Chapter One
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters.
I saw Kikyo lying on a low branch. Is Kikyo sleeping? She looked so frail and sad. She woke up quickly. "I see that my barrier was not strong enough to prevent you from finding me. "
"Barrier. What barrier? I don't remember seeing anything like that." I saw Kikyo's soul stealers arrive. "Are you the one that has been luring the souls of women away? It is you isn't it? You have to stop. You've got to set them free."
"Is he not here with you?"
"Huh, I came on my own. Inuyasha sent off to find you earlier." That's right he must have been trying to come here.
"Tell me what is your relationship?" She touched my forehead and she read my mind. She read about my emotions for Inuyasha. She did not look pleased. She immobilized me. What did she do to me? I can't move. "This will end your interfering." I saw Inuyasha coming from a distance. Kikyo made her soul stealers trap me to the tree. I can't move. "Inuyasha has come. I fear he has not come to save you. His purpose lies in seeing me." No it can't be true. "You will not interfere."
"Interfere? Are you still planning on destroying Inuyasha? He's not your enemy. Some one did this to you on purpose." I smiled at her. "Inuyasha would have never taken your life Kikyo." Why does Inuyasha love this woman?
"Hm, from your countenances I gather you except me to be rejoicing." What? She is not pleased to hear this? I thought this would make her happy. "Some one caused my premature demise. Will my murderer's death bring me back to life?"
"I guess not."
"The dead have but one wish, to walk amongst the living once again, a wish that will never be realized. However this dead woman can wish for one thing." She grabbed her chest and gave a look of utmost contentment. "I wish for a heart, the heart of the man whom I shall never allow to forget me. That is my desire."
"You'll never allow him to forget about you? You mean Inuyasha?"
"It is clear that Inuyasha wishes for my death. That is a good thing because it means he feels remorse for our dispute." She laughed a little. My blood boiled from the sight of her. "Let him feel remorseful. I shall never allow him to forget about me. Time will not advance. Thus allowing me to live in a dimension where time is frozen. I can live on inside of his heart here in my frozen creation."
"You're always on Inuyasha's mind. Why can't you be satisfied with that? He hasn't forgotten you all these years. He thinks of you all the time. Isn't that good enough?" I'd love it if he thought of me that much.
"When Inuyasha and I departed we despised one another. The love you speak of is but a shallow emotion, an emotion that only served to deepen the hatred. Nothing can resolve ones determination for exacting vengeance than the way bitterness can. If he must love, let him love my consuming resentment. And in return I shall love his heart while it falls in deep despair. "
"No Kikyo it's senseless. Your hatred is totally pointless. I…" We both heard rustling from a near by bush. I gasped. We both turned to see Inuyasha standing there. He was breathing heavily. "Inuyasha, you've got to talk to Kikyo. Please tell her what happened. How Naraku deceived you." He walked past me without noticing that I was there. "Inuyasha?" My chest was aching.
"Kikyo?" He didn't hear me. He can't even see me. "So you were the one doing it, gathering the souls of the dead women." Why was he so surprised? It seems like the kind of evil thing she would do. She tried to kill him all this time and yet he still loves her. Why can't he move on?
"My body is molded from the bones and earth from my grave sight. It must be sustained by human souls if I wish to remain here. Inuyasha…you must despise me. I have drawn in the souls of the dead to maintain my presence and it is my hatred of you that fuels my actions."
"That's just ludicrous! You may very well despise me, but the feeling not mutual. Kikyo, I never stop thinking about you not even for an instant." I thought so. Inuyasha has never forgotten about Kikyo. Sure why would he have. Still it's hard to hear out loud. Inuyasha has been taken away from me. What am I saying? It's not like he was ever my boyfriend or anything. "I could never hate you or think less of you. It's your spirit that I care for not your appearance."
"Truly, Inuyasha, you wouldn't?" She walked up to him and caressed his face. "You wouldn't despise me if I used these hands to steal the life from you?" She looked deep into his eyes. She stood up on her toes and slowly moved forward to kiss him. She's kissing him! When the kissed had ended she hugged him tightly. "Inuyasha, after meeting you I renounce my position as a shrine priestess. I became an ordinary woman." She squeezed him closer to her. "I longed to embrace you like this when I was alive." Finally he gave in. He wrapped his arms around her.
"Inuyasha, you're going to take her back. Sure you are it's only to be expected. What am I doing here watching them like this? I'm such a fool. Oh great, now I'm probably going to start crying. I can't believe what an idiot I am."
"We are unable to turn back the hands of time. So please allow me to embrace you a little longer."
"I can't save you…I can't do anything to help you except stay like this. If only time could stand still."
"Would you agree to that, if I did stop time?"
"Yes, I don't care as long as…as long as I'm with you." He squeezed her tighter. I can't stand Kikyo.
"I can't stand to watch. I could leave you alone if you'd just release me. I'd just crawl under a rock or something like… Hey are you listening to me?" I was getting frustrated with her. My eyes narrowed on her.
"Inuyasha, I will never let you go. Come with me to the depths of hell."
"He's being dragged down with her. Inuyasha, snap to it! You gotta get out of there! It's no use, he's unconscious! Listen, Kikyo because I know you can hear me! That's not fair! Inuyasha said he wanted to be with you! I didn't hear him say anything about wanting to die with you! Inuyasha's going after Naraku for deceiving you both fifty years ago! He still has things to do! Inuyasha wants to live to fight Naraku more than anything! And he is determined to stay alive until he fights Naraku to avenge your death!" She looked at me. "Do you understand what I am saying?" She shot a spell at me and I fell onto the ground. "Oh, Kikyo…"
"And what if he does exact revenge? Would that serve to revive me?" She went back to holding Inuyasha. "Come, Inuyasha, come than rather stay here and live with my memory. You and I share the same desires."
