InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Remembering You ❯ Mortality for the Lonely Soul ( Chapter 10 )

Author Notes: Back from vacation! It was great! And regretfully I didn't end up with 3 chapters. . . I have the ideas down, but not the entire writing process. The story is getting more complicated, I'm having a harder time keeping things straight (says the author of the fic). There are going to even more twists and turns along the way but it'll clear up in the end. We are NO WHERE NEAR the end. I don't even think I'm half way through yet. So, please stick with me! Oh. . . and I'm trying to change the summary for this fic that I have posted. I don't think the present one really explains the fic well. . . if anyone can help me on this I'd be eternally grateful! Well, enjoy the chappie and leave a review!

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and gang are not mine. . . there are only a limited amount of ways you can write this y'all

". . ." dialogue

`. . .' thoughts

Mortality for the Lonely Soul

By Hoshi-ni-Onegai

#warning: curse words come up here and there b/c that's Inuyasha's character and I tend to swear in real life. . . sorry#

"When you said you were going to take me out, this isn't exactly what came to mind."

The hanyou looked up at the miko with the epitome of innocent looks. "It's out isn't it?" Picking up the two objects before him he lifted them up to show Kagome, "Okay, now tell me, which one is the cabbage again?"

Letting out an exasperated sigh she took the lettuce and artichoke from his hands. Walking a few feet forward in the aisle she picked out a decent sized cabbage and into the nearly empty shopping kart. So far the only other item in the metal kart was a bag of onions.

"What exactly are you planning to make anyways? Stir fry or something?" She inquired as they were now headed toward the meat department.

Standing before the packaged meats he looked over the labels. "So do we use chicken, pork, or beef?"

"For what?! You won't even tell me what you're going to make!"

Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow at her, "Calm down Kagome, no need to stress your self out. I don't even know why you ask anymore, I'm making ramen."

"Again?" Picking up a packet of beef she dropped it in the kart. "Don't you want to try something new? Have you ever eaten anything besides ramen?"

Threading his fingers and putting them behind his head he walked, he shrugged in response. "Sure I have, but ramen is the only thing I can make. I'm not considered the world's greatest cook."

Giving out a sigh Kagome she put in a couple of packets of chicken, pork, and ground beef. She tugged the kart, that Inuyasha was pushing, toward the vegetable aisle once again. "I don't think your `just add water' ramen technique counts as cooking." Selecting the basic vegetables, she went down to the fruit aisle, "At least you don't burn water."

"Water can't be burned, it turns in to vapor before that can happen. . . right?"

"Very good Inuyasha, now what happens when it goes below zero degrees?"

Detecting the mocking tone he playfully growled at her, "The same thing that will be happening to you when I lock you in the grocer's freezer along with the ice cream."

Rolling her eyes she tugged the kart toward the pasta aisle. "Come on my little hanyou, we're going to have you cooking in no time. A sworn bachelor has to know how to cook or your going to die from getting sick of ramen."

"I'm not a sworn bachelor. I waited centuries for you Kagome. Do you honestly think I went through everything that I did to live alone for the rest of my life?"

The shelves stacked with pasta, the aisle 3A was eerily quiet as Inuyasha's resolution echoed itself into Kagome's ear and down the aisle.

"W-what are you saying?" Kagome backed up a little her elbow knocking down packages of macaroni.

Inuyasha gave out a depressed sigh while a paradoxical small smile adorned his face, "I love you Kagome. . . Maybe, one day, when you believe me you'll understand all the other feelings that go along with it." He leaned down to pick up the macaroni then chose a packet of angel hair pasta and put that into the kart.

Looking up he saw the apologetic look, "I'm sorry Inuyasha. It's just that-"

He kept his smile reached out for her hand and lead her toward the cashier, "Come on, we've got to get home so I can cook a meal for eight people/youkai."

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"You were actually planning to make enough ramen for eight people? Well, it's really 6.75 isn't it. . . When you invite people to your house for dinner you have to put a little bit more effort than boiling a couple packs of ramen noodles." Kagome was rushing around in the kitchen, trying to make a simple meal of angel hair pasta in olive oil, garlic, and bacon along with a salad.

Being that Inuyasha was banished to the island in the middle of the kitchen he comfortably sat on the stool as he watched her running from fridge to cutting board to stove. "I was planning on adding those vegetables and meat you were talking about."

