Owari Nai Yume; Unending Dreams
Chapter 13
Disclaimer: InuYasha and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Wahhhhhh!T-T
Warm. She was completely warm, and light. She felt totally weightless and ethereal, as if she weren't really there. She looked up and saw a tree branch hanging over her, a patch of bright red making it's way through the lush green leaves.
"InuYasha?"
She froze as she heard her voice speak, looking down to the sleeping bag below. "Are you still awake?"
There she lay, snug as a bug in a rug, with a sad look on her face, far away and forlorn looking at the same patch of red she had looked at seconds before. InuYasha, unaware of her standing right next to her somehow moving body, jumped down and right through her. She jumped back, a small, soundless cry escaping her lips, if she even had lips, or may be she had only imagined the cry...
"Sure am, Kagome."
He sounded both annoyed and concerned as he looked at the girl, at her. No, she could see the wrongness in the eyes, somehow as clear as in the noon day sun, Kikyo. She looked back at InuYasha, gold eyes a mix of hurt and sorrow. She stopped trying to warn him before she even started. It would be of no use. He couldn't see her, couldn't hear her standing feet away, watching with worried eyes. Kikyo. What was she going to do now?
Kikyo in her body smiled slightly. "Do you think Kagura is going to pick up Naraku?"
"It's possible, I guess." It was quiet, detached, creepy in a way she had never expected to hear from the hanyou. It was almost malicious, but only just.
Kikyo moved to stand, careful of the kitsune next to her on the bag. "So let's see if the kaze no shimobe can follow them. Walk with me?"
She watched helplessly as Kikyo in her body took InuYasha's hand and lead him to a nearby cliff, smiling and sending him flirty glances that he somehow managed to ignore. Kagome followed with ease, her 'body' floating over the ground effortlessly. They were already there and they already knew Kikyo wasn't her. One flew up to her hesitantly, careful not only of the hanyou a few feet back, but also of Kikyo.
Why does the old Mistress come to us in the new one's body?
I need souls once more my darlings, Kikyo replied stroking it with more love than should be given to one of the creatures. You will do my bidding, won't you? Was I not a better Mistress than that child? Did I allow harm to come to you?
It didn't reply verbally, but Kagome could see it agree with her. They had turned on her, no real surprise. After the last time, she hadn't felt safe near them. She watched it float off and join the others, knowing they were lost to her forever as Kikyo walked back to InuYasha, taking his hand in her's, squeezing it, looking up at him with doe's eyes. Kagome hoped she didn't look so pathetic when she looked at InuYasha, or so stupid.
"I think we need to talk, InuYasha," Kikyo said in a sickeningly sweet voice as she sat down, pulling his hand down with her. He finally sat but remained silent. "It's about Naraku."
She cringed. Gods, what was she going to say.
"I already know." If she could have, she would have been nauseous.
She smiled up at him gently. "It's hard to love someone and hate them at the same time, isn't it?"
"How would I know?" he asked coldly. This time hurting her even more. It scared her.
She brushed a stray strand of hair behind his ear, her hand brushing along his skin. Her other hand cupped his chin and forced him to look at her. Kagome could only think-yell GET MY DIRTY HANDS OFF OF HIM! "You love her, don't you? It hurts you to think she wants to be with someone else, doesn't it?" He said nothing but from where she floated, his eyes said everything. Kikyo wrapped her arms around his neck moving to sit in his lap. "It breaks your heart in two doesn't it? You never want to see her again, do you?"
She hated to admit, but Kikyo was probably right.
"What do you know about me, Kagome?" InuYasha shouted standing, throwing her to the ground. "Nothing, that's what! You're just a stupid girl who thinks she's all grown up when she's really a little baby!"
If she could have, she would have cried, she'd have 'sat' him a hundred times, would have run far from this place. How could he be so cruel?
Kikyo laughed, coldly, shrilly. "Temper, temper, InuYasha. You're letting too much out on the wrong person. Little Kagome is just a child; that's why I am here. She couldn't deal with Naraku, or the guilt." She looked ahead of her blankly. Is that what had happened? "That's what I'm here for. That child would have been in much worse condition if I had not come along to help her. Of course, she asked for my help." No, she didn't want her. "In her heart, Kagome knew she needed me, knows she will always need me."
