InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Confrontation ❯ You should know... ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: I do not own any of them, but a girl can dream, can't she!!

Chapter 1: You Should know…

She sat at the base of the God Tree enjoying the peace and quiet of this era. `It's such a relief to be able to just relax', she thought as she inhaled deeply. `For the first time in along time I feel at peace.'

Looking around at her surroundings she smiled to herself. She realized that she had been back in the Feudal Era for 2 weeks or more now. She thought about her graduation from High School a month ago, since then she had a lot more time to spend on this side of the well. The only reason why she ever really went back to her time would be for a short visit with her family and to restock their supplies. Of course she made sure to get the small things she could not live with out, like lightly fragranced soaps, `because anything stronger would bother Inuyasha's sensitive nose', shampoo and conditioner, clean clothes, and definitely ramen... lots and lots of ramen.

“Maybe I should go home for a quick visit, since Inuyasha went with Miroku to that village just north of here. They probably won't be back until tonight sometime. Sango is helping Lady Kaede with a sick village woman and Shippo went along to help.” She said out loud to no one in particular, since no one was around.

She surveyed her surroundings one last time and started to make her way towards the well. `I'll make this really quick, that way no one will know that I've even left'. That thought made her smile, since it seemed that every time she tried to sneak away or sneak and do anything, Inuyasha would catch her.

The sound of his name being said in her mind made her grin. She could already feel herself blushing. `Speaking of Inuyasha, if someone asked me to define our relationship what would I say? Oh, he's my overbearing sometimes on, sometimes off, almost, but not quite boyfriend, but if you come near me he'll rip your damn head off…I mean really, we do everything that two people in a relationship would do…except that of course' that thought made her blush even more than she already was.

`He's even more protective now then he was when Naraku was still after the Jewel Shards. He even built a hut just outside of the village',”sure he say it's his, so why does he insist that I sleep there with him every night that I'm here, and if I'm not here he doesn't even use it. He sleeps in my time with me. Yeah right Inuyasha, it's yours not ours.” `Come to think about it he's even made sure to build me a little closet for my things.' “Like my mother has always said, actions speak louder than words”. She smiled at that last thought, and gave herself a hug, imagining that it was Inuyasha's arms wrapped around her, sighing she continued her journey towards her destination.

As she neared the clearing the hairs on the back of her neck began to stand up, “Kikyo,” She said knowing that, she was the only one that had that kind of effect on her. `What's she doing near the well, near the village?'

Instantly Kagome's heart began to race, as she slowed her pace and looked around in every direction hoping to see Kikyo before she saw her. `Please don't tell me she's here to take him!' That thought made her stomach turn and her palms begin to sweat, she balled up her tiny fist and decided that she would not allow this to happen. Not now, not ever.

"It's time for me to stop running, and stand up for what I want.” She whispered with more bravado than she actually felt as she reached for her bow and arrows. Realizing that she had left them at the hut, she sighed and walked into the forest.

She could feel herself getting closer to the woman that harboured a piece of her soul, because every step she took made her feel a little sicker, a little more anxious, `how dare she do this, after all this time!' she thought as her eye brows started to draw together and her face began to feel tight. She could feel the anxious feeling dissipating and being replaced by pure anger, rage even; she wasn't sure exactly what it was.

`There you are.' Kagome thought as she walked into the small clearing, and noticed Kikyo standing near a barren tree as if she was waiting for someone. Glancing skyward she noticed her soul collectors hovering just above the treetops. Kikyo, the un-dead miko, still had not turned to acknowledge her, she didn't even seem to notice that she was no longer alone or maybe she didn't care.

“What do you want Kikyo?” Kagome said, as she started walking towards her with so much grace that she appeared to be floating. The anxious feeling was gone now; her palms were dry, but still balled up into fists, her face no longer looked angry instead her expression was as blank as Kikyo's.

Over the many years she had spent on this side of the well she learned how to mask her true feelings very well.

Stopping a few feet away from where the resurrected miko stood, Kagome continued with a sarcastic smirk, “Don't answer that, I already know.”

Kikyo slowly turned finally acknowledging the girl that had interrupted her thoughts. Tilting her head to one side she looked at Kagome as if she hadn't heard a thing the girl had just said. “Why are you here, child?”

“I asked you first.” Kagome replied, making a mental note of the fact that this woman just called her a child.

Kikyo looked away from her,” What interest is it of yours?” she asked while surveying the out line of the forest, as if she was waiting for someone to appear.

Kagome mentally chastised herself for allowing this woman to talk to her as if she was no one important, not even worthy of being looked at when she was being spoken to.

It had been 3 years since she had first come in contact with this un-dead woman standing in front of her, `Yes, you could have called me a child back then. I would always run and hide when Kikyo came around, or run back home when I caught Inuyasha with her, but since then a lot has change, I've grown.' “Your looking for him aren't you?” She snapped.

“Where is he?”

“Not here”, Kagome said, tilting her head to the side, “Kikyo, why after 6 month do you decide to show yourself around here? One would think that after Inuyasha had kept his promise to you and avenged your death, you would have left this world, after all...you are dead, are you not?”

