After All This Time?

Departure

Kagome was kneeling looking through the bushes when she sees the berries she sought for.

"I found more over here, Rin!" She shouts from one side of a raspberry bush.

Rin looks over the bush from the other side and smiles brightly.

"Excellent!"

Rin was making her final preparations with Kagome; one more day remained before Rin was to leave with Sesshomaru. She and Kagome were out in the forest early that morning with small woven baskets under their arms collecting herbs and berries for the younger woman's travel.

Both women had finished their harvesting as they made their way back onto the smooth dirt path leading towards the village. Rin looks at Kagome with a soft smile.

"Thank you for helping me collect these berries and extra herbs, Kagome."

Kagome returns a smile to Rin.

'Of course." Her smile, however, slowly fades into a brooding expression when she broke her eye contact with Rin.

Rin notices the change in her expression and her eyes become doleful.

"What's wrong, Kagome?"

Kagome shakes her head.

"I know you're old enough to make your own choices. I just can't help but still be worried for you, ya know?"

"You don't have to worry too much, Kagome. I'll be fine as long as I'm with Lord Sesshomaru." Rin reassures.

"Yes, I know he'll take great care of you. I just want things to turn out all right for you is all."

Rin looks to Kagome with soft eyes as Kagome drops her head, "I'm also going to miss having you around, Rin."

Rin takes Kagome's hand, which stops them from walking as Kagome looks up at her with a surprised expression.

"I'll come back to visit soon, okay?"

Kagome smiles and nods her head.

"I'd like that very much."

Rin giggles softly and smiles cheerfully at Kagome. They continue walking down the path to the village, unaware of their visitor.

Up in the trees, a white raven with blue eyes was perched on a branch, watching the two women walk below him. He blinks and caws before spreading its wings to take flight, soaring towards the mountains.

Rin looks up at the blue sky and notices the bird flying away, staring at it as it flew away in the distance. She was feeling sluggish suddenly and the ground, trees, sky, and even Kagome were being consumed by a blanket of darkness, though Rin's vision remained clear.

She doesn't panic, she feels a calmness in this darkness, almost sleepy even. She looks down at her feet and it appeared she was standing on top of a thin surface of water that rippled with each step she took in the darkness.

She notices a glow in the distance and walks briskly towards it. As it appeared before her, there she stood in front of the ancient tree that resides near the village, but its current appearance was in this blue translucent glow.

"Is this... the Sacred Tree? But why is it here? Why am I here? And why is it like this?" She asks herself aloud, her voice spreads out into the darkness.

She reaches her hand up to touch the surface of the tree, but her hand just passes through and becomes engulfed in some kind of glowing, watery liquid. However, her hand becomes stuck and starts sinking in deeper along with her arm, pulling her into the tree. She struggles to pull out her arm with her free hand, but it was causing her to be pulled in deeper until her entire body was consumed and she couldn't move.