Painful Goodbye
With that last threat, the malicious voice left, allowing her control of her own body, and her scream ended on a gasp, her lungs burning from lack of oxygen.
Falling to her knees, Kagome reached an arm behind her, touching the source of pain on her back and wincing, then roughly grabbing it and bringing it eye level, seeing it was a jewel shard, slowly changing from a dark black to its natural color.
Tears filled her eyes while she vaguely noted her friends' worried voices around her, but when she raised her head, she only saw Inuyasha, his golden eyes darkened dangerously as he stared at her.
Still holding Shippo in one arm, Kagome fought the tears that threatened to fall, noticing all the scratches and bruises that covered the dog demon's body...all because of her.
Suddenly she realized the demon wasn't attacking anymore so she turned to look for it, but Inuyasha announced, "It left when you started screaming wench."
Wincing, Kagome drug her gaze back to the hanyou's, biting her lip to fight from crying out in anguish, 'It wasn't my fault...'
"Are you okay Kagome? Wh..." Shippo began in her arms, his words penetrating her numbness, but Inuyasha cut him off, walking up to her and demanding, "What did you think you were doing wench?"
"I-I didn't d-do it..." She whispered, lowering her head trying to avoid his gaze, but he grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him, his claws biting into her flesh.
"What the hell? You didn't do it... could have fooled me! Why did you do it?" Inuyasha shouted, his eyes speaking his pain at her believed betrayal, and Kagome felt anger build inside her at how easily he could believe she would purposely want to hurt him.
She stood quickly, dropping Shippo in her anger, leaving him to run over to Miroku and hop into his arms.
"Damn it, I said I didn't do it! Don't you understand? It wasn't me!"
"Who was it then? Let me guess, Shippo wanted revenge and made you do it himself! That was just payback right? You had nothing to do with it!"
"No... I don't know who it was... but it has nothing to do with Shippo! This is between you and me, so leave him out of it!"
"Exactly my point wench!" Inuyasha yelled, hands clenched in anger and eyes flashing in anger while Kagome did the same, the jewel shard pressing painfully into her palm, "I could have died thanks to you!"
The breath caught in Kagome's chest with his last comment, and she froze, her thoughts switching back to the battle, 'I could have killed him...'
Silence hung in the air while Kagome stood there, staring at the confused hanyou as a heavy weight settled upon her heart, and she slowly took a step forward, her mind jumbled except for the voice's threat, 'You won't be able to deny me next time...'
She finally understood the true meaning behind those words, and with this understanding came a heart-wrenching conclusion.
'If I stay around Inuyasha... I will be a threat to him...'She told herself, slowly lifting her gaze to Inuyasha's confused one, tears filling her eyes when she realized what she must do, 'I must leave...to keep him safe...'
Walking slowly towards the dog demon, Kagome lifted her hand to her chest, slowly wrapping it around the partially completed Shikon Jewel and with a snap the thread that held it there broke without resistance.
She held tightly onto the small shard fragment in her other hand that she had pulled from her back, knowing it would be her only way home, and she could send it back through the well once she was through, allowing Inuyasha to complete the Shikon Jewel without her help.
Less than a foot from Inuyasha, Kagome stopped, still studying the dog demon with tear filled eyes, realizing how much she was going to miss him while a lone tear slipped down her cheek.
With an ironic laugh inwardly, she realized it had started to rain, lightly yet surely, and she continued studying the half demon, memorizing every single feature of him, from his deeply confused golden eyes, dampened silverfish white hair, to the adorable dog ears that were twitching from the falling rain, knowing this would be the last time she ever saw him.
Gathering all her will power, Kagome rose to her toes, wrapping her arms around Inuyasha's neck, their mouths so close their breaths mingled, and she whispered, "I'm so sorry..."
Noting the raindrops that clung to his long eyelashes, Kagome swallowed her misery, snapping the imaginary thread that held the rosary beads, and she closed her eyes, leaning her forehead against Inuyasha's.
His warm breath brushing against her lips made her tingle inside, and tying the thread that held the partially completed Shikon Jewel around his neck, Kagome slowly opened her eyes, lowering back down until her heels touched the ground.
'So this is how it ends...'She thought, slowly stepping away from him, hiding the rosary beads behind her back, and she was glad it was raining, for it hid the tears that ran down her cheeks.
Inuyasha watched her with wide eyes, his lips parted the slightest in shock, standing with his legs braced apart, arms hanging limply at his sides, and Kagome attempted to smile, failing miserably, so she reached a hand up and brushed it against his cheek.
"I can't keep my promise... I'll miss you so much...good-bye..." With those last words, Kagome turned with a sob just as the heavens opened up, a downpour of rain covering the cry that was torn from her heart, and she ran without another word into the forest.
Running for what felt like forever, she was soon fighting for every breath, her tears blinding her along with the rain, and she tripped, rolling down a muddied hill to the dirty water below.
Pain filled every part of her, yet none so much as her heart, and she pounded her fists on the ground, screaming, "Why did it have to end like this! Why?"
Clutching the rosary beads to her chest, she cried, knowing her despair was covered by the rain and that she was alone to dwell in it, and she realized the weather was merely mimicking her own feelings, the gusting wind her own tormented emotions, the rain her tears, and the lightning that flashed across the sky her pain.
With one last pound on the ground, her fists throbbing in pain, Kagome fought to stop the tears, deciding it was time to go home, but froze when a wicked laugh filled the air, causing Kagome to tense in recognition.
Lifting her head, she stared up at the figure above her with wide eyes, drawing in a breath to scream for help...
********* ************* ********* ********* ********* *************** *********
To those who reviewed: Thanks!
~Shadow Wrath, Tiger of the Wind, Mattie~
Letz move on to the next chappie, eh?
