InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ How Do We Learn to Love the Ones We Hate? ❯ The Hardest to Understand ( Chapter 8 )

Disclaimer: I own absolutely no characters created by Rumiko Takahashi; as much as I wish I was brilliant enough to come up with these characters, I did not; however, any characters that I create, I do own. Yay! I'm smart enough to make up characters.

 

 

The Hardest to Understand

 

 

Kagome held on to Inuyasha tighter than she had ever had to as he flew at light speed to his mother's bed. Meanwhile, Ginta was long out of view in the dust that Inuyasha had kicked up.

 

Inuyasha was breathing as fast as he could to try to pump more energy into his blood, hoping that it would make him faster. He skipped the stairs al together and used a tree branch as a catapult to launch himself up to his mother's window. He set Kagome gently on the ground and walked quietly over to his mother's head. He pressed a hand to her forehead, but drew it back almost immediately; her temperature was off the charts.

 

Kagome looked over at Koga, her expression telling him clearly that she wanted some answers on whether Lady Takashi was going to be fine. Koga's only response was a sad shake of his head. Kagome walked silently over to Inuyasha and laid her head against his shoulder, he squeezed her hand gently.

 

Maze

 

“But Bankotsu…!” Jakotsu wailed. “I wanted Inuyasha!”

 

“Because of his looks?” Bankotsu teased him. “I will take Inuyasha. Besides, Koga is very strong, he will be perfect for you.” He assured his longest comrade, Jakotsu crossed his arms, pouting.

 

“And what about us?” Renkostu asked, gesturing to the others of the Seven.

 

“Hmm.” Bankotsu looked at each of them in turn.

 

“Koga.” He pointed to Renkotsu, Jakotsu and Ginkotsu.

 

“It'll take all three of us?” Renkotsu asked skeptically.

 

“The wolf is very fast and strong, it'll be very good if all three of you take him. Oh wait…” he looked back at the three. “Take both Koga and the other female wolf, that should make it more fun.”

 

Renkotsu nodded appreciatively.

 

“The monk and the demon slayer.” He pointed to Mukotsu and Kyokotsu.

 

“The fox-runt.” He pointed to Suikotsu. “You two should have fun fighting claws against claws.”

 

“So when is this battle?” Suikotsu asked, tying the strings on his claws around his wrist with his teeth.

 

“The battle will commence after Lady Takashi dies, and when we have the Shikon Jewel.” Lady Tsubaki said, coming from around the corner of the maze.

 

“The Shikon Jewel?” Jakotsu repeated, wide-eyed. “It exists?”

 

“I thought the Black Magic Siblings wanted it.” Bankotsu reminded her.

 

Lady Tsubaki smirked. “Due to a series of unfortunate and completely accidental encounters between Naraku and the Siblings, they are no longer around to collect their payment. You needn't worry about them becoming… jealous of our prize for killing off the entire Takashi and Higurashi clans.”

 

“You called?” Kikyo walked around the same corner Lady Tsubaki had come from.

 

“Yes.” Tsubaki smiled sweetly at her. “Now is a perfect time for you to worm into Inuyasha's love life, his mother will be dead and Kagome will be spending more and more time with Bankotsu, of her own choice of course.”

 

“Her own choice?” Kikyo asked. “It isn't her own choice if she's hypnotized.”

 

“Ah yes.” Tsubaki held up one finger. “But if someone important to her is being threatened, and she agrees to let Bankotsu court her, than it is of her own choice.”

 

“Speaking of hypnotizing…” Kikyo turned to Bankotsu. “You botched that fail-proof plan of yours. Kagome never got the note, somehow that princess Sango did.”

 

“I know, I know.” Bankotsu waved a hand lazily at her. “But it worked out, don't worry. The monk liked her, and if she's making gaga eyes at me, then it pulls their group farther apart.”

 

Kikyo nodded approvingly.

 

“I still want Inuyasha.” Jakotsu muttered, staring daggers at Bankotsu's back.

 

Lady Takashi's Room, Next Day

 

Koga gave Inuyasha an apologetic pat on the back, Inuyasha continued to ignore him; a similar treatment to what he had given everyone else that day since 2:34 in the morning.

 

Kagome walked over and took his hand, resting her head on his shoulder so no one could see that her eyes were wet as Sango hugged her from behind. Lady Tsubaki stepped up to Lady Takashi's bed and prayed, while the humans from the village covered the pale, stone-still Lady Takashi with a white cloth; no one could see that Tsubaki was smirking with pure glee. The poison had taken a little longer than she would have liked, but that's what she would have expected from someone who was able to survive with the Dog General as her mate.

