Disclaimer: As always, I do not own IY or FY. If I did, I wouldn't be
having to deal with a job hunt right now.
Ch. 5: The Arrow Flies
There was a huge explosion and everyone (except Shippo, who was still out cold) stared wide-eyed at the spot where Naraku had been. All that was left was a huge crater with Shikon no Kakera in the middle.
Finally Kagome spoke, "I-I did it? I did it! I killed Naraku!"
Kagura bounded off and the Saimyoshou disappeared. Miroku took the seal off his hand, holding his breath. Nothing happened. The void was gone. Naraku really was dead. He walked over to Sango to help her up. At the same time, Inu-yasha got up and walked over to stand next to Kagome. The two of them stood staring at the crater until they heard whimpering behind them. Kagome walked over to the young kitsune, "Shippo!" He opened an eye. "It's okay. It's all over. We beat Naraku. We're still alive."
Shippo jumped up and hugged Kagome. Inu-yasha watched the two of them and felt a softness in his heart. Naraku was gone. He was finally free to be with Kagome. Inu-yasha dropped to his knees as he realized that he had actually just made his choice between Kagome and Kikyou. He knew now, beyond a shadow of a doubt that he loved Kagome and wanted to be with her forever.
Kagome turned to smile at Inu-yasha, who was still watching her and Shippo but a figure behind him caught her attention. Across the crater stood Kikyou posed to fire an arrow right at Inu-yasha's heart. Inu-yasha watched fear enter Kagome's eyes as she pointed behind him and screamed his name. As he turned to see what caused this reaction he felt something knock into him and push him aside. After he hit the ground he looked up to see Kikyou, bow in hand, surrounded by a strange mist.
"No!" she screamed, "It didn't hit HIM! You can't take me! He isn't dead! I can't go yet!"
Inu-yasha watched as the dead miko crumbled to a pile of dust in front of his eyes. Then he remembered something as he heard a soft sob from Shippo. Fear clutched his heart as he slowly turned around. There, where he had been standing, was Kagome on the ground with and arrow in her chest. He rushed over to her and she smiled weakly up at him. It tore him to pieces that she would still smile at him at a time like this. "Hold on Kagome," he said to her, "I'll go get Mitsukake. He'll fix you right up."
From behind them Tamahome spoke up, "I'm sorry I have to tell you this, Inu- yasha, but Mitsukake can only heal once in a day and he already wet to heal Yui's arm."
Inu-yasha looked shocked. Then his eyes filled with tears as he looked back at Kagome.
"Inu-yasha, I'm so tired," she said.
"No Kagome, you can't give up. Ai-aishiteru!"
Kagome smiled again, "Aishiteru, Inu-yasha." Then her eyes closed.
Inu-yasha looked panicked, "Kagome? Kagome? No!"
At that moment Mitsukake appeared next to him. "She is still alive. I can't fully heal her now but I can try to keep the damage from getting worse. Still it will be a fight for her to make it until tomorrow."
Inu-yasha nodded. The whole group went silent as Mitsukake removed the arrow and did what he could for Kagome. Then Inu-yasha picked her up. They needed to get back to Kaede's village where they could properly take care of Kagome until she got better or.. he gulped. He didn't even want to think about the alternative. "Shippo, grab the shards. We're going back to Kaede's place."
Suddenly Miaka perked up, "Inu-yasha, couldn't you use the jewel to save Kagome?"
The others turned to Inu-yasha, looking hopeful. But Inu-yasha shook his head; "The jewel would need to be all in one piece for it to work without enslaving her to the jewel and only Kagome can put it back together because she's the protector." With that he headed back toward the village.
In her hut, Kaede was working on an inventory of herbs when she felt a shiver up her spine. She turned around to see Inu-yasha cradling something in his arms and she was filled with dread. "What has happened, Inu-yasha?"
Inu-yasha choked out the story, "Naraku and Kikyou are gone. We got all the shards. But Kagome.. Kikyou shot her. The arrow was meant for me but she saved me. She's still alive but we don't know." He trailed off as a sob escaped his throat.
"Put her down there on those blankets."
