Disclaimer: I have yet to acquire the rights to Inuyasha. I don't even own
the cute little plushie of him that I saw on E-bay. But Christmas is just
around the corner, and I have been a very good girl this year. Really!
A/N: Ok, I'll spare you the details. Reader's Digest version. I went home to Mom and Dad's for Thanksgiving. their computer is a dinosaur. So, not only could I not get my chappie to load, but now I seem to have lost the whole second half. Gone! Didn't save! Kaput! So, I'm posting the first half, so you won't think I have deserted the story. I will write as fast as I can to get the other half up ASAP. Please forgive.
A Matter of Trust part 1
When Inuyasha touched down with Miroku on his back, he felt the hairs on his neck bristle. Something was suspicious. Besides the fact that an already dead miko, one to which he had once almost pledged his eternal fidelity, except that she had died first, was laying on the ground mortally wounded. Confusing at best, but it wasn't what was bothering him. He didn't know what, but something was definitely not right.
Surveying the scene, he noted that Kaede was lying apparently unconscious, a short way away from Kikyo's prone figure. Sango was trying to stem the copious flow of blood from Kikyo's open chest wound, but had to keep changing the soaked bandages. Inuyasha could only stare ~ he couldn't understand how she could bleed in the first place.
"Inuyasha, you have come," came Kikyo's very weak call. He rushed over and took her hand. It was very cold, but then, it always was these days.
"Wha...what happened?" He waved his hand vaguely to indicate Kikyo's condition, as well as Kaede's.
Sango looked up, "We haven't been able to get that much out of her. She's very weak."
Inuyasha glanced at Kaede, and Sango understood. "She just sort of...fainted when she saw Kikyo. Strange. Very unlike Kaede. But I guess since it's her sister... whom she already saw die once..."
Inuyasha looked away, "As if it's easy for anyone else!"
"Inuyasha," Sango looked at him sympathetically. It was lost on him, though, as he was gazing at the fallen miko. It made his heart wrench in pain to see her this way. But somehow it all felt so familiar. Like some sort of trap. He couldn't help but wonder how she could be bleeding so much.
Sango finally seemed to get the blood to stop flowing from the wound, at least enough to stop changing the bandage for awhile. Kikyo opened her eyes and said, "Thank you for trying to help me, but it really is no use. My time is near. Please let me have some time alone with Inuyasha."
Sango nodded and got up to leave. She joined Miroku who had gone to check on Kaede. The priestess seemed to be in a deep sleep ~ breathing evenly but not waking. They exchanged puzzled looks, but glancing up again at Inuyasha and Kikyo, decided to leave them to their last few moments. They crept off toward the village.
Meanwhile, Inuyasha continued to hold Kikyo's hand. "Kikyo, what happened? Tell me who did this to you, and I will make them pay with their life!"
She smiled weakly, "Same as always. Trying to solve problems with your strength. Killing the offender won't bring the victim back, you know."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kagome sat on the bank of the river, semi-clean and dressed in fresh clothing. She shivered into he jacket, glad that her mom had insisted that she bring it. The air held a strange chill.
She gazed at the picture in her hand, remembering the day it was taken. She smirked at the memory of herself using Inuyasha's prayer beads to pull him into a hug. Once she got him in her embrace, he had just held on and wouldn't let go. Not that she tried to get away. It made her feel warm all over to remember it. His arms were so strong, so warm.
She shivered again. She would much rather be wearing him than this jacket. He would be warmer. And she could stop these troubling images that were plaguing her mind.
She kept having visions of Inuyasha pinned to a tree again. He was helplessly trying to get free, but the vines held him tight. Kikyo stood in front of him, her arrow trained right at his heart.
She shook her head in disgust. She knew it was her jealous mind playing tricks on her. Playing on her fears that Kikyo would take Inuyasha with her when she died. But he said he wouldn't go. Still, he seemed to fall under a spell whenever she was around, so was he capable of keeping that promise?
