InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Remembering You ❯ I know why the caged bird sings ( Chapter 20 )

Author Notes: uh. . . people don't want me to get rid of the rosary. . . uh. . . it's apparently too cute to take off him. . . it's not like I'm chopping his ears off or anything, calm down.

 

 

Disclaimer: Inu & Co. belongs to someone that's not me. . .

“. . .” dialogue

`. . .' thoughts

 

 

I know why the caged bird sings

By Hoshi-ni-Onegai

 

With charred hands Kagome sat shamefully on the couch in the living room. Seeing the look on her friend Sango sat down next to her and patted her back. “It's not your fault Kagome.”

 

The girl in question nodded silently and the occupants of the room could do nothing but stand about. After Inuyasha had his small bout of hysteria in his office they had headed home and when the rest of the house's temporary occupants arrived Kagome had attempted in taking off the rosary. . . to little avail.

 

Kaede looked over to the stoic look upon Inuyasha face as he stared out the window and sighed. “There are ancient powers here at work that even you cannot control Kagome. We will figure this out.”

 

Glancing toward the woman Kagome gave a word of thanks as she rose from her seat. Hiding her burnt hands with in the long sleeves of her shirt she slipped out of the room. Watching the depressed miko leave, everyone brought their attention upon the hanyou.

 

“You can't blame her Inuyasha.”

 

Hearing the words of the monk he turned toward him with a glare. “I know that.”

 

“Then I want to know why you didn't comfort her.”

 

Standing up he shrugged. “And tell her what?”

 

Miroku froze in retaliation when he didn't know what to say. What should have Inuyasha said to comfort Kagome? The other occupants of the room had spoken any words of possible sympathy, and they proved to have no effect on the dejected Kagome. Nodding in understanding Miroku backed down and allowed the hanyou to leave the room as well.

 

Looking toward the old miko Miroku smiled sadly and lethargically, “Shall we try to find a solution to this problem?”

 

 

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In the bathroom connected to Inuyasha's. . . er, her. . . their bedroom, Kagome sighed. Gazing down upon her hands she shook her head out of her dazed state and flushed them under the water. Flinching as the cool liquid came in contacted with her burnt and blistered skin she sucked it up and kept them under. The numbness that the water brought was a welcomed feeling as Kagome finally shut off the faucet and went about cleaning her wounds.

 

Sitting upon the edge of the tub Kagome fell into a destructively pensive mood.

 

Why hadn't she been able to remove the rosary? She had always assumed, along with everyone else, that the only thing between Inuyasha and freedom from the rosary was a quick lift of her arms. But according to what had occurred in the living room that very afternoon, rosary removal proved to be something a bit more complicated.

 

Evidence of that could be found upon her hands. At the hasty and amateur-like attempt of taking the rosary off she was met with a surge of dark energy collecting itself underneath her palms. For a good minute she didn't think much on it as she tried tugging the futile thing over the hanyou's head. Only thing she was met with was a searing charge of dark energy, which her miko powers had retaliated on its own regard to send both Inuyasha and Kagome slamming to opposite sides of the room. Inuyasha was soon to get up from the ground and come to her side as she lay still. After a few gentle shakes from the hanyou for her to come back to consciousness she awoke in shock; sending another blast of miko energy and in turn Inuyasha flying across the room.

 

After a few attempts at apologies toward Inuyasha and his bruised ego that were met with more uncontrolled miko energy aimed at the poor hanyou, Kagome decided that she was better to be a good distance away from him. Which brings us to the present moment of our heroine.

 

“You okay there Kagome?”

 

Looking up to notice the silent intruder in her room she smiled, “Hey Kouga. . . yeah, I'm okay.”

 

“Sorry I wasn't here to witness you blasting Inuyasha across the room.”

 

“You weren't there for that? Well, if you stick around there might be a repeat performance. . .”

 

Smirking he took a seat next to her, “I heard about that too. I wouldn't worry too much about it, knowing the idiot he'll bounce right back.”

 

“And probably try to kill you for coming into his room.” She glanced at the wolf demon that had boldly and arrogantly sat upon her shared bed with Inuyasha.

 

He shrugged in response. “Probably.”

 

“So to what do I owe you doing this daring feat then?”

 

“I thought about talking to Inuyasha before I came to you. . . but I figured I'd just tell you and skip that annoying fiancé of yours.”

 

Shaking her head she smiled, “You seriously haven't changed.”

 

Tilting his head to look into her face he grinned, “You finally smiled.” Sitting back to get away from Kagome's personal space Kouga sighed. “Matsuhito came into my office today.”

 

Eyes widening, her smile was gone. “What did he want with you?”

 

“Made me a proposition.”

 

“What could he offer you that you don't have?”

 

He peered at her from the corner of his eye as he gave his answer. “You.”

 

Unconsciously she scooted a bit a way from him and gulped. “I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean.”

 

He let out a laugh, “I know you're not that innocent Kagome. Anyways, he offered me your body in return of my services.”

 

“Services?”

 

“Extract your soul and put it into this nifty sphere.” He pulled out a crystal ball that was roughly the size of a baseball. “See I chant this ancient rune and your soul gets sucked out.”

 

“T-that simple huh?”

 

“Pretty much.”

 

“Then why didn't he do it? Why hire you?”

 

“He would have done it himself but you quit on him before he realized who you really were.”

