InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ From Beginning to End ❯ The Past ( Chapter 8 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Fay-of-Faerie 
Inu Yasha and Kagome bond a bit and another large chunk about his past shows up, and that includes Kikyou's tragic death.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Comedy / Adventure | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.29.2004 | Pages: 5 | Words: 5.5K | Visits: 227 | Status: Completed
Inu Yasha and Kagome bond a bit and another large chunk about his past shows up, and that includes Kikyou's tragic death.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Comedy / Adventure | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.29.2004 | Pages: 5 | Words: 5.5K | Visits: 227 | Status: Completed
A/N: Thanks for reading! Nothing else to say...
ITHILDEN: Thank you, thank you, thank you! I wrote this thing at 2 in the morning while half asleep and when I rewrote about Kikyou and Inu Yasha I completely forgot somethings! I went back and changed them! Um, thanks again! I'm horrible with grammar and such and I like your reviews! Compliments give me the creeps if I get too many, but critisism will always be fine. Thanks!
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Disclaimer: I do not own Inu Yasha
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From Beginning to End
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--- Last Chapter ---
Looking around he saw a group of trees not far up ahead. They weren't really different from any of the other trees around here. They were stunted and dead, but it was the way they stood.
There were five, all in a perfect circle.
A clawed hand appeared by Kagome's ear and she looked where Inu Yasha was pointing. "There?" she asked, looking over her shoulder. "At those trees."
Inu Yasha nodded and Kagome smiled at him. "Thanks, I'll go tell the others."
With that she rushed ahead of him to the group to point out their resting spot. As they started to head in the direction, she looked over her shoulder and grinned at Inu Yasha.
Inu Yasha would have rather welcomed the pain that came with being stabbed then the butterflies in his stomach right then…
--- End of Last Chapter ---
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Chapter Eight: The Past
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Kagome slumped down in the dirt, her back supported by a log. She stared at the dancing flames of their mini camp fire while feeling oddly protected by the ring of trees where they'd made camp. Sango and Miroku were cuddled near the fire, asleep with their faces away from the light. Curled up between them for some extra warmth was Shippou.
Kagome leaned back, her milky face up towards the sky. Inu Yasha walked into the trees, having gone somewhere earlier without telling them where. Probably to check out the campsite to make sure nothing creepy was crawling anywhere nearby. She momentarily saw his legs as he walked past the fire, only to collapse next to her, his back supported by the same log.
It was quiet. But the silence was weird; normally when Kagome was camping she'd hear crickets or something. Here there wasn't much other life and the only sound was Miroku's light snoring.
"It's beautiful," she finally said, quietly. She didn't bother to whisper though, unless there was some kind of threat, her friends could sleep through a tsunami.
Inu Yasha didn't say anything for a moment, watching the miko out of the corner of his eye. "What is?" he asked finally, giving up on trying to figure out what she was thinking as she looked upwards with the expression of pure content.
"The sky," she replied, the corner of her lips twitching upwards in a small smile.
Inu Yasha leaned back and looked up too, he squinted at the star splattered sky critically. He didn't know what it was about this ring of trees, but it was one of the only places in all of Naraku's lands where you could still see the sky; everywhere else it was covered by clouds.
"…I guess," he muttered, closing his eyes to soak in everything around him. There was a soft breeze, that made Kagome next to him shiver slightly, but the fire kept away most of the night's coldness. After a while, the wind picked up a bit, and he wished silently that there were leaves on the trees that would rattle.
The time may have not seemed like much, since Inu Yasha slept through almost all of it, but since he'd found out that he'd been trapped for 500 years, he missed the outside world a lot more.
"You know," Kagome started, her soft voice breaking the silence, "Back home you can't see the sky like this."
A golden eye cracked open. "Why, is that little shrine of yours covered by tall trees, or are you too coward to go out after dark."
Kagome frowned, but her eyes didn't leave the sky. "I told you, demons and humans are at peace now. I don't have to fear being sliced up by youkai for no reason at all anymore."
Inu Yasha grunted. "Yeah, well, don't get me wrong…but it's hard to think of the world like you say it is. When I…left…it, demons were being hunted down all the time."
Kagome hummed in agreement. "I've read about it. You…" she finally looked at him, her ocean eyes shining in the dark with the light from the fire reflecting off of them. "You must have had a harder time than most, huh?"
"What do you mean," he growled, getting defensive.
Kagome shrugged, keeping her calm like she hadn't just made him angry. "Being a half demon…Humans were probably moronic asses…so were demons."
Inu Yasha scowled and looked back up at the stars. They really were pretty, he decided. "Whatever," he mumbled, "You have no idea."
Kagome kept watching him. "How did you do it?" She breathed finally.
Inu Yasha turned back to her, meeting her eyes. He watched her silently. She looked…flighty. Like she was scared that he'd suddenly become angry with her; Kagome didn't look scared of him, which surprised him, but looked scared of hurting him.
He swallowed hard. She was scaring him. This petite girl with big eyes and just as big of a heart. Kagome was too nice, too sweet. One of the first humans to never use his half and half heritage as a weakness.
Right now, with her hesitant voice and her nervousness, her soft nature and the quiet calm that clung to her, Kagome reminded him of his mom.
Inu Yasha could never be angry with this miko at a time where she reminded him of his mother. His eyes flicked away from her.
"I got used to it," he said finally, ignoring her breath of relief when he didn't snap at her for asking a personal question. "…I guess I just got used to it," he repeated slower.
Kagome shrugged lightly and went back to her star gazing. "I'd never be able to do that," she admitted, missing it when he gave her an odd look. "I'd probably break down and cry, or freak out and attack back. Did you ever attack back?"
"…I did if they attacked physically. I didn't bother when they did it mentally, that didn't bother me after awhile." Inu Yasha surprised himself. He was confiding in her! In this little human girl with the too big eyes and heart. The one who's temper spiked to match his own during the day!
And his voice was so steady, it scared him. This wasn't his favorite topic. He'd never told anyone about it, no one had even bothered to ask.
