InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Every Heart ❯ Chapter 1
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: LuxKen27 
Immediately following the Final Battle with Naraku. The Inuyasha group retreats to Kaede's village and waits to see if Kagome will survive.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Action / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 03.11.2008 | Updated On: 05.23.2008 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.7K | Visits: 1.6K | Status: Work In Progress
Immediately following the Final Battle with Naraku. The Inuyasha group retreats to Kaede's village and waits to see if Kagome will survive.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Action / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 03.11.2008 | Updated On: 05.23.2008 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.7K | Visits: 1.6K | Status: Work In Progress
Author’s Note: This has been a most interesting experience. I probably haven’t writing fanfiction in 15 years, since I first was bitten by the writing bug. It’s a great way to practice, though, and develop your own style. This time around, it’s been a way to snap me out of a long period of writer’s block. So, please excuse the adverb-laden rust :)
With this epic story, I am trying to stay as close to the manga as I can. I also consider the anime canon, as well as the first and third movies.
Before attempting this story, I read a lot of good fanfiction, and looked at a lot of great art. I like to pay homage to these things I enjoy, and will give credit where it is due as the chapters go up.
Fanfiction is meant to be read, so please tell me what you think! Visit me at http:// luxken27. livejournal. com/ (minus the spaces, of course).
Disclaimer: The Inuyasha concept, story, and characters are copyright Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Media. This is merely one girl’s dream of life after “The End.”
Kagome lay very still on the ground. She was utterly and completely exhausted, so tired she could no longer feel her aching body as it sagged in the rocky crevice. She concentrated not on the sharp rocks digging into her back and legs, but on keeping her left hand tightly fisted. Every ounce of her fading strength she converged there. Her spiritual power was flagging, but she burned with enough intensity that her fist glowed. The pale pink light escaped the cracks of her fingers as the Shikon No Tama purified in her palm. Her last thoughts were on the physical sensations in her left hand, of how she finally knew the burn of purification.
She drifted back to the surface of consciousness sometime later, having no memory of lapsed time. Her bones still ached, her muscles were still stiff and sore, but she no longer lay on the prickly ground. Slowly, her mind registered the soft pillow beneath her head, the light weight of the blanket covering her, the smooth wood at her back. She contracted her left hand and squeezed the heavy, warm jewel still in her fist. She sighed.
“Kagome?”
Kagome shifted her attention to the questioning voice, which sounded so near yet so far, as if at the end of a long tunnel. She struggled to open her eyes, finally managing to pull the heavy lids apart. The double images of Sango slowly drifted together to form one.
“She’s awake!” Sango called cheerfully, her face splitting into a smile.
Kagome attempted to curve her own mouth up, but found the action laborious, her lips cracked and dry. Sango gently rubbed a damp cloth over Kagome’s forehead and face. Kagome swallowed convulsively, testing the thick feeling coating her throat and mouth.
“Sango,” she tried, her voice rough. “Water, please.”
Her friend complied with the request, bringing the shallow bowl to her lips. Kagome lifted her head and allowed the tepid liquid to fill her mouth and slide down her parched throat.
“Do you think you can sit up, Kagome?”
A new voice entered her consciousness. Kagome shifted her eyes from Sango to Miroku, who offered a hand to help her prop up. Dumbly, Kagome stared at the outstretched hand, still covered with the glove, but absent of the prayer beads. She could see the wrapping under the cloth, covering his palm, protecting the newly-scabbed wound.
The sight crashed Kagome back to reality. She felt as if waking from a coma, even though it had only been a day. It was really true.
Naraku was truly defeated.
The weight in her hand was that of the complete, pure Shikon No Tama.
Miroku’s cursed wind tunnel had disappeared.
Sango’s little brother…lived?
Kikyo had been avenged. Would she return for Inuyasha’s life, or was she finally content?
