Type: Romance/ Action
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Inuyasha. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi-sensei.
Direction to read my lengthy fanfic: go to http://inuhanyou.cjb.net and go fanfiction section. Then, right-click each chapter link in new windows and log off your server. That will allow you to read without wasting your Internet quota. Or, you can simply copy and paste to notepad or MS Words, before exiting from Internet.
And the most important of all, please read and review my fanfic!! I need your support and opinions regarding my fanfic, because I alone do not know how good it is.
Arigato!!!!!!
Summary:
This story continued from manga 29 (contain spoilers). Using the help of the almost completed Shikon no Tama, Naraku had transformed into a full youkai. To make sure Inuyasha would not hinder his aim to complete his mission to gain a corrupted completed shikon no tama, he decided to destroy him once and for all on the new moon night.
WARNING: This chapter involves some contents and flashbacks from my first fanfic: The Lost Past as well as very little bit of spoilers here and there between manga 1- 29.
Chapter Four: Direction of the Heart
The snowflakes fluttered down one by one from the sky. Silence shrouded the snow-white covered mountains. Afar, only faint giggles and laughters echoed. A lonely hanyou blinked his golden eyes and looked around him. Long white hair flowed down his shoulder just like the snow on the mountaintop. His red coat was a sharp contrast against the pure white surroundings. A foot stepped forward, sinking deep into the snow. The air was dry. Chilly wind blew and whirled around the figure.
Where am I? Inuyasha wondered.
His eyes roamed far and wide, searching. Naraku was gone. Kagome was gone. So were Miroku, Sango, Kirara and Shippou. The palace where he and Naraku had fought had disappeared.
Then he remembered.
I was dead!
Yes. Stabbed and killed by his own Tetsusaiga. What a terrible joke! How would Sesshoumaru-his half elder brother feel if he knew about this? Hanyou is still a hanyou, weakling, and stupid enough to be killed by his own weapon. Inuyasha felt his waist. Tetsusaiga was gone. Never mind, he did not need it anyway. No dead will need to protect him from with a weapon. He was already dead.
Inuyasha stained his eyes to see afar. Where was he now? He remembered seeing this scene before, but he could not remember where and when. The giggles and laughters continued from afar. It was a young couple, he guessed.
The pure snowflakes fell softly on his hair and shoulder. He ran and leaped on the snow. His feet sunk deep into the thick snow. The giggles were clearer now. Closer, and yet closer.......
A young woman was playing a war of snow with a man with white hair and armor. There was a strong similarity between the man and Sesshoumaru, except his eyes was gentler and his chin was sharper. The young woman's hair was long and black as midnight. Inuyasha grasped. He could recognize the woman. It was his mother who had passed away when he was five years old. Happiness and content sparkled in her violet grey eyes as she tried to duck from the snowballs her companion was throwing at her.
"Stop-Stop that, Inu no Taishou!!" She laughed and skipped aside before another snowball hit her.
The man with white hair---- an Inu youkai-The surviving Lord of the Western Kingdom, Inuyasha's father was smiling, ignoring her shouting and continuing tossing snowballs on her. Inuyasha had never seen his mother smiling and laughing to her fullness ever since he was aware of his world. In his mind, his mother was always weeping and crying over Inuyasha's sufferings as a half-breed.
Inuyasha stood, enviously afar watching the little war of snow between his parents. Never had he really opened his heart to learn true happiness. Here, his parents were experiencing true happiness.
Inuyasha suddenly remembered why the scene was familiar. He had seen it in the cave when his father's arch enemy---Ryuukossei's son attacked him (REFER: The Lost Past---Chapter 7 and 8).
Inuyasha had never experience real happiness. He had never laugh full- heartedly ever since he was young for he trusted no one. After his mother's death, he was banished from his mother's family clan. No, not banished, they had wanted to kill him. He escaped. He roamed the unfriendly land where both youkai and human beings despised him.
Kikyou was the first friend he made in his teenage hood. But he had never convert his heart to her. Before he could do so, Naraku's plot forced them two worlds apart.
And then Kagome--- Kikyou's reincarnation came along. Unlike Kikyou, she taught him how to love and communicate. She taught him what friendships are. She taught him many things. Shippou, Sango and Miroku's entries brought him laughters. Shippou never failed to irritate him in his pinkish balloon form and Sango-Miroku's pairing always brought a lot of noises among the group.
But Inuyasha knew he was not happy. He did not know why.
He understood now. He could not open his feelings. He could not do it like what others could. He always kept things to himself. He felt suffocated. But he could not control himself.
Was it fear?
Was it fear of betrayal?
Did he fear that his friends would betray his feelings one day like what he had thought Kikyou would do before he learnt Naraku's plot?
Or did he fear that he would feel a surge of loneliness when one by one--- they would be gone. Human beings have limited lifespan. Kikyou was dead now. He was afraid to lose any of them again. He could not bear to accept any more shock of losing anyone of them.
He was scared.
"You are wrong, my son."
A low voice suddenly boomed near Inuyasha's ears. His parents had disappeared. Only the lonely Inuyasha stood in the falling snow.
"O-to-san.." Inuyasha muttered. He recognized the voice to be the one he had heard in the cave (REFER: The lost Past, Chapter 8). It was his father-- - Inu no Taishou.
"Friends are though after all passing clouds, but the most important thing in life is, you must learn to treasure friendship and treasure them. For if you don't; you can never gain it again. You might even regret it for life. How will you learn true feelings if you conceal yourself, conceal your heart to people who care for you? Remember my words, Inuyasha...." Inu no Taishou's voice faded..
Inuyasha felt his heart sinking like a stone in the sea. When will he ever achieve that? It was too late for him now. He was dead.
A tickle of tear dropped from his eye.
I want to go back. I want to see you again, Kagome. I have not quarrel with you enough, Shippou. I want to chat with you, Sango and Miroku. I want to see all of you again!
Startled, Inuyasha touched his cheek. He was crying again. Of all his life, he had only cried four times. Three times when he was young and once when he thought his companions were dead (manga 25). The snow continued to fall. His warm tears were now mixed with the melting snow on his face.
