InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Love over Death ❯ One ( Chapter 1 )

Love over Death

Chapter One

 

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`It's raining,' he noticed as a bitter smile crept across his face.

 

He placed a hand against the cold, finely polished stone of the tomb, slowly tracing the characters that had tenderly been carved into it so long ago.

 

`It was raining on that night, too...'

 

He stared at the grave blankly, his long, silver-white hair swaying gently in the light autumn breeze.

 

`I used to hate the rain. Now it isn't so bad. I remember you loved it, though; you always did. You would drag me out in the middle of even the fiercest of storms. At first I would be so angry with you for doing that, and I would pout and grumble like the child I was, but then once I became used to it I didn't care as much. Watching you in the rain... it used to calm me, make me forget my troubles. You always looked so peaceful, so beautiful.'

 

He sighed, allowing his mind to conjure up an image of his past. In his mind's eye he could clearly see himself, age thirteen, and her, age twelve, playing and laughing together along the outskirts of the village. If he listened closely to his own thoughts, he could almost hear the delicate whisper of her voice in his ear, and could swear that he felt the feather-light caress of her fingers against his cheek if he focused intently on the memory. It was almost as though her spirit was at his side, comforting him with soft utterances of his name.

 

But that was ridiculous, he knew. She was dead; her soul was safely resting in heaven while his was cursed to forever roam the earth alone. She was now an angel up above whilst he remained merely a phantom, disregarded and forgotten by all.

 

He closed his eyes tightly in an attempt to block out the images. He didn't want to remember. Yet, at the same time, he really felt no deep desire to forget. He didn't want to lose all the memories he had of his life - of her - but it still upset him to be reminded of the fact that she would never again be a part of the world he dwelled in, and that he himself would never have somewhere to belong on the earth either.

 

Placing a small bouquet of wildflowers in front of the grave, he said a quick prayer for her departed spirit just as he typically did when paying a visit. He then stood up, straightening his posture, and turned around.

 

A drop of salty liquid slid down the side of his cheek, clinging to the translucent skin of his face. The drop was followed steadily by another, and then another, and another, until a river of clear liquid could be detected flowing from his eyes. He himself knew not if it was the rain, or if it was the tears he had refused to shed ever since the day of her death.

 

It must have just been an illusion from the rain, though.

 

After all, ghosts couldn't cry.

 

He walked away, never once stopping to look back at the gravestone. A jumbled of thoughts swirled in his head, but one word dominated most of them. One word, her name:

 

“Kikyou...”

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

 

“Hey, Inuyasha, where have you been all this time?”

 

Inuyasha blinked, glancing down at the black-haired girl who stood blocking the entrance of her bedroom; the young woman who so closely resembled his lost beloved - Kagome Higurashi.

 

He glared at her, crossing his arms over his chest, “None of your business.”

 

Kagome fumed. “It is so my business. As long as you're living in my house, you and everything you do is my business.”

 

“Need I remind you that it was my house long before it belonged to your family,” he snapped, adding, “bitch,” as an afterthought. “And I'm telling you that my affairs are none of your concern. So back off for once.”

 

Kagome's mouth hung open in shock.

 

Never in her life had a man dared speak to her in such a disrespectful manner. Then again, this was Inuyasha she was conversing with. He wasn't exactly a normal twenty-first century man - in fact, he wasn't even a man, nor was he from the twenty-first century. As unbelievable as it sounded, he was actually the ghost of a half-demon dog who had lived during the Japan Warring States era. How he had come to haunt her bedroom, though, she hadn't the faintest clue.

 

“What are you gaping at?” Inuyasha questioned.

 

The black-haired girl shook her head vehemently as she noticed that the half-demon specter had materialized past her and into her bedroom. She stared at him moodily and approached her bed, which he currently was sprawled across as if he were a grand king.

 

“It's nothing,” she told him.

 

“Then why do you keep looking at me?”

 

“What else is there to look at?”

 

“Kagome, is everything all right up there?” Mrs. Higurashi called from downstairs.

