Here's the next chapter guys! Thank you for all the reviews! Please enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. (So sad, but true)
When Inuyasha Died…
Part 2: Inuyasha's Demise
Kikyo went to Inuyasha. The black toxin wrapped around her but it didn't affect her in the least. She was dead after all. But she noticed that even in this state she was dying again. Her soul stealers couldn't get to her through the toxin.
'Good,' she thought. 'No more shall I steal the souls of young maidens.'
Kikyo climbed up the roots and went to Inuyasha. "Inuyasha,"
He opened his eyes and stared at her. "Kikyo. You have to leave."
"No," She said. "I intend to die here. With you."
He bit his lip. "I'm not going to die."
"You're already dying," she told him as she fingered the spear. "There's no way I can pull this from your body, and even if I did, what good would come of it?"
"You still hate me so much, don't you?" He asked her.
She shrugged. "No, but I still want you to die with me."
He inhaled deeply and he turned his head to look at Kagome. She was far away from him but he could still see her clearly. She was on the ground, crying.
'Kagome' he thought. 'I have to break free of this,'
Inuyasha grabbed the spear and began to pull again. It budged and Inuyasha shouted out in pain.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome called out when she heard his pain. Miroku and Sango held her firmly as she thrashed. "I have to go to him! Please!"
"You'll die!" They told her.
"I don't care!" She cried. "If Inuyasha dies I'll die too! I can't live without him. Please, let me go!"
Kikyo heard Kagome's words and sighed. "That Kagome… she must really care for you, Inuyasha."
He looked at her as he continued trying to pull the spear out. It wasn't budging anymore.
"Do you care for her?" Kikyo asked him as she cupped his chin.
He stared into her cold eyes and realized that Kikyo needed to know how he truly felt. "I do. She's been with me for a very long time and it's only natural that I've come to care for her."
"I see," Kikyo turned from him.
"Kikyo," he said softly. "I care for you as well."
She didn't turn to him but she did smile and nod. "Inuyasha. I don't know what I can do. I can feel my body growing weaker."
"You have to leave," Inuyasha said. "Your soul stealers can't get through the toxin."
"And neither can, Kagome." Kikyo sighed, then turned back to him. "Do you want her here? Do you want her here to watch you as you die?"
He gritted his teeth. "I'm not going to d-"
Suddenly pain seared through him and he yelled out again.
"You have to face it Inuyasha," Kikyo said to him. "You're dying and Kagome can't come to you because of this toxin. Every time you scream out she'll cry even harder and her friends, the monk and the slayer won't be able to hold her down for long. She's strong and she'll soon use her miko powers to shield herself from them and come to you and when she comes she'll die as well."
"Why ask if I want her here?" Inuyasha began to pant. It was getting harder to breathe. The poison had already begun spreading through his entire body.
Kikyo put her hand on the spear. "Because if you do, I'll get rid of the toxin and she can be here with you instead of watching you from afar. I know what she wants… she wants to hold you in her arms. But she can't because of this toxin. I can use the last of my power to take it away. But I'll only do it if you want her here."
Inuyasha knew what she was telling him. She was saying that he had to choose. If he wanted Kagome, she would die. But if he didn't want Kagome there, she would stay and still die in the process but Kagome would not be able to come to him.
"Do you?" she asked him. "Do you want Kagome here?"
"I-" he paused. "I do. I want her here, Kikyo."
Kikyo nodded and closed her eyes. Her hands tightened around the spear and it didn't take long for Inuyasha to see that Kikyo was absorbing the toxin.
"Kikyo! You're absorbing it! Stop- you'll die."
She gave him a smirk. "Foolish hanyou, I'm already dead or have you forgotten what happened more than 50 years ago?"
Inuyasha watched as the toxin began to fade. Kikyo's skin began to turn blue and Inuyasha knew what was happening. Kikyo was dying and she was going to die for good. As soon as the black toxin was gone, Inuyasha finally saw the extensive wounds Kikyo had.
"Kikyo? Where'd you get those wounds?" He asked her.
