A Dying Ambition
Chapter 3
Digging Up The Past
Kagome kneeled next to the fire talking to Shippo. Keade sat down next to Kagome and stirred the fire lightly with a poker. Inuyasha sat over in the corner with his eyes closed. He sat there with his legs crossed and Tessaiga resting in his lap.
"I believe I need to get some more twigs for our fire." She slowly stood up resting her weight on her legs.
"Oh, Keade, you wait here. I'll go and get it if you like." Kagome said.
"No that will be all right. Shippo will be all the help I need." Keade gestured toward the small fox child. He looked around confused for a second. Until, Keade motioned once more to him to get up. Finally, Shippo took a hint and jumped up and walking ahead to the door and holding the straw door open for Keade.
"We'll be right back. You two behave.." Keade said over her shoulder as she walked out the door.
"Don't we always?" Kagome said.
Keade cracked a small smile, "That's why I said it."
The fire burned crackle in the silent hut. For a few moments there was a dead awkward silence between Kagome and Inuyasha. Kagome sat there poking the small poker into the fire, trying to pass the time. She looked up and at the door, 'I bet their just sitting out there.' Kagome looked over at Inuyasha, 'Well, he could at least have the decency to say something.' Kagome looked back down at the fire. 'Say what?'
Kagome couldn't take the uneasy silence. She knew with his stubborn attitude he could sit there all and day night not saying a word. She bit her lower lip and swallowed her pride.
"Why did you come back?"He spoke first. Kagome heart skipped a beat. She couldn't believe he had said something first.
Kagome paused for a moment, she looked away from Inuyasha and back down at the fire. She knew why she had come back, but she couldn't find away to explain or even say it to him. Finally, she pulled the dumbest response out, "To let everyone know I was okay." She said. 'Everyone... no.. to let him know I was okay.'
Inuyasha stood up not making eye contact with her. He started to head for the door. Kagome followed him with her eyes.
"Well you shouldn't have wasted your time." He said. She sat there in silence, though Inuyasha was at the door he didn't exit. He just stood there with his back to her. She knew it was the only way for him to hide his face. She sighed and smiled to
herself lightly.
"You're not only putting yourself in danger being here." Inuyasha said.
"What?" Kagome said lightly underneath her breath. She didn't understand what he was talking about.
"You're putting everyone around you in danger." Inuyasha spun around and looked at her, "As long as you hold that jewel no one around you will be safe. He turned away, but not completely. "It doesn't belong here anymore." He snapped.
"Inu..." Kagome said, but she was cut off, "And neither do you!" Kagome was caught of guard by what he was saying. She lowered her eyes to the ground. 'He's right.. I know he is.'
Kagome smiled to herself. She closed her eyes and stood up, "Then I will be going." Kagome said as she walked past Inuyasha. She didn't make eye contact with him, she only looked at the door. She stopped alongside Inuyasha, his back was to her, but she kept looking forward.
"I guess the real reason why I came back was to see you, and tell you Thank you." Inuyasha slightly looked over his shoulder, "I wanted to say thank you, for always doing what you do. Being there for me when I needed you. I guess that's really what should have been said." Kagome said, "four years again." She pulled the door open, but before parting she turned back , "You're right, though. I don't belong here, but I guess part of me felt like it did. So this is goodbye Inuyasha." she added. She put a fake smile on her face and walked out of the hut. She saw Shippo and Keade standing in front of the hut holding sticks.
"Kagome where are you going?" Kagome tried to make her smile seem believable for Shippo, but it was hard for her to hold.
"I'm going home. I have to remember that this place is not my time. I don't belong here anymore. Shippo take care" She bent down and kissed Shippo on the cheek. As she stood up, she looked at Keade in the eyes, "Keade, please..."
"You don't even have to ask. I'll watch after him." Kagome smiled. A short pause was exchanged between Keade and Kagome and then Kagome leaned forward and hugged Keade.
Kagome could feel the burning of tears behind her eyes, but Kagome gathered her wits about her and walked away from the village toward her way home. She walked rather quickly trying to get away. She felt as if her heart was being torn into two. The crushing feeling of being alone, was overpowering and bitter. She tried to regain herself, for she knew that Shippo and Keade's eyes were following. She stood up straight and tried to walk it off.
When she entered the forest, and she knew for certain she could not be seen Kagome began to cry. She fell over on her knees hugging herself. She wanted to tell Inuyasha, she wanted to tell him what she neglected to do so long ago.
She wanted to be with him longer, she wanted to see him, she wanted to just know that he was there. So many thoughts were going through her head and her heart.
