InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Alone till Love ❯ The Promise ( Chapter 11 )

Mia: Yippee!! Chapter 11 is up, finally!

Cresent Moon22000: I think Naraku should be a cross-dresser in this chapter!! *begins to hysterically laugh*

Mia & Inu-yasha: .........*stares at Cresent and begins to slowly back away, once more*

Cresent: What? *continues to hysterically laugh*

Mia: *sweat-drop* Well then, moving on!! Enjoy the chapter!!

Inu: *still backing away from Cresent*

~

Chapter 11: The Promise

Inu-yasha sat beside Kagome as she lay beside the burning fire, night had fallen already, and Kagome hadn't yet stirred. He sighed silently as Kagome slowly rolled over.

The hanyou watched Kagome, eyes never leaving her slender face. Two, black stripes rested upon her cheek and Inu-yasha noticed how her hair rested lightly on her shoulder, no longer how it had been since their first meeting.

Inu-yasha sighed with more candidness. He had known that Kagome was going to change. He had known Kagome was going to become her demon self. But somehow, as he sat beside this recreated Kagome, he found it difficult to refrain from reaching out and touching her. How could this be his Kagome? The Kagome he had come to, however reluctantly, love?

She was so different.

Inu-yasha found it so hard to believe this woman lying beside him was Kagome. She was more beautiful, in a way. An elegance only a demon could possess was about her, and it seemed she had grown in more ways than appearance; though Inu-yasha could only sense this change.

He remembered his promise, however. That he would stand by her, no matter what; just as she had done for him. His mind wandered back to Kikyo. Back to days when he was young and naïve, thinking that he had at last found love......

Kikyo had been gone from his mind, with the memories that belonged to Kagome; with the transformation of Kagome. It seemed Kikyo had been a nightmare of the past, nothing more than a dream that had come and gone with the night......

He loved her, so deep inside. A love that would never vanish, yet Inu-yasha could remember Kikyo's harsh words as he had tried to convince her that he would protect her, only he could protect her. She no longer loved him, he realized with a pang. He had been so foolish, promising what she wanted, loving her blindly despite her actions.

Those days were gone.

He had realized, when Kagome had stumbled upon a past long forgotten, when Kagome had found pain beyond words......he realized how much he loved Kagome, though too reluctant to trust his heart once more. Time.

Time heals all wounds, or so it was said. Inu-yasha assumed he would have to grow to understand the utter deceptions of Kikyo, and complete love of Kagome. He hoped the cliché would ring true , as he looked down at the now demon Kagome. Though his life belonged to Kikyo, as much as hers belonged to him, Inu-yasha needed Kagome. Needed her to live and be happy, though he had been assured he deserved nothing more than death. Kagome had made certain he was happy, he was smiling, he was content.

Inu-yasha glanced down at Kagome once more, to find her eyes fluttering open. The piercing silver eyes bit into him as their glances locked. Never once had this woman put herself before him, before her friends. Inu-yasha was no longer full of the enlightenment he had once possessed; he was back to the confusion.

Kagome sat upright, eyes darting around the room, then finally resting on Inu-yasha. She threw herself onto Inu-yasha, tears leaking down her cheeks, burning the raven scars that rested on her cheek. In this instant, as the hanyou comforted the sobbing Kagome, he realized as never before.......words came to him from a distant place, so unconnected to him.

`Once the threads of fate are tangled, they can never be undone.....I will always love you Kikyo and I am sorry......my mind is obstinate in this decision, and I am sorry. My heart has changed......and I am sorry.'

~

Kagome had barely come to grips with these new changes, so shocked she had sobbed against Inu-yasha for hours, until Riku had come and brought Kagome to Danika.

"Have you regained your strength Danika?" Riku asked, voice laced with concern as he gazed into Danika's eyes. "I have. Shall I return her memories?" the elf replied, stealing a glance at Kagome, who stood, still gripping onto Inu-yasha, terror in her eyes.

`She looks so afraid......' Danika thought to Riku, hoping to post-pone the memory exchange. In truth she was so exhausted, but she would not let Riku, nor Kagome, down. She must be strong, for herself and the others.

`I know you're exhausted Danika, and if you wish to rest for the night, I will understand.'

Danika smiled inwardly. Riku could be so sweet, when his cold reserve and guilt were pushed aside. The elf shook herself, this was not the time to think of Riku as more than her leader. `I can handle it.' she replied simply, throwing a reassuring grin at Riku with a slight nod. He returned the nod and flashed a quick smile at her as well.

