InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Yesterday's Pain ❯ Whispers of a Guilty Conscience ( Chapter 2 )

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~~~~Chapter 2~~~~

~~Whispers ofaGuilty Conscience~~

 

 

 

 

 

 

“There is no witness so terrible, no accuser so powerful as conscience which dwells within us.”

-Sophocles

 

 

 

 

 

SPIDER WEBS….

 

She was surrounded by them.

 

They suffocated her, blinded her.

 

She tried to run, but no matter how far, or how fast she ran they kept getting thicker and thicker.

 

She started to hear things, she couldn't discern the words but she didn't have to.

 

Naraku's cruel laughter… Kikyou's cries of pain…

 

They were relentless, and deafening.

 

Yet they were like whispers so that she had to strain to hear them.

 

But she didn't want to hear them!

 

So she kept running, and running as the webs got thicker and thicker.

 

Eventually, the webs got so thick that it formed a solid wall and she couldn't run any more.

 

She tried to press forward, but it was hopeless.

 

So she surrendered herself to the tainted webs.

 

As if sensing her submission, the webs started to attach themselves to her body.

 

There was no escape, she couldn't breathe, couldn't think, only suffocate.

 

She felt the hope draining out of her, as the webs tightened even more around her small form.

 

She was drowning, but she couldn't die, for an emotion was ripping through her entire being.

 

No matter what she did the feeling was always there.

 

It angered her, and the webs fed off of it, producing more of the nauseous feeling that threatened to envelop her.

 

And still the webs tightened more and more, as this one emotion festered in her body, mind, and soul.

 

An emotion she couldn't shake… couldn't stop... so powerful that it could only be called one thing…

 

Guilt.

 

 

 

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

 

 

 

KAGOME WOKE WITH A START… Her eyes darted around the campsite for the treacherous webs that haunted her as she breathed heavily.

 

She sighed. It was just a dream, no not a dream, a nightmare.

 

`Ever since that incident with Kaou, I have been having these nightmares. The same one every time' she told herself.

 

Her eyes looked around the campsite once again, slower this time, to look at her sleeping companions. Shippo had taken too sleeping on Kirara's back, largely due to the fact that he had grown so much over the past few months (though not no much that he couldn't be carried on everyone's shoulder) that he no longer could fit inside the same sleeping bag.

 

Sango was near Kirara too, slumbering on the sleeping bag she had managed to bribe Souta for, making sure she put a good ten feet between herself and the lecherous monk that would soon be her husband.

 

Her eyes drifted to the other side of the camp where the said monk slept, leaning on a tree, legs crossed and his staff leaning against his shoulder. His cursed hand lying on his lap closed in a tight fist with his other hand wrapped tightly around it. A habit he had picked up on recently of which she was starting to get very suspicious of.

 

Slowly her eyes lifted up to the tree to rest upon the object she sought after more than anything else.

 

`Inuyasha'

 

He slept like he always did, one leg straight, one leg bent, with Tetsusaiga propped against his shoulder, with his dog ears giving off the occasional flick. Her eyes remained fixed upon him, partly because she wanted to see if he was really asleep, partly because she just loved to look at him.

 

After she was satisfied that he was truly asleep she got up, stretched, and started to walk to no where in particular. She needed to gather her thoughts and she didn't know if she could think about the things that were bothering her if he was nearby. So she quickly, but quietly, left the campsite, careful not to stray to far.

 

As she walked her thoughts drifted back to the nightmares.

 

Since that dreadful night, sleeping had never been more frightening. It was always the same one. Evoking the same emotions out of her, anger, sadness, jealousy… She shook her head, disgusted with herself. Kikyou was dead, and Inuyasha was suffering and she had the gall to be jealous over him being saddened by her death.

 

`He would never have been this heart broken if you were in her position.

 

Kagome's eyes widened.

 

`What?' she asked wearily, a familiar dread forming in the pit of her stomach.

 

`You know what you truly dread in those nightmares. You fear pain, you fear… him!' Images began to appear in her head.

