Calculating Life: A Nightmare of Disaster and Death
Battle Within
SUMMARY: Sequel to Calculating Life: A Fairytale of Fire and Fantasy. After the "death" of Kagome, the Takahashi's adoptive daughter and InuYasha's fate-chosen mate, what will the world do? She had a power so divine that threatened the entire universe if wielded by the wrong hands, which is what Naraku is trying to do. When Naraku takes her body with those intentions, will he be able to destroy everything, or will Kagome's missing soul and the missing jewel cause problems for him? Can Kagome ever return to her one true love, InuYasha or will her soul not be able to return to her body like she had initially planned? Why are there so many recent murders in Tokyo? When the place Kagome called home for a short time is filled with such a nightmare of disaster and death, much like what happened to her prior home, the moon kingdom, what can she do? If Naraku controls her body with the power of his miasma, what will happen? Can the moon kingdom be restored to its original glory in such chaos?
DISCLAIMER: I do not own InuYasha and probably never will. :'(
-LAST TIME *2 weeks after fire*-
"I own you, little one." He reminded her.
"Leave." She growled.
"Is that what you truly want?" The deceitful demon questioned, disappearing and reappearing in front of her, placing his large, soft, clawed hand on her cheek, bringing her face dangerously close to his own. "If it is…" He whispered, sending warm breath dancing across her lips, then moving to her ear. "I will." He continued, breathing the short phrase into her ear before flicking his tongue around the shell of it, sending shivers down her spine. As he was about to pull away, she pulled him back to her. She pressed her lips to his as he smirked against them. He was tantalizing. He was formidable. His words were poison and his kiss was toxic, but she loved every second of it. His web was woven and she was unfathomably tangled within it.
-CURRENT *DAY AFTER FIRE*-
"Wake up, half breed," InuYasha heard Sesshomaru say as he was hit on the head.
"Ow! Why the hell are you hitting me?" He bellowed, sitting up from his position in bed. "How did I..?"
"Debris fell and hit you in the head during the fire while you were protecting Kikyo and you blacked out." Miroku answered.
"Where is Kagome?" Sesshomaru demanded more than questioned, narrowing his cold, golden eyes.
"She-," He began, but was cut off by Sango.
"Oh god, he lost her. The idiot lost her!" She exclaimed, pacing.
"Now Sango, dear, we don't know for sure that-" Miroku started, immediately cutting off his reasoning when Sango shot a death glare at him.
"Sango's right. I lost her. Naraku took her away from me." InuYasha admitted in a rough tone. It was evident that he was overwhelmingly regretful and miserable.
"You're a sorry excuse for a even a half demon, little brother. How did you manage to let him get away with her?" The normally cold, calm, and collected Sesshomaru growled in anger and frustration.
"He went for Kikyo and Kagome at the same time and something made me save Kikyo instead of Kagome," Explained InuYasha.
"Didn't you say that Naraku was a master of manipulation?" Yuki asked.
"Yea, why?" InuYasha countered.
"He must have manipulated you into saving only Kikyo instead of both, like you could have, in order to make it seem like you are in love with Kikyo and plot you and Kagome against one another." Damien stated, explaining Yuki's theory.
"It must be. What should we do?" Sango questioned, thinking deeply.
"We have to work on getting her soul back as well as finding a way to kill Naraku without killing Kagome." Answered Damien with a distressed sigh.
"What do you mean 'without killing Kagome'?" Asked Kohaku curiously.
"If you kill a human's demon mate, the human mate dies as well," Damien replied, this bit of information greatly displeasing everyone.
"What about the other way around?" Yuki inquired absentmindedly.
"What the fuck are you suggesting?" InuYasha barked.
"Oh, nothing. It is just a question." Yuki waved it off.
"Rarely." Damien replied to Yuki's initial question. Yuki nodded towards him and sauntered off to his room. The group resumed their conversation, attempting to find a resolution for the problem at hand.
