Arrows and Scars
Happy New Year! And Happy Anniversary to this fic. Thank you so much to those who stuck with me for this long. I'm posting this chapter early since I'll no access to a computer tomorrow.
To My Reviewers:
Mistress of Darkness Katana: Because I was going to post the next chapter in a week...Not a good excuse but it's the best I've got.
yourworldismine: Wow! Thank you so much.
Naosj: You're asking me if there is going to be a magical solution where Kagome and her friends solve everyone's problems in the Walking Dead. Honestly, I don't see that happening. I'm making this story to show how I see some Inuyasha characters interact with what happens on the show of the Walking Dead in my head. I didn't write it with the intention of 'Oh these people are going to solve everything' Sure I changed a few things and kept others in canon but that's to be expected. New problems are going to emerge as well, but probably not as extreme as you're wanting. Sorry if this disappoints you.
KuroKat013: Wait no more. Wow a week just flies by doesn't it?
Kaggie21: Thank you for your kind words and support. You're very awesome!
MOONWOLF1234: Thanks. And a happy new year to you too!
ComicsToo: Sorry that the chapter didn't meet up to your expectations in the beginning. But to be fair, I do keep all the fics I write mostly on canon with my own little twists thrown in. If you don't enjoy this, maybe you can write your own crossover and do it the way you want. I'm sure you're a talented writer as well.
Sesshiesfangirl (Guest): To quote Maui from Disney's Moana "You're Welcome"
GiggleboxGirlie: I hear you about Sesshōmaru. But to be fair, he doesn't really owe the group anything since his main objective is protecting Sophia and nothing else. (He only took Souta because he respects Kagome to a certain extent) So Sesshōmaru really has no obligation to go back or return Sophia to the group.
Raven1123: Thanks, you and me both.
GreenHoneyTea: I'm glad you liked it.
Sekwaf: Oh, thanks for pointing that out. As for Tesseiga, I never brought up what happened to it. Honestly, I'm not sure what became of it myself. Maybe the fic will help me figure it out later...If that makes sense.
bloodmoon25: Thanks. I hope you like this one too.
lifelovelaugh: I'm glad you think so.
Spastic Freak: Well luckily you don't got to wait for this one.
Thank you guys and to shizukesa-sama,Raven1123,emedina6, Touzoko, Vixenpup79, babybisser, lordofapathy, kimmay94, Saisaici - The Helper, SilenceIsKey, Poosa-ard, Icis1984, and Polyeux171 for showing me the love and support for this fic.
Disclaimer: Alright we all know the drill. I don't own Inuyasha or The Walking Dead. No suing please.
Chapter Fourteen: Things Have to Change
The stress and agony of what had happened last night weighed heavily on Rick's shoulders as he drove to the interstate. He didn't even know if anyone in the group would actually be their waiting for them on the interstate. 'But what other choice do we have,' he thought when they finally arrived at the spot where Sophia had gotten lost.
"How is she?" Rick asked Hershel who was monitoring a still unconscious Kagome.
The old veterinarian sighed, "I wish I knew," he answered, "She needs to pull out of this on her own...Otherwise," Hershel couldn't finish his sentence.
Rick cursed under his breath.
"Dad," Carl whimpered, "Is Kagome gonna die?"
"No," Rick quickly assured him, "She just...She just needs some time...How about you stay with just in case she wakes up."
Carl weakly nodded before his dad and Hershel went outside with their weapons to stand watch and look out for the rest of their group. The young Grimes gently maneuvered Kagome into a more comfortable position in the car's seat, before he took a spot on the floor to sit by her face. Carl sat with knees tucked and his chin resting on top, as he watched the priestess. "Please wake up Kagome," he begged her, hoping she could hear him.
Kagome wasn't just a good friend or a survivor in their group.
She was a part of his family.
Like a big sister Carl never had.
And he couldn't bear the thought of losing more of his family.
The young Grimes had already lost Shane, and he has no idea if he'll ever see his mother or two best friends again. Carl replayed the last conversation he held with friends in his head, and he hated what he said to them. All Souta and Sophia were doing was looking out for him, and instead of listening, he almost got himself killed by Walkers along with his dad.
Carl whimpered as he buried his head into his knees.
Eventually, the young Grimes finally managed to fall asleep from exhaustion.
It wasn't until hours later that Carl awoke from the sound of someone groaning next to him.
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Kagome winced as she was being carried by Miroku on his back.
"Are you sure about this?" the perverted monk asked the priestess as he adjusted his hold on her, "You can wait a little longer to heal."
The priestess shook her head, "I can't stay here...I can't."
Miroku frowned at Kagome's tone.
It was the sound of someone who had given up...On everything.
'Not that I blame her,' Miroku thought as the vison of Sango dying flashed in his mind. He had felt so helpless during the battle. Naraku managed to poison him with his insects, making him weak and useless. Sango did her best to protect him and Kagome, but in the end she lost her life.
There was only two bright sides at the end of the battle for the monk. His wind tunnel cruse had been broken and Inuyasha killing Naraku. His half demon friend had given him the second chance at life he'd never thought he'd have. 'Thank you my friend,' Miroku recited prayer he'd done multiple times since the end of the battle.
