School was out for the weekend, thank goodness, and she actually had all her homework done. There was going to be a Teacher's In - Service, and so very little homework was given out. Kagome had begged off gym class, saying she had a headache, and had hid out in the library and completed all her homework, so this weekend was free of worry and guilt for her.
She dragged up the bags behind her.
"I thought I smelled you."
She turned around to see InuYasha jumping down from a nearby tree, walking towards her, his hands folded into the sleeves of his haori.
From anyone else, that would be quite the insult. she mentally smiled.
She handed him a bag, "Here. Help me with these?"
He took the bags, and fell in beside her as she walked back on the path, "What's all this?"
"Supplies. Some food, mostly bandages and asprin and soap and stuff. We were getting low."
"You paid for all this yourself?" he asked, worriedly.
Kagome smiled, "Yes, out of that huge pile of money you left us on Halloween, so don't worry. Mom put it into a bank account for me to use, especially for our supplies."
He nodded, then spoke, "Did you mother get that...that...job-thing?"
Kagome nodded, "Yes! She starts next week! She's really looking forward to it. She worked in a museum when she was younger, before she met dad, and had to give it up when I came along. It's good to see her getting back into it."
"I still don't understand why anyone would pay money to go look at old things."
Kagome laughed.
He glanced at her, and blinked, "You cut your hair!"
She laughed again, reaching up to the ends which hung a small bit shorter than before, "Just a little. It was looking a little raggedy, so I got it trimmed."
He looked back to the path ahead, then spoke, "You're gonna call DarkWind back, huh?"
"Actually, not yet," she said, and he looked at her.
"I want him to have time to himself," she explained, "He might be used to being at his Master's beck and call, but I'm not. It's good for both of us to be apart now and again."
InuYasha agreed wholeheartedly.
She showed him the Bloodstone she was still wearing, tied around her wrist today, "See? Now he can't even spy on me."
He blinked, "He spies on you!?"
Kagome laughed again, "No, not really. Just checks in constantly, to make sure there's nothing I need. This way he has to take a vacation."
InuYasha nodded again, then fell silent.
After a few minutes of silence, Kagome spoke.
"InuYasha? Would you....would you do something for me?"
He looked at her, "What?"
Kagome paused, turning to look at him, hesitant. InuYasha faced her, and spoke again, "What?"
"Would...will you....will you teach me again?"
"Huh?"
"The sword."
Silence. He had stopped teaching her once he realized she was serious about using the Shikon. Then DarkWind had shown up, and....
"Hasn't DarkWind been teaching you?" he asked, his voice suddenly bitter.
She ignored the tone, "No. He's teaching me to use the Shikon, but not the sword. You were teaching me that. I'd like to take it up again."
He watched her in silence for a minute, "Why?"
She sighed, and started to turn, "Nevermind, I-"
He reached out, grabbing her wrist, "Yes!"
Kagome turned back to him, searching his face.
He nodded, "Yes. If you want to learn again, I mean. I'll teach you."
Kagome studied his face for a second, then nodded, "Thank you. I...I'm probably rusty as heck."
"You don't ever really forget, you know. You just have to warm up to it again."
They carried the bags back to the camp, packing things away. Getting her sword, and taking a moment to tell Sango, Shippo and Miroku where they were going, they headed away from the campsite, into an open field where they could have room to move.
Kagome unsheathed her sword, feeling how good it felt to have her sword back in her hands. She hadn't really held it since they...
She looked up at him, and waited.
InuYasha kept Tetsusaiga in it's old state, instead of the powerful one, and together they went through the first stages of swordsmanship, InuYasha reminding Kagome of the steps and stances.
He could see she was a little rusty, but after a few seconds, her body remembered, and she caught up again.
He showed her a few new moves, which she caught onto almost at once, and he felt himself relaxing. It was like old times again.
After about a hour of practice, she turned to him.
"InuYasha."
"Yeah?"
"Let's spar."
He looked at her, blinking, "What!?"
"I want to practice! I mean, really practice. How else am I going to be any good at this? Just going through the motions is great, and it's helped me a few times, but I want to really be able to do this."
"Yeah, but.....Kagome..."
"Oh I know we're not really going to fight! I'm not asking you to try and kill me or anything, I know you'll hold back. But I want to really be able to do this. There's only one way to get better, InuYasha. Please?"
