Hey guys! Sorry it's late, even with just once a week it's still hard to keep up. But I'm ever diligent!

Reviewer thanks: jenn_chan Yes, school sucks donkey. And now that I'm getting a job, school's going to suck even more donkey. But at least I have all of you to help me through it! link no miko Ama apparently means a lot of things. And the triangle has to be there but I'll try not to make Kikyou as annoying. She's really bitchy though, but that's just how her character turned out in my story. (and that site's neat! Thanks!) Trunks Gal Yay! Fourteen! I was fourteen once.. was it really that long ago? And now I can drive! Woot! Naru-chan Yay, oxymorons about dead people! I don't even try half of them, they just pop out! And technically people die twice: once brings them to the spirit realm and twice destroys their soul, so dying the second time is baaaad  BJ Thanks! And.. uh.. I'm working on the doujinshi okonomiyaki-chan lay off the drugs

Disclaimer: Have yourself a happy (I don't own Inu-Yasha) holidays!

Chapter 18:

Memories

A lone shadow watched the ghostly village from above, the faint moonlight from the sliver barely illuminating his figure. Soulless blue eyes surveyed the small spiritual dwelling, his sharp ears picking up the ruckus. With a derisive snort the figure turned and ran into the mountains, already a plan forming in his mind.

"Inu-Yasha, you should get some rest."

The half-angel looked up at Sango, then back at Kagome's unconscious form. "I'm her guardian. I have to stay here until I know what's going on." He said stubbornly. Sango shook her head sadly.

"Even if we did know what it was, there might not be anything we can do." She told him. "I'm worried about Kagome-chan too, but if it really is Naraku then we're going to have to figure out some way to beat it. And staying up until you're sick as she is isn't going to help." She leaned against the doorframe. "Get some sleep."

Inu-Yasha twitched an ear in irritation before leaning against the wall and closing his eyes. "There. Better?" He said in a tone that indicated he didn't want to be bothered again.

Sango rolled her eyes and couldn't help but smile slightly. "You're impossible. Fine, be that way." She turned around and went to her own quarters, closing the door quietly behind her. "And don't try anything either."

"Keh. What do I look like, Miroku?" Inu-Yasha muttered, but only silence answered him. The angel opened his eyes again and focused his attention to his task, watching her sleep uneasily. Although her breathing had become steady she was still bleeding and felt unearthly cold, even for a spirit. She had begun to fade as well, looking less… there more then anything. In his position as a guardian angel Inu-Yasha had never seen his task die for the second time, which was quite a feat. He had, however, seen spirits die again and fading was one of the big signs. He growled under his breath; as soon as it was possible he was going to go straight to Hell and was going to finish the job his father started.

"Being ill-tempered isn't going to solve anything." Another voice said and Inu-Yasha grunted, not removing his gaze from Kagome to acknowledge the visitor. Kaede sat on the other side of the unconscious girl and reapplied the water on Kagome's dressings. Inu-Yasha watched her placidly before speaking up in a low voice.

"Well baba, anything?" He asked. Kaede continued her work silently for a moment then turned to the half-angel. She looked older then her actual age, no older then seventy when she died, watching Inu-Yasha sadly and knowing that if she told him the truth there would be no hope for his or Kagome's survival. She tried to calm him down instead and perhaps have him look at the situation more maturely.

"I've warned you about what you may get yourself into Inu-Yasha. I've been around since your father's time and I was forced to be one of those who was to bury him." She put a hand on Kagome's forehead as the feverish girl began to shiver lightly. "Just because I am dead now does not mean I want to repeat the process to his son. If it is Naraku you have no hope of defeating him now, especially if you go chasing after him in Hell. And this village is small and full of children, as you have noticed. I suggest, should you wish to go on a suicide mission, to take enough allies to actually have a chance; try you uncle."

The last comment earned a low growl from the half-angel, but Kaede stayed firm on her decision. "Sesshoumaru is a Lord now and is quite powerful. Naraku poses as much of a threat to him as he does to the rest of us and Sesshoumaru is not one to let his pride be wounded or his title mocked."

Inu-Yasha twitched an ear. "Yeah, but it's not like the bastard's gonna help me, even if it does save his own skin."

"He's helped a mortal, hasn't he?" Kaede said simply, causing Inu-Yasha to look at her in surprise. The half-angel blinked as he remembered the mysterious girl Rin, and the even more mystery around her as to why his uncle even seems to care. Sesshoumaru considered mortals even lowlier then the lowest breed of demon, yet he treated this young, and obviously naïve and annoying, mortal girl with even more respect then even his right hand man! Inu-Yasha shook his head to get the confusion out of it. No point in trying to make sense out of someone like Sesshoumaru; he had a better chance of defeating Naraku single-handedly.

