If the Roles Were Reversed

by Glon Morski

I: Until he fell down the well and 500 years into the past, Inuyasha didn't believe in legends. His beliefs were challenged when he found himself in a world in which said legends are reality. Problem? He wants to leave that world behind, while it is unwilling to let him go. And so he begins a search for a substitute for a duty, aided by Kagome, his slef-proclaimed hanyo protector.

49. Storm Clouds on the Horizon

Well, here we are, another chapter. As promised, things are moving along and, character and relationship-development aside, there's even a little action. Nothing big, though, sorry, but don't worry, we'll get to the action part eventually :) Maybe we'll get people's interest in this story to go up a little then, since it seemed to be falling lately… Am I doing something wrong, something you don't like? If so, don't keep it to yourself, tell me!

Oh, on that note: IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ – I got an unsigned, anonymous review for chapter 5. All it said was 'I stopped reading this story because of this chapter'. I gather from that that the reviewer in question didn't like IRWR. That's fine, it's not what bothers me. I can't please everyone. What does bother me is that this person left it at that and since it is an anonymous review left by a 'Guest' (there's not even a possible penname to check if this person has an account here on ff! *cries*), I can't even get back to him or her and ask just what was so bad with chapter 5 in his/her opinion. Sure, it might have been simply that he/she didn't like the plot, in which case all I could respond with would be the old (but rarely good) 'don't like, don't read' that many authors seem to like to spit out whenever someone criticizes their work. However, if the problem was my writing style, the characterization of Inuyasha, Kagome or anyone else, or any other thing that's not the plot, I would have preferred to be told, or at least to have the possibility to get back to that person and ask them in a PM. I write fanfiction because it's fun, yes, but I also want to use it to better my writing and I can't do that if I'm simply told that some person heavily disliked my story, but am not told why.
I'm saying this because I'm sure I'm not the only author out there who thinks that way or who has gotten reviews like the one cited above. I know not all authors here on ff are like that and I realize that a lot of them take to criticism very badly, but please, don't let that stop you from stating your opinion and explaining where you're coming from. If you criticize an idiot who can't take someone else's opinion and try to learn from it, ignore him, it's his loss. But you might also end up criticizing someone like me who'll try to take your opinion to heart and make his writing better that way. We authors can't improve if we're not getting constructive critical feedback, you know. That's all I wished to say on the matter.

With all that being said and done, on with the chapter. Hope you enjoy :D

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ANONYMOUS REVIEWERS:

That-Other-One: Well, what do you know, seems like even I can make people laugh sometimes despite sucking at writing humor. Glad to see the miscommunications between Kagome and Inuyasha can get a smile out of you, even if that's not necessarily what I'm aiming for most of the time LOL On another note, concerning the well, I have to say that I always wondered why Takahashi-san never played with it and Naraku knowing. I mean, there was no way of him NOT knowing, so why wait so long to do something to it? I never understood that… though it's most likely simply because Takahashi-san is nowhere near as much of a sadist to fictional characters as I am LOL

Jingee1511 (reviewed for chapter 47): Hey, long time no see. Glad you're still following this story :) And even gladder than you enjoy it and my analytical picture of the character's thoughts and feelings LOL Thanks for letting me know you're still with me, it really means a lot considering you've been following this fic since its very beginning :D

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Tracks for this chapter: None

Standard disclaimer and Reader's Key apply.

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What happened last time: Two weeks after the Jewel's interference with Inuyasha's training, The Shikon is still under Miroku's protection as Inuyasha still hasn't fully mastered his powers, but is well on his way to finally doing so. His training is interrupted yet again, however, as a large group of yōkai attacks the village, while a second horde heads for the well. Without any other choice, Kagome sends Inuyasha to help in the village while she goes to protect the well. Luckily, the attackers are defeated without any casualties, but as the group sits together to try and figure out why the demons have attacked the well to begin with, they realize they may have very well given the puppeteer who schemed the attack the answer he wanted to have: the well is important to at least one of them, important enough that they will protect it if it is threatened, even if it means splitting up when faced with attack on the village at the same time. And they realize that that, in turn, means that it is very likely that Naraku may try to destroy the well in the future, effectively cutting off Inuyasha's way home…

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Chapter 49 – Storm Clouds on the Horizon

"Eh? Miroku-sama is gone?" Kagome repeated in bewilderment. It was the morning after the yōkai attacked and she had spent the night in the forest in order to make absolutely sure nothing would come near the well. Nothing had and most resident demons had learned to stay away from it after the carnage from the day before, but the hanyō-girl would rather be safe than sorry. However, since she hadn't been there, she had not been aware that one member of their group had up and left in the wee hours of the morning, shortly after the sun had risen.

"Yeah. I asked around in the village and heard that houshi-sama left this morning. Apparently, he left a message saying that he'd be going on a journey… and he seemed angry," Sango confirmed with a nod. Kagome narrowed her eye in thought. She had noticed the day before already that the monk had been acting off – he'd been staring at his cursed hand a lot and had been muttering under his breath, so low that even her ears couldn't catch what he'd been saying. Not that she had tried. She might have very sensitive hearing, but that didn't mean she willingly used it to eavesdrop if she could help it.

"No one was able to tell which way he went, though," Kohaku added dejectedly. The three of them were currently at the edge of the forest, where the two taijiya had come to meet Kagome half-way to the village. Inuyasha, as Kohaku had informed the hanyō, had went with Kaede to some sacred shrine in the village near Kikyo's grave and Shippō was still sleeping soundly with Kirara watching over him, even if it wasn't necessarily needed. "But Kagome-sama should be able to follow his scent, right?"

"I could," the silver-haired girl confirmed, but didn't elaborate further. She was thinking of other things than actually following the monk right now. "What of the Jewel? Did Miroku-sama take it with him?"

"He didn't. Kaede-sama assured me he didn't, but only she knows where exactly it is at the moment," Sango replied immediately. Kagome merely blinked, then nodded.

"I see," was all she said before calmly walking past the taijiya and towards the village at a pace that clearly indicated she was not planning on going ahead. The two siblings fell into step next to her, the younger more confused than his sister if his expression was anything to go by. Sango, however, seemed to be well aware of what Kagome was thinking.

"You're not going to follow him, are you," the demon slayer stated, rather than asked and Kagome glanced at her from the corner of her eye in response.

"I think Miroku-sama has left us a clear enough message. He left on a journey, he'll be back and he doesn't want us to follow him. So why should we? Besides, Inuyasha still isn't quite finished with his training and I would feel better if Kaede decided he was ready before heading off anywhere. I'd… like to avoid a repeat of that cave a couple of weeks back," the hanyō admitted, causing both taijiya to wince sympathetically.

"I can't say I blame you," Sango agreed quietly as she closed her eyes and sighed. Kohaku merely nodded while looking at the ground, but his eyes were quick to turn to the half-demon-girl again, his gaze questioning.

"How do you know Miroku-sama will come back, Kagome-sama? He didn't leave any kind of message that'd indicate it," the young boy asked curiously.

"Actually, he did," the hanyō corrected. "He had reaffirmed that he had wanted the Shikon Jewel for a long time. He also stated quite clearly that he still does – his exact words, I believe, were that he'd 'have to be a fool to refuse' taking it. And I know that to be true – Miroku-sama does want the Jewel. He wants it so that he has a way to lure Naraku to him, so that he can kill him. And because Miroku-sama wants the Jewel, you can be sure that he'll come back from wherever it is he went," she explained with a shrug.

When Miroku had first spoken those words, she had thought they were something weird for him to say. It just didn't sound like the monk to say things like that. But now, she understood the true meaning behind those words – and that meaning was a reassurance, because despite wanting the Jewel, the monk knew better than to try and steal it. He had made it clear that he wanted the gem, but he had also made clear that he didn't need to be in possession of it, that being near its protector was enough, and so he would take the Jewel for now, but he would not use the opportunity to steal it – as he had proven this morning, since apparently, he had left the Jewel behind.

"But why not take the Jewel of Four Souls with him? If he needs it to lure Naraku out, why leave it here?" Kohaku asked again, and Kagome had to admit that unless you stopped to think about it for a moment, such an action really didn't make sense. But she had thought about it, and obviously so did Kohaku's sister.

