Title: "A Friend's Prerogative"
Author: King Cobbler
Warnings: Violence, angst, deceit.
Summary: Kagome decides Inuyasha isn't ready to move on, so she pushes him towards Kikyou.
Pairing: Kagome/Inuyasha/Kikyou, Sango/Miroku, Kikyou/Sesshoumaru (eventual).
Disclaimer: I have nothing. I own nothing.
No! If you can't go on... then we'll die here together!
It was bizarre. Though, in a way, she supposed she could understand. Well, no, actually, she couldn't. It was just plain weird. What was Kagome thinking? Sango cast a suspicious glance to Inuyasha. He probably had something to do with it. He always did. Still . . . Kagome had been so resolved. Inuyasha couldn't have talked her out of it, could he? He always did have a strange power over her. Her glance sharpened into a glare.
Miroku cleared his throat beside her. A raised eyebrow and shoulder shrugged beneath the heavy weight of Hiriakotsu gave away his intention. He didn't want her to interfere. He didn't think it was her place. But . . . She'd keeping her nose clean so far and where had it gotten them? Back to square one. Hardly progress. Besides, why should she take the advice of a thieving pervert? It wasn't as if he knew anything more about love than she did (despite his many conquests to the contrary).
She had half a mind to chastise Inuyasha for his stupidity right then and there, but restrained herself with a clenched fist. That wouldn't do any good. Knowing Inuyasha, he'd clam up for sure, and that wasn't productive either. He was definitely the key to this whole mess. She didn't like to think Inuyasha was capable of manipulating Kagome, but the bright, unyielding smile on her face as she waved him on to Kikyou said otherwise. She'd never been that understanding. She'd never wished him good luck.
She rolled her shoulder as she stared at Inuyasha. He had been much more subdued. Almost . . . troubled. Reluctant. Guilty, her subconscious whispered. Maybe Kagome really had told him she was moving on. He'd seemed upset . . . No, no, she couldn't have. Kagome loved Inuyasha. She said she'd stand by him regardless. No matter what. And even if she had decided to cut ties (a big if, considering), she would've been a wreck afterwards, crying rather than smiling. Unless . . . she was in denial. In which case, she definitely wasn't okay and Sango definitely needed to interfere.
"Inuyasha?" She called ahead, her wheels turning. The half demon let out an unintelligible grunt of acknowledgment. "I was wondering if we might take a break . . ." Sango's voice trailed off.
"Feh," Inuyasha huffed, crossing his arms. "What the hell's wrong now?"
"Inuyasha . . ." Kagome scolded (way too normally). She moved to Sango's side and touched her arm. "Is it your shoulder, Sango?" She asked in concern.
Sango hid her grin, but just barely. Everything was going just as she'd hoped. "I'm fine, Kagome," she soothed, making sure to grimace afterwards.
Miroku giggled beside her (yes, giggled) and for a moment she worried she'd overdone the sick patient routine (she wasn't a very convincing actress), but Kagome didn't seem to notice, and neither did Inuyasha. Were they honestly that distracted, or was Miroku just extra perceptive? In either case, it suited her ulterior motive, so she didn't object. Far from it. She played along, thankful to have such a ready made excuse.
While Inuyasha had been out scouting (unsuccessfully) for Kikyo, they'd brought down a rogue bear demon. Sango had been knocked from Kirara's back and into a tree in the process, causing her to sprain a muscle in her upper back. She couldn't carry Hiriakotsu, which had been passed on as Miroku's burden, but other than soreness she was perfectly alright. She flexed her shoulder again and winced at the tension. Maybe 'perfectly' was an exaggeration, but the injury didn't impede her ability to walk.
If she played her cards right, she'd be able to secure 'girl-talk' time with Kagome without lying to the short tempered half demon. Even though fooling her friends was a guilty pleasure, Sango certainly didn't want to deceive them any more than she had to, or lie to anyone when she could just as well tell the truth. She wasn't Miroku. She wasn't about to risk losing Inuyasha's trust. He was the only one capable of holding a grudge longer than she could.
