Don't own Inuyasha cries... .o.o.
"Talking" 'Thinking'... all that stuff
Masanori was surprised when one moment he was ready to consummate his marriage with his precious Kagome and the next he was viciously knocked away from her and landed hard across the field. He quickly righted himself, and pulled his haori back on loosely, he stood to face his attacker but arched a confused brow when he didn't recognize the man; movement behind the stranger caught his attention and his glare returned when he realized what he was staring at. "Oh so the dog demon was too busy to handle his own issues so he sent a lackey huh… all you demons are scum."
"We're the scum… we aren't the ones that were just trying to rape another demon's mate; you really have sunk low Seiji." Nobuo was livid, he had been watching the whole scene unfold since that morning; when Inuyasha-sama had been captured by the group Nobuo knew it was up to him to protect Kagome-sama. He hid in the forest when Seiji brought her to the camp but he could not enter or they would all be in danger; he dug his claws into the tree bark when the humans entered the tent knowing it was all a trap but he couldn't do a thing but pray she could hold her own.
Hours… hours he waited to see even the smallest glimpse of her but nothing; he was just about ready to storm the tent when she burst out in what he could only assume was an escape attempt. He waited in the woods pleading in his mind that she come towards him; if she made it to the woods he could get her to safety. Joy like he hadn't felt in a long time coursed through him when she started to come towards him; but then he saw his mate's old husband and growled, he grabbed Kagome-sama and then all hell broke loose. Inuyasha's transformation was a surprise for everyone and Nobuo was the first to admit that he slipped up when he saw the dog; he took his eyes off of Kagome for a second and Seiji took her away.
By the time the wolf caught up with their trail Seiji had her practically nude in the grass; Nobuo's eyes bled red as for a second he was seeing Emi crying under the man and he charged not caring anymore about sneaking around. It felt good to rip the boy off of her and he was relieved that though she was shaken up he could tell that he had saved her from the male's true intentions.
Nobuo's rage was deep seeded and for good reason, to try and force a female to be theirs went against any form of true mating for a demon; only those demons that are controlled by their lust may force those unwilling to be with them to bed. But this was a human and he had already caused his own mate's death… bottom line the wolf was not allowing this man to leave the clearing alive. But despite his anger he couldn't stop the satisfied smirk from spreading on his lips when the male paled.
"H-How… how do you know that name; no one should know that name!" Masanori found it hard to breathe when the demon called him that name; when he joined Yukio's group he had shed his old life and everything that went with it including the dreaded name that caused so much pain for him. But if this demon knew that name then he must have been around his village… when it was destroyed. "You're a wolf demon… but that's impossible Yukio-sama assured me all those vile things were killed when the village burned."
Nobuo glared at the memory of that day, it was chaotic after Emi was purified he had gone insane over losing her and somehow he broke through the barrier and slaughtered many from the group; ironically Yukio, Chieko, and Seiji had not died by his claws. And when his rampage was over and he had nothing else left to kill he collapsed in a pool of blood and waited to die… that of course didn't happen.
"The human you call alpha fled when I escaped the barrier I was placed in… he didn't know what was happening."
"The barrier… it was you… you're the demon that stole Emi… you destroyed my life!" Masanori pulled out a sutra he had been saving in case Inuyasha had come after them; this was different than the ones he used on the dog demon when they first met though. He had stolen the sutra from Chieko's quarters some time ago when he realized his wouldn't work against Inuyasha; the priestess' sutra were inked with the same ancient symbols that the barriers had, this charm already had Chieko's power infused into it as well.
Kagome who was witness to everything that was happening became in tuned to the strange yet extremely strong spiritual power that now surrounded the tiny piece of paper in Masanori's hand. 'What is that, it can't be the same sutra he used on Inuyasha; this one could actually harm a person with demon blood.' "Nobuo-sama, get away!" Her warning was too late because Masanori already threw the sutra, "No!"
She couldn't bear to watch a friend and her savior be killed right in front of her; she also had a deep fear that if he did die then no one could stop Masanori from trying to rape her again. She couldn't stand fast enough and interrupt the charm's path by jumping in front of him and so she tried to make her own power to react like the night Sango gave birth; just as the sutra was about to touch the armor plate covering Nobuo's chest her power ignited and the field was filled with pure, warm aura… the charm exploded into blue sparkles and then the light died down again.
Kagome had to rest her head on her bent knees to keep from passing out from her energy loss; everything was spinning when she opened her eyes but she was pleased to see at least two people standing in the field with her, 'Oh thank the kami… he's safe.'
Masanori was amazed by her power as it engulfed him leaving him feeling warm, content, and empowered; but he was horrified to see the demon still standing when the light deemed. "It can't be… Kagome's power should have purified you… how are you still here!"
"Don't you see Masanori… Yukio was wrong, not all demons are evil; my powers will only destroy those with evil intentions and as you can see Nobuo-sama is still here… he is not evil."
"I'm sorry Kagome but I cannot believe you, demons are born evil there is no other way for them; it is why the gods grant those special humans like you with the power to destroy them."
Kagome finally gave up on trying to reason with the man because he was too far gone to be helped; Yukio brainwashed him too thoroughly to ever change his mind about demons.
