…From the Ashes the Phoenix Rises

By Danyealle

(FanFiction/Angst)

Chapter 9

Sitting up high in the God’s Tree, with his head buried in his bent knees, Inuyasha was very unhappy.  No, unhappy was too mild of a word-outright miserable fit better.  He would have thought that he would have been less tense and be able to relax with the miko and Lord Asshole gone but that wasn’t the case.  Even with them gone whenever he was around the rest of the pack they were still cool to him.  Yes, they were still friends and he was still included in things they did but they were a lot colder and less open than they were before.  He still didn’t get that, it wasn’t like he did anything to them personally.  When Sango heard that her response had been that if he could do something like that to Kagome then why should the huntress and Miroku think he wouldn’t betray them as well.  He had tried to argue with that rational but they hadn’t bought his view or really seemed to believe anything he had said.  One of these days he would learn to keep his big yap shut…

Honestly, he wished people would just get the fuck over it already!  Apparently Kagome had decided to become the Ice Queen and pretend he didn’t exist-whatever!  No sweat off his balls.  She’d eventually get over it.  He was pretty sure he could thank his fuckhead baka brother and that mangy, flea-bitten wolf for that turn of events.  They, he was fairly certain, had filled her head with all kinds of crap so she stayed away from him.  Although he couldn’t prove it he had a good idea what the two were up to,  Kouga had always wanted Kagome, the hanyou was almost 100% sure this was just another scheme to try to get her.  As for Lord Asshole… one word:  tetsusaiga!  ‘Nough said!  Apparently the daft bitch was too stupid to see that they were using her.  Maybe he should come up with a way to snag her, get her away from the two manipulative fucks so he could talk some sense into her and make her see what they were up to.  Once he got it through her thick skull everything should be fine.  Well…  After she apologized for the way she had been treating him that is.  Yes, he understood what he had done was wrong but what she was doing to him was wrong too!  She had to see that.  Once that was all out of the way things could go back to the way the used to be.

But, honestly, could they go back?  Ears flattening a bit, he wondered if they could or if, this time, he had too much damage for things to go back to the way they used to be.  But, honestly, that couldn’t be helped.  Yes, he adored Kagome but she had to understand that he couldn’t just abandon Kikyo.  No, he didn’t like what she had become or some of the things she did but he loved her and couldn’t just turn his back on her.  Kagome had always seemed to understand that in the past so it shouldn’t be a problem now.  If it was, well that would be her problem, not his.  She would just have to accept it.

Hitching a deep sigh, he thought about Kikyo.  To be honest he didn’t like what Kikyo was now nor the things she did but he had made a promise to her and he couldn’t break it.  While she was in this realm he was hers.

Refusing to let himself go down that train of thought and end up confused he forced himself to move to another subject.  Naraku…  Switching gears, he began to sort through all the clues they had about the spider then tried to figure out what he was up to as well where he might be holed up.  After that, what it might take to finally bring him down and end his reign of terror.

