InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Beast ❯ Awakening ( Chapter 11 )

Disclaimer: I owneth none of these characters. Pity. Eth. Yeah.

A/N: How much do I like you people? My family just went to go see Troy, and I elected to stay home and write. (The facts that it's 103 degrees outside, I need to shower and I was in the middle of a tournament in Star Ocean as they left had nothing to do with it. ;D) And another weird fact I wanna pass along: my friend went to Anime North or some con or another recently and saw Richard Cox - that's Inuyasha's English voice actor - and said he was an absolute nutcase. People would try to ask him questions and he'd interrupt by going "Hi!" constantly. Odd, ne? I guess it was a fangirl defense mechanism. Just thought I'd share that. Time to switch gears, though...the chapter's starting...

Beast

Chapter 11

Pain.

That was the next thing Kagome was aware of. Searing, jagged lines down her side, on her arms, down one leg, the side of her face. She tried to force her eyes open, but even as her lids fluttered weakly, colors began to awaken in foggy lines across her vision.

Hurts...can't move...Limbs dead and eyes still closed, Kagome waited, trembling, till the colors and shapes resolved themselves into cohesive forms. It was very dark - she seemed to be outside - but in the light from the half-full moon, she could see a demon lying in huge pieces on the red- soaked ground; the other was a person standing over her, also stained red.

Blood...all over? As she focused, she saw that she was both right and wrong: the person was clothed in red, but those red clothes themselves were patterned thickly with blood. Her blood.

She tried to shut her eyes, but her lids merely squeezed tighter as the vision continued undisturbed. Her neck hurt too much to look into the person's face...she didn't want to look into that face and make it real...and though the world was deafeningly silent, she could almost feel that person's voice, bitter and mocking and familiar, and the deep, stabbing pain in her chest made her physical wounds seem like less than nothing.

Her eyes closed in earnest, but the respite was brief. A moment later, through her haze of grief and anger, she dully felt another presence in the vicinity, a large demon. Its youki gave out after a few moments of fighting - again, she heard nothing, but felt pressure on her ears that almost mimicked sound - and she opened her eyes again as those red-clad legs came back into the picture, which was growing less clear by the moment despite her best efforts.

The sound of his voice felt different this time, and the world pitched slightly and her wounds screamed as strong, crimson-soaked arms drew her up into an agonizing embrace. She found herself looking directly into blood- red eyes, red-spattered white hair hanging over both their faces as he crushed her to him. Her own voice hissed in her ears, over the mournful buzz of his words, and she watched in sudden, overwhelming hatred as he repeated the same words over and over...her name and-was that an apology? An apology?! For THIS?!

Her voice stopped him, and she watched in bitter satisfaction as his ears flattened and his head began to shake at her weakening but steady flow of words, angry, pained and wrathful enough to hurt her own ears. As the colors began to blur back into lines of white and red, her hissing became whispers, and as her eyes closed for the final time, the pain all over her body receded to a dull coldness. But the ache in her heart was unaffected; the last thing she ever felt was the way it squeezed one final time as he yelled her name through the darkness.

"NO!" Kagome flailed her way out of bed and nearly rolled right onto Kohaku, who was sitting nearest on the floor.

"Kagome-chan!" Sango dropped her cards, and Shippou and her brother leapt out of the way as Kagome flung herself into her friend's arms.

"Oh, God! Sango!" Kagome couldn't get anything else out; Sango shifted her around as she clung to her shoulders, too numb and horrified to cry.

"Kagome-chan, what's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" Sango grimaced at the deathgrip around her neck, but didn't complain.

Kagome nodded jerkily, trembling as the despair and choking sorrow of her nightmare overcame her again. What was that?! Why did it feel so damned real? And why does it hurt so much? Her body was fine now, of course, but she would much rather put up with a few huge gashes in her flesh than deal with emotions as intense as these.

Sango nodded urgently at Kohaku, who stumbled to his feet and ran out, while Shippou hopped onto Sango's shoulder and patted Kagome's head timidly. "Kagome? What's wrong?"

Face still buried in Sango's shoulder, Kagome just shook her head, vaguely sorry for upsetting the kit but unable to do anything about it.

Uncertain, Sango stroked Kagome's hair and back, hesitant to ask anything that might upset her. The younger woman's shaking and complete silence were more unnerving than any crying she could've done.

"All right, clear a space, child," an old woman's voice said firmly from the other side of the room, and Kagome felt Sango heave a sigh of relief. Kohaku entered and made himself invisible in the corner.

"She just woke from a nightmare, Kaede," Sango said desperately, holding Kagome firmly with one arm and freeing herself as gently as she could with the other. "I don't know what to make of it. She's never done this before..."

Kaede turned Kagome's face towards her, pushing sweaty black strands away from her eyes. "Dear..." she murmured, single eye going wide. The other was covered with a battered black patch. "I put little stock in rumors, especially ones that cannot be stated clearly, but..."

"It's her, yes." Sango gratefully accepted a small bottle from a pouch in the old woman's white kimono. "Kagome-chan?" She pushed her friend back enough to let her see her open the bottle. "If you drink this, you can calm down a little. How does that sound?"

