Chapter 8 revised (2.7.04) ^-^
Disclaimer: ::sleeping on the couch:: I own Inuyasha... ::wakes up and is slapped in the face by cold harsh reality:: Oh.
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To Be With You Tomorrow
Part Three :: Kagome, Inuyasha & Kikyou (part 1)
Chapter Eight :: Forgiving
Kikyou drew back her bowstring and grit her teeth. "Die, Inuyasha!!"
She let go.
For a moment Inuyasha was back there, 50 years ago. His heart pounded in his ears, drowning out everything except for one train of thought hysterically running through his head. *Can I change it..? Can I change my past? If I dodge this arrow... can Kikyou and I still be together?*
"Inuyasha~!!"
Abruptly he felt himself yanked out of the way, and the arrow flew past, tearing open his sleeve. He felt a tug on his hair, and out of the corner of his eye he saw some of the silver strands snapping and fluttering on the wind.
He staggered over on top of Kagome and at the moment he saw her worried face his heart skipped a beat. *Kagome~!* She tripped backwards, bringing him down over her, but he threw out his hand, catching them on the ground as they fell, his other arm instinctively wrapping around her waist to hold her.
Inuyasha felt a rush of extreme guilt over him suddenly when he saw her eyes. She had seen the look on his face. It wouldn't have surprised him if she knew exactly what he had been thinking, as she so often did. And he suddenly felt like he'd done something horrible, the worst of the worst. *What am I thinking? .........I don't want to hurt you anymore...*
As he stood, placing his hand on the hilt of Tessaiga, he closed his eyes, feeling the last piece of his heart that loved Kikyou bury itself in him. *Kikyou is dead.* He told himself, *We can't be together anymore. Right now, all I see-- is Kagome~!!*
~*~
Kagome stared. Inuyasha drew Tessaiga, and the look in his eyes was pure hellfire. She gasped when she realized what was happening. What the determination in his eyes meant. And as quickly as she'd realized it, she was confused. *He... what is he doing...?! I thought he...*
Kikyou tsked aloud. "Dammit, I missed. Stupid bitch, it's a good thing you did that. Now I won't feel so bad about having to kill you!"
Kagome gasped when Kikyou lanced another arrow at her. Without a second thought, Kagome reached out and snatched it from the air. For a moment the arrow crackled purple energy, and Kagome winced. "Nnh~!"
And then the arrow stopped, and Kagome dropped it. It fell to the ground harmlessly, a normal arrow. Kikyou narrowed her eyes. "How... what are you?!"
Kagome stared at the arrow. *Kikyou's arrow's purification power was canceled out by mine...* Kagome looked back up at Kikyou, eyes wide. *Is this really Kikyou...? How come she doesn't recognize Inuyasha... or even me?* Her face sobered. "Inuyasha, is it... really Kikyou?"
He glanced at her, eyes downcast. "Yes... I would know the scent of bones and gravesoil anywhere... It's definitely Kikyou."
He looked back up to see Kikyou off her horse and walking towards them, eyes trained on Kagome. Inuyasha growled at her, stepping in front of Kagome defensively. The dead miko looked at him lazily. "Hanyou; they're all the same. They... don't know their place!"
She lifted a hand, placing it against Inuyasha's stomach, and the light crackled around it as she used her miko energy. Inuyasha cried out, flying backwards and slamming hard into a large elm behind him. Kagome spun to look at the hanyou, who sat slumped at the base of the tree, unconscious. Kagome turned back, her eyes wide.
Kikyou smirked. "I bet he regrets that now."
Kagome glared at her, her eyes still wide in shock. Kikyou had hurt him. Ruthlessly, as if she truly did not know him at all, Kikyou had struck Inuyasha. The younger miko clenched her fists. "Kikyou, how could you!! Don't you touch him again, EVER!! LEAVE HIM ALONE!"
With the younger miko's yell, an invisible energy pounded around Kikyou's body, and she gasped as she began to glow light blue, suddenly feeling very light headed. "Wh.. what....?"
A blue globe of light appeared from her body and flew away. Kikyou looked at it in bewilderment. *What is that..?!*
"Wa..wait..." Feeling her body give out as several more of the blue lights disappeared, she closed her eyes. "Ura.. miko..."
The group watched in bewildered surprise as Kikyou collapsed into a heap. Kagome wasted no more time on the other miko, turning and going to Inuyasha's side. She knelt by him, brushing back his long hair so she could look at his face. *Inuyasha…*
"A~~ah~~ What a pain."
At the gravelly sounding voice, everyone looked up as a black hole opened in the middle of the air, and from it, a black stallion with red eyes appeared. Riding on it was an elegant old woman in miko's robes.
She hopped off the horse and picked up Kikyou's body. "Poor child. I would not have sent her had I been aware of your power on her. I reanimated her yet again with the power of human souls I gave her... Even made her stronger than before. But you have the power to expel her souls..." The old miko glared at Kagome.
