InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ From Beginning to End ❯ The Guide ( Chapter 4 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

A/N: Inu’s finally in here...Yes, Kikyou’s going to be in this fic (...sorta) but I’m not bashing her and she’s going to be a pretty good/neutral person. I don’t hate her; she’s just not my ‘favorite’ character.

Okay, thanks for the reviews.

Note on clothes (since I have a habit of making it more confusing when I try to make it simple):

All of them are basically wearing what they wear in the show, even though it’s around our time, but they wear it because of their jobs. Just like how monks still wear robes and shrine keepers would wear what their ancestors wore.

Since Kagome is a miko, and a keeper of a shrine, she wears the miko’s uniform. Just like Kikyou and Kaede, but hers is all blood red since she’s an important miko.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Inu Yasha or the song ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’. (I used part of its lyrics last chapter.)

.

.

.

From Beginning to End

.

.

.

--- Last Chapter ---

“Guys...” Kagome whispered. When her low voice didn’t get her friends’ attention, she tapped them on the shoulders. The yelling ceased and they both looked at the stormy-eyed girl.

“What is it Kagome-sama?” Miroku looked at the younger female’s creased brow and small scowl.

“...Something’s here.”

Violet eyes followed Kagome’s line of vision to the tall shadowed spot in the wall just ahead. Two deep golden eyes sparkled back at him. They weren’t the viscous eyes of a plain low level youkai...these were of a highly intelligent demon.

“I do believe you’re right,” Miroku stated before readying his staff in a fighting position.

He could finish his argument with his girlfriend later.

--- End of Last Chapter ---

.

.

.

Chapter Four: The Guide

.

.

.

“Show yourself!” Miroku commanded, his low voice leaving no room for argument.

Apparently arguing wasn’t on the demon’s mind. He calmly stepped from the shadows and eyed the monk with a bored, lazy expression gracing his handsome features. Judging by his relaxed pose, the trio didn’t pose any threat to him.

Miroku, clearly frustrated with the demon’s lack of screaming like girl and hiding from his almighty houshi-powers, narrowed his violet eyes. “What do you want?”

Finally, the demon’s neutral look switched; his indifferent thin-lipped mouth twitched into a smirk.

A cocky, arrogant, irritating smirk. Kagome, who was still perched stiffly on the rock, shivered from the confidence radiating off of the golden orbed male. “Speak,” Kag ordered; her one word as chilly as the atmosphere of the cave.

The demon leaned against the cave and eyed the petite miko.

“Me?” His amber eyes sparkled in amusement, happy to have ruffled the group as much as he had. “I’m here to do my job,” he commented dryly.

Kagome blinked. “Guarding the tunnel? Killing trespassers? Making sure the passage stayed secret?” she guessed.

The youkai stared back at her blankly. “Kill you? Why the hell would I do that? I’m supposed to guide you.”

“‘Guide’ us? Your job is to guide trespassers?” Sango’s voice clearly dripped with disbelief.

The silver-haired man, who was leaning casually against the wall, kicked himself away and took a step forward. Miroku’s grip on his staff tightened as he shifted his stance to keep Kagome and Sango better protected.

“Yes. Naraku,” the single, dark hanyou’s name seemed to drip with venom from the amber-orbed man’s lips, “has me guiding his...guests...”

...

“Then he’s more of a moron than I thought,” Kagome remarked. “Why would he purposely lead us to him? This has to be a trap, and you’re going to lead us into a spike filled pit.”

“Hardly,” the demon stated dryly, his attention now focused intently on the miko. “Naraku has this twisted habit of testing his ‘enemies’. I’ll lead you through the maze, but you have to get past the traps and riddles on your own.”

“...Well at least this way we won’t get lost and spend the four weeks wandering around, starving to death,” Sango hissed under his breath, eyeing the demon with instant distrust.

Kagome sat back from the others and kept constant eye contact with the intruder. True, they didn’t know him. As she studied his aura she pinpointed why it felt so strange, he was a hanyou, not a youkai.

But...Naraku was a half-demon too. The dark hanyou wasn’t like a normal ‘bad’ guy. He had his own quirks. Maybe the dog half demon wasn’t tricking them right then. Maybe Naraku really did have a guide...in this case, Naraku’s mad genius title would fall under ‘insane mad’ and not ‘angry mad’.

They could use the help of getting through the giant labyrinth that Naraku had gleefully chosen as his bad guy hideout.

Why not keep this ‘guide’ but watch him every second?