 

Lady Higurashi stepped up next and prayed, before taking Tsubaki's arm and walking out with her. Naraku took Tsubaki's arm at the door and led her in the opposite direction.

 

Soon, Inuyasha and Kagome were the only ones left in the room. Kagome wiped her eyes before pulling the cloth carefully from Lady Takashi's torso; she bent down and kissed her would-be mother-in-law's forehead. Inuyasha walked up and touched his mother's shoulder lightly.

 

Kagome turned and hugged him. “I'm so sorry.” She whispered into his neck, Inuyasha just nodded meekly.

 

“Kagome.” Ayame said quietly from the doorway. “I'm sorry, but your mom wants you.”

 

Kagome nodded and scrubbed her eyes with the heel of her hand again before kissing Inuyasha on the cheek and following Ayame out.

 

Inuyasha watched her go before turning back to his mother, bowing his head like Kagome had done, and kissed her forehead. This was it, his mother and father had both left him, and he was now officially going to be the Lord of his lands.

 

Outside Kagome's Room

 

“Kagome.” Ayame pushed herself away from the wall as Kagome came into view. “What did she want?”

 

“She asked me if I was going to call off the engagement, because the promise between her and Lady Takashi is technically no longer valid, I told her that I wouldn't end it if there was a gun to my head. I'm sorry Ayame, but…” she took a shaky breath, “I just need to be alone right now.”

 

Ayame nodded. “Just cry Kagome, it's a good healthy release, and it's nothing to be ashamed of.” She said before walking past her.

 

No longer valid, huh? Kikyo smirked from behind the curtain; she touched the pendant on her necklace eagerly. This really does hide your scent. I'll have to thank mom for it again later.

 

She stepped quietly out, her hand starting to glow from the charge of spiritual energy she was pooling there. She hasn't sensed me yet? She must be really muddled from the loss of Lady Takashi, how sweet. Kikyo thought sarcastically.

 

Kagome looked up in confusion, a footstep? It wouldn't have been a big deal before, but it was only one, and a fairly close one at that.

 

She turned and gasped, because she didn't have time to say anything else before Kikyo pressed her hand to her heart, and Kagome was hurled backwards into the door, crumpling to the ground, instantly knocked unconscious from the electrical jolt.

 

Kikyo smiled wickedly. “Clockwork.” She whispered to herself before turning back to the curtain. “You can get her now.”

 

Renkotsu stepped out from behind the curtain and picked up Kagome, holding her like he would a sack of potatoes. “She is pretty, no wonder Bankotsu likes her.”

 

“Bankotsu likes…? Be careful!” Kikyo hissed as Renkotsu held her like a dead cat.

 

“This is nothing, what you did should have killed her.” Renkotsu rolled his eyes before walking back behind the curtain and pushing open the secret passageway behind Inu Taisho's portrait. Kikyo looked around frantically before sighing, convinced that no one had seen or heard, and followed Renkotsu. Ducking into the passageway just before the portrait swung shut.

 

Ayame's Room

 

Ayame sighed sadly, she had expressed her dislike of what Koga had done, but why had she been so upset recently?

 

Koga squared his shoulders before pounding on her door, smiling in satisfaction as he heard her jump six feet from the sudden noise.

 

“What?” Ayame barked.

 

Koga threw the door open, hoping that no one would come up to see if everything was alright when it cracked against the stone wall. “You need to tell me what you meant, now!” he barked.

 

Ayame blinked, then smirked in a wickedly amused fashion. “My advice been bugging you? Or maybe the thing about which woman would surprise you by staying with you?”

 

“All of it!” He yelled, not even caring about what he said being embarrassing. “You said everything in freaking riddles!”

 

“Was it too intelligent for your tiny brain to understand?” she continued to smile, staying calm despite Koga's rage.

 

“And then it pissed me off more when Shippo called me thick for not getting it!” Koga continued.

 

“So it wasn't so much of a riddle that someone could get it.” Ayame said to herself.

 

“What the hell did you mean?” Koga snarled. “And you're still saying everything in riddles!”

 

“Maybe I don't want to.” Ayame closed her eyes and folded her hand behind her head.

 

“Maybe I don't care!” Koga countered.

 

“Ok, fine.” Ayame sat up, staring him straight in the eye. “You ready? I'm only saying this once.”