Another sudden wave of fatigue washed over Kagome, causing her to lean against her friends as she sat up. Kaede was the next to drift into her field of vision. The older woman regarded Kagome solemnly, her hands linked behind her back.
“So ye won the battle and preserved the jewel,” came the wizened words, warmed with a smile. “And we are back where we started, three years ago.”
Has it really been three years? Kagome thought, her mind still hazy. Can I even remember what life was like before I fell into the well?
Kaede smiled as she advanced to Kagome. She held out a bejeweled length of chain. “The necklace has been repaired,” she announced. “The Shikon No Tama can now be truly completed.”
Kagome watched wordlessly as Kaede worked the jewel back onto the chain, and placed the entire piece back into her outstretched hand. “Is there no way to purify it completely, to make it vanish from the earth?” she asked, her voice still scratchy in her throat.
“It is yours to protect, and to do with as ye wish,” Kaede answered. “Ye are the keeper of the Sacred Jewel, after all.”
What do I wish for, most of all?
“KAGOME!” squealed an entirely new voice, high and immature. Shippo galloped into the hut and landed squarely in Kagome’s lap. She patiently allowed him his hugs and reassurances, though she was still feeling a bit weak. She slipped the Shikon Jewel around her neck as the little fox kit chattered furiously.
“I’m so glad you’re okay, Kagome,” Shippo said suddenly, pressing himself to her. This brought her out of her reverie. She shot a confused glance at Sango.
“Yes, you took quite a hit from Naraku, but it was enough to steal the Sacred Jewel from him. His fury in that moment was…breathtaking.” Sango’s eyes became a bit wistful as she recalled the events. “It was the turning point in the battle.”
Kagome fingered the jewel. She had no memory of the actual battle, and even the events leading up to it were a bit fuzzy. She was happy to see that her friends had survived, and even managed to find their way back to the village. But if the quest was over, what now? What reason would she have for staying?
“Where’s Inuyasha?” she asked, carefully forming each word.
Shippo looked up at her. “He’s in his tree. I don’t think he could bear to see you like this.” His face contorted with surprise as he was suddenly dumped from her lap.
“Kagome, do you think you should try to move so soon?” Sango’s voice was laced with concern as she helped her friend find her balance upon standing. “You were unconscious for an entire day!”
Kagome merely nodded, determined to go outside and see the last member of their entourage. Squaring her shoulders, she shrugged off Sango’s and Miroku’s hands and walked out of the hut.
She heard him before she saw him. “You shouldn’t be out,” he said, his voice flat as he descended from his chosen tree to face her.
“Neither should you,” she replied, just as tonelessly.
Inuyasha scowled at her, his dark brows disappearing behind his black bangs. He looked worse for the wear, his face filled with fresh cuts and bruises. His red haori had already regenerated itself, though it was shallow and pale over his wounds. “Even like this, I’m still stronger than humans,” he grumbled, lowering himself against the trunk of the tree.
Kagome followed in action. She was utterly exhausted, and yet exactly where she wanted to be. Even if he was angry at her, she was so happy he was alive…
For a moment, they merely stared at each other. Kagome watched as he closed his eyes and let out a sigh. The weight of the world was on his shoulders, even after the defeat of his greatest enemy. How weary he appeared. “Inuyasha?” she began.
He suddenly grabbed her hands, pulling her close. Before she knew what was happening, he crushed her against him, turning his face against her neck and breathing deeply. “I was so afraid I had lost you,” he whispered against her skin. “When you lunged for the jewel, I was certain it was the last time I’d see you alive. Kagome...”
Her wave of relief overwhelmed her. She gratefully sank against him, only able to raise her hands to his chest as exhaustion once again claimed her. All she wanted to do was hold him now, feel him struggle to control the trembling that swept his frail human form. She liked the nights he was human; he couldn’t suppress his emotions. In these moments, on these nights, he wasn’t afraid to hold her or speak softly to her.