Kag had noticed the way he’d spoken Naraku’s name with hatred. Maybe...just maybe he wasn’t doing this by choice. Maybe they could convince this golden eyed man to join their side. They could use his strength in the final battle.

“Why help us?” Kag spoke before thinking. She winced. It had just slipped out!

The man blinked back at them, expecting the question. “It’s my job,” he said tonelessly.

“Wonderful. Thanks for the information, I don’t think I can remember it all,” Kagome said dryly.

Miroku couldn’t help it and let his battle face crack as a snort broke through. Instantly he whirled on the innocent looking miko. “Kagome! And I had my ‘poker face’ perfect!”

‘Oh woe is me to make Miroku the Great Warrior smile before a fight.’ Kagome held up her hands in defense. “Sorry, sorry! The joke just slipped out! I swear, I’m sorry!”

Miroku sighed.

Sango rolled her eyes and fixed her mistrusting glare on the hanyou. The man had been watching the conversation between Miroku and Kagome with interest, like he wasn’t used to friends joking around.

When he noticed Sango’s look, he ‘keh’d and flopped down with a look of indifference...though he kept sneaking glances as the miko and monk mock fought.

It bothered the half dog-demon how easily they relaxed in his presence. These couldn’t be warriors who were going to destroy Naraku! They didn’t even keep their guards up around the inu hanyou! How were they supposed to kill the evil hanyou?

He watched, amused, as Kagome shoved Miroku away when the monk tried to give her a noogie.

Kagome sighed. She looked around and spotted their ‘guide’ sitting and leaning against the rock wall.

Apparently the man didn’t become bothered by meeting people and suddenly being in control of leading them...possibly to their dooms.

Sango was wearing her uniform, which was modeled after her ancestor’s armor. Miroku wore the regular monk’s robes, and Kagome, herself, wore the usual miko’s garb...except everything was blood red, so the kimono top wasn’t white.

This man wore something similar to a shrine keeper’s uniform, she noted with interest. A haori over a white kimono top with tied hakama pants. Kagome would have thought he’d have worked at a nearby shrine, but the fabric wasn’t normal. It wasn’t cotton...it looked tougher.

And demons never worked for shrines, even in the ‘equal’ modern-day time. So why did he wear something like back in the feudal era if he didn’t have a reason to?

And why was he working for Nar-?

“Do you have a problem with staring?” He quirked a silver eyebrow in her direction.

Kagome blushed, realizing for the last few minutes she’d been looking at him unblinkingly (which classified as staring). “Sorry, I was just thinking.”

The guy grunted and deliberately turned his face away from her, leaving Kagome glaring at his rudeness.

‘Well I never!’ Kagome sulked. Sheesh, she and the others were trying to be welcoming to him (by not having their weapons at his throat) and he didn’t even act civil towards her!

Kagome looked back at her traveling companions and found Sango and Miroku deep into an argument. They were arguing over the uses of Playboy magazines...again.

(Miroku assured his girlfriend he only read them for their articles while Sango pointed out that there were no articles. Kagome didn’t want to know why they were both so sure about their information.)

Deciding that their rest stop would last longer than planned, and that she was the only one still worrying about this man’s sudden appearance, Kag hopped off the rock and slouched on the floor. Kagome leaned her head against the rock wall of the tunnel a few feet away from the newcomer.

“Hey,” a masculine voice interrupted her thoughts. “Are they always like that?” The half-demon’s silver head tilted in the taijiya and monk’s direction.

Kagome watched her friends silently for a moment. “Yeah...pretty much,” she bobbed her head.

“Seems like a waste of time. By the way...What’s Playboy?” He seemed genuinely curious.

Kagome blinked back at him before swallowing and looking away. “You really don’t want to know.”

“Feh,” the boy huffed, shoving his fists up his sleeves. “Fine.”

...

“What’s your name?”

The hanyou looked over again at the miko. Kagome was looking at him, her wide blue-gray eyes blinking in interest.

“What?” Kag defended herself, “If you’re going to have to guide us, I’d like to know your name.”

“...Inu Yasha.”

“Hm,” Kagome hummed, looking back into the air in front of her. “Dog forest spirit,” she translated quietly.

Inu let his lids drift shut. “I was named after my father...sort of. His name was Inutaisho.” Why was he telling her this? This...miko...he didn’t even know her, and here he was chatting with her nicely. Maybe it was because she was the first life form he’d seen in years...

