Disclaimer: As always, I don't...own...In..u..*bursts into tears*
*deep breath*
Alright...I think I'm ok now. But yeah, he's not mine. *sniff sniff*
From Chapter 1:
"You suspect this Sesshoumaru of becoming soft because I restored life to the girl, Rin." He looked at Kohaku with a look that could have frozen water.
"No! You see, I was just hoping...you the only one...and..." Sango allowed her sentences to trail off.
"Don't be so foolish, human. I have better things to do with my time than to save every human that needs it. Do not assumer that I will save that human child simply because I did another." And with those words, Sesshoumaru casually turned, looked at Jaken – who got the hint – and left.
"Sesshoumaru – You bastard!!" The voice was not Sango's, but Inuyasha's.
"I will take care of you later, Inuyasha." The youkai replied without so much as slowing his step. Then he was gone from sight.
Chapter 2:
For several moments after Sesshoumaru left, there was only silence. Inuyasha was too angry to speak and the others felt such sorrow for Sango and Kohaku that they had no words to say.
Sango was too stunned to speak. She wasn't sure which of her emotions was strongest at that moment; they were all overwhelming. The shock of Sesshoumaru's refusal and anger at his treatment of her. The hopelessness she felt watching the last chance to save her only remaining family turn his back on them both and walk away without so much as a glance back. And the utter despair of knowing that there was no chance for her brother and that soon he would die at the hands of someone beside whom she had just battled.
Kohaku had known his death was coming at the end of this battle, regardless of the victor. He had not expected his sister to fight so diligently in her attempts to save him, though. Nonetheless, in the end, her efforts were useless. At Sesshoumaru's defined rejection, he simply crouched near the ground and, using the tip of his already soiled weapon, began to draw little circles in the dust that settled on the ground. He dared not raise his eyes to look at the others. He new full well that his fate rest firmly in their hands now. So instead, he feigned complete focus on his doodling, eyes never wavering from the rusty brown dirt under his feet.
The silence was at last broken as Sango collapsed onto her knees, her tears leaving little rivulets of clean skin on her dirt covered face. What was she going to do? She didn't know if she could take the loss of someone else. She had already lost so much. She sat on the dusty forest floor and sobbed into her hands while the others looked on, stunned yet still speechless for words of comfort for the girl. It was Kagome who broke the silence and made an attempt to aid her.
"Sango..." she said softly as she crossed over and knelt in the dirt beside the grieving woman. She reached her arm over and lightly placed it across Sango's shoulders, wishing that there was a way to absorb some of Sango's pain through the touch of her fingertips, but she knew that there wasn't. Instead she had to settle for being a mere witness to it.
Without a word, Sango collapsed into Kagome's arms, sobbing until she thought her eyes could shed no more tears. Meanwhile the others stood back. Inuyasha was still too consumed with anger to react to anything else; Miroku was unsure of how he could assist his wife-to-be. Kouga and Ayame restlessly shifted back and forth while exchanging awkward glances.
Ayame at last broke the sorrowful air. Realizing that she could do nothing more here, she remembered her own clan and she felt herself filled with desire and urgency to return to them. The need to inform her fellow clan members of the battle outcome overwhelmed her.
"I am sorry for your losses, Inuyasha, Kagome-san, and especially you, Sango-san. However, my duties call me. I must return to my clan and notify them of Naraku's downfall." Ayame kept her voice strong and even, despite her desire to speed through every work and run away from this awful scene. She knew that she would need to remain calm in the village as well, but it was hard to pace herself in this despair-laden scene.
Kagome looked up at Ayame and nodded her understanding. As expected, the wolf girl would want to get out of this scene as soon as possible. Naraku's defeat should have been a happy event for them all, but this turn of events was anything but joyous. Sango was too overwhelmed to give any response other than to halt her sobs momentarily; however, she did her best to acknowledge Ayame's words of condolence.
"Kouga, I trust that you will inform your own clan of the outcome today. I will meet with you in a few days time to discuss what should be done next. Sayonara."
"Sayonara, Ayame." Kouga responded, and then Ayame turned to the direction of her clansmen and sped off into the forest, leaving a cloud of dust lying in her wake.
As the dust settled, the foreboding silence once again covered over the diminishing group. But, before it become too overwhelming for the group, Kouga spoke.
"Kagome..." He said only the one work, but the ellipsis to the rest of what he was going to say was almost tangible. Kagome merely looked up wordlessly into his darkened eyes.
