The Last Light
Chapter 4: Twisted Fate
Inuyasha's eyes lightly moved under his eyelids, the world in complete darkness. He felt his muscles clenching around his bones, squeezing them for mercy. His chest felt like there were tiny pins, all continuously poking him at different angles, seeing which one hurt the most. It felt like his chest was burning with intense fire, and in reality, it was tearing at his flesh in haste.
Inuyasha tried to open his eyes, but couldn't find the strength to do so. His eyelids felt like lead, weighing his eyeballs down to the back of his head. At least, that's what it felt like. Inuyasha tried to shift his body, wanting to get out of this uncomfortable position, or try to wake up his sore and tired muscles.
His body didn't react to his brain's orders. Almost everything in his body had broken down. He tried to move again, maybe lift his arm a little, but his arm was numb, and felt like jelly to him. It was as if it wasn't even connected to his body anymore.
Finding that his nose, at least, still worked, Inuyasha sniffed the air warily. He could tell he was still in the hut, but now he noticed the lack of warmth that was previously on the side of his chest. Kagome wasn't beside him anymore.
The sound of footsteps caused Inuyasha's ears to faintly twitch at the top of his head. He could hear bare feet thump along the wooden floor, going across the room in a hurried frenzy, from one side of the hut to the other. He sniffed the air again, and almost winced. Yeah, that was undeniably the old hag.
His nose twitched as he tried to locate where everybody was, but it seemed that nobody was here except for Kaede. He could also smell the scent of burning wood, and ashes shriveling up beside it. The cracks from the fire could be heard not that far away, and yet, Inuyasha couldn't feel the warmth coming from it. He could hear the nighttime sounds outside, and the smell of the fresh air, probably because the villagers were sleeping.
Inuyasha tried to move again, tried to open his eyes, but it was no use; he was weak. And without Kagome beside him, he felt completely vulnerable. There was nobody here to protect him, nobody to calm him down, or cheer him up. All who werehere was the old hag, and the smell of her feet weren't helping him too much.
Inuyasha mentally Keh'd. He wasn't weak; he's the one with Tetsusaiga. Inuyasha isn't frail like that old hag. The wench can't protect him, so he's not vulnerable in the least. She's the vulnerable one.
And yet, when Inuyasha thought that, a nagging doubt edged at the back of his head.
He can't be in danger. No, he's a hanyou. All of the damage on his body has to heal; it will heal. Nothing will harm him, and he should know that.
Keh.
He heard the slight thump as Kaede sat down on the floor in front of the fire. Under his dark eyelids, Inuyasha could picture the hut in its usual warm state, with Kaede sitting alone by the fire, staring straight into the crackling flames. He could hear her harsh breathing, and he pictured her chest heaving up and down in an attempt to breathe.
Inuyasha's nose twitched again as another presence entered the room, and stood at the doorway.
"Hello Miroku," Inuyasha heard Kaede say.
Inuyasha heard the soft tap of Miroku's sandals limping across the floor towards him. "Is Inuyasha awake yet?" Inuyasha could feel Miroku standing next to him, his looming figure casting a shadow on Inuyasha.
Inuyasha wanted to say, I'm right here lecher, but found he still could not feel his muscles respond to his wants. What the hell was happening?
Damn it!
"I do not think thee is awake yet," Kaede responded.
Inuyasha heard Miroku limp over to Kaede and carefully sit down next to her, setting his staff next to him. A new image crept into Inuyasha's mind as he listened in on them.
"Where is everybody?" Inuyasha heard Miroku ask, "I couldn't find Sango or anyone else."
Kaede sighed. "I told Sango and Shippo to take Kagome to the well."
Inuyasha felt his heart twist. She left me? Is Kagome going home?
"Why?" Miroku asked.
"Lady Kagome needs to get away for a while. I figured she could get some of those future herbs to heal Inuyasha," Kaede said, but Inuyasha could faintly hear a slight fear in her voice. What's the old hag scared about? Why couldn't he move? He wanted to growl in annoyance, or punch something, but of course he couldn't do that, which made matters worse.
"Does she have the jewel with her?" Miroku asked and paused for a moment. "I don't see the jewel over there where it was."
Inuyasha imagined Kaede nodding in response. "Lady Kagome purified it near sunset, while thee was gone." She said.
"So now it's whole?"
Inuyasha attempted to roll his eyes at that question. Of course, you baka!
Inuyasha could sense Kaede nodding.
Miroku sighed. "Maybe more demons are going to come for it, now that it's in one piece."
"Maybe."
"Maybe Kagome should stay at her home for a while, away from the demons here," Miroku suggested thoughtfully. Inuyasha's heart cringed at that.
