A Tragic Love
Disclaimer: After the beep please leave your message BEEP: I DON'T OWN INUYASHA:
Ch. 21: Til Death Do Us Part [The Bitter End] (Part 2)
--
"Ms. Higarashi, ye have been sitting on that desk for some time. The bell rang five minutes ago," Ms. Kaede said, tapping the lifeless girl on her arm which appeared to be numb. Kagome remained slumped over her desk, staring blankly at the chalkboard, her thoughts elsewhere. She moved slightly and then, in a slow rhythmic movement, got up from her seat and stomped towards the door, holding her binder in her left hand and her backpack in her right hand.
"Is something the matter, Ms. Higarashi?"
Kagome refused to turn to the old hag. She merely shook her head and headed towards the door, a black cloud hanging over her unresponsive body. Kagome took no effort in getting ready for school that morning. Combing her hair didn't seem important to her any longer. Her energy had been sucked dry from her body and she was wondering through the halls of her school without a soul and shattered heart. She stayed up all night holding Kouga in her arms as he continued to cry beside her. However, and it is horrible to say, her mind was again elsewhere even as the poor kid told her his mother had died. It was hard to remember to breathe lying there next to him; their combined misery formed a bubble of desolation.
She urged herself up this morning, not wanting her parents to see how much their divorce had already affected her. But when she saw her father was not there that morning, she ducked her head and headed out the door, leaving her mother and Patricia in bewilderment. She had not intended to act so harshly. Why did she care if they were having a divorce? Her life was shit anyways? One more blow to the head would do nothing. But she was wrong. She couldn't take it anymore. She was done...finished...completely fed up. Their divorce was the Jenga to her wobbling wooden tower.
Along with her worries about her parents, she was also worried about Inuyasha's condition. She was happy the guy woke up but what troubled her more were the last few words he had said before she ran out of the room.
...Before my mom became my mom...
What did he mean by that? Kagome shook her head and tried to focus. Where the hell was she going anyways? She looked around and found a clock above the entrance to the main office. It was lunch time...how could she eat at a time like this? She wasn't feeling like eating, she was feeling like she was going to throw up...
Her cruise to the cafeteria was met with curious eyes and deafening whispers. She knew what they were all talking about—Inuyasha. If she had the energy she would have beaten them all to a bloody pulp. Funny, she thought, she was beginning to sound like Inuyasha...or a deranged monkey...
She silenced the chatter in her head and proceeded down the hall, finally getting sight of the cafeteria. She stopped suddenly and turned around, knowing full well that the incessant whispers would continue inside and she wasn't prepared to block out the voices and stares of a crowd of gossip- hungry teenagers. She sighed and decided to go outside where she could breathe.
She remembered Kouga then and wanted to cry. He was still in her room, probably still sleeping after his breakdown last night. She didn't know how long she was going to hide him in her room but for now, she knew, he just needed someone to be with. Thank God Inuyasha is still in the hospital, she thought. If he found Kouga there, he would have killed him.
She stopped suddenly, avoiding a head on collision with another body. She stepped back and was prepared to walk around that rude bitch when she noticed it was Naru. She was looking quite happy for someone who poisoned her boyfriend with drugs and then tried to seduce him. Kagome tried to breath but her anger was causing her to hyperventilate. She wasn't in the mood for a cat fight. She just needed to be alone.
"Well, well...if it isn't Kagome..." she said, a smile on her face. Her team of snobby bitches were close behind her, taking their post beside their Supreme Excellency—Queen Bitch. The four of them crossed their arms in unison and stared at her.
"Naru, I'm not in the mood to talk to you."
"Oh, you aren't are you? Are you still bitter that I went farther with Inuyasha than you did?"
Kagome clenched her fists, causing her books and backpack to fall to the floor. She circled around them but Naru was on her in a matter of seconds.
"Kagome, where you going? I'm enjoying our little chat."
"How can you act like this when Inuyasha is in the hospital because you slipped him some E, for your perverted pleasure?"
"Hey it isn't my fault if the boy can't handle his drugs," she said, her trio nodding in agreement. She smiled and turned to her group and then back at Kagome, "Besides, it was all worth it. I didn't know Inuyasha was such an animal. I swear the guy's got a tongue like a tiger...if you don't want him I'll gladly take--"
Kagome, tired from listening to her nauseating voice, took her fist and punched her across her perfect little face. Naru's face was thrown sideways and she cowered from the pain. Kagome stood back as Naru continued to cup her eye; strands of hair escaped from her purple barrette and fell to her face from the impact. After a few seconds, she raised her face to meet Kagome's and looked at her in horror. Traces of purple and blue were already forming around her eye.
"You bitch!" she screamed and like a rabid dog jumped onto her, forgetting the fact she was wearing a mini skirt. Kagome shielded her face and was thrown onto the cement floor. A surging pain shot down her back but she ignored it, focusing on Naru's hands which were clawing at her hair and face. Taking her free hand, she punched the bitch again, this time on the ribs, which caused her to grunt and momentarily cringe. But in a matter of seconds she was back at her again, this time using both her hands to pull at Kagome's hair. Kagome took her arms which were set free and used her nails to claw at her eyes. Naru, in defense, closed them tightly but Kagome continued to claw at them until the girl screamed. She flung herself off her, allowing Kagome to stand.
The two girls, now standing, were at a ready position. Kagome wiped the blood from her face, caused by one of Naru's scratches and smiled. 'I guess I am ready for a catfight.'
"Naru, if you were going to fight like a little bitch you should have told me," Kagome said, planning her next move.
Naru grunted and then headed straight at her, one of her straps broken, scratches across her eyes, blood dripping from her face, and a forming black eye.
"Shut up bitch," she wailed before taking hold of her hair again.
"Why...the...fuck...do you...keep pulling....my.....HAIR?!" Kagome cried in between scratches and punches.
Kagome finally kneed her in the stomach which sent Naru a few feet back, cradling her injured abdomen. But she was a persistent bitch and she came at her again, this time finally knocking Kagome with one punch to the face. Kagome stood back, pain forming around her cheek. It was beginning to swell and patches of blood were forming. Naru smiled, which annoyed the hell out of Kagome.
With the last of her strength, she ran towards Naru, who stood amazed at Kagome's energy. But instead of giving her another shiner, she stood just inches away and started to cry. Naru watched her in bewilderment, her mouth open. The crowd that had formed took a few steps back and watched the sobbing girl in confusion and sympathy. Sango had arrived at the scene just minutes after the fight had broken out but did nothing to stop it. She knew this was Kagome taking it all out—everything inside of her. It took a lot of effort to hold back Miroku and Hojo from getting in there and stopping her. But they backed down and watched the scene in torment. Sango held onto Miroku as her own tears began to fall from the sight of her best friend crying.
