Hi-Minna! Back with chapter 3 of this fic! We loved reading all of your wonderful reviews…they really inspired us a lot. On with the chapter, enjoy!
Written by: Breezbox and Usagipegusus
Disclaimer: We don't own Inuyasha
*~*~*~*~*
Over the course of a couple of hours, Inuyasha seemed to have worsened somehow. Not only that, but his rebellious attitude didn't help matters much either. He was perhaps the most disagreeable person she would ever have the displeasure of taking care of.
She sighed, her eyes drifting toward the occupant of her thoughts. He was still trying to look tough and unaffected by this unknown sickness that had slowly started to take its toll. He looked pale and he had gotten more feverish, which worried Kagome immensely. Being a Hanyou, he was rarely even sick! She sighed once again; this was just getting to be too much!!
"What the hell do you keep sighing for!?" Inuyasha glared, disgusted. What did she think he was!? Some kind of defenseless baby!? He wasn't sick…but something definitely was wrong with him; and where the hell were the rest of them!? They should have been back already.
Inuyasha quickly turned his angry yet worried gaze away from Kagome's probing eyes to stare at the blazing fire in front of him. This "sickness" as Kagome had called it, was starting to put him into a light panic. Earlier, he had felt as if he was losing something to an unknown force. This time it felt like he was actually losing his mind, to an unknown force. Half an hour ago, for one terrifying moment, he hadn't recognized Kagome. He couldn't really explain why but he just hadn't. He mentally gave out an agonized groan. For once, he had to depend on someone else to ensure his health.
*~*~*~*~*
"Houshi-sama, we've been traveling for hours now, and I don't see anything that would resemble a field of wild flowers." Sango said curiously, turning to look back at the meditative Monk.
"Hmm…your right. The healer only said it would be an hour away." Miroku pondered heavily, as Sango motioned for Kirara to stop.
Agilely Leaping of the Youkai, Sango turned to stare at the Monk. "Maybe we're going the wrong way." She said helpfully.
"No…I'm pretty sure she said east. I suddenly have a strange feeling." Miroku voiced, bringing all of their feelings to the surface.
"Me too!" The Kitsune piped out, not wanting to be left out of the seemingly important conversation.
Miroku rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Why would the healer, who was Kaede's friend, give them the wrong directions?
"Maybe she gave us the wrong directions because you were feeling on her butt!" Shippo cried accusingly, causing Sango to look at the priest with narrowed accusing eyes also.
Miroku laughed nervously scratching the back of his head. "N-no…I don't think that's it!" He cried with nervous defensiveness. He suddenly turned serious again. "No…something smells fishy." He said meaningfully, his serious gaze turning to Sango, who readily nodded in agreement.
The young Kitsune looked back and forth between the two ponderous adults. "Well it's not me!" Shippo cried defensively. He suddenly looked up at the sky as if smelling the air. His features instantly turned alarmed. "Youkai!" He yelled, watching as Sango unattached her Hiraikotsu from her back, as a horde of Youkai came rushing their way.
"Sango! You take the Youkai on the right and I'll take the left!" He yelled behind his back, not waiting for an answer as he unleashed the blue prayer beads from his right hand to let loose his Kazaana, quickly swallowing up some of the seemingly endless swarm of Youkai.
"Miroku! Where the hell are all these Youkai coming from!?" Sango yelled behind her back, quickly but deftly killing several youkai with a swing of her Hiraikotsu.
Suddenly, out of the horde of Youkai appeared a large snake-like Youkai coming toward the back of the unsuspecting warriors.
"Watch out!" A scared voice called out from underneath a log, apprehensively watching as his two friends attempted to turn around in time to ward off the Youkai.
Sango turned to look at the large Youkai as she was still fending off several of her own. Seeing that Miroku was doing the very same, she started to become agitated.
Unexpectedly, a large tornado like form came rushing toward the duo, almost immediately vanquishing the large snake Youkai.
Sango and Miroku took care of the other Youkai before turning to their savior. "Kouga!" The all cried in unison as they spotted the leader of the wolf Youkai and his tribesman Ginta.
"Oi, where's my woman!?" Kouga demeaned, giving the group a once over just to make sure he hadn't overlooked her.
