Nights in White Satin
Chapter Thirteen: The Serenity of the Elements
Written by Sleepwalking Chicken
Written on October 4, 2004
Author's notes: Thank you so much. Those who have reviewed are the kindest, sweetest, greatest people in the world! You have no idea how much your responses mean to me. It inspires me to write and really makes my day (especially when said day is shitty). Big round of applause to szmadad, who pointed out two things that no one else has (And to that the Jew says, "FINALLY!"). Two things I was going to address in the next few chapters, but was beaten to it. (smiles brightly) I love you guys so much!
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She was still crying. He could understand why she was sad, he was sad himself, but he was beginning to worry. What if he was making the wrong decision? What if he died? What if it all turned out to be a rumor and it was hopeless?
Inuyasha bit his lip and held Kagome gently. "Stop crying." His voice was strained and pained. Kagome grasped his shoulders and tried to speak, but her voice was cut off by a sob. "I said I'd come back. Please stop, Kagome."
She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. It just… hurts…"
It was almost impossible to understand what she just said and he closed his eyes trying to drown out the sound of Kagome's sobs with the beat of his racing heart. He could hear Kagome's racing against her ribcage, along with her sobs as she tried to get enough oxygen into her body.
"Kagome, everything's going to be okay," he said warmly, his eyes softening as his claws gently pulled through her dark hair, the sharp points lightly massaging her scalp.
Her sobs gently quieted and she leaned against him, sniffling and burying her head into his shoulder. He let out a small sigh, his golden eyes drifting closed as he inhaled her scent. She was so beautiful and so caring. It cut him deep inside knowing that he'd have to leave her in the morning for who knew how long. A part of him told him that he should just forget about it, live his life as a youkai and take Kagome as his mate, despite how long he may have her.
But he knew he couldn't.
Though, he thanked his youkai half for allowing this to happen; as a hanyou he might have never gotten close to Kagome, but he needed his human self. Like the sky needs both the sun and the moon, he felt incomplete and abnormal without his second half. He found it ironic how even though he'd finally gotten his wish, he would trade it all for his dog ears back.
He hadn't realized how much he was used to having those ears up there until they were gone. As it was with most things.
Kagome stirred in his arms and pulled away, letting out a small sigh. "I'm sorry; I've just been very emotional lately." She rubbed her eyes desperately. It was obvious that she wasn't done crying, but she was trying to stop.
"Kagome…" he said gently, his eyes soft as he reached out his hands, cupping her cheeks gently. He titled his head to the side so that his eyes met her averted gaze. "It's okay to cry."
Her blue orbs widened just a fraction and a small smile shadowed her lips.
"Sometimes crying shows that you're human," he said quieter still. Her lips quirked into a full smile and she nodded, silent tears running down her cheeks.
"I'm being overly emotional," she whispered.
'No…Kagome… you're just being you. You've always been an emotional and caring person. That's who you are. Crying these tears… you're proving to me just how much you love me…' He gently shook his head and collected Kagome into his arms, his strong arms wrapping securely around her as he held her softly in his lap.
"I'll always be here for you, Kagome," he promised again, his golden eyes staring at the crown of her head. Kagome buried her head into the security of his chest, her fingers gripping his red haori securely. He closed his eyes and inhaled her scent, relishing in the delicious way her scent stirred memories within him. "Nothing in this world will keep me away from you."
Kagome nodded her head. He could feel the dampness of her tears collecting on the shoulder of his haori. His lips turned downwards in a small frown as he gazed down at her.
"I love you…" Even now, it was an effort to say those three simple words. Three words that meant nothing apart, but when put together could mean the world to two people. The worlds fumbled from his lips slowly, like honey, his throat tightening as he said it. He knew of Kagome's feelings… he knew of his own feelings. But still, it felt odd to say such words after almost a year of staying silent over his feelings for Kagome.
The girl squeezed him tightly, her eyes shut tightly as the last of her tears slid down her rosy cheeks only to meet at her chin and fall from her to the ground.
"I love you, too," she whispered, the words coming much easier for her than the youkai. She'd always been good at expressing her feelings. She'd grown up in a family filled with love. Up until she'd fallen into the past, Kagome hadn't known the heartbreak one felt when you found your love unrequited. Her lips parted lightly as she tilted her head upward and captured the youkai's lips with her own.
