InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Elemental: A Feudal Soap Opera ❯ Chapter Seven ( Chapter 7 )

Inuyasha had just stepped into camp when Shippou came barreling from the underbrush, slamming into his legs. He bent down and lifted the kit by the nape of the neck, wondering what had gotten in to him. “What are you running from, runt,” he asked with some irritation, glancing around the campsite. It was empty. He noticed a pair of dead fowl dropped unceremoniously in the dirt, and felt a tickle of unease. Where is everyone? He shook the kitsune lightly before dropping him, but he was no longer paying him much attention. His hand instinctively went to the hilt of Tetsusaiga while he sniffed experimentally at the cool evening air. He could sense no strange youkai in the area, nor could he detect any sign of a threat, but his unease would not go away. Not danger...something else. Something's...off. “Did something happen?” He returned his attention to Shippou. “Where's Kagome?”

 

“With Sango.” Shippou sounded hostile. “They went to take a bath.” Inuyasha gave him his full attention. What's his problem?

 

He opened his mouth to ask him, but, to his consternation, the kitsune kicked him. Inuyasha's eyes widened, taking in the kit's angry, reddened face, but before he could cuff him, Shippou began shouting at him. “Stay away from Kagome, you...you...pervert!” He kicked him again, then turned tail and disappeared back into the woods.

 

Inuyasha scowled, eyebrow twitching in irritation. Pervert? What the hell is that brat talking about now? Ignoring his growing disquiet, he set off after him, determined to find out.

 

***

 

Kagome and Sango had abandoned the water to sit on a rock by the bank, talking as their hair dried. Kagome was more at ease now, and glad that she had confided in Sango. Being alone with your problems has a way of making them seem bigger. I knew that. She smiled at Sango fondly. It was nice talking to her. In fact, she was taking advantage of having a sympathetic ear, and plied Sango with question after question. Sango wasn't able to answer all of them, but she gamely tried her best, and both girls were blushing and giggling before long. She reminds me of the girls in my time when she's like this. Kagome felt a little sad, knowing that the reason that Sango didn't always act so carefree was because she had had to grow up so fast. We've both grown up too fast. That's probably why I don't have much in common with my friends back home anymore. The thought dimmed her mood, and she became serious again. She leaned back on her elbows and stared blindly at the darkening sky. “Sango, have you ever been in love?”

 

Sango colored a bit before answering. “I don't know. I think so, but...I don't know.” Kagome looked at her speculatively, but Sango didn't seem to notice. “Have...are you?”

 

Kagome gave her a lopsided smile and returned her gaze upward.

 

Sango smothered a nervous laugh. “Okay, so that was a silly question.” They were both silent for a moment, then Sango spoke again, quietly. “What's it like?”

 

Kagome considered this. What is it like to love Inuyasha? How would I explain it? It's so many things at once. It was a few minutes before she finally answered. “Terrible. Painful. Scary.” Her voice grew soft. “Wonderful.”

 

Sango turned to look at her. Finally, she nodded, and Kagome knew she understood. She decided to ask her the one question she most wanted an answer to, even though she knew that Sango wasn't the one who could give her the answer.

 

“Sango, do you think that Inuyasha might ever love me...the way he loves Kikyo?”

 

Sango looked away, but not before Kagome saw something resembling pity in her eyes. “I don't know, Kagome. Inuyasha is a difficult individual to read.”

 

Kagome's face fell. “Yeah.” She sat up to get their things, but Sango stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

 

“Don't give up hope, Kagome. He wouldn't abandon you now, and he won't abandon you after he finds out. You know he isn't like that. Unlike that perverted monk, Inuyasha doesn't seem to share his body lightly.”

 

That's part of the problem, isn't it? He didn't share his body. I took from him. That's all. Kagome smiled the melancholy smile she'd found herself wearing too often of late, trying, but failing, not to cry. Not again. Am I going to cry every time somebody even mentions Inuyasha's name now? The thought mortified her. “Sango,” she said, lowering her head as she searched for her control, “he thought I was Kikyo. Don't you see?”

