InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ For Such a Time As This ❯ The More They Stay the Same ( Chapter 3 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Wingson 
It's Deja vu all over again!
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 10.12.2003 | Pages: 4 | Words: 5.0K | Visits: 457 | Status: Completed
It's Deja vu all over again!
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 10.12.2003 | Pages: 4 | Words: 5.0K | Visits: 457 | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: Do I LOOK like Rumiko Takahashi? *realizes that you can't see me* ummmm yeah, moving on....
Warnings: Nothing in this chapter, unless you hate Kikyo, or Shippo.
Author's note: I managed to confuse EVERYONE!!! For those who guessed Groundhog day, or something similar, you were mostly correct.
Review Responses at end
For Such a Time as This
Chapter 3: ...The More They Stay the Same
Kagome stared up at Sango's smiling face in shock. This was her dream; the past, the past-past, not the present-past or the future-past... she stopped thinking about it. It only confused her more. As she stared up at Sango, she decided to experiment.
"I just realized I forgot something," she called apologetically. "I'll be right back."
Sango nodded, and her head disappeared. Kagome painfully climbed halfway up the well, took a deep breath, and fell back down. She closed her eyes, the familiar flying/falling sensation took a hold of her and...
And she woke up, at her desk, with her head in her arms on top of the now familiar journal. She shook her head, confused, then leapt up and ran down to the kitchen. Breezing by her mother, she grabbed her bag and ran to the well. Jumping through, Kagome called out, hardly daring to hope, "Is anybody there to help me out?"
Sango's head appeared in the opening, much to her relief. "Hey," she called down cheerfully, "Inuyasha's still sulking, and Miroku's gone to 'help' some of the village women, so I decided to help you up."
Kagome tossed her bag up and followed soon thereafter. She sat on the side of the well to catch her breath and to think. She was in the past-past again, and it seemed that if she went back through the well or fell asleep, she would simply go back to the beginning. She had been given the chance to change her mistake.
She drew a deep breath to calm herself. She would just have to be extremely careful not to change the past at all. If the past was set right again, the loop could be fixed and she would return to her proper time. She would just have to be careful. The future hadn't been great, but at least Sango had been happy.
She suddenly realized that Sango was staring at her oddly. "I'm fine, Sango," she said. "Just a little tired."
"I'll carry your bag then," Sango said.
"Are you sure? I managed to bring all of my textbooks this time," Kagome said teasingly.
"It can't be any heavier than the Hiraikotsu," Sango responded in the same tone. She lifted the bag and staggered a little. "Then again..."
They both were laughing as they started off towards the village.
"Shall I make a wild guess as to how many bumps will be on Miroku-sama's head by the time he is finished 'helping' the village women?" Kagome asked.
"Why, Kagome-chan!" Sango said, shocked. "You should know by now that he'll have none!"
Kagome merely level a Look at her; one that demanded that she drop the other shoe.
Sango was only able to hold her stoic face for so long under The Look. "He won't have any bumps on his head," she said, "until he's through 'helping' me."
They were halfway to the village by now, and Kagome, warned by past experience, braced herself for the vision. Her forewarning did not err, but her preparation did her no good. The vision still sent shaft of pain and sorrow through her heart, making it race as her body prepared for a battle that wasn't going to happen. Then Naraku spoke. Her veins turned to ice, her breath stuck in her throat, and her hands began to shake. Somehow knowing that the vision would come, knowing exactly which images would be shown, made the experience all the worse.
Finally the vision released its hold on her. She blinked, and once more Sango was standing in front of her. Her best friend looked extremely worried about her, and she smiled reassuringly as she frantically tried to remember what she had told Sango the first time. She knew that she hadn't told any of her friends about the visions, but couldn't remember what excuse she had used.
"It's just a sudden chill," she said finally. "I feel like something important is going to happen today."
Maybe not the excuse she had used the first time, but it was a good lie, and could be justified by the events of the day. At the very least, Sango seemed to accept it, and they passed the rest of the walk to the village in a comfortable silence... a silence that was interrupted by a barreling Kitsune, screaming out Kagome's name.
Sango hid a grin as Kagome grunted at the impact. The resulting ouswari and argument was so typical that she barely paid any attention to the details. She did start paying attention when Kagome turned for scolding voice on Shippo.
"Honest," he was saying, "I wasn't doing anything to him!"
Kagome merely looked at him. Like Sango before him, he couldn't hold up for long under That Look. Scuffing a foot on the ground, he refused to look at her as he grudgingly admitted, "I was only asking when you would be back, and maybe, you know, blaming him for you leaving, and, well, maybe, punishing him a bit for it..." he stuttered to a halt and closed his eyes, waiting for the punishment.
Kagome knelt before the little fox cub and gently tapped him on the nose. "I think," she said softly, "that you owe someone an apology."
Shippo stared at her, wide-eyed, but, as her determination did not waver, he was forced to turn around and mumble a reluctant apology to the sitting hanyou. Inuyasha's smirk grew at Shippo's humiliation. Kagome observed this and decided that Inuyasha needed a talking to as well.
"Now," she said with forced cheer, "all Inuyasha has to do is apologize and the rest can be forgotten."
"What!" Inuyasha exclaimed. "I already got sat for this! No way am I gonna say I'm sorry as well."
"Inuyasha," Kagome said, frowning. "I apologize for subduing you before I knew the facts. However, now that Shippo has apologized for his behavior, you should apologize for you over-reaction."
"Feh," was the only response as he turned away.