Kagome stared at her dumbly, then snatched the bottle and gulped the bitter contents down.

"That was easy," Shippou muttered, watching the process from under Kagome's comforter. The castle was distinctly cooler than it had been the night before.

The old woman waited for Kagome's breathing to slow and her fingers clutching Sango's shoulder to relax before speaking. "I am Kaede, child. That potion should help keep ye calm if ye wish to tell us what disturbed your rest."

"Nightmare," Kagome mumbled. "Dreamt someone ripped me apart. It felt so real..." She shuddered, and Sango began stroking her hair again.

"Did you see or hear anything unusual?" Kaede asked quietly, compassion and curiosity warring on her leathery features.

"N-no, I couldn't hear anything." Kagome gulped and took a few deep breaths. "Just...pain. Someone had cut me all over the place, and there was s- so m-much blood..."

"It was just a nightmare, Kagome-chan," Sango said softly, but Kagome shook her head violently.

"It was real, dammit! I felt everything, and I couldn't move or wake up! I even felt Inuyasha's claws when he picked m-"

Sango and Kaede gaped at her. "Inuyasha?" they protested, as one.

"Y-yeah. He was the one wh-who d-d-d-" Kagome swallowed hard, willing herself not to throw up. "Blood all over him."

She missed the long look Kaede gave Sango. "Shippou, child, fetch Inuyasha and the monk here, please."

"What's wrong?" The shoji slammed open, and Miroku poked his head in. "I was just telling Inuyasha th...Kagome-sama! What is it?"

"She had a bad nightmare," Sango explained, patting Kagome's arm as Miroku's frown deepened.

"Forgive me, Kagome-sama, but...was it a violent one?" Sango gave him a Look as Kagome burrowed her head into her shoulder in response.

"It was very violent, houshi-sama, and she's upset enough without your nosing around," the slayer said coldly.

"Kaede..." The monk knelt a few feet away, and the old woman nodded.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha's voice came from the next room, and Sango shook her head urgently. Miroku obediently jumped up and rushed to intercept the lord, but Kagome had heard him and started trembling again.

"She had a nightmare, Inuyasha, and there are enough people in there as it is," Miroku said quickly, holding his staff out to block the door.

"What kind of nightmare?" Inuyasha scowled and tried to move past him. Fear scent hung over the room like a cloud; he could smell it easily even through the shoji.

"I'm about to find out, Inuyasha. Please stay here a moment, and I'll call you when she's calmed down a bit."

"What are you trying to imply, bouzu?" Inuyasha snorted, then crossed his arms into his sleeves and sat with his back to the shoji. "Yeah, yeah, I'll probably just screw things up. Call me when she's gotten her spine back."

The wording didn't do much to help Kagome, and Miroku rapped his lord smartly between the ears before heading back into her room and closing the shoji. "Kagome-sama." Miroku used his most soothing tone, and Kagome obediently looked over at him. "Do you remember what to you last night?"

It took a minute, but she nodded hesitantly, and Miroku waited to confirm that Inuyasha was not going to burst in and demand an explanation. When he remained quiet, the monk continued. "Have you ever had dreams like that one before-not what happened in that dream, necessarily, but ones that felt like that?"

"N-nuh uh. Except maybe the one I had before...something bad happened...and then right before my dad left to get our money and more bad stuff happened..."

Inuyasha's ears weren't the only ones that perked up. "So you mean you've been able to make predictions before?" Miroku asked quietly, careful not to upset her.

"N...well, yeah, kinda...but they weren't good predictions, and I've only had two. And they had nothing to do with me getting killed!"

Sango made soothing noises as Kagome's voice rose, and in the next room, Inuyasha was openly cringing.

"I highly doubt that your experience was a premonition, Kagome-sama," Miroku reassured her. "Did you hear or feel anything?"

"No, I couldn't hear anything, more like I kinda...f-felt it. And I felt...pain. I was hurt really bad. And not just that, but it was like something tore my heart out and stomped on it, and...God, it was awful!"

Inuyasha churned his hair about with one hand, mindless of how his claws snagged as Sango and Kaede comforted her. No no no no no no no...

"Was there anyone else there, Kagome, besides you?"

Kagome's hands clenched almost painfully on Sango's arm. "Yeah."

Silence hung like a thick, dark curtain over the room. The slight chill in the air deepened.

Everyone jumped as the shoji slid open just an inch or two. Inuyasha didn't come in; all they saw was a clawed hand as he spoke. "Was it me, Kagome?"

Kagome deliberately turned her head away from him, resting her cheek on Sango's shoulder and forcing a scratchy whisper. "...Yeah."

Silence.

More silence.

Then...

"Sango, pack her things."

"What?!" Sango scowled at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Do I have to spell it out, dammit? She's not staying here any more. Pack her damn things."

"Calm down, Inuyasha-"

"Don't tell me to calm down, bouzu! You heard me-get her out of here!"

