InuYasha Fan Fiction / Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Death Is Only The Beginning ❯ Chapter Ten ( Chapter 10 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: ConsistentlyInconsistent 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction / Bleach Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Comedy / Drama / Hentai / Romance / Angst | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 05.15.2012 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.9K | Visits: 396 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction / Bleach Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Comedy / Drama / Hentai / Romance / Angst | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 05.15.2012 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.9K | Visits: 396 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: I own neither Inuyasha nor Bleach nor any of their characters. Those belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Tite Kubo, respectively. I only own any original characters that may appear.
AN: I know I said that I wouldn't post any new chapters until revisions were done on all of my stories, but I'm bending (not breaking) my rule. My readers are awesome and you've all put up with a lot from me over the years, so I think you deserve some new material. I'm finding a loophole in my `no new stuff' rule in that I chopped off the last scene from Chapter Nine to extend in Chapter Ten. Since that scene is technically `old' material, we'll just say that I'm finishing some revisions on this story. And since I can't just post a whole chapter for a single scene, I'll just have to add some new stuff, right? *wink*
=====
Death Is Only The Beginning
Chapter Ten
As Kagome stepped from the Senkaimon and reentered Soul Society she was greeted by one of the masked members of the Kidou Corps. “Kagome Higurashi,” he addressed. “Captain-Commander Yamamoto has agreed to move up your scheduled meeting and grant you audience today. You are to report to his office immediately.”
Kagome nodded curtly in acknowledgement of the order as she said, “Thank you.” With that, the members of the Kidou Corps disappeared as soon as the Senkaimon was sealed once more, and Kagome took off running as quickly as she could towards the first division. She had to focus on her task. Her mind wanted to return to the moment she had shared with Inuyasha only minutes prior, but she knew that she had more important matters to deal with first. There would be time to reflect later.
Running through the white streets of the Court, Kagome began to regain her bearings. Her power still came to her easier in this environment and she found that her stamina was much greater than it was in the living world. Kagome took a deep breath before using the Shunpo steps that she had been struggling to maintain during the past week. The greater speeds caused her hair to whip behind her and she was reminded of how she felt riding on Inuyasha's back. `Stop it,' she told herself as she focused on her steps once more. `That's for later. Getting to the First Division is the priority right now.'
Kagome made good time and slowed down to a run as she entered the halls of the First Division. Normally she would have been more respectful and walked through the quiet halls, but she may have waited too long for this meeting as it was. Slowing her steps, Kagome finally reached the Captain-Commander's office and saw that the door was already open. She knocked lightly on the open door as she poked her head inside. Yamamoto sat at his desk and her own captain stood to the right of the large desk. `He must have been called here when Urahara let them know that I was coming back early,' she thought as she stepped into the room.
She had been a little nervous about the meeting before her arrival, but when she saw the serious expressions on both men's faces Kagome began to feel a little sick. Yamamoto spoke first. “You've requested to return from your mission early so that we may hold this meeting. What is your reason for this, Miss Higurashi?”
Kagome bowed deeply in respect before she straightened and tried to speak. No sound came from her mouth and she had to swallow thickly before she was able to find her voice again. “Captain-Commander Yamamoto, Captain Kyouraku,” she addressed. “I…I—” Kagome faltered as she realized that she had no idea how to begin. So, at risk of facing consequences for not answering a direct question from a commanding office, Kagome posed her own question. “Sir, has the reconnaissance team returned from Hueco Mundo?”
Both men seemed a little surprised that Kagome hadn't answered the question and Shunsui turned towards his old teacher curious about what the old man would say. “Yes, Miss Higurashi,” Yamamoto answered slowly. “They have returned and reported to me. They found no traces or signs of the individual that you described.”
Kagome felt as though the air had been knocked out of her for a moment. Her mind raced as she went over her past encounters with Naraku and everything she had ever learned about him. A stray memory echoed through her mind as she heard Inuyasha say, “He's damn hard to find if he doesn't want to be found.” She knew that he had been talking about Shippo at the time, but the statement was also true for Naraku.
Taking several quick steps closer to the desk and forgetting about the formality that the situation called for, Kagome held slightly trembling hands out as though pleading for the men to hear her out for a moment. “He doesn't want to be found. If he doesn't want you to know that he's there, you won't know. In the past we would try to track him for weeks and months, but we only ever saw him when he came to us or let us know where he was!” Kagome took a moment to swallow and organize her thoughts before she continued to ramble. She knew that if they did find Naraku it would mean trying to defeat him again, and that thought sent a jolt of fear through her that she hadn't felt in a long time. There were so many sorrowful and terrifying memories attached to just the name that Kagome couldn't imagine seeing his face again.
For the first time, since the possibility of his continued existence had come up, Kagome realized exactly where this road would lead. She would have to face him again, and there would be no wishing him away this time. He would have to be killed—destroyed. Kagome could feel her chest begin to tighten as it became harder to breathe. How was she supposed to face the one who killed her?
Kagome was torn from her thoughts and whipped around when a warm hand gripped her shoulder. She looked into the concerned eyes of her captain and she was able to breathe a little easier.
“Kagome,” Shunsui began. “Are you okay?” He was worried about the young woman. She had appeared calm enough when she had entered the office and acted as professional as always, but things changed quickly when she learned that the reconnaissance team hadn't found anything. There was a small spike in her energy as she seemed to draw into her own thoughts, and she only recovered enough to nervously ramble about someone not wanting to be found. But he decided that things were going too far when Kagome's breathing became shallow and tears started to fall from wide, glazed eyes.
Kagome finally noticed the tears on her cheeks when the moisture began to dry and make her skin itch. She wiped furiously at the small trails with her hands as she tried to nod. “I'm fine,” she managed to say with a deep breath. “Sorry, I'm…I'm not sure what came over me.”
“Why don't you have a seat, Miss Higurashi?” Yamamoto suggested as he motioned to one of the cushions in front of his desk. It was time to get to the bottom of things.
Shunsui ushered the girl over to her seat and then made himself comfortable on a neighboring cushion a couple of feet away. “Now, Kagome,” he said softly to get her attention and keep her calm. “You've told us this man's name, that he is powerful, that you believe he is in Hueco Mundo, and that he may pose a threat to Soul Society. Why don't you tell us about him and how exactly you know him?”
