Give Me a Break
A fanfiction by Tifa Tyndal
Chapter 2- Over Again
Disclaimer: Ok, so I'm still not sure if these are needed for every chapter... I do suppose if suddenly (before I write another chapter) I'm given the show Inuyasha then I might need to tell you that I do own it... but I don't now!
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Is was raining as the jewel hunters stumbled into Kaede's village. Opening her door, the village priestess welcomed them inside. "What is the news of your travels?" She asked as she prepared tea and eyed Kohaku, the newest addition to the group.
The group sat silently by the fire to dry off but no one said a word. Finally, Inuyasha broke the silence, "We failed."
Kagome shot him a sharp look, "I thought we were going to let Kohaku tell it."
Inuyasha sulked silently as Kaede looked expectantly at Kohaku. "And who might you be?" She asked the boy.
"I'm," Kohaku swallowed nervously. "I'm Sango's little brother. They asked me to tell you what happened since I'm the least biased."
Kaede sat down, having handed out the tea cups. "And what do ye have to say?"
Kohaku cleared his throat, looked down, then, seemingly gathering his courage, looked the elder lady in the eyes. "There was a large battle. Naraku was weakened and all the jewel shards were in one place. Sorta. Miss Kagome had two and Naraku had the rest."
Kaede nodded for him to continue.
"Everyone was fighting. Sesshomaru, Inuyasha's brother, included along with Koga, the leader of the wolves. Neither side seemed to be winning so Miss Kagome tried to fix that." Kohaku coughed a little before resuming his story. "She shot an arrow at Naraku but instead hit the Shikon no Tama. It shattered into many pieces."
Kaede's serene face gave away no surprise.
"Naraku fled and Sesshomaru and Koga left. All the demons we were fighting also fled. Now... the jewel shards have to be gathered again." Kohaku finished, dropping is hand limply to his teacup which he promptly took up and drank from.
Kaede looked at the rest of the group. "Ye are devastated, are ye not?" She asked calmly.
Kagome nodded for the group. "Yes, I suppose so. I'm-I'm really sorry."
Kaede sighed, "It cannot be changed, Kagome. What will you do now?"
"Find them again I suppose," Kagome said quietly.
Kaede nodded.
"I'll tell you what we're gonna do!" Shippo's loud voice startled them all. "We're gonna find them quicker than ever! And then we're gonna defeat Naraku once and for all!" He declared, pumping his fist.
What Shippo meant to be a pep talk did nothing as Kagome dropped her eyes to the floor and sighed.
"I can't believe it," Inuyasha muttered. "How could I have let him get away? How could I have failed Kikyo again?"
"No, it's my fault," Kagome said, trying to reassure him.
"I shouldn't have taken my eyes off him." Inuyasha clutched his head.
"I think you both are being too hard on yourselves," Miroku said sternly. "This is simply a minor setback. We forced Naraku to retreat, isn't that good?"
"But we shattered the jewel!" Inuyasha threw up his hands. "After all that work... we've got to do it over again!"
Inuyasha missed the tears the glistened in Kagome's eyes as he continued to agonize.
"I mean, just think! It's been a year! A whole year and finally when it seems we've gotten somewhere the jewel breaks! The shards aren't even in one place anymore! At least with Naraku they were together!"
"Now, Inuyasha, I don't think you're being fair," Sango's eyebrows bunched up. "Kagome didn't mean to."
"I agree with Sango," Miroku put in. "Naraku doesn't have the shards and that's all the matters."
"All that matters?" Inuyasha yelled angrily. "He didn't have any shards to begin with! We're back to square one! How on earth can you be so calm? I can't stand this!"
"Fine!" Kagome stood up, angry and sad tears evident in her eyes, "I'm sorry! It's all my fault and I should never had come here! If I hadn't come the jewel never would have broken! Shippo's parents would still be alive, Sango's village too! Miroku would have probably already killed Naraku! And now I've only made it worse!" Kagome stormed out of the hut into the rain before anyone could stop her or hear her sobs.
Inuyasha's ears drooped. Why was it that every time he blew up he regretted it one way or another? Now he had hurt Kagome and made her wish that she had never met him. His throat tightened. So this is what true rejection feels like. He thought sadly.
"Nice going, Inuyasha," Shippo's sarcastic voice cut the silence in the hut. "Now she may never come back."
"Did you have to yell like that? Didn't you see that you were hurting Kagome's feelings?" Sango also reprimanded Inuyasha.
