Inuyasha X
Chapter 16
"My friends"
By MEGAMANX411
The group had settled in at the local inn for the night. Once again, the night was filled with worry for the coming trouble that was no doubt headed their way. X was sitting alone, thinking to himself.
"Naraku..." he muttered.
Zero noticed his partner's distress, and sat down beside him.
"What's that, X?" he asked.
X sighed deeply.
"I was just thinking," he began. "Why..why does this Naraku person insist on doing whatever he's doing? Is it for fun, for spite, revenge? I don't see a motive."
Zero shrugged.
"You know, I've wondered myself," he added.
Kagome was awakened by their conversation, and joined in.
"It's because of Kikyo," she said quietly.
X turned to Kagome, looking a little surprised.
"Oh, hey Kagome, you're awake..wait a minute, who's Kikyo?" he asked curiously.
Kagome looked past X, seeming a little distressed.
"She's a priestess who could purify the souls of demons," she said humbly. "Anyway, she once cared for a badly injured man named Onigumo. He must have been jealous of Inuyasha, for Kikyo and he were in love. Onigumo resolved to sell his body to demons, and become immensely powerful. He then orchestrated this huge betrayel where Kikyo and Inuyasha would fight each other over the jewel."
Zero clenched his fist in frustration.
"Hm..lust and jealously," he observed. "Naraku's lower than I thought."
Kagome then shifted her attention to Zero.
"So...Zero, can I ask you something?"
Zero nodded.
"Sure, go ahead."
Kagome thought for a moment, and then gave him a slightly concerned frown.
"What if...I mean, after we beat Naraku, will you leave right away?" she asked.
Zero shrugged.
"Well, yeah. I have to," he replied.
Kagome looked away, seeming a little saddened by his response.
"I see...I guess we'd never see you again..." she whispered.
Zero then saw the error of what he just said. He didn't really realize he was becoming attached to the group.
"You're a lot like Inuyasha, you know," she added.
Zero raised an eyebrow in curiousity.
"You act really tough, but deep down..you're a real softie. I can tell you really love Iris," she added.
Zero just kinda smirked and let his eyes wander off.
"Look, Kagome, is there a point to this?" he asked.
Kagome smiled.
"I just wanted to say that Iris is lucky."
Lucky? Zero thought. What does she mean by---oh man...
Sango and Miroku were awakened too, and joined in. X noticed them coming.
"Oh hello there. Sorry to have woke you," he apologized.
"No, that's alright," Sango replied. "It's kind of hard to sleep knowing a trap's being orchestrated right as you slumber."
Miroku nodded.
"Indeed."
X looked curiously at Miroku's right hand. He was really bewildered why Miroku had beads all over it.
"Miroku?" he asked. "Your right hand...why does it have beads on it?"
"These?" Miroku whispered, looking down at his hand. "It's to....well, protect me."
X raised an eyebrow.
"From what?" he asked.
Miroku looked down to the ground and gave a heavy sigh.
"My wind tunnel."
X was a little shocked.
"How..how did you get that?" he asked.
"My grandfather was a monk like myself,",Miroku began. "He was pretty much like me--"
"A lecher!" Sango interrupted, sounding disgusted.
Miroku let out a sigh.
"Yes, he was," he continued. "Anyway, Naraku tricked my grandfather, and lured him into a trap. Naraku disguised himself as a beautiful woman to get close to my grandfather, and then cursed his right hand. My grandfather started the wind tunnel, which in time, destroyed him. As you grow older, the hole of the wind tunnel grows larger and larger. And in time, destroys the person as well. My father died when I was still pretty young, and I'm really the last...."
Zero nodded.
"I can see why you're so pushy with women in that case. You don't want your family line to die..." he said in a low tone.
X looked down to the ground, which a heavy look in his eyes. Miroku put a hand on X's shoulder.
"Are you ok?" he asked.
"So..you're father died, because of Naraku?" X stammered, his voice quivering a little. "And your grandfather too?"