"You should get some rest." Kaede said, breaking through Inu-Yasha's thoughts. Inu-Yasha gave her the same pointed look that he had given Sango earlier. Kaede shook her head and almost smiled, impressed at least by the boy's tenacity.

"Fine then." She stood up and cleared away any of the materials she was using on Kagome, bringing out a large bowl of water in the process. "If you're not going to get any sleep you might as well put this on her forehead every half hour to keep her cool." The Ghost nodded to Inu-Yasha before giving one last worried look at Kagome, then she left.

Miroku was waiting for her outside, Shippo nowhere in sight. The monk was leaning against the building, his arms cross, his eyes were closed, seemingly in sleep, but as Kaede left the building he spoke.

"You're not going to tell him." He said. Kaede stopped and looked at the village from the view of the key's temple on the hill. She shook her head in response to Miroku's statement. "It would be too dangerous and Inu-Yasha would just go and get himself killed, which would just result an even worse situation for Kagome. It's best for her to have him in the same room." She smiled slightly, remembering the perky, polite girl that had first come the village nearly two weeks ago. "They share a bond deeper then either of them know of."

Miroku nodded sagely, but was still bothered. "Still, he may have the right to know. After all, he is her guardian angel."

Kaede looked over at the spirit monk, then shook her head again. "I've known Inu-Yasha longer then you have, and his father before him. It may be wiser to keep silent for now."

"Even if her soul is being sucked from her." Miroku was unable to keep the bitterness from his voice as he studied his cursed hand, knowing that he would suffer the same fate the last day of his afterlife.  If Kaede was shocked that he knew the circumstances she didn't show it. Instead she began walking to her own home, giving no indication that she seemed concerned.

"Get some rest houshi-sama. You know as much as I that you'll be needing it soon." She kept up she slow pace but couldn't help adding one last word. "And go to your own quarters, not Sangos."

The corner of Miroku's mouth twitched upwards in humour as he righted himself up, glancing back at the building that held Kagome and Inu-Yasha. He flexed his right hand unconsciously, fingering the rosary that kept the Air Rip sealed. Wondering just what the world was coming to and where Naraku was going with this, the monk turned and went to his own quarters, pointedly avoiding Sangos because he knew Kaede was watching him somehow.

Inside Inu-Yasha leaned against the wood and closed his eyes for a moment to rest them. Three days. Three fucking days since Kagome hadn't gotten ill and now she was only getting worse. It didn't take an idiot to see that she was dying and Kaede's medicine wasn't helping. Although now her heart wasn't pounding out a rapid death toll she had begun to shiver uncontrollably and breaking out in cold sweats. He opened one eye as she let out a light moan and shifted in her sleep, but seeing no other changes he closed his eyes again. Damn Naraku. Damn him… just damn him.

"Myuu! Myuu!" A tiny voice interrupted his brooding for a third time. Inu-Yasha slapped his neck just as the flea demon landed on it, not feeling like games today. Myouga popped himself back to normal and shook his head, feeling Inu-Yasha's bad mood. "Inu-Yasha-sama, I've heard what's happened and I have come to administer my regrets." He bowed respectfully.

Inu-Yasha raised an eyebrow as he looked at the tiny demon. "She's not dead yet."

"Eh?" Myouga squinted over at Kagome's sleeping form. "Oh! So she isn't. She isn't!"

"What's got you so excited?" Inu-Yasha asked, looking at the flea demon in half-irritation and half-curiosity. Myouga beamed. "I believe I've found how to cure her." Before he could say anything else Inu-Yasha clenched him tightly and held him right up to his face. "Really! How?" Inu-Yasha shouted, looking now like an excited child. A cure for Kagome! "What is it, old man?"

"Myuuuuu!" Myouga clung to Inu-Yasha's thumb for dear life. "If you would stop shaking me maybe I could tell you!"

Inu-Yasha dropped the flea, eyes wide before narrowing again as he focused on his old demon mentor. "Well?"

"Ahem." Myouga coughed and brushed himself off. "Growing by the go-shinboku tree is a delicate flower by the name of kokoromi, which bears a small, red berry. If you crush this berry up into a paste, combine it with Kagome-sama's blood and mix in the hanaki flower you should be able to get a strong spell to ward off whatever curse Naraku has placed upon her."

A fanged grin light up Inu-Yasha's features. Then his grin turned menacing as he squashed the flea demon. "Dammit old man, why didn't you tell me this before?" A look of suspicion rose as well. "And why didn't baba know about this?"