Kagome looked between the two men in the room with her before resting her gaze on her hands resting in her lap. “What does Soul Society know about demons?” She asked quietly. She had been dreading the answer ever since she realized that she had to ask the question.
“We are aware of their existence,” Yamamoto answered. Kagome's head snapped up at the casual tone of voice the Captain-Commander had used. She hadn't been expecting that. “They are a race as equally old as Humans and they die just the same. The only real difference is that in almost all cases, by the time a demon dies their soul is so corrupted that they must be sent to Hell.”
A small bit of hope blossomed in Kagome's chest as she asked, “So if they're not corrupt, you treat them as any other soul?”
Yamamoto nodded once before saying, “But their population had decreased significantly in the last several centuries. It isn't often that we run across demon souls, corrupted or not.”
“Why are you asking about demons, Kagome?” Shunsui asked curiously. It had been a very long time since a recently deceased soul had any knowledge of demons. As far as he knew, only the oldest of shinigami still knew of their existence.
“I had to ask because it has a lot to do with how I know Naraku,” Kagome answered in a stronger voice. If she expected them to take the threat that Naraku posed seriously, she had to make them understand who he was. And acting like a scared little girl wasn't going to help. “It's a very long story, and a lot of it won't have much bearing in explaining who Naraku is so I'll give you an abridged version. But before I start, I have to make one thing clear. I promise that everything that I tell you is absolutely true, no matter how absurd it sounds.”
Yamamoto exchanged a look with his former student. Shunsui seemed to have much confidence in the young woman, and he had always acknowledged the younger man's remarkable ability in judging a persons character. Bracing himself for what he may hear, Yamamoto said, “Then please continue.”
Kagome took a deep breath before speaking. “When I was alive in modern day Tokyo, I was able to travel five hundred years into the past. That's where I learned that demons were real, and it was where I met Naraku.”
“Taking you at your word,” Shunsui spoke as he tried to believe what they were being told, “how did you manage to travel through time?”
Looking at her captain, Kagome answered, “My family runs a Shinto shrine. On the grounds there was an old dry well and it was sort of the gateway between times. I never understood exactly how it worked, but I think I was allowed to use the well because I'm the guardian of the Jewel of Four Souls. And I think Inuyasha was allowed through because he had a deep connection to the jewel and to my soul.”
“Okay, more questions,” Shunsui interjected. “What is the Jewel of Four Souls and who is Inuyasha?”
“Inuyasha is a half-demon that I met when I first traveled through time,” Kagome answered with a small smile. “The Jewel of Four Souls is a powerful jewel that was created from the souls of three powerful demons and the soul of one powerful priestess. It will significantly increase the power of whoever holds it—or even just a piece of it—and it can grant any wish.”
Shunsui immediately looked towards Yamamoto. That description rang a little too familiar for the both of them. “And you said that you are this jewel's guardian?” Yamamoto asked seriously. “Then where is it now?”
Kagome was quiet as she placed a hand gently just above her hip. “It's inside my body,” she said. “That's where it was when I was born and that's where it returned when I died. When I first traveled to the past it was torn from my side by a demon. Inuyasha was able to kill that demon, but another eventually took it. While I was trying to get it back I accidentally shattered it, and I guess that's where everything really began,” she trailed off.
When Shunsui opened his mouth again Yamamoto beat him to the punch. “Be quiet and let her say what she needs to say, boy. She will tell us the important details now, and you can satisfy your own curiosity later,” he reprimanded. Looking back at the young woman before him, Yamamoto said, “Continue, Miss Higurashi.”
Nodding, Kagome spoke, “Naraku was once a human bandit. But he was badly injured and for his own reasons decided that he required a stronger body. He offered himself to hundreds of low-level demons and was reborn as a half-demon. From there he continued to seek more power, and the jewel would have been able to grant his wish to become full-demon.” She paused to think about what she would say next. “He was able to change his form at will and used that power to manipulate others. He lies and uses and manipulates everyone around him to get what he wants. In the past he was able control hundreds—maybe thousands—of demons, and had an army at his disposal. I can't even describe some of the horrible, evil things that he did to innocent people,” Kagome said as her voice became angry and her hands fisted into the cloth covering her legs.
Kagome took several breaths to calm herself before speaking again, “In the past, I made friends with several people whom Naraku had wronged. Together we fought against him several times. His goal was always to get the complete jewel into his possession. He is a sadist and evil beyond all imagination. I'm the one who used the jewel to wish him into Hueco Mundo, though I didn't know that's what it was at the time. Even if he didn't have a grudge against me for that, he would still try to come after the jewel. He won't stop until he gets what he wants. He has to be found and destroyed.”
The room was quiet for several minutes after Kagome finished speaking. Shunsui watched Kagome as Yamamoto thought about his answer. He had known that Kagome was special and was going to do great things, but he hadn't realized that she'd been destined for the same thing when she was alive. He was going to have to speak with her later.
“Is there anything else that you think should be known about the half-demon known as Naraku before I make my decision?” Yamamoto asked seriously.
Kagome thought about what she'd already said and finally decided that there was one more thing that she wanted to say. “Naraku is,” her voice caught in her throat. “Naraku is very strong,” she said slowly in a thick voice. “The group that I traveled with was made up of very impressive fighters. In our final battle with Naraku we even had several powerful allies on our side, but he was able to fight us almost single-handedly. He cannot be underestimated.”
“Very well,” Yamamoto said as he nodded his head once. “I believe that I have much to consider in regards to the situation. I will go over the reports and speak with the reconnaissance team's leader again while taking what you've told us into consideration, Miss Higurashi. I will give my decision in no more than one week's time. You are both dismissed.”
Kagome and Shunsui both stood and bowed towards the Captain-Commander before walking from the office. They had walked quietly down several hallways before Shunsui took Kagome's arm and pulled her to a stop. When she turned blue-grey eyes upwards to look at him, he asked, “What happened in there, Kagome?”
“I don't know what you mean,” she said as her brows scrunched together.