Kagome then began to run towards the gates, not knowing what she was going to do. She was bloody, bruised, and tired. But, she didn't want to face anyone right now. She headed to her house and violently punched in the code, instead of stating her name, and watched the gates open. She slid through the opening, not wanting to wait for it to open all the way. Upon reaching the steps to her house, the door swung ajar and her sister stood before her, anger slashed across her putrid face.
"What the shit happened to you?" she asked. Kagome wasn't in the mood for her bullshit. She slid past her and violently pushed off her shoes, desperate to climb the stairs. Kikyo grabbed onto her Kagome's bloody hand.
"Is it true Madame Chikara died last night?" Kikyo said.
Kagome looked down at her pathetic sister and smiled, "You must feel like shit, Kikyo. Does it hurt to know your marriage money is slipping away from your grasp?"
"I haven't lost anything."
"Oh really? Well, did you also hear that after she died, Sesshoumaru ran away with Rin?"
Kikyo quivered slightly but maintained her composure so as not to reveal the fire raging inside her. She stared at her sister for merely a moment before swinging around and viciously opening the door. Kagome remained at the foot of the stairs and listened to her sister's Porsche roar out of the driveway, her tires on fire.
Kagome turned her attention upstairs and slowly headed towards her bedroom, passing by her parent's room which hadn't been opened since that night. She opened her door and from a distance watched Kouga asleep on her bed.
His chest rose and fell in a calm splendor, a softness lacking in his hysterical crying last night. Kagome had never seen Kouga in such a weakened state. He had always been so domineering and strong. Now his devilish nature was giving way to melancholy. He was human, Kagome thought. Kagome found his frail side endearing.
She sat by his side, careful not to wake him and out of an impulse, raised her hand to his head, stopping slightly, and then carefully sliding her fingers through his thick layer of dark brown hair. He was so at peace now. He moaned slightly form the touch but did not wake. He continued to breathe in an even rhythmic motion. Kagome slid her hands from his head of hair and onto his face which was surprisingly soft. She traced his face with her index finger before it was ceased from a sudden grasp of his hands. Kagome shook slightly from the shock of his touch on her hands. She did not pull his hand away. She merely stared at his face and watched his eyes open and look into hers.
"Kagome..." he muttered. She released her hands from within the confines of his hands and set it by her side.
"Sorry to wake you up."
He stared at her battered face but did not question it.
He gently rose from within the blankets. He looked as though he had forgotten what had had happened last night. He continued to stare at her quizzically. Then he looked down at his bare chest and noticed he only had his boxers on.
"Um, did I do something last night I should remember?" he asked. Kagome smiled at his eager expression. He was thinking dirty thoughts.
"Don't get too excited. You fell asleep after you came in here last night. I just helped you into bed."
Kouga looked disappointed, "Oh yeah, last night..." Kagome turned away, not wanting to see the change in his face.
"I'm sorry I just came in here and laid this on you," he continued, pulling the blanket over his chest, a little embarrassed that Kagome had seen him half naked.
"No, I'm glad you came. I needed some company last night. Besides, I think you needed company also."
Unconsciously, Kagome slipped onto the bed, nestled beside Kouga, her head resting on his arm. She was tired. She needed to sleep. She wondered whether Inuyasha was okay. She fell asleep with him on her mind.
Kouga looked down at her and shuddered slightly from her presence. This was the closest he had ever been with her without her wanting to bite his head off. He wanted to touch her more, wanted to hold her and kiss her.
"Inuyasha..." she moaned. Kouga felt his heart burst from the sound of his name. He turned his head away from her and wished he was someone else in some place far far away.
--
Inuyasha headed home that night in a fierce run. His sweat glistening across his toned body. It felt good to get out of that hospital but every so often he needed to stop and vomit. He vomited from the medication and the truth. How had be forgotten his real parents? How had he believed Damaru was his real mother? He had asked himself this continuously as he was running through the streets of Soto Blvd. He wanted to be alone but he wanted to be with Kagome.
She was the only one who would understand him, the only one who knew the right words to say. But before he could touch her, he needed to first find understanding. So he headed home to find the answers to his burning questions. He searched through the house like a wild beast, tearing up every piece of furniture that got in his way. He wanted to find the truth and he knew Damaru would never tell him what he needed to hear. But what was the truth? What was he looking for? He bit his lip, not knowing the answers to these incessant questions. He just knew there was a major piece to the scattered puzzle.
Sweating from his raging war against his home, he turned to his mother's office which now looked like a tornado had hit it. Papers and books scattered across the Mahogany desk and floor. He dropped to the floor in exhaustion and felt the need to cry. He knew his father—no, not his father—but Damaru's late husband had a gun and Damaru kept it on her bedside table. Maybe he should just take it and end his misery. After all, there was little that kept him alive. All he had was Kagome. But that was enough a reason for him to continue living. He decided then that he wanted to run away with her. It wasn't like she had a family herself. They treated her like animal. They were star-crossed lovers. Inuyasha smiled.
All he needed to do was take her away and they would get married and be together forever. After all, all they needed was each other. They could be happy together, side by side. They could start a life full of happiness and have children whom they would never lie to, whom they would love with all their heart. Inuyasha laughed at his thoughts. He really did love her, he realized. He thought he would never love anyone like he loved Kagome. It was too surreal and too insane. But it was happening to him. Screw the truth. The truth would just keep him in the past and what he looking towards was the future. He discarded his juvenile idea of suicide and got up from his pathetic spot on the paper covered floor.
Before exiting the room, he headed towards the safe at the corner of the room to get some money. As a child, he would play in his mother's office, waiting for her to finish so she could play with him. She was, after all, the only playmate he had as a child. Even though he hated her, he needed someone. He remembered watching her open the safe every day and remained transfixed in front of it as though it contained a magic orb. Inuyasha concluded she was staring at her money and jewelry. After all, what else to do you put in a safe? It took him some time to memorize the combination. But after a couple months it was imprinted into his brain. He had never opened it before until now.
He looked at it for a few seconds and wrapped his fingers around the combination before slowly turning to the right. He stopped at 36 and then slowly he headed towards the left and stopped at 18. He turned it to the right again and at 25, he ceased his hold on the combo and placed his hand on the handle and turned it abruptly to the side and heard the safe click open. He held his breath for a moment, trying to imagine all the jewelry and money it held inside. Maybe he could get a ring for Kagome. He opened the door slowly and was surprised to see the contents of the safe. Held within it was a covered rectangular red box and nothing more. He took it out and instead of finding a box full of cash of jewelry, he was surprised to find a stack of letters—love letters.
--
Kagome woke up still in Kouga's arms. Alarmed at first, she instantly sat up from the comforts of his presence. She was so overcome with fatigue she had lost her self control. She had found him kind of sexy in her bed when she came in—half naked and asleep. She realized it was irresistible. But she hadn't meant to fall asleep.
