AN: I wanted to thank FredTheBlueDuck, suzaku red rose, yasha21 Hopeformore and dont-shoot for the support and hope you like this chapter as much as the others.
Jennifer and Sachudson I am not sure what site you read this story on but if it was this one thank you too.
Ok my popular demand here is another chapter. I want to thank my supporters and hope this isn't a disappointment.
Song Of My Soul Part Three
He sat out in his car in the driveway staring at the house. His mind raced with the possibilities of who could be there. Once her brother came to check on things but he left without much hint of him being there and even then he had called first to make sure it was alright. The rain beat down mercilessly making it hard to see through the windows. The nerves in his stomach were twisting into a knot from the anxiety. If he walked in on a burglar it could get nasty real quick but then he would be able to work off some of this frustration.
It had been two damn years and still no word of where she was. His soul still hurt from her absence. He could barely get himself up for work each day and go on. Everyday he would look in the mirror and tell himself "She would want you to do this." With that thought he could get through the day then go back to his father's home and go straight to his room. There he would ponder what had happened over and over. It was all just one big mistake. He didn't even get a chance to explain. Even his father was unable to speak to her alone. Naraku stayed through the whole meeting as her 'legal council'. He snorted. As if she needed one against my father. Inutaisho loved Kagome like a daughter and would never do anything to hurt her.
Even her family received very few words from her over the last two years. No letters or direct phone calls. She always called from an unlisted number that could not be traced. That in it self was annoying as hell. Her mother had tried to talk to her about it but Kagome would make an excuse to hang up. Why was she avoiding him? Was she afraid to talk to him? Sure he was afraid to confront her too but at the same time he wanted to more then anything. Even a good argument would be better then this pain he had felt for the last two years. That pain had been unbearable at times. If it hadn't been the support of Miroku, Sango, his family and hers then he probably would have drank himself into the grave by now. This hurt was a thousand times worse then when Kikyo had married Naraku.
Kikyo. That was a name he could easily squash from his mind after what happened at that hotel. He was a fool just like Naraku had said. By trying to be her friend he had fallen into her deceptive trap. After thinking about it so much those first months, he realized that after her marriage to Naraku his mind had set Kikyo up on a pedestal that was untouchable. He could even remember the times he had mentally compared Kagome to Kikyo and now regretted it with all his heart. Kagome was not Kikyo and never would be. She was more then Kikyo could ever be. Kagome's soul was pure and untainted by the greed, desires and hate that Kikyo had. He had been blind to Kikyo's true nature and now it was too late. Kagome was an angel and he had ripped her wings off. God he was such an ass.
As he sat pondering all the same emotions and thoughts that he had rolled around in his mind for the last two years he began to feel that familiar tug in his heart. The same yearning he had felt every time he was away from Kagome. It was something that had been a part of him since the day they met. He needed to see her at least one more time. Even if it was from a distance. Just to see her smile and laugh again would bring some relief to his torment.
Naraku had been wrong to some extent in his hypothesis. Inuyasha couldn't deny that he had found some comfort in Kagome after the break up with Kikyo. They looked so much alike it was too easy for him to fantasize about her being Kikyo. Fortunately he was able to hold off from treating her like she was Kikyo. It wasn't until that stupid date she had with that chump, what was his name? Oh yeah Hobo something. That date was when he realized his true feelings for Kagome. He thought he was losing her and it was killing him. At the time he wasn't even sure how she felt about him but he was willing to take a chance and never looked back. Even if she rejected him, he had to know. When she kissed him back that night he felt his soul sore to new heights he never dreamed of. He had found his angel.
A popping sound from outside brought him out of his self induced stupor. He glanced at the house to see all the lights had gone out accept a warm fluctuating glow that he assumed was the fire place. Cautiously he opened his door to get out. He glanced at the surrounding neighborhood but all was black. Sure the neighbors weren't right next door but he knew that you could see Miroku's house from this one due to the fact that it was Miroku who had called him to come investigate. 'Probably a blown transformer or something.' He mused and dashed to the front entry to keep from getting too wet. He had froze in mid movement to turn the door knob. That unbearable aching pull of his heart hit him full force.
