InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Haunted ❯ The Spider's Web ( Chapter 14 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

AN: I'M SO SORRY ABOUT HOW LONG THIS TOOK! SO, SO, SO SORRY!

It was very infuriating for me, too. Every time, EVERY TIME, I sat down to write and just started getting into it, my mom/dad would tell me to clean up my stuff in the living room/bathroom/dining room/kitchen, or to call somebody back, or tell me to practice piano, that we're going for a two hour hike, ect. It drove me NUTS! (Especially the hiking. I always feel like I'm lost in the middle of nowhere. Not very fun.) In fact, as I'm typing, some parental figure or other is calling me… something about dishes… ugh.

Thanks to all those who reviewed! It's very helpful to know what people like/dislike and what can be improved upon. Naturally, it is hard to self-evaluate your own work -as I'm sure many of you are aware- so it's really, really helpful and kind of you! (I'm feeling some strange urge to tell you all how much I appreciate you…)

To answer some questions and respond to some reviews (I'm very haphazard about these things… I should really make a system or something for answering questions…so I'll try some individual responses).

Koinu-no-ai: So Inuyasha brings Kagome's soul back. How'd it get out in the first place? My answer: Kikyo stole it to rematerialize herself in Oblivion. So Kagome's soul/consciousness got dragged there, too. Thus, Kagome's body was without a soul and stuck in a "coma" in real life. I don't think that Kagome was really aware of what she was doing when she gave Inuyasha her life force. She was just trying to color him us a bit because he was alarmingly grey and depressed. She didn't realize that the whole experience would drain her so much. She really doesn't no much about being a priestess, you know? She just found out about… a week ago, was it? And she's not in a position in which she needs to use her powers at this point.

About the whole summer thing… I agree and didn't think that Japanese students get a very long school break when I started writing this, so I'm not sure how this is all working out. And that's a very bad thing. I'll try and find some excuse for all the time that's passed so far… I've purposefully left it vague, actually. It's up to the reader's discretion to decide what's going on. I personally fancy that she's getting home schooled since there's not a school nearby, or maybe it closed for some reason.

Tiamath: Thank you for saying so! (About the Kikyo/Inuyasha situation). I actually feel that it's a bit lacking in originality; it's practically the same as in the actual anime/manga. I might go back and change it once I'm done with the fic. I agree about Kikyo and Inuyasha's relationship being a challenging thing to write about; my Kikyos always end up being rather meek and tragic, while the real deal is strong and proud, rather cold and distant, yet tragic simultaneously. So I've gotta find a way to work that out… And the paramedics? We'll find out, won't we? (Grins)

Thanks for noticing the Shippo/Souta thing! (That's actually what I was trying to do; provide comic relief through child's play. I'm glad that you noticed it. I really appreciate the eloquent compliment on my writing, too! It makes me feel all cheerful and bubbly.)

Sango-maru: Here I am! I am updating! I'm glad that you like the story! Thank you for the suggestion (with Inuyasha hiding). It's an intriguing idea… About the grave marker: it was going to have some major importance… but then it just was kinda unused. (A cryptic answer… but if I tell you straight out it might ruin the story…) It'll be explained in this chapter, I think. (I never know what's going to happen until I start -finish, actually -writing the thing, so I hope you get the answer to you question about the grave marker by the end of this chapter!)

rin sama1989: Wow! I'm glad you liked it! And I thought I did pretty terribly, myself… I agree, plot twists ARE cool! I like them very, very much to the point at which they would become irritating and overdone if I wrote them as much as I thought of them, so I'm trying to keep 'em few and far between. It makes me happy to know that you haven't noticed an OOC-ness going on. I did, however, find it difficult to see into Kikyo's head and decided what she'd think or say, so I'm glad that I did an acceptable job.

Livvy22: Thank you! Again, I'm relieved about the characters and the fact that they aren't too far from the real thing; that's the problem -and the great thing, too- about fan fiction: you're using previously realized characters whom you must make believable, but at the same time, you don't have to introduce everybody to the readers again. And just out of curiosity, what part did you find so funny? (Maybe I could do something similar or in the same vein to add some humor if I feel the need…)

Sessy-chansbestpal: Thank you! I'm happy that you approve! (It's always nice to see new reviewers, also! So thanks for doing so! -reviewing, I mean…)

NewSalemWitch: Souta and Shippo aren't going anywhere. My sympathies on the end-of-the quarter rush! (Got a bit of that, too. Barely scraped through Geometry with a B, as a matter of fact…) You're exactly right about the curse being linked to Inuyasha's emotions. Because he was pretty much dead emotionally, the curse had a strong hold on him, but he's more alive, so… yeah. You got it. About the writing quickly thing… I do it a lot in my spare time. The time just adds up pretty quickly, I guess. I've been trying to make all my chapters twenty pages in length, since the ninth or eighth about. And I agree; Kagome as a poltergeist would've been a sickening twist and NOT something that I would do. No no no! (hehe)

I'm glad you've gotten the motivation, for your story! That cliffie was a killer… (As the other reviewer said, don't be put out by the lack of reviews! I'm sure it's just because no one's seen it.) I'm very, very flattered! Rozefire's one of my favorite authors! Very prestigious, you know? And no, surprisingly Miroku hasn't given me much trouble lately. That's a good thing!

(Those turned out longer than I thought they would… two pages. So that means a twenty-one paged chapter…)

Disclaimer: Actually, I do own Inuyasha. Really. He's all mine. This is not a joke. Inuyasha and all the characters therein belong to me. Really. I'm not joking. Do you see my serious face here? I'm very serious.

No joke.

Genuine truth.

Yes, I'm serious.

Dead serious.

And you're laughing at me, or thinking that I'm crazy.

But I DO own Inuyasha!