I don't need you Kikyo! She felt as if she were about to burst out in tears.
InuYasha's eyes suddenly hit realization. "Kikyo."
"Who else?"
"What have you done to her!" Did he sound worried?
"Only what she wanted." She didn't want this. "She wanted to be strong and brave for you, and now," Kikyo grinned coldly, "she is."
"She's already brave and strong, Kikyo, and you are dead. Leave her alone." Did he really think that? Then why was he always so mean to her? Why did he always say she was so weak?
"But I like this body soooo much, InuYasha." Kikyo took his hands in hers and smiled. "I'm alive again. We can be together like we always wanted." She leaned up to kiss him, her eyes closing slowly...
Kagome watched in shock, so sure of what was going to happen next. The look of shock on Kikyo's face when InuYasha stood, throwing her to the ground, was very much reflected in Kagome's mind. She saw InuYasha wince slightly before taking Kikyo's collar and holding her face roughly an inch from his, the look of anger on his face sending chills up and down Kagome's imaginary spine.
"InuYasha?" Kikyo was completely terrified.
"You are the one that wants Naraku, aren't you?" He shook her roughly when she didn't reply, "Aren't you!"
"Yes," Kikyo said in a rather sob-like way, tears threatening at the corner of her eyes.
"You're the one that hurt him?" She nodded and the tears fell. "Say it!"
"I did it," she whispered before he tossed her to the ground. InuYasha looked at her with hate and regret at the same time, probably because of how hard Kikyo hit the ground. That was going to hurt in the morning, if she was back in her body by morning.
"You are coming with me," he growled as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to her feet. "Don't even try to get away."
Kagome followed them all the way back to the camp as the defeated Kikyo walked behind InuYasha without resistance. She watched as Inuyasha woke Miroku, as the monk inspected the body of the oddly still Kikyo. When he finished, just a few minutes later, already aware that it was well beyond his skills to help, InuYasha moved in like a vulture over a newly dead corpse. She listened as the monk gave his diagnosis and recommendation, the unspoken answer to InuYasha's last question. She watched as Miroku told InuYasha to get some sleep, as the monk made his way back to his bedroll, as Kikyo glared at InuYasha.
The world around her faded to black and she felt her ethereal form fade as she returned to her body. She could feel the sunlight on her face, the wind as it blew over her gently, the warm heartbeat of someone who also held her close, whose hand was playing softly in her hair, who smelt of sweat and musk and of the forest. Her eyelids wouldn't move, so she merely relaxed and tried to figure out if that odd dream was real, if Kikyo really had taken over, if InuYasha really had done what he had. Of course, the dull throbbing pain in her back seemed to support that.
"So you mean Kikyo possessed her?" Shippo's question floated up to her. She had to be in a tree with InuYasha, she guessed.
"More than simple possession, Shippo," Miroku whispered, as if speaking it would bring the devils to them, "I don't quite know what it was, but possession it was not. This is much more dangerous."
"How come Miroku?" Sango asked, very much like a chld. She didn't understand what was going on, had never really taken grasp of it. It was just out of her realm of the understandable.
"If this continues, I fear," he paused and swallowed hesitantly. She could almost see him looking at the ground, quiet and ashamed that there was nothing he could do. "I fear we may lose her. Forever."
"What! But we can't lose Kagome! Isn't there something we can do Miroku? Can't you exorcise her?"
"That is a part of Kagome's being, her very soul. To try would do more harm than good."
She held in a sigh. Kaede had warned her, and now Miroku had the same conclusion. There was nothing they could do. She was most likely beyond Mushin's help now, but there was a chance he knew of someone else who could help, even if it was a demon. Some demons, who had lived for hundreds of years, knew more than a human monk or priestess ever could. Age made a large difference in these fields that required years of training, observation, and what ever else they needed. Only demons could master any one of those, and still be learning more everyday; they were just too much for a human.
InuYasha turned away from the conversation as Shippo began to complain and whine and the humans tried to calm him. So that's how it was. It was one thing thinking it, knowing it deep inside but always denied, another hearing it. Speaking made it all so clear, so final. He could lose her forever, and not just a shard hunter, but a friend and companion. He felt something inside him stir. He wouldn't let himself cry. It wasn't over yet. There was always something he could do as long as he didn't give up. Kagome had never given up on him when it looked bad, and he would do the same. There had to be something Mushin could do, or if not him, someone. There just had to be.