"Well I'm sick of ramen after three days. You know what, I enjoy cooking, I'll be making dinner from now on. I'll let you cook once every twenty days, that way we also eat your precious ramen."

Inuyasha grinned at what she just said `I'll be making dinner from now on' it sounded like she was okay with living with him. "That's something I wanted to talk to you abou-"

The doorbell ringing cut his sentence short. Since she was still cooking, without looking up from the lettuce she was cutting for the salad, Inuyasha was sent to open the door.

Swinging the door open he let in Shippou who was incessantly ringing the bell and a calm Kaede. "What took you so long?!"

The fox demon raced in with so much as a hello and ran toward the soft humming that could be heard from the kitchen. Moments later a squeal of joy from the little youkai and a joyous exclamation of: "Shippou-chan!" could be heard. Kaede gave an amused smiled and headed toward to the kitchen as Inuyasha was about to close the door. Before he could swing it shut Miroku put his foot in the doorway and entered soon after with Sango, Kirara, and Myouga jumping up in the said fire cat demon's fur. After a few happy tears were shed and hugs of a distant memory shared. The guest were soon kicked out of the kitchen by a hungry inu youkai that was now breathing down the young miko's neck as he anticipated the pasta that was to come. When dinner was served (after Inuyasha was promptly booted off the position as cooking observer) everyone joyously reminisced about old times and gave explanations of new ones, at the long dinner table that Inuyasha barely ever used.

"When did you two get together?! I told Inuyasha that you liked each other but he thought I was imagining things!" Kagome looked at the mentioned dog boy with an `I told you so look.'

Sango blushed, "Well. . . I think it was inevitable. I mean think about it, we were constantly traveling together. And with you and Inuyasha constantly fighting you kept on going home and he sulked at the branch of the Goshinboku. Then after you went down the well the last time Inuyasha left for two hundred years, give or take a few years, we were left alone. Sure, Kaede, Shippou, and Myouga was here with us but. . . I don't know, it was different. Since we were the closest in age within our montage we confided in each other, and I guess the years of pent up sexual tension had something to do with it as well."

Kagome giggled, "Miroku didn't have pent up sexual tension, he copped a feel ever chance he got. Well, then again you've got to take into account, that for him, it was subtle."

The group laughed as Miroku smiled proudly.

"So what have you been up to these five years my child." The older miko asked Kagome.

The younger miko smiled, "Mostly just studying. I really need a life. I went through school. I graduated this April from Tokyo University"

"At the top of her class." Inuyasha put in.

Kagome eyed him with a smirk, "Thanks Inuyasha. Anyways, I was working at HitoGin for six months then I quit last Friday and started Wednesday this week at Touken Ginkou where I met Inuyasha. Actually I met Touken Onii-chan, then there were those series of events that led me to gain two years of memory that's slowly coming clear. Some of it is a little hazy, but I'm sure that'll clear up."

"But, Lady Kagome, I heard you became involved with the Underground, how did this happen without any memory of the well or demons?" With Myouga's comment everyone was now curious of what Kagome would say.

"Oh that, that's no big deal." She waved it off as she took a sip of her water.

"No big deal?! You shouldn't be involved with something like that! Especially without me around! What would have happened if you went blindly into danger like you usually do?! What happens if you had gotten hurt?!" The sudden flaming anger of the hanyou greatly surprised the rest of the group.

And Kagome faithfully lashed back at him like old times. "It's not like I went looking for youkai saying, `Here I am demons! One of the only mikos with actual power left on earth! What would be a better idea then killing me?! Come on! We'll make a day of it!'" She stood up abruptly, "Who the heck do you think you are Inuyasha to say anything! I went through dangers while I was in the feudal ear!"

Not one to not meet a challenge he pushed back his chair to now stare down at the shorter miko. "I was always there with you!"

"No you weren't! I remember times when I was near death because you went off running after your undead girlfriend!"

Shippou leaned over to whisper to Miroku, "They really haven't changed have they?"

Inuyasha was now yelling with rage and annoyance, "We already covered the topic about Kikyou! Fine! Yes, I did go after her but I was worried about her! She was a friend of mine! I never thought you would be in danger after I left you to find her!"

The little fox continued to whisper, "After the first couple of times Kagome almost got killed when he left for Kikyou, you'd think he'd never let Kagome leave his sight." Noticing that the hanyou heard his comment he shrugged, "Hey, there's no use hiding the truth."

