InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ One Can Only Wander For So Long ❯ Lost and Found ( Chapter 16 )

Apologies for the lateness, school sucked up my time, effort and willpower.  Will try to write as much as possible before we move.  This story will NOT be abandoned, I will complete it one way or another!!  It's about time we get to talking about this damned family heirloom.  I've had plenty of time to beat around the bush with it, now's the time to get down to business.  I would also like to say that I'm hardly any sort of skilled Inuyasha fanfic writer....  So...  just think of this as your random amusement for the afternoon, and don't expect literary greatness from me!    -Illustration to come later.

(edit edit!!  I WILL get this formatting pretty, so help me god)  I'm SOOOO SORRY about flooding everyone's inboxes with revision updates, but I seriously CAN'T STAND HOW THIS LOOKS.  x_x

Disclaimer I forgot to add!  Inu and gang will never be my property.  But man, they make for some good fiction target-practice.  ;) 

Chapter Sixteen - Lost and Found

A fist flying towards her face...  it was the image that would be burned into her memory for the rest of her life.  'Life...  right...  Ah, lack of life, more like,'  She growled under her breath, her mouth twisting into a fierce scowl.  She blinked, once looking around herself.  A similarly grayish white, hazy environment...  not scent, no temperature,  no readily identifiable source of illumination, yet everything was visible.  Kikyo let out a huff of air.  'Limbo... maybe,' she thought.

She wasn't sure how long she stood there, just spacing out, before her slight confusion and annoyance at her failed last-ditch efforts burned into a nasty fit of rage.  She wanted to rend something, tear it into tiny pieces, beat someone to death, or just plain finish strangling Inuyasha.  She visualized in perfect clarity the last moment she had laid eyes upon him, the slender fingers of his little bitch wrapped tightly around his neck, cutting off the flow of his weaker human blood.  She allowed a small grin to grace her face at the disbelief etched in his half-conscious gaze as he stared up at the woman (that she assumed) he loves.

She blinked once at the image before her.  'What in the...' she thought to herself, as she realized she was actually looking at Inuyasha's human features, her fingers really wrapped around his neck.

She yanked her hands back as though she'd touched fire, frightened for a moment at his sudden appearance.  But as soon as she removed her hands, he disappeared in a soft curl of mist.  Kikyo found her jaw hanging slightly agape at the strange occurrence.  She frowned thoughtfully, and tried to recreate the event.  Visualizing him once more, she realized her fingers were yet again poised to choke the life out of him.

Her eyes narrowed in triumphant glee as she proceeded to finish the job of killing the man who had refused her so long ago.  But when his lifeless form fell to the ground, she found herself unsatisfied.  Various thoughts of dismemberment and fiery blazes came to mind, and she tried to hold back a chuckle at the thought of her powerful little snake-headed knife.  The damned thing would probably thirst for...

Kikyo glanced down at her hand.  This was getting stranger by the moment - she was now holding her knife, the same glittering, strangely intelligent eyes of the knife flashing in the softly illuminated environment.  Two and two came together suddenly, as she redirected her thoughts to various things she'd known or owned, and each appeared before her, only to disappear once she moved onto another visualization.

Perhaps she'd gone to Heaven after all, for it seemed she could have anything she so desired. 

"It seems you've caught on to your situation, girl, although this is far from Heaven," a masculine voice came to her ears.  Kikyo spun towards the sound, and found her gaze leveled with a rather ancient-looking man.  His face was flawless and youthful, but the light in his pale green eyes spoke volumes of knowledge and experience.

Kikyo shot him a cold glare at the reference to her supposed age, and blatantly looked him up and down with a demeaning expression.  "Who the hell are you, boy?" she spat out, returning his insult with a little venom of her own.

"I am the original owner of the ring," he stated, simply.

Kikyo's eyebrows lifted, her bad mood halting in her confusion.  "Excuse me?  What does some ring have to do with my question?"

