Summary: It's hard to imagine things ever coming up when you're down, and vice verse. That's what Kagome Higurashi told herself years ago. Now she's stuck on the bottom, once again. Even though she has to tell herself that things will get better, she highly doubts that they can. The best things to her have been jerked away, once again, and dangled above her head to taunt her.
Rated M for death, depressing material, and foul language...
"Talking"
Flashbacks
Song Lyrics (centered)
Best of Us
Chapter 8: Devistation
I gasp in shock as Naraku does something that I didn't expect. I knew he was heartless, but this isn't what I thought he'd do. I assumed that things would end up being okay. That Naraku would get over his new power trip and just leave us alone. That's my optimistic side talking to me.
Further down, I knew that he'd do this...
- - -
My stomach turns as I reply these things in my mind. He... Naraku has just done the one thing I hoped he wouldn't do.
"Kaylee!" I instantly scream out. Naraku laughs as I find the energy and run to her lifeless body. I shake her shoulders, hoping that she's just knocked out.
"Kaylee!" I cry out again. Her body is limp in my arms and I can't handle it. She's staring at me with pleading eyes, but I can't help her. There's blood leaking out of the back of her head. Lots of it, too. I hug my dead child tightly, and start crying once again.
"Naraku! You're a bastard to bring children into this!" I snap at him.
"You're the one who brought them in. You knew I'd come back for you, but you let yourself have them anyway." He says carelessly. I stand up on my wobbly legs then aim to hit him. Naraku catches my hand as a grin appears on his face.
"Not so fast, Kagome. Remember, you're mine." He lies to me. I raise my knee strait into his groin then smack his face with my other hand. A small white light flashes as my hand comes in contact with his face. I watch as he stumbles away, clutching the burn on his face.
"Where'd you get this fight in you?" He asks.
"You ignited it when you decided to kill my daughter. When you tortured my family, you gave me the fighting spirit." I hiss at him. Naraku raises a hand to hit me, and I close my eyes. After a few seconds, I open them again. Inuyasha is fighting off Naraku, growling at some things that Naraku is telling him.
"Kagome. Get Kaylee and leave!" He says. My heart feels like it's breaking all over against I look at our dead daughter.
"Kaylee..." I trail off. There's got to be a way to put this into the right words.
"What about her? She's unconscious, so we'll take her to the hospital!" He snaps. I can tell he wants to get us to safety, but I can't stand to carry my guilt up the stairs with me.
"Kaylee's dead, Inuyasha." Naraku tells him. I start crying all over again as I sit next to her body. I hug it close, wishing that it could magically come to life and she'd say sorry for worrying me. She'd say that she was just playing and didn't mean to scare me. But, I know it'll never happen. That's what hurts me the most.
Inuyasha looks back at me. I give him time to reailze that there's blood coming out of her head from a deep cut. Several deep cuts, actually. My lap is coated in Kaylee's blood, but I could care less right now. I just want her to be alive. I look at Inuyasha, knowing that I'm crying and looking pathetic.
"Naraku, you're a bastard! If you hadn't even involved kids, then you'd have lived!" Inuyasha roars. I watch as Inuyasha and Naraku throw punches and scratch each other.
A tentacle comes from Naraku's arm and goes strait to Inuyasha's heart. I smile faintly when Inuyasha manages to dodge it. He has to live, because he's the only one who can give me any happiness now. If Inuyasha dies... I don't even want to think of what I might do while I grieve.
Inuyasha raises his hand and attacks Naraku. I've seen him fight with his 'attacks' before, but this is the first time he's had to use them. He beats up punching dummies in the backyard so he can keep in shape and protect his family if he needs to. This is the first time that I've seen him use it. I feel proud, but worried at the same time. I guess a part of me thinks that Naraku will live again if Inuyasha kills him.
"Kagome, where'd the burn on his face come from?" Inuyasha asks me. I struggle to remember then I look down at Kaylee.
"I hit him and my priestess powers came out." I tell him slowly. I squint to see him through the purple smoke that's suddenly filled the room. Naraku is bleeding, I think But, I can't tell too much right now.
"Kagome, get out of here!" Inuyasha tells me. I close my eyes, as if it'll help my legs move towards the stairs. It's no use, since they're still limp and stubborn. I look at Inuyasha as he keeps fighting Naraku.
Naraku's tentacle that sprouted from his left arm goes towards Inuyasha. Inuyasha dodges it, but his shoulders gets hit. The black dress shirt that he's wearing starts to become soaked in blood as he slows down. The wound will put his right arm out of the fight. Inuyasha is right-handed. That's not a good sign.
Naraku laughs as Inuyasha realizes his dilemma. Inuyasha rests his left hand over his right shoulder then smirks.
"What is there to smile about, Inuyasha?" Naraku asks. I can tell that he's getting nervous by the edge in his voice. He's scared of Inuyasha being able to fight still. He's afraid that Inuyasha is stronger than him. He should be scared, because Inuyasha is going to get mad when it hits his thick head that our daughter is dead.
It hasn't even sunk into me quite yet. I still feel like this isn't the real Kaylee. Like there's a chance that she's still alive. My brain knows that she's gone forever, but my heart won't accept it.
Inuyasha lifts his blood-covered hand then shrugs his one shoulder.
"I'm about to kick your ass." He says. He uses his blood to form an attack, I think it's something like blades of blood. I don't know for sure, though. I never pay attention to the names that he gives his attacks. It doesn't interest me too much most of the time.
Surprisingly enough, Naraku doesn't block the attack. He lets it hit him, and then gasps. He probably didn't realize that it was that strong, or he expected a bunch of blood to come at him. Something surprised him about Inuyasha's attack. The attack hits his arm, but Naraku hardly seems to care. He looks at me, then his tentacle picks me up.