“When you were first told that the reconnaissance team didn't find anything,” he clarified. “You were fine one moment, but then you looked absolutely terrified. I know that you told us what we needed to know, but there's more to it than that, isn't there?”
Kagome's thoughts returned to the track they'd been on before Shunsui had brought her away from it, and her chest instantly tightened again. She was determined not to cry in front of him again. Shaking her head, Kagome closed her eyes tight and took deep breaths as she tried to force away the memories of red eyes.
Shunsui watched Kagome carefully. This wasn't a side of her that he was used to. She was usually happy and smiling and strong. Something about this Naraku person was able to shake her deep to her core, and that in itself was unsettling. His eyes caught the movement as one hand rose to rest over her stomach and grip the fabric of her uniform there. Suddenly a question came to mind. It wasn't one that was asked often, if ever, because it usually didn't matter and most didn't remember. But Shunsui pulled Kagome to the side of the hall as he leaned down to ask quietly, “Kagome, how did you die?”
Kagome's eyes flew open and she looked as though she'd been struck. It took a moment but when she eventually took in a breath to answer it caught in her throat and only came out as a broken sound. Her hand immediately flew to her mouth in embarrassment as it had sounded pathetic even to her ears.
Lips pressed into a thin line, Shunsui gently grabbed Kagome's upper arm and pulled her the remaining distance out of the First Division barracks. When he caught Kagome's questioning look all he said was, “We're going somewhere that you can talk about this and get it out of your system.” He didn't think that he could handle seeing Kagome like this for much longer.
As soon as they stepped outside, Shunsui wrapped an arm around Kagome's waist and disappeared.
=====
Juushiro was at his home as opposed to his office under doctor's orders, but was managing to at least get some of his paperwork done. He was seated comfortably at his low table with some warm tea to ease the ache in his throat, and he wasn't particularly surprised when Shunsui slid open his door and stepped inside. He was surprised, however, when Kagome was pulled in by her arm before the door was shut. His friend seemed unusually serious as he pushed the young woman into a seated position on the opposite side of the table before taking a seat on one of the sides between them.
“Hello, Kagome,” Juushiro greeted unsurely. Looking to his long-time friend, he asked, “What in the world is wrong? You both look terrible, and that's coming from someone who's currently on ordered bed rest.” He frowned when his attempt to lighten the mood failed and looked seriously at Shunsui. He hadn't failed to notice that Kagome hadn't looked directly at either of them since she'd sat down.
Shunsui sighed as he removed his hat and placed it on the table. “We just left a meeting with Old Man Yama,” he said. “Kagome came back a day early because she something that she needed to tell us about that Naraku person that the recon team was sent to find.”
“And you decided to come here when you were done?” Juushiro asked tentatively. He could easily tell that something was wrong, but he wasn't going to demand answers just yet.
Shunsui looked over at Kagome who had simply sat quietly. “Kagome became very upset at one point. I have an idea why, but she hasn't told me yet. I do think it would help if she got it off of her chest though,” he said as he glanced back towards the white haired man. “I'm not too proud to admit that you're a better listener than I am. People have always come to you when they needed someone to talk to, so I brought her here.”
Kagome felt foolish. She was a little annoyed at her captain for treating her like a child, but she was more embarrassed that he had brought her to Captain Ukitake's home. She didn't want him to see her weak side. If she was going to cry or be upset, she would much rather do it in the privacy of her own home. “Kagome,” called a gentle voice. She looked up to meet concerned emerald eyes. “No matter what Shunsui says, you don't have to talk about anything that you don't want to talk about. But know that nothing said will ever leave this room,” Juushiro smiled softly at her and she could feel her stomach flip.
“I don't mind,” Kagome said. “I just haven't talked about it since it happened, and honestly I've tried not to even think about it.”
Gathering all of his paperwork and setting it aside, Juushiro turned his full attention to the two sitting at his table. “What haven't you talked about, Kagome?” He asked gently. When she didn't answer after a moment, he turned his attention towards his friend for any amount of help.
Shunsui decided to try a different approach. “Tell us about your life, Kagome. You mentioned traveling with a group of friends in the meeting,” he coaxed.
Kagome brightened a little at the happy memories she had of her friends. “Yeah, they were like a second family to me,” she said as she looked up. “When I first met Inuyasha we hated each other,” she laughed a little at the thought of their first meeting. “But we were pretty much forced to be around one another, and eventually we came to look out for each other.”
“And he was the half-demon, right?” Shunsui prompted.
“Half-demon?” Juushiro asked in surprise. How long had it been since he'd heard anything about demons, much less half-demons?
Shunsui hummed as he grinned lazily. “Kagome here used to lead quite an interesting life. Everything from traveling five hundred years into the past and protecting a magical jewel to fighting an evil half-demon bent on destruction, she lived her own adventure fairytale.”
Juushiro turned wide eyes forward to land on a sheepish Kagome. “Did you really do all of that?” He asked a little awed at the small woman before him.
“That's not even half of it,” she tried to joke as she laughed nervously. Without Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha by her side for support, this was going to be hard to talk about. “The whole story is really long, but I suppose the highlights are that I was the reincarnation of a priestess, I was born with a magic jewel that I was meant to protect inside my body, and then I shattered the jewel and had to travel across Japan to collect all of the pieces,” she said as she counted off points on her fingers. “I traveled with a group of friends. Aside from Inuyasha, there was Shippo. He was a little fox demon, and he was so cute! He liked to play pranks, but he was always so brave even though he was so small.” Kagome smiled wistfully at the memory of the little boy.
“Who else?” Juushiro asked.
“Well,” Kagome thought back, “after Shippo, we met Miroku. He was a monk who had a cursed hand. The curse was originally placed on his grandfather by Naraku, but would be passed down to each son until Naraku was defeated. It was a wind tunnel that could be used as a powerful weapon, but it would eventually kill the owner.” She briefly wondered if the curse disappeared when Naraku did since was technically sent to one of the worlds of the afterlife. Remembering that Inuyasha had said he and Sango had many happy years together, she supposed that it had disappeared. “And then there was Sango,” she said with a smile as she thought of the girl who had become a sister. “She was from a clan of demon slayers. She was so strong and I always looked up to her. She had a little brother who Naraku controlled for a long time. She also had a little two-tailed fire cat named Kirara.”
