InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Haunted ❯ Voices of the Dead ( Chapter 18 )

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

Chapter 18: Voices of the Dead

It had been a long four days. They had traveled at the fastest pace they could, and still be able to maintain enough strength for the battle they all knew was coming. One more day, and they would reach their destination.

Sango looked up at the sky, irritated and depressed. For most of the last day, despite the fact that it was still late summer, it had been cool, with a formless grey sky. You couldn't even tell where the land ended and the sky began. The horizon was lost in the overwhelming grey.

It didn't feel... natural.

Not only that, but they had to be on alert - they had entered the lands of the ookami youkai, and were planning on invading their ancestral graveyard. Things could get very ugly - very quickly. Right now, she was scouting for a good site to make camp, it was late already and they needed the rest.

This time, because of the territory they were in, Inuyasha wanted a place that was defensible, in case of attack, so that meant high ground, but something maybe at the bottom of a sheer thousand foot cliff, and with water nearby. The chances were good, since they were in the mountains, and asking Kirara to go up a bit higher, she finally found something promising.

Heading back towards the position of the rest of the group, she quickly reached them, and leading them to the place she'd found, waited for Inuyasha to look it over.

"Will this do? It's the only place I found so far even close to what you wanted."

"Keh, it'll do. Miroku, lets go hit the river, we'll catch some fish for dinner. The sooner we get them, the sooner we eat." The hanyou set Kagome down, and then immediately headed in the direction of the water, motioning Miroku to get a move on.

Sango watched the two men leave, then turned to Kagome. "Umm, Kagome? Is everything - okay between you two?" At Kagome's questioning look, she shrugged. "It's just that, well, it almost seems like he's gone back to the way he was before, you know, grouchy and gruff. I just, don't want to see you getting hurt all the time again, that's all."

Kagome smiled slightly. "No, Sango, everything's fine. He's just worried. He knows its coming, and he's getting tense. You know the way it is before a battle, you're a warrior too. Don't worry about it."

She knelt down in the center of the clearing, dropping the load of wood she'd gathered, and began setting up the fire pit. Everything seemed to be damp and weepy here, and she used every trick in the book to find dry wood, and get the fire going.

It's a good thing I've finally learned a few tricks about living in the wild, she thought wryly. It's odd how knowledge that is essential in my era for survival, does me no good here... and yet, survival skills here could be useful there.

Putting her hands up to the fire, trying to ward off the damp chill, she frowned. Did I just hear....? No... she shook her head, Sango isn't reacting, so I must have been mistaken. Just for a moment, it had sounded like voices, very faintly, coming on the back of the occasional cold breeze.

"... go back, only death waits for you here ..."

Shaking her head again, maybe I'm just tired. It's been a really long month.

Everything had changed in this last month. Everything. A month ago, her and Inuyasha were still at odds, neither knowing what the other was thinking. Kikyou was still standing between them... and Kichiro was still dead, and gone. She was still a virgin. Not anymore! Funny how much can change within a tiny little second.

"... you cannot enter this place ..."

Again, she looked around, and still Sango did not react. Her eyes narrowed. What is going on here? Is something trying to... warn me? Closing her eyes, she focused her aura, weaving tiny tendrils of fire, slowly snaking them outward. Cautiously feeling her way, she spread the tendrils away from herself, noting the auras of her friends, feeling Inuyasha's youki, going further out - and there... yes, something.

It was diffuse, weak, but there all the same.

But what is it? Kagome sent all the tendrils of power towards that difference, latching on to it, trying to draw it closer, but just as she caught it, it - dissipated? Frowning, she sent the tendrils further, but encountered nothing more.

Pulling herself back, she looked up and noticed Sango staring at her with a concerned frown. "Kagome? Are you okay? You just kinda, weren't there for a moment...?"

Kagome smiled at her. "No, no, I'm fine, just checking the area for any dangers." Seeing Sango's mystified look, she pointed to her head. "You know. Miko stuff." At her friends sudden look of relieved understanding, Kagome laughed.

