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Chapter four
"Kagome," Inu-yasha felt his heart shatter, "How long have you planned this?"
"For so long," Kagome smirked, "so long I've lost count of the days. I've been stringing you along."
"You temptress," Inu-yasha hissed in agony as an arrow implanted itself into his arm. He yelped in pain and tried to pull the arrow from his body. "You played with my heart?"
"You're the one to talk," Kagome hissed, "Using me like a toy."
She shot another arrow, and he clutched at his leg as it embedded itself into his warm flesh. Blood poured from his stab wound and his two arrow wounds. He felt betrayed and abandoned. How could Kagome do this to him?
He looked at her with blurry golden eyes and felt something fall down his cheeks. Something he'd never felt before, not for so long. He lifted bloody fingers to his cheek and marveled at the tears leaking from his eyes. The salty liquid traveled down his cheeks silently and dripped down to the ground.
"Prepare to die, Inu-yasha," Kagome smiled sinisterly and drew an arrow back.
Inu-yasha looked up and allowed more tears to fall, "K-Kagome..."
Kagome stared in shock. Inu-yasha was crying? He looked so alone right then, like a small child whom just witnessed hell itself.
Kikyo shifted next to her and she smiled at Kagome, "He loves you deeply."
"He does not," Kagome countered, not believing it, "he'll always love you."
"Inu-yasha," Kikyo said softly and lightly touched the mirror floating in mid-air, "Never cried for me."
Kagome looked at the dead priestess in shock before looking at the mirror again.
Inu-yasha stood as straight as he could and looked at Kagome sadly, he'd forced the tears to stop and he was taking wobbly steps towards Kagome.
"What are you doing?" Kagome smirked, "Going to kill me?"
"No," he whispered sadly, "If you wish to kill me, Kagome..." He stood firm and held his arms out in front of him. "Then so be it."
Kagome dropped the arrow on her bow and flopped stupidly next to her feet. She stared, her mouth agape.
"If you wish to kill me, then kill me," Inu-yasha closed his eyes and stuck his chest out, "I'd rather die by your hand then anyone else's. I'll die for you."
Kikyo looked at Kagome, "It wasn't too long ago that you said that he'd die for me. It seems he's willing to do the same for you."
"I don't believe it," Kagome gasped and tried to reach out to Inu-yasha. "Inu-yasha! That's not me! Please believe me! Inu-yasha!"
"He can't hear you, Kagome," Kikyo said with a hint of depression in her voice.
"I have to save him!" Kagome screamed and didn't notice the electrical currents running up her arms or the thorns piercing her delicate skin. "I need to save Inu-yasha!"
"You're even more of a fool than I thought," Kagome sneered as Inu-yasha clutched his side in pain. "No matter."
"I don't care."
"How can you not care when I'm about to kill you?" Kagome asked with a feigned amusement.
"Because," he said with a soft smile on his face, "No life is worth living if you're not in it with me, Kagome."
"What?"
"I would rather die, than live another moment without you," he said with a soft smile.
"You truly are a fool."
"Maybe I am," he said softly and closed his eyes, "What are you waiting for, Kagome?"
Kagome drew an arrow.
Right when she was about to release it soft words echoed along the forest, "I love you."
Kagome was silent. The only sound was Inu-yasha's heavy breathing and the unmistakable thud of arrows embedding into flesh.
He smiled and ignored the pain, emotionally and physically running down his spine. Three new arrows rested in his body. "I love you, Kagome," he whispered and allowed the last arrow to implant itself into his heart. He gasped in pain and allowed his eyes to shut.
He staggered backwards and collapsed to the ground against the tree.
"NO!" Kagome screamed, tears flying from her closed eyes. She felt her heart shatter. Inu-yasha loved her. He loved her. He loved her!
She sobbed heavily and large tears rolled down her cheeks and to the ground and onto the vines holding her. She didn't even notice when the bounds faded and she fell softly to the ground, in a small ball.
Kikyo looked at her, her face remorseful and sad. She threw the mirror against the wall and it shattered into pieces. "Go!"
Kagome looked up at the dead priestess, "Kikyo..."