"But I was the one that saved her every time that happened, doesn't that count for something?" He was slightly pleading with his eyes to Kagome while his tone and his facial expression betrayed nothing of his true feelings.

Letting out a sigh she sat back down in her chair, "I got involved with the Underground soon after I woke up. Even with all the studying I had to catch up with I was expected to help uphold the shrine. My grandfather is completely convinced that either Souta or I will take over the shrine one day. So, Souta is a priest-in-training and I'm a miko-in-training, but there was always a bit of a difference between Souta and I. He did the standard modern day training of not worrying about spiritual powers or anything like that. I was an entirely different story. My grandfather thought that it would be a good idea that I take upon the traditional art of archery, what a coincidence right? For me, well, for the me that didn't have memory of going through the well I didn't know how to shoot an arrow for the life of me. On my first attempt I hit dead center, and I took out the target and the tree it was suspended from along with it. My miko power came out without willing it. There were other times as well. I give tours at the shrine, telling them of legends and such. . . I told them about the legend between the hanyou and the miko that had been betrayed by an evil youkai." Kagome's facial expression dimmed a bit but soon returned to as it was before, pensive, "On one of these tours a child of about nine years foolishly climbed the Goshinboku tree saying that he wanted to be like the hanyou, then the child fell. . . head first into the stone pavement."

There was an audible gasp that went around the table. The image of a boy swinging his arms to maintain the balance that escaped him, then diving into the ground that would be his down fall. His skull crushing in and crimson blood forever staining the sacred place with his innocence forever lost with his final heartbeat.

"The boy should have died. . . but, he didn't. I ran to his side the blood oozing out of the cut on his head. His skull was completely deformed. . . I didn't know what to do, I yelled to anyone at all to call for an ambulance. When I faced back to the boy I ripped a piece off the sleeve of my robes and tried to clean the wound, then suddenly I felt something pulsing inside me. It was unlike anything that I had felt before, to my erased memory that is. A pinkish white light gently glowed from my hand that was cleaning his wound and the blood retreated back into his head, his skull falling back into it original shape. He suddenly gasped and his eyes shot open, and he sat upright as if waking from a nightmare. The boy stared into my eyes as if looking for something, he quietly smiled then said `thank you miko-san.'

"Everyone else's memory was somehow altered. . . they thought I had caught him just before he hit the ground. Except for a boy that was about my age that saw me from across the shrine grounds, his memory wasn't altered. He stared at me wide-eyed as the group went on their way to the souvenir shop. He came toward me and grinned introducing himself, `Hey, the name's Guy. I'm a tiger demon. And you, must be the legendary miko that has come to save us all.'" Poking at a leaf of lettuce she continued, "Guy's a good demon, I would trust him with my life. He introduced me to some of his other demon friends, but I got along mostly with Guy. We would hang out from time to time. Being that he was American, he taught me English and I corrected his Japanese. He was the one that persuaded me to major in English. He was also the one that introduced me to the Underground, not willingly or on purpose I may add. On one of the occasions we were hanging out a youkai attacked us, and one thing led to another and I became involved with the Underground. I mean, it hasn't been all bad. I've had a chance to control and build up my miko skills, and made a connection here and there."

"Guy? As in Guy Donohue that's head of the Underground police department in Tokyo?" Sango asked, being that her demon extermination was closely tied to the Underground police department.

Kagome looked over to the taijiya, "You know him?"

"Yeah, he's pulled me out of tight spots and I've returned the favor a couple of times. He's never mentioned knowing you or any miko for that matter."

Smiling she answered, "He's very protective of me, he tries to keep the people from the Underground away from me as much as possible. Guy thinks that anything youkai related should never happen to me while he's not there. He's watched my back, and now with my powers stronger I watch his."

A steady growling could be heard from the jealous hanyou. Ignoring Inuyasha with the short fuse Kagome started clearing the table. Seeing that she wasn't allowing anyone to help, he did anyways. He followed her into the kitchen with plates piled high in both hands and the salad bowl balancing on his head. The rest of gang filed into the living room as Kagome and Inuyasha were alone in the kitchen putting the dishes in the sink.