The man's gaze upon her turned calculating, and his lips pressed into a thin line of displeasure.  "You are a miko, are you not?"  He narrowed his eyes, looking her over.  When she merely glared back at him, he went on.  "The ring," he waved his hand to emphasize.  "I'm sure, as a miko, you'd be able to sense this sort of magical object, especially when it has acquired so much power."

Kikyo's thoughts immediately flew to her knife, that ancient tool she'd used in weaving her charms and spells.  Her mind quickly clicked onto track, 'Magical... powerful...  the rings are the most rare...'  She put a hand to her abdomen; living or not, she suddenly didn't feel too well.   "Wh...  Where am I?" she asked, her voice merely a whisper.

"Your soul, as hundreds of others before you, are now a permanent addition to Kagome's only adornment, her ring.   And not only that, but your soul was a rather big chunk of power.  If she doesn't learn how to manipulate the ring soon to expel some energy, we'll all be destroyed forever."

"How do I get out of here?  I know I'm dead, but, spending eternity trapped in a piece of metal doesn't sound appealing."

The man sat into a chair that materialized behind him.  "I am certain of only one way: Kagome must direct the ring to release your soul.  As she has little knowledge of the ring, and, as she most likely does not know you are its newest resident, I seriously doubt such a thing will come to pass.  We all have accepted our fates," he gestured with his hand, and suddenly Kikyo could see hundreds, perhaps thousands of people milling about in the bland, misty landscape.

'Such power...' she thought.  She fell to her knees in slight shock.  'If I had known about such an object...' her inner musings turned in somersaults and flips, worrying about all the possible outcomes of her plotting, had she known the girl possessed such a powerful relic.  "If the girl doesn't know of her ring's powers, then, how did this happen?" she demanded, her eyes blazing with renewed rage.

"Ah, this is where it gets interesting," he smiled down at her, causing her to bare her teeth in her anger.  He continued, ignoring her murderous expression.  "The ring, over the centuries, has accumulated so much power that it has developed a sort of free will.  It can choose its next owner, it can use its own power in small quantities, and it can weave its magic around the unconscious will of its owner, giving Kagome boosts when she needs it, without her knowing how to do it herself.  The ring is a self-serving tool, however.  It acts only for its own benefit," he frowned at this.  "The ring has saved Kagome's life in more ways than one, but only because she is vital to the increase in its powers.  The ring needs Kagome more than she needs it, and she does not know of its meddling in her life."

"How do you know so much about what goes on outside of here?" she demanded.  She fisted her hand over her leg, her lips pressing into a small line in annoyance.

He simply raised an eyebrow at her question; the smallest tilt of his lips suggested amusement as he went on, disregarding her inquiry.  "The ring bound her soul to another's a very short time ago, gaining her a protector, and also securing a new source of power for itself."

Kikyo's eyebrows rose marginally.  "That is impossible.  This is impossible.  A mere object cannot bind souls.  It cannot act of its own will...  it would have to be possessed, controlled by an outside influence..."

"You believe it is impossible?  Think harder, Kikyo.  Your memories and thoughts... they are jumbled and indistinct as the mist filling this void," his eyes flashed with something akin to displeasure as he flicked his wrist towards her.  Kikyo's glittering snake-headed knife flew towards her in a flash.  Her eyes never left his face as her hand snapped up with unfamiliar speed and agility, catching the blade with ease. 

When at last she dropped her gaze to look at her familiar tool of evildoing, she caught the sparkle in those inset eyes; the smallest flicker of a flame in its depths.  She remembered a pull and tug on her actions; perhaps things she might have never done otherwise...  her mother's actions and both of their untimely ends...

She didn't hear him move as she stared down at the blade in her palm, but his whispered words came very close to her ear, "Your mother became a part of that relic when she took her own life in that final spell, Kikyo.  That blade sought to take your soul as well upon your death, for it would have made huge leap in power."

Kikyo shuddered, the knife vanishing in another swirl of mist as her grip slackened.  She felt empty, misguided, and lost.  She had never thought that her actions were not truly her own, yet she had been a puppet to a knife with a power-hungry drive.  A servant to its will and silent guidance, used as a means to an end, to be discarded when something better came along.