Whatever…
But there was one thing he was sure about through all of this. With her quiet side and her quick dark side, Kagome was too temperamental to be trusted…at least not yet.
Kagome dropped the subject and looked back up at sky.
The silence was grating on him, making Inu Yasha feel like he'd said something to upset her. He hadn't done anything, like be rude and snap, to tell her to back off. Why was she being so quiet? Either he'd upset her, which got on his nerves since they'd been talking about something that should have bothered him, or she knew the topic bothered him and backed off on his own.
But still, they were talking. And it was...nice, he decided. Inu Yasha didn't want it to end quite yet..."So, why can't you see the stars back at your home? You never finished that," he muttered finally.
Kagome turned back to him with a smile, all her attention focused on his now and not the stars. He turned to look at her too and she grinned wider. "I live in a city called Tokyo. Cities are basically like giant, huge villages. There's so much light that you can't see the stars anymore. I miss them...I used to go camping with my dad a long time ago, when I was really young. Before the jewel came around making me a top miko and stuff."
Inu Yasha tilted his head, studying her face as she continued to look at him. Under his intent gaze, Kagome blushed and looked away. He continued to watch her, thinking about how they'd both just shared an intimate part of their lives with each other so easily. She'd talked about her dead father on impulse, like she'd known him for years.
Inu Yasha like the natural comfort that came with just chatting with Kagome. It felt so subtle and easy that it was nice.
When he finally turned away, his intense eyes back on the sky, Kagome sighed a breath of relief. He was watching her so...Anyway, with him so close by, she felt so safe all of a sudden. He was strong and she knew that he wouldn't let anything into their camp while they all slept.
She didn't even notice it when her eyes drifted shut and she fell asleep.
Inu Yasha looked over at her, slumped over from where she was sitting. Her back would be killing her tomorrow when she woke up.
'Then she'll start complaining, sounding like a dying cat, and I'll have to put up with it…' He watched her awhile longer, battling with himself mentally before seemingly giving into one side.
Standing up, he crouched down before her and slipped one arm under her knees and one under her shoulders to lift her up bridal style. Holding her for a moment, looking at her serene face as she slept, he carried her over to the others and deposited her next to them. Making sure she was comfortable, he left her to go back over to the log.
Sitting down so his back was propped up, he crossed his legs Indian style. So his sword wouldn't shift and poke him in the side, he lifted the scabbard out and put it in his lap, leaning it against one shoulder. Putting his hands up into his sleeves, he looked back up at the sky. This would probably be the last time he saw it for a long time, after this the sky would remain covered with clouds.
Looking around, his sharp eyes not seeing anything threatening in the dark, he went back to thinking about this odd group he was leading. Miroku, a calm and intelligent lecherous smart ass of a monk. Sango, a tough but sweet and strong demon assassin. Shippou, a whiney kid that he'd known for almost as long as he'd been here. And Kagome…an unpredictable but reliable miko.
Inu Yasha always had attracted the weirdest people.
Like Kagome, he didn't know when he drifted off into a light doze…and started dreaming about the past.
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50 Years before
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A young man brooded in the dark, his arms crossed gruffly and his chiseled features dark. Every once in awhile the thick clouds over the sky would move and the light from a star would shine down and glint off his thick silver white hair.
Even without any light, his molten gold eyes glowed in the dark with an eerie inner fire.
Inu Yasha was sitting on the ground, surrounded by five stunted trees that formed a full circle. He wasn't too happy.
"Inu Yasha," a toneless voice, deep and feminine, drawled from his elbow. "Come and sit by the fire, I swear I don't bite."
Inu Yasha glanced over his shoulder for a minute, looking at the slightly older woman as she warmed her hands over a dancing flame. Her pin straight black hair flashed when the fire burst up, highlighting her dark gray eyes. Her pale skin, almost too pale to be real, lighted up with warmth from the campfire.
"I know you won't bite," Inu Yasha snapped, "But you can zap."
The elegant maiden sighed deeply, a little frustrated. "I know I am a miko, and you've had problems in the past with us, but I'm not going to purify you," she said calmly.
Inu Yasha rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter," he sniffed, "I don't get cold as easily as you pathetic humans."
Kikyou let the comment roll right off her back. She didn't get excited easily, or any other emotion for that matter, and took things in stride. She had an inner wisdom that seemed to make her a lot more silent and calm than the rest of the world. "Alright," she agreed.
Inu Yasha sighed and looked back up at the sky.
Kikyou looked over and studied his strong profile. She'd met him three days before when he'd found her in the tunnel she'd stumbled upon. 'I just want to go home,' she thought sadly, 'but in order to do that, I have to find this Naraku and force him to let me out.'
Of course, she didn't have a doubt in the world that she wouldn't make it. Kikyou had studied her entire life around the world at famous schools. Her healing talent was her life, and that involved knowing many things.
Kikyou was a remarkably bright woman. Sadly, however, she wasn't very imaginative. But she was very straightforward, and honest. A few critical people that she'd met said she was 'brutally honest' but Kikyou didn't mind, she saw no reason to keep the truth to herself at any time.
"Inu Yasha," the miko started again, "how long do you suppose it will take to reach this 'Naraku' person?"
The woman watched his back as he gave a lop sided shrug, only bothering to lift one shoulder and letting it drop.
Kikyou shook her head sadly and gave up trying to reach the half demon. She didn't frown or scowl at his behavior, though. She saw no need, and kept her lips set in a straight line.
Looking up at the sky, she tilted her beautiful face and looked at the midnight sky which was dusted with stars. After a moment of trying to see why Inu Yasha seemed so fascinated with them, she turned back to the flames. She had no interest in those bright fiery balls of gas.
In the next few days, Inu Yasha seemed to be loosening up around her, which Kikyou was glad for.
It made her upset when he was so tense and forceful around her, always thinking that as soon as he turned his back she'd zap him with miko powers.