As the first orange of the setting sun appeared peak over the horizon he spied Kikyo’s snake-like soul collectors flitting by, a signature that told him she wanted to see him.  Without another thought, he hopped out of the tree and followed the eerie white demons like a greyhound after a rabbit.

~~~~~~~~~~@~~~~~~~~~~

Unbeknownst to Inuyasha he had an audience for his musings.  Kouga, who had stayed in the shadows and down wind so the hanyou, was watching them.  Unlike Sesshomaru the ookami wasn’t willing to wait for a chance encounter to confront the dead bitch.  He had assumed when the pack had taken a few days off from the hunt the bitch would make an appearance.  He was right.  Silently, he followed them but kept a large distance between them.

Unlike what most may think Kouga was well aware of how beings saw him but he didn’t give a damn, as a bit of a fool, not real smart or having much in the way of demonic powers.  They were wrong, it’s all an act.  He learned long ago that in all probability the best weapon he had was the fact that most people underestimated him and his power.  If you thought that someone was a goofy bastard you weren’t going to take him seriously.  That was a bad move.  He didn’t get the mantle of leadership by accident.  Yes, his title was something he was born with but to maintain his position and have the status he had you needed to use force.  Taking it was the easy part; holding onto it was another matter entirely.  You had to fight off everyone that wanted to knock you off the top of the heap.  There were a lot that tried to do just that but so far he had taken all that had come his way and he was still leader.  That should make it clear to other beings that he wasn’t the fool they thought he was.  But it seemed most didn’t take time to think about it.

Because of his over exuberant personality and the way he went about things the mindset from many was that he didn’t have the cunning and brutality it took to lead from time to time. Again, the were wrong.  He could, and would, do what it took if the situation presented its self.  Most seemed to forget that he was a wolf demon, a deadly predator that stalked and killed its prey. 

Despite his open and bold declarations of love for Kagome he had always known she wasn’t ‘his woman’.  But what he did view her as was a little sister, someone that needed his protection and to be defended.  She had proven herself to him from their first meeting, showing courage and a sense of honor very few had any more.  From that point forward she had his complete and total loyalty.  Yes, he would have liked for her to become his mate but if that wasn’t in the cards then that was fine.  Many in his tribe viewed her as a member of the pack.  He was fine with that and did nothing to dissuade that line of thought because as far as he was concerned she was. 

That’s why the situation with Inuyasha had affected him the way it had.  For someone, especially a being as close to the miko as the hanyou had been, to inflict that kind of pain on her enraged him!  But he didn’t blame the hanyou for the whole thing, half the blame fell on Kikyo.  It was Kikyo he could do something about and he damn sure intended to.  The hanyou had better not get in his way either if he knew what was good for him.  Kagome had suffered enough because of the things the dead miko had done.  It was now time for her suffering to end.

Fighting the urge to crack his knuckles and growl, he moved almost silently, not letting the hanyou out of his sight.

~~~~~~~~~~@~~~~~~~~~~

Per usual, Inuyasha was led right to her.  Coming into the clearing his nose was assaulted by the stench of graveyard soil.  While the smell was sickening he tolerated it as the price he had to play to be with her.  After giving her a peck on the cheek, he settled down on the ground by her.

Immediately, Kikyo jumped to the topic that she wanted to know about.  “Has my reincarnation left for good yet?”  she asked coldly.

Sighing, Inuyasha shook his head.  “No, she’s just gone for a few days is all.”

“I thought you were going to get rid of her for good Inuyasha!  You told me you would.  If you don’t we can’t be together,” she scolded, the tone the same one someone would use on an unruly child.

Once again any coherent thought processes ceased to function then flew away on little birdie wings somewhere over the rainbow and he went into ‘please Kikyo because she’s the only one that matters’ mode.  “There isn’t any way for me to get even close to the bitch.  That stupid fucking wolf and my asshole half-brother won’t let me close to her.  Every time I even try to just talk to her the stupid bitch walks away from me without saying a word then someone is there to make sure I don’t follow her,” he snarled

“I thought you were stronger than that.  I guess I was wrong,” she sighed, shaking her head.

“I’ll find a way to rid of her!”  he growled.  “This time I’ll make sure I seal the well so no one can go get her,” though he sounded angry what he really was dealing with was panic.  He didn’t want her to leave him again.  Suddenly pleasing Kikyo was the only thing in his life that mattered.

That was it for Kouga, he had heard more than enough.  Stepping out from where he had been concealed he stalked into the clearing, snarling with his eyes taking on a bit of a red tinge to them.  “Over my dead body you will Inuyasha!”  he barked.

Neither of the two seated there had sensed his presence so were startled but quickly stood, weapons drawn and ready for battle.

Seeing Inuyasha holding on to the untransformed tetsusaiga, Kouga snorted in amusement.  “What do you plan to do with that useless piece of metal Inuyasha?  Pick my teeth?”

Jamming the sword back into its sheath, hell he didn’t have a clue why he pulled it-must be force of habit, he flexed his claws.  “What the fuck do you want you mangy excuse for a wolf?”

Keeping on eye on the dead priestess, who had an arrow notched in her bow that was aimed right for him, he glanced at the hanyou.  “I’m here to keep a vow I made.  I said if I saw the dead bitch I will send her where she belongs!”  He snapped.