With his sutra gone Nobuo felt the boy was no longer a threat and though he would love to remain in the field to finish him, Kagome-sama came first; with her tattered clothes as her only source of protection from the weather, and seeing how the sun would be down completely soon, to prevent her from getting sick he needed to get her back to the village. "Come Kagome-sama, I must get you back to the village where lord Inuyasha is for your safety," Nobuo turned away from the male to help the young girl to her feet; he cut the ropes from her wrists to sever the last binds she had, once free she quickly fixed her pants and got a better grip on her ruined haori.
'No… no this demon is trying to take her away from me again no I won't allow this… not again!' "No! No you will not steal her away again I won't allow it!" Masanori went insane at the thought that the demon was stealing his wife away once more; ignoring his own safety he charged forward and snatched Kagome's hand away from the wolf.
She screamed out in fear of what he would do again as he dragged her towards the forest, "Stop Masanori, let me go!"
Her plea was drowned out by the feral roar of the once calm wolf behind them; with Koga's speed one minute Kagome was being dragged away by Masanori and the next she was braced against Nobuo's chest with the human's pained filled screams behind them. Kagome looked over her protector's wide shoulder and at the moment she wished she hadn't; Masanori was laying in the grass in extreme pain and for good reason… upon his once pristine, muscular back now stood in gory horror of five large claw marks that extended from his shoulder blades all the way down to his hips. The blood pouring from the wound already soaked through his haori leaving it a deep red and he released another cry of agony that had Kagome feeling guilty.
She felt bad for the obvious pain Masanori was in but her guilt was over the fact that now he would be too distracted to try and take her away again. Her euphoria was short lived however when the wolf demon beside her grunted in discomfort and then collapsed to his knees, "Nobuo-sama!"
Though he was didn't voice it like Masanori, Kagome could see the pain he was trying to suppress in his deep violet eyes; his rapid breathing also spoke of the pain much like what he was going through with the seal on his neck. The girl was confused by his actions as she saw nothing physically wrong with him, "Nobuo, what's wrong, please tell me," when Kagome placed her hands on his chest she already knew the answer to her own question; the spiritual power radiating off his body was hard to miss. 'I don't understand was the sutra not destroyed and it's on him somewhere… where is this power coming from?'
"I knew when Yukio said the demon was destroyed I shouldn't have believed him; he is nothing but a liar… and a coward." The voice from the forest sounded familiar to Kagome but she couldn't place where; she had to hold in her screams of horror when the older priestess stepped into the clearing. It took all the hatred and will for revenge in Chieko's body to help her get this far and keep her standing. Her body has already started to shut down and she knew before this day was over she would die; as her last act in the name of the gods she vowed to take this demon to hell with her.
"Chieko-sama," Kagome couldn't believe the half wrapped bloody body standing in front of her was the once graceful head priestess of Yukio's group; the burns on her body were similar in pattern to those of Nobuo's when he fought against the barrier. This lead Kagome to believe that Masanori lied to her about Inuyasha attacking her; it was clear now that her injuries were due to a purification barrier… not her mate.
Despite his pain Nobuo released a hate filled growl just seeing the shell of the woman that killed his beloved mate; Chieko was the one to ignite the seal that began the purification of the cub within Emi's womb. The humans didn't think of the pain Emi would be in while her child was dying inside of her; Emi also had Nobuo's blood coursing through her body to care for the half breed inside of her… so she too was purified and killed. Nobuo never forgot the priestess that took his family away and today he would be able to gain revenge.
Kagome became worried when the wolf demon forced his body to move despite the spiritual power still within him, "Nobuo-sama please you can't fight in your condition."
Chieko, with her one good eye, glared at the young girl, "I had my suspicions about you from the moment we entered the village; how a dark miko could produce such a clean aura was beyond me… but I knew, you have sided with the demons when you released the half breed from Kikyo-sama's seal. She was a true priestess and you are a disgrace as a replacement."
Kagome was deeply hurt by the acid words and the fact that she was once again being compared to Kikyo and being seen in a bad light to the other woman; but she was used to these feelings and had to just remind herself that her previous incarnation was dead and gone. "I will not speak ill of the dead however the old ways of thinking about demons are in fact out of date; there are plenty of villages that except demons into them and allow their protection when in times of danger. I have seen with my own eyes while on my travels how humans have changed their opinion of demons and I for one am all for it; just because I have excepted demons and allowed Inuyasha to take me as his mate does not mean I am a disgrace or dark priestess!"
"Y-You allowed that vile beast to bed you!" Chieko was aware that Kagome was befriending demons but never had she imagined the girl would willingly bed the dog demon. She quickly came to the decision that the girl was no longer able to be saved despite both Yukio and Masanori's thinking so… with the only clear mind of the group she decided that Kagome too must be sacrificed to the kami to obtain peace. "This can no longer go on; I cannot leave this world with the knowledge that one such as you is tainting the future of humanity," Chieko raised her right arm, the only limb that would function somewhat properly anymore, and drew what little spiritual power she had into a small sphere in her palm.
Kagome had never seen a priestess call upon her power in such a way before, normally they would use a bow for physical attacks; and though it seemed like a small amount of energy she wouldn't be surprised if it had a very damaging effect. Kagome was more worried about the demon beside her than herself with this attack; with being both a human and priestess herself Chieko's powers couldn't hurt her.
