InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Bottled Genius ❯ The Hanging Threat ( Chapter 10 )

Author's Notes: Ok, this story is definitely going to be longer than 10 chapters (and it's making me squirm a little - meaning it's not turning out as planned… but I'm not too worried…)

Bottled Genius

Chapter 10

The Hanging Threat

"What the hell-!" Inuyasha hissed curtly as he practically threw himself off the bed to his feet. "Onigumo?!"

It was disconcerting, to say the least, looking into Kikyo's face again like this. She was wearing exactly the same night dress as the one she wore when she'd… But this wasn't Kikyo!

"Onigumo?" a perfect frown tilted the creatures brow. "Am I Onigumo…? I suppose you could say that. Well… part of him at least… of what remains, here," she pointed to her chest where the heart would be. "I remember what he remembers… all of his nasty perverted little thoughts."

Inuyasha glanced anxiously to the door and prayed that Kagome didn't return any time soon. He quickly flashed Naraku a glare. "Why are you wearing that stupid form?! You're not Kikyo - you're not even trying to pretend to be her so why bother?!"

"Aw…" she cocked her head. "After all the effort you put into making me - I thought I'd return the favour and offer you something you lost."

"Bull!" he clenched his fists, ready to use them.

"You're right. I have no intention of doing you any favours." Naraku said, bitterness creeping into his tone. "Perhaps I'm just reminding you of the face you so mercilessly destroyed fifty years ago?"

"You better leave before I rip you a new-!!"

"Ever the violent one aren't you?" Naraku commented coolly with hooded eyes. "I did not come to make small talk with you. Rather I came to warn you."

Inuyasha shifted tensely, claws flexing with anticipation. "Of what?"

"That the minute you let your guard drop, I will make you suffer for what you did to Kikyo. My Kikyo."

"You bastard-" Inuyasha lunged forward, trying to make a grab for her. She side stepped his blow and used his momentum to grab his injured arm and ram him into the wall, holding him there with strength that was inhuman and very un-Kikyo-like.

"You took away everything she loved. You killed her father, you put her in this isolated hellhole and then you drove her to the brink and urged her to kill herself!" Kikyo's voice hissed in his ear as he struggled to break free. "I'll never forgive you!"

"What do you care - you never met her!" Inuyasha ground out, still trying to push away from the wall but without any effect.

"Onigumo's heart still resides within this chest - and with it all I feel is unequalled hatred for you!" she twisted his right arm, whilst Inuyasha bit down on his lip to keep from voicing his pain. "In return, I'll take all you love. I'll drive you to the edge and I will kill you."

"Fuck you!" Inuyasha flung his left arm out and raked his claws along the sleeve of her night dress. He could have taken the arm off… but somehow, it was too disturbing to harm Kikyo's image. Either way, it produced the desired effect and Naraku backed off quickly.

"You better sleep with one eye open, asshole." Kikyo's face contorted with anger. "And so had that little incarnation too!"

That had been the last straw for Inuyasha and he drew back a fist, claws bared ready to detach head from body. "You leave Kagome out of this you-"

A tiny smile flickered on her face before she dissipated in a fashion similar to his own, and his blow swiped through nothing but air. He looked around wildly for a moment before kicking the old bookcase, soundly shattering the bottom shelf and spilling its contents of books. "Dammit!" he shouted to no one in particular.

"What's got your knickers in a twist?" Kagome asked as she entered the room again, glass of water in one hand and her day clothes in the other. She spotted the shattered shelf of the bookcase and turned a dry look on Inuyasha. "You're lucky I didn't like that shelf."

"Get off my case!" Inuyasha snapped in her direction before dissipating the same way Naraku had.

Kagome blinked in surprise. "What the heck happened to that guy…?" she shook her head and headed for the bed, oblivious to what had taken place in the bedroom only seconds before.

^_^

This was bad, this was very, very bad.

Inuyasha paced the top of the oil tank whilst tugging restlessly on his hair. This was so bad, he didn't think there was anything that could be worse. He'd had a fair few enemies in his time, but perhaps this was the first enemy he was actually worried about. Because not only was he himself a target… but now Kagome was as well - and only because of her misfortune to resemble Kikyo.

What was he supposed to do?

Some… super demon was walking around out there with Onigumo's heart and soul and Kikyo's body… though Inuyasha doubted that was Naraku's only form. The chances of him being some kind of shape shifter were high… and worrying. The creature was as strong as a thousand Youkai… and had focused all his hate on Inuyasha, and was probably focusing all his lust and base desires on sweet, innocent Kagome.