'Could it be her?' His mind whispered to him. 'No! I can't think of that. I can't let these emotions get the better of me. I have to stay on guard.' With determination he quietly opened the door and stepped inside. As silent as a shadow he stepped in and closed the door behind him. He locked it out of habit but didn't even realize he had done it. A shiver rand down his back. 'Damn it's cold in here.' He thought but he choose to ignore it. Ahead he could see the glow from the fire place, that much he had been right about but didn't see any movement or hear anything. Slowly he inched his way forward along the wall to stay out of the warm glow of light.
As he went a familiar scent tickled his nose with the delicious aroma of cherry blossoms and vanilla. His heart lurched so hard he thought it would burst out of his chest. Her scent still lingered here even after all this time. He had to lean against the wall for a moment to regain his composure. This was the reason he hadn't come here for almost two years. He could still smell her every where in this house. Her scent had become a bane to his nerves. Every time he caught her scent his heart would pound so hard he would become numb with despair. Before the incident at the hotel her scent had a calming effect on him but since then it had become a painful reminder of what he had lost. The only reason he was here now was because there wasn't anyone else who could. His father was away on a business trip, Sess and Rin were on vacation, Kagome's family were gone to her aunt's, Miroku had a broken leg and refused to let Sango go over by herself. That left only him.
Even Kikyo never had this effect on him. Her mere presence was overbearing and she definitely had to be the center of attention all the time. When he thought about it she had to be out in the public eye getting that attention. But not Kagome. During their dates she was just as happy to take a quiet walk in the park as to go out to some fancy club. Kagome never expected him to buy her pretty things or look a certain way. Kikyo wouldn't leave the house unless he was dressed just right so it didn't embarrass her. God how could he be so stupid. Kikyo degraded him all the time they were together but he was to love struck to realize it. His friends had tried to tell him but he didn't listen. Then there was Kagome. She never said anything harsh about the way that Kikyo treated him. Instead she would try to smooth things over so everyone was happy. That is just the way she is, or was. He wasn't sure how she would be after these last two years.
Even though her scent was everywhere here it was not the reason he couldn't live here. It was because the whole house oozed of Kagome. Her scent, her taste in design, her very essence seemed to live and breath here. It was their home and he couldn't deny he wanted it to stay that way. He wouldn't let anyone change it for nothing. The minute Naraku had kicked Kikyo out on her butt she wanted to stay there. He could remember that day clearly. She sounded so distraught and helpless when she called. He just couldn't stop himself from going over and picking her up.
Flashback
"Inu...I need you." Kikyo sobbed over the phone. At first his heart hardened but he just couldn't hang up.
"What is wrong now Kikyo?" He said it a little harsher then he had meant to.
"Naraku...he...he" She stuttered.
"What? He did what Kikyo? He wouldn't let you buy a dress or something? What did he do now?" His patience was running short. With all the problems he had right now he didn't need her shit to start all over again.
"He kicked me out. He is divorcing me damn it and it is your fault." She whined over the phone. His shoulders slumped. How it was his fault he couldn't figure out. "You promised to take care of me and look what happened." She all but screamed over the phone. He cringed and held the phone away from his ear.
"Alright, alright. Where are you? I'll come get you. We'll figure something out." He knew she was probably smirking on the other end. She was such a fake. When he arrived at the estate he found her standing outside closed gates with a very pissed look on her face. She didn't hesitate to begin with the bitching. He listened silently all the way to her parent's home. They were cordial enough as he carried her bags inside for her and all the time she didn't shut up. With a tired smile he nodded to her father then went back to his car and left her there.
It had only been a week when they got tired of her, she called him again and insisted he take care of her. From the moment he arrived she began to talk about the house and how she was going to change the pathetic look. He was fuming before he even pulled out of the driveway. To her surprise he took her to an apartment building that was owned by one of his fathers clients. He set her up in a small but nice furnished apartment. He made sure her rent and utilities were paid as well as making sure there was food in the house but after that he didn't have much to do with her. At first she would call everyday trying to get him to come over but even she was smart enough to figure out that he didn't want anything to do with her.
