YAY!
TwinklingStarz:Thanks Andrea, I'm reading your fanfics!Yes, it's true, we pale in comparison to Yume-sama.
Akira 15: Thank you, I hope you enjoy this chapter!
jade: I appreciate your advice, I tried to make this chapter longer for your liking! :
Spiral-Kaze: As to your "what will happen next," here's your answer! Enjoy!
alexamae3: LoL, thanks for those compliments! I'm glad that I am able to write itwell enough so ina way that you are able to feel as if you are right there for them. Thank you so much, I appreciate it!
coopa: You are very welcome, I updated as soon as I could. Hope you like it!
Cute Miko: Love it? Wow, I'm so flattered! ;)
ranmayuusuke930: Hope you caught up by now, hope you like.
Yusuke brat: Hehe, I wouldn't have called the last ending a cliff hanger, but o well, I want you to read and have fun! Thanks!
Masteroftheuniverse: Oh dear, are you threatening me? O.O Spurred by the idea I might get hit by a bat, I updated! If I don't keep my promise, I'm sure you're gonna be the first to remind me. LoL.
Domo arigato to those who reviewed! Yay. Okay, let's get this goin' on!!!
Disclaimer:: I don't own the anime "Inuyasha" it belongs to a great person named Rumiko Takahashi. But if only I could have Inuyasha though... -sighs dreamily-
Kagome: -WHACKS WRITER- You lil-!!!
Kikyou: -aims an arrow at SingleGlassRose- I'm warning you...
GlassRose: -rubs head- I'm sorrrrrrry!! Please please don't hurt me! T.T
-------- -------- --------
::Chapter 8::
"Kikyou!" His voice rang sternly. "What's going on?"
The resurrected miko stood in front of him, eyes still burning, physique quivering slightly with fury.
"Inuyasha, have you no idea on who that was?" She asked him, voice tight and on the brink of exploding.
The hanyou blinked and his eyes wandered in the direction of which Kasumi- no... whoever she was- went. Surely Kikyou wouldn't have hit a person she didn't know? But then again... she looked so much like Kagome. Those eyes. They held so much. Inuyasha had peered into those tawny eyes and saw pain, anguish, grief, desire, wisdom, and a secret that couldn't be shared.
There was a pregnant silence after Kikyou's question. Inuyasha stood there, unmoving, thinking. Could it be?
"Yes, and no." He said softly. 'Kagome's dead, Kagome's dead, so that wasn't-couldn't be her...'
Kikyou raised a thin eyebrow and tossed a lock of straight black hair behind her shoulder.
"When did you meet her, then?"
"This morning." He answered. "She said her name was Hirohata, Kasumi."
"Oooh, I see." Kikyou said. The smirk twitched at the edges of her pale lips, but then it quickly disappeared and the anger came back to the surface.
"How dare she.. that little bitch, coming to meddle in our lives. Why can't that little imitation just accept defeat already? A pest, that's what she is. A pest that keeps coming back no matter how hard you try and get rid of it."
Those were the muttered words of Kikyou. Even though they were barely a whisper, those sharp triangular ears of Inuyasha's could hear almost anything, especially if the person talking was only about three feet from him.
'Imitation. Why had she said imitation? Imitation-reincarnation... But, that was.. Kagome. Her reincarnation was Kagome. But that wasn't Kagome, she looked like Kagome, but that was Kasumi, right?' Inuyasha was confusing himself... well, not exactly. He wasn't stuck in confusion, he was merely stalling. There was a heavy blow that waited behind the door of denial and Inuyasha not yet ready to turn the knob yet.
"You don't think she was Kagome, do you?" Inuyasha asked uncertainly. Kikyou's face looked up in his direction, eyes narrowed.
"Of coarse not!" She snapped. "Kagome's dead, Inuyasha. Dead. That girl.. she could be that wench's reincarnation for all I care. But that was not Kagome." Kikyou strolled forward and tugged at the half-demon's arm, turning him around and began leading him back in the direction of their village.
Inuyasha hung back, walking much more slower than his mate was. She yanked his arm impatiently while he tried to think.
'What Kikyou said is reasonable. She could be Kagome's reincarnation, and that would explain why she looked exactly like her.'
'But what about her scent?' Inuyasha suddenly thought. 'Even though Kagome was Kikyou's reincarnation, they vary in some things, and one big one was their scent!'
