CHAPTER THREE
*
Inuyasha's grave was a simple earth mound, topped with a wooden grave marker that Miroku had made. Lacking the names of Inuyasha's parents, or the year he had been born, he had simply inscribed Inuyasha's name and a Buddhist prayer that he would find a peace in death that he had never found in life.
The villagers had buried Inuyasha under a spreading oak tree a little ways from Kaede's house. Kaede had originally wanted to bury him under the God-tree where he had been pinned by Kikyo, but the roots were too thick for anyone to dig there.
So he was here instead. The river could be heard from where Kagome was sitting, and the sunlight streamed through the leaves of the oak. Flowers were placed reverently on and around the grave. Ironically, most were from the villagers who had hated him for most of their lives, but whom he had saved from Naraku.
It all looked so peaceful. Especially for someone whose life had been tumultuous right from the start. It was almost impossible to imagine Inuyasha lying so quietly under the mound. He had been quiet when she first saw him, pinned to the God-tree where Kikyo had left him. He had looked, even though he had been "killed," as if he were only asleep. Kagome had somehow freed him from her pre-incarnation's spell. But she couldn't wake him this time.
Kagome's eyes filled with tears. She rested her head on the grave.
Seeing this made it final. She half-expected to look up and see Inuyasha in the trees, berating her for crying over him. But she knew he wouldn't be.
She picked up the Tetsusaiga. This was almost the only thing he had, she thought. He had slept with it, bathed with it, and almost never let it go. Kagome had once said half-jokingly to Sango that she wished Inuyasha was half as attentive to her as he was to his sword. And now he had left it to her.
A strange feeling rose in her. It wasn't right, she thought. It isn't right that he's gone... that he didn't kill Naraku. It isn't right...
She didn't look up as someone came up behind her. "Kagome?" Sango said quietly, putting an arm around her friend's shoulders. "I'm sorry. I know you really cared about him..."
"I didn' get to say goodbye... I didn't even know what was happening to him. He was calling for me, and I didn't know it..."
Sango wrapped Kagome in a hug, stroking the younger girl's hair as she wept. "I know," she murmured. "I know what you feel..."
*
She saw Kaede's hut in the distance, drifting closer like a ghost borne on the wind. A strangled scream rang out from inside. A scream shaped into her name.
"Kagome!"
As Kagome drifted closer, she heard more groans and cries, muffled by the screen over Kaede's bedroom door. Shippo was curled up in the corner, with his face buried in Kirara's fur. "Make it stop... Inuyasha..." he was mumbling.
Inuyasha cried out again. Miroku stepped out with a basin of bloody water and went to the door to empty it. "Miroku," Shippo said, raising his face. "Inuyasha's gonna be okay, isn't he?"
The monk's grim face turned away, as if he couldn't stand Shippo's gaze. He threw the water out the door and hurried into Kaede's room. Shippo clutched at his tiny ears as another strangled cry came from inside.
Kagome was terrified to see what was inside. But she was moving forward, as if invisible hands were passing her along toward the door. "Inuyasha, ye must lie still," Kaede's voice rang out. "If ye do not, I cannot cleanse ye wounds..."
A breeze blew the screen aside. Inuyasha was lying on Kaede's bed, with his silk undershirt lying in tatters around him. The cuts and slashes on his chest and arms were bleeding black, as if they had been festering and rotting from the inside. His burned skin cracked as he drew in a long, rattling breath, arching his back. The old woman carefully cleaned off one of the cuts, with Sango holding Inuyasha down. Inuyasha was barely restraining another scream, as if the barest touch hurt.
"Why did she have to go back?" Inuyasha said through his teeth.
"Maybe she'll come back," Sango sad grimly. "She often does... just try to stay with us, Inuyasha."
He slowly turned his head to the side. A trickle of blood came from one of his unseeing eyes, like a tear. But he seemed to see her. "KAGOME!" he shouted.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried, sitting up.
For a moment, she stared into the darkness, confused. The image of Inuyasha calling for her lingered in front of her eyes, then dissipated in a beam of moonlight. Dazed, she collapsed back on her bed.
"Kagome," a small voice said from the dark. "Can I sleep with you tonight?"
"Sure, Shippo," Kagome said. She felt the little fox-demon creep under the covers and cuddle beside her. "I miss Inuyasha," he mumbled.
"I do too," Kagome said softly, wiping tears from Shippo's small face. "I'd give anything to have him back."
"You won't go away, will you, Kagome?"
"I won't if I can help it, Shippo."
It's not right, she thought, holding the sniffling Shippo close. This isn't the way it was all supposed to be... this isn't right...
