Sigh... FINALLY done with this chappy! Yay! This is kind of a turning point, I guess... Anyway, here ya go!
Enjoy!
Remember Me Always
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Summary: Three little words he spoke to another broke her heart in ways he would never know. It's painful for her to remember him. She wants desperately to forget. And with the completed shikon no tama in her hands... she can. InuKag
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters from the series.
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Last Chapter
Right then, the door opened, and Kaede marched into the room, followed by Sango and Miroku.
Kaede kept on going until she was in front of Kagome.
"Where's the jewel?" she inquired immediately.
Kagome shot Inuyasha a curious look.
"Searched already," the hanyou replied. "It's not there."
Kaede looked serious. "I see, then. That's why."
"Why what?" Inuyasha prodded on, Sango, Miroku, and Kagome watching intently.
"She made a wish."
End
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.:Chapter Six:.
Ripples of silvery white hair that made Kagome bite her lip in envy cascaded from his head in tangles and ended by the pants of his red haori. Nestled upon this throne of white were two ears most uncharacteristic in appearance of a human to have.
Yes, this was the boy who had been haunting her dreams as of recent.
Kagome watched his soundly sleeping form enviously. How she wished her nights could be so peaceful… her dreams so pleasant…
Ironically, he was the reason for those very same sleepless nights where, afraid to close her eyes for what she might see, Kagome lay in bed amid thoughtful contemplation and unvoiced fears.
Yet, even after so many nights of reflection – so much that pitiful bruised bags hung below Kagome's dark brown eyes – she had, much to her dismay and frustration, not found what was bothering her. Scaring her, even.
Kagome let out a soft chuckle, scorning herself. It was pathetic, really. She couldn't even bring herself to let down her guard and doze off into that sweet place called dreamland even when she was at the moment in a dream.
Still bound tightly in the primitive ropes that had cut into her skin hours before and were currently irritating the inflicted wounds with their scratchy fabric, Kagome made an effort to inch forward.
The smooth, finely cut katana that had caught her eye played the scant light escaping from the window mischievously, sending a ripple of shivers down the length of the polished blade.
To most viewers, the katana was a rusty treasure.
To Kagome, it was the only possible way she could think of to cut herself loose.
The girl boldly placed her trembling fingers on the cold, hard metal, for the first time realizing that the consequences of angering Inuyasha like this would be great.
Just as Kagome had partially unsheathed the katana and brought its frosty, rust-painted blade close enough to the ropes tightly wound around her wrists, the sleeping hanyou stirred.
A shock of gold stared up at the girl amid her act, as Inuyasha opened his eyes and instinctively sat up.
Caught by surprise, Kagome jerked her trembling hands unintentionally.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Inuyasha finally burst out, eyeing Kagome more in annoyance than anger.
"What does it look like?" Kagome retorted on impulse, narrowing her eyes. "Cutting myself free."
"Have you ever even used a wooden sword before?" Inuyasha reminded the girl in a scolding tone. He glanced down at Kagome's shaking, white fingers. "Oh for -"
The girl matched Inuyasha's gaze, trailing it to her wrists, where from her earlier act of surprise, she had unknowingly cut herself. Blood poured freely in crimson rivers from the wound, flowing easily down her paling arms.
Kagome felt nauseous.
Before she could protest, Inuyasha had ripped off the left sleeve of her uniform blouse, tying it skillfully around her bleeding wrist.
Then, with a swift, expert pull, Inuyasha had unsheathed his katana from its skimpy leather scabbard, and released Kagome from her prison of ropes.
Seconds later, Kagome was, freed and bandaged, sitting quietly with her back pressed against the wall.
Inuyasha watched her intently, not seeming to notice how she avoided locking glances with him.
Thousands of voices were unleashed in Kagome's mind, wildly reminding her how awkward her situation was.
"What's your name?" she finally asked, head still turned.