She slowly untied his hold on her and slipped off the bed. Kagome felt her face and sighed at the pain surging through her mouth and left eye. She wondered what her parents would say if she saw them together like this. But then again, they might have been happy. She shrugged and wandered away from the bed and remembered that technically they were no longer her parents. Her mom was no longer her mom...thinking that, she remembered Inuyasha. She sighed at the thought of how complicated their love for each other was. In the end, she would be alone. She dropped to the floor and cried softly, not wanting Kouga to hear her. She crawled out of the room and stopped just short of her parent's room and hugged her knees, holding herself in comfort. She rocked her body back and forth. She slowly peered into the master's bedroom and didn't see any signs of life. She was tired of crying; she was tired of waking up every morning and wishing she was dead. She wanted it all to go away. She wanted, for once, to feel happy like the happiness she feels when she's with Inuyasha. She needed to protect him and everyone else from herself. She was a bomb ready to explode. She was going insane day by day and the longer she held it in, the stronger the body ticked. Anyways, it was impossible to have him. They shared a blood relation. It was never meant to be. But how come it felt so right? She leaped from her place on the bare floor and walked downstairs in a slow steady rhythmic motion. She placed her hand on the banister and watched it slide as she descended the stairs.
Kagome felt as though her feet had a mind of her own. 'Where was she going?' And oddly, she found an answer to her questioning mind.
'To your death,' it answered back. Kagome nodded in aproval and continued down the flight of stairs, her feet quickening their pace. She realized they were taking her to the father's office. A smile escaped her lips.
'Ah,' she thought, 'I see.'
She headed towards the long rectangular table and placed her hand on the polished wood. It felt good upon the touch and her fingers slid across the table and ended just short of the bottom drawer. She stared at that bottom drawer for what seemed like years before summoning all of her remaining strength to open it. She knelt down slowly and pulled the handle of the drawer in an extremely slow fashion. She looked down at its sole contents and a tear slid down her cheek before she touched the cold metal of the 45 magnum. Kagome closed her eyes and pictured Inuyasha. She didn't know it, but it was the same gun that killed Inuyasha's uncle. And the same gun that she would use to kill herself.
--
Inuyasha fingered through the letters and his knees buckled, sending him to the floor still holding the red box. He dumped the contents in bewilderment. He thought it was the love letters Damaru kept from when her and his father had dated. He opened one of them—dated on April 18, 1980:
My dearest Damaru,
I can't take this anymore. I cannot live my life not having you. It isn't fair. There are moments when my mind travels through this alternate universe—a place where our love can exist and we can be with each other forever. It is a beautiful place, my Damaru, because I am with you. But then I know it is only a poor pathetic dream of what can never be. I never intended to falling in love with you but you cannot choose who you love. Maybe this means something? Maybe it means we can start a future built on love and begin to bandage the rift between our two families. Do you think this was what our love was meant to be my Damaru? Or am I just indulging into my sad attempts to make sense of this passion and love I have for you? There are times I will myself to stop loving you because I cannot continue lying to my family and friends about the woman I love. I cannot continue pretending I hate you when all I want to do is hold you in my arms and kiss you. It is a sad life we lead and despite its difficulties I will not stop loving you. Even if we have to live our lives meeting in the dead of the night, I will continue to do so if that means it is the only way I can be with you. Do you feel the same? I guess I already know the answer to this question.
I will love you forever,
Your Sora
Inuyasha held the letter in his hands, rereading it and trying to make sense of it. Sora? Who the fuck was Sora? He wondered. A shiver went down his back. Damaru had another love before his father. Who was he? But actually that was the last question in his mind. The only thing that held his attention and caused his mind to spin in chaotic circles was the fact that he could relate to the love he shared with Kagome.
He placed it aside and took out another letter, this one marked on June 15, 1988. This one was quite short but its contents were earth shattering:
My precious Damaru,
We have passed through another dark hole of our forbidden tryst. I think it has come to an end. Meiwaku has forbidden me to see you. She promises to tell Kami about our affair and the baby if I see you again. I take her word seriously. She has a demon inside her that is beginning to take over even my own soul. I have fallen victim to her wishes. Bur, in order to protect you and our baby, I must give in to her demands. So, I write you to tell you that I cannot be with you. But that our love will not end here because I will always love you. Maybe we were never meant to be. I am sad to see my dreams of happiness fading away from me. I am even sadder to know that our dear child, Kagome, will never know her true mother. Good- bye my love.
Yours always,
Sora
He had wanted to truth and he had searched for it in a fierce panic. Was this real? He threw the letter to his side and grabbed his hair in frustration. If he hadn't discovered that he wasn't the real son of Damaru, he would be in tears right about now. But what was really causing him to panic was the fact that Damaru was keeping more from him than he knew. She had lied to him to the point of exhaustion. He couldn't fight the urge to tear something up. But retained his control and headed out the door in a blaze of confusion and rage. Of course he stopped in front of his step- father's liquor cabinet before heading out. He was in desperate need for vodka.
--
Sesshoumaru and Rin entered into the little house made of brick still trembling from the death of Madame Chikara and the bitter words of Sesshoumaru's father. He had driven to the house continuously reliving the encounter with his father. It was haunting and he feared he would never forget it despite the fact that Rin was close by his side. The memory of his father's sinister transformation was unforgettable. Rin rubbed his shoulder from time to time, sensing his pain. He would smile at her and lightly squeeze her hand but inside he was crying for salvation.
The house was surprisingly huge despite the fact it was a summer house. His family often headed here at winter to get away from the city. It was always quiet here. Zero distractions. Sesshoumaru looked over at his girl and smiled...okay so maybe there was one distraction. He heartily grabbed her suitcase (the one she packed weeks ago in case they would have to run away. It always helps to be prepared when you're forbidden to marry your boyfriend .) and headed up the stairs of the summer house. He dropped the suitcase on the cemented patio and slipped his hand underneath the welcome mat. He fingered underneath it for some time before feeling the silver skeleton key. He unlocked the door and headed inside, Rin following close behind him, her arms crossed and looking a bit worried. She didn't know why, but she was feeling nervous and looking at the brick mansion, she felt an ominous shiver slide up her bony back and down again. She shuddered and pushed the haunting feeling aside. She was happy to be with her one and only and that was all that mattered. She was worrying about nothing. She was always like this. Sesshoumaru turned around and looked over at Rin who was still surveying the room. She smiled half heartedly and patted the futon before finally planting her butt on it in exhaustion. She let out a sigh and waited for Sesshoumaru to follow suit.
He sat by her side and put an arm around her, which she immediately used as a muscular pillow. She set her head on it and closed her eyes, imagining nothing but good thoughts despite the fact that probing premonition was easing its way in her mind.
"So, it's over," she said, wanting to hear his yes of agreement. Instead, it remained silent and she opened her eyes in curiosity. She stared at him and followed his gaze which landed on a family portrait, done when he was maybe twelve years old. How naïve he was, he thought in disgust.
