InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Drifting ❯ Split ( Chapter 10 )

Split

 

InuYasha snarled quietly to himself as he watched the boy stand nervously in front of the door to Kagome's house. He was taller than average, with particularly dark features and skin. His hair was uneven and messy, and he while his stance looked lazy and cool, InuYasha could sense the tension coming off of him.

 

Kagome's mother opened the door, and gave a wide smile. “Why, Hirosh-”

 

The kid shook his head, silencing the woman. He put on a bright, nervous smile and said, “I'm here to pick up Kagome. We're going to dinner.”

 

The older woman raised an eyebrow, but beckoned him to come in before hurrying off to find her daughter.

 

InuYasha quelled an impulse to smash the kid to a pulp. If Kagome actually liked this prick, then it would only upset her. He had to see, first, just how Kagome felt. And the minute she showed her disapproval, the kid was dead.

 

Kagome emerged nervously, her eyes straying to the trees. InuYasha was sure that she wouldn't be able to see him, but he still squirmed uncomfortably.

 

InuYasha watched them get into the car and drive off. He waited a few moments before following them, sticking to the shadows.

 

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Kagome looked across the candle lit table and said, “This dinner is very nice, Hiroshi.”

 

He looked at her with an amused glint in his eye and said, “Seeing you, Kagome, makes me want to do nice things for you. Besides, you shouldn't stay cooped up in that house all the time.”

 

Kagome blushed, and she heard Hiroshi sigh. She looked up at his face, and was startled for a moment as the irises in his eyes looked silver. She blinked and it was gone.

 

“Look, I probably should have told you this before. Despite what this dinner seems, Kagome, I don't have any romantic interest in you. I like you, a lot, but just not like that. So stop being so nervous. We're friends.”

 

Kagome smiled brightly. Friends…

 

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When InuYasha woke up, Kagome was gone. At first he wasn't particularly worried. For the past week he had watched her go to school in the morning, followed her, sat just beneath the window during her classes, and stalked her when she went back to the shrine with that boy, Hiroshi.

 

He snorted as he thought of the kid. As of yet, he hadn't made his presence known to him for a few reasons. The first reason was, and always would be, Kagome. If he injured the boy, he knew that not only would she be upset, but she would also be aware of his presence here. His other reasons weren't discernable even to him, but he had no desire to injure him. Something about the kid made him completely unthreatening, and even when his jealousy flared up, he couldn't find it in him to hurt the damn kid.

 

Kagome. That name had brought so much pain recently. He remembered the last conversation he had had with her before he started his constant watch. It had been quiet, detached, almost as if it had happened to someone else. Only the pain in his chest let him know that it was he who had experienced it.

 

“InuYasha… you're still here…” Kagome said, confusion obvious in her voice.

 

InuYasha could smell a sort of fear on her, but he couldn't tell why she would be afraid of him. “Where would I have gone?” he asked cautiously.

 

“Back…” Her eyes fell.

 

Both were silent as InuYasha tried to understand how Kagome could think he would leave her here. Kagome seemed to be in deep thought.

 

“Why don't you… why don't you go see Kikyou?” Kagome finally asked, breaking the silence. InuYasha started, his eyes flaring wide in surprise.

 

“Kikyou?” he choked out. He shook his head and cast his eyes downward. “Why would I go see her?” he asked softly.

 

Kagome's eyes remained focused on the ground. “She… loves you. A lot.”

 

A dagger shot through InuYasha's heart at those words. What are you saying, Kagome? Don't you love me? Could I ever love another? He tried to focus on what she was feeling, but her scent only gave off a jumble of emotions as confused as his own.

 

“Kikyou… Kikyou is dead. She died… around the time you got sick.”

 

 

Kagome shook her head, not believing his words. “But her soul… our soul… my soul… I didn't get it back. She can't be dead.” Kagome looked tearful and her voice dropped to a whisper as she said, “She can't be.”

 

InuYasha looked at her, reaching out to touch her, but she flinched as he raised his hand. He carefully lowered it, and said softly, “Maybe it wasn't your soul anymore. It was given to you, but maybe after being back in Kikyou for so long, it didn't belong to you anymore.”

