Second Chance
By Sango-chan
Chapter 2
Onigumo
Inuyasha shakily leaned against the tree for support, hoping he wouldn't fall out and expose himself. No Kagome! That could never happen! But Kikyo… Inuyasha felt weak and sick at heart.
"Inuyasha. You're there, aren't you?"
Kikyo's gentle, familiar voice jarred Inuyasha from his thoughts, and he fell to the side a little ways, desperately regaining his balance as leaves rustled around him in response to Kikyo's question.
"Why won't you come down?"
The hanyou hesitated for a split second, and then the longing to be near Kikyo, the real Kikyo, not Urasue's sham plaything of earth, bones, and hatred that he had destroyed, pushed him out of the tree to land a few feet to the side of the miko. He didn't say anything, just breathed in deep draughts of her uniquely beautiful scent. Yes, this was her…Kikyo.
Kikyo was also silent for a moment longer, then she looked at Inuyasha with kind eyes. "We've never stood so close together, have we…?"
Without any time to gather his thoughts for a response, Inuyasha snorted brusquely. "What of it?"
She let the comment pass as she once again looked to the sky. Kikyo drew her knees closer to her body and spoke quietly, so softly that Inuyasha didn't make out the words. She didn't once turn to look at him, giving the half-demon an eerie feeling that she was talking to some ethereal person…or thing…, something far more powerful than either of them.
Kikyo sighed and tilted her face towards him, and this time Inuyasha's sensitive nose picked up a difference in her fragrance…a slight dampness, a sadness. The miko asked quietly, "Inuyasha…what do I look like to you? Do I look human?"
Inuyasha stopped breathing. He'd had this conversation before, and he knew what it would lead up to the following day. How could he ever forget? He wanted to shout out to her, NO! Don't ask me to become human…I don't want you to die! but his throat wouldn't work.
Continuing on, Kikyo said, "I can't show a weakness...not a moment's hesitation…to anyone. If I did…the demons would take me. I am human. But I must not be human." It was the saddest thing Inuyasha had ever heard, and each word tore at his heart. But the priestess' voice carried no regret, no bitterness, not even a hint of sadness. She simply stated the facts for him to hear.
She paused again, then smiled a little sadly at Inuyasha. "You and I are the same…you, too, fight your humanity. That…is why I haven't been able to kill you…"
Inuyasha understood, now, what she was talking about. In this time of fifty years ago, Kikyo had spoken it to him and in the future Kagome had showed it to him. How was he to choose between the two? The very idea of leaving Kikyo to her fate made him feel like throwing up, for he, too, had felt his heart torn out by Kikyo's apparent betrayal. And he knew she had felt the same…no, even worse. At least he could hide his emotions in the part of him that was demon, but she was human. She was utterly vulnerable. How could he do that to her? But there was Kagome…with Kikyo, Inuyasha was at peace with himself and the universe because of her understanding. Kagome, though…she made him feel whole, complete, as if she were an extension of himself. When she was around him, he felt lighthearted and happy, very different from the serenity that came with Kikyo's presence. Inuyasha's mind whirled around in endless circles, looking for a way out. But he knew his lines, knew what he must say.
Inuyasha stood up. "Feh. What do I…I care…for your whining? I'm not…like…you…" His voice cracked upon the hateful words. Had he truly been so cruel to her, she who cared for him as no one else had since the death of his parents? His mouth spoke those syllables, but his mind begged her not to listen to them, not to believe what he was telling her.
Turning as if to leave, Inuyasha hesitated for a moment, for he knew what would happen now. He didn't want to look, didn't want to see, and yet he had to see.
