When a Lie Leads to Truth
(chapter two)
The car ride home from the beach was rather quiet one. Kagome and Inuyasha both sensed an awkwardness between them, and the disassociation spread over all occupants of the vehicle like a heavy blanket. There was only so many times one could glance at two people in close proximity looking as far away from each other as possible, with slumped posture and grave disposition, before it began to ail and affect oneself. For this reason, Yuka, Eri, and Ayume's light-hearted chatter quickly faded away and was absorbed by the dullen atmosphere. It actually came as a stringent relief when at long last, Yuki's family's vehicle rolled into a parking space far below the steps of Higurashi Shrine. The door slide open with wearied slam, and two feet descended after a scarlet blur. With a despondent wave, Kagome Higurashi bid her friends farewell and prepared to go in and have a long, hot bath to absolve herself of her indignation and embarrassment for her oogling. She had no idea why Inuyasha was upset but she wearied herself with thought that likely it was all her fault. She had been staring at him like a piece of meat after and she knew, just knew, how extremely modest he was. The topless look must have been humiliating for him.
Little did Kagome know, but being topless was the absolute last thing on the hanyou's mind. After rushing to reclaim his Tetsusiaga from Mrs. Higurashi, whom had stowed it beneath the kitchen sink, he slid it into his sash and leapt headfirst down into the Bone Eater's Well. With a near miss of hitting his head on the other side, he spun then vaulted straight up into the air above him. A hiss and slash of rattling branches soon surrounded him as he took to the treetrops and hurtled himself through their obstacles. A drum-rolling heartbeat accompanied his flight to wisdom, and Inuyasha found himself breathing ragged as he slid to a halt outside of Priestess Kaede's hut. A cloud of dust settled over him irritating his ears but he did not pay mind to it. Right now, he had something of much greater importance to deal with, perhaps the most dire thing of his entire existence. His ears strained, and he nearly dropped to the ground in relief as the old, half-blinded miko made her appearance outside the village hut she called her home.
"Ah, Inuyasha, has something important happened? I did not expect to see you back so soon."
"Kaede-baba." With a tone that spoke of desperation and an anguished passion, Inuyasha thrust his hand into his robes and drew out the golden heart-shaped locket for her to see. He shook it fiercely as a manner of explication.
"You have to do something about this. Do you know anything about love curses?" Kaede's face assumed a most serious manner.
"Come inside. I can see we have a lot to talk about."
Kaede sat silently as Inuyasha related all that had happened to him. He explained how he had come to be in possession of the locket, how it had protected him at the castle of Princess Kaguya, and what Kagome's friends had told him that day. With a near whimper he passed it to Kaede for her inspection and she turned it over in her hand studying it closely, then handed it back shaking her head.
"I am sorry, Inuyasha but I can not tell ye anything about it. Love curses are powerful magic and not easy to detect. But if it is a love curse then it is indeed a serious matter. Remember that it was the Dark Priestess Tsubaki whom cursed Kikyo. Ultimately, it was her spell that led both ye and Kikyo to such tragic ends."
"Isn't there something you can do about it?"
"Nay, Inuyasha. There is not. Even Kikyo with her great spiritual powers was unable to do the curse. If it is just as you say, then I fear for you and Kagome."
"Great. Just perfect. We're still trying to clean up after the last curse! If that witch hadn't interfered there never would have been a Naraku!"
"I agree, Inuyasha."
"Can't you just purify this or something?"
"We might try a purification ritual. Perhaps it would be best if you retrieved the monk. Perhaps he can bring some wisdom on this matter."
"Feh. That letcher better not have gone far." Inuyasha forced the door curtains aside, tearing them off with a loud rip. Kaede shook her head at him.
Miroku was down in the village proper. A few traveling merchants had arrived, bearing goods from the capital. Like all women, Sango felt compelled to go look at their offerings. It was not long before she had found pink eyeshadow she just had to buy. Fortunately for her, she now had a fiancé to bargain for her and Miroku was currently haggling the merchant. Exasperated at the experienced con-artist, the poor merchant finally gave up and gave Miroku three different shades of eyeshadow at a price far below a profitable level.
Miroku had just presented his beholden with the gift when a single startled scream carried through the village street. Inuyasha came whirling to land before the market booth and grabbed Miroku roughly by the collar. None of the native villagers seemed too disturbed by the action. Inuyasha's rough housing was a common occurrence here after all. But the makeup vender, being an outsider, was terrified. He hid under his table as what appeared to be a wild demon began dragging the errant monk away. To his puzzlement, the monk showed no sign of terror- only an enormously dopey grin. He prayed for the poor bewitched soul. Meanwhile, Miroku was getting annoyed by his harassment and looped a hand onto Inuyasha's wrist to shake him off.