Hugz N Kissez, Ali
With that last threat, the malicious voice left, allowing her control of her own body, and her scream ended on a gasp, her lungs burning from lack of oxygen.
Falling to her knees, Kagome reached an arm behind her, touching the source of pain on her back and wincing, then roughly grabbing it and bringing it eye level, seeing it was a jewel shard, slowly changing from a dark black to its natural color.
Tears filled her eyes while she vaguely noted her friends' worried voices around her, but when she raised her head, she only saw Inuyasha, his golden eyes darkened dangerously as he stared at her.
Still holding Shippo in one arm, Kagome fought the tears that threatened to fall, noticing all the scratches and bruises that covered the dog demon's body...all because of her.
Suddenly she realized the demon wasn't attacking anymore so she turned to look for it, but Inuyasha announced, "It left when you started screaming wench."
Wincing, Kagome drug her gaze back to the hanyou's, biting her lip to fight from crying out in anguish, 'It wasn't my fault...'
"Are you okay Kagome? Wh..." Shippo began in her arms, his words penetrating her numbness, but Inuyasha cut him off, walking up to her and demanding, "What did you think you were doing wench?"
"I-I didn't d-do it..." She whispered, lowering her head trying to avoid his gaze, but he grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him, his claws biting into her flesh.
"What the hell? You didn't do it... could have fooled me! Why did you do it?" Inuyasha shouted, his eyes speaking his pain at her believed betrayal, and Kagome felt anger build inside her at how easily he could believe she would purposely want to hurt him.
She stood quickly, dropping Shippo in her anger, leaving him to run over to Miroku and hop into his arms.
"Damn it, I said I didn't do it! Don't you understand? It wasn't me!"
"Who was it then? Let me guess, Shippo wanted revenge and made you do it himself! That was just payback right? You had nothing to do with it!"
"No... I don't know who it was... but it has nothing to do with Shippo! This is between you and me, so leave him out of it!"
"Exactly my point wench!" Inuyasha yelled, hands clenched in anger and eyes flashing in anger while Kagome did the same, the jewel shard pressing painfully into her palm, "I could have died thanks to you!"
The breath caught in Kagome's chest with his last comment, and she froze, her thoughts switching back to the battle, 'I could have killed him...'
Silence hung in the air while Kagome stood there, staring at the confused hanyou as a heavy weight settled upon her heart, and she slowly took a step forward, her mind jumbled except for the voice's threat, 'You won't be able to deny me next time...'
She finally understood the true meaning behind those words, and with this understanding came a heart-wrenching conclusion.
'If I stay around Inuyasha... I will be a threat to him...'She told herself, slowly lifting her gaze to Inuyasha's confused one, tears filling her eyes when she realized what she must do, 'I must leave...to keep him safe...'
Walking slowly towards the dog demon, Kagome lifted her hand to her chest, slowly wrapping it around the partially completed Shikon Jewel and with a snap the thread that held it there broke without resistance.
She held tightly onto the small shard fragment in her other hand that she had pulled from her back, knowing it would be her only way home, and she could send it back through the well once she was through, allowing Inuyasha to complete the Shikon Jewel without her help.
Less than a foot from Inuyasha, Kagome stopped, still studying the dog demon with tear filled eyes, realizing how much she was going to miss him while a lone tear slipped down her cheek.
With an ironic laugh inwardly, she realized it had started to rain, lightly yet surely, and she continued studying the half demon, memorizing every single feature of him, from his deeply confused golden eyes, dampened silverfish white hair, to the adorable dog ears that were twitching from the falling rain, knowing this would be the last time she ever saw him.
Gathering all her will power, Kagome rose to her toes, wrapping her arms around Inuyasha's neck, their mouths so close their breaths mingled, and she whispered, "I'm so sorry..."
Noting the raindrops that clung to his long eyelashes, Kagome swallowed her misery, snapping the imaginary thread that held the rosary beads, and she closed her eyes, leaning her forehead against Inuyasha's.
His warm breath brushing against her lips made her tingle inside, and tying the thread that held the partially completed Shikon Jewel around his neck, Kagome slowly opened her eyes, lowering back down until her heels touched the ground.
'So this is how it ends...'She thought, slowly stepping away from him, hiding the rosary beads behind her back, and she was glad it was raining, for it hid the tears that ran down her cheeks.
Inuyasha watched her with wide eyes, his lips parted the slightest in shock, standing with his legs braced apart, arms hanging limply at his sides, and Kagome attempted to smile, failing miserably, so she reached a hand up and brushed it against his cheek.
"I can't keep my promise... I'll miss you so much...good-bye..." With those last words, Kagome turned with a sob just as the heavens opened up, a downpour of rain covering the cry that was torn from her heart, and she ran without another word into the forest.
Running for what felt like forever, she was soon fighting for every breath, her tears blinding her along with the rain, and she tripped, rolling down a muddied hill to the dirty water below.
Pain filled every part of her, yet none so much as her heart, and she pounded her fists on the ground, screaming, "Why did it have to end like this! Why?"
Clutching the rosary beads to her chest, she cried, knowing her despair was covered by the rain and that she was alone to dwell in it, and she realized the weather was merely mimicking her own feelings, the gusting wind her own tormented emotions, the rain her tears, and the lightning that flashed across the sky her pain.
With one last pound on the ground, her fists throbbing in pain, Kagome fought to stop the tears, deciding it was time to go home, but froze when a wicked laugh filled the air, causing Kagome to tense in recognition.
Lifting her head, she stared up at the figure above her with wide eyes, drawing in a breath to scream for help...
********* ************* ********* ********* ********* *************** *********
To those who reviewed: Thanks!
~Shadow Wrath, Tiger of the Wind, Mattie~
Letz move on to the next chappie, eh?
Hugz N Kissez, Ali
