Chapter 15:

Invisible

"I was always holding onto people, and they were always leaving."
― Lili St. Crow, Jealousy

Stretching her arms high above her head, Kagome grunted softly and sighed. She was heading for the clearing where the Bone-Eater's Well sat and behind her Ryura and Shippou trailed along. The Kitsune had managed to let go of some of his fear of the Dragon Daiyoukai, and was now bombarding him with questions.

"Why do you want Kagome in your House?" Shippou asked innocently.

Ryura chuckled, "For more than one reason, and most of them are Kagome's to share. I will tell you this, however; Kagome is the Shikon Miko, as you know. It's an honor for me to have such a powerful Miko as an ally."

Shippou muttered thoughtfully, then looked ahead at Kagome. "Hey, Kagome! Do you care if he tells me why you're in his House? I mean the real reason."

"I don't mind, Shippou," Kagome said with a chuckle while glancing over her shoulder.

While Ryura went into detail, telling Shippou about Kagome's concerns of the manner of her dress, why her hair was now longer, and her issue with dressing like Kikyou to save Inuyasha from pain and to avoid a fight, Kagome turned her thoughts to the hanyou.

It was going on two days now, and no one had seen Inuyasha. Ryura couldn't pick up his scent, either. Even though he said he was a Dragon youkai, and that his sense of smell wasn't as strong as Sesshoumaru's was, Kagome couldn't help but worry. If Inuyasha was anywhere nearby, Ryura would have been able to pick up at least a trace of his scent.

Was he alright? Naraku didn't find him, did he?

Kagome bit her lip out of worry, and she lightly chewed until she felt herself gnaw on the small cut she had made before, and instantly she could taste blood. Ryura growled, deep and low. He did it so suddenly it scared Shippou and the Kitsune stopped to look up at Ryura as he glared at the back of Kagome's head.

"Kagome," he warned.

She sheepishly smiled over her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'm worried for Inuyasha."

"What? What was she doing?" Shippou asked, slightly relieved. He thought Ryura was angry at Kagome. He trotted quickly to catch up with Ryura afterwards.

Ryura glanced down to the child and then tapped his nose, "Kagome was chewing on her lip. Do you smell that?"

Shippou gave him a confused look, then raised his head, nose twitching as he smelled the air. "Sort of. It smells like copper and...and power. It's blood."

"Kagome's blood, yes." Ryura said with a nod. "The power is reiki. Smell again. There's something else that labels it as Kagome."

Shippou inhaled deeply, his frame expanding with the effort. "A..a flower?" Shippou asked.

"It is a flower. But can you tell what type?" the Dragon Daiyoukai smiled as he asked.

"I've never smelt it before," Shippou admitted with a blush to his cheeks.

"It's called a moonflower, or an angel's trumpet," Ryura tilted his head to one side as he spoke. "You see, Shippou, this is a way you can tell if someone you care for is in danger. Blood smells the same no matter who it's from, even if from youkai. That tang of power shows if they're creatures of power, but there is always one thing about the blood that sets it apart from the rest. A specific scent no other being can copy."

Kagome smiled to herself, listening to Ryura teach Shippou things only another youkai could show him. Inuyasha had tried but it turned out he just didn't have the patience for it – surprise, surprise. Shippou was half decent at tracking things, but even so, Ryura was giving him advice to help the young Kitsune with things he would never be able to learn on his own.

"So if I smell this, then that means Kagome's bleeding, and she's most likely hurt?" came the Kitsune's next question.

"Yes, that is what it means. If she is far from you, and you happen to catch that scent, it's when you should find someone to help her," Ryura said kindly.

"Inuyasha?" Shippou asked.

Ryura chuckled, "Any one of us, really."

"Even you?"

The Dragon Daiyoukai nodded firmly. "Especially me. I am not only Kagome's Lord now. I am also her friend."

Their conversation came to a halt. Kagome was now entering the clearing and slowly moving towards the well. She stopped right as her feet were lightly touching the wooden body, and Shippou and Ryura came to stand on either side of her. Ryura leaned over to look into the darkness as Shippou jumped onto the lip of the well, his tiny paw-like feet stepping back and forth. He loved watching the magic flare to life when Kagome dropped in. It reminded him of his foxfire.

"Inuyasha's coming," Ryura said lowly.

Kagome, startled, looked at him, then at the direction he tilted his head. Slowly she looked back to the well, silently wondering if she should leave before the hanyou arrived. She wasn't exactly for sure she wanted to talk to him yet.

"Kagome..." Shippou whined. "Is he going to be mean to you again?"

"I don't know Shippou, I really don't." She sighed and bowed her head.

Shippou quickly walked across the wooden rim until he was in front of Kagome. With the added boost to his height, he could see into Kagome's eyes easier, and reach her hands without much effort. His very small hands gently took hers and he gave them a soft tug.

