InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Soul Exchange ❯ Our Reunion ( Chapter 19 )

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

AN: Sorry about the wait, I would have updated yesterday but I got a detention after school (and another one tomorrow, Saturday) Of course I didn't tell my parents and now they've grounded me... so in a way this is good because I'll be hanging around the house long enough this weekend to write more chapters ^_^

And sorry about all the typos I keep making, and most of all - sorry about the cliff hanger!!!












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Soul Exchange

Our Reunion



















The darkness around them was like a suffocating blanket... Kagome almost felt claustrophobic and in the middle of the open sand bridge no less.

"You ok?" She called across to Miroku in a slightly shrilly tone.

"Oh, I'm fine. You?" his voice held light amusement at her obvious discomfort.

"Great... just great..." it wasn't just claustrophobia that was setting in on her... it was anxiety that made her feel slightly queasy. The sun had set a few hours ago, and she kept getting horrible shivers down her spine, shivers of foreboding since it was too warm a night to be chills.

There was a hiss beside her and light flared into life. Kagome glanced across to where Miroku was busy lighting a lantern. He somehow managed to juggle this between riding as well. With a snap he closed the lantern glass case and fastened it to the saddle behind him so it wouldn't fall off. "Better?"

"Thanks..." Kagome felt slight relief at being able to see where she was going now... but she still felt uneasy.

"I've only just realised this... but you look spookily similar to a Miko named Kikyo." Miroku frowned across at her. In this dim, poor light Kagome's features blurred to look very much like Kikyo's. Probably due to the fact that Kagome wasn't smiling anymore.

"She's my cousin."

"And... you say you've met Inuyasha?" He could just imagine how their meeting would have hit off. It had probably involved a lot of bad language and destruction of inanimate objects knowing Inuyasha.

"Not the best pretence for a relationship, being the cousin and look-alike of the woman who betrayed him." And of course, betraying him again hadn't been a very good pretence either.

"So how's Sango doing?" Miroku suddenly asked. "What's Fushi like?"

"Like... like a baby I guess." Kagome couldn't help but smile at Miroku's eagerness. "He's very cute though."

"Naturally. He's my son isn't he?"

"Hm, well..." now there was a slight narcissistic view. "He looks more like you than Sango I guess... he cries a lot... sleeps a lot... he eats a heck of a lot..."

"What about Sango?"

"She's doing fine." Kagome smiled again. "But how the hell she manages to handle Inuyasha and Fushi AND Lady Inu is all beyond me. She's a very capable girl... you should be proud."

"I am..."

Kagome glanced across at him, a troubling thought plaguing her mind. "So... why did you leave in the first place?"

"Family... though of course, I forgot that I didn't know how to get back on the island..." Miroku rolled his eyes at his own behaviour. "I came back every night to the bridge... except around the time of the new moon because it was too dark."

"What a genius."

"Thanks." Miroku sighed. "You have no idea how much hell it's been. I kept hearing rumours... I heard Kikyo died under nasty circumstances... an Inu Youkai had been captured by a warlord in league with a dark Miko or a sorceress of some kind."

"Lord Inu was captured." Kagome told him quietly. "He's dead now."

"Oh..." Miroku sighed. "I thought it might have been Inuyasha. Well... I think I have a lot of catching up to do."





^_^





The battlefield had very suddenly gone quiet as the soldiers all churned their fighting to a halt. All eyes were drawn to the rising slope above the battle now, where Sesshomaru stood expressionlessly looking down at the pathetic human form of his younger brother.

It wasn't complete silence though... as a quiet humming murmur spread like a soft whispering breeze around the field. Inuyasha was dead... the war belonged to Sesshomaru now.

Though this didn't seem to make Sesshomaru as happy as they would have thought. He snapped a cool glare from Inuyasha to the warriors below... fixing his eyes on one particular warrior who was now holding his bow slack against his side, looking smug.

Faster than the eye could follow, Sesshomaru arrived before the warrior and had him dangling by his neck as Inuyasha had been. "You fool!"

"You were hesitating to kill him - my lord!" the man dropped his bow as he raised both hands to claw at Sesshomaru's tightening grip.

