InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of Two Worlds ❯ No Matter What ( Prologue )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Erikah 
She said that she would be there for him no matter what. Can such a vow be properly fulfilled?
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.05.2004 | Updated On: 06.01.2005 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.5K | Visits: 648 | Status: Completed
She said that she would be there for him no matter what. Can such a vow be properly fulfilled?
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.05.2004 | Updated On: 06.01.2005 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.5K | Visits: 648 | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: Inuyasha will always belong to Rumiko Takahashi.
Prologue
No Matter What
I stood out there beyond the threshold of the inauspicious forest, eyes expectant, hoping never to be seen. Inuyasha was out "there" fighting to save the lives of his comrades, fighting courageously out of overpowering thirst for redemption.
Fighting for his beloved, Kikyo.
I started hoping a long time ago that he would stop, but he didn't. And now Naraku stood before him with a sadistic smirk curled on his lips and slimy, brown tentacles rupturing out from random places all over his body. His baboon pelt was torn to shreds by Tetsusaiga's mighty fang, and the sword still stood present within Inuyasha's whorled fingers, which were mottled with blood. It trickled down his deathly pale face and I knew right then that he was suffering.
He's about to die, I admitted fretfully to myself once Miroku rushed to intervene the bloody skirmish, finishing off the rest of Naraku's lethal bees with a loud and utterly foolish war cry, "KAZAANA!"
I started hoping a long time ago that he would stop, but he didn't. And now Naraku stood before him with a sadistic smirk curled on his lips and slimy, brown tentacles rupturing out from random places all over his body. His baboon pelt was torn to shreds by Tetsusaiga's mighty fang, and the sword still stood present within Inuyasha's whorled fingers, which were mottled with blood. It trickled down his deathly pale face and I knew right then that he was suffering.
He's about to die, I admitted fretfully to myself once Miroku rushed to intervene the bloody skirmish, finishing off the rest of Naraku's lethal bees with a loud and utterly foolish war cry, "KAZAANA!"
As I continued to watch, the Saimyoushou were quickly wolfed down by the profound vortex in a cyclone of air and darkness. The buzzing soon ceased and the sonorous ruckus inside my head died along with it. There was nothing for me now except to keep on watching hopefully.
Kikyo was the one who said that I was a young priestess incapable of possessing power that even dared to border on the vigor of her own sacred power. I was a weakling and dourly believed her. After all, Inuyasha loved her. He would do anything for her. Even though he's rescued me so many times, sobbed for the first time when he thought that I was about die, and hugged me tighter than anyone else ever has, I still felt his energy roll off of him in a miasma of smoldering passion for…Kikyo, not me.
I bowed my head and listened to the noises of chaos overpowering the area.
"Damn you, Naraku!" I heard Inuyasha shout. His sword seemed to chime like a corrupted song beyond the cacophony of turmoil. It was out of control, slashing madly with the unearthly speed of—a demon?—yes, a demon. It shook with the sound of a recently plucked guitar string, still going on until it met its goal, which was to kill Naraku and chop him up into tiny, miniscule pieces.
"Hiraikotsu!" Kirara swooshed past me in a flourish of embers and white fur. Sango was on top of her, her giant boomerang poised for attack. She flung it hard, giving way to so much power that I almost believed I was staring at another demon basically thirsting for blood and pointless wreckage.
Kikyo was the one who said that I was a young priestess incapable of possessing power that even dared to border on the vigor of her own sacred power. I was a weakling and dourly believed her. After all, Inuyasha loved her. He would do anything for her. Even though he's rescued me so many times, sobbed for the first time when he thought that I was about die, and hugged me tighter than anyone else ever has, I still felt his energy roll off of him in a miasma of smoldering passion for…Kikyo, not me.
I bowed my head and listened to the noises of chaos overpowering the area.
"Damn you, Naraku!" I heard Inuyasha shout. His sword seemed to chime like a corrupted song beyond the cacophony of turmoil. It was out of control, slashing madly with the unearthly speed of—a demon?—yes, a demon. It shook with the sound of a recently plucked guitar string, still going on until it met its goal, which was to kill Naraku and chop him up into tiny, miniscule pieces.
"Hiraikotsu!" Kirara swooshed past me in a flourish of embers and white fur. Sango was on top of her, her giant boomerang poised for attack. She flung it hard, giving way to so much power that I almost believed I was staring at another demon basically thirsting for blood and pointless wreckage.
