Penitent: InuYasha Fanfic Volume 1
Chapter 1
"Why do I have to sit so still?!" Inu-Yasha cried, fidgeting every which way. Kagome grit her teeth to keep from smacking his already injured side, just to keep him from moving. A chuckle arose from Kaede's hut not 5 yards away from them. The smoke that came through the roof billowed in the breeze and scattered. The same breeze carried warm currents towards the group as they basked in the afternoon sun. Inu-Yasha had once again saved the village from a stray, man-eating demon. He didn't like to admit it, but he was actually proud to be protecting the village. If it mattered to Kagome, it mattered to him.
"It's your fault anyway, for fighting as hard as you did, when you knew your body couldn't handle it! You were already injured!" She glanced at his blood-soaked arm and sighed. She would have to change that soon... again. This must be the 3rd time this week she thought. But she kept her tongue in her head as she finished bandaging Inu-Yasha's side. "There. Stop moving or it'll get loose again. Inu-Yasha!" She groaned in exasperation as he hefted the Tetsusaiga.
"What?!" Inu-Yasha growled angrily. "Will you stop yelling at me about everything?!"
"Will you listen to me, just once? Your injuries...!"
"Feh." Inu-Yasha smirked at her. "These are nothing. They'll heal in no time."
"That's what you said last time!" Kagome held him back by his arm and pleaded, holding back just enough of her pride. "Please, Inu-Yasha..."
Inu-Yasha looked at her as his face softened. He sat down, but with a scowl that partially hid the face he would have worn if he had been open about giving in to her. He crossed his arms when he sat down and looked away from Kagome, who smiled gratefully and started to unroll more bandages for Inu-Yasha's arm. She took his arm gingerly from the cross on his chest and unrolled the blood-soaked bandages, then started to roll his arm again in clean ones. Nearly a half hour passed before she completed her task.
"I must admit, I admire how Lady Kagome puts up with you, Inu-Yasha," Miroku spoke up from where he was napping under a tree. He cracked open an eyelid and peered at Inu-Yasha and Kagome.
"And I must agree with Lord Miroku," Sango said, bouncing an infant on her knee while she sat near Miroku. The baby giggled playfully and wagged a fist at his mother. Sango laughed at her. "Little Ayame-chan..."
"Oh yes, how is my little Ayame-hime?" Miroku crawled over to Sango and Ayame playfully and kissed his daughter's cheek. Ayame threw her arms around Miroku's neck as Inu-Yasha and Kagome looked on. Finally, Kagome packed up her backpack and shouldered it.
"I'm heading back," she announced, before waving and starting off. "I'll be back in a few hours." Turning to look where she was going, she added to herself, "After I take a hot bath and do my homework... high school is so hard." She didn't notice Inu-Yasha until he walked beside her. When she gave him a sideways glance, he appeared to be looking out for signs of danger. Kagome sighed. "Inu-Yasha, I can look after myself, you know. Go back and play with the baby."
"Feh. The baby can play with itself." Inu-Yasha gave her a sideways glance in return. "What's the matter? You don't want me to walk you home? Keep you from danger?"
"Do you really not listen to me, or are you just trying to make me mad?" Kagome muttered as she raised an eyebrow. "I told you, I can look after myself. I don't need you to stand by me all the time. You took me home last time already, remember?"
"But something could happen this time. Besides..." He paused, suddenly taking great interest in the trees beside the worn path on the way to the Bone-Eater's Well. "...I... just like to walk with you... is that so bad?"
Kagome paused, a bit surprised. He never revealed his feelings. And what if Miroku and Sango were watching? And where was Shippo? He was usually around here... but maybe he went off with his friends from the village... Kagome thought. She shoved Shippo to the back of her mind and focused on her present state with Inu-Yasha. Stopping in the middle of the path made Inu-Yasha stop too, and she said to him, "I'll be fine. Okay? Go on. Spend time with Ayame-chan. Before she grows up thinking that 'scary face' is really scary." She chuckled at Ayame's nickname for Inu-Yasha.
