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Chapter Five ~ Letting It Go
She stumbled, head cast downwards, ignoring the vehicles rushing towards her. 'I've lost everything, everyone...I might as well die. Death doesn't seem so bad...I'll have no feelings, no pain...no love.'
A sudden impact in her side sent her careening to the other side of the road. Winded, she managed to push herself up just in time to hear the futile screeching of brakes, and to see the body being flung into the air, silvery-white hair trailing behind.
"Kiyoshi!"
*
Pain, lancing through every inch of his body, was what woke him. He forced open his golden eyes, blinking at the absolute darkness surrounding him. Silence hung over him – a heavy silence that refused to be broken by any sound other than his ragged moaning.
A light clicked on overhead, and he stared into the cool sapphire orbs, unable to remember how he'd gotten here in the first place.
"So, you cared after all," Kagome remarked, gently touching the bandage wrapped around his chest. "Pity you didn't wake up a few hours earlier; your fan club was here."
"I'm sure the doctors appreciated that," he joked, despite the pain.
"Oh, I'm sure they did, since there was a really cute surgeon that the girls couldn't keep their eyes off of."
He smirked slyly. "Did you think he was cute?"
Just to annoy him, she nodded demurely, gazing coquettishly at him through her long lashes. "Of course."
"Cuter than me?"
"Hmm." She considered that thoughtfully before finally replying, "Yes, I think so."
"You must be blind then. No one's cuter than me." He grinned, as did she, but the smile faded when he realized that his hand was empty.
"Kiyoshi, what's wrong?"
He winced, turning away from her.
"Kiyoshi?" she inquired doubtfully, surprised at his anger.
"Where are the jewel shards?" he demanded flatly.
Her eyes narrowed, and she flung the orb onto his bed. "There. That's all you care about, isn't it? Well, you can have it, you can leave me here without any hope of seeing my friends again! You're the same as Sesshoumaru, an egotistical unfeeling jerk who doesn't think of anyone save himself! You...you bastard!" Kagome rarely used profanity, and Kiyoshi winced subconsciously, sighing.
"Kagome," he replied, "do me a favor and shut up."
She stood seething, her hands clenched at her side. He tried to sit up, groaning and falling back onto the pillow. Seeing her triumphant smirk, he growled softly. "Sadist."
After another moment, he managed to rise to a sitting position, pointedly ignoring the deadly glares she was shooting him. He gazed into the halfway- completed Shikon jewel, at his reflection, and he saw the future.
Shadows, streaming through the jewel – Kagome's face, streaked with tears – and an arrow, streaking towards him; him, not Sesshoumaru, imbedding in his side, sending him hurtling to the ground, and Kagome slowly lowering her bow...
He glanced up at her again before tossing the jewel to her. "Keep it," he said softly.
"Kiyoshi..."
He flashed her one of his quirky smiles. "I'd die either way," he said, refusing to elaborate when Kagome shot him a puzzled look. "However...I'm coming with you into the well the next time you go."
She frowned pensively but nodded. "All right, then. Do you think you can get ready in an hour?"
*
"Damn, this hurts," Kiyoshi whined, staggering alongside the girl, who was doing her best not to laugh.
"At least you managed to avoid most of the car's blow or you wouldn't even be able to walk," she pointed out, though she was glad that he was well enough to whine.
He cast her a rueful grin. "This is the last time I'm ever saving you from those evil cars! Ow..."
"Now you're just faking," she insisted, and he nodded thoughtfully.
"Yeah, perhaps I am..."
Kagome waited at the edge of the well, having already dropped her backpack down. She seized his hand, waiting until he was ready, before they both leapt in. The disorientating time swirl enveloped them, and when they dropped into the Feudal Era, Kiyoshi let out a prolonged groan of distress that set Kagome into another round of laughter.
Hopping out of the well and yanking her friend after her, they scanned the area for Inuyasha, not noticing the gleaming golden eyes surveying them from above.
*
Inuyasha's mood brightened as he noticed Kagome's scent drifting towards him, but he froze as Sesshoumaru's wafted forward as well. Lifting Tetsusaiga, he raced over to the well, pausing when he noticed the two figures moving towards him.
Kagome smiled coolly as he neared. "Hello, Inuyasha," she remarked calmly.
"You...and Sesshoumaru...what the fuck?"