 

A flash of red and white stood in the flames, her view slightly shrouded by the webs…

 

Brilliant gold held an awful hatred… Brilliant gold slowly turned red…

 

An enormous amount of pain surfaced in her gut and she felt life draining away.

 

Kagome fell to her knees, holding her, begging for the pain to stop, as the images replayed over and over… Red and white… Brilliant gold… Red again... Excruciating pain… Nothing…

 

And suddenly the pain was gone as if it had never existed. With shaky knees she stood back up and the voice spoke again.

 

`You shouldn't feel guilty' it said, almost softly. `You are not to blame, you are not at fault. If you should feel anything, feel anger, for him not being there!

 

Kagome shook the voice from her head, and at her command it disappeared. It was weird, it was like it was her own voice speaking to her inside her own head. Yet there was something different about it. Something much more malicious, maybe that's why it scared her so much.

 

Shaking slightly, she wondered what he would say if he knew what she had just experienced… what she had just thought… what she-

 

“Oi wench!”

 

She yelped and turned around and brought her arms up in a defensive gesture.

 

Inuyasha looked at her bewildered. `What the hell is she so scared about?' he wondered. Kagome put her arms down when she saw who it was, though Inuyasha saw hesitation in her movements. “Sorry” she said, stepping slightly back “I just woke up and I couldn't get back to sleep.”

 

Inuyasha studied her with a look of confusion in his eyes. Something was really bothering her, he couldn't quite put his finger on it but something had happened to her recently. She had grown quite, her appetite had disappeared, and now, here she was looking at him in a way that didn't sit well with him. Her eyes held confusion, guilt and something that didn't make sense at all. Something that he never thought that she would feel towards him, at least not now.

 

“Did I wake you?”

 

Inuyasha was ripped away from his thoughts rather abruptly at the sound of her voice. Giving her a look of slight surprise before he went back to his usual cocky self he replied, “Keh, I knew you were awake the whole time wench.”

 

Inuyasha heard her sigh as she walked past him, brushing his shoulder with a little more force than was necessary. `He never called her wench.' she thought bitterly. “I'm going back to bed Inuyasha” she said. He didn't miss the hurt in her voice.

 

Inuyasha paused too watch her leave, stunned. `What the fuck? What in the seven hells is wrong with her?' He took it upon himself to find out.

 

“Wait” he said.

 

Kagome stopped and slowly turned to look at him. A look in her eyes that was so unlike her. He didn't understand it, it was scaring him!

 

He abandoned the asshole act. He needed know what was wrong! He may be dead useless when it came to reading other people's behavior, but even he could see that something was bothering her!

 

“Kagome what's wrong?” he asked with uncharacteristic softness, “Something's been bugging you lately and I want to know what it is.”

 

Kagome looked at him with searching eyes and for a moment Inuyasha thought he was going to get a clean answer. But then she sighed and said, “Nothings wrong Inuyasha”

 

He wasn't going to give up that easily “Kagome I—”

 

“Nothings wrong!” she snapped.

 

Inuyasha blinked at her sharp tone.

 

Kagome treated him to a soft smile in apology. “Nothings wrong” she repeated softly “Lots of things have happened lately and… I just need some rest,” and with that she started walking back to the campsite.

 

Inuyasha sighed; she obviously didn't want to talk about it. So he left it at that and followed Kagome back to the campsite. When he got back he saw her climbing into her sleeping bag. Giving him a nod of acknowledgment, she lied down on her side and closed her eyes. Inuyasha looked at her for a moment then shook his head, returning to the boughs atop the tree in a single bound.

 

“Inuyasha?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Goodnight”

 

Inuyasha paused to look at her and allowed himself the slightest of smiles, taking care that Kagome didn't see it. “Keh, night wench” he replied nonchalantly. Inuyasha heard her sigh again in response.

 

He frowned

 

The sigh reminded him of the look she had in her eyes when he had surprised her. It confused him as to why she would look at him that way even after she knew it was him. It had been so long since she looked at him that way. He never expected to see it again, not since… Inuyasha looked down at the rosary beads.

