Title: Shadows Against a Shoji Screen
Series: Inuyasha
Chapter 20
Genre: romance/action/adventure/drama
Chapter keywords: Inuyasha/Kikyou/Naraku
AN: Originally, this chapter was going to be a Sessh/Kagome chapter dealing with the Obon festival; however I felt that this would also be a good place in which to add some more detail with Kikyou in particular. As much as I hate the wench, I can't help but respect her. Her presence gives the story an edge and although I find her annoying, they say it is good to know one's enemies.
Warnings: No explicit sex or anything, but there will be innuendo and references. Trust me, I am too embarrassed to write anything explicit. I am not yet at that point in my 'career' dare I call it? But I can't really do it ANYWAYS because of the stupid lemon thingy.
Chapter 20
The Thread that Unravels
Inuyasha squeezed his arms tighter around Kikyou's bare waist and let his head fall into her luxurious hair that cascaded off her shoulders and down onto the futon. His eyes were shut and he looked almost peaceful and content nestled there, the two of them bare, huddled beneath the sheets. Yet Inuyasha was far from content and far from peaceful. His thoughts, which for some time now had been directed on revenge towards his brother, suddenly had no purpose. He had Kikyou, didn't he? Would he risk his own life and be tortured in an afterlife without her presence if he should fail?
But more so than Kikyou, it was his wife he could not forget. It was not as though he loved her; yet there was a respect that he would admit to. There was attraction, at least on his part; but as long as Kikyou remained by his side, he was only satisfied with her. To him, Kikyou was a beautiful star shining down on him—and comparatively none should shine so bright as she. Kagome, wherever she was, would find happiness one way or another. As little as he knew of his new bride, not even a year's anniversary into their marriage, he knew she was a survivor. She would take any means and any route possible; she was a daughter of the revolution and would carry on.
Yet, even though he told himself to forget his wife, even though he held Kikyou in his arms, even though he was surrounded in happiness; his thoughts of her would not stop. Kagome could not be forgotten.
As Inuyasha's thoughts began to grow scattered and muddled, he dug his face deeper into Kikyou's skin that smelled of incense and their love. His breathing grew heavy and rhythmic, and before the twilight star shone, Inuyasha had fallen asleep only to dream of thoughts he wished to escape.
Kikyou, on the other hand, was far from drowsy. Instead her eyes were bright and aware in the fading light of the room. Although her body was relaxed and gave the appearance of satisfaction, she was tense and anxious; for troubling thoughts were beginning to clutch her soul. These thoughts would not fade or die; they were endless like the lapse of time.
When she was sure that Inuyasha was deeply asleep, she untangled herself from his limbs and slid down onto the tatami mats. Gazing down at the hanyou, she thought of how innocent and peaceful he looked at this moment. There was no trace that he was a killer, a murderer. There was no trace in his countenance that he had supposedly murdered her.
Kikyou, who sat in the nude, looked down at the hanyou before her. The emotions that she felt towards him were so unsure—she had to force herself not to like him. She had to force herself to remember that this man had killed her. She had to force so many things…
But more so then these disturbing thoughts of doubt was the realization that perhaps things were not as they seemed when it came to Naraku.
Pulling at a piece of her dark hair, she silently called out for the souls that she so desperately needed. Tonight had been particularly physically exhausting. Inuyasha was beginning to crave more and more as he realized that she, Kikyou, was no dream. She had returned to life, and although Inuyasha had first reacted cautiously towards her sudden appearance in all regards, perhaps the snow of his soul was beginning to melt. Perhaps the crocuses of their love would bloom…
But, Kikyou questioned as the souls of the departed beings entered her body, was there love between them? Could she, a holy priestess, love a man with her blood splattered against his past?
She stood up, slipping on a yukata, her movements' fluid as water as she made her way to the veranda that overlooked the courtyard. Leaning against the wooden beams, her dark and depthless eyes scanned the horizon for a sign. It was now nearly dusk, the remnants of the day being quickly spirited away to another realm. Yet still, the midday heat remained, the song of the mockingbird had yet to die in the cool ocean breeze.
