InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Don't know what you've got 'til it's gone ❯ Our Lady of Recycled Souls ( Chapter 10 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: RhiannonoftheMoon 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Hentai | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 05.25.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.6K | Visits: 4.3K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Hentai | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 05.25.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.6K | Visits: 4.3K | Status: Completed
A/N: FayeMegan, InuyashaLoveLorn, Ownage: Thank you for the comments! I have up to chapter 17 of this story posted on Fanfiction.net. Same title, same user id.
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any other character created by Rumiko Takahashi.
Chapter 10 – Our Lady of Recycled Souls
Kagome was floating in warmth, surrounded by soft blankets. “Mmmm,” she murmured and snuggled in closer. ‘I must have gone home and gone to bed and all of this has been a weird dream.’ She pressed her face into the pillow and wrapped her arms around it. ‘Did mom change my pillows? They seem a lot more firm than usual.’ A rich cedar scent curled around her, somehow more comforting than the bedding, and she sighed in happiness, tightening her arms.
“K-kagome?”
“Just five more minutes,” she mumbled. Inuyasha must have followed her home, but she felt too good to get out of bed right now. And that wonderful cedar aroma…wait a sec…doesn’t Inuyasha-?
Her eyes popped open and she sat up like a shot, tangling herself in what she now realized were Inuyasha’s robes. Her sudden movement startled him and they both fell over. Kagome’s breath whooshed from her lungs as he landed heavily on top of her. Faces mere inches apart, they blinked at each other.
“Come Sango, let us give these two some privacy,” Miroku said magnanimously and stood.
Inuyasha and sprang up and bared his teeth at the monk, growling. He had never taken teasing very well and this evening was no exception. Kagome pushed herself into a sitting position, pressing her hands to her burning cheeks.
Sango had had enough of Miroku’s jokes, as well. He had been making innuendoes since they had arrived and if the hanyou had not been holding Kagome, the monk would have black and blue by now. Normally, she would have been amused; Inuyasha was extremely fun to torment. However, Kagome had a lot to deal with right now and teasing wouldn’t help. She picked up a small stone and launched it at the monk’s thick head, satisfied by the thunk it made when it hit his skull.
“Ow!”
“Can it, monk. Now is not the time.”
Miroku rubbed the rising knot and had the decency to look sheepish.
‘Everything seems so normal,’ Kagome thought as her gaze brushed her friends. The company was camped around a merry little fire. Squirrels roasted on spits, fat sizzling in the heat. Hiraikotsu leaned against a tree next to Miroku’s staff. Even her bulging yellow backpack had been piled with the other camping gear.
“How long have I been asleep?” Kagome, cheeks still pink, stared at them with wide, silver eyes that caught the firelight, refracting it into rainbow hues that seemed to dance with a life of their own. Miroku gasped and Sango’s heart lurched. It was one thing to see the changes, but another matter entirely to hear their dear friend’s voice come from a stranger’s face.
'Oh, Kagome!’ Sango gazed in sympathy at the friend she loved like a sister.
Inuyasha knelt behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing his cheek to hers. “A few hours. How do you feel?” Now that she bore his mark, her scent didn’t drive him so crazy, but the desire to touch her was overwhelming.
“Uh,” Kagome felt the blush returning. “Fine, I guess.” He had never been so openly affectionate before. She wasn’t quite sure what had passed between them in the forest, but it had obviously changed their relationship. And it felt good to be held by him. Not just good – right, at an intuitive level. She leaned against him, drawing solace from his embrace.
“This morning, you were telling me about a frog carving at the hot spring,” he prompted.
‘That was this morning? So much has happened…’ Kagome shook herself mentally to clear her thoughts.
Miroku furrowed his brow. “Sango and I searched the spring. We found nothing like that.”
Sango nodded. “He’s right. We didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.”
“It was there, I remember it clearly,” Kagome gazed up at them in confusion.
Shippo crawled into her lap. “A-are you sure it was a frog?” His tail was quivering and his bright eyes were clouded with worry.
Inuyasha glowered down at him suspiciously, tightening his arms. “That’s what she said. What do you know, Shippo?”
Shippo flinched and leaned into Kagome’s stomach. “My pa once told me about an old kitsune trick for preserving one’s soul. The dying fox sends his youkai into a vessel. When someone with a weakened soul touches it, the youkai is transferred from the vessel to the host and merges with the host’s body. The vessels disappears after the soul is gone.”
Miroku stroked his chin, his eyes thoughtful. “What do you mean, ‘weakened soul’?”
Shippo paused a moment, then shrugged. “That’s all he said.”
Kagome gasped, pressing a clawed hand against her heart. “Kikyo still has a piece of my soul. That could have made me susceptible to the spell!”
Miroku nodded at her, then turned back to Shippo. “And you think the carving was one of these vessels? Wouldn’t it have been a fox, not a frog?”
“Kitsunes are illusionists and shape shifters. The vessel could be anything it wanted,” Sango pointed out.
Shippo crossed his arms and shook his head. “The shape of the vessel is chosen to fit with the surroundings. Frogs at water, monkeys in the forest, that sort of thing.”