Inuyasha threaded his fingers through her hair, brushing it away from her neck. This only caused Kagome to relax even further, the dreamy middle state between wake and sleep washing through her. She tried to burrow closer to him, but was prevented when his hand brushed her face. She opened her eyes and found him gazing at her intently, softly running the back of his hand against her cheek. That look…it was so familiar…
Her breath hitched when she realized why: this was the same way he had always looked at Kikyo, a mixture of love and hunger and longing. She didn’t have time to follow this train of thought to the inevitable conclusion – was he seeing Kikyo in her stead? – as, without warning, he gripped her chin and descended.
His mouth met hers with decisiveness. Once over the initial shock, she squeezed her eyes shut and kissed him back with all her might, pouring her entire heart into it. Happily, her hazy mind placed his racing pulse under her hand. She balled her fist into the fabric of his haori, as if she could close her hand around his heart. She wanted this moment to last forever.
He broke the kiss sweetly, nipping at her lower lip as he pulled away. “Oh, Inuyasha,” she sighed, letting her head fall to his shoulder, her hands still gripping his haori. He continued to wind his fingers through her hair, occasionally bringing the strands to his nose. On any other occasion he may have looked silly, but in their close proximity, Kagome felt incredibly complimented by the simple actions.
Her eyes fell shut as he continued to play with her hair, and she once again slipped into sleep, a little smile on her lips.
He also hated the flow of his emotions, completely unchecked. It was these nights that his mind brought out the bitter memories and turned them over in examination. He remembered his lonely childhood, battles with his brother, losing Kikyo with such acute awareness. This mental torture was much worse than any physical pain.
And yet…
In these last few months, his human night was less a time to dread and more a time to study this purely human reaction to Kagome: this mix of knowledge, emotion, and hormones that mostly confused him.
Everyone in their little group teased him about his jealousy and protectiveness during his demon time, and such emotions were only magnified when the barrier of his supernatural powers was lifted. During his human time, the thought of Kagome with Koga didn’t enrage him so much as scare him. He often mulled over silly arguments, letting his insecurity about her feelings overwhelm him for a moment. It was a convoluted way of working through things, but one that had worked so far.
Then, when he saw the huge risk she took to reclaim the jewel, something inside of him changed. It took him back to the first time she had shed tears over him, to the first time he admitted he didn’t hate her. Each cycle of the moon, it seemed, he came closer and closer to admitting how much he didn’t hate her.
For her to risk her life, to battle Naraku head on and snatch the Shikon No Tama from his hand, it was simply amazing. Their quest was one she did not want, one she undertook only out of guilt for shattering the jewel. He was the one who wanted to reclaim it and for such selfish reasons. It was one thing to risk his own life, but hers? She was beyond worthy of his respect.
Inuyasha gazed down at Kagome’s sleeping form and swallowed convulsively. Yes, he loved her. It was probably obvious to everyone else, but the realization only dawned on him recently. After the time he spent completely devoted to Kikyo, after taking on the avenging of her many deaths, for him to admit his complete and deep love for another woman was hard. Risky. He had long ago realized the result of this devotion on Kagome, but he was stubborn. He wanted to have them both, and not to hurt either. And yet, in spite of the agony he brought upon Kagome, she put herself in harm’s way to help him achieve a wish he had held with Kikyo.
He pulled Kagome closer, again brushing his face against the hollow of her throat. He didn’t deserve her or her actions on his behalf, but he was so grateful to have it. This was what love truly was, having someone accept you unconditionally, and protect you to the fullest extent of their power.
He could feel tears threatening behind his eyes. “Kagome, please don’t leave me,” he whispered in a rash of fear. He squeezed her harder, but the rhythm of her breathing was never broken. Slow, regular, relaxed, it brought him back to the present with reassurance. It also pulled his attention further down her form, where he noticed that she wore the Shikon Jewel around her neck on the old chain.