Kikyou was dead. But he still had Kagome, Miroku, Sango and Shippou. How could he leave this world just like that? Who will protect them from Naraku? And how could he confide his heart to them when he was dead? He had failed Kikyou. He did not want to repeat his mistakes again.
"I want to go back, I want to see all of you again.." Inuyasha sobbed uncontrollably.
~~~~ **** ~~~~~
"We are reaching the forest, Kagome!!" Shippou squealed as Kirara approached the enchanted masses of deciduous trees. Kagome nodded. Kirara lowered her paws onto the solid ground and rested her body under the nearest tree.
Kagome pulled Inuyasha's arm round her shoulder and helped him to lie down on the soft grass. He was still unconscious. Kagome looked up into the sky. Judging from the brightness of the dark sky, dawn would break in less than two or three hours' time.
Exhausted, Kagome pulled herself down the ground and rest Inuyasha's head on her lap. It was like last time when he was hurt by the spider youkai in his first human transform before Kagome (manga 5). This time, Naraku hurt him. Will he survive?
Kagome remembered it was that very time when Inuyasha confessed that she smelt nice to him. Her heart had been beating very fast. Perhaps, on that very day, she had unknowingly fallen for him. Gently, she brushed his hair from his face. Inuyasha, she thought, you must pull yourself through this time.
"Who's coming this way? I heard someone here." A little girl's voice disrupted her thoughts. There were some rustles among the grass and a little face peeped behind a tree. It was Rin.
"Rin! Don't go too fast or Sesshoumaru-sama would scold you!!" Jarken cried and ran after the active girl.
"Look, someone else is here!" Rin called.
"Huh?" Jarken clumsily pulled himself over the protruding roots and fallen branches with the two-headed staff and his eyes followed the direction where Rin was pointing.
He saw Kagome leaning against a tree with a long hair boy's head resting on her lap. Kirara and Shippou were resting besides them.
"HEY! Why are you intruding my master's territory? Move!" Seeing no one among them was strong enough to resist him, Jarken roared, swinging his two- headed staff to add onto his wrath. His eyes fell onto a sword in Shippou's hand. It was Tenseiga!
"Hey! That's my master's sword!!!" Jarken screamed, jumping at Shippou: "How did it get into your hand??!!!"
"Your master gives it to us, ugly toad!!" Shippou shrieked as he hopped away from Jarken, he twisted his neck towards Kagome: "Nah, Kagome? We aren't lying!"
"Where's Sesshoumaru-sama now?" Rin ran and asked Shippou anxiously. Sesshoumaru though was cold to her, but he had truly cared for her all the time. She was worried for his safety. He was shorter than her by a head. He had to lift his head to see her.
"He is fighting with Naraku now! Miroku and Sango are with him!"
Jarken stared at the face that was leaning against Kagome's lap: "Who is he? He looks kindda familiar." He poked his finger at Inuyasha's cheek.
"Don't touch him." Kagome whispered. Jarken did not catch her words and continued his action.
"I SAY DON'T TOUCH HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Kagome roared, frightening the toad youkai and causing him to topple over a little rock.
"Ch! What's the big deal?" Jarken spitted and snapped: "He's just a weak human being!"
"Is he dying?" Rin asked in concern: "There's a big wound on his chest."
"He'll be fine, Inuyasha will not die." Kagome muttered almost to herself.
"He IS Inuyasha??????????????" Jarken cried out in surprise: "Pat! No wonder Sesshoumaru-sama always says a hanyou ..." He stopped suddenly.
Kagome was staring at him. He could feel her anger rising within her. Jarken turned his head away.
"He'll be fine, nee-chan!" Rin said as if consoling Kagome. She nodded.
~~ *** ~~~
Inuyasha's knees gave way under him and collapsed onto the thick snow. Snowflakes fell faster and heavier. Suddenly, everything swirled and flew around him, blinding his vision. The scene changed and he found himself on a grassy slope, sitting besides Kikyou.
"Ohaiyo, Inuyasha," Kikyou smiled warmly to him. Inuyasha shuttered. Her expression was that when she first confessed her inner feeling to Inuyasha while she was still alive.
Blushing red in his face, Inuyasha tried to distract his attention by playing with the grass around him.
"I never know you'll be here so soon, Inuyasha," Inuyasha heard Kikyou whispered. She sounded sad.
"I'd hope you'd stay happy and alive with my reincarnation, Kagome in the mortal world. Why did you come here?" Inuyasha tried to clean his ears to make sure he was not hearing anything wrong. Was that Kikyou? When did she become so generous?
"I'm dead already and I do not wish to see you join me so soon. You still have an important mission to do." Kikyou continued.
"But I'm dead, what can I do?" Inuyasha scowled angrily.
"Believe in yourself." Kikyou said: "Gather your will and strength to live. Come!" She turned to face Inuyasha and reached out her hands to hold his.
"What are you doing, Kikyou?"
"Do you still want to see your friends? Don't you want to see Kagome, Miroku, Sango and Shippou? They are all still waiting for you. Let my will aid you."
Kikyou closed her eyes and concentrated. Inuyasha was still puzzled.
"Well, what are you waiting for, Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha followed suit and shut his eyes. He remembered the first time he met Kagome when he was awakened from his slumber under Kikyou's arrow. His mind traveled to the times when he met Shippou when the fox kitsune lost his father, his encounter with Miroku-the lecher monk, Sango-the surviving demon eliminator who seeks to rescue her brother from Naraku's grasp. He thought of his times spending with his travel mates and his urge to return them their kindness in befriending him. He wanted to be alive again.
Kagome----
Shippou----
Miroku ----
Sango ----
Inuyasha could hear Kikyou whispered as her strength transferred from her fingers to him, as his mind became blurer and blurer......
"My heart will always be with you wherever you are, Inuyasha, even till my next life as Kagome....."
~~ *** ~~~~
Kagome could not sleep. Miroku and Sango had not return from the palace and she was worried for them. Shippou and Rin were snoring besides her. Jarken was poking Tetsusaiga using a stick. Kagome remembered the strange event when the sword glowed in violet light when its blade was drawn out Inuyasha's chest. She pulled the sword from Jarken's reach and drew the sword out, ignoring his protests.