The youkai paused only for a moment, his eyes widening in surprise at the girl's sweet and chaste action before he lowered his head and pressed firmly against her lips. The girl found herself tipping backward against the soft, grassy ground; the youkai following after her like a dog does its master.
Her hands tangled in his long, silken hair, her fingernails scraping against his scalp. His lips left her for a brief moment in favor of pulling away to look at her. He smiled lightly, his arms on either side of her as he supported his weight from crushing her. "Let me be with you." His blood roared in his ears, he could feel his youkai blood pulsing through his veins. The beating of his heart thumped acrimoniously against his chest like a brisk drumbeat as his golden eyes stared at her, unfazed.
The girl seemed apprehensive at first but her fingers moved so that they traced the purple lines on his cheeks, the jagged edges flying across his skin. Finally, she nodded.
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The group was silent the following morning as they traveled across the waters towards the island north of Hokkaido. There was an undeniable dreariness about the group. Sango and Miroku were unaware of what had transpired between Inuyasha and Kagome the night before, and for the time being the couple was content in not sharing the knowledge of their union.
It wore thick on their minds the fact that they were nearing their destination. The once-hanyou's golden eyes never strayed from the mountain growing closer and closer still. Its tall summit towered above the clouds, its peak capped with snow and its surrounding area covered in thick trees. Clouds obscured the once beautifully blue sky and sunbeams burst from the grey clouds casting an uncanny and surreal glow on the enchanted mountain.
They were almost there, and with every passing moment, the tension in the party grew tenser and tenser to the point where it was strung like a rubber band pulled as far as it would go. Any slight movement would make it snap and if you were to release the band, it would go sailing far away.
Kagome didn't like this analogy. Her blue eyes flickered towards the youkai, who sat near the front. The morning's soft breeze rustled his satin hair, giving her glimpses of the side of his face. She felt slightly distant from him. She'd given him so much last night; it seemed like she was left with nothing to remember him by should the opportunity arise that her youkai would fall in battle.
The kitsune noticed her silent fretting and snuggled against her, squeezing his head under her arm and against her side much like Buyo did back home. Thinking of her cat made her heart squeeze with the knowledge that she would never see her family and friends again. She gently shook her head, reminding herself that now was not the time to be thinking of such things. She tenderly stroked the fox's head, her fingers pulling through the auburn locks like a mother did her child.
They docked on the island's soft sand around noon. No words were exchanged between the others as they set off into the forest, their outlines disappearing in the tree line.
The island was very tiny, they discovered.
Sooner than they expected, their feet came to a stand still, their eyes widening in shock as they stared at the mountain before them. Its grassy base moved upwards in an almost pleasant walk like manor before it transformed into rocky cliffs and snow cap. Between the snow and the rock, there was one large ledge that held a shrine. It was tiny from their positions, but they could make out the dreary, worn look of a very old shrine. Stairs led up the mountain, carved into the mountain's face like a sculptor did with marble.
Inuyasha's fingers flickered to Tessaiga, his golden eyes narrowed in determination.
"Inuyasha…" Kagome murmured. It was the first thing anyone had said in hours. Inuyasha lightly turned to look at her, expecting another crying spree like the night before. Instead, he found Kagome smiling softly at him. "I love you."
It was the first time she'd said it in front of someone other than just him. Sango and Miroku watched in bemused silence as Inuyasha blushed lightly.
He nodded his head, his golden eyes flickering towards his companions only briefly before he muttered softly, coyly, "I love you, too."
And with those final words of love and adoration, the youkai turned his back on his companions, the one's who had been with him since the very beginning, and began to ascend the mountain.
His foot touched the first step lightly and it seemed the world held its breath as he climbed the stone steps; until there was a bend in the road and the youkai was gone.
He was alone.
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He didn't know how long he traveled, but he became increasingly aware that he was being watched. By who, he wasn't sure. But he felt the eerie feel of eyes staring at his back as he moved along the terrain of the mountain. Its massive summit was much larger and taller than the youkai had expected, and he moved at a sluggish and lethargic pace.
The crumble of rocks falling down the mountain's face to his right caused the youkai to stop dead in his tracks and snap his head up.
A woman, no older than twenty summers, stood before him, just on a thick rocky ledge, her dark, deadly blue eyes observing him. "What do we have here? An inu youkai?"
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed and he drew his lips back to flash his fangs at the woman.
