Possession

By Elizabeth Caitlin

Chapter the First: Soul Exchange

Inuyasha…Inuyasha…

The strength of her thoughts carried her onward and farther away from reality, her mind drifting off into another realm of being where her only concerns were guarding the Shikon no Tama and making Inuyasha happy. Even as the bell signaling the end of classes rang, her eyes remained glazed over, her eyes fixed unfocusedly on the overhead projector's glowing light.

"Kagome! Snap out of it!"

Right, Kagome thought, and she lifted her head. Her three friends were standing there, waiting impatiently, clearly not in the mood for her latent daydreams. Covering her mouth as she deeply yawned, Kagome stood up from her chair and gripped her black shoulder bag tightly in one arm making her way to the front of the classroom to join her friends.

The four black-haired girls made their way out of the classroom, the other three chattering on about boys and homework and school life in general, while Kagome's mind continued to wander on. Tomorrow was the night of the full moon in Inuyasha's time, so she would have to remember to bring extra medicines and bandages to his world just in case there was an attack…and maybe some extra food, for Shippo and the others. Sango never ate much, but Miroku and Inuyasha could always be counted on to consume anything sweet.

"So…Hojo's started asking other girls out again, Kagome. What do you think?"

I couldn't care less, Kagome thought, but she smiled wearily instead. "You guys, I'm not interested in him that way. He's just…a friend."

"You guys don't do anything together outside of school anymore. That's not a friend."

"Well…" Great, thought Kagome. How do I get out of this one. She decided to just tell the truth. "Well, we're not really friends either. We're just…not. Not anything, really."

"Do you still have that crazy boyfriend?" asked one girl, her curly hair bobbing up and down slightly as she glanced innocently over her shoulder at her friend.

"Well…yes and no. He's still my boyfriend, but we're sort of…taking a time-out," said Kagome, truthfully enough. Ever since that moment long ago when Inuyasha had chosen Kikyo over her – and even past that, when Inuyasha had sworn to Kagome he would never leave her side, even for the other white priestess – she had been hesitant to display any outward emotions toward the hanyou besides that of a friend. Not that she had ever been obvious with her feelings to begin with – she wasn't the type to wear her heart on her sleeve – but lately she had become even more reserved.

"Well, I think you should make up your mind," said one girl, staring blankly across the street they were all now crossing. "Either go out with him or don't. It's irritating to have you keep going back and forth. It's been almost a year now!"

It has, thought Kagome incredulously. Wow. So much time has passed, and so much has changed…

For the past eight months Kagome's life had been irrevocably turned upside down. Juggling school and life in the sixteenth century was no easy task, considering everything else she had to do on top of that. Caring for her brother at times, helping out with maintaining the shrine…it was a wonder she didn't fall apart, mentally and physically. Deep down, all Kagome really cared about was those who were close to her heart…namely, her family, her friends in the other world, and Inuyasha.

"Let's go to McDonald's," one girl suggested, and the others enthusiastically nodded their heads. Kagome just grinned apologetically.

"Sorry, guys. I have to go. I'm meeting him in less than an hour." Turning to cross another street, Kagome quickly darted away from her friends, not wanting to bother answering their questions about the "jealous, two-timing boyfriend" all over again. She had been through that enough.

The girls watched her go, flabbergasted.

"What does she see in that guy, anyway?" one asked, and they all shook their heads with a mixture of pity and annoyance.

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"Inuyasha, how long do you think it will be until Kagome gets back?" asked the small fox demon sitting on the hanyou's left side. The question voiced Inuyasha's own thoughts, but he did not answer the little kitsune. Quite frankly, when Kagome got back was her own damned responsibility, not his. He was tired of worrying about when she would come when he knew she would come on her own time.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. He hated worrying, but he would never tire of it. Not for her.

"I expect Kagome will be back just before sundown as she promised, Shippo," said the monk, emerging from Lady Kaede's small hut. "You must be patient. Kagome has a lot going on, both here and in the other world."

"I know," sighed Shippo, curling into a little ball. "I just miss her so much!"

"We all do," said Sango brightly, coming out of the house. "But she'll be back soon, Shippo-chan."

Sure enough, there was a loud rustling from the nearby forest, and into the clearing came Kagome, dressed in her usual school uniform and bearing gifts of food.

