Bringing You Back
Chapter one: Protect me from Myself
"Good...bye...Inuyasha...I…I love...you." Kagome whispers in between harsh wheezing breaths, looking up in a pained smile, the light fading from her eyes as she struggled to keep her eyes open for just a few seconds longer.
"No. No! Don't leave me Kagome!" Inuyasha yells gruffly, the pain and worry evident in his tone.
"I'm sorry… Inuyasha." She gasps, and begins coughing violently in his arms. thunder is erupting from the dark clouds, cracking violently as lightning lights up the sky.
"No! I love you Kagome! It wasn't supposed to be like this!" Inuyasha screams hysterically, his voice breaking.
"But…this…is how...it…is." Kagome's voice is barely audible as she speaks her last words, "I love you…Inuyasha. I always will. Be st-strong,… for me." Kagome forced one last smile as a single tear escapes her beautiful lashes. She draws one more breath and finally her head falls backward, her body limp. The clouds split open and rain begins to pour down, soaking her blood-stained clothes and mixing with her tears on her face, and Inuyasha's as well as they fall, no longer to hold them back.
"No!!!" Inuyasha lets out a roar, throwing his head back and sinks to his knees. Miroku steps tentatively toward the hanyou, and puts a hand on his shoulder.
Inuyasha's body is racked with sobs as his hair becomes drenched and water drips off his silver tresses. He throws Miroku's hand off his shoulder, growling. Inuyasha carefully places Kagome on the ground, caressing her cooling cheek with a single clawed hand.
Inuyasha begins to shake, overcome with grief and anger, clenching and unclenching his fists so hard that a trail on blood was making its way down his hand and onto the ground. He was shaking violently, and emitting dangerous sounding growls. He lifts his head, and Miroku steps back as he sees Inuyasha's blood red eyes and barred fangs. Slowly, he gets to his feet, his blood red eyes searching for something—or someone—to take its anger out on.
Miroku yelps as Inuyasha's gaze settles on him and his growls grow deeper and louder. Miroku calls over his shoulder to Sango, who is staring, petrified, to run and get Kaede quickly. Sango just stares dumbly.
"Go!" Miroku shouts, "I'll try to hold him off! Hurry!" he adds as Sango nods numbly and falls over herself as she scrambles to her feet and runs faster than she has ever run in her life. Miroku turns back to Inuyasha, who is advancing on him slowly.
"Hold me off?" He growls sarcastically and laughs nastily, sneering at Miroku.
"Now, now Inuyasha. Calm down, it will be ok!" He reassures him, though not feeling so himself. But it is too late, Inuyasha is lost in his demon blood, and Kagome is not here to bring him out of his trance, Miroku realizes with horror.
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Sango pants heavily as she sprints through the forest in a panic, terror filling her eyes as her only thought is drifting back to Miroku and wondering if he is ok. And also poor Kagome, she had been like her sister, and now she was gone.
First her village, then Kohaku, and now Kagome. She would not let Miroku be next. She couldn't bear it if she lost everyone. With new energy, she sped up a little, and in her effort tripped over a massive root, letting out a slur of curses.
She almost tripped again in her haste to get up, ignoring the throbbing pain and the blood trickling down her leg and staining her tajiya suit. She kept on having flashbacks, Naraku's laughter, Shippo's screams and protests as Kirara dragged him away to Kaede to keep him safe—Kagome's last wish. Kagome. Sango flashed back, Kagome's scream of agony, Kagome's own arrow being thrown back and piercing her heart. Kagome's last words, her last breath, she remembered watching as the cheery girl she had once known, who had been so full of life, was drained of it, and Sango, helpless to do anything but stare in shock.
Sango shook her head as she began to sob hysterically, trying to shake such thoughts out of her mind. If she did not act quickly Miroku would end up the same way. Bursting, through the trees, Sango began to call out Kaede's name in frenzy, and banging on her door desperately.
"What is it child?" Kaede asks as she opens the door and sees the panicked stricken young woman.
"Inuyasha…demon…Miroku…in trouble!" Sango panted franticly. "Kagome, dead!" she yelped loudly, her eyes going wide as she collapsed into Kaede's arms, sobbing.
"There, there, child, it will be ok, come now, we must hurry, though. It will be ok." Kaede assured Sango as they boarded Kirara's back and flew off in the direction of Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha, I know you're in there. Come on, you don't want to do this!" Miroku urged, backing away as the enraged half demon drew nearer. Inuyasha cracked his knuckles, breathing hard and pulsing with demonic blood.
"Miroku!" Miroku turned to see Sango call to him from Kirara who was flying near now with Kaede. In the moment he turned his head, however, Inuyasha was on him. With a swift punch, Miroku was thrown back about thirty yards into a tree with a sickening crunch, and his form crumpled and slid down the tree.
Sango screamed and called to Miroku, but he did not stir. Inuyasha was advancing on him again, but Kirara dived and snatched up Miroku before Inuyasha got a chance. Inuyasha howled in anger and leapt up in down furiously from below.
Just then, a familiar cackle echoed through the valley, and everyone turned still as stone.
"Inuyasha. Tsk, tsk" the voice boomed, "you could not protect your little shard-detector, and now she is gone. And you can't handle it, so you have lost control, taking your anger out on your friends. Tsk, tsk, soon you will be all alone. And then, who will protect you, from yourself?" Naraku cackled again, and his voice faded away, leaving an eerie silence.
However, it was soon broken by Inuyasha's roars. Though there was not much he could comprehend in his full demon form, he recognized Naraku's voice. The voice of the one he detested most. The voice of the one who was not satisfied in taking his first love, Kikyou, but had to take Kagome as well. His last hope for love. His eyes burned and Demonic energy coursed through him in his rage, his eyes and hair going wild, and with a roar, he took off with incredible speed after Naraku's scent.
"Oh no! He has gone to find Naraku! He will surely end up hurting someone in his path to destroying Naraku!" Sango gasped. Kaede shook her head.
"No, child, he has but one thought on his mind, revenge, and I don't think he will waste his time on humans." Kaede said. Miroku stirred as Sango agreed, and brought their attention back to him. He groaned and sat up.
"Miroku, are you alright?" Sango asked worriedly.
"Yes, Sango, I believe I will be fine, just a few fractured ribs. It is Inuyasha that I am worried about, though. I know he will not harm the humans; I am not concerned for protecting them. But Naraku is right—who will protect him from himself?"
"Yes, Kaede, how do we stop him?" Sango inquired.
"I'm afraid ye cannot, child. He will not stop until his rage has subsided, and until then he will be unapproachable. Indeed, his demonic side will take over until the problem has been delt with. When either Naraku dies,..or he does."