Kaede was silent for a moment, and then spoke, "No, that will not work. There might be demons in Kagome's time." She paused, and said thoughtfully, "We wouldn't be able to get her away from Inuyasha anyway, even if we wanted to."
Then they were silent. The crackling of the fire was heard through it, along with the music the crickets were making outside in the night. Inuyasha tried to move again, feeling thirsty, but still could not move. What the hell?
Miroku coughed. "How's Inuyasha? Is he healing?"
Kaede was silent. Inuyasha waited impatiently, wanting to know his condition. Damn it hag, talk! Inuyasha wanted to cross his arms and glare at her, but already knew that he could not.
"Kaede?"
Inuyasha could feel the awkward silence between the two.
"There… there is a reason I asked Sango to take Kagome and Shippo to thee well…" Kaede said hesitantly, her aging voice hanging in the air.
Miroku patiently waited for her to continue, but Inuyasha desperately wanted to yell at Kaede for using her damnable speech. She was going too fucking slowly.
"'Tis may be too much for them…" Kaede continued, her voice getting softer.
Miroku still did not say anything, which caused Inuyasha to mentally growl.
Kaede then spoke in a voice just above a whisper, "I will have to tell ye…" she took seconds of a uncomfortable silence, and then continued, "Inuyasha's wounds…went through his fire rat robe…and is burning deep into his skin," Kaede took a moments breath, trying to calm herself.
"Is he… okay?" Miroku asked quietly, now wanting to get Kaede to say it.
Inuyasha felt his mind getting uncontrollable inside his head. Why isn't the old hag talking? Why doesn't she just get it out already? Inuyasha wanted to tear things to shreds, and if he could move at this moment, he wanted to yell at the hag for not saying it outright. But all he could do was lay there and wait in agonizing impatience until Kaede would finally speak. Through the silence that followed, he could feel his chest burning. Inuyasha could sense the hole in his chest, deep within him. It felt as if there was a hole straight through his body and open to anything. But through that, Inuyasha wanted to hear what the old lady had to say.
And finally she spoke, in a tearful voice; she said it just above a whisper, "…He's going to die…" And then Inuyasha could smell the tears coming out of her weakened eyes.
He felt his chest wrench inside of him. Not from the physical pain, but from emotional. He was… dying? Was Kaede sure? He couldn't be dying. Hanyou's don't die like this! She has to be wrong…
There were so many things he hadn't done yet. So many things he wanted to do, but now, to know that he was going to die… He wanted to scream, to run through the forest endlessly and never stop, for when he would stop, he would fall to death like an open palm.
What about Kagome?
He needed to tell her, tell her everything that was on his mind, everything he had always wanted to tell her. He needed to tell her, and not Kikyo. Inuyasha needed to let everything out, and for Kagome to comfort him until the end.
She said she would always be by his side. Would she be by his side when he's going to die? How would she feel? Would she go and mate with that Hojo thing? Would she mourn for him? Would she just continue to live a life of carefree events, in her own time, away from everyone here?
Kagome…
He couldn't stand it. He needed to see her… now.
Now he could smell a new scent of tears, coming from the lecherous monk.
No, he could't die. Inuyasha attempted to growl. Kaede doesn't know what she's talking about! She's old, her fragile brain can't do anything right. She was wrong. Inuyasha had survived attacks worse than this. Right?
He felt his heart crumble. He wanted to do so many things as a hanyou, especially after the jewel was gone. Was that his destiny, to protect the Shikon no Tama? Was that his fate that afterwards he would die? Just like that? Is that it?
But… at least he had saved Kagome. At least he was the one dying, and not Kagome. She deserved to live. She was the one person in this world who could put everything right, to cure every soul, to fix every little detail, to make people realize what they had right in front of them, and to make everyone happier. She had done so many things for him. She had cured his soul, wrapped her warm arms around his heart, and cuddled it close to her breast. Inuyasha felt better, knowing that Kagome would live, and that, even though he was on his deathbed, he was the one dying for her. The fact that she had lived made it all worthwhile.
A sliver of the moon hung in the air, its dim light flowing on the ground, casting shadows behind every corner, every tree. The trees lurked high over the sulking people, their branches covering them from the world. The dry grass stiffened at their feet, and caused their dragging feet to create sound throughout the darkened area.
Kagome felt Shippo shiver in her arms as he cuddled close to her. She could feel his silent tears going through her shirt, but she did not comment on it. Instead, she looked at the ground, her own soundless tears going along her cheeks.
