Hello hello my wonderful readers. I'm so sorry that it's been so long since an update, though selfish as it may be I hope that you did care/ get impatient. Now since I'm writing these Author Notes instead of writing an assignment for Linguistics, which is what my roommates think I'm doing, I can't say much. Since its mostly meaningless chatter, I'm sure it won't matter. This is already more time than I should have spent. Remember that I don't own Inuyasha so that I can stop writing pointless disclaimers. I live in a run down co-op and look for change in pay phones. Would you really want to sue me?
Anyway, lets get own with it. You read. I have to go back to education…it's just not quite as fun.
Chapter 5: Her Memories
In the quiet dimness of an unfamiliar place, Kagome gathered her bearings, the name just fallen, the gasp faded, and looking, wide eyed and caught off guard, into amber eyes that burned.
"Inuyasha…." Brown eyes wide she looked over to the spot from which he had not moved since she fell asleep and was immediately touched. There was no need to tell her self not to get her hopes up though. No, by now it was instinct. Immediately a little voice crept into her head, whispering the name that would rip that hope out of her chest. This time it was accompanied by an annoyingly insidious reminder that they were 700 years away from the priestess' death and it still all came down to her. Used to this painful reality check, Kagome showed no outer sign of its existence, but instead smiled into the hooded expression of the hanyou who was regarding her silently, but intently.
"Gomen ne, Inuyasha. I…I don't know what I must have been dreaming about. Did I say anything else?" He didn't reply, but climbed easily to his feet. How did he not get stiff from sitting there? She had been asleep for hours! When she only sat there on the futon, looking at him perplexedly at the door with his back to her, he spoke gruffly,
"The brat was just in here. We've got some stuff to talk about." He didn't look back and it stung her. He had been nicer earlier, now he was in definitely poor spirits. But then he was never predictable.
"Sorry. I'm still a little out of it I guess." She got up and followed her out of the little room, now noting that it was charming, despite it's simple appearance. It was well kept and old fashioned, undecorated but somehow comfortably lived in. She decided to tell the girl that what she thought later. Uzura was quiet but Kagome knew she was kind. She just needed a good friend. And Kagome wanted to be that friend. In cheerier spirits now that she was not dwelling on her non-existent romance with Inuyasha, Kagome was able to smile a genuine (though she was still waking up) smile at a grinning Shippou, a cautiously smiling Uzura, and an impatiently scowling Inuyasha. She went over and sat on the floor with Inuyasha who gave only glanced sideways at her. She didn't care if he didn't want her near him right now. His bad mood would have to wait. He was the only thing that was unchanged and she intended to hang on to that. She also didn't happen to be madly in love with anyone else in the room, but that was just a given.
For a moment it was silent, uncomfortably silent to Kagome, who found herself speaking up to break the awkward silence.
"Anoo, Shippou-chan. I think you should go first. What happened? I don't remember…dying. How did we die? How did you guys survive?" Shippou shifted uncomfortably.
"I told you, you died in your time. We weren't there. Inuyasha had just gone to get you…He followed him Kagome. Naraku followed to your time. Through the well." Shippou looked forlornly any where but at them. "You…didn't come back. But we had no way of knowing what had happened. Kouga, he came eventually, and we realized Naraku must have known, must have planned. He had Kouga's shards, somehow he knew about the well and had gathered up the remaining shards and gone after you guys. But we still thought…we thought you guys had won. Miroku's hand…the Kazaana disappeared. And we thought maybe you guys had defeated him, but couldn't get back. Kaede looked at the well and said it had changed, she was the one who said that it might have been destroyed in your time." Shippou's face was dark as he recounted these things, russet bangs hanging over his eyes. "It was easier to think that. I used to imagine that you'd patched things up," Here Kagome started slightly. Had things between them been bad? "I wondered if you guys got married. Sango and Miroku got married eventually, I stayed with them and their children and their children. But eventually…"
Kagome understood. Eventually he lived into her time. He lived to realize that they had not won. "What happened, Shippou-chan? Were you there? Did you see?" He shook his head fiercely.
"I didn't! I had been living far away; Sango and Miroku had resettled where Sango's village had been. I had no idea when your time was, except from this…" He reached into a sleeve and with drew a scrap of paper that looked on the brink of crumbling to dust. Kagome stood and moved closer.