'Finally,' she mentally congratulated herself, 'The half demon understands that I won't purify him for no reason. I need an ally for this, and not an enemy.'
A few days after that, Inu Yasha was a lot more used to her. Kikyou was different from the other people he was forced to lead through the great maze. Instead of irritating him, or trying to bribe him for hints on how to make it to the center of the labyrinth, the miko didn't talk much.
Like him, Kikyou didn't seem to find much need to make useless conversation. Granted, they had next to nothing in common, but at least Kikyou wasn't the type of female to blubber about anything just to fill the silence, like a brainless dolt.
They got along, the half demon and the miko, because neither felt the need to force friendship.
It was a good relationship. Kikyou went through the maze, getting passed the traps and challenges without too much thought, and Inu Yasha refrained from treating her badly. They respected each other. They co-existed, neither friends nor enemies.
They never did get a chance to trust each other, however, because Kikyou didn't live long enough.
Kikyou swallowed hard, her mouth dry as she looked at one of the last challenges. She was so close, at least that's what Inu Yasha said.
He'd told her once that he'd made it to the last trap, but had never told her about what happened after that. She'd never wanted to really know, so she didn't feel the need to press the subject. But that morning, the hanyou had informed her that this was the third to last trap before she made it to the center. To Naraku.
To her ticket home.
But oh was it a challenge…
For someone like Inu Yasha, it must have been easy. He had superior balance and strength; no matter how powerful of a miko Kikyou was, however, she didn't have the talents that came naturally with being part demon.
Ahead of her were a set of stepping stones, circular and only a foot and a half in width. They were far enough apart that it would take jumping, not stepping, to get across. Kikyou counted them quickly in her head. 13 stones in all, one for each of the traps that she'd passed already.
"I can do this," she whispered to herself. Her voice steady as she studied the challenge.
"Sure you can," Inu Yasha said from behind her. He was leaning against the stone wall of the corridor of the labyrinth, watching her with those expressive eyes of his. She'd come farther than anyone, except for him. Kikyou…maybe she could do it. Maybe she could finally set him free. Maybe…
Kikyou looked over her shoulder and her lips tweaked up just enough for a smile, before her face became set again.
'It's like it's painful for her to express emotion,' Inu Yasha thought, looking at her as she faced forward again. 'I hate pity, I've always hated pity, but if there's anyone I've ever wanted to pity…it's Kikyou. She's barely older than me and she acts like any show of emotion is childish. But she doesn't act like she's better than me or anyone else, I guess that's better than emotion anyday...respect...'
"It's not the jumping that bothers me," Kikyou said suddenly, making him jerk out of his thoughts. "It's the bottomless pit that the stones are floating over."
Inu Yasha swallowed, remembering when he'd gone past this challenge a long, long time ago. It had been one of the much easier ones for him; but Kikyou didn't have the strength that he did so that he could jump across without a problem.
"You can do it," he repeated again, nodding firmly. Kikyou was, he thought, the strongest woman besides his mother that he'd ever met. She was naturally like that. She reminded him of some untouchable, ageless Goddess of Perfection. That was actually a compliment, no matter how much like sarcasm it sounded…
Kikyou rolled her shoulders back and lifted her chin proudly. She'd tied the bottom of her pants and sleeves so that they wouldn't flap and unbalance her.
Without a second though, she crouched slightly and launched herself forward, easily landing in the center of the stone. Inu Yasha watched her, assured that this wasn't a problem for her.
Kikyou slid her foot back a little, and prepared to jump a second time. She made it again.
And again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
And again. Kikyou allowed a soft smile to pass over her lips, her muscles relaxing from being so tense because of the fear of falling into the endless darkness below her. How the stones were capable of floating in thin air, she didn't know. But now was not the time to analyze it. Only a few more jumps to go.
More confident now, Kikyou jumped for the 8th time and landed on the stone, her rice sandals making a sharp clicking sound as the heels slapped against the rough rock. But something wasn't right…
…She'd misjudged where she was landing, and instead of hitting the middle of the stepping stone, her feet were too far to the left. Half of the foot closest to the edge was over it, and her weight unbalanced her, forcing her foot to slide and go completely over.
Time seemed to slow and Kikyou felt oddly calm as she felt her body shift and fall off, no longer supported by the stone beneath her. She fell back, her arms spread out, but she didn't flail them.
It was over. She'd failed.
And she knew it. No sense in acting a fool now and waving her arms about. It wouldn't save her, and Kikyou would die with dignity. The feeling of free-falling completely over took her system, and the miko felt so light as she fell further down.
Her bright, calculating eyes slid shut and her face went slack in complete acceptance of her fate. Just like it was her destiny to not have been born with the Shikon no Tama, her family's name sake, it was her destiny to die here in this labyrinth.
And she didn't fight destiny. You could never cheat fate.
Her pale lips twitched into a smile as the darkness consumed her, clogging her senses as the complete blackness soaked into her lungs to stop her breathing. Suffocation was better than it would have been to have fallen for all of eternity, slowly starving to death. This way she died quickly and, oddly enough, painlessly.
She didn't suffer.
After whispering goodbyes to all her family members and loved ones, Kikyou wished luck to two more people. "I don't understand why you are bound to Naraku, but I hope you are one day free, Inu Yasha. And good fortune to the one who will be born with the jewel, I give you my faith."
And then she was gone. Her tragic death quick, but painless.
Inu Yasha watched her figure fade into the darkness, the blackness consuming her entirely. He was staring down into the black abyss, the stone ceiling overhead, in complete shock. It had happened so fast!
He couldn't see Kikyou anymore.
Inu Yasha closed his eyes, whispering a quick goodbye and wish for her soul to rest in peace. She could reunite with her family in the afterlife, he decided.
By the time he had realized the red and white clad miko was falling to her death, Inu Yasha was too far away to make a difference. Not that he hadn't tried…he'd only gotten to the edge of the pit, however, before the figure of the graceful woman was no longer visable.