"So what if she does? I can be scary." He growled a few times at Kagome, throwing her into fits of laughter. "But if you keep insisting that I go... I guess I should. Be careful, you understand? You'll never know what in the world could be crawling around here." He raised a hand as if to stroke her cheek before turning it into fist, which quickly flattened itself in a waving gesture. He walked back in the direction of Sango, Miroku, and Ayame. Kagome was still trying to figure out what he was about to do while she waved back and smiled, then turned around to head for the well.
Lost in thought, her feet slowly took her down the familiar path. It was so familiar, she didn't think about where she was going. Her feet knew just where to step, and where to avoid. Animals didn't bother to hide; they knew her to be harmless, even helpful at times. The sun shone brightly on the path, and trees provided occasional umbrages and cool spots on the ground. Her backpack was light, her head was in the clouds with thoughts of Inu-Yasha's behavior... and it was suddenly the perfect time... An arrow streaked by her cheek, grazing it deeply enough to let out a trickle of rich red blood. Kagome started with a jerk and looked up, alarmed. Her eyes scanned her surroundings and rested on a shadowy figure partly hidden by a tree. "Who are you?!"
"Heh," was all the figure said, before she stepped out into the sun. Her lean frame in priestess's clothes was almost purely alabaster. Her white top gleamed in the sun, reflecting its rays, while the red, bottom half of her ensemble swished gracefully as she walked. Her long hair was tied back with a white sash. In her hands she held a bow, and on her back was a quiver full of arrows. Her face, so like Kagome's own, smirked at Kagome coldly as she drew another arrow from the quiver and fitted it onto the string. "Ohayo gozaimasu, Kagome-san."
"Kikyo-san..." Kagome sucked in a quick breath, completely forgetting about the graze on her cheek. "W-What are you doing?!" This was the woman that Inu-Yasha was in love with. They had been together about 50 years before, before Naraku, a power hungry demon, decided to turn them against each other in order to turn a sacred jewel impure. The jewel would then be able to do incredible things for Naraku... but that was a different story. She never gave up on Inu-Yasha, since she was still in love with him, and he with her. But Kagome came into the story... Kagome, recalling the past history in less that half a second, almost knew what was coming before she finished her question. Kikyo wanted Inu-Yasha for herself. No one else was supposed to "have" him... Kagome gulped visibly.
"I'm doing what I need to do," Kikyo replied in a serene voice. "I should have taken all of my opportunites more seriously. Inu-Yasha will be mine, do you understand...? His life belongs to me, and me alone." She aimed her arrow at Kagome, who stepped back fearfully. Kagome's eyes darted around to find a hiding place, and then darted back in Kikyo's direction as she heard the bowstring being drawn. If only I had my own bow and arrows... I could at least protect myself. The whistle would be next...
Kagome quickly ran behind a thick tree as the arrow whistled by, its white aura leaving a thick trail. It landed about 30 yards from her, but even then she couls see that the arrow's head was deeply buried in the ground. She breathed deeply before she had to move again. This time Kikyo's arrow had buried itself in the tree and nearly shattered the trunk in half. Kagome leaped to avoid another one and landed on her feet and hands, her left knee bent and her other leg extended to stop herself from skidding. Her hands, unprotected and flat against the ground, were cut from rocks and various twigs that littered the forest floor. She ignored the pain and quickly leaped up, jumping behind another tree just in time.
"You cannot run from me forever, Kagome. You will die, I guarantee." Kagome heard her sneer as she fitted another arrow into the bow. She moved quickly and prayed, Inu-Yasha... please come!
This time, however, when Kikyo shot her arrow, it caught the flap on Kagome's school uniform and dragged her entire body to a tree, where she was stuck. The arrow was embedded so deeply, it looked like it had to be dug out of the tree. Kikyo calmly walked over to her, pulling out a katana from the sheath bound to her waist. Kagome eyed it nervously, backing up agains the tree in vain.
