InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Strange Duet ❯ Words Exchanged ( Chapter 14 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Kikyou and Kagome have their discussion, leaving both of them unsure of the others' intentions as Kikyou realizes that there's something more amiss about Kagome than she initially thought.

Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Hentai / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 03.09.2006 | Pages: 5 | Words: 8.3K | Visits: 290 | Status: Work In Progress

Welcome back to the 13th chapter of Strange Duet! I apologize for the extremely long wait but, life tends to hit us all below the obi some time or another in our lives. Thanks to all of you who have supported me and helped me continue this extremely long fanfiction. Without further ado, here is the new chapter!

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha/co are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, not me, I do own Chimokoumaru and his family, along with any other OCs that may pop in here.

Tracklist (C13): Where Will You Go?- Evanescence

The entire world seemed to have been plunged into a tense silence.

Inuyasha's eyes moved from Kagome to Kikyou and back again as his uncertainty continued to grow, causing the half demon to shift his weight uncomfortably while he watched the two women stare each other down. There was nothing he could do. Taking action would mean shifting the rather delicate balance he had with Kagome and Kikyou's emotions at the moment.

In other words, he was absolutely useless in this situation.

The past and future stared into each other's eyes, their wills waging a silent war for dominance even as their auras slowly began to rise to the challenge. Blue-grey met dark brown as the two refused to back down. Whether it was out of sheer stubbornness or the fact that one was completely threatened by the possibilities of the other.

Either way, neither one was backing down.

“Why Kagome-chan alone?”

Out of the silence came the wary voice of the maroon eyed demon slayer, her grip on the giant boomerang loose but ready to be wielded if needed. Her eyes narrowed as she pinned the white and red clad woman with her gaze even as she took a step closer towards Kagome, preparing to use her weapon in a fight between herself and Kikyou.

There was absolutely no trust between the slayer and the calm woman standing a little over ten feet away from Kagome. Her husband might have had a sympathetic and even a little pitying respect for the woman's suffering and wandering spirit, but she could feel nothing but hostility, contempt and suspicion towards her.

As Sango saw it, Kikyou had lost her life and her chance to be with Inuyasha. Now it was Kagome's time and she would not stand by and watch the girl who had become so much like family be hurt time and time again by Kikyou, emotionally and even the few times Kagome had been hurt physically.

She could not forgive that.

Kikyou's eyes were narrowed as well, never allowing her eyes to leave those of the girl in front of her. Something was much different about the suddenly silent and strong willed stranger in front of her, something that she could not put her finger on. During the four months or so that had passed, the usually weak hearted and naïve child that she had seen with Inuyasha had suddenly turned into something much, much more.

Somehow, Kagome had turned into a powerful, if not fully awakened, adult with some kind of strange aura of calm and strength that wrapped around her.

The only problem Kikyou really had about the girl's new feel was that there was no possible way or training that she could think of at the time that was activate such a change in a person's soul.

`Unless someone has been helping her unlock the restraints on her soul.'

“It is none of your concern what she and I have to discuss.”

The priestess responded to Sango's question coolly as she seemed to pause and think of something before continuing.

“Your brother is fairing well and has expressed a desire to speak with you sometime in the future.”

Even Inuyasha heard the undertone of threat that she used. Sango was restrained by a rather quick thinking Miroku and Inuyasha as she began to lunge at Kikyou, maroon eyes blazing her fury and even a little of the fear that had hit her when she had recognized the threat carried beneath the seemingly innocent enough report of her younger brother's well being.

“How dare you!”

“Enough.”

Despite the sounds of chaos and struggling between Sango's fury at Kikyou and Inuyasha and Miroku's attempts to get the enraged slayer to calm down and ignore Kikyou's remark, Kagome's voice accompanied a sudden surge of energy that had the hair on the back of everyone's neck standing on end and had the shouting silenced.

Sango's voice wasn't silenced for long as she managed to throw in one last barb at the woman she was glaring at, eyes flashing with hate as she snapped at Kikyou harshly.

“The dead have no rights or place among the living!”

“Sango-chan!”

Kagome practically shouted her friend's name, her tone sharp and her eyes on the stricken expression on Inuyasha's face before she let her eyes move to Kikyou's stoic face.

