InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Yin & Yang ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter four: Lady Penguin

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The room was silent, frozen.

Inuyasha. Miroku. Sesshomaru.

Kagome closed her eyes and blew a strand of hair away from her forehead. It was certain now. She was doomed. Utterly and absolutely doomed. Except-- a small sentimental, nagging feeling was starting to thrum at her chest, and Kagome found herself smiling. They were here. Here, in her world. Not somewhere dangerous where there were demons, jewel shards, or complex evil villains that--

Oh, god, Naraku.

Kagome whimpered and bit a cuticle. This was so unfair. Didn't she defeat him? Or--not. Otherwise, he would've been gone--forever!--instead of here, in her perfectly safe world. Then, she remembered.

She had purified him.

Naraku wasn't evil anymore, was he? He was... harmless! Kagome's forehead creased. She had no reason to be frightened of him anymore. He was human now. Kagome sighed and leaned against her chair in relief. Where were the rest of her friends, then? Images of Sango, Shippou, Kohaku, and the rest flashed inside her mind, and a small feeling of nostalgia crashed inside her. Would she ever see them again? And why were Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sesshomaru here? Miroku said that only two weeks had passed since her coma. What happened during that time?

Dreamily, Kagome glanced outside the window. It was so nice outside--so normal. The sun was slowly disappearing from the sky, and its ember rays cast a soft, gentle hue against the cool window pane. This was the world she had left behind so often in order to fullfill her duties as a miko in the Sengoku Jidai. And to be with Inuyasha.

Inuyasha.

He needed to come in and explain everything to her. He needed to save her--again--because Kagome was sure that even though she had babysat for Sesshomaru--his ward--so many times, she was certain that he hated truancy. Why, he almost threatened to cut off her throat when she arrived two minutes late for Rin's bedtime story! Of course, she had explained that Sengoku Jidai's time was--she was tangeanting. Rambling!

Come on.

Kagome concentrated all her powers on the door, willing it to open, and positively hoping that a fiery-eyed hanyou would bounce through the door, demanding that she come with him.

Because she didn't exactly want to face Sesshomaru.

What if this wasn't real? What if Sesshomaru came in and told her that... everything was an illusion and they'd all go away as soon as she really woke up?

Kagome sighed. Why couldn't she remember anything!

She didn't remember anything after her last encounter with Naraku--nothing at all. Kagome's eyes focused on the door, and the distinct sound of murmurs reached her. Sesshomaru was talking to Inuyasha about something, and the urge to press her ear against the door was almost unbearable. But she was too dazed and transfixed on her train of thoughts to bother.

There had been a flash of light! Kagome straightened herself. Yes, a flash. A great, big flood of light and--Kagome slumped in her seat again. The clock ticked away, and the murmurs outside the door stopped.

Nothing.

Kagome remembered absolutely nothing. What if she didn't really purify Naraku? Kagome grimaced, then sniffled. All her effors would be thrown away, Inuyasha would have no need for her because he could get all the ramen he wanted here, Miroku'd have all the pretty girls to grope, and she'd....

"Kagome?"

She'd be alone! Kagome almost wanted to wail.

"Kagome," Sesshomaru said, tapping the girl's shoulder lightly.

Startled, Kagome uttered an "oh!"

Her mouth was left hanging open, her eyes shamelessly boring into his, and... Kagome gulped. Gods... this was really Sesshomaru, wasn't it? It was really him standing before her. Kagome's face softened, and all she could do was look at him in wonder. There were no stripes upon his face, and there seemed to be no sign of aging neither. He was still deathly beautiful. With a white dress shirt that was carelessly unbuttoned at the collar, and long, black pants that showed off his grace--Sesshomaru was incredibly handsome.

And he still had pretty hair. Kagome eyed the long, thick mass of white silk enviously.

He bent to be at eye-level with her. "Kagome?"

