InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Divine Interventions ❯ Angelic Rage ( Chapter 10 )

Chapter 10 Angelic Rage

Inuyasha and Kagome stood outside the apartment building, arguing. Although she desperately wanted to go in, Kagome was trying to convince Inuyasha to wait for her outside for a while, so she and Michael could have some private time to talk.

“No way, Kagome. I'm not leaving you alone with him right now.”

“Look, even if he's still angry with me, Michael would never hurt me. Besides, we really need some alone-time to talk, as in time-without-you time, okay?”

“I said no, wench. I'm not leaving unless you want to leave me.”

“Inuyasha, can you stop being such a control freak for once? My going back with you isn't just about our quest to find the shards anymore. It affects things here and Michael now too.”

Inuyasha looked at her askance. “What do you mean, it affects Michael?”

The tang of her anxious scent and quick spike in her heart rate told him more than her words.

“Oh what now, Kagome? How much shit can one woman hide?!”

“I mean that I want him to understand why I'm doing this! Look, I'm leaving with you, so for once can't you act like a gentleman and honor my request?”

“Huh!” Kagome thought, “Now there's a funny thought, Inuyasha acting like a gentleman. . . . opening car doors for me, holding out the chair for me before we sit down at a table.”

“Guess not. Are you going in or not?”

Kagome gave him her best sour look. “In. But I mean it Inuyasha. If you so much as start something with Michael—“

Inuyasha interrupted her. Something else was bothering at him, another question: How do you know he's waiting for you inside?”

“Um, well, the apartment's not just mine and Chloe's. Michael lives here too.”

For a moment there was a tense silence as Inuyasha processed this new bit of information, the hairs on the back of his neck raising and his arms tensing.

“Does he sleep with you?” he managed the voice the question without a growl.

“WHAT?!! Inuyasha, NO! It isn't like that! We aren't-we don't-“

“I know you're not mated. I meant do you share the same room, same bed?”

“No. There's three bedrooms. Michael's is across from the kitchen.”

“Hmm. And Chloe's man, the one you, uh, danced with?”

“Brad doesn't live here. He has three other roommates and they share a house off-campus.”

Inuyasha was not happy to learn that Michael lived in the same apartment as Kagome, but he relaxed somewhat in learning that he wasn't too close to her, “at least not yet.” Something else was bothering him about the situation, a wisp of a warning, of something important.

He was relieved, too, that Brad didn't live here. If the man tried to hurt Kagome for what she did to him tonight, if he touched her, “he'll wish Kagome had killed him.”

“I'm going to have to face Chloe too. She's going to hate me for what I did.”

“Does she know about your powers too?”

“No, but she must have seen, must know I did something to him by now. I hope he's alright.”

“Hmph. He was breathing when I left. I think he'll be sore for a couple of days, but he should recover. He may not ever get over what you said to him though. A man doesn't easily forget something like that.”

“What I said? Inuyasha, you heard me? What did I say?”

“Gods! She really doesn't know, doesn't remember?”

“You threatened to castrate him.”

“I did?”

Inuyasha nodded. “Oh.” Kagome looked thoughtful. “I remember--I kissed-no, LICKED HIS EAR?! Ewwh! That's GROSS! That explains why I can taste as well as smell his cologne!”

Inuyasha felt some gratitude at her response, but when she paled he asked, “What is it now?”

“I'm feeling sick thinking about it. I need to brush my teeth”

“Ha! I could have told you that hours ago.”

She gave him a disgusted look and walked away, leaving him to follow her up the stairs to her door. As they reached the doorway she whispered back at him

“Remember, Inuyasha, don't start any crap.”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “I'm not making any promises,” he thought.

Kagome had left her purse and street clothes backstage in the club's dressing room, so she reached up on the door jam and felt for the spare key. She put it in the lock, and turned the key.

Michael sat with his legs crossed on the white, leather sofa, watching her as she came through the door.

He sat there, wearing an expression that conveyed both boredom and amusement.

Keeping his voice low and ice blue eyes steady, Michael said, “Lucy, you have some explaining to do.”

He smiled at her, causing a dimple to show in his cheek, and raised an eyebrow in Inuyasha's direction.

Kagome opened her mouth to respond, but before she could Inuyasha had moved in front of her.

“What the hell is it with you and her name anyway? It's Kagome. KA-GO-ME. Kagome. Not a hard name.”

Michael laughed heartily at Inuyasha. “I forgot. Demons don't watch “Nick At Nite,” do you?!”

Kagome made a sound between a laugh and a sigh.