…

…ahem…

…well, I know it's a bit late -really, really late- but…

APRIL FOOLS!!! X D

Haunted

Chapter Fourteen: The Spider's Web

Inuyasha turned away, glittering golden eyes hidden behind snowy white bangs. "It's none of your business." He told Miroku shortly and folded his crimson-clad arms over his chest.

Miroku sighed irritably. The day had been very stressful so far… Thus, he wasn't in a very polite mood. Striding across the room and grabbing his family heirloom, the old golden staff, he hit the stubborn poltergeist on the back of the head with a calamity of jangling and outraged protests from Inuyasha. "What in all the hells-?!" The demi-demon asked in outrage, the somber expression in his eyes bleeding out to be replaced by anger.

Without bothering to reply, the irate monk turned to the semi-spectral Kagome. "Can you please tell me what happened?" He asked with thinly veiled exasperation. Kagome paused and pulled her slightly transparent hand out of the couch slowly.

She shrugged and stared at her hand again in wonder. "I can't really say," She admitted, brow furrowed in thought. "After I was unconscious, all I remember was seeing Inuyasha and making him all colorful. Then I kinda… I don't know." She shrugged again and walked carefully around the room with measured steps. "I don't remember how I got where I was, or how I got out."

Miroku turned back to Inuyasha with a reproving look, staff jangling officiously in his hand. "You may not owe me any answers, but you do owe Kagome some. She could've died by what took place. In fact, I'm surprised that she's still alive." Kagome looked alarmed at that comment and Sango stared accusingly at the poltergeist.

Inuyasha took a deep breath, and let it out. "Fine." He said grudgingly. Talking. Explaining his life-story, or really, death-story. It was probably going to be one of the most difficult things he'd ever done. He could kill demons and survive five hundred years alone and isolated, but explaining… Kagome carefully walked over towards him and patted him reassuringly on his shoulder with an encouraging smile.

Maybe he could do it after all.

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"Hello!" The man banged against the door with his large fist impatiently. "This is the medic. I'm here for Keiko." The poor girl was probably dead, and he'd come out here for nothing… He looked back at his car in agitation.

The door flew open and a thoughtful looking man with brilliant purple eyes looked at him without recognition. "I'm afraid you have the wrong house. There is no 'Keiko' here." He informed the medic politely.

"You sure? I thought this was the house… for that dead girl…" The purple-eyed man's gaze hardened. "I mean, coma-girl." The older man assured hastily. "The coma-girl." He looked sideways at his companion, who sat in the ambulance. "You want us to take 'er to the hospital?" He asked bluntly and jabbed his callused thumb in the direction of the emergency vehicle.

The younger man shook his head in the negative. "That will not be necessary." He said smoothly, a touch of chilliness in his voice. "She has recovered, without help from the professionals." There was a sharp accent on the last word and the older man flinched.

"Then we'll be going." He grumbled and backed away. "If you don't need us," He added petulantly. He'd been dragged out all the way to this little town in the middle of nowhere by an angry woman for nothing.

"We don't." The purple-eyed man retorted shortly and shut the door in the paramedics face. The man blinked in surprise and stepped back slowly, grumbling as he made his way back up the drive, the gravel crunching under his large boots.

"I told them that they didn't need an ambulance." He griped irritably under his breath. "But no, they wouldn't listen. Had to drag us out here when other people are in danger. Inconsiderate whiners, the bunch of 'em." He slammed the vehicle's door and the other paramedic looked at him curiously. "False alarm." The first explained shortly.

"Great." The second paramedic sighed and started up the engine with a splutter of exhaust. "All this way for nothing." The other man nodded in agreement as they drove down the road and away from the house. "It was probably all a hoax."

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How to begin, though? The poltergeist looked around the room at his companions uneasily and he shifted on his feet uncomfortably. "Just start from the beginning," Kagome offered with a smile. He nodded in the affirmative and took a deep breath.

"I living around the outskirts of a village-" Everyone looked at him in confusion. Miroku ran a hand through his black hair before hesitantly interrupting.

"What village?" He asked and sat down at the couch next to Sango with a heavy sigh. Warily, Sango moved slightly away just in case that Miroku didn't keep to his promises.

"I'm starting from the beginning." The poltergeist informed the monk. He was starting from the very beginning. He took another deep breath with lungs only barely there and began again. "At the time, I was living on the outskirts of a village protected by a priestess. She seemed to see me as a threat." He said bitterly. "But she didn't really try to chase me away or kill me. She just kept an eye on me." He paused for a moment as he thought about how to continue. "After a while, another influence appeared in the area. It was another demon, a hanyou who was really threatening the village that Kikyo, the priestess guarded. She said that it was too great a foe for her alone, and had enlisted the help of others. She asked for my help as well. At first, I refused because I thought that she was lying and just trying to get me stuck in her trap. No one likes a filthy hanyou hanging around their village." He sneered. Kagome winced and looked at him sadly. Life must've been hard for him…

Inuyasha stared at his feet as he continued. "But, she was kinder than the others. She wouldn't…" He hated complaining, telling the others about his past troubles. "She didn't whisper about me when she thought I was out of hearing or throw stuff at me." He said with bluntly. Kagome placed a pale hand on his shoulder. "And she was offering me compensation. This demon was killing things with its miasma alone. The sky was growing thick with black smoke that covered the sun and choked the plants. So I agreed to help."

Hesitantly, Miroku broke in, afraid that Inuyasha would shut himself up again if he asked the wrong question. "What type of 'compensation'?" Inuyasha looked at him sharply with haunted golden eyes that were simultaneously mocking and sardonic as he answered, his voice ringing harshly in the silent room.

