Quick disclaimer; I own no rights to the Inuyasha property and receive no monetary gain for the writing of this story.
Even in My Dreams
It came abruptly, sounds of desolated screams like that of pain and torment. Racking through the dark depths of a feeble void. Wailing through clenched teeth. They seemed to speak in tongues, a form of gibberish incapable of understanding by any, lacking that control of a language. They seemed to call out for something, it gave the impression of a question, but could have gone as far as a demand. Tormented by the noises which precariously floated inside her head, Kagome fought to keep sane throughout the nightmare.
One final rip of white noise woke her with a start. Looking around quickly in trepidation and fear, she realized that she had simply been dreaming. What a horrible dream...
The hut was empty, save for stray firewood in the corner and a few baskets laid out near the door. Uncertain, Kagome went to stand before collapsing at a strange pain in her head. Pressing against her temples, she knew she was awake and yet the voices had once again come upon her. With no outside cause appearing to be readily available, Kagome was filled with absolute fear. Fear made manifest by the sound of her own scream as she became fully aware of what was happening. Kagome could hear the voices. She had caught the illness and like countless others in her village, she would fall into an irreversible comatose state. Her dreams of peace were over. Her goal to become stronger was awash. Nothing she had ever done prepared her for this.
"Kagome!"
Looking up, she saw a man wearing all red with pearly silver hair. Peering higher, his dog-like ears appeared to point in her direction, giving her their full attention. She recognized Inuyasha instantly. But something was off about him, she felt warm whilst looking at him, like he was special to her. She tried to shake the feeling but it was quite familiar and that almost scared her. How could he be familiar? They had only just met a few days ago, right? The voices continued to berate her, and she was losing the will to fight them off and remain conscious.
"Hey! Are you alright?" Inuyasha spoke in gruff concern, "The hell is going on with you?"
Kagome was sitting partially on one knee with the other leg sprawled in front of her. She held a hand to her head and the other clutched her chest. She must have been quite the sight in such a rough position, because Inuyasha seemed to actually be worried about her. He moved to her side and placed his hand on her upper back to steady her, he asked,"Kagome, what's going on? Why'd you scream like that?"
Her face relaxed and she let both her hands fall to her lap. Smiling slightly up at him, she gave him a small giggle at his concern. Smooth Kagome...smooth.
"What?" he replied, irked for no good reason.
"You've never said my name before, but you've already done it twice today." she quipped.
"Yeah, what of it?" he retorted.
"Its just that I think you like me more now, is all."
"Tch, don't get excited. If you died now then that just means all that work we did to help you would have been a waste of my time." he almost had that one ready without a beat.
Two could play at that game.
"Well remind me next time not to invite you into my home and cook you food!" Kagome wasn't mad, as any would be able to tell by that lame retort. She once again felt the pang of familiarity from talking to him. It was on the tip of her tongue, but it was like it had happened before. Maybe its because this is our third fight since we met. She couldn't come up with witticisms as well when she wasn't actually angry. She'd lost this battle before it even began. Score: Inuyasha-3. Kagome-0. And each time I just couldn't get the right words out. Stupid.. The first day since they entered the village they had an argument after he was playing too roughly with the village children whom he'd deemed 'monsters'. And the second time was yesterday after she'd seen him come too close for comfort during her trip to the bathing area of the river. Each fight Kagome couldn't bring herself to mad enough to actually beat him in a verbal battle. Everything she said just sounded lame to her own ears and although he usually took it at face value and would continue the fight, it was her own personal downward spiral. Maybe I'm over thinking..
"That's the best you could think of, huh?"
Crap, he called me on it.
"What's that like, the third time you've failed to take me down a notch? Losing your touch, you." (1)
Why I oughta..
"Inuyasha, I trust Kagome is okay?" Miroku's voice came from just outside.
"Yeah she's fine, just a nightmare I guess." Inuyasha called back whilst removing his hand from her back and sitting across from her in quick succession.
Miroku as well as Sango and Shippou came inside. Sango and Shippou immediately came to aid her, sitting on either side asking if it had really just been a bad dream that caused her frightful scream.
Although initially she was prepared to tell them the truth, she was now filled with worry. How would they react to knowing that she was sick as well? Although part of her wanted to go with them on their journey, she knew it was impossible. Especially now that she had caught the same illness they were trying to cure. Sure it would only take a few days to reach the demon's herb garden, but what if there was nothing he could do? I'd just be a burden to them. I have to tell them though, I can't go with them and that's okay. They'll be back before then. I have to have faith in my new friends.
"I-I can hear the voices in m-my head." she spoke quietly, on the brink of tears. Despite her resolution to tell them, it was still difficult to say aloud.