Perhaps now was a good time to warn her… she had to know about this, or else she might just walk blindly into danger.

"Dammit…" he dropped down, cross-legged, on the oil tank and let his chin fall against his chest while the night breeze brushed his hair around him. How had this happened?

This was the fault of his curse. He'd destroyed Kikyo just like he'd destroyed himself, and if that hadn't been punishment enough just to see - but now he was going to witness a repeat of the events fifty years ago. Naraku - Onigumo reborn, was out to get Kagome and himself again. Kagome - most likely Kikyo reborn, was about to be killed once more.

Perhaps it was useless trying to prevent the effects of his curse? Maybe he should just sit back and let his master get destroyed. It would save him a lot of grief and trouble trying to defend her, then in fifty more years or so, he would find a new master and begin with a new slate. He could forget about this messy business with Onigumo… or Naraku or whatever…

Though he knew, even whilst toying with the idea, that that option was out of the question. He was mean (he'd admit that much) but he wasn't as cruel as to just sit back and watch Kagome fall victim to Onigumo/Naraku the way Kikyo had. He couldn't watch it happen… not again…

In which case… it was probably best to go warn her. Now.

He pushed himself to his feet again and relocated himself into her bedroom again, feeling the weightlessness that came with the process of dissipating into thin air. Her room surrounded him quickly and he turned uneasy eyes to her bed under the window. The moonlight spilled down over her form and he inched forward cautiously.

"Hey…" he called in barely more than a whisper. "You awake?"

There was no reply, so he inched further towards the bed until he could lean over her to see her face. She was sound asleep, one hand tucked under the pillow and the other resting near her forehead. For a moment he froze… wondering if he should try and wake her up to speak with her…

But it seemed wrong to ruin her peace. So instead he pulled away from her and turned, ready to remove himself from her room so he could brood somewhere else quietly to himself. But he stopped… what if Naraku struck as early as tonight? Inuyasha steeled an uncertain glance back at Kagome… she wouldn't stand a chance alone, would she?

With a sigh he came to his decision and flopped down onto the floor, using the bed to lean against. He'd just stay here for tonight, make sure she was ok, and come morning he'd leave. She probably wouldn't like to know he'd stayed in her room all night…

^_^

Kagome squeaked a yawn out the next morning as she stretched in bed, tangling the sheets around her legs and accidentally managing to push her pillow off the mattress onto the floor. Not that she needed it now…

The bird were twittering happily outside her window again and she grinned to herself, still over the moon with the fact that her ears were all in proper working condition again. And just to make sure her vocal chords were in a similar condition she opened the window and let loose a loud, "Boo!"

The birds scattered instantly, and she giggled to herself as she closed the rusty window again. Ah… life was good.

Her morning routine basically followed the same path as the yesterday routine - which involved lots of stamping feet, splashing water and banging doors. She deliberately aimed to step on every creaky floorboard on the way from her room, down the stairs to the kitchen.

"Morning!" she chirped happily as she found her family already sitting down at the breakfast table - Souta in his school uniform already. "How's everyone this fine morning?"

"Knackered." Groaned Souta as he munched his toast lethargically.

"Stiff." Grandpa griped whilst rubbing his back.

"I think I'm getting the flu…" Mrs Higurashi responded, sniffling into her handkerchief.

"That's nice." Kagome smiled good-naturedly as she grabbed a bit of toast from Souta's dish and went off to go search for Inuyasha. He was bound to be around somewhere.

The first place she looked for him was outside - presumably near the old oil tank where he usually liked to haunt. To her mild surprise, he wasn't actually near the tank - but on the bridge across the river a short distance away. Not that that was important. She cheerfully toddled across the yard and into the trees, heading for the bridge. His back was turned to her, but she could tell he knew she was coming, seeing as his ears were both trained on her.

"Morning." She greeted and broke the toast into two equal halves. "You want some of this? Mom makes really nice toast."

He regarded her sort of strangely for a moment, like for a moment he was trying to figure her out. Shee held out the offered half as she chewed on her own. "Hurry or it'll get cold."

He seemed to accept this and took the toast, though he made no move to eat it.

"So anyway," she flipped her hair over her shoulder as she leaned onto the bridge rail and looked down at the fast moving water below. "I had this dream last night - that I was in the Antarctica, with all the penguins and polar bears and Eskimos and whatever. And I figured, I don't want to live here, it's too cold, I'll wake up in the morning with frost bite on my toes. So. I woke up and it sorta gave me an idea… and… why are you looking at me as if I've grown another head?"