An earth-rumbling roar tore from Kirara's throat as she dodged one of Naraku's vast tentacles. The boomerang hacked through its tough, rawhide shell and struck flesh. It whistled through the air, spinning, the dark stains of violet blood visible on its bone as it made its way back to Sango.
I took one step out of the safety of the forest's amorphous shadow. My legs were shaky and my flesh looked scoured. My sailor outfit had withered away into tattered scraps. I looked down and saw my quiver of arrows and my bow resting just inches away from my feet. I reached down for them.
Sango, once again, dived and swung frantically at the gigantic Naraku with her boomerang. Kirara snarled and began assaulting him with her monstrous fangs, determined to help her master.
Miroku was still trying to ward off the venomous bees with his Kazaana and golden staff, soon joining the side of Inuyasha, his face a blend of heartrending pain and manly valor.
"Inuyasha," he cried, "don't give up. Kagome-sama is depending on you."
Yeah, I'd listened, but I forced my power to veil my thoughts, to keep them from ever reaching my mind. I scooped up the cluster of bolts and my bow, strongly disregarding the deep wound in my chest and the uncomfortable adhesiveness of the blood clinging to my neck. I lifted a free hand up to the smudgy puddle of blood staining the chest of my top. The Shikon-no-Tama that once dangled over that spot, was gone.
I took one step out of the safety of the forest's amorphous shadow. My legs were shaky and my flesh looked scoured. My sailor outfit had withered away into tattered scraps. I looked down and saw my quiver of arrows and my bow resting just inches away from my feet. I reached down for them.
Sango, once again, dived and swung frantically at the gigantic Naraku with her boomerang. Kirara snarled and began assaulting him with her monstrous fangs, determined to help her master.
Miroku was still trying to ward off the venomous bees with his Kazaana and golden staff, soon joining the side of Inuyasha, his face a blend of heartrending pain and manly valor.
"Inuyasha," he cried, "don't give up. Kagome-sama is depending on you."
Yeah, I'd listened, but I forced my power to veil my thoughts, to keep them from ever reaching my mind. I scooped up the cluster of bolts and my bow, strongly disregarding the deep wound in my chest and the uncomfortable adhesiveness of the blood clinging to my neck. I lifted a free hand up to the smudgy puddle of blood staining the chest of my top. The Shikon-no-Tama that once dangled over that spot, was gone.
My eyes widened significantly.
"AHHHHHH!" Inuyasha swung his sword again, alternating the flow of power as it began to burn crimson, painting the sword in the same color as the blood sticking to my neck and singeing along its edges like fire. Naraku gasped as another one of his tentacles was amputated from his body. I was unsurprised by the fact that another tentacle didn't take its place. His energy was far too spent, so growing another one was currently out of the reach of his power.
I breathed in softly and realized that it felt ragged and dry. Soon, I began to wheeze as the excruciating twinge in my heart grew from the bloodstained gash. It took all I had to ignore the pain pervading my chest as I drew a bolt from the quiver and perched it alongside the string of the bow. I pulled the string back along with the arrow and thought, Please hit.
Ping.
Within that minor sound, a burst of amethyst engulfed the tail of the arrow then grew, swallowing it whole as it soared through the sky, piercing into one of the rampant tentacles. I watched and hoped with a distressing expression on my face, that it wounded Naraku devastatingly.
"AHHHHHH!" Inuyasha swung his sword again, alternating the flow of power as it began to burn crimson, painting the sword in the same color as the blood sticking to my neck and singeing along its edges like fire. Naraku gasped as another one of his tentacles was amputated from his body. I was unsurprised by the fact that another tentacle didn't take its place. His energy was far too spent, so growing another one was currently out of the reach of his power.
I breathed in softly and realized that it felt ragged and dry. Soon, I began to wheeze as the excruciating twinge in my heart grew from the bloodstained gash. It took all I had to ignore the pain pervading my chest as I drew a bolt from the quiver and perched it alongside the string of the bow. I pulled the string back along with the arrow and thought, Please hit.
Ping.
Within that minor sound, a burst of amethyst engulfed the tail of the arrow then grew, swallowing it whole as it soared through the sky, piercing into one of the rampant tentacles. I watched and hoped with a distressing expression on my face, that it wounded Naraku devastatingly.