The air in the room seemed to stale from how long they sat in silence. Kagome could not bring herself to look up and see the expressions on their faces. More than likely they were shocked, but she felt like she'd be able to see hints of something else if she looked them in the eye. She knew Inuyasha would be more than happy to be rid of her, despite the pettiness of their fights, she was sure he thought her as little more than a thorn in his side. With her sick, any thought of taking her with them on their travels would be effectively quelled. At least, her own hopes and wishes. She couldn't be sure that any of them had considered taking her with them. Probably got my hopes up for nothing.
"Well this is quite the predicament. Kagome, how long again was it until a person who is sick falls asleep to never wake up?" Miroku asked in a way that almost filled her with hope.
"About two weeks, give or take." she trailed off at the end, still afraid to look at them.
"But if we have a whole two weeks," Shippou spoke hopefully, "then isn't that plenty of time to get to that demon's garden?"
"It should be more than enough time if we leave soon like we planned," Sango replied,"Miroku, do you think it'd be appropriate to ask her about what we discussed outside?"
"Yes, I think now would be the best time for this. With Kagome hearing those voices, we'll need to hasten our pace, however." Miroku seemed to be light train of thought, resting his hand on his chin. "Inuyasha, if you would do the honors, it was your plan after all."
"Yeah, whatever. I just thought it'd be better than leaving her here with that old hag."
"Sure, Inuyasha," Shippou jested.
"Look here ya little brat!" Inuyasha grabbed Shippou, who had made the mistake of sitting within arms reach, and holding him up to his face by his tail,"I could care less what you think, ya got that?" throwing Shippou out the mat door, Inuyasha looked back to Kagome. Despite being irked by his behavior, she had a very hopeful look in her eyes. She looked miserable, yet her eyes sparkled with such hope that it tugged at his heart strings, making him blush lightly.
"I just figured you wouldn't want to get cooped up here, waiting around until we eventually returned." he scratched his cheek before continuing,"Besides if there's nothing you can do here to help your village, there's no real point in sticking around." his embarrassment at admitting he had been the one to propose letting her tag along was slowly getting to him, he might have considered taking it back if Kagome hadn't immediately accepted happily.
"I would love to join your group, Inuyasha." with small tears in her eyes she gave him a radiant smile, the kind that melts hearts from a thousand miles away.
"Uh, ehm, whatever. Just don't slow us down." his voice held no animosity, he still wasn't very open to speaking his mind, but Kagome took it with grace. For some reason she could tell that was the best he could do in the situation, he just wasn't used to being spoken to so kindly.
"Is it just me, or does Kagome look quite taken with our hanyou friend here?" Miroku spoke quietly into Sango's ear, holding up his hand to block his mouth from view.
"Yeah, its almost like she likes him. I've never seen any girl smile at him like that, let alone a priestess." the demon slayer returned the gesture, blocking her mouth and speaking into the monks ear.
Inuyasha was still blushing and had resorted to scratching his head. Kagome was talking with Shippou who had come back inside with Kirara, who had been playing with the village children. The cat demon snuggled onto Kagome's lap, purring as she pet it. Shippou was trying to coax her into playing games with him and the kids outside, but she knew they had to be leaving soon. That, and they hadn't even eaten breakfast yet. Or, at least she hadn't. The voices were dormant for now, but she was sure they would return on their own time. After asking what they wanted to eat she quickly learned that it was actually mid day, and they had let her sleep through breakfast. They planned to eat lunch after they were on the road but Kagome was having none of it. Especially when she hadn't even eaten yet and wasn't going to eat alone in front of them; so resigning herself to cooking she made a quick pot roast of vegetables and rice. And just a little bit of curry…
"AHHH!" Inuyasha yelled, sticking out his tongue and smacking it with both hands in a futile attempt to end the burning sensation that enveloped his mouth, "Why did you have to make it so spicy?!" trying to find anything that could possibly end his suffering, Inuyasha sprinted out of the hut and off toward the river.
"I didn't put that much curry in it though, it was just enough to add a little flavor." Kagome looked toward the others who had already begun to laugh hysterically. Obviously they knew something she didn't, and she was sure she was about to find out what exactly that was.
"Inuyasha is completely incapable of handling anything he deems 'spicy'," Miroku informed, shaking off his own mirth. "Its never ceased to be funny when Inuyasha eats something hotter than he could handle."
"Inuyasha is such a baby about it," Shippou said sneeringly, "Even a kid like me can handle that much curry!"
"Did I over do it on the curry? I swear I only put a little in there." Kagome was almost worried she had inadvertently damaged his sensitive tongue with the spices.
"No, no, Kagome, it was perfect!" Sango interjected, "The roast tasted great, like Miroku said though, Inuyasha really can't handle spice in his food. It almost like he's over sensitive to it."
"Maybe I should go check on him and apologize?" I'd rather not alienate the guy, I still can't shake why he seems so familiar to me. I need to get to find out why and that'll be a lot harder if he doesn't trust me. Maybe I'm over thinking now..
