Complete the Circle
Chapter Forty-One: Till Death Do Us Apart
Sango looked at Miroku, who looked like he was bored. It turned out that the substitute that he had been expecting was an old woman. She was glad that Inuyasha had taken the spell off him, otherwise Miroku would have had serious detention after school.
Suddenly the phone rang and the substitute picked it up.
"Is there a Miroku in here?" she asked. Miroku raised his hand. "It's for you," she said. Sango wondered what was the phone call for, and it looked like Miroku didn't have a clue either.
"Hello?" he said cautiously. Then, "What?!"
The entire class quieted down. Miroku's face became stony. He nodded, his face grave. He handed the phone back to the substitute.
"Hello?" she asked, wondering what was wrong. "Oh dear. I'm sorry. Yes. Of course." She hung up and turned to the class. "Kagome, Sango, Inuyasha, and Miroku. You are to leave school right now. I believe one of your parents is already waiting in the parking lot."
They looked at each other and wondered what was wrong. Miroku immediately began packing his things, so the others followed suit. They walked outside in silence, afraid to disturb him. His mother was in the car, waiting for them. She looked like she had been crying.
He couldn't believe what had happened. With all the things that had been going on, he had forgotten all about him. He had forgotten his original mission.
"He was a good man, who strived to live his life in the path of light…"
He was a good man. He hadn't been the best of them, but he had been a good man. If only I had told him… If I had told him what was going on, then maybe he would have been prepared.
"Miroku, are you alright?" Sango asked him. He just tried his best to smile at her.
It was all my fault. I should have told him from the start. I should have told him about Naraku, Kagome, the Shikon no Tama… Everything. But I didn't. I didn't even warn him. And now he's gone.
He watched as his father carefully placed the jar of ashes in front of the priest. It was because of him. It was he who had caused his grandfather to die. Had he not been involved, Naraku never would have had a cause to eliminate his grandfather.
"Gomen, Ojii-san," he whispered. Sango put a comforting arm around him.
"My father…had tried his best to live an ideal life," Miroku's father started. "He tried to help others, and became a priest on the belief that he would be able to serve the people best from that position…"
And because he was a priest, his ashes had been cursed by the youkai who killed him, Miroku thought to himself. That was why my parents wanted him buried as quickly as possible. Otherwise, he would soon become a servant of the dark, his soul forever trapped…
The priest started to pray as some people laid the small jar carefully on the holy ground, their prayer beads clicking as they hoped to summon their deity to protect this soul.
Miroku put his hands together and prayed. Why had Naraku gone after his grandfather? He hadn't told him anything. The old man had known nothing that would have jeopardized Naraku's plans. Or had he?
His grandfather had been an expert at finding out what people didn't want him to find out. Had he discovered Naraku's plot on his own?
I should have at least warned him… I should have told him, or tried to protect him… But I hadn't done anything. And now he's gone. He was burnt to death, alone, with no one to care for him. What kind of grandson am I?
"What have you guys done to my temple?!" a familiar voice shouted. Miroku turned around quickly.
"Ojii-san?" he asked, stupefied. Wasn't he dead? Miroku turned around and looked at the half buried jar. If his grandfather was alive, then who were they burying?
"Otou-san?!" his father asked, surprised. "You're—you're alive?"
"Of course I'm alive," he said, walking towards them in his familiar monk robes. "What else would I be?"
"But you've been burnt to death," his father said, dumbfounded.
"Don't be ridiculous," he said. "I can't be burnt to death so easily."
"Then who are we holding the ceremony for?" asked Miroku's mother. The old man looked at the air around them, and uttered a small spell under his breath.
"It seems that he's finally found peace," the old man said.
"Who?" asked Miroku, walking next to his grandfather.
"No one. Just an old man who used to hang around this temple threatening to suicide everyday," he said. "Never had the guts to do it, though. I think he's happy that someone's finally done it for him."
"What?" asked the rest of the people who were at the funeral.
"Show's over, people, go home," his grandfather said loudly. His friends and relatives left in confusion, wondering what had just happened. "And go back to your job," he said to his son and his daughter-in-law. "Miroku, I'd like to have a word with you."
