A/N: Thanks to everyone whose still with me, I've wrote a little of the chapter after this too, and I can see things are getting very fast moving, as in, after this, there will be very much suspense and excitement ^_^ Hehe, so lets get to it shall we?
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Tears
~Chapter Nine~
"It took her a little longer than that, and she's still really sick, and weak but…she's here…"
Shuri's eyes seemed to glow a radiant shade of purple as he scrambled over to Inuyasha, leaning on the arm that was supporting Kagome and peering over his at mother. Inuyasha felt Shuri's claws sink into his arm, as he tried to stop himself from crying. "M-Mummy?" he asked huskily, barely above a whisper. Inuyasha watched the boy's ears droop when she didn't respond.
"Shuri?" The half-demon looked at him. "I won't lie to you, she's badly hurt. So…go over to Sango and ask her to help you warm up some water. Shuri nodded hesitantly, rushing over to the demon-slayer in his eagerness to help. Inuyasha made haste in cleaning the worst of the wounds whilst Shuri was out of sight of it all. He hadn't lied when he'd said Kagome was badly hurt, but he hadn't said to what extent. He mentally growled at the sense his inner voice was making, for he knew what it was whispering him was true; she might not make it through this…
He pulled the small form into his chest once more as he secured a bandage round her stomach as tight as he could without hurting her. Gods Kagome…where did I go wrong? I lost you… Somewhere along the way the bitterness of everything I'd been fighting to keep inside, started affecting you…and now you're back, just so I can watch you suffer, before I lose you again… What kind of world is this if it's going to reunite us just to tear us apart again…? "I fucked up, I'm so sorry…Kagome…" he whispered gently into her hair. His eyes widened as he felt her fingers clench at his under haori, tugging weakly at the material. He pulled back slightly.
"Inuyasha…?"
"Kagome, are you-" he cut off as he realised what he was going to ask. Idiot, of course she isn't okay, what a ridiculous question! "Kagome I-"
"-Where am I?" she asked, looking blindly around at the dimness. Pushing what he believed were his boundaries of physical contact, Inuyasha squeezed her other hand softly, his eyes starting to glaze over with tears once more.
"You're…in what's been my home for five years..." Kagome blinked up at him a moment, and then that look, that look that showed him she'd regained her senses, and that with them, her world seemed to crumble around her once more.
"It…it was real? It…wasn't just some…" Inuyasha bit his lower lip slightly as she fought to find her words, "I woke up with you and I thought that…everything else had been a horrible dream…" The half-demon nervously stroked her hair away from her face. Kagome shook her head, her tears falling away from her eyes momentarily. "W-Where is Shuri?" she asked, her voice seeming stronger, but anxious. "He got here didn't he? He didn't-"
"-He's fine, he's here." Kagome seemed to settle for a moment, and Inuyasha laid her back against the warm furs. "Kagome..." he sighed, looking down at her. "Why didn't you come back and tell me about Shuri?" A short silence fell, one that he remembered was once normal between them, but right now, it was deafening him. After five years of straining to remember her voice, all he wanted now was to hear it, especially with the looming possibility that after this, he may never hear it again…
"I…I thought you'd torn yourself apart…" she whispered, the tears brewing once more. "Be-because you never came to get me…I thought that…you'd done something to yourself, because of what happened, as some sort of…self-punishment or…I don't know…" Inuyasha inhaled deeply, trying to form words. It wasn't until he realised he'd sighed quite few times in the last minute to avoid speech, that Kagome spoke up - at least as much as she could. "Inu…Inuyasha?"
"Hmm?"
"Shuri, did he…" she paused a moment, "…he surprised you, needless to say…" Inuyasha gave her a little smile.
"It's a good job he looks so much like me, or else I wouldn't have believed it." Kagome turned her head in the direction Shuri was, though she couldn't manage to turn her head all the way to see him.