Maybe she should have gone with him. But how could she? She knew Kikyo wouldn't want to share the hanyou with her. She would have felt like a vulture, waiting around to claim Inuyasha and the last part of her soul from the dying miko. No, she owed Kikyo her last moments with the man she had once loved. She did after all, give her soul and powers, and the jewel to Kagome, even if it hadn't been intentional.
She pushed down a rush of panic as one of those visions again filled her head. Miroku had said she was hurt badly ~ that she was dying. How could she be hurting Inuyasha? "My imagination is running wild! I have to find something to do!"
Gathering her things and the little pot of flowers, and headed back towards the village.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When Miroku and Sango were finally out of sight, and Kikyo could no longer hear their voices, she sat up and smiled at Inuyasha. "Well, it seems as if we are finally alone."
Inuyasha could do nothing but gape at her. "Kikyo?"
She was still smiling when he backed away. "I counted on your gullibility to get you here, Inuyasha. I told you we would see how much that little human of yours trusts you! Here's your... chance!" She laughed softly at the look of panic that crossed his face as he backed farther away from her, unsure whether to attack or take flight back to Kagome.
"Don't you touch her! I swear, if you do..." He suddenly felt himself grabbed from behind by arms stronger than his own. He felt the rough surface of bark on his back, as viney branches surrounded his arms, his legs, his midsection; his claws helpless to reach anything to slash.
"I told you, Inuyasha. I'M not going anywhere near her." Her sad, strange smile touched her stoic features. "You are."
Out of the trees appeared ...Inuyasha! Or something that looked just like him, down to his red fire rat coat and claws. His face was identical, his hair every bit as long and silvery white. But his eyes were malevolent, angry, and his wicked smile sent a surge of terror through Inuyasha's heart. He watched as his double closed his amber eyes and opened them again, all traces of malice gone, making his face the perfect mask of his own habitual expression.
Kikyo gave the imposter an appraising glance. "Yes, you'll be perfect. She won't ever be able to tell the difference. Go on ~ you know where to find her."
The double spoke up in a voice that made the hair on Inuyasha's spine stand on end, it sounded so much like his own, "But Mistress, shouldn't you give me a shard? It would insure my victory."
"Fool! She would detect it instantly and know you were a fake! And why should you need a shard against a powerless human? She may have some miko powers, but she has no idea how to use them. And I have her guardian right here with no hope of freeing himself, so you needn't worry about that, either. The only help she could hope for is that little kitsune, and he's worthless. The other two are lying unconscious 300 feet away from us. Now go!"
"Yes, Mistress." In a flash, the fake Inuyasha leapt into the air and was gone.
Inuyasha went berserk, thrashing helplessly, though he could only move fractions of an inch. "DAMN YOU! GET BACK HERE! WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO HER? I SWEAR, IF YOU HURT HER, I WILL FIND YOU AND TORTURE YOU TILL YOU BEG ME TO KILL YOU!!!!!!"
Kagome sent him a bored glance. "I told you, I'm only testing her faith in you. With your keen ears, you will be able to hear it all. That's more of a chance than anyone ever gave us."
"KIKYO! PLEASE! She has never done anything to hurt you. She has only tried to help me and be my friend."
"You love her."
"NO! She only finds shards for me!" He had to deny it. Maybe if Kikyo didn't know his true feelings, she would relent this appalling plan.
But instead, she sighed, "Inuyasha, I have ears everywhere. As your friend the monk said, save it. I know differently."
"LET ME GO!!!!"
Kikyo eyed him a moment, then cocked her head to the side in a gesture that reminded him painfully of Kagome, "Aren't you curious? Don't you want to know if you're right about her trust in you?" she chuckled lightly, "not that it matters now. By the time he," She snorted, "YOU get finished with her, it won't matter."
Inuyasha was nearly incoherent with rage by now. Stream after stream of obscenities burst forth from the angry hanyou, as he tried fervently to come up with some way to escape. He was barely holding on to reason, but he held on with everything he had. Even as a full youkai, he didn't think he would be able to free himself by force, and he needed to keep his wits about him. He had to have a plan. He had to save Kagome.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The village was bustling with everyday life, but when Kagome entered Kaede's hut, it was eerily empty. "I guess everyone is still out tending Kikyo." She said to no one. Even Shippou was gone, probably out playing in a field or something.
