InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Memories Forgotten ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this.
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Inuyasha stared at the old miko in shock. “What?!” he finally managed in a strangled yell. He quickly found his voice. “Are you crazy, baba?! I think I would remember if I had finally beat my most hated enemy.”

Kaede gave him a look meant to calm him and gestured for him to sit, a gesture he ignored. “You have already acknowledged that your memories are jumbled from that hit to the head you took. I have heard of this happening to others. Men forgetting who they are after a severe hit to the head. And your actions here, not knowing that Naraku is gone or about Kagome being with child prove it.”

“Amnesia” Kagome breathed as she hesitantly put a hand out towards Inuyasha only to lower it when he continued to ignore her.

“Is that what they call it your former home, child?” Kaede asked. “Here it is simply known as mind sickness. It varies in each case how much is forgotten. Sometimes it is everything, other times only a few days or weeks. And sometimes the man recovers the memories while other times he never does.”

Kagome nodded while staring worriedly at Inuyasha. “Yes, it's the same in the future. Though they believe that having familiar faces and things around the person can help trigger the memories.”

“Feh, you think I have this mind sickness? This am-knee-zia?” He snorted. “I think I would know if I had forgotten four years of my life.” He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at them.

Kaede gave him a dry look. “And how would you know if you could not remember the events of those four years?”

“Feh.” Inuyasha sat down, propping himself up against the wall. “Well, if you think I'm missing four years of my life, why don't you tell me what is supposed to have happened in them?” He tensed as Kagome eased herself down beside him but relaxed when she kept her distance.

Kaede and Miroku also sat down. “Why don't you tell us what you can remember?” Miroku said. “That way we know when to begin the tale.”

Inuyasha thought back. “We had finally tracked down Naraku's castle. I was facing him and Sesshomaru was there. Naraku was trying to absorb him. We fought, then Naraku ran like the coward that he is.” Inuyasha frowned. “There was some trap involving Kohaku and some human kid that is somehow involved with my brother.” He thought more not liking the looks the other three were exchanging. “Oh yeah” he said as something occurred to him. “There were those three monkey youkai that stuck that damn boulder on my hand. We learned that a large demonic aura, probably Naraku was headed northeast in the direction of the Ox and Tiger.” He sat back satisfied that he knew what was going on. He felt uneasy as he saw the looks on Kagome and Miroku's faces.

“That was even before Mt. Hakurei” Miroku murmured, lifting his hand to his chin. He looked at Inuyasha. “Then the only abilities you would be aware of the Tessaiga having are the Kaze no Kizu, the Bakuryuuha, and the ability to use red Tessaiga to break barriers, correct?” At Inuyasha's nod he frowned. “Then you know nothing of the Kongousouha, the dragon scaled Tessaiga, or the Meido Zangetsuha. That is not good.” Miroku frowned as he pondered Inuyasha accidentally unleashing one of those attacks, especially the Meido Zangetsuha.

At his words Inuyasha sat up, interested. “New attacks for Tessaiga?” he wondered, fingers brushing the hilt.

Miroku looked up and blanched at the look on Inuyasha's face. “Now Inuyasha, it is not a good idea to go throwing those attacks around. They can cause a lot of damage.” He cringed as he saw that his words only increased the hanyou's interest. He glanced pleadingly at Kagome for help.

“Why don't we tell you what happened after we decided to follow the Monkey God's directions. It turned out that it was Naraku's aura...” She quickly launched into the tale, Kaede and Miroku helping to tell the story of their defeat of Naraku. Inuyasha listened with interest, and some disbelief.

“And then I made the wish for the Shikon no Tama to disappear forever. We found ourselves back in my time, my family waiting. I was so happy to see them.” She smiled wistfully. Inuyasha couldn't help but wonder at her tone of voice. “But then you were pulled back into the well and we were separated. The well remained sealed for three years.” She quieted as she remembered the pain she had felt during those years.

Miroku spoke up in her place, telling how they had passed those years exorcising youkai from nearby villages and how he and Sango had started a family. Inuyasha snorted at that.

He watched Kagome's face as she finished the tale, telling how she had missed him and wanted to see him again. How the well had worked one last time, transporting her back to his world. “And then you were there, pulling me out of the well. Since then I have been training to be a miko. And you and I, well...” He watched as she laid her hand on her swollen belly. She gave him a hesitant, hopeful smile. “We were married, and are expecting our first child.”

Inuyasha stared at her. He saw the hopeful look she was giving him and snorted. Ignoring her hurt look, he stood. “Keh. Nice story. But I don't buy it. I would know if I was missing four years of my life. What's really going on?” He ignored the part of him that was crying out for to be true. It was too good to be true, granting him every thing he had ever wanted. A family, acceptance. He knew it couldn't be true. You don't wake up one day and find your every wish had been granted. A suspicion formed in his mind. “How do I know this isn't some plot of Naraku's?”

Kagome reached for him. “Inuyasha, please. It's the truth.” Her eyes pleaded with him to believe her. Something tugged at his heart and he had to fight the urge to give in. He didn't like seeing her hurt like this.