Miroku stepped between the old woman and Kagome. "You're Uramiko, the youkai miko?!"
"That I am." the old witch crooned, and Kagome rested Inuyasha against the tree trunk, stroking his cheek gently as she stood. Then she turned, her face dark as she came to stand by Miroku. "How dare you use Kikyou!"
The old woman cackled. "She is mine to use as I wish! That kijou Urasue... what a fool! 'Resurrect Kikyou'...? Don't make me laugh!" Her red eyes narrowed menacingly.
"Kikyou is dead. But this doll made of dirt and bones... it has the ability to use Kikyou's great powers. That's all this body is-- a living doll. And used in the correct ways..." the demon miko laughed as she eyed Kagome's Shikon no Tama. "After I have sown the seeds... she will reap for me a great prize."
Kagome shook with anger, staring through the ground. "Kikyou... she's not just a doll!! That's her feelings you're playing with!! Kikyou's soul still lives in that body!!" Kagome came from around Miroku, notched an arrow and released the bowstring in seconds. The arrow lanced towards the old miko. "I won't forgive you!!"
Uramiko watched the arrow lazily before she dodged without missing a beat. Kagome gasped. "She.. dodged my arrow?!"
Uramiko sneered. "Useless child's toys. A pathetic little reincarnation's attempt at fighting. Little girl, if you want to try and defeat me, you'll have to do better than this." She flung out a hand, and jaki shot from it.
Miroku leapt between them, holding up his shakujou as a barrier. For a moment they wavered, jockeying for position, before Miroku was thrown back. Sango gasped. "Miroku-sama!!"
The taijiya glared at the old witch. "You..!! ...Hiraikotsu!" She threw her boomerang, and Uramiko glared at it. "Useless..." she muttered, before catching and rethrowing the weapon at them without ever actually touching it.
"Mind power??!" Sango yelped as Miroku pulled her down, unfortunately leaving Kagome open to the attack. She gasped, closing her eyes and bracing herself for the worst.
There was a loud clang as Hiraikotsu bounced off something metal, and Kagome opened her eyes so see Inuyasha standing before her. He was wavering on his feet, but standing nonetheless, and he held Tessaiga defensively in front of himself. It looked as if it took all his strength to just stand, much less hold the sword.
"D-dammit..." he growled, and Kagome grabbed the back of his haori to support him. "Inuyasha?!!"
He ignored her. "Uramiko!! If you're after the... the Shikon no Tama, why don't you just take it!! You obviously have the strength to do so... So why are you fucking around?!" He grinned, baring one fang. "Not that I'll just LET you have it, of course. I'm just... curious."
Uramiko hopped back up onto the horse, Kikyou's body draped over her lap, and then she said, "The same reason Naraku had you attack the village when he killed your Kikyou. It needs to absorb the ill will. And this group is MORE than worthy enough to bear the pain that jewel must possess before I want it."
The entire group glared at her, loathing her, and she smiled. "That and I want to see more of those expressions on your faces. Those eyes filled with pain and anger... I'm rather fond of them."
From behind, where no one had even noticed, Tama leapt high into the air and came down onto Uramiko. "Dokka Tessou~!!"
She slashed through the old witch, whose "body" then transformed into dust. Uramiko's body disappeared, but the stallion rode back into the black hole with Kikyou, and the hole closed. Tama growled aggravatedly, looking at the dust in her claws. "Damn.. a kugutsu..."
Miroku stood, using his shakujou to pull himself up. "Dammit... she's tough... Still just a demon, but she threw back my houriki without even trying..." the houshi said and Sango, went to him, holding him up and looking over him worriedly. "Are you hurt~??"
"I'm fine, Sango." he said, giving her short glance, and she blushed a little before bowing her head, and bringing his hand to her cheek gratefully. "Thank goodness."
"Nnh!" Inuyasha collapsed to his knees, holding himself up with Tessaiga which was stuck in the ground, and Kagome grabbed onto him. "Inuyasha?!!"
He closed his eyes, breathing out heavily. "I'm okay... just... Kikyou wasn't ever that strong before. It was worse than ever..."
"Uramiko did say that. She said she had given Kikyou more power," interjected Tama, and Inuyasha cursed. "Fucking bitch. Like Kikyou needed any more strength.."
"I'm a little concerned," Miroku began, and Sango looked up at him. "What's wrong?"
"Why would a youkai miko need a human one? What possible reason could Uramiko have for Kikyou-sama? If Kikyou-sama chooses to, she can purify Uramiko in an instant. And yet she gave Kikyou-sama even more power." Miroku looked at them seriously, and Tama frowned. "You think Kikyou has more to do with what's going on than just coming here to stir things up?"
"Yes."