Kikyo began to cough as the toxin began to choke her. "It doesn't matter!" Kikyo stumbled backward and fell off of the roots onto the ground where she began coughing up… dirt?
Inuyasha watched horrified as Kikyo grabbed her throat and began bringing up her insides. He grimaced. There was nothing he could do to help her. The toxin was gone but the spear was still poisoning him on the inside and soon, Inuyasha knew, it would begin to drain his demon energy.
Kagome saw Kikyo fall to the ground, but she also saw that the toxin was gone. She thrashed violently from Miroku and Sango and finally, they let her go. Kagome ran and ran until she reached where Inuyasha and Kikyo was.
She was shocked to see Kikyo coughing up dirt. It was natural for her, wasn't it? After all, Kikyo was made from graveyard soil.
"Kikyo,"
The dead miko looked up at Kagome. "He's yours." She said as she struggled to get up. Kagome tried to help her but she pulled away. "Don't touch me, I'm poisonous."
With one last look at Inuyasha she said, "Good bye Inuyasha."
Kikyo began to stumble away, but she didn't make it far.
Kagome gasped and turned away as Kikyo froze and suddenly, her body began to molt into a pillar of soil until Kikyo was no more.
"Kikyo," Inuyasha whispered.
A soft breeze blew and the remnants of Kikyo were blown away. There was a long moment of silence before Inuyasha began shouting out in pain.
Kagome went to him. The spear wasn't poisonous to humans anymore since the toxin was gone so Kagome took it and tried to pull it out. It wouldn't budge.
Inuyasha watched as Kagome fought to pull it. He felt his heart wrench when it wouldn't budge at all and Kagome began to cry again.
"Come out!" She urged it as she continued pulling.
Miroku and Sango came and tried to help as well, but it wouldn't budge. It was futile. The strength of three mere mortals would not be enough to pull the spear out. But they didn't give up.
"Inuyasha,"
Sango, Miroku and Kagome suddenly looked and saw someone they didn't expect to see. It was Sesshoumaru.
"Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha growled at him.
Kagome stared at him. 'Could Sesshoumaru pull it out? I have to ask.' She thought. "Sesshoumaru. Is it possible… are you able to…"
"Kagome," Inuyasha growled.
"Can you pull this spear out?" She asked not caring how much Inuyasha protested.
He looked at her and then walked toward his brother. He reached out his hand but stopped when he saw Tetsusaiga jutting out of the root of the Goshinboku tree. He pulled his hand back.
"What is it?" Kagome asked him. "What's wrong?"
Sesshoumaru stepped back. "Inuyasha you may thank father for putting that powerful seal upon Tetsusaiga," He said as he pointed to the sword. "As I know you'll need an explanation. I'll give it to you."
Inuyasha inhaled sharply. He could feel his energy draining from his body. The spear had already begun its absorption.
Sesshoumaru continued. "Tetsusaiga is embedded into the tree, so is the demon spear that holds Inuyasha pinned to this tree."
Miroku finally understood the connection. "So Sesshoumaru couldn't pull the sword out even if he wanted to," he said.
Sesshoumaru looked at his brother. "The seal upon Tetsusaiga has been spread throughout you, the tree and the spear. Therefore, I cannot touch anything."
"What about if we pull the Tetsusaiga out of the tree?" Sango asked.
"Impossible," Sesshoumaru said. "The energies from Inuyasha, Tetsusaiga and the demon spear are far too great for three mere mortals to try and overcome."
Kagome didn't care. She went to Tetsusaiga but the moment she touched it, it burnt her hand. "Ahh!"
"Kagome!"
"It seems not even humans can touch Tetsusaiga now. As for the spear, you three can try to pull it free but it will not budge." Sesshoumaru's golden eyes roved over them before he glanced at his brother. "The spear has already begun absorbing your energy, hasn't it Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha bit into his lip but gave him a sharp nod. "I can feel my body weakening."
