Disclaimer: I wish I owned Inuyasha (or at least his ears!) but, sadly, I
don't. T.T
"words" talking
^words^ thoughts
Chapter 13: Who To Choose
Kaede finished laying all the necessary flower petals,
herbs, candles, salts, and fragrant liquids around Inuyasha on
the floor. The Hanyou was relaxing on the floor in the middle of
all this, preparing himself for the ordeal he was about to go
through. Miroku, Sango, and Shippo had busied themselves
elsewhere, knowing that they would not be needed inside.
Finally, Kaede stood, brushing herself off. "Are ye ready,
Inuyasha?" She asked. Inuyasha nodded. The old miko picked up
her spell book and began chanting the incantation. Inuyasha felt
a tingle rise up through his entire body. He was going numb
slowly, starting with his clawed toes. Kaede continued chanting,
ignoring the sudden intake of breath that came from the
motionless demi-demon. Inuyasha remained in his sitting position
as best he could, feeling the spell begin to take over his entire
body. He would soon lose complete control. As Kaede finished
the spell, she looked up in time to see Inuyasha's seemingly
lifeless body fall to the floor. It seemed to all happen in slow
motion. His head fell back and touched the floor lightly, his
hair coming down to surround his face in a silver pillow. He had
made it to her sister's world. . .now hopefully he could make it
back.
Inuyasha opened his eyes slowly, feeling drowsy and
somewhat light-headed. "Where am I?" He mumbled. His voice
echoed back at him. Trying to shake the cloudiness from his
mind, he looked around. He appeared to be at the Goshinboku
Tree. . .but something felt different. "Inuyasha, what a
pleasant surprise." Inuyasha spun to stare into the only face he
would expect to see in an altered place like this. "Kikyo. . ."
He started. "Do you like it?" She asked, moving her arms to
gesture to the place surrounding them. "I made it in an exact
replica of your forest, so that I could always be connected to
you." She told him. Inuyasha's eyes widened. No matter how he
tried, he couldn't forget how much he -still- loved Kikyo. Kikyo
moved forward, wrapping her arms around Inuyasha's neck and
laying her head to rest on his chest. "Inuyasha, you must know
how much I've missed this. You feel it too, don't you? The need
to be held once more by the one you love. Don't make this have
to end. We can live together in peace forever." She cooed,
tracing tiny circles on his chest with her finger. Inuyasha
looked down at her with hurt in his eyes. "Kikyo. . .I can't do
this. . .it's not. . ." He started, trying to choke out the
words. Kikyo placed a finger to his lips. "I can see that you
are still not ready to leave this life, Inuyasha. But we can
still live happily together. Just give me the rest of my soul
back. That girl still contains the biggest portion of my soul.
The only reason I still walk the earth is my need to be with you
forever. I managed to keep just a tiny bit of my soul so that I
could remain with you. If you got it back for me then we can
live here, in life, forever." She finished. Inuyasha took a
step back, disbelief apparent on his face. "Kill. . .Kagome?"
He questioned. "But. . .I could never. . ." Kikyo stared at him
harshly. "Yes. Yes, you can, Inuyasha. People will do anything
for love. You do love me, don't you?" She asked. The Hanyou
could only stare at her in awe. "You don't love me anymore!?
How can this be!? You loved me, Inuyasha! We were in love!"
She shouted at him. Inuyasha bit his bottom lip to fight back
sudden tears. "No, Kikyo. . .I still love you! But I can't kill
Kagome! I promised I would protect her just as I did you! I
can't forget about my promise to her! But I can't forget about
you either!" He told her. Kikyo cringed at the statement. "So
what will it be Inuyasha? Both that girl and me cannot exist at
the same time. You must choose between us! Which one of us do
you want to live more!?" Kikyo growled at him. Inuyasha stared
into Kikyo's eyes. ^How can I possibly choose between the woman
I love, and the woman I promised to protect?^ He wondered.
Kaede stared worriedly down at Inuyasha's pale figure. The
Hanyou had beads of sweat running down his face, and was
twitching nervously. ^At this rate, he'll never make it out in
time. He will be trapped forever in my sister's world.^ She
thought. Quickly, she grabbed a single Shikon Shard from the
nearby stand and made a dash for the outside. "Sango! Miroku!
Shippo! Please gather quickly!" She called. The three were not
far from the small hut, and heard Kaede's desperate cries almost
immediately. All came running. "What's wrong, Lady Kaede?"
Miroku asked as they neared. "Inuyasha is growing pale and weak
as the time passes. He will soon be too weak to even attempt an
escape. He will be forever trapped with my sister's restless
soul. We must do something immediately." The elder miko
explained. She knelt down and stared Shippo in the eye.
"Shippo, ye must take this jewel shard and fetch Kagome. She is
Inuyasha's only hope." She told the kitsune, handing him the
long jewel shard. Shippo nodded. Kaede stood and looked toward
the tiny fire-cat sitting at her feet. "Take Kilala with you to
keep you from danger." She commanded. Shippo obediently climbed
to the now-transformed Kilala's back. Kilala took off towards
Inuyasha's forest, where the well sat in front of the Goshinboku
Tree. "Run as if the devil is at your heels! And don't come
back without Kagome!" Kaede called after them. ^Now all we can
do is wait. . .and pray.^
~~~~~~~ Yay! I got another one done! And it only took me a couple hours! Well, I made it extra long so all you extra patient people are getting what you waited for. I hope it's good! Now you gotta wait and see if Kagome makes it back in time! And what will happen when she does come back? Only I know for sure! Nya nya!