"There shouldn't be any need for that, Lady Kagome." Miroku responded formally,"He'll return as soon as he's found a way to purge his tongue of whatever pain he's feeling."
"I thought I said you could just call me Kagome, houshi." Kagome spoke politely.
"Happily, Kagome, and you may simply refer to me by my name if you wish. Sango still doesn't trust me enough to do so, and it would be nice to hear my name be called by such an elegant voice as yours." Miroku flirted flauntingly, oblivious to the impending storm of flames Sango was creating behind him. As soon as Kagome caught sight of Sango she visibly blanched, not sure she wanted to respond until she saw how this played out.
"Uhh..." was all she could utter before Sango hit him square on the head with her hiraikotsu.
"Now, Sango, whatever was that for?" Miroku dejectedly asked, a large lump on his head with his arms crossed.
"For being such a womanizer, monk." Sango quickly continued, "And to think you promised yourself to me and you still behave so perversely."
"But, you know you're the only woman that holds my heart, my lovely Sango." Miroku didn't choose his next words as wisely, "You know I can't help the curse my grandfather has passed through the generations, I'm a man of humble needs after all."
"Still a pervert..." Shippou chimed in, having moved onto Kagome's shoulder.
Kagome giggled at that, not sure what she was going to do with these people. Now that they had agreed to take her with them, she was sure there was pattern of behavior here that she was only just becoming aware of. Her future was seeming brighter now than it had this morning and she couldn't help but once again feel excited.
Just then, Inuyasha returned to the hut, however the adults in the room could tell something was off about him.
"Bout time you got back Inuyasha!" Shippou called, hopping onto his right shoulder before looking down and shrieking.
Inuyasha had blood on his hands, and as well as several deep bleeding cuts on his left arm and on his torso. He looked angry, but also concerned, like something very bad had occurred.
"We need to go, now."
"Inuyasha, what happened?" Miroku spoke up, despite his obvious shock.
"I think I found what ever has been causing this 'disease'," he growled, "There was demon pouring some kind of poison up stream of the river. He must be what behind this, or at least a part of it."
"What do you mean, part of it?" Sango questioned him, suddenly afraid of what that may have meant.
"Remember what we heard in one of the villages we visited, about there being a strange army causing similar ailments to its opponents before slaughtering them and moving on?" he was serious, but what he was talking about seemed foreign to Kagome; they hadn't told her about this.
"We dismissed that as a rumor, Inuyasha." Miroku answered.
"Yeah, but that demon led me to a battlefield just beyond the mountain behind the village. It was absolutely covered in human blood. The demon evaded me, and I couldn't track it because of how strong the smell of blood was." Inuyasha paused and looked away from the others. "There weren't any survivors, but I'm sure that demon had something to do with it. He led me to that battleground for a reason, and we need to go after him."
Kagome was in shock, to say the least. Inuyasha had only called it a demon, he hadn't described it yet or even given it a race. He simply called it a demon, and it was making her afraid. The demon that had attacked her village came to her mind, and she wondered if it was the reason for the sudden illness. Did that demon survive? Is he doing this to the village? Is he doing it to get back at me? "Inuyasha, what did the demon look like?" Kagome hoped it wasn't the answer she felt was the only one possible. Prayed she was wrong. Maybe the gods would answer this prayer.
"It was some kind of demon ninja, didn't really have a sent. But I'd guess it was a cat. It moved way too quickly through the trees to be much else." Inuyasha seemed to be very upset he hadn't caught the demon. "If we had been on more open ground I could have cut the damn thing down with my Tessaiga."
"Yet another problem to add to the list today," Miroku was deep in thought about what they could do. "We may have more luck simply going to the herb garden and getting a potential cure than fighting an army using poison to win its battles."
"The hell with that! If we let that army get away, this'll just keep happening! If we go after them and beat them, then its over. We find the cure after that and there's nothing left to worry about."
"You have a point, Inuyasha," Miroku sighed, "But we must not delay any further. We need to plan quickly and move out so as to not waste anymore daylight."
"Everyone in favor of going after this demon and the army causing all this suffering?" Sango chimed in. All save for Kagome agreed that this was likely the best plan of action.
They didn't tell me about the army, were they planning to do this all along? Why didn't they tell me? Kagome knew with an army roaming over Musashi destroying any that opposed them, as well as poisoning villages, that someone had to stay and defend her village. She couldn't leave. She had a duty to the people and she had promised her father she would protect those she loved. She looked down, hiding her eyes in her bangs. Each time she wanted something, realization struck. Another obstacle that she saw no way over. A problem she couldn't solve alone.
"If you stay you'll just be delaying the inevitable. Least if you head out with us there's a chance we can put a stop to this AND find a cure. Whatever it is in that water is definitely the cause, so you might end up shaking off this thing by leaving. Plus, with that cat ninja chased off, there's a chance the people of your village could recover." Inuyasha spoke as if he had read her mind. He seemed to know exactly what to say to quell her fears. Maybe the voices have been subconsciously causing me to feel this way..I don't remember feeling so upset each time something didn't go the way I hoped.