"Chieko-sama, please don't do this; you know the truth now Yukio tricked you into helping him but look at what he's done for you. Please if you stop now I'm sure Keade-sama and I can help you," Kagome was tired of the fighting and she didn't want this woman to try and fight when she could barely stand.
"I've known Yukio was a fraud for a long time, that he had no power of his own and that he used me in his ploy to gain others; but I allowed him to since I believed in his mission as well… and I will die on this day and drag the both of you to hell with me!" In her rage Chieko fired off the sphere in their direction and like Kagome thought it held more power than it seemed.
Acting on instinct Kagome extended her hands and tried to produce a second shield to protect Nobuo but the wolf grabbed her around the waist and dove away. "Nobuo-sama what are you doing?"
"You must save your energy my lady and return to the village and to Inuyasha-sama's safety; I will handle this woman."
"Nobuo no, you're in no condition to fight I can still sense the spiritual power within you… if she hits you yo-."
"I was never meant to live long in this world Kagome, not after my mate and cub were murdered… if I am to die then I will be with them in the other world and I welcome it. You however, you have many things that you still must do in this world and therefore you must leave now; the male will not follow." Nobuo looked over to where Masanori was still lying in the grass; his shallow breathing spoke of his near unconscious state.
Kagome saw his determination but strongly protested his orders, "I can't just let you sacrifice for me."
"I am of no importance, do you not understand what I am saying! I must keep you safe, I failed my mate against these humans and when I saw you falling into the same position as Emi I vowed to protect you and keep it from happening; do not make me break that vow and fail again."
Kagome could see the pain in his eyes when thinking about his deceased love and all she could do was nod following his orders finally, "Alright I will go… but please be careful." She turned and disappeared into the forest.
With Kagome gone and safe now Nobuo could focus on the humans in the clearing and not have to worry about holding back. He also wanted her to leave because he knew she wanted to save the doomed woman and she would have gotten in his way.
"Trying to protect her is useless even if I die, Yukio will know she helped you and she will be hunted down to prevent his mission from being stopped."
"Then you underestimate Inuyasha-sama's strength; dog demons, like wolves, are extremely protective of their mates and he will fight all manners of hell to keep her safe," Nobuo flexed his fingers allowing his claws to glisten in the setting sun.
Even missing an arm Chieko wasn't going to let her guard down around the demon; animals are more deadly when injured, "Than how does that speak of you wolf, the girl that carried your spawn died without you putting up much of a-," Chieko's taunt was interrupted when she had to draw a shield up to stop Nobuo's quick attack; the wolf went feral when the priestess spoke of how he didn't put much effort into saving Emi.
"You leave her out of this wench! If we weren't caught by surprise I could have easily kept her safe; but that is your style is it not, move at dawn when those in the village are just rising… cowards."
Chieko glared as the comment was thrown at her, "I did not approve of Yukio's tact no and I believe that many of the lives that were lost could have been saved to join us; however, it was his decision… I was only to kill the demons and that was all."
Nobuo released his aura and charged at her shield trying to find a weak point to break it and get to her. Chieko was not pleased that she had to use up precious energy to keep the demon away from her but she would do it to protect herself… maybe he would injure himself by continuously running into the pure aura and she could finish him off quickly.
"It puzzles me… how are you able to draw so much power; I remember when we captured you Yukio had me seal your demonic aura."
"Why would I tell you how the seal was removed? I will not be gaining another any time soon," Nobuo was not a fool he knew she was a master with seals and barriers so he would not be getting too close to her… if she were able to slap another seal on him he would be done for.
"So it was removed then… that's why a monster like you protected a priestess; she removed it, she saved you." Nobuo didn't answer only confirming her suspicions as to how the seal disappeared.
The wolf was done talking; he crouched low to the ground and allowed his aura to expand around him. It wasn't as strong as Inuyasha's during his transformation but it had the same effect on the humans; as the dust settled and the light around Nobuo dimmed the fear from Chieko could practically be cut with a sword. The black wolf with the deep violet eyes was only slightly larger than a normal wolf; even with only three legs to stand on he was extremely dangerous, just one bite from his sharp teeth would cause great damage to a human.
"So you've finally allowed you're true form to emerge; it is a shame the dark miko has fled or she could have witnessed the disgusting creatures she is protecting," Chieko would have wrinkled her nose in displeasure had the mere thought of doing so not caused her already weak body great pain.
Nobuo bared his fangs at the woman who was still talking about his friend; this was enough he allowed her to live far too long for what was done to him.
Kagome had never been a good listener and despite everything that had happened to her that day she had not gone back to the village like Nobuo wanted. After walking off into the forest and being far enough away that the wolf wouldn't sense her Kagome doubted back to the clearing to keep an eye on the wolf prince; she didn't like his words when he sent her away, it was as if he planned to not survive.
She nearly gave away her hiding spot when she saw the feral wolf in the field squaring off with the priestess. 'What is he doing, even if she is hurt she still has the power to kill him!'
And then the real battle ensued between the two; Chieko erected a shield and Nobuo would charge trying to take it down; burns and the smell of purified flesh increased the longer Nobuo continued to attack but he too was getting in his own attacks. Chieko had to drop the shield to launch her spiritual spheres at the demon and every time she did the wolf would get a good attack to her own body with either his fangs or claws.
