Chapter 3: Revelations
Inu-Yasha sat upright like a bolt of lightning. Kikyo was at his side in seconds.
"What's wrong?" She asked frantically. "Inu-Yasha, what is it? You don't look so well…" Inu-Yasha was in a cold sweat. "They're in trouble." He said blankly. "Kikyo, I'm sorry. I have to go." Inu-Yasha stood up and started walking.
"No!"
The scream had come from Kikyo. "Inu-Yasha, no! You promised! You promised not to leave me!" She fell to her knees and began weeping. Inu-Yasha dropped to the ground as well to comfort her.
"I know that, Kikyo. But they need me! Kagome and Shippo! They're in danger, I can tell!"
"But you don't know that!" Kikyo protested. "It's just your imagination! You promised!" She began sobbing louder. "You promised to never leave me alone! Stay! Please…"
Inu-Yasha wasn't entirely convinced. "B-but…"
He looked into Kikyo's sad, longing eyes, terrified of what he would decide to do. Her sad eyes, like crystals, held the answer.
"…Alright." He sat back down. "I'll stay with you, Kikyo. Forever."
********
"What could you possibly want?" Asked Shippo angrily. Sesshomaru, cockily resting his hand on his hip, gave a chuckle.
"I've been following you." He began. "Waiting until you dropped your guard, so I could take the Shikon shards. I knew this would happen, eventually…"
"What?" said Shippo. "You knew what would happen?"
"This." Said Sesshomaru, gesturing toward the lifeless Inu-Yasha and Kagome. "I knew this would happen. Don't you see?" Shippo shook his head. "Then I guess I'll have to explain it to you. Inu-Yasha is in Kagome."
"Huh?" said Shippo blankly. "I...don't get it…"
"Fine." He said. "It's like this: you may not be entirely familiar with Inu-Yasha's complex, but a long time ago, he was in love with a…" he shuddered to brace himself for the next word, a word he found disgusting. "…a human. A girl named Kikyo. But she died on the day he was sealed." He paused. "Ever since that day, it is clear he want's nothing more than to be with Kikyo. I will give my brother this, he is strong, as it is plainly obvious he has lost the will to live ever since that day."
Shippo took a moment to let that sink in. "Okay. Fine. But that still doesn't explain why they won't wake up!" Sesshomaru glared. "I was getting to that, you little wretch." He paused, seeing if Shippo was ready to listen again. Satisfied, Sesshomaru continued.
"Inu-Yasha wants nothing more than to be with Kikyo. And Kagome holds Kikyo's soul within her. Inu-Yasha yearned for Kikyo tonight, like every other night. However…" He paused, narrowing his eyes.
"Tonight, Kikyo was listening."
"You mean…" said Shippo, shocked.
"Inu-Yasha and Kagome, or Kikyo, as it were, are beyond us." Continued Sesshomaru, pointedly ignoring Shippo. "Their wills have created a dream world. A world without fear. A world where only the two of them exist. They will not wake up."
Shippo was angry. "Then I'll WAKE them up!" he announced.
"Didn't you already try that?" Said Sesshomaru, mocking Shippo. "Their will must be broken, first. In other words, they have to want to leave the dream world. Now Kikyo wasn't the type to change her mind, so…"
Shippo was hanging onto every word.
"It's up to Inu-Yasha to decide weather or not they leave. But since this has been Inu-Yasha's desire all along…" Sesshomaru smirked. "I doubt he'll ever wake up."
Sesshomaru looked around the campsite. "Well, that's my little speech." He said. "Now, to take the Shikon shards."
Shippo charged at Sesshomaru. "I won't let you!" He screamed. However, Sesshomaru was more than able to handle his assailant. A green, whip of energy formed from his palm. He whipped the Kitsune with it, and sent him reeling into a tree. "Shut up, you fool!" Seeshomaru turned around and searched Kagome's backpack for the Shikon shards, in a corner of darkness, he found them.
"Heh heh heh…" he began laughing. "I'll give these to Jaken, for the time being. Jaken!" he called for his servant. He waited. And waited. Andwaitedandwaitedandwaited. "Jaken!" He screamed louder. "JAKEN!" The whole forest practically shook.
Just then, he heard a rustling in the bushes. Soon, a small green toadlike man emerged. He was leaning on a staff twice his size, and was panting heavily. "S-Sesshomaru-sama." He paused; heaving and panting like a dog. "I…(huff)…FINALLY…(puff)…caught up with you." Sesshomaru was obviously irritated. "Well, its about time!" he said angrily. He tossed the vial containing the shards toward Jaken. When he tried to catch it, it fumbled about in his hands, but finally caught it. "It's…(huff) safe with me…(heave)…Sesshomaru-sama." Sesshomaru gave his subordinate and icy-cold stare. "It had better be, for your sake, Jaken." Jaken gulped.
"Oooohhh…" groaned Shippo from the base of the tree Sesshomaru had knocked him into. "Wha…"
But he was cut off short. Sesshomaru was standing right in front of him, staring down at him.
"I don't want to kill Inu-Yasha just yet." Sesshomaru said. "First, I want to ruin him. And I will start by destroying you and the girl." He gave an evil laugh. "When he has let down Kikyo again, he will have truly been emotionally obliterated." He relished. "But first…" Said Sesshomaru, extending another green energy whip. He stared angrily at Shippo. "I'm going to kill you, first!"