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Author's Note:

Chapter 15, Common Time

I wanted to faint. I wanted to black out so that when I woke up, this would all be a dream. But despite the harsh protest of my stomach, the ice shooting through my veins, and the whirring of my brain, reality was unfolding crisp and unblushingly before me. If it was all a dream, it's a dream from which I have yet to awaken.

I remembered the picture of Kikyo's face, that familiar smile, those eyes that mirrored my own… It had occurred to me that we might have been sisters. I never would have believed that we actually were.

And I remembered Inuyasha's vicious accusations, his fingers twined around my windpipe… That pain, desperation, the fear that was practically tangible…my sister had caused all of that. The blood that flowed through her veins, the blood that came from our father, it had made them both into tools, nothing more than a means to an end. And that same blood flowed through my own veins.

"Ah, so you don't know then? You don't have a clue what you are?"

And what was I, then? A tool, a freak, a…monster?

When I met Inuyasha's eyes, there were tears flowing down my cheeks. "So, that's why," I managed, "that's why my family was attacked and taken away, why otosan was killed, why Kikyo betrayed you… It was all because of this blood?"

"The blood of a miko," Inuyasha said wearily, "is essential to the completion of the Shikon no Tama."

I was going to vomit. I shivered and sank down into the chair beside Inuyasha's bed. "So, why did they wait five years to come after me?"

"Your mother was smart. She skewed your information at the hospital: your name, age, birth date… it wasn't until the Government had a blood run at all the schools in your district that you were located. The Government didn't know your father's last name, so your mother probably thought that you were well-protected."

I tucked my hands under my thighs and stared at my kneecaps. They were bruised and scratched. There was a thin scar across my thigh. Another, longer scar spanned my shin. I was very different from that girl I had been. "So, this is what you spent three months doing? Tying up the loose ends of my past?"

"I was trying to figure out why the Government wanted you. I got my first lead three months ago."

I whimpered and hunched lower. My arms were shaking and I grabbed my shirt. "Knowing all of this, why did you come back?"

Inuyasha's hand closed over mine, causing me to start and look at him. His golden eyes, once so hard around the edges had softened. It occurred to me then, that Inuyasha was very different as well. "We had a deal, didn't we? I always keep my word."

He released my hand and looked away. "Before I left, I told you that you couldn't be a part of what's coming. At that time, I didn't realize the extent to which you were already a part of it." He closed his eyes and I held my breath. "Do you still have the shard you found in our battle with Juuroumaru?"

I removed the cord I had tied around my neck and held it up for Inuyasha. The shard was bound there, held to me by a shabby piece of string. I had been wearing it thoughtlessly. Someone on the street had commented that they rather fancied it. If I had known the way that Inuyasha's heart sank at the sight of it, I never would have…

"It's a shard of the Shikon no Tama," Inuyasha said. "It's the only goal that Naraku and I have in common."

"What do you need it for?" I asked, turning the crystal slowly. A memory prodded against my consciousness, waiting to be addressed.

"I need it so I can become a full youkai," he said. He sighed and closed my fingers around the sliver of the wish-granting stone.

"Are you injured at all?" he asked.

"I'm fine," I assured him, tucking the shard against my chest.

Inuyasha watched the crystal with a strange, taught expression on his face. "Good," he said at last. "You resume your training tomorrow."

I left the room then. Out in the hallway, I finally allowed the memory to unfold.

"Shikon no Tama?"

"As long as you have this, your house will be safe and your business will prosper," Jichan said, waving the dinky keychain that my family sold at the store in front of my eyes.

"This glass ball? You aren't really going to sell them are you, Jichan?" I protested, yawning and prodding Buyo in the stomach. The fat cat raised his head and pawed at the keychain, which shivered with the sound of a tiny bell.

"Kagome, the history of the Shikon no Tama begins with…"

"What, are you telling my little girl fairytales again, otosan?"

"Otosan!" I whirled around, but my father was faster. Even before I faced him, I was tossed in the air and then smothered in a hug. My father was rewarded with the stream of giggles that poured forth from my lips.

"There now, Kagome-chan," my father said, kissing my forehead. "Why don't you and I go get some cherry ice from the vendor?"