"You're not fine," Kagome declared. "We're gonna stop early tonight, okay? Right, Inuyasha?"
The dog demon's ears pressed hard against his skull. He knew that tone. "Why are you humans so fragile?" His grouched. "Fine. Not like we'd get anything done with you two whining."
Sango's head dipped slightly in respect. "Thank you, Inuyasha."
"Sango, I would be more than happy to soothe your aches and pains," Miroku offered, looking far too innocent for a con man.
After setting up camp (with no help from her, despite protests) Kagome had taken it upon herself to nurse Sango back to health. This entailed giving her a futuristic cocktail of herbal remedies and bandaging her shoulder with a strange cloth that grew hot and cold on its own. She wasn't sure how either of these medicines worked, and neither was Kagome, but they were incredibly effective, so she didn't push her luck. She'd mentioned once in passing that the only thing missing was a good massage, and Miroku had been offering one ever since.
"I'm sure you would," Shippo and Sango intoned at the same time, unconvinced. After all, Miroku was a real pervert.
"I assure you, my intentions are nothing less than honorable, " Miroku returned. He held a hand over his heart in promise.
Kagome giggled nervously, interrupting the tension between the two. "Thanks for the offer, Miroku, but we'll manage. Besides, I think its about time we hotspringed anyway."
"Hmmm . . ." Miroku mumbled in thought, rubbing his chin in a considering manner. "Your dedication to cleanliness is most admirable, Kagome-sama, but I'm afraid these woods are far to dangerous for two such lovely ladies to venture in alone. I could never forgive myself if I allowed you to come to harm."
"That's nice, but—"
"Then it's settled. I'll watch over you to ensure no harm befalls my beloved companions!" Miroku interjected passionately.
Thunk.
The girls were saved from a rebuttal by a rather large pine cone being thrown, forcefully, at the monk's head. He was blown over with almost as much strength as Sango could muster, leaving him with a very bruised skull. His charming smile quickly gave way to a facial tick. The girls both looked up at the righteous tree in question. Inuyasha was leaning against a branch towards the top, with his eyes closed and another pine cone poised to throw in his hand.
"You're not goin' anywhere, monk." The half demon put forth. "If you keep on botherin' her, Sango's not gonna be ready to go tomorrow and we'll have to leave her behind."
Miroku rubbed his abused cranium. "Surely you can appreciate my position—"Thunk.
"There's a hot spring to the south, " Inuyasha cut in. The demon gestured towards the fallen houshi, still managing to keep his relaxed posture. "I'll take care of him."
Kagome smile was even brighter. "Thank you, Inuyasha."
"Kagome, if you don't mind me asking, what happened between you and Inuyasha?"
"Huh? I'm not sure what you mean, Sango."
Sango had been trying to subtlety question the girl for an hour now, but whether by true ignorance or self-imposed denial, Kagome didn't seem to understand what she was talking about. It was really frustrating. She usually wasn't the type to gossip, but considering this particular 'dish' would largely influence her best friend's mental health, she'd broken more than a few of her honor codes.
"Kagome," the girl whispered. "I was there. You can't possibly be suddenly fine with your situation."
"I'm not fine, fine, but I guess . . . I think maybe I overreacted to this whole Kikyo-thing."
"Overreacted?" Sango prompted.
"Well, yeah." Kagome shrugged. "It's not as if Inuyasha goes to see her all the time or anything, and they do have a history . . . Giving him an ultimatum was unfair."
"Kagome," Sango scolded. "What you did wasn't unfair. Maybe the way you did it was too severe, but you have every right to demand Inuyasha's complete fealty."
"I don't know, Sango. It's not as if he and I . . . he loves Kikyo. I'm just a shard detector. The only reason he keeps me around is because he feels obligated. I guess, sometimes, I can't help but be jealous and get upset. I make Inuyasha feel guilty for no reason and that's gotta stop. He should be allowed to make decisions on his own time. I don't want him to care out of guilt. I want to be with Inuyasha, so it shouldn't matter what he does, so long as he'll keep me around . . . "
Sango's eyes softened. Kagome was, once again, putting herself last because of the Inuyasha. She liked him, yes, and she knew he loved Kagome, but he still had no right to put her through all this turmoil. As far as she was concerned, the couple needed a helpful push in the right direction. A push that she was in a position to provide. No, Sango wasn't the most ideal match maker, but she supposed she'd have to do. If Inuyasha and Kagome continued to be so thick headed and unselfish, someone would have to set them on the right path.
