Sorry Im late everyone! I just couldn't get this damn chapter written! And then to make it worse, when I did finish it, my DSL went out and my dad (the only computer-capable creature at my house) was on a business trip!! I stared at my computer screen for a solid three days going 'Please, let me check my email…' Anyway, he came back today so you get a chapter!!
Disclaimer:: Inuyasha doesn't belong to me, as much as I want him to.
____________________________
Inuki
Chapter Ten :: The Hanyou, Inuyasha
Inuki looked nervously around Kagome's room. It was the first time he'd been in it. Well technically, the second, but the first time, he'd carried her in because she was unconscious. Her body had been limp in his arms, her head hanging over the side of his arm as he struggled through the house towards her room, a mass of panicked people following him. He hadn't noticed or cared about the scenery.
This time, she was awake and lively. He'd allowed her time to change out of the party dress she'd worn, and she was now wearing her pajamas, a cute aqua camisole and shorts set with little white dogs printed on them.
The cuteness and utter girlishness about her room was stupefying. It was mostly shades of pinks and purples, and stuffed plush creatures were everywhere. Beanbag-bodied minis sat on her desk, a larger than normal teddy bear sat on the floor at the end of her bed. Shippou-plushie was on her bed, looking a bit bedruffled, and Inuki blushed slightly at the thought that she slept with it.
He noticed she had framed photographs on her vanity table, surrounded by her makeup, all of them of she and her family, or her friends. He did not see anyone who remotely resembled him, in any way, and so obviously was not Inuyasha and so he waited.
He knelt on the floor in front of her vanity table, while Kagome rustled through her desk drawers. She emerged with a photo frame and paused for a moment, gazing at the image encased in it. Then she handed it to him quietly.
He took it carefully and looked down at the glass-covered picture. Three women, two men and a boy. The girl on the furthermost left was about their age, her dark brown hair long and glossy, tied back into a very low ponytail. She wore a kimono of ivory and magenta with an old-style emerald-colored apron on.
At her side was a young man, possibly a little older than Inuki himself, wearing the traditional robes of a houshi; anybody who went to history class could recognize it. Unlike average monks however, this man had not shaved his head, his hair was black and pulled back into a short ponytail. He was grinning broadly at the camera.
Next to him was a short, stout old woman in her late 50's or so, with gray-brown hair pulled back. She wore traditional red-and-white robes of a miko, and an eyepatch over her right eye. She was smiling also, the wrinkles and creases in her friendly face deepening with the old smile. A child of 4 or 5 sat on her shoulder, waving at the camera.
Inuki recognized him instantly. Shippou. He had seen him in that odd vision three days ago. The little fox-child.
Next to them was Kagome, wearing the green sailor uniform. She was smiling, head tilted slightly, her hand lifted up in a peace sign. The other hand was clasped within the hand of the final person.
Inuki's face paled. The boy was his age. He wore a red hakama and haori, and his feet were bare as he stood on the dirt road. His face, so very familiar to Inuki's, was drawn in a bored frown. He had wide, yellow eyes, long silver hair. The most unique thing were the dog-ears that stood alert on the top of his head.
They, Inuki and this boy, looked exactly alike. Like twin brothers. Or clones.
He looked up at Kagome in amazement. "What... I mean, how is this possible?"
She sighed, folding her hands in her lap. "Because Inuyasha died. You are his reincarnation. I know you are, it's taken me a long time to decide that for certain, but... I know you are. You guys are so much alike."
Inuki shook his head. "Me? But you and I are the same age, how did you date a guy who was me?" At his question Kagome smirked. "Like I said, Inuyasha and the others are from the Sengoku-jidai. 500 years ago, when youkai walked this country freely, Sango-chan, Miroku-sama, Kaede-baachan, Shippou-chan, me and Inuyasha traveled searching for the shards of the Shikon no Tama. Actually Kaede-baachan didn't come most of the time."
