InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Haunted ❯ Graveyard of Wolves ( Chapter 22 )

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

Chapter 22: Graveyard of Wolves

A/N: The bold italics are flashback conversations.

---cCc---

Inuyasha gazed into the fire, his mind still trying to wrap itself around what Kagome had just said. Two thousand years?? Was that even possible? It was hard to fathom that you could be reincarnated that many times, over that immense a span of time. He hugged her closer, shivering suddenly.

Had she come this far, over such a long period of years, only to fight Naraku? What about their bond? Would that be taken from them?

Kagome nestled closer to her hanyou, opening her mind to him, letting him not only feel her, but truly feel everything, body and soul.

'Don't worry, Inu, Amaterasu-Kami made it clear that we were meant to be together, and nothing will tear us apart now. Remember our bond, they can't take that away.'

She felt him nod his head against her shoulder, sucking in a breath when he nuzzled her neck.

Every time he did that it made her toes curl. Of course, all he had to do is look at her, and she melted. It felt as if she had loved him forever, through all two thousand years of living and dying, like she had spent all those lives trying to reach him. And now she finally had, and she would never be separated from him again.

It's funny, Kikyou... for all that we have fought over him since you were brought back, since we share the same soul, we both have him.....

Sesshoumaru watched the two sitting across the fire. It was plain for all to see how much his half-brother loved the miko in his arms.

I envy him... I still have a while to wait before I can claim my mate, and truth be told, I'm tired of waiting. But since I have no choice, I'll wait. If nothing else, I have learned patience.

"So, what is it that we wait for? Do we remain here, or do we search for Naraku's scent?"

"No. We wait. We need the shards that used to belong to Koga. That's why we're here. Koga is trying to convince the Guardians to let us pass into the graveyard so that we may retrieve them." Kagome sighed as Inuyasha's arms tightened around her and he growled low in his throat.

"As soon as he's gotten their permission, he'll contact me. Then we can get those shards. At that point, Naraku will come to us."

Sango grinned at Inuyasha. "I think someone's got problems with that. Still jealous, are we?"

"Keh. Shut the hell up, slayer. It's not funny," he growled. "Just leave it alone."

She shook her head. Even bonded to her, he still worries that someone will take
her away. I hope he gets over this fear at some point, its kinda annoying, really.

Inuyasha sat up, grabbing the edges of Kagome's sleeping bag, he stood up, and leapt off into the trees, dragging a very surprised woman with him. He knew he was being unreasonable. He knew it. But he still couldn't help himself, he was going to make sure that when that stinking wolf showed up, Kagome was absolutely drenched in his scent.

And she wouldn't be going to talk to the bastard alone this time... he would be with her. Simple as that.

He wasn't stupid, he knew full well that everyone thought he was a fool about Koga, but really, it wasn't just Koga. The thought of losing her, to anyone, or for any reason, was just more than he could bear. Sometimes, when he sat back and thought about it, it really was a miracle that they had even met - who else in all of history could claim the story that they could?

She was from five hundred years away, how in all the hells had they even been brought together?

Kagome's eyes were wide with startlement at his sudden move, reaching her hand up to his face, she frowned, his jaw was tight, and he seemed determined to get well away from the others. "Inuyasha...? What's wrong?" When he didn't answer, she began to worry, the expression on his face wasn't a happy one, and the feelings coming through the link were ones of... pain?

"Inuyasha! What's wrong? Please, just tell me!"

Finally coming into a small clearing surrounded on three sides by trees, and the fourth by large boulders, he walked to the largest of the trees, and settling himself up against the back, he laid her across his lap. "We'll wait here for Koga, I have a feeling that damn wolf will show up tonight. He can damn well come to us here." Leaning his head back against the tree, he looked up at the sky.

"Damn it, Inuyasha, what in the hell is wrong with you? Stop avoiding telling me!"

He lowered his head, looking at her with golden eyes, eyes that were full of a yearning she had never seen there before, then looked away again, jaw still tight. "Did the Kami really say those things about us? Th-that we were destined to be together?"

Suddenly, she understood. He was afraid to lose what they had only so recently found. After all, he'd loved and lost once already, and there hadn't been much love in his life either before or after Kikyou. He was afraid to lose it again. She snuggled her face into his chest, and then opened the link, letting him in to see her memories of what had happened earlier. It was the only way she could reassure him.

