InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Reliving the Past ❯ 17 ( Chapter 17 )

Wow ^_^ So many wonderful reviews! Thank you so very much! Because you have been all so very kind and given me such wonderfully positive feedback, I'm going to post the next chapter today. But, as I haven't finished writing the next (and possibly final chapter), I cant really tell you when the next one will be up. I will try my best to get it out in the next week or so, but can give you no promises as far as timings go. But, I do promise I will finish it ^_^

Hope you enjoy this one, and I apologise in advance for the ending…..

Reliving the Past

by kmf

An Inuyasha fanfic

Rating: R

Warnings: Language

Disclaimer: I only wish I did own Inuyasha *fondles his ears*

Chapter 17

Inuyasha left the shrine with determination and purpose. He would not, could not, let anything happen to Kagome. She was too important to him to have her slip through his fingers. Once, a long time ago, her importance was directly linked to the Shikon no Tama. She was the only one who could detect the shards, she was the only one who made it possible for him to gather the fragments together. Rightly so, after all the stupid bitch had been directly responsible for breaking the jewel in the first place.

Then, as time progressed, her thoughtfulness and her concern for him wormed their way under his skin. Her grew to like her, despite her constant clumsiness, her inability to keep out of trouble more than two minutes and her vicious tongue. And then the like grew into something much more complex. He had felt this feeling once before for Kikyou when she had lived and breathed. But that had faded over the passing years, dulled by Kikyou's reanimated form lusting for revenge no matter what the cost.

The feeling he had for Kagome was piercing sharp, intense and overwhelming. He loved her. And there was no way in hell he was going to let some weak human reincarnation of a demon he had killed once already take her away from him.

He was angry, so very angry that Hiten had touched Kagome, and the thought of what he could be doing to her now fuelled his anger into absolute outrage. He would punish the human He was ready to fight to the death to protect his Kagome.

If only he could find his way there.

Inuyasha snarled down at the map that Souta had printed off for him, scratching his nose a little as he studied it. He had been so fired up and impatient, he had snatched the paper from Souta as soon as he had printed it not waiting for instructions on how to read it.

Big mistake.

Crouching on the top of the highest building he could find, he gazed first from the map, to the mess of roads beneath him, then back to the map. Growling, he turned the map on its side to see if that made the landscape any clearer. He could see a river in the distance, and presumed that the blue on the map meant waterway. But what was the long thin line interspersed with dots? What were the large black dots? Why were some of the roads yellow and some of them red?

He peered at the landscape again, wondering whether he should risk dropping down to the pavement and asking a passer-by directions. Frowning, he clenched the map tightly in his hand. Nah, he wouldn't ask. He was a male demon (well half demon) blessed with an inherent sense of direction. He wouldn't ask, he would work it out himself, arrive in the nick of time, kick Hiten's arse, save Kagome and be rewarded with a passionate kiss from the lady herself together with a declaration that she would never wander from Inuyasha's side ever again.

Smirking in satisfaction at the imagined outcome, Inuyasha leapt from the building fully intending to save the day.

Again.

* * * *

She had been drugged. Again. And the anger she felt towards Kaminari for spiking her tea was nothing compared to the anger she felt towards herself. Kagome mentally slapped herself for being so gullible, and tried to will her lethargic arms and legs to move. The most she could achieve, however, was what even she would term a pathetic shove.

Kaminari smiled down at her as she tried to struggle out of his arms. All the while she berated herself. She ought to have been more careful, she ought to have been more observant, and she ought to have stayed away. But she hadn't, and now she was in trouble.

"Try and calm yourself, Kagome," Kaminari whispered, cradling her closer to his chest, "The drug relaxes your muscles, it doesn't put you to sleep. But if you struggle too much, you will exhaust yourself and I don't want that. I really do want to tell you the rest of my story, and why you are so very important to my future."

He stroked her hair in what she supposed was a soothing gesture, but which had completely the opposite affect. Kagome stiffened trying to pull away from his touch, but Kaminari continued to touch her.

"After I was orphaned, I was fostered into the home of an academic who recognised my interest in history and mythology and encouraged it. He would bring me home books about legends told in different countries, and it was by chance that I came across a legend about bringing the dead back to life. "

Kagome blinked. She really didn't like where this was going. Kaminari, oblivious to her thoughts continued.

"I found that many cultures had tales of the dead coming back to life and, given that I knew legends always have a grain of truth contained within them, I decided that it might be possible to bring Manten back to me again," Kaminari paused, nuzzling her neck again. "Unfortunately at that time I was in a child's body and didn't have the means to chase my idea. I was forced to wait for the years to pass, all the time thinking of my past and my brother.

"And, of course, of the ones responsible for his earlier demise."

Kagome swallowed. She really, really didn't like where this was going.

"I trained myself to be observant, to watch people, to see if I could recognise anyone from my past life reincarnated into this one," Kaminari grinned, "For years I watched people closely, hoping the get a hint that I had known them once before with no success. But then one day I saw a family walking together. A couple pushing a pram with a new-born child in it. And as soon as I saw them I knew, I just knew who they were. It wasn't a hint, it wasn't a small suggestion. I knew with absolute certainty that the man and woman were the reincarnation of two kitsune, the two that were the second to last creatures I killed in my former life. And the baby in the pram was the annoying brat who led Inuyasha to me."

Kagome's mouth had fallen open slightly in her surprise.

"Shippo?" she breathed.

Shippo was reincarnated in her time, together with the parents he had lost in the past. She was filled with wonder and gladness that the kit had been reunited with the parents who had been so cruelly killed, and at the same time overwhelmed with sadness knowing in order for him to be reincarnated he must have himself died. And then a fresh frightening thought wormed its way into her skull.

