InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Spider's Web ❯ Chapter 4

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Tokyo University, October, 2004

People were everywhere and though she watched them passing her, she could still feel someone watching her. She turned to look behind her, taking note that she was in a field filled with people, but no one was there must blurred figures of miscellaneous people. No one stood out as the suspect. Goosebumps trailed up her arms and she hugged herself, turning back around. Someone was there. Someone was watching her...

He was watching her. She caught a flash of red from the corner of her eyes and turned to look, seeing nothing.

Stop it. He's not there. Nimetsuki was gone and he wasn't going to come back. If he hadn't been seen in sixteen years, he wasn't coming back now.

She took a few more steps and stubbed her on something; looking down, she saw a large rock that was half buried with the grass growing up around it. Keeping her head down, she continued towards her destination to be sure she didn't trip on anything else that littered the ground. With her head down, she reached out to grab something in front of her, something blue and black with a handle...

The explosion caught her off guard, but she didn't really have time to consider what had happened because her body was encased in sudden pain and any other comprehensible thought was gone, blackness replacing everything around her...

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"Kagome..." She was slowly becoming aware of someone gently shaking her. Barely cracking her eyes open, she could just make out the fuzzy image of her friend, her figure and face much like those in her dream. "Kagome?"

Mumbling something incoherent, she drew the sheets up higher and rolled away. Still the shaking continued. "I'm sleeping."

"Yeah, I'd like to be sleeping too, but we're going to the soccer game, remember?" At the hint of laughter in Sango's voice, Kagome slit her eyes open again and looked over her shoulder at the other girl. "You've gone into study overdrive, haven't you? I can see it - you've killed your brain cells with information overload." The look she received in return was icy, but she only laughed. "Let me refresh your memory. You and me and Miroku are going to get breakfast at WacDonalds and then go to the soccer game. Remember soccer? Cute guys in shorts? Anything sounding familiar?"

Kagome's glare only deepened. "If I didn't like your company so much..." she interrupted herself with a yawn and left the threat open ended, deciding she wouldn't get any peace until she had started to get up and prepare to meet Miroku for breakfast.

It'd been nearly a month and a half since she'd met Miroku and Sango. Shortly after Sango's roommate had taken sick, the girl had dropped out of the university, leaving Sango with a free bed in her dorm room. Kagome had gotten the okay from her mother and had immediately applied for the free space. With Kikyou and Kaede pulling a few strings, she was able to move in.

"Now if only every day held the promise of cute, athletic guys." She smiled then, coming back to herself. "Okay, I'm going to take a shower. I'll be out in a second, I promise." She threw the covers back and jumped out of bed, grabbing her shampoo and other things.

Sango grinned and grabbed the cordless, flopping on her own bed to call Miroku and let him know they were almost read. That was the Kagome she was used to. She had been worried when she first went to wake her friend. The younger girl had been whimpering in her sleep and she was afraid that if she'd left her, they'd have had to explain away another one of those death dealing, blood curdling screams. It seemed Kagome's nightmares had continued despite having confessed herself to her friends and her visits to see her doctor. They'd tried to help her, but there was so little it seemed they could do. And now Kagome seemed even more reluctant to share what had scared her so during the nights...she only managed to say it wasn't her father's murder.

Kagome stood in the shower and let the hot water run over her now shivering body. It was getting harder and harder to keep up her usual optimistic demeanor in front of Sango and Miroku...especially right after waking up from one of her nightmares. She shivered again. These new dreams were really starting to worry her and only because of two similar incidents in her past. Once, right after she'd awakened at the retreat, she had dreamed she was being engulfed by flames, but that everything around her had belonged to someone else. That had gone on for three nights and each night she had screamed out about a fire and every night the retreat staff would come running and find nothing burning. Then, on the fourth night, she had screamed out again and the staff had taken their time getting to her. It had almost been too late. An electrical fire had started in the room at the other end of the hall. The two girls in that room were both in catatonic states and neither one was able to react to the flames surrounding them. By the time the staff got the room, both girls had suffered from burns and smoke inhalation, but were still living. That corner of the house had to be rebuilt.

