Chapter 34: Stuck in the Woods III
As the sun rose across the treetops of the woods, the neko youkai, Kirara, awoke with a yawn to find Inu-Yasha pacing a little awkwardly around their cave.
"Good morning," she said.
"Oh, hi, yeah," he said a little absently.
He was staring intently at the ground despite the fact that he couldn't see it.
"How's the leg?" Kirara asked, "Any better?"
"Well, I can definitely walk," the hanyou said, smiling slightly.
Kirara grinned, relieved, before she stood, stretched, and let out a loud yawn. She prowled up to the boy and gave his face a lick.
"Did you sleep at all?" she inquired, her ears drooping slightly, "You didn't, did you?"
"Not at all," Inu-Yasha sighed.
"I'm sorry," Kirara muttered.
"Why?" Inu-Yasha laughed, "It doesn't have anything to do with you. I just…."
He paused, and sighed, rubbing his head a little embarrassedly.
"I'm just really worried. You know how it is."
"Yes" she said, nodding, "I suppose I do."
She padded around him absently for a moment before she drew close to him again, shoving her snout into his face.
"What do you plan to do now?" she asked.
"Well, I guess… I need to start heading towards the center of the woods," he concluded, "That's where I told my friend I'd be meeting her."
"Huh…" Kirara mused aloud, "I would've thought you more the type to charge straight back into the woods to find her."
Inu-Yasha looked to the cave ceiling, shyly avoiding eye contact: he had actually been contemplating that exact rescue-method, but Kirara's tone kicked him back into reality.
"Not on this leg. The hole in my chest ain't really helping too much either," he admitted, "And, seeing as I… you know, can't see, I'm guessing that'd it'd take me too long to find her."
"Ah," Kirara said, inclining her head slightly, "I didn't think you'd take the path of reason, puppy. You used to be so much more… impulsive."
"I was not," he retorted, folding his arms to his chest.
"What about that time, a little after I met you, when you jumped off the roof of Sango's onto Miroku so that he wouldn't grope her?" she asked.
"Th… That was a one-time thing!" the hanyou yelped, embarrassed.
"Or, what about the time you set a whole shopping mall's sprinkler system off when you thought someone was burning a cat in a bag…?"
"How was I supposed to know it was one of those dumb meowing toys?" Inu-Yasha protested, "It sounded real, okay?"
"Or what about the time-?"
"All right, all right, I get it!" he interjected, throwing his arms up in defeat, "I'm friggin impulsive. I just don't really want to die, right now, okay? Can you really blame me for being cautious?"
"Absolutely not," Kirara laughed.
She licked his face, and though Inu-Yasha said nothing, he was glad of her approval.
He paced around the cave a few more times before he turned back to his friend curiously.
"Kirara… Will you come with me?" he asked.
"I was considering it," the neko admitted, "But I'm afraid I should return to Sango now…"
She sighed and sat down, her tails swishing absently.
"The reason I left originally was because I was positive that these odd youkai-hunters knew about me… I was afraid that her whole family was in danger," she said, "But now that I've been away for a few weeks, perhaps I've thrown them off the trail? What do you think?"
"I sure hope so," Inu-Yasha agreed, "Sango is really worried about you".
Kirara's ear folded backwards sadly and she unconsciously leaned into Inu-Yasha's hand as he patted her neck consolingly. She turned her head towards him, her whiskers bristling and gently brushing his face.
"Thank you for the reassurance, pup," the youkai sighed.
She pulled away from him and strode to the mouth of the cave, peering thoughtfully into the brightening forest.
"If you run, how long do you think it'd take you to reach the center of the forest?" she asked.
"That depends," Inu-Yasha replied, scratching his head, "Where are we now?"
"About half a mile from the northern edge," Kirara said.
Inu-Yasha tapped his chin absently.
"Well, normally, running, it might take me… I dunno, maximum, half an hour," he mused, "But on this leg… I dunno… I don't think I'll be able to run very well at all for at least another day or so…"
He looked troubled for a moment, absently rubbing his palm over the wound to his arm.
"Might take me a few hours," he decided.
Kirara's ears drooped and she turned to the boy, concerned.
"I could fly you there," she suggested.
Inu-Yasha raised his eyebrow, though his eyes became wide and startled.
"You… You can fly…?" he asked.
"Oh, yes, of course. When I take on this form, I can fly quite well," the neko stated, "Oh dear, I thought you knew that all ready Inu-Yasha."
"No," the boy said, "I didn't even know you could change forms until yesterday."
"Ah, right," she said, sounding a little embarrassed, "Well, now you know. Would you like me to fly you there?"
Inu-Yasha could barely bring himself to seriously consider it.
"No way," he said almost automatically, "You'd be way too easy to spot, plus a huge target. I don't want you to risk it."
"Are you positive?" Kirara inquired, "I'm worried about you."
"I'm positive," the hanyou stated with a nod.
"So be it…" the youkai sighed.
She tilted her head back and let her aura engulf her in flames, and when she emerged, she was no bigger than an ordinary housecat.
"Good luck Yasha," she said.
She delicately hopped onto his shoulder, licked his cheek, and then bounced down again, her tails swishing.
"If you ever need me-" she started to say, but Inu-Yasha nodded, cutting her off.
"I know your scent, I can find you," he said with a grin, "Don't worry about me… And don't follow me, either. I don't need you getting involved in all this crap."
"I understand," Kirara said.
She huffed out a small sigh that came out surprisingly high-pitched, and then bounded from the cave's entrance, back into the forest, calling out "Sayonara!" over her shoulder.
-
The hanyou listened to Kirara's paw steps as she ran until they became one with the other creatures that lived in the treetops.
For an instant, his nerves shook his body. He was completely alone.
Closing his eyes, he sucked in a deep breath in an attempt to steady himself.
I need to find Kagome.