She pointed out each person as she said their name. Inuki looked up at her after realizing what she'd mentioned. "Shikon no Tama... those little keychain charms your grandfather sells?"
Kagome nodded. "Except the real Shikon no Tama is a jewel of magnificent power. To youkai or a person with an evil heart, the Shikon no Tama amplifies their power. I've seen little crow demons turn into monsters of enormous sizes because they swallowed this jewel."
He nodded. It was hard to believe. Not the part about the Shikon no Tama, or youkai walking the land 500 years past. The Yashagawas were descended from an inuyoukai clan who'd lived in the western lands centuries ago; he was used to hearing that sort of stuff from his brother Takeru. What was hard to believe was how Kagome fit into the story.
"So…" Inuki began, "You just… landed in the Sengoku-jidai one day."
Kagome gave him a stern look which meant: cut out the jokes and Inuki shrugged. The young woman looked out her window towards the front of the shrine. "Honegui no ido.."
"The well..? What about it?" He asked and Kagome looked back at him. "That's how I traveled back and forth. The well is the door to the past."
Inuki was quiet for a moment, digesting the information. After a moment Kagome simply began to talk without warning.
"I released Inuyasha from a seal on my 15th birthday. Over the first few months that I knew him, so much happened to us. We met our friends, we learned the truth about Inuyasha's past, we searched for the shards of the Shikon no Tama."
The young man looked up at her. Kagome was staring at the picture. "And I fell in love with him."
She looked up at Inuki poignantly. "I wasn't going to ever come back, you know. I was going to stay with him forever."
He stared back at her without a sound as her eyes trailed back down to the photo. "But… we fought Naraku and Inuyasha died, and I came back here alone." One tear fell and splashed onto the glass. Inuki frowned at that, wondering what he should say, but instead kept silent as she wiped her eyes and continued.
"And for six months I've tried to get on with my life. But six months earlier…"
~*~
Kagome tugged on her arm, trying to free herself of the impatient hanyou attached to the other end and struggling to fight tears at the same time. She would not let him see her cry. "Let go of me Inuyasha!!"
He shook his head, his face twisted in an angry glare. "You're NOT going back until you answer my question! Why did you give these to me?! If you don't take these with you, you can't come back!"
Kagome shook her head, preparing a good sit. "Let go of me, you stupid jerk! Maybe I don't WANT to come back!" His grip loosened instantly and Kagome yanked free of him when it did, half-running a few steps forward, and stopping. She sniffled, forcing down the feelings. Don't cry don't cry don't cry...
"You.. want to leave?" He sounded so hurt. So betrayed. How dare he sound that way. "Why would you... want... to leave me?"
Please don't sound that way... Kagome reached for her first excuse, as lame as it now sounded. After all, she had just told him she wasn't coming back anyway. "I have school! After we beat Naraku and gather the rest of the Jewel, I have to still have a life there! I need to be able to go back!! I already told you that I don't have a future there unless I study!"
"Who cares? You don't need one there, you have one here." Frustrated, Kagome cursed under her breath his obstinacy, straightening the straps of her backpack. "But see, that's the problem! I DON'T have a future here! I can't stay here forever, Inuyasha~ This isn't where I'm supposed to be!"
The tears were close, please, just let him let her go, please. Let him understand.
Once more she felt his hands on her arms and he spun her to face him, and she saw for the first time the anguish this entire situation was causing him. His golden eyes crinkled with pain. "You're supposed to be wherever I am because your place is with ME!"
Her struggles stopped and she stared up at him, eye full of surprise and wonder. His eyes were intense, focused on her face, and for the first time she saw nothing else in him, only his desire to be with her. He didn't want the Shikon no Tama, he didn't want to be a real youkai, he didn't want Kikyou.
He just wanted ...Kagome.
His body sagged slightly, his grip loosened, as if all energy had left him, and all he could do now was stare into her eyes. His voice was a husky whisper as he repeated, "You're supposed to be with me."
