Present time of Inuyasha and Kagome's shard hunting
"Inuyasha ! We have to stop I'm exhausted and so is Shippo" Kagome protested. "We're not stopping until we reach the next village." he growled. This area was too familiar to him and he did not feel comfortable being in it, he feared that ghosts from the past might appear suddenly.
Inuyasha was so deep in thought that he didn't notice that Kagome had stop, and ran into her. "BAKA! Watch where your going!!" she screamed. "Maybe you should learn to walk, Kagome!" he gripped. "Why did you stop anyways! The faster we move the faster we can get to a place to rest" he said still glaring at her. Kagome looked into the distant forest across the field, "I see something over there, its like....a glimmer. Maybe its some of the shards!!" she said excitedly.
The group made their way across the field and at the edge of the forest came across a house. Kagome bit her lower lip, "Well... Inuyasha, don't be mad but... I don't see the glimmer anymore..."
"What???????" he growled "You dragged us all the way over her because you thought u saw something???"
"Well we can still check inside" Kagome said. They walked up to the door, Inuyasha still grumbling and knocked very lightly. Nobody answered, Inuyasha pushed his way through the door, "Inuyasha you can't just walk into someones house!" Kagome protested. "I already did" he replied. The house was warm, and inviting, Kagome imagined a little old woman living here all by herself.
"Is there anything in here Kagome?" Inuyasha asked civily. "I can't see anything" Kagome said. Suddenly the door rattled and opened, there was no one at the door way, Shippo and Kagome got behind Inuyasha. He lept out the door careful looking everywhere, when suddenly a young woman slammed him down to the ground. "Tell me thief, did you think entering the home of a hanyou was a very bright idea?" the woman's soft voice said menacingly.
Inuyasha knocked her back and regained his stance, "You idiot I am a hanyou" he said turning around. The two hanyou's eyes locked. His golden eyes widened, and he trembled a bit. "Ke--Keike!" he managed to spit out. She smiled and ran to him throwing her arms around him, "Inuyasha your alive, where have you been, I thought you hated me, but you came and you found me I---" suddenly Inuyasha threw her down. He growled fiercely and drew the Tetusaiga, "You have the shards..."he continued growling. Kagome and Shippo came out of the house and watched confused at Inuyasha's growing anger.
Keike looked at him, "You are still angry at me Inuyasha...I don't understand why you hate me so." Inuyasha's growl became louder "GIVE ME THE SHARDS!!!"
"I will not give you anything" Keike replied quietly. She suddenly appear on top of the roof. Kagome and Shippo took off near Inuyasha. "I will not fight you either" she continued. "Baka! You were always stubborn but you know not what you toy with" Inuyasha's words hit her face like cold water.
"I swore I would protect the Shikon no Tama and if the shards are all I can find than, they are what I will protect" she said. Kagome froze "Your... protecting the shards? From who?".
"From who ever is seeking them" Keike said.
"There is only one keeper of the Shikon no Tama, and that was Kikyo!" Inuyasha said angerly, lunging at Keike. Keike merely transported from the roof to where Kagome stood. Inuyasha tried to come at her again but Kagome stood in her way this time.
"Inuyasha shes obviously not trying to hurt anyone, so would you stop being such a jerk and leave her alone!" Kagome yelled at the top of her lungs. Inuyasha pushed her aside "You don't understand anything Kagome! Stay out of this!" he nearly cut the female hanyou in two, when she reached out and caught his fist. "Stop." she said. The Tetusaiga lost its transformation and left everyone stunned.
"Please, Kagome, young fox come inside and I will explain all" she said with an inviting smile. "They won't trust you, Keike-sama" but Inuyasha was left standing outside by himself, they had already gone inside. He sighed angrily and lept up to a tree just waiting.
"That miserable bitch" he thought. All these years he thought she was dead, and now she claimed to have alliance with Kikyo. Keike's betrayal was hidden far into the back of his mind and his hatred was awoken by her presence. He cursed himself for not recognizing her scent. He wondered if Sesshoumaru was close by, watching him mocking his pain. Keike seemed to be living isolated from the world out here. Perhaps his brother had shown his true self to her and left without caring. Inuyasha glanced over to the house, Kagome and Shippo were being treated to warm food and hot tea by Keike acting as nothing ever happened. Keike suddenly looked up and met his eye briefly, this startled Inuyasha causing him to quickly look away.
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"He always hid from me like that, up in the trees. His sense of smell was much better than mine, but I was much more powerful than he was" Keike told her guests as she poured them tea. "So you and Inuyasha were almost brother and sister?" Shippo-chan asked. "More than that, he was my guardian, my mother use to say" Keike replied.
Kagome had been a little silent since they had been invited in, questions began to brew in her mind "Keike... How did you know Kikyou?".