Kagome barely heard all this. Her mind had sunk to a state of pleasant numbness, and it wasn't till Shippou landed on her shoulder and clung like static that she awoke. "She can't go! You can't just kick her out!"

"Shut up, runt," Inuyasha snarled. "I want her back at the shrine by evening, or I'll take her there myself. Got that?" He slammed the shoji closed.

"He's gone mad," Kaede surmised, gathering up her things. "I'll wait till he's a bit calmer and speak some sense into him."

"You're not really going, are you, Kagome?" Shippou tugged on her pajama top urgently. "You can't go! You haven't even been here half a month yet!"

"I..." Another familiar situation. How does this always happen? "I don't know, Shippou-chan."

"Inuyasha is afraid for you," Miroku said quietly. "If I'm not mistaken, he believes your dream was an indication that he's a danger to you. But I think he's wrong-it has more to do with what we told you last night."

"About...her?"

Miroku nodded. "You may have been experiencing, not a premonition, but a reenactment of..."

"You mean, that was how she died?" He nodded again, and Kagome shook her head violently. "That can't be it! He wouldn't have done that to her! It had to have been something else!"

"But maybe your version was not complete," Sango suggested quickly. "Go talk to Inuyasha and get it straight from his mouth. That's the only way you'll be able to stay here at this rate, too. Knowing Inuyasha, he will take you back home by force rather than keep you where he thinks you're in danger."

"That moron...if he takes me home, are you guys allowed to find another girl for him to ask?"

Even Kohaku shook his head as Miroku answered. "The curse is already underway, and if you're removed from the premises for longer than a day and a half or so, the curse considers your rejection complete."

"Shit." Kagome pushed away from Sango and sat on the bed. "Out, Miroku- sama, Kohaku-kun, Shippou-chan. I need to get dressed."

"Go right ahead, Kagome-s-"

Whack and he was bowing and on his way out, followed by Kohaku. "You're gonna make him let you stay, right?" the kitsune whispered fearfully, clutching her arm again.

"Of course I am, Shippou-chan." Kagome swept him into a hug. "I'm sorry I scared you. And I'm not going to leave you guys hanging this early on. If I stick around, something just might happen, right?"

Shippou wrinkled his nose. "You mean you're gonna marry Inuyasha?"

"Of course not." Kagome smiled at his naïveté. "But just because one option's out doesn't mean we can't try to think of something else. We have over two and a half months, right?"

"Right!" The little fox hugged her arm, then obediently hopped down and ran out of the room as Sango held up a kimono.

"Aren't my clothes done yet?" Kagome tried not to whine.

"They're not dry yet. The material on some of the lower garments is much thicker than what they're used to washing," Sango pointed out, letting Kagome remove her pajamas and helping her with the rust-colored wool kimono she'd selected the night before. "It's not so bad. You can keep your...pants, are they called? You can keep those underneath. I doubt Inuyasha's going to be warming the castle up very much today."

Kagome smiled: Sango was trying to make her feel better. She'd flatly refused every one of her other requests to wear something underneath the kimonos. "No, that's okay. My cycle stopped last night anyway, so there goes my excuse. I'll just wear the kimono."

Sango offered to go up with her, but Kagome declined, and finally they decided that Sango would wait at the stairs while Kagome went to talk with Inuyasha. Figuring out his location wasn't hard once one stopped to listen and heard loud thumping, grunting and cursing from the third floor.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome gulped and slid the shoji back, quelling a little spark of panic as the dream came back to her. He's not gonna hurt you, stupid. Besides, if that whole thing really happened, then it looked like he really regretted it. S'why he went anal in the first place.

Sure enough, Inuyasha was practicing with Tetsusaiga, haori off and kimono folded down. Great. More distraction. That's exactly what I need right now! "Hey, Inuyasha?"

"What do you want?" Inuyasha landed on one foot, straightened up and sheathed Tetsusaiga, scowling as she watched the huge blade slide effortlessly into the slender wood-and-bone sheath. "Yeah, it does that. So, what, you want me to say goodbye or something?"

"I'm not going anywhere, moron." She crossed her arms and tapped them restlessly.

"Like hell you're not." Inuyasha pulled his kimono back onto his shoulders, and Kagome tried not to be disappointed.

"And why not? You want the curse to win this early?" She scowled. "Gimme one good reason you're so eager to get me out of here."

"Besides the obvious?"

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "And what's the obvious?"

Inuyasha smirked. "You're a pain in the ass, remember?"

"Of course." She flipped him off again. "If that was the only reason, we'd have both agreed to get me out of here a week ago. And now I have one nightmare...granted, a really bad one...and you're shoving me out the door?"

"What makes you wanna stay so bad?" Inuyasha scowled at her.

"What makes you want me to leave?"

"What makes you wanna stay?"

"I am not doing this! And I'm not leaving so you can go and-" Dammit! That was close! "-do whatever it is that'll happen if the curse breaks. At least give Sango-chan and everyone else a few more months of...being...here!"

His eyes narrowed dangerously. "If I didn't know better, I'd say that you'd found out a little too much."