"He was mine for the taking - you have stolen that from me!" Sesshomaru gave his neck a sharp jerk and the warrior spasmed once before going limp.

He dropped him with disgust and glared around, daring someone else to challenge his authority. All eyes suddenly averted away... the Southern warriors under Inuyasha all looked very worried by now.

Sesshomaru glanced back up to where Inuyasha lay and let out a sigh to stem his anger. How long had he waited for this very moment... to squeeze the last breath out of his younger brother... the little brat who had stolen the throne from him... the little boy who had somehow managed to gain favouritism with their father. Sesshomaru had been waiting a VERY long time to get his own back...

But what he felt now was far from satisfaction. All he felt was emptiness that he hadn't been the one to kill Inuyasha. Looking out over the field, he could see the majority of the dead were Inuyasha's men... this hadn't been much of a battle... it had been an execution.

Where was the satisfaction in that?





^_^





"I always knew there was something not quite right about that girl..." Miroku said quietly. "She never seemed quite right in the head..."

"What... you think she was insane?" Kagome raised her eyebrows in surprise at him.

"No... just... not normal. Every other young girl her age was out and about trying to make lives for themselves and catch husbands... Kikyo always struck me as a religious nut."

"She was a Miko."

"Yes ... but a really weird Miko."

"Look - we're here." Kagome said suddenly as they arrived out of the forest at the edge of the wide expanse of grassy meadows that lay before the palace. She broke the gelding into a run. "Bring back any memories?"

Miroku had paused momentarily to take it all in... the last time he'd seen this place had been almost a year ago. He'd sorta missed it. He didn't waste too much time reminiscing as Kagome was fast leaving him behind in the dust. He quickly raced after her.

He couldn't wait to see Sango... he wanted to see how motherhood had changed her... hopefully she'd be slightly warmer than before, otherwise he was in for a hard time trying to convince her that he hadn't abandoned her.

Though he was mildly surprised when he arrived at the gates to find no guards or sentries whatsoever. "It's a little... emptier than what I remember..."

"All the men are off at war." Kagome told him hurriedly as she slipped off her gelding and dragged him off to the stable, Miroku doing the same. "But Sango and Lady Inu should both be inside."

"Good."

The inside of the palace was just as empty as it had been when Kagome had left it. Most of the staff had headed off to their home villages to be with their family at the dawning of the war that would decide their fate. Kagome really hoped the South won...

Though in all likeliness... it WAS the new moon... the South hadn't been given much of a running chance.

"I think we should split up." Miroku said suddenly. "I'll go look for Sango - you find Lady Inu."

"Ok..." Kagome hurried off down the hall, heading for the throne room while Miroku went upstairs to Sango's quarters had been. Even if he didn't find Sango in there, at least he might find some evidence of his son.

Kagome arrived at the doors to the throne room and slowly pushed them open to slip inside. At once she saw Lady Inu pacing the length of the floor as she usually did when she was upset or worried, and at the same time Lady Inu stopped to look up at Kagome.

Kagome felt a small nudge of guilt... did Lady Inu know what everyone else in the palace knew about Kagome? No doubt Lady Inu would hate her too.

"Kagome - where have you been?!" Lady Inu suddenly closed the distance between them and enveloped the young girl in a tight embrace. "I've been so worried - where did you go?!"

"In short... I brought Miroku back..." Kagome said awkwardly, stunned by the Queen's behaviour.

"Good... maybe he'll have the sense to talk Sango into going back to the mainland with Fushi." The Queen released her and resumed her pacing.

"You want... Sango to leave?" Kagome stared at her in surprise.

"Kagome - it's lost!" Lady Inu pressed her hands to her face in distress. "We're lost - it's the new moon and Inuyasha is out there fighting a demon's war as a human - everyone must know his weakness by now! He's probably dead by now!"

"Don't say that... you can't be sure..." Kagome rubbed her throat... that lump was returning, making it hard for her to breathe.