He sighed deeply. He didn't want to do this, not really. He didn't like the idea of her fighting at all.....and yet he understood that he might not always be there if she needed him. He still remembered how she had died at the well...
But a part of him was frightened. He knew he was too wired when he was fighting...he might be the same when sparring. What if he hurt her?
Kagome read his face like an open book, and she spoke softly, "You won't hurt me."
He sighed again, half disgusted. He slid the Tetsusaiga back into the sheath, and then removed that from his belt, "I'm keeping Tetsusaiga sheathed."
She nodded, "I'll do the same."
"No," he said, "You need to learn to use the sword, and the sheath makes it clumsy. I just...I might hurt you by accident. So I'll keep mine sheathed."
She smiled softly, "Ok."
Kagome knocked the hilt of the Tetsusaiga aside, backing up, and tripped over an exposed rock, falling hard onto her butt.
InuYasha blinked, stepping forward, "Are you alright?"
"Ouch," Kagome rubbed her butt as she stood up, her face shiny with sweat, "Yeah. I shouldn't have tripped over the stupid rock, though."
"You're not used to fighting," InuYasha said, "And you're probably tired."
Kagome leaned back up against a tree, "Whooo. Yeah. I'm beat."
InuYasha slid the sheath back into his belt, "You did good, though, Kagome."
She studied him, "Honest?"
He smiled, "Honest. Better than a lot of humans I've seen. I mean, you haven't even been practicing for a year, but...yeah. You're doing good."
Kagome smiled happily, "Thanks."
She slid her sword back into the sheath, and rubbed her shoulder, "I'm going to be sore tomorrow."
InuYasha just nodded.
"I'm going to go wash up," she said, "Get this sweat off me. I'll meet you back here in a second."
"Alright."
He watched her walk off on a path that led to the river, and smiled to himself.
Things had gone good. It was almost like old times again....she even let him take her hand for a second to position it better on her sword.
And she was learning fast, too. Really fast. She absorbed what he told her like a sponge takes in water.
He remembered her face when she had defeated the smaller demon on her own; how proud she had looked.
Any time they got along, any time she smiled at him, he felt a little better, knowing he was a step closer to her.
After a short while passed, and she didn't come back, he frowned as he looked towards the river path.
"Hey Kagome! You all right?"
No answer.
He started towards the path, walking easily. She was probably just out of earshot....or even under the water completely.
She didn't take her towels, though, or spare clothing. I don't think she planned on bathing, just washing her face.
She might have decided to bathe, though, and just planned on putting on her dirty clothing until she got back to the camp and could change.
He slipped into the bushes to approach the river quietly. He didn't want to startle her...
His face burned when he realized there was a good chance he might see her naked....and wasn't even trying to avoid that.
I'm worse than Miroku. he mentally despaired.
But when he got to the river, he couldn't see her, or her clothing.
Frowning, he stepped out, looking around.
"Kagome?"
Silence, only the gurgle of the river.
"Kagome?"
Silence.
He caught her scent, faint near the damp air of the river, but there....and then, mixing into it, a different scent, a familiar one.
A hated one.
Xanter.
InuYasha pulled out his sword, the Tetsusaiga flaring to life in it's large form.
"Kagome! Where are you?"
Silence.
"Godsdamnit Xanter, if you touch her I'll skin you alive!"
He turned until he could zero in on his scent, where it grew stronger, leading away from the river.
As did Kagome's.
With a savage curse, he lunged away from the river, chasing the dwindling scent, murder in his heart.
"Put me down!" she screamed.
They were speeding along, flying low over the ground, Kagome cradled tightly in Xanter's arms. The breeze kicked up by flying ruffled his short spiky hair.
"I can't put you down just yet, Beloved," he said with a smile on his face, "We're not there yet."
"Where!?"
"We're going to meet my sister."
"Xether!? Why?"
"I can't wait anymore for you, Beloved. Xether is going to help me show you the true way, and then you'll be one of us. She agreed to help me turn you."
Her heart hammered, as she tried to keep herself from clinging to him. She didn't want him to think she was eager for this, yet she was terrified he might accidentally drop her. And although they were low, at the speed they were going, she'd be killed.
