InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Change of Heart ❯ Six ( Chapter 7 )

Change of Heart

By: Hope Poe26

 

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is owned by Rumiko Takahashi. I, certainly couldn't do this type of work myself, simply because I can't draw shit.

 

Summary: What would happen if after almost getting killed in a vicious verbal fight (ok.. maybe not only verbal but physical as well) between Inuyasha and Kagome, a fairy would put a spell on them to learn the limitations of each of their bodies and the only way they could disperse the spell is to be true to each other's feelings?

 

Six

 

Kagome slung his backpack over the rim of the old well. Then he threw two other big packs and at last his bicycle. He climbed over the well and was not surprised to see Miroku awaiting for him at the shade of a great big tree. He offered no help though and this did made him a bit mad though he quickly squelch it because he knew that now that he were male he didn't really need help.

 

Although… Miroku should've asked anyway. He sighed. He really wished that once he had climbed over the rim of the bone eater's well, Inuyasha would've been back. But no such luck. Even if she had been around, he had a feeling he would have seen her coming into his house rather than just waiting at the other side of the well.

 

“No news?” - he asked once Miroku fell into step with him.

 

“No. Although Shippou left with Kirara a few days ago to see what was going on. There are some good news though… there has been news of Naraku and his whereabouts. We were waiting for you to show up so we could go and take a look.”

 

Kagome turned his head to see the monk and then said…

 

“I see. I guess that if we wait to receive news about Inuyasha, we won't be able to do anything would we? We can't be idle, can we?”

 

“No. We can't. It is a shame that things have changed this way. But we can't wait until things change back to the way they were.”

 

Kagome nodded.

 

****°°°°****

 

Inuyasha knocked boldly on the heavy wooden door of Sesshoumaru's studio. She needed to speak with him. She needed to repair things between her brother and his mate before she left. She couldn't stay here forever - this she knew with all her heart - and risk the chance of letting Naraku take over the whole Shikon no Tama jewel.

 

“Come in.” - Sesshoumaru said.

 

Once she had closed the door behind her, she walked over to the seats in front of the massive oak desk and sat until her brother acknowledge her presence.

 

Sesshoumaru knew that the teachers had made an enormous progress with the hanyou and there was really no other underlying reason as to why he should keep her here. So he looked up and was aware that Inuyasha - his sometimes brute and uncouth little brother - knew that those truths about not wanting Inuyasha to have brats. That was something he had reiterated quite often to his sibling. So those weren't news to both of them. Only Rin had thought that he had accepted Inuyasha because he had protected his sibling from the men around the castle and of those that accompanied her.

 

“You're free to go.” - he said knowing that heat for Inuyasha wouldn't come until next year.

 

“Feh. I knew that. I was just wondering what's going to happen to you and Rin when I leave the castle tomorrow morning?”

 

“It is none of your business Inuyasha. I hope that you learned enough to be able to take care of yourself, and if you should stay this way for the rest of your life, I am sure that you will come to this castle when you go into heat.” - that wasn't a question though, it was an order.

 

Inuyasha nodded and briefly wondered if she could fix things between her brother and his mate.

 

“Is Rin your mate or your concubine Sesshoumaru?” - she asked.

 

He sighed in return.

 

“Rin is unique, so no. She's not my concubine. As to being my mate, I don't know. I haven't decided yet.”

 

“Do you cherish her?” - she asked not looking at him really.

 

“Love her you mean? I know nothing of love.”

 

“I didn't say love. Gods Sesshoumaru! It's not like I don't know that you can love, I'm aware that love is an emotion you're too closed off to feel let alone experience. Do you cherish her?”

 

“I cherish her.”

 

“Well then… work things out with her. And I guess that if you really need an heir and I'm still like this after all of this is done, well I would let you take me to give you your heir.”

 

She left Sesshoumaru looking a bit surprised at her speech wondering why his little sister seemed so wise all of the sudden and why in the hell did she seemed so ready to give him the heir he so wanted.

 

****°°°°****

 

They had been traveling for two weeks when they finally encountered Inuyasha lounging in a tree with Shippou and Kirara. At first, Kagome had been a bit upset that they had decided for them to wait to get them instead of the other way around, but he stave off the need to vent his anger and frustrations by sitting the hanyou and instead he asked the dreaded question that was in everyone's mind at the moment.

 

“Why didn't you come for me?” - and he was surprised when he saw the hanyou was a bit sad at answering him with a…

 

“I was indisposed Kagome. It's not like I had ever gone thru mating season before.”

 

Kagome just nodded. He really didn't know what he had been expecting when he asked that question. Loaded questions with Inuyasha always sparkled different answers and different emotions. This time Kagome wondered if Inuyasha would say anything else, but then realized that he was the only one staring at Inuyasha. He shook his head to clear it and remembered the other two backpacks that he had brought along for her.

 

“Let's settle here for lunch, is that okay with you Inuyasha?” - Sango asked and Inuyasha nodded at her once.