"Do you like my newly acquired katana? I purchased it just for this purpose... the purpose of finally keeping you away from Inu-Yasha." She brought the blade to Kagome's throat and lightly ran the edge over her skin. However lightly she did it, the katana still drew blood. Kagome felt warm liquid oozing down her neck towards her uniform. Her mind called out Inu-Yasha's name as she tightly closed her eyes.
She opened them quickly when she heard a familiar voice call out an attack, and blood, not her own, splattered all over her. In shock, Kagome almost forgot to breathe. She stared at Kikyo's lifeless body on the ground in front of her. Inu-Yasha grabbed her shoulders and shook her lightly. "Kagome! Kagome?! Are you all right? Kuso, you're bleeding..." She dumbly let Inu-Yasha draw her to him and felt cloth being wiped against her neck. More blood was wiped against her skin in the process. She felt the streak, and the stickiness brought her back to her senses. She frowned and started to pant heavily. Pushing Inu-Yasha away, she clasped her hands together and murmured brokenly, "Y-You killed her... you l-loved her... and you k-killed h-her... oh my God... and it's all b-because of m-me... if I h-hadn't... I w-wouldn't have... and she... oh my God..." She repeated incoherent phrases and slowly backed away from Inu-Yasha. Miroku ad Sango, with Ayame on Sango's back, appeared a few yards behind Inu-Yasha. They surveyed the scene before them to put the pieces together while Inu-Yasha frowned worriedly at Kagome. He held out his hands towards her, inviting her back to him. "Kagome... Kagome, come with me, you need to... Kagome!!!" He never finished his thoughts on what she needed to do. She ran into the forest, dropping the backpack on the way. Her guilt and shock were the only thins keeping her from crying so hard hiccups would come. It's all my fault... all my fault... and I can't stand it... She ran until she dropped from exhaustion in a clearing, with (fortunately) soft grass carpeting the area. Her tears finally came, and she cried herself to sleep.
Chapter 1
"Why do I have to sit so still?!" Inu-Yasha cried, fidgeting every which way. Kagome grit her teeth to keep from smacking his already injured side, just to keep him from moving. A chuckle arose from Kaede's hut not 5 yards away from them. The smoke that came through the roof billowed in the breeze and scattered. The same breeze carried warm currents towards the group as they basked in the afternoon sun. Inu-Yasha had once again saved the village from a stray, man-eating demon. He didn't like to admit it, but he was actually proud to be protecting the village. If it mattered to Kagome, it mattered to him.
"It's your fault anyway, for fighting as hard as you did, when you knew your body couldn't handle it! You were already injured!" She glanced at his blood-soaked arm and sighed. She would have to change that soon... again. This must be the 3rd time this week she thought. But she kept her tongue in her head as she finished bandaging Inu-Yasha's side. "There. Stop moving or it'll get loose again. Inu-Yasha!" She groaned in exasperation as he hefted the Tetsusaiga.
"What?!" Inu-Yasha growled angrily. "Will you stop yelling at me about everything?!"
"Will you listen to me, just once? Your injuries...!"
"Feh." Inu-Yasha smirked at her. "These are nothing. They'll heal in no time."
"That's what you said last time!" Kagome held him back by his arm and pleaded, holding back just enough of her pride. "Please, Inu-Yasha..."
Inu-Yasha looked at her as his face softened. He sat down, but with a scowl that partially hid the face he would have worn if he had been open about giving in to her. He crossed his arms when he sat down and looked away from Kagome, who smiled gratefully and started to unroll more bandages for Inu-Yasha's arm. She took his arm gingerly from the cross on his chest and unrolled the blood-soaked bandages, then started to roll his arm again in clean ones. Nearly a half hour passed before she completed her task.
"I must admit, I admire how Lady Kagome puts up with you, Inu-Yasha," Miroku spoke up from where he was napping under a tree. He cracked open an eyelid and peered at Inu-Yasha and Kagome.
