The Miko Switch
Chapter VIII: Blooming Love
Disclaimer: No, Inuyasha doesn't belong to me! I swear!!!!!
Summary: Kagome and Kikyou switch bodies. To switch back, they must meet at the tree where Kikyou pinned Inuyasha 50 years ago after one month. But what if Kikyou does not want to switch back? INU/KAG KIK/SESS
KIKYOU
I waited in anticipation for Sesshomaru. Strangely, I was looking forward to seeing Sesshomaru, not Sango and Miroku. I noticed Rin holding a crystal ball that Sesshomaru had given her.
"Rin-chan, what's that?" I asked curiously, looking at the girl.
Rin smiled widely. "Rin get ball with snow from Sesshomaru-sama because Rin is good!" I looked closer at the ball and realized there was a small house with a snowman and snow falling on it. I smiled at Sesshomaru's thoughtfulness. Rin started turning it around and around.
I laughed at the girl's innocence. My eyes sort of welled up, and my lips formed into a dreamy smile. I remembered my wonderful times with Kaede. The two of us playing on the grass. Swimming on a lake. Making neat flower jewelry. My eyes turned misty as memories returned, flashing quickly.
"Daijobu?" Rin's sweet voice woke me up from my little dream. I turned to Rin and hugged her. Rin looked surprised.
"I miss you, Kaede," I whispered softly as I hugged Rin, enveloping her, my heart full of love. Maybe I was just a body, but I could love. That showed I was no less human than my reincarnation.
"I miss you too, nee-san," I heard Kaede's voice. Shocked, I broke away from Rin, and I saw her looking at me.
"Nande?" she asked innocently. I smiled. I couldn't help it. Since I met Rin and Sesshomaru, I had been smiling endlessly. When I switched bodies with Kagome I felt a bit better than with Sesshomaru and Rin, but now I was contented with them. They were wonderful friends.
"Kikyou?" I heard Sesshomaru's hesitant voice. I twirled around, and I saw him carrying both Sango and Miroku.
"Nice job, Sesshomaru," I said softly. I examined them. "And not a scratch. A work of art."
"As usual," he said, smiling at me. Then he glared at me. "So what's your plan?"
"I use the two of them as bait, duh," I told him. "Once they find out there's no staff there, they'll go to look for their friends. I can tell them that we have them captured, and then I'll exchange them back, for Kagome's life."
"Think Inuyasha will agree?" He asked skeptically.
"He will," I said confidently. "I'm sure of it. He's too much of a good guy. I'm going to stop them before they arrive at the mountain."
"ALONE!?" Sesshomaru said, eyes widening.
I looked at him strangely. "Of course. I can take care of myself."
Sesshomaru looked concerned. "Are you crazy? Inuyasha can take you out any time!"
"I'll bring my arrows, then," I replied. I wondered why Sesshomaru was so worried all of the sudden.
"No way." He shook his head violently. He grabbed my arm. "Either I'm going with you or you're not going at all."
I glared at him. "Come on, Sesshomaru! I'll be fine!"
"I don't know, Kikyou. You'll also meet other Youkai. What if you meet Naraku, or any of his good followers? I'm not letting you go," Sesshomaru insisted, holding my arm firmly. I saw at the corner of my eye Rin and Jaken watching closely.
I sighed. "Fine, then. Let's go."
KAGOME
I watched Inuyasha closely. He was watching me, and sighing a lot. I was worried. After all, Inuyasha used to love Kikyou before. Just as I was breaking his shell, why did Kikyou had to go and switch us?
"Inuyasha?" I said softly.
Inuyasha looked shaken. "W-what is it?" then slowly he added, "Kikyou."
My eyes widened at the name. "Daijoubu?" I asked, not showing how shaken I was. We continued walking for a while, Inuyasha ignoring me.