Kouga knelt down beside her and placed his hands on her shoulders. It took all of Inuyasha's will power not to attack the wolf prince then and there. He almost did, but a questioning glance at him from Kikyou stopped him. What was he thinking! He couldn't attack Kouga with Kikyou there!
"Kagome, you know that it hurts me to leave you like this, but my clan awaits news of the battle. It is my duty as their leader to go to them in this time and share the news of our victory." Kouga could feel the bittersweet sentiments coming from Kagome. He knew that in the clan there would be much rejoicing and celebration over the defeat of Naraku and the death of Kagura. Yet, he knew that, despite the joy felt there, the sorrow would continue here. It hurt him to see Kagome in such pain, but he knew that there was nothing he could do.
"Arigatou, Kouga-kun." Kagome's blue eyes met Kouga's brown ones as she responded to his explanation. "I understand that you have duties to attend to. Go! Don't worry." Only in this deep pain did Kagome emit serenity like she did now. Those who stood around her couldn't help but be stunned. Even Kikyou was taken aback by this unexpected aura of peace that emanated from her re-incarnation. i Maybe we are more alike than I had though.../i
"Kagome, once again you amaze me and remind me that I am right in choosing you to be my mate!" Even in her calm state, Kagome blushed and unconsciously moved away from Kouga, pulling her shoulders from his hands. "I will return to you as soon as I can!"
Then, before Kagome could respond, Kouga was gone, like Ayame – leaving only a cloud of dust to mark his passing at all. By this point, Inuyasha was all but purple with jealousy – that last comment about Kagome being Kouga's mate really got him. But, he knew that he could not say not do anything while Kikyou was present. However, Kikyou did not seem to notice Inuyasha's predicament. Her eyes were focused directly on Kohaku, who continued to evade the group by playing in the dirt. He now seemed to be practicing his calligraphy using a stick he had found nearby. She could see the light from the Shikon no Kakera in his back and knew that something much be done soon. She walked to the boy.
"You are Kohaku, yes?" She questioned him, although he didn't not respond to her, she knew that he heard her.
"Sango, Kagome, there's been enough lamenting. The Shikon no Tama needs to be completed." Kikyou's comment held the force of a general, even if her voice seemed soft and undemanding.
"Kikyou! How can you be so heartless?! Kohaku is Sango's only remaining relative, can't it wait just a bit longer?" Kagome's peaceful aura from just moments earlier was fast dissipating with Kikyou's insistence.
"Heartless? Hardly. I just have more sense than you at the moment. The jewel must be competed before another youkai tries to take the shard from Kohaku or the worse, tried to take the almost complete Shikon. Even you must understand that." Kikyou's emotionless voice felt to Kagome like a slap in the face.
And, to Kagome's surprise, the next person to speak was Inuyasha. It was not that he spoke that surprised her; however, it was that he supported Kikyou.
"Kagome, Kikyou's right, you know. We've fought for too long to risk something else happening to the Shikon no Tama. Nothing can happen to it now. I think it's best if we just get it over with quickly." Inuyasha's voice remained steady despite Kagome's mounting anger.
With her face color somewhere between that of a ripe tomato and that of an overcooked beet, Kagome unleashed her full fury upon him. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ARE BEING SUCH AN INSENSITIVE JERK!! GET IT OVER WITH?! YOU SAY THAT LIKE KILLING SANGO'S BROTHER IS LIKE ONE OF MY TESTS AT SCHOOL! OF COURSE YOU WOULD TAKE KIKYOU'S SIDE, THOUGH! YOU JERK!!"
Despite his tough guy façade, Inuyasha still cowered before Kagome's anger...until he heard the last comment. Stepping closer to Kagome, until they were mere inches from each other's faces, he shouted, "KIKYOU'S SIDE?! WHO SAID ANYTHING ABOUT SIDES? I'M JUST BEING RATIONAL! AND IF YOU WOULD STOP BEING SO PIG-HEADED, YOU WOULD SEE THAT! ME, A JER—," But before he could finish his retaliation, Kikyou interrupted him.
"Inuyasha." She said calmly, "Let's go for a short walk. It will allow them to consider our words and when we get back, perhaps they will be more reasonable."
Inuyasha took a step back from Kagome and nodded. Then he turned and walked towards Kikyou. The two of them turned and walked slowly together through a space between the trees of the surrounding forest area.
