Wandering…that was all my life consisted of. I wasn't alone at least but, still….wandering in silence can make you feel as though you are. I allowed only my wolf instincts to lead me. I would not search for Inuyasha or Sesshomaru. I knew when the time came I would go to them and no sooner. M y instincts would tell me. I just wandered, killing animals for food and remaining in the woods with no idea as to where I was going. Minako said nothing to me she just followed as she'd always done. For days I walked endlessly, and then I felt it. A strong demonic aura erupting from somewhere close by awoke me from my seemingly endless wandering. I actually looked to where I was and realized I was in the north. I was at Mt. Hakurei the mountain of purity. However, it no longer looked as such. It was a wasteland with thousands of demons and tons of miasma erupting from it and that huge demonic aura. I shifted back to my smaller form and looked over to lands.
"What is this?" Minako asked.
"This is…Naraku." I told her. I looked over to her. "The day is here Minako, the day of Naraku's return and so…my return." She nodded in response.
"Then let us go." She replied. We jumped off the cliff and ran as fast as we could toward the mountain. Before we could reach it however, the mountain began to disintegrate. I could see a huge whirlwind of miasma and demonic aura pound through the side of the mountain toward…a human woman? A priestess actually…then the whirlwind came to a hault and a demon erupted from in…Naraku! Damn they were so far away…if only I was as fast as my senses. The mountain quickly fell to pieces with the dust and miasma quickly gathering around the fallen mountain. I ran faster pushing myself to the limit. I tried but I couldn't get there in time, the woman was sliced open my Naraku. She dropped to her knees.
"Damn Naraku!" I whispered. Just as I came close enough to help…She was sliced again, and she fell down into the caverns created by the fallen mountain. I felt sorry for her, a gut wrenching feeling struck me as I watched her fall to her death. It was as if she was important somehow. Then I saw him as well, Sesshomaru. I ran up and stood behind him a bit.
"I never expected you to be following me as well Sesshomaru. So you find me that interesting do you?" Naraku asked. His voice alone made me angry and want to kill him but my instincts were screaming, run.
"Silence! You are the one who keeps meddling in our affairs so we merely…" Jaken shouted but was interrupted by Sesshomaru.
"I said back away Jaken." He commanded. Jaken did as he was told as did Minako and I. Although Sesshomaru was too focused to notice either of us. "Since you emerged from your barrier I assume you're capable of producing a significant amount of power."
"Why don't you see for yourself?" Naraku beckoned. They stared each other down before Sesshomaru quickly attempted to strike him with the Tokijin.
"Got him!" Jaken shouted. I was not so sure that it had done much but to my surprise Naraku's head was floating inside the barrier as well as his remains. He was laughing too. "He's laughing!"
"Sesshomaru, I shall now reverse the power of your sword and fire it back at you." Naraku explained as he did so. Sesshomaru defended himself as well as Jaken with the Tokijin.
"Lord Sesshomaru is being pushed back!" Jaken shouted in fear. Sesshomaru moved quickly and slashed Naraku's head in half. Still I felt that it was not over.
"It's useless, I will never die!" Naraku explained as a miasma recreated his body and carried him and his hysterical laugh away leaving us alone with no results once again. Sesshomaru put away the Tokijin just as Inuyasha appeared from beside us.
"Sesshomaru." Inuyasha said.
"Inuyasha, still alive are you?" Sesshomaru replied.
"What are you doing here?" He asked.
"It seems that Naraku's main interest was not you, but rather his real objective was to kill that woman." Sesshomaru explained. Inuyasha's anger subsided and became concern. I walked over slowly as Inuyasha now saw the woman's broken bow still on the cliff. I stood beside Sesshomaru as Inuyasha spoke.
"Kikyo's bow…No…Kikyo." Inuyasha said quickly running over to the edge of the cliff ignoring both Sesshomaru and I. He picked up half of it and stared at it blankly. He was quickly angered however at this, who was that woman anyway…I watched in silence as Inuyasha looked down into the river of miasma flowing at the bottom of the cliff. Whoever she was…he cared for her. "Soul collectors." He said in astonishment I looked the find what he was talking about and sure enough a single soul collector was floating around a piece of cloth near the bottom of the cliff. "I failed you again Kikyo. I let you die. I wasn't there for you and you died alone."