"And I must agree with Lord Miroku," Sango said, bouncing an infant on her knee while she sat near Miroku. The baby giggled playfully and wagged a fist at his mother. Sango laughed at her. "Little Ayame-chan..."
"Oh yes, how is my little Ayame-hime?" Miroku crawled over to Sango and Ayame playfully and kissed his daughter's cheek. Ayame threw her arms around Miroku's neck as Inu-Yasha and Kagome looked on. Finally, Kagome packed up her backpack and shouldered it.
"I'm heading back," she announced, before waving and starting off. "I'll be back in a few hours." Turning to look where she was going, she added to herself, "After I take a hot bath and do my homework... high school is so hard." She didn't notice Inu-Yasha until he walked beside her. When she gave him a sideways glance, he appeared to be looking out for signs of danger. Kagome sighed. "Inu-Yasha, I can look after myself, you know. Go back and play with the baby."
"Feh. The baby can play with itself." Inu-Yasha gave her a sideways glance in return. "What's the matter? You don't want me to walk you home? Keep you from danger?"
"Do you really not listen to me, or are you just trying to make me mad?" Kagome muttered as she raised an eyebrow. "I told you, I can look after myself. I don't need you to stand by me all the time. You took me home last time already, remember?"
"But something could happen this time. Besides..." He paused, suddenly taking great interest in the trees beside the worn path on the way to the Bone-Eater's Well. "...I... just like to walk with you... is that so bad?"
Kagome paused, a bit surprised. He never revealed his feelings. And what if Miroku and Sango were watching? And where was Shippo? He was usually around here... but maybe he went off with his friends from the village... Kagome thought. She shoved Shippo to the back of her mind and focused on her present state with Inu-Yasha. Stopping in the middle of the path made Inu-Yasha stop too, and she said to him, "I'll be fine. Okay? Go on. Spend time with Ayame-chan. Before she grows up thinking that 'scary face' is really scary." She chuckled at Ayame's nickname for Inu-Yasha.
"So what if she does? I can be scary." He growled a few times at Kagome, throwing her into fits of laughter. "But if you keep insisting that I go... I guess I should. Be careful, you understand? You'll never know what in the world could be crawling around here." He raised a hand as if to stroke her cheek before turning it into fist, which quickly flattened itself in a waving gesture. He walked back in the direction of Sango, Miroku, and Ayame. Kagome was still trying to figure out what he was about to do while she waved back and smiled, then turned around to head for the well.
Lost in thought, her feet slowly took her down the familiar path. It was so familiar, she didn't think about where she was going. Her feet knew just where to step, and where to avoid. Animals didn't bother to hide; they knew her to be harmless, even helpful at times. The sun shone brightly on the path, and trees provided occasional umbrages and cool spots on the ground. Her backpack was light, her head was in the clouds with thoughts of Inu-Yasha's behavior... and it was suddenly the perfect time... An arrow streaked by her cheek, grazing it deeply enough to let out a trickle of rich red blood. Kagome started with a jerk and looked up, alarmed. Her eyes scanned her surroundings and rested on a shadowy figure partly hidden by a tree. "Who are you?!"
"Heh," was all the figure said, before she stepped out into the sun. Her lean frame in priestess's clothes was almost purely alabaster. Her white top gleamed in the sun, reflecting its rays, while the red, bottom half of her ensemble swished gracefully as she walked. Her long hair was tied back with a white sash. In her hands she held a bow, and on her back was a quiver full of arrows. Her face, so like Kagome's own, smirked at Kagome coldly as she drew another arrow from the quiver and fitted it onto the string. "Ohayo gozaimasu, Kagome-san."
