From all my experiences, I have been able to determine one thing: human ignorance is going to be the destruction of our world.
Human study records from the Okami Youkai Clan
Chapter 4: Safety and Loss
Kagome's head spun: she felt like there was a tiny person inside her, mashing her brain up with chopsticks.
Her stomach turned over and she did her best not to retch as a deep, stabbing ache ebbed from the back of her skull.
She groaned and winced, tears of pain coming to her eyes.
Where was she? Why wasn't there anyone to help her?
The droplets of saltwater began to trickle down her cheeks as she vaguely recalled the betrayal she had endured, and, she realized, she had never longed for her father so much in her entire life.
She silently pleaded for his spirit to come, to consol her.
She wished for her mother, or for her brother Sota… or Koga…
Her heart ached as she slowly realized that, wherever she was, none of them could help her now.
-
Suddenly, she began to be able to discern voices above her.
One was a boy, someone probably around Kagome's age, who spoke with angry growls lacing his words, and the other was a young woman who seemed to be trying to consol him.
Kagome could barely make out their words though; she was much too dazed.
She could tell, however, that the boy was swearing quite a bit.
-
Slowly, the girl forced her eyes open, though was alarmed to find her vision badly scrambled; she could barely see the face of the boy who was leaning over her.
"Shit, she's awake," she heard him say.
"Stop cursing so much," the woman sighed, and then Kagome saw a large puff of tawny yellow enter her line of sight, "Are you all right, honey?"
Kagome blinked, taking a minute to comprehend the words, before she slowly shook her head.
"…Hurts…" she whispered.
She cringed before she looked between the two speakers. The boy seemed to have silver hair and red eyes, and the woman… the woman looked like a large animal of some sort.
Kagome nearly sighed in relief.
That meant they were youkai, weren't they?
And, as crazy as it sounded, she suddenly felt safe and reassured.
Most of the youkai of the region were allied to her: they wouldn't hurt her, would they?
-
She saw the large, furry blob draw closer to her and she felt a gentle lick against her forehead.
"Poor girl," the woman's voice whispered, "Don't cry: it'll be all right."
Kagome nodded slowly, but she could still feel tears streaming down her face.
"Why won't she stop?" the boy inquired, seeming both irritated and concerned at the same time.
"Don't be harsh," the woman chided, "She's probably delirious."
"Oh…"
Kagome squinted up at the boy, and then looked towards the furry creature.
"C… Can you… help… me…?" she managed to mumble, "P… Please…?"
The boy above her jolted in surprise and he slid his palm under her head to give her a little support.
"What's wrong wench?" he asked swiftly, only to be batted roughly in the head by the other creature's long tail.
"Hey!" he growled, "Kirara, what the hell what that for?"
"Be civil!" she said sternly, "Kami-sama, how would you like some stranger calling you "wench" after being knocked out?"
"Okay, one: I'm a guy," the boy sighed.
"That's beside the point," the woman grumbled, "Be nice."
Kagome blinked, a little surprised.
"N… No, don't… be… mad," she said quietly, "It's okay… I… don't mind…"
Both creatures looked down at her and the boy lifted her up gently. She cringed and groaned as her wound throbbed and she could feel panic spring through his hand.
"Are you okay?" he demanded.
Kagome shook her head and scrunched her eyes shut.
"Gomen," she breathed, "It… It really… hurts…"
"Understandable," the boy said quietly, "You're bleeding pretty badly."
"Am I?" Kagome inquired a little dumbly.
She attempted to lift her hand to wipe the tears from her eyes, but she felt as if she could barely move.
Her arm dropped limply back into the grass and the boy above her blew out a sigh.
Cautiously, he lifted her into his arms, letting her rest her wound against the crook of his arm in an attempt to sooth the ache slightly.
She drew in a trembling gulp of air and closed her eyes slowly.
"May I have your hand for a moment?" she inquired.
"Eh?" the boy asked, "Mine?"
Kagome nodded and so, after shifting the support of the girl onto one knee, he took her small palm inside his.
Kagome's brow dipped for a moment and she slid her hand over his, feeling along his sharp claws to be sure that he was a youkai.
Once she was convinced, she managed a tiny smile.
"What?" he demanded.
"You're youkai," she breathed, "I'm… I'm glad…"
Frowning, the youkai boy looked down at her in utter puzzlement.
"You… You're not scared?" he asked.
"No," Kagome said softly, "Because… Because if you were human… you… you'd probably try to kill me…"
"Why aren't you scared that I'm gonna do that anyway?" the boy asked, only to receive another smack upside the head.
He grunted in annoyance and, quietly, Kagome snickered and gave his clawed hand a squeeze before hers slipped from his grasp.
"Why?" she repeated, "I… I'm not sure… I guess it's because I've had more positive experiences with youkai than negative ones."
"Lucky," he commented, "Hey… You conscious enough to remember your name?"
"I'm… Kagome," Kagome replied quietly.
"Ah. All right. I'm Inu-Yasha, and behind me here is Kirara… I'm going to bring you inside now."
"Inside…?" the miko repeated quietly as her mind began to swim dizzily again.
"Yes honey, to a nice, warm bed… Where you can rest in safety, okay?" the woman she presumed was Kirara said gently.
"Oh… all right…" the girl replied weakly.
She felt herself reel once more, and then, dizzily, she sank back into darkness, slumping in the youkai's arms.
-
Inu-Yasha stared down, concerned, at the unconscious priestess.
"Damn…" he mumbled, "She looks pretty bad off, ne?"
Kirara nodded her agreement and sighed.
"She looks very pale," she agreed, "Poor thing… I wonder… Why do you think her own village did this to her?"
"Why do you think that village sends any girls up here?" Inu-Yasha sighed, rolling his eyes, "Because they're stupid, superstitious humans."
"I wish that there could be more villages like the one we used to live in," Kirara commented, her ears drooping, "Remember that?"
Inu-Yasha sighed and nodded, reminiscing slightly.
"Yeah… They all actually liked me there," he said, amused, "I wonder if any of them still remember us?"
Kirara shrugged one shaggy shoulder and then, slowly, Inu-Yasha pushed himself to his feet, cradling the unconscious girl carefully.
Holding her close so that he wouldn't aggravate her head wound, he turned back to the open palace gates where, a little hesitantly, Mayoki stood, waiting.
"Inu-kun? Kirara-chan?" she inquired, "What's going on?"
"Don't worry honey, some humans just left a girl here is all," Kirara said as she prowled up to the child's side, "We're going to take care of her. Right Inu-Yasha?"
She tilted her head over her shoulder and the hanyou gave her a nod.
"Yeah… We're… gonna take care of her," he agreed.
He jerked his head towards the garden, so Kirara gently gave Mayoki a push with her snout, guiding her back past the gates.
Inu-Yasha followed, and as soon as he was behind the doors, they began to slowly shut behind him as if pushed by huge creatures on either side.
-
As the girl in his arms let out a tiny groan, Inu-Yasha jolted and clutched her closer.
He padded through the garden and cut his eyes at the closest door as Kirara guided Mayoki away to begin to play with her, pawing a large, wooden ball towards her.
The door slid open swiftly before Inu-Yasha's feet and he carried Kagome inside and down the hall towards his bedroom.
Pausing in between his room and another, he pondered over where he should place the girl.
After considering his options, he turned to his own room and the heavy wooden door slid back.
He walked to his bedside and, gently, lay the girl down in the bundle of sheets that was his bed.
Pulling the blankets up to her neck, Inu-Yasha tucked her in to ensure that she would stay warm and comfortable.
He drew back slowly and let his eyes trace her small form.
She looked so fragile… So… delicate…
Pity beat with his heart for a moment and he leaned closer again, peering at the dark bruise that marred Kagome's pale skin.
Sighing, he reached out a tentative finger to touch the small bump. She winced against the contact and let out a tiny whine.
Inu-Yasha frowned slightly and let some of his powers seep through his claw and into the girl's head.
He watched with satisfaction as the bruise healed under his finger.
Then, he slid his palm under her bangs and felt for a fever.
He grumbled in quiet annoyance when he found that she was, indeed, warm.
The hanyou let out another sigh and leaned backwards.
He wondered what had caused the humans of Kagome's village to bring her as a "sacrifice" to him.
