Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha in any way, shape, or form. I give all credit to the great Rumiko Takahashi.
Authors Notes:
Chapter 5: A Dog of a Story Part 1
Inuyasha croutched low behind the bush, using his ears and nose to make out the surrounding area. Naraku had been by a short time ago. He was still nearby.
Inuyasha growled.
Damn him! He already has most of the shards!
Inuyahsa took count. There were the two that Kouga still had, the one keeping Kohaku a prisoner, and the three Kagome kept in her little jar. They couldn't be much left, if at all. It was coming down to the last days of this ongoing battle.
He sniffed the air again, trying to judge which direction Naraku had gone. Mixed in with the evil scent was one more smell, small, and not very strong, but very reconizable. It reaked of death. Of clay. Kikyo.
"What the fuck? Why would she..." but he let the rest of the sentence trail off his toungue. He didn't want to think about it.
Instead he forced his thoughts to turn to Kagome and the others. They were waiting for his return. And the fact that Naraku had been by not too long ago, the thought of them being so near was to close for comfort.
Inuyasha stood, ready to make haste back toward camp to inform the others.
Then he senced it.
A demon.
A small demon, but a demon none the less.
He looked up. A soul snatcher. Kikyo's soul snatcher. And it was carring a soul.
Which meant she was nearby.
He dared a look back toward the direction of camp, then took off after the soul snatcher.
He didn't know what he was going to say once he found her. What did they ever say?
Come to hell with me, Inuyasha?
The same ol' same ol'.
Maybe if his brain decided to work today, he could ask her what she was doing following Naraku. Her scent was slightly newer then his.
But as always with Kikyo, he would probably get toungue-tied, not knowing what to say, except for maybe her name.
He cursed himself for the weakness. Sure, he had loved Kikyo before. Before she had betrayed him, before she had died, before she came back as a vengeful spirit.
Kagome, his mind reminded him.
She WAS the spirit of Kikyo. Kikyo's reincarnation. And Kagome wasn't vengeful at all. Kagome was... Kagome.
Nice. Energetic. Playful. Spirited.
Beautiful, his mind threw in.
And beaut... His thoughts stopped.
"What the hell!" he cursed under his breath. What in Hell's name was he thinking? Kagome? Beautiful?
She's annoying, bossy, bitchy, and childish.
...
Childish. Full of laughter. She had personality.
Something Kikyo never had.
Kikyo had never laughed the way Kagome did. She maybe smiled every so often, but not much else.
Kikyo... Kagome.
One spirit, two completly different people.
Inuyasha stopped running. The soul snatcher was a few minutes away, circling above a very large tree.
Inuyasha slowly walked forward. His sence of smell quickly picked up the unmistakable scent of Kikyo. His eyes confirmed it was here only a few seconds after.
There she was, wearing her red and white miko robes, sitting at the base of the large tree. Her arms were extended, greeting her soul snatchers. The few souls they had collected floated around her.
Inuyasha stopped and starred.
She was beautiful. Even with the stench of death.
And she looked so much like Kagome, only with a more netural expression. Like Kagome... or Kagome more like Kikyo. It went both ways.
Inuyasha knew that Kikyo knew he was there. She was a miko afterall, even if not living. She could still sence his presence. So all he could do was wait for her to acknowledge him. And it didn't take too long.
Kikyo slowly lifted her head. Her eyes locked with his.
"Inuyasha..." she said, just barley above a whispear.
"Kikyo," he acknowledged. He took a step forward.
"Come no closer, Inuyasha." Kikyo was expressionless, but the look in her eyes showed that she meant business.
"Kikyo... why?"
"Why what? Why follow Naraku? Why help Naraku? Why bring you here?"
Inuyasha didn't say anything. Only slightly nodded.
"I knew you would come. So I waited." She paused and shoo'ed her demons away. "He knows your coming for him."
"Maybe."
"He knows your nearby. He's preparing for you. He plans it to be the last battle."
Inuyasha nodded. "And whose side will you take?"
She shook her head. "None."
"Then..."
"Why follow him? Because there is nothing more important to me then his death, and making sure you keep your promise, Inuyasha."
"What promise?"
"To stay with me forever."
Inuyasha swollowed the lump in this thoat. "I'm..." Hestiation. "I'm not going to hell with you."
Kikyo raised an eyebrow at him. "You made me a promise, and I plan to make you keep that promise."
"I have a life now, Kikyo. I have friends."
"And you have my incarnation." Silence. "Am I right?"
"Me and her have nothing..."
"You lie!" Kikyo stood, anger starting to stir her emotions. "I can see it in your eyes. You love her. But your afriad. Your afriad because of what happened to us."
"No, that's not..."
"She's your weakness, Inuyasha. Naraku see's her as his weakness, too. That's why a part of him would rather see us dead. What he loves, you also love, Inuyasha. Me... and her. And he wants to destroy that happiness."