 

Kagome whirled around and stuck her head out of the bedroom door. “Everything's fine!” she assured her mother, feigning innocence.

 

Inuyasha snorted from his position on the bed and she shot him a fierce glare.

 

“Okay then. Dinner will be ready at six, dear.”

 

The teenaged girl closed the door and then strode over to her bed. Her unique midnight-colored eyes traveled down to the half-demon ghost and she pursed her lips thoughtfully. He fascinated her to no end. She had to admit that, at first, she hadn't believed he was real, but as days went by she learned to accept his existence. It had only been about two weeks since she first met him, but already she felt a strong connection to him; it was too difficult to explain with merely words.

 

“Hey, Inuyasha...?”

 

Inuyasha opened one of his eyes in time to see Kagome situate herself on the edge of the bed. He made a minute humming noise in the back of his throat to alert her to the fact that he was paying attention, though not very interested in whatever she wanted to say.

 

“How did you come to live here? In my room, I mean,” she asked.

 

He sighed in aggravation. “I already told you, this was my house long before your family bought it.”

 

“I know that,” she continued, playing contemplatively with the frays of the comforter, “But... you're not alive anymore, so what are you still doing hanging around here? Shouldn't you be, I don't know, in heaven or something with your family?”

 

Inuyasha chose to remain silent, although opting to cast a sour frown in her direction. The past - or his past, to be more precise - was not exactly a topic he enjoyed discussing with other people.

 

“Inuyasha..?”

 

Kagome's voice sounded hesitant and quiet, much unlike it had been a few minutes ago.

 

“What?”

 

She jumped at his snappish tone, but visibly relaxed in matter of seconds. Unsurely she reached forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, half expecting the appendage to pass straight through his finely-skin. To her pleasant surprise, her hand stayed in place, and she was able to feel faint, artificial warmth spread to her fingertips. This meant that, aside from being the only one who could see him, Kagome could actually touch Inuyasha too; the thought caused her heart to jump in excitement.

 

Inuyasha stiffened, at the touch, not having felt the hands of a living soul in over five hundred years. Both his eyes opened in shock and he watched her as she inched closer to him. Studying her features closely, he could tell she yearned for an honest response.

 

“... I died here,” he said softly, “in this house.”

 

He jerked his head in the direction of the window, drawing Kagome's focus to the tall, thick tree which grew proudly in the center of the side yard of the shrine.

 

“Outside of your room grows the ancient God Tree to which my physical body was pinned and destroyed.”

 

“Destroyed? But how? You're a half-demon; what could have killed you so easily?”

 

Inuyasha ignored that particular query and so Kagome plowed along to the next question.

 

“It still doesn't explain why your spirit is still lingering here on earth,” she pointed out wisely.

 

The silver-haired ghost groaned, becoming annoyed easily by all she demanded to know. He wasn't used to revealing so many details, especially not to girls whom he had met not even a month ago, and felt very awkward telling her everything she asked. He rolled over so that his back faced her; he did not wish to deal with her sickeningly curious gaze.

 

“Sometimes, when a person dies prematurely, their soul becomes bound to the site of their death. I was murdered in front of the God Tree, and as a result I am cursed to remain trapped here in the shrine... probably forever. Of course, I can easily materialize to another part of Tokyo - another part of the country, even - but such a task would require a lot of spiritual energy that I just don't have; and even if I did, it would use up most of my strength and I would be forced to return here in order to recoup.”

 

Kagome nodded her head, mentally recording all of this information. “I suppose that makes sense.”

 

He didn't say anything for a moment and she folded her hands neatly in her lap.

 

“Inuyasha... how did you die? I mean, I know you were killed by someone else; but whom? And why?” Here, ocean-blue eyes moved to lock with the golden orbs of the half-demon, staring into him imploringly. “I know you don't like to talk about it - you ignore me every time I ask - but, please... I want to know. It might be good for you to let it out, too.”

 

The half-demon ghost turned his head sharply to glare at her. There was pain clearly evident in his amber eyes, but the rest of his features were contorted into a furious scowl. He sat up abruptly and she reeled back, fearful for the very first time since first meeting him that Inuyasha might strike her - and what made things worse was that she now knew she would be able to feel it.

