Where My Heart Lies

Kagome sat in the sand clearing, waiting for Kaede to arrive. Smoothing the white haori in front of her, she bit her lip. The past two days had been hectic. Between explaining to the others why she didn't want to tell InuYasha about the well yet, then making it look like she had gone home to visit for a few hours, the group had been busy. Miroku kept InuYasha away from the well, and when Kagome 'returned' she told him that for the next couple of months, she would be staying in the feudal era. She hated deceiving him, but she just couldn't tell him that the well was sealed. She and Kaede were going to try to break through, but she needed more training.

And there was the fact that she hadn't told Kaede yet about what had happened at the clearing. She felt so shady. Kagome took a deep breath. She would tell the elder tonight.

Kaede watched Kagome from the shadows. The girl was deep in thought again, and she still hadn't sensed her presence. Kaede hoped this would end soon. InuYasha was edgy, and she had never known Kagome to lie, not to anyone, much less to the hanyou. Stepping out from the trees, she crossed the circle and sat down across from Kagome.

"Are ye ready my child?

Kagome brought her head up and faced Kaede. "Yes, but Kaede, I have to tell you something. About the well. About the demons that attacked me and InuYasha."

Kaede nodded. "I was wondering when ye would say something. Ye know ye can trust me, yes? Speak freely child."

Swallowing, Kagome looked down and started to tell the story, beginning with Nioaku. Upon reaching the part about the voice, she paused and looked back up at old woman.

"This is a demon that seeks to scare ye Kagome. It sounds as though he's trying to test ye. Do ye think that he is the master that Nioaku and Merona were referring to?"

Kagome dipped her head. "Yes."

Kaede pressed her fingers to her chin. "Hmm. We will step up training until we can find out more about this demon... is there something else Kagome? Ye look as though there is more ye have to say."

Again, Kagome dipped her head toward the wise woman in front of her.

"But, I have to have InuYasha with me," At Kaede's confused look, she continued, "There were some things I ... missed."

Kaede bobbed her head. "Then fetch him child, this is important."

Kagome rose and left the circle at Kaede's words. Looking over her shoulder briefly, she saw the lady deep in thought. She rushed along the path to the hut where the others were waiting.

***** ***** ***** *I****

Kagome's breath was shortened slightly when she approached the hut. Poking her head in, she looked at Sango, Miroku and Shippo.

"Where's InuYasha? I need to speak with him for a moment."

"I'm right here, what's up?" InuYasha leapt off the top of the hut, onto the ground next to Kagome.

"Can you come with me for a sec? Uh, Kaede needs to talk to you." The three inside the hut gave the two outside quizzical looks.

"Sure."

Turning back to the group, Kagome smiled. Sango looked a little hurt. She and Kagome always spoke about everything, and lately, her friend had been closed off. Kagome tried to give her a meaningful look, hoping it conveyed her message that she would tell her soon.

"We'll be right back!"

Quickly the two headed back the clearing.

"Something is up. Why are they being so secretive? And why does Kagome not want InuYasha to know about the well?" Shippo was confused. Everything seemed so weird lately. Both Kagome and InuYasha were distracted, and while he didn't mind that from the hanyou, he missed Kagome playing with him. Sango promised things would be ok, but Shippo wasn't so sure.

"Something must have happened after the attack. I'm sure Kagome will tell us in her own time, we shouldn't press her." Miroku was also concerned, but he trusted that things would become clear soon.

***** ****** ****** ******

A short time later, three figures sat together in a sand circle. On one side, there was the girl dressed in white, and the boy in red. On the other, the old woman in a white haori and red pants. InuYasha had just finished explaining what had happened to Kagome before she killed Merona. Kagome's face was pale.

"I changed? I - .. I sent an energy blast towards her?" Kagome stared first at InuYasha who had yet to face her since telling the story, then whipped her head to Kaede, shock on her face. The elder never spoke, but her features portrayed deep thought.

"Kaede, what happened to me?"

Kaede raised her eyes to Kagome's. She hadn't expected the young woman to tap into this much of her power until much later. Yet from what the hanyou had told her, Kagome had accessed a fair deal of her raw strength.

"Kagome, do ye remember anything of this?

"Only trying to get more power to stop Merona. And the pain." Kagome clutched a hand to her heart. "After, that... I felt really... peaceful. Then I woke up."

"Kaede?" InuYasha spoke, when she turned her eyes to him, he continued the question that had been burning in his mind for so long.

"Kagome killed Merona with her powers... like purification?" At Kaede's nod, he went on,

"Why wasn't I killed?" He looked down, avoiding the stunned and injured look he knew Kagome wore.

Holding her hands in her lap, the girl stared at her fingertips. That's why he had barely been looking at her. She could have killed him. She hadn't thought of that before. Her chest hitched as she considered what could have happened.

"InuYasha, Kagome would never kill ye, the display of her powers was due to the danger that both of ye were in. By clasping her hand, ye kept her grounded. But she included ye in her protection." Kaede paused.

"Kagome, I have told ye multiple times that ye have the ability to be a very powerful priestess. I had thought that it take longer for the full potential of ye're capabilities to surface, but it seems things have changed. The energy inside ye overwhelmed ye. Ye have not trained to use it properly, yet ye searched to use it anyway. This is why ye cannot remember. The energy overwhelmed the mind. What InuYasha saw was only a touch of what you are fully capable of."

