InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Psyche ❯ III. Where, then, do we belong? ( Chapter 3 )

Title: Psyche

Author: Sutoresu

Summary: Alternate Universe // When the beauty of the young maiden, Kagome, becomes greater than that of the fabled Kikyo, the spirit sends a half-demon to exterminate her. But, what happens when her pure beauty is strong enough to warm the hanyou?

Disclaimer: I own neither the characters of Inuyasha, nor the Roman myth of Psyche & Cupid. If you can see the parallels between the two stories, I applaud you. If not, please enjoy my interpretations presented here within as cheap entertainment.

. III. Where, then, do we belong?

.

Inuyasha landed face down onto a patch of grass. He remained on the ground, inhaling the sweet smells of Earth. Even after the spell of the beads had faded, allowing him to get to his feet, he refused to move. He was too busy trying to contain himself from rolling around in the dirt.

He took in a deep breath, using his nose to sort through the various scents. Once he was content in the observation that he was, indeed, back on Earth, Inuyasha slowly stood up. Bracing his back, he looked up skywards. That was one hell of a fall, he thought before anxiously pulling at the beads around his neck. Damn you, Kikyou.

His hands dropped to his side. There, just in front of him, a hazy purple cloud appeared. Inuyasha squatted down and reached out his claws. Feh, he muttered, waving his hand in order to disperse the cloud. When it was clear, he crossed his arms over his chest and peered at the ground. There sat Kikyou's bow and arrow. If you could transport this bow and arrow so easily, Kikyou, why was I dropped down?

He sighed and picked up the two objects. Tucking them inside his red haori, Inuyasha looked around, his long white hair swaying in the slight breeze. The ears on top of his head, so resembling those of a dog, twitched as he listened for any sound that would identify his location.

With a faint hint of recognition, Inuyasha knew he was, once more, in the forest where he had vanished fifty years ago. "Of course she would find it suiting to send me back to this place," he huffed, half considering just refusing to obey Kikyou, now that he had the opportunity to be finally be parted from her side.

"Inuyasha."

He spun around and crouched down into a fighting stance, his claws outstretched. "Who's there?"  He was not yet entirely readjusted to the mortal realm.  If he was caught off-guard, his next move could be his last.

From inside a tiny shrine came a hollow laugh. Kikyou.  Of course.

He straightened up and took a tentative step forward toward the small building, disregarding a plaque that stood on a podium just to his side. "Kikyou, is that you?"

"I told you, Inuyasha. I can only return to Earth within the confines of my own shrine."

Inuyasha continued to move forward until he was just a few feet outside the door. Peering inside, he smirked at the near-transparent form hovering inside. "Not all of you, though, eh, Kikyou?"

Kikyou looked down at her faded body. Well, Inuyasha, this is what happens when I send an apparition down just so my conscience can have piece of mind that those beads worked, she thought. But he didn't need to know that. Instead, she flicked her wrist and pointed downwards. "Sit, boy."

He didn't have a chance. Prepared this time, his amber eyes closed themselves as he fell face down into the dirt. He stayed down, resisting the urge to jump to his feet and throttle the gloating spirit. It was a shame she was already dead.

Inuyasha jumped up regardless, but stayed outside of the shrine. "Kikyou," he growled, pulling at the faintly glowing beads around his neck, "what the hell are these?"

"Oh, Inuyasha. Did I forget to mention that those were beads of subjugation?" Kikyou answered. He wasn't sure if it was just a trick of the sunlight, but he could almost swear that she was smiling.

"You've got to be kidding me. So, as long as I wear this, anytime someone says si-- that damn 's' word -- I'm gonna fall down on my face?"

Kikyou felt a pull on her apparition. The mortal mirror her true form held in the Spirit plane was drawing her back. "No, Inuyasha. Only I hold that power. Anyway, that's not why I'm here. I realized that you might not be able to find the girl. I figured that, as you were wearing my beads, you would land just outside of my shrine. Luckily, I was correct and I found you here now so I can tell you where to go. Just outside of the forest -- you do remember this forest, don't you? And the village?" she asked, prolonging her stay, despite her body becoming even more so transparent.

"Feh," was all he responded. Of course he remembered.

