Rumiko Takahashi is a boss and owns all that is cool in the world (aka Inuyasha). Enjoy.
Something was wrong with Kikyou. Though the person before him smelled like Kikyou and even looked like her, Inuyasha wondered instantly if it really was her. The woman frowned when she heard him say her name and then she did something rather odd. Inuyasha had never seen her grow angry, and this woman looked as if she wished to kill him.
"Kikyou?" he said again, though this time unsure.
The woman started to make an odd choking noise, looking more flustered than anything else.
"What did you call me?" she breathed, with the most menacing of voices. It made the nape of his hairs stand on end.
"Uh. Kikyou?"
The woman sputtered uncontrollably, then suddenly managed to compose herself and said all too sweetly, "Haha, Inuyasha. Very funny."
"I don't understand."
The monk suddenly rose from where he sat, and spoke to Inuyasha as if he knew him. "Inuyasha, are you well?"
Inuyasha immediately became defensive and crossed his arms over his chest. "What's it to ya'?"
"You've retained a bump on your head. Do you know who you are?"
"What a stupid question," he snapped. "Of course I know who I am. What I want to know is who the hell are you?"
The monk's brows knitted into a frown and he began to rub his chin, pensively. Inuyasha then chose to ignore him and returned his focus on Kikyou. He grinned at her again and tried to appear as comfortable with himself as he could be. Of course, he was still pretty excited to see her and couldn't help feeling a bit nervous.
He leaned against the door and said, "So how you've been, Kikyou? Feels like its been ages."
Kikyou didn't respond to Inuyasha. Instead, she walked away from him, with a nerve ticking on her left brow. He reached out to her, but instead stood there, trying not to seem too needy. He watched her as she walked into a small hut near the fire pit she had been next to. When she disappeared, he could hear her talking to an old woman and Inuyasha leaned closer to try and gain better access toward the conversation. But Kikyou finally came out of the hut, looking determined and quite intimidating.
Last time he remembered seeing Kikyou, she was with her sister, teaching the young girl some spiritual spells to ward off demons. The girl had been young and not as talented as her sister, as Kikyou was known to many to have prodigious abilities when it came to spiritual warfare. He remembered her looking up at him with a sweet smile, and being happy to see him.
She didn't seem to be so pleased now.
What the hell'd I do? he wondered.
Inuyasha tried to summon up a reason for her demeanor and couldn't come up with a thing. His memory was a little fuzzy and he wondered briefly if it was because of what the monk had said. That bump I've got on my head must be the reason why my memory's so faulty.
She finally stood before him. Her fists and even teeth were clenched, threatening to be cracked by her hardened jaw. "You really want to play this game, Inuyasha?"
He sucked his teeth. "What's wrong with you? I ain't playing no game, Kikyou!"
The nerve came back to her brow and Inuaysha took a step back. Kikyou managed to suddenly enshroud herself with a pink glow; it radiated with an immense spiritual force and made Inuyasha physically tremble.
"Uh. Did I do something wrong?"
Kikyou nodded her head. "You sure did, buddy. Tell me, Inuyasha. What do you remember about yourself?"
"What the hell is going on here! You're acting funny and it ain't right."
Kikyou lifted her fist as if to punch him and he couldn't believe it. His beloved priestess was threatening to do violence to him? HIM?! He narrowed his eyes to tiny slits and growled, "You're not Kikyou. Who the hell are you?"
The woman closed her eyes and breathed deeply. When she opened them again, she looked at him with eyes that gleamed with tears.
"Your wife."
Inuyasha's jaw dropped. "My wife?!" he shrieked. "No way!"
"Yes way," she snapped.
The monk cleared his throat from behind and said, "Inuyasha, I think you'd best settle down. You've obviously suffered from some sort of short term memory loss. Everything will come back to you when you settle down."
Inuyasha scoffed. "Listen, buddy. I don't know who the hell you think you are but—"
He suddenly shut his lips when he heard the woman speaking lowly to herself. The ominous words she uttered caused a chill to run through his spine, and he felt something change in the atmosphere. Silence. It suddenly became quiet; so quiet, he wondered if he had gone deaf. Then a light shined from his chest, and it grew like a beacon, drawing everyone's attention to it.
