When a Lie Leads to Truth
(an Inuyasha fanfic by Inudaughter)
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Rumiko of Shonen Jump does. This story is different from my others fanfic works. It is novel style, versus improper screen style for visual adaptation. So the story will come along much slower, have less action, and prepare to have your ear talked off. But let's all have a good time!
For Yuka, Eri, and Ayume one of the truer things in life was that they were ordinary girls in an ordinary school. Pretty yes. Popular yes. But for all important purposes there was nothing extraordinary about their lives or person and for very legitimate reasons they preferred it that way. Uncontentiously, their lives were short and sweet and filled with the desirable flavor of youth with the occasional side order of Wacknolds' fries. Their school was their homebase, their cellphones their heartbeat, and their tight knit trio formation their irrefutable cause for stability. All in all, despite their teenage infatuations and frustrations their lives would be ultimately simplistic, if it were not for the incongruous fact that their trio would have in fact, been a quartet, had not one of their lifetime members been missing.
Kagome Higurashi. She had been the remarkable person whom had started the trio, well actually the quartet. On the very first day of kindergarten, while all the mothers and fathers had been dropping off their little ones wiping their little runny noses, she had marched into the classroom with the dominance of a matriarch. With fists clenches resolutely and a wide smile on her face, Kagome Higurashi had pointed to three weepy girls scattered throughout the classroom and a made a bold resolution that they were now her friends. Friends for life. Friends forever.
In fact, at the very beginning, it became apparent that it would stay that way. On the very first day of its founding Kagome Higurashi showed her resolution to uphold the friendgroup by punching a would-be bully whom had been picking on Yuka. The action earned her a punishing timeout from her teacher and a modest scolding at home. But the minor inconveniences of the moment were far outweighed by the benefits since from that fateful moment forward, Kagome had the admiration and loyalty of her comrades. From that day forward, Kagome Higurashi was and would remain the soul and spirit of the friendship, figuratively speaking of course. It was completely unexpected and inconceivable that one day, she, the unspoken yet undisputed leader of their interwoven group, would go missing.
Even after Kagome Higurashi became confined to her home with a rash of illnesses, Yuka, Eri, and Ayume tried to keep up the relationship. Instead of cutting her out of their closening ties, they bombarded her grandfather with inquiries by telephone as to her condition and patiently awaited the day that Kagome would be able to return to them. Today was just such a day.
A searing sun reigned overhead, scorching the pavement and heralding the approach summer. Fortuitously, no clouds were out to suit their current dispositions. With the shadows long and enhancing girls' legs by making them seem so much longer than they really were, Kagome's school friends were in a very good mood. Their day was made so much better when they discovered their longtime absent friend standing nervously on the sunbaked claytiles of the outer courtyard of the school. A triumphant chorus of "Kagome!" resounded.
"Hi guys," said Kagome in a laconic response. "How is everyone?" She immediately became swarmed on all sides.
"Why are you asking that? That's what we should be saying to you, Kagome. Unless you mean Hojo." Eri, a sixteen-year old girl with a yellow headband and shoulder-length hair, leaned over to the hapless miko with a wide grin. In some ways she was evil and it would never do to let Kagome live this down, foreigner boyfriend or no.
"Eri!" Kagome shouted wretchedly. "Don't tease me like that!" The rebuttal brought pause. The joke was getting old after all.
"Okay, okay." Eri made a consoling jester. "We didn't mean to offend you. Are you feeling well, Kagome-chan?"
"Er... yeah, as a matter of fact I am." Kagome bit her lip nervously. Perhaps it was experience, but she had the sudden, sinking sensation that she was walking right into a trap. She quickly found out that she was right when she found herself lightly clapped on the back.
"Great! You're coming to the beach then? Yuka-chan's mother is driving us all afterschool." Kagome immediately paled.
"Um, guys, won't I need a bathing suit or something?"
"We've already got you one! We knew you would be coming with us sooner or later." Kagome turned and unconsciously lay a furious gaze on Eri but her tone remained just the same. She breathed in heavily to retain the false-sugary sweetness.
