Inuyasha's POV
There is no longer pain in my chest anymore, but the throbbing of the arrow is still there. The shot was so powerful it sent me back into the sacred tree and locked me in place for 50 years. My heart beats against the wood, still alive and kicking.
Ahead of me, someone stands with a long bow in hand, the light around them is so blinding it makes it hard for me make out their face. Who has done this to me? It is a woman with a priestess gown, tall with swaying black hair. Keara?
No. That's not her. Her skin isn't that pale and she hardly uses a bow. And wouldn't…. or would she? Glancing down at the arrow in my chest, the color of the aura is the same that comes from Keara's ability. A faint purplish white that glows with life. But this isn't right, this isn't her power.
Glimpsing back up at the woman, I lay eyes on a cold angry stare that has struck me down before. Kikyo?
"Huh?!" Jolting out my sleep, my body almost tumbles off the branch I lay on, my arms quickly latch onto the trunk to keep myself steady as I take deep, long breaths. My hand instinctively rests against my chest where a scar should be now, but feeling the flesh beyond my clothes, there is nothing but smooth untouched skin. "Just a dream…" I sigh.
Grumbling, I rub at my eyes to ward off the nightmare and glance down below at Keara and Shippo. Keara sleeps in a bright red sleeping bag with Shippo resting against her back. The fire from earlier is still lit and going strong, regardless it was set up hours ago. From here I can see the yellow and green bruises that kiss her cheeks and parts of her priestess clothes that are tattered, bloodied and covered in dirt.
Through all the shit she has taken, all the beatings and fighting, she hasn't complained once. She just sits back after we're done, cleans up her wounds and goes on living. It is like she was built for this time.
Leaping down, my feet land softly next to her. She doesn't budge, her eyes are sealed shut and underneath her lids, her eyes roll and dart here and there as if battling some unseen forces. Her mouth occasionally opens and closes but no words slip out. Is she having a bad dream too?
She doesn't look like Kikyo. She doesn't act like Kikyo. The two couldn't be any more different other than the immense power they have and their clothes; though Kikyo's was never covered in blood and dirt. Kikyo was tall and thin for her shape. Pale as snow with a calm expression that could ice souls. Keara is moderate in height and fit for her age. Capable of running long distances and using a physical strength with weapons I haven't quite seen before with a human girl. Her body is very proportionate. With how different they are, how could I get them mixed up?
Am I afraid she'd betray me too?
"Inuyasha?" Keara's chocolate brown eyes look up at me drowsily, "What are you doing?"
Shit; I've been caught. "Ah," I struggle with my words, unsure what to say. How do you explain to a girl that you are comparing her to another? Nervously, I twist on the ground to give her my back, hiding my struggle as I cross my legs and arms. "You were talking in your sleep – yeah – so I thought I'd see if you were okay." Hopefully she buys that.
"Oh, I was?" She asks confused. Behind me I can hear her slowly sit up. "Didn't think I did that. Thank you for checking up on me. Sorry if I woke you."
"Yeah, yea…" a breeze passes by and with it a familiar, distinct scent follows. Coming to a stand, I sniff the air trying to pin point how I recognize this smell. It is definitely blood. Human. And then another breeze, my eyes open wide and panic fills my heart. Kaeda.
"What's that?" Keara asks. I glance behind me to see her looking up at something in the sky. I follow her eyes and spot a tiny dot floating across the bright full moon, no clouds dare hide whatever the hell it is and it darts fairly quickly. Even squinting my eyes still doesn't help to identify this thing.
"Don't know, maybe a demon?"
Keara's POV
My fingers grip comfortably tight onto Inuyasha's shoulders, my chest against his back and feel his heart beat as it races with his speed. The forest is just green colors passing us by, blending together into a single uniform shape. This is no longer new to me; and instead of feeling queasy or fear, all I feel is safety.
Shippo, on the other hand, holds onto my right shoulder with an iron grip that starts to rip into my skin slowly. Most of the time his tiny face hides against my shoulder as he quivers against me.
It's not too hard to ignore his claws, but it's enough to have me alert and slightly annoyed. Most of all, I want answers. We left so abruptly last night, with no clue as to why.
