WOW, I thought I was never going to get this up. Seriously. I was almost done with this story. But you guys, my lovely followers, convinced me to write another chapter. Honestly, this isn't the best writing of my life, but this is just one of the chapters where a lot of shit is getting started.
Anyway, I'm tired and don't have much to say as of right now. Enjoy reading and leave a review of your thoughts!
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or Assassin's Creed.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" I snapped again, beginning to feel like a broken record. We didn't need Kagome for anything; I wanted her to stay as far the fuck away as possible from this crazy shit. And now this old hag wanted to rope her into it? I didn't fucking think so.
"Why do ye sound so surprised?" Kaede inquired with a smile. "Kagome is Kikyo's reincarnation, after all. She has the ability to reverse my sister's spell."
"Kagome isn't going near this, you understand?"
"Kagome isn't going near what?"
My mate's voice came from behind me. Goddammit, I stiffened instantly and slowly turned to face her. Kagome was gazing at me with a curious but tired twinkle in her eye and a teasing smile. She knew something was up; she could probably read it all over my face.
"I-I didn't mean to wake you," I stammered nervously.
"You didn't," Kagome said simply. "Now, what were you talking about?"
Before I could utter a word in edge-wise, Kaede launched into explaining about my dreams and how they were really repressed memories that Kikyo had sealed away. The only way to unlock said memories was to use Kagome's spiritual powers. Her powers were the only ones powerful enough to counteract Kikyo's spiritual energy. Kagome listened intently, her eyebrows pinched together and her arms crossed the way she did when she was concentrating hard about something. I, however, just wanted to shrink into the background. My ears flattened to my skull and a glare set on my face; I didn't want Kagome to hear any of this.
"Well, of course I'll help!" Kagome announced after Kaede finished explaining. "If I'm the only one who can help Inuyasha recover his memories, then I have to do it, right?"
Turning towards me, big blue eyes clashed with mine, and I couldn't stop the shiver that shot down my spine from that look. It was intense, determined, and I knew right then that I wouldn't be able to change my stubborn mate's mind.
"That is . . . if you want your memories recovered?" Kagome asked sheepishly, her voice lower than before.
Of course, on the surface she was asking my permission, but below that she was really asking me if I wanted my memories back in the first place.
And did I? Did I want to remember my life as it really happened, remember how things ended between Kikyo and I as they really had? If she was dead, then I had to assume they didn't end well - especially if she was willing to alter my memories. What would it change if I did know? Would it change things between Kagome and I? There were too many questions and not enough answers.
"I'll . . . think about it," I answered.
"Of course," Kaede said. "I must speak to the High Council first before we can begin Kagome's training, and doing such tasks such as a spell reversal comes with extensive training. Ye will have plenty of time to think, Inuyasha."
I nodded in understanding. Part of me was curious about what I couldn't remember, and if I did decide to recover my memories, who better to dig around in my head than my mate? Whatever was inside my head, Kagome would help me get through it. Though I never would say it out loud, I had come to depend on her more than she ever needed to depend on me. She had become my rock to keep me stable. I knew how to handle all things physical - cuts, bruises, and the like. It was the emotional part where I lacked strength, and that is why I needed my mate with me. Kagome had strength where I lacked and I had the feeling I would need her now more than ever.
xXx
The weeks of anticipation while waiting for the High Council to decide my fate was taxing on my mind. I must admit that I thought about little else during that time. It follows me everywhere I went, my own personal plague. As I picked herbs, I thought about Kaede, how she was really the High Priest, how Inuyasha knew her without really knowing her. As I healed wounds, I thought of Inuyasha's lost memories and his lost love, who he really didn't know at all. He wasn't offering to talk about any of it - not about his warped memories, or Kikyo, or even my possible training. Though I knew I should be encouraging him to talk about how he felt more, I couldn't bring myself to talk, either. I didn't want to. Of course, I wanted to help Inuyasha, but I was also afraid that his feelings would change about me once he did.