"Sit, Inuyasha! This isn't Sesshoumaru – "
Her words were cut off as a tall figure leapt lightly down beside the cursing hanyou, his claws at Inuyasha's neck. "No, that isn't Sesshoumaru," the taiyoukai hissed, "because I am."
*
Sesshoumaru's claws drew thin beads of blood as he increased the pressure on his half-brother's neck. He sensed the fear in the miko's eyes and he reveled in it, but his gaze shifted to the boy standing next to her.
It was like staring into a mirror. The same aristocratic features, the immaculate silver-shot hair, the golden orbs flashing like fire. There was one surreptitious difference in the youth he now took to be his reincarnation – those eyes showed compassion, love, and Sesshoumaru would never be caught dead with those emotions.
Still pressing down on Inuyasha's neck, the taiyoukai smirked icily at Kagome. "Well, looks like your bastard lover's about to meet the fate he deserves," he hissed, poison dripping from his claws.
She raised her bow, casting Kiyoshi an anguished glance, but his face was strangely stony. She had known the hanyou longer, had loved him longer, but then again, he was literally a thing of the past. And Kiyoshi gave her hope for the future.
'I can't do this...'
The arrow, tense on the string, and Sesshoumaru, his claws ready for slaughter, a compromise from which someone wouldn't walk away.
"Damn it, Kagome, will you get this ass off me –"Inuyasha began, but his words were cut off as Sesshoumaru casually pushed him even further down into the earth. "Come on, just kill my fucking brother and his reincarnation already, why don't you?'
'I can't do this!'
"Kagome, hurry up! I can't *ack* breathe here!"
Sesshoumaru let off a short bark of cruel laughter. "Let's make a deal, shall we, Kagome? I'll take the Shikon, and you can have your precious hanyou back."
And then she knew. Her arrow streaked through the air, slicing through the façade, and Naraku let out a stream of steady curses as Kagura whisked him away. Growling, Inuyasha pulled himself up from the ground, and from the look in his eyes, he wasn't pleased.
"Um...would this be a bad time to introduce you to Kiyoshi?"
*
Miroku grinned sheepishly as Sango proceeded to whack apart the last of the demons. "You know, houshi-sama, you could help," she suggested pointedly.
"Oh, but my hand is broken in thirteen different places," he retorted, just as suggestively.
"And whose fault would that be?" she muttered, shifting another few steps away from the lecherous monk. Both paused when they heard Inuyasha's faint yells. Without even glancing at each other, they took off simultaneously for the campsite, Shippou scrambling behind to catch up with Kirara.
They stepped into the campsite and stopped, peering at the strange scene before them. Shippou, with his usual tact, squealed, "Kagome, what are you doing with Sesshoumaru? I thought you were with Inu!"
"Why would I want a two-timing bitch like her?" Inuyasha screeched indignantly.
Kagome shook with fury. Concentrating, she roared, "HYPOCRITE!"
Silence. A few birds flew away, shrieking.
"You know what?" Inuyasha snarled. "Just get out. I don't need you anymore. You reincarnations –"he spat the word like a curse – "can go fuck yourselves. I don't care anymore."
"Oh yeah? And who are you getting to sense your jewels for you?"
He beckoned to the trees. She came gliding out, surrounded by the undulating soulstealers, and wrapped her arms coyly around the hanyou. Her empty, dead eyes stared coldly at Kagome. "As you can see, there is no need for you to stay."
"I don't plan to," Kagome replied coolly, trying to stop the tears from overflowing her eyes. Grabbing Kiyoshi's hand, she tugged him towards the well, but collapsed as soon as they were out of sight. "I can't leave him," she sobbed into his shoulder, clutching at his shirt.
"Shh, Kag, it's ok," he soothed. "He doesn't seem all that great to me, personally, and from what Sesshoumaru feels about him, he's a bastard..."
She recoiled viciously. "You wouldn't understand, you've never felt love for anyone, you're nothing but a callous, egotistical fool!"
His eyes seemed to smile, while his mouth remained grim. "That's where you're wrong, he whispered, and bending down, he whispered, "I do feel love."
He pressed his lips to hers. Unconsciously, her arms wound themselves around him, and in that fleeting moment, they became one, shrouded in the last gleaming rays of the sunset.
Sorry, still don't have much time to update. Will try writing sooner. Am working on revising my other stories, which suck. Oh well. I guess this one isn't that great either. Being on a math team and orchestra, both of which are going to national conferences, takes a lot out of you. And yes, I am extremely conceited about it. ~Wolfshade
Chapter Five ~ Letting It Go
She stumbled, head cast downwards, ignoring the vehicles rushing towards her. 'I've lost everything, everyone...I might as well die. Death doesn't seem so bad...I'll have no feelings, no pain...no love.'