“Shippo, did your father explain how to break the spell?” Inuyasha interjected.
He shook his head. “It’s not meant to be broken. This spell is cast only as a last resort if the kitsune had something important left undone.”
Inuyasha humphed impatiently. “So, if we figure out what was so important to it-“
“Her,” Kagome said quietly.
“What?”
“Her. The kitsune was female, I heard it in her voice.”
“Fine, her, and take care of it, will the kitsune leave Kagome’s body?”
Shippo shoulders drooped and he hung his head. “I don’t know. I’m sorry, Kagome.”
Kagome scooped the kit into a big hug. “You have nothing to be sorry for, Shippo. It’s not your fault.” Shippo closed his eyes and snuggled into her. His adopted mother smelled so close to his real mother that he could almost hear her voice singing his favorite lullaby. With a guilty twinge, he found himself hoping that she would stay this way.
“How do we know for certain if this actually was a kitsune soul vessel?” Sango asked, unconvinced.
Shippo regarded her over his shoulder with liquid emerald eyes. “Kagome smells like a fox youkai. I can hardly smell any human on her at all.”
Miroku prodded one of the roasting squirrels for doneness, then pulled the skewers from the ground and distributed them. Inuyasha broke his embrace and settled into a cross-legged sit next to Kagome, knees touching hers.
Seating himself next to Sango, Miroku bit into his squirrel. “I don’t think we can know for certain, but the evidence does seem to point toward it. The question is, how do we exorcise the youkai from Kagome without hurting her.”
“We have to speak to Kaede. She may be able to shed more light on this matter,” Sango said, keeping an eye on the monk’s hands.
~~~
Kagome stared into the flames, nibbling her dinner and debating with herself. ‘They still don’t know that I can’t see the shards. I wanted so badly to be strong and powerful, but I never really appreciated the power that I had. What should I do?’ She grimaced at the firm, stringy texture of the flesh. ‘This would be better if it were a little more rare. At least my appetite is back to normal.’
Inuyasha watched her finish impatiently. He knew that she had questions and he also knew that she wasn’t telling them everything. She might be able to fool the others, but he could sense her hesitancy and confusion through their bond. The sooner he could get her alone, the sooner he could resolve these issues.
The moment she was done, he stood and tugged her to her feet. “Come on, Kagome.”
She looked at him surprise. “Where are we going?”
“To find some privacy,” he said, giving Shippo, who had been unceremoniously dumped from Kagome’s lap, a speaking glare. He pulled her from the campsite and into the trees, breaking into a sprint. Bewildered, Kagome followed, easily keeping pace. As they ran together in silence, Inuyasha marveled at the joy filling him. Somehow, he felt freer running with his mate than he had ever felt running alone. ‘My mate,’ he thought, smiling at her.
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Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any other character created by Rumiko Takahashi.
Chapter 10 – Our Lady of Recycled Souls
Kagome was floating in warmth, surrounded by soft blankets. “Mmmm,” she murmured and snuggled in closer. ‘I must have gone home and gone to bed and all of this has been a weird dream.’ She pressed her face into the pillow and wrapped her arms around it. ‘Did mom change my pillows? They seem a lot more firm than usual.’ A rich cedar scent curled around her, somehow more comforting than the bedding, and she sighed in happiness, tightening her arms.
“K-kagome?”
“Just five more minutes,” she mumbled. Inuyasha must have followed her home, but she felt too good to get out of bed right now. And that wonderful cedar aroma…wait a sec…doesn’t Inuyasha-?
Her eyes popped open and she sat up like a shot, tangling herself in what she now realized were Inuyasha’s robes. Her sudden movement startled him and they both fell over. Kagome’s breath whooshed from her lungs as he landed heavily on top of her. Faces mere inches apart, they blinked at each other.
“Come Sango, let us give these two some privacy,” Miroku said magnanimously and stood.
Inuyasha and sprang up and bared his teeth at the monk, growling. He had never taken teasing very well and this evening was no exception. Kagome pushed herself into a sitting position, pressing her hands to her burning cheeks.
Sango had had enough of Miroku’s jokes, as well. He had been making innuendoes since they had arrived and if the hanyou had not been holding Kagome, the monk would have black and blue by now. Normally, she would have been amused; Inuyasha was extremely fun to torment. However, Kagome had a lot to deal with right now and teasing wouldn’t help. She picked up a small stone and launched it at the monk’s thick head, satisfied by the thunk it made when it hit his skull.
“Ow!”
“Can it, monk. Now is not the time.”
Miroku rubbed the rising knot and had the decency to look sheepish.
‘Everything seems so normal,’ Kagome thought as her gaze brushed her friends. The company was camped around a merry little fire. Squirrels roasted on spits, fat sizzling in the heat. Hiraikotsu leaned against a tree next to Miroku’s staff. Even her bulging yellow backpack had been piled with the other camping gear.
“How long have I been asleep?” Kagome, cheeks still pink, stared at them with wide, silver eyes that caught the firelight, refracting it into rainbow hues that seemed to dance with a life of their own. Miroku gasped and Sango’s heart lurched. It was one thing to see the changes, but another matter entirely to hear their dear friend’s voice come from a stranger’s face.