I doubted I could make it through that.
Meditating was the only thing that kept me from thinking myself in circles. I had never upheld the practice before but Kaede suggested it. She said it would help strengthen my resolve, center my mind for training. So, every day, I started sitting by the river by myself. I would listen to the sound of the water softly flowing over rocks and sediment, to the sound of the wind rustling the leaves of the trees, and my own heartbeat. As much as I didn't want to admit, I enjoyed the time alone. Of course, I loved spending time with my mate, too. Inuyasha never minded silences, and whenever he accompanied me to pick herbs or some other duty I had to fulfill, we would always at one point lapse into a peaceful silence. We simply enjoyed each other's company.
However, one must always take time for themselves. Practicing my meditation was a good excuse for self-care (something I admittedly had never been good at). I was always expected to tend to other's needs before my own and therefore never spared a thought for myself. Though I suspect that if I had never met Inuyasha, I would have never been able to meditate at all. After all, wasn't he the one who always told me to take care of myself?
The weeks of waiting paid off. About a month after Kaede departed to stand before the High Council to vouch for my training, she returned. Inuyasha came to the river to notify me. As he approached, I felt his aura spike against mine before he even uttered a word.
"Yo. Sorry to interrupt . . ." he hesitated.
I looked up at my mate, a soft smile gracing my features when my eyes landed on his calm countenance.
"No need for apologies, mate. What is it?"
"The hag's back," he answered simply.
The "hag" was of course Kaede. Inuyasha rarely used her actual name, despite my reprimands, and instead opted to use names such as, "old wench", "bag of bones", or sometimes "dried up crone".
He always did have a way with words.
I sucked in a sharp breath. While she had been gone a full month, I still wasn't ready for an answer.
"I see. Well, she'll probably want to see us, then."
I unfolded my hands from my lap and rose from the ground. Inuyasha offered me his hand and I gladly took it. Even though Kaede new about our relationship, we still kept our public displays of affection to a minimum. Mostly because I wanted to keep my respect as a priestess but also because I could barely hold hands with Inuyasha without blushing. It's depressing how much he still got to me.
When we arrived back in the village, a crowd of villagers were surrounding her wagon. They had all come to respect and love her. I hoped that one day I could become a beacon of hope like her.
"Lady Kaede!"
"Priestess Kaede has returned!" the villagers cheered as Kaede descended from the wagon. She waded through the crowd with a gentle smile, nodding at them in greeting.
As we watched, Inuyasha said, "You're nervous. You're heartbeat is pounding against my ear drums."
"I-I'm sorry . . . I'm trying to stay calm. I guess that meditation hasn't been helping as well as I thought."
The half-demon chuckled in amusement.
"Inuyasha, what if it's . . ."
"A yes?"
I nodded.
Inuyasha sighed. "We'll deal with the changes as they come, mate. Just focus on you right now."
How can I focus on me, I thought darkly, when I'm too worried about you?
He placed a quick kiss on the top of my head, for we had to put distance between us as soon as Keade's eye landed on us. I saw her nod and speak to the villagers surrounding her, then quickly began to make her way towards us.
"Kagome, Inuyasha," she greeted. "It is good to see ye again."
"You as well, Kaede," I bowed deeply, acknowledging my respect. I nudged Inuyasha to do the same but he simply grunted.
Her smile widened slightly, the laugh lines around her mouth deepening just so. Kaede was silent for a few moments and I was beginning to wonder if this was it. She didn't want to tell me because they said no.
"I would like some tea after traveling all day," she commented. "Perhaps some herbs mixed in for my aching joints. Please, join me."
Without another word, the elder turned on her heel and headed towards the hut that she and I had been occupying. I would say Inuyasha resided there as well if he had not chosen to sleep in a tree instead. While I missed not sleeping next to my mate, he refused to sleep in the same space as Kaede.
