AN: Hey! Umm… so it has been exactly a week, not when I planned to update, but it is exam week, and my dorm decided it was time for the heat and sewage to break, so I have had a stressful week. I kind of have been putting of this chapter anyways, 'cause I hate when people are embarrassed or something, I tend to get embarrassed for them. I am a strange person, yes I know. ENJOY!
Disclaimer: The plan did not succeed, darn.
TO ALL MY REVIEWERS: I sincerely do love you all, *hugs all her reviewers*. You are the best!
Love Isn't Just a Memory
By: Nimerin
Chapter Eleven: Confrontations
The group was still standing outside of the house, each lost in the tumult of their minds. The first to collect their wits was Mrs. Higurashi, "I think maybe we should all go inside. The shrine often gets some visitors during the day, and I am not quite sure how I would explain all of you to them without raising some suspicions."
Inuyasha looked up and spoke in a hopeful tone, "When is Kagome coming back?"
Mrs. Higurashi glanced momentarily at her watch, "Well, school should be letting out in about ten minutes, but I don't know if she planned to go out with her friends from school afterward."
Inuyasha frowned, "What does she think she is doing going off and having fun when she is in danger like this, stupid girl."
Sango defended her absent friend, "She doesn't know that anything is really wrong with her Inuyasha, she can't remember."
Miroku nodded, "Besides which, for her it has been a month without incident, she is sure to feel more relaxed." He then turned to Kagome's mother, "I must apologize for him. He is only being so rude because he is so worried."
Mrs. Higurashi smiled, "Oh, I knew that. He has been here enough times for me to have learned that much about him. I know Inuyasha is really a very nice boy."
Inuyasha blushed as all the others turned amused smiles at him. Shippo, however, could not resist the urge to tease the obviously embarrassed hanyou, "You say that now, but you have never had him chasing you around to bop you on your head."
Mrs. Higurashi and everyone excluding Inuyasha laughed at the mental image the kitsune's comment had produced. Inuyasha soon recovered from his embarrassment and began to terrorize Shippo, "For someone that dislikes being hit so much, you sure ask for it a lot."
Shippo took off running for his life before he decided to hide behind Souta, "Save me," he squeaked, "He is going to kill me if you don't."
Souta grinned down at the little kit and then turned to Inuyasha, "Don't worry Shippo, I will protect you. Nee-chan would be upset with me if I didn't."
At the mention of Kagome, Inuyasha stopped mid-pounce. 'I don't care if he was hiding behind Souta, I would have gotten him; but Souta was right, Kagome would have been upset.'
Rather then show the squishy bunny side of himself, he opted for an arrogant snort, "You aren't even worth my time you brat."
"Hey!" Shippo shouted momentarily braver, "I am not a brat you jerk!" Following his outburst he stuck out his tongue.
"You shouldn't do that runt, you never know when a demon might come along and bite it off."
Shippo's tongue was soon no longer sticking out, and he was cowering even more behind Kagome's little brother.
"Come along everyone. Inside now before you really cause a scene." Mrs. Higurashi began ushering the group of shard hunters into her house and into the kitchen.
"You all must be tired from your journey. Would you like some food while you rest?"
Inuyasha's head bolted straight up as his ears stood at attention, "Ramen! I want ramen!"
"Inuyasha!" Sango chided, "Be more respectful to Kagome's mother."
"It is alright dear, I don't mind. I am used to feeding him by now. Hai, Inuyasha, you can have ramen. Is that what the rest of you would like as well?"
The group all agreed that ramen was fine with them and said their thanks as the food was passed out. Soon after they were finished, Inuyasha straightened in his seat and took a tentative sniff. Everyone else was immediately on alert.
"What is it Inuyasha?" Miroku inquired. Instead of giving a reply, Inuyasha jumped out of his seat and ran out the door. "Shippo, Kirara, do you smell anything?"
Both mentioned sniffed the air and shook their heads. "I can't smell anything special, but Inuyasha has a better sense of smell then us." Shippo commented.
"Well, I think we had better follow him then." Sango said as she rose out of her seat and started to follow after the missing companion. The rest soon did the same and found themselves standing in the courtyard with the hanyou facing the shrine steps.
"What is it Inuyasha?" Sango asked.
"It is Kagome, she's coming."
"Kagome's coming!" The group instantly perked up at the news.
AN: I could so leave it there, but I am not that evil despite what some may believe.
Soon a raven haired girl could be seen at the bottom the steps making her way up, with her head bowed down in concentration. The closer she got the more everyone started to fidget and shift. It took everything that they had in them not to shout out her name and envelope her in their embrace, especially for our poor hanyou.
'It's her,' Inuyasha thought, 'It's her and she doesn't smell hurt or scared or anything. She is really okay. Kami, I just want to hold her. Please Kagome, you have to remember me, you just have to.'
Kagome was now at the top of the stairs and was startled by the weird looking people standing with her family. 'What's going on here? Who are those people and why are they looking at me like that?'
"Mama…," Kagome began tentatively, still uncomfortable with the way everyone seemed to be looking at her, "Who are these people?"
