InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Forever Yours ❯ Chapter 30

A/N: If you thought the last cliffy was evil, you haven't seen anything yet. Next chapter is going to be SO fun to write. This is the longest chapter to date and it is going to be very emotional for Kagome.

 

I hope everyone had an awesome holiday. Hope you all didn't get as much homework as I did. Seriously, my teachers share the soul of the Grinch…before he became nice. Hearts three sizes too small. But I got a computer for Christmas so I can't be too upset (smile).

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Forever Yours

Chapter Thirty

 

Kagome saw red.

 

“Have a seat? Have a seat?” she said in a voice of deadly calm. “With everything you have done this month, with everything that you've put me through, that's all you can say?”

 

Sesshoumaru didn't blink. “Yes.”

 

Kagome felt anger like she had never felt before. The power of her rage for Sesshoumaru rivaled the strength of her hatred for Naraku. Her energy became unstable. She could feel it flooding through her, begging to be released.

 

Suddenly, realization hit her. This was not good. She had to stop. She had to get control. If she wasn't careful, her miko energy would destroy not only Sesshoumaru, but her and Inuyasha as well.

 

She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. Without taking her eyes off Sesshoumaru, she said, “Inuyasha, please get Sango and Miroku. I'm not letting him out of my sight until he tells me what is going on.”

 

Kagome could almost feel Inuyasha's confusion (she was glaring at Sesshoumaru so she had no idea what Inuyasha's face looked like). Nonetheless, a few seconds later she heard Inuyasha leave the room.

 

Kagome narrowed her eyes at Sesshoumaru. “You hate me and you've tried to kill me, but this? In my opinion, this is as low as you can get. You knew all along what was going on with Inuyasha and the others but…you lied to me,” she said in disgust. “I thought that sort of thing was beneath you Sesshoumaru.”

 

Sesshoumaru stared back coolly. “I am under no obligation to tell you everything that goes on in my mind. I never once asked how it is that you are still alive and living in this era because there is a little thing called privacy. Did it ever occur to you that I might have a very good reason for not telling you about them?”

 

Kagome opened her mouth to retort but at that moment she heard Inuyasha enter the room with Sango and Miroku.

 

Kagome took another deep breath. “Okay, Sesshoumaru. Everybody's here so tell me what is going on!” she demanded.

 

She knew that she was probably irritating Sesshoumaru by talking so rudely to him but at that moment, she really didn't care.

 

Sure enough, Sesshoumaru stood up and a look of annoyance briefly passed over his normally emotionless face. “You want to know the truth? Three of your dead friends from the past are alive and well and in this room. Now I want you all out of this room. I have work to do.” He strode over to the computer and hit a few keys.

 

For the first time since Sesshoumaru entered the room, Kagome blinked and took her angry stare off of him. It swept over to Inuyasha, Sango and Miroku instead.

 

“…Alive…but…it's not possible,” she whispered weakly. Kagome's legs suddenly lost all ability to stand and she would have hit the floor if Inuyasha hadn't rushed to catch her. He lifted her into his arms and set her down on the loveseat beside the armchair.

 

“No way, Sesshoumaru. You are not going to get away from me without talking.” Surprising, it was Inuyasha who had said this. Kagome had gone temporarily mute. “Apparently, Sango, Miroku and I are dead but we're alive,” he went on sarcastically.

 

Sango and Miroku didn't say anything. Really, what could they say?

 

Sesshoumaru sighed softly and turned his chair to face them. “I'm surprised that you didn't figure this out for yourself, Miko.”

 

Kagome still didn't say anything.

 

“I told you three weeks ago that the Tenseiga had powers that I did not know of. I told you that in addition to waking the dead, it could prolong the human life. However, the extent of its ability to wake the dead was far more extreme than I'm sure my father even knew.”