“Oh like hell you will!  You’ll have to get through me first fucker!” he bellowed, stepping in front of Kikyo.

“Don’t tempt me dog-breath,” Kouga replied, grinning, cracking his knuckles.  “Unlike some I wouldn’t have a problem taking you both out.”  Once more he focused his attention fully on Inuyasha; he sighed and shook his head.  “You know Inuyasha, I had always kept a tiny sliver of hope alive that Kagome had heard what you said wrong or missed something before she went home that time.  Deep down I knew it was a false hope but I tried to keep it alive.  However, after what I just heard any hope that you will ever have just a tiny bit of honor is gone.  As far as I’m concerned you’re no better than Naraku, but that’s just my opinion,” the ookami shrugged.

“Do NOT ever compare me to Naraku!”  Inuyasha bellowed, clenching his fists.

“Why not?  You were just sitting here plotting how to get rid of Kagome.  He’s done that plenty of times.  Your dead bitch,” he pointed over the hanyou’s shoulder at Kikyo, “Has been in cahoots with Naraku before and helped him.  Now she’s demanding something from you that sounds quite similar to some of the things Naraku has done.  So, sorry, sounds like it’s on par with the spider to me.”

 Before Inuyasha could come up with one of the profanity-laced retorts he was infamous for Kikyo shot one of her sacred arrows at Kouga. 

As would be expected when it comes to Kouga, he easily dodged the flying projectile, side-stepping it and the one she sent right after it.  There was something about those arrows that surprised him; the spiritual power that surrounded them seemed to be weak.  Normally they glowed a bright pink but these only seemed to have a very faint glow surrounding them.  Kouga doubted that the energy that was in them wouldn’t have even stung his skin let alone purify any part of him.

She fired one more, which he easily dodged.  The energy in that one was even weaker.  Knowing the ookami would get through Inuyasha fairly quickly and she was basically defenseless without her purifying arrows so she decided discretion was the better part of valor and retreat was the healthiest thing she could do.  Calling to her soul collectors they then wrapped around her and carried her away. 

“Kikyo!”  Inuyasha called after her retreating form, completely ignoring Kouga. 

Attempting to knock sense into the senseless, Kouga smacked Inuyasha in the back of the head.  “You really are a dumb fuck Inuyasha.”  Kouga snarled.  Grabbing him by the arm, he spun him around and grabbed two fists full of fire rat and pulled him closer until they were standing toe to toe.  Growling, he bit out, “Stay away from Kagome!” after a long menacing growl, he let go of the hanyou and walked away.