Her stomach was sick with some kind of nausea, and she decided she must be hungry. After all, the sun was high overhead now, and she had yet to eat anything. Rummaging around in her pack, she found some cookies that her mom had packed for her. "Oh well, it's flour, eggs, and milk, right?" she said to that same no one. She grabbed a can of tea and sat down to munch.
But it was much too quiet. She tried to concentrate on the meal she was eating, but the frightening images continued to flood her mind, and she just couldn't shake them. "Kagome, you're pathetic!" she scolded herself. "Are you going to be like this whenever he's gone? You can't be with him all the time, you know! Are you going to imagine he's about to die every time he's away?"
She looked around the hut desperately for something to distract her attention, and her eyes fell on her bow and arrows. "Target practice! Perfect!" She abandoned the food, which was only making her feel worse anyway, grabbed her gear, and shot out the door. She had to get away from those visions.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Inuyasha had stopped struggling. He knew he was only wasting his energy. He had to get out of this. What would Kagome do? She was the clever one. He was the strength. That's the way they worked together. But his strength was failing him now, and she wasn't around to be cunning. And he wasn't stupid. 'Oh, man, where is Myouga?'
Kikyo had been watching in the direction that the double had disappeared. She turned back to Inuyasha and arched an eyebrow, "You never answered me. Don't you want to know?"
"I don't have to hear it. I know."
She chuckled again, "We'll see."
He just stared at her. She really was gone. She may have Kikyo's body, or a very close copy, but Kikyo was not in there. Some of her memories, yes; that's why she wouldn't let him go. Where once there had been a loving, caring person, there was now only spitefulness and hatred. The woman he had once loved was gone, or at least had moved on to Kagome. Still, he couldn't make himself hate her. He couldn't completely rid himself of the guilt he felt. He wanted to help her, but he was pretty sure she didn't want to be helped right now. And right now, she wasn't his main concern. Not even close.
He decided to change the subject, "Kikyo, what did you do to your sister? Your own sister?"
She glanced over at Kaede's unconscious form, lying on the ground a few yards away. "She's merely sleeping. I couldn't have her sensing that I wasn't injured and exposing my plan, could I?"
"And the other two? Miroku and Sango?"
She blinked at him as if he were completely brainless, "They served their purposes. I had to make sure they didn't warn off my reincarnation. You needn't worry about any of them. They will all be fine when they wake up. That annoying little fox demon is off playing with some of my little friends. He'll never know a thing until it's over."
"Oh, well, that makes me feel much better!" He bit sarcastically.
She took up her own bow and pulled an arrow from her quiver. "It shouldn't be long now. You can hear her when your double comes upon her. She'll be no match for him alone, so the misery won't be too drawn out. But before she dies, I will put you to sleep again, just like before. History repeats itself." She took aim directly at his heart.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kagome had been practicing hard for a couple of hours. She could now hit just about any target she aimed for dead center, but they were all fixed. What she needed was some moving targets. After all, very few youkai stood accommodatingly still while she aimed and shot at them.
But her arms were getting sore, and while the distraction was helping somewhat, she was still inundated by the frightening images. Why couldn't she shake them? 'Maybe he really is in trouble!' she thought, panic beginning to rise. 'But that's ridiculous! Any moment now, I'll look up to see his...'
And sure enough, she lifted her gaze to see the familiar red clothing and white hair in the distance. She wanted to run and fling herself at him, reassuring herself that he was there, that the images had all been figments of her stupid, overactive imagination. She wanted desperately to hold his solid form in her arms and know that he was here with her and not pinned helplessly to a tree or off in hell with Kikyo.
But she restrained herself. How could she be jubilant when he had lost the love of his life for the second time, having to watch her die this time? She watched as his figure drew nearer, head bowed, eyes trained at the ground.
"Inu...yasha?" Something suddenly felt very wrong.
He lifted his face and gazed at her, malevolence glowing in his amber eyes. "I'll have that jewel now, bitch!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ok, I admit that I did write a little more before posting. It just didn't work the way it was (read note at the top of the page if this is confusing to you). It left off at a bad place. So, I finished up a bit. But there's more. Much more.
