AN: Let's see… how long will this story be? Possibly not as long as Soul Exchange, but not a short one either. Roughly 18 chapters, I think, but don't quote me on that.
And Inuyasha's hair is just fine! He hasn't chopped it off or done anything drastic – that was just Kagome's dream. But that'll be explained in later chapters.
And about the Shichinin-tai – yes, they are all human (though Kyoukotsu and Suikotsu look very Youkai-ish) and none of them are actually brothers. But Jakotsu refers to people like Renkotsu or Bankotsu as 'aniki' which means 'elder brother'. But it's just a respectful term for someone higher up in rank. And Bankotsu can be referred to as 'oo-aniki' which means something like 'biggest older brother' – because he's their leader. Doesn't mean they're all related, but the Shichinin-tai is sort of like their family group of brothers in that respect.
And yes, Jakotsu is gay in this story. Otherwise he wouldn't be Jakotsu now would he ^_^
Life Exchange
Chapter 2
All In Your Head
Above them, the ceiling groaned and creaked as it dipped under the strain of the upper floors. Sesshomaru, along with his guards and attendants cast a silent eye up to the ceiling rafts. "Mochihiko?" Sesshomaru gestured one of the guards forward to his throne. "Tell them to get a move on repairing this place. If it's not done by the time the rainy season comes then this place will be flooded in no time."
"My lord." The man gave a quick bow and hurried from the throne room.
"Continue." Sesshomaru nodded to the advisor who had been speaking to him.
The man shifted nervously. "We're still having trouble discovering which members of staff in the palace are spies for the Inuyasha brat. We found one man, his stripes were only fake marks – he was an Inu Youkai from the South.. But everyone else in the palace has natural stripes, so they are all citizens of this Kingdom."
"Then it is safe to presume Inuyasha has managed to talk some of our own people into becoming his spies?" Sesshomaru scowled. "Fair enough. How many spies do we have in the Southern palace then?"
"Um…" The man swallowed hard. "As of yesterday, sire…? None…"
"What?" Sesshomaru sat upright rather quickly.
"The last of our men was discovered yesterday, sire. The last thing he managed to report before he was caught was that a human female by the name of Kagome was the one who was singling out our spies and having them rounded up."
"What makes her so special?" The Northern King demanded.
"A few spies a little while ago said she possessed miko like abilities… similar to Kikyo, the one who was killed a few years ago. They never elaborated on what exactly she could do." The advisor shifted again. "But she's wiped out all our spies, while I am sure Inuyasha has sent more men to spy on us here, your highness."
"How many, exactly?" Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes.
"On average… I'd say there is at least one in this room right now, sire." The man glanced around suspiciously at the guards standing around the room. Sesshomaru didn't bother wasting his time looking around the room. The men all looked the same, a spy would not stand out.
Just then there came a knock at the door. Sesshomaru snapped a glare on the messenger who was stood in the open doorway. "What is it?"
"The outlooks along the border found a trespasser. He's a human." The young messenger informed him sombrely.
"Bring him to me."
The young messenger, really no more than a boy, turned and made a gesture to someone outside in the corridor. He stood back and a few moments later a guard came in, dragging a rather plain looking man along in his wake. Definitely a human.
The man was forced onto his knees before Sesshomaru who stood regally and glowered down at him. But he was half pleased at the arrival, at least it would serve as some form of entertainment after the drab days recently. "Why were you trespassing on my land. Are you from Inuyasha's domain?"
"I… I'm lost… I don't know where I am." The man mumbled to the floor.
"Indeed. Stand up."
When the man didn't comply, the guard stepped forward and forced him with a hard jerk onto his feet. The human man winced in pain. "Please – I'm just a lowly doctor, I don't want to cause you any trouble here!"
"You are a friend of Inuyasha, undoubtedly, considering his preference to human companions. Sickening really." Sesshomaru flicked some lint of his sleeve before turning an impassive gaze to the trembling man before him. "Are you not?"
"I… don't know who this Inuyasha is… I'm sorry… please, just let me go?"
"Or perhaps you are just a human who wandered upon the sand bridge that connects this island to the mainland?" Sesshomaru inhaled deeply. "Though it only rises on the full moon… so that would mean you've been hanging around the island for three weeks. Is that the case?"