"What the hell is going on!" he cried, and before he knew it, a beaded necklace appeared. When he attempted to touch it, it stung him and he jumped. Now in a state of panic, he covered his hands with his shirt, and grabbed onto the beaded necklace again. But when he tried to pull it off, the damned thing would not budge.
He glared at the Kikyou-impersonator and growled, "What the hell is this thing?"
"A memento," she bit out.
Inuyasha could handle this no more, so he made a break for it. He passed the group of people, and managed to nearly run across a bridge, but the woman, with a power he could not fathom, was behind him, atop a cat demon.
"Inuyasha!" she cried.
"Leave me alone, ya' loon!"
Then she said the most asinine and insulting thing he had ever heard.
"Sit boy!"
Though he wanted nothing more than to hurl insults at the woman for her comment, he had no chance to, as he immediately fell onto the bridge, and it cracked open with a crash, hurling him into the river.
Darkness engulfed him once more.
"I'm going to kick his ass if he mentions that woman's name again."
Lady Kaede sent Kagome a look of affront and gasped. "Young lady, ye are a priestess and as such, ye must not use such profane language!"
Kagome wanted to laugh at such an idea, but she didn't have the strength to do so. After all, her husband could not recall having ever met her and suspected she was nothing more than an impersonator of his long lost love. She fumed.
"I apologize," she mumbled sheepishly toward Kaede. "It's the hormones."
"Hormones?" Kaede queried.
Kagome groaned. She'd spent more than five years in feudal era Japan, and yet it was not enough time to recount all that she'd learned from the future about human anatomy. It would be wise of her to mention these kinds of things to Kaede in another time. After all, she needed all the help she could get.
Kagome covered her face. This was horrible. And the timing could not have been worst. She just knew there was a reason why she didn't want Inuyasha to leave so adamantly the night before. Call it a woman's intuition.
She and Kaede were in her home. The day had just begun, and morning light seeped into the humble abode, with shimmers of gold covering the wooden surface. Inuyasha slept in their guest room and Miroku, Kohaku and Shippo remained with him, at the ready, in case he wished to flee from them. Kagome figured that he would wish to do so after what she had done.
Inuyasha was not the kind to play games, so when he called her Kikyou, she realized something was dead wrong with him. If he had lost his memory, his first impulse would be to run and gather information about his predicament later. She did not wish for him to flee for who knew how long it would take to find him. So she placed the beads on his neck. She felt remorse for such a thing, but believed she had no choice.
Lady Kaede placed her hand on Kagome's shoulder and sought to comfort her. Kagome looked up and smiled sadly. "I'm sorry. I just don't know what to think right now."
She nodded. "I understand, Kagome. Ye must be going through much within that mind of yours. But Inuyasha will regain his memory. I am sure of it."
"You think so?" she said with a sigh. "I hope so." Tears began to form in her eyes and her lips quivered. "I want my husband."
Kaede held her hand and squeezed it gently. "Ay, las."
Sango then came into the room and informed Kagome that Inuyasha had awoken. "He's being annoyingly stubborn and won't listen to anyone."
"Is he threatening to leave?" she asked.
"No. But I suppose it is because he remembers the necklace you put on him and the power it wields."
"Good."
"What will you do, Kagome?"
She threw her head back and looked to the ceiling. Dust particles drifted and fell lightly to the ground. She looked at one silver speck in particular and watched it as it fell, down, down to the floor.
"Kagome?" Sango said, concerned for her friend. She could hardly fathom what Kagome was going through. If Miroku suddenly forgot his wife, she didn't know what she'd do. They had children together.
Kagome turned to Sango and her eyes were glassy and heavy lidded. She hadn't slept the whole night. Sango knew; she remained with her friend during that time, while her kids stood with Rin at her place.
"I don't know. In my time, we simply waited for someone to regain their memory. It was called amnesia."
"How long does it last?"
"I don't know."
Silence permeated the room. Then Sango clapped her hands and said, "Okay! No sulking. Let's think this through. Inuyasha has lost his memory. He remembers a time around sixty years past. Which means he's young. Relatively."
