Disclaimer: I own nothing.
A/N: Though there will be pairings in this fic I'm not going to tell who gets together with who because that would ruin the surprise. Plus, as I write it may happen that pairings switch, don't happen, or only stay together for a time. This story is under Inuyasha and Kagome because they are the main characters. Enjoy.
Taking Over Me
Chapter 1
----------
I look in the mirror and see your face
If I look deep enough
So many things inside that are
Just like you are taking over me
-Evanescence, Taking Over Me
----------
Kagome pulled her hair back from her face and frowned. Tilting her head slightly to the right she screwed her face up and stuck her tongue out at her reflection. The face was perfectly fine, she knew. Most would have called it beautiful. What irked her was that it also belonged to a priestess more than 500 years dead. Kagome relaxed her face, though the frown stayed firmly in place, and let her waist length hair fall into it's normal place.
Four years had passed since she had first gone through the well to the Feudal Era and it seemed as if they had made little to no progress. Kagome grabbed her yellow backpack from where she had dropped it as she had passed the mirror. Her reflection now looked more like Kikyo than herself and as she walked out of her room she made a mental note to get her hair cut the next time she was home for more than a day. Though Kagome hoped it would be soon, she had a feeling it wouldn't be. Inuyasha was getting more and more impatient to have the Shikon completed and Naraku subsequently destroyed.
From downstairs a hellish yeowl was unleashed and after a slight pause curses drifted up to her ears. Speak of the devil. A moment later her cat come racing up the stairs, followed closely by Inuyasha. Buyo got past her but Inuyasha didn't and when she fixed a disapproving glare on him he had the grace to look ashamed.
Inuyasha opened his mouth but Kagome cut him off. "Don't. Just go wait for be at the well while I say bye to everyone." Inuyasha nodded obediently and left, obviously not wanting to feel the power of 'sit'.
Once Inuyasha was gone Kagome went into the kitchen to say goodbye to her mother, who was washing dishes.
"How long do you think you will be gone this time honey?" her mother asked, not turning from the sink.
"I'm not sure. Maybe three weeks. I'll try to get back as soon as possible." Kagome's mother turned around and wiped her hands on a towel. "Oh, and I told my friends that I was leaving so they shouldn't be coming around. Say bye to Grandpa and Sota for me too, ok?"
Kagome's mother nodded and gave her daughter a hug. Kagome smiled up at her mother one last time and left through the back door.
By the middle of Kagome's Junior year her mother had taken the matter of Kagome's whereabouts into her own hands. By that time her grandfather was viewing her absence more as a game to see how many diseases he could pass off as his granddaughter having than anything else. Her mother, having decided enough was enough, had told her school and friends that Kagome was going to an all girl's school and that she would likely be gone for months at a time. Kagome started taking home school classes and life had become indefinitely easier.
Kagome turned the corner of the temple and Inuyasha's voice rang through the air, telling her to hurry up. Obviously he had forgotten he had nearly mauled her cat. Shaking her head at his tactlessness she hurried to catch up to him. When she did reach the well Inuyasha had already gone through. Quickly she followed but when she pulled herself out on the other side he was already gone. Heaving a sigh of annoyance she shouldered her backpack and started back along the faint trail that had appeared after years of them walking back and forth.
As she walked her mind drifted and eventually ended up on Inuyasha. For some reason he had been very distracted as of late. She had a good idea that the distraction was Kikyo as her soul stealer had been around lately, but she had said nothing to the others. She had finally given up, knowing the hanyo loved the other priestess far more.
Kagome was abruptly pulled out of her less than happy thoughts as a childish voice rang out through the air and a ball of red fir launched itself into her arms. Laughing she caught it and hugged it to her.
"Shippo! Hey, guess what I have for you." Kagome put the kitsune down and shrugged her backpack off her shoulder. After a minute of shuffling through the backpack she pulled out a plastic guitar. It was white except for the colorful buttons that ran up the neck. Shippo looked at it cautiously as Kagome turned it on and pushed one of the buttons.
"Cool!" Shippo exclaimed when it emitted a low musical note. Kagome laughed and handed over the old toy.
After making sure her adopted son was following her Kagome started back to the village. Once there Kagome was greeted by a warm hug from Sango and a feel disguised as a hug from Miroku. Sango hit the monk and while he was slowly recovering the two women walked toward Kaede's house. Shippo cast a disapproving look at the downed monk and trotted after Kagome and Sango.
Inuyasha was already at Kaede's and when Kagome entered he set a heavy glare on her. "'Bout time. I was starting to think you didn't have the brains to get out of that damn well."
Kagome returned Inuyasha's glare, "You could've at least waited for me Inuyasha."
"Keh, whatever," the hanyo replied and rose to his feet. "Come on, I want to get going before you waste anymore time. I wanna find Naraku before he has time to devise any more plans."
"Why Inuyasha, I'm surprised you know what devise means, it seemed beyond your vocabulary," stated Kagome dryly, sipping from the cup of tea the elderly miko had given her. Over the years she had become slightly more sarcastic. She was spending far too much time around the hanyo and Kagome noticed that while none of the others seemed interested in interrupting, they had all taken seats around her and Inuyasha.
