A/N: Sorry about the long time between updates, folks. I know I usually don't take that much time updating…but I just got a brand new laptop, and have spent the last couple days fiddling with it. Before that, I was at college orientation in Indiana, and had no internet access. Sorry about the wait, but here is chapter eight! Please read and review.
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Unspoken
Chapter Eight: So-Called Safety
"But Inuyasha…how is that possible? I thought your parents were…" Kagome stopped short. Sure enough, standing there in the flesh were Izayoi and Inutaisho, Inuyasha's long-dead parents.
Her jaw dropped.
Inuyasha could only manage to stare for what seemed like a very long time. He stayed rooted to the spot, as did Sesshoumaru and Kagome, until Inutaisho chose to speak.
"Do you all plan on standing there and staring at us all day? It's rather discomforting, honestly…" he smirked.
Sesshoumaru growled protectively. "How do we even know that you are who you claim to be?" he demanded, stepping in front of Inuyasha and Kagome.
Both Inuyasha and Kagome glanced at him with shock in their eyes.
Inutaisho laughed. "Sesshoumaru, you are a dog demon. When has your sense of smell failed you?" he questioned. "You know my scent. Feel free to confirm it if you wish. I am certain Inuyasha can recognize the scent of his own mother as well…"
After a moment, Sesshoumaru relaxed somewhat. He sighed deeply. "How?" he demanded after a moments' silence. "How is it possible that the both of you have risen from the grave?"
Izayoi smiled, taking several steps forward and embracing Kagome in a tight hug. "Thank you, dear girl, for helping us…" she whispered.
Inuyasha's eyes widened. "Kagome?" he gasped. "How did Kagome do this?"
Inutaisho cleared his throat. "Kagome is the protector of the jewel. When you, your friends, and Kaede used it to get back here, the jewel did not go away, but rather went back to the place it was when this whole thing started." He pointed to Kagome. "The jewel is inside her. But going back in time and thus altering things has thrown old threats back into existence for this time period. Midoriko must have thought that you would need our help for this threat…whatever it is."
"Old threats?" Kagome repeated. "Why does that not sound good?"
"Keh…" Inuyasha grumbled. "Whatever it is, we'll handle it like we always do…"
"Inuyasha…" Shippo tugged at his pants leg.
Inuyasha looked down in annoyance. "What is it, runt?" he snapped.
"What if the old threat is not a 'what'? What if the old threat is a 'who'?" he asked.
Inuyasha's eyebrow rose. "What the hell are you talking about, Shippo?"
Kagome visibly paled. "Inuyasha…what if in bringing me back here, we unknowingly released Naraku into this world again as well?" she suggested.
The kit nodded. "That was what I was trying to say, Inuyasha!" he whined.
"I haven't sensed him anywhere…" Inuyasha shrugged.
Sesshoumaru frowned, laughing slightly. "You haven't left Kagome's side, you idiot. You're so intoxicated on her scent right now it would be hard for you to focus on anything else."
"Shut up." Inuyasha snarled.
"Who's this Naraku?" their father demanded, snapping the two boys quickly from their quarrel with one another.
Kagome shivered at the name. "He nearly killed us all the last time we went up against him. We got lucky. Naraku stole Inuyasha's sword, and when Inuyasha transformed…"
The look on Inutaisho's face became a troubled one. "You have transformed into a full youkai before?" he asked his son, who nodded slowly.
"I didn't mean to do it…it's just that certain things trigger it…" he told him. "It was a good thing last time, though. We might have been defeated…"
"How did you manage to come back?" his father asked, even more curious than before.
Inuyasha pointed. "Kagome." He whispered. "She is the only one who can always get through to me…"
"What about this Naraku? Does he know that about you? Does he know about Kagome?"
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"Sango…tell Kirara that we must turn back…" Miroku practically ordered her.
She blinked. "No. I told Inuyasha that I was going to find Kouga. That bastard is going to pay for what he did to Kagome, Miroku…and we haven't found him yet, so I'm not turning back."
"Sango, I…" Miroku began.
"No, Miroku!"
"Sango!" he snapped, grabbing onto her shoulders and forcing her to face him. "You don't understand! Can't you sense it? It's…it's an evil aura…very strong. Naraku…I think he is back…"
Sango huffed in anger. "Miroku, I don't believe…"
Miroku groaned. "Damn it, Sango! Make Kirara turn around! My hand…it burns. If the wind tunnel comes back, I don't want to hurt you!"
Sango gulped. "Miroku, are you…are you going to be all right?"