"Cut the cake and put them on six plates Inuyasha. I'll make the coffee." As she was reaching up in a cabinet to get the bag of grounded coffee beans she felt Inuyasha's breath on her neck. She whipped around and realized that Inuyasha had his claws gripping the counter on either side of her and leaning toward her, she was trapped. The closeness made her blush and stutter. "W-what's wrong Inuyasha." He was searching in her eyes and sniffing her. "What are you doing?"

"Checking if you have a smell of another male on you."

"Who gave you the right to do that?!" She fumed a vein pulsed on her forehead and shoved him away so that his back hit the island.

"I didn't want anymore surprises! Every time we talk about your past some new male name comes up! I would like to know who everyone in your life is!"

Kagome sighed, "That's a bit unreasonable, and possibly impossible. I already told you there is no one else that you have to worry about. Why are you always so jealous?"

He rested his forehead against hers, "Sorry, it's just the whole inu youkai thing, makes me really possessive."

She smiled kissing his cheek, "I know, I've always known." Turning around she went on to make coffee, "It was the only way I knew you actually cared about me when we were in the feudal era, Kouga is proof of that."

"Hey, then Kouga wasn't completely useless." He pulled out a knife and distributed the cake.

"Leave him alone, he was useful from time to time. I mean, he did give us his jewel shards in the end."

"His jewel shards?! Those were ours to begin with! That mangy wolf should have given us those shards to begin with." He huffed as he balanced the plates on his arms and head to only take one trip.

Seeing the circus-balancing act that Inuyasha was attempting Kagome ran over to him and quickly removed three plates. "Let's try using a tray shall we?"

"I have the balance of a tightrope walker!"

"Sure, sure." She thrust the tray that she had pulled out, now filled with plates of cake, toward Inuyasha. Pushing him out the kitchen she went back to preparing the coffee. "Now go entertain your guests before they get bored."

"I don't care if they get bored, it's just Miroku and them." Seeing the rolling of her eyes he shrugged and went to `entertain' his guests.

"Cake!" As old as Shippou got, it seems he never really grew up on the inside.

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"I'll meet you up at the lobby at 11:30 on Monday." Kagome giggled a bit, "I can't believe I'm making a lunch date with you Sango, it's like we're the best of friends in a contemporary world."

Sango smiled as Miroku was tugging her out the apartment door as everyone was leaving to return to their homes, "Why not? We've been through the killing of demons and bathing together to wash away the guts that splattered on us. I think we're close enough to have lunch together."

"I'll see you then! Bye!" The elevator door shut with the exterminator, old miko, flea demon, short fox demon, perverted monk, and a big-eyed fire car demon on the other side.

After closing the door Kagome turned around to see Inuyasha leaning against the wall on his side with his arms crossed in the entrance hall. "So how was dinner down memory lane for you?"

"Thank you Inuyasha, I really needed that. It kinda got me into the grips that everything on the other side of the well really did happen. It was nice knowing you happened, but everyone else was too fuzzy. I think my memory is clearing up. . . I'm still not really sure why I remember you perfectly but sketchy about everyone else."

She was about to walk past him when he stopped her by putting an arm out to block her path. He whispered, "Your memory came back because you were my soul mate and because your soul wanted to remember me. Not the well. Not the Shikon no Tama. Not Naraku. Not anything else. Me." The pained look in her eyes reminded him of the dream she told him about that morning, and the necessity to figure out what it meant. "I know you're scared because of your dream. . . but the fact that you wanted to remember me, I think, makes me the happiest hanyou in the world."

Kagome recovered from the memory of her dream soon enough and smiled gently, "You're too much of a smooth talked for you own good Inuyasha."

"Happy to be of service." He smirked as he allowed her to pass and followed her to the kitchen to clean the dirty dishes.

She handed him a clean kitchen towel she found in a drawer, "I wash, you dry."

He grudgingly stood next to her as she began scrubbing the plates, pots, and silverware. "I have to help?"

Hearing the whiny voice of the hanyou she glared at him, "I'm not doing all the house work! I will not be your bitch!" When he heard him growl she corrected himself, "I mean the bitch that gets stepped all over by men."

"Don't worry about those men, I'll be sure to push you out of the way before they lay a foot on you." Judging by his face it could be noted that he actually meant that seriously.

"Yay for me."