Miroku followed his grandfather away from the rest of them, wondering what his grandfather was going to say to him. Was he going to reprimand him? Tell him that he was disappointed in him?
"That's a fine girl you got there," he said suddenly. Miroku tripped and fell on his face.
"What?!"
"I said, 'that's a fine girl you got there,'" he repeated.
"I heard you the first time," Miroku said, dusting himself off and shaking his head at his grandfather.
"But it seems like you aren't moving fast enough," he said. "Do you want me to give you pointers?"
"No thanks," Miroku said, laughing embarrassedly. "By the way, where were you? We all thought you were dead."
"I was… None of your business," his grandfather said, turning away from him. Miroku sighed. He couldn't believe that a man his age was still chasing after women.
"I should have known," Miroku sighed.
"Don't talk to your elder in that tone," his grandfather said. "By the way, did you find out any information?"
"Yes," Miroku said, knowing what his grandfather was talking about. "You see, it turns out that there's this jewel—"
"Called the Shikon no Tama and there's a youkai named Naraku after it, and there's a miko who's trying to protect it," his grandfather said. "Right?"
"Uh, yeah," Miroku said, surprised that his grandfather knew so much.
"Hah! I've still got it!" he said, doing a little dance. "All we have to do is keep it out of Naraku's hands, and we'll be fine. By the way, have you found out who the miko is?"
"Yes, I have but," Miroku hesitated, waiting for his grandfather to stop dancing. "The jewel, or at least most of it, has already been lost to Naraku."
"What?" his grandfather said, suddenly serious. "And what of the miko?"
"She's still okay," Miroku said, wondering if he should mention the little spell that was on Kagome and Inuyasha right now.
"Well, at least we still have a chance," he said.
"We're getting ready to fight Naraku," Miroku said, hoping that would help.
"You're in no shape to fight him, even with the miko's help," his grandfather said. Suddenly he saw the prayer beads on Miroku's hand. "You…"
"It's nothing," Miroku said, quickly hiding the hand behind him.
"This is worst than I thought. It seems like he has already punished you for getting involved," he said. "I'm sorry I got you into this."
"Ojii-san, there's no need to apologize. I would've gotten involved sooner or later," he said.
"But I'm the one who pushed you to it," he said, rubbing his head.
"Actually… Ojii-san, listen to me," Miroku started, but suddenly his grandfather was staring at something in back of him. Miroku looked back, but all he saw were Inuyasha, Kagome, and Sango talking to each other.
"Musashino… He looks like a real youkai now," his grandfather said softly. Miroku still saw Inuyasha with black hair, and realized that his grandfather could see past his illusion. "What has happened?"
Miroku told him everything.
Inuyasha and Kagome were in the kitchen, washing dishes together since they couldn't do anything else that involved their separation. They had gone to Sango's house after his "grandfather's" funeral, where they had dinner cooked by Sango. He had never known that she was such an excellent cook before.
"Listen up," his grandfather started. Miroku saw Inuyasha's white ear twitch slightly on the top of his head. He had gotten so used to seeing the human Inuyasha that it was a bit strange seeing him as he used to look all those years ago.
"You've told me all you've discovered, so I'll tell you what I found out," he said. "You were right in your assumption that Naraku wants the Shikon no Tama, but you do not know why he wants it." He waited until Inuyasha and Kagome finished the dishes and sat down around the table. Miroku still hadn't told his grandfather about his little spell yet.
"Does he want it to rule the world?" asked Sango.
"That is only partially true," he said. "Your conception of ruling the world is for him to take the Shikon no Tama and force his way into power." The other three nodded, while Miroku just listened. "But that's not what he's planning."
"How do you know?" asked Inuyasha.
"You've gotten rude, boy," Miroku's grandfather said. "I know because I was successful in getting someone on the inside who knew what Naraku's plan was."
"And who would that be?" asked Kagome.
"I'm not allowed to tell you," he said. "The point is—"
"How do we know if your contact is reliable?" asked Inuyasha.