The sound of sniffling broke the monk from his thoughts.
Shippo was whimpering next to the two young adults as he walked with the monk. Miroku frowned at the little fox demon, knowing that this was hard for him.
Kagome was leaving them.
For good.
The person that helped bring everyone together.
But now that the Jewel was fixed and Naraku was dead, Kagome wouldn't be able to come back.
This was good bye.
"We're here," Miroku told them as they came to the Bone Eater's well.
The monk slowly lowered himself to put Kagome on the ground. The priestess slowly limped to the edge of the well and sat down on the rim to look at her friends. Kagome gazed at the monk and demon she saw as a son, wishing that things didn't turn out this way.
"I guess...this is goodbye," Kagome admitted with tears in her eyes.
Miroku leaned forward and hugged the priestess. Kagome hesitated to hug him back, "Don't worry...I won't stroke your bottom," the monk assured her in a weak attempt to lighten the sad moment.
Kagome gave an unamused laugh, hissing a little from the pain from her unhealed wounds, "I'll miss you," she told Miroku whole heartedly.
The monk pulled back, allowing Shippo to jump on to Kagome's lap. She winced at the contact, making the small demon frown.
"I'm-I'm sorry," Shippo told her in regret.
The priestess shook her head, giving him an assuring smile, "It's okay, Shippo...Come here," she opened her arms and hugged the young fox.
Shippo hugged her back just as fiercely.
"I love you, Shippo," she whispered to him.
"I love you too," the demon sobbed in reply.
After a few minutes, Kagome looked to Miroku, letting him know that it was time for her to go. The monk reluctantly pulled Shippo away from Kagome and held him in his arms. Shippo struggled for Miroku's hold to let him go, shouting in protest.
"No! Not yet!" the fox demon cried out.
Kagome began to cry as she slowly turned and jumped down the Bone Eater's well for the last time.
"MAMA DON'T GO!"
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Kagome awoke from the intense memory from someone gently shaking her shoulders.
"Kagome wake up," Carl encouraged her, hoping that she was okay.
"Wh-what?" the priestess groaned as she came back to a state of consciousness. Kagome quickly realized that she was still in the car that she, Rick, Carl, and Hershel used to escape the farm.
That must have been a while ago since the sun was now up.
"Kagome," Carl's voice screeched in delight "You're awake! You're alive!"
"Ye-yeah," Kagome replied to Carl feeling a little confused of why he was so excited to see her. Suddenly, last night's events came into her mind, "Where are we?" she asked, trying to sit up.
"We're on the interstate again," Carl answered.
Once he said that, Kagome sat all the way up from the car seat and looked out the window. She could see Rick and Hershel were standing guard outside the car. "But, where's everyone else? Did they make it?" she asked the boy. 'Did Daryl make it?' she prayed to herself.
Carl lowered his head, his eyes getting watery, "We-We don't know."
Kagome's breath caught with grief. It was easy to see the worry and old tears in the young Grimes eyes. "Oh Carl," she said drawing him into a hug. No matter how much Carl had messed up before, the poor boy had gone through a lot last night. 'We all have,' Kagome realized, not knowing if she would see her brother or Daryl again.
Carl hugged the priestess back, needing that comfort. His father had been too busy, waiting for everyone else to arrive, to do this for him. Kagome rubbed Carl's back soothingly, allowing him to wallow in the tragic events of last night.
After a few minutes, Kagome gently patted his back. "Come on," she urged the young Grimes, "Let's go talk to your dad."
Carl nodded as he let the priestess go to open the car door and scooted out. Kagome followed right behind him, still feeling a little bit weak but was still able to walk...slowly.
Hearing the car door open, Rick turned his head and saw his son and the priestess exit the car. "You're awake," the former officer said to the priestess in liberation, "How you feeling?"
Kagome nodded, "I'm okay...My body's not used to using that much holy energy anymore. I guess I pushed myself too far last night."
"You should still rest," Hershel suggested looking at her but his eyes still shifted around them, wondering if Walkers were around every corner. "I don't think you should be pushing your body this soon."
The priestess shook her head, "I'll be fine, Hershel. I promise" she assured him as she took in their surroundings. She recognized a few cars around them. "This-This is where we stayed when we were looking for Sophia," Kagome realized, seeing the car where they left the sign for Sophia.
Rick nodded, "It was the only place I could think of that we've all been before...I thought the others might be here."
Kagome nodded, understanding the logic. "How long has it been?"
"A few hours passed sunrise," Hershel answered her.
The priestess sighed, "How long can we stay here?" she asked them. They had absolutely no supplies and Kagome remembered only having four arrow's left in her quiver
Almost all of the weapons and supplies were abandoned at the farm. Not to mention all of the personal effects they had managed to hold onto until now. 'My journal too,' the priestess thought in a brief moment of disappointment.
"As long as we have to," Rick answered, "I have to wait for Lori."
"And Souta too," Carl voiced, "He's my blood brother, right?"
Kagome gave a sad smile, "Right," she replied, and felt incredibly guilty for lying to him. The priestess didn't want to admit to Carl that it was Sesshōmaru that took Sophia and her brother away from the farm. She knew the demon well enough to know that he'd never bring them back if he thought, for even a moment, that their group was too weak. 'Sesshōmaru won't bring them back...He won't allow it,' she thought in remorse.
