Chapter 38: How The Memories Remain

Outside of the Higurashi House, Kagome and Inuyasha sit against the Sacred Tree's bark. "Inuyasha, what should I do?" Kagome asks him in a confused tone. To be honest, Inuyasha doesn't know what to do either. Talk about a dilemma here. "I didn't know my father would remember me after all this time." She said to him. Inuyasha sighs, "I'm not sure Kagome. But maybe your father could answer that question instead of me." He responds back to her.

Soon the back door of the house opens and closes to alert the duo that someone is coming outside. "Kagome." Hige calls out from the distance. Kagome stood up, "Over her dad." Kagome shouts back to him. Hige walks towards them. 'Kagome, I bet you're curious for how I'm here like I'm back from the dead?" He asks as he walks up to her. Kagome only nods, hoping for more information. "Well this here is a gigai, and I think you already know that." He said so far. Hearing that made Kagome think back when she was helping that child Mayu who died in the burning apartment. For only she was able to see spirits because of her awaken spiritual powers. "I thought as much." Hige said to her in a nonchalant tone. "You see here is just me blending in even though I am dead." Kagome couldn't say anything about she has known so far. "I take it that you are also a Soul Reaper because of this gigai thing?" She manages to ask him.

Hige chuckles softly, "Yes I'm a Soul Reaper but I was sent here to protect this area from hollows because of all the spiritual influence this place possesses." He answers to her and turns to Inuyasha, "I'm sorry for how I was acting earlier." He apologizes in a shameful look. Inuyasha however didn't seem convinced. "Feh, yeah you should be sorry for not being here to protect your family." He said with a rude voice.

Kagome glares at him and shouts, "Sit!" She commands the bracelet to send a shock of electricity. "Seriously Inuyasha, you're obviously clueless about the relationship of my family, and yet I never said anything rude about your own except about Sesshomaru. But you should know to show respect to someone else's family." She lectures him with a bit of anger in her voice. "Yes Dad, you told me that and I just want to ask you something?" She turns her direction to her father. Hige raised an eyebrow, "Dad, will you be returning to the Soul Society soon? I remember you told me that you might be the new captain of squad 9." She asks him.

Hige shows a sad smile, "Yes, I just came here for investigations on this area, but to be honest, I don't want to leave this area. I never had those chances to see you and Sota growing up ever since I was killed 10 years ago." He answers truly to his daughter. "But one thing concerns me though." Inuyasha joins in the group talk, "How is it that you still have your memories?" He asks him respectfully. Hige smiles while nodding his head. "Yeah under normal circumstances, when someone passes away their memories are erased once they're sent to the Soul Society." Hige explains to them. "Then how is it that you kept yours?" Kagome asks him in a curious tone. "I wish I could answer that one, but I think captain Hitsugaya would." Hige sadly said back.

All of a sudden a cell phone rings, "That's mine." Hige said as he pulls out the cell phone from his upper part of his robes, "Hige Higurashi, speaking." He responds the call to see who is was on the other side of the line. "Higurashi, It's Captain Higurashi from squad 10. I'm calling to inform you to return to the Soul Society." Captain Hitsugaya said to him. "Understood. I'll be there." Hige responds back. "And make sure Takahashi comes back with you as well." Hitsugaya adds the detail. Hearing that made Hige widens his eyes, "Are you sure? Either me or him has to remain to protect the place." Hige calmly asks him. "It wasn't my idea to give you this. It's an order." Hitsugaya replies back sternly. Hige sighs, "Fine." He then hangs up. "Inuyasha we have to go." He turns to his daughter and Inuyasha. "Why?" Inuyasha asks in an angry tone. "I don't know now let's go." He said back with a serious tone and unsheathes his Zanpakuto. "Now unlock." He commands the weapon and the shoji doors appear in front of them.

Before Hige and Inuyasha are about to go into the portal, Kagome turns around and walks back to the house with her arms wrapped around herself. Inuyasha spots the depressed girl. Not only that, but he can smell her tears pouring out. Deciding to go against the rules from Hitsugaya, he runs up to her. "Kagome." He stops her from walking. "I know it's hard for us to leave you and your family unprotected, but I promise to return as soon as possible." He assures her even though it might convince her otherwise. Kagome nods, "Just let me know when you come back." She murmurs to him. Inuyasha softens his eyes, as he lifts her chin with his index finger. "That I will." He said back as he wipes the tears away from her soft cheeks. "Just be careful." She begs back as she leans against his shoulder in embrace. Inuyasha sighs as he hugs her, "I'll try." And that's all he said before he had to break their embrace. "Let's get going Inuyasha." Hige shouts at him. Inuyasha turns to the Shoji opened doors. All Kagome could do is wave them good-bye and watch them disappear into the light.

While walking through the precipice world, Hige breaks the silence. "Inuyasha, I'm sorry for what I've said earlier." He said to him. Inuyasha looks at him with a confused look. "About what?" He said back. Hige sighs, "I should've said those things to you in the first place. It just came to me from my instincts to protect Kagome from any male that might harm her in any way." Hige explains his reason so far. "Speaking of such did a boy by the name of Hojo said he had a crush on her?" He asks after that. Inuyasha goes into thinking mode for second before answering. "Would he be the orange brown-haired guy that tried to ask her out?" Inuyasha turns his sight to Hige. "Yeah that was him. He was shocked to see me alive while Kagome and I went to the local diner down the road." Hige nods. The light at the end of the path comes into view, ending their conversation, probably holding it for a later date.