"Because if he had taken it, Kagome would have followed him. It's as Kagome says: for houshi-sama to leave the Sacred Jewel here can only mean that he does not wish for us to follow him to wherever it is he went," Sango said.

"Exactly. Which is why we won't go looking for him, but simply wait for him to return here. He'll probably be back before Kaede deems Inuyasha's training finished, anyway," Kagome added and nothing was said after that as the three made their way towards the village.

XxX

"So, why did you bring me here?" Inuyasha asked the old priestess when they arrived at their destination, which was a small shrine near the edge of the settlement, right next to Kikyo's grave stone. When he had woken up that morning, to his surprise well after dawn yet again – an occurrence he didn't dare get accustomed to – Kaede had informed him and the two taijiya that Miroku had left, after which she had promptly dragged him off to where they now were. Well, 'dragged off' probably wasn't the correct way to describe it, as she hasn't actually grabbed him or anything, but with the look she had given him and the tone she had used when telling him to come with her, the old priestess might as well have.

"Because ye need to know where the Shikon is being kept should you need to find it swiftly for any reason," Kaede replied simply as she pushed the doors to the shrine apart and revealed its interior. Not that there was much to see, the structure's inside was mostly empty safe for two rows of burning incense which could almost act like a walkway to the middle of the room, where a small altar with a necklace stood. A necklace Inuyasha knew well, for he had made it himself. The necklace that was the Jewel's seal.

"So Miroku really did leave it here," the black haired priest commented mostly to himself in an attempt to hide his anxiety. He had been free of the cursed pearl for close to two weeks now and he had to admit, while he hadn't really paid attention to it when he had it, it felt good to be free of it. Especially after what it caused almost two weeks ago. That had been an experience Inuyasha would very much like to avoid, which was yet another reason why he was determined to train, but even with all his training and improving control of his powers, the idea of taking the Jewel back, of tacking that responsibility on yet again, scared him. Some might wonder why. It wasn't like he really thought much of it before, and frankly, he forgot about the pearl most of the time. But that was the core of the problem, he had forgotten all about it despite wearing the damn thing all the time and hearing of it wherever he went. Now, with what it had done to him two weeks ago, the Jewel of Four Souls had reminded him that it was more than just some gem a girl might like to wear for decoration. And along with remembering that, Inuyasha clearly recalled what Kagome had once told him, what protecting the Jewel implied and how much of a responsibility it was.

And now that that responsibility was hanging over him like the Sword of Damocles, waiting for when he'll take it on again, he found himself very unwilling to do it. If he were honest with himself, the future-born teen would have preferred if the Shikon could just remain in this little shrine for good. But he knew better than to think it was an option, he had been in the Sengoku Era long enough and had dealt with the magical pearl enough to know that it couldn't just be left like that. Someone would have to eventually take on its protection again and like it or hate it, that someone was going to be him.

Kaede merely raised an eyebrow at Inuyasha's words, but said nothing and instead simply entered the little shrine, beckoning the young kannushi to follow her. He did, although a bit hesitantly, his anxiety growing. He might know that he'd have to take the Jewel back eventually, but that didn't mean he was thrilled about it.

'What I would be thrilled about is if that blasted Shikon just disappeared from my life,' Inuyasha thought sourly before shaking his head and sighing. That wasn't entirely true, he wouldn't be thrilled about it, because if the Jewel was gone, then so would be his reason to stay here. He'd have to go home for good and he didn't want to.

Why was life always so damn complicated? Why couldn't things ever be easy?

"Take it," the old priestess said, effectively cutting through Inuyasha's thoughts and freezing him in his tracks. Take the Jewel? Now? Wasn't he supposed to just know where it was? For a moment, he could only stare with wide eyes at the gem in front of him, unable to move. The idea to take the gem back didn't sit well with him at all. But the idea to take it back right now was even worse, although Inuyasha couldn't exactly say why. He knew he'd have to take it back eventually, what did it matter when it actually happened? "Inuyasha?" Kaede pushed when the teen didn't move, although there was no reprimand in her voice. Gulping almost inaudibly, the black haired priest did as he was told, or at least attempted to as he reached for the pearl – the light purple pearl that had been black the last time he'd seen it, but which should be pink. The fact that it was purple, however slightly, was more than enough indication that even in the span of close to two weeks, Miroku hadn't been able to completely purify it. Realizing this, Inuyasha stilled, his fingers merely an inch away from the Shikon. And try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to actually touch the pearl. Kaede sighed.

"Ye are afraid," the old miko stated gravely, the statement making Inuyasha jump slightly in surprise. He was… afraid? Well, he knew he was anxious, that was for sure, but afraid? Why would he be? There was nothing to be scared of, was there?

"Why would I be afraid?" he scoffed, brushing the statement of. He wasn't afraid. He wasn't! Or… was he?

"That, I do not know," Kaede replied, watching the young priest beside her intently. He was staring at her now, his violet eyes confused, as if he didn't expect her not to know – which in all honestly, he didn't. The old miko sighed. "If ye are to protect the Sacred Jewel, ye must not fear it. Ye haven't feared it before. Yet ye do now. Why do ye fear the Jewel now, Inuyasha? Why now, when you have the power to keep it in check and are almost fully able to control that power? Why do ye fear the Shikon?" the old woman questioned, her words causing Inuyasha to blink. He was afraid… of the Sacred Jewel? "And why do ye let your fear control ye? When I first met ye, emotions seemed to be the one thing ye wouldn't let control your actions, or at least ye wouldn't most emotions control your actions. But right now, it is obvious ye have yielded to fear, the one emotion no one should ever let himself be controlled by, the one emotions ye have never let yourself be controlled by. Why would ye yield, Inuyasha, when ye had such a good grip on your emotions not two moon cycles ago?"

While Kaede continued her questioning, Inuyasha could only stare. He was letting his fear control him? That was just laughable. He had never allowed any emotion to control his actions… well, alright, he tended to act first and think later when he was angry (which had been admittedly a lot until recently), but he had never once allowed fear to reign his actions. Fear was an emotion he never felt, and if he did, then he didn't acknowledge it.

Except when it concerned Kagome.

The black haired priest couldn't help the slight flinch as the memories from the illusionist's cave, and the days that followed, hit him suddenly. His refusal to attempt to make a barrier when the cave-in started stood out most. That was the best example of a time when he allowed fear to reign his actions, wasn't it? Of course, Kagome had told him later it had been a good thing he'd refused, but still, that didn't change the fact that he had let fear rule his actions back then. And if he had done it once, who was to say he wouldn't let it happen again?

The black haired priest shook his head to get rid of that thought. That was completely different! Back then, he had been worried he might unintentionally hurt Kagome again. He had refused because he hadn't wanted to take that chance. Granted, it had not been the best decision considering what happened afterward (even if Kagome seemed to think otherwise), but it was still a decision he had made while thinking of the possibility that he might hurt Kagome again. So yes, maybe he had let fear rule his actions back then, but at least that fear was explainable. Kagome was his friend, so of course he wouldn't want to hurt her and would be afraid to attempt something that could, and with his luck probably would, do just that.

But now? What was there to be afraid of now? There wasn't anything, was there? The only thing there was, was a small pearl just the right size to hold between two fingers. And he was not a coward who'd be afraid of a little gem.

Of course, the Jewel of Four Souls was hardly an average pearl and, with the experiences the violet eyed kannushi had had with it lately, no one would blame him for being anxious and even slightly scared while being near it. It might look like an inoffensive, little trinket, but it was in actuality a very powerful magical object. Actually, it was one of the most powerful magical objects in existence. Adding the fact that it had a mind of its own, a mind set on doing anything, no matter how horrible, to ensure its strength would grow and it would continue to exist, it became pretty obvious that any sane person would feel at least a little apprehensive around the gem, especially if they had to eventually take up guarding it again.

In Inuyasha's eyes, however, no matter how powerful the Shikon seemed to be, it was still just a little stone, an inanimate object. Sure, it seemed to hold more power than the kannushi had expected and it had harmed him… but that was when he had still been unable to control his powers. He was learning though, and things were different now. The gem shouldn't be able to do anything to him anymore. It was, for all intends and purposes, nothing more than a little inoffensive trinket (or it would be as soon as Inuyasha fully learned to control his powers, since it definitely wouldn't be able to do anything then). And the future-born teen was not someone who would be scared of an inanimate object barely big enough to comfortably hold in a closed fist.