"Inuyasha," she said, more warning in her tone. "Ousw-"
"Fine! Fine," he said hastily. "I'm sorry," he said to Shippo. "There, ya happy now?"
She winced at the sarcasm in his tone. "No," she said as she turned to go into the hut, defeat in her tone. "I'm not happy. I won't be happy until you will be decent and polite without me threatening to smash your face into the ground. But that's about as likely as you having silver hair on a new moon."
Just as she entered the hut, Kouga appeared at the furthest edges of her senses. She paused for the barest instant before moving on. He wouldn't be here for a bit, and she wasn't supposed to be able to sense him at that distance in any case. She greeted Kaede half-heartedly and sat down.
"That was quite a display, child," Kaede said dryly.
"Do you think it'll have any effect, Kaede-basan?" she asked wearily.
"I don't know," Kaede mused thoughtfully. "You know how stubborn he is, but you didn't see the look he gave you at your last words. He looked like you punched him in the gut."
"Oh no!" Kagome exclaimed as she stood up. "I'd better go apologize."
As she said those words, cries of 'mangy mutt' and 'wimpy wolf' were heard outside, and Kaede chuckled. "I don't think he'll hear any apology you try to make now," she said.
Kagome sighed. "I'd better go separate them," she said, "before they kill themselves."
She ran out of the hut, frantically trying to remember what she had done that day. As she eyed the fight, her actions came back to her and she nearly groaned. She had been particularly stupid the first time around. Waiting for the appropriate moment in the fight, she mentally prepared herself for the pain to come. Finally Kouga prepared a perfect jump kick, and she knew it was time to move.
"Ouswari!" she called for the second time that day as she ran between the combatants. "Kouga-kun, stop!"
There was no way to avoid contact. Kouga's perfect jump kick landed on Kagome, sending her flying into the small stream that ran outside the hut. She quickly washed on shore up a few feet downstream.
"Oww," she muttered as she sat up, wincing.
"Kagome-chan!" "Kagome-sama!" Sango and Miroku called out as they ran to her. Sango reached her first, and called out, "Shippo, go get Kaede-basan!"
This order seemed to snap Kouga out of his paralysis, and he started to go over to the fallen girl. For once Inuyasha was quicker than the wolf, and Kouga found himself staring at the business end of the Tetsusaiga.
"Take one more step towards her," Inuyasha growled, "and I will personally see to it that it will be the last step you ever take."
Kouga backed away from the murderous intent in the hanyou's eyes. Holding his arms up peaceably, he called out, "I'm sorry, Kagome. That blow was not meant for you."
"I know, Kouga-kun," she responded, a little breathless. He had knocked the wind out of her, at least. "However," she continued, "now would be a good time to leave, I think."
Kouga nodded, and without even a farewell, the whirlwind appeared, and he was gone. Miroku and Sango helped Kagome into the hut, and Kaede looked over her injuries as Inuyasha paced outside with what he wouldn't admit as nervous energy. Once told that her injuries were minor, he ran off into the forest to work off some of the built up energy.
Inside the hut, Kagome rested against the wall with Shippo on her lap, while Miroku and Kaede sat before her. Sango was off to the side, cleaning her boomerang. Kagome had decided to have a lesson while her injury kept her immobilized.
"The most important thing to remember," Kaede began, "is that your powers don't distinguish between youkai. Without direction, a blast could hurt Shippo or Inuyasha."
Kagome's fingers twitched against Shippo's fur as Miroku continued the lesson, "Right now your powers focus on your arrows; simply the act of firing provides the direction and focus. When your powers mature, you'll be able to provide your own blasts. From what we can tell, you will have a lot of power when you mature, so you will need to learn to control them, especially if you want to remain close to the youkai in our group."
Kagome nodded, then asked the question she was supposed to ask. "How will I know when my powers mature?"
"One of us could tell, or anyone that can sense it. Sango would probably know, and certainly Inuyasha," Miroku explained. "There's usually a rather spectacular light show involved, so you'll know as well. Afterwards you can feel more things, not just aura's you are already familiar with."
"Okay," Kagome said.
"But first and foremost you need control," Kaede said. "Close your eyes and relax. Take a deep breath..."
* * *
"You bastard! Come back here!" Inuyasha snarled.
Sesshomaru gave no response save a raised eyebrow, as he pressed his attack. Kagome resisted the urge to roll her eyes as the brothers fought. Her lesson (and a late lunch) had been interrupted by Inuyasha's curses. Kagome and the rest had gone outside to see the battle already begun. She now held her bow loosely in her hands, an arrow ready to cock and shoot. She wasn't sure if she could actually shoot with her bruised ribs, but knew from past experience that she wouldn't have to. So she just stared at the fight and anxiously waited for Rin to be stolen. It broke her heart to put the girl through that pain, but it had to be done if Kohaku was to survive. Finally Jaken came stumbling out of the woods.
"Sesshomaru-sama! It's horrible!" the little youkai panted.
Sesshomaru paused the fight. "Jaken," he said. "I thought I told you to-"
He cut himself off abruptly. Turning to his rather curious audience, he said coldly, "We will finish this later, pup. Jaken has reminded me of my responsibilities."
'A good lie,' thought Kagome, 'but now I can see how worried you are about the girl.' "I'm sorry," she whispered.
She was running to stop a furious Inuyasha from charging after his brother, so she missed Sesshomaru's brief pause at the edge of the forest. Inuyasha's curses took up all of her attention.
"That bastard!" he growled. "What does he think he is doing, walking out in the middle of the fight? I bet he just told Jaken to come when it looked like he was losing. I oughta go after him and rip out his throat. I oughta-"
"Please, Inuyasha, don't," pleaded Kagome. "Just leave this one alone, ne?"