*Hell -2 WEEKS AFTERWARDS-*
"Come, Kagome." Naraku called, opening her cell door. He watched as she stood on unsteady legs, hesitantly, and attempted to walk to him, failing pathetically. He hurried over to her, sweeping her up in his arms and carrying her out of the dungeon. She buried her blushing face in his shoulder as he smirked down at her. He opened a door in front of them, revealing steam and the smell of mineral water. Kagome looked up from his shoulder, squinting from the brightness and waiting for her eyes to become adjusted to the light, seeing as she had seen only darkness for the past two weeks. Once her eyes adjusted, she squealed in delight at the sight of a hot spring type bath.
"I am so happy. I must look awful, not to mention smell bad." She mumbled.
"Humans do tend to smell quite bad.." He agreed as she glared at him, muttering a sarcastic 'thanks'. "Not you, though. You're different. You always smell intoxicating, always." He continued truthfully, grinning at her to which she responded by laughing, for the first time in a couple of weeks.
"Well…" She said awkwardly after a pregnant silence, shifting in his arms.
"Well?" He questioned curiously.
"Are you going to leave?" Asked the miko, shifting her gaze to his face.
"No, why?" The demon replied with a smirk.
"So I can bathe..?" She stated in an unsure voice. "Unless I am not really going to take a bath.."
"You may bathe." Naraku nodded. "But can you even stand on your own, little one?"
"You completely planned this." She concluded with a small glare at him, her red eyes mimicking his own.
"I didn't, actually. I was not aware that you couldn't stand until you stumbled and were about to fall." He explained, setting her on the edge of the spring. He removed the socks he had given her a few days back to lessen the coldness of the dungeon. As he moved up her long, thin, milk-coloured legs to the small shorts she wore, she stopped him.
"The fist gesture was kind, but I do believe you are trying to be a pervert now. I would like to take off the rest." She smiled.
"Very well," He agreed simply, standing from his kneeling position and staring at her stoically.
"Turn around," She whined in exasperation.
"No," He replied with a smug look on his face. She huffed in frustration and scooted backwards into the water where she proceeded to strip her clothes. "Clever, Tenshi, but now what will you wear?"
"…" She growled loudly at him, exposing her fangs, a gesture she had taken to recently, he noted.
"I suppose I will be kind enough to give you something." He brushed it off, beginning to remove his blue and violet robing, grinning at Kagome's flustered face as she turned around quickly. She felt the water ripple as he stepped inside the tub. "You didn't think I was going to let this offer pass by, did you?"
"I guess not," She murmured, awkwardly swirling her index finger along the surface of the hot, mineral enriched water.
"Come closer, little one." He chuckled. She hesitantly shook her head in disagreement. The demon grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him with ease.
"Do you have any sorts of bathing oils?" Kagome questioned. He pointed to the cabinet next to them, opening it. She reached over to it, pulling a few out. "Do you mind?"
"Not at all," He answered, watching curiously as she proceeded to combine sakura, gumdrop, and jasmine oils in the water. As the smell reached his nose, he relaxed, taking in the scent. "Is this the secret of your scent?" The demon questioned.
"No, he says bath oils stink, so I rarely use them," She sighed, sinking deeper into the water.
"He is a fool, Tenshi. You are always right in front of him, but he insults you and chooses another." Naraku comforted, pulling her close to his body. She leaned her head against his hard chest. It was like porcelain coloured satin stretched over iron muscles. His chest wasn't bulky, but it wasn't without muscle. He buried his head in her neck, inhaling her scent. Their long, different toned hair combined in the water like a midnight waterfall, forming something beautiful and serene.
"How is something that is so beautiful be…so evil?" Kagome whispered the question she had been pondering for some time, relaxed against his strong body.
"How is something that is so pure be…so lethal?" Naraku questioned in a mumble against her neck. "Have you ever thought that perhaps good and evil are the same?"