"You're down right evil. The poor guy's unconscious, remember? Otherwise he would never follow you. Do us all a favor and let go of Inuyasha. I'm telling you…hands off of him!" I expelled a spell at Kikyo. Her soul was flowing out from her body. She screamed. I did this before with mistress centipede.
"Inuyasha, come!" Kikyo kept dragging Inuyasha down deeper.
"Wake up! Don't let her take you Inuyasha! Inuyasha! Inuyasha!" He woke up and looked at the place where I was hiding. He jumped out of her grasp and went to me. Good, he was safe from her.
"Kagome?" My heart was overjoyed that he had come to save me. He killed her soul stealers and joined me by my side. He brushed the hair out of my face. "Kagome, what in the world do you think you're doing here?"
"Me! I'm the one who should be asking that question!"
"Me, well um, it's hard to explain." We both looked at Kikyo in the hole in the ground. "What's happening to her?" She stood up and grabbed her chest. Ha she was in pain. That's what she gets for toying with Inuyasha feelings.
"Does that girl mean more to you than I do?" We looked at each other and began to blush. Her soul stealers were taking her away.
"No wait, Kikyo, listen to me."
"Inuyasha never forget. Remember the feeling of my lips against yours for it was real." She vanished.
"Goodbye Kikyo." whispered Inuyasha. I got to my feet and started to walk away. Inuyasha quickly noticed my absences. "Hey wait!"
"Stay away!"
"What are you mad at me for?"
"We really need to talk Inuyasha. How bout you look for the sacred jewel shards on your own? Whaddya say cus I don't think I'll be able to help you anymore." I could not look at his face. It would just break my heart.
"Where's all this stuff comin' from? You're the only one that can locate the jewels. I need you to help me."
"Is that all I'm good for? Finding jewels. That really is the only reason you need me." There was an awkward silence. I knew it. "What am I rambling on about? Forget it, just forget I said anything. I guess it's the thought of being on my own in the world is kind of a lonely prospect."
"You're not alone. I'm right here with you, unless you don't want to be with me anymore." Of course I want to be with you dough brain.
"Inuyasha, I get it. You weren't able to see me there at all were you? I saw the whole thing between you and Kikyo." He moved closer to me.
"You mean…"
"Yup, from start to finish. So I'd appreciate it if you leave me alone for a bit." I started to walk away.
"Hey don't do this to me. What do ya mean by the whole thing? Wait Kagome! What was I doing when you saw me? Wait, tell me Kagome!"
"SIT!" He went face first into the ground "I mean the whole thing, from start to finish!" I sighed. "I'm going home." I left him there without caring. In the morning I was leaving. It was Christmas and I needed to go home. I tripped over a rock and was going to kick it when I thought to myself forget. I jumped into the well. When I got home I realized that I forgot my bag. I went back to the feudal era. "What's the matter with me? I was in such a daze I forgot my bag over here. Hey, can anyone up there hear me?" I heard Miroku, Shippo and Inuyasha talking amongst them.
"What will you do Inuyasha?" asked Miroku.
"Which girl will you choose?"
"Answer!"
"Which one?"
It took Inuyasha a while to answer. "I don't suppose I could have both of them?"
"You two-timer!" exclaimed Shippo.
"Well, it's a common problem between men such as ourselves and its one thing to have both, but another to keep it a secret. For if either girl were to find out…"
"Sit!"
"That's right, big sit." They looked down to see Inuyasha in the ground.
"They say karma includes bad thoughts."
"Just as well it spared him a great deal of grief." I climbed out of the well to discover that Inuyasha was in hole so deep that it was bigger than Shippo. Inuyasha looked up and gazed into my eyes.
"Kagome, you're back."
"I forgot my bag." I said coolly to him.
I started to walk away. "Yah!" I ignored him. "You! Will you at least listen to my explanation!"
"I'm listening." I gave him a cold look.
"If what happened injured you feelings…I apologize! Do you hear me!" He doesn't have to yell at me. "Well! What more do you want!" he doesn't sound terribly apologetic…"It was the kiss, wasn't it! Feh. You're angry about the fact that I kissed her!" oh he's a big romantic talker.
"I'd forgotten about that…You really are a fool, aren't you!"
"Then…then…"
"You just don't get it, do you? 'I realized I actually did want you near me.' After what you said to me! How could you tell Kikyo that you've never stopped thinking about her, huh! Which is the truth!" There was an awkward silence.
"They're both true." What! He's a two-timer!
Whoa, she's lost her steam." said Shippo.
"Rule two:" began Miroku. "Just because it's true doesn't mean you should say it."
"For fifty years, Kikyo's soul has wandered…unable to break free of this haunted world. She wouldn't have met that fate…If I'd simply been able to trust her." I said nothing. "How can you expect me to forget that?" I turned around. I needed to know.
"I'm going to ask you one final question."
"What!"
"Am I…just Kikyo's replacement?"
"What? You idiot! Haven't I told you over and over again that you're not! Fine, yes, maybe at the very beginning I thought you looked a bit like her…but now I know you! To me, you are only you! Kagome. I…I like it…When I'm with you. Somehow…I feel calmer…Kagome…" He swept me into his arms and gave me a passionate kiss. I began to blush, my first kiss. When he had finished he stared deeply into my eyes.
"Do you understand my feelings now?" I nodded. I couldn't believe he did that to me. I touched my lips.