Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.
A/N: Ugh! I have to apologize for probably the umpteenth for updating late. There's a ton of stuff going on that I have to deal with. Anyway, I think this stories going to be over soon. I think someday I'm going to retype the whole thing and make it longer. Someday...and again, I have to thank my reviewers, again, for being so great to me. I don't think I have anything else to say, so I'll get going with the chapter.
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Chapter 14 - Last Encounter
Kagome sat atop the hill overlooking the castle. It was disintegrating, moving to some other location. She had asked Inuyasha once or twice if he was going to try and follow, but the answer was always the same. Sango had assured her that they didn't need help setting up camp, so with nothing else to do, she came to watch Naraku's castle disappear.
She drew her knees into her chest and crossed her arms so they served as a sort of pillow for her head. She still donned the miko garb, not having the will or purpose for changing. It was torn in some places, revealing minor injuries bestowed by her possessed form. She gingerly lifted her hand to her cheek, examining a long, bleeding, scratch with her fingers. It traveled from just beside her nose and stopped at her hairline above her ear. Her fingertips were soon coated in the oh-so-familiar red, sticky substance - her blood.
Kagome sighed quietly and averted her eyes back to the forest behind her. She could hear a fire crackling and wood being dropped to the ground, set aside for later. Shippou was following Sango, as she, Inuyasha, and Miroku, had warned him not to bug Kagome.
Slowly but surely, the castle faded away. There was nothing left except the ground on whence it sat on. She tore a blade of grass from the ground and laid it flat on her palm. All the while her mind was racing a mile a minute. 'Naraku got away, again. And with the almost completed Sacred jewel, at that. I wonder...when we'll finally be able to defeat him.'
Footsteps rustled in the grass, and soon stopped beside Kagome's hunched over form. She caught a glimpse of red, and knew all too well who it was. She stayed quiet, however, and continued staring off into the distance.
"Kagome, you should eat something. Food's almost done."
Inuyasha's voice broke her away from her thoughts, bringing her back to reality. She braced her hands on the ground as she stood up. Inuyasha followed suit, and when she didn't move, he began watching her, expectantly. "Are you gonna move or not?"
Kagome raised her head, a small smile playing on her face. "Sorry about that...I'm totally spaced out right now." She shook her head and began walking towards their small camp. The smell of ramen mingled in the air, along with the faint scent of burning wood.
Inuyasha followed close behind, watching her every movement. 'What is up with her? She's been like this ever since we left the castle...' He frowned and flattened his ears against his head. There were a few logs placed around the fire, serving as a place to sit. He sat in the obvious spot, which was right next to Kagome.
The hanyou greedily accepted the steaming cup Sango was passing out. He didn't wait for others to start eating, but merely began slurping down the chicken-y noodles.
Kagome stared down into her own cup. Hunger was gnawing inside her stomach, forcing her to start eating. Her cocoa brown eyes searching the camp, meeting the eyes of Sango and Miroku. It took her a moment before she realized everyone was watching her. "What? Did I do something wrong?"
Sango smiled warmly, the flames of the fire casting random glows on her face. "It's nothing, Kagome-chan. We're just glad that you're okay..." The taijiya lowered her head to stare into the fire, the still-hot cup resting in her lap.
Miroku nodded as he swallowed some of the broth. "You're alright, aren't you, Kagome-sama? You seem unusually quiet."
This observation made its way to Inuyasha's ears, which quickly perked up. He raised his head from his own feast to peer at Kagome. Her eyes seemed glassy as she stared into the fire. It made him wonder if she heard any of them at all.
Kagome sighed and put her empty cup on the ground. She had finished before any of them, even Inuyasha. "I think I'm going to go for a walk. Is that alright? I won't be away too long." Before anyone could answer, she spun around and began running into the forest.
Inuyasha jumped up to follow, his now empty cup falling unceremoniously to the ground. He didn't get very hard when he felt a rude tugging on both of his ears. "What's the big idea here? I was just going to follow..."
"We know," Sango interrupted curtly. She pulled on the white ear until he was leaning backwards and balancing on one foot. "Leave Kagome-chan alone for a while. She's had a rough time, and probably wants some time to herself."
