InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Choice of Destiny ❯ More Than What it Is ( Chapter 3 )

~ I do not own the characters off of the anime series Inuyasha, but everything else is my own original creativity and to copy is plagiarism! ~

Choice of Destiny

By angelwings

Chapter 3 ~ More than What It Is

She felt cold.

Maybe wet was a better word.

She was in something soft. Her head was an empty dock.

Something hit below her eye and then slid down her cheek. It was icy cold.

Water.

She stirred, groaning. Gradually she realized more water was hitting her.

It was raining.

It was cold rain.

Feebly Kagome rolled her head to the side and drug her eyes open. She was lying down in slick mud.

'Perfect.'

"You need to get up" a small melodic voice spoke.

Her mind was still confuse, lost and muddled, so when she turned her eyes to see a young child's face staring down at her the woman could only whisper, "What?"

The girl was small, maybe seven years old. Her long hair was rich ebony pulled back by an evergreen ribbon tied behind her neck stretched across her tiny forehead. Her sparkling green eyes stared curiously at her, "You must'n be out in the rain. One might get sick."

Kagome picked her sore body out of the mud hearing the sickening suction of the earth. She was covered in the slime. She felt as if the world had bore her like a child from a womb, "Ugh. Where am I?"

She glanced about, but saw only hazy trees through pouring rain. A little hand grabbed hers and Kagome turned back to the girl. Her young blank face turned away, searching, "Come under the trees and out of the rain. You stay out any longer and you may grow deathly ill."

Too weak to refuse Kagome nodded and allowed the child to guide her to the shelter of the treetops. Once there the woman dropped onto a huge tree root. Her eyes crawled over to the girl. The child stood at the edge of the tree staring out at the rain. Her face was slim and round. Her delicate profile dripped with rainwater. Kagome looked her over noticing the child's kimono was a fine green and blue silk. What shocked the woman though was that the child was wearing no shoes in the cold weather, "What are you doing out in this storm, little one?"

"I am waiting" the girl spoke softly. Her gaze lingered out into the clearing penetrating the curtain of rain.

"For what?" Kagome inquired still in a daze. Her mind was swimming.

The girl squeezed the water out of her kimono, "My parents."

Kagome frowned, "Why would they leave you in this storm?"

She shrugged her face smiling, "Where are you going?"

Nice change in subject. The woman's eyebrows rose, "How do you know I was going some where?"

The girl shrugged, "Why else come out from shelter unless you were going somewhere?"

'Touché.'

"I was heading to the mountains with some friends" she commented watching the girl, "I got separated in the storm."

"Well there are not here it seems" the child said as she swayed sided to side, again watching the rain. Something wasn't right about the child. She appeared too serious. Her behavior was a bit childish, but her eyes were too sharp. Somewhere in her emerald depths lied cold calculating and it threw off her innocent look.

Kagome decided to be wary. This world was too unknown for her to trust even the most innocent looking child, "What's your name?"

The girl whirled around making the rim of her kimono rise. Pensively she looked at the branches, "My name is Destiny. Yes, that is my name."

'She is a bit odd.'

"Destiny" Kagome smiled, "That's a pretty name."

She nodded vigorously, "Some people nickname me Fate."

Kagome squeezed out her jacket, "That's cute. Why aren't you at home?"

Destiny shrugged, "I'm supposed to be here."

"But the storm is quite dangerous" the woman insisted, "You should be inside."

She shook her head, her black locks slapping her face, "No, I am where I should be."

"Waiting for your parents" the time traveler completed, "Where did they go?"

"Nowhere actually" she replied and hopped over to Kagome. Grinning sweetly the girl asked, "Shouldn't you be looking for your friends? There probably worried."

Why was she avoiding the subject of her parents?

"Perhaps" Kagome agreed, "But I just can't leave you by yourself."

The girl looked out into the storm, "Don't worry. This is where I need to be."

What was with this child? Kagome slowly rose off the tree root and knelt before the girl. She didn't care that her knees were in mud. More mud wouldn't change their appearance. The maiden stared intently into the girl's young face, "Why do you need to be here?"

Automatically Destiny burst into giggles, "Do you want to know?"

The woman smiled. The girl's face was so pretty with laughter. Kagome nodded, "Will you please tell me?"

Destiny leaned forward and cupped her warm hands around the priestess's ear, "It's a secret."

