Hi everyone! Another Inuyasha story by me. Ugh... And I haven't even finished the other one, or my CCS. Some peoples are getting angry...
Disclaimer: I didn't create Inuyasha, because if I did, I wouldn't be writing fan fiction. ^_^
NOTE: This story was up before. But it got deleted... ::Looks at little brother accusingly:: I'm never gonna leave my computer open again, even if just for a few seconds. Jeez. I'll lock my room too. Grr.. I can't believe him... But thankfully, I have it saved on disk. (Don't you just love modern technology?)
This is the same story. I just added on more to it. I put a wide space between the part where the chapter should have ended for the people who've already read that part. Just scroll down to it... A thousand apologies! ::bows:: But if you haven't read this story yet... then just keep on going!
A Treasure Worth Seeking
Chapter One: One of Three
By Enchanted Pink Jade
*~*~*~*~*
"Stop moving around so much, Inuyasha," the 17-year-old girl said. She sat on the ground next to the injured hanyou, who was moaning out in pain as he cursed heaven and hell a thousand times.
They had been on their way back to Kaede's hut where the rest were waiting when another demon appeared.
Inuyasha was having little trouble with the demon as he gracefully dodged all the attacks that were heading in his direction whilst making sure that none headed in Kagome's way. He parried and blocked the attacks as he threw some of his own. But, halfway into the battle, Inuyasha began his transformation. Kagome watched in horror as the silver strands stealthily converted to the sleek black hair that she had become accustomed to seeing once a month, when he didn't flee into the night.
Unfortunately for them, it was that time of the month... while in battle. Which also meant that he couldn't use his sword.
The demon had laughed in amusement after the preliminary astonishment of seeing his adversary transform right before his eyes, into a more vulnerable stage.
With Inuyasha being human, the battle became longer and harder. Kagome did what she could to help, and together, they managed to do away their opponent. And now she was trying to clean the wound in his front. It wasn't really that big of a cut, but she wasn't taking any chances.
"How could you forget that tonight was the new moon?" she asked as she worked.
"I had other things on my mind, and you were going to leave again for your own time," he barked.
"I wanted to go home! What's wrong with that? Don't you ever get that homesick feeling? Wanting to be home?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted it terribly. Does Inuyasha even have a place to go home to? His mother and father are gone... demo, he must have lived somewhere, right? Or was it too painful for him?
"Gomen ne, Inuyasha," Kagome said, after a few minutes of silence had passed. She wasn't going to ask him again, but she knew that she would always wonder.
"Keh. Who cares? It doesn't matter. I know you must miss your family. Don't mind me when I get mad cause you try to go home. I just don't like it when you're gone. There's nothing much to do here."
What he said was the truth. But what he wasn't going to tell her was that all he did was sulk in trees waiting for her return. It wasn't really sulking. Just waiting. Yeah. That's the word. Waiting. He'd sit in his favorite tree that would have a beautiful view of the valley- and the well through which she comes from. He'd think about the way the field made such a lovely sight- though not as lovely as Kagome. Nope. And when she'd come back from her time, he'd immediately jump down to tell her she was late- which would really translate to: "I'm glad you're back. I missed you." Yup.
After two years, this was his routine. Has it only been two years? It felt like forever since that one fateful day. The day he'd awakened. The day they first met.
She smiled softly down at him and leaned in closer, causing a little blood to rush into his face, which she mistaken for pain when he grimaced.
Kagome, she was so close to him, but so untouchable. So near, and yet so far. He wanted to hold her in his arms so badly that it took all his will power not to take her then and there.
And Kikyou? She was dead, right? Gone. Even if she still roamed this earth, she wasn't supposed to be here. But... he couldn't get rid of her. No matter how he tried. It was like tarnishing the memory he had of her. And yet, everything in the right side of his mind told him that she didn't belong. Even Kikyou's aged imouto, little sister... Kaede told him herself that he must get rid of the earth and bones imitation of the girl he once loved. Once loved. All he wanted to do for Kikyou was to avenge her death. It was all really confusing, especially when he had mixed feelings...
Kikyou didn't want Kagome around, and had tried to get rid of her on some occasions. He cared for Kikyou, but he cared for Kagome, too. He wouldn't let any harm come to Kagome, even if that meant defying Kikyou. And then there was Kagome herself. Every time she knew he was thinking about the other girl, she would get this sad look on her face, a look that he couldn't stand. It pained him to know that he was the cause of that pain, and there wasn't much he could do to help it.
Inuyasha frowned again, not liking where his thoughts were taking him.
Thinking that he couldn't take the pain, Kagome asked him to wait for a minute, and told him not to move. As if he had anywhere to go at the moment. She then dashed off destinations unknown. He wondered why she was so worried when it was just a small cut, but winced when he tried to move into a more comfortable position. It was a small cut that hurts a lot more than it should. Stupid mortal body.
"I'm back," she chorused, tearing him away from his musings.
"What are you going to do?" he asked warily, as he watched her pour a liquid-like substance into a small cloth.
"I'm going to clean your wound so that it won't get infected or anything before I put the bandages on. "Hold your breath," she said, and without warning, she poured some of the liquid, from the peculiar looking jar with an incredibly small lid, onto his stomach.
He then blasted the night sky with colorful language that was too unfit to be spoken, much less shouted. (Or even typed).
"Watch your language," she said absently as she began to use the cloth she had in hand to wipe and rub the burning concoction.
"I'm gonna murder you. Stop pouring more of that -stuff. Agh!"
"Inuyasha, you're acting like such a little baby boy. What happened to your I'm-so-Macho demeanor?"
"Shut up wench. What the hell do you think you're trying to do?" he hissed.
"Killing the germs."
"Damn! It's killing me!"
"Oh, be quiet, Inuyasha. You're lucky that you didn't get anything worse than this. You're human now. This wound can turn ugly, and it's awhile before you turn back to your old self."