"No…I suppose you're not." She half-smiled at him. Kikyo's expression was so lonely, and yet so brave…that longing in her eyes…Inuyasha broke from her gaze and leapt off into the forest, but it was too late. The deed had been done. Her face…Inuyasha couldn't stop thinking about her, replaying the scene a million times over in his mind's eye. The way her gray eyes turned to look at him, the gentle movement of her lips, the breeze playfully blowing upon her obsidian hair. In that moment, Inuyasha felt his heart swell to almost exploding in his body, no room in it for anything but Kikyo. No, wait! Another image formed in his mind, someone so similar and yet so different. The gentle laughter, sparkling, mischievous blue-gray eyes, the tendrils of midnight-black hair tickling her face…Kagome. How could he lose her? Kikyo had to die…no, she couldn't! If she died, his soul would die with her. Why, oh why, had her arrow not killed him, not let his spirit join hers?…but then he would never have known Kagome Why did he have to choose?
Inuyasha's blind rush had left him hovering over the village. He could see rice paddies ready to harvest, small huts, a tiny cave overgrown with weeds, children scampering over hillocks and underneath bridges playing hide and seek. That cave…! Could it be…Onigumo's shelter? He had to know.
Landing behind a clump of bushes, Inuyasha cautiously moved towards the dark entrance of the small cave. It was pitch-black inside, and the hanyou couldn't see a thing. Closing his eyes, the dog-demon relied on his sense of smell to see inside the cave. A dank odor of stale air, the soft sounds of breath being drawn, a faint stink of dried blood, the pungent tang of healing herbs. Yes, there was someone in here, someone very badly wounded…Onigumo, that evil human who willingly merged with demons to become Naraku. Inuyasha growled softly, wanting to leap in there and show the bandit the ends of his claws. But he couldn't do that…however evil the man was, he was still a man, wounded and unable to move. Defenseless. Inuyasha turned to leave.
"You're Inuyasha, aren't you?" The cracked voice that emerged from the cave stopped Inuyasha dead in his tracks.
"One of those demons who want the jewel, ne? To bad that priestess…that Kikyo…guards it. And now she's purifying it, so none of you can ever use it again." A dry, mirthless chuckle emanated from the still form on the floor of the cave. "The idea of her…tainted by evil…ah, what a sweet vision!"
"Rggggggghhhh…you…" Inuyasha clenched his fists and took a few steps toward Onigumo.
"Oh, go on. Attack me, half-breed. After all, I can't do anything to stop you. Go ahead and attack me, a poor, weak, defenseless mortal!"
Inuyasha cursed and turned away from Onigumo. He wouldn't give in to the evil bandit's goading.
"Couldn't kill me, could you? You…that'll be your undoing someday. You gotta be ruthless to steal that jewel, and you can't do that. Can't even kill that priestess. Mark my words, you will never posses the Shikon no Tama. I will have it…and I will have Kikyo! Heh heh heh…" The pure evil of Onigumo's laughter sent chills of foreboding through Inuyasha's body. Suddenly he couldn't breathe, not in that dark interior permeated with evil. He turned and half-ran, half-crawled out of the cave.
"They'll both be mine…mine!" Inuyasha could still hear that evil sound as he left, and his body shook uncontrollably as he flew over the village again. How could he know? Is he right now plotting to defile Kikyo and the jewel?
Dropping down to land by Kaede's hut, he looked around for Kikyo. Did she know about Onigumo's rantings? If she didn't…should he warn her? Sniffing the air as he stepped into the hut, Inuyasha could tell that no one had been inside for at least three hours. He left it and searched the small farming village with great flying bounds, propelling himself up fifty feet in the air and then landing four-footed again like a dog. At last he discovered her not in the village but in the shady fringe of the woods gathering plants. Sitting down in a sunny patch, Kikyo called Kaede to her. Obediently leaving her play and running to her big sister, the young miko-in-training eagerly listened to the talk of healing herbs that was part of her education. Inuyasha crept a little closer to watch, keeping himself hidden far away so that even his acute hearing could barely make out the words. His body relaxed, but his mind ran and ran with passing thoughts and memories…
FLASHBACK
For a few days now Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Shippo, and Sango had been following rumors of a powerful demon who had been stealing Shikon shards from lesser youkai and then draining them of their spirit-energy, leaving their empty bodies to die. Several times they had come upon the crumpled remains of the victims, but always days behind the mysterious killer.