"Good thing you know better, eh?" Kagome took a few steps closer, and he backed up. "You can dance around it all you want, but the fact remains that you're trying to get me out of here `cause of my nightmare. Why?"

Inuyasha backed up further. "I don't want to talk about it, okay? It's for your own good."

"Ah, then Miroku was right and you think..." She approached him a bit more, and he scowled and backed off. "I don't have some kind of disease! Look, Inuyasha, it was just a dream! You're not gonna do anything, so let's just-"

"Piss off, bitch! You have no idea what I'm talking about!" He clenched his fist, then grimaced and slowly unclenched it: he'd forgotten about his claws and cut his palms again.

"Oh?" Kagome knew it was stupid, but the words seemed to be leaving her mouth of their own volition. "No idea? Tell me, does what you're thinking of have anything to do with someone getting slashed up? If it is, I have plenty idea! I just felt it a few minutes ago!"

Inuyasha carefully made fists of both hands. "If you had any idea what I was talking about, you'd keep your damn mouth shut and go home before..." He stared at one hand, turning it over to examine his claws for the thousandth time.

"Inuyasha..." She swallowed and came forward a little. "Just answer me one question. Did you do it?"

His shoulders hunched as if she'd struck him, ears folding back defensively. His fingers slowly curled back into the fist, and she could've sworn she heard his teeth grating together. "I told you it's none of your f-"

"It is my fucking business if you're going to send me away because of it. Now tell me." Kagome took another step towards him. "Just tell me. Please."

Her sudden, softer tone hit him like a ton of lead, and his fist, still upright, began to shake. "Leave me alone."

"Inuyasha, please-"

"I said, leave me alone!" Little trickles of blood began seeping from his hand, and she flinched: the drops were slowly creeping down his arm.

"Inuyasha, stop that. You're bleeding." She came towards him and reached for his arm, but he jerked away from her, almost against the wall. "Look, whatever happened, you are not going to hurt me, so just stop it!"

"Would you just shut up already?!" The blood flowed faster, and Inuyasha seemed completely unaware.

"I'll shut up if you stop that!" God, not this again!

"Stop what?!"

"You're puncturing your own hand! Stop it!"

"What, does blood bother you that much?!"

"No! But your idiotic refusal to give me a straight answer and then the fact that you don't care about hurting yourself does bother me!"

"Get out."

She started at his sudden monotone, then glared at him. "Give me one good reason that does not relate directly to your opinion of me."

"Because I don't want to hurt you, and it could happen, all right?"

"Pfffft. You're trying to pass off your own insecurity as a threat, make me angry and make me leave on my own." Kagome stuck her tongue out. "Your little plot failed. Now give me another good r-"

"GET OUT!"

"Shut UP!" she roared right back, stepping up to glare him in the face. "I am not going anywhere till I get a damned good reason why, and I-!"

One second she was yelling at him from a few inches away-then a quick yank around her waist and she fell against Inuyasha's front. Before she could dismiss it as an accident and push away, Kagome felt his arm tighten against the small of her back, and the other rested across her back, hand tangled slightly in her black hair. She was now caught loosely but securely against his chest, and through a haze of shock, she felt his head move down, next to her ear.

"I killed her."

Kagome's heart skipped a beat, and her mind reeled. First he hugs me, now he tells me he really did-?! She shook her head wildly, and she felt his chest jerk in a humorless snort. "Oh yes, girl, I did. I promise you, I would never dream of lying about this."

"But you were so sad about it," she whispered helplessly into his shoulder, wincing as he went rigid and his heart sped up against her upper arm. No way this is happening, this is just too weird-

"I didn't..." His arms tightened till Kagome was effectively trapped, and she reflexively shivered despite the warmth he was giving off. "I didn't mean to."

"Inuyasha..."

Inuyasha took a deep whiff, partly to remind himself that this was not Kikyou he was holding and apologizing to, and partly to calm himself down. It worked, and he loosened his grip a little. "It was an accident. But it still happened, okay? I could do the same thing to you somehow, and I don't want that. All I'll end up doing is hurting you. You don't deserve that."

"You're rambling," she murmured, gradually getting used to the idea that Inuyasha was holding her. Weird weird weird. "As long as you learn from...whatever happened, you won't do it again, right?"

"You don't get it, do you?" Kagome squeaked and flushed darker as he drew her away by the shoulders, gripping her lightly but firmly. She could feel the blood on his right palm seeping into her kimono. Least it wasn't the one in my hair, I guess...

"I get that you're trying to protect me, Inuyasha," she said firmly, tugging at his right arm. He frowned and pointedly removed both hands, then understood as she grabbed his right hand and turned it up to inspect the palm. "But there are no demons in this era...at least none that'd attack or anything...so you don't have to do any fighting, so there's really no chance that I'd get in the way or anything. Is that more or less what happened?"

Inuyasha nodded tightly. "Something like that." He tested the air yet again as she touched one of his claws lightly, tapping it with her own nail to compare hardness. "Having fun?"

