InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Pack Law ❯ Understanding ( Chapter 28 )

Pack Law

 

Chapter 28: Understanding

 

 

Hollering for help, Kagome slid off Kirara. Her hands remained on InuYasha's shoulders, her arms shaking as she tried to hold him upright. She'd managed to get a rein on her run-away emotions as Kirara had ferried them away from the warehouse; now, she needed to get some bandages and start patching people up.

 

“Hey! A little help here?” Kirara's yowl added to the clamor. It must've worked; a few moments later, Arata stepped through the door and hurried over.

 

“What the fuck happened to you guys?” Arata took in InuYasha's partially purified body and cringed. Purification hurt like a son-of-a-bitch…

 

Kagome sighed, running her hands over her face and smearing blood down her cheeks in the process. “It's a long story. I need help getting him inside, so Kirara can go get Miroku and Sango.”

 

Nodding quickly, Arata scooped InuYasha off the two-tailed neko and began carrying him to his room, Kagome trailed at her heels. “Bring some hot water and some towels,” Arata shouted back toward the kitchen. Looking over her shoulder, Kagome saw Sarah scamper to do the inu youkai's bidding.

 

Kagome rushed ahead to open the door for Arata; she gazed around the room, biting her lip at the destruction and remembering the rage she'd felt through their link. Obviously, InuYasha had been quite unimpressed with receiving the news she was gone… When - well, if, he found out she had pretty much thrown herself into Ki's trap, he was going to have another fit.

 

Arata began carefully removing the drying blood from InuYasha. As she uncovered the worst of the wounds, Kagome allowed herself to bring her powers to the surface and heal him. She normally wouldn't have done as much, but she figured it couldn't hurt him any… `He's already partially purified,' she thought guiltily, `And Naraku was nowhere I could feel the shards from. He'll be more comfortable if he's healed… he feels more pain as a human.' Steeling her resolve, she watched, wincing, as Arata popped his shoulder back into place.

 

“Quickly, heal that and his ribs next. His surface wounds will heal on their own when his youki returns,” Arata said, somehow managing to order Kagome in a deferential tone of voice. Kagome nodded and placed her glowing hands (once again pink, she noted) on his shoulder. “It's his sword-arm,” Arata continued as she watched the miko work. “He must be able to wield Tetsusaiga.”

 

Next Kagome focused on his ribs, cringing as her own twinged, reminding herself of her own pain. She pushed that pain back, refused to acknowledge it; not while he was still in pain. How many times had he thrown himself into danger to protect her? Far too many for her to feel comfortable focusing on herself now.

 

The miko's eyes began to droop as she began to dip into the reserves of her power. A heavy hand on her shoulder caught her by surprise. `I didn't even hear the door open.' The rush of energy that seeped into her was welcome; she turned and gave Hitomu a thankful glance as Miroku, Sango and Kirara entered the room.

 

With InuYasha's injuries pretty much taken care of, Kagome could focus on herself and the others. Hitomu had learned a bit of healing when they were in the States, so he took over caring for his parents. “There's no need to completely exhaust yourself,” Sango chided, motioning for Kagome to lean back on the bed. She snuggled up to InuYasha, taking comfort in his body heat and the way he easily wrapped an arm around her stomach.

 

Shippou entered the room as quietly as possible. “I have some of the guard staking out that warehouse district,” he said softly. “To see if they can't trace where Naraku went.”

 

“H-he wasn't there,” Kagome said over a yawn. “I couldn't feel the shards, either.”

 

Miroku's eyes widened as he stared at Kagome's chest; Sango's hand met the back of his head sharply and he ducked forward, complaining loudly. “Damn it, Sango, it's not what you think! I simply noticed the shards are missing!”

 

“Shut it, Miroku,” Shippou hissed, eyes on InuYasha's slowly-moving form. Too late, though…

 

“What do you mean the fucking shards are gone?” InuYasha's voice was less gravelly, an after-effect of being purified no doubt, but Kagome was almost amused at the way he was still able to growl with a human-ish voice-box. Still, she couldn't help but try to squirm away; it was her fault the shards had been taken, after all, and she was sure he was going to read her the riot act. It was a valiant attempt, but InuYasha's arm gripped her around the stomach like iron. “Kagome?”

 

“Look,” she huffed, relying on her old pal anger to help her through this. “It wasn't like I planned to lose them. Ki got them from me when I was stuck with her vines and when you fell, it was either get you out of there as fast as possible or go after the shards! What should I have done?”