Usually, he felt resentful of the girls who were brought to him.
Normally, they were terrified of him, but this girl… she was different.
She knew he was youkai, and she wasn't scared at all.
Empathy pulsated inside him once more.
He wondered how he could bring himself to tell her that he couldn't let her go home.
He wondered how he could tell her that she may never see her family and friends again.
Inu-Yasha raised a hand to his eyes and rubbed at them in frustration.
He didn't want to upset her, but…
-
Inu-Yasha's ear tweaked as Kirara poked her head into the room and blinked inquisitively at him.
"Inu-Yasha, do you want some help with her?" the neko inquired.
"Um… Sure… You wanna get me a damp cloth for her head?" he asked.
Kirara nodded and slipped from the room once more.
Inu-Yasha gulped and then he sat on the bed.
He crossed his legs and cradled his chin in his hand, deciding that he would wait until Kagome woke up to treat her injury: he needed her verbal input to determine just how serious it was.
-
The hanyou sat quietly by the unconscious girl's side for a few moments, intrigued as he watched her body rise and fall with her breathing.
He had never been this close to a girl his own age without her screaming before…
He watched as the girl's lip began to quiver in her sleep, and she clutched the blankets around her close, pressing them against her body nervously.
She began to whimper softly into them and Inu-Yasha's eyes grew round.
Was Kagome having a nightmare of some sort, or was she in pain?
Was she crying?
He scooted closer, concerned, and he watched her breaths become shorter and faster.
She coughed quietly and Inu-Yasha could see her eyelids begin to part.
He jolted and leapt from the bed swiftly, staring down at the girl.
To his horror, he scented salt water.
-
Kagome looked up at the boy slowly and blinked.
She could still barely see; he was almost a complete blur.
Panic took her for an instant, though the warmth around her soothed her slightly.
She quivered and blinked again.
The pain in her head had lessened a tiny bit, but it was still enough to bring tears to her eyes.
She attempted to sit up, but she felt a strong hand on her shoulder push her back down.
"Relax," she heard Inu-Yasha's voice say, "Stay down. You're hurt."
Kagome gulped and stared at him with watery eyes, and then, suddenly, she remembered the village.
She remembered the smiling face of her mother and brother. She remembered the dog she had fed. She remembered the men who had betrayed her; she remembered the blow that knocked her down.
An ache of utter treachery welled up in her heart and tears began to cascade down her cheeks.
How could they do this to her?
How could they even think of sacrificing her, after all she had done for them?
-
Above her, Inu-Yasha stared down at her, shocked as large tears streamed from her eyes.
Had he said something wrong?
"Uh, wench, you okay?" he inquired a little dumbly.
He knew she wasn't okay, but he didn't know what else to ask.
Kagome slowly shook her head and she turned, sobbing softly into the pillow.
The hanyou, flustered, had to think about what to do for a moment before he sat down on the bed again and patted her blanket-covered shoulder.
"Hey, relax, it's gonna be okay," he assured her.
Kagome shook her head and clutched tightly to Inu-Yasha's pillow.
Inu-Yasha had no idea what to do. He rubbed her shoulder in an attempt to consol her, though she merely began to wail.
Surprised, he jerked his hand away.
He wasn't sure what was wrong with her. Was she suddenly scared of him?
"Kagome, I… I ain't gonna hurt you," he muttered, "Don't be afraid, all right?"
Kagome hiccupped uncomfortably, and tilted her head, looking puzzledly up at the boy.
"Afraid…?" she repeated softly.
She shook her head and coughed, weakly wiping at her eyes with her knuckles.
"No… s'not that…" she breathed.
She couldn't help but cough again, and she wrapped one arm up around the pillow and held it close, biting her quivering lip and squeezing her eyes shut.
"I just… I just…"
She choked, unable to complete her sentence, and she pulled the pillow down against her chest and hugged it tightly.
The girl drew in a quivering breath, and, tentatively, Inu-Yasha reached out to her.
His hand stalled in midair, however: somehow, he doubted contact with him would be very reassuring.
His hand dropped limply to his side and he watched the miko cry, feeling completely useless and awkward.
"Um… Is there… anything I can do to help?" he asked cautiously.
Kagome shook her head and choked out a soft sob.
"I just… can't believe they'd… I can't believe that they'd want to… to sacrifice me…"
she whispered, her voice tight, "They… wanted to send me up to the mountain palace."
Inu-Yasha jolted and looked, a little guiltily, to the floor.
"You're… You're at the mountain palace," he muttered.
Kagome blinked up at him in surprise and squinted against her tears.
"I… I am?" she inquired quietly.
Inu-Yasha gave a nod and Kagome felt relief spark inside her.
"So… So I was right…?" she asked.
Weakly, she scrabbled for his hand, and then took it in between both of hers, giving it a hopeful squeeze.
"So, are you the Cursed One?" she inquired softly.
Biting his lip, Inu-Yasha clenched his fist and nodded.
"Hai… They've called me that," he replied.
Kagome couldn't help but smile.
She closed her eyes and patted his hand before she released him.
"Heh… I knew you weren't evil," she whispered.
Inu-Yasha stared down at her, puzzled.
He wasn't quite sure why, but her words made him smile.
"Well, uh… thank you," he said, and then carefully touched her head, "Listen… Uhm, I understand that you're upset, but… can you relax? I mean… umm…"
He paused, rubbed at his forehead, and then sighed.
"You're hurt," he said simply.
He tucked the blankets up around her gently.
"And I… I wanna help, okay?"
Kagome nodded slightly and managed to give him a small smile.
"Arigato," she mumbled.
Inu-Yasha's ears perked at her words and his heart swelled.
She had given him a "thank you". It made him feel… good.
Though he knew it probably wasn't anything personal; she was, most likely, just being polite.
-
In any case, the boy lifted Kagome's head carefully in his palm. He could feel her sticky blood beginning to coat his hand, and he saw that his sheets we stained with red.
She groaned and Inu-Yasha cringed.
"Okay, how bad is it?" he inquired.
"Pretty bad…" Kagome whispered in reply, "I… I can barely see…"
Inu-Yasha frowned and cursed softly under his breath.
"I don't understand; why did they hurt you like this?" he growled.
"They… thought I was possessed," she said, "That's why they sent me to be sacrificed…"
"Listen girl, there is not going to be any sacrificing," Inu-Yasha assured her, "I've never killed any humans who've been brought up here."
Kagome blinked up at him in puzzlement.
"So… what, do you have a mob of girls up here?" she joked.
Inu-Yasha's eye dropped to the ground and he shook his head.
"No…" he said softly, "They… um… they killed themselves."
Kagome frowned, baffled, and she weakly raised her hand to pat Inu-Yasha's cheek.
He jolted in shock and his gaze shot up to lock with Kagome's.
"Why would they do that…?" she asked, "C'mon, don't tell me they were actually scared of you."
"If you could see me, you'd probably be scared too," Inu-Yasha replied grimly, "But enough. Let's look at that wound of yours, huh?"
He tilted Kagome's head to the side to get a better look at the wound in the back of her head, though, at the sight of it, he had to stop himself from yelping in alarm.
The under her hair, he could see a black-blue bruise and a long gash that was probably caused by something sharp at the end of whatever she had been hit with.
Aside from that, Inu-Yasha was also almost positive that her skull had cracked.
Blood oozed from the wound and gushed onto his fingers.
Kagome let out a whimper and, swiftly, Inu-Yasha brought some of his magic into his claws and pushed their tips carefully into Kagome's wound.
"Wh… What are you doing?" she asked in alarm.
"Listen," he said, trying to sound reassuring, "Kagome, I have… I have a bunch of weird types of magic in me. Right now, I'm trying to use some healing magic to fix your head, okay?"
"Why? What's wrong with my head…?" she inquired, soft worry hanging in her voice.
Inu-Yasha sighed and he watched a red aura begin to spread along his arm and then leak down into Kagome's wound.
He gulped, and the ache in his head began to grow worse.
Healing, for him, was hard because he was required to use some of his own life-energy to complete the task, and often, in doing so, the pain of the injuries he was curing were transferred to him.
