Confusion
Disclaimer: I don't own Inu-kun or the others portrayed in my fic. But I wish by all the stars in the heavens that I did! shakes fist at the sky
Kira: Konnichiwa! Hello again. Wow, 54 reviews and counting! I feel so loved! I am very sorry, though, because I can promise that this fic will only get more angst-ridden and depressing (Kitsune hanyou, you're right: angst is good). This is the only way for me to vent a lot of my horrible life. Sorry that I'm taking it out on Inuyasha. Maybe someday, I'll have a life of my own and I'll write an original novel or something, maybe. Anyway, I think I'll respond to some of my favorite and most frequently sent reviews. Sorry if yours isn't on here. I want you to read my fic!
AssassinOfDream: I am so glad you liked my imagery. I'm not usually so blunt in my description, but this time it worked well. Thanks.
sweet raptured light: (I love your choice of name!) Cliffhangers are sucky, but they are my trademark. Get used to it. Gomen. I wish I could say your guesses were all right, but none of them were. Besides, Sesshy is on his way to the castle and I don't want a bloody confrontation, yet, that is. Good guesses though, thanks for participating in the bonus question. You get the runner-up prize of getting to read the fic! Yay!
Green Penguin: Relax. I am thrilled to hear from you. I am very glad that I can give people lives with my plagiarism. I really want to do something original with my mind. Maybe someday MY work will be good enough to have fan fics written about it! tears of determination in her eyes Yeah, right.
KitOokami Senji: BY ALL THE SEVEN HELLS, IT'S NOT DONE YET!!! Lol, don't give up on me yet! Yeah, it was a little intense, okay, a lot. Don't worry. As soon as I have more time, there will be more chapters! Like now! BTW, I gladly accept the title of "Mighty Authoress Who Controls This Wonderful Story." grin Finally! The respect I deserve! (jk) And I also appreciated the Japanese at the end. Your welcome.
Wow, I wrote a lot. Sorry. I wanted to talk to these wonderful, kind people! sniff I feel so needed. I also apologize for how long it took me to get this next chapter, and I'm sorry if it disappoints. I'm evil, what can I say? Read and review, and I'll be back soon! Ja ne!
Chapter Eight
Inuyasha turned to face the figure standing in the break in the trees. The growl that would usually come from him at a time like this was choked down inside him, not only by his grief but also by surprise. He stood slowly to his feet, old and tired, almost emotionless. Still stunned, he stumbled to the trespasser.
He was surprised with himself. His sense of smell could have told him who was behind him. Perhaps he had only ignored the faint whiff of identification. That could be the reason. Maybe his anguish was so great that he didn't care to recognize the odor. Or it could be the fact that the scent had changed. That it had become what it was in the beginning. His mind tried to make sense of why, why he was so caught off guard.
It truly had changed. No longer did it reek of death. There was a soft, heady fragrance that emanated from the figure waiting patiently to be welcomed. Stoic, he plodded to the being; confusion, weary hate, and surrender flowing from his eyes.
"What have you done, Inuyasha?" Kikyo asked coolly. A chilly smile pinched the corners of her mouth, making her almost beautiful. He looked at her blankly, all emotion gone from his very soul. The miko looked at the carnage on the ground and the blood on the half demon's clothes and hands and chuckled lightly.
"Did you kill her yourself? Why?" The miko seemed genuinely surprised, moving past the frozen hanyou to better inspect the corpse. "I thought I would have to kill her myself, but it seems you saved me the trouble, didn't you?" She laughed again, this time impatiently. "Answer me, Inuyasha. What could have possibly happened to make you turn against her like this?"
Inuyasha stared at the ground in front of him, her words skimming like butterflies against his ears, but never entering his mind. He turned slowly and stared blankly into her eyes. "How...how can it be...your scent...?" Dumbfounded, he stared at her, still trying to analyze the smell radiating off of her so delicately. She smelled fresh and clean, like spring, like she had smelled little more than fifty years ago. He took her by her upper arms, his fingers staining her snowy robes.
Kikyo winced a little, and then smiled into his face. "You seem upset to see me, Inuyasha. You should be glad. We can be together now, forever." She tried to lean closer to him, but he kept her at arms length, disgust clearly on his face. She pouted. "Isn't that why you killed that whore?"
Inuyasha threw the woman from him, horror filling his eyes, turning them dull. "No," he breathed, shaking his head slowly at first, then thrashing it from side to side. "No, no no!" He clutched his temples, groaning. "No, no, no, no, no, no!" He fell helplessly to the ground as the miko laughed scornfully.
