Well, here we are, chapter 14. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for the great reviews, I love getting them, so please keep them coming. And thanks to all that voted on the poll of the Feudal Association, I'm honored to hear that I actually managed to score third place (having a tie with Eggry's 'Guilty Hero'. If you're fond of very Angst-filled AU fics, it's definitely one you should read :3) So thank you everyone for the great support and enjoy the chapter.
Thousand thanks to Kanna37 for edits :D
Tracks for this chapter:
Riviera: the Promised Land Music: Elegant Melodies (link: www. aimini view /?fid=j6RlYEOhjcYHpov3oDgG)
Metallica:Nothing Else Matters (S&M version) (link: www. youtube watch?v=qMoZyCL7EzM&feature=fvst)
Blood-C OST:Shousa ni wa Houbi O, Haisha ni wa Bachi O
Breakers:
XxX: change of scene
~ξ~: time-skip
実: Beginning/End of Flashback
Ю: Beginning/End of a story told by one of the character (the parts in bold between the stars are what the present them are saying as a small narrative)
Ж: Change of POV (mostly used within a story told by several characters)
[T] and [/T]: Beginning/End of soundtrack
Reminder: 'Inuyasha' written normally refers to Inuyasha, while written in cursive (cursive and bold in thoughts) refers to Kagome, the "Gentle Dog Demon". 'Hanyō' written normally means "half-demon", while written in cursive (cursive and bold in thoughts) it means "half-breed".
Chapter 14 – Something Ends, Something Begins
Inuyasha bit back a sigh as he rested his arms on the table, and his chin in his arms. When they had gotten back to Kaede's village, he was quick to notice that he was neither needed nor wanted there, so he went back home. Although to say that he was happy about it would be a lie, the end of the world would come sooner than Inuyasha admitting aloud that Kagome ignoring him actually bothered him.
He tried to tell himself it didn't matter, but for some reason, he had yet to be convinced. He sighed.
"You came back much sooner than I thought you would," Izayoi pointed out as she placed dinner in front of her obviously sulking son, though she had yet to figure out the reason behind his awful mood. She had been surprised to see Inuyasha again so soon, when he had only left that morning, and had done a decent job at hiding it at first. In the end, however, curiosity won over – the fact that he was so anxious to leave (even if he wouldn't admit it) and then had returned so quickly was just a little unsettling. "Did something happen?"
Inuyasha didn't answer for a long while, deciding instead to rise from his half-lying position on the table in favor of eating the delicious dinner his mother had prepared. He didn't know how to answer her. Really, what was he supposed to say? 'Nothing, just a witch who tried to resurrect the dead for some wicked reason of hers attacked the village and attempted to kill Kagome for the dead woman's soul, you know, the usual'? If he said anything like that, he'd only cause his mother more worry and he wanted to avoid that.
"Not really. Nothing out of the ordinary, at least," he replied finally. It wasn't exactly a lie, it just depended on what one meant by 'out of the ordinary', and in Inuyasha's case, the definition of that phrase just happened to be a little different than anyone else's. Izayoi didn't seem to fully believe him, but she decided to let the subject drop and for a while. Silence enveloped the two of them as they ate.
[T]
"I just can't believe that wench sometimes," Inuyasha suddenly spoke up, setting his chopsticks aside. Izayoi narrowed her eyes but didn't say anything as her son continued to… well, rant, for lack of a better word. "When I came back to the village this morning, she was a goddamned human like any other. She knew it was gonna happen, too. One would have thought she'd tell me," he said angrily, his fists clenching at his sides.
Izayoi was surprised by the reason behind his foul mood, and it was visible in her eyes, although contrary to what Inuyasha thought at first, it wasn't because she hadn't been expecting to hear that Kagome could turn human. Unlike him, she listened to the old legends her father had told attentively and even read a few old scrolls the shrine still held. These legends mentioned something about hanyō turning human from time to time, even if the details about it differed from one legend to another. What actually surprised the middle-aged woman was something else, though.
"You mean you would have preferred it if the Inuyasha told you?" she asked rhetorically, for once not reprimanding his cursing. Inuyasha had to bite back a snort as to not seem too disrespectful. This was not Kagome he was talking to, it was his mother, after all.
"Of course I would," he said instead, his eyes narrowing as he once again rested his arms on the table, while Izayoi stood to start and clean up after the meal. "And I told you before, her real name's Kagome."
Izayoi didn't answer verbally, only shrugged. She might know the girl's name, but she didn't know the girl herself, so she didn't feel like it was her place to call her by anything else other than a title she had been given long ago – a title many people referred to her to even now, though most believed the Inuyasha to be a boy.
His mother's silence allowed Inuyasha to once again think of what had happened that day. The fact that Kagome hadn't even bothered to mention that she was going to turn human some day, let alone when exactly that would be, made him angry. She knew when she was going to turn human, she said so herself. She also acknowledged that she was weaker when she was human. If she was weaker, that meant she couldn't fight as well as she usually did. And if she couldn't fight as well, that meant it'd be more likely that she'd need protection. But how the Hell was he supposed to protect her when he didn't even know she had moments of weakness like that at all?
When Izayoi spoke up, he was roughly pulled back to the here and now, and judging by her words, either she could read him really well, or he was speaking aloud without even realizing it.
"Does that mean you want to protect her? Why would you? She doesn't need you to protect her, does she?" his mother asked calmly, conveniently leaving out the point that it was actually, probably, the other way around; he needed her protection.
"She might when she's human. She's weaker than her hanyō-self during that time," Inuyasha admitted, causing Izayoi to smile.
