InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Half and Half ❯ chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

It took considerable time and effort to calm down Miroku and Sango enough to convince them that Kagome was alright. They had first asked her who and where was the demon who did this to her, and where was the Shikon no Tama, and demanded to know what had happened, why they hadn't come and gotten help.

They both had mentally beat themselves up for leaving the couple to go off on their own, making Kagome vulnerable to such a thing, then asked Inuyasha where he had been and why hadn't he protected Kagome. Kagome sighed in exasperation as the steady stream of questions came from the pair. Inuyasha fumblingly tried to explain, then got all defensive when they accused him of not taking care of Kagome. When he started protesting their accusations in too loud of a voice, and they had repeated them in even louder voices, Kagome feared it would turn into a fight if she didn't do something.

"ENOUGH." she finally shouted, resorting to her rarely used "scary" voice. Miroku and Sango froze. When the normally sweet and subdued Kagome used that voice, you had better hush up. They guiltily looked to Kagome.

"First of all," she breathed deeply. "It's not Inuyasha's fault that I'm like this, nor was it done by any demon. If anyone was at fault, I'd say it was me."

Inuyasha looked at her in surprise. How could she say that? "It was just as much my fault as yours, Kagome." he said quietly.

Inuyasha, actually taking responsibility for something? Miroku and Sango looked at each other. This, they had to hear. Kagome was also surprised that he had admitted to being at fault in any way. Usually his over inflated ego prevented him from relenting to anything that would make him appear in the wrong. He really was beginning to change. It gave her a warm feeling to think of.

But, she had to get back to explaining things. She summarized the events of that afternoon, a little embarrassed at the stupid way she had acted. Ah, well, it was already over and done with. "Can't change the past." she thought to herself.

"You'll just have to make do with the future." It was something she thought of several times over the next few days. When she was done, Sango and Miroku sat, a little stunned.

Miroku smiled wryly at the tale, and Sango looked in pity towards Kagome. "It's really okay," Kagome protested. "It's not so bad. I'm a lot stronger now, and I like having better senses. And I don't look so much different."

"But how are you going to fit in in your time?" the youkai exterminator asked her friend worridly. Kagome paused.

"Actually," she began slowly. "I had been planning to stay here with Inuyasha. I was only going to go back to my time for occasional visits to my family."

Since she had been alone for the better part of the past two days, she hadn't had the chance to tell anyone of her choice. This was news to all of them. "What about 'tests' and 'school'?"

Inuyasha asked, unbelieving that she would leave her life to be with him. "Well, thanks to some dog demon, I was already failing school," she said coyly, glancing at Inuyasha, "So I guess I'll just be a junior high dropout. Which means-" she added, noticing the looks they gave her at the unfamiliar terminology, "-that I won't be going to school anymore, and I wont have any more tests!" she smiled broadly.

That was her favorite part about staying this era, besides Inuyasha, obviously. Miroku spoke up after her joyful little speech. "Do you know why the spell affected Kagome when it went wrong?" Kagome answered. "You know, I've been wondering about that myself. The best theory I could come up with was that when we... messed up... with the spell, it created two spells that combined. When you combine a youkai and a human, you get a hanyou, correct? So the spell became to make Inuyasha a hanyou. Now, Inuyasha already was a hanyou, so the spell should have just cancelled itself out." she paused.

"But the Shikon no Tama was much too powerful a thing to just dissolve. So, since it couldn't effect Inuyasha in anyway, it just kind of..." "Bounced off, and went to Kagome." Inuyasha finished for her, remembering a peculiar sensation he had had that felt much like some powerful thing being reflected off of him. Kagome nodded.

"Hmmm.. Seems plausible." Miroku thought for a moment. "So the main question is how to get you back to normal." he stated. Kagome looked at him in surprise. Back to normal? She hadn't really thought about changing back. Well, yes she had, the first few minutes while she was still in shock over the change, but now.... Now, she wasn't sure if she liked the idea.

"I don't think there's anything powerful emough." Kagome said. The Shikon no Tama had been the most powerful item she had known about. "Surely there's something we could find." Sango said. "That can be our next quest." Kagome shook her head. "I... don't know if... if I want to change back." she said slowly.

There were several more surprised glances. "I kind of like it." she said quietly.

No one could think of anything to say. "I mean, there's no chance of both me and Inuyasha turning back, and hanyous live much longer lives than humans.... I wouldn't mind so much, but I don't want to grow old and die while Inuyasha is still in the prime of his life."

They all saw the reason in this, but just the idea of Kagome accepting being a hanyou.. was a little foreign to them.

Heck, the idea of Kagome _being_ a hanyou was still strange. Miroku sighed. "Well, I suppose it's up to you. Think it over some, though. Make sure it's what you want." he walked over to the entrence of the hut and stared outside. "It's getting late." he said.

The half moon had already risen and the stars shone down merrily on the dark surface of the earth. "Yes, I suppose I should be getting back. Oh, houshi, you made me rush out in such a hurry I forgot to put out my fire!" Sango scolded, and rushed out to make sure her camp hadn't been burned up by now, with Kiarara trailing at her heels.

Miroku sighed. "Well, I suppose I should go and see if she needs help. I wouldn't want the forest to burn down." he said gloomily, but Kagome could see the silly grin plain on his face as he left. "Those two." she sighed, a smile on her face as well. "When are they ever going to get together?" She felt Inuyasha's arms slip around her waist.

"You know, the same could be said of us two weeks ago." he whispered in her ear. She snuggled up against his chest, enjoying the warmth and love that radiated from him.

Moments like these had been rare, the first week after Naraku's battle was spent mainly grieving and healing, both physically and emotionally, then the past two days had been spent with them separated, Inuyasha making his decision. Now, they finally had the time to just enjoy being together. They didn't speak for some time, just drank in one another's presence. Inuyasha had missed Kagome over the past two days.

He hadn't realized how much his heart had hurt without her until he had returned, and, God, it felt good to have her back. He suddenly noticed a change in her scent, and he looked down at her face.

There were tears in her eyes, streaming down her face. "Kagome? What's wrong?" he asked, worried. She half laughed. "Oh, it's nothing." she said, then saw the worried look on his face. "It's just, well, I hate change. Every time something changes I feel like the person I was died, and I can never go back. I know, it's dumb, but I like the comfort of permanence." she laughed again through her tears. "Oh, I'm just being stupid. I'll be fine in a little while." Inuyasha hugged her tighter.

He never realized how hard things must have been for her, getting whipped away to another time, where there were demons and monsters, and she was a priestess.... he wondered how hard she had cried the first night she had been there.

"I really will be okay in a little while, I wasn't lying when I said I think I'll like being like this. It's just, well, an old Kagome has died, and I have to grieve her a little before I can completely slip into being the new Kagome." she sighed and leaned back against his chest. Her tears dried up before too long, and she looked up at him. "Thanks," she whispered, and on an impulse, reached up and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks for not calling me silly or weak," she whispered. He wordlessly hugged her again, and she relaxed in his arms. They sat like that a while, and eventually he could hear her deep breathing, telling him that she was asleep. He carefully carried her to the bed, and sat there, undecided for a moment, before snuggling in next to her.

As he felt the warmth of her body next to his, he felt complete, like before then he had just been a half a person, and had just found the missing half. Ying and Yang, youkai and human, they were two parts of a whole. Half and half. That was them. ***