"Stop interrupting me, boy," he said. "I know that it's reliable because I've dealt with the likes of her before," he said.
"So it's a woman," Sango said.
"Ojii-san, are you sure this woman is trustworthy?" asked Miroku, knowing how his grandfather got around with those of the opposite gender.
"Stop asking me that!" he shouted. "She's trustworthy, I'm telling you! Besides, I went and snooped around that Naraku's castle myself and I can verify that everything she's said is true."
"How did an old guy like you manage to sneak around Naraku's castle?" asked Inuyasha, not bothering to be polite.
"Do you young people know nothing?" he asked. "I'm a priest, but I also know the power of other arts. I made a straw man and used him to sneak around in the castle. Do you honestly think that I'm going to risk my real body to spy on a youkai such as Naraku?"
"A straw man?" asked Kagome.
"Is that like a voodoo doll or something?" asked Sango, confused.
"Yes—NO! It is not a voodoo doll," he said. "Ah, forget it. You people obviously will never understand. The point is, I know why Naraku wants that Shikon no Tama so badly."
"So get to the point already," Inuyasha said.
"Then stop distracting me," the old man said, brushing a hand through his still thick hair. "There is a careful balance within the Shikon no Tama, as you should already know. There is not only a balance between the four souls, but also between the light and the dark. Naraku wants to use the Shikon no Tama to pollute it with darkness. Now, the Shikon no Tama is a reflection of our world. When it gets more corrupted, our world becomes filled with more evil. When it gets purified, our world becomes purer, too."
"How did you find that out?" asked Kagome, not remembering anyone who told her about this.
"You must read the ancient scroll that talks about a man-made jewel," he replied. "It wasn't called the Shikon no Tama in the scroll, but the prophet who wrote the scroll knew that such a jewel was going to exist someday. He knew of the nature of the jewel, even if he did not know what it was going to be called.
"As I was saying, the Shikon no Tama is a reflection of our world. Naraku wants to pollute it so that our world will be filled with evil. When that happens, he won't have to lift a finger and the world will be his."
"How do you know it's going to be his?" asked Kagome. "Why not someone else's?"
"The Shikon no Tama will be filled with his evil, so essentially, his evil will be polluting our world," he explained patiently. "In fact, I believe it is already happening. I believe that he had two small shards prior to stealing yours," he said, "and with those two shards, he has already caused many ill effects on our land. Normally, he should not have that much power, but it is partly our fault as humans. We've been helping him pollute the world, so his influence over this world has been greater than it should be."
"Are you talking about real pollution or crime rates?" asked Sango, not quite sure she was following the old man's explanation.
"Both," he said. "And now he has almost all the pieces of the Shikon no Tama. I think he's going to search for the last one to complete the jewel, and plunge the world in to total chaos."
"But Shippou-chan has the last piece!" said Kagome, jumping out of her chair. "I have to go warn him!"
"Kagome! Wait!" shouted Inuyasha as she ran out of the door. "Damn it," he said, as he grabbed both of their coats from the hanger and ran after her. His illusion flickered on as soon as he exited the door.
"Ojii-san, are they in any immediate danger?" Miroku asked.
"I don't know," his grandfather replied. "If Naraku had wanted the shard, why didn't he just grab it before we found out about his plans?"
"He's probably waiting for something," Sango said. "That guy likes to make shows out of everything," she said, clenching her fist.
"Hmm…" he said thoughtfully. "It seems that Musashino really likes Kagome," Miroku's grandfather said out of the blue. "He ran after her so quickly." Miroku only smiled nervously.
"Actually, Miroku put a spell on them so that they can't get beyond seven feet of each other or else they'll start getting dizzy and stuff," Sango said. There was a strange rustling in the bushes outside and Miroku suddenly felt as if though something had been hidden from all of them.
"You did what?" asked his grandfather, shoving him back to reality. "I told you not to do any spells without my supervision!"
"Hey, I probably know more spells than you," Miroku grumbled.
"How dare you speak to me that way?!"