The wind rustled her long hair, and Kikyou closed her eyes blocking out the world. She had to come to decision at this moment. A dangerous decision that could destroy not only her life, but Inuyasha's as well…
However, Kikyou knew that to find peace within her reincarnated soul, she had to find what was perhaps the most difficult: the truth among the potential ruins of war.
She had to know of her past that always seemed so foggy and conflicting. Kikyou had to know how she died, she had to know who killed her; for their sake as well as her own. She was a priestess, Kikyou told herself, and those who had tainted, killed and destroyed innocent lives deserved not to live.
Looking out onto the desolate moon, now waxing to the full, Kikyou knew there was but one path for her reclaimed destiny, only one path to follow; that which led to the truth…
Walking out onto the veranda, now clothed in a deep indigo yukata, her footsteps light yet full of depth, she made her way through the familiar mazes of screens and painted panels until she arrived outside Naraku's bedchamber. Kikyou knew well that Naraku would be inside its folding walls, waiting for her to come to his side, waiting for the pleasure and the pain that was always so memorable in their visits. She paused and knelt her head as she looked down at her shaking hands. If what she supposed was right, then she would be doing the most terrible thing possible to imagine; she would shame her name and destroy and twist the honorable relations of lord and servant. Yet, Kikyou reasoned desperately, she had to know the truth…she had to know, whether or not it cost her life. She had already died once, and so, what fear was there?
Opening the shoji screens, Kikyou looked into the dark recesses of Naraku's bed chamber, lit only with one oil-lamp in the far left-hand corner. Opposite the flame sat Naraku, an undone forest colored cloak spread about him which was parted down the middle revealing his bare body that flicked with the movements of the undulating flame. His eyes gleamed in the darkness and seemed to take on a life of their own, glistening and glowing like wet stones in the moonlight. His mouth, pouty and full was now formed in a masculine smirk as he motioned for her to enter.
"You are early tonight, Kikyou," he whispered darkly as he adjusted his seating position so as to accompany her petite frame better.
"Yes," Kikyou sighed as she began to undue her heavily yukata mechanically. She felt like a woman of the pleasure quarters when it came to Naraku, day in and day out, it was all that was demanded of her. Yet, with Inuyasha, so many things were different—he did not treat her as an item to be used and then disposed of; he gave her the attention of a treasure, never bruising her skin, never treating her wrongly; no, perhaps to Inuyasha she was something that could transcend the materialism that was so bound to her sex.
Kneeling down on the ground, once again bare and gleaming in the weak moonlight of the waxing lantern high above, she ran her hands along Naraku's jaw line. She could hear his breath begin to quicken, and her heart as well. Although Naraku treated her like an object, perhaps it was his brutality that made her aware of life.
Movements quickened in the hushed room.
Breathing a shuddering sigh, she felt Naraku wrap his moist arms around her and whisper into her ear, "You are mine, Kikyou…you are what I have been searching for. For you, I brave the darkness of humiliation, deceit and the rules of the underworld. For you, Kikyou…for you…"
His grip loosened about her waist, and looking up into his handsome face, Kikyou could not help but feel pity. There was motivation behind this demon, there was more torture and hopelessness, loss, fears and regret than she could ever imagine. Oh, Naraku could play the Noh of happiness, he could deceive women and men alike like a fox—but only to her could she see what he really was. A tortured man searching for happiness; happiness he had yet to achieve.
He was nearly asleep now, having been exhausted by their love, yet he remained somewhat conscious so as to reply dimly to questions—questions that upon his awake would be but distant memories.
"Naraku…," Kikyou breathed, wrapping her body around his own, "Tell me…" she whispered, "Tell me how I died…"
The wait was long, but slowly, Naraku moved his lips and whispered in a voice drugged with sleep, "Inu…yasha…he…did….it."
"But why?" Kikyou continued, refusing to believe that Inuyasha could do such a thing. It was with love that Inuyasha had embraced her; not hate.
"To gain…her…"
Slumber was rapidly conquering Naraku's body, so her last and final attack had to be swift and painless, "Who is she?"
"She…is…"
And then he was gone.