I screamed in excitement and clapped my hands together. "Please!"

My father's laughing face faded and I stood alone in the hallway. "A monster?" I asked the stillness around me. "Honto ni? A monster?"

(-)(-)(-)

I sank into the chair, rubbing my thighs, which burned from the vigorous exercise. Inuyasha wasn't home—he was out tutoring—so I was alone for now. I looked from the TV remote to my half-finished novel and back again. Then I walked into the kitchen and began to boil some water. I checked the windows instinctively; the superiors of the Resistance had assured us that the apartment was as safe as ever, but it was no use…

My anxiety was like a tiny insect crawling just under the surface of my skin.

Summer was coming early this year, and the winds that wafted through the apartment were lazy with heat and fragrance. A bakery had opened on the corner, and all day, sweet perfumes penetrated my consciousness.

My hand recoiled sharply as it came in contact with the now boiling water.

"Give it here."

I jumped as Inuyasha's voice cut across the room. I turned. He caught me mid-turn, grabbed my hand, and forced it under cold water.

I watched him while he watched my hand. There was a softness in his face that was new to me.

"What?" he snapped.

"Huh?" I blinked, ripped from my reveries.

"What're you smiling for?" he asked.

"Was I smiling?"

Inuyasha flinched or shied away. My hand bumped against the side of the sink. Inuyasha frowned and fumbled to bring my hand back under the cool water. The water hissed and spat at us. We jumped back. Our eyes met.

"Thank you," I said in a tiny voice.

He dropped my hand and stepped back.

"Inuyasha?"

A small whimper knocked against his ribcage and resonated in my ears. A wild look flickered across his features and his eyes became overly sharp. I reached out and grabbed his arm. He started as though coming out of a dream and looked at me like he had never seen me before.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"I…" he started.

I helped him sit down. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing," he replied. "Nothing at all."

But he wouldn't look at me.

Some time soon after that I had a strange dream. I was standing in midst of an enormous lake. The water rose to my hips, and rippled off into the grayish sky in all directions. I lapped gently through the water. And then there was a strange tingling, a sort of itch at the back of my neck. I reached up and touched the place.

"I wish…"

"Who's there?" I called.

"…Shikon no Tama, hear my wish…"

Something was happening to the water. Terror was creeping into my limbs. I looked down, and realized that the water around with me was turning red.

"Blood!" I gasped.

And then there was pain, white-hot and overwhelming. I staggered and water splashed into my sweat-soaked face. I sputtered, coughed, and raised myself. My shaking right hand reached up, fighting through fabric for my left shoulder. I drew it away to see my hand stained with the dark vital fluid.

"My blood?"

"Shikon no Tama, hear my wish, the wish of the miko who guards you."

The water before me solidified. I was staring at my face, pale and taught with pain. But no…that was not my face.

"Kikyo!"

"…Kagome…"

I woke in a cold sweat. My shoulder was intact, but the pain would not stop. I hid my face in my hands and wept.

(-)(-)(-)

If they knew what the smoke in my face did—if they knew how it brought me back to him, they wouldn't dare light up in front of me.

"Do you think she's in shock?"

"She hasn't said a word. Not one sound since the President was here."

"We should send her back up to Sesshoumaru. He'll make her talk."

"No. She can't handle it right now. She's lost too much blood recently. She could still be in shock from last night. Better to drug her and put on the track while she recovers."

Not that track again. Please.

"The track it is. Get the straps."

They pluck me from the floor. I slump against them, vaguely registering the change of light as we walk into the next room. I'm tossed into the chair. The straps are secured around my ankles and wrists. The bruise on my arm flares dimly as the needle passes through it. I watch the pearly liquid drain out of the syringe as they buckle my head into the device.

They walk away. The lights go off. Another light appears in front of me, and as the drugs take effect, the reeling images, sounds, and smells reach out and wrap around me.

Inuyasha…

Inuyasha…

Inu…

…yasha…

Something brushes past my face, waking me from my coma. The slightest whiff…a tiny puff of cigarette smoke curls under my nose, and I am drawn away from the screen of flashing, jumbled images into a night filled with streamers of moonlight. A hand passes over the small of my back, and my lips part.