"Wow, Inuyasha. I hadn't expected something like that from you." Miroku teased, "Obviously our new friend as been a wonderful influence on you!"
Sango and Shippou laughed at Inuyasha's expense.
Kirara mewed, turning her head to the side and looking up at Kagome from her lap.
"He is pretty sweet, isn't he, Kirara?" Kagome softly whispered to the little feline.
Kirara seemed to agree happily, closing her eyes and mewing again.
Inuyasha growled and stomped his way out of the hut, not bothering to retort to the monk antics.
Kagome looked up at the flapping mat door, and sighing cheerfully, stood up to collect her bow and arrows. After placing the arrows in her quiver, and stringing it to her back along with the bow, she left the hut to visit Kaede in the humble herb garden they had made together.
"I'm going to leave with them Kaede," Kagome said, expecting the elder priestess to heartily disagree with her choice.
"I know," Kaede said simply,"I had long wondered when ye would travel beyond this village and now could be the best time to do so."
"What do you mean by that Kaede?" Color me confused.
"The monk spoke to me of the rumors they'd heard in the surrounding villages. He convinced me it would be best for ye to leave with them, though I was sure ye would be much harder to convince."
"I guess the situation has changed a bit, so it seems I really have no choice." Kagome said quietly.
"How so?" Kaede felt she knew the answer, having heard Kagome's scream earlier.
Kagome told her of the voices which were now present in her head, how painful they were, and how they came and went at their leisure. She also told the old priestess of how Inuyasha came across the cat demon which was poisoning the river, advising Kaede to keep the villagers from drinking or bathing in it until they put a stop to the demon. She also said that they would delay the search for a cure until they defeated the demon and the army causing this to spread around Musashi. Noting that by forcing the army the other way by pursuing it they could keep the village from any further harm until this was over. Resigned to her adventure, Kagome then bid her goodbye to Kaede and the rest of the village. The children promising to not pick on each other too much until she returned. It was a tearful goodbye, but Kagome was prepared to leave the confines of the village she'd lived in for eighteen years. Geez, I'm still so young and yet the world seems ready to rip itself apart..
Traveling with Inuyasha's group was easily the greatest change of pace she could have asked for. With their arrival at the battlefield late in the evening, they moved far enough away to not attract any lesser demons and set up camp. They traveled in relative quiet, occasionally retelling stories of their adventures to the young miko. Thought the stories seemed genuine enough, select members of the group tended to scoff silently at more questionable pieces of the tales. Miroku spinning a story of how he faced a demon worm charmer alone, with his mentor Mushin possessed. Hundreds of demons surrounding him and he defeated them in one fell-swoop. Although Inuyasha quickly put in that it had actually been him that defeated the swarm and Sango had killed the charmer. Miroku had dejectedly quieted down after they decimated his attempt to be convincing. After settling down and eating in companionable silence, the group moved into what looked like prearranged sleeping positions. With both Miroku and Inuyasha resting their backs against opposite trees, and Sango snuggling up to a transformed Kirara and Shippou sleeping on Kirara's back. Kagome found herself unable to sleep and resorted to picking at the fire with a stray stick. She enjoyed traveling with them, but wasn't sure laying alone on the ground was going to be very comfortable, and she didn't think anyone aside from the monk would welcome her into a comfy snuggle like Sango and Kirara shared. I should have thought to bring a traveling futon..Gah! Stupid..
Sighing, and knowing she wouldn't get much sleep, Kagome stood and left the camp to check the perimeters. She didn't sense and demonic energy nearby other than her companions, but needed a distraction for her homesickness.
As she walked further away she realized that something had been slowly getting closer to her since she left the camp. Focusing on the energy of whatever was closing in on her, she sensed it was already behind her. Turning, she was surprised to see the red-clad half-demon.
"Inuyasha?" she questioned silently, not expecting much of an answer. "What are you doing out here?"
"Could ask you the same thing." he threw back, somewhat more harshly than he may have meant.
"I couldn't sleep, I'm not very comfortable out in the world just yet., I guess." she laughed him off lightly, moving closer to him so she could see his face despite the darkness around them. His eyes glowed in the moonlight, and the sense of familiarity once again took over her. Mewosamasu...The voice tore into her mind, screaming this over and over. Mewosamasu!Mewosamasu! Mewosamasu shite kudasai!
Kagome reeled, taken back by the pain the voice was causing. It was relentless, urging her, begging her. She didn't know what it wanted, but it drove her to her knees. She couldn't cry out, the wind was already forced from her chest and she could hardly breathe in before the onslaught took her again. Inuyasha was next to her in moments, with both hands on her shoulders he looked into her blank, pained eyes. He couldn't think of anything to do, he was afraid to move her, scared she would crumble under his hands if he even spoke to her. He found the words he could muster and spoke as quietly as he could.