'Oh, Kagome!’ Sango gazed in sympathy at the friend she loved like a sister.
Inuyasha knelt behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing his cheek to hers. “A few hours. How do you feel?” Now that she bore his mark, her scent didn’t drive him so crazy, but the desire to touch her was overwhelming.
“Uh,” Kagome felt the blush returning. “Fine, I guess.” He had never been so openly affectionate before. She wasn’t quite sure what had passed between them in the forest, but it had obviously changed their relationship. And it felt good to be held by him. Not just good – right, at an intuitive level. She leaned against him, drawing solace from his embrace.
“This morning, you were telling me about a frog carving at the hot spring,” he prompted.
‘That was this morning? So much has happened…’ Kagome shook herself mentally to clear her thoughts.
Miroku furrowed his brow. “Sango and I searched the spring. We found nothing like that.”
Sango nodded. “He’s right. We didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.”
“It was there, I remember it clearly,” Kagome gazed up at them in confusion.
Shippo crawled into her lap. “A-are you sure it was a frog?” His tail was quivering and his bright eyes were clouded with worry.
Inuyasha glowered down at him suspiciously, tightening his arms. “That’s what she said. What do you know, Shippo?”
Shippo flinched and leaned into Kagome’s stomach. “My pa once told me about an old kitsune trick for preserving one’s soul. The dying fox sends his youkai into a vessel. When someone with a weakened soul touches it, the youkai is transferred from the vessel to the host and merges with the host’s body. The vessels disappears after the soul is gone.”
Miroku stroked his chin, his eyes thoughtful. “What do you mean, ‘weakened soul’?”
Shippo paused a moment, then shrugged. “That’s all he said.”
Kagome gasped, pressing a clawed hand against her heart. “Kikyo still has a piece of my soul. That could have made me susceptible to the spell!”
Miroku nodded at her, then turned back to Shippo. “And you think the carving was one of these vessels? Wouldn’t it have been a fox, not a frog?”
“Kitsunes are illusionists and shape shifters. The vessel could be anything it wanted,” Sango pointed out.
Shippo crossed his arms and shook his head. “The shape of the vessel is chosen to fit with the surroundings. Frogs at water, monkeys in the forest, that sort of thing.”
“Shippo, did your father explain how to break the spell?” Inuyasha interjected.
He shook his head. “It’s not meant to be broken. This spell is cast only as a last resort if the kitsune had something important left undone.”
Inuyasha humphed impatiently. “So, if we figure out what was so important to it-“
“Her,” Kagome said quietly.
“What?”
“Her. The kitsune was female, I heard it in her voice.”
“Fine, her, and take care of it, will the kitsune leave Kagome’s body?”
Shippo shoulders drooped and he hung his head. “I don’t know. I’m sorry, Kagome.”
Kagome scooped the kit into a big hug. “You have nothing to be sorry for, Shippo. It’s not your fault.” Shippo closed his eyes and snuggled into her. His adopted mother smelled so close to his real mother that he could almost hear her voice singing his favorite lullaby. With a guilty twinge, he found himself hoping that she would stay this way.
“How do we know for certain if this actually was a kitsune soul vessel?” Sango asked, unconvinced.
Shippo regarded her over his shoulder with liquid emerald eyes. “Kagome smells like a fox youkai. I can hardly smell any human on her at all.”
Miroku prodded one of the roasting squirrels for doneness, then pulled the skewers from the ground and distributed them. Inuyasha broke his embrace and settled into a cross-legged sit next to Kagome, knees touching hers.
Seating himself next to Sango, Miroku bit into his squirrel. “I don’t think we can know for certain, but the evidence does seem to point toward it. The question is, how do we exorcise the youkai from Kagome without hurting her.”
“We have to speak to Kaede. She may be able to shed more light on this matter,” Sango said, keeping an eye on the monk’s hands.
~~~
Kagome stared into the flames, nibbling her dinner and debating with herself. ‘They still don’t know that I can’t see the shards. I wanted so badly to be strong and powerful, but I never really appreciated the power that I had. What should I do?’ She grimaced at the firm, stringy texture of the flesh. ‘This would be better if it were a little more rare. At least my appetite is back to normal.’
Inuyasha watched her finish impatiently. He knew that she had questions and he also knew that she wasn’t telling them everything. She might be able to fool the others, but he could sense her hesitancy and confusion through their bond. The sooner he could get her alone, the sooner he could resolve these issues.
The moment she was done, he stood and tugged her to her feet. “Come on, Kagome.”
She looked at him surprise. “Where are we going?”
“To find some privacy,” he said, giving Shippo, who had been unceremoniously dumped from Kagome’s lap, a speaking glare. He pulled her from the campsite and into the trees, breaking into a sprint. Bewildered, Kagome followed, easily keeping pace. As they ran together in silence, Inuyasha marveled at the joy filling him. Somehow, he felt freer running with his mate than he had ever felt running alone. ‘My mate,’ he thought, smiling at her.
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