"Don't let go…"

"Wake up, girl! The President is here to see you."

(-)(-)(-)

My hands were searing. Smoke came from my fingertips in little columns, arching towards the ceiling. My ribcage heaved under my heavy, wet shirt. My hair had come free of its bindings and stuck to my cheeks and to the back of my neck.

"We can take a break if you like," Miroku offered, running the back of his hand across his forehead.

"No," I said. I concentrated on my fingertips. "I have to get this right!"

"You don't have to do it all in one day," Miroku said, laughing. "You're making wonderful progress."

"No," I repeated. "Shoot again."

"Kagome-chan," Sango said tentatively from the sidelines. "Please be smart about this. If you fail to block one of Miroku's shots, you could get really injured."

"That's why you're here, Sango-chan," I said, my eyes still locked on Miroku's amethyst orbs.

"Oh great. And here I was, thinking that you liked my company," Sango muttered under her breath.

The laughter that bubbled up from my chest was just the burst I needed. My fingertips flared with violet light. Miroku reacted at once, and his hand was a blurred arch as he released a dozen seals, all headed in my direction.

I dropped to one knee and the power at my fingertips destroyed the nearest of the targets. I caught one in my hand, where it shriveled up and turned into a fine powder. One wrapped around my ankle. It promptly burst into a violet flame. Satisfied, I stood up, beaming.

"Kagome-sama!" Miroku barked as he sent another round at my back.

I whirled around and the curve of my arm made snuff of three seals. A quickly formed barrier knocked away two more. I rolled onto my back and stopped two members of a third attack.

"That's great!" Miroku shouted in encouragement as my right hand produced a globe of spiritual purity that made his seal fizzle and fall to the earth as blank as a sheet.

I laughed and I was almost feeling good about myself when a sudden explosion brought us both around. "Sango-chan!" I gasped.

Miroku blanched and his amethyst eyes grew wide as the rubble settled before us. I had missed one of the seals, and it had latched itself onto the wall directly above Sango's head. She hadn't time to get away before the seal ignited and tore the wall open, bringing the rubble down upon her. The warm, happy rush of adrenaline was sucked out of the moment. My stomach fell and I turned to ice.

Miroku darted forward, grabbed the nearest chunk of wall and pulled it away. The muscles of his arms strained against the weight. He set his jaw and tugged. The piece of wall came free. He grabbed another, tossed a third aside, and was rewarded with the sight of Sango's wrist. A moment later, he had pulled her out from under the wreckage.

His mouth formed meaningless words as he ran his fingers over her forehead. A huge bruise was beginning to solidify at the crown of her head. "Sango," he murmured. "Wake up, wake up!"

I was still frozen. My throat was dry. I wasn't sure whether to scream for help or go to where Sango lay limp in Miroku's arms.

Just as I was about to head out of the room, Sango's lithe form trembled and she looked up at Miroku.

"Mm…?" she managed. "Miroku?"

Miroku touched her face in response.

Sango grabbed his arm and pressed her face against him. Her other hand encircled her stomach. She made a small whimpering sound, and then her shoulders were trembling. Miroku buried his face in her hair. One arm cradled her shoulders, and the other searched vaguely for and finally wrapped around the hand that Sango had pressed against her stomach.

Sango slapped his hand away. She detangled herself from his arms and got shakily to her feet. Her cheeks were wet and her eyes bright.

"How can you buy into this?" she cried.

"Sango…" Miroku pleaded, still on the ground, his palms spread before him.

"What makes you think it's going to be any different this time around?" Sango spat. "What's keeping it from happening just like last time?"

"It won't happen like last time," Miroku said, his face set.

"How do you know?" she shrieked. She staggered slightly in the violence of her passion and Miroku sprang to his feet. He caught her hands and looked her squarely in the eyes.

"I won't let it happen like last time," he said in a low, stern voice.

Sango rounded on me, a wild look in her eyes. "She was just like you!" she barked. She was trembling again, and when she spoke once more, her voice was barely audible. "She was your sister…and she was just like you…"

Miroku grabbed her arms so fiercely that Sango jumped and turned to him. His eyes were hard as they bore into hers. "She's not Kikyo. It won't happen like last time." She was trembling still, but a different emotion had seeped into her features. Fear, certainly, but also a softer emotion. Miroku's features softened in response. He pushed her hair back from her face and in a tiny voice, whispered, "I promise." He kissed her forehead.