"Kagome? Shit, what do I do? Uhm, focus on me. Don't listen to whatever is in your head, I'm right here, okay?" Inuyasha was embarrassed by how stupid he was sounding, but it was the best he could do. He couldn't let the poison take her down without a fight. Deciding to do something he hoped he wouldn't be caught doing, he held her in a loose hug. Patting her back with one hand as she silently sobbed into his suikan. He could tell she had fought off the voices for now, but the psychological damage was likely pushing her to her fragile limit. The girl had gone through so much already, and yet this was likely nothing like she had ever experienced.
Kagome's sobs ended, and looking up at him she gave him a beaming smile. "Thank you, Inuyasha."
"Uahh, d-don't mention it.." Inuyasha's face melted into the color of his shirt. Not sure how he was going to get out of the inevitable teasing that would normally ensue.
Kagome hugged him tightly around the neck before standing and holding out her hand to him.
Her smile never wavering,"If you don't mind, I'd like to continue walking. Care to join me?"
"Uhm, sure." certain he would face teasing for how mushy he had sounded a moment ago, he was truly taken aback by her offer. Taking her hand, he stood and began walking beside her. Although he made a point to release their clasped hands and fold his arms inside his sleeves, Inuyasha stayed close to her side for the duration of the walk. Coming upon a large tree, they sat under it together in an easy silence that neither seemed willing to break.
Finally, Kagome spoke up, "I can't help but shake the feeling that you're familiar. It keeps coming up and its been very confusing to me."
Inuyasha responded gruffly, "That's pretty weird."
Clearly irked, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I mean, I ain't met you before in my life. I don't understand how I could be familiar to you. I ain't the one that attacked your village and I'm damn sure we've never met." he wasn't angry, but definitely irritated. All the talk and questions about the demon that bore some resemblance to him had obviously not helped his ego. He'd remember doing something so atrocious. He'd definitely remember a sword named 'Shi-no-whatever'.
"I wasn't talking about that, y'know."
"Well then what were you talking about, Kah-go-meh?"
Feeling a vein pop in her forehead, Kagome quickly calmed herself. Taking a breath to keep from swatting at the half demon was becoming harder with each fight they had. Here comes point number four...better end this as nicely as possible so he doesn't win again.
"Dunno, just seemed like I must have loved you in a past life or something." Smooth. You definitely need to think before you speak.
"Uhhm..."
"Uhm.." Kagome had to think quickly to diffuse this before she made a fool of herself. "Oh! I'm just joking with you, I didn't really mean that!" trying her best to laugh off her embarrassment, she figured if she could fool herself she could fool anyone.
"Oh, uhm, okay." Inuyasha's face was still positively pink, though Kagome's wasn't much better off. They both sank back into silence, though this time it was very uncomfortable. Neither knowing what to say after that little mishap. Thinking quickly, Kagome devised a way to end their mutual embarrassment and maybe leave tonight with some cheerful thoughts.
Taking a breathe to ready herself for her question, "So, how did you end up joining this group of yours?"
Blinking at the sudden question, "What do you want to know, like my life story or just how I ended up with this lot?"
She shrugged, "Just how you came to be with them, I guess."
"Well, it started a while ago, maybe 6 years? Can't really say I remember. I was still learning how to live out in the world. My brother, much to his personal chagrin, was asked by our father to allow me to be one of his samurai for awhile. I never fought much, and eventually he cast me out when our father was killed in battle and had left me the Tessaiga in his will. I traveled Japan for a year, being a half demon ronin was fairly lucrative. Lords started to summon me and ask me to fight in their wars as a mercenary and I made a lot of money. I didn't need it though and usually just gave it away to villages I passed by. At some point, I started being asked to do assassinations and gained a whole array of shitty nicknames. I left that all behind me and one day I ended up at Miroku's monastery. I didn't hold onto any of my earnings from back then, so when Mushin asked us to raise money to fix the temple we started traveling. We did simple crap like demon slayings and what not, and eventually met everyone else. The rest is history. We've been traveling to earn a living for about 3 years now."
Kagome giggled, "That's the kind of story that would end up in a fairytale!"
Inuyasha couldn't help but laugh at that, it wasn't loud, more low like a chuckle. Kagome's heart soared at the sound, knowing that she was getting him to warm up to her quickly. It made her genuinely happy to see him like this. She took pride in it, for it was a great accomplishment by the standards she had set. Especially since she'd never heard him laugh before.
"Well, I told you about my past, how about you tell me of yours? Then we'll be even."