The thought of her gave him a slight boost in confidence. His determination to see her again made him feel stronger than he had. Inside him, he could feel her aura pulsing with a more definite rhythm than it had before. He could only feel it sometimes, though when he could, it revealed the basics of her emotions to him.
He could tell that she was worried, but she also felt inexplicably safe. Inu-Yasha couldn't be sure as to why, but for whatever reason, he was glad. His confidence building slightly, the hanyou took his first, cautious step from the cave and back into the woods.
oOoOoOoO
Almost an hour had passed before Inu-Yasha began to realize how much his leg hurt. Almost every step sent pain searing up from his muscle. Other than that, however, he was in fairly high spirits and making good time through the forest.
His heightened senses placed almost all of the youkai-hunters far away, to the south, which cheered him greatly, though he worried for an instant that that might be where Kagome was. He felt his mouth run dry with anxiety, though he almost automatically remembered that she hadn't run south: she was probably just as far away from the majority of the threat as he was.
He wondered what had drawn them so far away and off the trail.
Inu-Yasha was a little surprised at how small their threat to him was beginning to seem. They were all obviously new recruits to the "demon hunting" sections, or he would have been found and caught all ready. It seemed like they had few of their older, experienced soldiers to spare. Inu-Yasha wondered why: he had thought he was one of their main objectives recently because he had evaded them so many times.
I really wish they'd just leave me alone… he thought grumpily.
-
He paused for a moment, resting his back against a tree as he took a short break. He didn't want to overwork himself too much. His stomach was starting to hurt a little bit though: he hadn't eaten since last night, and his mouth was beginning to dry out as well.
He knew there was a river somewhere in the woods, but he hadn't been to it in a few months and he couldn't remember where it was. Plus, it probably wasn't the best idea to go drink dirty water.
Tired, worried, and thirsty, the boy sighed, and then continued diligently on his trek.
Every once and a while, he tested the air, hoping that he'd catch a whiff of Kagome on the wind. He was a little depressed that he never could: he assumed that she was too far away. For now, what was left of her scent on his jacket was his only source of comfort. Even the gentle, occasional pulsing of Tetsusaiga at his waist barely eased his tension.
His fingers traced its hilt uncertainly as he squinted up into the leaf-blotted sky. The sun was slowly creeping into the blue, its warm light pouring through the gaps in the foliage. The heat felt good on the hanyou's face.
He wished that he had a slightly better sense of direction, though he was glad he had familiar scents to guide him. He was also glad that he knew the woods fairly well: if he didn't, he would have been absolutely, hopelessly lost.
He hoped Kagome knew the woods as well as he did, or at least knew her way to the center and the giant tree from wherever she was.
-
After almost another hour, the dark grey that was Inu-Yasha's vision burst with light as the trees gave way to a clearing. Relief sprung up in the boy's chest and he limped quickly towards the large tree at its other end, resting his hand against its bark to steady himself.
"Thank God…" he mumbled aloud.
He glanced up towards the leaves above him, and then over his shoulder. He straightened slightly, perking and swivelling his ears.
He was a little disappointed: there was still no sign of Kagome. He was tempted to leave again to attempt to find her, but he decided that it wouldn't be in either of their best interests. What if Kagome arrived after he left? Or what if he ended up running into the humans who wanted him dead?
Inu-Yasha sighed dejectedly. He knew he was hardly in any shape to fight off people with guns, though the Tetsusaiga reassured him slightly.
The boy braced himself on the ground for a moment, readying himself for the pain he knew would seer up his leg, and then jumped upwards, grasping onto a branch and awkwardly hefting himself onto it. He leaned his back up against the trunk, took a deep breath, attempted to suppress the ache of his wound, and then closed his eyes, waiting for Kagome to show up.
oOoOoOoO
The whole world seemed to be rocking back and forth when Kagome slowly let her eyes flutter open. She watched in groggy puzzlement and trees and ground passed by slowly, along with loud, deep, and rhythmic thuds. It took the girl a few moment to remember what was happening, and when she looked up, she saw a scaled, purple chest before her, and long, claw tipped fingers all around her, like an open-topped cage. She frowned with slight confusion for a moment until she felt the chest rumble with a guttural laugh and the movement around her stopped.
So, you're finally awake, she heard echo through her head.
She tilted her head upwards and sat up to see a giant fanged snout descending towards her. She winced slightly, only to have the creature roughly lick the top of her head.
"Urm… Good morning to you too," she said, smiling a little embarrassedly.
She stole a glance to her side to get some bearing of where she was. In a moment, it was easy for her to tell that she was held, cupped in her youkai friend's palms.
"How long have you been up?" Kagome inquired curiously.
An hour or so, Tsuyomaru replied, though I only started to travel a little while before you woke up.
He promptly picked up the pace again.
I didn't think that staying in one location would be in our best interests… Though I haven't scented any humans around for quite a while.
"Do you think they left?" Kagome asked hopefully.
No, they are just far away… I wonder what drew their attention…
Kagome's thoughts automatically shot to Inu-Yasha, and she cringed, silently begging that he wasn't the distraction. Tsuyomaru could easily sense her anxiety: he tilted his head puzzledly and looked down at her, his brow ridges bending in a frown.
What is it? He inquired.
"It's… It's nothing…" she mumbled, biting her lip.
Liar: there is obviously something wrong with you, the demon growled, What is it?
Kagome winced and placed her hand on one of the giant fingers around her. It automatically curled, the giant demon taking the girl in his grasp with unexpected gentleness before placing her on his shoulder.
She sighed and, sitting in a slightly painful, cross-legged position, clung to his mane sadly.
"It's just… my friend…" she muttered, "I'm so worried about him… He's been shot, and I… I just really hope he's all right."
You mean the male that left his scent all over you? Tsuyomaru inquired, curious now.
Kagome nodded slightly, and the youkai snorted into the air and his lips stretched back to show fang in a slight grin.
Don't give another thought to his safety for now, he stated, That boy is further away from the humans than we are. I can scent him.