Kagome ignored him, assuming that he was embarrassed at the emotional slip and determined to satisfy her curiosity before he reclaimed his hand. "Do you always do this?" She watched in sudden amazement as the blood around the small but deep wounds very slowly, clearly dried and receded back into his skin. "Geez...! No wonder you don't mind hacking yourself up!"

Inuyasha chuckled, encouraged by her lack of fear: even when he'd tested her with the hug, she had just been surprised. Test, my ass. You just wanted to see whether she'd kill you or not!

Same thing, he retorted, and decided that that was enough arguing with himself for now. "Happens all the time," he said aloud, watching her frown at his hand, raising it almost to her nose.

But that little voice just wouldn't shut up. You're doing it again.

Doing what, dammit?

She's not Kikyou. You don't have to justify anything to her.

Shut up! I can smell her plain as day. I know she-

Reeeally? Then why let her play with you like a dog, why try to send her off, why hold her the way Kikyou would let y-

Inuyasha growled under his breath and almost yanked his hand back, startling Kagome badly. "It's your neck, not mine, wench, if you wanna stay."

"Really?" Dismayed by the sudden change but not surprised, Kagome smiled and bowed slightly. "Thanks. It'll mean a lot to Sango-chan and everyone else."

"Yeah, whatever. Now get out." He reached for the Tetsusaiga and winced as his slight injury reminded him that he'd better not be gripping anything for a while.

"You sure you don't want anything for-"

"I said I'm fine, bitch! Now leave me alone!" Inuyasha snapped.

Kagome scowled. "Well, then, shove it! I don't know why I even bother!"

"Neither do I." He spared a glance at her and noticed the bloodstain on her shoulder for the first time. "The hell...?" A glance at his palm confirmed facts. "Better get that washed. You need a bath anyway."

"Oh, but now I smell like you, and it's so pretty," she teased, grinning as he glowered at her. "I was going to go down there after I woke up anyway. If you want to come, you're more than welcome, though you'd probably prefer to wait for the servants, wouldn't you?"

"Go to hell!"

Kagome laughed and bowed again. "I'd rather not, thanks! But glad to know you're back!" And she turned and left, humming merrily to herself as she slammed the shoji closed behind her.

"Glad to know you're back," eh? That sounded about right. Inuyasha sat down to stare at his palm, contemplating his own actions and strangely calm. Nothing's changed. Good to know.

Sango was immensely relieved to hear that Inuyasha had rescinded his order to make her leave; it wasn't until they were in the baths, though, that she heard the details of the conversation.

"He hugged you, and you let him?!"

"Shhhhh!" Kagome splashed her friend urgently as her voice echoed. "It wasn't like he was coming on to me! We were talking about...stuff, and he just got emotional for once."

"Well, I still think that's remarkable," Sango said more quietly, splashing Kagome back lightly. "And did he act as if nothing happened right after?"

"Of course."

Sango raised an eyebrow at her. "Is that disappointment I hear?"

Splash. "It was weird, thank you very much! Getting away was about as disappointing as you smacking Miroku after he gropes you!"

"That's entirely different!" Sango protested, flipping more water at her. "I have no interest in getting any closer to that pervert than strictly necessary!"

"Oh? Necessary for what, exactly?" Kagome shrieked as Sango's counterattack soaked her hair. "So the truth comes out! She doesn't deny it!"

"Why you-!"

"You seem to have forgotten something, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha paused just outside the practice room as Miroku tossed his haori back to him. "Oh, yeah, thanks."

Miroku nearly dropped his staff. "Th..." He darted around Inuyasha and peered dramatically into his face. "First you concede victory to Kagome-sama, then forget your most prized garment and then thank me openly? What, may I ask, did our esteemed Lady do to spur such dramatic improvement?"

"Eat shit, bouzu. I'm just distracted." He slung the material over his shoulder and stalked off towards his favorite balcony.

"Ah, transience..." Miroku sighed and followed. "Perhaps the next time you see her, Kagome-sama will tolerate more than just a h-"

Inuyasha was back down the hall and lifting him by the front of the robes before he could finish the last word. "Where did you hear that?!"

"Merely the fabrications of overly bored servants," Miroku said calmly, craning around the hanyou's fist to smirk at Inuyasha for once. "Your reaction does lend rumor a certain credence, though."

"Shut up and go away." Inuyasha dropped him and stalked back outside.

Miroku rubbed his hands together, plotting all the way down the hallway. Must remember to thank Sango for speaking loudly...and tell servants to keep hanging around there!

Kagome was overjoyed to find that most of her clothes were clean by the time they returned to their room, and the servants seemed more sympathetic than irritated over the blood on her wool kimono. "It's not terribly uncommon in a castle with demons about, Kagome-sama," one older lady said respectfully in reply to her apology. "Please don't worry yourself about it."

"Thank you all very much," Kagome said warmly, and the three women bowed in unison, leaving with a few sets of pajamas and the kimono.

With all the drama of that morning, Kagome was perfectly willing to spend the rest of the day and then the afternoon lounging around her room, playing cards and teaching her friends a few new games.