Grinning at his request, she relayed the story of her life. Telling him how she couldn't remember anything from before the attack four years ago and after her father died, it took all she had to remain strong. He had wanted her to be powerful enough to defend the village, and that was all she knew how to do now. Showing emotion had been difficult then and it was hard when her mother would try to remind her just how pure she was. It seemed foreign, to think of how naive she was back then. The wonder that used to be there was gone and it made her afraid and sad. After her mother fell ill and passed on, she became even more of a recluse. With Kaede working day and night to aid the village as Kagome continued to study and hone her powers. Then one day, she realized that her father hadn't wanted her to become so sad and lonely. After that she began to play with the children every day and became friends with the villagers. They seemed so happy to have their young priestess return to her spirits and up until the sickness she had a very enjoyable life in the village.
"Sounds like we came in the nick of time, any longer stuck there and you'd end up as cranky as that old hag Kaede." Inuyasha said this in a boasting tone, though he hoped she understand it as the joke he meant it to be.
Kagome silently laughed before retorting, "It was a lot better than that, sure I never got the chance to leave, but I didn't really want too until you came along." she hadn't meant to sound so personal, she really meant to say 'your group', but after saying it, she didn't regret it. It came out, and he could take it anyway he wanted. Hopefully, he'd ignore it or take it with grace, though she hoped for the latter. Crap, I'm supposed to be making sure he's not a certain someone, NOT flirting with him...
"Y'know, now that you mention it.." Inuyasha trailed off, with Kagome in heavy suspense.
Oh man, I really don't know what I've just gotten myself into.
"We've really walked a long way from camp, we probably outta' head back now before then sun comes up." Inuyasha was completely oblivious of her feelings. Standing, he began to walk off without her.
Oh...Her face faded and she began to wonder if he was as dense as he suddenly seemed. He always blushes when I do something nice so obviously he must know, right? Could he be ignoring it out of embarrassment? No he isn't even blushing this time! She realized that he really hadn't heard her, a situation she wasn't prepared for. Quickly speeding up to walk beside him, she placed her left hand over her heart and felt it racing. Looking up, she saw a dust of pink on his cheeks. Smiling, she took his hand with her right and waltzed the rest of the way to camp. Knowing that maybe, just maybe, he felt the same way. (2)
The next few days had been uneventful. They found no other battle sites and though Inuyasha focused greatly, he could no longer smell any trace of human blood or of the cat demon. Kagome had become disheartened when no other opportunities arose to speak to Inuyasha alone. Though he remained close by, she could see he wanted to remove the threat to her village first and foremost. Sango had taken her to the side to discuss where she and Inuyasha had gone that night. It was after dusk at the time and Kagome felt compelled to tell her friend just about everything, leaving out little details. She alluded to the fact that she was taken with Inuyasha, and Sango said she had already noticed Inuyasha being much more comfortable around her in the past week. Usually it took him much longer to adjust to new people joining them, so it had to be a good sign. After that, Sango and Kagome had become best of friends. Speaking at night about many things simply to fill the air. It was refreshing for Kagome, who had never had such a close friendship before. Miroku and Shippou were often at odds with Inuyasha, teasing him about the looks he gave Kagome when he thought no one was looking. Often they both ended up with lumps on their head when they had adequately pissed him off.
The easy traveling couldn't last however, as Inuyasha suddenly picked up the scent of blood.
"There's a lot of it. Just beyond that field, its fresh."
Sango, Shippou and Kagome jumped on Kirara's back and set off as Inuyasha and Miroku ran beside each other past the field and though the treeline into a far more desolate and destroyed area of land. A small worn road split the grounds, and on either side were the bodies of hundreds of fallen samurai. A small encampment sat on the other side, with a few uninjured men tending to the surviving soldiers. Carefully moving around the bodies of the dead, they crossed the road and came upon the makeshift hospital area.
As they drew closer, a few of the men drew their weapons in defense. "Halt! What business do you have here? Be you demons?" they were scared, as evidenced by their voices and shaking weapons. What ever happened here had obviously shaken them greatly.
Miroku spoke up first, "We are but humble demon slayers. We've been on the road for sometime searching out an army which poisons its adversary then slaughters them. Do you know anything of it?"
A weak voice spoke out from behind the guards, "The demon…," he coughed before continuing. "He wore a red robe, and dark armor-*cough*...His hair was dark and flowed out from a large headdress. He appeared as if a shogun, high and mighty with an evil sword."
Kagome's breath hitched as she thought back to that day. The man had just perfectly described her father's killer. If it was possible for this journey to get anymore personal, it just had. Inuyasha's hand on her shoulder gave her reassurance and she continued to listen to the man's recount of the battle.
"I cannot recall its name, but suddenly we could see nothing as the field was drowned in a black miasma that caused everyone to hear things, then they fell unconscious. I was just beyond the cloud, and wasn't harmed by it. But as soon as it dissipated his army attacked, kil-killing e-everyone."
Miroku moved to his side, asking simply,"How did you manage to survive the encounter?"
The man spoke carefully, fighting off a coughing fit. "I am a coward and hid among the dead."
"I see, and did you happen to see what direction the demon's army left in?" it wasn't likely, but it was worth a shot for Miroku to ask.