The glowing had stopped, but traces of dried blood could still be visibly seen on the uneven edged sword.
Shippou was shook awaken by Kagome's movement. He got up and rubbed his sleepy eyes: "Kagome, had the sun come out?"
The sky was in dark-purplish blue. Dawn was going to break soon. Like a judge of life and death, the time would witness whether Inuyasha could survive the ordeal.
Kagome peeked down on Inuyasha's sleeping face. He did not stir.
The sky started to brighten. Beams of sunlight penetrated through the clouds onto Mother Earth. Yet, there was no reaction from Inuyasha. He did not move and still remained in his human form.
Tears started to well up Kagome's eyes.
"Kagome, why are you crying?" Shippou asked: "Has Inuyasha awake?"
Kagome shook her head and closed her eyes with her face facing downwards, not wanting anyone to see her crying.
A hand touched her cheek. She raised a hand and held it.
"Kagome, why are you crying?"
Her eyes suddenly fluttered open. It was Inuyasha's voice. Immediately, she stared down at the hanyou on her lap. His hair had turned white with two distinctive dog-ears on top. His golden eyes were staring back at her.
"INUYASHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Kagome cried out in joy and hugged him in her arms: "Am I dreaming?"
"No, I'm back." Inuyasha smiled weakly: "Where are we?"
"We are in your father's forest, Sango, Miroku and Sesshoumaru are still fighting with Naraku in the castle."
"We better go help them." Inuyasha struggled to his feet with a hand on the tree bark as support. Nevertheless, his strength was recovering fast.
"Are you Inuyasha-Sesshoumaru's half brother?" An elderly voice suddenly erupted.
"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!!! GHOST!" Shippou and Kagome squeaked. Jarken and Rin had experienced such situation before and were not surprised. Jarken smirked at Kagome and Shippou's fright.
"Who and where are you?!" Inuyasha commanded.
"I am Bokusenou, your late father's acquaintance." The voice replied.
"Bokusenou?" Inuyasha echoed. He had never heard the name from his mother before, but somehow it sounded familiar. Just then, he located a tree with a wrinkled face looking at him. It must be where the source of voice was.
"You have unforeseeable potentials, Inuyasha. Go, find your nii-chan and aid him. He and your other two friends is no match for the youkai Naraku."
"Iku zo, Kagome! Shippou!" Inuyasha called and together they leaped onto Kirara. They were going back to the palace.
~~~ ********** ~~~~~~~~~~~~
The battle was still going on.
Naraku's tentacles were everywhere, stinging and attacking the three opponents. They found, to their dismay, that they could hardly attack him. Their strength were wearing thin, especially Sango. Naraku's Saimyoushou were everywhere and Sango had given a big warning to Miroku not to use his wind-rip.
"Gomen ne, Sango, I must use this hole again," Miroku knew that if this persisted further, all three of them would perish with Naraku. It would be better if only one of them-that was he, to die if it could save the others.
"Kukukuku, if you think your wind-rip's so powerful, go on and try. Kukukuku.." Naraku chuckled.
Miroku released the Buddhist beads and activated his wind-hole. The force brought the roof to the ground and sucked Saimyoushou into it, but Naraku remained intact.
"STOP IT!!!" Sango screamed and pulled the beads back to Miroku's palm: "You'll be dying for nothing!!" Miroku fell back onto the ground and Sango supported him in her arms.
Sweat started to form on Miroku's forehead: "It's nothing, as long as this can get you out of danger.." He forced his words out.
"Houshi-sama......" Sango choked in her voice.
"Have you both finished?" Sesshoumaru asked calmly without looking at them: "You two mortals get out of here, I can deal with him personally."
"Too late to escape, though I do not like to have weakly human beings as part of me, I guess I have to do it to shut you all up." Naraku snarled. His tentacles blocked all means of escape and Naraku's thorns on them started to attack them.
"NOT SO FAST, NARAKU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
A voice exploded and the tentacles parted and rained around them.
"Kukuku, I thought you were dead, weakly hanyou!" Naraku chuckled again.
Inuyasha held his red transformed Tetsusaiga with its blade resting on the ground. Kagome, with Shippou clinging on her shoulder stood behind him.
"Let's see about that!" Inuyasha snarled and pulled up his enormous fang sword.
He dived into the air and swung the force of Tetsusaiga at Naraku's main body.
"BAKURYUUHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
A strong force of wind danced and united to form into a big whirlwind of flow towards Naraku. The force bounced and reflected back at Inuyasha.
"INUYASHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!" Recognizing the hanyou's danger, Kagome yelped his name in fear.
Inuyasha leaped. But the force was too big.
He knew it was impossible to avoid the force.
Believe your strength.
A tiny voice repeated in his mind. Kikyou had mentioned it before.
A strange feeling trickled in his blood vein. He followed the feeling and felt it flow from his hands to Tetsusaiga. Inuyasha prepared to swing another blow of Bakuryuuha to cut the previous one.
"No! It'll increase the force against you!" He heard Sesshoumaru yelled.
Something strange happened.
A flow drove purplish light from the handle of Tetsusaiga to its tip of the blade.
Inuyasha swung his sword in a circle.
"BAKURYUUHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Kagome had no more arrows with her and she could not bear to watch. Sango and Miroku turned their faces away. Sesshoumaru glared at the flying small figure of Inuyasha towards the enormous youkai with branching tentacles from afar and crunched his fingers around the handle of his Tenseiga that Shippou had returned him. He prepared to revive Inuyasha again if his own blows slashed him.
The whirl of wind swung into purplish light and swept cutting the previous whirlwind Inuyasha had activated, absorbing its strength in it. The combined strength cut through Naraku's body. Naraku smiled and his body joined again.
"What was going on?" Kagome grasped: "Inuyasha's blow is not reflected back this time and Naraku seems to have eaten up Inuyasha's force into his body!"
"Is this another new strength of Inuyasha's?" Sesshoumaru thought: "Inuyasha, you are truly not an ordinary hanyou."