"He did once already."
"And he enjoyed it. He enjoyed it so much that he wants to do it all over again."
"That sick..!"
"If you want my advise, I would make her go back to her time. She doesn't belong here, and she's only putting herself, and you, in danger."
"Why do you care?"
She shrugged. "I don't really. But with her out of the way, you won't want to stay on this planet. And you'll be more then happy to join me in hell."
Kikyo walked up to Inuyasha. He never did make a move to put distance between them. She placed a cold hand on his cheek, running it down his face and to his chest. She leaned into him, and he put an arm around her to keep her from falling.
"When this is all over..."
"What will happen to you?" Inuyasha inquired.
Kikyo smiled into his chest. "I will either be killed for the second time, or you will join me by my side in hell."
Inuyasha pulled her to arms length. "I told you..."
"And a promise must be kept. To stay with me forever."
Inuyasha shook his head. "Please Kikyo. Try to understand."
"I do understand!" She pulled roughly away from him. "You love her! But I will make your life hell," she smiled at her own pun, "and take away from you what was taken from me."
"And what was taken from you?"
"My soul."
"That's not true.. your soul... it was reborn."
"Into someone I dispise."
"You don't even know her!"
Kikyo spun on her heels and walked back to her soul snatchers.
"I'm tired." She turned back to face him as her demons circled around her. "Even after this battle, I will to be around, Inuyasha. And even after this battle, demons will still keep coming to look for the Shikon no Tama. And even if a wish is made, by you or Naraku, the gate that leads to my incarnations world will be sealed. She cannot stay here even if she wanted to."
Inuyasha had no replie.
"Heed my warning, Inuyasha. For both your saftey's. If she stays here, she will always be in danger. It's better to ignore those feelings, then to long in them." She started to be lifted up. "The faster you forget, the faster the pain will heal." And she was gone.
Inuyasha took a few steps forward, then dashed to the spot Kikyo had been. He looked up, but she was gone.
"What did she mean?"
He didn't understand her at all. Some of it made since, like Kagome being in danger all the time, but it was becasue of the Shikon....
He shook his head to clear his mind. It was getting late. They would probably be looking for him.
And then a thought struck him.
NARAKU!
He was still in the area.
Without a second thought, he took off at top speed, racing through the trees, keeping low. Jumping the treetops would be a bad idea, just in case Naraku or one of his offspring were around. He just hoped Kagome was okay.
Authors Notes:
Chapter 5: A Dog of a Story Part 1
Inuyasha croutched low behind the bush, using his ears and nose to make out the surrounding area. Naraku had been by a short time ago. He was still nearby.
Inuyasha growled.
Damn him! He already has most of the shards!
Inuyahsa took count. There were the two that Kouga still had, the one keeping Kohaku a prisoner, and the three Kagome kept in her little jar. They couldn't be much left, if at all. It was coming down to the last days of this ongoing battle.
He sniffed the air again, trying to judge which direction Naraku had gone. Mixed in with the evil scent was one more smell, small, and not very strong, but very reconizable. It reaked of death. Of clay. Kikyo.
"What the fuck? Why would she..." but he let the rest of the sentence trail off his toungue. He didn't want to think about it.
Instead he forced his thoughts to turn to Kagome and the others. They were waiting for his return. And the fact that Naraku had been by not too long ago, the thought of them being so near was to close for comfort.
Inuyasha stood, ready to make haste back toward camp to inform the others.
Then he senced it.
A demon.
A small demon, but a demon none the less.
He looked up. A soul snatcher. Kikyo's soul snatcher. And it was carring a soul.
Which meant she was nearby.
He dared a look back toward the direction of camp, then took off after the soul snatcher.
He didn't know what he was going to say once he found her. What did they ever say?
Come to hell with me, Inuyasha?
The same ol' same ol'.
Maybe if his brain decided to work today, he could ask her what she was doing following Naraku. Her scent was slightly newer then his.
But as always with Kikyo, he would probably get toungue-tied, not knowing what to say, except for maybe her name.
He cursed himself for the weakness. Sure, he had loved Kikyo before. Before she had betrayed him, before she had died, before she came back as a vengeful spirit.
Kagome, his mind reminded him.
She WAS the spirit of Kikyo. Kikyo's reincarnation. And Kagome wasn't vengeful at all. Kagome was... Kagome.
Nice. Energetic. Playful. Spirited.
Beautiful, his mind threw in.
And beaut... His thoughts stopped.
"What the hell!" he cursed under his breath. What in Hell's name was he thinking? Kagome? Beautiful?
She's annoying, bossy, bitchy, and childish.
...
Childish. Full of laughter. She had personality.
Something Kikyo never had.
Kikyo had never laughed the way Kagome did. She maybe smiled every so often, but not much else.
