The Bond of Silver and Gold

Chapter 7: Believe

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the original characters, plot, or storyline. I only own my fan-made character and her story.

It was starting to pour, and although the trees took the brunt of the rain, Chelsea was still getting quite wet. Her fever was getting worse, and she knew this couldn't be good for her, but she loved the rain. It calmed her, which helped with the soul that was rattling around inside her with frustration, exhaustion, and sadness. She wanted to ignore it but the fact still remained: She missed Inuyasha. Even now, just being so far from him, it caused her to ache.

Something pulled her from her thoughts, as beaming blades seemed to be headed straight for her. It was none other than the butt end of Kagura's dance of blades. Leaping forward and coming to a clearing, she was face to face with this woman for the first time. Smirking Kagura held up her fan, "Deciding to go alone?" she asked, "Naraku's offer still stands you know. Instead of being angry with Inuyasha, why not get even with that half breed?"

"You must be Kagura," in the blink of blind eye, Chelsea was coming nose to nose with Kagura. This caught Kagura off guard as she leapt back to salvage her body. Chelsea managed to slice her sleeve cleanly, "I expected more out of you!" growled Chelsea coming at Kagura again. This time, Kagura used her dance of blades as she jumped straight up into the air. This caused Chelsea to stop. When the dust cleared, a little girl dressed in white with long ivory hair stood before her with a round mirror, "What…?" thought Chelsea. She hadn't heard of this girl before. Chelsea knew it was Kagura from the fan Kagome had told her about previously, but… was this girl a reincarnation of Naraku too!

"Give me your soul," ordered Kanna, with a very monotone voice.

Fwack! Lucky for her, Chelsea had fast reflexes. She managed to knock the mirror out of Kanna's grasp. It flipped through the air and landed in the grass, "Take this message back to Naraku for me," said Chelsea, "Tell him he can have my life when he pries it from my cold body," stiffening her fingers outward, Chelsea didn't hesitate to thrust her hand into Kanna's stomach. This caught Kanna entirely off-guard, without her mirror, she was vulnerable. Miasma burned at Chelsea's flesh causing her to pull her hand out. Kanna's mirror levitated and shone down on Kanna, enveloping her in light and with that she was gone. Chelsea stared down at her hand. It was incredibly burned, "Kagura's still near… I can feel it."

"Chelsea!" yelled the familiar voice she so desperately wanted to hear. Turning around, Inuyasha landed in front of her. He looked so beat and out of breath. He was completely drenched. The rain made him all the more attractive as it seemed to make his hair sparkle with silver, "What the hell is your problem?" He took note of her hand, "What happened to your hand?" he smelled the miasma.

"I put my hand through a white dwarf," she joked dryly, "I assumed she was one of Naraku's cohorts so I tried to destroy her. Seems she had more fight in her then I had imagined though,"

"What are you doing running off like this? Why did you leave?" asked Inuyasha with desperation seeping into his tone.

Chelsea turned away from him, "I can't do this anymore Inuyasha… I don't belong…" Inuyasha couldn't believe what she was saying, "I don't belong with all of you guys… I'm not meant to be a team player, and you'll all wind up hating me for it if we continue together… so let's just part ways here on positive terms."

"How can you call this positive?" He barked, as she started to walk away from him, "Hey! I'm talking to you!" She stopped, "How can you just walk away like none of this ever mattered!"

Kagome and the other's showed up with the help of Kirara. They watched from behind Inuyasha.

Chelsea felt her fever worsening, "I'm sorry," she whispered softly, unsure whether he heard her. Like that she disappeared into the forest.

"Aren't you going after her?" asked Kagome.

Inuyasha lowered his head and turned away from her direction, "Forget it… if that's what she wants… fine by me…" he murmured, sadness clouding his vision.

The rain continued to drench them all, "Inuyasha…" whispered Kagome.

Chelsea stopped mid-step when she felt something bad. Inuyasha was in trouble, she could feel it, "Oh no," she thought, "Kagura."

The unsuspecting blades were just about to embed themselves into Inuyasha's back when Chelsea leapt into action and stood behind Inuyasha, putting up her barrier to shield them from the incarnation's assault. Kagura appeared before her once more, "You forget about me?" she asked.

"Chelsea?" murmured Inuyasha, stunned. She came back to save him? How did he not sense Kagura? Was he really that lost in the moment?

"Inuyasha," Chelsea's tone was serious, "I want you to use the Wind Scar on Kagura. Can you do that for me?"

Inuyasha's eyes widened, and he nodded, whipping out his sword, he roared, "Wind Scar!" and hurled the whirlwinds at Kagura.

"You fool! I control the wind!" Kagura announced.

Time to try out the new attack Chelsea was concocting all that time she was talking to Naraku that night. Concentrating her energy into her hands, they glowed radiantly. Holding them up together, bawled into fist she shouted, "Tempest Light!" A radiant beam as if cast out of heaven blasted through the Wind Scar.