The hanyou looked up at her sadly, "Kikyou..." she said almost as if she expected her words to bring her back. "I tried to take the Shikon no tama from her when I was a young hanyou. My father made me promise before he died that I would get it and purify my blood to be fully human."
Keike stopped abruptly and looked out the window. Inuyasha was gone. She sighed and continued "Kikyou's power was much stronger and I was inexperinced. She spared my life, and I respected her greatly since then. I pledged my life to her and swore to protect her and the jewel.... but..." she trailed off. "When I came back home to get my belongings, something happened to her....a hanyou..killed her..." suddenly a blinding thought hit her.
She raised from her seat and bolted out the door "IT WAS YOU, BASTARD, YOU KILLED KIKYOU!" the forest rang with Keike's shrill cries. "Come and face me you mongrel!!!!!"
Inuyasha came flying down at her, attempting to knock her down. "What are you talking about fool!" He said angrily. But Keike was through talking , she knocked Inuyasha down with a flick of her hand. Blood claws flung furiously at him, barely nicking his body but almost shredding his coat. Kagome rushed up to her "NO! He didn't kill her!" she pleaded.
"I remember what Kaede-sama said, and she would not lie!!" Keike slashed at his face, cutting locks of his hair. Inuyasha could not force himself to attack anymore, but only dodge, "What am I doing, why don't I just slit open her from head to toe??" he battled with himself trying to keep from pulling out his sword. Kagome lept in front of Keike, and in that moment Keike saw Kagome's face up close "Kikyou...?" she stuttered, and pulled away. "Kikyo's soul was reincarnated in me." Kagome explained. "Gomen....Gomen, I am so sorry I didn't believe you" Keike said over and over again.
Kagome helped Keike, who was very confused, back into the house. "Relax, I will pour you some tea and you just sit down" Kagome said. Inuyasha nearly broke down the door, "I THOUGHT YOU DID NOT WANT TO FIGHT!!" he growled. Keike looked up at him, into his eyes, her sadness seemed to fill the room without ever having to speak a word. Inuyasha stood silently looking into her silvery blue eyes, the eyes of the little girl who use to pretend to cry to get her way.
He wanted to hug her, but he could not bring himself to forgive her. He sat over in the corner of the room eyeing her, while Kagome examined both their expressions. Shippo-chan, who has been watching the whole fight through the window, climbed into Keike's lap. She looked down at him and smiled softly, petting his head. "You are a sweet little youkai, why are you traveling with such a dangerous band?". Shippo-chan and Kagome went off into a long explanation as to what happened from when Kagome fell into the well, to when they saw the shimmering shards near Keike's house.
Keike was a little distracted when they spoke of Sesshoumaru, and Inuyasha's expression seem to tighten after he watched her reaction to Sesshoumaru's name. That night Keike set up a place to sleep for each one of them, and made sure they were well taken care of. She hadn't had a family in a while, it felt strange taking care of them but in a way comforting.
When everyone was asleep, Keike left the house and walked to the river. This river led all the way back to the town where she and Inuyasha grew up. It made her sad to look at the shimmering water. Her ears twitched a little, there was someone rustling in the bushes behind her. Then the familiar scent filled the air,"Inuyasha.." she said quietly. He walked next to her and looked into the river. They said nothing for a while, Inuyasha had grown into a man he was at least two feet taller than she was and seemed a lot stronger physically. Keike broke the silence "Do you still hate me.."
Inuyasha kept his eyes steadily on the water "You left me for Sesshoumaru..of course I hate you." he replied.
Keike looked up him, her eyes filled with tears "Sesshoumaru...SESSHOUMARU?? Why would you ever think anything so stupid!!!!!" Inuyasha was startled by her reaction "Because I know what I saw!!!" he yelled at her. She cowered back, she had no reason to but she could not help it. "What are you talking about...".
"That day of the festival, the night before you left. I saw you and him... you were....." he stopped not being able to being himself to say it. "Inuyasha......he....attacked me...he was going to..." Keike collasped to the ground tears trickling down her face.
Inuyasha looked at her, she looked like her mother. Her dark green hair shimmered in the light, he wanted to reach out and stroke it gently and tell her it was ok. But he would not let himself.
"He killed your mother, and came back to get you" he said a little more calmly. "I wanted to run back and tell you, and be there to comfort you. I knew that since your mama ..was..dead.. she would count on me to help protect you".
Keike looked up at Inuyasha, "Inuyasha....you still don't trust me.." she said in a barely audible whisper. Inuyasha looked back to the river quickly to avoid her eyes "It is not easy to forget the hatred I held, ever since that day Keike.. even if you were like my sister". The female hanyou sighed "I understand Inuyasha...". She got up and both the hanyou walked back to cabin, not resting much that night.