"It's very sweet of you to invite me and all but…"
"Great! Then we'll pick you up at the shrine. You can even bring that cute boyfriend of yours." Ayume gave her warmth-filled wink reminiscent of Kagome's mother. She immediately felt herself melting.
"But I…" Kagome stared at her shoes is disconsolation, lost to even the bell ringing.
"Oops. Come on Kagome. We'd better get going or we'll be late." The sixteen-year old miko found herself being dragged along.
It had been approximately one year since Kagome had first started her travels in the Sengoku Jidai. One year, four months, and seven days to be exact. Over that time she had managed to keep her interdimensionary travels a secret but at a cost. Instead of being known as the school's most popular, beautiful, and desirable student of the female persuasion, she was now known to be either a shameless hookie with administrative connections or an invalid. She was uncertain which rumor was worse especially since the first one was practically true. These past months, Ji-chan had pulled a lot of strings as a shrine administrator to make sure that Kagome wasn't booted out of school. As it was she was going to have to do a lot of makeup coursework. Disregarding her academic woes, there was the concern of keeping her double life a secret. While Kagome desperately wanted to go out with her friends, she hardly felt secure in wearing a bathingsuit in a public place no less. Over the past year she had accumulated a number of scars from minor cuts and abrasions. She could just imagine her nosy friends asking her were all the blemishes came from.
Contrasting with the sharp sunshine, Kagome had a predictably gloomy day at school. The gap that had widened between her and her peers was greater than ever. With a heavy sigh, the miko noted that she would be better serving her future by apprenticing herself to Kaede. At least the villagers would always find her useful. A slight, secretive smile passed over Kagome's features as she basked in the glory that she was revered on the other side of the Bone-Eater's Well. Why, just the other day one of the village men had come up to her and offered her a blue silk kimono for helping their village. She had received her usual basketful of food as well.
Misinterpreting her smile, Yuka tapped her on the shoulder with the top of her mechanical pencil, a coy smile extending to her voice. "Kagome- are you thinking of someone special perhaps?" Kagome immediately blushed.
"It's nothing like that!" she muttered back in denial. Ducking her head down, she just barely missed a detention from the teacher.
Lunchtime came, and with it came equal doses of apprehension and relief. Kagome desperately wanted to eat lunch with her friends for the sense of normalcy it gave her; the reassurance that she was just a teenage girl that belonged here just as they did. Sometimes when Kagome was wandering the feudal era it was easy for her to forget that she should be here sitting on plastic lunch tables and eating bento lunches. But with the hope of a sense of normalcy came the worry of interrogation. Yuka, Eri, and Ayume were the very last ones Kagome wanted to find out about her demon-filled past. She already had the reputation of being an invalid. She did not want to them to think she was crazy too.
With a heavy sigh, Kagome slid onto her table, finding herself huddled in the center of her friends. It was nice here, the heart of their universe and the object of their reverent praises. It was the peaceful opposite of being with Inuyasha. Lifting up her juice box, Kagome sucked on it until it ran dry and she struggled to find the last few drops hidden in the corner. They were never enough, it seemed. Tossing the box away she turned her attention to the intense searchlight of her friends as they leaned over with arms folded against the bench.
"So Kagome, spill it. Tell us about this cute boyfriend of yours. Are you two getting along well?" Kagome flushed. A distinctly cat-caught-the-bird expression blossomed on the face of her companions.
"Ah, so tell us Kagome-chan, have you two been getting cozy perhaps? I don't know if that's such a good idea knowing he works for your grandpa." Yuka sucked on her straw idly as she posed the question.
Kagome was infuriated by the accusation. Impulsively, she leapt up to the table and slapped both hands down on it. The reverberating echo from handslaps ricocheted across the room drawing attention. With great difficultly, Kagome slowly lowered herself carefully to her chair again. She took a deep, cleansing breath.
"Of course not! It's not like he would ever do anything like that!" With a nearly cross-eyed scowl she snatched up a riceball between her chopsticks and popped into her mouth, almost choking. Her friends remained unmoved by the display.