It didn't matter that she privately agreed with the upset woman she had come to think of as an older sister. What mattered was that she needed to stop the rising tension before someone was killed or hurt…or both.

“Kikyou, we'll talk, alone and now.”

Inuyasha, much to everyone's surprise, including Kikyou's, was the first to protest against the decision. His amber eyes pained as he looked from Kagome to Kikyou, avoiding the latter of the two's eyes even as he spoke.

“Don't do this Kagome.”

Shippou's voice cracked with fear as he spoke next.

“Don't go Kagome! She'll try to hurt you again, I know she will!”

Miroku wasn't able to speak at the moment, still trying to calm down his suddenly furious and anxious wife from attacking Kikyou or knocking down and pinning Kagome down so that the girl wouldn't go. The dark eyed slayer glowered at Kikyou as she spoke.

“I don't trust her with your safety Kagome-chan. She's tried to kill you in the past and we just had you return to us after such a long time.”

Finally his wife had stopped struggling enough for him to catch his breath and look at the situation in a calm and hopefully not a biased manner. He looked into Kagome's eyes and felt his eyes darken in understanding as he felt her aura brush against his own.

For a long time he had suspected that the Kagome-sama they had traveled with was only a small part of the girl's entire personality and soul. Although, the power that small part had showed was incredible and what was slowly awakening was sure to be more impressive yet.

In short, all he could do was put his trust into the gentle young woman and assume that she was making the correct decision for herself and for her future.

“Kagome-sama, are you certain that you wish to do this alone? Inuyasha, Sango, Shippou or myself will not hesitate to be at your side if you so wish it.”

Kagome wasn't blind to the obvious concern her friends had for her safety and well being nor was she blind to the fact that no one trusted Kikyou with something as seemingly precious as her safety. She could understand their anxiety all too well. After all, she personally didn't have a lot of faith in the former guardian of the Shikon no Tama when it came to her safety either.

But that was something that she was going to have to work hard to improve. Especially because Kikyou was someone that Kagome knew it would be better to have on their side than to have opposing them.

She turned her attention to her friends, giving them a small smile that showed them that she was determined but a little nervous as well before speaking to them.

“I'll be fine everyone. I'll be back before you even know I'm gone, I promise.”

Kagome's expression turned serious as she looked back at Kikyou and inclined her head towards Inuyasha's forest, blue-grey eyes calm as she spoke.

`We need somewhere private but somewhere that's kind of special and sacred to the both of us.'

“Let's go then.”

Inuyasha started to say something and faltered when two pairs of eyes fell on to him, silencing him more effectively than any blow to the stomach or throat could have done before he looked away, watching the two women leave out of the corner of one eye.

When the two finally vanished from their sight, Sango whirled and glared at Inuyasha, motioning with a jerk of her head towards the same path that Kagome and Kikyou had just traveled down.

“What are you waiting for? Go after them and make sure Kagome-chan will be alright!”

Inuyasha's eyes avoided Sango's as he responded, deciding it was probably much safer up in a tree than with the still pissed off slayer nearby.

“Keh, and have Kagome kill me? No fucking thanks, I just…”

I think we both know…that we can't, that we'll never be…

He stopped, eyes darkening as he stared at the hilt of the Tetsusaiga for a very long moment. Why had Kagome even said that to him? It wasn't like her to just give up, and on them nonetheless. Usually he'd suspect she was trying to give him space or trying to let him keep his promise to Kikyou but, something was just not feeling right about it to him.

`Why do I have the feeling that that bastard Sesshoumaru is behind this somehow?'

“She's just come back and she's staying this time. I ain't sending her back pissed off again.”

He finished up his thought aloud before he looked towards the forest with narrowed eyes. His hands moved inside the sleeves to his haori before he shifted his weight on the tree branch and watched the dark entrance to the forest with a barely restrained expression of worry on his face.

`Kikyou…please don't hurt Kagome. I don't want to have to choose between the two of you if something happens.'

Sango glowered at Inuyasha once more before she turned her gaze back to the forest, maroon eyes darkening in concern as she allowed her husband to pull her back and wrap his arms around her. His voice was soothing as he spoke to her.

