InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Jewel of Four Souls ❯ Wounded Souls ( Chapter 14 )

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Chapter 14 “Wounded Souls”

 

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`How long has it been? …Why won't the pain go away? …Damn it all…'

 

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“Hey there…” Came the voice of Miroku as he snuck up behind Sango, embracing her tightly before placing a sweet little kiss to her cheek.

 

“Aiee…Miroku!” She squealed at his touch, startled, “…hey to you too.” Sango calmed a moment later, giving him some dirty looks of semi-annoyance. “You know you shouldn't sneak up on me like that.”

 

“My, my, has your demon hunting skills weakened?”

 

“Tsk, a true demon hunter never weakens.”

 

Miroku chuckled, “Perhaps this is a demon you can't defeat.” He joked, talking about himself of course.

 

“Oh I can defeat you all right…” Sango gave him a seductive and playful glare. Miroku could only smirk and smile at that. “Look, I'll give you a treat later tonight ok? First we need to talk with Shippo about...”

 

“Indeed. I'm worried too.” Miroku cut in, already knowing what Sango was talking about.

 

“Something's just not right. I feel as though he's still alive… but no one seems to know where he is.”

 

“I hate to say it, but maybe he wants to be left alone?”

 

“We can't do that Miroku. We're his friends… I can't just leave him sitting alone like that. I don't care what went on…”

 

“True enough, but he's been gone for over a month. How are we supposed to find him?”

 

“We will. I have confidence. Now that the village is almost complete, we can go look for him.”

 

“Do you think Shippo has caught his scent?”

 

“Probably not, but we can't rule that out yet. …We ought to see if we can get Koga to help too.”

 

“I don't know if Koga will help…”

 

“We have to at least try.”

 

“Right. I'm with you Sango.” Miroku gave her a confident smile.

 

“Ready?”

 

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`I can't help but feel this strange emptiness. As though a part of me is missing. …What is it I desire?'

 

…

 

`All those years ago… my desires were one in the same: to become stronger. Yet… recently… recently my desires have changed.'

 

…

 

`I have become stronger… and I did it on my own too. …At least, that's what I'd like to believe...'

 

…

 

`…I have to see her. At least one more time… or else I won't be able to move on.'

 

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“Sango! Miroku! Sango! Miroku!”

 

“Shippo?” The pair gazed down the path, seeing the frantic kitsune running up the path waiving his arms to get their attention. Kirara, the `kitten', came to a halt just behind them as well.

 

“I… I caught wind of InuYasha.” He said breathlessly. Obviously running quite a distance to reach his friends.

 

“You what!?”

 

“Shippo…”

 

“He's…he's around the cave outside the village.” The little kitsune panted, trying to regain himself.

 

“Onigumo's cave?”

 

“Merw?”

 

“Why would he be there?”

 

“We should check it out.” Sango suggested.

 

“Right, come on Shippo!”

 

Transforming, Sango hopped aboard her faithful friend followed closely by Miroku and Shippo. The four of them quickly flew off towards Onigumo's cave to hopefully finally meet up with InuYasha. One thing they could confirm, the hanyou was indeed still alive. He just had to be.

 

“Shippo. Is he still there?”

 

“I'm not sure. I'm not picking up his scent anymore.” `What is this smell?'

 

A few minutes later, Kirara touched down at the entrance of the cave. Hopping off, the trio scoured the area post-haste hoping to find the hanyou. But, it rapidly became apparent that InuYasha had given them the proverbial slip. His traces nowhere to be found around the grassy fields upon their first glance of the area.

 

“Ah, we're too late.”

 

“He couldn't have gotten far…”

 

“Miroku look…”

 

“What is it?”

 

“It looks like a footprint.” Shippo said, pointing to a slight indentation in the soft dirt.

 

“It's InuYasha's. It's still fresh… it just has to be his.” Sango said after kneeling down and examining the print. It seemed to be human or close enough.

 

“Which way did he go?”

 

“I can't pick up his scent. It's as if he completely disappeared.” Shippo said, feeling a little defeated. His still developing senses working on overdrive. Alas his senses didn't quite have the skills or experience to track the scent or even whereabouts of the hanyou.

 

“He's throwing his scent. It's a defensive technique some animals use to prevent others from tracking them down as easily. Apparently, InuYasha doesn't want to be found.” Sango confirmed, knowing some animals that use the trick. Being part dog, InuYasha was valid of being considered and animal, a demon animal anyway, besides a human. Still, she didn't know if dogs could do such a thing or not. It didn't seem likely. Perhaps InuYasha learned it on instinct?

 

“Why did he come here?” Miroku wondered as he stared off into the dark black depths of the cave. It was becoming harder to understand InuYasha, a hanyou trying to find his place in the world. It's the only logical explanation for his actions however. Yet, what could they do about it? Why didn't he trust them enough to ask for their help? Alas, he had to be too prideful. Perhaps thinking it'd be weak of him to ask for help. But what was InuYasha trying to accomplish? What was his objective? None of them knew.

 

“Kirara, do you sense anything.”

 

“Murrff…” The cat-youkai shook her head, also unable to find the hanyou's scent despite the fresh clue. She staring off near the cave, looking almost slightly confused.

 

“I'm beginning to worry...”

 

“You're thinking the same thing I am?”

 

“InuYasha is incredibly dangerous. Without us, who knows what he'll do.”

 

“Indeed. No one is around to control him, much less even keep him in check. If someone pushes him the wrong way…”

 

“The results could be tragic.”

 

`Control me huh? Keh…'

 

“I just wish we could find him. Perhaps even talk with him. We haven't seen InuYasha since… that day.”

 

`…I needed to be alone.'

