A/N: the next chapter will be disturbing, when I mean disturbing I mean there will be a rape scene in it and there will be some swearing, including some dirty language. Viewer discretion is advise.
Chapter 9: Memories Restored.
We sat in the living room eating snacks, junk food and sandwiches, watching as Kikyko and InuYasha chatted in the kitchen. He was making a stew that filled the whole house with a sweet and herbal smell.
"Have you guys noticed how InuYasha is around Kiki? How he treats her like she's his own daughter?" Miroku said looking at them. I narrowed my eyes at InuYasha and nodded.
"Here try this," InuYasha said to Kiki as he held up a small soup dish. She took it from him and took a sip.
"Wow, so yummy!" she chimed and tapped her cheeks.
"I know what my girl likes," he said to her and smiled.
She smiled happily and watched as InuYasha stirred the stew.
"Seriously just yesterday he lectured her for the way she was dressed and made her take off her makeup," Miroku said again.
"Well she is a little girl more then likely he's trying to be a father figure to her," Sango said crossing her arms.
"Kagome your dating him, why don't you find out what his intentions are," Miroku said to me I nearly choked on my drink and looked at him.
"Intentions? He's not a pervert," I said to him.
"I don't mean that, I know he's not a pervert, I mean like if he's planning on helping her find her family… or adopt her or what he's planning on doing. Whatever it is, he seems very protective of her," Miroku said looking to them again.
"Do you think he's planning on adopting her?" Sango said as she watched Kiki throw some herbs into the stew.
"I don't know, but the way he's been treating her that could be a possibility," Miroku said analyzing the scenario.
I looked at her and InuYasha and wondered if that's what InuYasha's intentions are.
"This smells so lovely," Kiki said smelling the stew.
"I'll teach you how to make it, I use a secret ingredient…" he said to her and tapped her cheek. She smiled and leaned over him watching as he threw in ingredients.
"He's going with me to my parents place again, we are finishing the shed for grandpa, so… I'll ask him," I said and took a bit from my sandwich.
Kiki took another sip of the stew and smiled, "I knew you'd like that," InuYasha said to her as she tapped her cheeks and sighed.
"Wow so good," she said again.
"Hmm, hmmm hmm," Kiki hummed in the back seat of the car. I tilted the mirror and looked at her.
"She seems cheerful," I said as InuYasha started the car.
"She had a nightmare last night and is cheerful now," I said again watching her as she gazed out the window.
"She's always like that, nothing dampens her mood," InuYasha said as we pulled out of the lot. I looked at him curious as to what he meant by this.
"So, can I ask you something?" I said crossing my arms. He looked over at me.
"What is with you and her, is there something going on? Are you helping her find her family, or are you wanting to adopt her or something, you seem to know a lot about her and seem to act like a father around her?" I said suddenly, Kiki was still humming to herself and didn't hear our conversation?
"Are you jealous or something?" InuYasha said to me turning his gaze in my direction.
"I'm not jealous, I'm just wondering if your planning on adopting her or something like that…" I said again.
"Kagome, I don't want you to hate me or anything, but Kiki is a very special girl, and yeah…. I was thinking of adopting her," he said. He seemed to stutter with his words, I wasn't sure if he was being serious or not. Maybe Miroku's right he's a pervert, or maybe he's serious. I wasn't entirely sure, but for some reason I felt as if he was hiding something from me.
"Is that all?" I said in a stern voice.
"Why would I hide anything?" he said as we drove through traffic.
"Wooooow," I heard Kiki say from the back seat.
InuYasha looked at her from the mirror.
"Can we get some of that?" she said pointing to a small round cotton candy caddie parked near a shop.
InuYasha pulled over to the curb near the caddie. I watched him as he handed Kiki some money, she cheerfully jumped out of the car and ran over to the man.
"What?" he said to me.
"See that's what I'm talking about," I said to him.
"What's wrong in letting her have what she wants?" he said to me.
"We're not related to her, yet your acting like her father," I said crossing my arms.
"Kagome its not a big deal," he said again and watched as Kiki giggled cheerfully and opened the car door.
"Here I got one for you too," she said leaning to the front seat she held out a blue cotton candy on a stick. I smiled at her and took it from her.
"I take it back," I said and ripped some of the candy off the stick. Kiki giggled and leaned back in the seat. She ripped some of the candy from the stick and shoved it in her mouth.
