InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Murder On An Autumn Night ❯ Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Inuyasha belong to Rumiko Takahashi-sensei.

Author notes: Somehow the idea won't leave me, even after writing that one-shot. So I decided to perhaps convert in into a multi-chapter fic. I don't know if I have the time to consistently update for this; but I do hope I can finish it. If the theme of it is overplayed, forgive me. I've seen many stories of Kagome or Inuyasha as a ghost but I hope my idea is still original enough. In case you guys are wondering, the person having that dream in the prologue is Akira.

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Chapter 2: Help, my friend is possessed!

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His eyes, Kagome decided, were strange. They were totally red, except for a ring of blue iris around it. Purple stripes adored his face, giving him a feral look. The figure looked surprisingly fine for someone being staked up, left for dead, and got revived again. His face was familiar too, like she seen him before somewhere.

"Hey, Aki, he….he looks a little bit like you, ne?" Sango whispered nervously, breaking the silence. Akira did not hear her, his mind had almost shut down from the strange specter before them. He's not a human, Akira mused, and he's definitely not alive. The only conclusion is……

He's a ghost.

The spirit did not seem to pay the three any heed, instead his head swerved to focus on Kagome. And then he spoke.

"You are the one who pulled out the arrow and released me?" he questioned softly, his voice melodious yet creepy. At Kagome's nervous nod, he grinned. Blood trickled down his lips as he revealed his sharp fangs. He calmly sliced through the vines holding him up and landed gracefully.

And stepped onto his own pool of blood.

The ghost did not seem to mind, or care. Instead, he focused all his attention on Kagome. "Have you come to finish what you've started? Is that why you unsealed me?"

"What….? What do you mean? I don't even know you." Kagome stammered.

The ghost shook his head sadly, lifting up a finger as if chastising her. "How could you, darling? How could you claim to even forget me? Especially after you shot me through here?" he pointed to his chest. Suddenly, he grinned manically. "Come, I'll let you have a shot. Finish what you've started. Or I will." He spread his arms wide open, as if in an act of sacrifice.

Kagome was confused, and scared. The ghost does not seem sane or peaceful at all. It's a vengeful spirit. And it wants something from her. "I….I think you got the wrong person…erm….I don't know what you are talking. We meant you no harm, you know."

The ghost lowered his hands and peered closely at her, before his face broke out in a wide grin. "Oh yes, my fault, my fault. You are not her. But you do look like her, you know. Well, I guess I just then have to take you with me to hell instead as a substitute first." With that, he calmly walked towards her, his eyes eerily glowing, leaving footsteps of blood in his wake.

Sango, Miroku and Akira looked at each other, pondering on their next course of action. It seemed like the ghost had a lot of grudge and hatred and might even kill. Sango threw a dagger towards the ghost as it approached Kagome but the dagger just flew through him, hitting another tree with a dull thunk. The ghost did not even bother to look at them, his attention now focused entirely on his prey. Kagome stood there, rooted to the spot in fear, and whimpered as the ghost clutched both of her arms in his hands, his sharp claws digging painfully into her flesh. Drops of blood fell from her wound to the ground in silence. The pain brought her back to reality, and Kagome remembered all the years of her miko training. A bright purple light suddenly flood the clearing and the ghost stumbled backwards.

It was offended of course. He looked down at his burnt fingers, as if in amazement before lifting up his head to look at Kagome. The way he gazed at her made her strangely uncomfortable. She felt like he was dissecting her with his gaze, analyzing her like the scientists do in front of a new specimen.

"A miko? You are a miko? I hate all miko. Fucking hyprocrites." He flexed his claws. "Now you die, little girl."

Miroku was about to take out his ofuda when Akira stopped him. "Wait. Don't hurt her. Whatever that happened, that was in the past. We all just want to help you here."

The ghost turned to the three, as if seeing them for the first time. "Help me? Why should you want to help me? Nobody would want to help a creature like me."

"Please….tell us what is holding you back. We'll fulfill your last wishes and you can move on. This plane is of the living, the dead have no place here."

The ghost smiled. Somehow it seemed even more frightening. "Last wishes? Move on? I don't think so, little boy. My last wish is to kill the one who killed me. Since I can't find her, I think I'll satisfy myself first with this little look alike. And then I'll go and find the one who did this to me."

Kagome paled and quickly ran towards the three standing there. The ghost watched her run away with amusement.

Akira whispered softly. "Then the cycle of vengeance would never end. You are already dead. Killing your murderer would not change that fact."

"It would make me happy, very happy in fact." The ghost replied as he advanced towards them.

