InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fractured ❯ Chapter 3

Inuyasha crouched down low, bringing his body low to the ground. Tracking had always been easy for him; its what kept him alive. It was how he ate, how he found his way around. How he survived.

And now, it was how he was finding the demon who ran off with a shard.

He rubbed the soil between his fingers, examining the size of the tracks. What type of beast was this?

Quickly, he glanced over his shoulder to see if the miko was looking. She was focusing her attention on her bow, so he knew now was his chance.

He brought his nose to the ground, feeling every bit the dog demon. He didn't feel comfortable with Kikyo seeing him that way.

As she rose up, he caught sight of the purple beads that dangled from his neck.

Something about it seemed familiar.

He froze, closing his eyes trying to block the pain.

“SIT!”

“SIT!”

SIT BOY!”

“INUYASHA! IF YOU CALL ME THAT ONE MORE TIME-“

“I fucking dare you, bitch!”

“SIT!”

It blurred through his mind, the hundreds of times his body was brought lower to the ground, some mysterious force pulling him down. He could feel the weight, the anchor that forced him there.

Her voice rang through his ears. Over and over again. Sit. Sit. Inuyasha, sit! It was shrill and angry, full of emotion.

It was a different anger than he had ever known.

It wasn't anger or hatred from being a hanyou; he knew the sound of that too well. It was like she, who ever she was, was upset with him because of something he did.

It made no sense. He had never known anyone well enough to upset them… for something other than being alive.

This woman was angry at him. At Inuyasha as a person. He furrowed his brows together as another wave of pain hit him.

“Will you just listen to me?!” He yelled, clenching his fists by his side.

“I don't think I need to, Inuyasha. You've already said enough!” She screamed, storming off ahead of him.

“Feh, you haven't heard the half of it, wench!” He called after her, ready to pounce.

“You're just digging your own grave, Inuyasha.” A male voice chided him.

“You mean hole.” A smaller one giggled.

He turned to look at them, growling.

“Stay the fuck out of this.”

They were blurred figures, a taller man, dressed in robes… and a demon child?

“Just leave them alone you two. Its only going to make it worse.” Another female?

“How can we stay out of it when hes such an idiot? What if she goes home again?!” the child cried.

He didn't want her to go home. He wasn't sure who she was, or where she would run off to.

But the feeling to keep her there was overwhelming.

“If you would all just shut the fuck up and mind your own damn business, I can get her back.” He said through clenched teeth.

He took off in a run, following the path.

It didn't take him long to find her. She couldn't go as far as he could. He leaped, landing in front of her.

“Leave me alone, Inuyasha.” She said, her voice dangerous.

“'I'm not done talking to you.” He hissed.

“Well, I am.” She made a move to walk past him.

“Where do you think you're going?”

“HOME, INUYASHA. I AM GOING HOME.”

“We have shards to find.” He countered.

“How could I forget, Inuyasha? I'm just a shard detector after all!”

He bit down on his tongue so hard he drew blood.

“I swear, Im losing my fucking mind, woman!”

“Move.” She commanded.

“Like hell.”

“INUYASHA-“

“Don't fucking say it wench.” He seethed.

“SIT BOY.”

He was down. His face in the dirt, his body sore.

He struggled to look up, only to see her bare, long legs disappear in the distance.

He waited for the spell to subside. He had to catch her, had to bring her back.

Inuyasha panted, the pain coursing through him.

It wasn't just the woman, there was more. A male, a female, a child.

They were familiar with him. They called him names and he did not tear them to shreds.

They had no fear that he would either. The trusted him enough to know they were safe, and still speak their minds.

And she- the woman-

She was haunting him. He couldn't recall her face, her scent. He could make out parts of her body; her long, creamy legs, her thick black hair.

Her sweet voice that hit so many nerves.

She too had no fear of him. She said her mind, somehow threw him to the ground, and did it all knowing that he wouldn't hunt her down like the demon he was.

The image of her walking away… he had seen that before. Layers of images crashed down on him, of the woman bizarrely dressed, and leaving him, purpose in her steps.

“Inuyasha?” A cold voice called, pulling him out of his trace.

Kikyo…

“Do you know the way?”

Taking a sniff of demons scent, he nodded his head. Whatever the hell was going on with him, it would have to wait. He had a shard to find.

~.~

“Kagome! You're back!” Shippos excited voice called to her. He ran over to meet her as she climbed out of the well, her heavy bag making the climb a challenge.

“Of course I am.” She said with a laugh. “I told you I would only be a day.”