Inuyasha grunted. "She's had time to herself, right before we ate." He crossed his arms in annoyance, while his eyes wandered to the spot in between two trees where Kagome ran off.
Miroku grabbed his staff with his free hand and hit the stubborn hanyou upside the head. "That's not what we mean, Inuyasha. Just leave her be. She needs to sort through some of this on her own." He gave fuzzy ear one last tug before releasing his death grip. Sango followed suit and sat back down. The two began eating quietly, listening to Inuyasha's incoherent words as he stormed around their small camp.
Shippou watched Inuyasha in amusement. "Don't you want anything else to eat, Inuyasha? I think Kagome's got some more ramen in her backpack somewhere." His green eyes followed the mumbling hanyou around the camp.
"No," Inuyasha answered simply. He stopped once or twice to peer into the forest, impatient and eager for Kagome's return...even though she had only left a few minutes ago. "What the hell was she thinking? Running off like that..." The ranting continued on as Sango began collecting the empty cups. Miroku set a few twigs in the fire to keep it going. They paid no attention to the raving hanyou.
Shippou sighed quietly and placed his hands in front of the fire. "Inuyasha...he's impossible."
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Kagome carefully moved another branch out of the way. Her eyes were glued ahead, strongly determined not to lose sight of the faint green snake-like youkai. She was utterly surprised that Inuyasha hadn't caught her scent, and if he did, he hadn't shown any sign of it. Maybe it was for her sake...
"Kikyou...where are you?" she whispered silently. She didn't know how far she had wandered from the camp, and at the moment, she didn't care. Memories from their previous encounter had her curious, and as soon as she saw the shinidamachu, all other intentions were forgotten.
Kagome held her hand furtively to her chest, anxiety clawing at her insides. "Maybe I should've spoke to Sango-chan..." Her head snapped up when she heard a hissing whisper like noise. Glancing far to her side, she caught sight of a greenish-white color of a snake-like yokai that was gliding through the trees. "Does that mean Kikyou's around here?" Curiosity grew inside her. Unable to resist the temptation, she began running silently after the shinidamachu. Curiosity killed the cat. But still... Kagome's breath came in short gasps as she stepped into a clearing, the area where the shinidamachu were wafting in circles around a tree. The sight before her was surprising, but that feeling soon began ebbing away. The physically dead miko and Inuyasha's old lover, Kikyou, was sitting on a low branch of an old oak tree. Her eyes were closed, her mouth set in a thin line. She looks so peaceful...and sad. Kagome took a few instinctive steps forward, but stopped dead in her tracks when Kikyou's eyes unanticipatedly opened.
"Kikyou?" Kagome's voice came out in a whisper, the monotonous word echoing quietly throughout the clearing. Her eyes rapidly blinked, comprehending the fact that Kikyou was laying right in front of her.
A smirk crept to Kikyou's face as she climbed out of the old oak. She cupped Kagome's chin gently in her hand. She was now looking eye-to-eye with the young miko, who was still in a bewildered state.
"W..what are you doing here?" Kagome raised her voice slightly, trying her best not to sound nervous or confused.
Kikyou didn't reply to her feeble question. Instead, she turned her back towards Kagome and let her shinidamachu circle her now outstretched arms. "I should be asking you the same question." Without an explanation, she began walking back into the forest. Her appearance began to fade, as if a dense fog was engulfing her.Soon she had completely disappeared. Kagome sank to her knees on the ground, chocolate eyes widening and staring after the long gone Kikyou.
"What was that all about?" She mumbled the question quietly to herself. She began shaking her head to try and rid herself of all the perplexity. Without another word and head bowed, she walked back into the forest, the path from Kaede's village leading the way.
Kagome let loose a sigh of relief when the throng of trees and underbrush disappeared. It seemed like a meadow in the middle of a forest. Her eyes followed the slithering shinidamachu to boulder, on which Kikyou sat. She sucked in a deep breath and continued forward, more determined now more than ever.
Before Kagome came close to the boulder, Kikyou turned around. Her dull, seemingly lifeless eyes bore into her own. Kagome stared numbly down at her outfit. They were wearing the same clothes, and could most definitely pass off as twins. Except for the fact that Kikyou was dead.
