InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Miracle ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Dawnrider31 
Slight Language warning. Nothing we haven't heard come out of Inuyasha's mouth a hundred times before.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Hentai / Drama / Romance | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 07.06.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 6.2K | Visits: 934 | Status: Work In Progress
Slight Language warning. Nothing we haven't heard come out of Inuyasha's mouth a hundred times before.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Hentai / Drama / Romance | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 07.06.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 6.2K | Visits: 934 | Status: Work In Progress
I want to preface this story with several facts:
1. This story is most definitely divergent, so anything that doesn't fall under the realm of the cannon as we now know it is due to that.
2. This may seem more out there than any of my other stories. I fell under the sway of this plot months ago and tried to make the science-y things work in a way that made sense with the plot and within the limits of what I thought was possible. Any physics gurus can kick me for it, but my scientific knowledge is fairly limited. Plus, this is FANTASY, go with it!
3. I once read a story with a similar premise a long time ago, only events during Kikyo's life and then her death had caused the events in the story. I couldn't find that story to properly credit that author for the inspiration, so if you are that author or you know who they are, please let me know so I can give them their due.
4. My knowledge of Japanese culture and language is admittedly small, (like most English-speaking Fan fiction writers) so if there are glaring errors in language usage or things that would be culturally unacceptable, I apologize for that as well. I just wrote what felt right at the time based on what I do know.
Inuyasha and all the characters therein belong to Rumiko Takahashi. The line, if anyone recognizes it, in this chapter is from the movie Saved! Director/written by Brian Dannelly. Obviously I do not own nor make a profit from writing fan fiction. If I did, I wouldn't be unemployed and broke. Please enjoy this new story and review to let me know what you think.
The chill of the metal under the thin paper sheet made her rear end numb, but that wasn't the source of the shiver that tripped up her spine. Kagome sat with a frozen smile on her face, trying to process what she was being told. “That can't be right,” she finally responded, her voice flat. She thought over what she had been told again and shook her head. Her laugh was shallow and a little harsh, fear slowly eating at her from the tips of her toes.
“There's no mistaking the results Higurashi-san.”
“No. That's impossible,” she responded slowly, as though speaking to a child.
“You do understand the mechanics of this, do you not?” the nurse practitioner questioned her gently, noting the hysterical note entering the young woman's voice. She'd dealt with patients like this before. They didn't know how things really worked and so they were startled when they received the news. They were usually a little younger though...
Kagome shot the woman a dry look. “No, I think it's you that doesn't understand. I have never been with anyone.” This gave the older woman some pause. Had she been drugged? Before she could ask, her young patient was standing and pacing in front of her. “I haven't been drugged or something, if that's what you're thinking. My... friends protect me.” The nurse practitioner did not miss the hesitation in her choice of words but chose to stay silent in case she said something to indicate how this might have happened. She didn't seem like the type to be in a gang... Hard to tell these days. “This is impossible! I have never even been in a situation where... where intercourse was even possible.”
Finding this all very hard to believe – after all, the excuse of immaculate conception only works once – the nurse practitioner tried to calm her patient by having her sit back down. “I'm sorry Higurashi-san, the results of the tests were extremely clear. I'm surprised you are not showing at all yet.” This made the young woman scowl furiously. “In about five months or so, you're going to have a baby.”
****
This wasn't happening to her. There was no way. She had to be having a dream of some kind, some hallucination brought on by an evil youkai, Kaou or something. But as she walked home from the bus stop, Kagome knew she was indeed awake. Something had gone terribly wrong and she couldn't explain it. Not even with an outlandish demon-infested story. Somehow, about four months prior, she'd gotten pregnant. Even in my head it's scary. What is Mama going to say? Kami-sama, what is Inuyasha going to do? This thought nearly caused the poor girl to faint in dizzying terror. Inuyasha would naturally blame her, accuse her of sleeping around while he wasn't looking or something and then the tenuous relationship they'd been maintaining over the last three years since Naraku was finished would be over. He might even think it was Koga, run off to find the ookami youkai and kill him, if only for the excuse to do so.
“Oi, wench, what's going on?” Kagome nearly leaped out of her skin. “Hey, hey, calm down. It's just me,” Inuyasha soothed her, resting his hand on her upper arm. The young miko sighed roughly but nodded. She knew that he'd likely be waiting for her when she returned from her appointment since she hadn't let him come with her but she'd been so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she hadn't even felt his youki nearby. He was worried, so she couldn't blame him for not waiting inside the shrine walls, but anyone could see him out here!
“We'll talk at home. We have to get off the street.” He glanced around and nodded, obviously eying the humans around him for threats. Not waiting for him to find someone he wanted to pummel, Kagome took hold of his sleeve and started for the top of the stairs. Halfway up, Inuyasha lifted her onto his back and bounded the rest of the way. Kagome didn't have the presence of mind to yell at him, simply enjoying his strength and the ride it provided. Once they reached the front door of her mother's house, Kagome turned to Inuyasha. “Look, I need to talk to Mama first. Go on home and I'll be through when I'm done talking with her, alright?” She could see him trying to look for some kind of lie, then trying to form an argument of some kind. Before the words reached his lips, Kagome gave him her best pleading look. “Please. I really need to speak to her alone. I promise I'll be back in just a little while.”
He wasn't pleased about the idea, but he agreed. Kagome smelled terrified and he had a feeling that pressing her to tell him the truth before she was ready would only make things worse. Her mother would calm her down. He hoped. What did that quack tell you Kagome? The moment he reached the other side of the well, Inuyasha turned around and sat to watch the time portal for Kagome's arrival. Nothing would drive him from that spot until she came back.
“Mama, tadaima!” Kagome called shakily. Her mother responded from the living room where she was taking a rare moment to herself to read a book. Sota was at soccer practice and Jii-chan was cleaning out another old shed for artifacts. Her daughter's return from the doctor brought her a distraught and panicked young woman. “Mama,” Kagome sobbed, falling at her mother's feet and laying her head in her lap to cry. Her mother's eyes widened considerably as she tried to hold and comfort her eldest child.
Kagome felt her mother's hands brush softly through her hair and she struggled to quiet down. Her mind was a jumbled mess and she couldn't stop crying long enough to try and tell her mother what had happened. She still had no idea how this had happened to her! “Kagome, what's wrong dear?” Her mother's gentle voice dragged her slowly from her mire of fear and she sat up, wiping her eyes and combing her hair back from her face. “What is it? What did the doctor say?” The hint of terror in her mother's voice made Kagome realize that her mother probably thought she had cancer or something terminal. With the way she'd come in, she couldn't blame her.
Taking a deep breath, Kagome tried to relate to her mother what she had been told. “Mama, I don't understand it. But somehow, I'm four months pregnant.”
Her mother remained completely still for several moments, a myriad of emotions crossing her eyes. “So it's not something... serious.” Her voice was hesitant. She seemed to be taking this a lot better than Kagome had anticipated.
“Uh... no, not... life-threateningly serious I guess. But Mama I...”
“I was not aware you and Inuyasha had...” Kagome cut her off immediately.