Inuyasha stopped in mid-step. Then he turned to look at me. "Kagome, I-I'm confused," he admitted softly. "I-I don't know who I love anymore. I'm not sure anymore. I used to love Kikyou. I'll tell you, Kagome, we had wonderful times then. We would gather flowers and herbs, though Kikyou insisted we shouldn't waste even one, yet I would always save the loveliest for her." Inuyasha sat down on a rock near a river. I sat down beside him. "She would put it in a vase and they never withered."
"Tell me more," I insisted. I looked down at my shoes. "I know she made most of your past, Inuyasha, and I'm only making your present. Can you tell me what did you and Kikyou did before? I want to know."
Inuyasha smiled at me and looked up at the sky. "I would climb a tree and she would always come along, carrying fruits. We would climb it together, I would place her at the highest branch, and I would carry her up. We were so high, we couldn't be bothered. As if there were no Youkai coming to the village, it was so peaceful," he continued. Inuyasha sounded so dreamy, as if he was lost in another world. "I hated swimming, she would force me to it, and when I surfaced, I realized I loved swimming. Only then did I appreciate the water, the running river, those rocky falls. Kikyou made everything feel so perfect, so right, so beautiful."
I sighed softly. I imagined Inuyasha and Kikyou together, together, never apart, their bond never broken, their love reaching everywhere, as if Youkai and humans were always friends. What beauty! What peace! I realized how much Inuyasha loved Kikyou. He was so calm now, as if there were no problems. I understood how he felt.
"Kaede would always be hanging around when Kikyou and I go boating, or when we sit on hills. We would escape her, anyhow, and watch the view as if time had stopped. Nothing wrong was happening in our lives and we were as happy as can be. As if a Youkai and a priestess could be together," Inuyasha ended sadly. "We pretended there were no problems, as if our love was normal, but it never was." I saw tears forming in Inuyasha's eyes. He looked so sentimental. I resolved then not to interfere with Inuyasha's love life. Who cared if he loved Kikyou or me? As long as he was happy, I was contented. After all, I had my own world, world filled with friends and family. I could always return.
"I didn't know," I said softly. "I thought you detested her, you hated her. I assumed your past with her was nothing but fights, but, it actually you're own little haven to be with her. Isn't it, Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha looked at me. "As if I'm actually talking to Kikyou right now," he said, smiling. "It's true, Kagome, she was the first person that made me open up. To make me think that humans were not that bad. Kikyou. . . the person that made me realize I had a heart." His eyes glistened. "That I was different from other Youkai that only cared about the Shikon no Tama. That the people who loved me, my parents, I could love them back. That I had heart that could love."
I smiled at Inuyasha's confession. "You admit you loved her now, Inuyasha." My voice was so smooth, as if I wasn't mad. And I wasn't. No, not a single feeling of jealousy or anger. In fact, I was happy. I wanted Inuyasha to tell me, to admit to me, that he loved Kikyou. That I was no replacement, that he had loved that past self of mine. If Inuyasha kept telling himself he never loved Kikyou, then where was his past? I wanted him to go down to his roots, admit his past, then renew himself in the present. After all, if he couldn't face his past, how could he ever face his present? "Am I right?"
Inuyasha's face showed emotion after what I said. "Though this heart isn't for love alone," he continued tightly. "It also feels grief, sadness, anger. Grief at losing my parents. Sadness as realization and reality shows me how my love with Kikyou was forbidden. Anger . . . not at Kikyou, but at myself. For allowing me to be tricked by Naraku." He sighed.
"You didn't answer my question," I pointed out.
"Yes, I did love her," Inuyasha replied. I was surprised at Inuyasha's sudden reply. I thought he was ashamed to even admit it. "I may have refused to answer that if Shippou, Miroku or Sango was here, though. They would have bitten my head off. But I did love her, Kagome." He stared at me. "I loved her with all my heart."
SESSHOMARU
"I don't know why we still have to confront them, Kikyou," I told my companion. I watched as her, well, Kagome's, hair fell just right over her shoulder. I watched as she stopped in mid-step to smile at me. I watched as her beautiful eyes glisten. . . wait a minute. Beautiful eyes? I wonder if I'm eating right.