Inuyasha gasped and shot back, his eyes ensuing the arrow as it chopped through the tentacle and wedged itself deep into the side of Naraku's forehead.
Naraku tossed his head back to shed an outcry of pure pain. Inuyasha's amber orbs glistened beneath the ominous light of the full moon and the sweat accruing along his forehead and over and around his dark eyebrows. I suddenly found myself allured by them. I found myself opening some illusive door that has always been locked away from me. I peeked in and what I found was his soul, his glorious soul.
I smiled sadly and he finally looked at me.
"Inuyasha!" Miroku shouted.
"Right," he murmured. He turned his head away, closed his eyes, and drew in a deep breath.
Naraku stopped struggling and stared venomous daggers upon Sango, Inuyasha, Miroku, and me. Shippo was a few feet behind me, uninjured and alive. He was unconscious and his fluffy foxtail seemed like an orange-beige inferno within the darkness, beneath the light of the moon. I looked at him with the same smile that I had given to Inuyasha and the bow slipped from my grasp.
"Kaze-no-Kizu!" I heard him scream. The earth trembled and the sounds of energy rushing along dirt mingled sharply with the pitiful cries of Naraku, the one who tried to kill Kikyo and Inuyasha, the one who ruined everyone's destinies just by walking across their paths, the one who damn near killed me.
I collapsed and I could feel something coursing through my veins. I shook and I began to hyperventilate, doubling over and bracing myself greatly on the palms of my hands.
"Kagome-chan!"
"Kagome-sama!"
"Kagome< /b>!"
I smiled weakly and waited for all of them, my friends, to come to my rescue, me once again being the fair maiden in distress, but not willingly. I could hear Shippo stir and groan lethargically. Soon, he was hopping up in joy and relief as he pounced onto my right shoulder. Dirt squeezed through my fingers. My eyes strayed and settled on the archaic guise of Tetsusaiga. I looked up and found Naraku's carcass battered, slowly dwindling away into nothing.
My eyes rolled up and spotted Inuyasha, his silver hair glistening beautifully beneath the moonlight, and his amber eyes appearing more feral and brilliant within the ominous night. He smiled that same fanged smile, relief clearly sinking into his features.
Miroku and Sango beamed heavenly. A kitty-cat Kirara pounced onto my unoccupied shoulder and nuzzled against the crook of my neck, never minding that it was bloody and speckled with dirt. She'd mewed tenderly and I lifted a weak hand to massage one of her pointy ears.
"Finally it's over," Inuyasha gravely spoke, tossing his eyes away from mine, "Everything…everything he's caused will become nothing but a powerful memory."
"Yes," Miroku murmured, nodding gently.
Sango could only bow her head, a heartrending expression blanketing her face, making it seem as if she was on the narrow verge of sobbing aloud. I simply looked at her, but she never looked back at me. She just stood there, holding her Hiraikotsu behind her one-handedly and worrying her bottom lip quietly.
Shippo finally calmed down and grew solemn, dead stiff and silent. Kirara continued to snuggle against my neck, probably still unable to believe the fact that I was alive in true, vivid color. I forced myself to heft some of the weight off of my hands so that I could sit Indian-style atop of the hard soil, plainly forgetting that I was wearing a skirt.
A secret vow of silence fell upon us all as I watched Naraku's body fade off into the darkness, yet a feeling, a feeling so uneasily strong, crept through my body and caused a shiver to rush down my spine. I furled my bottom lip beneath my teeth and stopped massaging Kirara's ears to touch the nearly dry blood draped across my neck. My fingers began stroke at the scrape almost robotically while my mind drifted off into another world.
Suddenly, Inuyasha averted his attention unto me.
"What's wrong, Kagome?" he asked.
I didn't answer. All that consumed my actions were rubbing, wiping away the filth from my neck.
Inuyasha summed up my actions with a peculiar look that forced me not to glance up. Naraku's carcass had already shriveled into nothing but darkened soil and the nauseating odor of putrid blood. I drew my legs tight against my chest, my breasts aching beneath the bruising pressure of my knees. A few heartbeats of silence passed and, by then, I was already fully aware of the knee-buckling chill wrapping around my body. It nipped at my skin and sent a tremor tumbling down my spine.