 

“I'm listening.” Koga said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

 

“I was implying that another body guard would be willing to stay with you, because they face the possibility of danger every day too! Because danger isn't anything new to them!” She stood up, her temper finally rising beyond boiling point. “I was implying that you could look at me for a potential mate! I was implying that you could've just looked to the left of Kagome right from the beginning!” she couldn't stop the tears from pooling in her eyes.

 

“The left… that's where---” Koga started, finally beginning to understand.

 

“Yeah, that's where the body guard always stands.” She finished, her voice shaking now. “If you could've just gotten over your stupid dreams right from the beginning, maybe we wouldn't be in this awkward position now!” she ran past him out of her room, slamming the door behind her so he was left standing in the middle of her room to think.

 

Ayame started to sob as she ran top speed down the hallways, ignoring everyone who stared at her as she passed, not being able to hold it back anymore. And much to her dismay, no matter how many times she wiped her tears away with the back of her hand, new ones always replaced them.

 

What is wrong with me? I promised myself that I wouldn't take my anger out on him again, and I promised that I wouldn't get upset over him again. I promised…

 

Kagome's Room

 

“Jeez, where the heck is she?” Inuyasha poked his head into Kagome's room. She wasn't in the maze, she wasn't in the palace, she hadn't left the grounds… Inuyasha took a huge breath, telling himself not to get worried. He frowned and sniffed again, picked up something in the air that wasn't usually there… spiritual energy?

 

He stepped back outside her room, sniffing the air deeper now, and traced it to the spot when he shut Kagome's door. Kagome's scent, and someone's spiritual energy… the tiniest hint of Kikyo's scent. Inuyasha growled and pressed his nose to the floor, following the scents until his head smashed against his father's portrait.

 

“Huh?” he said out loud, rubbing his forehead. Inuyasha got up and sniffed the entire surface of the portrait, his nose coming to rest on one small area on the left side of the frame. Someone had put their hand there, but whom? He couldn't smell anything. Did they mask their scent?

 

Inuyasha put his hand where they had and gently pushed, jumping back in shock as the portrait swung inward. A stairway? Where does it go?

 

Inuyasha started down slowly, but went faster when he heard Kagome scream.

 

“Leave him out of this!” Kagome yelled. Inuyasha stopped outside of the door to listen in and get as much information as he could. He tried to sniff the air to see who else was in there, but the toxins in the room made him dizzy because of his sensitive smell. Inuyasha staggered and to sat down before he fell down.

 

“He will be mine, and you're only getting in the way.” Someone said. Inuyasha swore under his breath, the poisons that had made him dizzy had made his ears buzz; he couldn't identify who was in there with Kagome.

 

“Don't you touch him, you bitch.” Kagome whispered dangerously.

 

“That's a terrifying threat, especially coming from someone who's chained to the wall so tightly that you can even turn your head.” The person laughed.

 

“Hush.” Another person hissed. “Kagome, don't take this personally, but you are too much in the way, so goodbye.”

 

Inuyasha didn't hesitate when he heard her scream; he reeled back and threw himself at the door with all the strength he could muster.

 

“What was that?” Tsubaki turned towards the door. Damn, I can't take Kagome; I'll just have to get rid of her another time.

 

She turned to Kikyo. “Go.” She ordered. Kikyo didn't waist time in fleeing the room with Renkotsu.

 

“Help!” Kagome yelled, struggling with all her might against the chains, although it did nothing, because the weight held her down as if she had the entire Atlantic Ocean on top of her.

 

“Kagome!” Inuyasha yelled as he threw himself at the door again.

 

“Inuyasha!” Kagome screamed in terror as Tsubaki moved to stand over her. She pressed two fingertips to Kagome's forehead. Kagome, saw a blinding flash of light, and then blacked out.

 

Tsubaki held out her hand for the shikigami, running up the stairs after it had wound up her arm. She stopped half way, remembering Inuyasha's sense of smell, and placed her palm on the ground, heating it up with black magic, and smiling in triumph when the wood floors caught with green fire. She looked once more towards the door, and seeing that it was just apart to shatter, she fled faster up the stairs.

 

Inuyasha began to panic when he didn't hear Kagome yelling anymore, and it didn't help when he started to smell smoke.

 

“Kagome!” he yelled again, and smashed through the door. He picked himself up and ran to go work on her chains, seeing that the fire was eating up everything.