Inuyasha looked at her in amazement. "You're defending him?" he asked. "Why? And why did you apologize to him?"
Kagome giggled nervously, "You heard that?"
" 'Course I did!" Inuyasha exclaimed indignantly. "It was loud enough that he probably heard as well."
Kagome began backing up nervously, and ran into Sango. Her best friend steadied her through her hiss of pain. She avoided the question by turning to Miroku, "I should finish my lesson now, ne?"
Miroku nodded, seeming a little confused. Kagome practically ran back to the hut as fast as her bruised ribs would allow, leaving the others standing in the battle scared field. Finally, Miroku cleared his throat.
"Is it just me," he said, "or is Kagome-sama behaving a little strangely today?"
The others nodded and Shippo jumped up onto his shoulder. "She even scolded me!" he exclaimed indignantly. Sango and Miroku rolled their eyes.
"Feh," said Inuyasha. "That's something I wouldn't change."
"You don't understand!" Shippo cried, frustrated. "She scolded me in the youkai manner!" He tapped his own nose for emphasis. "How did she know to do that?"
That gave the others something to ponder as the walked back to the hut. At least Sango and Miroku walked back. Inuyasha had stalked off into the forest again, and Shippo was still riding on Miroku. They entered the hut and went back to their interrupted activities, Kagome and Miroku to her lesson, Sango to the Hiraikotsu, and Shippo to his crayons. Inuyasha did not come back until just before supper.
* * *
"Ahhh, look at the stars, Shippo-chan!" Kagome exclaimed as she flopped onto the grass.
The atmosphere had been tense all afternoon, and by supper she couldn't stand it anymore. She barely managed to choke down her food before she left, Shippo trailing after. This day had been exhausting. Right now she couldn't remember the excuse she had had the first time this day had happened, and, truthfully, she no longer cared. She just knew she had to be outside to see Kikyo's soul stealers, and she had used any excuse necessary to escape the atmosphere inside the hut.
"Kagome?"
Kagome blinked and belatedly realized that Shippo had been talking to her. "I'm sorry, Shippo-chan," she said. "What were you saying?"
"I was wondering if you knew the stories of the stars," he said.
"Well, I know a few," she said, and pointed out the constellations that she knew and the stories behind them. Shippo listened quietly until she finally stumbled to a halt. For lack of anything else to say, she asked, "Do you know any star stories, Shippo-chan?"
"Yes!" Shippo said, nodding enthusiastically. "My mom told me one about the river of the heavens."
"I would like to hear it," she said, smiling.
"Okay!" Shippo got up and assumed a 'storytelling pose,' his hands behind his back and his nose in the air. "One day the daughter of the emperor, Orihime, was sitting beside the river of the heavens. She had been weaving because her father, Tentei, liked the pretty clothes she made. But she was sad because she had never fallen in love. Tentei arranged a marriage for her, and she was very happy with her new husband, Kengyuu.
"But Tentei grew angry, because Orihime was neglecting her weaving. As punishment, Tentei banished Kengyuu back to the other side of the river. They could only meet on one day of the year, the seventh day of the seventh month, when the river is low and Orihime can cross to meet her Kengyuu. But if she has not done her weaving properly, Tentei will make it rain so that the river will flood and Orihime can't cross.
"On clear nights you can see Orihime Boshi and Kengyuu Boshi on either side of the river of the heavens." He looked up and pointed them out to her, one star on each side of the Milky Way.
"That was a beautiful story, Shippo-chan," Kagome said
"Feh."
"Inuyasha!" Kagome shrieked. "You startled me!"
"Humph," he dismissed her concern with a shrug. "Oi, kid. You forgot about the boatman and the magpies."
"What!" squeaked Shippo. "There's no boatman in that legend!"
"Sure there is," Inuyasha scoffed. "The boatman who ferries her across the river, and the magpies that fly her across when the river floods."
"That's not in the story!" Shippo challenged.
"Yes, it is!" was the response.
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
"Both of you calm down! You're both right," Kagome cried, giggling. 'Honestly,' she thought, 'those two are worse than me and Souta!' "The legend your mom told you, Shippo-chan, was an older version. When it came to Japan it acquired the boatman and the magpies."
"Oh," Shippo said, oddly disappointed. "So, you had already heard the story, Kagome."
"Y-yes," she said, suddenly aware of how she might have hurt his feelings. "But I've never heard it told so well."
Shippo puffed up with pride. Inuyasha prepared to deflate him with a well chosen word or two, but a pointed glare from Kagome to his rosary reminded him of his priorities. Kagome's eyes traveled to something behind him, and the change in her countenance was astounding. All gentle humor left as her eyes became grim and determined. The pain he had caught flashes of earlier in the day was back full force. He turned to see what would have affected such a change. He was answered almost immediately. Kikyo's soul stealers floated just outside the forest edge. Even as he spotted them, one of them separated from the group to circle around him. Without a second thought he jumped up and ran after it.
"Shippo-chan," Kagome said very seriously, "could you go and get my bow and arrows? I have to go and save Inuyasha from himself."
As Shippo nodded and ran away, Kagome buried her head in her arms. 'God, why does it have to be this way? She didn't mean any harm this time, why do I have to be the one to ruin it?' she thought despairingly. 'We're really too alike, you know. Past her hate and my pride, all we really want is his happiness. We both just want to be a part of it.'