"When he was born…I didn't know whether to be happy or sad that he was so much like you…" Inuyasha cocked his head slightly, not really sure what she meant. "I was upset because I knew he'd never know you…And that night…" She broke off, and Inuyasha avoided her eyes, not being able to look at her.
"I fucked up," he muttered, mimicking his earlier words, "I'm so sorry, Kagome…"
"Inuyasha?" The half-demon's eyes darted back to her as he felt her small hand against his cheek. "Please I-" Inuyasha's ears snapped back as she rolled onto her side, coughing hard, her throat retching. His eyes widened in horror as he smelt the blood trickling from her mouth. He watched her bare body tremble, pulling his kimono a bit more round her, rubbing her back gently.
"Kagome? Kagome?" He watched her face twist and contort in agony, as the furs underneath her head stained with blood. "Kagome?!"
"Mummy?" Inuyasha looked round, seeing Shuri standing beside the 'bed', holding the bowl of warm water, looking confused. As Inuyasha shifted, large purple eyes widened at the blood pouring from his mother's mouth.
"Shuri, no!" Inuyasha seized him round the waist, the water falling to the floor, carrying him over to the opposite side of the cave.
"Let me go! What's wrong with her?! I want to see her!" The older half-demon dropped the boy onto his feet, kneeling down to his level and holding his arm tight, trying to stop him from struggling.
"Listen to me… I said LISTEN TO ME!!!" Shuri halted, watching him with wary eyes, obviously not fully convinced Inuyasha wouldn't strike him. Regretting shouting at the little boy, Inuyasha squeezed his shoulder gently, trying to reassure him. "Listen," he said gently so that only Shuri could hear, "I know I've not been the best father for you, but I saw some pretty horrible things in my childhood, one of them being the death of my own mother…" He looked away from Shuri slightly, before regaining his confidence in his voice, and risking speech once more. "A child shouldn't have to see that, and I am not going to let you watch her suffer like that."
There was silence between the two for a moment, before Shuri small voice was heard.
"Is she? Is she really hurt Daddy?" Inuyasha looked to him, still surprised to hear someone call him that.
"Shuri I…I know I'm not the best person in the world but I…I'll try my very best to take care of you…" Shuri's brows knitted.
"Why can't Mummy take care of me?" he asked quietly, practically a whimper. Inuyasha mentally growled, not knowing how to deal with this. Subtlety never was his best point.
"Because sometimes…good people, like your Mother, they…they need to go away for awhile…"
"What do you mean go away?"
"I mean…they go somewhere, where they don't feel pain anymore, and they're happy and…and they…"
"Do you mean Heaven?" Inuyasha frowned in confusion.
"Errr, I…not really it's just a…place where the people we love watch over us, and look after us, sort of like they were still here." Shuri frowned this time. Though Inuyasha knew this wasn't exactly his own way of belief, he didn't think Shuri was old enough to grasp the concept of reincarnation or whatever. After all that had happened, it was most certainly proved that reincarnations occurred and were real. How else would the Shikon Jewel have been in Kagome's body after Kikyo's death?
"Shuri, I just-" He stopped. Shit, the Shikon Jewl! Shuri jumped as Inuyasha shot to his feet, darting back to Kagome's side. "Kagome? Kagome?" he asked, panicked, tilting her face to him. If the Shikon Jewel was in their midst, all the demons currently searching the forest, forming this hunt as it were, would be drawn right to them! "Kagome listen to me, where is the Shikon Jewel?" Kagome looked confused for a moment, only just this side of consciousness by the look of it. "The Shikon Jewel, Kagome, do you have it?" Kagome shook her head slowly, looking oddly at him.
"Why?" she rasped out.
"The demons, they're banding together to get the Jewel, and if you've got it they'll be coming for you." Her hazel eyes widened, but Inuyasha didn't get the chance to find out what was wrong.
