InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ To Bind a Soul ❯ Unearthing Secrets ( Chapter 12 )

Okay, here's the next chapter. Enjoy.

Chapter 12- Unearthing Secrets

After Kagome had finished bathing and dressed, she and Inuyasha returned to the room. Miroku was inside talking to Sango while Shippou sat quietly on the futon he had been given.

The sun had set moments ago, leaving the land in an unearthly glow. Inuyasha moved over to his futon and sat down carefully. Kagome followed in suit.

It was obvious to everyone else in the room that Inuyasha and Kagome were ready to talk, simply by their posture. Inuyasha leaned against the wall, Tetsusaiga in his arms. Kagome sat beside him, but she was not leaning on the wall. They both faced the rest of the group.

"I'm sure," Inuyasha began, "That you guys have already figured out some of the stuff that has been happening, so why don't you tell us what you already know so I don't have to repeat myself."

"We know very little ourselves," Miroku replied. "We know that you preformed a very ancient youkai spell to save Kagome-sama's life, that you two cannot be separated and that the subduing spell has been altered, but that is all."

"What do you want to know?" Kagome asked. She had dreaded talking to her friends about the Sharing of Blood, but they needed to know. They were an important part of their little `pack'. They had a right to know.

"What are the consequences so far?" Sango asked.

"That's a little complicated," Kagome replied, trying to think of a way to answer the question. "Obviously, Inuyasha and I can't be on opposite sides of the well, we can't even be more than three dozen yards or so apart. And from what I have gathered, one of us can't be killed unless the other is already dead."

"Which means," Inuyasha added, "That Kagome and I must be killed at the same time in order for one of us to stay dead. It's part of the spell. Our souls are bound together, so we can't be apart physically, or spiritually."

"Is it permanent?" Shippou asked very quietly. The little kitsune had been very quiet since that battle. It was frightening to suddenly realize how much you cared about a person you couldn't stand. Shippou had had some of his own thoughts to gather.

"Sorry to disappoint you, runt, but yeah, it is permanent," Inuyasha replied angrily.

"I'm not disappointed," Shippou whispered, which quieted Inuyasha for a moment so Shippou could finish speaking, "I'm glad you and Kagome are bond to one another. There's less of a chance either of you will leave me if you're bound."

Everyone was silent as Shippou made his confession. For the headstrong little kitsune to admit something like that, the battle must have affected him more than anyone had thought.

Kagome picked Shippou up in her arms and moved closer to Inuyasha. Shippou had begun to cry silently. Kagome comforted him, assuring the little one that neither she nor Inuyasha would ever leave him, and when he stopped crying she handed him to Inuyasha. Inuyasha didn't know how to comfort a crying child, so he simply held Shippou.

Miroku drew everyone back to the discussion at hand. "That will surly help when the time comes to fight Naraku."

"Yeah. There are actually some other things that will help with that battle as well," Inuyasha admitted a bit sheepishly.

"What do you mean?" asked Sango.

"I have the ability to give Inuyasha a power boost with my miko abilities," Kagome answered.

"So that's why the energy I was sensing was mixed with both youkai and miko magic. After that battle by the well, I had thought I was imagining things," Miroku mused.

"Yeah," Inuyasha replied. "But besides the sit thing, that's most of the consequences. I don't know if they have all manifested or not, but I know a lot of the stuff we were going through took time to develop. That's why the subduing spell wasn't altered right away."

"So there might still be aftermath that has not yet arisen?" questioned Miroku. "That is interesting indeed."

"I must agree, Houshi-sama," added Sango. "Is there anything else Kagome-Chan?"

"Nothing I can think of. If I think of anything later, I'll be sure to tell you."

"Do you think you might be taking on one another's personality traits because of the spell?" Miroku asked suddenly.

"What makes you say that?" asked Inuyasha.

"Besides that fact that you've been nice to Shippou and not so hot-headed lately? Hmm, I wonder . . ." Miroku said sarcastically.

"Yeah, go ahead and laugh it up monk," replied Inuyasha.

