All I Want Is Another Chance
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. I've said that so often it's boring me to death. Of course I don't own Inuyasha! Duh!
Heh heh, took me awhile to get this chapter written and typed. It's more disgusting (and longer) than the others, but don't let that deter you…So many reviewers! Yeah, 18, but that's the most I've had for any story so far. I love you all! (Gives everyone treats)
Chapter 6: Found You!
Before he began the actual tracking, Inuyasha first dug up his grave to get the Tetsusaiga. Even though he knew he couldn't make it transform, he had a feeling he might need it.
Much to his surprise, there was no real body in the grave, just a skeleton. Even as he watched, it crumbled away into dust, leaving only the sword and hoari behind.
"Ooooookayyyyyy," he muttered, backing away a little. "That was freaky." Nevertheless, Inuyasha took the sword, and the hoari, too, as an afterthought. It felt awkward at first, having not worn them in five hundred years (to him), though after a few minutes he got used to them. But he missed his beads.
It took four days to catch up to Maryaghu and Kagome, four days of tripping over rocks, fighting through brambles, and interrogating hapless people, before Inuyasha arrived at Maryaghu's castle at last.
"Kagome!" he yelled. There was no answer. Not that he had been expecting one. He walked inside, at first trying to go through every room, then relying entirely on his instinct. He reached a long, dark corridor. There were cavities in the wall, filled with…dead bodies! Inuyasha reeled back as the intense smell of dead rotting flesh assaulted him. The bodies started moving towards him, they were armed…
Inuyasha felt dizzy from the smell. He fell to his knees, trying to pinch his nostrils shut, but it was no use. He was unconscious before the undead guards even reached him.
------------------------
He woke to find himself chained to a cold stone slab. The rotting hands of the undead rested firmly on his shoulders and ankles, ensuring that he could not move. As he watched, flesh dropped from one of their faces onto his own.
"Agh! That is just gross!" Inuyasha shook his head, trying to rid himself of the discarded skin and the accompanying smell.
"I know. Never liked that part, but they are quite obedient indeed."
Inuyasha looked around for the source of the voice. He found it perched on an enormous carved throne, sneering down at him.
"Maryaghu," he growled. Every muscle instinctively tensed, preparing for battle. Unfortunately, being chained down did not help. Still, his hand reached for the Tetsusaiga, stopping mere millimeters from the hilt.
Maryaghu inspected his prisoner with mild astonishment. "I know you. Inuyasha, is it not? Didn't I kill you?"
Inuyasha snorted. "You did, but you shoulda stuck around about five hundred years to make sure you'd finished the job. Now where's Kagome?"
"Right here." Maryaghu gestured, and Kagome appeared next to the throne. He chuckled softly.
"Did you come all this way just to rescue this woman? How like a dog. Faithful to the end, even when the owner is not."
If Inuyasha had still had dog ears, they would have twitched like crazy. "What do you mean, not faithful?"
"She didn't seem to grieve for very long. It only took a day or so for her to forget you."
"Th-that's not true!" Inuyasha protested. However, much to his surprise, Kagome didn't.
"Interesting, isn't it, how easily one can control humans? Especially when they care for no one but themselves."
'That's not true! Kagome does care about others!'
But Inuyasha's darker soul, his demon side, replied, 'Then why are her eyes so blank? Why is she under his control?' It laughed cynically as his human heart struggled to find another explanation…and failed. 'Fool! She's the same as Kikyo. She doesn't care about you at all!' He struggled against the chains, as futilely as he struggled against his other half's rationalizations.
Maryaghu gave a low laugh. "The demon half of you seems to agree with me, judging by the despair on your face. What do you think, Kagome? Should we put the mutt out of his misery?"
And Kagome did the worst thing she could have possibly done at that moment: she not only nodded, but snatched Maryaghu's dagger to do the job herself.
Inuyasha felt his rage boil over. "You traitorous little—" he bit off the expletive automatically, remembering his—Himitsu's—parents telling him time and again not to curse. 'Dammit. They raised me too well.'
Kagome walked slowly and deliberately towards him, raising the dagger, about to plunge it into the helpless Inuyasha…and then, unexpectedly, she winked at him, her eyes shimmering with emotion and a little mischief—definitely not the eyes of one hypnotized.
"Ka…gome?" he murmured, his hatred melting in an instant. She whirled with the grace of a dancer, spinning the dagger, and hurled it blade-first at Maryaghu.
Inuyasha's annoyance level rose. "Hey, stupid, ya could've used that to pick the lock on these chains!"
It was Kagome's turn to be annoyed. "What lock? In case you haven't noticed, those chains were welded on you!"
Of course, he hadn't noticed. The two of them glared at each other for a second, then Kagome broke down into relieved laughter.
"Kagome…"
"Yes?"
"Could you get Tetsusaiga for me? I can't reach it."
"Here. But what use is it? You're human."
"Oh, gee, I hadn't noticed in the seventeen years I was stuck as one. Thanks for pointing that out," Inuyasha growled sarcastically. "Listen; I don't have much time left. I was given a time limit by the gods, and it's ending in five minutes. I'm gonna die again, Kagome."
She squeezed his hand. "I'll be by your side to the end."
Inuyasha sweatdropped. "Or I could live, but you gotta do something."
"What?"
He looked up at her and said with all seriousness, "You have to kiss me."
"WHAT?"
Inuyasha's ears were ringing. "If you kiss me, the gods will take that as proof of your love, which is why they let me come back in the first place, and I can change back, kick this guy's butt, and then everything oughtta be pretty much back to normal. You get it?"
"No." As he tried to speak, Kagome added, "But I'll do it."
Their faces drew closer, and their lips met…
Nyah nyah! I'm gonna end this chapter right here and leave you in suspense! Too bad! So sad! You gotta wait for the next one! See ya then! Phew, this chapter is longer than any other one I've written! Hope you liked it! And no, I didn't forget about Maryaghu, I just added more suspense! Have a fun wait!