"Okay," Eri said slowly, "so you're not into kissing or anything like that. How about your other boys? I mean the flirt and the romantic who's so in love with you?"
"Nothing's going on between any of us. Besides, the flirt is already taken. He's found a fiancé already."
"Oh! Really, that's so romantic!" For once Kagome smiled at the squeals.
"Yes, her name is Sango and she's perfect for him. I was so excited when they finally got together. She's smart, beautiful, and very-very strong. She's really nice too. Sango and I gotten to be really good friends." Kagome abruptly gulped as she realized what she had just admitted.
"What!" screamed all three girls simultaneously before Eri continued. "You mean you've been cheating on us!"
"It's not anything like that, Eri!" Kagome tried to make a placating gesture. "She...err… works at the shrine too. She moves crates and stuff. I've never seen anyone able to lift more than her."
"Really?"
"Yes," Kagome stuttered nervously. "You should have seen it. One day Sango, this girl I mean, picked up a boulder and threw it at Miroku. Her fiance I mean."
"Okay, so one of these people is called Miroku and the other is named Sango. Is there anyone else you want to tell us about?"
"Not really." Kagome sucked on her straw even through it was empty. "I just... you know… stay at the shrine trying to get better and everything."
"Kagome-chan, if we had known you were allowed to have company we would have come around a lot more often. But your grandpa is always telling us that you're contagious."
"Yeah, well, it's better for me to get as much rest as possible. You know me, delicate as crystal needles these days. Gotta keep my strength up." More nervous laughter flooded from her and Kagome felt very strained. A gentle hand clasped her own.
"Kagome-chan, if you're too tired to come swimming with us we'll understand."
"No, no, Yuka-chan. I would love to go swimming with you! Really I would! I really am looking forward to the opportunity of talking to you." A smile returned to all faces.
"If you're sure you're up to it, Kagome-chan. I know we'll all have a great time. We'll go swimming and eat hot dogs and drink soda and play music far too loud!"
"Don't forget smack the watermelon! We're definitely going to play that!"
"I think some of the guys may even be playing softball!" A mischievous giggle replied.
"That sounds great guys. But I really don't think Inuyasha would like to come with us."
"Kagome-chan. Are your sure things are going all right with him? You seem awfully down. Is he still cheating on you?"
"It's nothing like that, Eri. We haven't been arguing or anything. Still, sometimes I wish he would just pay a little more attention to me. Just a little bit. The other girl isn't around anymore but sometimes I think he would much rather be with her."
"Kagome-chan."
"Kagome-chan."
"Don't worry about me guys. I'm sure it will all work out somehow."
"You seem so confident Kagome." This comment left Kagome wishing earnestly that the compliment were true. He appetite had vanished so she stood up to leave.
"See you later guys. I need to make a trip to the library. Her school friends watched her gloomily as she wandered off.
"Poor Kagome-chan."
"Poor Kagome-chan."
"You know guys, we have to do something to help her."
"You mean get her boyfriend to notice her?"
"Yep. We have to pry him away from her so we can talk to him and tell him to start treating Kagome right."
"Are you sure that will work? He seems like a really nice guy. Remember when he carried her home from school?"
"You're right about that, Ayume. Still there has to be something we can do to get the two of them together. Maybe we can give him some tips on how to be romantic. Uh-hum."
"Just don't tell Kagome-chan about it."
"Yes, don't tell Kagome-chan about it."
"Do you think he ever brings her flowers?" The three girls burrowed their heads together and began thinking.
When the last bell for the day rang, Kagome all but ran out of the building. She managed to elude her friends and dashed all the way back to Higurashi Shrine, taking breaks every now and then to gasp, convulsing for air. Upon returning, she threw down her bag with a clatter and hopped as she took off her shoes. Racing upstairs, she threw open her closet and began to search for her most concealing bathing suit. Throwing open a drawer in triumph, she pulled out what she called "the Miroku Suit' for times when he was particularly misbehaving. It covered her bosom to her thighs with a little skirt on bottom. As eyes flashed upon her arm, she decided she could use concealer on the scar Kohaku had given her while trying to slice her open. Better yet she could just lie about it and say she fell on something. Sure, why not. It might be a good idea to try to take a page out of Ji-chan's book.