‘Better not think of it,’ he shivered unconsciously. Inu Yasha’s reason for sticking in this hellhole of a place wasn’t a pleasant trip down memory lane. If he really could, Inu Yasha would have killed Naraku a long time ago.

“Are you really supposed to guide us through the maze?” Kagome whispered, not wanting to interrupt Sango and Miroku’s fight. It was entertaining...

“Yeah,” Inu answered bluntly.

“You said earlier that we had to get past the riddles and traps ourselves, right?” she asked, turning her head to face him.

Inu Yasha kept staring ahead at the fight, but didn’t seem to really be seeing anything. “It’s not a maze. It’s a labyrinth. Of course there are going to be a lot of traps,” he grunted. “Naraku wants you to reach the center, where he’s at. If you can’t get pass the traps, then you’re not worth his time.”

“So it’s his way of getting rid of ‘unworthy’ competition?” Kagome asked rhetorically.

Inu Yasha realized she didn’t really want an answer and kept silent.

“A half demon, huh?” Kagome arched an eyebrow at him.

His head snapped at her quickly and his molten gaze narrowed angrily. “I don’t want to hear your insult crap, bitch,” he snapped.

Kagome tilted her head at him slowly, un-offended. “I have nothing against half-demons.”

Inu Yasha was unfazed, “Then I don’t want your pity pep talk.”

Kagome looked away from him and leaned back again feeling his eyes boring into the side of her head. “I don’t believe in pity. It’s worthless and only makes situations worse.”

Inu Yasha grunted and pried his eyes away from her. This...this...girl had just...he didn’t have a comeback. He was so used to having an answer for everything. Silence fell over the two as they sat in an uncomfortable quiet.

“Sango,” Kagome finally interrupted, unable to take the arguing any longer. It had gotten to the point where, although Miroku looked as calm as ever, Sango looked about ready to hit the monk. “Why don’t we keep going, you can pick this up again when we rest for the night.”

Inu Yasha growled low in his throat, but Kagome still seemed to catch it. She gave him a sharp look, which he returned.

“You rest at night?” he finally voiced what was bothering him. “This tunnel alone will take you another day and night to walk all the way through with your pathetic human legs,” he informed and insulted at the same time.

Kagome glared at the man. “I’m sorry, but we ‘pathetic humans’ need sleep. Once we’re tired of walking we’ll have to stop and sleep ‘till daybreak.”

“Feh,” Inu scoffed before stumbling to his feet. “Fine, whatever. How do you know when it’s night and day in this tunnel? There’s no window...” He trailed off as he smirked, sure that Kagome wouldn’t have an answer.

“Every once in awhile there’s a small crack we can use to look for light,” Kagome explained slowly.

The smirk became wider. “Not anymore. We’re under the lake now, there are no cracks.”

Kagome shrugged, unfazed. “Fine, we’ll walk ‘till we’re tired, then we’ll sleep. Once we’ve rested we’ll start up again.”

Without waiting for his (probably rude) retort, she walked away, Sango and Miroku falling in step behind her. Inu Yasha glared after them before following a safe distance behind.

Not only was he supposed to lead them, but he also had better eyesight. Inu Yasha was surprised that the humans could see their hands in front of their faces.

‘Naraku is forcing me to guide them, but I don’t have to be nice to them. Although, maybe these will finally be the ones to free me...’ Inu Yasha shook the positive thought from his head. He wasn’t going to get his hopes up.

Scowling, he followed after them. However, he was surprised to no end at how easily they had relaxed around him. Inu Yasha wasn’t used to having people be comfortable around him.

When he’d met Naraku...at that time no one accepted hanyous. The youkai and humans were at war. One or another of the previous people he’d led had mentioned that he wore clothes from Japan’s ‘Feudal Era’. He guessed that that must have been the time he’d come here.

‘I wonder how long it’s been since I got dragged into this maze...I can’t even remember anymore...’

.

---

.

Miroku yawned first.

Then, proving that yawning was contagious, the girls followed his example.

“I guess we’ll stop,” Sango suggested as she flopped down directly where they had stopped. Kagome sat down right next to her and laid her head on the brunette’s shoulder. Miroku settled himself more gracefully next to the girls and supported himself against the rock.

Grumbling, Inu Yasha appeared. The humans had done better than he’d expected. Normally the humans he was forced to guide took a lot longer to walk through the tunnel. Although...the last human had to have been a long time ago.

These three, Naraku’s newest opponents it seemed, had walked long enough into the night that Inu Yasha wouldn’t be surprised if they arrived at the door to the labyrinth by mid-day tomorrow.

