Hello all my awesome readers. Here is your chapter; I'm so happy that I got it finished so fast! I'll be updating every weekend, depending on your reviews! So, you know what that means… once you're done with this chapter; press that wonderful little button down at the bottom called a review!
The Eternal Bond, Trust ch3
Kagome came back from her dip in the river refreshed and ready to take on the world. It helped to have Inuyasha's haori wrapped around her figure, too, and the sweetness of his earlier gesture brought another shy blush to her cheeks.
Why is he acting so caring all of a sudden? She asked herself, her thoughts confused to the dog demon's actions.
Strolling into camp rather dazedly, Kagome noticed her friends were up and about with their morning routine, Sango checking Kilala's fur for any burrs or other such things and Miroku meditating not far off. "Good morning," she greeted them cheerfully and Sango turned around at her voice.
"Oh! Kagome! I did not see you coming!" Sango exclaimed and then her gaze rested on the bright red robe draped over her shoulders and she raised an eyebrow at Kagome.
Kagome started. She hadn't realized that the clothing would be suspicious until she saw Sango's knowing expression. "A-about this…" Kagome began, scratching the back of her head and laughing nervously, "I was cold and Inuyasha let me borrow it."
Sango's hands stilled in Kilala's fur momentarily, then resumed their searching. "Let you borrow it? You mean you asked him for his haori?"
"Well… not exactly…" Kagome answered slowly, her movements now a bit anxious as she bit her lip and refused to meet Sango's eyes. "Oh, all right," she grudgingly replied after a few seconds of silence in which Sango did not look away from her. "Inuyasha gave it to me."
A smile formed on Sango's lips as her eyes sparkled in delight for her friend's good fortune. She knew that nothing made Kagome happier than those small, extremely rare displays of kindness Inuyasha showed her, and just to witness Kagome's beaming face was enough to make Sango's day.
"Kagome, why don't you sit down and talk to me until Inuyasha returns? Miroku won't be done for a little while, anyways…" Kagome nodded at Sango's offer and gingerly knelt before the demon slayer, resuming their conversation.
It wasn't till much later that Inuyasha stalked into their midst once more, holding up the fish he had brought. Kagome had immediately set to work cooking them, and in no time at all they were off, sweeping one last glance at their abandoned campsite before leaving.
Kagome purposely steered herself to Inuyasha and handed him his folded up fire rat clothing. He took it wordlessly and shrugged it onto his shoulders. "Thanks," Kagome smiled up at Inuyasha. "It was pretty cold this morning."
Inuyasha didn't appear too interested at her remark. "You better enjoy it, wench, cause it ain't gonna be for a long while."
Lifting her eyes to the rapidly brightening sky, Kagome shielded them with her hand enough so she could see the sun already high in its ascent. "You're right," she agreed. "I'm already starting to feel kinda warm."
Hearing no answer Kagome just continued to walk right beside him, stopping to look back at their companions to make sure they were still there every now and then.
Miroku watched the couple ahead of him with interest. They seem much closer… he mused as his gaze innocently slid to Sango and he angled his direction so that his feet were taking him closer to her with each step. Reaching out, Miroku's hand nonchalantly met Sango's rear.
Sango halted as her face grew hot with embarrassment. "Lecher!" she shrilly screamed, whipping her hand around to collide with Miroku as a slap echoed through the forest, startling some birds out of a tree.
Inuyasha's ear flicked back towards the now shouting demon slayer behind him and he held back a snicker. Miroku never gave up, did he?
Kagome didn't even try to suppress her burst of giggles. They sure had a weird way of expressing their love for each other… I mean what other couple was like Sango and Miroku?
We sure aren't, Kagome thought as her gaze snapped to Inuyasha. Then Kagome's eyes widened at the insinuation of her thoughts. We aren't a couple. We aren't. Really. I just happen to be hopelessly in love with a guy who couldn't care less. She sighed loudly, catching Inuyasha's attention.
"Oi, what's with you?" he gruffly questioned her and she shook her head, dismissing the matter.