She swallowed, still awestruck by his statement. "Wh... what?" was the only word she could manage. Inuyasha shook his head vigorously. "You can't go, I don't want you to! If you leave me, I'll have to beat Naraku all by myself." He grit his teeth, one pearly fang jutting out against his lower lip. "And what am I supposed to do after that?! I'll be alone again!"
"You won't be alone, you'll... you'll have her..." she mumbled stupidly, not understanding why he was doing this. Why was he acting so insanely? Isn't this what he wanted? He wanted the shards, he wanted to die with Kikyou; what did it matter if he left behind the people, the girl, who loved him?
Why was he acting like… he loved her…?
The hanyou made a soft noise under his breath, eyes never leaving her face. "Kagome you're so stupid...!" His response simply angered her. She struggled against him again, but he held firm, closing the distance between them swiftly and embracing her. Kagome caught her breath.
Her face pressed into his shoulder, and she made a soft squeak at the abrupt action. His chest was warm. "What are you doing?" she demanded, and Inuyasha swallowed. After a moment he breathed against her ear, "Kikyou doesn't make me feel the way you make me. Don't leave me alone. I need you."
At the declaration, Kagome drew up against him, the tears breaking through, and she finally relaxed, burying her face in his shoulder and weeping.
I hate this about myself. Why do I let this jerk walk over me? Why do I let him get away with trampling on me... making me cry... tearing me apart...
Because I want to see him again. Because I need to hear his voice and see his smile and look in his eyes just one more time. Because I never know when it will be the last day, the last fight, and my last chance to see--
"Inuyasha…"
"Yeah?"
"……I'll stay…" The young girl wrapped her arms around him also, molding to his form like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle. She felt him smile against her cheek. "……thank you, Kagome."
~*~
His hands were shaking. His fingers trembled uncontrollably as they clenched themselves into fists. Inuyasha's eyes stared blankly at the ground, melting into a expression of helpless agony as he realized what Naraku had done to him.
*…no.. please…*
He could feel the hot pull of his blood at his mind and heart, dragging his soul down into the black abyss it resided when he lost control. His head throbbed, the rush of his blood to his surface sounding like a roar of heavy winds in his sensitive ears.
He could hear Kagome at his side, calling his name, but it didn't register. All he could comprehend was the pain, the anger and the fear, all turning and tumbling inside him like a whirlpool. He closed his eyes. *Go, Kagome.. please go..*
"Inuyasha…!"
She hated the way her voice sounded as she called his name. It wasn't the voice of a girl who trusted and believed in the man she loved; it was more like that of a woman afraid of what that man could and might do to her.
Kagome stared at the hanyou in horror, trying to ignore the fear screaming at her to run. It was deafening, this feeling. He was transforming into a monster underneath her very hands. She should run.
But she couldn't. Not from Inuyasha.
She gripped fistfuls of his haori in her hands, trying to shake him out of it. Shake him back to the world. back to her. "Inuyasha, don't!! Break the transformation!! You can do this, I know you can!!"
Either ignoring her cries or not hearing them, Inuyasha emitted a strangled cry that was part pain, part fear as his back arched as if in a dry heave. It was an animalistic cry, and one hand shot down to the ground, gripping the dirt and rocks underneath his body in claws that were growing longer.
His hair was bristling like the fur of a cat who felt threatened or frightened. His yellow eyes were tinged with the bright red characteristic of his youkai nature and she watched a jagged purple stripe lined his cheekbones.
His breath was heavy as he fought his transformation, and he shut his eyes. "Ka… gome.. go…" She shook her head. "I'm not leaving you."
"GO!" he screamed, his voice breaking into a roar-growl as his eyes flashed red and he struck out at her. Kagome felt herself abruptly yanked backward and glanced up to see Sango and Miroku on Kirara's back. The houshi had reached down and hauled her up by the back of her shirt, setting her down in his lap.