"It seems a possibility to me," replied Sango. "After all, Kagome-Chan you have been acting a bit commanding like Inuyasha, and Inuyasha, you have been acting a bit considerate of others, like Kagome-Chan."

"I don't know," Kagome replied truthfully. "Maybe. I have been acting a little strange."

"I'm glad I'm not the only one that noticed," muttered Inuyasha.

Kagome chose to ignore him. "I'm not completely positive how to answer your question, Miroku-sama, but I'll give it some thought."

"I could ask no more, Kagome-sama."

"Are we done talking now?" asked Inuyasha as he let out a yawn that showed off his fangs.

"For the moment, I believe," replied Miroku.

"So get we all get some sleep then?"

"Go ahead and lay down," said Kagome as she took Tetsusaiga and laid it next to Inuyasha's futon.

"Alright," he replied. Inuyasha was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

"He must really be tired," observed Sango. She had never known Inuyasha to let his guard down while they were in a human dwelling, or anywhere for that matter.

"I must agree," replied Kagome as she laid her futon down beside Inuyasha. Shippou was fast asleep on the hanyou's chest. Kagome moved the kitsune so he slept between her and Inuyasha and was in no danger of getting squashed in the night.

"Good night," called Kagome and she lay down and attempted to sleep.

~_^

Four days later they were back at the village. "So how was the hunt?" Kaede asked as soon as they were all situated in her hunt.

"Exhausting," was Inuyasha's description of it.

"Nerve wracking," was Kagome's reply.

"Interesting," Miroku said.

"And what do you two say?" Kaede asked Shippou and Sango.

"Confusing," said Sango.

"Terrible," said Shippou.

"So what happened?" was Kaede's next question.

"I'll let the monk tell ya. I'm taking Kagome home," replied Inuyasha as he grabbed Kagome's bag and hauled the unsuspecting miko to her feet.

"Are you going to be gone long?" asked Shippou from his place on Sango's shoulder.

"Don't know," replied Inuyasha.

"Is there a reason you would be gone long?" asked Miroku.

"Inuyasha's starting school soon," said Kagome.

"No I'm not," argued Inuyasha.

"Are too."

"Are not."

Later, on the other side of the well, in the future . . .

"Are not."

"Are too."

"Are not."

"Are too."

Inuyasha opened the door that led to the kitchen for Kagome and followed her inside. "Are not."

"Are too."

"What are you guys arguing about now?" Souta asked from the table as he finished up his lunch.

"Inuyasha's going to go to school with me," replied Kagome.

"I've been meaning to ask you guys something," Souta suddenly remembered.

"What?" asked Kagome.

"Well they are having this thing at school next week. What it basically is students bring parents and big siblings and stuff to school and explain to the class how we look up to them and stuff. You know."

"Yeah, I remember that. I brought Dad," Kagome grew quiet.

"Well, anyway," Souta continued, "I was wondering if Inuyasha-niichan would come with me."

"You want me to go with you?" asked Inuyasha.

"Well, yeah. Why wouldn't I?" replied Souta perplexed. "Will you go?"

Inuyasha thought about it for a bit before nodding. "Yeah, I'll go."

"Thank you niichan!" exploded Souta as he launched himself onto Inuyasha.

When Inuyasha realized the boy was hugging him, he awkwardly returned the hug. "I'm going to go tell all my friends!" shouted Souta as he raced out of the room.

"Thank you, Inuyasha," Kagome said from beside him.

"For what?"

"For making my little brother so happy," she said quietly as she walked out of the kitchen and up to her room.

"I don't get it," Inuyasha said to himself, quite confused.

"Usually the students bring their fathers to that thing," said Ms. Higurashi as she walked in the kitchen from outside with grocery bags in her arms. "Souta and Kagome's father died a few years ago from a disease. I couldn't go with Souta because I have to work, and there was no one else to go with him. So I'm glad you agreed," she said solemnly.

Inuyasha nodded in understanding, finally figuring out what was going on, and left to find Kagome.