Chapter 12 - Truce

"I'm leaving! Inuyasha, make sure you check up on Sesshoumaru!"

Kagome ran out from the house, carrying her yellow bag on her back. She had decided that as soon as Sesshoumaru had completely healed, they would go back to the feudal era to talk to Lady Kaede about the cause of their strange dreams and why Kazumaru had posessed Sesshoumaru. Until then, she was going to attend school like normal and catch up on her studies. At this rate, her future grades didn't look so good.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll check up on the stupid idiot," Inuyasha grumbled as he swept the front of the house like Grandpa Higurashi had asked. Stupid grandpa and his stupid chores. He watched as Kagome's raven hair fluttered in the wind as she ran down the steps of the property. The brilliant colours of the autumn leaves reminded Inuyasha of a moment sometime in the past where Kagome had seemed almost mesmorised by the falling leaves. She had looked at them with such an awe filled expression. It had confused him at the time but now as he swept the leaves and looked up at the autumn coloured trees, he understood. The bitter-sweetness of it all. Dying leaves painting in beautiful colours falling to the ground, preparing for the long winter. "Sesshoumaru would never understand something like this."

"Stop slacking and get back to work!' Inuyasha turned to see Grandpa Higurashi and quickly resumed to sweeping the leaves out of the way.

Sesshoumaru sat up with a jolt. The last thing he remembered was coming home with Kagome after their outing at the mall. The memories all rushed back. The feeling of happiness and longing as he walked beside Kagome to the shops. The strange new food he tried at Wacdonalds. The three simple words he uttered to Kagome. All of a sudden, Sesshoumaru felt a pain in his head. As he shut his eyes, his hand immediately reached up to his temple and he groaned. What's wrong with me? Why does it hurt when I remember? The pain receded after only a few seconds and Sesshoumaru opened his eyes once again. I feel almost like I've been living as someone else. I don't feel...myself. How peculiar.

"Hmph." Slowly moving his legs over the side of the bed, Sesshoumaru realised he was still wearing trousers, only to discover that he wasn't wearing a top. He suddenly noticed a dull pain in his left shoulder and turned to see that it was wrapped in clean bandages. I do not recall being injured and tended to. That wench must have wrapped these bandages. Scowling, he rose out of the bed and walked out of the room, searching for someone who could explain what happened and where his proper clothes were so he could leave. He could smell Inuyasha and so he walked down the stairs and out the front door.

Inuyasha's ears pricked up as he caught the foul stench of his brother nearby. He turned to see Sesshoumaru standing in the doorway of the house, wearing an ugly expression on his face.

"So you're finally awake, huh? Didn't take much to take you out," Inuyasha scoffed, a smug grin on his face. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes.

"Inuyasha. What happened last night?" he asked, expecting a quick answer.

"You mean you don't remember?!" Inuyasha's eyebrow twitched as he recalled the very moment he caught Sesshoumaru kissing Kagome and how Sesshoumaru had attempted to strangle him to death. It may have been Kazumaru's will but it was still Sesshoumaru's damn body.

"I don't recall any events after arriving back at this house with that girl," Sesshoumaru replied calmly.

"Well it looks like I'll have to refresh your memory if you're willing to listen. Not my problem if you don't, though. I mean I rea-"

"I am willing to listen, Inuyasha. Don't test my patience," Sesshoumaru growled.

Kagome sat at her desk, chewing her food with an exhausted expression on her face. Last night's events rushed back into her mind and she couldn't help but feel like an idiot for thinking, even for just a second, that it was Sesshoumaru coming up with all that sweet talk at the mall, that he would even try to touch her the way he had done. Of course he wouldn't have done that on his own accord. Kazumaru must have been slowly manipulating him all this time. His actions, his feelings, everything. It's because of those stupid dreams. She sighed in defeat.

"Kagome...Kagome...hello?" Yuka waved her hand over Kagome's face. "Looks like she's completely zoned out again!"

"There must be a lot on her mind. Maybe it has something to do with Inuyasha's older half brother from yesterday?" Ayumi suggested.

"She did promise us that she would spill everything," Eri added, "but we can't get any information from her when she's acting like this!" The three friends sighed and continued to eat their lunch, trying to ignore the dark, gloomy aura emanating from Kagome. I wonder if how I feel about Sesshoumaru is because of Kotomi-hime's feelings...wait a minute. Kazumaru had called out Kotomi-hime's name without honorifics last night. They must be close. Lovers? It's obvious! They must be! Somehow they're related to us. Because of our similar appearances? Kagome gasped. She felt a sense of déjà vu wash over her. Kagome stood up, slamming her hands on the table, scaring her best friends and surprising the entire class.

"I've got it!" she yelled out, smiling cheerfully. An awkward silence passed over the classroom and Kagome slowly turned beet red. "Aha...I got it...the, uh, the fly!"

"I didn't hear any flies around here," Ayumi pointed out.