 

Against her worries, Inuyasha stood from the bed and stormed over to the bedroom window, never uttering a syllable. He opened the window, preparing to leave, but was halted by her pleading voice.

 

“Inuyasha, wait!” Kagome called, grabbing hold of the glowing fabric of his haori.

 

“No,” Inuyasha replied firmly. “I've already told you more than I should have.”

 

Kagome started forward. “But, I—”

 

“—No!”

 

She stopped immediately in her tracks, letting out a disgruntled huff of frustration. To release her anger, she moved away from him and picked up a nearby pillow from the floor and tossed it at him, growling when it merely passed through his translucent body. He appeared unaffected, but she could tell that her antics upset him by the way his disappeared speedily moments after the pillow was thrown.

 

Stomping her feet childishly, she pouted. “Ugh! What a total jerk!”

 

Kagome looked back to the window, tilting her head curiously to the side as she noticed Inuyasha materialize on the side lawn of the shrine. He emerged into view at the base of the God Tree and placed one of his clawed hands against the rough bark of the trunk.

 

The expression on his face was one she had never seen before - his features were twisted sadly, giving him the impression of a man who had been betrayed many times in his life. He seemed so broken as he stared longingly at the tree before him that Kagome's heart went out to him, and she had to wonder what could be causing him so much grief.

 

She wished that he would open up to her. She wanted to know what was on his mind; she wanted him to tell her, but she knew that would be requesting far too much from the half-demon. When it came to his past or other matters close to that category, Inuyasha was a closed book.

 

Exhaling tiredly, Kagome laid down on her bed, hugging the blankets close to her petite body. Midnight-blue orbs tore themselves away from the window, falling shut seconds afterwards. She sighed, allowing her mind to drift away from awareness.

 

“Isn't it beautiful, Kagome? Much better than that crummy apartment back in the US.”

 

Kagome squinted, taking in the view of the vast property that made up Higurashi Shrine in awe. She had never seen anything like it before and had to agree instantly with her mother's comment about their new home.

 

“It's so pretty! I can't believe Gramps has been living here alone for so long. How the heck did he manage to take such good care pf the place by himself?”

 

Mrs. Higurashi nodded her head. “Yes, it's a little hard to think of your grandfather properly taking care of anything, but he really does love this place. He always refused to leave whenever I offered for him to come and live with us. So I guess we'll just have to cope with moving here - though I really don't think the transition will be entirely too painful. I just hope that you and Souta feel the same.”

 

The black-haired girl shrugged. “It shouldn't be too bad. Souta's so young; he'll easily make new friends. As for me, well, I'll miss all my friends and everything back in Florida, but I'll keep in touch with them.”

 

“That's the spirit, my girl,” said a familiar, elderly male voice.

 

“Grandpa!”

 

Kagome ran forward, followed excitedly by her younger brother, and embraced the old man. Grandpa Higurashi stumbled and then returned the hug.

 

“Easy, girl; my back is in horrible shape.”

 

The teenager flushed in apology. “Sorry, Gramps,” she mumbled before casting her azure eyes in the direction of the main house. “So, which room is mine?” she eagerly changed the topic.

 

“The one directly across from that tall tree right there, on the second floor,” Grandpa Higurashi pointed out. “You know that tree is very, very old. It is called the Goshinboku - God Tree - and is shrouded by mysterious rumors, some of which date back all the way to the feudal era!”

 

He stopped mid-speech in time to see his granddaughter speeding away towards the front door of the main house. “H-hey!” He sputtered, “I was talking to you! This is important history, Kagome!”

 

Kagome was no longer listening, however, and so was unable to hear her grandfather's pleas for her to turn around and listen to the remainder of his lecture. Instead, she entered the home and quickly found the stairwell which led to the second floor. After pausing a brief moment to take in the house's decorations, she ascended the wooden steps. Reaching the next level of the house, she made her way down a predominantly barren hallway, stopping to open the second door on her left - the one which she presumed led to the bedroom her grandfather had pointed out to her from outside.