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Keep running.
Those were the words that Andrea repeated in her head.
After she saved Carol from a Walker, she was separated from the others.
They had left her behind.
Left for dead.
But luckily for her, she still had the bag of guns and ammo.
Andrea knew she was going to make it with these weapons at her side.
She just had to get away from the Walkers from the farm first.
Andrea was so set on trying to escape from the current threat, that she didn't see two pairs of eyes following her form in the distance.
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A half hour later, Hershel spotted a Walker coming their direction.
Wanting to preserve all the ammo that they had, Rick ordered the others to hide and let the undead man pass by them. He'd already done this a few times today with Hershel before Kagome and Carl got out of the car.
Kagome held Carl close to her as she stood in between Hershel and Rick, all of them hiding next to the car. The young Grimes buried his face in Kagome's stomach as she slowly guided him to the back of the car as the Walker moved into their line of sight.
As soon as the Walker was out of ear shot, Hershel whispered, "I don't know how much longer we can stay here."
Carl pulled himself away from the priestess and shook his head, "I'm not leaving without Mom," he said softly.
"We know, Carl" Kagome said, holding the boy close to her. Without Souta with her now, her protective instincts transferred to Carl, "We know."
Rick looked at the priestess in appreciation, before looking at Hershel. The farmer still wasn't convinced that they'd find the rest of their group. Their family. "So you just want us to walk away?" Rick asked Hershel, "Not knowing if my wife, your girls, or Kagome's brother is out there? How can we live with that?"
"But Rick you only have one concern now," Hershel interrupted, "Just one...Keeping Carl alive...Nature might be throwing us a curveball, but that law is still true," he pointed out.
Kagome looked down at the boy she had been holding in her arms. This innocent little boy would probably be their only hope for the future of their group if they couldn't find anyone else. 'Maybe Hershel's right...We need to protect Carl now,' she thought to herself.
The priestess had so much faith that someday the world would get better. That they would survive the dead rising, as long as their group remained together.
And yet, Kagome's faith started wavering during their time on Hershel's farm.
Now, after what happened last night, and the possibility of never seeing her brother, Sophia, Carol, Sesshōmaru, and Daryl ever again was heartbreaking. Her only blood relative and the people she had grown to care for may never be found. 'I...I lost my family again,' she thought in anguish, as the memories of Inuyasha, Sango and her mother, dying in front of her replayed in Kagome's mind.
Rick contemplated what Hershel had told him, agonizing over what to do. He wanted to find Lori, but he also had to think about his son. After a few dreading moments, Rick made his decision. "Carl," he said softly, kneeling down to the ground to his son's level. "It's not safe here."
Carl whimpered as he dug his head into Kagome's side.
The priestess hugged the boy tenderly.
"I'm sorry," Rick kept talking, "But we need to."
Suddenly the sound of a motorcycle hit their ears.
Kagome's head snapped up, wondering for a moment if she was dreaming, 'Is that...I can't be.'
Everyone's head turned to the direction of the noise of a motorcycle coming towards them.
And familiar vehicles suddenly appeared on the road.
'No way,' Kagome thought in disbelief.
Daryl drove down the interstate with Carol riding with him, being followed by T-Dog driving Otis's truck that carried Lori and Beth, and their other vehicle being driven by Glenn with Maggie in the passenger seat.
Rick and Hershel smiled as the vehicles approached them, while Kagome cried and gave a relived smile. She quickly used her holy powers to sense their souls in the cars and sensed that they got away from the farm uninjured. 'Oh thank you Kami...Thank you for keeping my family alive,' the priestess thought gratefully.
Daryl stopped his motorcycle close to Hershel's car. He instantly sighed in relief when he saw Kagome with them.
"Oh thank God," Lori cried out as she exited Otis's truck and ran to her son. Carl escaped Kagome's arms as he ran to his mother, to meet her half way and hugged her tightly.
Rick walked over to Daryl and grabbed his hand, glad that they both were alive and found each other again, before their leader went over to hug his wife.
Maggie and Beth ran automatically to their father, who was thanking God repeatedly that his girls had returned to him.
Carol hopped off Daryl's motorcycle and ran to the priestess. "Thank goodness you're alright," she said hugging Kagome, who embraced her back. "We were so worried about you," Carol voiced, figuring that the hunter would never admit that he was nervous about the priestess making it off the farm.
Kagome cried lightly on the woman's shoulder in reprieve. A moment later, the priestess opened her eyes to look over at Daryl, who looked just as relieved as she was that their family had survived. She smiled at him, thanking God that the hunter had survived, causing Daryl eyes to soften and give her a half smile in return.
They both had been wrong before.
Their group wasn't broken.
It just needed to be reminded on how lucky they were to still have each other.
Daryl suddenly looked around, trying to find Souta, Sophia, and Sesshōmaru. 'Where are they?' he wondered, not seeing the kids anywhere. He looked back Kagome with a raised brow. She responded by biting her lower lip and gave him a miserable look.
'How can I tell him and the others?' Kagome thought in despair, 'Oh Kami, how do I tell Carol about Sophia?'