 

He turned his gaze to Miroku but continued talking to Kagome. “Tenseiga only needs the remains of a soul to bring life to one that is already dead. Even though the monk had been consumed by the wind tunnel in his palm, his soul remained on earth while his body was taken in by the void. Tenseiga was able to bring him back to life by simply slashing the ground where he last stood.” His eyes then rested upon Sango and Inuyasha. “The slayer and the half-breed had both died from physical wounds so their bodies were both easy to heal. However, bringing the young kitsune back to life would have resulted in the resurrection of Naraku as well. It couldn't be done. The slayer's brother was nearby so the sword saved him too.”

 

He had saved them. That was why she hadn't felt their presence around the grave when she returned a year later.

 

“…You saved them. But why? And…why can't they…remember me?” Kagome asked brokenly, willing herself not to shed tears in front of Sesshoumaru.

 

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed at her. “Did I not just tell you a few minutes ago that I have reasons for what I do that you don't need to know?” When she didn't answer, he continued.

 

“I told you, Miko, that Tenseiga can prolong the human life. One of the ways to freeze an age is to be struck with the sword once every year. That allows someone to live physically and spiritually. There is also a way to keep one alive only physically.”

 

“What's the difference?” asked Sango warily.

 

“The difference is that if one is alive spiritually, they can walk, talk, eat, drink, see, hear, et cetera, et cetera. However, to be alive physically is like an eternal sleep. The heart and brain work but the soul is shut down for as long as the person remains in that sleep.”

 

Kagome had never ever heard Sesshoumaru talk so much. That shock combined with what he was saying rendered her speechless again.

 

“To keep one alive physically, Tenseiga can instantly construct a barrier around that person. As long as he or she remains within it, they will never age. There's one little hitch with this though.”

 

Miroku was looking at Sesshoumaru the same way he looked at Kagome when she told him about Kuro's bomb and the well. He always had to be the logical one and wouldn't accept anything far-fetched without hard evidence.

 

“The sleep isn't really everlasting. Every century, someone within the barrier will become one year younger.” He looked at Sango and Miroku. “You two are five years younger than your previous age. That is why you are in high school. As for you Inuyasha, You could drop twenty years and it wouldn't make a difference, but you are roughly 17 in youkai years.”

 

“So why don't we have any memories of our previous life?” Miroku challenged.

 

“You probably don't know that there are countless youkai living amongst human with concealment spells. They are so powerful that only some powerful youkai can see through the spells and no priests or mikos can. We can't risk anyone knowing.”

 

“What has that got to do with memories?” Inuyasha asked rudely.

 

Sesshoumaru glared at him coldly and didn't speak for a few seconds. “The point is that I can see through concealment spells. About a year ago, I hired a new youkai to work for me. He had an unusual power that I believed I could put to good use. He had the power to place humans and part humans under hypnosis.”

 

“Hypnosis?” asked Sango.

 

“Yes. He could control minds and bodies, erase memories and plant false memories.”

 

Kagome shuddered; she knew where this was going. “You had him wipe away their memories and replace them with memories of growing up in this time.”

 

“You are half right, Miko. When the sword resurrected your friends, I kept thinking that I didn't want them to have their memories and as a result, Tenseiga removed them. But yes, I did have my worker plant memories of them growing up in this time. The slayer and the monk were then sent to two couples that work for me. Both couples were unable to have their own children so they readily adopted you two. Inuyasha, of course, stayed here and lived with me.”

 

“Why were you so dead-set against them having their memories?” Kagome said in a sad, angry voice.

 

“Why are you so dead-set on asking questions that concern me and not you?” Sesshoumaru replied.

 

This time, Kagome couldn't hold back her tears. Her feudal friends were physically right beside her…but emotionally…she had lost them forever. She let the tears run down her cheeks in salty tracks, not bothering to hide them.

 

Inuyasha immediately went to her side. He sat beside her and pulled her into his arms. “Don't cry Kagome. I hate it when you cry.” He looked up at Sesshoumaru and glared at him.

 

Kagome felt like she had lost her friends all over again. She looked at Sesshoumaru's emotionless eyes with her brown, red-rimmed ones. It lasted just a second but Kagome could've sworn that something in his eyes changed.

 

“There is a way to restore their memories.”