"You can?" Kagome asked, automatically brightening, "Where is he, is he okay?"
I scent blood, though you all ready told me he was shot… though…
Tsuyomaru frowned, confused for a moment, before he turned his head to look at Kagome slightly.
I do not understand… I saw no bows or arrows with the humans.
"Oh, humans don't use bows and arrows anymore," the girl explained, "They use guns, now."
Guns… the youkai repeated, I know of guns… Was that the item that human had pointed at you?
Kagome nodded, and the demon looked thoughtful.
These items were different in my time, he said, I suppose they are more accurate now?
"I'm afraid so," Kagome sighed, "That's why I warned you about them, remember?"
-
Kagome slumped across her friend's shoulder as she reached up lazily to scratch behind his ear. He jolted, surprised, before he relaxed slightly as he realized that he liked the feeling.
"Were there a lot of demons were you lived?" Kagome asked curiously.
I suppose so, Tsuyomaru replied a little absently: he was a little preoccupied by the ear rub.
"As many as the humans?" she inquired.
More than, I believe, he said.
"Really?" Kagome said, surprised, "You know, there are no actual records of demons… Not even any bones."
Tsuyomaru looked back at her, his face troubled.
Are you positive of this?
"Yeah, unless there's been a massive conspiracy thing to cover them up," she said, "Well… Actually, I'm starting not to doubt that so much now."
That is odd, Tsuyomaru mumbled, No records… Not even one?
"Only legends…" Kagome explained, "Though, some of them might be real. It's just, see… we learn history in classes now, and demons are never mentioned except in legends."
Your race must be trying to pretend that the past did not happen, Tsuyomaru growled, annoyed, They are trying to pretend that my race did not exist.
He grunted and Kagome looked away, shamefaced.
"Sorry," she mumbled.
Why are you sorry? The youkai inquired curtly, Little one, you have absolutely nothing to do with it.
He sighed grumpily.
It is sad that the children of your race will never know of the great battle of Nobunaga and Ochitaro.
"Nobunaga?" Kagome repeated, "We learn about him."
But not Ochitaro, Tsuyomaru grunted, He was a wonderful, demon general. We fought alongside Nobunaga's clan, against two allied human ones and another great demon and his army. When we met them in battle, the 2000 of us defeated their whole army of 40,000.
"I heard about that battle," Kagome said, "But… there was no mention of demons in it…"
Tsuyomaru jerked to a halt with surprise, looking straight back at Kagome with wide eyes.
No demons? He repeated in disbelief, I fought in that battle!
The girl was suddenly awestruck.
"No way," she gasped, "You… are so cool."
Tsuyomaru looked puzzled for a second before Kagome laughed and rubbed the top of his broad snout with her palm.
"Cool means, like… awesome, great… impressive. That kind of thing."
Tsuyomaru nodded his understanding before he began to walk again, grumbling about injustices to himself.
"Hey," she said consolingly, "I'll tell everyone I can about your kind, okay?"
Don't bother, little one, he snorted disdainfully, If all you've told me is true, none of the humans will believe you.
"I guess not," the girl said dejectedly, "But that's all right, people think I'm nuts anyway."
Why? The youkai asked, confused.
"I talk to animals."
That's normal for a miko, he said simply.
"A… miko…?" Kagome repeated, "My… My friend said that too."
Then your friend is wise, Tsuyomaru said.
"You think?" Kagome asked a little blankly, "My grandpa said it as well… I used it in a pen-name sometimes."
Grasping tightly to the youkai's mane, she pulled herself into a sitting position and sat quietly for a few moments, thinking as she absently stroked her friend's fur.
-
She knew from past experiences that they were about halfway to the center of the woods, and at their pace, it might take them another hour or so, depending on whether they ran into any more trouble or not. Kagome was feeling more confident now that she wasn't alone anymore. Having a thousand-something year old demon as a traveling companion was extremely reassuring, even though he was still weakened from the "time-shift", whatever that was. She would have to have him explain it to her later.
She wondered what Inu-Yasha would think of her new friend once they found him at the tree. She also began to wonder what she was going to do with the massive beast. Undoubtedly, she couldn't leave him by himself in the woods, especially since he had decided to protect her.
She pictured herself and Inu-Yasha trying to cover him with a giant tarp of some kind and vainly attempting to pass him off as a weird sculpture, or a truck, or something, sneaking him down the road towards home, and a smile came to her face.
She had absolutely no idea what to do with him. If the forest had connected to the one near her house like it used to, she wouldn't even be having this problem: a large section had been cleared away for construction some years ago, though an endangered bird was found living there and the cutting of trees had abruptly stopped.
-
After about ten minutes of silence, Kagome craned her body slightly to look into Tsuyomaru's face, eyeing him over closely. She sighed dejectedly, realizing that there was no possible way she could even try to pass him off as some sort of normal animal. His features would scream "dragon" to anyone who looked at him.
"I wonder…" Kagome mumbled aloud, "What am I going to do with you…?"
What do you mean? Tsuyomaru inquired, What are you talking about?
"Well, you and me, we're friends, kinda, aren't we?" Kagome said, and when Tsuyomaru nodded a little uncertainly, she continued, " Well, that means I'm going to need to try to find a way to sneak you back to my house… But you're just so big…"
You own land? Tsuyomaru asked, curious.
"Well, not me, my dad-type-person," she clarified.
Oh, the youkai said, Well… I don't necessarily have to be…. Big…
Kagome raised her eyebrow, puzzled.
"What?" she asked.
I can… Well… Tsuyomaru said, and to Kagome's surprise, he sounded a little embarrassed, I am able to assume a human-like body, if need be.
"Really?" the girl said, surprised, "Oh… Wow…"
A broad smile bloomed on her face and she couldn't help a relieved laugh from bubbling up her throat.
"Oh wow," she sighed, "That makes everything infinitely easier. Thank God…"
She elbowed him lightly.
