I do not own Inuyasha or its characters.
A special thanks to my wonderful beta, psychochick32, who does wonders for my work.
Deserted 13: Drastic Measures
"Inuyasha..."
The sound was far away, just a whisper in his conscious, but his heart nearly stopped when he heard it... He'd never felt her so vividly before, and he'd never felt such utter joy either. Lifting his head off of his arm, Inuyasha wasn't surprised to meet Sesshomaru's knowing gaze.
Curled behind Rin, Inuyasha had offered the small human woman warmth, her mate sleeping on her other side so that she was sandwiched between them; Sesshomaru had been determined she stay warm through the night thus resulting in their current sleeping arrangement.
"She's alive!" Inuyasha grinned, a lone fang peeking from beneath his lip as his brother stared knowingly back at him.
"I told you she was too stubborn to die," Sesshomaru replied, the low timbre of his voice pulling Rin from slumber.
"What's wrong?" she mumbled, sleep still clouding her words.
"Nothin's wrong!" Inuyasha smiled down at Rin. "Kagome's alive. I can feel her again!"
"Why are we still sleeping, then?! We have to get to her!" Rin exclaimed as she worked to extract her petite frame from between the two demons. "Where is she? What direction do we head in?"
Rin's excitement was contagious, and Sesshomaru smiled as she flung herself into his welcoming embrace. "She is all right, isn't she?"
Concentrating on the feeling surging through their mark, Inuyasha focused on Kagome. He could sense her confusion, and… disgust? Smiling at the range of emotions bombarding him, Inuyasha smiled back at Rin before heading off in the direction Kagome felt strongest in.
"She's fine... as emotional as always," Inuyasha laughed.
"So where is she?" Rin questioned, taking hold of Sesshomaru's hand and dragging him to her side before trudging happily through the sand after Inuyasha.
"I'm not sure. The feeling's faint, but it's strongest this way." Continuing east, Inuyasha frowned as the heat began to pick up, his concern for his mate easily readable on his face. The range of Kagome's emotions was exhausting, but it was the fear that imprinted the heaviest on his heart.
"What is it?" Sesshomaru inquired. Reaching to gather Rin against him, Sesshomaru ignored her protests as he picked her up and allowed his longer strides to bring him alongside Inuyasha.
"She's tired… and I think she's hurt," Inuyasha growled. Rounding another bend on the beach, Inuyasha snarled when they were met by the calm expanse of the ocean.
"Where to?" Sesshomaru asked… though by the look on the hanyou's face, he was certain to hate the answer.
Staring out over the pristine blue-green sea, Inuyasha growled again. Kagome was tired, but there was a distinct amount of fear radiating through their mark- one that had his demon howling within and trying valiantly to claw his way out.
"She's over there..." Inuyasha hissed, his eyes focused on the island in the distance. "And she's afraid..."
Wading into the water, Inuyasha snarled when he felt Sesshomaru's hand on his shoulder. "What!?"
"You intend to swim then?" Sesshomaru's voice was eerily calm; Inuyasha hated that calmness. He'd only just gotten Kagome back; he wasn't about to lose her again so soon to something he could protect her from!
"Of course I intend to swim! I can't fucking fly there!" he exclaimed with a growl as again he moved further into the sea.
"No." Sesshomaru's voice was soft, but it was the amusement in it that had Inuyasha looking back over his shoulder to see what his brother found so fucking amusing.
"But I can," Sesshomaru answered.
-----
Kagome pushed through the overgrowth, ignoring the scrapes the branches were leaving on her skin. Moving as quickly as she could, she made her way toward the water she'd heard while climbing the rock wall. She kept one ear on the sounds of the spring and the other trained on Bankotsu.
Why him; why here? Why now?
She could hear him in the distance, his breath as he wheezed from exertion, his footsteps as he raced up the path she'd left behind her. He was demon, she a human. It wouldn't take long for him to catch up to her.