Miroku nodded sadly.
"Yes..."
X clenched his fists together.
"That's...horrible...and what he did to Inuyasha, and Kikyo..and.." X stammered.
He sounded even more saddened. His voice began to fail him from a choking sensation in his throat. Zero lent an outstretched helping hand to his partner.
"Take it easy X," he warned.
X then turned to Sango and Kagome.
"But...I suppose Naraku has also wronged you Sango, and you Kagome..." he continued.
Sango looked down to the ground as well, as painful memories soon came to mind. She clenched her eyes for a moment, and a single tear trickled down her cheek. Kagome's effect was similar, as she remembered when a witch almost made her kill Inuyasha. X felt terrible for bringing it up.
X rubbed his eyes, and then breathed deeply.
"...I've come to a decision," he said confidently.
Kagome, quickly wiped a tear away, and tried to lighten up her mood.
"What, X?" she asked.
"I've decided that I must fight Naraku with you," X replied. "He must be destroyed."
Zero realized it would take a lot for X to say something like that. X utterly despised violence of any matter, and could no way ever think of killing another unless it was something extremely important to him. Zero understood the importance of friends to X, and his compassion for humans. He saw Naraku as kind of the Sigma of this age.
X clenched his teeth as he thought about Naraku.
"Anyone like Naraku," he began. "Should be taught a lesson."
Kagome placed her hands on X's shoulders, and looked him straight in the eye.
"X, but you don't need to get involved," she pleaded. "Besides, I thought you didn't like fighting at all!"
X shook his head.
"I...don't," X muttered.
He gulped slowly before continuing.
"But I can't sit by listening to what he's done to you and others and simply do nothing...it's..not right.."
X looked down again, a tear streamed down his cheek.
"Naraku...." he whispered.
X clenched his fist into a ball, and gritted his teeth. For X, anger was an emotion he didn't come by regularly. X quickly cooled off, and simply smiled. X said he wanted to go out for a little walk, and left the rest of the group there.
Kagome looked at X as he walked off.
"What got into him all of the sudden?" she asked curiously.
Zero nudged Kagome to get her attention.
"X is a very soft person," he announced. "He's naturally really kind and light-hearted, but he was made to fight. And he hates that. I hope you realize how much he's going against his morals for your sake. He really cares for you."
Zero walked off, and joined Iris, to get into another conversation. Sango shrugged.
"I never really thought about that. I wonder what wrongs Sigma had committed against X and Zero?" she asked.
Miroku nodded.
"I suppose maybe we could ask...but we shouldn't try to stir any unpleasant memories..." he added.
Kagome agreed as well.
"Yeah, but we've been moping about our problems with Naraku...I think it's only fair we know about them.." she said, her voice trailing off.
Sango looked down.
"You're probably right," she said. "We might be able to talk to Zero."
Zero was talking to Iris at the time. Zero sat down beside her, and flashed a smile as he placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Hello Iris," he said happily.
"Hi Zero!" she replied.
"Watcha' doing?" he asked.
Iris gave Zero a smile, and then stared up at the sky.
"Looking at the stars," she said quietly.
Zero collected his courage, sighed, and then looked Iris straight in the eye.
"Iris, I've been wondering," he began. "I know you don't like humans, but..."
"You're asking if I hate being here?" she interrupted.
Zero shrugged.
"Well..yeah I guess I was going to ask that," he replied.
Iris just smiled as her eyes looked away.
"Because humans have caused me much grief, you think I'd say yes...but no. I kind of like being with them," she murmured.
"You...do?" Zero asked.
Iris nodded happily.
"Yes..they're very kind and supportive."
Zero never really got too attatched to things, save for Iris. But after he lost her, he was really devastated. Iris was perhaps the one thing Zero loved, and Sigma robbed him of her. Zero had her back, and was overjoyed, but was still plagued with worry.
Could Sigma kill Iris again? Zero wondered. Make me kill Iris again? Take Iris away?
