Chapter 48
Kikyou chuckled, a sweet smile playing over her lips as she turned, narrowly missing the sight of the silhoutted figure of a inu half demon duck from around the front of the shrine. The priestess shook her head, raising a hand from where the two were poised, pressed together as she prayed, to twine a strand of raven hair behind her ear where it had fallen from. The smile wouldn't fade from her lips as she set her eyes back down before they absentmindedly raised to watch the dancing flames of the demon repellant candles that perched in two rows on either side of her. That was probably why the hanyou had fled so fast from the area. They were supposed to ward off even the toughest of demons. They proved their purpose.
He knew that she couldn't fufill that request. She had to sneak it away, or else, all would be lost. Her life, her job, her everything. She couldn't do that. But it was pleasing to know how eager he was to become a human, live a life with her as something he never thought would be a pleasure to live as.
She stood, hands moving down to brush the dust from her red hakamas. Not many people were permitted inside the shrine where the sacred shrine. It was the fear of thieves stealing away what they struggled to protect the most in their village. The very item that Kikyou stood before now, eyes narrowing at as if mad at the sparkling jewel. But how could she, when it was the only thing to bring the boy she loved to a form suitable for their living. They were going to get married one day. She just knew it. But how could a woman who was supposed to rid the village of demons, marry a demon? It just wouldn't be right, and she wouldn't bear to live with the stares, the names, the reputations that would ruin her job and her place in the world. But she couldn't bear to give up the boy either. It was just one thing, one tiny thing she would change about him, so that she could love him freely and become a normal woman.
Kikyou pushed aside the sliding door, her lips parting to call out the hanyou. "Inuya-...oh..." She glanced around, squinting into the cool darkness that shrouded the outside world. She stepped out, turning in a small circle, searching for him with a hand caressing her own cheek where his clawed fingers had traced many times before. But where was he? Where could he have gone in the two seconds of silence?
The priestess slid the door closed behind her before she swept herself onto the grey cobblestone walk. Careful not to wake the residents of the small village, she made her way back to her own hut where her sister slept soundly, though alone. She had to get back before the child awoke to an empty and cold home.
Her wooden sandels clicked softly on the stone walk as she neared her own house. She had only gotten a few steps, her eyes trailed downward, before felt firm arms clasp around her. A short gasp stole from her throat as her wide brown eyes shot up to stare into pure narrowed amber.
"What are you doing out here?" He demanded, brows curling inward in concern as he slipped his arms all the way around her shoulders, pulling her in for a quick kiss on those delicate lips, untouched by any make up that normal village women would wear. No. He loved her just the way she was.
"Inuyasha, I...Weren't you just...I..." She stammered, dazed by his sudden appearance out of what seemed like nowhere. Soon, she sank into his embrace, laying her head against his chest and feeling his hands move through her hair. She didn't have to be home THAT quickly. She had time for this, to let her eyes close and let him lead her away, into the dark safety of the forest.
"I know it's late, but...do you think we could change plans? Just a bit?" He requested, pleading with his eyes. His worn hands moved over her shoulders, almost massaging them as his lover slowly backed up against a tree, her smile fading.
"I thought I just...You know I can't do that." She started, but gave back to his confused glance and gave him his answer straight out. She knew he wouldn't pout. Not a second time, when he had just asked her to change the plans just a few moments ago. But she couldn't help but wonder what was going on as he murmured the oh so familiar: "Didn't think so. It was worth a try."
All thoughts melted away as the hanyou touched her cheek, running the tips of his pointed fingers into her charcoal hair. Almost roughly, he pressed his mouth onto hers. But she didn't fight for her breath, she merely pressed heavier against him, returning the kiss with all she had. She wanted this moment to stretch on into more, to draw him in where he couldn't escape. Then she knew he would be hers, then she knew he wouldn't change his mind and couldn't deceive her after this night. She just didn't think she was wrong.
Inuyasha's other hand more to run down her slender neck, his little finger scratching like a begging puppy at her yukata collar. He pulled her tighter against him as they strayed away from the safe shade of the tree as he pulled back for a tiny breath before diving in again.
Somehow, they ended up on the grassy ground bare skins against each other, handfuls of dirt and grass pulled and tossed away for another handful to accompany small moans. Between heated kisses, the hanyou's face turned into Kikyou's neck, teasing her skin with his fangs as he pushed lightly on her bare shoulders, pushing her back to the ripped and flattened grass underneath the starry sky where he could claim her as his own.
Kikyou stared, unbelieving eyes piercing harshly at him as if telling him in silence that all he said was a complete lie. Her eyes screamed it, but the way her hand slid over her stomach, caressing what was now only soil and bone. She didn't want to believe it, but she could remember every detail, every little sound he made that night.
"It was quick...but enough, before you ran back to that sister of yours. Then you got up...at daybreak to...bring the jewel to me." Inuyasha murmured, his hand moving out to cover her hand. She could only stare in pure shock at the hanyou's determined eyes.
" 'Course it was my pup." He answered out of the blue, his eyes moving downward to blink away the shining at the rims of his eyes. How could he be mad? He knew it was his, she didn't even have to ask. He could smell it inside of her the very moment it happened, and forever afterwards.
Kagome was silent. Completely silent as that dreaded word echoed endlessly in her ear. The tears streamed down her cheeks, but she didn't pay any mind to them. Her heart had completely fallen and crashed to the ground, burning the remainder of the shattered pieces of her heart into nothing but charred ashes of what used to be whole and happy with a mere touch from the hanyou.
That proved that Kagome got a little bit, but Kikyou always had and always would get a little more. She would always be a little better and held a little higher.