Overcoming the slight confusion quickly, she struggled against Miroku's arms. "No! Take me back to him! Miroku-sama, put me down!!"
"He's transformed already, Kagome-sama!" the monk yelled, and Shippou bounced in her lap. "He could kill you!!" Kagome hushed instantly, allowing herself to be flown to the top of the deep canyon.
From across the open chasm, Naraku laughed aloud at the spectacle. Miroku cursed at him under his breath as they landed, and Kagome ran from Kirara's side, back to the edge of the ravine.
"Inuyasha!!"
He wasn't there. The small island in the river of shouki that had flowed in the bottom… he had left it.
And then she saw him. Kagome gasped as the red blur shot up towards her, and she wasn't able to back away before Inuyasha's claws caught her arm.
"Kagome-chan!!"
Kagome sat back on her knees, holding her hand over the wound. Inuyasha stood over her, laughing as he licked his claws clean of her blood. The young miko stared up at him in shock. "Inuyasha…"
"Kagome-sama!" She heard Miroku's voice call her name, and abruptly something long and gold slammed the crazed hanyou in the side of the head. He stumbled away with a growl and yet again Kagome found herself pulled away.
Sango pulled off Kagome's neckerchief and hastily tied a dressing over the wound. It wasn't serious, he'd hardly touched her. Kagome looked up where Miroku and Inuyasha were standing almost completely still, facing each other, each waiting for the other to make a move.
The hanyou roared in fury and rushed the houshi, and Miroku dodged easily, sidestepping and twirling around the crazed younger man. "Inuyasha," he called to him, blocking a claw strike with his shakujou, "You must regain your senses! Do you truly intend to forget about us?! About Kagome-sama?!"
Inuyasha howled and lunged at him, striking out. Miroku cursed as he took the brunt of the attack on his arm, and he swung at Inuyasha with the golden staff. Again, he struck Inuyasha's head and the hanyou went down, blood trickling down from his temple.
From the sidelines, Kagome watched them fight. There were no inhibitions on the young youkai's part whilst Miroku, to his credit, tried to hold back so he wouldn't really hurt the hanyou. But Inuyasha wasn't holding back. He had hurt both Miroku and herself. He wasn't going to stop until they were all dead.
Kagome felt tears come to her eyes as she realized what her wound meant. She had lost him.
Inuyasha had forgotten her.
And now, just like any other youkai, she would have to kill him.
She stood, taking her bow from her back. Shippou looked up at her. "Kagome?" At the kit's side, Sango's eyes widened, realizing what the miko meant to do as she took a single arrow from her quiver. "Kagome-chan, don't! We may still--"
"He's gone, Sango-chan. I have to save Miroku-sama." She set the arrow to the bow and aimed for the hanyou's heart. She had a single clear shot. Kagome looked up to the sky helplessly, as if praying for strength, or for forgiveness, and then looked back at him.
And fired.
Miroku gasped slightly at the sound of the bowstring, and his shock was deepened when the purifying arrow lodged itself in Inuyasha's chest. He turned, blankly looking at Kagome. *She… actually shot him..*
Inuyasha staggered backward, his red eyes widening in confusion and pain. One hand went up and touched the arrow, and then he looked back up in the direction it had come from. At Kagome. The miko lowered the bow slowly, her face stoic as she kept her eyes trained on him.
And then something happened that no one had expected. His eyes cleared, turning bright amber-gold again. His face tightened painfully, a hint of betrayal in the golden depths. "K-Kagome…"
His eyes slid shut and Kagome screamed his name as he fell backward.
~*~ To be continued ~*~
a/n :: Ouch. Sucks, dun it? ^-^ I'm the cruel and ebil giver of cliffies, yes. But you know what?! Because I was late for two weeks straight, you loyal reviewers ::gasps melodramatically:: get another chapter!!! v^^- Don't say I never come through for ya~ Although you guys will hate me again by the end of it.
