Inuyasha

Kagome wasn't talking to me. Again.

Which I guess could be understandable. I mean I know I can be a jerk. But an entire week seems like a little much. Every time I try to apologize it's like the entire village knows and they whisk her away to name her a saint, or applaud her wonderful gardening skills, or give her makeshift awards for keeping the village clean.

It's bullshit.

"Give her time," Shippo said, licking on a lollipop Kagome made from scratch. It looked sticky and too sweet.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I growled, my leg shaking out of agitation. Shippo made a noise. I lifted my hand to smack the lollipop out of his mouth when Miroku cleared his throat.

"You know, maybe you should approach her after her bath today."

"No thanks, I don't want to die," I groaned. For just a split second I remembered what Kagome looks like with her hair dripping wet and a towel pulled tight against her skin and I could feel my face heating up.

"Smart man," Miroku laughed and sat next to me, putting himself between me and the annoying slurping noise coming from Shippo's mouth.

I suddenly had the urge to strangle the little monster. Ever since we got back Kagome's been doting on him like a mother hen to her only chick.

"Maybe it's that time of the month," I muttered, trying to remember what Kikyo was like when I could smell blood coming from her. She use to freak out the first couple of times until I finally learned not to bring it up. But that was when we were younger. She almost always smelled like someone's blood once we got around to actually traveling around.

"Well whatever you do, don't ask Kagome," Miroku made a face and the slurping stopped.

"What time of the month?" Shippo asked, big green eyes trained on me. He looked like a puppy, and for just a second the urge to hit him was lessened.

"That's a discussion for when you're older," Miroku coughed, looking sheepish. I rolled my eyes and went back to staring at the lake in front of us. Kagome was surrounded by the village children. I was actually surprised Shippo was with us and not listening to one of the many stories she told. She called them fairy tales and they're full of knights in shinning armor and 'fearsome' dragons and princesses in distress. They're stupid and the kids can't seem to get enough of them.

"Why aren't you down there with your bratty friends?" I asked, leaning back against the tree for support. Shippo sighed and began licking on his lollipop. The slurping noise was all I could hear until he stopped to sigh again.

"They don't like me because I'm different," his voice was small and broken. My heart clenched as I studied the small kit. Kagome loved him like family and yet he felt like her couldn't be around her because the village kids didn't like that he was different. I wanted to yell at the stupid kids, but when I looked up I could see a worried expression etched into Kagome's features as she walked towards us. At first I thought she was looking at Shippo until her dark honey eyes met mine.

Kagome

I don't know what's wrong with me.

I sighed before continuing on with what I could remember of beauty and the beast. The words left my mouth without needing assistance from any higher brain function. It left me some room to think about all of the things bothering me.

Like Inuyasha.

Ever since the Centipede incident I can't look at him without boiling rage threatening to take over. It's impossible to talk to him and even harder to look at him.

Sometimes the voice revisits me, reminding me with venom in every word that he belongs to someone else and that I shouldn't be worried about him. The voice is strong and hard and always accompanied with the dizzying bright lights that threaten an epileptic seizure.

"Miss Kagome," a little girl pipped up, her unruly black hair reminding me of Sota when he would wake up late for school. I couldn't remember her name, but she didn't really give me time to attempt to remember as she delved straight into her question. "Is Inuyasha your prince Adam?" Her dark eyes were huge and round and full of curiosity as my face began heating up. Her question was completely innocent and yet my brain decided to enact the image of Inuyasha and I dancing around a grand ball room.

"Stop it," the voice in my head commanded, shattering the image and forcing me into a different kind of daze. For just a moment my throat went numb as a smile that wasn't mine spread slowly across my face.

"Why how silly," my voice answered as the little girl continued to stare at me wide eyed. "Inuyasha belongs to Kikyo."

"Who's Kikyo?" A little boy asked, frowning at the information.

"She use to protect this village. And she'll be coming back soon." The voice was mine, but the words felt wrong. Almost like a threat, but not to the children. The lights intensified to the point that I couldn't even make out outlines. Everything was bright and dancing and my head felt like it was spinning. The numbness in my throat and face spread to my body and I felt myself stand. The walk was awkward at first, like my muscles were fighting against the invader controlling my body. I should have been fighting too, but instead I was too busy feeling like my brain was stuffed with cotton to do much of anything.

"That will be all for today children," this time my voice had a hard edge to it as my body continued walking towards the hill Inuyasha and Miroku favored. My heart clenched thinking about seeing Inuyasha and the voice in my head retaliated.

