InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Love and Obligation ❯ Part Three ( Chapter 3 )

Love and Obligation

By Pareathe

A/N: Beware the spoiler for episode 98...if you haven't seen it, gomen! I'll leave the rest of my comments for the end of the chapter. I think you guys have been waiting for this one long enough, ne?

Part Three

He'd wandered around the village for three days, and he was no closer to resolving the whirlwind of thoughts and feelings bombarding his mind than he'd been the day Kagome had left him. He hated it-the confusion, then the guilt for not having made a decision yet, followed soon after by anger at himself for wallowing in self-pity and not accomplishing anything.

Sure, he knew he was welcome in Kaede's village for as long as he wanted, just as she'd promised, but he didn't belong there. Then there was his remaining companions, with whom he'd shared so much...the few people who really understood and accepted him. Their journey was going to continue at some point, but even though they were his only true friends, his path wasn't with them either.

There were only two options for him. Either he would spend eternity with Kikyo, or he'd find his way back to Kagome.

He knew Kikyo would be coming for him soon; he'd seen the soul snatchers circling within the forest every night, though she had yet to make an appearance herself. For that, he was grateful. He wasn't sure why, but she seemed to be giving him whatever time he needed, letting her pets serve as messengers so he'd be aware she was nearby, waiting without intruding.

Still, every time he thought about it, he found himself facing the same dilemma. No matter how badly he wanted to see Kagome again, he'd given his word to Kikyo. She'd died because of him. If they'd never met, she wouldn't have lost her life that day, or been resurrected and forced to wander while living off the souls of the dead fifty years later. Any way he tried to rationalize it, his life belonged to her, to do with as she wished. It seemed that was their fate, after all.

Maybe it'd be different if Kagome was still here...but she's not. So what am I stalling for?

It wasn't like she'd stuck around to stop him, right? If she'd wanted to do that, all she'd have had to do was stay, then `sit' him into oblivion...it wouldn't have been the first time. So...maybe it was her way of telling him she knew what he had to do-maybe even better than he himself-and had never intended to stand in the way.

So she'd know all along...

That figures...wish she'd have let me in on it.

But he had to admit...if that was really the case, if Kagome really did leave because of his promise to Kikyo, then it was almost as if she was letting him know it was okay. The thought was oddly comforting, albeit irritating as hell, and it was the last push he needed to finally make up his mind. She'd stayed with him till the very end, even though she knew how it would turn out once their job was done. She'd even given him the jewel...he had to believe she had her reasons, at least one better than just because it's what he'd been after in the beginning.

Well, now that I've got that figured out, I guess there's only one thing left to do...

He jumped off Kaede's roof, landing softly in front of the door, and walked in. Every head including Kirara's lifted and turned toward him, and after a moment, Miroku stood.

"So the time has come," he stated as the rest of the group followed his lead.

Inuyasha said nothing, affirming the monk's words with a stiff nod instead.

"But...but..."Shippo cut in before jumping onto Inuyasha's shoulder and throwing his short arms around the hanyou's neck, "why do you have to go?" he wailed, crocodile tears showering them both. "Come with us! I promise, I won't make fun of you anymore! You can scream and hit me all you want...just don't leave!"

For the first time ever, Inuyasha had no desire to clock the annoying little fox. Instead, he closed his eyes and let the little demon sob into his hair while Kirara jumped up onto the other shoulder, nuzzling his cheek affectionately. They stayed like that for several minute before Sango finally pulled the child away, and the cat jumped to her, letting Shippo hold her as his tears slowed to sniffles and hiccups.

"Are you sure this is what you want, Inuyasha? We really would like to have you come with us," Sango said, though the wetness in the corner of her own eyes confirmed her understanding of his decision.

Miroku stepped forward. "Hai, it would be safer with you acting as protection, since, because of you, I no longer have my best weapon." To punctuate his point, he opened his now bare right hand.

"Bakayaro," Inuyasha growled half-heartedly, "see if I ever help you again..."

Sango rolled her eyes. "Really, you have no right to complain, Houshi-sama," she huffed. "It's me you're always grabbing with that hand now!"

As Miroku chuckled and Sango ranted, Inuyasha watched the familiar scene for the last time. No matter how much their back-and-forth had gotten on his nerves in the past, he was going to miss it. He was going to miss them. They'd been his first and only real friends...his family. He was going to miss the hell out of each and every one of them.

He had to leave, before he changed his mind. It seemed like the group recognized the time to part was imminent, and they all became quiet again.

Miroku made the first move, clasping Inuyasha firmly on the shoulder. "We will miss you, my friend."