He wasn't so easily fooled. But he managed to restrain from trying to force it out of her, knowing a 'sit' wouldn't solve anything. The pain that had so briefly flashed through her eyes was one that ate at his heart, and he wanted to reach out and reassure her in anyway possible that everything was fine.
Being the stubborn, proud hanyou he was though, he didn't, however sorely he was tempted to, he couldn't bring himself to comfort her. To him, there was no guarantee she would want his comfort.
A village loomed up upon their path and they all heaved sighs of relief, having been traveling far too much for their liking. Inuyasha snorted at the exhausted forms of his companions and, as resolutely as ever, strode into the midst of the huts.
Miroku made a beeline for a pair of young maidens who happened to be passing by, and Sango stormed after him, holding Hiraikotsu in a manner that spelled trouble.
So Kagome soon found herself alone with Shippo in the middle of the road and, shrugging disbelievingly at how fast her friends had disappeared, wandered off into the crowd.
"Gee, Kagome, where are we going?" Shippo questioned as Kagome weaved her way through the people. In truth, Kagome had no clue at all to where her feet were taking her, but didn't bother with that. She would end up somewhere eventually.
And ending up somewhere is exactly what she did. Kagome blinked as she discovered she had crossed the village and was now on the other side of the busy huts. This side of the forest held a foreboding chill to it, and Kagome shivered despite herself. Glancing around, she realized that no one appeared to walk this close to the woods, always turning around before they could come any closer.
A low moan of a wind whistled through the trees, and Shippo gulped. "Uh, Kagome I think we should go back now…" The mysteriousness of the sudden evil aura beckoned to Kagome, and curious, she ignored Shippo's request and took a step forward.
"Young lady!" an old, cracked voice squeaked, and a hand tugged at her sleeve, effectively stopping her. An elderly lady stood behind her, a pleading look in her dull eyes as she attempted to draw Kagome away from the trees. "You must not stray into there!"
A puzzled expression crossed Kagome's face. "But why? What has happened there?" Another cold gust swirled out of the dark shadows and the older woman gasped.
"' Tis an evil place! No innocent one like yourself must go in there!" She paused for a second to close her eyes. "There have been many tragic deaths of young girls, and the forest is said to be haunted by evil spirits…"
Kagome didn't doubt this for a second. She knew that some prospect of these woods made her blood run cold, but there had to be something other than spirits causing that, right? "M-maybe there is a demon…"
The old villager shook her white head. "If that were so, young lass, then the demon would've devoured them! But no, 'tis their souls that have been removed." She then shuddered at the mere thought and walked off, cane supporting her rickety steps. Shippo made a small sound of fright and clung even tighter to Kagome's shoulder.
Kagome stared at her until she disappeared among the throng of villagers, and then tentatively swiveled her gaze to the line of trees only but a few feet from her. The leaves swayed with an indistinguishable wind and the whole area put Kagome on guard.
So intently was she focusing on the forest that she didn't even notice the person approaching her silently from off to the side until a loud, irritated voice snapped, "Where the hell have you been, wench!"
Shippo let out a yelp of surprise and Kagome started, almost losing her balance, but righting herself before she could fall. Clutching the fabric over her rapidly palpitating heart, Kagome released her held breath when she recognized the surly half demon before her.
"Inuyasha!" she berated him, and Shippo launched his tiny body at Inuyasha, effectively landing on his head and pulling at his ears. "You jerk! Don't scare me an' Kagome like that!"
Inuyasha swiftly captured the fox kitsune by his fluffy tail and landed a sound thump to his head. "Brat. If you didn't have such damn weak senses…"
Kagome flashed him a warning glare and Inuyasha's comment faded into nothing as he released Shippo, who promptly fell face first into the ground below.
"Wench, you didn't answer my question…" Inuyasha impatiently growled and Kagome refocused her attention on the trees.
"Inuyasha… do you sense anything strange about this forest?"
"What?" The question caught him unexpectedly and he turned to the forest, regarding it carefully. A scowl darkened his features as he bit back a snarl. There was something off… out of place in these trees, some kind of hidden or unseen force. And he didn't trust it one bit.
Hastily he grabbed Kagome's arm and began to drag her back into the village. Kagome fumbled a little at his quick move, and then frowned. "Well?"
