InuYasha groaned in pain, trying feebly to move. It was like some giant vise was crushing him into the wood of the tree. His breath was forced out of him like he was a bellows, and he could feel the pressure increasing.
Through blurred vision, he could see the damn girl glowing bright. So it was her! She was the one they were after!
Slowly, he could see the white from of her head towards him as stars began to go off in his head.
Vadise looked up, and with a sardonic look, smiled at him. "Whoops!" She said cheerfully, and suddenly, the pressure was gone. He dropped to the grassy floor like a rock, hitting on his hands and knees, struggling for breath. "Don't know my own strength."
"InuYasha!" He heard Kagome call from across the lake.
He slowly staggered to his feet, growling. "You're Vadise, ain't ya?"
Vadise smiled at him cheerfully, and nodded.
His eyes narrowed, and he pointed bluntly at Kagome. "Fix her!"
Vadise's eyes wandered over to Kagome, and lingered. Her grin widened. "Why?" She asked lazily, sitting down in midair, leaning back, and kicking her legs out.
InuYasha's growl grew louder. He flashed his claws. "Because I said so!"
Vadise looked down at him with an amused look. "What are you doing up there?"
InuYasha's eyes widened, and he looked up suddenly. The forest floor was above him… and rushing downward very fast.
There was a sickening thud, and InuYasha slowly, attempted to get to his feet, only to suddenly have the ground twist beneath him, causing him to fall back to his stomach, hard.
Vadise yawned to herself, and made a negligent hand gesture. InuYasha suddenly fell from his stomach to his feet, causing his insides to do several flips in the process. He raised his head, and was caught smoothly by Vadise's cool, green eyes.
"Listen, little hanyou." She said, her voice suddenly sonorous and authoritative. "You have no right to be making demands of me here. My slightest thought becomes truth, here." Her eyes widened. "I do what I will, save who I will, kill who I will, and take what I will."
Her hair slowly caught up in unseen winds, flailing upwards, twisting around her face.
"You came in, you make demands?" She said, her voice cool, yet resonating. "You willingly walk into the lair of the most powerful being on this world, and you make demands?" Her eyes narrowed. "You have a death wish."
Slowly, her hair returned to normal, and her wings folded back against her back, and her smile returned. "Such audacity would normally get one killed." She announced, then smiled slightly more. "But, I'm not really normal, am I?"
InuYasha sat up, and shuddered. He had been helpless. Not even able to move! Who the hell was this girl? How did she have so much power?
"So, I'll heal the girl… for a price." InuYasha slowly staggered to his feet.
"What do you want?" He demanded, harshly.
Vadise smiled slightly at him, and nodded. She turned to Kagome, and made a gesture. Suddenly, Kagome was right next to them. The girl looked rather pale, and more than a little scared.
Vadise nodded slightly, and smiled. "Each of you is willing to fight to stay alive." She said wisely. "But are you willing to give something up?"
Both InuYasha and Kagome nodded slightly.
Vadise rolled her eyes. "Rhetorical question." She said softly. "However, you'd be surprised how hard it is to give something up." She chuckle lightly. "It just has to be precious to you."
Her eyes shifted to Kagome. "Tell me." She said softly. "Would you give up you're friends, in order to live? Would you go back to your own time, and never come back?"
Kagome's eyes widened in horror. No! She… She couldn't! There was no way! Never seeing Miroku or Sango or Shippo again? But… then… if she died… what would the difference be?
"What about you're family?" Vadise demanded. "Would you stay in the past, forever?" She said slyly, circling Kagome, her eyes tracing over the girls face. "Would you forsake your life for the chance to live?"
Kagome eyes widened even further. No! She couldn't leave her family! Sure, Souta was a brat, sometimes, but still, she wanted to see him again.
AH! But you've already left you're family! Her voice sounded insider her head now. You ran off, abandoning them when they wanted to be with you, on the off chance that you would live!
Kagome gasped. No! No, it wasn't true! It was InuYasha! He took her!
O, so then you would leave you're friends to live? The voice demanded. You're family is more important than you're friends in this age? More important than InuYasha?
No! That's not it!
So, you would run to you're family, and leave InuYasha, just to live?
NO! I would never leave InuYasha! I promised!
So what would you give up, hmm? Would you take InuYasha to you're time? You could stay with him, and keep you're family? Would you give up the past? You two could go through the well, and never come back!
Kagome suddenly dropped to her knees, her breath coming in little gasps. That wouldn't be so bad, would it? Then she thought of all the boring weekends. No more adventuring. No more questing. It had become such a part of her life that she couldn't manage to think about her life without it. No… she couldn't give that up... could she?
So… what will it be?
Kagome shook her head. She couldn't choose! How could she choose?
You tire my patience.
Anything! Kagome thought desperately. Take what you want! Just... not InuYasha… I said… I promised…
A smile appeared on Vadise's face. "Very well…" She said softly. "I shall then take…" She held up her hand, and in it something materialized. "…this."
Kagome looked down, and in shock, and saw, resting gently in the palm of her hand, was InuYasha's necklace.
InuYasha must have seen it too, for his hands instantly went to his neck, and groped around. There was nothing there.
Kagome gasped inwardly… She would never leave InuYasha… but now there was nothing bonding him to her. Would he leave her? She couldn't make him stay… now.
Vadise nodded slightly to the miko, and then turned to InuYasha. She didn't even bother speaking aloud.
Well, and you're price, InuYasha? Her voice asked in his head.
InuYasha said nothing, still rather wondered at the sudden freedom.
But honestly, you have no choice in the matter. The voice stated matter-of-factly. You cannot choose, and you have no final test to pass, like the girl did.
InuYasha briefly focused on the panting Kagome. She looked rather shaken.
But I will give you a warning. The voice said. Her tests were based on her fears, just as yours were. You fear the death of Kagome… And you fear the one you call Kikyo. You cannot find out what she is, or why she does not act like the Kikyo you knew. Her eyes flashed in his. And you should fear her, InuYasha. You should be wary of the dead priestess, or your test could become more real than you could ever believe. And pay heed to your father's words as well. The beast you have made of yourself threatens to destroy you, and strip you of all that is yourself.
InuYasha's eyes widened, and he nodded almost imperceptibly.
Vadise smiled, and nodded. "Very well, then you will continue on your quest for the Shikon no Tama." She said.
InuYasha perked his eyebrow. "That's it?" He demanded.
Vadise shrugged. "And when you have completed it, then you will bring it to me."
**
Hehe, and so the ante is set. Will InuYasha give up his life's goal to save that which he's not even sure how he feels about.
And, if Vadise comes across as either a weirdo, or a meenie, that's whats supposed to happen. But trust me, she's really nice. She just doesn't play around when there's business at hand.
Wow, only two chapters to go, at the max, and maybe some authors notes afterwards, if I don't feel like ruining to moment of the last chapter.
Hopefully, I'll get one chapter up per day from here on out, and finish the day before school! As soon as school starts, I have soccer practice, and Games, and such, so updates will get a little more scarce.
However, on a brighter not, I will be trying to make the chapters of the sequal much longer.
And I have a question, to anyone who knows. The sequal is going to be having elements from "InuYasha: Affections Touching Across Time," And I was wondering. Are there two versions of the movie? I have the one with the really crappy subbing, and that has "InuYasha: Love surpass the time" As the translated title. However, on the xtra features page, it has a preview for something that is definitely the same movie, however, looks very different, and quite frankly, better. I would like to incorporate that as well, so If I could have any information, that would be appreciated. (Kagome comes after Inu with a katana! I wanna see it!)