She shampooed her hair, trying to push those memories from her mind, but they kept coming. Again, her ninth grade year, she had had another reoccurring dream with the sensation of being hit hard by a fast moving object. There were clues all around that told her that the person being hit wasn't herself, but she couldn't imagine who it might be. She had never expected, five days later, to see one of her classmates trying to cross the street near her family shrine as it was a bit out of his way. It wasn't until she happened to focus some ways up the street to see a careless driver speeding around a corner, headed straight for him as he stepped off the sidewalk. Somehow, through the paralyzing fear that ran through her, she'd managed to push herself forward faster than she thought she could possibly go and managed to grab him by the back of his shirt, tugging backwards with a hard yank. The momentum sent them both tumbling backwards onto the sidewalk just as the driver honked his horn and swerved, barely avoiding hitting them. The boy had been so grateful that he had showered her with gifts for a year.

She slowly brushed her fingers through her hair as she rinsed out the conditioner, lost in her thoughts. After that her sleep had been gentle and peaceful, filled with happiness and love until she'd prepared to start university. Then her dreams had become troubled and her sleep restless. Reliving the time she'd spent in the Sacred Forest, living in the Goshinboku was one thing and she could deal with that. But dreaming of her own death night after night was beginning to have it's affect on her, leaving her nervous and miserable.

Shivering, she turned the water off and grabbed her towel. Stop it, Kagome. You've got to stop doing this. It was just a dream. People have bad dreams all the time and they mean nothing. You're getting way to Freudian about it. Put it behind you and go on. Kagome wrapped the towel around herself and gathered her stuff, heading back to Sango's room. Miroku had been sitting on her bed, chatting with Sango and whistled at her entrance. Narrowing her eyes, she kicked him out so she could get dressed. I just refuse to think about it. I absolutely refuse.

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Apartment Building, Tokyo, Japan

Tanreino Kikyo had not given up her search for the red eyed youkai that had ripped apart the life of a certain young girl so many years ago. She had just finished emailing her young friend with the details from her latest trip with "Mr. Not Right But To Rich To Ignore" and was searching the internet for any sort of clues. There was a file open on the desk in front of her with the printouts of numerous police reports and website information, as well as a notebook that had her own dainty scribbles in it, short handed into notes that only she or someone close to her could translate.

Three break-ins spanning a sixteen year period. Each with no physical evidence left to point towards a suspected offender. Each with similar MOs. Security tape of scene is fuzzy, with nothing useful for a suspect sketch. One feature in common with each burglar - red, glowing eyes of a daemon.

1. Shikon Pearl (aka Shikon no Tama) - circa 985 a.d.; heirloom necklace of the Higarashi family of Tokyo, Japan; current insurance estimation $13,937.74; last known owner, Higarashi Haruki of Osaka; current location kept private from public. (Higarashi Shrine, Tokyo Japan, Kagome Higarashi); legended to have the ability to grant the holder their heart's desires. (not true); attempted theft, November 1984.

2. Twin Katana, Tetsuseiga and Tenseiga - cica 842 a.d.; heirloom katana of the Kyousei family of Kyoto, Japan; current insurance estimation $3,500,000.00 per katana; last known owner, Kyousei Sesshomaru; current location kept private from public. (assumed in Kyousei's possession); legended that Tetsuseiga has powers of destruction while Tenseiga has powers of life and healing. (highly doubtful). Kyousei Inuyasha patient of T.K.

3. Kazaana Sutra - circa 1124 a.d.; heirloomed ofuda/sutra of the Tekitabi family of Tokyo, Japan; current insurance estimation $958,561.43; Currently owned by Tekitabi Mamoru; current location, unknown; legend to have been the sutra used to curse the Tekitabi family with a wind tunnel in their hand until the curse was broken. The curse's survivor was left with a sutra wrapped around his hand - the same sutra that had caused the wind tunnel. (air voids in peoples' hands? Please!); stolen from Tokyo Museum, April, 1998.

