Inuyasha- Kikyo or Kagome? (CHAP. 1)
Kagome lifted her enormous backpack, took a deep breath, and jumped in the ancient well. It had been a long time since she had been to the ancient time on the other side of the well because of her fight with Inuyasha (again). She was pretty sure that he was not going to say sorry to her but at least she would be back and they would be able to collect more shikon jewel shards and defeat demons and other monsters of the like.
She sighed as the forces of the well blew all her dark hair back and she landed on the bottom of the well with a painful thud. With some effort, climbed up the well walls with her heavy bag. When she finally reached the top, she flopped onto the daisy spotted wild grass and stretched. She felt exhausted.
"Kagome!" Sango's voice broke the silence.
Kagome rubbed her eyes and sat up. Sango, her demon-killing ally and fellow female of the group, was dressed in her ordinary kimono with her pet Kirara. Sango had a smile plastered on her face but the deep worry in her eyes betrayed her feelings to Kagome.
"Are you okay, Sango?" Kagome asked Sango, concerned.
"Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be? Anyhow, let's hurry back to Kaede-sama." Sango said in a hurry, and dragged Kagome to her feet.
Something was definitely up, Kagome could just tell, and trust her, she would definitely find out what.
When they arrived at the hut, Kagome saw Kaede was brewing something outside the house. Shippo was standing guard, his face very thoughtful. He wagged his fluffy squirrel-like tail as he thought.
Everyone seems so worried about something, Kagome thought. She scrutinized Kaede's face. It was full of wrinkles as usual, but today it seemed as though her face was full of wrinkly worry.
"What's wrong, everyone? Why are we so… quiet? Where's Inuyasha? And Miroku? What's going on?" Kagome demanded, anxious.
"Um, you haven't told her yet?" Kaede asked Sango, ignoring Kagome's questions.
Sango shook her head, her face solemn. Kagome was really worried now. She dropped her bag and picked up Shippo.
"Are you going to tell me now, Shippo-chan?" Kagome asked hopefully as she searched Shippo's face.
Shippo looked reluctant. Kaede sighed. "Just tell her, Shippo. We've no choice."
Shippo sighed and gathered himself together. And then he looked straight into Kagome's eyes.
"Kagome-chan, Inuyasha has been missing for five days. Nobody has seen him since you left. Miroku has been looking for him for the past few hours. He should be back soon. We hoped to find him before you decided to come back." Shippo explained, his lower lip wobbling slightly.
Kagome froze. Kaede plunged on. "And we also suspect that he's dead. Very likely my sister Kikyo-sama has found him already, and so would like to go to hell with him. He is not immune to sister Kikyo-sama, so we are very worried since he has been missing for so long. He has encountered her before and nearly lost his life too, I take it?"
Kagome nodded numbly. She felt stupid now to have come back just to find out that he had left.
"It's really not you fault, you know." Sango insisted.
Kagome nodded again. Then she said resolutely: "I'm going to find him, so, please do not follow me!"
Kagome grabbed a nearby bag of arrows and a bow, and then she turned and ran.
"Kagome!" Kaede shouted after her but it was too late, Kagome had already dashed into the forest looking for Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha! Inuyasha! Where are you, Inuyasha? INUYASHA!" Kagome shouted loudly as she ran into the forest.
Was it her imagination, or did she hear a faint response? She ran and ran until she was out of breath. She ran until she reached a small clearing. She collapsed onto the soft grass and just lay there for a while, panting.
"Inu… yasha…" She gasped.
Suddenly, she spotted a bright light ahead. Curious, she crawled forwards on all fours, and squinted at it. She heard voices.
"Kikyo! What are you trying to say?" It was Inuyasha's voice, Kagome realized with a jolt. She got up to her feet and hurried forwards.
She walked up until she could see what was happening clearly, and she hid behind a tree to spy.
Inuyasha was looking at Kikyo with an almost pleading expression and a sad and forlorn look in his eyes. Kikyo sat on a branch of a tree, her eyes as cold as ever, with a pained half-smile on her face.
"I'm trying to say, Inuyasha, that Naraku is invading, getting stronger, and creating more minions. You are in danger. Go to hell with me, or go far, far away. It's best if you don't get killed." Kikyo said very calmly.
Kagome's heart pounded and she felt as if her blood were rushing in her ears. Inuyasha took a ragged step back and stared up at Kikyo with large gold eyes.
"So you want me to die or go away? Is that it? But Kikyo! I love you, I love you, I love you, and I want you! You once said yourself: 'My life is yours', so theoretically your life, in turn, is mine! Why are you pushing me away?" Inuyasha cried out.
Kikyo's mouth turned down. She narrowed her eyes and slowly climbed down the tree. She faced Inuyasha with such an unkind expression that it sent chills down Kagome's spine. She saw Inuyasha trembling, every silver hair shaking and messed up. Kagome felt her eyes prickle.
"I love you too, Inuyasha, but I also hate your guts. Aren't you always going to choose that girl over me? What is her name? Kagome?" Kikyo snapped.
Inuyasha wavered.