Silently, she slipped out of his room and returned once again to the welcoming arms of Inuyasha, still not accepting the legitimacy. The truth could only be found in Inuyasha's word.
*
Inuyasha awoke past midnight and he was relieved to find Kikyou still curled up within his embrace. More often then not, he would awakeat times such as these and find his arms empty and cold. He would awaken, later on, towards the hours of dawn, and then find her once again beside him. At first he had thought it all a dream—but slowly the mystery began to unravel within his soul. Tonight, however, she was here, by his side; and that was all he needed. There was no yesterday, there was no tomorrow; with Kikyou, there was only here and now.
She stirred slightly and opened her eyes. A pale wash of pink flushed across her cheeks as she whispered, "Did I wake you?"
Inuyasha shook his head and instead ran his hand along her face, his eyes glazed over with relief and jubilation, "No, Kikyou, you did not awake me…"
Kikyou leaned closer towards his body and held it tightly, burying her face within his bare chest, "Inuyasha?" she whispered, her voice muted and muffled.
His ears perked up, and gazing down at the top of her head, he questioned gently, a kind smile washing over his face in the starlight, "Yes, Kikyou? What is it?"
Kikyou held onto him tighter, as though she was overboard in the tossing seas—and Inuyasha was her rock of salvation against the hungry sharks of the world.
Her voice was full of emotion and outside a night owl hooted in the dim, "Inuyasha. Tell me how I died."
His breath intake was quite sudden and his form went stiff. His grip on her tightened and he held on fast against her, burying his head into her raven-colored hair, "Why do you wish to know, Kikyou?"
"I-I cannot remember," she admitted truthfully, pulling away from his tight embrace so that she could look deeply into his golden eyes, now dilated due from the lack of light.
"Do you really wish to know?" Inuyasha asked seriously, cupping her head in his hands and leaning his forehead against her brow, "Don't you want to forget? This is a new life now, Kikyou; yesterday is dead…only tomorrow remains."
How was it that at times such as these he could sound so wise? While at other intervals, he was but a child…?
Kikyou bit back tears but insisted, "I wish to know of my history so I may not repeat the mistakes of the past."
Inuyasha held her close once again and spat out, his voice laced heavily with emotion and sorrow, "It was not your fault."
Kikyou's grip, which had once been tight and strained on his body now loosened, and she admitted, "I know. But…but I wish to know why anyways. You do not have to tell me how it happened…I just wish to know; Inuyasha, tell me…who is my murderer?"
Inuyasha's response was delayed like the heat of summer. Finally, he replied, his voice serious, grave and full of hatred, "My half-brother; Sesshoumaru."
Kikyou closed her eyes and began to cry. Holding tight to Inuyasha she prayed that come the sun tomorrow such talk would have been forgotten in his sleep, but she knew it was not the case. With tomorrow's sun would come a reborn Kikyou, one aware of the truth, one aware that the lies of Naraku were beginning to become unraveled like an old and worn string. No, it was not Sesshoumaru that had killed her, as Inuyasha had explained; nor was it Inuyasha that had killed her, swore Naraku: no, now the truth finally was revealed to the world.
Eighteen years ago, it was not Sesshoumaru nor Inuyasha; but Naraku.
Naraku, the lord who had returned her to the living, the lord whose plans remained to be a mystery, but slowly, piece by piece, Kikyou would ensure the dark lord would fall and claim the retribution he so justly deserved.
Leaning forward, Kikyou held Inuyasha close and smiled softly in the dark. Yet, Inuyasha frowned softly and closed his eyes so that he could escape the image of his forgotten wife still haunting him.
***
AN: just got through that for the final spell check/update. As I did so, a few things struck me. Number one, IY is rather OOC, but I didn't change anything because Inuyasha CAN be serious, he just isn't portrayed that way. (Usually)…but in, any case, I found that Kikyou was not THAT annoying. I mean, it is KIKYOU so I mean, it usually hast to be that way!
Hmmmmmmmmmm, I have decided to update this story every two weeks on Friday…that is, until I hit a TOTALLY writers block here….which hopefully I shall not.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter
Sincerely
Cappie
Read, review say 'fuku'!
cappiepost@yahoo.com