InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Broken Hearts and Crushed Dreams ❯ Pure Hearts ( Chapter 5 )

~Chapter Five~

.:Pure Hearts:.

 

The following day Kagome woke up at dawn from lack of warmth. In a flash the memories of the past three days came to her, and she moaned in despair. She looked around for Inuyasha, but he was no where to be seen. He couldn't have been gone long, Kagome thought, I would have woken up.

She got off the sleeping mat and wandered outside to find pinks and oranges on the horizon. The chill of morning stuck to her flesh like glue, beads of dew clung to blades of grass and Kagome started walking down the winding path to Goshinboku. She knew exactly where he was.

She found Inuyasha watching the sunrise on one of the highest boughs of the old tree. His dog ears twitched, searching for sound. Inuyasha caught her scent and looked down to see her staring up at him. She smiled as brightly as she could, but he could see grief still clinging in the depths of her brown eyes. Inuyasha leapt down and landed gracefully in front of her.

“You okay?” he asked, eyeing her carefully.

“It's beautiful, isn't it?” she replied, looking out at the horizon, deliberately ignoring his question.

“What?” he said, looking around at his surroundings.

“The sunrise.”

“Oh, erm… yeah, I guess…” Once again, silence engulfed them. Kagome was staring out at the sunrise, and Inuyasha was studying her with dubious eyes.

“Will you stop looking at me like that?” Kagome suddenly spat out, averting her eyes from the horizon to Inuyasha.

“Like what?”

“Like I'm broken or something! It's incredibly annoying. I'm never going to get over it if you keep reminding me every second of the day that they're dead and they're never coming back!” She screamed. Inuyasha drew back as if she had just smacked him.

“Well, sorry! I ain't meaning to!”

She turned back towards the village and started walking away from him. He watched her retreating form and quickly ran towards her. He picked her up and held her in his arms as he ran back towards Goshinboku. Leaping from branch to branch, Inuyasha was careful of Kagome in his arms. Before she was able to register what had just happened she was sitting in Inuyasha's lap on the branch he had been sitting on just moments earlier. Kagome twisted her head so she could get a good look at Inuyasha's face. As soon as she caught his gaze, he blushed and looked away quickly.

He hated it when she looked at him like that. She just stares without expression and every time it made him uneasy. It creeps me out! He thought.

“What?” He spat without looking back at her.

She gave him a welcome smile and cuddled closer, “Thank you.”

“Aug, um… you're welcome,” he replied, caught off guard.

He rested his cheek on the top of her head and breathed in her wonderful scent. They both relaxed against each other and watched the remainder of the sunrise.

 

 

Coming back from Goshinboku, they set off for Kaede's small hut at the other side of the poor village. Hand in hand, she and Inuyasha walked in silence and he gave her a small smile as they walked into the hut only to find Kikyo sitting in front of the fire pit, tending to the fire.

“Kikyo?” Inuyasha asked as he sat down with Kagome, “what are you doing here?”

“Isn't it obvious, Inuyasha? I have come to help Kagome purify the jewel, for she will not be able to do it alone,” Kikyo replied, with the vacant expression which was so often expressed on her pale face. She then turned to Kagome, “Give me all the fragments of the Shikon no Tama.”

Kagome handed them over without much thought and sat silently, studying Inuyasha's reactions.

“Now give me your hands and we shall make the jewel whole once more,” Kikyo said, placing her palms up.

“Okay, but I'm not completely sure how to do this,” Kagome gave a nervous laugh. Inuyasha, who was studying Kagome's actions as well, could tell she was extremely nervous about Kikyo's presence, he could see pain and sorrow glinting in her eyes. He knew this was caused by him being so near to Kikyo, so he thought it best to leave.

“Well, I have some things I need to do. I'll just…” he said as he stood and quickly tried to take his leave.

“No, wait,” both Kikyo and Kagome said at the same time.

Surprised at their reaction, he sat back down in bewilderment and let them resume their work.

“Alright, Kagome, I want you to focus all of your spiritual power on the jewel. You need to only think about the jewel in our hands and feel the power rushing through your veins,” Kikyo said.

“O-Okay,” Kagome replied, putting on a stern face, she closed her eyes, furrowed her brow, and tried to focus all her energy on the jewel. At first she felt nothing. But then she felt a wave of power surge through her and the images of everyone and everything faded from her mind.

 

 

Inuyasha watched impatiently as he glanced from Kagome to Kikyo. Kaede caught his gaze and gave him a stern look meant to stop him from being so nervous. It didn't help.

Kagome had her eyes closed shut and her brow furrowed in concentration. Kikyo, on the other hand, was calm and confident, also with her eyes closed.

I know they can purify the jewel…

What will happen when they purify it? Will everything go on as if nothing happened? Or will everything change? Will the well close up? Will Kagome go…?

He didn't want to finish that last thought. He knew that she might have to go back to her time but he could only hope they could stay together. But, of course, if I ask her to stay, I have to tell her my true feelings. He looked at Kagome once more…

Every time she looks at me... I think about her constantly… but she doesn't know how I feel, does she? I wonder if she'll ever find out my true… feelings if I… if I don't say anything.

 

 

She was in a black room. All that was visible was the jewel, whole and pure, glowing in front of her. She went and picked up the small orb that had caused her so much pain, but also so much joy as well. This small thing was the reason her best friends were dead. However, it was the jewel that brought her into this world, where she met Inuyasha. For that, she was grateful. But then it was always a reminder of Inuyasha and Kikyo's love from long ago. She couldn't remember how long she had wished Kikyo had never come to be in this world.

She raised the small jewel in her hand up next to her face and gazed into the depths. She remembered the story of how the jewel was forged. How the great priestess, Midoriko, had lost her life in a battle with many demons, they had merged and formed the Jewel of Four Souls she now held in her hand.

The jewel began to glow in her small hands. It started to hover in between her upturned palms. She focused harder and the jewel began to spin faster and faster. With every revolution the jewel seemed to get smaller; it was unraveling. Kagome's head began to pound in pain. I have to do this; for my friends, for all the lives the jewel has ruined. I can't give in now! With new determination, she closed her eyes to gather her strength. She opened them once more with a great fierceness. In an instant, the core of the jewel was revealed, Kagome clenched her jaw and the last bit of the jewel dissipated.

Kagome closed her eyes once more and felt the warmth of Kaede's hut surround her. She felt the presence of Inuyasha and Kikyo. She opened her eyes to find Kikyo with a small smile on her cold lips.

“It is done then,” Kikyo said, motioning to their now empty hands, “the jewel will lay forever dormant in your body.”

Kagome felt her right side to find the bump where the jewel was, “Thanks for the help, Kikyo,” Kagome replied coldly, getting ready to stand and leave. She was uneasy with Kikyo so close; she wanted her to go back to wherever she came from.

“Kagome,” Kaede said from her place beside Kikyo, “I need to have a word with ye first. Inuyasha why don't ye step outside, it is more of a private conversation.”

Inuyasha snorted and went outside.

“I must go Kaede,” Kikyo said and turned to follow Inuyasha.

Kagome gave him a fleeting glance; he must have seen her distress because he then gave her a reassuring nod.

 

 

Inuyasha was standing just outside the hut when Kikyo emerged.

“Inuyasha, I'd like you to meet me at Goshinboku tonight at midnight,” Kikyo said, looking strait into his confused eyes, “It is urgent.”

Inuyasha nodded and watched her go. What he had seen in her eyes had stopped him from refusing the offer. It had been pain.