A comfortable blanket of silence fell over them as the clinking and clanking of dishes could be heard. The peaceful silence was abruptly interrupted as Inuyasha roughly and nervously cleared his throat, "Kagome, I w-wanted to talk to y-you about your living s-situation."

Passing him the last dish she rinsed out the sponge, "I wanted to talk to you about too. Being that it seems like you won't be letting me live on my own until the entire demon race dies out, I was wondering if we could swing by my place to get some stuff. It's getting old real fast, buying clothes every morning."

His amber eyes lit with joy, "So you'll live with me?"

She gave a casual shrug, "We were together all the time in the feudal era, it was practically like living together. This time, we just share the same roof."

Unexpectedly, she was picked up by gentle claws clasping her at the waist and twirling her around. Panicking, Kagome grabbed onto the overly happy inu youkai's arms. But seeing the smile on his face, she couldn't help but laugh out loud to his bliss. And so the kitchen was no longer within a confine of a comfortable silence but filled with two elated laughter from an unlikely pair: a lonely miko and an even lonelier hanyou.

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( Inuyasha's POV )

Now this is annoying. I'm laying on the same bed as Kagome, but of course she feels uncomfortable sleeping right next to me. Being that she's still figuring out her feelings for me. I turn to my side and open my eyes that sees perfectly because of my youkai blood. She's also lying on her side, facing me, but asleep. She snuggled under the sheets and comforter wearing one of my red t-shirts and gray boxer shorts. For some reason, seeing her wearing my clothes fills me with male pride. Don't ask me why. I gaze at her a while longer thinking: why the hell did I have to buy a king sized bed? Kagome made the rule of: you on your edge of the bed, me on mine. With such a wide bed, we're too far apart for my taste.

I glance over to the clock and see that it's three o'clock in the morning. We decided on waking up at eight o'clock to get her stuff tomorrow. . . err, today. If I sleep now I get five hours. . . that's more than enough time. I lay on my back now closing my eyes with my hands clasped behind my head, and I say into the night, "Good night Kagome."

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Where the hell am I? I'm standing in a small room and I feel liquid that reaches to my ankles. I can't see a thing. It's total darkness and my youkai sight doesn't help me now. What the hell is going on? I'm really not liking this feeling of not knowing where I am. Okay; breathe in, breathe out. Great, now I know what the liquid is and it doesn't surprise me that it's blood. Yay, how much more morbid could a guy's life get? I seriously don't get a break.

I reach toward the wall, and naturally, I feel blood is now on my fingertips. Wow, how much more cliché can this situation be? Fine, fine. What is this supposed to symbolize? All the blood I spilt as I killed during the feudal era? I figured it out already! Now take me out of this dream. I was waiting there for a long moment and nothing happened. I gave a tired sigh. Why couldn't I have dreamed about ramen or something like that?

I'm going to look for a door. I mean, a way out of the room could mean a way out of the dream, right? Groping around the wall I find a door. Thank the gods that have smiled upon me today. I'm turning the handle, which is luckily unlocked, when I hear Kagome calling me. I whirl around, letting the door slip open slightly. More of the crimson liquid flows in and now reaches up to my waist. But I'm not really worried about that, because the door let in a bit of light, enough to allow me to see.

There she stood in a black dress with cuts all over her body. There seemed to be a never-ending supply of blood that seeped out of her wounds and fill up the room even more. It seemed like her hair was wet and braided with blood. Red tears streaming down her face as she pointed at me with an accusing finger. In a hoarse voice she whispered, "Inuyasha."

The way she said it made it sound like a death sentence.

"Inuyasha."

And again.

"Inuyasha."

Again.

I reach out to her but she flinches back as if there was a barrier that suddenly went up in front of her. She brings down her pointing hand to her side.

"Kagome, what's going on? What happened?"

The frightening unearthly voice came out of her cut up lips, "You're the one that covered my life in blood Inuyasha. And you opened the door to get away from me. To let more blood wash into my life as you try to leave me with the burden. I'm not staying here in your life. I'm leaving. This isn't a life I asked for nor deserve. But you did both for yourself." Scarlet tears flowed freely down her cheeks. "You brought me to your ugly world and you won't let me leave. You won't let me go and return to my family, to where I belong."

She drops to her knees, which submerges her under the surface. I dive for her but I can't find her. I come to see if she came up but she's not there. She's not anywhere. The door is shut and locked from the outside. . . she's gone. . .

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