"So, why are we returning to the village so soon?" I question, once again. It is not like I am bothered heading back to Kaeda's village but the suddenness has me a little afraid. Usually Inuyasha wouldn't want to go back – keeping us away from it as much as possible to search for the shards – so its unlike him to force us back so shortly.
I could use some news clothes and a proper bath to clean my wounds.
"Ye-yeah, what's the rush?" Shippo asks with tears at the corners of his eyes. He's holding them back strongly but he's still just a child.
Inuyasha remains silent, deep in thought. He's been like this since last night – his mind clearly somewhere far away from where we are now. A frown sours my face and I let out a soft sigh.
"Kaeda!" I'm off Inuyasha's back before he has the chance to land. My body lands uncomfortably on my feet, earning a shooting pain up my legs but I bite down and ignore it. Ahead Kaeda is being escorted out of her hut by one of the female villagers. The elder priestess is covered in bandages. One around her head, another holding up her right arm. She looks beaten and bruised, yet her eye still holds a kind of confidence that can only come with age. "Are you okay?"
Shippo makes a hesitant climb down my back, and drops onto his butt when he reaches the ground. His eyes look dizzy and lost, but he manages to stand back on his two feet once again. Knowing he is okay, I walk up to Inuyasha's side as he follows Kaeda towards a Tori gate right of her hut. Beyond the gate is a long staircase that leads up a steep hill.
"Trust a stubborn old goat like you to refuse to give injuries time to heal!" Inuyasha says.
The lady at Kaeda's side places a gentle hand onto her back as the priestess starts the ascent up the stairs. My eyes wander along the tori gate with a bit of suspicion until we pass through without me descending from the clouds. But when I pass, I make my way up to Kaeda's side and assist in any way I can to help her along the path. Luckily for me, she is a tough, strong woman regardless of her age.
"This is nothing," she starts, closing her single eye for a second before opening it, "So, you picked up the scent of my blood as the specter passed, did you?"
So that's what he smelt last night? He didn't tell me this, but it explains his urgency to get back here. He must have thought the village was under attack – or maybe it was. Glancing over my shoulder I inspect the village below, finding hardly any damage to the actual village compared to Kaeda.
"Don't change the subject on me! Swallow your pride and take it easy." He replies. Now that we are here, Inuyasha doesn't seem so far away. His eyes are on the current world and not somewhere far from me. Maybe he does care?
Once we pass the second Tori gate I can see where the major damage has been located. Just feet ahead is a massive hole in the ground in front of a small shrine made out for respecting the dead. Where normally an urn or some precious item would sit on the alter, is nothing but an empty spot with incense still burning.
"The specter. She desecrated my sister Kikyo's gravesite. I was virtually powerless to stop the assault." Kaeda says. "My sister had unusually strong powers, even for a priestess as she was. Her remains have fallen into the hands of evil. Who knows to what end Kikyo's powers will be exploited."
Kikyo…the priestess Kagome is the reincarnation of. The priestess that I am told Inuyasha betrayed but once loved. My eyes settle on the empty spot, and I can't help but wonder how beautiful she must have been to have earned a demon's heart.
"Whatever." Inuyasha scoffs from behind us. We both look over to the soured demon only to find him already heading down the steps of the stairway.
"Inuyasha," I start.
"No!" He shouts for the first time since we began our adventure. My heart beats fast but painfully so. "You're on your own! Apparently, you've forgotten that Kikyo betrayed me. I am not so lucky! I can still remember the pain of the arrow she used to pierce my chest!"
"The demon Urasue, she stole more than simply Kikyo's ashes. I also smelled the strong scent of fresh soil as she passed, soil from the gravesite." Kaede's words still linger in my mind as I make my way up the small hill to the lone tree Inuyasha sits against. He looks in deep thought again, his mind far off where I can't reach him but regardless of their quarrel, I know it's right for us to do this, for Kaede.
His eyes finally catch sight of me when I am mere feet away. I try to smile for him but pieces of me feel shattered for reasons I can't explain. It is like my heart knows something that I don't.
"You know we should," I begin, taking a seat next to him. Before I came to search for him, I was able to borrow a new set of priestess clothes from Kaede, so sitting next to him looking less battered makes me feel a little better. "Regardless of what she did, her grave was violated. It has been 50 years since she passed."