“Yeah?  Well you stay away Kikyo!”  Inuyasha shouted at Kouga’s retreating back and then he took off the direction Kikyo had gone.

~~~~~~~~~~@~~~~~~~~~~

Walking back to Edo Kouga thought about what he had seen and heard.  There were two different and distinct things that needed dealt with:  Kikyo and Inuyasha.

Rather than go into Edo its self, he detoured and went to the hot springs near the small village.  Stripping down, he slipped into the bubbling water and tried to relax and order his thoughts.  After dividing everything into two camps, mentally, he then started to go over everything.

He decided to start with the easier of the two situations:  Kikyo.  Since spending more time in Edo he had heard plenty about what Kikyo had been like when she was alive.  What now walked the earth didn’t seem to resemble the being he had heard so much about.  From what he had heard and observed the walking piece of pottery it was obvious that the only thing the clay version and the real thing was they looked alike. The clay version was a hateful, vindictive thing that seemed to only exist to get revenge on Inuyasha and hurt Kagome.  It didn’t made sense to him that a being who had purported to love Inuyasha would be attempting to do what she was.  Repeatedly, she had been told what really happened and Naraku’s involvement in it.  So why did she repeatedly do what she had to the hanyou?  He was just a dupe like she was in the situation.  Why blame him and want revenge?  It made no sense.

What made even less sense was what she was doing to Kagome.  Yes, he grasped that part of it was to hurt Inuyasha but that didn’t explain the malice that she seemed to hold for Kagome.  That went far beyond using her as a pawn to hurt Inuyasha.  It appeared to be personal but as far as he knew Kagome had done nothing to warrant that kind of hatred.  In fact, from his understanding, it should be the direct opposite.  It made him wonder if there wasn’t someone else’s hand in this as well.  That would indeed explain some of it. 

There was something else puzzling him; the lack of spiritual powers in the arrows earlier.  From his understanding she had always been very powerful, even after her resurrection it was evident.  Then why all of a sudden was she weakening?  This wasn’t, from what he observed, a case of having an ‘off’ day.  She had tried to pour everything she had into those last two but it had no effect.  What was going on with that?  Honestly, he had no clue.  But it was something he would bring up to some others to see if they could explain it.

Filing that entire nightmare away he moved on to the bigger nightmare; Inuyasha.  Almost immediately after thinking the hanyou’s name he could feel his blood pressure spike. 

Yes, he could understand that Inuyasha still had feelings for Kikyo and the promise that he had made to her but he couldn’t understand why he had done what he had to Kagome.  It was like the dead miko sucked any bit of common sense out Inuyasha whenever she was around him. 

Despite what the hanyou may have thought he was well aware that Inuyasha was very sorry and felt guilty about what he had done to Kagome.  So why did he just spout the same shit one again?!?  From what he had heard it sounded like an encore performance of the one that had done the damage to Kagome. 

If he had his druthers Inuyasha would be banished from the pack, after being given a beating he would never forget of course.  But he also understood Sesshomaru’s logic when it came to keeping the half-breed around.  No one had more experience battling Naraku.  With that experience came a knowledge that few others possessed and they would need that to defeat Naraku.

Sighing, he didn’t know what to do about the situation.  Until Sesshomaru’s name popped into his head that is.  Scrambling out of the water, he quickly dressed then headed back to Edo.  Writing out everything he had seen and heard he dispatched the scroll with one of his wolves with orders to deliver it to Sesshomaru at the Western Fortress.  The taiyoukai would be much better equipped to deal with the situation than he was.

~~~~~~~~~~@~~~~~~~~~~

Panting heavily, Inuyasha leaned his forehead against the tree trunk in front of him.  As he expected, he hadn’t been able to catch up with Kikyo.  She was long gone with no trace or clue that would give him a hint were she would be.  He probably wouldn’t see her again until she decided to stop torturing him and grace him with her presence once more.

Banging his head on the tree a couple times, he growled.  Kami he was one DUMB fuck!  Yet again his brains dropped into his ass and all common sense seemed to go into hiding.  For whatever reason Kikyo had the power to get him tied into knots then forget everything else BUT her and could get him to do anything whether he wanted to or not.  This time however it was different.  It wasn’t Kagome that overheard them but Kouga.  If Kouga had heard what they talked about then Lord Asshole would as well because that mangy wolf would tell him.  GAH!  That’s something he sure didn’t need.  If he thought his life was miserable before he was positive that what would be coming would make hell look like paradise.  The fuckhead duo was probably going to do everything in their power to make sure he suffered.  Oh yes, his life SUCKED! 

Like what had happened a lot since Kagome came back, his mind once again circled back to the thing that he was sure would go a long way towards fixing almost everything or at least make a good start at it.  Kagome and her forgiveness.  He desperately needed to talk to the wench!  Only she could fix the situation.  Once things were back to normal with her it would the rest of the pack would probably follow suit as well.  There had to be a way to get through to her and make her listen.  There had to be something or some way!  If he could just get her away from her fucking body guards then he would have a chance.

Sighing, he slid down the tree and plopped onto the ground, face buried in his hands.  Once again he gave himself a mental working over.  Gah, he was one stupid fuck!  He didn’t want to get rid of Kagome.  He never wanted to get rid of her.  Even if all they were destined to be was just friends he wanted her around.

Why did he have to keep making things harder on himself?  Why? Why? Why? Life was hard enough so why did he seem to have a compulsive need to make it harder?  Seriously, he needed to get his shit together and pull his head out of his ass.  He also needed to put a damned leash on his mouth because it seemed like every time it opened and started flapping he ended up in some sort of trouble.  Well, actually thinking before his mouth opened and shutting his mouth when his brain stopped running might be helpful as well. Knowing what would help improve things and actually doing it were two different things.