"Kukuku, trying to get rid of me, rubbish hanyou? You-------."Naraku's eyes suddenly widened with disbelief: "This---is---IMPOSS------."
Rolls of path branched through Naraku's body like blood veins and exploded at his chest. His body shattered in the air.
Sesshoumaru watched on with surprised. Then he remembered. Tetsusaiga had emitted a faint purplish light when it was drawn from Inuyasha's body and the sword was known to absorb the power of anyone as it slashed into that person. Inuyasha might have some unknown strength in his blood and his sword had captured that bit of power when Inuyasha was stabbed by it.
"Kagome!!!!! Locate the Shikon no tama!!! NOW!!!!!!!" Inuyasha yelled as he leaped away from Naraku's raining body pieces.
"There! In the middle of where his chest is----- OH NO!!!!" Kagome shrieked. Naraku's pieces started to fly out of the palace. A swam of Saimyoushou grabbed the incomplete shikon no tama and flew after the pieces.
"DON'T LET THEM GET AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!" Sango yelled and flew her boomerang at the escaping Saimyoushou, but it missed by an inch. The Saimyoushou were too fast!
"AFTER THEM!!!" Kagome yelled and suddenly felt her body lifting. Inuyasha carried her on his back and flew after the Saimyoushou and pieces of Naraku.
Something shone and blocked them. A barrier! Angrily, Inuyasha slashed it with his Tetsusaiga. But it was too late. They were gone.
Disappointed, Inuyasha and Kagome returned to the run-down palace. Sesshoumaru, without a word had left. Sango was supporting Miroku with his hand round her shoulder. Shippou and Kirara accompanied them.
"Naraku has escaped-----AGAIN!" Inuyasha growled and clashed the nearby floor with his fist angrily.
"Don't worry, we'll find him and get rid of him next time," Kagome consoled.
"Hoshi sama is seriously injured. We need to find a place to let him rest." Sango said quietly.
"Don't---don't worry, S----Sang---o, I'll be fine----." Miroku whispered weakly. He had absorbed too much Saimyoushou in his wind-rip.
"Hoshi-sama!" Sango wept and suddenly paused.
A hand was running on her butt. It was Miroku again.
~~~~ SLAM! ~~~~~
Sango slammed her boomerang on Miroku's head, forming a lump.
"Miroku's old habit has started again," Inuyasha, Kagome and Shippou shook their heads.
"I guess in short term, he will not die," Inuyasha smirked.
"What about you?" Kagome turned to look at him: "I need to talk to you, Inuyasha."
"Huh?" Inuyasha glazed at her with his bright golden eyes.
~~~~~ ********* ~~~~~~~~~~~~
In a dark surrounding, several pieces flew around in form like typhoon and joined one another together forming Naraku. A Saimyoushou flew and placed the incomplete shikon no tama on his hand. His eyes fell on the pearl and snickered darkly.
"To think you can destroy me with your worthless strength? This is beyond your ability, rubbish hanyou!"
Naraku's black hair flowed down his shoulder and he looked up into the morning sun.
The fright from Inuyasha's strength and his Tetsusaiga still lingered in his mind. He remembered the force driving through his flesh, slashing them apart. No, it seemed to be alive as if controlled by Inuyasha's direction of heart. Worse still, it almost shattered his power apart. Luckily, his body held the shikon no tama that blocked the force from further shattering and absorbing his strength and soul.
The shikon no tama had saved his life.
Obviously, there is more to this hanyou than an eye meets.
"One day, I will definitely get rid of you, Inuyasha." Naraku snarled under his breath.
"Kukukukuku..........kukukukuku.....Kukukukuku......"
Naraku's chuckles echoed around the forest like haunted spirits in the night......
~~~ ********* ~~~~~~~~~
Sango and Miroku were still resting in the broken palace; they had been battling with Naraku the entire night and were utterly exhausted. Shippou gave an excuse and had disappeared nowhere, probably playing with squirrels or Kirara.
Kagome found a comfortable grassy slope and pulled Inuyasha with her to sit. They looked up to the bright sky and were silence for a long time.
"We have not been together, just the two of us for a long time, Inuyasha," Kagome began: "When you were stabbed by your sword, I thought I am going to lose you forever. I was so scared then." Her voice was shaking.
She turned and looked into Inuyasha's golden eyes: "Promise me you won't do anything silly again, Inuyasha." Tears started to well up in her eyes. She closed her eyes, hugged onto Inuyasha and sobbed.
"Please don't leave me again, Inuyasha, I couldn't imagine life without you!"
Inuyasha's clawed hand stroked her hair gently as he held her shoulder up so that their eyes met.
"I'm sorry, Kagome. I didn't mean to make you sad and I will not leave you again---" Inuyasha's golden eyes softened and his lips reached for Kagome's: "I love you, Kagome----."
"Inuyasha-----." Kagome began and her eyes started to close to accept his kiss.
One of Inuyasha's dog ears suddenly twitched.
~~~ A PAUSE...... ~~~~~~~~~
Miroku and Sango were sitting on the slope behind them, glaring and staring.
Immediately, Inuyasha and Kagome jumped aside. Kagome tried to rub her tears away.
"Oops, we don't know you were here, go on, go on. Treat that we are invisible." Miroku said as he put his hand over his mouth. Sango shook her head and pressed her hand on her face embarrassedly, knowing they had disrupted a good opportunity for Inuyasha and Kagome.
Shippou and Kirara were hiding in a nearby bush, thinking: "Stupid fools! I've taken some efforts to create an opportunity for them and you two spoiled it!"
Nevertheless, their search for the last piece of shikon no tama as well as their swore enemy---Naraku will still continued.
~~~~ THE END OF 'DIRECTION OF THE HEART' ~~~~~~~
AUTHOR'S WORDS:
Hope this fanfic is not a major disappointment. I'm not very good in describing the inner mind of Inuyasha, so it may not appear as good as what many other fanfic does in fanfiction.net. Thank you all who have bring in reviews to this fanfic and hope this fanfic is not a disappointment! Meanwhile, I'm still doing other fanfic at the same time. See ya!!
Sayonara!!!