Inuyasha growled in irritation. Kicking at the carcass of a snake demon, he growled, "Curse this creature. Why can't it even leave a clear trail?" Sweeping his clawed hands around the landscape he continued, "Look at this. It looks like a massacre. And the second one in a day, too, judging by their smell! But for a week before that, not a single one died! It makes no sense!"
The others were silent. The predator's indefinable pattern of killing puzzled them, too. Inuyasha sighed and walked impatiently on. Well, there were no other Shikon shard at close hand, so they might as well finish off this demon first.
At night everyone agreed to stop at a small village nearby to rest for the night. They were all tired, and so they didn't look around; just thanked the headman for letting them stay and bedded down.
Late at night Inuyasha woke up with a twitch of his ears. Getting up, he softly walked to the door and looked outside. I thought I heard something moving…there! Shuffling along, dragging itself to the creek, was an injured bird demon of some kind. Out of pure curiosity, Inuyasha walked to it and picked it up. He checked for any wounds or bruises, but the demon seemed to be whole and unharmed. Then he examined its face. The eyes of this youkai weren't bright and vicious, but glazed over. Inuyasha knew it wasn't sick, but what was happening? Under his fingers, the heartbeat was strong and even and breath came in without any rattling or hesitation. And yet the demon grew limper and limper in his hands, as if someone were sucking its life out with a straw…
Inuyasha dropped it hurriedly, knowing there was no chance at all it could survive. What could one do to heal the empty gap that the demon's spirit had once filled? Grabbing the Tetsusaiga from its scabbard, Inuyasha called out over his shoulder at his sleeping friends. A second later, they emerged armed and ready for battle. Striding over to the dog-demon, Sango picked the now-dead bird youkai and nodded once at Inuyasha to signal that she understood. Miroku, peering past the creek, pointed to a trail of the dead that lead off into the forest. Running, they followed it in. Just past the trees, they could make out a lone figure that drew the demons' spirits to it. Inuyasha, filled with the rush of battle, cleared the trees first. Then he stopped dead in his tracks. It was Kikyo! There was no mistaking the familiar priestess' face or dress. It was her yet again…
She had to be stopped, or any second she could turn and target humans…like she had done before. Inuyasha knew this with a cold, hard certainty, and yet his body wouldn't – couldn't – move. His friends rushed past him, knowing the inner struggle, and faced Kikyo. The miko raised a shield around herself, stopping them from reaching her. Kagome, however, using her own growing powers, notched an arrow to her bow and shot at the magical barrier. A small hole formed there. She shot again and again, widening the opening until it was almost big enough to enter through. Kikyo stared at her own reincarnation with a venomous glare and dropped her shield. Before anyone could react, she came within a few yards of Kagome and pointed a finger. Twin bolts of the miko's magic shot straight at Kagome, who desperately shielded herself with her arms. Inuyasha knew it was pointless – she could never survive such a blast.
Without even knowing that he was standing up, Inuyasha's legs were running toward Kagome at a speed that he had never known he could reach. Then he was lifting Kagome in his arms and into the air as the ground behind them erupted into a raging fireball. He turned to look at Kikyo—and saw himself staring at the four deep gashes on her chest. Numbed, he stared in horror. Had he done that? It wasn't possible! And yet…he remembered reaching for Kagome with both hands extended, and how close Kikyo had been standing to her. Sick at heart, Inuyasha watched as the woman he had once loved – and still loved – staggered and crumpled to the ground. Her body slowly turned back to the earthen figure that Urasue had created and what remained of her soul began to leave. Kikyo's face was the last to crumble, and the expressions on it would stay fresh in Inuyasha's memory forever. Shock, then a bitter, losing look of betrayal, and then last and never-ending a look of pure hatred. It was directed right at Inuyasha and he felt as if someone had driven a sword through his heart. Kikyo's sham body became dust, but the hatred unspent lingered in the air.
/FLASHBACK
Kikyo died that day Naraku tricked us, hating me. I killed her…and she died with her soul still vengeful and filled with hatred for me. It doesn't seem to affect Kagome, having Kikyo's thirst for my life in her soul, but still…How could I live with myself if I forced her to hate me again?