InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Truth About Cats and Dogs ❯ Kirara's Revelation ( Chapter 31 )

Recap: Kagome discovered that she can still travel back and forth in time through the well, but she decided to live in the feudal era, only visiting home occasionally.

 

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Chapter 31 - Kirara's Revelation

 

Kirara smiled softly as she watched Sango cuddle closer to Miroku. The two were sat on the grassy hillside, watching the sunset. Since Naraku's defeat, Sango and Miroku had been inseparable, and Kirara knew it would not be long before they were married. Of course, Kirara was happy that both her friends were happy, and that they were happy with each other; but another girl getting married and becoming a wife and mother meant only one thing for Kirara.

 

It was time to move on.

 

Kirara sighed sadly at the thought, but forced a smile as she saw Kohaku running along the riverbank, smiling and laughing. Kirara was certain that she no longer held an important role in Sango's life, but at least Kohaku still needed her. He was past twelve, and he had missed a year's training being under Naraku's control. He needed Kirara, and he would be glad of her help. Just like Sango, he would appreciate that she was someone who had known him for most of his life and understood what he had been through.

 

But something still did not seem right in Kirara's heart.

 

Kirara's smile faded as she watched Kohaku chase Shippo around a tree, before running off alongside him. They looked just as they had in her dream. Midoriko had shown her Naraku in his truest form, which she had witnessed at their final showdown. She had shown Kirara Momiji the red priestess and Botan the white priestess, whom Kirara had already had dealings with when she had hired their services to repay her debt to Sesshomaru. And now she could see Kohaku playing with Shippo freely, meaning that the only one part of Midoriko's message that had yet to come true was the very last part.

 

Kirara still had her human form.

 

`The spell isn't broken, I just know it,' Kirara thought miserably. `And now that my function as the friend that Sango wished for is almost complete, no doubt I will soon be bound into the form of a little cat again.'

 

Kirara hung her head, sighing softly.

 

`What do I have to do to break the spell completely?' she wondered. `Can it ever be broken completely?'

 

Kirara gasped louder than she intended as an alarmingly clear image of Sesshomaru's face flashed into her mind.

 

`No,' she silently told herself. `He is in love with Kagura. I saw him rescue her with the Tenseiga. He held onto her heart. And he was so cold with me when he was checking my wounds that night.'

 

Kirara touched a hand to her midsection, frowning in thought.

 

`At the end of the battle with Naraku, both Sesshomaru and Kagura had left,' she thought. `They obviously left together. He has taken her as his now. It would be foolish to think otherwise. And after all, he is a dog demon and I am a cat demon. And the truth about cats and dogs is…'

 

Kirara's thoughts slowly came to a halt for two reasons: first of all, she could not think of a definite answer to the riddles in her mind, and secondly, she could sense Kagome.

 

“Kagome's back!” Shippo yelled.

 

Kirara spun around, breaking into a smile as she saw Inuyasha and Kagome walking towards her, hand in hand.

 

“I'm proud of you, Inuyasha!” Miroku called to him.

 

“Shut it, Miroku!” Inuyasha snapped back.

 

Miroku laughed, shaking his head at Inuyasha's attitude. Miroku, Kirara noted, had become even more laid back than usual since the removal of the curse of the wind tunnel.

 

“And we didn't bring any crap for you kids, so back off already!” Inuyasha added, scowling at Shippo, Soten, Kohaku and Koru as they ran towards Kagome.

 

Kagome sighed, rolling her eyes at Inuyasha. She began greeting the kids, smiling to herself as Inuyasha muttered inaudible complaints under his breath at her side.

 

“Good boy, Inuyasha,” Kirara greeted him, ruffling his hair.

 

“Stop treating me like a dog!” he snapped, swatting her hand away.

 

“You did the right thing, Inuyasha,” Sango said softly.

 

“Keh!” Inuyasha grunted, slipping his arms into the sleeves of his haori and tightening his face.

 

“Are you staying here with us forever, Kagome?” Shippo asked.

 

“Yes Shippo,” she replied. “I'll still go home sometimes to visit my family and bring back supplies, but apart from that, I'll be living here with you all.”

 

“What about your tests, Kagome?” Soten asked.

 

“I've decided to leave school,” Kagome replied. “There's no need to keep going if I'm going to live here.”

 

Kirara took a step back, tilting her head to one side as she watched the others interact with each other. Now that Kagome was back to stay, it looked like the perfect ending for all her friends.

 

“Kohaku, how are you feeling?” Kagome asked, smiling warmly at Kohaku.

 

“Very well, thank you,” he replied politely.

 

“Are you going to continue as a demon-slayer like your big sister?” Kagome asked him.

 

“Oh yes,” he replied, nodding eagerly. “I want to train with a fire-cat demon, just like Sango did.”