"Inuyasha," I murmured, unable to grow accustomed to the silence weighing down heavily on my ears. I wanted to ask a question, a crucial question at that. But I found myself pausing, an uncanny glow of amethyst snagging my eye. I patted the muggy, forest floor for a quiet second. My fingers brushed against something cold and incredibly thin and hooked under it, tugging it upwards.
Miroku gasped when his eyes settled upon the jewel that dangled from it like a three-dimensional medallion.
"The…Shikon-no-Tama…" he whispered, seemingly afraid that if he said it loud enough, some evil, underhanded bird would come swooping down, snatch up the jewel, and fly away with it into the starless distance.
Sango raised her head and I could sense the icy shard of fear and shock that speared through her heart.
I looked back down and studied the jewel, long, hard, and most thoroughly. One thought teased with my emotions incessantly as if they were famished dogs, groveling pathetically at their master's feet, waiting for him to drop the bone that dangled temptingly from his fingertips.
"Inuyasha…" I spoke quietly beneath my breath, partially unaware that I had vocalized the main focus of my thoughts and plaited it into one, simple word.
Inuyasha's white, velveteen ears swiveled and his hardened expression brightened some, telling me that he'd heard me say his name.
"Yeah, wench?" he jokingly replied, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips, fangs glistening in the moonlight. They appeared smaller than before, shrinking ever so slowly, which verified my unvoiced assumption that he was changing form, changing back into a human.
Naraku tossed his head back to shed an outcry of pure pain. Inuyasha's amber orbs glistened beneath the ominous light of the full moon and the sweat accruing along his forehead and over and around his dark eyebrows. I suddenly found myself allured by them. I found myself opening some illusive door that has always been locked away from me. I peeked in and what I found was his soul, his glorious soul.
I smiled sadly and he finally looked at me.
"Inuyasha!" Miroku shouted.
"Right," he murmured. He turned his head away, closed his eyes, and drew in a deep breath.
Naraku stopped struggling and stared venomous daggers upon Sango, Inuyasha, Miroku, and me. Shippo was a few feet behind me, uninjured and alive. He was unconscious and his fluffy foxtail seemed like an orange-beige inferno within the darkness, beneath the light of the moon. I looked at him with the same smile that I had given to Inuyasha and the bow slipped from my grasp.
"Kaze-no-Kizu!" I heard him scream. The earth trembled and the sounds of energy rushing along dirt mingled sharply with the pitiful cries of Naraku, the one who tried to kill Kikyo and Inuyasha, the one who ruined everyone's destinies just by walking across their paths, the one who damn near killed me.
I collapsed and I could feel something coursing through my veins. I shook and I began to hyperventilate, doubling over and bracing myself greatly on the palms of my hands.
"Kagome-chan!"
"Kagome-sama!"
"Kagome< /b>!"
I smiled weakly and waited for all of them, my friends, to come to my rescue, me once again being the fair maiden in distress, but not willingly. I could hear Shippo stir and groan lethargically. Soon, he was hopping up in joy and relief as he pounced onto my right shoulder. Dirt squeezed through my fingers. My eyes strayed and settled on the archaic guise of Tetsusaiga. I looked up and found Naraku's carcass battered, slowly dwindling away into nothing.
My eyes rolled up and spotted Inuyasha, his silver hair glistening beautifully beneath the moonlight, and his amber eyes appearing more feral and brilliant within the ominous night. He smiled that same fanged smile, relief clearly sinking into his features.
Miroku and Sango beamed heavenly. A kitty-cat Kirara pounced onto my unoccupied shoulder and nuzzled against the crook of my neck, never minding that it was bloody and speckled with dirt. She'd mewed tenderly and I lifted a weak hand to massage one of her pointy ears.
"Finally it's over," Inuyasha gravely spoke, tossing his eyes away from mine, "Everything…everything he's caused will become nothing but a powerful memory."
"Yes," Miroku murmured, nodding gently.
Sango could only bow her head, a heartrending expression blanketing her face, making it seem as if she was on the narrow verge of sobbing aloud. I simply looked at her, but she never looked back at me. She just stood there, holding her Hiraikotsu behind her one-handedly and worrying her bottom lip quietly.