 

She felt Sango's arm go around her shoulders in a comforting gesture. “Hush, Kagome,” she said, firmly but not unkindly. “You're going to make yourself sick if you don't stop worrying about it so much. What's done is done. There's no going back, only forward. Now we simply have to wait and deal with any consequences as they arise.”

 

“I know,” she whispered, taking a deep breath. “Believe me, I know. I'm sorry for...you know.”

 

Sango patted her arm reassuringly. “No reason to be sorry. I understand.” She drew back and began matter-of-factly gathering the rest of their things. “Now, when is your next cycle due?”

 

Kagome did some quick mental calculations. “Supposedly in two weeks, but I'm not always regular.”

 

“I see. Does your time have no way to find out sooner?”

 

Kagome nodded. “We have pregnancy tests you can buy. I thought about getting one, but I was scared someone would see me buying it.” Not to mention... “Or that Mama would find out,” she finished in a small voice.

 

“Oh. Well, yes. I suppose you would want to avoid that, if possible.” Sango trailed off, then gave Kagome an obviously forced smile before continuing. “Still, there's no need to worry for at least two more weeks. Perhaps you will be on time, and at least that problem will be solved.”

 

“Maybe,” Kagome said, not sounding particularly relieved. Two weeks seemed like a terribly long time to deal with this anxiety, and there was still the matter of Inuyasha. Inuyasha! We've been gone for a long time. She hurriedly got up, slipping her shoes back on. “We'd better get back before Inuyasha comes looking for us. I don't really feel like attracting his attention right now.”

 

Sango stood, as well. “Good idea. I'm hungry, anyway. Let's go see if those birds I caught are still there.” The two girls climbed down from the rock they had been sitting on and began the trip back to the campsite, neither noticing the silent hanyou that stood, stricken, just past the tree line.

 

***

 

Miroku wandered back into their makeshift camp empty handed and disappointed, only to find the place completely deserted. However, this did not cause him much concern. There were no signs of a struggle, and his companions were prone to wander off to see to personal needs whenever they stopped for the night.

 

No, what did give him pause were the two plump birds lying in the dirt. He hurried over and crouched in front of them, nearly crowing in delight. Ha! And Sango said that I would not be able to provide us with a meal. The gods have smiled on me. Giving a few pleased words of thanks to Buddha, the errant monk set about preparing dinner.

 

***

 

Inuyasha felt numb.

 

He had raced through the trees in pursuit of Shippou, noticing quickly that the kitsune was headed toward the hot springs. Going to tattle to Kagome, huh? I don't think so. Smiling in unholy glee, he had decided to work his way in front of the fox demon in order to ambush him. He'd teach the brat to kick him and run. And what did he mean by calling me a pervert, anyway? Feh. I'm nothing like that roving monk.

 

Remembering his recent dream of Kagome, not to mention his thoughts of late, Inuyasha flushed, then angrily pushed the memory aside, forcing his attention back to Shippou. Sniffing, he found that the kitsune was now behind him. Gotcha. He jumped up to a nearby tree branch to wait for him. It didn't take long.

 

Shippou crept cautiously into Inuyasha's line of site, sniffing the air as he went. Come on, brat. He flexed his clawed fingers in anticipation. He had made sure that he was upwind of the kit. He wouldn't know what had hit him until it was too late.

 

Unable to detect Inuyasha's scent, Shippou began to race toward the hot springs. As he passed under Inuyasha's hiding place, the hanyou flung himself down on top of him, knocking the wind out of the younger demon.

 

Inuyasha sat up and grinned, one hand clamped firmly on the back of the fox cub's neck. Finally getting his breath back, Shippou opened his mouth to scream, but instead of the ear-splitting wails Inuyasha expected to hear, there came the sound of a girl crying. He blinked stupidly at Shippou for a moment before realizing that the noise came from the springs.