Kagome could hear better, and the scents surrounding her seemed more vivid, more defined. Using the claws on her hands, Kagome tore through the tree branches.
She could hear Inuyasha's voice in her mind, the soothing timbre of his voice warming her soul. "Your body won't change much more than this. The changes are to help you protect yourself."
God, how she missed him!
She replayed the conversation over and over mentally, his explanation for why her body had changed: "My blood blended with your human blood to strengthen you. It can't be undone, and our bond can never be broken. I will always be yours, just as you'll always be mine."
She was tired, her body still exhausted from the battle with the sea the night before.
If she ever got off this island alive, she swore to herself that the only cruise she'd be taking would be a trip to the nearest mall- in her Jeep and using the cruise control option on its steering wheel!
Stumbling over a rock, Kagome cried out as she fell, her hands pushed out in front of her to catch her fall. Glancing around, Kagome wrinkled her nose as she wiggled her fingers… now buried wrist deep in the mud surrounding the freshwater pool she'd literally stumbled into.
Calming her breathing, Kagome listened. Bankotsu was still a fair distance away, but it wouldn't take long before he reached the lip of the cliff and followed her scent into the underbrush.
Her scent…
Bending forward, Kagome took several long drinks from the spring, the water soothing the burn of her throat. Pulling away, she smoothed the muck over her handprints in an effort to hide her presence. Glancing around the water, she located more wet dirt hidden just under the edge of an overgrown fern. Coating her feet in the sludge from her hands, Kagome hurried over to the edge forcing her body into the mud and rolling, over and over until she was certain she was covered in the slimy substance.
There, Bankotsu would have a harder time tracking her this way… though she hated the idea of ruining her pants. She'd noticed the way Inuyasha had eyed her in them and swore under her breath when her body gave an answering twinge as his face filtered through her memory.
She missed him… and now she was ruining his favorite jeans.
The least the kami could've done would have been to send her a memo:
Dearest Kagome,
While we wish we could've warned you, you'll be in an explosion today. Be sure to wear something you don't care about… i.e. - not your favorite tank top and pants, and especially NOT your favorite sandals since Poseidon won't be in a forgiving mood (We're fairly certain he'll keep the shoes… there always was something funny about the man).
While the sea will spit you out, you'll be trapped alone on an island with your ex—you know… the psycho one?
Anyway, your shirt will be ruined, as will your pants since you'll be swimming in ooze as well. And while a mud masque is normally a delightful and exhilarating pastime, it's doubtful you'll find your upcoming mud bath relaxing.
Please be sure to be on time. The explosion is scheduled for nightfall during a storm. Hope you've practiced your swimming recently!
Oh, and if you die, guess we'll be seeing you sooner than you think.
Yours truly,
The kami
Growling to herself, Kagome ran her hands through the mud. She coated her face, then her hair before pulling out of the ooze, smoothing the surface, and searching for the best possible route around the spring and away from Bankotsu.
-----
Trudging slowly through the sand, Shippo and Kirara lead their group east. Silence reigned as each visited memories of the night before… as each tried to come to terms with the loss of their friends.
Sango sighed heavily. Miroku squeezed her hand lovingly, his eyes finding hers in the blazing sunlight. They'd begun walking at dawn, each reluctant to leave the water's edge. Nothing had washed ashore from the explosion, no clothing, and no debris… none of their friends.
"We should find some shade," Miroku murmured. There was little reason to speak louder; the silence hung over them like a leaded weight.
"There…" Motioning toward a curve in the beach, Shippo pointed out a small patch of shade partially hidden by the rock ledge above it. Vegetation was becoming scarce; the palm trees that had lined their camp ground were disappearing the further east they traveled. "We'll move again when the sun begins to set, that way the heat won't be so hard to handle."
"We should keep moving." Koga replied, his eyes trained on the shade in the distance. "We need to find fresh water and food. Sango and Miroku will have a harder time with the heat, and we can't risk the losing them to dehydration or heat stroke. Their bodies aren't as resilient as ours are."