4. Haraikotsu (Youkai Bone Boomerang) - circa 1001 a.d.; heirloomed weapon of the Shankaiyou family, once professional taijiya's of Sengoku Jidai, protectors of the Shikon no Tama and the Miko no Shikon (interesting...finally a connection); current insurance estimation $1,273,948.09; last Known owner, Shankaiyou Kohaku, the elder; current location unknown; legended to be made completely of youkai bone and to be gifted with aura breaking powers. (finally, something believable); stolen from Osaka Museum, August, 1990.

Myth: Each heirloom possesses a power of its own and the value to bring the owner a tremendous wealth. On a more mystical side, it is believed that someone with the ability to bring the four objects together could obtain god-like status and become immortal and indestructible, capable of ruling continents with ease.

She sighed and tapped the eraser end of her pencil against the notebook, trying to think. There were only two items that hadn't been part of a theft or attempted theft and those were the katana. If the person was after the other three, then it would only make sense he would want the katana as well, so why not go for them? Sitting back she pinched the bridge of her nose to relieve the pressure of her eyes. When the doorbell rang, she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Coming!" Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she stood up and stretched, heading for the door. "Who is it?"

"Flowers for Tenreino-san."

Flowers? She unlatched the lock and opened it to find a man with long, wavy, black hair holding a bouquet of red roses. Smiling she opened it further. "Thank you very much. If you'll just wait here, I'll get your tip." She turned her back, leaving the door slightly ajar to find her purse and dig out a few coins.

The door clicked closed softly, but with enough noise that she was able to hear it, and she turned around to see why. What she saw there made her violet eyes widen in surprise as she backed up, dropping the bag. "What? Who are you? Why are you here?"

The man grinned and lifted his eyes which had suddenly gone blood red to match the sinister laugh he emitted. "Your worse nightmare, Officer Tenreino Kikyou."

"Stay back!" She put up her hands, which were now crackling with bluish-purple energy and backed away, looking for her gun. "Don't touch me!"

Her screams and her purification energy did nothing to stop him as he advanced towards her, feeding off the fear that radiated from her being. "Bastard!"

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Co-ed Dormitory, Tokyo University

Kagome mentally grimaced when she collided with a very unwelcoming chest. She and Sango had been goofing around in the downstairs hallway while Miroku grabbed his wallet. Sango had bumped her playfully, neither one of them noticing that a certain silver haired student had come upon them. When Kagome had stumbled and tried to regain her balance, she had been blocked by a very hard chest covered in gray material.

"Wha-oh..." she stuttered trying to collect herself, flushing involuntarily. "Umm...sorry about that...didn't see you there..."

"Feh, whatever." He just shrugged and put his hands on her shoulders to right her.

"Well, thank you, for catching me anyway, Inuyasha." The past month in Chem. Lab had been so awkward for her. Her mind was telling her how rude and mean he was, but she couldn't help but think that he was cute. What with those adorable little ears, that long silver hair, and those haunting gold eyes...There was no doubt he was handsome. But there was something in his eyes that called to her, something hidden that she didn't quite understand. And then there was the way that he spoke...not the haughty, tough guy attitude that he usually fronted, but the way he spoke when he really got into his work (he was really very good at science) and when he had to explain the purpose behind an experiment or the reasons certain chemicals reacted the way they did when she didn't fully understand.

"Kagome?"

Miroku's voice pulled her out of her stupor and she realized that she and Inuyasha had been staring at each other all during her contemplations.

"I didn't have much choice, you kinda fell on me," Inuyasha answered finally, rolling his eyes and storming on his way down the hallway.

"Well, thanks anyway, Inuyasha!" She called after him, determined to be kind though she had already expressed her dislike of him and his of her.

Sango grabbed her arm and pulled her closer. "Inuyasha?" She whispered. "As in Chem. Lab hottie Inuyasha that you're always talking about?"

Kagome blushed again, ducking her head to hide the fact. "Yeah...that's him..."