A sudden impact in her side sent her careening to the other side of the road. Winded, she managed to push herself up just in time to hear the futile screeching of brakes, and to see the body being flung into the air, silvery-white hair trailing behind.
"Kiyoshi!"
*
Pain, lancing through every inch of his body, was what woke him. He forced open his golden eyes, blinking at the absolute darkness surrounding him. Silence hung over him – a heavy silence that refused to be broken by any sound other than his ragged moaning.
A light clicked on overhead, and he stared into the cool sapphire orbs, unable to remember how he'd gotten here in the first place.
"So, you cared after all," Kagome remarked, gently touching the bandage wrapped around his chest. "Pity you didn't wake up a few hours earlier; your fan club was here."
"I'm sure the doctors appreciated that," he joked, despite the pain.
"Oh, I'm sure they did, since there was a really cute surgeon that the girls couldn't keep their eyes off of."
He smirked slyly. "Did you think he was cute?"
Just to annoy him, she nodded demurely, gazing coquettishly at him through her long lashes. "Of course."
"Cuter than me?"
"Hmm." She considered that thoughtfully before finally replying, "Yes, I think so."
"You must be blind then. No one's cuter than me." He grinned, as did she, but the smile faded when he realized that his hand was empty.
"Kiyoshi, what's wrong?"
He winced, turning away from her.
"Kiyoshi?" she inquired doubtfully, surprised at his anger.
"Where are the jewel shards?" he demanded flatly.
Her eyes narrowed, and she flung the orb onto his bed. "There. That's all you care about, isn't it? Well, you can have it, you can leave me here without any hope of seeing my friends again! You're the same as Sesshoumaru, an egotistical unfeeling jerk who doesn't think of anyone save himself! You...you bastard!" Kagome rarely used profanity, and Kiyoshi winced subconsciously, sighing.
"Kagome," he replied, "do me a favor and shut up."
She stood seething, her hands clenched at her side. He tried to sit up, groaning and falling back onto the pillow. Seeing her triumphant smirk, he growled softly. "Sadist."
After another moment, he managed to rise to a sitting position, pointedly ignoring the deadly glares she was shooting him. He gazed into the halfway- completed Shikon jewel, at his reflection, and he saw the future.
Shadows, streaming through the jewel – Kagome's face, streaked with tears – and an arrow, streaking towards him; him, not Sesshoumaru, imbedding in his side, sending him hurtling to the ground, and Kagome slowly lowering her bow...
He glanced up at her again before tossing the jewel to her. "Keep it," he said softly.
"Kiyoshi..."
He flashed her one of his quirky smiles. "I'd die either way," he said, refusing to elaborate when Kagome shot him a puzzled look. "However...I'm coming with you into the well the next time you go."
She frowned pensively but nodded. "All right, then. Do you think you can get ready in an hour?"
*
"Damn, this hurts," Kiyoshi whined, staggering alongside the girl, who was doing her best not to laugh.
"At least you managed to avoid most of the car's blow or you wouldn't even be able to walk," she pointed out, though she was glad that he was well enough to whine.
He cast her a rueful grin. "This is the last time I'm ever saving you from those evil cars! Ow..."
"Now you're just faking," she insisted, and he nodded thoughtfully.
"Yeah, perhaps I am..."
Kagome waited at the edge of the well, having already dropped her backpack down. She seized his hand, waiting until he was ready, before they both leapt in. The disorientating time swirl enveloped them, and when they dropped into the Feudal Era, Kiyoshi let out a prolonged groan of distress that set Kagome into another round of laughter.
Hopping out of the well and yanking her friend after her, they scanned the area for Inuyasha, not noticing the gleaming golden eyes surveying them from above.
*
Inuyasha's mood brightened as he noticed Kagome's scent drifting towards him, but he froze as Sesshoumaru's wafted forward as well. Lifting Tetsusaiga, he raced over to the well, pausing when he noticed the two figures moving towards him.
Kagome smiled coolly as he neared. "Hello, Inuyasha," she remarked calmly.
"You...and Sesshoumaru...what the fuck?"