"You will first turn full demon," Sesshoumaru said to him. "You will try to break free but the poison has already done its task it's weakened you. Then it will absorb your full demon energy and you will turn back to hanyou, but it won't stop there,"
"What's going to happen?" Kagome asked as she held herself.
"Inuyasha will begin to waver from Human to Hanyou until all his hanyou energy has been absorbed. Once he is human…" Sesshoumaru paused. "He will die."
Kagome screamed out, "No!"
Sesshoumaru looked at her. "He'll be dead before midnight."
Inuyasha watched as Sesshoumaru took one last look at him. He didn't know what that look meant but he was certain he saw a sudden sadness in his brother's eyes.
"Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha called out as his brother began to walk away.
Sesshoumaru turned to glance back at him.
"Thank you for coming to see me," he said.
His words shocked everyone there, even Sesshoumaru who masked his shock the moment he realized he was shocked.
Sesshoumaru walked off but not before saying, "You fought well; you fought with all the pride of a dog demon. Father would have been more proud of you than I am and I admit now, I am very proud of you, brother."
Inuyasha heard the words. They had only been meant for Inuyasha to hear because Sesshoumaru had said them a little above a whisper. He felt his throat tighten. Finally, he got some recognition. He felt tears come to his eyes. All he had ever wanted was some recognition from Sesshoumaru.
When Sesshoumaru vanished, Inuyasha's head threw back and he howled out into the night as the pain that wracked through his body intensified.
Kagome, afraid he was about to die went up the roots again and to him. When Inuyasha looked at her, he was in his full demon form.
"Inuyasha!" She cried as she wrapped her arms around him. She may not be able to touch the sword to pull it out but at least she could hold him.
Inuyasha's claws and fangs lengthened and he latched onto the spear he began trying to pull it out. This would be the only other chance he had to remove it. After his full demon energy faded, he'd be too weak to do anything.
Kagome held him as he pulled and pulled and pulled but it wouldn't budge. He howled out again.
Kagome looked up and saw his eyes turn from red to gold and then it turned gold completely, the black stripes on his face disappeared and he was back as a hanyou.
"Kagome," he groaned as his body weakened. He could hardly move now.
"Inuyasha," she hugged him close.
"I'm dying Kagome," he told her. "I can't pull it out. No one can pull it out."
She began to cry even harder. Inuyasha managed to put a hand on her head and rub it. "Kagome, the jewel is yours. Use it as you wish."
Then Kagome thought of the jewel and pulled out her and Naraku's portions. "Inuyasha what if I asked the jewel to turn you into a full demon? Would you be strong enough to pull it out?"
He shook his head. "The spear absorbs the energy of demons and poisons humans. It won't work; it'll only make the spear feed more. It'll only prolong the pain."
Kagome's lips began to tremble. She pressed the portions together and they formed into one whole jewel. She couldn't use it. She pocketed it and looked at Inuyasha whose hair was now changing from black to silver. He was turning human now.
"Kagome!" Sango called tears running down her cheeks. "How about Miroku and I get some villagers to come and pull the spear out?"
Kagome nodded not really hearing what Sango had said. And so when Sango and Miroku had left she hardly noted their departure.
She couldn't do anything.
All she could do was watch… and cry. That's all she could ever do.
"What if I purified the tree?" She asked. "I can't touch the sword but I can touch the tree. I'll purify-"
"Kagome stop," he hushed her as his eyes changed from gold to violet. "Even if there was a way to purify the tree, I'm dying. I'm weak. I'm forever changed and I can't do anything about it. So leave it."
"But-"
"Just let go," he said to her softly. He was now completely human. His fangs, ears and claws were now completely gone. "This wouldn't happen unless it was meant to happen."
"Are you telling me you were meant to die today?" She asked him.
He shrugged. "These things happen all the time, Kagome; maybe not to us, but to someone else. Now it's happening to us and we can't do anything."
"So you want me to stay here?" she sniffed. "Stay and watch you die?"
"No," he said. "I want you to go. You can't handle this."
"You're right," she nodded. "I can't handle this. It's too much. It's unbearable. But I will."