 

“Kagome,” Inuyasha whispered. He sealed a hand over Shippou's mouth, earning him a glare. He ignored him and walked stealthily to the edge of the tree line, mentally readying himself to neutralize anything that might be threatening one of his companions.

 

Senses alert, he twitched his ears toward the sound of Kagome's weeping, thinking to run in as soon as he pinpointed her location, but stopped in his tracks as soon as he heard her speak.

 

“...he thought I was Kikyo. Don't you see?” he heard her say.

 

“Wha...” Forgetting that Shippou was still clutched to him, he froze, straining to hear, yet fighting the instinct to walk away and pretend he hadn't heard anything. Every muscle in his body began to tense.

 

“Hush, Kagome,” came Sango's voice. “You're going to make yourself sick if you don't stop worrying about it so much.”

 

Worrying about what? Why is she crying? He hated it when she cried. It made him feel like a clod. Almost involuntarily, Inuyasha took a step forward. Sango was still speaking. “Now, when is your next cycle due?”

 

Cycle? Cycle of what?

 

Kagome's voice sounded strained when she answered. “Supposedly in two weeks, but I'm not always regular.”

 

What the hell are they talking about? A suspicion was beginning to form at the back of his mind, but he refused to acknowledge it. Instead, he listened intently.

 

Sango asked, “Does your time have no way to find out sooner?” Is Kagome sick? Find out what? He waited for Kagome's answer. When it came it nearly floored him as surely as her subduing spell.

 

“We have pregnancy tests you can buy.” Pregnancy...tests...preg...pregnant? Kagome? Pregnant?

 

Inuyasha felt the blood drain from his face, and had to resist the urge to sit down. He heard a muffled squeal from the vicinity of his armpit, and looked down in dazed surprise. Shippou. He had been squeezing the fox cub without thinking. He eased his hold a bit, then went to attention again when he heard Kagome's voice.

 

“We'd better get back before Inuyasha comes looking for us. I don't really feel like attracting his attention right now.”

 

Inuyasha's mind went momentarily blank. The two girls spoke for a moment more, then left, but Inuyasha remained where he was. He didn't know how long he would have stood there if it hadn't been for the twin pinpoints of pain coming from his hand...the hand that still covered Shippou's mouth. He had forgotten that he held the runt. With a look of disgust, he dislodged the kit's sharp incisors from his palm and dropped him.

 

“Get the hell out of here,” he growled.

 

Shippou opened his mouth to speak, but after a look at the hanyou's face he obviously thought better of it. Still, though, he hesitated.

 

“I told you to leave. Go.” Inuyasha took a step toward him when he still didn't move, fists clenched and head down, hair shielding his eyes. “Go on!” The last word was a near roar. Shippou did not wait to be told again.

 

After the kitsune had left, Inuyasha dropped heavily to his knees, palms planted flat on the ground. It didn't take a genius to realize exactly who had mistaken Kagome for Kikyo, and Inuyasha was far from being a dimwit. The pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place in his mind.

 

She won't come near me.

 

The dream.

 

Kikyo. She said I thought she was Kikyo.

 

When?

 

The night he couldn't remember.

 

Kagome...pregnant? What...did...who...

 

Who?

 

Inuyasha's head began to ache, but he ignored it, searching the recesses of his mind.

 

Not me. No.

 

No. Not me. Not me.

 

Was it? Think.

 

The dream.

 

No! That didn't happen!

 

He was barely aware of his fist hitting the ground.

 

Remember. Remember the night you had the fever.

 

He shook his head.

 

I can't. I can't remember. I don't know what happened.

 

Do I?

 

Think.

 

He squeezed his eyes shut, lowering his forehead to the ground.

 

“Kikyo...”

 

“I've been called that before.”

 

Naked flesh, she cries out.

 

I...I...I can taste her.

 

Oh gods, I can still taste her. Kikyo...Kagome...the fever...the blood.

 

Oh gods.

 

***

 

-to be continued-