"Good bye Kikyou, thank you for getting so far," He sighed and stretched, berating himself for getting attached. The only thing that made him feel better was the fact that they weren't close enough to call each other friends. The lost of the priestess was hard on him only for the fact that he respected her, and the lost of the hope that she could free him from Naraku.
He also cursed himself for getting his hopes up that he might have been free.
'I'll just have to wait for the next one,' he thought depressingly as the enchanted sleep started to claim his senses. The half demon fell to his knees as his eyes closed, and then he landed on his cheek. His senses drifted away as he became asleep once more, awaiting for the next fool to stumble into Naraku's labyrinth so he could awaken to lead them.
Once his curse, his magical sleep, was complete the goblins that lived in the maze came out of hiding and hauled him back to the stone tunnel that led from Ireland to the other world where Naraku's lair was.
After securing him, the creatures left Inu Yasha until he was once again awoken because of someone stepping into the tunnel. His eyes opened to the sound of voices floating to him on an invisable breeze, and even though the owners of the voices were so far away, he could still hear them clearly.
All thoughts of Kikyou and freedom fled Inu Yasha's mind as he set to work on guiding this new set of travelers. The odd thing was, unlike everyone else, they were laughing and enjoying each other's company. Was that possible? Was it even possible to laugh anymore? Inu Yasha wasn't sure, laughter wasn't something he was used to.
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Present
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"Inu Yasha?" A sweet voice cooed into his ear, dragging the half demon from his dreams.
Memories from the past had turned into dreadful nightmares. In his dreams now, Inu Yasha was desperately reaching out to someone as they drifted into the darkness, but it wasn't Kikyou, the hand was too small to be the late miko.
And the last thing the hanyou remembered were wide eyes staring back at him, the stormy orbs flashing with fear, making him want to reach the woman all the more desperately. But when he finally managed to grab her hand to pull her back to him…the hands simply fazed through one another, the woman disappearing.
"Inu Yasha," the voice was back, and came with a shake to the shoulder this time. "Come on and wake up, I'm getting you up before the others, you don't seem like a morning person to me…"
"Hm?" He hummed, finally cracking his eye open. The first thing he saw was a set of the same blue eyes from his nightmares, but this time they were dancing with happiness and not fright. "K'gome…?" He mumbled, finally making the connection that the girl in his dream that he was so strongly trying to rescue was this one.
"Yeah?" Her voice was still quiet, and seemed to be filled with laughter. She was so different from Kikyou. Both had the soft feminine air around them, but Kagome just seemed so much more alive. No pun intended...
"Nothin'," he muttered, giving a wide toothed yawn, his fangs flashing.
Kagome giggled and poked him in the shoulder, "Wake up, I'm going to get Sango and Miroku up now. K?"
"Whatever," he grumbled, sitting up. Then it hit him. Why had he been dreaming of Kagome? Why had he been dreaming at all?! Dreaming meant sleeping, and he shouldn't have been sleeping. He should have been keeping a look out.
"Damn," he cursed.
"What?" Kagome looked over her shoulder at him, her braid so loose it was almost completely undone.
Inu Yasha looked back at her, meeting her eyes with his own. Remembering his dream, he quickly averted his gaze. "Nothing, are you getting their lazy asses up or what?"
Kagome sighed at his snapping, but was more curious in the faintest of blushes over his cheeks. She shook her head of all thoughts and turned back to the other three in their group, and poked them all a few times.
Shippou woke up first. The kit blinked his bleary green eyes, memories of the day before flooding back to him. Remembering that he wasn't stuck back at the opening gate, and asleep, he looked up at Kagome's smiling face.
'I'm not alone anymore,' was his thought as he jumped up and clung to Kagome's neck. 'I have Kagome now too, and Inu Yasha too.'
Kagome giggled and detached him, only to set him against her hip. She then shook Sango's shoulder gently until the older girl pulled herself out of a deep sleep. Once the miko was sure the demon huntress was awake, she turned to Miroku, the last one asleep.
Smirking evilly, she decided on how she'd wake him up this morning. Instead of the gently poking and shaking she'd given everyone else, Kagome nudged him with her toe gently…before kicking hard.
"What the?!" Miroku yelped, sitting bolt upright, grabbing his staff and holding it in front of him. His hair was loose from it's pony tail and dancing around his shoulders, and his eyes were wide and frantic. "Where are the attackers?!"
Instead of war cries, he heard mad giggling. Frowning, his heart slowing to a more healthy and slow rate, he looked beside him.
Kagome was bent over laughing, her hand against her mouth to smother the sound. Shippou was choking on his silent giggles, and Inu Yasha looking at them all amused. Sango was the only one with a straight face as she glared at Kagome.
"Kag-chan! That was NOT funny!" She managed to get that all out before erupting in laughter of her own. "I'm sorry Houshi-sama, we're so mean to you! I'll stop laughing…in a minute….okay, now…or not…hang on…"
Miroku gave up scowled before retying his loose hair back. Getting up from where the four had curled up all night, he shifted all his robes back into place and went over to stand beside Inu Yasha.
The two men looked on as the two fully grown women and the little boy snorted in laughter.
"…Maybe it's because it happened to me," Miroku started slowly, looking over to fix Inu Yasha with a mild glare. Inu Yasha met it with his own. "But…I don't see how kicking me awake was funny enough to make them act like that." The monk gestured to the three red faced companions.
Inu Yasha looked back at the others before shaking his head. "Don't worry, it wasn't all that funny. They just need to laugh their asses off for once, that's all."
"I suppose you're right…if we remain too serious, we'll get out of this adventure as old men and women," A smile played at Miroku's lips at the thought.
"If you get out of this alive at all," Inu Yasha muttered, turning away from them all to set about sharpening his sword.
Miroku watched the half demon quizzically. 'Is he so sure that we are not capable of getting through this unscathed? He truly does not have faith in us…' Miroku smirked, thinking about the group's abilities.