"You didn't....?" she couldn't finish the sentence.

Kaminari's eyebrows rose and he looked a little disgusted as he guessed her thoughts.

"You think that I would kill a harmless baby?" he said, his voice low and menacing.

Kagome's mouth was dry and she tried to move her limbs again.

"You killed your parents!" she countered, her voice so quiet that Kaminari had to dip his head down to hers to hear her.

He frowned as he looked at her. "You really don't understand me at all, do you?" he said shaking his head, "My parents killed Manten. They deserved to die. The kitsunes had no memory of their previous existence. They were innocent beings. Of course I didn't harm them."

He sighed again and adjusted Kagome in his arms so that he could stand up. He stood fluently, gracefully, even with her not so insubstantial weight in his arms. Kagome, her limbs no longer obeying her mental commands, nestled her head against his chest quiet and passive. She watched as he gazed at one of his paintings of Manten for a moment, before he turned and carried her from the gaudy room.

The white sterility of the hall was not comforting. Kaminari turned and climbed the stairs that led up to the first story of his house. Kagome bit her lip in fear. Where was he taking her now? She again tried to struggle, but could do no more that twitch her legs a little. In her frustration, a tear escaped the corner of her eye and rolled slowly down her cheek.

Kaminari watched it, and bent his head to hers, his tongue darted out and licked it, before he kissed the spot on her cheek where it had been.

"You are afraid of me now, aren't you?" he said quietly, standing on the landing at the top of the stairs for a moment before kicking open a door with his foot.

Kagome felt no need to reply. Of course she was scared of him. He had killed his parents, and he had a not so insubstantial grudge against her and Inuyasha for killing him all those years ago.

Kaminari entered the room, and Kagome instantly saw that it was a bedroom. Again, the walls were white, and the floor was of polished wood. A large bed, with a pure white duvet upon it, was the only item of furniture. Kagome stiffened as Kaminari approached it and lowered her gently on top of it. He caressed her face, his mouth pulled into what appeared to be a smile full of regret.

"Don't be afraid," he said, lowering his head and kissing her full on the mouth.

She screwed her eyes shut and held her lips together, mentally rejecting the kiss when she physically could not. When she felt him pull away and sigh, she opened her eyes slowly. He was kneeling beside the bed looking at her sadly.

"The time that we met in the bookshop wasn't the first time I had seen you," he said quietly, "I happened to see some girls wearing a school uniform that prompted me to remember what you were wearing in my old life. I had forgotten that detail up until then, but when I saw those girls shopping I recalled it quite vividly. And then I thought, how could it be that a woman 500 years ago should be wearing a uniform that belonged in the twenty first century. Of course I had to satisfy my curiosity and I watched the school that those girls attended.

"When I didn't see anyone familiar in the first couple days of watching people enter the school, I began to think that maybe I was mistaken. But then one morning I saw you. You were surrounded by girls and boys all concerned about your health, whilst you were panicking because there were tests that day that you had not prepared for," Kaminari chuckled, "You were very cute."

Kagome shut her eyes again. Her damn uniform. He had found her because of that stupid uniform. Wearing it in the past had given her a sense of reality in such a fairy tale existence, and she had insisted on wearing it despite her mother's disapproval of having to frequently replace it.

"I remembered you at once," Kaminari continued quietly, "And knew without doubt that you were not a reincarnate, but the girl my brother needed for his vanity. How you had done it escaped me, but I knew you had managed to find a portal into the past. Or that you would find a portal.

"I watched you closely, thinking that if you had not yet travelled back I could prevent you and stop my brother being killed," Kaminari smiled wistfully, "The temptation to kill you was great. But common sense prevailed. I had died, my brother had died and we had been reincarnated. It had happened already. Killing you would not prevent it."

Kagome opened her eyes to gaze up at him. She had never had any sense of being watched by Kaminari. The thought that he had seriously been plotting her death made her blood run ice cold in her veins. Mentally, she screamed out to Inuyasha to come and save her from this man who time had twisted. But Inuyasha was 500 years away and she doubted he would hear her call.

"And so," Kaminari went on oblivious to Kagome's silent pleas, "I left you alone. But because I knew that your talent might be a useful tool someday I kept an eye on you. All through your schooling, I kept a track of your many absences. I watched you grow up from a child to a woman. I really became quite fond of you."

"Please..." Kagome's mouth was dry and she had difficulty forming the word.

Kaminari reached down and stroked her hair again.

"It's alright, Kagome. I'm not going to kill you. I need you alive. You see, I discovered an ancient spell locked away in an ancient legend which gives the caster the ability to bring the dead back to life. All you need are the bones of the dead one," he paused and reached under the bed, "and a couple of other items.

"I must admit, the bone requirement had me stumped for a while. After all, there was nothing left of Manten in this age. His remains had been incinerated at the hospital and not even ash remained. But then I had an epiphany. If I couldn't have the bones of my brother in this era, then I could have them from another."

He drew out a box and carefully, reverently opened it. Inside, nestled in white tissue paper, were some bones. Massive, thick, brown with age. He removed them reverently and placed them carefully on the bed beside Kagome so that they were almost touching her. She flinched and tried to move away from the objects, but her limbs refused to move.

"I have the bones of my brother. They are old, petrified and incomplete but they are his. I have the spell," Kaminari pulled out a scroll, placing that beside Kagome too. "And I have the most important item. The blood of a virgin priestess of power. You are the Miko of the Shikon no Tama. By my reckoning you are the most powerful priestess available."

And Kagome forgot to breathe.

TBC