Everyone's face fell instantly at hearing her question. Shippo started wailing again against Miroku, and Sango was gripping his arm rather painfully. He didn't seem to mind though, since he was too shocked to notice much. Inuyasha merely kept a steady gaze on the girl, his heart had stopped beating for a moment, but then Souta's earlier statement came back to him. 'Don't worry Kagome; we will help you remember us again.'
Souta himself looked disappointed, but had been used to the way Kagome had been acting when anyone brought up something from Sengoku Jidai. He went up and stood next to his sister and took her hand. "Nee-chan these are your friends that we have been trying to tell you about. You know, the ones from the past."
Kagome looked down at her little brother skeptically; she hadn't put much stock in those stories, especially since the supposed magic well didn't work. Now though, there were strange people that had been looking at her with great hope on their faces. Kagome still did not believe a word of it, but seeing as how all everyone seemed to be affected by the same disease, she was willing to try and help them understand they were nuts. 'It must be something in the water around here. Or maybe while I was in the hospital there was a major gas leak that gave everyone these delusions or something. Yeah, that's it, a gas leak; I am going to have to report this to the city or something.'
"Um… I am really sorry and everything, but I don't have a clue what you are talking about."
Kagome's mother sighed, "Maybe you should all come inside so that we can discuss this there. Until we get this all sorted out, you can stay with us. Sango, Kirara, and Shippo are welcome to stay in Kagome's room, and you boys can share with Souta."
"What?" Kagome gasped, "But, we don't really know these people mama."
Inuyasha was getting really grumpy by now, not being remembered by the person you love, err… needed for shards, was really starting to upset him. "Oi, you stupid girl, you do know us. Your little brain must have run away or something."
Kagome's left eye started to twitch and her face turned a shade redder, "Listen here mister," she advanced on him, poking a finger in his chest to emphasize her point, "I don't know who you are; or who you think you are for that matter, but you do not talk to me that way. Do you understand?"
Inuyasha smirked, "I understand that you are an annoying little girl who needs us to come here and save her stupid ass."
"Oh… that does it you big jerk, I can't believe you! Why don't you just…" Everyone leaned forward in anticipation, even Inuyasha. He had been arguing with her in hopes of bringing back some memories; she sure was acting just like she always had. Now it even seemed as though she was going to activate the subduing spell. "Just…"
'Come on Kagome,' Inuyasha mentally cheered, 'you can do it, just say osuwari. It's not that hard, you must have done it a million times by now. Its habit for you, just say it.' Inuyasha listened to his interior monologue for a moment, 'Kami, I really am going insane if I want her to sit me that bad.'
"Just…erghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Forget it! I don't care!" Kagome turned away from everyone still fuming, so she missed the disappointed faces on her audience.
"She was so close." Sango whispered.
"Hai, I thought for sure she was going to say it." Miroku agreed.
"Wench, you don't turn away from me like that!" Inuyasha wasn't giving up, and arguing seemed to at least get her close to remembering them; well okay, close to remembering how to make him eat dirt, but who wouldn't want to remember that, dirt eating participant excluded of course.
Kagome whipped around on him, ready to say something in retaliation, but the headache that had started when she first saw these strange people was slowly getting worse. Her head now felt as though it was going to explode and the gray was starting to eat away at the edges of her vision once again. She gripped her head between her hands and sat on her knees groaning, "It hurts, it hurts so bad, make it stop."
Everyone was instantly worried about her and rushed to her side, but the hanyou got there first. "What is it Kagome? Tell me what's wrong." He inquired worriedly. He had picked her up and now had her firmly held in his lap trying to comfort her as her friends hovered over her.
Kagome looked up at the hanyou, and her world turned instantly gray. "Why?" She weakly asked before she passed out.
Inuyasha had been the only one to hear her whispered question, but he had no idea what it was that she had been asking about.
"Not again." Kagome's mother checked her daughter's pulse and head for any signs of illness.
"What, may I ask, do you mean by 'Not again', Higurashi-sama?" Miroku asked.
"She passed out like this when she tried to go back through the well. Every time someone even mentions Sengoku Jidai she comes down with strange headaches. We talked to the doctor about it, but he has no idea what could be wrong with her."
"I did not sense any strange auras around her." He replied.
"Did you notice anything strange Inuyasha?" Sango asked as she checked over her little sister now.
"Her eyes changed color." He replied as he moved to stand with the precious bundle.
"What do you mean?" Miroku pressed.
"I mean they changed color. Right before she passed out they were gray."
"But Kagome's eyes are blue." Shippo stated.
"I know."
"Hum… I fear this does not bode well for Kagome-sama. It is very strange indeed."
Inuyasha merely grunted as he leapt towards the house and into Kagome's room.
He laid her down on the bed to rest. He stood for moments gazing at her, mesmerized by the way the sunlight hit her face and made her glow like some otherworldly creature. He moved a stray lock of hair out of her face, letting his thumb gently caress the soft skin of her cheek before moving away from her. The others had gathered in the kitchen again, and he went to join them as they discussed the latest development. He paused once at the door, glancing over his shoulder at the slumbering girl, 'I promised I would protect you Kagome, and I always will; even if you don't remember me.'
AN: Well, there is another chapter. It's a little awkward I think, but as many times as I have tried, I can't figure out for the life of me how to fix it. Oh well, any suggestions are welcome. Please review. I LOVE REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!! Thanks, and have a nice week or so.