“That's just it Mama! We haven't. I haven't with anyone. Not then, not now, not ever.” Being as earnest as possible apparently didn't have the affect on her mother that Kagome had hoped.
Trying to soothe her, Kagome's mother patted her hand and pulled her up to sit next to her. “Now Kagome, you don't have to lie to me. You're old enough now.”
“I'm not lying, Mama,” Kagome sighed. Looking her mother straight in the eye she made it very clear, “I swear to you on Daddy's grave, I have never been with anyone to my knowledge.” Her mother looked at her, really looked. She was having a hard time believing her daughter's story but Kagome rarely spoke of her father, the thoughts often too painful. To swear on his grave...
“How could this have happened? I thought Inuyasha was supposed to protect you!”
“Mama, he does. Nothing like that happened either. I'm going to try talking to Kaede-obaachan. Maybe there's some weird miko thing that makes it seem like... I don't know. But I told Inuyasha I wouldn't be long. If I don't get back there, he'll come looking for me.”
“Shouldn't you try to get a second opinion or take some home tests?” Kagome smiled wanly.
With a shrug she responded, “What would be the point Mama? I don't think actual pregnancy is one of those things that doctors misdiagnose very often.”
“Alright dear, if you're sure.”
Kagome wasn't sure, but she couldn't express that to her mother and she was already tired. That, her missing monthly friend and the fact that she'd thrown up several times in the last week had forced Kagome to have her friends come back to the well and allow her to go home for an appointment. Needless to say she had simply expected some kind of stomach virus. She couldn't explain the other problems away so easily, but pregnancy had certainly never even entered her mind.
The trip through the well was more disorienting than usual and Kagome found herself in the past much faster than she expected. Too tired to move quite yet, the young miko sat at the bottom of the well for a few moments. “Oi, you coming up anytime soon?” Looking up, Kagome saw a familiar dark silhouette framed by the fading sunlight. She nodded, but didn't move to get up. Inuyasha sighed roughly before climbing down the ladder they'd built to stand beside her. “You've been crying. Tell me what's wrong,” he demanded. Looking up at him, Kagome could see the concern in his deep amber eyes. He was scared.
“Help me out of the well first.” He took her hand and pulled her to her feet, wrapping his arms around her so he could jump them both out. Kagome snuggled into his neck where he held her until she felt soft grass beneath her feet. “Goshinboku?” Inuyasha nodded and took her hand once more. The two walked in silence to the roots of the old tree, settling in among them to talk. “I want you to know right now that I am not lying to you, I would never try to trick you, and I'm as confused as you probably will be.” While he said he believed her, Kagome could see her little opening speech hadn't made him comfortable.
“What's going on, Kagome? Are you sick?” Explaining it to Inuyasha was even more difficult than she'd anticipated. Just getting the words out was hard, let alone finding the words to make him understand that the doctors were entirely sure. That the blood test couldn't really lie and was therefor immune to threats and coercion. Much to her disbelief, he came closer, sniffing her almost everywhere. Kagome tried not to slap him when she felt he was maybe getting a little fresh. “That doctor's right. Why didn't I notice it before?” Confirmation from Inuyasha's nose was final in Kagome's mind. There was that second opinion her mother had suggested. Tears slowly made their way down her cheeks as she stared at her hanyou. “Kagome...”
“I know, I know, don't cry!” she wailed, waving her hands frantically in front of her face.
Inuyasha winced at her self-depreciating tone, catching her arms and lowering them gently to her sides. “It's not that. Did something happen in your time?” She shook her head vigorously. He sighed. “You have been here a lot,” he conceded.
“I don't understand how this could have happened. I'm... I'm so scared Inuyasha.” Looking even more upset, Inuyasha took her into his arms and held her. “Did... did something happen here and I don't remember?” He shook his head. He had no choice but to know that she wasn't lying to him. The inuhanyou could smell that she truly believed she had never been touched. What he couldn't figure out was why this was happening. She should remember something like that.
“Let's go talk to the baba, maybe she knows something.” Kagome nodded but still needed several moments to compose herself. She couldn't believe that Inuyasha was handling this so well. Usually he would have flown off the handle, yelled and probably stomped off. But he hadn't. He was almost calmer than she was. “Come on, I'll carry you if you want,” he said, offering his back. Kagome shook her head, taking his offered hand instead and standing. He led her toward the village, keeping his pace slow so she wouldn't have to strain herself.
“I have never heard of such a thing Kagome. Your doctor, he took your blood and could tell?”
Kagome sighed. “Yes, that's usually how they test for it in my time. There are home tests, but they're a little less reliable.” She didn't feel like explaining the mechanics of home pregnancy tests to a feudal era miko her grandfather's age and an inuhanyou with an extremely low tolerance for “weird future stuff.” Peeing on a stick seemed uncomfortable to her, what would they think? “But obviously I wasn't expecting this. I just don't get it. There's no way.”
Kaede stared at the couple in front of her with her one good eye, sizing them both up. Inuyasha apparently caught the question in her glance, huffing in his fashion. “That isn't what happened baba. You think I wouldn't own up to something like that? I ain't dishonorable.” She shook her head at him.
“I was not implying that you were, Inuyasha. I simply wonder if there may have been something you do not remember doing. Perhaps in your youkai state?” The glance from the younger miko at the elder made her shock at the idea clear. She had never thought of that. But what possible reason would Inuyasha, youkai or not, have to... The growl emanating from him made both women sit back a bit. “Of course. No matter what form, you would not hurt Kagome. Either way, I believe she would remember even if you did not.” All three nodded. “I imagine something else must have had a hand in this predicament. I would suggest you discuss this with the others and see if they remember something happening to all of you which may explain how this could have happened.” Kagome knew she'd have to explain it to them at some point, but she wasn't thrilled with the idea. Miroku was going to have a heyday with this...
“I'll smack the monk if he says anything,” Inuyasha reassured her as they walked through the village to their friends' hut.
“It's ok. I'm sure he'll try to be understanding.”
Almost a year and a half before, their friends had finally married. Miroku's kaazana had closed shortly after the death of Naraku, giving him a new chance at life. And he'd taken it. He'd renewed his proposal to Sango and after a year of courting - or more accurately, convincing – Sango agreed to marry him. Six months later they'd held a small ceremony and the pair returned to a modest hut that Miroku had managed to build, with Inuyasha and some of the villagers' help, on the western edge of the village. The pair had been happy for the most part though Kagome knew the pair had been trying to start a family and had been having some trouble so far. It made her news all the more painful to impart.
The two were just finishing up their evening meal when Inuyasha and Kagome arrived. “Inuyasha my friend, Kagome-sama! What brings you to our humble home?” Miroku's grand welcome made Kagome smile a little. Every time she came to visit, the ex-monk greeted her in such a way and then usually found some excuse to leave the two women alone. She imagined he felt a little awkward sitting around with them while they discussed “womanly things.” With Inuyasha there to balance the conversation, he likely felt more comfortable. However, they were not there for a social call and Miroku seemed to notice the tension in his two friends quickly. “Has... something happened?”