Kagome felt her internal warning signs go off at the thought of Kikyou and Inuyasha wandering off together in the dark wood. It was obvious to Kagome that Kikyou could care less about Kohaku's life and what that would mean to Sango to lose him after working so hard to get him back from Naraku. Now, he really had his memories back and could be her brother again.
Kagome thought about her own brother, Souta. Sure, he could be an annoying little kid at times, but the thought of losing him made Kagome want to cry. She couldn't imagine how Sango must be feeling. Yet, Kikyou didn't care at all! All she cared about was the Shikon no Tama.
iThat damn Shikon no Tama! What I wouldn't give to be able to destroy the god-forsaken thing! /i Kagome was shocked by her own thoughts, yet, how could she not be angered by the thought of the Shikon? Look at all the pain it had caused their small group! If it hadn't been for the Shikon no Tama, Naraku never would have come to be. That jewel drove Inuyasha and Kikyou apart, and it caused mistrust between them. It caused demon's to kill all of people of Sango's village. i It's brought nothing but pain to everyone! /i Kagome felt tears come to her eyes at the thought of all they had been through for the Jewel of the Four Souls. i It's been over a year already, what's a little longer? /i
Kagome, lost in her reverie, completely forgot about being angry with Inuyasha. Actually, she completely forgot about everything, until she was pulled back to reality by the sound of Miroku's voice, followed by a loud "SMACK!"
Kagome didn't even need to look at the two to see what had happened. She knew without a doubt. Miroku must have tired to "comfort" Sango, but just ended up groping her and probably grabbing her butt. Even in her disturbed state, Sango wasn't going to let Miroku get away with that, so she must have slapped him. Kagome smiled to herself, despite. She wondered if Sango would still slap Miroku once they were married, just out of habit.
"Is something funny?" Miroku's voice drew Kagome to the group.
"Huh? Oh! Uh...it's nothing really...I'll tell you about it later." Kagome stammered, instantly feeling guilty for thinking such things while Sango was still so upset.
Kagome moved closer to Sango. She didn't know what she could do, but she /u to do something!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Meanwhile, Kikyou and Inuyasha walked together in the woods nearby. Inuyasha followed on Kikyou's right side, walking cautiously under and around any lower hanging branches. Kikyou seemed to float effortlessly through the heavily wooded section. Inuyasha marveled at her ease of movement.
Kikyou could sense that Inuyasha was still angry. She wanted to walk for just a bit longer and allow him to calm a bit more before she began their discussion.
They walked for what felt like hours, neither saying a word. Inuyasha waited for Kikyou to speak first and Kikyou wanted the hanyou to be reasonably calm before she began. Yet, when they finally reached another clearing deep in the forest, Kikyou looked at Inuyasha, whose face had returned to its usual color. Pale through he was, in actuality, the contrast of skin against the shimmering silver-white of his long hair always gave his skin a delicately tanned appearance.
Kikyou waited a few more seconds and watched Inuyasha's breathing. It had slowed to a normal pace as they had walked. She could tell that, at least, Inuyasha might be calm enough to have an effective conversation.
"Here is fine, Inuyasha." Kikyou began. Then she took a deep breath, and prepared to say the things she had brought him here to say. "This situation with the demon slayer's brother needs to be rectified as soon as possible." Kikyou did her best to be direct and to the point. Normally, she would attempt to be more eloquent, but at the moment, she was more concerned with getting the necessary steps taken to ensure the completion of the Shikon no Tama.
"Kikyou, I agree with you. The Shikon needs to be completed. But I also know that Sango is not going to let us just go and kill her brother at almost the same moment as he has been returned to her. Isn't there any other way?" Inuyasha had fought so many battles to regain the shards of the jewel. And through that he and Sango had formed a close and strong bond because they had fought side by side through many of the battles. He had no desire to hurt Sango, and he knew that killing her only remaining family would kill something in Sango too. The thought of doing that was enough to make him consider being resealed to Goshinboku. Not to mention what Kagome would say, or do, if he came back and "sided" with Kikyou again. It was a lose-lose situation. He didn't know what to do.
