InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Seven Circles of Hell ❯ The Fifth Circle ( Chapter 4 )

The Fifth Circle

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

It just never seemed to end. The rain continued to pour from the sky in heavy amounts that weighed downon Kagome as she walked. Perhaps it was an act of God, the girl's punishment for murder.

It mattered not to Kagome as she trudged onward, searching for the wolf demon named Koga. She was still carrying the Tetsusaiga.

Her feet never tired, nor did her mind as she reflected of the pain that the scars of yesterday had bestowed upon her.

I've lost Inuyasha. He'd been stolen from her by a rival, who couldn't allow Inuyasha to go on living while she, Kikyo, wandered the earth in a struggling body.

Miroku's dead. Taken down in battle, though he'd had time for confessions and the sort with Sango, his love interest, while left to die in the rain.

Poor Sango. She was there the whole time Miroku was dying. But she never left him. Kagome took time to remember the conversation she'd had with the exterminator on the way back to Kaede's village:

The sky, stuffed full of nearly black clouds, was spouting rain. The demon exterminator was limping along the path, using her friend as support. Sango's leg was broken, and she seemed to ache all over from being tossed around like a bean bag during the battle.

Sango began the conversation. "What happened?"

Once again, Kagome didn't pretend to misunderstand Sango. Taking a deep breath so that she wouldn't cry, Kagome said calmly, "Kikyo. She said...she said that she'd managed to convince him that I was dead. That I was already waiting for him."

"At least," Sango replied, "you know that he'd go to hell just for you. I'm sorry. That's no help."

Kagome just shook her head. "No...it's fine. I just wish..." tears were forming in her eyes and quickly running down her cheeks "I just wish that I could've said a decent goodbye."

Sango smiled sadly at the road ahead of her. "Miroku said it. Goodbye, I mean. He told me to stay away, that it would be easier if I just wasn't close to him when he died. I guess, in a way, he was right."

Sango has really lost everything now. Kagome sighed and straightened her posture as she walked, shifting her eyes to the dark horizon. She was getting close, now. She recognized this territory to be close to where she'd last seen Kouga's pack.

And she was right. Only moments later, Kagome felt a gust of wind rush past her, the wind getting stronger and stronger, until it suddenly stopped when the wolf demon appeared in front of the girl.

"Kagome, are you alright? You're walking out here alone? Where's that dog-turd? I'll kick his ass for leaving you alone like this." Kouga inspected the girl, saw the emotion that blanketed her face, and said, rather seriously, "Come on back with me. We'll get you dried off."

When Kagome only nodded, Kouga picked her off and headed back to his den. The wolf demon knew there was something seriously wrong when the girl made absolutely no noise when he jumped up several cliffs and ran to their destination at breakneck speed. In fact, Kagome seemed almost dazed in Kouga's arms.

"Kagome, something bad happened, didn't it?"

"Hmm?" Kagome came out of her daze long enough to stare up at her chauffer. He was still watching his step as he sped along his way. "Yeah. Something real bad."

Without another word, Kouga arrived at his den with Kagome in his arms. He set her down in a warm corner of the cave, away from the prying eyes of onlookers. The leader of the wolf pack stood there a moment, his eyes traveling over the soaked young woman. "That's his sword, isn't it?"

Once again, Kagome stepped out of her dazed state a moment to look at her would-be lover. Yeah, if only she returned the feelings he had for her, he would be her lover. But she had another guy on the brain right now. A dead one.

Though his thoughts were not confirmed, Kouga sensed that something far worse than just a fight had gone on between his love interest and that dog turd. Inwardly, Kouga grinned. Good. Now, Kagome would be all his without Inuyasha's interruptions. However, he also understood that Kagome might some sort of recovery period, especially since she looked like she hadn't slept in days.

Kouga tightened his fists. Damn that dog turd. How dare he let Kagome get in this condition?

"Kagome. Why don't you get some rest?" Kouga prompted again.

Kagome shook her head firmly. "No. I came here...well, I was looking for you...for a reason. Kouga, I need you to give me something."

Kouga was slightly taken aback. Was she for real? Was Kouga's dream finally coming true? At last, all his hard work had paid...

"I need your shards of the Shikon jewel."

Kouga's happy bubble was quickly obliterated. "What?"

Kagome looked the wolf in the eye. "I want your shards of the Shikon jewel."

"But...why?" Kouga was confused. She'd been okay with him having the jewel shards before this. What had changed? He quickly took the offensive. "Did that dog turd put you up to this?"

Kagome seemed to snap. "Don't call him that! His name is Inuyasha! In. U. Ya. Sha. But I guess you don't even care what his name was, you just want me! Well, guess what? Sorry, Kouga, I don't feel the same about you! I loved Inuyasha! And he's dead now! So..." Kagome's voice calmed as she began to be choked up with tears. "So please...don't make his death in vain...don't make his death have been pointless...please. Give me your shards of the Shikon jewel."

Kouga's eye seemed to pulse with irritation. He didn't like being rejected like this, especially not in front of the rest of his pack, which was now peering in from around the corner. But for some reason, he still loved her. Without a word, he picked her up once again, still the dripping mess that she was, and left the cave, the other wolves scattering out of his path. Once out of the cave, Kouga took his rejector to a safe walking distance away from his home, where he began to tear at his arm and legs.

Kagome watched him, eyes wide with horror.

Within moments, the remaining three shards of the sacred jewel were thrown at her feet.

Kouga looked down at her, ignoring the pain he'd just inflicted on himself. "Take em. If this is what you want, take them. I'm sorry I don't seem to be your type anymore." If I ever really was.

Kagome blinked. "But..."

Kouga turned his back to her. "You love that dog t--I mean, you love Inuyasha. Then, you don't really belong here with me, do you?"

"Kouga..."

"Just go. Get lost. You shouldn't be here." Never turning to face her again, Kouga the wolf demon returned to his pack, and left the girl he loved behind him, sitting motionless in the rain.

This...this is still hell, isn't it? Why is it all happening like this? I should never have come here. Finally accepting these turns of events as the dark fate she deserved, Kagome fused the three remaining shards together with all she'd collected. She was now wearing the completely repaired Shikon no Tama.

She stood up, clutching the Tetsusaiga, still, close to her heart, and looked at the land around her. She felt alone. So completely alone. She may as well have been the only breathing creature on the planet, because that's how she felt. There was no one out there who could give her comfort.

Now that she had at least collected the rest of the Shikon jewel, she could return home, and pretend that everything was all a dream, that none of it was ever real. It would be all too easy, and she could salvage the rest of her high school career.

That being the only comforting thought at the moment, Kagome started her journey to return home.