Of course, once she ignored the last of her misgivings and taught them games based on speed, all she had to do was gather Shippou on her lap, sit back and watch the sparks fly.

"That wasn't a double! That was a 6, not a 9!"

Kohaku shook his head stubbornly and held the top two cards up for the monk's inspection. "No, two nines, houshi-sama."

Miroku grumbled as the boy scooped the cards up and began the round again. Soon Sango set down a queen, Miroku set down another, and Shippou just shook his head at the rapid dududun of three hands slapping the floor. "This one's mine!" Sango protested as Miroku's left hand began to inch under hers.

"She's on bottom, so she gets them this time," Kagome agreed, and the slayer triumphantly added the cards to her hand, missing the monk's slight smirk.

"Are you sure you don't want to join in, Kagome-sama?" Miroku asked, moving aside invitingly. "You say another person may enter the game at any time by procuring their own cards, isn't that right?"

"And get my hand mushed? I think not," Kagome replied. "It's painful just watching you guys."

"You're getting your butt kicked," Shippou observed as the monk just barely lost yet another hand. "Why even bother?"

Miroku put on a contemplative expression. "Well, let us say that it's useful practice with little damage." He wriggled his eyebrows and looked at his left hand, which was still resting atop Sango's.

"I figured as much," Kagome remarked, noting that the slayer was too caught up in the game to wonder why Miroku didn't take his hand off immediately. "Wouldn't your right be faster?"

"I would prefer not to risk disturbing the seal," he answered gently, and Sango surprised them all by snorting.

"You're about to lose, houshi-sama." She collected her cards and added them deftly to her huge deck. "Just do it and give me and Kohaku a challenge."

Miroku shook his head. "It's only a game, not worth the risk."

"There's no risk. We won't disturb the beads." Sango slapped the tatami invitingly. "Come on."

Kohaku coughed and laid his cards down. "I think I'll go practice outside and see if it's warmed up."

Sango sighed tolerantly. "All right, little brother. Your sickle is in the last shed near the old gardens. You left it out last night."

Miroku nodded to Kohaku as the boy left. "Don't be angry with him, Sango-sama. I rather agree with him."

"Look, here..." Sango pushed her brother's cards at the monk. "Just try it. It'll be fine."

"Sango-sama..." He smiled at her. "All right, as you insist."

Now the game began in earnest. Kagome and Shippou watched, open-mouthed, as the pace sped up and the two players slapped the cards too fast to follow, the winner instantly acknowledged by the other and the game continued each time till both monk and slayer were frowning in concentration.

Soon Sango was nearly out of cards; as she laid down her last card atop Miroku's last, a jack, he looked up to say something, and she shrieked and smacked the huge pile. "Oh, no," the monk groaned: she'd had another jack. Kagome and Shippou clapped as Sango gathered all the cards and the game began again.

To Kagome's amazement, they went on nearly another hour before she finally suggested a break. "You know, even when people's skills are pretty much even, luck usually comes in and ends it sometime soon," she commented as her friends straightened and massaged stiff back muscles. "My friends and I usually didn't go longer than ten minutes a game."

"It should be about time for dinner now, Kagome-chan." Sango slipped her deck inside her kimono and rose, stepping around Miroku. "I'll be back soon, houshi-sama."

"I shall await your return," he replied gallantly, eyeing her rear as she passed but keeping his hands on his cards.

"He didn't grab you this time," Kagome pointed out as they walked up to Inuyasha's room.

"How's that?"

"Miroku. He didn't grope you when he had a clear shot." Kagome nudged her friend in the ribs.

"His hand was probably too sore from the game," Sango snorted, massaging her own reddened hand.

"Maybe." Kagome didn't push it, and Sango bowed her into the dining room and left as usual.

Her good mood from what she regarded as progress in her friends' relationship - if it could be called one at all - was soon gone like fog in midday heat: Inuyasha not only refused to talk at all during the meal, but he flatly ignored her attempts to make conversation.

"What's your problem?" she finally snapped, tired of talking to herself. "If you want me to shut up, just say so like you always do!"

"If my telling you to shut up ever worked, I'd have done it already," he snarled. "I can always try something else, though-like asking you to please shut the hell up, maybe?"

Kagome didn't know what she'd been expecting after this morning, but this hadn't been it. "Look, if you're embarrassed, don't be, okay?"

"Why the hell would I be embarrassed?!"

"Because you grabbed me like a teddy bear and I didn't smack you or anything?! I don't know! You tell me!"

"I wasn't thinking, okay, bitch?! Just drop it!"

"Fine! You do the same!"

"I have!"

"Have not! Your defense complex is going haywire right now, and it doesn't need to be! Just tell it I'm your friend...kind of...and it's not a big deal!"

"It is a big deal!" His fist slammed into the tatami, where a definite groove had started to form from all his attacks on it. "I'm acting like a moron! And you're making me do it!"

"I am doing nothing! It's your own damn emotions, and whatever you're going through is not a sign that you're turning into a pansy or that history is gonna repeat itself, okay?!"

