InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ This Wasn't In The Job Description ❯ A Grim Revelation ( Chapter 63 )

Chapter 63

 

A Grim Revelation

 

 

Both Myoga's words and his reaction to the news that Tessaiga was broken made everyone but InuYasha stop in their tracks. The hanyou mounted Kirara and looked back irritably at his friends, who were huddled around the despondent demon flea.

 

“Myoga is always given to dramatics,” InuYasha said dismissively. “Let's get going.”

 

But Kagome was not so sure that Myoga was just over-reacting to the news of Tessaiga's forlorn state. By their grim looks, Miroku and Sango were not taking it so lightly, either. With a huff of resignation, InuYasha dismounted and joined them.

 

“Please tell us why this is distressing you so much,” Kagome asked Myoga. “What will happen to InuYasha if Tessaiga is broken?”

 

The flea sat in Kagome's hand; arms crossed, and glanced up at the assembled group. He shot a hurt look at InuYasha. The hanyou frowned and crossed his arms. Myoga started to regard InuYasha's ragged and bloody appearance more closely, and one hand moved thoughtfully to his chin.

 

“Out with it, flea,” InuYasha said. “We have business to attend to and no time to waste.”

 

“Were you in a desperate battle when Tessaiga broke?” Myoga asked. “Can you tell me what happened?”

 

Kagome became round-eyed and solemn, and the expressions of Sango and Miroku were grim. InuYasha paled, his face drawn and intense. Jumping up, Myoga knew he had hit on it. Obviously, it was as bad as he expected.

 

“You tell him, Kagome,” InuYasha said quietly. “I don't like to think about it.”

 

Nodding, Kagome explained InuYasha's battle with Goshinki, and the demon flea listened intently. His small face became dark and worried as Kagome got to the point where the sword broke and InuYasha changed. By the end, he was shaking his head sadly.

 

“It's just as bad as I thought,” Myoga said miserably. “What my Lord and his friends did not know, is that Tessaiga is more than just a powerful heirloom from Inu no Taisho. InuYasha's father had Totosai put the power in Tessaiga to keep InuYasha's demon blood in check. And now it is broken…”

 

“So, it is just as I suspected,” Miroku said. “InuYasha did change into full demon.”

 

“But that is not the worst of it,” Myoga continued. “If put in a desperate situation and deprived of Tessaiga, InuYasha will be overcome by his demon blood and keep fighting - friend or foe - until all are dead, or he is.”

 

At his last words, everyone became quiet and still in shock. The very air around them seemed to ring with his last words, echoing painfully in their minds. The others did not notice as InuYasha backed away, his head hung low. He clenched his fists, his blood-spattered silver hair a shroud around his face, and then took a giant leap to put distance between them. The mood was shattered at the sound of his landing among the piled bones, crunching sharply beneath his feet.

 

“You mean he would attack even his friends?” Sango whispered in horror.

 

“Yes. When in a berserker rage, all InuYasha seeks is to quench his blood lust,” Myoga said. “With each transformation, it will get harder and harder for him to restrain himself from killing even his friends.”

 

Kagome was pale, her eyes turned away as she worried at her bottom lip with her teeth. It all made sense, that was why InuYasha had warned her away. Despite the loud beating of her heart and how her mind spun with the connotations of what Myoga had said, she worried only about one thing. How was all this grave news affecting InuYasha? She looked up and noticed he wasn't there. She dropped Myoga, overcome with panic.

 

“Where is InuYasha?” Kagome said. “Did anyone see him leave?”

 

Before Kagome could set off in a panic looking for InuYasha, Kirara in her small form rubbed against her legs and mewed. That made Kagome stop in her tracks and look down at the fire neko's upturned face. She squatted down in front of her.

 

“Do you know which way he went?” Kagome asked.

 

Sango moved to follow, but Miroku put his hand on her arm to stop her. She turned to look at him questioningly, her face filled with concern. He shook his head.

 

“Better to let Kagome handle it,” Miroku said. “In his present state of mind, he does not need all of us crowding him right now.”