It didn't make sense. She went through the whole day feeling as if everything fit, as if everything was right where they belonged. But seeing Sesshomaru so close to her was unerving. What if--what if it wasn't real? What if everyone was really dead, and she was here... by herself?

Reaching out with tentative fingers, Kagome trembled, and touched Sesshomaru's smooth face with her fingertips. He didn't flinch or growl. Instead, his face remained passively cool as he stood still for her examination. A small blush flushed across her face as her fingertips accidentally brushed against his lips. Weakly, she looked up at him and was surprised when a small amount of emotion flickered in his eyes. This couldn't be real. Sesshomaru didn't... he didn't feel.

"This isn't real," she whispered, "I'm having a dream."

Sesshomaru straightened. "This is real." Then, he looked at her intently. "I am real."

Kagome's throat went dry.

Oh, god.

"You went through the whole day thinking this wasn't real?" Sesshomaru asked.

She did.

Because she didn't want to hope. Didn't want to believe that it was real... and then have it all disappear the next day. Kagome stared at Sesshomaru, watching his face shamelessly. Kagome swallowed down the urge to cry. This urge--this inexplicable urge to just bury her nose into his shoulder and cry was terrifying.

"Why are you all here?" Kagome asked, focusing instead on the door again. Amazingly, she remembered to breathe.

Sesshomaru walked to his desk. "Reincarnation. How else?"

"You mean... all of you were reincarnated? That quickly?" Kagome asked. She didn't remember time passing by in the Sengoku Jidai that quickly while she was in present Tokyo.

"Not all. I remain alive because I am a demon," Sesshomaru replied.

Kagome pushed herself away from her chair, and rushed forward to place a hand upon the taiyoukai's arm. "Oh, no. Rin..."

He shook his head sharply at her. "All humans must die, Kagome."

She bit her lower lip. "I'm sorry."

Sesshomaru did not say anything.

"So... then, what is going on?" Kagome asked.

"Do you remember anything after you purified Naraku?"

Kagome sighed. "No... I don't." That would be why she was confused.

"You died, Kagome."

Kagome looked up at him, feeling slightly dizzy. "Did you save me?"

"You helped me with Rin's maturing," he pointed out.

She swayed a bit. Died? She didn't remember anything besides... the great flash of light, and--headache. Kagome rubbed her forehead in frustration. Then, she remembered Miroku telling her that she'd been in a coma. Was that why--because she died?

"I did revive you, but that wasn't enough," Sesshomaru continued, "you remained unconscious for a very long time. Your efforts to purify Naraku nearly devastated your life."

"Then what happened?" Kagome asked.

Sesshomaru turned away, his profile stoic, as he rummaged through several files of paper. "Your scholarship should take care of your education here. I assume you've set up all your classes, then?"

Kagome shook her head, trying to grasp onto something. She needed to remember something, a piece of the puzzle lay forgotten. Or... oh, heavens, the jewel! Kagome looked sharply at Sesshomaru. "What happened--what happened to the jewel?"

"I do not know."

"You mean.... I spent all that time collecting the shards, and you don't know!" Kagome wanted to scream.

Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow upwards. "I wasn't aware that I was supposed to care. I am a full-blooded human, woman."

Kagome sighed. "I'm sorry, Sesshomaru, I just... I'm confused." She raked a hand through her hair. "All this seems so surreal, and almost everything has changed, yet it's all the... it's..."

"The same." Sesshomaru supplied.

She nodded her head slowly, numbly.

Then, she felt it. The terrible ache inside her heart. Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru. "What happened to the others?"

"I have yet to find them," he replied.

"You're... finding them?" Kagome almost squeaked. Why would Sesshomaru do such a thing? "Why?"

"To amuse myself," he replied nonchalantly. Kagome knew that he was lying, but dismissed it.

Another ache pounded inside her. "Did they all live full lives? Were they happy?" She gulped. "Was... Inuyasha happy?"