She wore a blue kimono with a darker blue obi and an even darker blue bow. Her dark blue hair was short and stopped at her chin. Her dark, mysterious eyes surveyed the youkai with an unreadable look before she placed a hand on her hip.
"I do say, I haven't seen a youkai in quite a while. I normally encounter humans. No matter." She smiled gracefully.
"Who the fuck are you?" Inuyasha demanded.
"Ah, so you can speak." She let out a sigh and sat down on the ledge she stood on, her legs kicking out from under the billowing folds of her kimono. "So, youkai, what brings you to this humble mountainside?"
"You know why," Inuyasha snapped, his golden eyes burning. The blue girl nodded her head.
"Yes, I suppose I do. But there's always the possibility…" She trailed off, a mysterious smile on her lips as she let out a small sigh again.
"You're a guardian of this mountain, aren't you?" Inuyasha asked.
"My, you're smarter than you look, too," the girl said with and elegant wave of her hand. "Very good, puppy. I am the first guardian; Amaya, the water holder." She said it calmly, her blue eyes observing the youkai with an elegant grace. "I'm afraid you are not allowed to pass. Please turn back now and be spared the fight my sisters and I will be giving you."
"Feh, there's no way I'll let you scare me. You're just a fucking little girl," Inuyasha snapped, his golden eyes burning with rage and his ever present arrogance.
The water sprite let out small, almost sad breath of air and stood upright. "So be it. You have signed your fate youkai. You shan't escape with your life, I'm afraid."
"Bring it on, wench," Inuyasha snapped, his eyes blazing.
The girl jumped lightly from her perch and gracefully landed before him. Her body glowed with a blue aura, its surreal glow drawing attention to her jewel-like eyes as she sprung forward in liquid grace. The youkai quickly dodged the water holder's attack and retreated one step.
"Quick, I see," she said calmly. The youkai narrowed his eyes.
"Feh. There's more where that came from, you little bitch," he growled as he grabbed Tessaiga. The sword resisted for a brief moment; there being no one but himself to protect made the sword feel like it was being used by a heartless youkai. But soon the fang allowed itself to be taken into its master's hand and transform into its larger form. It shimmered in the sunlight that peeked through the dark clouds that seemed to form.
"A sword will do you no good," Amaya said with a small, secretive smile. Her eyes glittered.
Lighting flashed across the sky and the youkai quickly looked up to see the clouds had formed into a massive storm in the simple blink of an eye. 'She's controlling them,' he realized with a widening of the eyes. He leapt aside as the girl dove for him.
"You fool, you're in my realm now," the girl said, her voice still calm and soft as the heavens above began to pour water droplets along the mountainside. The water seemed to be repelled off her, her whole body remaining dry. Her kimono billowed around her as she let out a small laugh. "Welcome to hell."
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and braced himself. "I've seen hell. I can take whatever you throw at me."
The girl tried out his statement by throwing a large mass of water from her hand. It barely fazed the youkai, who simply sputtered and lightly shook his head like a dog would.
She tipped her head to the side and laughed, her voice echoing along the mountain face like a ringing bell. "You amuse me, youkai," she said, her voice delighted as she held out her hand. "However, I'm afraid that you will shortly see your demise."
"You're just talking shit," he snarled.
"Hardly," she said lightly as droplets seemed to be attracted to where her outstretched hand was. Her fingers gripped an invisible object as the water droplets and began to form a staff. It was a simple staff, made of a clear crystal. Blue. Like her.
She waved it slowly in a circle, rotating her arms so that she moved it in what appeared to be a yin-yang shaped movement. Water began to collect around her, small puddles at first before it started to raise her above the ground. Inuyasha watched in a mixture of shock and horror as Amaya stood atop a large blue wave, staying in place, awaiting its master's command.
"Any last words, youkai?" Amaya said, her voice still calm and indifferent.
"Fuck you," Inuyasha snarled and readied his sword. As the girl snapped her fingers, the wave began to move towards him, ready to crash down on him and drown him. The rain drenched his hair and clothes to his body as his sword was swung over his head and he got to unleash his attack. "Kaze no kizu!"
The water sprite's eyes widened as the four blades of energy came at her at a stunning speed. She wasn't able to pull back and was hit by the attack full force.
She fell to the ground, the water seeping away down the mountain in an overflowing waterfall. She gripped her right shoulder as blood pooled from various wounds on her body. She choked on the bile and blood collecting in her throat and turned angry blue eyes towards the youkai.
