Disclaimer: If I owned it, I wouldn't be so pissed at the
cliffhanger the series left off at today. Now, I have to wait an entire week!!
*sobs*
AN: Hey! Thanks for reviewing guys, glad to know this isn't for nothing!! This chapter
was a little weird, and Kikyo's a bit weird… sorry for the crappy chap, I was
rushing. O.o My little
brother just talked in his sleep. He said, "Please… Can you record it?" How
very interesting…
Icari
Chapter 12
Icari threw the rock up into the air and
caught it again, amusing herself. The forest's walls crowded around her and the
unusual pack she traveled in, blocking the view after a few feet in front of
them.
Up ahead, Inuyasha stroke at the
branches clouding his path, giving way so that their human companions could
walk through easily. Directly behind Inuyasha was Kagome, with the kitsune,
Shippo, on her shoulder. Behind her were Sango and Miroku, walking side by
side, Miroku having already gotten his feel for the while. Then, Icari followed
them, and behind her was her older brother's group, who followed rather
quietly, now that Rin had suddenly grown a bit more solemn.
Her ears twitched at the sound of Kagome
shivering, and resisted her urge to help out to see what her thick-headed
brother would do. Icari glanced forward, surprised that Kagome's shiver had
taken a full effect on him, and he had shivered a bit on his own accord as
well, though it was tiny.
"Kagome, are you cold?" She heard him
say, relieved that he didn't have the pride to ignore her. Maybe he was on the
right track yet…
Kagome made a sound that clearly said
yes, she heard the rustling of cloth, fire rat fur-made cloth that was. "Thank
you, Inuyasha." It was painfully obvious, now, that her little brother cared
for the little miko more than anyone else, and that she felt the same way, but
it was confusing that neither would admit it. There was probably something
keeping them apart… 'beside 500 years.' Icari realized warily.
After the encounter with her father,
Icari's thoughts had drifted away from her guilt and rested on her two
brothers, whom she had searched for nearly a human life span for. She wanted
for them both to be happy, but there seemed to be so many complications to
this…
For her older brother, the poor forsaken
fool, it was his pride and hatred for their father's disloyalty that kept him
from what she knew as what would be his chance of happiness. That human girl,
she was what would tame her wild dog brother and calm him. She would be his
life, heart, and soul. But, unfortunately, Sesshomaru's pride was harder to
penetrate than… than what she didn't know. Hard to compare considering what she
could penetrate.
And her little brother, he had problems
of the past, present, and future. Past, was his former infatuation, the young
miko Kikyo, who was Kagome (his current love's) incarnation. How did one tell
their past's reincarnation something important and convince them that it was them they saw, not another. Then the
present, so many things needed his full attention, such as Naraku, the fourth
and final shards, and also the sacred Shikon Jewel. What was a dumb Inu-hanyou to
do? Then, the future… should he mate Kagome, he would outlive her, and the time
continuum was likely to be corrupted and change.
"Ugh." So enamored with her thoughts,
Icari had not seen the rather large log that everyone in front of her had
warned her about, and now she was on the ground, being trampled over. "You are
so nice, you know? Give a girl some help will you?" She glared accusingly at
everyone in front of her, now increased by three, whom simply turned and raised
an eyebrow.
"Someone could've warned me my older
sister has since been handicapped since the time we last met…" Inuyasha scoffed
before continuing on his way, the rest snickering and turning to leave.
"Ha, ha, Inu-moron, someone could've
told me that you never learned any manners for your elders." Icari started to
get up, amused to hear a, "I'm working on that," from Kagome. Before she had the chance to
fully stand up, though, blue orbs shimmered in the depths of the forest,
weaving their way through the foliage.
"Kikyo…" Inuyasha practically breathed
out, making Icari look at him and wonder. How much of his feelings for the
undead miko was still there? About to ponder, the young youkai's attention was
brought back to the orbs as a dark figure emerged, of a beautiful, young lady in
a priest's outfit. Was this the woman that had once captured Inuyasha's
attentions so long ago?
IF what Kagome and Sango had said were
true, she was probably here to hurt her little brother… "Stay back you shell of
a hag." Icari had stepped in front of her brother and the miko, and was ready
to strike at the young woman and her glowing orbs. "What do you want?" The miko
looked at her passively, and before Icari could ask the question again,
Inuyasha appeared in front of her, too close to the undead.
"Kikyo, what are you doing here?" His
voice was not aggressive, tempered, nor annoyed. It was calm and passive, not
letting any emotions through. What was this all about? Icari wondered at the
sight in front of her. What were Inuyasha's feelings towards these two women,
in front and behind her?
"I have come to ask you something,
Inuyasha. Though, might I add how your group has been growing lately, so much
stranger than before." She glanced over his shoulder. "Now you are traveling with
your brother? And his young human has grown… now there is also another youkai
in your group as well…"
"Get to the point." Icari growled at the
tension radiating off Kagome. Something did not seem right; there must be more
to this than she had ever thought. The undead woman, Kikyo, gave her a glance,
before turning to Inuyasha.
"I have come to ask you, Inuyasha, if
this is really how you wish to live." Everyone gave her a puzzling glance. "You
are now traveling for something that I can tell is interesting you less and
less." Now everyone looked at Inuyasha with that same look. "The shards seem
not to arouse your interest as much anymore. Your attentions are elsewhere."
"What are you? A fortune teller?" Icari
interrupted Kikyo again, clearly agitating her.
"Quiet, Icari." Inuyasha growled over
his shoulder, stunning the youkai female to no end. Since when did he gather
the courage to snap back at his older sister? This also made Kagome tense up
again, making Icari hate the woman even more. She had some kind of control over
Inuyasha, and it was hurting the future miko, that was her friend as well.