He sighed deeply. "Take us home, Sango. If we get close enough for Naraku to recognize us, my hand could turn against us, and I don't want that to happen. I care about you far too much to lose you to this curse…"
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"Obviously, the stupid half-wit hasn't realized we are all back as well, or he would have already came after Kagome by now…" Inuyasha mused.
"Inuyasha, Kagome!" Sango jumped from Kirara, who was still in flight, and landed gracefully on her feet.
Kagome gasped. "What is it, Sango?"
"Naraku…" she whispered. "He's back, and he's close by…"
Inuyasha frowned deeply. "I told you I hadn't sensed him!" he snapped to his brother. "Didn't you? Or were you just being a smart ass on pure principle?"
Inutaisho cleared his throat, once again forcing his sons' attention to him. "Exactly how bad is this Naraku character?" he asked them.
"Well, obviously he's worse now than he once was, or Midoriko would not have thought it necessary to bring you back." Sesshoumaru thought out loud. "I don't understand this. Kagome will be a hanyou soon. Inuyasha and I can fight well…even the demon slayer and the monk are good in combat. We beat him once…there has got to be more to this than that…"
Shippo sighed. "What about Kouga?" he asked.
Kagome paled. "Shippo, don't say his name, all right. As of now, he is just as bad as Naraku is in my book."
"If he crosses our path, we're taking him down. Is that understood?" Inuyasha growled to everyone.
Miroku came out of Kaede's hut with his prayer beads wrapped around his cursed hand. His head was down. "The wind tunnel is back again," he whispered. "It's starting."
Sango pat him lightly on the back. "It'll be all right, Miroku. We aren't going to let anything happen to you." She promised him, although the reappearance of the wind tunnel had her more worried than any of the other bad news they'd gotten that day.
Kagome took a deep breath. "I need to go home and talk to my mom and gramps about all of this." She announced. "They need to know what is going on, and what has happened." She grabbed her bow. "I'll be back in two days. Don't leave until I've returned…"
"I'm going with you." Inuyasha insisted.
"Inuyasha…I don't know if that's a good idea. You might be needed here…"
Inuyasha shook his head. "My father and my brother can handle any threats while we are gone…and you said it yourself. You'll only be gone for two days."
She sighed in defeat. "All right, Inuyasha."
She started to walk away, but turned before she reached the forest. "If he comes in search of the jewel…" she began.
"Don't even think about finishing that sentence the way I know you're about to finish it." Inuyasha chided her. "None of us can handle Naraku on our own, and he certainly doesn't need to know that you still have the jewel."
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"Mom! Gramps! Souta! I'm home!" Kagome called. She feared her family would remember nothing about her excursions in the feudal era, just as she had remembered nothing at first.
Her mother smiled as she entered the kitchen, wrapping Kagome and Inuyasha in a tight hug. "It's good to see the both of you home!" she laughed.
Kagome's eyebrow rose, but she grinned at her mother anyway.
She gasped. "Kagome…you have…fangs…" she realized.
"That's kind of what I came to talk to you about." Kagome whispered.
"What happened to you?"
Inuyasha's ears flattened to his head, but Kagome placed a reassuring hand in his, and began her story. "Kouga killed me when we went back down the well, mommy." Her mother paled, but she continued. "But Inuyasha…he saved me. He brought me back, because we…we love each other…and because he bit me, I am going to look like him…I think…"
Inuyasha nodded, as if to confirm what Kagome had said.
Kagome frowned. "But going back has brought Naraku back, mom. So I can't stay here. I have to go and help everyone get rid of him once and for all. I'm going to stay until tomorrow night, and then I don't know when I'll be back home."
Kagome's mother beamed. "I am so proud of you!" she smiled, again wrapping them in a hug. "I couldn't wait for this to finally happen, and now it has! Souta is going to be so happy!"
Again, Kagome's look changed to one of confusion, but Inuyasha laughed and she shrugged it off.
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"Do you think Kagome and Inuyasha are going to be safe in Kagome's time?" Shippo asked Sango.
Sango nodded. "Of course."
"Kagome's 'time'?" Inutaisho repeated. Izayoi too, looked very confused.
Sango blinked, remembering that Inuyasha's parents had been gone for some time, and probably had no clue about Kagome's ability to travel the future using the bone eater's well. She quickly explained.
"Oh…" Inuyasha's mother nodded. "So the girl is a rather remarkable miko, then?"
Again, Sango nodded. "She does quite well. Her and Inuyasha compliment one another, on and off the battlefield."
"Her strength may increase greatly now that she has demon blood in her veins," Inutaisho mused.
"That's what we're all hoping for," Sesshoumaru agreed.
"But what if the well is broken?" Shippo yelped.