Kagome sat and told the men many stories about her adventures through the past. She told them about Sesshoumaru and Kouga. She even told them about Kikyo and the rivalry they'd had for Inuyasha's affection. She noticed that Juushiro seemed to smile less at those parts, and she wondered if his illness was bothering him. They had both been very interested when she mentioned that her soul had been taken from her body several times. They laughed when told them about Miroku's behavior towards Sango, and grown quiet when told about the heinous things that Naraku had done to people. But for the most part she enjoyed telling her new friends about her adventures from a previous life.
“Kagome,” Shunsui began after she had simply told them that they had been able to complete the jewel and banish Naraku. “How did you die?” He ignored the glare that Juushiro sent his way. He was aware that it was a fairly rude question to ask—it was one of the many reasons that nobody ever asked it—but he had the feeling that Kagome hadn't completely come to terms with how she died. Until she accepted all of what had happened, she would always be held back.
The tightness returned to Kagome's chest. Thinking about how it felt when Naraku's tentacle impaled her made her hand come to grip at her stomach. “I…” She began softly before breathing deep and letting it out slowly. “It was during the last battle with Naraku,” she finally managed. “Things seemed to be going okay. We hadn't gained much ground, but we hadn't really lost any either. But then…then a space opened between my friends, and it was just enough for,” she paused as her breath hitched slightly and she bit her lip to keep the tears at bay. Trying again, she said, “It was just enough for Naraku—” That time she wasn't able to stop the choked sob that passed her lips. Her hand covered her mouth as she tried to collect herself and wave off the hand that Shunsui reached towards her. He had been right. She needed to say it out loud. If she was going to face Naraku again and not freeze up when she saw him, she needed to get past what he had done to her.
Kagome took a shaky breath before speaking slowly, “Naraku's tentacle impaled my stomach. Then he poisoned me with his miasma.” She closed her eyes as she rubbed her stomach. A phantom ache had appeared as she thought about the moment just before her death. “It hurt so much,” she didn't even care that she was crying anymore. “But I had to do something, so I wished him out of the living world. I was so scared because I knew that I was going to die. Even if he hadn't poisoned me, I wouldn't have survived that injury.”
Shunsui closed his eyes as Kagome stopped talking. She wasn't crying as hard as the day that she had woken up in the hospital, but her quiet cries unsettled him. He watched as Juushiro smoothly stood before walking around the table to kneel at Kagome's side.
Laying an arm across Kagome's shaking shoulders, Juushiro used his other hand to tip Kagome's head up so that she was looking at him. For a moment he was pulled into the same stormy blue eyes that he'd admired that night by the lake, but when he shook himself from his own thoughts, he said, “I've had my share of serious injuries, but I've never died. I can't imagine how terrifying an experience like that must be,” he spoke gently as he watched a tear roll down her cheek before wiping it away with the pad of his thumb. “I've seen souls come here who remember their deaths and are driven mad by it. You must be a very strong person to remember such an event and still be able to smile and laugh and care for others as you do.”
Kagome couldn't think of anything to say. She wasn't crying anymore, but as a few stray tears escaped her eyes Juushiro wiped each one away with a gentle hand. He smiled at her happily when she stopped crying and she felt herself slowly smiling back. Her heart suddenly fluttered in her chest when she realized that one of his fingers lingered on her cheek from brushing away the last tear. Kagome quickly turned her face away and rubbed her eyes with her hands in a hope to hide the blush she could feel heating her cheeks. Still looking away from the white haired man, she asked, “May I use your bathroom to freshen up a little?”
“Certainly,” Juushiro answered. “If you go down that hall, it's the first door on the right,” he said as he pointed her in the right direction.
Shunsui let out a relieved sigh once Kagome had left the room. He was glad that she had finally seemed to start accepting the means of her death. Casting a glance towards his best friend, he smirked and tilted his head up towards the ceiling when he saw that the man's gaze was lingering down the hallway. Shunsui had always been the flirt of the pair, but he was beginning to think that maybe Juushiro had found someone who seriously held his interest.
=====
Kagome had picked Aya up that evening from her lieutenant's care, and the little girl had been ecstatic at Kagome's early return. Lieutenant Ise had reminded her that she had two days to write up and turn in her report to Captain Kyouraku, and Kagome had nodded before taking the squealing girl in her arms home. Since Aya had already eaten supper they enjoyed a bath together before their customary story time followed by bed.
Unable to sleep, Kagome had moved to sit in one of the windows in their small living room as she let her mind wander. It had been such an eventful day, but she finally allowed herself to think back to Inuyasha's parting gesture. She touched her lips as she frowned in confusion. At one time she knew that she would have been overjoyed by the man's kiss.
When he had first kissed her she had been shocked, and she thought that may have been the reason that she hadn't melted into Inuyasha's arms right away. So she had returned the kiss as she thought she should. She had enjoyed the kiss and it had left her a little breathless, but butterflies didn't dance in her stomach for him anymore.
At the thought of butterflies, Kagome blushed again as she thought about Juushiro's lingering touch on her cheek. Her heart fluttered and there was a tickle in the pit of her stomach. As she realized that she was smiling like an idiot she also remembered that those were all feelings that she had associated with Inuyasha at one point.
Kagome's eyes widened a little as a new thought struck her. `Am I falling for someone else? And not just anyone else, but a captain!' Her worried eyes turned skyward, and as she saw the bright moon whose soft white light reminded her of a certain captain's pale skin and hair, her troubled thoughts dissipated. Kagome smiled as she softly admitted to the moon, “Maybe.”
=====
AN: Oh. Em. Gee. So much talking in this chapter! If I'm completely honest, I hate dialogue. If I could write an entire story without a single character saying a word, I totally would. (A future experimental project, maybe?) But there's only so many ways to say `he said/she said' and keep it interesting. I try my best at breaking it up and making it interesting and dynamic to read, but sometimes I think I fail at that…Anyway, this isn't even really new material. For those who remember the original Chapter Nine, you'll notice that this chapter ended on a very similar scene. This chapter is essentially an expansion on what happened during all of that rushed mess I threw down at the end of original Chapter Nine. This is why I stopped new Chapter Nine when I did, because I knew that these scenes would be long as hell. Well, from this point on it's going to be all new material! We are officially caught up with the old story. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, don't forget to tell me what you think, and—as always—thank you for reading!