Carol pulled back from Kagome and looked around their group, "Where's Sophia?" she asked the priestess, thinking that she'd know where Sesshōmaru had taken them.
Kagome wiped the tears out of her eyes, "She's with Sesshōmaru."
"I know he took her before the Walkers got to the house but," Carol began to say, a little confused by Kagome's answer.
"Carol," Kagome interrupted, repeating what she said. "Sophia's with Sesshōmaru, but I don't," the priestess paused finding it difficult to say the words, "Carol...I don't think that he's going to bring Sophia back."
"You have very little faith, Miko," Sesshōmaru's voice suddenly interrupted Kagome, before Carol could even react to what she had said.
Everyone turned and saw he demon as he helped the two children up the steep hill that separated the road and the woods.
Ironically, it was the same place that Sophia had ran down when the herd of Walkers had over run the interstate.
"Kagome," Souta said in relief when he ran to his sister. For a moment, the young Higurashi had feared that Sesshōmaru wasn't going to return them to their family. 'Good thing he can't say no to Sophia.'
Kagome was so stunned that Sesshōmaru had brought her brother and Sophia back that she fell to her knees in shock. Souta used that as an opportunity to hug his sister and put his arms around her neck. Feeling her brother's soul and heart beat close to her, the priestess hugged her brother back. "Souta," she whimpered in Japanese, with pure joy etched on her face, "You're alright. I'm so happy you're alright."
The priestess looked at the demon in gratitude, even though he gave her no sign of acknowledgement. Kagome was so happy to have her family back after what happened. Despite what had happened on the Green farm, and that there was no possible way to find each other, everyone found their way back to one another.
At that moment, Kagome vowed to never lose faith in the people she loved like that again.
"Mama," Sophia cried when she ran to her mother. Carol kneeled down and caught her daughter in her arms, with tears falling down her face. The mother quickly looked over at the demon, who watched both reunions with a neutral expression on his face, and smiled at him in gratitude. This was the second time that he'd saved her daughter, 'I owe him so much.'
Sesshōmaru really didn't have much confidence in this group of humans. They were way too emotional and couldn't handle the simple decisions. 'And yet, their loyalty to one another is something to behold,' the demon had to admit to himself.
Rick smiled at the sight before turning to Daryl, "Where did you find everyone?" he asked curiously.
Daryl pointed to Glenn, "Saw this guy's tail lights zigzagging all over the road. Figured he had to be Asian driving like that."
Glenn, Kagome and even Souta snorted at the joke. "Good one," said the Korean in amusement.
The hunter looked around the group, still noticing some missing members. "Where's everyone else?"
"We're the only ones who made it so far," Rick admitted.
Lori stood up from the ground but still kept a tight hold on Carl, "Shane?" she asked wanting to know where he was and what the hell happened last night.
Rick looked at his wife and shook his head, answering her question.
Everyone looked at their leader completely stunned. Sure, Shane didn't get along with everyone, but it still hurt to hear that he was gone.
Kagome stood up as she watched Rick interestedly, noticing his uneasy body language at the mention of Shane. The priestess didn't really pay attention to this since they were focused on protecting Carl as they waited for everyone. But now that they had a moment, Kagome studied Rick's soul and was a little startled at what she found. 'It's slightly dark...And yet, he's grieving over whatever act he's done.' As much as she wanted to ask what happened, he priestess didn't want to question it since Rick didn't look like he wanted to talk about it. 'He'll talk to us when he's ready.'
"Andrea?" Glenn asked, noticing the blonde woman missing.
Carol was the one to answer, "She saved me, but I lost her," she informed them as she stood up but kept her arm around Sophia's shoulder.
"We saw her go down," T-Dog informed the group in regret.
"What about Patricia?" Hershel asked.
Beth sobbed, "They got her too...They took her right from me. I was-I was holding on to her Daddy. She just," she couldn't even finish as tears fell down her face. "What about Jimmy? Did anyone see Jimmy?" she asked the group, wanting to know what happened to her boyfriend.
Rick nodded, "He was in the RV...It got overrun."
Kagome looked down to the ground in despair, 'We lost four of our people.' Souta reached over and squeezed his sister's hand in support which helped her remain calm in front of everyone.
Carol wasn't so convinced, "Are you sure you saw Andrea?" she asked Lori. Everyone else's death was definitely confirmed, except for the blonde woman's.
"There were Walkers everywhere," Lori pointed out, not thinking anyone could survive that.
"She had the guns," Kagome suddenly remembered, "She could have defended herself."
Daryl nodded in agreement, "I'm goin' back," he said, getting ready to ride on his motorcycle.
"No," Rick ordered harshly.
"Can't just leave her," Daryl protested.
"She's our friend," Kagome said in agreement. She may not have been on good terms with Andrea, but she still family and refused to abandon her.
Lori shook her head in disagreement, "We don't even know if she's there."
"She isn't there," Rick said as a statement, figuring that Andrea wouldn't stay put with all those Walkers, "She isn't. She's either somewhere else or dead. Either way, there's no way to find her."
Kagome glanced over to Sesshōmaru, "Can't you track her from the farm?"
The demon shook his head, "Rotting corpses are completely surrounding the area."