TO BE CONTINUED
*
Inuyasha's grave was a simple earth mound, topped with a wooden grave marker that Miroku had made. Lacking the names of Inuyasha's parents, or the year he had been born, he had simply inscribed Inuyasha's name and a Buddhist prayer that he would find a peace in death that he had never found in life.
The villagers had buried Inuyasha under a spreading oak tree a little ways from Kaede's house. Kaede had originally wanted to bury him under the God-tree where he had been pinned by Kikyo, but the roots were too thick for anyone to dig there.
So he was here instead. The river could be heard from where Kagome was sitting, and the sunlight streamed through the leaves of the oak. Flowers were placed reverently on and around the grave. Ironically, most were from the villagers who had hated him for most of their lives, but whom he had saved from Naraku.
It all looked so peaceful. Especially for someone whose life had been tumultuous right from the start. It was almost impossible to imagine Inuyasha lying so quietly under the mound. He had been quiet when she first saw him, pinned to the God-tree where Kikyo had left him. He had looked, even though he had been "killed," as if he were only asleep. Kagome had somehow freed him from her pre-incarnation's spell. But she couldn't wake him this time.
Kagome's eyes filled with tears. She rested her head on the grave.
Seeing this made it final. She half-expected to look up and see Inuyasha in the trees, berating her for crying over him. But she knew he wouldn't be.
She picked up the Tetsusaiga. This was almost the only thing he had, she thought. He had slept with it, bathed with it, and almost never let it go. Kagome had once said half-jokingly to Sango that she wished Inuyasha was half as attentive to her as he was to his sword. And now he had left it to her.
A strange feeling rose in her. It wasn't right, she thought. It isn't right that he's gone... that he didn't kill Naraku. It isn't right...
She didn't look up as someone came up behind her. "Kagome?" Sango said quietly, putting an arm around her friend's shoulders. "I'm sorry. I know you really cared about him..."
"I didn' get to say goodbye... I didn't even know what was happening to him. He was calling for me, and I didn't know it..."
Sango wrapped Kagome in a hug, stroking the younger girl's hair as she wept. "I know," she murmured. "I know what you feel..."
*
She saw Kaede's hut in the distance, drifting closer like a ghost borne on the wind. A strangled scream rang out from inside. A scream shaped into her name.
"Kagome!"
As Kagome drifted closer, she heard more groans and cries, muffled by the screen over Kaede's bedroom door. Shippo was curled up in the corner, with his face buried in Kirara's fur. "Make it stop... Inuyasha..." he was mumbling.
Inuyasha cried out again. Miroku stepped out with a basin of bloody water and went to the door to empty it. "Miroku," Shippo said, raising his face. "Inuyasha's gonna be okay, isn't he?"
The monk's grim face turned away, as if he couldn't stand Shippo's gaze. He threw the water out the door and hurried into Kaede's room. Shippo clutched at his tiny ears as another strangled cry came from inside.
Kagome was terrified to see what was inside. But she was moving forward, as if invisible hands were passing her along toward the door. "Inuyasha, ye must lie still," Kaede's voice rang out. "If ye do not, I cannot cleanse ye wounds..."
A breeze blew the screen aside. Inuyasha was lying on Kaede's bed, with his silk undershirt lying in tatters around him. The cuts and slashes on his chest and arms were bleeding black, as if they had been festering and rotting from the inside. His burned skin cracked as he drew in a long, rattling breath, arching his back. The old woman carefully cleaned off one of the cuts, with Sango holding Inuyasha down. Inuyasha was barely restraining another scream, as if the barest touch hurt.
"Why did she have to go back?" Inuyasha said through his teeth.
"Maybe she'll come back," Sango sad grimly. "She often does... just try to stay with us, Inuyasha."
He slowly turned his head to the side. A trickle of blood came from one of his unseeing eyes, like a tear. But he seemed to see her. "KAGOME!" he shouted.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried, sitting up.
For a moment, she stared into the darkness, confused. The image of Inuyasha calling for her lingered in front of her eyes, then dissipated in a beam of moonlight. Dazed, she collapsed back on her bed.
"Kagome," a small voice said from the dark. "Can I sleep with you tonight?"
"Sure, Shippo," Kagome said. She felt the little fox-demon creep under the covers and cuddle beside her. "I miss Inuyasha," he mumbled.
"I do too," Kagome said softly, wiping tears from Shippo's small face. "I'd give anything to have him back."
"You won't go away, will you, Kagome?"
"I won't if I can help it, Shippo."
It's not right, she thought, holding the sniffling Shippo close. This isn't the way it was all supposed to be... this isn't right...
TO BE CONTINUED