The Scent of Despair
Written by Catrina Winner
Author's Notes: Well, I'm back, right around the same time fanfiction.net lives again. Good timing, is it not? Strangely enough, I did NOT want to write the fluff in this chapter {dang writer's block} but rather something more violent. Of course, the writer's block really didn't allow for that either, but I managed to complete the prologue for my new Escaflowne fic. I think it will be well liked. Anyway, I managed to gather up a little inspiration and roll out one of the longest chapter yet. Funny how that works out, isn't it? I've written up the outlines for the rest of the chapters in this fic. I hope you'll all stick around for the grand finale, Chapter Twenty-Five! Yes, I know it's a long way to go, but I promise you will not be disappointed in the end and I will not abandon this fic, no matter how tired or bored of it I become. That's all… Go read! {And review…}
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Chapter Eleven
Inuyasha looked down from his high perch in the tree when he heard a soft rustling and a slightly pained yelp. Recognizing the voice and the gentle scent that floated up after it, he parted a few branches and came face-to-face with a tired looking Kagome. Even the dark of the night couldn't hide her dazzling smile as she noticed he was above her.
"Inuyasha!!" she greeted. The hanyou blinked.
"Kagome… What are you doing out here? It's the middle of the night!"
"I know…" Kagome began, struggling to get up on the same level he was at. "But, I couldn't sleep and it was so hot inside Kaede's hut… Besides," she said slowly, "I… wanted to see you again…" Inuyasha bent down and lifted her up carefully so she was seated on the branch facing him.
"You wanted to see me?" he questioned. "Why?"
Kagome shrugged and smiled. "I don't know…" she said, trying not to give away any of the turmoil she felt raging and twisting inside of her. Inuyasha snorted and looked off to her right side.
"Well, you're here," he stated, bored. Inuyasha tried not to meet her eyes, in fear that she would see the emotions beneath his own gold pools. Kagome sighed and nodded.
"Um… Inuyasha?" she said abruptly.
"Hn?" he looked up at her for the first time and watched as she pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and peered towards the ground which suddenly seemed a lot farther down then it had when she was climbing up.
"How can you sleep up here?!" she asked, teetering on the skinny branch. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and gathered her up in his arms, leaning back against the tree trunk.
"Like this," he said quietly and closed his eyes. Perhaps now he could sleep. Kagome blinked, surprised, but curled closer to the hanyou and yawned, finding that elusive sleep was now within her reach.
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Kagome stirred and opened her eyes. Something painfully sharp was digging into her back, and she shifted, wondering why she was outside in the early dawn. A small memory of the night before jangled at the edge of her mind and the Miko smiled. A quick look around proved she was not high in the tree anymore, but rather seated semi-comfortably on the hard, damp ground. Inuyasha was nowhere in sight, though Kagome hadn't really expected him to be.
She rose and walked around Kaede's hut. Miroku was leaning against one of its walls, looking rather sad, one palm cupping his right cheek, which sported a red handprint that was about Sango's size.
"Good morning, Miroku!" Kagome chirped, bending down near him, carefully keeping herself out of arms reach.
"Maybe for you it is," he mumbled and rubbed his cheek again. "Sango said to tell you she's bathing in the springs and you should join her when you wake up." The houshi sighed.
Kagome laughed, knowing what had happened to the unhappy priest. "Don't worry Miroku! Soon you two will be married!" Miroku mumbled something under his breath. Inuyasha suddenly appeared around the corner, carrying a small, wrapped parcel in his hands. He handed it to Kagome, and, despite the usual amount of people around, gave a very small smile she could guess he was hoping only she would notice.
"It's food. Kaede told me to let you sleep, so we saved you breakfast. Sango's asked me to tell you-" Kagome broke in with a large grin and a glance over at Miroku.
"To join her at the hot springs when I woke up, right?" Inuyasha peered around at Miroku, noticed the handprint on his cheek, and nodded back at Kagome. She smiled as brightly as she could and quickly hugged the surprised hanyou, bolting away down the path before either of the two males could react.