'Nobuo.' Kagome was practically in tears seeing the wolf fight; it didn't matter how much his body was taking he still continued to fight. But this wasn't for him, all this pain was nothing compared to the pain he has been going through with the loss of his mate. 'Is this what Inuyasha is going through and that's why he transformed?' Kagome suddenly felt extremely guilty for not returning to the village like she was told.
A horrifying scream of pain drew Kagome back to the clearing; Nobuo was now back in his humanoid form towering over Chieko who had collapsed to the ground… she looked to be in far more pain than when she arrived. Chieko cursed her weak body, already she was at her limit and she could no longer stand; everything was shutting down on her and she only had enough energy left for one attack.
Nobuo almost felt sorry for the woman, she looked pathetic and the scent of death that was coming off strongly from her. The wolf was about to approach the fallen priestess and finally end her life but a moan from across the clearing drew his attention; rage engulfed him again when not only did he see Seiji slowly crawling across the ground but the head priest of the group standing a few yards away.
Yukio had slipped into the field while the battle was going on; he was angry with how things in the village turned out and just by looking at what was happening here Masanori had failed too. 'Damn these demons there are no end to them! Our plans… they are ruined now because of the dog demon and those traitors to humanity.' "Masanori… wake up my boy," Yukio was sickened by the younger man's condition; it was clear that the wolf had gotten to him… but where had Kagome gotten too?
"Y-Yu… kio-sama… he-lp… me," Masanori was in so much pain it was a miracle that he was still alive.
"Come to me Masanori, overcome this earthy pain you feel and come to me so that we may leave this place and regroup." His master's words of encouragement gave Masanori strength to lift his body from the ground; he moaned in pain as the wounds on his back began to open once more adding more of his blood to the already soaked ground.
Nobuo witnessed the boy crawling on his stomach toward Yukio and flew into a new rage; leaving Chieko on the ground the wolf charged towards the two human males.
Kagome watched as her friend readied an attack at the men but a sudden spike in spiritual energy drew her back to the fallen priestess; she was horrified to see Chieko had gathered enough energy for one last attack and she was aiming it directly at the wolf prince's back. "Nobuo look out!" The girl jumped out form her hiding place and attempted to get in between the woman and the demon.
Nobuo heard someone scream his name and stopped his pursuit of the men to seek the person out; when he saw Kagome come out of the woods he was going to snap at her for disobeying his orders but then he saw the direction she was running and the sphere at the end of Chieko's palm. There was no decision to be made as his body ran on basic instinct; the second Kagome was close enough to him he grabbed her up and shielded her petite body with his from the sphere that Chieko launched.
Kagome cried out when the ball of energy hit the male square in his back; she felt his demon rise up to fight the spiritual power once again coursing through his body. Kagome could hear his pained grunts and could smell the burned flesh on his back; it was all her fault that this happened to him. 'Why didn't I listen to him when he told me to leave?' "Nobuo why did you protect me; I could have stopped it."
Nobuo collapsed in exhaustion unable to support his weakened body anymore, Kagome fell to her knees trying to help him but he outweighed her; from her position she got a clear view of the damage done to his back. Like that of Masanori, Chieko's attack tore apart both the metal back plate and the fur protecting his skin; the flesh was burnt and ripped in a nearly perfect circle and blood was flowing freely from the wound and down his back.
"Oh Nobuo," Kagome could see the wolf's normally tanned skin had become pale and clammy and he had broken out into a cold sweat all from the blood loss.
Behind the two Chieko was laying in the grass near death; she was completely paralyzed now after using the last of her energy in that blast… now all she could do was wait and succumb to her injuries. 'I have failed to vanquish the demon… everything I have worked for my whole life has been a waste.'
"I am truly disappointed in one with your power Kagome; you have lied to us all and cost many their lives… and it is all your fault," Yukio came into the clearing now that the wolf was disabled, he went to his student's side and lifted the boy up shouldering most of his weight on to himself since Masanori was barely able to stand.
Kagome gently slipped away from Nobuo, making sure he could sit up on his own before she did, and then she stood up to face the man that was the cause of all this pain. "I have lied… but my lie was to protect the man I love. I knew of your hatred towards demons and if you knew my mate was one you would try to kill him. Many have lost their lives yes but that was because you murdered them because they refused to see your way! You may be wise Yukio but you are wrong; this whole crusade is fueled by your anger for what happened to your wife. Your way of thinking is corrupt and dark and you have murdered countless in your pursuit to find the justice in that twisted way."
Yukio glared at the girl not liking her accusations of him, "You have much to learn Kagome, and I hope the next time we meet you will see the error of your ways."
'When we meet next?' Before Kagome could protest to his wording, because there would be no more meetings between them, voices could be heard within the forest surrounding them.
"Kagome! Kagome where are you!"
'That's Inuyasha… he's okay!'
"Damn that blasted dog he must have followed me here! Well it seems our time together is over for now Kagome but I assure you our destinies are to be entwined again for it is the kami's will!" Yukio dug into the inner pockets of his robe and pulled out several small pellets; he threw them to the ground just as Inuyasha breeched the clearing from the opposite direction. The second the tiny capsules hit the ground they shattered and thick black smoke filled the air around both the men. "Farewell Kagome I trust you will listen to my warning."