Kagome looked away. *Kikyou has been trapped by a demon miko and she doesn't remember Inuyasha... That must hurt him, even if he cares for me... To know that the woman he loved-- once loved... doesn't know him...* She looked at him, still holding his hand. *He must still be in pain...*
~*~
Kikyou opened her eyes weakly. The room she was in...it was her room at the temple? And there was a light blue glow around her, like the one that left her body before. She tried to move, and instantly pain shot through her. Even breathing was a struggle.
Uramiko was suddenly there, and she patted Kikyou's forehead gently. "There, there. Do not move, my dear. You're weak from your battle."
Kikyou saw one of the blue lights float into her and the pain faded slightly. She could manage words. "That girl... how did she do that..?? What did she do to me??"
Uramiko frowned. "That girl is a miko, my dear. You are a demon, and she attempted to purify you. I rescued you and you are safe once more. I am sorry, my dear one. I was unaware of the power that girl had on you. Had I known you would be in danger I would not have sent you unprepared."
Uramiko called forth one of the long light blue insects that Kikyou had seen around the temple before. Uramiko called them Shinidamachuu. She did not know what they were for, but they seemed to follow her around more often than anyone in the entire temple.
Usually the Shinidamachuu carried blue-white orbs of light, but one of them appeared with a red-black one. Uramiko took the light in her hands and Kikyou looked at her weakly. "What... is that?"
"This is the soul of a man named Onigumo. He was quite an evil one, I tell you... And this soul will increase your strength tenfold. Battling that girl would not be a problem anymore."
"Why do I require souls... Uramiko-sama...?"
Uramiko smiled. "Because my dear, you are a corpse-demon miko. You can raise the dead, and feed on the souls of the living. They give you strength." With that she passed Onigumo's soul to Kikyou.
A red light filled the room, and Kikyou cried out. Uramiko watched the girl transform with a wicked smile. *Let's see how you fare now, girlie...*
~*~
"Ow! What'd ya do that for?" Inuyasha demanded as Tama walked past him, giving his ear a sharp tug, and she looked down at him, her face the mirror of his own when he was angry.
"You lowlife bastard~!"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"I saw you today. Kagome-chan did too. You were thinking of trying to stay with Kikyou, weren't you?" Inuyasha looked taken aback. After a moment he turned his face away, "Damn you women. Always reading me like a fucking book..."
"You're a guy, and you're a simpleton. That's way too easy a combination to understand, Inu. What the hell were you thinking?~! And after telling Kagome-chan you love her!"
"I felt guilty about it, does that make you feel any better?!" he demanded, whirling on his twin, "I loved Kikyou!! I was going to become human for her!! And then I didn't even trust her enough to believe she wasn't the one who attacked me that day!!"
He calmed slightly. "If… If I'd just been able to trust her, she wouldn't be in the mess she is now! I love Kagome, but... but Kikyou is still in trouble! I have to save whatever is LEFT of her to save! And YOU have no fucking right to blame me for how I feel!!"
Tama glared at him, their noses inches apart. "I have EVERY right! I care for you, you jackass!! I care about Kagome-chan too! But sure, go ahead, if you wanna fuck up everything, go ahead! I won't stand here and stop you! Hell, I'll give you a head start," She grabbed him and yanked him up, and they started to stomp towards the camp. "Let's go tell Kagome-chan. Go tell her that it's over."
Inuyasha tugged uselessly on his hand. "Let go of me, Tama!" he yelled and she rounded on him. Before either of them realized what she had done, she'd already slapped him.
Inuyasha looked shocked. It was the first time she had ever hit him. Tama looked astounded herself, that she had raised her hand to him. They were twins, their bond unbreakable. They had always been on the same side of everything; but now they opposed each other. In the sixteen years they had lived together, they had always had spats. They were siblings; spats were inevitable. But neither had ever hit the other.
Tama looked down guiltily, hating the feeling, mostly because she thought she was right. Inuyasha was trying to fight the feeling of intense hurt he felt that his sister had hit him. The actual strike hadn't hurt so much as the knowing that she would hit him had.
Tama glared at him darkly. "Do whatever the fuck you want to." With that she turned on her heel and stomped away.
Inuyasha watched her retreating form, trying to be mad at her, but he couldn't. All he felt was hurt, and guilt, and anger, but not at Tama. He was mad at himself. Because he knew she was right.
Tama was right. He *had* had that thought. Could he be with Kikyou? It had been out of his mind in a second, but it had been there. Inuyasha stared at the ground, his face hurt and confused. *Does that mean I still have feelings for Kikyou...?*
He closed his eyes and buried his face in his forearms. *I don't. I know I don't. But it was guilt.. I feel so bad about it. Like I'm abandoning her... I can't do that, not when everything that happened was my fault... It's like running away...*
He was going to end it. He wanted to end it. He had been prepared to do so today, to protect Kagome. If he had to kill Kikyou... he had actually been prepared to do it. But thinking back on it...