Inuyasha jolted minutely, from his intense observing. Caught off guard, he provided an answer unarmed with insults for once. "Inuyasha," he more grunted than said.
Kagome nodded positively. She was finally making some progress…
"Well, then Inuyasha," she began awkwardly. Pausing a moment, Kagome couldn't help but launch into the only mode in which she seemed able to communicate to this 'dream' boy comfortably – insults. "You know that in most situations the guy is supposed to sacrifice a part of his own clothing to bandage the girl's wound," she offered harshly.
Inuyasha smirked. "This haori was made from fire-resistant materials," he informed her, as if that justified all. "Besides, how much could that transparent slut's blouse of yours be worth?"
All in a matter of seconds, it happened. Kagome's pale, blood drained face gained color in a moment's time, deepening into a dark red shade.
Faster than Inuyasha had ever traveled in his famous jumps, Kagome had marched over to him and slapped him soundly across the face.
Eyes narrowed, Inuyasha rubbed his reddening cheeks furiously. "Y-you wench!" he accused. "I didn't deserve that!"
Kagome, who had gone back to sulk against the wall, approached the whining hanyou again, smiling sweetly.
"Of course not, honey," she said sultrily, placing a hand that was no longer trembling but strangely calm on the hanyou's hand that was clasped over his injured face. A pang of déjà vu almost caused her to hesitate.
Standing up to her full height in an attempt to measure up to Inuyasha's height, Kagome pressed her body against his so that she could feel his heartbeat quickening.
"You know I love you, Inuyasha," she whispered, her breath sending tingles up the hanyou's neck. Unaware of the ironic truth in her words, Kagome continued in her sickeningly sweet tone, "I have always loved you. Ever since our first meeting. Your face has never left my mind, your words have been engraved in my heart."
Inuyasha's body suddenly became rigid, and Kagome felt it.
An expression of utmost confusion on her face, Kagome disentangled herself from Inuyasha.
And found to her horror that his cold, amber eyes were piercing into her own dark brown ones, full of telling emotions.
This wasn't what she had planned.
She had planned a mockery of Inuyasha's previous insult, which had named her a slut. She had planned pushing him back in the middle of her honey-coated words, laughing. She had planned for him to get angry in that cute way of his and…
Kagome paused in thought, unaware that in reality her eyes were still locked with Inuyasha's.
What was this that she was feeling?
This exhilarating sensation of something buried deep and precious within her heart rising back up to embrace her?
It couldn't be – was she possibly feeling something positive toward this dreamland enemy?
Kagome closed her eyes for clarity of mind.
When she opened them, she was alone.
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Kaede sprinkled a small pouch of previously crushed herbs into a large container of what looked like black paste.
"What could Kagome have wished for?" Miroku wondered aloud, Sango looking troubled at his side.
"I believe I may have it figured out," Kaede replied after a moment's hesitation. "However…"
Miroku and Sango stepped in front of the old miko, eyeing her intently.
"Inuyasha may not know," she finally said, sighing.
"Why?" Sango blurted out.
The old woman's thoughts wandered to a picturesque memory of a younger version of herself following a tall young woman clothed in traditional miko robes, her hair clasped elegantly behind her neck. Her sister – the only family she had.
"It is for their own good," she finally said wearily.
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Dewy drops of sunlight splattered across the blue skies, painting a depiction of utmost beauty. Honeyed colors blended creamily amidst the floating white clouds, accentuated by the sun's radiance.
A white-haired boy walked alongside a raven-haired girl, neither saying a word. Behind them was a boy dressed in the robes of a monk, and a girl who wore her long brown hair in a ponytail, a large boomerang slung across her shoulders.
The retreating sunlight warmed their unsuspecting backs, offering comfort to their heavy minds.
The raven-haired girl instinctively clasped a hand to her throat, searching for something nonexistent.
An unexpected tear heated up in her eye, threatening at any moment to fall. Glancing sideways at her companions to assure herself that no one had seen her single, glistening teardrop, she silently scolded herself for her weakness.