"Don't be stupid girl,, I'll prove to you that he wants nothing to do with you," The voice echoed in my head as the words flowed through my mouth.

Like some form of sick torment enough of my vision was cleared, allowing me to see Inuyasha, Shippo and Miroku talking at the top of the hill. I wanted to vomit my stomach was tied in so many knots. My body approached slowly and my eyes met with Inuyasha's. I wanted to scream for help, wanted to plead with my eyes that something was wrong and that I wasn't myself, but he simply looked surprised that I was standing near him, let alone making eye contact.

"Hey, Inuyasha," my body clasped my hands behind my back and leaned forward, "mind if we talk alone for a little bit?" My body was rigid as I waited for an answer, anxiety filling me while a foreign sense of calm seemed to exude from my 'captor'.

Could I really call it that? It's not like this was an episode of body snatchers… but at the same time I couldn't help wondering if this is was the fictional people being possessed felt like. Miroku eyed me wearily, something glinting in his dark eyes. Finally a smile spread across his face as he picked Shippo up and stood.

"Don't mind us, we'll just be over at Kaede's place packing up all of the herbs and remedies we'll need once we set out again," He began walking down the hill as Shippo struggled against his hold. My body simply stood frozen in place, my eyes slowly moving from Miroku and Shippo back to Inuyasha. He looked nervous and scared, kind of how I felt. What was this thing going to do.

Who would even want to posses me to get to Inuyasha?

As I tried to make a list Inuyasha stood and ran his fingers through his hair.

"We can go for a walk and talk," his voice was sheepish as pink tinted his cheeks. My body nodded and I followed him down the hill.

Inuyasha

Kagome was acting weird as she walked beside me. She said she wanted to talk and yet all she did was silently herd me. I knew these woods well, and yet she didn't know them at all. Her eyes were trained forward and her shoulders were set like iron. When we passed an old archery stand, covered in vines and crumbling, ice shot through my veins.

I hadn't stepped foot in this forest since Kikyo went missing.

In fact this is where we met.

And the first place we ever kissed.

My face grew red thinking about it as Kagome took the lead. Her footsteps were sure and steady as we stepped over tree roots and under overgrown tree limbs. Everything around us was lush and green, a marvel of the world seeing as everything else was brown and shriveled.

"Someone in the village told me about this really cool spot, I'm glad you decided to walk through the woods. I've wanted to come here with you for a while." Kagome's words were normal and yet there was an edge to her voice.

"Are you okay Kagome?" I asked, nerves taking over my stomach.

"Why would you think I'm not okay?" her voice carried over her shoulder as she continued to walk with purpose. As we neared the spot I was dreading to see she seemed more at ease. Her movements were still rigid, but it looked more natural on her. Before she looked like she had been straining to walk and now it would have been as easy as running is for me.

"Well I mean you've been avoiding me for the past week," I said, keeping my eyes on the tree tops and not on the way her body moved under that silk kimono. It was slit up the side exposing all of that creamy soft skin. Even in her sudden rigidity her body moved in a way that was completely Kagome.

"Oh, I was just thinking of a way to get you to come here with me, and to think of what I wanted to say." Her footsteps slowed as we neared the tree Kikyo and I first met at.

I was expecting uncomfortable flashbacks and pangs in my heart but instead my eyes were trained on the way Kagome turned to face me, her skin speckled from the light falling through the tree leaves. Her big brown eyes stared into mine for a long time, while neither of us spoke. Finally a small smile played on her lips as she took a small step towards me. It was such a small motion but I was filled with anticipation for the next one.

"Well what did you want to talk about?" I asked, taking my own step forward. Granted it was probably much bigger than hers, but I couldn't stand the distance between us. She looked so beautiful in the light and I wanted to be able to admire her up close.

"Us," Her voice was soft and yet it was… off.

I was too mesmerized by the way her honey eyes drew me in to pay attention to the bite in that one word. Like an idiot I stepped forward again and something passed across her face.

"What about us," My voice dropped as she took the smallest step back.

Kagome

My 'captor's' plan was backfiring. Inuyasha's deep gold eyes were boring into my own and the longer he stared the looser the hold of my captor grew. I took a small step back as 'she' (I mean I'm assuming it's a she even though I knew I shouldn't) tried to force me forward. It made me look like I was swaying, which Inuyasha decided was a perfectly good reason to close the distance between us and place his warm hands on my shoulders.