The Sinkaimon gate opens up to reveal Squad 10 Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya and his lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto. The massive doors open up to let Inuyasha and Hige back into the Soul Society grounds. "Welcome back Inuyasha and Hige." Rangiku greets them first with her upbeat voice. "Thank you lieutenant Matsumoto." Hige bows to them. Inuyasha doesn't follow the manner. "So why is it that Hige and I were to be summoned back?" Inuyasha asks straight to the point. "Yes, Head-Captain Yamamoto has wanted to through a captain exam for Hige Higurashi." Toshiro explains to him. Hige looks surprised. "Me? To be captain of Squad 9? I can't take that position so quickly." Hige replies all he could as he reads the papers that Toshiro gave him. "And what does that have to do with me?" Inuyasha asks the group. "You're one of the lucky soul reapers to take the exam as well." Rangiku said to him giving him the same piece of paper that Hige has. Inuyasha looks down the page so far. "Thanks but no thanks." He said to them and walks to the direction of the Squad 11 barracks. "Why not? You'd be perfect for this Inuyasha." Rangiku runs after him. "Look my only thing I want to protect and that's Kagome Higurashi. I was all set to proof myself to keep her safe and such. But what I had no idea was that man who came back with me was there before me and we had some things to discuss and he actually understood my reasons to protect his family when he was murdered. As a matter of fact…" Inuyasha said to her and then turns to Hige and Toshiro. "…how was it that you managed to keep your memories?" Inuyasha asks the two men. Toshiro nods, "Come this way." He instructs all of them to Squad 12. They Shunpo away to the Department of Research and Development to get the answers.

In the depths of Squad 12's Department of Research and Development, Captain Kurotsuchi is in his office coming up with ideas. SO far nothing has come up in his mind as of yet. "Master Mayuri." Nemu gets his attention. "What is it Nemu can't you see I'm busy." Mayuri asks impatiently. He doesn't like it when someone disturbs his work. "Yes I know you are. I'm here with Captain Hitsugaya with his lieutenant Matsumoto along with Hige Higurashi and Inuyasha Takahashi." Nemu said back nicely to her master. "Fine let them in." Mayuri shows a glare look to her. Nemu bows and opens the door for their visitors.

Mayuri isn't too thrilled to have anyone coming in, especially in the middle of his work. "What is it that you want?" He rudely asks the visitors. Inuyasha and Hige look at each other to think that this guy is out of him mind. "We just came here to get some answers." Hige said to the mad scientist. "About what?" Mayuri leans back in his chair. "I just want to know how I was about to keep my memories when I arrived here?" Hige asks him with a sincere look. Mayuri folds his finger in laces together and rests his chin onto them, "If I were to know better, I have to say your desire to raise your newborn son." Toshiro said to him this time. Hige turns his gaze to him. "I was on duty about 10 years ago." Toshiro crosses his arms and turns his serious look to Hige. In a way Hige remembers the time he was killed. "You were so eager to see your family that you didn't notice the upcoming vehicle that hit you head on." Toshiro reminds him. "Yes I was ever so excited to see him but fate had decided to end my life right then and there." Hige nods his head in a slow painful way. "And because of that, fate wanted to make sure that you had your memories so that one day you'd see them again in the future." Mayuri explains his work about it as well. "Thanks for your help. I'll leave you guys alone." Hige bows to them and leaves the facility.

Hige walks down the paths and decides to go to a local pub. 'Maybe a drink of sake could heal my confusion.' He comments to himself, as he was about to turn a corner. "Hey Hige." A voice calls out to him. Hige turns to the direction of the voice. It was Captain Ukitake and Captain Kyoraku. "Oh hi there." Hige waves his hands and walks up to them. "You look so unsure about something." Ukitake said as he can see the invisible miserable expression. "You can really see it in my eyes, Jushiro." Hige accidentally said Ukitake's first name instead of his titled position. "Oh sorry." He quickly apologizes. Kyoraku waves his in a reassuring manner, "Don't be. You want to come with us to get a drink?" He offers his invite. "Sure I think it's better to go with someone instead of going alone." Hige smiles as they head to the local pub outside of the Seireitei walls.

While drinking the sake that Shunsui ordered to go along with their appetizers, he decides to break the silence. "So how is it been going with your time?" He asks him. Hige sighs as he sets his chop sticks down, "I've been sent here by Captain Hitsugaya and I learned that whenever someone is sent to the Soul Society, they don't remember anything from theirs times of being alive." He starts off. "That's true. Whenever someone is sent here they start off clean. The reason is that we don't want them to remember the cause of their deaths. It'd be too much for them to endure it." Jushiro agrees. "Then there's me. I still have my own." Hige said in a concern tone. "All I can think of is that you wanted to protect your family in any possible way you could." Shunsui suggests in a assuring tone. He does have a point. Whenever someone is about to expect something amazing in its own life, fate wanted to do something about it. And So that person wants nothing more to protect what's important to it. "I'd be gratefully for this to happen to you, Hige." Jushiro smiles to him. Hige looks up to him with a confused look for a brief second. "I just wish I could go back in time to fix my past so Kagome and Sota would have a father around." Hige gives his desires opportunities to them. "Well there's nothing we can do about that. We're just here to keep balance of the spirit world and the World of the Living." Shunsui holds his chin telling him about their purpose in life. Hige knows he can't do anything about that and has to accept what he is assigned to, rather he likes it or not.