A wry smile formed on his lips as he fingered the jewel. So, it wasn’t banished from the Earth, eh? he mused. What could that possibly mean? He glanced back to Kagome’s face, only to see Kikyo. Kikyo was miserable when she guarded the jewel. Will Kagome’s fate be similar?
With this epic story, I am trying to stay as close to the manga as I can. I also consider the anime canon, as well as the first and third movies.
Before attempting this story, I read a lot of good fanfiction, and looked at a lot of great art. I like to pay homage to these things I enjoy, and will give credit where it is due as the chapters go up.
Fanfiction is meant to be read, so please tell me what you think! Visit me at http:// luxken27. livejournal. com/ (minus the spaces, of course).
Disclaimer: The Inuyasha concept, story, and characters are copyright Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Media. This is merely one girl’s dream of life after “The End.”
Kagome lay very still on the ground. She was utterly and completely exhausted, so tired she could no longer feel her aching body as it sagged in the rocky crevice. She concentrated not on the sharp rocks digging into her back and legs, but on keeping her left hand tightly fisted. Every ounce of her fading strength she converged there. Her spiritual power was flagging, but she burned with enough intensity that her fist glowed. The pale pink light escaped the cracks of her fingers as the Shikon No Tama purified in her palm. Her last thoughts were on the physical sensations in her left hand, of how she finally knew the burn of purification.
She drifted back to the surface of consciousness sometime later, having no memory of lapsed time. Her bones still ached, her muscles were still stiff and sore, but she no longer lay on the prickly ground. Slowly, her mind registered the soft pillow beneath her head, the light weight of the blanket covering her, the smooth wood at her back. She contracted her left hand and squeezed the heavy, warm jewel still in her fist. She sighed.
“Kagome?”
Kagome shifted her attention to the questioning voice, which sounded so near yet so far, as if at the end of a long tunnel. She struggled to open her eyes, finally managing to pull the heavy lids apart. The double images of Sango slowly drifted together to form one.
“She’s awake!” Sango called cheerfully, her face splitting into a smile.
Kagome attempted to curve her own mouth up, but found the action laborious, her lips cracked and dry. Sango gently rubbed a damp cloth over Kagome’s forehead and face. Kagome swallowed convulsively, testing the thick feeling coating her throat and mouth.
“Sango,” she tried, her voice rough. “Water, please.”
Her friend complied with the request, bringing the shallow bowl to her lips. Kagome lifted her head and allowed the tepid liquid to fill her mouth and slide down her parched throat.
“Do you think you can sit up, Kagome?”
A new voice entered her consciousness. Kagome shifted her eyes from Sango to Miroku, who offered a hand to help her prop up. Dumbly, Kagome stared at the outstretched hand, still covered with the glove, but absent of the prayer beads. She could see the wrapping under the cloth, covering his palm, protecting the newly-scabbed wound.
The sight crashed Kagome back to reality. She felt as if waking from a coma, even though it had only been a day. It was really true.
Naraku was truly defeated.
The weight in her hand was that of the complete, pure Shikon No Tama.
Miroku’s cursed wind tunnel had disappeared.
Sango’s little brother…lived?
Kikyo had been avenged. Would she return for Inuyasha’s life, or was she finally content?
Another sudden wave of fatigue washed over Kagome, causing her to lean against her friends as she sat up. Kaede was the next to drift into her field of vision. The older woman regarded Kagome solemnly, her hands linked behind her back.
“So ye won the battle and preserved the jewel,” came the wizened words, warmed with a smile. “And we are back where we started, three years ago.”
Has it really been three years? Kagome thought, her mind still hazy. Can I even remember what life was like before I fell into the well?
Kaede smiled as she advanced to Kagome. She held out a bejeweled length of chain. “The necklace has been repaired,” she announced. “The Shikon No Tama can now be truly completed.”
Kagome watched wordlessly as Kaede worked the jewel back onto the chain, and placed the entire piece back into her outstretched hand. “Is there no way to purify it completely, to make it vanish from the earth?” she asked, her voice still scratchy in her throat.