"I don't think we can stay here for long. Just this one night and we have to move again. You have your passport with you, right?" he asked still looking at the family picture. She nodded and let out a breath of despair. She wished he was more optimistic. She needed someone to tell her that what they were doing was right and that nothing bad would ever happen to them. These were foolish thoughts. She needed to think realistically. It was no time to live in a dream world. She couldn't be weak now, not when he needed her just as much as she needed him, maybe more.
"Okay, just the night."
"I didn't think it would be this hard," he said sighing. Rin looked up at him and shook her head. Was he losing hope? She couldn't handle it if he was giving up. But a smile escaped his lips and she began to breathe easier.
"But at least we have each other," he said. She nodded and leaned in for a kiss. She needed one just about now. He planted a soft kiss on her lips and they stared at each other for a while, seeing visions of children and a happy life in each other's eyes.
"Sorry, am I interrupting something?" said a voice from behind. The couple turned around and was shocked to see Kikyo watching them from behind the couch, a gun in her hand.
"I thought we should talk," she said, firing the gun.
--
Kagome stared at the gun, a shivering hand hovering above it, afraid that touching it would set her on fire. Several thoughts encircled her perplexed mind. First was the thought of her parents separating which wouldn't be so horrible if she hadn't found out that her real mother was Damaru. And that wouldn't be horrible either if Damaru wasn't her boyfriend's mother. She didn't see the reasons for her to continue living. After all, everything she thought she loved was gone. Nothing made sense anymore. The thought of ending her miserable life felt more comforting right then.
Finally in an impulse, she reached forward and held the cold steel in her hand. It was heavier than she expected it to be. Holding it in her right hand, she gently fingered it with her left hand. She was amazed at its appearance which was in itself already deadly. She hadn't expected to die like this. She had thought for certain that her death would be peaceful. But maybe this was peaceful—a dramatic death. But she wasn't in it for the drama; she was in it for the relief. Every muscle in her body was screaming for her to cast the pain inside her away. Like a thousand voices screaming all at once, it pushed her forward from the depths of her despair and finally she placed her right index finger on the trigger.
In a slow easy motion, she raised her hand to her temple and closed her eyes, praying she would feel no pain or if there was one, it would be fleeting. She didn't know why, but suddenly tears flowed down from her shut eyes. It was driven by fear. She was afraid of dying because it would mean never seeing Inuyasha again and never being able to grow old. But the fear that pushed her to anxiety was the fear of the unknown. What happened after this? Was there a heaven? Kagome didn't want to know what lied before her but she didn't want to continue living like this. It hurt too much to breathe. Again, shaking convulsively, she placed her hand on the trigger and took a deep breath, silently saying goodbye to life.
But before she could pull the trigger, she felt a hand on her shoulder and she opened her eyes to a barely dressed Kouga, who had tears in his eyes. With his free hand, he placed it on the gun and gently began to push it down. Kagome remained transfixed at his face, blinking little. He slowly slid her lifeless hand away from the gun and held it in his hand. He looked at it for a moment and slid it across the floor. Kagome, motionless, continued to stare at him, streams of tears cascading down her sullen face. Kouga wrapped his arms around her shaking body and hugged her tightly.
When he had entered the room and saw her on the floor with the gun at her head, he felt as though her death would mean his own. She was all he had left and even though she could not love him like he loved her, he would love her regardless. He would love her the best he could—by being there for her. The gun was cold to his touch but her hands had set him in a blaze of fire. He was engulfed by the radiation of heat she set off whenever she was losing strength.
Kagome, still at first, watched as Kouga wrapped his arms around her. Still staring at a distance, she felt her arms rise to touch his body which was unbearably warm. She liked the warmth and tightened her grip, which made him shiver.
"Kagome?"
The two looked at Inuyasha who stood spellbound just a few feet, his clothes in disarray. Kouga let go of Kagome and backed away, falling to the floor and placing both hands in front of his face. Kagome continued to stare at the raven-haired intruder who had captivated her heart. She refused to move, shockwaves racing through every being of her petite body. She wondered what was happening inside him, what concoctions his mind was brewing. His temper had risen and room grew deathly silent. Even the grandfather clock refused to tick, afraid of Inuyasha's temperament. The only thing anyone could hear was the breaking of a heart.
Inuyasha backed away from the scene, rubbing his eyes slightly as though trying to wake himself up from a nightmare. But when he realized it was a reality, he backed away again until his back collided with the bookcase. A couple books fell into the floor and again the silence lingered until it was unbearable. Kagome had tried to utter even a sigh but her body refused to release breath. She was too fixated on Inuyasha's displaced laughter.
He chuckled at first and then he slid onto the floor in a hoarse outburst of laughter. A couple more books falling to the hardwood floor.
"It's just so funny how easily I can be fooled," he said, shaking his head. Kagome noticed he wasn't wearing any shoes. She began to inch her way closer to him but he held out a hand in protest.
"Come any closer and I'll--"
"Kill me?" Kagome finished. Inuyasha looked up and stared at her before releasing the hold her eyes had on him.
"Maybe," he responded. He dropped his hand on the ground and sighed.
Kagome was surprisingly calm for someone who was about to commit suicide. But then again, she had already released herself from her hold on her life. She was merely a body now. Her soul had risen and left her to cope alone. How could she continue to stare at him when she knew she shouldn't be thinking about him at all? She released her gaze on him. But the need to look at him was intolerable. He was too breathtaking, too beautiful not to look at. She realized then she had fallen in love with his soul first and his body second. She fell in love with him for who he was and not what he looked like and what car he drove. It was sad really because how often does someone have an internal connection with someone? Kagome casted the thought aside and tried to focus on the being that was forcing her to fight against repulsion.
An inch away now, she felt the urge to touch him. Kagome could only image how soft he must feel. But she rejected the need, knowing all too well how wrong it was to touch a man that was no longer available to her. She wondered if he would find another girl. Of course, she thought, he would find another girl. After all, he was like a magnet to them. His very existence was an attraction. He was delectably enticing. Just a few days ago she had him in her arms—the icing to the cake. And now she was forced to stand as an outsider as he held other girls like he had held her.
Sensing by his jealous outburst, Kagome realized he was ignorant to the fact that they were related. Kagome didn't know just how to explain to him that they were brother and sister, well half brother and sister. But if she didn't tell him now, his love for her would grow which would exacerbate the pain and drive them both crazy. No, Kagome knew she was already crazy. She had tried to kill herself just a few minutes ago. If Kouga hadn't intervened—Kouga! Kagome turned to the cowering shirtless figure sitting on the wooden floor, bent in agony. She had done this, she realized. She had caused both men to be in pain.
"Inuyasha," she whispered. He looked up in frustration.
My heart aches...