"I don't remember…"
"What is your name." It wasn't really a question, and more like a demand.
"S-Suikotsu…" he stammered out.
Sesshomaru refrained from rolling his eyes. This was proving to be less entertaining than he'd originally thought. He turned with a sigh and headed back to his throne. "Kill him."
He heard the two guards move behind him, and listened as there was a sickening slicing sound, following by the dull thump of a body. He stopped walking at once when he heard a second dull thump that signalled a second body hitting the floor. He half turned and regarded the scene behind him… allowing for once a slight flicker of surprise and confusion across his expression at what he saw.
"Interesting…" he said slowly as he looked Suikotsu up and down, barely sparing a glance at the two dead guards at his feet. "What happened to your face?"
Where once stood the timid and mild looking human doctor… someone… something more fierce stood in his place. Violent dark stripes marred his cheeks and forehead. The smooth face was now full of sharp, almost demon like angles and maliciousness. For some reason he seemed bigger, taller… nearly the same height as Sesshomaru himself. What had just happened.
A few possibilities flashed through his mind. A Youkai possessed human doctor? A demon who hid his true nature behind a human mask? A Youkai, full stop? But no… he didn't smell like a Youkai, he smelled human and nothing more.
"My elder brother sends his regards." Suikotsu sneered as he dropped the sword that he'd taken from one of the guards as they'd attacked him. He reached into his coat to pull out his own weapon of choice. A large thick gauntlet like glove, with nine inch blades protruding from the knuckles. "This Kingdom is now the property of the Shichinin-tai!"
"Is that so?" Sesshomaru slowly rested his hand on the hilt of his newly acquired sword, Toukijin. "First you must defeat me to take my throne."
^_^
"Fushi… my legs going to fall off in a minute if you don't let go." Kagome told the small boy as she lifted her left leg and took a laboured step forward. It would have been so much easier if she didn't have a four year old boy wrapped around the leg.
"This isn't the way to the kitchens." Fushi mumbled into her leg. "You said you were taking me to the kitchens! You lied to me! Liar!"
"I never said when I would take you to the kitchens, she huffed as she headed for Sango's room. "We'll just make a quick pit-stop to Mama's room to have a story and a good night sleep, and then in the morning we can all go to the kitchens to have breakfast, ok?"
"Aw!" Fushi wailed at the unfairness of it all. "But I'm not tired yet!"
"You're not? Well I am." She pretended to yawn widely and smiled inwardly when he caught the infectious action. "See? You are tired."
"Maybe a little." He replied sullenly against her leg, burying his face in her kimono.
"Come on, you're a big boy, you can walk by yourself now, right?" she reached down and managed to pry him off her without much trouble. She took his hand and started to guide him slowly back to Sango's room. The thing about Fushi was that he hated being treated like a child, despite the obvious fact that he was a child. That was probably the reason why he liked Kagome so much – because she didn't make silly baby faces or noises at him. She at least treated him like he had a mind of his own. Not many other people in the palace realised that.
"Sango?" Kagome knocked on the door quietly before opening it. "Look who I found."
"There you are, Fushi." Sango said in a quiet voice, and gestured for them to keep their voices down after pointing at the cradle in the corner of the room. "Reiko's asleep, let's get you to bed, young man."
"But I'm not…" he broke off with a yawn. "… tired yet."
"Of course you aren't." Sango dropped his night-clothes onto his head with a smile. "Now keep your voice down, or you'll wake your little sister."
She steered him in the direction of the back room where his bed lay, and half closed the connecting door before turning back to Kagome who was sat on the bed in the middle of the room. She opened her mouth to speak before quickly closing it as her gaze fell to Kagome's leg. "What's that?"
"A leg?" Kagome took a wild guess as she followed her friend's gaze. "Oh – that's just bruise. Got it down by the river earlier today while I was with Inuyasha."
Sango raised an eyebrow, and in the blink of an eye was beside the younger girl and lifting her leg up so quickly that Kagome fell back with another 'oof'. "That's no bruise – that's a hickey!" Sango got a devilish little twinkle in her eye. "With Inuyasha you say?"
"Uh…" Kagome was sure it wasn't the abnormally hot weather that was making her hot under the collar. "Don't be silly."