"So?" he gasped out, and Kagome rolled her eyes. Even when he was in pain, he still managed to be a jerk.
"So nothing," was her flippant reply. She finished bandaging him and put her supplies away.
"Leave. Me. Alone. You know, Kikyou wouldn't have..." Inuyasha stopped in mid-sentence, realizing just whom he had been talking to. He cursed himself a thousand times in all the ways that he could think of. Dreading what he would find, he looked at her, though he didn't want to. Not when he knew that she would once again have that pained look he so hated.
Her eyes shone with unshed tears. The smile she had wavered just the tiniest bit, and remorse filled his entire being. Inuyasha closed his eyes only to see her image appear in his mind's eye. He knew he had to apologize. She's been so kind to him lately, and this was how he repaid her? Even when he did talk down on people, he wasn't ungrateful.
Inuyasha opened his mouth to say sorry, but she silenced his lips with two of her fingers.
He looked up at her questioningly, but she only smiled at him. Slowly, she laid her head on his shoulder. "Don't. Don't say anything..... I understand. I know that Kikyou means a lot to you." Inuyasha waited for her to say more, but she stayed silent. Instead, she clenched her hands into fists, wrinkling the top of his robes.
She wasn't even crying. She just clung to him in soft desperation. Her pain was that deep.
Tentatively, he put one arm around her for comfort. It was the least he could do at the moment, and she relaxed in to his embrace.
They remained this way for the rest of the night, under a blanket of stars.
*~*~*~*~*
Kagome glanced at Inuyasha, sitting across the hut with his back to her and everyone else. She had awakened this morning only to find that she was alone. Inuyasha was sitting on a tree branch above her head. Morning had come, so he was back to his hanyou self. The first thing he told her was to get up and go. He didn't even mention anything about last night, as if nothing had happened.
Why? It always had to be Kikyou, Kikyou, Kikyou. Even after all she had been through with Inuyasha and their friends. It wasn't that she hated the other woman. She was practically the equal of a walking corpse, except for the fact that she was beautiful, elegant, mature... Things that Kagome knew she wasn't. But even with this other woman hovering over her happiness, Kagome refused to be bitter and unhappy. Or even wish that Kikyou was gone. That would be lowering herself to Kikyou's level. Loving hatred so much that she pushes happiness away from her. Can't see it. Can't imagine it. Inuyasha told her countless times that he only wanted Kikyou to be at rest. That it was his fault that she was roaming the earth with no purpose. But Kagome knew it was something more. Something deeper. Something from long, long ago, when she didn't even exist yet.
And then now, he was ignoring her. At least, it felt like it.
It hurt. But perhaps it was better this way. Perhaps...
".... ne, Kagome?"
She blinked and looked down at Shippou, who had been talking to her all this time. She felt ashamed to admit that she hadn't heard a word he said. "Eh... Huh? Oh, um... right."
Shippou turned his head towards Inuyasha, where he knew Kagome had been looking. Inuyasha was probably also the reason why Kagome was so distracted. Something must have happened, but he was afraid to ask. This was different. Serious. If they both came screaming their heads off at each other, then it would have been okay, but they came in silence, Inuyasha in the lead and Kagome lagging behind.
Neither looked happy.
"Kagome-chan? Daijobu? Are you okay?" Sango asked, being worried about her friend's well being.
"I'm fine! Don't worry!"
"Are you sure that nothing else happened last night? And that you're not hurt?"
Kagome turned towards Miroku and smiled. "No, nothing...else. Nothing really happened last night, except for the fact that Inuyasha got hurt."
Miroku nodded, but gave her a skeptical look.
That was when Inuyasha decided to come back to the world of the living. "Come on, let's go. Social hour is over." He headed for the exit, and everyone did the same. They were do south from here. Kagome dreaded this trip because she couldn't use her bike; the road was full of rocks and bumps. The bike wasn't made for that kind of surface.
She trailed at the back this time, wanting some privacy with her own thoughts. Shippou, having the intuition that only a child can posses, sensed this, and left her alone.
As she walked, she wondered about the things that she has thought about for two years, but never really could come up with a conclusion. Of course, it involved Inuyasha, and Kikyou.
Why did she still come back to Sengoku-jidai after returning home? Kagome had first asked herself that when Inuyasha was still unkind and unpleasant with her. She also knew the answer. She came back because it was her responsibility to. She had pierced the Shikon no Tama with her arrow, thus, causing it to shatter into many little shards. But how about now? Why did she still come back? Inuyasha didn't really need her. Kikyou also had the ability to see the shards. So why?
Because she loved Inuyasha.
To Kagome herself that answer seemed a little cliché, but it was also the truth. It hurt her to know that he couldn't make up his mind, and that Kikyou had been his first love. She felt like the third wheel. But then again, she knew she didn't regret a thing. She wouldn't change a thing about the day that she fell through the well. It was one of the reasons she had met Inuyasha.
This was the time she began to wonder when she had started to love him so much. It wasn't love at first sight. (She did like his ears though. They were one of the first things she noticed about him.) Was it when he told her that she had a nice scent? Or maybe it was that time when he thought she was going to die after the battle with the Thunder Brothers. But then again, it could be that time when he pushed her down the well, and told her never to come back... It was sad, but he did it for her, just so that she was safe... She didn't know when. Kagome only knew that she loved him.
Even when she's heard the older people say that younger one's don't know what love truly is. That they're too young to understand. But that can't be true. From the very beginning, every child comes to love their parents, family, relatives, pets and best friends. Love is that indescribable feeling when people are near those whom they care about. It's that special feeling beyond words, beyond comprehension. It wouldn't be love if it was understood.
An emotion deep inside, one that had been in slumber rose to the surface. Kagome decided to stop thinking those thoughts, especially since it was depressing her. The tears that she should have cried last night threatened to spill, and she tried with all her might to push the feeling down. To make sure that she her mind didn't stray, she walked a little faster to get closer to everyone else. Maybe their own chatter would distract her.