"Don't talk to me! I actually thought you loved me!" he said in an outburst of pain and sorrow. He had come here to release her from the captivity of her family to a place where they could be together forever and this was how she was treating him. Seeing his love in Kouga's arms had shattered his already bandaged heart into a thousand shards of sharp emendable glass. In just a matter of minutes, Kouga had stolen the only girl he had ever loved. Maybe they had deserved each other after all. Maybe the love between Kagome and him was never meant to be. He thought of Damaru's well kept letter and sighed.
....Do you think this was what our love was meant to be my Damaru? ....
...Or am I just indulging into my sad attempts to make sense of this passion and love I have for you?....
If it could not sustain a mere few days, how could it survive in the long run? Inuyasha shook his head from the torment of his thoughts.
"I do—did love you..." Kagome said, remembering she had to let go of him. She wanted so badly to embrace him. But in order to release him from her heart, she needed to find a distance between their two souls. Since hers had already left her body, it had become easier. However, seeing him before her eyes, it felt as though she had never released it. Her soul was holding on for dear life.
Inuyasha repeated her words in confusion, "did love me?"
Kagome bit her lip from the anxiety she felt hearing him repeat her tortured words and looked down. She nodded her head reluctantly.
Inuyasha...I do love you. I will always love you.
Inuyasha chuckled again, "I get it. You want to be with Kouga. Fine then, go! I don't need you! I don't fucking need anyone!"
I will always need you...I will always love you.
Inuyasha grabbed at his hair.
Kagome, why? I thought we were meant to be. The house, the kids, the happy life...together...
Kagome turned around and realized Kouga had released himself from his convulsions and was staring at the two in grief. He didn't mean to cause any trouble. He had already caused enough as it is.
"No Inuyasha. She loves you," he whimpered.
But I love her too...
"No I don't!" Kagome screamed, trying to hold back tears. She needed to sacrifice. She couldn't continue to love her own brother, she thought.
Inuyasha raised his hand and clutched his aching heart. So, this was it, he thought. Kagome turned to him in despair and noticed then the smell of alcohol on his angst-ridden body.
"Inuyasha, I'm sorry..."
The pain...it hurts too much...
"Get the fuck away from me, you whore!" he lashed out, the words coming from the anguish erupting within his body.
The pain...it hurts too much...
Kagome backed off, prepared to stand firm even if he dared lay a finger on her. She was prepared for it all.
"Inuyasha I can't love you anymore...because of what happened between your mother and my father," she said. Inuyasha looked at her.
"The affair?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome nodded. Kouga slid closer, eager to understand what was happening.
"I don't give a fuck about that!"
"Inuyasha, you have to care! I can't do this anymore!" Kagome screamed.
Inuyasha stood up then from a surge of rage and looked down at Kagome who was still staring at him on the floor. He laughed again, feeling a slight buzz from the alcohol.
"I see," he said, "It's about you again. It is always about your FUCKING needs! You are the most self-centered little bitch I know. I put up with your fucking crap and even agreed to break up with you and let you go out with Kouga! Even though I felt like dying inside! But I'm not taking this bullshit anymore! I'm not just going to stand here and continue to feel this pain!" he screamed. His voice was earth shattering. Kagome felt a tremor of goose bumps spread through her distraught body.
Inuyasha...
She rose then and faced him, sending a sharp slap across his face. His head flew back slightly but he remained in composure. He stood then and looked down.
"I wish I never met you..." he gulped. Just then he revealed Kagome's father's gun from behind his back. He raised it then and pointed it at Kagome. Kagome stared at it in fear but did not move back despite the fact that it was pointed directly at her head just a centimeter away, so that if she breathed she could taste the cold steel.
I love you Inuyasha...
"Inuyasha, what are you doing? Put the GUN AWAY!" Kouga yelled. He rose then to tear it away from his grasp but Inuyasha did not move.
"Kouga, come closer and I blow her fucking brains out," he said an unreasonably calm tone. Kouga put both his hands in the air and stood still watching the scene, perspiration dripping from ever pore of his body.
"Inuyasha, why are you doing this?" Kagome asked.
"Why are you hurting me?" he asked.
"I'm not."
"Then why don't you love me?"
"Because she thinks you're her brother..." said Damaru, who had just entered into the home.
--
"You little bitch. We had a deal, remember?" Kikyo said, pointing the gun at the couple. The three watched as smoke exuded from the wall to their left where Kikyo had fired the gun. Either she had bad aim or she was trying to get their attention.
"Kikyo, it's over. My mom is dead. There won't be a wedding anytime soon."
"Who the fuck are you? God?"
"If I say there is going to be a wedding, there will be one. You won't like me when I'm mad..."
"I don't like you when you're happy..." Rin said.
Kikyo smiled at her impudence and directed the gun at her face, inching a few steps closer to make sure the bullet would tear though her brain. She had dreamed of shooting her dead on the face, now it would become a reality.
Kikyo watched the young girl release a slight tremble at the sight of the barrel in front of her face. Rin wondered whether she had done something seriously wrong in a previous life. She had fallen in love with a man whose life was as complicated as a ball of twine. In his convoluted life, when had he time to find her?
She smiled remembering the first day they met, despite the fact a gun was being pointed at her head. Hey, she thought, it wasn't like it was the first time that it happened to her.
She had remembered how arrogant he was back then. He was a self-centered brat with plenty of money to burn. He sat just three desks away from her and from time to time, out of pure boredom, she turned to him and wondered how he ticked. Was there a real human underneath that Gucci exterior or was that all there was to him? A rich smartass? There were a couple occasions when he felt her eyes on him and turned her way but she quickly turned away and pretended he never existed. She had hated him before. Rin never gave him a thought and she liked it that way. She had her own world and he had his, they just happened to coexist on the same alternate plane. But the problem was, the more she looked at him the more he festered in her mind. It came to the point where his face was plastered across her mind.
Days away from their graduation day, he took her by the wrist as she was walking out of the classroom and pulled her down to meet his eyes. He leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips. She quickly slapped him of course but that didn't stop him. He asked her out and for some unanswered reason, she accepted.
Her thoughts of Sesshoumaru fading fast from her mind; she was reawakened by a tug at her arm and turned to see Sesshoumaru feeling for her hand. She quickly took his hand in hers and faced the queen of mean.
Rin watched her in sympathy. She knew she was supposed to hate her but her feelings of sorrow for her overcame her hate. Underneath her heartless exterior lay a little girl screaming her help. For years she had been suffocated with perverse thoughts of luxury and prestige that now her mind was reduced to muddied mess of overcooked matter. Rin could see that she was so trapped within the confines of her greed that the key to salvation was much to far from her grasp. Kikyo was reaching for it but the obstacles of selfishness are slowly tearing her apart, limb from limb. And even if she found a way to escape, where would she go? There was nothing in front of her except the dollar signs of infinite mortality. To be rich, she knew, was better than being who she really was. All her life she had obsessed over the pleasures of being rich and all her life she was faced with the idea that money equaled happiness.
"If you have to kill me, then do it..." Rin said, her voice coming out in mere whispers from the fear that was eating at her heart.
