Chapter 3: Devious Plots and Budding Romance
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but the storyline is mine.
Author's Note: I had some trouble uploading the last one, and ended up loading the non-spell checked version, so I apologize for the dumb spelling errors. Hope it didn't interfere with anyone's reading! And thank you to those who reviewed! You're all awesome. - ) I hope you keep reading. Anyway, enjoy this chapter!
Last time: Watching from the trees, not far in the distance, was Kikyo. Her emotionless eyes stared hard at the two newfound loves, and felt a stab in the pit of her gut. Though she no longer had any idea of the purpose for her existence, she still knew the faded essence of what she once was….what she once knew…what she once loved. To her, life was simply a state of existence, and nothing more. What she felt, and knew were merely shadows of her former life…but even still….she still yearned for what she felt was hers. This included Inuyasha. "This isn't the end for you and I, Inuyasha…but it is the end for her," Kikyo murmured out loud. She then turned and began to walk in the direction of the Northern Mountains….straight toward Naraku's castle
Kagome and Inuyasha returned to the village to find Sango and Miroku by the fire, conversing quietly, while Shippo and Kirara played in the background. The first to notice that Kagome and Inuyasha were walking hand in hand was Sango. She smiled warmly at her friends, and then motioned to Miroku, drawing his attention to it. She'd also been the only one to notice the kiss they had shared just before they entered the village. Sango smiled again. She was happy for Kagome…very happy….but deep in her heart, she longed for such a love of her own. Sango watched as her very best friend and the hanyou she loved so dearly approach, and wondered to herself, "Will I ever have anything that strong?" Just then, Shippo noticed Kagome approaching and squealed a greeting out to her, running to her feet. Miroku rose to greet their friends, and turned to Sango, offering her his hand. Their eyes met, and Sango felt a surge of energy go up her spine; whenever he look so deeply into her and smiled…she felt something….what exactly she couldn't say…but it was something. Sango returned the smile,and took Miroku's hand, all the while thinking, "Maybe…"
"So I trust that everything is alright now," Miroku quipped, grinning at them. Kagome blushed slightly, and Inuyasha simply scowled in response.
"Mind your own goddam business, monk." Kagome nudged Inuyasha, giving him the "knock it off look", and then giggled.
"Yes, Miroku, everything is fine."
Sango was all-too-curious as to what exactly had transpired, but she wasn't going to prod or quip, unlike Miroku. Suddenly, as if reading Sango's thoughts, Kagome piped up,
"Hey Sango, you wanna head to the hot springs?" Sango nodded, smiling at her friend.
Inuyasha groaned, "Aw man, you're gonna go and take off already?" Kagome gave him her most sickeningly sweet smile and answered.
"Yes. We'll be back soon. Deal with it." She then stuck her tongue out at him, and gathered up her bath things.
"Feh," was all he said, crossing his arms over his chest. With that, the girls headed off for the hot springs.
"Ahh…this feels great!" Kagome sighed with pleasure as she slid her body down in the steaming water of the hot springs. "Mmmhmm," Sango, agreeing whole-heatedly.
After a few moments of silence, Kagome cleared her throat. "So…I guess you're wondering what happened…" Sango looked at her wide-eyed, trying not to seem too eager, "Well…if you don't want to talk about it…," she began, and Kagome laughed. "Oh, Sango," she said through her laughter, "Don't be silly. Why do you think I came up with an excuse to get us away from the guys?" The two girls giggled together.
Kagome sighed and began her story. "Well, as I'm sure you know, Kikyo showed up. My paranoia got the best of me, and I followed Inuyasha through the forest, to where he was going to meet her. I hid in some bushes on the edge of the clearing, just close enough so I could hear what was being said." She lowered her eyes to water as she continued. "And when I got there, I hear Kikyo asking Inuyasha if he still loved her….and he was quiet for a really long time. Then….he told her that he would always love her in some way…and that's when I ran." Kagome looked up at Sango, tears brimming in her eyes at the memory of the pain she felt when she heard him say those words.
"Is that when you came back the village?" Sango asked, urging her on. Kagome nodded, "Uh huh…I was so upset that I couldn't think straight. All I could think was how I couldn't bare the thought of having to face Inuyasha again…after hearing that….so I left…and left the shards behind…." Sango gasped, "Kagome! You were going to leave us forever!" Kagome sighed heavily.
"I don't know what I was thinking Sango..I really don't… I just couldn't bear the thought of having to face Inuyasha…but….I had kept one shard…the tiniest sliver that I had, and kept it squeezed into my palm. When I got the well, I starred at the shard and began sobbing. I fell to be my knees and just cried and cried…" She then lifted her eyes to the stars and smiled, "Until Inuyasha came to get me…" She looked at her friend, who was silently urging her to finish. She giggled a little and murmured, "He told me he loved me, Sango…" Sango grinned at her, "Finally!"