Once he backed away, Sango came forward. "Because of you and Kagome-chan, my family was avenged. I can never repay you for that." She smiled and bowed deeply, still cradling Shippo in her arms. "Arigatou."

The fox youkai went next, giving him another hug before jumping away, his tears flowing freely once again. Kirara offered a similar farewell, giving his neck a squeeze with her tails.

Inuyasha swallowed and scowled; he'd never been good with mushy stuff, and he was beginning to envy Kagome and her quick getaway. There was no doubt; goodbyes sucked.

His eyes shifted to the corner where Kaede stood silently. "I guess this is it, eh, baba?"

"Hai, it is," she replied softly. "It will be quiet without you causing trouble."

"Hmph, thanks a lot."

Her lips betrayed a minute smile before her expression became solemn. "I pray you will set my sister's soul free, so she may rest in peace once again."

He didn't move, though the look in his golden eyes was declaration enough; she knew he would do it.

With nothing left to say or do, he gave the group a small salute and left the hut, his gaze firmly set on the soul-snatchers circling among the treetops in the distance.

*~*~*~*

Kagome set her bookbag beside her desk and plopped down, oblivious to the chatter of her classmates as they slowly filed into the room and took their seats around her. Her mind was focused on the dream she'd had the night before, and though the details were slowly fading, something told her it was important...

Whatever it was, she'd woken up happier than she'd felt since leaving Inuyasha and her friends in the past. Of course, she couldn't remember why. All she could recall now was a flash of the Shikon no Tama in someone's hand, then a blinding light. Whatever it had been, the image had relieved her, excited her, for whatever reason.

I wish I could remember...it'd be nice to have something to be happy about.

She rested her head in her hand as the remaining students shuffled in, though she was roused a moment later by her friends.

"Kagome-chan, did you hear?"

She shook her head; for the first time, she couldn't care less about the latest gossip.

"There's a new boy in Hojo-kun's class!" Ayame squealed.

"All the girls are talking about him...he's supposed to be really cute."

"Oh, he is! I saw him when he came in this morning and started talking to Hojo-kun."

Kagome sighed inwardly, but put on a polite smile for her friends' benefits. "Sounds like he'll be really popular."

"Oh yeah! He looks so cool! Like some kind of rock star!"

"That's just because of his hair."

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "His hair?"

"Yeah, it's long...and I mean really long! He doesn't even have it in a ponytail or anything."

"But isn't it against the rules for boys to have hair over their collars?" she asked, her curiosity piqued, despite her mood.

"Sure it is, but Kyoko-chan's on the student council, and she told me when he was told he'd have to cut it, he said he couldn't yet."

"Why wouldn't he be able to cut his hair?"

"Kyoko-chan said it was weird-something about looking for someone, and them being able to recognize him. Whatever it was, he managed to convince the principal to let him keep it long."

Kagome blinked. "Sugoi..." Talking the principal into anything was a feat in and of itself, but to persuade the woman to let him blatantly disregard school policy? This new guy was definitely something else if he'd managed that.

"Yeah, like I said, he's totally cool! Actually, it's funny, because he's just like how I pictured Kagome-chan's old boyfriend looked like when she told us about him."

Kagome's head snapped up at that remark, but the group of four were interrupted by the sensei. She forced her mind away from the memories and onto her lesson as the teacher began roll call, realizing a minute later she'd forgotten to ask what the new boy's name was.

Oh well, if he's hanging around Hojo-kun, I'm sure I'll find out soon enough.

*~*~*~*

"You came."

"Yeah, but you knew I would, didn't you?" Inuyasha replied, jerking his thumb toward the grey apparitions still circling above their heads.

"Iie." Kikyo looked toward the sky with a thin smile on her lips. "I wasn't sure if you would keep your word or not."

His anger flared; after everything he'd done for her, she still doubted him? "Well now you know," he growled, ready to go ahead and get it over with...whatever `it' was.

She remained quiet for a moment, her eyes fixed on the tree she'd sealed him on over fifty years earlier. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?" she murmured as he walked up behind her. "We both died here once already. It seemed appropriate to return to this place."

"Then again," she continued, turning her head to rest her disinterested gaze on him, "this is also where you met her, isn't it?"

His ears twitched, the only outward sign her words had struck a nerve. The tone of her voice combined with the look in her eyes, however, sent a chill down his spine. It was another grim reminder of what Kikyo really was as opposed to what she had been half a century earlier.

The woman stared at him for a while before speaking again. "Does it make you angry when I talk about her, Inuyasha? Or does it hurt so much, you simply don't wish to think about her at all?"