For the first half-hour of walking, nothing eventful happened, but Kagome was starting to feel a little lightheaded, and again drifted to the end of the line. At first, she thought it was nothing. Nothing changed to something when her world started to spin into a collage of colors.
She stopped walking. "I think we should stop... I don't feel so good." A mist was forming its way around her, blurring her vision.
Inuyasha saw what was happening, and ran towards her. If only he could reach her in time...
*BANG*
Booming thunder sounded all around them, and an invisible force threw them all back.
*~*~*~*~*
Shippou coughed and spat out the leaves that had entered his mouth upon falling into the bushes. It took awhile for him to realize what had happened, and where he was. Then he remembered. They were on their way to another rumored Shikon Shard when Kagome stopped in her tracks, telling them that she didn't feel funny. Inuyasha was about to tell her off again for being weak when a big bang came, the force flinging them all in any which direction.
Shippou scrambled out from the bush frantically to look for his companions.
"Kagome! Inuyasha! Sango! Miroku! Where are you?" he yelled out. "Kagome!"
A stifled voice came back in response. "Shippou? Is that you? Where are you?"
"I'm right here, Kagome!"
Kagome climbed down from the tree whose branches had her entangled. Shippou ran to her in joy, all the while sighing in relief. She was okay. And it didn't look like she was hurt at all. But just to be sure...
"Daijobu? That was some bang. I wonder what happened."
Kagome brushed the leaves from her hair, face, and clothes. "Oh, I know! Wasn't that exciting?"
"Exciting?"
"Yup. There isn't any dirt on my face, is there?"
Shippou shook his head. "Are you sure you're okay?" For someone who had just experienced something unknown, she was pretty... buoyant about it.
Kagome stretched out her limbs to make sure she didn't twist anything. "I've never felt better! In fact, I feel great!"
The little kitsune looked at her in amazement. She truly was something. But she was happy. That's what was important. "Well, I think we should go look for the others now, Kagome."
"Hai. You're right. Inuyasha should be worried about me now." Kagome leaned down and lifted Shippou into her arms. Let's go!"
*~*~*~*~*
"Itai... That hurt," Sango muttered. "Houshi-sama, daijobu?" Sango sat up slowly from her sprawled position on the ground.
"Hai. I'm alright. The winds from the blast must have blanketed our fall, along with this grass." Miroku sat up and patted the ground. "What about Kagome-sama?"
Sango worriedly looked to the girl who was sitting with her legs pulled towards her chest. Her face was buried in the arms that were resting on her knees. "Kirara." Sango motions for the feline creature to come closer so that she could see if there were any injuries.
"I'm okay," she said in an uneven voice. She looked up, and they saw that she had tears in her eyes. Sango came closer and wiped them off with her hands. "I was just so frightened. Things were going fine, but I had this headache, and I felt light in the head, and I just don't know!" More tears slid down her cheeks as she trembled. Miroku could tell that she had been truly shaken.
"I think that we should go look for Inuyasha and Shippou. Maybe you'll feel better then?"
Kagome lips formed a smile that was just as shaky as her voice had been. Sango helped Kagome stand up. "I want to see Inuyasha. I want to know if he's okay. And Shippou, too. What about you two?" She turned somewhat teary but concerned eyes towards her friends. They both smiled, thinking that she was getting over the initial shock.
"We're both okay. Kirara, too," Sango said.
"Well, since we're all fine, we should go. There's no telling what Inuyasha might be doing right now. Flipping rocks over looking for you," Miroku teased. Sango laughed, as she tried to picture Inuyasha doing just that. And it did seem like something- if given the chance- that Inuyasha would do.
They about to be on their way when...
*SLAP*
Sango screamed. "You pervert! How could you do that at such a time like this?"
Miroku tried to look apologetic, but to no avail. "I could not help it. My hand has a mind of its own."
"I'll bet. Let's go Kagome, Kirara. We don't need demented monks tagging along." She grabbed Kagome's wrist and pulled her away before Miroku could comment. Kirara walked by her side.
"Your words are so cold," Miroku said after her retreating back. His words weren't heard. He had no choice but to follow.
*~*~*~*~*
"Oi. Kagome. Wake up." Inuyasha stared at the girl in his arms, concern clearly etched onto his face. He didn't exactly know what had happened back there when he tried to get to her. When the explosion came, he jumped up to avoid it. As for the others, he could only hope that they did the same, for he was preoccupied with getting Kagome out of the pending danger.
He spotted her lithe form and caught her right before she hit the ground. She seemed okay, and there weren't any injuries, seeing that there wasn't any blood. Now he was trying to get her to wake up from unconsciousness.
"Wake up." He shook her again, and this time she stirred.
She blinked once. Twice. And then focused her gaze on him.
"You okay now?" Seeing that she was awake, he reluctantly let go. And as an answer to his question, she nodded.
"Are you hurt anywhere?" He looked her over once, just to make sure. She looked fine, but... there was something wrong... He couldn't pinpoint what it was though.
She shook her head and gave him a blank look. "No."
"So you're fine."
A nod of the head. "Yes."
What the hell was going on? Something must've hit her. The explosion no doubt. But what had caused it? Or who? Carrying shards of the Shikon no Tama made her a target of anyone who wanted their greedy hands on it. (Or claws). But there wasn't a person or demon in sight. It all happened so suddenly.
Inuyasha decided to ask another question. "Am I gonna get only one-worded answers?"
"Probably."
Okay, now he was starting to panic. This wasn't how Kagome usually acted. Expressionless. Emotionless. That was Kikyou's area. Not Kagome. Not the Kagome he knew. Not his Kagome. She was cheery most of the time, unless something was bothering her. And she usually expressed some form of emotion. Anger. Excitement. This Kagome did nothing.