"Girl, your skull's probably cracked," Inu-Yasha stated, "I'm surprised that you're even conscious. I guess you're in shock, ne?"
Kagome blinked puzzledly, but slowly, her eyelids drooped shut.
She could feel her pain being soothed by a strange, warm energy that was flowing into her body.
"Inu… Yasha…?" she asked quietly, "Am I… going to live…?"
"Hai, now you are," the hanyou replied, "Be glad that I can do this, or you'd probably be dead within the hour."
His head pulsed with a migraine as Kagome looked up at him, her watery eyes wide with anxiety.
He clenched his jaw and continued, pouring energy into Kagome until he could see the gash on her head closing.
After a moment, he pulled his claws from her skin. The tiny marks healed almost automatically, and despite the pain that was now in his head, he smiled.
The girl would definitely be all right now.
-
Kagome blew out a sigh of relief and she sank down into the covers.
Drowsiness took her: it came on so powerfully that she couldn't even open her eyes again.
"Inu-Yasha… Arigato…" she mumbled sleepily.
Within moments, Kagome had drifted off to sleep again.
Inu-Yasha pulled his legs onto the bed and stared at her thoughtfully.
As he wondered what she would say when she woke up again, he became uncomfortably aware of the blood that covered his hands and his haori.
Slightly annoyed, he pulled the haori off and wiped his hands on it: he was going to have to wash it anyway, so it didn't matter if it got dirtier.
He checked his white underkimono for any trace of blood and was relieved to find none.
He heard large paws padding down the hallway towards the room.
After a moment, Kirara poked her head into the room, a damp cloth dangling carefully from her teeth.
"Thanks Kirara," Inu-Yasha said.
He held out a hand and the giant neko daintily placed the cloth in his palm.
"How is she?" she asked, concerned.
She pointed her snout towards Kagome as Inu-Yasha leaned towards her and carefully placed the cloth against her forehead.
"She's going to be okay," the hanyou replied, "I healed her a bit."
Kirara stared at him, her red eyes narrowing with disapproval.
"That was nice of you," she began, but Inu-Yasha could tell by her tone that he was in for a lecture, "But seriously, Inu-Yasha, you've all ready used up a lot of your energy bringing Mayoki back to life. Don't overexert yourself."
"It was just a bit of a cut," he lied.
"It doesn't matter," Kirara snapped.
Inu-Yasha jumped at her harsh tone, but in an instant, the youkai's gaze softened and she licked the hanyou's cheek.
"Honey, I just worry, okay?" she said gently, "I know that healing others hurts you. I just… I don't want to lose you, all right?"
Inu-Yasha blinked in surprise, though he secretly felt touched.
"Don't worry," he said, forcing a confident smirk onto his face, "You ain't gonna be rid of me for a while."
The large neko puffed up her fur slightly and then pressed her body close to Inu-Yasha, surrounding him in a comforting, tawny blanket of fur.
"I'm glad," she whispered.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Deep in the woods, where a small, clean river sparkled in the sunlight, the okami youkai Koga knelt down to take a swift drink.
He was parched: he had been running around the woods for hours.
Why?
Mostly to hone his skills as he ducked and weaved through the branches of trees, and leapt over small valleys in between cliffs and hills.
His goal?
To impress Kagome, of course!
Despite what she said, he was still determined to win her over.
In his mind, he still had a slim chance before she was to go to meet her "mystery man".
Just thinking about the girl made Koga's tail wag.
He cupped his hands and scooped up some water, thirstily slurping it down.
Falling back onto his rump, he carefully massaged a bruise on his foot.
Distracted as he was, after a moment, he felt an odd, but strong aura pulsing from behind him.
Puzzled, he tilted his head to look over his shoulder.
The aura ebbed from a tree, though he could see nothing unusual about it.
Standing, Koga curiously walked to the tree and laid his palm against the bark.
Tentatively, he sniffed it, and then tapped it slightly.
After a moment, he began to see a faint, pink glow seeping through a crack in the bark.
Koga nearly jumped in alarm, though he couldn't wrench his eyes away and, slowly, three tiny shards of pink dropped out of the tree and onto the dirt below with a clink.
Koga blinked with surprise, and then, cautiously, he knelt down and gave one of the shards a poke.
When nothing happened, Koga let out a sigh of relief, and he scooped the tiny fragments into his fist before he stood again.
The okami eyed them over with interest, leaning back against the tree they had fallen from.
The pink objects seemed to be small fragments of a jewel.
Koga turned them and watched them sparkle in the sunlight, and he grinned.
He knew Kagome had a soft spot for shiny objects; perhaps he could give them to her as a present.
He snickered to himself, but then, the aura of the jewels began to pulsate again.
Koga stared at them intently, and then, another idea popped into his head.
If they had such a strong aura, maybe if he placed them inside himself, he would become stronger as well: that way he could impress Kagome with them before he gave them to her!
Koga nodded to himself: he liked this idea a lot more.
Carefully, he took one of the three shards and pressed it to his arm.
Just as he had suspected it would, it sank into his skin.
He felt a warm rush of strength in his arm and he grinned, and then swiftly repeated the process on each of his legs.
The youkai suddenly felt much lighter on his feet, but, just before he could test what these powerful jewels had done to him, he heard a rustling in the leaves above him.
-
Growling, Koga held up his fists, ready to fight, but to his surprise, two centipede youkai toppled from the tree above him and landed, grumbling, before him.
"Baka!" one chided at the other, using a spindly leg to slap his head.
"Baka yourself! You pushed me!"
"No, YOU pushed ME!"
Koga lowered his fists and stared, confused, at the two bickering youkai until finally, one slapped the other again and then pointed at Koga.
"Here's the okami," he squeaked, "Are you going to tell him, or shall I?"
"Tell me what?" Koga inquired curiously.
The larger of the two youkai approached him, his antennae drooping in what seemed to be a display of remorse.
"Your human has been taken," he said sadly.
"My… human?" Koga inquired.
He felt his heart begin to sink.
Oh Kami, please tell me they don't mean…
"The miko," the other chimed in, "We saw humans taking her up to the fortress of the Cursed One. She was badly wounded."
Koga's insides jerked in horror and he gulped quietly.
"They… They took Kagome…?" he breathed worriedly, "No… You… You're wrong! They can't have…"
"We're sorry," the first youkai said softly, "We knew she was dear to you. We thought we should tell you…"
Koga clenched his fists and bit his lip, unsure of what to do.
He had no idea what or who the Cursed One was. Would he hurt Kagome? Take advantage of her? Was she all ready dead? And why would the humans want to hurt Kagome anyway? Wasn't she their miko?
"Tell me what you know about the Cursed One," Koga demanded, "Will he hurt Kagome? What's he like?"
"The Cursed One is an inu youkai," the first centipede stated, "I doubt he would hurt the miko. I have spoken with a neko youkai that lives with him. She has told me that he has never killed a human without cause. I doubt you have to worry about him."
"And you trust this cat?" Koga asked swiftly.
"Hai," both youkai answered as one.
"Though…" the smaller one mumbled softly, "Your miko's wounds were grave… We're afraid that she is probably dead all ready."
Koga felt his heart seize up in his chest, but he forced himself to appear calm.
"But… if she were still alive, the Cursed One wouldn't hurt her," he pressed.
"Indeed," the first centipede said.
Koga bit his lip as he felt his face beginning to heat up.
Kagome? Dead?
He forced the thought out of his mind. If he dwelled on it, he was sure to begin to weep.
He ground his teeth together, trying to force back the tightness that was all ready appearing in his throat.
"Why didn't you do anything to help her?" he growled softly.
"Gomen," the smaller youkai said sadly, "But the humans had weapons… And we're very weak in comparison."
Koga gave a slow nod and put his hand to his brow.
"Oh Kami…" he breathed, "I… I need to tell my parents…"
Before either of the centipedes could reply, Koga turned and bolted back towards the large cave that was his home.
-
Though he barely noticed it, Koga was moving much faster than usual.
His mind was completely on his friend.
How could this have happened?
Kagome… Kagome's probably dead…
He could feel his eye beginning to water, so he scrunched them shut tightly.
What would he do without her? Kagome had been his friend for years, and his entire pack adored her.
If she hadn't been there to help, his brother Haku would probably have died of his illness, and now, without Kagome, his condition might become worse again.
