InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Kismet ❯ Jealous ( Chapter 12 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

Authors Note: Sorry it took so long to get this up, I was away for two weeks and had major writers block. But now I'm back. All I need to tell you is that in my reference in this chapter to 1997, that was when Kagome turned fifteen according to the first manga.

"Kismet"

Chapter twelve

Jealous

Inuyasha stared. She remembered? Just like that; was it possible? He couldn't speak. It seemed that she was in a similar state because she just stared blankly at him as well. What could he say now?

"I'm sorry." but that wasn't him. Kagome looked up at him with an almost tearful expression. "I am so sorry."

And at that moment Midori walked in.

They both stared at her. "Oh," she looked a little skeptical. "Dear;" She looked to Inuyasha. "She's awake; I need to speak with her for a moment. It's essential."

Inuyasha stared for a moment then nodded slowly and got up. There was nothing he wanted less to do right now than to leave her, but Midoriko was a doctor, and if there was any possibility that Kagome was unwell, he would do anything to fix that.

Midori smiled at his back and turned to face Kagome once he had left. "Hello." She smiled lightly and kind. Kagome smiled back, but with a more unsure expression.

Midori noticed this. "I'm sure you're very confused right now," Kagome nodded, seeming to have lost her voice. "Which is very understandable, so I'd like to help you clear things up. While also tending to any injury's? she said, looking down to Kagome's knee.

Her knee was scraped up and bleeding slightly, but for the most part it was dry. She must have scraped it when she fell. Strange that she hadn't noticed it before, but she'd been preoccupied...

A fleeting image of Inuyasha flashed in her mind. "Yeah." she said quickly as she blinked to clear the image. Midori smiled and walked over kneeling by her side. "My name is Midoriko. Though my friends call me Midori; the few that I have." she laughed in irony like it were a joke.

Kagome smiled. "I'm Kagome,"

"I know." she interupted. "I know a lot about you." Kagome thought for a moment and stared blankly, but decided that, that wasn't a bad thing. Midoriko could be trusted. There was something about her. And the fact that Inuyasha trusted her as well was very reassuring. Because somehow she felt that Inuyasha didn't trust easily.

She smiled warmly. "It's nice to meet you; Midori." The simple statement that meant a lot.

Midori smiled gingerly and dipped a cloth into a bowl of clear liquid, that she obviously intended to use for cleaning Kagome's knee.

"Well Kagome let me ask you something: About you, I know that you disapered twenty eight years ago when you were apparently six, before I was born, and now you seem to have only aged about seven or eight years? Are you sixteen or nearly?"

"I'm fifteen." she answered quickly, impatient to know as much as posible about what had happened in her past.

"Right, so somehow Inuyasha and yourself seemed to age at about the same rate. Though of course, he is a hanyou which would make things completely logical for him, but with yuo I'm baffled. I know you're not a hanyou, or a youkai for that matter. So I'm curious. How is it that you have not aged? Enlighten me?"

Kagome stared at her for a moment, wondering if this was a joke. When the older girl just continued to stare back, having stopped treating her wound for a moment, her eyes widened. Did she actually think she knew?

"Um, I, I don't know." At this Midori looked confused. "You don't?" Kagome shook her head vigorously. "No! As far as I know I've only lived for fifteen years. I mean, I've only had fifteen birthdays, and fifteen new years...I think?"

Kagome sported an absolutely horrific look at the thought that she could possibly be confused with how long she had been living, and Midori just seemed a bit surprised. "Well then, where have you been living all this time? Surely that will give us some clue?"

"Well I," she started, but then something jolted violently in her memory; something she'd forgotten. A tiny white lie that had kept off suspicions of where she really came from. Tokyo, 1997. The future.

"West. A small village...very far west...that's all I remember." Lying. This is what she had forgotten. All the lies that had weighed her down and plagued her before, were coming back on her; almost seven years later.

Midori's brow drew together. "Remember?" The guilt in her features poked through as she looked sad, biting her lip. "It's all I really know. I'm sorry. I can't remember. I just- I don't know."

Kagome looked down sadly almost crying, but the reason was because of what she'd gotten herself into. She just kept digging deeper, but it was harder because of that; and she didn't know what to do.

"I'm sorry." she said softly avoiding the older girls eyes. An apology that was in actuality for deceiving her new friend, though Midoriko would never know.

"It's all right, I'm sorry for badgering you." Kagome looked up with some resolve and smiled at her weakly. "Nothing to worry about." she shook her head lightly. "I'm forgetful sometimes." They both smiled and Midori decided not to pry any further into the girls life for her own curiosity. This was mostly her and Inuyasha's situation anyway.