Lady Inu stopped to look out of the window at the lands below. The sun was beginning to peek out over the horizon. Her head dropped and she battled in vain to keep the tears from falling... but failed... an ironic metaphor for the fight her son was probably going through.

"It isn't right... he's just a child..." Lady Inu clenched her fists. "How can Sesshomaru force such responsibility on him...? such pain..." she pressed his fisted hands against the window. "He's taken Inuyasha's life away before he can even begin living it... he's not a King... he's just my baby boy..."

Kagome snapped her hand up to her cheeks as she suddenly realised her eyes were leaking. The Queen's pessimistic views were getting to her...

"He only learnt how to tie his laces a few months ago." Lady Inu's voice wavered.

Under normal circumstances, Kagome would have been tempted to laugh. But there was nothing funny to laugh about now.

A long pregnant pause spread over the next few minutes, until Lady Inu suddenly sucked in a breath and stepped back from the window. "Oh no..."

Kagome glanced up in confusion, before moving to join her. Looking out over the meadows she saw something that set her alarm bells ringing. An army... just as large as the one that had left, if not slightly larger, was exiting the forest and heading towards the palace.

It couldn't have been the Southern army... there were bound to have been casualties during the battle, the armies numbers would have been cut dramatically. There would be crippled soldiers with them...

It had to be the Northern army with Sesshomaru.

Kagome's breath caught in her throat. "Oh no... what do we do?!"

"Kagome - you and Miroku take Sango and Fushi out of here as fast as you can!" Lady Inu said firmly, ushering the girl across the room towards the back door. "Go out the back entrance and stay out of sight, there's no need for you young people to die too."

"Wait - what about you?!" Kagome tried to resist being pushed along, but the Queen was stronger than she let on.

"Don't worry about me - Sesshomaru will kill all the humans here - just get the others out of here." Lady Inu shoved her out the back door, before promptly closing it.

Kagome stood there in mute shock for a moment, before realising she should probably go warn everyone else, she could come back for Lady Inu later, possibly with Miroku who had the physical strength to drag her out of there.

Kagome raced along the corridor, heading for Sango's room, hoping that either Miroku or Sango, or both were in there. She turned a corner sharply, before screeching to a halt as a hunched man in the baboon pelt blocked her way. Not that she'd needed to stop for him... she have just run straight through him... but there was a certain creepy factor to running through Naraku that didn't appeal to her.

"What do you want?" Kagome said guardedly. Expecting more demands or deals from him.

"Just came to tell you, baby... you're free." Naraku said with a hint of smugness.

"What?"

"You've done your job. Inuyasha is dead... the ownership of your soul is yours again."

The information sunk into Kagome quickly. "No... no... don't set me free! You can't set me free! He's still alive - please don't set me free!"

"Goodbye Kagome." Naraku mouth curved into a smirk, and he disappeared.

"No!" Kagome gaped at the place he had been. "You can't do this."

Then she started to get angry, and kicked the wall angrily. "You bastard! He can't be dead... not now... I didn't get a chance to explain!"

The last thing she wanted was for Inuyasha to hate her in death... this couldn't be happening.

Though why not? Everything bad seemed to be happening to Kagome lately... and somehow she'd brought all her bad luck with her to settle on this Kingdom. Somehow it didn't quite feel very real anymore. Life couldn't get THIS bad could it?

But she knew it was very real... and she had to keep it together... she had to save Sango and Miroku and their son. She couldn't just break down and cry now, no matter how much she wanted to.

However... she still cried as she raced off to find the others. "Sango!"

They weren't in her room, and Fushi wasn't there either... no doubt he was with Sango. Kagome sniffled and hurriedly wiped the tears from her eyes as she carried on searching. "Sango?! Miroku?!" Maybe it was a bit of a long shot but... "Fushi?!"

Kagome ran past one of the windows and paused briefly to glance outside, to judge how much time she had to get out of the palace before the North arrived. She didn't plan on hanging around... by now she would wager that Sesshomaru knew that she'd told a tiny fib about Inuyasha's time of the month. He wouldn't be giving her any cure today...