"You're wrong. I would not have died that night. Fate had other plans for me, and one part of that fate is Inuyasha. He's the reason that I was brought through the well. It was the Kami's way of addressing the imbalance in his life. He'd known nothing but horror, and yet, his destiny was to defeat a great evil. But he needed a reason to do that. That's what I am. His reason. I was born for him, Kichiro, not you."

"But she was never meant to be yours. What she said to you earlier was correct."

"This time, her reward for such hardships, all of which came about because of her service to the Kami, has finally come around. She has been united with the other part of her soul... Inuyasha."

She grabbed his face, making him look at her. "Do you see? Do you? This is my fate, Inuyasha. You are my fate. We will not be separated again, not by anything, or anyone. So please, please, just have some faith in me!"

His eyes widened to their fullest extent and he tightened his grasp on her. "Wh-what do you mean? You think I don't have faith in you?! What ever gave you that baka idea?" He pulled her tight to him, almost trying to absorb her into himself. "I've never had faith in anyone, not even Kikyou... but I have never doubted you! "

"Then why do you fear Koga and others? Do you really think I would ever allow anyone to pull me away from your side? Always fearing that I'm going to leave you is not faith, Inuyasha! It can't be faith if you fear, because it shows that the thing causing you fear... is me. And it hurts me that you doubt me, that you feel fear - it means that I can't reach you." She fisted her hands in his suikan, tears beginning to fall at the pain that comes with his fear.

Inuyasha drew in a shuddering breath, trying to calm the emotions that were pounding through his body.

"Kagome... it's not like that," he whispers. "I trust you. I guess it's just that I don't trust fate. I... I always seem to have everything I ever care about taken away. It's hard to believe that this time I won't. Do you understand?" He put up a hand, softly stroking her hair, calming himself and her with the rhythmic motions, just enjoying the feel of her there in his arms.

"Oi, dog turd. Listen," Koga snickered at the startled jumps from the pair sitting against the tree, as they looked up and spotted him, he came further into the clearing, "I've gathered the agreement of the Guardians. I'll lead you to the ancestral burial grounds tomorrow. They will only agree if I stay with you." He rolled his eyes.

"They don't like dogs anymore than I do," he laughed at the irritated growling coming from Inuyasha. "You'll do alright, dog. As long as you have Kagome, you'll be fine - if you can finally just let it sink in that you do have her." He turned and made to move out of the clearing. "I'll return to you in the morning. Be ready in the first hour after sunrise, Kagome."

Kagome just stared at the place Koga had been standing. What was that about? her brow furrowed in confusion. He was - teasing Inuyasha, but with no animosity like he always had seemed to have before. That was... odd.

"Well, maybe he finally decided to leave it alone. Seeing as how he can't have you anyways." Inuyasha sounded cocky again.

"How can you go from being all bent out of shape about Koga, to cocky in two seconds flat," she asked, rather irritated. "I just don't understand you at all!" She looked up at him, inwardly glad to see his little smirk. "Baka...." she let a small grin touch her face, "I should just get up right now and 'that word' you about a million times." She laughed outright as he suddenly clutched at her.

"Go ahead, wench, but you'll have to do it from this spot, 'cause if I go down, your goin' with me!" He shifted in preparation to get up, standing and slowly making his way back to the others.

"Are you ready for this, wench?" he suddenly asked. "You know that as soon as we have those shards, Naraku will come looking. It's finally come down to it, after all this time--"

She sighed, sobering quickly at his words. "Yeah, I know. And I'm as ready as I can be, I guess. Hopefully, we're all ready." She looked up at the sky, staring at the stars, glittering, so cold and far away.

I really hope we are all ready, because if not...

If not, then everything that they had been through had been in vain.

---cCc---

Kagome sat, still on her sleeping bag, eyes closed, meditating. She'd woken an hour ago, and not feeling in need of any more sleep, decided now was a good time for practice.

She was working within her mind, manipulating the lines of power, learning everything that she could about what she could and could not do. There wouldn't be many more such chances, she knew, so she needed to take advantage of the time she had, while she still had it.

She could see the glowing strands of power, twining about each other, all anchored by her own soul. The biggest challenge she faced was uncoiling those strands. The quicker she did that, the quicker she could access her power when it was needed. Sighing softly, she set about untangling the threads.

It's like brushing my hair, she thought with amusement.