"All right Inuyasha, I get it. Now what is it you wish to say to me?" Miroku dusted off his robes as Inuyasha finally let him go by a tree. Sango, of course, had followed.
"There's something I have to talk to you about."
"Oh?" Miroku's eyebrow raised at the deep rumble in his voice, signifying something drastic. "Did you have another fight with Kagome-sama?"
"That's not it. Come on. I can't tell you here; we'll have to go into the forest."
"As you wish, Inuyasha." The monk and demonslayer exchanged an expression of curiosity before following after the hanyou. To their surprise, he did not head toward the meadow by the well where they usually had their discussions. Instead, he led the away from it and into the deeper parts of the forest. Miroku was starting to wonder if this was one of Naraku's traps when the hanyou suddenly whirled around.
"Kagome put a love curse on me!," Inuyasha shouted. "Or rather she was cursed! If I don't… if I don't do –that- to her then it's all over. Kagome will die just like Kikyo did! We can't just let her!"
"Hold on a minute Inuyasha. Perhaps you had better start over at the beginning. What precisely makes you think Kagome-sama is cursed?" Inuyasha fished out the offending locket and dangled it in front of Miroku. After a brief and choked recollection of the tale, Miroku considered the offending jewelry.
"This is indeed troubling, Inuyasha. I can hardly imagine Kagome-sama doing something so desperate. Still, it can't be helped. I will try a purification ritual on the object in addition to Kaede-sama's."
"Thank you," Inuyasha stated blandly in what was meant to be an ironical way. Miroku took no offense in it. Instead he smiled at his gruff companion.
"Come now. We had better return to Kaede's hut quickly." The monk assumed an expression of utmost seriousness, and his confidence was consoling to all of them as they made their short trek to Kaede's hut. Within minutes, Inuyasha was shouting into Kaede's hut and answered to. The old miko came out bearing a basketful of bundled herbs and a few talismans.
"Aye, I hear ye, Inuyasha," she said frowning at his impatience. "Believe me not if ye will, but I am as eager to help our young miko as ye. Houshi-sama, there is spot nearby on yon the hill which should serve more than admirably for our purpose. Come now, we should hasten on our way."
Soon, the elderly miko and the three young warriors arrived at the small clearing Kaede had suggested and commenced with setting up a circle of sacred ropes, paper, and branches and sprinkling the ground with purification herbs. Miroku added sacred relics from his pocket to the small alter they had constructed before kneeling. He added his prayers to that of Kaede's and soon he turned to Inuyasha. The hanyou was currently pacing a hole deep into the ground with a barely restrained panic.
"Inuyasha," Miroku spoke gently.
"What!" Inuyasha whirled around baring his fangs.
"The amulet, please," Miroku said mildly. The hanyou blushed and fumbled to unclasp the heart-shaped necklace. With a 'keh', he tossed it over.
"Thank you, Inuyasha." Without further ado, Miroku placed the locket upon the stand. Here, it was subjected to prayers, offerings of sake, and ritualistic movements using ancient relics. Since no curse had originally been placed upon it, the locket remained unmoved.
Inuyasha watched restlessly for a while before his volatile emotions caused him to hide within a tree. From the steady branches, he endured the ceremony and the fright of not knowing. When at last it was completed, he hopped out of the tree and gave a long, inward sigh of relief. He had faith in Miroku's ability and Kaede's knowledge. Even if that had been a curse, surely by now it would have been dispelled. Slowly, he paced towards Miroku.
"So monk, how did it go?" An arrogant grin worked the corners of his mouth as he fashioned bravado towards the unknown.
"Kaede-sama and I have done all that we can. If I may, Inuyasha, I would like to hold onto this. I do not feel certain in returning the amulet to you. I think it's best for all of us that I take care of it."
"Whatever you want, lecher." Inuyasha glowered to hide his happiness at this statement before stomping away.
"Wait a minute Inuyasha. Since you were involved in the conditions of the curse, I think it best if we purify you as well. Nothing too extreme, I assure you." Inuyasha sputtered before being led to a waterfall. The purification was mildly tingly instead of painful as a sutra would have been. Yet, it was with gratitude that Inuyasha leapt out of the falls to dry himself in true dog style. He took time to deliberately shake his hair and robes out on Miroku so that the monk sputtered. Inuyasha only flashed him a wicked grin before running off. Sango stayed behind to consol Miroku.
"Well, he never is one to show his gratitude." Miroku calmly watched the half-demon flee.