"Now," he said, gingerly touching the bruise on her forehead, "let's get someone to look at this, alright?" He led her out the door.

I stood stock still, alone in the dim room where the air was tight with dust and debris. My hands dangled at my sides, my feet grew roots and drove through the floor. I stood staring at the place where Sango had been, where those bright, fervent eyes had flashed to my face and accused me of being just like Kikyo. No…more than that… There was another accusation burning in those eyes, which was left unspoken, bound by nothing more than the confines of propriety.

What she had left unsaid was the thing that terrified me more than any other pronouncement.

I was just like Kikyo… I was…a monster.

(-)(-)(-)

"There you are," Inuyasha shot as he came upon me. "I've been looking all over for you. I followed your scent all around the city before I found you here."

I turned away from him.

A long minute ticked by in the alleyway.

"You shouldn't be here. This place isn't safe. The Government knows about it, and they're sure to have someone watching it, hoping you'll come back."

"It's just a doorway. A doorway with a broken lock to an empty apartment," I droned.

"Kagome…"

I looked at the doorway with the rusted lock, which I had shattered with a bullet. I could just make out the room beyond, with its overturned furniture and a fine layer of dust settling over everything. Souta's screams chased me from the shadows, and Fukouka's voice taunted me for the umpteenth time, "Ah, so you don't know then? You don't have a clue what you are?"

"I couldn't go home. Not after…" My voice failed me and I buried my face in my knees so that Inuyasha couldn't see how upset I was.

Another long minute passed between us.

"Miroku told me what Sango said to you."

"He did, huh?" I tried to sound disinterested, as if that wasn't the reason I'd sprinted out of the hospital, run into an elderly woman on the street, packed up all my things in a duffle bag, and run out here.

Inuyasha sat down next to me. Unwittingly, my eyes passed over his face, and when they met his gaze, they were captured. "So what now?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Are you giving up?" he asked.

"How can I keep going? I almost got Sango killed this afternoon. She hates me…or at least she distrusts me. And Miroku-sama, despite all his big words… well, he probably distrusts me, too."

"Ah," Inuyasha said, standing up. "Well then, I'll see you later."

"What?" I asked, starting.

"Hmm? Changed your mind?" he asked, looking over his shoulder.

I stared at him, perplexed. "You're leaving? Just like that?"

"No, you're leaving," he corrected me.

"But that's because-!"

"Because you think Sango hates you?" His golden eyes flashed. "I thought you were stronger than that. I guess you were full of shit the whole time, huh?"

"Excuse me?" I asked, flushing and jumping to my feet.

"All that stuff about saving your family was just bullshit, huh? Fine then. I don't need you. I'll take the Shikon no Tama back, and you can get the hell out of my sight." He held out his hand.

I slapped him across the face.

Nothing happened. I gathered my breath. Inuyasha blinked and looked at me. I could have sworn that under that smirk, there was the slightest glimmer of a genuine smile.

"Fine then. Let's go home," he said after some time had passed. I blushed as I realized I had fallen right into his little mind game. Still…I was only half-annoyed. I looked back at the empty doorway and sighed. Whatever doubts I had, they weren't worth it. I had to get my family back. No matter what, I had to see them again. I smiled at Inuyasha. He turned to go, and I went to grab my duffle bag, but something was still bothering me. I stopped.

"Inuyasha…What happened to Sango and Miroku that night?" I asked.

Inuyasha frowned, knowing what I meant at once. He looked at the ground. "I told you that Sango and Miroku went on with the plan. They had no choice. It was maybe the only chance we would ever get. They went ahead without the proper backup and…" He paused. His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. "They were ready for them. During the fighting, there was an explosion. Sango was caught in the rubble. By the time Miroku got her free, it was too late… She…"

He looked at me, and I could see that there was pain and guilt in those bright eyes. "Sango had to have extreme surgery. The damage to her vitals was irreparable in some places. She will never have children."