Sango walked ahead of her, slowly leading the way to the well. Kaede had convinced Sango into taking Kagome to the well, saying Kagome should get things from her home, for Inuyasha. Kagome could remember Kaede looking at Sango with stern eyes, and insisted that they take Shippo along too.
Kagome didn't want to leave Inuyasha. She had just woken up, and it was dark out. Kagome had felt safe knowing she was next to Inuyasha, and yet she knew that now, she was the one protecting him. Why did they drag her away from him? She wanted to be the first one he saw when he woke up. She wanted him to know she was here, waiting for him.
Kaede had told her Inuyasha would heal, he was a hanyou, but it seemed as if those words weren't true. Kaede doesn't lie though, does she? Why would she lie about a thing like this?
Kagome felt the tears prick her eyes like icicles, breaking through and traveling down her face. Ahead of her, she could see the well. Shuffling along the ground, she gradually made her way across the clearing, the starlight clearly showing their figures. The light cast upon the well, leaves falling and creating a halo around it.
It's not like Kagome didn't want to go home. She wanted to tell her family about everything that had happened. She wanted to hug each one of them, and tell them how much she loved them.
They finally reached the well, and Kagome peered down into the darkness, not seeing the ground in it. Setting the crying Shippo in Sango's arms, Kagome smiled at Sango. "Thanks," Kagome said.
Sango nodded and smiled back, "No problem."
Kagome then looked down at Shippo, looking up at her with reddish green eyes, his lip trembling, and his hands clutching Sango's sleeve of her shirt.
Kagome bent down and kissed Shippo on the nose. Smiling at him, she turned around and stepped on the edge of the well, staring down at the darkness. She bent her legs, and jumped.
Kagome took a sharp intake of breath as she felt herself land on hard, solid ground, her ankle rolling beneath her. She landed on the ground in a heap, her face planted in the dirt.
Her ankle was throbbing, and she felt it pulse against her skin.
"Kagome?"
Kagome hesitantly looked up, and saw Sango and Shippo looking down at her at the top of the well. The same exact moon and stars were in the sky, flowing across the dark night. The large trees were looming above, and she could see the falling leaves landing softly on the ground. And there were Sango and Shippo, staring down at her with concerned eyes. She wasn't in the well house, but she was in the well. This one of the two wells, the one she entered and was supposed to get out of.
Kagome realized what was happening. She instantly broke into loud sobs, her voice echoing up the well, and through the forest. She laid herself back on the ground, and her body shook with loud, uncontrollable sobs. Her face was planted in the dirt, her tears running down her face, mixing in with the earth. She put her head in her arms, and cried her heart out.
Her heart was crumbling to pieces. She felt it shattering into the tiniest things alive, and then breaking into even more pieces. She felt her ankle throb, but it did not come close to the pain in her heart. It felt like a snake was clamping her soul, squeezing it until nothing was left.
"M-m-mom…" Kagome cried out into the now mud that underneath her face.
Her family…was gone…she could no longer see them. Why didn't the well work? She was supposed to be able to get through!
Sango looked down at the poor girl and set Shippo on the ground. "Go get Miroku or Kaede," She ordered at Shippo. "Quickly!"
Shippo immediately bolted towards the village.
Sango put her hands on the edge of the well, and leaned over, looking down at the heart-broken girl.
"Kagome?" she asked uncertainly.
Kagome looked up at her, and Sango was taken aback by the look she received. Kagome looked more than miserable. Her emotion-filled eyes were red, almost completely, with more tears rolling down her face than Sango had ever seen before. Her body was shaking, and Sango could see the plain hurt in her eyes, shining through the night like the sun.
"W-w-why isn't it w-w-work-king!" Kagome yelled up at her.
Sango didn't know what to say. After all the times Kagome had helped her with her problems, Sango could not think of what to say to Kagome. This girl was losing Inuyasha, and now maybe her family. What could she do to help her?
Kagome got on her feet, and steadied herself. She forgot about her ankle, forgot about the pain it was giving her as she started jumping up and down on the ground, waving her arms around frantically. "W-why can't I-I-I go th-through!" she screamed hysterically, jumping on the ground, hoping to get through.
"Kagome, calm down!" Sango yelled, looking around for a ladder to get Kagome out of the well.
"C-come on-on, w-work!" Kagome yelled, jumping harder as she drove her feet hard into the ground, leaving little ditches in the dirt. Kagome felt the world get blurry as her tears flooded her vision completely. All she could do was jump, and try to get through the well, to her time.
But as hard as she pounded the ground, it wouldn't let her through. Her sobs were coming out loud and clear, and she could hear the mad echo's surrounding her in the well.