"What do you mean?" She asked quietly.
"That we're meant to be. Day and night, black and white, good and evil. Do they not attract, finding a way to work together? They balance one another. It's all the same when balanced, serene and peaceful." He explained in the poetic way that he always used when talking to her.
"You are right." She agreed in realization. He sat her upright and began washing her hip length hair that cascaded down her back and rested in a puddle in the bottom of the tub. "I enjoy moments like these with you.." She suddenly stated softly. "When there is no fighting. When we do not have to put up a front. When we are calm and mold together. Why can we not stay like this, forever?" She asked so quietly that it was hard to hear.
He paused for a moment, as if reaching an epiphany from her soft question. "I enjoy this as well, love. Perhaps when this is all over, we can stay like this forever, just enjoying one another's company." The demon said.
"I..can stay with you like this when it is over?" She questioned, turning to look into his eyes and into his hardened, almost nonexistent soul, weighing her options.
"I suppose you could." He realized, planning to make good on his word.
"And it would be real..? I do not know what is real anymore. What is real, Naraku?" The gorgeous being asked, ripping his 'heart' and 'soul' into a thousand tiny pieces with the pureness that shone in her eyes and voice as she searched through all of his being for the answer to her question.
The red eyed, inky haired demon was captivated by her mysteriousness and every part of her confused him to no end as he tried to put the pieces of the puzzle named Kagome together. Every time he thought a piece would fit together with another, he found the edges to be jagged or that a piece was missing and nowhere to be found. He knew that even if he spent his entire life, which was eternity, trying to put the puzzle together, he would never get farther than a hundredth of the way finished. "You're real…I'm real…And this strange force that draws us to one another, that further causes me to be intrigued by you, that makes me want to talk with you, stare into your eyes, and throw you down on the floor and take you, that makes me crave you..is undeniably real." He answered, rinsing the conditioner from her hair and moving it to the side to kiss down her neck, to her shoulder blades, and to the crease of her thin back.
*TOKYO, SAME TIME AS IN HELL*
"Where are you going?" Izayoi asked as she saw InuYasha walking to the front door of the Takahashi mansion.
"I'm going to look for Kagome." He replied, opening the door.
"Honey, i'm sure this Naraku man isn't dumb enough to let her leave so quickly on a mission after all that has happened." His mother said with a sad expression towards her son who she knew was feeling terrible. Her husband came up behind her putting his hand on her shoulder.
"Let him go. He knows what he has to do. He has a mate to protect," InuTaisho told his wife, nodding to his son. InuYasha nodded sharply back to his father and walked out, closing the door quickly behind him. He ran with lightening speed, jumping from building to building like he had everyday for the past two weeks, looking for traces of Kagome, sniffing for her scent.
"Kagome." He whispered, catching onto her scent in the busy street below. He jumped from the building, running after the source of the scent. He instantly saw the girl of his wildest dreams, the girl that was the source of his intense love, Kagome. He ran behind her, seeing her pace instantly pick up. As he jogged to catch up to her throughout the crowd of people, she began running. 'What the hell..?' He thought, running after her faster, pushing people out of his way as she easily dodged and slid by people. Kagome began running full speed. InuYasha jumped atop the buildings, running alongside her, easily keeping up with her. He kept his eyes on her as she slid through the masses of people, easily distinguishing her goddess-like features from everyone else. As she ran, her long, lush hair trailed behind. He saw her turn and run through an alleyway, an easy shortcut to the edge of Tokyo. Just as she turned the corner of the alleyway, she was jumped. A male dragon demon grabbed her as a male cat demon began talking.
"Well, look at this, Hotaru." The cat demon said, looking Kagome up and down. His bright green eyes sparkled with lust as he ran his hand through his messily sexy silver hair. He had ears like Sesshomaru, but it was evident he was a cat demon because of his claws and cat-like eyes.