He tried a different tactic. "You're never to go home for no longer than one day. No more of those test things. You spend more of your time here, you got that?" This, he knew, was something that should get her mad. Kagome hated it when he tried to stop her from going home, or bossed her around. If she was going to say just one word, she should say "osuwari" and have his face pelting towards the ground.
But she didn't. Instead, she nodded her head. "Okay."
"Agh! What's wrong with you?" he asked exasperatedly.
"Nothing." She stared at him still with a blank look.
"Stop giving me those one-worded answers! Can't you say more than one? Try tacking on at least two more words!"
Kagome smiled softly. Mysteriously. "As you wish."
No! What was wrong with her? She was being obedient. It was so... so... un-Kagome. But it was scarier with her smiling at him than it was when she had that impassive look.
Miroku. He might know. But where were they? "Come on. Let's go find the others. Together, we might be able to find out what's wrong... Do you know what happened back there?" He turned away from his musings to look at her.
"No, I don't." She was still smiling that soft smile.
"Shit. Will you stop doing that!"
"Stop doing what?"
This was getting annoying. "Can you walk on your own? Never mind. Don't answer that. Just get on. We'll find the rest faster this way." Inuyasha got down on one knee, allowing her to get on his back. "Hold on tight so you won't fall."
"I trust you."
That one statement stopped him. It was still a three-worded answer, but...
Inuyasha shook his head. First thing's first. Solve the problem. Then he could think about that later.
In seconds, they were airborne.
*~*~*~*~*
All three groups reached a clearing at the same time. They all announced that they'd found Kagome, and brought 'Kagome' forth. After a short pause, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, and Shippou took a step back in bewilderment.
There were three of them?
"Hey Inuyasha! You don't have to worry about me. I'm okay. See?" The Kagome that had been with Shippou spoke up. She did two cartwheels to prove her point before running to Inuyasha. She threw herself against him and he had no choice but to catch her in his arms. "You're not hurt are you?" she asked. Her arms were still around his neck, and it didn't look like she was going to move anytime soon.
One of the other girls protested. "Hey! You shouldn't be doing that! Inuyasha might not like it!"
Kagome, still holding onto Inuyasha, turned to look at her clone. "I can if I want to. No one's going stop me, ne, Inuyasha?" She turned back to him with a huge grin and hugged him.
He just stood there unthinkingly staring at the girl he held with bewilderment. It wasn't that he didn't like having her in his arms. He'd always wondered what it would be like. Sure, they would constantly have body contact, like when he carried her on his back to get somewhere, but this was something entirely different. After all those times of wanting to hold her... Wasn't it just last night that he wished for something like this? Now he was experiencing the real thing, but why didn't it feel right?
"I. I... You-" Inuyasha turned towards Sango, who was at his side. "I'm not going crazy am I?" She shook her head. They all turned to each other with a look of confusion. It wasn't every day that your friend decided to clone herself. Each looked like the next one. It was practically impossible to tell them apart. Same hair, same eyes, same weird clothes. Same everything.
Which one was the real Kagome?
*~*~*~*~*
Tra la la la la.....
*~*~*~*~*
"Explain this." Inuyasha pushed Kaede to the unexplainable phenomenon of the three girls. "How the heck did this happen? Is it some kind of spell? What can you do about it?" He knew that she had to know something. Miroku didn't, obviously, or they would have already done something that would have helped.
"Hold your tail-"
Inuyasha interrupted. "I don't have one."
She rolled her eyes. "I meant be quiet. One question at a time, please. But let me take a look first. Jeez."
Everyone stood back to give her some space as she carefully examined each girl at a safe distance. First she examined each face. And then came the magical aura. No person in the world should have the same aura as Kagome because it was her essence. Her magic. Unique and special. Kagome's aura was the second thing she noticed about the girl when they first met. (The first thing being that Kagome uncannily resembled her deceased sister). Potent. Strong. Compelling. Warmth. She emitted power all around her in vast waves. Power she wasn't even aware of. Only the real Kagome should have that power. People with that kind of ability can look into others to see and feel for the aura. Inuyasha, Miroku nor Sango possessed it, so they couldn't look for it. But as she scrutinized all three, she saw that they all had the same power. "Which one of you is Kagome?"
In unison, they said, "I am Kagome."
Inuyasha cursed. "We've already tried asking that. They all say that they are Kagome. They're all lying."
Miroku sighed. "They could be spirits in disguise, you know. And Kagome could be somewhere else right now, held captive."
"I don't lie." The Kagome that had freaked Inuyasha out spoke up. With a frown at being called a liar, she turned her intimidating gaze towards Inuyasha. "You know that." Inuyasha stared at this girl for awhile. She stared right back, giving tit for tat. Inuyasha scowled in annoyance. Whenever she opened her mouth to talk, still only three words came out.
"I have no reason to lie to you, Inuyasha," another one said. She fidgeted a little, not liking the attention she had brought on herself.
"This is boring. Let's go somewhere Inuyasha!" This Kagome had finally let go of her hold on Inuyasha, but she made sure that he never was that far from her reach. She had him firmly at her side, or rather, she stayed there.
Inuyasha growled. "We're not going anywhere until you tell me where Kagome is."
"But I'm right here! She's right there, and over there! What more of an answer do you need?" She pointed to her two companions and sighed in aggravation. Why wouldn't he believe her? Okay, well maybe having three of them is a little overwhelming, but how was that bad? Now he had more help. She didn't understand the frustrated hanyou.
Inuyasha paced in front of the girls, not letting down his guard. He had no time for this! He wanted some answers and he wanted them NOW.
"Ne, Inuyasha, what about her scent? You have the best nose out of all of us here," Shippou said, but Inuyasha shook his head.
"I already did that. I can smell Kagome's scent from far distances. They all smell like her, but they can't be her." He then turned his attentions back to Kaede. "Well, have you found out anything?"
