Within The Shadow: Part 2 - Valley Of Eternal Dusk

By Shigure-san

Heya. I hope to see some people who have read part one. *Waves* This is the second in a five-story-chain, so please try to read all of them, I know I'm not the best IYxKag writer but this is my favourite anime so give me some credit for trying. I actually wrote this one first, (wierd I know), so that's why it is a little crappier than the others. Warnings for Inuyasha's potty mouth, and complete fluffyness. And again, I have sometimes made Kagome a whimpy baby that totally relies on Inuyasha every waking minute. I didn't really know the real behaviors of characters when I first wrote this, but I tried to change it as much as possible without changing the storyline since I watched more and more episodes and movies. The first few chapters are a bit crappy but please bear with them, I never was good at beginning my stories. Be nice to me, my confidence is already low as it is. But reviews and comments might boost it a little ^_^

BTW! Lots of Sesshomaru in this chain so you can look forward to him too ^_^

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and it's trademarks belong to VIZ and Rumiko Takahashi. The Plot, All titles including chapter titles are mine, and extra characters are mine.

Please Enjoy ^_^

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Power Surge

-One-

The air seemed less bitter as she emerged from the well. She could taste the freshness in a world where no cars, trains, electricity or any pollution had found its way; Kagome dwelled in this other time feeling free and happy, feelings she rarely had the time or space to feel in her own time. The wind flew about her, blowing her dark hair out of her face and the sun shone warmly down on her. However, something seemed to be wrong. She gazed about her but could find no trace of him, or the others, when last she left (only two days ago) nothing was pursuing them. Starting to feel anxious, the atmosphere, Kagome now realised had an eerie peacefulness to it, and it felt wrong somehow; she found herself wanting to jump back down the well, and wait for him to come for her as he sometimes did. But no, they had always saved her, helped her if she needed them. Knowing she would be of little use anyway, she took a deep breath and walked across the clearing and into the forest.

Every sound startled her, as she walked deeper into the forest she began to think of terrible things which might have happened to her friends, things that might happen to her. Beginning to ponder turning back, she stopped. She'd heard something. Silence fell. Then suddenly, something grabbed her ankles and pulled her into a small pit which seemed to have been hidden by the bushes. The priestess struggled round from her heap in the dirt, only to find him lying there next to her.

'Inuyasha?' she asked.

'Shush, idiot!' he whispered lying there. His arm seemed to be bleeding but had been badly bandaged and he could only manage to open one eye due to the nasty cut across the other.

'Where is everybody? And what happened to you?'

'Sesshomaru turned up at the campsite after this battle against some great ugly demon – the usual kind. He wiped the floor with us, because-' he cut off, the rest of his words drowned out as he coughed, blood dripping from in between his fingers as he held them to his mouth. Speaking every word seemed to cause him pain; he couldn't have had any rest for days. 'Then I tried to come to get you from the well but something looked suspicious about the clearing so I didn't chance it.' He closed both eyes. 'I didn't want to be seen by...whatever was watching...it seeing me waiting for you there could invite trouble on you and that well in the future. I didn't think Sesshomaru was after you in particular anyway,' he added the last part, noticing the half-sad, half-angry look on her porcelain like face. 'Sango and Kilala ran one way and Miroku and Shippo the other; I don't know if they're dead or…'

Kagome brushed her long black hair out of her face and looked at him. 'We'd best not move yet, if something follows us I won't be able to…protect you.' He seemed to be asleep when he stopped talking, lying there motionless with his eyes closed. Kagome moved toward him and slowly made to pull off the bandages. Inuyasha's hand grabbed her wrist. 'Don't.'

'But it's bleeding, if you want to get better let me help,' she ordered, pushing his hand aside.

'No, leave it; I'll be ok in a few minutes.'

'Don't be such a baby, I won't hurt you,' he seemed to give in as he lay his hand down at his side. Kagome thought that if he had any energy left in him he would not have given in so easily. She gently pulled off the old, bloodstained bandages; she ripped off some cloth from what she always kept in her first aid kit in her backpack. After his arm was wrapped up, she took some more and gently stroked off the blood on his eye and face; Kagome thought she saw him wince slightly, although he made no sound, clearly pretending to be asleep.

After the blood was gone from his face, Kagome could see a thick cut around his eye. Inuyasha seemed to be asleep now; his dog-ears which poked out of his white hair at the top of his head had stopped twitching as they had done whilst she bandaged his arm. She stroked along side the cut with her right hand, he did not move. She did not know what had come over her, but he looked very peaceful and she leant over him and kissed him on his cheek. His left arm twitched, (probably in sleep) his hand moved slightly and held hers loosely at his side. She stayed there for what seemed like a long time, contently holding his hand and just watching his chest rise and fall, accompanied by light breathing.