With swift, nimble movements, Kikyou slid off the boulder, her eyes never leaving Kagome's own. A few of the shinidamachu released their grasp on the soul they had taken, flying away once Kikyou's body absorbed the ball of light.
Kagome frowned slightly as she took another step forward.They continued to have a stare down, as if their brown eyes were locked into each other. "Kikyou..." Her voice came out in an almost whisper, only loud enough for the other miko to hear. She stared dumbly at Kikyou's right hand, only just realizing she was holding her bow, the quiver of arrows strapped on her shoulder. "What are you doing here?"
It was the same question she had asked during their last encounter, and yet she didn't find an answer. She wanted one, now, and wouldn't leave until she got it. "Are you searching for Inuyasha?" That seemed like the most logical explanation, but logic isn't always right.
Kikyou began walking forward until she was standing right in front of Kagome. The sun had set some time ago, and the moon cast dark shadows along the dead miko's face. "You truly are my reincarnation," she observed quietly as she brushed her hand along the scratch on Kagome's face.
"Huh?" Kagome flinched at the touch of Kikyou's pale, cold hand. Her mind froze, and she found the task to comprehend what was going on overwhelming. She blinked and examined Kikyou's face, searching for reasons...answers...anything that might help. But she found nothing. Kikyou's expression was unreadable and grim. She always seemed so...depressed.
Kikyou seemed to smirk...almost, as she drew her hand away. "Naraku took control over you. Yet you fought him off, and yourself, and managed to purify the tainted jewel shards at the same time. You resemble me perfectly." She rested her hands at her sides, though one could tell that her eyes were still searching and examining.
Kagome blinked, not attempting to hide her strained confusion. "But...how do you know all of this?" Her mind was in overdrive, though her form was frozen stock-still. She let her gaze avert momentarily to one of the shinidamachu, but her attention wasn't kept long.
"I have my ways of obtaining information," Kikyou responded simply as another soul was absorbed into her clay body. She turned her eyes down briefly to glance down at Kagome's miko garb. A small frown teased her lips as she turned away from Kagome.
'How can she do that? It's so...freaky.' Kagome tried to remain her composure as a shudder shook her shoulders. "Ah...right. But why are you here? Inuyasha should be here any minute now, if you're wondering," she commented dryly as she turned her back to Kikyou. She scanned the surrounding forest, keeping a close eye out for anything out of place.
"No. I shouldn't be staying here any longer." There was a shuffling of feet and the sound of crunching grass. Kagome whipped around to ask what Kikyou had meant by that, but there was no trace of the dead miko.
Kagome closed her eyes unbelievingly. "Sh-she's gone..." 'I shouldn't be staying here any longer...what did she mean by that? I really don't understand her sometimes.' She sighed quietly and raised her head to look at the sky. "It's late...Inuyasha's probably more than annoyed with me." She smiled lightly at the thought before turning around.
The moon cast a dim light on the forest canopy, causing dark shadows to play on the meadow's floor. The wind blew slightly as Kagome began trudging back into the forest. She wrapped her arms around her shoulders, shivering slightly as the wind picked up.
Kagome raised her head as she heard someone call her name, although she knew who it was before she actually saw him. She stopped in readied silence, mentally preparing herself for the barrage of questions that was sure to come.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha jumped swiftly to the ground, landing lightly on his feet. His amber eyes swept across the ground before meeting with Kagome's. He frowned slightly as he noticed the troubled look in her eyes. 'But...Kikyou was here. Where is she now?'
Kagome sighed quietly and turned her eyes to the ground...anything to avoid Inuyasha's stare. "Kikyou was here. She left...but I don't know where she went. She just disappeared." She shrugged halfheartedly and averted her gaze to the opening of the forest. "If you want to go after her, Inuyasha, go ahead. I won't get in your way."
Inuyasha jumped again, this time landing directly in front of Kagome. He grabbed her chin softly, forcing her to raise her head. She smiled softly, but wasn't able to hide the pained feeling. "What the hell are you talking about? I wouldn't dream about going after Kikyou during a time like this!" He growled quietly, while carefully brushing her bangs away from her eyes. "You should know that."