"Woah," escaped Kagome's lips.

"Amazing," murmured Miroku.

When the light dimmed, Kagura's kimono was tattered and torn. She was already escaping on the back of her flying feather, "No way in hell you're getting away from me!" yelled Chelsea, flying swiftly after her, "Die!" she used her light to slice Kagura in two!

"No way," said Inuyasha amazed.

Miasma exploded from Kagura and sent Chelsea backwards. She fell to ground and was caught in the nick of time by Inuyasha. Kagura appeared in one piece, still broken and bruised in front of Kanna and Naraku. Naraku stared at Kagura, and smiled, "I see, so that's what she's capable off."

"Are you alright?" asked Inuyasha concerned.

Chelsea opened her eyes to find herself staring into those golden irises once more. Kneeling to the ground, he had her body rested against his, "Yes," she whispered, reaching for her hand and holding it tightly, "I am now."

They all traveled back to their camp site to rest for the evening. Sango and Kagome started preparing a meal, while Miroku kept Shippo's attention with light conversation. Everyone figured it was best to let Chelsea and Inuyasha be alone. Chelsea was lying on the floor in Kagome's spare sleeping bag. She looked pretty banged up, "This is only temporary…" whispered Chelsea.

"What do you need me to say?" asked Inuyasha quietly.

"What do you mean?" wondered Chelsea.

"You plan on running off again once you regain your strength right?" asked Inuyasha, "I don't get you. You're a hypocrite!" he barked.

"Why's that?" asked Chelsea, her voice calm. She was tired of trying to raise her voice and let's face it; she just didn't have the energy.

Inuyasha sighed, "We're both hypocrites…" he admitted, "but… Chelsea…" he tried to find the words, "I… I want you to stay." Chelsea was surprised by what she was hearing, but let him continue, "When you said you had no place with us… that really… got to me. You don't have to keep looking for some place you belong. I know exactly where you belong and deep down so do you or you wouldn't have come back… you would have gone home," Inuyasha moved closer and looked down on her, into her eyes so she'd know he was serious, "You belong beside me. I can't do this without you… I need you… I need you to care," he admitted, "I don't want you to give up on me…"

Chelsea forced herself to sit up, and Inuyasha felt worry spread throughout his body. He reached out to help her, and as she was about to refuse his help, she decided to use his steady hand instead, "Inuyasha," she murmured, "Please protect me," she said, her voice so light and frail. Exhaustion was starting to consume her. She needed to rest soon or she'd black out, "Things get… so hard," tears streamed down her face, but she did not know. Her face felt numb, "I try to do it all on my own… I don't want to add baggage to your already heavy load, but… you're my strength," she smiled wearily, "I could never give up on you Inuyasha, because I know in my heart, that you're more amazing then this entire world," she rested her head against him, "You're so cold… so lonely… I know how that feels better than anyone… but someday, someday you'll find someone who deeply cherishes you, and not just for the things you like about yourself, but the things you don't like, they'll love those things most of all."

Inuyasha held her close to him, resting his chin on top of her head, "I promise, I'll protect you no matter what… just don't stop believing in me… call my name, and I'll be right there." Chelsea removed something from her neck, it was a necklace, aged but still golden with a round pendent on it and a tiny cross with a heart engraved on it, dangling separately from it. Clasping it around his neck, she let it dangle freely, "What is it?" he asked.

"It was given to me by someone really important to me, I want you to have it," she whispered.

He examined the tiny charm, "What's this stuff carved into it?"

"Oh yeah, it's written in English, my language from home," explained Chelsea, "It says, 'believe'" she smiled up at him, "It's a reminder to never stop believing in yourself. The cross represents faith in your beliefs, and most importantly yourself. I'll never stop believing in you… but I want you to believe in you… and this way, you'll always have a piece of me with you no matter what… and," she paused, placing her hand on his chest, where the charm now laid, "it's right beside the thing I cherish most about you. That big heart of yours,"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, "Right," he huffed, "Just the same… I'll take it, thank you." He whispered. He noticed Chelsea was fading into unconsciousness. It was best he let her rest for now, "You rest," he laid her back into the sleeping bag, and started to lean back when her hand touched his once more.

"Please don't leave, for now, just stay beside me until I fall asleep," she begged in a whisper.

"Quit your yapping," he ordered, "I'm not going anywhere, so go to sleep."

"Promise?" she cooed.

"Promise." Inuyasha confirmed, squeezing her hand reassuringly.

Author's notes: It's kind of short compared to the last couple chapters, but I felt bad for leaving you readers hanging for a few days. Sorry! Work took most of my weekend away. That and video games. =[ Sorry! Hope you liked this chapter though! I love these two =]

"Lights will guide you home, and ignite your bones. And I will try… to fix you."

~Fix You, Coldplay