"Very good," she said, a small smile on her lips, stained with blood as she began to cough. "You're lucky that I am the weakest of my sisters. You will meet your end before you reach the top of this holy mountain. May you rot in hell for soiling this perfect land."
Her staff landed in the ground near her dying figure and glimmered from the liquid dripping down its tall shape. The crystal seemed to be alive, like a never-ending storm had been trapped inside.
But as it was separated from its master; it became dull and lifeless before it evaporated into nothing.
Inuyasha snorted and with a swing of his sword he put Amaya out of her misery. That was surprisingly easy, he noted lightly to himself. But in his heart he knew that she spoke the truth.
They always saved the best for last.
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Kagome watched as the unexpected storm clouds cleared and the sun appeared again. She blinked her blue eyes and gripped her head tightly as she let out a small whimper. "She was easy," she whispered.
Her comrades turned worried eyes towards her. "What, Kagome-Chan?"
"The one that Inuyasha just fought. She was the weakest of all four," Kagome whispered lightly.
"How do you know that?" Miroku asked, his voice betraying his shock of this knowledge.
"I don't know…" she said. She couldn't say why.
She'd heard the voice again. It had grown stronger now, she'd noticed. She knew that she was hearing Inuyasha's voice, but didn't like addressing the fact that she was indeed hearing the youkai's voice in her head. She couldn't understand why it was happening and was shocked and afraid of it.
She'd nailed it into her head that if she ignored it, it would eventually go away. That included not telling anyone, including Inuyasha.
But now it was growing stronger and she could feel deep emotions. They weren't her emotions.
They were his emotions.
She couldn't deny it any more. She was, indeed, hearing the man's voice in her head. And that could only mean one thing. She was going insane.
There was no other was to explain it. How else would she be hearing his voice? Why else would she wake up in the middle of the night after hearing his depressing thoughts? How else would she be able to understand exactly what to say if she couldn't feel his strong emotions?
"He won, without injuries," Kagome said weakly, gripping her knees.
"Kagome-Sama, why is it that you know these things?" Miroku asked, his voice serious.
"He told me…" Kagome said softly, perfectly aware of how much of a psycho she sounded like.
"He?" Sango's eyebrows turned downward and she frowned.
"Kagome, what are you talking about?" Kagome snapped her head up when she heard the familiar voice.
"Myouga-jiji!" Kagome said in shocked surprise. She hadn't known the flea was here.
"You always have impeccable timing, Myouga," Miroku said lightly, his eyes holding the same amount of shock as Kagome.
"Yes, well," the flea seemed very flattered with the monk's comments, but soon shook it off in favor of addressing Kagome. "Who is it that you speak of?"
"Inuyasha," Kagome said meekly, feeling more and more foolish for this. She didn't want her friends to believe she was crazy.
Myouga jumped repeatedly on top of Kagome's shoulder, his little beady eyes shinning in excitement. "But he's not here, how is it that he can tell you?" There was something the flea wasn't saying.
Kagome blushed and lowered her head, growing more and more embarrassed with her growing predicament. She knew she was worrying her friends, but most of all, she was worrying herself. She'd been hearing his voice for weeks now, feeling his feelings. She'd tried to ignore it, tried to tell herself it was just her imagination running wild with her. She even went as far as to say that she didn't know who was talking. She knew. She knew that in the back of her mind, it was her youkai's soft voice speaking to her. How? She had no damn clue…
All she knew was that she was frightening her friends and with this new knowledge, would probably frighten them more.
"I hear his voice… in my head." She took the plunge… then silently berated herself for her stupid way of addressing such an issue. 'Yeah… that sounded completely sane, Kagome. Good job.' She thought. 'Great, I'm being sarcastic in my thoughts… maybe something is wrong with me…?'
"You what?" Myouga spoke first in the silence, his flea eyes as wide as his eye were capable of. "But that means you…!"
Kagome blinked in surprise. "Means what? That I'm crazy? Well I'm not!" She went into defensive mode before the flea could say another word. "I'm perfectly sane; I don't care what you say. There's nothing wrong with me! I'm just… sometimes I hear Inuyasha's thoughts, I guess, and I don't know how. I just do."
"Kagome-Chan… calm down," Sango said softly, her maroon eyes watching her friend sympathetically. "We don't think you're crazy."
"No; indeed, this is most serious," the little flea said with a feverish nod of his head.