"Go now and save him," Kikyo said. She looked to the side and beckoned her soul stealers. "They'll carry you to him."
"Kikyo," Kagome whispered and wiped away her tears, "Thank you."
Kikyo nodded.
Kagome ran towards the door, before leaving she turned to Kikyo and smiled, "I can see why he loved you."
Kikyo returned the smile, "And I can see why he loves you."
Kagome didn't respond but turned and ran down the corridors, before the white youkai wrapped around her and carried her towards the forest Inu- yasha was shot at. The world seemed to whirl around her, the youkai were very fast, faster than she'd expected and she soon found herself in the forest named after the one she loved.
She fell to the ground and ran in a mad scramble. She ran blindly around until the familiar glow of Inu-yasha's presence became evident and she ran into the small clearing Inu-yasha's god tree was centered in.
He lay much like when she'd first met him, seemingly asleep. Only now, he was bloody and bruised, and he looked even more betrayed than he had when she'd found him the first time. Arrows protruded from his bleeding, paling flesh and a small pool of blood collected around him.
Kagome ran towards him, slightly tripping over the kimono she wore. She collapsed to the ground and pulled the arrows from his body. The two in his legs, the three in his arms, and the four in his chest. Nine arrows in all, all of them deadly wounds, not counting the stomach stab from the dagger, which too was fatal.
She bit her lip and ran her fingers along his bangs, brushing the bloody mess away from his sweaty forehead. His face seemed relaxed, yet so...deceived. She felt tears run down her cheeks again and she sobbed loudly.
"Kagome," she gasped and jumped away, half expecting him to stab her with his claws and use her as a scratching post.
"Inu-yasha," she whispered and crawled back to him, her tears falling down her cheeks.
"Y-you...you're back..." he said breathlessly, his labored breathing coming out in pants. "I was afraid that..." He didn't finish.
"Oh Inu-yasha!" Kagome sobbed and fell against him, causing him to flinch in pain. "I was so sure you were dead!"
"Sorry to disappoint you," he said tenderly.
Kagome froze in alarm. Why wasn't he killing her? Why wasn't he ripping her to shreds? She pulled back to look into his glowing amber eyes.
"What?" he chuckled softly, "did you expect me to die so easily?"
"Oh Inu-yasha," Kagome sobbed, "It wasn't me!"
"I know," he said and closed his eyes and held one of his wounds, "I know it wasn't you."
"How did you know?" Kagome asked in amazement.
He opened his eyes and they shimmered with love and admiration that she couldn't begin to fathom. "I knew it wasn't you...because," he paused to clutch his chest wound, "because you actually shot me...after I...after I said." He paused and if he had enough blood, would have blushed.
She cupped his cheek tenderly and looked into his eyes. She smiled softly and her tears fell from her cheeks to fall along his own, leaving small trails of tears along his soft skin.
"Did you mean it?" she whispered.
"Damn it, you heard me, didn't you?" he said, "I was kind of hoping that you wouldn't."
"Why not?" Kagome asked, dread creeping within her.
"Because that means that Naraku probably did too," he said and closed his eyes, cradling her to him softly. He leaned his lips up towards her ear and as softly as the wind whispered, "I love you."
He pulled away and smiled, before closing his eyes and falling against the God tree.
Kagome grabbed his hand and helped him stand, "Inu-yasha." She smiled, tears making her eyes shimmer, "I love you, too."
He smiled at her and held her hand in his own bloody one. "Really?" he asked and smiled, "You're not using this as bait for betrayal are you?"
Kagome wiped her eyes and leaned against Inu-yasha's bleeding chest, "No."
"Good," Inu-yasha smiled lazily before collapsing to the ground in sweet unconsciousness.
Kagome smiled and leaned him against a tree. She ripped part of her kimono and began to dress his wounds. After he was bandaged and asleep, she smiled and cuddled up beside him. His arm automatically crept around her and she felt her eyes begin to droop. It was only a few minutes later that they were both asleep.
If they'd been awake, however, they would have heard the deep chuckling and the shadows creeping around them. But they were asleep. So they would never know...
Owari...