"Are we going to go after Inuyasha and Kagome or not?" asked Sango as she put her coat on.
"Coming," Miroku said. He felt his grandfather poke him in the ribs. "What?" he asked.
"You guys are going to be alone. Make sure you use this time wisely, Miroku," he whispered.
"Whatever, Ojii-san," Miroku said, shaking his head. Then he followed Sango into the night.
Kagome ran into her house out of breath while Inuyasha stood next to her, barely winded at all. He put both of their coats on the hanger and started to walk towards the stairs.
"Shippou! Oi, Shippou!" he called. There seemed to be no one home. Kagome started looking around and spotted a note stuck to the refrigerator. It read:
"We'll be gone for awhile with Kohaku and his parents. If you're hungry, ramen is in the cupboard. See you tomorrow."
"Inuyasha, they're not home," she said as she handed him the note.
"Great. We ran all the way back for nothing," he said. Kagome looked at the note. Something didn't feel right.
"Why would they just leave so suddenly?" she asked. She felt a strange presence coming near them.
"How would I know?" asked Inuyasha. She noticed that he sounded distracted, as if he too felt something supernatural approaching them.
She opened the door and looked out into the night. The cold wind blew her hair across her face, but other than that, there was nothing out of the ordinary. She saw the branches of the God tree sway as if a strong wind was blowing at it, whipping the leaves through the air.
"Something doesn't smell right," Inuyasha said, standing at the door next to her.
"Is it a youkai?" she asked. He shook his head.
"I don't know… It smells weird. I don't… I can't recognize it," he said, confused. "Kagome, get down!" he said suddenly, shoving her down. She felt a strong wind blow over her head, and saw a few strands of her hair float down in front of her.
"Inuyasha, wha—"
"Move!" Inuyasha shouted as he pulled her up and yanked her away. In place of where she had just been was a deep cut on the ground.
"What's going on?" she asked, screaming as she felt something nick her cheek.
"Get on my back! Quick!" Inuyasha shouted. She clambered onto him like she had done so long ago. He leapt away just as some invisible force crashed onto the ground. Had he been any slower, they would have both been mincemeat.
"It's wind," Inuyasha said, evading another deadly invisible blow. "Something's controlling the wind."
Kagome searched through the darkness, hoping to see what Inuyasha could not. But she didn't find anything. There was no hair to guide her this time. There was no visible force for her to see.
"Kagome, do you see anything?" asked Inuyasha, trying his best to evade the wind.
"Nothing. I don't see anything!" she said in panic, trying to find the source of this strange wind. Suddenly she felt a force knock her off Inuyasha's back, causing her to crash on the ground.
"Kagome!" she heard him shout, and then there was the sound of something cutting flesh. She looked up and saw a huge gash in Inuyasha, who was barely able to stand up.
"Inuyasha!" she screamed as she saw the wind form a sharp point and drive itself through Inuyasha. She had finally seen something, but had it been too late?
She soon felt a similar needle of the wind tear through her. She felt the blood trickle out of her mouth as she fell on the ground, barely conscious.
"Kagome-chan!" she heard someone call distantly. She heard the familiar clinking of beads as Miroku opened his air rip to suck the strange wind into his vacuum. But she didn't care about that. She didn't care about that at all.
"Kagome-chan," she heard Sango call. She felt someone lift her head up.
"I-Inuyasha," she whispered. Something had been on that wind when it was stabbed into him. Something she knew was meant to kill him.
"He'll be alright," she heard her say. "Miroku! Call the ambulance!" Kagome heard a shuffling of feet as Miroku ran off into the house. She tried to shake her head. Inuyasha wasn't going to be all right.
A few moments later, the ambulance arrived. Kagome began to feel dizzy as she and Inuyasha were put into two different ambulances. She felt her breath catch in her chest and her heart start to beat painfully.
"Can't you put them together?" someone asked. It sounded like Sango.
"…won't fit…" someone replied. Kagome began to feel another mind enter hers; a mind that was as riddled with pain as she was.
"She's having trouble breathing!"
"Something's wrong with her heart rate!"