“It is yours to protect, and to do with as ye wish,” Kaede answered. “Ye are the keeper of the Sacred Jewel, after all.”
What do I wish for, most of all?
“KAGOME!” squealed an entirely new voice, high and immature. Shippo galloped into the hut and landed squarely in Kagome’s lap. She patiently allowed him his hugs and reassurances, though she was still feeling a bit weak. She slipped the Shikon Jewel around her neck as the little fox kit chattered furiously.
“I’m so glad you’re okay, Kagome,” Shippo said suddenly, pressing himself to her. This brought her out of her reverie. She shot a confused glance at Sango.
“Yes, you took quite a hit from Naraku, but it was enough to steal the Sacred Jewel from him. His fury in that moment was…breathtaking.” Sango’s eyes became a bit wistful as she recalled the events. “It was the turning point in the battle.”
Kagome fingered the jewel. She had no memory of the actual battle, and even the events leading up to it were a bit fuzzy. She was happy to see that her friends had survived, and even managed to find their way back to the village. But if the quest was over, what now? What reason would she have for staying?
“Where’s Inuyasha?” she asked, carefully forming each word.
Shippo looked up at her. “He’s in his tree. I don’t think he could bear to see you like this.” His face contorted with surprise as he was suddenly dumped from her lap.
“Kagome, do you think you should try to move so soon?” Sango’s voice was laced with concern as she helped her friend find her balance upon standing. “You were unconscious for an entire day!”
Kagome merely nodded, determined to go outside and see the last member of their entourage. Squaring her shoulders, she shrugged off Sango’s and Miroku’s hands and walked out of the hut.
~*~
The chill of the night air seized Kagome, bringing her mind into sharp focus. She shivered as she picked her way down the lane, away from Kaede’s hut. All the while, she kept her eyes skyward, looking for a red-clad body nestled among the treetops. She squinted in the darkness; it took her a full minute to realize there was no moon to guide her path.She heard him before she saw him. “You shouldn’t be out,” he said, his voice flat as he descended from his chosen tree to face her.
“Neither should you,” she replied, just as tonelessly.
Inuyasha scowled at her, his dark brows disappearing behind his black bangs. He looked worse for the wear, his face filled with fresh cuts and bruises. His red haori had already regenerated itself, though it was shallow and pale over his wounds. “Even like this, I’m still stronger than humans,” he grumbled, lowering himself against the trunk of the tree.
Kagome followed in action. She was utterly exhausted, and yet exactly where she wanted to be. Even if he was angry at her, she was so happy he was alive…
For a moment, they merely stared at each other. Kagome watched as he closed his eyes and let out a sigh. The weight of the world was on his shoulders, even after the defeat of his greatest enemy. How weary he appeared. “Inuyasha?” she began.
He suddenly grabbed her hands, pulling her close. Before she knew what was happening, he crushed her against him, turning his face against her neck and breathing deeply. “I was so afraid I had lost you,” he whispered against her skin. “When you lunged for the jewel, I was certain it was the last time I’d see you alive. Kagome...”
Her wave of relief overwhelmed her. She gratefully sank against him, only able to raise her hands to his chest as exhaustion once again claimed her. All she wanted to do was hold him now, feel him struggle to control the trembling that swept his frail human form. She liked the nights he was human; he couldn’t suppress his emotions. In these moments, on these nights, he wasn’t afraid to hold her or speak softly to her.
Inuyasha threaded his fingers through her hair, brushing it away from her neck. This only caused Kagome to relax even further, the dreamy middle state between wake and sleep washing through her. She tried to burrow closer to him, but was prevented when his hand brushed her face. She opened her eyes and found him gazing at her intently, softly running the back of his hand against her cheek. That look…it was so familiar…
Her breath hitched when she realized why: this was the same way he had always looked at Kikyo, a mixture of love and hunger and longing. She didn’t have time to follow this train of thought to the inevitable conclusion – was he seeing Kikyo in her stead? – as, without warning, he gripped her chin and descended.