"You never said he was that cute." When Miroku took on an offended look, Sango giggled. "Your description didn't do him justice."

Kagome giggled too when Miroku crossed his arms, pointedly ignoring the ladies in his company.. "Yeah...I guess not. But his looks are really all he's got going for him. I mean, he's rude, arrogant, mean, uncivilized, snobbish and ungrateful..." She trailed off with a sigh before a mischievous grin graced her features. "Nothing like our charming Miroku."

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Though he'd never admit it, Inuyasha had seen his lab partner teeter on the verge of falling and had hadn't been able to stop himself from reaching out and catching her. His older brother would certainly be disappointed to know that he'd not been able to hid his concern for another living person. To cover his action, he had snapped at her, but then she had looked up at him and he'd found himself lost in those deep blue eyes. Something about her tugged at his memory, feeling so familiar. There was something in her voice, in that soft vanilla scent that haunted him. How could he know her? He'd never seen her before in his life until that day in chemistry.

Unfortunately when he reached his room he found it occupied by Ashi and his girlfriend. Not wanting to spend the morning listening to them coo at each other, he slammed the door closed and turned back the way he had come deciding he might as well go to the soccer game and hoping the pair would be gone by the time he got back.

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Soccer Field, Across town

Kagome smiled happily as she spread a blue and white picnic blanket on the ground. They'd gotten to the field early and managed to claim a spot close to the sidelines so they would have a good vantage point from where they sat. They'd even managed to get through WacDonald's drive-through quickly, which was a miracle in and of itself.

"Kagome-chan?" Sango called, unpacking their breakfast from the WacDonald's bags. She looked up to acknowledge that she'd heard and Sango continued, "Did you or Miroku get the cooler?"

She made a face. It was to be a tournament game between four teams and would likely last well into the evening so they had packed drinks and snacks to last all day. "I forgot about it, but I can get it after the first game's over. I don't think we'll need it before then, do you?"

Sango shook her head and settled down, opening her breakfast. "I guess not." Kagome saw her tense and go red from the corner of her eye before she heard the resounding slap that she knew would be following. "Damnit Miroku! Just once can't you try and show a little restraint?"

Miroku smiled mischievously, obviously pleased with himself despite the handprint now splayed across his cheek. "My dear Sango, the day would not be complete without the feel of your tender caress on my cheek...or mine on yours," he replied, settling down next to her and winking at Kagome.

"Kami, you're such a lecher," Kagome said, shaking her head.

"And yet you both love me anyway. How sweet life is."

She giggled while Sango shook her head, rolling her eyes. When she looked up again, she could just see a flash of gray and silver across the distance. An unwelcome blush painted her cheeks and she felt her breath catch for reasons she could not explain. When they had first met, she had told him she couldn't stand him, but it was not really in her to dislike someone for something so simple. She knew what real hate was - she felt it so deeply sometimes that she felt that it might consume her if she would just let it. Kaede had talked her through those feelings years ago and with Kikyou's help she had managed to work past them, to bury them. Because of these things, her conscious wouldn't allow her to dismiss Inuyasha no matter what she told herself. She just couldn't ignore the pain that was evident in his golden eyes.

"Inuyasha!" She called out suddenly, surprising herself as well as the other two with her. She raised her hand and waved to him. "Why don't you join us? We've got plenty of room and a great view."

He glanced at her and her companions and then snorted. "No, thanks."

Kagome just shrugged and settled back down. She had tried at least. She couldn't force him to accept her act of hospitality.

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The sun was in the middle of the sky, signifying that it was close to noon and their team was winning. Kagome cheered, clapping her hands loudly along with the rest of the gathered crowd, though the girls seemed to be a bit more interested in cheering for how good the guys looked in their uniforms. As the first set of players left the field, Kagome stood and stretched. "I'm going to get the cooler out of the car before the next game starts," she told her group and dug around in her purse for the keys. "I'll be back in a second."