"I didn't yield to anything. I'm not afraid," the young priest snapped irritably, both as a response to his thoughts and to Kaede's question. The elder miko merely leveled him with a challenging stare.

"Then take the gem that is to be your responsibility once again," she challenged, although her voice wasn't really commanding or challenging. Actually, it sounded more like she wanted to test him or something. Did the old priestess suddenly have second thoughts about whether or not Inuyasha was a suitable guardian?

If he had been thinking clearly at that moment, Inuyasha would have easily realized that such a thought was nothing short of stupid. If Kaede had had doubts about him being suitable, she would have had them long before now. However, this was lost on the young teen whose pride had taken more of a beating than it was willing to accept, and who was thus determined to prove himself to the elder woman. Without any hesitation visible in his movements, Inuyasha turned to face the altar and reached out a hand to grasp the necklace on which the Shikon hung. It looked like he was going to prove his words of not being afraid, too… until his hand came at an inch distance of the Jewel and refused to get any closer as Inuyasha's whole body froze.

He tried to close that last distance and snatch the gem, he really did. But try as he might, his body refused to move and he couldn't bring himself to actually complete the action and grab the Sacred Jewel from its altar.

He wasn't quite sure how long he stood there, still like a statue. It might have been seconds and it might have been minutes until Kaede sighed and unceremoniously grabbed him to pull him out of the shrine, the young teen being stupefied enough (for reasons unknown) to let her do so. Once the door to the shrine was shut and the Jewel vanished from his sight, Inuyasha relaxed and released a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"I have expected ye would be unable to do it," the old priestess said, her expression tired and her tone only slightly disappointed. "Ye have still much to learn, it would seem, and not only when it comes to your spiritual energy. If ye are to ever be ready to take on the protection of the Jewel again, ye must learn to control your emotions first, least it uses them against ye. Though I suppose it is something I should have realized long before now. I should have prepared ye before asking ye to protect the Jewel before. Ye are but a child and I should have known better than to thrust that kind of responsibility upon you without giving you a chance to prepare for it. Forgive me," she added, her tone so utterly remorseful than Inuyasha could only stare at first. Sure, when he first met Kaede and found out he had the Jewel of Four Souls, he hadn't exactly been thrilled to learn he had to protect the Jewel from evil beings who wanted it for themselves, human and demons alike. And it was also true that Kaede had kind of just expected him to go along with it without a fuss and without any problems, probably expecting him to humbly accept the task and deal with it effortlessly like her sister had, which wasn't exactly fair.

But on another hand, he had also been told right off the bat that he was basically the only one who could take the gem because he was the only person around with strong enough reiki to be able to handle it, even if he wasn't able to control it at all. That circumstance wasn't something Kaede, or anyone else for that matter, could control. Fate just loved to screw with him, it would seem.

So yes, Kaede had kind of forced him to take the Jewel without really thinking about whether he would be able to handle it or not and had simply assumed he would. But to be fair, what else could she have done? The Jewel had needed a guardian, especially since it wasn't sealed like it was now, and he was the only guardian around for miles, if not on the entire island of Japan (though he hoped that wasn't true), who could actually do it. Of course he'd be forced to take it then, it wasn't like Kaede had a choice but to stick him with it. And it wasn't like he had any choice other than accepting, either. So it shouldn't really be a surprise that Inuyasha's first response was a mere huff, as he cared little for the apology he didn't think was needed and got annoyed by the rest of what the old miko said.

"Keh," he huffed as he turned away from the shrine, and by extension the old woman. "Not like you have anything to apologize for, it's not like you or I could have done anything other than what we have done," he replied gruffly in a rare moment of wise insight, though it was swiftly ruined by his next words. "That aside, I'm not a child," now, his annoyance was clear to hear in his voice, his ego, which had taken quite a beating lately, clearly not appreciating the continued abuse. "And I know how to control my emotions," those last words had been grumbled, as if the teen wasn't directing them at Kaede so much as at himself. The elder priestess still heard him though and shook her head, the expression of stunned respect that had appeared on her face at Inuyasha's wise words being quickly replaced by that a tired teacher might show to a stubborn student who refused to see he was in the wrong.

"Ye do not," the old miko replied calmly, not even bothering to glance at the priest as they walked at a slow pace back towards the centre of the village. "Ye refuse to acknowledge your feelings and hide them behind a mask of confidence and anger. That is not the same as controlling them. One who controls his emotions accepts what he feels, doesn't let his pride interfere with that acceptance, but doesn't let those feelings affect his actions. It is an ability ye have yet to acquire, as you have proven just now when ye refused to admit to your fear of the Shikon."

"I'm not scared of it," Inuyasha replied hotly, not allowing himself to think that his actions not even two minutes ago clearly contradicted his statement and causing the elder miko to sigh tiredly.

"My point exactly."

XxX

"Is it just me, or has the atmosphere here really changed since yesterday?" Sango couldn't help but comment as they arrived at the edge of the village. Kagome sighed, her ears lowering slightly in response, although the movement was so tiny the human eye probably wouldn't have caught it.

"It's not just you," the hanyō replied, although she was quite sure the question had been rhetorical. "Although saying the atmosphere changed since this morning, when I wasn't here, would be more accurate."

"You make it sound as if it was your presence that's causing the change in the atmosphere, Kagome-sama," Kohaku said while glancing at the hanyō out of the corner of his eye, only to blink when the silver haired girl sighed almost inaudibly. It wasn't hard to figure out that she wasn't just 'making it sound' that way, but that she actually believed it. Kohaku could only stare for a moment. "Why would you believe that, Kagome-sama?"

The question caused Kagome to stare at the young demon slayer incredulously for a while. Such a question was something she might have expected from Inuyasha, sure, but Kohaku? The boy might be young, but he was a taijiya. There was no way his question was serious. Right?

Sango seemed to think it was, because she sighed and actually answered the boy.

"She believes it because she's probably right, Kohaku. Think about it. Kagome is a hanyō, isn't that reason enough for the atmosphere in the village to change when she's around?"

The female slayer's words made Kohaku stop dead in his tracks, which in turn caused the two females to stop as well. The boy's eyes were wide in disbelief as he stared at his sister, his mouth partially agape before he recovered enough to reply.

"Ane-ue! What are you saying? I thought you didn't think that way anymore," he didn't dare utter those words as more than a whisper and Kagome could tell it was because he was aghast. The way he stared at Sango said it all, really, and the elder taijiya obviously noticed it, too.

"I don't. Or at least I try not to," she replied with a shake of her head. "But you forget, Kohaku, this way of thinking that I have supported until not long ago… that's the way people view beings like Kagome. And I'm not trying to insult you when I say it that way," she added the last sentence quickly while glancing Kagome's way, though the hanyō-girl merely shrugged in response.

"I wasn't insulted, anyway," was all she said, although she didn't look the slayer in the eye as she spoke.

"But it doesn't made sense. Everything was fine until yesterday whether Kagome-sama was in the village or not. Why would people become so wary of her now?"

"Well, I'd assume it's because of what happened yesterday," Sango replied thoughtfully, her eyes never leaving the hanyō's still form. "Were it not for the fact that this atmosphere isn't one I usually felt in villages afraid of a yōkai or hanyō that lurked near."

Kagome's ears twitched in response to Sango's words, her acute hearing easily catching the soft, questioning undertone of the slayer's voice and understanding what unasked question was on her mind. But she didn't indulge the other female and remained silent, causing Kohaku to keep the conversation going.

"What do you mean, ane-ue?" the younger of the two slayers asked, as he was unable to compare the atmosphere in the village with the atmosphere one might feel in a threatened settlement, since he was on but one extermination mission – and one that hadn't ended very well. Sango, on the other hand, had had various jobs before the fateful mission that had been all part of Naraku's plan, and had thus much more experience than her brother, and not only in battle.

"What I mean is that usually, in a village where people are wary of a demon, there's this stifling, tense atmosphere… like a calm before a storm or something. You can practically feel the anxiety and fear of the people. But here it feels different. These people aren't anxious or afraid. It seems to me they're… angry," the taijiya said slowly, still glancing at Kagome out of the corner of her eye as she spoke. The half-demon in question sighed.

