Chapter Six: Promises To Keep
Kaede's hut was unusually quiet. Inuyasha had disappeared into the trees long ago, and Sango was outside working with the old miko. Miroku was bent over several ofudas, eying them critically.
"Did I do them right, Miroku-sama? Aside from the ones my Ojii-san sent, that is." Kagome sat cross-legged a short distance away from Miroku, far enough away and at an angle so that she could deflect any wandering hands and stop trouble before it started. She watched Miroku as he looked over the ofuda's that she had written, comparing them to the ones her grandfather had made, and several others that he had written himself.
"These are very good, Kagome-sama," the monk praised. "I think you are ready to learn more."
Kagome beamed at the words of praise. With both Miroku and Kaede helping to train her, her miko powers had been increasing. But then she remembered the reason that she'd asked to speak with him in the first place.
"Miroku-sama, could we study more later? There are some things I need to talk with you about."
Curious, he nodded his assent and set the ofudas aside. "What do you wish to speak of?"
"Well, I had this dream a few days ago. More of a nightmare, really. It was very frightening, I was terrified when I woke up. I was hoping that maybe you could help me figure out what it meant."
"A nightmare?" Miroku folded his arms in his sleeves, a serious expression on his face. "Is this why Inuyasha went back to your era for you?"
Kagome blushed. "Actually, I came here first. I was so scared when I woke up that I ran straight for the well. It was the middle of the night." She fidgeted nervously as she sat, wondering if Miroku would think she'd finally lost her marbles.
A raised eyebrow hinted that he was wondering a little about her state of mind, but all he said was, "Go on."
Kagome sighed deeply and began to retell her dream, shuddering at the memory. "It was dark, like night time, but I think it was day." She paused for a second before continuing. "We were fighting Naraku. The whole group was there. We weren't doing too well..."
Miroku nodded, as if it were to be expected.
"We were all injured, but we kept fighting anyway. But Inuyasha was wounded more than any of us. He was bleeding all over the place." She left out certain details of her dream, feeling they weren't necessary for the big picture. "I fired an arrow at Naraku, and I heard it hit something. But it wasn't my arrow I'd heard." She swallowed and tried to control the sound of disgust in her voice at the mention of the undead miko. "It was Kikyou. She shot Inuyasha. I tried to save him..."
"Kagome-sama..." His tone was gentle, compassionate. He stood and moved closer to her, settling beside her with no lecherous intentions, merely offering comfort.
Her voice wavered. "It was too late to save him, Miroku-sama. Kikyou dragged him away to Hell and I couldn't do anything to stop it. And then Naraku..." She gestured vaguely to her stomach and shuddered. "Naraku impaled me while I was distracted."
Uncharacteristically, Miroku reached out to her with no hidden intentions. He simply took her hand in his and gave it a comforting squeeze. Inuyasha would probably beat him black and blue later for touching the young miko, but he didn't mind. "You're afraid that this was more than just a dream."
"It's not impossible! It could have been a... a premonition or a vision or something!" Kagome bit her lip and looked distressed and worried. Being fairly unfamiliar with the potential powers that came with being a priestess, she knew not to rule out any possibilities. It was possible that this dream had been more than that, and she didn't want to be caught unawares.
"I know," he soothed. "Your fears are justified, especially under the circumstances."
She sighed again and met his eyes. "What can I do?"
"Accept the warning, but do not obsess over it."
Before either of them had a chance to say anything futher, a red-clad hanyou stomped into the hut and shouted, "Oi! What're you doing?!"
Miroku hastily dropped Kagome's hand and scooted away. "Inuyasha, it's not what you're thinking."
Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin in surprise. Even though she and Miroku hadn't been doing anything, she still felt slightly guilty. "Inuyasha! Miroku-sama and I were just talking."
Her "rescuer" growled and glared at the monk. "And touching."
"He wasn't groping me! He was just holding my hand. Is there something so terrible about that?"
Inuyasha ground his teeth and clenched his fists, but mercifully did nothing to the monk.