"Inuyasha, I realized that this girl has become your friend, but by allowing her brother to remain with the final shard, we are endangering everyone and we allow that shard to remain tainted. Can you not feel the darkness coming from that child's soul? Even if he is no longer being controlled by Naraku, there is still much that consumes him. Demons will be drawn to him. Shikon aura and a dark soul will draw every demon for miles. You said one that you would never let anything happen to me. Are you prepared to act on that promise and prevent demon attacks by collecting that shard? We need to do it now, before you need to fight at all. I need you to convince Kagome and Sango to do this. You know they will never listen to me." Kikyou did her best to convince Inuyasha of the urgency of her plea. She could already feel the awakening of hundreds of youkai as Naraku died. She knew that they couldn't fight them all as they would come after Kohaku.
There was a long silence; Kikyou knew that Inuyasha was considering her words, knowing them to be true. Thus, she remained quiet beside him, not pushing the issue until he had made his own decision. After several long minutes, he finally spoke.
"Kikyou, you are right. Kagome and Sango are never going to let us just take the Jewel Shard with them in agreement, though. We are going to just have to do it. Let's go back and we'll allow Sango to saw her goodbyes. Then, we will completely the jewel, once and for all. It needs to be done now." Inuyasha turned to go back to the battle site as he spoke. He was still somewhat unsure of himself, so he wanted to go and get it done with while he still had the momentum he had then. But, once again, Kikyou stopped him.
"Inuyasha, wait. We will take our time to go back. It will not be easy to get Kagome and Sango to allow this. They will probably attempt to stop us somehow. We need to be prepared. Come, walk slowly back with me. There is still much to consider." As she said those words, Kikyou easily sauntered over to Inuyasha and took his hand in hers. For a moment, the hanyou just stood, stunned. Then, he looked directly into her eyes and smiled. They turned and slowly began walking back towards the others. Knowing they would have a difficult evening a head of them.
A/N: Well, there's Chapter 2! Thanks for the reviews so far! And please, keep it up! R/R That little button's still down there, so feel free to click it!
The Shadows: Thanks for the comments. I'm trying to be more descriptive as I continue and I tried to go back and add some description. I get pictures in my head, and sometimes I forget that just because I can see in my head exactly what is going on, I have to write down all the little things too.
Stripe: Yeah, I think Kohaku/Rin make a much better pair than Sess/Rin. So I thought I'd give my hand at writing a fiction on them. Don't see too much with that pairing though, you're right. And I'm going to try and update at least once a week, if I don't have too much work to do!
*deep breath*
Alright...I think I'm ok now. But yeah, he's not mine. *sniff sniff*
From Chapter 1:
"You suspect this Sesshoumaru of becoming soft because I restored life to the girl, Rin." He looked at Kohaku with a look that could have frozen water.
"No! You see, I was just hoping...you the only one...and..." Sango allowed her sentences to trail off.
"Don't be so foolish, human. I have better things to do with my time than to save every human that needs it. Do not assumer that I will save that human child simply because I did another." And with those words, Sesshoumaru casually turned, looked at Jaken – who got the hint – and left.
"Sesshoumaru – You bastard!!" The voice was not Sango's, but Inuyasha's.
"I will take care of you later, Inuyasha." The youkai replied without so much as slowing his step. Then he was gone from sight.
Chapter 2:
For several moments after Sesshoumaru left, there was only silence. Inuyasha was too angry to speak and the others felt such sorrow for Sango and Kohaku that they had no words to say.
Sango was too stunned to speak. She wasn't sure which of her emotions was strongest at that moment; they were all overwhelming. The shock of Sesshoumaru's refusal and anger at his treatment of her. The hopelessness she felt watching the last chance to save her only remaining family turn his back on them both and walk away without so much as a glance back. And the utter despair of knowing that there was no chance for her brother and that soon he would die at the hands of someone beside whom she had just battled.
Kohaku had known his death was coming at the end of this battle, regardless of the victor. He had not expected his sister to fight so diligently in her attempts to save him, though. Nonetheless, in the end, her efforts were useless. At Sesshoumaru's defined rejection, he simply crouched near the ground and, using the tip of his already soiled weapon, began to draw little circles in the dust that settled on the ground. He dared not raise his eyes to look at the others. He new full well that his fate rest firmly in their hands now. So instead, he feigned complete focus on his doodling, eyes never wavering from the rusty brown dirt under his feet.
The silence was at last broken as Sango collapsed onto her knees, her tears leaving little rivulets of clean skin on her dirt covered face. What was she going to do? She didn't know if she could take the loss of someone else. She had already lost so much. She sat on the dusty forest floor and sobbed into her hands while the others looked on, stunned yet still speechless for words of comfort for the girl. It was Kagome who broke the silence and made an attempt to aid her.
