InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Forevermore ❯ Part Ten ( Chapter 10 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Author's Notes: Yay! I have an editor! KagomeInuyasha@aol.com is the ultimate Inuyasha e-mail account, I think. Thank you so much, nekoyoukai (or nekoyoki or something like that...I'm a little wired right now...) And so...thank you all for reviewing! Not quite 25 reviews, but I got enough. Now all, you know I wouldn't kill Inuyasha off. Don't even ::think:: that! Golly... I love Inuyasha, even more so than Ren and...wait, I don't want to give away anything so~ I'll shut up now! Thank you for reading; review, please. I got this poem from a friend who said she got it somewhere off in ff.net, so if anyone knows who it is by, please don't hesitate to tell meeee!! ^_^

::Forevermore::

a continuation/alternate universe fan fiction

a tale of truth, love and time

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I lost my soul to him, as gentle harps were playing of the seraphim

We gave each other a loving embrace,

As we lay together the stars in the sky spun their delicate lace.

I could read the history of love on his sweet face . . .

I felt only love and care through him

Hate and Lust grew loftily dim

Upon the morning light,

The sun shown through his hair of pristine white

We shared our love among the cedars there,

Among the dew, in the morning fair

Yes . . . among the flowers there, where perfect love is ours to

forever share

-taken from "Love Song" by ?

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:Part Ten:

What pain . . . Inuyasha never before felt such an intense pain. Only it was more physical; the one in his heart hurt the most. To see Kagome run to him and reach for his unmoving, faint form on the ground only to grasp at nothingness crushed his heart. He felt cold as though no blood pumped through his veins; so cold, as though he fell asleep in the middle of a snowstorm. That's where he saw himself only in his mind's eye, face first in snow that covered and surrounded him for what seemed like miles around. Soft flakes of the white substance fell from the white heavens and blanketed his dark hair and red cloak. Limbs numb to the bone Inuyasha tried desperately to move, only able to shift a small amount of life into his fingers.

::Arise, afflicted one::

Inuyasha's heart jumped; heated blood began to flow through him as he slowly opened his eyes, squinted with the effort. Dark blue contrasted against the brightness of the snow and he felt adrenaline surge through him accompanied with the voice he heard drifting through the storm. At first he saw nothing but the world turned on its side. So ever slowly his hands fisted and he brought himself off the ground, grunting hard with the sensation of moving his frozen appendages. On his legs, he breathed heavily, small puffs of air from his nose and mouth. So cold . . . but he preservered. He would have to make it through whatever was happening to him now, for Kagome.

::Come to me::

Inuyasha's eyes slowly rose above the ground to see a faint figure off in the distance in front of him. But who . . .? He heard with his weak human ears the soft crunching of snow in unison with steps growing nearer and nearer. Only for a moment did his vision blur and refocused; he felt so utterly weak and vulnerable. He loathed the feeling.

Now he could barely make out the person in whom the voice came from. A female in a traditional priestess attire, a white kimono with flower designs at the sleeves, the long flowing pants the color of forest green. Her kimono was similar to that of Kikyou's, only more elegant in appearance as a rosary adorned her neck as well as the tie that bound the top half of the kimono closed. Inuyasha looked up as the woman halted in front of him, almost too weak to lift his head fully. Whence she leaned down and touched his chin to bring his head up, her touch spread such warmth throughout his whole being, warming his soul and closing around it with an aura of fire. He grunted, squeezing his eyes shut at the change before opening them again and staring hard at her.

Pale features, long black hair separated in half and loosely tied in loops with white ribbons and reached to the middle of her thighs. If her hair was undone, it would have reached all the way to the middle of her calves was his guess. She seemed older than he, perhaps twenty mortal years. Eyes of emerald green, soft rosy lips and long lashes, bangs that veiled her forehead as small locks of hair curled around her face and brushed against her cheeks, hiding her ears. She vaguely reminded him of his mother, of her surpassing beauty such as Kagome's. Her eyes were slightly slanted but not as Kikyou's were; these eyes held more gentleness and innocence, almost like Kagome's looked when she was saddened. She peered into Inuyasha's eyes as though looking into open windows of a home, trying to see what was kept inside. When she spoke, each word seemed to have brought him shelter from the snow; no snow fell on her form, he noticed silently.

::You must stay strong, afflicted-one. You mustn't fall to the hands of death only to find recluse from the pain bestowed upon you::

He snorted half-heartedly. "Fucking hard to do when you just got hammered to the ground, lady," Inuyasha replied, voice cracked in his throat.

Something unexpected: A smile curved her lips and her hand moved to frame his face as she sat on the ground in front of him, uncaring of the snow.