“I know…” He replied, his voice trailing off. “It's just that I get worried.” But blurted out.

She knew. How could she not? Every time she made her descent into the well the fox demon was anxious.

He was worried she wouldn't come back.

She had tried her best to reassure him, as well as the others, that she would always return. Everyone had told her that they would understand if it became too much, if she needed to leave for a final time… they wouldn't hold it against her if she had to go home.

But after three long years, she had seen the evil that Naraku had caused. He had devastated families, wiped out villages, turned friends into foes.

She saw the pain that Sango endured, the loss of her family, the fight for her brother. And Miroku, who lived in fear of his own hand, the hole that gradually grew bigger… And Shippo, the poor fox who was growing up before her eyes, only because he had witnessed the slaughter of his family for a shard.

It wasn't that she could measure one's pain against another. She knew that in their own way, each person's grief was just as heavy, just as devastating. But Inuyashas…

She felt it on a level that was different than the others. How could she not?

She loved him.

From the pit of her core, she loved the hanyou.

It was a pointless, fruitless love.

For a while, she believed that they had made enough progress to overcome his past, to heal the wounds that he suffered.

She had really thought that if the time came, he would have at least deliberated; considered her, their future.

She had been deluding herself.

She had known all along that she had a place. She knew that Inuyasha did care for her. Had cared for her. But it didn't measure up, not to what she felt. Not to what he felt for Kikyo.

She had loved him as a man, as a demon- as the mixture of the two. She loved his cocky smile, the softness of his eyes, the fierce protector that he was.

She loved him best in the moments that it was just the two of them, where she was shown a side that was hidden away. The times that he would reach for her… hold her… whisper in her ear things that made her blush, sending shivers down her spine…

She loved him.

Loved.

It was painful to love him. Each day she woke up, she felt his absence. She would roll onto her back, staring into the branches of the trees overhead, still expecting him to be there, vigilantly watching over the camp as they slept. In those moments that she stared at the emptiness, the pain stung.

And at night her body exhausted from travel or battle, she would lie herself down, weary to her soul. Thinking over the events of the day, she silently said a prayer that he was safe. She couldn't watch over him. She couldn't know if he was eating well, if he was resting properly, especially after a fight. But then again, he had Kikyo with him. She was a strong opponent. Maybe together he would get hurt less.

He had to be happier, right? He could finally be with Kikyo… have the chance that he had been so cruelly denied.

He was finally with the woman he loved.

Kagome had to get herself together. She couldn't allow herself to wallow in self pity. She had known her place all along.

She was a filler.

Yes, she loved him.

Loved.

Loved.

She tried to stress it. Tried to convince herself.

She couldn't love him any longer. It was toxic.

~.~

“Do you know what the hell these beads are?” He grunted, pulling at the purple necklace. As much as he tugged, the damn thing wouldn't lift over his head.

“Your beads?” She echoed.

They were new.

Well, new to him. He couldn't remember how long he had had them, or where the fuck they came from, but he wanted them off.

NOW.

“They- they wont- Its like a spell!” He complained. “But what the hell for?!”

“I fashioned them.” She quickly said.

“Eh? You did? Why?” he shot her a look. Quickly he masked his features. It wouldn't do to show her that he was displeased.

“They are beads of protection.”

“What do you mean?”

“They are quite coveted. I placed a spell so that only I can remove them.”

“But what do they protect me from?” He asked, furrowing his brow.

“Harm.” She said firmly, ending the discussion. “I am going to set the barrier for the night.” She said before leaving him in her wake.

He nodded, then turned his attention back to the purple beads.

Protection.

That sounded… kind of right…

Idly, he fingered the necklace, testing its weight.

“Will you remove these damn beads?” He hissed.

“Its like a fucking collar!”

“Make him sit!” A childs voice rang out with amusement.

“Take these damn things off of me!” He complained.

“As long as you have those beads on my friend, I would watch what I say.” A mans voice said sympathetically.

“You think we could get a set of beads for that jerk over there?” A females annoyed voice complained.

He closed his eyes as the voices washed over him.

Nothing made sense anymore. He didn't know the owners of these voices.

Hell, he didn't even know if they were real!

…That's right!

He could be making this all up in his head!

Maybe some of these things happened- maybe they were wishful thinking.

Maybe that woman really was Kikyo… Maybe-

Maybe she seemed so jumbled up because of the blast…. And he was just trying to sort out actual events with fantasies.

That had to be it.

It had to be.

As much as he told himself that, the rage of his demon wouldn't die down.