Kagome stood, facing Kaede. Turmoil collided in her mind at what her teacher was suggesting "This... this is impossible. Yeah, sure, I can charge a bow, I can purify. But... what exactly are we talking about Kaede? I don't understand."

Aged eyes met her own. "Is there anything else ye can do that ye have not yet told me?"

Kagome looked down. "Yes. I can... levitate things and...uh... ignite flames."

"Mmm, I had thought so..." Kaede became pensive. "Kagome, these abilities ye have will continue to grow as you use them. I know ye are afraid, but with training, ye can control them and become quite powerful. Without it, ye may be overcome again, or they may get out of your control."

Sitting back down, the girl whispered, "I will train, Kaede. I will gain control."

Throughout this, InuYasha had remained silent. He wondered how he had managed to keep Kagome grounded. Is it like when I turn youkai and she's with me..?

Kaede watched the two, sitting so close, yet their minds so far away. She had suspected much, but now she knew.It is time...

"InuYasha, Kagome. There is yet more ye both need to hear."

Both looked at her waiting for her to continue. Kaede closed her eyes, choosing her words carefully.

"Thy powers are immense, Kagome, as are the ones ye posses InuYasha. Ye are two sides of the same coin. Thy souls depend on the other. It is the reason ye keep InuYasha within himself when he turns youkai, and the reason that ye were able to keep Kagome's force from killing her." At their sharp looks, Kaede dipped her head, "Yes, it could have killed her." Taking another breath, she continued.

"What ye feel for each other is obvious to everyone, but thee. Thy souls reach for each other, yet ye deny them. Ye need each other. Ye must come to a conclusion to what is between ye."

***** ****** ****** ******

Two figures, one in white, the other in red, walked together through a forest lit only by stars. Shortly after their discourse with the aged priestess, they had taken their leave. Neither had yet spoken.

Kagome's thoughts were jumbled. From the demon she and Kaede had discussed, to the powers her sensei said that she had and nearly killed her. Her flitting mind finally rested on the last part of the conversation. 'Thy souls depend on each other....’ Kagome worried her bottom lip. I don't understand, how are our powers... dependant on each others?

'Thy souls reach for each other, yet ye deny them....’

InuYasha was also deep in thought, rolling the old woman's words through his mind. Part of it was obviously directed towards his and Kagome's feelings for each other. But what the hell does that have to do with our abilities?

Both stopped as they entered a clearing. Two sets of eyes fell upon the great tree where they had first met. Wordlessly, Kagome took InuYasha's hand and walked with him to base of the tree. Stopping within an arms reach of trunk, she turned and faced him.

"InuYasha," "Kagome,"

Both spoke at the same time. Blushing, they looked down at their hands, her clasped in his. Gently rubbing a clawed thumb over her knuckles, InuYasha started.

"What Kaede said, about your powers,.. I can't pretend that I know what it all means. But I did understand some of it."

"InuYasha, what is between us? I will stay by your side regardless, you know that. But she was right. We need to ... stop dodging it."

He ran his hands up her arms, then wrapped his own around her, holding her in a loose embrace. One hand wrapped around to grasp her side, the other rested on her hair. Kagome's automatically brought one up to rest on his chest, her hand holding the collar of his haori, the other hand rested on his back in between his shoulder blades. She rested her forehead on his shoulder. It should have been easy, and yet it wasn't.

"Kagome... I ..." he wanted to say this right, "I care about you, I have for a long time... I need you with me, always. But I fear for you. I can't ask you to risk your life to stay with me."

"You know I will stay, InuYasha, if you ask. I will accept any risk." Her hands tightened their grip. “But InuYasha, I can't do this... whatever it is we do, forever. I will stay in the feudal era, and collect the jewel shards. But I need a reason to stay with you, not just the group" Please...

He knew what she was asking, and it terrified him. His mind was plagued with doubt, his heart with fear. But he couldn't deny it any longer. Couldn't ask her to overlook it any longer.

His head dipped, bangs covering his eyes. Holding her tighter, he whispered,

"Kagome.... I love you."

Her eyes glistened. Her heart lifted. He loved her. She felt his muscles tense, then he pulled back to face her. The look he held was one of uncertainty, and something like fear. He waited. Her smile was gentle.

"I love you too, InuYasha." His eyes held the uncertainty for a moment longer, as if afraid she would take it back. Her own bright eyes assured him she never would.

Cupping her face with one hand, he slowly brought his lips to hers and kissed her gently. He would protect her from anything, and everything. He only wanted to feel the way he felt with her. He would do anything, go anywhere, as long as she was with him. Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck and brought him closer. She was happy. Unbelievably happy. Nothing could ruin this moment. She would follow wherever he led.

Slowly, they broke the kiss that either would have stayed in forever, if given the chance. A moment later, they separated from their embrace. They started to walk back to the village her hand held in his. Through the starlit forest, listening to the gentle sounds of the night, their steps slowed, trying to extend the moment as long as possible, aware of only each other.


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A/N: Yeah, this chapter is shorter than the others, but I thought it was a good place to stop. I suggest listening to Evanescence’s "Anywhere" while reading the last section with Kagome and Inu. It's a beautiful song and I feel this is what emotions they would be feeling. Please leave a review, comments and criticism appreciated! hope you liked it! next update on Wednesday.... TTFN!(ps, sorry for the cheesy chapter title, it was the best I could think of.. )