"She offered a life where people wouldn't kick me out for being half demon, where I could live in peace and find love." He looked down at the floor. "I would me welcome at the village as its savior." He laughed in self-disgust. "And I actually believed her. So the next day I met up with the demon slayers that Kikyo had summoned and we went off to kill Naraku, the half demon." And that's when everything went wrong…

"We all attacked, of course. A few of the exterminators died, three were badly wounded. So they were out, and it was just me and Kikyo. I'm not sure what happened next. I was in the air, and then Kikyo hit me with the spell that made me a poltergeist. She probably thought that she'd might as well get both the demons." He shrugged carelessly as if the incident no longer bothered him.

Kagome wasn't buying it. She could see the way that his amber eyes flickered, the way his eyebrows lowered over his eyes as he frowned, his mouth a tight line. She patted his arm again, not knowing any other way to comfort the justifiably unhappy semi-poltergeist. He'd reject a hug or at least feel very uncomfortable, and there was nothing that she could say. And how horrible…

Inuyasha flinched slightly at her touch, but otherwise didn't react, his thoughts still occupied by the story he felt he had to get out. Kagome pulled back and he looked at her. The semi-erethral girl smiled encouragingly as if to say that everything was going to be fine. But that was Kagome for you. At the sight of someone else's problems, she immediately forgot her own and comforted the other person with a smile, even now when she was half dead.

Miroku cleared his throat loudly and Inuyasha looked at his feet again. He'd lost his train of thought, and all he could see was Kagome's smile. And the funny thing was, he felt better for some reason because of it. "What about Kagome?" The black-haired man asked gently.

Inuyasha looked up from his feet. They really weren't that interesting, anyway. "What?" He said, slightly startled. Miroku looked at him rather pointedly. "Oh yeah." He looked back down at the floor again with a strange intensity in his gaze. "I was in Oblivion-"

"What?" Sango asked, the hastily shut her mouth. It was rare for Inuyasha to open up so much and she didn't want to ruin it. Inuyasha stopped to explain, his voice low and slightly harsh.

"Oblivion. I don't know what it is exactly, but Oblivion. There's nothing." He shrugged, searching for a description. "There's… nothing there, but at the same time, you feel surrounded…"

Kagome cut in helpfully, having experienced it herself and being better at explaining. "It's absolutely nothing, neither cold nor warm. There's no sound, but at the same time, it's as if there were many people around you, thousands, whispering, because there's some sort of undertone to the silence, like your ears are muffled and their voices are just beyond hearing." She finished and shook her head ruefully. "That didn't make sense."

Inuyasha continued, staring off into the distance with a frown creasing his brow as he thought. "It's like being in a cloud." He said in a tone that could've been described as dreamy if it had been anyone but Inuyasha talking. Inuyasha was never dreamy. "And you're standing on something, but it's beyond understanding."

"You know there's something there and you look at it, your eyes see it, but your brain can't understand what it's seeing, or if it's seeing anything. You know that your eyes are working, but you don't see, really. The same with your ears. You can hear, but it's beyond comprehension. You don't know what you're hearing. It doesn't sound like anything, so it's like nothing, but something. You know that there's something, someone out there, but you don't know what." Kagome continued excitedly. Inuyasha nodded thoughtfully next to her in agreement.

"Okay…" Miroku said after a moment of processing the information. "I think I understand, or at least have an idea of what you're talking about." He ran a hand through his hair in bewilderment and Sango nodded at Inuyasha to continue.

"I was in Oblivion," Inuyasha began again. "and I was just thinking about… stuff. Kikyo." He admitted grudgingly when the others looked at him questioningly. "And then I felt her nearby and she said something." At this point, he couldn't really remember what it was, though. "And then something appeared with a flash of light and then she was standing before me." He didn't go into the details of the conversation. That part didn't concern them. "Then she fell over and started to fade back. The pink light was swirling around her and she disappeared. When the light faded, Kagome was there." He swallowed hard at the state the girl had been in. Next to him, Kagome bit her lip and didn't say anything. "And then she kept touching me-" Miroku raised his eyebrows suggestively and Inuyasha snapped at him, face coloring. "Not like that, idiot!" Miroku nodded hastily in agreement, that little twinkle nonetheless glimmering in his eye all the while.

"Because," Inuyasha ground out, the words directed at the monk, "Where she touched me, I got colorful." He fingered the material of his haori and looked at the sheepish girl next to him pointedly. "When I was colorful enough for her," Inuyasha flushed again and stared at Miroku, who was grinning like an idiot. Sango took action with a nearby newspaper and the lecherous monk moved away to nurse his injured head. "As I was saying," Inuyasha continued again. "she then keeled over and fell asleep. I dragged her here after a while."

Kagome looked at him in confusion. "You did? I don't remember anything." She admitted with a shrug of spectral shoulders and tucked a stray wisp of black hair behind her ear. Sango and Miroku bickered in the background about their famous Uno game.

"Well, you were unconscious." Inuyasha stated the obvious with a shrug of his own. "After you were asleep for a while, I tried to take you out and you ended up being a ball of smoke in my hands." He didn't mention that this ball was grey when he took it out and had started to fall apart. He also didn't say that he'd given back half her life force to keep the thing together, but at the same time let him hold it in his hands. Nor did he tell her that when he'd come out of oblivion, he'd been completely alive. After all, that didn't matter. She was fine now, or as close to fine as could be… "Take it." He put his hand out suddenly. "Take your life back."

Kagome looked at him in surprise and backed away. "No, you keep it." She said stubbornly. "I want you to." Inuyasha looked back, just as obstinate, a strange intensity burning in his gaze as he stared at her.

"No." He said rather hoarsely. "It's your life. I can't keep it." He put his hand in her face again and Kagome shoved it away feebly, the exhaustion she was trying to hide revealed in her weak attempts and stifled yawns as she got up off the couch.

"No!" She retorted. "I gave it to you! I want you to have it! We can share!" Inuyasha pushed his hand in her face again. "I told you, no!" Kagome repeated with another yawn. "And I'm not taking 'no' for an answer. You're keeping it. Like I said before," She blinked heavily and started to stumble out of the room and up the stairs, Inuyasha following her and waving his hand in her face as they argued.