"You were worried about her," she stated. Inuyasha leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Keh," he scoffed, looking away from his mother and staring defiantly at the wall on the other side of the kitchen. "No, I'm not. Who would worry about that stupid hanyō-wench? She ain't worth it and she can look after herself. Or at least she should be able to. She ain't a kid," the black haired teen said, although some small part of him, deep deep within, spoke up at that moment to tell him it was a blatant lie. A lie Izayoi seemed to see right through even without looking at him.
"If you're not worried, why want to protect her?" she asked then, deciding to switch tactics. But Inuyasha had an answer ready long before the question was asked.
"Because it's not the damned girl who's supposed to protect the guy, it's the other way around! Do you have any idea how humiliating it is when she helps me out all the time when it should be me helping her out of a pinch?" he almost snapped, getting more angry that he'd thought he would. Since his mother had her back turned to him he did not see the frown that now marred her face.
"I'm afraid I'm failing to see the problem, Inuyasha," she said finally and Inuyasha 'keh-ed' again.
"She's a girl…" he started, but didn't get to finish repeating his reasoning when his mother interrupted him.
"And she is not human," she reminded her son, turning back around and wiping her hands dry with a towel. Inuyasha looked away from her again, a sullen expression on his face.
"She was today," he reminded her as he sank back into his chair.
"And it bothers you she didn't tell you she would be," Izayoi re-affirmed. Inuyasha only nodded half-heartedly, wishing he had kept his mouth shut. Hearing it worded that bluntly made him feel like a fool. Why did it even bother him? It shouldn't. He wasn't supposed to care at all… but the sad fact was that he did. "Why do you think she would tell you?" his mother finally asked after a moment of silence.
That question threw him off guard. He blinked a few times before actually answering.
"Why wouldn't she?" he finally answered with a question. "We're traveling together. You would think that would be enough reason to tell me."
"Tell me, Inuyasha, do you trust that girl?" Izayoi asked seemingly out of nowhere, once again throwing him off the loop. Now where did that come from? He stared curiously at his mother for a while. Silence enveloped them once again as he hesitated to answer, not because he didn't know what to say but because he didn't know where his mother was going with this.
"As I said, we're travelling together. We fight together. How could I not trust her? If I didn't, we would have gone our separate ways long ago," he finally said, eyeing his mother quizzically. He was surprised to see her smile sadly at his answer.
"You forget, Inuyasha, that there are different ways to trust someone. I'm not saying that you aren't saying the truth. But I believe the Inuyasha also trusts you that way. She just doesn't trust you with her secrets."
"What's the difference? She either trusts me or she doesn't, it's as simple as that," Inuyasha huffed. "She should trust me considering we're travelling together, though," he repeated, though he no longer felt any anger. If anything, he was surprised to notice that the thought of Kagome not trusting him actually made him feel… disappointed.
"Inuyasha, darling," Izayoi started and the black haired teen couldn't help but tense at those words. Very rarely did his mother call him 'darling' even in private, and when she did, it usually meant she was about to say something neither of them were going to enjoy hearing. He eyed her nervously, but didn't make a move to indicate he didn't want to hear what she had to say. Sighing sadly, his mother asked quietly: "Did you not just prove to the two of us that she was right not to trust you?"
Whatever he had been expecting his mother to say, it definitely wasn't that. Violet eyes widened as he actually got up from his chair and took a step away from his mother, as if her words had burned him or as if she had slapped him. In a way, both were true. He never expected his mother would think he was untrustworthy. The thought of his own mother thinking that actually hurt, though for some reason, he refused to let it show on his face. He did lower his head, though, ashamed that he made his mother think that way, although he couldn't really understand why. Izayoi probably understood his confusion, too, because she continued to talk.
"Think about it, Inuyasha. You said yourself that she was weaker when she was human. Don't you think that because of this, she would want it to stay a secret? But the first thing you did when you came home was tell me about it," she said softly, not really reprimanding him, but clearly not quite approving either. Inuyasha didn't fail to notice that.
He wanted to say something to defend himself. That it didn't count. She was his mother and he never wanted any secrets to be between them, so it was natural he'd tell her everything if she only asked, which she did. And he knew she wouldn't tell anyone else – she was his mother for crying out loud. That excused his slip-up, if he could really call it that, wouldn't it?
Almost as of reading his thoughts, Izayoi spoke up again.
"I know it's because there were never any secrets between the two of us, most likely, and that you would tell me anything. But Inuyasha, darling, this is not your secret to tell. Also, you know that whatever you say to me will not leave this house… but does the Inuyasha know that?"
[/T]
His head snapped up at those words, but he didn't deny them. He hadn't thought of it that way. All he was thinking about was how mad he was that she didn't tell him. He never stopped to think what her reasons might have been, nor did it occur to him that they may be spot on.
"I know how to keep a fucking secret! Besides, whom would I tell?"
"Anyone."
His own words came back to him and Souta's all too true response as well. The words he had been so sure were true, yet he ended up throwing them back in his own face. He resisted the urge to face-palm. He really was an idiot. He might trust his mother not to tell a soul whatever he told her… but that didn't mean everyone knew that, much less Kagome who had yet to even properly meet the woman. He sighed.
'Fine, so maybe she did have a valid reason to not tell me, but that better not happen again. I'll show her that she can trust me whether she likes it or not,' he thought angrily to himself, although he had yet to notice that the fact that Kagome apparently didn't fully trust him was rubbing him in a terribly wrong way.
XxX
The sun was just about to rise in the Sengoku Era when another light entirely lit up the sky. The red glow could be seen miles away, even though it's source wasn't located on a hill of any kind. Normally, a large group of people would be present during what was taking place right now, but this time, only a handful of people were there.