::Nonetheless, you have the heart of a dragon, forever striving to survive. Your heart is what is most afflicted if I am not mistaken . . . She feels it too, here:: The woman laid her opposite hand on the left side of her chest. Inuyasha wondered how she knew. ::She mourns for you, grieves like she had lost a half of herself and can never live on as she once did before. I know she would have died in your place, afflicted-one, if the chance were given to her. She wants you to know she loves you::

Warm tears glistened on Inuyasha's eyes and he battled not to let them fall. "I . . . I'm not really . . . dead . . . am I?" I've never experienced such a thing, came the coherent thought. The tears finally fell into her hand, unbidden, as the woman smiled a sad smile at the display of emotion.

::If that is what you believe, so it shall be. But remember this: a determined soul will reach its desire, if its determination surpasses time::

"What the hell does that mean?" retorted the human man. "Time . . . is too cruel to me. One, especially me, can never surpass time as you say." He watched intently as a sigh escaped through her lips. Something about her gave him the impression that she had been through many things, such things that he had never imagined nor experienced before. Ancient was her aura. Who was she? A deity of illusions? A keeper of the death gates?

::Understand here and now; true love is and forever will be stronger than any wall of time. It is up to you to decide if you are strong enough to be able to see your beloved again, is it not?:: She stared pointedly at him, green eyes bright in the snow. ::Do not meet the fate I once did. I . . . did not trust enough, my feelings were not strong enough as I . . . was not strong enough::

Inuyasha searched her saddened face, aching to know what had happened to her, what she meant by all that she was telling him. Hadn't it been that he had not trusted enough long ago with Kikyou? And his feelings, not as strong as he thought they were, as he was not as strong as he now was presently? "What fate . . .?"

Rosy lips pursed and unpursed, she continued. ::A priestess from long ago I was, forbidden to love and all of its harsh realities. A life of normality I was refused. Yet I still found love, and inevitably, that love I lost. To say that the gods saw my sin I could neither admit nor deny, and struck me with as much pain as you have felt. Alas, one soul saw through my weakness and offered aid and strength. Kindness and comfort I found in Aoi-sama, a lord, deity, the Keeper of Time. However, my responsibilities toward my duty I kept until my usefulness expired, and never asked Aoi-sama what I truly wished for in all the world. A love to protect, hold close, to keep . . . forevermore::

A memory suddenly struck him like a punch in the gut. Seeing Kagome in the kitchen, her lips moving in the form of I'll love you . . . forevermore. Heated pain sliced through his abdomen and he remembered he felt pain there, similar to the gash that reappeared on Kikyou the day that she was awaken once more. He winced, supressing an outcry. His eyes shot open that he forgot he closed when he felt warm arms wrap around him, a familiar scent clinging to his nose and instantly the pain retreated. He looked downward and his breath caught; he gazed into soft blue-gray eyes that held the love he thirsted for . . . Kagome.

"K . . ."

"Inuyasha . . ." She whispered against him. "Daijoubu na no?"

His arms moved and surrounded her, burying his face in her hair as more tears escaped his closed eyelids. "Daijoubu, koishii," He whispered hoarsely, sobbing. "Sumimasen . . ."

Her head shook below his in disagreement. "Don't . . . just come return to me, please. Return to me, Inuyasha . . ."

Inuyasha's arms tightened in response. "I will. I'll never let you go, never. Kagome, I . . ." He blinked and looked down at her faint form. No . . . "Kagome!"

"W-What's happening?! Inuyasha---" She was disappearing slowly, just as he was before. Her hand reached out as she was pulled away, and when he reached out his hand to grab hers it vanished underneath his grip. Tears uncontrollably falling down his face, he didn't remember the last time he ever really cried. Not even for his mother did he cry to this extent. Closing his eyes, he tried to concentrate on the voice he heard in the wind . . . Kagome's.

And he responded, "I love you, too."

He felt a grip on his hand and he tiredly looked up only to see the woman from before. The same saddened eyes that hid nothing as she stood there holding onto his outstretched hand. ::You have a choice, afflicted one. To live, to strive to the goal at the end of time, or death and remain here where time does not exist. To live means to never give in to the ways of evil, to be in the world of reality in order to see the one you love most again. I have no doubt in my mind that you have not heard of the Shikon no Tama?::

He regarded her words, and warily replied, "What about it?"

::A single wish can bring everything the way it was supposed to be, afflicted-one. A single wish with the power of the Jewel of Four Souls can bring death to its own peril, as well as bring all life to ruin. Given into the wrong hands, that is what will come to pass. Your beloved has a mission to complete it as she once did before; she is needed again, to fight your nemesis with you in the ancient world alongside your comrades of the old world. However, if you all shall not come to succeed, time will end . . . and the world will become as cold as this has:: Her eyes motioned around them. The mere thought sent Inuyasha shivers. ::If you manage to escape the ancient world into the land of the present, in due time the curse would have caught up, but even so the mere evil use of the jewel will bring its guardian to her death::

Inuyasha's head spun; he hated it when this woman spoke riddles. "Are you saying that if the jewel is used for evil that Kagome will die?" When she answered with an ominous nod, he wrenched his hand away. "You don't get it, do you? The jewel isn't even whole yet! Do you mean to tell me that if only a half of the jewel is used then she will perish just as the light of a flame burns out?"

::You are the one that misunderstands me, afflicted one:: She stared sympathetically down at him. ::Your beloved is the one who had shattered the jewel before, is she not? Only she is the one to piece it together, to retain its lost shards. If one other does the act of repairing it other than she is when her death does arrive::

A vision of Naraku flashed before his eyes, bringing a scowl upon his face. "What must I do now?"

::Whence you awaken, you will once again find yourself in the darkness of your prison. Your comrades are there, stuck in a dream world neverending, and you must help them battle through it, by somehow interacting with their dreams and breaking them. Otherwise . . . they will live the life in their dreams, not able to recognize which is reality or not. There you must wait . . . until your beloved comes to you. She longs for you as we speak::

"I know that," Inuyasha replied simply. With a great heave of strength, he rose himself upright, knees weak and hardly able to keep his balance. "How in hell am I supposed to help Miroku, Sango and Shippou when I'm locked up somewhere else?" He flinched once when she reached for his hand and grasped it, inserting an item in his grip before closing her hand around his.

::Time will aid you::

She smiled, bringing what life it could into her eyes.

::Time will aid you. Remain strong, afflicted-one. It is the only way::

"My name is Inuyasha," He said. "And . . . Thank you for letting me see Kagome again."

She nodded in understanding, bringing a hand up to brush his bangs aside, fingers caressing his forehead.

::She knows the dream she awakens now of you is real; I am making sure of it. I did not want her to be destroyed, believing you died before she could say her farewell:: One last smile and she released him and he felt something in his hand, though he did not see what it was yet as she stepped back. ::Do not despair, Inuyasha. Hope is given to those with love in their hearts::

The world around them shifted and glimmered; Inuyasha sensed that this was goodbye. "Your name? I want to know the one who aided me when I've accomplished what I've come to accomplish in the end."

An amused smile, eyes twinkling with something mysterious, before she faded into the white background. ::What is in a name? Ah but if you must know, it is to Naomori you spoke::

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For a long while all she felt was coldness in her limbs, nothing but white in her eyes as her mouth murmured I love you into the emerging darkness. As she grew more accustomed to the feelings of reality she released her tears, and she cried silently on her own. She had seen Inuyasha in a dream, but it was so real she couldn't help but think it was a short connection she had with him before she was abruptly pulled away, back to her own miserable reality. She wanted to run to him, having felt his warmth in her arms. How tangible, leaving an unforgettable imprint against her body. Just touching him she was instantly informed of the pain he felt deep within, like they were sharing feelings. They were linked, tied, connected in some sort of bond . . . and Kagome would be forever glad.

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Tora prepared tea as Sazumai reluctantly warmed it for her by tapping the cup with her index finger, the warmth spreading through her palms and up her arms. They headed into the room Kagome was in, where she sat up against the headboard of her bed and was staring off into the wall where sunshine splayed across it from the window. "Good morning Kagome-sama. How do you feel?" Tora laid a hand on her forehead and cheek before Kagome turned away. Sighing, the woman sat herself down at the far end edge of the bed, trying to offer Kagome the tea at opportune times.

"Why bother, Tora? When Kagome-sama doesn't want tea, don't force it on her." Sazumai remarked where she stood at the doorway, eyeing the young woman dazing glumly off into space. Inuren glared at her from where he was stationed; he had brought Kagome's chair up by the bed where he was currently holding onto her hand.

"She'll drink when she wants to, Sazumai," Ren's tone matched hers, more so in defiancy. After spending a night near the woman, he discovered he disliked her fierce, fiery attitude. Fiesty, to mildly put it. Right now what Kagome needed wasn't a cup of tea . . . it was her one true love, and that still irked him to some point.