"words" talking
^words^ thoughts
Chapter 13: Who To Choose
Kaede finished laying all the necessary flower petals,
herbs, candles, salts, and fragrant liquids around Inuyasha on
the floor. The Hanyou was relaxing on the floor in the middle of
all this, preparing himself for the ordeal he was about to go
through. Miroku, Sango, and Shippo had busied themselves
elsewhere, knowing that they would not be needed inside.
Finally, Kaede stood, brushing herself off. "Are ye ready,
Inuyasha?" She asked. Inuyasha nodded. The old miko picked up
her spell book and began chanting the incantation. Inuyasha felt
a tingle rise up through his entire body. He was going numb
slowly, starting with his clawed toes. Kaede continued chanting,
ignoring the sudden intake of breath that came from the
motionless demi-demon. Inuyasha remained in his sitting position
as best he could, feeling the spell begin to take over his entire
body. He would soon lose complete control. As Kaede finished
the spell, she looked up in time to see Inuyasha's seemingly
lifeless body fall to the floor. It seemed to all happen in slow
motion. His head fell back and touched the floor lightly, his
hair coming down to surround his face in a silver pillow. He had
made it to her sister's world. . .now hopefully he could make it
back.
Inuyasha opened his eyes slowly, feeling drowsy and
somewhat light-headed. "Where am I?" He mumbled. His voice
echoed back at him. Trying to shake the cloudiness from his
mind, he looked around. He appeared to be at the Goshinboku
Tree. . .but something felt different. "Inuyasha, what a
pleasant surprise." Inuyasha spun to stare into the only face he
would expect to see in an altered place like this. "Kikyo. . ."
He started. "Do you like it?" She asked, moving her arms to
gesture to the place surrounding them. "I made it in an exact
replica of your forest, so that I could always be connected to
you." She told him. Inuyasha's eyes widened. No matter how he
tried, he couldn't forget how much he -still- loved Kikyo. Kikyo
moved forward, wrapping her arms around Inuyasha's neck and
laying her head to rest on his chest. "Inuyasha, you must know
how much I've missed this. You feel it too, don't you? The need
to be held once more by the one you love. Don't make this have
to end. We can live together in peace forever." She cooed,
tracing tiny circles on his chest with her finger. Inuyasha
looked down at her with hurt in his eyes. "Kikyo. . .I can't do
this. . .it's not. . ." He started, trying to choke out the
words. Kikyo placed a finger to his lips. "I can see that you
are still not ready to leave this life, Inuyasha. But we can
still live happily together. Just give me the rest of my soul
back. That girl still contains the biggest portion of my soul.
The only reason I still walk the earth is my need to be with you
forever. I managed to keep just a tiny bit of my soul so that I
could remain with you. If you got it back for me then we can
live here, in life, forever." She finished. Inuyasha took a
step back, disbelief apparent on his face. "Kill. . .Kagome?"
He questioned. "But. . .I could never. . ." Kikyo stared at him
harshly. "Yes. Yes, you can, Inuyasha. People will do anything
for love. You do love me, don't you?" She asked. The Hanyou
could only stare at her in awe. "You don't love me anymore!?
How can this be!? You loved me, Inuyasha! We were in love!"
She shouted at him. Inuyasha bit his bottom lip to fight back
sudden tears. "No, Kikyo. . .I still love you! But I can't kill
Kagome! I promised I would protect her just as I did you! I
can't forget about my promise to her! But I can't forget about
you either!" He told her. Kikyo cringed at the statement. "So
what will it be Inuyasha? Both that girl and me cannot exist at
the same time. You must choose between us! Which one of us do
you want to live more!?" Kikyo growled at him. Inuyasha stared
into Kikyo's eyes. ^How can I possibly choose between the woman
I love, and the woman I promised to protect?^ He wondered.
Kaede stared worriedly down at Inuyasha's pale figure. The
Hanyou had beads of sweat running down his face, and was
twitching nervously. ^At this rate, he'll never make it out in
time. He will be trapped forever in my sister's world.^ She
thought. Quickly, she grabbed a single Shikon Shard from the
nearby stand and made a dash for the outside. "Sango! Miroku!
Shippo! Please gather quickly!" She called. The three were not
far from the small hut, and heard Kaede's desperate cries almost
immediately. All came running. "What's wrong, Lady Kaede?"
Miroku asked as they neared. "Inuyasha is growing pale and weak
as the time passes. He will soon be too weak to even attempt an
escape. He will be forever trapped with my sister's restless
soul. We must do something immediately." The elder miko
explained. She knelt down and stared Shippo in the eye.
"Shippo, ye must take this jewel shard and fetch Kagome. She is
Inuyasha's only hope." She told the kitsune, handing him the
long jewel shard. Shippo nodded. Kaede stood and looked toward
the tiny fire-cat sitting at her feet. "Take Kilala with you to
keep you from danger." She commanded. Shippo obediently climbed
to the now-transformed Kilala's back. Kilala took off towards
Inuyasha's forest, where the well sat in front of the Goshinboku
Tree. "Run as if the devil is at your heels! And don't come
back without Kagome!" Kaede called after them. ^Now all we can
do is wait. . .and pray.^
~~~~~~~ Yay! I got another one done! And it only took me a couple hours! Well, I made it extra long so all you extra patient people are getting what you waited for. I hope it's good! Now you gotta wait and see if Kagome makes it back in time! And what will happen when she does come back? Only I know for sure! Nya nya!