Mortal Deception
Disclaimer:
Yes, I'm starting another fic with another pairing… Don't kill me! Me and TrueWielderofTessaiga co-created this plot and I'm writing it out on my own. So I guess it's still technically my plot for the most part…but I'll give him credit for helping and promoting it!
Please note that this plot is an ALTERNATE REALITY fic. That means that I'm going to be screwing with the canon setting a little bit. Events such as Naraku's birth happen out of the original order and the original plans he had to make Inuyasha and Kikyou betray each other never happen.
I do not own Inuyasha; all rights belong to Rumiko Takahashi.
Chapter 1: The End of Innocence
Breathe.
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.
Exhaustion.
Those were the only things running through the mind of the young miko who had recently finished battling a large group of youkai that tried to destroy her village. She clutched her bow with a bloodied hand, holding it so hard that the wood splintered into her palm and caused a gash to form.
"Kikyou! Are you alright?" The concerned voice rang through her ears over the sound of the pouring rain.
The young woman turned around to look at the hanyou who rushed to her side. It was hard to even stand upright. That battle was a close call. Too close.
She took a step forward but immediately felt her exhaustion take over. The dizziness set in, causing her to stagger. She did well to ignore the rain pattering down her dirtied face. All around her, the ground was soaked with blood and laid damp with the corpses of various youkai, looking like an impromptu graveyard. "I-I'm fine, Inuyasha…" she murmured before nearly falling forward completely, still not letting go of her bow.
Inuyasha panicked, his amber-colored eyes widening out of fear for the miko. He rushed forward to catch her in his arms before her face could hit the ground. He braced her with both of his arms so that her face ended up against his chest. "Kikyou!" he cried out again.
Kikyou glanced up at his face, noticing in their small moment, how the hanyou's silver-white forelocks clung so close to his face almost as if to take refuge from the weather. She could see it in his eyes. Even though he was physically stronger than her, he was also very tired. "Inuyasha… Forgive me," she mumbled quietly, reaching her free hand up to briefly touch his bruised face. Her fingertips reached over his skin in so tentative a manner, it was almost as if she was attempting to touch a fragile flower in mid-bloom.
He blinked down at her, clearly confused. However, before they could talk any further, a villager cried out, causing for them to break apart.
"What is it, Soichiro-san?" Kikyou asked, using her bow as support.
"I-It's your sister, Kaede-sama!" the middle-aged man shouted. "She's been wounded!"
Immediately, she was smacked back into her present time. Kikyou's eyes widened, no longer thinking of herself. "Take me to her!" she ordered in a shaken voice.
Once Inuyasha and Kikyou managed to make it to Kaede's side, the two stood frozen in horror.
The poor girl was crouched forward on her knees, holding her hand over her right eye and facing towards the ground. Her uncovered eye flashed with pain as liquid crimson oozed out over her trembling hand and dripped down over her arm and orange kimono.
Kikyou quickly dropped her bow and quiver of arrows, falling to her knees beside Kaede. "Kaede! What happened to your eye?" she demanded, her voice continuing to quake. Her expression showed pain and concern; a far cry from her usual countenance of calm.
Kaede tilted her head up towards Kikyou when she felt her older sister's hands on her shoulders. "K-Kikyou-onee-sama…" she murmured weakly, trying not to cry. "Y-you shot a y-youkai and it purified… I-it went into my eye…" she explained while tears leaked out of her good eye and mixed with the rain. "I-I can't see out of it!"
The miko choked down a breath, feeling as if someone had punched her in her gut. Looking back at Inuyasha, her face paled considerably. She knew it immediately. It was her own fault that Kaede was hurt. She had been too careless. "I-Inuyasha! Please take Kaede into the hut!"
The hanyou nodded, not being the one to argue during times of distress. Being careful not to cause her more pain, Inuyasha carefully picked Kaede up into his arms and walked her back to the hut.