Miroku frowned. "What would give you an idea like that?"
"Kouga came through it…what if others can use it? What if Kouga tells other demons how it works?"
"I think the only reason Kouga could come back to this time was because of the mark he placed on Kagome, Shippo. I don't think that means the well is broken. I'm sure Kagome and Inuyasha are perfectly safe right now."
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"Good night, Kagome…" Inuyasha whispered.
Kagome giggled. "You don't have to sleep on the floor, Inuyasha. There's room up here."
"I'm used to it." He insisted. "Plus, if you start to transform more during the night, I don't want to end up getting hurt…or purified, or anything like that. I think I'll stay here until your transformation is complete and you can control both your powers…"
Kagome planted a look of fake sadness on her face and 'Keh'd!' in typical Inuyasha fashion. Inuyasha allowed a small smile to grace his lips as he rolled over to go to sleep.
"Good night, Inuyasha…" Kagome whispered.
"Kagome…" Inuyasha gasped in realization. "Be careful…while you sleep." He warned her.
Kagome nodded. "I know, Inuyasha. You told me, and Kaede told me. I'll be all right. I promise. I'll see you in the morning." She yawned.
"Kagome?" Inuyasha whispered once more.
"Hmmm…?" she groaned sleepily.
"I…I love you, Kagome…" he sighed.
Kagome smiled in her sleep. "Love you, too…" she said between her yawning. "Always have…"
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"Kagome…" Someone was shaking her. She groaned in her sleep. "Kagome…wake up…" they said again. "I need to talk to you."
Kagome took a deep breath. She could tell who it was. Even without her extra-sensitive nose, she knew Inuyasha's scent as though it was the back of her very own hand. She smiled, turning over, and slowly opening up her eyes.
"Inuyasha…it's late. What are you doing up?" she frowned at him. "Is something wrong?"
He shook his head, smiling at her. "Of course not." He smirked, leaning in to kiss her lightly. He placed a hand on her shoulder, massaging it gently.
Kagome's eyebrow rose slightly. "What's gotten into you, Inuyasha?" she blushed.
He chuckled at her. "Nothing. You just looked so pretty while you were sleeping…" he whispered in her ear, and she gasped in surprise.
"Inuyasha…my grandfather…is right across the hall."
"I'm not going to do anything." He smiled at her. "Come on…" He grabbed her hand.
Kagome blinked. "Where are we going?" she demanded.
"Outside. To the sacred tree," he answered her quickly. "I'm more comfortable there," he insisted.
Kagome nodded. "All right. What did you need to talk to me about?" she asked him.
He shook his head. "You'll see…"
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"Inuyasha…what are you doing?" Kagome wondered.
Inuyasha frowned. "What's wrong, Kagome? Don't you trust me?" He tightened his grip on her.
Kagome tensed. "Inuyasha…let go…you're hurting me…" she warned him.
"Good night, bitch…" he snarled.
"Wha…?" Kagome's eyes widened, but she was soon knocked into darkness.
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"Kagome?" Inuyasha yawned. He blinked. Her scent was still strong, as though she was laying right above him on her bed, however, she was not there. "What the hell?" He frowned. "Kagome?" he stood, walking slowly from her room and down the stairs into her kitchen.
Kagome's mother was waiting there. She looked surprised. "Oh, Inuyasha!" she gasped. "I could have sworn you and Kagome went outside last night." She blushed. "I mean, I saw you leave from the window…but I didn't think you had come back in for the night…" she looked at the floor.
Inuyasha's ear twitched with his confusion. "What do you mean? We didn't go outside last night. I was sleeping on the floor, and I…." He stopped, fear gripping his heart. "You saw me go outside with Kagome?" he asked.
Kagome's mother nodded. "Yes…unless there was someone else with the two of you last night?"
Inuyasha shook his head, the color draining from his face. "No…there wasn't…" He ran from the room, and straight into the well house across from the sacred tree.
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"Wake up, Kagome…" she heard for a second time.
She groaned, this time in pain, opening her eyes slightly. She nearly screamed, but he stopped her from doing so.
"Now, Kagome…we wouldn't want those meddlesome friends of yours to find you yet. Not until we are done with you…" Kouga smirked.
Kagome's eyes welled with tears, but she would not let him see her cry. She knew who Kouga must have been talking about, and she felt slightly sick at the thought.
"Where is…Naraku….?" She stammered.
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A/N: In true fashion of…myself :D, I had to put a cliffie here. Sorry, guys. I'll update soon. I have a doctors appointment on Friday, so I'll probably have an update on here by then. Please review and let me know what you think.