A/N: Sorry about the delay, guys. I know you're used to an update every other day, but this weekend was a killer. From Friday, to Sunday, my weekend was jam packed. Some activities were fun, some were not. Overall, it caused me to be extremely exhausted and to have very tired feet, so I ended up sleeping every spare moment I had.
Since the rush of the weekend is over, I expect no more delays like that. I'm trying to get this one out on time, since I'm really excited about the next fic, and I have already started on the outline.
Until then, though, Lie to Me is going until 20 chapters, so hope you enjoy it for that long.
Chapter 7: Changed Soul?
"Kaede, do you know what those herbs do?" Kagome asked, pointing to a leafy green in a basket in front of them.
After taking a second to inspect them, Kaede smiled up at the image of her sister and told her proudly, "They reduce swelling, onee-sama!"
Kagome smiled back at the young girl, pointing to another pile of herbs on the floor of their hut. "And what about those?"
"When boiled in water, they keep a fever down!" she told her, unable to keep herself from smirking proudly.
Giving a small laugh, Kagome told the girl, "You really know your herbs."
"I only know what you taught me, onee-sama!" Kaede grinned.
While they shared this moment of sisterly bonding, it was easy for Kagome to forget that she wasn't really Kaede's sister. She had always wanted a younger sister, but instead had gotten Souta, a little brother. It hadn't really mattered once she had turned into a teenager and had wanted to spend more time with friends than family, but old desires died hard. And now that she was Kikyou, with Kaede to look after, she couldn't help but admit that sometimes she enjoyed this role of older sister.
Although, just as easy as it was to forget that she didn't have a sister, it was just as easy to forget that she wasn't Kikyou, either.
It wasn't that she never forgot to the point of losing herself, but there would be sometimes, some thoughts, that she would forget for only a moment, only to instantly correct herself later. After all, no matter what the circumstance now, she could never be Kikyou. Kikyou was the graceful, beautiful miko that Inuyasha loved. And Kagome was just her reincarnation, who's love towards Inuyasha was unrequited.
And besides, Inuyasha isn't really in love with Kikyou yet at all. her smile fell as she remembered. Right now, he hates my—Kikyou's guts. He threatened to kill her a few times, including just yesterday.
This caused Kagome to wonder, Kikyou's face looking away in pondering. What caused him to start falling in love with her if he hated her right now? What started to make him fall in love as well?
"Onee-sama?" Kaede asked, pulling Kagome from her thoughts.
Blinking as she adjusted back to reality, Kagome asked, "Yes, Kaede?"
"We're running low on that one." Kaede said, pointing to a nearly empty-herb basket. "May I go and get some more?"
Smiling back, Kagome replied, "Of course you can. Just be back soon."
Kaede grinned back at her sister. "Okay, Onee-sama!" and she left the hut.
Sighing, Kagome looked over at the piles of herbs in front of her. I never knew she could get so excited about learning about herbs…after all, I just told her what she told me when she was an old woman…
An amused smirk appeared on Kikyou's features as Kagome thought, Well, that sounded weird.
As she was alone in the hut once more, Kagome decided to think of other subjects, particularly, Inuyasha. The last time she had seen him, yesterday, he was pinned to a tree, angry at her because she wouldn't kill him. He had looked so mad…It was usually the look he gave to youkai that he was ready to kill.
So if Inuyasha hates me, then how is he going to start falling in love with me—Kikyou? she wondered. After all, that's what's fated to happen, right? Unless I messed something up, which I hope I haven't…
As Kagome racked her brains from what she had remembered learning about Inuyasha and Kikyou, eventually she had to give up. She had been given too little to figure out what was to happen now. Sighing, she knew she'd only have to sit back, and watch what was to happen to learn the full story.
Glancing around the hut, hoping to think of other things, Kagome spotted a bucket full of water, much like the one that had been there on the day she had woken up as Kikyou. Putting her fingertips to her cheeks, knowing who's visage she was touching, Kagome sighed mournfully, I miss my face.
Though this time was interesting and she felt like she had to know what went on between Inuyasha and Kikyou, Kagome couldn't deny the fact that she missed who she was before. After all, there was something to be said for having a hot shower ready at the end of the day.
But, she wasn't as homesick to admit that she missed school, particularly math class. She did miss traveling around with Inuyasha, Shippou, Miroku and Sango, and sometimes even Kouga, however. She would have liked to have some cheerful chatter with Sango, and Miroku's flirtations with her exterminator friend to lighten the mood. Perhaps even a visit from the amorous Kouga, to make Inuyasha jealous, would be welcome here. But no, she was stuck here, fifty years ago, in someone else's body, alone.
Not technically alone. she reminded herself. I have Inuyasha…but he hates me right now…
A long, tragic breath came from her as she thought, Inuyasha…
"Onee-sama!" came the frightened cry of Kaede.
Kagome instantly shot up, grabbing her bow and quiver of arrows. There would only be one reason that Kaede would come back so quickly, sounding so frightened. Youkai!
As Kagome burst from the hut, so fast that Kikyou's hair flopped behind her, Kaede ran up to her. "Kaede, what's the matter?" Kagome asked, glancing around if there were any youkai around them.
As Kaede looked up at her, Kagome saw something different than what she expected. Kaede didn't look scared, like she did the other day when a youkai had come. She looked…worried instead. This caused Kagome to wonder. "Kaede, what happened?" Kagome asked again, her voice pressing for an answer.
