InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Haunted ❯ Of Hope, and Pain ( Chapter 3 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter 3: Of hope, and pain

Inuyasha studied the lands spread out before him. They had been traveling for the better part of a week, and were begining to head into more mountainous terrain. So far, they hadn't run into any rumors of shards, and no real youkai activity, either.

They had lost time because of Miroku's decision to go back to Kaede's to wait for he and Kagome to come back through the well, instead of continuing on. He glanced back at his companions, noting the handprint across Miroku's face, and Sango's pissed off looks.

He never learns... snickering, he looked over at Kagome. She had stopped and lifted her face to the sky, wiping at the sweat beads on her forehead. It was very warm, but there was an occasional nice breeze, and she was taking advantage of it right now.

She's barely spoken to me since we got back, or anyone else for that matter. I still can't figure out what she meant. That's why he's dead, and the scent of guilt coming from her, what was that all about?

He turned back to the view in front of him, and shivered. What was that? Just for a moment... something, but it wasn't youkai...?

"Miroku! Come up here for a sec." He turned as Miroku stepped forward. "Did you just feel something... odd? Just for a moment?"

Miroku had a frown on his face, as he studied the landscape in front of them.

"Yes. For just a moment, there was something - it didn't feel like youkai, more like a human spirit. But it was so fast, I can't be sure. It lies ahead of us, whatever it was, so if we continue on this path, I think we will find out all we want to about it." He thought for a moment.

"Inuyasha, if it really is a human spirit, you should stay back. There's nothing you can do about it, so leave it to me, alright? Sango, Kagome, please keep up and don't fall behind. We don't want to be seperated."

Kagome gazed out at the forest ahead. "It was a human spirit. You're right about that." The others were staring at her, dumbfounded.

Sango spoke first. "Kagome, how can you tell? I know you're a Miko, but, you caught more of it in those few seconds than Miroku did, and as a monk, he deals with spirits all the time! How did you know?"

Inuyasha answered for her. "Kagome can see human spirits, and also purify their souls; she did that once while we were in her world, it was the spirit of a little girl who died in a fire." He looked over at Kagome, then over at Miroku.

"The little girl believed her mother abandoned her in the fire and only cared about her brother, so she didn't pass on, she kept trying to kill her brother. Kagome healed her soul, allowing the little girls spirit to go to its rest, instead of to hell." He gave a small smile.

"She never ceases to amaze me, you know, she would try to save the whole world, if she could."

Kagome blushed, as Sango and Miroku stared, amazed. "Kagome, how did you do that?" Miroku splutttered. "The ability to purify a soul, only a very few holy men have ever had that power!"

"I don't know, all I did was talk to her. And refuse to give up on her. She wasn't a bad child, she'd just suffered, and was lonely and feared that her mother would be angry at her, and not care that she had died. I just gave her love, and hope," she said, shyly. "It's what she needed." Kagome shrugged, and smiled.

"Everyone needs love, whether alive or dead, it doesn't matter. Right Shippo? You were left alone, when your parents were killed; but its okay now, because you aren't alone anymore. We love you, and that's what you needed."

Shippo flew at her from Kirara's back. "You love me, Kagome?! Really, really, really?"

Kagome laughed as her little kitsune pounced on her and hugged her as hard as he could. "Of course I do, Shippo, you're like my own son, I couldn't love you more if you were my child by blood! How could you even wonder about that?!"

Miroku looked at her and smiled. "And that, dear friends, is why Kagome is so dangerous to Naraku, and others like him. Her heart is loving, and her soul is pure... she makes no distinction between youkai, hanyou, or ningen. She loves everyone, no matter what they are."

He bowed low to Kagome, and then straightening with a smile, said, "We are fortunate, indeed, to know you, Kagome, you bring hope for all of us that someday things will be better. You have taught me to look beyond a person's appearance, if it weren't for you, do you think our little group would have been possible?" He looked around at the others.

"Think about it, Inuyasha, Sango... can you think of any circumstances that would have a monk, a taijiya, a hanyou, a Miko, and two youkai traveling together? And yet, here we all are, and I would not have it any other way. You all have become like a family to me, and it's all due to Kagome. I could never imagine now not knowing any of you."

"Feh." Inuyasha snorted. "You're right, Kagome has changed all of us," he rolled his eyes, "but lets not get all mushy here or anything, it seems we've got a human spirit waitin' for us, so lets go chase it down already!"

