Momijigari.
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, and all credit should go to Rumiko Takahashi.
Chapter Two: Taking Out The Trash.
After work Kagome went outside to toss the trash out into the garbage bin. She used a high kick to lift the lid, watching as it flew back and slammed loudly against the bin. The noise rattled her as she shivered with her hands on her ears. She stood with a dazed expression for a moment or two before shaking her head comically.
"Sayonara Trash-kun!" She saluted before she hoisted the bag up off the ground while scrunching her face. After a moment of struggling with the large mound of trash, she threw the bag up into the air. She watched with some interest as it fell over the rim into the bin with a loud noise.
"DONG!" Went "Trash-kun" as it hit the bottom of the bin.
"Yay! Now, to go get dressed down and go home! Maybe I'll ask Jin if he wants to come over and play Kabuki Warriors."
Kagome was just about to walk back inside when she heard something rustling within the bushes behind her. She timidly turned her head to the side, and glanced over her shoulder in question. From the corner of her eye she saw something, a white streak fly out of the bushes and hide behind the trash can.
"Hiii!" She reacted with a scream, comically jumping back against the door frame, holding her pounding chest.
"Eh? I-Is someone there?" She asked aloud as she moved forward, feet timidly carrying her toward the trash bin. As soon as she made it behind the dumpster, the same white streak flew back behind the bushes.
Kagome stared at those bushes in question, curiosity nipping at her more furiously than before. She suddenly ran over, pushing the bushes aside with her arms. Her head popped through, only to see the white form running away into the forest. She quickly pursued it for about fifteen minuets until it slowed down and tumbled forward, huddled against a rock. As she drew forward, she realized it was a white fox that was curled up in a ball whimpering. The fox then opened and trained its silvery eyes on the human girl shaking in fear as she approached.
"Oh! It's only a kitsune. Come here little guy, I'm not going to hurt you." She said as she came forward toward it. One of her wooden sandals accidentally bumped an old rusty can, causing the creature to rear up in defense, it attacked her.
"Yaaa!" She cried as she fell to the ground holding her arm out protectively in front of her. She blinked for a moment, noticing not pain but a heavy pressure on her body. She turned her head forward and stared down at the kitsune as it gnawed into the arm brace on her arm. As she laid there panting in fear, she realized that she couldn't feel its teeth, thankfully, as the armbraces were real and genuine. The poor thing was trembling as it tried to bite down harder through the thick padding on the human's arm.
"Now that's enough of that!" Kagome shouted as she lightly pinched the tuff of fur on the back of the kit's neck.
The injured animal flinched suddenly, and but seemed to understand the serious tone she regarded it with. She watched as it slowly began to open its jaws. She cautiously released its fur and helped the fox free it's canine from her arm-brace. She placed her hand lightly on the head of the kitsune, stroking it tenderly.
"There, there, I'm not so bad right?" She smiled down at it. The kit locked eyes with the human girl, not quite understanding why it felt so calm within her arms. How could it have attacked this innocent girl? Her eyes went wide at the tears welling in the animal's beautiful silver eyes. She glanced down in fright, eyes incidentally spotting the bloody patch of fur on the creature's hind leg.
"You're hurt! You poor baby, no wonder why you were so scared you poor thing." She said as she sat up, caressing the animal to her chest.
Kagome rose carefully from the ground, as not to further injure the fox. Suddenly she heard a growl from behind her. She slowly turned her head to the side, glancing out of the corner of her eye at the large black creature behind her. Her jaw dropped in surprise, eyes wide in fear as she turned to the creature, clutching the little kitsune that was having a hard time breathing.
"No way." She said purely in disbelief as she stared into the eyes of a large black dog with frightening blood-orange eyes. This creature, it was no ordinary dog, it looked like, dare she say it…
"A devil dog." She muttered with a shiver.
Sweat dripped down her brow, her eyes flitted around frantically looking for a weapon or something to fend the beast off with. The beast's pupils had shrunk so small that it gave the creature a seriously menacing look, not to mention the mouthful of sharp teeth it was bearing at her. The overly large dog's muzzle wrinkled in rage as it growled ferociously at the girl, focusing its eyes on the creature in her arms.
"Grrr! Kirch- RAAAAH!" The monster before her roared, ripping its gigantic claws into the earth below. She was stunned, the creature was trying to talk. She wondered what it was saying as she watched it toy with its tongue and jaw.
"Kirch! Raaah! Reee!" It roared once more, seemingly impatient by the way it was angling itself lower to the ground.
"Kit? Kitsune?"
Kagome's eyes dropped down to the injured fox shaking with labored breathing in her arms. Her eyes quickly snapped up to the behemoth in front of her. She held the kit closer to her chest, protectively with a small growl of her own.