“She'll be alright Sango. Kagome-sama is a much stronger person or have you not noticed?”

She was forced into a smile by the teasing undertone at the last little part about Kagome, looking up at Miroku with a rather bemused expression before replying.

“Of course I've realized she's gotten stronger. It isn't Kagome-chan I don't trust, it's Kikyou.”

Shippou was unusually quiet as he thought of the situation at hand. Sure he was still not as experienced as the rest of his “family” but, even he could tell that something was definitely different about the Kagome that had showed up.

`She's human and I always forget that somehow. Humans grow older much faster than youkai or even hanyou do…'

“I hope Kagome comes back soon.”

He said to himself rather wistfully as he sat down to wait for the girl who had just come back to them again.

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Amber eyes narrowed as he watched the undead woman and Kagome walk side by side, matching strides as they headed deeper into the forests. He had encountered the woman who absorbed the souls of the dead to sustain her false body before and had no intention of allowing her…desires to be realized.

He would be the one to destroy the disgrace who carried his father's blood in his veins and Naraku.

Speaking of the disgrace, Sesshoumaru's blood began to simmer irritably as he watched the strange girl walk almost calmly beside the undead priestess. He had thought his half brother could not be anymore foolish.

And it was appearing that he, Sesshoumaru, was wrong in that assumption.

`What is that fool thinkingwhen he allowed that creature to take the girl into the forest alone?'

There would be no alternatives; someone was going to have to keep that stubborn and temperamental female under a watchful eye. And if that task was far too difficult, as it seemed to be, for Inuyasha, then he would take care of it himself.

`Never let the pup do an adult's task.'

He was not going to allow the strange young woman to be killed before he had his questions about her answered.

Sesshoumaru tracked the two women's path silently, masking his presence and hiding himself from the senses of the spiritually gifted pair before he took a place beside one of the darker parts of the forest and crouched down, listening intently to the words that were about to be spoken.

This could prove to be useful information if the two discussed the proper subjects.

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Kikyou was rather impressed by the girl's resolve and stubborn determination to settle the…differences between them once and for all.

Not that Kagome had said anything since they had started walking; it was just something that the girl's eyes implied. If the old saying was true that eyes were a window into the soul, then there was no possible way that the girl would be able to hide anything she was feeling or thinking from anyone who was even the least bit observant.

Dark eyes looked ahead as a faint glimmer of satisfaction came into her expression.

There, in plain sight of both of the women, was the site where one destiny had been cut short and the other had awakened.

“We will speak here.”

Kikyou said softly as she sat herself down on one of the roots, setting her bow at her side as she looked at Kagome expectantly.

`How long has it been since she has first traveled in these lands?'

Kagome nervously took a seat next to her, trying not to show her anxiety by looking around her.

Something bothered her, a feeling of being watched by someone, someone familiar too. Her eyes darkened as she recalled some of the same feelings from before and shook her head. Tsubaki was killed, as was that damn Shikigami of hers.

Then why did she feel like someone was still watching her?

The silence grew longer between them, even as the morning's light began to turn more towards midday. Kagome finally broke the silence between the two of them, hands clasped in her lap as she looked over at Kikyou.

`Might as well get this over with.'

“What…um… what did you want to talk about?”

In a way, she already knew but, she wasn't going to bring that up. The subject of Inuyasha's heart and what she and Inuyasha had was still sore. Yet, she knew Kikyou was going to bring it up in order to make it clearer between them.

Who had Inuyasha's heart?

Kikyou or herself?

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Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed, despite the fact that his senses were focused on the girl, should the clay form attack her, he would strike on instinct, his thoughts were else where.

Namely on that kiss that she had given that half breed.

Why did such a thing bother him so? She was a mere mortal with an irritating habit of arguing and defying every little thing said to her. And yet, watching her in such an intimate position had awakened a deeper level of loathing that he hadn't thought possible, as had the way the girl seemed to be so…

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed as he watched her fidget and begin the conversation between the undead and herself.

Comfortable.

Yes, that was the word. She was so comfortable with the half breed and yet she was on her toes when he was around her. How was it that that violent idiot managed to have her so…at ease that she was sleeping on him!