"I was picking herbs, Kikyou onee-sama, when a youkai attacked me!" she explained, her voice a bit heavy since she had been running.
Kagome quickly glanced back to check to make sure she had enough arrows when she asked, "Where did it go, Kaede? I need to find it."
"Wait!" the young girl protested, pulling on her sister's red hakama to stop her. "You don't need to fight it."
To this, Kagome stopped her thoughts on how best to kill the youkai quickly and raised an eyebrow. "And why not, Kaede?"
"It's dead, onee-sama. It's just a pile of bones now." Kaede explained, looking happier. "It won't hurt anyone anymore."
That wasn't something that Kagome had expected. "You killed it, Kaede?"
The girl shook her head. "No, I didn't kill it. It was a giant centipede youkai, onee-sama. It wanted to take me hostage so you'd give it the Shikon no Tama, but before it could, I was saved."
This was something even more puzzling. She didn't know the villagers were adept to fight youkai like that. Nevertheless, the polite thing to do, despite what the villagers said about her, was to thank them. "By who, Kaede?"
Kikyou's sister looked up at her, her dark eyes, identical to her sister's, seeming to be trying to remember something. "It was that youkai—no wait, onee-sama, you said he was a hanyou, didn't you… "
Kikyou's eyes went wide at that, her mouth slightly open in surprise. "Inuyasha…? Inuyasha saved you?"
A smile on her face, Kaede nodded. "He said he didn't want any other youkai to get the Shikon no Tama, so he wouldn't let it take me."
After a pause, Kagome looked away, mumbling, "Right…"
The smile only seemed to blossom on Kaede's face as she told the image of her sister. "I don't understand why you fight him, onee-sama. He doesn't seem like that bad of a person, even if he is a hanyou."
Sighing, knowing that this unusual behavior from her beloved hanyou would be something else to ponder about, Kagome gave a half-smile to the little girl. "I know, Kaede, I know." Noticing the herbs that she held in her small hands, Kagome nudged her towards the hut. "Now, you go run along and put those with the rest, okay, Kaede?"
Wordlessly, Kaede nodded and went back into the hut, not noticing her sister's distress. Kagome had never really been great at psychology, but still, there had to be some reason for Inuyasha's unusual behavior.
Before she could fully ponder this, however, villagers came up to her, carrying a cart full of bones. "Kikyou-sama," they said in a greeting. "We have the bones of the youkai that attacked your sister. Shall we put them in the usual place where they can cause no harm?"
Kagome glanced at the bones. Her eyebrows rose ever so slightly as she realized she recognized them. They were the bones of the Mukade Jourou, the centipede youkai that had attacked her when she first came through the well. She gave a slight shudder in the memory, but did remember how Inuyasha had slashed the meat off the bones with one strike. The small, almost unnoticeable markings on these bones were the same, and there was no doubt that Inuyasha had slain the creature.
"Yes, let us pray they will do no more harm." She replied, sending them off as she took a walk through the village to think.
So…trying to put this together, Kikyou and Inuyasha met a few days ago when she fought that youkai. Inuyasha wanted to kill her to gain the Shikon no Tama, and she wanted to kill him so he could not get it.
But Kikyou couldn't kill him because she was lonely, and knew that he was lonely too.
And now Inuyasha suddenly saves Kaede…
Once again, it didn't add up. She understood Kikyou's part, but what about Inuyashas? What motivation did Inuyasha have to love Kikyou?
When she was near the edge of the village, movement in the trees caught her eye. With her fast reflexes, Kagome turned sharply, Kikyou's hair fluttering behind her as she focused her eyes on the trees, just barely spotting a streak of silver and red dashing back into the forest.
Her pace quickened as her eyes widened yet again that day. He was…watching me…Why would he watch me? Doesn't he have anywhere else to go?
And then it hit her. He doesn't have anywhere else to go…
Kagome's heart saddened as she thought about it. He's lonely…he has no one…Maybe that was it…Maybe he was lonely too…And Kikyou was the first woman that had shown him kindness, while Inuyasha had been the first man that had ever loved her, despite her being a 'heartless' miko…
Kikyou's eyes looked tragic as Kagome mourned for both of their feelings. What a terrible thing to feel…
"Kikyou-sama!" She turned, silencing her sad thoughts. It was the same, gruffly shaven villager that had approached her before with the cart full of bones.
"Yes?" Kikyou's voice inquired.
He gave a small bow in front of her. "We did what you said and have disposed of the terrible youkai's remains. It shall trouble us no longer, Kikyou-sama."
Though she had no real reason to ask, Kagome was curious. "What did you do with the bones?"
"We put them where we always put them." the villager replied, turning back to the village. "In the dry well in the forest."
The villager didn't notice her disbelieving stare as he walked away, nor did he notice the miko Kikyou, giving an annoyed sigh and falling to her knees in defeat. So that's how it got there…she thought, wishing she had asked to know where they were going to put the bones before they disposed of them.
An amused smile was on Kikyou's lips as Kagome thought, So I guess I'm learning a few things about my past as well…
A/N: This chapter was kind of boring, but I love the next one. Thus begins the Kikyou/Kagome and Inuyasha romance, so its getting cuter!
