Chapter 17- As For Now
"Yes, but Sesshoumaru, the future one, has also come, and I believe he is causing quite a problem. We should get back now." Miroku said in earnest, and left the cell with the other's following.
"But we have no jewel shard." Shippo indicated.
"True, but I'm trying to think of a way we could use the time tree to our purpose."
"You mean, use it as Kagome did once before?" Sango asked.
"Yes, Kagome once said that she communicated with InuYasha using the time tree. That it created two personifications of her: The one touching the tree and the one conversing with InuYasha (NOTE: If you haven't seen this movie of InuYasha-you won't know this…but it happened.). Now, If we can use this, we can navigate through the past to reach Kagome. Who can then come here and help us out."
"But what if Sesshoumaru comes and traps all three of us here?" Shippo voiced his concern.
"I believe Sesshoumaru's motives are altered by his past self, who wishes more to have InuYasha dead. I believe he will focus on this goal as a higher priority than Kagome."
"…Which would give us enough time." Sango concluded his thought.
"Exactly."
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"Yah that's right! Run Sesshoumaru! You are not worthy to be called a Demon!" InuYasha yelled in anger and beat his fists to the ground.
After InuYasha's delirium of anger, the memories came flooding back. He knew Kikyou was probably back in the village waiting for him. Would he go? Would he go to her after he told Kagome he had chosen her?…Wait, He thought to himself, Kagome slept with my evil brother and expects me to keep my word…I THINK NOT. He dashed off towards Kaede's Village. This time will be different. I don't need to be a demon to be bad. Kikyou can't betray me worse than Kagome…trying to drag me to the underworld was less painful; perhaps it's where I belong.
When InuYasha reached the village Kikyou was sitting there, talking with the children and chuckling at their little understanding of the world around them. She caught InuYasha's figure from the corner of her dead eyes and accosted him.
"I was beginning to worry." She stated softly, and drew her cold body close to his.
"You're less beautiful than I remember." InuYasha noted a loud.
Kikyou drew back so that her face was but an inch away from his. "But you are not so shallow as to be attracted to mere beauty, are you?" She asked.
"I…What else do you have to offer-a soul?" InuYasha more declared than questioned. He felt in a daze rather than in the moment. He felt estranged to his own voice and especially the words which they uttered.
"I have much to offer. I have your youth. More pertinent though, I have your love-your first love-the only true love that you have to offer. You cannot truly love that human girl for you gave that love to me, and I will not release it." When she was assured InuYasha was silently receptive she continued, "We are immortal, InuYasha. Don't you understand that, as my incarnation, Kagome is but a finite portion of my soul. She will end, but I, the original, will be forever. Come with me, InuYasha. Why suffer through this limited existence merely to begin eternity? Why not begin now?"
InuYasha had no reason to answer. I should be with Kikyou. She and I are the same. Kagome is but a variation of Kikyou, my first love.
"Come with me." Her soft voice led him away.
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Kagome reached the well and jumped inside, but nothing happened. InYasha still had the jewel! The only way she could get to Shippo was to confront InuYasha, who right about now wanted her dead.
Kagome wasn't sure where to start, but she headed towards Kaede's village. She was desperately hungry for something like fried ice cream or crème puffs-even though she had eaten just before the confrontation with InuYasha. Perhaps it was luck that gave InuYasha the jewel; About this time Kagome would rather jump back into the well and go home than worry about an era and events to which her fate did not belong.
When she reached Kaede's village she saw InuYasha walking towards her direction with a woman-whom she soon found to be Kikyou. Her arm was entwined with his like they were a prosperous, affectionate couple. Kikyou had a smile of either contempt or love-or a mixture of both, and InuYasha looked resolute-like every step he was taking had more purpose than the last, like he knew where he was going for once. Kagome hid from their view, but not from InuYasha's super-human sense of smell. Kikyou too sensed Kagome and revealed her hiding place.
"Oh my," She whispered, "It seems I've caught my very own mortal."
"Pathetic." InuYasha snuffed.
Kagome's eyes welled with tears. "InuYasha." She sighed, in somewhat of a chiding tone (rather than distraught) that for an instant made InuYasha feel exposed.
For a moment everything was silent save but three breaths: that of Kagome, InuYasha, and that of the wind. The wind's breath sounded more of a howl-a heave of despair and ominous foretelling. InuYasha's was course, uneven, broken. For some moments he held it in fear of losing Kagome, and others quickened with anger and sometimes with fervor of passion (Who could blame a guy, who is standing between his two objects of human weakness yet his strength?). Kagome's breath was even yet deepened (Shall I say strengthened?) with despair. Though questions should be flooding her mind as to her fate, she was so intoxicate with loss that rational became the least of her minds capabilities in those moments.
"Come with us, "Kikyou commanded. "You should see this. You should see when this end so that you know that you never had it in the first place. I intend to show you InuYasha's death so that you see that he was always mine." And with this, Kikyou led Kagome and InuYasha to a familiar spot-a tree. A time tree with a hole from two arrows: One from Kikyou followed by one from a posessed Kagome, both which impaled InuYasha's body.
"Here. Here is where everything began, and this is where eternity will begin again. Kagome, you have served your purpose and now you can go." Kikyou stated.
"But…I…" Kagome swallowed her tears, though more followed those, "I…Where? InuYasha has the jewels."
InuYasha was hurt. Hurt that Kagome was willing to leave rather than to fight for his affection. But he didn't want her. Why should he care? He merely wanted the game, the drama, life to be over.
"Here." Kiyou tore the jewels from about InuYasha's neck, 'he won't need them anymore."
Kagome caught them, and after a dramatic stare into InuYasha's dejected soul, she turned to leave.
"Wait!" Kikyou roared, "Where are you going?"
"I…"Kagome's cry overwhelmed any words she hoped to convey.
"When I said leave, I meant existence. Not merely this place. How limited your mortals view is." Kikyou smiled.
"What?" InuYasha questioned, "Kikyou…I want to be with you. Let's just leave Kagome as she is."
"InuYasha, You are mine. Not hers. She is a mortal sued for my purpose, and now she has fallibly served it. So I wish her gone. Don't you understand. Your passion for her-or shall I say, the part of me inside of her- will only live as long as she does. With her gone you are loosed of the small chain to live to which you are voluntarily enslaved. Free yourself. I am the key and the fire to destroy, but you must use me for your own elation, for I am but a tool- a strong tool-the one you must use to kill Kagome."