Anyway! Review and lemme know what you're thinking, you guys know I love it!
~*~ V^-^V ~*~
~Tessen
Disclaimer:: Inuyasha doesn't belong to me, as much as I want him to.
____________________________
Inuki
Chapter Ten :: The Hanyou, Inuyasha
Inuki looked nervously around Kagome's room. It was the first time he'd been in it. Well technically, the second, but the first time, he'd carried her in because she was unconscious. Her body had been limp in his arms, her head hanging over the side of his arm as he struggled through the house towards her room, a mass of panicked people following him. He hadn't noticed or cared about the scenery.
This time, she was awake and lively. He'd allowed her time to change out of the party dress she'd worn, and she was now wearing her pajamas, a cute aqua camisole and shorts set with little white dogs printed on them.
The cuteness and utter girlishness about her room was stupefying. It was mostly shades of pinks and purples, and stuffed plush creatures were everywhere. Beanbag-bodied minis sat on her desk, a larger than normal teddy bear sat on the floor at the end of her bed. Shippou-plushie was on her bed, looking a bit bedruffled, and Inuki blushed slightly at the thought that she slept with it.
He noticed she had framed photographs on her vanity table, surrounded by her makeup, all of them of she and her family, or her friends. He did not see anyone who remotely resembled him, in any way, and so obviously was not Inuyasha and so he waited.
He knelt on the floor in front of her vanity table, while Kagome rustled through her desk drawers. She emerged with a photo frame and paused for a moment, gazing at the image encased in it. Then she handed it to him quietly.
He took it carefully and looked down at the glass-covered picture. Three women, two men and a boy. The girl on the furthermost left was about their age, her dark brown hair long and glossy, tied back into a very low ponytail. She wore a kimono of ivory and magenta with an old-style emerald-colored apron on.
At her side was a young man, possibly a little older than Inuki himself, wearing the traditional robes of a houshi; anybody who went to history class could recognize it. Unlike average monks however, this man had not shaved his head, his hair was black and pulled back into a short ponytail. He was grinning broadly at the camera.
Next to him was a short, stout old woman in her late 50's or so, with gray-brown hair pulled back. She wore traditional red-and-white robes of a miko, and an eyepatch over her right eye. She was smiling also, the wrinkles and creases in her friendly face deepening with the old smile. A child of 4 or 5 sat on her shoulder, waving at the camera.
Inuki recognized him instantly. Shippou. He had seen him in that odd vision three days ago. The little fox-child.
Next to them was Kagome, wearing the green sailor uniform. She was smiling, head tilted slightly, her hand lifted up in a peace sign. The other hand was clasped within the hand of the final person.
Inuki's face paled. The boy was his age. He wore a red hakama and haori, and his feet were bare as he stood on the dirt road. His face, so very familiar to Inuki's, was drawn in a bored frown. He had wide, yellow eyes, long silver hair. The most unique thing were the dog-ears that stood alert on the top of his head.
They, Inuki and this boy, looked exactly alike. Like twin brothers. Or clones.
He looked up at Kagome in amazement. "What... I mean, how is this possible?"
She sighed, folding her hands in her lap. "Because Inuyasha died. You are his reincarnation. I know you are, it's taken me a long time to decide that for certain, but... I know you are. You guys are so much alike."
Inuki shook his head. "Me? But you and I are the same age, how did you date a guy who was me?" At his question Kagome smirked. "Like I said, Inuyasha and the others are from the Sengoku-jidai. 500 years ago, when youkai walked this country freely, Sango-chan, Miroku-sama, Kaede-baachan, Shippou-chan, me and Inuyasha traveled searching for the shards of the Shikon no Tama. Actually Kaede-baachan didn't come most of the time."
She pointed out each person as she said their name. Inuki looked up at her after realizing what she'd mentioned. "Shikon no Tama... those little keychain charms your grandfather sells?"