"It was all innocent, I swear," Miroku said, now holding the hands in question in front of him as a sign of capitulation.
Kagome felt slight indignation at the dog hanyou. How could he think she'd actually do anything untoward with such a perverted monk?! Or with anyone else, for that matter... She crossed her arms and glared at him. "Was there something you wanted, Inuyasha?"
His anger seemed to bleed out of him a little, and he crossed his arms. "Kaede wants you."
"Fine." Her answer was clipped as she gathered her ofudas and tucked them away into her backpack, huffing and hurrying out of the house.
"Keh. What was that all about?" Inuyasha sneered. He couldn't understand that girl. Sometimes he didn't think he ever would.
"You should take the time to interpret the situation before jumping to conclusions," Miroku suggested before following Kagome outside. Groping Sango when she had Hiraikotsu handy was safer than lingering near the hanyou after touching Kagome.
The moon was a waning crescent, high in the nighttime sky. A small fire burned in the middle of the clearing, and a kettle of water as well as a few pieces of skewered meat had been left to heat over the fire.
The group of shard hunters sat together, gathered around the fire. Shippou was perched on Kagome's knee, chewing on a bar of chocolate and listening to her tell a very exciting story (though it was actually just the retelling of a movie, but he didn't have to know that).
Per usual, Inuyasha kept watch from the boughs of a tree. His stomach rumbled as he breathed in the scent of cooking meat, but he remained silent. He was content simply to listen to the conversation below.
"And then, the samurai was given his reforged katana, and he could use it to command armies of the dead because he was the heir of the emperor!"
Shippou's eyes grew wide in awe. Sango and Miroku sat nearby, also listening to Kagome's story.
Inuyasha snorted, the only indication he was paying attention. The sword sounded like Sesshoumaru's, and in his mind, that equalled evil. Besides, what kind of human could command the dead?
Kagome shot a glare up at Inuyasha, but continued with her story. "The samurai used the help of the army of the dead to defeat the army of the dark lord, who had attacked the capital city of the land!"
"Wow! I want a sword like that!" exclaimed Shippou.
"Well," said Kagome, "you'd have to be the emperor's heir to use it."
Shippou crossed his tiny arms in consternation. "That's no fun."
The hanyou rolled his eyes, and shifted so his back was to the group. Senses focused on the landscape around them, he did his best to listen without actually looking like he cared enough to pay attention.
The breeze picked up slightly, rustling the leaves of the trees. Most of the group members didn't notice the long sinuous shape of a Shinidamachuu floating by, clutching a small glowing orb in it's spindly legs. One member did, though. Inuyasha stiffened and sniffed the air. If the Shinidamachuu weren't enough evidence, Kikyou's scent was. He frowned. If he went now, the group would ask questioons. Better to stay put until they fell asleep.
By this time, Kagome was almost finished with her story. "Then the evil ring fell into the chasm and was destroyed forever! The two hanyou were rescued from the fires by giant eagle youkai. Then the samurai was made emperor, and he married his one true love, even though she was an immortal youkai and he was not. And they all lived happily ever after." She nodded, pleased with her conclusion. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to be telling stories that wouldn't be written for another few hundred years, but then again, nobody else had to know.
Shippou yawned and snuggled into Kagome's arms. "That was a great story, Kagome!"
"Yeah, and I want to get some sleep sometime tonight," Inuyasha groused. Being near Kikyou with Kagome in attendance automatically put him in a foul mood. The fact that the heroes of the story were hanyou did little to cheer him up. "Isn't it a little late for whelps to be up?"
Sango raised an eyebrow at the hanyou. "You're awfully grouchy tonight, Inuyasha."
He glared at her and jumped down from his tree. "Well you people keep insisting on staying up late, and then you yell at me for wanting to get going in the morning because you're tired!"
Miroku waved his hands in a pacifying manner. "Be calm, friend. There's no reason to be offended. I agree, now would be a good time to settle down for the night." He eyed Sango suggestively and ducked when she took a swing at him with her fist.
"Fine." Trying to disguise his impatience to seek out Kikyou, Inuyasha leapt back into his tree and hunkered down.
