Chapter 18
'It's the tree I'm sure of it.' Kagome walked in the direction she was being drawn to. "I hope we're almost finished with these trials. I want to be back with Inuyash-"
Somehow Kagome managed to run into something through the fog. The sudden change in direction caused her to loose her balance and fall to the ground. After shaking off the surprise, Kagome looked up to see what she had bumped into. Golden brown eyes glared back at her. Kagome gasped in shock as he stared at her doppelganger. "What's going on?"
The alternate Kagome smirked as she slowly circled the real one and watched as she stood back up. "Why are you here?"
"Why else....to marry Inuyasha and reach the tree." Kagome spat back at her twin and growled as she watched her circle around.
"Why in the world would you choose Inuyasha as your mate?"
"Because I love him."
"But why? You have several guys falling at your feet. Why go for the one that is rude, conceded, jealous, over bearing, over-"
"Protective, selfish, immature.....I know the list, believe me. But I fell in love with him despite his bad points. In fact I think I love him even more for some of them." Kagome growled quietly as she stood proud fully, glaring back at her mirror image.
"I'm curious. Now that the Shikon no Tama has been completed and used, why does he keep you around?"
"Because he loves me!"
"Oh....are you so sure. Couldn't it be because you remind him of Kikyo?" The fake Kagome stopped in front of the real one and gave her an evil smile. "Who do you think he sees when he kisses you. He really wants to be with Kikyo."
"NO! HE DOESN'T" Shouted Kagome. Her fists were clenched tightly as she tried to restrain herself from lashing out at her doppelganger. "If he had wanted to be with Kikyo, then the jewel would have revived her not me. He wanted me to live. he wanted me to be with him, forever, not Kikyo." Kagome slowly started to relax as she remembered all the trails her and Inuyasha had gone through. "We may have the strangest relationship in history....but I wouldn't want to loose it....EVER!" She smiled warmly up at the fake and waited.
The alternate Kagome looked at her surprised for a second, before dissipating and vanishing on an unknown breeze.
Kagome was relieved to find herself still in the maze. With each test she started, she was always fearful that at the end, she would find herself magically back at the beginning. Now she only found fog. more and more fog.
~******~
Inuyasha walked through the fog, annoyed beyond all reason. His arms were crossed in front of him as he scoffed and talked to himself. "Stupid trials.... I don't need these to tell me I love Kagome or she loves me."
"Is that so, then why not turn back."
The voice was familiar yet Inuyasha couldn't match a face to it. As Inuyasha continued on he soon came across a person against an invisible wall. Inuyasha stood staring with wide eyes. He looked over the copy of himself during the new moon, slightly shocked. "What the hell?"
The double with black hair stood with his arms crossed in front of him, wearing the usual smirk the original was famous for. "If you don't need these trials, then turn back."
"I can't do that." Inuyasha told his doppelganger as he stalked up to stand in front of himself.
"And why not. I'm you, I know you don't really want to be here. Why do you keep that girl around anyway? The jewel is gone, what do you need her for?"
A quiet chuckle came from the real Inuyasha. "So....you're me, huh. Then you would know why the jewel was used in the first place right." Inuyasha crossed his arms in the same fashion as his fake twin. It looked like he was staring into a mirror with a complex. On one side was the silver haired hanyou and on the other was the black haired human, both sides to the same coin.
"Ya so, what's that have to do with anything?"
"if she had died, I might as well of followed her. Without her, I'm as good as dead. If you are really me like you say, then you would know that the reason I keep her around is because she's kind, caring, loving, honest, and....and, she's life. She showed me how to live and love again. It's because of her that I'm alive in so many ways. She's also the reason I'm here....Now go away and let me finish this maze." Inuyasha pointed at nothing in particular as she shouted at his alternate self.
**TSK**TSK** "It's a shame, since she's already lost and waiting for you at the beginning."
"She WHAT?!"
"Yep!....Poor girl, failed at the 'selflessness' trial. Ran crying back to the beginning." The black haired Inuyasha shook his head in disappointment. "I guess she was more selfish then she realized."
"Ok the crying I would believe, but as for Kagome being selfish, that's just an out right lie. She's the most selfless person I know. She said she would even give up her soul to Kikyo if it would make me happy. If that isn't selfless then you need to borrow Kagome's Dictionary. As for her losing, I bet she's already at the center waiting for me." Inuyasha turned to his right and proceeded to walk into the fog, not looking back. 'I need to find Kagome.' Ringing through his ears with each step.
~******~
Kagome's pace was slowing as with each passing hour, the trials of the day were staring to take their toll on her. "I'm so tired, I hope I'm getting near the center." Kagome started to follow her nose toward the pure smell of water. She could tell by the strength of the smell that she was getting closer. She then heard the high pitch of an arrow whizzing through the air. Something quick and sharp grazed her left arm, cutting the fabric of her blouse and causing blood to trickle down from the small cut. Kagome looked around through the fog, hoping to find her assailant.
The fog slowly started to lift, revealing to her, who had attacked her. Kagome stood staring at a giant porcupine youkai. Before she could react to the sight of seeing a porcupine this large, the creature lifted it's tail and let several quill-like arrows shoot towards her.
"INUYASHA!!"