"So we're not even going to look for her?" Glenn asked completely baffled by Rick's decision.
"We got to keep moving," Rick stated.
Sesshōmaru nodded in agreement as he gestured to a single Walker headed their way. "Rick is right. This place is not safe for Sophia and this group."
"I say we head east," T-Dog suggested. He had voiced this to the group before that they should go towards the coast, and now was good time to go.
Daryl nodded since that was good a plan as any, "Stay off the main roads. The bigger the roads, the more Walkers, like this asshole" he grabbed his crossbow and aimed it towards the Walker headed towards them. "I got him," Daryl assured the group, and fired a bolt at the Walker's head, taking it down for good.
Rick nodded, "Alright. We'll take the two cars and Daryl's bike. We'll leave Otis's truck behind since it's a killer on gas."
Kagome led Souta by the hand over to Hershel's car.
"Hey," Daryl called over to Kagome, making the priestess turn around. The hunter gestured for her to take the spot behind him on his bike.
Kagome nodded and helped her brother inside Hershel's car before going over to Daryl. She hopped on the motorcycle and wrapped her arms around his mid-section. It felt so good feeling his body against her own again. The priestess couldn't help but smile as she saw the wings on his vest. 'My angel came back to me,' Kagome thought blushing as she pressed the side of her face into his back.
Daryl let his hand drape across Kagome's intertwined hands, brushing them with his fingers for a few blissful seconds.
For one awful moment, he feared that he'd never see the priestess again.
He was glad that he was wrong.
If they were alone, the hunter would have shown Kagome how happy he was to see her. 'Time for that later,' Daryl told himself, 'We got to get out of here first.'
"Alright let's go," Rick ordered as everyone got in a vehicle and drove away from the interstate.
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After a few hours of driving, Rick honked from his place in Hershel's car at the back of the line.
"Daryl stop," Kagome told the hunter, as they rode the motorcycle up front.
Daryl pulled over, as the car behind them did as well. Rick exited his vehicle, along with the others. "You out?" he asked their leader.
"Yeah," Rick said in annoyance.
Kagome got off the motorcycle to check on her brother. "You alright?" she asked him softly in Japanese.
Souta nodded in reply.
"We can't stay here," Maggie said, holding a shot gun in a panic. She couldn't help but be paranoid after what they experienced the night before.
Glenn looked at her worriedly, "We can't all fit in one car."
Rick nodded in agreement, "We'll have to make a run for some gas in the morning."
Carol raised a brow, "We're gonna spend the night here?" She grabbed her daughter and held her close, trying to keep them warm.
Carl snuggled next to his mother, "I'm freezing."
"We'll build a fire, yeah?" Lori asked the others, who nodded yes. They didn't realize how cold it was quickly becoming.
Kagome was rubbing her brother's arms with her hands, trying to use friction to keep him warm, while he tried to get close to her body's warmth as possible.
"If you're gonna look for some fire wood stay close," Daryl voiced to everyone, "Only got so many arrows." He quickly counted his bolts and the arrows he saw in Kagome's quiver. 'Only six. Definitely not good,' he cursed to himself. "How we doin' on ammo?"
"Not enough," Rick answered, just as frustrated.
Maggie looked at the leader skeptically, "We can't just sit here with our asses hanging out."
"Watch your mouth," Hershel warned his daughter. The world may be ending but he wouldn't dare let his daughter forget her manners. "Stop panicking and listen to Rick," he ordered.
Sesshōmaru used his demonic senses to scan the area. "There are no corpses close by...But I do smell water."
"A creek?" Kagome asked, making the demon nod yes. "We're going to need drinking water."
"We'll make a perimeter," Rick stated, "We'll make a run in the morning for gas and proper supplies."
"Glenn and I can make a run now to search for gas" Maggie suggested, not wanting to be this exposed outside.
Rick shook his head in objection, "We stay together. Sesshōmaru says it's clear for now, but God forbid something happens and we get stranded without a car."
"Rick, we're stranded now," Glenn informed him.
"We're not stranded," Kagome informed him, "We're just scared because of what happened last night. And now we're all jumpy thinking about it...Today is just like any other day since this all started."
Her words didn't seem to affect the group at all. The only ones who weren't showing signs of distress were Rick, Daryl, and Sesshōmaru.
"Kagome's right," Rick said agreeing with her, "I know it looks bad now, we've all been through hell and worse, but at least we found each other...I wasn't really sure we would, but we did. We're together and we keep it that way. For now, we'll find a place to camp."
Glenn shook his head, not liking the idea at all, "Rick look around. There's Walker's everywhere, they're migrating or something."
"There's got to be a place," Rick argued, "Not just where we a hole up, but that we fortify. Hunker down, pull ourselves together, and build a life for each other. I know it's out there, we just have to find it."
Maggie sighed, "Even if we find a place, and think it's safe, we can never be sure for how long. Look at the farm. We were fools to think that we were safe there."
"Then we keep moving," Kagome answered simply. "I used to wander around the Feudal Era of Japan, and there was danger everywhere we went. We just had to keep moving. It'll be a difficult journey, but not impossible," she told them sternly. Too many group members were scared, and they needed to keep calm if they were going to start from scratch again.
