InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ A Matter of the Soul ❯ Chapter 4

Warnings: Possible OOC, lemon and or lime in future, language, violence, alcohol, and who knows what else. But I thought I'd warn ya just to be safe.

 

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

 

 

A Matter of the Soul

 

Chapter 4

 

A shrill scream woke Kagome from her nap. At first, her mind was groggy, but it cleared rapidly. Blinking sleep from her eyes, she focused on the digital clock on her nightstand. 3:45. She could feel Naraku at the back of her mind, happy as a cat that got the cream. What was his problem?

 

Another wild shriek broke Kagome from her musings. She realized she was alone in her room. Physically, anyway. Speaking of. She hurried to where the yelling was coming from.

 

+ Did you know they were out wandering the house? + She asked tightly.

 

| It is a possibility… | She could feel the smirk in his words. God, she wanted to smack him.

 

+ Did you or did you not? Very simple. Yes or freaking no. +

 

| Then yes. |

 

+ Could you have not woken me up or something? I mean they're all out in a world they know nothing of, wearing clothes from 500 years ago. I mean, someone could call the police on them or something. Do you even know what that could mean? + `Damn youkai, always making things difficult…'

 

| I heard that… and yes, I do know what that would mean. I have sorted through your memories, learning about this era. A very… interesting place indeed. | There was a slight pause, as of he were thinking hard on something. |Honestly… I am not sure if I could have woken you or not. I can't physically touch you. I could scream perhaps. It is… strange. I can look through your memories. Remember thing I had never experienced. I can feel youremotions, as if they were mine, though I know they are not. |

 

She stopped at the top of the steps at his little admission. + You can feel my emotions…? +

 

| In a way yes, but my own are still at the front. I can differentiate between the two. They do not merge, if that is what you were thinking. |

 

She hurried down the steps. + No… no… that's not what I meant… I was just surprised. I mean, I can't feel your emotions. Just your… presence. Well, no, I did feel something earlier. +

 

| I shield my emotion and private thoughts. Before me, you had your mind to yourself. It's like someone who thinks aloud often because they're not use to being around people and aren't use to thinking mentally. Before, you could think anything you wanted inside your head and no one else could hear. I had to share a body before, remember? It was very different in the fact that this is one body, but same in the fact that it has more than one soul. I learned how to shield. It sort of separates the mind. Kind of like having separate rooms. You can still hear loud thoughts, like we are doing now, but allows for personal thought as well. The same goes for emotions. Stronger emotions can be felt, but you could hide the rest. I could teach you if it would make it easier to deal with this. It's really not that hard, just a little pr- WATCH OUT! |

 

Kagome had been so tuned into him that she wasn't paying attention to the outside world as she'd been making her way down the second flight of stairs into the basement. She began to fall forward, having missed a step, and felt a surge of youki <AN: a youkai's energy> go through her. She felt her own muscles bunch in ways they never had before and deftly twisted in midair to land poised at the bottom of the steps.

 

The shouting had stopped. All eyes were watching her, stunned. She knew she shouldn't have been able to see any of them across the room, especially with such little light, but she could. Clearly, in fact.

 

| You apparently have access to my powers. Why your miko powers are not affected, I do not know. |

 

Shaking it off for later evaluation, she looked over the situation. “What is going on down here?” She all but demanded.

 

A body collided into her. It was easily a few inches taller than her own 5'3, yet by some miracle she didn't fall; she didn't even loose ground. The body was now clinging to her like a lifeline, head on her shoulder full of thick black hair. He was saying something.

 

“Kagome… Kagome… they had said you might be dead… they really thought… I knew you weren't. You couldn't be. Not you. I'm so glad you're home!”

 

She pulled back from the hug to look into the face of a young man. The face had aged a bit, but the eyes were familiarly brown. She hugged him. “I'm sorry, Souta. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry.” He finally stepped back and turned to look at the other inhabitants of the room. A pair of green eyes caught and reflected the light along with a set of pure silver eyes. Behind Shippo and Kanna, was Rin clutched tightly to Kirara. But in front of them was Kouga and Sango.

 

“Where're the others?”

 

Sango, keeping a close eye on Souta, answered. “Inuyasha was showing Miroku the bathroom thing again…”

 

That perked Souta up. “Inuyasha's here too?”

 

`Some things never changed.' Kagome laughed at her little brother silently while nodding. “Everybody come up to the living room. Souta, is Mom & Gramps home yet?”

 

He shook his head.

 

Kagome smiled relieved, “Good, come on everyone.”

 

Kanna, Rin, and Shippo ran to Kagome. Again drawing from Naraku's strength, she lifted both Shippo and Rin. Kanna walked ahead of her up the stairs. After Kagome, was Souta, with Sango and Kouga taking up the rear. Upstairs, Inuyasha and Miroku came out of the bathroom arguing about the bathtub. Kikyo had been outside looking over the shrine, but was just coming in the door.

 

“If Kagome finds out what you did, I doubt she is going to be happy, Inuyasha.” Miroku cast him a disapproving glance, before noticing the others. “Why, Kagome. You're awake. And this young man is?”

 

Kagome gave the monk a dry look that says she isn't fooled. “Don't change the subject on me Miroku. What did Inu do?”