Humming to herself, she walked through the crowds towards the gravel parking lot where she'd left her car. Oblivious to anything around her and still several paces away, she clicked the unlock button on her keychain. The cooler was left sitting in the back seat since she'd had other things piled in her trunk.

Inuyasha had left the crowd before the game ended, needing to get away from the unmasked stares of the rest of society. He wasn't exactly an anomaly, but people of his birth weren't exactly common occurrences either and so humans had a tendency to stare at the half transformed youkai around them. He couldn't get out of his head the fact that his lab partner had asked him to join her troupe. Why? She'd made it no secret that she didn't particularly care for him - not that it mattered to him if she did or not. She was much too bubbly and talkative to really spark his interest anyway.

He heard someone approaching and turned to see Kagome walking past him towards a line of cars. Speak of the devil, he thought, smirking slightly and then frowned as a distant sound seemed to catch his ears, the white triangles on top of his head moving back like a radar system towards the noise. It was faint, but over the click of her car door unlocking and the crunch of her shoes on the gravel, he could just make out what sounded like the ticking of a clock, a slow, monotonous tick, tick, tick.

Focusing on the sound, he moved towards it, reaching the peak just in time to realize his destination was the same as Kagome's - a small, blue Toyota. No way...it's too much like the movies... he thought, but couldn't deny the constant and unusual sound emanating from her car. "Kagome!" She was less than two feet from her car and he was almost twice that distance. She stopped and turned to look at him and he used the chance to dash forward and grab her wrist. "Run," he ordered yanking her back the way he had come.

She probably would have argued, but wasn't give the chance as at that moment the there was a resounding boom behind them and quick burst of flame. Without warning she was flying through the air, her body shielded by that of her classmate as they soared in an arch towards the ground.

The sound echoed across the playing field and caused everyone to stop as time seemed to slow. Realization dawned on the crowd at once and everyone seemed to run in slow motion towards a column of smoke rising from the parking lot. Sango and Miroku were among them racing towards the front knowing that their friend had been headed in that direction just moments before.

Kagome screamed and Inuyasha lay his ears back against his head to protect his hearing from the sound. He managed to twist in the air so that when they landed, he took the brunt of the impact on his shoulders and was then able to roll over and shield her from debris. She could only grab his sleeves and curl up beneath him, dazed and wondering what had happened.

When things seemed to come to an end - when debris stopped falling and smoke began to clear away in the breeze, he rolled off her and helped her sit up. Still dazed, she stared at the burning mass of metal that had once been her mode of transportation. "Oh...My..." Words seemed to fail her and then, "I don't think my insurance is gonna cover this."

Inuyasha blinked. "Huh?"

"My car insurance," she answered plainly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "It's only partial coverage...I don’t' think that covers explosions."

It really was the last link in his chain. She was worried about car insurance! At this moment!? "You idiot! Don't you get what just happened?" He snapped. "You're worried about your fucking insurance!? You could've died! We both could have!"

Kagome turned her head to stare at him with large blue eyes and was just beginning to open her mouth to answer when she heard screams from approaching people. Someone grabbed her by the shoulders and embraced her and she only had a split second to realize it was Sango. "Thank the kami you're alright!"

"You are uninjured, right?" Miroku questioned from behind Sango, his brow furrowed with worry.

The shock wore off just then and Kaogme broke into tears, shaking in her friend's embrace. "My car...I could've...Inuyasha grabbed me...and then..." she managed to get out between sobs. It was enough for them to piece together though. Sirens could be heard approaching in the distance and Miroku looked over at Inuyasha who was trying to stand and rotated his shoulder with grimace.

"Sango and I thank you for saving our friend from such a gruesome end," Miroku said solemnly, clapping Inuyasha on the arm. Blood coated his fingers when he pulled them away and he immediately regretted the action. "How badly are you hurt?"

"It's nothing," Inuyasha replied and tired to make it unsteadily to his feet. When he wobbled, Kagome reached out to steady him.

"Inuyasha!" She exclaimed as he pitched forward, unconscious and she managed to grab him in time to keep him from hitting the gravel again.