"This miasma's terrible, there's no way she could survive it." Jaken explained. Why must he always explain the obvious? Sesshomaru looked at me for a moment as I silently watched Inuyasha. Then he walked away. "Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken called running after.
"Hold on Sesshomaru." Inuyasha called. He stopped and looked back at him at his brother's call. "Did you just watch her get killed?" He asked. Guilt shot through my body at that. "Didn't you do anything to help?" Sesshomaru just walked away. "I told you to stop!"
"Inuyasha…don't…" I whispered. He grabbed Tetsusaiga's hilt.
"I don't care to know what your connection to that woman was. The person responsible for killing Kikyo was Naraku." Sesshomaru explained. "And you…you're the one that didn't save her, Inuyasha. Blame yourself." Inuyasha backed off a bit. "Rather than take your anger out on me, I suggest you go after Naraku." Sesshomaru told him as he walked away.
"Exactly." Jaken agreed following his master. Inuyasha just stood there for a minute before dropping to his knees.
"Kikyo, forgive me." He whispered.
"Inuyasha…" I whispered as I walked over to him also dropping to my knees full of guilt. If only I'd been faster… I could have…
"Inuyasha!" I heard Miroku call. I looked over to see Miroku, Sango, Kagome, Shippo, Kirara and Kouga running toward us. Kagome jumped off Kirara's back and ran over to him as he stood. She stopped and looked at him.
"Inuyasha…" She called softly. Then she saw it, half of Kikyo's broken bow, and gasped. "Where's Kikyo?" She asked. I looked over to her, deep concern in her eyes. "Did something happen to her?" Everyone else finally realized what had happened.
"Yeah…Naraku wasn't after me. He wanted Kikyo. He wanted to take her life." Inuyasha confirmed. I stood up just staring at my feet as sorrow washed over everyone now realizing what had happened. Inuyasha went searching for Kikyo and we let him. We all knew she couldn't have survived but we couldn't….wouldn't stop him. We all camped out and waited for his return. I was sitting above them on a rock. I really didn't want to talk to anyone, and Minako had gone off to find something to eat.
"So your saying that Naraku put up that huge barrier inside that and held himself up in that mountain in order to kill one woman?" Kouga asked. I listened closely to them although pretending not to, I really needed to be filled in. I'd been gone for so long…I don't even remember why I left…I know I didn't want to remember…which was the point in me leaving…so I guess I did what I had planned to do.
"Lady Kikyo was no ordinary woman." Miroku replied. "You see, Naraku feared Kikyo's spiritual powers."
"Naraku wanted to rid himself of his heart, the human heart beating inside him that still yearned for Kikyo." Kagome added.
"This greatly bothered him. He once tried to cut out his human heart once before I seem to recall." Sango said.
"That was when he created Muso, the being who possessed the heart and memories of the bandit Onigumo." Miroku explained. "When Naraku absorbed the creature called Muso back into his body he felt it'd been too soon to release it.
"Then that means Naraku was…" Kagome began.
"Yes, those enumerable clumps of flesh we saw deep inside Mt Hakurei." Miroku said.
"He's trying to create a body in which he can seal his human heart and then cast that body away…I see." Sango realized.
"So now that he's finally succeeded in killing off that scary priestess does that mean that that bastard Naraku can do anything he wants, whenever he wants?" Kouga asked. No one answered. "Well I for one am not gonna let that happen. I'm outta here."
"Ugh we found you!" Ginta called as he and Hakkaku approached. "Kouga…"
"We've been trying to catch up to you forever!" Hakkaku added as they both collapsed.
"Hey." He said then turned to Kagome grabbing her hands in his. "Goodbye Kagome you take care now."
"Uhh, you take care as well Kouga." Kagome replied. Kouga listened for something. "Huh, what's wrong?"
"I don't hear the mutt complaining like he usual. Hey where is that idiot anyway, he looked awfully down about something." Kouga said. Kagome looked down.
"Perhaps Inuyasha hasn't been able to accept the reality of Kikyo's death." Miroku answered. I leaned back on the rock with my arms crossed underneath my head and sighed. Kouga and his men ran off while I relaxed.
"I know how he must feel but…" Sango began. No one really spoke for a bit so I just watched the stars trying to rid myself of the guilt I felt for not saving Kikyo. I could hear Inuyasha's cries in the distance as he searched.