“Ah, but right you are, demon. Kagome is her name, and what a fair name, too. A fair name for a fair lady. My Kagome, My sweet KAY!” He laughed again, but the sound of it ended abruptly. “I'm needing a word with you alone, Kay,” he said, looking at Kagome, who tried to get around Inuyasha's back.”

“It's not happening freak,” Inuyasha said, using the word the boys had called him earlier that day. “If he likes to use names so much, maybe he'll like that one.”

“Oh, are we back to “she's MINE and so is the SAKE!” Michael gave a startlingly good impression of Inuyasha's voice, and then began to laugh again, saying: “I'm sorry love, but I think your friend's crude, possessive nature can't be helped. He is a demon after all, little better than your average animal. Just like a dog with a tree, he needs to mark you in front of me, just to let me know he found you first.”

If Michael knew what kind of `mark' he hit with his taunt--what a loaded word he had used to ridicule Inuyasha, he gave no indication. He seemed either oblivious to the fact or was being shockingly insulting.

Kagome was stunned by the comment. Was Michael really suggesting that Inuyasha had wanted to mate with her in front of him to prove a point? She felt nauseous, embarrassed.

“Michael, please, apologize for that now!” She could feel the tears forming in her eyes.

Inuyasha gave Michael his most threatening smile, showing all his fangs. “You dare to insult not only my honor but Kagome's as well? Now, you really have pissed me off ! If you weren't human I'd-“

Inuyasha stopped, and smelled something that frightened him. He tried to lock-in on Michael's scent, and smelled NOTHING.

“Shit, now I remember. If there was a man living here with her, I would have smelled it before. I didn't.”

With lightning speed, he unsheathed Tetseiga. He glared at Michael through narrow, burning-orange eyes, his sword raised at his side

“This fucker's not even human! What in the seven hells are you!?”

“Unlike you, I don't hail from any hell, but I can quickly send you home, if you like!”

Inuyasha gripped Tetseiga and tensed, ready to strike. As he moved, Kagome screamed.

“Inuyasha NO!”

“Stay back Kagome!”

“Inuyasha NO! You can't fight him!”

“Just watch me!”

The two men, standing only a couple of yards apart, advanced to each other.

Inuyasha took his aim, raised his blade, and

found himself down on his knees. Tetseiga was floating, suspended above him. An unearthly, soft glow surrounded his sword. He tried to reach up for it, but found he couldn't move. He was down on his hands and knees, looking up at his antagonist, and unable to move, even to blink his eyes.

Michael stood perfectly still, his hands were raised, palms out, in front of him. His eyes had gone from pale blue to swirling, glowing gray. His pupils were gone, replaced by streaks of blue light.

Inuyasha saw Kagome run beside him, watched her place herself in front of him,

“Michael NO! Don't hurt him! Please!”

If he noticed her, he gave no answer, but stood over Inuyasha, gray eyes rolling in terrible silence.

Kagome threw herself down and covered him with her own body. Inuyasha wanted to yell at her, tell her to get away from him, to get out of this and save herself, but he couldn't speak, or even growl. Never in his entire life had he felt so powerless.

He could feel Kagome's fear as she held onto him tightly.

“You can't do this! You can't take a life. That's what you told me. Our job is to protect. You told me that too! Michael, I'm begging you now with my own life! Don't hurt him! Please, “she sobbed “don't hurt him!”

Michael's blank eyes moved down to Kagome. They rolled quickly to blue, and, instantly, Tetseiga dropped and Inuyasha was released. Kagome let go of Inuyasha and ran to Michael, hugging him and crying.

“It's all right Kay, It's all right. I couldn't ever do anything that hurt you, you know that by now, don't you? And you know too, love, that if you don't want it to happen, I can't even send one such as the likes of this back to hell.”

“Michael, thank you. Inuyasha isn't evil. His soul is good.”

“Relax Kay, I can see the lad means you no harm. He needs to work on that temper and filthy mouth of his though if he's to be allowed around you.”

“I'm getting pretty tired of these two talking about me like I wasn't here,” Inuyasha thought.

He was relieved to be standing. Dazed by the experience, he steadied himself with Tetseiga.

Inuyasha didn't know what kind of being Michael was. He wasn't human, and he didn't have the scent of a demon either. He had no scent, which was disturbing enough, but his power was beyond anything he had felt before. Even though Naraku was a formidable enemy, Inuyasha believed he would finally defeat him, never truly doubted it. But there was something different about this Michael. Intuitively, Inuyasha knew he had not seen even a glimpse of his true strength. He had stood still and Inuyasha found himself paralyzed, held by the power behind his eyes. His eyes. . .Inuyasha thought about their startling transformation, watching the blue lines of energy darting and shooting through a glowing, metallic eye. . .He worried that this was not someone he could ultimately defeat, for the first time in his adult life, doubted himself.