"Well, the girl's family lives in a cottage just past the forest's edge. If you head in that direction, her home is the first one you'll come to," Kikyou explained.

Inuyasha was glad that she had come. He wouldn't admit it to her, but he had been wondering how exactly she intended him to find the girl. Kagome, wasn't it, he wondered before shrugging. It didn't really matter. "If you say so, Kikyou. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get this over with."

Kikyou nodded. "Enjoy yourself, Inuyasha. These beads will allow you to remain until you see fit to return to Heaven. It seems fair that you should have a little freedom after fifty years, don't you think. That is, if you do what I ask and take care of her."

Inuyasha's eyes gleamed at the opportunity. All he had to do was shoot an arrow at one helpless mortal girl and he was free?

Kikyou caught the look and peered intensely at the hanyou. "A little freedom, Inuyasha. I can recall you to Heaven anytime I wish. Please don't make me." And, with those parting words, Kikyou faded entirely.

He ignored Kikyou's warning. After all, he was a free half-demon, at least for the time being. And what did he feel like doing, now that he was free?

His grumbling stomach answered for him. It seemed that since he was back on earth, he had regained his forsaken humanoid form. That, at least, accounted for the back pain he had felt upon his crash-landing. And, now, he was hungry. "Food first, work later," he mused before taking a deep breath and heading off in the direction of the village. Someone was cooking dinner and it smelt great to his demon nose.

It was good to be back. & . & . &

Kagome stared at the back of the door for a second longer before taking hold of Kaede's arm. "Just a bit further, Lady Kaede. I'm going to bring you into our kitchen."

"Ye are a good soul, Kagome. I see that the prophecy was right about that too."

Curiosity filled her but Kagome chose to ignore it as she continued to lead Kaede through the cottage. When she entered the small kitchen she found her mother and grandfather sipping tea together.

Her mother looked up first. "Oh, Kagome, have you sent home all of the boys already?"

She nodded before gesturing towards Kaede. "Yes, Mama. I have a different sort of visitor tonight. Mama, Gramps, this is Lady Kaede."

Her mother smiled warmly while her grandfather placed his teacup down and peered at Kaede. "You wouldn't be the priestess Kaede, would you? I have heard many tales about the prophetess sharing visions. In fact, I remember --"

"Gramps," interrupted Kagome, not in the mood to hear any of her grandfather's tales, "Lady Kaede had come to see me tonight because of a prophecy."

"Hey, what's going on, sis?"

Kagome's mother looked up at the young boy that seemed to have just appeared at the table. "Souta, I thought you took Buuyo with you and went to bed?"

He paused for a moment before answering. "I saw Kagome bringing an old lady inside and I wanted to see what was happening."

His mother nodded but Kagome felt her cheeks grow hot. "Were you spying on me, Souta?"

Their grandfather, sensing trouble brewing between Kagome and her younger brother, rose from the table before helping Kaede into the vacant seat. "Please take a seat, priestess. I'm very interested to hear about this prophecy regarding our Kagome."

Kagome shot her brother a dirty look before turning to face Kaede. The old woman was sitting in the chair, looking straight ahead. The blank stare in the eye not covered by an eye patch unnerved Kagome but she was too kind to look away, even though the priestess would never know. "Yes, Lady Kaede. Please tell us why you've journeyed here to our cottage."

Kaede cocked her head in the direction in which she heard Kagome's voice. "Kagome, child, I have been a priestess for a very long time and, as ye can see, I have grown old. But with age too comes wisdom."

Kagome's grandfather, standing behind Kaede's seat, straightened up with pride and rested his hand on the top of her chair. "See, kids. Listen to the fine priestess. She knows what she is talking about."

Kaede's wrinkled and weathered face split into a weak smile. "Yes, well, the weight of wisdom can be a burden for a few. Quite some time ago, as I attended to my duties, a chill came over me, though it still be summer. I went into my small hut and started a fire to warm my old bones. Once the fire had been started, and I sat beside it for the heat, I had a vision."

"Hey, Mama," interrupted Souta in what he obviously thought was a whisper but wasn't, "how can that old woman see anything? She looks blind to me."