"That's just the way Inuyasha is." Carefully, Sango used the pink handkerchief she had gotten from Kagome long ago to wipe the beads of moisture off of Miroku's forehead. Miroku's countenance changed rapidly from that of man displeased to that of one in minor euphoria.
"Ah, my dear Sango, Inuyasha need never say one single word of thanks if it is with such actions he repays his gratitude; although perhaps I give him too much credit. It would be uncommonly cunning of him to be so deliberate, delivering your affections to me in such a manner." The monk allowed himself one heartfelt sigh as he snatched up Sango's hand and began to press his cheek against it.
"Miroku!" With a word of protest, Sango ripped her hand free from his grasp and instead laid the other on his forehead. "You haven't gotten a fever from the waterfall have you?"
"Not at all, my dear Sango," said Miroku smiling happily and allowing his hand to inch just that much closer to her unguarded buttocks.
Far off in the distance, Inuyasha heard the loud slap that followed, echoing over the trees. He looked down from where he was perched to Shippo whom was gathering chestnuts from the forest floor. Inuyasha swung closer to the young kitsune and called out to him.
"Oi! Shippo! Has Kagome come back yet?"
"No Inuyasha. Why? Haven't you gone back to get her yet?"
"Just asking runt. You never know, she might get fed up with all that homework junk."
Satisfied, Shippo went back to his task of scouting out spiny chestnuts beneath the soggy leaves of the forest floor. He wanted to see Kagome too as soon as possible but he was very preoccupied finding chestnuts. Excitedly, he stuck his paw out and clasped hold of one of the tree's fruits. The kitsune then dropped it into a basket and proudly counted out his findings.
Inuyasha sniffed. The sun was rapidly descending and the flushed orange and crimson of an abrupt sunset crawled across them. He watched the trunks of the trees darken, these boles transforming the forest into an interwoven barrier as they leered against the sky instead of the inviting kingdom of green they had been earlier. The hanyou scratched his ear and turned over on his tree branch. As much as he would never admit it, he did not want to leave Shippo out here unguarded. Shippo was a member of his pack and Kagomes' son after all. He would wait until the young fox demon headed back to Kaede's village and follow after.
At long last the child kitsune filled up his basket with twenty chestnuts and after counting them out three times, tucked the basket under his arm to carry them back to the village. Inuyasha followed after, hopping tree branch from tree branch like some extended shadow, haunting the forest. Shippo struggled to keep the basket high enough of the ground since it was nearly as tall as he was, so that he walked up on tiptoes with his tail fluffed out for balance. But at long last he reached sight of Kaede's cottage and Inuyasha left the kitsune there. He was anxious to see Kagome after all. He took off at a run in the direction of the Bone-Eater's Well but he did not make it there.
In the minutes just before dark, Miroku and Sango were making their towards Kaede's cottage when a terrified scream arose from stone-paved courtyard which would one day become Higurashi shrine. Inuyasha had heard it too, and the three of them rushed to find Kagome standing with a pained look, her bow dropped and her shoulder cut so that her shirt was stained of blood. Incidentally, it was the same exact place near the Goshinoboku where Kikyo had died. Reacting the Kagome's scream and the scent of her blood, Inuyasha hurdled himself to catch Kagome in his arms just as she fainted. Miroku and Sango, meanwhile, put the finishing strokes on a demon pillbug youkai which lay squirming beneath one of Kagome's arrows. The young priestess had obviously protected herself but not without taking some damage first from an airborne attack by its lanced feelers. As Inuyasha cradled the young miko in his arms, Kagome opened her eyes long enough to speak to them.
"I was so surprised," she uttered wearily. "I was talking to one of the villagers when a demon came out of a bush after us. I'm so sorry." Kagome burrowed her face into Inuyasha's arm as he continued to hold her gently. Inuyasha then did something unexpectedly tender. He pressed a hand to the back of her head so that her tight embrace of him was encouraged and bent his head down as if to whisper.
"Don't blame yourself, Kagome," Inuyasha spoke so softly the others had to strain to listen. "If I had been there you would never have been injured. This is all my fault." Kagome only smiled at him as he stood with her in his arms bridal style.
As Inuyasha straightened his knees and looked around him, the macabre scene sent shivers down his spine. There, pinned only a tree away from the Goshinoboku was the body of the dead pillbug youkai. At his own feet, a few splatters of Kagome's blood dripped down onto the pure white stone, almost exactly in the place where Kikyo had fallen after shooting him more than fifty years ago. It was all eerily repetitive of day when Kikyo and himself had been killed and Inuyasha was filled with a sudden fear that the curse spell on the necklace had not been removed after all. That fear was intensified when the said object worked its way through a hole in Miroku's pocket so that it landed with a splatter in the crimson stain. Kagome was still awake enough to recognize it when Miroku stopped to pick it up.