"No! I will not give it over to you!" She yelled, firmly determined to protect the hurt animal she cradled to her chest.
The black dog's patience ran out, it poised low and itself at the girl in front of him.
"No!" She screamed as she twirled away and began running away. If she could only run to the small abandoned shrine at the top of the hill, she could lock herself in there. She kept stumbling over rocks and twigs because of the damned geta on her feet, it was taking all she had to balance herself and not to loosen her grip on the kit.
Kagome saw the streams of red light that followed behind the monster panting ferociously behind her. She stumbled just once and that was enough. The mammoth dog barely caught its target as she narrowly dodged its advance. She had moved to the side fast, but not fast enough to fully evade as one of the shining razor black claws caught her on the side of her torso. She jarred forward with a painful cry, stumbling forward as the tears fell from her eyes.
"Plip, plip," went the sound of the saltwater leaking from her eyes as it splashed onto her breastplate below. She recollected herself through clenched teeth and forced herself to run a few paces before she reached the very top of the hill. She quickly bent over, gasping painfully as she reached down and snatched up a large rock, holding it high above her in a threatening manner. Loose strands of her ebony locks stuck to her face, and matted against the back of her neck from the sweat.
"Take another step, and you'll be sorry! I'm not joking you stupid dog!" Kagome warned as she clutched the kit to her breastplate tightly. She was panting, sweat rolling off her in heavy drops, and the place where she had been cut was burning like the dickens. Her head felt like it was swimming as she tried to keep her focus on the snarling beast in front of her.
Slobbering black ash fell from the animal, her vision suddenly brightened, swarms of pink light enveloped her, and she felt the object within her hand growing hotter. She raised her head, staring at the rock glowing brightly within her half clenched hand.
"What? What is this?" She thought as a strong breeze hit her full force. It was then that she knew the monster had caught up to her.
The beast before her snarled once more, bending low with its hellish eyes burning into the bright grey ones of the girl. Its tail bristled and its muzzle wrinkled horridly. It wasted no time moving faster than normal eyes could see, it attacked the girl again. However, this time she was ready. Her hand came down early, rock connecting roughly to the skull of the beast with a sickening electrical burst, followed by a brutal crack. Just after she had bashed the creature, it reacted with a whine and fleeted back from her.
Kagome felt her body aching as she panted desperately, her side was burning viciously under her clothes. She didn't think she'd be able to keep going with this damned beast as she spared a glance toward the animal against her breast. The kitsune wasn't doing so well either, she had to escape, and do it quickly.
Kagome looked over the black beast that was rolling around within the dirt and grass, visually writhing in pain. She had caught it in the eye, and injured it deeply. She knew she had no time to waste for the beast would surely be pissed at her. The whines emitted from the creature hurt her deeply as she never enjoyed anything suffering, but that damned thing had it coming.
She quickly disregarded the dog and hustled her way toward the abandoned shrine, running up the steps. However she didn't count that the third would be rotted, and so it cracked causing her to stumble. Within those few conscious seconds, she realized that she needed the use of both hands to prevent herself from taking injury, and to do that she'd have to toss the kit down.
Her choice was made as she fell down and scraped her knee deeply, protecting the kit at all costs. She heard a vicious growl and knew that the beast had reached the shrine. Despite her knee she summoned the strength to hobble up those creaky steps. She reached the porch and threw her hand out, sliding the old dusty shoji door back.
Time, she realized must not have been in her favor, for at that moment every single hair on the back of her neck stood up. She felt the impending dread within her belly as she turned around. Hope was like a capsizing ship within her and it was sinking within the acid waves that lived there in her stomach.
She had time to close the door but decided against it for a reason she deemed more important and the moment. She opened her eyes to their fullest and made fast work of her armor, ripping her apron slightly. She slid the bundle away from her with a sorrowful smile. Those shining jewels of hers reflected the moon above and the great Goshinboku, whose crimson maple leaves fluttered freely within the night wind. She realized that this was her end, she stared fearlessly into the eyes of the beast which was flying toward her.
"I'm sorry, Jin-kun." She uttered softly to the open air.
The vicious beast with red eyes slammed into the small body of the bitch that had dared to injure it, sending her and itself forward into the open old run down well behind her. Kagome crinkled her nose with tears flowing from the corners of her eyes, dripping off her lashes as she felt the teeth of the beast ripping into the flesh her exposed shoulder near her neck. Her lips parted in agony as she fell into darkness under the shining ebony fur of the beast upon her. All she could think of, was how trying to take out the trash ended up like this. Seriously all she had to do was put the bag in the bin and go back inside, but now she was going to die.