AN: I know I said that I wouldn't post any new chapters until revisions were done on all of my stories, but I'm bending (not breaking) my rule. My readers are awesome and you've all put up with a lot from me over the years, so I think you deserve some new material. I'm finding a loophole in my `no new stuff' rule in that I chopped off the last scene from Chapter Nine to extend in Chapter Ten. Since that scene is technically `old' material, we'll just say that I'm finishing some revisions on this story. And since I can't just post a whole chapter for a single scene, I'll just have to add some new stuff, right? *wink*
=====
Death Is Only The Beginning
Chapter Ten
As Kagome stepped from the Senkaimon and reentered Soul Society she was greeted by one of the masked members of the Kidou Corps. “Kagome Higurashi,” he addressed. “Captain-Commander Yamamoto has agreed to move up your scheduled meeting and grant you audience today. You are to report to his office immediately.”
Kagome nodded curtly in acknowledgement of the order as she said, “Thank you.” With that, the members of the Kidou Corps disappeared as soon as the Senkaimon was sealed once more, and Kagome took off running as quickly as she could towards the first division. She had to focus on her task. Her mind wanted to return to the moment she had shared with Inuyasha only minutes prior, but she knew that she had more important matters to deal with first. There would be time to reflect later.
Running through the white streets of the Court, Kagome began to regain her bearings. Her power still came to her easier in this environment and she found that her stamina was much greater than it was in the living world. Kagome took a deep breath before using the Shunpo steps that she had been struggling to maintain during the past week. The greater speeds caused her hair to whip behind her and she was reminded of how she felt riding on Inuyasha's back. `Stop it,' she told herself as she focused on her steps once more. `That's for later. Getting to the First Division is the priority right now.'
Kagome made good time and slowed down to a run as she entered the halls of the First Division. Normally she would have been more respectful and walked through the quiet halls, but she may have waited too long for this meeting as it was. Slowing her steps, Kagome finally reached the Captain-Commander's office and saw that the door was already open. She knocked lightly on the open door as she poked her head inside. Yamamoto sat at his desk and her own captain stood to the right of the large desk. `He must have been called here when Urahara let them know that I was coming back early,' she thought as she stepped into the room.
She had been a little nervous about the meeting before her arrival, but when she saw the serious expressions on both men's faces Kagome began to feel a little sick. Yamamoto spoke first. “You've requested to return from your mission early so that we may hold this meeting. What is your reason for this, Miss Higurashi?”
Kagome bowed deeply in respect before she straightened and tried to speak. No sound came from her mouth and she had to swallow thickly before she was able to find her voice again. “Captain-Commander Yamamoto, Captain Kyouraku,” she addressed. “I…I—” Kagome faltered as she realized that she had no idea how to begin. So, at risk of facing consequences for not answering a direct question from a commanding office, Kagome posed her own question. “Sir, has the reconnaissance team returned from Hueco Mundo?”
Both men seemed a little surprised that Kagome hadn't answered the question and Shunsui turned towards his old teacher curious about what the old man would say. “Yes, Miss Higurashi,” Yamamoto answered slowly. “They have returned and reported to me. They found no traces or signs of the individual that you described.”
Kagome felt as though the air had been knocked out of her for a moment. Her mind raced as she went over her past encounters with Naraku and everything she had ever learned about him. A stray memory echoed through her mind as she heard Inuyasha say, “He's damn hard to find if he doesn't want to be found.” She knew that he had been talking about Shippo at the time, but the statement was also true for Naraku.
Taking several quick steps closer to the desk and forgetting about the formality that the situation called for, Kagome held slightly trembling hands out as though pleading for the men to hear her out for a moment. “He doesn't want to be found. If he doesn't want you to know that he's there, you won't know. In the past we would try to track him for weeks and months, but we only ever saw him when he came to us or let us know where he was!” Kagome took a moment to swallow and organize her thoughts before she continued to ramble. She knew that if they did find Naraku it would mean trying to defeat him again, and that thought sent a jolt of fear through her that she hadn't felt in a long time. There were so many sorrowful and terrifying memories attached to just the name that Kagome couldn't imagine seeing his face again.
For the first time, since the possibility of his continued existence had come up, Kagome realized exactly where this road would lead. She would have to face him again, and there would be no wishing him away this time. He would have to be killed—destroyed. Kagome could feel her chest begin to tighten as it became harder to breathe. How was she supposed to face the one who killed her?
Kagome was torn from her thoughts and whipped around when a warm hand gripped her shoulder. She looked into the concerned eyes of her captain and she was able to breathe a little easier.
“Kagome,” Shunsui began. “Are you okay?” He was worried about the young woman. She had appeared calm enough when she had entered the office and acted as professional as always, but things changed quickly when she learned that the reconnaissance team hadn't found anything. There was a small spike in her energy as she seemed to draw into her own thoughts, and she only recovered enough to nervously ramble about someone not wanting to be found. But he decided that things were going too far when Kagome's breathing became shallow and tears started to fall from wide, glazed eyes.
Kagome finally noticed the tears on her cheeks when the moisture began to dry and make her skin itch. She wiped furiously at the small trails with her hands as she tried to nod. “I'm fine,” she managed to say with a deep breath. “Sorry, I'm…I'm not sure what came over me.”
“Why don't you have a seat, Miss Higurashi?” Yamamoto suggested as he motioned to one of the cushions in front of his desk. It was time to get to the bottom of things.
Shunsui ushered the girl over to her seat and then made himself comfortable on a neighboring cushion a couple of feet away. “Now, Kagome,” he said softly to get her attention and keep her calm. “You've told us this man's name, that he is powerful, that you believe he is in Hueco Mundo, and that he may pose a threat to Soul Society. Why don't you tell us about him and how exactly you know him?”
Kagome looked between the two men in the room with her before resting her gaze on her hands resting in her lap. “What does Soul Society know about demons?” She asked quietly. She had been dreading the answer ever since she realized that she had to ask the question.