"Yukio you sick bastard!" Inuyasha leapt into the smoke intending to kill both humans but when the smoke disappeared he was angry to find that they were gone. "What! That's impossible, where the hell did they go!"
Kagome was so happy to see her mate that she was speechless; she didn't even see when Miroku approached her side until he spoke.
"Inuyasha I don't think now is the time to go after them," the monk could see how upset his friend was about not capturing their enemy, but one look at Kagome told him they needed to find out what happened here first.
"We need to go now or we will lose their scent monk; with all this smoke I can barely pick it up now."
"Inuyasha, we are needed here; we can always go after them later," Miroku was worried about Kagome's physical condition, he saw her ripped clothes and the bruises on her face and wrists and knew when the possessive demon saw her state he may just transform again; the monk had managed to calm him down before they found this clearing and he didn't have the energy to do it again.
Kagome was going to approach her mate but Nobuo's pained coughing caught her attention and she turned toward the wolf to see him throwing up blood on the ground. "Nobuo!" She ran to his side and tried to find some way to comfort him. "Nobuo please don't try to move your wound is too vast, let me try to heal you first."
Kagome reached out towards his back but his hand stopped her advancement, "No, save your energy… there is no point," the wolf pushed her hand away and laid back on the grass; the wound on his back had numbed from the pain it caused before… he couldn't feel anything now.
Miroku watched Kagome go to the demon, he then noticed the other woman laying a few yards away; despite his feelings of hatred towards Chieko for how she was no help with his wife while she was in labor, Miroku decided to be the better man and checked up on her. The monk was not surprised to find the priestess had passed on to the next world; with the wounds she sustained from the barrier Inuyasha was in it was only a matter of time before she died. And with the amount of spiritual energy he had been feeling when Inuyasha and he were making their way here, she was clearly in a battle with the wounded wolf. 'And judging by the fact that the demon is still alive, though barely, and she is not… she lost.'
Miroku knelt and sent a pray to the gods so that her spirit would find the peace it had not in this life; when Inuyasha calmed down a little more and they went back to the village the monk would have to gather a group of men to help bury the dead.
Kagome could barely hold back her sobs when seeing her friend in the state he was now; he was in pain and dying from his wounds but he wouldn't let her help him. She began to comb her fingers through his tangled bangs trying to give him some comfort during this time. "Nobuo," when the wolf's eyes opened she smiled, "I never thanked you earlier for saving me; if you hadn't been there he would have…"
"I am glad I could help you Kagome-sama… I just wish I could have killed him so he would be no more to you."
Kagome was touched by his words; even hear death he was trying to protect her, "Don't… don't worry about that… you just rest okay; now that Inuyasha is here he'll get them… just rest."
"Kagome?"
The sound of her mate's voice drew Kagome's gaze from the wolf's violet eyes to his amber ones. "Inuyasha."
The dog demon had been angry that Yukio and his lackey got away and was about to give chase; but the soft whisper that was his woman's voice as she spoke to the wolf filled his ears. His soul focus had been on finding the fake priest and killing him for what he allowed Masanori to do to Kagome that he completely missed the fact that she was in the field with them. He breathed in deeply her scent and panic filled him when the smell of her tears crossed his path.
Immediately he abandoned his original plan and turned to seek her out; he was bothered when he saw her kneeling over the wolf but he pushed it down when he saw the condition the other demon was in. He too crouched at the other male's side to look over his injuries; Inuyasha became very interested in their conversation when Kagome thanked the wolf for saving her. 'He saved her… he protected her when I couldn't,' Inuyasha's ears drooped just thinking about the danger his mate could have been in while he wasn't there; he also had to quale his rage when he finally got a good look at her physical condition.
'Why… why are her clothes torn! And those bruises on her cheek… I'll kill that bastard!' "Kagome!"
"I'm alright Inuyasha… Nobuo-sama… he saved me."
Inuyasha's eyes were glued to the girl for a long time trying to find out if she was lying to him or not; even with the certainty in her orbs he knew something happened to her and once this was over he would find out. With their silent agreement in place Inuyasha looked to the wolf, "Nobuo-sama… thank you for protecting my mate in my stead… I am in your debt."
"Aa, I only ask of one thing Inuyasha-sama… find them and make sure no other demon loses their mate like I did mine." The dog demon nodded his head, vowing to grant the wolf's dying wish; with his lord's word of honor given Nobuo was at peace and planned to rest as Kagome wanted.
'Nobuo-kun.' Her velvety soft voice caused a smile to grace his lips; he opened his eyes expecting to only see Kagome and her mate watching over him but to his surprise a little ways away there she was.
"Emi…"
Kagome and Inuyasha had been watching over Nobuo as he slept for a little over an hour; the girl jumped when his eyes suddenly opened and he spoke his dead mate's name. "Nobuo… Nobuo can you hear me?"
"Emi… you're here." Kagome was confused, he seemed to be dreaming but when she called him he wouldn't snap out of it.
