Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ River of Crystals ❯ Cuts You Up ( Chapter 23 )

Cuts You Up

 

 

 

“Talking”

 

`Thinking'

 

Memories

 

Stressed

 

 

 

 

3 Year Mark

 

 

Kagome sat under the Goshinboku with her face in her hands. Tears of joy and sorrow ran down her cheeks. Forgetting her human illusion, she sat with her dark platinum hair and dark blue eyes. Wiping the tears away with her sleeve she sighed again. Looking up to the crescent moon she found that the full moon had gone and left her. Her face turned to the stairway leading off the shrine grounds. It had been five nights, and Youko came each night.

 

Kagome's ears twitched in aggravation as she listened to the silent night. Her head lazily rolled to the side and she stood up. Summoning her haraibou to her, she prepared for a fight. She had made a promise to Miroku, to herself. It was destiny's plan that caused this; she would have to kill Youko. He came every night to her in his youkai form, and she could not bring herself to kill him. Taking her arrow from the ground, she held it in her hand like a lifeline.

 

`Can I do it?' She asked the sky.

 

Her dark blue eyes filled with tears. She could hear Miroku and Tessa conversing in the house happily. Inuyasha, or Shishi now was talking to Shippo and Hiei. Kagome began her descent down the steps. Her gut tightened as the emotions cut her up on the inside. Sango was no longer Sango; she was new, free of the past. Miroku was also free of the past; he had his Sango back. He was no longer concerned with the need for revenge against Youko. Kagome was the only one that couldn't find her happiness.

 

The corners of her lips slightly turned up in a sad smile. Hiei pushed at her mental barriers, she could feel his questions. She enforced her mind barriers even more; this was something she had to do alone. Each step made her sweat in nervousness. It was like she had to walk back into the village, the destroyed village. Her knuckles turned white as she stood on the last step. The barrier was the only thing separating her from him.

 

Silver flashed across the street, he was coming. Hiding her emotions, she let her dark blue eyes become doll eyes. They were empty and showed nothing. Golden eyes stared at her in surprise as she stood there. The pendant hung from his mouth, she could feel her soul. The fox stood at the edge of the barrier and looked up at her. Kagome calmly stared down at the fox.

 

“Why don't you take human form?” Kagome asked.

 

The first true words spoken to him sounded empty. A light flashed he appeared in his humanoid form. The silver hair framed his face and hung at his back. His silver ears twitched at the sounds of the night and his tail remained stilled. Kagome wished she could embrace and tell him everything was all right, but that wasn't reality.

 

“How dare you show your face to me?” Kagome demanded with a growl. Youko played with the pendant before he swung it around.

 

“I can't stay in this form long,” Youko calmly spoke.

 

“Then say what you have to or die,” Kagome offered. He coldly smirked at the situation before he gazed into her eyes.

 

“You know that I didn't kill them, I would never betray you,” Youko stated.

 

“Sometimes truth and lies become blurred, you will remain innocent of the crime until proven guilty,” Kagome announced.

 

“Did you even really love me, or did that become blurred with need?” Youko coldly asked. He was tired of being on the defense, he wanted his name cleared for a crime he never did.

 

“I loved you, but…”

 

“Love has no buts, you either did or you didn't,” Youko interrupted. Kagome growled at him and threw the arrow at him. He caught it and held it in surprise.

 

“Not everything is black and white,” Kagome whispered.

 

“Then why is it so hard for you to see that I'm innocent?” Youko whispered.

 

“I know you're innocent, but I must go with the facts,” Kagome confessed.

 

Youko reached out and laid his hand against the barrier. Kagome frowned as his skin was slowly purified from the palm. She weakened the barrier and his hand passed through and caressed her face. His image began to flicker and her eyes widened. Suiichi fell to the ground still asleep. Kagome sat down on the steps and stared at her red haired love in shock. She knew, deep down that, he was Youko; it was woman's intuition.

 

“What will you do?” A voice asked from behind.