"It's okay, Kagome. I'll protect you! I can squish him with a top!" he stated with a hard edge to his voice, showing he was trying to be brave.

Kagome laughed softly then ruffled Shippou's hair. Beside her Ryura let out a chuckle on his own as his left hand reached up to run along the hilt of Fujinga. He hoped he wouldn't have to fight the hanyou in front of Kagome again, or in front of Shippou. Ryura refused to lose again. With a soft rustle of grass being disturbed, Inuyasha landed ahead of them on the opposite side of the well. He flicked a glance at Ryura, then jerked his head.

"Kagome, can we talk?" he asked.

The Miko smiled faintly and nodded. She patted both Shippou and Ryura on the arms, then moved around them to head in the direction Inuyasha had jerked his head.

"Take care, Inuyasha," Ryura rumbled out in warning.

He glared over his shoulder at Ryura. "Feh. Yeah, yeah, ya damn dragon."

When Inuyasha felt they were far enough away that neither of the full blooded youkai would be able to overhear his and Kagome's conversation, he stopped walking.

"What happened to your hair?" He asked once he finally noticed it.

Kagome looked down at one of the stray locks gently blowing in the breeze. "Ah... Tsuyoshi did it for me."

"What? Why would he do that?" he asked, confused.

Lips thinning into a pursed line, Kagome eyed his own hair. "Why do you wear yours long, Inuyasha?"

"Well, that's easy. It's 'cause my parents were nobility." He looked at her as if he didn't understand why she asked, like she should already have known.

"I see. And who else wears their hair long, besides nobility?" She asked tightly.

Inuyasha didn't get what her problem was, but decided to indulge her anyway. "Miko, monks... Guess that's why Miroku has his in the tail."

"Yes, exactly Inuyasha. Miko wear their hair long. You just answered your own question from before," she bit out.

Inuyasha's brows furrowed. He had? All he asked was why the water Dragon made her hair—oooohhh.

"Ya ain't a Miko, wench. Sure, you got the reiki but you were never train-" he was quickly interrupted.

"Kaede and Miroku are going to be fixing that, I promise you," Kagome muttered. "Anyway, what did you want to talk about?"

Inuyasha held up his hand as if asking for a moment. "That water bastard is coming. Damnit, can't I ever get a break?"

Sure enough it was as Inuyasha said. Tsuyoshi entered their line of sight, carrying a long parcel. He ignored Inuyasha completely, not happy with the hanyou at the moment, and simply walked to stand in front of Kagome.

"Here you are, Lady Kagome; the attire Lord Ryura asked me to acquire," he said once he reached her, the parcel stretched out for her to take.

Nervously Kagome smiled and took the offered package, hugging it to her chest. She bowed her head gratefully, "Thank you, Tsuyoshi."

"Oi, what the fuck is going on? That bastard's buying you clothes now?" Inuyasha snapped, none too pleased with the situation as whole.

Tsuyoshi regarded Inuyasha for a moment. "I see you are unaware," he murmured.

"Unaware of what?" He asked. He was frustrated to Hell and back now.

Kagome shook her head, "No, he isn't aware. I just started talking with him."

"Very well, allow me," Tsuyoshi said as he glanced at Kagome. When his gaze returned to Inuyasha, it was hard and cold. "Inuyasha-sama, Lady Kagome has recently sworn herself as a Miko to the House of Storms. The clothing is Miko attire in the color of my Lord's House."

"What? Oh hell no! Kagome, we don't have time for this crap!" Inuyasha all but whined.

Kagome opened her mouth to say something, but was quickly silenced by Tsuyoshi raising his hand faster than her human eyes could keep up with. It was a polite gesture for her to remain silent, and considering Kagome's own bubbling rage, she gracefully bowed out of the argument building and decided to let Tsuyoshi take care of it for now.

"My Lord is very aware of Lady Kagome's prior duties and he does not intend to interfere with them – if anything he is wishing to help, seeing as Naraku has invaded Lord Ryura's ancestral lands," the water Dragon said calmly, then added, "He intends to wait until after Naraku has been defeated and the Shikon no Tama made whole again before attempting to ask Lady Kagome for her assistance."

Kagome craned her head back to look up at Tsuyoshi. If she didn't know better, it sounded like he had been practicing this speech. Then again, Sesshoumaru was very evened tempered with Inuyasha unless he managed to anger the Inu Daiyoukai. It spoke volumes of their ability to think on their feet.

"Her assistance, huh? Feh, whatever. You're just trying to be like Kikyou. Again," Inuyasha said with hostility.

Time slowed to a crawl. Inuyasha said it. He said it. He actually said it.

Kagome didn't know whether she wanted to cry, scream in frustration, or smack Inuyasha across the face. She settled for an alternate option and stomped past him towards the well. He tried reaching out of her arm, but Tsuyoshi was quickly in his way, a small frown on his face.