Relief flooded through the miko as she came to this decision. Closing her door tightly, she flipped on her stereo so she could enjoy some music. It had been a long time since she had been able to enjoy it after all. The soundtracked strains sounded almost eerie as she raised her arms over her head and removed her shirt just as a certain hanyou came to press his face against the window. After pulling the shirt free from her eyes Kagome startled and the garment tumbled to the floor to land splayed at her feet, just as the hanyou was about to.
"Inuyasha! Osuwari!" Dashing up the pool of fabric, Kagome promptly put it back on and flung open the window to glare down at the hanyou sorrowing in the dust. He wrenched himself up with a savage growl.
"Kagome, what the fuck was that for!"
"You know as well as I do you were spying on me!"
"Well it isn't my fault you were getting naked in front of a window stupid! If you do that it's not like the whole world can't see!"
"Inuyasha," Kagome spoke dangerously. Inuyasha gulped.
"Keh woman. Why are you changing anyway? It's not nighttime yet."
"For your information I have somewhere to be this afternoon."
"Is it school? You just came back from there."
"No, Inuyasha. Some friends of mine have invited me somewhere. So please go back and wait for me."
"Keh. No chance. You've already wasted enough time staying here."
"Inuyasha!"
Kagome began to grow angry again but out the window an invasion of girls began to be evident. They glanced through the window and waved at Kagome cheerily. Soon, with a rattling of doors and the crunch of stair, they ascended to Kagome's room. The door flew open with an excited bang.
"Kagome! Good, your boyfriend is here too! Now we can all go swimming."
"Um, guys. Inuyasha isn't coming with us. He doesn't have a bathing suit."
"Oh yes he does," said Yuka holding up a pair of boxy style bathing briefs. "You didn't think we'd let you pass up this opportunity to see your boyfriend in his uncensored glory, did you?" Kagome immediately felt she was going to faint. The miko took an abrupt step backwards, only to find strong clawed hands supporting her shoulders. Looking up, she found herself looking into a set of curious eyes, smoldering with their usual glorious amber. She gulped nervously.
"As long as the boxers and bandana say on, I should be okay with this. Right? Right?" She could not help but feel apprehensive about it anyway.
"Come on, Kagome," Ayumi said reassuringly. "I'm sure we'll all have a good time." The words swept her into submission.
Almost dizzy, Kagome found herself following her friends with Inuyasha trailing after. Casting a glance back at him, she found a measure of soothing predictability in how he was folded his arms and made that cute pout of his. Inuyasha surveyed the vehicle they had come to with suspicion and glared at it, as if daring it make a move. When the motor turned over and the car started up, he gave a jolt and hopped back ten feet to land on his haunches, scowling. Kagome turned and harrumphed at him.
"Come on Inuyasha. Stop being ridiculous. It's only a car. But then, you can always stay behind if you want to." A hopeful lightning cast through her eyes. Inuyasha snorted.
"Don't get your hopes up wench. You're not getting away from me that easily." Sidling up to the car, he gave the metal an experimental poke leaving a small hole in the panel. He folded his arms and glared.
"I don't see what's so great about riding in this metal contraption." Kagome hissed.
"Inuyasha, just get in." With one last pout, he lowered his head and scooted over next to Kagome. He flushed deeply as she reached across him to buckle his seatbelt on. It was a mutually embarrassing experience for both of them. They missed the knowing looks that were exchanged among Kagome's school friends.
"All right kids? Everyone in?" Yuka's mother adjusted the rearview mirror and looked back at them. Odd. She had never seen a kid with that color of eyes before.
"Yeah Mom! Let's get going!" An instillation of excitement affected the air and the back was filled with giggling. Slowly, the car pulled away from the curb and they were on their way.
