Soul Bearers

The noise of the train drowned out Kagome's thoughts as she stared out the window. She couldn't wait to be home, but even then, she wasn't sure what she was going to do about him.

Her eyes glanced at Inuyasha sitting across from her, his arms crossed over his chest. She was assuming that was how he usually carried himself. He wasn't looking at her, even if she was blatantly staring at him. She was sure she was making him uncomfortable, but he didn't say anything about it.

Kagome noted his ears twitching as another person heaved their luggage across the floor, heading for the exit. As the person walked passed him their bag hit Inuyasha across the knee. Kagome blinked as she realized that, of course the person couldn't see Inuyasha sitting there, but also the bag didn't just pass through him, he winced and growled lowly while staring harshly at the owner of the bag.

"Watch what you're doing, dumb ass." Inuyasha rubbed a hand over his knee.

The person walked out of the opening doors, ignoring Inuyasha's outburst completely.

Inuyasha finally looked at Kagome, having had enough of her staring him down. "What are you looking at, stupid?"

Did he just? Kagome's eyebrow twitched. "You just yelled at someone who can't even see you, and I'm stupid?"

Inuyasha scoffed, a permanent scowl on his face. "At least I yell, I don't just let people do what they want with me."

Kagome's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she recalled how she gave into Hojo yesterday.

"That's- That was different and you know it!" she exclaimed, "You also tackled me to the ground, which made my already bad day even worse."
Inuyasha's ears twitched. "People are noticing."

Kagome realized then that people were starting to stare at her. Just as quickly as blood had rushed to her cheeks, the blood drained from her face. She was not a crazy person. Ignoring the stares and Inuyasha. She continued to sit in silence for the rest of the train ride home.

"Kagome!"

"Mom!"

Kagome hugged her mother tightly. She had missed her so much, and felt like she hasn't seen her in forever.

"I'm happy you came home for break." her mother said.

"Me too." she agreed, "I really did start to feel home sick."

"Well, let me make you some home made lunch, it'll cheer your right up." Her mother took one of Kagome's bags from her hands and heaved it upstairs to her room, "You brought so much stuff."

"Sorry Mom, since it was break I thought I should bring my dirty laundry with me too, so I could wash it all before going back." Kagome explained, "I didn't want it lying in the bin all break."

Her mother nodded, "No, that's perfectly fine. I didn't even think of that."

Her mother placed her bag on her bed and headed downstairs, "Lunch will be ready in a few minutes, don't take too long to unpack."

"I won't." Kagome called after her.

She sighed deeply as she glanced over her shoulder. "Why are you still here?"

"I already told you. My spirited is connected to you." Inuyasha replied.

"So, go somewhere else, I can't go on with you following me everywhere I go." She exploded as she plopped her bag next to the other one on her bed and faced Inuyasha, "This is ridiculous."

"You're telling me." Inuyasha scoffed, she was annoying.

"Well, shoo already." she flung her arms and motioned for the door.

Inuyasha bit down on his tongue. How dare she treat him like some stray dog.

"Listen, you." He took a strong step towards her, "This might be too much for your stupid human brain to comprehend, but I can't leave your side for that long. My soul is tethered to yours, that means, if I stray too far away from your physical body for too long a time that tether will snap and I'll lose my connection to you."

Kagome was fuming at his arrogance. "What do I care. I don't want to have a connection with you anyway. This was forced on me. I didn't choose this."

Inuyasha scoffed. "Like I care what you want. I have more important things to worry about than your silly wants."

Raging at his audacity Kagome kicked at his shin and left to find her mother. Inuyasha yelped at the sudden pain and watched her leave. "Stupid." he muttered.

He was having a hard time speaking to her. He had no idea that it would be like this, to be connected to someone other than her. Inuyasha's eyes glazed over as he recalled her scent, the way she carried herself.

"Kikyo... Why did you have to die?

Inuyasha awoke, his entire body in an influx of pulsating pain. He was lying haphazardly in a field of spider-lily's. Where am I? What happened

He couldn't recall where he was, what he had been doing or even his own name. His mind was an endless blank.

"You're unwelcome here demon." her voice filled his ears, it was loathsome and harsh. His instincts told him to run, but he couldn't move his body, "Did you hear me?"

"I h-heard you, woman. I can't m-move, dammit." he gruffly replied.

Inuyasha stared at the stars, and heard the rustle of spider-lily's before she stepping into his line of sight. "You're not long for this world, I see you soul has already left your body." she said.

"What?" he frowned.

"You hadn't noticed? You're already dead." her harsh words surrounded his inner thoughts and rattled his very being, "I don't see your body. It must have perished elsewhere."

"Dead? He was dead? What happened to his body? Why can't he remember anything?

She sat down next to him. He glanced at her. "Aren't you leaving? I can tell you don't care for demons."

Demons? He's a demon. Why does he remember that, but not his name.

Her skin is pale and a stark contrast to her black hair flowing in the wind. "Pity." she answered, "You'll disappear soon, I can't help but feel sorry for you."

Inuyasha scoffed. "I'd rather disappear in peace. Fuck off."

She smiled. "That's more like the demons I know."

They fell silent. He could feel his body pulsing. He was disappearing, he could feel it. Where was his bright light to guide him into heaven. Who was he kidding, he's a demon, heaven is too kind a thought.

"What do you think happens when you die?" he whispered into the night, anxiety and fear ever-present as he was nearing his end.

"I suspect your soul finds eternal rest in a vast expanse of the world, far from this one."

His body was starting to visibly pulsate, the pulses frequent enough that he knew he was out of time.

"Sucks. I would have liked to remember my life before I went."

But I guess that's life. You don't always get what you want. He closed his eyes, breathing in the smell of spider-lily's and the earth and her. His eyes opened wide has she leaned over him and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

His soul stopped pulsating. Instead, he felt his strength returning quicker, his spirit binding itself to her physical body. "What did you do?"

"I'm granting your wish. This way you can stay here a little while longer."

He sat up, facing her as he did. "My name is Kikyo and I'm a high ranking priestess." she introduced, "Allow me to bare with you."

"Inuyasha." he recalled slowly, "My name is Inuyasha."