By this time Shippo had returned with bow and arrows, Sango and Miroku trailing behind him. She gratefully took them and shook her head at the others' offers of assistance. Shouldering her weapon, she gave them one final sad smile before she ran off in pursuit of her love and her greatest rival, herself.
* * *
"I'm not sure how many more of these Kagome can survive," Sango said thoughtfully.
At Miroku's inquiring look, Sango explained, "Every time she comes back in tears. There is only so much a girl can take before she begins to resent the object of her love. It must rip out her soul every time she sees the one she loves in the arms of another."
"You sound as if you speak from experience," Miroku said slyly.
"I-I," Sango floundered, suddenly mesmerized by the monk's eyes.
"Sango," he declared dramatically, gathering up her hands into his. "From this day for the I take a new vow. Never shall you feel the pain Kagome feels tonight. Henceforward," he paused, and Sango held her breath in anticipation, "I will grope only you!"
Though the growl that followed was soft, the slap was surely loud enough to startle even Kagome.
* * *
"What do you want, Kikyo?" Inuyasha finally asked.
He had arrived at the clearing to find Kikyo, who seemed content to stare at him in silence. He had been aware of their audience for sometime. Kagome's scent almost overpowered Kikyo's, and he was amazed that Kikyo did not seem to know of the other girl's presence. His question seemed to startle her though, and she finally stepped forward to reach one hand up to his face. The hand didn't connect for the longest time, but when it did she seemed to stumble forward so that he had no choice but to catch her.
"No!" Kagome called, and ran into the clearing, arrow at the ready. "Get away from him! He still has work to do, goals to achieve!"
Kikyo broke out of Inuyasha's embrace. "And what about me?" she said coldly. "Did I not have goals, did I not still have work to do? Foolish girl. I am not always vengeful. But since you interrupted our meeting, you deserve to be punished."
Suddenly her soul stealers appeared and swirled around her. Inuyasha stepped protectively in front of Kagome. This seemed to come as a blow to Kikyo, and she gathered up her soul stealers and left the clearing. After she left, Inuyasha hunched over, hiding himself from Kagome.
"Inuyasha?" she said tentatively. 'Time to play out the rest,' she thought. "Are you alright?"
"Why must she mean harm every single time according to you?" he snarled. "She is human, or was, and she has part of your soul, for God's sake. You'd think you'd understand her a little more!"
"I'm sorry," she said with tears in her eyes. "I didn't mean any harm."
"Yeah, well, this time neither did she! You were the one to initiate it this time!" he growled, and finally turned to look at her. The raw pain in his eyes made her step back.
"I'm sorry," she repeated helplessly. She turned to run out of the clearing like she was supposed to, but his short bark of laughter startled her.
"Sorry," he said sarcastically. "That seems to be your favorite word today. Maybe you should go with that wimpy wolf, who still manages to apologize even after he beats you up. Go ahead, run away. You'll be hearing no apologies from me." And he laughed again.
She ran back to the hut with her hands over her ears, but he laughter still echoed cruelly in her head. That hadn't happened the first time! Without explanation to either Sango or Miroku she threw herself on her bedding and cried herself to sleep.
* * *
She woke up at her desk on top of that blasted journal. Eyeing it cautiously, she tried to work up the courage to open it. She knew, even being as careful as she had been, that she had tweaked the past slightly. She did not want to find Sango or Miroku in that journal.
She stared at it for at least half an hour before she finally got the courage to open it. Shippo came first. The tears started to fall as she read about the fox, the wolf, and the fire cat. She hesitated again before turning the page when Kirara's section was through. Closing her eyes, she turned the page quickly. Steeling her courage, she opened her eyes to find a tribute to Sesshomaru. She exhaled in relief, only to hate herself for being relieved over his death. She skimmed over his section to read the section on Inuyasha, but it wasn't there. There was a tribute Kohaku. She stared at it in disbelief. Kohaku should have survived!
She flipped back to Sesshomaru's section and read it more closely. When she was done she stared at the passage in astonishment. One word! One stupid little word to appease her guilty consciousness had changed the past again. Not that she had said so in any explicit terms, but in the light of day it was clear.
"For some reason," she had written, "Sesshomaru blamed me of Rin's capture. Not that I had anything to do with it, but that I could have prevented it, and chose not to. I have no idea where he got such a notion, as I had protected Rin with all my might. Whatever the reason, this belief caused him to go against Naraku alone. He fought alone and died alone. Rin and Jaken were killed shortly thereafter."
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Author's note: I don't like writing Kikyo!! *Whines* She's HARD!!!! I hope I got her somewhat in character, though. Other than that I don't have much to say, except that I apologize for Inuyasha's behavior at the end of the chapter. Bad Hanyou! Even I winced when I wrote it!
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Review Responses:
(FF.net)
Aamelie: I am very much a Miroku and Sango fan as well!! We need more fics of them!! Glad you agree with me on Kikyo. And feel free to rant, I like long reviews.
Moonsilver: Thank you for letting me use your idea, it will be used two chapters from now (I think). I hope I cleared up everything for you in this chapter. It shouldn't be so confusing from here on in.
Aja hanna: Hopefully this chapter answered you questions, but if you are still confused you can email me with specific questions and I will answer them. My email is on my bio page.
Tessie-fanfic: Glad you like it and you've guessed right!! I will try to update soon!
Bluecyberdragon8: I will warn you for this fanfic, take nothing for granted. The dead come back to life! Bwa ha ha ha ha!!!
Aldlen Hawke: Glad you liked the story, and my writing! Too bad I can't come up with any original ideas, because I would love to do this for a living! (I can only tweak other's ideas *bows to Rumiko Takahashi*)
(Mediaminer.org)
Aditu: Yay! My first review on media miner!!! *Blushes from the amount of tens on the screen* I'm really glad that the only problem is that there was only two chapters. I can fix that!!!