Gods, could he do that?? Could he actually kill Kikyou? The woman he had once wanted to be with? The one he was going to give up everything that had ever meant to him just to be with? He was going to become a human for her and they would live out their lives together. He had loved her so much.
And through her death and resurrection and the trials afterward, she had changed so much. She wasn't the Kikyou he had fallen in love with.
But it was still her. Her face. Her feelings and her memories. Maybe not all of her feelings, because she had learned to hate him so much...
"I can't... I can't kill her..." he admitted aloud, "If it came down to it, I wouldn't be able to do it..."
"And I don't want you to."
He started, and looked up at Kagome. She was standing at his side, hands folded behind her, her expression sad. She looked him in the eye. "I don't want you to kill Kikyou... you would resent me forever if I asked you to do that. Besides, Kikyou... she doesn't deserve that."
Inuyasha stared. Kikyou had tried to kill Kagome, and not just in her amnesiac state. She had tried to kill her when she was still "Kikyou." But then Kagome had defended her, countless times. Today, she had defended her cause to Uramiko...
*Why are you so forgiving?* he wondered, *Why do you forgive me, and her, when we've both hurt you so much...*
Her voice brought him back to reality. "You know... I didn't mean to cause you and Tama-chan to fight..."
He shrugged, looking back out over the grassy hills they sat on. "It's okay... we were just mad at each other... We'll work stuff out..." he mumbled, silently adding an, *I hope...* when he shut his mouth. After a long moment of silence Kagome sat down next to him, just out of arm's reach.
Inuyasha looked at her, feeling a part of him wilt with disappointment inside. Her gesture seemed strangely symbolic. *Is that how you'll always be? Always just out of my reach? I love you so much Kagome... I wish you didn't have to be hurt by this...*
He looked away, back out over the grass. "Are you mad...?" he asked softly, and Kagome shook her head. Her voice was clear as she spoke. "No, I'm not. I know that you feel guilty for what happened to Kikyou, and I can't help that."
Her voice became even quieter, and she smiled bitterly. "But I also can't help how much I love you. So, until you can work things out with Kikyou..." she looked at him then. "You'll let me stay with you, won't you?"
Inuyasha felt like he'd been slapped-- again. "What the hell is that supposed to mean!?!" Kagome looked up at the night sky, at the many stars that glittering down at her. "We have to wait..."
Inuyasha felt numb. "Huh?"
She looked at him sadly. "Until we can be together." Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak, but found nothing to say. Why not? He wanted to disagree. But he couldn't. Because she was right.
He shut his mouth. Then he looked away and said softly, "I'm sorry Kagome... I only wanted to tell you... when I knew we could be together, but..."
"It's okay." She scooted closer and leaned her head against his shoulder and the hanyou bent his head, taking in the scent of her hair with one sniff. Kagome clasped his hand. "It'll stay the way it was before today. Before today, when I thought you loved Kikyou. Before today, when you told me you loved me. Before today, when we were just... friends."
Just friends... Inuyasha's heart pained when she said that. He didn't want that! He wanted her, and he wanted to be with her. He couldn't bear this, he just couldn't. How would he be able to see her everyday, and not be able to hold her? Not be able to touch her, to kiss her? He clenched on her hand. "Kagome..."
Her voice had a heavy tone of finality to it. "Until you end it with Kikyou, that's all we can be, Inuyasha."
The silver-haired hanyou swallowed. Kagome looked up at him. He looked helpless, lost, heartbroken. He sounded absolutely miserable as he said softly, "I don't want to break up..."
She nodded. "But... I'll wait for you."
His face turned down towards her in surprise and she smiled softly. "This time… I know you're coming back to me when you're done with Kikyou. So I promise I'll wait."
He stared at her, eyes wide. His eyes seemed to shake, he was filled with so much emotion. "You'll… wait for me...?" She smiled, reaching up to cup his cheek. "I waited before... I can wait a little longer."
Inuyasha felt a strange kind of happiness welling up from inside the intense pain. Kagome wasn't going to leave him behind; she would stay. She would stay with him, and she would wait for him.
He clasped her to his chest and rested his chin on her head, savoring the feel of her arms around his waist. It would be awhile before he would be able to hold her like this again…
~*~ To be continued ~*~
a/n :: ^-^
jaki:: dark energy. Evil humans and youkai have this and they can expel it in dangerous amounts.
shouki:: miasma; poisonous vapors
Shinidamachuu:: Kikyou's blue soul-carrying bugs.
kugutsu -- Naraku's other favorite hobby besides miasma: demon puppetry so you THINK you're messing with the real thing, but-- YER NOT~! Bwaa haa haa~
~*~ V^-^V ~*~
Tessen
Disclaimer: ::sleeping on the couch:: I own Inuyasha... ::wakes up and is slapped in the face by cold harsh reality:: Oh.