So, whatd'ya think?
A/N: Ok, I'll spare you the details. Reader's Digest version. I went home to Mom and Dad's for Thanksgiving. their computer is a dinosaur. So, not only could I not get my chappie to load, but now I seem to have lost the whole second half. Gone! Didn't save! Kaput! So, I'm posting the first half, so you won't think I have deserted the story. I will write as fast as I can to get the other half up ASAP. Please forgive.
A Matter of Trust part 1
When Inuyasha touched down with Miroku on his back, he felt the hairs on his neck bristle. Something was suspicious. Besides the fact that an already dead miko, one to which he had once almost pledged his eternal fidelity, except that she had died first, was laying on the ground mortally wounded. Confusing at best, but it wasn't what was bothering him. He didn't know what, but something was definitely not right.
Surveying the scene, he noted that Kaede was lying apparently unconscious, a short way away from Kikyo's prone figure. Sango was trying to stem the copious flow of blood from Kikyo's open chest wound, but had to keep changing the soaked bandages. Inuyasha could only stare ~ he couldn't understand how she could bleed in the first place.
"Inuyasha, you have come," came Kikyo's very weak call. He rushed over and took her hand. It was very cold, but then, it always was these days.
"Wha...what happened?" He waved his hand vaguely to indicate Kikyo's condition, as well as Kaede's.
Sango looked up, "We haven't been able to get that much out of her. She's very weak."
Inuyasha glanced at Kaede, and Sango understood. "She just sort of...fainted when she saw Kikyo. Strange. Very unlike Kaede. But I guess since it's her sister... whom she already saw die once..."
Inuyasha looked away, "As if it's easy for anyone else!"
"Inuyasha," Sango looked at him sympathetically. It was lost on him, though, as he was gazing at the fallen miko. It made his heart wrench in pain to see her this way. But somehow it all felt so familiar. Like some sort of trap. He couldn't help but wonder how she could be bleeding so much.
Sango finally seemed to get the blood to stop flowing from the wound, at least enough to stop changing the bandage for awhile. Kikyo opened her eyes and said, "Thank you for trying to help me, but it really is no use. My time is near. Please let me have some time alone with Inuyasha."
Sango nodded and got up to leave. She joined Miroku who had gone to check on Kaede. The priestess seemed to be in a deep sleep ~ breathing evenly but not waking. They exchanged puzzled looks, but glancing up again at Inuyasha and Kikyo, decided to leave them to their last few moments. They crept off toward the village.
Meanwhile, Inuyasha continued to hold Kikyo's hand. "Kikyo, what happened? Tell me who did this to you, and I will make them pay with their life!"
She smiled weakly, "Same as always. Trying to solve problems with your strength. Killing the offender won't bring the victim back, you know."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kagome sat on the bank of the river, semi-clean and dressed in fresh clothing. She shivered into he jacket, glad that her mom had insisted that she bring it. The air held a strange chill.
She gazed at the picture in her hand, remembering the day it was taken. She smirked at the memory of herself using Inuyasha's prayer beads to pull him into a hug. Once she got him in her embrace, he had just held on and wouldn't let go. Not that she tried to get away. It made her feel warm all over to remember it. His arms were so strong, so warm.
She shivered again. She would much rather be wearing him than this jacket. He would be warmer. And she could stop these troubling images that were plaguing her mind.
She kept having visions of Inuyasha pinned to a tree again. He was helplessly trying to get free, but the vines held him tight. Kikyo stood in front of him, her arrow trained right at his heart.
She shook her head in disgust. She knew it was her jealous mind playing tricks on her. Playing on her fears that Kikyo would take Inuyasha with her when she died. But he said he wouldn't go. Still, he seemed to fall under a spell whenever she was around, so was he capable of keeping that promise?
Maybe she should have gone with him. But how could she? She knew Kikyo wouldn't want to share the hanyou with her. She would have felt like a vulture, waiting around to claim Inuyasha and the last part of her soul from the dying miko. No, she owed Kikyo her last moments with the man she had once loved. She did after all, give her soul and powers, and the jewel to Kagome, even if it hadn't been intentional.