"Please tell me he gave you this!" Sango pleaded, dropping Kagome's leg so she could sit up again. "Who made the first move? Was it him or you? When did you two finally get together?!"
"Sango…" Kagome sighed, feeling the blush leave her face. "We haven't done anything. It was just a leech that got my leg."
"Ew!" Sango wiped her hands down on front of her kimono, just over the fairly decent bump over her stomach. "You mean, a leech gave you the hickey? That's disappointing."
"Tell me about it." Kagome sighed and watched as Sango carefully sat down next to her on the bed. "But Inuyasha was very heroic in saving me."
Sango watched her quietly for a moment before cocking her head. "I don't understand. You're a beautiful girl, you're intelligent… more or less… and kind, and considerate, and you've proven how loyal you are. Why doesn't he trust you yet? It's been three years for crying out loud."
"He trusts me fine." Kagome fended her off. "He told me once that he felt confident enough to put his life in my hands at any time."
"But… then why…?" Sango wasn't sure how to phrase the question.
"Apparently putting his heart in my hands is a different matter." Kagome fiddled with her skirts. She'd had this conversation with Sango so many times over the past few years that she'd lost count of the times they'd talked. "Sango… you're an old friend of Inuyasha's right?"
"Sure." Sango shrugged.
"He hasn't… spoken to you about… me… has he?"
"No."
Kagome fought to keep from looking too crestfallen as Sango quickly tried again. "I mean… he wouldn't talk about stuff like that with me. If it makes you feel any better he hasn't talked to me about any other girl either. Maybe he prefers men?"
"Bull."
"Language!" Sango hissed, casting a glance over to Fushi's room. She frowned when she saw him peeking through the Shoji. "Bed!"
He quickly scuttled off.
"So what's going on?" Sango turned back to Kagome.
"Well… nothing…" Kagome shrugged helplessly. "We talk often, we hang around, we have fun… but only like best friends would do. I don't know… maybe after three years he's not interested in pursuing anything romantic with me. I think all he feels for me is fondness… nothing really close to love. Not even… not even a crush or… I don't think he finds me even remotely attractive."
"That's impossible." Sango said bluntly.
"Well…" Kagome turned to look at the older girl. "How did you get together with Miroku?"
"Um…" Sango looked off into space as she tried to think back. "God… it's so long ago. Well… he arrived… started feeling up every girl within a ten mile radius… but he was always forward about his feelings for me. He never beat around the bush. He never got nervous or minced his words. If he liked me he'd tell me so, and when he told me he loved me… I knew he was serious. He told me he loved me even though I was still slapping him for touching me."
Kagome sighed. "Damn… Inuyasha's never forward about his feelings…"
"He'll keep it all bottled up inside, no matter how he feels." Sango nodded slowly. "Ok, so maybe he won't be the one to make the first step. Maybe you should instead?"
"What?" Kagome stared at her.
"You know, get the ball rolling." Sango grinned. "Tell him how you feel, and that will cause a chain reaction that will ultimately lead to him telling you the same thing and then – before we know it – Lady Inu's wish for grandchildren will be granted."
The younger girl shook her head. "I'm pretty sure he doesn't love me…"
"How can you be?" Sango asked softly.
"After three years, wouldn't you think he'd give at least one little sign of love if that was what he felt?" Kagome flopped back onto the bed. "He doesn't love me… I know it."
"Well then make him love you."
"Force him to love me? That's just cruel." Kagome snorted softly.
"Loving you is not exactly going to be excruciating pain, Kagome." Sango sighed. "If you make the moves on the boy then he'll be all over you in no time."
Kagome snapped a frown on her. "You mean like seduction?"
"Um…" Sango fidgeted with her kimono sleeve. "Not quite like that… I mean… it's not like you'd be doing it for evil intent."
"But it's still seduction." Kagome said shortly.
"Ok, yeah it is, so what?" Sango rolled her eyes. "At least you two would finally be together after god knows how long!"
"I can't seduce him, Sango!" Kagome sat up like a bolt. "That's what got me into this mess! When he found out that I came here on Naraku's orders to seduce and kill him – it ruined my entire relationship with him! Irreparably! I don't think Inuyasha would appreciate it if I tried to seduce him for real this time! And anyway… that's like making him love me falsely… it wouldn't really be his true feelings would it?"