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To Be With You Tomorrow
Part Three :: Kagome, Inuyasha & Kikyou (part 1)
Chapter Eight :: Forgiving
Kikyou drew back her bowstring and grit her teeth. "Die, Inuyasha!!"
She let go.
For a moment Inuyasha was back there, 50 years ago. His heart pounded in his ears, drowning out everything except for one train of thought hysterically running through his head. *Can I change it..? Can I change my past? If I dodge this arrow... can Kikyou and I still be together?*
"Inuyasha~!!"
Abruptly he felt himself yanked out of the way, and the arrow flew past, tearing open his sleeve. He felt a tug on his hair, and out of the corner of his eye he saw some of the silver strands snapping and fluttering on the wind.
He staggered over on top of Kagome and at the moment he saw her worried face his heart skipped a beat. *Kagome~!* She tripped backwards, bringing him down over her, but he threw out his hand, catching them on the ground as they fell, his other arm instinctively wrapping around her waist to hold her.
Inuyasha felt a rush of extreme guilt over him suddenly when he saw her eyes. She had seen the look on his face. It wouldn't have surprised him if she knew exactly what he had been thinking, as she so often did. And he suddenly felt like he'd done something horrible, the worst of the worst. *What am I thinking? .........I don't want to hurt you anymore...*
As he stood, placing his hand on the hilt of Tessaiga, he closed his eyes, feeling the last piece of his heart that loved Kikyou bury itself in him. *Kikyou is dead.* He told himself, *We can't be together anymore. Right now, all I see-- is Kagome~!!*
~*~
Kagome stared. Inuyasha drew Tessaiga, and the look in his eyes was pure hellfire. She gasped when she realized what was happening. What the determination in his eyes meant. And as quickly as she'd realized it, she was confused. *He... what is he doing...?! I thought he...*
Kikyou tsked aloud. "Dammit, I missed. Stupid bitch, it's a good thing you did that. Now I won't feel so bad about having to kill you!"
Kagome gasped when Kikyou lanced another arrow at her. Without a second thought, Kagome reached out and snatched it from the air. For a moment the arrow crackled purple energy, and Kagome winced. "Nnh~!"
And then the arrow stopped, and Kagome dropped it. It fell to the ground harmlessly, a normal arrow. Kikyou narrowed her eyes. "How... what are you?!"
Kagome stared at the arrow. *Kikyou's arrow's purification power was canceled out by mine...* Kagome looked back up at Kikyou, eyes wide. *Is this really Kikyou...? How come she doesn't recognize Inuyasha... or even me?* Her face sobered. "Inuyasha, is it... really Kikyou?"
He glanced at her, eyes downcast. "Yes... I would know the scent of bones and gravesoil anywhere... It's definitely Kikyou."
He looked back up to see Kikyou off her horse and walking towards them, eyes trained on Kagome. Inuyasha growled at her, stepping in front of Kagome defensively. The dead miko looked at him lazily. "Hanyou; they're all the same. They... don't know their place!"
She lifted a hand, placing it against Inuyasha's stomach, and the light crackled around it as she used her miko energy. Inuyasha cried out, flying backwards and slamming hard into a large elm behind him. Kagome spun to look at the hanyou, who sat slumped at the base of the tree, unconscious. Kagome turned back, her eyes wide.
Kikyou smirked. "I bet he regrets that now."
Kagome glared at her, her eyes still wide in shock. Kikyou had hurt him. Ruthlessly, as if she truly did not know him at all, Kikyou had struck Inuyasha. The younger miko clenched her fists. "Kikyou, how could you!! Don't you touch him again, EVER!! LEAVE HIM ALONE!"
With the younger miko's yell, an invisible energy pounded around Kikyou's body, and she gasped as she began to glow light blue, suddenly feeling very light headed. "Wh.. what....?"
A blue globe of light appeared from her body and flew away. Kikyou looked at it in bewilderment. *What is that..?!*
"Wa..wait..." Feeling her body give out as several more of the blue lights disappeared, she closed her eyes. "Ura.. miko..."
The group watched in bewildered surprise as Kikyou collapsed into a heap. Kagome wasted no more time on the other miko, turning and going to Inuyasha's side. She knelt by him, brushing back his long hair so she could look at his face. *Inuyasha…*
"A~~ah~~ What a pain."
At the gravelly sounding voice, everyone looked up as a black hole opened in the middle of the air, and from it, a black stallion with red eyes appeared. Riding on it was an elegant old woman in miko's robes.
She hopped off the horse and picked up Kikyou's body. "Poor child. I would not have sent her had I been aware of your power on her. I reanimated her yet again with the power of human souls I gave her... Even made her stronger than before. But you have the power to expel her souls..." The old miko glared at Kagome.