He balled his fists angrily as he ran, ignoring the branches that were whipping by his face and slicing into his skin.
"Baka ningen…" he whispered, his voice soft and tight, "Baka!"
-
Up ahead, he could hear the huge waterfall that cloaked his home, and without really thinking, he leapt through the curtain of water.
The cold sent a shiver up his spine and he rubbed the water out of his eyes as he feet skidded against the hard rock on the other side.
"Koga?"
Koga looked up from his hand to see his mother, Amaya, standing before him.
The woman had her long brown hair loosely tied back and she wore a light green kimono.
Her tawny-coloured tail gave a small wag, though her brow was furrowed with concern.
"Honey, are you all right?" she asked.
She approached him and cupped his cheeks.
"Your face is all torn up…" she muttered, "And you look depressed; what happened?"
Koga locked eyes with the woman briefly and then shuddered and leaned close to her.
Her eyes widened and she automatically took the boy into her arms, rubbing his back consolingly.
"Koga?" she asked gently.
"Mother…" he whispered, "Mother, it's… It's bad… Kagome is…"
The okami took in a deep breath and gulped loudly to attempt to clear his tightening throat.
"Kagome's… Kagome's probably dead…" he whispered.
Amaya felt a jolt through her body and she looked down at her son in horror.
"Koga, what do you mean?" she demanded swiftly.
"The humans … they… sent her as a sacrifice to the Cursed One," he muttered.
"What?" Amaya demanded swiftly, "Well, we need to rescue her before it's too late!"
"No, that's not it," Koga said swiftly, "No, I heard he wouldn't hurt her, but… the youkai who told me said that she had a serious head wound…"
He bit his lip and couldn't help but burry his face against his mother's shoulder.
"How could they do that to her?" he demanded quietly, "She was their miko! She… she was even a princess there!"
He drew in a quivering breath and hugged onto his mother.
"Why did they have to kill her…?" he whimpered.
Amaya barely knew what to tell her son, though she knew she could feel tears slowly beginning to well up in her eyes: Kagome had been almost like a daughter to her.
She stroked Koga's head and sighed.
"We'll tell your father," she said gently, "And we'll go to Kagome's village and settle this. Kagome's mother must be distraught…"
She tilted Koga's face upwards as stroked a claw gently across his forehead.
"There's… not much else we can do… I'm sorry…"
Koga nodded and sighed deeply, clenching his fists tightly.
Amaya held him back by the shoulders and eyed him pityingly.
"Hey, what's wrong whelp?"
Koga looked to his right to see Unaro, his head tilted inquisitively.
Amaya sighed and pulled away from her son.
She took Unaro by the shoulders and whispered softly into his ear.
After a moment, his eyes grew wide and furious.
Growling angrily, he turned and slammed his fist violently into the rock wall.
It cracked, leaving a fist-sized crater after the sound of a small explosion rocked through the cave.
Other members of the pack, who were scattered around the cave, looked up at Unaro in shock.
On the other side of the cavern, Haku, wrapped in a blanket, nervously latched onto a grizzled wolf with one eye.
Something horrible must have happened for his father to be so angry…
-
Unaro began to breathe heavily, baring his fangs and laying his palm against the wall as if to hold himself upright.
Amaya rubbed his shoulder consolingly and then wrapped her arms around his waist in an attempt to comfort him.
He grasped onto her with one arm and clamped his eyes shut.
"Bastards," he snarled, "She… She was… Damn it!"
He rubbed his eyelids in utter frustration, and then looked to his son.
"Koga… I'm sorry," he muttered.
Koga looked to the floor sadly and then his eyes traced back to his father.
He knew that his father loved Kagome as if she were his own whelp.
Unaro sighed sadly, kissed his mate gently on the head, and then pulled away slowly.
After pacing for a moment, he prowled to a slightly raised outcrop of rock and strode to the top of it.
His kinsfolk looked up at him, curiosity and worry sparking on their faces.
"What is it, Unaro-sama?" a man inquired, tilting his head slightly.
The okami lord sighed and balled one fist slightly.
"My friends, listen," he said loudly, "I have…bad news…"
He sighed again, louder this time, and he cringed.
"One of our pack members… has been murdered," he said.
Gasps and panicked mutters echoed through the cave.
"Who?" a woman demanded, her eyes wide, and her daughter clutched nervously to her leg.
Unaro gulped and forced his face to remain as straight as possible.
"Our miko… Kagome," he said slowly.
The youkai around the cave gaped up at their leader, most in shock, some in utter horror.
Haku clutched even more tightly to the one-eyed wolf, small tears beginning to trickle down his face as his stomach turned over with terror.
"No…" he mumbled softly, and then raised his voice, "No… Father, it… it can't be…"
"Gomen," the man replied, bowing his head, "She was sent off as a sacrifice to the Cursed One by the humans of her village."
"Despicable!" cried a woman's voice.
"How dare they?"
"Bastards!"
"Unaro-sama, what do we do?" a man asked, jumping to his feet, "Do we go to this Cursed One and avenge her, or to the humans?"
"Both!" snarled a large, brown wolf, stomping a paw down on the rock.
"No," Unaro replied swiftly, "From all that I have heard of the Cursed One, he would not have killed our Kagome… But the humans who brought her to him wounded her head so badly that no human could have survived for very long."
Furious voices echoed around the cave, all shouting up at Unaro, suggestions for avenging the miko.
Unaro growled and held up one hand to quiet the youkai.
The yelling slowly died down, but the air radiated with tension.
"I'm going to go to her village," he said, "I'm going to talk to her mother and confront the ones who did this. Anyone who wants to come is more than welcome."
Automatically, over twenty youkai got to their feet, and Unaro eyed them over.
There were many of the younger males and females whose broken bones she had mended, a woman whose child she had saved, a man who had been gravely ill that she had cured… And two pups: Kio and his own son, Haku. Many of the wolves of the pack also got to their paws, eager to avenge their miko.
Unaro sighed and then looked over his shoulder to Koga and Amaya.
"I'm coming too," Koga said instantly.
"I know," Unaro said with a sad smile.
He stepped down from the small outcrop and Amaya walked to him and embraced him.
"I'll stay here," she said gently, "I'll watch over things."
Unaro's tail wagged slightly and he tilted her face upwards and gave her a kiss.
"Arigato," he said.
She smiled, her tail wagging as well, and Unaro beckoned the pack members to his side.
"We're leaving," he said.
Many of them nodded and a teenaged female by the name of Ai looked at him a little nervously, her light purple eyes wide.
She hesitantly tugged on his sleeve to draw his attention.
"Unaro-sama, should we… pretend like we're humans so they don't attack us?" she inquired.
"Good idea," Koga agreed, patting the girl's shoulder, "We should do that, Father."
The girl blushed slightly and Unaro nodded his agreement.
"Did you all hear that?" he inquired, "We're going to masquerade as humans, so hide your tails once we're in sight of the village."
After various affirmations were heard from the group, Unaro began to give them a short lecture about normal human behaviour, such as not using a foot to scratch behind one's ear.
Koga had heard the speech over and over again.
He sighed and closed his eyes as rage began to boil up inside him.
He could feel the powerful jewel shards inside his limbs pulsing with strength, and he tightly clenched his fists.
He was frightened, however: frightened that if he saw the one responsible for the fatal wound the centipedes had described, he would kill him… rend the man's head from his shoulders with his claws immediately.
I hate them… he growled mentally, Kagome… Kagome didn't… even get to meet that guy she likes yet… How dare they take away her life like that?
Her snarled softly to himself and then, as his father continued to talk, turned away.
He shouldered past the small gathering of youkai and walked to the waterfall.
He almost eagerly leapt through the spray to the other side and began to sprint away across the dew-laden grass.
Through the thundering roar of the water, he could hear his father call to him to wait, but he couldn't bring himself to.
I'm going to avenge you Kagome… he thought bitterly, I promise…
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Inu-Yasha folded his arms to his chest and leaned back against the wall, watching Kagome closely.
She was still asleep.
The hanyou didn't know why, but the girl intrigued him.