“What the hell are you Michael, and what are you to Kagome?” he asked angrily, but his voice was still weak.

Kagome looked at him with alarm as he asked this, fearful of his angering Michael again.

“I already told you once, so please try to pay attention now. I'm not from hell. I'm an angel and I'm Kagome's protector, her guardian-angel if you will.”

“What the h-,” Inuyasha started to say, but was stopped by the way Kagome was furiously shaking her head at him, “What is an angel?”

“I'm a protective spirit, a servant of my maker and yours.”

Inuyasha raised his eyebrows, incredulous. “You're- you're a ghost with a human body?”

“Crudely put, but technically, yes.”

This answer makes sense. It's why he has no smell. But how is that possible? Kikyo's body is made from reanimated clay, what is he?

“I am high in rank, and I have the ability to taking human form for extended periods of time. lesser spirit beings can't do this.”

“So you're a ghost who can use a body?”

“No,” Michael said patronizingly. “I don't use a body. This is my body, was my human form when I was alive. When I have a mission on earth I use of my body, really a new version of it each time, for as long as I need it. I am human in form, not content.”

“Hmmph!” Inuyasha grumbled skeptically at him. “And your mission now?” he asked.

“Really love, is he always so slow?” Michael said, looking at Kagome. “I told you that already too. My mission now is Kagome. I'm her protector.”

“Kagome doesn't need you to protect her,” Inuyasha growled.

“Inuyasha,” Kagome interrupted before things started to escalate again. “Michael saved my life.”

Inuyasha took his eyes from Michael and looked at Kagome in shock. “What do you mean?” he asked. His brow was furrowed, showing his concern.

“A couple of months ago I was attacked on my way home from class. There was this crazy guy who used to watch me sing at the club. He started stalking me, making phone calls here. . . . I called the police, but there wasn't anything they could do to stop him. Then when I was walking home, he grabbed me, and. . . . “

she paused, looking down, deliberately steadying her breathing. “He would have hurt me Inuyasha, but Michael showed up. He stopped him.” She looked up at Michael, fresh tears and gratitude shining in her eyes.

This information hit Inuyasha like a punch in the stomach. He lowered his head, his hair hiding his face, as he tried to recover. Kagome could have been killed. Michael saved her. There were many times in the past where he had protected Kagome, saved her from death. He believed it was part of job, his responsibility. He would guard her with his life, always.

“But where were you when this happened? You weren't here. You were stuck in your own time, didn't even know she was in danger. What if this spirit hadn't shown up to protect her? What then? . . . .”

There was more to it than Kagome had voiced. He could tell that too, she was not telling him everything again, but this time he was sure she that whatever else there was, she was keeping it to herself because it was too painful to talk about, not because she wanted to keep secrets. He didn't want to hurt her anymore by asking her to talk about it.

Inuyasha looked up and met Michael's cold blue eyes.

His voice tense, but sincere, Inuyasha said, “Then I owe you thanks as well.”

This seemed to surprise Michael. He raised his eyebrow, looked from Inuyasha to Kagome and said, “Well love, you may be right about him after all, there may yet be hope for this demon's soul.”

“Michael,” Kagome said after a pause, “I need to speak with you please, it's important.”

“Tell me what you will Kay.”

“I want to speak with you in private. You're right, I do have some explaining to do.”

“That's good. I'm patient man, but I'm weary from the nonsense. You haven't been acting yourself tonight love.”

Kagome looked at Inuyasha, pleading. “Inuyasha, will you please give Michael and I some time to-“

“I already said I'm not going anywhere.” Inuyasha broke in, stubbornly.

“Fine, Inuyasha! Michael and I will step outside, and you can stay here.”

“No. Wherever you go, I go.”

“No you're not!”

“Yes I am.”

“Don't be such a jerk. I said NO!”

“I said YES, wench!”

“Inuyasha, SIT, SIT, SIT!- Oh Argh!”

Inuyasha stood with his arms folded across his chest. He grinned at her triumphantly.

Kagome gave a deep sigh. “Inuyasha, about the rosary. . . . you know I removed it not knowing why you were back, so it wouldn't be really fair of you to not let me-- .”

“Not on your life,” he said grinning, hugely, “No way.”

Michael watched the exchange with faint amusement twinkling in his eyes and a slight smile. “Really children. Enough. Kay, you and I can step out on the balcony. Your demon friend will be able to see you, but we speak alone. Now does that work for everyone?”