Miroku stepped between the old woman and Kagome. "You're Uramiko, the youkai miko?!"
"That I am." the old witch crooned, and Kagome rested Inuyasha against the tree trunk, stroking his cheek gently as she stood. Then she turned, her face dark as she came to stand by Miroku. "How dare you use Kikyou!"
The old woman cackled. "She is mine to use as I wish! That kijou Urasue... what a fool! 'Resurrect Kikyou'...? Don't make me laugh!" Her red eyes narrowed menacingly.
"Kikyou is dead. But this doll made of dirt and bones... it has the ability to use Kikyou's great powers. That's all this body is-- a living doll. And used in the correct ways..." the demon miko laughed as she eyed Kagome's Shikon no Tama. "After I have sown the seeds... she will reap for me a great prize."
Kagome shook with anger, staring through the ground. "Kikyou... she's not just a doll!! That's her feelings you're playing with!! Kikyou's soul still lives in that body!!" Kagome came from around Miroku, notched an arrow and released the bowstring in seconds. The arrow lanced towards the old miko. "I won't forgive you!!"
Uramiko watched the arrow lazily before she dodged without missing a beat. Kagome gasped. "She.. dodged my arrow?!"
Uramiko sneered. "Useless child's toys. A pathetic little reincarnation's attempt at fighting. Little girl, if you want to try and defeat me, you'll have to do better than this." She flung out a hand, and jaki shot from it.
Miroku leapt between them, holding up his shakujou as a barrier. For a moment they wavered, jockeying for position, before Miroku was thrown back. Sango gasped. "Miroku-sama!!"
The taijiya glared at the old witch. "You..!! ...Hiraikotsu!" She threw her boomerang, and Uramiko glared at it. "Useless..." she muttered, before catching and rethrowing the weapon at them without ever actually touching it.
"Mind power??!" Sango yelped as Miroku pulled her down, unfortunately leaving Kagome open to the attack. She gasped, closing her eyes and bracing herself for the worst.
There was a loud clang as Hiraikotsu bounced off something metal, and Kagome opened her eyes so see Inuyasha standing before her. He was wavering on his feet, but standing nonetheless, and he held Tessaiga defensively in front of himself. It looked as if it took all his strength to just stand, much less hold the sword.
"D-dammit..." he growled, and Kagome grabbed the back of his haori to support him. "Inuyasha?!!"
He ignored her. "Uramiko!! If you're after the... the Shikon no Tama, why don't you just take it!! You obviously have the strength to do so... So why are you fucking around?!" He grinned, baring one fang. "Not that I'll just LET you have it, of course. I'm just... curious."
Uramiko hopped back up onto the horse, Kikyou's body draped over her lap, and then she said, "The same reason Naraku had you attack the village when he killed your Kikyou. It needs to absorb the ill will. And this group is MORE than worthy enough to bear the pain that jewel must possess before I want it."
The entire group glared at her, loathing her, and she smiled. "That and I want to see more of those expressions on your faces. Those eyes filled with pain and anger... I'm rather fond of them."
From behind, where no one had even noticed, Tama leapt high into the air and came down onto Uramiko. "Dokka Tessou~!!"
She slashed through the old witch, whose "body" then transformed into dust. Uramiko's body disappeared, but the stallion rode back into the black hole with Kikyou, and the hole closed. Tama growled aggravatedly, looking at the dust in her claws. "Damn.. a kugutsu..."
Miroku stood, using his shakujou to pull himself up. "Dammit... she's tough... Still just a demon, but she threw back my houriki without even trying..." the houshi said and Sango, went to him, holding him up and looking over him worriedly. "Are you hurt~??"
"I'm fine, Sango." he said, giving her short glance, and she blushed a little before bowing her head, and bringing his hand to her cheek gratefully. "Thank goodness."
"Nnh!" Inuyasha collapsed to his knees, holding himself up with Tessaiga which was stuck in the ground, and Kagome grabbed onto him. "Inuyasha?!!"
He closed his eyes, breathing out heavily. "I'm okay... just... Kikyou wasn't ever that strong before. It was worse than ever..."
"Uramiko did say that. She said she had given Kikyou more power," interjected Tama, and Inuyasha cursed. "Fucking bitch. Like Kikyou needed any more strength.."
"I'm a little concerned," Miroku began, and Sango looked up at him. "What's wrong?"
"Why would a youkai miko need a human one? What possible reason could Uramiko have for Kikyou-sama? If Kikyou-sama chooses to, she can purify Uramiko in an instant. And yet she gave Kikyou-sama even more power." Miroku looked at them seriously, and Tama frowned. "You think Kikyou has more to do with what's going on than just coming here to stir things up?"
"Yes."