"They seemed to travel to-towards the monkey and rooster." The man went silent, resting his eyes and breathing weakly.
"The monkey and rooster? That's between West and Southwest." Miroku explained, then questioned, "Could they be heading for Kyoto?"
Inuyasha spoke up, "Then that's the direction we need to go in. Let's get a move on." With that Inuyasha began to leave, before noticing no one was following. "What's the big idea? I said let's go!"
"We heard you Inuyasha." Sango said, knowing he was right to want to move now, but her conscience wouldn't allow it.
Miroku chimed in, finishing what she was trying to say, "We can't leave these men without tending to their wounds Inuyasha. They'll die if we do not help."
Growling, Inuyasha knew he had been outvoted. Grudgingly he sat just outside the perimeter, avoiding the smell and keeping an eye out for any demons that might be attracted the area.
Miroku, Sango and Kagome worked quickly and diligently, administering first aid to the survivors and giving them just enough supplies to make it back to their home villages as soon as they recovered. The men who stood guard over them offered to continue to watch over them and move them further from the battleground until they had healed enough to leave on their own. With that settled they were able to set out on their way once again, and although they had wasted much sunlight, they still had several hours of travel left before they would need to find camp.
As they traveled east, they came upon yet another battlefield, although this one had no survivors and most of the bodies had been picked clean by scavengers. This battle had taken place in a small marsh like area, with wet ground that still held the tracks of foot soldiers and horses. Realizing they could follow the direction the tracks headed, Inuyasha lead the group on a much hastened pace through the countryside. They traveled nearly a half hour before Inuyasha said he could smell the sent of a large force nearby, as well as the tainted sent of a demon. Moving through a small stretch of forest, Sango spotted a huge camp just beyond the forest cresting a hill. Situating themselves as close as they dared, they set up camp and began to plan the next course of action.
"So we finally made it, now what?" Inuyasha was visibly annoyed. He didn't want to plan, he wanted to take the demon down and kill anyone that stood in his way. And he would have done just that if Kagome hadn't told him she wanted to have a hand in the demon's death. Her interjection hadn't been expected and he certainly hoped she wouldn't bloody her hands for the sake of revenge. But all the same, he would stand down for now until they knew what to do. It was a huge army, and a large camp. It might not be best for them to attack outright.
"We'll have to do some reconnaissance. See what we're up against." Miroku spoke sagely, "We'll need to sneak in and abduct someone to interrogate. We require more information, like what's their motivation, who is their leader, who is the demon that has the power to create such a powerful miasma. These are questions that must be answered."
Inuyasha nodded at this before speaking up again, "Well then monk, why not you and I sneak into the camp when the moon is out and see what we can find out?"
Miroku sat in thought for a moment before replying, "Actually I thought it would be best for you and Sango to go. With your speed and her knowledge of infiltration you'd make the best pair for the job."
"Not likely! As if I'd leave you alone with Kagome like that, ya stupid perv." growling, he continued, "Besides, Sango is much more capable of protecting Kagome than you are."
Kagome chose then to voice her opinion, "I was actually thinking that me and Inuyasha should go.." Blushing at the sudden attention, as everyone was suddenly staring dumbly at her. "Well, it seemed like a better idea in my head, plus I'm a priestess after all. If we ran into the demon while in the camp, won't you need me to help purify it?"
Miroku agreed, "A valid argument. At any rate, Inuyasha is the best to handle this, and it needs to be someone that can keep up with him and also remain stealthy to avoid detection. Kagome your spiritual powers could be enough to tip off any demons present in the camp and that would surely spell disaster. It needs to be someone without a significant signature, and Inuyasha can mask his. Sango is the most likely to not be detected out of all of us."
Growling, Inuyasha could see they were back to square one. It would be him and Sango.
"Y'know Inuyasha, Shippou and Kirara are here to protect me as well. I'm sure if Miroku gets any ideas they'll happily defend me from him as well." Kagome was purposefully trying his patience, as if knowing he would relent if she stroked his ego a little bit. It worked like a charm.
"F-fine. C'mon Sango.." Leaving the group and heading off toward the camp, Inuyasha's face was brightly colored despite the dark light of dusk.
Sango leaned over to Miroku as Shippou hoped onto his shoulder, "Where did she learn to do that?"
Both Shippou and Miroku spoke in unison,"No idea, but it definitely worked."
Looking over to Sango, Miroku was worried,"Sango, be careful, I have a very bad feeling about this whole thing. We may be in more danger than it appears."
"I'll be careful, just make sure you keep your guard up while we're gone."
"You got it," Miroku said, "Don't let Inuyasha do anything stupid either."
Sango shrugged, "I'll do my best."