"I know, Katsuo," Said the dragon demon with black eyes and purple hair, his demon type evident from his horns.
"Why can't I feel your demonic aura, sexy?" The cat demon, Katsuo questioned, flashing a grin.
"Because I am not a demon, idiot." Kagome scoffed.
"You have red eyes. That is not a human trait." The cat demon pointed out with a smug look. Kagome raised her left wrist, which was covered with a fingerless, black leather glove that extended up her forearm. She pulled the glove down, exposing her mark. "Woah, what is that?"
"I am mated to the devil," She smirked up at the tall male. "But you are correct. I am not a human." She slipped the glove back on. "I am your worst nightmare." She warned, promptly twisting out of the dragon demon's hold and kicking him in the face in a millisecond. She then proceeded to turn and punch the cat demon in the face before he could move.
"Aw, look at that, the little girl is throwing punches." The dragon demon said in sarcasm.
"Would you like to die?" Kagome asked threateningly with a menacing smirk placed on her face.
"Give it your best shot, sweetheart." The cat demon laughed. Kagome smiled so sweetly that it sent chills up InuYasha's spine and he stepped back a step. She turned to the dragon demon as her eyes held a spark in them for a split second. The dragon demon's arm ripped off a thousandth of a second later. She stood still as she slowly played with him, ripping him, literally, limb from limb, listening to his agonized screams. Next, one of his horns ripped off, stabbing him in the heart. The other arm was next. Finally, she raised her hand midair and clenched it, his neck snapping and his body catching on fire, disintegrating and turning to ashes. She looked towards the cat demon, whose eyes were wide and he backed away slowly. "What are you?"
"A miko-angel turned assassin, ironic, is it not?" She replied, taking a step closer to him.
"A combination of the purest things in existence and she is a killing machine." He stated. "How is that?"
"I suppose death, then being brought back by the devil can do that to you." Answered Kagome. "Are you ready to die?" As he began to take another step back, she restrained him, freezing him in place. Walking towards him, she stood on her toes, bringing her face to his neck. She gently kissed it before sinking her fangs into him.
"KAGOME!" InuYasha yelled, jumping from the roof. Kagome pulled away, turning to meet his gaze and licking the blood off of her lips.
"Do not move," She said to her prey, laughing. "Is there something that you are in need of, you two-timing bastard?" She questioned, examining him. His hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail and his eyes had serious dark circles underneath them, like he hadn't slept in weeks.
"Kagome, I didn't two time you! Naraku manipulated me into saving her! I love you!" He retorted.
"You love this monster?" The cat demon yelled. Kagome turned and glared at him.
"This is not by choice, loser." She said with a warning look on her face.
"Release him, Kagome. We need to talk anyway." InuYasha commanded.
"How about I just kill him?" She questioned.
"Kagome." He warned.
"..Fine." She sighed, waving her hand as the restraints on him broke. He scrambled away as fast as he could.
"I swear to you, he's manipulating you." The hanyou said again, trying to convince her.
"He loves me, InuYasha." She stated, looking at him with hurt eyes.
"Do you love him?" He asked after a long silence, looking deep into her pained eyes. She brought her hand up above her head, a portal appearing in the brick wall at the end of the alley. She glanced at him one last time and walked through the portal. "DAMMIT, KAGOME!" InuYasha roared as he tried to grab her, the portal closing. He stood in place for a moment before punching the wall, causing it to cave in. His string of obscenities were probably heard in Hong Kong. Just then, thunder rumbled as it started to pour the rain. He watched from the alley as people with umbrellas walked by on the street, all of the ignorant to what was happening in the world. He watched as the rain fell like tears from the sky, then pattered against the ground. For the first time in a while, he let tears roll down his face.
Kagome sat against a wall in the castle, pondering the question InuYasha had asked her. 'Do you love him?' He had asked, the question replaying in her mind. She put her head to her knees which were curled to her chest. After a while, she stood, walking to her new room, which happened to be Naraku's room as well. She entered. "I completed the mission." She said.