Kagome looked away. *Kikyou has been trapped by a demon miko and she doesn't remember Inuyasha... That must hurt him, even if he cares for me... To know that the woman he loved-- once loved... doesn't know him...* She looked at him, still holding his hand. *He must still be in pain...*
~*~
Kikyou opened her eyes weakly. The room she was in...it was her room at the temple? And there was a light blue glow around her, like the one that left her body before. She tried to move, and instantly pain shot through her. Even breathing was a struggle.
Uramiko was suddenly there, and she patted Kikyou's forehead gently. "There, there. Do not move, my dear. You're weak from your battle."
Kikyou saw one of the blue lights float into her and the pain faded slightly. She could manage words. "That girl... how did she do that..?? What did she do to me??"
Uramiko frowned. "That girl is a miko, my dear. You are a demon, and she attempted to purify you. I rescued you and you are safe once more. I am sorry, my dear one. I was unaware of the power that girl had on you. Had I known you would be in danger I would not have sent you unprepared."
Uramiko called forth one of the long light blue insects that Kikyou had seen around the temple before. Uramiko called them Shinidamachuu. She did not know what they were for, but they seemed to follow her around more often than anyone in the entire temple.
Usually the Shinidamachuu carried blue-white orbs of light, but one of them appeared with a red-black one. Uramiko took the light in her hands and Kikyou looked at her weakly. "What... is that?"
"This is the soul of a man named Onigumo. He was quite an evil one, I tell you... And this soul will increase your strength tenfold. Battling that girl would not be a problem anymore."
"Why do I require souls... Uramiko-sama...?"
Uramiko smiled. "Because my dear, you are a corpse-demon miko. You can raise the dead, and feed on the souls of the living. They give you strength." With that she passed Onigumo's soul to Kikyou.
A red light filled the room, and Kikyou cried out. Uramiko watched the girl transform with a wicked smile. *Let's see how you fare now, girlie...*
~*~
"Ow! What'd ya do that for?" Inuyasha demanded as Tama walked past him, giving his ear a sharp tug, and she looked down at him, her face the mirror of his own when he was angry.
"You lowlife bastard~!"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"I saw you today. Kagome-chan did too. You were thinking of trying to stay with Kikyou, weren't you?" Inuyasha looked taken aback. After a moment he turned his face away, "Damn you women. Always reading me like a fucking book..."
"You're a guy, and you're a simpleton. That's way too easy a combination to understand, Inu. What the hell were you thinking?~! And after telling Kagome-chan you love her!"
"I felt guilty about it, does that make you feel any better?!" he demanded, whirling on his twin, "I loved Kikyou!! I was going to become human for her!! And then I didn't even trust her enough to believe she wasn't the one who attacked me that day!!"
He calmed slightly. "If… If I'd just been able to trust her, she wouldn't be in the mess she is now! I love Kagome, but... but Kikyou is still in trouble! I have to save whatever is LEFT of her to save! And YOU have no fucking right to blame me for how I feel!!"
Tama glared at him, their noses inches apart. "I have EVERY right! I care for you, you jackass!! I care about Kagome-chan too! But sure, go ahead, if you wanna fuck up everything, go ahead! I won't stand here and stop you! Hell, I'll give you a head start," She grabbed him and yanked him up, and they started to stomp towards the camp. "Let's go tell Kagome-chan. Go tell her that it's over."
Inuyasha tugged uselessly on his hand. "Let go of me, Tama!" he yelled and she rounded on him. Before either of them realized what she had done, she'd already slapped him.
Inuyasha looked shocked. It was the first time she had ever hit him. Tama looked astounded herself, that she had raised her hand to him. They were twins, their bond unbreakable. They had always been on the same side of everything; but now they opposed each other. In the sixteen years they had lived together, they had always had spats. They were siblings; spats were inevitable. But neither had ever hit the other.
Tama looked down guiltily, hating the feeling, mostly because she thought she was right. Inuyasha was trying to fight the feeling of intense hurt he felt that his sister had hit him. The actual strike hadn't hurt so much as the knowing that she would hit him had.
Tama glared at him darkly. "Do whatever the fuck you want to." With that she turned on her heel and stomped away.
Inuyasha watched her retreating form, trying to be mad at her, but he couldn't. All he felt was hurt, and guilt, and anger, but not at Tama. He was mad at himself. Because he knew she was right.
Tama was right. He *had* had that thought. Could he be with Kikyou? It had been out of his mind in a second, but it had been there. Inuyasha stared at the ground, his face hurt and confused. *Does that mean I still have feelings for Kikyou...?*
He closed his eyes and buried his face in his forearms. *I don't. I know I don't. But it was guilt.. I feel so bad about it. Like I'm abandoning her... I can't do that, not when everything that happened was my fault... It's like running away...*
He was going to end it. He wanted to end it. He had been prepared to do so today, to protect Kagome. If he had to kill Kikyou... he had actually been prepared to do it. But thinking back on it...