"But this is not your last wish. I know it."

The ghost cocked his head sideway. "How do you know? You presume too much, little boy."

Akira just stood there, feeling strangely calm. The more he talked to the spirit, the more he felt an understanding with him. It seemed so strange, but he felt a part of his own soul resonated with the spirit in front of him. It was as if they were bonded in ways he could never know. "Spirits don't wish for that in their last moments. Revenge is always the last thing on their mind as they passed on."

The ghost looked annoyed. "You talk too much. Maybe I should kill you first." With that, he suddenly charged towards Akira, his claws poised to kill.

The moment the ghost came into contact with Akira, a bright light flooded the clearing. And as the four mortals raised their hands to shield their eyes from the light instinctively, they suddenly lost consciousness.

The first thing that Sango saw when she opened her eyes was two pairs of big eyes peering at her intently. She screamed instinctively, pushing the two pairs of big eyes away. A "ouch" could be heard as Miroku and Kagome got pushed backward, their heads knocking into one another.

"What was that for, Sango?" Miroku cried, rubbing his head.

"For staring at me like that, you lecher!" Sango fumed. "What are you guys doing?"

"We were trying to wake you up. You won't open your eyes no matter how we shake you." Kagome supplied helpfully.

"Wake me up?" Sango suddenly took stock of her surroundings. "We are at the edge of the forest? But I thought we entered into the forest? What happened?"

Miroku shook his head. "I don't know. When I opened my eyes, I saw Kagome staring at me. We were all lying at the edge of the forest, unconscious."

Sango scratched her head. "Did we enter into the forest or not? Why it that we will suddenly get knocked out?" then softly, as if speaking to herself, she continued. "Don't tell me just now all that happened was a dream?"

"A Dream? What dream? What did you see Sango?" Miroku asked anxiously.

"I had a dream too." Kagome continued. "I dreamt I pulled out an arrow from a ghost."

"And the ghost wants to kill you." Sango continued.

"And then there's a sudden flash of bright light…." Miroku continued.

"It's not a dream." The three concluded simultaneously.

"How's Akira?" Sango asked, looking around.

"He's still unconscious. I think we better don't stay around here anymore. Let's go back to the shrine." Kagome suggested.

Miroku shrugged. "How are we going to carry him back?"

Sango and Kagome glared at the boy. "You are a man, alright? Just carry your buddy okay."

Miroku sighed and went over to hoist the unconscious boy over his back. "You owe me big time, buddy."

As they reached the courtyard of the shrine, Kagome spied a familiar figure sweeping the floor.

"Kaede-bachan! Kaede-bachan. What are you doing here? Why are you sweeping the floor? Jii-chan asked you to do his chores, didn't he?" Kagome babbled excitedly, happy to see her miko teacher.

"My, my. Kagome, what happened? You reeked of the dead. Did you see a ghost?" Kaede mused, ruffling the girl's hair.

The mention of the supernatural brought Kagome back to reality. "Oh Kaede-bachan. I have so much to tell you. Let me put my friend into a room first, and then I explain what happened okay?"

Kaede nodded and watched as the girl direct the other two strangers into the house, carrying an unconscious boy whose features were obscured by the long black hair. Yet as she watched them going into the house, a gust of wind blew across, revealing part of the boy's face. Kaede froze, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu, even as she continued to sweep the floor.

"So you met a ghost." Kaede mused, sipping her hot tea carefully.

"Not just a ghost." Miroku supplied. "A youkai ghost."

"How do you know he's a youkai?" Kaede questioned. "What does he look like?"

Sango chewed on a biscuit. "He had long silver hair, puppy dog ears on his head, and crimson red eyes."

Kaede looked surprise at the last bit of information. "Red eyes? Are you sure?"

Sango nodded. "It was so terrible. He got this huge arrow wound on his chest that kept dripping blood but he doesn't seem to care. His hair was wild, unkempt and his clothes were tattered and torn. He looked so savage and wild, and his eyes were feral, like he wants to eat up all of us."

Kagome shivered. "Yah. It was really creepy. He even dug his claws into my arms. But when I wake up, there was no wound there. But I remembered feeling the pain so acutely, I just don't understand."

Kaede replied thoughtfully. "I think you all never entered into the forest at all."

"What?" the three chorused. "Why?"

"It seemed to me that this spirit is not in the forest of his own free will but was trapped in the forest by someone. Judging by what Kagome describe about the arrow, I think it is the work of a miko. Perhaps this youkai was an evil youkai when he was alive; hence his spirit is subdued and trapped by a miko in the forest. The miko set a barrier around the forest, preventing anyone from entering. All who attempted to enter actually traverse into the spirit realm of the forest, but not the physical realm of it. That is how you all are able to see the spirit who was trapped there. But…."