 

`Not since these'

 

He remembered it like it was yesterday…

 

“Now hand over the jewel and I won't have to sharpen my claws on you” he said popping his knuckles noisily.

 

When she didn't respond he took a swipe at her, “I hate the smell of you!” he roared.

 

Since he really and truly didn't want to kill her he let her keep dodging him but his patience was thinning. “GIVE ME THE JEWEL!!” he screamed lunging at her. The next thing he knew the subjugation beads were on his neck and Kagome said the fated word.

 

“SIT BOY!”

 

Inuyasha smirked a little, though it had annoyed the hell out of him back then, thinking back on it now it seemed a little funny. Shaking his head he thought to himself, `Just drop it you were probably just seeing things. There's no way she looked at me that way after all the shit we've been through.' With that final thought he dropped his head and tried to get some sleep.

 

But no matter how hard he tried he couldn't the look of her eyes out of his head. Not a look of anger, or hurt…

 

But a look of fear…

 

 

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

 

 

Shippo, unsurprisingly, was the first to wake. Darting around the camp like a bat out of hell, screaming and yelling, trying his hardest to liven up the dampened spirit of the group, “Come on guys wake up! What's taking you so long?! Come on why all the long faces? Why—

 

His efforts were halted, with a large thump courtesy of Inuyasha's fist. “Stuff it runt,” he growled. Grumbling, Shippo obliged and stalked off to nurse the sizeable lump appearing on his head.

 

Breakfast was quiet now that Shippo had calmed down, courtesy of Inuyasha's fist, but it was very uncomfortable. Inuyasha watched Kagome very carefully, noting that she barely touched her ramen. Kagome caught him staring and asked him if he wanted hers.

 

Inuyasha seriously considered it for a moment, but then shook his head “Keh, you eat it wench”

 

Again he heard her sigh. What the fuck was up with her sighing so much lately?! Watching her give her food to Shippo, an offer he greedily accepted, he had to restrain himself from hitting the runt again.

 

When they finally got on the road again things seemed to be looking up a bit on the social side of things.

 

Shippo had gotten thumped one too many times and had decided that enough was enough. Moving with surprising speed he had leaped onto the back of Inuyasha's head bared his small, yet sharp, fangs and bit his ear! Inuyasha howled in pain, holding the abused appendage atop his head. “You are so done for, ya fucking runt!” Inuyasha snarled, tearing after Shippo as the said kitsune yelled abuse at the hanyou over his shoulder.

 

The humans in the group couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Inuyasha chasing Shippo. With one clawed hand rubbing his ear; the other outstretched making snatches for his prey while Shippo taunted the enraged half-demon. Even Kirara seemed to be amused and gave off a purr like snort.

 

While the half-demon was much faster than the kitsune, Shippo's size worked to his advantage and was agile enough to avoid Inuyasha for some time. After a few minutes of yelling, chasing, and a few very rude insults, Inuyasha finally managed to get a few fingers on Shippo's bushy tail. Before Shippo could get away, Inuyasha closed his hand and picked him up none too gently.

Putting his face close to Shippo's until their noses were almost touching he whispered, “You have no idea how big of a mistake you just made runt”

 

Shippo gulped…

 

A few minutes later Shippo was still wailing. Kagome did her best to patch up what Inuyasha had done to his ear. “Tha- that h-h-hurt Kagome!” he sobbed. Kagome smiled sadly “I know Shippo, but you know, fairs fair. You really shouldn't have bit his ear. You know how sensitive they are. You actually hurt him that time.”

 

Shippo's tears dried immediately and he grinned, “I did, didn't I?” he said rather smugly. Kagome giggled and replied “Mhmm”

 

With the mood lightened up a bit the day passed by a little more quickly than usual, despite it being rather uneventful. Little did they know that come nightfall, the despair they had been trying to take a break from would come roaring back in a way that none of them had ever experienced before. They were in for one hell of a night.

