Kaya's Story (An InuYasha Fanfic)

Chapter 23: Kagome Returns Home

The sun was shining brightly through the trees of the forest. That's how I woke up, to the sound of birds and bright sunlight; like something out of a fairy tale. It was nice to hear those sounds again, without the background noise of city life. No cars or anything, just a peaceful, quiet forest. I stayed there until there was more shadow than sun surrounding me and went to find Kagome.

When I found Kagome, it took everything I had not to laugh, InuYasha was face down on the ground next to Kaede who was sitting in front of a fire. Kagome was in the water, probably bathing. I smirked, "I guess you like the taste of dirt." He growled and got up from his place on the ground. A little while later, I left so Kagome could get dressed in peace, but when I returned, I saw something I wasn't expecting. Kikyo was standing there in front of me. I had never realized how Kikyo and Kagome looked so similar yet so different. I could tell InuYasha wasn't very happy about it. I didn't really listen to the conversation that occurred between the two, until the familiar "Sit Boy!" and crash brought me out of my daze. Kagome walked past me mumbling to herself, so naturally, I followed her to see what was up. "Kaya, are you coming back home, too?" Kagome asked. "Yeah, but I have to do something first. I'll walk you to the well if you want me to." I said. She just shook head. "Okay, I'll catch up with you later. If you talk to Ayumi, can you tell her I'm okay?" I asked. She nodded and started walking towards the well, again. With that, I took off in the opposite direction, hoping I wouldn't run into InuYasha. Sadly, I did, literally. I growled and got up before he could ask any questions. I had someplace I wanted to find, and he wasn't going to stop me.

The sun was almost gone from the sky when I reached a familiar part of a forest. I could tell I wasn't too far away, but I knew I wouldn't be able to find it in the dark. I settled into the lower branches of a tree and watched the sky change from light to dark. Everything was so quiet, and not in a good way; No birds or insects, just silence. It put me on high alert, and for good reason. A few minutes after dark, I heard footsteps steadily coming in my direction. I stayed still, but rested my hand on my sword, just in case. The footsteps stopped several feet from my tree. "Come out and show yourself!" A deep voice yelled. I stayed silent, hoping the person would pass. No movement came. "I'm not leaving here. You might as well come out of hiding." The voice commanded again. I still stayed silent until I heard the sound of a sword being pulled from a sheath. I jumped down from the spot as quietly as possible and listened. "Fox Fire." The voice commanded, and a small blue flame appeared. It illuminated the face of the person speaking and I audibly gasped. Standing there, holding a sword, was none other than Ryu. I moved into the dim firelight and removed my hand from my sword. "Hello, Ryu," I said in a kind voice. "Who are you?" he demanded. "My name is Kaya. We met a long time ago." I explained. "No, you're not. She died about 50 years ago." He said, sadness lacing his voice. I walked closer to him until we were only about a foot apart. "I didn't die back then, Ryu," I said. He stared at me, then sniffed the air and a small smile appeared on his face. He placed his sword back in its sheath and extinguished the flame. "It's really you, Kaya?" He asked. "Yes, it's really me," I said. He grabbed my arms and pulled me to him, wrapping me in a hug, which I returned. When we let go, he grabbed my hand and starting leading in the direction he had come from; towards the Village of Half-Demons.