 

“Gone after the shards, dummy!” InuYasha gaped at the back of Kagome's head, absolutely incredulous. “Now Naraku has the jewel!” He cringed as the tell-tale scent of salt began to leak into the air.

 

“You were hurt,” Kagome screeched. InuYasha actually thanked the kami that his youkai-enhanced hearing was diminished. “I was concerned about you, just like you were obviously concerned about me when I was taken and you didn't know if I was okay.” She motioned with her arms toward the destruction around the room.

 

“Speaking of which,” Miroku spoke up, “how did Ki manage to get her hands on you? We made sure you had a pack member in each of your classes.”

 

Kagome flushed. “Well… Hitomu's the only one in my history class… and Ki's in that class too.” Sango lifted an eyebrow as InuYasha pushed himself to a sitting position, dragging Kagome up with him. She scooted away to lean against the headboard, grabbing a pillow and just barely resisting the urge to bury her face in it.

 

Hitomu spoke first. “And?”

 

“Well, we have lunch after that and…”

 

“Just get to the fuckin' point, Kagome,” InuYasha commanded, eyes daring her to drag this out longer than necessary.

 

Kagome sighed, fingers absently curling and uncurling on the bedspread. “She… she said she wanted my help.”

 

Hitomu buried his face in one of his hands with a groan, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Sarah and Shippou wore identical expressions: a mixture of frustration and amusement, as though they had expected that but had hoped they'd learn otherwise. Miroku sighed, hanging his head. His wife echoed that sigh, tilting her face up to look at the ceiling. Kagome could see her lips twitch, though, and knew Sango, too, had expected something like this.

 

InuYasha exploded. “Damn it, Kagome! Is your brain completely fuckin' broken? Are you really that stupid?” Kagome cringed in the face of his anger. Unable to stay still, InuYasha bolted out of the bed, clutching at his hair as though he was wishing he could wring Kagome's neck… “I swear on everything holy in the world, wench… we went completely out of our way to make sure you were safe at school. So, of course, you go even further out of your way to throw yourself into danger!”

 

Kagome blinked. “Hey, now, that's not really fair!”

 

InuYasha whirled, eyes narrowed. “Oh, fuck no, wench? This is entirely fair. What's not fair is the fact that you went traipsing across town to go have tea and cookies and oden with our enemy-” His hair began to shimmer as his anger dragged his youki to the surface.

 

Kagome gasped; her own eyes narrowed as the implication of what he was insinuating struck home. “Wait just a minute! Y-you think…” She gulped. “You think I just willingly went with her? Like, `oh, hey, I'm a complete and utter idiot so if you could just bring me to Naraku that'd be fantastic!' or something?”

 

InuYasha blinked. “Isn't that what you were just saying?”

 

She threw up her arms, shooting to her feet, oblivious to the now-amused spectators watching the two go at it as they had so many ages ago. “No! That is not what I'm saying! I need you to listen to me and not interrupt if you want me to explain things to you!”

 

The hanyou blinked, ears buried in his hair in remorse. It always seemed like they'd get into this cycle: one wouldn't listen to the other, jump to conclusions and make wild (usually wrong) assumptions and accusations. That'd fuel the other's rage and they wouldn't talk for days.

 

`I'm done with that bullshit,' InuYasha decided then, and did something that brought the spectators in the room up short - he lifted his chin, baring his throat in a sign of submission.

 

Sango gaped, her head swiveling back to Kagome who looked rather confused.

 

`I know that's supposed to mean something,' Kagome thought frantically. `Just great. Give me some sort of test now when I'm angry and not thinking straight… let's see, let's see…' Her eyes flickered to Sango, noting InuYasha's were pointed at the floor.

 

`He's sorry,' Sango mouthed quietly, sure InuYasha could still hear but wanting Kagome to respond correctly. `Let him know it's okay.'

 

Kagome's eyes sparkled in appreciation, both for Sango's help and InuYasha's willing to compromise on this. “It's fine, InuYasha… I'm sorry I got mad at you and yelled.” She bit her lip. Just how willing was she to take this compromise? “I-I shouldn't have wandered off with Ki,” she said quickly, “but I really did do it in hopes of helping her. She… she knocked me out,” Kagome admitted.