It was to be expected. Most of the villages hardly remembered Kikyo, since they were but little children when she passed for the first time. Those that did remember were the handful of people present now, giving the miko their second goodbye, although Kagome could see that some may have been wondering if it was appropriate. This wasn't really the Kikyo they once knew, anymore, after all, and it wasn't even a real body. It was a vessel made of clay that looked like Kikyo and not long ago actually housed her soul, but that was it. The priestess they were burning hadn't died just now, she had been dead for a long time. It must have felt weird to those people to say goodbye to her once again, especially since they haven't seen her alive this time.
That, however, made it only all the more important to Kagome that they had come at all. It went to show how much they had cared for the departed miko. The only thing that could make it even better would be if Kaede could be there as well, but sadly, her miko status didn't allow her to attend(1). Not that Kagome was angry at her and she knew Kikyo wouldn't be either. They both knew how it worked. Kaede could have been present, and most definitely was, fifty years ago when she was just a child. But now as a miko, she the possibility wasn't open to her. It had been hard on her to not be able to attend, Kagome knew, but Kaede hadn't said anything, probably so as to not upset her more than she already was.
Fifty years ago, Kikyo was cremated, just as she was again today. Fifty years ago, she was sleeping, pinned to the Goshinboku, unable to understand why her sister had attacked her and unaware that she had died, as well. Unable to say goodbye. Now, fifty years later, history had practically repeated itself, almost as if in order to give the half-demon the chance to say goodbye as she would have wished to the first time around. But to be completely honest, Kagome didn't know whether to thank the kami for this chance or to curse them for it. So she didn't do either. She wasn't really thankful, anyway, but neither was she angry or sad. She just… didn't feel anything.
[T]
Her expression was completely blank as she watched the flames devour the faux body of her sister. It didn't make it any easier on her, though. For her, it was as if it was the first and only time that Kikyo had died, and even though she knew it actually happened fifty years in the past and she could have done nothing about it, that didn't mean it hurt any less.
The fire didn't die completely until the sun was well on its way through the skies, though it wasn't anywhere near zenith just yet. When Kikyo's ashes were once again buried, Kagome left the village without a word, disappearing into the woods like a ghost. Maybe someone tried to tell her something, she didn't know. Even if someone addressed her right now, her hanyō years wouldn't be able to hear it. Her mind just wasn't there. She was alive, yet almost dead at the same time, almost as if she were walking on another plane than that of the living.
She had started to shut down like that when she started to walk back to the village, actually. That she had still managed to reassure Kaede that Kikyo passed peacefully was a feat on its own. She had shut down completely right after that. The only thing that she registered was Kikyo. As if besides her and the body nothing existed in the world – no other sight, no smell, no sound. Nothing.
She was actually familiar with the feeling. I was the same as when her mother died, although maybe not quite as severe. Back then nothing existed in the world to the point that she even forgot that things like thirst and hunger could still very well plague her, though she hardly felt them. Back then, it went to the point that she felt as though she were a living corpse herself.
It wasn't quite like that this time. She might not be really aware of her surroundings, but she wasn't fully dead inside either. She just refused to take in the world around her, because to do that would also mean facing what happened inside her, and she wasn't sure she was ready for that yet. Then again… would she ever be?
She barely registered the soft breeze on her face as a gust of wind hit her, but she noticed it enough to raise her empty eyes to see where her feet had carried her. It was a hill near the village. A hill where she and Kikyo often talked when they wanted to be alone… the hill where they first met.
The young girl smiled sadly as the memories flooded her. It was to be expected though. Kikyo and her shared many memories and there was hardly a place in or near the village that wouldn't bring some recollection to the forefront of her mind. But she didn't push it away, welcoming the images instead. She learned long ago that repressing the memories only made the hurt worse. It was best to remember than to refuse to think about it, because if she closed the memories off, it would only be that much more painful whenever they resurfaced.
Sighing sadly, Kagome allowed her feet to carry her elsewhere while her mind wandered through her history with Kikyo, bringing a sad smile to her lips. 'You always pretended to be strong and to not need anyone's help… you had to because you were protecting the Jewel. But although you would never admit it, you were actually glad I was there to help you, weren't you?' she couldn't help but think as the memories flew through her head one after another. How they fought side by side. How she gradually learned that Kikyo wasn't nearly as cold as she pretended to be but that beneath that mask was a kind, albeit very lonely woman. How she herself allowed her true self out for the first time in a long while, no longer hiding behind the mask of a rough protector doing her duty. How she first promised Kikyo to help her whenever she needed it for as long as they both lived. 'I did a good job on that one, didn't I,' she thought sadly as she continued walking.
The wind picked up again, caressing her skin delicately as if trying to comfort her, almost as if it were Kikyo who was hearing and responding to her thought. Kagome shook her head at the ridiculous idea, but didn't allow her thoughts to degenerate into anything more depressing than they already were. Kikyo might be dead, but that didn't mean she was gone. She would always be in her heart, of that Kagome was sure. And that place was one the young half-demon would never allow Kikyo to leave. That thought actually made her smile, but it was quick to fade when she noticed where she had walked to.
She registered more and more of her surroundings now, as well as the emotions raging inside her heart, but that was okay. Deep down she knew that staying in that shell wasn't acceptable. She had already spent a few years there when she was but a small kid and she had promised herself then that she wouldn't return to it if she could help it. Her mother wouldn't have wanted it, and neither would Kikyo.