'Pregnant. She was pregnant with Inuyasha's...baby. They were going to have a life together.' She harshly told herself, the word ringing over and over. Pregnant. Pregnant. Pregnant. She was his mate, the mother of his unborn and never to be born child. 'I was never in the picture...was I?' She wondered, her hands dropping down, limply, into her lap.
She couldn't hear them anymore. All she could hear was that stupid word that severed what bond she may have had with the hanyou at one point. She could only slump over and sob crazily. She lost it, tears and sobs streaming freely from her that could alert the two at any time. But it didn't matter, she wouldn't stay any longer. If she did, she knew she would surely lose what was left of her sanity by the rest of the secrets he had to tell. But what else, so off the wall? Her and Kikyou were long lost sisters? Inuyasha was actually a full demon all along? He was working for Naraku? He had another head sprouting from his hip? But nothing could match what horrors she had heard that night. Nothing could break her heart more other than those four words the opposite than what she wished to hear but knew she'd hear soon. 'I don't love you.'
Kagome scrambled up, her legs like thin poles of rubber as she ran and ran as fast as those pitiful rubber legs could take her. She sped out from the forest, her tears shot from her face by the wind that she didn't wish to ever retrieve. She wanted the memories to fly off her face as well, be carried out of her by the wind where she could never find them again. But she knew it was impossible. Although, she had thought all that she had seen and heard to be impossible as well.
She weaved around trees who's branches tore, cruelly, at her clothing as she passed in a near blur. She couldn't see through the tears that clouded her eyes. She couldn't think, those word and sights crowding her mind. She couldn't breathe, those sobs tore each attempt at a breath straight from her lips. It was so scary, and she swore she would drop dead before the hanyou even noticed she had been or gone.
But he had heard her, and as soon as his golden eyes tore away from where his baby should lay, the scent of a thousand tears flooded his nose. He choked on the heavy smell, his head dropping back in guilt, pain, and tragedy sadness.
"Damn." He cursed, his clawed hands starting to pull back from Kikyou to allow his eyes to rest back on her. It shocked his heart to see her eyes narrowed at him. Her anger showed through, so harshly, that it tripped his heart through several fast beats before he felt himself start to actually breathe again. Suddenly, he just knew that it wasn't his place, there, sitting high on that tree with Kikyou, a hand over her belly. He knew where his place was, so why did he try and think so hard? Why did he hurt the sobbing miko so badly?
He dropped from the tree, pushing through the hardest thing he had ever tried to do: walk away from Kikyou, just like that, leaving her staring after him. But he just knew that the miko who had fled was the girl, as confusing as her emotions were to him, he needed to go after now. He had to force his feet forward to race after the girl who sped what seemed like miles ahead of him.
She shot into the light, dead leaves trailing at her heels, but she didn't stop. On, she raced, running across the village until her entire body ached with exhaustion. Still, she didn't dare stop. Each step she took forced a breath from her throat, each step she took was killing her. She couldn't breath, and she could barely see where she was going. All she knew about her surroundings was that she had hit open space. The brown huts and confused faces had passed in a blur some time ago to give way to yellow. Acres and acres of yellow flowers that surrounded her.
Kagome stopped, dropped, and sobbed. The sunshine colored petals tickled over her bare legs, dotted with tears that sprayed down from her showerhead eyes. Scream like sobs ripped out from her soul to let out through her lips, stretching into the sky that shone bright above. Her hands shot up to cover her eyes that shed tears to drench the huge patch of yellow around her. She couldn't stop, not even if she wanted to. Her shoulders heaved as she slumped over, crying openly as her hands sank away.
She loved him. She wanted to tell him, but how? When he had that perfect priestess lover and baby. He would find a way to be with her, she knew it. If he wanted to, he could. One day, that baby would lie in his arms. After all, wasn't this place just a feudal fairytale? Anything could happen. Secret pregnancies behind her back? Anything could be possible.
'Why did I let myself believe miracles could happen?' She wondered, scolding herself so much for believing that anything at all could have happened between them. Some just weren't as lucky as that strangely acting slayer and monk. Some dreams just never come true.
Kagome shook her head, shaking tears onto the flowers below. Tear after tear, sob after sob, before her eyes narrowed angrily at the dirt that moved beneath her fingers. What was that tinge of red and white buried in the dark dirt? She fingered it carefully before plucking it out with a few blades of green grass.
The red smeared over her white fingers, resulting in questioning red rimmed eyes as she searched for more. She slowly gathered the multiple pieces, sorting them in her drenched hands to glare madly at them. Lipstick. Red lipstick in a creamy white shell. But it was shattered?
So unexpectedly, Kagome clenched the broken item along with her fist until she felt the sharp edges sting into her sweet flesh. She let out a horrid, spine tingling, bone breaking, teeth chattering, ear splitting scream of pure sorrow and anger, just to let it all out. She let the pieces tumble back to the ground, away from the purple rimmed punctures in her palm. Just one more thing to remind her of what used to be of what she dreamed to be a part of.
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Kaaaayyyy...I knew I'd be pummeled. -rubs side of her head-.
I just knew you'd all flip from that one!
So much for our dear Inu "keeping it in his pants"...HE'S GOT A BABY!
Nasty fella. I always knew he was that bad boy type. Tsk tsk. And before marriage and everything...
I was gonna wait till tomorrow to update again...but I decided to whip in the chapter so you guys can sleep tonight. -snicker-
Anyway...as for this being an InuxKag story...you'll just have to find out!
Yeah. Sorry! I've been threatened with a giant katana from this one. But I loved the sudden swarming reviews! I get more for these shocking chapters than regular happy ones!
Heh. Then, boy, am I gonna get a lot of reviews by the time I'm done with this baby.
Get ready for some twisty turny junk, peoples!
Love ya as always! See ya next time!