"Good. Come, sit." He said simply, patting the place on his bed beside him. Kagome walked over and climbed onto the bed, laying her head against Naraku. "How was your day?"
"It was very good. It was good to see human life again," She stated. "But I am happy to be back. I missed you."
"You missed me?" He chuckled, pulling her to him. "I missed you, too, love." The two sat in silence for a long while. Kagome's mind began to wonder, closing her mind from invasion as she thought.
*Kagome's POV*
'Naraku manipulated me into saving her! I love you!' InuYasha had said. His face was so convincing. 'He's manipulating you.' It is true that Naraku is the master of lies and manipulation, but is he really deceiving me? 'Do you love him?' Do I love him? Does he love me? Is this all a game? Are his poetic words just that, words? Does he mean what he says to me? I am so frustrated and angry inside. I am so confused. I just want to be happy! Without me knowing it, tears had started to pour from my eyes. I only noticed when I felt Naraku wipe a tear from my cheek. I looked over to him, seeing a glint of worry spark in his unforgiving, ruthless eyes, which quickly disappeared. This small spark tugged at my barely-beating heart, making me feel like he was being honest about everything. Part of my brain told me that I was just seeing things. What should I listen to? My knowledge-filled brain or my love-filled heart? I knew what kind of knowledge filled my brain, but the love that filled my heart…who was it meant for? I love InuYasha. I love my friends. I love my family. Am I in love with Naraku? She then recalled their conversation a few days ago. 'You're broken. What if I put you back together?' He had asked me. I replied by telling him that it would break me more. 'Delightful.' He replied. That is what he is doing, right? He is piecing me back together in my lost state. He will make me happy again and then he will break me into tiny little pieces. This made me sob harder. He wrapped his arm around me and hugged me. I pulled away and looked at him with hurt eyes as he stared at me questioningly.
"What's wrong?" He asked me.
"Nothing." I whispered looking down. He raised my head up to look at him with his clawed hand, being mindful of the sharp appendages.
"'Nothing' is not worth your tears. Something's wrong." He pressed. I jerked away from his touch, quickly running from the room and slamming the door shut behind me. I ran through the maze of hallways, my vision blurred by my angry tears. Blindly, I ran into a strong chest. I looked up, trying to dry my tears.
"S-sorry," I sniffled, trying to see straight.
"Kagome? What's wrong?" Asked the familiar voice of Bankotsu.
"I..Nothing really," I replied, looking away, embarrassed.
"Then why are you crying?" He questioned pointedly.
"No reason!" I yelled, huffing. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared up at him.
"No need to be so huffy, Kagome." He smirked. Just then, Naraku came up behind me.
"We need to talk, love." Naraku said as Bankotsu turned to leave. "Stay."
"What do you want?" I snapped at him.
"I want to know what's wrong. I don't want to see you like this." Naraku stated.
"I…What you said the other day, about making me whole again…this whole act of love is how you intend to do it. Then, you will break me. I am not stupid, Naraku." I said firmly.
"I promise you, this isn't part of my scheme. I want to make you whole, yes, but only so I can see you happy. This isn't an act." He assured me, looking deep into my eyes, and I began to believe him. His eyes were so hypnotizing. They are beautiful and frightening. Maybe he was lying, maybe he was telling the complete truth, but at that moment, I needed a break. Reading my mind, most likely, he turned to Bankotsu. "Take her to Tokyo for a little while and let her roam about and get some fresh air. She is probably going insane from being here so long. I will see you soon, love." He said, walking away from us. I knew at that moment that he had seen the battle in my heart.
TO BE CONTINUED (:
Love it? Hate it? Review and rate it. ^_^
I hope you enjoyed :D I am sooooo happy! I finally am with the program again! I am uploading another chapter today or tonight! I am excited to be writing like this again ^_^ Please review to boost my ego even more.