End of Flashback
That seemed like so long ago and here he was now, standing in the house he had abandoned two years ago because it felt so empty without Kagome in it. Her warmth and love had always filled it with the special glow of her presence. How he missed that. He shook his head and pushed off the wall. He had to keep his head straight or something really bad would happen. With a deep breath he forced his nerves to calm by thinking of how it felt to hold Kagome in his arms and inhale her scent. It worked well enough and his legs didn't feel as numb. Slowly he took a step forward so he could peer into the living room. What he saw made his heart stop.
The plastic had been removed from all the furniture and was piled in a far corner. His eyes glanced around the room curiously. Who would do that? A soft sob caught his attention and he turned to look directly at the fireplace. In front of it's warm glow someone was huddled in a blanket lying on the floor. Another sob sounding more like a hiccup escaped the person but he couldn't bring himself to go forward. His heart felt like it had jumped into his throat making it hard to swallow. 'Could it really be her?' His mind wished beyond any dream. His heart pulled at him to find out, to make sure, so he took another step forward.
He was only a few feet away when he realized that her scent was actually stronger now. Immediately his legs felt so numb he didn't know if he could stand anymore. With shaky limbs he leaned forward into a crouch so he would be able to reach out a trembling hand, afraid to touch but unable to resist. The bottom dropped out of his heart when a faint whimper was caught by his sensitive ears. "Inuyasha.." It was her sweet voice filled with unbearable pain. The pain he had caused.. The look in her eyes from that night flashed through his mind and made him cringe. A part of him told him to leave right now, to get away before he screwed it up again But he couldn't leave her like this. This could be his only chance.
"Kagome?" He said just above a whisper. His voice sounded raw in his own ears. There was no response. 'Could this be a wishful dream?' He thought as his trembling hand got closer to where her head was. At this point he was unsure of what to believe. His soul had called out for her so many nights over the last two years he didn't know if he could trust his own senses. Stormy nights like this, when it was particularly depressing, was when it became the worse. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 'Please let it be her.' His heart whispered to the heavens.
His fingers touched the edge of the blanket and he made himself slide closer while supporting his upper body on his left hand. The shuffling noise his feet made on the carpet seemed painfully loud in his ears but he couldn't stop. Swallowing a lump in his throat he forced his fingers to curl in the blanket to get a grip and pulled the edge back revealing silky black hair. A tear slid from his eye when another sob escaped the prone form before him. Instinctively he ran his fingers through her hair.
"Kagome, please...baby please stop. It will be alright." His shaky voice sobbed out. Inside his heart filled with pain from her despair. He wanted nothing more then to take her in his arms and comfort her. He leaned forward so he could nuzzle her neck. His arms ached to hold her again.
"Why Inuyasha? How could you abandon me for her?" Loathing pain filled her voice. His soul broke a bit more. He moved the hand that had been stroking her hair over to smooth the hair from her pale face.
"It wasn't what it looked like." He cried back leaning closer. He wanted to see her beautiful face and look into her eyes. He had to make her believe him. "She meant nothing to me. I should...." He started to explain just like he had practiced over and over in his head for the last two years. The words were there but so hard to get out.
"Meant nothing!" She screamed in a voice not her own and bolted up pushing him away from her. He landed flat on his back in shock. 'What the hell?' His mind scrambled to catch up. His eyes widened as she slowly turned toward him in a crouch. Her pale face had more of a blue tinge, eyes were sunken in with dark circles around them. Then he focused on her eyes. They were as black as a starless night and bore a hole through to his very soul. The corners of her thin blue lips spread into a serine smile that was unlike her. His eyes widened as he took in her attire. She wore a dingy white hospital gown that could not be lower then her knees. His eyes became as wide as saucers in horror as reality sunk in. 'Kikyo!' His mind screamed. The breath he had been taking caught in his throat.
"What's wrong Inuyasha? Aren't you happy to see me?" She gurgled out with a chuckle. "I see you are surprised." She seemed amused.