"It's a candy wrapper!" She looked wide eyed at him. "From a candy I gave you?" He nodded.
"There was a date on it." She looked and could faintly make out a date. "And I remembered that you said you lived in Tokyo, even if I hadn't heard of it at the time."
"But-"
"It was too early, huh, brat?" Inuyasha was next to her so suddenly that she squeaked in surprise. He was glaring down at the scrap. "You came and realized that she didn't even know you yet."
"No. She knew me. And I waited. I had to be careful to stay out of scent range, because of your frequent visits." Shippou's voice was choked up now. Kagome glared at Inuyasha. If he belittled the kit now…He glared back at her but 'hmphed' and looked away, apparently understanding and taking offense to her meaning.
"Why didn't you help them then? Did you help them? Did you fight with them? How'd you survive it?" Uzura wondered aloud.
"He didn't." Inuyasha answered shortly. "The kit wasn't there. I'd remember."
Kagome looked at him in mild surprise. "You remember? But I- thought that you wouldn't…I don't remember anything!" Inuyasha sneered at her, but also looked slightly uncomfortable.
"Well, I'm not a weak human like you, am I? Is it my fault that your memory's messed up?" At his insulting words Kagome let go of her concern for him. That jerk! It didn't help when he added, like the idiot he was, "Useless bitch."
"You're such a jerk Inuyasha! How should I know if it is your fault? I don't remember!" she threw out. "And you could have told me you remembered! Well why don't you tell me then, Inuyasha!? How'd I die? Huh? I'm sorry about my weak, human, memory…" her words sank into a dangerous hiss and she had tears in her eyes. "Tell me it's all my fault." Inuyasha recoiled looking shocked, but of course, undaunted. But then inevitably he caught noticed the tears in her eyes.
"Don't cry!" he sputtered, as usual, in the face of her tears. Off to the side, an unhappy but resigned looking Shippou put a restraining paw on Uzura's shoulder to keep her from interfering. Kagome didn't want to allow herself to be taken in by Inuyasha's panic at her tears. However his flattened ears and concerned face as well as (once again) the fact that she was nuts about him and hadn't meant to get so mad in the first place won over and she sighed. Also, she had inadvertently just brought up one of the real fears that had been plaguing her since she had first awakened as herself.
"Really, Inuyasha." Her gaze dropped and she brushed away the tears. "Is it my fault?" She didn't look up but could hear him mutter something angrily under his breath.
"Is what your fault, wench?" thankfully Kagome's anger, though often quick to ignite, was not long enduring and had just burnt out. "That we're alive now? Yeah. That you lost your damn memory? Hell if I know." It was rare for Inuyasha to make a confession such as the one that he did then, "I don't know much more than you do about how all this happened. My memories of…that fight…are damn confusing. They…aren't complete I don't think. But at least I have them." Inuyasha tossed his head to the side, looking toward a wall, away from all three of his companions.
"Keh." A pause. "But I still say you can't remember because you're human." Kagome, always easily changing moods, smiled a bit, through still watery eyes. It was Inuyasha's least favorite expression. She had learned as much one very interesting fight a couple months before the point where her memories ended. Sure enough, when he caught sight of it he sputtered again.
"What's with that face?" he failed to really sound angry.
"I –"She smiled a bit wider, and then turned to the others. "Think you might be right…" She couldn't deny this, as much as she wanted to get mad about him insulting her humanity again. "My human body, it wasn't preserved. It's not very clear to me, but I think this body…the jewel somehow remade it. Is that possible? The real person…she was a little girl but she died and…her soul, when it left…I'm not really sure, but it's like I stayed behind…or something, like I was inside of her and when she was gone, it was only me and then…my body just kind of grew from hers…" Kagome's voice was now far off sounding. Everything was clearer. The phantom memories, the strange limbo feeling for the past however many years. "She…I still have some of her in me I think…or I did." Closing her eyes, Kagome reached for what had been the clearest of those memories. Cranes…
"That's right, dear. Now fold this here…" A vague sense of being was all that she could grasp, brushing against strange bits of the girl's knowledge as she listened to the voice…the mother's voice, and took in the surroundings. It wasn't her mother's voice. But…it was Hers.
Little hands clumsily followed the directions. Too clumsily. In a moment, larger, but also feminine hands joined her small ones, guiding them through the motions.