She jumped back and spun merrily. Kagome shook her head unsure whether to be angered or be humored. What was it about this girl that made Kagome's guard drop?

"You best go before your friends worry" the child proclaimed.

"Yes, of course" she replied, "but I don't know where they are and I don't know where I am."

Quietly she turned around and faced the older maiden, "Neither matters. What matters is which way you should head."

Destiny stepped out into the rain ignoring Kagome's plea to return. The beautiful child lifted her hand and pointed in a nameless direction, "You should head that way. Go that way and you shall rejoin your friends."

Kagome stared at the girl her breathe quickening. The girl's sudden emotionless expression frightened her. It was a look she had seen throughout the last years. It was a look that demanded an obedience of the viewer.

That face was not an expression a child should ever own.

Destiny smiled, an empty smile, one that did not sparkle her eyes, "You can take that road if you like, but know its danger. That road leads to the mountain's darkness, where you and your companions were headed."

"How do you know that?" Kagome gasped her eyes wide.

The girl's voice became full and vast echoing throughout the woman's mind, "Beware priestess for this road is remorseless and it shall bring about the climax of that which surrounds you."

After the echoes had faded the girl broke away into a run towards the direction she had been pointing to. Kagome leapt to her feet and chased after the girl, "DESTINY!"

The woman used ever skill she had gotten from her P.E. class and followed the blurring form before her. If that girl stayed out in this storm she would likely get hurt or ill. The rain speared the woman's eyes and she ran blind to direction, "Destiny!"

Shapes slipped and ran together in a puddle as Kagome's limbs grew tired.

Where had the girl disappeared to? She couldn't have out run her?

Kagome's shoes slide through the mud and she whipped out her hands. In seconds she was slapped into the mud, down onto her right side

The earth's blood seeped into her clothes. Cold swept through her bones. Groaning she got to her knees and wiped the mud off her face with the back of her hand.

'I am not even going to ask whether this day could get any worse.'

Automatically an imaginary drill began to rotate into her forehead. Kagome winced at the impact, "What's that?"

She got to her feet and stared at the empty downpour. Her eyes narrowed, 'Shards. I feel shards.'

Ignoring the cold rain and the loud thunder overhead Kagome strode forward following the tingle in her spirit. She forgot that she was soaked and that she had lost track of the young girl. Her heart was hammering when she realized the sensation was growing more intense.

Only one person had so many jewel shards.

Her feet froze as she noticed several forms approaching. Immediately she reached for the bow behind her back. Kagome grew frantic when she didn't feel the familiar quiver holding her arrows and bow.

'There in my bag. The bag Inuyasha was holding for me.'

Her heart froze as a center figure came into focus. Holding every ounce of fear in her soul back, the woman whispered, "Naraku."

The recognizable baboon pelt stepped forward out of the mist, "Finally my prey has been found."

Kagome tensed and stared into the empty eye sockets of her enemy, "I should have guessed you were here. You always are the one responsible."

Gradually the other forms behind him became identifiable. Kagura, Kanna, and Kohaku stood in a formatted line of soldiers. Her eyes swept over their faces. Each of their poisoned heart was ready to obey his wicked desires and that notion consumed her with grief. Every one of his minions had been somehow manipulated into submission. She could almost see the links wrapped around their wrists.

"I am quite pleased with Kagura's effectiveness to separate you from your traveling party" the demon king's dark whisper woke her from the pensive distraction, "This way we shall not be interrupted."

'Stay on your toes, girl. You are definitely in the loin's den.'

"I don't care if I am alone and unarmed, Naraku. I won't just hand the shards to you" Kagome shouted defiantly at his masked face.

A wicked laugh rattled her skeleton, "The shards are one reason why I have brought you to me, but if that had been the only reason I would just have already killed you and claimed their ownership."

She took a hesitant step back, "Then what is it? What else could you want from me?"

Utter blackness filled overhead and the puddles splattered faintly around them. Naraku took a step forward his fur coat dragging through the mud, "I have discovered your secret, little one."

What on earth was he talking about?

"Secret?" Kagome floundered.

She watched a smirk overtake the visible part of the demon's face, "It took me almost four years to understand, but I recently discovered exactly who you are."

He had known for quite a while that she was the reincarnation of Kikyo, so what could he have possible found-

'Oh, my God!'

By this point Kagome was ready to bolt. If he knew who she was then. . .