 

“Why me?”

 

He raised an eyebrow in amusement. “You're a goddess. I'm not sure if he figured that part out but he knows you have an unnatural amount of miko energy. A soul like yours can fetch a good amount of power. Or something else he has planned, he wasn't really clear about that.”

 

“So you're here to collect?”

 

The implications of what she was saying donned on him and Kouga laughed. “You actually think I'm here to take your soul?”

 

Seeing the long-time friend laugh Kagome sighed, wondering why she even doubted him. “Sorry, just with everything happening. . .”

 

Smiling he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Don't worry about it.”

 

“I'd be worrying about that arm of yours if you don't get it off her.”

 

Both occupants of the bed looked up to see an irritated hanyou leaning on the doorframe. Kagome smiled at him cautiously. “Hey.”

 

Seeing her hesitation Inuyasha sighed, “Don't worry about before.”

 

She nodded. “Seems like that's all everyone is telling me to do these days -don't worry.”

 

“Well I think I told you plenty to worry about.”

 

Turning to look at the man with his arm still wrapped around her shoulders Kagome tilted her head. “What do you think we should do about him?”

 

“I have an idea but I know your fiancé there isn't going to like it.”

 

Inuyasha growled, “What the hell are you two talking about?”

 

Kagome brought her attention back to Inuyasha, “We know who's after my soul.”

 

“Matsuhito.” He cringed at his own answer. He had known and had not told her immediately, he could hear the argument that would stir up at the moment.

 

“Oh. . . you knew.”

 

“Yeah. I found out today, right when you came in to see me. . . I didn't get the chance to tell you.”

 

She shrugged, “Oh well.”

 

Kouga laughed at the look on Inuyasha's face. “You expected an earful huh?”

 

“Well yeah, going on past trends I should have been sat through this floor and the next right into the basement.”

 

Rolling her eyes she shrugged out of Kouga's arm to stand up. “Forget about that. We need to figure out what we're going to do with this new information.”

 

Kouga was the first to speak, “I have an idea, and as an added bonus it's foolproof to piss Inuyasha off.”

 

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Standing in the yard of Inuyasha's outrageously large house Sango glanced about the trees. A rudimentary blowgun in hand she brought it to her lips as she carefully aimed toward a high branch. A poison-tipped feather dart shot out with extreme precision and a resounding pathetic chirp could be heard. With the thump to the patch of grass by the trees Sango trotted up and picked up the dying bird. “I feel horrible doing this.”

 

“I'm sorry.” Kagome responded as she came up to rest a hand upon her friend's shoulder.

 

Sango shook her head smiling sadly. “Don't be sorry. It's either you or this bird. That's not a decision I have to think about.”

 

Nodding the miko took the bird within her hands, “Thank you.” Turning around she faced Kouga and the rest of the house's occupants. “So only a little bit right?”

 

Miroku smiled from Sango's side, “Yes, we don't want you to lose your soul so just seep a bit of your aura into the bird.”

 

Gazing down upon the bird with the steadily decreasing pulse Kagome concentrated and imagined a bit of her aura surrounding the small creature. With a nod from Kagome, Kouga started to chant the slightly altered rune. Everyone watched on as the soul leaked out of the bird and into the glass orb that the wolf demon held. The process soon ended and Kouga turned the orb in his hands then tossed it to Inuyasha.

 

Catching it deftly he concentrated on the glass ball and sighed, “Yeah, it feels like Kagome's soul is in here.”

 

Kaede stepped up to the unusually quiet hanyou and questioned. “Are you positive? This plan and possibly Kagome's life hangs in the balance.”

 

Glaring at the old woman he shoved the ball into her hands. “If I didn't know any better I would think that Kagome's soul is really in there okay? Now leave me the fuck alone.” Spinning on his heal he stomped toward the house.

 

“Inuya-” Kagome turned toward Kouga that held a hand upon her shoulder stopping her from following the hanyou inside.

 

“Give him a little room. Place yourself in his situation, you wouldn't be in a good mood either.”

 

Nodding she sighed, “I suppose so. . .”

 

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Sitting in the middle of the bed Kagome sighed as she looked upon Inuyasha's position facing away from her. “Are you going to be like this all night?”

 

She waited for a response but received none. Crawling up behind his sitting form she wrapped her arms around his torso. “If there were another way you know I'd choose it.”

 

He turned his face purposefully away from her. “Keh.”

 

Furrowing her brows in anger she pulled away from him abruptly and wrapped herself in a robe. “If you're going to be like that I'm going lea-”

 

Silenced by Inuyasha swift movement into a deep kiss, she panted when they pulled apart. Looking into her eyes he whispered, “Don't leave. It's just. . . I can't feel your soul and it scares me.”

 

Nodding she stroked his hair. “It's the spell to suppress my soul. If we're going to try to fool Matsuhito we have to cover all bases.”

 

“I know.”

 

Seeing the distress in his eyes she leaned up to seal her lips on his. Kissing along his jaw she whispered in his ear. “This isn't real. Please don't doubt me.”

 

Looking down upon her intensely he caressed her cheek, “I get this feeling that this is the last time we're going to be together like this.”

 

“Don't say that.” She smiled up at him, “We have forever.”

 

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A/N: I know, short chapter for such a long wait, but this chapter is vital to get the story going. I see the end coming soon. I think in about five chapters (don't quote me on that).