DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha or anything to do with it.
One Cold Starry Night
By: Of Memories Past
Chapter 1: Separation
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Cold, icy winds penetrated the thin school clothes that she always wore. Clothes that had always made her swelter during the hot season now left her shivering. How did it come to grow this cold here? The full moon and starry sky lighted the land well, illuminating the trees howling dangerously in the night. Kagome ignored her chattering teeth and looked up to see how the others were faring. Miroku, with his teeth clenched tightly together in order to refrain from chattering, tiredly but determinedly pushed forward. Looking to Sango, Kagome found that her friend found the weather just as difficult. She wearily walked on, trying desperately to keep a shivering Kirara warm within the folds of her robe. Even the fire cat quivered from the frosty atmosphere. Inuyasha and Shippo pushed forward just ahead of her. Kagome sighed. Shippo had been huddled in her backpack until the cold air succeeded in fully penetrating the thin material. Knowing that the small kitsune would freeze, she had boldly brought him to Inuyasha. And she had been surprised when he instantly took the tiny kit from her arms and tucked him into the thick, red robes. Shippo had gratefully smiled up at the hanyou, and Kagome could have sworn that a small smile tugged at the corners of Inuyasha's lips.
She sighed. At least Shippo was warm now. She, on the other hand, continued to freeze along with her friends. What she would have given for a warm place—
"Look!" Miroku called out.
Kagome looked up along with everyone else. Just ahead a cave welcomingly poked out of a hillside. It looked warm and inviting, and she was ready to accept anything to get out of the cold.
"Let's go!" she shouted eagerly. Oh, how badly she wanted to be rid of the cold!
"Wait a minute, Wench!"
The harsh voice caused Kagome to halt. She hated it when he called her that. Slowly, she turned around and threw a burning glare toward the hanyou. "What is it, Inuyasha?"
Stubbornly, he marched forward. "Don't you realize what could be in there? Do you want to run in only to find a demon waiting to devour you?" He walked on ahead to search the area and the cave before they made camp for the night. "You really are foolish, Wench."
Feeling her face flush through every shade of red known to mankind, Kagome counted to ten. She had come to learn that his abrupt actions and insults half of the time meant that he was concerned and worried about her. But still, he could be such a jerk. Silently, she watched his figure from behind as he slowly approached the cave.
The pale, amber eyes that shimmered in the starlight seemed to glow a bit brighter as he reached the mouth of the cave. Crouching because of the low entrance, Inuyasha cautiously peered into the dark, menacing cavern. The cave was shallow, only reaching a height of about fourteen feet and extending a mere thirty meters back. But it would shelter them from the cold winds and keep them much warmer than they were at present if they started a fire. Satisfied, Inuyasha crossed his arms and turned back to the others. "It's safe!"
Miroku led a nearly frozen Sango up to the entrance. All of the demon huntress's energy had gone into keeping poor Kirara warm.
"She's so cold she can't transform," Sango whispered, her teeth clacking together.
Kirara's tiny face peeked out shyly from Sango's robes and a small noise escaped her body.
Sango smiled as she felt the warm burst of energy against her body. The small fire cat was trying her best to warm her. "It's ok, Kirara. I'm alright. Save your energy."
Nearly collapsing from the effort, Kirara did as Sango bode but insisted on snuggling closer. Her master needed warmth.
"Well, get in you two!" Inuyasha snapped pushing them forward. Hastily, he pulled a sleeping Shippo out from his robe and thrust him into Miroku's arms. The kit remained with his dreams. "You don't want to freeze to death, do ya?" He finished shoving the pair into the cave and about entered himself when he realized that someone was missing. Panicked gripped him more fiercely than the icy winds howling about them. The amber orbs widened to their fullest as he ran from the cave in search of Kagome. How could he have lost her? With strands of silver hair tailing behind him, Inuyasha tore off into the night.
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"Do you think this will be enough to keep a fire going all night, Sango?" Miroku carefully dropped a large pile of firewood in the middle of the cave.
Sango looked at the pile thoughtfully. "If we can set it up to burn slowly, it should last us well into the morning. Here, arranged them like this." The young woman leaned down and began arranging the sticks like a teepee. Twice she had to slap away a wandering hand and by the time the firewood lay arranged perfectly, the monk had a bump on the head and a red cheek in his possession.
Meanwhile, a frosty Shippo seemed to be dancing as he tried to keep his bare feet off of the frozen ground. "Hurry up and get that lighted you guys!" He clutched his body with his small arms and bounded over to Sango. "Pick me up, please."
Sango laughed merrily as she listened to the chattering teeth and watched the silly dance before scooping Shippo up into her arms. Shippo immediately snuggled closely.
"Is that better?" Sango asked, smiling softly.
"Yes, Sango, thank you," the kit replied.
The wind began to pick up outside more at that moment. Those huddled in the cave listened intently as the howling increased significantly, drowning out all other sounds of the night. Somber faces filled the insignificant cavern. Their friends had been gone for over an hour, and the weather outside promised to worsen.
"We had better get that fire started," Miroku said quietly.
Sango nodded absently, knowing full well that Kagome was going to need all the warmth she could get once Inuyasha brought her back. "Kirara…"
But before the demon huntress could even finish, the fire cat had walked over to the firewood that had been set up and delicately touched one tiny paw to the kindling. Immediately, the wood roared to life.
Flames of bright oranges, reds, and yellows licked up into
the air, creating the heat that had been yearned for. The smoke silently
filtered out the cave entrance and left a pleasant, homey aroma in the air.
The friends sat silently around the fire, watching as the shadows caused by the flames danced on the cave walls. Kirara purred contently now that she was warm again and stretched out to transform. The saber-toothed fire cat gently lay down near the fire, welcoming her friends to seek warmth in her long fur.
Shippo did not need to be asked twice and had scrambled onto Kirara's back before Sango and Miroku settled next to her warm side.
"Thank you, Kirara," Miroku murmured, sleep beckoning. It had been a long day.
Sango smiled up at her pet and closed her eyes to sleep.
Shippo watched as the two adults drifted off and then turned to Kirara. "Do you think Inuyasha will find Kagome in time?" Worried eyes glanced toward the opening to the cave.
A low, rumbling growl was his response.
Shippo sighed. "Me too, Kirara. Me too."
A/N: Hope that you all enjoyed the first chapter. I plan on having the next one out with in the next day or so. Please review. Constructive criticism and support are always appreciated ~Of Memories Past.