Kagome could faintly hear Sango calling out her name in the background, but that's not what mattered to Kagome. She needed to see her family. This can't be happening. All she had done was help people, and look what happens to her! Is this fate? Is this what's supposed to happen? Well then I don't give a damn about fate! She said angrily in her head, as she jumped higher.
She continued jumping, ignoring how her ankle felt like breaking, or how her muscles in her legs were getting exhausted. But she couldn't stop. She'd wait forever to see her family again. She'd jump forever so that she could see them, even if her legs collapsed, she wouldn't relent.
"Kagome, stop it!" Sango yelled from the top of the well, trying to figure out how to get Kagome out of there.
Kagome shook her head stubbornly, and cried out as she jumped higher. Landing on the ground, she could feel her ankle roll and collapse on her. She clearly heard the crack of her bone through her crying as she fell to the ground.
"Kagome!"
Her body heaved, and her tears flowed freely. She leaned against the wall, and tried to gain her breath. She clenched her teeth tight together, and shut her eyes tightly, with the tears leaking through them. It felt like her bones were in different places in her ankle. She opened her eyes, and through her tears, she saw her ankle in a different position, bent the wrong way. Horrified at the picture, she cried harder. From the pain of her ankle, to the pain form her heart. Her whole body felt like it was slowly dying. And in a way, it was.
It was hard to breathe. She was heaving for breath, her chest rising and falling, and she couldn't get any air to her lungs. Her eyes got flooded, and her ankle was throbbing dangerously.
Finally, she couldn't breathe or handle her body any longer. She felt her head get light, as if in the air, and her body weightless. Everything blacked out.
"Kagome!"
Inuyasha could now feel another presence, somewhat far away, nearing the hut.
Shippo.
Kaede and Miroku stopped talking a while ago, and Inuyasha could clearly hear their sniffles and the scent of their tears. Inuyasha hated it. He hated when people cried because of him.
But before he could let his thoughts roam any more, Shippo entered the room, bringing a new scent of tears with him.
He was gasping for breath, and was trying to say something. Inuyasha's ears twitched as he heard Miroku and Kaede stand up as fast as they could.
"What is it child?" Inuyasha heard Kaede ask, her concern clearly etched in her voice.
Shippo was panting heavily, but managed to get something out, "Kagome…trouble…"
Inuyasha felt all senses come back to him when he heard Shippo say that. It was like his blood became warmer, and he wasn't stiff like before. He felt that he could control every inch of his body, and could feel his chest move up and down. He felt power coursing through his veins, and lighting every muscle asleep. He started growling as the two words Shippo said echoed in his mind, over and over again.
Inuyasha opened his eyes, and everyone in the room gasped as they heard Inuyasha, his eyes looking at every aspect of the room, and finally landing on Shippo.
"Where's Kagome?" He ordered, sitting up. As he sat up, he felt his blood move in an eerie way, and an empty feeling was placed in his stomach. He felt his chest burning with fire, and he felt like falling down and collapsing, too weak to move even a little bit.
No. He wouldn't do that. Kagome was in trouble. No matter how much he felt light headed and dizzy, he had to be awake for Kagome.
"Inuyasha," Kaede said, unmistakably surprised.
Shippo lurched himself at Inuyasha. "Inuyasha!" he said as tears ran down his face. He snuggled into Inuyasha's neck, and Inuyasha only growled more. Peeling the demon off of his neck, he set Shippo down next to him. "Where is she?" He growled, as he looked straight into the terrified green orbs.
"The-the well isn't working!" he cried, as he finally got his breath working properly.
Inuyasha's eyes widened.
"Kagome's crying…Sango can't do anything!" Shippo said as more streaks of tears came out of his eyes. "We have to get her out of there."
"Shit!" Inuyasha cursed out loud as he struggled to get up.
But Kaede was too quick for him. She walked as fast as she could towards him and placed her hand on his shoulder, struggling to lie him back down. "Ye must lay down, Inuyasha," she said in a stern voice.
Inuyasha growled. "Damn it, hag! Kagome…" he pushed against her frail hand, "needs my…" he tried to push again, but her hand held him back, "help…" and with that he collapsed back on the futon, enraged to show that Kaede could push him down just like that.
"Ye stay here." Kaede said, flashing him a glare, and then she turned to Miroku. "Get a rope, and go get Kagome." Miroku didn't need to be told twice, and immediately ran out of the room.
Kaede looked back at Inuyasha. "Let Miroku get her, I'm sure ye want to talk to Kagome, so ye should stay and try and get your strength back. Besides, it is of no use right now to try and get her. Ye wouldn't make it out of this hut standing."
