Disclaimer: I don't own any Inuyasha themes or characters. Please don't sue.

Author's Note: A little bit more development on the Kikyo- Inuyasha- Kagome arch. I would like for PA to go into that piece of the overall Inuyasha story more than the anime was ever able to. More like the manga chapters that have emerged over the summer. Really touching material, ne? I mean, not that I want this to be wishy-washy. It won't be. This'll probably be one of the softest chapters I'll put up, at least until much later on. I really want to get into the action sequences.

Fortunately, the end of this chapter should be a good segue into the action portion of this story.

Poor Kagome. It must be rough to look so much like someone else. Yeah. Hmm. Kyrie Eleison, for those interested, is Greek for "God, have mercy". It is a traditional piece of the Roman Catholic mass.

If you haven't noticed, my chapter titles are kind of running on a theme.

Some Quick Translations (and then we're off):

Tatami: traditional Japanese floor mats

Ursai: Shut up, in a very fresh manner. Inuyasha is especially fond of this term.

ne: Isn't that so? Or, right? It's used at the end of a statement.

Jou-san: a term used for a youthful woman. Sort of like, "Miss". Only Inuyasha, of course, leaves off the formal "O" (Ojou-san), which would make it a respectful term. I could have used "-chan" to degrade Kagome almost to the level of a child, but something about Inuyasha calling Kagome "-chan" when he won't even say her name yet was weird to me.

Chapter 5, Missa Solemnis: Kyrie Eleison

I didn't know how to act around Inuyasha for days after that. That I looked so much like the woman he hated…I could hardly make myself believe it. At my request, Sango made copies of the document for me. I didn't know what made me ask for it, I could hardly stand to look at her face for more than I few minutes, but I kept the file locked up in a chest that Inuyasha bought for me. After the third night, I took the file out again and began to read all about Kikyo. I wondered at how much of what was set down on the paper was a lie, and how much of it was the truth. But wondering about that always made me wonder why I was reading the file in the first place, so I quickly forgot about it and came to accept everything as half-truths.

Inuyasha didn't know I had it. I was too ashamed to tell him. Seeing my own smile reflected in a face that I knew every contour of, I became insanely quiet and reserved. I don't know what made me this way; I only know that it had everything to do with Kikyo's picture.

Fortunately, my training with Miroku began immediately. The first day I showed up, excited and shaking with anxiety.

"First," said Miroku as I opened the door. We were meeting in the basement of the MIS Hospital. Sango was somewhere upstairs, attending to patients. "First, we will work with fear training."

"Fear training?" I echoed, depositing my bag by the door and meeting him the middle of the floor. Cleared of all items but a tub of water and a medical kit, the room looked more like the dojo that were always being pictured in manga. I felt strange in my jogging clothes and sneakers.

"That's right," Miroku said, nodding. He was dressed in a black t-shirt, stretched over his well-toned torso, and soft black pants. His hands were protected by medical tape. "The enemies you'll be facing from now on will work to expose you to your fears as often as is convenient. So, before you can face the field, you'll learn to harness and control that great, paralyzing human emotion: fear. We'll do fear training for an hour every day, and then an hour will be spent sparring. On Mondays and Wednesdays, you'll have history lessons."

"History?" I repeated in astonishment. "What has history got to do with anything we're trying to accomplish here?"

Miroku smiled and mischievously raised an eyebrow. "For the past fifteen years, you've been learning only what the Government has sent fit to teach you. The first step to liberating the body is to liberate your mind. After you've completed a satisfactory number of history lessons, we'll move to culture."

"Culture?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing!

"How much do you know about Michelangelo? Rodin? Rembrandt? How about Beethoven? Britten? Shakespeare?"

I shook my head somberly; I had to admit, I didn't know much. Miroku smiled kindly upon my shame and slid his hand under my chin. "Don't worry too much, Kagome-sama. When I'm through with you, you'll be the most liberated woman in all of Tokyo."

The statement probably would have carried more meaning if not for the second connotation for the word "liberation", and the fact that Miroku's other hand was resting on my chest. I blushed scarlet and fell back onto the tatami.

Miroku was just as quickly all business once more. He clapped his hands together and walked over to the tub of water. "Now, what are you the most afraid of?"

I told him.

…

"Where are you going?"

I turned around and tried my best to smile at Inuyasha; that morning, Miroku had worked on my fear of hospitals until stabbed him in the shoulder with an IV needle. Two weeks of fear training and history lessons were graining on my nerves. Sparring had given me more bruises than I could count, and, all in all, I was fed-up. I wanted action, but all anyone told me was to be patient. "Grocery shopping," I told him.

Inuyasha frowned. He was leaning against the doorframe, half-haloed by the light issuing from the living room, and half-shadowed by the dark hallway. One golden orb burning, the other freezing. Both were penetrating; I looked away. "You've been avoiding me."

"That's ridiculous," I combated at once, though half-heartedly.