Rick nodded and looked at their surroundings. He saw a few stone walls around each other, an old house perhaps. "We'll camp over there for tonight, get on the road at the break of day," Rick ordered.
Carol looked skeptically at Daryl, "Does this feel right to you?" she asked, trusting the hunter's judgment above Rick's at the moment.
"What if Walker's come through here?" Beth asked Rick, "Or another group like Randall's?"
"I'll stand guard tonight," Sesshōmaru informed them, "You humans need your rest. Nothing should come through that I can't handle."
"Didn't feel that way back at the farm," Lori muttered under her breath in detest. She thought a powerful demon lord would have protected them from a large herd of Walkers.
Sesshōmaru still heard her, "My vow is to protect Sophia at all costs. However, she wished for me to guard her family as well. And for now, that includes all of you." Lori was taken aback by the demon's harsh sounding words. On the one hand he was saying he'd protect her, on the other, it sounded like he was telling her not to cross him. Luckily, Lori was smart enough not to reply to his remark.
Daryl wanted to stay on topic, since there was something still bugging him. "You know we found Randall, right?" he told Rick. "He had turned but he wasn't bit."
"How is that possible?" Beth asked.
Lori looked at her husband, "Rick, what the hell happened?"
"Shane killed Randall," Daryl answered for the group's leader, "Just like he always wanted to."
Kagome scowled to the ground, "I knew it," she muttered and began cursing Shane's name.
Lori began to get more emotional, "And then...The herd got him?"
Rick let out a heavy sigh, knowing that it was finally time to reveal a secret he'd been keeping since they'd left the CDC. "We're all infected," he told the group.
Everyone's eyes widened at the sudden bomb that fell on them.
Daryl was the first to recover from the shock, "What?"
"At the CDC, Jenner told me," Rick explained, "Whatever it is...We all carry it."
The hunter turned away from their leader, trying to process the information.
Kagome's blood ran cold, and she could feel her brother shaking in her arms from what they just learned. 'So...We're going to turn into Walkers no matter what,' she realized in horror.
Carol scowled at Rick, "And you never said anything?!"
"Would it have made a difference?" Rick asked her. In his mind, if he had told them the truth, it would have caused unnecessary panic. Their group would still have to fight every day to stay alive.
"You knew that this whole time?" asked an upset Glenn.
"How could I have known for sure?" Rick continued to rationalize his decision. "You saw what Jenner was like. How crazy that mother fu-."
"That is not your call," Glenn interrupted, "When I found out about the barn, I told the group for the good of everyone."
Kagome rolled her eyes, "Rick was doing the same thing," she tried to reason with her friend. "And he's right. Knowing that we were infect doesn't change anything."
Rick looked to the priestess in gratitude for seeing his side of things.
"Hmm," Sesshōmaru mumbled as he absorbed the information, "So that's what it is."
The priestess looked to the demon, confused by what he meant "What?"
"Tenseiga," Sesshōmaru explained, "If we carry this infection, then the process of transforming to the living dead starts even before the moment of death...The moment a human dies, they're already the living dead...That's why the sword will not revive those who have died since the corpses started rising."
Kagome nodded, "I guess that makes sense," she admitted weakly. 'It still doesn't make the situation better though,' she thought bitterly.
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Andrea was exhausted.
She'd been fighting and running from Walkers ever since the farm was over run.
The sun was setting now.
And she was low on ammo with the guns.
Her body wanted to give up, but her stubbornness refused to let herself give in.
Andrea wanted to live and she refused to die by the hands of a Walker.
So Andrea kept going, using the empty guns as weapons to smash Walker's skulls in and a knife.
Now, after taking down a Walker with her knife, she tripped on the forest floor. Another Walker was coming towards her. Andrea began to crab walk on the ground, trying to get away and get back on her feet.
Suddenly, the Walker's head was severed right in front of the blonde woman. Andrea yelped in surprise before she looked up at her savior.
A hooded figure held a sword, which severed the Walker, and was holding two other Walkers that had no arms or jaws. The figure was holding these particular Walkers with chains around their necks, as if they were dogs on leashes.
Andrea was breathing heavily as she gazed at her hooded savior and the two Walkers that they dragged behind as they walked closer to her.
That's when the blonde woman noticed something else that was strange about the hooded figure.
Something was riding on their shoulder.
From what Andrea could see, it was a very unique looking cat. In fact, the feline had a very specific detail that reminded her of something from one of Kagome's past stories.
This cat, had two tails.
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Kagome found a few practically empty water bottles in both cars and used them to gather water near the creek that Sesshōmaru had pointed out to her.
There was so many thoughts going through the priestess's head that she didn't sense someone coming up behind her.
Kagome yelped when she felt a hand touch her shoulder. The priestess sighed in relief when she turned around and saw it was her angel. "Daryl, you scared me," she scolded the hunter.
Instead of replying, Daryl grabbed Kagome's arm, lifted her up to her feet and pushed her against a nearby tree with force.
The priestess gasped, surprised by the sudden action.
Right when Kagome was going to protest to the hunter's fierce action, she saw the look in Daryl's eyes.
One that made the priestess's throat run dry.
She'd seen that look on him before.
Once at the Quarry and another on the roof in Atlanta where they found Merle's hand.