"Inuyasha…" I whispered. "You're so young for having to go through so much. I truly feel for you. I'm sorry." My voice fading on the wind. Everyone got to rest a bit, but no one really slept. I had just watched the sky until the stars faded. Now that they were gone I just watched Kagome. She'd been acting so strange…Then he came back. He was silent and didn't really look at anyone as he approached but…he was back.
"Inuyasha…" Kagome called. Miroku and Sango looked up.
"Kagome…Did you wait up all night for me?" He asked concerned.
"I…" Was all she could manage to say.
"I thought I'd be able to find her remains at least." He replied.
"Inuyasha…." Kagome replied. I watched them curiously.
"I'm sorry Kagome. I'm okay now." He said.
"You're…okay?" She repeated. He just walked right past her as if…she wasn't there. How cruel…Damnit no emotion….I can't allow this…She turned and stared at him heartbroken. We left after that and headed off to another village mainly in silence. Everyone seemed to know this village but not me so I just remained in the outskirts…it was along a beach so Minako, in her small form, and I sat by and relaxed by the water. Inuyasha was by the beach too, just watching the water. He was alone for a bit until Kagome came by. It was so weird being here now. Kagome tried to talk to him but he just walked away to help Shippo. Hmmm…poor Kagome…Now that he's not acting like a child…I think it may be time to tell him the truth.
"What do you think Minako?" I asked her.
"What do you mean?" She replied.
"Should I tell Inuyasha the truth now…?" I asked. She stared deep into the water. "Yes, I believe now he would be more understanding than any other. It would be a good distraction for him. To ponder about the truth rather than that woman." She replied.
"He loved her so very much and now…she's gone. I can't imagine a worse pain."I told her.
"That one, Kagome, is in similar pain. She seems to be missing the woman, but I can tell, she is only upset for Inuyasha. She is actually somewhat happy she is gone. Yet, not happy about the pain it causes him." She explained.
"Humans are so….complicated." I told her.
"I couldn't agree more, Shiori."
"Let's go, it seems like the others are about ready to leave." We gathered ourselves and headed off. It wasn't long until we came to another village, and another, and another and these were not so lucky as the village on the beach. They had been ravaged by demons and miasma. Inuyasha ran off ahead of us to look probably searching for Naraku's presence, but it was only a group of lesser demons. A monk came by and helped us bury the dead. The others gathered around to hear his story. He said an injured priestess had washed up on the beach on the other side of the mountain and said she had been attacked by a demon named Naraku. He said she may already be dead. Kagome made a choice then, she told him to go, to go and find Kikyo. That choice…it hurt her so badly. Foolish humans.
"What now Shiori?" Minako asked.
"When he returns, I shall tell him the truth. Then we shall go, I belong with Sesshomaru." I said and began to walk away.
"Why are you going?" Shippo asked. I stopped shocked that anyone had understood, I had been speaking in wolf and Shippo barely knew any of it. I turned to look at him and saw everyone watching me. Shippo understood my confusion however. "I'd been trying to learn from Kouga's men and his wolves when we were with them, so I can understand a little more than before." He said.
"Oh, I see." I replied.
"So why are you leaving, you just got back." Shippo asked.
"I can't be here anymore. I can't handle being around any of you." I replied. They all watched me with confused, yet concerned looks. "I am more demon than human, but when I'm here I am consumed by my human emotions. So I must move on, I'm going to leave and go with Sesshomaru when Inuyasha returns."
"But why go with Sesshomaru?" Miroku asked. "Last time, you were deathly afraid of him." I sighed.
"Sesshomaru is my betrothed. I was afraid because the night of Inuyasha's birth he turned on me out of anger and loss. That's why I was afraid. He had that same look in his eyes as before. I am only here because I promised Inuyasha's mother I'd protect him, I've now failed twice. Once because of Naraku, once by my own accord." Kagome shivered, probably recalling how I'd tried to kill her. "Actually, I'm leaving now. I will return soon enough but I think I wasn't gone long enough."
"Are you sure?" Kagome asked.
"Yeah, I'm sorry." I told them and started to walk away. "Kagome," She looked up at me in surprise, "look after him okay?" I asked her.
"Okay." She replied. I gave her a half smile, turned and ran off again into the wilderness.
"I have to get stronger Minako, mentally and physically. Will you help me?" I asked running as fast as I could.
"As always." She replied. Together we disappeared ready to fight.