She glanced around, her eyes slowly getting back the gleam of life in them as her memories slowly but surely brought her out of the shell she had closed herself in before. There was no scent to prove her right in the assumption of where she was, and she hadn't been here when it actually happened, but there was no doubt in her mind. Her feet had carried her to the very place where Kikyo had been struck down. She didn't know how she knew it was here that it happened, she just did.
She gazed forlornly at the sky above her. Fifty years ago, in this very place, Kikyo had been struck down by someone who looked eerily like the hanyō who now stood there, fifty years too late. Struck down by someone who desired the Jewel both she and Kagome protected. The young hanyō's fists clenched at her sides at the thought.
It wasn't really her fault Kikyo had died, she knew that. There was nothing she could have really done. But that didn't change the fact that Kikyo died much younger than she should have. She was barely nineteen summers old, a kid in Kagome's eyes and a grown woman by human standards, but nowhere near the age of death. She hadn't really 'died', she had been 'murdered' and that made coping that much harder on Kagome. Golden eyes following the clouds above, Kagome fought the urge to close a fist over her breast, as if physical contact would stop the pain in her heart. It was funny how the one time she actually wouldn't be able to hold back the tears anymore, they just wouldn't come. She sighed, her gaze falling to the ground again, almost imagining the fifty-year-old blood stain beneath her feet.
Even though she knew she couldn't have done a thing to prevent it, part of her hated herself for not being there. Part of her wanted to find the one who was responsible and kill him, but really, what were the chances of her finding him? Who was to say he wasn't already dead, either?
Kagome sighed and shook these thoughts off, as her feet carried her further still. Dwelling on feelings of hatred, for herself or for the culprit wouldn't do anyone any good. Revenge wouldn't bring Kikyo back and Kagome had to wonder if it even would make her feel better. Most likely not really, because let's be honest: what would revenge accomplish except harboring more hatred and pain?
No, revenge was not the way to go about it. If she dedicated her life to that kind of thing, she would only end up hurting more than she already did. The best thing to do… was just let it go. Let it rest in the past where it belonged.
But if it was the only right thing to do, why was it so hard?
Stopping once again without even thinking about it, Kagome was surprised to see where her mindless wandering her brought her this time. She blinked. 'Goshinboku…' she thought as she gazed at the old tree, at the rests of the roots that had been cradling her not so long ago, at the scar that was now the only proof she had ever slept there.
Without even thinking about it, Kagome jumped up to the place where she had been sleeping not so long ago, unable to wake up because of Kikyo's enchanted weapon. One clawed hand slowly traced the scar her own body had formed as once again, memories flooded her head.
[/T]
実
She thought she saw Kikyo, so she tried to follow her, calling her name. If would have been easy to catch up had she not noticed that Kikyo had dropped something. Stopping to see what it was, Kagome quickly realized it was the Shikon. It struck her as odd that Kikyo had dropped it – she never could have dropped it, under any circumstances. Something was off.
Even as she thought that, her thoughts began to gradually become quieter and quieter until she couldn't hear them anymore. Quickly realizing what was happening, Kagome forced herself to look away from the gem. By that time, Kikyo was gone. 'I have to find her and give it back to her,' she thought as she took off again, clutching the Jewel by the necklace as she sped through the forest. 'If I keep it much longer, it could…' she didn't dare finish that thought. Gritting her teeth, Kagome tried running faster as her nose tried to catch the scent of the priestess she knew she had seen here but a little while ago, but all she could smell was the blood she affiliated with the demon-massacre that took place at the village a little while ago. 'Where the Hell could she be?' Kagome thought worriedly as she passed by the Goshinboku without even realizing it. Then there was someone calling her name and the sound of an arrow being released. It was Kikyo who called and the arrow was aimed at Kagome herself. It hit flawlessly as always.
Blackness took over shortly after that and when she awoke, it was night. To say she was bewildered would have been an understatement.
'What happened?' the girl thought as she moved her hand towards her face and examined it. 'I should be dead. Kikyo shot me right through the heart with one of her Sacred Arrows. I should be dead… but I'm not. How can that be?' she wondered as she examined the arrow in her chest. She had been surprised to notice that it wasn't, in fact, a Sacred Arrow, but the Arrow of Sealing. She frowned, but then, her attention was averted elsewhere when she heard hurried footsteps and deep, uneven breathing. Next thing she knew, a black haired human landed flat on his back not too far away from her, followed closely by a centipede demon.
"Hey, are you alright?" she asked when he didn't get back up right away and his eyes snapped open, revealing deep violet irises.
実
'Goshinboku… the place where my story with Kikyo has ended…' she thought sadly as the memory faded. Yes, it was true, something ended by this tree for her, a very important chapter of her life, in fact. But at the same time, something else also took its roots here. 'The place where I first met Inuyasha…' she thought briefly before her thoughts continued to wander. She smiled as her eyes traveled up towards the top of the Sacred Tree, the first real and genuine smile since she woke up.
'I will not dwell on the past, it's not worth it. I can't change it. The past is the past, the present is the present… Kikyo is my past, now laid to rest peacefully. She is not my here and now anymore. Inuyasha has taken that place and who knows… maybe he can be my present, too… and maybe also my future,' she thought as she closed her eyes, allowing her mind to bring up a few memories of someone who she hadn't thought about since she woke up – a fact she felt a little guilty of. She missed him, she couldn't deny that. She longed to go and meet him, but she knew better than that. She had other things to do, other promises to keep. But they would meet eventually, if the fates would allow. For now, she had a promise to keep. Her promise to Kikyo to protect the Jewel and her promise to Inuyasha to help him find someone who would protect the damned gem in his stead, though she doubted they'd find anyone. Kagome's eyes narrowed in a scowl as she thought some more about it.