Sitting down cross-legged, Inu Yasha stayed quite a few feet away from the group. Just because they had been friendly and hadn’t questioned him too much didn’t mean he had to befriend them.

Few people found the doorway in the rock outside the Irish Lake that led to Naraku’s fortress. Most stumbled on it on accident and starved before Inu Yasha had awoken and made his way to them. Others found the entrance deliberately, hoping to find Naraku’s treasures hidden at the center of the labyrinth.

Either way, Inu Yasha didn’t like any of them. He guided them and then watched them fail at a riddle or walk into a trap and die. Hell...sometimes he even enjoyed it.

Sango and Miroku picked up their argument from where they left off earlier in the day while Kagome watched on with interest.

She egged on each of her friends on while laughing.

‘Stupid witch. If she thinks that speech about liking hanyous and hating pity would make me trust her more...she was wrong. I don’t trust anyone,’ Inu Yasha continued to mull over his disliking speech while the demon huntress and monk winded down.

Finally a stifled giggle drew his attention back to his charges.

Kagome seemed to be happily eyeing her two friends. Sango and Miroku had exhausted themselves and had finally gone to sleep...in each other’s arms. Their snuggling always amused the miko.

...

Ten minutes later, she being still awake bugged the hanyou.

“Bitch, aren’t you going to go to sleep?” He hissed semi-quietly, at least trying to be nice towards the sleeping couple.

Kagome answered him by standing and walking the few meters to him and plopping down next to him, using her ears for guidance since the dark had gotten too dense for her eyes.

“No,” she said softly, not even bothering to whisper. Her voice was naturally quiet...plus a blow horn couldn’t wake her comrades.

Inu Yasha eyed her warily. Kagome had managed to sit far enough away to allow him personal space but close enough to feel inviting. Damn, Inu hated the welcoming committee...perky people scared him.

Chewing his inner cheek in sheer boredom he tried to ignore her. Inu Yasha was not going to sleep...he’d been asleep (an enchanted sleep he was always put under) since the last person who tried to find Naraku failed.

He hated sleep.

He got enough of it.

Finally a movement caused his gaze to drift back to the black haired beauty. She was fiddling with something she’d taken out of her pocket.

Damn...the temptation was too much... “...What are you doing?”

Kagome didn’t even bother to look up. “I stayed up last night to keep watch, and ended up never waking the others for their times, so I was awake all night. It’s gotten to the point where I’m so tired I’m not tired anymore....”

“Insomnia...right?” he asked dryly, “I meant what are you doing right now?”

“Oh? This?” Kag held up her hands where a tangled web of black string was. “Cat’s cradle.”

Inu Yasha rolled his eyes, unimpressed by the fact that the woman was able to see (or sense) well enough in the dark to play her game.

Something else was on his mind.

It was tugging at the corner of his thoughts. Every time a person in the labyrinth died and/or failed Inu Yasha’s curse of guiding them was over and he was sent back to the tunnel to sleep.

He’d just woken up so his senses were still a bit off.

Each time Inu Yasha was asleep, the time passed like a single night...even though it could be months or years.

He didn’t even know what year it was outside the labyrinth.

But that wasn’t what was bothering the hanyou...it was still a little foggy...but there was something about the last person he’d led through the maze.

It was a human...a human woman...a human miko woman...

“Bitch,” Inu Yasha started to ask the girl something.

“I have a name,” Kagome snapped.

“So?” he asked, momentarily distracted from his question.

“It’s Kagome, use it,” She glared half hearted through the dark, guessing on where Inu Yasha’s face was.

Inu Yasha ignored her request. “You remind me of someone...”

“Oh, really? Who? Do I look like them?” Kagome’s interest was perked and her mood swung from angry to curious in an interest.

“...Not really. It’s not your looks...she was taller and more graceful, and elegant,” He told her dryly, glad when her anger came back.

“Oh, thanks a lot,” Kag snapped sarcastically.

Inu Yasha seemed to miss it. “You’re welcome. But that’s not the point...that feeling you have around you...”

“The attitude?” Kagome guessed, not exactly following.

“No. She was quiet and nice. I mean...that sense you get. You know, like when there’s a demon around and you know they’re there because you can feel it,” he tried to explain.

Kagome’s eyebrows scrunched together. “Their aura?”

“Yeah, that’s it! Your, er, power...? It was similar,” Inu told her, ignoring the fact he was having a relatively normal conversation with her.