Myouga rubbed his sore head as he answered his pupil's questions. "I've only recently been able to find out Kagome's conditions and the right medications of them and the kokoromi berries are visible only to demons."

Inu-Yasha snorted. "With a fuckin' name like 'heart berry'? What the hell kind of demon plant is that?" Myouga shrugged. Inu-Yasha looked back at Kagome, relief filling him. "Well at least now we can relax. Don't worry Kagome, I'll get you better." He promised his ask, brushing her hair aside from her face. The girl shuddered in her sleep before relaxing again. Determination on his face, Inu-Yasha stood up.

"Alright old man. Lead me to this kokoromimis, or whatever they are." He said, picking up the flea. With confidence he ran out of the room and toward the sacred tree that guarded the ninth key of Earth, where the berries that could save Kagome's life awaited.

Inu-Yasha? Kagome looked around in confusion, trying to figure out where she was. She remembered being with the kids before feeling really dizzy… then Sango had been saying something and then –

That's right, I passed out. Kagome realized. But why do I feel so weird? She looked around again, recognizing the ghostly village. It seemed pretty much the same except that it was mostly deserted. There were one or two people about but she couldn't recognize them. And their auras… she couldn't sense them at all. In fact, everything felt muddled and confusing, like she was watching it from underwater.

Is this a dream? She wondered. Am I dreaming? Where's Inu-Yasha? Feeling a little out of place and a bit lost, she decided to go to the key temple to see if her guardian angel was there. She turned around and blinked: the key wasn't there!

Wha- what's going on? She thought, taking a step back. It must be a dream, it had to be. She could sense the key, but it wasn't there. She turned to look at the few inhabitants; no wonder she didn't recognize them. Not only did they not live in the village any more, but they were dressed from ancient times.  What is this place? Where am I? She was beginning to panic; what was going on?

I-Inu-Yasha… She looked around, trying to find her guardian. Inu-Yasha! Inu-Yasha! What's happening to me? No matter how loud she screamed, no sound was coming out. It was like she was being suffocated.

Then she saw him. Or at least, it looked like him. Actually, to be honest, it looked like Shippo dressing up as him. Kagome couldn't help but gape as she watched her guardian angel, about 413 years younger walk down the street, still dressed in the same kimono. He was followed by Kaede, who looked the same and was carrying Tetsusaiga. The baby Inu-Yasha looked depressed, angry and curious all at the same time.

Inu-Yasha? Kagome said aloud, then clamped a hand over her mouth, thankful she couldn't be heard. Yet, Inu-Yasha looked straight at her, causing her to freeze. Kaede had stopped and was looking at her too, smiling. Kagome was beginning to think what she had done wrong when Inu-Yasha walked right up to her.

"So ya er?" He asked and Kagome realized he was looking beyond her. Kagome blinked as a girl, no older then twelve, walked right through her and bent down to the young Inu-Yasha's level, although. Kagome couldn't help but stare at the girl. Dressed in the same clothing as Kaede, this angel, Kagome knew it was an angel because she could sense her energy although she couldn't' sense anyone else's, looked exactly like the confused girl she had just walked through. This must be Kikyou, Kagome thought.

"Kind of a runt, isn't he?" Kikyou said rather sarcastically, reminding Kagome of Kagura, whom she did not want to be reminded of. Inu-Yasha frowned and kicked the girl in the knee, causing her to fall over.

"A' 'east ima betta faita." The kid said and it took some difficulty for Kagome to translate it into 'at least I'm a better fighter'. The stunned Kikyou smiled and began laughing.

"I'll never know what Sensei Kanake saw in that hanyou! And now I have to live with the little threeblood clone of him! Priceless!" she smiled, a little more softly. "He's a perfect clone, down to the ears, kimono and lack of tact." Inu-Yasha responded with a raspberry.

"Kikyou." The angel looked up as Kaede pulled something out of her pocket and handed it to her. Kagome gasped.

It was the Shikon no Tama on a silver chain. Kagome watched the brilliantly glowing sphere as Kaede handed it over to the angel that was to die because of it, die and be Reborn as Kagome with the jewel inside of her. Remembering the painful extraction of it, Kagome winced. Her side was hurting again just at the memory. She put a hand to the wound, then her eyes widened as she quickly pulled it away. She was bleeding from it again.