He wasn't naturally one to jump to anything, but he was confident that he and his friends would make it through all right. With or without the help of the half demon Inu Yasha.
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A little shorter than normal, but it explained how Kikyou died. You'll still have to wait for how Inu Yasha got roped into helping Naraku, but that might be awhile. I don't think I'll reveal the deal between the two half demons until their final fight…please review! Ja ne!
ITHILDEN: Thank you, thank you, thank you! I wrote this thing at 2 in the morning while half asleep and when I rewrote about Kikyou and Inu Yasha I completely forgot somethings! I went back and changed them! Um, thanks again! I'm horrible with grammar and such and I like your reviews! Compliments give me the creeps if I get too many, but critisism will always be fine. Thanks!
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Disclaimer: I do not own Inu Yasha
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From Beginning to End
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--- Last Chapter ---
Looking around he saw a group of trees not far up ahead. They weren't really different from any of the other trees around here. They were stunted and dead, but it was the way they stood.
There were five, all in a perfect circle.
A clawed hand appeared by Kagome's ear and she looked where Inu Yasha was pointing. "There?" she asked, looking over her shoulder. "At those trees."
Inu Yasha nodded and Kagome smiled at him. "Thanks, I'll go tell the others."
With that she rushed ahead of him to the group to point out their resting spot. As they started to head in the direction, she looked over her shoulder and grinned at Inu Yasha.
Inu Yasha would have rather welcomed the pain that came with being stabbed then the butterflies in his stomach right then…
--- End of Last Chapter ---
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Chapter Eight: The Past
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Kagome slumped down in the dirt, her back supported by a log. She stared at the dancing flames of their mini camp fire while feeling oddly protected by the ring of trees where they'd made camp. Sango and Miroku were cuddled near the fire, asleep with their faces away from the light. Curled up between them for some extra warmth was Shippou.
Kagome leaned back, her milky face up towards the sky. Inu Yasha walked into the trees, having gone somewhere earlier without telling them where. Probably to check out the campsite to make sure nothing creepy was crawling anywhere nearby. She momentarily saw his legs as he walked past the fire, only to collapse next to her, his back supported by the same log.
It was quiet. But the silence was weird; normally when Kagome was camping she'd hear crickets or something. Here there wasn't much other life and the only sound was Miroku's light snoring.
"It's beautiful," she finally said, quietly. She didn't bother to whisper though, unless there was some kind of threat, her friends could sleep through a tsunami.
Inu Yasha didn't say anything for a moment, watching the miko out of the corner of his eye. "What is?" he asked finally, giving up on trying to figure out what she was thinking as she looked upwards with the expression of pure content.
"The sky," she replied, the corner of her lips twitching upwards in a small smile.
Inu Yasha leaned back and looked up too, he squinted at the star splattered sky critically. He didn't know what it was about this ring of trees, but it was one of the only places in all of Naraku's lands where you could still see the sky; everywhere else it was covered by clouds.
"…I guess," he muttered, closing his eyes to soak in everything around him. There was a soft breeze, that made Kagome next to him shiver slightly, but the fire kept away most of the night's coldness. After a while, the wind picked up a bit, and he wished silently that there were leaves on the trees that would rattle.
The time may have not seemed like much, since Inu Yasha slept through almost all of it, but since he'd found out that he'd been trapped for 500 years, he missed the outside world a lot more.
"You know," Kagome started, her soft voice breaking the silence, "Back home you can't see the sky like this."
A golden eye cracked open. "Why, is that little shrine of yours covered by tall trees, or are you too coward to go out after dark."
Kagome frowned, but her eyes didn't leave the sky. "I told you, demons and humans are at peace now. I don't have to fear being sliced up by youkai for no reason at all anymore."
Inu Yasha grunted. "Yeah, well, don't get me wrong…but it's hard to think of the world like you say it is. When I…left…it, demons were being hunted down all the time."
Kagome hummed in agreement. "I've read about it. You…" she finally looked at him, her ocean eyes shining in the dark with the light from the fire reflecting off of them. "You must have had a harder time than most, huh?"
"What do you mean," he growled, getting defensive.
Kagome shrugged, keeping her calm like she hadn't just made him angry. "Being a half demon…Humans were probably moronic asses…so were demons."
Inu Yasha scowled and looked back up at the stars. They really were pretty, he decided. "Whatever," he mumbled, "You have no idea."
Kagome kept watching him. "How did you do it?" She breathed finally.
Inu Yasha turned back to her, meeting her eyes. He watched her silently. She looked…flighty. Like she was scared that he'd suddenly become angry with her; Kagome didn't look scared of him, which surprised him, but looked scared of hurting him.
He swallowed hard. She was scaring him. This petite girl with big eyes and just as big of a heart. Kagome was too nice, too sweet. One of the first humans to never use his half and half heritage as a weakness.
Right now, with her hesitant voice and her nervousness, her soft nature and the quiet calm that clung to her, Kagome reminded him of his mom.
Inu Yasha could never be angry with this miko at a time where she reminded him of his mother. His eyes flicked away from her.
"I got used to it," he said finally, ignoring her breath of relief when he didn't snap at her for asking a personal question. "…I guess I just got used to it," he repeated slower.
Kagome shrugged lightly and went back to her star gazing. "I'd never be able to do that," she admitted, missing it when he gave her an odd look. "I'd probably break down and cry, or freak out and attack back. Did you ever attack back?"
"…I did if they attacked physically. I didn't bother when they did it mentally, that didn't bother me after awhile." Inu Yasha surprised himself. He was confiding in her! In this little human girl with the too big eyes and heart. The one who's temper spiked to match his own during the day!
And his voice was so steady, it scared him. This wasn't his favorite topic. He'd never told anyone about it, no one had even bothered to ask.
Whatever…
But there was one thing he was sure about through all of this. With her quiet side and her quick dark side, Kagome was too temperamental to be trusted…at least not yet.
Kagome dropped the subject and looked back up at sky.