The army wasn't far off... only a hundred metres or so from the lakes. Movement down below caught Kagome's eye and she glanced down to the courtyard before the palace and blanched as she saw Sango standing there alone with Fushi. She was looking off through the gate at the approaching army.

"Idiot girl!" Kagome burst out and shot down the corridor, racing down the stairs, taking three steps at a time in her rush. She slammed into the front panel doors and all but tumbled down the stairs outside to grab Sango. "Sango - we have to get out of here! What are you standing around for?!"

"Kagome?!" Sango had jumped in surprise to see her. "What are you doing back here?! I thought I warned you not to come back!"

"That doesn't matter - we have to get out of here!" Kagome pleadingly tugged on her shoulder, trying to get her moving.

"Why... why are you crying?" Sango seemed a little oblivious to everything right then.

Kagome tried hard to stifle her sob, but it came as a slightly strangled groan. "It... Inuyasha... he's dead... there's nothing for me to stay for now - we have to find Miroku and get out of here before the North arrive."

"Find Miroku...?" Sango stared at her. "What's that supposed to mean? And what are you talking about the North for?"

"The north!" Kagome spun her around and pointed through the main gates at the approaching men. "The guys coming this way - we have to get out the back way before they arrive and kill us."

Sango suddenly laughed. "You're such a dope... this is probably the most fantastic day of our lives!"

Kagome stared at her. Had she just gone insane? "What?"

"Kagome - those aren't the Northern Warriors - they're OUR warriors!" Sango pointed. "Look - can't you see? And they're all there - they're all alive!"

Kagome squinted harder for a while, not quite trusting Sango's judgement and was ready to take flight at any moment. But soon she realised it too as they came closer, coming between the lakes. "They're all there..."

She couldn't be certain if they were all there... but it roughly looked as if everyone was there... except the one person she wanted to see most.

Kagome gave a sigh of relief and anguish at the same time, trying to calm her racing heart. The Queen had given her a bit of a scare then... but there was nothing to fear. Well... not much to fear as long as they didn't remember she was up for execution still...

The captain of the guard was in the lead, looking a little bedraggled and bloody like everyone else. He greeted the two young girls with a nod. "Lady Kagome... Sango..."

The intensity of war must have washed Kagome's betrayal from his mind... either that or he had heavier things weighing on his mind.

"How'd it go?" Sango asked bluntly. "What happened? Who won? Did we win?"

"It was quite... amazing really..." the captain dismounted from his horse as everyone else filtered through the gates looking tired and ready for a good long nap. "We didn't win... but the war's been put on hiatus."

"I don't understand..." Kagome muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sango asked Mikato. "Put on hiatus?"

"Well..." the captain glanced back at the men still chugging through the gates. "There we all were... three thirds of us dead and dying... and then... Lord Inuyasha turned human... I've never seen that before..."

Kagome's stomach had twisted into a huge knot, while Sango clutched Fushi tighter to his chest.

"And then... one of the archers shot him... and he like... just died..."

Both Sango and Kagome flinched right then. "Oh god... we lost then..." Sango whispered.

"But then, Lord Sesshomaru got pissed off at the archer, saying he was left 'unsatisfied'." Mikato shook his head. "He took out a second sword and swept this... this... shockwave like thing around the battlefield."

"And?" Sango seemed unimpressed.

"And then everyone who was dead, got up!" Mikato laughed as if the idea was ludicrous. "Shinzo... I saw him get run through myself... he stood up as if nothing had happened."

"Inuyasha - what about Inuyasha?" Kagome broke in. "Did he get up?"

"Can't you hear for yourself?" Mikato glanced at her.

Sango and Kagome stopped and listened for a moment before a familiar voice rose above the clattering sounds of horses' feet, armour and the general sounds of relieved soldiers.

"You assholes - put me down this minute - I order you!"

Kagome's heart beat picked up.

"Ow - don't touch that - let me go - let me go right now so I can kick that maniacs head in right now - kill me will he?! I'll show that bastard - he'll rue the day he ever - OW! What did I just say about touching that?!!"

"Inuyasha..." Kagome had to clamp a hand over her mouth in case she cried out.