The Jewel… the reason for Kikyo's death, really, because someone was greedy enough to kill her in order to get it. That's what she thought at first, but thinking about it now with a cool head and knowing Kikyo's side of the story, that explanation just didn't cut it.
If the person who attacked Kikyo did so only because he wanted the Jewel, then why bother 'giving' it to her so that Kikyo would fully believe she had been betrayed? Kagome seriously doubted that the 'dropping the Jewel' thing was accidental. It had been on purpose. It was meant to leave absolutely no room for Kikyo to doubt and make sure she would kill the one she believed had killed her. But why go to all that trouble if the Jewel was already in the possession of the one who tricked them? If he wanted the Jewel, and Kagome was pretty sure he or she did, why not just keep it? Kikyo would have probably ended up shooting her anyway, not that Kagome blamed her. Not anymore.
"I'll have to make this absorb more hate-filled blood. I'll massacre the villagers."
The words the fake her had said to Kikyo suddenly resonated in her mind and her eyes went wide as realization hit her like a ton of bricks.
"I'll have to make this absorb more hate-filled blood…"
How could she be so stupid? She should have noticed something was seriously wrong when the Jewel started affecting her back then. Usually, when Kikyo held it, it was pure and never had any effect on her. It was the same with Inuyasha, except when he was on the other side of the well. Yet it had affected her after she had seen 'Kikyo' drop it.
"…more hate-filled blood…"
The answer had been right in the culprit's words all along. And realizing that only made Kagome's blood freeze in dread and boil in anger all at once.
"…hate-filled blood…"
Defilement. That was one of the things the culprit of this tragedy wanted to achieve. He wanted the Jewel to be defiled. Impure to the point it could not be purified anymore. The whole affair was staged just so that he or she could not only get the Jewel, but get the enjoyment of defiling it with hatred and human blood at the same time.
It made her angry because that someone's twisted and sick way of thinking had cost Kikyo her life. And it made fear creep up her spine at the thought that, if the culprit was indeed still alive, then…
She didn't allow that thought to be finished and quickly turned on her heel, running towards the village. She needed to talk to Inuyasha, but more importantly, she needed to talk to Kaede. If the one who staged it all was someone Kikyo had once dealt with, then Kaede would most likely know and more than anything, Kagome needed to know if there was any imminent danger looming over Inuyasha's head without him being aware of it.
~ξ~
"He called himself Onigumo," Kaede said solemnly as she and Kagome approached a deserted cave a little ways away from the village. It wasn't very far but at the same time, it was hidden by the rocks forming it and the wild grass surrounding it so well that one who did not know where it was wouldn't have been able to find it.
When Kagome had burst through Kaede's door in a rush, the old miko had immediately known something was amiss. When Kagome quickly filled her in on her newest realization and her worries, she was quick to remember the unfortunate bandit her sister had tended to and said he was the only one she could think of who could have possibly wanted to defile the Jewel by filling Kikyo's heart with hate and anger. Upon hearing this, Kagome had asked Kaede to bring her to where this man lived, or used to live, anyway. There was a really bad feeling rising in the pit of her stomach and the young half-demon knew that she had to go there. She couldn't quite understand why her instincts were screaming at her like they were, but she trusted them. They were hardly ever wrong.
[T]
"He had terrible burn scars over his entire body. His face especially was badly burned. He probably fell from a cliff, both his legs were broken," the old priestess continued to recall as she stared at the entrance of the cave with distaste written all over her features. Kagome raised a brow. Rarely did Kaede display so openly that she was not fond of someone (although that would probably be a pretty mild way of saying how she really felt about him). At least Kagome had rarely seen her like this. As the sister of the great Shikon no Miko, she was expected to follow in her footsteps and be just as pure, Kagome knew, and that was probably why she rarely openly said she disliked someone. And when she did, it was only in private to her sister and sometimes to her. Like right now.
"Still, Onigumo lived. He was unable to move, but he slowly healed and was able to speak. However, his true self was even more despicable than his appearance."
"I'm not doubting your words, Kaede. But if Kikyo was the one to care for him – and let's be honest, that sounds like something she'd do – then how do you know of his 'real self'? And how come Kikyo didn't see it? It's hard to grasp," Kagome said softly, also eyeing the entrance of the cave suspiciously. Something about it sent chills down her spine, as if something was lurking there, just waiting for them to get closer so it could jump out and bare its fangs. But she knew nothing was there. She would have heard it if there was.
"There was a day when Kikyo-onee-sama asked me to take care of him in her stead, that's how I know," Kaede replied with narrowed eyes. "But I believe Kikyo-onee-sama also knew of his true self, she just decided to ignore it as she knew he would never be able to move from that cave."
'Again, sounds like something Kikyo would do,' Kagome couldn't help but think, her own eyes narrowing now as well. Something wasn't right. There was something in that cave. Maybe not something living, but something was there. There was definitely something wrong with this place, she could tell that much.
"So what did he do on that day when you took care of him?" Kagome asked cautiously. Part of her didn't want to know, another part of her was desperate to know and yet another just wanted to get the Hell out of there. This place… there was no doubt there was something weird about it. Resisting the urge to swallow nervously, Kagome trained her eyes on Kaede once again while she tried to force her body to relax. There was no way she was just walking away from here now. With the vibes this place gave her, she had to go in and see the source of her discomfort… and her yelling instincts.
"He talked," Kaede said as of it was the most obvious thing in the world, making Kagome whip her head around to stare at her. Kaede's one good eye was trained on the half-demon as well as she continued gravely. "I remember his words well. He talked about the Shikon no Tama that my sister protected. How every evil person in the world was after it and how the Jewel became more evil the more evil it absorbed."