Shippo finally calmed down and grew solemn, dead stiff and silent. Kirara continued to snuggle against my neck, probably still unable to believe the fact that I was alive in true, vivid color. I forced myself to heft some of the weight off of my hands so that I could sit Indian-style atop of the hard soil, plainly forgetting that I was wearing a skirt.
A secret vow of silence fell upon us all as I watched Naraku's body fade off into the darkness, yet a feeling, a feeling so uneasily strong, crept through my body and caused a shiver to rush down my spine. I furled my bottom lip beneath my teeth and stopped massaging Kirara's ears to touch the nearly dry blood draped across my neck. My fingers began stroke at the scrape almost robotically while my mind drifted off into another world.
Suddenly, Inuyasha averted his attention unto me.
"What's wrong, Kagome?" he asked.
I didn't answer. All that consumed my actions were rubbing, wiping away the filth from my neck.
Inuyasha summed up my actions with a peculiar look that forced me not to glance up. Naraku's carcass had already shriveled into nothing but darkened soil and the nauseating odor of putrid blood. I drew my legs tight against my chest, my breasts aching beneath the bruising pressure of my knees. A few heartbeats of silence passed and, by then, I was already fully aware of the knee-buckling chill wrapping around my body. It nipped at my skin and sent a tremor tumbling down my spine.
"Inuyasha," I murmured, unable to grow accustomed to the silence weighing down heavily on my ears. I wanted to ask a question, a crucial question at that. But I found myself pausing, an uncanny glow of amethyst snagging my eye. I patted the muggy, forest floor for a quiet second. My fingers brushed against something cold and incredibly thin and hooked under it, tugging it upwards.
Miroku gasped when his eyes settled upon the jewel that dangled from it like a three-dimensional medallion.
"The…Shikon-no-Tama…" he whispered, seemingly afraid that if he said it loud enough, some evil, underhanded bird would come swooping down, snatch up the jewel, and fly away with it into the starless distance.
Sango raised her head and I could sense the icy shard of fear and shock that speared through her heart.
I looked back down and studied the jewel, long, hard, and most thoroughly. One thought teased with my emotions incessantly as if they were famished dogs, groveling pathetically at their master's feet, waiting for him to drop the bone that dangled temptingly from his fingertips.
"Inuyasha…" I spoke quietly beneath my breath, partially unaware that I had vocalized the main focus of my thoughts and plaited it into one, simple word.
Inuyasha's white, velveteen ears swiveled and his hardened expression brightened some, telling me that he'd heard me say his name.
"Yeah, wench?" he jokingly replied, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips, fangs glistening in the moonlight. They appeared smaller than before, shrinking ever so slowly, which verified my unvoiced assumption that he was changing form, changing back into a human.
I didn't say a word. I drew in a ragged breath and buried my face into the valley between my knees. My eyes ached and something behind them throbbed intensely. The grip that I had upon my legs, slackened and my eyes, no matter how much I tried, just couldn't tear away from the jewel in my hand.
I made an unshakable vow with him a couple of months back. Right on the night of my eighteenth birthday, I promised that I would give him the sacred jewel once we destroyed Naraku. I'm not at all happy about that, but I cared deeply, strongly about him and thought that he actually earned something for his headstrong efforts in avenging Kikyo and, of course, protecting me for what was officially two years.
Two, long years.
It seemed like the eternally spinning Wheel of Fate spun a thread that snaked around my neck and began to find amusement in cutting off my air supply at sheer random. He wanted to change into a human for Kikyo, but with me, it was exactly the opposite. He wanted to change into a full-demon, to risk forgetting all about our journey and his friends. I didn't understand why he wanted to take such a risk though. Although it was long and difficult and unveiled countless obstacles along the way, the hunt for the Shikon shards grew into something beautiful that eventually deceived Inuyasha's and my emotions and gave us hope that we could become something more than just a priestess with her faithful friend, the half-demon. He was willing to throw all of that away, to cast all the memories of his fellow friends, the ones who stuck with him through thick and thin, out to sea.
I finally looked up and my eyes met his, tears trickling in salty, grimy brooks down my cheeks, eyes sore and puffy.
I finally looked up and my eyes met his, tears trickling in salty, grimy brooks down my cheeks, eyes sore and puffy.