The silence was grating on him, making Inu Yasha feel like he'd said something to upset her. He hadn't done anything, like be rude and snap, to tell her to back off. Why was she being so quiet? Either he'd upset her, which got on his nerves since they'd been talking about something that should have bothered him, or she knew the topic bothered him and backed off on his own.
But still, they were talking. And it was...nice, he decided. Inu Yasha didn't want it to end quite yet..."So, why can't you see the stars back at your home? You never finished that," he muttered finally.
Kagome turned back to him with a smile, all her attention focused on his now and not the stars. He turned to look at her too and she grinned wider. "I live in a city called Tokyo. Cities are basically like giant, huge villages. There's so much light that you can't see the stars anymore. I miss them...I used to go camping with my dad a long time ago, when I was really young. Before the jewel came around making me a top miko and stuff."
Inu Yasha tilted his head, studying her face as she continued to look at him. Under his intent gaze, Kagome blushed and looked away. He continued to watch her, thinking about how they'd both just shared an intimate part of their lives with each other so easily. She'd talked about her dead father on impulse, like she'd known him for years.
Inu Yasha like the natural comfort that came with just chatting with Kagome. It felt so subtle and easy that it was nice.
When he finally turned away, his intense eyes back on the sky, Kagome sighed a breath of relief. He was watching her so...Anyway, with him so close by, she felt so safe all of a sudden. He was strong and she knew that he wouldn't let anything into their camp while they all slept.
She didn't even notice it when her eyes drifted shut and she fell asleep.
Inu Yasha looked over at her, slumped over from where she was sitting. Her back would be killing her tomorrow when she woke up.
'Then she'll start complaining, sounding like a dying cat, and I'll have to put up with it…' He watched her awhile longer, battling with himself mentally before seemingly giving into one side.
Standing up, he crouched down before her and slipped one arm under her knees and one under her shoulders to lift her up bridal style. Holding her for a moment, looking at her serene face as she slept, he carried her over to the others and deposited her next to them. Making sure she was comfortable, he left her to go back over to the log.
Sitting down so his back was propped up, he crossed his legs Indian style. So his sword wouldn't shift and poke him in the side, he lifted the scabbard out and put it in his lap, leaning it against one shoulder. Putting his hands up into his sleeves, he looked back up at the sky. This would probably be the last time he saw it for a long time, after this the sky would remain covered with clouds.
Looking around, his sharp eyes not seeing anything threatening in the dark, he went back to thinking about this odd group he was leading. Miroku, a calm and intelligent lecherous smart ass of a monk. Sango, a tough but sweet and strong demon assassin. Shippou, a whiney kid that he'd known for almost as long as he'd been here. And Kagome…an unpredictable but reliable miko.
Inu Yasha always had attracted the weirdest people.
Like Kagome, he didn't know when he drifted off into a light doze…and started dreaming about the past.
.
50 Years before
.
A young man brooded in the dark, his arms crossed gruffly and his chiseled features dark. Every once in awhile the thick clouds over the sky would move and the light from a star would shine down and glint off his thick silver white hair.
Even without any light, his molten gold eyes glowed in the dark with an eerie inner fire.
Inu Yasha was sitting on the ground, surrounded by five stunted trees that formed a full circle. He wasn't too happy.
"Inu Yasha," a toneless voice, deep and feminine, drawled from his elbow. "Come and sit by the fire, I swear I don't bite."
Inu Yasha glanced over his shoulder for a minute, looking at the slightly older woman as she warmed her hands over a dancing flame. Her pin straight black hair flashed when the fire burst up, highlighting her dark gray eyes. Her pale skin, almost too pale to be real, lighted up with warmth from the campfire.
"I know you won't bite," Inu Yasha snapped, "But you can zap."
The elegant maiden sighed deeply, a little frustrated. "I know I am a miko, and you've had problems in the past with us, but I'm not going to purify you," she said calmly.
Inu Yasha rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter," he sniffed, "I don't get cold as easily as you pathetic humans."
Kikyou let the comment roll right off her back. She didn't get excited easily, or any other emotion for that matter, and took things in stride. She had an inner wisdom that seemed to make her a lot more silent and calm than the rest of the world. "Alright," she agreed.
Inu Yasha sighed and looked back up at the sky.
Kikyou looked over and studied his strong profile. She'd met him three days before when he'd found her in the tunnel she'd stumbled upon. 'I just want to go home,' she thought sadly, 'but in order to do that, I have to find this Naraku and force him to let me out.'
Of course, she didn't have a doubt in the world that she wouldn't make it. Kikyou had studied her entire life around the world at famous schools. Her healing talent was her life, and that involved knowing many things.
Kikyou was a remarkably bright woman. Sadly, however, she wasn't very imaginative. But she was very straightforward, and honest. A few critical people that she'd met said she was 'brutally honest' but Kikyou didn't mind, she saw no reason to keep the truth to herself at any time.
"Inu Yasha," the miko started again, "how long do you suppose it will take to reach this 'Naraku' person?"
The woman watched his back as he gave a lop sided shrug, only bothering to lift one shoulder and letting it drop.
Kikyou shook her head sadly and gave up trying to reach the half demon. She didn't frown or scowl at his behavior, though. She saw no need, and kept her lips set in a straight line.
Looking up at the sky, she tilted her beautiful face and looked at the midnight sky which was dusted with stars. After a moment of trying to see why Inu Yasha seemed so fascinated with them, she turned back to the flames. She had no interest in those bright fiery balls of gas.
In the next few days, Inu Yasha seemed to be loosening up around her, which Kikyou was glad for.
It made her upset when he was so tense and forceful around her, always thinking that as soon as he turned his back she'd zap him with miko powers.
'Finally,' she mentally congratulated herself, 'The half demon understands that I won't purify him for no reason. I need an ally for this, and not an enemy.'
A few days after that, Inu Yasha was a lot more used to her. Kikyou was different from the other people he was forced to lead through the great maze. Instead of irritating him, or trying to bribe him for hints on how to make it to the center of the labyrinth, the miko didn't talk much.