"Yes," she said blithely.
Inuyasha perked up; ears ready to hear what she had to say. "What?"
"We need a way to tell them apart."
The hanyou almost fell over. "Is that all?! You couldn't come up with anything else?"
"I have a theory, but it would also be easier on us all if we could somehow make them look individual. I'll share everything with you all, as soon as we find a way to tell these girls apart."
Sango looked uneasy as she glanced from one girl to the other. Something about this was giving her a feeling of Déja vu. Still, she made no comment. Sango looked at Kirara, who sat ramrod straight. If Kirara had hissed at anyone of the girls, it would mean that they were evil, but Kirara did nothing.
"Oh! I know! Color-coding!" Kagome exclaimed. The one that was impatient, and had wanted to go somewhere. "We could wear different clothing. Different colors. You," she pointed to the quiet one. "You will wear a black shirt with some shorts. It's kinda hot. I'll wear pink! And then you." She pointed to the other. "You'll wear-"
"Dark blue. I want dark blue. And khakis. The ones that come right below the knees."
"That's fine with me. Anybody have any objections? No? Well, let's go Inuyasha!" She pulled his arm and headed for the bone eater's well. Miroku, Sango and Shippou followed. The other two girls stayed behind with Kaede.
"Where the heck do you think you're taking me?" He yanked back his arm and stopped them from moving any further.
"Where else? Home of course. And besides, my family might be wondering about me right now. I haven't checked in on them in awhile. It's because you didn't want me to go home. And then there's my school. I might as well convert to home schooling if this continues. But then I won't be able to see my friends. I'm going home right now to see my family and to get the clothes. You can't stop me either, you're coming along." She spread her feet and stood defiantly with her hands propped on her hips, as if daring him to disagree with her. For the second time day, Miroku, Sango, and Shippou silently glanced at each other. What she said sounded like something that Kagome would think or say. And she knew about the bone eater's well, the home in the future, and that 'school' thing. And yet...
"So come on then, Inuyasha." To everyone else, she said, "You should head on back to Kaede. We won't be long. I promise!" She smiled and waved before pulling Inuyasha with her.
What had he gotten himself into? A million questions flowed through his head as he grudgingly followed her. None of them were answered.
*~*~*~*~*
"Mama! Jii-chan! Souta! I'm back!" Kagome called into her home as she stepped into the front. Inuyasha did likewise, though his posture was less enthusiastic.
Souta, Kagome's little brother stepped out to greet her. "Ah. Onee-chan. You're back. How long will you be staying?"
"Oh, not very long. I'm just here to grab some clothes and then go back." She stepped forward and tugged her brother closer to give him a hug. "I missed you! Hehehe."
Now her mother came in. "So you won't be here for that long?" Kagome rushed to her mother and hugged her, too. Her mother returned the embrace while Souta eyed her warily... Something about her was kinda strange, but he just shrugged it off.
"Sorry, but no. There's something really important that we gotta do. I'm sorry mom. And I think that I might have to stay there a little longer than usual this time..." Kagome gave her mother a rueful look. She did want to stay, but she promised the others that she would come back soon with the clothes.
"That's okay honey." She stroked her daughter's hair and smiled. "I'll just make something for you and your friends to eat for you journey, alright?"
"That would be great! Arigatou!" She gave her mother another hug before she bounded up the stairs to her room.
"Hey Inu onii-chan." He walked over to the sulking hanyou, and seeing that he wasn't his energetic self, he asked, "Nan desho ka? What's the matter? Did you fight with my sister again?" Souta shook his head. They were always fighting. Sometimes, his sister would come home in a huff complaining about "the stupid hanyou" who didn't know anything. But she would always go back. And that puzzled him. They HAD to like each other. That was the only conclusion he could come up with. Such a shame they always argued though.
Inuyasha shook his head. "Nothing's wrong. It's nothing."
"Was that Kagome I just heard?" The grandfather now stepped in with Buyo on his trail. Souta answered him because his mom had already gone to the kitchen to make the promised food.
"She won't be here that long. She just came to grab some things and go."
"Ah... sou ka. I see. That means that it is safe for me to go and tell the school that she has menopause."
Hearing this, Kagome almost fell down the stairs as she climbed down with the clothes and other needed materials in a bag that she slung onto one shoulder. "You will NOT tell the school that! I'm way too young to be having that right now! Jeez grandpa." She went to her grandfather and gave him a small hug.
"But then, what do you expect me to say? For your absence?"
Kagome thought for awhile before she came up with something. "Tell them that I've got food poisoning. It's something that's much more believable than Menopause."
Inuyasha shook his head in disbelief. Kagome's family didn't see anything wrong with her at all! They couldn't tell that she wasn't who they thought she was. What they saw was an extra cheerful version of Kagome. The spirit or whatever was pretty good at hiding itself. He couldn't really tell them himself. What the heck was he supposed to say? And what in the world was a Menopause?
"Hm.. That sounds good. Thank you! I hope that this one will last long."
"Oh, it will grandpa. Don't worry," Kagome said, eyes wide with emphasis. At that moment, her mother came in with the food in a bag. She handed it to Inuyasha and went to her daughter to give her a farewell hug.
"Well, I'm glad that you're happy, Kagome. Be careful, okay?"
"Always. And I have my beloved Inuyasha with me so everything will be A-okay!" She smiled and waved to her brother and grandpa, and then left through the front. All four people stared at her retreating form. My beloved?
Inuyasha was about to turn around when Kagome's mother stopped him. "You take care of her for me, okay? Make sure that she doesn't come to any harm? And make sure she's happy." He nodded slowly and said his good-byes to Souta and her grandfather.