He had no idea what game she was playing, but enough was enough. "It doesn't matter. Kagome doesn't have anything to do with this."

"Kagome..." she repeated softly, her eyes losing their edge, confusing Inuyasha even further. "She has a great deal to do with this," she went on. "If she had not left willingly, I don't think you would be here now. I believe...she knew this to be true, and that is why she is gone."

"Hell if I know," he snapped. "I made my decision a long time ago, so she was probably just going along with it."

Kikyo's sudden laughter caught him off-guard, and he blinked several times at the miko's atypical actions. She stopped after a while, and once she'd taken a breath, all he could do was gape at her soft, almost whimsical expression.

"Did she ever tell you about how she saved my life?"

Inuyasha's head jerked back; it was the first he'd heard of anything like that.

Kikyo could tell as much by the look on his face, and she nodded. "I believe she said the two of you had been fighting, which is why she was wandering alone in a forest well to the north of here while we were still searching for traces of Naraku."

His eyes widened as it hit him. They'd only traveled that way once, and it wasn't hard to forget the fight she was referring to-Kagome had used that damned word of hers nearly ten times in rapid succession after he'd insulted her cooking. Then she'd said she was going for a walk and disappeared for several hours. Even when he'd searched the woods, he couldn't find her anywhere. He'd been waiting just along the edge, trying to figure out where to look next when she'd reappeared as though nothing had happened. She never volunteered an explanation for her absence or why he hadn't been able to track her down by her scent, and since he'd been so relieved to see her in one piece, he'd forgotten to ask.

"She found me in the mouth of what she thought was a cave, but was actually the trap of a youkai who feeds on the spiritual powers of mikos," she recalled, speaking as much to herself as she was to Inuyasha. "I had already become very weak, and I was barely able to stand. She knew I'm already dead, so she could have left me behind..."

She glanced over to Inuyasha, and found she had his complete and undivided attention.

"I ever told her to leave me and save herself, but she refused. Even when I could no longer walk, she carried me on her back," she went on, her eyes becoming distant. "She told me when I asked why she was helping me that if I were to die someone would be very sad."

"Yeah, well...that's how Kagome is," Inuyasha mumbled, dropping his gaze to the ground. "She doesn't know when to give up, and she can't help herself when someone's in trouble. She's too stubborn to realize some of the stuff she did could've gotten her killed."

Kikyo shook her head. "I think you underestimated her," she replied. "She is supposed to be a reincarnation of me, but her powers are far greater than mine have ever been. Her only weakness was allowing her emotions to dictate her actions." She smirked at Inuyasha when he looked back up. "You don't appear surprised to hear this."

Inuyasha shrugged indifferently, despite the fact everything within him was feeling otherwise. "Other than how she looks, I never thought she was anything like you anyway."

"I suppose not. After all, you were able to open up to her...to trust her...within only a few weeks, am I right?"

He clenched his jaw shut and would not answer, unwilling to risk the painful tightness in his throat giving away just how true her words were.

"And I believe," she continued, "you fell in love with her at that time."

"Just drop it," InuYasha cut in irritably. It was hard enough to deal with Kagome's departure. He wasn't about to get into their relationship with anyone, especially not Kikyo. "It doesn't matter anymore. I gave my word; my life belongs to you, so let's get on with it."

She regarded him coldly. "Perhaps my spirit's need for revenge would be better satisfied if I allowed you to live out your days, heartbroken and alone, rather than die here."

A burst of rage made his vision go red for a moment. "Well that's too damned bad, isn't it, seeing as how I'm the one with the jewel," he seethed, rolling the stone in the palm of his hand easily within her line of sight.

"If that's so, then use it," she challenged.

"I...I will!" he snapped defensively, stalling for time. "I just have to figure out how to do this..."

A strange expression crossed over Kikyo's pale features, something between a sorrowful smile and a look a defeat. "You do realize you must not only give me your mortal life, but also your human soul as well."

"Nani?"

"You see," she went on, "according to your promise, our souls must be bound together so they can never be separated. It is the only way to ensure you will remain with me, even in death...and in rebirth."

InuYasha wasn't sure how long he stared at her in utter disbelief once the meaning of her words actually sunk in. She wanted to take him with her to the realm of the dead with a bond strong enough to cleave him to her for eternity, so that even when she was reborn, he would be given a new life as well. And if that were true, then it was inevitable; he'd be reincarnated hundreds of years in the future just as she had been, into a world full of tall buildings of stone and glass, noisy metal contraptions called cars, grocery stores with shelves of potato chips and cup noodles, and schools that gave tests all the time...

