Ch 7: The Dark Side of the Moon
Inuyasha looked around. They were surrounded, no chance of retreat, and it looked like no way to win. "What the Hell are we gonna do now?" he cursed.
Argyle looked over at the hanyou. "When ah say "jump", ya'll jump. As high as ye can, got it?"
He looked around, and the others nodded. "Now, jump!" he yelled. As soon as everyone was in the air, Argyle took his sword and spun around "FATED RING!" he yelled as the explosion emanated from his blade. In a matter of seconds, the zombies were flattened.
Inuyasha landed, and walked over the desecrated bodies towards Argyle.
"So, what's this last test you were talking about?"
Kojirou woke from his restless sleep, and looked at the ceiling. It's marble swirls dizzied the mind, as did the questions that swirled in his head. He looked over at Yura, asleep next to him. He brushed her hair, taking care not to disturb her slumber. She was beautiful, with her ebon hair sprawled over the pillow and her eyes loosely closed.
"It's amazing. Asleep like this, embraced in false death, she looks so innocent. Could one guess she was a demon if they only saw her as this?" he wondered to himself. He got up, and walked to a mirror. "And what about me? Part of me is youkai, the other, miko. I'm a walking contradiction. Is there any part of me that is innocent? Any part that deserves happiness?"
He put on a robe. Its silky fibers reminded him of Yura's touch. He walked down the hallway, and looked into Kagome's room. She, too, was asleep. "But he found it. A hanyou, a half demon, found happiness in the arms of a miko." He turned away, as he could not bring himself to look at her. "But not anymore. I made sure of that. And for what? For my own selfish ambitions?" No, I can't think like that. I've already put too much into this, I must see this through until the end."
Kojirou made his way down the hall, and to another room. Ancient artifacts were kept inside. A sword wielded by the Viking explorer Leif Erickson, which was said to be able to point one's way home no matter what. The Soul of Cassandra, which he almost always had with him. It was said that it held the soul of Cassandra of Troy, a woman who could see the future. He only wished it would let him peer farther into the future, to see what it held for him. He looked at all the artifacts, each one said to have mystic powers and abilities. He held the Soul, seemingly begging for its answers. It held none for him.
He walked out, and past Kagome's room again. He looked inside at her. The looks of contempt and malice were gone, stripping her to the bare essence of her being. He bowed his head, and walked back to his room. He opened the door quietly, as to not wake Yura, and walked outside to the balcony. At this late hour, the streets were deserted; everyone was home, with their families. "What about Kagome? Shouldn't she be with her family? With Inuyasha?" he wondered. "Bah, it's his fault anyway. If he would just give me the Shikon no Tama, she's be with him now." He rationalized. But his own explanation seemed hollow. It offered no comfort, unlike the slender arms he felt wrap around him.
"Penny for your thoughts, lover," Yura said.
"You know, ever since I've known you, you've always said that when I was thinking, and I've yet to see any of those pennies."
"Awww, but you know you're the bread winner..." she jokingly whined.
"It's okay. I doubt my thoughts would be worth a penny." He said staring blankly into the distance.
"Care to elaborate, lover?" she asked.
"It's nothing," he said.
"Liar. Stick to the truth, it's what your good at," she laughed.
Kojirou bowed his head. "It's just that, I've been thinking about things."
"Really? I didn't notice," she teased. "C'mon lover, tell little Yura what's the matter. I can kiss it and make it better."
"I doubt even you could," he said. "I was thinking about a lot of things. Inuyasha is my father, and how do I repay him? I take away his fiancée so that I can obtain the Shikon no Tama! I thought you were supposed to respect and admire your father, but all I've done is cause him grief and misery. What will happen then? After I have the jewel, I'll have the power I wanted, but what good will it do me if my own father hates me for it? I just wish I knew what fate held in store fore me."
Yura reached, and drew a few strands of hair. She weaved them with her fingers until they were tangled and indiscernible from each other. She looked up at Kojirou
"See that blond hair next to my right finger?"
Kojirou nodded.
