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CHAPTER EIGHT
Lightning streaked across the sky, followed immediately by thunder as the sky dropped buckets of water down upon the small village. Water ran in small rivers through the grooves in the dirt roads, turning everything into a muddy mess. Kagome dropped the curtain back into place and turned back to face her companions in the small, cozy hut. The fire crackling in the middle of the floor looked more cheery than ever and Kagome sat near it, enjoying the warmth even more on such a gloomy day.
"I spoke to the head woman at the neighboring village. She knows of a kitsune specialist a few villages away from here. I thought ye might be able to get some answers from her," Kaede was saying as she added herbs to the stew that she was cooking. Kagome and Inuyasha met each other's eyes across the fire. Any lead was something. The memories were starting to become more frequent and Kagome found that she now had access to a big piece of Inyasha's life. She wondered if he was experiencing the same thing and a cold pit grew in her stomach as she imagined the things he was seeing: her crying, admitting her love for him, pining for him...she shook her head and returned to the present.
Inuyasha was on his feet, his impatience evident. Kagome couldn't blame him. She wanted her own body back as well, but a roll of thunder shook the hut and she shuddered imagining them trekking through the storm that was raging outside.
"Well, what are you all waiting for? Let's go!"
"Wait a moment, Inuyasha. There's a catch. This expert only speaks to women and she finds the company of men simply disgusting," Kaede finished, unable to keep a small smirk from her face. "And in addition to that, ye will need to follow all the customs of this day and age, and act as a sophisticated lady would be expected to act. And she doesn't speak to tajiya either, believing the profession to be a man's."
Kagome watched as the implications of Kaede's words sunk in. She looked at Inuyasha and saw the moment he fully understood what would be required of him. Shippo was attempting, horribly, to hold back giggles at the idea of Inuyasha acting like a true lady. Miroku looked thoughtful to the untrained eye, but the glint of amusement was evident in his eyes as well. Sango hid a grin behind her hand and even Kagome had to fight the smile that attempted to erupt on her face at the idea of Inuyasha exchanging pleasantries with someone over a cup of tea.
"Well, looks like we've got our work cut out for us today," she said simply, meeting Inuyasha's gaze. An angry scowl was on Kagome's normally happy face. I hope he doesn't cause any lasting frown lines on my face.
Inuyasha groaned and looked down at the broken cups that scattered the small hut. The rain still raged outside and he realized that he would much rather be outside in the raging gale than inside learning the ins and outs of being a "lady". The tea cups had taken the brunt of his impatience and rage, but his friends had taken their share of insults from him as well. Only Kagome was still helping him, although her temper was starting to flare as well and her words to him were very short and clipped. Inuyasha sighed and shifted uncomfortably in the tightly wrapped kimono.
"Ladies don't sigh, Inuyasha," Kagome chastised for the eighth time. She rubbed her temples carefully with clawed fingers. Was it even possible for hanyous to have a migraine?
Inuyasha gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. He drew in a deep breath and tried to focus.
Kagome was walking home from school, her mind on Inuyasha and the excitement that she couldn't hide at being able to see him shortly. She smiled up at the bright sun above her and thought back to how gentle he had been with her the past few weeks as her feet healed from the demon's stomach acids. She thought back fondly to the moment, even though it had taken away her ability to walk for a few days. Inuyasha had said that he needed her, and she felt that he might even love her in his own way.
That thought inevitably led to thoughts of Kikyo. She would always hold a spot in his heart, and she knew she shouldn't have hope for anything between her and Inuyasha. The smile faded from her face as her thoughts took a turn down a darker road.
"Kagome!" "Hey Kagome!"
Kagome stopped and turned to face her three approaching friends, Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi. She waved in greeting and waited for them to approach her.
"Where are you off to, Kagome?"
"Oh, I was just heading home," she responded as she resumed walking, her three friends now around her. Eri looped an arm through Kagome's and brought her to a stop.
"That's no fun! Come on, we wanted to check out this new tea shop and you should totally join us," said Yuka, smiling brightly. "You can tell us more about this bad-boy boyfriend of yours." Kagome flushed.
"He's not my...I've told you," she sputtered, images of Kikyo and Inuyasha embracing surfacing in her mind. She forced them away and focused on how nice he had been in the past few weeks. Eri steered Kagome across the street at the next intersection, not waiting for an answer about the tea shop. Kagome sighed and allowed herself to be pulled along.
Once they all had their tea and were seated, her friends began probing her for information about Inuyasha. Kagome remained a shade of pink as she tried to deflect as many questions as possible.
"Come on Kagome, there must still be something going on," Yuka said, leaning eagerly over the table that was between the four high school girls. The tea shop was busy and many conversations around them blended into a soft murmuring background noise. Kagome took a sip of tea as she contemplated her response.
"Well, he has been acting very nice to me lately," she began, noticing Ayumi's eyes taking on a dreamy, lovey dovey look. "He's been taking care of me since the accident with my feet."
"Yes we heard. I'm sorry that your diabetes has been acting up like that," Eri said, leaning back into her chair and emptying the remaining tea from her cup. Kagome sputtered indignantly and had to finish her tea as well in order to cover up her anger at gramps for yet again choosing such an unlikely disease as her excuse. 'Couldn't he have just said I burned them or something?'
"That sounds so romantic, Kagome," Ayumi said, giving her friend an encouraging smile. Kagome could not help but smile back. Ayumi had always been the most supportive of her friends when it came to Inuyasha.
"So, have you told him that you love him yet?" Yuka's face took on a look of mischief. Kagome was glad that she had swallowed all of her tea, otherwise it would have been spit onto the table. She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times as her friends watched her with wide grins.