Kikyou watched them leave, having some of her villagers help her to her feet. Once she was standing and had her weapons about her, she grit her teeth. It was her own weakness that caused this to happen! Her hand tightened around her bow again. Looking around her, she saw how concerned her villagers were for her health. She hated to cause them distress. "I'll be fine," she assured them, forcing herself to stand upright and take a few steps forward.
She did not want to rely on the villagers to lead her back to the hut. It was her own responsibility to walk on her own. She had done fine with that up until this moment. Showing weakness at this crucial moment would cause for her downfall.
After making her way back to the hut, walking upright and ignoring the pain that coursed through her body, she knelt down beside her sister. "We must stop this bleeding…" she remarked in a softened voice. Reaching to the side of her, she pulled out herbs and cloth used to dress injuries.
Glancing back, she noticed how silent Inuyasha had become. "Could you please go fetch me some water?" Her tone was nearly as timid as a small child's.
"Yeah… sure…" he responded, sounding unsure of what else to say. Grabbing a large pan container, he ran out of the hut.
Once he was out of sight, Kikyou took a piece of cloth to Kaede's eye in an attempt to stop the bleeding. "Please forgive me, Kaede…" she murmured almost in a whisper. "I wasn't careful enough…"
Kaede fought off her pain, shaking her head slowly and cautiously so as not to aggravate her wound. "Y-you were o-only…t-trying to protect us… I-It's n-not your fault…" she forced out with great difficulty.
Though she knew that Kaede was only trying to comfort her, Kikyou felt her hands clench into fists at her sides. "I do not want to endanger you or anyone else in this village anymore!" she declared in a louder voice. She already knew that if it hadn't been for Inuyasha, she would have failed in her duties long ago. The longer she acted as a protector, the more youkai would come to challenge her. And with each time, the youkai would grow stronger.
If only…
If only she could just stop fighting forever.
The young woman shook her head, fighting back the urge to give out a bitter laugh. That was such an unbelievable fantasy. She was fated to protect that cursed Shikon no Tama. There was no way out of that contract. She was the only one powerful enough to do so. So long as she lived, she had to guard the Jewel with her life. Anyone who was involved in her life would only get sucked into the fighting. Inuyasha was no exception to this.
"K-Kikyou-onee-sama…" Kaede's voice managed out, breaking the woman out of her dark thoughts.
Inuyasha had since returned with the water and slid it at Kikyou's side.
Kikyou blinked and numbly grabbed another cloth in order to soak it in water. "Thank you, Inuyasha," she murmured, not giving away any of the emotions that were trailing through her mind at the moment. She removed the other cloth that was already beginning to become painted red from the blood and began to clean up Kaede's wound.
After the young woman managed to apply the herbs and wrap up Kaede's eye, Kikyou glanced back at the hanyou once again. It was only then that she noticed how badly bruised and ragged Inuyasha appeared. Had he always looked so tired after battle? Was he always covered in so much blood? She was the miko who was fated to walk the path of carnage. Since when had the hanyou become dragged into this curse along with her?
And yet, the only thing she could muster out loud was, "Your wounds… Let me take care of them…"
"Keh!" the hanyou snorted out, crossing his arms. "I'll be fine! I'm not human, remember?" He always reminded her of that fact each time he unwillingly showed her a weak side of himself. "I'll be fine in a day." He turned his eyes towards Kaede. "Worry more about that brat."
Kaede glanced towards her sister. "W-what about your own wounds, onee-sama?" she murmured.
Inuyasha's gaze refocused on Kikyou upon hearing those words. "How badly hurt are you?" he asked, concern clearly being reflected in his eyes. His arms unfolded as he moved towards her.
"I-I'll be fine… It's nothing I haven't dealt with before," Kikyou assured them both. She didn't want either of them being concerned over her health. They both had more than enough troubles to deal with.
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed, lowering himself on his hunches and reaching out to grab onto Kikyou's right wrist.
Immediately, the young woman retracted her hand, her face paling. She used her other hand to hold onto the wrist, rubbing the tender area. She hadn't honestly noticed how badly her body was screaming out in pain until that one touch.
