Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Reason To Fight ❯ Ch.1 Betrayal's Mask ( Chapter 1 )

*~*~*A Reason to Fight*~*~*

Ch.1 Betrayal's Mask

"I'm back…" Kagome announced cheerfully but abruptly she cut herself off.

Gazing cautiously at her surroundings, she gulped unconsciously. Something was wrong. Kagome could feel the sense of impending danger in the air the moment she climbed out of the well. The forest seemed shadowed and intimidating, as a dry wind blew silently throughout creaking branches and crackling dead leaves. Normally the autumn shaded forest seemed bright and beautiful, but today it felt…ominous. Almost like a graveyard filled to the brim with bodies of the convicted and the damned. Where was Inuyasha?

`It's so quiet…'

Feeling edgy, Kagome reluctantly moved away from the well's security and forced herself forward into the forest's depths. An alarm was blaring in the back of her mind, telling her to turn back now. Stubbornly Kagome trekked on towards the village. The only sound was the crack of dry leaves and twigs being crushed underfoot.

`What has happened here? Something tells me something awful has happened.' Kagome thought as a feeling of growing dread began to constrict in her chest.

Her pace quickened as the village came into sight, but then stopped in her tracks. The village lay in ruins. Fires burned at the remains of the once neatly built huts like a scavenger devouring a corpse's remains. Throwing her pack to the side, Kagome raced to the village. Fear of her friends' fate destroyed all logical thought.

"Inuyasha! Shippou! Sango? Miroku! Where are you! " She screamed.

Franticly Kagome searched throughout the remains of the village for any signs of life, but there was nothing. No people, dead or alive, were to be found. Ready to give up the search, Kagome turned and her breath was ripped from her in horror. Two mangled figures lay beside a smoldering barn in what seemed a loving embrace.

"No, oh god no…" Kagome choked out.

The bodies of Miroku and Sango were laid out in a disgusting display of their last moments alive in a pool of their own blood. Sango had a deep slash that ran from her left shoulder to her right hip, nearly cutting her in half. Several other deep wounds bled freely from all over her arms and neck. Her eyes were open and staring sadly into space. Miroku lay beside Sango with his left arm draped over her waist and his head resting face down in the crook of her neck. His right arm had been ripped clean off and now lay a few feet away. A jagged slash ran across his spine. Hiraikotsu lay nearby, broken in two. Horrified, Kagome slowly backed away from the remains of her departed friends.

"No, this isn't real…it's all a trick caused by Naraku. They're not dead…" Kagome whimpered.

`Inuyasha, help me. Where are you?'

But Sango's eyes seemed to stare right through her very soul sadly, as if it was Kagome herself who had condemned them. Kagome stumbled back a step. A dry whisper caught in her throat as she choked out.

"No…"

It was horrible; they had so many hopes and dreams for a peaceful future. It had only been yesterday since Miroku confirmed his deepest hope to Kagome, his wish for Sango's hand in marriage after Naraku's death. The pure love resonating from the monk's violet eyes was enough to bring tears of happiness to Kagome's eyes. She had wished him all the luck in the world and vowed to stop Naraku for them. Somehow their quest for vengeance had turned into a fight for the future. Sometimes it had seemed so meaningless, but Miroku and Sango always managed to guide her back. But no longer…Kagome could practically feel their souls weeping at their untimely demise.

"IT'S NOT REAL! THEY'RE NOT DEAD!" Kagome screamed into the evening.

Broken, she collapsed beside them shaking. Who could have forced Sango and Miroku to fight for their very lives just to give Kaede and the villagers a chance to escape? And most importantly, where was Inuyasha? Rage clouded sadness as her mind began to operate again.

Kagome growled. "Naraku…"

"This was not Naraku's doing." A cold voice stated.

Whipping around, Kagome had her bow drawn and aimed at her undead incarnate's heart. Her stormy blue eyes were narrowed into near slits as she glared at the dead miko. The arrow shook with tension, eager to feel flesh tear at its sharpened edge.

"What in the Hell do you mean?" Kagome bit out.

"Exactly what I just said. It was not Naraku's doing. It was Inuyasha." Kikyo replied.

Kikyo walked closer with slow, deliberate footsteps. A grim smirk played across the zombie's lips, as her reincarnate grew pale, and seemed to wilt before her very eyes.

" He aims to kill everything close to your heart. Afterwards, he will eventually take back my soul for me." The undead miko's eyes hardened as she silently dared the girl before her to deny it.

Kagome began to shake as the undead miko's word sunk in.

`Everything close to my heart… Shippou!' Cold realization sunk into her. Shippou was next!

"He chose me girl. You are nothing to him, but my mirror image." Kikyo finished softly.

"KAGOOOME!"

Shippou's terrified scream broke the silence that had descended. Adrenaline shocked Kagome into action, as she sprinted towards the sound of her surrogate son's cry. Ignoring branches lashing out at her exposed skin, Kagome raced, praying that she wasn't too late.