She pushed down a rush of panic as one of those visions again filled her head. Miroku had said she was hurt badly ~ that she was dying. How could she be hurting Inuyasha? "My imagination is running wild! I have to find something to do!"
Gathering her things and the little pot of flowers, and headed back towards the village.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When Miroku and Sango were finally out of sight, and Kikyo could no longer hear their voices, she sat up and smiled at Inuyasha. "Well, it seems as if we are finally alone."
Inuyasha could do nothing but gape at her. "Kikyo?"
She was still smiling when he backed away. "I counted on your gullibility to get you here, Inuyasha. I told you we would see how much that little human of yours trusts you! Here's your... chance!" She laughed softly at the look of panic that crossed his face as he backed farther away from her, unsure whether to attack or take flight back to Kagome.
"Don't you touch her! I swear, if you do..." He suddenly felt himself grabbed from behind by arms stronger than his own. He felt the rough surface of bark on his back, as viney branches surrounded his arms, his legs, his midsection; his claws helpless to reach anything to slash.
"I told you, Inuyasha. I'M not going anywhere near her." Her sad, strange smile touched her stoic features. "You are."
Out of the trees appeared ...Inuyasha! Or something that looked just like him, down to his red fire rat coat and claws. His face was identical, his hair every bit as long and silvery white. But his eyes were malevolent, angry, and his wicked smile sent a surge of terror through Inuyasha's heart. He watched as his double closed his amber eyes and opened them again, all traces of malice gone, making his face the perfect mask of his own habitual expression.
Kikyo gave the imposter an appraising glance. "Yes, you'll be perfect. She won't ever be able to tell the difference. Go on ~ you know where to find her."
The double spoke up in a voice that made the hair on Inuyasha's spine stand on end, it sounded so much like his own, "But Mistress, shouldn't you give me a shard? It would insure my victory."
"Fool! She would detect it instantly and know you were a fake! And why should you need a shard against a powerless human? She may have some miko powers, but she has no idea how to use them. And I have her guardian right here with no hope of freeing himself, so you needn't worry about that, either. The only help she could hope for is that little kitsune, and he's worthless. The other two are lying unconscious 300 feet away from us. Now go!"
"Yes, Mistress." In a flash, the fake Inuyasha leapt into the air and was gone.
Inuyasha went berserk, thrashing helplessly, though he could only move fractions of an inch. "DAMN YOU! GET BACK HERE! WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO HER? I SWEAR, IF YOU HURT HER, I WILL FIND YOU AND TORTURE YOU TILL YOU BEG ME TO KILL YOU!!!!!!"
Kagome sent him a bored glance. "I told you, I'm only testing her faith in you. With your keen ears, you will be able to hear it all. That's more of a chance than anyone ever gave us."
"KIKYO! PLEASE! She has never done anything to hurt you. She has only tried to help me and be my friend."
"You love her."
"NO! She only finds shards for me!" He had to deny it. Maybe if Kikyo didn't know his true feelings, she would relent this appalling plan.
But instead, she sighed, "Inuyasha, I have ears everywhere. As your friend the monk said, save it. I know differently."
"LET ME GO!!!!"
Kikyo eyed him a moment, then cocked her head to the side in a gesture that reminded him painfully of Kagome, "Aren't you curious? Don't you want to know if you're right about her trust in you?" she chuckled lightly, "not that it matters now. By the time he," She snorted, "YOU get finished with her, it won't matter."
Inuyasha was nearly incoherent with rage by now. Stream after stream of obscenities burst forth from the angry hanyou, as he tried fervently to come up with some way to escape. He was barely holding on to reason, but he held on with everything he had. Even as a full youkai, he didn't think he would be able to free himself by force, and he needed to keep his wits about him. He had to have a plan. He had to save Kagome.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The village was bustling with everyday life, but when Kagome entered Kaede's hut, it was eerily empty. "I guess everyone is still out tending Kikyo." She said to no one. Even Shippou was gone, probably out playing in a field or something.