Regards,
Jakotsu
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Inuyasha. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi-sensei.
Direction to read my lengthy fanfic: go to http://inuhanyou.cjb.net and go fanfiction section. Then, right-click each chapter link in new windows and log off your server. That will allow you to read without wasting your Internet quota. Or, you can simply copy and paste to notepad or MS Words, before exiting from Internet.
And the most important of all, please read and review my fanfic!! I need your support and opinions regarding my fanfic, because I alone do not know how good it is.
Arigato!!!!!!
Summary:
This story continued from manga 29 (contain spoilers). Using the help of the almost completed Shikon no Tama, Naraku had transformed into a full youkai. To make sure Inuyasha would not hinder his aim to complete his mission to gain a corrupted completed shikon no tama, he decided to destroy him once and for all on the new moon night.
WARNING: This chapter involves some contents and flashbacks from my first fanfic: The Lost Past as well as very little bit of spoilers here and there between manga 1- 29.
Chapter Four: Direction of the Heart
The snowflakes fluttered down one by one from the sky. Silence shrouded the snow-white covered mountains. Afar, only faint giggles and laughters echoed. A lonely hanyou blinked his golden eyes and looked around him. Long white hair flowed down his shoulder just like the snow on the mountaintop. His red coat was a sharp contrast against the pure white surroundings. A foot stepped forward, sinking deep into the snow. The air was dry. Chilly wind blew and whirled around the figure.
Where am I? Inuyasha wondered.
His eyes roamed far and wide, searching. Naraku was gone. Kagome was gone. So were Miroku, Sango, Kirara and Shippou. The palace where he and Naraku had fought had disappeared.
Then he remembered.
I was dead!
Yes. Stabbed and killed by his own Tetsusaiga. What a terrible joke! How would Sesshoumaru-his half elder brother feel if he knew about this? Hanyou is still a hanyou, weakling, and stupid enough to be killed by his own weapon. Inuyasha felt his waist. Tetsusaiga was gone. Never mind, he did not need it anyway. No dead will need to protect him from with a weapon. He was already dead.
Inuyasha stained his eyes to see afar. Where was he now? He remembered seeing this scene before, but he could not remember where and when. The giggles and laughters continued from afar. It was a young couple, he guessed.
The pure snowflakes fell softly on his hair and shoulder. He ran and leaped on the snow. His feet sunk deep into the thick snow. The giggles were clearer now. Closer, and yet closer.......
A young woman was playing a war of snow with a man with white hair and armor. There was a strong similarity between the man and Sesshoumaru, except his eyes was gentler and his chin was sharper. The young woman's hair was long and black as midnight. Inuyasha grasped. He could recognize the woman. It was his mother who had passed away when he was five years old. Happiness and content sparkled in her violet grey eyes as she tried to duck from the snowballs her companion was throwing at her.
"Stop-Stop that, Inu no Taishou!!" She laughed and skipped aside before another snowball hit her.
The man with white hair---- an Inu youkai-The surviving Lord of the Western Kingdom, Inuyasha's father was smiling, ignoring her shouting and continuing tossing snowballs on her. Inuyasha had never seen his mother smiling and laughing to her fullness ever since he was aware of his world. In his mind, his mother was always weeping and crying over Inuyasha's sufferings as a half-breed.
Inuyasha stood, enviously afar watching the little war of snow between his parents. Never had he really opened his heart to learn true happiness. Here, his parents were experiencing true happiness.
Inuyasha suddenly remembered why the scene was familiar. He had seen it in the cave when his father's arch enemy---Ryuukossei's son attacked him (REFER: The Lost Past---Chapter 7 and 8).
Inuyasha had never experience real happiness. He had never laugh full- heartedly ever since he was young for he trusted no one. After his mother's death, he was banished from his mother's family clan. No, not banished, they had wanted to kill him. He escaped. He roamed the unfriendly land where both youkai and human beings despised him.
Kikyou was the first friend he made in his teenage hood. But he had never convert his heart to her. Before he could do so, Naraku's plot forced them two worlds apart.
And then Kagome--- Kikyou's reincarnation came along. Unlike Kikyou, she taught him how to love and communicate. She taught him what friendships are. She taught him many things. Shippou, Sango and Miroku's entries brought him laughters. Shippou never failed to irritate him in his pinkish balloon form and Sango-Miroku's pairing always brought a lot of noises among the group.
But Inuyasha knew he was not happy. He did not know why.
He understood now. He could not open his feelings. He could not do it like what others could. He always kept things to himself. He felt suffocated. But he could not control himself.
Was it fear?
Was it fear of betrayal?
Did he fear that his friends would betray his feelings one day like what he had thought Kikyou would do before he learnt Naraku's plot?
Or did he fear that he would feel a surge of loneliness when one by one--- they would be gone. Human beings have limited lifespan. Kikyou was dead now. He was afraid to lose any of them again. He could not bear to accept any more shock of losing anyone of them.
He was scared.
"You are wrong, my son."
A low voice suddenly boomed near Inuyasha's ears. His parents had disappeared. Only the lonely Inuyasha stood in the falling snow.
"O-to-san.." Inuyasha muttered. He recognized the voice to be the one he had heard in the cave (REFER: The lost Past, Chapter 8). It was his father-- - Inu no Taishou.
"Friends are though after all passing clouds, but the most important thing in life is, you must learn to treasure friendship and treasure them. For if you don't; you can never gain it again. You might even regret it for life. How will you learn true feelings if you conceal yourself, conceal your heart to people who care for you? Remember my words, Inuyasha...." Inu no Taishou's voice faded..
Inuyasha felt his heart sinking like a stone in the sea. When will he ever achieve that? It was too late for him now. He was dead.
A tickle of tear dropped from his eye.
I want to go back. I want to see you again, Kagome. I have not quarrel with you enough, Shippou. I want to chat with you, Sango and Miroku. I want to see all of you again!
Startled, Inuyasha touched his cheek. He was crying again. Of all his life, he had only cried four times. Three times when he was young and once when he thought his companions were dead (manga 25). The snow continued to fall. His warm tears were now mixed with the melting snow on his face.
