while tears brimmed at her eyes. Pulling away from the caring hands of her mother, Kagome ran on unstable legs to her father, latterly launching herself into his arms.



“Oh father! I’ve missed you so much!” she said as she began to cry into his chest, now it was not that Kenshiro was an uncaring man, his eldest daughter in fact made him very proud, but she was never one to show her emotions so much, and the statement by it self was shocking, why would she miss him, he looked to his wife for help, to which she made a face that clearly said, ‘we’ll talk later.’ Nodding his head to his wife his warm arms embraced his daughter, the simple act causing her to sigh in contentment even though she was washing his shirt in tears. Warm circles found her back and Kagome thought for the first time in a long time that she was utterly content with this life, that was until Kagome felt a small tug on her robe, breaking her embrace with her long missed father, her startlingly unique deep blue eyes met with the brown-carameled honey eyes of her little sister. Now life was complete, Kagome smile was deep and wide, and filled with so much love as she knelled down to her little sister and pulled her into a tight hug. With that the family spent the rest of the night laughing and joking, knowing that what ever had happened everything was okay with their loved one.



It was decided that it might be overwhelming for Kagome to return to school for the moment, that things, places, face, and just life itself might be a bit overwhelming for her. She was grateful to them for this, and oddly enough she was allowed to take home schooling instead, which Rin loved, and so did Souta, though her ten year old little brother would not admit to this. Ji-ji and her mother had actually liked it as well, they all got to make sure that Kagome was okay, and Rin got to have a playmate when she got home, Souta a tutor, Sayuri a friend she never had in her daughter before because it seemed as though she was truly different from the bubbly girl that feel into the well, this girl was more like a woman. Ji-Ji too was surprised by the change, he didn’t admit it either, but he loved having his family with him, he and his grandson had their own room, when Rin and Kagome shared roomed, neither seemed to mind though, and Kenshiro and Sayuri of coarse had the largest room. But having Kagome here had changed everything, his granddaughter never seemed to show any interest in anything to do with her Shinto heritage, and now she was doing things that he should do, without being asked to do them.



Kenshiro had been told by his wife what was happening with their daughter, at first he didn’t believe her, but then he too noticed the changes in his eldest daughter, the most notable had been one her first days back home now that they had moved to the old shrine house. She was outside dressed in the garb of a ancient priestess [thankfully not the suits that modern miko‘s wore], and she looked the part down to the cold emotionless mask they wore as they did their job. He had been shocked to see her purification arrow fly through the air, exploding the target with a mighty roar of heat and energy. The fire department had actually been called out by neighbors for that one, causing his lovely teenager to blush beautifully with embarrassment. He even remembered laughing at her when she shuddered, “But ji-ji said to give it my all, I didn’t think he was unaware of what that meant, its not my fault!” she pleaded with the firemen as they put out the small fire she had some how managed to start.



Kenshiro also noticed that his once very immature daughter was now like a young woman, she no longer spoke loudly and with callous rudeness that so many in her generation did without thought, but with the practiced poise and grace of a woman of station, something he was aware that they never taught her to be. Sure she still had her moments, and her temper seemed worse then before, but harder to achieve now, she was different from the girl he had helped to raise. Now months later as he watched his eldest play with his youngest in the tiny field they had in the back of the shrine she looked beautiful, like something not of this world, it filled him with many emotions ranging from fatherly pride to over protectiveness, to keep them just as they were not, innocent, and playful, without a care in the world. The pair of them sitting in tall grass surrounded by flowers with the setting sun over Tokyo as their backdrop, it was a moment like this that was perfect, a moment like this that he’d remember forever. Soon his son had found his way to the back of the house, and had begun to chase his younger sister as she ran from him hiding behind their older sister, laughter and cries of glee filled the air at the Higurashi shrine that day and many others before life really took another change.

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an: yeah still have not beta'd this, and i think its still rather rough but i wanted to put the next chapter out, should i continue this story?

:\ is it that bad not one person has anything to say? its really hard to grow as a writer if no one tells you whats wrong *pouts*