Kagome tried to reach Inuyasha, to try to reassure him that everything was going to be fine. But she couldn't reach him. She felt someone inject something in her, and soon she lost consciousness.
Kagome awoke to pain. Something was helping her breathe, but her heart still felt like it was about to burst, though not to such a great extent as before. The scene around her was blurred, and she couldn't quite piece what she saw together.
"Kagome-chan, are you all right?" asked Sango. Kagome couldn't really understand her words. Where was Inuyasha?
"We… We tried to get you and Inuyasha into the same hospital, but I don't know—they said they were out of room in the other hospital—but that doesn't make any sense—and the doctors wouldn't let us see Inuyasha," Sango said in one breath. She was starting to cry hysterically. "Something's wrong with Miroku. He's—he's been like he's in a trance for the last few hours. We—I can't break this spell, Kagome-chan. I don't know what to do, Kagome-chan," she said, sobbing.
Kagome didn't understand what she was babbling about. All she wanted to know was where was Inuyasha?
She felt a new mind slowly start to awaken and join her in her pain.
I-Inuyasha? Is—is that you?
She felt a slight affirmation. She felt her pains double as she experienced his pain, as well as her own. She was almost knocked unconscious as she felt their anguish multiply by their connection to each other. She was barely able to string together a coherent thought.
Inuyasha…hold on, she said painfully. I'll go to you. Just hold on a little bit longer.
She tried to get up, but failed.
Don't—don't try to come to me, he said, his words laced with agony. Just stay where you are. It'll soon be over.
Kagome didn't know what he meant by that, but his mind slowly fell unconscious and drifted away from her again.
When he woke up again, he felt the same as he had before. The same difficulty breathing, and the same wild beating of his heart. He felt Kagome's mind there again, and he could feel their agony magnify as their minds connected again. He wished he could just slip away and save them both from further pain, but something was holding him back. Something in him told him not to leave yet.
Inuyasha? The voice was weak and seemed far away. He wanted to respond to her, but he found that he couldn't. He was too tired, and yet his soul beckoned for him to call back to her, to reassure her, to comfort her as he could.
Fire…and water, he heard her whisper. What was that girl talking about?
They—they don't mix, do they? He couldn't stand hearing her voice in pain.
But—but when they do, they'll be stronger… They'll become the earth, ever dependable, ever steady…
Steady… Steady as serenity. Steady as peace.
He had to find his medium. He had to find the balance between the water and the fire. He had to find the earth within himself. He couldn't be Inuyasha. He couldn't be Musashino.
He realized what he had to be.
Kagome called out to him, but he didn't answer. She knew he was still there, though.
Fire…and water, she said as she remembered Toutousai's words. They—they don't mix, do they? But—but when they do, they'll be stronger… They'll become the earth, ever dependable, ever steady…
Inuyasha… Like the fire and the water, you must find your center. Neither rage like the storm of fire nor sigh like the winds of water… Become the everlasting earth. Fire cannot burn it. Water cannot drown it. Become like the earth, Inuyasha, and find your peace…
She felt exhausted with her little speech. She hoped Inuyasha would understand what she meant. She hoped that he would finally understand himself.
Kagome…
Inuyasha?
I-I'm sorry… I should have realized this sooner…
What is it? It was taking all her effort just to stay conscious and speak with him.
I… I… I love you, Kagome. I should have realized this sooner. I should have told you sooner.
Kagome was at a loss for words. She hadn't expected him to say something like that at a time like this.
Forgive me… I'm sorry, Kagome.
Inuyasha, I— Suddenly she was cut off. Inuyasha's mind left hers completely, leaving a void, and she woke up suddenly, sitting straight up on the bed. She looked around her and saw that Sango was sleeping at the foot of her bed, her tears dry on her face. The dizziness, the breathing problems, the pain in her heart… It had all disappeared.
But so had Inuyasha.
Author's Notes: Hah! That's two chapters at a time! Yes… Winter break is nice…
I guess I won't start a new story until I've finished with this once since I'm not sure I can handle it.
Besides, I still have those projects to do…