The hanyou was quick to notice her reaction, growling out of annoyance. "You should maybe worry more about yourself than me, you know," he pointed out.
The young miko bit back a curse. She made herself look stupid in front of Inuyasha again. "I suppose I should…" she agreed reluctantly. Grabbing a few pieces of bandage wrappings, she dressed her own wrist and moved to lean against her make-shift thatched bedding. "I just need to rest…"
"Then sleep," Inuyasha urged in a more hushed tone. "Both of you." He stood up and headed for the hut flap. "I'll keep watch outside so you won't have to worry about being attacked during the night."
Kikyou was in no position to argue. "…Thank you, Inuyasha…" she replied.
"Keh! Just go to sleep!" he snorted before walking outside.
Even though he sounded annoyed with her, she knew better. She knew him long enough to know when his words were used as a shield for emotional concealment. As soon as he gone, she pulled herself up onto the bed and allowed sleep to consume her.
The thoughts that Kikyou begun to think the night before stayed with her all through the morning she woke up. At dawn, she went to pick medicinal herbs for Kaede's wound. While doing so, she was plagued with thoughts of guilt. Because of her duties as the Shikon no Miko, she endangered her entire village and caused her sister to go blind in one eye.
If the Shikon no Tama was powerful enough to grant any wish, was there some way she could wish for peace? Would the Jewel disappear if the wish she made upon it was pure and without selfish taint?
She then thought about Inuyasha. She knew that the hanyou was much like herself. He fought all his life in order to survive. Any type of weakness he showed would cost him his life. If he was all one species and not hanyou, wouldn't his life be easier to live? She didn't know if he still wished to become a full-blooded youkai, but what if he were to become the opposite? If he was a full human, he wouldn't have to worry about humans fearing him and he could live in peace in a human village. He could belong.
There was no question that she already accepted him as a hanyou. The moment she asked for his name, she accepted him as someone who had just as much potential living in society as she did. However, if the wish she asked of the Jewel was for him instead of for herself, would the wish be selfless? It would most likely eradicate the Shikon no Tama from existence. And both of them could live ordinary lives. Isn't that what both of them wanted in the end?
After she finished picking the herbs, she walked back to the hut and took care of Kaede's wound. She cleaned up Kaede's face, administered the medicine, and changed the dressings around her eye. "How are you feeling today, Kaede?" she questioned as she stood up.
The young girl blinked up at her sister. "Better… It still hurts," she murmured, but managed a small smile. "Thank you for taking care of me, onee-sama."
Kikyou nodded. "I'm glad to hear that," she replied quietly, blinking away the sadness that threatened to show in her eyes. "I'm going to go speak with Inuyasha about something… I'll be sure to bring you back some water later, okay?" she added, returning her sister's smile with one of her own.
"Thank you," the young girl could only reply before Kikyou left.
The miko let out a large sigh and walked out towards the river bank with her bow in hand and quiver of arrows around her back. She knew better than to ever go unarmed. She never knew when youkai would attack her. Taking a seat on the hillside, she dropped her weapons down beside her and looked towards the river.
As she predicted, Inuyasha soon dropped down beside her. "Hey, how's the kid?" he asked, glancing at her with rare concern showing on his face.
Kikyou nearly frowned, looking towards the river before turning to face the hanyou. "She's still resting… I don't know if she'll be able to ever use that eye again…" she admitted in a sad, hushed voice.
"…Damn…" was the only thing the hanyou could say.
"Inuyasha… thank you for what you did yesterday," she began. "I…"
He cut her off. "Keh! You don't have to thank me!" he interjected. "Though I guess if it wasn't for me, half of your village would be dead by now…"
Kikyou was wise to ignore his offhanded comment. She knew that he had a bad way with words at crucial times. She nodded her head slowly. "…Each time they come, they only grow stronger…"
"Well, I'm not letting anyone get their hands on the Shikon no Tama!" Inuyasha scoffed. He then rotated away from her, his voice growing quieter. "…I don't want to see you die anytime soon…"
The young miko felt herself smile. It was rare when the hanyou said anything sweet. She would be lying if she believed that she hated such times. "I know you don't, Inuyasha… Thank you."