 

... And, upon opening the door, she nearly suffered a heart attack when she was greeted not by a clear view of her new bedroom, but a strangely-dressed young man with silver hair - and were those dog ears on top of his head? - standing on the other side.

 

He stumbled back, shocked him her sudden appearance in the room. Kagome stared at him, wide-eyed, and tried to figure out if he was actually glowing or if it was just a trick of the light. She didn't have very long to mentally debate with herself about the subject, though, for the small gasp that he emitted broke through her jumbled thoughts.

 

As he took a step forward and closer to her, Kagome retreated out the door, and she continued to back up until her back pressed against the door on the opposite side of the hallway.

 

The black-haired girl stared up at the young man, her cerulean eyes locking with his skeptical amber orbs, vaguely noticing that he had raised a hand to her cheek. She jumped when she felt the cold, ghostly touch of his fingertips against her skin. She opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the stranger forcefully pulling her into a warm embrace. She wanted to scream, and she would have had he not cleverly muted all possible noise by covering her lips with his own.

 

Kagome's body became rigid in shock, her hands poised to push him away from her. The color rushed to her cheeks and she tried to sort out all the many thoughts racing through her still-distorted mind.

 

Who was this guy?

 

Why was he dressed so oddly?

 

Why did he have dog ears?

 

Why was he kissing her? -

 

`Oh my God,' Kagome gasped, `my first kiss has been stolen by I guy I don't even know!'

 

At this realization, she slumped back against the wall in a depressed manner.

 

When it registered that his mouth had left hers and had instead moved to her ear, she cringed.

 

“Hey, who do you think you are?” She cried, her initial shock ebbing away and transforming into annoyance. “What the heck do you think you're -”

 

“—Kikyou...”

 

Her eyes gazed deeply up into his and she became suddenly aware of the reasoning behind his peculiar actions: he had mistaken her for someone else.

 

For some reason, that fact disappointed her more than it should have.

 

Kagome remembered very well the events that transpired upon first arriving at Higurashi Shrine. She clearly recalled seeing Inuyasha for the first time, and had never been able to forget the feel of his lips against hers, for it had felt so real; she could feel true love, adoration, and yearning pouring through that kiss. But... he hadn't really been kissing her.

 

“That's right. He called me Kikyou the time he kissed me,” she mused aloud, disheartened. She bit down on her lower lip, thinking hard. “I wonder who she was. I'm guessing that he knew her back when he was still alive, but I don't think he's ever mentioned her to me before. Weird...”

 

A faint glimmer on the other side of the room caught her attention and she sat up, smiling softly as Inuyasha reappeared.

 

“Hi,” he greeted lamely.

 

Swinging her legs over the side of her bed, Kagome hoisted herself to her feet. “Hi,” she replied with a nod. “What are you doing in here? I thought you were angry with me.”

 

“I am, but I got worried when you didn't come looking for me.”

 

Inuyasha must have realized that his words made him seem too concern, especially after seeing the hopeful expression Kagome sported, for he jumped back and held his hands out defensively.

 

“D-don't get the wrong idea! I wasn't worried about you,” he corrected himself, efficiently wiping the affectionate smile from her face. “You just usually always follow me like an annoying little pest, is all.”

 

Kagome felt her throat tighten.

 

Was that all he thought of her as; an annoying pest? Did she really bother him that much?

 

“Kagome, dinner's ready!”

 

The black-haired girl stood where she was for a minute, not saying a word and trying valiantly to fight away the tears which stung the back of her eyes.

 

Inuyasha could sense the tears and was in an instant by her side, his countenance displaying deep regret.

 

“Kagome, I'm sorry. Please don't cry.”

 

She slapped his hand away as he tried to rest it down on her shoulder and moved briskly to the door, pausing a moment with her hand over the knob.

 

“Go away. I don't want to see you right now.”

 

With that said, she left, leaving behind a dumbfounded half-demon ghost.