Chapter 2- Kagome's Pain (edited on 3-29-05)

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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. If you don't recognize people in this fic…then I probably do own them.

She should have dies here after;
There would have been time for such a word;
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury
Signifying nothing.

Macbeth Act 5- Scene 5

A streak of red disrupted the stillness of the green scenery as Inuyasha carried an unconscious, injured Kagome in his arms.

'This is my fault,' he thought in self-disgust. 'How could I have done something as stupid as letting her go into the forest by herself? How could she have gone alone?' His molten orbs flicked to the girl sleeping in his arms. "Stupid girl." The softness of his tone, betrayed the harsh words. However, blaming the girl in his arms wasn't helping at all. 'What the hell was she thinking?' Bile rose in his throat at the memory of finding her.

Inuyasha tore through the woods and found Kagome just in time to see the worm closing in on her. The miko was on her knees with an arm held out in front of her as a shield. His rage was something palpable. Anger welled in his chest at the thought of Kagome on her knees for any youkai. 'That dirty bastard!' He unsheathed the tessaiga as he leapt at the youkai. "Don't you dare touch her you son of a—uugh" He was cut off as an ethereal lavender light erupted from the girl, bathing him in warmth while pushing him away.

"Kagome" he whispered, stumbling back. She didn't seem to notice him...or the youkai for that matter. She just sat, staring ahead with wide, unfocused eyes, hand outstretched and pouring out the unearthly purple radiance. Even though there was no wind, her hair began to whip violently around her face.

"Kagome!" he shouted this time. His only response was a flinch and the increase of her energy, completely decimating the worm youkai. He ran to her again only to be flicked away by her power, which was crackling in the air around her. 'She's losing control…' he realized with a sickening lurch in his gut. "Kagome!"

"No!I won't! Get out of my head! Get out!" Kagome's desperate scream echoed through the forest, and Inuyasha began to panic. He tried to get to her again, and the energy subsided this time as Kagome slumped over, a soft sigh escaping her lips as she slipped into the realm of unconsciousness.

The hanyou skidded to his knees by her side, gently grabbing her cheeks. Feeling her pulse fluttering wildly beneath his fingertips, he let out a breath that he didn't realize he'd been holding. 'Leave it up to Kagome to get attacked the one time she's alone.'

He raked his eyes over her body, searching for injuries. The blood from the minute scratches she'd received assaulted his sensitive nose. His eyes widened in shock before narrowing in fury when he saw the angle her at which her arm was twisted. "Dammit!" He carefully scooped Kagome up, cradling her against his chest, and he glowered at the gray pile of dust that had once been a youkai. A small whimper brought him back to his senses. He had to get her to Kaede…she'd know what to do.

He shook himself out of his disturbing reverie and tried to concentrate on getting Kagome to the hut faster. But a question nagged at him. 'What was she screaming at?' He had to admit that it was beginning to bother him to no end. She had believed that something had been in her head.

He flew through the village, ignoring the questioning stares of the villagers. He refused to stop until he reached the small shelter that belonged to the old miko.

He skidded to a halt in front of the hut, and bellowed, "Kaede! Where are you, you old hag? Hurry!"

Drying her hands on a towel, Kaede pushed aside the mat that served as her door. "Inuyasha, must ye be so rude? I would have thought your mother would have taught…" The old miko inhaled sharply when she saw the unconscious Kagome in his arms as she looked up to meet him. "Bring her in here, child, and set her on this mat. Ye sit down yourself and tell me what happened," she commanded while she held the mat for the hanyou to enter.

Inuyasha carefully placed her on the futon near the fire, dropping to the ground beside her. He jammed his hands into his sleeves, his brow knitted with worry as he stared at the woman who was usually so vibrant, so lively. The woman on the mat didn't look like the Kagome he knew. She was so pale and frail-looking…and it frightened him.

"Tell me what happened," the old woman commanded while she looked over Kagome's arm. She lifted the limb gingerly and set to work on setting back in place.

Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak, but instead of words, a growl formed in his throat as his hand shot forward to grab Kaede's. Kagome had whimpered in her sleep when Kaede set the bone back. His eyes flashed dangerously at the old woman, until he realized what he was doing. He lowered his eyes and released her, blushing a deep shade of crimson.