"Kagome, if you honestly feel that Inuyasha can't commit because he thinks you're a burden, you should do something to change that," Sango said.
"What?" The girl asked in confusion.
"Well, you said you don't want Inuyasha to feel obligated, right?" Kagome nodded. "The natural cure for obligation is independence." Sango's head tilted. "Inuyasha has to protect you because Miroku and I aren't as resilient as he is. If you were trained, though, he wouldn't be so pressed. It'd no longer be something he had to do. Plus, he couldn't compare you (negatively) to Kikyou if you were just as proficient. "
Kagome nodded, though it looked to Sango like she didn't really understand. Sango could sympathize. They didn't know many mikos and of those, none could travel. Inuyasha would definitely veto a two month pit stop, but the training Sango had in mind was of a different sort. Namely, it was training with her in the ways of a demon slayer. She was actually looking forward to it. Kagome needed to know how to protect herself without her bow.
"I'm outta luck there. I'm not exactly the best student . . . " The girl frowned. "Besides, we don't know anyone willing to train me on the road."
Just as she thought. "I think you misunderstood, Kagome." She smiled. "I know someone who can teach you how to defend yourself while looking for the jewel shards."
"Really?" Kagome questioned. "It sounds like you already have someone in mind . . ."
Sango nodded. "I do."
"What wrong, Kirara?" Shippo asked the shaking fire cat.
The two had decided to venture off while Sango and Kagome were taking their bath, but Kirara had become inexplicably agitated during their expedition. Shippo had tried to calm her down, but the two tail had continued in her anxiousness. Eventually, Kirara had refused to move at all, growling at an invisible foe.
"Come on, Kirara!" Shippo tugged on her fur. "We have to get back before they realize we're gone."
Kirara didn't move, still maintaining her rigid stance. The sound of a bird squawking disrupted the silence, making the fox kit start in fear and fall over as Kirara transformed in a frame of fire. She roared, taking to the sky in a single leap. Shippo was helpless to stop her.
"Kirara!" Shippo called, trying to keep up with the larger demon.
He soon stumbled though, falling over his own feet as Kirara left him behind. He watched as she crashed through trees in pursuit of her indistinguishable goal, one thought resounding in his shaken brain. 'Inuyasha's really gonna kill me this time.'
Shippo glanced around, surprised at how dark it was already. They'd stopped when the sun was still up, but it was already well into the evening. Various shadows lit the trees, making the small glade look fairly ominous. Couple that with spooky night time sound effects and Kirara's mysterious disappearance and you have a recipe for disaster. Shippo put on a brave face, but he was truly frightened. It was one thing to venture out accompanied by a deadly babysitter, but to be completely alone and relatively defenseless? His stride quickened and a few blotches of sweat appeared on his forehead.
The faster he went, the louder his heart seemed to beat. He put a small hand over his chest in an attempt to stifle the noise, but it didn't work. He was really worried now. Any demons in the area would surely hear it and find him right away. What would he do then? Sure, his techniques were starting to improve, but he was still no match for the worst of them. Shippo glanced around nervously. He and Kirara hadn't gone that far and Inuyasha would hear him if he screamed, but that dog-faced duffus would probably leave him to die.
He crept forward again, hearing plenty of odd rustling that would give even the bravest youkai nightmares for a week. Eventually, he just lapsed into a straight out run. He didn't stop, or even look behind him until he broke the tree line. Unfortunately, he didn't exactly get a hero's welcome.
"Where the hell have you been?" Thunk. A pine cone bounced off Shippo's head.
The child glared back at Inuyasha. He'd been in a really bad mood lately. "You better watch it, Inuyasha!" He threatened.