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Sorry, no parody this time!
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WS
Warnings: Nothing in this chapter, unless you hate Kikyo, or Shippo.
Author's note: I managed to confuse EVERYONE!!! For those who guessed Groundhog day, or something similar, you were mostly correct.
Review Responses at end
For Such a Time as This
Chapter 3: ...The More They Stay the Same
Kagome stared up at Sango's smiling face in shock. This was her dream; the past, the past-past, not the present-past or the future-past... she stopped thinking about it. It only confused her more. As she stared up at Sango, she decided to experiment.
"I just realized I forgot something," she called apologetically. "I'll be right back."
Sango nodded, and her head disappeared. Kagome painfully climbed halfway up the well, took a deep breath, and fell back down. She closed her eyes, the familiar flying/falling sensation took a hold of her and...
And she woke up, at her desk, with her head in her arms on top of the now familiar journal. She shook her head, confused, then leapt up and ran down to the kitchen. Breezing by her mother, she grabbed her bag and ran to the well. Jumping through, Kagome called out, hardly daring to hope, "Is anybody there to help me out?"
Sango's head appeared in the opening, much to her relief. "Hey," she called down cheerfully, "Inuyasha's still sulking, and Miroku's gone to 'help' some of the village women, so I decided to help you up."
Kagome tossed her bag up and followed soon thereafter. She sat on the side of the well to catch her breath and to think. She was in the past-past again, and it seemed that if she went back through the well or fell asleep, she would simply go back to the beginning. She had been given the chance to change her mistake.
She drew a deep breath to calm herself. She would just have to be extremely careful not to change the past at all. If the past was set right again, the loop could be fixed and she would return to her proper time. She would just have to be careful. The future hadn't been great, but at least Sango had been happy.
She suddenly realized that Sango was staring at her oddly. "I'm fine, Sango," she said. "Just a little tired."
"I'll carry your bag then," Sango said.
"Are you sure? I managed to bring all of my textbooks this time," Kagome said teasingly.
"It can't be any heavier than the Hiraikotsu," Sango responded in the same tone. She lifted the bag and staggered a little. "Then again..."
They both were laughing as they started off towards the village.
"Shall I make a wild guess as to how many bumps will be on Miroku-sama's head by the time he is finished 'helping' the village women?" Kagome asked.
"Why, Kagome-chan!" Sango said, shocked. "You should know by now that he'll have none!"
Kagome merely level a Look at her; one that demanded that she drop the other shoe.
Sango was only able to hold her stoic face for so long under The Look. "He won't have any bumps on his head," she said, "until he's through 'helping' me."
They were halfway to the village by now, and Kagome, warned by past experience, braced herself for the vision. Her forewarning did not err, but her preparation did her no good. The vision still sent shaft of pain and sorrow through her heart, making it race as her body prepared for a battle that wasn't going to happen. Then Naraku spoke. Her veins turned to ice, her breath stuck in her throat, and her hands began to shake. Somehow knowing that the vision would come, knowing exactly which images would be shown, made the experience all the worse.
Finally the vision released its hold on her. She blinked, and once more Sango was standing in front of her. Her best friend looked extremely worried about her, and she smiled reassuringly as she frantically tried to remember what she had told Sango the first time. She knew that she hadn't told any of her friends about the visions, but couldn't remember what excuse she had used.
"It's just a sudden chill," she said finally. "I feel like something important is going to happen today."
Maybe not the excuse she had used the first time, but it was a good lie, and could be justified by the events of the day. At the very least, Sango seemed to accept it, and they passed the rest of the walk to the village in a comfortable silence... a silence that was interrupted by a barreling Kitsune, screaming out Kagome's name.
Sango hid a grin as Kagome grunted at the impact. The resulting ouswari and argument was so typical that she barely paid any attention to the details. She did start paying attention when Kagome turned for scolding voice on Shippo.
"Honest," he was saying, "I wasn't doing anything to him!"
Kagome merely looked at him. Like Sango before him, he couldn't hold up for long under That Look. Scuffing a foot on the ground, he refused to look at her as he grudgingly admitted, "I was only asking when you would be back, and maybe, you know, blaming him for you leaving, and, well, maybe, punishing him a bit for it..." he stuttered to a halt and closed his eyes, waiting for the punishment.
Kagome knelt before the little fox cub and gently tapped him on the nose. "I think," she said softly, "that you owe someone an apology."
Shippo stared at her, wide-eyed, but, as her determination did not waver, he was forced to turn around and mumble a reluctant apology to the sitting hanyou. Inuyasha's smirk grew at Shippo's humiliation. Kagome observed this and decided that Inuyasha needed a talking to as well.
"Now," she said with forced cheer, "all Inuyasha has to do is apologize and the rest can be forgotten."
"What!" Inuyasha exclaimed. "I already got sat for this! No way am I gonna say I'm sorry as well."
"Inuyasha," Kagome said, frowning. "I apologize for subduing you before I knew the facts. However, now that Shippo has apologized for his behavior, you should apologize for you over-reaction."
"Feh," was the only response as he turned away.
"Inuyasha," she said, more warning in her tone. "Ousw-"
"Fine! Fine," he said hastily. "I'm sorry," he said to Shippo. "There, ya happy now?"
She winced at the sarcasm in his tone. "No," she said as she turned to go into the hut, defeat in her tone. "I'm not happy. I won't be happy until you will be decent and polite without me threatening to smash your face into the ground. But that's about as likely as you having silver hair on a new moon."
