The Sickness Chapter 4.
InuYasha ran through the woods, sniffing for the scents of any forest animals that Sango and Kagome could turn into lunch. He stopped at a creek and leaned down, lapping up water with his tongue. As he leaned back, wiping his mouth off with his arm, he thought about the battle that had killed Naraku. He sat there, deep in thought,(this is rare people!!!) wondering if he was really who he thought he was. After dying in the present, he went back to the past, and watched as he missed the demon that had killed Kagome again except that he himself had killed it, and then he stayed there and protected her until the end of the battle, then InuYasha was brought out unconscious, he had followed them. When the past InuYasha, the one who killed Naraku, woke up, I dissappeared...yet I'm here now, and how do I know all this?
InuYasha groaned and held his head in his hands, not comprehending it all. He suddenly heard a tiny sniffing sound, and he froze. He waited until the sniffing sound came closer, and out of the corner of his eye he spotted a fat white hare. He licked his lips, and the hare froze, it's back legs tensed, ready to run. InuYasha felt sweat running down the side of his face, and he knew that he was gonna move soon, for all his muscles were burning with the effort of holding the curled up position.
Ready...steady...GO!!!
InuYasha leapt up, and the hare bolted. InuYasha chased it, running after it like his life depended on it. He dropped to all fours, and the hare darted to the left. InuYasha tried to follow it, and skidded on the forest dirt. The hare was now running straight toward the village. InuYasha groaned. He had better catch the damn thing before it got to the village, because this was embarrassing. No such luck. InuYasha was way faster than the hare, but the turns and weaves it did kept it just out of InuYasha's reach. They burst out of the forest, and InuYasha cried out Kagome's name.
Thinking it was a demon, Sango immediately whipped her Hiraikotsu at it, before realizing it was a hare. At the last second before she released the weapon, she tweaked her wrist to the left, so that it would miss the hare. InuYasha yelped and ducked low as the bone boomerang whizzed over his head.
"Sango!!!" He screamed. "Watch that thing!"
"Sorry InuYasha!" She called out, catching the returning boomerang.
Kagome reacted the best. She grabbed her bow, strung an arrow, and aimed swiftly. She released the arrow, and it streaked toward the hare, striking it and slicing right through it, coming out the other side. InuYasha grimaced.
"Wah! Thats one hell of an arm there, Kagome. Did you have to go through the hare?"
Kagome shrugged. "Oops."
Sango grinned, throwing her arm around Kagome's shoulder. "Shes getting way better at her shooting, InuYasha. Not to mention that you were chasing the hare like a damn hunting dog."
InuYasha groaned. "Shut up, will ya." He said. He picked up the very dead rabbit, and threw it at Sango. She shreiked, and ducked, laughing as it hit the ground.
"Come on, InuYasha, don't screw with our food, it's gonna get really dirty, and it'll take forever to clean out." She said, picking it up.
InuYasha smirked. "Ya shoulda caught it then." He turned away and ran back to the forest, hunting for more food.
Deep in the forest, InuYasha stopped. He sniffed the air, and felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. He growled, and turned around, scanning the forest, knowing that something was out there. It smelled familiar, but he couldn't place it. He turned again, ears pricked, scanning the shadows of the forest intently. Suddenly, a noise behind him made him draw his Tetsusaiguia and whirl around, snarling angrily. All he saw was a branch swaying gently, as if it had been touched. InuYasha could feel no wind, and it made him nervous. He scanned the area near the swaying branch, and glimpsed a shadow slipping through the trees. He was about to unleash the windscar, but decided against it, for the smell was fading, and so was the shadow. He waited a few seconds, staring at where the shadow had dissappeared, his ears trying to pick up sounds behind him incase the enemy had circled around him.
After a minute or two, he relaxed, sure that whatever had been near him was long gone. He turned around, and came face to face with himself, the last thing he expected. InuYasha yelled in fear, and fell backward, staring at the man in front of him. InuYasha could feel his heart racing, and a look of horror passed over his face.