 

InuYasha responded to that statement with a savage growl, crossing the room with large steps and spinning Kagome around, running the pads of his fingers over the back of her head. She winced as he found the lump and he let out a low whine.

 

“I'm fine,” she reassured. “In fact, I wasn't even thinking about it when we were healing each other.”

 

Hitomu made a move to help Kagome, but InuYasha's gravelly growl stopped him in his tracks. His alpha was feeling a little upset, he realized; InuYasha had forced himself to submit to Kagome in the argument and now his intended mate was injured…

 

“I'll… uh, go see if dinner's done,” he offered, grabbing Sarah on the way out.

 

“So, basically, Ki knocked you out and took you to the warehouse,” Miroku clarified once the teens had left. Kagome nodded.

 

“Arata says you took off out of here like a man on fire,” Shippou observed. “How did you know where to find her?”

 

InuYasha's arms tightened around Kagome. “Ask the wench,” he answered dryly. “All I know is whatever she did purified me.”

 

“Only a little,” Kagome weakly rebuffed. At his sigh, she pushed out of his grasp, hand out. “It's the ring.”

 

Miroku came closer, looking to InuYasha for permission first, and then put his hand near it. “Oh! It's made from InuYasha's fang, right?” Kagome nodded. “So you manipulated his youki?” Kagome nodded again.

 

“Yeah, with my reiki. Apparently it had an adverse reaction… and I think this is why I've been so moody lately. Your talismans have some of Sesshomaru's youki in them to balance them out. I don't.”

 

Sango rubbed her chin. “That would make sense. You were always most upset when InuYasha was, and your reiki was tinted red, like InuYasha's youki.”

 

“Feh.” InuYasha walked to the door, pulling it open and glaring at Sango and Miroku. “Go make sure everything's set for the rest of the night.” He shot an apologetic look at Kagome. “It's too late to go see your family now, Kagome…I know you wanted to see them for your birthday.”

 

Kagome forced a wan smile. “It's fine. It's kind of my fault, anyway.”

 

InuYasha shut the door quietly, shaking his head. “It's not.” Striding across the room, he wrapped his arms back around Kagome and pulled her onto the bed. His pride was still a bit sore about submitting earlier; to ease his youkai blood a little, he rolled, maneuvering them so he held himself above her. “It's not your fault, Kagome.”

 

“But it is,” Kagome whined softly. “And because of me being stupid, we lost the jewel. Even worse, you got hurt. I hate that-” Kagome's complaints were muffled by the soft lips on hers.

 

InuYasha chuckled at the glazed look in her eyes. “You never know when to shut up, do ya', wench?” he asked teasingly. She reached up, rubbing an ear and giggling as his chest started to rumble.

 

`Oh, that's right!' Kagome cleared her throat, unsure how to bring up the subject. “Uh, InuYasha?” He raised his eyebrows, tilting his head questioningly. “What was all that earlier? You bared your throat to me… that's a submission thing, right?”

 

“Yeah, well, don't get used to it,” InuYasha grumbled. Realizing she was still a little confused, he clarified, “I'm fucking tired of us fighting like we used to. I realized we always go in circles and pissing each other off and we never seem to get anywhere with it. So I decided it'd be smarter just to give in.” At her cheeky smile, he let out a small growl. “Like I said, wench, don't get used to it.”

 

“Well, since you gave it, I compromised, too,” Kagome pointed out. “So, it really did work.” She smiled, biting back a yawn. “You really have grown up in the last couple centuries, haven't you?”

 

“Yeah, well, we didn't have that much to do. Build Sesshomaru's empire, help Shippou discover concealment spells, do a bunch of that school shit… and try and keep any remaining shards out of Naraku's hands.” He snorted. “You saw how that worked out.”

 

Kagome sighed, tilting her head away. He growled to himself before nudging her cheek with his nose. “I know you feel guilty you didn't grab the shards. I still think you should have grabbed them, but you were thinking of me, right?” Kagome nodded. “So it's okay. And you healed me, too, didn't you? You can't even tell I was purified earlier.”

 

Guilt darkened Kagome's features. “I can't believe I did that… I could feel it was hurting you, but didn't know how. I didn't know I was purifying you or I would've stopped.”

 

“No!” InuYasha lowered his head, resting his forehead on hers, golden eyes boring into stormy gray. “No. You got a brain, and ya' used it good today. If you're ever taken again… not that you will be, because I'm not letting you out of my sight for a few days… but if you ever are, I want you to do it again. You pulled me straight to you.” The miko still looked unsure. “Besides,” InuYasha said, cheeks tinting a bit, “It made me feel better to hear your voice… I knew you were safe and it kept me from panicking too much.”

