When Time Passes Over Again
By Ruggeth
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or anybody else in the anime no matter how much I wish I did.
A/N: This is my very first fanfic so...yea...
Chapter 1: The Beginning Of An End
Naraku lay helpless on the ground. His black hair and blue clothes stained with red. His face pale and eyes begging for mercy.
"Please, Inuyasha." He cried with effort. "Just let me live. I promise I will do no more harm to you and your friends. Please..."
"No!" Inuyasha shouted. "Did you have mercy when you brought Kikyou down, and killed her? Did you have mercy on Kohaku, Sango's brother, when you forced her own brother to harm her? Did you have mercy on Miroku's great grandfather when you formed that hole in his hand? Did you, Naraku?"
Naraku was turning paler as the blood drained from his face. "Please..."
Inuyasha turned. He picked up his fallen sword on the grass. The moment he touched it, the moment it transformed. It was a beautiful sword. Beautiful, in the eyes of death.
"Goodbye, Naraku." Inuyasha said softly. "It will be my pleasure to destroy you, once and for all. And I will never regret what I am about to do. Goodbye."
With one clean swipe, Inuyasha swung the tetsusagai down to Naraku's neck. His head, Naraku's head, rolled down the hill and into a stream. Inuyasha watched it bob in the fast moving current downstream.
Farther downstream, an old lady was washing her clothes. She picked up the head and stared into its white eyes. She let go a blood-curling scream.
**************************************************************************** *******************************************
At Kaede's town, the entire gang was rejoicing.
"We have finally put back the entire shikon no Tama," Kagome smiled. "Our journey is over."
Kaede nodded gravely. "I remember, the first day I sent you two on the journey. How much you detested going on this journey. Now, look at you. What it has done so much more than putting back the shikon no Tama."
Inuyasha fehed. "It was a waste of time, old hag. A great deal of time. I could have become the most powerful youkai in the world, if it weren't for you, Kagome."
Kagome huffed. "Well, If I weren't around, then you would still be pinned to that tree. So better thank me. The most powerful youkai in the world... You would be sleeping right now if it weren't for me!"
"Feh."
Miroku nodded. "Inuyasha, Lady Kagome is right. You would still be pinned to that tree by that enchanted arrow. Do you agree, Sango?"
Sango yelled something about hentai and whacked Miroku on the head with her godly sized boomerang.
As the night passed on, Kaede, sango, shippo, and miroku headed off to bed, Kirara trailing after their feet. Inuyasha and Kagome were left at the fire. Both of them deep into thought, not noticing each other were there.
Kagome raised her head and looked at Inuyasha. How I wish this journey was still going on, she thought. Dangerous, but exciting. I supposed that afterwards I'll have to return to my time. I'll have to say goodbye. I will miss him.
Inuyasha felt her gaze, and looked up. He returned her stare. She'll be leaving soon. Then what will happen? I believe...I believe I'll miss her. I'll miss her because...Because I love her.
Kagome broke the silence. "Inuyasha..."
Inuyasha spoke. "Kagome. Kikyou before pinned me to that tree. You were the one who saved me, and I should thank you."
Kagome was surprised. But her face remained unmoving. "Inuyasha, you saved me more than once. You protected me all throughout this journey, and I should thank you."
Stillness came. They stared at each other, deep into each other's eyes. They spoke without words. They were as close as they had ever been, yet the fire was between them.
Inuyasha watched, as a tiny tear rolled down Kagome's cheek.
"Kagome..."
Kagome broke. Her eyes filled with tears, streaming down her face. "Is it all over, just like that? One last battle, same as any other, would end it all? Must I go so soon? All the excitement's gone, back to the same, old, boring life. How can it just happen like this?"
Inuyasha moved toward her and cradled her. "Kagome...I don't want this journey to end either. But it has. And we have to accept that. But you don't have to leave..."
Kagome looked up.
Inuyasha started again. "Kagome, you don't have to leave. You can stay here, and live in Kaede's village. You can visit your family often. We could build a house. We could live together, we could stay here...together...as humans."
"But," Kagome hesitated. "But...Humans?"
Inuyasha nodded. "We do have the shikon no Tama. We can use it to turn me to human, and we could live like that. Please, Kagome, will you?"
Kagome paused. Inuyasha waited.
"Alright then."
A rare smile played on Inuyasha's lips. Kagome smiled back. All of sudden, everything was perfect. The fire was warm, the night was cold. The feeling of accomplishing something that they didn't ever want to end was gone. A feeling of dawning a new beginning was replaced it. They thought all was good. Everything was good. Or so they thought.