 

Kagome turned to the left to find Yusuke standing there. He shrugged and walked over to sit next to her. Her tail moved to the right to avoid being squished. Yusuke and Kuwabara found out Kagome was Seigi before they left to the Makai tournament. Yusuke was now engaged to Keiko and Kuwabara was in college. Yusuke and Keiko were going to open their own coffee shop. Kagome sighed and shook her head in thought.

 

Yusuke had found out he had youkai blood in him when it rose. He had found a true friend in Kagome, when he found out her history. They had talked and shared stories of their past. He had sensed Youko's ki in the area and decided to follow it, he wanted to know what the Kitsune was up to. Yusuke reached down and took the pendant from Suiichi's hand.

 

“Suiichi probably isn't aware of himself changing,” Yusuke mumbled to himself. He knew of Kagome and Youko's history.

 

“I can't kill Youko,” Kagome cried as she stared down at Suiichi.

 

“Even if you wanted to?” Yusuke asked.

 

“I can't kill Youko and risk Suiichi,” Kagome stated as she reached down and picked up Suiichi.

 

Yusuke raised an eyebrow as she held Suiichi to her. Youkai strength was an amazing thing to have.

 

“I still think Youko's innocent, he may be a bastard, but he isn't that heartless,” Yusuke defended.

 

“You're such a wonderful friend,” Kagome joked.

 

“What if it was Akago? Then I tried to kill Youko for no reason,” Kagome wanted to cry, but softly spoke.

 

“You couldn't help what you saw, you did what you thought was right,” Yusuke offered.

 

“All this time wasted on revenge and hate,” Kagome sighed as she began up the steps.

 

“Not taking him home?” Yusuke asked as he looked at the pendant.

 

“No, he should know about his change,” Kagome sighed as she heard a soft snore.

 

“Whatever, just take care of him, he is only human,” Yusuke said as he handed her the pendant and walked away.

 

“Only human,” Kagome repeated as her shrine door opened.

 

Hiei held the door open and waited for Kagome to pass through. It was a funny sight to see Kagome carrying Suiichi. His face was snuggled into her chest, and Miroku grinned. Tessa hit him and whispered pervert.

 

“He's your new pet?” Shishi called out.

 

“Shut up Shishi,” Kagome softly said.

 

“I still go by Inuyasha,” Shishi muttered.

 

Kagome ignored them and walked up the steps to her room. The sun would be rising in a few hours. She pushed opened her bedroom door with her foot and laid him on her bed. A soft smile crossed her face as she covered him with an extra blanket; he only had on sleeping pants. Kagome sat on the floor and stared up at Suiichi. Her ear twitched as she heard the footsteps stop at her door. She sniffed the air and knew that it was Inuyasha coming in.

 

“So this is the new Youko?” Inuyasha asked.

 

“How do you know?” Kagome softly asked.

 

“I've been dead and watching over both of you,” Inuyasha casually said.

 

“He has Youko's soul, but he's not Youko,” Kagome whispered.

 

“He wasn't the one that killed us,” Inuyasha announced.

 

Kagome's eyes widened and turned to look at him. Inuyasha ran a hand through his short white hair. He walked over and sat next to her. His violet eyes turned thoughtful as he looked at Suiichi.

 

“What didn't you tell me this before?” Kagome almost growled.

 

“We weren't sure,” Inuyasha answered.

 

“We?”

 

“Sango, Kohaku, and I weren't sure if he was being controlled,” Inuyasha explained.

 

“Kanna,” Kagome growled in understanding.

 

“We managed to talk to her soul, and she admitted to controlling Youko for Akago,” Inuyasha clarified.

 

“I still can't fully trust Youko,” Kagome sighed.

 

“But you can trust Suiichi?” Inuyasha asked.

 

“Yes, I guess I fell for his reincarnation in a way,” Kagome said as she chuckled at the irony.

 

“We are all reincarnations in some way,” Inuyasha whispered.

 

“Least we get a chance to right the wrongs,” Kagome tried to lighten the situation.

 

“KAGOME, I'M HERE!” A male voice shouted.

 

Inuyasha and Kagome ran over to her window. They looked out to see the Goshinboku in flames. Akago stood there laughing in the firelight. He wore black hakama and a sapphire haori. He waived to them and laughed again as he watched them run from the window. His red eyes glared as they all ran out the door.