Kagome groaned. It was one thing to have a husband with a faulty memory. It was another thing entirely to have a husband whose maturity level paralleled a teenagers'. How gross.
Kaede finally chimed in. "Perhaps I can be of service, Kagome. Inuyasha may recognize me."
At that, Kagome scoffed. "It's been ages," she told her. "How could he recognize you?"
Kaede rolled her eyes. "My scent, Kagome. Truly, must ye be so grumpy?"
"It's not me. It's the hormones," Kagome muttered as she hugged her arms to her stomach.
Sango looked to Kaede for an explanation but she simply shrugged.
"Let me speak to the lad. I'm sure he'll listen to me."
"Go for it. Lord knows he won't listen to me." Kagome groaned and covered her face again.
Kaede stepped into the fire-lit room and glanced around. It was bare except for a large mat, which Inuyasha lay upon. He was on his back with his eyes closed. Miroku, Shippo and Kohaku sat close to him, their eyes looking toward the ceiling.
Kaede frowned. She had assumed that Inuyasha was giving them a hard time but it looked like the half breed was fast asleep. Frown deepening, she strode toward Miroku and patted the young monks thigh. He glanced toward her and waved. "Hello, Lady Kaede."
At that, Inuyasha barked out a laugh. He attempted to sit up from his cot but immediately flinched, as he touched the bump on his head. "Ah shit," he muttered with a wince.
"Watch that mouth, Inuyasha," Kaede snapped.
Kohaku and Shippo tittered and Kaede made sure to send them a darkened glare. They gulped in unison. Miroku then cleared his throat and said, "We have informed Inuyasha of the facts."
"I see." She flicked a glance toward him. "Do ye know who I am?"
He sighed with a clear indication that his tolerance for these people was slim. "Nope, but I heard them call you Kaede. That supposed to mean something to me?"
"Ay, considering I am Lady Kikyou's sister."
Inuyasha khe'd. "Yeah right. And I'm Kikyou's brother."
Miroku shook his head. "I had forgotten how stubborn Inuyasha was. I am shocked to find that he has changed so much. Ah, how I miss him."
Kohaku chuckled. "Me too."
Inuyasha scowled. "Can you not act like I'm not here?"
"Apologies, Inuyasha. In your later years you were able to take a joke." Miroku wiped away a fake tear. "How I will miss that about you most."
Inuyasha ran his tongue over his teeth, the sharpness of them slicing. He didn't respond to the humans, though he wanted to snap at them with every fiber of his being. Instead, his focus remained on Kaede, the woman who claimed to be Kikyou's sister. He took in a brief whiff of her scent and, though old and rather putrid, a hint of her odor smelled like that of little Kaede. He watched her, never tearing his gaze away, as he pondered his circumstance.
The monk had informed him that he was happily married to that woman. She looked somewhat like Kikyou because they were related. They had been married now for five years, yet they had no children. Apparently, he had been in an accident with a worm demon the day prior and had lost some of his memory, hence the reason why he could not remember ever getting married, or aging for that matter.
He believed none of it.
"Where's your sister?" he asked the Kaede impersonator.
Kaede hesitated for a moment, as if ruminating a proper reply. She then said, "Far away, Inuyasha. She is very old."
He laughed. "I can only imagine."
Despite his seemingly nonchalant demeanor, something inside of him withered. If what this Kaede said was true, then all chances of running away to find Kikyou was senseless and simply futile. Surrounded by these people, and spiritual magic created by what could only be described as a beautiful, yet evil witch, Inuyasha knew not what to do. Besides, his bump still pained him so much he could hardly lift his head without watching the world turn.
He sighed and found himself staring at the window in what the monk referred to as his guest room. The day was new and the sun was bright but he felt like a captive in this tiny prison. "Hey, old hag?" he muttered. "Am I allowed to leave this room or do these beads keep me contained?"
"Ye are free to leave, but I would advise that ye remain inside. We must continue to tend to your wound and make sure that ye do not sustain a concussion. Which reminds me." She turned to Miroku. "Make sure that he does not sleep for too long. If his breathing falters and becomes uneven, wake him immediately. I would rather he not die over this menial happenstance."