"I know you're upset but you don't have to take it out on Kagome," Miroku's voice got deep.
"Well thank goodness I have such supportive friends to help me feel better," Inuyasha mumbled sarcastically and exited the hut.
Kohaku blinked slowly. "May I have some more tea...?"
Meanwhile...
Naraku stood in the frozen tundra. Snow stuck to his face and hair as the wind whipped his clothes around. He looked around for someone to hurt.
A small band of penguins waddled by. The adults penguins steered their children away from the strange man in the make-up.
Naraku's eyes lit up. Now there was a peaceful little family he could wreak havoc on. His tentacles crept out from beneath his clothing. Dripping miasma, they searched out the animals. But before they could reach them the tentacles stopped in their tracks.
"Eh?" Naraku put more force behind the tentacles. They wouldn't budge. So, reaching down he fingered them. They had frozen solid. The penguins waddled by safely and happily.
"I don't think this place is going to work for me."
-
Kagome fled out into the pouring rain. She hadn't actually thought through her escape so she was surprised when she was suddenly soaked. Shoot, She thought as she ran for the cover of a shady oak. Once seated there she was free to cry with the rain. I can't believe that I shattered the jewel. It was terrible!
Kagome hugged her knees to her chest. How could she have ruined everything for everyone? It's all my fault.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha was running towards her. Kagome hid her face on her legs.
Oh, great. The last person I want to see right now.
"Kagome," Inuyasha knelt in front of Kagome. "Kagome, I'm sorry." Whoa, this apologizing thing is getting easier.
Kagome lifted her tear-stained face up slightly. "You were right. I should have never come here."
"I never said that," Inuyasha turned to sit beside her. "I'm glad you came."
"But I just ruined everything for everybody! I'm a murderer!" Kagome sobbed into hands.
Inuyasha snatched her hands and forced her to look at him. "Don't say that. None of that stuff was your fault. You did none of it."
Kagome's eyes grew wide. She had never seen Inuyasha so urgent.
Suddenly Inuyasha laughed shortly and leaned back. "Plus, Kagome, you forget. If you had never come I would still be stuck to that tree."
Kagome's lips made a silent 'oh' as she turned her head to look at Inuyasha. "I forgot."
"Well don't," Inuyasha's voice was gruff as he ruffled her hair. "We'll find those shards fine. And we need you, Kagome. I, need you."
Kagome looked up at Inuyasha. "You're serious?"
Inuyasha smiled. "Yes. Plus, if we really had completed the jewel I wouldn't have an excuse to drag you back here, would I?"
"Inuyasha..." Kagome was breathless. Had Inuyasha just said that?
Inuyasha looked down and blushed. He really wasn't used to apologizing to Kagome first. However, something had come over him and he had. He had to be careful who he vented to next time, maybe use Sesshomaru. "Alright!" Inuyasha snapped his head up. "Let's get out of the rain!" And with that, he pulled Kagome back towards the hut.
-
Naraku sighed and looked around at his newest surroundings. It wasn't too terribly bad... He even felt a sort of kinship with a few of the locals. He could rise in power and take over the entire place. Oh, what a nice idea for a vacation.
Naraku relished the idea of living at the bottom of the ocean.
"This is the life," Naraku leaned back on a large rock a picked of a few small fish, that is, after playing with them a little. A couple octopi swam by and he poked them a little with his own tentacles. They seemed unfazed. They only squirted a substantial amount of ink at his face before moving on.
"Argh!" Naraku wiped the black substance from his eyes. He'd get those octopi back if it were the last thing he did! So off he went.
It was slightly hard to find the creatures, seeing that they moved away quickly but soon enough he spotted them. Time to do some squirting of my own, Naraku decided as she stealthily moved towards the animals.
"DIE!" Naraku released full blow a cloud of miasma at the octopi who, of course, were disintegrated. "Mwahahahahaha!!!" Naraku relished the feeling of power. If the ocean were a room his maniacal laugh would have echoed eerily through the rafters. As it was his laugh was still pretty loud. The feeling of absolute evil overcame him and he felt the rush of maliciousness. Then:
"I'm bored. This place stinks."
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End Chapter Two
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This was a little longer, right? I didn't plan for this to get dramatic really, it just ended up that way... But I hope you enjoyed it! The next chapter focuses mostly on Naraku and isn't nearly as serious as this one! -The Author
