Ch.6

Like The Moon

"and like the moon, she had a side of her so dark that

even the stars could not shine on it; she had a side of her so

cold, that even the sun could not burn on it."

-Abigail. J

"Inuyasha."

The world seemed to go silent and Miroku looked on horrified, his worst fears realized as she stood there, detached, among the mass of fleshy limbs. He heard Sango's sharp gasp before he turned to see her lifting her small hands to cover her mouth, her eyes filling with tears as she took in the sight before them. He had felt it before the puppet had even revealed her and he knew now that Sango felt it too, that their friend, that Kagome, might as well have been cast away at sea, she looked so small compared to the creature that caged her, so lost among the flesh that twitched around her.

"Inuyasha..."

She sounded like a child, her voice small and unsure as she stood emotionless aside from her stormy eyes. They betrayed her stony features, telling another story as salty tears began to well up within them. Miroku looked on unable to move as his hanyou friend struggled to his feet, white knuckles gripping to tessaiga as he searched for strength. He watched as Inuyasha moved closer his head shaking softly in disbelief as he tried to clear the tears from his own vision.

"Kagome…I…"

The hanyou struggled to find the words as he staggered closer, his hand reaching out instinctively as he moved closer. Time in that clearing seemed to stand still as Inuyasha made his way towards her, Kagome's stormy eyes shifting almost constantly as she watched him, her tears blurring the grey of her eyes. "Inuyasha…please."

It was a broken plea, one that pierced their hearts and Sango could no longer contain her anguish. She shrieked out a mournful cry, hiraikotsu cutting through the air as she released her fury on the puppet. "Inuyasha, get her!" Sango screamed the demand as she ran to meet her returning hiraikotsu, her heart racing as she found new-found strength.

Sango's demand had fallen on deaf ears though as Inuyasha had already become nothing more than a blur of silver and crimson at the sound of hiraikotsu barreling through the air. His lithe body leaping and dodging as he, just like Sango, had found renewed strength. Her pale face was all he could see as he fought his way forward through the lumbering masses of flesh that swayed and swung through the air. He was aware of the fight that had ensued from Sango's first move, he was aware that both she and Miroku were fighting to give him the chance he needed to reach her and he would make damn sure he did.

He could see her just ahead, encircled by the puppets foul limbs. He growled angrily as he dodged one of the limbs trying to prevent him from reaching his goal only to be cut off by another, he allowed his claws to lengthen before proceeding to tear through the offending flesh, a curtain of red creating a light mist as the limbs fell away falling with a thud to the ground below.

And then, there she was, standing like a beacon against the sanguine mist, calling to him like she had always done. His feet barely touching the ground as he reached for her, his arms wrapping around her small frame as he lifted her up to carry her away to the safety of a tree.

He held her close while allowing her feet to touch the ground.

"Kagome, I've got ya, I've got ya…"

He tried to smile at her reassuringly as he wiped the blood-soaked hair from her face but it was more of a pained grimace as his attempts to wipe her clean only resulted in her pale skin becoming smeared a bloody red. He choked backed tears as he looked into her face, she stood motionless, even in his arms and her eyes? They were not what he had remembered. He could feel the tears falling from his eyes as he continued to wipe her clean of his mistakes, his hands shaky and his voice strained as he tried to speak. "Kagome…"

oOo

Miroku stood silently, Sango's voice still echoing through the clearing as she assailed the puppet angrily. She had not realized that the beast had ceased attacking and had begun to focus solely on defense, she had not noticed that Inuyasha had already reached Kagome, and neither did she notice the look in Kagome's eyes as their friend tried in vain to wipe away the blood from her face. He stood unable to move as he watched her eyes shift sporadically, straining his ears to hear her soft voice as she reached for Inuyasha's hand. His heart sank as he stared on, unable to look away from her eyes, his voice was nothing more than a whisper as he spoke. "No…"

oOo

"Stop."

Kagome looked up, her small hand reaching for his as she halted his motions. "Inuyasha…" For a moment, she stared into his eyes before suddenly dropping his hand to the side and slowly leaning her head to rest only slightly on his shoulder. Inuyasha noticing the soft scent of salt in the air wrapped an arm around her as she whispered softly. "Please, Inuyasha…take me home."

