Feudal Diaries:

Daybreak

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

Summary- With the coming of day, the battle ends... but has Inuyasha survived? Final part of a short story series.

The sun slowly rose up from beyond the hilltops, its morning rays shining over the grass and trees. As the sky slowly began to turn blue and the clouds parted... it was soon revealed that the ground was littered with gunk, blood, and severed snake heads and other parts. Standing in the midst of it all, panting breathlessly with exhaustion with several injuries but no less worse for wear... were Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and Kirara, all of them covered in several scratches and bruises.

Kagome panted as she wrapped her torn sleeve around her right calf, which had a sizeable gash in it, as well some bandages wrapped around her neck and left thigh, while Sango had several bandages wrapped around her head, left leg, and right arm, and she was busy wrapping up Miroku's torso, as well. As for Kirara, she had a patch on her forehead, several bandages around her right hind leg, and even one wrapped around her left ear.

"Ngh!" Miroku grunted as Sango tightened the bandages around his ribcage.

"Sorry," Sango said. "Are you okay, Miroku?"

"It's just a few broken ribs," Miroku replied. "I'll survive."

"The only reason you got hurt was because you pushed me out of the way," said Sango with a bit of a guilty look. "If I had just been a little more alert..."

"It's all right, Sango," Miroku assured.

Kirara went up and nuzzled her mistress, giving an affection chuffing sound as she did so, causing Sango to chuckle.

"Thank you," she whispered, both to Miroku and to Kirara, the former giving her a gentle smile.

"Kagome!"

Kagome gasped silently as she looked back and saw Shippo standing in the doorway of the old barn, his eyes wide and his expression almost frantic.

"Shippo, what is it?" asked Sango.

"It's... it's Inuyasha!" Shippo said between pants. "He's-"

Kagome gasped, her adrenaline suddenly rushing into her tenfold before she ran into the barn, dropping her bow in the process. As she entered the structure, however, she gasped silently... before she let out her breath in a soft sigh of relief.

There was Inuyasha, still lying in the hay... but his breath was now deep and even, his face no longer contorted with pain. His black hair had returned to its usual silvery-white and his dog ears had returned to the top of his head. As Kagome smiled and hobbled over to him, as if by instinct, his ear twitched and he opened his eyes, revealing them to be their beautiful golden yellow. He glanced over to his right and saw his priestess, who smiled at him lovingly as she came and kneeled by his side, gently holding his hand.

"...Kagome..." Inuyasha whispered.

"Inuyasha...!" Kagome said, softly, as tears of relief welled up in her eyes, and meanwhile, Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and Shippo all stood back, the latter sniffling as he wiped his eyes.

"So you were just trying to tell us he was awake, huh, Shippo?" asked Sango.

"Uh-huh," Shippo nodded.

"Thank goodness," Miroku said, just as relieved as the others. As Kagome gently pressed her head against Inuyasha's, the half-demon gave a tired smile as he took in her sweet scent.

'...Thanks, guys...'

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