Inuyasha jumped from his perch, landing gracefully. His hands tucked into his sleeves. "Oh, yeah? And what are you gonna do about it, Shippo?"
Shippo was high on life, seeing as he'd just showed more than his fair share of bravery, but he wasn't stupid. Inuyasha, however dense, was also pretty strong and had a really bad temper. The kitsune wasn't about to risk blowing that fuse.
He shrunk back from the hanyou's poised fist. "Y-you wouldn't hit a kid, would you?" This innocent statement was punctured by a pair of huge puppy-dog eyes.
Inuyasha was taken aback, slightly, by this display of emotion. He backpedaled into his 'crossed arm' pose, giving a trademark 'feh'. In a silver-red flash he ascended to his place in the tree, apparently deciding to let this one go. Shippo heaved a sigh of shocked relief, a wicked smile crossing his face. He'd just found a valuable new weapon against the hanyou menace. Guilt never failed.
"Heh," He laughed to himself. "Stupid Inuyasha."
Sadly, the fox had forgotten about Inuyasha's all too astute hearing.
"Why you-!!" The half demon roared.
"Sango, I don't think that'll work. I mean, I'm not exactly the most graceful of people and I wouldn't want you to get frustrated—"
"Kagome, just think about it, okay?"Sango gave her friend a meaningful glance. "It's hard to imagine how many great opportunities pass us by because we're too afraid to take a chance . . ." Sango trailed off, her eyes looking upwards.
That little piece of wisdom probably rang truer for her than anyone else. If she'd taken more advantage of the breaks she'd been given, appreciated the life she'd had . . . If she knew or suspected more, if she'd tried harder, maybe things wouldn't have turned out the way they had. Maybe she would've already been reunited with her brother. Maybe she wouldn't of lost him in the first place. Of course, this didn't even begin to cover all the other opportunities she'd missed in more personal fields, like with Miroku. Still . . .
'Kohaku . . .'
The demon slayer's fists clenched beneath the hot water. Her eyes stung. She shouldn't be getting so emotional, not now. This had nothing to do with Kohaku. This wasn't about her. She met Kagome's eyes, seeing more than a little pity reflected there. She shook her head, giving a weak smile. She was fine. Kagome didn't seem convinced, but she also didn't comment. The rest of their bath was spent in awkward silence, both women finding themselves at a loss. They finally stepped out of the hot spring and wrapped towels around themselves.
They'd been in there a while, judging by their wrinkled fingers and blotchy skin. It wasn't exactly easy to keep track of the time while coated with the warm deliciousness that came with a well deserved soak. It was evening, though, which meant they'd spent well over an hour in the water. Such a fact was mildly embarrassing. Inuyasha probably wouldn't be too upset, seeing as they'd already set up camp, but everyone would wonder what exactly took that long to wash. Sango nearly giggled at the imagery, but her well honed self control wouldn't allow an outburst in front of her uncomfortable friend.
She glanced towards Kagome as she rummaged through her yellow back pack for clothes. Usually, Kagome took out her outfit first and only brought that with her—the jewel shards tended to bring along all sorts of unwanted interruptions—but a bout of laziness had seen her simply carrying her pack to the springs. Sango opened her mouth, but closed it again. This sudden tension was disconcerting, but allowing it to stand, she felt, was simply immature. She again opened her mouth to speak, but stopped short as Kagome turned to her. Their eyes met and Sango finally found the courage to voice her thoughts.
"Kagome, I—"
"Sango, I—"
Great minds think alike, huh? Sango gestured for Kagome to continue. She blushed.
"Sango, I wanted to say I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."
"It's fine, Kagome." Sango smiled. "I forced the issue when I shouldn't have. If you don't want taijiya-training I won't guilt you into it. I'm the one who needs forgiveness."
The two, still dripping wet and encased in fluffy towels looked at each other's earnest expressions and, as one, fell into a fit of laughter. What had they been so worried about? The girls' laughter soon ceased, though mirth remained in their eyes, and they hugged in what looked to be one of many Kodak moments. It was the demon slayer who suddenly jerked away, causing Kagome to gasp in surprise. Sango merely held up a hand, requesting silence. She'd just felt something. A demonic aura. Kagome looked on, torn between feeling alarmed and dismissed. She cupped a hand to her ear to hear better.
