Chapter 2: The Lover's Pearl

Kagome stared spellbound at the purple shimmering pearl. Now she saw that the ball was a little bigger than the Shikon no Tama. "What ... what is that?" Came out of her mouth. "The pearl of lovers.", Answered the woman who was standing in front of her again. She held the pearl against the light falling into the room. It shone in the sun. Kagome couldn't take her eyes off the sphere. Memories came back to her ...

“I love you.” She could still feel his hands on his back, which they were clutching tightly. Slowly he loosened his grip and finally let go of her completely. His golden eyes looked at her lovingly. "Inuyasha ..." Kagome's eyes lit up as she realized what he had just told her. He put his finger on her lips. "Don't say anything."
Inuyasha carefully took her hand and held it against his chest. “Do you feel that?” Kagome felt a warmth flow through her body as he held her hand so tightly.She felt his heart beating fast. "Yes ..." she breathed. “I feel it.” The Hanyou let go of her hand again. "And now ..." he said with a smile. "... I wish you a great vacation."

"Yes ... the pearl of lovers.", The woman repeated and pulled Kagome out of her thoughts. The vendors were still holding the pearl against the sunlight and looking sadly at the ball. The purple sheen was reflected in her eyes. “It has brought luck to many couples.” Kagome noticed that the woman was depressed. "Is everything-?", She began, but the shopkeeper interrupted her with the question: "What's your name, girl?" "Kagome. Kagome Higurashi.", Kagome answered perplexed. "Hmm ... Kagome. A nice name.", The woman muttered, still looking at the ball. “Thank you.” “And what is the name of the young man for whom the present is supposed to be?” “His name is-” Kagome paused. “How do you know ...?” The old woman smiled weakly. "It doesn't matter. I hope that it will bring you more luck than me ..." She pressed the pearl into Kagome's hand.It was still very warm from the sun. Kagome looked at the pearl and immediately her thoughts wandered back to Inuyasha.
The woman eyed Kagome carefully. She felt uncomfortable ... so observed; and awoke from her thoughts. For a while nobody said anything, but then Kagome dared to ask: "What is the pearl about? And why has it not brought you luck?" The addressed sighed and turned her back to her. "Yes, it brought me luck. Only luck didn't last ...
The pearl is old; a lot. But you can't tell by looking at her. According to legends, it dates back to the Middle Ages. It brings happiness in love to everyone who owns it for a while. It really brought happiness to everyone in my family, but my happiness was not permanent ... "The woman sighed again." What happened? ", Kagome asked cautiously." I was fortunate enough to meet my dream prince. Tarjan was a lovely man ... we were happy. Until the day he went to war and never came back.There is no trace of him. He never got in touch either.
It is said that if the pearl were ever to break, a great calamity would occur. The pearl is still whole ... but I'm still unhappy. "
Kagome was silent. This story touched her. She could understand how the woman felt. Although she's never been apart from Inuyasha for a long time. "I can't buy the pearl ..." she said and held the pearl towards the woman. "You don't have to buy it. It's a gift." "But-" "Take it, Kagome. I have no more use for it. It should bring you more luck than me. Take good care of it. I bet this is the perfect gift for[I]him. "The woman walked around the counter and sat down on a creaking wooden chair.
Kagome closed her hand around the pearl and held it tight. "Thank you very much," she said softly. "I don't even know her name ..." "Just tell me Givera."Kagome nodded and bowed." Goodbye, Givera. "Givera smiled and nodded." Goodbye. "
The door slammed with a ring and Kagome left the shop where she had finally found a present for Inuyasha. The pearl of lovers ...

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"What are you grinning about, sister?", Sota asked the grinning Kagome. "Oh, I'm just glad we're home again!" She replied. "I'm not happy ..." said Sota, tormented. "Now let's unpack ..." He glanced over at his suitcase, which was lying in the middle of the floor and blocking the way. Kagome's luggage was right next to it. "I'll unpack later ..." she said and took her handbag from the stack of luggage. With one jump she jumped over Sota's suitcase and ran into her room. Just as the door slammed shut, Grandfather came into the house with another bag in his arms. He got lumbago while trying to put her down.

Kagome fell on her soft bed.She leaned back and enjoyed the pleasant atmosphere. Smiling, she looked around her familiar room.
"Kagome ?! Are you coming to eat?" She heard her mother call. "Yes, I'm coming!" She called back. But before she went downstairs, she took her purse and took out the box in which the pearl was. She took it carefully out of the box and looked at it with a dreamy expression until her mother called her again. Carefully she put the ball back in the box and placed the box on her desk. Then she left her room and went into the living room.

Grandfather was lying there on the couch and Sota was feeding him rice balls. Again and again he groaned and cursed softly to himself. "Damn shit ... Let them carry their luggage themselves next time ..."
Kagome didn't even want to correct it. Because he himself had insisted on carrying her suitcases.
Kagome's mother was standing by the table, putting down the last bowl."There you are!" She said when she saw Kagome. Kagome smiled and grabbed some radishes. “Thank you, mom.” “Have a seat!” Kagome shook her head. “I'm going in a moment.” She took a few more radishes and then disappeared towards the room.
Her mother sighed and asked herself softly: "And who is going to eat all this now?" Apparently that wasn't quiet enough, because Sota and grandfather said almost simultaneously: "Me!"

Kagome climbed the stairs and opened the door to the room. She went to the desk and took the pearl out of the box. With one hand she held the ball so it wouldn't fall and with the other she picked up her backpack from the floor.

"I'm going now! I don't know when I'll be back ..." she shouted, while she was going down the stairs again. The yellow backpack was now on her back, but she still had the pearl in her hand. She hadn't told anyone about her gift for Inuyasha. She didn't know why ..."It's good," her mother called from the kitchen.

Kagome left the house and headed for the shrine, where the bone-eating well that connected her and Inu Yasha's epochs was.
On the way there, she looked at the trees in the yard, the leaves of which were gradually turning yellow.
It was late afternoon and the sun was shining low in the sky. The bright yellow glow reminded Kagome of Inu Yasha's eyes. In a moment she would face him .... And that after he had told her that ...
Her heart started beating faster with excitement.
Finally she stood in the shadow of the shrine and went down the small steps to the fountain. Only a few moments separated them from the medieval era ...
She clutched the pearl even tighter and jumped into the well.
Glistening blue light enveloped her and small dots that looked like stars flew past her.
Suddenly she felt solid ground under her feet again and she looked up.Kagome hoped she would look into the face of a golden-eyed hanyou, but she saw nothing ... just the light blue, cloudless sky. So she decided to climb up the tendrils first. She grabbed a tendril and laboriously climbed it. With the pearl in hand, it wasn't exactly easy either. How many times had she done that ...
With a puff, she sat down in the tall grass. She leaned against the fountain and took a deep breath. She did it; she was up.
At that time the trees were still green and the sun was shining high in the sky.
She happily watched the birds in the treetops. She looked around and hoped to finally see Inuyasha. But there was no trace of him to be seen ... Hadn't he scented her?
She was back ... but where was he?

~ * ~

Comment: Thank you for the dear clerks! ^^ The FF is already finished, I just have to post the chapters one after the other. ^^