He pulled back, looking into her eyes as she lifted her head. His voice was still shaky as he spoke. "I will, Kagome." She smiled cheerlessly, tears streaming down her face as he continued to keep his hands on her shoulder before all at once he felt the impact. His body slammed hard into the tree they had been standing beneath, his mind foggy from the impact to his head. He groaned in pain as he felt a tightening around him and realized that Naraku was now attempting to pin him to the tree. He felt the smallest movement beneath him before remembering. She had been beneath him!

"Kagome!" He looked up, blood pouring from his head and blurring his vision as he sought her out. She had taken the brunt of the impact, he could feel her small hands as they pressed against him one pinned against his chest and the other his stomach, her small hands gripping tight as Naraku continued to squeeze tighter around them.

"Kagome, please!"

The panic he felt was overwhelming as she remained silent, nothing but the sporadic tightening and releasing of her hands against his chest. Then he heard it, almost too low at first but it continued to grow. It was a sound he had missed but somehow it was something he had never heard before, a small giggle that grew in intensity.

He looked down, her face still hidden, leaned against his shoulder.

"Kagome, please! Kagome, Oh No! Kagome, Kagome, Kagome." She lifted her eyes towards him, her voice slightly muffled by his haori as she spoke. "At least you know my name."

She then lifted her face to meet his, an impish grin pulling at her lips before she parted them to speak. "Aren't you just ever so clever." At that she threw her head back and laughed gleefully the strain upon both of their chests seemingly having no effect on her as she howled with laughter. Then all at once she stopped, her head falling as she met Inuyasha's confused gaze. "Are you clever enough to get out of this?"

She feigned upset when he gave no reply other than a dazed stutter, her grin morphing into an exaggerated pout. "Well, that's ok." He stared into her eyes as he felt her move, the hand that had been pinned against his stomach placing more and more discomfort on his abdomen before she leaned up to whisper in his ear.

"I am."

Sango and Miroku looked on in horror as they watched Inuyasha's body fly back with more force than he had endured from the puppet Naraku's limbs. The tentacle that had pinned them to the tree had been ripped apart by the force and lay, a bloody mess around the tree. Kagome wasted no time as she moved, stepping over the pieces that blocked her path and they watched as another one of the puppet's limbs unfurled towards her only for her to reach out and take hold of it hoisting herself up onto the puppet.

She didn't say a word as she looked out over them, she didn't move or even blink. She stayed motionless and silent upon the mass of flesh before the puppet decided it was time to depart. Inuyasha lay broken on the ground where he had landed, watching, unable to speak as he watched her disappear into the night. He didn't' know what to think, he didn't know what to do and so he kept staring into the night watching the spot where he had last seen her.

"Miroku! He's bleeding badly!" Sango pulled away Inuyasha's haori only to find his flesh torn apart, a gaping wound marring his stomach. She slumped to the ground trying weakly to cover the ugly wound. "Did she…Miroku…?" Tears poured down her face and her voice cracked as she looked to Miroku for an answer she already knew but could not believe. "Miroku?"

He could not answer her he only touched her shoulder softly as he moved to take her place, attempting to stave off the bleeding until Inuyasha's body could begin to heal itself. Sango weeping inconsolably as the night moved on towards dawn.

oOo

She scrubbed frantically at the blood that covered her. The smell of it turning her stomach as she tried in vain to was herself clean. It was everywhere, it was her and she wondered if she would ever stop smelling that bitter scent.

"Where were you?" Bankotsu's voice was harsh as he watched her struggle in the water, the now bloodied yukata clinging miserably to her soaking body.

Kagome turned to him sharply and snapping back with just as much bitterness. "He gives no warning. You know that." With that she turned away angrily.

Bankotsu threw his halberd down with a powerful thud. "You can!" Kagome looked up startled by his outburst, before watching him rip the halberd back out from the earth He growled, turning away brusquely, stopping just momentarily to throw her bag towards the edge of the water.

"Clean yourself up…You smell like dog."