“We are aware of their existence,” Yamamoto answered. Kagome's head snapped up at the casual tone of voice the Captain-Commander had used. She hadn't been expecting that. “They are a race as equally old as Humans and they die just the same. The only real difference is that in almost all cases, by the time a demon dies their soul is so corrupted that they must be sent to Hell.”
A small bit of hope blossomed in Kagome's chest as she asked, “So if they're not corrupt, you treat them as any other soul?”
Yamamoto nodded once before saying, “But their population had decreased significantly in the last several centuries. It isn't often that we run across demon souls, corrupted or not.”
“Why are you asking about demons, Kagome?” Shunsui asked curiously. It had been a very long time since a recently deceased soul had any knowledge of demons. As far as he knew, only the oldest of shinigami still knew of their existence.
“I had to ask because it has a lot to do with how I know Naraku,” Kagome answered in a stronger voice. If she expected them to take the threat that Naraku posed seriously, she had to make them understand who he was. And acting like a scared little girl wasn't going to help. “It's a very long story, and a lot of it won't have much bearing in explaining who Naraku is so I'll give you an abridged version. But before I start, I have to make one thing clear. I promise that everything that I tell you is absolutely true, no matter how absurd it sounds.”
Yamamoto exchanged a look with his former student. Shunsui seemed to have much confidence in the young woman, and he had always acknowledged the younger man's remarkable ability in judging a persons character. Bracing himself for what he may hear, Yamamoto said, “Then please continue.”
Kagome took a deep breath before speaking. “When I was alive in modern day Tokyo, I was able to travel five hundred years into the past. That's where I learned that demons were real, and it was where I met Naraku.”
“Taking you at your word,” Shunsui spoke as he tried to believe what they were being told, “how did you manage to travel through time?”
Looking at her captain, Kagome answered, “My family runs a Shinto shrine. On the grounds there was an old dry well and it was sort of the gateway between times. I never understood exactly how it worked, but I think I was allowed to use the well because I'm the guardian of the Jewel of Four Souls. And I think Inuyasha was allowed through because he had a deep connection to the jewel and to my soul.”
“Okay, more questions,” Shunsui interjected. “What is the Jewel of Four Souls and who is Inuyasha?”
“Inuyasha is a half-demon that I met when I first traveled through time,” Kagome answered with a small smile. “The Jewel of Four Souls is a powerful jewel that was created from the souls of three powerful demons and the soul of one powerful priestess. It will significantly increase the power of whoever holds it—or even just a piece of it—and it can grant any wish.”
Shunsui immediately looked towards Yamamoto. That description rang a little too familiar for the both of them. “And you said that you are this jewel's guardian?” Yamamoto asked seriously. “Then where is it now?”
Kagome was quiet as she placed a hand gently just above her hip. “It's inside my body,” she said. “That's where it was when I was born and that's where it returned when I died. When I first traveled to the past it was torn from my side by a demon. Inuyasha was able to kill that demon, but another eventually took it. While I was trying to get it back I accidentally shattered it, and I guess that's where everything really began,” she trailed off.
When Shunsui opened his mouth again Yamamoto beat him to the punch. “Be quiet and let her say what she needs to say, boy. She will tell us the important details now, and you can satisfy your own curiosity later,” he reprimanded. Looking back at the young woman before him, Yamamoto said, “Continue, Miss Higurashi.”
Nodding, Kagome spoke, “Naraku was once a human bandit. But he was badly injured and for his own reasons decided that he required a stronger body. He offered himself to hundreds of low-level demons and was reborn as a half-demon. From there he continued to seek more power, and the jewel would have been able to grant his wish to become full-demon.” She paused to think about what she would say next. “He was able to change his form at will and used that power to manipulate others. He lies and uses and manipulates everyone around him to get what he wants. In the past he was able control hundreds—maybe thousands—of demons, and had an army at his disposal. I can't even describe some of the horrible, evil things that he did to innocent people,” Kagome said as her voice became angry and her hands fisted into the cloth covering her legs.
Kagome took several breaths to calm herself before speaking again, “In the past, I made friends with several people whom Naraku had wronged. Together we fought against him several times. His goal was always to get the complete jewel into his possession. He is a sadist and evil beyond all imagination. I'm the one who used the jewel to wish him into Hueco Mundo, though I didn't know that's what it was at the time. Even if he didn't have a grudge against me for that, he would still try to come after the jewel. He won't stop until he gets what he wants. He has to be found and destroyed.”
The room was quiet for several minutes after Kagome finished speaking. Shunsui watched Kagome as Yamamoto thought about his answer. He had known that Kagome was special and was going to do great things, but he hadn't realized that she'd been destined for the same thing when she was alive. He was going to have to speak with her later.
“Is there anything else that you think should be known about the half-demon known as Naraku before I make my decision?” Yamamoto asked seriously.
Kagome thought about what she'd already said and finally decided that there was one more thing that she wanted to say. “Naraku is,” her voice caught in her throat. “Naraku is very strong,” she said slowly in a thick voice. “The group that I traveled with was made up of very impressive fighters. In our final battle with Naraku we even had several powerful allies on our side, but he was able to fight us almost single-handedly. He cannot be underestimated.”
“Very well,” Yamamoto said as he nodded his head once. “I believe that I have much to consider in regards to the situation. I will go over the reports and speak with the reconnaissance team's leader again while taking what you've told us into consideration, Miss Higurashi. I will give my decision in no more than one week's time. You are both dismissed.”
Kagome and Shunsui both stood and bowed towards the Captain-Commander before walking from the office. They had walked quietly down several hallways before Shunsui took Kagome's arm and pulled her to a stop. When she turned blue-grey eyes upwards to look at him, he asked, “What happened in there, Kagome?”
“I don't know what you mean,” she said as her brows scrunched together.
“When you were first told that the reconnaissance team didn't find anything,” he clarified. “You were fine one moment, but then you looked absolutely terrified. I know that you told us what we needed to know, but there's more to it than that, isn't there?”