 

Let alone the fact that no one seemed to notice the flying eye that shadowed them as they traveled.

 

 

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

 

 

`Damn that Naraku and his pleasure of torturing people, it would be so much simpler if we could just kill the girl' Byakuya said to himself as he soared to his destination on his signature carrier, the paper crane.

 

Byakuya grinned; this ploy was so evil it made him shiver at just the thought of it. He knew that if Naraku's plan succeeded, all Naraku would have to worry about was Sesshoumaru and that scary Miedou attack he used. Everyone else would either be dead or too emotionally damaged to carry on.

 

As his eye flew back into its socket he smiled wickedly and pressed forward knowing that this is where fate would decide the fortunes of everyone involved in this miniature war.

 

 

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

 

 

Dusk was approaching fast, and the group started to look for a place to bed down. Today's trek was much better than their previous ones; the air tingled with their laughter. Even Kagome had seemed more cheerful which is why she tried to start a conversation with Inuyasha. “So… Inuyasha how far is it to the village?” she said hoping he would respond.

 

“Keh, I don't know wench just don't talk to me right now” he replied none too kindly, still irritated with the ear incident.

 

Kagome however, took it differently.

 

Normally she wouldn't have been that offended, but these were hardly normal times. In a time when she felt herself sinking, in a time when she needed someone to reassure her that things were going to get better, she had been insulted. The change in mood was fast and hard. The pain was deep and lingering. The tone in his voice bringing images that haunted her into conscience mind. Tears that she knew shouldn't be there were starting to form. She had been brought down from what little height she had gained. Looking away quickly, she couldn't say anything else but “oh…O.K.”

 

And with those two small words the nightmare began…

 

Inuyasha heard her response, and to say that he was shocked was a huge understatement. Usually he would be eating dirt by now, instead she sounded hurt! It wasn't like he had meant it. He was still pissed at Shippo! But, before he could turn around to ask what the hell was wrong with her, all hell broke loose.

 

Demons… hundreds of them swirled around the clearing where they were about to make camp. Their sudden ominous presence blocked out what was left of the day light, and before they knew what was happening, they were on them.

 

Cursing foully, Inuyasha turned around to face a particularly large chunk of the youkai army that charged at him en masse. Inuyasha drew his sword and cut loose the Tetsusaiga's signature attack.

 

“WIND SCAR!”

 

Deadly arcs of flaming energy met the charging youkai, and with a flash of brilliant light they were destroyed. With a large chunk of the army gone it should have been easy to pick off the stragglers. But their surroundings worked to the demons advantage. Closing in quickly, the rest of the demons began their assault.

 

Inuyasha swore again. Their enclosed surroundings made it impossible to use the wind scar or any other special techniques without injuring his friends. He had to pick them off individually. Kagome had quickly thrown Shippo into the underbrush and taken out a few demons on her own, standing with her back against a broad tree so that none of them could get at her from behind.

Still, Inuyasha didn't dare leave her unprotected seeing as she wasn't exactly adapted to close range combat. He swung his sword outwards, opening the belly of two demons. Using the momentum, he pivoted sweetly and brought up the Tetsusaiga in a smooth arc, beheading his next target.

 

It's not like these demons were strong or anything, but there were so damn many! After putting a particularly gruesome end to a couple more demons, he looked to see how his friends were fairing

 

Sango was taken by surprise the most, considering the fact that a certain monk had thought it might be a good time to fondle Sango's rump. In her anger she failed to see a worm-like demon flying towards her. She paid for her ignorance with a deep gash in her side; Sango returned the favor, introducing it to her hidden blade. Other than that however she looked to be holding her own. She was standing back-to-back with Miroku who was twirling and slashing his staff at a speed that was impressive for a human, while throwing sutra's here and there. Kirara was doing her part as well, biting and clawing at any demons that got to close. Kirara was an experienced and lethal fighter but she was being highly underestimated, demon after demon threw themselves at her, expecting to swat her aside easily; none lived to tell the tale about their fatal mistake. After he was satisfied that his friends were O.K, he returned to the task of dispatching as many demons as he could.