 

With a sigh and a nod, Sango relented. Smiling at her sympathetically, Miroku put his hand out to take hers, and with a smirk she took it, accepting his comfort.

 

While the others had been mesmerized by Myoga's words, Kirara had watched InuYasha and heard more than saw the direction he had landed in. Chirping, she bounded off. Before she could get too far away, Kagome picked up Myoga with an apologetic look and handed him to Miroku. Then she ran after the fire neko before the cat disappeared from sight.

 

In the arch of the open jaw of the giant dog skull, Kirara waited for Kagome. Spotting her, Kagome stopped short, one hand laid gingerly on a ridge of bone to thwart her momentum. Kirara looked up at her and chirped, and then butted Kagome's legs with her small head.

 

“Are you trying to tell me which direction to go?” Kagome said.

 

The neko mewed an affirmative and butted her legs more urgently. Kagome bent down and cupped her small head, so they were looking nose to nose. Kirara blinked.

 

“Okay, I get the message,” Kagome said. “Thank you so much! Please go back to Miroku and Sango and wait for us.”

 

With a chirp and leap, Kirara was gone. Kagome turned to look in the direction the neko had been trying to guide her in, and saw InuYasha. He was sitting on the bone pedestal where he had earlier found his clothes. His back was towards her, and his head hung down, his hair hanging like a silver curtain around his face. It disturbed Kagome at how still he was, as if he had drawn away from the world.

 

Slowly, Kagome crunched through the bone debris, and InuYasha's ears swiveled back at the sound. Otherwise, he made no further indication of interest in her presence. When she got to him, facing his back, she knelt down against the stone pedestal. InuYasha felt her lean against his back, her chin on his shoulder, and wrap a gentle hand around his upper arm. The warmth of this simple act of love and acceptance made him close his eyes and sigh.

 

“How can you even want to be near me?” InuYasha said sadly. “You heard what Myoga said…I'm a monster, I could kill you.”

 

Kagome squeezed his hand tighter, and pressed her chest up closer to his back. Her senses filled with the warmth, scent and strength of his body and her heart clenched in anguish for him. No, she would not believe it!

 

“You did not kill me, or any of your other friends, InuYasha,” Kagome whispered. “I brought you back, didn't I?”

 

“Yeah, this time,” InuYasha replied. “But there are so many dangers here in the demon realm, not to mention that fucking Naraku. What if something happens before we can get Tessaiga fixed? Do we really want to take that chance?”

 

“Don't think that way,” Kagome said adamantly. “We will get Tessaiga fixed, and continue our quest! I believe it!”

 

But InuYasha was haunted by the memory of the battle that had gone on inside him. The overwhelming desire to kill, to kill anyone in his path! A shudder went through him, and Kagome responded by putting her other arm around him and burying her head in his shoulder.

 

“I'm not giving up on you, InuYasha, and that is final,” Kagome said. “I love you and will stand by you, and together we will get through this.”

 

“But -” InuYasha began to protest.

 

“But me no buts, InuYasha,” Kagome said firmly. “Let's just take it one step at a time and do what we need to do. First, let's get out of this place and get you clean and changed. I know this is your father's tomb, but it is giving me the creeps.”

 

Her last words made InuYasha chuckle and he nodded his head. Then he partly turned, grabbing her left arm and gently pulled her into his lap. Gazing into her face, he stroked her hair and smiled.

 

“How did a no-good hanyou like me end up with someone as good as you?” InuYasha said. “How can I claim to even deserve you?”

 

“Stop beating yourself up, InuYasha,” Kagome replied. “You are not a no-good hanyou, even if you were called that as a child. You are you - talented, strong, passionate, and loyal to your friends. And I say you do deserve me!”

 

Sliding his hand behind her head, InuYasha pulled Kagome's face to his and gave her a warm, passionate and intense kiss that almost took her breath away. Then he wrapped his arms around her back, hugging her so tight that her face was buried in his silver-white hair.

 

“I love you, Kagome,” InuYasha whispered.

 

“I love you too, InuYasha,” Kagome replied. “Now let's get out of here.”