Just as she entered the hut, Kouga appeared at the furthest edges of her senses. She paused for the barest instant before moving on. He wouldn't be here for a bit, and she wasn't supposed to be able to sense him at that distance in any case. She greeted Kaede half-heartedly and sat down.
"That was quite a display, child," Kaede said dryly.
"Do you think it'll have any effect, Kaede-basan?" she asked wearily.
"I don't know," Kaede mused thoughtfully. "You know how stubborn he is, but you didn't see the look he gave you at your last words. He looked like you punched him in the gut."
"Oh no!" Kagome exclaimed as she stood up. "I'd better go apologize."
As she said those words, cries of 'mangy mutt' and 'wimpy wolf' were heard outside, and Kaede chuckled. "I don't think he'll hear any apology you try to make now," she said.
Kagome sighed. "I'd better go separate them," she said, "before they kill themselves."
She ran out of the hut, frantically trying to remember what she had done that day. As she eyed the fight, her actions came back to her and she nearly groaned. She had been particularly stupid the first time around. Waiting for the appropriate moment in the fight, she mentally prepared herself for the pain to come. Finally Kouga prepared a perfect jump kick, and she knew it was time to move.
"Ouswari!" she called for the second time that day as she ran between the combatants. "Kouga-kun, stop!"
There was no way to avoid contact. Kouga's perfect jump kick landed on Kagome, sending her flying into the small stream that ran outside the hut. She quickly washed on shore up a few feet downstream.
"Oww," she muttered as she sat up, wincing.
"Kagome-chan!" "Kagome-sama!" Sango and Miroku called out as they ran to her. Sango reached her first, and called out, "Shippo, go get Kaede-basan!"
This order seemed to snap Kouga out of his paralysis, and he started to go over to the fallen girl. For once Inuyasha was quicker than the wolf, and Kouga found himself staring at the business end of the Tetsusaiga.
"Take one more step towards her," Inuyasha growled, "and I will personally see to it that it will be the last step you ever take."
Kouga backed away from the murderous intent in the hanyou's eyes. Holding his arms up peaceably, he called out, "I'm sorry, Kagome. That blow was not meant for you."
"I know, Kouga-kun," she responded, a little breathless. He had knocked the wind out of her, at least. "However," she continued, "now would be a good time to leave, I think."
Kouga nodded, and without even a farewell, the whirlwind appeared, and he was gone. Miroku and Sango helped Kagome into the hut, and Kaede looked over her injuries as Inuyasha paced outside with what he wouldn't admit as nervous energy. Once told that her injuries were minor, he ran off into the forest to work off some of the built up energy.
Inside the hut, Kagome rested against the wall with Shippo on her lap, while Miroku and Kaede sat before her. Sango was off to the side, cleaning her boomerang. Kagome had decided to have a lesson while her injury kept her immobilized.
"The most important thing to remember," Kaede began, "is that your powers don't distinguish between youkai. Without direction, a blast could hurt Shippo or Inuyasha."
Kagome's fingers twitched against Shippo's fur as Miroku continued the lesson, "Right now your powers focus on your arrows; simply the act of firing provides the direction and focus. When your powers mature, you'll be able to provide your own blasts. From what we can tell, you will have a lot of power when you mature, so you will need to learn to control them, especially if you want to remain close to the youkai in our group."
Kagome nodded, then asked the question she was supposed to ask. "How will I know when my powers mature?"
"One of us could tell, or anyone that can sense it. Sango would probably know, and certainly Inuyasha," Miroku explained. "There's usually a rather spectacular light show involved, so you'll know as well. Afterwards you can feel more things, not just aura's you are already familiar with."
"Okay," Kagome said.
"But first and foremost you need control," Kaede said. "Close your eyes and relax. Take a deep breath..."
* * *
"You bastard! Come back here!" Inuyasha snarled.
Sesshomaru gave no response save a raised eyebrow, as he pressed his attack. Kagome resisted the urge to roll her eyes as the brothers fought. Her lesson (and a late lunch) had been interrupted by Inuyasha's curses. Kagome and the rest had gone outside to see the battle already begun. She now held her bow loosely in her hands, an arrow ready to cock and shoot. She wasn't sure if she could actually shoot with her bruised ribs, but knew from past experience that she wouldn't have to. So she just stared at the fight and anxiously waited for Rin to be stolen. It broke her heart to put the girl through that pain, but it had to be done if Kohaku was to survive. Finally Jaken came stumbling out of the woods.
"Sesshomaru-sama! It's horrible!" the little youkai panted.
Sesshomaru paused the fight. "Jaken," he said. "I thought I told you to-"
He cut himself off abruptly. Turning to his rather curious audience, he said coldly, "We will finish this later, pup. Jaken has reminded me of my responsibilities."
'A good lie,' thought Kagome, 'but now I can see how worried you are about the girl.' "I'm sorry," she whispered.
She was running to stop a furious Inuyasha from charging after his brother, so she missed Sesshomaru's brief pause at the edge of the forest. Inuyasha's curses took up all of her attention.
"That bastard!" he growled. "What does he think he is doing, walking out in the middle of the fight? I bet he just told Jaken to come when it looked like he was losing. I oughta go after him and rip out his throat. I oughta-"
"Please, Inuyasha, don't," pleaded Kagome. "Just leave this one alone, ne?"
Inuyasha looked at her in amazement. "You're defending him?" he asked. "Why? And why did you apologize to him?"
Kagome giggled nervously, "You heard that?"