The pain lanced through her sharply and suddenly, causing her to fall to the ground. She closed her eyes and dug her nails into her palms, hoping the pain would go away. It jabbed into her, causing her to experience some hot and cold flashes. She thought she could hear voices for a second before, just as quickly as it came, the pain went away and the dizziness passed. She opened her eyes and looked around again, blinking. She was in a hut, old style like in the ghost village by the looks of it. She put a hand on her forehead, blinking to clear away any of the remaining dizziness. Just what in the world was going on?

She gave a startled gasp and pulled her hand away from her head quickly. She was wearing the angel outfit! She tried to examine it closer, but something was moving her against her will, getting up and making the bed when Kagome would rather be lying down. What is wrong with me? Why is this happening? Who's doing this?

"'bout time." Her guardian angel's voice interrupted her and Kagome's body froze. She looked over at Inu-Yasha, who was standing in the doorway and looked about a year younger then when she knew him (she tried to think of him as around 17 – 18 instead of 418). Suddenly Kagome's body was her own again and instead of walking through her it seemed that Kikyou had just walked out of her. Kagome took a step back and tried not to scream. It's official, she thought grimly, I'm going crazy.

Inu-Yasha smirked. "You sleep more then Kinu on a warm day."

Kikyou sighed and flicked one of Inu-Yasha's ears. Kagome suddenly felt very angry and wanted to go and tell the selfish witch to leave her guardian alone. Instead she stood there, stunned and confused, a part of her just wanting to watch this piece of Inu-Yasha's past.

"Baka, Kinu's a fox-spirit. Of course he sleeps a lot in the afternoons. Besides, you'd be sleeping too if you had to stay up all night with a baby." She scolded him, pushing past him to walk outside. Inu-Yasha gave his characteristic snort.

"S'not my fault Kinu's wench died in childbirth, is it?" He said, a little too gruffly and bluntly for Kagome. She fumed, knowing full well that Kinu was Shippo's father.

"Inu-Yasha!" Kagome shouted, only to find that her voice had come out along with Kikyou's. The half-angel, not hearing the voice of his future task, turned around to look at the angry full-blooded angel in surprise. She raised a hand and slapped him full across the face. "I don't care if you are a threeblood and your parents were killed by the infamous Naraku! That's no way to talk about anyway, especially not your friend!" She scolded the stunned half-angel.

Inu-Yasha just rubbed his cheek, his ears drooping as he leaned against the wall. Kikyou fumed. "Aka was a wonderful angel, always happy and cheerful." She chided him. "All she ever was was nice to you and now you're calling her a wench after she's died! Have you no respect? Kinu has to balance both taking care of little Shippo and being a Guardian!"

Inu-Yasha growled back at her. "Well if you feel so good Samaritan why don't you take care of the brat? I thought angels helped each other!"

"Not all of them." Kikyou hissed back. "Your mother didn't do us any good when she slept with that hanyou!"

The silence rang even harsher then after the slap pervious. Kagome just stood there, watching with slight fear and also a bit of amusement that Inu-Yasha and Kikyou were getting along even worse than Inu-Yasha and herself did. It was just a small bit that made her feel better. So much for lovers, she thought, remembering what Kagura had told her.

"Don't talk about my mother like that." Inu-Yasha growled, glaring at the female angel through his white bangs. Kikyou matched him glare for glare as the half-angel straightened himself up in an instinctive reaction to make himself look more formidable. "You didn't even know her."

"She was my sensei." Kikyou snapped. "I knew her longer and probably better then you, threeblood!"

Inu-Yasha looked liable to kill and Kagome was feeling a bit nervous for her predecessor, even though she knew that this had to be in the past, and therefore nothing would happen.  "Hey listen, I didn't ask for you opinion on my lineage. I can't help who my parents are!"

"Well maybe it's time you learned respect for others so that they can respect you! Aka wasn't the wench, it was your mother!" Kikyou turned around and stormed off, leaving Inu-Yasha in her wake. The angry half-angel lashed out and grabbed her arm, pulling her back. "My mother wasn't a wench."

"She screwed a half-breed, didn't she?" Kikyou almost purred back, tired of the game. Inu-Yasha's eyebrow twitched but he smiled all the same. "My mother was in love with my dad. But I suppose you wouldn't understand that."

Kikyou frowned. "And why's that?"

Inu-Yasha's smile widened. "Because you're a selfish, cold-hearted bitch." Before Kikyou could protest he pulled her into a kiss, pulling her body against his. Kagome took a step back in shock and turned around, closing her eyes shut. But that awful picture of the two of them seemed imprinted on the back of her eyelids, taunting her. She shook her head, trying to get rid of the image, digging her nails into her palms. She felt like she was being stretched out and then suddenly the pain in her side lanced out again, stabbing through her. She clutched it and fell to the ground as spots danced before her eyes.