 

Kagome's was so surprised that she stopped crying. Inuyasha stood up. “What?” asked Kagome faintly.

 

“In theory. I've never actually tested it.”

 

What had brought on this change in Sesshoumaru? Was it because she had started crying?

 

“I will have to strike them with Tenseiga. This will release the memories held captive by the sword.”

 

Absolute silence. It was so quiet that Kagome could hear a dog barking outside.

 

Sesshoumaru strode over to a cabinet in the room and opened the wooden doors. There were only two shelves in it. On the top shelf, in a glass box, the deadly Tokijin lay on a red cushion. On the second shelf, also in a glass box, the Tenseiga was set on a light blue cushion.

 

Sesshoumaru took the Tenseiga out of its case and sheath. He turned to face them.

 

As if on cue, Miroku, Sango and Inuyasha all took a step back. They eyed the sword distrustfully.

 

Kagome's heart dropped. They weren't going to do it. Well, she wouldn't have done it if their roles were switched but…

 

“The sword can't kill. It's impossible to be cut by it…” Kagome trailed off. She knew her words meant nothing under these circumstances. None of them were going to do it. She had lost them forever.

 

Tears pricked her eyes again. Kagome was sure that if her soul hadn't shattered when her friends had died, it was definitely shattered now. She could feel her heart break.

 

“I'm sorry,” she said softly to her friends, “You shouldn't have to go through this. I know what that sword looks like…I…you have all already sacrificed so much for me. The bomb, the battle in the past…I…I can't ask anymore of you.” Kagome couldn't speak anymore. With her head bowed and tears streaming down her cheek she rushed toward the door…

 

…And right into Inuyasha. She tried to pull away but he held her firmly in his grasp.

 

“Kagome, look at me,” he said softly. When she didn't do as he requested, he said, “Why did I tell you my secret about being a hanyou?”

 

“Because I told you about my secret,” she said.

 

“No! The other reason.”

 

“Because you said…you trusted me…” she said slowly, finally looking into his eyes.

 

“Yes, and I meant it. Besides, I was with you at his - well my - grave, I saw how sad you were and how much you missed…er…me. We were probably really close.”

 

“You mean…you believe me? You believe everything that Sesshoumaru said?” Kagome asked, allowing herself a tiny glimmer of hope.

 

“Yeah,” he said. “I told you I trusted you and I do.”

 

Kagome had never been more touched. Inuyasha probably had no idea how much how much those words meant to her.

 

Confidently, Inuyasha turned to face Sesshoumaru. “Hit me,” he said grinning. There wasn't a single trace of nervousness in his expression or voice. He truly trusted her.

 

Sesshoumaru didn't need to be told twice. Before Kagome knew what was happening, a blinding light filled the room and Kagome could do nothing but shield her eyes and wait for it to be over.

 

It didn't take long. Within seconds, the light was gone.

 

Inuyasha blinked. His entire expression had changed. It was more like…Kagome couldn't describe it. It looked like it had in the Feudal Era; a pang of loneliness and rejection from his past and peace and acceptance from the last few years of his life. Kagome guessed that he was remembering his rough childhood and his mother, his solo search for the Shikon Jewel, and the adventures that he had shared with her, Sango and Miroku. He didn't speak for several moments.

 

He looked over at Sesshoumaru, Sango and Miroku. “…Everything is true…I remember everything…Naraku…the jewel…all true.” He looked at Sango. “You and Miroku should get your memories restored, but I suggest you don't return Kohaku's memories.” Kagome mentally agreed. Kohaku did not need to know that he had killed almost his entire family and village.

 

Finally, Inuyasha shifted his violet eyes to Kagome and for a moment they just gazed at each other intently. It was like he was truly seeing her for the first time.

 

“Kagome…” he said hoarsely.

 

Kagome felt like her throat had closed up. Inuyasha...her Inuyasha…he was here…alive…with her.

 

“I suggest you two go into the sitting room down the hall. I'm sure you have a lot to discuss,” said Sesshoumaru.