"I'm not gonna die over this. Like you said, it's only a bump on the head."
"Be that as it may, we must take all proper precautions. Your wife," she pontificated, "is worried about you."
He arched a dark, black brow in incredulity. "The same wife who now has me chained to a leash?"
Shippo's laugh came out, strong and husky. "The very same."
After some time, Inuyasha was entrusted to remain alone in his room. Kaede had informed the guards watching over him that he would not be able to move very far since she set up a spiritual barrier around his home. Looks like I am in prison. He didn't take kindly to being held hostage; didn't matter if it so happened to occur with his so called "family."
He was able to sit up on his own after a few hours, and found himself aching for some food. The angle of the sun read that it was now noon and he wondered when someone would return to offer him sustenance. Prisoners still got fed, as far as he knew. He listened to the house, how it creaked and moaned like a living thing; a breath as well as a hearth. He knew that someone was there, in a room much larger than this. Perhaps someone would be there, cooking.
His stomach ached, and he yearned to stand and walk on his own without feeling like a child learning to walk. He was also bored. Stuck inside this stuffy room, feeling alone and irritated made for a bad combination. He growled with frustration, then took a stab at standing on his own. As he thought it would, the world turned and he wobbled to the ground in a sweaty heap. The ceiling, he came to realize, would be his companion for some time. A sorry, pathetic acquaintance.
At that moment, he sensed Kikyou's presence. No, it wasn't Kikyou. It was her relative, Kaede mentioned. He waited for her to come, his body stiff and taut as if he were unconscious once more. But if anyone cared to listen, they could hear the erratic beating of his heart.
She entered the room and Inuyasha closed his eyes, feigning a state of torpor. He could hear her as she moved, light-footed and nimble, yet nowhere near as graceful as Kikyou. She knelt beside him and he tried to keep his breathing steady and even.
"Inuyasha," she said softly. An odd, yet familiar sensation stirred within him. It was peculiar how he didn't wish to shake it off; his body responded to it with warmth, almost comfortable with the sound.
"Inuyasha," she said again.
He slowly sought to peak an eye open, and saw her watching him intently.
"I know you're awake, Inuyasha."
He found no reason to pretend anymore. Opening his eyes, he looked back at her, stunned by her appearance. Truly, she looked like Kikyou; the same hair swept down her body, like a cool river, darkened by the nights sky. Her eyes, brown and ever kind, seared through him, causing him to inwardly ache. He had always wanted nothing more than to look deep into the depths of her soul and learn about everything that she was.
Yet, looking further, she appeared somewhat different. Her body was more mature than Kikyou's; round and sumptuous in places that simply fit. Her legs curled underneath her thighs, a curvaceous figure Inuyasha could not deny himself from calling attractive.
He frowned at the thought, feeling as though such a thing betrayed Kikyou. And of course it did. He wanted her—not this woman who confused his body and mind.
"What do you want?" he muttered, turning to the ceiling once more.
"How are you feeling?" she asked him.
He found himself appreciative of the fact that she cared for his well being. Was even surprised since she hadn't helped his healing process with her condescending dog spell.
"Head hurts."
She nodded and lifted a small purple bottle. She placed its liquid contents onto her hands and rubbed it together. "I have to put this on your bump. It's red and sore and needs to be properly medicated. Will you let me touch it?"
He narrowed his eyes to tiny slits. "Why should I trust you?"
"I have no reason to lie," she said, her voice a whisper.
He grunted an assent and she gently placed her hand atop his head. She managed to find the wound fairly quickly and placed the salve on his bump. It stung and he recoiled with a wince.
"It hurts," he whined.
"I'm sorry," she told him. "There's an area somewhat exposed." She returned to rubbing the salve, and after a while, the pain began to subside. The skin grew numb and he sighed with relief. He closed his eyes and let the woman continue with her ministrations since it calmed the chaos in his head. She remained there for some time, letting her fingers move past the bump, massaging the rest of his head. He grew comfortable with this, wondering for a moment if she had put a tranquility spell on him. He threw the thought to the wind because it didn't matter. Her hands did.