Kikyo stared at what she called, her copy as if she could not believe what she was hearing. “Child, do you come here to challenge me? Or are you just trying to piss…”

Before she could finish her sentence Kagome cut her off, “Of course not, but if it should come to that, so be it.”

They both stood there silently sizing each other up for a moment before Kagome spoke again, “Do you...love him?”

Kikyo seemed shocked by her question, she turned her face skyward as if she was trying to remember something, “Not that it should be any interest of yours, but yes I did care for him at one time, as far as love…I don't know if we were given enough time to truly experience that emotion.” Turning her gaze towards the ground she continued in a voice just above a whisper, “If I would've lived, things would've been so different.” The last part was merely a whisper on the wind.

“Then why do you keep coming around? If you cared for Inuyasha at all, you should want him to move on with his life. You should wish him nothing but the best! Don't you want him to marry or mate; don't you want him to have someone to carry on his name? In your heart I know you know that's not possible with you...your dead for the love of Kami!” Kagome half yelled her voice laced with irritation.

“Why does it matter to you, child? Kikyo stated almost smugly.

Kagome looked at her for a moment before she replied, “It matters because you are dead, and he's alive, he should not have to constantly be reminded of mistakes made a long time ago, of a lost love that died more than 50 years ago.” Taking a deep breath she continued, “The dead and the living were not meant to intermingle, you were a Priestess, you should know that.” Sighing she continued, “Why won't you allow him to be happy? Don't you know that it's you who makes him miserable, every time you come around digging at old wounds!”

“If I am not allowed to be happy why should he? I live with a reminder of our past everyday that goes by; it's only fair that he should be reminded as well.” Kikyo replied, but her thoughts didn't stop there, `Perhaps there's a small part of me that wishes that things had been different, that Inuyasha had made that wish, then we…'

Her thoughts were interrupted by her reincarnation, “Just how selfish are you? You couldn't have loved him as much as he thinks you did, because you would and should want him to be happy, even if your not!” She half shouted the last part as she stood with her hands gripping her hips, her resolve faltering a little with every second that ticked by.

“You dare raise your voice to me, you insolent child? Have you forgotten that you are merely a copy of me? Or do you need to be reminded?” Kikyo stated her expression still as cold as ever.

Kagome was losing it. She was barely holding it together to begin with. `It's now or never, if I don't say what needs to be said I may never get the chance again. Oh, Kami if Inuyasha knew what I was doing, what I was about to say to her he would probably…' she couldn't finish that thought, she knew regardless of what Inuyasha would say or do this had to said, for her sake and his even if he didn't know it yet.

With as much patience and resolve as she could muster, she spoke with little to no anger in her voice, “I may be younger than you, but I am not a child. From the first day that I fell through that well, I gave up my childhood. While I ran around this land looking for the shards, I was not a child; when I fought demon after demon at Inuyasha`s side, I was not a child; when I helped him defeat Naraku, I was not a child; when I sat at Inuyasha`s side nursing him back to health, I was not a child; when he's depressed after seeing you and just needs a friend he doesn't look at me as if I'm a child, when he holds me at night…Kikyo…I am not a child.”

Taking a deep breath she continued on, “As for reminding me that I'm merely a copy of you, how about I call back the little piece of my soul that allows you to walk among the living, and show you who the real copy is!” Shaking her head Kagome felt she had gone a little too far, “look I did not come here to argue with you nor challenge you…I love Inuyasha, and he loves me, I know he does. Don't you think that he deserves to have some peace in his life, doesn't that small part of my soul that you have, want him to be happy? If you care anything for him, please, let him be?

Kikyo stood staring at Kagome for a moment then stated coldly, “I should have killed you long ago before you were able to squirm your way into his life. However I must admit you are not a child any longer, still foolish, but you are not a child.” One of her soul collectors came down to hover just above her releasing a newly captured soul into her chest, she continued speaking as if it was no big deal, “I have grown weary of this world…perhaps I will move on…” She looked Kagome straight in her eyes and continued, “I'm not sure if or when this will occur, but rest assured that you will have nothing to do with my decision. I could careless whether you are happy or miserable in your life.” She turned to leave, but stopped.

Glancing over her shoulder, she asked, “will you tell Inuyasha of our conversation, or are you afraid of what he might say to you?” Before Kagome could answer Kikyo's soul collectors wrapped themselves around her and she began to fade into nothingness. "I will not forget this conversation here today, little girl." This final statement from the dead miko came to her like a whisper in her ear from a friend.

Kagome stood there for a moment staring at the last spot she had seen her, she didn't know what to think,`will she leave him alone? Will she still try to drag him to hell with her? Or will she let him live the rest of his life as he saw fit to? What did she mean by she won't forget this conversation? Was that some kind of threat?' She didn't have any answers for any of those questions; as a matter of fact she was more confused now than she was before she spoke to Kikyo.

The only thing she was happy about was that now Kikyo knew that Inuyasha was willing to move on with his life, 'will I tell Inuyasha what happened today?' She thought to herself as she took a deep breath. “Only if he asks me, why should I volunteer information?”

'Well I guess that trip home isn't going to happen.' She thought with a smile. Turning around she headed in the direction of the village, “Inuyasha hurry home.”

Until Next Time…(please review)

I'd like to say a special thanks to my contest Beta, DarkMikoKikyo. You are freaking awesome!!