"Hello, everyone!" she said brightly, pulling sugary snacks out of her pack. "I've brought something for everyone. Soda pop for Miroku…it's orange, like you asked for…a lollipop for Shippo, and some chocolate…and bandages for you, Inuyasha." She paused, frowning. "I never know what to bring you, Sango. Do you want anything?"

"I'm fine," said Sango serenely, tucking her boomerang bone behind her back. "Father always told not to eat too much sweet food. He said you'd develop a constant craving for it."

"He's right," said Kagome, laughing, and she hoped that the mention of Sango's late father wouldn't stir up memories that Sango would rather avoid. To her relief, however, Sango just looked happy at the thought of following her father's sage advice.

"I don't know, Sango," said Miroku thoughtfully, perusing his can of soda pop. "I have some sugar every now and then, and I seem to do fine without it."

"You're a monk," Sango replied matter-of-factly. "You can control yourself – in most things." Miroku grinned sheepishly at the truth of this statement; he could control himself rather well, except when it came to fondling women.

"All right, all right, enough talking. We've got to find a good place to stay by sundown." Inuyasha's voice came out more like a growl; he was clearly agitated by wasting time.

"It nearly is sundown, Inuyasha. Why don't we just spend the night here?" Kagome didn't think this idea was unreasonable; indeed, it would be hard to find a nearby place to stay at this rate.

"In this ramshackle old shack? I don't think so." There was something about Inuyasha's voice that Kagome didn't like, and she looked at him in concern.

"Inuyasha, is something wrong?" she asked, trying to see beyond his mask of self-confidence.

"I'm fine," he snapped, and he folded his arms. He's so stubborn, Kagome thought mournfully, and she sighed.

"Kagome is right, Inuyasha. Where else can we go to spend the night in such a short period of time? Lady Kaede's home is as good as any place we can find."

Inuyasha glared at them all. "Fine," he snapped. "Kagome, didn't you bring me anything to eat besides bandages?"

"The bandages aren't for eating," Kagome said, slightly irritated, "and yes, I brought you food. Would you like some potato chips or ramen noodles?"

"Both," Inuyasha replied immediately, and Kagome couldn't help but grin. "All right. I'll go get some water to boil." She stood and, grabbing one of the stone basins by Kaede's hut, she headed in the general direction of a nearby river.

The journey was short but put her completely out of sight from the rest of the group. Kagome tried to glance at her reflection in the water, but the river moved so quickly there was nothing to see.

A she lowered the basin into the water's depths, there was a sudden crackling motion behind her. Whirling her head around, the basin slipped from between Kagome's fingers, and there was a resounding splash as the basin disappeared beneath the river's surface.

There was nothing in the trees.

With a deep sigh, Kagome plunged an arm into the river to see if she could fetch the basin, but there was no hope.

"Well, that's great," she said aloud to herself. "I guess I'll have to get another one…" Standing, she turned to head back in the direction of the hut when a piercing pain shot through her chest.

What…?

Gasping, Kagome fell to her knees, clutching her heart. The pain was receding now, gone as quickly as it had come, but something was still not right. Blinking rapidly, she glanced upward and came face to face with a white-gilded mirror.

It was Kanna. One of Naraku's minions.

"Naraku bids me tell you," she began in her barely existent voice, "that I am to take your soul."

"Naraku…what?" Kagome whispered, gasping once more. The pain was back.

"Your soul," the girl whispered, her eyes expressionless, her face blank. "I am to take your soul."

"You tried this once before," Kagome murmured, remembering the day she had first met Naraku's second incarnation. "It didn't work…"

"My mirror has grown stronger," the girl said, sounding sickly and weak but still standing strong. "And it is empty now…it will not overflow…"

Even as she spoke, wisps of white smoke were flowing out of Kagome's body, originating from the spot in her chest that burned like a thousand sharp knives. "Wait!" she gasped, in sheer panic. "Why are you…"

"I am to take your soul. I am to replace it with another one."

"What?!"

Even as Kagome collapsed to the ground, she could see bits and pieces of her own soul drifting steadily into the little girl's mirror; as this happened, other soul pieces, blackened as though tainted and impure, floated into her body. She could feel an evil presence invading her senses, corrupting her mind…she closed her eyes in a near swoon, and struggled to regain consciousness. She failed.