“Hmmph!” Inuyasha grunted. “Fine.”

Kagome didn't look happy about it, but agreed. “Let's go Michael.”

The two walked over to the small patio door and Kagome slid it open. Inuyasha watched as they left, noticing as Michael's hand lightly came up to her waist, not holding her, but still, making his claim on her known. Inuyasha was sure this was for his benefit.

“She's with him because she owes him for saving her life,” he thought. “But is that really all there is? And why does such a powerful spirit, an `angel' remain with her? He said she was his `mission,' what does that mean?”

As soon as she closed the sliding glass door behind her, Kagome whispered to Michael. “Take us up to the roof. He can hear every word we say from here.”

Michael held her closely. As Inuyasha watched them from the living room, they vanished, just as they had done earlier at the club.

“SHIT,” he said.

In an instant they were standing on the roof. The night had gotten very cold, but since Kagome was still wearing Inuyasha's rat-fur coat, she felt good. The pair stood together in silence for a moment, and then Kagome spoke.

“Michael, I really am sorry about earlier. You were right. I was out of control and I am so sorry.” Her sincerity was evident as she looked at him, her large, violet eyes lit with reflected starlight..

“Sssh, Kay, it's alright now. I know you mean it. You're not corrupted Kay, your pure. Your power comes from your heart, that's why it's so strong, so beautiful.” Kagome blushed as Michael continued:

“We just have to keep working on it, keep training. You haven't even begun to harness your energy, to do what you're capable of. We'll work together and you'll even learn how to use your power to control your emotions, and not the other way round. You'll see, my earth-angel.”

He was smiling at her now. He had forgiven her, completely. Kagome was so relieved, she rushed to his arms. “Michael,” she sobbed in joy, “thank you.”

“Now about your friend Kay. You told me about your past adventures with him and how you came part ways, so tell me now, how is it he's back?”

“I don't know exactly how,” she said, pulling herself away from his chest to meet his face, “Somehow the well was repaired. I must have damaged it on his side when I left. I never knew that before, I never knew the reason for why the well stopped working and I couldn't get back. Inuyasha told me today it was me. I guess it's another example of why I need anger- management training,” she said, smiling self-consciously.

“Anyway, my friends in the past fixed it somehow. Michael, it hasn't been two years on his side of the well. It's only been a month. Everything I told you about, the quest for the jewel shards that I thought was over, still goes on. He needs me Michael. I have to go back with him and finish what I started when I broke the jewel.”

His features looked like a stone mask. “Absolutely not, Kay. You're not leaving with him. You can't.”

Kagome was stricken. “What if he does stop me? No, I can't let that happen!”

“Michael, I have to do this. I know in my soul I have to do this. I don't have a choice, I just have to go.”

He grabbed her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. “There's always a choice. Make me understand this Kay. I need to understand. What do you mean, you know it in your soul that you have to go back?”

“Do you remember when I told you about Inuyasha's love, the woman he promised his life to, Kikyo?”

Michael nodded.

“I told you once before, I am her reincarnation.”

“ I remember well what you said, but are you so sure of the truth of it?” Michael asked, looking down on her in a look that showed surprise, but also a hint of something else Why does he look amused now?

“Yes, of course I am.”

“And how do you know this, love, that you're the reincarnation of this woman, Kikyo?”

“The jewel she protected and died for came out of my body the first time I was pulled through the well. It happened when I was injured in a battle. I didn't even feel it, never knew it was there, inside me, until it came out. Kaede, Kikyo's sister, confirmed it. The only way this could have happened is if I was Kikyo's incarnate.”

“So Kaede told you that, that you were her sister's reincarnation?”

“Yes. Listen, everyone in Inuyasha's time knows it. It's also why people think I look enough like her to be her twin, why I'm a miko, why I have the ability to see the shards of the jewels now, to purify them, and I guess why I have these new powers too.”

“And you still believe this, that you are her incarnation?”

“Yes, of course.” Kagome looked at him puzzled. Was he having trouble understanding her suddenly?

“Michael, is there something that—“

He shook his head. “I can not tell you anything that your soul hasn't revealed to you itself. Go on. Tell me the rest.”

“I have to put it right, Michael, all of it. I have to help my friends find the pieces of the jewel shard that I shattered when I first met Inuyasha. So much depends on it. I owe that to Inuyasha and Kikyo. They were cheated out of the life together, and since my soul is hers, I owe it to her too, to make this right. They both deserve peace and happiness. But it's more than that, much more. If we don't make the jewel whole, if too much of it remains in the hands of Naraku, I don't know what will happen. He is not just one demon, he's the combination of many. His evil is truly terrible, and he has grown more powerful as he has been able to find more of the jewel than we have. With Kikyo's help, he's already gotten most of it, so—“

“With her help? Why would she help a creature such as that get the jewel, the one that you would give your very life to protect?”