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Sango was waiting for Kagome to join her, and the two women climbed into the warm water.
"Well, it's nice to see you awake! I take it that you didn't get much of a good sleep last night?" Sango greeted Kagome warmly. The Miko shrugged and settled near her friend.
"Actually… I slept fine, once I figured out where I needed to be," she answered. Sango nodded understandingly.
"Yes, I saw you two this morning, in the tree," Sango looked over at Kagome, trying to judge her reaction. She simply blushed lightly and stirred the water with a finger. "When did you climb into the tree? You looked asleep when I came in last night."
She shrugged, "I'm not sure. I think it must have been after midnight, though… Honestly, I haven't been able to sleep well ever since we put this stupid Jewel together," she lifted the Shikon Jewel from her neck and let the chain slide back and forth along her hand. "I'm just scared that… Well… Everyone has always told me that the Jewel has never given anyone a "happy ending." I don't know exactly what this happy ending should be, but I have a feeling it won't be what everyone wants."
Sango sighed and leaned back. "Kagome, the happy ending could apply to anyone. After you make you're wish, perhaps the entire village will vanish. That would make a lot of demons happy. But we wouldn't be… If we were even still alive..." she paused for a moment, thinking. "But imagine that you wish for the ever happy ending, and it comes true. Then all the demons would be very upset that the Shikon Jewel has been fully purified and they can never use it again. I think what I'm trying to make clear to you is the fact that no matter which way things happen, there will always be someone that ends up unhappy. That's where the Shikon Jewel gets its reputation. Do you understand?"
Kagome was silent for a long time. She tilted her head back to look at the sky, puzzling through Sango's explanation. After several long moments she poked one of her toes above the water and nodded. "I know what you're trying to tell me, but I still have this bad feeling about whatever is going to happen tomorrow." For a moment Kagome appeared to be thinking, and quite hard. Finally, she spoke again. "Sango, do you know how many wishes the Shikon Jewel will grant? I don't know how I'm going to make everyone happy with only one wish, so I'll have to word it carefully. Ever since things weren't reversed when we destroyed Naraku, I've been trying to figure out how to word a wish, but…" she trailed off and looked towards the other woman.
"I don't know much more about the wishes then you do, I'm afraid. Perhaps Kaede will know more. You could always ask her today… before you spend the day with Inuyasha or whatever you're planning to do," she smiled. "You're still going to give him that pendent you brought with you, right?"
Kagome grinned and leaned back against a rock. "Of course I'm going to give the stone to him," she said.
"Well, are you going to tell him what it means?" Sango wheedled.
"I… I don't know… Maybe…" she paused again, blushing slightly. Sango laughed and jumped at the opportunity to tease the other girl.
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Miroku sat against the house until Kagome's black hair vanished from sight. He waited until he could no longer hear her running feet, then looked over at the hanyou. He was still standing in the same spot, his cheeks slightly rosy as he stared at the place Kagome had vanished in. An interesting idea began to form in the houshi's mind as he stood up, brushing himself off.
"Come, Inuyasha," he stated with a rather large and inappropriate grin. The dog demon looked over at him, the spell broken.
"What? Go where?" the innocent look on Inuyasha's face was almost enough to make Miroku laugh.
"We're going to the hot springs!" the monk stated cheerfully, grabbed the hanyou's arm, and preceded to drag him down the path Kagome had gone only a few moments before.
"What?! Miroku! Do you realize what they'll do to us if we get near them?!" Inuyasha yelped, already imagining the "sits" he would achieve with this mistake. He tugged slightly back on the hold Miroku had, but not breaking it, for, even as his mind screamed the wrongness of it, and the fact that he would probably not be able to dislodge himself from the ground if they were caught, which was guaranteed in Miroku's company, another side of him was stating that, while she might not realize it fully, she was his, and, if he wanted to sneak in and look at her, what was the big deal? It wasn't as if she wouldn't want him to, after all.