"Inuyasha!" Inuyasha turned, looking to the currently lame wolf-demon, who up until now, he'd quite forgotten. Looking now, Sango and Miroku were on their guard, Kilala letting out the most vicious snarl her smaller form would allow.
"What's wrong?"
"The demons, they're here, can't you smell them?" Inuyasha sniffed lightly. He'd been so busy with Kagome and Shuri that he hadn't noticed it, but it was definitely there, in fact it was coming straight for them - and fast!. Inuyasha snatched up the furs round Kagome, wrapping them tightly round her as he heaved her up onto his back.
"Where are you going?" asked Sango, looking bewildered. Inuyasha said nothing. "You're running away?" the demon slayer pursued.
"I am not running away," Inuyasha practically growled. "The Shikon Jewel isn't here, so they must be after Kagome. I can go faster alone, I'll take her out, away from here; you guys get to the safety of Kaede's village. Avoid fighting. They may be low-level demons but in a big group like this, they can do some serious damage." He cast a quick look down to Shuri, before looking back to Sango, who he seemed to be placing in charge. "I'm trusting you to look after him." Inuyasha said huskily, staring deep into the demon slayer's eyes. Sango nodded slowly, knowing there was some deeper meaning behind his words. He knows Kagome will die…he's taking her…and he's not coming back, she thought.
Suddenly Inuyasha sensed their advance once more. They were within hearing distance now. They had to get moving. Darting through the entrance he heard them head off in the opposite direction to the demons - back towards Kaede's village. But he didn't. His grip under Kagome's legs tightened slightly, and he charged through the trees, towards the advancing demons. The wind whistled in his ears as he picked up the sound of enraged demons as he shot through their midst. I can easily out run them, if I distract them from the others enough. They'll follow us, then I'll lose them…
"I-Inuyasha…" Inuyasha felt her hands squeeze his shoulders. He looked around as he jumped from tree to tree.
"It's okay Kagome, I'll find somewhere to stop, just give me a moment."
"N-No…Inu…yash…a…It' s not…it's…" Inuyasha turned his head slightly.
"What? What is it?" She squeezed his shoulders harder, as if trying to force out words was becoming a physical challenge.
"The Shikon Jewel…"
"What about it?" Inuyasha asked, smelling her fear and anxiousness radiating off her. "Kagome, what is it?"
"Shuri, he has it. It's in his blanket." Inuyasha's eyes widened, and as he landed, he skidded to a halt. The demons, he thought as he turned speeding back the way he came, that's why they aren't following me, Shuri has the jewel, which means they're after him!
***
Shuri winced as Sango dragged him after her by his arm. The strange scent of salt drifted through his nose. He knew that the woman was crying, but he didn't know why. Nor why Inuyasha didn't take him with him. Something cold dropped on his head, and he shivered as he tilted his head up, the heaven's rumbling with thunder overhead, just before they opened, letting lose the heavy rain over the forest of InuYasha. The demons had charged full at them, not at his father and mother, who had ran straight through them. Miroku and Kouga had fallen behind, telling Sango to run, and she had, turning with tears streaming down her face, taking Shuri and Kilala with her.
Miroku, Sango thought, she'd abandoned him. She couldn't believe it. But with this very vulnerable child inside of her, if she tried to fight, and it got hurt, she'd never be able to face Miroku again. Besides which, she had promised Inuyasha to protect Shuri, she couldn't break that promise. Suddenly, she felt a sharp yank, and Shuri's hand was ripped from her grip. Spinning on her heel she saw Shuri scrambling to his feet.
"Come on Shuri," she said desperately, "they're coming." Looking round wildly, she saw the hut ahead of them, obviously abandoned, (more than likely one of the 'stop-out' accommodations for travellers). Dragging Shuri forward, she rushed through the door, scanning the room quickly. It was empty. Nowhere to hide. Stepping forward, she noted the floor creaking beneath her feet, and stopped. This building was built similarly to those of her own demon slayer village by the looks of it. Which meant…
Shuri frowned as she got down on all fours, tugging at one of the floorboards, shocked when it came up easily in her hands. "Shuri, get in. It's dark, but you'll be safe." The boy looked bewildered.