Though she knew what she was thinking was the right thing to do, but what her heart wanted her to do was not safe. 'He was right. I don't belong here anymore.' Maybe he was just saying that to make sure I stayed safe. No, he meant it with his heart. Kagome picked herself up off of the ground and slowly began to walk again. She was still stumbling over the pain she was feeling. Just before reaching the clearing Kagome leaned her hand up against the tree and looked at the well. 'I'm not only putting myself in danger I'm putting Keade, Shippo, and even the whole village in danger if I stay.'
"That you are, but I can't let you return home when I went through so much trouble to get you here." Someone spoke, from up in the trees. Kagome froze. The voice was familiar to her. She spun around looking into the trees trying to see who was spying down on her. All of the sudden a hand gripped Kagome shoulder and spun her around and pushed her against a tree. Staring her right in the face was the familiar face of someone one from her time, an old friend that she knew from Tokyo University.
"Hirro!" She exclaimed.
"Nice to see you again, Kagome. You look rather surprised." Kagome looked at him with complete surprise. She couldn't understand what he was doing here, but then Kagome could sense jaki. Slowly his jaki became stronger, and Kagome could feel it continuing to building up.
"You're a...a..."
"A demon." He chuckled, "A very powerful one at that. Takes great skill to hide my power from you for nearly four years..
"Why..." Kagome said.
"Oh, Kagome you can figure it out. You're a smart girl."
"You've been following me for the jewel."
"Following you, yes. For the jewel, no" His hand still pinned her to the tree and his other hand stroked her face. She jerked her face away from his hand.
"The snaked demon..." Kagome said.
"Was my little trap to get you back over into this world. See in your world my powers are weaker, but in this world I'm at full strength. Though I told him he could have the jewel if he got you over here. I never believe you to kill him. Oh well.. Waste not, want not.." He snickered
"Then why were you following me, if not for the jewel!"
"Well see Kagome. I'm sure you've heard this story before... 1000 years ago from your own time. The first pure Miko was born. Her powers were beyond her. She traveled with demons and humans alike. Training other humans to protect themselves from lower demons.
"The demon exterminators." Kagome said.
"Well that was the beginning of it, well she refused to abandon her race, and was determined to protect them to the bitter end. She met her end trying to protect the human race that she has loved so much, and with that the jewel was born. Five hundred years after that another Miko was born with the same power and strength. She used her power to protect the jewel and the human race. She too met her end, and five hundred years later from her death, my dear Kagome, you were born. The third in this generation of Mikos."
"But there have been others with powers like mine." She snapped. He pushed her harder against the tree.
"Others... Yes! But your power is natural. They had to use holy tools to gain their
powers."
"My powers are useless without the jewel. I too use a tool."
"Your wrong! I'm standing before a power much great than that jewel, and harnessed the right way this power can be used." He pushed her even harder against the tree, "Now, my dear Kagome I'm going to have to ask you to come with me." He stepped back from her.
"No!" she screamed
"Well if you want to do this the hard way." He reached for her and his grabbed the front of her shirt, and tight within his grasp was also the jewel. He began to tug on her, but Kagome pulled back with all of her strength. Suddenly from above they could hear branches snapping and breaking from something falling through the trees. Hirro looked up and hesitated only for a moment. He threw himself back away from Kagome, from the tree above came a huge sword breaking through the branches and crashing to the ground. The sword landed in front of Kagome, separating her from Hirro.
"Tessaiga." Kagome said. From above Inuyasha jumped down in front of Kagome.
'Inuyasha.' Kagome said to herself surprised to see him.
"That would have been a big mistake." Inuyasha sneered.
"Dammit Inuyasha," Hirro snapped back at him, "You're the only reason why I had to go through so much trouble to get her here." Hirro yelled slowly stepping backwards, "If you hadn't left her alone in her world, she would have been still coming here to visit. Which would have made my task so much easier." Inuyasha didn't answer he only stared Hirro down, "Kagome, haven't you ever wondered why Inuyasha stopped coming." Kagome looked at Hirro trying to study the truth in his words. She wanted to know what had happened, but she was afraid of knowing, of knowing why.
"Oh Come on! Just think. You know who I am and you know my little brother.'
Kagome's eyes grew wide, 'Yoshi.'
Kagome hadn't been back home in along time. Spending so many night over in Feudal Japan has costed her grades deeply. Kagome had promised Inuyasha she would visit him after school, but she was afraid that catching up would take her longer than she expected. She knew that getting back into the swing of her real life would be painful, but she knew she had to do it quickly.