"Well, it's not like they don't have a reason to be. As far as they're concerned, I failed their expectations, since I failed to perform my duties," the golden-eyed girl said with an unconcerned shrug, then turned her back to the siblings and resumed walking. Both siblings only stared after her for a second before they resumed walking as well and easily fell into step beside her once more, their expressions curious.

"What duties? Last time I checked, you don't even really live in the village, why would you have any duties?" Sango asked incredulously, her brother nodding along in agreement. Kagome sighed.

"How much do you know about what the people of this village think of me?" she answered their questions with one of her own, although both siblings seemed quite confused at the sudden change of topic – or what seemed to be a change of topic, anyway. Still, instead of shrugging it off and pursuing his own line of questioning, Kohaku actually answered.

"Well, I heard a few people speaking of someone they called the Inuyasha, though it was pretty clear they weren't talking about Inuyasha-sama. When I asked, their answer made me think the Inuyasha is what they call Kagome-sama," the young slayer said while glancing at Kagome questioningly.

"I heard some talks of the Inuyasha, too, although I assumed it was some spirit or kami the people around here believed in. Some sort of guardian or protector who would watch over these lands and help the people when they needed it," Sango added slowly, her eyes narrowed in thought.

"Both are correct," Kagome answered with a sigh as she closed her eye briefly before turning to face the taijiya siblings. Crossing her arms over her chest, the hanyō-girl leaned her back on the wall of Kaede's hut, which they had just reached, and crossed her ankles as well. "I am called the Inuyasha and the villagers around here thought I was the protector of their village. That was the only reason they tolerated me here, really. That and the fact that Kaede has some influence."

"Protector of the village? Why would they believe that?" Sango asked as she, too, leaned on the hut's wall beside Kagome. The young taijiya leaned slightly forward to see Kagome's face, resulting in her hair, which wasn't tied in a pony tail this time but a lose braid, falling over her shoulder.

"Ane-ue!" Kohaku called yet again, sounding for all the world like he was reprimanding his older sister… which, in fact, he was. Not needing her brother to elaborate to know what he was reprimanding her for, Sango sighed.

"I don't mean it that way. But with Kagome travelling around as much as she is lately, why would they believe she's the protector of their village specifically?"

"Because fifty years ago, I did protect it. I protected the Shikon Jewel, too. I helped Kikyo protect both. And there are still people in the village who remember those times," Kagome replied quietly, her tone leaving much room to speculate how she actually felt about the fact.

"You… helped the Miko of the Shikon protect the Jewel of Four Souls?" Sango asked incredulously, actually pushing herself away from the hut she was leaning against and taking a few steps away in surprise. "I knew before that you knew the Miko of the Shikon, but I never would have suspected that," the female taijiya admitted and Kagome snorted.

"Which is exactly why I didn't want you to know when I first met you. You wouldn't have believed me, anyway."

"True, I probably wouldn't have," Sango agreed with a sigh, actually looking a bit sheepish at having to admit it. Kohaku gave his sister a skeptical look.

"You still don't fully believe it, do you, ane-ue," he said in an accusing tone and both females sighed, although for different reasons.

"Kohaku…" Sango started, but before she could say anything more, Kagome interrupted her.

"It's fine, Sango. I don't expect you to believe me unconditionally. I'm not a fool. A whole life of being taught hanyō are monsters isn't exactly something you can forget on a whim. Just like I can't forget on a whim that a demon slayer usually wants to take my head before attempting to talk to me," the young hanyō said off-handedly, doing a very good impression of not caring in the least – although whether she truly didn't care was debatable. "But that's not the point. The point is, fifty years ago I was the protector of the Shikon along with Kikyo and, by extension, the protector of the village. And there are still people who remember that. These people told stories to the new generation, to the youngsters who weren't even planned to be conceived back then so they couldn't possibly know. From these stories, the villagers developed this grand image of me as their guardian spirit or something, someone who would come to their aid when the village needed it. And then yesterday happened. The village was attacked and I failed to show up. So of course, I disappointed their expectations and now, they're angry and feel betrayed – because, as far as they are concerned, I wasn't here when I should have been."

"But it's not like you weren't here because you didn't feel like helping. You were needed elsewhere, so you were elsewhere. If you haven't stayed at the well, the yōkai would have destroyed it and Inuyasha-sama would never be able to return home again!"Kohaku replied, though his words only got another tired sigh out of the half-demon.

"Yeah, we know that. But the villagers don't. They don't even know Inuyasha is from the future and frankly, it'd be better if it was kept that way."

"But if we don't explain things to them and things like that will keep happening, the villagers will only hate Kagome-sama more!"

"They'll hate me either way. I told you, as far as they're concerned, I'm a protector of the village and I have a duty to them that should be more important than anything else, even if it is an image of me they created themselves. That I decided some other place was more important than their home and left them to fend for themselves is unforgivable and I knew things would turn out like this the moment I decided to stay at the well."

"But Kagome-sama didn't leave the village to fend for itself. Ane-ue, Miroku-sama and I were here and Kagome-sama knew that. And you even told Inuyasha to come here, rather than accompany you to the well," Kohaku most definitely wasn't one to give up, Kagome had to give him that. Whether it was a good thing or not in this particular moment was another story entirely, however.

"Exactly, all of you were here," the hanyō agreed, her voice hard. "But what if you weren't?"

"Nothing would have changed. Maybe there would have been a few more casualties, but the end result would be the same!" Kohaku replied confidently, if a little angrily at Kagome's challenge. The silver haired girl in question, however, snorted at the young boy's response, causing a surprised and confused look to settle in his eyes.

"And that's where you're wrong, Kohaku. The villagers think that if you all hadn't been here, then I would have truly left the village to fend for itself, not just partially as I had by leaving it to you. And they're right when they assume that, for if you haven't been here, then there's no way in hell I would have let Inuyasha come here by himself," the half-demon said without an ounce of hesitation or remorse in her voice or overall demeanor. Her words caused the two taijiya to freeze, although Sango was quick to recover and to glare angrily at the half-demon.

"You'd do what?" the taijiya whispered, her voice deadly and obviously daring Kagome to repeat what she had just said. The hanyō-girl bit back a sigh and scowled.

"You heard me, Sango," she said slowly, warningly, but whatever warning she was trying to give, the other female disregarded it completely.

"If Miroku-sama and I weren't here, you wouldn't even attempt to protect this place? You would just let it be destroyed?!" the slayer yelled in sudden rage, unaware of the attention her screaming was catching from the people around them. The same couldn't be said for Kagome, who quite easily noticed the sudden, tense silence around them, but the hanyō simply chose to disregard it and act as if she wasn't being watched. She had enough practice in making humans believe that she didn't realize what they were saying or doing behind her back to do it effortlessly, anyway. "You say it as if you weren't talking about potentially letting people die – people you could be saving! And people think of you as a protector?! All you are is a monster!"

"Ane-ue!" Kohaku interjected once more, effectively interrupting his enraged sister, but it was already too late. The words have been said and they certainly have been heard. That much was obvious by the way Kagome's body tensed and the way her hands suddenly gripped her arms as the half-demon fought for control so she wouldn't do something stupid, and something she would later regret immensely, too.

"You seem to forget, taijiya," Kagome started slowly, putting extra emphasis on the word 'taijiya' as she raised her head just a little bit so her eye could meet Sango's, the demon slayer actually backing up a step at the deadly glint in the half-demon's gaze. Her voice was calm. Frigid, but calm. And yet there's was no denying that Kagome was furious, her eye was conveying that information better than words or anything else ever could. "I am not a weapon for hire like you and others of your profession. I don't come somewhere to offer my protection because I've been called and I certainly don't come prepared, knowing exactly what kind of demon I'll be facing and how many of them there are. In fact, most of the time, I have no idea what I'll be dealing with until I meet it face to face, even if my nose can give me clues.

"The people of this village aren't the only ones who think of me as a protector, either. I do, too. I am a protector," she continued, pushing herself off the wall once again to face Sango fully, not hiding her fury in the least but controlling it perfectly so she wouldn't act on it. "But do you think it's easy to protect people, oh mighty demon slayer? Especially if most of the time, the people you're protecting don't even want it and would rather die than owe you their lives? Do you think it's easy to ensure no one dies, do you think it's even possible to protect everyone?"