Only a few months had passed since the group's encounter with the fear demon Kazuya. Sesshomaru hadn't appeared to them after that, Inuyasha had made some comment about it being his pride hurt on being thwarted again in his attempts at getting Inuyasha killed. But now to show up all of a sudden to attack us out of the blue like that? Even Sesshomaru has a reason for the things he does...Something is wrong... Kagome raised her head to look at the slowly setting sun through the treetops. I don't know what it is but, I can feel it...something is coming, and with our luck I can bet it's nothing good, either...

Inuyasha woke long after he had fallen asleep. As he opened his eyes, he saw Kagome sitting at his side, leaning on him slightly, and he could see the last of the suns rays peeping through the leaves of the bushes that they had used as shelter. He sat up, feeling fully regenerated and energetic. Kagome almost immediately let go of his hand and knelt up on her knees, a slight rosy tint to her cheeks as she fought to hide a blush..

'We'd best get moving. We've stayed here too long already,' he said climbing out of the ditch; he grabbed Kagome's hand and helped her up.

'How will we find the others Inuyasha?'

'We'll just have to go back to the Well, and hope they go – Stop!' he grabbed her wrist and yanked her to the ground.

'Hey watch it!' she whispered.

'Quiet! I can hear someone.' They listened:

'It's no go, we'll have to go looking for them,' it was a woman's voice, a familiar voice. Kagome stood up, Inuyasha hissing at her to stay down.

'Inuyasha, it's just Sango,' Kagome took Inuyasha's hand, pulling him up sharply and lead him over to the others.

'Kagome, you're ok; we came here in case you came and you couldn't find us. And then you didn't come,' Sango ran up to Kagome and hugged her and Kilala pawed at her leg waiting to greet her.

Miroku had started a fire up, not willing to ask his half-demon companion to help in their turn at setting up camp, his mood seeming to be foul enough as it was, for some strange reason.
"Why can't we just go back to Kaede's?" asked Kagome quietly to the demon slayer, so that Inuyasha couldn't hear.

"And lead whatever's on our tale right to the village?" Sango whispered, and Kagome shook her head. She hadn't thought of that, then again, she hadn't been born and raised in a time when you had to be alert practically all the time to ensure you'd live to see the next morning. Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha...even Shippo, they were used to it. Sometimes, Kagome truly wondered how she'd ever managed to survive her first day in feudal Japan, if she hadn't met Inuyasha...

'What do you think Sesshomaru wanted,' Miroku asked the half-demon, once they had gathered by the fire, the coldness of the night drawing in as the sun set beyond the trees.

'No idea, pretty much what he always wants; to be a complete pain in the-'

'-Why though? He just attacked with no purpose,' piped up Shippo, with the look of a small child, he had brown hair in a stumpy ponytail and a small bushy tail.

'Listen, let's not waste anymore energy thinking about nothing but a waste of good air, we'll figure this out tomorrow,' finished Sango. Miroku watched her with a silly grin on his face, thinking that maybe she was about to say something much more rude and unladylike than what she said.

Shippo set upon attempting bandaging Sango and Miroku up as they were a little worse for wear. Kilala, in her small, adorable cat-demon form curled up next to Sango fast asleep, her two tails swishing unconciously. Inuyasha sat away from the others; Kagome took a bowl of some food over to him, not really knowing what it was. Since Miroku had made it, it was completely unrecognisable.

'Here, you should eat something.' Inuyasha looked at it, then at her.

'I'm not hungry.' Apart from the fact that Inuyasha not being hungry would be grounds for a national holiday, Kagome smiled softly, seeing past the words. There was something wrong.

'You've had a long day.'

'No, I don't want anything right now,' he said stubbornly, turning away and folding his arms over his chest. She could tell he was tapping his claws nervously on his arms inside the large sleeves of his kimono.

'Please,' she held out the food, hesitantly he took it from her, his eyes flickering from her to the food for a moment, before diving in to eat it ravenously.

'I was thinking, maybe I should take you back, it's too dangerous for you right now,' he said when he had finished, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, like a cat might do when they had finished eating, not looking her in the eye.

'What?! I can't leave now, besides, when is it not dangerous here,' she argued.

'I know, and I know you will never go back when we're in danger, but right now you being here is putting me in danger,' he looked up at her now.

'What?' She seemed hurt by what he had said.