 

The group all turned to Kirara, who smiled awkwardly.

 

“Kirara can still transform into her flying fire-cat form, Kohaku,” Sango hurriedly explained. “And I'm sure she'll transform and train with you just like she did with me. Right Kirara?”

 

“Right,” Kirara agreed, nodding her head.

 

Kohaku paled as he slowly ran his eyes over Kirara.

 

“But you're a girl now,” he said quietly. “I can't sit on your back any more.”

 

“Of course you can!” Kirara said quickly. “I'll transform for you!”

 

“Oh…”

 

Kohaku hung his head, looking disappointed. Kirara cringed inwardly at the look on his face.

 

`He's not happy,' she thought to herself. `He doesn't like me this way. What am I going to do?'

 

“Kaede is making dinner for us all,” Sango said eventually, breaking the silence. “And after that, I think we should all get some rest.”

 

“Sounds good to me!” Kagome agreed, smiling amiably. “I'm exhausted! I fell asleep in class!”

 

As the conversation between Sango, Miroku, Kagome and Inuyasha built up again, Kohaku, Shippo, Soten and Koru began to wander off again to continue their games. Kirara watched them go, her demon ears picking up more of their conversation than she cared to hear.

 

“I always wanted my own cat,” Kohaku muttered forlornly.

 

“I liked playing games with Kirara when she was a cat,” Shippo added. “I can't play those games now that she's a woman.”

 

“She's a strange woman though,” Soten said thoughtfully. “She asked me to show her how to use chopsticks. I tried to show her, but she kept breaking them or dropping her food.”

 

“She was never clumsy when she was a cat,” Kohaku mused.

 

Kirara sighed, that odd sinking feeling weighing down her stomach again. The thought of sitting through another meal where she would be forced to eat like a savage or be insulted for her severe lack of ability to manoeuvre a pair of chopsticks only made her feel worse, and so she slowly turned her back on the others, and slunk out of the village, heading out into the forest.

 

Kirara found her way to a part of the forest where the thick undergrowth indicated that it was rarely frequented by people and she sought out one of the largest trees, scaling her way up it to the highest branch that would comfortably support her weight. Kirara then sprawled out along the length of the branch, lying on her stomach and resting her head on her hands. Kirara was ready to fall asleep where she lay, but she could sense something below her, a strong demonic aura lurking in the shadows of the trees.

 

Kirara lazily lifted her head, peering down towards the direction the aura appeared to be emanating from. A moment later, a figure dressed in red and white walked up to the base of the tree Kirara was perched in.

 

`Oh no,' Kirara thought, groaning inwardly. `I don't have the energy or the will to deal with this right now. I might as well just submit to my fate in silence.'

 

“You always seemed like a playful sort of character to me,” a voice called up to her. “You don't look so playful right now. In fact, you look awful.”

 

“Thank you,” Kirara sarcastically called back.

 

“Instead of wallowing in your own pathetic self pity, why not do something? You were always quick to act and give your opinion before, what's changed now?”

 

Kirara growled, narrowing her eyes at the figure below her.

 

“What are you doing here anyway?” Kirara called down. “You're a long way from your palace in the Western Lands.”

 

Kirara stiffened as her rebuttal was met with loud, condescending laughter.

 

“Stupid cat.”

 

Kirara growled again, her demon spirit stirring in spite of her own personal wishes.

 

“What do you want with me, Kagura?” she yelled impatiently.

 

“Nothing,” Kagura lightly replied. “I was just… Curious to see what you were doing now that Naraku is gone.”

 

“Well, now that you have seen what I am doing, would you mind leaving?” Kirara sneered.

 

“Have it your way,” Kagura sighed, plucking the feather from her hair. “Give my regards to Inuyasha and the rest of your friends.”

 

Kirara grumbled curses under breath as she watched Kagura float away on the currents of the wind. Once Kagura was out of sight, Kirara rested her head again, her mind moving to just one thought as she began to drift off to sleep: why had Kagura travelled so far to see her for no apparent reason?

 

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Kirara awoke as the sun twinkled through the trees at her, groaning as she realised that she had overslept considerably. Deep down, she knew why she had not woken sooner. As she had been falling asleep the night before, an idea had occurred to Kirara, and, throughout a dream-filled sleep, she had realised that the idea was something she would have to action, no matter how much she dreaded the thought of doing so.

 

Kirara had realised what the final part of Midoriko's message meant. She had seen herself as a small cat for a reason. It was because she would have to become one again, whether she wanted to or not. Her purpose was to serve and fight with those she loved, and Kohaku wanted her to be a cat again. And she had no real reason to stay in a human form, other than to fulfil her own selfish desires.

 

And so, despite the feeling of dread that filled her heart, Kirara decided to seek assistance having the spell cast upon her once more.