The man in front of him was him, but horribly disfigured. He was missing his left arm, and he was bleeding out of his eyes, nose and mouth. There were blood stains all over his clothes, and blood was pooling around his feet. InuYasha scrambled backward, wondering if this was his fate. The mans chest was split open, revealing a still beating heart, and part of the lungs.
Suddenly, the lifeless golden eyes of the disfigured half demon flashed, and focussed on InuYasha. And he spoke.
"This is your fate, InuYasha. Here. Right here, you will die. You can do nothing about it. Naraku will kill you. You have no hope left. It will be the girl. She will get into trouble, and you will save her. At the cost of your own life." Then, without warning, the man dropped to his knees, and stayed there for a second. He raised his head, and looked at InuYasha on the ground.
"I am you. The future you. I am dead. So you will die."
With that, the man fell face first into the ground, and something clattered to the ground. InuYasha got up, shaking, and picked it up, inspecting it. It was a tiny gold locket, and InuYasha opened it up with shaking fingers. Inside was a picture of him and Kagome. InuYasha threw it to the ground and turned, running toward the village as fast as he could.
Back at the village, he ran as fast as he could toward the hut. He burst in through the door, screaming Kagome's name.
Kagome looked up, from where she was preparing supper from the rabbit he had caught earlier. InuYasha, breathing heavily, just stared at her, willing himself to calm down and stop. He dropped down on the floor, his mind blank. He continued to stare at her, and she got up, moving to his side.
"InuYasha! What happened?" She asked.
InuYasha shook his head, unblinking.
"I'm dead." He said, in a whisper. "I'm dead. I lost, I'm going to die." He said. Kagome, worried about what had happened to him, began looking him over, searching for any cuts or stab wounds. Finding none, she looked back at his face, jumping at what she saw. His eyes were glassy, having no focus, and she started to get scared.
"InuYasha, please, speak to me!" She said, waving her hand in front of his face. After getting no response, she tried the only thing that had ever gotten his attention before. She kissed him.
She knelt down in front of him, and placed her hand on his cheek, tilting his head up a bit. She leaned in, and pressed her lips against his, closing her eyes. A second later, she felt him respond, and she pulled away, so see if he was alright.
Immediately he pulled her into a hug, squeezing her tightly. She didn't mind though, and hugged him back, whispering his name in his ear.
She felt him start to tremble, and wondered what could scare InuYasha so badly, but leave no visible marks on his body, no wounds, no evidence of a fight. She let go of him, and looked him in the eye, glad to see that they were back to normal, shining and in focus. InuYasha shook his head.
'I can't think of that right now. I can't tell Kagome either. She already worries too much.' He thought, standing up. Kagome stood with him, and he looked at her, forcing a grin.
"Is the food ready yet?" He asked, and she nodded, grabbing his hand and leading him over. She sat down with him, and they ate their food together, Sango and Miroku coming into the hut a few minutes later.
Kagome said nothing of what had happened, choosing instead to let them eat in peace. InuYasha wasn't voulunteering information, and ate in silence.
After they were done eating, Kagome started counting her Jewel Shards.
"...Five, six, seven, eight. Eight." She said, putting them back inside her shirt. As she moved aside her collar to put the container of Jewel Shards away, InuYasha glimpsed a gold chain around her neck, and his eyes widened. Kagome caught his glance, and removed the necklace, revealing a golden locket on the other end.
InuYasha stared at it, glinting in the firelight.
"I've had this thing forever..." She said, opening it. She turned it so that InuYasha could see the inside. It had a picture of them inside it.
'Just like the one my future self had when he died...' He thought.
Kagome moved over and sat beside him. InuYasha leaned against her, staring at the floor. Just then, Kagome slipped the chain around his neck. InuYasha looked down at it, before glancing at Kagome.
"So you'll never forget me." She said, smiling. InuYasha shook his head.
"Stupid!" He growled. "As if I'd ever forget you." He whispered, looking away. Kagome giggled, and laid her head on his shoulder.
'Dammit! Already I've got the locket! That means my death isn't far off. I thought I'd have more time. Obviously not...'