But she couldn't help it.
A product of six years of work had been stolen by a youkai the day before. What was worse was that Kagome had handedly given it to the monster.
The youkai, disguised as a pitiful old woman, has asked to see the mystical purple jewel shining at the girl's neck. The girl hadn't had the heart to refuse the starved elder, and had complied.
And just like that, the jewel had been taken. The raven-haired girl had been alone at the time, and much as she hated to admit it, she had been powerless.
As new tears threatened to rise into her eyes, the girl purposely coughed.
The white-haired boy next to her eyed her blandly.
"I'm going ahead for some water," the girl offered in a fake-hoarse tone.
Without waiting for any reply, she started off at a light jog, which soon evolved into a self-blaming sprint.
When she had entered an empty, light-filled meadow, she stopped and collapsed. Guilty sobbing emitted shamelessly from her throat, salty tears were shed in self-pity.
The girl suddenly felt weak, powerless against anything and everything.
Years of tedious, blood-soaked work had been wasted by her moment of naivety and gullibility.
She knew now that the youkai who had run off with the jewel had most probably been a subordinate of Naraku's.
And if it was, it could have been being used for unimaginable evil intentions at the very moment. She would be killed for her meddling. Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kaede – they would all be killed.
All for a moment's naivety.
The raven-haired girl was suddenly aware of a pale hand reaching out toward her, offering to help her up.
She accepted it, and before she lifted her eyes, she knew who it was.
Her dark brown eyes looked up to meet the icily identical hued orbs of a woman not much older than herself.
The woman's appearance portrayed many close similarities to that of the raven-haired girl.
"I suppose I know what it is that is upsetting you," the woman said with a hint of a smile tugging at her lips.
She raised one pale, slender hand up to her neck, where, upon a delicate chain, was strung the purple amethystine jewel the raven-haired girl had been sobbing over.
"You were the… youkai?" the girl stammered uncertainly. She noted what she had not seen before: the glass diamond of clear liquid embedded at the base of the woman's throat – a potion? Then after a moment the girl asked the question of all time. "Why?"
The softened edges of the woman's brown eyes seemed to sharpen just as the last hint of the possible smile disappeared from her face.
"I have a bargain to make with you," the woman said coldly. "You may choose." The woman eyed the girl before her curiously. "The stone or Inuyasha."
A tear fell from the raven-haired girl's previously calm face. She pictured the white-haired boy in her mind, causing more tears to fall.
Inuyasha could still be happy without her.
He had Kikyo.
And if the jewel were left in Kikyo's hands, there was no telling what she might do with it…
She knew the choice she had to make.
The girl opened her mouth to speak the words that she hoped were for the right cause.
And found that her throat was utterly dry.
She was suddenly aware of Inuyasha's, Miroku's, and Sango's presence some fifteen feet away from her, listening intently.
Kikyo smiled sadly.
"Inuyasha," she whispered, and the hanyou seemed to hear her even then.
Inuyasha approached the miko silently.
"It is your choice then," she said softly. Then, after a moment's of hesitation, she continued, "Just one question. That is all I ask."
The hanyou nodded numbly.
"If Kagome and I were to both drop into the ocean at the same time, with you as the only witness," Kikyo began, her eyes sad, "whom would you save?"
Inuyasha spoke immediately, not needing any time for thought.
That was what hurt the most.
"You."
Kagome closed her eyes tightly.
Upon opening them again, she saw the scene before her blur.
Suddenly, she was dropping infinitely off of the side of a cliff.
Roaring waves screamed below her.
Cold and numb, Kagome shut her eyes once more, shutting out the pain.
A sudden heaviness accumulated in her raven hair.
It was water.
Ocean water.
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Kagome opened her eyes desperately, finding that she was panting.
She couldn't think, couldn't breathe.
Voices screamed in her head, mingling with the shouts and yells starting around her.
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Thanks!