"What kind of music do you kids want to listen to?" Yuka's mother began fiddling with the player. A fight ensued as to which band was the best and most worthy of listening to. Kagome listened to the argument, felling rather disaffected. She did not really listen to all that much music nowadays. Unless you counted ancient festival music that was. It suddenly occurred to Kagome that Inuyasha suffered the same disability and she allowed her gaze to linger on him as he slumped against the window side. They really were getting more and more like each other everyday.
One bag of pretzels and three bags of cheesepuffs later, they finally arrived at the beachside. A natural waterway spewed out enough sand for prospective swimmers to splash in. Kagome's school friends spilled out the car and took to running, galloping merrily across the small dunes. Puffs of small sand grains accompanied their joyful dance. Kagome followed along at a much slower pace, suddenly feeling a whole lot older. If this had been Sango or Miroku she might have enjoyed herself. But now she was looking at her bikini clad school friends and feeling rather left out of the picture. Inuyasha did not seem to be enjoying himself either. Instead, he was gulping scarlet at the girls whom had nearly stripped themselves completely in front of him and were doing a merry circuit on the waterfront.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome laid a reassuring hand on his arm and he flinched away.
"You aren't going to take off all your clothes too, are you?" His nervous glance turned into a glower as he studied the attentive male presence.
"Relax, Inuyasha. My bathing suit is much more formal. You should be more worried about your own." Grinning vengefully, she held up the pair of swimming shorts and trotted off to a changing house. She left Inuyasha to be taken care of her friends and sure enough, as soon she left the trio descended upon him like ravens picking on a carcass.
"So, Inuyasha," said Yuka as she grabbed the hanyou's right arm. Eri grabbed the left. "Let us show you to the changing booth. Now put his on!" They practically shoved him into the changing station. He put down his heels in resistance, grinding them to a halt.
"You mean under my hakama?"
"No silly. That's all you wear." Inuyasha gulped. His ears laid back. Slowly he came to a conclusion about the girls. He tossed the shorts away.
"That's it. I'm outta here. Bunch of perverts." He strolled away grumbling and unfortunately for him a little too close to Kagome's changing tent.
"Inuyasha, sit boy!" He tumbled to the ground with a startled yelp, spitting out a mouthful of sand.
Five sits and half an hour later, Inuyasha had finally come to a compromise. He retained his hakama bloused at the ankles, as well as his obi to keep it together. But he parted with his inner kosode and his outer hitoe (an unlined robe with bellsleeves). Kagome folded them up casually and locked them in the glove box of Yuka's family's car. The Tetsusiaga had not come with them since Kagome's mother had checked it at the door on their way out. It would have frightened Kagome's friends as well as beachgoers.
Kagome could hardly believe that Inuyasha was here, at the beach like this. The very notion that he wasn't threatening people or causing mass calamity was incomparably incredulous to her. Grinning happily, she sniffed the air and caught the smell of a nearby vender. Joy flooded through her as she envisioned fancy hotdogs laid out in rustling cardboard paper with ketchup and all the trimmings.
All thoughts of hot dogs fell away in a favor of a hot –dog- as Inuyasha emerged from the tent. Though they had traveled together constantly for over a year, Kagome had seldom seen his exposed chest, excepting the times when it was gorged with terrible wounds. Now, in the radiant light of near summer sunshine, with crystals of light peeking over his shoulder and glossing across his silver waves he was anything but injured. Instead, he screamed of raw muscle and flawless perfection all on a youthful body. Kagome nearly felt the need to contain her trembling. She fought the urge to reach up and stroke her hands along his upper torso, at the very least his arms. He was too beautiful to touch, like a guarded diamond, but just as chilling as sculptured ice.
The lap of water on the shoreline was lost to Kagome as she stood there staring. She was nudged, and the blush rose to her cheeks as she realized what she was doing. Making her excuses, she shuffled away to where Yuka's mother had set up an umbrella. The girl drew up her knees and sat there mournfully, listening to the thirty-five year old woman talk over the radio.