Watching her breathe in her sleep was almost hypnotic…
Inhale… Exhale… Inhale… Exhale…
Inu-Yasha didn't normally watch others sleep but, normally, he wasn't afraid of a painful relapse occurring in either of the people who lived with him.
He cocked his head.
Why was this Kagome girl so different than most people?
She had been relieved that he and Kirara were youkai and she hadn't been frightened of him at all.
It was unusual, to say the least.
He stood slowly and paced the room for a few moments before he approached the bedside to take Kagome's temperature.
The girl was curled up on her side, clutching the bloody blankets tightly in her fists, though she looked rather peaceful and content.
Inu-Yasha frowned slightly and then reached forward. He pulled the damp cloth away from the girl and then felt her brow.
To his relief, her temperature was almost normal now.
He smiled slightly before he replaced the cloth.
His ear twitched as, behind him, the door slid open and Kirara padded into the room.
"Hey," she said at a whisper, "Go take a break. I'll watch her for a while."
Inu-Yasha turned to the neko and nodded.
"Yeah, thanks," he said, "I guess I'll make some food or something."
"Maybe some broth for her," Kirara suggested, pointing her snout at Kagome, "After that ordeal… Do you think she'll be able to stomach hard foods?"
"I'll make the broth, just in case," Inu-Yasha decided.
He picked up his bloody haori and quietly left the room, and Kirara carefully hopped onto the bed beside Kagome, wrapping her large, furry form around the miko.
Kagome shifted and leaned towards the neko's warmth happily, and Kirara smiled.
She closed her eyes and, after a few minutes, the human squirmed her way in between Kirara's front paws.
She chuckled slightly and then stuck out her tongue, running it over Kagome's head in an attempt to clean her.
The poor girl was coated in blood.
-
Kirara lay sleeplessly on the bed for a little less than an hour before the miko began to wake up.
The girl's fist lightly clenched onto her, and she unconsciously cuddled closer into the alluring warmth of the neko's fur.
Kirara opened her eyes slowly and smiled down at Kagome.
The girl shifted slightly and, slowly, her eyelids began to flutter.
Grey fogged up her vision for a moment before all she could see was tawny yellow.
Puzzled, she ran her fingers through the fur in front of her and she felt the creature around her begin to rumble with a guttural purr.
"Kagome-chan, how are you feeling?" asked a gentle female voice.
Kagome looked up slowly to see a giant set of jaws descending towards her, and she cringed, only to receive an affectionate lick on the forehead.
She blinked in surprise, unsure of what to say until her memories were jogged in the back of her head.
The image of a blurry, yellow form and a boy with silver hair flashed in her mind.
"Who…? Are… you Kirara?" she inquired curiously.
The massive face drew backwards to reveal a cat with long, saber-like fangs and bright red eyes.
She smiled down at the human and nodded.
"Yes, hun, I am. Are you all right?"
Slowly, Kagome pulled herself away from Kirara, who rolled over and sat up on her haunches.
Groggily, the girl put a hand to her forehead, though she nodded.
"Hai… I think I'm… okay…"
She winced as she recalled the pain that had seared through the back of her head.
She tentatively pulled her fingers through her hair and could feel the damp where the blood used to be. She looked up at Kirara curiously.
"Did you… groom me?" she inquired.
Kirara chuckled and nodded, and Kagome smiled a little gratefully.
"You were covered in blood," the neko explained, "I thought you'd be uncomfortable."
"Arigato," the girl said.
She rubbed at her head a little absently and sighed.
"Where's… umm… Inu-Yasha? That's his name right?" she inquired.
"Yes, and he's just making some food," Kirara clarified, "He'll be back soon."
"Oh," Kagome replied quietly, and she gave the youkai a weak smile, "Okay, well… I want to thank him is all…"
She rubbed her skull again.
"He… healed me, right?"
Kirara nodded.
"Impressive," Kagome commented thoughtfully, and she smiled, "I can see again, which is good."
She pushed herself up onto her knees and eyed the room curiously.
Near the door, there were two candlesticks perched on high stands that glowed with a warm light.
There was a small chest near the foot of the bed, and the wooden walls were etched with small designs: Kagome couldn't tell if they had a purpose or if the owner of the room had merely become bored and scratched on the walls.
She then looked at the bed around her curiously.
It was held off the floor by four wooden legs and there were short, wooden poles on each corner that looked as if they had been sliced to be smaller by a set of claws.
"This is a nice room," she commented politely, "And an interesting futon. I've never seen one like this before."
"It's Inu-Yasha's," Kirara replied with a smile, "It's called a four-poster bed. Some traders came from another continent with them, so Inu-Yasha purchased quite a few of these."
"Oh really?" the girl inquired, and she turned to look at Kirara, but then noticed the blood that coated the blankets and pillow where she had been lying.
She put a hand to her mouth in shock and quelled a yelp.
"Oh… Oh no! I bled all over his sheets!" she exclaimed, and she bit her lip, "Agh, I'm so sorry…"
"Oh, don't worry about that," Kirara chided gently, "I'll clean them."
She stood and hopped from the bed and tugged at the sheets with her teeth.
Kagome slid off the bed, stumbled for an instant on numb legs, but then helped Kirara push the sheets to the floor.
The cat pawed them into a ball and then plucked the pillows from the bed and placed them on her pile.
"There are more blankets in that box," she said, nodding her head at the chest, "You should get some more rest. You have a fever, you know."
"Oh," Kagome said a little blankly, "Okay."
She strode a little hesitantly to the chest and opened it to find a small pile of unevenly folded blankets.
She pulled them out to see a messy bundle of clothes underneath that she assumed belonged to Inu-Yasha.
She dragged the blankets on top of the bed and Kirara smiled and nodded approvingly.
"Inu-Yasha will be back soon. Will you be all right by yourself?" she inquired.
"Hai, I think so," Kagome said, smiling slightly, "Kirara… Arigato… For taking care of me."
"It's no problem," the neko assured her.
She picked up the bloodied sheets and pillows in her mouth and padded from the room, flicking her tails.
-
Kagome stared after her for a moment before she flopped backwards onto the bed, pulling the blankets up around herself.
Her head reeled dizzily for an instant and she sighed, closing her eyes.
She was so… tired…
She bit her lip as she felt her heart clench painfully, her thoughts tracing to her mother and her brother Sota.
They would probably have been informed by now that she was either dead, or soon to be.
She desperately wanted to go home, to tell them that she was all right, but she instantly realized that that was not an option.
If the men who had sent her "to her death" saw her stride into the village, nearly unharmed, they would assume that the Cursed One, Inu-Yasha, had possessed her or killed her and was using her body as a puppet, as some of the more sinister youkai did to their prey.
"What am I supposed to do…?" she whispered aloud.
She rubbed at her eyes in an attempt to keep them from welling up with tears.
Once more, her heart jolted in panic: what would happen if Koga heard about this?
The whole okami youkai clan, along with more than half of the youkai in the woods would be after the men in her village… or even after Inu-Yasha!
She groaned and turned over, squishing her face into the mattress below her.
Why me…?
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Mayoki hovered over Inu-Yasha, watching curiously as he stirred a large pot of soup.
They sat in a small room that bordered on the garden that contained their food stores and had a fire pit in the center.
The young girl bounced up and down on her heels, and then leaned down over Inu-Yasha's shoulder.
He rolled his eyes and smirked with amusement.
"Smells good," Mayoki commented with a smile.
Inu-Yasha laughed slightly and Mayoki hopped around to his side and sat down, cuddling up to his ribs.
He cut his eyes at her, his face becoming marred with red. Why did the whelp like him so much?
"Inu-kun?" she inquired quietly, "May I call you nii-san?"
Inu-Yasha's eyes widened slightly and he turned to the child, placing his chopsticks down on the floor beside him.
"Why… would you want someone like me… as your nii-san?" he inquired, frowning.
Mayoki merely smiled at him and folded her hands into her lap.
"Because you protected me," she said cheerfully.
Inu-Yasha blinked at her blankly.
"No one ever did that," Mayoki continued, smiling, "And you even…"
She trailed off, though her smile merely widened.
Inu-Yasha sighed and then stood.
He walked to a small cabinet and pulled out two bowls and a few pairs of chopsticks.
He ducked down in a dog-like squat and scooped some vegetables, rice, and broth into a bowl before he handed it to Mayoki.