Kagome nodded. "Except the real Shikon no Tama is a jewel of magnificent power. To youkai or a person with an evil heart, the Shikon no Tama amplifies their power. I've seen little crow demons turn into monsters of enormous sizes because they swallowed this jewel."
He nodded. It was hard to believe. Not the part about the Shikon no Tama, or youkai walking the land 500 years past. The Yashagawas were descended from an inuyoukai clan who'd lived in the western lands centuries ago; he was used to hearing that sort of stuff from his brother Takeru. What was hard to believe was how Kagome fit into the story.
"So…" Inuki began, "You just… landed in the Sengoku-jidai one day."
Kagome gave him a stern look which meant: cut out the jokes and Inuki shrugged. The young woman looked out her window towards the front of the shrine. "Honegui no ido.."
"The well..? What about it?" He asked and Kagome looked back at him. "That's how I traveled back and forth. The well is the door to the past."
Inuki was quiet for a moment, digesting the information. After a moment Kagome simply began to talk without warning.
"I released Inuyasha from a seal on my 15th birthday. Over the first few months that I knew him, so much happened to us. We met our friends, we learned the truth about Inuyasha's past, we searched for the shards of the Shikon no Tama."
The young man looked up at her. Kagome was staring at the picture. "And I fell in love with him."
She looked up at Inuki poignantly. "I wasn't going to ever come back, you know. I was going to stay with him forever."
He stared back at her without a sound as her eyes trailed back down to the photo. "But… we fought Naraku and Inuyasha died, and I came back here alone." One tear fell and splashed onto the glass. Inuki frowned at that, wondering what he should say, but instead kept silent as she wiped her eyes and continued.
"And for six months I've tried to get on with my life. But six months earlier…"
~*~
Kagome tugged on her arm, trying to free herself of the impatient hanyou attached to the other end and struggling to fight tears at the same time. She would not let him see her cry. "Let go of me Inuyasha!!"
He shook his head, his face twisted in an angry glare. "You're NOT going back until you answer my question! Why did you give these to me?! If you don't take these with you, you can't come back!"
Kagome shook her head, preparing a good sit. "Let go of me, you stupid jerk! Maybe I don't WANT to come back!" His grip loosened instantly and Kagome yanked free of him when it did, half-running a few steps forward, and stopping. She sniffled, forcing down the feelings. Don't cry don't cry don't cry...
"You.. want to leave?" He sounded so hurt. So betrayed. How dare he sound that way. "Why would you... want... to leave me?"
Please don't sound that way... Kagome reached for her first excuse, as lame as it now sounded. After all, she had just told him she wasn't coming back anyway. "I have school! After we beat Naraku and gather the rest of the Jewel, I have to still have a life there! I need to be able to go back!! I already told you that I don't have a future there unless I study!"
"Who cares? You don't need one there, you have one here." Frustrated, Kagome cursed under her breath his obstinacy, straightening the straps of her backpack. "But see, that's the problem! I DON'T have a future here! I can't stay here forever, Inuyasha~ This isn't where I'm supposed to be!"
The tears were close, please, just let him let her go, please. Let him understand.
Once more she felt his hands on her arms and he spun her to face him, and she saw for the first time the anguish this entire situation was causing him. His golden eyes crinkled with pain. "You're supposed to be wherever I am because your place is with ME!"
Her struggles stopped and she stared up at him, eye full of surprise and wonder. His eyes were intense, focused on her face, and for the first time she saw nothing else in him, only his desire to be with her. He didn't want the Shikon no Tama, he didn't want to be a real youkai, he didn't want Kikyou.
He just wanted ...Kagome.
His body sagged slightly, his grip loosened, as if all energy had left him, and all he could do now was stare into her eyes. His voice was a husky whisper as he repeated, "You're supposed to be with me."
