The Library

By Anonymous Malink

Disclaimer, I do no own any Inuyasha like subjects in copyrighted form.

Part Nine - Riddle Me This, Inu

Inuyasha heard Kagome's breathing. She was panting fiercely; this came as no surprise, however, as it would be true for anyone who was running for almost one and a half people. He took in what he thought would happen if she collapsed, and wouldn't allow it. At that moment, he compared her to Kikyo.

Kikyo was strong, as strong as her, and she would do anything for him it seemed. She would've done that for him in a heartbeat. Kagome doing that would mean something like that too, Kagome… did she…?

Did she love him?

He shook the thought out of his head. Kagome noticed his movement and slowed a bit. "Inuyasha are you ok?"

He looked at his leg, and saw a lot of bleeding and swelling. The bone had literally gone through the skin, a real blank. It was nasty to say the least, and it was a trail for Naraku to follow when he was done with Koga… no, Koga would not die. He would beat Naraku to a pulp… until Sesshoumaru came.

Kagome lurched a bit, exhausted. They had run out as fast as possible, and she had basically carried him. She wasn't used to that weight.

"Kagome," Inuyasha muttered, "Stop for a moment." Kagome slowed to a stop, but was still wary of their surroundings.

"What is it," she asked. She was still breathing heavily.

Inuyasha looked around carefully, his eyes untrusting until they reached somewhere he knew he would be able to trust; Mr. Kabuto's door which was seemingly untouched. Inuyasha motioned for Kagome to help him in there. "In there, so you can rest."

Kagome nodded and made her way into the small room, closing the door behind her. She set Inuyasha carefully against the wall and then slumped down next to him.

The temperature in the building was evidentially low and that was because of the Machine. It must have been hard on it to create a complete molecule plug in the heat. This was not good, cause both of them being completely helpless in the cold, one hyperventilating, the other with his leg useless, it was not pretty.

A stir in the room sent chills down both of their spines. The chair beside a desk jumped out and the head of Mr. Kabuto poked up. Upon seeing Kagome and Inuyasha though he sighed with relief. Keeping as low as he could he crawl over to them, still smiling warmly.

Inuyasha smiled back halfheartedly, but then upon seeing what happened to his teacher, didn't dare to complain about his leg.

How a man could still be smiling after what happened to Mr. Kabuto was beyond him. The teacher was an answer to life itself, and he would never forget it. Mr. Kabuto was a living example of all his standards, and he was still smiling.

Mr. Kabuto's legs… were gone. The remnants were ice, and knowing the molecules were frozen gave Inuyasha relief, knowing the blood was dripping. If the ice melted, Kabuto would surely die, so now he hoped to god it would remain cold. At least for a while longer.

"My friends," Kabuto said, his body leaning next to Inuyasha on the wall, and his toothy smile finally taking effect. One of his two front teeth was missing, as were his canines. He was more of a mess than Naraku and Inuyasha mixed. "Are you alright?"

"Kabuto-Sama, we should be asking you," Kagome said, genuinely worried. He gave a lackadaisical laugh, and sighed.

"Well, I guess, but I do suppose the children are why I'm here, and why I'm here is the children, if they're not well, why am I here?" His logic was patent, and Inuyasha nodded. "But yes, other than the legs I am fine."

"That's good," Inuyasha said.

Kabuto's eyes fell to the boy's legs and his mouth drooped. "W- Oh my, we need to get you to the nurses office immediately, hopefully she's still there." He looked at his won situation and sighed. "You two go… if, Inuyasha, you are feeling alright to, if possible, bring a wheelchair back… for me. If possible, only if possible." Inuyasha and Kagome nodded simultaneously.

Kagome got up, and helped Inuyasha to his feet. This got a thanks from Inuyasha, and the two walked to the door. Without looking out, they stepped out, and…

"I immediately regret this decision," Inuyasha stated, looking in the eyes of someone very real looking, holding a gun to their heads a few yards away. The gun looked a lot like the nozzle from before, that Naraku was holding, and Inuyasha was pretty sure it was another molecule gun.

"Hehe," the man said. "Name's Hakudoshi."

In that moment, Hakudoshi ran over and smacked Inuyasha into a wall with the bulk of the gun, and grabbed Kagome by the hair. He held the gun to her head, and Inuyasha was suddenly filled with… insurmountable… sadness. A tragic play began to unwind in his head, the last words he heard being from Kagome screaming for his safety. "Inuyasha!"

"What, where am I?" Inuyasha awoke in a haze, a vast stereotypical never ending white plane. A figure stood next to him, and he could've sworn he recognized her. "Kagome…"

"What?" The girl put her hands on her hips. "It is I, Kikyo." Her voice resumed its calm after the questioning 'what'. Her eyes stared into his with a sadness nothing could fill.

"Riddle me this, my Inuyasha," she said, putting a hand on his cheek. It felt cold, lifeless. He knew Kikyo was dead, but this really could be Kikyo's spirit communicating with him. He felt a tragic smile creep across his face, but his former lover ignored it. "Do you… love her?"