Kagome's mother began to hush Souta while her grandfather cringed. Kagome, never one to be surprised at the extent of her brother's density, smacked her forehead with her palm.

Kaede, on the other hand, chuckled. "Right you are, child. I no longer can see thing as they once were -- but I can see better things now."

Souta was interested. "Really? Like what?"

Though Kaede kept her head tilted towards Kagome she was clearly speaking to the younger Higurashi. "Well, this prophecy, for example. I had a vision about a young maiden whose inexplicable outer beauty was as great as the extent of her kind soul."

She then paused and, as the tone of her voice softened, she seemed to be addressing Kagome again. "It was such a strange vision for me. I usually have visions regarding the villagers in my homeland. As they are usually much more specific that your prophecy, I was concerned about it and set off at once to find such a maiden. I have traveled long and hard for such a girl, but none were as beautiful and as kind as the one I had envisioned. I was actually on my way back home when I happened to stop at an inn just outside this very village. The same night, the inn was host to another traveler full of tales of an enchanting beauty he encountered. As I sat and listened to that man as he spoke so highly of you, Kagome, that I was compelled to make my way towards your cottage."

Kagome listened to the elderly woman speak. When Kaede took a moment's pause, Kagome jumped in. "If you don't know exactly who you are looking for in regards to your prophecy, how can you be sure it's me? I mean, I know I'm pretty enough and I can be nice if I want to, but I wouldn't say that I come close enough to matching that description."

"I think you are gorgeous, Kagome," Souta said, taking his sister by surprise.

"Thanks, Souta," she replied uncertainly, waiting for any kind of sarcastic comment. Souta was her little brother -- he was supposed to say she was "icky".

But he had nothing else to say. Kagome shrugged her shoulders and turned back to the priestess. "Lady Kaede?"

"Kagome, ye ask why I say that this prophecy is about ye? Like I've said before, I may not be able to see with my eyes any longer but that my other senses that much stronger. The moment I found myself before ye, I knew. Ye have the most powerful spiritual aura I have ever felt -- ye are the maiden I have been looking for."

Kagome lowered her gaze as if embarrassed. "Oh. If you're sure."

"Yes. And, now I've found ye, I fear it is now time to tell ye of your destiny." Kaede pushed her seat away from the table and struggled to get to her feet. She accepted help from both Kagome and her grandfather so that she was steady.

Once she was standing, Kaede closed her only visible eye and, in a voice much lower and harsher than her own, she began to recite:

Unaware of her destiny she lives, a beauty beyond any other, yet dwarfed only by the enormous size of her soul. This maiden, it is to be understood, is fated for no mortal man nor demon. However, a lost soul, a combination of man and monster, shall make the girl his own. And, it is this pairing, that shall carry peace throughout the land. The girl must be told of her fate. She must understand that she only has the power to tame such a beast. She must willingly forsake her own desires for she shall save the world. Only then, by the sacred well, she will truly understand her own power. But, tally not. The moon’s cycle draws to an end. The new moon shall blossom and, if it should find the girl far from the well, all is lost…

Once she finished the last word, she slumped down. Kagome's grandfather reached forward and caught her under her arm in time, before she landed against the floor. He gently guided the spent priestess back into her seat.

Kagome, meanwhile, stood frozen, her mouth slightly open. She turned helplessly from Kaede, staring at her grandfather, brother and mother each in turn. "What...?" she asked, unable to form any sort of real question.

Souta was the first to make a coherent comment. "Does that mean that Kagome has to leave us to live by the well and marry some half-breed monster?"

Kagome's eyes welled up with tears and she hurried to her mother. Her mother welcomed her in with open arms. "Of course not," she murmured, petting Kagome's long, dark hair.

Once her grandfather was sure that the priestess would not fall out of the chair, he looked over at the two women. "Actually, that's exactly what it does mean."

Kagome let out a tiny shriek and buried her head in her mother's shoulder. Her mother sighed and hugged her daughter protectively. "Dad, you're not helping."

He sniffed. "You know as well as I do that Kagome's destiny is set -- we can't go against fate. We shall have to bring her to the sacred bone-eater well before the moon's cycle ends."

Kagome pulled away from her mother and gaped at her grandfather. "But the new moon is in a week. You're sending me away already, Gramps? I don't care what the Gods' say. I'm not going," she claimed defiantly.