"What do you mean?"
The flea took a deep breath. "You can hear Inuyasha-Sama's voice in your head?"
"Hai." Kagome nodded her head, her blue eyes wide and curious.
The flea let out another sigh. "Then that can only mean one thing." His little nose twitched. "My Lord has established a psychic bond with you."
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He continued to climb. The muscles in his legs screamed at him to stop and take a rest, but he wouldn't allow himself. He'd been traveling all day; he had no reason to stop to rest until he made it to the top. He hadn't gotten any injuries from Amaya's pathetic attempts to dispose of him. He couldn't blame her. From the conversation they'd had, the girl was only used to fighting humans. A full demon was no match for her pathetic water tricks.
Despite that, Inuyasha knew that he had at least three more demons to face before he could become himself again.
His feet had long since grown used to the hard rubble and rock that the mountain had produced once he strayed away from the mountain's grassy base. The stairs leading up the mountain had nearly disappeared with lack of use and what he assumed could be just the passage of time. Despite that, the rock was jagged and painful, and even his insensitive and padded feet were cut and scrapped by its dagger-like points.
He licked his dry lips, and swallowed lightly. His throat was parched, his mouth was dry and his lips were chapped. The dirt and dust from the rocks had stuck to his sweating body, the back of hair stuck to his neck and back in clumps of disgustingly damp silver. He'd long since stripped off his red haori in an attempt to stay cool.
He took a tentative sniff and wiped his brow with the back of his hand. Perhaps a simple rest would not kill him? Much to his dismay, and some contentment, the hanyou flopped down onto a rock in the middle of what appeared to be a valley in the face of the mountain. It was rocky and barren, much like the rest of the scenery he'd endured for the last hours.
He closed his golden eyes and focused on his breathing, trying to clam his raging veins and his screaming muscles to the point where he could continue on. He wished he could fight Amaya again… that way he could actually get something drink…
With his eyes closed, the youkai missed the green creeping slowly surrounding him. It was almost unnoticeable; it was silent and smooth. But had the once-hanyou's eyes been open, he would have seen the rather conspicuous amounts of green creeping towards him like a hunter did its prey.
As the green reached him and gently covered the rock with a soft moss, the youkai's nose was assaulted with a sweet smell. 'Flowers… up here?' he opened his eyes and looked around, his eyes widening in shock when he realized he was surrounded by plant life.
"Bamboo…?" he asked in shock. Inuyasha was in a bamboo forest, light white flowers decorating the grass that had sprung up on him unnoticeably. He stood from his moss covered rock and looked around in surprise.
"Do you like it?" came a soft, quiet voice. The youkai snapped his gaze up and watched as a young girl, yet older looking than Amaya came into view, her body emerging from the shadows the bamboo's shoots cast. Her bright green eyes observed him as she blinked slowly.
Her sea foam green hair swayed lightly in a breeze that rustled the stalks of bamboo and she smiled lightly.
"Welcome to my garden, Inuyasha," she said calmly, leaving the youkai to wonder how she knew his name. "I hope you enjoy your stay."
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Author's notes: Time for the shameless advertisement! Lost of fanarts drawn by yours truly and the beta… truly. (Though I warn you, my skill lies in the writing more than the drawing. XD I try my hardest)
www(dot)deviantart(dot)com(slash)deviation(slash)10306621
(drawn by the beta. It's Inuyasha)
www(dot)deviantart(dot)com(slash)deviation(slash)10307341
(drawn by me. Another Inuyasha, and I'm very proud of this one. It sat in my math binder for a while before people started making fun of his hair…)
www(dot)deviantart(dot)com(slash)deviation(slash)10352372
(drawn by the beta. It really isn't for NiWS, but it started out with me telling her that I wish I knew how to draw animals, because if I could, I would totally draw Inuyasha as a dog.)
www(dot)deviantart(dot)com(slash)deviation(slash)10575696
(drawn by me. Beside the fact that I messed up so completely on Kagome and the background and the little girl…ok everything, I still have an emotional attachment to it…)
www(dot)deviantart(dot)com(slash)deviation(slash)10704190
(drawn by me. This one I'm very proud of. Drawn completely by hand, too. Kind of messed up on Kagome, but either that, I love it to bits.)
www(dot)deviantart(dot)com(slash)deviation(slash)11213157
(drawn by me, yet again. The little girl that got attached to Inuyasha.)