"No!" Inuyasha protested, amber eyes smoldering into hers with vehemence. "I can't accept your life!" Kagome turned the corner, yawning hugely as she answered back.

"Learn to live with it." She informed him stubbornly. "Because I'm not taking it back. You're keeping it." The demi-poltergiest grabbed the ghostly girl's shoulder and she spun with a squeak. Inuyasha stared with concentration at his hand, willing the color to go back into her. "No!" Kagome cried and willed back. Inuyasha reeled back, feeling more lively than before as Kagome staggered into her room through the wall with a little effort on her part- it was like walking through water- and collapsed on her bed without further ado, Inuyasha close on her heels and protesting loudly.

"Take it back! Now I have over half! Kagome!" He tried to follow her through the wall and hit the very solid barrier with a thump, falling back on the ground with surprise. He'd definitely gotten more than half of her life… Inuyasha headed towards the door again, intent on the spectral girl. He slammed open the door and stood in the doorway irately, glaring at her with anger until he caught her condition. Kagome was asleep, her bangs falling into her eyes.

His irate expression smoothing into one more thoughtful, Inuyasha sat on the edge of the bed and it sank a bit under his weight. In the middle, Kagome made barely a dent. Without thinking, a clawed hand reached out and gently pulled the bangs out of her eyes. His own golden amber orbs widening in surprise, his pulled his hand back quickly and sprang away from the bed, a flush staining his face and heart thundering in his flesh-and blood chest. What was wrong with him?

He stood, huffing, staring at Kagome. Why was he so, so… what? He didn't really want to think about it. Slowly, Kagome's undisturbed expression and deep breathing soothed his nerves, that same deep thoughtfulness burning in his eyes as he thought. With a tentative sigh, Inuyasha moved towards the door, then stopped and turned around abruptly, one hand half raised. He glanced back at the sleeping form on the bed and headed back over, grabbing a light sheet from a pile of fresh bedding on Kagome's chair. She'd forgotten to change her bed again this week. Unfolding it hastily, he draped it gently over Kagome, aware that a heavier blanket would probably sink right through her. He turned away swiftly and hurried out of the doorway without looking back.

He didn't notice the warm brown eyes in a pale grey face that followed his exit.

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"Coming out of Kagome's bedroom, I see." Miroku nodded in approval at the flustered poltergeist. "Congratulations." Inuyasha immediately whapped Miroku in the head with the nearest object, which just happened to be Shippo.

"Hey!" The kitsune protested. "What did I ever do to you?!" He shut his mouth abruptly and scurried away before Inuyasha had time to reflect on that question. Miroku rubbed his head where Shippo had collided with it.

"Ouch." He commented wryly and looked at the poltergeist in bemusement. "Weren't you a bit more immaterial last time I saw you?" He asked curiously.

Inuyasha growled upon remembering the events of earlier. "Kagome gave me more of her life force." He griped. "When I was trying to give her back the rest of it that I had." Miroku nodded in appreciation.

"She is a very giving person. Self-sacrificing." The purple-eyed man noted thoughtfully. Inuyasha turned on him, slight confusion and bewilderment being flooded by something else in his eyes.

"I didn't ask for it." He hissed. "I didn't want her to do it." He couldn't accept her life; it was too strange, too much for her to give. It wasn't right, despite how much he yearned to join the living permanently. It wasn't worth Kagome, he realized, then shoved that train of thought out of his head. "And now she's exhausted and in barely better shape than I was before!" Before. Before… everything. Before life, really.

Miroku nodded solemnly, then frowned. "But she doesn't have the spell…so does it mean that she's actually-?" Miroku stared at Inuyasha's neck for a moment. He snapped his fingers and hurried away down the hallway with a gleam in his eyes, leaving a bewildered semi-poltergeist in his wake.

"Huh?" The poltergeist scratched his head and shrugged, turning down the hallway with the kitchen in mind. There was a knock at the front door as Inuyasha passed it and curiously he opened it on a baggage-laden Mrs. Higurashi, returning from her shopping extravaganza.

"Oh! Well, Inuyasha!" The older woman didn't miss a beat. "Could you take these into the kitchen, please?" She unloaded an armful of groceries upon him and hurried back to the car, exclaiming something about milk and eggs. With a look of surprise on his face, he managed to balance the groceries and take them into the kitchen.

He wandered back into the entryway; unsure is he was still supposed to help. Mrs. Higurashi passed him on her way in, laden down with more shopping bags. "Inuyasha!" She called from the kitchen and the hanyou stood in the entryway uneasily. "Would you mind helping me unload the car? All the stuff's in the trunk, by the way." The older woman hurried by industrially, Inuyasha tagging along reluctantly. He followed her out the door and down the walk, the bits of gravel crunching beneath his callused feet. "So, Inuyasha," Mrs. Higurashi turned to look at him as she handed him a grocery bag. "How did you get like this?" She indicated his body and handed him another bag.

Inuyasha gulped. "Maybe you should ask Kagome about that," he offered. What would she do when she found that her daughter had essentially switched existences with him? However she would react, he was sure that it wouldn't be good. He sighed. She might kick him out of the house…

The older woman frowned at the curious answer but didn't pursue the matter further. "I see." She grabbed another grocery bag and closed the trunk door on the empty interior. The two of them walked up the drive in silence, Mrs. Higurashi catching onto Inuyasha's contemplative mood.

They entered the house, both laden down with groceries, and dumped their packages in the kitchen. "Thanks for the help." Mrs. Higurashi told the former-poltergeist cheerfully. Inuyasha nodded wordlessly and walked out of the room. Mrs. Higurashi shrugged and went about putting the food away as the hanyou sauntered into the living room.

He walked towards the wall in the direction of the garden, and then into it. Rubbing his nose ruefully, he remembered that, as a flesh-and-blood life form, he'd have to use doors. He fiddled with the lock on the door -he'd never had to use it before- and managed to slide it open.