 

“It can't be helped. We'll just have to keep trying to find him. It's the least we can do for now.”

 

“I'm in.” Shippo said with confidence.

 

“So am I.” Sango added in.

 

A sound of rustling came from nearby, alerting the foursome. The sound came from the cave as a few vines were pushed aside by a clawed hand. Stepping out into the evening light, the group nearly gasped in awe at `what' had stepped out from the cave.

 

“InuYasha?!”

 

Tha half-demon said nothing.

 

“It's…him!”

 

“InuYasha…you look terrible.”

 

Terrible was an understatement. His silvery hair was a mess, and seemed dirty. His clothes, tattered, torn, and filthy. The guy looked as though he was in a serious fight. However, that was far from the truth. At least, InuYasha knew that to be. Sango noted that his clothes still looked a bit wet as well. Just what was he up to? Then she realized it. He was wet because he'd been swimming around in order to diminish his scent. That's why it was so hard to trace him. Even for Kirara. Though both Shippo and Kirara's senses of smell weren't at the level of InuYasha's as well. Any dog, or dog-demon for that matter, nay, even wolf or fox, could have easily sniffed him out. Perhaps if Shippo was older, he might just have found the hanyou.

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

“I've been retracing the events of my life… trying to figure things out. Trying to figure out where it all went wrong.” He calmly stated, gazing back at the cave. “Naraku… the bastard destroyed my life. Even though he's dead… he still won.”

 

“This is where it all began.” Sango softly stated, somewhat familiar to the story of Naraku's early years.

 

“That's right. Kikyo harbored Onigumo here. And in turn, Onigumo sold his soul to Naraku and the horde of demons that came across him. The very man she saved took her life.”

 

“InuYasha, we've all been affected by Naraku. You're not the only one suffering.”

 

“Yeah, that's right!” Shippo chipped in.

 

“Each of us has lost people very close to us. I lost my father, Shippo and Sango too. Sango even lost her brother and comrades. You…you even lost someone close to you.”

 

No names were needed. They all knew who that one person was.

 

“No. …I lost two people.”

 

“What?” The trio was perplexed, but then Sango realized who the second person was.

 

“Inu-“

 

“Don't forget… Kagome was killed as well.” InuYasha said, keeping his gaze off his friends.

 

Yes, he was right. So many of their loved ones had been slain by Naraku. Kohoku was lucky to be saved. Kagome too. Kikyo was resurrected. But countless others, including those they didn't know, and those they did weren't as fortunate. So many had suffered and died in Naraku's wake. Their lives…irreplaceable.

 

“Without you, she wouldn't have been saved. InuYasha, you saved her life. Not just that one time either. You saved Kagome, and even the rest of us so many times before.” Sango tried reasoning.

 

“Why are you doing this to me?” He half-shouted, starting to sound irritated. The hanyou starting to feel that his friends were making him go on a guilt trip or something.

 

“Because Kagome loved you! But you're too blind to see that!” Sango's own anger flared as she approached the hanyou, shouting nearly in his face.

 

InuYasha stood stiff, looking a little startled by Sango's outburst. But he couldn't fight back at that. Sango was right. Kagome did love him. And yet, she didn't know the truth. None of them did. He had his reasons…

 

“You don't-“

 

“Save it!”

 

“Sango…”

 

InuYasha held his head low, his silvery bangs covering his face.

 

“Do you realize how badly you hurt Kagome before the fight with Naraku? I couldn't believe the strength she had to continue on, much less fight. But seeing her like that… it's just unforgivable!”

 

InuYasha didn't say anything. He just stood there, letting Sango lash out her verbal anger on him. The demon slayer started breaking down in a fit of tears, obviously distraught and deeply missing her dear friend. Whom she felt was torn away from her because of the selfish hanyou. Miroku knelt down to consul her as Shippo patted her knee in some form of comfort. Kirara nuzzled her back as the young woman knelt in a fit of sobs.

 

“InuYasha. I know this situation between Kikyo and yourself hasn't been easy. But what is it you want form her?” Miroku asked.

 

“I…wanted a second chance. To have… to have the life that Naraku took from us.”

 

Miroku really couldn't argue InuYasha's decision. It was a legitimate and reasonable answer. Honest and even pure. What person wouldn't leap at having a second chance at something that was taken from them? Naraku took away their previous lives. Lives they had before any of them were even born. They had a chance to renew their selves. To renew their lost lives and finally achieve what they first intended. What more could he say?

 

“But… One thing still remains unchanged.”

 

“And what's that?”

 

“Kikyo is still dead. Her soul needs to be put to rest. I… I alone was given a true second chance.”

 

“But InuYasha… Kikyo's soul won't rest until you're dead too.”

 

“…It can't be helped.”

 

“But what of Kagome?”

 

“She's gone…” `And will never know the truth…'

 

“I guess there's no talking you out of it.”

 

“I never promised to follow Kikyo to Hell… but I did promise to put her soul to rest. If that means my death, then it'll be by her hand alone.”

 

“Very well. But I must ask you something....” Miroku stood giving the hanyou a stern look. He just had to put all this to rest once and for all.

 

Everyone got quiet, even Sango had stopped sobbing, wondering what Miroku was going to ask. What more could possibly be said? Her distraught mind couldn't think of anything. Shippo neither as he seemed clueless from where he stood.

 

“InuYasha… did you love Kagome?”

 

A moment passed in silence as InuYasha didn't say a thing. His gaze went downward as his hair once again covered his face. Silently he began walking towards the group, not appearing as though he'd stop. A small sparkle shone in the moonlight as he passed them, three words almost silently passing through his lips…

 

 

 

 

 

“I loved Kagome.”

 

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