They arrived in front of their house and Shippo was in sitting in the rocking chair, waiting. He leapt up at the sight of them.
"Inuyasha?" He called.
'Shippo said he saw her. Said she spoke to him.'
"Shippo, when you said you saw Kagome.. what did she say to you?" Inuyasha asked him. Shippo's bright eyes widened in disbelief.
"What!?" Kikyou shrieked. "You little brat, why didn't you tell me!?!"
The kitsune ignored the woman and looked into Inuyasha's amber eyes expectantly.
"You believe me." He breathed. Shippo no longer denied the fact that what he saw in the forest was an illusion. In a way, it was frightening knowing that Kagome was a spirit, yet in another, it felt relieving that Kagome was there watching over him. "Sh- she said that she was a ghost now. Nothing but a lost spirit, and that she -"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Kikyou struck him.
"Kikyou!" Inuyasha exclaimed.
"I don't care!" She retorted. She pushed him into the house and slammed the door shut before Shippo could react to the strike.
"Why are you so worked up about this crap, Kikyou!" He shouted, infuriated by the fact that she interrupted Shippo's information and that she was going around hitting people.
"I don't know what you're talking about." She sat down on their futon, arms crossed, trying to look calm.
"You're all moody ever since you saw me out there in the forest with Kasumi."
"Forget about her, Inuyasha!" Kikyou rose and pushed Inuyasha with such sudden strength that he stumbled backward, tripped on something, and hit his head on the table.
"Dammit Kikyou!" He snarled. He sat up and rubbed the bump growing on the back of his head.
Kikyou was instantly there beside him, she kneeled and wrapped her arms around him tightly.
"Are you okay? I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." Her voice was quiet now, and apologetic. She kissed his cheek.
"Yes, perfectly fine, and the bump growing on my head doesn't hurt one tiny bit." He said sarcastically. He instantly felt guilty. "Sorry, I didn't mean it." He got up, sat on the edge of their bed, and sighed.
"It's alright, darling." Kikyou walked over and pushed him gently back onto the covers and gave him a soft kiss on his lips.
"Let's forget about all this, okay? None of this happened." She moved her lips and kissed his nose. Inuyasha paused and then nodded. He wrapped his arms around her thin waist and hugged her for his own reassurance, ignoring the chill that Kikyou's body gave off. The miko smiled and leaned closer to his ear. "And I have just the right solution," she whispered in a low seductive voice.
She reached up and tugged the shoulder of her robe gently, exposing the pale skin of her neck and left shoulder. She slipped it down an inch more as if to entice him.
"No Kikyou." Inuyasha said firmly. He sat up and tugged her robe back up securely. "This isn't right." 'Not at a time like this.'
"Why not? We're married." Kikyou's voice had a tint of impatience and anger in it. Ever since they married, Inuyasha had never once done anything that might of suggested that he wanted to mate with her.
"No," he repeated. "This isn't right. Not if we have to keep lying to eachother. I know you're keeping something from me, and I want to know what it is."
That struck her spot. Kikyou's jaw clenched tightly in anger.
"Foolishness. Stop thinking stupid thoughts, Inuyasha."
"I'm totally serious, Kikyou. If you didn't think that Kasumi-san was Kagome, you wouldn't have hurt her and called her an 'imitation'. She said 'I'm sorry' to you. You know what she meant by that, I know you do. Now it's time to tell me what's going on."
Kikyou was trapped now, what Inuyasha was saying was true.
"Fine," she bit out. "But first you answer my question. A question that I have been wondering about ever since we killed Naraku, but I was reluctant to ask. You answer, then I answer."
Inuyasha didn't look worried. "Deal."
"Okay." Kikyou sat back on her legs and placed her hands calmly on her knees. Her gaze burned into his as her mouth moved and asked the question: "What did you do with the Shikon no Tama?"
Inuyasha visibly stiffened. His beautiful golden orbs looked worried. He was silent for a moment, his mouth gaping, trying to decide if he should answer.
Finally, he sighed in a defeated manner and looked up, his eyes regretful, and sad.
"The Shikon no Tama..? I used it."
-------- -------- --------
Gomenasai for ending it there! I should go and do some homework now, don't blame me! 0:) Hehe. Please review, and tune in next time to find out what Inuyasha did with the Shikon no Tama!
Loves,
-SingleGlassRose