"Kagome, please kneel before me." Danika said kindly, her tone no longer casual. Kagome shook her head slowly. "No more......please, I-I don't know what's going on." She buried her head in Inu-yasha's chest. He wrapped an arm around her protectively.

"I know what you were doing now, Riku. And I do apologize for jumping to conclusions earlier, but tell me what the hell is going on, or Kagome's not doing anything you tell her to." The hanyou snapped angrily, Kikyo once more slipping from his mind. Her face vanishing from within him at last, the remembrance of her kiss on his lips slipped away, and her haunting words were gone.

Inu-yasha glared angrily at Riku; and in this instant, before he realized it, Inu-yasha had left Kikyo in his past and come to grips with his present. Now he could at last fully keep the promise he had made, but first, Riku had some explaining to do.

"It is the ancient ritual of a soul split. Kagome has two souls within her now. Though they are separate, they are like the pieces of a puzzle, so different, yet meant to fit together as one." Riku began, closing his eyes with patience, Kagome's sobs died and she clutched onto Inu-yasha more than ever. This was too much, too much for her......

"Kagome is both demon and human, both woman and girl. Inside her, she is both my sister and a stranger. She is different in her appearance, in her experiences, and therefore she is different as a whole. Inu-yasha, when Kagome acquires these memories, she will change. Towards me, towards Danika......towards you."

Inu-yasha's eyes widened fleetingly.

He had been right in suspecting Kagome would change, both outwardly and inwardly. She would be different, in more ways than he had imagined. The pain would change her......and consume her.

The darkness Kagome had spoken of! This was it, the pain, the experiences; this was the darkness. This was the basis of his promise, the test that would determine that leaving Kikyo behind had been the right choice. That fate had failed once, and this was meant to be. His love of Kagome would prevail, against the darkness; against the tainted perceptions Kikyo had given him of love.

If this memories were given to Kagome, his promise would be tested at last. The promise he had made in the blindness of love once more. Had he fallen into fate's trap once more? Inu-yasha could only hope, waiting, as Kagome kneeled before Danika, that this love was unlike that shared with Kikyo.

Inu-yasha could only hope that they were bonded by this love, and Inu-yasha could only hope that this love that so much depended on......was pure.

That his promise would be kept.

~

Kagome knelt before Danika, heart racing, eyes darting to Inu-yasha every second. She trusted him so much, and he most certainly would not let Riku harm her.

"Inu-yasha!" Kagome cried out, just as Danika raised her hands to begin the spell. The hanyou dropped to his knees beside her, eyes full of concern. Kagome noticed, despite the situation, that something within him was different.......She shook her head as if to shake the thoughts of this from her mind. They would discuss this later. Kagome's heart began to race as she looked from Riku to Danika, back to Inu-yasha's concerned face once more.

"Stay......stay by me when she gives me the memories......please?"

Inu-yasha nodded, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Do it now." Riku said quietly to Danika, eyes focused on Kagome as the elf locked eyes with her. Kagome met her eyes reluctantly, only when Inu-yasha squeezed her ever so slightly; reassuring her silently.

Suddenly, day after day passed through her mind. Memories poured throughout her mind, each one so different from the others. Kagome was only saved from flying backwards by Inu-yasha's protective arm around her.

"Kagome..." Inu-yasha muttered, letting the demon girl fall against him weakly. Once more she was sobbing in his arms. Riku stepped forward, and spoke Kagome's name aloud. The girl suddenly grew rigid, and lessened her grip on Inu-yasha.

"You....." she hissed angrily, slowly turning to face her brother. All the memories registered within her. She was so different, yet so similar to her human self......all she knew now, however, was that her brother had ruined her as a guardian. Wrecked what pride she had, torn away what virtues and morals she had held......

"YOU!"

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Mia: A good chapter, if I say so myself.

Cresent: *rolls eyes* aren't we vain......

Inu: I'm......I'm SO brave! *eyes are replaced by stars*

Mia & Cresent:......uh......?

Inu: I'm so cool, I'm so cool! *does the cool dance*

Mia: Right. If I'm vain, then what does that make him?!?

Cresent: *sweat-drop*

Inu: *continues to do the cool dance*

Mia: Yeah...uhh....See you next time! Don't forget to review!!