"Leave her be, Inuyasha-sama. That is no longer your place."

The Miko didn't pay any attention to what was happening behind her, with Inuyasha screaming at Tsuyoshi to explain just what the hell he meant. She kept her eyes forward and squared her shoulders. She did halt once, however, but only to say. "Before I go..." Glaring over her shoulder she hissed, "Sit."

"Damnit, Kago-!" Inuyasha was forced into the ground, bent at an odd angle, before he could finish saying her name.

With Inuyasha subdued, Tsuyoshi had nothing better to do than to follow Kagome as she returned to Ryura and Shippou. He watched as Kagome kept the package hugged tightly to her chest, and he remained silent as they entered the clearing. Kagome bowed her head, not wanting to look at anyone, but she kept her eyes on the ground until she saw Ryura's decorative blue boots enter her line of sight. Even then she didn't stop. She moved until her forehead was touching the chest of his armor.

"Kagome?" he asked carefully. He then looked up to Tsuyoshi, who held up his hands and made them look like ears on top of his head.

The Miko didn't respond; only stood with her forehead pressed against the cool metal that outlined the hardened leather of his chest plate. She used it as a focus point to calm herself down. She wasn't going to cry – she refused to cry. She'd cried enough lately, and she hated feeling weak, which is how crying made her feel. If she was going to be a true Miko, she needed to learn to control her emotions in certain situations. Kagome felt a chat with Sesshoumaru coming as soon as she found the Daiyoukai again.

Kagome paid attention to Ryura's boots as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. Her eyes followed the gold swirling up either side of his shins to wrap around the top of the dark blue material with fancy curves and loops.

Ryura sighed and draped his arms over Kagome's shoulders, figuring Inuyasha must have upset her again if Tsuyoshi's ear motions were anything to go by. With his fingers of his right hand he gestured Shippou over to them. The kit gladly took the invitation and was hopping from the well over to Ryura's left arm. He scrambled down the dragonhide covered appendage and was soon next to Kagome's ear, talking to her softly and asking her what was wrong.

Eyes wide, brows disappearing into his bangs, Tsuyoshi looked at the trio in absolute and utter disbelief. Nostalgia washed over him, and he had to swallow the lump in his throat. All he could see was Ryura's blue hair and his armor. His face was hidden due to his leaning down slightly to look at Kagome's face while he and Shippou spoke to her. Kagome's face was completely out of view, as was most of Shippou's body. All Tsuyoshi could see of the little kit was a bit of his haori and his small hand setting on Kagome's shoulder.

His mind flashed back to when Ryura's parents were alive.

He saw Shoichi and his mate, Kasumi, standing with a young Ryura a decade or so after he was born. Ryura carried his father's colorings and his marks, but his features were that of his mother. From behind, Kagome greatly resembled Kasumi with her long and dark hair, and with nothing visible of Shippou except for a bit of his haori, it was hard for Tsuyoshi not to see images of the past in his mind.

Quickly Tsuyoshi shook his head and patted himself lightly on the cheek with a hand. What was he thinking? It was a good thing too, for Inuyasha had returned to see the exact same thing Tsuyoshi was watching. The water Dragon slowly moved to the side, prepared to launch himself into the fray should he need to and remove Kagome and Shippou from the equation.

He snarled, "Let go of her!"

Tessaiga sang as Inuyasha drew it, coming to life in a burst of golden youki. With one hand he held the sword and pointed the tip in Ryura's direction. By now the Dragon Daiyoukai had, of course, noticed Inuyasha's presence and went about pushing Kagome behind him, the Miko holding onto Shippou.

"Why?" was the only thing Ryura asked.

Inuyasha blanched. Why? Why? "Because she's mine, damnit!"

Behind Ryura, Kagome let out a slow hiss of air. "Don't make me say it, Inuyasha!"

"Shut up!" He roared in return. "You're mine, Kagome! Stay out of this!"

Going against Ryura's wishes, Kagome stepped out from behind him and instructed Shippou to go to Tsuyoshi. The kit was slow to move at first, but when Inuyasha growled, he squeaked loudly and bee-lined it for the water Dragon. Shippou now to safety, Kagome leveled a glare on Inuyasha while she carefully set her package she was gifted on the well, out of harm's reach.

"I won't stay out of it."

"Kagome, move it." Inuyasha warned again.

"No, Inuyasha! I'm not yours! I've never been yours!" She yelled. All the pent up anger and hurt came pouring out at once, "You've never given me a chance to be yours, because when you look at me, you always see Kikyou! I have always been invisible to you, I've never been just Kagome!"

Ryura let her rant, staying silent. If she felt like she had to get it out, then he wasn't going to stop her. He folded his arms over his chest, watching Inuyasha over top Kagome's head and waiting to see if the hanyou would do anything in way of harming Kagome.