"He wanted the Jewel for himself, didn't he," Kagome stated matter-of-factly.
"Aye. And he wanted it defiled. He thought that the Jewel becoming more evil as it absorbed more evil was 'nice'," Kaede said, her eyes traveling back to the cave once again and narrowing in anger. "When I told him Kikyo-onee-sama would never allow this to happen to the Jewel, he stated how he'd love to see her worried and scared. Said it would give him a rush."
Kagome clenched her fists at that and snarled at no one in particular. 'The nerve of the bastard! I would have ripped him to shreds if I had gotten the chance and I doubt I'd even feel bad about it, human or not,' she thought angrily, almost not catching what Kaede said next.
"I said as much to Kikyo-onee-sama, but she thought little of it, persuaded, though with good reason, that he was not to be feared as he would never move from that cave. She told me to forgive him.
"Shortly thereafter, Kikyo-onee-sama sealed you to the Sacred Tree and died. Several days later, when I went there, the cave was burned down. The flames must have been huge, and Onigumo was unable to escape."
"He died, then?" Kagome asked with poorly concealed hope in her voice. For some reason, though she had never met the bandit, she wished him one of the cruelest ways to end she could think of. It was unusual for her and she didn't really have a reason to think that way, but something told her he'd deserve everything she wished upon his damned soul.
"Aye. He perished… leaving no bones… not a sign. Or so I thought…" Kaede finished her tale and Kagome narrowed her eyes. Nothing remained? That was impossible. Even if the bandit burned down to a crisp, there should be at least ash left behind and ash was very distinct from burned dirt. If there was some, Kaede would have found it, unless she didn't look very carefully. If that was the case, Kagome didn't think she could blame her.
"Or so you thought?" she repeated, feeling restless. "You said yourself he was human and unable to escape, so he couldn't have possibly survived that, could he?"
"Indeed. No matter how evil, Onigumo was definitely human, there's no doubt about that," Kaede affirmed and Kagome nodded to herself before resolutely walking over to the cave. There was something there, she could tell. Something her instincts were warning her about. It was all the reason she needed to investigate. If there was any danger, she wanted to know what it was.
The inside of the cave was dark and gloomy. It would have been hard to see if not for her hanyō senses. It was rather small, too, so it didn't take long for Kagome to find something that she could only think of as very unsettling.
"Ne… Kaede," she said quietly, knowing the old priestess had followed her. "What is this?" she asked without needing to point at what she was talking about. It could only be the ground of the cave, but considering a certain, circular patch, there was something obviously wrong with it. "No grass… not even moss grows in this one spot," she indicated, and it was indeed true. The whole cave's ground was covered by young grass save for one circular spot about the length of a human body. Kagome had a feeling she knew what lay there, but she wanted to be sure.
"This is where the paralyzed Onigumo rested," Kaede confirmed, bewilderment evident on her features as Kagome scowled. The young half demon slowly knelt down, only to quickly drawback, covering her nose.
"It stinks of yōkai," she said. "I never smelt anything that disgusting before, but that's definitely a yōkai's jiyaki that I smell," she said, tensing. The smell was actually making her feel sick to her stomach due to its intensity. She couldn't help but wonder, though, how was it possible that a human possessed evil within himself that could rival one of a yōkai?
One thing was certain – she definitely did not like this, and she was pretty sure that neither did Kaede.
[/T]
"Let's get outta here," she said, all too gladly leaving the cave with the elder miko and heading back towards the village, thinking about what she should do next. But really, considering the turn things had taken, was there anything she could do besides the one right thing? She didn't think so. "It's time I try going through the well again," she said absentmindedly, grateful that even in the absent minded state she was in before, she had somehow thought of at least leaving Tessaiga by the well once Inuyasha went home. She really hadn't been in the right state of mind to guard it herself at that point.
XxX
Inuyasha sighed as he rested his chin on his hand, his elbow being supported by his desk, as he stared out through the window. Since he hadn't gone back through the well in the morning, his mother had sent him to school. He wasn't very happy, but at least it distracted him from thinking about Kagome too much and about the other thing that had bothered him since he'd come home. He bit back a sigh.
After his initial anger at her, for not telling him that she would turn human, had worn off, he couldn't get the image of her eyes out of his head. The way she looked as she walked right past him with Kikyo in her arms. He had shoved it to the back of his mind, at first, intent on concentrating on his feeling of anger for being kept in the dark, but after his talk with his mother, he didn't have really a reason to stay mad at her. And school proved to not be distracting enough.
'The way she was looking ahead, as if seeing nothing in front of her… she looked like she was dead herself,' Inuyasha thought with a shudder. Seeing her like that… It wasn't a sight he enjoyed, that much was certain. And if he were to be completely honest with himself, it kind of scared him. That look… he sure as Hell hoped he'd never get to see it again.
Shaking his head slightly to get rid of those thoughts, Inuyasha forced himself to concentrate for the remainder of the lesson. It couldn't end fast enough as far as he was concerned.
When it was finally over, he was one of the first people to bolt out of the classroom, as usual, intent on getting home fast and get some studying done. Going to school had opened his eyes on one thing: he was falling behind way too much for his liking. He had been lucky there were no tests coming up soon, because if there were, he'd be pretty much screwed.
"Hinoiri-san!" a female voice called out behind him. Stunned, not used to hearing anyone calling him as if asking him to wait, Inuyasha stopped and look over his shoulder to see who had called him, his eyebrows rising in wonder when the girl caught up to him.