 

Yawning and stretching, Kirara almost fell out of the tree, a small voice inside her head laughing at her clumsiness and telling her that it was shameful, and just one more reason why she needed to have the spell redone. Making her way back down to the ground, Kirara walked back to the village at a much slower pace than she normally moved at. After all, she thought miserably, this would likely be the last time she walked on two legs - possibly the last time ever.

 

Back in the village, Kirara could hear Shippo, Soten and Kohaku shouting and laughing, but could not see them. Looking around, she could not see any signs of Sango and Miroku or Inuyasha and Kagome; but she decided that it was probably for the best if she did not see any of them until after she had completed her mission and become a cat once more.

 

“Where have you been? You look a mess.”

 

Kirara mewed in alarm, stumbling to a halt and clasping a hand to her chest.

 

“Koru!” she yelped as the little red dragon floated into her line of vision.

 

“Where are you going?” Koru asked ignoring the glare he was getting from the fire-cat demon.

 

“None of your business,” Kirara growled, straightening herself and continuing on towards Kaede's hut.

 

“We ate all the food if you're looking for breakfast!” Koru called after her.

 

Kirara shook her head, trying her best to ignore the little imp. His sudden appearance had at least served as a temporary distraction from her depressive state of mind, and before she could refocus her thoughts fully, she was already inside Kaede's hut.

 

“Priestess Kaede,” she said, bowing politely in greeting. “I need your help.”

 

“Take a seat, child,” Kaede replied.

 

Kirara crossed the room, sitting down across the cooking pot from Kaede, facing the old priestess.

 

“It's about the spell,” Kirara began.

 

“I already told ye child, I have no way of confirming if the spell has been undone fully,” Kaede pointed out. “Nor can I undo it or redo it.”

 

“Oh,” Kirara said softly, hanging her head.

 

“Ye asked me before about undoing the spell completely,” Kaede added.

 

“But I don't want you to undo it any more,” Kirara replied. “I want you to redo it.”

 

“And I already told ye, I can't redo it either. Although I do wonder why ye would want the spell redone.”

 

“It's for the best.”

 

“Ye seem doubtful. Enter not lightly into something so severe, child.”

 

“I know what I'm doing! If you can't help me, do you know of anyone who can?”

 

“I can only give ye the same answer as I did before. Ye need the help of Priestesses Momiji and Botan.”

 

Kirara paused, another part of Midoriko's puzzle falling into place. This was the real reason why she had seen the red and white priestesses. They were to be the ones to turn her back into a cat. And so the riddle was, at last, entirely solved.

 

“Thank you,” she said softly, rising to her feet once more.

 

“Kirara, just one more thing, before ye go,” Kaede called after her.

 

Kirara paused by the doorway, her hand holding open the bamboo flap.

 

“Yes?” she said without turning round.

 

“I understand if ye don't wish to discuss this with me, but I must advise ye to seriously examine what lies in your heart before ye go ahead with this,” Kaede warned her. “I sense ye are making a rash decision, based on emotion over logic. Think about it. And don't act before ye talk to your friends first.”

 

Kirara waited a moment longer until she was sure Kaede had finished talking. She then stepped out of the hut, allowing the bamboo flap to fall back behind her. She had already made up her mind, and there was no way she was going to discuss any part of her plans with the others. In a burst of flames, Kirara transformed into her fire-cat form and took off towards the temple where she knew she would find Momiji and Botan.

 

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“Demon begone!” Botan yelled, aiming two sutras at Kirara as she approached.

 

“Wait, Botan!” Momiji cried, grabbing Botan's wrist to stop her. “This is the same demon we met before. You remember, the emotionally confused cat demon?”

 

“Oh…”

 

Kirara's face twitched at the way she had been referred to, but she continued towards the two young priestesses regardless.

 

“What do you want, Kirara?” Momiji asked her as she stopped before them.

 

“Let me guess why she is here!” Botan squealed, reaching a hand towards Kirara.

 

“No, please, not that again,” Kirara said, leaning away from her. “Let me just tell you why I am here. I wish for Priestess Midoriko's spell to be redone.”

 

“What?” Botan echoed, snatching back her hand.

 

“You wish to become a little cat again?” Momiji asked.

 

“Yes,” Kirara confirmed, nodding her head once.

 

“Why?” Botan blurted out, eying Kirara over as though she had gone mad.

 

Kirara groaned.

 

“It's my destiny,” she simply replied.

 

“How do you know it's your destiny?” Momiji asked her sceptically.

 

“Priestess Midoriko showed me in a dream that it was to be my destiny,” Kirara patiently replied.

 

“And she told you to ask us to redo the spell?” Botan asked.

 

“Sort of,” Kirara replied.

 

“I'm not really sure that this is the right thing to do,” Momiji said frankly.

