*Backs away from the flying objects her readers are throwing* Ghaa!! Gomen,
guys! I'm sorry! Aaah! *Hides face behind arms, looking tearful* I DIDN'T
MEAN IT! I SWEAR! I love Kagome as much as any of you people do, but this
fic was written for the purpose of conveying drama, angst, and romance
between our two favorite main characters! I must be mean to her, at least
for a little while, or else this would turn into a cliché, OOC piece of
work, and I am NOT about to let that happen!!
*Mutters something about violent readers and begins the A/N's*
Emmy: Yay! Emmy's still here, and she's not throwing things at me!! *Huggles*
Seaouryou: It will, it will!! *Winces at tone of voice*
Taran-Wanderer: Aye, aye, more chappies! Thanks for the compliment!
Remix-69er: *Updates, looking confused*
Jo-jo: Most certainly I will....continue....
Aja: Thanks for reading!
Megu-sama: Ah! You read my ficcy? *Flattered starry eyes* Wow! For those of you who haven't yet, please go check out Megu-chan's ficcy, Dorming with Inuyasha. It's super-awesome!
Uni-Girl: Yeah, a magical cure would be too cliché. I agree.
Wave-Rider: Sure, thanks for stopping by!
Inuyasha-n-kenshin: Well, I dunno.....why don't we read the chapter and find out! Buahahahaha!
Wierd0: I LIKE that word! Fan-ficish. That's awesome. I've got one for you: Splost.
Bscl43: That quote you mentioned....it should be explained soon.
Sailor Yang: What will happen? READ! And then...you shall know....^_^
Moogle: The first thing I'd like to say is....whoa. O.o' *Hands you a glass of warm milk and a blanket* Like, don't flip out, kay? *Thinks* And don't send the apocalypse bunnies after me, either. It took me weeks to get rid of them last time. I'm updating, I updating! I'm sorry for breaking your poor little reviewer heart, but don't just ASSUME anything just yet! The ficcy's not over, my plot's not finished, and....well..... Golly! Thanks for the....er....compliment! Love to know all this writing's appreciated! Just a piece of friendly advice: If you go around shaking people on the street, don't let them see your face. That way, they can't identify you and sue you for assault. ^_-
Thanks a bunch to everyone that reviewed! Almost 80 reviews....WOW!!! ^_^ On with the story that's obviously made lots of people want to murder me!
-----------------------------
It was a well-known fact to all of the people that knew Inuyasha that the halfling could move very fast when he had a reason to. Kagome'd asked once, shortly after they'd met, if he could fly. He'd regarded the question as stupid then—but he rather understood it now, as he rushed with everything he was towards the faint scent of blood. To any onlooker, his running very well might've been mistaken for flying. The new day was dawning with still more rain, and the very thing that might've been Kagome's lifeline was fading away into the aroma of storm.
That was the thought that chilled him—it was Kagome's last day. His time—as well as hers—was running out, and the only hope he had of helping was diminishing. That's not to say he was planning to give up—he'd be darned if he'd let that wench die off somewhere, cold and alone. At the beginning of their search he had been angry, frustrated, hurt with her—now, with so little hope left, he began to see the situation from her standpoint. She'd been trying to protect her friends....
'Even me,' Inuyasha thought with shame. 'The same person that called her weak and stupid and coward....' He regretted all that now, despite what the letter had said. He wasn't angry with her anymore—he was frustrated with the weather that seemed to be purposefully holding him back. Her was angry with himself, for not following her that last night, not questioning or being persistent when she was obviously in trouble. But he would find her, he promised himself. He would save her, as always, and everything would be fine.
As always.
'Hang on, Kagome. I'm coming.'
---***---***---***---***---***---***---
"Sango—wake up—"
The demon exterminator's eyes snapped open at the tone of urgency in the monk's whisper. He was so close that his lips brushed her ear. Slowly, with one hand, he pulled her into a sitting position against the tree they had been sharing as a prop throughout night watch. Kirara was sitting on her lap, and Shippo was nestled in between them, halfway hidden by the two larger bodies. He was fearful and shaking; Sango automatically put a hand to his head.
"What's wrong, Miroku?" Her own voice was a whisper.
"There's a demonic aura close," the priest warned in a low tone, his eyes flickering about the murky part of the forest they had stayed the night in. "A pretty strong one, too." Shippo's nose was twitching back and forth like a rabbit's, and Sango knew he was searching for a scent. Apparently, he couldn't catch anything, because he looked up a moment later with confusion on his features.