Kikyou was dead. But he still had Kagome, Miroku, Sango and Shippou. How could he leave this world just like that? Who will protect them from Naraku? And how could he confide his heart to them when he was dead? He had failed Kikyou. He did not want to repeat his mistakes again.
"I want to go back, I want to see all of you again.." Inuyasha sobbed uncontrollably.
~~~~ **** ~~~~~
"We are reaching the forest, Kagome!!" Shippou squealed as Kirara approached the enchanted masses of deciduous trees. Kagome nodded. Kirara lowered her paws onto the solid ground and rested her body under the nearest tree.
Kagome pulled Inuyasha's arm round her shoulder and helped him to lie down on the soft grass. He was still unconscious. Kagome looked up into the sky. Judging from the brightness of the dark sky, dawn would break in less than two or three hours' time.
Exhausted, Kagome pulled herself down the ground and rest Inuyasha's head on her lap. It was like last time when he was hurt by the spider youkai in his first human transform before Kagome (manga 5). This time, Naraku hurt him. Will he survive?
Kagome remembered it was that very time when Inuyasha confessed that she smelt nice to him. Her heart had been beating very fast. Perhaps, on that very day, she had unknowingly fallen for him. Gently, she brushed his hair from his face. Inuyasha, she thought, you must pull yourself through this time.
"Who's coming this way? I heard someone here." A little girl's voice disrupted her thoughts. There were some rustles among the grass and a little face peeped behind a tree. It was Rin.
"Rin! Don't go too fast or Sesshoumaru-sama would scold you!!" Jarken cried and ran after the active girl.
"Look, someone else is here!" Rin called.
"Huh?" Jarken clumsily pulled himself over the protruding roots and fallen branches with the two-headed staff and his eyes followed the direction where Rin was pointing.
He saw Kagome leaning against a tree with a long hair boy's head resting on her lap. Kirara and Shippou were resting besides them.
"HEY! Why are you intruding my master's territory? Move!" Seeing no one among them was strong enough to resist him, Jarken roared, swinging his two- headed staff to add onto his wrath. His eyes fell onto a sword in Shippou's hand. It was Tenseiga!
"Hey! That's my master's sword!!!" Jarken screamed, jumping at Shippou: "How did it get into your hand??!!!"
"Your master gives it to us, ugly toad!!" Shippou shrieked as he hopped away from Jarken, he twisted his neck towards Kagome: "Nah, Kagome? We aren't lying!"
"Where's Sesshoumaru-sama now?" Rin ran and asked Shippou anxiously. Sesshoumaru though was cold to her, but he had truly cared for her all the time. She was worried for his safety. He was shorter than her by a head. He had to lift his head to see her.
"He is fighting with Naraku now! Miroku and Sango are with him!"
Jarken stared at the face that was leaning against Kagome's lap: "Who is he? He looks kindda familiar." He poked his finger at Inuyasha's cheek.
"Don't touch him." Kagome whispered. Jarken did not catch her words and continued his action.
"I SAY DON'T TOUCH HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Kagome roared, frightening the toad youkai and causing him to topple over a little rock.
"Ch! What's the big deal?" Jarken spitted and snapped: "He's just a weak human being!"
"Is he dying?" Rin asked in concern: "There's a big wound on his chest."
"He'll be fine, Inuyasha will not die." Kagome muttered almost to herself.
"He IS Inuyasha??????????????" Jarken cried out in surprise: "Pat! No wonder Sesshoumaru-sama always says a hanyou ..." He stopped suddenly.
Kagome was staring at him. He could feel her anger rising within her. Jarken turned his head away.
"He'll be fine, nee-chan!" Rin said as if consoling Kagome. She nodded.
~~ *** ~~~
Inuyasha's knees gave way under him and collapsed onto the thick snow. Snowflakes fell faster and heavier. Suddenly, everything swirled and flew around him, blinding his vision. The scene changed and he found himself on a grassy slope, sitting besides Kikyou.
"Ohaiyo, Inuyasha," Kikyou smiled warmly to him. Inuyasha shuttered. Her expression was that when she first confessed her inner feeling to Inuyasha while she was still alive.
Blushing red in his face, Inuyasha tried to distract his attention by playing with the grass around him.
"I never know you'll be here so soon, Inuyasha," Inuyasha heard Kikyou whispered. She sounded sad.
"I'd hope you'd stay happy and alive with my reincarnation, Kagome in the mortal world. Why did you come here?" Inuyasha tried to clean his ears to make sure he was not hearing anything wrong. Was that Kikyou? When did she become so generous?
"I'm dead already and I do not wish to see you join me so soon. You still have an important mission to do." Kikyou continued.
"But I'm dead, what can I do?" Inuyasha scowled angrily.
"Believe in yourself." Kikyou said: "Gather your will and strength to live. Come!" She turned to face Inuyasha and reached out her hands to hold his.
"What are you doing, Kikyou?"
"Do you still want to see your friends? Don't you want to see Kagome, Miroku, Sango and Shippou? They are all still waiting for you. Let my will aid you."
Kikyou closed her eyes and concentrated. Inuyasha was still puzzled.
"Well, what are you waiting for, Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha followed suit and shut his eyes. He remembered the first time he met Kagome when he was awakened from his slumber under Kikyou's arrow. His mind traveled to the times when he met Shippou when the fox kitsune lost his father, his encounter with Miroku-the lecher monk, Sango-the surviving demon eliminator who seeks to rescue her brother from Naraku's grasp. He thought of his times spending with his travel mates and his urge to return them their kindness in befriending him. He wanted to be alive again.
Kagome----
Shippou----
Miroku ----
Sango ----
Inuyasha could hear Kikyou whispered as her strength transferred from her fingers to him, as his mind became blurer and blurer......
"My heart will always be with you wherever you are, Inuyasha, even till my next life as Kagome....."
~~ *** ~~~~
Kagome could not sleep. Miroku and Sango had not return from the palace and she was worried for them. Shippou and Rin were snoring besides her. Jarken was poking Tetsusaiga using a stick. Kagome remembered the strange event when the sword glowed in violet light when its blade was drawn out Inuyasha's chest. She pulled the sword from Jarken's reach and drew the sword out, ignoring his protests.