"Sango..." she said softly as she crossed over and knelt in the dirt beside the grieving woman. She reached her arm over and lightly placed it across Sango's shoulders, wishing that there was a way to absorb some of Sango's pain through the touch of her fingertips, but she knew that there wasn't. Instead she had to settle for being a mere witness to it.
Without a word, Sango collapsed into Kagome's arms, sobbing until she thought her eyes could shed no more tears. Meanwhile the others stood back. Inuyasha was still too consumed with anger to react to anything else; Miroku was unsure of how he could assist his wife-to-be. Kouga and Ayame restlessly shifted back and forth while exchanging awkward glances.
Ayame at last broke the sorrowful air. Realizing that she could do nothing more here, she remembered her own clan and she felt herself filled with desire and urgency to return to them. The need to inform her fellow clan members of the battle outcome overwhelmed her.
"I am sorry for your losses, Inuyasha, Kagome-san, and especially you, Sango-san. However, my duties call me. I must return to my clan and notify them of Naraku's downfall." Ayame kept her voice strong and even, despite her desire to speed through every work and run away from this awful scene. She knew that she would need to remain calm in the village as well, but it was hard to pace herself in this despair-laden scene.
Kagome looked up at Ayame and nodded her understanding. As expected, the wolf girl would want to get out of this scene as soon as possible. Naraku's defeat should have been a happy event for them all, but this turn of events was anything but joyous. Sango was too overwhelmed to give any response other than to halt her sobs momentarily; however, she did her best to acknowledge Ayame's words of condolence.
"Kouga, I trust that you will inform your own clan of the outcome today. I will meet with you in a few days time to discuss what should be done next. Sayonara."
"Sayonara, Ayame." Kouga responded, and then Ayame turned to the direction of her clansmen and sped off into the forest, leaving a cloud of dust lying in her wake.
As the dust settled, the foreboding silence once again covered over the diminishing group. But, before it become too overwhelming for the group, Kouga spoke.
"Kagome..." He said only the one work, but the ellipsis to the rest of what he was going to say was almost tangible. Kagome merely looked up wordlessly into his darkened eyes.
Kouga knelt down beside her and placed his hands on her shoulders. It took all of Inuyasha's will power not to attack the wolf prince then and there. He almost did, but a questioning glance at him from Kikyou stopped him. What was he thinking! He couldn't attack Kouga with Kikyou there!
"Kagome, you know that it hurts me to leave you like this, but my clan awaits news of the battle. It is my duty as their leader to go to them in this time and share the news of our victory." Kouga could feel the bittersweet sentiments coming from Kagome. He knew that in the clan there would be much rejoicing and celebration over the defeat of Naraku and the death of Kagura. Yet, he knew that, despite the joy felt there, the sorrow would continue here. It hurt him to see Kagome in such pain, but he knew that there was nothing he could do.
"Arigatou, Kouga-kun." Kagome's blue eyes met Kouga's brown ones as she responded to his explanation. "I understand that you have duties to attend to. Go! Don't worry." Only in this deep pain did Kagome emit serenity like she did now. Those who stood around her couldn't help but be stunned. Even Kikyou was taken aback by this unexpected aura of peace that emanated from her re-incarnation. i Maybe we are more alike than I had though.../i
"Kagome, once again you amaze me and remind me that I am right in choosing you to be my mate!" Even in her calm state, Kagome blushed and unconsciously moved away from Kouga, pulling her shoulders from his hands. "I will return to you as soon as I can!"
Then, before Kagome could respond, Kouga was gone, like Ayame – leaving only a cloud of dust to mark his passing at all. By this point, Inuyasha was all but purple with jealousy – that last comment about Kagome being Kouga's mate really got him. But, he knew that he could not say not do anything while Kikyou was present. However, Kikyou did not seem to notice Inuyasha's predicament. Her eyes were focused directly on Kohaku, who continued to evade the group by playing in the dirt. He now seemed to be practicing his calligraphy using a stick he had found nearby. She could see the light from the Shikon no Kakera in his back and knew that something much be done soon. She walked to the boy.
"You are Kohaku, yes?" She questioned him, although he didn't not respond to her, she knew that he heard her.
"Sango, Kagome, there's been enough lamenting. The Shikon no Tama needs to be completed." Kikyou's comment held the force of a general, even if her voice seemed soft and undemanding.