"I'm not ready yet!" she cried, "There are things I've got to do first!"
"You'll have to do them later, Sweetness," he shook his head, "Because this can't wait anymore."
"You can't force me to marry you!" Kagome yelled, squirming slightly, "That's not love!"
"I know, and I'm sorry," he said, "But I have no choice. Things are moving too swiftly now, and I have to act if we're going to be together, Beloved. You'll forgive me when it's over."
"Put me down!" she screamed, "Put me down right now!"
"I can't."
Kagome reached for the Bloodstone on her arm, to release it and call for DarkWind, but squeaked in shock when Xanter clamped a hand down over her wrist, hard. Looking up, she saw he was looking down at her, an unpleasant look on his face.
"Leave it."
"Don't tell me-"
"I know you own the Kageri, Beloved," he said, and his voice was hard, "And I'm telling you to leave it. You don't want to call him, not now."
Kagome's heart hammered. Xanter had lost his happy look.
"I..."
"You can use him once you're on our side," he said, "But for now, you don't want to call him. You don't."
Kagome found she couldn't speak.
"Besides," he said, his voice warming up again, "Once you join us, you can really put that Kageri to good use."
"I thought...no one knew who his Master was?" Kagome whispered.
"The others don't," Xanter said, his eyes boring into hers, "And I won't tell them. I don't want you killed, Beloved. I want you on our side. So I've kept your little secret. But if you try to call him right now, I'll stop him."
"How?" she asked, weakly.
He spoke simply, "I'll tear your hand off at the wrist."
Kagome fell silent, her eyes huge.
"Please understand I won't want to," he explained gently, "But I will. I'll tear his connection to you clear off. Hopefully we'll convert you before you bleed to death. Grow you another hand. If not..." he shrugged.
Kagome found her voice, "You...you said you loved me! You said you wouldn't hurt me!"
"That was before," he said, "I have the unpleasant idea that you might be trying to fool me, Kagome. You wouldn't be doing that, would you? Pretending to care for me in order to get information from me?"
She tried to hide her fear, tried to hide her horror, and he spoke again, "Because I'm a really good guy, you know. Unless I find out a lady's been fooling me. Laughing at me behind her back. Then...well....I don't know just what I'd do."
Kagome swallowed.
He looked at her, his eyes like a bird of prey.
"Have you been lying to me?"
"N-No." she whispered, unable to say anything else.
He smiled, all sunshine and happiness, "Excellent! Then we will be married, Beloved, and all will be well!"
What do I do? she wondered helplessly, Oh, what?
If she called for DarkWind, she'd lose her hand. Kagome didn't consider herself a coward,...but her hand...
But if she didn't, and she was made dark, what secrets would she tell to her enemies? And what would it do to her friends? And what things would she have DarkWind do?
She hated to think it, hated to put him in trouble, but right now she only had one hope.
InuYasha. Where are you?
It was only a few seconds later that they angled downwards, and landed. He dropped Kagome onto her feet, and reached into his shirt. Pulling out a strip of cloth, he grabbed her, and bound it over her arm, covering the Bloodstone with it, in effect making it impossible to remove it. He tied a very tight knot in it. When he turned away from her, against her own will, Kagome tugged at it desperately, but it didn't move, wouldn't even slide down lower onto her arm.
"Now then," he said, turning to her, "My sister should be here soon enough, and the transformation will begin."
"Transformation." Kagome repeated dully, "How will I be...?"
"Oh, it won't hurt, don't worry. You'll just drink something, and read aloud a few verses from a scroll, and you'll start the change. Basically you just swear fealty to our Master, and it will begin."
"Will I be...a Shadeling?" she asked weakly.
"No, sadly," Xanter smiled gently at her, reaching out to brush back her hair. Kagome flinched, and he saw, looking sad.
"Don't worry, Beloved. You'll be better soon. And you won't be afraid of me anymore, and we'll be together."
"Xanter...please..." she hated the sound of herself begging, but she had no other choice, "I don't think I want to do this. I'm scared."
"You have to trust me, Beloved. It won't hurt, and you'll be more powerful than you ever were. And you'll be with me. You do want to be with me, yes?"
"Oh yes," she said quickly, "Of course, I just...I'm a coward, and I...I'm just not sure..."
