Threatened Back Into His Arms

Chapter Two

|Inuyasha|

After Kikyo had left and Kagome had run away I stood in the small circle of trees collecting my thoughts, but the smell of Kikyo's clay made that difficult so I found myself bounding across the forest that had been deemed mine after being pinned to the Goshinboku tree for 50 years.

I was torn.

Kikyo was the first person to ever show me kindness and affection. She saved me when I needed saving. She was my first love. But then she betrayed me and everything fell apart. She died and I was pinned the Goshinboku tree for 50 years. That was till Kagome saved me.

Slowly she started rebuilding me and showing me what true acceptance meant. Kikyo was kind—yes but she never understood the hardships of my demon side. Kagome, though she too could never understand the isolation and abuse from the two races, tried to help me open up about it. The one thing that Kikyo never did but Kagome does is tell me I shouldn't change. Kikyo wanted me human while Kagome wanted me as a half demon.

Kagome gave me choice in matters because she wants me happy, while Kikyo bartered for what she wanted because she knew what made me happy was her.

Even though Kikyo did that it doesn't make me hate her—no I couldn't ever hate her—it made me feel flawed. I felt if I was flawed she would stick around to make me better—to make me perfect so then she would have me anyways. Kikyo knew I needed her more than she needed me.

When I first spotted the soul collectors I made sure that the others were sleeping before I went running. After the first few times I had snuck out to see Kikyo I started to believe that Kagome had a power to know when the previously dead miko was around seeing as she always finds her way to Kikyo and myself.

This time when I went to Kikyo I wasn't thinking about Kagome not when Naraku came up in our conversation. I yelled at Kikyo that Naraku would never have her as long as I was alive and that I would protect her until I was dead.

I had pulled Kikyo into my chest hoping that I could seal us away from the world and all it's horrors. When Kikyo finally returned the embrace I felt like I was on cloud nine and that I could never find myself on Earth again.

When she pulled herself away from me and let her soul collectors fly her somewhere else I found I was still in my daze of love. Even when I turned and saw Kagome standing there it couldn't really be broken but somewhere deep inside my heart I knew that since I really loved Kikyo I couldn't hurt Kagome.

Before I could tell Kagome how sorry I was and how she needed to return home for both our sakes she turned and ran away.

I guess the message was clear, I remember thinking. Kami, I'm a bastard.

That had been a few hours ago and know it was reaching the nights darkest.

I returned back to Kaede's only to find my suspicions were correct in Kagome returning home. Her bag was gone and her bow in the corner of the hut, Miroku and Sango each gave me their own glare.

"I see you went to Kikyo, Inuyasha." Miroku advised the moment I sat down near the two humans, shifting Tessaiga on my hip then hiding my hands in my sleeves.

"Did she leave?" I questioned without answering him.

"Yes and rather quickly I might add," The monk said with an edge in his voice.

Sango spoke up, rattling Shippo and Kirara out of their sleep off in the corner. "How can you do this to her!? After all Kagome does for you, you turn around and treat her like dirt! I have no idea how she deals with you-you pi—"

"Calm down my dear Sango, we can't expect him to drop his feelings for the first woman he loved even though she did betray him once before she died and multiple times after she came back from the dead."

Miroku picked himself up and walked out of the hut with Sango close behind. Kirara mewed and followed behind her companion.

There was a soft pressure on my shoulder and I didn't need to turn my head to know that it was Shippo.

"Why you jerk! I don't know what Kagome sees in yo-ah!" He cried as my fist cracked down on his head.

"Oi, shut up!"

Then a familiar voice made his ears perk.

Kagome.

I flew out the door of Kaede's hut and was smacked by the smell of burning wood and lots of it. Becoming aware of all the humans that were gathering in one direction I moved to see what the commotion was about.

"Kagome!" Kaede yelled.

Once I pushed through the crowd I came up beside the elder priestess and saw where she was looking.

The girl in the white and green school uniform ran with a fire consuming the forest on her tail.

Just as she was coming up on the outskirts of the forest a tree toppled down in front of her and she disappeared.

No.

Then she stood up and her hand reached across the unlit log and she yelled out my name.

"Inuya-sha!"

"Kagome," I whispered.

Then she disappeared as the flames crossed from both sides of the tree and devoured it with her on the wrong side.

Shippo disappeared from my shoulder and I was leaping across the space between Kagome and I.

The smell of charred wood set in and then the feel of the heat brushed my cheeks.

'Damn it. Kagome won't last long in here! It's too hot and the only way I am going to make it through here is with the robe of the fire rat.'

Pocketing my hands in the opposite sleeves to protect them, I didn't stop as I came face to face with the fiery log Kagome had sat behind I leaped over it and felt the flames move around me as I pushed through them. My feet touched the ground and I saw that Kagome was no longer there.

"Kagome!?" I hollered into the forest looking from side to side. "Where are you!?"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried again, sounding from my left.

I turned and ran after that direction.

After several bounds I cursed as my bad luck and realized I couldn't hunt her down like I was hoping. "Kagome! I need you to come towards my voice!"

Instead of her voice responding she let out a short scream.

My heart started to panic. "Ka-gome, answer me damn-it!"

"Inuyasha, Naraku was in here!" She yelled back.

Her words froze me in time. Kagome was trapped in the forest that was burning her by the second and now she was defenseless with that bastard running around in here.

"Inuyasha…" She said much less hysterically. "Are you still there?"

"Yes. Kagome listen to me, can you get back to the Tree of Ages?"

She was hesitant in answering but she said, "Yes."

"Stop for nothing, just keep goin'. Do ya hear me wench!?" I yelled, my more normal self came out hoping this would comfort her.

"You are lucky we are in a serious situation otherwise I would 'it you!"

"I'm going ahead to look for Naraku. You better get there Kagome or I'll kill you myself."

After that I sped off to the Tree of Ages looking for any dangers.

As I came up on the tree I was taken back like always by its size along with the memories it always held.

Kikyo ending me and Kagome giving me my life back.

There was no one around but I got small a whiff of death that was too much like the disgusting scent of Naraku.

Minutes ticked by and sweat beaded on my face from the heat and the nerves.

'Where is she?'

Just then the smell of her vanilla and jasmine broke through to my right.

My eyes focused on the flames and steadily behind the flames a silhouette appeared and the silhouette became darker then more recognizable.

Kagome ran twisting her torso back and forth with each leap she took. Her black-blue hair flickering in a wave behind her. The pelted green school skirt of hers snapped against her legs with every leap.

Then I spotted the blood on her legs, the red stain on the arm of the shirt, the blackened spots on her legs as well.

I leaped forward and I swear she starting running towards me faster. As we became feet away I didn't slow and we collided right into each other. Her in my arms and chest and me wrapped around her.

"Kagome," Her name escaped me in a breath.

She buried her head in my chest and made fists of my fire rat. "Inu-yasha!" Kagome cried.

One of my arms wrapped around her lower back and my other cupped the back of her head and pulled her closer. "You're here, you're safe." I whispered soothingly to her, dragging my clawed hand through her netted hair.

Kagomes fists clenched at my robe of the fire rat and her face was buried into my chest.

"Inuyasha, he was in my home! He was in my kitchen with my mother!" She sobbed into my chest.

I pulled her away so I could see her face, "Who?"

"You've proved me wrong Kagome, on all accounts. I was in your home with most everyone you loved under that rooftop and Inuyasha," the voice said my name was a spice in it, "was not along your side. But now were are back her in the era with that half-breed by your side, for that you shall pay!"

I twisted and shielded Kagome from his view, "Naraku."