"Kikyou! How can you be so heartless?! Kohaku is Sango's only remaining relative, can't it wait just a bit longer?" Kagome's peaceful aura from just moments earlier was fast dissipating with Kikyou's insistence.
"Heartless? Hardly. I just have more sense than you at the moment. The jewel must be competed before another youkai tries to take the shard from Kohaku or the worse, tried to take the almost complete Shikon. Even you must understand that." Kikyou's emotionless voice felt to Kagome like a slap in the face.
And, to Kagome's surprise, the next person to speak was Inuyasha. It was not that he spoke that surprised her; however, it was that he supported Kikyou.
"Kagome, Kikyou's right, you know. We've fought for too long to risk something else happening to the Shikon no Tama. Nothing can happen to it now. I think it's best if we just get it over with quickly." Inuyasha's voice remained steady despite Kagome's mounting anger.
With her face color somewhere between that of a ripe tomato and that of an overcooked beet, Kagome unleashed her full fury upon him. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ARE BEING SUCH AN INSENSITIVE JERK!! GET IT OVER WITH?! YOU SAY THAT LIKE KILLING SANGO'S BROTHER IS LIKE ONE OF MY TESTS AT SCHOOL! OF COURSE YOU WOULD TAKE KIKYOU'S SIDE, THOUGH! YOU JERK!!"
Despite his tough guy façade, Inuyasha still cowered before Kagome's anger...until he heard the last comment. Stepping closer to Kagome, until they were mere inches from each other's faces, he shouted, "KIKYOU'S SIDE?! WHO SAID ANYTHING ABOUT SIDES? I'M JUST BEING RATIONAL! AND IF YOU WOULD STOP BEING SO PIG-HEADED, YOU WOULD SEE THAT! ME, A JER—," But before he could finish his retaliation, Kikyou interrupted him.
"Inuyasha." She said calmly, "Let's go for a short walk. It will allow them to consider our words and when we get back, perhaps they will be more reasonable."
Inuyasha took a step back from Kagome and nodded. Then he turned and walked towards Kikyou. The two of them turned and walked slowly together through a space between the trees of the surrounding forest area.
Kagome felt her internal warning signs go off at the thought of Kikyou and Inuyasha wandering off together in the dark wood. It was obvious to Kagome that Kikyou could care less about Kohaku's life and what that would mean to Sango to lose him after working so hard to get him back from Naraku. Now, he really had his memories back and could be her brother again.
Kagome thought about her own brother, Souta. Sure, he could be an annoying little kid at times, but the thought of losing him made Kagome want to cry. She couldn't imagine how Sango must be feeling. Yet, Kikyou didn't care at all! All she cared about was the Shikon no Tama.
iThat damn Shikon no Tama! What I wouldn't give to be able to destroy the god-forsaken thing! /i Kagome was shocked by her own thoughts, yet, how could she not be angered by the thought of the Shikon? Look at all the pain it had caused their small group! If it hadn't been for the Shikon no Tama, Naraku never would have come to be. That jewel drove Inuyasha and Kikyou apart, and it caused mistrust between them. It caused demon's to kill all of people of Sango's village. i It's brought nothing but pain to everyone! /i Kagome felt tears come to her eyes at the thought of all they had been through for the Jewel of the Four Souls. i It's been over a year already, what's a little longer? /i
Kagome, lost in her reverie, completely forgot about being angry with Inuyasha. Actually, she completely forgot about everything, until she was pulled back to reality by the sound of Miroku's voice, followed by a loud "SMACK!"
Kagome didn't even need to look at the two to see what had happened. She knew without a doubt. Miroku must have tired to "comfort" Sango, but just ended up groping her and probably grabbing her butt. Even in her disturbed state, Sango wasn't going to let Miroku get away with that, so she must have slapped him. Kagome smiled to herself, despite. She wondered if Sango would still slap Miroku once they were married, just out of habit.
"Is something funny?" Miroku's voice drew Kagome to the group.
"Huh? Oh! Uh...it's nothing really...I'll tell you about it later." Kagome stammered, instantly feeling guilty for thinking such things while Sango was still so upset.
Kagome moved closer to Sango. She didn't know what she could do, but she /u to do something!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Meanwhile, Kikyou and Inuyasha walked together in the woods nearby. Inuyasha followed on Kikyou's right side, walking cautiously under and around any lower hanging branches. Kikyou seemed to float effortlessly through the heavily wooded section. Inuyasha marveled at her ease of movement.