Kagome's first day back her friends were ready to introduce her to the two new exchange students, Hirro and his younger brother Yoshi. The girls were all falling over the kind heart Hirro right off the bat, but Yoshi harassed many of the girls. He was nice at points, but he had no real consideration for them.
Kagome rushed home from school as fast as she could. She knew Inuyasha had no practices for waiting, and he would come over here looking for her, and she didn't want him running through Japan in a rage to find her. She had gone this long with trying to keep his true identity a secret, she wasn't about to blow it all now.
She ran into the house dropped off her stuff, as Kagome pulled the sliding door front shut and wishing her mother goodbye, she turned to be face to face with Yoshi.
"What are you doing here?" She exclaimed, more of statement than a question.
"Just came by to see you. You seem in a hurry, where are you headed." Kagome looked away, 'Oh just 500 years into the past' She smiled. She couldn't tell him. She knew that if she told him to wait a moment she could make it to the well and get back, and he wouldn't know what really happened. 'But then again if he spots me jumping into the well and disappear it wouldn't be that easy to explain.'
"Nowhere, really." Kagome answered with haste fulness. She tried walk around him, but it was as if he was trying to keep her away from the well.
"Oh, I figured a nice girl like you would beheading off to a date on Friday night." 'The thought had crossed my mind. Come on Kagome, think of an excuse.' He smiled all of the sudden,
"Trying to think of some lame excuse to get out of this?" He laughed jokingly, "I'm just kidding." He shrugged it off. Kagome felt as if she was trying to blow Hojo-ku off all over again. "I was just wondering what my chances might be if I ask you out."
'Not good.'
"Well I am a little busy tonight, maybe some other night?" she suggested.
"Hmm.. Guess so. Well all's fair love n' war." Then he lend forward slowly brushing his lips across Kagome's lips. It had completely taken her by surprised. the then pushed against Kagome, that it almost knocked Kagome off her feet. She was taken so off guard by his quick actions, that Kagome was lost in her train of thought. She the pushed him back away from her.
"Yoshi you're a great guy and all, but.."
"Had to take my shot. Can you really blame me Kagome." He smiled and began to walk away. He tossed Kagome a glance over his should and a slight wave, "I'll see around Kagome."And he walked to the entrance stairs to the courtyard and walked down the them. Kagome stood there for a second puzzled on what just happened. 'Inuyasha...' She shook off her experience and ran to the well...
Kagome just realized. She went for him that day but he couldn't be found. After looking for Inuyasha all day she couldn't find him. She had asked all of the villagers, she asked Keade, and even Shippo had no idea where he could be found. After looking all day she had given up, and that's when it started. That's when Inuyasha stopped coming over to see her. Kagome stood there in an unexpected blow of shock. 'Inuyasha...Inuyasha... saw Yoshi kiss me. That's why he left, because he saw and he
knew. He came for me that day, and Yoshi was there.'
"Kagome, from that expression on your face, I can that you finally figured out." He laughs lightly,
"I guess I should hold my little brother accountable for my troubles, but here you are."
"You had this planed, separating Inuyasha and I." Kagome snapped.
"Not I, my dear. My little trouble making brother needed to get rid of your guardian" As Hirro was talking, he started to lift off the ground. Slowly the amount of jaki around Hirro began to grow stronger. Kagome noticed gripped in his hands was the necklace that contained the jewel, "See every five hundred years a White Miko
is born, and with her, she is given a guardian. Normally this guardian has demon blood within them. So there is a balance. there's always a balance. Now when the White Miko passes away she normally passes on her powers. Sometimes maybe to her guardian. In Kikyo situation she passed on what she had to you Kagome."
"The Jewel" Kagome said.
"Now my younger sibling screwed that up and your guardian left you, but I don't know what his true intentions were, not that it matters now." The sky above Hirro slowly began to grow darker, and even the wind picked up, "You're here and that all I need." he started to laugh, "Inuyasha, you'll wish you never chose to protected her. You'll see she is not worth this pain." And Hirro began to change in the air. The wind engulfed him and the trees began to rock back and forth in the strong wind. A flash of light came from Hirro's direction in the sky, and the light rushed to the ground making the ground
unstable and shake. Inuyasha tightened his grip on Tessaiga, and still stood between Hirro and Kagome. One more flash of light blew up in front of Inuyasha and Kagome, and when the light slowly dimmed standing before Inuyasha and Kagome was a massive dragon.
"Inuyasha," Kagome yelled over the wind, "He has the jewel."