His voice came again from in front of her, yet she was unaware he had moved.  "Some of these relics can create their own path, forging the lives of those around them to suit their needs   You were strong enough to take the blade from your mother, back then,"  he paused, looking at her carefully.  "The relics hang on a fine balance between good and evil.  Your blade is one of the more evil ones I've heard of, but they are swayed over time by the nature of the owner.  You have descended from a long line of dark mikos, Kikyo.  The ways of your family truly became a part of that blade, as the blade became a part of your family.  And now," she shivered as his gaze seemingly searched her soul for answers, "it will become a lost dark relic, with no one near to lay claim to it..." he sighed, continuing.  "These were created for people with exceptional power to control and use....  If an ordinary person were to find it," he trailed off, choosing not to continue.

Kikyo felt drained.  There was nothing she could hide from this enigma of a man, who was older than anything she'd ever be able to comprehend.  Loss and despair crowded her emotions, swirling inside her, causing her to feel ill.  But it soon gave way to anger and rage, a frustration that everything went wrong.  She blanked her mind and began contemplating her surroundings and situation.  "How do you know all of this?  You speak as though you are me, knowing all I have known....  You relate things as though you are privy to all the happenings in this plane of existence, and beyond...  How did you know of the past, the ring's activities?"  Her eyes narrowed in contemplation.  "Perhaps you are the one guiding the ring's powers.  It would explain your knowledge better," she continued, talking more to herself than him, as she began pacing back and forth, considering her lack of options.

He began to turn away, drawing her attention with the small movement.  His lips curled into a small, knowing smile as he closed his eyes.  "I've answered the questions that have yet to be asked, and all that is left...  is to wait," he said, before he and the multitudes of souls gathered in the void suddenly vanished from sight, leaving Kikyo alone in the gray mist.  She slumped to her knees on the non-existent ground in silence.

- - -

Soft sunlight filtered in through the windows, spilling onto the slumbering form of Kagome as she curled up to her pillow.  She grumbled once and hid her face from the light, trying to fall back asleep in the renewed darkness.  Something was nagging at her, though.  A feeling like she'd forgotten to set her alarm clock, or left the dog out all night...  left the dog out... it clicked suddenly, and she gasped, sitting up.  She met the unwavering golden gaze of Inuyasha, who sat across the room - watching her.  His hair had returned to the original snowy white, and his arms were crossed over his chest, a small frown set on his face.  Aside from a slight pink tinting his cheeks, he looked positively grumpy.

"Didn't you sleep?"  Kagome asked, wondering about his well-being.  After the previous hectic events, he was sure to be in some need of uninterrupted sleep...

"I don't need that much sleep," he replied, finally looking away.  He'd removed his bandage some time earlier and seemingly rinsed his hair clean, for there was no trace of blood.  Kagome looked down at her fingers in shyness; after everything that had happened yesterday, life was suddenly even more uncertain than it had been before.  "What are you thinking about, Kagome?" 

She glanced back up at him, pushing her messy bangs from her vision with a sweep of her fingers.  "Where do we go from here?  Are we a couple now?  For all practical purposes, we've only known each other for a day," she chuckled.  "I mean, my mother...  anyone who knows me...  what would they think?  What do I think about this?  My mind is warring with my heart, screaming at me that this is too sudden, too unreal.  Why do I magically have feelings for you?"  She paused, unsure of how to go on, but needing to say what was on her mind.  "Why do I feel like this...  that I can't be without you?  I hardly even know you," she frowned.

He was on his feet in an instant, walking to the bedside nearest her and kneeling to take her hand.  He looked up at her with a determined gleam in his eyes and squeezed her hand reassuringly.  "Kagome, I won't rush you, I won't rush this.  But I know that whatever this is, I've never felt more right about it."  He blushed a bit, releasing her hand and looking away again, catching his lower lip between his teeth in thought.  Kagome had to refrain from chuckling at the adorable picture it made.  "Maybe you can just be...  my girlfriend...  or something," he mumbled, not looking at her.

