The Highwayman
Disclaimer: Ah screw it. I don't own Inuyasha or the Highwayman.
Nothing to say, except thank you to the people who reviewed. And yeah, I memorized the whole poem, and then my teacher made me recite it for the class. Not only did it scar me (and them) for life, but also it is now firmly imprinted on my brain for all eternity.
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Back, he spurred like a madman, shrieking a curse to the
sky,
With the white road smoking behind him and his rapier brandished high!
Blood-red were his spurs i' the golden noon; wine-red was his velvet coat,
When they shot him down on the highway,
Down like a dog on the highway,
And he lay in his blood on the highway, with a bunch of lace at his throat.
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Inuyasha sat in a tree, looking out over the horizon. Where was Kagome? Though you would never believe it from looking at his face, worry gnawed at his insides, churning them with fear. Where was the stupid girl?
The snapping of a twig below him quickly brought his attention to the ground, hoping for Kagome, but no such luck. He frowned down at his visitor.
"What is it, Shippo?" he asked with a sigh. He noticed the kitsune's ragged appearance and torn clothing, but took no note of it, as the kid usually looked like that.
"Inuyasha!" Shippo shrieked. The youkai's ear flicked with annoyance. Why did Shippo always have to sound so irritating? He turned away from him, dismissing him with a 'feh'.
"Inuayashaaaaa!" the young demon persisted, until Inuyasha looked down at him with a grimace.
"Shut up already, Shippo! I don't care what interesting bug you found!"
"No!" yelled Shippo, and it was only then Inuyasha noticed that tears rolled down his face, tracking courses down his dirty face. "It's not that, Inuyasha! It… it's Kagome!"
"What?!" Instantly Inuyasha had dropped to the ground and held Shippo by the shoulders. He shook him hard, yelling, "What about Kagome! Speak, damn you!"
"She—she…" Shippo's voice caught, and the white haired half demon begun to suspect that something was very wrong. He set Shippo, putting on a rare display of patience.
"What happened to Kagome, Shippo?"
He looked up at Inuyasha, eyes watering. "They got her, Inuyasha…"
Inuyasha frowned and felt the chill heart of fear grip his heart. "Who got her? Is she ok?"
Shippo shook his head. "No, Inuyasha… she… she…" he could go no farther. He flung himself into Inuyasha, who winced, but didn't pull away.
"It is true, Inuyasha."
He looked up to see the Lady Kaede, leaning heavily upon a walking stick, enter the small clearing. He hastily pulled away, leaving Shippo shaking in a ball on the ground.
"What? What happened?"
Kaede looked grim. "They came, Inuyasha, while you were gone. They bound Kagome to her bed, hoping to use her as bait to lure you in. But somehow she twisted their magical stick around, and fired it."
Inuyasha frowned. A definite note of fear tainted his voice now. "W-what? 'Magical stick'? Is she ok?"
"These men, Rifles, as they call themselves, were sent by a powerful archmage. They have magical sticks that spit fire and lead, hard and fast enough to tear through anything. Including a body. Kagome fired this upon your arrival, knowing that it would warn you to escape."
Inuyasha could only stare at the old woman is shock. "So… she…"
Kaede nodded. "She is dead, Inuyasha."
Red clouded the half demon's vision. "No! It can't be! That stupid girl… NO! I won't let her die!"
"It is too late, Inuyasha, she is gone!"
But Inuyasha didn't hear her. Before she had even stopped talking he was up in the trees, racing back to the village.
***
He did not notice, as he drew closer to the village, the eerie silence of the trees. No birds sung, no animals roamed. Not a living soul was to be found. Be he didn't notice. He could think of only one thing. I must get to Kagome!
In his wild state, he did not hear the quiet click of the rifle, nor did he see the man dressed in red carefully take aim. He did not see the terrible, cold eyes staring at him down the barrel of the gun, and not until the trees echoed with a boom did he even notice he was not alone.
He turned to meet this new foe, but it was too late. He felt the great ball of metal tear through his skin and enter his body. It burned hotter that any forge's fire, and his whole chest seemed to be wrapped in fire. Now a red filled his vision that he knew what not caused by anger.
He sank slowly to his knees and watched in silent disbelief as his life's blood pooled around his feet. He reached out to touch it as if that could bring it back. "No… I have to reach Kagome… she needs me."
He was barely aware of a man laughing as he stepped up to him. He felt a blow to the side of his head, and he realized it was a booted kick as he lay on the ground, stunned from it. He looked up weakly to meet the gaze of his killer. But he couldn't see… it was too dark.
Dimly he saw two holes being pointed at his face, and as he stared at them, he felt nothing, only regret that he could not take out the one that had killed Kagome as he died. Through the deafening silence, he heard a single sentence.
"Naraku says goodbye… half demon scum."
The loud explosion of lead was the last thing he ever heard, and a bitter sorrow was the last that he ever felt. Kagome… I'm sorry.
***
She sad, still form of the boy lay crumpled in the grass where he had fallen. His long white hair blew softly in the breeze, almost making his look peaceful. His face was as pale as death, and despite the holes in his chest and head, he looked as if he could open his eyes and start yelling again.
Or at least that's what Shippo thought. He gazed sadly at Inuyasha, tears once more filling his eyes.
"Oh Inuyasha.. why did you have to go back? I always thought I could count on you, even if you never really seemed to like me. But now you're gone. Both of you are. And I'm alone again."
With a last sniff, the kitsune cub turned away from the corpse. "Well… goodbye Inuyasha. I hope to see you again." He smiled, ever so slightly. "Maybe then I'll be big enough to beat on you…"
Awww! That was hard to write! I hate killing my favorite characters. Kagome was the easiest, and though I didn't want Inuyasha to die, I think Shippo was the hardest. Aww! Whyyy did he have to be left all alllloooonnnneee? *Cries in her little corner of authoressy cornerness.*
Oh, right. And it's not over. There's a little epilogue sort of thing for the last few verses. See ya next chapter! Please review!