With the short grass swishing against the pads of his callused feet and a warm breeze toying with his white hair, the demi-demon wandered over towards the grave marker. "Kikyo…" He sighed, the shook his head. He didn't want to think about it. Moving quickly away from the resting place of the one who confined him, Inuyasha leaped with only a little clumsiness into the big tree on the edge of the garden.

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Miroku had a bit of thinking to do.

And what was a better way to do so than by bouncing ideas off of another person? Shippo would not do. Neither would Souta. He didn't even know the kid that well. "Where's Sango…?"He wondered aloud as he wandered aimlessly down hallways and peeked into empty rooms. She was the perfect candidate.

"Hm." He couldn't seem to find her. "She's probably out somewhere." He shrugged unconcernedly and turned down a flight of stairs, intent on the library. It was still a bit of a mess, but a nice, empty room to think in.

The doors admitted him into the room with a creaking sigh. Gently closing them behind him, Miroku turned to find a good place to sit. "Well, Sango!" The purple-eyed man exclaimed in surprise. The exterminator turned, equally surprised, a small book in hand. Hastily, she stuck the book out of view and turned towards him.

"Hello." She greeted hastily and started to edge towards the door. "I was just going, actually, so I'll be seeing you around later then!" She babbled, her back still to him and the book out of view as she hurried towards the door.

"Wait a moment." Miroku said soothingly. "I just wanted to talk." What was she so edgy about? Sango stopped and looked at him curiously. "What've you got there?" Miroku asked.

Sango looked rather solemn as she replied. "A family picture album. Just a little small one." Miroku nodded without saying anything and didn't pursue the matter further. "If that's all…" Sango trailed off and the monk shook his head.

"I'm actually curious about Kagome's present state…" He said slowly and the exterminator shook her head as she sat down on the floor again, the family album lying next to her on the ground.

"I don't know much about spells and that stuff. I just know a little lore because of my family's heritage." She shrugged. "You should ask Mr. Higurashi, he knows more than me."

"But he's busy." Miroku countered and sat down across from her, picking at piece of splintered wood on the floor. "And you know enough." He cleared his throat and changed the subject. "I'm actually thinking that the exterminators that faced off against that demon, Naraku, might be your ancestors. After all, I'm assuming that the battle took place in this area." Sango nodded in agreement.

"I was thinking the same thing," she admitted. "He said some survived, but were injured. It matches an old story passed down from generations back…" She trailed off as realization hit. "Hey! I know the story!" She exclaimed.

Miroku nodded in agreement. "I thought you might." Sango nodded again as she stared at the floor. "But I'm wondering how Kagome ended up how she is," the monk continued. Sango looked up at him with interest. "Because just giving Inuyasha some of her life wouldn't affect her so. If I understand this correctly, she'd just be exhausted spiritually. It wouldn't effect her physical state, only her spiritual. So how has she become spectral?"

Sango frowned in thought before answering. "You're saying that something else is happening. Kagome's hasn't given Inuyasha her life force, but she's doing something else, probably to the spell?" The exterminator asked, absently petting the fire cat that sat on her lap and stared at Miroku with bright eyes.

"That's what I was thinking," Miroku admitted. "I believe that Kagome is somehow sucking the spell into herself." Sango nodded slowly. It made sense. Kirara mewed as she looked up to Sango and the exterminator began petting the small demon again.

"How?" She asked simply. Miroku shrugged, then sighed. He rested his chin on his hand as he continued to pick at the splinter of wood. "You don't know, do you?" Sango interpreted.

"I don't." Miroku replied and looked up from the fragment of wood. "And… something else has been bugging me." He said delicately, unsure of how to phrase his question. "The demon Kagura." Sango's eyes hardened. "What role does she play? Why did she kill your family?"

"Extermination." Sango replied simply and unconsciously placed a hand on the small book by her side. "She's tied to my past, I'm sure." Sango paused to think before continuing. "My family killed hundreds of demons over the years, possibly thousands. I don't know. But I'm sure that it was some sort of payback."

"Naraku?" Miroku asked hesitantly. "Could he be behind it?" He drummed his fingers on the side of his face as he thought.

"No." Sango shook her head firmly. "That I'm sure about. Naraku was killed." Kirara mewed uncertainly on her lap and Sango looked down with her brow creased into a slight frown. "But then again…" She trailed off.

"What?" Miroku asked, curious about the interaction between demon and exterminator. Sango looked back to him, a slightly thoughtful look in her eyes as she responded.

"I don't know how old Kirara is, really. I've heard that demons can live for close to forever. I have a feeling that she might've been there when Naraku was laid to rest." The little cat didn't respond to Sango's implied question and merely began to wash her paws.

"Hm." Miroku nodded thoughtfully. "I've heard the same thing about demon's life spans. I wonder how old Shippo is?" He mused. He turned back to the exterminator sitting across from him. "You're sure -absolutely positive- that Naraku is dead?" He asked carefully.

Sango shook her head slowly. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "All I know was that he was defeated. I took that to mean that he was dead and gone." She paused. "After all, it's not like he's still around, is it?"

"I doubt it." Miroku replied. "I would think that it was another demon." But even he had heard on the demon Naraku, a cruel and manipulative scourge that had wreaked havoc upon ancient Japan. As he'd done his research, he'd run across references and little mentionings of the demon so shrouded in dark mystery. And from what he'd read, it was a very good thing that this enigmatic personality was gone.

The dark-haired young woman across looked down to the fire cat in her lap again. "I think you're right." She said solemnly. "Although…" She trailed off into thought.

"Yes?" The purple-eyed monk asked after a moment's silence. Sango shook her head and kept her eyes on Kirara.

"Nevermind." It was probably nothing.