She swallowed, still awestruck by his statement. "Wh... what?" was the only word she could manage. Inuyasha shook his head vigorously. "You can't go, I don't want you to! If you leave me, I'll have to beat Naraku all by myself." He grit his teeth, one pearly fang jutting out against his lower lip. "And what am I supposed to do after that?! I'll be alone again!"
"You won't be alone, you'll... you'll have her..." she mumbled stupidly, not understanding why he was doing this. Why was he acting so insanely? Isn't this what he wanted? He wanted the shards, he wanted to die with Kikyou; what did it matter if he left behind the people, the girl, who loved him?
Why was he acting like… he loved her…?
The hanyou made a soft noise under his breath, eyes never leaving her face. "Kagome you're so stupid...!" His response simply angered her. She struggled against him again, but he held firm, closing the distance between them swiftly and embracing her. Kagome caught her breath.
Her face pressed into his shoulder, and she made a soft squeak at the abrupt action. His chest was warm. "What are you doing?" she demanded, and Inuyasha swallowed. After a moment he breathed against her ear, "Kikyou doesn't make me feel the way you make me. Don't leave me alone. I need you."
At the declaration, Kagome drew up against him, the tears breaking through, and she finally relaxed, burying her face in his shoulder and weeping.
I hate this about myself. Why do I let this jerk walk over me? Why do I let him get away with trampling on me... making me cry... tearing me apart...
Because I want to see him again. Because I need to hear his voice and see his smile and look in his eyes just one more time. Because I never know when it will be the last day, the last fight, and my last chance to see--
"Inuyasha…"
"Yeah?"
"……I'll stay…" The young girl wrapped her arms around him also, molding to his form like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle. She felt him smile against her cheek. "……thank you, Kagome."
~*~
His hands were shaking. His fingers trembled uncontrollably as they clenched themselves into fists. Inuyasha's eyes stared blankly at the ground, melting into a expression of helpless agony as he realized what Naraku had done to him.
*…no.. please…*
He could feel the hot pull of his blood at his mind and heart, dragging his soul down into the black abyss it resided when he lost control. His head throbbed, the rush of his blood to his surface sounding like a roar of heavy winds in his sensitive ears.
He could hear Kagome at his side, calling his name, but it didn't register. All he could comprehend was the pain, the anger and the fear, all turning and tumbling inside him like a whirlpool. He closed his eyes. *Go, Kagome.. please go..*
"Inuyasha…!"
She hated the way her voice sounded as she called his name. It wasn't the voice of a girl who trusted and believed in the man she loved; it was more like that of a woman afraid of what that man could and might do to her.
Kagome stared at the hanyou in horror, trying to ignore the fear screaming at her to run. It was deafening, this feeling. He was transforming into a monster underneath her very hands. She should run.
But she couldn't. Not from Inuyasha.
She gripped fistfuls of his haori in her hands, trying to shake him out of it. Shake him back to the world. back to her. "Inuyasha, don't!! Break the transformation!! You can do this, I know you can!!"
Either ignoring her cries or not hearing them, Inuyasha emitted a strangled cry that was part pain, part fear as his back arched as if in a dry heave. It was an animalistic cry, and one hand shot down to the ground, gripping the dirt and rocks underneath his body in claws that were growing longer.
His hair was bristling like the fur of a cat who felt threatened or frightened. His yellow eyes were tinged with the bright red characteristic of his youkai nature and she watched a jagged purple stripe lined his cheekbones.
His breath was heavy as he fought his transformation, and he shut his eyes. "Ka… gome.. go…" She shook her head. "I'm not leaving you."
"GO!" he screamed, his voice breaking into a roar-growl as his eyes flashed red and he struck out at her. Kagome felt herself abruptly yanked backward and glanced up to see Sango and Miroku on Kirara's back. The houshi had reached down and hauled her up by the back of her shirt, setting her down in his lap.
Overcoming the slight confusion quickly, she struggled against Miroku's arms. "No! Take me back to him! Miroku-sama, put me down!!"
