DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha. Go find yourself another copyright infringing maniac.
A/N: Obviously I am a horrible updater. This chapter is long (almost two months, in fact) due. No excuses except heavy procrastination and writer's block.
The Cycle
Chapter Four – Remnants
By asian tofu
Kagome had turned off the light, but it was too early to sleep. So she wandered into the deepest abyss of her mind.
I care about him?
It might have been adrenaline, but the unspoken words were hitting her like shellfire. Inuyasha's situation had triggered her memories. Whenever she closed her eyes, she could hear her father again…
/Flashback
The front door slammed shut and the sound of boots scuffled across the entrance.
"Daddy," nine-year-old Kagome chortled, "What did you bring home today?" He didn't reply, tripping roughly against the wall.
"Daddy?" Kagome inched closer, spotting a dangerous looking needle in his hand. She didn't recall her father being a doctor.
The man drooped his head on his chest, his eyes swiveling up to face hers. "Go away," he said in a slurred voice. The thumps of Kagome's mother descending the stairs were heard before the woman appeared. A grim line was set instead of the usual smile that greeted her husband.
"Michiru…" her voice cracked as she spoke. Tentatively, Mrs. Higurashi plucked Kagome away from her father. "Kagome, go to your room."
"But Mom! Something's wrong with Dad!"
"Go," was her warning. Kagome stood her ground. Her father struggled into a standing position, mumbling incoherently.
"Nothing's wrong!" Kagome mother argued.
The young girl ignored her and advanced upon her father, attempting to take the needle out of his hands. Almost immediately, he brought his free hand down and struck her cheek impetuously. The blow sent her to the ground.
"Michiru!" Mrs. Higurashi shouted, scooping Kagome into her arms; the girl was sending her shaking hand to tenderly handle her cheek in shock. Kagome numbly realized her mother was stroking her hair when they fled out of the house. Mrs. Higurashi hugged her daughter, soothing her with her words. "I hate him so much right now."
Kagome shuddered, "I'm scared, Mom."
"Please don't be," Mrs. Higurashi sniffled. Kagome reached out and wiped her mother's tear.
"Why do you still stay with him if you hate him so much at the moment?"
Mrs. Higurashi gazed at her daughter absently as a ghost of a smile spread across her features.
"Because I love him the rest of time."
/End Flashback
That particular night in the wellhouse mystified her; her mother's words had slid past her intellectual capacity.
Her father died of a heroin overdose the next morning.
Now every time she closed her eyes, she could feel his callused hand hit her again, the pain flaming like a virus on her cheek.
Her father was outstretching his strong arms to her, sending her playfully into the air. The dark night of his death haunted her, but she closed her eyes, and thought about someone she had to see in the morning.
Then sleep came.
"Furishita?" The nurse confirmed ambivalently, punching in the name into her computer. Kagome nodded, waiting patiently alongside
the front desk. The older woman furrowed her brows, "He was released yesterday."
Kagome almost ran over the desk, "What?"
The nurse faced the girl, blithely stating, "He was in perfect condition when he got here. We didn't find any need for medical attention. Are you sure he was injured?"
Kagome spluttered disjointedly before giving up and leaving the nurse with the next person in line.
He left, she thought in frustration.
Mentally cursing herself for not calling her mother at the hospital, Kagome turned another block. Or was it the same block? Her mind swirled as she entered another alley.
"Excuse me," a low voice behind her started. Kagome turned around to face a dark-haired officer, his eyes a velvety red. "Are you lost?"
Kagome blushed, nodding. The officer gave her an amiable smile, offering her his arm. She took it, and followed him out of the alley.
"Get off her!"
Huh? Thought Kagome as she was jerked away – rather painfully – from the officer.
"What the hell – " the officer muttered. "Don't get territorial on me again, Kouga."
Kagome blinked at him, Furishita? She glanced at the guy tightly gripping her arm, wincing.
"If you don't mind – that sort of hurts – "
Kouga released his grip, not fazed from the prolonged period he had been touching her, "Sorry."
"Is she your night-bitch, Furishita?" The officer asked nonchalantly, lighting a cigarette that he had been keeping in his breat-pocket.
Kouga growled unceremoniously, "Just stay away from her."
Kagome, being the involuntary victim, narrowed her eyebrows. "What did you just call me?"
The officer ignored her, instead carrying on his conversation with Kouga, "You serious this time, then?"
"Why do you care?" Kouga hissed, making sure that Kagome was still behind him. The officer shrugged.
"Curiosity."
After the man left, Kouga whirled back at Kagome, "What were you thinking?!"
"I was lost," Kagome huffed defensively, glaring at Kouga.
"Damn, you are naïve," he said, rolling his eyes as he turned, indicating for her to follow.
"Hey! What is that supposed to mean? I didn't do anything – "
"Exactly," Kouga said, "You didn't do anything. That 'officer' was going to take you to some abandoned warehouse and…" He trailed off, ignoring Kagome's "oh."
"It still doesn't explain why you know him," Kagome muttered, "I probably shouldn't be following you either!"
"He's my old gang mate. I used to hang around this place a lot until I spent time for trading drugs."
Kagome eyed the back of his head, not saying anything. He kind of reminded her of Inuyasha…
Argh!
Kouga stopped at the edge of an intersection, waiting for her to catch up.
"The bus should be here in a while. Go home," he commanded, giving her a casual wave before slipping back to the other side.
Kagome opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind, but she couldn't see him over the explosion of traffic that spread over the intersection.
"Jerk," she scoffed before taking a seat on the bench.
Inuyasha watched the flames as they coiled around his last batch of grass. Part of him still longed for the drugs again, but he was sure that was the mild addiction in the short time he had used them. He'd get over it.
He had to.
Or else Sesshoumaru would eviscerate him again for tarnishing the family name like that.
It had been quite embarrassing how he had been found out…Jaken caught him in the bathroom, sitting on the toilet, naked.
How the toad-man had gawked.
"I knew he was gay," Inuyasha muttered.
"Excuse me?"
Speak of the devil, he thought, turning to face the green-tinged face of toad. Inuyasha smiled, "Doesn't matter." Gay toad.
Jaken eyed him beadily, not sure what to think. Inuyasha was quite ready to get rid of him though, "Go make me a latte."
The butler scowled inwardly, but bowed, "Yes, sir." You little bastard. "Anything you want it spiked with?" he added with a sneer, leaving just in time to not get a bump over the head yet still get a long look at Inuyasha's glower.
"Go to hell," Inuyasha spat at his back, fuming.
Jaken narrowed his eyes as he turned the corner towards the kitchen, Gladly. Right after I maim you.
A small operating table lay in the middle of the old storage room. A single light bulb rocked gently above it, moving the light with it. A man sat in one of the corners, still extremely close to table. The bulb radiated a slow, dim glow, making the features of the man indiscernible.
"Do it."
Another more, more feminine yet aged, replied, "I have no body."
"The body is here, and if you work well you may find your lifestyle drastically altered, Urasue."
Urasure cackled, delight edging her voice when she spoke again, "I am to believe you can back that claim up? To my every need?"
There was a pregnant pause.
"Yes."
The man found himself handing her a bottle a shampoo that contained the one substance that would bring the limp corpse in the black bag beside him alive again.
"So do it now."
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm regaining my inspiration for this story, mainly after going through my outlines again and deciding I knew where to pick up from there. I'm also extremely apologetic for putting this on hiatus – everything was getting muddled up. As a matter of fact, Kuroi to Shiro is giving me a massive writer's block right now. I've been writing a lot of original fiction and the like lately, so if you readers are desperate to do something out of extreme boredom, my penname at FictionPress is a " Yanzi /a .