"As I was saying,
Inuyasha, I can tell that your attentions have been turning elsewhere. I ask
you; why do you still chase after Naraku?" Inuyasha stepped back, a bit
surprised. He had been preparing for her to ask for him to come down to hell
with her, but this was something he hadn't been expecting. He didn't have an
answer either. Well, none that he could say out loud. He wasn't going to reply,
just brush past he silently, but, to his surprise, Kagome's voice came from
over his shoulder.
"So that he can avenge your death then
go down to hell with you! You know that already!" Inuyasha's legs nearly
faltered at those words. Did she really think that way about him? Then again, it
was no surprise. Kikyo, though, simply shook her head at Kagome, who was
shrinking back with tears in her eyes. Inuyasha longed to go back and assure
her that it wasn't true, but he couldn't do that just yet. He felt low.
"Young copy," Inuyasha winced as he
smelled more tears rushing up to her eyes. "You do not understand; even I can
tell that it is no longer his wish." Her attentions then turned back to him. "It
isn't vengeance that is holding you back anymore, is it? Tell me; is there
another woman on your mind?"
Lost at dead ends, that was the only way
Inuyasha could describe his position right now. She was right; there was
someone holding him back, but could he admit it? Could he swallow his pride,
and tell everyone, right then and right there, what was holding him back? Or,
could he lie, and hurt Kagome even more? Right now, he could only wish that she
could be right beside him, urging him to do the right thing, but she seemed to
be drifting away from him lately…
"Well?" Kikyo looked at him, waiting for
an answer she knew he couldn't give. He could feel everyone else's eyes on him,
especially the glares some were giving him right now. What could he do?
"I see you haven't decided, or are to
cowardly to say, giving me all the more reason to do what I'm about to do next…"
Before he knew it, Kikyo had her hands around the half completed jewel around
Kagome's neck, doing something to make it glow. A barrier was formed around the
two women, throwing everyone away. Inuyasha watched in horror, as his body was
too stunned to move.
"No, Kagome!!" Icari, Sango, and Shippo
flung themselves again at the barrier, as their best friend was currently being
attacked, though knowing full well that it would do no good, but it was worth a
shot.
Words began to flow out of the barrier
as Inuyasha watched. "You've put all of your effort onto a first barrier of
protection Inuyasha…" A blinding light came from them, seemingly coming out of
the jewel itself. A long, slim figure was drawn, and both the barrier and light
disappeared. "But you haven't anything to protect you beyond that."
Vision swarmed back to Inuyasha's eyes,
only to see Kikyo smirking as she stood over Kagome, who lied motionless on the
ground. But his attention was drawn to what was in Kikyo's hands, a long,
perfect sword. The fourth sword.
"What did you do to her you monster?"
Sango ran to Kagome, who was still on the ground.
"Nothing, she's just exhausted." Kikyo's
smirk grew as she pointed the sword at Sango. "But don't go near her." Sango
backed away uncertainly. "This sword is more than meets the eye, child, it can
kill you simply by stealing you soul, alive or not."
"Inuyasha! Do something!" Life finally
flooded back to his body and Inuyasha moved towards Kikyo at alarming speed,
until she turned it to Kagome. The sword transformed into a fourth copy on the
Inu-family's legendary swords.
"As I was saying, you've left nothing to
defend yourself with beyond the first line of defense… and I've found that all
you have been doing while alive was bring misery to everyone else…" pausing,
she looked down at Kagome, tracing her face with the tip of the sword. "Inuyasha…
come down to hell with me, or I shall make you suffer in despair for the rest
of your long, long life. Maybe, had you admitted your love, and had I found
that you will do good in life, I might've reconsidered, but seeing how selfish
you've been… I decided that you will do better in death."
For a few horrible seconds, all time
stopped. All eyes turned to Inuyasha, expecting him to save Kagome, somehow. "Kikyo,
don't touch her." Her eyes turned into slits.
"And why not?" Inuyasha hesitated as he
looked at Sesshomaru to Miroku, then finally, Shippo.
"Because I love her." Kikyo's smirked
again and turned the sword back to it's normal, mortal form. She turned to
Kagome, who stirred slightly, and groaned.
"Oh look, she was unconscious the whole
time. What good did that do, anyways?" Her soul catchers flew with her as she
left. "I'll give you twenty moons to tell her, or I will be back. I'm taking
this sword as well." Icari looked quizzically at Sango.
"Doesn't Kikyo hate Inuyasha? Why is she
helping him?" Sango looked back at her, a bit confused herself.
"I guess we should remember that Kikyo
wasn't always bad, and she didn't exactly want to be brought back to life. Maybe
she simply needs to find peace with herself or something… it's not like she
hates Kagome, and you have to admit, she's been a little different lately,
Kagome that is."
A bit from them, Inuyasha didn't hear,
mainly because he didn't want to. Instead he was growling at himself. It had
taken so much for him to say those words, and she hadn't even been conscious.
And in front of everybody too. And only twenty days? He had already known her
for quite a while before that, and that didn't make much of a difference.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome was sitting upright
now. "Where's Kikyo? What happened?"
"She's gone." Shippo bounded onto her
lap. "She's so confusing. She said th-" Inuyasha
grabbed the kitsune by the tail. "Hey! Put me down!"
"What Kikyo said is not important. Come
on, we have to make camp." He helped Kagome up and strode away quickly. Kagome
turned to everyone else.
"What happened?" Icari stepped up and
put a hand on her shoulder.
"Too confusing." Kagome's shoulders
slumped visibly and she continued to walk, mentally telling herself to return
Inuyasha's haori to him.