Sango crawled forward, picking up her wakizashi from a pile of neatly folded clothes. Gripping her sword tightly she stood protectively in front of the still shocked Kagome. Her grip tightened on her towel. Kagome opened her mouth to ask Sango what was wrong, but stopped short. Sango was grateful. She couldn't afford for her concentration to be interrupted. She felt around again, spreading out her own chi to feel for presence. Besides Miroku, Inuyasha, Shippo, and a few other woodland creatures, she felt nothing. The evil intent had disappeared. What had just happened?
The exterminator slowly relaxed, and while she kept her blade in hand, she no longer appeared at the ready. Kagome, thinking whatever it was must've passed, decided it was now safe to speak. Sango soon regretted not stopping her.
"Sango," she whispered. "Was it-Was it . . . Miroku?" Sango knew Kagome had realized by now that it wasn't Miroku—even if she couldn't sense the demonic aura—but as Sango moved to answer her . . .
She was interrupted by a huge thing crashing through the trees. Sango's fast reflexes saved them both. She pushed them back into the hot spring and out of the electrically charged shadow's reach. They surfaced quickly, or Sango did, pulling Kagome behind her. Kagome absentmindedly grabbed at her bag as they raced through the trees at breakneck speeds. Sango took it from her, seeing as she was the faster runner. She was almost dragging Kagome at this point, but their attacker—whatever it was—kept up easily. The giant blob didn't go around natural barriers, it went through them; like mist or water.
Sango could liken it to the type of energy released by Tetsuiga. It moved, and was focused, but had no definite shape or aura. It had traces of youki, but they were so faint it would've impossible to sense at any other distance. It also let off waves of heat (though that could be more due to the friction it was exerting on the world than any true property of the blast itself) and, while she was in no position to confirm her theory, Sango was almost sure that the trees around them weren't left untouched as the creature moved, but obliterated. Burned.
Sango wasn't a very lucky person. She'd long ago realized what could go wrong would. Knowing that, maybe she should've thought ahead. They couldn't run forever (especially Kagome) and ducking for cover wasn't an option. She should've been formulating some sort of plan, the type Miroku could come up with on the spot, but she wasn't. She was going on instinct. She wasn't even sure if she was headed towards camp, or away from it. Did it matter? Could the others help, or would it be a death sentence? With her heart in her throat it was so much harder to think.
It was at this very moment, that the law of Sango (fate hates you) made an appearance. She easily scaled a log in their path, but Kagome, already very scared and very very exhausted, didn't even notice it. She tripped. Sango should've realized Kagome wasn't used to navigating harsh terrain, but this time, it hadn't even crossed her mind. Their connection was severed at the hand, and while Sango quickly pulled her up, a distant part of her was already screaming 'too late'.
That thing was on them now, and Sango wasn't thinking again, just reacting. She shoved the standing Kagome out of the way, following afterwards through the force of her own push. She skirted by their attacker just in time, but didn't escape a brush with the enemy, quickly making her skin pop and crackle with fission and her cheek burst with blood. Vaguely, she recalled Inuyasha's brother having a poison similarly acrid, but could only hope the injury was just as it felt, a burn.
The two rolled down the hill at a fantastic angel, the force of the creature behind them lending to their incredible speed. Sango gripped desperately at Kagome's bag; the bag holding the jewel shards. No matter what, that thing couldn't get them. Sango knew that a fall like that should lead to broken bones, but after their momentum gave way to a valley, she still didn't feel any discomfort. Both her sword and towel had been ripped away, leaving her nude, but still, there was nothing but the electric hum of her blood and the sizzle of her face.
The first thing Sango noted, as she stumbled to her feet, was that they had no cover. She was surrounded by wide open plains. Cornered. They couldn't outrun the creature on flat land. They barely stood a chance in the forest. The second, was that Kagome hadn't gotten up. She was lying in a boneless mass, her body cut and bruised from their painful descent. The knuckles of her right hand were turning white with the force used to keep her towel from falling off. She was shaking and sobbing, bubbles of hysteria forcing their way through a strangled throat. Terrified.
