Disclaimer: Takahashi Rumiko Sensei

Re-Incarnation

By Icka! M. Chif

Pain.

It wracks my every move, my every breath. Even the familiar swish of my hakama is painful against my ankles hurts.

I have to run, I have to flee. The others... Inuyasha... I can't think about them right now. I HAVE to run. Find someplace safe. Someplace hidden.

The trees break free in front of my eyes and I tumble face first into a small clearing, barely keeping up right. There's something on the other side, hidden in vines. It almost seems to pull something in me toward it.

It's the Bone Gobbler's Well.

I can hide in there, they'll pass me by and I'll be safe. Yes, that'll work.

I pause a moment, listening. There's a crashing in the background, my pursuers are on my trail. It's obvious enough, the blood droplets clearly marking where I've been.

My body cries out, it doesn't want to move. But I have to keep moving. I hurt. Everywhere.

A sudden lurch, and I'm moving again, toward the well. All I have to do is fall into it. So easy, yet so far.

A new pain, sharper than the previous lances my side and pushing me toward my sanctuary. There is an arrow in my belly, I note with a some what detached calm. I ignore it the best I can as I continue to stagger forward. I've died before. I'll do it again.

But not before I reach the well...

I pitch forward, barely reaching the lip of the well. The rough wood is warm under my fingertips. I pitch forward, falling into the depths of the Bone Gobbler's well.

And I don't reach the bottom.

Instead, I fall. And fall. And fall.

Something's dragging me down. It's like it has a death grip on me.

'Let me go!' I scream mentally, struggling and flailing around. Free... I must get free!

There's a sudden lurch, followed by a strange feeling of numbness and I'm no longer falling. I'm freed.

And I'm flying.

Up and up... the thing that beckoned me wasn't the well... but something on the other side of it.

Out of the well I finally fly, toward what ever is calling me.

It promises warmth and comfort. And peace. I haven't had peace in a long time.

There's someone here, on the other side of the well. I can sense them. The almost feel familiar.

No matter. I fly around them in a joyous giggle , then find what beckoned. It's not the person, but inside of them.

I'm sucked into them. There's an almost audible 'pop', then I can suddenly feel again.

I'm floating, but it's a different kind of sensation than before. It's almost as if I'm wrapped up in a cocoon of love and warmth.

So this is what bliss is.

For the sheer joy of it, I spin, bumping into one of the walls of my cocoon. This causes a rumble out side of the walls. It's not unpleasant. Rather soothing, really. It's almost familiar, I could get used to it.

Then it hits me, it is familiar. It's... words! I can understand them!

Curious, I strain my hearing, trying to make out what they're saying.

"-if it's a boy, we're going to name him Sota. But if it's a girl, it'll be Kagome. Higurashi Kagome."

'Higurashi Kagome' I roll the name around in my mind. It feels almost familiar, like I've heard it before. I like it.

It doesn't have the same flare of Kikyo, but I could get used to it.

Fin.

Vocab: Hakama are the pants that Kikyo wears. A Gi is her top. *grin*

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