He shook his head. “I don't know what to believe.” And that was the only thing he did know. He didn't want to believe that his memories could be lost like that. They were what made him who he was. He didn't own anything but his memories, his clothes and his sword. And if his memories could be so easily taken...

But what other explanation could there be for Kagome's appearance. He wasn't that stupid, he knew it took a long time for her to be as far along as she was with child and there was no way he could have missed the changes. Belatedly, he realized what it was about Miroku that had seemed odd earlier. His beads were gone and yet there was no Kazaana sucking things in.

He thought about it. Either they were telling the truth, or Naraku was playing some sort of mind trick on him. And for the life of him he couldn't figure what Naraku stood to gain from a trick like this.

A noise at the door drew his attention and he turned to see a young girl in her early teens entering. “Oh, Inuyasha-sama. I heard you had been injured. Are you feeling better now?” He was shocked to recognize her as the girl that had been with his brother to him what seemed only days ago. But she was different, she looked years older.

The shock must have shown on his face because the girl frowned at him in concern. “Inuyasha-sama?” Out of the corner of his eye he could see Kagome reaching for him as well.

“I-I have to go” he blurted out, overwhelmed. He needed time to think things through. With that he darted out the door before they could stop him, running at full speed for the forest. He heard Kagome cry out behind him but couldn't think of that, his mind was too full of possibilities, he needed time to think, to clear his mind and figure out what was real.
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Kagome cried out as Inuyasha ran out the door. How had things gone so wrong? She started to follow him, only to give another cry and grasp her stomach as pain lanced through her very being.

“Kagome-sama!” Several people called her name and then she was being lowered onto the futon as Kaede's gentle hands checked her over.

“The baby?” she asked, afraid.

Kaede felt around her stomach a few more times then sat back and gave her a gentle look. “The child is fine. All is well, or will be. But you must rest. It has been a day of shocks and stress, neither of which is good for you or the child. Just lay here and rest.”

“But, I have to find Inuyasha” Kagome struggled to sit up only to have Kaede push her back down.

“No, you must rest, or things could really go wrong.”

“Like they haven't already” Kagome muttered as tears once again threatened to fall. “My husband was injured and has lost his memory. He thought I was a whore for being pregnant and doesn't believe that we are married. Doesn't believe that it is his child I carry and has run away from me.”

Kaede patted her hand to calm her. “I know things look dire at the moment but all will be well, you will see. He is merely confused and has gone to think things through. Once he has had a chance to calm down and think about things he will be back. He cares for you deeply.”

Kagome shook her head. “He doesn't even remember most of our time together. How can you say he loves me when he can't remember that.” She sniffled as she tried not to get worked up, knowing it would be bad for the baby but unable to help herself. She looked up when she felt a hand squeeze her shoulder and looked up to see Miroku's violet eyes.

He gave her a sympathetic look. “His mind may not remember but his heart could never forget you. And even if that was the case, we know when he believes it is. I can guarantee that even at that point in time he cared very deeply for you, if not loved you already. He will be back, I promise.” 'Even if I have to drag him back myself' he vowed silently.

Kagome gave him a watery smile. “Thank you Miroku-sama.”

Kaede approached with a cup of tea. “Drink this child, it will soothe your nerves. Then I want you to lay back and get some rest.” Watching Kagome do as she was told, the older miko then turned her gaze on the monk. “And you, houshi-sama, have a family of your own to return to. Your wife will need to be informed of what has occurred.”

The monk gulped and nervously hoped that the Hiraikotsu was nowhere nearby when he made his explanation. He had no desire to suffer his own head injury when he told his wife how he had failed to protect their friend.

Kaede sighed as she watched the monk leave. She noted that Kagome had thankfully fallen asleep before turning to a confused Rin and explaining what had occurred.
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Inuyasha sat high in Goshinboku and allowed the peacefulness the tree always instilled him to clear his mind. Now calm he tried to make sense of things.

“Let's take this one thing at a time” he muttered as he tried to decide what he believed. “Could this be a trick of Naraku's?” He thought about it, and the more he thought the more unlikely it seemed. “Feh, bastard's been able to trap us in illusions before but this isn't like him. He would be more likely to lock us in a painful illusion, something that would hurt rather than something that gives us a happy ending.” He thought about it some more and decided that while there was a slim chance that it was a trick of Naraku's, it just wasn't his style.

“He could be trying to make it something that we or I wouldn't want to break but that's not him. He wants you to know that he's behind things.” He sighed. “And I can't dismiss the changes in appearance. Things like Miroku's Kazaana being gone or how much older that girl appeared than I remember.” He carefully avoided thinking about Kagome, not quite ready to approach that topic yet.

“So, much as I don't want to admit it, I guess they are right. I have managed to lose my memories.” Filled with a sudden anger, he made a fist and slammed it against the branch, though he was careful to control his strength. It wouldn't do for him to break the branch he was sitting on and fall out of the tree. “So four years of my life gone.”

