Chapter 9
"How are you feeling?" the young man asks and wipes the dirt and grime away from Kikyou's pale skin. The priestess looks at him with grateful and dying eyes.
"Better thanks to you, Matsu. Thank you again for all that you've done. I didn't know if I would have made it out of there alive if it were not for you," Kikyou says and ends her speech with a dying cough.
"What witch did this to you?" the young man asks urgently. He grabs hold of Kikyou's frail hand and strokes it lovingly.
"It was a young witch. She goes about killing young women for their souls. She tried to kill me as well. She got a good portion of my soul but when you got near, she ran off. She has looks like me as well," Kikyou says.
"She will pay for what she's done. I promise."
"No," Kikyou says and groans weakly. "I can't allow you to go after her. She has an apprentice; a half-demon. He is under her control. I am afraid what will happen to you if I allow you to go after her."
"Let me avenge you Kikyou," Matsu says with determination set in his eyes. Kikyou looks up at him and stares into his eyes. Eventually, she relents to his wishes. When he smiles lightly as her and continues to clean her off, Kikyou looks away from him. Kikyou mentally smiled in evil gLee. Matsu was desperate to go after Kagome and "avenge" Kikyou. But, Matsu would be killed if she let him go alone. He was too weak. Well, she would just have to fix that.
. . . . . . . . . .
Inuyasha felt his eyes droop close as he let out another jaw splitting yawn. Kagome was at school so there was nothing particularly 'fun' to entertain the hanyou. The only others in the house were Kagome's mother and the old man.
Inuyasha was avoiding the jiji. He had found out about his and Kagome's relationship and wasn't pleased. Ms. Higurashi and Kagome both assured him that it was due to a natural protectiveness that he felt for his granddaughter, not that he hated half-demons.
Kagome's mother would embarrass him. She insisted on knowing everything. When were they getting her grandchildren? How many grandchildren? It was embarrassing to say the least. Inuyasha had never even thought about pups. They had Shippou. But to actually have their own pups…
'Sounds like a wonderful idea.'
'Children with Kagome? A family of my own?'
'They'd most likely be half-demon ningen.'
'How could they be hanyou?'
'Because they'd be mine! Dumbass.'
'Why do you get to be the one to impregnate Kagome!'
'Yeah. If anything, it should be me. I've known her longest.'
'But she loves me more. Besides, a quarter-demon pup? I don't think so.'
'Then what about an all human one?'
'With a half-breed father? Don't be a dumbass.'
Inuyasha sighed and tuned out the argument that was forming between his two counterparts. Why did they insist on fighting about everything? Couldn't they coexist peacefully inside his head?
. . . . . . . . . .
"Kagome, do you know how lucky you are? Ugh, I should get a boyfriend from five hundred years in the past," Eri sighs. The four girls were currently walking home from a tiring day of learning. Yuka nodded in agreement with Eri.
"Does Inuyasha have a brother?" Yuka asks.
"He does. He has an older brother, but I don't think you're his type," Kagome says and looks at her friend.
"What does that mean?" Yuka asked, offended.
"It means that you're not his type. Sesshoumaru's not the friendliest guy out there. He's proud, arrogant, cold, serious, calculating, and besides he's taken," Kagome says, ticking off his description on her fingers.
"Seriously? He has a girlfriend?" Eri asked now.
"More like a wife and child," Kagome answers. A mental picture of Kagura and Rin flashed in her mind and Kagome felt herself smile. But when the thought that she was forbidden from ever seeing them again crossed her mind, her smile fell. Fortunately, her friends didn't notice this.
"I'm just glad for you Kagome. No one deserves this more than you. We know what you went through and we're all really happy for you," Ayumi says.
"Yep. Which reminds me, do you and Inuyasha want to come over for a party tomorrow night?" Yuka asks. Kagome looks at her friend with her jaw hanging. 'A party?'
"What kind of party? What are we celebrating?" Kagome asks.