Inuyasha growled as Kaede went to get a pot out of the corner of the hut. "Why isn't the well working, old hag?"
Kaede sighed as she picked up a bowl, and walked slowly over to Inuyasha. She said nothing as she kneeled down beside him, placing the bowl in her lap.
Inuyasha glared at her, and saw that she was avoiding his eyes. "Well?" he said.
"It must have been the jewel," Kaede whispered.
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
"We'll talk when they get back, now, drink this," and held the bowl of liquid up to Inuyasha's face.
He had smelled the stuff in that bowl the moment she picked it up, and hell, it wasn't close to the smell of her old bare feet. He made a face as his head backed away from it. "I ain't drinking that!" he said stubbornly.
Kaede pushed it further towards him. "Ye must drink it Inuyasha. If ye don't, ye will faint before Kagome gets back."
Inuyasha crossed his arms. "I'm not going to faint."
"Ye are getting weaker, Inuyasha. If ye do not drink this…" she glanced at Shippo, " Ye will suffer."
"Keh," Inuyasha muttered.
"Inuyasha?" Shippo asked. "What's going on? Are you getting weaker?" When he saw the look on Inuyasha's face, he quietly added, "Why are you getting weaker?"
Inuyasha said nothing, except snatch the bowl from Kaede's hands and drink it down quickly.
"What happened at the well, Shippo?" Kaede asked as Inuyasha handed her back the bowl roughly.
Shippo's lip quivered. "Kagome-" But before he could finish, Sango burst in the hut, holding the flap open. Kaede, Shippo, and Inuyasha looked at the doorway, and saw Miroku carry a limp Kagome in one of his arms, her head falling back.
Kaede stood up. "Set her on her futon," she said. Miroku tried his best, and carried Kagome over to the futon, setting her down carefully.
"She-she broke her ankle," Sango said softly. "I think."
Inuyasha watched in horror as he stared at Kagome, lying on a futon close to him, her ankle twisted in the opposite direction. Shippo hurried over to her side. Kaede got up and went over to the middle of the hut and started a fire.
"What happened?" Kaede asked.
Sango looked down at the girl with a hand raised to her mouth. "Kagome… didn't make it through the well. I don't know why… I think she went hysterical…" Sango paused and took a deep breath. "She… she was crying… and I guess she really was desperate to go through… I mean, she started jumping… maybe thinking that the well would take her." She paused again. "But then she rolled on her ankle a second time…and I could hear it crack…" Sango stopped talking as she knelt down by her friend.
Inuyasha stared at Kagome. "Why didn't the well work?" he asked, his voice softer than it was before.
Everybody looked at Kaede, except for Inuyasha who was intent on looking at Kagome. Kaede felt everyone's eyes on her, and let out a deep breath. "I believe the cause of this… was because of the Shikon no Tama."
"How so?" Miroku asked.
Kaede shrugged. "I suppose it was when Lady Kagome purified the jewel today."
"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Inuyasha said as he tore himself away from Kagome, and looked at Kaede with distressed eyes.
Kaede sighed. "I do not know, but I do believe that the purification of the Shikon no Tama caused the well to close up. The well was used for ye to travel through time, and the jewel was the cause of that." Kaede shrugged. "I suppose the jewel knew its fate, and knew it was going to be broken by Kagome. It was fate that brought all of us together like this." She paused and looked at Inuyasha. "And now… now that the deed is done, and the jewel is complete once again, the well simply closed."
Inuyasha growled. "Are you sure? Isn't there some way to-"
Kaede shook her head. "I know of this because when I was little, all I did was ask Kikyo questions about the Shikon no Tama, and she was a brilliant girl, she knew every question I asked. She had once told me that the jewel was a powerful object. The jewel knew what was going to happen to it, and as it exists through time, it will create certain passages to guide others so thee can help it."
"But isn't there someway we can open the well?" Miroku asked.
The room instantly became quiet, and Kaede could feel the overloading pressure pushing her into the floor. She said softly, "There is… no way to open it."
Sorry I haven't updated! I just haven't been in the "writing mood" lately. A lot of things has been going on, and it's hard for me. Plus, I've had some…ahem…disturbances (dang you Sims!) But yeah, sorry.
I had a hard time with this chapter, so I tired my best. And my beta Monica helped me out a lot! Thanks Monica!
Well, I just got back form a vacation to Florida, so that's another reason why it took so long to write this chapter. I got back yesterday, so yeah.
Well, I gotta go to a basketball tournament. Review! Hoped this chapter was good enough. Oh, and I'm most of the way done with the next chapter, so that should be out in the next week...I hope.
Sorry again.