" 'Course I did!" Inuyasha exclaimed indignantly. "It was loud enough that he probably heard as well."
Kagome began backing up nervously, and ran into Sango. Her best friend steadied her through her hiss of pain. She avoided the question by turning to Miroku, "I should finish my lesson now, ne?"
Miroku nodded, seeming a little confused. Kagome practically ran back to the hut as fast as her bruised ribs would allow, leaving the others standing in the battle scared field. Finally, Miroku cleared his throat.
"Is it just me," he said, "or is Kagome-sama behaving a little strangely today?"
The others nodded and Shippo jumped up onto his shoulder. "She even scolded me!" he exclaimed indignantly. Sango and Miroku rolled their eyes.
"Feh," said Inuyasha. "That's something I wouldn't change."
"You don't understand!" Shippo cried, frustrated. "She scolded me in the youkai manner!" He tapped his own nose for emphasis. "How did she know to do that?"
That gave the others something to ponder as the walked back to the hut. At least Sango and Miroku walked back. Inuyasha had stalked off into the forest again, and Shippo was still riding on Miroku. They entered the hut and went back to their interrupted activities, Kagome and Miroku to her lesson, Sango to the Hiraikotsu, and Shippo to his crayons. Inuyasha did not come back until just before supper.
* * *
"Ahhh, look at the stars, Shippo-chan!" Kagome exclaimed as she flopped onto the grass.
The atmosphere had been tense all afternoon, and by supper she couldn't stand it anymore. She barely managed to choke down her food before she left, Shippo trailing after. This day had been exhausting. Right now she couldn't remember the excuse she had had the first time this day had happened, and, truthfully, she no longer cared. She just knew she had to be outside to see Kikyo's soul stealers, and she had used any excuse necessary to escape the atmosphere inside the hut.
"Kagome?"
Kagome blinked and belatedly realized that Shippo had been talking to her. "I'm sorry, Shippo-chan," she said. "What were you saying?"
"I was wondering if you knew the stories of the stars," he said.
"Well, I know a few," she said, and pointed out the constellations that she knew and the stories behind them. Shippo listened quietly until she finally stumbled to a halt. For lack of anything else to say, she asked, "Do you know any star stories, Shippo-chan?"
"Yes!" Shippo said, nodding enthusiastically. "My mom told me one about the river of the heavens."
"I would like to hear it," she said, smiling.
"Okay!" Shippo got up and assumed a 'storytelling pose,' his hands behind his back and his nose in the air. "One day the daughter of the emperor, Orihime, was sitting beside the river of the heavens. She had been weaving because her father, Tentei, liked the pretty clothes she made. But she was sad because she had never fallen in love. Tentei arranged a marriage for her, and she was very happy with her new husband, Kengyuu.
"But Tentei grew angry, because Orihime was neglecting her weaving. As punishment, Tentei banished Kengyuu back to the other side of the river. They could only meet on one day of the year, the seventh day of the seventh month, when the river is low and Orihime can cross to meet her Kengyuu. But if she has not done her weaving properly, Tentei will make it rain so that the river will flood and Orihime can't cross.
"On clear nights you can see Orihime Boshi and Kengyuu Boshi on either side of the river of the heavens." He looked up and pointed them out to her, one star on each side of the Milky Way.
"That was a beautiful story, Shippo-chan," Kagome said
"Feh."
"Inuyasha!" Kagome shrieked. "You startled me!"
"Humph," he dismissed her concern with a shrug. "Oi, kid. You forgot about the boatman and the magpies."
"What!" squeaked Shippo. "There's no boatman in that legend!"
"Sure there is," Inuyasha scoffed. "The boatman who ferries her across the river, and the magpies that fly her across when the river floods."
"That's not in the story!" Shippo challenged.
"Yes, it is!" was the response.
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
"Both of you calm down! You're both right," Kagome cried, giggling. 'Honestly,' she thought, 'those two are worse than me and Souta!' "The legend your mom told you, Shippo-chan, was an older version. When it came to Japan it acquired the boatman and the magpies."
"Oh," Shippo said, oddly disappointed. "So, you had already heard the story, Kagome."
"Y-yes," she said, suddenly aware of how she might have hurt his feelings. "But I've never heard it told so well."
Shippo puffed up with pride. Inuyasha prepared to deflate him with a well chosen word or two, but a pointed glare from Kagome to his rosary reminded him of his priorities. Kagome's eyes traveled to something behind him, and the change in her countenance was astounding. All gentle humor left as her eyes became grim and determined. The pain he had caught flashes of earlier in the day was back full force. He turned to see what would have affected such a change. He was answered almost immediately. Kikyo's soul stealers floated just outside the forest edge. Even as he spotted them, one of them separated from the group to circle around him. Without a second thought he jumped up and ran after it.
"Shippo-chan," Kagome said very seriously, "could you go and get my bow and arrows? I have to go and save Inuyasha from himself."
As Shippo nodded and ran away, Kagome buried her head in her arms. 'God, why does it have to be this way? She didn't mean any harm this time, why do I have to be the one to ruin it?' she thought despairingly. 'We're really too alike, you know. Past her hate and my pride, all we really want is his happiness. We both just want to be a part of it.'
By this time Shippo had returned with bow and arrows, Sango and Miroku trailing behind him. She gratefully took them and shook her head at the others' offers of assistance. Shouldering her weapon, she gave them one final sad smile before she ran off in pursuit of her love and her greatest rival, herself.
* * *
"I'm not sure how many more of these Kagome can survive," Sango said thoughtfully.