Inuyasha kept his face turned away from hers until his obvious blush could go away from his cheeks. "...What did you mean last night, when you asked me to forgive you?" he questioned, his eyes narrowing slightly as he became serious. By the weight of his expression, Kikyou could tell that he had been thinking about it for a while.
"…I…" Kikyou began, uncertain of where to start. There were many reasons why she said that to him. She felt her hands clench into fists at her sides, digging into the grass. "…I suppose I began to feel guilty for dragging you into my battles."
The hanyou snorted again. "Is that it?" He relaxed his position more, easing off of his hunches and sitting cross legged. "I never had any problems with fighting. I've been doing it all my life so there's no reason to worry about me." His tone was matter-of-fact and blunt.
Kikyou almost frowned. There was no reason to keep her thoughts to herself anymore. She wanted to know his opinion on her theory. "Inuyasha… what if you could stop fighting? Stop fighting forever?"
" 'Forever'?" Inuyasha echoed, looking at her as if she had uttered the world's most difficult conundrum. He glanced down at the grass and fell silent for a while as if taking it into serious consideration. "What do you mean by that?" he finally asked after several long pauses.
"…I mean, if it were possible to stop fighting, would that make you happy?" she pressed, staring at him in earnest. "I think it's possible if we used the Shikon no Tama to make you human."
"Me…become human?" the hanyou responded, almost jerking back like she had shocked him.
Kikyou nodded. "If the Shikon no Tama fell into the hands of a youkai, its powers would undoubtedly increase…" Her hands moved onto her lap, fidgeting almost as if she were a nervous child. "…But if the Shikon no Tama were used to turn you into a human, the Jewel would be purified and would probably cease to exist."
Inuyasha sounded as if he were about to step into uncertain territory. "…But what would happen to you?" he questioned with concern lining his voice.
"I am she who guards the Jewel," the young woman murmured. She felt a smile form on her face. "Without it, I can live life as an ordinary woman." Once the words escaped her lips, Kikyou couldn't help but hope that he could understand her feelings.
Inuyasha remained silent for a moment longer. "You mean… we could both live in peace?" He appeared to be tossing the idea around in his head. It was almost like the idea of being a permanent full human was unfathomable to him.
"…I know it isn't something easy to ask of you," Kikyou murmured. "You'd make a very huge sacrifice…giving up your youkai blood." She shook her head and rose to her feet, beginning to suddenly feel bad for even telling him such things. Perhaps she spoke too soon? Yes, the Jewel would possibly disappear but at what cost? Inuyasha's body would change completely.
She bent down to pick up her weaponry and watched as he rose to his own feet. "I apologize, Inuyasha…" she said, sounding as if she were coming down from a euphoric state. "I must have sounded selfish…"
Before she could walk away, Inuyasha's hand reached out to grab her wrist, freezing her in place. His expression was very serious as he moved closer towards her body with his own. "…I'll consider it, okay?" he replied, sounding sincere. "…It is a lot for me to think over."
She could only numbly nod her head, genuinely surprised that he took it so well. "…Inuyasha…" she murmured.
He flashed a wry smirk. "I'll give you a reply in a few days, alright?" He let go of her wrist. "Meanwhile, try not to look so shocked. It doesn't look fitting on someone like you."
The miko quietly nodded her head again, feeling happy about this new development. Did this mean that both of them could live how they wanted to in the future?
She surely hoped so.
After a week had passed, Kikyou fell back into her routine of taking care of Kaede, tending to the ill, and staying up until late hours of the night to maintain the Shikon no Tama's purity. All of the effort she put into keeping the Jewel safe became amplified in the hopes that Inuyasha might actually agree to what she asked of him. She knew it would take a while before the Jewel would be ready for such a risky wish. If she wished on Shikon no Tama while it was tainted, she knew that only bad things would come from it.