“Keh,” Inuyasha replied, sitting down next to Sango without invitation and giving Kagome a look until she too sat. Without thought she took hold of his hand beside her, gripping it tightly in an attempt to keep her wits together.
Kagome knew that this would be a difficult conversation, she hadn't realized how hard it would be to simply begin it. “I need to ask you two a few questions.” Not the best way to put them at ease, but it had slipped out. “Do you recall anything strange happening to all of us about... four months ago, maybe a little before that?” The concerned looks she got in return as well as the silence made it clear they did not. She had to keep trying, maybe there was something... “It may have seemed insignificant at the time, just a little weird, or maybe there's a gap in your memories? Something you didn't think of until now?”
“Have you been to Kaede-obaachan to ask her the same questions?” Sango's voice was quiet and unsure, a clear sign to the young miko that she indeed knew something but was not sure how to tell them. When Kagome nodded, the demon slayer sighed heavily. “Miroku...”
“I know.” The young man's voice was resigned and it made Kagome frown. “We thought it best not to tell you since neither of you had any recollection of it yourselves. You were unhurt and it seemed that nothing ill had befallen you.”
“Spit it out bouzu,” Inuyasha growled.
“Yes, of course, please be patient Inuyasha.” Miroku sent the hanyou a small glare. “About a month ago, you both went down the well so that Kagome-sama could see her family. It was the night of the new moon, and so you'd thought it best to return with her, Inuyasha. Moments after you jumped in, you returned to the bottom of the well. You were hanyou again and both of you were unconscious.” Kagome stared at him in disbelief as well as glanced at her friend who had kept silent about this for weeks without breathing a word. “We tried to wake you but you were unresponsive and seemed to merely be sleeping. Morning came and you both awoke as though nothing had happened. You went through the well that next afternoon and nothing strange happened again.”
“How could you not tell us? What if we aren't the same Kagome and Inuyasha that went through the well?” Kagome was becoming slightly hysterical. “What if we're older than we were when we went through? Or younger?” She tried to feel her own age and didn't feel any different than before... just sick with worry.
“Kagome-chan, calm down. As far as we could tell, there were no ill effects and you both appeared to be exactly the same. Other than Inuyasha's appearance as a hanyou, there seemed to be nothing different. You had your human night this week, did you not?” Sango was obviously trying to draw some of the heated emotion away from her husband so that no one got hurt. At his nod, she nodded triumphantly. “You see? Why did you suddenly bring this up now Kagome-chan? Is... is something wrong? Did you remember something?”
Kagome found that her news made little more sense now than it had before, but it seemed even more difficult to approach. Only a month ago? But she was well into her fourth month along... Miroku and Sango were both staring at her hard, knowing by her silence that something must indeed be wrong. She had to say something. “I'm pregnant,” she blurted out, regretting the abruptness immediately. The ex-slayer's face went sheet-white and stony. Kagome winced and lifted a hand to brush over her face. “But it doesn't make any sense. I have not been with anyone,” she glanced up to find the married couple staring at Inuyasha. The hanyou had his eyes closed as if to ignore them but he was growling under his breath. “I'm serious you guys. I haven't been with anyone at all. And now it makes even less sense. If you say that something happened in the well a month ago, it doesn't add up with the fact that I'm four months along. It can't be related. I don't know how something like what you told us about could possibly have affected...”
“Alternate dimensions.” Kagome choked. “Keh, what?”
“What are you talking about?” she squeaked. When and where had her hanyou learned such a phrase? And why did it suddenly ring a truthful little bell in her head?
“I saw it in one of those movies on your television,” he replied, struggling slightly over the foreign future words. Kagome knew Inuyasha was smart, but this was more than that. She could see he was forming some kind of explanation. “Maybe, when something happened in the well, we were gone longer than it looked like here because we were in an alternate dimension. I mean, we know it's possible, look at my old man's grave.”
“I thought that was the underworld... or the afterlife or something,” Kagome replied. Miroku and Sango looked twice as confused now. She tried to explain what an alternate dimension was, struggling because she didn't believe such a thing was possible, and then quickly recounted the story of when she and Inuyasha went into the black pearl kept in his eye in order to get Tetsusaiga.
“But those sound like a similar if not the same situation,” Miroku muttered, standing to pace and think aloud. “Perhaps, in the well, since time seems to be... fractured there, it was possible for you to slip out of time and then return to our side of the well without time having passed here.”
“That doesn't make sense. We were conscious the whole time in the pearl.” Kagome was getting irritated. “I remember every detail, down to the way Sesshomaru's poison smelled when it burned my skirt...” Her friends were all talking like characters in a bad science fiction movie. “How could I have gotten pregnant in between going into the well, slipping out of time or whatever, and returning to this side? We have no control over how fast or slow we travel through the well. Plus, it's not like Inuyasha would have...” Her voice fell silent. No, Inuyasha would never have willingly done anything like that with her. Certainly not consciously. “And n-no one else can use the well so...” But what if they were right and something had pulled them out of the time... stream or whatever, and that same something, perhaps someone, had forced...? But that didn't make sense either. “I need some fresh air,” she supplied as an excuse to run out of the hut and lose her lunch around the corner. She heard Sango call her name, but couldn't focus on it long enough with bile rising up her throat. Inuyasha was at her heels, holding her hair back for her. Trying to push him away while emptying her stomach was not easy, and Kagome finally gave up as she finished. Inuyasha gathered her against him as she sobbed, exhausted from throwing up and terrified by what could have happened to them.
“We need to talk Kagome.” His voice was so serious she couldn't deny him. Too tired to resist anyway, Kagome allowed him to carry her as he made excuses to their friends and then made his way into the forest. It was long past dark now, but Kagome wasn't worried. Inuyasha was generally scarier than anything they might run into in these woods at night. “Are you feeling any better?” Kagome kept her eyes closed but nodded. “Good. This is important.”
“Do you remember something?”
He stayed silent until they were nestled in the roots of Goshinboku, Inuyasha's haori wrapped around her to keep her warm. “You trust me, don't you Kagome?” She nodded, but sat up a little straighter. This was sounding much like her own confession to him earlier and she didn't like it one bit. For several moments he continued to stare at her, possibly studying her for any indication as to what her reaction might be. “I'm not your Inuyasha.”
“W-what?” Kagome blushed faintly, trying to ignore the upset fluttering in her stomach. She knew, in her head, that calling Inuyasha “hers” had always been a bit presumptuous, but she'd never said it aloud. “I don't think of you as mine,” she whispered.
“Not like that. I mean, I'm not the Inuyasha you've known for the last six years.”
Frowning, Kagome tried not to acknowledge what he'd said. “That isn't funny Inuyasha. I know you got this alternate dimension thing in your head earlier...”
He shook his head sharply, silencing her. “This is not a joke. I am not the Inuyasha you have known and the one that you love.” Kagome gasped, pulling herself away from where he sat, embarrassed and terrified tears forming in her eyes. “Don't be ashamed Kagome, I'm glad you do. I... I feel the same way.”