Daryl Dixon was pissed off.
Before Kagome could question what he was doing, the hunter's lips smashed down onto hers in a rough possessive kiss.
The priestess was confused but still responded to the harsh kiss with just as much urgency. Daryl rubbed his body against Kagome, pushing her closer into the tree. They made out heavily for a few more minutes before Daryl finally needed to breathe and pulled back. He cupped Kagome's face as he stared fiercely into her eyes, "Don't. Ever. Pull that shit again."
The priestess raised a brow, "Huh?"
"Rick and Hershel told me what happened," the hunter stated.
Kagome's eyes widened in realization, "Wait, are you talking about the barrier I put up? You don't want me to do that?"
"Yes," Daryl snapped at her, "Damn it, Baby Girl. Hershel told me that you almost went into a coma or somethin'. What the hell were you thinkin'?" The hunter honestly thought that the worst thing that could have happened to Kagome was her being eaten by Walkers. Then the old veterinarian told him how weak she became from saving them. 'She could have,' Daryl shook his head, unable to complete the thought. The hunter had already lost his brother, he couldn't stand the idea of losing someone else, 'Especially her.'
"I'm-I'm sorry," Kagome apologized, "But it was the best way to protect our family. I'd do it again if I have too."
"Like hell you are," the hunter barked at her, "You think I'm gonna let that happen to you again...Fuck, Baby Girl," Daryl growled before he bit his lower lip and lowered his head onto Kagome's shoulder, sliding both his hands down her arms. "You scared the shit out of me," he admitted softly, sounding calmer now.
Kagome blushed at what the hunter had confided in her. Daryl had never spoken like this to her before. 'I've never seen him like this,' she realized before giving a small smile at the thought of him caring so much about what happened to her. The priestess wrapped her arms around Daryl in a comforting embrace, "I'm sorry...But I can't promise that I won't use my powers again," she told him, unable to lie. The hunter didn't yell at Kagome or fight her on what she said. This allowed the priestess to keep talking. "You had me worried too...I thought I lost you. I almost thought I had. I almost gave up hope," she admitted, before she suddenly felt Daryl's body tense up in her arms. "But then you came back...I'm never doubting you again," Kagome promised him.
As comforting as the priestess embrace and words were, Daryl was still mad. "I ain't gonna be okay if you over doin' it with your...powers," he admitted to her lifted up his head to look at the priestess to show just how serious he was about this.
"I know," Kagome replied, figuring as much, "But, if we're backed against a corner again."
"Then I'll make sure we're not," Daryl interrupted, "I ain't losin' no one else...Not losin' you." The priestess opened her mouth to reply but closed her mouth in the last moment. Kagome knew how stubborn her angel could be, so she wasn't going to waist her time fighting. Accepting her surrender, Daryl kissed her forehead, "You're stuck with me, Baby Girl," he told her as a promise.
Kagome snorted before she replied, "That means that you're stuck with me too, Tenshi."
"Good," Daryl replied before he kissed her on the lips again, more tenderly this time. That's when he noticed how cold Kagome's skin had become. "Come on, you need to get warm," he gestured for them to return to their temporary camp that already got a fire started.
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No one was talking when the couple returned to the camp.
Everyone was sticking close to their loved ones, trying to keep warm.
Souta looked at his sister when she returned, noticing that Daryl was very close to her. They obviously had a private moment that involved their relationship. 'It's about time,' he thought, happy for his sister. Souta's thoughts were interrupted when Sophia scooted closer to his body, trying to help the both of them stay warm. Luckily they both had their jackets on before they left the farm.
Souta blushed as Sophia put her head on his shoulder.
Carol watched as Daryl sat down next to Kagome, who sat next to her brother, and went over to sit on his other side so she could speak to him. "We're not safe with him," she said quietly to the hunter, referring to Rick. "Keeping something like that from us...Why do you need him? He's just gonna pull you down."
Kagome, Souta and Sophia heard what Carol was saying, and raised their brows in confusion.
"No," Daryl replied, "Rick's done alright by me." At first he didn't think much of the former police officer. But Rick had kept this group alive with every decision he made. He even tried to help him find Merle in Atlanta and he saved Kagome on the farm.
Daryl owed a lot to Rick, and will continue to follow him without hesitation.
"You're his henchmen," Carol hissed in disagreement, "And I'm a burden," she admitted. Carol had always hated how weak she felt, both mentally and physically. She believed that if she were stronger, she would have left her husband with Sophia a long time ago. 'But I'm not,' she thought in self-doubt.
"Then become stronger," Sesshōmaru voiced from his spot above the stone wall. He was standing guard using his demonic senses, along with T-Dog, who insisted that he be useful in protecting the group.
Carol looked up at the demon, muddled by what he meant, "What?"
"You think you're weak," Sesshōmaru informed her, not bothering to turn around to look at her, "Then work to become stronger."
Kagome nodded in agreement. As harsh as Sesshōmaru voiced it, it was time for the timid woman to grow up. "He's right, Carol. You're the one that's going to have to change. Sophia too...It won't be easy for the both of you, I can tell you that from personal experience. But you two can do it."