Finally two figures came into her line of sight. Shippou was huddled in front of a humongous rock with Inuyasha standing over him, claws stained crimson with blood, Sango and Miroku's own blood. Kagome felt a deep and terrible anger rise within her. A small voice inside her demanded she kill him. He deserved it; make him feel pain! It hissed.

Horrified Kagome shook her head frantically. She was not Kikyo; revenge only leads to more pain. Right now she had to save Shippou. The kit's blue green eyes stared up at the hanyou with pure horror. Wasting no time, Kagome released an arrow that transformed into a purple comet, which landed between the two.

"Shippou get away from him!"

Shippou slouched to his knees in pure relief. Inuyasha slowly turned around to face his attacker, sadistic delight radiating from his eye's blood red depths. Kagome suddenly felt something die in her as she held his gaze. All the pain, horror, sorrow, and anger left her in a flood of adrenaline that left her numb and ready for battle. She watched as Shippou scrambled to the safety of the trees. Satisfied that Shippou was out of the line of fire, Kagome turned her attention to Inuyasha once more. Her face remained stoic and emotionless as she faced down the growling monster.

"So it's true…" Kagome said softly.

Notching another arrow, she examined his blood soaked form. As expected, Tessussaiga was missing, obviously stolen by Kikyo. So this is what remained of her best friend, a cold-blood beast that lusted for nothing but death and its miko corpse.

"Inuyasha…sit." Kagome commanded softly, but to no avail. Inuyasha stared as he licked the blood off one claw, but made no move to attack. At that moment she would have given anything to hear Inuyasha yell and call her a wench. Kagome felt a tear well up in her eyes despite her emotionless mask, and a single drop slid down her cheek.

"Please don't make me do this. Just sit damnit!" Kagome pleaded desperately.

The crack of leaves behind her was all the warning Kagome got before she felt the sharp pain of an arrow pierce her right shoulder. A half a second later Inuyasha brutally slashed open Kagome's right side as she fell to her knees. He stood above Kagome grinning, her fresh blood dripping from his hand. Kikyo walked behind him and stared at her reincarnate with obvious enjoyment.

"Understand now? Inuyasha and I are equals now. Without his sword he's only half a person, a soulless demon. Being incomplete can do wonders to one's outlook on life." Kikyo said while running her hands over his shoulders to goad Kagome further.

Kagome struggled to keep her anger in check, but the pain made it difficult. Gritting her teeth, she grasped the arrow shaft in her shoulder and pulled. With a small cry of pain, the shaft was ripped from her shoulder, and with the same movement Kagome lurched toward the undead miko. Kikyo made no move to stop her, and merely smirked as the arrow pierced her chest. Kagome's face paled to an almost deathly shade when the wound refused to release even a drop of blood. Without batting an eye Kikyo removed the arrow, and sighed.

" I really wished to draw out your suffering, but I remain incomplete. Inuyasha, I leave it to you." Stepping back, Kikyo waited.

`I can't let this happen… Shippou will be left alone again and Momma will never know what happened to me.' Kagome inwardly screamed as she struggled to move her weary body.

Fearfully Kagome watched as Inuyasha raised his claw for the final blow. She closed her eyes as the wind whistled towards her.

`Shippou, I'm so sorry.'

"Foxfire!!"

Wrenching her eyes open, Kagome stared in shock as a wall of blue fire separated this distance between Inuyasha and herself. It burned brightly and was a truly beautiful sight. Suddenly, she felt a tug on her sleeve that pulled her attention away from the hypnotic sight. Shippou was pulling on her arms frantically.

"Shippou!"

"Kagome run! It won't last forever!" Shippou yelled over Inuyasha's howl of rage.

Tears filled her eyes at the deep sense of pride she felt for Shippou. With renewed energy she scooped Shippou up in her good arm, and raced toward the well. Her wounds felt like they were on fire, but it didn't matter. The two of them were alive and by god it was going to stay that way if she had anything to do with it!

`We're going to make it! Shippou's suffered so much already. I won't let us be hurt anymore.' Kagome repeated in her head over and over, like a mantra for strength.

Inwardly she prayed for her body to hold on. She could feel the blood running thickly down her side. With a sigh of relief the well came into sight.

"Let's go Shippou!" Kagome yelled, and without a second thought, threw them into the well.

Kagome felt Shippou cling tightly to her as the familiar warmth of the well's magic engulfed the two of them. Smiling she held his shivering little body tighter and murmured.

"We're safe now Shippou. I'll protect you…"

`I promise.'

Then everything went black.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Meanwhile in Ningenkai…Kurama sat upon the roof watching legendary spirit detective, Yusuke Urameshi, be mercilessly dominated by his girlfriend, Keiko.

"Yusuke there you are!"

"Oh, hey Keiko..."

"The foreign art film is starting! Come on, let's hurry."

"Err, I don't know… I have to go do my homework!"

"We don't have homework, it's the weekend! Let's go!!!"