"You...you mean..." he stammered, words failing him entirely after a moment.

"Close your eyes, InuYasha," Kikyo commanded before wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in the hollow of his neck, "and fulfill your duty to me."

He squeezed them shut, his mind's eye immediately filled with the image of Kagome's face.

Please...with whatever power you've got, let us die right here, and bind our spirits together so when Kikyo comes back into the world as Kagome, I'll be a part of her world. I'll wait however long it takes...I'll find Kagome, no matter what! Please...that's what I want...that's all I want...

He held his breath, seconds turned into minutes, and he continued to repeat the same wish in his head over and over and over again. Then something did happen. The Shikon no Tama warmed in his hand and a glowing pearl-white light began to shine from it. Before he had time to be surprised, the light became blinding. The heat radiating from the jewel began to spread-to his fingers, then his hands, then his arms-until his entire body felt like it was bathed in the summer sun, but then it seemed almost like he was part of the warmth, as though he were the light itself.

As quickly as it had begun, the infamous Jewel of Four Souls vanished and the light blinked out, the only evidence of anything happening there at all being two lifeless bodies which fell heavily to the forest floor.

*~*~*~*

The final bell jarred Kagome out of her stupor; she was beginning to suspect mathematics was really a foreign language rather than just numbers and theorems. She yawned and shoved her books into her bag, wanting nothing more than to go back home and take a long, hot bath.

"C'mon, Kagome-chan! Let's go!"

"Huh?" she mumbled, blinking up at her friends which surrounded her desk.

"We're going to find Hojo-kun and Natsude-kun!"

Her brow furrowed. "Who?"

"The new guy!" Before Kagome could protest, she was being pulled from her desk. "If we don't hurry, they'll leave before we get a chance to talk to him!"

"Can't you talk to this boy without me?" Kagome whined half-heartedly.

"No way! It'd look weird if we went up to him..."

"But if you're there, it's okay..."

"Because everyone knows Hojo-kun likes you!"

It was the last thing she wanted to hear. "Wonderful." She knew it was useless to argue once her girlfriends had made their minds up, so she grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder as they guided her into the hall. "Alright, if we have to do this, then let's get it over with."

"Don't be like that, Kagome-chan!"

"Yeah, every girl in school would die for this chance!"

Kagome sighed. "Is that so?"

"Oh no! You're not upset because I said Natsude-kun reminded me of what I thought your old boyfriend would be like, are you?"

The statement caught Kagome totally off guard. "N-no...of-of course not," she stammered, even though her heart hammered wildly all the sudden. She couldn't explain the sudden nervousness blooming in her stomach, or why she suddenly did want to meet this mystery man who had the whole school talking. She knew it was impossible. No guy in her world could compare to InuYasha, and seeing this boy in person would prove it once and for all. Still, she couldn't stop her hands from shaking, nor could she silence the small voice in the back of her mind.

If I'm Kikyo's reincarnation, then isn't it possible...he may have been born again too?

She barely registered they'd stopped in the doorway of Hojo's classroom and didn't pay much attention to the exchanged greetings and squeals of delight from her companions. She simply kept her gaze on the floor as her mind whirled.

No, she told herself firmly. It was not possible. She refused to believe it, because the only thing which kept her going was knowing he was in his own time and she was in hers, and it was impossible to see him again. She had no choice but to move on no matter how badly her heart ached.

"Ah, Higurashi!" Hojo's voice echoed faintly amid her rushing thoughts. "You finally came back to school! I stopped by your house a few days ago-"

"You did?!?!" came the surprised female chorus. "Kagome-chan didn't tell us about that!"

"-but your grandfather said you were still recovering, so I've been hoping you would come back to school.soon."

He couldn't be in her world because it would mean he was close enough to find someday but more than likely oblivious to his previous life, just as she had been before she'd fallen down the well and into the feudal era.

"Yeah, we were just telling her about Natsude-kun transferring into your class."

The thought alone of running into a boy who looked like him, what it would feel like to wonder if he was the one, to see familiar eyes looking at her like she was a common stranger...it was too much to bear. Moisture were already blurring her vision and tightening her throat.

"Oh yeah, I forgot!" The sounds of footsteps shifting. "Natsude Akeira-san, I'd like you to meet... Hey, Higurashi! What's wrong?"

She clenched her jaw; she knew she was making a fool of herself, breaking down seemingly out of nowhere, but she couldn't stop the tears from coming.

"Kagome-chan!"