She didn't dare finish the thought as panic enveloped her heart. Foolishly, she turned tail and raced back the way she had come. She had one foot in the air when she felt the metal chain wrapped around her grounded foot. Her hands shot out when her ankle was jerked backwards, lurching her forward. Kagome slammed painfully into the ground. She frantically got to her knees and reached for her tied ankle. Her hands had barely brushed the sickle's handle when Kohaku again pulled on the chain dragging her through the mud. Fighting in distress her fingers yanked at the tight metal links. She began to shake as she was pulled into the shadow of the powerful demon creature.

The empty eye sockets of the baboon's face stared down at her. Looking into the darkness within the animal mask Kagome could see a pair of wicked eyes gleaming. Naraku smiled forebodingly, "I wasn't surprise years ago when I discovered you were Kikyo's reincarnation. Seeing the familiarity in your faces is obvious to anyone."

"However" he stepped closer causing her to fight the chain again, "I was surprise to realize you did not belong in this time."

'Please, no.'

Kagome glared at him, "I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"I never took you for much of a liar, Higurashi" his voice spoke smugly.

She drug herself backwards, her fears growing worse with each word. How could he possibly know? Perhaps he had seen her go through the Bone Eaters well, or heard her speak of her time.

"It took me all this time to figure out why you appeared so different from others" his voice was a sinister seduction bringing her into a frozen trance. Kagome subconsciously comprehended a spell stopping her movement, but her entire focus was on the purples eyes staring down at her.

"Your clothes told me in an instant you were different" he spoke just above a whisper, "The day I saw you I knew you were related to Kikyo. It wasn't until I spoke to dead priestess did I know for certain that you were her reincarnation."

She began to see beyond his eyes. Kagome could see endless demon spirits intertwining together. She blinked rapidly trying to wake herself.

"My curiosity peaked each time we crossed paths" he continued, "It didn't take long for me to decide I needed someone to follow you, so I sent one of my poisonous wasps."

She tried to move. Every ounce of energy went out to her limbs trying to circulate the blood. Kagome sensed her right hand drag an inch back, but it refused to go further.

"I was quite confused when my scout kept returning to tell me you had vanished into a stone well, a well I first saw you at."

'Move, Kagome!'

"I waited. I could not follow myself or else Inuyasha would be aware of my presence. I never got the chance."

Her breath trembled into the rain and became visible. He hadn't completely immobilized her. The internal organs were still pumping enough to keep her alive. Kagome was sure if he wanted to he could stop the beat of her heart.

"Kanna's mirror was the only force able to show you in the act of disappearing to some unknown place. What I could never figure out was where you disappeared to."

Unexpectedly his hand jumped out from under the white cloak and wrapped around the young reincarnated woman's neck. Kagome tried to suck in the free air, but her windpipe was closed off.

The weight of the demon's body pushed her backwards. Her head hit the ground again and spots fluttering into her eyesight. Gasping, Kagome tried to regain her movement, else she would suffocate.

His hand squeezed, "Now, you can imagine my frustration when I tried countless times to discover your dwelling. It wasn't until you left the last time that I learned the truth. I learned you don't belong in this time."

Her eyes became unfocused and she no longer could decipher the people surrounding her. Carefully she spoke trying to save her energy, "H-how?"

"Although the shikon jewel has been shattered every piece is connected. With the help of Kanna's mirror and the connection between the shards I was able to see everywhere you went" he replied arrogantly, "When you passed through the well the reflection became distorted, but after weeks of watching I learned all that was necessary."

She needed air.

Kagome was floating, but her body remained on the ground.

"Now" Naraku spoke louder knowing she had grown distant, "I want to know how I can travel to your time."

Everything stopped.

All the horrors, nightmares, and fears Kagome had ever dreamed crashed down into that one moment. He couldn't possibly be thinking about traveling to her time.

"WELL?"

Blood dripped down from her nose as her face took on a blue tinge. She forced her eyesight to focus on the monster's face. Choking on the lack of air the priestess sputtered out, "Go to Hell."

Fury filled the demon's eyes and he shoved her further into the mud, "You dare to push my patience?"

By this time, Kagome had lost all sense of reality. Everything behind Naraku became black and white. His grip was the only sensation hitting her nerves. Even his stone grip felt like rubber at that moment.

'Where are you, Inuyasha? You always come when I need you.'

As she lost all feeling in her body Kagome's only thought was how for once her beloved had failed to save her.