Before The Flames Consume Me

A/N- Warning: I am an overdramatic person, and it shows in this fic. It doesn't really take place in any particular time in the series, it's just kind of something I started writing when I was bored. The smut shall come later, be patient.

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Chapter 1


Kikyo watched his chest rise and fall with a faint fascination. “He’s a fool." she thought, “He’s a fool for looking as he does right now, so innocent. I will see him dead for what he’s done to me.” The simple hut only served to make InuYasha look more brilliant, more unbelievably flawless as he slept. A fire burned in the center of the room, giving it warmth, something that she could never feel again because she was dead, and had been for fifty years. “Ashes and ground soil…” she thought. “That’s all I am…ashes and ground soil. And souls.” Yet she felt no guilt about her use of the souls, they meant nothing to her. The flames flickered, the light they released bouncing off the wooden walls. “Kikyo…” InuYasha mumbled. She was startled, thinking he had awoken and discovered her presence. An expression of pain crossed his face, but his eyes remained closed. “He must be having a dream about me.” She thought to herself, disgusted. For just one moment she wished to touch his cheek, to wrap her arms around the familiar form she once knew. That need quickly transformed itself into pure hate, a feeling that had become a huge part of her, almost like a lover and a friend. It was a feeling she could always turn to in death’s loneliness.

As she pressed the blade to his throat, Kikyo knew she yearned only to see him choke on his own blood. She longed to see it spurt from his throat like the venom that consumed her very soul ever since the day of her death. She would never forget the feel of his lips on hers, but that memory was forever tainted, clouded over with the pain of his claws in her back. She could still taste her own blood, laced with pain, sorrow and betrayal. Now she knew she must taste his blood. Passion meant nothing now. InuYasha would die tonight, and he would die dreaming of her.


Kagome climbed out of the well, returning to the Feudal era she had come to know so well. Her mind wandered as she headed towards the village. Though she would admit it only to herself, she was looking forward to seeing InuYasha. While his heart was still aching from the recent resurrection of Kikyo, and his mind was still focused entirely on the pursuit of the jewel shards, Kagome still hoped that there was some part of him left for her, and only her. “If he’s sleeping,” she thought. “I don’t want to wake him. He needs to rest. I just want to make sure he’s okay.”

As Kagome opened the door, she was horrified by what she saw. Kikyo’s pale form, seemingly translucent in firelight, stood over InuYasha, her pale fingers tightly gripping a dangerously sharp blade. Kagome was appalled by the pleasure Kikyo seemed to derive from the blade. It was sickening how the deceased woman’s eyes lit up, almost like a child’s but doused with pure desire, lusting after the way the blade shimmered in the dim light. These thoughts ran through Kagome’s head in a matter of seconds. She knew that Kikyo had sensed her and that there was nothing she could do about that. Nevertheless, she had to save InuYasha. “You.” Kikyo said. “InuYasha is as good as dead. He will pay for what he has done to me.” Her voice was so icy it sent chills up Kagome’s spine. “Why hasn’t he woken up?” Kagome wondered to herself, panicked. As Kikyo pressed her knife closer to InuYasha’s throat, his eyes fluttered open, two seemingly soulless onyx stones, two gaping black holes representing the knowing pain of oncoming death.

“InuYasha!” Kagome screamed. Her heart pounded in fear. What had happened to InuYasha’s once beautiful eyes, filled with life and determination? Desperately, she reached out for Kikyo’s shoulders, attempting to pull her down. Her efforts were thwarted by a shield which sent her hurtling back in pain. Kagome gritted her teeth as hurt shot through her body. All at once her mind returned to all the fights she had with InuYasha, and tears filled her eyes as she wished she could undo every one of them.

“Kagome. Leave us.” InuYasha’s voice was so flat and empty of feeling it made Kagome’s body shake. “InuYasha! No! She’s trying to kill you! Don’t you understand?” Kagome screamed desperately. “She doesn’t love you!”. The life returned to InuYasha’s eyes with an intensity she had never seen before. They now beamed anger and fury towards Kagome for saying the words he never wanted to hear. “Leave!” InuYasha screamed with a ferocity she had never known. In one swift movement, Kikyo slit InuYasha’s throat, then desperately pressed her lips to his. InuYasha returned the kiss passionately, and Kagome suddenly felt as if she couldn’t breathe. She began to gasp for air helplessly. At that moment she loved InuYasha more than anything, and he was breaking her heart. Jealously, fear, love and confusion surged through her veins. With the last of her energy she lunged for Kikyo, ignoring the fact that the shield would once again knock the wind out of her.

She was hurtled back into the wall of the hut, which almost collapsed due to the impact. Kagome could barely keep her eyes open as she surveyed the situation at hand. The cut to his throat had been deep, and blood was everywhere, running like a river down his neck and coating both Kikyo and InuYasha’s intertwined fingers. InuYasha’s white hair was now stained red with his own blood, yet that didn’t seem to matter to him. Kagome wanted to scream, anything to make it end. But she couldn’t make a sound. Fists clenched, Kagome threw herself towards the shield again, not even caring about the pain anymore. Once again, she was thrown towards the wall due to the force of the shield. This time the wall of the hut gave way, landing in the fire and practically crushing Kagome under its weight. The wall began to burn, the smoke and heat depriving Kagome of the little air she could manage to breathe. She was trapped. “Inu....Yasha.” She whispered sadly, tears falling from her eyes. The flames looked as if they might engulf Kikyo and InuYasha, yet they still didn’t break their kiss. It was almost as if their bodies had become one, they had no need to breathe, only to be with one another.

Kagome’s head spun as she began to lose consciousness. “It won’t be long before I’m ashes now. But why should I care? He’ll never love me. Even after all she’s done to hurt him, he’ll love only her. What do I have to live for?” She thought bitterly. Then, she pictured her mother’s kind face, her caring grandfather and her helpful little brother. Her family. She couldn’t leave them, she couldn’t die. This newfound determination gave her the strength to claw her way from below the fiery wall.

Her thoughts turned back to InuYasha. She could see now that the shield protected Kikyo and InuYasha from the fire, but Kagome had a feeling he wouldn’t have cared either way. Blood soaked the ground and their clothes, yet still they had not broken the kiss. Kagome had never seen so much blood. The sight of it made her nauseous. She closed her eyes and prayed it would disappear. As the smoke and flames surrounded her, she once again began to slip into unconsciousness. Suddenly, she felt a pair of strong arms gently lifting her. She turned and through blurred vision saw the form of Koga. Koga, the man who called Kagome his woman, the man that was willing to dedicate his life to her. A disgusted look crossed his face as he noticed Kikyo and InuYasha, still locked in their embrace. “Kagome, what is happening? Are you okay?” He said, concern and confusion in his voice. “Koga...InuYasha...Kikyo.” She managed to say as she became choked up with tears. She knew she had never been more relieved to see Koga. “Oh Kagome…I will protect you.” Koga said determinedly.

Koga carried her to a tree a safe distance from the fire and laid her beneath it. “Everything will be okay, Kagome. I don’t know what’s with that dog, but I will put a stop to it.” Kagome gave him a slight smile and then blacked out. Koga ran back towards the two lovers and the fire, puzzled and unsure of what he would do. But when he got there, they were gone, only the flames remained.