"I guess that would be a good idea, since our mutual dreams would suggest we're more friendly than friends..." she trailed off from that sentence, embarrassed and feeling strangely warm remembering the things they'd been so close to doing in the dreamscape.

Inuyasha's nose twitched as he caught scent of a change in her emotions.  He snuck a glance back up at her to see her focusing on her fingers again, seemingly lost in thought.  She was mimicking his earlier expression and absently biting on her lower lip.  His focus centered on those lips as he slowly leaned up, intent on doing the nibbling for her.

Her breath left in a small gasp once she noticed how close he was to her.  Her body reacted before her mind caught up, and she found herself pulling him closer with a grip to his shirt.  His right hand curled up to tangle in her hair as he brushed his mouth against hers once, teasingly, before parting his lips to taste her once again.  Something teased his senses...  'someone coming...  closer...  lips soft....  tastes good....' His thoughts were muddled as they kissed lightly, tasting each other.  Her grip on his shirt loosened as her fingers began to seek out the planes of his shoulders and chest.

He'd had plenty of warning, the sound of her footsteps, the soft voice as she spoke to Kirara, even the rhythm of heartbeat which Inuyasha's excellent hearing could easily pick up and identify well before she'd arrived at the door.  Yet both he and Kagome were completely caught off-guard when she opened the door to the room without knocking.  Kagome, embarrassed, shoved the surprised hanyou away from her, and he landed with a thump on the carpeted floor.

"I ..." she paused, slightly shocked at the scene she'd jut interrupted.  "...just came to tell you that Sess is coming up the drive..." she trailed off and backed out of the room, completely bewildered at the scene she'd encountered.

Sango walked back down the covered walkway, the bright morning sunlight filtering through the trees and warming her skin.  Embarrassed that she hadn't knocked, confused as to why she needed to have knocked, worry over her friend's sudden overly amorous behavior with someone she barely knew, and amusement that it was KAGOME being the suddenly amorous friend tumbled about in her mind as she absently walked back to the kitchen area to prepare some coffee for the day.  Miroku stumbled in a short while later, picking up a cup of the steaming liquid as he took a seat next to Sango.  He smirked at her before taking a sip, and she ran her fingers through his slightly messy hair.

"So," she began. "You'll never guess what I walked in on this morning..." she lowered her voice considerably, taking into account the excellent hearing of their hanyou guest.  Miroku coughed and choked on his coffee.

"What?!  Already?" he asked, seemingly shocked at their rapid progression to that.  Sango blanched, waving her hands about in denial

"Not that!" she clarified.  "They were just kissing...  but still.  They were kissing!"  She frowned.  "I usually trust Kagome's judgment, but, she's only known him for a day.  And, not even that...  I mean...  well, she has, but...  it's too sudden!"  Sango seemed at a loss for complete sentences.

Miroku nodded sagely.  "We'll see if Sesshoumaru can shed any light on this situation." He stated, sipping on his coffee again.  Kagome and Inuyasha entered the kitchen a few moments later.   They both looked embarrassed, but Inuyasha's blush was poorly disguised with a grumpy pout, no doubt from having been pushed onto the floor.  They had a quick breakfast in an awkward silence, waiting for Sess and Rin.

It wasn't long before Sesshoumaru and Rin had arrived and everyone situated themselves comfortably in Sango's library, where they'd researched the day prior on the effects of the short-lived immobilizing curse.  Inuyasha and Kagome sat a respectable distance from each other, but their bond was obvious to the older pair.  Sesshoumaru was the first to speak.  "I'm sure you have questions you want answered, but first, you must tell us what you know."  Kagome related the events since she had last seen Sess and Rin, but leaving out the more embarrassing details of the dreams and strange physical attraction between the two of them. 