Yusuke grumbled as Keiko drug him off. "You know Kurama you could help instead of just sitting on top of the stupid building!"

Keiko didn't hear Yusuke's last comment, but Kurama sure did. Secretly he winced in sympathy as he watched Yusuke be drug away by his ear. Still, he made no move to help the unfortunate spirit detective.

"Out for some evening entertainment, fox?"

Kurama glanced at Hiei, who appeared beside him. Crimson eyes watched in mild amusement as the two humans disappeared among the throng of civilians.

"I just don't understand why someone would willingly put themselves through that."

"Hn, they're just baka ningens. Who knows what goes through their heads." Hiei scoffed.

"Baka ningens, hm? Last I recall you and that baka ningen had formed a rather unique friendship." Kurama stated calmly.

"Hn."

"Thought so."

` Humans are too slow. That's the boy's problem.' Youko smirked in the back of Kurama's mind.

`I wasn't asking for comments.' Kurama pointed out to his more arrogant personality.

`It's true. The girl wouldn't be walking all over him, if she was too busy being…"

`Youko!'

`You have the same problem. We've been in the human world for almost twenty years and we still haven't bedded a single person!' Youko complained.

`It is not a matter of importance.' Kurama said coldly.

Hiei smirked at the promise of yet another heated argument between Kurama and his counterpart. Kurama wasn't the only one searching for entertainment this evening.

`What's the matter? Are you two afraid of some human females?' Hiei silently mocked.

`Why you little spike haired son of a bitch…Kurama, just hit him for both our sakes.' Youko bristled in anger within the confines of Kurama's mind.

Kurama gritted his teeth, and fought the urge to smack the silver fox in his mind and the taunting koorime. Ever since his revival during the dark tournament, Youko simply refused to be silent. Even his own perfected calm, was slowly dissolving right alongside his sanity. Naturally, Hiei was enjoying Kurama's mental struggle immensely from a spectator's point of view.

`Both of you just shut up!' Kurama snapped in a rare show of temper. The two bickering demons fell silent. His calm exterior had been shattered, and the fox now looked quite aggravated. Shoving his hand through his crimson tresses, Kurama breathed deeply trying to rid himself of his frustration. Then Hiei spoke up.

`He may have a point. It's obvious something's up with you, Kurama. Take some time off from Ningenkai, and go kill some low class demons, or something. Even the ningens have begun to notice how restless you've been lately.'

`I think that's your personal preference of having fun shorty. Now if you are volunteering to help, I'm sure we could put you to good use…' Youko purred silkily.

Hiei's eyes narrowed menacingly as he promptly snapped.

`Go find some human to entertain and keep your hands to yourself.'

Without another word, Hiei disappeared into the night.

"You really must stop scaring Hiei off with pick up lines." Kurama grumbled, but he couldn't help but feel a little satisfied at his friend's discomfort.

`Hey it worked didn't it? Besides he didn't really say no.' Youko said smugly.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that, or so help me I will exact revenge." Kurama growled.

`What are you going to do, tickle us to death? By the way, your also speaking aloud if you hadn't noticed, don't want to appear like your talking to your self do you?'

Kurama grudgingly thought. `I still have access to those pokemon reruns from Yusuke.'

Youko huffed in annoyance then promptly fell silent. Kurama breathed a tired sigh. It was too quiet. There hadn't been an assignment for weeks and Kurama could feel himself growing restless as Youko's influence grew. He knew they would merge eventually, but till then Kurama was forced to literally live a double life. Obviously the strain was beginning to get to him. Youko and Hiei had a point… A demon penned up in the city, even one with flawless self-control, was never good. Knowing his luck, Kurama would find himself being committed to a mental hospital before he turned thirty. Shuuichi Minamino, the guy who thinks he's a demon, and talks to his sex obsessed imaginary friend, who is also a demon. Doctor, I think we have a nutcase.

`Hm, nurses aren't too bad though…' Youko mused.

` I have one word for you.' Kurama said evenly.

`Oh?' Youko said mockingly.

` Jigglypuff.'

`Of all the times for you to get a sadistic sense of humor…' The fox grumbled.

`Who said I was joking?'

Growling Youko glared at his tyrannical counterpart, but fell quiet once more. Kurama felt a wry smile tug at his lips. Of course, if he was a nutcase, Kurama could only imagine what a therapist would say about Hiei. Wait… Doctors…Hospitals…

"Mother's doctor appointment!"

Seconds later a crimson streak bounded into the city's shadows.

Er… I have to admit this isn't my best chapter, but I suppose it had to start somewhere. Well there's chapter 1. I thought about starting the story from the preview, but decided against it. Now, not only do I have a plot, I have a complicated plot! So the preview shown earlier will eventually merge with the story. Till then, enjoy^^

Ch.2>> A trip to the hospital leads to a blood bath and a chase scene; Kagome is now being hunted in both the past and the present. Who in all seven hells are the good guys anyway!?!