"Did you find anything out there, wench?" Inuyasha walked back into the camp with Miroku, eight cleaned fish ready for cooking slung over his shoulder. "I felt your aura touch me, what were you looking for?"

"I'm not sure," she said slowly, a thoughtful look on her face. "There's definitely something out there, and it gets stronger in the direction we're going... but when I touched it, it dissipated. Like it was never really there to begin with - and yet it was. I can't say what it is, because it disappeared too fast for me to get a handle on."

"Do you sense the shards yet? Can you tell if they're there?"

"No. It's like something is interfering with my senses in this area. I'm wondering if it's the graveyard itself, maybe this is part of what the guardians do, you know, to keep interlopers away." She shook her head. "I'm not going to worry about it right now - I, myself, am ready for some food!"

At that, the peculiar tension that had been affecting everyone vanished, and they all sat around the fire waiting for dinner, in better spirits then they had been for a while.

But there was still a part of Kagome that was watching.

And waiting.

---sSs---

Kagome opened her eyes slowly, aware that it was still dark, wondering what had caused her to awaken. Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she lay quietly, trying to listen to her surroundings. Nothing. It was completely still, only normal night sounds stirring the air. Sitting up, she looked around, still seeing nothing out of place, everyone was still sound asleep. No sign of Inuyasha, he was probably patrolling the outside of the camp.

What was it? Something was calling me... or someone. It seemed, familiar somehow. Like someone I've known.

Getting up from her bedding, she stood, once again letting her senses spiral outward from the center point.

There!

Following the touch on her aura, she walked into the tree line, whatever was out there meant her no harm, that much she could tell, so she didn't hesitate to go towards it.

Passing the first trees on the left, she glanced around, trying as best she could to see in the dark. There was no sign of Inuyasha, and all she was getting through the link was the sense of presence. It was calm and dormant, so she left it alone. Pausing to once again sense out her direction, she caught the touch again, and strode off in the appropriate direction.

Whatever or whoever it was, was definitely calling her.

After walking for about five minutes, she came upon a clearing, shining brightly in the moonlight. Whoever was calling to her was here. Standing still back under the trees, she studied the clearing, using every sense she possessed. She couldn't see anything, but something was definitely there, and it still gave off no sense of danger to her.

Finally, as satisfied as she could be under the circumstances, she stepped into the clearing, slowly walking into the very center - and promptly disappeared from view, caught in swirls of youki energy and spirit mist.

As her vision cleared, Kagome noticed the aura first. It was undeniably a youki signature, so whoever it was, was youkai. Clearing her mind, she concentrated on the signature, and with a pained gasp, it all fell into place. She knew.

Looking up, her eyes settled onto the youkai standing before her - and tears welled up in her eyes. "Koga..." her voice merely a whisper of sound between them.

"Kagome, please, don't cry. I never could stand to see you cry, you know. Many times, I followed you as you and your friends traveled, and I saw the tears that came when the priestess would beckon Inuyasha." He grimaced, then looked away.

"I think that's why I came to hate him so much. I hated your pain. Now, I understand his pain as well, and no longer feel hatred towards him. It's... unfortunate that it took death to make me see. Maybe, if I had been wiser, he and I could have been friends but," he glanced at her, "it wasn't meant to be."

Kagome choked, tears falling faster, and she closed her eyes, unable to bear looking at the wolf demon she had cared for, but couldn't love as he wanted. There was such guilt - it was because of her that he was now dead.

"Koga, why? Why did you choose death? It wasn't worth it, I wasn't worth it! How am I supposed to bear it? I didn't want you to die!"

Koga reached towards her, and then helplessly let his hands fall. He could no longer touch; that's the one thing denied to a spirit. He sighed, and gestured. "Please... walk with me? I do not have a great deal of time." At her nod, he moved to her side as they began to walk, moving aimlessly.

"First, I need to say this. You are not responsible for my death. The choice was mine. Sometimes, even for youkai, things become too damaged inside to allow one to continue living. That was the case for me. I would never have been able to live - and so I chose death. It freed me from the damaged parts, and now I am as whole as I can be."