**************************************************************************** *******************************************
Morning dawned. Kagome was out early, walking alone among the trees. She was thinking. He loves me, Kagome realized. He wants me to live with him, stay with him.
But how could it all come to this? Kikyou's gone. Naraku's gone. We have all the shikon shards, everything is perfect. Too perfect. Nothing else to do, no adventure, no excitement.
Kagome, deep in her thoughts, didn't notice the figure that was following her. Sango, noticing her friend's early departure, had followed Kagome.
"Kagome, are you alright?" Sango asked softly, trying not to startle her.
Kagome turned. She smiled. She was happy that she had such a good friend as Sango. Someone she could turn to when something bothered her, someone who was always there when she was mad, or sad, and to share her joy and happiness. "Sango, last night, Inuyasha asked me to stay with him here in sengoku jidai."
Sango brightened. "What did you say? Can you stay here?"
Kagome smiled. "I said yes, but I'm not sure my mother will allow. She might be happy that the journey is over, and that she wants me to stay home." She sighed. "I do hope she says yes. I feel that the journey can't be over just yet, and if it is, well, I just want to remember it. I want something to come out of it. Like a good ending to a good book."
Sango nodded. "I do hope that is too. So does Inuyasha love you?"
Kagome smiled. She didn't answer.
Sango smiled back. "Let's get back to the village. The others might be wondering where we are." She led Kagome back to the village.
~ five months later ~
Kagome was giddy. Yes, giddy. In a way, not showing anybody her happiness, keeping it quietly to herself. But she was excited.
Tonight, Inuyasha would take the shikon no tama, and he would become human. Her mother had accepted her proposal of staying in sengoku jidai. She was happy.
It was late afternoon, the sun shining and a breeze blowing. Kagome decided to step away from the village to have a walk in the meadow. Sango and Miroku watching Shippo, and Inuyasha was somewhere about. She slipped away easily.
It was beautiful in the meadow. She could think nothing of life, her merriment, her joy. She watched the September sun slowly start to fade.
She heard a noise. A ripple in the grass.
She turned.
She saw a claw, slashing. Tearing into her soft, tender skin.
She saw a whisk of silver hair, amber eyes, a face she knew too well.
Inuyasha.
Her bow fell and clattered to the ground. She dropped, weakening. So, she thought. It wasn't Naraku. Inuyasha betrayed me as well, he betrayed me like he betrayed Kikyou.
Anger burst inside of Kagome. With the last of her strength, she picked her bow up and stumbled to the forest. Pausing every few moments to catch her breath, leaning against a tree. She spotted Inuyasha.
Carefully, fitting her arrow inside her bow, she pulled on the string with all her might.
"Die, Inuyasha!"
She released the arrow. Inuyasha looked up, startled. He saw Kagome's piercing eyes, filled with a look he had never seen before. Anger, flames of hatred. For a second, it was not Kagome he saw, but Kikyou.
The blast had pushed him backwards. Him, leaping through the trees, had been pierced by the enchanted arrow. The arrow. Inuyasha looked down. There it was, pinning him to a tree. The tree. The same exact tree somebody else had pinned him 50 years ago. The time tree.
It all became clear. Time.It's repeating itself, realized Inuyasha. She thinks I betrayed her. She thinks that I hurt her.In a way I cannot see.
Kagome's eyes filled with tears. "You," she spat. "So it wasn't Naraku. You were blaming it all on Naraku. You were the one who killed Kikyou, as you did to me as well. You betrayed both of us. You shall stay, pinned to that tree." Kagome's voice faded. She was dying, the blood flowing from her shoulder. "Sleep, Inuyasha." She whispered.
Inuyasha blinked. A slow blink. His eyelids grew heavy, watching Kagome's dying eyes piercing him. He looked down at the arrow. He lifted his face, and looked one last glance at Kagome.
His head dropped and fell into an endless sleep.
Kagome, watching him, knew it was over. Too perfect, she snarled at herself. Nothing can be that good, he was playing it all along. I was just a shard detector for him so he could become the most powerful youkai in the world.
Her thoughts ceased. Her breathing stopped. Her heart beated. Beat, beat.It was gone. Kagome dropped to the floor, dead.
**************************************************************************** *******************************************
Back at camp, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo waited patiently for their two companions. Dinner was ready, laying cold on the fire. But they would not eat until Kagome and Inuyasha were back.
Shippo was growing restless. "Maybe they went for a walk, they wouldn't mind us eating first. I'm hungry."
Miroku said, "Lady Sango. Shippo is right. They have been doing that often. Let us eat first and they will come home soon." Miroku reached forward to comfort Sango.