"We're celebrating my parents being out of the house. They're gone for the weekend and I'm inviting everyone I know. It'll be big. You have to come," Yuka says and latches onto Kagome's arm. Kagome looks at her friend before chuckling nervously.
"Kagome you can't ditch us now. I'm sure you and Inuyasha barely spend any time out in public. Besides, it'll be a good thing that you do. It'll finally give Hojo the message that you're taken," Eri says.
"Please come Kagome," Ayumi begs with puppy dog eyes. Kagome looks at her friends one at a time. She got a mix of determined, knowing, and pleading looks.
"Maybe we can stop by for an hour or two," Kagome says and smiles nervously. 'Inuyasha won't like this.'
"Good. Had better," Yuka says and leads Kagome down the road and towards the sunset shrine. Kagome let out a sigh before closing her eyes. Inuyasha won't like being forced out one bit. Especially since he won't know anyone at the party. With blaring music, loud guests, and less the pleasing smells that only he could smell, Inuyasha wasn't going to enjoy his time too much. Kagome would just have to work extra hard to help him enjoy it. And who better than her to do that?
. . . . . . . . .
"I'm ready to do this for you Kikyou-sama," Matsu says and kneels before the dark priestess. Could she even be called pure anymore? After everything she had done, how could she sleep with herself? She had killed her own re-incarnation. She had taken a mother from her son and mate. Inuyasha nearly killed himself for her. That thought sickened Kikyou.
How could Inuyasha feel any emotion other than irritation towards her? More importantly, how had Kagome done it? How had she fooled Inuyasha into believing that what he thought he felt was love? There was no way Inuyasha could love her. How could he? Inuyasha was in love with her. That much was obvious.
How could he not love Kikyou? Kikyou had been there for him before Kagome's great-grandfather was even born! Kikyou had put in time and work into Inuyasha. She had spent so much time working on him. He was her project. How dare Kagome step in and destroy all her work! Inuyasha would have been an elderly human man by now if Naraku had not first intervened. But, she could have fixed what was left of their love once she came back. But, seeing Kagome with Inuyasha had confused her.
"Matsu, do you think I am appealing to look at?" Kikyou asked out of the blue. The young man stuttered before blushing heavily. Kikyou smirked to herself. Now, why could she not do this to Inuyasha anymore?
"Uh…yes. You are quite beautiful Kikyou-sama," Matsu says. Kikyou gives him a coy smile before going to him. She waited for him to stand before placing a small peck to his check. She stood back to survey her work. Just as she thought, Matsu was staring at her shocked with a face the color of Inuyasha' robes.
"Have you ever been with a woman before Matsu?" Kikyou asks.
"No, I have not. Why do you ask?" Matsu answers.
"Because I have not been with a man either. We really are one of a kind," Kikyou says with a soft voice. She strokes her fingers on his upper arm before pulling it away.
"A-are you saying what I think you are Kikyou-sama?" Matsu asks. He can feel his heart rate picking up and hear it hammering away in his ears. Kikyou-sama was a beautifully stunning woman. Matsu had found himself watching her, thinking about her, as well as fantasizing about the young woman. Matsu was on his way to falling head over heels for the priestess.
"What do you think I am saying Matsu-kun?" Kikyou asked with her eyes wide and curious. Matsu swallowed loudly. Now, Matsu wasn't an ugly man. He wasn't as attractive as Inuyasha in Kikyou's eyes, but he wasn't ugly. He had short light brown hair, ivory skin, and was slightly taller than herself. He had an average build but he had some baby fat on his face as well.
"I think that…" Matsu says and looks down at his feet. When he hears a light giggle, he looks up at Kikyou at once. Did she think he was a fool? She probably did. Why would a woman as beautiful as her care for someone as plain as him?
"All in due time, Matsu-kun," Kikyou says and smiles at him pleasantly. "But, first I need you to do something for me."
"What is it! Anything!" he says anxiously. If it would get him in Kikyou-sama's good graces, he would race around the whole world!