A sound. He saw Kagome's eyelashes flutter, heard a deep moan as the pain hit her. He winced. He had done that to her. Her eyes finally opened and she looked up at him, smiling slightly, but her eyes were dark and sad and full of understanding. She reached up and let her hand brush through his hair, starting just below his ear. "Morning."
It was a statement more than a greeting. "How do you feel?"
"Like I slept on a pile of rocks." She grinned jokingly, "but I guess that's to be expected. How about you?" She looked at him with her brown orbs wide and questioning as he continued to inspect her.
He pulled her tightly against his chest, squeezing her close, his nose brushing against her neck in a mad need to fill his lungs with her scent. His hands played in her loose hair as hers weakly tried to return the heartfelt embrace, but they were trapped between them.
"I'm sorry," he whispered against her cool skin.
She managed to push back and look at him in the eyes. "For what?"
"For not trusting you, for letting you get hurt and," He didn't want to say it, to bring it into the light, "and hurting you." Speaking made everything so final.
"It's alright InuYasha. I understand."
"No, you don't." He touched the dark purple bruise around her wrist with a gentle hand. "I-I-I did that. Everything you feel, I did."
"I know. I saw what happened last night"
"With Kikyo?" He didn't understand. "But how?"
"I had an...out of body experience. It was rather freaky seeing me and you and everything, but neither of you knew I was there," she grinned briefly, "I must admit I've never been so scared of you as when you were asking Kikyo those questions. I just..."
"Don't tell me you thought I'd actually..." She hid her eyes confirming his unspoken statement. "Kagome, I would never, ever do anything to you, not even if Kikyo deserves it. You know I can't hurt you." He flushed madly as she nodded meekly. "Kagome?"
She looked back up at him, concerned by the sad tone of his voice. "Yeah?"
"Miroku said that...what I mean is...Kikyo's spirit..."
"Threatens to take over mine permanently, I know." She lowered her head submissively. "I heard."
He could tell she was hiding something not only by the way that she avoided his eyes but with the calm she manged to display in the face of the news. It took time to get that with this kind of news. "You knew?" He couldn't believe it. "You mean you knew and didn't tell me?" By the way she winced, he could tell he had hit a sensitive spot. "Well, why didn't you?"
"I didn't want to worry you guys," she said hurriedly, "Besides, Kaede said it was only a small risk that might no-"
"A small risk!" He yelled, letting loose the pain and frustration that had been building in him overnight. "This is not a small risk like some tiny cut, this is your very soul! You should have told me! We could have helped you before this happened. I thought," he swallowed and lowered his voice, "I thought you trusted me."
"I do, InuYasha," she whispered meekly, tears building in her eyes, "but I didn't want to make you worry about me, not when we've got more important things to do. I didn't see any harm i-"
"And you think finding out you've been hiding something from me wouldn't hurt?"
"I didn't think you'd find out. Not for a while at least..."
She collapsed in his arms, emotionally if not physically. He pulled her closer to him, needing suddenly to know she was still safe, still there, still alive and herself. What was he going to do with her? He needed her to know he wouldn't stand for her hiding these things from him anymore. He needed her to know who was in control of this group, who she needed to keep informed about every detail of her health. If noone else, she had to tell him.
"Kagome, I need you to promise me you will never hide something like that from me again."
"I promise."
He pushed her back gently and made her look him in the eyes. "Say it Kag."
She started and looked at him confused for a moment before smiling lightheartedly. "I promise I will never hide anything like that from you again."
He smiled back at her before kissing her forehead tenderly, unseen by their observers. "Thank you. Now, is there anything else you want to tell me?"
She nodded but hesitated in replying. "Naraku and Kikyo, well they...slept together. A-a few times."
He nodded. "Already knew that. Anything else?"
She thought for a moment. "I don't think so."
"Okay." He smiled at her gently. "We're going to go see Mushin, see if there's anything he can do for you."
