Chapter 35 - Do you love me?

Do you love me?

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(Kagome was sitting alone on a rock in the middle of the forest, tears streaming down her face. She wiped some off and looked at her soggy hands. Inuyasha will never love me. Why did I ever expect him to? He always remembers Kikyo, and now he has feelings for Mikita again. After these thoughts, she sighed.)
Woman: Perhaps I can help you dearie.
(Kagome looked up to see an older woman, maybe in her 50s or 60s as it looked. Her hair was a brittle black and she had a mole on the right side of her nose, and her voice shook a bit when she spoke. She wasnt extremely attractive, but she wasnt all that ugly either. She looked more like a witch.)
Woman: I know you are having love troubles and I am here to help. Heres my card.
(The woman handed her a card that read, Miss Teiken Foregood, Psychic Buddy and Fortune Telling Pal. That sounds oddly cheesy.)
Woman: You can just call me Miss Tei if you like.
Kagome: Its really nice of you to offer to help me, but I dont think Im interested.
(Kagome stood up and started to walk away.)
Woman: All right dearie. I guess he will always love more than one, but if thats the way you want it&
(Kagome turned around to face her just as the woman turned away from her.)
Kagome: Wait&
(The woman circled back around and looked at her. Ironically, Kagome did not get to see the womans sly smirk before she turned to her. Kagome had accepted to give the woman a chance as she accompanied her to her place. It was a small cabin out in the woods, but once you pulled back the colorful curtains of the door, it looked like a natural fortunetellers environment. Miss Tei sat in her chair and gestured to the one in front of her.)
Woman: Have a seat dearie.
(Kagome was tired of being called dearie so much, but she sat down in the chair.)
Kagome: Uhh, my name is Kagome.
Woman: And my name is Miss Tei, not uhh.
(Kagome looked down and Miss Tei giggled.)
Woman: I am only teasing you Kagome. So, I understand that this guy you love has feelings for other women besides yourself.
Kagome: Yes&
Woman: Tell Miss Tei all about it. Im all ears.
Kagome: Well& He loved the girl that I am a reincarnation of and she died. He still never forgot her and now he also has feelings for another girl.
Woman: How does this make you feel?
Kagome: It makes me feel& unwanted, unloved&
Woman: Jealous?
(Kagome realized it even more at that point. She was jealous. Kagome nodded in agreement and Miss Tei folded her arms on the table.)
Woman: Its only natural to feel this way Kagome, nothing to be embarrassed about. Why I would feel the same way if Inuyasha treated me that way. Frankly, there are two options&
(Kagome gave the woman her attention and listened to her advice, but had she failed to notice that the woman stated Inuyashas name and Kagome hadnt even told her his name? No ordinary fortuneteller could do such a thing.)
Woman: You could just leave your life the way it is: Feeling left out and uncared for while he fawns over other women& OR you could be the only one that he loves and live happily ever after.
Kagome: But how do I do that?
(The woman smiled and stood up, walking over to her shelf of bottles and potions.)
Woman: That is the easy part child.
(She took down a bottle of purple potion and turned to Kagome.)
Woman: The young lady that you are a reincarnation of& Would you say that he loved her the most?
Kagome: Probably& yeah.
(Kagome looked down sadly and fiddled with her fingers.)
Woman: And even though you have her soul, he still thinks of her.
Kagome: Uh-huh&
Woman: If he loved her for her soul, then he would love you. Am I right?
Kagome: Well I am a different person really, but& yeah. That would be right.
Woman: But if her soul has been right in front of him all this time and he still thinks of the way Kikyo looked when he remembered her, then he must have loved her for her beauty.
Kagome: Really?
Woman: Honey, hes a man. Hes shallow. Of course hes going to remember her dazzling beauty.
(This hurt Kagomes feelings even more. Could this be true? Did he honestly think that Kikyo was better looking than her, so thats why he thought of her? Kagome then remembered the day she first met him. He was sealed to the sacred tree and he told her, Youre right. Kikyo was cuter. This intensified her jealousy as her eyebrows lowered, and the woman noticed this as she smiled.)