(\ /)

(0.0)

(><)

"Kanna." The voice echoed in her mind, so familiar yet so alien. Cold and unforgiving, soft and cruel as it kept everything hidden inside the dark urn of its concealment. "Show me."

There were no words in return, merely an inclination of a small white-haired head as the dark eyes in the pale face stared into the little silver mirror upon her white-clad lap. In fact, Kanna had not spoken for over two weeks. It was never necessary. The surface of the mirror clouded until milky white. Kanna focused her attention and her creator's desire upon the mirror.

The surface cleared, revealing a tall woman striding strongly through the middle of a grassy field, shading her eyes from the sun. Kanna could tell that Naraku knew this person. And if Naraku knew her, she'd have to be very old indeed.

"Ah, yes." Naraku's voice held a sliver of satisfaction in it. "Tsubaki is still around, is she? I wouldn't expect anything less from her, of course." The mirror clouded over again at another unspoken command by the consciousness in the urn and cleared to reveal another scene as Naraku carefully wove his delicate web and set his plans.

_|__|_

(•.•)

--( • )--

(____)

"Kagome?" Mrs. Higurashi knocked on the door to her daughter's bedroom. "Are you awake?" There was a muffled groan from the inside in response. "Kagome," the girl's mother tried again. "It's almost dinner! Are you alright?" There was another unintelligible sound from inside and the older woman started to open the door.

"No! Don't come in!" Kagome's voice rang out clearly in alarm. Mrs. Higurashi hastily moved away from the door in respect to her daughter's privacy.

"Kagome?" She asked concernedly. "Is there something wrong, dear?" Her voice rang out in the hallway. There was a rustling of sheets before Kagome answered.

"Can I discuss it with you later?" She asked. "I'm just exhausted right now…" in proof, there was a loud yawn from the other side of the door. "I just wanna sleep a bit first…" The older woman frowned in suspicion. Something wasn't right… Parental alarms went off in her head as she connected Inuyasha's curious statement from earlier to her daughter's current behavior.

"Kagome!" Her mother said sharply. "What happened?" She demanded, her tone slightly sharp. She trusted her daughter completely; she'd never given her any reason not to, but she couldn't help but be a bit suspicious.

"It's a long story, but everything's fine-" There was another yawn. "I don't have the energy right now though, sorry-" And yet another yawn. "But if you really want to know, Miroku, Sango, or Inuyasha can give you a more detailed story than I can right now." There was another loud yawn. Obviously, Kagome wasn't able to talk at the moment.

Mrs. Higurashi nodded to herself, feeling a bit relieved. It seemed like every time she left, something happened. She wasn't sure what she'd expected, but she was glad to know that everything was fine. "Thanks, dear." She called through the door. Kagome responded with a deep sigh; she was asleep already. The older woman smiled ruefully as she walked down the hallway in search of one of the other members of the household.

(\ /)

(0.0)

(><)

"So it's settled." Kagura confirmed, arms folded across her chest as she scrutinized the withered woman standing a few feet from her. "Don't forget to hold up your end of the bargain," she advised, idly waving her fan in an ominous way, scarlet eyes focused on the other woman.

"Don't get impudent, now." The ancient priestess's voice cackled like dry leaves in October. "I won't forget. And you would do well to hold up your end of the bargain, too." The threat wasn't an idle one, the wind witch knew. She bowed curtly and tossed a feather almost carelessly upon the wind and took off, sending only once glance over her shoulder at the dark-robed figure.

"Hmph." She knew from prior experience that Naraku had no intention of holding up a bargain of any kind; when finished with Tsubaki, she'd undoubtedly have met a convenient end unpaid. "What a fool of a woman." She drummed her fingers impatiently against the pinions of her vessel.

After her previous defeat, Naraku had her running degrading little errands and small tasks that she certainly didn't relish. She stared out longingly at the unending horizon, the urge to just take off and fly away welled up inside her again and she squashed it down firmly, turning back to look at her destination; Tokyo.

Some day, she would fly free. "Free…" She whispered, the one powerful syllable ripped from her lips by the wind as it streamed by, tugging at her shirt and blowing her unruly black bangs across her forehead. "Free…" The word, a delicious rebellion upon her thoughts and her lips, tasted so good, so unattainable, that she could only just whisper it as if afraid that someone would hear.

(\ /)

(•. •)

(><)

"Four weeks and two days." The shriveled old woman rolled up her long black sleeves and pushed her thick white hair away from her face. "Why four weeks and two days?" She grabbed a small twist of newspaper and deftly ripped it in half above a wooden board inscribed with strange, violent slashes that formed equally dark and vicious kanji symbols. She grabbed another twist of newspaper out of a haphazardly organized cupboard and carefully untwisted it above the board. She winced slightly at the loud bang and the puff of smoke that appeared. Slowly, the smoke took a humanoid form with grosquetely long arms and leering eyes.

"You called, mistress?" Its voice echoed as though from a distant place, cackling with electric energy as it grinned unpleasantly at the old woman. "What would you have me do?" Long, twisted fingers twitched excitedly from powerful hands connected to large wrists. Any chance to venture into life, even at the bidding of another, was certainly worth doing. "But of course you did. What's this about Naraku's scheming? I, too, wonder of the timing." The beast added smugly.

The withered woman backed away. Even after so many years, she hadn't gotten used to Goshinki's abilities. "Don't be alarmed. Or have you forgotten about my abilities? You did." The ancient woman cleared her throat before speaking, but the demon already knew what she was thinking. "I see." He cackled gleefully, wickedly curved teeth revealed in a sickening grin. "At last I shall be reunited with my brethren."

The black-robed woman nodded uneasily and grabbed another twist of newspaper. "Four weeks, two days." She reminded and started to untwist the old paper.