 

Kagome chuckled, recalling the damaged room that lay beyond the veil of silver around her face. “Too much, huh? Your room's a mess. I can't imagine what you would have done if I hadn't grabbed your youki like that.”

 

“I would have torn the city apart to find you,” InuYasha said seriously, then pressed his lips to hers softly. “I need you with me, Kagome. Haven't you realized that yet?”

 

Remembering the moment she first heard those words, transcending time to reassure her of her value, Kagome smiled, hugging him close.

 

“Happy birthday, wench,” he whispered, before rolling to turn off the light. Resting her head on InuYasha's chest, Kagome let the beating of his heart lull her to sleep. Her last thought was that there was nowhere on Earth she'd rather be.

 

**********

 

Chiaki looked around, wondering how she'd come to be in this dilapidated, empty village. `This has to be another dream,' she reasoned, `Though a very life-like one…'

 

Though it was an old scent, blood and death hung on the air. Almost as if she were being guided, Ki found herself walking straight through the broken huts to a cave cut into the foot of the mountain. `It's a wonder I'm not in pain,' Ki mused as she walked, `When I wake, I hope I'll have healed from Master Naraku's “corrections”…'

 

Ki shuddered as she entered the cave, stepping through an obvious barrier with ease. Inside stood a statue of a woman. Youkai twined around her, looking vicious, clutching the warrior - for she wore ancient armor - in her teeth. Ki shivered. She could almost feel the aura of the creatures. It was a very realistic statue… Stepping closer, she ran the tips of her finger over a hole in the woman's chest.

 

A hand reached up, grasping Ki's and pulling her closer. As she struggled, Ki's injuries began to make themselves known; she bled from the temple, the stomach… her ribs were bruised and hampered her breathing. A foreign pain she wished she'd never known throbbed between her legs, bringing tears to her eyes… `Youkai or not, shame can be felt by all…'

 

“Do not be afraid, child,” the woman spoke. As was the nature of dreams, the youkai had vanished, leaving only a palling aura in their wake. The woman was no longer a teal color of stone… she was flesh and blood, living and breathing… though the hole remained in her breast. Although the woman should not be alive, much less talking, with that hole… Ki was comforted. This woman felt like… her mother. Like a distant friend she had not seen in years. A sister, of sorts.

 

Hearing footsteps, Ki spun in the woman's arms, turning to face dozens more women of various ages and ethnicities. Some of them looked awfully familiar… a tall woman, wearing miko robes, with cold brown eyes and a calculating look. The woman from her dream, who'd lost her husband in the war… that infernal miko-child, Kagome, stood near the back, smiling her hundred-watt grin. And - Ki's heart sputtered for a moment - the child, the little girl who'd been held by her mother as that horrible, fearful man with the red eyes… Naraku… beat the young mother to death…

 

“I am Midoriko,” the statue-woman said, voice echoing like a kami's in the now-cramped space of the cavern. “I am you. You are me. We are a part of each other… all of us.”

 

Ki turned wide eyes back to the women and children. Midoriko's arm motioned to them. “Pain begets pain. Mine was the start of a cursed soul, a curse of my doing… one that cycled through the world, losing those they held dear.”

 

“Death touches all… but is consistently drawn to this soul in harsher degrees than most. This soul is cursed; those who grow too close are taken away. A most dear friend… a beloved sibling… a doctor losing a patient after years of effort.” As Midoriko listed the relationship, various women began to fade from the room. The list grew until only the peasant-woman, Kagome, the cold miko and the child remained in front of Ki and Midoriko.

 

“Some of us, though, have felt the losses more keenly, for they, like my original curse, have been our own faults.” The peasant-woman sniffled as she, too, began to fade. “She felt the loss of a husband,” Midoriko described, “Her soul mate gave up his life to save the young man she was having an affair with. She did not know until she met him in the afterlife that he had known all along, and kept his silence, hoping she was happy.”

 

Ki's eyes were wide as she watched the crying peasant disappear. `Is that unconditional love?'

 

“Now only we remain. Your past,” Midoriko motioned to herself and the cold-miko. “Your present,” the child stepped forward to grab Ki's hand. “And your future,” Midoriko named with a flourish of the hand in Kagome's direction.