InuYasha sighed, and closed his eyes. He clutched Tetsusuigua to his chest, bowing his head. He could feel Kagome against him, and it comforted him to know she was there. He slowly drifted off to sleep as the fire flickered, casting distorted shadows on the walls.
He awoke in the morning, actually feeling good. He got up, and something tapped against his chest. He looked down, and saw the locket. He gently tucked it inside his haori, before looking around. Everyone was gone, and he wondered where they could be. He pushed aside the doorflap, and came face to face with Sango. He jumped in surprise, and moved to the side, holding it open for her.
"Thanks InuYasha." She said, walking in with an armful of wood. She dumped it in the corner, and walked back out, InuYasha right behind her.
"Hey Sango, do you know where Kagome is?" He asked. Sango nodded.
"Yeah, she went into the forest, saying she heard you mention the forest in your sleep." Sango said. "Didn't know you were a talkative one, InuYasha." She said, laughing. InuYasha shook his head.
"Whatever you say." He said, jumping into the air. "Thanks!" He yelled down, before disappearing out of sight. Sango watched him disappear, before turning back to the wood pile.
InuYasha ran through the forest, all senses alert, determined not to have another encounter like the last one. He ran through the forest, sniffing for Kagome's scent, and calling her name.
He stopped, and inhaled deeply, finding no trace of Kagome's scent.
'Maybe I'm in too deep, she probably isn't anywhere near this deep into the forest.' He thought, turning around. He began running back, when something made him stop. It was that scent. He started to tremble, as memories of yesterday flooded through his mind, brought on by the scent. He drew Tetsusuigua, and spun in circles, thinking that no matter what happened, he would not let anything ever sneak up on him like that again. He glanced at every tree and bush that surrounded him, and felt fear creeping into him like a dark shadow, all the trees seeming to lean in toward him, trapping him.
He looked around for an exit, in case he had to run, but couldn't find a path. He felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up, and snarled disgustedly.
"I'm sick of running, being scared. Fuck whatever's out there. I ain't running anymore!" InuYasha said, sheathing his Tetsusuigua.
'You wanna play sneaky?' He thought, flexing his claws. 'Thats fine with me.'
He crouched down low, and crept into the foilage, every sense on overdrive. He was aware of the dead air, no wind, and the worm crawling through the dirt, an inch from his toe. He felt the soil beneath his fingers, and heard every 'thump' that his hands and fett made, no matter how gently he put them down. With every muscle tense, he pushed aside a leaf, seeing a clearing in front of him.
"Oh, fuck me." InuYasha whispered, not believing what he was seeing.
He was staring at himself, but his past self, at his back. InuYasha remembered what happened after this, for it took place just yesterday. InuYasha withdrew, and his haori rustled against a branch, making a loud rasping sound in the still, quiet air. InuYasha quickly backed up, and raised himself up into a crouch.
He saw himself spin around, drawing the Tetsusuigua, staring directly at the spot where InuYasha had been. InuYasha saw the branch he had touched still bobbing, and that was what the past InuYasha now looked at.
InuYasha, ran as softly as he could around the clearing, hoping that he didn't get seen. He dropped down on the ground, and just in time, for the past InuYasha whirled around.
Suddenly, InuYasha, laying in the dirt, started to sweat and shake.
'After this...after this I get a surprise visit by my future self, all chopped up.' InuYasha thought. 'But if I'm here, watching my past self, then that means...'
InuYasha's eyes widened as he realized that he was the future, and was about to be attacked. He turned around, just in time to see a shadow behind him. InuYasha looked at it, and saw nothing but a dark spot where there should be light. It seemed to be coming out of the ground, little tendrils creeping out of the soil to converge on a single spot, forming this horrible monster shadow that InuYasha now saw. The shadow had two pure white eyes, and they seemed to leave little vapor trails behind them as the shadow wavered back and forth. InuYasha swore that he had seen it move as he had been turning around, but now, as he lay on his back in the dirt, staring up at this monster, just swaying back and forth, a mere shadow, and sometimes completely indiscernable from the environment around it, before fading back into focus. The only thing that was always completely visible were the eyes, pure white, and empty, leaving a tiny white residue as they moved. The residue would cling to the air, never falling, as if gravity had no effect on it, before fading slowly.