The bushes rustled. Sango's hand flew to her boomerang, which was lying close, and Miroku's hand tightened on his staff. Shippo whimpered and Kirara growled, baring her teeth to whoever was lurking close. The group was holding their breath, pressed together against the tree trunk and waiting for the thing to strike before they moved to counter it—
With an almighty rustle and a snapping of branches, the foliage opened up to reveal a very ugly, if not so intelligent, demon. It looked vaguely like a smaller version of Goshinki, only just topping Miroku's height. Its dull, red-as-fire eyes searched around the clearing for several moments before settling on the people huddled together against the tree. It let out a hiss of delight, baring its teeth and coming closer slowly—
Squelsh! Sango's boomerang made a sick, squishing noise as it sliced through the demon's body and continued in that direction before turning on itself and flying back into its master's waiting hand. Sango glanced, annoyed at her bloodied weapon, and then back to the priest. "Ugh....Is -this- the 'strong aura' you sensed, Miroku?"
"No."
---***---***---***---***---***---***---
Demons were close. Inuyasha noted this fact with worry, still bounding along. There was no reason to worry about himself—he was confident that he could prevent anything that cared to try to directly attack him. It was Kagome he was worried over, for if she was indeed sick, mightn't her reflexes be slower? Would her senses be duller than usual? Or, even worse, if she was lying unconscious somewhere, what was to stop some low-lever scavenger from eating her then and there? She was bleeding, after all, and that would attract every hungry monster from miles around. Human was a delicacy, and one that wouldn't struggle was an easy meal.
What was stopping them?
He was.
The source of the blood smell was coming steadily closer. He couldn't have been more than a mile away from it—even the rain wasn't enough to weaken the smell now. It was quite a bit of blood. Kagome could've—no. She was too strong for something like that. She would be fine. As always. That was becoming the constant refrain: as always. For forever. Inuyasha was not anywhere near willing to relinquish all that hope, and the confidence that everything would be okay.
Blood was up ahead. In the clearing, now so close....Inuyasha's steps became tentative. He paused before the clump of trees....there was a hill here, and a trench below. That was where the smell had been coming from—that was where his every instinct had led him. That was most likely where Kagome was....in whatever condition she might be in. He was afraid of what he would find there. Of course, he wouldn't admit it to anyone but himself.
He gathered his courage and took a breath, sliding down the hill to the muddy trench at the bottom.
-----------------------
So it's an evil cliffie! Don't hurt me, I'm trying not to break back into my old habit of rushing into the end of this ficcy. Of course, I'm doing so at the risk of being murdered by some seriously annoyed readers...but still. You'll thank me later, I promise! (I hope...)
So remember, guys....
Feedback+Ficcy=happy authoress=quicker updates
Ja ne! Till next time!
*Mutters something about violent readers and begins the A/N's*
Emmy: Yay! Emmy's still here, and she's not throwing things at me!! *Huggles*
Seaouryou: It will, it will!! *Winces at tone of voice*
Taran-Wanderer: Aye, aye, more chappies! Thanks for the compliment!
Remix-69er: *Updates, looking confused*
Jo-jo: Most certainly I will....continue....
Aja: Thanks for reading!
Megu-sama: Ah! You read my ficcy? *Flattered starry eyes* Wow! For those of you who haven't yet, please go check out Megu-chan's ficcy, Dorming with Inuyasha. It's super-awesome!
Uni-Girl: Yeah, a magical cure would be too cliché. I agree.
Wave-Rider: Sure, thanks for stopping by!
Inuyasha-n-kenshin: Well, I dunno.....why don't we read the chapter and find out! Buahahahaha!
Wierd0: I LIKE that word! Fan-ficish. That's awesome. I've got one for you: Splost.
Bscl43: That quote you mentioned....it should be explained soon.
Sailor Yang: What will happen? READ! And then...you shall know....^_^
Moogle: The first thing I'd like to say is....whoa. O.o' *Hands you a glass of warm milk and a blanket* Like, don't flip out, kay? *Thinks* And don't send the apocalypse bunnies after me, either. It took me weeks to get rid of them last time. I'm updating, I updating! I'm sorry for breaking your poor little reviewer heart, but don't just ASSUME anything just yet! The ficcy's not over, my plot's not finished, and....well..... Golly! Thanks for the....er....compliment! Love to know all this writing's appreciated! Just a piece of friendly advice: If you go around shaking people on the street, don't let them see your face. That way, they can't identify you and sue you for assault. ^_-
Thanks a bunch to everyone that reviewed! Almost 80 reviews....WOW!!! ^_^ On with the story that's obviously made lots of people want to murder me!