*~*~*~*~*
"We're back!" Kagome announced. "We're going to change now, so all of you out! Now!" Kagome grabbed the bag that she had handed to him earlier and pushed him out. Shippou and Miroku followed suit. Kaede did so too, allowing them their privacy. Sango was going to do the same when the energetic Kagome look-alike pulled her back in. "I brought some clothes for you, too. It's way too hot for you to be wearing that, you know."
"For me?" Sango looked at her quizzically as she allowed the other girl to pull her in.
Thus, all four girls started to change while everyone had to wait outside.
A fair amount of time passed...
10 minutes... Kagome always took her time when changing. The real Kagome, at least. It came to no surprise that these girls might take just as long to change, since they claimed that they were all Kagome.
20 minutes... It was very understandably that it would take longer, since there were more girls who were changing, including Sango. Why did she choose to bring Sango clothes now? Why not before? Maybe because it was a different girl after all.
35 minutes... It was taking too long. Suffice it to say, the hanyou's patience was wearing thin by now.
"Oi! Anytime this year would be perfect!" he yelled towards the hut.
"Hold on!" they all yelled. Then, someone, he couldn't tell which girl, muttered, "Mangy mutt."
"I heard that!" he growled in anger.
"I know!" came a reply from inside.
Damn. How long does it take for people to change clothes? It shouldn't be too hard. He wondered if all the look-alikes were putting on everything that was brought. The bag was after all much more heavier than usual... He tried to envision the three girls doing just that. What he saw in his minds eye didn't quite come out right and he almost laughed at that thought of Kagome looking like a balloon. Flattering wouldn't be a word to describe the image he saw.
"Okay, we're finished! You can stop being impatient now." One of the girls stepped out to stand before the waiting group.
"Finally! That took forever! I could have...." Inuyasha turned towards 'Kagome' and stopped in mid-sentence, his breath caught in his throat. His jaw looked like it would drop to the ground and keep going right on through it. She didn't put on everything that she brought, and she looked far from an inflated balloon. This girl had on something that was similar to her 'school uniform,' except it was sleeveless and a one-piece. It fit and molded to show off her soft womanly curves. He'd forgotten what Kagome had called it, but whatever it was, it looked pretty damn good on her. Light pink in color, it had shimmering designs imprinted on the edges of the skirt. The hem was a good four inches above her knees, much to his dismay, for this exposed a great deal of flawless skin.
In just that moment, he'd forgotten the recent events. He thought that it was Kagome standing in front of him, until the other two girls stepped out. One was wearing shorts and a black shirt that had thin straps to hold them up. The other girl had the same shirt, only it was dark blue with a light beige sort of pants that went right after the knees. How could they look so much like Kagome without being Kagome?
"You know, Inuyasha, that is a very good way of catching bugs and flies with your mouth open like that." Miroku chuckled when Inuyasha blinked and looked at him in surprise.
So he'd been staring. So what? "Shut up monk. You're one to talk. Especially when you go chasing after every pretty girl you meet."
"Ah... what I'd give to be in a situation like yours, Inuyasha. Having three beautiful girls all vying for your attention..."
"What the hell are you talking about? Even at a time like this, that's all you can think about? Someday, you're gonna get into big trouble if you continue on the way you do."
Sango stepped out of the hut. "You couldn't have said truer words than that, Inuyasha." Now it was Miroku's turn to gape with his mouth wide open. The clothes that women wear in the future are amazing! It must be like heaven to see females wearing clothes like these...
Sango bit her lip in a nervous gesture, now that she was out in the open. The clothes she wore were a little bit tighter fitting than she would have liked. Her short-sleeved shirt barely covered all her abdomen, which was taught and firm from all the fighting she's been in. Pink in color, it emphasized the rosy tint in her cheeks that suspiciously looked like a blush. Her pants were black and low cut. 'Kagome' said she chose those clothes because it was the same color as her taijiya uniform. They were comfortable, she had to admit. But maybe it wasn't such a good idea, seeing the way Miroku was looking at her.
"You people, let's all go back inside. You guys could gawk and goggle at the girls later. We still have something more important to do," said Kaede.
Inuyasha was about to protest when the Kagome look-alike who was wearing the dress ran up to him and kissed him on the cheeks. She smiled up at him. "Thank you for waiting." That shut him up promptly as he dumbly walked into the hut. He wondered what things would have been like if Kagome had always been like this before... Then he shook his head. What was he thinking? Kagome would never do such a thing. It felt weird... but at the same time... it gave him this funny feeling at the pit of his stomach.
When everyone was situated into comfortable positions, Kaede began telling them of the only conclusion she could come up with. "There was this legend that surfaced into the lands not too long after the Shikon no Tama was made. It foretold of the souls breaking... dividing-"
"Wait. You don't think that the shards breaking was prophesized, and that this legend is true, do you?" Everyone turned to Sango, who had spoken up.
"Is there something you're not telling us, Sango?" Miroku asked curiously.
Inuyasha frowned. "You know about this legend thing?"
"Well. Yes, but-"
"Then why didn't you say something?" The hanyou growled. It could have saved the some trouble had she spoken up earlier.
"I didn't think it was true! It started in our village! My father said the man who claimed to be a Seer was a drunkard and a fraud. Nothing he said ever came true. So how was I supposed to believe?"
"You mean, like the Shikon no Tama, this legend was made in your village?" Shippou asked, wanting to offer his piece into this conversation.
"Hai... A long time ago. The elders in my village who were alive at that time always talked about it, telling us younger ones stories."
Kaede frowned.. "Do you know it well?"
"Hai. I only know what I was told, the legendary part. Not what the prophecy said."
"No matter. You know more than I. It is you who should inform us. I only heard little bits from here or there. I never knew about the whole thing."
Sango nodded. Now the attention shifted to her. "As Kaede-sama said, this legend predicted the souls dividing. No one knew what it meant, and no one really cared. Some said that the jewel would someday break... Obviously, it did."