"HENTAI!!!!!!" Shippo reached for his bowl of soup and watched the perverted monk on the ground. "Sango," Shippo tugged at Sango's sleeve. "Are you worried that they got hurt?"
Sango looked at the tiny kitsune's face. "Yes, I am." She answered softly. "Inuyasha may be a powerful hanyou, but he's not immortal. He can get harmed." She turned to Miroku. "Shippo, watch the monk. I'm going to go find them."
Shippo nodded obediently. He picked up Miroku's staff and tapped Miroku on the forhead with it. "Wake up, Miroku. I have to watch over you," Shippo said proudly.
Sango called Kirara and they leaped for the forest together. "I wonder, where could they be?" Sango murmured to herself. "They should be okay, if they were in trouble then Inuyasha would've sent Kagome straight home."
The night fell. Sango grew restless. She couldn't find them. Perhaps they were at the well, saying goodbye to Kagome's mom. Sango headed to the well. Sango often did not come here, only Kagome and Inuyasha when Kagome was returning to her time for her schoolwork.
Sango reached the well. They weren't there. Perhaps they were staying the night at Kagome's. Inuyasha had done that before. Still, Sango waited a while longer. It was only when complete darkness fell when Sango returned, taking a different route. It was a longer one. She wanted time think.
Deep in thoughts, Sango passed through the forest. She had gotten of Kirara, and Kirara had turned back into her kawaii, small form. Unknowingly, Sango walked over a fallen log and tripped. She fell.
Sango stood up and looked around. It was almost pitch black, with the dense trees shading the area from the brilliant moonlight. But even with the darkness, Sango could recognize the place. It was the time tree.
Yet something was wrong. Sango sniffed and smelled the aroma of blood. Fresh blood. Sango's eyes adjusted to the darkness. She looked down at the ground. She saw the log she had tripped over.
Or maybe it wasn't a log.
It was a bow.
Tensely, Sango's eyes followed the bow, she saw the fingers, following up to the wrist, the arm, the body, the neck, the face, the.
Kagome.
Dead Kagome. With blood spreading, a bright pool of red. The sight was sickening. Sango let out a scream, but no sound came.
Sango wheeled around. She saw the time tree, with a figure pinned to it.
Inuyasha. Sango looked back at Kagome.
She screamed. Again and again. Her voice echoed through the trees and into the black night.
What had happened?
By Ruggeth
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or anybody else in the anime no matter how much I wish I did.
A/N: This is my very first fanfic so...yea...
Chapter 1: The Beginning Of An End
Naraku lay helpless on the ground. His black hair and blue clothes stained with red. His face pale and eyes begging for mercy.
"Please, Inuyasha." He cried with effort. "Just let me live. I promise I will do no more harm to you and your friends. Please..."
"No!" Inuyasha shouted. "Did you have mercy when you brought Kikyou down, and killed her? Did you have mercy on Kohaku, Sango's brother, when you forced her own brother to harm her? Did you have mercy on Miroku's great grandfather when you formed that hole in his hand? Did you, Naraku?"
Naraku was turning paler as the blood drained from his face. "Please..."
Inuyasha turned. He picked up his fallen sword on the grass. The moment he touched it, the moment it transformed. It was a beautiful sword. Beautiful, in the eyes of death.
"Goodbye, Naraku." Inuyasha said softly. "It will be my pleasure to destroy you, once and for all. And I will never regret what I am about to do. Goodbye."
With one clean swipe, Inuyasha swung the tetsusagai down to Naraku's neck. His head, Naraku's head, rolled down the hill and into a stream. Inuyasha watched it bob in the fast moving current downstream.
Farther downstream, an old lady was washing her clothes. She picked up the head and stared into its white eyes. She let go a blood-curling scream.
**************************************************************************** *******************************************
At Kaede's town, the entire gang was rejoicing.
"We have finally put back the entire shikon no Tama," Kagome smiled. "Our journey is over."
Kaede nodded gravely. "I remember, the first day I sent you two on the journey. How much you detested going on this journey. Now, look at you. What it has done so much more than putting back the shikon no Tama."
Inuyasha fehed. "It was a waste of time, old hag. A great deal of time. I could have become the most powerful youkai in the world, if it weren't for you, Kagome."
Kagome huffed. "Well, If I weren't around, then you would still be pinned to that tree. So better thank me. The most powerful youkai in the world... You would be sleeping right now if it weren't for me!"
"Feh."
Miroku nodded. "Inuyasha, Lady Kagome is right. You would still be pinned to that tree by that enchanted arrow. Do you agree, Sango?"
Sango yelled something about hentai and whacked Miroku on the head with her godly sized boomerang.