"Kagome is at a hut with Inuyasha." Shippo pointed out matter-of-factly, hurriedly pulling himself from his ineffectual shelter known as the log.
This statement riled the Youkai. "You left my woman alone with Inu-kuro!?" He said incredulous, having not noticed the absence of the Hanyou.
Ignoring the angered youkai's question, Miroku finally spoke up. "Why did you help us?"
Kouga grunted. "I thought Kagome was with you…and…you're on my territory." He pointed out, crossing his arms in his usual arrogant grace. "Where are they?" Kouga demanded in an arduous tone of voice.
"Is there any type of flower patches around here?" Sango inquired, eager to know whether they had been lied to or not.
Kouga merely shrugged at the unimportant question that she had sent his way. "How the hell should I know!? Why would you want a bunch of smelly weeds anyway!?" He gritted out irately.
"Inuyasha's sick!" To the exasperation of Sango and Miroku, Shippo filled him in.
The angry expression that Kouga had worn suddenly changed to one of hope and possibility. "Is he going to die?" He said, a hopefully catch slipping into his voice.
"No…he's not going to die…but we need a special kind of herb." Miroku started, knowing that thanks to the small Kitsune, it was already to late to convince him of other usage of the herb.
"Saiko?" Kouga said slowly, knowing he had heard of the herb before but not around these parts. "That herb does not exist in these territories." He said assuredly.
Miroku and Sango exchanged glances. They had been tricked! "W-why would the healer lie to us!?" Sango said, trying to make sense of their precarious position.
"I'm not sure what's going on, but we have to find out. Let's go back to Kaede's." He replied hurriedly, grabbing Shippo and getting on Kirara's back as he prompted Sango to do the same.
*~*~*~*~*
Kaede tried unsuccessfully to lift herself from the ground once more. She had barely gotten away with her life. How could she not have realized that the woman who was portraying herself as Ajinako!? She harshly berated herself.
Trying once again to rise again, this time succeeding. She winced, gripping her blood soaked injured arm. The transformed youkai had intended to kill her, but had narrowly missed and nearly severed her arm in the process. The only thing that had kept the Youkai from finishing its planned assassination was the magic salt, which had momentarily stunned it. Oddly, the Youkai didn't follow her…
Taking small steps to avoid injuring her arm more, she proceeded to go find Kagome and Inuyasha. She had to warn them before it was to late.
*~*~*~*~*
"I said what the hell are you over there sighing for!?" He demanded again when it seemed that Kagome remained locked in her own world.
"Huh? Nothing. How are you feeling Inuyasha?" Kagome asked him again, going over to the small teakettle, prepared to make them some more tea.
"Quite asking me that! You sound like a broken record! Damn, I told you I was fine!" He hissed. 'Man I feel like-'
"Shit!" Kagome cried pulling her stinging finger away from the teakettle. "I burnt myself." She said sheepishly before Inuyasha could ask.
Inuyasha rose to see to her injured digit when he was overcome with a strong pain in his head, making him drop heavily to the ground with a loud groan.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried rushing over to him, her injured finger forgotten for the moment.
He was losing himself completely now, he could feel it. He wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but it was serious. "Get away from me!! Go somewhere else!!" He yelled reverently, weakly pushing away her hand.
"Inuyasha I would never leave you! Let me try to help you!" She cried frantically, not wanting to try and touch him again due to the fact that he would only try pushing them away again, exerting himself.
"Kagome…" He whispered, stunned by her blind devotion to him. Then he remembered no more.
Inuyasha suddenly turned really still, his earlier trembling coming to an abrupt halt.
"Inuyasha." No reply
"Inuyasha." Still no reply.
She slowly reached out a hand to touch his shoulder.
Suddenly his hand flew out with lightening speed, pulling her down to the floor in front of him, causing Kagome to let out a shriek of surprise.
Inuyasha's intense gaze froze her in place. What she saw in his eyes terrified her. She saw hatred and a look that told her that he somehow no longer recognized her.
"Who the fuck are you!?"
*~*~*~*~*
Wow, what a cliffe. So what did you think about that chapter? I'm not sure about the magic salt affecting Youkai, but I couldn't remember what they use. Oh well. Sorry it took us so long to update, but we were having too much fun and I was in Las Vegas. If you would like to be notified when we update, just leave it in a review. 'Till next time!!!!