It was midafternoon when Kikyou decided to take a break in order to play with the children in the village. She would often allow them to ask her questions like what herbs were best for what illness or what her favorite flowers were. Despite how much she had endured in life, she could never become hardened towards children. She always admired how innocent they were.
Soon enough, the young woman paused in her laughter, glancing up to notice Inuyasha watching her from a tree branch. "I don't see why you always insist on watching me like that," she teased, her eyes glimmering mischievously.
Inuyasha gave a snort, jumping down from the tree and hiding a blush that threatened to rise onto his cheekbones. "I-I'm not w-watching you like anything!" he insisted in an embarrassed stutter, but relented once she laughed again.
At once, the children began to crowd around him, tugging at his hakama and asking him an unending list of impossible questions. Could he let them touch his ears? Did he like Kikyou? Did he like the color red?
Kikyou smiled, finding herself amused at how easily irritated the hanyou could get when the children spoke to him. She could tell it was taking all of his effort not to snap at them. Deciding to be merciful, she reached forward and grabbed a hold of his hand. Looking down at the children, she suggested, "Why don't you go play somewhere else for now? I don't think Inuyasha's very willing to play today."
She chuckled when they whined and continued to insist they spent more time together. "I'll spend time with you all tomorrow. I promise," she added before seeing them finally relent and leave the two alone.
"…Damn brats…" Inuyasha huffed, but never once drew his hand away from Kikyou's.
She withheld a sigh, wishing that he could be more willing to spend time with the children who all adored him. "You really should be more patient with them, you know…" she advised before staring out towards the path they were on. "…Would you care for a walk?" she then questioned, knowing that he was still annoyed.
He shrugged. "If it'll keep me away from them," he replied. "I think one of them was close to pouncing on me just to touch my ears…" he added in a low grumble, flicking his silver-tipped dog ears for emphasis.
Their hands reluctantly released on each other as they began to walk towards a nearby lake.
Kikyou nearly felt tempted to touch the ears herself but used self-restraint. "Well, I couldn't blame them… Those ears don't particularly make you look intimidating."
"Are you trying to call me cute or something?" Inuyasha growled, almost sounding as if he were close to pouting. " 'Cuz I'm not cute!"
"And what if I were to insinuate that?" the miko questioned as they continued walking.
"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed, unable to say anything else to her words.
The pair fell silent until they came across a boat. It was a narrow wooden boat, only able to sit two to three people despite its long size. Kikyou gazed out across the calm waters and noticed the sun beginning to set. "…Do you think you'd mind a ride across the lake?" she then pressed with a raised eyebrow.
"…Is this another human's way of having fun or something?" Inuyasha questioned. "It doesn't seem that appealing." He frowned in disapproval.
"…Well, I was thinking more along the lines of relaxation," the miko explained in a more cheerful type of tone, approaching the side of the boat and pushing it more into the water. "It's something you certainly don't do that often," she then pointed out.
"That's rich coming from you of all people," he returned, but began to help her despite himself.
Once they were both inside of the boat, Inuyasha picked up the long paddle stick and began to row towards the center of the lake. As he rowed, they sat in silence. The further they were from the shore, the more relaxed Inuyasha seemed to become.
Kikyou noticed his eased expression once he stopped moving the boat and allowed them to sit in the middle of the lake. "It worked for you, did it not?" she remarked, her eyes reflecting amusement.
"Yeah, I guess…" Inuyasha admitted half-reluctantly. "I've never honestly been in a boat like this before…"
"You seemed able to row very well though…" the miko remarked.
The hanyou shrugged. "Well, the last time I was in any type of boat was when my mother was alive…" he explained. He nearly smirked at the memory. "I tried to row for her, but I was too small to overpower the currents of the water."