InuYasha sighed and shook his head at her.
"Hopeless," he said in almost a whisper.
As we got back on the road and drove near my home InuYasha and I talked the whole way, Kiki diligently listened to our conversation trying to make sense of it.
"Uh," she said as we pulled up near my parents' home.
"Hehehhee," she giggled and pulled off her seat belt.
"Wow, she's seems really excited to be here," I said as I watched her close the car door. I opened mine and got out.
InuYasha got out and followed us.
"I love this yard, and this tree and this house," she said running through the courtyard. She twirled around and came towards the tree.
"What is with her and that tree?" I said as I passed her.
InuYasha looked at her and put his hand on her head.
"Stay here we'll be done quick," he said to her.
"Hey what's in the shed can I help?" she said to InuYasha.
"If you want too Kiki, there's a lot of old clothes and lots and lots of junk," I said lifting my sleeves.
"I don't like junk," she said and looked at the tree. InuYasha chuckled and followed after me.
"Okay let's do this," I said and looked at the shelves.
"Aah, there's so much," I sighed deeply InuYasha came around me and slapped my butt.
"Hey, cut that out," I shouted at him. He chuckled.
"Stop whining and let's get this done," he said as well taking off his jacket. He tossed it to the ground it fell on top of the red haori he had pushed to the side on our first time here.
It took us three hours to fully clean and organize the shed, the whole time Kiki stayed outside near the tree. I looked over at her while holding a large wooden box in my arms.
"Really why is she so interested in that tree?" I said watching her as she rested against it.
"Its where her parents met," InuYasha said taking the box from me.
"Her parents meet at this tree?" I said confused.
"No, a tree similar to this," he said to me. His eyes meet mine for a moment, I gazed at his golden eyes. I hadn't noticed before, but his eyes had a soft calming tint to them.
"What?" He said to me.
"Nothing," I said and smiled.
I looked around the shed and noticed InuYasha's jacket.
"Aah, you could at least pick this up," I said to him. I bent down and picked up his jacket.
"Wow what a beautiful kimono," I reached for the red kimono and picked it up.
"Uh, hang on a minute," I heard InuYasha say he bent down to the kimono as well.
I put the kimono to my face and smelt it.
"What is this scent?" I said. I held it to my body, that's when I felt a huge surge of energy pass through me.
"NOT THIS AGAIN!" I heard InuYasha shout. He stood up and quickly slid the shed doors closed, he put the bar over the shed.
"Aaah, aaaaah, what is this?" I said holding the kimono to my chest.
"What's happening…" I zoned out and my entire body changed, I felt a surge of spiritual energy surround me. My memories hit me all at once, my children, InuYasha, Sango and Miroku. Memories of our home, Kaede, Rin… everything we've ever been through. I felt my head filling with so much pain, happiness, remorse and even sorrow.
"KAGOME, Kagome can you hear me?" InuYasha said shaking me.
"Ugh, aaah," I said regaining control of my body, I held the kimono tight against me.
"Inu-Yasha," I said looking at him. Tears filled my eyes.
"INUYASHA," I shouted and jumped at him.
"What is it what's wrong…" he said hugging me.
"What happened, why are we here?" I stuttered out, looking around my family shed.
"What, wait what… you remember? Do you have your memories back?" he said pulling me away from him.
"Inuko, this is his haori…" I said looking at it. I held it to my face.
"Kagome look at me, is it really you?" he said touching my arms.
I lifted my eyes to InuYasha and that's when everything hit me all at once. I dropped the haori and wrapped my arms around his neck.
"It's me, I remember…" I said and kissed him.
"Thank god, I was so terrified you'd never get your memories back," he said kissing me back.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…" I said through tears.
"Why the hell are you apologizing, I should be the one apologizing whatever happened… I didn't keep my family safe," he said to me. I pinned him against the door and kissed him.
"Wait…." I said pulling myself away from him.
"Kikyko… where's Kikyko?" I said to him.
He got up and lifted the bar off the door, he slid the doors opened. That's when I saw her, leaning against the tree.
"Kiki- Kikyko," I shouted and ran to her.
"Huh?" she said opening her eyes. I fell to the floor near her.
"Kikyko, Kikyko.." I mumbled through my tears. I grabbed her and pulled her to me.
"My baby girl," I cried holding her against my chest.
"M-mmomaa?" she said looking up at me.