 

 

 

 

Miroku and Tessa had heard the shout for Kagome. It was all happening so fast, to soon. Miroku took Tessa's hand and mixed their fingers together. He embraced her and smiled. Tessa wrapped her free arm around him.

 

“Together,” Miroku whispered.

 

“Forever…I won't leave again,” Tessa promised as she released him.

 

“We'll get the life we deserve,” Miroku whispered as he picked up his Shakujou.

 

Tessa nodded in agreement and shouldered her Hiraikotsu. Shippo had fixed her weapon and kept it through the ages. They held hands and ran out the door with the others.

 

 

 

 

Hiei grinned as he stood up. Shippo looked down at him and smirked. The final battle had come. After all these years, they would finally be able to have their justice or revenge.

 

“Ready?” Shippo asked.

 

“After all this pain…I'm exhilarated,” Hiei, replied.

 

“Our justice has come,” Shippo whispered as they walked to the door.

 

“The line separating justice and revenge can be thin,” Hiei stated as they stared up at the burning Goshinboku.

 

 

 

 

Kagome's eyes watered as she watched her tree go up in flames. She could feel its pain with each crackle. Turning her hateful glare to Akago, she bared her fangs. Akago laughed at her and held his hand in front of him. A staff formed in his hand with to blades connected on each end. Kagome watched as a blast of light shot through his stomach. Yusuke ran up to her and she smiled. The hole in stomach quickly filled in.

 

“Where's Kurama?” Yusuke asked.

 

“Still asleep,” Kagome replied.

 

“So your fox is alone…should I send a hound to hunt?” Akago questioned.

 

“You leave him be,” Kagome snarled.

 

“Temper, temper little girl,” Akago mocked.

 

“Go watch over him, please,” Kagome requested to Yusuke.

 

“Once his ass wakes, I'll be back fighting,” Yusuke hesitantly agreed.

 

Kagome held her hand out and her haraibou formed in her palm. Akago whistled in fake awe before his smile twisted into a sick grin. A cloud of miasma formed a barrier around Kagome and him. He laughed and threw two puppets out of the miasma barrier. Kagome was alone with the monster and new her friends were in danger.

 

“Afraid to fight alone?” Akago mocked, his red eyes gleamed in sick glee.

 

“Never,” Kagome assured as she charged. Their staffs met and Akago grinned.

 

“I've waited for this moment Kagome. Five hundred years, that is how long I've waited to finally be able to fight you,” Akago whispered as they jumped apart.

 

“You were one twisted baby,” Kagome taunted.

 

“I wanted to hurt you, I wanted to see your tears and lick the blood from the wounds. Your purity will be beautiful as I defile it,” Akago exclaimed in some rapture.

 

“Bastard,” Kagome growled as she hit him across the area. Akago stood up and cut her across the chest. He watched the blood flow in mild excitement.

 

 

 

 

Miroku and Tessa dodged the puppets attack. It was just like Naraku's puppet of the past, except it was a spider as big as them. Tessa growled as it spit its webbing at them. Swinging her Hiraikotsu, she took out three legs. Miroku jumped from behind and threw his ofudas. The spider hissed in pain. Its front leg shot out and impaled Miroku on the shoulder. Tessa withdrew her tanto and cut the leg off. The spider howled and jumped away.

 

“Miroku,” Tessa called out in worry.

 

“The puppet,” Miroku gasped as he pulled out the leg.

 

Tessa stabbed the thing in the eyes and her arm was bit. Gasping in pain, she kicked it and jumped away. Miroku stood up and began to chant. He attached his Shakujou to her Hiraikotsu. She swung it and the spider was cut in half. The puppet returned to a carved spider and vanished into dust.

 

“All you alright?” Miroku asked.

 

“No…that was poison,” Tessa whispered as she collapsed.

 

“Don't leave me,” Miroku frantically said as he caught her.

 

She smiled at him through hazed eyes. Her expressions went limp and she succumbed to the darkness. Miroku sighed as he noted her breathing was irregular.

 

 

 

 

Author's Note: