InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Forgotten Memories ❯ Return to Hell ( Chapter 10 )

Chapter Ten

Return to Hell

Somehow, Kagome knew she was dreaming. Yet, it's hard to care much, when you're surrounding by scenery as extravagant as this.

In a meadow filled with a wide variety of flowers of red, blue, gold, silver, green, purple, white, stood Kagome. The sky was a rosy pink, with fluffy clouds dangling in the sky. It looked so soft that you felt like you can just pluck it out of the sky and take a huge bite.

Even Kagome herself was more serene than usual. She wore one of her favorite kimono that Sesshoumaru had bestowed upon her. Her hair was left loose, billowing from the gentle breezes that teased it. Her eyes sparkled in the invisible sunlight, and she couldn't help but think that Rin would love to be here.

Suddenly, Sesshoumaru appeared, looking as gorgeous as usual. His silver locks danced, as he stepped to her. While she would have stepped back in real life, she stayed planted, as though her own feet had grown roots.

"Kagome..."

She didn't reply. What can she say, after all? He didn't care about her.

"I've missed you..."

At this, her eyes widened. He'd missed her? Her heart leapt, but she stamped her traitorous thoughts before it could take root.

It was as though he sensed her withdrawal, for his eyes dimmed momentarily, before his mask was back on. "I just want to remind you, Kagome."

Still, she didn't reply. Why can't she reply?

"That I'll be waiting...for eternity...my love."

~*~*~*~

The unpleasant tingly feeling on her back roused Kagome automatically. It was such a quick response, that she jerked the sleeping kitsune awake from his sleep.

Rubbing his eyes with his small hands, he asked, "Wuzzah matter, Kagome?"

She didn't reply, but instead scanned the area. InuYasha had already dropped onto a fighting pose, ready for the first sign of an attack. Sango held her boomerang close, eyes focused. Even Miroku didn't have a perverted thought in his head for once.

Kagome held her bow loosely in her hands, ready should she need it to protect her kit. Narrowing her eyes, she frowned at the feeling that's throbbing themselves at her. For some reason, it's familiar...and welcomed...

The winds suddenly changed direction, as though purposefully bringing them the scent of the creature. Kagome's eyes widened, as she realized who it was, just as InuYasha did.

"Kikyo..." he breathed, eyes filling with its usual longing/wonder haze.

The trees rustled, as though admitting the presence of the undead priestess. She arrived with her usual huff of arrogance and icy coolness. Her eyes betrayed no emotion, but for her usual sorrow turned upon InuYasha. It was as though she wanted InuYasha to forever remember that she'd died because of him...

Kagome scowled, when she saw her friend's eyes soften. Here we go again... she groaned softly in her mind.

InuYasha had already lapsed back into his usual Oh-my-God-Kikyo mode. He'd stepped towards her, a single hand reaching for her, before he seemed to remember Kagome. He turned to his friend guiltily, but was shocked to find that Kagome didn't wear the usual hurt/angered scent to her. Instead, she held a rather annoyed feel around her aura. As thought she didn't cared anymore.

Kikyo turned her attention back to the miko. "I'm not here to kill InuYasha today." She said, voice as soft as cotton.

"Then why are you here?" Sango demanded. She's only met the undead priestess once before, but she's long decided that she couldn't stand the girl. Such depressing thoughts cannot be good for you.

Kikyo paid her no mind. "I've decided that I need my soul back."

Everyone's eyes widened at this. She's here to kill Kagome.

Slowly standing, Kagome dropped her bow. "It's rather stupid to match a bow against a bow, don't you think?" she asked, and chose her weapon: the chain sickle. "This will make our fight much more enjoyable to our audience, do you agree, Kikyo?"

Again, her companions were shocked to find that their Kagome had become so accustomed to the many variety of weaponry.

Kikyo sneered. "You wish to match me? No matter what weapon you choose, the result shall be the same. Wait for another lifetime, girl." She cried, releasing an arrow in the process.

Kagome threw out the sickle, allowing the chain to fly across the distance. It struck the arrow, splitting it into two, and continued on towards Kikyo.

Shocked at Kagome's skill, Kikyo barely dodged. This time, Kagome smirked. "Don't underestimate me, my darling Kikyo."

InuYasha breathed again, when he saw that both parties were safe. He then growled at Kagome. "What are you attacking her for?"

Kagome glared at him. What a dense little--! Kikyo, however, offered her former love a small smile. Again, InuYasha melted. "Kikyo..."

The sudden sounds of chains filled the air, as Kagome launched yet another attack, this time, towards InuYasha. The shocked hanyou froze, completely numbed by the idea that Kagome would want to hit him.

The chain sickle passed through him, however, and seemed instead to embedded itself onto the surrounding ground. Light blazed through, as Kagome destroyed the portal to hell that Kikyo had created. Everyone opened their eyes when the light finally faded away.

Sango and Miroku stared, not having seen the disrupted ground before. They also marveled at how powerful Kagome had became...Is it even possible, that their Kagome could learn to be so casually exact with whatever weapon she chose? In time as short as it was?

Kagome glared at her. "I thought you said you're not here to kill him?"

Kikyo made no response, but instead matched her glare for glare.

Releasing arrow after arrow, she sneered with grim satisfaction with the fact that she knew Kagome wouldn't be able to destroy this many arrows at one time.

However, the miko made the single mistake of blinking, and suddenly found her target gone. Instead, her arrows headed for Sango and Miroku. The demon exterminator quickly called upon her boomerang, and shielded them from harm.

Another blink suddenly revealed Kagome to Kikyo's sight again. Kagome had used the chain to latch the blade on a nearby tree, allowing her to be able to jump out of harm's way.

Naturally, Kikyo glared. This Kagome was proving to be far more trouble than she's worth. But then, she IS my incarnation...

Again, Kagome threw her sickle at her, and again Kikyo dodged. InuYasha made a move to stop their fight, but Kagome just cried out, "Sit!" and he'd crash back down.

Miroku and Sango also moved to help Kagome, but again, the girl would stop them with a glared. This was a fight between the two miko, and no one would come in between to help or to defeat.

"Why is she doing this?!" Shippo wailed, worried that his Kagome would be in danger.

"Because." Was the quiet reply from Sango. "Kagome has to prove once and for all, that she's not Kikyo's shadow--and never was..."

~*~*~*~

"Sesshoumaru-sama!!!" A voice rang through the halls of the Castle of the Crescent Moon. "Sesshoumaru-samaaaaaaa!!!!!!"

Grumbling the bubbly girl, Jaken cursed yet again. Refraining from striking the exuberant girl, he muttered madly to himself about the folly of humans.

The overly cute Rin turned her large eyes to Jaken. "Jaken-sama, where is Sesshoumaru-sama?"

The chibily asked question caused the overly ugly toad youkai to melt, however much he disliked this human girl. He supposed, as far as humans went, this one is better than the others. "How many times do I have to tell you, brat!" he bit out anyway. "Lord Sesshoumaru is busy with the conference with the other lords and lordess."

"So they're in the con-con...confirent room?"

"Conference, girl. Not confirent."

"Hai! Con-ference." The girl said, pronouncing this new vocabulary slowly. "Is Sesshoumaru-sama there?"

"Hai...but m'lord is definitely not to be interrupted--!" He stopped, when he realized that his charge had already ran off in search for her father figure.

"Oh! M'lord will definitely take another century off my life for this!" the toad wailed, chasing after her. He can't believe he ever considered her cute.

~*~*~*~

(Anyways, back to the battle between the living and the dead miko.)

It was turning out to be quite the show, this spectacle between Kagome and Kikyo. Sango and Miroku had finally opted on sitting on InuYasha, seeing that it would become distracting for Kagome to continue screaming out "sits" on their friend every three minutes.

Shippo had finally decided that his okaa-san is not in any sort of danger, seeing as she's able to dodge all of the witch's attacks. He also noted, with significant pride, that her attacks are becoming increasingly more effective. If that "stupid lady that looks like my okaa-san" had blood, she would most definitely be bleeding right then.

InuYasha had tried harder than ever to get up, when he saw that his precious Kikyo was hurt. He tried even harder when, finally, one of Kikyo's arrows made slight contact with Kagome's cheek.

Kagome, who had sliced Kikyo yet again, failed to dodge fast enough when she caught sight of the oncoming arrow. It grazed her left cheek slightly, leaving behind a bloody welt. She also noted that Miroku and Sango were having trouble containing the anxious-to-death hanyou. "InuYasha, sit!"

Her brief lapse in concentration caused her immense pain, as Kikyo buried an arrow on Kagome's left arm. Wincing from the wound, the girl quickly countered with a stab to the miko's heart.

The undead priestess grimaced, when she realized that Kagome had managed to damage a major part of her body. Since her body had been made of dirt and bone, she felt no pain. But, due to the fact that Kagome had slashed her "heart," so to speak, she'd actually let loose all the souls from Kikyo's body.

Widening her eyes in shock, she called on her soul catchers, wincing when she felt her body weakening. Her loyal demons came at her call, yet suddenly backed off, as they couldn't break through the shield that Kagome had around them.