Miroku held a hand up, signaling for her to stop. "If the shattering of the jewel was an inevitability, wouldn't that mean that Kagome's coming into this day and age wasn't by chance? That this was her fate? It was she who broke the jewel, was it not?" Kaede nodded in affirmative. "So then to come here, break the jewel, gather the jewel... It was her destiny. It wasn't an accident that she fell through the well, or that a demon came and pulled her through. This was meant to be." Everyone stared at each other in amazement and wonder, for this concept was something they never thought of before. Kagome was supposed to come here all along? Even before she was born, someone already knew that she would one day roam a land that would be in her past?
Clearing his throat, Inuyasha gruffly said, "Go on with the story, Sango."
"After the souls shattered, disaster would journey throughout these lands. I think that meant the demons getting their hands on the shards... Maybe even Naraku... That's the only thing I can think of. And then to put together the divided souls... Love's love has to find true love... If not, the soul would be lost forever."
"What does that mean? And what does any of that have to do with Kagome deciding to multiply?" This didn't make any sense to the hanyou as he went over in his head what the girl just said.
Sango sighed and massaged her temples. She didn't understand it herself. She merely was illuminating to them what she knew. "Don't you get it? There's a double meaning in it."
"What the f-"
*CLONK*
Miroku bonked Inuyasha's head with his staff to shut him up. "A double meaning...?"
"Hai. Take a look at the Kagome look a-likes." They all did as she asked. One of them blew Inuyasha a kiss. (Three guesses as to which one. ^_^ ) "What you're seeing is the divided souls."
"Huh?" Now it was even more confusing.
"Kagome's soul was divided. Being with the Shikon no Tama for so long, she's developed a connection with it. The jewel was inside her body for about 15 years before the centipede demon bit it out. Do you all remember what Miroku explained about Naobi?" Inuyasha grunted in response. This was during the time when they had gone into the cave of the woman who had created the Shikon no Tama. The priestess, Midoriko.
"Isn't Naobi... some sort of heart?" Kaede asked.
"Yes. Naobi is the heart or the soul of a person." Everyone now turned to Miroku. "As I've said before, Naobi is made up of four elements. Sakimi-tama representing Love. Fushigi-tama symbolizing Wisdom. Arami-tama, the epitome of Courage. And Nikimi-tama, for friendship. Together they make the "heart," or Naobi."
"That's right. This legend predicted of the jewel breaking into pieces, and of Kagome dividing into the elements. I never truly realized the full meaning until now... demo-"
"But there are only three of them. How can she have divided into those four elements?" Inuyasha interrupted.
"That's what I was going to talk about next, Inuyasha. It's also what I don't understand."
All looked to the three girls sitting next to each other. They haven't said a word since they've entered the hut... They just sat there listening and watching Miroku turned to them. "What do you think about all this?"
The Kagome wearing the black shirt spoke up. "It's all true."
"So then which one are you? Which of the souls?" Sango asked. It would be easier for them to distinguish the girls if they knew this little piece of information, and some things might just make a little more sense...
"I am Wisdom."
"I'm Love! Because everyone can see how much I'm in love with Inuyasha, ne?" This Kagome, wearing the dress, now got up and sat next to Inuyasha. She was Sakimi-tama. Love. This would explain a lot. Especially the way she's been behaving. Kagome wouldn't act that way; they knew this for a fact.
"..........."
She went on, laughing all the while. Their silence didn't perturb her in the least. "And the last one's Friendship!" Friendship Kagome nodded and gave them all a tentative smile.
"So the only one left is Courage," Shippou said thoughtfully.
Love Kagome frowned. "Courage hasn't been with us for awhile now. It's kinda sad."
Kaede was surprised at this. How did Courage get divided from the rest? And when did this happen? "Where did she go then?"
Wisdom Kagome answered. "She was already separated from us. Her whereabouts are unknown-"
Inuyasha jerked up when she answered. He was expecting another three-worded sentence, but even more came out. "Hold it. HOLD it. Why aren't you speaking in three worded sentences anymore?"
Sango eyed him warily as she held Kirara in her lap. "Is she supposed to?"
Inuyasha took this time to tell them of his first encounter with Wisdom Kagome. He now turned back to her and demanded answer.
She smiled and said, "To be all the wiser, I did as I was told. You fell for the bait, and lo behold. Frustration it was that did I create."
"You don't make any sense! What kind of an answer is that?"
"Answer only important when asked the right question," she replied.
Inuyasha was getting to the point where he swore he could almost strangle the girl. "Okay then. Why? Why did you go through all that to get me frustrated?"
Wisdom Kagome's smile turned into a grin and a mischievous glint sparkled in her eye. It seemed that he asked the right question this time. "Because I thought it was fun." All three Kagomes burst into giggles as his facial expression revealed his astonishment and disbelief. Sango and Miroku tried to stifle their own laughter. Sango lost the battle with herself and she laughed along with the other girls. Miroku held a stoic face, but his mouth twitched upwards every once in awhile. Shippou and Kaede shook their heads in dismay. Inuyasha after all, did have a short fuse.
After the laughter subsided, Kaede, wanting them to get back on track, asked, "What was that about the soul being lost?"
Sango's merry expression changed to that of a darker one. "I don't know. I don't know any more than what I've told you. Demo... I think it means that if we can't put the divided souls back together, we'll loose the soul itself. Problem is, I can't figure if this part of the legend is talking about the jewel, or Kagome."
Love Kagome frowned and pulled Inuyasha closer to her. "Don't worry Inuyasha. I would never leave you." Friendship Kagome saw this and immediately tells her to stop.
"How do we put them back together?" Miroku asked.
"Get your hands off of him! He already loves someone else!" Friendship Kagome stood up and tried to pull Love away from Inuyasha.
"Love's love has to find true love..." muttered Kaede.
Love Kagome held onto Inuyasha as if he was her lifeline. "No! Inuyasha loves ME. I AM Love. Let go of me! You can never separate us!" She tightens her hold on Inuyasha just a little bit more.