"Ursai," he snapped. "I'm going to the supermarket with you. You'll probably get caught by a Government pawn if you go by yourself, anyway."

"Lay off," I moaned. "I'm trying."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. He crossed his arms over his chest. "You are avoiding me. Why?"

"None of your business," I shot back. I regretted it at once. The very fact that I had lashed out defensively was all the proof Inuyasha needed to know that I was hiding something very big from him. I checked myself; Inuyasha could not find out about the file I had on Kikyo. "Come if it suits you." I tried a shrug. It was supposed to make me feel nonchalant, but it only succeeded in making me feel like an even bigger idiot.

"It's cold outside."

"So what?"

"You didn't bring your coat."

My shoulders were, indeed, coatless. We were experiencing the first cold front of fall, and the temperatures had dropped significantly. Schools were experiencing a record absence rate due to the sudden change in weather conditions. I should have been wearing a coat, I knew, but it didn't matter to me at that time. I wouldn't let Inuyasha be right about something else. "Are we getting out of here, or what? The supermarket is closing in another half an hour."

Inuyasha shrugged. It vexed me further that he could shrug so easily and still look so cool. I continued walking down the stairs. He closed the door to the apartment, locked it, and followed me.

The air was bitterly cold outside. I shrank back. Inuyasha raised his eyebrows knowingly. How infuriating! I felt as though I could slap him across the face. I stuck out my chin and determinedly stalked forward into the wind.

…

Oh the way home from the supermarket, the real trouble started. It was dark by then, and I was shivering from head to toe as we walked along the road back to the apartment. Baka, I growled mentally. Baka, baka, baka! I should have just swallowed my pride and taken the dumb coat from Inuyasha. I risked a glance back him. He was watching me, and when he saw me looking, he smiled. He knew he'd won. I almost screamed in frustration. It was too disgusting. "What are you looking at?" I snapped.

"You know, it's pretty cold out here, right?" he asked, smirking.

"You're an asshole." I couldn't believe it. Me, swearing! That baka Inuyasha! He had me so mixed up that I had actually stooped to his level. I shivered and knotted my fists at my sides, trying to tuck them deeper into the sleeves of my sweater.

"Why have you been avoiding me, anyway?" he inquired.

"It's nothing," I said at once. What a stupid thing to say, I berated myself. Saying it's nothing automatically means that it certainly is something.

"When am I going to see the field?" I asked in an effort to change the subject.

"When you grow up and stop whining like a two-year old brat who's still nursing. You have a lot to learn before you're ready to face even the lowest Government crony with a hope of success." Inuyasha was being cool, his tone frank and his eyes unyielding. He was carrying the heavy groceries under both arms, but did not seem to notice the burden at all.

"I feel useless."

"Why's that?" he asked in tone that told me he couldn't care less. Still, I decided to tell him, even if to keep his mind off the file for the moment.

"All Miroku and I really do is play around. I mean, the exposure training is really difficult—facing your fears head on is not the most fun thing in the world. Still, once you get used to it, it gets tedious. The things still scare me, but I'm so tired of that rush of adrenaline. And if they still scare me, what good is it doing?

"Sparring's not a blast, either. Miroku almost always lets me win, and he praises me too often. History's dumb. How's it going to determine the outcome of the battle if I know where my opponent's weapon originated? It's really just basics, and what I want to do is taste some action! I mean, I really should be doing much more important things, you know? My family is rotting in some cell and Miroku's having me stare at needles!"

"Ah, I see," Inuyasha said dryly. "Not enough of a challenge for someone as lofty as you, girl?"

"That's not what I meant," I stammered.

"Then what exactly did you mean when you asked, 'what good is it doing?'" His question was piercing. I refused to answer, but I could feel the blush burning across my cheeks. I hoped he wouldn't see it.

It was silent then. I wanted the silence to go on forever. I picked up the pace, but Inuyasha did not allow the distance between us to increase, so I eventually let my step slacken again. "Why don't we have a car?"

"Protect the environment: walk," Inuyasha said, sneering. "Besides, we don't have the money. As soon as you start bringing in some cash, I'll start thinking about it, princess."

"You think I have time for a job? As if I'm not working hard enough already?" I rounded on him, bristling. Maybe all this anger would help to warm me a little, I thought hopefully. At least it was allowing me a much-needed outlet for my frustration.

"'Hard work?'" Inuyasha mocked uncharitably. "You mean all that 'playing around' you do with Miroku in the basement of the Hospital? Exposure training? Sparring?" He scoffed. "'Basics.'"

"That's not fair!" I argued. How dare he use my own words against me? He knew that wasn't what I meant.

"'Waste of my time', ne, Jou-san? 'I should be doing much more important things'."

"Cut it out, Inuyasha!" I warned. My temper was rising dangerously.

Inuyasha was not done yet. "'My family is rotting in some cell and Miroku's having me stare at needles!'"