"Of course I know it's not easy," Sango snapped back, the moment of her being intimidated by Kagome's anger having already passed and leaving her just as mad. "And I know it's not possible to protect everyone. Accidents happen, people get caught in cross fires… you can't save everyone, that's true. But what you just said doesn't imply failing to protect and to save people. That's forsaking them! And you have no right to call yourself a protector if you do that!"

Hushed whispers started to float in the air as the villagers around talked with each other in low tones while they tried to continue eavesdropping without being noticed, but the noise went unheard by the two girls and the young boy beside them (or in Kagome's case, it was simply expertly ignored). Those hushed whispers stopped abruptly however when an unexpected sound replied to Sango's words. And that was a laugh, although it was far from an amused one. Actually, it was more sarcastic than anything else.

"Accidents? Cross fire? You really think I was talking about that?" Kagome said mockingly, a half-smirk forming on her lips despite herself. "Sure, those things happen, but that wasn't what I was talking about, Sango. These things can be avoided if only the protector in question is strong enough to ensure they don't happen. If he's good enough at blocking, then there's no cross fire to speak off and if he has enough control over what he's doing, then there'll be no collateral damage that can cause accidents. No, I wasn't talking about such stupid reasons for failing," the hanyō continued, her expression turning surprisingly serious and severe. "I'm talking about the fact that sometimes, you can't protect everyone, you have to choose whom to save and whom to let die. That's the real difficulty of being a true protector – a difficulty someone like you wouldn't understand, because you have never been forced to make a decision like that. If the need arose, then the decision was probably made for you. But what is more likely, you have never been in such a situation to begin with."

For a second, it seemed as if that was the end of the conversation as Sango failed to respond and only stared at the half-demon before her. Some might think it were Kagome's words that caused the reaction, but that wasn't all there was to it. The half-demon's words have stunned the demon slayer, sure, but what had really rooted her to the ground was the look the silver haired girl was giving her. The fury had already left Kagome's golden eyes and instead, the half-demon was pinning the taijiya down with a stare that could only be described as tortured. The young hanyō didn't have to say it for Sango to understand – that decision Kagome was speaking of, she had had to make it countless times. So she had. And although she didn't regret the choice she made either time, it didn't mean the burden of the lives of the people she had had to 'forsake', as Sango had not so gently put it, was any easier to carry.

That only lasted a second, though, and once that second passed, the young demon slayer shook her head, as if attempting to shake the very words Kagome had said out of her head.

"Deciding who to sacrifice and who to save? In what kind of situation would anyone have to decide something like that? There's always a way to protect people without having to willingly sacrifice anyone, no demon can truly force a situation where we'd have to chose," Sango said angrily, but Kagome merely snorted.

"A lone demon wouldn't, that's true. I guess you never had to deal with a herd on your missions. But think of yesterday. Yesterday, it wasn't just one, lone demon. There were two large groups. If you had been in the forest instead of me and saw them split up, one group going for the village and the other for the way to Inuyasha's home, which would you follow?"

"I'd go to the village, obviously," Sango replied without thought. "I wouldn't abandon the people here. Inuyasha might have lost his only way home then, but at least I'd have a clear conscience that I didn't let anyone die if I could help it."

"Except the people who live where Inuyasha does," Kagome cut in coldly. "True, the demons probably headed there planning to destroy the way, make sure no one could get there. But what if one demon got through?"

"One demon can be easily dealt with."

"So long as you aren't floored to see a demon at all. So long as you have at least some experience in dealing with yōkai. Which the people of Inuyasha's world certainly don't. You haven't seen the way Inuyasha acted the first time he came here. I have. You have never seen where Inuyasha came from. I have. And if those experiences are anything to go by, then one demon appearing would be more than enough to wipe out at least half of the settlement where Inuyasha lives – and believe me, this village is nothing compared to that. Here, a horde of demons would take a couple hundred lives at most, assuming they would manage to kill the whole village. There, one demon would kill hundreds of thousands before anyone even started fighting back. And I would rather deal with having a hundred lives on my conscience than millions of them, so I chose to protect Inuyasha's home. As I will in the future, too, if a situation like yesterday arises again," Kagome replied hardly. Once again, dead silence fell over the small crowd that had gathered, the villagers recoiling a step when Kagome finally acknowledged that the conversation had been heard by many ears other than those she had originally intended it to be heard by.

"You may or may not agree with my choice. You can even hate me for it. I will not and I do not care if you do, because at least I won't hate myself." And with those words, the hanyō turned her back on the crowd and entered Kaede's empty hut, a clear sign that the conversation was over. Kohaku followed her swiftly, as did Sango at a much slower pace.

XxX

Inuyasha bit his tongue in annoyance, just barely holding back a curse when Seiryuu sent another wave of his energy into the woods – once again completely chaotic and far from controlled in any way except of the time of discharge. However, the young priest's disquiet wasn't due only to his repeated failures at one and the same exercise. Though he tried to concentrate, his mind kept wandering to what Kaede told him after he refused to take the Jewel (he would never say he 'failed' at taking it, even if it was obvious to everyone but him that that was what actually happened).

According to Kaede, Inuyasha's biggest problem was controlling his own emotions instead of letting them control him and his actions. The only problem with that idea was that the black haired teen had no clue how he could possibly stop his actions from being 'controlled' by his emotions, especially since as far as he was concerned, his actions weren't influenced by his emotions any more than they usually were. He was, after all, only human and every human being was at least somewhat influenced by his emotions, and not only by his rational mind.

What the violet-eyed teen failed to realize, however, was that most humans let their actions be influenced by emotions they admitted to feel, not emotions they insisted they didn't feel, as he did with his fear of the Shikon – a fear Kaede had noticed and a fear he vehemently refused to accept he felt.

"Ye are focusing your energy too much," the elder miko interrupted his thoughts and he turned to glance at her to show he was paying attention, as he should. A raised eyebrow was all he responded with, but it was enough to make Kaede continue talking. "Try to let your energy flow uninterrupted not only through your body, but through your sword as well. Do not block it in the blade, let it flow back and make a loop that ye will break for the single instance when ye swing. It will avoid the excess of power that makes the attack lose its original form and causes ye to be unable to control its trajectory."

"Let it flow in a loop?" Inuyasha repeated, somewhat confused. He attempted to do as told, though it only caused Seiryuu to stop responding altogether, which in Inuyasha's eyes meant it had no power. Frowning, he sent a little more of his energy into the blade and swung when it began to glow. The result was the same as every other time he had tried and the kannushi bit back a curse.

"Do not block the energy within the blade, let it flow back to your body," she repeated without any signs of impatience. The black haired teen frowned as he glanced back at her.

"I tried. But Seiryuu didn't respond," he replied, his eyes falling to his blade, causing him to miss Kaede's frown.

"It did not glow. That does not mean it did not respond. The sword glows when it is overloaded with energy and lets that energy escape into the air whether the wielder wants it to or not," Kaede responded gravely. "Are ye telling me ye have always waited for Seiryuu to glow before attempting to swing?" When Inuyasha only nodded while looking up at the priestess, her frown deepened. "Can ye not feel your own energy flowing through your body when ye use it?"

"I feel warmth when I draw that power out," Inuyasha replied with a shrug. "But that's all I feel." Should there even be more? He had learned to sense the youki of the demons near him – youki he quickly realized had felt differently for every demon, though Kaede seemed surprised by the fact for reasons he couldn't even begin to understand. He had thought that was all he would be able to 'see without his eyes', as he had started to explain his sixth sense to himself. But it seemed youki wasn't the only thing he should be able to feel.

"That is strange," the old miko commented as she slowly approached the young kannushi who lowered his sword and waited for her to continue without moving an inch. "Ye should be able to sense your own energy flowing from here," Kaede said when she was right in front of him and poked him right in the sternum, "in every direction and back again."

As she spoke, the old miko trailed a passage along his body, her old fingers barely ghosting over his clothes as she traced a way from his sternum to his right shoulder, then down his arm to his hand and then his sword before turning around and retracing her own movement back to where she originally started from.

"Do ye feel nothing like that when ye use your power?" she asked again in order to confirm what she had already been told a second time and Inuyasha shook his head.

"Like I said, I feel warmth spreading throughout my body, but that's pretty much it."

His words only made Kaede frown again and she waved a hand at him.