Some far away version of Sango was shocked. She'd never seen Kagome that scared before. Even when she was hurt, she was always brave. Always determined. She wasn't now. The Sango outside didn't even pause. She tried to pull Kagome up again, but this time it wasn't working. Kagome was dead weight, and fell when Sango stepped away. Meanwhile, that thing, was still after them. It seemed almost sentient in its desire to destroy them. Maybe it was. They'd gained considerable ground in their unexpected tumble, but it was already catching up.
Her instincts told her to run, to leave Kagome behind and survive, but she couldn't. With steely resolve she brandished the back pack in her hands (which probably wasn't enough to scare a squirrel) and squared her shoulders. This was Kagome, after all, and even though she was scared and confused, she would never, ever leave Sango in the same position. It was . . . what friends did.
She stood in front of the debilitated Kagome as the thing drew closer. It seemed to pour around them, preventing all means of escape, but it showed none of the haste it had previously demonstrated. Could it be that it was savoring its victory? It reached out long black tendrils in a near gentle gesture towards Kagome, who was still paralyzed with fear and shock. Sango took the bag and attempted to beat them away, surprised when it actually worked. The tentacles recoiled and with a hissing sound and, collecting themselves into one large spike, dove towards Sango.
She held the backpack in front of her defensively, instinctively, and it acted like a shield, baring the dark energy from advancing further. She was knocked back by the force, and the bag was already smoking in her hands, but she was safe. They were safe. The creature stopped short of trying to murder her again, letting out a loud, human-like screech.
"Get down!" A rough voice called. It was familiar. A friend, maybe? She did as the voice suggested, covering the prone Kagome with her own body. Get down!
Then, there was nothing. Light wiped away the contours of the world with as much efficiency as darkness and her eyes burned with the effort of keeping them open. Tears fell down her cheeks, smearing the blood and soothing the burn. Was this death? Was this hell? She couldn't close her eyes. She couldn't. She had to see beyond the horrible light. That creature . . . she had to see it destroyed. And when it was, black smoke filling the air and horrible shrieking ringing in her ears, she smiled.
'It's hard to imagine how many great opportunities pass us by because we're too afraid to take a chance . . .'
And closed her eyes.
"So?" Inquired Inuyasha, trying to act unaffected through his fidgeting.
"Kagome-sama appears to be uninjured, besides a few dozen superficial cuts and a sprained ankle. She'll be well enough to travel within the space of a few days." The monk looked away. "Sango protected her from the worst of it."
"Is she gonna be okay?" The half demon asked, looking considerably more relieved, but still incredibly nervous.
"She needs a healer, Inuyasha. Her wounds aren't fatal, but they're . . . unusual." Miroku's face tightened.
"What's so strange about a burn?" Inuyasha asked crossing his arms. He shot a glance at the sleeping Sango. She could handle it . . . right?
"For one, it doesn't have the texture or appearance of a regular burn. It looks almost as if . . . someone sliced her cheek open cleanly. The wound is hot. The patch on her shoulder is still eating through the tissue. Even Kagome's future remedies have been helpless to stop the progression. If we don't find someone capable of treating them . . ." He didn't continue. He didn't have to.
Inuyasha nodded. "I'll take her." He picked up the woman in question, along with the blankets on top of her.
Inuyasha adjusted Sango as gently as he could, holding her bridal style, but the taijiya still winced unconsciously. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed as he looked towards Kagome. It could've been so much worse. If Sango hadn't have been there . . . He shook his head. He should've been there. If he had, none of this would've happened. Sango would be okay. Kagome would be okay. He would make it up to them, starting now. Sango would survive. He'd make sure of it.
"Inuyasha," Miroku called. "Be careful with her." He motioned towards the slack exterminator.
"Feh, don't worry. Sango will be fine. She's strong." He turned, preparing to take off. "And Miroku?" He quested.
"Yes?" Miroku asked.
"Take care of Kagome."