'If I have to protect you, I can't fight; and if I don't protect you, you get hurt.'

'As if this conversation isn't hurting me?' she said on the verge of tears.

'It's different hurt...I'd rather have you upset than injured.' She blinked away the tears and shot up.

'I'm not leaving Inuyasha,' she looked quite determined, but Inuyasha wasn't about to be won over. He snatched her wrists roughly and dragged her toward the well, the others leaping to their feet and following behind.

'Inuyasha! Let go, you're hurting me!' shouted Kagome, struggling to release herself from his grip. He stopped and let her go.

'You're not staying here, you understand?!' He yelled at her.

'Well I'm not leaving here!'

'Oh no?' Inuyasha tried to push her down the well, but she grabbed onto the sides.

'Inuyasha, stop it!' Yelled Shippo and Sango together, who went to help her but Miroku stopped them both and shook his head, seeming to think it wasn't their business, (though probably thinking that they shouldn't get in the way of Inuyasha's wrath when he was this angry). Inuyasha let go and stood up straight, watching her with narrowed, golden eyes, letting out a low, growl; Kagome jumped onto the ground off the side of the well.

'I'm not always gonna be here to protect you, this isn't your world, and you're not gonna die here!'

'This isn't my world it's yours, but this is where I want to be and I'm not leaving! Wasn't it you that told me you needed me? For eternity, right?!'

'Inuyasha look out!' yelled Sango. Inuyasha turned his head only to see Sesshomaru standing there, he raised his hand which gripped a long sword, Inuyasha's sword! A brilliant light shot from the Tetsusaiga, heading straight for Inuyasha.

'Kagome!' Inuyasha grabbed her and flew out of the way, landing not far off with a hard thud on the ground.

Inuyasha sat up, 'Kagome, are you ok?'

'I'm fine, I'm sorry I argued with you,' she replied, sitting up and rubbing her head.

'Do you really think now is the time to apologize?'

'I was just-'

'-Kagome, move!' Miroku shouted. Sesshomaru persisted in his assault. Inuyasha rolled over with Kagome, out of the way only just in time. They crashed into a tree not far from their camp, but the rock where they were only a moment ago was dust. He didn't know how Sesshomaru was holding Tetsusaiga, he didn't care. All he knew was he had to get it away from him. He couldn't stand it! Sesshomaru with his filthy hands all over his father's gift for him. That sword, his father's fang, along with his fire-rat kimono was the only thing his father had ever given him, the only things he had to know him by. No way in hell was Sesshomaru holding any longer!

Inuyasha looked around, Sesshomaru was devastating everything around them; Shippo laid unconscious close by and Kilala had awakened. A raging fire built up around her and swallowed her up, and when the fire burnt out the cute cat was nowhere to be seen, and the now sabre-toothed, bigger and less with the cute and more with the unapproachable form was before them, though even in this form she could get nowhere near Sesshomaru. Just as Sango and Miroku could get nowhere near him through the constant attacks from Inuyasha's sword; Sesshomaru's face was sickening and full of amusement at the sight of these pests thinking they could overpower him.

'Figures the selfish bastard would still want my sword as well as the two he's already got,' he growled in his very Inuyasha-like way that he usually did, as he helped Kagome to her feet, 'Stay here,' he said to her, she nodded and he ran toward Sesshomaru.

Within seconds he was upon him, trying to wrestle the sword away from Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru's hair (which was much like Inuyasha's, though even Inuyasha admitted, slightly more tame) danced about him as he fought with his brother. What the hell is up with him? Inuyasha thought, all he ever wanted was Tetsusaiga, why doesn't he take it and run? Something isn't right. Suddenly, the sword flew out of their reach and onto the ground near where Miroku stood. Something was wrong, Sesshomaru seemed stronger, faster, even the way he stood there was slightly intimidating, and Inuyasha was never one to admit that his brother had anything on him. He smashed Inuyasha in the nose and he skidded across the floor. Inuyasha could not get away, could not land a punch in. 'Well haven't you been working hard, Brother?' spat Inuyasha sarcastically, wiping the blood which dripped from his nose off of him. Sesshomaru kicked Inuyasha away from him. The half-demon struggled to his feet (with great difficulty) and looked into his brother's face, there was no fear there, he knew he was going to win, and that he, Inuyasha would die.

'About time we end this wouldn't you say? I know how you hate these tender family reunions,' came the cold, complacent voice of Sesshomaru. Inuyasha fell to his knees exhausted and closed his eyes, readying himself for the blow, but it didn't come. Sesshomaru raised Inuyasha's sword.