"Come on, Sesshy, it'll be fun," she persuaded, her eyes sparkling. She was no longer wearing Kagome's school clothes, but her old clothes. She looked very cute.
"Fine," I grumbled. Somehow I wish I didn't allow myself to come along. I should have let her go along. But . . . well, I was worried. I just couldn't help it. If she got really hurt . . . and I had promised myself to take care of her. She had no one anymore, no parents, her sister wouldn't accept her, as she was dead, her old lover loves someone else, her village didn't accept her either. What did she have left? Rin and me. Nothing else.
"Thank you!" She said, smiling at me. She hugged me, and I felt a slight tingle. I didn't know why, but it felt good. Very good.
"Well, let's hurry up then," I said, wanting to get this over with us soon as possible.
"I see them!" Kikyou said in a hushed voice. She pointed to a river where Inuyasha sat on a rock, looking peaceful. Kagome was staring up at the sky, as if time stopped.
"They look so peaceful," I murmured, unknowingly touching Kikyou's shoulder. Kikyou didn't recoil, it was as if holding her was a normal act between the two of us. If this had been three months ago, she would have probably shot me down with an arrow.
"They look so perfect," Kikyou corrected me, her eyes shining. "Like Inuyasha and me. Before, we would get that look, as if nothing could bother us." I saw her eyes welling up. I was shocked. I expected her to show little emotion in our trip to Kagome and Inuyasha.
"Kikyou. . . what do you plan to do now?" I asked softly, knowing full well that Kikyou had changed her plan.
"I'll give her the Staff of Souls," Kikyou replied decidedly, clutching the staff. "But I won't return her friends just yet."
"Let's go, then," I told her, then we reappeared in front of the two, half- floating in the river.
"Sesshomaru!" Kagome screeched, just as Inuyasha yelled, "Kikyou!"
~*~*~*~*~*~
CLIFFY!
Ah. . . can't you just wait for the next chappie? So I want to know what a good title will be, should it be
A) Secrets Revealed
B) Long-lost Love
C) Realization
Thanks PPLZ!
Chapter VIII: Blooming Love
Disclaimer: No, Inuyasha doesn't belong to me! I swear!!!!!
Summary: Kagome and Kikyou switch bodies. To switch back, they must meet at the tree where Kikyou pinned Inuyasha 50 years ago after one month. But what if Kikyou does not want to switch back? INU/KAG KIK/SESS
KIKYOU
I waited in anticipation for Sesshomaru. Strangely, I was looking forward to seeing Sesshomaru, not Sango and Miroku. I noticed Rin holding a crystal ball that Sesshomaru had given her.
"Rin-chan, what's that?" I asked curiously, looking at the girl.
Rin smiled widely. "Rin get ball with snow from Sesshomaru-sama because Rin is good!" I looked closer at the ball and realized there was a small house with a snowman and snow falling on it. I smiled at Sesshomaru's thoughtfulness. Rin started turning it around and around.
I laughed at the girl's innocence. My eyes sort of welled up, and my lips formed into a dreamy smile. I remembered my wonderful times with Kaede. The two of us playing on the grass. Swimming on a lake. Making neat flower jewelry. My eyes turned misty as memories returned, flashing quickly.
"Daijobu?" Rin's sweet voice woke me up from my little dream. I turned to Rin and hugged her. Rin looked surprised.
"I miss you, Kaede," I whispered softly as I hugged Rin, enveloping her, my heart full of love. Maybe I was just a body, but I could love. That showed I was no less human than my reincarnation.
"I miss you too, nee-san," I heard Kaede's voice. Shocked, I broke away from Rin, and I saw her looking at me.
"Nande?" she asked innocently. I smiled. I couldn't help it. Since I met Rin and Sesshomaru, I had been smiling endlessly. When I switched bodies with Kagome I felt a bit better than with Sesshomaru and Rin, but now I was contented with them. They were wonderful friends.
"Kikyou?" I heard Sesshomaru's hesitant voice. I twirled around, and I saw him carrying both Sango and Miroku.