Kikyou smiled, thankful for what he had told her. He rarely ever spoke of his mother to her. She felt as if he trusted her more by telling such vulnerable sides of himself. "…I see," she mused. "My father taught me how to use a boat when he was still alive," she added, wanting to relate to him.
He fell silent, almost looking hesitant to speak. He then leaned forward slightly, his countenance growing serious. "…Kikyou, I've been thinking…" he began before stopping.
"About what?" she questioned, growing curious. A small part of her grew anxious though she didn't want to admit that out loud.
Inuyasha shook his head and sighed. "…I-it's nothing." He sounded disappointed in himself.
"Oh…I see…" Kikyou murmured, withholding a sigh of her own. Why did she suddenly feel so disappointed? Was she expecting him to say something grandiose to her?
The pair fell into an awkward silence. It was only moments later when Inuyasha asked, "Should I just move the boat towards the dock over there?" He pointed towards the area on the other side of the lake.
She nodded, fighting off her confusion with her own emotions. "Yes, I suppose that would be good..." Her voice was distant.
They settled into another awkward silence until they arrived at the dock. Inuyasha exited first before turning to help Kikyou out.
The young woman used her bow for added support so that she wouldn't trip and fall into the water. However, just as she turned to face the hanyou, she lost her footing on the wooden panels and tripped forward towards Inuyasha.
Inuyasha was quick to react, using the stick to act as a brace so that she wouldn't fall completely. "Kikyou…" he murmured, looking down at her and appearing concerned.
The miko raised her eyes towards his, allowing for a moment of silence to consume them. Then, before either of them knew it, the stick was dropped onto the dock as the hanyou pulled her close against him in a tight embrace. "I-Inuyasha…!" she almost gasped despite not resisting him in any way.
Inuyasha's arms tightened around her body, ignoring the rowing paddle. "…Kikyou, I've made my decision," he admitted, sounding as if he had wanted to say such words for a while. "I want to become human."
Kikyou couldn't help herself. Her eyes widened. Did he really want this? It was enough to make her heart begin beating hard against her chest.
"…I have no doubts in my mind," he continued. His voice was strong, showing that he was certain of his words. "I want to become human so you won't have to fight anymore…" He then looked hopeful. "And then maybe… you and I could live…"
The miko smiled, cutting him off. "Inuyasha, you've said enough," she replied, ignoring her thundering heart as she leaned up to press her lips against his. She had never felt so happy in her life when he began to return the kiss and tighten his embrace even more around her almost as if he never wanted to let her go. She knew in this moment, how much she had grown to love this man.
However, unbeknownst by the couple, a spider's shadow briefly fell upon them before beginning to crawl fast into the forest.
Inside of a dark cave off of the outskirts of a village rested the bandit Onigumo. Unable to move, he was set on a green mat with bandages covering every part of his body save for his right eye and mouth. He felt like a prisoner inside of a coffin, just waiting for his inevitable death.
The only thing that kept his amusement was talking with that ignorant maiden Kikyou and the spider youkai who liked to frequently appear to speak with him about the Shikon no Tama. Unable to sleep due to the scorching, continuing pain of his injuries, he stared up at the opening of the cave and gave a bitter groan. If only he could move again!
"Onigumo," a familiar dark voice echoed. Beside the bandit, the spider appeared again. "It seems that that miko has fallen in love with the hanyou."
The bandaged man felt immediate anger consume him for reasons he did not even understand. "She truly is an ignorant woman," he growled to himself.
"I overheard them talking and they wish to use the Jewel for themselves," the spider youkai continued. "You wish to take that woman for yourself, do you not?"
Onigumo's only visible eye narrowed. This could not be! He was the one who would possess Kikyou! Why would she lower herself to fall prey to a hanyou's touch? Did love really make someone as powerful as her so naïve?
"I can give you the mobility you desire, Onigumo," the youkai purred, slowly crawling over the bandit's side and moving to rest on the human's chest. "You'd have power you've never fathomed before…"
The murmurs through the bandit's head were like the temptations from Hell's very own demons. They were so warm and inviting. He was a bandit. Of course he wanted more power! "All I have to do is offer you my useless body?" he clarified. He let out a small, bitter laugh. "Your contract with me seems foolish since I'm only an immobilized human."