On the floor of the shrine off to the side, laid the white kitsune within a bundle of the human girl's breastplate, shoulder pads, and apron. The kit slept, unaware of the fate of the girl who had saved its life. From the well a shining violet light busted out, cutting through the darkness like a shining blade. From the well also emerged a cacophonous opera of voices of the past rang within the small shrine and out of the door. The wind swept up the voices and sent them down the mountain side.
Within a marbled hall, a swirling darkness battling the light that streamed protectively around her, the beast upon her did not let up as it forced its fangs deeper. Kagome moaned painfully, digging her nails into the fur of the beast, clenching it tightly with a glare. She suddenly felt warm hands sliding down her cheeks. She witnessed it as glowing pale flesh, limbs, arms and fingers appeared.
They ripped into the beast, tearing it from her as she jerked painfully within the space in which she floated. Specks of floating light particles drifting around her like fairy sprites. She saw the beast falling away from her a stream of crimson fled from her body, and drifted after her as she felt her mind swirling dangerously, and her consciousness was fading. In front of her was a woman, though she could see nothing but her lips and the lower half of her face. Ribbons of her raven hair flowed around them, swirling mystically.
"Welcome young one, to the plane of transcendence. You'll arrive in your destination soon enough. Do not be worried." Came the soft angelic tone of a woman's voice within her mind.
"I won't die? I don't want to…die. Why? Where am I?" She thought as she tried to fight the numbness that desired to take over her. Her body felt so cold, chilling as she lowered her lids over her eyes. She heard the woman laugh, a soft sweet sound that calmed her heart.
"You will not die silly girl, you will live. You must live, for you are far too important a person to everyone. You'll be a symbol of clarity and divinity. Trust me dear girl, I know these things." The woman's voice replied.
Kagome wondered if she had said that out loud.
"That sounds nice, really nice but...who are you?"
The woman's rose colored lips pulled back into a beautiful smile.
"I see you are never lacking within your hunger for knowledge. I am not at liberty to disclose that to you at this moment in time. However, we will see more of each other often, I'm sure of it. For now you should rest while you can, young one." The woman chuckled lightly.
"Okay. Sleep sounds, really nice right now…Thank you." Kagome replied as she closed her eyes with a smile, she allowed her mind to drift into the darkness.
"You're very welcome, protector and barer of the Shikon Jewel."
That was the last thing she heard, as she sank into a deep slumbering tide of warmth washing over her. This sensation of comfort was emitted from the arms of the woman that cradled the girl protectively to her breast, drifting with her through the void of flowing time.
After Story.
A man with a masked expression displaying a cold but, shinning shrillness of excellence stood silently within the grass across from a much younger Goshinboku. The grand sacred tree that towered over all within the forest seemed to welcome him, not that he seemed to care. His eyes viewed the miraculous display of crimson maple leaves the tree shed, he watched as they fell around him, dancing with his swaying his silver hair in the breeze. His hard golden eyes focused on the figure before him, scrutinizing the perfect preservation of the figure.
Centered at the trunk of the old sacred tree was a humanoid figure, the figure of a boy dressed within red robes and white dog ears atop his head. The boy's eyes were closed, and his face was calm. He was not dead, just most likely put into a deep slumber by the arrow that pinned him in the near center of his chest. A serine aura washed out, and pulled into him, almost as it seemed like he was dreaming a very beautiful dream.
"Inuyasha, you damned fool." He murmured softly, to prevent the wind from stealing his words and carrying them up into the air, fearing somewhat that the boy would hear them.
The ground beneath his feet suddenly shook as he felt a massive explosion of reiki and yokai hurdling out from the beat up old Bone Eater's well well a ways off from him. The demon blood in his veins boiled at the massively vast swarm of energies, like it had been challenged directly. His golden eyes reflected the sudden violet and pink intertwining stream of light as it flew into the sky like a lightning bolt traveling in reverse. The ground shook yet again, and the clouds crackled. They boomed violently with plumes of flashing light.
"What is that?" He wondered as he began to turn toward the well's direction. His body flexed and then shot off from the ground. He was involuntarily flying in the air, off toward the well. He was surprised by his internal self, equally wondering what was going on in the small clearing that the well called home. Surly he wasn't the only one who had seen it, and he was sure that many others across the land had just witnessed the same as he. However, he'd be the first one to investigate the scene.
Author: ｡(*￣m￣)｡ I had fun writing this chapter, just not the violence part. Okay, I'm lying. XD
Small note: I'm sure you realize who she was talking to, however if you don't. You'll find out soon enough! Oh and, Kabuki Warriors is actually a cool game.
Please Read and Review, I love feedback from you guys!
(づ￣ ³￣)づ~Muah!
I'll be updating ASAP. (｡･ω･)ﾉﾞTill next time! Bye!