"Inuyasha ! We have to stop I'm exhausted and so is Shippo" Kagome protested. "We're not stopping until we reach the next village." he growled. This area was too familiar to him and he did not feel comfortable being in it, he feared that ghosts from the past might appear suddenly.
Inuyasha was so deep in thought that he didn't notice that Kagome had stop, and ran into her. "BAKA! Watch where your going!!" she screamed. "Maybe you should learn to walk, Kagome!" he gripped. "Why did you stop anyways! The faster we move the faster we can get to a place to rest" he said still glaring at her. Kagome looked into the distant forest across the field, "I see something over there, its like....a glimmer. Maybe its some of the shards!!" she said excitedly.
The group made their way across the field and at the edge of the forest came across a house. Kagome bit her lower lip, "Well... Inuyasha, don't be mad but... I don't see the glimmer anymore..."
"What???????" he growled "You dragged us all the way over her because you thought u saw something???"
"Well we can still check inside" Kagome said. They walked up to the door, Inuyasha still grumbling and knocked very lightly. Nobody answered, Inuyasha pushed his way through the door, "Inuyasha you can't just walk into someones house!" Kagome protested. "I already did" he replied. The house was warm, and inviting, Kagome imagined a little old woman living here all by herself.
"Is there anything in here Kagome?" Inuyasha asked civily. "I can't see anything" Kagome said. Suddenly the door rattled and opened, there was no one at the door way, Shippo and Kagome got behind Inuyasha. He lept out the door careful looking everywhere, when suddenly a young woman slammed him down to the ground. "Tell me thief, did you think entering the home of a hanyou was a very bright idea?" the woman's soft voice said menacingly.
Inuyasha knocked her back and regained his stance, "You idiot I am a hanyou" he said turning around. The two hanyou's eyes locked. His golden eyes widened, and he trembled a bit. "Ke--Keike!" he managed to spit out. She smiled and ran to him throwing her arms around him, "Inuyasha your alive, where have you been, I thought you hated me, but you came and you found me I---" suddenly Inuyasha threw her down. He growled fiercely and drew the Tetusaiga, "You have the shards..."he continued growling. Kagome and Shippo came out of the house and watched confused at Inuyasha's growing anger.
Keike looked at him, "You are still angry at me Inuyasha...I don't understand why you hate me so." Inuyasha's growl became louder "GIVE ME THE SHARDS!!!"
"I will not give you anything" Keike replied quietly. She suddenly appear on top of the roof. Kagome and Shippo took off near Inuyasha. "I will not fight you either" she continued. "Baka! You were always stubborn but you know not what you toy with" Inuyasha's words hit her face like cold water.
"I swore I would protect the Shikon no Tama and if the shards are all I can find than, they are what I will protect" she said. Kagome froze "Your... protecting the shards? From who?".
"From who ever is seeking them" Keike said.
"There is only one keeper of the Shikon no Tama, and that was Kikyo!" Inuyasha said angerly, lunging at Keike. Keike merely transported from the roof to where Kagome stood. Inuyasha tried to come at her again but Kagome stood in her way this time.
"Inuyasha shes obviously not trying to hurt anyone, so would you stop being such a jerk and leave her alone!" Kagome yelled at the top of her lungs. Inuyasha pushed her aside "You don't understand anything Kagome! Stay out of this!" he nearly cut the female hanyou in two, when she reached out and caught his fist. "Stop." she said. The Tetusaiga lost its transformation and left everyone stunned.
"Please, Kagome, young fox come inside and I will explain all" she said with an inviting smile. "They won't trust you, Keike-sama" but Inuyasha was left standing outside by himself, they had already gone inside. He sighed angrily and lept up to a tree just waiting.
"That miserable bitch" he thought. All these years he thought she was dead, and now she claimed to have alliance with Kikyo. Keike's betrayal was hidden far into the back of his mind and his hatred was awoken by her presence. He cursed himself for not recognizing her scent. He wondered if Sesshoumaru was close by, watching him mocking his pain. Keike seemed to be living isolated from the world out here. Perhaps his brother had shown his true self to her and left without caring. Inuyasha glanced over to the house, Kagome and Shippo were being treated to warm food and hot tea by Keike acting as nothing ever happened. Keike suddenly looked up and met his eye briefly, this startled Inuyasha causing him to quickly look away.
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"He always hid from me like that, up in the trees. His sense of smell was much better than mine, but I was much more powerful than he was" Keike told her guests as she poured them tea. "So you and Inuyasha were almost brother and sister?" Shippo-chan asked. "More than that, he was my guardian, my mother use to say" Keike replied.
Kagome had been a little silent since they had been invited in, questions began to brew in her mind "Keike... How did you know Kikyou?".