"What is it, Shirugawa?" he asked, somewhat surprised that she had called out to him at all. She barely knew him, after all. What was up with her? Then his eyes fell to the large bag she was clutching in her hands. It definitely wasn't her school things, since she had a second bag on her shoulder. He couldn't help but feel a little curious.
"W-well… You know I transferred here only two days ago… I was lucky enough that someone passed me the notes to catch up on everything I missed and to compare it to the stuff I did at my old school… and I heard you were out for the last couple of weeks because you were sick… so since you probably still aren't feeling too good, as you weren't here yesterday either, I… well… I just…" she started stuttering over her words, although he did have to give her credit for not whispering anymore. Even if she did talk rather quiet, still.
Finally, she seemed to give up on words and just shoved the bag she was holding in her hands at him. Surprised, Inuyasha took it from her, shooting her a questioning glance before looking inside the bag. What he saw was papers. Lots and lots of papers, all filled with a neat hand-writing, the text underlined in different colors yet still clear from what little he could see. Looking back at the girl, he took notice of the bags under her eyes and the way she tried to yawn discreetly. She was obviously tired. It didn't take him long to put two and two together, considering what she just said.
"You made notes for me to learn from?" he asked her incredulously. He didn't understand. Why would she do that? She couldn't possibly gain anything from doing such a thing, so why would she? Ririko smiled lightly in response.
"Yesterday's stuff is in there, too. I thought it would help you out, Hinoiri-san," she said meekly, looking at her shoes as if they were the most interesting in the world. And was it just him or was she actually blushing?
"Why would you go to the trouble?" Inuyasha asked her as he started walking again, but not in the direction of his home but to where she started walking off – probably her own house. Ririko just shrugged.
"I felt like it and I wanted to help you out, Hinoiri-san," she said simply, not daring to question why he walked with her if his house was in the opposite direction. Truth be told, Inuyasha himself didn't know the answer to that one.
"But why? You barely know me, Shirugawa," the black haired kannushi pointed out, hanging the bag she'd given him over his shoulder to carry it more comfortably. Since she already went through the trouble of making extra notes, he might as well make good use of them.
"I know you better than you might think, Hinoiri-san," Ririko said quietly, making Inuyasha narrow his eyes. However, she continued before he could ask her anything. "You may not remember it, Hinoiri-san, but we actually met before I came to this school."
'We did? Weird… I think I'd remember meeting someone as weird as her,' Inuyasha thought to himself as he tried to remember, but his mind drew a blank. Nope, as far as he was concerned, he had never seen her before, except the day before yesterday, of course.
Suddenly, he stopped, as if only now realizing that he was actually going in the wrong direction.
"Well, I guess I should head off towards home," he said when she stopped as well, startled by his sudden stop. She looked a little sad then, which threw him off guard, but he quickly brushed it off as his imagination when she smiled brightly at him immediately afterward and nodded. He scratched the back of his head, trying to force out words he definitely wasn't used to say to anyone but his mother, but knew that they needed to be said right now. "Well… Arigato… for the notes, I mean," he said, looking away. Her smile only widened.
"It was my pleasure, really," she said, making him give her a doubtful look. No one should say they enjoyed doing that kind of work and for someone else, too. "I'll see you tomorrow at school then, Hinoiri-san," Ririko added before practically skipping off without waiting for an answer.
"Yeah… maybe," Inuyasha answered, knowing she didn't hear him as he turned on his heel to walk back towards home. As far as he knew, tomorrow he could be back in the Feudal Era, if he felt like going back. But maybe, just maybe, he'd stay until the end of the week… If only to try and figure her out a little more. Ririko Shirugawa was definitely intriguing, if nothing else.
"I'm home!" he called about twenty minutes later as he arrived at the shrine and closed the door to his house behind him. As always, his mother walked out of the kitchen to greet him back and ask him about his day. What he didn't expect was Kagome following after her.
"Hey," she said simply as he stared at her before his eyes narrowed. Well, she was at least back to her normal self as far as he could tell, so he guessed that was a good sign. Still…
"What are you doing here?" he asked her rather bluntly. Sure, he knew she could travel through the well, but he didn't expect her to come to his house. He had thought she'd stay on her side unless an emergency occurred, like the one with the nymph-yōkai a while back.
"Waiting for you," she replied simply before he could ask anything else. "You and I, we need to talk." There was something in her voice that told him that it was no trivial matter she wanted to talk about, not that they ever talked about anything that could really be considered trivial, unless they were arguing. Not that he knew of, anyway. Nodding warily, Inuyasha grabbed his things and after giving a reassuring smile to his mother, who for some reason didn't seem all too worried considering how this must have all looked to her, motioned for Kagome to follow him upstairs to his room. When the door closed behind her, he gave her a questioning stare. She sighed.
"I already filled your mother in, because I thought she deserved to know. She said she trusts you to make the right choice, so she isn't worried. Her words, not mine," the young half-demon said before looking curiously around the room she found herself in. It was little different than all the other rooms she had seen. Colorful walls and floor – the floor was deep scarlet, almost the color of blood, thanks to a 'fitted carpet' and the walls were a deep maroon – a futuristic version of a futon that Inuyasha's mother called a 'bed' and a comfortable piece of furniture to study at called a 'desk' if she remembered correctly. A second door, a sliding one, was put in one of the walls and Kagome suspected that, just like in the other room like this one, it concealed a place meant to keep clothes. What was it called again? A 'closet'? Yeah, that was probably about right.
"The right choice?" Inuyasha repeated bewildered bringing Kagome out of her musings and silent exploring of the room, reminding her why she came here in the first place. He had to know.