"Arigato, Inu-Yasha nii-san," the girl said.
The hanyou rolled his eyes, though, secretly, the title made his heart swell.
He appreciated the fact that the little child wasn't, and had never been, afraid of him.
Inside, it meant a lot to him.
-
Inu-Yasha's ear tweaked to the sound of Kirara outside and he tilted his head to watch as she prowled past, his bloody sheets clutched in her jaws.
She placed them on the grass for a moment and then smiled.
"Kagome's awake," she said, "I'm going to wash these."
She picked up the sheets again and began to walk towards their water well.
"Okay!" Inu-Yasha called back to her.
He filled the other bowl with his concoction before he stood.
"I'm gonna go check on that girl," he said.
Mayoki nodded and continued to smile at him.
Inu-Yasha raised his eyebrow and stood, wondering why the child was so cheerful.
-
He stepped into the garden and walked across to the other side of his home to his room, but he paused outside the door hesitantly.
Inside, he could hear Kagome sit up and yawn quietly.
She still sounded exhausted.
"Um, hello? Someone out there?" she inquired.
Inu-Yasha's ears drooped and he felt his heart jolt slightly.
"Yeah," he called, "It's Inu-Yasha. You remember me, wench?"
"Yeah," the girl replied, sounding slightly amused, "Why are you waiting outside?"
Inu-Yasha froze, trying to contemplate an answer.
"Um… Because… you'll… You might be slightly alarmed by what I look like," he admitted.
"Doubt it," Kagome said, "Please come in. This is your room."
Inu-Yasha sighed and then, plucking up some courage, strode into the room, puffing out his chest confidently.
-
Kagome was sitting on his bed on her knees, a thick white blanket draped around her shoulders.
She peered at him curiously as he entered and her hazel eyes locked on his red ones.
He tried not to cringe against her gaze and braced himself for a scream or a yelp of shock, though none came.
-
Kagome looked at the boy and couldn't help feeling a little surprised.
She had expected him to be at least a little frightening.
Before her stood a boy of her own age, maybe a little older, garbed in red hakama and a white underkimono.
He had long, silver hair that reached down to the middle of his back and eyes that were bright red with a slitted, green pupil.
A jagged, purple stripe rested on each cheek and on his wrists, though the most surprising thing had to be the triangular, white dog-ears protruding from his hair.
Kagome didn't know why, but she immediately liked him, and his face struck a familiar chord in the back of her head.
Hmm… Have I… seen you before, Inu-Yasha?
-
As she continued to stare at him, Inu-Yasha began to feel a little edgy.
C'mon wench, don't just sit there… Say something…
He bit his lip, exposing one of his inch-long fangs, and finally, Kagome gave him a smile.
"You said I'd be scared of you," she said, a snicker ringing in the back of her throat.
The hanyou felt his entire body tremble at her words.
You're not…? Still…?
He frowned slightly, though couldn't keep the façade going as Kagome gave him a polite bow.
After a moment's hesitation, he dipped his head slightly in return and then strode to her side to hand her the bowl and chopsticks.
"Here," he said a little gruffly.
"Arigato, Inu-Yasha-sama," the girl replied politely.
Inu-Yasha's eyes grew round with shock, and he shook his head swiftly.
"Just Inu-Yasha," he said.
"Huh?" Kagome replied, puzzled.
"No… No sama. Just Inu-Yasha," he repeated.
"Oh, okay," the miko said, smiling.
She took a tentative bite of the food he had given her, and, finding it quite to her liking, grinned at him.
"This is great," she said, "You made this?"
He nodded a little shyly and the girl's smile widened.
"Wow, you're good," she said.
"Uh… Thanks," Inu-Yasha replied, and he jerked his head at the bed, "Um, do you mind if I-?"
"No, no, go ahead," Kagome said swiftly, "It's your bed, not mine."
Inu-Yasha smirked slightly and sat down on the bed beside her, and then put his hand to her forehead.
She stalled and blinked in surprise, though he soon moved it away and nodded approvingly.
"Your fever's dropped," he stated.
"Oh good," the girl said, relieved, and then her smile returned, "Hey, Inu-Yasha? Arigato."
"Huh?" he inquired a little dumbly.
"Arigato. For healing me," she continued, "Like you said… I'd be dead without you."
She pushed her forefingers together a little shyly, and then placed the bowl of food to her side.
The images of the men from her village flashed across her mind and her chest suddenly tightened with despair, and she could help but take Inu-Yasha's hand, squeezing it and running her fingers along his claws in an attempt to calm herself.
Her face fell and Inu-Yasha looked at her, his ears perking straight up in alarm.
"What? What's wrong?" he demanded.
"It's just that…" she whispered quietly, "I… I…"
She cringed and slowly released his hand, her eyes showing both shame and appreciation.
"I can't go home now…" she whispered, "Damn them… Damn them!"
Angry tears boiled up in her eyes and she wiped them with her torn sleeve as Inu-Yasha watched, shocked, almost completely oblivious to the fact that she had held his hand.
"Don't they know…?" she whispered, "I… I can't be possessed! I honed my strength to not be! How dare they?"
She stared with blank fury at Inu-Yasha's wall, and the hanyou could feel the heat of her rage radiating from her body.
He could even taste it in the air.
"Um… Ka… Kagome-" he began, but she growled to herself and then started up again.
"Those baka! They've pretty much killed themselves!" she said a little shrilly, and she looked to Inu-Yasha, her eyes wide, "Inu-Yasha, more than half the youkai in this region are bound to attack my village once they hear that the militia brought me here to die!"
Inu-Yasha blinked at her with shock, trying to understand what she was talking about until he recalled a rumour that had spread up through the woods: that there was a human miko who would heal youkai living in the area.
Wow, that… must be her, then, Inu-Yasha thought.
"So you've allied with most of these youkai?" he inquired.
Kagome nodded and Inu-Yasha hesitated for a moment before giving her shoulder a reassuring pat.
"Well, once you're a bit better, we'll send out word to the youkai that you're safe, okay?" he suggested.
Kagome took a deep breath in an attempt to cool her anger, and she nodded.
"Hai," she agreed.
What about the humans though? What about my mother, and Sota? What about my friends…? Ugh, and what about stupid Hojo? The moron's bound to be distraught: I can't have someone wailing over me if I'm not even dead!
She sighed.
"Not to the humans though," she decided reluctantly, "I figure if they know, they'll assume I'm possessed again or that you're holding me prisoner."
Inu-Yasha nodded his understanding, and Kagome sighed, picked up the bowl again, and took a tentative bite of her meal.
"So…" she whispered after a moment, "What now?"
"I… don't know," Inu-Yasha admitted, "But… do you intend to go somewhere once you get better?"
"Maybe," Kagome said, "If… If that's okay."
The hanyou shrugged and looked regretfully to the floor.
"But see, that thing you explained with the humans is just the issue," he muttered, "If they see you, they'll probably try to kill you…"
And I don't think I can take the weight of another dead girl on my conscience…
"So, either I go really far away from here… start over…" she mumbled, "Or… what?"
She paused and scratched her head, thinking, and Inu-Yasha contemplated her options as well.
She could stay here, volunteered a small voice in the back of his head.
He raised his eyebrow at himself.
What, and have her get all depressed missing her friends and stuff? I'm not gonna force her to stay, no way… But if I don't, she could be killed, easily, and I…
He eyed her over and an urge to protect her surged through his body.
She was the first "sacrifice" who could understand that he had no intention of hurting her… The first who hadn't recoiled at the sight of him…
I definitely don't want that, he concluded.
He sighed.
Hey, suggested another corner of his mind, Maybe she'll help me look for the shards of the Shikon no Tama? She's a miko, after all…
So, with mixed emotions, Inu-Yasha sat up straight and stared at Kagome, determined.
"You'll stay here," he said decisively.
Kagome looked at him, surprised.
Wh… What?" she inquired, her eyes wide.
"You can stay here," the hanyou repeated, "I'm pretty sure it's the safest thing for you."
"You think?" she asked softly, "And… you'd let me stay…?"
Inu-Yasha shrugged and nodded.
"Sure, you can have the room across the hall," he said.