 

“What… what are you all doing here?” Ki whispered. “What am I doing here? Am I dead? I've suffered these crazed dreams for weeks now and you insinuate there's a purpose…”

 

“We're you, silly,” the child giggled, pulling on Ki's hand. “We're us!”

 

“You must learn who you really are,” the cold-eyed miko said. “Who you are meant to be. We all walked a similar path… or were supposed to,” the miko leveled a cold glare at Kagome, a hint of what almost looked like jealousy in her eyes, “due to the actions of Midoriko and later, the youkai witch Urasue.”

 

The warrior-miko lowered her head in shame. Stepping away, Ki studied the statue-turned-woman. That gaping hole remained, pulsed grotesquely as though a heart still beat, though Ki could not hear it.

 

“The youkai… he and I were the best of friends while growing,” Midoriko said. “Then we were torn apart to do our duty. He was the eldest son of a youkai general, a tai-youkai, and was meant to lead them. I was next in a line of powerful priestesses with the taijya village, expected to slay youkai.” Tears jumped unexpectedly to Ki's eyes, blurring the woman's outline as she told her story.

 

Ki blinked, and suddenly, they were in a field. The group watched Midoriko arguing with a beautiful dragon-youkai, in the guise of a young man.

 

“It is my duty,” the dragon bellowed, “And you will not stand in my way! You are either with me or against me.” Midoriko, looking much younger, flinched from the harsh words. The action seemed to bring the youkai to Earth… “Please, do not be against me. I could not stand to face you in battle. Stand with me… I will protect you.”

 

Young-Midoriko drew herself tall at the last statement, her gray eyes thundering and flashing as her armor did. “I do not need protection,” she hissed. “I've treasured your friendship, your lo-” She bit her tongue. “We have been friends since I can remember, and I have eschewed those who would condemn me for befriending that which I should have struck down the moment I was old enough to wield a sword and wise enough to judge a youkai from a human.”

 

The youkai's eyes hardened in turn, his mouth turning into a savage frown. “You would go against me in this, then?”

 

“I have no choice, Ryuu.” She sighed, pleading with him to understand. “How would it look for me to turn on those who took me in when my family died of plague? With my powers, I could have easily been sold as sport for the more blood-thirsty youkai. Instead, they raised me and trained me-”

 

“To kill your closest friend,” Ryuu interrupted, snorting a tendril of smoke from his nose. “To turn your back on the one person who would do anything to keep you by his side.” His voice rose with his passions, “To strike down the one man who has not coveted you for your powers or your body, but because of your fiery temper, the way you look when you argue and the ferocity in which you fight for what you believe in. Will you be so foolish as to turn your back on that person?”

 

Midoriko tilted her head back, unwittingly sealing her fate. “Come for me in five days time. I know not whether we will live together or battle… I must pray to the kami for guidance. Know that I would give my very soul to never part from you.”

 

The scene dissolved, and the group found themselves back in the cave, in time to see young-Midoriko run in, Ryuu at her heels. “You betrayed me,” he roared angrily, “Of all the people I expected to turn on me; you were not one of them.”

 

Midoriko's mouth moved to respond, though the group could not hear her words. The two moved faster than they should have been able to, more youkai sniffling out the battle and joining the fight, until Midoriko was almost intimately twined with each. Ki could have sworn she saw the miko whisper “I'm sorry” before a flash lit up the cave and the two stood, immortalized in stone…

 

`No, they are the stone,' Ki thought breathlessly. Midoriko studied the statue, which faded, and then turned to the girls. Kagome clutched the young child closely; the child was sobbing into the crook of her shoulder.

 

“You did not betray him,” the cold miko said first, an air of sorrow wrapping her like a blanket.

 

“Neither did you betray InuYasha,” Midoriko responded. “Nor did he betray you.”

 

“InuYasha!” The women stood on the steps of a shine, looking down at a hanyou clutching an entire Shikon no Tama. The `twang' of a bow sent an arrow thrumming through the air…

 

“Kikyou… I thought you… I…”

 

Ki turned to the cold miko, Kikyou's eyes brimming with tears and regret. “Is he dead?”

 

Kagome shook her head and pointed at the tree, which now had vines around it. A younger Kagome, dressed in a middle school uniform, stood staring at the hanyou before climbing up and tweaking his ears. The child giggled.