There was no way he was going to allow that to happen again.

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Kikyou studied the nervous eyes of the girl beside her before she chuckled softly and shook her head, allowing a slightly mocking expression on to her face as she responded to her while brushing something off of her hakama.

“Have you realized that you cannot hold his heart?”

Kagome jerked as if shot as she looked over at the calmly sitting woman next to her. Her eyes flashed as she recalled the panic in Inuyasha's eyes when she had told him he had no place in her era and she in his, the expression of loss and pain in his face when she had told him that they would never be…together, and the look on his face when she had said she was going with Kikyou.

Have you realized that you cannot hold his heart?

`But he's already givenit to me…'

Kagome knew that Kikyou probably had seen that as well, and was ignoring it as well as she was ignoring that little voice that urged her to see Sesshoumaru for more training.

“I've stopped trying to make him see only one of us. I only want him to be happy in life, that's it.”

Kikyou nodded and rose to her feet, having been satisfied by what Kagome had said as she picked up her bow, the soul collectors appearing and casting an eerie blue-green light all around the area.

“Very well then.”

Kagome's hands clenched into fists as she stood up as well, watching the woman begin to wander off to do…whatever it was she did when she was alone. Her eyes darkened again as she called out to Kikyou.

`I have to set things straight…'

“Kikyou!”

The woman turned her head slightly to look at her over her shoulder, her dark eyes expectant if not a little bored as she awaited Kagome's continuation.

“Yes?”

Kagome swallowed hard as she took a deep breath and felt a surge of strength come from somewhere as she managed to look Kikyou in the eyes and felt the words slip out automatically from deep within her heart.

`I have to tell her. I can't let her think that she can kill him!'

“I said I've stopped trying to make him choose but,”

Kikyou raised an eyebrow, her dark eyes challenging Kagome to finish what was starting to sound like a defiant statement or some kind of petty loophole. The soul collectors swarmed around her, snake like bodies entwining around her as they released the pure white spheres into her body to keep her alive before departing to find more.

“But?”

Something about the look in the younger and much less experienced young woman's eyes sent a sudden tingling chill down her spine and the hair on the back of her neck and arms rising up on end.

`What is this feeling I am experiencing? Surely there is nothing about her that could…'

Kagome's chin lifted a little as she forced herself to look serious and found that, due to the subject and the seriousness of the matter, that it wasn't very hard as she finally finished her sentence.

“I'm not going to let anyone kill him. I want Inuyasha to live until he dies by natural causes.”

“And you expect to accomplish this by staying at his side?”

Kikyou asked before she began to turn away again.

“I'll do it because he's one of the reasons I'm still here right now. I'm not going to let him get killed because of something that happened in the past.”

Kagome replied, her voice shaking a little as she noticed the grip that Kikyou had on her bow tightened. She was currently weaponless and pretty much lacking in control where her powers stood at the moment. If it came down to it, she could try and get in close to use some of the moves Sango had taught her.

`That's about as likely as Sesshoumaru getting to wield the Tetsusaiga without being rejected by the barrier.'

Kikyou looked back, turning to face the woman who she had called a copy for so long and really taking a good look at her. Something had changed the girl, of course, she could still see some of the resemblances between the two of them but, something was off about her soul. Even in the strange clothing that Kagome wore, Kikyou still could see that she had an old spirit.

`Who isthis girl? She had pieces of my former soul and yet, there's something more about her that I cannot seem to put my finger on.'

“I will keep that in mind.”

She said coolly as she left the area, knowing that the girl was sitting back down and trying to calm her racing heart down from the encounter. Kikyou knew that the girl had always been a little intimidated by her, maybe even a little afraid because of the time she had tried to kill her. Still…why was it that the girl was nearly killed whenever and where ever she traveled and she still refused to quit?

I'll do it because he's one of the reasons I'm still here right now…

The girl's words were powerful, much like the dormant power that came out only in great times of crisis…

Crisis.

Kikyou's eyes narrowed suddenly as she found a connection between something that had been annoying her about Kagome's power and her spirit.