He'd been staring at her rather intently, but as soon as she'd commented on it, he smiled slightly, shook his head and looked down at the river. "You were saying?"

"Yeah, well, I had the dream about the snowy place up north-"

"South."

Kagome nearly choked on her toast. "You what?" she patted her chest.

"Antarctica is South. Arctic is north." He said evenly, picking at the toast in his hands.

"Er… ok." she tried again. "So I dreamt about the snowy place down south and then I got this great idea for a new wish - my sixth one - and I swear I'll try not to mess it up this time… and… you're doing it again."

This time he didn't bother looking away. "What do you think of me… Kagome?"

"Uh…" she stared back at him, nonplussed.

"What did you think of me when you first met me?" She nearly jumped out of her skin when his hand reached across to her as if about to touch her face, instinctively she took a step back.

"W-why are you asking me something stupid like that?" she stammered slightly. But her inhibition suddenly flew out of her head when she realised something. She practically lunged at him to grab his arm. "Hey - you're burns have all gone - that's amazing!"

"Funny how little things amuse you." He smiled, but it seemed small and empty, one she hadn't seen since when she'd first met him and she'd thought he was a total ass. "And you're diverging from my question."

"What question?" Kagome blinked at him, sincerely having forgotten it already.

"Of what you thought of me when you met me."

"I thought you were an ass." She said honestly. No need to sugar the pill.

"And what about now?"

Now? That was slightly trickier to answer… "Um… w-why do you ask?" Why did she have to stammer every time he asked something too personal and close to home?

He sighed and suddenly she found herself tugged forward into a loose kind of embrace. He was stroking her hair and breathing in deeply. Kagome was too stiff with shock to know what to do.

"You are a very beautiful woman, you know that?" he told her softly. "A cool kind of beauty."

"I-I don't…" her heart was thundering against her rib cage, and she wasn't at all sure she liked how he was holding her. "I-Inuyasha - what are you doing?" He didn't reply, and when she raised a hand against his chest to push away, his grip only tightened. Not enough to hurt her, but it alarmed her nonetheless. She couldn't break away.

"Inuyasha - this is ridiculous - stop it!"

He didn't stop. She tried once again to push away, but it was like being held in an embrace of iron, no way was she going to overpower him. She tried twisting and wiggling to dislodge him, but it didn't work. "I order you to stop it - this minute!" For some reason she was having trouble looking him in the face, she looked everywhere except his person, still struggling. "Let go!"

Why wasn't he obeying her? Had the fourth wish she'd made to control him expired? If so, why? And why was he doing this in the first place? - he'd never even given a hint of this kind of thing before… and she didn't like it. "Inuyasha - get off me!"

"We should go somewhere where there's more privacy." He suddenly stated, ignoring her struggles as he proceeded to turn and drag her off into the trees.

"NO!" She struggled fiercely this time, throwing her weight this way and that. She nearly got loose at one point - but he quickly grabbed her forearms in such a tight grip, she thought her circulation had been cut off.

"Don't make this more difficult than it has to be, girl."

Wasn't he calling her 'Kagome' a minute ago? "This isn't funny anymore!" she yelled. "I wish you'd let me go!"

He just laughed and ignored her. Now she knew something was definitely wrong with him…

"Kagome!"

Kagome tried to turn towards the source of the voice behind her, but before she could get a fix she was suddenly hurled to the ground roughly, landing awkwardly against a tree before slumping to the ground, her senses reeling. She was aware of harsh curses being snapped into the air and the sound of rustling clothes and breathing as though some kind of tussle was going on. There was sharp Inuyasha-like cry and a thud that followed.

Though by the time Kagome had enough energy and will to raise herself up off the ground, all she saw was a very out of breath Inuyasha sitting in the middle of the forest floor, four nasty gashes running across his cheek. The blood was trickling down his face in small little rivulets, until he swiped a hand across the skin, smearing the blood together, staining the white bandage on his right arm.

This was not the same guy who'd just attempted to kidnap her.

She looked around hesitantly to verify there was no one else. "Inu… Inuyasha?" she called timidly.

He glanced at her and waved a few fingers weakly to acknowledge her. He was still breathing hard. Kagome instantly scrambled to her feet and ran to him. When she reached him she fell on her knees and pushed his hair out of the way so she could see his injury. He winced slightly but didn't try to fend her off.

