InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Naraku's Expiriment ❯ The Never-Ending Cycle ( Chapter 19 )

Chapter 19 ~ Never-Ending Cycle

 

Have I defeated what that dream had prophesized? Was that why Jakotsu and Bankotsu and fought them?

 

“Hey there,” Sango said. “You did really well back there.” She retied her ponytail and sighed, “If you hadn't done what you did, we'd probably be…”

 

Oh…I know, believe me… Autumn thought. She forced a smile and said, “That power seems to go off whenever people are in danger.”

 

“Then it's probably an ancient form of white magic,” Miroku said, joining them. “Most likely from the shikon shard itself. If you can use it, it means Midoriko is winning the battle.”

 

“But with every evil vanquished, a new one is reborn,” Sango said.

 

Miroku looked at Autumn with real concern. She had suddenly gone quiet. “Is there something wrong, lady Autumn? You're so quiet all of a sudden.”

 

Sango said, “Yeah, I've noticed that too.”

 

Autumn tried to figure out what she should say and decided that the plain, hard truth might be best. “I had a dream,” Autumn said slowly. “I think…I'm going to lead to the deaths of us all.” There, I said it.

 

Inuyasha stopped walking and Kagome crashed into him. “Ow, what's the big idea?”

 

Oh great, now they're all looking at me. She said, “It was just a nightmare I had. It was probably nothing.”

 

“Sometimes dreams can be the most real things of all,” Sango said. “Tell us.”

 

Autumn sighed. Why did it have to be so sunny? It seemed to be mocking her. “I was…I was…crying,” she said, looking down at the ground. Her shoes were really dirty. “Naraku came and said…” She looked at her friends. “Please don't make me continue. I really do not want to go on.”

 

“Do it anyway,” Kagome said gently. “Maybe we can help.”

 

“If that's what you want. He said that someone betrayed me because I was a hanyou. Then he stole the shard and said that my impure heart had corrupted it, so I didn't deserve to be the guardian anymore.” She took a deep breath, “Everyone was dead and I was slammed against a tree. He said that this scene was like the time Inuyasha slaughtered the village and Kikyo corrupted the jewel.” She heard them inhale sharply but plunged ahead, “He said I had to honor the `late' Inuyasha's memory and Kagome shot me with an arrow. Then he said, tell Kagome, Kikyo, and Midoriko I've sent them another one…”

 

They seemed speechless, but Inuyasha was the first to recover. “I never told you about that,” he said quietly.

 

“What does it mean?” Kagome asked. “I would never do anything like that…”

 

“I see,” Miroku said.

 

“You do?” Sango asked incredulously.

 

“History is repeating itself,” Miroku said solemnly. “The great demon was allowed to form because they used a corrupted human heart as their crucible. There was a man who secretly yearned after her, and it was he who led to her downfall, ironically. Several years passed and Kikyo was entrusted to be the jewel's guardian. Everyone thought that finally, the jewel would be purified, but a young hanyou loved her. At the same time, she was tending a burned bandit who was on the verge of death. He too, wanted Kikyo, but unlike the hanyou, he wished for her corruption. The bandit allowed a horde of demons to enter his body. His name was Onigumo, but he's better known as Naraku, now.”

 

“Naraku?” Autumn asked. “That Naraku?”

 

“There's only one I know of,” Sango said. “And that one is enough.”

 

“Whaddaya mean, history's repeating?” Inuyasha asked.

 

“Well think about it. The jewel was corrupted after Kikyo. Now it has yet another protector, another woman I might add. This woman appears to have a pure heart like the others all before and once again, everyone feels that the cycle might come to an end. Unfortunately,” Miroku said, “The only end I fear is coming is hers.”

 

“Mine?” Autumn asked. “What do you mean?”

 

“From your dream, I'm guessing you are the last in the line. You will lead to the eventual corruption or purification of the jewel.”

 

They continued walking in silence. Autumn began to wonder if she'd ruined everyone's day. Jeez, I'm like some kind of dark prophet or something… A shadow cast over her arm and she realized Inuyasha was walking next to her. She sighed. “Look, I'm sorry for bringing all that up…really. If you're going to shout at me, please get it over with.”

 

What he said next surprised her so much she forgot to breathe. “Autumn, do like Sesshoumaru?”

 

She frowned in thought. “It's not like it would matter. I'm only a half-breed. I've heard the great Sesshoumaru is notorious in his hatred of us.”

 

“That's not what I was asking,” Inuyasha said. His voice was unusually tender. “Do you like him?”

 

“I don't know…” But she did know. She was hopelessly, completely in love with Sesshoumaru.

 

Inuyasha said, “I think you do.”

 

“Well if you knew then why did you ask me?”

 

He humphed, “Well if you're going to be a bitch about it. I'm just warning you not to get your hopes up with that guy. He doesn't have the best rep when it comes to kindness.”

 

“I'll keep that in mind.” She glanced over at Kagome, wondering if she had threatened him with S-I-T if he didn't make friends.

 

Inuyasha followed her gaze and said, “I came over here by my own free will if that's what you're wondering.”

 

“No, I wasn't!” she said quickly. A little too quickly. His eyes regarded her suspiciously. “Okay…so maybe I was a little. But I thought you didn't like me. What's with this attempt at niceties, all of a sudden?”

 

He laughed, “If I didn't like you, you'd be dead, kitty.”

 

“Oh, that's saying a lot, puppy. I think that's a little bit of wishful thinking on your part.”

 

“Come on you two,” Kagome said cheerfully, seemingly forgetting everything that had happened in the past fifteen minutes. “Don't fight.”

 

“We aren't fighting!” Inuyasha said. “We're getting along.”

 

“If that's getting along, I'd hate to see you not getting along,” Miroku said with a laugh.

 

Suddenly, Inuyasha's ears lifted up as a blush slowly spread up his neck…