Kaede cleared her throat and smiled at him. "Perhaps it is best if ye wait outside, Inuyasha."

His defiant eyes darted back up to her. "What are you saying hag" he scowled

"Oh nothing, nothing" she winked at him and received another scowl. "but I have to set the bone back in place or it will mend poorly, and cause her pain later.

Inuyasha grimaced and nodded. He did his best to relay the previous events as he watched her wrap Kagome's arm, shifting uncomfortably every time she cried out in her sleep. Kaede understood and gave her some water and a few pain relievers that the young woman had given her a few weeks earlier. Kagome woke only long enough to take the pills and water before she passed out again.

The old miko sighed and stood up.

"Where are you going?" the hanyou demanded.

"I've done all I can do, Inuyasha. It's just a break; Kagome will be fine. The child needs to rest."

He glared at her suspiciously for a moment before grudgingly nodding his head, allowing her to leave.

Inuyasha stayed beside Kagome even after Kaede left. Someone had to watch over her…protect her…

He studied the sleeping girl. The way her lips quivered in her sleep. The way her eyelashes flutter, gently dusting her skin. The way her chest rose and fell with every breath she took. She was human, but she was completely different than the rest of them. He realized that, and it confused him even more. Hell, she'd always been a mystery to him, even though she wore her heart on her sleeve for the entire world to see.

She'd accepted him. She knew what he was, and it didn't matter to her. She was the first person to ever fully accept him, to make him feel like he belonged, like he deserved happiness. Even Kikyou had wanted him to use the jewel to become human. Kagome…Kagome didn't care.

His eyes fell upon her lips again, and he wondered what it would be like to kiss her. He wondered if the petal-pink lips were as soft as they looked. The urge to taste her was too strong to deny.

'No one will ever know," his mind screamed at him. 'Kiss her. You know you want to.'

He swallowed and slowly lowered his head, silver hair spilling over his shoulders to fall around her.

A loud rustle echoed in the quiet hut, causing the hanyou to spring away from Kagome, his heart thundering against his chest.

"How is she?" A pale Sango asked fretfully as she entered the hut, followed by Miroku and Shippou.

He glared at the slayer, the bridge of his nose tinged pink. "Keh."

His irritation grew with every passing second that their friends stayed in the hut. Miroku, who was sitting quietly and solemnly near Inuyasha, was the only one that appeared to have any common sense left. Sango paced back and forth, glancing anxiously at her sleeping friend from time to time, while Shippou was sniffling near Kagome, dancing from foot to foot.

After growling a warning at the slayer and threatening to literally throw the kitsune out of the hut, the hanyou was pleased to hear Miroku advise that they all let the girl rest, lest they wake her up.

Inuyasha nodded his appreciation to the monk and resumed his spot near her side.

It wasn't long before the salty tang of her tears reached his nose, drawing him out of his thoughts. He leaned forward and stared at her. Something about her tears…he couldn't stand it when she cried.

Kagome's barely coherent murmurs reached his ears. "Why won't you go away?" she whimpered. The scent of her tears grew stronger, and she began to sob. "I'm not alone. They wouldn't leave me."

Inuyasha felt his chest constrict painfully at the tears in her throat. Her distress washed over him in waves, and he suppressed a whine that rose in his chest. 'Who is she talking to? Who wouldn't leave her?'

"No! Please! You don't know him or the others!" There was certain desperation in her voice.

Understanding dawned on the silver-haired hanyou. 'Is she talking about us? Why would we leave her? Inuyasha touched her hand cautiously. "Wake up, Kagome. We aren't going anywhere."

"Please! Please stop! ...I don't want to leave." She whispered but Inuyasha's trained ears heard her loud and clear.

'Leave? What is she talking about?' A growl rose in Inuyasha's throat. 'Damn right she's not gonna leave…' He began to gently shake the girl. "Kagome...Kagome wake up"

"Wha…" She opened her eyes and confusion immediately settled over her. 'Oh, my head…'

Her head… She gasped as the memory of her dream hit her.