Inuyasha watched as a slight smile crossed his mate's face. He knew what she was doing, the stir of her power is what had awoken him, and if he wasn't mistaken, had also woken his brother, and Miroku, hell, it had even woken Shippo and Sango. It was beginning to make his teeth itch and the hairs stand up on his arms.

So much power... she glowed with it.

"Oi, Kagome." As she blinked her eyes open in confusion at him, he said, "Mind quitting whatever it is you're doing, wench? The power you're stirring is makin' me and everyone else around here jumpy."

She glanced around the clearing, noting everyone's nods, and looked guilty. "I'm sorry, everyone. It's just..."

"Do not explain yourself to them, Miko. If they cannot figure out for themselves that you need to train, then that shows their shortsightedness." Sesshoumaru glided forward towards the fire. "Do they ask your forgiveness when they train with their weapons?"

He glanced coolly at his brother. "I am surprised at you, little brother. I would have expected you to demand that she train, not discourage her."

Inuyasha looked disgusted, but merely nodded at him. "You're right. I shouldn't have said that."

Kagome stared at him, shocked. "I didn't think I'd ever hear you agree with Sesshoumaru, of all people!"

"Keh. That's only because he ain't right very often, that's all. I ain't so stupid that I can't see when he is right. He's still a bastard, though."

Sesshoumaru ignored him. "Your strength is impressive, Miko. However, it seems that you need to learn tighter control. Once you have that, what just happened, won't."

"What do you mean, what just happened?"

"Your power bled out, waking everyone around you and announcing your presence for miles. Once you learn to control that, you could be standing right in front of me, ready to attack, and no one would be able to tell. I call it 'running silent'."

Kagome frowned, staring intently at the ground, considering what he had said. After a moment, she looked up at him. "Could you teach me this control, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

Meeting her glance squarely, he nodded. "I will. If you will do something in return for me." At Inuyasha's sudden growl, he slanted a glance at him, a very slight smile on his face.

"I will discuss my terms with you both later on, after you have returned from the graveyard." He moved away just as Koga stepped into the clearing.

---cCc---

It had been decided that with Kagome would go Inuyasha, since of course he would never allow her to go without him, and Miroku. Sango, still not feeling well, would be best left to rest some more, and the guardians would not allow Sesshoumaru to enter the sacred area. They were unhappy enough about Inuyasha, and were only allowing it because he was Kagome's mate.

Koga was nowhere to be seen at this point, he had said he would be there when they arrived and that's all they needed to know.

Miroku rattled his shakujou, glancing over at his friend. Inuyasha was watching as Kagome walked ahead of them, seemingly lost in thought.

"She loves you, you know, my friend. There is no reason to fear." He smiled at Inuyasha's irritated look. "You think we don't know what you're thinking? Face it, you lucky dog. Since I have known you two, she has never looked at another the way she does you. Never. Not once. And she never will."

Shaking his head, he continued walking, annoyed a bit with the steepness of the path. "I wish you could see what everyone else sees when she looks at you. She doesn't even try to hide it, it shines from her with every beat of her heart."

"It ain't that." Inuyasha looked down at his feet. "It's that I don't deserve her, Miroku." He snorted, shook his head and looked at his friend. "No one does, really. But me?"

Stopping suddenly, Miroku locked gazes with his friend. "Isn't that for her to decide, Inuyasha? She chose you. Would you deny her that right? Is she naught but a slave, without any free will of her own? Surely you do not see her that way?"

Inuyasha froze. Would he deny her the right to choose? Kagome turned at that moment and smiled into his eyes... and suddenly, he could see what everyone else saw in her eyes. Love. Without beginning, or end, like a circle, it simply kept feeding off itself for eternity, a seamless melding, from back to front. He would no longer question it.

He realized in that moment that he didn't have to understand it, to be able to accept it. He really didn't deserve her, but she gave herself to him anyway, and maybe, just maybe, it didn't matter that he didn't deserve her.

Her smile brightened into something rivaling the sun, he couldn't look away if his life depended on it.

'It's about time, my beautiful baka... and its not you that doesn't deserve me, its me that doesn't deserve you. At his astonished look, she held up her hand. 'Don't argue, itoshii. We could spend eternity arguing about this, or we can forget about it and just BE. Which would you prefer?

Still smiling, she held out her hand and waited for him to catch it in his own, before turning and tugging him up the path. "Come on, Miroku, I want to get this done - this place is giving me the creeps!"