"'Cause, you know, the only thing I could think of was to try to sneak you away under a big tarp, but then… where would you sleep if you couldn't fit into the house?"
I will just change my form, the youkai said again, nodding slightly, But… are you sure your family would accept a creature such as I…?
"Well… Ummm…"Kagome said a bit embarrassedly, "The only person in my house with me at the moment would be my best friend Inu-Yasha and my cat… My dad is… well, never there, not that I care… And my Mom and Grandpa have been travelling on and off for quite a while. And I have a little brother too, but he'd think you're, like, the epitome of cool. '"
I see, Tsuyomaru said, though he sounded a little troubled, What of this "Inu-Yasha" character?
"Oh, I really don't think he'll care," she assured him, patting one of his long horns, "He's a really good guy."
Kagome smiled slightly at the thought of him before she shook her head and patted her friend's horn again.
"Don't worry about a thing," she said, "And I'll just tell people that you're my uncle or something."
Tsuyomaru cocked his head slightly before his lips pulled back to expose bright fangs in an amused grin as he snorted out a loud laugh.
You never cease to puzzle me, Kagome, he said.
"What? Why?" Kagome asked.
If you were from where I was, you'd understand.
"Why don't you explain it to me, then?"
Tsuyomaru's smile widened slightly.
I have never hesitated to eat a human before I met you. Most creatures are terrified to even look me in the eyes, he said, And even if I wasn't like that, humans believe that aiding a demon will earn you a curse and an automatic ticket to hell. Your kind doesn't believe that anymore?
He tilted his head to look back at the girl on his shoulder, and he was a little surprised to see her purposefully look him in the eyes, smiling slightly.
"Some do," she said, "People of different religions… Or just people who are more religious than me."
She shrugged absently.
"Well, whatever, curse or not, I'd like you to come home with me," she said.
Tsuyomaru didn't know why, but her statement made his heart jerk slightly. His cold gaze softened slightly and though he now hid his fangs, his smile was still present.
Thank you, Kagome, he said.
oOoOoOoO
The midmorning sun had the two agents, Akagawa Michi and Yamada Ronin scouring the woods once more. They had camped out in poor quality, agency-provided tents overnight, though neither of them had slept very much. Michi had lain awake almost all night, watching Ronin as he feigned sleep, wondering if he was planning to get up to try to catch that girl again.
The man had been extremely upset that he had apparently lost the trail, though in reality, Michi knew that there had never been one. She was a little surprised that he hadn't noticed that it was a ruse, but then again, he had become so obsessed with hurting Hanyou 153 that he was blind to most things. He was starting to frighten her.
During their training, as soon as he had heard that the hanyou was still alive, he insisted that they be a part of the team sent to pursue him if he were spotted.
Since becoming an official member of the "youkai hunting team", or Project Youki, as it was called, Ronin had become all the more violent and obsessive. Michi wished she could understand what it was about Hanyou 153 that infuriated him so. It couldn't really be just about a scholarship, could it?
What was odd to her was that the two of them had been in classes together. The hanyou, apparently, had skipped ahead academically and had been awarded a math scholarship that Ronin had had his heart set on.
Michi didn't understand what the big deal was, especially since the hanyou had offered him the scholarship anyway, but Ronin, being the way he was, had rudely refused…in front of a large committee.
Michi was beginning to wonder what she had ever seen in her soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend. She supposed that he had been sweet when they had first met, but now, as she watched him clench and unclench his finger-challenged hand, curse, and scan the area incessantly for signs of either the hanyou or his female companion, she felt almost repulsed by him.
As he swore again, Michi bit her lip to avoid telling him to shut the hell up.
I don't understand why he wants to kill that poor kid, just for being with the hanyou… She doesn't even know what he is… she thought a little sadly.
She took a deep breath and stopped as Ronin stamped irritably ahead, squinting through the underbrush as if staring at it hard enough would make tracks magically appear.
"Ronin…" she said, and he jerked and turned as if she had thrown a rock at the back of his head, "Hey… I don't think the girl went this way… Maybe we should radio in to the group leader and regroup a bit, huh? Get our bearings?"
"My bearings are fine," Ronin snapped, "Besides… they wouldn't allow the disposal of non-transferred human subjects anyway…"
He cut his eyes at Michi cynically.
"You won't say anything, will you?" he said, though it sounded more like a statement than a question.
The woman scowled slightly, a little offended that he was trying to give her orders, though they were the same rank.
"And what if I do?" she demanded, "I don't agree with this, Ronin. Not at all. She's barely any younger than us!"
She tried not to wince as she saw rage spread across the man's face.
"What if I refuse to cooperate, huh?" she asked, frowning, "What if I turn you in for this?"
For a moment, Ronin was frighteningly silent, though after a moment, a sneer passed over his lips.
"Then the hanyou got my gun," he said simply before turning and starting to walk again.
It took Michi a moment to realize what he meant, though as she did, she felt her blood run cold.
"Are… Are you threatening me?!" she demanded shrilly.
Ronin said nothing, but the woman could hear him chuckle darkly. Michi gulped, and after hesitating for a moment, she began to follow him again, trying to think of a way to ditch him.
-
After another few minutes of extremely awkward, uneasy silence, the radio-communicator at Michi's waist crackled to life, making her jump.
"Come… in, large… I repeat…" was all she could hear, so she picked it up as Ronin turned to look at her curiously, and she pressed down on the button that allowed others to hear what she was saying.
"This is Akagawa and Yamada. Can you repeat that?" she asked.
"I repeat, again, there is an extremely large, purple-coloured creature that has been spotted at 13 22. We believe it is a youkai."
Michi looked startled for a moment, while Ronin's eyes lit up. He snatched the radio away from the woman and held it to his mouth.
"Is the human girl near him?" he demanded.
There was a pause as static buzzed through the speaker.
"Affirmative. He's… Got a human female on his shoulder."