"You seem to be denying your crimes, like always, Inuyasha." The priestess spat out his name like venom. "You killed her in the same way you killed me. Your only regret is being caught." She sniggered and walked slowly to his prone form. Viciously, she dragged her hands through his thick hair, forcing him to look up at her. She knelt before him, pulling his head to rest against her bosom.
"How can I make you accept this, Inuyasha?" she whispered, her features melting like a premature thaw; not to be trusted, but enticing. The half demon's eyes filled shamelessly and spilled over to dampen her clothes. Her laughter was warmer, more compassionate now. She bent to kiss his forehead, smoothing his bangs back with a cool hand. Then she stood and moved leisurely towards the cooling corpse on the other end of the glade.
Inuyasha stiffened as she knelt beside the body, running her fingers over the tattered flesh. She looked over at Inuyasha, a malicious remark on the edge of her pretty mouth. She saw his broken eyes begging her to keep silent. She smirked, loving the power she now had over him. Kikyo calmly turned back to remove the shreds of cloth from the body. She spoke quietly, but loud enough for him to hear without strain.
"I'm rather honored, Inuyasha," she murmured. "You took her life, and gave mine back. I know it was hard for you to do that, but" She glanced at him, her eyes hooded with emotion. "But I realize that it was the only way that you had to bring me back to you. I knew that you would give up on this child eventually. I knew you would remember your love for me and bring us back together. There is no more need for bloodshed, my dear Inuyasha. You have repaid me for your crime against me."
Inuyasha shuddered, unable to speak. He dropped his eyes from her face to Kagome's blank stare, death stare. He could see endless gray in her unblinking gaze. Forever and ever, the color moved in the tiny orbs of her eyes. And in the center of never-ending infant blue were shallow pools of black. He lost himself in them, saw his reflection, saw his soul, saw a future that he had destroyed. And he wept again.
Kikyo set aside the shreds of modern cloth. She enviously recalled the soft swish the skirt had made and the sleek texture of the blouse. Both were now stiff with sweat and blood. Perhaps with time and patience they could be washed and mended. After carefully tucking away the clothing, she closed her eyes and cleared her mind. Chanting softly, she brought her hands—clasped—to her lips. A faint glow wisped from around her fingertips as she broke her hands apart and lowered them to Kagome's body.
Her chanting grew louder and she pressed her palms firmly on the corpse's torso and breasts. The aura—a blindingly brilliant yellow—lifted the body gently in the air. A soft mist swirled around the light like a cocoon around the sun. For a brief moment, all of the light was contained and Inuyasha, who was watching helplessly, held his breath. Suddenly, the cloud was shattered by shafts of light. The hanyou turned his face so as not to damage his eyes. Lifting a hand as a shield, he looked back.
Kagome's body drifted back down to the ground, unscarred, and completely whole. Kikyo looked at him, smiling sweetly. "This is my gift to you, for granting me my life again. I have restored her. She can rest in peace now."
The miko walked calmly to the shivering half demon, growing annoyed at his weakness. She pinched his chin with her thumb and forefinger, forcing him to look at her. "Let her go, Inuyasha," she purred, claws ready to pierce his vulnerable soul to make it hers again. "We are destined to be together. Nothing stands between us now. Nothing."
Inuyasha stared at her, seeing the forced patience, the greed of her soul shimmering in her eyes. He glanced at Kagome's body. Her eyes still stared, though more dully now; no sheen of terror lingered in their pits. Her lips were closed, a locked door to the sweet breath that no longer could lift her chest. Her fingers were limp and boneless, crumpled like withered petals against her palms. He stared at her and let his gaze slip away with every breath he took. He raised is eyes to the woman who held him in her arms, waiting.
"Nothing," she whispered again and kissed him tenderly, letting her hand twist into his hair. He let her, weak and uncaring any longer. So weak that he did not notice another being till a voice petted his ears with dark silk.
"Well spoken, Kikyo. You have what you want, after all this time. Now let me have what I want." Both demon and priestess looked up sharply to see Naraku leaning against a tree, his arms crossed over his chest. He smiled, an evil feature on his face, and stepped forward. "I've come for the jewel. Let me have it."
Kira: ducks all objects thrown her way I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Don't kill me! I said it was angst! I already know what I'm gonna do for the next chapter. I just need time to write it. So have a little more patience with me, okay? I would really like some feed back from this, let me know if my plans should just get chunked out the window, or if you all like this. I write to please! grin So review, please! Ja ne!
(p.s. bonus question of the chapter...what will inuyasha do about kikyo? will he go back to her? correct answers will be rewarded. ja ne!)