-----------------------------
It was a well-known fact to all of the people that knew Inuyasha that the halfling could move very fast when he had a reason to. Kagome'd asked once, shortly after they'd met, if he could fly. He'd regarded the question as stupid then—but he rather understood it now, as he rushed with everything he was towards the faint scent of blood. To any onlooker, his running very well might've been mistaken for flying. The new day was dawning with still more rain, and the very thing that might've been Kagome's lifeline was fading away into the aroma of storm.
That was the thought that chilled him—it was Kagome's last day. His time—as well as hers—was running out, and the only hope he had of helping was diminishing. That's not to say he was planning to give up—he'd be darned if he'd let that wench die off somewhere, cold and alone. At the beginning of their search he had been angry, frustrated, hurt with her—now, with so little hope left, he began to see the situation from her standpoint. She'd been trying to protect her friends....
'Even me,' Inuyasha thought with shame. 'The same person that called her weak and stupid and coward....' He regretted all that now, despite what the letter had said. He wasn't angry with her anymore—he was frustrated with the weather that seemed to be purposefully holding him back. Her was angry with himself, for not following her that last night, not questioning or being persistent when she was obviously in trouble. But he would find her, he promised himself. He would save her, as always, and everything would be fine.
As always.
'Hang on, Kagome. I'm coming.'
---***---***---***---***---***---***---
"Sango—wake up—"
The demon exterminator's eyes snapped open at the tone of urgency in the monk's whisper. He was so close that his lips brushed her ear. Slowly, with one hand, he pulled her into a sitting position against the tree they had been sharing as a prop throughout night watch. Kirara was sitting on her lap, and Shippo was nestled in between them, halfway hidden by the two larger bodies. He was fearful and shaking; Sango automatically put a hand to his head.
"What's wrong, Miroku?" Her own voice was a whisper.
"There's a demonic aura close," the priest warned in a low tone, his eyes flickering about the murky part of the forest they had stayed the night in. "A pretty strong one, too." Shippo's nose was twitching back and forth like a rabbit's, and Sango knew he was searching for a scent. Apparently, he couldn't catch anything, because he looked up a moment later with confusion on his features.
The bushes rustled. Sango's hand flew to her boomerang, which was lying close, and Miroku's hand tightened on his staff. Shippo whimpered and Kirara growled, baring her teeth to whoever was lurking close. The group was holding their breath, pressed together against the tree trunk and waiting for the thing to strike before they moved to counter it—
With an almighty rustle and a snapping of branches, the foliage opened up to reveal a very ugly, if not so intelligent, demon. It looked vaguely like a smaller version of Goshinki, only just topping Miroku's height. Its dull, red-as-fire eyes searched around the clearing for several moments before settling on the people huddled together against the tree. It let out a hiss of delight, baring its teeth and coming closer slowly—
Squelsh! Sango's boomerang made a sick, squishing noise as it sliced through the demon's body and continued in that direction before turning on itself and flying back into its master's waiting hand. Sango glanced, annoyed at her bloodied weapon, and then back to the priest. "Ugh....Is -this- the 'strong aura' you sensed, Miroku?"
"No."
---***---***---***---***---***---***---
Demons were close. Inuyasha noted this fact with worry, still bounding along. There was no reason to worry about himself—he was confident that he could prevent anything that cared to try to directly attack him. It was Kagome he was worried over, for if she was indeed sick, mightn't her reflexes be slower? Would her senses be duller than usual? Or, even worse, if she was lying unconscious somewhere, what was to stop some low-lever scavenger from eating her then and there? She was bleeding, after all, and that would attract every hungry monster from miles around. Human was a delicacy, and one that wouldn't struggle was an easy meal.
What was stopping them?
He was.
The source of the blood smell was coming steadily closer. He couldn't have been more than a mile away from it—even the rain wasn't enough to weaken the smell now. It was quite a bit of blood. Kagome could've—no. She was too strong for something like that. She would be fine. As always. That was becoming the constant refrain: as always. For forever. Inuyasha was not anywhere near willing to relinquish all that hope, and the confidence that everything would be okay.
Blood was up ahead. In the clearing, now so close....Inuyasha's steps became tentative. He paused before the clump of trees....there was a hill here, and a trench below. That was where the smell had been coming from—that was where his every instinct had led him. That was most likely where Kagome was....in whatever condition she might be in. He was afraid of what he would find there. Of course, he wouldn't admit it to anyone but himself.
He gathered his courage and took a breath, sliding down the hill to the muddy trench at the bottom.
-----------------------
So it's an evil cliffie! Don't hurt me, I'm trying not to break back into my old habit of rushing into the end of this ficcy. Of course, I'm doing so at the risk of being murdered by some seriously annoyed readers...but still. You'll thank me later, I promise! (I hope...)
So remember, guys....
Feedback+Ficcy=happy authoress=quicker updates
Ja ne! Till next time!