"Tell me where it ends up."
Kojirou tried to follow the single strand, but repeatedly lost it among the strands of hair. "I can't. What's the point of this?"
"Exactly my point. You can't follow it. Well, you can, but it will take time. Which is what exactly life is about. You can try and analyze everything, you can try and predict everything that will happen, but by the time you figure it out," she let the strands go, and they fell to the floor, "it's too late."
She looked up, and put her hand on Kojirou's face. "You need to just do what feels right, lover. Live for today, because that's what's important. Now, why don't you come back inside? I'll be with you in a minute."
"Alright," he said with a kiss. He walked in, and closed the door slightly. Yura looked out, as Kojirou had.
"What was that? Why did I come out here to comfort him? I'm a youkai, I'm supposed to only care about myself. So what makes him different? Why do I melt in his arms like that?" She walked over and looked at the city below. "Is it gratitude? He did rescue my soul from Hell and recreate my body. But it's not. It's deeper than that. I..I don't know." She walked back inside, and into Kojirou's waiting arms.
"Where are we going?" Inuyasha asked impatiently.
"Ye'll see," Argyle answered. They had been walking for hours, and listening to Spike complain ever minute. No moon hung in the sky, so Inuyasha would face this final test as a human, with no powers. Finally, after what seemed an eternity of "Are we there yet?" they arrived at a strange site. It looked as if a lake was turned on its side. Argyle turned around. "Ya'll need to stay here. Only Inuyasha and I can go through."
Spike moaned about it, Kouga complained, and Shippou sat down and closed his eyes.
"Well, I'll see ya later," Inuyasha said confidently. Argyle stepped through, with Inuyasha close behind. They walked through a dark tunnel, and a cold chill ran down Inuyasha's spine. As they emerged, Argyle presented the final test.
"This mountain is yur test, and you must face it at yur weakest. They say that whomever reaches tha summit will gain tha ultimate truth."
Inuyasha looked at the mountain, and even he felt intimidated. It looked cruel and unforgiving, and almost spoke as if to say, "The end is here."
Inuyasha looked around. They were surrounded, no chance of retreat, and it looked like no way to win. "What the Hell are we gonna do now?" he cursed.
Argyle looked over at the hanyou. "When ah say "jump", ya'll jump. As high as ye can, got it?"
He looked around, and the others nodded. "Now, jump!" he yelled. As soon as everyone was in the air, Argyle took his sword and spun around "FATED RING!" he yelled as the explosion emanated from his blade. In a matter of seconds, the zombies were flattened.
Inuyasha landed, and walked over the desecrated bodies towards Argyle.
"So, what's this last test you were talking about?"
Kojirou woke from his restless sleep, and looked at the ceiling. It's marble swirls dizzied the mind, as did the questions that swirled in his head. He looked over at Yura, asleep next to him. He brushed her hair, taking care not to disturb her slumber. She was beautiful, with her ebon hair sprawled over the pillow and her eyes loosely closed.
"It's amazing. Asleep like this, embraced in false death, she looks so innocent. Could one guess she was a demon if they only saw her as this?" he wondered to himself. He got up, and walked to a mirror. "And what about me? Part of me is youkai, the other, miko. I'm a walking contradiction. Is there any part of me that is innocent? Any part that deserves happiness?"
He put on a robe. Its silky fibers reminded him of Yura's touch. He walked down the hallway, and looked into Kagome's room. She, too, was asleep. "But he found it. A hanyou, a half demon, found happiness in the arms of a miko." He turned away, as he could not bring himself to look at her. "But not anymore. I made sure of that. And for what? For my own selfish ambitions?" No, I can't think like that. I've already put too much into this, I must see this through until the end."
Kojirou made his way down the hall, and to another room. Ancient artifacts were kept inside. A sword wielded by the Viking explorer Leif Erickson, which was said to be able to point one's way home no matter what. The Soul of Cassandra, which he almost always had with him. It was said that it held the soul of Cassandra of Troy, a woman who could see the future. He only wished it would let him peer farther into the future, to see what it held for him. He looked at all the artifacts, each one said to have mystic powers and abilities. He held the Soul, seemingly begging for its answers. It held none for him.