Like him, Kikyou didn't seem to find much need to make useless conversation. Granted, they had next to nothing in common, but at least Kikyou wasn't the type of female to blubber about anything just to fill the silence, like a brainless dolt.
They got along, the half demon and the miko, because neither felt the need to force friendship.
It was a good relationship. Kikyou went through the maze, getting passed the traps and challenges without too much thought, and Inu Yasha refrained from treating her badly. They respected each other. They co-existed, neither friends nor enemies.
They never did get a chance to trust each other, however, because Kikyou didn't live long enough.
Kikyou swallowed hard, her mouth dry as she looked at one of the last challenges. She was so close, at least that's what Inu Yasha said.
He'd told her once that he'd made it to the last trap, but had never told her about what happened after that. She'd never wanted to really know, so she didn't feel the need to press the subject. But that morning, the hanyou had informed her that this was the third to last trap before she made it to the center. To Naraku.
To her ticket home.
But oh was it a challenge…
For someone like Inu Yasha, it must have been easy. He had superior balance and strength; no matter how powerful of a miko Kikyou was, however, she didn't have the talents that came naturally with being part demon.
Ahead of her were a set of stepping stones, circular and only a foot and a half in width. They were far enough apart that it would take jumping, not stepping, to get across. Kikyou counted them quickly in her head. 13 stones in all, one for each of the traps that she'd passed already.
"I can do this," she whispered to herself. Her voice steady as she studied the challenge.
"Sure you can," Inu Yasha said from behind her. He was leaning against the stone wall of the corridor of the labyrinth, watching her with those expressive eyes of his. She'd come farther than anyone, except for him. Kikyou…maybe she could do it. Maybe she could finally set him free. Maybe…
Kikyou looked over her shoulder and her lips tweaked up just enough for a smile, before her face became set again.
'It's like it's painful for her to express emotion,' Inu Yasha thought, looking at her as she faced forward again. 'I hate pity, I've always hated pity, but if there's anyone I've ever wanted to pity…it's Kikyou. She's barely older than me and she acts like any show of emotion is childish. But she doesn't act like she's better than me or anyone else, I guess that's better than emotion anyday...respect...'
"It's not the jumping that bothers me," Kikyou said suddenly, making him jerk out of his thoughts. "It's the bottomless pit that the stones are floating over."
Inu Yasha swallowed, remembering when he'd gone past this challenge a long, long time ago. It had been one of the much easier ones for him; but Kikyou didn't have the strength that he did so that he could jump across without a problem.
"You can do it," he repeated again, nodding firmly. Kikyou was, he thought, the strongest woman besides his mother that he'd ever met. She was naturally like that. She reminded him of some untouchable, ageless Goddess of Perfection. That was actually a compliment, no matter how much like sarcasm it sounded…
Kikyou rolled her shoulders back and lifted her chin proudly. She'd tied the bottom of her pants and sleeves so that they wouldn't flap and unbalance her.
Without a second though, she crouched slightly and launched herself forward, easily landing in the center of the stone. Inu Yasha watched her, assured that this wasn't a problem for her.
Kikyou slid her foot back a little, and prepared to jump a second time. She made it again.
And again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
And again. Kikyou allowed a soft smile to pass over her lips, her muscles relaxing from being so tense because of the fear of falling into the endless darkness below her. How the stones were capable of floating in thin air, she didn't know. But now was not the time to analyze it. Only a few more jumps to go.
More confident now, Kikyou jumped for the 8th time and landed on the stone, her rice sandals making a sharp clicking sound as the heels slapped against the rough rock. But something wasn't right…
…She'd misjudged where she was landing, and instead of hitting the middle of the stepping stone, her feet were too far to the left. Half of the foot closest to the edge was over it, and her weight unbalanced her, forcing her foot to slide and go completely over.
Time seemed to slow and Kikyou felt oddly calm as she felt her body shift and fall off, no longer supported by the stone beneath her. She fell back, her arms spread out, but she didn't flail them.
It was over. She'd failed.
And she knew it. No sense in acting a fool now and waving her arms about. It wouldn't save her, and Kikyou would die with dignity. The feeling of free-falling completely over took her system, and the miko felt so light as she fell further down.
Her bright, calculating eyes slid shut and her face went slack in complete acceptance of her fate. Just like it was her destiny to not have been born with the Shikon no Tama, her family's name sake, it was her destiny to die here in this labyrinth.
And she didn't fight destiny. You could never cheat fate.
Her pale lips twitched into a smile as the darkness consumed her, clogging her senses as the complete blackness soaked into her lungs to stop her breathing. Suffocation was better than it would have been to have fallen for all of eternity, slowly starving to death. This way she died quickly and, oddly enough, painlessly.
She didn't suffer.
After whispering goodbyes to all her family members and loved ones, Kikyou wished luck to two more people. "I don't understand why you are bound to Naraku, but I hope you are one day free, Inu Yasha. And good fortune to the one who will be born with the jewel, I give you my faith."
And then she was gone. Her tragic death quick, but painless.
Inu Yasha watched her figure fade into the darkness, the blackness consuming her entirely. He was staring down into the black abyss, the stone ceiling overhead, in complete shock. It had happened so fast!
He couldn't see Kikyou anymore.
Inu Yasha closed his eyes, whispering a quick goodbye and wish for her soul to rest in peace. She could reunite with her family in the afterlife, he decided.
By the time he had realized the red and white clad miko was falling to her death, Inu Yasha was too far away to make a difference. Not that he hadn't tried…he'd only gotten to the edge of the pit, however, before the figure of the graceful woman was no longer visable.
"Good bye Kikyou, thank you for getting so far," He sighed and stretched, berating himself for getting attached. The only thing that made him feel better was the fact that they weren't close enough to call each other friends. The lost of the priestess was hard on him only for the fact that he respected her, and the lost of the hope that she could free him from Naraku.
He also cursed himself for getting his hopes up that he might have been free.