Sophia lifted up her head off Souta's shoulder to look at her mother, "I don't want to be a lost little girl anymore, Mama."
Souta looked at his crush in admiration. Sophia was the strongest girl he'd ever met, next to his sister, and yet she wanted to become stronger. The young Higurashi slipped his hand into Sophia's and squeezed it tightly. 'I have someone to protect,' Souta recited to himself.
"I-I don't know how," Carol admitted foolishly to the demon and priestess, "I don't even know where to start."
"I can teach you," Kagome told her, "I should probably teach the rest of the women and the kids too."
Maggie and Beth looked at one another, finally realizing that they needed to learn to defend themselves too.
"You'll learn to adapt and take care of yourself like the Miko did all those years ago," Sesshōmaru informed the women, before finally turning his eyes toward Carol. "If you want to protect your daughter, you'll consider the offer."
Carol turned away from the demon and back to the camp fire, thinking if that was the right thing to do.
Suddenly a rustle in the woods startled the group.
"What was that?" Beth said in a panic, hoping it wasn't a Walker.
"It could be a lot of things," Daryl stated, being calm about the situation. There were a lot of things that rustled around the woods at night. You get used to the noise when you're out hunting, "It could be a raccoon or a possum."
Sesshōmaru looked towards the noise and used his demonic sense of smell to identify it, "A bobcat," he told the group. "The smell of corpses is far from this area," he informed, hoping that would put Sophia and the rest of the human's nerves.
"We're okay here Beth," Kagome assured the young woman. "We have our special guard dog watching out for us." Sesshōmaru growled towards the priestess. "See," she pointed out lightly laughing, even Daryl snorted in amusement at the exchange.
Beth became a little more at ease, but Lori and Maggie were still a little unconvinced.
"Maybe we should go," Maggie voiced her opinion.
"The last thing we need is to be running around in the dark," Rick scolded her.
"Don't panic," Hershel told his eldest daughter.
Maggie glared at her father, "I'm not sitting here waiting for another herd to come through."
"Didn't you hear? There isn't a Walker around here," Souta snapped at the farmer's daughter, "Now quit scaring Sophia and the rest of us, will ya."
Kagome smirked at her little brother and his protectiveness of Sophia, who was blushing a small hint of red.
Sesshōmaru noticed the action too, but didn't utter a word against it. He'd witnessed Souta's behavior and actions around Sophia. The boy may not be worthy of his charge yet, but he was taking a step in the right direction. 'We'll see how he does in the days ahead,' the demon decided.
Maggie wasn't going to listen to the young Higurashi since her paranoia was getting the best of her. "We need to move, now," she told Rick.
"Nobody is going anywhere," Rick ordered harshly at her and looking at the rest of the group. "I'm trying to keep this group together. Alive. I've been doing that all along, no matter what. I didn't ask for this. I killed my best friend for you people, for Christ sake!" he said in anger.
His confession caught everyone's attention.
Kagome recalled what she felt earlier in Rick's soul. 'That's what happened,' she realized, 'He killed Shane in self-defense.'
Carl, Glenn and Maggie looked at their leader in disbelief what he'd told them.
"You saw what he was like," Rick continued talking about Shane, "How he pushed me. How he compromised us. How he threatened us. He staged the whole Randall thing to put a bullet in my back. He gave me no choice."
Carl didn't know what to do with what his father was saying. He'd seen Shane come back as a Walker, he had to shoot him in the head to protect his father. But in reality, Shane wanted to kill his dad all along. 'They were right,' Carl realized, thinking of what Souta and Sophia had told him back at the farm. Carl started crying, finally realizing the truth. Lori held her son and tried to sooth him. Souta and Sophia looked at one another before they got up and went over to comfort their best friend.
Rick ignored his son's cries and kept talking. "Shane was my friend...But he came after me. My hands are clean."
Kagome nodded in understanding. She figured if Shane had come back alone, that she or Daryl would have killed him too. 'This is our family, and we're going to protect it.'
"Maybe you people are better off without me," Rick kept talking, "Go ahead. I say there's a place for us, but maybe it's just another pipe dream. Maybe-Maybe I'm just fooling myself again. Why don't you go find out for yourselves?" he pointed to the open road, offering anyone the chance to go if they wanted. Nobody moved from their spots. "Go on, there's the door. You think you can do better? Let's see how far you get."
"Don't tempt them, human," Sesshōmaru warned Rick to pick his words carefully.
Surprisingly, Rick didn't care what the demon had to say. "You want to lead this group?" he asked Sesshōmaru harshly, "Cause now's the time to take it."
"When it is necessary, I will," the demon replied with a small glare, "However, you're starting to realize that this coddling you've grown so fond of is useless...My leadership is not needed."
Rick nodded, "Alright then...For the rest of you, let's get one thing straight. You're staying, this isn't a democracy anymore." With his final words, Rick walked away to clear his head.
The group members looked at one another, not sure of what to say.
Things were definitely going to change for this group.
'As long as we survive together.'
And that's a wrap for season two. This was defiantly a difficult season for me to write, but I'll be even more challenging in season three with the Governor. And don't even get me started on the current season. But I'll find a way to do it. So what do you guys think? Next time: Winter is over and a new home is found.
Till Then My Readers.