The swarm of soldiers cleared slightly and she was given a clear view of two rather irritated looking warriors carrying a stretcher between them... to which Inuyasha had been tied.

"What's with the bondage?" Sango asked.

"He wouldn't let us bring him back - he wanted to go after the North army by himself." Mikato rolled his eyes. "We had to knock him out and tie him to a stretcher to get him to co-operate."

"Figures..." Sango said flatly.

Kagome was busy taking Inuyasha's horrible wounds. His arm looked broken, and so many deep gashes littered his body... and they could all be seen through the hundreds of rips and tears in his clothes... he might as well not have bothered with any armour for the good it had done.

They had managed to strap his arm down, and currently his brow was wrapped up tightly with a length of cloth that was no dotted red with blood.... The cloth covered from his forehead down to his eyes, so he was effectively blinded... not a bad thing since they probably didn't want to get him too excited right then.

"Untie me RIGHT now or I chop ALL your heads off!" Inuyasha raged, twisting violently.

"You should count yourself lucky - you didn't have to walk all the way back, your majesty." Mikato told him.

"Bite me!" Inuyasha snapped in his vague direction since he couldn't see his captain. "I could take him - I could take him right now! I'll rip his fucking heart out!"

"Maybe later." Mikato patted his good shoulder, but only earned himself a warning growl. "Take him up to the chambers... let Urami take care of him."

Inuyasha had suddenly gone very quiet, and his head tilted slightly in Kagome's direction. Kagome saw this and began to panic... how the hell did he knew she was there.

"...Kagome..." he whispered, trying to decipher if she was really there or not.

"You'll like that won't you, your majesty." The captain of guard continued.



"Don't fucking patronise me, bastard!" Inuyasha snapped and suddenly began struggling again. "Kagome!"

Kagome opened her mouth to call back, but Sango made quick neck slashing motions, warning her to keep her mouth shut.

"Kagome - you fucking bitch I know you're there!" he snarled, trying to snap his bonds to get at her. "Why aren't you dead yet?!"

Kagome clamped her mouth shut and turned her eyes to the ground, lest anyone see the hurt.

"Inuyasha you moron..." Sango sighed.

"I knew it - Sango - you interfered again! She could have just left the island scant free but you stopped her didn't you?!" he struggled again, ignoring the pain shooting up his broken arm. "You're both useless! Every woman in the world is useless and annoying and-"

He was cut off as a cloth was promptly stuffed into his mouth to shut him up. Miroku looked down at the hanyou grimly, shaking his head slowly. "What have you let yourself turn into Inuyasha?"

"Mmfokff?!" Inuyasha obviously recognised his voice and struggled even more violently than before, managing to spit out his gag. "I'll fucking kill you, you bastard!!"

Inuyasha was getting worryingly close to breaking those straining bonds and Miroku quickly punched him in the stomach with a wince. "Sorry..." he winced with sympathy pain as Inuyasha slumped back onto the stretcher with a breathy gasp, falling semi-conscious. "I guess you're safer if we just put you out for a while..."

The warriors continued moving Inuyasha back inside, looking much more relieved that he wasn't talking anymore and could spew no more abuse at them. Kagome gave a dull sigh and followed them inside. "I'll go tell Lady Inu... I'm sure she'll be relieved..."

That just left Sango and Miroku, who suddenly glanced at each other trying to gauge the other's reaction. Miroku's gaze flicked down to the baby in her arms and then back up to her face. "Hi Sango..." was all he could really muster to say right then.

Sango stared at him, before slowly nodding. "Hi..."

Without warning she suddenly hurried up the steps and brushed past him with no other kind of greeting. Miroku turned to track her movement as she ran up the stairs.

The last thing he heard before she was gone from sight was Fushi beginning to cry, it tore at his heart to hear it.

"Wow..." Was all he could really manage as well.













AN: You really should have known that when I kill Inuyasha it never lasts that long ^_^ This is what...? The fourth time I've killed him? Well, I had to revive him because there's still a major plot to follow here. Anyway - Next chapter - 'For Forgiveness'

Wonder what that implies...?