"I don't...I'm not...HE'S not," she sputtered, feeling her face getting hotter and hotter. She finally fell silent and glared at her so-called friends. She glanced at the clock on the wall. "Is that really the time? I'm going to be so late! Inuyasha is going to kill me! Well, gotta go!" She dashed out of the tea shop, leaving her bewildered friends behind.
She ran the whole way home, only stopping to stuff a few more essentials into her already over-stuffed bag. She raced down to the well and jumped right in. A familiar blue light and the accompanying floating sensation surrounded her and filled her mind with peace. She felt her feet touch down on dirt and she looked up to the familiar sight and smell of Inuyasha's forest.
She climbed out slowly, wincing at the slight pain the weight was putting on her still-healing feet. Once she pulled herself over the edge of the well, she came face-to-face with Inuyasha. An angry scowl was on his face as he tapped his foot impatiently. She met his glare with one of her own. She tossed the heavy bag over the rim of the well with a huff and pulled herself up. Sitting on old worn rim of the well, she waited for the yelling that was sure to come. When he simply continued to glare, she stood to face him. Pain caused another wince to come to her face. The fire was extinguished in Inuyasha's eyes as a look of concern immediately took over. All angry words seemed to die on his tongue as a look that she didn't recognize grew on his face. She didn't know why, but it made her blush. She looked away and reached for her bag. Inuyasha beat her to it, scooping it out of reach and throwing it over one shoulder.
"Thanks," she said, beaming at him in true admiration.
"Keh, hop on, wench," he said gruffly, his face a slight shade of pink that only made him more adorable. He bent down low and gripped underneath her legs tightly as she climbed onto his back. She squeezed his shoulders in appreciation; his fingers slightly flexed on her legs in response. As the sun beat down on both of them as they made their way slowly back to Kaede's, Kagome couldn't help but think that it was an exceptionally beautiful day.
Inuyasha came out of the memory and found his own golden eyes looking at him with the same look that he had seen played inside Kagome's memories. Only, he knew the feelings behind the look. She looked away and nervously began playing with the beads around her neck. He played over the memory and the others that he had been shown over the past few day in his mind and the guilt built within him over the pain and sadness that Kagome had felt. He watched as Kagome was lost in thought, her claws gently sliding over the beads and fangs of the rosary. Her face took on a sad look. He wondered briefly what memories she was being shown and the guilt and dread built within him until he was sure it would cause him to explode. Without thinking, he pulled himself to his feet and ran out of the hut and into the downpour. There was no way he would sit cramped up in that hut for one more second. He ran; the kimono greatly restricted his movements, so he pulled it off as he moved and tossed it to the ground, uncaring that it was probably ruined. All he knew was that he needed to get away. Ran whipped his face as he picked up speed. He shivered and briefly remembered the frail human body that he was in before he darted into his forest and continued moving. It was difficult to see, but he didn't need to. He had been to the place that he was heading too many times to count and could find it in his sleep.
Kagome, of course, wasted no time in rushing out of the hut after Inuyasha. The others simply watched them go, shaking their heads. Even though Inuyasha was now in her "pathetic" human body, he was making good speed. He was well into the forest before she finally caught up to him. Through the wind and rain, she didn't know how he could possibly see where he was going. Inuyasha's nose and superior hearing that she now commanded were of no use to her with the rain washing everything away and causing nothing but the sound of running water to reach her ears. She still knew where he was heading though. It was the same place that she would seek out for moments of peace and clarity.
She emerged from the dense foliage into a small clearing that housed a tree that was larger and more grand than any other in the forest around it. Its bark was smooth and young compared to in her era. A small chink was the only scar that marred its perfect surface. That one mark held her entire life within its history. Standing underneath the wide branches, was Inuyasha. The leaves blocked some of the rain, but she could see that rain had soaked through the clothing that he was wearing underneath the kimono. She wondered briefly where the beautiful article of clothing was, but the thought quickly left her mind as he turned to look at her. Even though it was her own face that looked at her, she could see Inuyasha inside. His fiery spirit seemed to burn from within her body. He looked sad and upset about something and she knew that when he had zoned out in the hut earlier, he had seen something from her memory. They had yet to talk about the experience that both of them knew the other was having.
"Inuyasha-" she began.
"Kagome, I am so sorry," he cut in, letting the words out in a rush of emotion. He shivered slighly, the cold of the rain finally bleeding through. Kagome shrugged off the robe of the fire rat and approached him with it. He took if from her and put it over his shoulders. It was soaked on the outside, but Kagome had ran fast enough to the tree that the inside still held a little dryness and warmth.
"Sorry for what, Inuyasha?" She remained close to him, sharing the partial shelter of the boughs of the God tree. She knew this conversation had to come up at some point, but she had hoped they would be returned to their bodies before that time.
"I never knew...I never understood," he began, while avoiding her gaze. He tried to find the correct words, but he had never been good with words. Before he could think of how to phrase the pure dread and guilt that he felt when he saw Kagome's memories, he felt warm arms circle around him. It felt weird, to be held instead of being the one doing the holding, but it felt good. And in that moment, he knew that she knew and forgave him. They had never needed words much, the two of them. He relaxed in Kagome's hold and wrapped her slim arms around his own body. The experience was still strange but it worried him how it felt less and less strange the longer they inhabited one another's bodies.
Kagome pulled back and looked into his eyes. She ignored the fact that they were technically HER eyes. She recognized the look on her own face as Inuyasha stared at her: longing. He leaned in closer, never breaking eye contact. Kagome mirrored his movements, ducking her face down to bring it closer to him. Their lips were only inches apart when Inuyasha pulled back with a gasp. His eyes lit up and he unintentionally whipped his head to the left. Kagome internally groaned. She recognized that look as well.
There was a shard of the jewel nearby.