"But...what about you?" She smiled forcibly.
"I can't...just do it, please." Shuri hopped down into the darkness, the demon slayer replacing the floorboard, leaving only a trickle of moonlight, escaped through the cracks to break the dank, dark surrounding him. His breathing heightened. He hated the dark. This was how he'd found Inuyasha, through his terror of it, and Inuyasha's small firelight. It's dark, he mentally whimpered, starting to quiver, thumbing his blanket carefully in a small bundle. It's dark…It's dark! Even when he'd lived with Kagome, he always had his night-light, and when the electricity went out, he'd crawl into her bed. Tears trickled down his face. How much he wanted for Kagome or Inuyasha to be here now. In the dark, telling him it would be okay. For a child, there was no safer place than with their parents, and Shuri wasn't an exception. He wanted to cry as he felt his amethyst eyes adjust to the dark, and he saw the damp, rotting underneath of the floorboards, and swore he heard a rat or something just as horrible scuffling around not far off.
"Mummy…" he said softly, as if anticipating her to answer. "Daddy…" He felt a shiver go up his spine, as all fell quiet. Then suddenly, a scream from outside. Was it that lady? He thought, burying his face into his blanket completely, his puppy ears flicked back against his head as the scream continued. His breathing sped up, his heart feeling as if it would shoot right out his chest. Suddenly, the door of the hut slammed open, and he held his breath, closing his teary eyes tight, as he heard, and felt footsteps on the floorboards overhead.
All of a sudden, the creature halted directly above him, blocking the slither of light from the floorboards, plunging Shuri into complete darkness. He shivered, trying to hold his breath. Suddenly, the 'loose' board above his head was ripped away. In an instinctual reaction, Shuri's head snapped up, bringing him face to face with none-other than Kagome. "M-Mummy?" he asked, as if not really believing it.
"Shuri, are you okay?" Kagome winced as she spoke, more of that crimson fluid seeping from her re-opened wounds. Another scream sounded from outside the hut, and Kagome dropped down to Shuri's side, muffling her own gasp of agony as she did so. As they heard loud footsteps approaching the hut. Shuri shuffled back further as Kagome reached up, pulling the board back in place, and reaching desperately for Shuri.
The little boy threw himself into Kagome's arms, nuzzling his head slightly into the comfortingly familiar scent of Inuyasha's kimono. Kagome pulled it tighter round the both of them.
"M-Mummy, I'm scared…" Kagome stroked his ears gently.
"It's okay Shuri; I won't let anything happen to you, just keep silent now." Shuri nodded. The door opened for a second time, though this time slamming so forcefully against the wall that it came clean off its hinges. Shuri grimaced as he felt something warm and wet drip onto his cheek. Looking up, he saw tears streaming down Kagome's face, glistening in the diminutive light falling down on them. Why is everyone crying? The little half-demon thought, recalling the very same tears rolling down Sango's cheeks, and his own; the same tears brewing in even his father's eyes, as he said what seemed like (even to Shuri), goodbye…
TBC
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A/N: Dum Dum Dum Dum! What ya think? So can anyone see why I called it smoke yet? Maybe? No, but you will soon ^_^ *sneaks*. Anyways, hope you liked the chapter, and I am so very glad you're still enjoying this fic, I know I say this alot but I really appreciate it. BTW, you know the way Inuyasha's name is written e.g. Inuyasha or InuYasha? I was just thinking that maybe InuYasha is used for the name or title of something, and Inuyasha, for the character himself, since on my DVDs and Mangas, they write InuYasha as the title, but Inuyasha, as his name on the back and inside. What ya think? It's plausable, Ne?
Shigure-san
x chuu x
