Chapter 8: Your Soul

Sango's eyes shot open in sheer terror, hoping to at least see the face of her attacker before he slaughtered her. To her utter surprise her eyes were filled not with the face of a vicious bandit, ready to kill, but of-

"Miroku!" Pulling her lips away, she stared in shock into the face of the man she loved.

"Mm?" his response was little more than a simple murmur, as if he were waiting for more.

"You idiot! What the hell is the matter with you? Sneaking up on me like that! You almost give the impression of some sort of stalker, you moron!"

"Mm? Oh that?"

This simply infuriated her all the more. How dare he take that carefree attitude with her! And after he had nearly frightened her to death too! And what was worse, he was still speaking in that seductive purr of his! If he kept talking like that, she wasn't sure she could stand up to him for much longer.

"STOP THAT!"

"Eh? Stop what?"

"You know what! Stop talking like that! It's making me crazy!"

"Hmmm….Is that crazy 'good' or crazy 'bad'?"

"Crazy 'bad'- WOULD YOU STOP THAT!"

Suddenly, Sango found that she had thrown herself forward, toppling both her and the monk to the ground, effectively startling them both. She smashed her lips against his own, the sensation of pleasure surging throughout her whole body, begging for more. She began to move down his neck, kissing him and taking in the sweet taste of his flesh. She couldn't stop herself, even though she knew it was wrong, her body screamed at her to continue.

Miroku, who seemed to be enjoying the sensation for a moment, began to get in to it as well, at first. He couldn't believe that she had started the whole thing and he wasn't about to let go. He began to caress her bottom once again and was slightly startled to find that she did not care or slap him, but seemed to kiss him harder. This brought him out of his happy reverie.

"Eh, Sango? Sango, hello? Hey-."

She moved upwards towards his lips and began to smother him once more. However, as much as his inner lecher was enjoying the scene, he forced his hands to push her off.

"Sango, please stop. This isn't you."

Her eyes snapping open, Sango lifted her gaze to look up into his eyes. She looked around her and then back up into his eyes, a deep red flush making its way quickly across her features. She swiftly slipped off of him, quite embarrassed at what she had been doing and the fact that she had not been able to control herself. She whirled on the monk, glaring furiously into his face.

"This…! This is the reason I told you to stop! I knew this would happen!"

Puzzled, Miroku cocked his head slightly to the side and asked inquiringly,

"What did I do this time? I wasn't even doing anything!"

Still glaring at him, Sango replied furiously,

"The way you were talking! That seductive undertone you were previously implying to your every word! I can't stand it!"

The monk simply stared at the woman of his dreams, tears now pouring down her face, his mind completely confounded as to which side he should take: the lecherous monk who took advantage of the situation (a side which most of his mind was currently attempting to sprint towards) or the kind and understanding betrothed who consoled her and attempted to steer her away from that path an did everything in his power to do so.

As much as his other half begged him not to do so, he decided on the latter of the two choices. Taking action, he moved forward to embrace her, completely ready to pat her consolingly on her back and this time not on her bottom. But he never got the chance.

As soon as she felt the warmth of his arms and chest drawing near to her, she pulled away and began to rant at him once more.

"And that! Stop doing that!"

"What am I doing now!"

"The way that every time you hug me or wrap your arm around me, it always seems to find its way back down to my ass! You have absolutely no clue how to be romantic do you?" By this point, the tears were coming like rain on a stormy day.

"Then what would you have me do?"

"Just…Just hold me for once! Don't grope me or comment on some other passing lady, just hold me-!"

Startling her, he moved forward and wrapped his arms about her, holding her tightly. Resting his head on her shoulder and staring straight ahead, he whispered comfortingly into her ear,

"Like this?"

Snuggling deeper into his hug she closed her eyes and sighed, replying softly,

"…H-Hai…just…just like this…"

Still staring ahead, he nuzzled his head against hers, whispering once more into her ear,

"You know, I was only coming to apologize..."

"Mm." Sango murmured, the only way she found she could reply at the moment.

"Am I forgiven, then?" he asked, lightly kissing her on the cheek.

"Mm-hm." she murmured softly, settling deeper into his arms.

"Kaede-babaa! Kaede-babaa! It's me; Kagome! I've found him!"

Running through the village behind Ian, Kagome shouted for the elderly priestess, desperately seeking her advice. Ian, completely clueless as to who the heck 'Kaede-babaa' was, just led the way along the village's main path, unusually silent.

"Kaede-babaa! I found him! I found him! He's back!"

As the villagers passed by, they bowed to Ian and Kagome, muttering things like,

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Inuyasha-san!"

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Kagome-sama! So good to see you again!"

Finally, they stopped in front of one of the largest huts in the village. As Kagome was about to walk through the door, Ian grabbed her by the arm and turned her to face him.

"Hey, something's been bugging me: Why is it when they say 'hi' to you, you get '-sama' at the end of your name and I only get '-san'?"

She stared at him as if he was the most ignorant person in the world and it was a wonder he didn't know already.