Michi's heart jumped nervously as Ronin looked triumphant and shoved the radio back into her hand.
"Let's go," he ordered.
Michi hesitated for a moment, but reluctantly complied when she felt cold metal pressed to her ribs.
oOoOoOoO
As Tsuyomaru paused on their trek to take a drink from a nearby stream, letting the girl onto the ground, Kagome couldn't help but begin to feel uneasy. Her stomach turned over in a sickening dance and she clutched to it with one hand. Her leg had suddenly started to hurt and bleed again a few moments prior to the nausea kicking in, and now, it was becoming hard to stand.
She limped awkwardly to a nearby tree to hold herself upright, though after a few long moments, Kagome realized, to her horror, that this was the same feeling she had endured before both "agent attacks".
"Tsu… Tsuyomaru," she called a little weakly.
His head automatically jerked up from the river and he looked at her, his ears pinned forward.
What is it, little one? He asked, sounding concerned.
He lumbered to her side and her mind reeled for a moment as he brushed the top of her head with his fingertips.
"We have to get out of here, right now," she mumbled.
Why, what's wrong? The demon inquired.
"Those guys… Those guys who want to kill us are coming," she mumbled.
How can you know that? He asked, I cannot smell them…
"They're upwind," Kagome stated, not knowing how she knew such things, "Every time I get this certain feeling-"
Kagome suddenly felt like she was going to vomit and cupped her hand over her mouth awkwardly, just as the very first, blue-clad soldier edged his way over the hill behind her friend, like the first of a hoard of ants. She gasped and pointed, and Tsuyomaru automatically jerked around, his eyes narrowing spitefully.
Bastards, he snarled, baring his fangs.
"We have to run," Kagome choked out.
She could hear the birds above her screaming, fearing for their lives. She heard a few try to call her, addressing her frantically as "miko", to head for the trees.
Kagome wouldn't have been able to leave, even if she had not been petrified with fear: her leg was now oozing blood once more, and she could barely stand on it.
Tsuyomaru lowered his body and wrapped an arm around Kagome protectively, his red eyes fogging over furiously. There were more soldiers now, dozens of them, pouring over the hill like dark water, their weapons glistening in the speckled sunlight.
They showed no fear at the sight of Tsuyomaru, as if they had seen his sort of creature before. Kagome had no idea what to do, though she could feel Tsuyomaru's demonic aura pulsate and begin to rage around him, like a hurricane. In a flash, she could see the darkness around him, like black fire with a blue glow.
They will not touch you, child, the beast snorted.
-
He reared confidently onto his hind limbs again, and instantly, every gun was aimed at him.
He smiled a shining, crocodile smile before he lurched forward, and his aura exploded around him as the dark flames burst from his mouth and engulfed all the humans before them.
Kagome let out an involuntary shriek just and the demon spun towards her, scooped her into his hand, and barrelled away on all fours, the girl clutched safely to his chest. The fire darkened the entire area almost as if it were night.
Kagome closed her eyes as Tsuyomaru panted triumphantly, though from his left, he began to hear loud shouts. He turned furiously to meet the oncoming gunmen and let out a deafening war-roar. Kagome winced and covered her ears, and the beast quickly placed her on the ground behind a thick tree, trying to get her to use it as a makeshift shield.
A single gunshot echoed, though the impact of the bullet didn't faze Tsuyomaru in the least. He snorted furiously, his mane bristling, though Kagome could see the small wound in his chest, his dark blood slowly trickling from it.
The youkai dropped to all fours, baring his long fangs aggressively before he charged, roaring, at the armed humans.
"Tsuyomaru, NO!" Kagome called frantically, though her demonic companion paid no heed to her woods.
He raced aggressively into the humans, rearing up and knocking them back with a simple swing of his arm. Helpless, Kagome could only watch as her friend received another two shots to his shoulders.
He bellowed with pain and Kagome gawked, horrified.
"Tsuyomaru, get out of there!" she yelled, waving to him, "You're gonna get killed!"
-
Unfortunately, Kagome didn't notice that her flailing had attracted the attention of a gunman on the edge of the fray. He swiftly raised his rifle to eye-level to aim, though the jerk in his movement drew the notice of the purple youkai.
With a growl, he ducked to all fours and bounded in front of the girl, just as another shot echoed through the trees.
Kagome couldn't see where Tsuyomaru was hit, though by his sudden gurgle and the blood that began to dribble from his mouth, she assumed that it was in the throat.
"Oh, God, no…" she breathed, before she dashed forward and grasped onto his massive arm, "Tsuyomaru, we have to run. Please!"
She tugged on his limb for a moment, but a quick flick of his wrist sent her tumbling to the leaves with a yelp.
A true warrior will finish his battles, he growled.
He let out another roar that forced most of the soldiers to cover their ears, and with this distraction, Tsuyomaru plunged back into the fray, grasping one of the humans in his jaws and biting down hard before he tossed the ruined body against its former allies.
-
Suddenly, a yell was heard over the hill behind the fighters, and Kagome, shaking her head in disbelief, felt her heart sink as she could see what was left of the fire-blasted battalion racing to join the fray. She also spotted a sniper there, who quickly took up a position to aim directly between her friend's eyes.
"Ts… Tsuyomaru, DUCK!!" she cried, though her yell was barely heard above the roar of the fighters.
She saw her friend's ear twitch, and he stole a confused glance at her, just as she heard the sharp, clear noise of the gun being fired.
Horrified, Kagome could only watch in what seemed like slow motion as a quick, metallic blur sped through the youkai's skull and blood spurted in a thick, red stream.
"No…" she gasped.
She felt like she couldn't breathe. She watched Tsuyomaru stagger for an instant, his eyes growing wide with pain.
K… Kagome… he growled weakly.
The girl was on her feet before she knew it, reaching out to the youkai.
"C'mon… we can… we can still get out of here," she whispered.
She could see the youkai's eyes fogging over and he bared his bloody fangs in a small smile.