“You're not him. Inuyasha would never admit that he,” she hesitated, “cared for me.” Kagome stood shakily, stepping awkwardly over the roots surrounding her and backing away from the... impostor sitting in front of her. He rose to follow her, his eyes determined. “Stay away!” He continued after her until Kagome had no choice but to turn and run. When he gave chase, she realized she could not outrun him, impostor or not. With a sharp cry, she sank to her knees and formed a spiritual barrier, effectively blocking him out.
“Damn! I forgot how much stronger your powers are. Kagome, please, I'm not going to hurt you.” She shook and sobbed, huddled to the ground as she drew symbols in the dirt to strengthen and hold her barrier. Inuyasha lowered to his knees in sight with her, keeping far enough back that he would not be shocked or purified. “Kagome? Please, listen to me! Your Inuyasha is with my Kagome, they probably don't know we've been switched. Your Inuyasha didn't know that he could allow himself to love you like you love him, and I'm sorry for that. I didn't know that my Kagome did not feel the same for me for years.”
“What are you talking about? How do you understand what's going on?”
“Midoriko. She came to me when Kagome gave me the jewel. She explained that the realities are all wrong.”
“W-wrong?” Kagome couldn't believe this was happening to her. “I want my Inuyasha back. I want him back now!” she screamed, sobbing wholeheartedly. Nothing was making sense, she was afraid and all she wanted was Inuyasha to hold her. But he wasn't here. And while this one would gladly hold her, he was a fake... or wrong or something. “Please, I just want everything back the way it was!” She felt her stomach turn with the force of her emotions and she gasped for air, trying not to throw up again.
“I can't do that. Damn it Kagome, let me in!” He pounded a fist against the barrier in frustration, hissing as it stung his hand. The burn healed fast enough but he knew not to attempt such a thing again. She was making herself sick and he couldn't get to her! “Just listen to me, ok? The child you carry, I know why it's there.” That seemed to gain her attention, but she still wouldn't look at him, nor lower the wall between them. “We were supposed to have had a pup a long time ago. Midoriko told me that the fate of the jewel depends on it.”
Kagome shook her head. The idea that the baby was hers and Inuyasha's, while comforting, was impossible. “Inuyasha and I have never been together. It is not his child. I've tried to tell everyone...”
“It is mine,” the hanyou outside snarled, barely keeping himself from throwing his whole body into the crackling barrier. “Never deny that pup is mine!” Kagome finally looked up at him, fear evident in her eyes. He struggled to rein in his youki and took several deep breaths before speaking again. “Kagome, I'm still Inuyasha. I've still made all the same promises to you. I will always protect you. Always! The Kagome I've known for six years was too afraid of the way I once felt for Kikyo, and so she never allowed herself to get close to me the way you have. Don't get me wrong, we're still friends who protected and cared about one another, but she could never have stayed with me. That is why the switch had to be made.”
“Why couldn't Midoriko just explain it to my Inuyasha and send him back here?”
“You have not completed the jewel here. We had and Midoriko made it pretty clear that this was the only way. I was not supposed to tell you, but you were supposed to remember at least some of it on your own over time. I don't know why you haven't.” He stared at her, trying to convey his sincerity with all that he was. “Kagome, you have to be getting tired. I promise you I would never hurt you. I'm still Inuyasha, still honor-bound to protect you, still your friend. I would never break that promise. Think of the pup...”
Kagome was still unconvinced, but he was right, she was getting very tired, very quickly. She couldn't hold the barrier much longer. Not to mention that the strain of using her powers was likely not good for the baby. “Why did you have to... when I didn't know about it?” she mumbled, slowly erasing the lines in the dirt and lowering the protective wall around her. Inuyasha rushed to her side as soon as he could, helping her to her feet.
“I... didn't exactly. Apparently, in another reality, or dimension or whatever, you were pupped. But in that dimension, you were dying. Naraku was not dead yet and that Inuyasha didn't have the sense to know pupping you before he was dead was a very bad idea. Midoriko used her power and the connection through the jewel to move the pup's spirit to you. This is the place where it is safest for you and the birth is most likely to succeed.” Kagome leaned a little reluctantly against his chest where he held her. “I know, it's fucking weird, isn't it?”
Kagome looked up at his face, staring at the same features she'd come to know and love over the years. There was not a single hair out of place, not a line she didn't know. He was exactly like her Inuyasha. But the inside was different. He... loved her? But he loved a different Kagome, one who was too afraid to love him. The situation was all too familiar. “So you're saying, my Inuyasha and I... we would never have been together? Because he couldn't love me?”
“It's not that,” he replied, gently brushing her hair from her face with his fingers. “That Inuyasha may have allowed himself to give in eventually, but by then it would have been way too late. The jewel could have corrupted him or been stolen and the whole thing would start over.” Kagome nodded slightly. “You're tired, let's get you back...”
“Will I ever see him again?” Tears again formed in her eyes and Inuyasha finally felt the guilt he had been trying to suppress.
“No. But I'm here. I'm here to protect you and... be here for you, if you'll let me.” not missing his hesitation, Kagome hiccuped a sob. “Please Kagome, don't cry. You know I hate it when you cry.” The familiar words coming out of the same mouth she had longed to kiss for years forced even more tears from her eyes. “Oi, Kagome,” he whispered in a soothing, concerned tone. She couldn't help herself. Even if he wasn't the exact same Inuyasha, he was still Inuyasha. And he'd said he felt the same way... But does he really? She had to know. His lips were soft and pliant for a moment, obviously startled by her sudden move. He quickly returned it however, pressing urgently against her. “Kagome,” he sighed, kissing down the side of her cheek before returning to her mouth. “Kami-sama, you have no idea how long I have wanted this.” Kagome smiled sadly, tears pooling in her eyes all over again.
“Probably as long as I have. But...”
Inuyasha pressed a clawed finger to her lips. “No buts, Wench. I... know it's hard. We have to forget the ones we knew and remember that our souls are still the same. We're still the stupid inuhanyou and weird caring miko from the future that we've always been.”
“You're not stupid,” she retorted automatically. He chuckled, brushing the back of one finger against her eyelids to rid her of her tears. “I-Inuyasha?” Her tentative voice made him smile a little. At least she was trying. “What do we do now?”
He didn't seem all that sure himself. “We'll take it slow, ok? There's no rush. I think I know where the last few Shikon no kakera should be and that means it shouldn't be so hard to get them back. The sooner we get them, the sooner you can relax and take care of yourself.” His palm coming to rest over her bellybutton brought flashes of something to Kagome. She saw herself barely pregnant, without her same powers, trying to fight off Naraku and failing. Then she saw Midoriko's kind face as she pressed a ghostly hand to the same place Inuyasha's lay. “Kagome!” His frantic call startled her and she lost the next vision completely.
“I'm alright,” she soothed, “I'm ok. I just... saw some of it.” Inuyasha didn't look convinced, still holding her very close and looking incredibly worried. “I need to lie down I think. Can you take me back to Kaede-obaachan's?”