Sango and Miroku were shocked to hear of the fight that had occurred the night prior, so close to the room they were in.  The fact that Kagome had had such an intense battle of wills against the woman who had been the root of the whole ordeal was awe-inspiring.  Everyone there was certain that the threat from Kikyo was over for now, even if they didn't know what had happened to her.  Sango, of course, demanded to examine Inuyasha's skull for any lingering injury, but he growled at her and moved to the other side of Kagome when she drew near to start poking.  "I'm fine, leave me alone."  Images of a ridiculous ace bandage wrapped around his head again made him wary of getting any more healing attention.

"Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru began, "you mentioned the dreams you'd had before.  Are they still occurring?  How detailed are they?"

Inuyasha's face turned red at the dreams being mentioned in front of everyone.  "...Yeah," he mumbled, "...pretty detailed," was all would add on.

Sesshoumaru nodded at this new information.  "I've told you this before, that such things are a result of being mated.  More correctly, a result of when the two souls have been bound as part of the ritual.  Having such a connection to your loved one is something that reinforces the bond and allows for unhindered expressions of love.  The fact that you two are definitely not mated, and that it doesn't happen unless you are in direct contact leads me to believe that this is not a normal bond.  Something else has interfered between the two of you, only completing the process partially.  True mates, even when far apart, can still meet in their dreams as you have mentioned.

"Since this is not a true bond, there may be a way to undo the connection and allow you both the freedom to choose a different partner."  At this, Rin shot her husband a frown, wishing he hadn't added that line in.  Kagome brought a hand to her mouth in worry, unsure of how to respond to such news.

Lost in her own thoughts, she missed the next few sentences Sesshoumaru directed towards Inuyasha, regarding his belongings and land since his curse had broken.  'Break the bond with Inuyasha?  I don't want to lose him, but I know it's unnatural for me to feel this way...  What should we do?'  She snuck a glance up at his profile, taking in the bright light in his gaze, the short fangs that appeared when he spoke to his older half-brother, the soft silvery locks that fell over his shoulder...  He was certainly handsome, in fact, rather drool-worthy, if she said so herself.  A humongous improvement over the last boyfriend she'd had, and she knew her mother would adore those furry ears.  Her fingers twitched, wanting to touch the soft appendages again, until she realized everyone was looking at her. 

"What?" she asked, startled out of her ear-fantasizing.  Inuyasha's smile turned into an arrogant smirk, knowing she'd been so busy thinking about him that she'd missed the question.

"I asked if you two would be returning to your house to oversee its repairs?" Sesshoumaru repeated.  Kagome blushed slightly at the fleeting thought of staying there, alone, with Inuyasha.

"I'm not sure how extensive the damage is yet...  I suppose I need to make calls and get some estimates," she said, her mind returning to more serious affairs.

"Very well," Sesshoumaru nodded.  "I'll consult some contacts about this situation, and perhaps we can come up with an answer as to how this happened and a solution to the problem."

Kagome didn't like the sick feeling that snaked its way into her stomach at those words, but she forced a smile onto her face and thanked him.  Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru spent some time then speaking about family affairs and events that had happened over the last half-century while Miroku listened on in rapt interest. 

The three women left the library to walk in the gardens and enjoy some sunshine.  They stopped at a circle of short seats surrounding a small fountain.  Rin smiled knowingly at Kagome, motioning that the three of them should sit. 

Sango, unable to wait any longer, blurted out the question that had been on her mind the entire time. "What were you two DOING this morning?  You practically just met him!"

Kagome looked slightly embarrassed, but shrugged lightly and replied, "It felt right, though."  Rin had to hide her smile as Sango's expression.

"Kagome, of course it felt right, I mean, look at him!  He's a gorgeous hunk of a man, and any girl not currently obsessed with another gorgeous man would feel right kissing him!" Sango looked at Kagome with such frustration and worry that Kagome felt bad for causing her friend to fret. 

"Sango, I don't mean that it feels right to be kissing him...  It feels right that we're together.  I worry that this bond is unnatural, but, I don't think a forced bond could make people like each other like this.  We really do like each other, and he's promised not to rush things.  It'll be like we're dating, I guess."