"No! No, I won't, not over you I won't. Please, Kikyo, if it has to be that, then I will go to hell with you. I will die for you. Please, please take me with you. I won't hand you over to Naraku. I can't do that!" Inuyasha exclaimed.
Kikyo released a little mocking smile. "Is that so? You know, once the red line of fate is broken, Inuyasha, it won't connect again."
Inuyasha stared at Kikyo, dumbfounded. Kagome took a silent, shaky breath and looked on.
"If you really mean what you say now, go ahead and tell the girl Kagome-" Kikyo paused, uttering Kagome's name with outmost loathing. "-That you like me lots better."
Inuyasha was speechless, and he was in turmoil. Kagome furrowed her brows. Kikyo sounds like a haughty child! Kagome thought.
"I will prove to you some way, but I won't crush Kagome like that." Inuyasha declared.
Kikyo laughed coldly. She turned away from him. "Oh, I thought so. I knew you were going to say that. Only a man with that kind of idiocy would believe I'd fall for that. It's not over, Inuyasha, because you care about that girl. Don't you? You love her too, don't you? You love her just enough to keep from pursuing me all the time. But she left didn't she? Left you here alone without anything to protect yourself from me. Your words are empty to me, Inuyasha."
Kagome tried to fight the tears that had suddenly rushed to her eyes. She looked at Inuyasha and took in his bewildered expression. He didn't want to love Kagome, she was sure. He just wanted it to go back to the way it was… with Kikyo.
"I'm sorry, Kagome. I know you're there." Inuyasha apologized quietly.
Kikyo narrowed her eyes even more. "Come out, you shameless girl! Spying is such a bad habit of yours."
Kagome's heart hammered in her chest as she took a startled step forwards. Her skirt rustled loudly in the silence.
"Just come out." Kikyo ordered.
Suddenly, a soul gathering bug, one of Kikyo's minions, pushed her forwards. She stumbled forwards with a cry and fell on her knees, grazing them.
"Be careful." Inuyasha said, and quickly helped Kagome to her feet.
"So, Inuyasha. How much do you really want me? Do you want me enough to tell this girl to go home and never come back again? Or are you going to just let me go this time and never see me again? Because trust me, Inuyasha, if you don't tell this Kagome that you like me better now, you bet you'll never be able to even glimpse my face in the future." Kikyo said icily.
Inuyasha felt the blood rise to his face. Beloved but cold Kikyo or bold and friendly Kagome? It was so hard to hurt the other.
Kikyo smiled very devilishly. "Don't push yourself, Inuyasha, I know you don't love me enough."
Kikyo turned to walk away. Kagome inspected Inuyasha. He looked pained yet still wore that defiant expression. He straightened up.
"No, Kikyo. I'm going to do it now." Inuyasha said very seriously.
Kikyo turned back in surprise, and it was genuine surprise that Kagome saw on her face.
"You really… really are going to do it?" Her tone was disbelieving.
Inuyasha nodded and turned to Kagome. Kagome saw the serious expression on his face and knew for sure that he was going to reject her, like the misfit puppy dog in a love triangle that she was.
"I'm sorry, Kagome, but you came too late. I already spent five days with Kikyo and I have realized how much she's been though, and-" Inuyasha began.
"Stop. Just stop." Kagome said.
Inuyasha stopped and looked at her curiously. Kagome felt her heart splitting into pieces as tiny as the shikon jewel shards.
"I understand, I cannot compete with Kikyo, who lost her life for you. I know that. I cannot just go back to my time and forget you though… so please, kill me now. For all the love of Kikyo, just kill me now." Kagome whispered painfully.
Inuyasha's face looked stricken and unwilling. Kikyo just watched in silence. Kagome felt it was better, just to feel those claws pierce her heart enough so that she died. Her life was already dented, what could it hurt to die?
"No! Kagome! No!" Inuyasha yelled, and picked her up in his arms, hugging her with all his might.
"You are picking her now, Inuyasha?" Kikyo asked very somberly.
"No… I'm not picking anyone. Please, can't we just share one another? I know it's a lot to ask…" Inuyasha searched Kikyo's face pleadingly.
Kikyo remained impassive. She started walking away. "I knew I would be disappointed again."
Inuyasha let Kagome go and jumped towards Kikyo and stopped her in her tracks.
"Don't go, Kikyo. I'm not finished yet. Please, give me some time to think about it. I don't have the heart to reject anyone yet." Inuyasha pleaded.
Kikyo paused. "Hmm, I'll let you off. Meet me here one week later, and bring the girl. You will have to decide then. I want you to take this seriously. Who do you love better, I mean."
Then she disappeared into the trees. Inuyasha stared after her, his eyes full of unconcealed sadness and wistfulness.
"You can go with her, you know. She loves you a great deal, just in the wrong way. I know I wasn't meant for you in that way. It was an accident that Naraku appeared and ruined things for you two." Kagome said quietly.
"Don't say that. I'm going to prove to you both how much I care. Sometime." Inuyasha sighed.
"Let's go back to Kaede-sama and everyone else. They've all been so worried." Kagome said kindly, and gently led Inuyasha away from the spot where Kikyo just left.