From what he had gathered from Souta, Kagome's younger brother, she had protected him before she had Inuyasha. The boy seemed annoyed with him he took to note; he noticed that he referred to Inuyasha as "Inuyasha-nii-chan," like the hanyou suddenly upgraded to brother-in-law. Later though, when Kagome's mother got a closer look at him she seemed to have went speechless for a moment. All she had to tell him was that he "looked familiar." Kagome's grandfather agreed as well, standing beside her as he poked his face with a withered finger. It was totally driving him to madness and even more so if he had to put up with it any longer.

He looked up to see into Kagome's sad blue-grey eyes, seeing nothing but loneliness there. Earlier that morning all three as in Tora, Yuma and Sazumai explained to her who they were, why they were here in the first place. At first Kagome had listened intently but when she asked about helping Inuyasha, it was as though Inuyasha was the last priority on their list. "He is none of our concern," Tora had said. "But he's my concern . . ." Kagome had responded, tears in her eyes. And as Ren sat there holding onto her unmoving hand, that Inuyasha had always been the first priority on Kagome's list.

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Kagome searched the closet downstairs and found what she was looking for and pulled it out, dusting off the travel backpack she used three years ago on her journeys through the well. Just seeing it brought her so many rich memories, and she went to the kitchen to fill it with some necessities. As she was walking, all of a sudden something stung on her neck and as if in an automated reflex action, one hand brought up and slapped the irritated area. Recognition crossed her face when she stared down at her palm.

"Myouga-jii-chan?!"

The flattened flea sprung back into its original shape, standing there on her palm. "Aa, ohayoo Kagome-sama! It's nice to finally be able to see you again; I apologize but it was the only way I could get your attention," He said, referring to the bite on her neck.

Kagome smiled, "Sure it was. Tell me Myouga-jii-chan, what of the others? Shippou-chan, Sango-chan, Miroku-sama . . ."

A forlorn expression dampened his flea-like features as he went on to explain, "They are trapped in illusion spells made by Naraku, Kagome-sama. That is why I have come, as a messenger so to speak." Silence from Kagome, as she tried to remember her companions and finding her memories of them a bit hazy. Imagining them under some sort of illusion spell made her anger at Naraku blaze even more. I'll kill that monster, I swear . . .

"What are you here to tell me then?"

And as she listened to the tale of Aoi the Keeper of Time, the demise of Naomori the ancient legendary priestess, and of her mission she hardly noticed one another listening in as well.

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This time around Kagome proposed to do it right; those penny loafers she wore before tortured her feet as she slipped on her tennis-shoes, double-tying the laces. She wore a sleeveless light blue sundress that was as short as her skirt uniform. She stood and ignored that Tora was trying to talk her out of it as Yuma and Sazumai listened in on the sidelines. "Please Kagome-sama, reconsider---"

She waved her off with a hand and began tying her hair up in a pony-tail. "There's nothing to reconsider, as there is nothing you can do to stop me." Finished with that task, she heaved on her backpack from the table and grabbing her bow and quiver before turning toward the backdoor. Walking toward the well house, she gripped hard onto the strap of her pack, determined now more than ever after she had heard what Myouga had to say. Slipping on the quiver, she slowly slid open the well house only to be stopped by her name called somewhere behind her. Swallowing, she glanced behind her shoulder to see Ren, a small frown tainting his features.

She had prepared herself for this; she didn't forget Ren. How could she forget Ren when all he looked like was Inuyasha? "I'm sorry Ren, but it can't be helped. I'm going."

His lips pursed, and he avoided her eyes. "I know. I wouldn't stop you anyway." He regarded her with mixed expressions of reluctance and sadness. "I'm sorry . . . I know you wish that it was Inuyasha you could've saved instead of me." Her heart lurched in her chest. How could he be saying that . . .?

"Don't . . . Don't say that Ren," She warned and walked the rest of the way to the well. She heard his footsteps follow after her and at the top steps she turned and confronted him.

"I'm sorry . . . but I ask you one thing, Kagome."

"Go on," she encouraged. Just don't ask me to stay.

"If . . . I can stay with you."

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. Surely she heard him right but . . . "You . . . want to come with me?"

Ren attempted a smile, half-heartedly. "What else?"

And for the first time that morning, he managed to bring a smile to her face.

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Author's Notes: PHEW! It is now 12:54 in the AM, and I started . . . at 10:00 PM I think. Right after I did Tae Bo w/ my sis. ^_- As you can probably tell by now, I take week long breaks in between chapters. But I try to make them long for you. Questions, comments...review! *cough20reviewscough* Thanx Amanda, for reviewing my fanart! You're so sweet! I didn't have a list of people to thank who reviewed 'coz for some reason the link to the reviews is screwed up. O well, someone else told me it didn't reach 25 (wah!) but I'm not complaining. ^_^