Kagome blinked at him a little uncertainly before her mind played over her options again: he was right; staying with him probably would be the safest thing for the time being.
"Okay," she said, smiling slightly, "Arigato."
"It's no problem," the hanyou assured her, "Though… if you don't mind, you'll need to help me with a few things."
"Yeah?" Kagome inquired curiously, "Like what?"
"Well, grocery shopping, for one," he admitted a little embarrassedly, "I can perform a concealment charm on myself, but if I get mad it sorta dissipates, so I can't go into any villages very often, looking like this."
He gestured to his eyes and let out a sigh, and Kagome nodded readily.
"I can do that," she said, "Anything else?"
"Yeah," Inu-Yasha said, "I'm looking for little shards of a powerful jewel, but I can't sense them. I figure a miko can, so… what do you say?"
Kagome nodded again and Inu-Yasha felt his heart leap with relief.
"Why do you want this "powerful jewel"?" the girl inquired.
"Oh…" Inu-Yasha said, sounding a little embarrassed, "I want to break my curse, and I heard it would help…"
"Oh…" Kagome said, sounding a little saddened on his behalf, "Your… curse… What is it?"
Inu-Yasha sighed, his ears drooping.
"See how I look like a youkai?" he said, gesturing to himself, "The red eyes and all… That's not me."
"Not you?" Kagome repeated, puzzled.
"Right. I'm not youkai, I'm… hanyou," he admitted, "I'm not supposed to have these weird stripes… Or the red eyes, or… such long fangs…"
"Oh," the miko replied, surprised, "Really?"
Inu-Yasha nodded and sighed, looking to the ceiling.
"People weren't nearly as afraid of me when I looked at least half human," he muttered, "Well, plus, I was younger than twelve."
Kagome couldn't help a smile as he cut his eyes at her a little jokingly.
"I'm sure," she chuckled, "So… What, are you glad I'm not scared?"
Inu-Yasha gave a shrug and then, after a moment, he nodded.
"Yeah, I am," he said, "It… I guess… it kinda means a lot to me… That you're not."
He turned and gave her a small smile, which she readily returned.
"You know… you're really nice for a guy who swears so much," she commented.
"Hah, you caught me in a good mood, I guess," he joked, "Actually, you didn't. I was pretty pissed off, to be honest. But I dunno…"
He smirked at her a little sadly.
"I guess the fact that you didn't want to commit suicide upon seeing me definitely brightened my day."
Kagome's eyebrows bent into a pitying frown, and she was about to utter some word of comfort, but the hanyou slid to his feet swiftly, his ears quivering.
He could hear someone knocking on his front gate.
"There's someone here," he muttered to himself, and then turned to Kagome, "You just stay here and relax for today, all right? Try not to leave the room: this place is pretty big and you might get lost since… you know, you've never been here before."
"Okay," Kagome replied, "But, uh… if I do need to leave…?"
"Call me or Kirara," he said simply.
The girl nodded and Inu-Yasha swiftly strode from the room.
-
Kagome listened to Inu-Yasha's footsteps hurrying down the hall until the sound faded. She blew out a sigh, eyed the room again, and then picked up her bowl.
After taking another mouthful of rice and broth, she placed the bowl on a table beside the bed and flopped sleepily back on the mattress.
She rubbed at her eyes with the heel of her hand, and she let out a loud yawn.
She was still so tired…
I'll just… close my eyes for a little while, she decided.
She let her eyelids droop, but before she could even contemplate keeping herself awake, she had dozed off again.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
As he had done so many times that day, Inu-Yasha prowled through his garden and up to his gate.
He could see Kirara dunking his bloodied sheets and haori in a well beside the pond with a special type of soap, and Mayoki sat beside her, watching curiously.
Neither of them seemed to have heard the knock.
Puzzled, the hanyou leapt up onto the front battlements of the castle to peer at the front of the gate.
Below him, he spied a girl dressed in priestess robes, leaning up against the gate.
To his horror, she was gushing blood from a wound on her shoulder, though for some reason he couldn't even begin to fathom, he couldn't smell the blood.
In fact, she had no scent whatsoever.
She clutched a hand to it and, slowly, tilted her head upwards, her grey eyes locking on Inu-Yasha's, sending a chill up and down the length of his spine.
She was the mirror image of the miko he had been forced to kill the day before.
"K… Kik…yo…?" he inquired at a whisper.
How can this be? You're dead… I killed you! Why are you here?
Was her soul, for some reason, seeking revenge? What could the miko possibly want with him?
To his surprise, the girl smiled up at him and raised a bloody hand to wave.
Hesitantly, he raised two clawed fingers to wave in return.
Her smile grew slightly and she beckoned to him to come down.
The hanyou didn't know what to do.
He gulped quietly and then, after hesitating for an instant, leapt over the battlements and landed by her side.
"Kikyo?" he inquired again.
The miko turned to face him and she smiled.
"Inu-Yasha-kun," she mumbled, her voice soft, "How are you doing?"
"Wh… What?" he inquired, his brow furrowing, "Kikyo, you're… you're dead. What the hell are you doing here? …More importantly, how the hell did you even get here?"
Kikyo chuckled slightly and reached into the front of her robe and pulled out a tiny paper doll.
Her pale form wavered in midair for a moment before she placed the doll back inside her kimono.
"This is a puppet. Before I died, I managed to put a little of my soul into this doll," she explained, "I'm going to dissipate into the afterlife soon, but… I wanted to see you once more."
Inu-Yasha's eyes grew wide.
"Why?" he demanded cynically.
The girl took his hand in her cold, thin fingers and stroked it.
"I wanted to thank you," she admitted, "If you hadn't killed me… I might still be sitting in that village right now… Or I might have been devoured by youkai."
"Oh… Umm… You're welcome," Inu-Yasha said, his eyes dropping a little guiltily to the dirt, "I'm… still sorta… sorry though…"
Kikyo chuckled and patted his hand.
"Don't be," she assured him.
For an instant, her body wavered again and Inu-Yasha's hand slipped through hers.
He jolted in shock and the miko's cheeks flushed with embarrassment once she had regained her composure.
"Gomen," she said, "And there was one more thing…"
"Oh?" Inu-Yasha inquired, "And what would that be?"
"I need to warn you," she said softly, "There are others coming here… Looking for the jewel… Men. Youkai-"
"I can take 'em," the hanyou stated confidently.
"Be careful," Kikyo insisted, "All of these people are very dangerous. Be wary. And stay on the lookout for creatures with the names Odoshi, Onigumo, and Kikanju."
"Why? Are they bad?" the boy asked.
Kikyo nodded vigorously.
"They're going to-"
Her voice was cut off as her physical form trembled and shimmered as if it were a mirage.
She frowned and tried to continue her sentence, but her voice refused to work.
Inu-Yasha's eyes grew wide.
"Wench, you okay?" he demanded.
Kikyo attempted to speak again, though no words would come and she appeared to sigh in irritation.
"Time's up," she mouthed, looking a little dejected, "Keep her close, Inu-Yasha-kun."
"What? Keep who close?" he demanded, "What do you mean "time's up"? Who are those people you mentioned?"
Kikyo smirked and shook her head, unable to answer his questions.
She stood on tiptoes and kissed his cheek, before she slowly dissipated.
Her body was engulfed in a golden glow and she gradually dissolved into tiny sparks, floating up towards the clouds.
Inu-Yasha watched in utter shock until all that was left of the girl was the tiny paper doll.
It was split in two.
-
Inu-Yasha sighed and rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand.
"Okay, what… the… hell…" he muttered.
To be honest, he was rather disturbed.
After a moment's hesitation, he decided to contact Rei, and repeat the names to her.
If he might be in danger from whoever they were… she might be as well.
He delved back into his mind, trying to establish contact with her but, for the first time, he was unable to.
Worry jolted in his gut and he tried again.
"Rei?" he demanded, "Rei!"
There was no response.
Inu-Yasha frowned and cupped his chin.
Usually, he could feel Rei when he contacted her, but now… there was nothing…
Please be okay… he begged silently.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Inside the lord's manor in the center of Densetsu, the lady, Yui gawked at the men before her in utter horror.
The woman slumped on the cushion she was perched on and a little absently rolled back the sleeves of her many layered, magenta kimono.