"Kikyo-san..." Kagome sucked in a quick breath, completely forgetting about the graze on her cheek. "W-What are you doing?!" This was the woman that Inu-Yasha was in love with. They had been together about 50 years before, before Naraku, a power hungry demon, decided to turn them against each other in order to turn a sacred jewel impure. The jewel would then be able to do incredible things for Naraku... but that was a different story. She never gave up on Inu-Yasha, since she was still in love with him, and he with her. But Kagome came into the story... Kagome, recalling the past history in less that half a second, almost knew what was coming before she finished her question. Kikyo wanted Inu-Yasha for herself. No one else was supposed to "have" him... Kagome gulped visibly.
"I'm doing what I need to do," Kikyo replied in a serene voice. "I should have taken all of my opportunites more seriously. Inu-Yasha will be mine, do you understand...? His life belongs to me, and me alone." She aimed her arrow at Kagome, who stepped back fearfully. Kagome's eyes darted around to find a hiding place, and then darted back in Kikyo's direction as she heard the bowstring being drawn. If only I had my own bow and arrows... I could at least protect myself. The whistle would be next...
Kagome quickly ran behind a thick tree as the arrow whistled by, its white aura leaving a thick trail. It landed about 30 yards from her, but even then she couls see that the arrow's head was deeply buried in the ground. She breathed deeply before she had to move again. This time Kikyo's arrow had buried itself in the tree and nearly shattered the trunk in half. Kagome leaped to avoid another one and landed on her feet and hands, her left knee bent and her other leg extended to stop herself from skidding. Her hands, unprotected and flat against the ground, were cut from rocks and various twigs that littered the forest floor. She ignored the pain and quickly leaped up, jumping behind another tree just in time.
"You cannot run from me forever, Kagome. You will die, I guarantee." Kagome heard her sneer as she fitted another arrow into the bow. She moved quickly and prayed, Inu-Yasha... please come!
This time, however, when Kikyo shot her arrow, it caught the flap on Kagome's school uniform and dragged her entire body to a tree, where she was stuck. The arrow was embedded so deeply, it looked like it had to be dug out of the tree. Kikyo calmly walked over to her, pulling out a katana from the sheath bound to her waist. Kagome eyed it nervously, backing up agains the tree in vain.
"Do you like my newly acquired katana? I purchased it just for this purpose... the purpose of finally keeping you away from Inu-Yasha." She brought the blade to Kagome's throat and lightly ran the edge over her skin. However lightly she did it, the katana still drew blood. Kagome felt warm liquid oozing down her neck towards her uniform. Her mind called out Inu-Yasha's name as she tightly closed her eyes.
She opened them quickly when she heard a familiar voice call out an attack, and blood, not her own, splattered all over her. In shock, Kagome almost forgot to breathe. She stared at Kikyo's lifeless body on the ground in front of her. Inu-Yasha grabbed her shoulders and shook her lightly. "Kagome! Kagome?! Are you all right? Kuso, you're bleeding..." She dumbly let Inu-Yasha draw her to him and felt cloth being wiped against her neck. More blood was wiped against her skin in the process. She felt the streak, and the stickiness brought her back to her senses. She frowned and started to pant heavily. Pushing Inu-Yasha away, she clasped her hands together and murmured brokenly, "Y-You killed her... you l-loved her... and you k-killed h-her... oh my God... and it's all b-because of m-me... if I h-hadn't... I w-wouldn't have... and she... oh my God..." She repeated incoherent phrases and slowly backed away from Inu-Yasha. Miroku ad Sango, with Ayame on Sango's back, appeared a few yards behind Inu-Yasha. They surveyed the scene before them to put the pieces together while Inu-Yasha frowned worriedly at Kagome. He held out his hands towards her, inviting her back to him. "Kagome... Kagome, come with me, you need to... Kagome!!!" He never finished his thoughts on what she needed to do. She ran into the forest, dropping the backpack on the way. Her guilt and shock were the only thins keeping her from crying so hard hiccups would come. It's all my fault... all my fault... and I can't stand it... She ran until she dropped from exhaustion in a clearing, with (fortunately) soft grass carpeting the area. Her tears finally came, and she cried herself to sleep.