My hand whipped out, cutting the freezing cold air to land in Inuyasha's palm. I was stunned by the efficiency of his block, and the weakness of my own attack. Inuyasha's eyes were narrow icicles as he looked down his nose at me. I tried to pull away. He held my hand tighter and forced me to look into those terrifying golden eyes. "Sorry to be wasting your time in trying to get your family back from the Government, Jou-san."

I kicked him in the shins and ran. I sneezed loudly. Then, I sneezed again. Then, sneezed once more. Three sneezes in a row. They left me momentarily drained. I had to stop and catch my bearings. That moment saved my life.

"To your left, girl!"

I spun around and punched the air on my left side. A small knife spun away from the impact and landed on the pavement at my feet.

Inuyasha dropped the groceries and sped off into the night, heading for the direction in which the knife came from. I stood in the cold, shaking, but now it was more than the cold that was making me shake.

One more step and that knife would have taken my life.

Inuyasha returned and stood panting in front of me. A scrap of black cloth hung from his hand. He held it out to me. "Government ninja."

"They've found us," I whispered in horror.

Inuyasha shook his head. "Impossible. The apartment is a Rebel safe house. They don't know we're there—they only got lucky. I scanned the area already; no one else is nearby. A lone ninja might risk such a direct attack on your life, but a group of them would never try anything so reckless."

I looked back at the groceries. Milk and egg white had spilled out onto the pavement and mixed together. "We need more groceries."

"We can go tomorrow," Inuyasha said.

"What will we have for dinner?" I inquired.

Inuyasha smirked. "How does ramen sound to you?"

I sneezed again in response.

…

Sango frowned down at the thermometer. She ran a hand over my forehead and smiled. "Don't worry, Kagome-chan, it's just a little fever. All you need is a day's rest, and then you'll be back on your feet, as good as new."

I nodded. "Thank you, Sango-chan." My head felt like a brick. I was so congested that I felt like I was trying to breathe through a balloon. I laid back against my pillow and shut my eyes. What a chaotic day. "Is Inuyasha angry with me?"

Sango twisted her mouth. "No."

I lowered my eyes and blinked back my emotions. "Is Miroku angry with me?"

"No."

"How about you?"

Sango smiled and squeezed my hand. "No one's angry with you, Kagome-chan. We all understand." I was surprised to hear this. I must have shown it in my face, because Sango laughed. "We all know what it's like to feel trapped—even Inuyasha."

I tried a smile, but it made me feel silly. Could I be forgiven so easily for the things I had said? I hadn't meant them to be so biting, and it wasn't until I heard them coming from Inuyasha's mouth that I even realized how wrong I was. "I'm still…gomen ne."

Sango patted my arm reassuringly. "Get some rest now, Kagome-chan. You can start your lessons again on Monday." She left. I closed my eyes and was soon fast asleep.

I dreamt that night about Kikyo. Or maybe I dreamt about myself. I wasn't sure. I was sitting at the bottom of the staircase of the apartment, fiddling with my purse. The sun poured in through the window. I was wearing a white dress with blue flowers printed on it. My long back hair had been brushed into shimmering perfecting and was lying tamely across my back in a braid. I was waiting. I wouldn't move until whomever I was waiting for arrived.

I took a tube of lipstick from my bag and twisted it open. With the assistance of a small handheld mirror, I applied it. It was a berry color, and flattered my natural color scheme. I smiled at my reflection—but whose reflection, mine or Kikyo's?—and deposited the items back in the bag.

Everything was right. Everything was set. A young man walked by and looked at me. I scowled at him as Inuyasha and Miroku had taught me. Confused, he walked into his respective apartment without pausing to chat.

The front door of the apartment building swung open. Bright sunlight poured though the doorframe, momentarily blinding me. Then, Inuyasha walked in. I looked up at him, silhouetted against the beaming sun. He was dressed in blue jeans and a button-down shirt. His baseball cap was cocked slightly, and the tiniest hint of his left dog-ear disturbed the dome of the cap. He smiled, really smiled. I smiled back. Inuyasha held out his hand. I took it and we walked up to the apartment room together.

Inuyasha opened the door. We walked inside, but suddenly we weren't in the apartment anymore.

We were in an alley. It was nighttime. Brick walls rose up on either side, trapping us. There were red lights everywhere—murderer! They were the signal for a murderer. I looked down. Inuyasha was there, covered in blood. He was glaring up at me with those cold, burning golden eyes. No, no they weren't gold.

They were blue. The deepest, most stunning blue I had ever seen. And his hair was black. Could this really be Inuyasha?

"Kik…yo," he managed. He coughed. He coughed blood.

I woke with a start, shaking all over. A nightmare, I assured myself. But the feeling of terror would not subside. I realized the cause at once: the nightmare had followed me to the waking world, and the danger was far from over. Two strong hands were wrapped around my throat. I couldn't draw breath. I looked up, horrified, into the pain-stricken face of Inuyasha.

- Ichimu