Unlike herself, who could access power when she pleased, Kagome was only able to wield her power when it was truly needed and when someone she cared for was in danger.

`Her power stems from her desire and instinct to protectthose she cares for.'

The woman turned around as she reached the edge of the forest, glancing back to where she had come before frowning to herself.

She had never had any kind of interaction with anyone like Kagome before.

`It is a rare case indeed. There have not been many priestesses who have access to their power only in times of extreme emotion…'

Black hair blew in the sudden gust of youki filled wind as she glanced dispassionately at the white clad man who had appeared to her right. Her soul gatherers were circling her nervously, unsure how to respond to the threat that obviously came from the silent figure standing there and watching her with an equally dispassionate expression.

“This is becoming a frequent occurrence, seeing you close to where ever Kagome is.”

Sesshoumaru's eyes never left the undead woman's in front of him as he responded coldly, threat in his voice as well as some kind of challenge for her to defy his statement.

“That girl and her life belong to me. She agreed to the terms of her own free will when she alllowed herself to be trained by my hand.”

A faint smile of amusement crossed Kikyou's lips as she looked at the youkai lord in front of her. Oh she could see more than what was between the lines of his words. It amused her to no end that this man could not even begin to figure out the enigma that was Kagome.

And that that fact and that Kagome was so different was frustrating him.

`He will not be able to define her like he has other human beings or youkai.'

“Does she know of that little piece of the contract Sesshoumaru?”

She asked him, not bothering to hide her amusement as she began to walk away from him again. And because she was in an exceptionally good mood, Kikyou decided to leave him a little hint from what she had figured out herself.

“The answer you seek lies not within her physical ability.”

`Next time I will have to warn against the soul collectors gathering a good natured and child-like soul, they make me lose my concentration and wreck havoc with my moods.'

Sesshoumaru watched her leave, not caring that she left but now left with yet another piece of the puzzle of information about that damn girl-child. Golden eyes closed as he shifted form, still hiding his youki and presence from those watching and looking out for the girl, before he reappeared in a smaller representation of his true form atop a particularly large hilltop that over looked the entire forest and the village near to it.

That girl, Kagome, was just being greeted by the ones waiting for her outside of the forest. He could not hear what they were saying and yet, by the look on her face, she was answering their numerous questions with an intent to soothe some kind of irritation brought about by the appearance of the priestess.

`You will not continue to baffle me for much longer girl.'

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“Yes, I'm sure nothing physical happened you guys! Mou, don't you trust me at all?”

Kagome asked, trying to fend off the next volley of questions from her friends as they grilled her about what had happened with Kikyou in the forest. She laughed as Miroku tried to calm his wife down and ended up being hit for it while Inuyasha and Shippou looked disgusted and made comments about how a true lecher would never die.

She was “home” again and it felt better than she could have ever hoped for.

The prickling on the back of her neck made her turn around, looking for something that was tugging at her senses and frowned slightly.

`What was that?'

A gleam of white in the morning sun had her heart skip a beat before she squinted and frowned again. She had heard that inu youkai were fairly average in population, just not the huge ones so much, mostly the forest dogs nowadays.

`A white dog?'

“What're you lookin' at Kagome?”

“Huh?”

Kagome blinked and looked at the curious look on Inuyasha's face before returning her gaze to the hilltop where she thought she had seen…something. Whatever had been there wasn't any longer, just an empty hilltop.

`It couldn't be…no, he's probably plotting somewhere to kill Inuyasha again.'

She dismissed the notion from her mind as she shook her head at Inuyasha's question and shrieked as Shippou tackled her from behind and took her to the ground laughing like a mad man. Inuyasha scowled and began chasing Shippou around for making her hit the ground even as Sango helped her to her feet with a smile. Everything was back to normal, Kagome thought smiling to herself as she yelled at Inuyasha to stop trying to thump Shippou and get back over to their side so that they could go and see Kaede before leaving again.

Ah yes, it was good to be home once again.

Thanks so much for being so patient everyone! I hope you all continue to enjoy this story! I will be at the SakuraCon in March up in Seattle, WA so, wish me a good time! Anyways, reviews are adored as usual and I hope to have the next chapter out soon!