"Death Squared"
Boy, that last chapter was a doozey, wasn't it? Hehe, I'm so evil sometimes. It was painful for me to have to…uh…well, torture Kagome, but it helped the mood of the story if you know what I mean. Ok, you're probably really lost now, right? Ok, then, I'll just get on with the story.
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. If I did then I could do disturbing things with that furry thing Sesshomaru has over his shoulder. (what the heck is that thing anyway?) *grins*
Chapter 7: What Happens Now?
'Am I dead?' Kagome wondered. She wasn't fully conscious, but she did feel a slight vibration. She looked down as best she could and saw that she was being carried. 'It must be Kikyo. I wish Inuyasha were here…' Kagome drifted off into unconsciousness again.
Inuyasha glanced down at Kagome and saw that there were tears forming at the corner of her eyes. 'Great, even when she's not awake I make her cry.' Inuyasha felt as though he wanted to shrivel up and die because of the pain that he had caused Kagome.
Inuyasha sped up when he thought of Lady Kaede. 'She'll be able to fix Kagome up' Inuyasha thought with new hope. He looked down at Kagome again and a new thought struck him. 'I can't bring Kagome to the rest of them looking like this, they'll slaughter me. I should probably get her cuts washed at least.'
Inuyasha paused briefly and tried to detect a hot spring nearby. He found one that was about twenty yards away and made his way towards it. He laid Kagome down on the bank and carefully removed the blanket from her body. The sight made Inuyasha wince but he continued to gently remove the blanket.
'The pain that she must've suffered. I pray she wasn't conscious when he did this to her.' Inuyasha thought bitterly. He cursed himself for not torturing Naraku before his death.
When he was finished getting the blanket from her body, Inuyasha stood up and began undressing himself. He didn't undress completely, he placed his outer clothes on a rock so that he could clothe Kagome with them when he was finished washing her. When he was done with this he looked over at Kagome.
It took him about five minutes to get the courage to touch her, but eventually he picked her up and stepped into the water. He waded out until he was hip high in water. He put Kagome down, not letting go, until he felt her feet hit the bottom. He ran his hand over her body washing away the excess dirt and eventually he poured water over her wounds and cuts. His cheeks turned a bright shade of crimson as he went on washing Kagome. However minor her wounds were, with the exception of the big gash in her right side, there were many and Inuyasha found he was getting somewhat choked up when he had visions of Kagome being tortured by Naraku playing in his head.
Inuyasha hadn't realized how long he had been standing there wondering what horrific things Kagome had gone through, but he was startled when Kagome shifted in his arms.
"I-Inuyasha?" Kagome asked. She hadn't opened her eyes and Inuyasha could tell that she wasn't in her right mind at the moment. "No, you can't be Inuyasha. He didn't want to save me." Kagome slipped back into her unconscious state and Inuyasha was left with an even bigger guilt ebbing in his heart.
'She thought I didn't want to save her? What did Naraku do to her to make her think that.' Then it hit Inuyasha as though it were a physical blow to the face. 'Naraku didn't do anything to make her think that, it was I and my desire to have both Kikyo and Kagome. But Kagome didn't know I wanted her too, she only knew of my past with Kikyo and how I longed for her again. That's why she didn't think I wanted to save her.'
This time, Inuyasha did punch himself and then cursed himself even more for his forgetting that Kagome was still in his arms. Now that he had a new reason to hate himself, Inuyasha finished cleansing Kagome and brought her back up to the water's edge where he dried her off and clothed her in the garments that he had removed from himself.
"At least she's somewhat presentable now. I'm sorry Kagome." Inuyasha said quietly to himself.
He took up running again only this time he quickened his pace.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Miroku looked up and saw a village ahead of them. 'Finally, a village to rest at. I'll just make a few arrangements and we should be able to get a place to stay and a nice meal.' Miroku smiled and looked over to Sango to tell her his plan.
She too had seen the village and was looking at Miroku the same way she did when he tricked the people into letting them stay and have a meal.
"Fine, Miroku. Work your magic." Sango gave in. Sweat was pouring down her face and she was exhausted. Their lack of sleep the night before made it tough to travel. Sango looked back at the village and saw an even more welcoming sight than she had before. "Miroku, do you see that old woman?" Sango asked.
"You mean the one at the edge of the village? Yes, I see her, why?" Miroku asked wondering what Sango was thinking.
"Well, if my memory serves, that looks like it may be lady Kaede." Sango said hopefully. Miroku looked back to the old woman and nodded.
"I believe you're right, Sango." Miroku said cheerfully.
"Lady Kaede? Where!?" Shippou asked and then he saw her. He jumped from Miroku's shoulder, which he had made his perch, and ran to Kaede. "LADY KAEDE! LADE KAEDE!"
Kaede looked up and saw the little kitsune running at her and smiled.
"Hello, Shippou. Where is Inuyasha and Kagome?" Kaede asked curiously. She looked up and saw Miroku and Sango making their way over and looked even more puzzled.
"Has either Inuyasha or Kagome through this village, lady Kaede?" Sango asked after they had said their greetings.
"They haven't. Why are they not with you?" Kaede asked.
"Kagome ran off in search of Kikyo and so Inuyasha went after her, and now they're both nowhere to be found." Miroku said looking down at the ground in disappointment. He had really hoped that Kagome and Inuyasha had been in this village.
"My sister is still roaming about? I wish her soul could've just rested in peace." Kaede said turning her gaze downcast as well.
Suddenly Shippou jumped from Kaede's shoulder and began to sniff at the ground.
"Hm? What is it, Shippou?" Sango asked curiously.
"I think I smell Inuyasha nearby." He said hopping around sniffing here and there. Miroku looked up and as if on cue, Inuyasha came running around the bend with Kagome bundled up in his arms.
"Inuyasha!" Sango said with a smile that quickly vanished when she saw who was in his arms. "What happened?" Sango asked a new tone in her voice.
"Naraku." Was all that Inuyasha would say. He turned his attention to Kaede. "You think you can fix her?" He asked. He looked as though he was on the brink of tears.
"I'd need to know the severity of her wounds." Kaede said as she unwrapped Kagome's right side and gasped. "Naraku did this?" Kaede was appalled and ordered Inuyasha to take her to one of the houses in the village.
"What did you see that made you gasp, lady Kaede?" Miroku asked. He didn't want to know but considered it his duty to know incase there was anything he could to help.
"Kagome is badly wounded. Her right side was completely mangled. She has minor cuts and bruises all over the rest of her. Nothing that I can't fix, but it will most definitely take a while." Kaede said going inside to dress Kagome's wounds.
Inside Inuyasha had set down Kagome and was now sitting and staring at her.
"Inuyasha, please, I don't think she would want you in here for this." Kaede said in a soft voice. Inuyasha gave her a cold look and got to his feet. Before he exited, he growled and got his last few words in.
"Listen, old hag, if Kagome doesn't make it, your head will be on a platter, you hear me?" Inuyasha growled again and left.
'That boy doesn't realize how much he loves this girl. Just like he didn't know how much he loved my sister.' Kaede sighed and bustled around collecting herbs and then settling herself down and set to work dressing Kagome's wounds. 'He washed her?'
*fin
Well, at least we know Inuyasha cares for Kagome. *shrugs*
~S saiyan Vegeta4013