At Miroku's inquiring look, Sango explained, "Every time she comes back in tears. There is only so much a girl can take before she begins to resent the object of her love. It must rip out her soul every time she sees the one she loves in the arms of another."
"You sound as if you speak from experience," Miroku said slyly.
"I-I," Sango floundered, suddenly mesmerized by the monk's eyes.
"Sango," he declared dramatically, gathering up her hands into his. "From this day for the I take a new vow. Never shall you feel the pain Kagome feels tonight. Henceforward," he paused, and Sango held her breath in anticipation, "I will grope only you!"
Though the growl that followed was soft, the slap was surely loud enough to startle even Kagome.
* * *
"What do you want, Kikyo?" Inuyasha finally asked.
He had arrived at the clearing to find Kikyo, who seemed content to stare at him in silence. He had been aware of their audience for sometime. Kagome's scent almost overpowered Kikyo's, and he was amazed that Kikyo did not seem to know of the other girl's presence. His question seemed to startle her though, and she finally stepped forward to reach one hand up to his face. The hand didn't connect for the longest time, but when it did she seemed to stumble forward so that he had no choice but to catch her.
"No!" Kagome called, and ran into the clearing, arrow at the ready. "Get away from him! He still has work to do, goals to achieve!"
Kikyo broke out of Inuyasha's embrace. "And what about me?" she said coldly. "Did I not have goals, did I not still have work to do? Foolish girl. I am not always vengeful. But since you interrupted our meeting, you deserve to be punished."
Suddenly her soul stealers appeared and swirled around her. Inuyasha stepped protectively in front of Kagome. This seemed to come as a blow to Kikyo, and she gathered up her soul stealers and left the clearing. After she left, Inuyasha hunched over, hiding himself from Kagome.
"Inuyasha?" she said tentatively. 'Time to play out the rest,' she thought. "Are you alright?"
"Why must she mean harm every single time according to you?" he snarled. "She is human, or was, and she has part of your soul, for God's sake. You'd think you'd understand her a little more!"
"I'm sorry," she said with tears in her eyes. "I didn't mean any harm."
"Yeah, well, this time neither did she! You were the one to initiate it this time!" he growled, and finally turned to look at her. The raw pain in his eyes made her step back.
"I'm sorry," she repeated helplessly. She turned to run out of the clearing like she was supposed to, but his short bark of laughter startled her.
"Sorry," he said sarcastically. "That seems to be your favorite word today. Maybe you should go with that wimpy wolf, who still manages to apologize even after he beats you up. Go ahead, run away. You'll be hearing no apologies from me." And he laughed again.
She ran back to the hut with her hands over her ears, but he laughter still echoed cruelly in her head. That hadn't happened the first time! Without explanation to either Sango or Miroku she threw herself on her bedding and cried herself to sleep.
* * *
She woke up at her desk on top of that blasted journal. Eyeing it cautiously, she tried to work up the courage to open it. She knew, even being as careful as she had been, that she had tweaked the past slightly. She did not want to find Sango or Miroku in that journal.
She stared at it for at least half an hour before she finally got the courage to open it. Shippo came first. The tears started to fall as she read about the fox, the wolf, and the fire cat. She hesitated again before turning the page when Kirara's section was through. Closing her eyes, she turned the page quickly. Steeling her courage, she opened her eyes to find a tribute to Sesshomaru. She exhaled in relief, only to hate herself for being relieved over his death. She skimmed over his section to read the section on Inuyasha, but it wasn't there. There was a tribute Kohaku. She stared at it in disbelief. Kohaku should have survived!
She flipped back to Sesshomaru's section and read it more closely. When she was done she stared at the passage in astonishment. One word! One stupid little word to appease her guilty consciousness had changed the past again. Not that she had said so in any explicit terms, but in the light of day it was clear.
"For some reason," she had written, "Sesshomaru blamed me of Rin's capture. Not that I had anything to do with it, but that I could have prevented it, and chose not to. I have no idea where he got such a notion, as I had protected Rin with all my might. Whatever the reason, this belief caused him to go against Naraku alone. He fought alone and died alone. Rin and Jaken were killed shortly thereafter."
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Author's note: I don't like writing Kikyo!! *Whines* She's HARD!!!! I hope I got her somewhat in character, though. Other than that I don't have much to say, except that I apologize for Inuyasha's behavior at the end of the chapter. Bad Hanyou! Even I winced when I wrote it!
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Review Responses:
(FF.net)
Aamelie: I am very much a Miroku and Sango fan as well!! We need more fics of them!! Glad you agree with me on Kikyo. And feel free to rant, I like long reviews.
Moonsilver: Thank you for letting me use your idea, it will be used two chapters from now (I think). I hope I cleared up everything for you in this chapter. It shouldn't be so confusing from here on in.
Aja hanna: Hopefully this chapter answered you questions, but if you are still confused you can email me with specific questions and I will answer them. My email is on my bio page.
Tessie-fanfic: Glad you like it and you've guessed right!! I will try to update soon!
Bluecyberdragon8: I will warn you for this fanfic, take nothing for granted. The dead come back to life! Bwa ha ha ha ha!!!
Aldlen Hawke: Glad you liked the story, and my writing! Too bad I can't come up with any original ideas, because I would love to do this for a living! (I can only tweak other's ideas *bows to Rumiko Takahashi*)
(Mediaminer.org)
Aditu: Yay! My first review on media miner!!! *Blushes from the amount of tens on the screen* I'm really glad that the only problem is that there was only two chapters. I can fix that!!!
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Sorry, no parody this time!
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WS