“I'll do you one better,” he smirked, lifting her into his arms. Kagome squeaked, holding on tight as he took off in a quick jog. Her fear, the use of her powers and her high emotional state all day had left her drained. She didn't even get a chance to see where Inuyasha was taking her before she fell asleep against his shoulder.
Thank you for reading! Please leave a review so I at least know someone out there was paying attention.
1. This story is most definitely divergent, so anything that doesn't fall under the realm of the cannon as we now know it is due to that.
2. This may seem more out there than any of my other stories. I fell under the sway of this plot months ago and tried to make the science-y things work in a way that made sense with the plot and within the limits of what I thought was possible. Any physics gurus can kick me for it, but my scientific knowledge is fairly limited. Plus, this is FANTASY, go with it!
3. I once read a story with a similar premise a long time ago, only events during Kikyo's life and then her death had caused the events in the story. I couldn't find that story to properly credit that author for the inspiration, so if you are that author or you know who they are, please let me know so I can give them their due.
4. My knowledge of Japanese culture and language is admittedly small, (like most English-speaking Fan fiction writers) so if there are glaring errors in language usage or things that would be culturally unacceptable, I apologize for that as well. I just wrote what felt right at the time based on what I do know.
Inuyasha and all the characters therein belong to Rumiko Takahashi. The line, if anyone recognizes it, in this chapter is from the movie Saved! Director/written by Brian Dannelly. Obviously I do not own nor make a profit from writing fan fiction. If I did, I wouldn't be unemployed and broke. Please enjoy this new story and review to let me know what you think.
The chill of the metal under the thin paper sheet made her rear end numb, but that wasn't the source of the shiver that tripped up her spine. Kagome sat with a frozen smile on her face, trying to process what she was being told. “That can't be right,” she finally responded, her voice flat. She thought over what she had been told again and shook her head. Her laugh was shallow and a little harsh, fear slowly eating at her from the tips of her toes.
“There's no mistaking the results Higurashi-san.”
“No. That's impossible,” she responded slowly, as though speaking to a child.
“You do understand the mechanics of this, do you not?” the nurse practitioner questioned her gently, noting the hysterical note entering the young woman's voice. She'd dealt with patients like this before. They didn't know how things really worked and so they were startled when they received the news. They were usually a little younger though...
Kagome shot the woman a dry look. “No, I think it's you that doesn't understand. I have never been with anyone.” This gave the older woman some pause. Had she been drugged? Before she could ask, her young patient was standing and pacing in front of her. “I haven't been drugged or something, if that's what you're thinking. My... friends protect me.” The nurse practitioner did not miss the hesitation in her choice of words but chose to stay silent in case she said something to indicate how this might have happened. She didn't seem like the type to be in a gang... Hard to tell these days. “This is impossible! I have never even been in a situation where... where intercourse was even possible.”
Finding this all very hard to believe – after all, the excuse of immaculate conception only works once – the nurse practitioner tried to calm her patient by having her sit back down. “I'm sorry Higurashi-san, the results of the tests were extremely clear. I'm surprised you are not showing at all yet.” This made the young woman scowl furiously. “In about five months or so, you're going to have a baby.”
****
This wasn't happening to her. There was no way. She had to be having a dream of some kind, some hallucination brought on by an evil youkai, Kaou or something. But as she walked home from the bus stop, Kagome knew she was indeed awake. Something had gone terribly wrong and she couldn't explain it. Not even with an outlandish demon-infested story. Somehow, about four months prior, she'd gotten pregnant. Even in my head it's scary. What is Mama going to say? Kami-sama, what is Inuyasha going to do? This thought nearly caused the poor girl to faint in dizzying terror. Inuyasha would naturally blame her, accuse her of sleeping around while he wasn't looking or something and then the tenuous relationship they'd been maintaining over the last three years since Naraku was finished would be over. He might even think it was Koga, run off to find the ookami youkai and kill him, if only for the excuse to do so.
“Oi, wench, what's going on?” Kagome nearly leaped out of her skin. “Hey, hey, calm down. It's just me,” Inuyasha soothed her, resting his hand on her upper arm. The young miko sighed roughly but nodded. She knew that he'd likely be waiting for her when she returned from her appointment since she hadn't let him come with her but she'd been so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she hadn't even felt his youki nearby. He was worried, so she couldn't blame him for not waiting inside the shrine walls, but anyone could see him out here!
“We'll talk at home. We have to get off the street.” He glanced around and nodded, obviously eying the humans around him for threats. Not waiting for him to find someone he wanted to pummel, Kagome took hold of his sleeve and started for the top of the stairs. Halfway up, Inuyasha lifted her onto his back and bounded the rest of the way. Kagome didn't have the presence of mind to yell at him, simply enjoying his strength and the ride it provided. Once they reached the front door of her mother's house, Kagome turned to Inuyasha. “Look, I need to talk to Mama first. Go on home and I'll be through when I'm done talking with her, alright?” She could see him trying to look for some kind of lie, then trying to form an argument of some kind. Before the words reached his lips, Kagome gave him her best pleading look. “Please. I really need to speak to her alone. I promise I'll be back in just a little while.”
He wasn't pleased about the idea, but he agreed. Kagome smelled terrified and he had a feeling that pressing her to tell him the truth before she was ready would only make things worse. Her mother would calm her down. He hoped. What did that quack tell you Kagome? The moment he reached the other side of the well, Inuyasha turned around and sat to watch the time portal for Kagome's arrival. Nothing would drive him from that spot until she came back.
“Mama, tadaima!” Kagome called shakily. Her mother responded from the living room where she was taking a rare moment to herself to read a book. Sota was at soccer practice and Jii-chan was cleaning out another old shed for artifacts. Her daughter's return from the doctor brought her a distraught and panicked young woman. “Mama,” Kagome sobbed, falling at her mother's feet and laying her head in her lap to cry. Her mother's eyes widened considerably as she tried to hold and comfort her eldest child.
Kagome felt her mother's hands brush softly through her hair and she struggled to quiet down. Her mind was a jumbled mess and she couldn't stop crying long enough to try and tell her mother what had happened. She still had no idea how this had happened to her! “Kagome, what's wrong dear?” Her mother's gentle voice dragged her slowly from her mire of fear and she sat up, wiping her eyes and combing her hair back from her face. “What is it? What did the doctor say?” The hint of terror in her mother's voice made Kagome realize that her mother probably thought she had cancer or something terminal. With the way she'd come in, she couldn't blame her.
Taking a deep breath, Kagome tried to relate to her mother what she had been told. “Mama, I don't understand it. But somehow, I'm four months pregnant.”
Her mother remained completely still for several moments, a myriad of emotions crossing her eyes. “So it's not something... serious.” Her voice was hesitant. She seemed to be taking this a lot better than Kagome had anticipated.
“Uh... no, not... life-threateningly serious I guess. But Mama I...”
“I was not aware you and Inuyasha had...” Kagome cut her off immediately.
“That's just it Mama! We haven't. I haven't with anyone. Not then, not now, not ever.” Being as earnest as possible apparently didn't have the affect on her mother that Kagome had hoped.