"Kagome… who's Emi?" Inuyasha had been sitting by his mate's side keeping her warm as the sun had finally set; he had expected the wolf to not wake up at all so he was curious as to what was going on.
"Emi was his mate that died; he called out her name when I was removing his seal too but this is different. Nobuo can you hear me?"
No the wolf couldn't hear the little priestess' calls; all he saw and heard was his mate calling to him. Emi stood a few feet away in a beautiful white kimono, her whole body eliminated with an unearthly glow; she gave him a smile that made his heart flutter as she extended her arm out to him. It was then he noticed she was holding something in her other hand and he lost his breath when it began to wiggle in her hold. 'No… it can't be.'
'Nobuo-kun… it's time.'
Just from her words Nobuo felt rejuvenated as if it were some healing touch to his aching body. He felt like a cub again and even his broken heart was healed just by seeing her… and their child. Just thinking about the cub nestled in his mate's arms gave Nobuo the strength to stand and move to her side.
"Nobuo… Nobuo can you hear me!" Kagome had a sickening feeling come over her when the wolf's glazed eyes closed without acknowledging her.
Inuyasha sensed the moment the other demon crossed over to the next world and he pulled his mate to his chest to comfort her, "Kagome… he's gone."
Kagome relaxed into her mate's embraced when he held her but she quickly tensed at his words, "W-What do you mean… he can't… he just can-."
"He's gone Kagome; his wounds are too great to survive and without his mate he really has nothing to keep him here."
"But… but we're here… and he has clan with Koga's pack!" Kagome was in tears trying to deny her friend's death.
"Mate… could you honestly ask me to remain alive if something, the god forbid, every happened to you; I would be a shell of my former self if I had to remain here alone," Inuyasha buried his nose into her hair once again thanking the wolf that he saved her.
Kagome cried harder after hearing what her mate would do if she died; she also felt like such a terrible person for being so selfish in not considering Nobuo's pain. 'How could I be so self-centered and not think of what he would have wanted; for months now Nobuo has been depressed about Emi's death and he's wanted to be with her… what I want doesn't matter now.'
Kagome calmed herself down and stopped her tears when she realized how irrational she had gotten. Once she was able to clear her head again Kagome's spiritual senses awaken allowing her to feel others in the field. She pushed against Inuyasha's chest signaling she wanted space and once he released his tight grip she was able to look around the clearing for who was there.
"Kagome, what's wrong… what is it?" Inuyasha was on high alert by his mate's reaction; his ears twitched a top his head trying to pick up any sounds that someone was there.
Miroku had left a while ago to check on his wife and the villagers, he also planned to gather some men to bury the bodies before they began to rot and spread disease; with him gone that left Inuyasha and Kagome alone with the bodies of the wolf and priestess. And unless one of them planned to rejoin the world of the living the dog and his mate were alone.
"What? What is it?"
"It's like the time we met the soul piper and Mayu in the future… it's that type of sense. I believe there is a spirit lingering among us."
"Keh, well of course Kagome the wolf just died so his soul could still be here," though the thought alone crept Inuyasha out a bit.
"No that's not what I meant; yes I can sense him but… someone else is here… too," Kagome paled when her eyes caught two floating orbs near the clearing's edge. 'That is what I sensed… one is Nobuo's soul and the other… the other must be his mate.'
"Kagome, what are you staring at?" Inuyasha turned to look over his shoulder and a chill ran down his spine seeing the spheres. 'What the hell is that?'
As if hearing his thoughts the orbs began to glow brighter and transform; a short time later a very transparent Nobuo stood before the couple… and a young woman was cradled safely in his arms.
'Wait… he has both his arms, he's been healed and he looks truly happy for the first time since I've met him.' "N-Nobuo-sama?" Both spirits looked to Kagome when she called and the girl gave a gentle smile to the living couple. 'That must be Emi,' new tears sprung from Kagome's eyes just thinking about how tragically their lives ended; the only happiness they seemed to gain was their meeting in the afterlife.
Inuyasha didn't say a word as he observed the scene before him; he grew tense when his mate began to cry again and so he nuzzled against her cheek to soothe her.
"Kagome-sama, why are you crying? This was how it was meant to be…I do not regret my actions and what they have led to; I am happy now my lady I assure you," Nobuo smiled as his grip around the girl tightened.
Kagome wiped her tears away and smiled again, "Well… if you're happy then I can't be selfish I'm happy you are together."
Nobuo nodded glad that his death wouldn't haunt her for the rest of her life; he had grown fond of her like a pack sister and he didn't want her to be upset. Looking at his cub and mate and with her nod confirmed that their time was almost up he looked to the dog demon. "Do not allow those men to gain another following or they will kill once more."
Inuyasha knew the destruction those two could cause and next time they would fine someone with stronger spiritual powers… he could not let that happen, "I will find them… you have my word."
With the demon lord's word Nobuo felt the pull of the spirit world calling to them; he pulled Emi to his chest to make sure he didn't lose her again when they left. "Protect Kagome-sama with your life my lord… you don't ever want to know the pain of losing her." With that final last word from the wolf Nobuo and Emi began to glow once more and transform back into the round orbs before ascending into the night sky.
Kagome watched as the souls danced and twirled around each other in a beautiful pattern as they rose into the star filled void. When they faded away completely and Kagome could no longer sense them she fell back into her mate's arms and tried to hide her tears.