"Really?" Kagome nervously laughed, "I couldn't hear myself concentrate with it buzzing all around...ahaha..." The classroom gradually resumed to its usual chatter and Kagome slumped back down into her chair, her friends muffling their own laughter.

"I see. So I was possessed by that disgusting hanyou from the dreams..." Sesshoumaru murmured. His wound had completely healed and Inuyasha had decided to hand him back his original clothing. Inuyasha nodded his head as he sat against a tree, chomping on an apple. "How repulsive. To believe I could have such idiotic feelings for that weak human girl. It was all Kazumaru's doing," he spat. Inuyasha continued nodding his head before suddenly spitting out bits of apple he was chewing.

"You had feelings for Kagome?!" he shouted in disbelief, although he had a feeling that was the case when he saw them in her room.

"I believe all my actions and feelings until now were influenced by Kazumaru. It is distasteful to think that I could have been controlled by a mere hanyou. I should have killed the girl and gone back to our world at the very beginning," Sesshoumaru continued. Inuyasha jumped up to his feet.

"Don't you dare touch Kagome or you're really going to get it," he threatened.

"I do not wish to be involved any further with this. I refuse to be manipulated by a weak demon. I will be leaving." Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at Inuyasha before turning and walking towards the well. Inuyasha stood in silence for a few seconds before remembering how Kagome had been so intent on figuring out the reason behind the dreams. As much as he hated it, he knew he couldn't let Kagome down.

"Wait, Sesshoumaru! You can't leave yet!" Inuyasha called out. Sesshoumaru came to a halt. "Kagome had planned to find out the cause of those dreams and she thinks it's important that you come along too." A few seconds passed.

"I bear no such curiousity for something as insignificant as a dream," Sesshoumaru responded before he continued to walk away.

"I'm not letting you leave, Sesshoumaru. You have to wait for Kagome!" Inuyasha took a step forward. Sesshoumaru stopped again and turned to face Inuyasha with a scowl on his face.

"And how do you plan to stop me?"

School had ended. Kagome grabbed her bag and prepared to run out of the classroom before she suddenly ran into Hojo who was waiting outside.

"Oh hey Kagome, I wanted to talk to you," he began, nervously scratching the back of his neck.

"Hi Hojo, sorry I've got no time."

"Wait! Um, I was just wondering if you would be free this weekend..."

"I'm so sorry. I'm going to be busy!" Kagome replied. I won't even be in this time period. "I've got to go home, bye!" I need to get home fast and tell the others about what I figured out! Hojo watched her run down the hallway and he sighed in defeat. He was tired of hearing the same thing over and over again each time he asked her out, but he still wouldn't give up.

"Oh no, did you see Kagome leave? She left her math textbook here and she has homework tonight." Ayumi walked out of the classroom, holding a thick textbook. She looked around the hallway.

"I saw her just now! I'll give it to her, don't you worry!" Hojo exclaimed. Ayumi smiled and thanked Hojo as she handed him the book. He began to run in the same direction Kagome had gone only to glance out the window to see her already nearing the school gates. How did she get there so fast?! I'll need to grab my bike. Hojo sped up and dashed down the stairs, determined to catch up with Kagome.

"Inuyasha! Sesshoumaru!" Kagome called out as she ran up the stairs of her property. She grinned cheerfully, confident she had figured out the relationship between them and Kotomi-hime and Kazumaru. Her smiled soon faded as she heard the cracking sound of trees falling, concrete smashing and the yells of Inuyasha. Reaching the last step, she found herself in the middle of a fight between the two brothers. I can't believe this. Her face scrunched up in anger, Kagome stormed towards them and yelled out. "Osuwari!" Inuyasha fell face first into the concrete, creating a large ditch. Sesshoumaru calmly landed onto the ground beside him and scoffed. "What are you guys doing?!" Inuyasha lifted his face up and glared at Kagome.

"I was doing you a favour and keeping Sesshoumaru here until you came home," he seethed. Kagome's eyes widened in surprise and she turned to face the white clothed dog demon.

"You were going to leave, Sesshoumaru?" she asked.

"I do not wish to be involved in such insignificant matters," he spat.

"Insignificant? You, of all youkais, were possessed!" Kagome started. Sesshoumaru's eyebrow twitched in irritation. "Sesshoumaru, we've been having these dreams every night now. It's never going to end unless we find out exactly why it's happening! You know that!"

"I will not be made a fool and answer to the wishes of Kazumaru's longing to be with a mere human girl. He has influenced my actions and emotions, leading me to make choices according to his will. I am making my own decision to leave, without any manipulation from him, whatsoever."

"Then you're just running away like a coward!" Kagome yelled. Sesshoumaru growled at her accusation and clenched his fist. Kagome sighed. "Listen, I think I've figured out why we're connected to Kazumaru and Kotomi-hime. They may have been our past lives. You know how similar we look? Kikyou could have been the reincarnation of Kotomi-hime but maybe something wasn't right at her time period and she wasn't affected like we are now. We're affected because of some sort of promise, or curse, I'm not exactly sure but it's something like that!"