"Sheath your blade, then. Ye need to feel your energy's path within your body before ye can attempt to control it once it has left."

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Inuyasha asked, but sheathed his blade obediently. For anyone who knew him, it would be weird to see him listening to anyone, as he usually despised being given orders, much less obeying them. That he didn't say a word of protest and instead only did as Kaede said every time she told him to do something was all the more proof of how determined he was to learn.

"The same way ye have learned to make your power obey your will and manifest itself only when ye wanted it to. Only this time, ye will not focus on actually making it manifest, but on how it flows within your body."

Inuyasha groaned softly under his breath. He had been really glad when the initial part of training was behind him, as he had quickly realized that sitting in one place without moving for hours on end while directing his attention inward into his own body (in other words meditating) was not something he really enjoyed. Quite the opposite in fact. So the idea of having to get back to that really didn't sit well with him. But in the end, he didn't object. It wasn't like he could, anyway.

It took hours before he started feeling what Kaede wanted him to feel. Or at least, he thought he felt it, if nothing else. There was no way to really tell if he grasped it, not for him who didn't really understand what it was he was trying to do, and not for Kaede who couldn't possibly get into his head and see if he felt what he was supposed to feel or if he was just imagining things. Which was why when he said he thought he grasped it, Kaede told him to get back to the previous exercise again, this time trying to let his power flow instead of concentrating it within his sword. And if he failed to do so and it was obvious he didn't even realize what he did wrong, he went back to meditating. Overall, it was repetitive and frustrating more than anything else, but by the time the sun started to set, the on and off meditation had actually born some fruit. The realization hadn't come in a way Inuyasha would have liked, though.

Taking in a deep breath, the black haired kannushi drew out his power and let it circulate throughout his body while attempting to follow its flow. At the same time, he drew his blade and tried to include it in the loop, although he couldn't quite tell if he succeeded or not. Glancing at Seiryuu, he was tempted to think that nothing was happening, as the blade remained completely unchanged, but the old miko training him insisted that it did not need to glow and Inuyasha had no reason to believe she was lying. So all that was left to do was swing and see if he could finally get it right.

Just as he made the movement and the blade cut through the air, a familiar youki brushed against his senses and it took all of his will power to remain concentrated on what he was doing instead of glancing Kagome's way as the half-demon came near. But while his eyes did not wander, his mind did, if only for a second. In the next instant, the river of reiki Inuyasha had seen so many times before appeared in front of him again, although this time it was several sizes smaller, and before he could blink, it suddenly deviated from its straight-line-trajectory and even rose into the air, flying mere inches over a branch of one of the nearby trees.

"Nice. Did you actually want it to fly this way?" Kagome asked calmly, the sound of her voice causing the future-born teen to lower his gaze just a little bit, only to see her dangling from the very branch his power had just flown over, holding on with just one hand for a second before letting go and landing lightly. Inuyasha sucked in a breath when he realized just why the river of reiki had suddenly changed course like that. Clenching his fists, the young priest looked away as guilt delivered a solid punch to his stomach. It was happening again, he was attacking his friends without meaning to.

"Well, looks like a month or two more and you might actually master this trick," the half-demon continued, not bothered in the least by the fact that she had almost been purified again. Which only made feel Inuyasha even guiltier. Didn't she care anymore because she was used to it? Gods, he hoped not.

"I'm… I didn't mean for that to… I…" Inuyasha stuttered, not really sure what he wanted to say and thus only managing to get less than half-formed phrases out. Kagome seemed to get the gist of it, however, and she frowned.

"You mean that wasn't controlled? It was an accident?" she asked whilst tilting her head to the side. Unable to look her in the eye, Inuyasha just nodded, causing the half-demon to sigh. "And here I thought you were getting better," she mumbled under her breath, though it was not quiet enough for the black haired teen not to hear and he flinched. Before he could open his mouth and apologize again, however, Kaede started questioning him, after but a brief nod in lieu of a hello to Kagome.

"Did ye not sense Kagome getting close, child?" she asked, addressing him once more as she had when he had first met her. Normally, it would anger him. After all, he wasn't a child. Right now, however, he wished he was, then at least he'd have an excuse for his repeated failures, and so he didn't protest the form of address.

"I did," he replied with a shake of his head. If he had looked up from the ground where his gaze had fallen, he would have seen Kaede frown thoughtfully while Kagome blinked, her gaze moving from one spiritualist to the other curiously. Kaede was suspecting something and was trying to see if that suspicion was right, the young half-demon could say that much. But as for what that suspicion was, she had no clue.

"And ye recognized her by her youki alone?"

"Well, yeah. Why wouldn't I? I might have problems recognizing other demons' youki, but Kagome's is one I felt so often it's hard not to recognize," the kannushi replied with a shrug, finally looking up with a frown. It was obvious he had as little idea as to where Kaede was going with this as Kagome did, if not even less so.

"And did ye focus on her, if only for a little moment?" the old miko continued, this time receiving only a slight nod. "Then it was very much by your will that your reiki sped off in the direction it had. It was completely controlled."

If it was at all possible, Inuyasha felt even worse when he heard that. His body froze, as did his mind and for a moment, only one thought penetrated his brain. He had attacked Kagome. And this time, it was because he had willed his power to rush at her. This was no accident. This was intentional, or at least that was what Kaede made it sound like.

But… But it wasn't like he wanted his power to attack Kagome! It wasn't intentional at all! He had just sensed her coming and had focused on her youki for the briefest of moments, the split second it took to recognize the youki as hers. He hadn't wanted for his power to react to that, but it took that focus as an order from his conscious mind. So in a way… this was an intentional attempt to harm Kagome… wasn't it?

Thinking that it might have been seen that way made Inuyasha feel positively ill. At least until he heard Kagome's next carefree comment.

"Heh. I guess you're getting better after all then. Glad to hear that," she said with a small smile, causing the black haired teen to snap his head up and stare at her. Meeting his eyes with her only good one, Kagome blinked at the astonishment she could read in his face. "What?"

"Nothing," he replied quickly and averted his eyes again. Kaede had basically just warned Kagome that his attack had been no accident, that he had willed his reiki to attack her, willed it to attempt and purify her. It wasn't an accident in Kaede's mind, it was something Inuyasha had willed to happen. Didn't Kagome care at all? Or maybe… could it be that… she had expected it to happen? Had she expected him to attack her even once he learned to control his powers?

If he hadn't been so distraught and on edge, the young kannushi would have probably realized how ridiculous he was being. After all, Kagome had told him time and time again that she trusted him not to hurt her intentionally. That she didn't mind this time around was simply because she knew it hadn't been fully controlled – Inuyasha had done what was required to aim his power somewhere, yes, but he had done it without realizing it, as Kaede hadn't explained to him yet just how he was supposed to direct and aim his energy. But as things were, the black haired priest didn't realize it and thus his thoughts kept going in ridiculous circles, with each being worse than the previous one.

Kagome, of course, picked up on his distress easily enough, although she was unable to tell what had caused it. And before she could ask, Kaede spoke again.

"I believe ye had trained enough for the moment. Take a rest for now," she told Inuyasha before turning her head and meeting Kagome's gaze. "In the meantime, I have to talk with ye, Kagome."

"Sure," the hanyō nodded and the two of them left Inuyasha to his thoughts, the teen having sunk to the ground without protest. He probably wouldn't have taken up his sword to continue training even if Kaede had told him to, though, and the thought made Kagome frown.

"Since you didn't give me the time to ask him, I suppose you know what's wrong with him all of a sudden?" she asked her old friend when they were out of Inuyasha's earshot. The old miko nodded.

"Aye. Or at least I believe I know," she said. Kagome didn't need to ask her to share her knowledge, and the miko easily recounted what happened earlier that day, when she led Inuyasha to the Shikon's current, temporary location.

"So what you're saying is that the reason he's distressed now is because he's afraid of the Jewel?" Kagome tried to surmise what she had been told, but the end result made little sense to her. "I'm afraid I don't follow."

"It is not just the Jewel," Kaede said with a shake of her head. "The recent happening as a whole have left the boy in turmoil. He fears many things. He fears he might hurt you with his powers. He fears the Shikon might hurt him once he takes it again."

"Well, it's not like he has no reason to be afraid," Kagome shot back in Inuyasha's defense. "But that's why he's training, isn't it?"