"It's me, it's me…. My baby girl," I said and touched her hair.
"MOMMA!" she cried and wrapped her arms around me.
InuYasha kneeled next to us.
"I'm so glad, now we have to get Sango and Miroku's memories back and we have to figure this out, and get home…" he said to us.
"Shut up InuYasha!" I shouted at him and cried holding Kikyko tighter.
He looked at us and wrapped his arms around us.
I diligently went in and out of the living room grabbing random stuff, towels, clothes, first aid kit, anything I could find that was mine or we could us when we returned home. InuYasha and Kikyko leaned against the wall watching me as if I've lost my mind or something. I didn't I was just preparing for the worst.
"What is that crazy women doing?" InuYasha half whispered to Kikyko. He pulled his arm around Kikyko's shoulders and pulled her closer to him.
"Momma, what are you doing?" she asked me her eyes followed me as I ran in and out of different rooms in the house talking to myself.
"I think she's finally snapped, didn't take her long…" InuYasha said to Kikyko. She looked at him and nodded.
"I didn't snap you crazy dog, I'm gathering things for us to take home," she said as she shoved items into her bag.
"Uh momma, how are we getting home?" Kikyko asked curiously.
"The well silly girl, isn't that how we came through….?" I said to her as I started counting items in the first aid kit.
"Uhh momma, the well isn't here anymore," Kikyko's sweet voiced chimed. I turned and looked at her.
"What do you mean its not here, how did we all get here?" I said and crossed my arms.
"Your grandfather said the shrine where the well is, isn't there anymore," InuYasha said to me. I looked at him and came around him.
Kikyko and InuYasha followed me as I went outside to see for myself.
I came over to the shrine and slide opened the doors.
"What the…" I said coming down the stairs. Kikyko leaned against the wooden rail and looked at the empty space.
"HOW IS IT NOT HERE?" I shouted looking at the empty ground.
"Babe, we didn't come through the well, no of us remember how we got here." InuYasha said to me. I turned to him.
"How do we get back?" I said upset.
"We have to get Sango and Miroku's memories back, figure this out, and get the hell out of here," I said angry. I lifted my sleeves and came around InuYasha. Kikyko looked at me and followed me.
"Great! She's angry, now I'm going to get the short end of the leash…" InuYasha said agitated and sighed deeply.
He followed me back to the shed.
"What are you doing?" InuYasha said as I scrimmaged through the shed again.
"We just cleaned this?" He said again. He pulled Kikyko by the arm away from me.
"I'm looking for something… something to help Sango and Miroku get their memories back," I said picking up a box.
"Kagome honey, we were thrown into your time, an alternate reality. We have no idea why or how we got here, what makes you think there's something in here that'll help us, or Sango and Miroku?" InuYasha said coming towards me. I pushed a box to him.
"Help me look!" I said agitated.
Kikyko leaned against the shed doors watching us, as InuYasha and I moved boxes around and scrimmaged through things.
"Huh!" she said when she noticed me pull out clothes, a blanket and trinkets from a box. She bent down to a quilt.
"Momma, is this…?" she said holding it up.
"The quilt Sango and I made," I said taking it from her I smelt it.
"We made this… for all the kids, every year on their birthdays we'd sew a patch, from a kimono of theirs, or something they made." I said smelling it again.
"It has Inuko's smell on it, and Hakura's perfume. Kira spilled soup over it, and Kiki even has her hand paint on it," I smiled and held it to me.
InuYasha bent down to me.
"Then how do we make Sango and Miroku touch this or notice it?" he said also touching the blanket.
"I can do it," Kiki said and smiled.
"Then let's get our friends back," I said to her, she smiled and nodded.
As we drove away from my home, I sighed deeply looking out the window, everything was the same. Homes, shops, my parents' home, every place we passed I remember a time in life there. I saw so many demons, people, half demons amongst humans. This got me thinking how we did end up here.
"InuYasha," I said to him.
"Yes?" he said as he stopped at a stop light.
"Do you remember anything, anything at all of how we got here… I swear I just saw Kenta and Reno, Inuko's friends just now…" I said turning to him.
"I don't know love, I really don't know how we got here…" he said, I could tell it pained him not knowing.
I turned in my seat to Kikyko who hugged the blanket, she had fallen asleep in the back seat.
"We have to find Inuko," I said to InuYasha.
"He's here, Kikyko saw him at the carnival…" he said to me.