"So you're reincarnations of them and for some reason they want to come back now?" Inuyasha asked, skeptically. Sesshoumaru stood in silence as Kagome nodded her head. "We need to find out why they're trying to come back soon. I have a feeling that it won't only be Kazumaru trying to take control. Kotomi-hime may be trying to use you as well Kagome. I don't like the idea of you bei-"

SNAP

The three turned to look behind them and saw Hojo standing silently in an awkward pose, his right foot on snapped twig. He looked as though he had been hiding behind a bush and was trying to move behind a tree. All in all, it evoked immediate suspicion among Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru.

"Hojo! What are you doing!?" Kagome exclaimed. Hojo blushed and nervously laughed.

"Sorry, I wasn't trying to eavesdrop or anything. I just wanted to return your textbook but I think I must have come at a bad time," he tried to explain.

"Should I take him out?" Inuyasha suggested, cracking his knuckles. Hojo jumped back as his eyes met those of Inuyasha's.

"Inuyasha! Sorry Hojo, he's got a bad temper." Kagome nervously laughed. I need to come up with an excuse to explain everything. How much did he hear?! "We were just...uh...rehearsing a script, that's all!" Hojo slowly nodded but he didn't feel convinced at all that she was telling the truth. "Um, hey Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha. Could you please go inside the house? I'll talk to you about the...s-script...later," Kagome stammered. She felt that Hojo would feel intimidated with them around. Sesshoumaru scoffed and as unexpected as it was, he immediately turned to walk back to the house as Kagome asked. Inuyasha soon followed. "Thanks, really, Hojo. I can't believe you came all the way here just to give me back my book!" Kagome laughed. Hojo smiled back.

"It's okay. You've just been sick a lot and I didn't want you to get behind in your studies," he beamed. He handed her the math textbook and she shoved the thick book into her yellow backpack.

"So I guess I'll see you later then?"

"Actually, um, could I use your bathroom?" Hojo asked, nervously scratching the back of his neck again.

"Oh, of course!" Kagome smiled and lead the way.

Washing his hands in the bathroom, Hojo thought about the strange conversation he overheard when he had arrived to return Kagome's book. He felt like he would be interrupting something very serious and that seemed a bit rude. At the same time, it was also wrong for him to eavesdrop on them. Opening the door a crack, Hojo couldn't help but overhear the murmur of voices coming from the kitchen.

"We're calling a truce, okay Sesshoumaru? Until this whole thing blows over, we're going to work as a team," Kagome declared.

"Yeah and after this, you can just go off on your own and then we're all happy," Inuyasha added.

"I'm going to pack up some supplies and after I say goodbye to everyone, we're going to leave through the well tonight. I think it would be best to leave after dinner so I don't have to leave on an empty stomach. The sooner we leave the better. If you get possessed again, I don't want my family getting hurt or the house getting damaged like last night," she continued. Hojo's eyebrows furrowed in suspicion but he brushed it aside and opened the door fully to walk out. He walked into the kitchen, said goodbye and left, trying not to let their conversation bother him.

The next day, Hojo didn't seemed that surprised that Kagome was absent. Not because she was often sick but he felt it had something to do with what she was talking about with the two strange guys. One of them had dog ears, didn't they? He shook his head. Maybe I was imagining things. He grabbed some medicine and herbs from his home and walked to her house anyways. As he arrived, Kagome's mother greeted him at the door.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Kagome won't be having any visitors but thank you so much for your concern. I'm sure she'll be glad you brought her this," she chirped. Hojo smiled and bid her farewell. As he left the house, he noticed a small building at the side of the property with its doors wide open. That wasn't open yesterday. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, he took a a few steps forward and peered through the doors. What are you doing Hojo? You shouldn't be snooping around like this. Kagome would get mad. Despite his thoughts, he couldn't help but notice a small well in the centre of the building. Is that the well Kagome was talking about? Hojo felt silly thinking the three would go down a small well like that but he had a feeling there was something more to it. He slowly walked down the stairs and peered down the well before sighing.

"They couldn't possibly be having the same dreams as me...but they were talking about Kotomi-hime...that couldn't just be a coincidence, could it?" Hojo whispered to himself. Unbeknownst to the others, he'd been having similar dreams during the past few nights. "Don't go in the well, Hojo. How are you going to get out?" But without thinking, he was already climbing in, gripping the edges of the well with his hands as his feet tried to find a grip on the walls. "Maybe this was a bad idea..." he began before his feet slipped and with a shout he fell to the bottom, feeling a dizzying rush wash over him for a few seconds. Hojo groaned and rubbed his head with his hand. That was painful. You idiot. There's no one down here. What were you trying to prove? He looked up at the sky and sighed. Wait a minute. He looked up again and rubbed his eyes. The sky?! But the well was inside a building! After a long struggle climbing up the sides of the well, Hojo finally made it out and collapsed on the green grass outside the well in shock and exhaustion.

"Where...where am I?"