I didn't want to give the jewel to him, but I promised and I was a foolishly naïve girl who believed in keeping her promises. I hadn't even realized when I started crying and here I was now, spilling out feelings for him like a pitiful girlfriend trying to get her old boyfriend back.
But…wasn't that my intention?
"Inuyasha…" I muttered, my voice grave and nearly incoherent beneath the waves of heart-wrenching anguish and unfulfilled desire that were both causing my heart to swell hazardously. I wanted him to just slap the jewel out of my hand and scoop me up within those protective arms of his, shedding reassuring warmth, embracing me with a raw passion that needed to be acted out rather than just spoken.
Unfortunately, he didn't. He just stood there, his smile dying into a concerned frown.
"Kagome…" he uttered softly.
I tried my best to stand up, but my legs wobbled precariously and he caught me just when I thought I would collapse hard into the ground. He held me and I held him, the necklace glimmering dully and the jewel hidden within my fisted hand. Kirara and Shippo tumbled off of my shoulders and fell to the ground, oblivious, silently pondering.
Sango and Miroku smiled. It wasn't really a blinding smile, a smile that would linger and eventually become unimaginably contagious. It was a smile full of unleashed relief and sorrow, and when it stretched discreetly on my lips, I sniffled pathetically and nuzzled my face deeper into his fire-rat haori. I breathed in his unnatural scent and I couldn't get enough of it. I could smell the addicting odor of a sodden forest trapped in the coarse material of his shirt, the wonderful aroma of freshly fallen rain, and the musky scent of him, the burly and naked him underneath all those clothes.
"Inuyasha," I whispered, loud enough for only him to hear.
"Hai…" he replied in the same tranquil tone.
"Do you think you can take me…us…?" I paused and mulled over my choice of words. Some of them seemed almost redundant. "Do you think we can just go away somewhere?" I finished.
He sighed and his nose buried itself deep within my hair. "Yeah," he answered slowly.
Throughout the journey back to Kaede's village, everybody was silent, reeking of the stench of blood and sweat. I rode on Inuyasha's back as he walked far behind the group, not at all keen to catch up. I was making a trying attempt to fall asleep, my head resting upon his shoulder to where my nose spooned against the crook of his neck. It was hard to look at him out of the corner of my eye but I pilfered a nice, blurry image of him nonetheless.
"Inuyasha…" I muttered, my voice grave and nearly incoherent beneath the waves of heart-wrenching anguish and unfulfilled desire that were both causing my heart to swell hazardously. I wanted him to just slap the jewel out of my hand and scoop me up within those protective arms of his, shedding reassuring warmth, embracing me with a raw passion that needed to be acted out rather than just spoken.
Unfortunately, he didn't. He just stood there, his smile dying into a concerned frown.
"Kagome…" he uttered softly.
I tried my best to stand up, but my legs wobbled precariously and he caught me just when I thought I would collapse hard into the ground. He held me and I held him, the necklace glimmering dully and the jewel hidden within my fisted hand. Kirara and Shippo tumbled off of my shoulders and fell to the ground, oblivious, silently pondering.
Sango and Miroku smiled. It wasn't really a blinding smile, a smile that would linger and eventually become unimaginably contagious. It was a smile full of unleashed relief and sorrow, and when it stretched discreetly on my lips, I sniffled pathetically and nuzzled my face deeper into his fire-rat haori. I breathed in his unnatural scent and I couldn't get enough of it. I could smell the addicting odor of a sodden forest trapped in the coarse material of his shirt, the wonderful aroma of freshly fallen rain, and the musky scent of him, the burly and naked him underneath all those clothes.
"Inuyasha," I whispered, loud enough for only him to hear.
"Hai…" he replied in the same tranquil tone.
"Do you think you can take me…us…?" I paused and mulled over my choice of words. Some of them seemed almost redundant. "Do you think we can just go away somewhere?" I finished.
He sighed and his nose buried itself deep within my hair. "Yeah," he answered slowly.
Throughout the journey back to Kaede's village, everybody was silent, reeking of the stench of blood and sweat. I rode on Inuyasha's back as he walked far behind the group, not at all keen to catch up. I was making a trying attempt to fall asleep, my head resting upon his shoulder to where my nose spooned against the crook of his neck. It was hard to look at him out of the corner of my eye but I pilfered a nice, blurry image of him nonetheless.