The hanyou looked up at her sadly, "Kikyou..." she said almost as if she expected her words to bring her back. "I tried to take the Shikon no tama from her when I was a young hanyou. My father made me promise before he died that I would get it and purify my blood to be fully human."
Keike stopped abruptly and looked out the window. Inuyasha was gone. She sighed and continued "Kikyou's power was much stronger and I was inexperinced. She spared my life, and I respected her greatly since then. I pledged my life to her and swore to protect her and the jewel.... but..." she trailed off. "When I came back home to get my belongings, something happened to her....a hanyou..killed her..." suddenly a blinding thought hit her.
She raised from her seat and bolted out the door "IT WAS YOU, BASTARD, YOU KILLED KIKYOU!" the forest rang with Keike's shrill cries. "Come and face me you mongrel!!!!!"
Inuyasha came flying down at her, attempting to knock her down. "What are you talking about fool!" He said angrily. But Keike was through talking , she knocked Inuyasha down with a flick of her hand. Blood claws flung furiously at him, barely nicking his body but almost shredding his coat. Kagome rushed up to her "NO! He didn't kill her!" she pleaded.
"I remember what Kaede-sama said, and she would not lie!!" Keike slashed at his face, cutting locks of his hair. Inuyasha could not force himself to attack anymore, but only dodge, "What am I doing, why don't I just slit open her from head to toe??" he battled with himself trying to keep from pulling out his sword. Kagome lept in front of Keike, and in that moment Keike saw Kagome's face up close "Kikyou...?" she stuttered, and pulled away. "Kikyo's soul was reincarnated in me." Kagome explained. "Gomen....Gomen, I am so sorry I didn't believe you" Keike said over and over again.
Kagome helped Keike, who was very confused, back into the house. "Relax, I will pour you some tea and you just sit down" Kagome said. Inuyasha nearly broke down the door, "I THOUGHT YOU DID NOT WANT TO FIGHT!!" he growled. Keike looked up at him, into his eyes, her sadness seemed to fill the room without ever having to speak a word. Inuyasha stood silently looking into her silvery blue eyes, the eyes of the little girl who use to pretend to cry to get her way.
He wanted to hug her, but he could not bring himself to forgive her. He sat over in the corner of the room eyeing her, while Kagome examined both their expressions. Shippo-chan, who has been watching the whole fight through the window, climbed into Keike's lap. She looked down at him and smiled softly, petting his head. "You are a sweet little youkai, why are you traveling with such a dangerous band?". Shippo-chan and Kagome went off into a long explanation as to what happened from when Kagome fell into the well, to when they saw the shimmering shards near Keike's house.
Keike was a little distracted when they spoke of Sesshoumaru, and Inuyasha's expression seem to tighten after he watched her reaction to Sesshoumaru's name. That night Keike set up a place to sleep for each one of them, and made sure they were well taken care of. She hadn't had a family in a while, it felt strange taking care of them but in a way comforting.
When everyone was asleep, Keike left the house and walked to the river. This river led all the way back to the town where she and Inuyasha grew up. It made her sad to look at the shimmering water. Her ears twitched a little, there was someone rustling in the bushes behind her. Then the familiar scent filled the air,"Inuyasha.." she said quietly. He walked next to her and looked into the river. They said nothing for a while, Inuyasha had grown into a man he was at least two feet taller than she was and seemed a lot stronger physically. Keike broke the silence "Do you still hate me.."
Inuyasha kept his eyes steadily on the water "You left me for Sesshoumaru..of course I hate you." he replied.
Keike looked up him, her eyes filled with tears "Sesshoumaru...SESSHOUMARU?? Why would you ever think anything so stupid!!!!!" Inuyasha was startled by her reaction "Because I know what I saw!!!" he yelled at her. She cowered back, she had no reason to but she could not help it. "What are you talking about...".
"That day of the festival, the night before you left. I saw you and him... you were....." he stopped not being able to being himself to say it. "Inuyasha......he....attacked me...he was going to..." Keike collasped to the ground tears trickling down her face.
Inuyasha looked at her, she looked like her mother. Her dark green hair shimmered in the light, he wanted to reach out and stroke it gently and tell her it was ok. But he would not let himself.
"He killed your mother, and came back to get you" he said a little more calmly. "I wanted to run back and tell you, and be there to comfort you. I knew that since your mama ..was..dead.. she would count on me to help protect you".
Keike looked up at Inuyasha, "Inuyasha....you still don't trust me.." she said in a barely audible whisper. Inuyasha looked back to the river quickly to avoid her eyes "It is not easy to forget the hatred I held, ever since that day Keike.. even if you were like my sister". The female hanyou sighed "I understand Inuyasha...". She got up and both the hanyou walked back to cabin, not resting much that night.