"He's transformed already, Kagome-sama!" the monk yelled, and Shippou bounced in her lap. "He could kill you!!" Kagome hushed instantly, allowing herself to be flown to the top of the deep canyon.
From across the open chasm, Naraku laughed aloud at the spectacle. Miroku cursed at him under his breath as they landed, and Kagome ran from Kirara's side, back to the edge of the ravine.
"Inuyasha!!"
He wasn't there. The small island in the river of shouki that had flowed in the bottom… he had left it.
And then she saw him. Kagome gasped as the red blur shot up towards her, and she wasn't able to back away before Inuyasha's claws caught her arm.
"Kagome-chan!!"
Kagome sat back on her knees, holding her hand over the wound. Inuyasha stood over her, laughing as he licked his claws clean of her blood. The young miko stared up at him in shock. "Inuyasha…"
"Kagome-sama!" She heard Miroku's voice call her name, and abruptly something long and gold slammed the crazed hanyou in the side of the head. He stumbled away with a growl and yet again Kagome found herself pulled away.
Sango pulled off Kagome's neckerchief and hastily tied a dressing over the wound. It wasn't serious, he'd hardly touched her. Kagome looked up where Miroku and Inuyasha were standing almost completely still, facing each other, each waiting for the other to make a move.
The hanyou roared in fury and rushed the houshi, and Miroku dodged easily, sidestepping and twirling around the crazed younger man. "Inuyasha," he called to him, blocking a claw strike with his shakujou, "You must regain your senses! Do you truly intend to forget about us?! About Kagome-sama?!"
Inuyasha howled and lunged at him, striking out. Miroku cursed as he took the brunt of the attack on his arm, and he swung at Inuyasha with the golden staff. Again, he struck Inuyasha's head and the hanyou went down, blood trickling down from his temple.
From the sidelines, Kagome watched them fight. There were no inhibitions on the young youkai's part whilst Miroku, to his credit, tried to hold back so he wouldn't really hurt the hanyou. But Inuyasha wasn't holding back. He had hurt both Miroku and herself. He wasn't going to stop until they were all dead.
Kagome felt tears come to her eyes as she realized what her wound meant. She had lost him.
Inuyasha had forgotten her.
And now, just like any other youkai, she would have to kill him.
She stood, taking her bow from her back. Shippou looked up at her. "Kagome?" At the kit's side, Sango's eyes widened, realizing what the miko meant to do as she took a single arrow from her quiver. "Kagome-chan, don't! We may still--"
"He's gone, Sango-chan. I have to save Miroku-sama." She set the arrow to the bow and aimed for the hanyou's heart. She had a single clear shot. Kagome looked up to the sky helplessly, as if praying for strength, or for forgiveness, and then looked back at him.
And fired.
Miroku gasped slightly at the sound of the bowstring, and his shock was deepened when the purifying arrow lodged itself in Inuyasha's chest. He turned, blankly looking at Kagome. *She… actually shot him..*
Inuyasha staggered backward, his red eyes widening in confusion and pain. One hand went up and touched the arrow, and then he looked back up in the direction it had come from. At Kagome. The miko lowered the bow slowly, her face stoic as she kept her eyes trained on him.
And then something happened that no one had expected. His eyes cleared, turning bright amber-gold again. His face tightened painfully, a hint of betrayal in the golden depths. "K-Kagome…"
His eyes slid shut and Kagome screamed his name as he fell backward.
~*~ To be continued ~*~
a/n :: Ouch. Sucks, dun it? ^-^ I'm the cruel and ebil giver of cliffies, yes. But you know what?! Because I was late for two weeks straight, you loyal reviewers ::gasps melodramatically:: get another chapter!!! v^^- Don't say I never come through for ya~ Although you guys will hate me again by the end of it.
Anyway! Review and lemme know what you're thinking, you guys know I love it!
~*~ V^-^V ~*~
~Tessen