"Are you sure you're okay?" his golden eyes were filled with worry and something else as he stared in my eyes.

"I've felt worse," my voice replied as a little smile tugged on the corner of my lips. Inuyasha looked down at them and suddenly I could feel her making a decision. She leaned forward, just a little, as she opened her mouth to talk. "I want to stay here, with you." My voice sounded husky and Inuyasha was eating up every word.

"We can stay here," he answered, causing some of that rage to well up inside of me again. I realized it hadn't been my rage at him fro snubbing my help, it had been hers because I was here and she was not. She didn't like his answers and physical responses. I leaned up a little more, my eyes keeping contact with his.

"I want you," my voice was barely audible. I wasn't even sure the words had escaped my mouth until I watched the way Inuyasha's eyes widened just a fraction before they became hooded and he leaned in the rest of the way, our lips barely touching.

"I do too, Kagome," The way he said the syllables of my name set fire to my blood as he kissed me.

And just like that the lights were gone and I was back in control of my body. For a moment I stood still, not thinking. My body began reacting to Inuyasha's kiss as I stepped forward and deepened it. My brain was fuzzy from the sensory overload of the lights, and now the inviting warmth of Inuyasha's kiss.

And yet still I was attached to the thought of who could have possibly forced me into this situation.

Inuyasha pulled away from me gently, his hooded eyes warm and sparkling. I wanted to lean in for another kiss when an arrow with pure white feathers caught my eye. It looked completely untouched by weather, and yet vines were wrapped around the shaft.

Lights pulsed from the arrow just once and that was all I needed.

"Kikyo," my mouth whispered as I stared at the arrow.

"What?" Inuyasha suddenly looked worried as his hands grasped my shoulders tighter. The power inside of me began building up as I looked in Inuyasha's eyes. It stretched forward as my hand reached out and caressed Inuyasha's face.

"I need you to forget about everything I said today," my voice was strong even though I didn't want him to.

But I needed him to.

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha looked at me skeptically, his fingers digging into my shoulders.

"I need you to forget how I feel about you," I put more power into the words and watched as Inuyasha's sharp golden eyes become glazed over. "I need you to forget." He nodded once and closed his eyes. His hands released me and I stepped out of reach, waiting to see what would happen.

I looked down at my hand that was still warm from the skin contact I had with him. I had made him a promise. And Kikyo deserved to have the man she lost.

I was just an outsider after all.

"Kagome, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"I forgive you for being a jerk," I forced a smile as I watched Inuyasha's eyes study my face. "Also I wanted to know more about this place." I lied. But Kikyo had to have brought me here for a reason.

"Oh, well this is where I first met Kikyo when I was little. It was… right after my mom died." Inuyasha turned away from me and studied the tree. "Kikyo wasn't an overly sentimental person, but she use to bring me to this tree before every trip out of the village, so she could give it's spirit thanks for letting us meet." I watched his shoulder stiffen for a moment before he stepped forward. His hand reached out towards the arrow, his fingers trembling.

"What's that," I asked, forcing my voice to stay steady.

I literally just had my first kiss and then managed to erase it from the memory of the guy I kind of can't stop thinking about. I really just want to cry, or scream, or practice shooting my bow.

Instead I was standing here, watching him stare at probably that first thing of Kikyo's he's seen since she disappeared.

"This has some of Kikyo's magic in it. You can use it to find her," There was joy in his voice as he reached for it.

"Then maybe you shouldn't touch it," there was an annoyed edge to my voice as I stomped forward. The tears were becoming difficult to hold back. I pushed past Inuyasha and inspected the arrow. It looked perfect and untouched. I leaned against the tree and reached up, just a few hairs short of reaching it.

"Here, let me help," Inuyasha grunted as he placed his warm hands on my hips and hoisted me up. I forced the scream in my throat to die before it could live and stared at the arrow I was now face to face with. I reached out and let my hands gently wrap around the shaft and was amazed to feel so much power thrumming in the small object.

Keade once told me priestesses and sorceresses could cast spells on objects. Things like protection and purification or even concealment spells. I wanted to know more about this particular spell, but the way Inuyasha's hands were digging into my waist was making me feel both uncomfortable and wishing I hadn't erased his memory.

I ground my teeth together as I adjusted my grip and pulled.

The arrow disintegrated in my hand, but sent a jolt of power through me. My hands and feet became numb as the edges of my vision began acting up once again.

That stupid taunting voice returned, sounding pleased this time.

'At least you're good for something.'