To relax himself, Zero just put his arm around Iris' shoulder, and brought her a little closer, tucking her head to his chest. She smiled, and looked at Zero with gleaming eyes. Zero looked back with a somewhat lazy stare, almost like he appeared daydreaming when looking at her.
No one is taking Iris away from me again, he thought to himself as he looked up at the stars. No one.
X, in the meantime, was taking his walk. Or more accurately, had finished walking, and was proceeding to lay on the grass. He stared at the stars, wondering about his destiny in life. He discussed the futility of having free will if you were born into destiny with himself. After all, what was the point of being able to choose yourself if you had no say in the matter? X pondered, and still couldn't fathom his lot in life. Should he fight for those he loves? Is fighting with a cause still unjust? What would have happened if he hadn't fought? Could he have made that choice if he wanted to? The answers seemed to escape him, and X slowly made his way back to the others with a sigh.
Kagome and the others, who intended to talk to Zero, were listening to them. They decided not to butt in, but instead, speak to X. X had returned from his stroll, and seemed a little more relaxed.
"Oh, you're still awake?" he asked. "It's getting late."
Sango nodded slowly.
"Yes, but X, there's...something we've wanted to ask of you," she replied.
X cocked his head a little in curiosity.
"What is it, Sango?" he asked.
"You've listened to us mope about our stories..we were wondering...what wrongs has this Sigma person committed against you?" she asked humbly.
X was suddenly taken aback, bringing some painful memories to mind. X gulped, and then sighed deeply.
"He..made me fight," he said quietly. "I didn't want to, I was content living my days peacefully. Until he came. I joined the Maverick Hunters because I didn't want to see any innocent people hurt. But after that, I found Sigma sending bounty hunters, generals of his army, almost everyone, at me. I couldn't stop the senseless battles. Meaningless destruction with every foe I killed. Sigma manipulated people into thinking they've achieved their dreams, and only to bring them to ruin, and all to get to me. Friends have died trying to stop him, but it's always in vain...he returns...and..."
X shook his head, with some tears streaming down his cheeks. Kagome placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You don't need to go on if you don't want..." she comforted.
X smiled and rubbed his eyes.
"No, it's fine," he assured her. "It's better to talk about it, I suppose. During my encounter with Sigma's bounty hunter, Vile, Zero was destroyed. He killed himself to save me. I thought he was lost, but there was a chance to revive him. But Sigma had his body parts. And what was worse, he blackmailed me into fighting more to retrieve them. Later, Sigma even corrupted a scientist named Dr. Doppler, in order to create a false utopia for reploids that had gone maverick. They were supposedly reformed. However, Doppler was only taken advantage of, and the reploids were harvested for body parts to make Sigma's body. Sigma hadn't had enough yet though. He later tried pulling strings with Repliforce, a reploid police force, to make them appear hostile towards humans and Maverick Hunters. Repliforce was deemed 'Maverick', and we were ordered to terminate them. All the while, Sigma took control of Repliforce's space station, and aimed a massive weapon at Earth, in an attempt to destroy it. If it wasn't for General, he would've succeeded. General plugged the cannon with his body, destroying himself. And if that weren't enough, he also had a spy working in Maverick Hunter Base. He betrayed me, and tried to kill me. What happened to Zero was worse. Zero was forced to fight Colonel of Repliforce because he was deemed as Maverick. Iris, Zero's love, was Colonel's sister, and she wanted vengeance against Zero, despite loving him. Zero had killed her....and if that weren't enough....Sigma had made me fight my best friend..."
X let a few tears down his face, but he quickly shook it off, and tried to force a smile.
"Well, I guess I talked too much!" he said with a smile. "You should rest."
Sango nodded in reply to X's request.
"Yes, we should," she confirmed. "Naraku could attack at any moment."
X forced a smile as he looked at his newfound friends.
"I'll be sure to keep watch...my...friends..." he said happily.