Sango shrugged. "Whatever. Maybe you don't have to go to extremes. Just a casual touch or caress… and let him do the rest. I'm sure if you forced him to look at you in that kind of way, you'll find that he'll be falling over his feet to love you soon enough."
Kagome shook her head. "Unbelievable… you know, I'm actually considering this…?"
"Good." Sango patted her knee. "Now maybe you should go find him and start caressing him like I said."
Kagome tried to fight her blush. "Maybe some other time." She cleared her throat. "Where's Miroku, anyway?"
Sango's face hardened. "That bastard is going to stay out of this room until he thinks about what he said," she ground out.
"What did he say?"
"He insinuated I was fat when he gave me my new dresses." Sango folded her arms. "This'll teach him for calling me fat!"
It wasn't good to be around a pregnant Sango when she was angry, so Kagome quickly made her excuses and headed off to find something else to do.
^_^
Inuyasha stared with glazed eyes at the papers in his hands. This was the part of the job he hated more than anything else. Taxes… who needed them? Maybe he should just cut them in half and piss off his royal advisors more than usual. Well it would make everyone else happy…
He shifted his position in his throne so that his legs dangled off the right arm rest and his back leant against the left. It was getting pretty late into the evening and everyone was setting off for bed, which left the throne room a little more empty than usual. The only people in there besides himself were four guards standing over the doors.
At first it had been kind of unnerving sitting in such a big quiet room with a few guards standing so stiffly they could have been stuffed dolls. But after a while Inuyasha just got used to the atmosphere and managed to ignore them.
'Inuyasha'
He looked up expectantly at the guards to see who had called his name. None of them moved. He frowned for a moment before getting back on with his 'work'.
'Inuyasha'
"What do you want?" he snapped without looking up. The four guards jumped and looked to one another, trying to figure out which one of them he was talking to. He looked up at the clueless men, irritated immediately. "Which one of you is calling my name?" he demanded.
"Uh… no one." One guard looked at the others uncertainly.
Inuyasha's patience with them ran out. "Get out and don't tell the second shift to come in until their time."
The men trooped out, leaving the King alone.
"Stupid guards… not in the mood for tricks…" he shifted to get comfortable again and rested his head against the back of the throne. "So bored…" And itchy. He scowled as he put down the papers on his lap for a moment to take off the metal arm cuffs that nearly covered his forearms and scratched. He didn't bother putting the heavy cuffs on again when he was relieved. He just went back to reading.
'Inuyasha'
His head snapped up and he was out of his chair so fast that the cuffs fell from his lap and landed on the stone floor with loud crashes. He looked down at them for a moment before looking around. "Who's there?" an eerie sense making the fine hairs at the back of his neck bristle.
'Inuyasha'
"Inuyasha…" he echoed the name with a frown. The difference between his voice and the second voice was clear… the second voice wasn't in the room, it was in his head.
Something brushed against his arm and he immediately backed away from the source. He swiped and connected with nothing but air. There was something in the room with him…
He stood for a moment, waiting for the next touch, or whisper… but everything was silent and he was alone. He relaxed slightly and crouched to pick up the cuffs whilst shaking his head. "Either I'm loosing it…" he told himself quietly. "Or I'm being haunted."
He didn't believe in ghosts, and he snorted contemptuously as he rose and decided he might as well head to bed. He was probably just fatigued. He reached the door and waved back at the room. "Night Kikyo." He said before slamming the door in his wake.
^_^
Kagome yawned as she carried her laundry back to her room under one arm. She came around the corner and passed the throne room when she head voices. Actually, just one.
"Night Kikyo." The door opened and Inuyasha came out, almost running into her.
"Who're you talking to?" Kagome asked.
"Uh… myself?" he guessed with a shrug.
"That's a bad sign." She smiled when he grinned at her. "You going to bed?"
"You?" he replied.
"Yep."
"Well, seeing as we're both heading the same way, I'll take these then." He took the basket of laundry from under her arm as he headed off. Kagome quickly walked after him.
"Any excuse to see my underwear." She laughed.
What Sango had suggested to her earlier came back to her and the laugh faded. Could she seriously make first contact like that. She looked at Inuyasha before her and bit her lip. She could do it now if she felt so inclined… when he handed back her washing she could 'nonchalantly' brush against his arm. Actually it would have to be more than a nonchalant touch… since Inuyasha probably wouldn't get the hint. It would have to be more like… like latching onto his arm and saying 'my god you're gorgeous'. Only then would Inuyasha get the hint of her feelings.