Gods, could he do that?? Could he actually kill Kikyou? The woman he had once wanted to be with? The one he was going to give up everything that had ever meant to him just to be with? He was going to become a human for her and they would live out their lives together. He had loved her so much.
And through her death and resurrection and the trials afterward, she had changed so much. She wasn't the Kikyou he had fallen in love with.
But it was still her. Her face. Her feelings and her memories. Maybe not all of her feelings, because she had learned to hate him so much...
"I can't... I can't kill her..." he admitted aloud, "If it came down to it, I wouldn't be able to do it..."
"And I don't want you to."
He started, and looked up at Kagome. She was standing at his side, hands folded behind her, her expression sad. She looked him in the eye. "I don't want you to kill Kikyou... you would resent me forever if I asked you to do that. Besides, Kikyou... she doesn't deserve that."
Inuyasha stared. Kikyou had tried to kill Kagome, and not just in her amnesiac state. She had tried to kill her when she was still "Kikyou." But then Kagome had defended her, countless times. Today, she had defended her cause to Uramiko...
*Why are you so forgiving?* he wondered, *Why do you forgive me, and her, when we've both hurt you so much...*
Her voice brought him back to reality. "You know... I didn't mean to cause you and Tama-chan to fight..."
He shrugged, looking back out over the grassy hills they sat on. "It's okay... we were just mad at each other... We'll work stuff out..." he mumbled, silently adding an, *I hope...* when he shut his mouth. After a long moment of silence Kagome sat down next to him, just out of arm's reach.
Inuyasha looked at her, feeling a part of him wilt with disappointment inside. Her gesture seemed strangely symbolic. *Is that how you'll always be? Always just out of my reach? I love you so much Kagome... I wish you didn't have to be hurt by this...*
He looked away, back out over the grass. "Are you mad...?" he asked softly, and Kagome shook her head. Her voice was clear as she spoke. "No, I'm not. I know that you feel guilty for what happened to Kikyou, and I can't help that."
Her voice became even quieter, and she smiled bitterly. "But I also can't help how much I love you. So, until you can work things out with Kikyou..." she looked at him then. "You'll let me stay with you, won't you?"
Inuyasha felt like he'd been slapped-- again. "What the hell is that supposed to mean!?!" Kagome looked up at the night sky, at the many stars that glittering down at her. "We have to wait..."
Inuyasha felt numb. "Huh?"
She looked at him sadly. "Until we can be together." Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak, but found nothing to say. Why not? He wanted to disagree. But he couldn't. Because she was right.
He shut his mouth. Then he looked away and said softly, "I'm sorry Kagome... I only wanted to tell you... when I knew we could be together, but..."
"It's okay." She scooted closer and leaned her head against his shoulder and the hanyou bent his head, taking in the scent of her hair with one sniff. Kagome clasped his hand. "It'll stay the way it was before today. Before today, when I thought you loved Kikyou. Before today, when you told me you loved me. Before today, when we were just... friends."
Just friends... Inuyasha's heart pained when she said that. He didn't want that! He wanted her, and he wanted to be with her. He couldn't bear this, he just couldn't. How would he be able to see her everyday, and not be able to hold her? Not be able to touch her, to kiss her? He clenched on her hand. "Kagome..."
Her voice had a heavy tone of finality to it. "Until you end it with Kikyou, that's all we can be, Inuyasha."
The silver-haired hanyou swallowed. Kagome looked up at him. He looked helpless, lost, heartbroken. He sounded absolutely miserable as he said softly, "I don't want to break up..."
She nodded. "But... I'll wait for you."
His face turned down towards her in surprise and she smiled softly. "This time… I know you're coming back to me when you're done with Kikyou. So I promise I'll wait."
He stared at her, eyes wide. His eyes seemed to shake, he was filled with so much emotion. "You'll… wait for me...?" She smiled, reaching up to cup his cheek. "I waited before... I can wait a little longer."
Inuyasha felt a strange kind of happiness welling up from inside the intense pain. Kagome wasn't going to leave him behind; she would stay. She would stay with him, and she would wait for him.
He clasped her to his chest and rested his chin on her head, savoring the feel of her arms around his waist. It would be awhile before he would be able to hold her like this again…
~*~ To be continued ~*~
a/n :: ^-^
jaki:: dark energy. Evil humans and youkai have this and they can expel it in dangerous amounts.
shouki:: miasma; poisonous vapors
Shinidamachuu:: Kikyou's blue soul-carrying bugs.
kugutsu -- Naraku's other favorite hobby besides miasma: demon puppetry so you THINK you're messing with the real thing, but-- YER NOT~! Bwaa haa haa~
~*~ V^-^V ~*~
Tessen