 

“He's just sealed. He'll awake to save me from Mistress Centipede… and then try to take the Shikon from me,” Kagome said, watching her younger self be accosted by villagers.

 

The air around the group shimmered until they stood on a cliff, watching another Kikyou, this one with dead, dark eyes, stumble toward a naked Kagome, who was in a tub of goo. The look on the younger Kagome's face said it all; the older Kagome shivered and Ki made a face: it looked disgusting!

 

“I swear I was cleaning that stuff out of areas of my body I didn't even know I had for weeks,” Kagome mumbled.

 

“Why are we here now?” Ki suddenly demanded, realizing that she was no closer to discovering the weird origins of her dreams. Who was this Kikyou? Why was she learning so much about these other women when she still had so many questions about herself?

 

“You are learning why your life has been doomed from the moment of your birth,” Kikyou said calmly, as though she were discussing the weather. “And why your answer lies in Kagome.”

 

Ki turned to the young woman holding the child. “I understand what that child… what I went through. But what about you? Do you have some horrible story to share?”

 

Midoriko smiled. “Kagome was sent to the Feudal Era to resolve Kikyou's sins. Kagome will one day free my and Ryuu's souls from the Shikon. You and the child are one and the same… if you let her, Kagome will help you, as well…”

 

“How?”

 

Midoriko smiled, and began to glow, as did Kagome, Kikyou and the child. “You will understand when it is time, Chiaki. When all looks bleak, look inside for the help you need to do the right thing.”

 

Kagome smiled. “Trust me.”

 

Kikyou stared Ki in the eye. “You are made up of an amalgamation of souls that should not exist. They were imprisoned in the clay body for so long; they began to grow upon each other. Had Kagome's soul not been part of that make-up… we would not find peace. Remember to look inside yourself for the strength you need.”

 

**********

 

“…the strength I need…” Ki woke up to her own mumblings, body burning with the sensation of healing. She lay still for a moment, the cool concrete against her bare back somewhat soothing, if scratchy. There were no sounds in the compound, nothing suggesting Naraku had lingered after expending his rage and needs.

 

With a light groan, Ki pushed herself up, gazing around as she made her way to her room. `Kagome,' she thought, `Kagome… you said you would help me…'

 

But would she? Would her friends let her? Would InuYasha even let her speak with the miko? Ki had to admit they had all the reasons in the world to deny her assistance. Hells, she'd just “requested” help yesterday and instead smashed Kagome upside the head and spirited her away.

 

`Fantastic,' she mourned, `I beat away my own chance at happiness…'

 

Walking part Naraku's office, a dark glint caught her eye. The Shikon… completely black, it seemed to pulse with energy and reminded Ki of the throbbing hole in Midoriko's chest. She shuddered in revulsion. Focusing on the dark stone, Ki could faintly feel Naraku's aura; he was dormant in the jewel, weakened by the activities of the night before. The stone was still missing a piece, though… he did not have enough substance left to form a complete body, she surmised, even with the help of the shards. He'd need an entire jewel to regain his life.

 

`I cannot defeat him alone, can I?' Ki gasped, backing out of the room and retreating to a hot shower. When had her thoughts turned toward killing the man… the hanyou that held her hostage? She'd been such an adamant supporter, encouraging him when he was frustrated and enjoying his successes.

 

`He used me,' she determined. `In doing so, he proved I was nothing to him. He wanted to sate his lust for Kikyou with me. I will not be a copy to be used!' It hadn't escaped her attention that other than the coloring, her youkai body was almost an exact replica of Kikyou's. Even Kagome, supposedly Kikyou's reincarnation if the dream was more than it had appeared, looked different enough to tell them apart at first glance.

 

Hot water raining down upon her shoulders, removing the sting of bruises that had just begun to fade, Ki thought back to the jewel resting on the mahogany desk. `If it were purified while he was in it… can he hear anything inside? I can't imagine why he couldn't, but if the jewel is like a prison, then perhaps he cannot.'

 

It was a risk… but the time for taking risks had come.

 

**********

 

Kagome frowned, staring at her soup. InuYasha had expressly forbidden the pups of the pack from going to school today; he wanted the entire area double and triple-checked before they strayed out of the den again. It made sense, sure, but she wasn't all that pleased with missing yet more classes…

 

“I'm just saying we should go in and take of his shit once and for all,” InuYasha insisted loudly, drawing Kagome from her thoughts.