"Kagome no more…" the girl murmured, and then she was gone.

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Inuyasha paced steadily back and forth between the walls of Kaede's hut, glancing out the windows every five seconds or so.

"What's taking Kagome so long?" he demanded, glaring at the monk as he did so.

"For the fifth time, Inuyasha, I don't know. Why don't you go check on her if you're so concerned?"

"Don't do that," interrupted Sango. "Maybe she just wanted to be alone."

"She's had plenty of time to be alone in her own world!" snapped Inuyasha.

"That's not true," said Shippo thoughtfully. "She was probably saying hello to all of her family and friends…"

"Oh, shut up," Inuyasha muttered. He stopped abruptly and turned toward the door. "I'm going to check on her." He stomped out the door into the rapidly descending daylight. As he stepped outside, he heard Miroku mutter, "Thank goodness," and Sango's reproachful cry of "Miroku!"

He rolled his eyes and hurried into the woods, following Kagome's distinctive scent. In less than a minute he was nearly to the river, and as he came upon the water's edge what he saw made his hairs stand on end.

Kagome was lying slumped by the river's side, her hair covering her face, her uniform askew. Rushing to her side, Inuyasha lifted her into his arms and stared at her face.

"Kagome?" he asked, shaking her slightly. "Kagome, wake up!"

She opened her eyes and stared at him blankly, and he knew immediately something was wrong. It was her, it was her, it was definitely her – the face and the eyes and the hair were the same. But something in her gaze was not like her at all. He frowned.

It took a moment before she could speak. "Where am I…how…" She put a hand on her cheek, a highly uncharacteristic gesture, and Inuyasha's brow creased.

"Kagome?" he said softly, with more urgency this time.

She gazed up at him with those soft brown eyes. "Who is…Kagome?" She paused, frowning up at his face. "And who are you?" She seemed to become more aware of her surroundings. "Why are you holding me?"

Instantly Inuyasha lowered her to the ground, gently laying her on the grass and wondering what the hell was going on. "Kagome, it's me. Remember?"

Still looking confused, Kagome shook her head. "No…my name is Seiko. Seiko Wakarami. And I'm not supposed to be alive…"

Inuyasha's eyes widened. He paused for just a moment before scooping Kagome up once more in his arms. He burst through the forest in a matter of moments and broke through some branches into the clearing, already calling out Miroku's name.

"Miroku! Sango! I need you guys, NOW!"

The monk and the exterminator hurried out of the hut, both looking concerned.

"What is the matter, Inuyasha?" Miroku demanded, kneeling at Kagome's side. Sango did the same.

"She…she doesn't remember who she is," Inuyasha said quietly, staring at the girl. "She said her name is Seiko."

"What?" Sango stared at him, confused, and then she turned to the girl who so resembled Kagome. "Kagome-chan, tell me, what is your name?"

"Who is this 'Kagome-chan' of whom you speak?" the girl whispered, and her voice started to tremble. "My name is Seiko Wakarami, and I'm supposed to be dead right now…"

"What do you mean?" asked Miroku urgently. He seemed to be on the brink of understanding something.

"I…I don't know," the girl whispered, shaking like a leaf. "I'm dead, I died, I'm not supposed to be alive…is this hell?"

Miroku laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, and for once Sango took no notice of the intimate gesture. "Young woman, please…we will help you if you allow us. What is the last thing you remember before coming here?"

"Those eyes…" the girl whispered, her own eyes going closed. "He had such dark…handsome eyes…"

"Who?" Miroku pressed further, leaning toward the girl on his golden staff. "Who had dark handsome eyes?"

"Naraku…" the girl whispered, and she shuddered as she said the name. "He tried to kill me…but he failed…and then there was fire and I was overcome by the smoke…don't you understand me, I'm supposed to be dead!" She burst into hysterical, pealing sobs, and it was at this moment that all three of them confirmed that whoever this girl was, it was not the girl they knew.

Kagome was gone.

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Please review! I value other people's opinions. J

Next chapter: Naraku's plan regarding Kagome becomes more clear as his bouts of possession begin. Kikyo thinks about aiding Inuyasha & Co. in regaining Kagome's lost soul. Inuyasha must make one of the most difficult decisions of his life – but since when is that anything new? ;)

I plan on updating about once a week, give or take a few days.