"Do you remember the dark witch I told you about? The one that had injured me so greatly? Well, I am going to seek her out. I want my revenge. But, I'm not sure if I will survive this journey. You see, the witch possesses a half-demon. She uses him as her body guard," Kikyou says and begins to walk back to her seat on the wooden floor.
"But, he is only a half-demon. What can he do?" Matsu asked dubiously. He doubted any half-breed could be that much trouble.
"He is more trouble than you would think. He is even more dangerous since he is under her control. She takes joy in controlling others. She also possesses a Taijya and Houshi. She forces them to protect her."
"Then, let me go in your place Kikyou-sama!" Matsu urges. Kikyou couldn't have said it better herself.
Holding back a sneaky grin, Kikyou says, "But I would be sending you to you death! I could not do that to you. Not after all you have done for me. You have housed me in your home, tended to me, and fed me the food from your table. I could not."
"But I can. And I will. You must let me do this for you Kikyou-sama. I would happily die for you," Matsu says and takes her small hand in his. Kikyou nearly cried out in glee. "What exactly do you wish e to do? Would you rather I bring you the witch or kill her myself?"
"I think you are getting ahead of yourself Matsu-kun. How will you stand up to the hanyou, monk, and Taijya? It would be too much for one human to handle alone," Kikyou says. She looks into her eyes with a pleading look; one that she had seen Kagome use on Inuyasha. It seemed to work for her…
"I could pretend to be asking for help. I could pretend to be injured or something. I would only need to get close to them Kikyou-sama. Once I am close enough, I can take care of the witch for you. I would not want you to sully your sweet hands with such filth," Matsu says. Kikyou pretends to enjoy his flirting and giggles like a young girl would.
Yes. Now, it was done. It mattered not what happened to Matsu. All that mattered was that he distracts Inuyasha long enough. Maybe if he did it right, the monk and demon slayer would not even be there. But she could not leave it to chance.
"You cannot go rushing blindly in Matsu-kun. I wouldn't want you to get her. The hanyou can be quite wild. You must not seem like a threat until you are alone with her. Do you understand?" Kikyou says delicately.
"Yes, Kikyou-sama. I understand," he says with a firm voice.
"Good. Once you return to me, we can go on with our lives without a hitch. I promise you," Kikyou says. If she weren't so busy running her hands through the young man's hair, she would have pat herself on the back for that display. She truly had him where she wanted. Kagome prepare yourself.
. . . . . . . . .
"Inuyasha-kun! Can you come down here for a minute! I need to speak with you!" Inuyasha heard Kagome's mother call out to him. His thought train cut short, Inuyasha rose up off Kagome's pink bed and went downstairs. Once he reached the bottom of the staircase, he spotted Kagome's mother smiling at him with what looked like clothing in her arms.
"What's all that for?" he asked with slight nervousness in his voice. He pointed to the clothes and she smiled wider.
"We're going out. Kagome just called. She said that she's going shopping with her friends and won't be here until nightfall. Her friend Yuka is having a party tomorrow night and she went to help prepare. So, I'm taking you out to get some clothes for the party," Mama Higurashi says.
"Party? I'm going?" Inuyasha asked. Is this some kind of joke?
"Yes. Kagome wants to go with you. And I'm sure it would make her very happy to spend some time with you and her friends. She could use some fun. Also, if you were to look nice it would make the evening all the more enjoyable for her. And I'm sure you would like to see her happy," Mama Higurashi says with a smirk. She knew she had the hanyou. "Now, go change and we'll head out. And you have to put on some shoes Inuyasha-kun."
Inuyasha watched the middle-aged woman for some time before taking the garments. He grumbled the whole way before leaving to change. But, if Kagome could be happy maybe it was worth it. Besides, how bad could a party be? He had gone up against some of the strongest demons ever and won. A stupid human party would be easy. 'Keh. What am I worried' bout?'
. . . . . . . . . .
Inuyasha walked with Ms. Higurashi in the large, cool building that she had called a mall. He could smell all sorts of smells. He could smell, food, chemicals that it looked like women were putting in their hair in one of the stores, cleaning products that the cleaning people were using (these especially hurt his nose), and the many scent the humans were giving off. Ms. Higurashi began humming happily and he looked down at her. She smiled up at him and kept on with her tune.