To the shock and apprehension of everyone in the room, when Kagome's eye's opened they were pale gray-blue, empty and seemingly unseeing. She blinked rapidly and gasped. Inuyasha rushed forward needlessly. Her eyes and her being had returned to normal. She smiled proudly.
"I didn't know I could do that." Her smile faded as she looked at the faces of her friends. "Um…Did something happen?" Inuyasha, was first to reply, answering angry at her or his own concern for her, she could never be sure.
"Don't ever do that again! What were you thinking? What did you-" he swiped at the air angrily as he spoke ending with an inarticulate, "Argh! Idiot!"
I didn't do anything. I just…well I don't know exactly. It was like reaching. Even before, those memories weren't very clear. It was kind of like I had…I don't know how to explain it. But I don't think it was dangerous." She realized she was sitting on the floor again, when she clearly remembered standing to fight with Inuyasha.
"But you don't know!? Why would you do that? Why would you take the risk of doing something…so, so incomprehensible without even knowing what it was you were trying to do." Surprisingly, it was Uzura who scolded Kagome this time, looking less angry than completely thrown. Shippou raised an eyebrow.
"The thing is," he addressed Kagome, "None of us know what happened, what you did. We just saw you close your eyes. Then, I don't know if Uzura felt it, but there was a small surge of-"
"Of course I felt it! I may not be a demon, but I'm not-"
"-miko power. Then your eyes when you first opened them, were different. A strange color and sorta empty, ya know?"
"-a complete amateur you know!"
"Hmmm" Kagome contemplated what Shippou had said. "I still think that it worked out fine. Not that I learned anything useful. Just…that whoever that other girl was, her name was Kei…Nakashima? Natsuyama? I'm not really sure. It's not really important. She…isn't a part of me. Not really."
"Not really? What the hell does that mean? She is or isn't!" Inuyasha was looking on edge and growling low but very audible. This in turn was putting Uzura slightly on edge.
"I mean. This body…it used to be hers. But her soul is gone. She wasn't a reincarnation or anything. She…died I think. She was sick in the memory. That's why she wanted to make all those cranes…"
"That name sounds a bit-" But at that moment Inuyasha leapt in front of Kagome growling loud and fierce.
"Damn it! Tell me there's a back door to this dump, girl." Uzura looked alarmedly at Shippou also tense and on guard then to Kagome, who gave her an encouraging smile and a nod.
"There's not. No way out." Inuyasha smirked. Kagome spoke up, her miko senses trained on the door.
"We're out of time." There was a bang on the door.
"No door isn't no way out." He drew Tetsusaiga in a way that said clearly 'I've been waiting for this.' However he was to be disappointed. Though the Kaze no Kizu did indeed send streaking yellow destruction cutting through Uzura's main room (to a small protesting sound from her), it failed to breach the wall, leaving scorched walls but no way out.
"Shit!" Inuyasha spun. "What was that?" Uzura stammered, obviously as surprised as him.
"I don't know. That sword, that's the sword you used to attack Naraku's fortress, to do all that damage! How could you not break it down?"
"Must be a barrier." Tetsusaiga turned a deep red. "TETSUSAIGA!" this time the wall fell. However as they moved to make their timely escape, Kagome and Shippou knowing that it was also a reluctant retreat, most likely one he only agreed to in order to be assured of Kagome's safety. In the midst of their escape the soft sound of rapid motion and a haughty looking youkai blocked their path to escape with a scolding look on her sharply featured face.
"I'm afraid you'll need to stick around a bit longer." Their escaped was blocked.
"Keh. It's better this way anyway."
Shippou didn't miss the concerned glance that Inuyasha shot at Kagome in the face of impending danger, or the way the hanyou edged closer to her. He knew that Inuyasha's paranoia concerning her safety had only been increased by their barely escaped death. Which figured, especially considering the small but still present similarities to the whole Kikyo fiasco. When he had first known Inuyasha, Shippou hadn't understood the twisted triangle that held Kagome, Inuyasha, and the dead priestess. But now, older and wiser he knew what had been going on. And, believing that the dog-boy's feelings were much stronger for Kagome and had clearly not been tainted by any sort of misplaced hate, he could only imagine how the guilt over allowing Naraku to take not only his life but the life of the woman he loved for the second time had left Inuyasha multiple times more set on revenge and multiple times more guilt ridden. Thus Kagome would most likely soon find herself hard up to find any time alone.
