Artificial Love

Artificial Love


I’mmm Baaaack! I already know that you missed me so I’ll just get on with it. Really angsty chapter. You have been warned, so read on if you dare. MWAHAHAHAHA Ha, ha...where did that come from? Oh well. Review!


Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha, but he and Miroku are staying in my basement at the moment. I locked my psychiatrist in the closet with the pills, and moved Kagome into her own little cage. It wasn’t so I could poke her with a stick though...What?

Thoughts are written in.


Chapter 4: Catch your tears

Kagome was disappointed. What should have been a two day hike back to Kaede’s was now nearing a week. A week, that in Kagome’s mind, had felt like a year. She kept accidentally seeing them. When they thought she wasn’t watching, and they exchanged loving looks, she saw. She wished she could stop looking. She wished that none of this had ever happened, and she didn’t have to worry about not looking.

It was her fault, all of it. She realized that. Wasn’t that enough punishment for her stupid fantasy? Wasn’t it?

Now it seemed that every demon along their path back to reality decided to attack them for their jewel shards. Whatever. They were almost back now anyway. Let the stupid demons do whatever they wanted. At least it gave Sango a way to vent her anger.

Said demon slayer gave an angry huff, as she quickly cleaned the latest layer of youkai blood, and various other unrecognizable bits off of her hiraikotsu. Having finished, she stalked off moodily towards Kaede’s village, Kirarra close behind. Inuyasha and Miroku exchanged worried looks, and followed silently, leaving Kagome, and Shippo(who slept peacefully thru out the fight in the safety of Kagome’s bike basket) to bring up the rear.

At last Kagome could see the familiar buildings that made up Kaede’s village. Her gloominess let up a bit, and she sped up, eager to reach Kaede’s hut and get Inuyasha back. She was listening when he had spoken to Miroku about taking the antidote. He said that he had loved her. She smiled, as she felt the hope that she thought she’d lost bubble up inside her. He loved her.

Kaede stood outside of her hut as they approached. She slowly took in the situation, then let out a small grunt of understanding.

“What I had warned ye about has come to pass, has it not child.”

Kagome flinched visibly at the older miko’s words. “But,It wasn’t like...yes,” she said flatly, while nervously wringing her hands again. “Can you make the antidote that you told me about?”

“That depends,” she said, glancing towards the pair that had drunk the potion, who were now clasping hands, and looking nervous and unsure. “Do Inuyasha and Miroku truly wish to have it.”

“Of course they do!” Kagome snapped, before she could catch herself.

Inuyasha’s eyes widened in surprise, then slowly turned to her, darkening with anger. Her statement had snapped him out of his thoughts, and caused him to realize something that he had previously overlooked.

“Why did you have that potion in your bag in the first place Kagome?” he asked quietly through his clenched jaw, having already realized the answer. Kagome’s breath hitched at his tone, then she quickly looked to the ground, her thick bangs hiding her emotions from the rest of the group. She softly mumbled something that was too low for any of them to hear.

“You had it in your bag for me, didn’t you,” he spat out icily, raising his voice a bit. “You were just gonna slip it to me, huh. Trick me into loving you, right! Well I’ve got news for you wench. I did love you. But what you tried to do. Is lower, than what the girl I loved is capable of. You’re not that girl, the one I loved. Not anymore.”

It hurt to hear Inuyasha talking to her like she was someone that he hated. There was as much loathing in his voice now, as when he spoke to Naraku. He didn’t understand. It was stupid. She had been stupid. She hadn’t meant to hurt him...Never that. She had simply wanted his love, to hear him say that he loved her. But he didn’t love her. As he had said, not anymore.

She watched as her tears trickled down towards the ground, watering the rocky soil with bitter, salty, droplets of her pain. She slowly backed up, wrapping her arms around herself against the raw emotion that was trying to claw it’s way out of her chest. Her face lifted for a moment to Inuyasha’s, and a pleading, desperate, love filled expression crossed it briefly, before she turned and bolted off into the forest in the direction of the well.

“Kagome...” Inuyasha called, kicking himself for going off on her like that. He took the worst possible reasons for why she could have had the potion, rolled them up, and threw his stupid conclusion in her face. She didn’t deserve that. She’d had it bad enough having to watch him and Miroku, obviously in love, when she just as obviously loved him. What he had said must have killed her. What in the hell had he done.

“I’ll go check on her,” Sango muttered quickly, before running off to find Kagome. She stopped and looked to Miroku briefly before turning again. Hoping he would understand that she loved him, and that he would make the decision to return her love, she left, her thoughts turning back to her heartbroken friend as she ran.