"And you didn't go bring him back?" I almost shouted at him.
"Lay off my back Kagome, he told Kikyko he was trying to figure this out himself and that he'll come to us, I think he's playing it safe. Hakura, Kira, Koji and Yuki are with him… so he might not want to reveal where they are, I have a feeling Inuko knows more then we think…" he said to me. He looked at Kikyko through the mirror.
"I want to see my son," I said and looked out the window.
"We'll find him Kagome," he said to me.
"Inuko, Inuko…" Kiki's voice echoed in her dream.
"Where are you?" she shouted at him, she waved her arm in the air trying to clear the white haze.
"Mother…. Father?" she shouted taking a step forward.
"Do not go any further, or else I'll end all their lives… everyone you love and hold dear!" a mans voice echoed.
"Who are you? Why are you doing this?" she shouted to the air.
"Don't worry precious…. When I'm done with them, I'll kill you… no, I won't kill you, I'll break you!" his voice echoed. Then his voice disappeared into a laugh.
"NNahah, ahhaha," she screamed from the back seat. She waved her hands and dropped the blanket to her lap, she held her hands to her face.
"What's wrong?" InuYasha hit the breaks. I quickly took my seatbelt off and climbed over the seat.
"What is it, what's wrong?" I said to her. She held her hands to her face crying.
"Kiki, honey talk to me…" I said to her. InuYasha pulled over to a vacant lot and got out.
He came to her door and slid in next to her.
"He did this..." she stuttered into her hands. InuYasha pulled her hands from her face.
"Who did this baby girl, talk to us.." he said to her rubbing her back.
"The man, the man who sounds like Naraku, he did this…." She mumbled and sobbed.
"Naraku did this? Kikyko are you sure?" I said to her. She picked up the blanket and held it to her face.
She looked to me then her father and cried into the blanket. InuYasha pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her.
"Hey hey…. No more crying, we'll get Naraku, if he did this… we'll find him," he said calming her down.
InuYasha held her close as she cried. I sighed deeply, what happened to us? Why is Kiki seeing these visions? I rubbed my hand against her back.
"That… was scary," I said as InuYasha pulled back out on the road. Kikyko was quiet in the back seat holding the blanket to her body.
"If Naraku is back and he is behind this, then why send us here to an alternate reality?" InuYasha said to me.
"I don't think it's Naraku, it could be someone we haven't encountered before. Naraku was destroyed with the jewel," I said reminded him. He took my hand in his.
"I know, I'm worried that's all… whoever did this, must be very powerful, and I don't even have Tetsusaiga, I don't even know if it came over with us…" he said as well. I clasped my hand with his.
"We'll figure this out," I said to him and looked over at Kikyko.
As we pulled in to the lot of the house InuYasha turned off the car and turned to Kikyko.
"Kiki?" he said to her. She didn't lift her gaze to him, she held the blanket closer to her face.
"Listen to me, I swear on my life I won't let anything happen to you, your brother, your mother or anyone we love and hold dear… we're going home, we're going to figure this out. So be my brave girl, and help us get Sango and Miroku's memories back," he said to her. She lifted her eyes to him.
I looked at her and nodded as well.
"Okay Kiki, we're going home…" I said to her, she looked at me and ran her sleeve over her eyes.
"InuYasha I'll be inside," I said to him and opened the door.
He nodded to me as I closed the door behind me and half ran to the house.
"Kiki?" he said to her.
"Papa, why am I getting these visions… the voice… he said he was going to kill all of you, and…. Me as well," she said to him.
"I won't allow that to happen, not a chance in hell," he said agitated.
She sighed deeply and reached for the car door handle.
"Kiki, listen to me…" InuYasha said to her. She turned her head towards him.
"I'll always protect you and your mother and brother no matter what happens to me, you understand that right?" he said to her. She nodded and opened the car door. She wrapped the blanket over her arms and closed the door. InuYasha followed her as she headed for the house.
"Wow so you guys got the whole shed done, there was a lot of stuff in there Kagome!" Sango said in the kitchen. I leaned over the counter watching her as she spread some jam over toast. Miroku was in the living room setting up some plates on their round table.
"Why hello Kiki welcome back," Sango said to her as she came through the kitchen.
"Hi," she said holding the blanket a little higher in her arms. I think she was trying to show it to Sango and get her attention.