~******~
'It's the tree I'm sure of it.' Kagome walked in the direction she was being drawn to. "I hope we're almost finished with these trials. I want to be back with Inuyash-"
Somehow Kagome managed to run into something through the fog. The sudden change in direction caused her to loose her balance and fall to the ground. After shaking off the surprise, Kagome looked up to see what she had bumped into. Golden brown eyes glared back at her. Kagome gasped in shock as he stared at her doppelganger. "What's going on?"
The alternate Kagome smirked as she slowly circled the real one and watched as she stood back up. "Why are you here?"
"Why else....to marry Inuyasha and reach the tree." Kagome spat back at her twin and growled as she watched her circle around.
"Why in the world would you choose Inuyasha as your mate?"
"Because I love him."
"But why? You have several guys falling at your feet. Why go for the one that is rude, conceded, jealous, over bearing, over-"
"Protective, selfish, immature.....I know the list, believe me. But I fell in love with him despite his bad points. In fact I think I love him even more for some of them." Kagome growled quietly as she stood proud fully, glaring back at her mirror image.
"I'm curious. Now that the Shikon no Tama has been completed and used, why does he keep you around?"
"Because he loves me!"
"Oh....are you so sure. Couldn't it be because you remind him of Kikyo?" The fake Kagome stopped in front of the real one and gave her an evil smile. "Who do you think he sees when he kisses you. He really wants to be with Kikyo."
"NO! HE DOESN'T" Shouted Kagome. Her fists were clenched tightly as she tried to restrain herself from lashing out at her doppelganger. "If he had wanted to be with Kikyo, then the jewel would have revived her not me. He wanted me to live. he wanted me to be with him, forever, not Kikyo." Kagome slowly started to relax as she remembered all the trails her and Inuyasha had gone through. "We may have the strangest relationship in history....but I wouldn't want to loose it....EVER!" She smiled warmly up at the fake and waited.
The alternate Kagome looked at her surprised for a second, before dissipating and vanishing on an unknown breeze.
Kagome was relieved to find herself still in the maze. With each test she started, she was always fearful that at the end, she would find herself magically back at the beginning. Now she only found fog. more and more fog.
~******~
Inuyasha walked through the fog, annoyed beyond all reason. His arms were crossed in front of him as he scoffed and talked to himself. "Stupid trials.... I don't need these to tell me I love Kagome or she loves me."
"Is that so, then why not turn back."
The voice was familiar yet Inuyasha couldn't match a face to it. As Inuyasha continued on he soon came across a person against an invisible wall. Inuyasha stood staring with wide eyes. He looked over the copy of himself during the new moon, slightly shocked. "What the hell?"
The double with black hair stood with his arms crossed in front of him, wearing the usual smirk the original was famous for. "If you don't need these trials, then turn back."
"I can't do that." Inuyasha told his doppelganger as he stalked up to stand in front of himself.
"And why not. I'm you, I know you don't really want to be here. Why do you keep that girl around anyway? The jewel is gone, what do you need her for?"
A quiet chuckle came from the real Inuyasha. "So....you're me, huh. Then you would know why the jewel was used in the first place right." Inuyasha crossed his arms in the same fashion as his fake twin. It looked like he was staring into a mirror with a complex. On one side was the silver haired hanyou and on the other was the black haired human, both sides to the same coin.
"Ya so, what's that have to do with anything?"
"if she had died, I might as well of followed her. Without her, I'm as good as dead. If you are really me like you say, then you would know that the reason I keep her around is because she's kind, caring, loving, honest, and....and, she's life. She showed me how to live and love again. It's because of her that I'm alive in so many ways. She's also the reason I'm here....Now go away and let me finish this maze." Inuyasha pointed at nothing in particular as she shouted at his alternate self.
**TSK**TSK** "It's a shame, since she's already lost and waiting for you at the beginning."
"She WHAT?!"
"Yep!....Poor girl, failed at the 'selflessness' trial. Ran crying back to the beginning." The black haired Inuyasha shook his head in disappointment. "I guess she was more selfish then she realized."
"Ok the crying I would believe, but as for Kagome being selfish, that's just an out right lie. She's the most selfless person I know. She said she would even give up her soul to Kikyo if it would make me happy. If that isn't selfless then you need to borrow Kagome's Dictionary. As for her losing, I bet she's already at the center waiting for me." Inuyasha turned to his right and proceeded to walk into the fog, not looking back. 'I need to find Kagome.' Ringing through his ears with each step.
~******~
Kagome's pace was slowing as with each passing hour, the trials of the day were staring to take their toll on her. "I'm so tired, I hope I'm getting near the center." Kagome started to follow her nose toward the pure smell of water. She could tell by the strength of the smell that she was getting closer. She then heard the high pitch of an arrow whizzing through the air. Something quick and sharp grazed her left arm, cutting the fabric of her blouse and causing blood to trickle down from the small cut. Kagome looked around through the fog, hoping to find her assailant.
The fog slowly started to lift, revealing to her, who had attacked her. Kagome stood staring at a giant porcupine youkai. Before she could react to the sight of seeing a porcupine this large, the creature lifted it's tail and let several quill-like arrows shoot towards her.
"INUYASHA!!"
~******~
