Fruits Basket Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Inuyasha Basket ❯ Chapter Twenty-Five: Lost Memories ( Chapter 25 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Sorry it's taken me longer than usual to update! I have been working a lot and finals are coming up! So, here's the chappy:

Chapter Twenty-Five

Kikyou's Lost Memories

Akito landed on the grass gracefully. Yuki, Hatori, and Shigure were the only ones there. The others were nearby, but far enough away as to not dishonor their vow. The others were even farther away, and had succeeded in drawing Naraku's attention. Exactly as they had planned, Naraku immediately went after them, thinking that they were planning on ambushing them.

Hatori happened to be excellent at this, and combined with Shigure's unique talents—being as (secretly) manipulative as he is—could perfectly reconstruct what Naraku's actions would be. Thus, everything was flowing well.

The most difficult thing Hatori had done, though, was when he had erased Kikyou's memory. They had chosen to do it privately, nearby. She was been brave to the end. He hadn't been certain it would work, because she was dead, but apparently, it wasn't the organ that was affected, so much as it was the soul.

In this world, it was more than mere hypnotism.

He had gently touched her forehead. “Forgive me,” he whispered. She nodded, leaned forward, and kissed him. He returned the kiss and released his power.

She had passed out, as everyone does. He had gently laid her down—the one person who he felt truly understood is eternal torment, and even could empathize with his pain, as she had experienced a great deal of such pains in her life.

Her soul collectors glided overhead, dropping the softly glowing souls into her body, keeping her alive. What could pass as life, at any rate. Really, it was a farce. She had told him that her soul had been split two ways somehow. Thus, even if her body died, her reincarnation, who was, in truth, herself, would continue living. She had confessed that it was confusing to be jealous of herself at times, to loathe herself at times, yet not be jealous or loathe herself. It was a dizzying concept—a concept Hatori dared not dwell on, as he knew he could never come to terms with it and truly understand it. He doubted Kikyou even understood it.

He was shaken from his thoughts when Akito spoke. “What do you want?”

“Akito.” Shigure approached him. Akito allowed this. “We need you. So do the other Sohmas. We need you in our world, to be the head of our family.”

Akito scowled. “Shigure, I will not go back to a world where I am laden with illness and dying for all of you. I won't.”

Hatori stepped forward. “Akito, the others are all sick without you—the curse has fallen to them, and they are ill because of it. You're the one who was born to do this.” Another calculated step forward. He was just out of arm's reach now. If he lunged, he could probably make it. “Probably” wasn't good enough, though. ”Anyone other than yourself, and it could kill in a matter of weeks.” For all they knew, they didn't even have that long.

“Let them die,” Akito sneered.

Yuki's eyes widened. He had known that Akito was a terrible person, but he had never thought that he would do this…

“Akito-san, you must understand. We need you. Something catastrophic could happen if we stay in this world, where we do not belong—“ Akito cut Yuki off.

“I don't care.” He looked at Hatori and Shigure. “I'm tired of being sick and dying. I'm tired of it. Let them die. You can return to `our' world, `our' time, and die with them.” He looked at Yuki. “Except for you, Yuki. You promised to stay with me.”

Yuki shivered involuntarily. Akito smiled.

Hatori took one more step forward. Akito didn't even seem to notice; he was fixated on what he had done to Yuki. It was supposed to have been an act. It should have been an act, but the very idea of staying here, away from everything he had known and the people had grown up with—with Akito—was terrifying. Akito had granted him no mercy in their world. What would he do to him here?

Akito seemed pleased by this reaction. “Yuki-kun, has anything I said bothered you?” His tone was syrupy sweet. But one must remember, you lure more flies with honey than vinegar.

Yuki didn't answer. Akito stepped toward Yuki, unwittingly standing beside Hatori. The god reached for Yuki. The rat was frozen in place, shaking, eyes wide. Shigure touched Akito's temples.

Would it even work on themselves? Could it work? It had to. It just had to…

He released his power.