Ok, just to let you know, I'm not going to wait for 10 reviews to update. As long as someone still wants to read this, I'll keep on adding chapters. Well, anyway, I hope you like this chapter! And thanks to everyone who did review!
Disclaimer: I still don't own Inuyasha and the gang, but I have a plan...(shifty eyes)...
Inuyasha was very pissed. He was also confused, but mostly he was pissed. He had gone to the exact place where Kikyo had said to meet her, but she had never showed up.
Something's wrong...
He arrived back at the village just in time to see Sango hit Miroku in the head with her hiraikotsu ... again.
"Hey lecher, what did you do this time?" Inuyasha taunted when he reached them.
"None of your business," slurred Miroku, slightly dazed by another one of Sango's lessons.
"Sango, where's Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, still amused by Miroku's dazed look.
"She's not back yet. So... what did Kikyo say?" Sango ventured, knowing how touchy Inuyasha was when it came to the dead priestess.
"It was weird. She never showed up. I waited there for a while, but there was no sign of her."
"I wonder why?" Miroku asked, finally making his way into the conversation.
Inuyasha was about to respond when he noticed a heart wrenching scent on the air.
"No," Inuyasha whispered as he immediately took off running back into the forest.
"Inuyasha!"
He could hear Sango and Miroku running after him, but he didn't care. The smell was getting stronger. The one scent he was always afraid he would notice. The scent of Kagome's blood.
He stopped running when he reached the clearing where the well was located, looking around for her. He saw her backpack and her bow and arrows lying on the ground a few feet from the well, everything splattered with Kagome's blood. He kept looking, but he still couldn't find her. He was about to call out for Sango and Miroku as he walked past the well and towards the God Tree when he saw her, lying on the ground, unconscious, in a pool of her own blood.
"Kagome!" he screamed as he ran towards her sprawled form. He reached out and gently lifted her into his arms.
"Kagome," he whispered.
He knew that she was still alive, but he also knew that if he didn't get her some help, she would soon die of her injuries.
"Inuyasha!"
He turned slightly to see Miroku running towards him, Sango following close behind. When Sango saw Kagome, seriously injured, in Inuyasha's arms she began to cry.
"Kagome," she whispered.
"She's still alive. I'm taking her to Kaede's."
He took one last look and Sango and Miroku before he turned and began to run, as quickly as he dared, towards the village.
"Miroku?"
Mikoku turned to look at a still crying Sango.
"Do you think she'll be alright?"
He walked over to her, pulling her into a rough, yet reassuring hug.
"She'll be fine Sango. Kaede will take care of her."
He moved away from her, reluctantly letting her go.
"We should hurry up and leave. It's too dangerous out here."
He bent down to pick up Kagome's things, wiping as much of her blood off of them as possible with the sleeve of his kimono.
"Miroku?"
He looked up at Sango, noticing the faint, sad dmile on her tear stained face.
"Yes Sango?"
"Thank you."
And with that they started to make their way back to Kaede's hut.
Inuyasha was standing outside, leaning up against the walls of Kaede's hut when Sango and Miroku finally made it back to the village.
"Inuyasha! How is she?" Sango asked, running up to him as fast as she could.
"Kaede's with her. She said that she needed to be alone with her."
"Do you have any idea who could've done this?" Miroku asked when he reached them.
"It's strange... the only scent on her was the scent of that kid. The one who gave me that letter."
"The little girl? Why would she have been with Kagome?" Miroku asked, becoming slightly confused.
"I don't know, but her scent was all over Kagome."
"But that doesn't make any sense," Sango said. "That would mean that the child was the one who attacked her."
"But Sango," said a now very confused Miroku. "That doesn't make any sense either. She was just a child. How could a little girl like her do so much damage? Certainly Kagome could've fought back successfully against a small child."
"True, but you know Kagome. She would never hurt a child. She doesn't have it in her."
"Inuyasha."
All three of them turned at the sound of Kaede's voice.
"Ye may see her now."
"How is she?" Sango asked as Inuyasha ran into the hut to see Kagome.
"She still hasn't woken up. I believe that there is something more to this than we think. It is as if someone is forcing her to stay in a dream state of some sort. I don't know how to bring her out of it. I've heard of this happening, but I've never actually seen it before."
While Kaede, Sango, and Miroku stood outside discussing what was happening to Kagome, Inuyasha was inside, sitting beside her. He was afraid to touch her, not wanting to hurt her anymore than she already was.
"What happened to you Kagome?" he whispered.
He closed his eyes, knowing that this was somehow his fault. No matter how hard he tried, he could never fully protect her. There was always someone after her, she was always in danger. He never should have left. He should have known that something like this would happen. He should be the one hurt, not her. Never her...
Forgive me Kagome...
He was about o get up when he heard her moan, as if in pain.
"Kagome?" he said.
She gasped, slightly moving to one side as if she was experiencing some frightening nightmare.
"Kagome, can you hear me?" he asked softly as he moved closer to her. "Please wake up... please... we need you..."
She cried out, and he grabbed her shoulders, gently yet firmly pulling her into his arms.
"What is he doing?" Shippo asked the others as they secretly watched Inuyasha's actions.
"Shhhh! Be quiet!" Sango whispered fiercely.
Inuyasha didn't hear them. He was too busy trying to get Kagome to come back to him.
"...Kagome... I need you..."
She grabbed his kimono with her pale hands, as if trying to pull herself out of whatever spell she was under.
"...Kagome... I love you."
She seemed to pause for a moment, as if frozen in time. Then, out of nowhere, she gasped in pain and pulled herself into him, her eyes opening as she finally came out of the spell.
"Inuyasha!" she gasped, holding on to him for dear life.
"Kagome!" he choked, thankful that she was awake... that she was alive.
The others, seeing that she was finally awake, rushed into the hut yelling Kagome's name.
"You're all alive... you're all okay..." Kagome said, tears running down her cheeks.
"Of course we're alright! Why would you think that we weren't?" Sango said as she rushed to Kagome's side.
"They said... they said that you were dead... all of you... that I would never see you again... that it was all my fault..."
"Kagome, we're fine...we're okay–"
"No!" she cried, cutting Miroku off. "You don't understand! They told me how you died... how they killed you... they said that I was next... that I didn't deserve to live..."
"They were lying to ye Kagome! They were wrong!" Kaede cried.
"But Kaede-"
"Don't you dare listen to them Kagome! Don't you dare believe them over us... over me!" Inuyasha yelled.
Sango and Miroku stared at him, both of them noticing the tears glistening in his eyes.
"Inuyasha..." Kagome said, her tears falling down even faster now.
"Come on ye two... let's leave them alone." Kaede said softly as she ushered Sango and Miroku out of the hut.
Kagome, those bastards will never touch you again!"
"How did they know Inuyasha."
"Know what?"
"I see you dead all the time... I'm always afraid that I'll wake up in the morning to find that I'm all alone! How do they know? How do they know what my greatest fear is?"
"I don't know. But you don't have to worry Kagome. Nothing is going to happen to any of us. I won't let them hurt you again."
"Oh Inuyasha... I love you!" she cried, throwing her arms around his neck, letting her tears fall onto his shoulder.
He hugged her back, holding her close.
"I love you too... so much," he whispered in her ear, finally letting his tears fall as he held the most important thing in his life in his arms. Kagome. His best friend...
... his true love.
Thanks for reading another chapter! I'll update as soon as possible. I hope you like the story so far. Anyways... you know you want to review... yes, I'm talking to you! So don't be shy!
kaginufan88