"But he's not using it's power." Inuyasha yelled back.
"I know, that's what scares me."
"Don't be." Inuyasha said, his voice become calmer, "I'll protect you." He grinned as he raised Tessaiga.
'You always have.' Kagome thought.
"Not for long." Said the dragon. He snarled and snapped at Inuyasha, "I will pry your dead body from her." And the dragon lunged at Inuyasha. Inuyasha swung Tessaiga with all of his might. The dragon caught Tessaiga in his teeth, and swung the sword along with it's holder away into the trees.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed. She was about to run to Inuyasha's aid, but the dragon moved to separate her from him.
"I told you you're coming with me whether you like it or not." He took another step towards Kagome, and out of nowhere Inuyasha jumped between her and Hirro sliding on the ground. Hirro swung his head backwards in rage. Inuyasha didn't hesitate he took the open shot and swung Tessaiga once more, but this time using the swords
true power.
"Kaze no Kizu!" Inuyasha yells as he blasts the dragon with the swords power. The dragon pulled his head back and in a sudden rush he leaned forward again, spitting a ball of fire break the path of wind from the Kaze no Kizu. Inuyasha again stood his ground.
"Kagome run!"
"No, I wont run!
"Kagome get out of here, NOW!" Inuyasha snapped this time turning towards Kagome. Within Inuyasha's eyes was the look of concern. Kagome took that look in his eyes and nodded her head. She took off running away from Inuyasha and the dragon. She heard the dragon exchange a few words with Inuyasha.
'Run. Where will I run to. I can't go to the well because I would have to get past Hirro to
get to the well.' Kagome ran to the edge of the village and she heard Inuyasha yell from the forest followed by a huge crashing noise. She froze for a second and turned around. 'What am I doing? I can't leave him.' Kagome looks back to the village. Inuyasha's words still rang in her head, 'Kagome get out of here, NOW.'
"You shouldn't have gotten involved again Inuyasha."The dragon said stepping down onto the fallen Agnosia, pushing Agnosia into the ground, "She has not long to live and she is not worth the pain of losing another loved one," Agnosia dug his claws in the ground trying to force the dragon off of him, but he couldn't do it.
"I should tell you Agnosia, that they die on the same day, at the same age, and five hundred years later another will born in her place on the same day." Hirro laughed as he applied more pressure on Agnosia, " Kagome will die on her birthday. The same day that Kikyo died. There is no fighting it!" Agnosia yelled with pain, "Another will be born to replace her with the same powers and she too will have to protect the jewel. Unless it's destroyed."
'Kagome...' Flashes of her smile and her being there all time in the past was running through Inuyasha's mind. 'I'm not going to lose you. I will not lose you.' With this thought in mind Agnosia pushed once more off of the ground. Agnosia screamed as he dug his claws into the ground and pushed. The massive dragon lost his balance and fell backwards. Agnosia instantaneously regained his strength, and grabbed his lost Tessaiga. Agnosia swung the sword over his head and took fighting stance once again. Inuyasha face the dragon aiming his sword at Hirro.
"I never left her. I was always with her." Inuyasha yelled. "and I will not leave her now. Even if she doesn't have enough time I will fight for her life. I will not leave her side." and with that Inuyasha swung Tessaiga once more with Kaze no Kizu, but with no prevail. The dragon again broke the attack with his fire attack.
"Inuyasha your power alone is not enough to defeat me..." But the dragon's thought was quickly broken by the sound of an arrow wisping through the arrow. The dragon was about to take flight, but the arrow pierced his right wing, ripping it open. He came crashing down to the ground.
"But he is not alone!" Kagome screamed as she pulled out another arrow and strung it up to her bow. The dragon swore lightly under his breath and pulled his power together and in a flash of light he disappeared. Kagome lowered her arrow and ran to Inuyasha. He was breathing hard and was leaning on his Tessaiga. Kagome nearly knocked him over as she threw herself against his chest. She rested herself in the familiar arms of Inuyasha, and he too rested against her. He could feel her weak heart beating fast and furiously, and he could feel her gasping for air, but even though she was weak she didn't lessen her grip on him. Inuyasha released his grip of Tessaiga and
held Kagome. It didn't matter what he told himself at the moment. He couldn't let go of her. Her scent was still familiar to his sensitive nose, and even though she had matured her body still fit comfortably against his chest. What ever happened in the past was to stay in the past. He would hold on to her and her life for as long as he could, and no one was about to take that away from him again. He would fight death even for her. Just to know that he could hold on to her a little bit longer.
End Of Chapter 3