Sango suddenly thought of something.  "Rin, when I went to help them after that attack, I felt like I was burned when I touched Inuyasha.  Does it have to do with the bond between them?"

Rin nodded once, "Yes, that's a form of possession I've seen before between intended mates.  It happened between Sess and myself before we were 'officially an item.'"  She lowered her voice and looked around conspiratorially before going on.  "It started between us when he stole a kiss on our first walk.  Shocked the hell out of me to see him go from high and mighty to sneaking a kiss when I wasn't paying attention."  The girls smiled at this secret bit gossip.  "It's like a strange sort of defense mechanism that wards off undesired attention until the two can sort out whether they're meant for each other.  It goes away after the bonding is complete or completely severed, so, until the two of you make up your minds on staying together or not, you can't come in contact with the opposite gender."

Rin's expression became a bit more serious.  "Kagome, I have to warn you to use this time wisely.  Get to know him well before you take the final step.  In the matter of mating...  just having sex wouldn't be a finalizing event.  The conscious binding of the souls afterwards, in conjunction with the connection of the bodies, would seal the event and cause the eternal union of the two involved.  It's something that is agreed upon, physically and consciously by both the male and female.  However, with your souls already bound, anything physically connecting of that nature would have the same effect, even though it's done out of order.  The combination of events is what unites us for eternity, not one or the other."

Kagome's eyes widened slightly at this piece of information.  It certainly put a new twist on getting physical with the handsome man that would shortly be living at her house, as agreed upon by them both.  Did she really like him enough to want to be with him forever?

Rin tapped her fingers together thoughtfully.  "If you truly cannot love him, I'm sure the bond between your souls will not remain permanently, as long as you two don't complete the connection."  Kagome nodded, and the three of them turned their attention to the peaceful gardens around them.

- - -

The weather had been unseasonably cool in the area, causing travelers to wear thicker coats and gloves to ward off the chilly breezes.  Yet a group of hardy teenagers were out on a friendly camping trip, hiking through the area with supplies strapped to their backs.

"Hey, Billy, check this out."  A tall, dark-haired girl was pointing to something in the tree line.  "Looks like a house of sorts."  The chill in the air made her words come out in visible puffs, and she put her gloved hand back into her pocket to keep her fingers warm.

Billy moved to stand at her side, eying the house warily.  "Emma, didn't that old codger say something about these woods being haunted?"  The first girl responded with a nod, looking at the house with a little apprehension.  A shorter brown-haired girl started towards the house, a twinkle in her eyes. 

"Come on, let's go check it out!"  The group started towards the small building.  Its windows were a dingy brown, seemingly too dirty to allow any light.  Billy got to the door first, and finding it ajar, pushed it open.  Amazingly enough, the interior of the house seemed even colder as Billy and Emma stepped inside.  A few others in the group walked around the house, looking for anything of interest.

As light spilled into the interior of the shack, Emma let out a strangled gasp.  "Oh, god, Billy...  there's someone there on the floor!"  Billy rushed forward to the dark form slumped over in the middle of the room.  Emma looked at the strange markings and objects placed around the hardwood floor with a strange sort of growing apprehension.  Something was nagging at her, a feeling that they should leave.  "Billy, we should get out of here, there's something wrong about this room."

Billy had crouched next to the figure, and after taking in the sight of considerable amounts of dried blood, was thankful for the cooler temperatures to not have caused the deceased to decay terribly.  "Whoever this was has been dead for a little while."  He stood up, frowning down at the body they'd discovered.  "Let's get out of here and contact the authorities."  Emma nodded her agreement and bolted from the room.  Billy started to follow her, until a glint of something very shiny caught his eye.  Upon a closer look, he saw the glittering eyes of the intricate snake-headed blade lying next to the body.  Compelled by the desire to get a closer look, he leaned over and picked it up from the floor.

- - -

Sesshoumaru and Rin stayed for dinner that evening, sharing conversation and thoughts about anyone they could meet with and talk to about the recent events.  One name ended up being mentioned several times, and it became apparent that speaking with this specific old miko might prove to reveal more information.  Rin made arrangements for Inuyasha and Kagome to fly there in three days, giving them time to schedule repairs for Kagome's house.