"What happened just now?" she grimaced as the wince he'd made caused the gashes on his face to ooze just a little bit more blood. "That's so gross…"

"Oh, so sorry…" he grumbled sarcastically between pants, "… that my injuries offend you."

"You just saved me from that… that guy…" Kagome looked around. "Where'd he go?"

"He's gone. Don't worry about him now…" Inuyasha sighed wearily.

"He looked just like you." Kagome turned back to him. "Was he another Wishbringer?"

"No. He was… something else… I'm not quite sure…" Inuyasha rose shakily to his feet, despite Kagome's squeaky protests that he should lie down for a while. "It's only a scratch!" he argued.

"Yeah, but you're all wobbly and shaken-"

"I'm not shaken - I'm just worn out." He shot back, but without much fire behind the words. After all, he hadn't gotten a lot of sleep last night.

"You can lean on me if you want?" she offered her shoulder.

"No thanks - you're too short."

"Gee, thanks." Fisted a hand in his haori and started dragging him back in the direction of the house. "We need to get you mended again."

"Aw… no more bandages, please!"

^_^

"So who was he?" Kagome asked as she dabbed the damp, cotton ball against his cheek. She had to give him credit, he was very brave to bear it all with a stoic expression.

"Naraku."

"Who?"

"Some bozo who can change forms… I dunno…" Inuyasha shrugged.

"He knew my name…" Kagome frowned as she jerked his chin to the side to get better access at his cheek. "How come he knew me? How come you know him?"

Inuyasha seemed a little reluctant to answer. She frowned. "I don't care if you don't want to tell me - I'm ordering you to. This has gone beyond a joke now - I want to know what's going on."

"I know him… because I made him."

"Made him what?" Kagome threw the cotton ball away and picked up a new one. "Damn you bleed a lot…"

"Sorry." He narrowed his eyes briefly at her, and she caught the cynical look he gave her. "Anyway… I made him. My master, yesterday he wished for ultimate power that could equal a thousand demons. So now he's blended with a thousand demons and the end result was the bastard who just tried to attack you."

"H-hang on." Kagome pulled back from him sharply. "You had another master - and you didn't tell me?!"

"Uh…" he stared at the floor sheepishly. "Well… no…"

"How long has it been going on behind my back?" she planted her hands on her hips, a look of hurt on her face. "You were two-timing me? W-with some kind of psycho? Is that where you kept disappearing off to all the time? You were going to him?!"

"Shut up! You make it sound like some kind of sleazy affair!"

"How come you didn't tell me?!"

"You didn't need to know!"

"I would have liked to have known." Kagome lowered her head slightly, still looking hurt. "You really don't trust me do you?"

"That's not it!" he snapped angrily. "I'd forgotten about him - he was my master fifty years ago-"

"I thought Kikyo was your master fifty-"

"Let me finish! They both were my master - I gave them ten wishes each - but Kikyo died before Onigumo so-"

"Who's Oni-"

"Naraku."

"He changed his name?"

"He's not the same person!"

"That's confusing! Stop changing it!" she cried.

"I'm not! I'm trying to explain!" he fisted a hand in his hair with exasperation. "Just listen to me! Onigumo was my master fifty years ago, and he's been living in this world while I've been sleeping five decades away in the attic. He only found me again yesterday - that's why I went missing. He started using up his last wishes… one of them was to bring you to him…"

"What did he want with me?" Kagome frowned. "I've never even heard of him before."

"Well… he knew Kikyo… and you look an awful lot like Kikyo."

"I do?" She blinked at him in surprise, but passed it off as superficial. He didn't think she quite realised how deep the resemblance was. "That's weird. So… I'm guessing he liked Kikyo…"

"In a disgusting, perverted way." She noticed the way he bristled as he spoke of this. "I had no choice but to bring you to him."

"So that's why you kidnapped me!" she clicked her fingers. "Now it makes sense."

"Yeah, whatever… anyway, like I said, one of his wishes was to gain power - and now he's kinda out to get me and you."

"Oh." Kagome nodded as if that was a reasonable comment.

He stared at her. "'Oh'?" he echoed, dumbfounded. "What do you mean 'oh'?"

"Well… I'm not too worried. Should I be?" she asked lightly. "I mean, you saved me last time - you'll protect me right? You're my Wishbringer after all."

"Yes - Wishbringer! Not bodyguard!" he folded his arms huffily. "I might not be able to get there the next time something like that happens."

"But - you'll try, right?"