Inuyasha allowed her to sob into his chest as he thought over the wolf's words; he would never allow what happened on this day to happen again to his mate. 'No… I'll kill those bastards first!'
"Inuyasha!" The dog turned at the shout of his name to see the monk and a few of the men from the village approaching from the forest.
"Miroku, how is everyone?" Inuyasha stood with Kagome in his arms; she had fallen asleep while crying and he didn't want to wake her.
"All of the villagers are okay, though we lost a few families that Yukio took to join his group… I don't think they will be coming back. But everyone else is fine… we do have a slight problem with living arrangements though. At Inuyasha's confused expression Miroku went into detail, "When you transformed in the village you destroyed several huts with your… paws. There aren't enough for every family to have their own so some are living with relatives."
"Well then tomorrow we'll start rebuilding the ones I knocked down… no big deal," Inuyasha felt bad for destroying the village, he didn't even know that he could transform and he had no way of controlling it; but he would set things right.
"Very well… the men and I will bring Chieko's body and I assume the demon's as well back to be prepared for burial?"
"Bring them but don't do anything with Nobuo's body; I can already smell Koga on the wind he will be here by morning and will probably want the body," with the clearing situation cleared up Inuyasha decided to bring Kagome to their hut; she had been outside too long and he didn't want her getting sick. He wrapped her up in his kimono top to keep the chill of the night air away from her.
Inuyasha arrived at their home rather quickly as the early spring night temperature drops rapidly and he wanted his mate to be in the comfort of their hut in their bed. However the second he gently placed her on their futon and attempted to cover her with the blanket Kagome shot up screaming and smacked him in the face.
"Ow! Kagome what the hell!"
"Get away! Don't touch me!" Kagome had been in a very lite sleep, with all that happened to her she wouldn't be able to sleep normally for some time. When Inuyasha began to move back to their hut she woke and was completely turned around; when her mate placed her on the bed she thought Masanori had captured her again and brought her to Yukio's tent. Her attack reaction given her panicked state was reasonable… if it wasn't her mate there trying to put her safely in bed.
Inuyasha panicked when she began to scream bloody murder and was fighting his attempts to calm her. "K-Kagome… Kagome what is wrong! Mate stop it's me!" He was finally able to grab her flying hands and pinned them to his chest so she wouldn't hit him again; he watched as her eyes finally opened and she looked around the room frantically.
"I-Inuyasha?"
"Yes woman it's me," he gently combed his claws through her tussled hair to comfort her.
She burst into tears again and dove into his chest, "Oh Inuyasha, I was so scared… I thought I would never see you again; I thought they had killed you!"
"K-Kagome… Kagome they couldn't hurt me, Shippo's got more spiritual power than any of those men combined, there's nothing to worry about… I won't let any of them hurt you," he pulled her close and buried his nose in her hair, it was at this time that Inuyasha picked up Masanori's scent on her; during all the fighting and Nobuo's death Inuyasha didn't have the chance to completely look her over from when she was with the human. 'Why is his scent on her hair and skin, and her clothes were ripped… did the human do something before the wolf got there!'
The anger insider Inuyasha rose again when his beast smelled the sent markers the human left on his mate; he wanted nothing more than to replace the man's stench with his scent that should be the only one on her body. But he pushed those dark thoughts down seeing as how traumatized his mate was he wouldn't force her to do anything right now. But in order to keep his word he would have to leave the room and get some fresh air to calm his blood; he may even have to leave the hut for a few hours because her scent would fill every room soon and he couldn't trust himself until she bathed.
Inuyasha gently untangled her fingers from his robes and tried to make her lay back down, "Kagome you need to rest… calm down and go to sleep."
The frazzled woman did as her mate wished but the moment he stood from the futon and movement toward the door she shot up again, "Wait! Please Inuyasha… please don't leave me!" Her pleas nearly broke his resolve; she sounded so vulnerable and weak that his over protective dog nature was clawing to get its way out of him.
He wanted nothing more than to join her in bed but Masanori's scent was reaching him even this far away, "I'm not going anywhere Kagome, I'm just going to look over the damage the village sustained and make sure no rouge demon is lurking in the forest… I'll be back in a little while." It wasn't a complete lie, he was going to make sure the demons still knew he was protecting this village; but he was itching to get out of the hut and breath.
He lost what air he had in his lungs when he felt Kagome slam into his back and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. "Please… please don't leave… I… I need you." Her wanting cries stirred up something inside of him, he could feel his eyes bleeding red again as the more feral side of him tried to come out at her words.
"Kagome stop this!" Inuyasha fought to get her away from him, her touch was setting his skin a flame and he needed to get away before he did something he would regret; he pushed her away a little harder than he meant to and she fell back on to the futon. "Kagome!"
Shocked by his reaction, Kagome remained in a kneeling position on the bed, tears once again streaming down her cheeks at his obvious rejection. 'He… he doesn't want me anymore; because of what Masanori did now Inuyasha doesn't even want to touch me… he can't even look at me… what am I going to do?' Kagome shivered at the memories of what the human did to her.
"K-Kagome… mate I'm sorry I didn't mean to-."