 

“InuYasha?” Kagome asked, surprise lighting her eyes. He shrugged, blushing slightly, and turned to the direction of the well house. As he walked away, he could feel Kagome relax. During their talk, her body had been tight with nervousness, and he knew that he was the cause of it. When he had spoken of Kikyou she had grown sad, something that InuYasha couldn't understand. And yet, there had been something else there, behind all of her foremost emotions. A sort of suppressed desire behind all of her actions. He shook himself and hid in the well house until he was sure that Kagome thought he was gone.

 

Kikyou's soul… He could tell that Kagome hadn't believed him. What he had wanted to say, tried to say, was that Kikyou's soul wasn't bound to him anymore, while Kagome's soul was bound in all ways but one. One slightly major way, he thought remorsefully. But he knew he couldn't do it, not yet. I have to tell her… But…

 

InuYasha brought himself out of his reverie. Something was nagging at his senses, something that wasn't quite right. He sniffed the air, and found what was bothering him. Kagome wasn't just gone, she wasn't here. The very earth spoke of her absence. She had gone through the well.

 

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Kagome sat in the bottom of the well, unsure of whether or not she should go up. All she remembered was waking up with a horrible feeling in her stomach, and she threw on her clothes and jumped through the well. Something was wrong, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to know what. InuYasha… what if something happened to him?

 

Her chest constricted as the thought passed through her mind. If something did happen to him, he wouldn't want you here. Not after what you said to him. The memory of their conversation from a little less than a week ago still made her stomach roil with guilt. She hadn't wanted to bring up Kikyou, but when the thought had hit her, it had grown bigger until she couldn't not say it. Maybe Kagome had never meant to be with InuYasha at all. Maybe she was just a lesser replacement of Kikyou, one that was obsolete as long as the priestess walked the earth. Kikyou was so much stronger than Kagome, she would never lose herself the way that Kagome did. She would never be foolish enough to hope for something that could not be. And when Kagome's mind had strayed to this line of thought, it had become too overwhelming for Kagome to keep quiet. The pain that had come over his face had been unbearable, but when he had told her that Kikyou was dead, she couldn't help but blame herself. I ruined his only chance at happiness… and he took mine.

 

The only thing accomplished by the conversation was that she had convinced him to cross over through the well. At first she was shocked that it had been that easy, and slightly sad that he would abandon her so quickly. She painfully reminded herself, however, that it wasn't the first time. She resigned herself to believe that he was gone again, though sometimes when she wasn't thinking she would turn around, as if he had just been standing there, as if she could touch him… she found her eyes straying to the tree branches, hoping for a glimpse him before she caught herself and brought her eyes back to the ground.

 

The worst was when she was with Hiroshi. She could just feel InuYasha's eyes on her every time she was with him, watching her every move, ready to spring if Hiroshi ever tried anything. Even when she did relax enough to enjoy his company, she found that she held no attraction to him at all. He was kind and sweet, but she felt nothing with him besides gratitude that he never pushed her to do anything except be what she was. She hadn't realized how tired she was after spending over a year in the past, and Hiroshi seemed to understand when she was feeling uncommunicative. He never told her what to do, and he was always incredibly understanding. She was relieved, however, when he told her at dinner that he had no romantic interest in her. She had been surprised at his honesty, and a huge weight was lifted off of her shoulders. Somehow she was always afraid of betraying InuYasha. Stupid, she told herself, you can't betray him if he's not even here.

 

Now, at the bottom of the well, she was unsure of herself. Action, Kagome. It's time to make a decision. She stood up, brushed herself off, and started climbing out. She quickly paused again, her worry rendering her still.

 

What if I don't like what I see? What if he's in trouble?

 

It doesn't matter what's wrong, you just need to help if you can.

 

And if I can't?

 

You aren't the weakling they make you out to be!

 

She swallowed hard, and climbed the ladder quickly, before her confidence could fail her.

