A/N: Um....I think I mentioned that this story is all my English teacher' fault....Think of it as an experiment in pov pieces. Those of you waiting for an update on my other stories, gomen, gomen. I swear, I'm working on them!!! At any rate, since you're here, read and enjoy, and please review!
"Kikyo..."
My head spun around, seeing him there. Inu-Yasha. The one who was supposed to be my savior.
He stepped forward. For a split second, I thought he could see me. I thought he was coming to help me, I thought-
I thought wrong. I called out to him, but he didn't hear me.
"Kikyo." He repeated, looking forwards and seeing only her. Only her. It was hard to imagine that he had ever seen anyone else.
Kikyo looked up at him, an upset sort of look, almost like she was a soap opera star, caught running away by the person she was running away from.
As Inu-Yasha would say, Feh. I just couldn't bring myself to believe her. The cruel actions, the cold way she'd looked at me less than five minutes ago. And now this? It just didn't add up. I'm not stupid.
"It was you, wasn't it, gathering those dead women's' souls?" Inu-Yasha said quietly
Kikyo stood calmly, now wearing a more stoic expression.
"Why?" he insisted.
I felt like I was on a movie set, watching some romance flick. Best seat in the house. Huh! I just hoped it would all go away, maybe I could escape....
"This sham body does not function well unless nourished by souls." Kikyo said, with a trace of a scowl on her semi-pretty face. I must say, if the original Kikyo looked like me, this Kikyo looks nothing like the original. I hope that didn't come out vain.
"You must find me disgusting, Inu-Yasha," she smirked "I live in this realm, wrapped in the souls of the dead, driven only by my hatred of you."
Kikyo... I felt horrible. But not for very long....
"Y-you may hate me," he stammered "But I haven't stopped thinking about you for a single day!"
If I could have moved, I would have dropped down on my knees in despair.
Never stopped thinking about her for a single day.
Never stopped thinking about her.
Never stopped.
Never!
The words rang in my ears, torturing me, taunting me, tearing me apart.
It's just as I thought. He really does still love her.
Strangely enough, memory of an event a day or two ago suddenly came to me, comforting me.
"-Want you near me..."
W-what was that about, then? Is he lying to one of us? Does he secretly have a ton of girlfriends stashed around? I was about to snicker at this outrageous thought when the half-demon in question's voice cut through my musings.
"I don't care what you look like. I could never find you disgusting."
Aaaah... Now I was pissed. Give it up with the freaking cheesy lines! God, you're making me sick!
Kikyo however, seemed interest by this "information". Her eyes widened.
"Is that true?" she said slowly.
"Kikyo..." he said softly
Oh, god! Back to the crappy romance flick, are we!? Jeez!
Kikyo took a step towards him, then another.
Suddenly something she said rang clear.
Hate!
Hate!
She hated him! She'd said so before!
Kikyo placed a hand on his cheek.
"Aren't you frightened?" she asked in a perfectly monotone voice. It didn't even sound like she was asking.
"I could kill you with these hands right now." I'm telling you, it was chilling the way she sounded, saying those two sentences. How she could speak of killing, or ask a question, without even changing the tone of her voice. Just an emotionless tone.
Hatred!
Be careful, Inu-Yasha! She wants you dead!
"Run, Inu-Yasha!" I screamed, praying he'd hear me.
Of course he didn't. He and I were both to be shocked by what she did next. I'd rather not dwell upon it, but I am supposed to say, after all.
Kikyo kissed him. On the lips.
What??!! I stared in disbelief. What the heck? She's supposed to kill him, damn it!
I felt utterly and totally out of place. What the hell am I doing here? I feel like a fool.
And suddenly, an emotion that had recently become quite foreign to me when concerning these two, made itself known. I-I think I'm going to cry. Now that I think about it, Kikyo and Inu-Yasha are one of the most tragic loves I've heard of in history. Right up there with Antony and Cleopatra.
I watched them together, but gradually the romance wore off.
"We can never return to that past." Kikyo whispered, actually having some emotion in that for a change. "So, let us be like this for just a while longer." Was it just me or did she sound melodramatic saying that? We were back to the cheesy romance flick once again. Ugh, I don't think I can watch this anymore...But just when I was about to turn away, something caught my eye.
At first, it was just a little speck of dirt, flying away from Kikyo's ankle. But soon, it was much more than that.
Something was definitely wrong.
I mean, they were sinking into a giant pit in the ground, for crying out loud! That is not normal, even in the feudal age!
Doesn't he notice it! Inu-Yasha! You're being dragged into the ground!
"Stop it, Kikyo!" I screamed.
Kikyo completely ignored me, to my fury. Goddamn it, woman! You're dragging my, er, friend into the ground and you won't even acknowledge me with so much as a triumphant glare?! Okay, so I wouldn't have been in an exactly peachy mood even if she had, but I was still pissed off. And terrified at the same time. Also, feeling kind of rash....
"Inu-Yasha!" I yelled "You fool! Can't you see what she's doing!?"
It wasn't helping. She'd enchanted him. His eyes were almost blank, and I doubted he'd have heard me even if I wasn't under Kikyo's spell.
I switched my attentions. "Kikyo! You can hear me, can't you!"
Kikyo gave me a faint glance, but I knew she was listening.
"Fifty years ago, someone else tricked you and Inu-Yasha into hating each other! His name is Naraku! He's your true enemy!"