Inuyasha kept an ear trained on Kagome. So long as she kept in sight and within hearing he was satisfied. Her recent peculiar behavior he dismissed utterly. Kagome was always acting unexpected for one reason or another. He wondered sometimes if Souta's suggestion that she ate too much caffeine was accurate.
So, Inuyasha was left with the lapping waves and the three nearly-youkai women. Inwardly, he pitied himself. He had reason to since the three girls immediately latched their eyes upon something that had been exposed by the removal of his shirt.
"Inuyasha-san, what is that you are wearing?" He turned to see Ayume pointing to a golden chain around his neck, leading to a heart-shaped locket. Eri drew in a sharp breath.
"She didn't. Did she?" The three girls looked at each other, grinning like jackals.
"What?" The hanyou became a picture of confusion.
"Did Kagome really give you that?" Slowly, Inuyasha nodded.
"That's great!" Ayume exploded clapping her hands together happily. "My mother gave my father something like that before they were married. Do you have pictures in it?" Unintentionally, Inuyasha' hand came up around the locket in a protective gesture.
"Yeah. So what of it?"
"Inuyasha," said Yuka seriously. "Do you even knows what it means?" The hanyou blushed deeply.
"Keh. The hell like I'd know that. Kagome gave it to me and I kept it. End of story. Though I'm sure kind of glad I held onto to it. It protected me from a blast one time. I'd be dead otherwise." The three girls simultaneously came to a wicked understanding. Eri stepped forward clearing her throat.
"Say, Inuyasha-san? I hate to be the one to tell you this but you do believe in Shinto magic don't you?"
"Of course I do." Inuyasha folded his arms and frowned. Eri danced around inside. She had a strong feeling that Inuyasha was going to be gullible.
"Well, I guess you can say that the giving of a locket is a sort of talisman. I've heard about it in wars. Let's just say that someone gives a loved one say, oh, a letter or a glossy photo or nice shiny necklace." She stared at the locket pointedly.
"What the hell does this have to do with charms?"
"I'm getting to that. Anyway, sometimes a certain object given to a beloved person isn't just an object. It is a protective talisman formed from all the love in their hearts for that person, so strong that it can even repel bullets. If it protects one it means the other person loves them a lot."
Inuyasha sputtered. Come to think of it, he had been wearing Kagome's locket when he had been hit in Kaguya's Castle. It had kept him from being plunging into frozen time like the rest of the world. The girls around him grinned.
"It's true, it's true," said Yuka shaking a finger. "But the best part of it all is that if the bullet or other deadly danger is repulsed by the locket, err magical object, then it means that the two are meant to be together. In exchange for saving her beloved, the woman pledges to give him her first born child!" Yuka's passion for onstage drama and directing was showing and clearly, she had let it get away with her. Inuyasha teetered at the statement but he quickly recovered.
"Bah, if that's true she needn't have bothered. I can take care of myself perfectly fine." He whirled around to leave but was held by two arms.
"Wait, wait a minute," said Ayume merrily in her sweet, soft voice full of saturated goodness. "You forgot about the curse."
"What curse?" Inuyasha shook his hands free trying to reign in his growing temper.
"How silly. All of you have forgotten about the curse. The talisman has a particular stipulation. If the man rejects the woman then the curse will fall upon her. She will die unnaturally in a horrible and cruel way. Poor Kagome-chan." She shook her head sadly. Inuyasha, however, waned deathly pale and still. After a minute, he shook himself out of it.
"Bah! I don't believe you!" Leaping up, he ran further up the beach far, far away out of hearing distance. The three girls watched him go, then exchanged smirks.
"Ayumi-chan! I can't believe how evil you are! Coming up with something like that! You should help me write one of my plays." Yuka beamed appreciatively.
"It was evil wasn't it?" She giggled timorously. "Oh well. You know I was only trying to help Kagome-chan you guys."
"That's true," said Eri and Yuki simultaneously.
"Well we had better go swimming. Think he'll figure it out that we tricked him before lunch?"
"Nah!" said Eri and Yuki laughing. Playful shrieks soon sounded as they leapt into the rippling waves.