Kikyou could sense that Inuyasha was still angry. She wanted to walk for just a bit longer and allow him to calm a bit more before she began their discussion.
They walked for what felt like hours, neither saying a word. Inuyasha waited for Kikyou to speak first and Kikyou wanted the hanyou to be reasonably calm before she began. Yet, when they finally reached another clearing deep in the forest, Kikyou looked at Inuyasha, whose face had returned to its usual color. Pale through he was, in actuality, the contrast of skin against the shimmering silver-white of his long hair always gave his skin a delicately tanned appearance.
Kikyou waited a few more seconds and watched Inuyasha's breathing. It had slowed to a normal pace as they had walked. She could tell that, at least, Inuyasha might be calm enough to have an effective conversation.
"Here is fine, Inuyasha." Kikyou began. Then she took a deep breath, and prepared to say the things she had brought him here to say. "This situation with the demon slayer's brother needs to be rectified as soon as possible." Kikyou did her best to be direct and to the point. Normally, she would attempt to be more eloquent, but at the moment, she was more concerned with getting the necessary steps taken to ensure the completion of the Shikon no Tama.
"Kikyou, I agree with you. The Shikon needs to be completed. But I also know that Sango is not going to let us just go and kill her brother at almost the same moment as he has been returned to her. Isn't there any other way?" Inuyasha had fought so many battles to regain the shards of the jewel. And through that he and Sango had formed a close and strong bond because they had fought side by side through many of the battles. He had no desire to hurt Sango, and he knew that killing her only remaining family would kill something in Sango too. The thought of doing that was enough to make him consider being resealed to Goshinboku. Not to mention what Kagome would say, or do, if he came back and "sided" with Kikyou again. It was a lose-lose situation. He didn't know what to do.
"Inuyasha, I realized that this girl has become your friend, but by allowing her brother to remain with the final shard, we are endangering everyone and we allow that shard to remain tainted. Can you not feel the darkness coming from that child's soul? Even if he is no longer being controlled by Naraku, there is still much that consumes him. Demons will be drawn to him. Shikon aura and a dark soul will draw every demon for miles. You said one that you would never let anything happen to me. Are you prepared to act on that promise and prevent demon attacks by collecting that shard? We need to do it now, before you need to fight at all. I need you to convince Kagome and Sango to do this. You know they will never listen to me." Kikyou did her best to convince Inuyasha of the urgency of her plea. She could already feel the awakening of hundreds of youkai as Naraku died. She knew that they couldn't fight them all as they would come after Kohaku.
There was a long silence; Kikyou knew that Inuyasha was considering her words, knowing them to be true. Thus, she remained quiet beside him, not pushing the issue until he had made his own decision. After several long minutes, he finally spoke.
"Kikyou, you are right. Kagome and Sango are never going to let us just take the Jewel Shard with them in agreement, though. We are going to just have to do it. Let's go back and we'll allow Sango to saw her goodbyes. Then, we will completely the jewel, once and for all. It needs to be done now." Inuyasha turned to go back to the battle site as he spoke. He was still somewhat unsure of himself, so he wanted to go and get it done with while he still had the momentum he had then. But, once again, Kikyou stopped him.
"Inuyasha, wait. We will take our time to go back. It will not be easy to get Kagome and Sango to allow this. They will probably attempt to stop us somehow. We need to be prepared. Come, walk slowly back with me. There is still much to consider." As she said those words, Kikyou easily sauntered over to Inuyasha and took his hand in hers. For a moment, the hanyou just stood, stunned. Then, he looked directly into her eyes and smiled. They turned and slowly began walking back towards the others. Knowing they would have a difficult evening a head of them.
A/N: Well, there's Chapter 2! Thanks for the reviews so far! And please, keep it up! R/R That little button's still down there, so feel free to click it!
The Shadows: Thanks for the comments. I'm trying to be more descriptive as I continue and I tried to go back and add some description. I get pictures in my head, and sometimes I forget that just because I can see in my head exactly what is going on, I have to write down all the little things too.
Stripe: Yeah, I think Kohaku/Rin make a much better pair than Sess/Rin. So I thought I'd give my hand at writing a fiction on them. Don't see too much with that pairing though, you're right. And I'm going to try and update at least once a week, if I don't have too much work to do!