He looks away from me and off to the distance, his eyes long gone once again. He's clearly thinking about what I said and that's better than nothing.
"I feel for you, Inuyasha." He squints back at me with surprise in his eyes, but mine hold only sorrow. He must have gone through so much pain during and after the betrayal. Confused when he returned to this world. I understand a little of it. I was so far gone without a soul that the world passed me by as if I were dead and forgotten. But then I came here…I was confused at first when my soul started to return but now I am happy to live every day. "I understand."
For a split second, I swear I see his eyes soften but it just as quickly disappears when we spot Kaede walking up towards us with a horse at her side.
"I, too, am a priestess. I shall recover my sister's ashes on my own strength. Inuyasha, do me the kindness of telling me which direction Urasue was last traveling."
"You tryin' to get yourself killed?" His words sound like a statement than a question. We both come to stand up as she approaches us, leaving the horse a few feet behind with her bow and arrows attached to its saddle.
"I'm going. I shall deal with the consequences when I arrive."
Stepping forward, I shake my head at her order, "No. You're in no condition to go."
"You're wasting your breath trying to stop her. She's as stubborn as an ox! You'll never talk her out of it."
"I wasn't planning on it," I reply, crossing my arms and walking towards the horse. He gives me a suspicious glare before rolling his eyes, knowing exactly what I'd say next. "I'm going with her."
A long mixed sound between a grumble and a growl leaves him before he walks up to the opposite side of the horse from me. He looks over at Kaede and nods his head towards the horse, "Come on, move it along, Granny. We'll lay Kikyo's remains to rest again."
"Inuyasha…Thank you." She says with a smile.
"I'll tell Shippo, he'll want to help in whatever way possible." I smile up at Inuyasha.
He grumbles yet again, and says tightly, "Whatever."
We travel all day, following the scent Inuyasha was able to pick up from the sight of the burial ground. While Kaede rides alongside us on her horse, we make sure to venture at a steady speed so not to exert too much of her energy. By nightfall, her eye closes in exhaustion and we decide it is best we stop and make camp in a small cave for her to rest.
"They are sound asleep." I sigh.
"Let's get some sleep ourselves, we've got a big battle tomorrow."
My eyes part from the sleeping duo and look over to Inuyasha. He's slumped forward with his arms and legs crossed, and an agitated expression on his face.
"Go ahead and sleep, I am going to just relax for a bit." I mutter, stretching out both my arms to their sides. I am tired but I am also focused, something has my energy going and I think it has to do with the upcoming battle. Something just doesn't seem right to me – off.
He doesn't answer. His breathing evens out, and his eyes remain closed even with the agitation on his face. Regardless, as he sleeps – I am reminded of the day we met. He was attached to the tree, and I felt a pull and a stretch that was painful when I was near and far from him. But back then, he seemed so at peace as he slept, unbothered by the world. Now it is the opposite.
I think…. I think he still loves her.
Without my control, my body slumps over onto the ground with a flop, but my eyes linger outside of the cave where I can just barely see the stars and moon through the canopies of the trees. They are beautiful and brilliant. People long for them but can't have them. Inside my chest, my heart starts to ache once again, I plant a firm fist against where it beats but nothing can get rid of this pain.
I don't even know what it is.
"We must retrieve Kikyo's remains quickly, lest Urasue use them to some evil end. I fear trouble lies in the path ahead. Dreadful trouble." Kaede says. We've traveled through the mountains since we've woken. The air is tight and cold. Inuyasha stands on the butt of the horse as Kaede keeps to her seat; Shippo and I stay behind, allowing the two to lead the way.
"Oh good, that's what we need to hear! If you were so worried about her remains, why didn't you scatter them in the river the first place? We wouldn't be in this predicament if it weren't for you and your sentimentality!" Inuyasha argues.
Kaede glares back at him, "Inuyasha, have ye no regard for man's gravesites and tombstones. A grave is more than simply a place to bury a body or ashes. It is a place of refuge…. A shelter for the hearts of those loved ones left behind.