"Letting me go so quickly?" Goshinki taunted. "I would think that you'd like to chat about old times." The grin widened significantly. "Four weeks, two days!" He crowed gleefully. "I shall be waiting, mistress." She nodded curtly and sprinkled the dry grey powder over the little apparition and it sank back into smoke again. The ancient woman sighed in relief. She'd never like dealing with Goshinki, not five hundred years ago, not now.

"And now the others…" With a sigh, the withered old woman grabbed a handful of newspaper packets and a few dried plants as withered as herself. "Kageromaru…" She grabbed another wooden board and slashed fresh kanji upon the blank surface with a ceremonial dirk. Now there was a demon she could handle. The snake curled around her crooked shoulders and hunched back hissed softly as another wisp of grey curled up from the center of the grey board.

"Ah, look who it is." Why did all of Naraku's progeny mock her? "It's been quite a while, hasn't it?" The little demon asked wickedly, smoky white hair falling across his back. "And what would you ask of me?"

The ancient priestess sighed and explained her part. "Four weeks, two days." She finished and grabbed a final newspaper twist. "Tell Juromaru, will you?" The smaller and more intelligent of the pair nodded, a satisfied smirk firmly in place upon his small face.

"I won't forget." He gloated. "Ah, to be alive again! His strange scythe arms clicked together with the little demon's ecstasy. "I certainly won't forget." He repeated and disappeared with a puff of smoke.

"Naraku…" The old woman muttered to her self as she prepared yet another spell, this one involving some dried leaves and a little pail filled with fine black sand. "This shall certainly cost you…" She wasn't the only one with an alternate agreement in her head.

Treachery was a common thing among those on the darker side of life and death.

(\ /)

(•. •)

(><)

"Uh oh." Miroku muttered out of the side of his mouth to Sango as Mrs. Higurashi approached the kitchen table where the two of them had finally come to a conclusion upon Kagome's situation. Both of them were exceptionally stubborn in their own way: Sango stood my her own theory and quietly stated her thoughts, Miroku simply kept by his own opinion and told her why she was wrong and he was right. In the end, they'd finally reached an agreement: Kagome had absorbed Inuyasha's spell, simultaneously letting him regain his own life back.

"This doesn't look to good," Sango agreed. The look on the older woman's face promised trouble. There was a slightly worried, apprehensive look in her brown eyes and the way she kept turning around to look back up to the staircase. She sat down at the table with the pair.

"Hello." Mrs. Higurashi greeted pleasantly, her hands twisting in her skirt with obvious apprehension. Before either of them had time to return the sentiment, the concerned mother blurted out, "Kagome told me to ask you about something." They both looked at eachother in astonishment. "So, I'm asking you." She smiled rather calmly.

Another agreement was made through eye communication. "Ah," Miroku spoke for the both of them. "I see." He smiled reassuringly. "Now, Kagome's quite alright, just a little tired." Mrs. Higurashi nodded in agreement as she waited for him to continue. Miroku cleared his throat before continuing. "There was an interesting little incident earlier today…" Sango smiled in spite of herself.

Miroku could make millions if he wanted to in the justice system.

(\ /)

(•. •)

(><)

Inuyasha picked at the bark of the towering tree that he was sitting in as he thought. He'd been out for hours, his thoughts turning around and around in an endless circle. So what now? He couldn't -shouldn't - keep what was rightfully Kagome's. Her life. It still blew him away. She'd given up her life for him, literally. Of course, soon she'd want it back after the novelty of being transparent wore off. And then she'd ask for it back… right?

What did it matter? She was getting it back whether she wanted to or not. He'd force it on her. But at the same time, he wanted to badly to be alive. There was no question about his actions, of course. She was going to live, he was going to be the poltergeist. The thing that was frightening him was that he wasn't sure that if it was up to him and not an obligation, if he had been in Kagome's place, would he have done the same thing? Would he willingly, obligingly, without hesitation, give up his life for her out of free will?

But really, he realized, that wasn't what was worrying him. What was worrying him was if Kagome would give up not her life for him -she'd already done that, in a way- but her existence. Would she die for him? It alarmed him to no end and he didn't know why. Her past actions refuted his opinion on the matter; she'd put herself in obvious danger to protect him. She'd stood in front of death -Kagura- with no weapon but a piece of wood. He snorted. What a weapon! And there was no doubt that Kagura would be back. What would happen then?

Yes, he thought. He'd give up his life for Kagome. He would. And that frightened him, too. Roughly four hundred years ago or so -he couldn't' remember when he'd first regained consciousness after being sealed away- he'd sworn to himself that he was never, ever going to be turned by anyone again. Essentially, he'd given up on love. It had already killed him once.

"So what now?" He asked the darkening sky as the leaves swayed and rustled meaninglessly in the cool evening wind. The first stars twinkled in the celestial ceiling as a tiny sliver of pale moon glowed softly. He reveled in the cool evening air, the chirping of crickets, the rough bark that pressed into his skin. He didn't want be a poltergeist again.

But it was still better than Kagome being like that.

(\ /)

(•. •)

(><)

"Mmmf." Kagome rolled over, eyes still tightly shut as she willed herself to sleep again. She was still so exhausted…

"Hey." Kagome said up with a shriek, her ghostly flesh sinking through the sheet as she looked around the room with sleep-blurred eyes. Ah, It was just Inuyasha, sitting in the chair by the door.

"Hello…" She yawed hugely and pushed her bangs out of her face. He looked as if he was in a particularly solemn mood, his amber eyes flickering slightly as he approached her. Feeling suddenly nervous for some reason, Kagome sat up completely and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

He put his hand out slowly and the spectral girl blinked. "Take it back." He said hoarsely. Kagome backed away from the offered hand, stubbornly turning her head away.

"No." She refused flatly. Inuyasha sighed in exasperation. She wasn't making this any easier… He shoved his hand under her nose again.

"It's not a question. It's a request." He retorted. "Take back your life." He couldn't tell her how hard it was for him to do this… He realized that his hand was now nowhere near her as Kagome stood on the other side of the bed, arms folded stubbornly across her chest.