"Silly wench," he grumbled, half under his breath. "Of course it does... its filled with dead, hella nasty wolves! Just goes to show... even dead, and nothin' but bones, they still reek."

Miroku chuckled, shaking his head at his friend. "You'll never change, Inuyasha."

Kagome kept her senses trained around her, still uneasy. Koga may have gotten the Guardians to agree to let them come into the sacred grounds, but she could tell that it was an unwilling agreement... they saw it as the lesser of two evils.

It was obvious why Koga didn't feel the need to actually guide them, there was only one path, winding its way upward, rocky and steep. Nothing grew here, and she could see up ahead that the path ran beneath giant figures that looked as if they were made of stone.

Yeah, I'll definitely be glad to get out of here, that's for sure. Inuyasha must really be hating this...

Her mate flashed her a quick glance at that thought, and nodded. "You got that right, wench. I hate the hell outta this, but there was no way that I was lettin' you come here without me." He shrugged. "The place totally reeks, but I'll be fine. After all, you're with me, right?"

Miroku looked up and shuddered involuntarily, and Kagome could see why. They had reached the part of the path that ran under the stone figures, and being this close now, they could see that the figures were of giant wolves wearing armor and carrying archaic weapons.

Under their gazes, the travelers noticed a growing feeling of immensity, of the crush of vast ages of time, and of ancient hostility towards anything still living. It was not a comforting feeling, and they all quickened their steps, trying to reach the summit of the path that lay just ahead.

As they finally breasted the top of the hill, Inuyasha looked ahead and growled, placing his hand on Tessaiga. Straight ahead, an arch of rock lay. The path led directly to it, and right under the middle of the arch, was upthrust rock, like an alter. It looked as if it had once held something, and with sudden understanding, he knew that this is where Koga had gotten Goraishi from. Standing next to the alter was Koga himself.

Great.... He rolled his eyes. Trust Koga to try to find a way to show off, even dead that didn't change. Stupid wolf.

Kagome looked up and saw the wolf prince standing there, and suddenly was reluctant to continue on, because that would mean that she would have to see him, see his body, and the guilt that thought brought made tears burn her eyes.

Inuyasha felt Kagome's guilt, and immediately knew what occasioned it. With a slight chuff, he grabbed her hand and held it, squeezing strongly to let her know he was there for her.

She smiled gratefully and tightened her hand on his for a moment, then took a deep breath and clamped down on her emotions. Now was not the time, she had to be calm and clear. Walking forward with Inuyasha, she made her way to Koga, and came to a stop in front of him.

Feeling oddly formal, she nodded to him, and meeting his gaze, spoke. "We have come as you bid us, Koga of the Wolf Demon tribe."

Koga watched her. She would have made a wonderful mate, if things had been different, but they weren't, and so here he was with one final task before moving on into the afterlife. He was just glad that his last task included seeing her one more time. Of course, dog breath he could have done without, but.....

"Follow me, all of you, and stay behind me. Keep to the path and do not wander off of it, I won't be responsible for what the Guardians might do if they catch you outside the trail."

"Oi, Koga, just get ta movin', wolf turd, unlike you, bein' dead and all, we're actually still alive and have things to do!"

"INU-YASHA!! I can't believeyou just said that!!" She whipped around and glared at her mate, embarrassed beyond all bearing that he had been uncouth enough to actually say something so, so... awful. "How could you?!"

Koga just laughed. "Don't worry about it, Kagome, my sweet. He's a dog, of course he has no manners. I'm surprised that you haven't figured that out by now!" Shaking his head and snickering at Inuyasha's growl, he motioned for them to start moving.

"Let's go, then. No sense in draggin' this out, ya know, while I might enjoy your company, Kagome, I could definitely do without his." With a sudden thoughtful look back at the hanyou, he spoke slowly, as if the thought had just occurred to him. "Ya know... bein' dead might actually be worthwhile. Once this little excursion is over, I'll never have to smell the stench of disgusting, flea bitten DOG ever again..."

Shaking her head and fuming silently, she cast a fulminating glance at Inuyasha, who was still growling, before moving off after Koga. She still felt very uneasy, the figures above their heads giving off vibes of an ancient anger - they were clearly not happy with this intrusion. She could feel faint brushes against her aura, almost as if they were testing her, trying to find a way past her mental defenses.

She strengthened her shields, deliberately letting these guardian spirits know that she would not be intimidated.