"Trust me. I'm doing what's best for you."
He reached into a pocket, and pulled out a small vial of black liquid. He gave it a little shake, watching the contents bubble and swirl. To Kagome it looked like some foul ink.
"What is that?"
"It's blood."
"B-Blood?"
"From a creature higher up than this plane. Very high. Taken and corrupted." he frowned, "I'm not sure how it tastes...shall I get you something sweet to take after?"
"Xanter..."
"No? Very well." He looked towards the west, "Where is my sister? It's taking too long."
He looked back at the vial, and shrugged, "I know this stuff can be taken a few hours prior to the Turning. I can't wait...let's start it now."
"Now!?"
"Why not? The sooner you are Turned, Beloved, the sooner we can be together." He grasped the small cork, and pulled. It popped out with a hollow sound, and Kagome instantly got the scent of the liquid; bitter and cloying.
He started walking towards her, but Kagome backed up, "No...wait..."
"Come on, Kagome," he said, a little sternly, "Stop fooling around."
"I...I'm not ready, Xanter! Please!"
His face darkened, "You were playing me for a fool."
"No!" she lied, "I'm not! I'm just scared of this! It's happening too fast! I want more time."
"We don't have time," he snapped, and reached for her, "Now come here."
Panic welled inside her, uncontrolled.
Kagome turned, and bolted.
Behind her she heard Xanter curse angrilly. Kagome ran as if the very hounds of hell were after her, not looking back, not even sure where she was going. She just ran.
Behind her, Xanter re-corked the vial, and took to the air. His eyes were fixed on her, furious.
He'd take her, and Turn her, and then, then they would see. If she still didn't love him, he'd kill her, simple as that.
Trying to keep herself from panting, Kagome kept her eyes on the path as her feet pounded along; she refused to do something as stupid as tripping over a rock.
A black shape rose up before her, rippling and wavy; Xanter's shadow. He was swooping down at her.
Kagome threw herself to the side, still running. She cursed the fact she had lost her sword, but doubted it would have done her any good anyway. Xanter was too angry now.
She lunged into some bushes, half running, half crawling, just trying to get away. Branches scratched her face, gouging into her side, tearing at her clothing. The moss was slimy under her feet and hands, and she slipped to the side wildly for a second, scrabbling to get purchase.
Hands plunged into the bushes, and clamped down on her ankle, sending agony up her leg. She screamed, and clawed at the bandage at her arm, but it remained tight, unmoving.
Xanter jerked her backwards, and she slid backwards through the bushes, rocks digging into her side and hands, drawing blood. She was forced to give up trying to free the Bloodstone to fight for purchase.
Kagome screamed again, grabbing onto a tree as her legs were dragged out of the bushes. Clinging with all her might, she kicked wildly at the hands that held her, and she felt one of her feet connect. The hand fell away from her ankle.
Starting to cry with fright, Kagome crawled deeper into the bushes, hoping to use them as some sort of shelter, but she knew she was making far too much noise to be able to hide.
Xanter's voice, furious and full of rage.
"KAGOME!"
She shuddered, wincing as a stick on the ground tore into her arm, skinning it as it went.
Before her, several bushes were suddenly torn from the ground, dirt flying everywhere as Xanter tried to find her. A rock glanced off her face, causing her cheek to go numb. She coughed, almost choking on her fear, and turned, trying to crawl back into the bushes.
A hand reached in, and grasped a handful of hair, and pulled.
Screaming in pain and fear, Kagome was pulled from the bushes, yanked towards Xanter.
"Did you think you could fool me forever!?" he screamed at her, and drew back, punching her in the face.
Kagome literally saw stars. The world tripled, then doubled. A whine started in her head, like a camera powering up to flash, and knew she had been hit too hard. She felt heavy, and confused.
But she knew she had to get away. Xanter was going to kill her. Probably beat her to death.
When her vision cleared, she realized he was holding the vial again. He yanked out the cork with his teeth, and thrust the glass towards her.
"Drink!"
Kagome shook her head, throwing up her hands to try and knock it away.
"Bitch! Drink it!"
"No!"
He shook her, rattling her the way a terrier would shake a rat. Shaking her until she screamed.
He shoved it at her, and numb, Kagome took it.
Xanter let go of her hair, "Now drink it!"