"Why that's easy; because to them, I'm a priestess and you're just a demon. One who ravaged their town, killed their former priestess and many other villagers, and attempted to steal their sacred jewel, which the priestess was guarding 52 years ago, might I add."

"Boy, you make me sound like a really nice character." Ian replied, scowling.

Kagome simply smiled.

"Don't worry; it wasn't really you who did that. You just stole the jewel, ravaged the town and made a big mess."

"Psh. Like that's any better."

She shrugged.

"It was worth a try."

Ian glared at her, a growl escaping from between his lips. Just as he was about to make a scathing comment at the girl, an elderly woman emerged from a clump of trees behind the hut, addressing Kagome and Ian.

"Ho there, child. What brings ye back to this era so far from thy home?"

Kagome simply smiled and gestured towards Ian proudly.

"Eh? By the gods! Inuyasha, is that ye? Have ye truly returned?" turning to Kagome, she asked curiously,

"Are ye certain this is he? Are ye certain that he tis not some common look-alike?"

Ian scowled at the old woman, indignant at her last comment.

"'Common look-alike,' am I? Why you-!"

"Kaede-babaa, if it weren't him, then how would I have been able to take him through the well with me?" Kagome asked smugly, heading off the beginnings of Ian's threatening tirade, a smile staying fixed on her face.

"Aye...Thou does have a valid point...He did say he would return, did he not?" she asked, completely ignoring Ian's outburst, simply proving to infuriate him further. Turning to face Ian, she took his chin in her hand and turned his head back and forth, inspecting him.

"Look sharp, boy. Or be thee a half-wit?"

Ian jerked his head away from her so he could glare at her fully with all the more effect. Unfortunately, his glare did not even seem to phase this woman. Seeing this, he relaxed his glare slightly and settled on a growl and a sharp retort.

"Why you old crone! 'Half-wit', am I?" He raised his fist as if he were about to pummel her, but a soft hand resting on his shoulder caused his arm and fist to relax. He turned to look behind him and stared half curiously, half angrly into her mud-brown eyes. Giggling slightly, she pulled herself up to whisper softly into his ear,

"Don't worry. She said the same thing to me when I first came here."

"Yea? Well, with you I can understand. But me...?"

"SIT!"

CRASH!

"Yagh!"

"Aye, I was correct; thou art a half-wit."

"Hey!"

"Hmph. Serves you right...baka."

Whilst Ian squirmed and growled menacing threats from the relative safety of the ground, Kaede pulled Kagome off to the side and began whispering to the girl.

"Kagome, child, I have assessed that he is in fact the one. Has he been curious as to why ye call him by another name? Or has thou art been careful to address him by his current name?"

"Gomen nasai, Kaede-babaa. I have been careless, and have addressed him several times by Inuyasha. He is very curious as to why everyone seems to only know him by that name here."

The old woman sighed heavily, her age beginning to show more and more vividly on her face the more time passed. It was apparrant to Kagome that she was also beginning to feel it in her bones more painfully as the days and weeks wore on.

"Kagome, from what ye tell me, he is eager to discover who he was. From the way I see it, I can either summon Inuyasha's memories or we can verbally inform him of his past. What say ye?"

Kagome pondered for a moment. At first glance, there was what seemed to be no choice at all: it was obvious that it would be far easier to simply restore Inuyasha's memories to him, as there would be far fewer fights and furious outbursts from their American friend. But, as she analyzed the situation more, she realized that there was obviously a catch, and Ian would then be left with all the terrible memories of death, betrayal, hatred, bloodshed, saddness, and ostricization that Inuyasha had lived through as a child. She couldn't bear to put Ian through that, after all, he was an innocent, oblivious teenager from the twenty first century who knew nothing of the hardships and cruel ways of the fuedal era. How could she subject him to that?

"What's the risk, if we just bring his memories back, Kaede-babaa?"

"The risk, is quite significant, I'm afraid. Kagome, ye are talking about summoning the memories of someone two years dead. His soul could actually be torn if I were to open the rift between this world and the next. The pull of the afterworld would be too great and it could actually tear his soul in half. Are ye sure ye wish to risk that?"

"Kaede-babaa, I-"

"Kagome! Hey, what are you whispering about! You're talking about me, aren't you! I know you are, 'cause I heard my name! Stop talking about me!"

"I think I should ask him."

She sighed. He could get to be so tiring at times. Leaving Kaede's side, she made her way over to his, her face solemn. Seeing her face, he stopped his rant and peered down at her curiously.

"Eh? Kagome? What's up?"

"Inuyash- I mean, Ian? You want your memories back, right?"

"Hm? My memories? Memories of what? Of my past self?"

She nodded, slightly scared of what he would say.

"Well, yea, I guess so. Sure, more that I think of it, it would be nice to have them back more than anything. Yea, I want them back."

"So, you do want them back then?" Kagome asked tentatively.

His voice was beginning to grow slightly irritated.

"Yes, I just said I did, didn't I?"

She sighed, and he could see that something was bothering her immensely, seeming to catch in her chest as she tried to speak. Looking up into his eyes, he could see tears beginning to gather in them once more.

"Do you want them back badly enough...to risk having your soul ripped in half for them?"