"Could you… repeat that…?" she asked, brushing her relatively short hair back behind her ears.
In front of her, kneeling low to the floor, sat a balding old man and a younger one with his hair in a topknot.
"Your daughter, she…" the man with the topknot, Yojin, muttered, "We… We had no choice… We…"
"You must understand that she was possessed, Lady Yui," the older man said, "There was no other option."
The woman stared at him, her eyes beginning to water.
"Please tell me you're not serious," she begged softly.
Please… Kagome, you… you can't be…
The two men shook their heads slowly and Yui put her hand to her forehead.
"My… My Kagome's gone…?" she breathed.
The tears slowly began to flow down her cheeks and she buried her face in her hands as grief took her.
First, her husband Hyougin and now… her only daughter…
How could this have happened?
The two men had told her everything: that they had seen Kagome become possessed by a neko youkai, that they had knocked her out, and then taken her up to the Cursed One on top of the Western Mountain.
My little girl…
Distraught, Yui slowly waved her hand at the two men, dismissing them.
They shot regretful glances at each other before they stood, bowed, and left the room as Yui sobbed quietly over her daughter, and wondering how to break the news to her son.
-
Unknown to her, there would be no need to break the news to Sota.
The twelve year old stood outside the door in the garden, trembling, and clutching a calico cat by the name of Buyo tightly in his arms.
Kagome was… dead…?
He slumped to the ground and hugged Buyo closer as his face began to heat up uncomfortably.
"Oneesan…" he breathed.
He buried his face in Buyo's fur and whimpered.
He felt like his heart was slowly sinking into a cold, deep pit.
The cat mewled consolingly and Sota felt a nuzzle against his knee.
The dog Kagome had sent to their home cuddled against him, licking his cheeks, his ears drooping.
One look in the dog's eyes told Sota that he understood the loss.
Sota sniffed and wiped his watering eyes.
For some reason, in his mind, he could picture his older sister, towering over him.
She looked down at him with an annoyed frown.
Don't be stupid! What the heck is the point of crying, baka? It's not gonna help me, and it's gonna make you feel like crap! Stop it!
Sota wiped his eyes again and kissed Buyo on the head.
"I don't think Kagome would want me to cry over her…" he whispered.
The cat and dog both looked up at him, seeming puzzled.
"You don't know Kagome like I do," he said to them, smiling slightly, "If she caught me crying like this… she'd beat me up."
He chuckled weakly and the dog licked his face again.
Sota couldn't stop the tears from coming, but he felt slightly better.
Kagome wouldn't want him to be sad: she'd want him to be happy that she had permanently evaded Hojo, the boy who was constantly seeking her affections.
The little boy laughed weakly again at this thought and then dipped his head, letting it rest against Buyo again.
He suddenly felt so tired… So alone…
The dog put a paw on top of the boy's head and leaned closer, attempting to comfort him.
Sota smiled, pushing his despair down into his gut.
Kagome would want him to get over it… She wouldn't want him to brood…
"You're nice," he commented, "I never saw you around before today… You must be from another village."
The dog nodded and Sota chuckled.
"Are you part youkai? You can understand me, ne?"
The dog opened his mouth in a happy grin and Sota smiled and patted his head.
"May I give you a name?" he asked.
The dog nodded again.
"Hmm…" Sota said quietly as he thought, "What do you think of Hotaru?"
The dog nodded and pressed closer to Sota again, huffing out a sigh.
He could sense the little boy's hidden despair, and he honestly wasn't surprised.
Though he had only known Kagome for a few minutes, she had been incredibly nice.
To have her as your sister, and then lose her must be hell.
-
Sota and the two animals sat together quietly for what seemed like hours.
The boy was trying his best not to cry, but every time it reoccurred to him that he'd never see his oneesan again, the tears would begin anew.
Hearing his mother's choked sobs from inside their home wasn't helping much either.
After a moment, both Buyo and the newly named Hotaru gazed upwards, their ears perking.
Sota watched them through watery eyes, puzzled, until he heard footsteps running towards the house.
Sota looked up as, swiftly, a flailing, teary-eyed Hojo bolted up to the house.
He must have heard that Kagome was dead as well.
"Lady Yui!" he called, his voice tight, "Lady Yui!"
"Hai…?" Sota heard his mother's voice answer softly.
"There… There's a bunch of people who want to come into the village," Hojo said hurriedly, "They… have a pack of wolves with them, and the leader is demanding to see you."
He sniffed sadly.
"He says it's… about Kagome… Ka…gome…"
The girl's name sent the boy into a fit.
Sota watched him and rolled his eyes.
Okay, even he wasn't that distraught. He knew Kagome, wherever she was in the afterlife, was definitely thinking, "Boy, am I glad I don't have to put up with that guy anymore."
Sota saw his mother slowly emerge from the room, wiping her eyes on her long sleeves.
Her eyes automatically averted from Hojo and to him and she suddenly looked terrified.
"Oh no…" she breather, "S… Sota…"
She walked up to him swiftly and knelt, enveloping him in her arms as the cat and dog slid out of the way.
"Oh, Kami, honey you… heard all that, ne?" she whispered.
Sota nodded, though he smiled up at his mother.
"Mother, don't worry," he whispered, "Wherever she is, Kagome… is probably very happy."
Yui looked down at the boy, her eyes growing wide before she nodded slowly, tears streaming down her cheeks again as she slowly began to smile.
"I'm sure you're right," she agreed.
She kissed his forehead.
"She's with your father now," she decided.
Sota nodded and squeezed his mother, and the woman looked up to meet Hojo's eyes.
"If it's about Kagome," she said, "Let them in. I'll talk to their Lord, if I must."
Hojo nodded and then turned, choking back a sob, and jogged back towards the main entrance.
Slowly, Yui forced herself to her feet and took Sota's hand.
"Son, will you accompany me?" she inquired a little hopefully.
Sota nodded and hopped upright, and his mother took him around the palace and down the hill from their home and into the main area of the village.
Buyo and Hotaru followed slowly, and they looked at each other sceptically as the scent of youkai hit their noses.
-
As they walked through the village, people standing before Yui and her son parted and bowed.
Many of them were crying.
Yui felt as if her heart were being wrenched from her chest, though she attempted to appear calm.
As she approached the entrance to their village that bordered on the woods, she began to make out the large group of people Hojo had mentioned.
She was a bit surprised to see the wolves that were grouped around the visitors, despite the fact that Hojo had mentioned them as well.
There was something odd about these people.
At the head of the group stood a man in a green kimono with long, back hair and striking blue eyes that seemed as ridden with grief as hers were.
Beside him, among others, stood a teenaged boy in strange attire, his light blue eyes hard with anguish and fury.
As Yui drew closer, the man in green dipped his head in a bow.
She did the same.
"Lady Yui," the man said, "My name is Unaro."
He placed his hand on the shoulder of the teenage boy.
"This is my son, Koga," he continued, "And… We're here to talk to you about your daughter, Kagome."
Yui nodded and beckoned towards the large manor and sighed.
"You should come with me then," she said quietly.
She turned, releasing Sota's hand, and began to walk back to the manor.
Unaro followed, folding his hands into his sleeves.
-
Behind him, his pack watched him go and, from a tiny signal he let off in his aura, they began to relax slightly.
Some even began to mingle and talk to the humans, though many of the humans seemed slightly unnerved by the presence of the large wolves.
Koga, on the other hand, was still seething.
Someone here murdered Kagome… How can they be so friendly!? He wondered.
Growling, he balled his fists, though, after a moment, his eyes traced to the young boy that had been holding the Lady's hand.
Kagome's brother? He wondered.
Before he could ask, the child turned to him, the young boy's brown eyes glistening with tears.
"You knew my sister?" he asked.
Koga sighed and nodded.
"Hai. We were… We were really close friends," he said, "I'm Koga."
"Sota," the boy replied, smiling slightly, "You… miss her too?"
Koga nodded again and sighed.
"Gomen…" he muttered.
"Why? It's not your fault," the boy replied, "You didn't possess her or anything."
Koga scoffed aloud, and Sota's eyes widened slightly.
"Is that what they told you happened?" he demanded, "Come. I'll tell you how your big sister really died."