InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Enmity ❯ Fracture ( Chapter 2 )

Ch. 1

Fracture

"His hands are saying that he wants to hold her. His feet are saying that he wants to chase after her... He's probably forgotten that I'm here, beside him."

Ai Yazawa, Tenshi Nanka Ja Nai Kanzenban, Volume 1

Petrifying emptiness had descended, enveloping the once sleepy forest in a thick mist. Every beast of land and air silenced in fear, their instincts driving them away into darkened burrows and the hollows of ancient lifeless trees. Trying in vain to hide themselves away from the evil that swallowed the forest whole.

The darkened haze billowed angrily, as distorted shadows broke through the barrier of mist at break neck speeds, the only proof that something still lived+0 within the frozen forest. Small pale hands gripped tightly in folds of coarse crimson fabric searching for support as the wind threatened to tear them away from the comfort of the all too familiar red. Kagome clenched her jaw willing herself to focus, her arms and legs straining as she struggled to keep her hold, clinging to Inuyasha's back as he barreled precariously through the thick mist.

'Inu...yasha...' she cringed inwardly, the tiny voice within sounding just as weak as she imagined hers to be if she had allowed any words to escape passed her lips. Her small body shuddered feeling as the hollow in her chest fluttered uncomfortably, the angry wind greedily stealing the breath from her lungs. She felt as her hands wound deeper into his haori, searching for the comfort they so often provided. A comfort, she felt, she didn't deserve.

Stormy eyes watched timidly from her perch over his shoulder, wishing to see his face, wishing she could apologize, even if she knew he would have none of it. In the end though, all he had allowed her were the harsh lines of his profile, his handsome features contorted in aggravation as he stubbornly kept his gaze fixed forward as if she had not been there at all. 'He's angry with me...' Kagome felt the burn of hot tears as the wind whipped violently, stinging her eyes with Inuyasha's speed. scrunching her face she admitted defeat, turning to find shelter in the hollow between his neck and shoulder.

She felt her heart stutter within her chest, her eyes squeezing shut forcing tiny trails of tears past her long eyelashes in the process. She could feel his heart pounding, racing with desperation as she clung to his back, the pounding reverberating within her as if it had been her own. For a moment all else drowned out as she listened to his labored breathing, a trivial thing she supposed, if he had been human but in the two years she had known the half demon she had never heard him like this. Ragged, labored.

Eyes squeezed shut as she fought the urge to bury her face within his silver hair pushing down her tumultuous emotions as she listened to his heaving breaths. '...I can hear it...how despersate he is, in his breath...in his heart beat.'

oOo

She stood alone in the middle of the rocky clearing, blood red eyes skimming the small group before her flatly. Her painted lips hidden behind a paper fan in a gesture of distaste as she eyed the small group before her.

Kagome watched as Kagura rolled her ruby red eyes accompanied by an exasperated sigh as she snapped the seemingly delicate fan closed. "I see you received Naraku's message." She waved the fan carelessly in the direction of the billowing smoke, her voice and posture portraying her indifference .

"It was kind of hard to miss..."

Inuyasha ground out, his hand reaching for tetusaiga as golden eyes darkened. A deep growl emanating from the back of his throat as he glared at the wind sorceress. Kagome's grey eyes clouded over at the mention of the tiny village, smoldering from flame and Naraku's infectious miasma. She remembered the bodies he had left to decay. The charred remains of men and women...children as they clutched to their mothers. Her ire rising at their inability to offer them the burials they deserved as they pressed on in their game of cat and mouse.

Kagura snorted in response to the hanyou's ill temper as she tapped the tip of her fan to her chin thoughtlessly. 'Well...we all know how he gets...' Kagura paused waving her closed fan casually before breaking the silence once again. '...When he has one of his little...tantrums.'

Inuyasha snarled, his jaws clenched tightly allowing Kagome a small glimpse of his sharpened incisors. His body tensing as he stepped forward, legs planted firmly in the gravel beneath him prepared to push him into a defensive at the first sign of danger.

"I dont' have time to fuck around, Kagura! Quit your fucking yapping and get the fuck out of my way!"

The clearing grew silent as all eyes fell onto the wind sorceress unceremoniously. Kagome watched intently as something flashed in Kagura's deep red eyes disturbing the normally placid features of the demoness, if only for a moment.

Kagura glared back at the hanyou aggravation and distaste apparent at his brashness. Her wrist flicking harshly snapping the fan open before placing it in front of her face yet again pausing momentarily as she debated on what to say next.

"He is after the specter. The miko, Kikyo."

oOo

Hot tears threatened to spill over as they stung her eyes, her heart clenching as she remembered the look of dread that plagued his handsome face. His fear tangible as Kagura's words sunk in. Hesitantly Kagome lifted her head, turning away from the silent demon allowing the harsh winds to dry away the small traces of tears from her eyes before a familiar

Stormy unsure eyes lifted, her body shifting ever so slightly in response to the familiar feel of the shikon shards. She lifted her body slightly raising her head high, hands moving to grip the broad shoulders of her companion. "Inuyasha, up ahead...he's waiting."