The others all laughed and started up the road, ignoring the dust and heat, actually looking forward to reaching the forest, it would be nice and shady.

Kagome was still blushing as Sango walked up beside her. "Have you ever heard Miroku get so eloquent?" She snickered. "Be careful, Kagome, he might decide to try to grope you - you know how he gets when he finds something to be passionate about!" Sango laughed even harder.

"Oi!! He'd better not, or I'll rip his arm off. I told him Kagome's off limits! Damn lecherous monk" he muttered. The thought of anyone else touching Kagome...

Miroku tried to look innocent. "I was thinking no such thing, I'll have you all know. I was considering how best to deal with this spirit, that's all. And thinking how much you've grown since we met, Kagome. It's been what, almost three years, hasn't it? In fact," he mused, glancing over at her, "isn't today your birthday? Eighteenth, correct?" He raised his eyebrow.

"Didn't you once mention that in your world, eighteen is the age that you reach adulthood?"

Sango gasped. "Kagome!! Why didn't you say something? We could have done something special for you! You only come of age once, its a very special thing!" She turned and grabbed Kagome, hugging her.

Inuyasha turned and stared at Kagome. "It's your coming of age day? And you didn't say anything? Why not? Didn't you think we'd want to know?!"

Kagome bowed her head. "Honestly, guys, I just forgot. Technically, if you think about it, I've been on my own and away from my mother for quite a while now - making my own decisions, basically living as an adult anyway, so I just wasn't paying attention, that's all." She looked up and smiled.

"I wasn't trying to hide anything, really."

"Hmph," Inuyasha snorted, "You'd better not try to hide anything from me, wench, 'cause sooner or later I'll find out about it anyway," he said, looking at her meaningfully.

Silly wench, she should know by now that I'll get my answers, one way or another.

Kagome looked over at him. Damn, he's thinking about Kichiro again. He's warning me that he hasn't given up on that subject. Now what?

Keh. She took my meaning... good. She needs to realize who's in charge here.

Inuyasha smirked over at her. "Well, wench, welcome to the world of adulthood, but don't get any ideas, 'cause I'm still in charge of this pack, and don't you forget it!"

Kagome stopped and stared at him with wide eyes. "Pack?"

Sango broke in. "Kagome, Inuyasha is an Inu hanyou. They think in terms of packs, instead of family, or friends. They are very protective of their packs and...."

Inuyasha broke in quickly. Didn't need her giving away secrets before he was ready for Kagome to know them. "Feh, Sango, just drop it. It's no big deal, it's just words. All I'm sayin' is, is I'm the boss, okay? Not like it's any different than it's been all this time anyway."

"Oh, Inuyasha...." Kagome called, "stop trying to be a bully, you don't run everything. We all take care of our own side of things, and we all have our strengths and weaknesses. Including you." She glared over at him.

Baka! Who does he think he is anyway, with his 'I'm the boss' - well I'm an adult as of today, its official, so I'll just ignore him and his baka self if he tries to get bossy for no reason!

"Weaknesses? Oi, bitch, I ain't got weaknesses! You'd better take that back!" Inuyasha glared over at Kagome, then looked away and folded his hands into his haori.

Sango looked over at Miroku and they both started laughing. "Inuyasha..." Sango giggled, "Don't get all huffy, if you do, I'll just have to tell Kagome why you call her 'bitch'." She laughed even harder at his look of dismay.

"Oi, Sango, how the hell do you know about that, anyway? You'd better not say anything to anyone about that, you got that?" Inuyasha said, panicking at the thought.

Suddenly, Kirara stopped and growled, lunging forward to stand in front of the group, startling everyone. Any questions were quickly forgotten as she growled again. A mist was forming just ahead of them, and there was a human figure becoming visible within the mist.

I think we just found our spirit, Inuyasha thought.

"Everyone, get back!" Miroku said "that's the human spirit we sensed earlier, we must find out what it wants, and try to bring it resolution, so that it may move on." He watched as the mist cleared, but before he could speak, a sharp cry from behind him had him spinning around in shock.

Kagome stood directly behind him, blood drained from her face, eyes as wide as he had ever seen them. Shock and horror played for dominance in her expression, and she looked like she was about to collapse. Inuyasha swooped back and grabbed her just as her knees gave way, but she didn't even appear to notice. Tears were pouring down her face, with not a sound from her, and she just kept staring at the figure in front of her.