“Well?” came the voice of a rather put out Kaede. “Are ye willing to reverse this, Inuyasha.” Her head snapped to the monk. “Miroku?”

“We are,” Miroku said quietly, resigned in his decision. He gave a sad smile to Inuyasha, who nodded, looking at the monk with sadness, and yet a deep love in his honey gold eyes.

“Fine then,” Kaede said briskly, eyeing the couple, and turning to go back into her hut. “It will take some time to concoct the antidote. I suggest ye spend that time together. Say what ye feel while ye still feel it.”

At that, she disappeared into the hut, and the boys looked to one another.

“She’s right, we have a lot to talk about Inuyahsa.”

“I know that Miroku. let’s walk”

As they went, an awkward silence drifted uneasily between them. Both wanted to speak. Neither knew what to say.

“Do you really wanna go through with this?” Inuyasha asked anxiously, breaking the oppressive quiet that had surrounded them so quickly that Miroku flinched.

“Yes...and no. Kami Inuyasha, I do love you. God knows I don’t want to lose that. I don’t know what to do though. Part of me is reveling in the feeling of this because it’s so strong. And yet, another part of me feels something false about it. I hate that part. I’ve tried to ignore that nagging little feeling. But the more I try, the stronger it grows. Soon, I fear that I will grow to hate loving you, because the love I feel isn’t my own. I don’t want that Inuyasha. I’d rather lose you than hate any part of you. I’d rather die.”

A pained expression crossed Inuyasha’s face at that, and he pulled Miroku close, trying it seemed, to pull him into himself.

No Miroku, I would never let you die. Even if I don’t love you after this, I’ll always protect you.”

Inuyasha stroked Miroku’s silken black hair, realizing that in a little while, he might cringe at the idea of even hugging the monk. He didn’t want that dammit! What he felt seemed so real to him. He could feel the fakeness that Miroku had mentioned, but it was such a small part of what he felt. It couldn’t all be the potion. Could it?

Inuyasha pulled back so that he could look at his best friend. The man he loved. He could tell that Miroku was trying not to cry, to show weakness in front of him. He felt his own hot salty tears, creeping up to cloud his vision of the man in front of him. In his eyes, a vision of perfection. He smiled at his sudden emotion. When was the last time that he’d cried? He couldn’t even remember. Still smiling, he kissed Miroku’s forehead, and again pulled him close, as he crushed his lips against the monk’s, finally letting his tears fall. He felt the warm saline droplets that fell onto his cheek from the monk’s eyes, and held him tighter. Not wanting to let go. Not wanting to lose what he knew he must.

He gently pulled away, the far off calls of Shippo pulling him back to reality.

“It’s time,” he whispered softly, wiping away the commingled tears that stained his face. Miroku nodded slightly, and they walked hand in hand back towards the village, ready to face whatever lay ahead.

Kaede, again was waiting outside of her hut when they returned.

“Have ye said your peace then?” she asked, to receive a reply of small nods from the pair. “Fine then, come inside. “Shippo! Take Kirarra, and help Sango search for Kagome, will ye.”

The kit nodded, glancing back and forth between Kaede, and the space where Inuyasha and Miroku stood. He could feel the tension that was in the air, and was glad for an excuse to leave. Kagome’s sudden disappearance was really worrying him, and he was glad to be able to help search for her. Running to the transformed twin tails, he hurriedly climbed on her back, scratching behind her ears, and telling her to find Sango. What was the deal with everyone all of a sudden anyway?

Inuyasha and Miroku followed the old miko into the warm interior of the hut. She gave them both an evaluating look, then handed a small wooden cup to each of them, that held within it a milky white liquid. It smelled faintly sour, as if a lemon had been squeezed into it.

“If ye drink this, it will counteract the effects of the love potion. Ye will feel extremely tired after consuming it, so I’d advise being seated before hand. If ye need nothing further of me, I will leave ye now.”

With that, the old woman left the hut, and both boys stood in silence, holding a drink that would wither the newly bloomed love between them. Both desperately wanting to throw the antidote out and run away, never mind the consequences. Both also knowing, that they couldn’t.

They sat against a wall, preparing for the drowsiness that Kaede had forewarned. Miroku consciously forced his breath not to shudder, and his tears not to fall, as he leaned in to kiss Inuyasha for what he was certain would be the last time. The hanyou returned the kiss fervently, holding onto it for as long as he could. When at long last the two separated, it was only by a margin of centimeters. Close enough still to share the same breath, they leaned their foreheads against one another.

“On three,” Miroku whispered, running the back of his uncursed hand up the side of Inuyasha’s face. He wanted to feel the hanyou’s skin under his feathery touch one last time. To remember it always, even if the memory wasn’t cherished as it should be.