Gomen…
He turned away from her, panting and, in what seemed like a final struggle at survival, he turned and flailed his claws through the crowd, sending dozens flying. He braced himself directly in front of his charge and let out a roar of pain and rage and, before Kagome could try to call him back again, the woods echoed with so many gunshots that it sounded like thunder.
-
Tsuyomaru froze, and, to Kagome's alarm, she saw what seemed like hundreds of bleeding wounds open up in his back.
Oh, God, please… No…
He stumbled, his right knee giving out, and without warning, he toppled sideways.
The entire world seemed to shake as the purple giant crashed to the ground, snapping a tree in half in the process.
Kagome gawked, aghast, as she watched the dark blood pooling on the ground around him, pouring from nearly fifty bullet holes in his flesh.
"Tsu… Tsuyomaru, no…" she gasped, "No, no, no!"
She stood as fast as she could and ran on weak legs to his side, kneeling and throwing her arms around his thick neck.
She knew he was dead before she even stole a glance into his blank, red eyes.
Tears now flowing freely down her face, she hugged the massive youkai, burying her face in his mane.
"No, no, no…" she murmured, "No, please…"
She stroked his scaly brow and gulped, trying to wet her dry throat as the uniformed officers began to close in around her.
She couldn't bring herself to move. There was no way she was going to just leave her friend's body to be taken away and dissected.
She cringed and held him close as one of the bolder men took a large step forward, raising his gun to point at her forehead. He pulled the trigger, and there was an impossibly loud noise, but, as Kagome braced herself for the pain, nothing happened.
She looked up slightly, only to see, to her astonishment, the man crumpling backwards at the impact of his own bullet.
A highly practiced silence was all that occurred between the soldiers.
"How…? They disappeared…" One muttered.
"It deflected the bullet," another said.
Kagome's eyes grew wide, and she stared them down, completely baffled.
"Disappeared?" she repeated softly.
What…?
A woman slipped her gun into her holster and then approached Kagome.
The girl tensed up, but the woman seemed to be staring right through her.
She reached out a hand, though it stalled in midair as if it had made contact with a wall, and then jerked backwards with a static zap.
The woman, what little of her brow could be seen through her visor bending in a frown, inspecting her lightly smoking palm.
"She put up a barrier, somehow," she muttered.
Kagome jolted slightly and squeezed Tsuyomaru's lifeless form tighter, hot tears streaming down her cheeks. Confusion took her. She had no idea what to think of anything anymore. Not of youkai, of barriers, of anything…
She bit her lip, wanting to say something to her friend, but unable to come with anything.
"I'm sorry…" she whispered after a moment, resting her forehead against his miserably, her voice feeble and soft, "I'm so… so sorry… This is all my fault…"
If I hadn't called out to him, then…
She choked, her stomach reeling as she mopped the fresh blood from the wound in the side of his head with her hand. She stared at him hopelessly as it continued to flow, and she was about ready to plop down to the ground with him, when a single thought shot through her head so strongly it was as if someone had shouted it at her.
RUN.
What…? Was her weak response, and again, the thought hit her almost painfully.
Run. Now.
Her eyes grew wide and she could feel energy suddenly surge into her body, numbing the pain in her leg. She looked back to Tsuyomaru's body, startled, only to find that it was glowing. She nearly jumped back, though in an instant all the light dispersed, shooting up towards the sky, and, before she knew it, Kagome was left clutching three long, jagged fangs in her hands. The words Thank You were also scrawled across the dirt in an extremely messy form of kanji.
Kagome couldn't help but draw in a breath of shock. All that was left of her friend's corpse were his three fangs, and the crimson stained dirt.
Again, something inside her told her to run and so, standing shakily on slightly reenergized legs, she edged away from the soldiers, who were now taking turns running at the barrier, and bolted out the back way as quick as her limp would let her.
To her surprise, none of them seemed to notice her. In fact, she was almost positive that not one of them had even seen her. A little more confident now, Kagome tucked the three fangs into her pocket and ran as best she could through the trees, and after a moment, she knew exactly where she was going. She was only a little ways away from the center of the forest.
Her heart leaping with relief, Kagome tried her luck at sprinting, and was soon quite confident that her friend had given her an extra burst of energy to help her on her way.
-
Her heart pounding in her ears, Kagome could not hear the heavy footsteps that had begun to trail behind her. Though joy took her when she emerged into the bright, warming sun of the clearing, the giant tree within her sights, it was short lived.
She didn't hear the short, sharp laugh that echoed behind her, and she didn't get a chance to hear the pop of the man's gun. Before she had even realized what had happened, Kagome had dropped into darkness with a bullet in her back.
oOoOoOoO
It was just a few moments ago that Inu-Yasha had been awakened from his nap by the devastating roar of a creature out in the woods. Unsure of what it was, he had darted away from his post at the tree, to survey the other areas around him quickly. In an instant, however, he had scented Kagome. He had felt her aura burst up and out of the trees. His heart had leapt and he had rushed, ecstatic, back to his post, only to hear the laughter of the human, Ronin and a woman's voice cry out "Oh FUCK, Ronin, DON'T!!".
-
Now, Inu-Yasha gawked in horror, his ears pressing backwards as the gunshot echoed clearly through the trees. The scent of blood sprayed into the air and splashed him in the face, and his entire body quaked as he heard the dull thud of Kagome hitting the grass.
His mouth dried and his blood ran as cold as ice.
No… No…!
His trembling fingers clamped down on Tetsusaiga's hilt and he pulled it furiously from its sheath. He grasped it tightly in both hands and stood on his branch, relishing in the blade's aura as power surged through it and transformed it before his deadened eyes.
He could hear the tired, triumphant laugh of the man who couldn't see him, and his heart began to beat wrathfully.
Kagome…!!
With a roar, Inu-Yasha launched himself from his branch, bringing Tetsusaiga down with an earth shattering crash before him. Shouting out in dismay, Ronin flung himself backwards as the ground split in a deep crack.