 

Whilst Miroku and Shippou went fishing and Sango went to pick up wood for the fire, Kagome walked up to Inuyasha and hugged her to him saying “I miss you” having been unable to do so when he had first seen her and because they had had too many eyes around them for him to feel comfortable doing it.

 

She stiffened.

 

Did she not like having his arms around her? No. That couldn't be it, she had not pushed him away. What could it be then? He found out about it quickly after her stiffening.

 

“Come on out! I know you're there!” - said Inuyasha all the while wiggling a bit to disentangle herself from Kagome's arms.

 

He blushed. That wiggling of hers had managed to somewhat arouse him. He turned his head away from her in a heartfelt wish to make the uncomfortable arousal subside and quickly lest he found himself humiliated or in pain. The person in question turned out to be a youkai with blue markings on his face like Sesshoumaru's. He had blond hair and blue eyes that seemed to sear with uncontained passion. Who was he and why did his look upon Inuyasha made Kagome so uncomfortable? He was soon about to find out.

 

“Greetings my princess. I wish to say you look as lovely as always.” - he bowed courteously and this had Kagome upset. He began to see a pattern here. On the other hand, Inuyasha seemed to be somewhat oblivious to his reaction and more interested in this new person who called her a princess.

 

They learned he was a youkai lord of the south-western lands and though not a taiyoukai, he was very powerful indeed. Inuyasha went on continuing to admire him even though she had finally recognized him as the one who called her his prince when she was a he not caring if she were or weren't a full blooded youkai. Reminiscing about the times when he taught her how to fight well with his bare hands that she thought it nice to find him now of all times. She wondered if maybe he'd join them in their quest to finish off Naraku and hoped that she would be able to ask him this in private. At the moment she was still a bit tired and was surprised when the tall youkai lord asked if she wanted to rest a little since it was getting dark by the minute.

 

****°°°°****

 

Kagome wasn't surprised to find how inevitably angry and jealous he felt whenever the tall youkai lord would do something gentle for Inuyasha. The time Inuyasha had spent in her brother's castle hadn't been just to laze around. He could see that Inuyasha had gained some much needed control over her emotions and had attained a level of mastery over the use of Tetsusaiga and her claws. For that matter Kagome could forgive Sesshoumaru for keeping his sibling away from him. But other than that he found himself staring at Inuyasha hours on end in surprise how much more composed she behaved, how she no longer ate as if she were starving. How she went for baths more frequently than before and how she tried to not spray blood on her clothes and how every other day she would change her clothes to wear something else.

 

It appeared as if Sesshoumaru had provided Inuyasha with new clothes. Although if they found their way back to normal, would Inuyasha have to return those clothes or would she be able to wear them as a male as well? It was just a too confusing thought and Kagome instantly let it go in favor of glaring at the tall youkai lord that came from the south - western lands. When Inuyasha was not looking at them, he saw that the youkai lord just smirked evilly at him. This infuriated him so much that he stewed over it for most of the day.

 

It wasn't until it was nightfall that the first sight of trouble started. And it did not come from the youkai lord, but it was he who reacted first at the scent of death. This made Kagome stiffen for he did not know what to expect from Kikyou. The Shini-dama-chuu danced around their master signaling that Kikyou was coming to see them directly and was not going to wait for Inuyasha to go find her first. They expected her to come out soon and were surprised to see not the woman with the deadly white skin and the soft features that signaled her as a female but more as a deathly pale double of Kagome. A man.

 

****°°°°****

 

“What is the meaning of this!?” - Joshua exclaimed as he took in the similarities between the young human guy Kagome and the deathly pale man that stood before them wearing what appeared to be ceremonial miko clothes: a red hakama and a white kimono jacket.

 

“Stand down Joshua. I will handle this.” - Inuyasha exclaimed softly and came to stand just in front of Kikyou.

 

Kagome was surprised to see that Kikyou was also male now and he jealously began to wonder if Inuyasha would like this as well. But was surprised when he saw that Kikyou had tried to slap Inuyasha and she had stopped him. He wanted so badly to hit him… but was shocked when Inuyasha said…

 

“What brings you here Kikyou?” - her voice was quiet but was not too soft to indicate weakness.

 

“You have done something again to mess with time and space Inuyasha. I am not male.” - he said and his tone of voice lacked the venom it usually proclaimed whenever they spoke to each other.

 

“Neither are you alive! Inuyasha no hime please allow me to remove this corpse from your eyes.”

 

Kagome found himself rolling his eyes at that knowing that the phrase was just bordering too much on cutesy. And when he looked over at Inuyasha he found himself covering his mouth with his hand because he suddenly felt like giggling. But when he looked at Kikyou's fuddled expression, he burst out laughing.

 

“Ne Kikyou-sama?” - came a voice from behind him and found himself to be looking at Miroku. Kikyou turned to Miroku and nodded as if saying he was willing to listen to a fellow monk.