"Shut up, bitch! You think you know everything when you've been here, what, ten days now? You have one dream, and all of a sudden you think you're Kikyou!"

Kagome's eyes went wide. He said-

A low, gradual feeling began creeping up her spine, paralyzing her with unreasoning fear and rage. Her vision blurred, and her hands clenched into fists. No...what the hell is-

His anger steadily vanished as he realized his mistake. "Kagome?"

She barely heard, but the sound of her own name was like a lifeline. "Inuy..." She forced herself to scoot back, fighting the sudden, violent urge to lunge at him and...what? Some kind of force was building steadily within her, and her palms began to tingle. Dimly she realized that whatever it was, it was not good. She was rapidly losing control- "N...name...?"

"Kagome?" Inuyasha shoved the table aside. "Kagome!"

"Get away!" Kagome scooted back against the shoji, clamping her hands over her head, but the feeling of invasion only increased-then darkness.

"Kagome! What the hell is going on?"

Kagome? Who was that? The last time she saw him, he was saying her name, and it wasn't Kagome.

"Kagome, are you okay? Answer me!"

Poor, stupid Inuyasha. Her lips quirked into a bitter smile. "You don't get it, do you?"

He stopped dead. The voice was Kagome's, but the tone, the inflection... "K...it can't be! You're-"

"Dead, yes. But my spirit lives on, as you can see." She folded her arms and regarded him coldly. "I trust you've had plenty of time to think about it."

"As if you didn't know," he said automatically, brain working like mad to comprehend what the fuck was going on. "So Kagome is...?"

"My reincarnation, it would seem." She frowned slightly. "Very strange coincidence. She even encountered our tree a few years ago and didn't even know it. I doubt I would've awakened at all if she hadn't. Perhaps this was fated?"

"I don't..." He didn't miss the dangerous glint in her eyes...the brown, so mild and good-natured most of the time, was now cold and promised instant retaliation if he didn't take very great care with what he said. "I don't understand. Is that why you and Kagome look so much alike?"

"Why the concern over the girl?" she snapped. "We're reunited, and I would have thought your first thought would have been to apologize, not to express your desire for me to go away once more!"

"No! That's not it!" he protested, leaning forward urgently. She immediately raised one hand, and he recognized the faint aura and backed off hastily. "You know it was an accident! Every day since it happened, I've been killing myself for it! You should know that better than anyone else!"

"True." She lowered her hand, running the other through her hair experimentally. "How strange to have flesh once again. I think I'll stay this way a while longer."

"But Kagome-"

"I am not that simple-minded child!" Her eyes blazed again. "And she is not me! You would do well to remember that!"

"How could I forget? You two are complete opposites," he snapped, folding his hands into his sleeves.

"Oh?" She drew the word out in a long, very deadly fashion, and his ears flattened in alarm. "And what makes you say that? You wouldn't happen to prefer this Kagome of yours, would you?"

"Don't be stupid!" Aghast, he made to grab her arm, but a warning crackle of her aura checked him. "I'm not going to repeat myself, okay?! It was an accident, and I'm sorry! I'd kill myself if you'd let me!"

"No, that wouldn't do at all," she said softly, and squeezed her eyes shut in a sudden grimace.

"Kikyou? ...Kagome?" Damn, this was confusing! "What is it?"

"She wants to keep me quiet," she hissed, grinning slightly despite her evident inner struggle. "She's been demanding to know what I'm going to do this whole time, you know."

"Kagome?" At the name, she doubled over, clutching her head. "Kagome! Answer me!"

"Inuy-yasha...my head..." Kagome whimpered, and he honestly didn't know whether to be relieved or angry. He settled for scooting closer, very cautiously, and stiffened in surprise as she flung her arms around his neck and huddled close. "Make it go away!"

"I can't." Bile rose to the back of his throat in self-loathing. First Kikyou, now Kagome's suffering because of me? Inuyasha carefully petted her hair, other hand resting lightly on her back. He'd had more physical contact today than the past 500 years combined... "Looks like the bouzu was right. You really are..." She buried her head in his chest, and he pulled her in closer, remorse turning his voice harsh. "I told you, stupid, you should have left! Then you wouldn't have to go through all this!"

"But if I left..." Kagome sniffled. "If I left, you'd go berserk and kill everyone, right? How the hell could I just run off and let that happen?!"

"Who told you that?" he snarled, hands curling around her shoulders with barely controlled force. "Now you're just sticking around out of pity! I told you you'd fuck it up!"

"I did not!" Kagome pushed herself up and glared at him. "I wasn't gonna leave anyway! I said I'd stay before I found out, and I wouldn't ditch you anyway, so don't tell me off for figuring stuff out!"

"Figuring it out, my ass," Inuyasha grumbled, letting her settle back in. "What are the odds you'll tell me who told you?"

"About the same odds I'd ever marry you."

Ouch. "Fine, bitch, be that way." He stroked her hair again unconsciously. His instincts were warning him off again, but she seemed comfortable, and concern won out over uneasiness. "You feeling better now?"