Kagome's thoughts returned to the track they'd been on before Shunsui had brought her away from it, and her chest instantly tightened again. She was determined not to cry in front of him again. Shaking her head, Kagome closed her eyes tight and took deep breaths as she tried to force away the memories of red eyes.
Shunsui watched Kagome carefully. This wasn't a side of her that he was used to. She was usually happy and smiling and strong. Something about this Naraku person was able to shake her deep to her core, and that in itself was unsettling. His eyes caught the movement as one hand rose to rest over her stomach and grip the fabric of her uniform there. Suddenly a question came to mind. It wasn't one that was asked often, if ever, because it usually didn't matter and most didn't remember. But Shunsui pulled Kagome to the side of the hall as he leaned down to ask quietly, “Kagome, how did you die?”
Kagome's eyes flew open and she looked as though she'd been struck. It took a moment but when she eventually took in a breath to answer it caught in her throat and only came out as a broken sound. Her hand immediately flew to her mouth in embarrassment as it had sounded pathetic even to her ears.
Lips pressed into a thin line, Shunsui gently grabbed Kagome's upper arm and pulled her the remaining distance out of the First Division barracks. When he caught Kagome's questioning look all he said was, “We're going somewhere that you can talk about this and get it out of your system.” He didn't think that he could handle seeing Kagome like this for much longer.
As soon as they stepped outside, Shunsui wrapped an arm around Kagome's waist and disappeared.
=====
Juushiro was at his home as opposed to his office under doctor's orders, but was managing to at least get some of his paperwork done. He was seated comfortably at his low table with some warm tea to ease the ache in his throat, and he wasn't particularly surprised when Shunsui slid open his door and stepped inside. He was surprised, however, when Kagome was pulled in by her arm before the door was shut. His friend seemed unusually serious as he pushed the young woman into a seated position on the opposite side of the table before taking a seat on one of the sides between them.
“Hello, Kagome,” Juushiro greeted unsurely. Looking to his long-time friend, he asked, “What in the world is wrong? You both look terrible, and that's coming from someone who's currently on ordered bed rest.” He frowned when his attempt to lighten the mood failed and looked seriously at Shunsui. He hadn't failed to notice that Kagome hadn't looked directly at either of them since she'd sat down.
Shunsui sighed as he removed his hat and placed it on the table. “We just left a meeting with Old Man Yama,” he said. “Kagome came back a day early because she something that she needed to tell us about that Naraku person that the recon team was sent to find.”
“And you decided to come here when you were done?” Juushiro asked tentatively. He could easily tell that something was wrong, but he wasn't going to demand answers just yet.
Shunsui looked over at Kagome who had simply sat quietly. “Kagome became very upset at one point. I have an idea why, but she hasn't told me yet. I do think it would help if she got it off of her chest though,” he said as he glanced back towards the white haired man. “I'm not too proud to admit that you're a better listener than I am. People have always come to you when they needed someone to talk to, so I brought her here.”
Kagome felt foolish. She was a little annoyed at her captain for treating her like a child, but she was more embarrassed that he had brought her to Captain Ukitake's home. She didn't want him to see her weak side. If she was going to cry or be upset, she would much rather do it in the privacy of her own home. “Kagome,” called a gentle voice. She looked up to meet concerned emerald eyes. “No matter what Shunsui says, you don't have to talk about anything that you don't want to talk about. But know that nothing said will ever leave this room,” Juushiro smiled softly at her and she could feel her stomach flip.
“I don't mind,” Kagome said. “I just haven't talked about it since it happened, and honestly I've tried not to even think about it.”
Gathering all of his paperwork and setting it aside, Juushiro turned his full attention to the two sitting at his table. “What haven't you talked about, Kagome?” He asked gently. When she didn't answer after a moment, he turned his attention towards his friend for any amount of help.
Shunsui decided to try a different approach. “Tell us about your life, Kagome. You mentioned traveling with a group of friends in the meeting,” he coaxed.
Kagome brightened a little at the happy memories she had of her friends. “Yeah, they were like a second family to me,” she said as she looked up. “When I first met Inuyasha we hated each other,” she laughed a little at the thought of their first meeting. “But we were pretty much forced to be around one another, and eventually we came to look out for each other.”
“And he was the half-demon, right?” Shunsui prompted.
“Half-demon?” Juushiro asked in surprise. How long had it been since he'd heard anything about demons, much less half-demons?
Shunsui hummed as he grinned lazily. “Kagome here used to lead quite an interesting life. Everything from traveling five hundred years into the past and protecting a magical jewel to fighting an evil half-demon bent on destruction, she lived her own adventure fairytale.”
Juushiro turned wide eyes forward to land on a sheepish Kagome. “Did you really do all of that?” He asked a little awed at the small woman before him.
“That's not even half of it,” she tried to joke as she laughed nervously. Without Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha by her side for support, this was going to be hard to talk about. “The whole story is really long, but I suppose the highlights are that I was the reincarnation of a priestess, I was born with a magic jewel that I was meant to protect inside my body, and then I shattered the jewel and had to travel across Japan to collect all of the pieces,” she said as she counted off points on her fingers. “I traveled with a group of friends. Aside from Inuyasha, there was Shippo. He was a little fox demon, and he was so cute! He liked to play pranks, but he was always so brave even though he was so small.” Kagome smiled wistfully at the memory of the little boy.
“Who else?” Juushiro asked.
“Well,” Kagome thought back, “after Shippo, we met Miroku. He was a monk who had a cursed hand. The curse was originally placed on his grandfather by Naraku, but would be passed down to each son until Naraku was defeated. It was a wind tunnel that could be used as a powerful weapon, but it would eventually kill the owner.” She briefly wondered if the curse disappeared when Naraku did since was technically sent to one of the worlds of the afterlife. Remembering that Inuyasha had said he and Sango had many happy years together, she supposed that it had disappeared. “And then there was Sango,” she said with a smile as she thought of the girl who had become a sister. “She was from a clan of demon slayers. She was so strong and I always looked up to her. She had a little brother who Naraku controlled for a long time. She also had a little two-tailed fire cat named Kirara.”