Inuyasha looked around at the many people around them. He could see children running around, screaming, and crying. There were some couples walking hand in hand and sitting on some benches. He looked away embarrassed at what some of them were doing in public. What the women were wearing wasn't helping at all. It was as if they liked showing off so much skin! But then again, Kagome did show a lot of skin. But, he didn't complain. Maybe these women did it for their mates? Whatever the reason, Inuyasha decided there and then that he didn't care what these other women from Kagome's time did.
"Where are we going?" Inuyasha asked the woman.
"Right there. We're going to get you some nice clothes. I can't wait. Souta doesn't let me pick out his clothes anymore. Let's see if I can still tell what's hip," Mama Higurashi says and takes the hanyou's arm. She leads him into the store and he barely gets a glimpse of the name of the store. 'Burr ling ton? That's a dumbass name for a store.'
Inuyasha followed blankly as Ms. Higurashi led him around the store and towards the men's section. He nearly lost her as she started moving about the racks. She was speaking a mile a minute while picking up article after article of clothing. Inuyasha watched as she did this while making stops by him to dump her growing pile in his waiting arms.
"I think this is enough to start with," she says and looks at her handiwork. She could no longer see Inuyasha but she heard him mumble something behind the clothes. "Let's go try them on," she says. Ms. Higurashi takes his arm before leading him to the dressing rooms. She guided him into the dressing room and waited outside for him. She could barely contain her excitement. This was going to be her make-up gift to Kagome. She felt bad about forbidding her daughter from returning to the feudal era. Maybe Kagome would forgive her after this? But, she highly doubted it. Seeing Inuyasha in nice clothes and well groomed might make her happy. But not enough to fully forgive her yet.
Not an hour goes by that Mama Higurashi doesn't think about what she did. She often finds herself second guessing her decision. This Naraku fellow was dead. There wouldn't be any more danger. Right? And if Kagome stayed near the well over there and only stayed a few days at a time ten it would be okay. Kagome could spend weekends in the feudal era. Maybe the minor holidays as well. But, Inuyasha would have to spend every second with her. Just as a safety precaution.
"How do I look?" Inuyasha's tentative voice asked. Mama Higurashi looked at the young man and her jaw dropped. Out of all the clothes she had given him, he had chosen the red, silk button up with the dark, black jeans. She watched as he started rolling up the sleeves slightly, being mindful of his claws. It was as if he was another person. She had seen him in modern clothes before, but it seemed that it would always catch her off guard. The red shirt fit him perfectly, framing his well-built torso and revealing broad shoulders and muscular arms. His waist was slim and compact, and the jeans hung low on his hips. She thought about getting him a belt and moved towards him. She bit her lip and played with the waistband of the jeans. It wasn't too roomy.
"This is perfect. Now go change," she says and pulls out a small ribbon. Moving behind him, she tied his hair back, forming a low pony tail.
"But, I thought you said it was perfect," he says.
"Yes. It is. But, go change. I want to see how the others look too," she answers. He grumbled but followed her orders nonetheless. She sat down on the cushioned bench and fanned herself lightly. Kagome sure knew how to pick a mate.
The rest of the time went like this, but half way through Mama Higurashi noticed some of the female workers looking their way when Inuyasha stepped out again. The middle-aged woman smiled proudly. Too bad for them. They would have to get their own heartthrob. He was taken by her daughter.
"This looks like enough. I have a good feeling Kagome will be enjoying that party. But, not too much I hope," Mama Higurashi says and gives the young man she considered a son and knowing look.
"Of course not," Inuyasha says with a blush and looks away from her.
"Good," she says with finality in her voice. "Inuyasha-kun, I have decided to allow Kagome to go back with you. but, not for more than three days at a time. and you must promise me that you'll be with her at all times."
"Of course. I wouldn't leave her alone again. I promise," he says with a determined voice.