"And yet just now, his powers almost hurt you again. This time as good as intentionally on his part," the old miko said, causing Kagome to scoff.

"Oh please. That just proves he's starting to control them. Besides, it wasn't really intentional. He just felt me approaching and focused on my youki, he didn't know it was that easy to direct his reiki, right?"

"True. But he still fears. And yet it is not that fear by itself that is the problem."

"Could you please not talk in riddles?" Kagome sent the old miko a half-hearted glare and Kaede sighed in response.

"He is afraid of hurting you, be it intentionally or not. He is scared of the Jewel hurting him if he doesn't manage to keep it at bay. Both those fears are justified in one way or another, but they are not the problem. I told ye that when I told him he could not take the Jewel because he was afraid, he had denied it. That is the problem. He is afraid, but refuses to acknowledge it and thus, instead of overcoming his fear, or at least attempting to do so, he lets it grow. And that in turn hinders his training."

"I see," Kagome replied with a frown, finally understanding what Kaede had meant. It wasn't all that surprising, though. If there was one emotion that could act as both fuel and hindrance to one's determination when he attempted to achieve something, it was fear. If you wanted to overcome it, it was a drive. But when you let it overcome you, it blocked any progress and could even cause a regression. "So all he needs to do is accept that he's afraid, accept what he's afraid of and fight it, right?"

"That should help overcome this last block, yes," Kaede replied calmly. "And since ye know him better than I do, I had hoped ye would know how to help him," the old miko admitted, but the only response she got was a shrug.

"We'll see if I do," the young half-demon replied and turned back to walk toward Inuyasha once again.

When she thought about it, figuring it out really wasn't hard. All she had to do was make Inuyasha realize he was afraid, what he was afraid of and force him into at least trying to overcome that fear. The problem was, how was she to go about making him see he was afraid if he so adamantly denied it? She knew from experience that just telling him wouldn't help.

No, with how stubborn Inuyasha was, telling him wouldn't help any. She needed to show him, just as she had shown him what would come of his overconfidence before. Or better yet, she had to beat it into him, just like she had with the fact that he was weak and did, in fact, need protection back when they first met.

It was with that thought in mind that Kagome reached Inuyasha's slumped form. He looked up the second she stopped at his side, having obviously sensed her approach, but he didn't say a word and quickly looked away again. Kagome sighed wearily. This was going to be hard. Once, she had tried to make him less prone to acting rashly, to think before he acted. Now, quite hypocritically, she was going to do the exact opposite – goad him into fighting back without much thought of the consequences.

"Ready to continue on?" she asked without preamble when it was clear the black haired priest wouldn't be the first one to speak.

"I guess," he replied with a sigh, his tone implying he wasn't, in fact, ready at all. Kagome frowned. This wasn't just him being afraid and refusing to acknowledge it. This was him losing his resolve and that was never something the young half-demon took to very well. She narrowed her eye, already feeling irritation grow within her. But in this particular moment, irritation was good. It would help her get the reaction she sought from him in but a few moments.

"Good," she said calmly when Inuyasha stood up and dusted himself off. He glanced at her when she didn't move from her spot.

"You're staying?" he asked as he looked over her shoulder to see if Kaede was still there – after all, the old miko and Kagome had never supervised him at the same time. It wasn't needed and besides, both of them had better things to do than watch him train all day, hence why they always switched turns watching over him so he didn't overdo it. He hadn't expected them to switch now, though, as Kaede hadn't mentioned anything about it. But the old miko was gone.

"Well yeah. Why? You've got a problem with it? It's not like I haven't watched you train before," Kagome replied with a raised eye-brown, her nose already confirming that Kaede had left. She was leaving this one in Kagome's hands, trusting her to bring Inuyasha back on track now that she knew what was wrong. And the hanyō was determined not to disappoint.

"That's not it. I just don't want a repeat of what almost happened just now," the kannushi replied quietly, not noticing Kagome's brow arching even further up.

"What, scared you'll hurt me? Please, as if you could," the half-demon replied with a scoff, for the first time in weeks actually treating Inuyasha like he was a weakling who could never harm her, who had no power whatsoever – which was not true, she knew, but if there was even an ounce of the old Inuyasha left in him, even a little bit of that old confidence that had once gotten so much on her nerves, then the teen would get angry. And if he got angry, he would start arguing and, eventually, acting before thinking, which was exactly what she wanted.

Ironic how now that he was actually thinking before doing anything like she had originally wanted, she was actively trying to make him act like he had before. Truly ironic.

But to her greatest astonishment, Inuyasha's reply wasn't angry at all. It sounded pleading more than anything else. And it took all her willpower to not let show on her face just how much that shook her, because it was more than enough proof that the future-born teen's emotional condition was way worse than she had thought.

"But I could. I've done it before. More than once," he said, his voice heavy with self-reproach. Kagome almost groaned. By the kami, yes, she had wanted for Inuyasha to learn some humility, to be a little less confident than when she had first met him, but this was taking it too far. The priest was, aggravatingly enough, jumping from one extreme to the other. Didn't he know there was something called 'middle ground'?

"Don't flatter yourself. The worst you can do is make me human. And yeah, that may hurt a bit, but I survived way worse. Besides, aren't you doing it precisely to learn not to attack me? How do you plan on doing that if I'm never nearby so you can get used to using your power with me fighting next to you?" She had to actually work to make her voice sound at least a little mocking, which it had never been before. She had never mocked Inuyasha, never doubted he wasn't weak though he had been quick to think so whenever she pointed out his lack of experience. His usual response to that misinterpretation had been anger, so she figured if she actually implied this once that he was no threat to her, he'd respond in the same way.

But Inuyasha did not take the bait.

"I guess you're right," he muttered under his breath, and Kagome was floored. This was worse than she thought. Much, much worse. Spirits, was there really no shred of confidence left in him? Absolutely none?

Well, as far as Kagome could tell, that was the case. And it angered her more than she thought it would. Sure, she had been annoyed with his overconfidence before, but now, she was even more irritated by his behavior and quickly decided she'd much rather deal with an overconfident jerk than with… whatever it was Inuyasha was behaving like now.

"Glad we're on the same page. Let's get to it then. You should know the drill, even if we haven't done it in a while. Draw your weapon," she said as she pushed herself away from the tree she had leaned against and then, in one graceful leap, landed a few feet away from him and flexed her claws. "Let's see if you can get me to draw my own."

The Inuyasha from before the whole fiasco with the illusionist would have smirked and draw his blade. Then they would spar. However, instead of doing that, the young priest froze mid-step and simply stared. Of course, he realized easily what Kagome wanted from him. He had sparred with her enough times to know that. And yet he couldn't bring himself to react the way he usually would.

"What?" was all he managed to utter breathlessly, even though he heard Kagome perfectly well. The half-demon frowned.

"I said draw your weapon," she repeated, her voice holding a note of annoyance this time, although that was but a fraction of what the Inuyasha was currently feeling. A little more and her blood would be boiling, which wouldn't be long considering Inuyasha's behavior when the black haired priest shook his head. Kagome growled softly. "Inuyasha," she said slowly, warningly, effectively interrupting him mid-denial. "Draw your weapon," she said it extra slowly this time, trying to convey through both her tone and her words that she would not take 'no' for an answer. "In a real fight, an enemy won't wait for you to be ready. I thought you already knew that."

"Of course I know that! But… But…"

"If you don't want to draw your blade," Kagome interrupted before he could say much else, her knees already bending in preparation, "then I'll make you draw it!" She barely finished speaking before lunging at him, though she did not come at him at full speed. She contented herself with moving exactly as fast as she had the last time they've sparred and in the blink of an eye, she was already almost upon the priest.

For a second, it seemed like he wouldn't react at all, but in the end, the instinct of defending won over and Inuyasha drew his blade and swung at the incoming half-demon in one fluid motion. Kagome evaded easily by jumping into the air and landing behind him, forcing the teen to spin around. He didn't move in to attack, however, and so Kagome took it upon herself to strike again. She dove gracefully under Inuyasha's weapon, effectively leaving its range while coming closer to him. And then she punched him in the stomach with just enough force to leave him a little winded. She growled.