"I'm...I'm sorry," she whispered. She'd wanted to come back to school that morning, but she saw now she wasn't ready yet. All it had taken was the mention of a new guy in school who made one of her friends think of her old boyfriend, and her she was falling apart. It proved she couldn't just go back to business as usual, not after so much had happened. "I'm not usually like this," she offered weakly, covering her face with her hands. "It's just...." she turned to run and save what little dignity she had left, "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize," Hojo interjected solemnly, "and I've told Natsude-san about you, so I'm sure he understands-"

"Like hell I do!"

Where everything else had been muffled, that one, unmistakable voice broke through. No one else in any world, in any time, could have imitated it...

"Natsude-kun!" the girls cried in a combination of shock and horror, but Kagome hardly noticed.

It seemed she wasn't the only one ignoring the people around them. "Damn it, Kagome," he continued impatiently, though there was something else-relief?-in his tone as well, "why don't you try opening your eyes before starting with all that crying stuff?"

That's exactly what he would say...

Hojo coughed. "Um...you mean you and Higurashi...erm...know each other?"

"Yeah, you could say that. She could tell you herself if she'd calm down and just look at me."

No! her mind screamed. I can't look at you, because if I open my eyes and you're not him...

"She's always like this," huffed the new guy.

Kagome could picture him crossing his arms over his chest and scowling, just like before...

"I don't see what you're so worked up about, Kagome. It's your fault! After all,"-the voice dropped, and there was a definite gruffness to it-"you're the one who left, not me."

It was as thought time had reversed. It could have been any one of the places they'd journeyed to while collecting the jewel shards at any time over the past many months. As usual, he was being an insensitive jerk, and she reacted with her typical indignation, throwing her bookbag to the floor. Her face rose, her eyes narrowed, and words exploded from her mouth before she even realized what she was doing.

"Of course I left! What else was I supposed to do?!"

"You should've talked to me first!" he shot back.

"I did talk to you!"

Equally angry midnight eyes glared right back at her. "`Oh yeah, by the way, I'm going home and we'll never see each other again,' doesn't count as talking!"

"Do you think I wanted to do that?" she seethed, her face burning and a fresh round of tears sliding down her cheeks. "I wanted to talk to you but...every time I thought about never seeing you again..."

"Then what the hell are you still crying for? I'm here, aren't I?"

Any response she could have made died in throat as everything suddenly came into focus. They were still in the school building. Her girlfriends were standing off to the side with their mouths hanging open. Hojo had backed up a few steps and was staring at the two of them in confusion.

He was standing right in front of her. The clothes had changed-the boy's uniform looked surprisingly good on him, especially since he left his collar undone-and he was wearing shoes. Those were the only differences between the half-demon's appearance during the night of a new moon and the new guy her classmates called Natsude-kun. He still had the same long, somewhat unkempt blue-black hair, the same fiery eyes, and she noted the gaze held a lot more than just simple recognition.

It's him...it's really, really him...

"InuYasha," she breathed. She threw herself at him, burying her face in his chest as a week's worth of heartbreak came pouring out in loud sobs. She heard the gasps of the people around them and felt him stiffen slightly. Then he relaxed, and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"Hmph, took you long enough."

*~*~*~*

Owari

*~*~*~*

A/N: Whoohoo, last chapter is done! ^_^

With all the `work in progress' fics I've got going right now, it's nice to wrap one up for a change. Thank you so much to everyone who's read, reviewed, and prodded me to finish this one (of course, some prodded a bit harder than others *rubs sore backside*). It definitely made me feel good, especially since this was my first InuYasha fanfic. I hope you enjoy this chapter too! Again, I'm sorry for the spoiler, but it did make my ending easier to create. I still don't like Kikyo, but I don't hate her quite as much as I did after seeing the episode I mentioned, so she wasn't as big of a bitch in this chapter as I'd originally intended. ^_~

As a side note, any Fushigi Yûgi fans out there? No, I'm not plugging another fanfic (although if anyone knows of a good fic with Tasuki x Miaka, email me!). The reason I asked is because if any of you've seen the original television series (or even the first OVA series), the ending of this fic probably looked a little familiar. The reason is because I'm a huge fan of Inuyasha and Kagome hooking up, but when I tried to picture how they'd handle the long-term, this was the only way I though was feasible. I took into consideration how Takahashi-sensei's portrayed her characters (or my perception of them anyway), as well as the final conclusion I wanted. To make those two things mesh, I borrowed a concept from Watase-sensei.

God bless these brilliantly creative women, and the loose copywrite laws of Japan. ^_^ As a fan, I'm eternally grateful for both. Once again, thank you all for reading. I hope it was worth the wait!