Winter's Chill (Chapter 2)
by IronRaven

Discalimer: Inuyasha and company aren't mine. They are the property of Rumiko Takahashi-sama.

When last we left our heros, young Kagome had returned to her own time with the flu and Kirara. In the past, a blizzard was just getting started, and Inuyasha and Shippou had just had a midair collision with a tree, while Sango had to pull Miroku out from under the river's ice...

---

"Uhn. What hit me?" Sitting up, Inuyasha broke the surface of the snow that had drifted over his prone body. The wind grabbed at his long hair, whipping it around his body as he held his head.

"Shippou? Where are you, runt?"

"Shippou!? You all right?"

"SHIPPOU!!" Fear brought the hanyo to his feet, the blow to his head forgotten. Sniffing the air desperately, he looked for any sign of the cub. Staggering, fighting to stay upright between his rattled brains and the entangling forest debris under the snow, Inuyasha moved towards the trace scent of his friend.

There. Falling to his knees, Inuyasha started to dig into the drift at the bottom of the tree, smelling the kitsune. Smelling kitsune blood. Finally finding the boy, the dog demon searched for a pulse, his hands shaking, his eyes wide. Weak, but steady. He's breathing. Neck isn't broken.

Brushing the snow from his younger friend, Inuysha check his injuries with a practiced eye. Blood had stopped flowing from a gash on Shippou's forehead, and from the severely swollen nose and cheek bones. The branch that I clipped must have hit him full in the face. Cuts, maybe a broken nose, but his cheeks and jaw aren't broken. But his flesh was cold. Cradling the unconscious, shivering boy in his arms, shielding him from the wind, Inuyasha raised his nose, seeking his friends. "SANGO!! MIROKU!!"

Brushing the falling snow from Shippou's face, Inuyasha's mind whirled. Kagome, why did you have to get sick now? I'm no good as a healer. What do I do?!

Opening the front of his haori and shirt, cringing at the chilled form of Shippou against his bare skin, Inuyasha knew that he needed to keep the boy warm. With a voice gruff from fear, and attempts to hide that fear, Inuyasha lowered his head to speak into his shift front. "Sorry, Shippou, it's as warm as it's going to be. Just hang in there, otouto. If I can keep you warm, your ki will repair your flesh."

---

Shaking from the cold, Sango helped the coughing, sputtering priest onto the bank of the river. "Are you alright, houshi-sama?"

"Th-the dem-mon? Isss it gone?" Falling into the snow, his arms barely able to hold himself up, Miroku could only whisper.

"Yes," the huntress told him, starting to roll him in the snow. "Roll- the snow will suck some of the water from your clothes."

"OK, Sango-chan. I'll be alright. I just need a moment to rest."

Oh, no, he's too cold. I need to keep him awake! Grabbing the monk by his dragon tail, she turned him to face him, before her hand met his cheek, harder than she's ever smacked him before. "STAY AWAKE, BOUZO!! WE STILL NEED YOU!"

"Hmnnn.. Why'd you hit me… Just a few minutes, please…." Why can't she let me dream for a minute more. It's warm in my dreams. It's cold here.

Pulling him upright, Sango slung her boomerang before looping her arm under his. His arm found it's way around her body, leaning on her for support. "Walk with me, houshi-sama, please. You need to stay awake. If you don't, you'll freeze to death."

Stooping to pick up his staff, she turned her head, their faces close, her breath like a flame on his cheek. "If you freeze, Naraku wins. You'll die, and I'll be all alone."

"S-s-san-n-go?" Eyes barely able to focus, he looked at her. "Whaaaa."

"It's nothing, houshi-sama. Walk with me. Left foot. Right foot. That's right. There was a small shed, the still, just the other side of that hill. A thousand paces. You can make it."

The rings of Miroku's shakujo ringing with every step, the two started off in a slow, shambling pace. Even though battlesuit was crafted of the skin of a snake youkai, lined with felt, and waterproof, it was not designed for bitter cold. The soaked fibers of her peasant clothes was starting to freeze to the scales under it, sapping her body's warmth. If we don't get there soon, we'll freeze together.

"S-s-san-n-go. Ar-rigat-to."

"You're wel-lc-come. Keep walking. Nine hundred ninety seven steps."

---

Knock, knock "Kagome? You awake?"

"Hai, Souta, come in." I was sleeping. Even sick, I can wake up in an instant now. Inuyasha and Sango must be rubbing off on me.

"Jii-chan said you left this in the well, and Mama asked me to bring you some tea if you were awake," crossing to his sister's bed, the boy studied her face as he slid her pack to the ground, before passing her the mug. "She said that you brought home a friend?"

"Hmmhmmm," drinking slowly, feeling the honey and lemon sooth her throat, the steam clearing her head. "Her name is Kirara."

Drawn like magic by the use of her name, the fire cat raised her head, looking across Kagome's shoulder. Staring at Souta, her eyes growing large, she padded along the bed to the boy, sniffing him. Raising her paw, she batted gently at his thigh, as if she was seeing if he was real. Leaping down, she circled the boy, studying him with her eyes and nose, the fire tips on her tail standing higher than Kagome remembered seeing. After a few minutes, the cat sat at Souta's feet, a small, sad, disappointed and confused mewl leaving her lips.

"What's she looking for, neechan? What is it, Kirara?" Stooping to the pick up the two tailed cat, the boy held her in his arms as he scratched under his chin. Kagome smiled- after meeting Inuyasha, she didn't think any of her magical friends could faze Souta.

"Maybe you reminds her of someone she used to know. She is a demon, she's lived with people for a long time," Kagome told her brother, her smile turning sad as he coaxed a purr from the still confused demon cat, seeing him in the dim half light. I hope Sango is ok. Now where did that thought come from?

"What is it, Kagome? You're staring at me."

"I.. Gomen… I'm just getting tired, that's all"

"OK," setting Kirara back down on the bed, Souta walked to the door, "good night, Kagome."

"Souta? Arigatou gozaimasu."

Hand on the door frame, he paused, looking at his sister, concerned. "For what?"

"For being you, otouto."

---

Author's notes:
Hmm.... I think Kirara's a little confused by Ko... sorry, Souta's appearance. *smirk* I will go back to that in a latter fic, trust me.

Haori: the outer shirt/jacket that goes with hakima
Hakima: traditional trousers, loosly cut to allow full mobility
Ki: aka "chi". Life energy, your soul, The Force (tm), whatever you call it. It's the thing that seperates mikos and other talents from mandanes, and the reason why youkai can do all thier nifty tricks. But ki can also be embedded, such as into a weapon or tool that it's owner creates or uses and carries on a daily basis, like the Tessaiga, Tensaiga, hairkikitsu and Miroku's shajuko (more on that later), making the tool ar living extension of the owner. (Although the Tessaiga and Tensaiga were charged by IY and Sesshy's father.) It is also possible to temporarily charge an object with ki, such as with Kagome and Kikyou's arrows, or Miroku and Keade's ofuda.
Otouto: little brother (let's all get the "ahhh"s out in one go now that we know how Inuyasha feels about the kid)
Shakujo: The elaborate staff of a buddist monk, with a brass head that has bells or chimes to warn small creatures that something bigger is coming. Think of them as back-up alarms for the front of a houshi. :)
Arigato: thank you (Arigatou gosamimasu is the really formal version)
Neechan: sister