He walked out, and past Kagome's room again. He looked inside at her. The looks of contempt and malice were gone, stripping her to the bare essence of her being. He bowed his head, and walked back to his room. He opened the door quietly, as to not wake Yura, and walked outside to the balcony. At this late hour, the streets were deserted; everyone was home, with their families. "What about Kagome? Shouldn't she be with her family? With Inuyasha?" he wondered. "Bah, it's his fault anyway. If he would just give me the Shikon no Tama, she's be with him now." He rationalized. But his own explanation seemed hollow. It offered no comfort, unlike the slender arms he felt wrap around him.
"Penny for your thoughts, lover," Yura said.
"You know, ever since I've known you, you've always said that when I was thinking, and I've yet to see any of those pennies."
"Awww, but you know you're the bread winner..." she jokingly whined.
"It's okay. I doubt my thoughts would be worth a penny." He said staring blankly into the distance.
"Care to elaborate, lover?" she asked.
"It's nothing," he said.
"Liar. Stick to the truth, it's what your good at," she laughed.
Kojirou bowed his head. "It's just that, I've been thinking about things."
"Really? I didn't notice," she teased. "C'mon lover, tell little Yura what's the matter. I can kiss it and make it better."
"I doubt even you could," he said. "I was thinking about a lot of things. Inuyasha is my father, and how do I repay him? I take away his fiancée so that I can obtain the Shikon no Tama! I thought you were supposed to respect and admire your father, but all I've done is cause him grief and misery. What will happen then? After I have the jewel, I'll have the power I wanted, but what good will it do me if my own father hates me for it? I just wish I knew what fate held in store fore me."
Yura reached, and drew a few strands of hair. She weaved them with her fingers until they were tangled and indiscernible from each other. She looked up at Kojirou
"See that blond hair next to my right finger?"
Kojirou nodded.
"Tell me where it ends up."
Kojirou tried to follow the single strand, but repeatedly lost it among the strands of hair. "I can't. What's the point of this?"
"Exactly my point. You can't follow it. Well, you can, but it will take time. Which is what exactly life is about. You can try and analyze everything, you can try and predict everything that will happen, but by the time you figure it out," she let the strands go, and they fell to the floor, "it's too late."
She looked up, and put her hand on Kojirou's face. "You need to just do what feels right, lover. Live for today, because that's what's important. Now, why don't you come back inside? I'll be with you in a minute."
"Alright," he said with a kiss. He walked in, and closed the door slightly. Yura looked out, as Kojirou had.
"What was that? Why did I come out here to comfort him? I'm a youkai, I'm supposed to only care about myself. So what makes him different? Why do I melt in his arms like that?" She walked over and looked at the city below. "Is it gratitude? He did rescue my soul from Hell and recreate my body. But it's not. It's deeper than that. I..I don't know." She walked back inside, and into Kojirou's waiting arms.
"Where are we going?" Inuyasha asked impatiently.
"Ye'll see," Argyle answered. They had been walking for hours, and listening to Spike complain ever minute. No moon hung in the sky, so Inuyasha would face this final test as a human, with no powers. Finally, after what seemed an eternity of "Are we there yet?" they arrived at a strange site. It looked as if a lake was turned on its side. Argyle turned around. "Ya'll need to stay here. Only Inuyasha and I can go through."
Spike moaned about it, Kouga complained, and Shippou sat down and closed his eyes.
"Well, I'll see ya later," Inuyasha said confidently. Argyle stepped through, with Inuyasha close behind. They walked through a dark tunnel, and a cold chill ran down Inuyasha's spine. As they emerged, Argyle presented the final test.
"This mountain is yur test, and you must face it at yur weakest. They say that whomever reaches tha summit will gain tha ultimate truth."
Inuyasha looked at the mountain, and even he felt intimidated. It looked cruel and unforgiving, and almost spoke as if to say, "The end is here."