"Sit, Inuyasha! This isn't Sesshoumaru – "
Her words were cut off as a tall figure leapt lightly down beside the cursing hanyou, his claws at Inuyasha's neck. "No, that isn't Sesshoumaru," the taiyoukai hissed, "because I am."
*
Sesshoumaru's claws drew thin beads of blood as he increased the pressure on his half-brother's neck. He sensed the fear in the miko's eyes and he reveled in it, but his gaze shifted to the boy standing next to her.
It was like staring into a mirror. The same aristocratic features, the immaculate silver-shot hair, the golden orbs flashing like fire. There was one surreptitious difference in the youth he now took to be his reincarnation – those eyes showed compassion, love, and Sesshoumaru would never be caught dead with those emotions.
Still pressing down on Inuyasha's neck, the taiyoukai smirked icily at Kagome. "Well, looks like your bastard lover's about to meet the fate he deserves," he hissed, poison dripping from his claws.
She raised her bow, casting Kiyoshi an anguished glance, but his face was strangely stony. She had known the hanyou longer, had loved him longer, but then again, he was literally a thing of the past. And Kiyoshi gave her hope for the future.
'I can't do this...'
The arrow, tense on the string, and Sesshoumaru, his claws ready for slaughter, a compromise from which someone wouldn't walk away.
"Damn it, Kagome, will you get this ass off me –"Inuyasha began, but his words were cut off as Sesshoumaru casually pushed him even further down into the earth. "Come on, just kill my fucking brother and his reincarnation already, why don't you?'
'I can't do this!'
"Kagome, hurry up! I can't *ack* breathe here!"
Sesshoumaru let off a short bark of cruel laughter. "Let's make a deal, shall we, Kagome? I'll take the Shikon, and you can have your precious hanyou back."
And then she knew. Her arrow streaked through the air, slicing through the façade, and Naraku let out a stream of steady curses as Kagura whisked him away. Growling, Inuyasha pulled himself up from the ground, and from the look in his eyes, he wasn't pleased.
"Um...would this be a bad time to introduce you to Kiyoshi?"
*
Miroku grinned sheepishly as Sango proceeded to whack apart the last of the demons. "You know, houshi-sama, you could help," she suggested pointedly.
"Oh, but my hand is broken in thirteen different places," he retorted, just as suggestively.
"And whose fault would that be?" she muttered, shifting another few steps away from the lecherous monk. Both paused when they heard Inuyasha's faint yells. Without even glancing at each other, they took off simultaneously for the campsite, Shippou scrambling behind to catch up with Kirara.
They stepped into the campsite and stopped, peering at the strange scene before them. Shippou, with his usual tact, squealed, "Kagome, what are you doing with Sesshoumaru? I thought you were with Inu!"
"Why would I want a two-timing bitch like her?" Inuyasha screeched indignantly.
Kagome shook with fury. Concentrating, she roared, "HYPOCRITE!"
Silence. A few birds flew away, shrieking.
"You know what?" Inuyasha snarled. "Just get out. I don't need you anymore. You reincarnations –"he spat the word like a curse – "can go fuck yourselves. I don't care anymore."
"Oh yeah? And who are you getting to sense your jewels for you?"
He beckoned to the trees. She came gliding out, surrounded by the undulating soulstealers, and wrapped her arms coyly around the hanyou. Her empty, dead eyes stared coldly at Kagome. "As you can see, there is no need for you to stay."
"I don't plan to," Kagome replied coolly, trying to stop the tears from overflowing her eyes. Grabbing Kiyoshi's hand, she tugged him towards the well, but collapsed as soon as they were out of sight. "I can't leave him," she sobbed into his shoulder, clutching at his shirt.
"Shh, Kag, it's ok," he soothed. "He doesn't seem all that great to me, personally, and from what Sesshoumaru feels about him, he's a bastard..."
She recoiled viciously. "You wouldn't understand, you've never felt love for anyone, you're nothing but a callous, egotistical fool!"
His eyes seemed to smile, while his mouth remained grim. "That's where you're wrong, he whispered, and bending down, he whispered, "I do feel love."
He pressed his lips to hers. Unconsciously, her arms wound themselves around him, and in that fleeting moment, they became one, shrouded in the last gleaming rays of the sunset.
Sorry, still don't have much time to update. Will try writing sooner. Am working on revising my other stories, which suck. Oh well. I guess this one isn't that great either. Being on a math team and orchestra, both of which are going to national conferences, takes a lot out of you. And yes, I am extremely conceited about it. ~Wolfshade