'I'll just have to wait for the next one,' he thought depressingly as the enchanted sleep started to claim his senses. The half demon fell to his knees as his eyes closed, and then he landed on his cheek. His senses drifted away as he became asleep once more, awaiting for the next fool to stumble into Naraku's labyrinth so he could awaken to lead them.
Once his curse, his magical sleep, was complete the goblins that lived in the maze came out of hiding and hauled him back to the stone tunnel that led from Ireland to the other world where Naraku's lair was.
After securing him, the creatures left Inu Yasha until he was once again awoken because of someone stepping into the tunnel. His eyes opened to the sound of voices floating to him on an invisable breeze, and even though the owners of the voices were so far away, he could still hear them clearly.
All thoughts of Kikyou and freedom fled Inu Yasha's mind as he set to work on guiding this new set of travelers. The odd thing was, unlike everyone else, they were laughing and enjoying each other's company. Was that possible? Was it even possible to laugh anymore? Inu Yasha wasn't sure, laughter wasn't something he was used to.
.
Present
.
"Inu Yasha?" A sweet voice cooed into his ear, dragging the half demon from his dreams.
Memories from the past had turned into dreadful nightmares. In his dreams now, Inu Yasha was desperately reaching out to someone as they drifted into the darkness, but it wasn't Kikyou, the hand was too small to be the late miko.
And the last thing the hanyou remembered were wide eyes staring back at him, the stormy orbs flashing with fear, making him want to reach the woman all the more desperately. But when he finally managed to grab her hand to pull her back to him…the hands simply fazed through one another, the woman disappearing.
"Inu Yasha," the voice was back, and came with a shake to the shoulder this time. "Come on and wake up, I'm getting you up before the others, you don't seem like a morning person to me…"
"Hm?" He hummed, finally cracking his eye open. The first thing he saw was a set of the same blue eyes from his nightmares, but this time they were dancing with happiness and not fright. "K'gome…?" He mumbled, finally making the connection that the girl in his dream that he was so strongly trying to rescue was this one.
"Yeah?" Her voice was still quiet, and seemed to be filled with laughter. She was so different from Kikyou. Both had the soft feminine air around them, but Kagome just seemed so much more alive. No pun intended...
"Nothin'," he muttered, giving a wide toothed yawn, his fangs flashing.
Kagome giggled and poked him in the shoulder, "Wake up, I'm going to get Sango and Miroku up now. K?"
"Whatever," he grumbled, sitting up. Then it hit him. Why had he been dreaming of Kagome? Why had he been dreaming at all?! Dreaming meant sleeping, and he shouldn't have been sleeping. He should have been keeping a look out.
"Damn," he cursed.
"What?" Kagome looked over her shoulder at him, her braid so loose it was almost completely undone.
Inu Yasha looked back at her, meeting her eyes with his own. Remembering his dream, he quickly averted his gaze. "Nothing, are you getting their lazy asses up or what?"
Kagome sighed at his snapping, but was more curious in the faintest of blushes over his cheeks. She shook her head of all thoughts and turned back to the other three in their group, and poked them all a few times.
Shippou woke up first. The kit blinked his bleary green eyes, memories of the day before flooding back to him. Remembering that he wasn't stuck back at the opening gate, and asleep, he looked up at Kagome's smiling face.
'I'm not alone anymore,' was his thought as he jumped up and clung to Kagome's neck. 'I have Kagome now too, and Inu Yasha too.'
Kagome giggled and detached him, only to set him against her hip. She then shook Sango's shoulder gently until the older girl pulled herself out of a deep sleep. Once the miko was sure the demon huntress was awake, she turned to Miroku, the last one asleep.
Smirking evilly, she decided on how she'd wake him up this morning. Instead of the gently poking and shaking she'd given everyone else, Kagome nudged him with her toe gently…before kicking hard.
"What the?!" Miroku yelped, sitting bolt upright, grabbing his staff and holding it in front of him. His hair was loose from it's pony tail and dancing around his shoulders, and his eyes were wide and frantic. "Where are the attackers?!"
Instead of war cries, he heard mad giggling. Frowning, his heart slowing to a more healthy and slow rate, he looked beside him.
Kagome was bent over laughing, her hand against her mouth to smother the sound. Shippou was choking on his silent giggles, and Inu Yasha looking at them all amused. Sango was the only one with a straight face as she glared at Kagome.
"Kag-chan! That was NOT funny!" She managed to get that all out before erupting in laughter of her own. "I'm sorry Houshi-sama, we're so mean to you! I'll stop laughing…in a minute….okay, now…or not…hang on…"
Miroku gave up scowled before retying his loose hair back. Getting up from where the four had curled up all night, he shifted all his robes back into place and went over to stand beside Inu Yasha.
The two men looked on as the two fully grown women and the little boy snorted in laughter.
"…Maybe it's because it happened to me," Miroku started slowly, looking over to fix Inu Yasha with a mild glare. Inu Yasha met it with his own. "But…I don't see how kicking me awake was funny enough to make them act like that." The monk gestured to the three red faced companions.
Inu Yasha looked back at the others before shaking his head. "Don't worry, it wasn't all that funny. They just need to laugh their asses off for once, that's all."
"I suppose you're right…if we remain too serious, we'll get out of this adventure as old men and women," A smile played at Miroku's lips at the thought.
"If you get out of this alive at all," Inu Yasha muttered, turning away from them all to set about sharpening his sword.
Miroku watched the half demon quizzically. 'Is he so sure that we are not capable of getting through this unscathed? He truly does not have faith in us…' Miroku smirked, thinking about the group's abilities.
He wasn't naturally one to jump to anything, but he was confident that he and his friends would make it through all right. With or without the help of the half demon Inu Yasha.
.
.
.
A little shorter than normal, but it explained how Kikyou died. You'll still have to wait for how Inu Yasha got roped into helping Naraku, but that might be awhile. I don't think I'll reveal the deal between the two half demons until their final fight…please review! Ja ne!