The glowing had stopped, but traces of dried blood could still be visibly seen on the uneven edged sword.
Shippou was shook awaken by Kagome's movement. He got up and rubbed his sleepy eyes: "Kagome, had the sun come out?"
The sky was in dark-purplish blue. Dawn was going to break soon. Like a judge of life and death, the time would witness whether Inuyasha could survive the ordeal.
Kagome peeked down on Inuyasha's sleeping face. He did not stir.
The sky started to brighten. Beams of sunlight penetrated through the clouds onto Mother Earth. Yet, there was no reaction from Inuyasha. He did not move and still remained in his human form.
Tears started to well up Kagome's eyes.
"Kagome, why are you crying?" Shippou asked: "Has Inuyasha awake?"
Kagome shook her head and closed her eyes with her face facing downwards, not wanting anyone to see her crying.
A hand touched her cheek. She raised a hand and held it.
"Kagome, why are you crying?"
Her eyes suddenly fluttered open. It was Inuyasha's voice. Immediately, she stared down at the hanyou on her lap. His hair had turned white with two distinctive dog-ears on top. His golden eyes were staring back at her.
"INUYASHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Kagome cried out in joy and hugged him in her arms: "Am I dreaming?"
"No, I'm back." Inuyasha smiled weakly: "Where are we?"
"We are in your father's forest, Sango, Miroku and Sesshoumaru are still fighting with Naraku in the castle."
"We better go help them." Inuyasha struggled to his feet with a hand on the tree bark as support. Nevertheless, his strength was recovering fast.
"Are you Inuyasha-Sesshoumaru's half brother?" An elderly voice suddenly erupted.
"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!!! GHOST!" Shippou and Kagome squeaked. Jarken and Rin had experienced such situation before and were not surprised. Jarken smirked at Kagome and Shippou's fright.
"Who and where are you?!" Inuyasha commanded.
"I am Bokusenou, your late father's acquaintance." The voice replied.
"Bokusenou?" Inuyasha echoed. He had never heard the name from his mother before, but somehow it sounded familiar. Just then, he located a tree with a wrinkled face looking at him. It must be where the source of voice was.
"You have unforeseeable potentials, Inuyasha. Go, find your nii-chan and aid him. He and your other two friends is no match for the youkai Naraku."
"Iku zo, Kagome! Shippou!" Inuyasha called and together they leaped onto Kirara. They were going back to the palace.
~~~ ********** ~~~~~~~~~~~~
The battle was still going on.
Naraku's tentacles were everywhere, stinging and attacking the three opponents. They found, to their dismay, that they could hardly attack him. Their strength were wearing thin, especially Sango. Naraku's Saimyoushou were everywhere and Sango had given a big warning to Miroku not to use his wind-rip.
"Gomen ne, Sango, I must use this hole again," Miroku knew that if this persisted further, all three of them would perish with Naraku. It would be better if only one of them-that was he, to die if it could save the others.
"Kukukuku, if you think your wind-rip's so powerful, go on and try. Kukukuku.." Naraku chuckled.
Miroku released the Buddhist beads and activated his wind-hole. The force brought the roof to the ground and sucked Saimyoushou into it, but Naraku remained intact.
"STOP IT!!!" Sango screamed and pulled the beads back to Miroku's palm: "You'll be dying for nothing!!" Miroku fell back onto the ground and Sango supported him in her arms.
Sweat started to form on Miroku's forehead: "It's nothing, as long as this can get you out of danger.." He forced his words out.
"Houshi-sama......" Sango choked in her voice.
"Have you both finished?" Sesshoumaru asked calmly without looking at them: "You two mortals get out of here, I can deal with him personally."
"Too late to escape, though I do not like to have weakly human beings as part of me, I guess I have to do it to shut you all up." Naraku snarled. His tentacles blocked all means of escape and Naraku's thorns on them started to attack them.
"NOT SO FAST, NARAKU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
A voice exploded and the tentacles parted and rained around them.
"Kukuku, I thought you were dead, weakly hanyou!" Naraku chuckled again.
Inuyasha held his red transformed Tetsusaiga with its blade resting on the ground. Kagome, with Shippou clinging on her shoulder stood behind him.
"Let's see about that!" Inuyasha snarled and pulled up his enormous fang sword.
He dived into the air and swung the force of Tetsusaiga at Naraku's main body.
"BAKURYUUHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
A strong force of wind danced and united to form into a big whirlwind of flow towards Naraku. The force bounced and reflected back at Inuyasha.
"INUYASHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!" Recognizing the hanyou's danger, Kagome yelped his name in fear.
Inuyasha leaped. But the force was too big.
He knew it was impossible to avoid the force.
Believe your strength.
A tiny voice repeated in his mind. Kikyou had mentioned it before.
A strange feeling trickled in his blood vein. He followed the feeling and felt it flow from his hands to Tetsusaiga. Inuyasha prepared to swing another blow of Bakuryuuha to cut the previous one.
"No! It'll increase the force against you!" He heard Sesshoumaru yelled.
Something strange happened.
A flow drove purplish light from the handle of Tetsusaiga to its tip of the blade.
Inuyasha swung his sword in a circle.
"BAKURYUUHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Kagome had no more arrows with her and she could not bear to watch. Sango and Miroku turned their faces away. Sesshoumaru glared at the flying small figure of Inuyasha towards the enormous youkai with branching tentacles from afar and crunched his fingers around the handle of his Tenseiga that Shippou had returned him. He prepared to revive Inuyasha again if his own blows slashed him.
The whirl of wind swung into purplish light and swept cutting the previous whirlwind Inuyasha had activated, absorbing its strength in it. The combined strength cut through Naraku's body. Naraku smiled and his body joined again.
"What was going on?" Kagome grasped: "Inuyasha's blow is not reflected back this time and Naraku seems to have eaten up Inuyasha's force into his body!"
"Is this another new strength of Inuyasha's?" Sesshoumaru thought: "Inuyasha, you are truly not an ordinary hanyou."