"Kagome,"
She hugged him tighter. "I'm telling you I'm not going."
"But Kagome," He sighed.
"Inuyasha," she said softly. "You're the best friend I've ever known."
Inuyasha felt his throat tighten. He was running out of time. If he wanted to tell her anything it had to be now. If he didn't he'd lose his only chance forever. But could he do that to her? Could he tell her that he loved her when he was dying and wouldn't be able to truly love her? His heart throbbed.
'I should have told her a long time ago,' he thought. 'Dammit, I'm running out of time. I have to tell her now.'
"Kagome,"
Sango and Miroku came back with ten villagers, Shippo and Kaede but they all stood back as they realized this may be the last time Inuyasha and Kagome could say anything to each other.
Kagome looked up at Inuyasha, the tears streamed down her face. He hated to see her cry, but he couldn't blame her. He felt the tears drain down his face and Kagome gasped. He didn't care. She had to see him, the real him, not the 'him' he always showed her but the 'him' he always hid.
"Inuyasha," she cupped his chin and wiped his tears away but more fell. These were tears and emotions he had left pent up inside of him for hundreds of years. Now they were all coming out.
"Kagome," he said as he felt his legs and arms go numb. "I don't know if I should tell you this or not-"
"Tell me," she urged. "Please tell me."
"I don't know how," he said. "It's easy to think the words, but it's not easy to say them."
"I understand," she sniffed.
"Kagome, it's wrong for me to tell you how I feel now that I am dying," his eyes began to close. "But if I don't- I'll always regret it."
"Inuyasha-"
His breathing began to slow. "I know you may not feel the same way… but Kagome I…"
"Inuyasha?"
"I- I really…" He was panting now. He couldn't get air into his lungs any more. "Kagome, I- I- I-"
"You?"
"I love you!" The words rushed out of him at once. A moment later his head dropped, his eyes closed and his heart stopped.
Kagome froze.
"Inuyasha?" Tears came to her eyes.
"Inuyasha." she began to shake him.
"Inuyasha!" She began to scream as she realized that he was gone.
"INUYASHA!" Her cry pierced the sky and shattered all silence. The birds flew up from the trees, the animals began to scurry in fear and even the people witnessing realized how tormented and painful Kagome's cry was.
"Kagome!" Sango went to her when Kagome began to shake profusely.
"Kagome!" Miroku followed.
"He's dead…" She cried. "Inuyasha's dead!" Her lips began to tremble as the tears drained and drained. Her nose clogged and she couldn't breathe through that passage any longer so she began to gasp for air.
Sango and Miroku took her down from the roots and tried to hold her, but she wouldn't be held. She ran back up to Inuyasha and began to shake him.
"Wake up!" She screamed at him. "Dammit Inuyasha! Wake up!"
"Ye must move her from there," Kaede said to Miroku and Sango.
"Inuyasha! Kagome!" Shippo began to cry.
The slayer and the monk tried to move her but she held on to Inuyasha's body tightly. She wouldn't budge.
"Inuyasha!" She cried in his neck. "Please, I'll do anything you say, just wake up. Just come back! Shout at me again! Call me a stupid wench! Throw me down the well. Do whatever you want, just come back to me!"
The villagers held their head down as Kagome's cries continued to ring out through the night and even when the sun began to rise, Kagome was still crying. She was weak, but she was determined not to leave him.
"Kagome," Kaede said to her. "Ye have been out here all night. Ye must be very tired. Come to the hut and rest."
"I'm not leaving him!" Kagome cried. "I can't leave him, there's no way I will."
Kaede looked back at Sango and Miroku who were huddled together next to Kirara and Shippo they were all still awake crying as they watched Kagome hold onto their friend Inuyasha. It was a painful picture. Kaede felt the tears slip from her old eyes as she left Kagome to sit beside the others.
OMG! I literally cried through this entire part. Geez, what was I thinking when I decided to write this tragedy? anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, I tried to put every ounce of feeling into it.
Thank you for reading. Please review.
Apryl