"Why not wait until tomorrow? Then everyone will be well rested and we can travel faster and farther. Besides, Naraku has had almost a month to plot. I think by now he has something in mind."
"I told you we were leaving the day you came back. We're leaving in ten minutes. Be ready." With that Inuyasha stomped out of the hut.
Kagome shot one last glare at the half-demon's back and gulped down the rest of the tea. Standing, she looked wearily at the others as they followed suite and left before her.
"Do not worry child, I'm sure he will come around. Just watch out for yeself. I feel something coming and I do not believe it will not be ignorable."
Kagome nodded, "Yes, Kaede, I can feel it too."
Quickly Kagome joined the rest of her friends and with Inuyasha's urging, set out immediately, Sango keeping a wary eye on Miroku and Inuyasha and Kagome walking as far away from each other as possible. They walked for two hours in relative silence and finally stopped when the sun was streaking the sky neon orange and pink. Inuyasha grumbled and complained at having to settle down so early but the others wouldn't budge and eventually he retreated to a nearby tree and stared moodily down at the camp.
For the next week the group traveled south in peace, meeting no demons of real power. On the eighth day Inuyasha lapsed into a moody silence and when Shippo chose to break it he earned a lump on the head.
"What is your problem anyway, Inuyasha?" Kagome inquired stiffly, holding the wounded kitsune.
"None of your business, woman," was the growled reply. With this the hanyo jumped ahead and into the trees.
Kagome shook her head and turned her attention back to her surroundings. They were currently in a heavily wooded area, so heavily in fact, that it was almost oppressive. A bad feeling started to creep up her back and soon it was so overpowering that it took all of her willpower not to run. Kagome looked at her companions to see they weren't faring much better. Both Sango and Miroku had their weapons drawn and Kilala had transformed into her larger form and was baring her teeth. She could even feel Shippo shaking slightly in her arms.
It was no surprise to her when Inuyasha's voice drifted back to her, and with it the sound of Tessaiga being drawn. The three broke into a run and soon came to a clearing with a small house in the middle.
Inuyasha was standing facing the house with the sword out and fully transformed. On the roof was perched Naraku, or at least one of his dolls. At his side stood Kikyo. The woman was obviously in a trance for she stared over the clearing and at the tops of the trees behind them. Her face was expressionless and her eyes were glazed. Naraku was wearing a kimono instead of the usual baboon skin and as Kagome ran up next to Inuyasha the evil hanyo's eyes trained on her.
"Ah, and here is the one I have been waiting for. See Inuyasha, I told you she would come." A dark chuckle filled the clearing, "And don't you agree that it is right? After all, a soul should never be broken in two. But I intend to fix that." Naraku smirked and held up his hand. At first it looked as though he were empty handed, but soon a small, many pointed star floated up from his palm.
Inuyasha growled and took a few threatening steps forward. "Ah, ah, ah. I wouldn't do that if I were you. You see, I hold a piece of dear Kikyo and Kagome's soul in my hand. If it happened to drop and shatter they would both die." Naraku smirked, "Not only is this a part of their soul, but it is, in essence, everything that makes Kikyo herself, an individual.
"In all honesty it matters not if you understand," Naraku said, seeing Inuyasha's confused look. "All that matters it what I plan to do."
Suddenly Naraku disappeared. The group looked around for a shocked second before Kagome let out a small scream. Kagome had turned to find Naraku standing directly behind her and when she came to face him directly he put both hands on her shoulders. Both were glowing a violent purple with a small tinge of pink around Kagome as if her spirit energy were trying to fight him off. Naraku's eyes were closed and his lips were moving silently and Kagome's eyes had rolled back in her head so all that could be seen was the whites. Kagome was slowly raising her arms but before she could grab Naraku he let go.
Kagome's body fell to the ground and behind then they heard a dull thud. Kikyo had fallen off the roof and before their eye's the body disintegrated into dust and was carried away on the wind.
Inuyasha let a distressed cry pass his lips and ran to where Kikyo's body had laid. Naraku laughed. "She's gone Inuyasha. Now you have to choose. When you have decided merely say her name while your hand is over her heart and the other will be gone for good." A smirk dominated Naraku's face and as Inuyasha looked at him in confusion he disappeared into the trees.
For a long second no one moved and then there was a mad rush to Kagome's fallen body. She still lay where she had fallen and when Miroku turned her over her eyes stared vacantly at the sky. Inuyasha swore softly and sank to his knees by the monk, who was rummaging through a pouch at his waist. Miroku pulled out a small leaf, opened Kagome's mouth, and slipped it under her tongue.
"That should wake her up but it may take a few minutes to work," Miroku said, standing.
Inuyasha looked glum as he stood and retrieved the Tessaiga. A cough sounded behind him and when her turned Kagome stared at him from under black bangs. Something seemed off about her but her couldn't place it.
"Inuyasha?"
Heads whipped around at the softly spoken words. All of them knew Kagome's voice and that certainly wasn't it.
Inuyasha took a step toward the sitting miko. "Kikyo?" he spoke hesitantly.
His only reply was a nod.