"And I'm refusing." She told him firmly again. "I gave it to you, you're keeping it. I don't want it back!" That wasn't entirely true, but she wanted him to be alive again. He'd spent five hundred years as a poltergeist; she could spend however long it lasted as something similar. He deserved to be alive. But what if it was forever…?

"You don't get it!" He waved his arms in the air to emphasize his point. "I can't keep your life!" He huffed for a moment in silence as Kagome digested his statement.

"Yes, you can." She said quietly after a moment, her gaze fixed on the ground as if there was something there that fascinated her. "It's a gift. I want you to keep it. You deserve it." She smiled and looked up at him. "After all, I like knowing what it was like for you." With a final glance at the stunned hanyou, she walked purposefully through the wall and into the adjacent room, leaving Inuyasha alone with his confused thoughts.

(\ /)

(0.0)

(><)

Tokyo.

Personally, Kagura hated the place. It was so cramped and confined, people bustling to and fro without a second thought, all of them caught up in their own little worlds. The air was filled with the sounds of everyday life, people talking, shoes scuffing the sidewalk, doors opening and closing to let people in and out of small shops.

Buildings towered above, blocking out the sunlight to the ground below. Worst of all, there was no space for her. She couldn't breathe clearly; smoke, the smell of food, thick, cloying perfume all choked the air. The space between the buildings was no place to fly; little wind could navigate the small gaps between them. For the umpteenth time that day, she wondered how anyone could stand living in such an overpopulated area. Her nose wrinkled in distain as a crowd of school girls pushed past, giggling and talking wildly.

And how was she supposed to recognize one individual in this entire jungle of people? From the left, she heard an exclamation of babbled talk in an unrecognizable language. The wind witch turned and noticed an absolutely filthy man sitting on the ground among a pile of newspapers and ancient, worn rugs. A homeless nutter by any other reputation, Kagura recognized him for who he truly was. Wicked black eyes gleamed at her through thick black lashes, an untamed and bushy beard wobbling as he babbled something else.

Purposefully, the currently brown-eyed demon walked purposefully over towards the "crazy man". Without further ado -no greetings were exchanged, none were wanted- she sat down next him and dropped a large bag that clattered as it hit the ground in front of him. "Careful!" The man squealed in intelligible Japanese at last. "I can't have them cracked in any way, you understand me?!"

Kagura rolled her eyes. "I don't give a damn about your precious skulls," A few passersby flinched at turned towards the conversation with a perverse curiosity and Kagura stared them down. "But," she continued in a quieter tone of voice to keep from attracting attention. "I need a sword. I'm sure you remember the arrangement…?" She trailed off slowly, letting the silent threat hang in the air as she carelessly pulled out her fan.

The strange man nodded hastily and scurried down a nearby alley, where Kagura assumed he lived. As soon as he was out of the light, his appearance changed drastically. Before her stood a short stocky man with a weedy mustache and a balding head. That in itself wasn't very out of the ordinary. It was the pointy ears of a demon and the little horns on his head that set him apart. "Kajin-Bo." Kagura greeted the sword maker curtly, her own appearance altering slightly to reveal her own set of pointed ears and scarlet eyes. "You have what we ordered?"

"Yes." Carefully, reverently, the demon sword smith pulled out a wrapped bundle wrapped in black cloth and tied with coarse black string, a small leaf and a sutra kept still on top. "You might want to wait until you need to use the sword to unwrap it." Kajin-Bo chuckled with dark mirth as the wind-witch looked at him with raised brows.

"Do you take me for a fool?" She snapped. The sword smith's laughter died down slowly as he opened the bag of skulls he'd been promised in return. He nodded his head in satisfaction and looked back up at Kagura.

"Let me ask you this." He closed the back and carefully hid it behind some unidentifiable baggage. "Do you know what that sword will do to the wielder?" Kagura nodded sharply and started to walk away. "One more thing," he added casually. "Do you know who is to use it?" Kagura stopped abruptly and turned,

"I'm aware." She said sharply, voice clipped. "And I have no reason to fear." Without care, she plucked the white feather from her bun and leaped aboard. She couldn't go back through the way she'd come with such a sword on her.

As she swooped away, Kajin-Bo shook his head ruefully and laughed lightly. "Fools." He'd forged the sword himself; he knew what was going to happen.

But then again, it didn't concern him. He'd played his part and had been rewarded. He didn't care what happened to the entirety of the world as he knew it; he remembered the past. "Another Sengoku Jidai, or something like it." He hummed to himself as he considered the idea.

"Sounds good to me."

(\ /)

(•. •)

(><)

"I…" Despite Miroku calm and reasonable exterior, he was waiting with baited breath for the older woman's response. "…see." She said after a moment, looking rather confused and lost. "Is…" She gulped. "Is Kagome stuck like this?"

Miroku shook his head fervently. "I should hope not!" He exclaimed. "No, I think that if she can remove the spells influence upon Inuyasha and pull it in upon herself, she should be able to put it somewhere else." He wasn't sure where, but she should be able to do so. Sango nodded in agreement. She hadn't said a single word during Miroku verbose explanation. "Actually, the whole thing is only temporary. After a while, the spell will wear off of Kagome because there's nothing on her to continue it's influence, and at the same time, the spell on Inuyasha will slowly renew itself." That is, if that was the type of spell that they were dealing with. It could be one laid on the urn, whose influence would now be turned upon Kagome, and then she'd be stuck. It was unlikely, however, because Kikyo would've needed weeks upon months to complete a spell like that.

And if he was right, the might be able to take the spell off of Inuyasha once and for all.

(\ /)

(•. •)

(><)

AN: And the plot thickens… (Or is it just stupidly melodramatic???)

As per usual:

Questions? Comments? Any editing necessary? I always like to know!