This was the very question that disturbed Kagome so much in the past. Why had Kikyo done it, seemingly betrayed them all?

“Michael. I'm not sure why she did it, but somehow it was part of her strategy to ultimately defeat him. We're all on the same side.”

“Would you have done it, Kay? Given the jewel to that beast?”

“Michael, how can you ask me that? Of course not! But I'm not Kikyo and she has her own reasons for doing things.”

“But you are Kikyo, didn't you just tell me that?”

Kagome stared at him. She honestly couldn't see what he was getting at here.

“Michael, we're different people, same soul. How can you, of all people, question this?”

“Because you are your soul and your soul is you, Kay,” he said cryptically.

“Michael, what do you mean?”

“It doesn't matter. What else?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“You said that more was at-stake in this quest of yours than Inuyasha and Kikyo's happily-ever-after.”

“That's right. If Naraku wins, it may not just affect the past. The present, this world could change. I can't even imagine what could happen. He's powerful, but right now Inuyasha and I still have a chance to defeat him. Michael, if I don't do this now, there may not be another chance, for any of us.”

“I'm sorry Kay, I can't risk it. Inuyasha seems quite capable on his own. I've no doubt that with Kikyo, the you that exists in his time, he'll succeed. You stay here, with me.

Kagome felt desperate. She knew she was losing to him, knew she couldn't leave unless she found a way to make him see it had to be.

“Michael, remember what you told me the night you saved me? You said you weren't allowed to interfere in human life or death, you told me you were bound by laws, but that this time an exception was made-“

“Yes, Kay, of course I remember. The question is do you remember?”

“I remember you told me about a destiny that I had not fulfilled. That I was being saved to give me the chance to do what I was put on earth to do. You told me I was running from my destiny, hiding from it for years, remember? Well, today, my destiny found me, came knocking at my door. I don't know about the rest of my life, but this one thing I know--helping Inuyasha is my destiny. I know this, I know this as I live and breathe.

He stood there holding her, looking into her eyes with silent intensity.

“You were planning to go with him even before you asked me, weren't you?”

Kagome looked down at the ground and nodded a yes.

He gave a deep, sad sigh. “Alright Kay, you win. I have faith enough in you to know when you feel this strongly about something, it's got to be right.”

“Michael!” she cried, hugging him, “thank you.”

Back inside the apartment, Inuyasha sat very still. His ears were pointing straight up, where he had listened to every word of the conversation that had just taken place on the roof seven stories above him. Kagome knew he had good hearing, but she didn't remember how good. At one point, a plane flew overhead, and that was the only time he had trouble making out their words. He thought he heard Kagome say “Inuyasha's my destiny.” He wasn't sure.

“Did she say that? “Does she mean it? What if she does mean it, what then?”

He frowned in his own confusion. There was far way too much to think about. His head hurt. He was tired, hungry. He knew one thing, that he was relieved. Kagome was going back with him. After witnessing Michael's power earlier, knew that if her new protector didn't want her go, neither Inuyasha or Kagome would have been able to do anything about it.

Back on the rooftop, Michael still held Kagome and stroked her hair softly with his hand. He waited a few minutes before speaking again, allowing himself the pleasure of simply holding her.

“Kay. . . . I can't go with you. My body is bound to this time. I can't exist in another.”

“Michael, I'll be alright. Inuyasha will protect me.” Besides, she said, laughing a little “if my mother could trust me to take care of myself at fifteen, I think you trust me now. I'll get through this and then I'll come back to you. I know I have duties in this time too. Will you be alright going it alone for awhile?”

He laughed down at her and said, “Ay, my fairy-fae Kay. I've been on my own for a few millennia now. I can handle the beasties-that-be without aid. It's your face and company I'm not sure I can live without.”

He had made her blush again, but she smiled up at him, pleased. She had gotten used to his flirtatious teasing somewhat.

“Michael,” she laughed. “stop teasing me!”

“Okay love, I'll stop, “he grinned, “but I'm not teasing. I mean every word, I give you my angel's oath on it.”

She laughed again and hugged him tight. If anyone would have seen the pair on the roof, they might have thought they were experiencing a hallucination, or a late-night, waking dream. In an instant, they were gone. Inuyasha looked out in relief as they reappeared on the balcony.