Inu-Yasha, panting, his eyes narrowed with utter fury, yanked his blade from the ground and pointed it directly at the man. Red pulsed across the whites of his eyes and he bared his fangs.
"You BASTARD!" he bellowed.
He broke off towards Ronin at a run, charging in blind rage. Trying to stay calm, Ronin aimed his gun and shot as straight as he could at the hanyou. Though one bullet clipped Inu-Yasha's all ready bleeding arm, it was obvious that it didn't register at all. The boy snarled and, energy surging through his blade, he swung it at the man who had shot Kagome. The energy glowed bright gold, nearly blinding Ronin, who attempted to stagger away. It was no use though: the energy blasted along the ground in three deep lines with a sound like thunder, and he was quickly engulfed.
Once the energy had faded, all that was left were the three scars along the ground, and a tiny bit of ash where Ronin had been standing.
-
Inu-Yasha stood, his knees shaking, his fingers locked tightly around Tetsusaiga, whose blade lay embedded deep into the soil. He drew in a few shaking breaths and then swiftly whirled and bounded towards Kagome's felled body.
He dropped to his knees at her side, sheathing Tetsusaiga with trembling fingers, his heart racing as he felt blood smear onto him from the grass. He felt his chest tighten and he reached out a shaking hand to the girl, unsure of what to do. As he lifted her limp form into his arms, for the first time in years, the hanyou truly thought he was about to cry.
A feeling of utter helplessness set in on him: his mind drew a blank. What could he possibly do to help her?
-
In his blindness, however, Inu-Yasha had completely missed Michi, who now stood, almost petrified, against a tree.
She had watched, helpless, as the hanyou had obliterated Ronin, though she was surprised to feel no remorse for the man. Perhaps it had been his lack of humanity towards both the hanyou and his girlfriend. Plus the fact that he had threatened her life.
As she slowly was able to relax, she watched as the hanyou raced to the downed girl's side. She saw him skid in her blood and, panicked, lift her to his chest and cradle her with surprising gentleness.
Michi's heart jolted as she watched the boy, who seemed close to tears, nuzzle against the girl's face and mutter what sounded like an incredibly endearing sentiment. Guilt set in and it almost made the woman's eyes begin to water.
They're… They really are just kids… she thought.
She had never really seen the boy she knew as Hanyou 153 as human until that moment. All her training over the past two years had taught her that the youkai she would be facing were subhuman, but as she watched the boy, she realized how wrong everyone had been.
He's more 'human' than any of us, Michi thought.
Cautiously, she edged her way over to the hanyou's side, and then cleared her throat to draw his attention.
In an instant, his head jerked up and he darted a few feet away, the girl grasped tightly in his arms.
"You…!" he gasped out, "Wh-What the hell do you want now?"
"I…" Michi muttered quietly, though the uncertainty in her voice made the hanyou before her relax slightly and peer at her puzzledly, "I'm… sorry…"
Inu-Yasha jolted and he stared the woman down, his eyes wide.
"What…?" he said.
"My name is Akagawa Michi," she said quietly, "And… Hanyou, I'm… so sorry…"
Inu-Yasha couldn't be sure what she was talking about. He clutched onto Kagome, his mind still racing as he tried to figure out what to do with her.
"What?" he repeated.
"When I shot you, I thought…" she began, and then shook her head, "I just… I guess I didn't understand."
She sighed.
"I was trained to think of your kind as monsters, but… I realize now it was all wrong," she muttered, "I don't think I've ever seen anyone care more for someone than you do."
Her eyes traced to the bleeding girl in the hanyou's arms, and she winced.
"I'm sorry," she whispered again.
Inu-Yasha's ears drooped and he looked to Michi, not knowing what to say.
"Hey, you tried to stop that guy," he said finally, "It's not your fault…"
He stood, biting his lip as Kagome's trembling form almost slid from his grasp. He held her in a close embrace, though did his best not to squeeze her.
"I know you liked him," he muttered, "And… I guess… Well, I'd be lying if I said I were really sorry, but-"
"Don't worry," Michi assured him with a cold laugh, "He wasn't the guy I… well, you know… He changed. You know how it is."
"Yeah," Inu-Yasha agreed, "But still…"
He sighed and his shoulders shook with fatigue.
"I have to get her to a hospital…" he whispered to himself.
Michi eyed him with slight surprise before she stood as well and tentatively laid a reassuring hand against his arm.
"Hey, listen," she said, "Um… I have a phone… I'll call… I bet I can call off this whole search as well."
Inu-Yasha's ears perked, though he looked slightly nervous.
"Why would you do that for someone like me?" he inquired.
"That girl in your arms," she stated, "Shouldn't have to suffer… In fact, neither should you. I can bluff. Just… it'll be our little secret, all right kid?"
The hanyou looked apprehensive for a moment before he nodded gratefully.
"Thank you…" he mumbled, "I… I'm in debt to you now…"
"Just don't waste my efforts, okay?" she joked as she drew her phone out of a pocket in her jacket.
Inu-Yasha nodded again. The woman across from him dialled a number, and put the phone to her ear. In an instant, the search had been called off. She quickly told her supervisor that Hanyou 153 had taken his human and leapt over the tree line, and that he was probably in hiding now.
Inu-Yasha heard the man on the other end of the phone line curse several times: he was obviously upset that the hanyou had supposedly escaped. Then, he issued an order for all "units" to fall back.
Michi grinned triumphantly, and then, as soon as she hung up, dialled 1-1-0 for Inu-Yasha before offering it to him.
Slowly, he sat down in the grass, shifting Kagome to he lap and supporting her back with his arm. He took the phone from Michi in sticky, blood soaked fingers and held it to his head after mumbling "thanks," to her.
-
Soon, the ringing stopped and a female voice answered, saying,
"1-1-0, what's your emergency?"