So, against his better judgment and the louder side of his brain, Inuyasha went with the monk. They both climbed the same tree, not thinking that a single branch may not be able to hold both of them. They arrived at the more interesting part in the girl's conversation. Sango was splashing Kagome, who, in turn was splashing back, though trying harder to stay away from the water flying towards her. Sango was yelling, "You have to tell him! You have to!" and Kagome was simply replying, "I don't know!!"
Miroku was in heaven. With all the jumping around and splashing he couldn't even hear the branch splinter slightly. Inuyasha, on the other hand, was asking himself why he had ever come down to this spring with the monk in the first place. When he heard the branch release an ominous creak, the pressure got too much for him and he leapt down to the soft ground below the tree, hiding behind a thick, and conveniently placed set of bushes. Having morals, unlike the happy houshi, Inuyasha turned his back to the bush and vowed he would only listen to the conversation. Nodding his head in satisfaction, the hanyou settled down, shrugging off some of the early pressure he had been dealing with. Certainly Kagome wouldn't get angry if he only listened.
With a final, loud splash, both the girls giggled and climbed out of the water, resting on the banks to dry. Kagome lay face down so she could make sure no one came down the path, but Sango flipped over to watch the clouds drift lazily across the sky. They lowered their voices to the point where Miroku could no longer hear them, though he didn't mind in the least bit. Inuyasha, with his keen sense of hearing, could easily discern every word that was spoken.
"Honestly, Kagome, you really should tell him how you feel," Sango said, turning on her side to look at the other girl. Inuyasha's ears perked up.
"I know… but soon we'll be separated, and I'm not sure if I want to admit anything, then be forced to leave. If I can still come through the well when this is all over, then I'll tell him. Maybe…" she trailed off and Sango laughed. They both stood and began dressing, Kagome looking more and more determined. "I'll tell him as soon as I know I can get back!" she said suddenly. The demon huntress glanced at her. "I'll tell In-"
A loud cracking noise issued from just above and behind them. A split second later, a sharp yell of pain and something large crashing to the forest floor reached their ears. Both the women leapt forward, fearing a demon attack or something even worse. What they saw, however, was Miroku sprawled across the top of a branch, a bruise already forming above one eye. It took them no time to realize he had been spying on them, and with a frightening war cry, the two women launched themselves at the lecherous monk.
Whether by good judgment or blind luck, the bushes had hidden Inuyasha from the girl's eyes and he had survived more of a beating than the tree branch and Miroku falling on his head. But, because of Miroku's terrible timing, the hanyou would never know what Kagome was going to tell whom. With an angry mutter, he headed back up the path to find Kagome.
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The heat of the long afternoon lingered, clinging to the half-repaired buildings and dusty humans. The sun reclined near the horizon, signaling there were but a few hours of daylight remaining to work by. The villagers were happily awaiting a long night's rest, but the comrades protecting the Shikon Jewel looked forward with on uneasy feeling in their hearts. Tomorrow, each of their destinies would be decided, for good or for bad. No matter which way the settlement ended, there would be no more demon hunting for any of them, and Kagome would again return to her time. Permanently or not, that was to be decided at a later time.
Sango sighed as she watched Inuyasha and Kagome work side by side. The hanyou looked half disgusted with himself, working with all the normal humans. At all times, however, he was constantly trying to sneak tiny glances at Kagome as she worked. Most of the carefully done peeking would result in dark blushes from both sides, as Kagome would try to steal a look at the same moment. The demon huntress was very worried about those two. The hanyou had shown up early in the morning, only a few moments after both females had dispersed from Miroku, finished in teaching him a lesson. Kagome blurted out what he had done, and the monk's already battered body earned a few more lumps from the halfling. They hadn't left each other's sides since. Inuyasha hadn't even protested when Kagome asked him to assist her in building up the village. Nevertheless, if looks could kill, a larger portion of the village males would have been in a lot of trouble.
Kirara leapt from Sango's shoulder as Shippo and Miroku approached. He still had a faint outline of her handprint against one of his cheeks. His arm quickly replaced the area her pet had vacated. Shippo and Kirara clambered into her arms. Together, the four of them watched as Inuyasha accidentally dropped a board onto the head of a man who had been getting slightly too interested in Kagome's legs.