Sesshomaru walked towards her. Stopping short before Kagome, he looked at her intently. Kagome felt the tiny hairs on the back of her neck rise, and was irate to find that a small tremor was spreading through her body, making her shiver slightly. He had such a powerful presence, such an overwhelming one. He could make anybody go weak in the knees--male included--with just one cold look. But his eyes weren't cold right now.

Something else shimmered in them, and Kagome's heart almost stopped beating.

Because--he was bending down--and his eyes.. Kagome gulped. "Sesshomaru? Did you hear me?"

He reached out to touch her face gently. "Why don't you ask him that?"

Amazingly, she remembered to breathe.

"Who? Ask him what?" Kagome stared at him, dumbfounded.

Except, the oxygen wasn't reaching her brain.

He chuckled, low and void of any real amusement. "Why don't you ask Inuyasha if he lived happily or not?"

"Were you happy?" The question slipped out before she had a chance to think.

Sesshomaru straightened and replied, "It does not matter." Then, he extended a hand towards her. "It's already eight o'clock. Perhaps you should go back to your dorm room before it gets dark."

"I have a dorm room?" Kagome blinked.

Sesshomaru nodded. "Hai. I took care of all the arrangements for you."

She stood up, and grasped his hand, smiling gently when a brief look of annoyance crossed over his features. It had been so long, and he wasn't used to the touch of humans. "Thank you, Sesshomaru."

He moved away and nodded. "Have a good sleep." Then, he looked at her with a mischievous grin. "Wench."

Kagome threw back her head and laughed. She'd never seen Sesshomaru smile mischievously before--he rarely smiled as it is, but Kagome decided that he had a nice one. So, she smiled along with him. And it felt good.

It felt good to smile.

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The desk was a mess. Papers askew. The atmosphere hot and humid.

And somewhere between the allopatric speciation theory of evolution and Darwin's theory, Kagome got lost. Absolutely and completely lost.

Because...

Miroku had pretty eyes.

Kagome's eyes glistened over as his lips moved. He was saying something, probably about the development of cells and species--but she didn't care. This was Miroku. The inexplicable urge to hug him and squeal was incredibly frightening... and--she felt giddy. Really, really giddy.

"Kagome?"

She blinked at him.

His hands... they were free from the cloths...

"Kagome, are you paying attention?" Miroku's eyes flickered with amusement when he noticed that she was staring at his hands.

Kagome reached forward, grasping his left hand with both of hers.

"Kagome, what are you doing?" He murmured. A slow grin spread across his face.

But then, she looked up at him, eyes glittering with emotion. "It's gone," was all she managed to choke out.

Miroku looked at her strangely. "What's gone?"

Then, quite suddenly, Kagome flung her arms around his neck. "Oh, Miroku!"

What the--

Oh.

What a lovely view.

It was practically there for the taking. So why not take it? Miroku looked at Kagome's face, her eyes were closed and she was clinging on him so tightly and... Miroku groaned. He hated his pants at the moment. How could he resist? After all, she was... so innocently pressed up against him... and...

Miroku gulped. It was certain.

She would want him to do it.

So, he did it.

"Miroku!" Kagome screeched, nearly jumping a mile away from him.

His hands---her hip!

A hand automatically went flying towards his face, and connected with a painful thwapping sound.

"But!"

Schlap!

"Kagome!"

Thwack!

"Please!"

With her hand in mid-air, Kagome glared at him fiercely. "Oooh, you haven't changed one bit!"

Miroku looked at her quizzically. "What?"

She huffed. "Nothing."

"No, you said that as if you knew me before," Miroku murmured, "what do you mean by that?"

Kagome blew a strand of hair away from her face. "Nothing, let's get back to reproduction."

Miroku grinned at her. "Gladly." Then, he poked her nose. "But we were on evolution."

Kagome blushed. "Whatever."

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Amyfushigiyugi & Belledaynight: I cut out the Naraku scene because it wouldn't make sense early on in the story. So I apologize if this was too short. :( It was about the best I could do without going berserk.