The next day, Kagome drove with Inuyasha back to her home.  The girls had agreed on phone calls to check in every evening, just in case something else happened to them. 

Kagome was shocked to see the state of her home after the attack.  Inuyasha accompanied her everywhere she went around the house, and the two were silent as she surveyed the damage to the walls and floors.  She made a few phone calls to the gentlemen who constructed the home years ago, and in less than an hour, had booked the team to repair the damage done by the end of the week.  Having done all they could do for the time being, Inuyasha and Kagome took the pickup truck into town and stopped at the quaint bed and breakfast. 

They stepped into the small lobby and rang the bell on the front table.  A cheerful elderly lady walked into the room and greeted them, asking how long they'd like to stay.  Kagome worked out the details of their two-day stay, requesting two separate beds (to be on the safe side).  They were shown to the room, and after being handed a key, the two of them made themselves comfortable in the softly lit quarters.

Kagome peeked over at Inuyasha, who was slouched in an armchair, his head tilted back to stare up at the ceiling.  "We need to go shopping for some clothes...  Want to go now?" she asked.

He turned his head to regard her with a sly look.  "Nah, what do I need clothes for?"

Kagome sat up, a blush staining her cheeks.  Oh, what nerve!  She reached over to the bed and chucked a pillow at his head before she stalked from the room, her face blazing red.  He caught up with her quickly, chuckling at her embarrassment, then took her hand as they left the bed and breakfast to walk around the small town to look through the clothes shops.

They picked out a few new outfits for Inuyasha, most of which he didn't mind trying on for her approval.  A few turtlenecks, some slacks and a pair of jeans, and a set of sturdy boots that he initially scoffed at.  "But they look good on you...  and you can't go around shoeless!"  She gave him a melting pout and he rolled his eyes, giving in to her silly demands.

They arrived back at the bed and breakfast, stowed their items in the room, and enjoyed a wonderful dinner cooked by Delilah, the lady who showed them their rooms earlier that day.  Dinner was a quiet yet cheerful event, and then they bid goodnight to the owner, who waved them off to their room with a wink and a twinkle in her eyes.

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd think she was inferring something with that look..." Kagome muttered as they walked up the carpeted staircase.  They got to the bedroom door, and Kagome hesitated with her hand on the knob. 

"What's on your mind?" his voice came close from behind.  When she didn't answer right away, he lifted his hand to trail the pads of his fingertips over her shoulder and back, slowly sweeping her hair to one side.

"We need to..." her mouth suddenly felt dry.  "...need to not..." She was finding it hard to collect coherent thoughts as he lowered his mouth to the base of her neck.  "...not go too fast..."  She let her head fall forward against the wood of the door as he brushed his lips against the flesh there, teasing her with soft kisses.  "Inu...," her voice came out, barely a whisper.

"I don't think this is too fast," he teased, moving his lips even slower against her skin to emphasize. 

"Uh huh..." she muttered, her eyes half-closed, enjoying the moment.  He gave her a shoulder a gentle squeeze before he reached around her to open the door handle, letting them into the room.  She shuddered as he moved around her, taking her elbow in his hand and leading her into the room. 

"I'm going to go take a shower, I'll be back in a short while."  He kissed the tip of her nose and turned around, picking up something simple to sleep in from the pile of new clothes.

Kagome was confused, hot and bothered.  She sifted through the small suitcase she'd packed earlier that day, pulling out a long t-shirt and a change of underclothes.  She sat down in a chair, worrying a knuckle between her teeth while she contemplated her behaviour.  She might have the voice of reason when it came down to it, but hell if her body listened to what came out of her mouth.

She had to hope that he had enough common sense to know when to give it a rest, because she knew she wouldn't be able to tell him no.  He had returned to the room before she knew it, and she left to take a bath, herself.

