InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Longest Journey ❯ A Fool for Love ( Chapter 16 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter 16: A Fool for Love

Inuyasha ran, far into the night, before finally finding a tree to spend the rest of the night hidden in. It was odd, being alone again... he hadn't been alone since being woken from his fifty-year sleep by Kagome. It was... cold, being alone, and he didn't like it.

If only his father hadn't come back. Much as he'd always wished that he could know his father, now that the older male was here, he wished he'd go back to being dead. Things had been much easier when he was.

The sad thing was, if it wasn't for the fight over Kagome, he knew he'd absolutely adore the youkai that had sired him. He was an amazing person, kind, caring, srong, with a firm sense of honor, and legendary strength that he, himself, wished he had. If only it weren't for Kagome.

He really couldn't blame his father for falling in love with her - she was one of the most gorgeous people, inside, and had also become very beautiful, outside - to rival any of the most beautiful women of his time. But all that said, is also why he loved her - and even for his father, he was not willing to let go of her.

If he could go back in time and kick his own ass, he would. If he'd been thinking, he could have sat both onna's down and laid it all out, way back before any of this had happened - and then they could have avoided all of this mess. He had been stuck with thinking he could only have one or the other - having them both just hadn't occurred to him until it was too late.

He sighed as a vision of Kagome slid seductively through his mind, and he was instantly hard and wanting... and since there was no one around to bother him, he reached inside his hakama and wrapped his fist around his length, finding a rhythm that, along with the visual snaking through his mind, quickly had him releasing some tension, and afterwards, he felt finally calm enough to get some sleep.

Hopping from the tree, he jogged down to the tiny, trickling stream that ran alongside the road, and washed his hands, then jumped back into the tree and settled down to sleep.

Tomorrow would be soon enough to decide what he was going to do.

---zZz---

Sugimi took Kagome some distance from camp, and flaring his aura just a bit, made sure that any lower-level youkai in the area would vacate, quickly. He needed some time with his onna, she had been through a difficult last few weeks, and it was time for some bonding.

Settling himself down against a tree, he just held her for a while, nuzzling his face into her hair, and letting her cry it all out. He really wanted to smack the hell out of the boy - how could he claim to love her, when all he was doing was hurting her? He couldn't understand his son's thinking on this - and it wasn't even about youkai and their possessive streaks, either.

After all, the boy hadn't seen her in a year, he'd thought her dead, and he'd chosen to protect another... so it couldn't be his youkai half acting up. It was just simple, stubborn selfishness, and that's what made it so much more unacceptable. If it had honestly been love, he'd have behaved differently, and Sugimi would have been more willing to overlook some of his behaviors.

He was pulled from his thoughts when Kagome finally sniffled, and began trying to pull away a bit.

He looked down, only to melt at the sight of her sad, drowned blue eyes. Most onna's looked horrible after a crying jag, but not her. No, the red rimming her eyes only accentuated the ethereal blue, and made her pale skin look even smoother.

"Did that help you feel better, beloved? he asked softly, wiping the tears from her cheek with a tender hand.

She sighed quietly, a sad, distant look in her eyes, before nodding. "A little, I guess. It's just... I loved him for so long - but he didn't return it, and I suffered through it all in silence - but now that I've finally managed to get over what he did to my heart, and move on," she drew soft fingers across the blue crest on his cheek, "now, he wants me? It's like he just doesn't want me to be happy - and that makes it all worse. I still care for him, I want him to be happy... so why can't he want the same for me? Does he get joy out of seeing me hurt?"

Sugimi set his jaw for a moment, upset because his onna was hurting, and there was nothing he could do about it. "No, koi, he doesn't actively get happiness from hurting you, and what's more, you know that. He's just unthinking, that's all. He is only seeing what he is feeling right now - and I have the feeling that it's going to take a hell of a beating before he'll finally get the message."

Another tear made its way down her cheek. "I just don't want all this mess, Sugimi! I love you, and I don't want to look back and remember our courtship this way - it makes me angry that he's doing this to us. And then I feel bad for getting angry," she said, voice low and shamed.

"Do not, beloved. You have every right to be angry - I am angry. He is affecting several people with his behavior, and there is no excuse for it." Tilting her head up with one finger under her chin, he slanted his lips over hers, softly, gently nibbling and tasting her, not really trying to deepen the kiss, this one spoke only of his love and devotion to her, not of his passion, and she responded in kind, letting all her love for him flow from her lips.

This went on for several minutes before he finally pulled away, beginning to pant a little. It was time to stop and head back to camp... much as he might want to take her now, it wasn't the time - and besides, he was the Lord of the North, and she would be his Lady - their first time together would not be on the forest floor, rolling around in the dirt. She deserved better than that, and he could give her better.

So, reluctantly, he sat back up, and smiling down at a flushed and smiling Kagome, he stood, and began the walk back to camp. It was a good thing that, as a youkai, he had many senses to count on, because the entire trip back, he spent staring lovingly into her eyes, giving her everything he could to show his love for her.

She needed it, and more than that, she deserved it.

---zZz---

The next morning dawned bright and clear, but in the confines of the camp, a pall hung over the inhabitants. Inuyasha's disappearance, and his stated reasons for it, were the cause of much apprehension. No one knew what he was going to do, nor what they could do about it.

After a quiet breakfast, Shippo, Rin, and the two neko's were sent into the adjacent clearing to play while the adults sat down to discuss their next steps... especially as Inuyasha had decamped and that left them shy one warrior, and the one that had the most experience against their common enemy.

Kikyou was the one that brought up the inevitable question of how they were going to find Naraku, since he was so good at hiding.