Kaede began shaking at this point. Everyone paused as they watched the elderly woman tremble. "Priestess?" asked the grandfather hesitantly.

As soon as the tremors started they ceased. In a weak sort of voice, Kaede said simply this: "Kagome, ye have to go. Tomorrow." And, with that, she slumped to her side.

Kagome clung to her mother and Souta rose from the table and bolted from the room. Kagome's mother held onto her daughter as she addressed her father with wide eyes. "Dad, is she alright?"

He reached forward and took hold of one Kaede's limp hands. He waited a moment before sighing in relief. "She is. I think that strength of the prophecy has drained her. After all, she isn't a spring chicken." He lowered himself a bit before trying to bring her to her feet. He moaned when he realized that he wouldn't be able to do it alone. "Dear, will you help me? I'm going to lay the priestess on the futon in the den."

Kagome's mother nodded before giving her daughter a squeeze. "Kagome, honey, why don't you get some sleep. I know this is all seems a bit much and so soon, but we'll talk about it tomorrow morning."

Kagome nodded before wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. "Sure, Mama," she replied. She knew it would make no sense to argue now -- she would just have to way until tomorrow. Because, if there was one thing she knew, she wasn't going to marry a monster. & . & . &

With a jump and a soft landing, Inuyasha found himself perched on a window ledge, two stories up, on the backside of the cottage. He cupped his hands around his eyes and pressed his nose up against the glass. With the faint moonlight high overhead, Inuyasha was able to make out a sleeping form inside. The figure was petite, but, as her face was turned toward the wall, all he could spy was long raven tresses spilling over the side of the bed.

He hesitated for a moment and lowered his gaze to where he knew he kept Kikyou's enchanted bow and arrow. He hope the spirit knew what she was doing. Though, he reasoned with a smirk, they might not let me back into Heaven if I try to return with an innocent's blood on my hands.

As quietly as he could, Inuyasha tried to pry open the window. His impatience got the better of him, though. When the window seemed to give some resistance, he heaved against it. While he succeeded in opening it, the force of his shove sent him spilling onto her bedroom floor.

He recovered himself mid-fall and landed in a squat. Not as graceful or as quiet of an entry as he would have liked but, as he reminded himself, this was his first time doing anything other than lying on a cloud for fifty years. He was allowed a few mistakes here or there. As long as the girl didn't know he was there.

Inuyasha stayed down low and glanced over at the bed. The girl hadn't moved at all. And, luckily for him, the way she lay on her bed have him a clear shot to her back where, if he let loose the arrow hard enough, it should pierce her heart.

Remembering why he was prowling around in this young girl's room, he stood from the floor and pulled out the bow and arrow from under his haori. He strung up the bow and, when he was satisfied that it was ready, he held the arrow up next to the string. He was just about to pull back on the bow when he heard a noise.

The girl let out a snore.

Inuyasha was unprepared for such a loud noise to disrupt the quiet night air. Though he made no noise himself, the arrow he had held against the bow tumbled to the floor.

He resisted the urge to curse aloud. Inuyasha could kick himself for being so clumsy as to drop the arrow. He had watched Kikyou countless times string her bow and fit an arrow to it -- she had made it seem so easy. He tried it again, placing the arrow against the string before pausing.

The girl was stirring.

"I don't want to go," she murmured as she turned over in her sleep, her eyes still closed. She snuggled up against her pillow before resting, her face now fully visible to the hanyou.

For the second time, Inuyasha dropped the arrow as well as the bow. He froze, his eyes wide as he took in the image of the sleeping beauty. It can't be, he thought, there is no way that can be her.

But, even in the limited light shed by the moon, there was no mistaking it. "Kikyou?" he whispered, reaching out a hand for the girl, without even thinking.

She didn't open her eyes, but she was restless in her slumber, wrapping her sheets around her legs. "I don't believe in fate, Mama," she whispered, oblivious to Inuyasha's presence in her room.