The bathroom was splendid, and Kagome took her time soaking in the hot water.  She'd added some bath salts to the tub as it filled, and she felt tingly and relaxed all over as the heat soothed her.  A while later, feeling refreshed, she stepped out of the water and toweled herself off, putting on her clean clothes and putting her worn clothes in the hamper Delilah had designated for them. 

Thinking she'd been gone too long for Inuyasha to still be awake, she snuck into the room and tiptoed over to the empty bed, climbing beneath the sheets. 

-

That cold shower had done him wonders.  The taste of her skin had really gotten to him, and all he wanted to do was get them into that room to go farther.  But her words, even if they were breathless and incoherent, reminded him of their situation.  He sat down on one of the beds, smoothing his shirt and adjusting his shorts, trying not to think of the fact that she'd be sleeping mere feet from him in a short while. 

By the time she finished with her bath, he'd relaxed back into the small pile of pillows, his arms folded over his chest.  He followed the progress of her tiptoed steps along the hallway outside their room; smiled at the soft breath and the near-silent creak of the door as she eased it open to peek inside.  He watched her quietly through half-closed eyes as she crept into the room, but her eyes were directed at the other bed.  His amusement faded quickly though, as he saw her sleeping outfit, a t-shirt that barely covered enough of her thighs to be considered decent.  He swallowed thickly and clenched his fists, surprised at the struggle to stay where he was.  He listened, waiting to be sure she fell asleep before he allowed himself to doze lightly.

The night passed quickly, and before he knew it, the mouth-watering aroma of breakfast had reached his nose, drawing him from his slumber.  The sound of Kagome's light footsteps as she walked across the room met his ears, and he cracked an eye open to see what she was up to. 

He caught the smallest glimpse of flesh as she pulled her jeans on, but closed his eyes again as she turned around again.  She quietly approached his bedside, leaning over him to brush the hair off his forehead.  "Inuyasha..." she whispered quietly, as though to wake him.

Feigning sleepiness, he replied with a half-hearted, "mm?" before 'innocently' nuzzling into her palm.

She poked him lightly in the side, straightening.  "Breakfast time, let's go get something to eat."  He sighed and cracked his eyes open, looking up at her with a small smirk.  She caught the mischievous glimmer in his eyes, so before he could respond with a perverted comment like he had the day prior, she shushed him and walked out of the room.

A short while later, Inuyasha joined her at the table to have some breakfast.  While Kagome stirred a spoonful of sugar into her coffee, she picked up the morning paper, glancing through the headlines on the front page.  One in particular caught her eye, and she found herself frowning as she began reading the column.

MASS MURDER IN MANONA

Manona, Iowa:  A group of eight teens reportedly left their camping arrangements early Saturday morning for a hike in the neighboring woods.  Martin Trey, a shop owner in Manona, claims to have sold the teenagers last minute supplies Friday afternoon. "I warned them kids not to trespass through there.  We've heard unearthly screams coming from those woods before!"  A search party was dispatched Wednesday morning when the leader of the group failed to check in with his guardian at the appointed time.  Five hours into the search, the teens were discovered outside an abandoned hut.  Seven of the teens had been brutally murdered, and the eighth is suspected to have committed suicide after killing the others.  Friends and family of the deceased teenagers relate that the students were a tight-knit group, great friends and excellent students.  The deaths are bizarre and inexplicable, causing great grief in their hometown of Bailey. 

A decaying body was also found inside the small building, circled in occult markings and candles.  Autopsy reports revealed she had been dead for approximately 48 hours, after having committed a ritualistic suicide.  The deceased elderly woman, marked with easily identifiable burn scars and slightly disfigured limbs, was unheard of in the town, and no one has yet to step forward and identify her remains.  The murder weapon was presumably a knife found on-site, which has been sent to labs in California for study.

The spoon slipped from her fingers into the mug as she stared down at the passage, reading it again.  "Inuyasha..." she began, worried over the strange coincidence of the information in the column.  "...read this."

....O.o

I appreciate emails and suggestions and corrections!

More to come soon.

Much love to you guys,

- Ales