"Kikyo...I...I..." He stammered trying to think of what to say or do. Clumsily he pushed himself up into a setting position while trying to back away. She crept closer as he moved back.
"Come Inuyasha. It is time." She drawled out slowly.
"Time? Time for what?" He asked. 'This can't be happening.' His heart was beating so hard he thought it would pound out of his chest.
"You always said you would be there for me. You said you would protect me and we would be together forever. Why are you moving away? Don't you want to hold me like you used to?" Her cold voice spoke but there was no emotion in her face. Only her black eyes seemed to gleam with untold hatred.
"That was before you got married. You were the one who left me for someone else." He spit back hotly.
"I was always yours Inuyasha. If you had just waited, I was coming back. But you were too impatient. You didn't trust me, our love. You betrayed our love Inuyasha." Her voice was a whine that hurt his ears. She crawled closer until she cold touch his face with a cold hand. He cringed away from her. His skin crawled at the thought of her being so close. 'This can't be happening.' His mind screamed again.
"Kikyo...." He was trying hard to keep calm. "We were over a long time ago. I love Kagome now. She is all I want." There he had said it. Now maybe she would stop this torment. Her mouth opened in an unholy scream. He curled into a ball with his hands over his sensitive ears trying desperately to protect them. His head was pounding from the blood that his heart was pumping at a furious rate.
"NOOOOO!" She wailed. Then her wrath like voice lessened. "You are only confused. She is nothing but a copy of what you had with me. I saw that when I came back. We were meant to be together Inuyasha." She reached out but again he cringed away to avoid her touch. With a scowl she grit her teeth in a snarl. "Enough of this!" She hissed. "It is time." Her face regained that emotionless appearance once again.
"Time? Time for what? What are you talking about Kikyo?" He started to bring his feet under him so he could move quickly if he needed to. The last time she was like this she had attacked him with her finger nails. Her smile was unnerving.
"It is time for you to join me, my love." Her hand reached behind her slowly. "I have waited so long for us to be together again."
"Kikyo I can't be with you. I already told you that. I love Kagome." He snarled hotly and glared at her.
"You will see it my way soon. It is time for you to join me." She repeated. He was becoming exasperated with her not making any sense.
"Join you where? I am not going anywhere with you." He spit out.
"In Hell. We will be together forever." She lunged at him with a knife in her hand. He fell back away from her in shock. His skin burned at the touch of her cold dead hand on his face. The point of the knife was shoved deep into his heart. The hot searing pain enveloped him as his heart pumped his blood out of the wound mercilessly. His lungs gasped for air.
"NO!" He screamed and bolted straight up. The room was dark but he could feel the cotton sheets of the bed under his bare legs. Sweat was pouring off him making him feel clammy. He turned frantically back and forth looking all around him. 'A dream...it was only a dream." His heart was pounding so hard he thought his veins would pop. 'God why did she have to haunt his dreams.' He took a deep breath to calm himself. Pounding. His head was still pounding mercilessly. He shook his head to clear it then heard his father call.
"Inuyasha? Are you alright?" He shouted while pounding on his bedroom door. He swung his wobbly legs from the bed and made himself stand.
"Yeah." He called out as he slipped his robe on and walked over to the door to unlock it. His father burst into the room as soon as the door was open.
"Are you sure. You look like shit." Inutaisho asked with concern in his eyes.
"Yeah just a dream." Inuyasha's ears flattened on his head remembering it fairly well as he turned back to his bed to set down.
"It was about her wasn't it?" Inutaisho scowled at the weary look in his son's eyes and knew he was right. He walked over and took a seat next to Inuyasha. "Son you have to let it go. That was a long time ago. You can't change things." Inutaisho consoled.
"I could have...." Inuyasha started.
"Could have what? Stopped her? There was no stopping her in her state of mind." His father set a steady hand on his shoulder. "I really think you should get some counseling. It would help you to cope with all this." He patted the hanyou's shoulder. "But I didn't actually come up here for that. Miroku called and said that someone was at the house. You need to get dressed and go take a look." Inutaisho was surprised by Inuyasha's reaction to the news. He turned and looked at his father with wide eyes filled with fear.