"Give us your soul and you will gain all that you desire," was the only reply that the man would get.
Onigumo looked towards the opening of the cave. He could no longer see the sky since the mouth was blocked off by a sudden swarm of youkai. He managed an amused smirk. "Fine!" he declared.
Staring into the eyes of what seemed to be hell itself, he declared, "Come and feast upon my flesh! I offer you my body in soul and in exchange, give me your mobility and strength!"
As soon as those words were uttered, the contract was sealed. Hordes of youkai poured into the mouth of the cave and began to absorb the tainted heart into themselves, conglomerating into one wicked being. Out of the old, burning flesh emerged a new menacing threat.
The day had finally come. Soon after they shared their first kiss together, Inuyasha and Kikyou agreed to meet in front of the Goshinboku at the crack of dawn.
However, due to staying up the entire night attempting to cleanse the Jewel, the poor miko overslept. Waking up in a panic, she quickly gathered her archery set. She ran over to the shrine that housed the Shikon no Tama and pulled it and the necklace it was attached to off of the wooden hold it rested upon. She then slammed the door shut behind her before running as fast as she could towards the Goshinboku.
How could she be so careless? Who knows how long Inuyasha had been waiting for her? She could only hope that he wouldn't be too angry with her.
Soon enough, she spotted the hanyou reclining against the large tree with his arms crossed and his eyes closed. Once he was able to pick up her scent, his eyes opened and flashed mild annoyance.
"Keh! It's not like you to be late," he snorted.
She panted hard, trying to catch her breath after running non-stop for almost a mile. "I-I'm…sorry…" she managed to breathe out, setting her bow down in the ground for added support. "I…I lost…track of t-time…"
The hanyou sighed and stepped forward in order to allow her to rest against him for better comforting support. He wrapped his arms around her body, ignoring the Jewel that was clutched tightly in her hand. "You didn't sleep at all last night, did you?" he murmured in a kinder tone of voice. "Idiot…" Though the last word was partially an insult, the inflection was one of teasing affection.
Kikyou glanced up at his face and offered up a tired smile. "…I had to make sure the Shikon no Tama was in good condition to be used…" she explained. "I'll promise to rest up after this so you won't have to worry too much about my health."
"You better…" Inuyasha grumbled, looking like he wanted to shake his head at her.
Before he could say anything else, the young woman leaned up to kiss his cheek. She was unable to help herself. It was so hard to contain her happiness and anxiousness.
The hanyou pulled back slightly, feeling a light blush spread on his cheeks. "K-Kikyou…"
The young woman kept her smile in place as she finally pulled back the rest of the way. "Did I catch you by surprise?" she teased, feigning the innocence of a child.
"K-Keh! Just get on with it!" Inuyasha huffed, trying to get over his embarrassment. "Who knows how many youkai will come here when you have that thing out in the open."
Kikyou nodded her head, knowing that he had a point. Swallowing down her nervousness, her eyes narrowed in concentration. "Move more towards that open field over there," she instructed, pointing to a clearing surrounded by a cluster of trees.
Inuyasha didn't argue, doing as she asked. "What now?" he questioned, looking at her expectantly.
She didn't speak any words as she approached him. She placed the stone necklace around his neck and placed her fingers upon the glowing pink orb. "Hold still and close your eyes…" she murmured, grabbing his other hand with her own and gripping it tightly. "Try to sync your thoughts with mine."
The miko closed her eyes soon after she saw him do the same. After she knew that he was completely relaxed and feeling her own steady pulse, she directed her thoughts towards the Jewel.
"Shikon no Tama, please grant me this pure wish. I wish for Inuyasha to become a full human."