“One...” Inuyasha let a tear escape his closed eyelids, his hand trembling slightly as he lifted his cup.

“Two...” Miroku slowly let his hand fall away from the side of Inuyasha’s face, and raised his own cup.

“Three.” Both cups raised, and were quickly tipped back, their contents sliding like a chill down both boy’s throats. They wrapped their arms around each other and held tight, knowing what would happen when they awoke from the sleep that would force them to part.

Inuyasha could actually feel the liquid run thru out his body, like ice crystals, numbing as they flowed through his veins. Feeling himself grow cold and tired, he rested his head on Miroku’s shoulder.

Inuyasha had almost fallen asleep, when he felt the monk’s body tense underneath him. Raising his head with difficulty, he looked at Miroku who was now trembling violently, and felt a fear, cold enough to overpower the potion’s chill, creeping into his gut. Something was wrong. He tried to stand. To get some help, but found himself unable to even speak. And stumbling on his now rubbery legs, fell backwards and away from Miroku. The monk was now doubled over in agony, his arms wrapped feebly around his stomach, and lungs heaving, causing his chest to look as if it would burst with each intake of breath. Pitiful, pain filled moans escaped his lips, traveling directly to Inuyasha’s heart, and splintering it in two.

Inuyasha’s vision began to blur, and as he struggled to clear it, a loud scream pierced through his jumbled thoughts. His eyes focused on the sight of Miroku, pounding his fist into the ground hard enough to break bones, and realized that the scream was coming from the monk, bursting through his lips with such emotion that it almost sounded inhuman. As much as Inuyasha tried to stay conscious, to stay with the one he loved, he felt himself slip away. The scream dimmed in his ears, as if he had been dragged under the surface of an icy stream, taken deeper, and farther away, until he was pulled into a deathlike, dreamless sleep.

Kaede snapped to attention when the scream rent the air, traveling thru out the village to the forest beyond. She saw the villagers exchange fearful looks and hurry into their huts, gathering children, and calling the men out of the fields. The old Miko headed quickly to the source of the cry, to find Miroku, panting weakly, and letting out the occasional whine, as his exhaustion forced him into an unconsciousness that wrapped it’s comforting arms around him and gave him peace.

Kaede examined the monk carefully as she drew closer. What could have caused him to have such a violent reaction to the potion? She carefully turned him, and as she did so a soft gasp escaped her. Dark crimson blood had pooled under the monk, and clung sticky and viscous to the back of his robes. She stared, puzzled for a bit, before realization finally dawned on her and her face twisted into a grimace. poor child. He didn’t even realize what had happened.

Kaede began to clean Miroku’s body of the blood that clung to it. She looked up sadly when she heard Shippo returning, and then Sango’s voice. Sending a pitying glance Inuyasha’s way, she left the hut, wearing a sobering expression on her old and battered face.

“Sango, may I speak with ye alone for a moment?”

Sango nodded, then watched as Kaede shifted her attention to Shippo who was heading inside.

“Don’t enter that hut child!” she quickly called to Shippo, who raised his hands in a gesture to placate her, and went to play with Kirarra.
Kaede returned her gaze to Sango, making sure the kitsune was out of earshot before speaking.

“I’m afraid that I have some very grave news.”

I’m sorry I just had to have one cliffy, and this seemed to be a good one. Well, I’ll let you guess what happened to Miroku. Leave lots of reviews telling me what you think, and you’ll find out just how wrong you are sooner.

Kagome: Miroku’s dead! Now Inuyasha will love me again!

Immortality lost: (pokes Kagome through her new cage with broom) Who says that he’s dead? And who said that you could talk!

Psychiatrist in closet: I was so hungry that I ate the pills. Now I think I need a hospital!

Everyone: (stares at closet blankly, then shrugs and goes about their business)

Inuyasha: Wait...I thought you said that Miroku just went out to buy you smokes.

Immortality lost: (glares at Kagome and bops her on the head with broom handle) He did. Don’t listen to her, she’s crazy.

Inuyasha: I don’t believe you! Miroku’s dead! (starts to cry, and hides under a blanket)

Kagome: That’s right Inuy...

Immortality lost: Shut up! Now look what you did, he’s crying! (breaks broomstick over Kagome’s head)

Kagome: (Drops to the floor like a sack of potatoes)

Immortality lost: Whoopsie! (throws blanket over unconscious Kagome and whistles suspiciously)

Miroku: (pops his head through the door) Did you say regular or menthol?

Inuyasha: MIROKU!!! (runs to Miroku and glomps him)

Immortality lost: See, I told you he wasn’t dead. (turns to readers) See ya next time folks!