 

“I Don't think Inuyasha did this on purpose. In fact, I daresay that if anything this was a spell done to Inuyasha and Kagome. We have not been able to discover how to reverse it, but if I were you; I wouldn't dare to touch Inuyasha at all.” - and the last sentence though it was said in a lower tone of voice indicated that Kikyou might loose more than the few souls he had in his grasp if he dared to do otherwise.

 

****°°°°****

 

Night found them once again in a strange assortment of people. Two full demons, one neko-mata, one demon slayer, one monk, two mikos and a hanyou all joined together around a fire build for the sole purpose to ward off the icy wind of the night. All was quiet around the fire, no one dared to cease the stillness around them for fear of breaking the seeming peace that surrounded them. Each dwelled into their own thoughts, each wondering what to do next.

 

Kikyou looked over at his reincarnation and then looked out over to Inuyasha and decided that enough was enough. He and Inuyasha had been friends for awhile. They had spoken of Naraku's treachery and had decided that they could be friends. That though they had thought they were in love with each other, they hadn't been able to surpass the idea of trusting each other and that's why they fell victims to Naraku. But apparently, though Inuyasha did love Kagome and viceversa; Kagome didn't trust Inuyasha. And this could be their downfall as well, he could see it. The question was, could they fix it?

 

Only one way to find out…

 

Kagome looked over as Kikyou stood and stood as well when Kikyou looked into his eyes indicating that he wanted to see him alone. Kagome didn't fear Kikyou anymore, after all; he had learnt how to defend himself from those that would harm him and he wouldn't fear the undead. Especially not Kikyou.

 

“What is it that you wanted to talk about?” - he crossed his arms and stood there waiting to see what the dead man in front of him would say.

 

“You don't seem to trust Inuyasha.” - Kikyou said. This shocked Kagome for he thought that he did trust Inuyasha, but a nagging thought began to build in his mind of all the times he had used the subjugation beads to get his way. His heart began to fill with guilt.

 

“I do trust Inuyasha! It was you who didn't trust Inuyasha!” - but he found that the hateful jab didn't do what he wanted it to do, Kikyou just shook his head and went on talking.

 

“You don't seem to want to trust Inuyasha. I can tell because not only are you jealous of the demon you travel with, but also you have been upset ever since I stepped into the clearing. You think that everytime I come, Inuyasha is pledging his-her love for me?! We long have reconciled our mistakes and have decided to stay friends and I no longer wish to take Inuyasha with me to hell… for if I get my revenge against Naraku; then my spirit would not go to hell but go to heaven.”

 

“Tch. You expect me to believe that all this time Inuyasha goes to you, you only behave as friends?”

 

“You evidently trust Inuyasha with your life, but not with your heart. There's so much jealousy in your heart Kagome that should Naraku decide to take advantage of this situation, you would decidedly failed and all would be lost.” - and with that he turned away as if to walk away but at the last minute he said: “The only way to prove to me that I'm wrong is for you to take the Nenju beads off of Inuyasha's neck. But remember, only if you really love Inuyasha you will be able to dissolve the spell that holds the beads together. If you do it just to prove me wrong but you don't feel anything as such, they won't let loose and the nenju will stay there forever.”

 

With that he disappeared into the forest and with him the Shini-dama-chuu leaving Kagome to ponder about the things he had said to him.

 

****°°°°****

 

When Kagome reached camp, he found Inuyasha standing over where he had left his backpacks. The others were already resting and the tall demon lord was nowhere to be found. He had thought things over and had decided that Kikyou was right. Half of the things Inuyasha had done was out of spite because it was… because he obviously sensed that Kagome did not trust him. And he acted like it didn't matter to him, but the truth of the matter was that if Kagome didn't trust him; then why should he trust her? Given that answer Kagome realized that the only way to clear up the air between them, was to talk without barriers and sarcastic remarks. He knelt to pick up the one pack and touched Inuyasha's shoulder softly.

 

“Finish talking to Kikyou?” - she said turning to him and the expressionless face caused some alarm in Kagome's heart, but she waved it away and said…

 

“Yes. He forced me to rethink some things that were a bit confusing to me. I wish to speak to you in private.”

 

“We are alone so to speak, so talk. What is it that you want to say?”

 

He was stumped. This cold attitude of Inuyasha's was normal, but for a second there he had wanted some warmth to seep thru her voice.

 

“Talk now or you'll be wasting your free time with me, 'cause Joshua went to the nearest village to get me something to eat. At least that's what he said… mou, I don't know what to make of his appearance after not seeing him for so long.” - to this she looked pensive and Kagome was struck by the fact that she hid a lot from them, even from himself.

 

“Uh… I meant to do something before I forget.” - and with that he came up to him and tugged on the prayer beads.

 

Feeling the love he knew he felt for the hanyou made the subjugation's spell disappear and in turn it made the beads fall apart. Then he took a step back and watched as Inuyasha fingered her throat for the absence of the beads.

 

“Is this what you spoke of with Kikyou?” - she asked, her voice surprisingly even, even if it was a bit soft.

 

“Partly. He brought afore some things that have been an issue for me. I… I trust you Inuyasha. I trust you more than anyone else I have met and I…”