Drowned
"Help!" A voice called. "Someone help us." It pleaded.
Inu-Yasha raced out of the woods followed by his companions.
"Where's the demon?" Inu-Yasha yelled.
"Demon?" One of the villagers asked.
"My son…" A lady called pointing down the river.
Kagome dug her heels deep into the ground and took off running down the bank. Kagome flung off her shoes and stripped off her socks while trying to keep running. Inu-Yasha and the others followed her down the bank. Upon seeing the head of the boy pop out of the water, Kagome dove in head first.
Miroku and Sango watched as Kagome sprinted down the bank watching the water. Then without warning flew through the air almost like she usually fell to the ground. The boy went under the water and Kagome didn't come back up. Miroku and Sango approached the water's edge staring at where Kagome had entered the water. Inu-Yasha calmly walked up behind them. Miroku looked at Inu-Yasha with surprise. "Inu-Yasha why are you so calm?"
"Kagome does this all the time. Besides…she can swim." Inu-Yasha crossed his arms at the statement.
Sango and Miroku stared at the water waiting for Kagome to come back up.
Shippo was the first to start freaking out. "Kagome!"
The villagers gathered on the opposite bank. "Poor girl." They whispered.
Sango turned to Inu-Yasha, "Inu-Yasha, I know you said Kagome could swim, but I don't think even she could stay down that long."
Inu-Yasha turned up his nose. He wasn't worried.
He remembered once that he'd been spying on her and she sat him. Where he HAD been was overlooking the water where she'd been swimming. He lay on the bottom of the calm river while she just stared at him. He remembered that he'd needed air long before she did. He came up and made his way over to shore all disgruntled about being sat and in a river no less she could have killed him. He shook himself off and rung out his hatori muttering to himself before he'd realized she'd never surfaced. He had freaked out then and jumped back into the water. She grabbed his leg and pulled it out from under him forcing him under. She surfaced when he did and splashed him in the face. He growled at first but her giggles and deep breathing threw off his annoyance and worried anger. He'd asked her shortly after that how she was able to stay under for so long, but she just replied 'a deep breath and practice, it's not that hard.'
"Kirara!" Sango called.
They floated above the river. "Inu-Yasha, I don't see Kagome anywhere."
"Bah!" Inu-Yasha called back.
"Inu-Yasha, I'm worried." Miroku said watching the water.
"Kagome's just messing around. She'll surface soon." Inu-Yasha reassured him. He was starting to worry. He'd always underestimated her abilities; he just hoped he wasn't overestimating them now.
Inu-Yasha stood there staring with his comrades. "Come on Kagome…" Inu-Yasha whispered. "This isn't funny anymore." He stated a bit louder. "Just come up already." He whispered. Nothing happened.
"Come on Kagome." Inu-Yasha yelled at the water. "Surface. You're worrying our friends." Inu-Yasha shrunk back and gritted his teeth. He was starting to worry. His worry threw off his count of just how long she'd been under.
With a large splash, Kirara swerved in the sky. Sango screamed as she fell into the water.
As the sky cleared of the splash, a demon emerged with a roar. Out of it's mouth hung Kagome's red neckerchief. Inu-Yasha's sudden growl rattled Miroku.
Kirara swooped down and Sango grabbed her fur long enough to be pulled to the shore.
Inu-Yasha leapt to a large rock then right at the demon. Stealing the scarf was no big obstacle since he'd spent most of his childhood as a penniless thief. He rebounded off another rock and sliced through the demon before diving straight into the water.
Miroku helped the soaked Sango out of the water. She was alright just wet and Miroku found that exceptionally appealing.
Inu-Yasha surfaced and went back under several times before making his way to the shore.
Miroku kept his arms around Sango so that his hands didn't wander.
Inu-Yasha stepped out of the water clutching her red scarf.
"Mommy!" A little voice yelled.
"Oh my baby." The lady cried out.
The boy fell into her arms. After looking him over carefully, she asked. "But how?"
"A girl saved me."
The mother wrapped her arms around him and started to cry.
Inu-Yasha and the others stood on the opposite bank watching the reunited family rejoice over Kagome's death.
The boy pulled out of his mother's embrace and pointed down river.
Around the corner stepped a young girl. She smiled and accepted their thanks with a polite bow.
"Kagome…" Shippo cried.
"Kagome's gone runt." Inu-Yasha snapped.
Miroku was the next to speak up. "No Inu-Yasha, It's Kagome."
Inu-Yasha turned and in a red flash was on the other shore.
Miroku picked up Shippo then he and Sango climbed on Kirara.
Inu-Yasha stood staring at Kagome. He held his hand between them still clutching her scarf. Kagome stared back. She carefully took her scarf from his hand. "Oh…my scarf… It must have fallen off." She turned over the fabric in her hand.
Inu-Yasha lost his composure. He grabbed her by her arms staring into her face then pulled her into him. She lost her balance and fell into his chest. He held her close and wrapped his arms securely around her. That was when she noticed he was wet too.
"Inu-Yasha?" Kagome asked confused. After a short silence, she decided to ask about why he was wet. "Inu-Yasha, You're wet…" She started then it hit her as to why he was wet. "You didn't… I mean you didn't think that I… Are you wet because of me?" Inu-Yasha released his grip on her and backed off. He ran his finger down her face to move the stubborn wet strands out of the way.
Miroku was the first off Kirara and running over to Kagome. "You're not hurt, are you?"
Kagome stared at him curiously. "No" She answered confused. "Why would I be?" She asked.
"There was a demon." Miroku stated.
"Demon?" Kagome asked.
"We thought it… We thought that you…"
Kagome stared at Inu-Yasha "I didn't see a demon."
Inu-Yasha turned his head down and stared to laugh.
"I think Inu-Yasha's lost it." Sango whispered to Miroku.
Then Inu-Yasha threw up his hands to a surrender position and started laughing harder.
Kagome walked up to him. Staring him straight in the face…Slap.
Inu-Yasha stared at her with surprise. "I don't see what's so funny!" Kagome yelled out a little hurt.
Miroku spoke. "When we first spotted the demon, it had your scarf in its teeth. Inu-Yasha jumped into action and slay it. Then Inu-Yasha darted into the water but couldn't find you. We were worried you were dead."
"I… We were swept downriver." Kagome pointed down the river.
"…Wait. If Inu-Yasha was to be my savior, why is Sango wet?"
"Why indeed…" Miroku started; Sango finished it with a crisp slap. "We've talked about that hand Hoshi-sama."
Shippo ran up and jumped into Kagome's arms where Shippo tattled. "Sango fell off Kirara into the river."
"Oh I see." Kagome rubbed his head.
She smiled at Inu-Yasha then gently kissed the spot she had slapped. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "I thought you knew not to worry."