Bidding goodbye to the pair, Miroku, Shippou and Kagome settled down in the dark and stretched out their senses to keep watch over the area. It would be a long night, and they had to be sure they were safe until the two returned with the information they sought, whether that be with a hostage or if they found other evidence. It mattered not, each group had a job. Kirara settled into next to Kagome, waiting patiently for her master's return.
Kagome spoke up in the silence of the nearing night, "I hope they get out okay."
"I'm certain they will, Inuyasha is strong, and Sango is resilient." Miroku spoke with pride in his friends, knowing they had been through much. Though it didn't compare to this, he was sure they could handle it. Kirara mewed in agreement as Kagome pet her.
As Inuyasha and Sango neared the army's camp, they had quickly deduced it wasn't just a camp. It was a staging area, where the army could regroup, rearm, then set out again. Overall recon told them that the camp had a three large buildings, one that acted as a stable for horses. Another appeared to be a forging area which created weapons for the army. The final building resembled a warehouse and had no apparent usefulness. All troops were either patrolling the interior, patrolling the wall around the camp, or sleeping in their own makeshift tents. A large tent was at the center of the other tents, likely the demon's quarters. As they moved closer Inuyasha caught the faint scent of the cat demon he had faced before. It was just as indistinct as he remembered, but he could recognize it. It appeared to be coming from the warehouse-like building.
"That's probably the best shot, we'll find the cat demon and capture it. Then we'll interrogate it back at our camp with the others." Inuyasha was sure the cat demon would likely have the best knowledge of the army's plans and therefore was the best candidate for questioning. Sango agreed, and they skillfully hopped the sharpened log wall, moving past guards and into the building that permeated the scent the strongest. They found the inside of the building stunk strongly of a miasma. Placing her filtration mask over her mouth, Sango began to investigate several large vats that appeared to be cultivating the miasma and creating a poison. Inuyasha stood watch, making certain no one stumbled in on them.
Sango found no trace of the cat demon and moved over to Inuyasha.
"Nothing, but this is definitely where they've been making the poison that's caused this mess. Are you sure you smelled the cat here? You barely caught whiff of it to begin with so what makes you so sure?" Sango was skeptical, but knew better than to doubt her companions nose. Though that didn't mean she couldn't get him to explain himself.
"I was pretty sure, now I can't tell because of this damn miasma. Its almost like a trap, but there's no one in here with us.."
Realization dawned as soon as it was too late. It was a trap. They had just played into the cat demon's hands and although Sango hadn't breathed in the poison, he had. No telling what it would do, but they had to leave now. Before he found out.
"We need to leave." Inuyasha ground out.
Moving toward the door, Inuyasha once again caught the scent of the cat demon, and turning to face it, saw it had already opened the gourd that it used to leak poison into the river back at the village. Faster than he could run, the gas spread over himself and Sango, burning at his eyes and making his skin itch, whatever was in the gas worked quickly into his system, trying to paralyze him. Sango fell, overwhelmed by the gas. Inuyasha caught her and looked up to the demon. A smile was last thing he saw before the light shut out on the world.
"Kagome, do you sense that?" Miroku stood urgently, lifting his staff in preparation for a fight.
"We're surrounded." Kagome drew her bow and readied an arrow. Kirara transformed and Shippou prepped his fox magic. There was no telling how they had gotten this close, but they would be in for one heck of a fight. Kagome wasn't ready to lose and she knew the others felt the same. Taking a breath, she prayed for the strength to get through this. Her last thought before the battle began was of Inuyasha.
Please be safe, I still haven't gotten to touch those ears..
(1) I strongly dislike the use of 'wench' in fanfiction. Its a fanon thing that permeates nearly every story I've read. In the Japanese manga, Inuyasha only refers to Kagome by her name, or 'you'. Although in Romaji that'd be 'Temee' which is a derogatory way of saying 'you', according to what I've read, its not a valid translation to turn that into 'wench'.
(2) Those voices are speaking in Romaji. To anyone that doesn't know how to translate Romaji, don't worry about it. All will be made known before the end of the story. To those that can translate, this is our little secret. Shh.
(3) I REALLY wanted to end this chapter here. It just seemed so perfect. But it was also way too soon, I wanted a long chapter, not another short one.
A/N - This chapter has been changed slightly. If you read the notes in my previous two chapters, you already know most of what has changed and this chapter mostly just reflects that. The beginning of this chapter was altered because it was brought to my attention that I had greatly overlooked how a normal person would react to the sounds of screaming. Instead of Kagome thinking that it was really happening, I changed it so that she felt like it was just a nightmare, only to wake up and still be hearing the noises. It definitely works better and I'm glad that was pointed out to me.
Final thanks to Ink Outside the Lines, she gave me some greatly needed constructive criticism that I feel has drastically improved the current state of my story. Obviously it still is not perfect, but I'm taking this as a work in progress that I will slowly improve with time. I hope my readers can at least appreciate that and enjoy what I'm able to give them over time.
Thank you again for reading, please review and let me know how you feel about the current changes!