She felt her stomach drop as he launched himself into the air without a word, his speed increasing ten fold forcing Kagome to shelter her face once again in the crook of his neck, his breathing becoming even more strained than before. '...he's so desperate...'

She tightened her grip around his shoulders hoping that in some way she could offer her friend reassurance, her lips parting in an attempt to comfort him before closing yet again in defeat. She allowed her head to return to its hiding place, withdrawing back into her mind as she held tightly to Inuyasha's back, the vague warmth of the jewel growing in intensity with every step of Inuyasha's bare feet. 'I wish I was stronger.'

oOo

All it took was the mention of her name and he had took off without a second thought. It didn't matter how strange the situation was. How out of the blue it was that Naraku was searching her out when he had spent so much time distancing himself from the woman Onigumo had once lusted for.

Kagura had never said the words, not outright but they both knew what lay just beneath the surface, the hidden message behind her warning.

It was trap.

They both knew but neither had said a word.

Kagome chewed her lip thoughtlessly,her hands moving to rub away the chill from her bare arms as a familiar warmth skirted the edge of her senses. A sliver of time slowed to a crawl leaving the clearing and everything in it forgotten if only for a moment as a fragment of the jewel called out to her, to the woman it once called home.

A shard bathed in anger but not the malice that Naraku had nurtured and an underlying sadness buried too deep to be that of Kohaku's. Somewhere, just beyond those trees, someone wished to watch, remaining unseen.

"Lets go, Kagome!" Kagome snapped her attention back at his harsh voice, nodding submissively as she made her way towards Inuyasha's offered back, his low growl pushing her to go faster, reminding her just where his priorities lie. She shuddered as he gripped her thighs harshly, shooting off through the canopy leaving the small clearing behind, the jewel shard's warmth fading with every leap.

She turned her face into his shoulder, the harsh wind whipping at her face. Her grip tightening as she focused harder on the fading jewel. There was a sadness that drew her in, not like kohaku's. This sadness was hidden, burried...like hers. A sadness that went hand in hand with anger, hand in hand with loyalty.

feelings she understood.

oOo

His movements slowed, the forest around them growing sparse as they moved closer to a small clearing surrounding a steep ledge. Opposite sides of a large chasm connected precariously by a dicey looking rope bridge. The wood slats glistened from the wetness of the mountain fog, bits of broom and log moss covering the wet wood. Inuyasha stopped suddenly, loosening his grip on Kagome's thighs.

"Why are you stopping" Kagome questioned as he knelt to deposit her on the loose gravel covering the cliff side. Her aggravation began to boil over when he turned away from her ignoring the question as he looked out over the mountain fissure. "I'm not sure what Naraku is up to..." Her heart skipped a beat as he paused, his voice quiet almost tired as he looked back towards her, gold meeting grey almost pleadingly. 'He's going to leave me.'

She found her voice as she forced herself to speak only managing to muster a cracked and desperate whisper. "Inuyasha, please...don't go alone, wait for the others if you wont take me." Her voice trailing off as she pleaded with him to wait, to be safe.

"I cant wait!" Kagome shied away from his outburst, his voice no longer quiet as it had been moments before, his anger and desperation finally making it's way to his words as his voice shattered the silence around them. Inuyasha stalled at the look on her face, his hand lifting from his side unconsciously in an attempt to comfort her only to return to his side before she could notice as he realized what he he was doing. He sighed turning away one last time. " He has her, Kagome. For some fucking reason he has her and I have to help her." She felt the fight leave her, her anger fading as her eyes fell from his turned back to the opposite side of the rift. Beyond that ledge Naraku was waiting...Kikyo was waiting.

On the other side of the void was what he wanted, he had always found a way to get to her. She admired his devotion even as it broke her heart, even if it was not for her. Above all else she wanted her friend to be happy and for that reason she would never keep him from going.

"Ok..." Inuyasha turned his head, his brows drawn together in disbelief at her consent, staring at her for several long moments before she finally lifted her head. "Just...be careful, ok" Her face lit up with a wide smile, the one that never reached her eyes. Her heart stuttering as she watched Inuyasha's mouth open and close as if to argue. The majority of her being rejoiced as he turned away,leaving without question as he always did, but then again there was that small part, deep down that still held out hope that maybe he would see.

"It's safer here..." Kagome shifted, holding her breath unintentionally waiting to hear what else he had to say but it never came. Instead he gave her one last glance over his shoulder before vaulting off over the chasm, his distorted red figure disappearing into the fog landing somewhere within the thick forest. She stood for several long moments looking out at the place she had last seen him before reluctantly moving to sit beneath an ancient oak. Resting her back against the sturdy tree, she couldn't help but let her eyes wander back to the other side.

All was still, the trees loomed quietly with no breeze to rock them back and forth. All signs of life still halted by the presence of Naraku. There were no signs of danger, no sign that two half demons had come to blows within the darkened forest. No sign of her hanyou and his miko. She looked away, her gaze focused on the earth beneath her, arms draped between her bent knees as she ran her fingers over a small fern distractedly.