I smiled tenderly when he caught my strained gaze and almost cried when he returned the action with equal and similar ardor.
ii. Fate
I woke up hours later to the sound of crackling and the earthy smell of burning wood. I groaned drowsily and struggled to rub the sleep away from my eyes, the orange-red glow of the fire nearly blinding me, causing me to shy away and wriggle. I turned my back towards it, silently relishing in the comforting warmth that caressed my back. Some kind of coverlet brushed against the side of my right shoulder and I drew it closer. Realization dawned on me slightly, and, without a doubt, I knew that I was naked and could've cared less. Just as long as the nude body alongside me stayed and continued to hold me in its strong embrace, I was in utter bliss.
"Kagome?" Lavender eyes blinked back at me beyond a shroud of ebony bangs and I beamed amiably.
"I'm still here," I replied.
"Good," Inuyasha sighed quietly, pulling me tighter against his chest.
My breathing slowed and I lingered silently on the brink of not breathing and soaking in contemplative serenity. Lips welded gently against my forehead, I felt him smile lightly as his fingers frolicked along the shallow curve of my back.
"Where are we?" I suddenly asked, unable to tolerate the cumbersome silence any longer.
"Somewhere private," he responded in a matter-of-factly tone.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Really, really?"
"Yeah."
"Really, really, really, really?"
"Damn it! I said yeah."
I chortled gently and fidgeted again underneath the sprawled blanket. My hands grazed along his skin, fingers freezing when they swept across something rough and oddly sleek altogether. My body had grown taut and I peeled my hand away to spot a large portion of gauze melded directly above his heart. I frowned in empathy and wonder. Blood was already soaking through the white cloth like dark ink.
"What," I fooled around with the translucent tape of the bandage, smoothing my finger back and forth along his skin, "happened to you?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he spooned me closer against his body and I yawned deeply, growing tired beneath the combined warmth that was his body and the flickering blaze behind me. It all felt so good.
"Naraku," he calmly spoke. "One of his tentacles struck me in the chest while we were fighting."
"Are you—" He didn't give me the chance to finish, but that was okay. I knew he loved to play the toughest when it came to things such as this, always getting in the last word. After all the nights he's gone through being human, he still didn't understand his limits.
"I'm fine. It's just that…" His hand slinked out from underneath the blanket and caressed the bandage, "it's kinda ironic that it happened to go straight into my chest."
Actually, now that I had a chance to think about it, it was uncharacteristically ironic. Here he was, bathing in the afterglow of triumph. He's finally defeated Naraku, the one who fooled around with his life, the one who broke the hearts of both him and Kikyo. Now, instead of mending his fractured heart, triumph stabbed him practically in the chest!
"For what it's worth," I suddenly muttered, still feeling that unusual sensation that crossed between pity and guilt, "I'm sorry."
I didn't know why, but I actually thought that he would end with a sunken Yeah, me too. Instead, he smirked and his head sank deep enough so that our lips met and a warm, tingly feeling shot all the way up from my toes to my fingertips. When he pulled away, I smiled groggily.
"Kagome?" Lavender eyes blinked back at me beyond a shroud of ebony bangs and I beamed amiably.
"I'm still here," I replied.
"Good," Inuyasha sighed quietly, pulling me tighter against his chest.
My breathing slowed and I lingered silently on the brink of not breathing and soaking in contemplative serenity. Lips welded gently against my forehead, I felt him smile lightly as his fingers frolicked along the shallow curve of my back.
"Where are we?" I suddenly asked, unable to tolerate the cumbersome silence any longer.
"Somewhere private," he responded in a matter-of-factly tone.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Really, really?"
"Yeah."
"Really, really, really, really?"
"Damn it! I said yeah."
I chortled gently and fidgeted again underneath the sprawled blanket. My hands grazed along his skin, fingers freezing when they swept across something rough and oddly sleek altogether. My body had grown taut and I peeled my hand away to spot a large portion of gauze melded directly above his heart. I frowned in empathy and wonder. Blood was already soaking through the white cloth like dark ink.
"What," I fooled around with the translucent tape of the bandage, smoothing my finger back and forth along his skin, "happened to you?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he spooned me closer against his body and I yawned deeply, growing tired beneath the combined warmth that was his body and the flickering blaze behind me. It all felt so good.