My sister was born a priestess. She used her powers for the good of the villagers. She warded specters and demons away from the village and battled illness and famine countless times. Even since her demise, Kikyo's spirit continues to encourage them to overcome their obstacles and have the strength to carry on. But people are weak and hearts are easily swayed by the winds of danger and uncertainty. Her grave was a place of reassurance. A haven to encourage the villagers to brace themselves against the storms of life."
Inuyasha's gaze is far away again, somewhere thinking deeply about the love he had lost to betrayal. And the love that he can't let go of.
Up ahead, there is a mountain with a string of smoke rising to the side. It is a controlled fire. Small and invisible to the naked eye, except for the smoke. Between us and the mountain is two gaping cliffs with a rickety old bridge connecting them. The bridge sways with the powerful wind that swoops in between the cliffs, making the wood and chains that connect it clatter together.
Inuyasha leaps off the horse, and starts down the bridge. It creaks and groans under his weight, but he doesn't mind, and continues onward with his arms crossed. Kaede follows suit, climbing off her horse and walking up to the bridge. She turns back to Shippo and I, and waits as we approach. To reassure the two, I follow behind Inuyasha with careful steps, Kaede right behind me and Shippo running off ahead to join Inuyasha.
We're about half way across the bridge when a fog starts to roll over us, blinding the way ahead and from whence we came.
"Odd." Kaede whispers.
There is another breeze, and the fog clears just enough for us to see human sized clay figures up ahead. We all pause, staring with confusion as the sound of cracking can be heard. The clay shudders and breaks open, revealing a sudden horde of pupil-less human men. The sound of footsteps can be heard from all around us, I glance behind Kaede and I to spot another horde several feet away.
The bridge begins to sway back and forth as they start to walk, more and more appearing, adding an uncomfortable amount of weight to the bridge that starts to groan loudly.
"They must be Urasue's soldiers!" Inuyasha growls as he stands in a ready to fight position.
My eyes count the men up ahead, and then the men behind us, but it doesn't matter because as I count, more start to appear from behind the groups. "Shit." The soldiers up ahead are a little at a distance, their raised swords barely sharpened. The ones behind us are closer, more incline to cause damage to Kaede if they aren't rid of sooner. "Inuyasha!" I yell. He looks back over to me with a readied expression. "Get the ones behind us. I will try to fight off the ones up ahead."
After a moment of glancing at both hordes, he finally nods and leaps behind us. Kaede turns to help him with her bow pulled up and aiming to shoot. I rush ahead, stopping only when I have enough space between the horde and I that I am comfortable enough shooting my abilities.
Behind me I can hear Inuyasha destroying the clay soldiers with ease, he growls and swings, and their broken pieces' sound like clay landing on wood. So they are easy to take care of. This shouldn't be a problem then.
Lifting my left hand, I prepare to focus my energy on my attack when suddenly up in the sky an elderly woman zooms in. Her eyes are wide, and her mouth is tiny and crinkled. In her hand is a large scythe that she swings back, and then down at us, connecting with the bridge between the group and I.
The chains break, the rope shreds and the wood shatters. Instinctively, with my heart pounding for dear life, I speed forward, passing the clay soldiers and pushing them off to the side. Some tip over the chains just in time before the bridge starts to disappear underneath my feet. Leaping ahead, my hands clutch to the wooden planks just in time for the bridge to slam against the cliff side.
My body slams painfully against the rocks, a heavy groan of agony leaves my lips. All around me the soldiers fall, their bodies colliding with the raging river down below. Behind me, I can't see the group any longer. I am not sure where they went – if they got back to the other side in time, if Inuyasha lifted them away or…. Or if they fell to their deaths.
The very thought breaks my heart, but the ache in my fingers brings me back to reality, and fast. Focusing up to the sky, I spot the woman just in time as she disappears across the cliff towards the mountain we were heading for.
Using all my strength in my forearms and fingers, I tug my body ever so slowly up the bridge, ripping one hand off one plank to reach up for the other, and so on, groaning the entire time in pain and soreness until my feet can just barely reach the planks. Once my toes make contact, I am able to climb much easier as I make my ascent up the fallen bridge.
I have to make it up there, I have to get the urn – if they are alive or dead. I have to do it for them. I can cry about it all later.