"Nothing. I didn't sense anything unusual." Inuyasha lied, hoping Kagome wouldn't try to wander in there alone. There was no way he was taking her into those trees, it set every one of his senses on alert, and left him feeling strangely unsettled.
He finally managed to drag her back to Miroku and Sango, who both showed signs of a previous argument, Sango with a fierce gleam in her gaze and Miroku with an enormous red handprint on his cheek.
Kagome softly laughed at their pouting faces, and moved her eyes to Inuyasha, who was staring at her with a peculiar look in his smoldering golden eyes, but before Kagome had time to register it, he quickly realized she had spotted the direction of his gaze and glanced elsewhere.
What was that? Kagome wondered, her breathing still affected by his sudden weakening of his usual stoic barriers, and that strange glint she had seen in his intense gaze. Her pulse fluttered madly and Kagome distracted herself by walking over to Sango and Miroku.
Inuyasha watched Kagome saunter off, and felt the usual pull at his heartstrings as she left. Dammit! You're acting like some lost and confused puppy! She's just going over to Miroku and Sango; it's not as if she's leaving!
Funny how things seemed to change for Inuyasha. Before he met Kagome or Kikyo, he had been totally dependent on himself, never asking anyone for help or assistance. Now, within the short time of three years, his whole lifestyle had been turned upside down, leaving him dependent on this one girl who didn't even have an inkling of how much he relied on her to keep his life going.
Its better that she doesn't know… what would she do if I told her? Inuyasha snorted. Most likely freak out and run back into the well…
How could he be so reliant on Kagome?
The room was dark, no sunlight penetrating the thick walls of the exterior, and a single candle burning steadily its only illumination. A shadowed figure sat just in the outer reaches of the small circle of light the candle created.
Kanna slid open the door, disturbing the eerie silence that hovered in the room, and approached the man, a blank expression withstanding on her pale features. She slowly held her mirror out for the person to see, the mirror flashing briefly with a white light before revealing Kagome, standing in the village conversing with Sango and Miroku.
"Well done, Kanna," Naraku said approvingly and watched as the young miko in the reflection laughed.
Not for long… he thought with a smirk and reached out his hand until it was inches from touching the glass. His hand emitted a purple haze that seeped into the mirror. With grim satisfaction, he observed Kagome's pained look moments before she dropped to the grass, Sango screaming her name.
"That is enough."
Kanna pulled her mirror back to her chest and quietly exited the room. Naraku sat back and allowed a sneer to appear on his lips. Phase one of my plan complete…
Kagome laughed at another one of Miroku's lecherous advances towards Sango, and silently wished the demon slayer luck with having to deal with this pervert for the rest of her life. Her joyous smile remained on her face as she remembered the day Miroku had proposed to Sango, without even trying to touch her!
The young priestess also knew that Sango had that day fresh in her mind always, even more vivid than Kagome's memories. It served to remind the demon slayer that no matter how many women he asked to bear his children, Sango had a claim on Miroku no one else possessed.
Without any warning, a horrible pressure erupted in her chest, causing her to cringe and swerve violently.
Kagome's legs gave out on her as her mind reeled, trying to grasp control of herself once again. Falling to the ground, Kagome tried to calm her racing pulse, and moved to stand up again, but found she couldn't.
"Kagome!" she heard from to the side of her, but her foggy brain could do no more than realize that this voice was terribly familiar, and as the last bit of her consciousness faded away she thought, Inuyasha…
Heart pounding madly in his ribcage, Inuyasha was at her side faster than Sango or Miroku could manage.
He relaxed the slightest bit when he recognized the oh so sweet sound of her faint heartbeat. She was breathing too, short shallow breaths that flattened Inuyasha's ears as they heard the fragile sound.
Dammit, what the hell happened! His mind frantically wondered. Kagome!
This seems like a nice place to end it. Ha! If only I could see you guys' faces! I know, I know you hate cliffhangers, so do I. Call me a hypocrite, but I seriously don't like to read cliff hangers, but I do think it's terribly fun to write them.
The suspense keeps you wanting more…
I'm evil, and I know it.
See you next time!
-kikyohater92-