I looked up at Inuyasha questioningly but he just shrugged and moved to follow her. I did the same.
Once inside the hut, Kaede asked Inuyasha to fetch a pot of water for her to boil water and he obliged. As Inuyasha and I watched her mix the herbs and boil the water, no one said a word. Nothing was spoken until the tea was prepared.
"Did I ever tell ye," Kaede began, "that this is the village in which I grew up?"
This information took me by surprise. "No, you didn't. I always wondered how it was that you knew the villagers so well, but I supposed that they trusted you because you were a priestess."
"Oh, yes," she affirmed. "Most the of the people I knew growing up are long passed, or are very old, or knew my sister from when she looked after this village. The people here, of course, do not know that I am the High Priest. But this village will always hold a special place in my heart. That is why I brought everyone from the temple here for safety."
"You're not scared that the person who attacked the temple will find you here?" Inuyasha inquired.
Kaede shook her head. "No. No one knows my true identity, aside from ye two. It would be impossible for someone to trace us back here."
"I told ye before that my elder sister, Kikyo, was no longer eligible to become High Priest due to her guardianship of the Shikon Jewel. Well, that is not completely true. In fact, the Shinto Order was willing to make an exception for Kikyo because of her magnificent powers. They were willing to let her be High Priest and protect the Jewel. She refused every time they offered. The only thing that had officially put me in contention for the position was her death. It was a decision I didn't take lightly. And neither should ye, Kagome."
"Of course, Kaede. If I am able to train-"
"Be mindful of what ye could lose," she interrupted. "If ye's training goes well, and ye are able to control ye's immense power, then one day ye could most likely become High Priest."
I blinked, her words slowly sinking into my brain. "'If it goes well' . . .?"
"They said yes?" Inuyasha broke in anxiously.
Kaede nodded, a smile on her face. "They did. They are wary about the Shikon Jewel residing in ye's body, but I told them that you have kept it subdued all these years. So they granted your request. Congratulations, Kagome."
"Kami . . . I-I mean, thank you!" I quickly bowed, biding so far my forehead touched the wooden floor. I could almost smell the dirt buried underneath. I felt Inuyasha's comforting hand on my lower back; he probably heard my erratic heartbeat.
Kaede chuckled in amusement. "Rest well tonight, Kagome. Ye will begin your training tomorrow at first light."
xXx
Kagome's training was rigorous. She woke up every morning at dawn and would train with Kaede until the afternoon, where she was able to eat. We would sit by the river while she ate and Kagome would tell me what her training entailed. Little did she know I spent the day watching her train, high above in the trees so she wouldn't catch sight of me. I never said a word about it, for she enjoyed telling me about her trials far too much. When her training was too much for her, she would meditate instead of talking, claiming it helped reset her mind.
After the break, she went back to training until sunset. This had come to be my favorite part of the day. Kagome was always sweaty, and usually would take off her outer priestess kimono, only to be left in a kosode. Her dark locks would be pinned up, leaving tendrils to flow down her neck and around her face. The kosode would slowly come apart as she moved and the sweat would make parts of it transparent and stick to her skin.
The first few days of this, I was able to resist, was able to ignore the curves of her breasts and hips. However, about a week after her training started, on a day that Kaede was teaching her how to raise barriers, she looked right up at me. I was sitting in the tree I usually occupied while observing her, arms folded and legs crossed. It took me by surprise, that knowing gaze of hers, and it made my ears stick straight up. There was a tug on the corner of her lips - I could see it even though I was 50 feet away - and it suddenly occurred to me that my mate how known all along that I was watching her.
That little minx!, I thought in surprise. Has she gotten to know me that well or am I just getting predictable? I figured that while she was training she would be expending too much energy to notice my aura. Apparently, I was wrong.
That look only lasted a few seconds, for she went back to concentrating on her barrier. It was small but it was a start. I stared down at her in confusion, trying to figure out how she had noticed me, and then I realized: I could see straight down her kosode.