Sango repeated the puzzling phrase to herself quietly. Love's love has to find true love...?
"Oi! Both- stop. Please... Can't breathe..." Inuyasha wheezed out. His hands were at his throat as he tried to suck in air. This girl had an iron grip! Miroku gave him a sympathizing look, but he wasn't about to help his friend. It was all too amusing. He chuckled at the hanyou's dilemma.
"I think the first thing that you all should do is find Courage," Kaede continued, trying to pull everyone back into the conversation.
Love Kagome looks up to Inuyasha, only to find his face changing color... shades of blue. "Ah! Gomen! Ehehehe." She then loosens her grip on him, but still adamantly keeps a firm hold on him, refusing to let go.
Kaede gives Inuyasha a glance, shook her head, and went on. "And if this is a prophecy, whether it was believed or not, it should have been written down somewhere..." And it was true. Anything that ever was prophesized, true or otherwise, there was always someone who wrote it down and put it someplace where it could be accessed easily by those who wanted to see it.
Friendship Kagome gave up and let go. "Fine. Do what you want. But he'll hate you. Inuyasha doesn't like you to be clingy. It's written all over his face. And besides, you shouldn't be barging into another romance. It's bad." With that said, she sat back down at her previous station. And then she bursts into silent tears, muttering words that only Inuyasha can hear. I don't want him to hate me, demo he also loves Kikyou. Love is ruining everything! Inuyasha wanted to comfort her, but something, or rather, someone was holding him back.
"Yes, it was," Sango said in reply to Kaede's remark.
Love Kagome stuck her tongue out at Friendship. "Nyaahh nyaahh! You lost! And Inuyasha won't hate me. Ne, Inuyasha?" Without waiting for his reply, she snuggled closer to his side. Inuyasha looks to Wisdom Kagome, as if asking for her to help him get away from her look-alikes, but all shrugged and gave him a smile that said, 'You're not getting any help from me.' Cold. Cold and heartless. That's what she was. He looked down to the girl who was still clinging onto him and tried for the last time to get out of her hold. Why? Why was he getting this much attention when he didn't want it? It was Miroku who wanted this kind of thing... not him.
Shippou was wondering like everyone else how they were supposed to get the souls back together. (Save for Inuyasha who was preoccupied with Love Kagome.) But weren't they forgetting something? "Hey, what about the Shikon Shards?!" They had all forgotten about it. When Kagome was still one person, she held nine little shards. Did they multiply too?
Friendship Kagome was about to get back at Love when Miroku interrupted her. "Do you still have the shards?" They all pulled out a small glass bottle with a cork to keep the shards bottled inside. In each hand, there was a bottle that held three shards in each. So they didn't multiply.
Wisdom thought it was time to share what she knew. "We still have them. Nothing has happened. As for the written prophecy, it should be in Sango's village."
Inuyasha stood up. "That settles it then. Sango and I will get it. The rest of you stay here and wait. With only just the two of us, we'll get there faster and-"
"No! I'm coming with you!" Love Kagome said stubbornly.
"You'll stay here with everyone else," Inuyasha retorted.
"But I want to go. I want to see the prophecy. We all want to go, ne?" Love turned to Wisdom and Friendship Kagome. They nodded their agreement.
"And I said no." Inuyasha crossed his arms and looked down on her in what he hoped was a convincing stance. Little did he know, he just made a big mistake.
Friendship Kagome started to cry again. "I knew! He doesn't want us around after all! Do you think I'm a nuisance? Should I just stay home permanently?"
It frazzled Inuyasha's nerves to hear her say that, but he stood by with his decidsoin. "Oi... Stop crying! It's just that you'll all slow us down! I want to get this over and done without any more problems coming into the way! I don't want to baby-sit all of you! I've got other things to worry about!"
Love Kagome's anger, lying dormant beneath the surface now burst into flames. "Nani?" Her eyes shone like fire. Sparks of anger could be seen. She took a step closer. He took a step back, not liking the way she was looking at her. He always ended up in situations like these with Kagome. They usually ended up with an-
"Osuwari." Love Kagome smirked down on Inuyasha's form. "I'll let you get acquainted with my friend Mr. Ground. In the mean time, the rest of us are going to prepare for the journey, okay?" She giggled and ran to her bag to do just that. Wisdom Kagome shook her head, tsking, and Friendship looked back and forth between Love and Inuyasha, worried.
Inuyasha remained where he was for quite some time, even when he knew the subduing spell should have ended. Wasn't she supposed to be Sakimi-tama? Love? Then what was that all about? That wasn't love. That was just plain cruel.
Miroku decided to speak up then, to get Inuyasha going. "Well. It's nice to know that some things don't change, ne, Inuyasha?" He sniggered after his own statement.
"Shut up."
This was going to be one very long journey.
*~*~*~*~*
Author's Note: ::Cracks knuckles and stretches:: Well, that was long. This is the longest chapter I've ever written... I don't know how long the next chapters will be, but if you guys want them to be as long, or longer, give me a month or so. -_- . But if you want long, and yet faster... review, okay? ^_^ . (Or maybe it was too long?)
I think over did it a little.... I want to know what you all think about this... And again, I apologize about having to repost this story. Please tell me what you think! Is it bad? Does the plot stink? Is there something you don't get? Was it good in some parts and bad in others? Tell me!
You know what? I'm feeling kinda giddy right now. Dunno why. Have any of you heard the opening Inuyasha them called "Grip!" by Every Little Thing? I'm listening to it right now... and even though I can't understand it, (I just recently started to teach myself Japanese), I just love the song... Hehehe. I love music! It really should be obvious... ::Points to e-mail addy at the bottom:: ^_^
I'll see you all in the next chapter!
~Enchanted Pink Jade
E-mail: Lyricalaznangel@aol.com