I have returned my dear readers, after so much time absent. This of course due to the fact my comp died. I have a new one now and I also have spell check! (dances) Well technically I got this comp quite a while ago, but due to issues that I have been forced to deal with in my life (the details of which are unpleasant but if you really want to know, feel free to e-mail or im me…), the chap has been quite delayed. For this, I am very sorry.

THAT SAID, ON THE WUZZERFULNESS OF CHAPPIE TWENTY-FIVE! WOOT!

DISCLAIMER: As much as I hate to say, he belongs to someone else… (pouts)

How to Offend Women in Five Syllables or Less

Chapter Twenty-Five

The Blood Stains on the Carpet

As Inu-Yasha peered around the small room that resembled a miniature catacomb, his heart sank. Within this room, there were the three people who could most invoke nightmares, and he realized how real this situation was. He could find no escape to the situation. Kikyou was blocking the door so he couldn't get out that way. Kikyou herself, of course, was not the problem. The problem was that she could easily alert Naraku to his flight, and he knew that he couldn't outrun Naraku in his current condition. He sighed.

What did he ever do to deserve this?

He continued to scan the room for an exit and found only a passageway that led to rooms deeper into the mansions "catacombs." That's all he needed was to delve deeper into the maze that was the Mamouru mansion. He looked down at Kagome again.

'I'll get you out. I promise. I won't let them hurt you anymore,' he promised her. He glanced around again for an escape. 'It's now or never,' he told himself, as Sesshoumauru and Naraku continued to quarrel. With this fleeting thought, he sped towards the door. He had reached Kikyou and was pushing her aside when he heard the swish of a claws coming down.

Inu-Yasha whipped around just in time to see Kikyou who had been caught in Naraku's attack. Blood poured from her shoulder and ran down to her fingertips. She fell to the ground in surprise and grabbed her wound. She glared murderously at Naraku and stood in front of him.

"Now that was foolish Naraku, and you know that," Kikyou spat at him. Her hands began to radiant with a blue light. She smiled a bitter-sweet smile at him as she gathered energy. "You know this cannot go unpunished."

Inu-Yasha, ever the quick thinker, could do nothing but stare somewhat stupidly at the scene playing out before him. Suddenly Kikyou turned to face him and gave him an almost fathomless look.

"Go!" she said. "Go now!"

Inu-Yasha cast a baffled expression in her direction, but he began to climb the winding stairwell. He heard shouts behind him, but he was much too focused on the bundle in his arms to try and discern what was being said. Her breathing was slightly labored, which scared him.

"Inu… Inu-Yasha…?" she whispered with some difficulty. "Where… where are you?" A single tear flowed from her closed eye. "Please… I don't want you to die…"

Inu-Yasha, still trying to find his way out of the maze of the Mamouru mansion, brushed the tear away quickly. He could never stand the smell of her tears, and he didn't need to add that to his ever-growing list of pains and woes.

"Shhhh," he whispered. "I'm here, Kagome. I'm here… I won't die on you."

"No, Inu-Yasha, don't!" she screamed suddenly. "He'll kill you!" She began to thrash in his arms. "NO! NO! NO!"

Inu-Yasha had to stop momentarily. 'What's wrong…!' he asked himself in surprise. 'What kind of dream is she having?' "I'm not going to die," he whispered softly, but she continued to struggle. He sighed and said more forcefully, "I'm not going to die! Damn it, Kagome! We've got to get out of here! I'm gonna protect you!"

He repeated that last sentence several times as if assuring himself as well. He shushed her and rubbed her head until she finally quieted.

"Please… just don't… don't leave me… okay?" she whispered as another tear rolled down her cheek. She snuggled against his chest and finally fell into a complete sleep.

Inu-Yasha sighed and wiped this tear away as well. 'Why does she always cry for me…?' he asked himself in confusion. 'Why?' Forcing himself not to think on it any more, he began to make his way down the corridor. He caught the scent of Miroku and Sango, realizing with growing dread that they had finally made it into to mansion. He swerved through a door just in time to come face to face with the pervert and his beloved girl friend.

Sango looked up in surprise. "Inu-Yasha! What happened? Are you okay!"

Inu-Yasha shot her and aggravated glance. "No! I'm not okay! Do I look okay to you!"

(A/N Author begins to sing 'I'm not okay (I promise)' It's such a great song. . )

"Jeez! Touchy, touchy, are we?" Miroku said, grinning, ever the happy idiot.

Inu-Yasha growled at him. "Just come on. We gotta get Kagome out of here!" He began to move past them to travel down the corridor when a high-pitched voice stopped him.

"But she can't leave!"

"Yeah, that's right! She can't!"

Inu-Yasha turned to see two small children. One was Sesshoumauru's small adopted daughter. The other was a small, auburn-haired fox child.

Inu-Yasha frowned at them but showed surprising patience with the children which quite possibly came from his babysitting adventures with Kagome. He knelt in front of them, Kagome still safe in his arms, as he said, "Well, you see, she has to leave, and she has to leave now!"

Rin's eyes became huge. "But why!"

"Because," Inu-Yasha replied. "She's really sick, and I have to get her to a hospital to get better." 'Okay, so maybe I'll forego the trip to the hospital, but these brats don't have to know that.'

Shippou seemed convinced but Rin was still cautious. "But Sesshoumauru said that she can't leave…"

"Does Sesshoumauru want her to die?" he replied because he knew how naïve the child was in her adoration of his dear brother.

"NO!" Rin said quickly, her eyes shining with innocence.

Inu-Yasha's heart melted at the sight and smiled slightly. "Alright then, we have to get her out of here." He turned and started down the corridor as his two friends followed them. These two friends were busy exchanging startled glances, of course.

Rin sighed softly and knelt as Inu-Yasha had.

"He was… nice…" Shippou said, perplexed. "He seemed really mean when he frowned like that…"

Rin probably would have agreed, but she was preoccupied with something else. Shippou looked as she pointed at a spot on the floor.

There, standing out against the ivory colored carpet, was a large puddle of blood. As he looked further down the hall, he could see more small flecks of blood behind where the dog-eared boy had just fled.

"He's… hurt…" Rin said with a child-like worry in her eyes. "I hope… he's okay….like he said…"

A/N Time- Okay so the next chapter is going to be really sad… I can't help it. I just know I'm going to cry while I write- er- type it. But never fear my dear readers; things always get worse before they get better, but let me assure you- it will get better.

INU-YASHA WILL TRIUMPH! HE HAS TOO!

Wait… that makes it sound like I don't know what's going to happen either… hm…. Oh well.

My quote for today? "Come. Don't be shy. Leap into my arms." –Miroku, Inu-Yasha Movie 1 :P

Ja matte!

Sakura Minomura is out!