Sesshoumaru tugged on her hand and tightened his grip, "Are you crazy? What are you saying?" He looked at Kikyo and shook his head in a violent disbelief, "Don't listen to her, she doesn't know what she is saying!" he screamed.
"I think the girl can speak for herself. If she wants me to kill her, then that is her choice," she paused at looked at Rin, a growing smile on her face, "Right Rin?"
Rin looked at her love for a moment and nodded her head in a slow monotonous motion.
"But can I ask you one question?" Rin asked.
Kikyo looked at her imaginary watch and said, "We are pressed for time. After I shoot your fucking brains out, I have a manicure appointment to go to and they hate when I'm late."
"Besides money, what makes you happy?"
Kikyo looked at her and laughed, "So that was your question? Your last question before you die? What the hell kind of question is that?"
"Just answer it," Sesshoumaru demanded.
Kikyo grinned, "Fine, I will. Let me see," she paused and pressed her finger on her temple for a dramatic thoughtful look, "My car, my Prada bag, and my Gucci sunglasses. Now are you ready or do I have to shoot you when you aren't looking?"
"See, when I meant money...I meant anything you would buy with money like everything you described. So tell me, without naming material possessions...what makes you happy?" Rin asked, sounding slightly perturbed and angry.
"What the fuck kind of game is this? Are you trying to stall the inevitable?"
"All I want to know before I die is what makes you happy?" Rin stared at her and moved closer, letting go of Sesshoumaru's grip which was beginning to cut off her circulation. He shook his head but she eyed him with the look of reassurance.
"Does your family make you happy?" Rin continued, "How about your friends? Or taking long walks on the beach?"
Kikyo watched her moved forward and continued to hold her fingers on the trigger. Oddly, she was shaking a little and she didn't understand why.
"Get the fuck away from me. Go back next to your boyfriend! I'll shoot if you come nearer!" But Rin didn't stop moving forward.
"Kikyo is it really that hard to think of something that makes you happy? How about Christmas? Or Pizza?"
The more Rin was talking, the harder it became for Kikyo to retain her composure. Her shaking worsened until she was forced to hold up her right hand with her left in order for her to continue pointing the gun at Rin's head. But with each word that came out of Rin's mouth, vague bits and pieces of memories were entering into Kikyo's head until she was overloaded with the reminisce of a life of unbelievable sorrow.
What did give her happiness? The question bore into her brain like a screw until it suddenly dawned on her...
"Nothing," she muttered. There really was nothing that gave her happiness. Even the thought of her own family bore tears from her eyes. The Porsche, the shoes, and even the god damn Prada bag, they were all superficial pieces of temporary happiness that had polluted her sole with the smell of new money. She had nothing to show for her years of studious desperation and societal success. She truly was a nobody. She had smiled at the thought of her sister for days of her being a nobody when all along she was a nobody. A speck on the immaculate tiles of this world. Kikyo realized her authenticity was a lie—she truly was a fake Fenny.
The mother that had bathed her in good graces and spoiled her with Gucci had merely used her as a surface decoration—like icing on the cake. But Kikyo knew that she had never really loved her not like the love that a mother gave to her child. She was then disgusted at who she had become—a living breathing pile of shit. What was there to life if she didn't have money? She had relied on it all her life that she had forgotten how to survive without it. But then again, she never knew how to survive without it. It had become not only a dependency but a mark of who she was as a person. She was no longer seen as a person but an accessory to flaunt about at parties.
"Oh this is my daughter, she goes to Harvard...she is perfect in every way..." her mother would say...but was she perfect?
She stared at her shaking hands as they struggled to hold the gun its grasp. It seemed all too simple now.
"Kikyo, let me help you...we can help you. You start all over again and be a good person."
"Yes, it's true. You'll learn to see that money isn't everything..." Sesshoumaru said, patting Kikyo on the shoulder.
Kikyo violently let go of his grasp and continued to stare at the gun, "Money cant by you happiness..." Sesshoumaru and Rin nodded. Kikyo looked up at them and grinned, "But it can buy you a shit load..." and with that she shoved the gun in her mouth, the cold steel brushing harshly against her teeth and tongue and pulled the trigger. Goodbye nothing...
The blast was deafening.
Rin ran to her side but Sesshoumaru held her back. They looked over her as she lay on the ground; her legs bend at an awkward position, her hands at either side of her body, the gun beside her face, and the back of her head marinated in deep crimson red as a flow of blood oozed out of the softball sized hole in the back of her lifeless head.
--
"Don't give me that crud Damaru!" Inuyasha spat.
"It's true Inuyasha...she doesn't know the truth."
"What the hell are you two talking about?" Kagome asked, still facing the barrel of the gun. She peered through the endless black and felt her body giving in to her weakening feet.
"Kagome," Damaru said, facing her daughter, "Inuyasha isn't my real son. I found him when he was still a child and I raised him as if he was my son. I never told him that he wasn't my real son...but...I guess you cannot hide those things forever."
Kagome stood silent and as if in a trance said, "I remember you when I was only ten...you were in my father's office. I hated you..."
Damaru sighed and said, "Yes, that was the last time I ever saw your father. I had to say goodbye to him before I left with Inuyasha and my husband. After he had forbidden me to ever see him again, I had counted the days until I could be with him again. But days turned into years. And when Inuyasha came into my life, I knew this meant I needed to start over again. So, I went to him out of pure temptation..."
"I'm glad you did," said a voice from afar. The four looked at the man who stood in the doorframe, his body covered in shadow. Kagome rolled her eyes and wonder how many more of them were going to come unannounced. It was like a party except a gun was being pointed at her face. Great, she must be the fucking piñata.
"Sora," Damaru whispered, holding a hand to her mouth as to conceal her quivering lower lip. She had seen him in nearly five years and being just a few feet away from him, a flood of memories overloaded her mind. He could not look at her because seeing the woman he fell in love with would tear him to pieces, so he remained staring at the wall just behind her, where Inuyasha, Kagome, and his gun lay.
"It's been a long time Damaru..."
My heart...it can feel your presence...and it hurts...
"Yes, it has..." Damaru refused to look at him any longer, as a reoccurring memory invaded the happiness in her mind.
"Have you forgiven me, Damaru?" Sora asked. Kagome, confused, watched the two in baffled silence. Forgiven? What had her father done besides the fact that he treated her like dog crap all her life?
Damaru backed away from him and began to hold back seething tears, "I don't think I can forgive you..."
I want to...but how can I?
"I see," Sora said.
Damaru...it hurts just to look at you...it brings back too many memories...of how much I loved you...
Kagome turned to Inuyasha, whose focus lay at the two star-crossed lovers. He felt her eyes on his body and turned to her, lowering the gun in despair. He set it down and embraced her.
"They've fallen in love, Sora..." Damaru said watching the two. Sora nodded. He walked in further until he was between Kagome and Damaru.