 

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InuYasha looked at the well house, wondering what could have possibly drawn Kagome to pass through. Perhaps… to see him? He shook his head. It wasn't possible after what she had said to him. Maybe she missed the others. He knew that they missed her. He realized with a lurch in his stomach how selfish he had been before, when he had refused to see her. He had known that the others missed her, but he had ignored their pleas, only going to see her when desperation had set in.

 

Selfish? I thought that she was dead. How could I have known? How could I believe them when I saw her death every day in front of my own eyes?

 

It didn't change the fact. He, InuYasha, had been and was keeping Kagome from her friends. Their faces flashed in front of his eyes. My friends… they were my friends, too. He remembered with pain how they had tried to coax him down from the tree. Sango, trying to get him to eat, begging him out of her honest care for him. Miroku, trying to persuade him. Shippou, pleading with him. A low growl escaped him and he punched his fist into the ground beneath him. When did I let this happen? When did I start treating everyone like this? What if I… treated Kagome like this? Selfish…

 

He suddenly relaxed his muscles. I should let her visit. She is a better friend to them, anyway. They need her. What am I to them?

 

He was just about to turn away when he felt as if an arrow had hit him in the chest, as though his entire world had just been destroyed. Something was wrong, horribly wrong. Kagome was in pain. He hurled himself into the well, and waited for the pink light to wash over him.

 

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AN: I decided to respond to some reviews that had questions (though all of your reviews were really encouraging), which I will probably continue to do if needed.

 

Bakabokken:

I said I'd leave a review at MMorg, so here I am! ^^ (I have to admit, I like reading stories better here for some reason... XD) Anyway, I really like it so far! It's very angsty and dark, and incredibly emotional. I'm not entirely sure about the characterizations (esp. of Inuyasha and Kagome), but I still like the story quite a bit! ^^ I'll add again that I really appreciate how you dealt with Kikyou, since far too many fanfiction writers take to bashing her instead. XP I look forward to reading where you take this! All I can say is that Kagome will have some really difficult decisions to make when it's all said and done! ^^; Keep up the great work!
Jaa!

 

Well, I knew when I started this fic that the characters would be a little OOC. Okay, a lot OOC. However, it takes place a while after the anime/manga, so it's just a possibility of what could have happened over that period of time. I don't really think that Kikyou is a bad person… It would be just a little disconcerting to see your reincarnation doing everything you thought that you were going to do. Kagome making decisions… yes, it seems like she has a few things to figure out. Oh, and about the word I left out (which you wrote in the forum)? Pity the writer with ADD… I get distracted in a sentence and think I've written something I haven't. *sigh* Feel free to point it out anytime.

 

CrazyFORvampires:

i think this is honestly one of my favorite stories of all time. oh i already started crying. please update soon. i really hope inuyasha and kagome end together, do they?

 

Well… I am a fan of happy endings… but I guess we will just have to see… ;)

 

Lavender Valentine:

I'm glad you're sticking with this story; it's one of my favorites. Mind you, it's a bit depressing, but all good angst fics are supposed to be like that :>D

Your reunion scene was particularly descriptive, as was the confusion Kagome feels within herself. Great work!

The updates are random at best; it basically depends on my workload and my motivation to do it (the work, I mean, not the fic). So, even if there is a long interval between chapters, it probably doesn't mean I dropped it. I do have to admit that this may be the last update until January… *ducks head*

 

Sueric:

With every chapter you post, I get more and more involved in your tale! Exquisite wordsmanship, you're really evolving as a fantastic writer! ::sniffle:: and I can say I knew you 'when'... LoL! Great chapter, awesome, awesome . . . it reads so well it hurts! Your style is punctuated by your choice of wording, and I'm just in awe of your ability to spin such a melancholy tale! Though I don't really know where you're going with this, I'm sure that you do, so I'll leave it to you, dear, and again, another superb chapter! Keep it up, and, as always, ::hugs:: to you and may your muse continue to shine!

 

Can I say that knew you when, Sue? Melancholy… yes… when this fic is over I am going to write something that is completely fluff just to preserve my sanity… well… probably not. But it's a nice thought, eh? As for my muse… I have a feeling she feeds off of reviews…

 

Thanks to everyone else who reviewed!

-RadioNmyHead

AN: Mmorg hates me…stupid formatting…