Author's Notes: I didn't leave you at a terrible cliffhanger, did I? -scratches head- That's unlike me. Oh well. :P
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Next up we have the alphebetized Japanese list of words I've used, so if you don't know a particular word, here's the place to look. n_n It will change from chapter to chapter, though. A word repeated in another chapter will still be included. -noddles-
Arigatou - Thank you
-bachan - Suffix used to address old woman, also ones Grandmother
Daijoubu ka? - Are you alright?
Itadakimasu - Something you say right before you eat.
Minna - Everyone
Naze - Why?
Sankon Tetsusou - Soul Scattering Iron Claw, Inuyasha's attack
Ohayou - Good morning
Osuwari - Sit!
Shoji - Sliding door
Tasukete - Help/Save Me
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Shattered Eternity
Chapter Two
Punishment for the Crime
Rough hands threw her to the ground, ripping her clothes off, exposing her creamy skin. She screamed when they touched her. This isn't right..Inuyasha...tasukete..Pain seared through her womanhood when the forced their way into her. She screamed, begging them to stop, but to no avail.
~~
Kagome awoke. Her body ached, and she found herself naked under the blanket. The events of the night before came back like a mighty wave, hitting her with it's full force. She curled into the ball, ashamed she let herself be assaulted in such a way. She intended to stay buried under the covers, but a pang of hunger shot through her stomach, and she forced herself up.
Finding a kimono laid out for her, Kagome dressed and slid the shoji open. To her surprise, Inuyasha was sitting just outside the door, an intense look on his face. It softened when he heard her, and turned to bid her good morning.
"Ohayou," he said.
"Ohayou," Kagome responded. She wondered at Inuyasha's sudden kindness, then remembered. Of course he's being nice. After what happened, even he couldn't be mean. He even stayed here to watch over me...Inuyasha...
They walked together in silence to the dining area, where Shippou and Kirara waited. "Shippou-chan," Kagome said. "Where's Miroku-sama, Sango-chan, and Kaede-bachan?"
"Cooking," Shippou responded. "They should be done soon."
As promised, Sango and Miroku appeared not long later, carrying several bowls of rice. Kaede appeared a minute later with miso soup. "Itadakimasu," Kagome chirped with forced cheerfulness.
They ate in an uncomfortable silence. Kagome excused herself when she finished and returned to her room, returning to the safe haven under the covers, where no one had to see her impure face. She found herself crying into the fabric, crying out her pain. She didn't hear when the shoji slid open and Inuyasha stood in the doorway.
Only when her passionate sobs subsided did he dare approach her. "Kagome.." She jumped at his voice. "Daijoubu ka..?" He looked into her hazel eyes, and found only shame and sadness reflected in their depths.
"I'm fine..." she whispered. "I just want to be alone..."
Inuyasha's gaze lingered on her pained face a moment or two more before rising and leaving her alone. I'm sorry Inuyasha...I don't deserve your kindness. I can't go home and face my family or friends. I don't know what to do. A passionate sob shook her and she fell unconscious in a deep, tortured sleep.
~~
Inuyasha cursed himself for not being able to comfort her. More than ever he wanted to kill her assailants, make them suffer in ways he only wanted Naraku to suffer. Their morbid scent was stuck in the back of his mind, and finding them would be easy. His mind now set on bringing punishment to the men who raped Kagome, Inuyasha left.
As he predicted, the men were easy to find. He entered a buildling reeking of alcohol, trying to pick out the specific ones that hurt Kagome. But it wasn't his nose that found the men, it was his ears.
"Yeah, we found ourselves a good bitch all right," a drunken voice said.
"She put up a fight," another chimed in. "But we showed her who was boss."
Unable to contain his anger, Inuyasha approached the two men.
"Yeah, what do you want?" the first one slurred at Inuyasha. Growling, Inuyasha was unable to keep him temper in check and slugged him hard. The man crashed to the floor. He stumbled up, wipping blood from the side of his mouth. "What the hell was that for?"
"Yeah bastard," the second man said. "What the fuck are you doing?" Inuyasha grabbed him by the collar, ignoring his rancid breath. The man gasped for air when Inuyasha tightened his grip around his neck. Dots of blood appeared where the tips of Inuyasha's claws dug into the skin of the man's neck. Inuyasha dropped the man on the floor, where he laid, gasping for breath.
The first man attempted to punch Inuyasha, but his movements were slow and fumbly due to his drunken state. Inuyasha punched the man hard in the stomach, making him keel over next to his accomplice.
The two men stumbled up and ran for the door, Inuyasha at their heels. He was far from his full speed, wanting to lull them into a false sense of security before moving in for the kill. "SANKON TETSUSOU!" The dying men fell heavily, surrounded by a pool of their own blood. Inuyasha's amber gaze fell on them, and they recoiled in fright. But it was no use as Inuyasha squeezed the life from the men, leaving their corpses for the bugs and rats.
~~
Instead of heading straight back to Kaede's place, Inuyasha went to a nearby pond to wash the blood and reeking scent off of him. He was surprised to see a girl in the water, furiously scrubbing her arms. Inuyasha realized who it was and crept back. A familiar scent of blood hit his nose, and he turned around to see the foamy soap pink with her blood. In fact, most of her body was bloody and raw from furious scrubbing.
Inuyasha turned to creep away, when a twig snapped under his foot. He winced, and Kagome turned around to see what it was. "OSUWARI!" The familiar crash told Kagome who it was. "What do you think you're doing!?" she demanded.
Inuyasha crawled into view, a hand clamped over his eyes. "I didn't know you were here," he stammered. He heard the slosh of water as she stepped out, using a towel from her world to try herself off with. She dressed back into the provided kimono. "You can look now."
Inuyasha slowly uncovered his eyes. Her face was red with embarrassment, and he was willing to bet his was a similar shade. Kagome noticed the blood on his hands. "Inuyasha..? What happened?"
"I found them," was the simple response. Kagome's eyes were wide with fear, remembering her rape, and desperatly wishing the thought would disappear from her mind. "I killed them."
"Naze?" she demanded, not the reply he was expecting. "Why did you do that?"
For the first time, he looked her in the eye. His brilliant amber eyes were full of concern, the desire to protect her, and as Kagome looked further into the endless amber pools, she found love below the surface of his gaze. "Because they hurt you! They get what they deserved!"
She turned away as the tears fell from her eyes. "I don't deserve your kindness." Suddenly, Kagome found herself being held gently from behind. His cheek rested on her damp hair, arms encircling her gently from firmly.
"Why don't you let me protect you?" he whispered in her ear. One gently hand rose to her face and wiped the tears away. She turned to face him, a slight smile tugging at her lips. "That smile suits you better..." He moved his face face closer to hers and were nearly touching when he heard the scrabbling of feet on dried leaves.
"What are you doing!?!" Shippou's muffled voice demanded.
"Be quiet," Miroku demandedin a whisper. "Before they catch us!"
Inuyasha's ears twitched and he turned around to see the rustling bush. "OI!" he yelled.
Miroku, Shippou, and Sango tumbled out of the bush and crashed onto the dirt.
"See what you did?!" Sango accused Shippou.
"Blame him, not me!" Shippou growled, pointing at Miroku. "He tried to suffocate me!"
"You're too young to see such things," Miroku said matter of factly.
Kagome smiled her first real smile since what had happened. "Minna..arigatou!"
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What? You think it's over? Oh no no no. We've still got a while to go. -nods- I hope you liked the second chapter. n_n