"Kagome, I'm really happy for you…" Sango said quietly, and Kagome smiled at her warmly. "Thanks, Sango….I feel really lucky." The girls sat quietly for awhile when Sango asked a question out of the blue. "So…are you going to be Inuyasha's mate?" Kagome's eyes popped open and she stared gape-mouthed at Sango. "His….mate?" Sango laughed at Kagome expression and nodded, "Well…yes…his mate. I assumed that you might being that you two are in love and all…" Kagome sat back and let out a large breath of air, feeling slightly light-headed. "God…I don't know Sango…. I mean…not that I mind the idea of it…I love Inuyasha with all my heart.." she said, quickly, a barrage of images streaming through her thoughts. "But….he hasn't even asked me if I want to be his…mate….and well….I guess I hope he does….well no… I do….its just…I never thought of it because I thought that I never had a chance because of Kikyo," Kagome rambled endlessly. She and Inuyasha….mates? Could this be possible….was she ready for that? She…married to Inuyasha….sharing her life with him…being intimate with him….having his children. Kagome felt her insides flutter, and she giggled a little. The thoughts of these things made her feel a rising warmth from within her body….yes….she did want these things with him.
Sango waved her hand and smirked, "Come on, Kagome. It was obvious that he was in love with you, and you with him. You were always too busy arguing to tell each other." She nudged Kagome slightly, who laughed in response. "Besides….Kikyo's not even supposed to be here….she died over 50 years ago. Her coming back was purely at the hand of Naraku." Kagome nodded sadly, feeling remorse for Kikyo. "She'd damned to wander the Earth, trying to find her purpose again…," Kagome thought to herself. Then, the girls went on to talk more of other matters that didn't pertain to such heavy matters. What they weren't aware of was the fact that they were being watched, by someone close by.
Kikyo slid back behind the tree trunk, her eyes narrowed in contempt. "I'm not even supposed to be here, she says….yes….I am supposed to be here…there is a purpose for my existence…" Kikyo murmured to herself. "My purpose is to do away with that pathetic copy that's trying to take away what's mine…and I'm going to put an end to that now." She smiled to herself, and turned back toward the direction of the hot springs. Sango had just gotten out, and Kagome was raising herself from the water, when Kikyo drew a sacred arrow, and shot it in Kagome's direction, knocking her back into the water. "Kagome! What was that?" Sango cried out in alarm. Kagome was looking around frantically, trying to find the direction of the shot that had just been fired. Suddenly Kikyo concentrated her spiritual energy on the water of the hot springs, causing it to begin bubbling. Kagome screamed, "Sango! Help me! The water is boiling! I can't move!" Kikyo smirked to herself, drawing enjoyment from the girls cries for help.
In the distance, a certain hanyou perked his ears, recognizing that familiar scream. "Kagome!" he muttered to himself, and bounded off in the direction of her scream. He reached the hot springs in record time, and noticed a strange aural glow around the rock body. Kagome was screaming form inside it, but she couldn't be reached by Sango, who ran helplessly around it, trying to find a way to get to her friend. Inuyasha withdrew the Tetsaiga, and slashed the blade through the barrier around the springs, breaking it into vapors. He ran to Kagome, pulling her from the springs. She was unconscious by this time, her body scalded, her skin glowing the hue of an apple.
"How the hell did this happen?" Inuyasha growled at Sango, who had dropped to her knees beside Kagome. She looked at him, bewildered, and sputtering "I don't know! We were fine, and then some kind of shot came out of nowhere, and she fell in and…" Sango began to cry at she looked closely at her injured best friend. "Shot? What shot? Where did it come from?" Inuyasha darted his head around, scanning the trees for a sign of something, but he could see nothing. He didn't sense any sort of demon presence, nor did he smell anything suspicious. "I've got to get her to Kaede," he mumbled, gently scooping Kagome up into his arms. Sango nodded, following him in the direction of the village. When Inuyasha arrived at the village with Kagome, he called out to Kaede. "Kaede! Quick! Kagome's hurt!" Inuyasha brought her into Kaede's hut and laid her on the closest floor mat. Miroku came up beside Inuyasha. "Inuyasha! What's happened?" He gaped at Kagome's scalded body, and looked frantically around, looking for Sango.
"Someone attacked Kagome and Sango while they were at the hot springs," Inuyasha growled, the anger in his voice more than apparent. "You better go back for Sango. She's pretty upset." Miroku didn't need to be told this, as he was already out of the hut, and on his way to Sango. "Sango!" he cried out as he ran through the trees. Just then he saw her stumbling toward him, "Miroku! Kagome…she…" she fell into the monk's arms and cried. "I don't know what happened! If she….," she whispered, tears streaming from her eyes. Miroku drew her into him closely, stroking her hair as she buried it into his chest. "Shhh….Sango it's alright…Kaede's is looking after her now…" The monk held the crying girl close to him, gently stroking her hair, and kissing her forehead.
She raised her tear-streaked face to him, and looked into his eyes, not speaking a word. He returned the stare, letting all of the emotion he felt at the moment show through in his gaze. "I was so afraid that something happened to you…" he whispered, whipping the tears from her face. They both felt the strong energy flowing between then as they stood there, locked in the others arms. Without another word, they began to walk back to the village, still in a partial embrace, to see to the condition of their friend.
Already miles away, Kikyo floated amongst her soul seekers, again in the direction of Naraku's castle. "This isn't over….now I will seek my true revenge…"
Kagome's hurt and Kikyo tried to kill her! Kikyo has it in for Kagome…and she obviously not going to stop until it's over. And what's Naraku got to do with it! Will Kagome be alright? Guess you'll have to read the next one to find out…;) Update coming soon!