 

“Please,” Kirara said. “I don't know if the spell has been fully undone, but I need it to be redone. And soon.”

 

“If the spell hasn't been fully undone, there won't be anything we can do,” Botan pointed out.

 

“I suppose first of all, we need to establish if the spell has been fully undone or not,” Momiji reasoned.

 

“And then we would need to work on redoing the spell,” Botan said.

 

“Redoing the spell will not be possible,” Momiji said.

 

“Not possible?” Kirara echoed. “But why not? If the spell has been fully undone, why can't you redo it?”

 

“We can quite easily turn you back into a little cat,” Momiji began slowly. “But we can't make the spell conditional, like Priestess Midoriko did. We're not powerful enough to cast such a spell.”

 

“What do you mean?” Kirara asked slowly. “About the spell being “conditional”, I mean?”

 

“Ah,” Botan said, nodding her head as she studied Momiji's concerned expression. “If we do turn you into a small cat, the transformation would be permanent,” she explained, turning to Kirara.

 

“There would be no way of ever reversing the spell,” Momiji added.

 

“Unless I came back to you and you undid it, right?” Kirara asked.

 

“No,” Momiji replied, shaking her head. “There would be no way of undoing it. Ever. By anyone.”

 

“Oh…”

 

“Is this still what you want?” Botan asked.

 

“Yes,” Kirara replied, trying to look determined despite the sickening feeling that was brewing within her very being.

 

“We will need time to work on this spell,” Momiji said.

 

“And we will need time to establish whether or not Priestess Midoriko's spell has been fully undone,” Botan added.

 

“And you will need time to think about this,” Momiji said.

 

“I don't need time to think about this,” Kirara denied. “I have already given you my word. Cast the spell as soon as you can please.”

 

“It will take until nightfall to work on the spell,” Momiji replied.

 

“And it will take until the following morning to figure out whether or not Priestess Midoriko's spell has been undone,” Botan said.

 

“Then I shall wait here until sunrise tomorrow,” Kirara said decisively. “And then you will cast the spell.”

 

“You will return tomorrow night,” Momiji told her.

 

“Tomorrow night?” Kirara repeated. “Why tomorrow night if the spell will be ready by tomorrow morning?”

 

“Because you will use today, tonight and tomorrow to think about your decision,” Momiji stubbornly replied. “I won't cast the spell if I think you are doubtful.”

 

“I'm not doubtful,” Kirara muttered.

 

“Yes you are,” Botan argued. “You must be absolutely certain that this is what you want before we continue.”

 

“I am certain!” Kirara snapped irritably.

 

“Return tomorrow night,” Momiji said firmly. “Give us your answer then.”

 

Kirara growled in frustration, watching as the two priestesses walked back through the gates into their temple. As the gates banged shut behind them, Kirara let out a loud, long sigh, her muscles tensing as she sensed two demonic auras approaching her from behind. Spinning around, Kirara gasped at what she saw, her mind momentarily abandoning all logic at the sight of Ah-Un the two-headed dragon demon walking out of the shadows of the nearby forest.

 

“Lord Sesshomaru?” she whispered.

 

Despite a small part of her telling her that the second demonic aura could not possible be that of Sesshomaru, Kirara only let go of the idea that it was him as the light fell across Ah-Un's back, revealing Sesshomaru's pesky little toad imp servant Jaken.

 

“Oh,” Kirara groaned, her top lip curling in disgust. “It's you again. What do you want?”

 

Jaken remained silent, his eyes fixed on Kirara as Ah-Un slowly walked towards her. Kirara's curiosity grew as he drew nearer as to why he was coming to her - it almost seemed as though he had been looking for her, as though he had sought her out for some specific reason. After her last encounter with Jaken, Kirara was not too keen to converse with the little toad at any great length again, but she did want to ask about Sesshomaru. No-one had mentioned him after Naraku's defeat, and she had held a lingering concern that he may have been badly hurt during the battle.

 

Kirara mentally kicked herself for worrying so much about someone who no longer even gave her a second thought.

 

`He hates me, so why should I even care?' she asked herself silently. `And yet I do care. I care more than I should. He hates me, and I always hated him before, why should I care how he is, how he feels or what he thinks? And yet… I can't stop thinking about him. And I can't bear to think of him alive in this world and thinking ill of me. I am such a fool. The sooner I have this spell redone, the better. And this time, it will be permanent. No more of these strange emotions to worry about.'

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

Kirara turned to Jaken as he slid off of Ah-Un's back.

 

“What am I doing here?” she repeated, screwing up her face at him in confusion . “What are you doing here?”

 

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Next Chapter: Jaken has something important to say to Kirara and Sesshomaru, but it seems that neither want to listen to his sage wisdom, and neither take his advice. Chapter 32 - Jaken's Confession.