"I trust you, Inuyasha-kun. I know you're a man of your word. That's what I like about you. you remind me a lot of my late husband. I'd always hoped that Kagome would meet a young man like her father and I can't help but feel that she did. Now, don't misunderstand me. You're not perfect, but I couldn't have chosen anyone better. Sometimes I wonder if she realizes how lucky she is."
"I think I'm the lucky one. I don't think I' that great," Inuyasha says.
"Of course you would think that. But that doesn't matter. You're both lucky and quite happy. Now, let's go get dinner," Mama Higurashi says. They reach the cashier and the teenage girl who was standing behind it smiled at them. She looked to be about Kagome's age. Mama Higurashi couldn't help but notice the way the young girl was looking at her future son-in-law. If she knew what was good for her, she'd look away…
Inuyasha felt a new sense of relief after hearing Ms. Higurashi's words. He had always wondered what she thought about him being with her daughter even though she showed no signs of resenting it. But, now he knew. She really did love him like she would any other member of her family. that was Kagome and her mother that liked him. He was sure that the runt liked him too, but the old man was another story. Then again, Inuyasha looked at it from the old man's point of view. He realized that if he were in the old man's shoes, he'd hate himself. The thought of some male showing up to take his only girl away was infuriating, even if it was his granddaughter.
'We don't even have pups yet and we're already getting pissed at the asshole who's going to come calling.'
'Why the hell not? The asshole has no right coming around my pup!'
'What pup!'
'My point exactly. But, if Kagome were to get pupped, that would all change…'
'Not again with this. Why don't we let Kagome be the one to decide this whole thing?'
'Fine. She would obviously choose to mate with me. Like she's done repeatedly in the past…'
'Why is it that you can only think about mating with Kagome? Can't you think about anything else?'
'What else is there to think about? The only thing I need on my mind is my mate. She is everything.'
'That's devotion. Some might even call it obsession.'
'Fuck you ningen. I love my mate. Can you say the same?'
'Of course I love Kagome! We all do!'
'Good. I'm glad we're all on the same page here. So, I thought it was about time that I bring up another pressing matter… when can I kill the dead bitch?'
'Kikyou? You still want to kill her? I thought you had gotten over that.'
'Well, I haven't. I want that bitch to burn in hell. She and Naraku have always been good for each other. Next time I see her, I'm ripping her throat out. And you two idiots can't stop me.'
'Go right ahead.'
'We're not stopping you.'
'…What? Really? I thought you would object! This is great!'
'Why would we? Kikyou killed Kagome, lied about it, and then tried to take her place. There's some things that just can't be forgiven. If Kagome can't forgive someone, then that says that they don't deserve mercy from anyone.'
'Finally. You're learning ningen. I just wish you asses had listened to me from the beginning. Anyways, let's go. I want to see my mate. I miss her.'
'Sure. I miss her too.'
'Who knows? Maybe she's already waiting for us…'
~:~
Moi-Moi: There. You guys got your touching moment from Inuyasha(all three sides) and more of bitchy, conniving Kikyou. Um…this was long compared to what I normally write. Well, I'm officially pumped dry. Also, I want to finish this story off by March. So my plan to do an update a month is out. (I didn't even last a month!) I have another idea I want to do, but I should finish the other stories I have out first. I wanted to do a story where Inuyasha is turned into a dog. You know the ones… he is turned into a four-legged furry friend for Kagome. I can't wait to get started!
Inuyasha: You're still writing? Don't you ever give up?
Moi-Moi: Piss off dog boy. It's eleven in the night. I don't need your shit.
Kikyou: I don't appreciate being made into the evil guy…
Moi-Moi: NO ONE CARES! This is a Kikyou-haters fic. It's specially designed for readers to hate your character even more than they already do. Which forces them to like Kagome even more when they read what she'll do to Kikyou later on… ohhhhhh. It'll be good.
Kikyou: What will happen to me?
Moi-Moi: Nothing too bad. Tell me, which hand is your favorite?
Kikyou: My right. Why do you ask?
Moi-Moi:… Interesting…
Kikyou: O.o
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