"I see you two have met," he said trying to lighten the mood. It wasn't working. Kagome let go of Inuyasha's embrace and walked up to her father. With all the power she had left in her body, she slapped him across the face, crying after seeing him remain erect as if he had just been bitten by a mosquito.
"Kagome, what..." Damaru asked, not knowing what to say.
"I hate you! Why did you treat me like I was some kind of disease all my life when I was your true daughter...the one who was born from your true love? I don't understand!" she screamed.
Sora stood staring at his suffering child and turned to Damaru, "Because every time I saw you, I saw your mother and that hurt me..."
Kagome ceased her whimpering and stared at her father, "But you should have treated me better!"
"I know I should have. I have a lot of secrets Kagome and sometimes they eat me up inside. I don't know how to show love because I am scared of getting hurt. I should be condemned to death for the way I have been treating you," he turned to Damaru, "both of you."
"I thought you hated me for no reason at least now I know it was for something," Kagome muttered. Then from some grace of God, he walked towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder, "I never hated you. I do love you."
"Can we start over?" Kagome asked. She watched her father nod in agreement and felt compelled to hug him but realized she wasn't ready yet in their newfound relationship. She still needed time to come accustomed to the idea that he loved her.
Like clockwork when everything comes in place, another protagonist enters into the scene. The group turned to the clapping heard from the opposite wall and realized Meiwaku had been watching for some time.
"Sorry to break up this really touching scene but I just felt like the situation was becoming too heartwarming."
"Meiwaku..." Damaru spat, eyeing her with unbelievable hatred.
"Damaru, my dear...long time no see. How are you? How is the husband? Oh sorry he died right?" she paused and smiled wider, "Okay then, how is your brother? He was such a firecracker. Oh wait, I'm sorry, he's dead too isn't he?"
Damaru clenched and fist and ducked her head, "I will not let you do this to me. I am past that now. I have come to terms with his death."
Meiwaku paced around her a couple times and grinned, "Oh really?" Sora turned to the two brooding women and placed himself in the middle as a peacemaker or barrier in case a fight broke out.
In anger he turned to Meiwaku, "Don't do this! Don't do this, not after all that has happened. It was in the past!"
"You shut your fucking mouth, Sora. I have a right to let Kagome and that little Bakemono know about what happened that night!"
"What do you mean?" Kagome asked. She was stunned to witness a role reversal taking place before her eyes. The adults had become the kids. It was scary.
"Come on Kagome. Do you remember when you father came home bleeding like a fucking faucet?" Kagome nodded her head at her mother's harsh words.
"Well piece everything together, Kagome...you're smart, right? Or have I been giving you too much credit?"
"You murdered Damaru's brother?" Kagome whispered.
"My uncle," Inuyasha whimpered. Like a rocket, he shot from where he stood and pounced on the man. Sora countered him and was on top of him in a moment, holding his hands together as Inuyasha desperately tried to punch him.
"Listen to me, boy!" he screamed. Inuyasha refused to listen and kicked him. Sora landed on his butt and shielded himself from fists of rage.
"Inuyasha, listen to him!" Damaru screamed, unable to contain herself from the violence that surrounded her.
Inuyasha ceased and fell to the floor in exhaustion. Sora got up from his decrepit position and looked down at Inuyasha and then stared at Kagome.
"I had to get rid of him...he knew about the affair and he was going to tell Damaru's husband. Damaru told me that this would be it but I could not let it end this way so..."
"So you what? Shot him in the head, you fucker!?" Inuyasha screamed.
"No, listen to me!" he paused and took in a deep breathe, "I hired someone to kill him," he pointed to the silver magnum behind the group, "and one night we spotted him and when he went out of his car, he shot him..."
"I hate you! He was a good man!" Inuyasha said, pushing himself up in order to jump on Sora again. Kagome held him back, knowing there was more to the story.
"I know he was a good man and a good brother...I realized then that I was making a horrible mistake.
--
Flashback—the Night of the Murder
Sora spotted the back lights turn a violent red and turned to his partner. They had been following the car for miles and the driver knew it but he did not try to escape. Instead, he continued to drive as if the stalkers did not bother him. He watched them from his rear view mirror in contemplation, wondering what he should do. His instincts told him to drive like a madman and save his nephew and himself. But there was another side to him—a stronger side—that forced him to drive on into the distance.
He turned to his nephew that was seated next to him and sighed. Why had Damaru allow him to enter their world of madness? It was a world corrupted by greed and possessed by power. He never wanted to be a part of it let alone force a little child to enter into it. Little Inuyasha smiled up at him and he welcomed his smile with a grin.
"Uncle, where are we going?" he asked so innocently.
His uncle turned to face the deserted road ahead and said, "I don't know yet." Inuyasha did not question him any further and continued to look out of the window in a sullen expression of sadness.
It was then that his uncle put on the brakes and the car made an abrupt stop in front of the cemented road to nowhere. The car behind his stopped just a few feet away and he clutched his heart in fear.
"Inuyasha, go to the back of the car and stay there. Do not dare put your head up, even if you hear loud noises." He looked at Inuyasha's feared expression and frowned.
"Don't you want to play a game?" Inuyasha nodded.
"Good, all you have to do is hide in the back and if I hear even a peep from you, you lose!" his uncle took him by the neck and messed up his hair. Inuyasha begged him to stop in a fit of laughter. "Okay, are you ready?"
Inuyasha nodded and slipped into the backseat. "Okay Inuyasha, now I'm just going to go outside and talk for my friends for a bit."
His uncle slipped out of the car and headed straight for the short man, who had just exited his car. Inuyasha looked up from his hiding position and watched his uncle converse with the men.
The men talked for a bit and then the small man slipped out a silver gun. Inuyasha saw it and was frightened. He hid again and covered his ears, afraid to hear what will happen. He had wanted to rescue his uncle. He tried to will his feet forward but the more he did, the tighter his hold on his feet became. He was covered in fear now, sweat escaping his every pore. It was then that he heard it—a gun fire.
Chikara watched as the Bakemono slowly made his way towards him. He could smell his fear. The Bakemono and he looked at each other for awhile until Chikara said the first few words.
"It's your lucky day."
"Oh, is it?" The Bakemono said.
"It's not every day you get to have a wish granted."
"What wish is that?" The Bakemono eyed him suspiciously.
"That you will no longer have to put up with this stupid feud again. We all know how much you hate it."
"How are you going to do that?"
"By killing you..."
It was then that Sora leaped from the confines of his passenger seat and stared at the two in frustration and confusion.
"You cannot do this...its wrong..."
"It was your idea...you hired me!" Chikara screamed.
"I was wrong," he turned to Bakemono, "go away. Get out of here!"
"You fucking Bakemono lover! First you screw their women and now you make nice with the men! You are so disgraceful! You sicken me!" He then fired his gun and shot him in the arm. Sora cowered and placed a hand over it as the blood dripped through the cracks of his fingers.