InuYasha wondered just what it was, before finally unfreezing, and reacting. He drew his sword, slashing across the middle of the demon, separating the shadow. InuYasha scrambled to his feet, and ran, not waiting to see if the demon was dead, or if it could even die. InuYasha ran as fast as he could, but for some reason, he didn't seem to be going anywhere. He tried to concentrate, and thought that the edge of the forest was to his right, only a few hundred metres away. He turned to the right, and ran faster than he ever had in his life, something in his gut telling him that the shadow must never reach him. Suddenly, InuYasha felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up.
Sweat started to roll down his face, soaking his shirt.
"It's right behind me...It's gonna get me...It's my time to die!" InuYasha said, unable to shake the feeling of absolute dread. InuYasha risked a glance behind him, and what he saw only made him run faster. The shadow was pursuing him, and it was having a fairly easy time doing it. InuYasha had to run around rocks and mud, and jump over fallen trees, while the shadow seemed to pass right through and over these things. InuYasha saw a tiny black tendril shoot out, and reach toward him. InuYasha looked forward, and jumped another tree that had been broken. He knew the tree, it was one that had been knocked down in a wind storm that they had had, a few weeks back.
It meant that he was close to the edge of the forest, and it only made him work harder. InuYasha couldn't breathe, and his legs felt heavy, but he continued running. Behind him, the shadow was right on his heels. InuYasha felt something tugging on his body, and as he was running, he saw twigs and loose grass raise off the ground, and fly back past him, toward the demon. InuYasha took another look back, and saw that the entire center of the demon was a darker patch of black than the rest of it, and all the loose objects in it's path were being drawn into it, disappearing. InuYasha felt the tugging on his body get stronger, and he looked down at his feet, seeing black tendrils shooting out infront of him, signalling that the shadow was right on his heels. InuYasha looked up, and saw a light shining through the trees up ahead. He raced as hard as he could toward it, head bowed, willing himself not to give up. He burst out of the forest, and fell onto the grass, his chest heaving. He couldn't run any further. InuYasha closed his eyes, and waited to be sucked into the demon. A second later, he realized that the pull he had felt on his body was gone. He opened his eyes, and sat up, staring back into the forest where he had come from. He saw only the trees, but the ominous feeling was still there, foreboding. InuYasha got up, and walked over to the edge of the forest, peering into it, squinting. He couldn't see anything. He sighed, and wondered what the hell had attacked him, when suddenly, the shadow burst up out of the ground, screaming a loud, grating, unholy scream. InuYasha yelped, and fell down onto his back, staring at the enraged demon. The white eyes glowed dagerously, but the demon seemed reluctant to come out of the forest. InuYasha sat there and watched it sway side to side, not moving an inch. InuYasha didn't dare to enter the forest, and it seemed that the demon didn't dare leave it. InuYasha walked a bit closer to it, and suddenly, the black tendrils shot out of the demon, toward InuYasha. InuYasha, slow to react, watched as they raced toward his chest, but then they were gone, dissolving as they encountered the sunlight, half an inch from his chest. InuYasha clamped his hands down over his ears as it howled in pain and rage.
InuYasha turned and walked away, wondering how his search for the Jewel Shards and his fight with Naraku had turned to this. The ominous feeling had left the air, and the sun brightened. InuYasha looked over his shoulder, and the demon was gone, presumably it had returned to the depths of the forest, or into the ground.
Just then, a cloud passed over the sun, and a tiny bit of the demons aura was felt. InuYasha ran back to the hut, and ripped open the door flap, yelling Miroku's name.
Miroku, sitting on the floor, stood up at InuYasha's abrupt entry.
InuYasha sat down, and told Miroku everything, about yesterday, feeling the presence, and then about today, seeing himself, and realizing that he was about to die, evading the demon and running out of the forest. He told him about how the sunlight had stopped the demon, and there Miroku's face hardened.