"Nice job, Sesshomaru," I said softly. I examined them. "And not a scratch. A work of art."
"As usual," he said, smiling at me. Then he glared at me. "So what's your plan?"
"I use the two of them as bait, duh," I told him. "Once they find out there's no staff there, they'll go to look for their friends. I can tell them that we have them captured, and then I'll exchange them back, for Kagome's life."
"Think Inuyasha will agree?" He asked skeptically.
"He will," I said confidently. "I'm sure of it. He's too much of a good guy. I'm going to stop them before they arrive at the mountain."
"ALONE!?" Sesshomaru said, eyes widening.
I looked at him strangely. "Of course. I can take care of myself."
Sesshomaru looked concerned. "Are you crazy? Inuyasha can take you out any time!"
"I'll bring my arrows, then," I replied. I wondered why Sesshomaru was so worried all of the sudden.
"No way." He shook his head violently. He grabbed my arm. "Either I'm going with you or you're not going at all."
I glared at him. "Come on, Sesshomaru! I'll be fine!"
"I don't know, Kikyou. You'll also meet other Youkai. What if you meet Naraku, or any of his good followers? I'm not letting you go," Sesshomaru insisted, holding my arm firmly. I saw at the corner of my eye Rin and Jaken watching closely.
I sighed. "Fine, then. Let's go."
KAGOME
I watched Inuyasha closely. He was watching me, and sighing a lot. I was worried. After all, Inuyasha used to love Kikyou before. Just as I was breaking his shell, why did Kikyou had to go and switch us?
"Inuyasha?" I said softly.
Inuyasha looked shaken. "W-what is it?" then slowly he added, "Kikyou."
My eyes widened at the name. "Daijoubu?" I asked, not showing how shaken I was. We continued walking for a while, Inuyasha ignoring me.
Inuyasha stopped in mid-step. Then he turned to look at me. "Kagome, I-I'm confused," he admitted softly. "I-I don't know who I love anymore. I'm not sure anymore. I used to love Kikyou. I'll tell you, Kagome, we had wonderful times then. We would gather flowers and herbs, though Kikyou insisted we shouldn't waste even one, yet I would always save the loveliest for her." Inuyasha sat down on a rock near a river. I sat down beside him. "She would put it in a vase and they never withered."
"Tell me more," I insisted. I looked down at my shoes. "I know she made most of your past, Inuyasha, and I'm only making your present. Can you tell me what did you and Kikyou did before? I want to know."
Inuyasha smiled at me and looked up at the sky. "I would climb a tree and she would always come along, carrying fruits. We would climb it together, I would place her at the highest branch, and I would carry her up. We were so high, we couldn't be bothered. As if there were no Youkai coming to the village, it was so peaceful," he continued. Inuyasha sounded so dreamy, as if he was lost in another world. "I hated swimming, she would force me to it, and when I surfaced, I realized I loved swimming. Only then did I appreciate the water, the running river, those rocky falls. Kikyou made everything feel so perfect, so right, so beautiful."
I sighed softly. I imagined Inuyasha and Kikyou together, together, never apart, their bond never broken, their love reaching everywhere, as if Youkai and humans were always friends. What beauty! What peace! I realized how much Inuyasha loved Kikyou. He was so calm now, as if there were no problems. I understood how he felt.
"Kaede would always be hanging around when Kikyou and I go boating, or when we sit on hills. We would escape her, anyhow, and watch the view as if time had stopped. Nothing wrong was happening in our lives and we were as happy as can be. As if a Youkai and a priestess could be together," Inuyasha ended sadly. "We pretended there were no problems, as if our love was normal, but it never was." I saw tears forming in Inuyasha's eyes. He looked so sentimental. I resolved then not to interfere with Inuyasha's love life. Who cared if he loved Kikyou or me? As long as he was happy, I was contented. After all, I had my own world, world filled with friends and family. I could always return.