Not that it would be breaking news. She'd told him at least twice now that she loved him. He must still know that she loved him… but if she put herself out on a limb now then if he rejected her again, it would still hurt.
She was pulled out of her musings when he frowned at her. "You say something?"
She frowned back. "Uh… about you seeing my underwear?"
"No, after that."
"I didn't say anything after that." She frowned deeper. "Why?"
"Nothing." He shook his head quickly and stopped as they reached her door. He turned and gave her the basket. She took it without making any kind of move on him. "Night, Kag."
"G'night." She said as he stalked off to go into his own room beside hers. She sighed and slapped the palm of her hand against her forehead. She was such a big chicken…
^_^
Inuyasha tossed and turned that night, unable to fall asleep, but not due to the almost unbearable heat of his room. He half kicked the covers off and rolled over to clamp his hands over his ears, but that only seemed to make the voices louder.
'I can't believe he actually said that'
'Do you think it could be in the middle drawer'
'That dress will never go with that hat'
'Have you seen Fushi anywhere'
'Maybe you should gag her, that'll keep her quiet'
Inuyasha groaned into his mattress. "Shut up… shut up…" he muttered as she twisted onto his back again before soon turning to lie on his front, his arms completely wrapped over his head in an effort to shut them out. They were just voices, male and female, and sometimes they belonged to people he knew. Sometimes he swore he heard Sango or his mother… or Kagome or Miroku. But there were just as many unfamiliar voices. They weren't loud, they were just as feeble sounding as the words he thought aloud in his head… but he didn't have any control over them. They just talked random nonsense, all at the same time, but he could only pick out one voice over the others at any one time.
And he didn't know how to stop them.
'He'd never understand'
'Mountains or Chinchillas?'
'You think you have a bad feeling about this'
'Keep away from the woods'
'The sky won't fall just yet'
'She's against you… you know it… you have to do something about it'
"SHUT UP!" he yelled, fracturing the quiet of his room. At once the voices ceased in his head and he was left with the peaceful silence of his own mind again.
Thank god… he thought, relieved he could hear himself think again, without so many other voices crowding in on him.
Weakly he reached up and dragged a pillow over his head and clamped down on it, as if that would keep the voices from reaching him again. It seemed to work, and it wasn't long before he could drift off to sleep again.
^_^
Kagome flinched out of her light doze as she heard a loud noise in the night. She took a moment to get her bearings before trying to figure out what the noise had been. It had sounded like someone shouting… someone like Inuyasha…
Alarm crept up on her and she was awake and on her feet in seconds. And swaying as the headrush hit her rapidly as she did so. She stumbled towards her door blindly, not waiting for the rush to subside. Inuyasha's safety came first. She pushed her door back and soundlessly tiptoed across the fall for his door. It wasn't the full moon… so he couldn't have transformed into a full Youkai… not that he did that anymore ever since he got his mitts on Tessaiga.
She hesitated only a moment before pushing back his sliding door to peek inside and see what the problem was.
Nothing… apparently.
Everything was normal and quiet, Inuyasha was sleeping in his usual position of being perpendicular to the headboard with one foot dangling off the side of the bed and the sheets twisted half around his body and half strewn on the floor. She smiled affectionately as she heard his soft muffled snores from under the pillow he'd pulled over his head. She often teased him about his snores, saying they weren't manly enough to be called snores, but only just loud enough to be called kitten snores. It peeved him off to no end.
Seeing that everything was as it should be she slid his door shut and headed back to her room, allowing exhaustion to creep up on her as she settled into bed and kicked the covers to the end of the bed. It was quite a hot night, and she didn't want to get overheated in her sleep.
But even though she made the effort to be comfortable, she fell into a fitful sleep. Filled with the same images of the dream she'd had the night before…
But it was different.
This time it was filled with fire… the strange man who stalked her… This time the dream was more vivid, she remembered more details and places. But she still didn't recognise the face.
And just before she woke up, she heard the signature remark from her pursuer.
"What does this mean?"
AN: Hm, what does this mean? Well, I'll update soon so you can find out ^_^