As the night passed on, Kaede, sango, shippo, and miroku headed off to bed, Kirara trailing after their feet. Inuyasha and Kagome were left at the fire. Both of them deep into thought, not noticing each other were there.
Kagome raised her head and looked at Inuyasha. How I wish this journey was still going on, she thought. Dangerous, but exciting. I supposed that afterwards I'll have to return to my time. I'll have to say goodbye. I will miss him.
Inuyasha felt her gaze, and looked up. He returned her stare. She'll be leaving soon. Then what will happen? I believe...I believe I'll miss her. I'll miss her because...Because I love her.
Kagome broke the silence. "Inuyasha..."
Inuyasha spoke. "Kagome. Kikyou before pinned me to that tree. You were the one who saved me, and I should thank you."
Kagome was surprised. But her face remained unmoving. "Inuyasha, you saved me more than once. You protected me all throughout this journey, and I should thank you."
Stillness came. They stared at each other, deep into each other's eyes. They spoke without words. They were as close as they had ever been, yet the fire was between them.
Inuyasha watched, as a tiny tear rolled down Kagome's cheek.
"Kagome..."
Kagome broke. Her eyes filled with tears, streaming down her face. "Is it all over, just like that? One last battle, same as any other, would end it all? Must I go so soon? All the excitement's gone, back to the same, old, boring life. How can it just happen like this?"
Inuyasha moved toward her and cradled her. "Kagome...I don't want this journey to end either. But it has. And we have to accept that. But you don't have to leave..."
Kagome looked up.
Inuyasha started again. "Kagome, you don't have to leave. You can stay here, and live in Kaede's village. You can visit your family often. We could build a house. We could live together, we could stay here...together...as humans."
"But," Kagome hesitated. "But...Humans?"
Inuyasha nodded. "We do have the shikon no Tama. We can use it to turn me to human, and we could live like that. Please, Kagome, will you?"
Kagome paused. Inuyasha waited.
"Alright then."
A rare smile played on Inuyasha's lips. Kagome smiled back. All of sudden, everything was perfect. The fire was warm, the night was cold. The feeling of accomplishing something that they didn't ever want to end was gone. A feeling of dawning a new beginning was replaced it. They thought all was good. Everything was good. Or so they thought.
**************************************************************************** *******************************************
Morning dawned. Kagome was out early, walking alone among the trees. She was thinking. He loves me, Kagome realized. He wants me to live with him, stay with him.
But how could it all come to this? Kikyou's gone. Naraku's gone. We have all the shikon shards, everything is perfect. Too perfect. Nothing else to do, no adventure, no excitement.
Kagome, deep in her thoughts, didn't notice the figure that was following her. Sango, noticing her friend's early departure, had followed Kagome.
"Kagome, are you alright?" Sango asked softly, trying not to startle her.
Kagome turned. She smiled. She was happy that she had such a good friend as Sango. Someone she could turn to when something bothered her, someone who was always there when she was mad, or sad, and to share her joy and happiness. "Sango, last night, Inuyasha asked me to stay with him here in sengoku jidai."
Sango brightened. "What did you say? Can you stay here?"
Kagome smiled. "I said yes, but I'm not sure my mother will allow. She might be happy that the journey is over, and that she wants me to stay home." She sighed. "I do hope she says yes. I feel that the journey can't be over just yet, and if it is, well, I just want to remember it. I want something to come out of it. Like a good ending to a good book."
Sango nodded. "I do hope that is too. So does Inuyasha love you?"
Kagome smiled. She didn't answer.
Sango smiled back. "Let's get back to the village. The others might be wondering where we are." She led Kagome back to the village.
~ five months later ~
Kagome was giddy. Yes, giddy. In a way, not showing anybody her happiness, keeping it quietly to herself. But she was excited.
Tonight, Inuyasha would take the shikon no tama, and he would become human. Her mother had accepted her proposal of staying in sengoku jidai. She was happy.
It was late afternoon, the sun shining and a breeze blowing. Kagome decided to step away from the village to have a walk in the meadow. Sango and Miroku watching Shippo, and Inuyasha was somewhere about. She slipped away easily.
It was beautiful in the meadow. She could think nothing of life, her merriment, her joy. She watched the September sun slowly start to fade.
She heard a noise. A ripple in the grass.
She turned.
She saw a claw, slashing. Tearing into her soft, tender skin.
She saw a whisk of silver hair, amber eyes, a face she knew too well.
Inuyasha.
Her bow fell and clattered to the ground. She dropped, weakening. So, she thought. It wasn't Naraku. Inuyasha betrayed me as well, he betrayed me like he betrayed Kikyou.