Inuyasha took a step back, glaring at his hand as if it betrayed him. When he was sure his hand would not repeat such a transgression again, he closed one eye and squinted at Kagome. He could see now that she wasn't Kikyou, though the resemblance was striking. Her beauty was so profound, even in sleep, that he was speechless for a moment. He could see now why Kikyou was so desperate to get this girl; not only was Kagome her near-exact double, there was a softness about her features that surpassed even Kikyou's beauty.

Inuyasha crept forward so not to wake her up. He could tell she was having a fitful sleep and it would be fairly simple for her to awaken. He bent down and grabbed the fallen bow and arrow. With a swift breath, he fitted the arrow against the bow, aiming for her heart. He pulled the string back, ready to complete Kikyou's task.

"Do I really have to go to that stupid well? I don't wanna," she said, her voice trailing off before being replaced by faint snoring.

He let the string go lax and stared at the girl who so resembled Kikyou. What was she dreaming about? He smiled, amidst the strange circumstances that he found himself in, and appreciated the sight of Kagome. It was almost as if he was watching Kikyou sleep.

Without him realizing, his hand began to reach out for her again. Watching the girl sleep so innocently, Inuyasha could imagine he was back in the time when his heart belonged to Kikyou and he fantasized of the moments he could watch the miko sleep. His amber eyes reflected sadness as his memories took him back. He never had the chance to see Kikyou sleep, carefree -- unless you count the moment of her death. And even then, she had never managed to look as innocent as this Kagome.

Thinking of Kikyou, and the sorrowful expression that had crossed her face as she closed her eyes for the last time, Inuyasha remembered his duty. He held taut the bowstring once more and looked down upon the girl. Kikyou.

Inuyasha shook his head before pointing the arrow down. He couldn't do it. No doubt Kikyou thought it would be humorous to send him to dispose of her double. But, even though he knew the arrow wouldn't kill the girl, he couldn't bring himself to curse the young girl who did nothing wrong, save resemble a jealous spirit.

Damn you, Kikyou. Send one of your soul collectors to take care of this one, he sneered, tucking the bow and arrow back inside of his red haori. He jumped back onto the window ledge, ready to leap outside the open window. But, before he left, his gaze fell onto the girl. She really was beautiful.

"Feh," he snorted, somewhat annoyed at his own inability to finish his mission.

With that one little noise, Kagome sat up in her bed. Rubbing her eyes and then squinting to see in the darkness, she could see a shadowy figure lurking on her window ledge, apparently frozen.

Inuyasha was unprepared for this. She slept throughout the entire time I was in here, and now she wakes up? He looked at the girl, who was staring stupidly towards the window.

He was just about to give up and leap out the open window when he noticed that Kagome had got out of her bed and was taking a step towards him. As she drew closer, two prominent inuhanyou features seemed to jump out at her: the pointy canine fangs and the fluffy white dog ears on top of his head.

Kagome jumped back, before lifting up her hand and pointing at Inuyasha. "You're... you're a dog demon?" she whispered. She gawked for a moment before her shock turned to anger. "What are you doing in my room?" she yelled, throwing her hands up in the air.

Inuyasha felt a wave of panic as he tried to hush her. The last thing he needed was for her entire family to wake up and find him in her bedroom. "Quiet, girl," he hissed, about to stand down from the ledge.

Kagome's eyes widened. "Sit, boy," she cried. She had no idea if he would heed the command, but Kagome had seen a nearby village girl tell her dog to sit when misbehaving; maybe it would work on dog demons.

As he was still on the ledge when Kagome shrieked the "sit" command, unaware of the result it would have, Inuyasha went crashing out of the window, landing face down in the earth behind the Higurashi cottage.

When she saw the strange demon fall out of her bedroom window, Kagome rushed forward to see if he had survived the fall. If that was even a demon, she thought, trying to see into her dark backyard. I thought that demons were a bit more agile than that.

She tried to make out any figure but it was near impossible from her second story window. Quickly, she reached for her robe and, throwing it on, ran down the stairs and out the back door, crossing her fingers that neither her family nor Kaede had heard anything that had taken place. She wasn't sure she could explain what she was doing running around so late at night -- after a supposed dog demon, no less.

Once she was outside, Kagome hurried to the area just under her own bedroom window. However, there was no sign of an inu demon at all. Well, except for the rather large hole in the ground where the demon had landed forcefully.