Woman: But what if&
(Kagomes attention was gathered up once again as she looked up at Miss Tei.)
Woman: What if her soul and her body were right there in front of him? Not separate& together.
Kagome: Bring back Kikyo?
Woman: No dearie& You see this potion can make your dreams come true.
Kagome: How?
Woman: When you drink this potion, your body will take the form of Kikyo, the woman that Inuyasha longs to be with deep inside. You will be able to have her soul and her looks, and Inuyasha will take you into his arms forever.
Kagome: You mean I will be Kikyo?
Woman: Yes, but you will still have your own brain. You will be you in the personality, but all you have to do is get Inuyasha to admit that he loves you. In other words, if you are successful and he tells you that he loves you and you only, believing that you are Kikyo, then you two will be together forever. However, if he doesnt tell you that he loves only you now that you have her appearance as well, then your soul will belong to me.
Kagome: My soul?
Woman: That will not truly happen though dearie. That is just a formality. Of course this plan will work without fail.
Kagome: But I wont be me. He will be telling Kikyo that he loves her. It wont be me that he thinks he is telling that to.
Woman: No. You have to convince him and yourself that you are Kikyo. You are practically the new Kikyo.
Kagome: So& I cant tell him that its me?
Woman: No you cannot. Otherwise the spell will not work. You will be living a new life as Kikyo.
Kagome: I dont know& It just wont be the same.
Woman: Havent you always wished that you were Kikyo so that he would love you? If he confesses his love, the spell will trigger him to love only you. Isnt that what you want? Think about it. No more two-timing. All the love in his heart: Just for you. Best of all, once he admits his love for you/Kikyo, he will turn into a human.
Kagome: A human?
Woman: Yes. That way, you can live with him the way he was planning to do many years ago. Youll make his life meaningful.
(This made Kagome think about it even more as she placed her hand over her mouth in a thinking way. She was debating with herself inside. Meanwhile, Inuyasha was looking for her.)
Inuyasha: Kagome! Kagome! Where are you? Kagome!
(He then thought, She must be mad at me still. At least now I know why. Mikita doesnt love me. I dont know why I still have feelings for her, and Kikyo is& He stopped and sniffed the air. His eyes flew open, &here? He looked toward the direction of the scent and sure enough, he saw Kikyo walking toward him. Its Kikyo. There are no soul collectors& Shes got real flesh and blood. Shes really alive, but how?)
Inuyasha: Kikyo&?
(She walked up to him and looked straight into his eyes.)
Kikyo: Inuyasha.
(She embraced him and he did the same after a moment of surprise. She held him tight and closed her eyes with delight.)
Kikyo: How I long to hold you in my arms. Do you think of me often?
Inuyasha: Well& yeah, all the time. I never forgot about you.
Kikyo: I never forgot about you either my love.
Inuyasha: Kikyo& How are you alive? I mean youre really& alive. Where are your soul collectors?
(She looked up and made eye contact with him. Her eyes were glowing with charm.)
Kikyo: I dont need them anymore. Kagome gave her final wish on the Sacred Jewel. She wanted me to be here with you. She knew how much you wanted me to be here.
Inuyasha: Kagome did that?
Kikyo: She brought me back. She gave me her soul so that I could remain with you forever. It was meant to be Inuyasha.
Inuyasha: Kagomes gone? She cant be.
Kikyo: It was her wish. You cant deprive her of that. So here I am, in the flesh and spirit. Its back to the way it used to be.
(She stroked his hair and smiled a gentle smile.)
Kikyo: Inuyasha, tell me true: Do you love me and only me?
(Inuyasha remembered Kagomes question, which sounded very similar: Inuyasha, tell me true: Do you love more than one? He remembered how sad and hurt she was when she ran away. He thought of all the times they had together and how she was always there for him.)
Kikyo: I know you do. You feel the same way I feel for you. I love you Inuyasha& and I know you love me too. Now it is only you and me.
Inuyasha: &No. I cant say that.