He was appalled. For just a moment, he considered that she loved him, but… then again. She was so caring, loving, accepting, understanding, cute, smart, funny… everything. She was beautiful, and witty, and intelligent. She was exactly like Kikyo, but… alive. Inuyasha pondered a moment until he came to a unique conclusion.

"I… don't think so, my feelings… no I don't." He thought he did, but his words were contradicting him. He seriously thought he did, for those moments, until the wrong words came out…

She smiled. "Well, that is good. Remember me; that is all I ask of you. Remember what I said, remember me… remember me… remember me…" With that, it all faded away, until he was back in the real world, where it was quite different than he remembered.

Hakudoshi was struggling on the floor, the gun quite a good way away from him, with Kabuto who was pinning him down, gasping. "Children run." Kagome was kneeling over Inuyasah struggling to wake him.

"Inuyasha, oh good." She wrapped his arm around his shoulder.

Inuyasha panted. The alternate reality took something out of him, and he didn't understand what it was. "Ka-to. Help… Kabu-…." His eyes dampened until his full awareness snapped in and he found himself using his good leg to support himself as Kagome and he were running to the nurse's office, which was now right in front of him, Kagome slammed the door behind him, and Inuyasha collapsed in a chair. Kagome panted against the door and slid to the ground.

"Kabuto," she whimpered.

Inuyasha winced and looked at his leg. The window outside showed a view of the library perfectly. He stared a moment before he realized Kagome was breaking everything in the medicine cabinet to get the antibiotics. She basically spilled the contents on the bone, and used a tape to wrap around it. It was painful, considering Kagome had never done this before but complaining would only make it worse.

"Ouch, watch it wench."

"Sorry but… what did you just call me?"

"We- never mind." Kagome put her hands on her hips in an irritated fashion before collapsing to the chair next to Inuyasha.

A tall figure was seen outside the tainted glass of the nurse's office. He looked deeply into the room, the doorknob fluttering.

"You didn't lock the door," Inuyasha cried in surprise.

Kagome huffed. "Sorry!"

The door opened and standing there was both a blessing and a curse.

There stood Sesshoumaru, and the limp form of Kabuto draped over his shoulder…the ice on his legs melted off. "KABUTO!"

Inuyasha wanted to rush over but upon trying he collapsed on the floor. His brother sighed and placed Kabuto on the counter, before looking at his brother. "I'm fine, Kabuto-Sama needs-"

"I already called an ambulance," Sesshoumaru said flatly. "Now let me see your wound."

Sesshoumaru's tux was stained with blood, and when he rolled up his sleeves Inuyasha noticed his left hand was frozen up the side to his shoulder. He didn't bother saying anything, but when he opened the bandage Sesshoumaru basically gasped.

"Kami, Buddha…Jesus… and whoever else that would be up there-how the hell…"

"Where's Koga," Kagome asked, worried about her brother as Sesshoumaru was about Inuyasha… in a way.

"Right here." Koga limped in, blood caked on his shirt and sleeves, nothing on him frozen thank the lord. His eyes were puffed up. Kagome smiling stood and ran into her brother, encasing him in a bone breaking hug. He barely able to stand gave a slightly lopsided hug back before being lead to a chair.

Sesshoumaru sighed. "Inuyasha is… well he's lost his consciousness," he said indifferently. "I suggest the possibility that he lost to much blood, but no matter, we have to get them out." He motioned to Koga, Kabuto, and Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru draped Kabuto and Inuyasha on each shoulder, while Kagome helped Koga limp out.

The ambulance was parked outside. After unloading everyone onboard, Sesshoumaru sighed. Kagome offered to go with them, and he accepted. He had seen his father, he knew what happened. Telling his mother would be hard. As if one cue, the wedding party poured out onto the school like vultures on a carcass. Rin nearly hugged him to death when she saw him safe, but upon seeing his arm…

"Sesshoumaru, you should've went on that ambulance!" Izayoi nodded angrily in agreement.

"Believe me if you saw dad y-…"

Izayoi's mouth dropped. "W-What did you say…"

Sesshoumaru winced, and pulled his mother into a soft hug. "Mom… Dad… is, Naraku killed him!" At this point, everything went silent. The birds were heard in the distance, until.

"No…." Izayoi cried into her son's shoulder. "No, it's not possible." Sesshoumaru held her. After so many times he had cried, unwilling to admit it though, she had held him, and now he had to repay the favor. He would stand there as long as she needed.

However.

Naraku's limping form came out of the building, his entire left side of his body basically frozen except his legs. He saw the ambulance as it left and began to go faster. "No!" he screamed. "No, Kikyo come back! Come back!" He tripped and fell. And he lay there for a while.

Sesshoumaru sighed, slowly pushing his mother off him even though she still sobbed. He knew there was nothing he could do to stop the next few years of crying. His body went over to the form of Naraku. He was most certainly dead… as was Kikyo. The cause of death was obvious though…

His heart had shattered…

A.N. Well, here's another installment. Inuyasha's slight use of the word 'wench' is proof enough that he is going to change after he gets out of the hospital. However... what about Kagome... and better yet, What about Kabuto...

Very Short part... sorry.