She picked up some bandage and began wrapping her knee as Kagome watched her thoughtfully. "So," she spoke up. "How long have you known Inuyasha?" Midori smiled at the question. "Since I was your age; about five years"

Kagome looked at her in curiosity, hoping for her to go on. She smiled at someone being interested. No one really wanted to listen before. Not even Kikyou.

"He was about the same as he is now. Stubborn. Very rude; Quick to assume things, immature, but still somehow wise... I never really understood that about him." she seemed to relish in that thought for a moment before she caught her self.

She blinked. "When we first met I had accidently caught him." Kagome quirked an eyebrow and Midori giggled. "He was very angry. The fact that he had gotten stuck in a trap that a fifteen year old girl had set for a rabbit, annoyed him immensely." Kagome looked surprised and Midori clarified.

"It was an elaborate trap. He was trying to get the rabbit that had already been captured, When the trap snapped on his hand and somehow he managed to get both hands tangled up in the box and netting in trying to free himself. He had apparently disabled his claws by doing that." she laughed at the memory.

"So when I came along at first he yelled at me, until he realized I was his only hope of getting free, so he tried very hard to ask for help while keeping his pride intact, which resulted in me mocking him for being so stubborn, and refusing to free him until we had a pact not to kill each other." Midori paused to tie something on the bandage and Kagome blinked.

"Each other?" Midori smiled. "I was hoping he would think that by that, I actually could cause him any harm should the necessity arise. It was a feudal hope in any sense but it didn't matter since he kept his word and I helped him out." Kagome nodded slowly in understanding.

"After that I guess he followed me around. He thought I didn't know, but one day I talked to him and we seemed to have shared views. It was much the same way that he and Kikyou met, but thats another story." She said in finallity, tying the ends of the bandage.

"There, all finished." She smiled brightly and looked to her face. "Thank you." Kagome offered and then continued. "For helping me and everything. I feel like I know you so well somehow." Midori nodded with a smile.

"Dont think of it. I've heard too much about you to think of you as anything less than family." She smiled. Kagome nodded then looked a little hesitant. "Um, Midori, could I ask you something?" Midori turned behind her grabbing a small bottle and a cup. "Of course, what is it?"

Kagome watched as she opened the bottle and poured a little of the contents into the cup and began to add tea. "You mentioned Kikyou a while ago, and, when I first met Inuyasha today, that was what he called me. Kikyou. Why is that?"

Midori stirred the drink a little and handed it to her. "Drink this." Kagome did as told and looked to her for an answer. "Kagome, you see, Kikyou...she and Inuyasha, they-"

THUD!

Midori stared in surprise. Kagome had fallen asleep. She had given her a drug to help her sleep and heal, but had no idea it would work that fast. She closed her eyes and pulled a blanket over Kagome's sleeping form. "Another time then." she sighed standing up slowly and leaving the house.

She had only just stepped out the door when she noticed Inuyasha sitting not to far off, watching her exit the home. She smiled and walked over to him leaning against the tree.

"So," he opened. "She's fine." He didn't look too convinced. "She doesn't quite remember where she came from, but everything else seems fine. Perfect in physical-" "What does she think about me?"

The question was oddly quiet for Inuyasha. Usually he would have been sure of himself and ready for anything, pretty much knowing of the answer when he would ask a question; but not today.

Midori stared off into the night. This was the one thing that Inuyasha actually cared about. What Kagome thought. He was different when he talked about her; there was something more ginger in his ways. Frankly there was no telling how he would have been if she had never come into his life.

"She didn't say, specifically." She added that when he stiffened slightly. "But when she did speak of you, or heard your name; it was like she was remembering a dream. In her eyes, she looked fond." he listened carefully as she looked down on him sitting, while he stared at all that was before him.

"She doesn't hate you, if that's what you're worried about." she added, a little cynically to show her annoyance. He only stood up.

Midori's eyes widened and she started to push away from her spot too. "I'll be back tomorrow." He spoke clearly so she could hear him.

Midori stopped in her tracks and nodded, although he couldn't see her, and son he dashed off into the night leaving Midori to shake her head and smile. "That boy is so impossible." She spoke the wind, laughing lightly as she returned to her house.

Mean while not too far off, someone stood up carefully. A shiftless facade and cold exterior, moving slowly away from their place of watch, only to go in the other direction; the way that Inuyasha had gone.

*~*

'It's real. It's actually real.'

