Aurora Whisperwind: All right! I'm updating! Finally!
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi.
"Yes, we're looking for a priestess named Kikyou. Have you seen her?" Miroku asked a passing traveler. "A priestess, did you say?"-the man yelled, cupping his hand over an ear. "Yes sir. A young woman in a red and white outfit. She also has a bow and a quiver of arrows"-Miroku screamed, as the man was obviously quite deaf. "Oooooh, she sounds nice. Pretty?" he yelled, and before anybody could react, Inuyasha had him pinned to a tree, claws dangerously close to his neck. "You wanna tell us if you saw her or not?"
"Inuyasha!" Miroku and Sango started dragging him away as the other man started screaming insanely and ran off. Inuyasha stood there puffing, eyes red with anger. "Inuyasha…." Sango began timidly, "I know you're upset. I understand. But you can't go on hitting people like that". Miroku backed her up-"Inuyasha, Sango's right. I know you're really unhappy, but so are we. We're all in the same boat"
"No you're not" the hanyou declared, not turning around. "You didn't make a promise to her and break it. You haven't lost the one you love all over again. You haven't felt guilt tear you up from inside, knowing that there was nothing you did to help her when she was in trouble. I wasn't there when she needed me. And I promised her I would" he lifted his head up, looking at the sky. "And now she's gone" he mumbled, half to himself. "She's gone, and she never knew…." He closed his eyes now, remembering her.
No one knew what to say. Shippou sniffed back some tears, wishing Kagome was back with them. Things had gone absolutely astray. Miroku stiffened as Inuyasha turned around, eyes hard amber. "I smell a village up ahead. We should go ask around" They followed him impassively. They had hardly gone a little when they spotted a young girl with a basket of berries and herbs. She stopped abruptly at their sight, eyes wide with fear. "Listen" Sango began warmly. "Don't be afraid, okay. We just wanted to ask you something". The child stared at them "Wh-what?" she stammered, eyes still fixed on Inuyasha.
No sooner had they finished Kikyou's description had Inuyasha look to the east, ears cocked up and listening. "Kikyou" he whispered. "Kikyou's here" he shot off, leaving them alone in the beautiful forest clearing. The girl looked more relaxed now that he was gone and answered them now. "You know, one of our heads found a young woman with a bow and a quiver of arrows" she said, "but she didn't wear priestess clothes. Her clothes were pretty, green and white, just like my new kimono. You want to see it?" They froze. A young girl in green and white…. It was obviously Kagome. "Sure" Miroku said sweetly, catching himself in time, "Let's go"
"Kikyou" she turned. "Inuyasha. I was wondering when you would find me. It's about her, isn't it?" he nodded, feeling the now-familiar ache well up in his heart. She looked at him, those beautiful brown eyes concerned, just like Kagome's. Everything about her, the long hair, the eyes, the gentle smile, everything brought back such painful memories…
"So you say this priestess showed up at around yesterday afternoon?" Miroku panted as they tried to keep up with the child whose name, they discovered, was Hanako. "Yes, she was found by one of the village elders. She wanted to leave immediately. The elders requested her to stay a while atleast and she agreed. She was very nice to us!" Hanako finished exuberantly. Her enthusiasm and energy were boundless. "Come on! We're nearly there!" she sang, grabbing Sango's and Miroku's hands in each of hers and dragging them with her.
"So, she wanted to kill you and abruptly, a whole lot of demons came out of the blue" Inuyasha summarized, looking at Kikyou who nodded. "She wasn't in the right mind. Her aura was cold and definitely evil" She said, looking solemnly at the ground. "What do I do?" Inuyasha whispered. Something about the way Kikyou was behaving was different. "Wait" she said softly. "Wait for her. She'll find you"
Inuyasha stood watching the evening die, the sun almost touching the horizon. Kikyou had left, and he didn't even try and stop her. She didn't tell him where she was going. Maybe he should go back to where Miroku and Sango were. But he couldn't bring himself to move at all. It was as if time had frozen, and he could stare out at the horizon forever. He remembered things now, memories of his mother and him, watching the sunset together, safe and warm in her arms. Watching the sunset with Kikyou, her hand in his, knowing that they'd soon be forever. Waiting for Kagome to appear from her time, as twilight settled in.
He felt sick, miserable. Nothing was permanent in life. Sooner or later everything would disappear. He suddenly thought of Sesshoumaru. He had always asked himself why Sesshoumaru was so unemotional, with nothing to make his life worth living. But now, as he thought it over, perhaps that was the best way to live. To feel nothing for no one. That way, he would never be hurt again. He stiffened suddenly as he heard footsteps, and froze as the person came to view, bringing with her the light fragrance of flowers. It was Kagome.
"She's not here? When did she leave? Where did she go?" Sango asked the kind young woman who was Hanako's mother, who looked equally bewildered. "The girl was strange…" she began, noting the anxiety upon the faces of these young travelers "Her moods changed constantly. She was warm and friendly sometimes and frightened and unhappy some other times. She would talk to herself, and sometimes scream out in pain. But all of the time, she kept asking for someone called Inuyasha. She said she needed revenge. It was frightening. This afternoon, she said she was stepping out to look for Hanako" she finished, stroking her daughter's cheek. "Oh my god" breathed Sango, looking at Miroku who finished her sentence for her "She wants revenge against Inuyasha"
"Kagome" Inuyasha whispered, unable to believe it. "We meet again at last" Kagome said, green eyes narrowed at him, taking out an arrow. "Kagome" Inuyasha began again, holding out his arms. He couldn't understand. Her eyes, they were not the sparkling brown orbs they used to be, warm and understanding. They were cold and filled with hatred. "You betrayed me" she whispered, aiming an arrow at his heart. There was no way he could escape, and he didn't want to either. The scene was familiar, it had already happened twice. But this time, the ending was going to be different. "You betrayed me. You left me to die. She was more important to you than me"
"KAGOME!" he screamed. "No! Please don't say that! I never did, I never will, you know that! I tried so hard, I was too late" she shook her head stubbornly. "Liar. You meant to, I know. You lied to me, cheated me. I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!" she released the arrow, part of her dying, for she knew that this was the end of her life too, she could never live without him. Powerless to stop, she watched the arrow fly. A spray of blood flew as the arrow met its target, and the limp figure fell to the ground.
Yes well, if you were going to kill me before, you're going to burn me alive after this. I'm sorry! I'll try and put up the next chapter soon! Thank you to everyone who's reviewed, especially micael m, who got me moving! Read and review, please!