'That voice...that horrible callous voice. It was talking to me. She was talking to me. Who was it?' More tears collected in her eyes when she remembered the awful words that woman had told her. She blinked them back, and realized that she was no longer in the forest. 'How did I get here? The last I remember was the worm—' she gasped and sat up causing a sharp pain in her arm, which she ignored until she realized that she was in the hut. Taking a breath, she looked at her bandaged arm and signed sadly.

'Inuyasha must have found me…' "I knew he'd find me," she whispered to herself before dashing her tears away with her functional hand. 'He won't leave me. At least, not until Kikyou drags him to hell.' The thought brought fresh tears.

"Kagome..."

She started at the voice but recognized it as Inuyasha's. She turned to face him, her big gray eyes looking into his worried amber ones. "Inuyasha..." she threw her arms around his neck ignoring the pain once again and buried her head in his chest and began sobbing hysterically.

The hanyou was taken aback, but he tightened his grip around her, bringing her closer, his chin resting on her head. 'Protect her.'

He was also surprised by how much pain racked her aura even after the dream had ended. 'Protect her,' his mind demanded again.

'Protect her? From what? The worm is dead.'

'Protect her from anything that hurts her,' came the voice as though the answer was obvious. 'Make her stop hurting.'

He could feel her body trembling against his while her sobs wound down to sniffles. "Are you alright?" he asked stupidly, grimacing at his own question. 'Of course she's not alright, you baka.' "It won't happen again," he rasped. "I promise."

Taking a ragged breath, she slowly brought her tear-filled eyes up to his. His brow was furrowed in worry and sincerity, and the brilliant golden gaze that she loved was clouded with angst and guilt.

'He's still here,' she assured herself again. "I…I'm alright. It was just…" She shuddered against him.

"Well, it's dead now. You...umm...definitely killed it..." The memory of the pile of ashes crossed his mind. 'And it's no more than that dirty sonofa bitch deserved!'

She was confused…until she realized that he was talking about the youkai. "…I'm not talking about the worm," she hedged, chewing nervously on her bottom lip.

"Then what are you talking about?"

She tightly clenched his haori for support. "There's a voice...it keeps coming back. I-I can't get rid of it," she murmured. "I can't get it out of my head!"

"What voice?"

"A woman. I was aware that the worm was only a few feet away...and then nothing...after my miko powers. The voice was all I heard."

"A voice? What did it say?"

She buried her face in his haori. She'd remembered what it said. She'd remembered, and it scared her. "I-I'm too much trouble. It wants me to give in...into the darkness...whatever that means." Her voice was muffled in the rough fabric but he was able to discern her words. "I'm no good… I will only get you hurt."

Tears came back with a vengeance, and she tried to push herself away from Inuyasha, but his hold on her only tightened.

"What are you talking about, wench?"

"Let go of me!" She tried once again to push away from Inuyasha, flinching when merciless pain shot through her arm.

The hanyou set her back on the mat but wouldn't let her stand or leave the hut. "Tell me what you're talking about. You're not 'good'? What the hell does that mean?"

"I- what good am I? I can't fight without my bow, which I have not even come close to perfecting. Most of the time you or some one else ends up getting hurt trying to save me. How many times have I almost gotten you killed?" She shuddered again.

Inuyasha blinked, his fury growing. "The voice told you that?" he asked incredulously.

At her nod, he continued, "And you're just gonna believe it. I don't know if you noticed or not, but a few hours ago you just incinerated a giant worm youkai, Kagome. Not burnt...incinerated...like it was nothing."

The memory was still all too fresh in his mind. "Your powers flared while I was trying to kill the youkai. That power…pure energy. It wouldn't let me get close to you, but it didn't burn me either. The worm was destroyed. It chose, Kagome," he tried to explain. "Your power recognized the enemy, and it destroyed it without hurting me. Even when you didn't have control, it was able to tell I was a friend. Besides…" he smiled at her, "you can sense the jewel shards."

Kagome's heart wrenched painfully in her chest at the reminder, her bangs shadowing her eyes. "Yes…but so can Kikyou." She stood up and walked out of the hut, leaving behind a very startled and confused hanyou.

Sigh- Alright. It's 3:14 in the morning, but I finally finished editing this baby. I'm tired…off to bed. Later.