Inuyasha sat high in a tree thinking to himself.

'She's back, after all this time, there's so much I want to ask her...but why?'

He shifted his position and threw a rock into the pond below.

Why now...

'And why did she leave in the first place? She left me...stupid bitch.'

He blinked surprised at himself.

'Keh, in all the time she's been gone, I guess I've changed; a lot. I'd never be this way if she hadn't left. I'd probably be a stupid sappy wimp. So it's a good thing she left! She was a bad influence on me anyway.'

He sat silently for a moment going over that thought.

'She was the only friend I had, that was unprovoked. She just offered companionship without taking time to wonder if there'd be any consequences. She was so happy and naive...It's a good thing she didn't stick around.' He added quickly.

'I'd be such a pathetic wimp. I'm glad she left.' He stared blankly into a near tree branch, trying to convince himself. It didn't work too well.

'Maybe, but in any case; I'm so glad that she'd back.' He closed his eyes remembering her face. 'She's older now...'

"Inuyasha."

Inuyasha almost jumped at the voice. The tree shook a little. "W-what?!" he answered a little shaky regaining his balance.

"It's me, Kikyou." Kikyou spoke calmly.

"God, don't do that! Do you want me to fall on you!?" Inuyasha fumed, annoyed at being caught off guard. "Of course not." she told him calmly as he hopped down to stand in front of her.

"What was with you today anyway? You stormed off," He asked her a lot more calmly than before. Kikyou looked away slightly avoiding eye contact. "I'm sorry about that. I-I wasn't thinking clearly." she said softly, almost afraid of something.

Inuyasha looked at her skeptically. "Then what were you thinking?" he asked in genuine curiosity. "We were, talking. You were telling me about a place that you'd seen a boon root. And you'd mentioned her again." she added as sort of an after thought.

Inuyasha looked puzzled for a moment, and then it hit him. "Because Kagome had discovered the place. Of course I mentioned her-" "I know, but you always do!" she shouted interrupting him.

She stared at the ground harder, like she'd been waiting a long time for a chance to say this, and her courage would melt if she saw his eyes. "It's always about her when you talk about your childhood; in your most fond memories it's her...A girl that probably died thirty years ago!" "Stop it!" He yelled

"Stop it, Kikyou. She didn't die. I know that." he said firmly. Kikyou kept her eye's glued to the floor. "Why, because you found her today?" she said in pure contempt. Inuyasha looked shocked.

"What?" "Don't do that, speak that way. Act like I'm in the wrong here. But yes, if you're wondering, I saw you." She clenched her fist's and spoke very clearly.

"When you thought that girl was me. But that was visa versa only a few years ago, wasn't it. You thought I was her." She said her like it were a curse word. Inuyasha seemed to be trying to find a come back but was at a loss.

"But how do you know that this is her anyway? It's been roughly thirty years-" "Twenty-eight." "Whatever. She should be so old by now. She's human, she doesn't retain youth like you." and with that she fell silent, waiting for Inuyasha to put in his two cense.

Inuyasha was baffled. Kikyou had never showed such contempt for Kagome before. Why was she so prone to disbelief? What ever the reason, he only knew the answer to her question.

"Kikyou, I know that everything is questionable. Especially with Kagome," she cringed at the name, but her continued. "But I know this is her. I do. You know that if I had any doubts what-so-ever, I wouldn't have said anything. I wouldn't give up my pride like that." Kikyou kept her head turned away. She knew it was true.

"Can't you trust me in knowing this?" he finished and waited. Kikyou didn't say anything. She just stared at the ground. For a long moment she was silent, and then she spoke.

"Do you remember, Inuyasha, when you told me, 'There is nothing more important than trust'," "'Without it, no relationship is real." he finished her words. "I remember." She paused and then sighed lightly.

"Well Inuyasha, I'm asking you to trust me in what I believe; that this girl is not what she seems." She turned to him, finally facing his eyes.

He looked at her and answered calmly. "Fine Kikyou. I'll note it. I with trust that you believe that, but that doesn't mean I agree." And with that he turned opposite to her, "Good night." and walked away.

Kikyou watched him and waited till he was out of sight and earshot to speak. "Goodnight, love. Someday you will realize, that, that girl should have died."

@ @ @

A little malice? There's a long chapter for you, sorry again for the delay, oh and btw I'm changing my divider from ^.^ to *~* I like the new one better, besides imagine me having someone wish death to all in Sengoku Jidai, and then you see this ^.^ ..... well you get my point. though that would be hilariously ironic.

Later!

~SNOW