"Naraku," he calmly spoke. "One of his tentacles struck me in the chest while we were fighting."
"Are you—" He didn't give me the chance to finish, but that was okay. I knew he loved to play the toughest when it came to things such as this, always getting in the last word. After all the nights he's gone through being human, he still didn't understand his limits.
"I'm fine. It's just that…" His hand slinked out from underneath the blanket and caressed the bandage, "it's kinda ironic that it happened to go straight into my chest."
Actually, now that I had a chance to think about it, it was uncharacteristically ironic. Here he was, bathing in the afterglow of triumph. He's finally defeated Naraku, the one who fooled around with his life, the one who broke the hearts of both him and Kikyo. Now, instead of mending his fractured heart, triumph stabbed him practically in the chest!
"For what it's worth," I suddenly muttered, still feeling that unusual sensation that crossed between pity and guilt, "I'm sorry."
I didn't know why, but I actually thought that he would end with a sunken Yeah, me too. Instead, he smirked and his head sank deep enough so that our lips met and a warm, tingly feeling shot all the way up from my toes to my fingertips. When he pulled away, I smiled groggily.
“Inuyasha,” I started, but my comment was cut short by his lips squirming idly against mine.
“Can I keep you, Kagome?” he suddenly asked once he broke the kiss, his breath like a blanket of heat falling across my lips.
“W—what are you talking about?” I asked back, struggling feebly against him to capture his lips again.
“Can I keep you?” he repeated and angled his head just enough to nuzzle my cheek affectionately with his own. His breath spilled over and into my ears like lava, “Please…”
I still didn't know what he was talking about, but I said yes anyway. My whole body began to feel like a sausage patty lounging on a sizzling skillet. I pulled my hand up to caress Inuyasha's soft, milky cheek and silvery, downy strands while his eyes bored heavily into my own and caused me to liquefy beneath his gaze. I looked on dazedly as the sparkle in his eyes flickered beautifully underneath the orange-reddish glow of the fire. My lips parted slightly when he began to descend gradually to steal a sweet, succulent kiss from my lips once more.
All bothersome thoughts were cast aside that night into oblivion. The sweet misery that we felt for each other, crumbled, and blossomed into a fiery passion that just had to be brought to life, to be contrived in simple actions rather than foolish words.
I could've cared less about the Shikon jewel now. I shoved all thoughts of it aside and caved in. I gave way to my unbearable emotions, both of us did. Nonetheless, there was one thought, one itsy-bitsy thought that gnawed at my soul and caused reality to slowly come seeping back in.
He was going to want the jewel someday. There was no doubting it whether it'll be tomorrow or months from now before he asked for it and made that revolting wish.
One day, he'd be gone, soul incarcerated, locked away from both Kikyo and me forever. He'd be a stranger to us all. A lone dog that just so happened to lose its way and fall straight into the arms of companionship only to stumble back across its rightful path and resume its journey like nothing had ever taken place. And there was no clear-cut motive behind his actions other than his pungent desire to become—
A full-fledged demon…
I heard him moan, "Kagome…"
I sniffled roughly as a tear rolled down my cheek.
I promised, I thought to myself.
"Inuyasha…"
I'd always be there for him no matter what.
All bothersome thoughts were cast aside that night into oblivion. The sweet misery that we felt for each other, crumbled, and blossomed into a fiery passion that just had to be brought to life, to be contrived in simple actions rather than foolish words.
I could've cared less about the Shikon jewel now. I shoved all thoughts of it aside and caved in. I gave way to my unbearable emotions, both of us did. Nonetheless, there was one thought, one itsy-bitsy thought that gnawed at my soul and caused reality to slowly come seeping back in.
He was going to want the jewel someday. There was no doubting it whether it'll be tomorrow or months from now before he asked for it and made that revolting wish.
One day, he'd be gone, soul incarcerated, locked away from both Kikyo and me forever. He'd be a stranger to us all. A lone dog that just so happened to lose its way and fall straight into the arms of companionship only to stumble back across its rightful path and resume its journey like nothing had ever taken place. And there was no clear-cut motive behind his actions other than his pungent desire to become—
A full-fledged demon…
I heard him moan, "Kagome…"
I sniffled roughly as a tear rolled down my cheek.
I promised, I thought to myself.
"Inuyasha…"
I'd always be there for him no matter what.