 

“InuYasha! He has the jewel!” Kagome flinched at Sango's reminder of her failure the day before. “Don't you remember how dangerous he was? There are a lot more humans to worry about nowadays!”

 

InuYasha opened his mouth to retaliate but was interrupted by Miroku. “I don't wonder why he hasn't come to us yet. Wouldn't you think the first step he'd take is to get his revenge? But I haven't even felt his aura, and we're close enough to the warehouse district that at least Kagome would feel it.” He turned to the miko. “Have you?”

 

Kagome shook her head adamantly. “Nothing. Didn't Shippou say he had people watching the place, though?”

 

Miroku nodded. “Shippou himself went out there earlier today for some recon.” Noticing the look on Kagome's face, he hurried to reassure her. “Nothing dangerous, of course. Just checking the place out.”

 

“Keh. You mother him like he's still a pup,” InuYasha scoffed. “He's old enough to be your jii-chan at least three times over.”

 

Kagome glared. “What's that make you then?” Sango choked on her juice, laughing at the look on the hanyou's face.

 

“Back to business at hand,” Miroku interjected smoothly, “We need to find out why he hasn't come after us with the Shikon yet.”

 

“He does not have all of it.”

 

InuYasha's head shot up, studying his half-brother as the stoic youkai lord walked up to the table. “When'd you get back, bastard? Weren't you in South America?”

 

“I returned earlier this morning.”

 

“Kagome?” Sango spoke up, realizing Kagome was staring at the breast-pocket of Sesshomaru's coat intently.

 

“That's impossible… Naraku has the whole thing,” the miko murmured, hesitantly reaching out her hand.

 

InuYasha's nose twitched. “That's… you have a shard of the jewel?”

 

Removing it from his jacket, Sesshomaru handed it to Kagome, watching as it flared a bright pink. “An associate apparently stumbled across the shard many decades ago, at an ancient burial spot for his kind. He was quite concerned when his great-grandfather's body would not dissolve. The shard was to blame. He's held onto it ever since, until he heard about the reappearance of the Shikon no Miko,” he explained.

 

Any further questions were interrupted by a scuffle at the doorway. InuYasha rose to his feet, hand on Tetsusaiga. “Naraku's scent,” he growled.

 

“But not his youki,” Kagome protested, trying to push out from behind him to find out what was going on.

 

“I told you, I need to see Kagome!” The voice brought a growl to InuYasha's lips and wrenched a snarl from Kirara, who flared to her larger form, taking a defensive stance ahead of Sango.

 

Arata had a dangerous-looking dagger drawn and at Ki's throat, her clawed hand wrapped in golden hair. “I caught her trying to sneak in,” Arata said, pretty much dragging the earth youkai forward. Producing an ofuda, Miroku stuck it to Ki's back, rendering her immobile.

 

“I have to speak with Kagome,” Ki insisted. “It's about the-”

 

“Shikon,” Kagome breathed, finally making her way ahead of InuYasha, who let out a blistering barrage of curses as she walked up to Ki. “You have it.”

 

“You have to purify it,” Ki said quickly. “While Naraku is still inside.”

 

 

A/N:

 

One chapter left, and an epilogue! I can't believe I'm so close to being done!!

 

I love hearing what you have to say about the story! Thanks go out to -

angel-up-above-heaven - (*grins* Does Ki make sense now?)

loretta537

kokoronagomu - (Yeah, Kagome tried. Unfortunately, Ki learned her lesson a bit too late… mmmm Family Guy makes work a lot more fun!)

Deathmvp - (That actually makes me feel a lot better - you're right, at least I know my story makes sense!)

Sovereignty

KayAkuma - (*looks innocent* Me, a sneaky wench? *grins*)

Catlover260 - (Yeah, InuYasha's none too pleased…)

Lunabell - (I'm glad to read that - I'm trying to keep Kagome in-character while still letting her grow a bit.)

jfeulner - (The plot bunnies are going CRAZY, I tell you! All over the place! I hope this chapter was everything you wanted it to be and more!)

Ichigohime - (Believable? Seriously, that's one of the greatest compliments you could give me! *blush*)

Little Red

jfeulner

 

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or any other characters from the anime/manga. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

 

I do, however, own the original characters in this story. Please don't steal them! (I may let you borrow them if you ask politely.) Arata is the creation of the fabulous Phalon - I've done a bit of tweaking, but she is for all intents and purposes not mine.