"Is it because of what Masanori did that you don't want me anymore?" Kagome's clouded eyes looked to him for answers and his heart broke at her sadness.
"What? Kagome what are you talking about… what did he do?" Inuyasha ignored his discomfort and knelt in front of her to get the answers he was dreading; he reached forward to caress her cheek but she flinched away when he brushed one of the bruises on her face. "Kagome… tell me what he did." Even while crying she felt embarrassed about the things the other man did; it wasn't her fault and she fought all she could against him but she still felt like she betrayed her mate. "Kagome… tell me."
Kagome couldn't keep it bottled up anymore, it was easier to ignore what happened to her earlier because she was focused on Nobuo's injuries and eventual death; but now that he mind was clear it all came crashing down on her. "Inuyasha… he… he k-kissed me, I didn't want him to but he was too strong. A-And… he was trying to… to remove my clothes to… Inuyasha h-he touched me!" Kagome wrapped her arms around herself as she shook fiercely from her hard sobs; now that it was all out she had expected Inuyasha to be disgusted with her and run away in anger. She wouldn't blame him of course, she was tainted now and no longer deserved him… she closed her eyes and cried not able to bare the look she knew was on his face.
This time Inuyasha's eyes did flash completely red as he saw how upset his mate was over this; he could smell the fear and shame on her and he couldn't understand why. 'Does… does she think I would blame her for what he did!' Of course Kagome would because she always took the fall for everyone else's actions, it was in her personality to make others feel better; and by him trying to run away before didn't quale her fears. 'Damn way to go you idiot you're supposed to be comforting her during times like this not hurting her!'
Kagome nearly turned inside herself with grief when two strong arms wrapped around her body and a warm chest was pressed against her back; a chill ran down her spine as she felt the warm breath on the back of her neck… though unlike this afternoon it was a very welcomed chill. "I-Inuyasha?"
At the sound of her voice his tongue slipped passed his lips and started a trail from the base of her neck to just below her jaw, "You think just because that human forced himself on you that I would think you were tainted? You forget Kagome, I was the half breed you lowered yourself to accept as your mate… you could never be tainted to me."
Even with his words Kagome still felt dirty like Masanori's hands were skimming all over her body… she wanted to erase those memories but she knew she never could; no she couldn't wipe away what happened today… but she could replace those images with much more pleasant ones, once that she would want to remember. Kagome broke free of Inuyasha's hold and turned to face him; his confused expression caused her to smile… he was always so cute with that confused stare.
When his mate broke out of his embrace Inuyasha thought she was going to leave the room but when she simply turned around to face him he grew confused; when she slipped out of his kimono top and the tattered haori she had underneath, leaving her chest bare for his gaze, he got some idea as to what she wanted. "Kagome… I don't think-."
"Shh… please Inuyasha there are things about this day I don't want to remember; I want you to erase them for me… please. All I want to remember is your body entwined with mine in our bed… please," She didn't really let him answer as she pressed her lips against his; her body fit to his perfectly and he wrapped his arms around her waist practically crushing her soft flesh to him.
When they finally broke for air Inuyasha had to ask, "Kagome… mate listen to me you don't understand what could happen here." He had to keep his thoughts straight since when they parted Kagome went for his neck and began kissing and nibbling the skin, clouding his mind and arousing him farther… clearly she wasn't listening to his word of warning.
"Hmmm… I don't care… I want you so badly," her moans caused his ears to twitch and he accidentally scraped his claws against her back which caused her to purr.
"K-Kagome listen to me, that human's scent is all over you right now and I'm doing everything I can to keep me from jumping your bones and showing that human who you really belong to," Inuyasha's voice dropped an octave while he spoke as he buried his nose into the area of her neck that he already reclaimed; a deep growl vibrated in his chest at the possibly of what was to come if she continued.
Kagome pulled away from his neck as she felt his demon rise and she smiled to him again, "I'm not stopping you my love… do whatever you need to to have your scent all over me," she kissed his nose and waited to see what her demon lover would do.
Later that night the entire village was awoken to the vicious howls of a wild beast; and under the howls, to those with sharper hearing, one would be able to hear a young woman in the throes of passion enjoying the efforts her lover was going through to make this horrible day a little better.
Note: Okay this would have been out hours ago but the site was down with no notices and I couldn't put it up. I know many people reviewed in the last chapter about how Inuyasha and Nobuo should get Yukio and Masanori/Seiji in this chapter... and that didn't happen; but hey think about it Inuyasha didn't kill Naraku the first time he came across him... if he did there wouldn't have been much of a story. So sorry to everyone that wanted them gone; they will be back sometime in the future. I thought I should give you a little steamy scene at the end for not killing Yukio and Masanori yet so I hope that makes up for that. And this ends this part of the story, finally, the next chapter will be a turning point for the main characters which I know everyone will like and I've already started it so yay!
I'm sorry I killed Nobuo... he was such a good character to me and I'm sad to see him go; but his time was up in the story and he's in a better place now with his mate and cub so everyone should be happy.
Once again I've been nominated for an award on http:/ bornforeachother .blogspot .com / (no spaces) for best drama this time; the voting I think ends tomorrow so if you could stop by and vote that would be awesome!
Thanks to:
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For reviewing... lov'em, keep it up!