"You don't have to go to all that trouble. The jewel shards-"
"Will still be here when this is dealt with." He grinned at her completely shocked look. He had even surprised himself with that little tid bit. "Besides," he added standing up, "if the detector is broke, you gotta fix it."
"I'm not broken!" She was cute when she did that, her face all red and all.
"It was a joke, yeash. Get a sense of humour, will ya?"
She glared and he froze. He knew that look in her eye.
"InuYasha, S-"
"Dammit wench! We're in a tree!"
"So get us down."
"Not if you're going to 'sit' me!"
As they continued to bicker, the group below them watched in amusment.
"At least something's back to normal," sighed Shippo as he turned to Miroku. "What's for breakfast?"
"I don't know," replied the monk coolly.
"How bout DIRT YOU PERVERT!" screamed Sango as she knocked the monk unconscious.
Shippo grinned as he watched the couples fight. "Yep, everything's back to normal."
It wasn't. Over the next three days, after that short, illusively normal moment, there was little anyone did that was truly normal. Yes, Miroku groped and InuYasha cursed, Sango hit and Kagome admonished, Shippo pleaded for his very life, but there was a sense of disturbing oddity. They were all quieter than normal, except InuYasha who found time to be louder and more annoying then ever before. If that had been all, everyone could have blamed it on being his 'time of the month', but there was also his moments of silence, of understanding thought to be too great for his simple mind to comprehend. InuYasha was, in short, scaring the hell out of everyone. He would sit, every night without fail, next to Kagome until she fell asleep, not leaving until he was sure she was having pleasant dreams, preferably not one of the Kikyo type. Noone dared to tease him, not even Shippo. He had a strong face to the world, but he was the worst off of them all. Kagome seemed to be almost humouring him in the trip to Mushin's temple, in letting him always be close enough to call upon, even when she and Sango bathed, as long as Shippo watched him carefully and Kirara took over the task of keeping Miroku away from them. Three days they travelled. Three days that was full of more touching and scary moments than any other. Three days of heaven and of hell.
Mushin's shrine lay just ahead, it's outline clear in the light of the setting sun. After one long week of travelling, they had reached their destination, but noone was ready to celebrate. The group stopped at the edge of the crater that marked Miroku's father's grave. Before they finished a short prayer, Mushin came out of the shrine.
"Well, well, if it isn't Miroku. What brings you here?"
"What else? We were in the area-"
"We need help," InuYasha corrected, pushing the monk out of the way. "C'mon wench. You guys go do something. This doesn't concern you." With that, he lead Kagome and Mushin inside the temple before settling in a small room away form the centre of the temple where he was sure they wouldn't be snuck up on be some spies. He did most of the talking only asking for Kagome to tell the smallest bits. The elder monk listened with interest, only interrupting for some clarification at some points.
"So what do you suggest Monk?"
Mushin sat in thought for a few moments as the hanyou watched him expectantly and the girl almost bored.
"I believe you need to see Rei."
"Who?"
"A miko that has the power to see into the soul and help them grow, or something," he mumbled quickly. "She tries to keep what she does very secret for some reason or other. The last I heard, she lived in the mountains to the west of here. She may or may not help you, but she is the only possible help I can see for you."
InuYasha nodded his head thoughtfully. "Mountains west of here? Thanks monk." He checked the light from outside. Night had fallen while they had talked. "We leave in the morning Kagome."
She nodded and followed him and the monk to where the others had gotten some food. Why was life so confusing?
Dawn fell upon the temple with a cloudless sky smiling down at the small group of sleepers. The little fox rolled over in his sleep and woke when he failed to find the warmth that was always there for him. He was surprised with an empty sleeping bag. Letting out a small cry, he looked around the room for any trace of her, but even her scent was cold and hours old, and so was InuYasha's. The little fox came up with a sudden and infallible solution to the question of where they had gone. They were going to finally become the mommy and daddy they were meant to be, after stopping off at some witch for the whole Kikyo problem. Satisfied, he crawled over to Kirara and fell asleep all over again, dreaming of his little brothers and sisters.
Long time in coming, but i hope it was worth it. I knida had writer's block, but the next while is kinda set up, so all i have to do is write, but school is more important. (I know it's funny, but when you have to pay, it really does seem that much more is needed of you) Anyways, until next time and please, R&R.