Trying to soothe her, Kagome's mother patted her hand and pulled her up to sit next to her. “Now Kagome, you don't have to lie to me. You're old enough now.”
“I'm not lying, Mama,” Kagome sighed. Looking her mother straight in the eye she made it very clear, “I swear to you on Daddy's grave, I have never been with anyone to my knowledge.” Her mother looked at her, really looked. She was having a hard time believing her daughter's story but Kagome rarely spoke of her father, the thoughts often too painful. To swear on his grave...
“How could this have happened? I thought Inuyasha was supposed to protect you!”
“Mama, he does. Nothing like that happened either. I'm going to try talking to Kaede-obaachan. Maybe there's some weird miko thing that makes it seem like... I don't know. But I told Inuyasha I wouldn't be long. If I don't get back there, he'll come looking for me.”
“Shouldn't you try to get a second opinion or take some home tests?” Kagome smiled wanly.
With a shrug she responded, “What would be the point Mama? I don't think actual pregnancy is one of those things that doctors misdiagnose very often.”
“Alright dear, if you're sure.”
Kagome wasn't sure, but she couldn't express that to her mother and she was already tired. That, her missing monthly friend and the fact that she'd thrown up several times in the last week had forced Kagome to have her friends come back to the well and allow her to go home for an appointment. Needless to say she had simply expected some kind of stomach virus. She couldn't explain the other problems away so easily, but pregnancy had certainly never even entered her mind.
The trip through the well was more disorienting than usual and Kagome found herself in the past much faster than she expected. Too tired to move quite yet, the young miko sat at the bottom of the well for a few moments. “Oi, you coming up anytime soon?” Looking up, Kagome saw a familiar dark silhouette framed by the fading sunlight. She nodded, but didn't move to get up. Inuyasha sighed roughly before climbing down the ladder they'd built to stand beside her. “You've been crying. Tell me what's wrong,” he demanded. Looking up at him, Kagome could see the concern in his deep amber eyes. He was scared.
“Help me out of the well first.” He took her hand and pulled her to her feet, wrapping his arms around her so he could jump them both out. Kagome snuggled into his neck where he held her until she felt soft grass beneath her feet. “Goshinboku?” Inuyasha nodded and took her hand once more. The two walked in silence to the roots of the old tree, settling in among them to talk. “I want you to know right now that I am not lying to you, I would never try to trick you, and I'm as confused as you probably will be.” While he said he believed her, Kagome could see her little opening speech hadn't made him comfortable.
“What's going on, Kagome? Are you sick?” Explaining it to Inuyasha was even more difficult than she'd anticipated. Just getting the words out was hard, let alone finding the words to make him understand that the doctors were entirely sure. That the blood test couldn't really lie and was therefor immune to threats and coercion. Much to her disbelief, he came closer, sniffing her almost everywhere. Kagome tried not to slap him when she felt he was maybe getting a little fresh. “That doctor's right. Why didn't I notice it before?” Confirmation from Inuyasha's nose was final in Kagome's mind. There was that second opinion her mother had suggested. Tears slowly made their way down her cheeks as she stared at her hanyou. “Kagome...”
“I know, I know, don't cry!” she wailed, waving her hands frantically in front of her face.
Inuyasha winced at her self-depreciating tone, catching her arms and lowering them gently to her sides. “It's not that. Did something happen in your time?” She shook her head vigorously. He sighed. “You have been here a lot,” he conceded.
“I don't understand how this could have happened. I'm... I'm so scared Inuyasha.” Looking even more upset, Inuyasha took her into his arms and held her. “Did... did something happen here and I don't remember?” He shook his head. He had no choice but to know that she wasn't lying to him. The inuhanyou could smell that she truly believed she had never been touched. What he couldn't figure out was why this was happening. She should remember something like that.
“Let's go talk to the baba, maybe she knows something.” Kagome nodded but still needed several moments to compose herself. She couldn't believe that Inuyasha was handling this so well. Usually he would have flown off the handle, yelled and probably stomped off. But he hadn't. He was almost calmer than she was. “Come on, I'll carry you if you want,” he said, offering his back. Kagome shook her head, taking his offered hand instead and standing. He led her toward the village, keeping his pace slow so she wouldn't have to strain herself.
“I have never heard of such a thing Kagome. Your doctor, he took your blood and could tell?”
Kagome sighed. “Yes, that's usually how they test for it in my time. There are home tests, but they're a little less reliable.” She didn't feel like explaining the mechanics of home pregnancy tests to a feudal era miko her grandfather's age and an inuhanyou with an extremely low tolerance for “weird future stuff.” Peeing on a stick seemed uncomfortable to her, what would they think? “But obviously I wasn't expecting this. I just don't get it. There's no way.”
Kaede stared at the couple in front of her with her one good eye, sizing them both up. Inuyasha apparently caught the question in her glance, huffing in his fashion. “That isn't what happened baba. You think I wouldn't own up to something like that? I ain't dishonorable.” She shook her head at him.
“I was not implying that you were, Inuyasha. I simply wonder if there may have been something you do not remember doing. Perhaps in your youkai state?” The glance from the younger miko at the elder made her shock at the idea clear. She had never thought of that. But what possible reason would Inuyasha, youkai or not, have to... The growl emanating from him made both women sit back a bit. “Of course. No matter what form, you would not hurt Kagome. Either way, I believe she would remember even if you did not.” All three nodded. “I imagine something else must have had a hand in this predicament. I would suggest you discuss this with the others and see if they remember something happening to all of you which may explain how this could have happened.” Kagome knew she'd have to explain it to them at some point, but she wasn't thrilled with the idea. Miroku was going to have a heyday with this...
“I'll smack the monk if he says anything,” Inuyasha reassured her as they walked through the village to their friends' hut.
“It's ok. I'm sure he'll try to be understanding.”
Almost a year and a half before, their friends had finally married. Miroku's kaazana had closed shortly after the death of Naraku, giving him a new chance at life. And he'd taken it. He'd renewed his proposal to Sango and after a year of courting - or more accurately, convincing – Sango agreed to marry him. Six months later they'd held a small ceremony and the pair returned to a modest hut that Miroku had managed to build, with Inuyasha and some of the villagers' help, on the western edge of the village. The pair had been happy for the most part though Kagome knew the pair had been trying to start a family and had been having some trouble so far. It made her news all the more painful to impart.
The two were just finishing up their evening meal when Inuyasha and Kagome arrived. “Inuyasha my friend, Kagome-sama! What brings you to our humble home?” Miroku's grand welcome made Kagome smile a little. Every time she came to visit, the ex-monk greeted her in such a way and then usually found some excuse to leave the two women alone. She imagined he felt a little awkward sitting around with them while they discussed “womanly things.” With Inuyasha there to balance the conversation, he likely felt more comfortable. However, they were not there for a social call and Miroku seemed to notice the tension in his two friends quickly. “Has... something happened?”
“Keh,” Inuyasha replied, sitting down next to Sango without invitation and giving Kagome a look until she too sat. Without thought she took hold of his hand beside her, gripping it tightly in an attempt to keep her wits together.
