"That is the stupidest fuckin' thing I've ever heard!" Inuyasha shouted.
"You're the stupidest fucking thing I've ever heard!" Kagome shrieked back nonsensically, face scarlet. "We're not making it up! Do you seriously think I want to go declaring war on an entire country?" They were standing toe to toe, both with clenched fists as they went at it. The rest of the group was simply watching in horror, Huojin peering out from a safe spot behind Changchang.
"You sure didn't argue with the 'dragon lady' now did you?" he bellowed back, using sarcastic air quotes that made Kagome want to shoot off his hands. "I really like how you just fuckin' volunteered us for this shit that has nothing to do with us! Busybody bitch!" He shot the last over his shoulder as he stalked off, clutching his pounding head and leaving Kagome red-faced and stuttering, so angry she couldn't even form coherent words.
Sango took a deep breath and put a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder, but she actually jumped back when Kagome wheeled to face her with murder in her eyes. "Uh- Kagome, he- uh, I'm sure he didn't mean any of that," she began gently, but her friend just buried her face in her hands and gave a muffled scream, stomping her feet wildly.
"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"
Miroku eventually lost patience with her tantrum and poked her with the end of his staff. "Are you quite done?" She blinked at him, then sighed and muttered a sulky, 'yes'. "Good. Don't kill me for saying this, but he has a point, though he could have made it more delicately." She gaped up at him.
"Miroku! You traitor!"
"It's simply the truth, Kagome. We function as a team, but that does not mean one of us is allowed to unilaterally make decisions that put all our lives at risk," he said firmly.
"I- ugh. Fine, you're right, but he's acting like we made it all up or something!" she said in irritation, fisting her hands in her hair. "Xia didn't really give us a choice. I mean, she did, but she was so- she made really good points! Someone has to do something or half the people in this entire country will get murdered! If she was talking about the people I think she was, I read about them at school, they're not really a country you want invading you."
Miroku sighed. "I wish this beautiful lady had allowed all of us to stay awake," he murmured. Sango whacked him viciously on the back of the head as she walked by to join Kagome, who had stalked to the edge of the mountain and was looking out over the land spreading below them, brown and withered.
"Kagome," she said quietly, "He's an absolute idiot, but he's right. We're all tired. This isn't our land, and these dragons don't control us. We don't owe them anything. Why does this mean so much to you?"
"Because, how can we know that so many people will die and not do anything?"
"From what you said, the people here brought this on themselves by killing all the hanyous that were protecting them," the slayer pointed out, dark eyes serious. The other girl blinked.
"I- well, yes, but they don't know any better!"
"Decent humans have the ability to make choices for themselves. They chose to judge others on their blood instead of their actions, and they chose to kill the innocents."
"Is it truly a choice if they believe their lives are in danger?" Huojin broke in, his face thoughtful and somber. Sango shook her head, making a face. "No, listen, I've lived it. The people who tried to hurt me were terrified. All the demons they had ever known were killers, pure evil. That does not mean they weren't good people who deserved to live."
"How can you call people like that good?" Sango blurted, tugging on her ponytail.
Huojin fixed her with a level stare. "Because I was living with them. I worked in their fields, I ate and laughed with them. They only turned on me once they learned about my demon blood."
"Exactly!" Sango barked triumphantly. "That's my point. You lived with them, you proved your good intentions, but they turned on you simply because of something you couldn't even help!"
"I'm not defending what they did," he bit back, eyes flashing. "I am saying they don't deserve to die simply because they reacted in a fear that was not entirely unfounded. You've seen war the same as I, you're a slayer, you know that humans can be just as cruel as demons! If we don't help, then what Xia told us will come to pass. There will be rape. Torture. Innocents burned alive, boys who can barely hold a weapon drafted into armies. Girls will be taken as slaves. Families will never see each other again. The fields will be salted, the wells poisoned with human bodies." Sango and Kagome were both he listed off atrocities. "I'm not from this land, but I've survived here for a long time, and if I can help protect it and bring it back to peace then I will!" His blue eyes were ablaze.
Kagome was smiling at his eloquence, but Sango still shook her head. "This isn't our fight," she said desperately.
"Then why did we travel all the way here, Sango? Just for fun?" Kagome said bitterly. "I didn't think you of all people were a coward." As soon as she said it, she bit her lip, but the slayer was already gone in an instant, back stiff.
Huojin and Kagome looked at each other in despair. Kagome wasn't surprised to find she was crying again. I'm such an idiot, how could I say something so mean to Sango? She's been through so much, her wedding keeps getting pushed back, of course she doesn't want to deal with this. She felt her throat close as she fought back tears. I don't know what to do, but I know I can't allow a whole country to die if I can help.