"Maybe…"

"Then I'm satisfied." She nodded firmly. "You'll look out for me."

"Hey!" he snapped indignantly. "There is nothing in my job description that says I have to defend you! I only have to grant your wishes - anything else isn't my business-"

"But you wouldn't just stand by and let a girl get hurt by some monster that you helped create, would you?" she pointed out with a quirked eyebrow.

His mouth worked for a moment, before he firmly shut it. She was clever… and very quick to see the truth for what it was. "True…" he admitted grumpily. "But that doesn't necessarily mean I'm making it my reason to live - to protect you, I mean."

She just beamed at me knowingly and picked up some gauze. She pressed it against his cheek, ignoring his hiss of pain. "Hold it there." She ordered gently before getting some medical tape to strap it to his face. "There… now it just looks like you cut yourself shaving in a major way."

"I don't have to shave." He told he as he poked the gauze inquisitively.

"Well that doesn't surprise me." She said breezily as she packed away the medical supplies. Then she suddenly remembered something. "Oh! I had something I wanted to tell you!"

"Uh huh?" he looked her up and down warily. "Well, what is it?"

"Well I kinda already told that look-alike guy, but I don't think he was interested." She moved to sit down at the kitchen table with him. "So, I had this dream last night where I was-"

"Just cut to the point."

She huffed. "Well at least the other guy listened." She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, it gave me an idea for a sixth wish."

"Oh no…"

"A holiday!" she grinned. "Won't that be great? Just some sunny getaway from this place - nice and subtle and not too greedy. Maybe some kind of tropical island? Or New Zealand - maybe Florida! I'll take the whole family and we can have fun and stuff. Cause it's not like we're gonna get any more holidays now that our income is practically… well, nothing right now. So I think a holiday would be just what we all need."

"You think?" he scowled. "It'll go wrong you know."

"Not if I make sure there are no loopholes when I make the wish." She was definitely excited by her idea. "I'll write it down first and then you can read it and make sure that you won't send me into space accidentally or anything."

He considered her for a moment. "Ok. We'll see if this works…"

^_^

"You have to make sure your Mom doesn't ask questions and refuse the holiday, remember?" he said as he leaned over her shoulder to read what she wrote.

"Yeah, yeah… I learned my lesson after that money thing." She nodded as she scribbled furiously at her desk.

"Self-catering or do you want your food given to you?" he pointed out.

"Uh… self-catering I think."

"And what about the location?"

"Hmm… Some random tropical island?" she guessed. He shook his head quickly.

"Never say random - you'll end up the worst place possible."

"Ok…" she sighed. "This is actually really hard…"

Many hours of research later and Inuyasha was finally letting up on the pressure. "That should be right… I can't see any more loopholes now." He told her seriously. She practically sagged in relief - who knew that wishing for the perfect holiday was the toughest thing since… well… ever.

"Ok, make the wish." He straightened, allowing her to pick up two page long essay.

"Do I have to read all this stuff out?" she groaned. "Can't I just wish for all the stuff mentioned on this sheet?"

"Sure." He shrugged. "Go ahead."

Kagome grinned a little. "Ok - I wish for all the stuff mentioned on this sheet."

He grinned back and gave a mock bow. "As you wish."

"Is that it?" she carried on grinning. "When do we get the phone call?"

"In five minutes."

Kagome leapt of her chair and ran out of the bedroom. "Souta! Get off the phone for ten minutes you gas bag!"

Feeling slightly more relieved, Inuyasha settled back down on the bed, arms folded and a thoughtful frown on his face. Maybe this was for the best. After all, what better way to hide Kagome from Naraku and keep her safe than just remove her from the country altogether? Naraku would never find her that way, and in the mean time Inuyasha would be able to think of a way to destroy the Hanyou he'd made…

Kagome had already suggested she use her sixth wish to destroy Naraku instead? Well… not destroy him, but kinda remove him from their lives in a humane sort of way. But, that was impossible. Master's couldn't force their Wishbringer to destroy or harm other masters of the Wishbringer. However you could wish other things, like making the other master a slave, sexually or otherwise. Anything was allowed… you just weren't allowed to harm the other master…

So there was no way Kagome could wish against Naraku. Besides… he still didn't like the idea of involving her anymore than she needed to be. Naraku was his problem, not Kagome's. She didn't need to worry about him…

Though Inuyasha had to be sure that Naraku never got as close to Kagome as he'd done earlier.

That had scared him.

AN: Ah… um… er… what else do I say? Uh… back soon?