 

The battle ensued for several minutes, and by the time they were done Byakuya had already made his appearance. “Well, well, looking lively as ever I see, Inuyasha.”

 

Inuyasha twisted around to see Byakuya standing on the top boughs of one of the trees. “Byakuya!” he snarled, pointing the great fang at the new threat, “Where the hell is Naraku, you bastard!”

 

“Now, now, no need to get hasty, the fun is just beginning” he said with a shit eating grin on his face. Inuyasha growled, “Well if you won't tell me where he is then…”

 

He leaped at a frightening speed towards his opponent, “I guess there's no use I have for you!” Inuyasha and the others expected to see him run away like he usually always did.

 

Then again, he didn't come all the way here for nothing.

 

“So uncivilized” he muttered as he produced a leaf from his sleeve. Tossing it up in the air the leaf gave off a small `pop' and smoke seemed to come out of nowhere. Once the smoke cleared eight Byakuya's were sneering at him. Inuyasha swung his sword at the one nearest to where the original once stood. With a poof of smoke it disappeared revealing he had struck the wrong one.

 

“Shippo!” he yelled, “which one?!”

 

The fox demon squinted at the seven Byakuya's, opening his mouth he shouted “Inuyasha, I—”

 

A roar of demonic energy exploded right where the kitsune stood. With a yelp Sango rushed over to save him. Thankfully, Shippo had seen the blast and had leapt out of the way at the last second leaving him unconscious but otherwise unharmed.

 

As the others breathed a sigh of relief, Byakuya giggled evilly.

 

Inuyasha immediately noticed what he was laughing about. The illusions were gone, and the real Byakuya stood behind them… holding an unconscious Kagome! “Tut, tut, couldn't let the kitsune give away my position now could I?”

 

“LET HER GO, YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!!” Inuyasha roared.

 

Byakuya looked up and smirked, “Sorry, but no can do dog-boy, Naraku has found value in this girl, and I am in no condition to disobey his orders.”

 

And with a puff of smoke he was gone…

 

 

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

 

 

The spider webs were back…

 

And so was the guilt…

 

It stretched her out then crushed her with mind-numbing force…

 

But this time the nightmare went further into the realms of despair…

 

She saw the flash of white on red…

 

She saw golden orbs staring at her with loathing.

 

A voice echoed in her head…

 

Three words broke her heart, pieced it back to together, and then shattered it once more…

 

“I blame you” it whispered in a dreadfully familiar voice…

 

“No,” she whispered…

 

Another three words brought about her imminent demise…

 

“I hate you”

 

NO!!!

 

She screamed inside her head as she felt excruciating pain in her gut…

 

As she felt the life drain from her she stared at the face she still loved…

 

The tears fell thick now as she screamed “Inuyasha, please don't!”…

 

“You killed her, for that you must die”…

 

Kagome wept pitifully as she begged to wake up from the nightmare, for no torture could ever be so painful…

 

And it started over once more…

 

 

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

 

 

“There it goes again” remarked Byakuya, as the girl began to thrash in the vines once more.

 

“Do you know what causes it?” asked Naraku.

 

Kagome had been placed in a vice grip with vines that protruded from the wall. Byakuya had noticed that she seemed to have had particularly terrible nightmares and showed them straight away to Naraku. Naraku was delighted to see the dream and asked if she had anything else bothering her. Byakuya grinned devilishly and happily obliged. Soon they were witnessing the trek through Mt. Azusa, watching Kikyou die in Inuyasha's arms…

 

Soon, tears of blood began to trickle down her cheeks which left the two bewildered as they set her through the dreams once again. With one particular phrase popping up frequently.

 

“She's gone isn't she? The woman you loved most in all the world… pity that you would want to die right now, just so you can join her”

 

Naraku soon discovered that he could use this all to his advantage, with Byakuya's help…

 

Byakuya nodded, “Flower demon,” he said “Feeds on what troubles you the most then gives you an illusion that would ease the victim's pain, in short you would be forever trapped in a fantasy land, energy for the roots that claim her”

 

Naraku nodded.