Miroku spun back to the figure. The man, for it was a man, was dressed in strange clothing, kind of like Kagome's clothes, and didn't appear to notice anyone else, he was staring right back at Kagome. He didn't move, until Inuyasha grabbed Kagome, then he stepped forward and spoke.

"Let her go." He stared at the hanyou, not giving him any quarter. "I said, let her go. No one touches my Kagome but me."

Everyone stared in stunned disbelief at the man.

Inuyasha was startled when Kagome pushed away from him, and stumbled to her feet, only to step hesitantly forward. "Ki-Kichiro?" she whispered, face pale and eyes full of pain. "Is that really you?" She shook her head wildly.

"No, it can't be you - you, your dead!!! How... why?! I don't understand," she whispered.

"Kagome! Who the fuck is this guy?" Inuyasha was getting angry. This spirit of some damn human was calling Kagome his? Over my dead body! he thought, irate.

"Well, Kagome? Who is this guy? Answer me, dammit!"

Kichiro looked over at the hanyou who dared to touch what was his. "It's simple, really. I am Kagome's betrothed. And you had better keep your hands off her."

Turning to Kagome, he said "As for the how, just because I'm dead, doesn't mean I have forgotten you. I won't let even death come between us, Kagome, you're of age now, and I've come to take you to the afterlife with me. We'll never be apart again, my love."

Kagome's eyes had gotten wider and wider during this speech, and the others had all choked at the 'betrothed'. A silence fell as Kichiro finished speaking, until Inuyasha managed to get control of his youkai, which had been very angered by the 'my Kagome' and 'betrothed' part of the speech.

He lunged forward and grabbed Kagome's arm, pulling her safely behind him. "Kagome! What the fuck is this ass talking about? Betrothed? Why does he think he has the right?!"

Kagome didn't know what to think. Her mind was whirling with confusion and shock, and she felt shaky and weak. "Kichiro - why? What do you mean, take me to the afterlife? I'm not dead," she shook her head, trying to regain some clarity.

"You belong with me, Kagome. I had to wait 'til you were of age, out of respect for your mother, but now, you're free to join me. I have been waiting for this day since the moment of my death, my koishii," he said.

Inuyasha felt his youkai fighting to get out, but held back with all his strength, knowing there was nothing he could do against a spirit.

Miroku stepped forward. "Excuse me," he said. "But I gather that you know Kagome, and that you love her. Am I correct?" At Kichiro's nod, he said, "If that is the case, then why would you want her to die? I do not understand your thinking on this."

"Death is a little thing, monk, and once it's over, Kagome and I will have eternity to be together." Kichiro looked over at Kagome again.

"Kichiro" she said hesitantly, "I can't go with you, I have things that I must do. It's a matter of honor," she said, as he began to shake his head. "Even if I went with you right now," grabbing Inuyasha's shoulder to silence him as he began to growl, "my spirit would be unable to go with you, because I have unfinished business here."

Kichiro looked at her, studying her face. "I'm well aware of your search for the shikon no tama, and of your fight against Naraku. Is this so very important to you, more important than me? And who is this hanyou, who thinks he has the right to touch you anytime he wants, and disrespect your rightful betrothed?"

Inuyasha scowled. "Talk to me if you wanna know about me, temee... as for who I am, I'm Kagome's protector." A very set, deadly, look covered his face, and his voice became ice.

"And I will protect her from anyone and everyone who tries to hurt her, no matter who, or what, you are."

Kagome gripped his shoulders, trying to soothe him. "Kichiro, why do you still talk about betrothals? We were never betrothed, and you know it. I know your father wanted that, but mine didn't agree. He wanted me to make my own choice, freely. Why are you still holding on to that?"

Kichiro whipped around to stare at the road ahead. "I have the right, Kagome, or have you forgotten why I died?" He turned back around at her gasp.

"I will leave for now. I understand that you have some things that you need to finish before I take you, but you must understand this. I will be back. And when your quest is done, I will take you with me. You owe me that." With that, he disappeared into the swirling mists again, until the road ahead was completely clear.

Everyone stared at Kagome as she began to slump forward, and Inuyasha caught her, lifting her into his arms.

She had fainted.