He smiled at her, and she could see that it was a real smile, not faked. "Death is not bad, Kagome, it just is. It's another part of living. The moment of death in your world, is the moment of birth in this world that I now inhabit. It's not bad - just different. So please - let go of any guilt or pain that was caused by my choice. It's not your place to bear any of those things. Do you understand?"

Kagome nodded. "I understand what you're saying, Koga. But I can't let go of the pain that I feel at your death. You are gone from this world, far sooner than you should have been. It's something that will take time. Grief doesn't end just because you think it should," she smiled through her tears.

"Someday, the pain will ease up a little. But it's too soon, and for now, I still feel pain at your death. I may not have been in love with you, Koga, but you're a friend, and I do love you." Looking over at him, still smiling, she winked.

"So, on to the next part of things. You know, I'm sure, why we've come to this place. The shards."

Koga silently watched the woman he'd loved in life, and even now, still loved. Tilting his head, he quirked a brow. "Yeah... I don't think any of us were really thinking about that too much, and now this is going to be complicated. You guessed right that I'd come here to die. And the shards are still with my body. In fact, because of them, my body isn't dissipating as it should."

Shaking his head, he smiled. "The difficult thing will be recovering them from the graveyard. I'm sure you've already heard the voices, you're too strong not to have." At her affirmative nod, he continued.

"Those are the voices of the guardians. They must be persuaded to let you retrieve the shards. It won't be easy. I'll appeal to them - because I'd rather you take them peaceably than have Naraku take them by force, and destroy the graveyard. I think that I can persuade them, but it will take time. You shouldn't come any closer until I've gained their cooperation, I'll return to you here when I have their answer."

Kagome smiled slightly, shaking her head. "I understand, Koga. Thank you... for everything. We'll do that, then. I'll be waiting. But please, try to move as quickly as you can, we don't think Naraku knows about your death yet, but when he finds out, he'll move fast, and it would be easiest if we already had those shards."

"I know." Stopping and turning to face her, he smiled once more. "I'll get back to you as fast as I can - until then, all of you should just rest. As one of the dead, I can sometimes see things others can't. It'll be very soon that everything will be decided, so relax while you can."

With one last smile, he faded from view, leaving Kagome blinking in the sudden transition back into the clearing. For a moment, she stood there, letting everything that had just happened sink slowly into her mind.

Finally, with one last glance around, she began moving back towards the camp, letting her senses guide her. With a frown, she wondered where Inuyasha could be. He hadn't come looking for her, and with his senses, it was unlikely he wasn't aware that she'd left the camp.

Opening the link just a little, she cast around for his presence... and got nowhere. He was keeping his side of the link closed. The only thing coming through was - uh oh - anger, and hurt. Damn. He must have figured out where she was.

She sighed. This was not going to be fun. And then she started to laugh quietly. How like Inuyasha, to be jealous of a ghost. He really needed to get over this.

Still chuckling, she continued on her way back to camp, knowing she was going to have quite the time trying to talk to a jealous and angry hanyou.

Kami knows he's always been that way. Sobering suddenly, she thought about what Koga had told her. So that's what she was hearing - the guardians of the wolf clan dead, warning them away.

I hope Koga can talk them into letting us get the shards out... and hopefully, they'll stop trying to 'warn' me. Those wispy voices are kinda creepy.

I'm really not into the thought of hearing that the whole time we're waiting here.

---sSs---

Naraku considered what Kanna had shown him. The wolves graveyard? What could they be doing there? None of them were wolves, and would normally have no business there. But there was a certain wolf - who was very much involved in things, and he still had two shards of the jewel. Maybe they were planning to meet him there?

But for what purpose?

It was highly unlikely the wolf was planning to just hand over the shards, it was well known that the wolf was a rival suitor for the Miko, and the jealous Inuyasha would not have anything to do with the him, at least not willingly.

What are you up to, hmm? I find that I'm becoming curious. It won't be long now, soon I will have you all in the palms of my hands - and I will so enjoy watching you suffer, Inuyasha!