"But what?"

"Based on what Kagome just said, the spirit seemed to be freed by her. If I am not wrong, the spirit would wreak havoc in the mortal realm now, trying to find his killer. We must subdue this spirit as soon as possible."

"But where can we find this spirit? It could be anywhere by now." Kagome argued.

"Whatever it is, I think we better check on Akira now. I'm getting worried for him." Sango replied, standing up. Kagome stood up too. "Wait, you guys stay here. I'll go and see if he's awake. You are strangers here, and might get lost within the shrine."

When Kagome slide open the door of the guest room, she never expected Akira to be awake. So it was with great surprise that she saw Akira sitting up stiffly on the futon, his head lowered to the point where his hair covered his face. When Akira heard her coming in, he looked up stiffly.

And Kagome gasped at the sight before her.

It was not Akira who was sitting in front anymore. Angry red eyes glare balefully at her, nails lengthening into something inhuman, inky black hair bleaching into white strands as if by some magic.

Kagome dropped everything she held at that moment and ran. She ran as fast as possible, letting out a piercing scream. The creature gave chase behind her, his maniacal laughter trailing behind him.

Kagome had only one thing on her mind; to find Kaede bachan. She ran, not daring to look back. Her scream attracted the attention of the other occupants; Kaede, Miroku and Sango. They ran out just in time to see Kagome being chased after by the monster they saw in their dreams.

"Help! Help, Kaede-bachan! Save me!" Kagome screamed. The youkai swiped its claws a few centimeters away from her head, slicing off stray strands of hair. Kaede's eyes widen before shaking her head at the sight of the angry youkai. She took out a rosary from her sleeve and started praying.

Before long, the beads in the rosary separated and reformed themselves on the neck of the youkai. Kaede cried out at Kagome who was panting on the floor. "Say a subduing word. Now!"

"What word?" Kagome cried.

"Any word will do. Just calm down his spirit."

Kagome glanced fearfully at the youkai who was charging towards her, stuttering. "O…O..Osuwari."

Immediately, the puppy ears twitched involuntarily as the spirit slammed into the floor by an unseen force. "What the heck?" he cried, standing up again, but Kagome repeated the word again.

"Osuwari, osuwari, osuwari." Kagome panted, until the youkai lay unmoving on the floor.

Sango looked at the youkai and cried. "Great, Kagome, you knocked him out."

Miroku sighed. "Shit, I think if I'm not wrong, that's Akira's body you're smashing, Kagome."

The three teenagers glanced at the unconscious Akira in fear; his hair was still white, and claws adored his fingers. In short, he looked possessed still.

"How could this have happen? Why did the ghost possess Aki?" Sango cried in frustration.

"Don't worry, Sango. We'll get him out and get Aki back in no time." Miroku comforted.

"It's my entire fault." Kagome continued mournfully. "The ghost wants me. I got Akira involved."

Just then, Akira's eyes opened. He sat up suddenly, only to realize his hands and feet were tied up. "What the fuck?" he glared at the three teenagers. "Release me now."

"And let you kill us?" Miroku continued. "No way."

The ghost smirked. "You cannot keep me here forever. I'll get my revenge, I swear."

Just then the door slides open. Kaede walked in slowly. "Stop your ruckus now," she commanded, "Inuyasha."

At the mention of the word Inuyasha, the ghost stilled. Then suddenly as if he's a puppet, he stiffly turned to Kaede. "How do you know my name, baba?"

Kaede gasped. "You are really Inuyasha? Look closer at me, do you remember me?"

Inuyasha peered at the old woman in front of her before exclaiming. "Kaede? Little Kaede? What happened to you? Why do you look so old?"

"Erm…you guys know each other?" Sango whispered nervously.

"I've aged." Kaede replied, not hearing Sango's words at all. "It's been fifty years since I last saw you, Inuyasha."

"Fifty years?" Inuyasha paused. "I've been dead for fifty years?"

Kaede sat down in front of Inuyasha and took his hands into hers. "What happened, Inu-no-niichan? Why are you dead? Why did you become a vengeful spirit now, unable to rest in peace? We were all so worried for you when you suddenly disappeared fifty years ago without a trace. Kikyou onee-sama cried everyday after you was gone, pining away for you."

Inuyasha jerked his hands away from Kaede's. "Fuck, Kaede. She's the one who killed me!"