Kikyo: &What?
Inuyasha: I cant believe that Kagome would do that. I&
(He looked at Kikyo and held her shoulders with concern and sincerity.)
Inuyasha: Kikyo& I just cant say that because Kagome was always by my side. She never purposely betrayed me. She always wished for me to be happy& and now shes gone too far. Im glad to see you and all, but I cant believe she left me and wished for this. I dont know why she did that because& even though I never showed it, I loved her.
(Kikyo gasped and gripped his kimono. She was about to fall, but he held onto her and knelt down slowly with her, resting her head in his lap. She fell unconscious and he shook her carefully.)
Inuyasha: Kikyo& Kikyo!
(Right before his eyes, her body transformed into Kagome. It turns out that she must have accepted Miss Teis offer. The Kikyo before him that claimed to love him and wished to be forever with him was the one he loved: Kagome. He looked upon her with a wide, surprised mouth.)
Inuyasha: Ka& Kagome?
(Just then, her soul flew out slowly from her body and relocated itself within the orb that the woman, Miss Teiken Foregood, was holding. It was the one that Kagome made the deal with.)
Woman: Well. Well. What a shame. Too bad it had to end this way.
Inuyasha: Who are you?
Woman: Me? My name is Miss Teiken Foregood.
Inuyasha: Mistaken for good?
Woman: Clever, arent we Inuyasha. Too bad your airhead of a lover couldnt see that. Now she belongs to me.
(The woman laughed evilly and the voice tone transformed to a familiar male voice. The body transformed as well and Inuyasha was angered to find out the womans true form.)
Inuyasha: Tsuyoku!
Tsuyoku: Yes, thats obvious isnt it?
(Inuyasha laid Kagomes head down carefully and stood up to Tsuyoku. He unsheathed his sword as it transformed into its largest state. He was furious now.)
Inuyasha: Whats going on? What did you do to Kagome& uhh, Kikyo? I think?
Tsuyoku: The mortal girl agreed to take one of my potions and transformed herself into Kikyo, the woman that she said you truly loved and longed to be with. She felt unloved and left out of your heart, so I made her dreams come true. Too bad you ruined it for her.
Inuyasha: That was really Kagome? Then why did she tell me?
Tsuyoku: Well duh! She lied. She thought that you loved Kikyo for her looks, so she thought that since she had her soul, all she needed was her looks. Then she thought that you would love her and only her forever& as Kikyo of course. Isnt that what you wanted Inuyasha?
Inuyasha: You told her those things didnt you? You made her accept that potion. She wouldnt have agreed to something like that on her own.
Tsuyoku: It worked too. Either way I win.
Inuyasha: What do you mean?
Tsuyoku: If you had confessed your love to her thinking that she was truly Kikyo, you would have become mortal to live forever like you two had always planned. Of course, that was just my easy way out to kill you with ease, but this works too.
(He tempted Inuyasha with the orb that contained Kagomes soul, and Inuyasha was even more upset with Tsuyoku and his evil trick.)
Inuyasha: You bastard!
Tsuyoku: Call me what you want half-breed, but if you really want this girls soul back, come find me. Ill be waiting.
(Tsuyoku disappeared with Kagomes soul and Inuyasha began to run after him.)
Inuyasha: No! Stop! & Wait.
(He stopped when he noticed that it wasnt doing any good to try to chase Tsuyoku. He was already gone. He had poofed away by the means of the watch. Inuyasha looked back at Kagomes limp body. He walked over to her with sadness and a guilty conscience. He knelt down and held her close to him.)
Inuyasha: Kagome& Why did you do this? Why did you make that deal with him? Why did you drink that potion!
(Inuyasha was angry with her, but only for a moment, for tears of mixed-up emotions began to build up in his shaky eyes.)
Inuyasha: But its not your fault& its mine. Im the reason you accepted that potion. Kagome& Im so sorry. This is all my fault. I will get him for this. I will kill him for this!
(Inuyasha shouted into the sky angrily.)
Inuyasha: I will kill you for this Tsuyoku!

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