"Wow Kiki what a beautiful blanket," Sango said to her as Kiki came around her.
"Thanks my momma and aunt made it…" she said looking at her.
"Does it have patches on it?" Sango asked admiring the print. Kikyko held it up to show her.
"Mmm hmm, lots of different patches," she said as InuYasha came over to Miroku. He watched her diligently as she tried to convince Sango to touch it.
"Wow these are so wonderful, what do the patches represent?" Sango asked taking a bit from the toast.
"You can touch it if you want, these one's are of my cousins Kira and Hakura, and these one's are of Koji and Yuki…. These one's are mine, and these are my big brothers…" she said putting the blanket on the counter. She pointed to each patch.
"Wow its so lovely," Sango said touching it. She picked it up and held it to her face.
"That smell," she said closing her eyes and smelling the blanket. I saw Kikyko smile. She put her hand over Sangos.
"Huh?" Sango said as a surge of spiritual light passed through Kikyko to Sango.
"Sango? Hey what's happening?" Miroku said coming towards her. InuYasha came over to me and looked at them.
"Kiki what are you doing?" he said trying to pry the blanket from Sango's hands. He places his hand over hers and Kikyko's.
"Ahh, what's going on?" he said.
"What… what just happened?" Sango said looking at Kikyko. Kikyko held her hand over Miroku and Sango and her white spiritual light faded.
"Uhhhh," Kikyko's voice said as she fainted.
"KIKYKO.." Sango shouted at her. Miroku bent down and grabbed her before she hit the floor.
"AAH, Kiki.. Kiki wake up?" I said tapping her face, I panicked I didn't think a little spiritual energy would cause her to pass out.
"Kagome… what happened?" Sango said looking at me.
"Are you and Miroku okay?" I asked touching a hand to Kikyko's forehead.
"Why…. Where are we?" Sango said looking around the house.
"So… do both of you know who we are?" InuYasha asked.
Miroku put his hand to Sango's shoulder, and pulled her to him. He hugged her.
"I don't know how we ended up here, but thank goodness… we're back," he said to her. Sango hugged him.
"Where are the kids, Hakura Kira… Koji and Yuki," she said looking at him.
"Huh!" Kikyko said opening her eyes.
"I felt dizzy," she said sitting up.
"Kiki…. Thank you," Sango said to her. She hugged her.
"Aunt Sango?" she said to her.
"Yes, its us…" she said smiling at Kikyko.
"How did we end up in Kagome's time?" Miroku said to us. We helped Kikyko up and went over to the living room. She sat down next to me and looked at the blanket.
"For some reason, we were thrown out of our time… and put into Kagome's time with no memory of what happened… we have alternate lives, and don't know anything about eachother…" InuYasha said to them.
"My children, are they here?" Sango said worried.
"Big brother… he's with them," Kikyko said looking to her.
"Where are they? Are they okay?" Miroku said he took Sango's hand. She looked at him then to Kikyko.
"At the carnival… I found big brother, he said that he's trying to figure out why we are here and that he and Hakura and Kira and the boys are together, he didn't tell me where they are… but they have all their memories," Kikyko said to them. Sango took her hand and held it in her lap.
"We'll find them," she said to her. Kikyko smiled.
"So the well, did we come through there?" Miroku asked us. I shook my head, "No… the well doesn't even exist," I said with a deep sigh.
"Well… I'm confused, how did we end up here… we're we in a battle or something?" Sango said thinking. Miroku touched his head, also thinking.
"I have a feeling each one of us, has some sort of memory from what happened, I can't figure out mine… but I do remember InuYasha, myself, Kaede, Sango, you Kagome… and even Sesshomaru were trapped in a white haze…." Miroku said rubbing his head.
"Yes, I've been having those dreams of a white haze… we are trapped in it, I don't know I that's why we're here or what caused the haze," InuYasha said to them.
"Ummm," Kikyko said breaking through our conversation. We all looked at her.
"My tummy's growling… I'm hungry," she said and tapped her stomach. Sango looked at her and smiled.
"Let's make something to eat…" she said to her. I smiled and stood up as Kikyko followed Sango to the kitchen.
"Miroku I'm worried, if we don't figure this out… we may never get home," InuYasha said crossing his arms.
"I know… I fear that, we're all scattered in this world, it would be hard to find everyone… therefore we need to find Inuko, the kids and figure this out…" he said watching as we started to figure out what to make for supper.