Something about it wasn't right. Why knock? Could it possibly not be an enemy? This seemed more and more likely. Shippou could sense only two youkai. He didn't smell any humans. He knew there were concealing tricks…but then, why not conceals all youkai? And why would an enemy have knocked on the door? Hesitantly, for he knew the pitfalls of trying to reason with a battle ready Inuyasha, Shippou tried to voice his read of the situation.
"I don't-something about this isn't…I don't think it's what it seems." The female youkai sent him a sharp reproving look.
"Kitsune-" she began to hiss out angrily at him, before she was interrupted.
"A trap? Not a very good one is it? Knocking? Waiting to attack? How fucking stupid does Naraku think I am?" There was no surprise there. Of course the hanyou didn't know what he was talking about. He looked at Kagome pleadingly. She had to know. She was always the brains of their group.
"No…Inuyasha. I think it's not a trap." She looked at the youkai before them, who gave a short nod. "I don't think it's an attack at all." Her snarled at the door.
"Don't be an idiot. What else could it be?" He glared at Shippou.
"I just don't think it's what we think. I think…she's familiar. And the other youkai's scent too. "
"You've met the youkai that are attacking us?!"
"Not the brightest pup in the litter is he?" the female demon sneered. Internally Shippou groaned. Yes, baiting him would make it go better. Perhaps luckily, Kagome chose the same moment to make her own assessment of Inuyasha's intelligence, distracting him from the smirking demon in front of him.
"Gah! No, you stupid dog! I just don't think this is an attack!" Kagome, seemed now to be in complete agreement and willing to take the chance. Uzura was out right distrustful. Inuyasha scowled at her but didn't look anymore ready to attack than he looked ready to back down (which wasn't much). Then, of course, at that moment the front door swung open. A male demon joined them inside.
"So paranoid and you don't even lock your door. Hmm, and I see you didn't appreciate our politness either. Trying to sneak out the backdoor. Isn't that just like a dog?"
Inuyasha growled. Moving faster than possible for him, save for the protection of one human girl he grabbed her and pushed her roughly into the work room.
"Inuyasha! Wha-" the slamming of the heavy door firmly, to the point of lodging it into its place, silenced her. Uzura turned on him, an expression of disbelief on her face.
"Do you know what you just did? The heat will kill her."
"I know what I'm doing! There's no way the kit's fire will kill her! Keh. I don't have time to argue with you right now, bitch." He pulled Tetsusaiga. "Just two then? Has Naraku gotten more stupid over the last hundreds of years?" He smirked. "Oi. Shippou, protect that other bitch will you?" Uzura opened her mouth angrily only to be cut off by the female youkai.
"Silence, Inuyasha." The youkai who had stepped from behind the wall, a female, spoke firmly, sending another admonishing glare at Shippou, who for the life of him didn't know how to interpret this. "The kitsune should have alerted you to our common goals. We are not here to fight. Retrieve your woman. She is to come with us." Shippou was now positive that they were not enemies. He also knew that she had said the wrong thing. Implying a romantic link between Inuyasha and Kagome while simultaneously issuing what the hanyou would interpret as a threat against her life. The warring of his desires to protect and to deny that in order to save his pride would only lead her and her companion to quicker but no less painful death. So he said, at risk of later cranial damage,
"You're from the underground?" He wished he hadn't been so stupid. The thought hadn't even entered his mind. In the excitement of the day he had forgotten about them. Forgotten that of course they would know of their return. Forgotten that they would obviously seek to draw them into their ranks. It was the other demon who answered in a warm voice that masked the sarcasm of his words.
"Good call. I must admit Shippou, I had doubted whether your small kitsune mind had the capability to hold onto anything at all. And here you had almost proved me right." Shippou bared his fangs.
"Ya stupid bastards. You realize this coulda been your deaths?" Inuyasha was truly thrown.
"What the hell is going on here Shippou?" Shippou took a deep breath, his anger and mild distrust would only set Inuyasha off.
"They weren't sent by Naraku. They're from a demon resistance against him." He turned to the female demon.
"Resistance my ass. I say we-" Inuyasha began, as Shippou addressed the female, who seemed to be the leader.