Kagome sat and told the men many stories about her adventures through the past. She told them about Sesshoumaru and Kouga. She even told them about Kikyo and the rivalry they'd had for Inuyasha's affection. She noticed that Juushiro seemed to smile less at those parts, and she wondered if his illness was bothering him. They had both been very interested when she mentioned that her soul had been taken from her body several times. They laughed when told them about Miroku's behavior towards Sango, and grown quiet when told about the heinous things that Naraku had done to people. But for the most part she enjoyed telling her new friends about her adventures from a previous life.
“Kagome,” Shunsui began after she had simply told them that they had been able to complete the jewel and banish Naraku. “How did you die?” He ignored the glare that Juushiro sent his way. He was aware that it was a fairly rude question to ask—it was one of the many reasons that nobody ever asked it—but he had the feeling that Kagome hadn't completely come to terms with how she died. Until she accepted all of what had happened, she would always be held back.
The tightness returned to Kagome's chest. Thinking about how it felt when Naraku's tentacle impaled her made her hand come to grip at her stomach. “I…” She began softly before breathing deep and letting it out slowly. “It was during the last battle with Naraku,” she finally managed. “Things seemed to be going okay. We hadn't gained much ground, but we hadn't really lost any either. But then…then a space opened between my friends, and it was just enough for,” she paused as her breath hitched slightly and she bit her lip to keep the tears at bay. Trying again, she said, “It was just enough for Naraku—” That time she wasn't able to stop the choked sob that passed her lips. Her hand covered her mouth as she tried to collect herself and wave off the hand that Shunsui reached towards her. He had been right. She needed to say it out loud. If she was going to face Naraku again and not freeze up when she saw him, she needed to get past what he had done to her.
Kagome took a shaky breath before speaking slowly, “Naraku's tentacle impaled my stomach. Then he poisoned me with his miasma.” She closed her eyes as she rubbed her stomach. A phantom ache had appeared as she thought about the moment just before her death. “It hurt so much,” she didn't even care that she was crying anymore. “But I had to do something, so I wished him out of the living world. I was so scared because I knew that I was going to die. Even if he hadn't poisoned me, I wouldn't have survived that injury.”
Shunsui closed his eyes as Kagome stopped talking. She wasn't crying as hard as the day that she had woken up in the hospital, but her quiet cries unsettled him. He watched as Juushiro smoothly stood before walking around the table to kneel at Kagome's side.
Laying an arm across Kagome's shaking shoulders, Juushiro used his other hand to tip Kagome's head up so that she was looking at him. For a moment he was pulled into the same stormy blue eyes that he'd admired that night by the lake, but when he shook himself from his own thoughts, he said, “I've had my share of serious injuries, but I've never died. I can't imagine how terrifying an experience like that must be,” he spoke gently as he watched a tear roll down her cheek before wiping it away with the pad of his thumb. “I've seen souls come here who remember their deaths and are driven mad by it. You must be a very strong person to remember such an event and still be able to smile and laugh and care for others as you do.”
Kagome couldn't think of anything to say. She wasn't crying anymore, but as a few stray tears escaped her eyes Juushiro wiped each one away with a gentle hand. He smiled at her happily when she stopped crying and she felt herself slowly smiling back. Her heart suddenly fluttered in her chest when she realized that one of his fingers lingered on her cheek from brushing away the last tear. Kagome quickly turned her face away and rubbed her eyes with her hands in a hope to hide the blush she could feel heating her cheeks. Still looking away from the white haired man, she asked, “May I use your bathroom to freshen up a little?”
“Certainly,” Juushiro answered. “If you go down that hall, it's the first door on the right,” he said as he pointed her in the right direction.
Shunsui let out a relieved sigh once Kagome had left the room. He was glad that she had finally seemed to start accepting the means of her death. Casting a glance towards his best friend, he smirked and tilted his head up towards the ceiling when he saw that the man's gaze was lingering down the hallway. Shunsui had always been the flirt of the pair, but he was beginning to think that maybe Juushiro had found someone who seriously held his interest.
=====
Kagome had picked Aya up that evening from her lieutenant's care, and the little girl had been ecstatic at Kagome's early return. Lieutenant Ise had reminded her that she had two days to write up and turn in her report to Captain Kyouraku, and Kagome had nodded before taking the squealing girl in her arms home. Since Aya had already eaten supper they enjoyed a bath together before their customary story time followed by bed.
Unable to sleep, Kagome had moved to sit in one of the windows in their small living room as she let her mind wander. It had been such an eventful day, but she finally allowed herself to think back to Inuyasha's parting gesture. She touched her lips as she frowned in confusion. At one time she knew that she would have been overjoyed by the man's kiss.
When he had first kissed her she had been shocked, and she thought that may have been the reason that she hadn't melted into Inuyasha's arms right away. So she had returned the kiss as she thought she should. She had enjoyed the kiss and it had left her a little breathless, but butterflies didn't dance in her stomach for him anymore.
At the thought of butterflies, Kagome blushed again as she thought about Juushiro's lingering touch on her cheek. Her heart fluttered and there was a tickle in the pit of her stomach. As she realized that she was smiling like an idiot she also remembered that those were all feelings that she had associated with Inuyasha at one point.
Kagome's eyes widened a little as a new thought struck her. `Am I falling for someone else? And not just anyone else, but a captain!' Her worried eyes turned skyward, and as she saw the bright moon whose soft white light reminded her of a certain captain's pale skin and hair, her troubled thoughts dissipated. Kagome smiled as she softly admitted to the moon, “Maybe.”
=====
AN: Oh. Em. Gee. So much talking in this chapter! If I'm completely honest, I hate dialogue. If I could write an entire story without a single character saying a word, I totally would. (A future experimental project, maybe?) But there's only so many ways to say `he said/she said' and keep it interesting. I try my best at breaking it up and making it interesting and dynamic to read, but sometimes I think I fail at that…Anyway, this isn't even really new material. For those who remember the original Chapter Nine, you'll notice that this chapter ended on a very similar scene. This chapter is essentially an expansion on what happened during all of that rushed mess I threw down at the end of original Chapter Nine. This is why I stopped new Chapter Nine when I did, because I knew that these scenes would be long as hell. Well, from this point on it's going to be all new material! We are officially caught up with the old story. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, don't forget to tell me what you think, and—as always—thank you for reading!