Huojin crouched next to her on his heels and put an tentative hand on her arm, patting hesitantly. He was wearing his rough overshirt again, but it had ripped when Xia transformed, and it was tied awkwardly. Ae he crouched it rode up again, revealing his scar.
"Did the people here do this to you?" Kagome hiccupped, pointing at it.
"Yes," he said simply. "Sadly, it appears I don't have demon healing powers." She laughed miserably, lips trembling.
"And you still want to go risk your life?"
"Yes. Absolutely. Life is precious, and it's fragile. Besides, if we can do as Xia said and make Inuyasha a hero- maybe I can help other hanyous. Maybe everyone will stop trying to kill us."
Kagome frowned, wiping her face with the back of her hand. "Inuyasha? I thought she meant you. I mean, you're the dragon, right? And you're her family."
"Family. That's so strange to think of..." he mused, squinting thoughtfully. He was only six when he came here, she thought suddenly. How on earth did a little kid survive in a world like this, full of demons and wars?
As if he was reading her mind, he said suddenly, "Is the world this terrible in your- our time?" She considered for a long moment, tearing up again. The Holocaust. Genocide. Racism, slavery, prostitution. Drugs. There's still murder and there's still wars. Plus we're killing the planet and the polar bears... her face crinkled up.
"Yes," she choked.
"Is it still beautiful?"
She considered again, surprised by his question. After a long moment, she let out the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, blowing her overgrown bangs from her eyes. "Yes. Yeah, it is."
"Well, then, we should save it," he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "This little chunk of it, anyway. I'm sure the Mongols won't stop at our borders. They'll do the same things to your home." He stood up, rubbing a hand over his chin. "I didn't even think she might have meant me," he added with a frown. "I'm definitely not hero material. You man, though, he's very strong. He's a true warrior."
"I probably should go tell him I'm sorry," Kagome said sadly. "I'm sorry for getting you into all this, too."
He waved a hand. "Nah, it's fine. Gotta keep things interesting, right?"
She smiled at him as she started to follow Inuyasha's earlier path down the mountain. She couldn't see him, but she could feel him, a hard little pissed off knot, and she followed it.
The hanyou was currently perched on the edge of a rock jutting out from the mountain, ignoring the chill of it seeping through his firerat. He wasn't that far; he didn't intend to go so far he couldn't hear Kagome if something attacked her, despite how furious he might be at the moment. He realized he was drumming one clawed hand on Tetsusaiga's hilt and forced himself to stop, eyes slitting. She's so damn naïve, she acts like it's nothing at all walking into the middle of a war this big, he reflected irritably. Besides, what good would this do us? We can take care of anything that comes to our home, and I ain't no errand boy for an overgrown snake. We shouldn't have come poking around in the first place. His ears went limp as his thoughts grew darker. I just got her. I can't lose her. One ear perked up a little, picking up the sounds of approaching feet.
"What do you want?" he snapped, nose picking up an incredibly stressed out Kagome. Tears. Aw, dammit all, I fuckin' hate when she starts crying. She gave a shaky sigh, staying behind him. He didn't look back.
"I'm sorry."
He grunted, then relented. "Yeah, me too. Didn't mean to call you that."
She came and set beside him, pulling the hood of her coat up against the biting mountain wind. She's even cute when she's been crying. That's not even fair. He threw an arm around her and she leaned into his warmth gratefully, looking up at him with big brown eyes as she snuggled to his side. He kissed her firmly and warmly, one hand cupping her face, an apology and a promise of protection, hoping she would read in his actions what was so hard for him to say.
"Inuyasha, I can't let a whole country get destroyed. Xia told us it's our destiny, and that no one but us can help." He growled in frustration. Girl sure can kill the mood...
"So? Maybe she's lying. Anyway, people get killed every day," he added brutally. "You can't save everyone in the world, Kagome, it's hard enough for us to help the people back home."
"This is different. This is something only we can do. And she wasn't lying."
"How do you know?" he scoffed.
"I just do!" she said firmly. "Anyway, I have to go apologize to Sango, I was a total... well, a bitch, like you said." He gave her an apologetic look, but she just gave a weary chuckle and stood back up. "Coming?"
"In a minute."
"Kay." There was a sour pause. "I'm doing this, Inuyasha. I am." She laid it down like a gauntlet, her voice clear and sure even if he could smell her fear, and then just walked off.
He slumped down gloomily, flopping to his back to look up at the clear, dry sky above them, nose stinging in the cold. I go where Kagome goes, I guess. He knew it was the absolute and unchangeable truth, but that didn't mean he had to like it.
Note: This is the end of 'Infinity', but I have a sequel going! Just go to my author's profile.
It's titled 'Beyond' and it follows our friends into war against the Mongolians.
Hope you enjoyed, and thank you everyone for reviewing!