Kagome shifted uncomfortably and Inu Yasha seemed to notice. She didn’t like talking about her powers. “My family would be like me...except...not as powerful.”

“As far as I can tell, Kikyou seemed more powerful,” Inu said bluntly.

“That’s because I have my powers covered so no one can sense me coming...wait, did you say Kikyou?” Kagome’s eyes widened.

“...Yeah, she was the last person I led through this damn place.” He was quiet for a moment before going on, “Kikyou got the farthest.”

What he didn’t say aloud was that Kikyou had gotten his hopes up that she would be able to break the...’curse’...Inu Yasha was under so that he could go home. But he didn’t say it aloud because he didn’t want Kagome to know why he was helping a creep like Naraku.

“Kikyou...I know that name. A woman with powers like mine?” Kagome was searching her brain.

“Yeah, she was in her mid-twenties...she looked a little older than me, and you.” Inu Yasha eyed Kagome in the dark. The miko seemed to be frustrated in trying to figure out who ‘Kikyou’ was.

Kagome finally snapped upright. “I know who she was. Kikyou was my ancestor. Almost everyone thought she’d be the one reborn with the jewel because she was so powerful. But she was just under the limit. I’m more powerful, but only by a little-.”

“What jewel?” Inu Yasha interrupted. He remembered Kikyou...not very well since the enchanted sleep clouded his mind, but he remembered how strong she was. Was it really possible for this petite woman sitting next to him to be more powerful?

The jewel...another touchy subject with Kagome. Especially with the situation the damn thing had put her in. She brushed the subject aside.

“Kikyou...she was my grandmother’s cousin. That would make it...wow, 50 years this year. She went missing when she was twenty-seven. I think...I think she went on some trip to find some special herbs. Her little plane made a stop in an village-,” Kagome stopped her self and Inu Yasha watched her blue- gray orbs widen even more.

How the hell had he been able to get this woman, who he’d just met, so worked up?

Kagome sighed and a sad look cast over her face. She went on more quietly. “Kikyou’s plane stopped in a small village in Ireland. She’d told the people of the city that she wanted to look at the beautiful lake she’d seen from the air when they were flying over.”

Kagome paused, Inu Yasha hanging on her every word. It felt good to talk to someone again...even if it was a miko who was going to get herself killed sooner or later.

“She was never seen again...” Kagome took a deep breath. “Inu Yasha?” her voice came out small and frail. Inu Yasha blinked, not sure he’d heard her right.

“...Yeah?”

“You said you led her, right?” Kagome looked at him, although in the dark she couldn’t really see him.

But Inu Yasha could see her. Her stormy eyes seemed to be begging him to say something...but he couldn’t figure it out. “Yeah I led that-,” he stopped himself and replace the ‘bitch’ with something more respectful, “I led her through here. Why?”

Kagome slumped against the wall listlessly. “That meant she died in here, right? And she was supposed to be almost as strong as me...maybe, maybe, I can’t...”

Inu Yasha scowled. ‘She can’t defeat Naraku is what she means, she probably can’t even make it through the damn maze. Why am I getting so comfortable around her? She’s going to just get her head sliced off like that one guy...’

Kagome looked over to her left to see Sango and Miroku happily asleep. Some sweet dream had smiles playing at their lips.

When she spoke again, Kagome’s voice was stronger.

“You know what? I have what Kikyou didn’t have...I have my friends. I can do this.”

Kagome sounded so sure that she repeated herself:

“I can do this.”

After that, sleep seemed to finally catch up to her and she drifted off.

Inu Yasha looked between the faces of his new charges and ‘feh’d.

‘Let’s hope for both our sakes that you make it there to that bastard. Naraku...maybe this time...I’ll do more than just lead them. If I helped...maybe they...it’s about damn time I got out of this place.’

But just as a precaution, Inu Yasha would keep his wall up, keep his heart protected.

...If they did die, like all the others, he wouldn’t let himself care. He never had and he never would. That was for sure.

But...if he did get free because of these people...then maybe he could make it so that he could have friends again, but not till then.

As he drifted off, he remembered Kagome’s words, and the last thing to run through his mind was: ‘Damn, 50 years...I wonder how long that makes it since I got trapped...Shit, do they still have samurais?’

.

.

.

A/N: Yeah, don’t ask.

Don’t worry, if you don’t get why Inu Yasha has to help people, I’ll explain later on. I swear, I’ll make that clearer. But those who did...well, good for you. I didn’t think I made it too cryptic...

Ja ne!

Fay