"Kikyou-sama?"

She opened her eyes in surprise and sat up, the pain once again suddenly gone. She looked up at the villager, he was a ghost for she could certainly see his aura clear enough, and stood up. She felt different somehow, a little dizzy and slightly numb. It must had been a dream, she thought, then turned to the village.

"What is it?" She asked, then blinked in shock. A voice had come out of her that wasn't her own. Instead it was –

"Kikyou-sama, I have terrible news." The village said. Suddenly Kagome noticed that he was leaning heavily on a stick and seemed badly burnt and wounded. "What is it?" she, or actually Kikyou, asked, although afraid what she would hear.

"It's… it's Inu-Yasha…" The villager began coughing and Kikyou, with Kagome inside of her at sorts, ran up to help him. "Inu-Yasha? What's wrong with him? What happened?"

The villager didn't answer but Kagome had a bad feeling. Unwillingly she turned her head and gasped when she saw what she wasn't expecting: the entire spiritual village was aflame. She quickly stood up and called to some of her helpers to aid the wounded village and the rest to follow her. Quickly she ran into the fray, sending her helpers out to heal the wounded and get them out of there, clutching the Shikon no Tama to her chest. Had Inu-Yasha died while defending the village and now it was attacked by demons?

"Inu-Yasha!" She called out, running through the burning village. Maybe he was at their house, where she had last seen him after that awful fight with the scorpion demon. She ran faster when a nearby house exploded in flames, sending her crashing to the ground. As she tried to get up she suddenly felt a ripping feeling in her side as something tore through her. As she clamped a hand around the wound she looked up at her attacking, ready to let him know that he was going to be experiencing full Guardian wrath.

She wasn't prepared for what she saw.

Inu-Yasha was standing in front of her, blood on his claws; her blood. He gave her a fanged grin, his eyes glinting strangely in the firelight. He looked different somehow, but she knew it had to be him. It wasn't nobody else.

"Hey little Guardian." He hissed, leaning down. With one bloodied hand he reached forward and snatched the jewel right off of her neck, cutting the skin. He grinned again as he pocketed the jewel. "Trick or treat."

"I-I-Inu-"

"Save your breath." The half-angel spat at her. "I'll see you in Hell." He turned around and left quickly, leaving her to bleed in the fire.

"Inu-Yasha…" Kagome coughed, knowing that it wasn't her own blood but Kikyou's that she was spitting up. All the same, it was far too real and far too close for comfort. Her heart beat erratically in her chest as she fought for breath. Some of her helpers noticed her and ran up to help, but she barely registered their presence. It was Inu-Yasha she cared about, Inu-Yasha who had betrayed her, Inu-Yasha who had played her, Inu-Yasha who was doing this all for his own selfish reasons…

No! She shook her head. It wasn't Inu-Yasha, it was Naraku controlling him, even she knew that. Well, Kagome knew that. Kikyou didn't and now… now… Kagome clutched her head as a horrible ringing filled it. She felt like something had burst inside of her and now she was being torn in two, a sensation that felt oddly like being sucked through a vacuum. She felt the throbbing pain in her side again, getting stronger. A wave of heat washed over her and suddenly she was pulled back. She gasped in shock as she found herself looking at herself… no, it was Kikyou. Then suddenly Kikyou was gone and Kagome felt that horrible tearing feeling again. Then another wave of heat and voices suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

And then she was awake. She blinked a few times, finding herself staring at a shocked Inu-Yasha with Myouga on his shoulder. Kagome stared at him, not seeing him for a second, then she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, sobbing. She felt broken, torn every which way. Inu-Yasha blinked and semi-consciously hugged, her patting her back. "You okay?" He whispered. "You scared us for a minute there. I thought I had lost you."

Kagome nodded before pulling back, catching her breath. Although her heart told her not to her brain told her it was the smartest thing to do, so she decided to tell him the truth. Not about everything she'd seen, but about everything she had figured out. Taking a deep breath she looked Inu-Yasha as straight in the eye as she could and told him straight out what she had experienced. "Kikyou's come back to life."

End Chapter 18

Woot! 280 reviews already! Yes! Let's keep 'em coming!

(oh, and expect a little surprise on Tuesday, a Christmas special. Not for GA, but a different story all together, tying in with the actual story of Inu-Yasha It just popped into my head, but we like it!) It's a Christmas surprise called 'Snowflake' It's pointless fluff, but don't we all love those ones for Christmas?

~Ama

PS: LOTR is the best! Go see it! NOW!