"You disgusting piece of shit. I pity your weakness." and with that he turned to face the Bakemono and shot him dead on in the head. It was then that Inuyasha rose from his feared state and looked down at his head uncle.
Sora turned away and vomited from the sight of the head body.
"Don't be such a wimp! Get in the car and watch the leather! I don't want blood all over it! I'll drive you to where you parked your car." Sora reluctantly got in and they drove away.
In a town where power prevails, it was no wonder no one investigated in the murder of a Bakemono. The next day some bum off the street was arrested for his murder without any reasonable evidence---well any real evidence that wasn't planted...
--
The group listened in torment to Sora's story.
"Who was the man that killed my uncle?" Inuyasha asked bitterly.
"My father killed him..." said a voice from the outer circle of the conversing party. It was Kouga with a silver magnum in his hand, aiming it straight at Inuyasha.
"Kouga, what are you doing?" Kagome asked.
"Something that I should have done a long time ago..."
"Kouga, you don't want to do this...you'll just be like your father!" Sora screamed.
"Go ahead and shoot the Bakemono!" Meiwaku said. Damaru punched her in the face and she was out cold.
Sora turned to her and smiled.
--
"Kouga, I don't understand!" Kagome screamed.
"That's the problem Kagome, you never understand. You never understood how much I loved you! Now you will. After I kill him you will have to be mine. We can live happily, I promise."
"You're a nutbag, you know that?" Inuyasha asked.
"I know I am. But I will do anything if it means having Kagome."
"Kouga, I'm sorry but I love Inuyasha. I can't help what my heart says. I guess if I fell in love with you, everything would be simpler. But it isn't."
Nothing is ever simple.
Kouga violently scratched the side of his head and began to cry, "Fuck you! Fuck your heart! I don't give a fuck about any of it!" He paced back and forth in the imaginary bubble that he created around himself in agony. The gun shaking to and fro as he continued his incessant circling, the group stepped back in order to make room for his escalating madness.
Kagome watched him with bittersweet eyes, searching for the man she knew he was. Just moments before, he had saved her from making a terrible mistake and he had been there for her, as he promised, when no one else was. How could she have lost him to his own raging jealousy? It had finally caught up to him and hearing story, he was now engulfing his every being until before them now lay a man without a mind and not the Kouga they all knew.
"Kouga please don't do this!" Kagome begged.
Let me be there for you like you've been there for me...
He looked at the crowd...Sora beside Damaru, their hands clasped, shouting at him to lower the gun, Inuyasha beside Kagome with his hands in the air, and Kagome in tears pleading for him to stop. They all had someone to love and someone to love them back. He had nothing. He only had an emptiness in his heart he had desperately tried to fill. But knowing Kagome and Inuyasha would be together in the end and live happily forever was like throwing salt on a wound.
Release me... and set me free...
He stared at the gun in understanding and turned to the frightened crowd, planting his eyes intentionally on Kagome's succulent face.
"It's too late..." Before pounding a bullet into his own head, he shot at Inuyasha. The two fell to the floor. Kagome screamed in torment and lay beside Inuyasha. Sora and Damaru knelt beside him and tried to comfort Kagome. Her tears were causing her vision to blur. She clutched his warm body in hers and lay on the floor with her head on his stomach. She cried in agony, shaking him, but it was no use.
Sora looked at her and knew what she was going to do next...he reached for the gun but was cut short. Kagome jumped towards Kouga's lifeless body and picked up the gun which was still wrapped around his hand. She stared at him for sometime and bent down to stroke his hair as she had done in the past. She would miss him. She planted a kiss on his frozen lips and whispered her goodbyes.
The gun in her hand, she raised it to her open mouth and watched as her parents cried and pleaded for her to stop.
'I'll see you soon, Inuyasha...' she whispered in her mind, tears of sadness and fear crawling down her cheeks and neck. She drowned out Sora and Damaru's pleas and began to slowly wrap the gun in hand. Every action in a rhythmic motion.
She bent beside Inuyasha, looking down at him with the weapon in her mouth. She could taste the cold steel. One hand on the gun and one hand on her love's heart, she closed her eyes tight and proceeded to press the trigger.
Suddenly a hand grazed her cheek and she thought she died. She looked down at Inuyasha. His eyes were still closed but she saw his mouth moving, "Kagome..."
Slowly his eyes opened and looked up at Kagome, "Don't tell me you were going to kill yourself for me. What are we Romeo and Juliet?"
Kagome dropped the gun and suddenly sound returned to her ears, "Inuyasha I thought you died." Tears continued to stream down her cheeks.
"Shit Kagome, you were going to kill yourself before you even checked if I was still breathing? He just grazed my arm." He looked up at his beauty and saw the sadness in her eyes and realized how much she loved him, "He was a lousy shot."
Kagome hit him wearily, "You're--you're so--!" but she could not finish her sentence. She bent down and kissed him on the lips.
"This means I have to go to the hospital again. And damn...I just left it." Kagome hugged him tightly and continued to lie beside him, looking at the distance at Kouga's unflinching body. She cried for him then and wondered if he was happy now.
"Goodbye..." she whispered.
--
The end...
--
Hey guys! Well that was it...all done! How was it? I was going to add a epilogue but if you guys like the ending like this then I won't do it. But if you guys need more closure, just tell me...so for my first fanfic this was pretty fun and I appreciated all the support.
Please let me thank just a couple people who have truly helped me with this fanfic:
A BIG THANKS TO:
[these are all the people that reviewed more than once because the more you review the better I feel...and even if you flamed me its cool too although I hated you for a minute or two]
miko anko-901 empress Inuyasha ioke esko pa midnight smile lil-missa dragonmistress-chan Miranda sleeping walking chicken and HAP inu's girl asienvietgirl52 /cerridwen heron anime-craziegurl16 broken-hearted-26 inuyasha101 SMILEY W(ench)9 actress-newyork inuyashasgirl puppkid chibi aznangel Katherine poot hellz angel, heavenz devil gothicmadcow
[sorry if I butchered your sn] [and of course thanks to all those who reviewed in general! I cant type all your names down but you know who u are! And THANKS sooooo much!]
since my hand is hurting....i cant name all but THANK YOU so much to all those who kept reading til the end...
I hope you guys continue to read my next story...entitled...INFERNO SIX [hehe I have to add this...]
Brief synopsis:: Inuyasha is part of an elite downtown underground gang called the Inferno Six. You should be able to guess who is part of his gang. He is a kick ass gang leader that has a rival with the opposing gang, Severed Mafia. He's so involved in taking them down and doing fucked up shit that when he notices Kagome, his whole world turns upside down. Its love at first sight. In order to get close to her, he has to become something he isn't. Does she accept him? Does she realize who he really is?
To the questions of these answers...you have to read...
Okay I was going to give you more but I don't want to give it away so ill let it as is...anyways...thanks again! It's been fun!
--co Tsukino