'NO!' screamed Kagome, she raised her bow and an arrow flew from it like gossamer and towards Sesshomaru.

'How, nice… this seems familiar,' he reflected the arrow with a wave of the sword. A crackled, sizzling noise sounded, the arrow's fuschia light burning into a foreboding black as it came in contact with the Tetsusaiga. Inuyasha's eyes widened; it had never done that before!

'Kagome, RUN!' yelled Inuyasha as he heard Sesshomaru's cold voice. She turned away but wasn't fast enough, as she turned the arrow struck her left shoulder and she fell to the floor.

'NO!' Inuyasha raging with hatred and anger, leapt up, ripped the sword from Sesshomaru's grip, plunged it into his brother's arm and pushed up. 'How's that for déjà vu?' spat Inuyasha. Sesshomaru screamed with pain as his new arm was cut off and he collapsed to his knees beside where his detached limb had fallen. A quiet rustling and that same familiar dark-haired child sped out of the concealment of the trees, running over to Sesshomaru. Inuyasha paid her no attention, but ran over to where Kagome lay. Sango towered above the little girl, 'Rin, take him and go,' said Sango as she left to go to Kagome's side. The little girl nodded to the familiar demon slayer, looking down to her beloved demon companion. Sesshomaru's mouth curved into a sneering smile as he looked on at the collapsed form of Kagome, and made a satisfied noise.

'Come Rin, my work is done here,' he muttered, turning away from the battlescene.

'Kagome, Kagome!' Inuyasha shouted, 'wake up!' He held his ear to her heart. 'She's alive, but we need to get this arrow out.'

'I'll get some water boiling, Shippo, get some stuff from Kagome's First Aid Kit,' ordered Sango; Miroku and Kilala sat beside Inuyasha, who was cradling Kagome's head in his arms and was looking about, lost and bewildered, something that had happened more times than he'd care to count in his long lifetime.

'Right,' said Sango, 'this is going to hurt her a lot, Inuyasha hold her down and don't let go, the arrow tip is too close to her vitals for comfort...if she moves…it's gonna to kill her…' Kagome laid on her front with her head resting sideways. Inuyasha pinned down her arms, Shippo stood by with the medical bag and Miroku stood by the fire, waiting for some disgusting, ochre, thick liquid to boil. Sango ripped the back of Kagome's shirt where the arrow was. Wincing at the look of the wound. Swallowing hard, the demon slayer grabbed the arrow, and closed her eyes tight, 'sorry, Kagome,' she whispered, and she yanked the arrow out with a sharp, straight tug. Kagome screamed in agony, struggling to move. Inuyasha pinned her arms to the floor with difficulty, turning his face away as Sango took out a small bottle from the First Aid Kit, (although the stuff inside was Feudal era made it rested in Kagome's backpack), she poured some thick liquid out of it on a bandage and onto the wound.

Kagome's screams carried through the forest and echoed round them. Sango bandaged the wound in great difficulty, as Kagome struggled in pain to be free from Inuyasha's grip. Sango wrapped Kagome in a blanket, that wasn't stained with blood, 'Inuyasha, sit her up, she needs to drink this liquid I made.' Inuyasha sat Kagome up, 'Inuyasha, hold her head back. This isn't the nicest tasting thing in the world so she'll try to spit it out,' Inuyasha held her head back and Sango poured some of the liquid which had been boiling down her throat. Kagome choked as the hot liquid trickled down her throat, trying to force it back up it was so disgusting; Shippo thought she would vomit any minute. 'Swallow it Kagome,' said Inuyasha, he felt Kagome's body jerk as she tried not to heave it all back up. 'Please swallow it,' he repeated, she swallowed it quickly trying not to be sick. Sango put down the bowl and sat back. Kagome leaned back against Inuyasha's shoulder, her eyes closed in relief, and passed into unconciousness.

'We should let her rest now, which means no physical contact Miroku!' whispered Sango.

'What? Does it look like I'm in the naughty mood?' asked Miroku.

'Yes,' they all said in unison. Inuyasha lay Kagome down and pulled a blanket over her, sitting beside her while the others went back to the campfire.

TBC

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A/N: Chappie one, crap I know but please be patient. BTW, the reason Inuyasha is a little more overprotective is due to the events of the fic before this (Part one of this series), if you've read it you'll know Kagome was specificaly targetted before, so it makes little Inu a little paranoid ^_^ BTW: I've updated the first 2 chapters of this fic, so you can get into it a little more. On with the reading. Please review.

Luv Shigure

x chuu x