"I didn't know," I said softly. "I thought you detested her, you hated her. I assumed your past with her was nothing but fights, but, it actually you're own little haven to be with her. Isn't it, Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha looked at me. "As if I'm actually talking to Kikyou right now," he said, smiling. "It's true, Kagome, she was the first person that made me open up. To make me think that humans were not that bad. Kikyou. . . the person that made me realize I had a heart." His eyes glistened. "That I was different from other Youkai that only cared about the Shikon no Tama. That the people who loved me, my parents, I could love them back. That I had heart that could love."
I smiled at Inuyasha's confession. "You admit you loved her now, Inuyasha." My voice was so smooth, as if I wasn't mad. And I wasn't. No, not a single feeling of jealousy or anger. In fact, I was happy. I wanted Inuyasha to tell me, to admit to me, that he loved Kikyou. That I was no replacement, that he had loved that past self of mine. If Inuyasha kept telling himself he never loved Kikyou, then where was his past? I wanted him to go down to his roots, admit his past, then renew himself in the present. After all, if he couldn't face his past, how could he ever face his present? "Am I right?"
Inuyasha's face showed emotion after what I said. "Though this heart isn't for love alone," he continued tightly. "It also feels grief, sadness, anger. Grief at losing my parents. Sadness as realization and reality shows me how my love with Kikyou was forbidden. Anger . . . not at Kikyou, but at myself. For allowing me to be tricked by Naraku." He sighed.
"You didn't answer my question," I pointed out.
"Yes, I did love her," Inuyasha replied. I was surprised at Inuyasha's sudden reply. I thought he was ashamed to even admit it. "I may have refused to answer that if Shippou, Miroku or Sango was here, though. They would have bitten my head off. But I did love her, Kagome." He stared at me. "I loved her with all my heart."
SESSHOMARU
"I don't know why we still have to confront them, Kikyou," I told my companion. I watched as her, well, Kagome's, hair fell just right over her shoulder. I watched as she stopped in mid-step to smile at me. I watched as her beautiful eyes glisten. . . wait a minute. Beautiful eyes? I wonder if I'm eating right.
"Come on, Sesshy, it'll be fun," she persuaded, her eyes sparkling. She was no longer wearing Kagome's school clothes, but her old clothes. She looked very cute.
"Fine," I grumbled. Somehow I wish I didn't allow myself to come along. I should have let her go along. But . . . well, I was worried. I just couldn't help it. If she got really hurt . . . and I had promised myself to take care of her. She had no one anymore, no parents, her sister wouldn't accept her, as she was dead, her old lover loves someone else, her village didn't accept her either. What did she have left? Rin and me. Nothing else.
"Thank you!" She said, smiling at me. She hugged me, and I felt a slight tingle. I didn't know why, but it felt good. Very good.
"Well, let's hurry up then," I said, wanting to get this over with us soon as possible.
"I see them!" Kikyou said in a hushed voice. She pointed to a river where Inuyasha sat on a rock, looking peaceful. Kagome was staring up at the sky, as if time stopped.
"They look so peaceful," I murmured, unknowingly touching Kikyou's shoulder. Kikyou didn't recoil, it was as if holding her was a normal act between the two of us. If this had been three months ago, she would have probably shot me down with an arrow.
"They look so perfect," Kikyou corrected me, her eyes shining. "Like Inuyasha and me. Before, we would get that look, as if nothing could bother us." I saw her eyes welling up. I was shocked. I expected her to show little emotion in our trip to Kagome and Inuyasha.
"Kikyou. . . what do you plan to do now?" I asked softly, knowing full well that Kikyou had changed her plan.
"I'll give her the Staff of Souls," Kikyou replied decidedly, clutching the staff. "But I won't return her friends just yet."
"Let's go, then," I told her, then we reappeared in front of the two, half- floating in the river.
"Sesshomaru!" Kagome screeched, just as Inuyasha yelled, "Kikyou!"
~*~*~*~*~*~
CLIFFY!
Ah. . . can't you just wait for the next chappie? So I want to know what a good title will be, should it be
A) Secrets Revealed
B) Long-lost Love
C) Realization
Thanks PPLZ!