Kagome swallowed, staring at the black liquid.
"I. Said. Drink. It." Xanter's voice was low and murderous.
Tears of pain blurred her vision. Part of her face felt hot and heavy, and she knew she was swelling. Her jaw ached, and her stomach felt sick.
An image rose in her head, of herself, standing beside Xanter, facing her friends.
She couldn't.
She just couldn't.
I'm sorry, Mom, she thought with great sorrow, and turning, threw the vial as far as she could.
"No!" Xanter screamed, and lunged for the vial.
Kagome turned, and bolted, running again. Her head ached, and everything hurt, and she knew he would catch her. But she vowed to make it as hard for him as possible. She would not go easily to her death.
She ran.
And then, like a ray of sunshine, in her vision, a crimson and silver splash of color, and he was there.
"Kagome!?"
"InuYasha!"
She burst into tears, running for him, her arms out, and he grabbed her, holding her tight, turning his body to shield her from the enraged Shadeling that was bearing down on them. When Xanter saw InuYasha, he paused, panting in fury.
InuYasha looked at Kagome in horror. Her face was bruised, blood, now dried, had dribbled from a split lip. There was an abrasion on her temple, and her cheekbone under her right eye was swelling badly, turning a violent purple.
"What did he do to you!?" he asked, looking her over.
But Kagome only cried, and buried her face in the curve of his neck, almost dizzy with pain. Her heart was hammering so hard she felt she was going to have a heart attack.
InuYasha looked at Xanter over his shoulder, and there was murder in his voice.
"You son of a bitch. What did you do to her!?"
"She was fooling me all along, as if you didn't know! You set her up to this? Was it your idea!?"
"You bastard," InuYasha hissed. Kagome looked up at him, at his face, and was startled to see his eyes flickered red for a second, there and gone, so fast, she wasn't sure if she had actually seen it, or if her vision was so warped at the moment it was an illusion.
"You think you're so much better," Xanter panted, clutching the vial in his hand, "But if it was you? If you thought she loved you, and then realized she had been laughing at you all along? Teasing you? Using you? Do you honestly think you would not do the same?"
InuYasha's arms tightened around her.
"I wouldn't hit her!" InuYasha snarled, fangs flashing, "I'd go find something to punch, something to beat the crap out of, but I wouldn't hurt her! If you love her you don't hurt her!"
Kagome's eyes were closed, Xanter and InuYasha's words washing over her in waves. She clutched the back of his haori in a death grip. Through his clothing, she could feel his heart pounding, his body was rigid with anger, like a board.
Xanter laughed, and looked at the vial.
All the black liquid was gone, having dribbled out or poured out in the flight through the air. He held only an empty vial now.
He threw it away from himself, and then looked at the hanyou, hugging Kagome.
InuYasha kept an eye on the Shadeling, knowing what was coming, but he glanced at her for a second, "Kagome. Look at me."
Trying not to cry, she looked up, pain in every inch of her head. The hanyou's face actually doubled before her for a second, before her vision righted itself.
InuYasha winced slightly; her cheekbone continued to swell, and was now turning black. He had hit her hard.
"Are you ok? I mean...can you..."
"I'm not dying, if that's what you mean," she said softly. It hurt to talk.
"Go back to the camp."
"No."
He frowned, "Kagome."
"No. I'm not leaving."
"He just beat the shit out of you, Kagome," InuYasha hissed, "Go back."
She gazed steadily at him, "I want to see you beat him."
InuYasha blinked.
Kagome said nothing, just gazed at him.
"Kagome?"
"He wants to make me dark, InuYasha. Like him. I'd rather die. But you're here now. I want to see you beat him."
The hanyou said nothing, uneasy. He wanted her away, somewhere safe. Away from Xanter. And yet a small part of him wanted her to see him fight for her. To see him get revenge for her.
But what if the Tetsusaiga failed again? How could he protect her?
She read his thoughts on his face, and whispered, "You can do this. I know you can."
InuYasha studied her poor face in silence for a second, then nodded.
"Alright. But go over behind the tree, Kagome. Get out of range. I don't know...how well I can control this."
She nodded, and turned to go. Suddenly, she paused, and looked back at him. She touched his hand.
"I know you can do this. Just be careful."
Speechless, he just nodded.