"From the first day we met, you've always thought I was Kikyou!" She was panting now. "But guess what? I'm not! I'm Kagome. Ka-go-me. My eyes are blue, not brown. My hair is black, not dark brown. I was born with the Shikon no Tama in my body, I didn't die with it in my blood stained hands!"

Inuyasha growled and shoved Tessaiga's blade into the ground next to him out of pure frustration. "I know that, okay!? But you have her soul, you're her reincarnation! I've already failed her twice! Twice."

"What does that have to do with me!?" Kagome screeched. "I am not Kikyou!"

"Yes you are in a small way! If she hadn't of died when she did, you wouldn't be here! You would probably have someone else's soul!" Inuyasha said, pleading for her to understand. "If I can't protect you – if I can't take care of you, then I'll be failing her a third time, and I don't think I could survive that!"

"Hold on," Ryura said, earning a glare from Inuyasha.

"This is none of your business, Dragon. Back the fuck off," he said as he pointed a claw finger at Ryura.

"I will not," Ryura returned. "I do not think you understand reincarnation, Inuyasha."

"Oh yeah, and you do!?" The hanyou shook his fist at the Dragon.

Kagome turned slightly to the side to peer over at Ryura with a brow raised. "What is it?"

"Very well. I was hoping to tell Kagome this in private, but it seems I can no longer hold it off," he sighed. "When Lord Touga ascended he was given the knowledge of all of his past and future lives, considering the Kami-sama live in some warped sense of time. There was a specific life he remembered very well, as well as he did his own as Touga."

Ryura paused to rub the bridge of his nose. "That life he was born as a human; a man named Hikaru Higurashi – Kagome's father."

Kagome gasped as her hands flew to her mouth, and despite this, Ryura kept going.

"For some reason he's not aware of, Touga has been able to directly interfere with Kagome's life. He's protected her, shielded her from physical harm. How do you think she pulled out Tessaiga and then survived Sesshoumaru's poison?"

The hanyou stumbled back a few steps with a look of surprise on his face. All those times Kagome mysterious survived an attack that no human should ever have been able to, had been his father?

"Inuyasha, how you see reincarnation is this; when a person dies and their soul is reincarnated, they are the very same person as they were in their former life. Because of this, in your own little ignorant world, Kagome is technically your sister," he finished with a frown and waited for someone to say something.

Inuyasha felt his stomach turn. Kagome was his sister? He shook his head quickly, sending his hair flying about his face. No, that wasn't possible. He was lying – he had to be lying.

"You're lying!"

Ryura snarled at the insult. "Use your senses, you half-wit!"

And Inuyasha did. He searched Ryura's aura, listened to his heart, smelt his scent. There were no indicators whatsoever to say that Ryura was lying.

"In your world, Inuyasha, everyone is your sister or your brother. The Kami-sama made our souls, every single last one. That, in turn, makes them our parents," Ryura pointed out. "My point is that just because Kagome carries the same soul as your beloved, does not mean she is your beloved – unless you believe everyone in the world to be incest?"

"What? No! Of course I don't!" Inuyasha snapped. "That's stupid!"

"And now you see how your actions have been labeled; stupid." Ryura ran a hand over his face and groaned. "I think it's time you start to see Kagome for who she really is, Inuyasha. This isn't fair to either of you, or Kikyou."

Kagome began to sink to her knees, her shaking hand still against her mouth and hot tears ran down her face. As her knees began to touch the ground, Ryura had her by the bicep and pulled her against him, keeping her steady and in a standing position.

Tsuyoshi nodded slightly, proud with how his Lord conducted himself. Ryura was showing to be more mature than he had been when he first returned. He was coming into his own and slowly the wounds Ryuukotsusei left behind were beginning to heal. Casting his ice-blue eyes to the sky, Tsuyoshi smiled faintly and silently thanked the Kami for giving Ryura this chance to prove himself.

"So Kagome's sort of... my soul sister?" Inuyasha asked.

Kagome began to laugh, surprising everyone. It was watery and broken, but the more she laughed, the clearer it became until it was its normal bell-like sound. An American song popped up into her head, and she imagined dressed in garters and lace dancing around to it.

Inuyasha sputtered, "Oi, what's so funny, wench!?"

She held up her hand while trying to catch her breath, but one look in Inuyasha's direction sent her into another fit of giggles. She pounded a fist against Ryura's armor with her mirth, and tears of joy replaced her tears of sadness.

"Inuyasha, I think you broke Kagome's brain," Shippou said with a sage nod.

Kagome's laughter only increased in volume, ringing through the clearing. It didn't matter if everyone was looking at her as if she lost her mind.

"I uh... I might want to get her home. I think I really did break her brain..." Inuyasha scratched the top of his head.

Kagome only laughed harder.