"H… Hi, my name's Inu-Yasha," he muttered, "And… my girlfriend's been shot…"
"Shot where?" the voice asked, trying to sound calm.
"In the back, I think," the hanyou replied, "She's… She's bleeding everywhere…"
"Well, you're on a cell phone… Can you tell me where you are, son?" she inquired.
"Um… Um… I don't know," he said, starting to feel a little anxious, "Um… We're in the woods… I'm blind, so I really have no idea."
"Okay, well, your phone has a GPS system, so we can locate you. Just stay on the line with me a little longer, okay?" she said gently.
"Yeah…" he said quietly.
His head was starting to hurt.
"Do you know who shot her?" she asked.
"Some guy," he lied a little helplessly, "I dunno, I just heard his voice…"
"Okay," the woman said, "Are you hurt at all, son?"
"Hai, I've… I've been shot as well," he said.
"Oh my…" the woman gasped, and then took a deep breath to regain her composure before she said, "Do you know where? And who shot you?"
"Same guy," Inu-Yasha lied.
His head was really starting to spin. The scent of blood was making him nauseous, and his wounds were starting to act up. Michi knelt and put a steadying hand on his shoulder before he continued.
"One in my leg… and in my arm…. And in my chest," he said, "I… I think I'll be okay though…"
"There should be some help coming very soon Inu-Yasha," the woman assured him in a soothing voice, "Can you stay with me for another few minutes?"
"Yeah, I think so," the hanyou replied.
"Are you dizzy?" she asked.
"Yes," he said.
"Okay, keep talking to me," the woman said, "You need to stay conscious, okay? What's your favourite colour?"
"Um… red," Inu-Yasha muttered.
Ironic… he thought.
"Mine is green," the woman replied, " When is your birthday, Inu-Yasha?"
"December 28th," he stated.
"How nice. Right after Christmas. Do you celebrate Christmas, Inu-Yasha?"
"Yeah," the hanyou said, "I… I like Christmas."
"Almost everyone likes Christmas," the woman laughed, "You're doing very well, son. Do you think you can hang on until an ambulance gets there?"
"I think so," Inu-Yasha said.
"Good," she said, sounding slightly cheerful, "We have your location pinpointed, and there will be help there in a few minutes. Are you okay to hang up now, or would you like me to stay on the line with you?"
"I'll be all right," the hanyou assured her, "Thank you very much."
"Good luck," she said, though she sounded a little grim now, "Sayonara."
"Sayonara," he replied before he pressed the "END" button on Michi's cell phone; it took him two tries: his blood covered fingers slipped over it the first time and he hit the number 3 instead.
-
Letting out a feeble sigh, he attempted to pass the phone back to Michi.
She politely declined and pushed it back into his hand.
"You keep it," she insisted.
"It's 'cause I got blood all over it, ne?" the hanyou chuckled weakly.
"One of the reasons," Michi admitted with a smile, "Will you be okay if I leave you and… What's her name?"
"Kagome," Inu-Yasha mumbled, "Yeah, I think we'll be okay…"
"I'm glad," she said, "Good luck."
"Arigato," he said as he fished his bandana from his pocket and awkwardly tied it down over his ears, "And… also… thanks for everything."
Michi smiled.
"Hey, I'm quitting this thanks to you," she said, "And about Ronin… Don't even think about it for a second."
Inu-Yasha's eyes grew wide and startled, but he nodded.
"See ya," he said.
Michi smiled again and straightened before she headed back into the woods, trying not to hesitate, and willing herself not to look back. She couldn't be around when the help arrived. She reluctantly left the dirty, crimson-stained boy and his girlfriend to their fate.
She prayed that they would be all right.
oOoOoOoO
Inu-Yasha had to wait a grand total of two minutes and forty-seven seconds before he heard the sirens of a police car and an ambulance arrive in their vicinity: he knew because he had counted.
Within another minute and a half, he heard people rushing into the woods towards him. He realized that they must not have been too far from a road. He heard his name being called by several people, and it took him a moment to realize that he should probably answer.
The blood loss must really be starting to get to me, he assumed.
"Here!" he called out, and in an instant, six paramedics were on him.
Before he could even determine what was going on, Kagome was taken from him an laid on a green stretcher, and covered comfortably by a white blanket and hurried away, while a young woman took him gently by his uninjured arm and helped him to his feet.
"Relax, okay, Inu-Yasha-kun, you'll be okay," she assured him, "We have a stretcher here for you."
"I can… I can walk," he mumbled.
"Nonsense," she insisted.
Before he could protest any more, he was gently pushed down onto a stretcher, which, he realised, was surprisingly comfortable.
He could feel himself being carried, and he could vaguely see the girl walking along beside him.
"We're going to take you and your friend to the hospital," she assured him, "You were shot, ne? We'll remove the bullets. What's you're full name?"
"Taishio Inu-Yasha," he said, "I… I might have insurance, I think…"
He felt his head spin and he couldn't comprehend what the woman said next. He felt himself being lifted into the ambulance, and someone strapped him down to the stretcher, which was placed on top of some sort of table. He was too tired to protest, though he felt another woman take his face in her hands gently.
"Oh, you poor boy," she whispered, "You're soaked through…"
He felt her fingers land on his bandana, though now, his heart jolted with shock.
"N… No, wait…" he muttered, but he suddenly felt a new substance being pushed into his body and his voice gave out.
"Relax honey," he heard through now muffled ears, "Everything will be all right. Just count down from ten…"
Inu-Yasha couldn't remember if he did so or not as utter darkness and sleep took him.
A/N: Just in case you didn't know, 110 is the Japanese equivalent of 911… Well, at least in Tokyo it is, I think. If you know otherwise, feel free to correct me, because I'm not entirely positive.
Oh, and also, I was wondering... Say I was to write an actual BOOK, with original characters, plot, everything... And get it published or something within the next couple of years... Would any of you people be likely to read it?