Did she listen?
Kikyo raised a hand.
She flicked it, slamming me against the tree. "Silence."
I wonder if she knew how much that hurt? Practically every bone in my body felt like it was being smashed. The tree, itself, splintered when I hit it.
Kikyo gave me a poisonous look, reminiscent of Naraku. "Vengeance alone will not resurrect me."
She turned to the enchanted Inu-Yasha. "Inu-Yasha, don't you agree that rather than living the rest of your life unable to forget me, it is better to die with me here and now?"
Somehow, that sentence awoke a fury within me. Oh, I was mad. Realllly mad.
"You psycho witch!" I screamed "Get your bloody hands off him!!!"
Kikyo reacted violently to this threat, quite unlike the ones before. I don't know what happened, but shining lights seemed to be erupting from the undead priestess. Her powers must have been fading, because I suddenly found myself capable of moving, and promptly fell over (way to go, me).
Realizing what this could mean, I shouted with the remains of my strength "Inu-Yasha! Wake up!"
Those simple words must have done something, because suddenly his head shot up and his eyes locked on me.
"Kagome!" He ran over and unsheathed the Tetsusaiga, destroying the soul skimmer that was wound around me.
"What are you doing here?"
"What am I-?" I spluttered in disbelief. You thick headed moron!
I was saved the trouble of finishing my sentence when Inu-Yasha really noticed the soul skimmers.
Or more specifically, noticed them as they flew away from binding me, and straight to Kikyo.
"Kikyo...you..?"he whispered.
"Is that girl more precious to you?" she murmured.
God! Are we back to the damn soap?!
Kikyo slowly floated away on her soul skimmers, with Inu-Yasha calling after her and me wondering exactly how many bloody times the name 'Kikyo' had been said over all this.
"Inu-Yasha. Do not forget, there was no lie in my kiss."
I blushed angrily, while thinking Like hell, there wasn't!
"Kikyo..." Inu-Yasha said quietly for about the kazillionth time.
One bloody time too many in my opinion.
I stomped away in the other direction. He followed me.
"Hey..."
"Get away from me!" I snapped.
"What are you so mad about?"What am I so mad about???!!! Why that little...
"Maybe I wasn't supposed to, but I did hear everything!!" I snarled.
Inu-Yasha looked momentarily shocked.
"W-what do you mean everything?" he stammered.
"Everything! From the beginning!" I was about ready to crack at his goddamned stupidity.
Then I sighed, suddenly having a lack of energy, like when you have a lot of sugar, then it wears off really fast. "What am I...to you?"
He blinked. "Huh? Oh for-"
"SIT!"
Inu-Yasha slammed into the ground.
"I'm going home..." I sighed miserably. I found myself mildly wondering if the sit command had the same affect on Inu-Yasha that Kikyo's slamming me into a tree had on me.
As I kept on, I found myself drifting between a boatload of emotions. Mostly, it was many little flashbacks that tried to convince me to forgive him.
"I've never stopped thinking about you for a single day!"
"Aaargh!" I yelled in frustration. "I let him make a fool out of me!" Stupid Inu-Yasha, stupid Inu-Yasha, stupid Inu-Yasha...Speak of the devil. He was following me. I spun around and glared. "Don't follow me! I hate you!" I screamed at nearly the top of my lungs.
I continued to furiously stomp away.
-------
Okay, so quite a while later, I was still stomping, running on my furious energy alone. "Jeez! This is ridiculous, I'm back where I started again! Where's the exit!"
I was actually getting a little bored, walking around in circles with only my thoughts to entertain me.
"Hey, Kagome!"
Practically the first time the stupid jerk called me by my name since he saw me.
I realized my eyes were tearing. I'm exhausted. Now that I think about it , I haven't slept in two days. I yawned sleepily.
Suddenly, Inu-Yasha jumped in front of me, causing me to jump back in surprise.
"Will you at least listen to my explanation?"
"I'm listening." I growled.
"If what happened injured your feelings, I apologize!"
Now that suprised me.
"Do you hear me!"
Okay, I was feeling a little less willing to forgive him now.
"Well? What more do you want?"
He doesn't sound terribly apologetic I thought dryly.
"It was the kiss, wasn't it!" he contiued.
I flinched.
"Feh. You're angry about the fact that I kissed her!"
I'd forgotten about that...Wait! He kissed her? "You really are a fool, aren't you? You just don't get it! After what you said to me! How could you tell Kikyo you never stopped thinking about her? Which one is true!"
"They're both true."
I gaped at him. What? He's a two-timer?
"For fifty years, Kikyo's soul has wandered, unable to break free of this haunted world." He said softly. "She wouldn't have met that fate if I'd simply been able to trust her. How can you expect me to forget that?"
I looked at him. Oh, Inu-Yasha. I'm sorry. I didn't know you felt that way. I...but...
I turned so my back was to him. "I'm going to ask you one final question."
I paused to make sure he heard me. "Am I...just Kikyo's replacement?"
"You idiot! I keep telling you again and again that you're not!"
I smiled softly at his response, ignoring the 'idiot' part.
"Fine, yes, at the beginning I thought you looked a bit like her. But now I know you! To me you are only you!"
His response made me so happy. Happier than he could know. I slowly closed my eyes. Time to get a good rest.