Her stomach was sick with some kind of nausea, and she decided she must be hungry. After all, the sun was high overhead now, and she had yet to eat anything. Rummaging around in her pack, she found some cookies that her mom had packed for her. "Oh well, it's flour, eggs, and milk, right?" she said to that same no one. She grabbed a can of tea and sat down to munch.
But it was much too quiet. She tried to concentrate on the meal she was eating, but the frightening images continued to flood her mind, and she just couldn't shake them. "Kagome, you're pathetic!" she scolded herself. "Are you going to be like this whenever he's gone? You can't be with him all the time, you know! Are you going to imagine he's about to die every time he's away?"
She looked around the hut desperately for something to distract her attention, and her eyes fell on her bow and arrows. "Target practice! Perfect!" She abandoned the food, which was only making her feel worse anyway, grabbed her gear, and shot out the door. She had to get away from those visions.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Inuyasha had stopped struggling. He knew he was only wasting his energy. He had to get out of this. What would Kagome do? She was the clever one. He was the strength. That's the way they worked together. But his strength was failing him now, and she wasn't around to be cunning. And he wasn't stupid. 'Oh, man, where is Myouga?'
Kikyo had been watching in the direction that the double had disappeared. She turned back to Inuyasha and arched an eyebrow, "You never answered me. Don't you want to know?"
"I don't have to hear it. I know."
She chuckled again, "We'll see."
He just stared at her. She really was gone. She may have Kikyo's body, or a very close copy, but Kikyo was not in there. Some of her memories, yes; that's why she wouldn't let him go. Where once there had been a loving, caring person, there was now only spitefulness and hatred. The woman he had once loved was gone, or at least had moved on to Kagome. Still, he couldn't make himself hate her. He couldn't completely rid himself of the guilt he felt. He wanted to help her, but he was pretty sure she didn't want to be helped right now. And right now, she wasn't his main concern. Not even close.
He decided to change the subject, "Kikyo, what did you do to your sister? Your own sister?"
She glanced over at Kaede's unconscious form, lying on the ground a few yards away. "She's merely sleeping. I couldn't have her sensing that I wasn't injured and exposing my plan, could I?"
"And the other two? Miroku and Sango?"
She blinked at him as if he were completely brainless, "They served their purposes. I had to make sure they didn't warn off my reincarnation. You needn't worry about any of them. They will all be fine when they wake up. That annoying little fox demon is off playing with some of my little friends. He'll never know a thing until it's over."
"Oh, well, that makes me feel much better!" He bit sarcastically.
She took up her own bow and pulled an arrow from her quiver. "It shouldn't be long now. You can hear her when your double comes upon her. She'll be no match for him alone, so the misery won't be too drawn out. But before she dies, I will put you to sleep again, just like before. History repeats itself." She took aim directly at his heart.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kagome had been practicing hard for a couple of hours. She could now hit just about any target she aimed for dead center, but they were all fixed. What she needed was some moving targets. After all, very few youkai stood accommodatingly still while she aimed and shot at them.
But her arms were getting sore, and while the distraction was helping somewhat, she was still inundated by the frightening images. Why couldn't she shake them? 'Maybe he really is in trouble!' she thought, panic beginning to rise. 'But that's ridiculous! Any moment now, I'll look up to see his...'
And sure enough, she lifted her gaze to see the familiar red clothing and white hair in the distance. She wanted to run and fling herself at him, reassuring herself that he was there, that the images had all been figments of her stupid, overactive imagination. She wanted desperately to hold his solid form in her arms and know that he was here with her and not pinned helplessly to a tree or off in hell with Kikyo.
But she restrained herself. How could she be jubilant when he had lost the love of his life for the second time, having to watch her die this time? She watched as his figure drew nearer, head bowed, eyes trained at the ground.
"Inu...yasha?" Something suddenly felt very wrong.
He lifted his face and gazed at her, malevolence glowing in his amber eyes. "I'll have that jewel now, bitch!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ok, I admit that I did write a little more before posting. It just didn't work the way it was (read note at the top of the page if this is confusing to you). It left off at a bad place. So, I finished up a bit. But there's more. Much more.
So, whatd'ya think?