When she pulled them away, he wanted to growl, but he managed to contain himself and look at her. "All done," she said as she wiped her hands with a cloth on her lap. When she made a move to stand, Inuyasha instinctively grabbed her arm and held her there.
"What is your name?" he asked her, softly, so as not to scare her.
He could see tears welling in her eyes and he turned away, feeling ashamed. He chided himself for this because he had no reason to think this way. He had done nothing wrong. Despite this, he released her and found himself saying, "I'm sorry. Didn't mean to scare you."
She wiped her eyes. "It's not that, Inuyasha."
"Then what's wrong?"
She smiled, a sad, coy thing, and it caused a pang to form in his heart.
"You really don't remember me?" she said, her voice shaky.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, meeting her tone. "I don't."
With that, she nodded her head and stood up. He didn't trouble her. He was bothered suddenly, confused by his body's reaction toward this woman. One side of him ached to dry those tears, and another wanted nothing more than to run from her and everything she signified.
When she left the room, he thought she wouldn't return for a long time. But he found himself in her company merely an hour later, with soup in her hands. His stomach growled at the sight and he sat up to take it all in. He looked up at her and thanked her. "Did you cook this for me?"
One side of her lips lifted as if lost in nostalgia. "Yes."
He took a sip of her food and could not contain his hunger. He managed to lose sight of his manners, and drank the liquid with one gulp. He then took a piece of bread and stuffed it into his mouth. With the food still there, he mumbled, "You got any more? Stuff is delicious."
Kagome caught herself blushing. Inuyasha had always loved the way she cooked and she made sure to have food left over for him since he often liked to eat double the amount necessary. When she returned with more soup, he decided this time to use his chop sticks.
"You didn't tell me your name," he said with food still in his mouth.
Kagome sighed and decided to take what she could from this experience. If Inuyasha could not remember, it would be prudent if she gave him as much information as possible.
"My name is Kagome Higurashi."
"How old are you?"
She arched a brow. "Have you not heard it is impolite to ask for a woman's age?"
"That old, 'ay?"
Kagome let out an exasperated breath. "I'm twenty-three."
"That ain't old! I'm more than one hundred."
She found herself smiling at him. "I know."
"So since you're supposed to be my wife, does that mean you're into old geezers?" he said, wriggling his eyebrows.
Kagome found herself laughing, and the sound made Inuyasha pause to study her. His food remained suspended, close to his mouth. When she caught him staring, she coughed, and he swallowed the food whole.
"Sorry about that. Didn't mean to ogle."
She pulled a strand of hair behind her ear and he caught a tinge of red color her cheeks. He made this woman laugh and blush in the span of seconds and for some reason it made him feel good about himself.
What the hell is wrong with me? he thought, and mentally shook his head. Was he forgetting that this woman held him hostage? What kind of moron did that?
Me.
Silence filled the room, its taste a tangible force.
When he finished his food, he set the bowl by his side. Kagome picked it up and placed it onto a tray. He thanked her, once again, and she made a move to stand. When she reached the doorway, she turned to Inuyasha who had settled himself into bed.
"Inuyasha?" she said.
His gaze met hers, unsure and somewhat hesitant.
"Promise me you won't leave."
He waited for a moment, thinking of what to say. Then he simply said what he truly wanted to know: "Why do you want me to stay?"
"I told you yesterday that I needed you here with me." She blew her bangs, somewhat exasperated. "You're stubborn though, so you didn't listen. Please, just… Can you stay?"
"Kaede told me there's a barrier around this place, so I don't have much of a choice."
"I took it down," she surprised him by saying. "I don't want to make the situation seem strained. Will you stay and try to trust me?"
Something inside of him wanted to trust this woman and believe all that she said, but it made no sense to him. He was a half demon, and a strong one, too. A simple worm demon could not have done enough damage to erase his memory completely. He'd wounded himself countless times before, and not once had this ordeal ever transpired. Doubt clouded his judgment, but he wouldn't let the woman know.
Instead, he promised her he would not leave.
It was a lie.