 

“Iron-reaver soul-stealer!” he flexed his claws and slashed through the chains, throwing his body over Kagome's unconscious form when a part of the ceiling caved in near them. He picked her up and leapt over the fire and to the stairs, running up them as the fire ate away the grass stairs ten times faster, and burst out of the trap door and into a far off tree as the fire soared up where he had been a second ago.

 

Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief when Kagome stirred. “Are you ok?” he hugged her close to his chest.

 

“Yeah.” She smiled, a little confused as to why Inuyasha was hugging her as if she'd just escaped death. “What's wrong?”

 

“What do you mean: what's wrong?” he pulled back. “You were screaming in there, I should be asking you that.”

 

“Screaming?” she repeated.

 

“Yeah, who were you in there with anyway?” he asked, pointing to the stairway, were the green fire was rapidly dying; leaving a ground that was not charred at all. Black fire. He thought grimly. It just kills scents and burns away traces of blood, for murderers. That's why they set the place on fire, so no one would be able to track them.

 

“I don't think I was ever in there.” Kagome shook her head. “Inuyasha, what is going on?”

 

“They wiped your memory.” Inuyasha said, realizing what had happened. “So you wouldn't be able to tell anyone anything.”

 

“Who?” Kagome asked.

 

“That's what I was trying to find out.” Inuyasha looked up, surprised at how far away the palace was. Who built this anyway?

 

“But…” Kagome said, starting to panic at the sight of Inuyasha worried, the green fire, and the secret passageway that she had no recollection of, “everyone's ok, right?”

 

“Yeah, it was just you in there, and it was only me that was looking for you.” Inuyasha assured her. He jumped to the ground and put Kagome on his back. He took one more deep breath, telling himself again that she was ok, before running off towards the castle.

 

Ballroom

 

“And where were you at this time?!” Lady Higurashi yelled hysterically at Ayame, who still hadn't looked up from the floor when she learned what had happened. Koga stood beside her, wincing every time Lady Higurashi broke 100 decibels when she yelled.

 

“Mom! It's not her fault!” Kagome tried to reason. “I told her that I wanted to be alone!”

 

“She should have been outside your door!” Lady Higurashi shot back at her daughter.

 

“I sent her away!” Kagome countered, terrified that she would loose one of her best friends, not to mention the best bodyguard in the entire Higurashi clan.

 

“I'm so sorry.” Ayame said quietly.

 

“What?” Kagome looked at her friend, shocked to find her shoulders quivering. “No, it isn't your fault!”

 

“Your mom's right, I should've been close.” Ayame shook her head, hiding her teary eyes beneath her bangs, why was she crying so much today? “I must really be bad as a bodyguard.”

 

“No!” Kagome took a step closer. “You're the best one that we have!”

 

“No, I'm not. I let you get kidnapped and nearly killed, you should have two other bodyguards that would be able to take me down in a flash.”

 

“But I only need one! You!” Kagome said, starting to really freak out.

 

“Then Koga should be more than enough for you and Inuyasha. He's ten times better than I could ever be.” She said quietly. Koga looked at her in horror, she wasn't… resigning, was she?

 

“Ayame…” Kagome pleaded, but Ayame just shook her head again, he arms straight against her side.

 

“I'm so sorry.” She whispered again, and Kagome sucked in a breath at the tear that hit the floor before Ayame was gone out the door in a flash, the first tear she had ever seen from her.

 

“Ayame!” Kagome called, shocked beyond belief again as Koga was suddenly right behind her, then Inuyasha behind him. “Wait!” she called as they all ran into the gardens.

 

Ayame snarled as she smelled Koga behind her and picked up her pace, leaping over walls and using the rebounds off of trees to push herself farther away from him. She could not deal with him right now.

 

“Ayame!” he called, but she ignored him and continued to run. She had shamed herself beyond anything in that miniscule hour, except if Kagome had actually died, she couldn't ever go back.

 

“Ayame!” Koga yelled as he grabbed her wrist, making her scream from the surprise of how he had gotten so close so fast. She swung out with a kick, but he ducked under it easily and grabbed her other wrist. She continued to lash out at him and to try to push herself away, and meanwhile, Inuyasha was hiding behind a bush, worried that Koga would spend a week or so under doctor's care if he didn't move away from Ayame now.

 

“Ayame!” Koga yelled again, and somehow ducked around another kick to grab her shoulders and pull her into an iron embrace. She braced her hands against his chest and pushed just as Inuyasha prepared to get between them, but his jaw hit the floor when Ayame suddenly collapsed against Koga's chest, sobbing. She even fisted some of his firs to pull him closer. Koga pressed his face into her hair, holding her as tightly as he could without breaking any bones.