"Inuyasha," said Kagome curiously with a touch of hurt. "Why does Miroku have that? I thought you promised."
"Promised what Kagome?" Inuyasha gulped as an intuition tickled between his ears. His panic began to rise again.
"Remember you promised to never take it off. You were not supposed to." With that, she lowered her eyelids and allowed herself to drift into a well-deserved nap. The hanyou meanwhile, was stricken. Draping Kagome against his shoulder, he nearly lunged at Miroku and snatched the heart-shaped necklace out of his hand.
"Give that to me damn it!" Miroku nodded and watched as the hanyou fumbled with the necklace in frustration only to be saved by Sango
"Here, let me do it!" The demonslayer came forward and with deft dexterity, unclasped and fixed the jewelry around Inuyasha's neck. Miroku, Sango, and Inuyasha all breathed a guilt-filled sigh of relief when the supposed amulet was on the hanyou's neck again.
"Quickly, Inuyasha, you must get Lady Kagome to Kaede-sama's hut. Her wounds may not be fatal, but they look serious."
"Right Miroku." Inuyasha launched himself off and fell into an all-out run. That did not stop him from cursing as he did so.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" Inuyasha slid to a halt outside Kaede's hut and brought Kagome in to her. He ignored the alarmed wails of Shippo and after some shouting, strode outside the hut again as Kaede cleaned her wounds. With moody repentance, Inuyasha looked up into the now pitch-black night sky. He cursed himself, vocally, and slashed through the weeds, grass, and whatever insects dared to be close to him. Most of all he cursed the smell from the blood-stained necklace which now hung out in the open against the rough-woven cloth of his hitoe.
At this point in time, Inuyasha asked himself if he had ever felt more worthless. He had let the woman he loved down, again. He had failed as both a pack leader and a lover. Letting out a roaring which was almost a bark, Inuyasha leapt into the woods to find some good trees to slash into kindling, only to be stopped by Miroku.
"Inuyasha, you must go to her."
"And what? Admit to her I nearly killed her?"
"No Inuyasha. You have to prove to this spell that you have chosen her."
"What do you mean?"
"As much as I hate to say this, Inuyasha, you have never been one to act much on intelligence so I will spell this out clearly for you. Seduce her."
"What the fuck? You actually expect me to pull something like that Miroku? I'm not exactly the same type of man as you, lech."
"Frankly, I think becoming a father is a small price to pay for her life, Inuyasha."
"Miroku, this is a serious matter."
"I have never been more serious in my life, Inuyasha. If you do not go to her, so help me I WILL suck you into my windtunnel."
"He's right, Inuyasha," said Sango appearing behind Miroku. "If you do nothing to save Kagome so help ME I'll use Hirikatose against you! Don't make it like this, please!"
"You make it sound like I'm the bad guy! Does it even occur to any you that if I get serious with Kagome, then she won't be a miko anymore?"
"That isn't even a matter of concern at this point. Kagome-sama's life is too important to forfeit. As it is, she would likely not last long enough to do any damage to Naraku or more likely, she would die because of him. Listen to me, Inuyasha, you must put your pride away in order to prevent this from happening. Tell Kagome-sama that you love her."
"What? How would you know how I feel about her?" Inuyasha immediately found himself rapped on his head by a wooden staff.
"Don't you dare joke at such a serious time as this! Even now, Kagome may lay dying in there and if you don't say something you will lose her!"
"All right, all right, I'm going!" Mostly panicked but still puffing his chest up with arrogance, Inuyasha retraced his flight from Kaede's hut and the newest doorscreen shifted aside before the hanyou disappeared inside. Left in the slowly diffusing tension, Sango and Miroku took the time to look at one another.
"Do you think they will be all right Miroku?" the demonslayer pondered only to find a warm, reassuring hand on her left arm. She slid her arm into his so that they were linked at the elbows as they stared at the now dark-draped hut.
"Yes, I think they'll be all right Sango. We just have to support them. After all, this curse was originally meant to be a blessing. Because of it, we still have Inuyasha around us and with time, perhaps we may see new additions." Sango only blinked at the hopeful smile the monk held. Tentatively, she offered her own.
Author Notes: Nope, the necklace still doesn't really have a curse. But everybody thinks it does. So when Kagome spends some time in her world to heal, Inuyasha will be going back to Kagome's school friends for dating advice. Sango, Miroku and the others may get in the action too! Hm, maybe Kagome will even run away from them! But please be patient with the updates. I have a lotta stuff to do!