"Kinda." Truth be told, she felt like her head was stuffed with an old sock, an uncomfortably crammed sensation at best, but Kikyou seemed to have subsided for now. "Thanks."

"Thanks?!" He jerked her away from him, ignoring her muffled protest. "What are you thanking me for?! I got you into all this shit, remember?"

"Yeah..." Kagome scooted closer, but he drew away and shook his head.

"Your brains must've gotten scrambled somehow if you haven't run away screaming yet." He stood up. "Can you get up by yourself?"

"Define `by myself.'" Kagome pushed herself to her feet and promptly swayed so far to the right that Inuyasha caught her around the shoulders and lowered her to the floor.

"Next time, just say no and save us both the trouble." Inuyasha folded his hands into his sleeves. "I'm gonna go call Sango."

"No!" Kagome protested, then flushed. She hadn't meant it to come out like that. "I mean...she and Miroku were playing a game the last time I saw. I don't want to break them up."

"Really?" Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow at her, interested despite himself. "What kind of game?"

"Nothing like that." She grinned. "You should come by tomorrow afternoon and watch. It's interesting, to say the least."

"Whatever." Inuyasha eyed the food. "You gonna eat anything else?"

Kagome shook her head, grimacing. "I still don't feel so hot." She frowned and bit her lip. "So...how do I know she won't pop up again and come after you? She's really kinda scary." Actually, the depths of the priestess's emotions had terrified her, but that was a little more than she was willing to share at this point.

"Me saying her name triggered it, like the bouzu kinda said, right?" Kagome nodded uncertainly. "Then I'll just watch my mouth. We'll figure something out if that doesn't work."

"Wow. You're willing to watch your mouth just for me?" She faked amazement, and he scowled. "But seriously, that might not be enough now. I'll ask Miroku and Kaede tomorrow."

"You do that." He offered her a hand up, and she grasped it carefully, pulling herself to her feet and leaning heavily on his arm for a few seconds. "Still gonna fall on your face?"

"I dunno." Kagome loosened her grip on his callused palm, then wobbled dangerously. "Thaaat's a yes."

"Weakling." She yelped as he looped an arm under her knees and picked her up easily. "Oh, be quiet. I don't like getting so touchy-feely either."

Somehow, she doubted that, but hell if she was going to push him now. "Sorry. I should be better after I go to sleep."

"Right. Speaking of which, will you marry me?"

It was probably just their situation, not to mention the context he'd casually put it in, but the question didn't seem as careless as it once had, and she felt her face redden to the roots of her hair. "No, I will not!"

"Geez, wench, calm down." Inuyasha shifted her higher. "You gonna puke if I take a shortcut?"

"Maybe..."

"Let's hope that's a no." He nudged the shoji open with one foot, hopped onto the railing, and ignored her protests as he leapt down three stories, landing with the gentlest of bumps in front of her room. "You gonna make it inside all right?"

"Yeah, thanks." Kagome forced her knees to lock as he set her down. "Good night."

"Night, wench." He didn't move as she opened the shoji, gave him a last smile, and closed it...then sat down with a thump.

"Pathetic." The shoji came right back open, and he scooped her up, heading into her room and grumbling in response to her vehement objections.

Thus it was that they entered the room, came upon Sango and Miroku and froze: the monk and slayer's heads were nearly touching, and his hand was resting on hers-but there were no cards in the vicinity.

In turn, they gaped at Inuyasha, who was holding Kagome bridal style, and despite her scolding, she also had one arm around his neck.

No one moved or said anything for a ten-count. Then Miroku cleared his throat sharply and stood up. "I see we've interrupted something, Sango-sama. I must suggest to our lord that he not use this room next time, though, as you also occupy it, and his thoughtlessness surely knows no bounds. Good night."

"And what the hell were you doin', bouzu?" Inuyasha smirked as the monk coughed and hurried out without an answer.

"You can put her down now," Sango said shortly, and Inuyasha blinked...then realized he still had a good grip on Kagome, who was looking up at him curiously.

"Feh." He nearly tossed her onto the bed and stalked out, face red, plotting revenge.

Kagome looked at Sango.

Sango looked at Kagome.

"I think you guys better talk about it later."

They both shrieked as Shippou's voice came from atop the boxes stacked in the corner. Unlike the TV box, this stack enabled him to hide and effectively erase his presence.

"You guys are so weird." The kit hopped down and got into Kagome's bed. "Talk about it tomorrow, okay? G'night."

The little fox seemed to be the only voice of reason available, so the two women silently prepared for bed and went to sleep without speaking, each swearing to extract every detail possible from the other as soon as they woke up...

A/N: Wow. This was the Chapter That Would Not Get Written. Between family, friends, grad parties, and Anipike magazine editing, this took me two whole days to write. Well, hope that was sufficient for a while...'cause there's no way I'm getting another chappie written before I leave on Thursday, and then it'll take me days to get to Ohio, and then I have to get settled. It'll be at least a week till you guys get another chapter...sorry! Gotta go prepare millions of little things... blehhhhh...