 

Inuyasha scratched his head in confusion before turning and leaving, Ayame's sobs not dying out until he was long out of their sight.

 

Ballroom

 

“I can't have this Kagome!” Lady Higurashi yelled, still far from her hysterics being over. “With both Lady Takashi and Lord Inu Taisho being dead---may the rest in peace---if you're killed, it will destroy all of these lands!” she shrieked.

 

“I'm not going to die!” Kagome yelled back, outside the door, Inuyasha winced because of his sensitive hearing.

 

“You almost did today!”

 

“Yeah, but I didn't!” Kagome yelled, stopping to take a few deep breaths. “You relax, ok?” she growled. “I'm not going to die, I'm not going to back out of the engagement, and I'm not going to have any body for my guard besides Ayame!”

 

“Kagome…” Lady Higurashi tried to reason, “you're upset. The person who would be you mother-in-law just died today, and I'm sure that you're a little scared from being kidnapped, but---”

 

“She still will be my mother-in-law.” Kagome snapped, saying this in a non-negotiable tone. “Just because she's dead doesn't mean she's gone, and by the way, I'm not scared.”

 

Lady Higurashi sighed, her head rolling back against her neck. “Kagome.”

 

“What?” Kagome snapped.

 

“She must never do anything like that again.” Lady Higurashi said suddenly. “I trust you, and if you say that she's the best, then she will be your body guard.”

 

“Thank you mom---” Kagome moved to hug her, but Lady Higurashi held up one finger, stopping her.

 

“But if she ever messes up like that again, she will be put to death, and I'm not changing my mind on that.” Lady Higurashi stormed out of the room, leaving a stunned Kagome to stare at the doorway where she had exited.

 

Inuyasha walked in cautiously after he heard the door click. “Did she just…?”

 

“Why would she… she cant do that!” Kagome shrieked, grabbing onto Inuyasha's arms, shaking him. “She can't put one of my best friends to death! No matter what they do!”

 

“Don't worry.” He gripped her tightly, as he remembered that was how Koga had gotten Ayame to clam down. “She'll cool off after a while and forget all about that threat.”

 

“And if she doesn't? I've never been in a risky situation like that before, what if it pushed her over the edge for trusting me?”

 

“It's fine, I can protect you just as well as any body guard anyway.” Inuyasha told her, holding her at arms length to look her in the eyes. Kagome nodded and then pushed against his arms to hug him again.

 

“So why did Koga go after her?” she asked quietly after a while.

 

“Well,” Inuyasha laughed. “Actually, funny you should mention that…”

 

Outside the Ballroom Window

 

“Ouch.” Koga winced as Lady Higurashi issued her threat. “She's a little freaked out.” He snickered, trying to make a joke out of it, but sighed when Ayame just looked away. She stood up on the windowsill and hopped to the branch of a nearby tree and held onto the trunk so she could look at the stars.

 

“What if I really am not good enough?” she asked him shakily.

 

“You keep telling yourself that and you really will start to suck.” He told her seriously, standing up to look at her; secretly marveling at how beautiful she looked in the moonlight, silhouetted by the black trees.

 

“No, really.” She said, just as serious, finally turning to look at him.

 

“Come on Ayame.” Koga rolled his eyes. “Kagome's the heir to the clan who has the most enemies because of their power, both demon and human; not to mention she's engaged to Inuyasha of all people, the heir of her most hated enemy. Do you really think she would still be alive if she hadn't had you for a body guard after all these years?”

 

Ayame giggled, what Koga said was completely true, then jumped again when Koga appeared at her side out of nowhere and squeezed her shoulder.

 

“You really are the best in their clan.” He told her again, she smiled up at him and leaned her head against his shoulder. Sighing and breathing in his scent before closing her eyes.

 

Then she collapsed.

 

“Ayame!” Koga yelled as he launched himself off of the branch to grab her and swing her into a bridal hold, sighing in relief as he realized that she was only asleep.

 

“How do you do that?” he shook his head, amused that she would fall asleep like that just because it was a long day, and jumped onto the balcony to set her lightly on her bed. He smiled at her one last time, before brushing her bangs lightly from her face and leaving.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Things are happening^^

I'm sorry if this is a lot of information. ;) and get ready for a love-struck Sango next chapter!