At once, white light began to engulf the pair. Kikyou did well to keep her hand upon the Jewel so it could not become overcome with malice. The young woman watched in awe as Inuyasha's hair began to darken from its bright silver coat into a jet black. The claws and fangs that the hanyou possessed disappeared. The familiar dog ears shrunk down into his skull and morphed into human ones on the side of his head. "Inuyasha…" she gasped as she saw the last of his transformation. His beautiful amber-gold eyes faded into a rich violet shade. The hanyou Inuyasha was no more. All that was left was his human self and she honestly didn't know which side of him was more entrancing to look at.
The miko slowly and cautiously drew back away from the hanyou, taking a better look at his new form. "…You look…so…" she murmured, unable to properly put into words how she felt at the moment.
Inuyasha blinked at her, seeming more surprised by her reaction rather than his newfound appearance. Since he turned human once a month, the form was obviously not new for him to experience.
The young woman prepared to say something until she noticed his sudden grimace. "Inuyasha? Is something wrong?" she questioned before noticing the Shikon no Tama's intense glow growing into the brightest white before darkening into a deep shade of blood crimson.
"…I-Is this normal…?" he asked, reaching his hand up to touch the necklace around his neck, only to draw away with a hiss as if he were repelled by an invisible barrier. "…It's hot!"
Kikyou's face paled, reaching her hand out to touch the Shikon no Tama only to retract it immediately. The aura around it burned with a fierce evil. "…I-I don't understand this! The Jewel was pure… there was no evil aura around it before I made the wish!" she choked out, desperately thinking of a way to remove the necklace from the hanyou's neck before it could harm him even more. Reaching behind her, she took out an arrow and channeled her powers into the tip before pressing it towards the Shikon no Tama. To their horror, the Jewel even repelled this energy, cutting her fingers in the process as the arrow splintered in half.
Inuyasha yelped out in pain as the Jewel began to burn across his flesh and tear away at his clothing. "D-damn this thing!" he cursed, trying to move but was frozen to the ground like he was trapped by a large stone over his feet.
Kikyou noticed that the natural sunlight they had was beginning to fade. Glancing up, she found that the sky above them had filled with ominous clouds and began to darken like a storm was about to brew. Suddenly, a deep violet light began to surround her body and she felt herself being drawn towards the Jewel against her own volition.
A dark laugh sounded through her head as she was drawn closer to the tainted orb.
"Did you honestly think I would let you get away with that so easily?"
She paled as white as a ghost. Where was the voice coming from? A chill ran up her spine. "I-Inuyasha!" she shouted in a panic, wondering if he could also hear the voice.
"K-Kikyou!" the young man yelled back, sounding just as horrified as she was.
"Such gullible fools…! Now I'll get to show you your real reward for your fruitful efforts!" The voice was malicious and taunting.
Soon her vision blurred as the evil light engulfed her and began to strangle the energy out of her body. Before her eyes completely failed her, she managed to see the now human Inuyasha become sucked into the Jewel like water into an endless void. Before all went to black, she only heard the young man's scream echo through her mind.
"KIKYOU…!"
A/N: Yep… a cliff-hanger on the first chapter. I'm horrible.
I'm honestly not sure how often I'll update this with everything else going on. And if you're a reader of my other fics, I do plan on updating those when I get the inspiration for them.
I decided to write this plot because I wanted to present an alternate tragedy for the couple. Since the Shikon no Tama basically used Naraku as a tool, who's to say that the dark side of the Jewel wouldn't also doom whoever was crazy enough to wish on it?
For those who are wondering, "onee-sama" is a respectful way of addressing your older sister. "Hanyou" obviously means "half-demon," "youkai," means "full-demon" and the "Shikon no Tama" means the "Shikon Jewel." I'm going to continue using Japanese terms like this throughout the fic so please bear with me.
For future chapters, I'm planning to alternate between points of view for Inuyasha and Kikyou so I hope you can keep up. I also hope that people will enjoy this since there hasn't really been that many new Inu/Kik fics out on this site in a long time.
What happens next time? Stay tuned until the next chapter!
Please review!
Ja ne!