"How'd you find us? What do you want? Why come here yourselves? Their must have been some way to send a message in a less threatening form. So why the show?" He glanced at Inuyasha, still on the precipe of attacking ('If only he hadn't locked Kagome away!' Shippou thought desperately.) and at Uzura, who appeared to be in shock, backing toward the workroom slowly and obviously attempting not to show how her courage was failing her. He didn't blame her. Her life had been relatively peaceful. She had fought, yes, but against more minor targets, with opponents who were human or barely more than animals. The stress combined had weakened her resolve. However, Shippou was satisfied to note that she still remained more composed than Inuyasha. Her weapon was still drawn but she showed no signs of preparing to attack.
"-kill them both and be done with it. They're demons and they attacked us!"
The woman sneered. "Kitsune. Always so full of such bothersome curiosity. No wonder none of you ever make good warriors. Sometimes I think you'd do more service to our side if you were fighting for him instead." She continued, absently flipping a whisp of dark hair over her shoulder. "It was simple to find you, as you should well know. What we want is for all of you, well the human warrior is none of our concern though she is certainly welcome," an insincere smile at the girl, "We came because we were sent, and because it is too important that you come for, to quote, "The decision to be left up to that arrogant, idiotic, distrustful hanyou brat. We were sent to get the girl, first and foremost." She smirked at Inuyasha. "The show was entirely the hanyou's doing."
"Now listen, you bastards. If you think for-"
"And what a show." Remarked the male demon.
At that moment the door of the workroom burst open, and a sweating and angry Kagome stumbled out (glowing slightly with miko energy that she didn't notice she was using), bracing herself on with the arm of a startled Uzura and breathing heavily for a moment, before releasing the girl and turning to Inuyasha angrily.
"INUYASHA!" She yelled; face red most likely from a mixture of anger, embarrassment, and heat. The demon woman smirked.
"GET BACK IN THERE!" He shouted back.
"I WILL NOT!" Kagome yelled back. She wiped her face with one hand and made a face, clenching her other hand into a fist at her side. "You jerk! That stupid room wouldn't let me out! And plus Shippou-chan doesn't think these people are dangerous and I agree with him and if you weren't such a stubborn JERK you would see that they weren't a threat! If they were a threat wouldn't they have attacked already? If Naraku knew where we were wouldn't he have sent more than enough people to kill us? He rules the world Inuyasha! He could send more than enough people to be sure that we died." She made a loud disgruntled sound and began using the sleeve of her dress to dry her face.
"Now listen…That damn brat hasn't told me a single fucking thing, bitch!" He spun toward Shippou and whacked him across the head. "What the hell do you know about them, eh brat?" Shippou yelped, and then darkened with embarrassment.
"Ow, you stupid jerk. Just what I said. And…I worked with their group before. Until about 50 years ago." He looked at the two demons expectantly. The woman looked exasperated.
"And some help you were. Refused to kill any humans. Even the girl's more of a fighter than you ever were." She smiled a predatory smile. Kagome coughed, either to call attention or from some imagined smoke inhalation it was unclear.
"Ah…Shouldn't we be, er, going wherever it is you wanted to take us."
"We AREN'T going!"
"We are, Inuyasha. I think it should be of interest to you. She has ordered that you be helped in you victory. It seems that you are something of a last hope for us." Shippou swallowed, he knew who she was. And Inuyasha wasn't going to like it. Kagome looked puzzled.
"Who is she? The one who sent you?"
"She is our matriarch. The mother of our resistance." Her voice, when she spoke of this mysterious leader, took on a quality of reverence that Shippou recognized. It was how all spoke of her. He mentally winced, thinking of how they would react when Inuyasha insulted and attempted to kill their leader. The demon woman glanced at her companion. "She will want to tell the rest for herself." Kagome nodded.
"All right. Take us to her." Her inherent sense of implicit trust won out. She was interested. And she really had a reason to take down Naraku now. Kill her would he! She'd show him. These demons seemed trustworthy, their cause important. Shippou trusted them They had made no attempt to hurt them and Kagome sensed no ill will. That was enough for her. Inuyasha on the other hand...
"WHO SAID YOU COULD DECIDE, WENCH?"
"Osuwari." Sniffing primly Kagome added, "We'll be ready in just a second."
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Okay, even though I said that I was going to work I'm actually writing end notes now. How was it? I know I shouldn't critique my own work but I'm really iffy on the last part. With the knocking and all…I still might go back and change it, even if it isn't a big deal in the scheme of things, it bothers me. Please tell me what you think! I really do appreciate every review.
Till next time…