Kagome knew that this would be a difficult conversation, she hadn't realized how hard it would be to simply begin it. “I need to ask you two a few questions.” Not the best way to put them at ease, but it had slipped out. “Do you recall anything strange happening to all of us about... four months ago, maybe a little before that?” The concerned looks she got in return as well as the silence made it clear they did not. She had to keep trying, maybe there was something... “It may have seemed insignificant at the time, just a little weird, or maybe there's a gap in your memories? Something you didn't think of until now?”
“Have you been to Kaede-obaachan to ask her the same questions?” Sango's voice was quiet and unsure, a clear sign to the young miko that she indeed knew something but was not sure how to tell them. When Kagome nodded, the demon slayer sighed heavily. “Miroku...”
“I know.” The young man's voice was resigned and it made Kagome frown. “We thought it best not to tell you since neither of you had any recollection of it yourselves. You were unhurt and it seemed that nothing ill had befallen you.”
“Spit it out bouzu,” Inuyasha growled.
“Yes, of course, please be patient Inuyasha.” Miroku sent the hanyou a small glare. “About a month ago, you both went down the well so that Kagome-sama could see her family. It was the night of the new moon, and so you'd thought it best to return with her, Inuyasha. Moments after you jumped in, you returned to the bottom of the well. You were hanyou again and both of you were unconscious.” Kagome stared at him in disbelief as well as glanced at her friend who had kept silent about this for weeks without breathing a word. “We tried to wake you but you were unresponsive and seemed to merely be sleeping. Morning came and you both awoke as though nothing had happened. You went through the well that next afternoon and nothing strange happened again.”
“How could you not tell us? What if we aren't the same Kagome and Inuyasha that went through the well?” Kagome was becoming slightly hysterical. “What if we're older than we were when we went through? Or younger?” She tried to feel her own age and didn't feel any different than before... just sick with worry.
“Kagome-chan, calm down. As far as we could tell, there were no ill effects and you both appeared to be exactly the same. Other than Inuyasha's appearance as a hanyou, there seemed to be nothing different. You had your human night this week, did you not?” Sango was obviously trying to draw some of the heated emotion away from her husband so that no one got hurt. At his nod, she nodded triumphantly. “You see? Why did you suddenly bring this up now Kagome-chan? Is... is something wrong? Did you remember something?”
Kagome found that her news made little more sense now than it had before, but it seemed even more difficult to approach. Only a month ago? But she was well into her fourth month along... Miroku and Sango were both staring at her hard, knowing by her silence that something must indeed be wrong. She had to say something. “I'm pregnant,” she blurted out, regretting the abruptness immediately. The ex-slayer's face went sheet-white and stony. Kagome winced and lifted a hand to brush over her face. “But it doesn't make any sense. I have not been with anyone,” she glanced up to find the married couple staring at Inuyasha. The hanyou had his eyes closed as if to ignore them but he was growling under his breath. “I'm serious you guys. I haven't been with anyone at all. And now it makes even less sense. If you say that something happened in the well a month ago, it doesn't add up with the fact that I'm four months along. It can't be related. I don't know how something like what you told us about could possibly have affected...”
“Alternate dimensions.” Kagome choked. “Keh, what?”
“What are you talking about?” she squeaked. When and where had her hanyou learned such a phrase? And why did it suddenly ring a truthful little bell in her head?
“I saw it in one of those movies on your television,” he replied, struggling slightly over the foreign future words. Kagome knew Inuyasha was smart, but this was more than that. She could see he was forming some kind of explanation. “Maybe, when something happened in the well, we were gone longer than it looked like here because we were in an alternate dimension. I mean, we know it's possible, look at my old man's grave.”
“I thought that was the underworld... or the afterlife or something,” Kagome replied. Miroku and Sango looked twice as confused now. She tried to explain what an alternate dimension was, struggling because she didn't believe such a thing was possible, and then quickly recounted the story of when she and Inuyasha went into the black pearl kept in his eye in order to get Tetsusaiga.
“But those sound like a similar if not the same situation,” Miroku muttered, standing to pace and think aloud. “Perhaps, in the well, since time seems to be... fractured there, it was possible for you to slip out of time and then return to our side of the well without time having passed here.”
“That doesn't make sense. We were conscious the whole time in the pearl.” Kagome was getting irritated. “I remember every detail, down to the way Sesshomaru's poison smelled when it burned my skirt...” Her friends were all talking like characters in a bad science fiction movie. “How could I have gotten pregnant in between going into the well, slipping out of time or whatever, and returning to this side? We have no control over how fast or slow we travel through the well. Plus, it's not like Inuyasha would have...” Her voice fell silent. No, Inuyasha would never have willingly done anything like that with her. Certainly not consciously. “And n-no one else can use the well so...” But what if they were right and something had pulled them out of the time... stream or whatever, and that same something, perhaps someone, had forced...? But that didn't make sense either. “I need some fresh air,” she supplied as an excuse to run out of the hut and lose her lunch around the corner. She heard Sango call her name, but couldn't focus on it long enough with bile rising up her throat. Inuyasha was at her heels, holding her hair back for her. Trying to push him away while emptying her stomach was not easy, and Kagome finally gave up as she finished. Inuyasha gathered her against him as she sobbed, exhausted from throwing up and terrified by what could have happened to them.
“We need to talk Kagome.” His voice was so serious she couldn't deny him. Too tired to resist anyway, Kagome allowed him to carry her as he made excuses to their friends and then made his way into the forest. It was long past dark now, but Kagome wasn't worried. Inuyasha was generally scarier than anything they might run into in these woods at night. “Are you feeling any better?” Kagome kept her eyes closed but nodded. “Good. This is important.”
“Do you remember something?”
He stayed silent until they were nestled in the roots of Goshinboku, Inuyasha's haori wrapped around her to keep her warm. “You trust me, don't you Kagome?” She nodded, but sat up a little straighter. This was sounding much like her own confession to him earlier and she didn't like it one bit. For several moments he continued to stare at her, possibly studying her for any indication as to what her reaction might be. “I'm not your Inuyasha.”
“W-what?” Kagome blushed faintly, trying to ignore the upset fluttering in her stomach. She knew, in her head, that calling Inuyasha “hers” had always been a bit presumptuous, but she'd never said it aloud. “I don't think of you as mine,” she whispered.
“Not like that. I mean, I'm not the Inuyasha you've known for the last six years.”
Frowning, Kagome tried not to acknowledge what he'd said. “That isn't funny Inuyasha. I know you got this alternate dimension thing in your head earlier...”
He shook his head sharply, silencing her. “This is not a joke. I am not the Inuyasha you have known and the one that you love.” Kagome gasped, pulling herself away from where he sat, embarrassed and terrified tears forming in her eyes. “Don't be ashamed Kagome, I'm glad you do. I... I feel the same way.”
“You're not him. Inuyasha would never admit that he,” she hesitated, “cared for me.” Kagome stood shakily, stepping awkwardly over the roots surrounding her and backing away from the... impostor sitting in front of her. He rose to follow her, his eyes determined. “Stay away!” He continued after her until Kagome had no choice but to turn and run. When he gave chase, she realized she could not outrun him, impostor or not. With a sharp cry, she sank to her knees and formed a spiritual barrier, effectively blocking him out.