Kagome watched him for a moment before shrugging off a vague feeling of apprehension and snuggling into her sleeping bag with an already-sleeping Shippou. She yawned and was asleep in minutes.
Soon enough, the steady, calm breathing of his companions assured Inuyasha that they were asleep. Silent but swift, he moved into the forest and then to the field adjoining. He followed the scent of his dead lover, not bothering to hide himself from her if she were waiting for him.
Kikyou stood in the field's center, surrounded by her soul collectors. In the moonlight and silver glow of the souls that she received, she looked even more pale and cold than normal. Her eyes rested on him, her expression betraying no emotion.
"Kikyou." He paused at the edge of the clearing, hands at his sides, expression neutral though there was something resembling longing in his eyes.
"Inuyasha." Kikyou's face seemed to have been carved from marble. "I began to wonder if you would come."
"Had to wait," he offered by way of explanation.
"You allowed yourself to be delayed by your companions. Why?" Her eyebrows raised slightly. "They have seen you in my company before."
The hanyou frowned. "And they have yet to react positively to it, so excuse me for using a little discretion."
Kikyou dismissed that conversation with a slight shrug. "How long until the Shikon no Tama is complete?"
Inuyasha stepped further into the clearing. "Why don't you tell me? You're the only one who's gotten anywhere near Naraku recently." There was a hint of accusation in his voice.
She turned to face him fully, striding with unearthly grace towards him until they were within arm's reach. "I simply ask because I do not wish for you to forget your promise to me, Inuyasha."
"Is that all you care about?" he snapped. Her nearness and the reminder of his oath discomfitted him. Did she always have to remind him? Even in his dreams he heard her beckoning him to Hell.
"My only purpose for existing now is to avenge myself by killing Naraku, and to take you with me when I've done so. Have you forgotten the circumstances of my resurrection?"
He growled and almost turned his back on her. "I was there." A part of him wanted to say that she shouldn't even exist, that she should return her soul to Kagome, but his honor and the love he'd once felt for her overwhelmed it. "We'll finish the jewel, but until then, you have no claim on me." Where had that come from?
Kikyou's eyes seemed to harden, if that were possible. There was a dangerous edge in her voice, like the point of an arrow. "Do not forget your commitment, Inuyasha." She turned and began to walk in the other direction, followed by her ghostly soul insects. "Do not let your emotions for that girl come between you and your promises."
He bristled, but didn't respond. She knew how to manipulate him, and on some levels it infuriated the hanyou, even while it made him ... what? Love her? No, that wasn't quite the word for it, but his devotion was real enough. Sighing, he turned as well and made his way back to the camp.
When Inuyasha reached the camp, he was greeted once again by the steady breathing of his sleeping companions. However, one of the breathing patterns was slightly faster and deeper than the others. Worried, he carefully approached the camp. What if it was Kagome? What if she was awake and had noticed he was gone? Deciding not to take a chance, he slipped into the trees and made his way back to his original perch. He hoped she wouldn't notice him...
Kagome lay on her back in her sleeping bag, Shippou curled up by her side. Though her eyes weren't open, she was wide awake. And even though human senses aren't nearly as sharp as those of a demon or a hanyou, she still heard the branch creak as Inuyasha settled back down. She sighed and wondered where he'd been, but had a hunch that she already knew.
Looking down on his companions, Inuyasha felt a swell of satisfaction to see them safely resting. It looked like Kagome hadn't noticed him--or if she had, she was ignoring him. That was fine. He didn't feel like talking about Kikyou right now.
"I'm glad you're back, Inuyasha," was all she whispered before rolling over and trying to go back to sleep.
He flinched. He was glad to be back, too, but he couldn't admit it without betraying his promise to Kikyou. He couldn't let himself get attached. He had to stay distant. How could he keep his promise to Kikyou if he had something in this world to hold him back? Uneasy and confused, he crossed his arms and leaned back against the tree trunk. Tomorrow. He'd sort things out tomorrow. Tonight, he just wanted to sleep, without dreams.