"Do you think we should have headed west? We're losing shade and by the looks of it, any fruit bearing vegetation. There aren't even any palm trees left, which means no coconuts either." Ayame ducked into the shade making room for the others in their group. Koga sat beside her, his hand resting soothingly on her thigh. Sango and Miroku made their way in next, followed soon after by Shippo and Kirara.
"We definitely didn't want to head west," Miroku responded once they were settled. "There was a third explosion last night… further west than the blast that took the yacht and lifeboat."
"You're sure?" Sango questioned. "There was so much thunder, how can you be certain about a third explosion? Maybe the sound echoed off of the cliffs?"
"I heard it too," Ayame confirmed with a nod of her head. "It was just after Shippo and Koga took to the water. It wasn't thunder. Those explosions were planned. The first one tore through the yacht, and a few seconds later, the life boat. But the third explosion happened a few minutes later."
"Why though? We're all college students. Who would want any of us dead?" Sango asked, her mind tumbling headlong into what types of explosives could have been used. There had to have been a trigger.
"Whoever it was wanted whoever was following us dead, too. We're better heading east. The tide will have pushed any debris this way." Koga said. "If there were any survivors from the third explosion, they are likely heading in the same direction… right behind us."
"Great!" Sango hissed. "Not only are we dealing with the loss of our friends and starvation, we have to watch out for the murdering bastards too!" Drawing her knees up to her chest, Sango willed her tears to stay hidden, her voice to stop quivering, and her heart to stop breaking. There was no sign of their friends, no indication that they'd made it through the attempt on their lives.
Pulling Sango close, Miroku held firm until her resistance melted away and her head rested over his heart. "We'll find them, Sango. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha are the strongest youkai I've ever met. They wouldn't be easy to kill, nor would they allow their mates to die either."
"I agree," Koga added. "Inuyasha's too damn stubborn to die, and Sesshomaru would kill the mutt himself before he'd allow him such an easy passing."
With a shuddering sigh, Sango reluctantly agreed. "Do you think they are headed east, then, too?"
"Yeah. They'd follow the tide. If we all head the same direction, we're bound to run into them soon. But we have to keep ourselves alive in the meantime… which means keeping out of the sun and finding food and water. " Lying back in the sand, Shippo pulled Kirara against him.
"The beach curves around and to the north. I'm going to take a peek, you guys wait here." Standing and brushing the sand from his pants, Koga made his way back into the sunlight.
"Koga…" Ayame's voice followed him, and he turned toward her, a small smile pulling across his face.
"The sun is no match for me, love. I'll only be gone a moment."
"Your ego has no match either," Shippo agreed as he, too, moved to stand. "I might as well come with you. We wouldn't want your inflated ego to get you killed."
Koga smirked at Shippo's half-hearted attempt at an insult. Snorting in amusement, Koga turned and made his way slowly through the sand. "Come on, then. At least this way the island's wildlife will have something slow to hunt."
Shippo rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You shouldn't offer yourself so readily, Koga. I'd be long gone while you'd be shivering in your pants with piss running down your leg."
"Are you calling me a coward?"
"Nope." Shippo answered. "Just a chicken-shit wolf with toilet training issues!"
With a yelp and a snarl the two youki were running down the beach. It was the first smile the group had shared since the night before.
"Do you think it's possible they could be on the other island?" Ayame asked as she eyed the island in the distance.
"Anything's possible." Sango answered; hope flared to life in her chest. "Maybe that's why we didn't find them last night!"
"They're all good swimmers, and as strong-willed as they come. They survived… I'd bet my-" Ayame stood suddenly, followed soon after by Kirara.
"You hear that?" Kirara asked excitedly. "You hear that?! Come on!" Turning toward Miroku and Sango she reached to pull them to their feet.
"What? What's happening?" Miroku questioned as he reached for Sango's hand sprinting after Ayame and Kirara.
"Koga and Shippo have found something. Come on!" Ayame called as she hurried through the sun bleached sand.