He sighed and calmed. “Alright, so at least Naraku's gone and I had a hand in killing the bastard even if I can't remember it. So that's good. Miroku's Kazaana is gone, that's also good. He's married to Sango, should I feel sorry for her?” He snickered a little as he thought about it. “Nah, I bet the threat of the Hiraikotsu is enough to keep the lecher in line.” His smile faded away as his mind turned to other topics.

“The Shikon no Tama is gone, that's also good.” He knew he hadn't wanted to wish on it, not after the last time he had transformed. He frowned. “Or at least the last time I can remember transforming” he muttered. He shook his head, putting that thought aside and cast about for another topic. An image of Kagome flashed through his mind but he shoved it away, his mind searching for another topic. What else was there to think about, other than Kagome?

A breeze ruffled the leaves of the Goshinboku and it came to him. “Kikyou.” He sighed again. He was conflicted. As far as he knew, at least from his point of view, they had never really resolved things. He still cared about her and it hurt to learn that Naraku had managed to kill her, again. She didn't deserve that. He could only hope that she was now at peace. He closed his eyes. “Kikyou, wherever you are, I hope that you are at peace and are happy. You deserve that at the very least.” Another breeze blew through the branches, ruffling his hair, and he gave a small, sad smile.

He took a deep breath as he glanced around the area. His eyes landed on the well, bringing his mind to the topic he had carefully avoided. “Kagome.” He was conflicted. He cared about Kagome sure, but did he love her? How was he supposed to react when wakes up one day to find out that he was married to the girl he cared about and had a child on the way, and he couldn't remember it at all? He wasn't even sure of his feelings for her, other than that he didn't want to see her hurt.

“Feh, and that's all I was doing to her today” he muttered as he remembered the painful looks and the tears she had shed. “She gave up her family to be with me and all I'm doing is hurting her.”

He sighed, trying to think of how he felt. He was shocked, and nervous. He didn't know the first thing about being a husband. And if he wasn't very mistaken, he would very shortly be a father as well. “I don't know the first thing about taking care of a pup.” But deep inside, a part of him that had been buried inside yearned to find out, to learn. That part was elated, he had finally found something he had been searching for his whole life, a family. Someone to love him and who he could love. “But that's just it, I don't know if I love her or not.”

He looked at the sky and saw how dark it had become. He was tempted to stay in the tree all night, he had done it before, but something inside him told him that Kagome would be worried if he did that. And he had caused her enough pain for one day. With one last sigh, he patted the trunk of the Goshinboku in thanks, before leaping down and heading back to Kaede's hut.

Upon reaching the hut, he found it empty except for Kagome, who laid asleep on a futon near the fire. He stared at her, watching the light from the fire create shadows on her face. He didn't even realize he was moving until he found himself dropping to his knees beside her. For a long few moments he gazed at her face, drinking it in. She was beautiful, he knew though he had told her otherwise. A lock of hair fell across her face, and without thinking about it he reached down to brush it away. She sighed and murmured something. Her hand rose and came to rest on her swollen belly.

He stared. He couldn't help it. There was a child growing there. A pup. His pup, if everything he had been told today was true. His hand rose hesitantly, hovering over her stomach. He was overcome with the urge to feel the life growing there. He hesitated again, then began to slowly lower his hand. It had barely touched her belly when he heard someone at the door and he snatched it away guiltily.

He watched Kaede enter and give him a knowing look. The girl, Rin entered as well though she remained silent and seated herself in the corner, content to merely watch.

“So you have returned.” At Kaede's statement of the obvious he gave a grunt of acknowledgment. “Have you had a chance to settle things in your mind?”

He shrugged. “Keh.”

Kaede stared at him thoughtfully. “Have you decided to give things a try?”

He looked at her. “What else can I do?” He glared at her. If that was his child, his heart lurched at the thought, he wasn't gonna be some honor-less bastard and abandon it. He couldn't leave Kagome to deal with things by herself.

Kaede gave him another knowing look. Gesturing at the sleeping miko she said “She needs to rest. Try to keep her off her feet as much as possible. And try to avoid any more stress, it is unhealthy for both her and the child.” He gave her a look as if to say 'how do you expect me to do that?' “And she would probably sleep better in her own bed in her own home.”

Inuyasha frowned at her. “I thought the well was sealed?”

“Don't be an idiot” Kaede glared at him. “I meant your home.”

He gave a start. He hadn't even considered that he had his own home, one he shared with Kagome. He couldn't help but wonder what it was like. He bent down and scooped Kagome up, easily holding her weight, and amazed at how right she seemed to fit in his arms. He had never thought about it before. He headed for the door only to pause and look at Kaede questioningly. “Er-” He could probably find the hut by sniffing for Kagome's scent but it would take a while and he didn't want Kagome outside for too long in the cold.

Kaede snorted. “It is in that direction.” She pointed toward the forest. “It is on the edge of the village, near to the forest, close to the path to the well. You won't be able to miss it. The only one really close to it belongs to the houshi and his family.”

Inuyasha nodded his thanks and left the hut in the direction that she had indicated.