"What's going on, Miroku?" InuYasha asked. "Do you know anything about that demon?"
Miroku clutched his staff. He looked at InuYasha with hard, violet eyes.
"Listen InuYasha, and listen well." Miroku said. Just then, Sango and Kagome entered. They sat down, and saw the look of concentration on Miroku's face. They said nothing.
"What is happening, is theres a problem in the way things are supposed to be. A big problem. Something is supposed to happen in the future, something important, but at the same time, whatever it is does not concern us. What appears to be the problem is that in order for this thing to take place, someone, either you or Naraku, has to die. You have to be completely gone, for interference with this thing cannot be tolerated, and at the same time, if you were both allowed to live, then your constant fighting would ultimately set some chain of events in motion that would, somewhere along the line, upset the worlds natural balance, and stop this important event from happening properly. So, time is taking its course, and attempting to kill one of you. It's not specific, or prejudiced, it simply wants one of you dead, and unfortunately, you can't contol time. Time contols you. So, you must ensure that Naraku is the one to die, or you will die instead. About that thing that chased you, InuYasha, I'm afraid that it's not a demon."
"What?" InuYasha asked. "Then what is it?" Miroku held up his hand.
"Also, you cannot kill it, for it is already dead." All around the room there were looks of confusion.
"You see," Miroku said, "That thing cannot die, for it is Death itself. Death chooses who lives and who dies, and I don't think that it will choose to kill itself anytime soon. And you were smart to run for the edge of the forest instead of fight, InuYasha. It despises light, so stalks it's victims in dark places, and at night. I fear that you have dodged death so much with your previous escapades, that it won't set up clever ways for you to die anymore. It will just come after you directly, until you are dead. You have seen Death, InuYasha, and now Death won't rest until you are dead. You can't see Death and live to tell about it. You are out of time, InuYasha. I honestly don't know if killing Naraku is enough anymore, it seems your destined to die no matter what."
With that, Miroku turned, and leaned against the wall, leaving InuYasha to think about what he said.
InuYasha looked around at the people that stood by him, through thick and thin. He clenched his fists and growled.
"I don't give a fuck what it is, if I'm going to die, then I'm going to die my way." He said, grabbing his Tetsusuigua.
Kagome jumped up, and stood in front of him, putting her hands on his chest.
"No, please InuYasha, stay here!!" She said. "It's almost dark out."
InuYasha felt his heart racing. "I know." He said, and already he could feel the ground trembling.
He looked to Miroku and Sango. He could hear the wind starting to blow outside.
"Guys, get Kagome out of here, to a safe place!" He said. Sango and Miroku nodded. They grabbed Kagome's arms, and despite her protests, dragged her out the door. InuYasha followed them, and watched them get on Kirara.
"Hey!" InuYasha called out, above the wind that was blowing, getting stronger every minute. Kagome looked at him, and he walked over to her. He put his arms around her and kissed her, hugging her tightly.
"I love you, Kagome." He whispered, before letting go.
He turned to Sango, and she hugged him, her arms tight around his body.
"Good luck, InuYasha." She said, her mouth by his ear. She slipped him her tiny dagger that she always carried in her sleeve, and told him it was so that he would have a last fighting chance when he was down on the ground, with no weapons in sight.
InuYasha nodded, and Sango wiped a few tears from her eyes, knowing full well that this could be the last time she saw him, dead or alive. Miroku held out his hand, and InuYasha shook it, before pulling him into a hug.
"Don't let anything happen to Kagome, Sango, or yourself, okay?" InuYasha asked, and Miroku nodded. They pulled apart, and InuYasha felt the ground tremble violently.
"Go go go!" He said, waving. Kagome, with tears in her eyes, screamed his name as Kirara lifted all three of them into the air. InuYasha watched them disappear, before sheathing Sango's blade in his haori.
"This is my fight." He said, turning around. "I'm not gonna run anymore!"
And with that, he drew his Tetsusuigua, and ran toward the far off shadows, feet pounding against the trembling earth, the dark sky rumbling as lightning filled the sky.