Unable to bring the souls to their mistress, they watched as Kikyo slowly fell to the ground, eyes turning duller and duller. Beads of perspiration came forth, as she concentrated on just staying conscious.

Kagome, seeing her past life falls to the ground, felt sympathy to the girl. Sending the demons off with a blast of her miko powers, she allowed her shield to fall. Making sure that Kikyo was too weak to do any damage to InuYasha, Kagome discarded the bow from her hands.

"Sango, Miroku," the girl called. "Let him loose."

The monk and exterminator shared a brief look, before getting up from InuYasha. Immediately, he dashed towards Kikyo, worry evident in his features. "Kikyo..."

"Inu...Inu...Yasha..." the priestess breathed, trying to concentrate on his handsome features. "Inu...my Inu..."

"Kikyo, I'm here. I'm here, Kikyo."

Oh, how he wanted to cry. It hurts so much, to watch the woman he loved die all over again. Yet, he knew it was for the best. As long as she stayed on this earth, she'd never be freed from her vengeful spirit. It's better that she returns to her proper realm.

"Inu...Yasha..." it seemed she's unable to say anything but his name in that instant. Her eyes started to close, as death finally came to claim her in its clutches again.

Before she completely faded away, InuYasha whispered the words she'd longed to hear in her entire lifetime. "I love you."

Her eyes opened, and in them, they all saw the degree of her love she felt for him. She gave no reply, as finally, her soul came to rest, and she returned back to hell.

Author's Corner

*sigh* Heh, I rather like that chapter. . . I don't have anything MAJOR against the undead miko, but I don't particularly LIKE her either. ^_^

In the beginning, I'd planned on having her die because InuYasha couldn't stand the fact that Kikyo's about to kill his new love, Kagome. So he comes forth and delivers the final blow. But then, I wanted Kagome to be the more dominant one. And also, I thought, that it's unlikely that InuYasha would take sides.

In fact, I find it that the hanyou might actually take Kikyo's side. I wouldn't know. *shrug* I'm not Rumiko Takahashi, and she's not drawing fast enough.

OK, so then, on with the responses, huh?

Kagome-the-Halfbreed: Glad you liked it! Thanks for reviewing!

Tsuki Yume: Heh, well, in my fic, eventually the two will come back together...I think. It's not REALLY decided on yet, but I don't really do well with sad endings. Most of my "sad" endings ends up having a sequel, where the new ending would become happy. Heh, I like reading sad endings, ok, though. ^^

Wake-Robin: I shall NOT be dragged down by such lowlifes!! *stands straighter* Danx, btw, for reviewing!

IndecisiveFreak: Haha, thanks a bunch for your encouragements-they're really flattering! Glad you liked it!

Sweet Cherry Kisses: Lots of greets to *Gay* Care Bear! It's not that I don't HATE Kikyo, but I don't LIKE her. She's too depressing for me. I like her OK, when she's with ordinary people, because, for some reason, she acts all nice. But, the moments she gets within a hundred miles of InuYasha and co, or with Naraku, she acts all vengeful, depressing, and, in my eyes, WAY too manipulative for her own good. Ha, I love Hiei lots, but my personal fav in YYH is Kurama, because the boy is a complete hottie! A crossover of InuYasha and Yu Yu Hakusho would be posted up soon as I complete one of these stories, be sure to look out for it!

fluffy+kagome=kawaii: Luv you name and agree wholeheartedly. I'll check out your work as soon as possible and thanks for reviewing!

Neolannia: haha...! I hope he bled a lot...*smirk*

Queenanneus: Keep reading! ^^ And I must compliment you on your perception!

No Tama: Thanks a whole lot for your encouragement! I'll shed light of the past in later chapters...Thanks for reviewing!

Satania_Li: Thankee! ^^

SavedFromBoredom: Glad to have saved you! If you need to complain to anyone about my updates, blame my editor...heh, leave me out...or you could blame Hachi...

Raine84: I try my hardest to keep them long, but if I do, then I'll have to take even LONGER!!! So, heh, gomen for leaving you with that cliff...

~* End *~

Several people asked me to make my chapters longer, so here's a poll. I could either:

have long chapters, and update less frequently

have short chapters, and update faster

Please also give me your definition of "long chapters." I'm not asking for chapters that's twenty pages or something, because then, I'm afraid, you'll be waiting for months!

Please give REASONABLE answers. I type in "Bookman Old Style" font at size 11 on my computer. Would all of you be satisfied with maybe a 8 page update each time, not counting my AC?

REMEMBER TO REVIEW!!!!!!!!

Love from,

Yukisora and Hachigatsu