"I think Kaede already told you that Kikyo died protecting the Jewel, didn't she," the young half-demon asked as she moved over to stare out the window, her hands crossed behind her back. Inuyasha opened his mouth to ask her what that had to do with anything, but he promptly shut it when she glanced at him over her shoulder, her eyes telling him to keep quiet and listen to what she had to say. He only nodded, even though he doubted she really needed an answer and Kagome turned back to the window.
"Thing is, she didn't die in battle, like many people might think when hearing that. She died because someone was too cowardly to face her head on and resorted to dirty tricks to kill her.
"Someone had disguised themselves as me and struck her down, while I was being kept busy at the village, protecting it from a horde of demons. Once they were all dead, I tried to look for her, but was instead tricked into following an imposter, possibly the same person, who 'accidentally' dropped the Jewel. I should have known then that something was wrong, but I didn't. I only thought about getting the Jewel back to Kikyo, thus playing into that coward's hands, whoever he was. And you know the rest. I got pinned to the Goshiboku and Kikyo died, taking the Shikon no Tama with her into the after-life as it was burned with her body."
Tense silence fell in the room after her story. It took Inuyasha a moment to realize that she probably said all that she was going to say, or that she was waiting for a reply. He narrowed his eyes.
"Why are you telling me all this?" He finally asked and Kagome turned around to face him, her eyes as serious as her voice.
"Because you need to know what you're getting yourself into should you decide to go back through the well again," she said. "That person who tricked Kikyo and I didn't do it just to steal the Jewel of Four Souls. If he wanted just that he wouldn't have dropped it when I was following him. What he wanted was for Kikyo to hate me, so that her hatred could defile the Shikon beyond anyone's capabilities of purifying it. He enjoyed making the both of us suffer while it also defiled the Jewel like he wanted. And yes, that person might already be dead, but that doesn't mean other people won't try such an approach."
Silence fell in the room as Inuyasha slowly allowed himself to sit down on his bed as he tried to wrap his head around what she was telling him. The message was pretty clear, although for some reason, part of it, he really didn't like.
"So you're telling me I shouldn't go back?" he asked, wondering a little why that thought angered him so much. Probably because he didn't like being told what he was supposed to do. However, Kagome surprised him as she sighed and turned away, before giving him an answer he definitely didn't expect.
"I can't tell you what to do. If you want to go back, I can't stop you. I just thought you should know the dangers lurking around in my time – dangers I admit I hadn't thought about. Dangers that no one can truly protect you from except yourself," she said quietly and if Inuyasha had been drinking something in that moment, he would have probably chocked on it. Kagome was actually admitting that there was something even she, with all her so called strengths and advantages over a human, could not protect him from, while he could. He smirked.
"Keh, as if that would scare me away. I'm going back and that's that. You aren't gonna get rid of me that easily, hanyō-wench," he said with a smirk, completely confident in his abilities. Kagome raised an eyebrow. 'What do you mean 'get rid of you'? That you would actually want to stay… with me?' the young half-demon thought in wonder she did not allow to show on her face. The she smiled slightly.
"OK then, I'll wait on the other side of the well," she said, heading for the window, much to Inuyasha's surprise. Why wouldn't she just use the door?
"Alright… but I'm not sure when I'll be going back… I have stuff to take care of here, too…" he trailed off, uncertain if she'd understand. But Kagome only waved her hand dismissively.
"Your mother filled me in a little on how this whole 'school' and education thing works, so I know it's important," she said as she looked at him over her shoulder. "Even if you change your mind, that's fine. Come back whenever you feel like it. I'll be guarding the well on my side until then," she then added, almost as an afterthought, before leaping off, leaving a somewhat stunned Inuyasha behind, although his surprise was not due to the fact that she actually knew something about his time that he hadn't expected her to know.
She couldn't have meant that she was going to guard the well for the rest of her life if he decided to never show up again, could she?
Meanwhile, Kagome jumped through the well back to her own time, intent on doing just that. She would guard the well until Inuyasha came through it and if he never did… well, that just meant she'd spend a long while protecting the sacred well.
'If he does come back, though, then we'll need to be extra careful. Sure, I told him Onigumo had died and that's probably what happened, but… I definitely didn't like the stench coming off that cave,' Kagome thought grimly as she jumped out of the well, then sat down in front of it leaning her back against the wood and leaning Tessaiga on her shoulder.
Something had happened in that cave. She didn't know what it could possibly be, but something very dark and evil happened there. And Kagome knew that whatever it was that happened in that cave, she was not going to enjoy the results of it once she saw them. She scowled. 'If you do come back, Inuyasha, then I swear I'll protect you to the best of my abilities. I'll protect you with my life if I have to,' she swore to herself. And she was intent on keeping that promise no matter what.
(1) Again, this is a reference to the Shinto beliefs; Kaede is a miko and as such, she cannot come into contact with anything remotely associated with death as it would be too polluting. As weird as it may sound, regular people can come into contact with death, dead people and all that and the impurity of it can still be cleansed in a purification ritual, although it is still considered particularity polluting, but apparently, it is not the case for Shinto priests and miko.
Well, that's it. Things are finally starting to get interesting plot-wise and in more ways than just one *winks*. I guess you can all guess what happened in that cave and just how right Kagome is when she thinks she won't like the results of it, ne *evil smirk* Now we only need those results to show up themselves, though who knows, maybe that moment isn't that far off… And then there's also the deal with Ririko and Inuyasha apparently having met in the past. What do you guys make of that, I wonder…
Anyway, hope you enjoyed. See you next time :]