Kagome spoke up to answer that. "I'll be your guide. Since he carries such a large part of my jewel, I can track him."

Kikyou frowned. "But how? You couldn't do that before, well, at least, not unless the jewel shards were relatively close."

"Sugimi taught me how to find them. They are, after all, a part of my soul."

Miroku nodded, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "Yes. That makes sense... you would be able to feel your own soul, especially when it's being tainted." He raised a brow and stared over at her consideringly. "In fact, it's probably painful, is it not, Kagome?"

Kagome started in surprise. She hadn't expected anyone to pick up on that.

"Well... yeah. Sorta. But it's okay - what doesn't kill us makes us stronger."

Sesshoumaru and Sugimi nodded in agreement.

"That saying, miko, carries truth that is sharp like a sword. I have never heard it before... is it from your time?"

Kagome nodded. "Yeah. There's a lot of little sayings like that - unfortunately, not many people listen to the wisdom of those little sayings, more's the pity."

Sango chuckled. "That's not a mistake that's left to your world, Kagome. There are plenty here that do not listen to the wise, either."

Everyone's minds snapped to the conspicuously absent hanyou, and a few snickers were heard as they all agreed on that one.

"So, the miko will be able to track the half-breed. Then what? Naraku has very powerful barriers, and the only one that has had any luck breaking them is Inuyasha, with the red tessaiga. Since he is not with us..." he trailed off.

Sugimi grinned, and standing pulled his sword. Ketsuekiken immediately awoke, and began pulsing, the blood-red blade glinting angrily in the bright sunlight. As Sesshoumaru's eyes widened, his father met his gaze, and nodded.

"This is my new blade, Ketsuekiken. Do not worry about Naraku's barriers - I can deal with those quite, quite easily." He ran his eyes along the sword, allowing everyone to look their fill before sheathing the eager blade.

Sitting back down, he shook his head. "Once we get through his barriers, we will deal with whatever he throws at us - Kagome will be the one to take Naraku on."

At this, everyone began arguing. How could he expect her to take on Naraku alone?

Sesshoumaru, of course, simply said, "No. He is my prey."

His father glared over at him, a low growl tearing from his chest. "You will listen, son. You cannot defeat him. He can't be beaten by combat. Kagome, once inside the barrier, can completely purify the jewel, thereby purifying Naraku straight to hell. That is the only way."

Kikyou shook her head doubtfully as the others looked at each other uncertainly. "I don't think that's possible. He will have access to the power of the tainted shards, and she won't be able to purify it enough, or even fast enough, to take him out."

"That's where you are wrong, priestess. Kagome, take out the shards that you have and show them."

Kagome pulled out the little pouch she carried the shards in, and dumped them into her hands. Everyone gasped at the shards, so clear of any taint, that they looked like glass - and suddenly, they remembered what had happened the day she'd taken the shards that Kikyou had had. She'd purified them nigh instantly - even Naraku couldn't react that fast.

Kikyou frowned, obviously remembering something, then looked up at Kagome. "You said something, when you took the shards from me, about how the shards were still tainted enough that Naraku could track us easily. What did you mean?"

Kagome nodded. "Yes. I never realized this before, but if there is the tiniest bit of taint in the shards, he can track them. That's how he always knew so much about all of us, you know, where we were, what we were doing. His saimyousho follow the taint."

Sugimi spoke up as the rest nodded that that made sense. "Ah, yes... the hell bugs. When we meet with Naraku, those are mine, understand? Ketsuekiken will learn a new trick as he feasts on the blood of those insects."

Kagome shuddered, but Miroku grinned appreciatively. "I would be happy for you to have them, my Lord... those stupid insects have made my life extremely difficult."

Sesshoumaru, who had been quiet since his father had told him that he couldn't fight Naraku, turned to his father and asked, "If the miko is going to kill Naraku, what use have I in this battle?"

"There will be more to fight than just Naraku, my son. Even I know that he does not fight alone - there will be much to do in that battle."

At that, the camp sobered. They all knew that was right. Naraku never fought alone - and somehow everyone knew that this time would be worse than anything they'd ever had to deal with.

It was a frightening thought.

---zZz---

Inuyasha woke early, as he always did, and watched the sun rise while lost in his glum thoughts. The more time he'd spent thinking about the whole thing, the more convinced he was that he'd have to fight his father to have any chance with Kagome. Sesshoumaru was right, he'd have to challenge as alpha. Only then would his father have to back down.

But there was no way that he was anywhere near powerful enough to do so. Even Sesshoumaru wasn't. So, he needed to get a lot more power - and fast. He didn't have time to worry about trotting around strengthening Tessaiga. He needed something he could gain now - and there was only one way he could think of to gain anywhere near enough power to even come close to his father's strength.

Naraku, and the jewel.

Somehow, he had to find a way to get some shards of the jewel, without Kagome or Kikyou's ability to sense them. That wasn't going to be easy, but if Naraku could do it, then he would find a way, too. And if he managed to find some, Naraku would come looking... and that's all Inuyasha would need.

Because the only way to defeat his father in battle would be to not only have a majority of the jewel - but also more youki than what he currently had as a hanyou. And since Naraku was an expert at stealing youki from others - Inuyasha would merely turn the tables and steal it from him.

As he leapt from his perch in the tree he'd spent the night in, eager to get started, it never occurred to him that he was following the same path that Naraku had followed so many years before...

He was heading straight to hell, and all for love of a woman.

He had good intentions, unlike Naraku did in his time but they say the road to hell is paved with good intentions...

For very good reason.