I feel my feet leave the ground as I look at Inuyasha. He's worried, and I know that he wants to help. Naraku begins to squeeze me tightly, as if he could squeeze the life right out of me. I take slow breaths to help keep me alive, then Naraku's grasp leaves me. The tentacle throws me against a wall, and I feel pain spread through my entire body. Mainly through my head and neck. I feel like my back and neck have snapped in two pieces.
I watch through half-closed eyes as Inuyasha growls louder at Naraku. I don't feel like I can stay awake, but I have to. I have to know what's going on. So, despite the pain ringing through my body, I sit myself up. I lean against the wall still as I watch things. Pain seems to blend together with exhaustion, but I manage to fight both off.
Inuyasha attacks Naraku with his left arm skillfully. I can sense that he's no longer a half-demon. Inuyasha is now a full demon, and Naraku knows it. Inuyasha slashes at Naraku , and Naraku's entire tentacle falls off. Naraku looks so pissed off and is trying to land another hit on Inuyasha.
Inuyasha growls then jumps up in front of Naraku. He slashes, then lands on the ground. After a few seconds, Naraku's body goes limp. His head rolls off his body, and I feel my stomach turn. Soon, I can't see Inuyasha through the purple smoke. It got a lot stonger when he killed Naraku...
I wake up with a jolt. Just as fast as my body jerks, pain floods into me. I groan then open my eyes. This is better than my last trip to the hospital. That time, I couldn't even open my eyes.
The room is very dim, so I assume it's night. I can't be too sure, though. It's hard to tell when they've locked you in a room without windows. I attempt to sit up, but my back's protesting stops me. I sigh then lie down once again. I wish someone were here to entertain me.
As if I had asked out loud, the door opens. Rather than it being a nurse or doctor, it's Inuyasha. He sees me awake then smiles. There's a chair by my bed, and I notice that the cushion is already well-worn. How long have I been in here?
"You're awake." He points out the obvious.
"Seems that way." I manage to whisper. My throat begins to burn me and I clench my teeth. That doesn't do anything for the pain, though. Inuyasha gives me some water, and helps me drink it. Through a child straw, even. You know, the kind that bend so he can give me water without me becoming soaked.
"What happened?" I ask quietly. I know that my voice is inaudable, but Inuyasha's hearing will pick it up.
"Well... I found out later than when Naraku bleeds, he lets off a poison. So, when I cut him a few times, the poison got stronger. Then, when I finished him off, the poison got too strong for you." He says. I nod my head slightly then pull the thin blankets over me even more.
"How... are you able to remember this?" I ask him quietly. Naturally, he can't remember anything when he turns into a full demon.
"I turned into a full demon by choice. I knew that if I didn't, he'd hurt you even more. I turned into a full demon just for a short time, only to get him gone and save you." Inuyasha tells me. I hold up my weak arms and he leans towards me. I hug him tightly, and cry into his shoulder.
"Thank you so much, Inuyasha." I tell him.
"You don't have to thank me. You knew that I'd protect you." He says.
"I knew, but a part of me was afraid you wouldn't be able to." I tell him honestly.
"That's why I changed... Oh, the doctor is coming back with a test. You got a lot of poison in your system. There's a fifty-fifty chance that the child won't make it." He says. I look at my large stomach then sigh.
"I don't think it will. I think that if I was badly poisoned, the baby got an unhealthy serving of it too." I tell him sadly.
"When you're better, we're going to have Kaylee's funeral." He tells me.
"How long... How long have I been out of it?" I ask him hesitantly. I'm not sure if I want to hear the answer to this, but I know it's important.
"Nine days. Feels like fifty days when I'm waiting for you to wake up, though." He tells me. I nod my head then sigh.
"I'm sorry, Inuyasha." I whisper.
"For what?" He sounds shocked that I'm even apologizing.
"I let myself have kids when I knew Naraku wasn't done with me. I knew that he'd come back after me, but... I didn't think he'd involve Kaylee." I reply. Tears are now rolling down my cheeks as I try to hide them. Inuyasha uses his thumb to brush the tears away then kisses my forehead.
"Don't be sorry... You didn't think that Kaylee would be put in danger..." He says.He hugs me again then turns to look at the doctor.
"The baby... The baby won't make it. I'm sorry." He says.
"What are you going to do about it?" Inuyasha asks harshly. He doesn't like the news, but I think he feels upset that they might leave the dead thing in me.
"We'll force her into pregnancy. If that doesn't work, we'll try a c-section." He says. I nod my head then the doctor leaves.
"You do realize, Kagome, that everytime someone tries to threaten you that you end up in the hospital?" Inuyasha asks.
"Yeah... Reminds me of the movies or something..." I whisper in reply. I close my eyes and try to calm my racing mind.
I don't know why things seem to always go wrong for me. I guess I'm a magnet for bad luck. There seems to be no happiness for me. Even though Naraku is dead and Kouga can't find me, there's always something ready to go wrong. At least that's the case for me. There's no permanent good for me...
Happiness is just a fabrication of my mind. I think I'm happy, but that's just a trick until the bad times start coming again.
Next time on Best of Us...
Happy endings are a fabrication of the mind. So, Inuyasha and I lost the second thing we cared about in our lives. I can hardly handle it. If it weren't for Inuyasha being a therapist, then I don't know what would happen to me. It's time to start over, and this time I won't pretend that we'll get a happy ending... Maybe things will be different this time. Maybe... We can have one child before it's too late...
Just went from twelve chapters to ten chapters. I got rid of three then added another. I think this series might be around three stories long. Then Kagome can live a happy life like she wants to... I shouldn't speak so much about it, huh?
I think 80 reviews sounds reasonable for this... Don't you?
- Bipolar Tangerine