"If that had been a real fight, I would have used my claws. And if I had done that, you'd have a hole in your stomach now. A more or less swift, and even more painful death. Want that to become reality?" she asked angrily as she pushed the priest away and took a fighting stance once more. "Again," was all she said, and to her greatest annoyance, Inuyasha shook his head and attempted to dissuade her from fighting.

Even with the distance between them, Kagome could hear the way his heart raced, the way he gasped for breath even though he wasn't supposed to be tired yet. And she smelt the sweat. It was easy to figure out what these signs were telling her, but the realization only made her madder. It was just as Kaede said, Inuyasha was scared – although at this very moment, panicked would have been a better word to use – and he let that feeling stop him acting the way he should.

"Do you think a real enemy will leave you alone simply because you tell him you don't want to fight? You can't possibly be that naïve!" she scolded as she lunged again, easily forcing Inuyasha on the defensive. It was a sloppy defensive at that, one that she could destroy in an instant and end the spar again, though she didn't take any of the opportunities. But she did see they were there and it was not something she was glad to see.

"I'm not! I know I won't be able to avoid a fight when another demon tries to attack me!" Inuyasha yelled back, though it was probably more of a knee-jerk reaction to being yelled at than because he was getting angry. Kagome narrowed her eyes and kept attacking, while the black haired teen kept retreating. But he didn't try to fight back even once.

"Then you should also know that unless you train you won't be able to deal with the situation when a real fight does happen!"

"Of course I know that!"

"Then why won't you fight back?!" Even as she yelled the rhetorical question, Kagome grabbed Inuyasha's wrist and twisted it slightly, applying just enough pressure to make him release Seiryuu without hurting him, while her other hand grabbed for his neck and pushed him against the tree she had backed him into. She glared fiercely. "Defending alone won't be enough, Inuyasha. Unless you fight back and try to kill your enemy before he kills you, you'll end up dead. I can't always be there to save you. Not to mention that I had the impression you didn't even want me to save you all the damn time. Didn't you want to be able to look out for yourself?"

When Inuyasha didn't answer, Kagome scoffed and all but threw the priest to the ground.

"You're pathetic," she growled at him, her words causing him to look up at her in disbelief. It didn't surprise her. She had pointed out his flaws and belittled him for them more than once, sure, but this was the first time she had actually insulted him like this, said words that could only serve the purpose of hurting him and nothing else. But Kagome was far too angry and disappointed to care at this point.

"When I first met you, I told you that you were weak, but had the potential to become strong. I saw so much potential in you that I even wanted to see myself just how strong you could become. I trained you because I wanted to, because I believed you'd be strong one day, because I believed you'd become someone I'd be proud to admit was my student in the art of the sword. And when you told me you wanted to protect me, I might not have liked it, but I didn't try to persuade you too much that I didn't need it because I saw the resolve in your eyes and figured nothing I told you would change your mind. But I see now that I was wrong.

"All it took was one accident and a few mistakes along the way of learning. That's all. Is that really all your resolve amounts to, is it really shattered so easily? When I remember how arrogant you've been, how determined to prove me wrong about needing to be protected, I find it hard to believe. But I see now that it must have been an act considering how easily you're giving up now. And why's that? What the hell are you so afraid of?" she stopped her tirade to take in a deep breath, but it did little to calm her. Inuyasha didn't move from his spot and didn't say anything in the ensuing silence, not even the slightest attempt to defend himself and Kagome couldn't help but snarl.

"The Inuyasha I thought I knew wouldn't act like that. The Inuyasha I believed I knew would at least be strong enough to admit, if only to himself, that he was scared and he would have overcome that fear, not given in to it. But it would seem the Inuyasha I thought I knew was nothing but an illusion of a man that doesn't exist. I see that now. And I also see that training you was nothing but a waste of time. Both mine and Kaede's." Having said her peace, Kagome spun around on her heel and walked away, but not without saying one more thing to the shaken priest. "I'm going to find Kaede and asked her to seal your powers away. I don't care whether you want to leave or not, you're going and you're not coming back. This time period is no place for weak cowards."

And with that, she was gone, leaving Inuyasha alone to his thoughts.

~ξ~

Several hours later, in the middle of the night, Kagome's ears twitched as the hanyō slowly opened her eyes – both of them, as she had removed her make-shift eye-patch some time before. When she had brought Kaede back to the clearing where she had left Inuyasha so the old miko could do what Kagome had said she'd ask her to do, the black haired priest met her eye with a determined gaze that she hadn't seen in a long while and had demanded to fight her. She had raised an eyebrow at that, but decided to indulge him. The resulting sparring match wasn't any different from their usual ones, but that was a good thing. It would seem that realizing she had been about to give up on him had been the kick Inuyasha had needed to get back on his feet again, as paradoxal as that may sound.

The young kannushi had even managed to get a tiny hit on her, barely enough to scratch the material of fire rat fur that covered her eye. He had almost faltered then, but when Kagome had kept coming at him as if nothing had happened, he had responded in kind.

"That reminds me, I probably should get rid of this already," she had said, before reaching up and removing her 'eye-patch' in order to reveal a completely healed eye. Seeing her eye fully recovered had surprised Inuyasha and distracted him for a split second, and that had been the end of their sparring match. But Kagome had been satisfied none the less. "Guess that Inuyasha I thought I knew wasn't an illusion, after all," she had admitted, as close to an apology as she'd ever come in this particular situation. Inuyasha had responded in true Inuyasha fashion.

"Keh! As if I'd take you calling me a failure without saying anything. I'm not a waste of time, damn it, and don't you ever dare think otherwise again!"

"Only if you don't act like you are," she had responded with a smile, her expression causing Inuyasha to deflate instantly before sighing.

"But I guess I should thank you," he had said with a scowl that said loud and clear he wasn't happy at all to admit it. Kagome had raised a curious eyebrow.

"For what?"

"For snapping me out of it."

It weren't the thoughts about how Inuyasha had finally come around again that caused the hanyō-girl to rouse herself from her doze, however, but a sound that made her apprehensive. Twitching her ears again, Kagome sat up on the roof of Kaede's hut and merely listened, waiting for the sound to reach her ears again. She didn't have to wait long. It was a familiar buzzing of a large swarm of insects, one which Kagome already learned to associate with a certain type of demon.

"Those damned wasps again," she growled as she leapt off. She couldn't let those damn insects get anywhere near the village, they were too dangerous and humans were too frail to attempt to deal with them (especially when they were barely awake), as one sting would be all that was needed to do them in. And from what she was hearing, not getting stung was going to be a challenge, even for her.

However, as soon as the wasps in question came into view, instead of leaping straight at them to stop their advance, Kagome stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes widening in surprise. It turned out the hellish insects weren't alone. In fact, it looked like they haven't even been sent explicitly to the village, but were pursuing another demon, although its form was hard to recognize and for a moment, Kagome wasn't even sure what it was.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHH! HE… HE… HELP MEEEEEEEEE!" a terrified scream reached her ears, and her eyes widened further when she recognized the demon's voice, despite not having met him many times.

'That's Miroku-sama's friend! The tanuki!' she realized just as the raccoon dog in question transformed back into his original form with a terrified squeak in a last attempt to gain some time before the insect's stingers reached him. But those few precious seconds the transformation gave him was enough as Kagome grabbed the falling demon with one hand, while the other decimated the few wasps that had followed. She landed lightly on the ground and was about to leap up again to destroy the remaining wasps after gently depositing the tanuki on the ground, but before she could, the insects turned and flew away, much to her astonishment and frustration.

"They fled," she cursed under her breath as she released Tessaiga's hilt, letting the sword stay in its sheath since it wasn't needed, after all. Sparing only a second to wonder at the wasps' curious behavior, the young half-demon then turned to the tanuki she had just rescued. But before she could even ask him why he was here, he was already talking… or rather, yelling.

"MIROKU-DANNA NEEDS YOUR HELP! PLEASE, SAVE HIM! PLEASE!"

---

And there we have it. But man, that last line just refused to stop resonating in my head in Japanese and it took hours (and I'm not kidding, I really mean HOURS) for me to find a way to write it in English that I was actually satisfied with – because I figured throwing in a random, Japanese phrase would be weird. That said, I believe you all know what arc will come next… or mini-arc, as it were.

Hope you enjoyed. Please leave a review? *gives you her best puppy-eyed look*

Next Chapter: To Save a Friend

See you then.