Stolen Dream

AN: Part three of the Kikyo series – when Kikyo tries to drag InuYasha to hell with her.

This one's for Namike, who has reviewed each one of my previous Kikyo stories, even though she admits to not liking the character! Thanks so much for your encouragement, Namike!

I don't think this piece is at par with my previous two - it's somewhat lacking, although that's probably because it's more like a narration of the incident in the manga more than anything else. Does Kikyo seem OOC to you? Don't tell me she seems OOC because you hate her, though!

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or any of the characters. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

There hasn't been a single day where I've forgotten you!

She stared at him in bemusement as he uttered his impassioned words. She felt her body tilt backwards as he came closer, but she steadied herself by taking a single step back, maintaining the inner balance of her body. As he continued to speak, she felt herself filled with confusion – a better alternative than all the hate she had been existing with until then.

"Do you really mean that?" she spoke softly, her eyes averting his. His words sounded so true, so full of conviction – but then, she'd believed in his love for her when she had taken the Shikon no Tama to him, and seen it snatched out of her hands by the very creature she'd been meaning to give it to. Anger churned inside her stomach as she remembered the incident, and her shoulder burned in recognition. Still, she fought to keep her bitterness at bay, truly wanting to believe the hanyou's words.

He spoke her name softly, questioningly. She moved closer, until she was mere inches from his body. Kikyo lifted a single slender hand and laid it on his cheek, gazing into his golden eyes and searching for the truth in them. She saw nothing that could betray any inner disgust InuYasha might have been harboring. Was he speaking the truth?

She could kill him. Not easily, no, but she knew he would never be able to lift a hand against her. She could end it all – it would be so easy to give into the rage and kill him. Yet something held her back, and it wasn't just the intense gaze of the girl she'd pinned to the nearby tree with her soul collectors.

One of Kikyo's eyelids twitched ever so slightly. It felt as if Kagome was boring holes into the back of her head with her eyes. Her gaze was oddly powerful, and Kikyo felt herself freeze up for a precious second.

She soon shook off her self-imposed paralysis. She didn't have much time. She spoke to InuYasha gently, wanting her words to cause disgust or fear to flicker across his face. She wanted to see him show his weakness to her. Only then would she be able to convince herself to kill the dog hanyou.

His gaze remained stoic, although a hidden fire lurked in his irises. He didn't believe her.

Kikyo tilted her head to one side as if to observe his face, although she was concentrating on Kagome's panicked shrieks behind her. So the girl actually did believe that Kikyo would kill this man – this man she had loved for so long, until he had betrayed her trust and soured her love, turning it to hatred. She remembered her accusing words the last time she'd seen him.

Why did you betray me?

What had he said? He said he hadn't betrayed her. Lies, she knew that. But something inside her yearned to bring him closer to herself, to press her body against his and claim him for her own, even as he claimed her for his own. She wanted to be closer to him than anyone had ever been, even the impudent, silly girl tied to a tree behind her.

"InuYasha…" His name slipped out between her lips, so soft that even he would have trouble hearing it. His golden gaze pinned her to her place, and Kikyo felt something warm surge in her gut.

She moved an inch closer to press her lips against his. The contact was soft but sweet. Her eyelids drifted closed as she felt his warmth on her, and she was gladdened when he did not pull away. So, the girl on the tree really did not mean anything to him – she couldn't, not if he was willing to kiss her.

She could feel the puzzlement of Kagome behind her, but paid the girl no attention. Regretfully, Kikyo pulled away to glance up at the hanyou's slightly stunned face. If she had not nursed her hatred of him for so long, she would have been able to smile at the befuddled expression.

She slid her arms around him, and he did not resist her embrace. In fact, he reciprocated and wrapped his arms around her, and she felt a brief flare of something that could have been contentment. Kikyo closed her eyes and murmured words to him, her throat aching at being so close to him.

"What should I do?" he asked, and Kikyo opened her eyes. The question was a valid one. She hadn't been able to end his life – she hadn't been able to let go of the love she held for him and strike the decisive blow.

So, then. What should she do?

Stay. She just wanted to stay.

His warmth was so comforting…

No! An inner voice screeched at her, dripping with anger and betrayal. He shattered your trust so long ago. How can you hand him back your heart so readily? You need to make him suffer. You need to make him pay.

I don't want to, she protested. I want to hold him like this forever.

You can't. Not unless…

The entire silent conversation took no longer than a few seconds. The inner voice won, and Kikyo tightened her grip on InuYasha's back.

"I won't let you escape me again," she whispered, sure he wouldn't be able to hear her. He was dead to the world, his golden eyes glazed over as he fell under her spell. Kikyo had to fight back a wave of anxiety at his expression and pulled him closer, determined to take him away with her. Because of vengeance or love, she wasn't sure anymore. She felt so full, so painfully full.

She heard Kagome yelling something about a creature known as Naraku. Kikyo paused for a heartbeat and heard the girl's words, before gesturing for her to shut up. It didn't matter what had happened in the past. Vengeance wouldn't return her body to her – all she needed now was absolution. Peace. If she couldn't have that… then dragging InuYasha with her to hell would work just fine.

Kikyo felt a wave of anger come from Kagome as the priestess touched InuYasha's face again. Such intense anger…! Kagome's emotions seemed to almost take on a physical form, and Kikyo blanched inwardly as she felt an electric current run through her body.

The souls! Her souls were escaping!

"Hurry…" she muttered, digging her fingers into the hanyou's back. She couldn't let him escape her now, not when her strong hatred for him had finally softened some. She couldn't let him get away – she had to drag them both to hell before her souls ran out.

Kagome's voice sounded out, and her words were clear and commanding. Kikyo felt InuYasha stir, and his eyelids fluttered open.

No! Kikyo moaned silently, wanting to sob. No, no, no! Not now!

It was no use. InuYasha had heard the girl, and he had shaken off his stupor. He leapt at her, slicing at the soul collectors that bound her to the tree. Kikyo noticed that her hands were still suspended in midair and drew them close to her body, her hair swirling around her now-deadpan face.

Her remaining soul collectors wrapped around her, and Kikyo felt something in her chest clench as she observed InuYasha and Kagome. One hand rose to lie on her collarbone, and she felt her features soften into an expression of sadness.

Was Kagome really more important to InuYasha than she was?

She felt herself grow weak, depleted of dead souls as she was. Her faithful soul collectors lifted her into the air as she closed her eyes, unwilling to see the tender scene between the two.

When they had kissed… when they had embraced… she had felt something, something apart from the bitterness, betrayal and loathing she had been nursing for so long. She had felt…

Love.

AN: I feel so sorry for poor Kikyo… I don't think she would ever want to hate InuYasha, but everyone has that bitter little voice inside him or her that says it's best to exact revenge. I don't think Kikyo is nearly as cold and emotionless as she'd like us to believe. If you think otherwise, that's fine. Just don't flame me about this piece because you don't like Kikyo – if you don't like the writing, well, that's a different matter altogether…

1,323 words.