 

Inuyasha had shrunk back. “He ah… relieved himself in your bathtub…”

 

Kagome blanched for a moment. She could hear Naraku's uncontrolled laughter filling her head. She decided, at that moment, she was going to have to invest in a big bottle of tylenol.

 

“Inuyasha… I can not believe you…” She sighed. She didn't have time for this. “Just go wash it out. Scrub brush is under the sink. You know how.” Realizing he wasn't going to be sat, he hurried back into the bathroom. The rest made themselves comfortable on the couches or floor.

 

Kagome cleared her throat. “Okay, everybody. This is Souta, my little brother. Souta, this is Sango, Kouga, Shippo, Rin, Kanna, Kirara, Kikyo, and Miroku. And you know how you always said you wished Inu could stay here in our time… well, they all are.”

 

Souta's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open slightly. “All… of them?”

 

Suddenly, the front door opened, and an elderly man walked through, followed by a petite woman. Their backs were turned to the occupants as they hung their coats on the wall. What month was it? Kagome had to wonder. It had been pretty chilly outside. Maybe fifty something degrees. <AN: that's Fahrenheit btw> So it had to be fall.

 

“Souta, I know you don't want to hear about this, but we found a grave marker. We think you should come and take a look.”

 

Kagome had never heard her mother sound so… tired before. She sounded completely exhausted. Like someone had just taken the life right out of her. “Momma?” Kagome said softly.

 

Both figures froze in place then slowly turned to look at her. Their faces were taught and pale. Their wide eyes slowly began to fill with tears. They both stood there, crying, watching her like she was a ghost about to disappear. Her mother finally reached a hand out to her. She took careful steps as if she were walking on ice. “K- Kagome…”

 

Finally she was a foot from her and she launched her self into the girl, holding her tight, sobbing. “Kagome… Kagome… oh… my baby is home! Please stay, don't ever leave me again. We really thought… I'm such a horrible mother… I can't believe I actually began to think you were really gone.”

 

Kagome shushed her mother, holding onto her. No tears escaped, though they were trying. “Shh… Momma… It's okay. I'm home now. Don't say that. You're the best mother any one could ever hope for. Please stop crying… I promise, I'm staying. It's finished. All of it. We're not going back…”

 

As if an invisible button was pressed, the woman stopped crying and looked behind Kagome at the strangers in her house. “Who are your… guests?”

 

Kagome was watching her grandfather carefully. He could sense youkai, maybe not purify them, but he could sense them. Would he know she was part youkai now? Would he still love her? He had always said that youkai were evil, no matter what. He had never really warmed up to Inuyasha, not completely. But that really wasn't decent proof of his opinion on youkai. Inuyasha was often rather irritating. Her grandfather was staring at her. A slight frown on his face and in his eyes Kagome could see deep concentration. Finally, his features settled on confusion and relief.

 

He joined the family and hugged her. Finally holding either side of her, he said, “Kagome do not get me wrong. I am terribly happy that you are with us again and safe. But, it has come to my attention that you are possessed. I can tell it is you who I speak to at this moment and that your soul is in no danger from this demonic spirit. How did this come to be?”

 

Everyone was staring at them now. Sighing, happy that he wasn't going to disown her or anything extreme like that, she told them to sit and began to explain everything from how she has Naraku's soul in her body to what she recently learned about being able to tap into his power. She left out the talking to him in her mind, the fact that he had bribed her in the first place, and a few other details. If she was going to live with them all, she didn't want everyone thinking Naraku was completely evil. No need to scare them with things they didn't need to know. Her mother and grandfather had surprisingly not minded all the extra company, after Kagome had assured them it wouldn't be permanent. Her mother had scooped the children up and into the kitchen, probably giving them sweets before dinner. Her grandfather still loved her and was even very fond of Shippo and Kanna, not so much of Inu and Kouga though. Bouyo had found Kirara and was currently stalking her… kitten love. Kikyo and her grandfather had really hit it off. They were comparing knowledge, discussing historical artifacts, and other such holy relevance. Kouga & Inuyasha were having a metaphorical pissing match, already. Probably establishing dominance, or some other kind of youkai territorial bullshit. She sat with Souta on the couch.

 

“So what really happened? With Naraku in the final battle?” Souta asked, not looking at her.

 

“Souta… I don't think we should really talk about this. It's over and dead, so why can't we just let it lie.”

 

He looked at her, brown eyes hard, daring her to lie to him. “Kagome, I am sixteen years old. I'm not a child anymore. Don't lie to protect me. I wont `thank you later' for it.”

 

Giving the jewel a gentle squeeze, Kagome sighed and spoke softly, quietly. “He killed them, all of them. Even Sesshomaru and Kagura.”

 

He opened his mouth to say something, but she didn't want the others to hear. It would be like rubbing salt in the wound and she just wanted it to heal and be forgotten. “Souta, I bargained for their souls. If he put their souls back, I would let his soul live in my body with mine. He couldn't restore his body because I had broken it down, demon by demon. There was nothing left for him to restore. Do you understand? The soul in my body, right now, had a hand in killing every single one of my friends. Even innocent children.”

 

He just stared at her, mulling over every word. “You gave up your body to save their lives? That's… wow… I wish I had someone like that, who would do that for me.”

 

She smiled and pulled him against her. “I would do that for you.”

 

He smiled and leaned against her. “I'm glad you're home.”

 

 

~*~*~*~

 

Rewritten. Minor change.