Kagome frowned slightly, though she could feel the blush rising to her cheeks. "What do you mean, 'at a time like this?" 'Kami, he can be so ignorant sometimes!'
Inuyasha snapped his hand back in surprise. "No..wait, I didn't mean it that way...You mean more to me than Kikyou does. Hell, you should have figured that out by now." He gripped both of her shoulders and paused for a moment before pulling her into his embrace. He ran a clawed hand through her hair, inhaling deeply as her scent overwhelmed him.
Kagome couldn't help but smile as she closed her eyes. "I know, Inuyasha...and I'm sorry." She paused to glance up at Inuyasha's face, and was instantly greeted with his amber eyes. "We should be going back soon. Sango-chan is going to start wondering what's taking so long." Her voice was slightly muffled, as she had her face buried in his haori.
Inuyasha frowned before releasing Kagome. He turned around and crouched down, signaling her to climb on his back. She obeyed willingly, holding onto his shoulders tightly as he bounded to the forest.
Kagome sighed as she rested her head on Inuyasha's back. The breeze tugged on her hair, blowing it this way and that. The forest was quiet as Inuyasha swiftly ran in the direction of their camp. The trees on the side of the path were a blur, so she settled for closing her eyes. 'I didn't realize it before...but I'm exhausted.' She yawned before falling asleep on his back.
Inuyasha turned his head, smiling softly as he caught her dozing off. 'After what Naraku did...I'm not surprised she fell asleep.'
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Sango threw another stick into the fire. Shippou had dozed off on Kagome's sleeping bag, which Sango had rolled out for the young kit. She stared into the blazing fire anxiously, raising her head to peer into the forest every so often. "Houshi-sama, what do you think's taking Kagome-chan so long? Inuyasha should have found her by now."
Miroku rested his staff on the ground as he took a seat next to Sango. He was chuckling softly, stopping only when Sango turned to glare at him. "I'm sure they'll be back soon. They might have wanted some alone time..." He closed his eyes, expecting a slap...or at least a yell, but heard nothing.
He turned questioningly towards Sango, only to find her staring into the fire. "Ah...you're thinking about your brother."
Sango raised her head. Her brown eyes were glistening lightly with tears. She leaned in close to Miroku, much to his surprise. Instinctively, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in closer.
"Houshi-sama...do you ever think we'll be able to save Kohaku?" Sango queried quietly. She's seen Kohaku once in the castle, but after that, he disappeared. "He seems so...out of our reach. I don't know what to do," she confessed softly.
Miroku used his other hand to stroke the small of her back. "We'll figure out a way, I promise." His hand stopped as he heard running footsteps.
Sure enough, Inuyasha crashed through the last group of trees. He landed smartly on the ground, a sleeping Kagome resting on his back. Immediately, Sango sat up as she felt the incredible heat rising to her face.
"Keh. Hope I'm not interrupting anything," Inuyasha muttered as he kicked Shippou off Kagome's sleeping bag. He laid her down quietly as he shot a warning glare towards the now-awake kit. He blinked groggily before nestling at the foot of the sleeping bag.
Miroku sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. "So what happened?"
Inuyasha turned around to face him. "Apparently, Kagome spoke with Kikyou. She didn't tell me much else. Kikyou was gone before I got there." He absently kicked a rock into the fire. "You should be getting to sleep. We're heading out tomorrow." That said, he stalked over to the nearest tree and sat down with his back resting against the trunk.
"Guess he doesn't want to talk about it," Sango observed as she stood up. She motioned Kirara to follow when she began preparing her bed for the night.
"We'll find out in the morning, I'm sure," Miroku replied. He, too, began preparing a bed. He glanced one last time at Inuyasha, noticing how the hanyou's eyes were closed and his arms were crossed.
"Good night."
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A/N: Kami, something is really up with me. I apologize again for updating so late! And for the crappy chapter...but I'll update as soon as I can. I'm working on Turn Tables right now, too, which has been just as slow as this one. But I'll try my best to get my updating back on track...in the mean time, please review!
Next chapter will be the last, I'm pretty sure, but I can't think of a title right now!