With eyes trained toward the afternoon sky, their laughter rang out as each found the reason for Koga and Shippo's excitement. There in the distance they could see Sesshomaru, with Inuyasha and Rin held close to his side. Darting over the ocean, Sesshomaru's youki flared under him, carrying him and the others across the sea toward the island in the distance.
Their laughter stopped abruptly as each realized that Kagome wasn't with them.
"Kagome must have ended up on that island," Kirara whispered. "Why else would Sesshomaru carry Rin and Inuyasha across?"
"We have to get over there! We have to help them find her!" Sango cried. "Kirara, you can still transform, right?"
"Yes," Kirara confirmed. "But I can only carry two."
"I can carry a few, too." Shippo announced. "It's been awhile, but I can transform, too."
"Well… what are we waiting for?! Let's get the hell off of this island!" Kirara purred, her human figure disappearing inside bright, orange flames.
Koga watched, a slow smile spreading across his face as a thought crossed his mind. "Do you think she gets hairballs?" he questioned, his head tipped toward the feline in question, visions of a feline Kirara hunched over, hacking up youkai-sized hairballs dancing precariously in his head.
Sango giggled. Pulling herself onto Kirara's back, she turned to offer her hand to Ayame who climbed up after her and settled in behind her. "I've never seen it and I've known her all my life." Sango chuckled as she added, "But you should see her on catnip… it's a riot!"
Shippo smiled, silently filing the information away for future use (Kirara + catnip = one wild night). He allowed his body to expand, flinching when Koga's boot dug into his side as he made his way to the top of his rounded form.
"I never thought I'd see the day that I'd be riding you," Koga bit out, his words catching on his laughter as Shippo followed Kirara out over the ocean.
If they weren't on a mission, Shippo would've dumped the wolf into the sea- preferably into a school of frenzied sharks!
-----
Kagome swore under her breath at the breeze drying the mud to her skin. If she kept moving, the caked-on ooze would begin crumbling, leaving small patches of skin exposed to the shifting breeze. She'd already lost some of the mud on her face and her knees… too much longer and her scent would be exposed again, and Bankotsu would find her.
Something snapping in the distance stopped her. Her heart rate accelerated, her breath hitched. Jerking her gaze around her, Kagome found a small ledge hidden under some over-grown bushes. She could hide under there, and pray that Bankotsu didn't notice the same outcropping of rock she had.
Dropping to her knees, Kagome pushed through the branches. She could hear Bankotsu's footsteps, could smell the sweat coating his skin. She'd barely managed to pull her feet in behind her when Bankotsu burst onto the trail behind her, his eyes blazing red, his lips pulled back in a snarl.
I am sorry about the wait. Life is still chaotic, and writing time has been extremely limited. I do hope you like this chapter, and I hope to hear from you all again.
I am also working on a new story that I hope to finish soon. It's titled Watching Her. I hope you'll watch for it, too. I have two chapters left to finish. I want it completed before I post it so you all will have less of a wait between updates. It is also part of the reason this chapter is so late. I don't know how authors can manage to write multiple stories at the same time, lol. It is challenging; I would sit to write for one story, and ideas for the other would pop up out of nowhere and vice versa. I have multiple stories started, and several waiting in the wings. It's just a matter of finding the time to work on them between life and health. But I am glad you all are still with me, and I am always amazed by your willingness to read the stories I try to create. You are all wonderful, and I always look forward to hearing what you think of the story so far. Thank you all for sticking by me.
I am also considering adding to Birth Rite once this story is finished. I have so many ideas for the story; when I ended it, I knew that the potential to add more was there, but needed a break from it for awhile. Let me know if it is something you'd like to see more of, okay?
I do hope to hear from you all again. Thank you for your wonderful responses last time, and I hope you will do me the honor of letting me know what you thought of this one too. It is a bit shorter than I had planned, but I thought you'd waited long enough for an update.
Until next time,
Neisha