"Kukuku, trying to get rid of me, rubbish hanyou? You-------."Naraku's eyes suddenly widened with disbelief: "This---is---IMPOSS------."
Rolls of path branched through Naraku's body like blood veins and exploded at his chest. His body shattered in the air.
Sesshoumaru watched on with surprised. Then he remembered. Tetsusaiga had emitted a faint purplish light when it was drawn from Inuyasha's body and the sword was known to absorb the power of anyone as it slashed into that person. Inuyasha might have some unknown strength in his blood and his sword had captured that bit of power when Inuyasha was stabbed by it.
"Kagome!!!!! Locate the Shikon no tama!!! NOW!!!!!!!" Inuyasha yelled as he leaped away from Naraku's raining body pieces.
"There! In the middle of where his chest is----- OH NO!!!!" Kagome shrieked. Naraku's pieces started to fly out of the palace. A swam of Saimyoushou grabbed the incomplete shikon no tama and flew after the pieces.
"DON'T LET THEM GET AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!" Sango yelled and flew her boomerang at the escaping Saimyoushou, but it missed by an inch. The Saimyoushou were too fast!
"AFTER THEM!!!" Kagome yelled and suddenly felt her body lifting. Inuyasha carried her on his back and flew after the Saimyoushou and pieces of Naraku.
Something shone and blocked them. A barrier! Angrily, Inuyasha slashed it with his Tetsusaiga. But it was too late. They were gone.
Disappointed, Inuyasha and Kagome returned to the run-down palace. Sesshoumaru, without a word had left. Sango was supporting Miroku with his hand round her shoulder. Shippou and Kirara accompanied them.
"Naraku has escaped-----AGAIN!" Inuyasha growled and clashed the nearby floor with his fist angrily.
"Don't worry, we'll find him and get rid of him next time," Kagome consoled.
"Hoshi sama is seriously injured. We need to find a place to let him rest." Sango said quietly.
"Don't---don't worry, S----Sang---o, I'll be fine----." Miroku whispered weakly. He had absorbed too much Saimyoushou in his wind-rip.
"Hoshi-sama!" Sango wept and suddenly paused.
A hand was running on her butt. It was Miroku again.
~~~~ SLAM! ~~~~~
Sango slammed her boomerang on Miroku's head, forming a lump.
"Miroku's old habit has started again," Inuyasha, Kagome and Shippou shook their heads.
"I guess in short term, he will not die," Inuyasha smirked.
"What about you?" Kagome turned to look at him: "I need to talk to you, Inuyasha."
"Huh?" Inuyasha glazed at her with his bright golden eyes.
~~~~~ ********* ~~~~~~~~~~~~
In a dark surrounding, several pieces flew around in form like typhoon and joined one another together forming Naraku. A Saimyoushou flew and placed the incomplete shikon no tama on his hand. His eyes fell on the pearl and snickered darkly.
"To think you can destroy me with your worthless strength? This is beyond your ability, rubbish hanyou!"
Naraku's black hair flowed down his shoulder and he looked up into the morning sun.
The fright from Inuyasha's strength and his Tetsusaiga still lingered in his mind. He remembered the force driving through his flesh, slashing them apart. No, it seemed to be alive as if controlled by Inuyasha's direction of heart. Worse still, it almost shattered his power apart. Luckily, his body held the shikon no tama that blocked the force from further shattering and absorbing his strength and soul.
The shikon no tama had saved his life.
Obviously, there is more to this hanyou than an eye meets.
"One day, I will definitely get rid of you, Inuyasha." Naraku snarled under his breath.
"Kukukukuku..........kukukukuku.....Kukukukuku......"
Naraku's chuckles echoed around the forest like haunted spirits in the night......
~~~ ********* ~~~~~~~~~
Sango and Miroku were still resting in the broken palace; they had been battling with Naraku the entire night and were utterly exhausted. Shippou gave an excuse and had disappeared nowhere, probably playing with squirrels or Kirara.
Kagome found a comfortable grassy slope and pulled Inuyasha with her to sit. They looked up to the bright sky and were silence for a long time.
"We have not been together, just the two of us for a long time, Inuyasha," Kagome began: "When you were stabbed by your sword, I thought I am going to lose you forever. I was so scared then." Her voice was shaking.
She turned and looked into Inuyasha's golden eyes: "Promise me you won't do anything silly again, Inuyasha." Tears started to well up in her eyes. She closed her eyes, hugged onto Inuyasha and sobbed.
"Please don't leave me again, Inuyasha, I couldn't imagine life without you!"
Inuyasha's clawed hand stroked her hair gently as he held her shoulder up so that their eyes met.
"I'm sorry, Kagome. I didn't mean to make you sad and I will not leave you again---" Inuyasha's golden eyes softened and his lips reached for Kagome's: "I love you, Kagome----."
"Inuyasha-----." Kagome began and her eyes started to close to accept his kiss.
One of Inuyasha's dog ears suddenly twitched.
~~~ A PAUSE...... ~~~~~~~~~
Miroku and Sango were sitting on the slope behind them, glaring and staring.
Immediately, Inuyasha and Kagome jumped aside. Kagome tried to rub her tears away.
"Oops, we don't know you were here, go on, go on. Treat that we are invisible." Miroku said as he put his hand over his mouth. Sango shook her head and pressed her hand on her face embarrassedly, knowing they had disrupted a good opportunity for Inuyasha and Kagome.
Shippou and Kirara were hiding in a nearby bush, thinking: "Stupid fools! I've taken some efforts to create an opportunity for them and you two spoiled it!"
Nevertheless, their search for the last piece of shikon no tama as well as their swore enemy---Naraku will still continued.
~~~~ THE END OF 'DIRECTION OF THE HEART' ~~~~~~~
AUTHOR'S WORDS:
Hope this fanfic is not a major disappointment. I'm not very good in describing the inner mind of Inuyasha, so it may not appear as good as what many other fanfic does in fanfiction.net. Thank you all who have bring in reviews to this fanfic and hope this fanfic is not a disappointment! Meanwhile, I'm still doing other fanfic at the same time. See ya!!
Sayonara!!!
Regards,
Jakotsu