"Fucking hell," I muttered to myself, pulling my legs in tighter. Was she doing this shit on purpose?
I took a nap for the next few hours, if nothing else but to get the image of my mate out of my head. I should have known better because Kagome always had a one-way ticket into my mind. From the moment I met her, I was never able to get her out of it, and she definitely was not coming out of it anytime soon. Especially if my dreams were any indication . . .
When I awoke, Kagome was alone in the clearing, stretching her arms over her head. She did a few more stretches before looking up in my direction once more. This look also didn't last long. Kagome spun on her heel and started matching into the treelike. I immediately started following but remained in the trees. Soon, the smell of salt hit my nose and I realized where she had lead me: the hot spring.
The memories that immediately started flooding my brain of the activities we had engaged in in this very spring nearly made me fall out of the tree.
Though Kagome taking off her garment effectively made me do just that.
I managed to land on my feet. As I stared at her, only one questions came to mind: "How did you know?"
"I didn't at first," Kagome smiled. "I began to sense your aura while multitasking a couple days ago. I thought it was cute."
I snorted at the word cute. Kagome loved describing anything I did that way.
"You didn't say anything about it," I stated, pointing out the obvious. I began to take steps towards her.
"It was more fun that way," she said with a teasing tilt to her voice. "I was wondering how long it would take you to notice."
"Keh," I blushed as I brought a hand up to press against her cheek. Kagome's smile widened and leaned into my touch.
I was so overcome with emotion while gazing at my beautiful mate. I held so much respect for her; she was so strong, kind, and caring. Kagome turned her back on no one, even when she should be taking care of herself. The Kyodai ai operated on the basis of brotherhood, but even so I always remained distant. There were those within the order that still didn't trust me because of my half-demon blood. Very few people considered themselves my friends, though I didn't come to use that word until recently. Kagome had taught me how to smile, how to trust and rely on people. I could never repay her for that.
"I love you," I blurted out, unable to hold back the words. They got easier to say every time I used them.
"Oh, Inuyasha," Kagome sighed, bringing her arms to loop around my neck, "I love you, too."
Our lips connected, flooding my body with warm sensations that made every nerve ending on my body sensitive. Kagome's breasts were pressed against my chest, effectively reminding me of the spring behind us. I started backing her towards the water, making her squeal in surprise as her feet became wet, but our lips never parted.
And so began a new after-training ritual for us.
xXx
We received unexpected visitors not long after Kagome's training started. I was watching over her, as usual, when two familiar scents hit my nose. It had been so long since I smelled them, I almost didn't recognize who they belonged to. With one last glance at Kagome, I shot out of the tree and dashed through the forest, my mind whirring the whole time. Had Myoga had sent them? Were they here to bring me back to the Kyodai ai? Maybe I was being reassigned. And if I was? Would I refuse? Could I even risk being apart from Kagome during the time she most needed protection? I didn't trust the old hag to protect her properly.
"Shit," I ground out under my teeth.
I had come to the outskirts of the village where worn grass had come to form a path. A couple yards down that path were two figures walking towards me. Despite my anxiety about what their presence could mean, a smile tugged at the corner of my lips at the sight of familiar faces.
"Miroku, Sango," I said, crossing my arms and letting the smile drop to feign nonchalance. "Waddya doing here?"
Miroku had the same goofy smile on his face that he always did. I sometimes wondered if that lech ever had a car tint he world that didn't involve chasing ass. Sango, on the other hand, wore a stern look on her face, her mouth set in a tight line and her brown eyes serious. Maybe they were here to bring me back, after all.
"Inuyasha, my old friend," Miroku greeted cheerfully. "It's wonderful to see you again."
"Don't act like you're here for a social call," I retorted. "What's going on?"
"Well," Miroku shuffled his feet nervously, "we're here to talk to you . . ."
"It's about Kagome," Sango finally spoke up. "We're here to warn you."