Kikyo... Kagome.
One spirit, two completly different people.
Inuyasha stopped running. The soul snatcher was a few minutes away, circling above a very large tree.
Inuyasha slowly walked forward. His sence of smell quickly picked up the unmistakable scent of Kikyo. His eyes confirmed it was here only a few seconds after.
There she was, wearing her red and white miko robes, sitting at the base of the large tree. Her arms were extended, greeting her soul snatchers. The few souls they had collected floated around her.
Inuyasha stopped and starred.
She was beautiful. Even with the stench of death.
And she looked so much like Kagome, only with a more netural expression. Like Kagome... or Kagome more like Kikyo. It went both ways.
Inuyasha knew that Kikyo knew he was there. She was a miko afterall, even if not living. She could still sence his presence. So all he could do was wait for her to acknowledge him. And it didn't take too long.
Kikyo slowly lifted her head. Her eyes locked with his.
"Inuyasha..." she said, just barley above a whispear.
"Kikyo," he acknowledged. He took a step forward.
"Come no closer, Inuyasha." Kikyo was expressionless, but the look in her eyes showed that she meant business.
"Kikyo... why?"
"Why what? Why follow Naraku? Why help Naraku? Why bring you here?"
Inuyasha didn't say anything. Only slightly nodded.
"I knew you would come. So I waited." She paused and shoo'ed her demons away. "He knows your coming for him."
"Maybe."
"He knows your nearby. He's preparing for you. He plans it to be the last battle."
Inuyasha nodded. "And whose side will you take?"
She shook her head. "None."
"Then..."
"Why follow him? Because there is nothing more important to me then his death, and making sure you keep your promise, Inuyasha."
"What promise?"
"To stay with me forever."
Inuyasha swollowed the lump in this thoat. "I'm..." Hestiation. "I'm not going to hell with you."
Kikyo raised an eyebrow at him. "You made me a promise, and I plan to make you keep that promise."
"I have a life now, Kikyo. I have friends."
"And you have my incarnation." Silence. "Am I right?"
"Me and her have nothing..."
"You lie!" Kikyo stood, anger starting to stir her emotions. "I can see it in your eyes. You love her. But your afriad. Your afriad because of what happened to us."
"No, that's not..."
"She's your weakness, Inuyasha. Naraku see's her as his weakness, too. That's why a part of him would rather see us dead. What he loves, you also love, Inuyasha. Me... and her. And he wants to destroy that happiness."
"He did once already."
"And he enjoyed it. He enjoyed it so much that he wants to do it all over again."
"That sick..!"
"If you want my advise, I would make her go back to her time. She doesn't belong here, and she's only putting herself, and you, in danger."
"Why do you care?"
She shrugged. "I don't really. But with her out of the way, you won't want to stay on this planet. And you'll be more then happy to join me in hell."
Kikyo walked up to Inuyasha. He never did make a move to put distance between them. She placed a cold hand on his cheek, running it down his face and to his chest. She leaned into him, and he put an arm around her to keep her from falling.
"When this is all over..."
"What will happen to you?" Inuyasha inquired.
Kikyo smiled into his chest. "I will either be killed for the second time, or you will join me by my side in hell."
Inuyasha pulled her to arms length. "I told you..."
"And a promise must be kept. To stay with me forever."
Inuyasha shook his head. "Please Kikyo. Try to understand."
"I do understand!" She pulled roughly away from him. "You love her! But I will make your life hell," she smiled at her own pun, "and take away from you what was taken from me."
"And what was taken from you?"
"My soul."
"That's not true.. your soul... it was reborn."
"Into someone I dispise."
"You don't even know her!"
Kikyo spun on her heels and walked back to her soul snatchers.
"I'm tired." She turned back to face him as her demons circled around her. "Even after this battle, I will to be around, Inuyasha. And even after this battle, demons will still keep coming to look for the Shikon no Tama. And even if a wish is made, by you or Naraku, the gate that leads to my incarnations world will be sealed. She cannot stay here even if she wanted to."
Inuyasha had no replie.
"Heed my warning, Inuyasha. For both your saftey's. If she stays here, she will always be in danger. It's better to ignore those feelings, then to long in them." She started to be lifted up. "The faster you forget, the faster the pain will heal." And she was gone.
Inuyasha took a few steps forward, then dashed to the spot Kikyo had been. He looked up, but she was gone.
"What did she mean?"
He didn't understand her at all. Some of it made since, like Kagome being in danger all the time, but it was becasue of the Shikon....
He shook his head to clear his mind. It was getting late. They would probably be looking for him.
And then a thought struck him.
NARAKU!
He was still in the area.
Without a second thought, he took off at top speed, racing through the trees, keeping low. Jumping the treetops would be a bad idea, just in case Naraku or one of his offspring were around. He just hoped Kagome was okay.