 

“What seems to be troubling her most is a variety of things. Yet they all have to do with Kikyou” he elaborated.

 

“So it seems that I'm not the only one who is still hindered by Kikyou's influence,” Naraku remarked.

 

“So it does,” Byakuya replied, “Guilt, for not saving her, jealousy of Inuyasha's loyalty to Kikyou, and more guilt for feeling that jealousy, all contribute to these nightmares.

 

“And the dream?” Naraku pressed

 

“It seems that she fears that Inuyasha is angered with her about all of it”

 

Naraku raised his brows.

 

“Sounds ridiculous doesn't it?” Byakuya said, “However, my guess is that it's not completely her.”

 

“Oh?”

 

Byakuya nodded, “It seems the roots weren't extracted properly, so the effects of the flower demon still remain when she falls asleep”

 

“And how would one go about extracting them properly?” Naraku inquired

 

It was Byakuya's turn to raise his brows, “Surely you do not intend to—”

 

“I merely wish to satisfy my curiosities”

 

Byakuya shrugged, “Something you care about, remember things that you care about”

 

Naraku scowled in frustration, the plan he had begun to build in his head crashed around his ears. As if he had read his mind, Byakuya continued, “Although there is a way to block those memories of good will.

 

Scowl all but gone he looked up, “How?”

 

Byakuya stepped forward and whispered, “Do what you intended to do in the first place.”

 

Naraku narrowed his eyes, “I do not understand” he replied.

 

“Use her pain against her. The dreams, Mt.Azusa, Inuyasha holding Kikyou… take all of them and compile them all into one horrifying nightmare… In the end, she'll succumb to the pain and her soul will cease to be pure… along with that,” he said, pointing at the Shikon No Tama.

 

Naraku's eyes widened, the air seemingly growing thick with evil. It made sense! Not only would this accomplish his new plan but also his original one. Staring at the jewel he said, “Very well Byakuya, do what needs to be done.” Without uttering a word he removed Kagome from the vines and hauled her off to a spare room in which he would perform his evil deeds.

 

Naraku looked down at the nearly complete Sacred Jewel, smiling evilly.

 

`It looks like I have found a replacement for Kohaku,' he thought to himself.

 

`And my first request will be for her to kill Inuyasha.

 

 

 

 

*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<> ;*<>* <>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*< ;>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>* <>*<>*<>*<>*<>*<>*

 

 

 

A/N: Well that took a little longer than expected. Sorry for the long wait, college is so time consuming. I have to say that despite the fact that he is evil, Byakuya is one of my favorite characters, his sarcastic attitude always give me a laugh. It's hard though, putting him in the situations where he is most entertaining like Rumiko does (another reason why she is such a genius).

The next chapter is a song fic. The song is by one of my favorite bands, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. The chapter is also where the real angst begins, so don't miss it! And remember this is my first fanfic so please take a minute and tell me what you think.

 

 

 

~~**~~**~~**~~Spoiler~~**~~**~~**~~

 

 

 

A crash echoed through the forest as Inuyasha and the others took cover.

 

“Inuyasha,” came a cold voice “Surrender to me and I will make your death quick”

 

“Keh,” came his reply “Just who the hell are you, and what do you want with me?”

 

He noticed that she stayed hidden in the shadows so he couldn't see her face.

 

“One who will bring about the end of you,” she answered as she drew an arrow and shot it with pin-point accuracy.

 

Inuyasha cursed under his breath as he leaped out of the arrow's path at the last second.

 

Setting his sights on the woman, he prepared his counter-attack.

 

And that's when the wind changed directions, blowing a familiar scent his way.

 

Not believing what his nose was telling him he whispered, “Kagome?”

 

 

 

An Angst-Filled Chase Begins In Chapter 3…

 

CAT AND MOUSE

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.  I claim no owner ship of the original characters in this story nor do I profit from their use. 

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