InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ A Matter of the Soul ❯ Chapter 1

 

Well… I wrote this chapter before the prologue, so if it seems a little introduction like… I apologize.

 

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inu Yasha or Yu Yu Hakusho.

 

A Matter of the Soul

 

Chapter 1

 

It had been three months since the completion of the jewel and over two years since Kagome had fallen through the well. Every thing had changed so much over such a short time. Currently everyone sat around the camp, discussing the future. Everyone, included, Kagome, Kikyo, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, Sesshomaru, Rin, Kouga, Kagura, and Kanna. An odd group it was. Many former enemies, now unbreakable allies.

 

While they were celebrating Naraku's defeat and the completion of the jewel, which now hung loosely around Kagome's neck, many were also mourning. Sango had lost the last of her family. Kohaku's shard had been removed by Naraku, leaving him a lifeless shell. Kouga had lost his entire pack to Naraku. He was the only survivor of the gruesome battle for his shards. After taking his shards, Naraku left Kouga with the mental anguish of believing he had failed his pack as a leader. Having sensed Naraku's jaki, Inuyasha and group had wondered upon the battleground. Kagome and Kikyo had rushed to Kouga's side. They had worked together in healing the near dead ookami prince. It had taken a short while for him to regain consciousness. Most of his physical wounds were perfectly healed, but he would carry psychological scars for a long time. The rest of the group tried to be supportive of him, even Sesshomaru in his own way. Kouga was just finally returning to his normal self, even after Naraku's defeat. He had latched on to most of the group's members. They were his family now, his pack. Kagome, Kikyo, and Sango were his sisters. Miroku and Inuyasha his brothers. Rin, Shippo, and Kanna, now complete with her soul, were the pups of the pack. He had even built a bond with Sesshomaru and Kagura.

 

The biggest misunderstanding of the group had to do with the two mikos. Kagome, as it turned out was not Kikyo's reincarnation. Kagome's soul is original and her own, just as Kikyo's was, and once again is. While it was true that a piece of Kagome's soul was used to animate Kikyo's clay body, the soul did not belong there. This was the reason Kikyo had to constantly gather the souls of dead women. Many of the souls Kikyo gathered were evil or tainted souls. This warped her outlook on life, darkened her perspective, and made her loose touch with all emotions except for sadness and hatred. The witch had jumped to conclusions in saying that the soul had been reincarnated. The soul had not been unable to return to the body, it had refused to return. Kikyo's soul had resisted the witch's evil call. Kagome's soul had been the glue holding the rest of the souls to Kikyo. When Kagome's soul returned to her body, the rest of the souls fled the clay body also. Kagome called out to Kikyo's true soul and it answered. Combining their pure magic, they permanently bound the soul to the body. What was once cold, dead, and clay, is now warm, living, flesh and blood. Kikyo was a human woman again, but without the burden of the jewel this time. For this, Kikyo felt guilty. She refused to force Kagome to carry the burden alone and promised to stay with her and help her however she could.

 

A strong, sisterly bond formed between the women of the group. Kagome, with Kikyo's help, returned Kagura's heart to her body and also freed Kanna's soul from Naraku and returned it to her body. Both girls were eternally grateful. They had no where to go, due to being spawn of Naraku, they were unwelcome in most places. Kagome offered them to stay with their group, since everyone else was as well. Shippo and Rin showed Kanna how to be a child. Her eyes were no longer empty and now held a child like shine, turning them a beautiful shade of silver.

 

Sango lost her family, but gained another. Kikyo and Kagome were the ones who were eternally caring and always understanding. Kagura, while not publicly open about her emotions, was a warrior like Sango and they found they could relate to each other well. They were her sisters. They shared everything and trusted each other with their lives. Though she had once seen love in Miroku, it had faded over time. Inuyasha was still rough around the edges, but a teddy bear inside. The kids, who couldn't love them?

 

Inuyasha knew that he had lost both Kagome and Kikyo with his indecision to pick between them. It was still a shock to know that they weren't the same. Though, he had always had the feeling that they weren't. He still loved them, both of them, but refused to hurt them further. They would always have a special place in his heart that no one could take. Inuyasha and his half brother finally made amends, for the most part. Although, Sesshomaru had held a grudge over his missing arm until Kagome & Kikyo restored it. The brothers even acknowledged each other as family now.

 

One of their biggest fears now was that they would be separated. That is what they sat discussing, night after night. They knew with the jewel complete, the well would only allow passage once more. Kagome couldn't remain in Sengoku Jidai forever. It has already been three months, she was sure her family would be thinking the worst. She would have to leave them, and if she left, it would be permanent. It was Kagome who initially brought them all together in the first place. She had woken Inuyasha, offered Miroku and Sango to join them, revived Kikyo, and with out her, they would all still be dead. They couldn't send her to her era to be alone.

 

It was night and almost everyone had lay down to rest. Kagome sat with her back to a large tree. Shippo was in her lap, Rin on one side, and Kanna on the other side. Kagome had her arms around the girls. A large blanket was pulled up over them to protect them from night chills. Kanna was the only child awake. Her voice was a whisper, but Kagome still heard it.

 

“Kagome… I don't want you to leave… who will take care of us?”

 

It was true, while Kagome was a sister to everyone in the group, she was a mother figure to the children. She fed them meals, bathed them, told them stories, sang them lullabies, and basically took care of them. It was obvious to all in the group how protective Kagome was of the children and vice versa. Kagome could feel the tears that she refused to let fall.

 

“I know Kanna… I don't want to go.” Her voice caught in her throat as she continued, “If I could just take you all with me, I would. Believe me, I would.”

 

Kanna snuggled closer to Kagome's side, trying to comfort her. “Why can't you? Maybe Kikyo will know how to make it work…”

 

Kagome stroked her silver hair affectionately. “Shh… go to sleep for now. We'll talk to Kikyo in the morning, ok?”

 

Kanna nodded before drifting off to sleep. Kagome was deep in thought. She hadn't talked to Kikyo about seeing if others could go through the well with her. True, everyone knew about the well, but would anyone want to go with her, into a whole new world and leave everything they've ever known. `Probably not.'

 

Not only that, but she was still unsure about her deal with Naraku. It was true his soul was inside her body. She could feel it, even now. It had been sleeping ever since she awoke the day after to find her friends caring for her injuries, asking so many questions. No one said anything, but she knew they felt guilty for forcing another burden on her. So far, he hadn't been any trouble at all, but who knew how long it would last. Would he sleep forever?

 

|No, that'd be stupid…| said a dark voice through a yawn.

 

 

~*~*~*~

 

Rewritten. Only minor change.