"He's going to be very sad if Kagome can't come back, isn't he?" the tiny kitsune asked. Sango remained silent, allowing Miroku the opportunity to answer.
"Yes, Shippo," the priest nodded, "very sad, indeed."
The villagers began cleaning their areas up, most eagerly awaiting another meal. As the four friends watched, Kagome rushed up to Inuyasha, who was currently engaged in terrifying a young man, and grabbed his hand, dragging him, away and into the woods. The boy Inuyasha had been talking to looked somewhat relieved, though utterly perplexed.
Miroku straightened up and grasped his staff. "Well," he said, "let's go after them and see what they're up to, shall we?"
Sango snatched the end of his robes. "Listen, you, those two deserve to be left alone, and I'm not letting you anywhere near them!"
"But… Sango…" Miroku pouted. Sango placed both the small demons on the ground and pulled her boomerang from nowhere. The monk gulped, and turned around, heading back towards Kaede's hut with Shippo and Kirara in tow.
"That's where we belong," Sango muttered and followed after them.
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Kagome halted and turned towards the confused hanyou. He hadn't been expecting Kagome to drag him off like that. He had jest begun dealing with another shameless young man who had been enjoying the sight of Kagome in her short skirt a little too much.
"Inuyasha…?" He blinked and looked down at the beautiful girl. Kagome was standing very close and looking at him with brightly glittering eyes.
"K-Kagome?!" he stuttered, half wondering what she would do next. She smiled and very carefully reached her arms up until they were resting comfortably on his shoulders. His mind was in a flurry of confusion. The endearing look in her eyes, her gentle scent, and the soft hands sitting there, all waiting for a signal of some kind. He said her name again, slower this time, and her eyes filled with a benign sadness.
All at once, he felt her hands move quickly upwards. His hair lifted and settled, and she stepped back, holding the rosary that had bound them together, tightly in her hand. She lifted one of his arms and pressed the beads into his palm.
"I'll never use it again," she said softly. Inuyasha didn't move. He couldn't. The enchanted prayer beads that had kept them together for so long were gone. Kagome lifted something else from behind her back and the hanyou saw a new necklace, decorated much like the old rosary he clutched in his hand, save for a small, carved rock hanging from its center.
Kagome stepped closer to him and hung the new item around his neck.
"It's a gift," she whispered, and he sensed that she was close to tears.
He reached up and tapped a claw on the rock in the middle. When she had brought it towards him, he had noted a strange kanji inscribed on it, no doubt from her time.
"What… what does it say?" he asked slowly.
Kagome smiled. "It's just something to remind you of me, in case… anything happens. What it means isn't really important, is it?" she asked hopelessly.
"No, I suppose not…" he replied, taking her palm.
The two walked hand-in-hand towards a high cliff. The sun was just beginning to set as they broke free from the woods and sat near the edge. Kagome leaned against his shoulder, and Inuyasha pulled her closer with the arm that did not still hold the rosary. Together they watched the clouds dance in brilliant red and oranges above them. Kagome noticed a few spots of dark purple that reminded her of Inuyasha's eyes when he was human. She felt him rest his head atop hers, and snuggled more fully up against him.
"Kagome…" his voice suddenly broke their silence.
"Yes, Inuyasha?" she replied quietly. She felt something around her neck, and was surprised to find his old rosary hanging there.
"I want you to have this… So you can remember me…" She smiled at his words and pointed out the first few stars.
As the darkness engulfed them, both closed their eyes and let sleep take them away. Before she drifted of, Kagome thought of the next day's procedures with a sense of dread.
I just want to stay here, like this… with Inuyasha… forever… Then sleep spirited her away.
As the last rays of sunlight vanished past the hills, the Shikon Jewel glowed faintly in the brightening moonlight.
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I did it! I finished chapter eleven! No, that's not the last one… if you read my author's note at the top; you realize we have a long way to go. Anyway, please, PLEASE review this sad attempt at a fanfiction, and be on the lookout for the next chapter. Aren't Kagome and Inuyasha cute?!