Anger burst inside of Kagome. With the last of her strength, she picked her bow up and stumbled to the forest. Pausing every few moments to catch her breath, leaning against a tree. She spotted Inuyasha.
Carefully, fitting her arrow inside her bow, she pulled on the string with all her might.
"Die, Inuyasha!"
She released the arrow. Inuyasha looked up, startled. He saw Kagome's piercing eyes, filled with a look he had never seen before. Anger, flames of hatred. For a second, it was not Kagome he saw, but Kikyou.
The blast had pushed him backwards. Him, leaping through the trees, had been pierced by the enchanted arrow. The arrow. Inuyasha looked down. There it was, pinning him to a tree. The tree. The same exact tree somebody else had pinned him 50 years ago. The time tree.
It all became clear. Time.It's repeating itself, realized Inuyasha. She thinks I betrayed her. She thinks that I hurt her.In a way I cannot see.
Kagome's eyes filled with tears. "You," she spat. "So it wasn't Naraku. You were blaming it all on Naraku. You were the one who killed Kikyou, as you did to me as well. You betrayed both of us. You shall stay, pinned to that tree." Kagome's voice faded. She was dying, the blood flowing from her shoulder. "Sleep, Inuyasha." She whispered.
Inuyasha blinked. A slow blink. His eyelids grew heavy, watching Kagome's dying eyes piercing him. He looked down at the arrow. He lifted his face, and looked one last glance at Kagome.
His head dropped and fell into an endless sleep.
Kagome, watching him, knew it was over. Too perfect, she snarled at herself. Nothing can be that good, he was playing it all along. I was just a shard detector for him so he could become the most powerful youkai in the world.
Her thoughts ceased. Her breathing stopped. Her heart beated. Beat, beat.It was gone. Kagome dropped to the floor, dead.
**************************************************************************** *******************************************
Back at camp, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo waited patiently for their two companions. Dinner was ready, laying cold on the fire. But they would not eat until Kagome and Inuyasha were back.
Shippo was growing restless. "Maybe they went for a walk, they wouldn't mind us eating first. I'm hungry."
Miroku said, "Lady Sango. Shippo is right. They have been doing that often. Let us eat first and they will come home soon." Miroku reached forward to comfort Sango.
"HENTAI!!!!!!" Shippo reached for his bowl of soup and watched the perverted monk on the ground. "Sango," Shippo tugged at Sango's sleeve. "Are you worried that they got hurt?"
Sango looked at the tiny kitsune's face. "Yes, I am." She answered softly. "Inuyasha may be a powerful hanyou, but he's not immortal. He can get harmed." She turned to Miroku. "Shippo, watch the monk. I'm going to go find them."
Shippo nodded obediently. He picked up Miroku's staff and tapped Miroku on the forhead with it. "Wake up, Miroku. I have to watch over you," Shippo said proudly.
Sango called Kirara and they leaped for the forest together. "I wonder, where could they be?" Sango murmured to herself. "They should be okay, if they were in trouble then Inuyasha would've sent Kagome straight home."
The night fell. Sango grew restless. She couldn't find them. Perhaps they were at the well, saying goodbye to Kagome's mom. Sango headed to the well. Sango often did not come here, only Kagome and Inuyasha when Kagome was returning to her time for her schoolwork.
Sango reached the well. They weren't there. Perhaps they were staying the night at Kagome's. Inuyasha had done that before. Still, Sango waited a while longer. It was only when complete darkness fell when Sango returned, taking a different route. It was a longer one. She wanted time think.
Deep in thoughts, Sango passed through the forest. She had gotten of Kirara, and Kirara had turned back into her kawaii, small form. Unknowingly, Sango walked over a fallen log and tripped. She fell.
Sango stood up and looked around. It was almost pitch black, with the dense trees shading the area from the brilliant moonlight. But even with the darkness, Sango could recognize the place. It was the time tree.
Yet something was wrong. Sango sniffed and smelled the aroma of blood. Fresh blood. Sango's eyes adjusted to the darkness. She looked down at the ground. She saw the log she had tripped over.
Or maybe it wasn't a log.
It was a bow.
Tensely, Sango's eyes followed the bow, she saw the fingers, following up to the wrist, the arm, the body, the neck, the face, the.
Kagome.
Dead Kagome. With blood spreading, a bright pool of red. The sight was sickening. Sango let out a scream, but no sound came.
Sango wheeled around. She saw the time tree, with a figure pinned to it.
Inuyasha. Sango looked back at Kagome.
She screamed. Again and again. Her voice echoed through the trees and into the black night.
What had happened?