Why did it feel like she was always watching him go? Always left behind, useless in a fight, left to wait for him to return...or aching silently as she pretended not to see him sneak off after the soul collectors? Why did she still hold this pointless flame for him when she knew where she stood with him.

'...as long as he's happy, I...I'll be...'

She shook her head in disgust, aimed solely at herself, the taste of her thoughts too bittersweet to acknowledge. She abandoned her train of thought focusing instead on the here and now as she turned to gaze at the silent mountain rift, the physical separation of Inuyasha and herself although she felt it wasn't nearly as wide as the one unseen. He was mad at her, or so she felt. Was she as much of a burden to him as she felt? Holding him back from the one thing he really wanted...is that why she was willing to stand by his side even if it hurt, her atonement for a pain she unwittingly caused him?

She supposed maybe she was being dramatic. Lately it seemed she was prone to bouts of melodrama, maybe it was just those damned teen hormones or maybe the fact that she had fallen down a well-being transported five hundred years into the past had something to do with it. That was bound to have some ill effect on her, right?

Her face scrunched as the acrid smell of smoke tickled her nose. '...smoke?' Slender fingers reached up to rub away the irritation as she looked toward the sky, finding an unsettling darkness in place of the brilliant mid day sun that should have been shining meerily. Her heart stalled within her as the sky came to life in a flurry of feathered wings, the terrified creatures taking flight abandoning their homes in terror.

She felt her stomach drop as the brush around her came to life with panic. She lifted her gaze towards the tree line they had just traveled through, the smell of smoke growing steadily, her eyes burning as wisps of mists much different then that which surrounded the mountain began to make it's way slowly through the trees. In an instant, it seemed, the horizon lit up as a brilliant haze sparked to life in the distance.

"...fire..."

Her voice came in a breathless whisper as she stumbled back her eyes glued in disbelief to the growing blaze. Her heart dropping as she caught the distorted images of two men sailing overhead, bathed in the savage glow of the raging fire as they lept over the chasm disappearing into the forest on the other side as Inuyasha had done only minutes before.

"Inuyasha..." Her body moved without thought, her foot falls seeming to slow as it often did in dreams, she felt as they pounded against the loose rubble, felt as she made the transition to the dampened wood, the bridge swaying with her careless retreat.

Then she felt it. Her heart frozen as she whipped her head to look back, that odd sense of warmth and ill intent calling for her as she caught his gaze. The hair around her floating in suspended time, watching as the man before her raised a large gourd to his lips, his face contorted into a baleful grin before eyeing her intently, speaking once before gulping a mouthful of liquid from the gourd.

"Stupid bitch."

The ancient rope stood no chance, the wood crackling under the immense heat of his flames as the bridge began to give way falling from under her, leaving her to join them in there free fall. Her chest fluttering as she fell, the wind quickly stealing her breath, her heart pounding in fear as she began her descent. Within minutes she was surrounded by darkness, the face of that man long gone as he leapt over the chasm, what little light left from the misty sky gone with him.

She squeezed her eyes shut as the wind whipped by, her body stilling , falling gracefully as she was seized with a sense of surrender. There was no point in fighting, not this time. This time was different, there was no monk, no kit, no Taijya...no hanyou. There was only her.

'Is this how it ends? All of this...all of this destiny?!'

Anger welled within her as she squeezed her eyes tighter. All of this talk of destiny, she was the shikon miko, she was going to help destroy Naraku and after two years of fighting to win this was how it ended?

'No one to be there...to say goodbye...How...Pointless.'

Time never slowed like they said it did, the moments of her life never replaying. There was only her regret and the sound of the wind as it whipped through her hair. At the last minute she let her eyes flutter open, wanting to see the world, even at its worse, one last time. Grey blue eyes caught the blaze from above wishing it could have been the sun instead,

'...pointless.'

oOo

"Look, seems this bitch has some fight left in her." The sullen man wandered forward, throwing his halberd to rest on his shoulder as his companion nudged the small form with his foot. He recognized her, she was the girl from earlier. The hanyou's wench, or so he thought, but here she lay broken and bleeding left behind without his protection. He turned away no longer wishing to see her mangled body. "Put an end to it Jakotsu, there's no point to let her lay there like a dog."

Jakotsu eyed his friend wearily before pulling out his jakotsuto.

"No..." The two companions turned at the sound of the deep voice, watching as the mist parted around the approaching figure. "Leave her."

Maroon eyes glimmered from under the white fur cape. "I can find some use in her."

A/N:

Here it is Chapter 1 for Enmity!

I sincerely hope you like it and I just want to warn you all that there may be significant amounts of time between updates but only because I truly want to give the best of my abilities instead of just pumping out stuff just to say I updated.

I want to say thank you to those who have read and reviewed my short prologue and a very special thank you to ChaoticReverie!

Your review left me so encouraged to continue on with this story! You are very right even if I'm not a 'review whore' I do love each and everyone they encourage me greatly and it's nice to know someone else enjoys reading my stories as much as I enjoy writing them :)

once again, Thank you guys so much!