His mouth met hers with decisiveness. Once over the initial shock, she squeezed her eyes shut and kissed him back with all her might, pouring her entire heart into it. Happily, her hazy mind placed his racing pulse under her hand. She balled her fist into the fabric of his haori, as if she could close her hand around his heart. She wanted this moment to last forever.
He broke the kiss sweetly, nipping at her lower lip as he pulled away. “Oh, Inuyasha,” she sighed, letting her head fall to his shoulder, her hands still gripping his haori. He continued to wind his fingers through her hair, occasionally bringing the strands to his nose. On any other occasion he may have looked silly, but in their close proximity, Kagome felt incredibly complimented by the simple actions.
Her eyes fell shut as he continued to play with her hair, and she once again slipped into sleep, a little smile on her lips.
~*~
Inuyasha hated his human nights. He dreaded their approach, was nothing but tense on the duration, and was incredibly exhausted when they finally passed. It was arduous, being on guard at his weakest, knowing that if he was faced with an enemy bent on revenge, he was mortally powerless.He also hated the flow of his emotions, completely unchecked. It was these nights that his mind brought out the bitter memories and turned them over in examination. He remembered his lonely childhood, battles with his brother, losing Kikyo with such acute awareness. This mental torture was much worse than any physical pain.
And yet…
In these last few months, his human night was less a time to dread and more a time to study this purely human reaction to Kagome: this mix of knowledge, emotion, and hormones that mostly confused him.
Everyone in their little group teased him about his jealousy and protectiveness during his demon time, and such emotions were only magnified when the barrier of his supernatural powers was lifted. During his human time, the thought of Kagome with Koga didn’t enrage him so much as scare him. He often mulled over silly arguments, letting his insecurity about her feelings overwhelm him for a moment. It was a convoluted way of working through things, but one that had worked so far.
Then, when he saw the huge risk she took to reclaim the jewel, something inside of him changed. It took him back to the first time she had shed tears over him, to the first time he admitted he didn’t hate her. Each cycle of the moon, it seemed, he came closer and closer to admitting how much he didn’t hate her.
For her to risk her life, to battle Naraku head on and snatch the Shikon No Tama from his hand, it was simply amazing. Their quest was one she did not want, one she undertook only out of guilt for shattering the jewel. He was the one who wanted to reclaim it and for such selfish reasons. It was one thing to risk his own life, but hers? She was beyond worthy of his respect.
Inuyasha gazed down at Kagome’s sleeping form and swallowed convulsively. Yes, he loved her. It was probably obvious to everyone else, but the realization only dawned on him recently. After the time he spent completely devoted to Kikyo, after taking on the avenging of her many deaths, for him to admit his complete and deep love for another woman was hard. Risky. He had long ago realized the result of this devotion on Kagome, but he was stubborn. He wanted to have them both, and not to hurt either. And yet, in spite of the agony he brought upon Kagome, she put herself in harm’s way to help him achieve a wish he had held with Kikyo.
He pulled Kagome closer, again brushing his face against the hollow of her throat. He didn’t deserve her or her actions on his behalf, but he was so grateful to have it. This was what love truly was, having someone accept you unconditionally, and protect you to the fullest extent of their power.
He could feel tears threatening behind his eyes. “Kagome, please don’t leave me,” he whispered in a rash of fear. He squeezed her harder, but the rhythm of her breathing was never broken. Slow, regular, relaxed, it brought him back to the present with reassurance. It also pulled his attention further down her form, where he noticed that she wore the Shikon Jewel around her neck on the old chain.
A wry smile formed on his lips as he fingered the jewel. So, it wasn’t banished from the Earth, eh? he mused. What could that possibly mean? He glanced back to Kagome’s face, only to see Kikyo. Kikyo was miserable when she guarded the jewel. Will Kagome’s fate be similar?