Koga glanced back at her, nodding with appreciation. Good. She was strong, and would not be caught off-guard. The Guardians respected strength.

Miroku had been silent for a while, simply listening to everything going on around him, and maintaining a low-level meditative trance. He also had felt the brushes of youki, although they had quickly moved on from him, he felt safer keeping up as much of a barrier as he could while still being functional.

He would certainly be glad to retreat from this place and return to his beloved, waiting down at the base of the mountain for their return.

Inuyasha stared ahead, completely ignoring the slightly painful attempts to take control of his youki, damn wolves weren't nearly strong enough to overwhelm the blood of the Inu no Taisho.

Glancing up at the frozen figures above them, he growled, letting them know that he wasn't impressed with their antics. Snapping his gaze back to the front at the sound of Kagome's hiss, he looked out past the figure of Koga, wondering how much further they would have to go. There were visible bones here now, this must be the newest part of the graveyard. They should be getting close.

Kagome looked up, eager now to just get the shards and go, even if that meant seeing Koga's body. She could feel their presence, just a few feet more and they would be there. So glad to finally be close, she almost ran into Koga when he stopped suddenly, giving her the slightly hysterical thought that she probably would have staggered right through him.

Stumbling to a halt finally, she looked over his shoulder, and her breath caught in her throat.

Koga's body lay in front of them. He looked as though he were merely asleep, until you looked closer, and you saw the injuries inflicted in that last battle with Inuyasha. Bloodless, they appeared to be great rents in his flesh, and Kagome was shocked at the extent of the injuries. The day that they had happened, everything had been such a blur, that while she had known he had been injured pretty severely, she hadn't really been prepared for what she was now seeing, and it struck her, hard.

With a pained gasp, she fell to her knees in front of his body, and looked up with horror at his spirit, meeting his eyes fully, all her pain at the sight before her clear in her eyes.

For once, Inuyasha showed restraint and understanding, moving out of the way and not saying anything. He knew that this time, this one time, she needed to speak to Koga with no interference from him or anyone else.

Koga looked at her, knowing that nothing he could say would take away the hurt that this had caused her. He himself did not regret anything, it was simply the way of youkai. He had wanted her, and so had Inuyasha, so it was inevitable that they would eventually fight.

That was no fault of hers, but since she was human, and not youkai, she wouldn't be able to understand that. He had challenged, and he had lost. It was simply the way of things. So he did the only thing he could do, he let his eyes hold her gaze, and told her everything he couldn't say out loud, in them. He could only hope it was enough.

Kagome nodded, knowing what he was trying to say, even though she did not agree. It might be the way youkai were, but she didn't have to like it. It would be something that would always bring pain, but there was no more sense in dwelling on it.

Looking down finally, she reluctantly reached out towards his legs, stopping suddenly when the spirit Koga put his hands over hers as she reached for the shards. As he did so, the shards began to glow, and as his hands touched hers, they moved from under his skin and popped out, falling to the ground in front of her.

As they fell, Koga's body crumbled, turning to dust, leaving behind only a few bones. She gasped in surprise, flinching away from the sight, and spirit Koga began to pull away from her, letting his hands linger for one, last, brief moment, before he was gone.

Softly, almost as a sigh on the wind, he spoke once more. "Take them with my blessings, Kagome, and use them to defeat Naraku. This only do I ask of you, out of friendship and love, do not let him take these shards from you and complete the jewel."

His voice softened more, and with his last strength, he said, "Follow the path back to the outside world, you will not be attacked by anything here. Remember me fondly, Kagome. Goodbye."

Tears in her eyes, Kagome reached for the shards lying on the ground, picking them up, she gazed at them for a few moments. Such a small thing, this jewel, to have caused so much havoc.

Shaking her head, she pulled out the necklace that she carried the little shard bottle on, and opening the lid, she dropped the now purified shards in with the others that they had collected.

Sighing, she stood up, and turning, she gave her mate a grateful look. He could be such an ass sometimes, like that comment he had made a few minutes ago... and then turn around and be totally understanding at the drop of a hat. Holding out her hand to him, she gave him a small smile.

"Let's go... I'd like to get back to the world of the living, before nightfall." Her smile turned rueful. "I really don't want to be here when it gets dark..." she trailed off.

Inuyasha and Miroku just chuckled.

They really didn't want to still be there by then, either.