“Damn! I forgot how much stronger your powers are. Kagome, please, I'm not going to hurt you.” She shook and sobbed, huddled to the ground as she drew symbols in the dirt to strengthen and hold her barrier. Inuyasha lowered to his knees in sight with her, keeping far enough back that he would not be shocked or purified. “Kagome? Please, listen to me! Your Inuyasha is with my Kagome, they probably don't know we've been switched. Your Inuyasha didn't know that he could allow himself to love you like you love him, and I'm sorry for that. I didn't know that my Kagome did not feel the same for me for years.”
“What are you talking about? How do you understand what's going on?”
“Midoriko. She came to me when Kagome gave me the jewel. She explained that the realities are all wrong.”
“W-wrong?” Kagome couldn't believe this was happening to her. “I want my Inuyasha back. I want him back now!” she screamed, sobbing wholeheartedly. Nothing was making sense, she was afraid and all she wanted was Inuyasha to hold her. But he wasn't here. And while this one would gladly hold her, he was a fake... or wrong or something. “Please, I just want everything back the way it was!” She felt her stomach turn with the force of her emotions and she gasped for air, trying not to throw up again.
“I can't do that. Damn it Kagome, let me in!” He pounded a fist against the barrier in frustration, hissing as it stung his hand. The burn healed fast enough but he knew not to attempt such a thing again. She was making herself sick and he couldn't get to her! “Just listen to me, ok? The child you carry, I know why it's there.” That seemed to gain her attention, but she still wouldn't look at him, nor lower the wall between them. “We were supposed to have had a pup a long time ago. Midoriko told me that the fate of the jewel depends on it.”
Kagome shook her head. The idea that the baby was hers and Inuyasha's, while comforting, was impossible. “Inuyasha and I have never been together. It is not his child. I've tried to tell everyone...”
“It is mine,” the hanyou outside snarled, barely keeping himself from throwing his whole body into the crackling barrier. “Never deny that pup is mine!” Kagome finally looked up at him, fear evident in her eyes. He struggled to rein in his youki and took several deep breaths before speaking again. “Kagome, I'm still Inuyasha. I've still made all the same promises to you. I will always protect you. Always! The Kagome I've known for six years was too afraid of the way I once felt for Kikyo, and so she never allowed herself to get close to me the way you have. Don't get me wrong, we're still friends who protected and cared about one another, but she could never have stayed with me. That is why the switch had to be made.”
“Why couldn't Midoriko just explain it to my Inuyasha and send him back here?”
“You have not completed the jewel here. We had and Midoriko made it pretty clear that this was the only way. I was not supposed to tell you, but you were supposed to remember at least some of it on your own over time. I don't know why you haven't.” He stared at her, trying to convey his sincerity with all that he was. “Kagome, you have to be getting tired. I promise you I would never hurt you. I'm still Inuyasha, still honor-bound to protect you, still your friend. I would never break that promise. Think of the pup...”
Kagome was still unconvinced, but he was right, she was getting very tired, very quickly. She couldn't hold the barrier much longer. Not to mention that the strain of using her powers was likely not good for the baby. “Why did you have to... when I didn't know about it?” she mumbled, slowly erasing the lines in the dirt and lowering the protective wall around her. Inuyasha rushed to her side as soon as he could, helping her to her feet.
“I... didn't exactly. Apparently, in another reality, or dimension or whatever, you were pupped. But in that dimension, you were dying. Naraku was not dead yet and that Inuyasha didn't have the sense to know pupping you before he was dead was a very bad idea. Midoriko used her power and the connection through the jewel to move the pup's spirit to you. This is the place where it is safest for you and the birth is most likely to succeed.” Kagome leaned a little reluctantly against his chest where he held her. “I know, it's fucking weird, isn't it?”
Kagome looked up at his face, staring at the same features she'd come to know and love over the years. There was not a single hair out of place, not a line she didn't know. He was exactly like her Inuyasha. But the inside was different. He... loved her? But he loved a different Kagome, one who was too afraid to love him. The situation was all too familiar. “So you're saying, my Inuyasha and I... we would never have been together? Because he couldn't love me?”
“It's not that,” he replied, gently brushing her hair from her face with his fingers. “That Inuyasha may have allowed himself to give in eventually, but by then it would have been way too late. The jewel could have corrupted him or been stolen and the whole thing would start over.” Kagome nodded slightly. “You're tired, let's get you back...”
“Will I ever see him again?” Tears again formed in her eyes and Inuyasha finally felt the guilt he had been trying to suppress.
“No. But I'm here. I'm here to protect you and... be here for you, if you'll let me.” not missing his hesitation, Kagome hiccuped a sob. “Please Kagome, don't cry. You know I hate it when you cry.” The familiar words coming out of the same mouth she had longed to kiss for years forced even more tears from her eyes. “Oi, Kagome,” he whispered in a soothing, concerned tone. She couldn't help herself. Even if he wasn't the exact same Inuyasha, he was still Inuyasha. And he'd said he felt the same way... But does he really? She had to know. His lips were soft and pliant for a moment, obviously startled by her sudden move. He quickly returned it however, pressing urgently against her. “Kagome,” he sighed, kissing down the side of her cheek before returning to her mouth. “Kami-sama, you have no idea how long I have wanted this.” Kagome smiled sadly, tears pooling in her eyes all over again.
“Probably as long as I have. But...”
Inuyasha pressed a clawed finger to her lips. “No buts, Wench. I... know it's hard. We have to forget the ones we knew and remember that our souls are still the same. We're still the stupid inuhanyou and weird caring miko from the future that we've always been.”
“You're not stupid,” she retorted automatically. He chuckled, brushing the back of one finger against her eyelids to rid her of her tears. “I-Inuyasha?” Her tentative voice made him smile a little. At least she was trying. “What do we do now?”
He didn't seem all that sure himself. “We'll take it slow, ok? There's no rush. I think I know where the last few Shikon no kakera should be and that means it shouldn't be so hard to get them back. The sooner we get them, the sooner you can relax and take care of yourself.” His palm coming to rest over her bellybutton brought flashes of something to Kagome. She saw herself barely pregnant, without her same powers, trying to fight off Naraku and failing. Then she saw Midoriko's kind face as she pressed a ghostly hand to the same place Inuyasha's lay. “Kagome!” His frantic call startled her and she lost the next vision completely.
“I'm alright,” she soothed, “I'm ok. I just... saw some of it.” Inuyasha didn't look convinced, still holding her very close and looking incredibly worried. “I need to lie down I think. Can you take me back to Kaede-obaachan's?”
“I'll do you one better,” he smirked, lifting her into his arms. Kagome squeaked, holding on tight as he took off in a quick jog. Her fear, the use of her powers and her high emotional state all day had left her drained. She didn't even get a chance to see where Inuyasha was taking her before she fell asleep against his shoulder.
Thank you for reading! Please leave a review so I at least know someone out there was paying attention.