By this time the rest of the group arrived and Mitsukake stepped forward, "I have done what I can fro her, Kaede-sama, but now the rest is up to her. I suggest we let Inu-yasha stay with her while the rest of us try to get some sleep. It's been a long day." The others nodded reluctantly and left as Inu-yasha sat down next to Kagome. He stared down at her. Her face was so pale. But he could still hear her breathing and her heart beating so he knew that she was still alive. Tenderly he reached out to brush a strand of hair off her face. As his fingers touched her cheek he gasped. She was burning up. Frantically he turned and called for the healer.
Luckily, Mitsukake had not gone far and was able to hear Inu-yasha call his name. "What is it?" he asked as he reached the hut.
"She-she's got a really high fever," answered Inu-yasha in a voice that sounded more like a scared child than the powerful hanyou he was.
"Chikuso! There must be some infection. We'll need to clean the wound and get some water and clothes to help cool her down."
Kaede had appeared and ran off to fetch the water. Inu-yasha ran to Kagome's pack. A few moments later he pulled out a bottle, "Kagome puts this on Sango and Miroku's wounds sometimes. She says it's supposed to stoop infections."
After working on Kagome for about fifteen minutes Mitsukake and Kaede left and Inu-yasha was again alone with Kagome although the others were staying nearby just in case. Inu-yasha rewetted the cloth and carefully placed it back on Kagome's forehead, noting that her skin felt slightly cooler than it had been. He then took one of her hands in his and held on to it as if he could somehow keep her life from escaping that way.
Sometime during the night Kaede came in to check in on the two of them. She smiled softly at the sight before her. Inu-yasha had fallen asleep next to Kagome with his head on her shoulder. He was still holding onto her hand. she thought Then she turned and headed back to her sleeping area.
Inu-yasha awakened before sunrise to find Kagome thrashing her head around. She looked tortured, her face twisting in pain. Her breathing had become ragged. Frightened, Inu-yasha started calling to her, "Kagome! Can you hear me? Please hang on Kagome! If you hang on a little longer, Mitsukake can heal you. Please Kagome! I'm right here! Don't you dare give up on me!" Kagome found herself in a strange dark place with no boundaries. There was nothing. She couldn't see or hear anything. When she called out no one answered. Suddenly she felt her self being drawn in one direction. As she moved she began to see a bit of a light glow that slowly became the image of a field of flowers (A/N: the same field Miaka saw after she stabbed herself). She was about to step into the field when she heard Inu-yasha's voice calling to her. She listened. He was telling her not to go. She shook her head and stepped back into the darkness.
Inu-yasha watched as Kagome calmed and her breathing returned to what it had been, just as the sun began to rise. He sighed in relief. Kagome had made it through the night.
Ch. 5: The Arrow Flies
There was a huge explosion and everyone (except Shippo, who was still out cold) stared wide-eyed at the spot where Naraku had been. All that was left was a huge crater with Shikon no Kakera in the middle.
Finally Kagome spoke, "I-I did it? I did it! I killed Naraku!"
Kagura bounded off and the Saimyoshou disappeared. Miroku took the seal off his hand, holding his breath. Nothing happened. The void was gone. Naraku really was dead. He walked over to Sango to help her up. At the same time, Inu-yasha got up and walked over to stand next to Kagome. The two of them stood staring at the crater until they heard whimpering behind them. Kagome walked over to the young kitsune, "Shippo!" He opened an eye. "It's okay. It's all over. We beat Naraku. We're still alive."
Shippo jumped up and hugged Kagome. Inu-yasha watched the two of them and felt a softness in his heart. Naraku was gone. He was finally free to be with Kagome. Inu-yasha dropped to his knees as he realized that he had actually just made his choice between Kagome and Kikyou. He knew now, beyond a shadow of a doubt that he loved Kagome and wanted to be with her forever.
Kagome turned to smile at Inu-yasha, who was still watching her and Shippo but a figure behind him caught her attention. Across the crater stood Kikyou posed to fire an arrow right at Inu-yasha's heart. Inu-yasha watched fear enter Kagome's eyes as she pointed behind him and screamed his name. As he turned to see what caused this reaction he felt something knock into him and push him aside. After he hit the ground he looked up to see Kikyou, bow in hand, surrounded by a strange mist.
"No!" she screamed, "It didn't hit HIM! You can't take me! He isn't dead! I can't go yet!"
Inu-yasha watched as the dead miko crumbled to a pile of dust in front of his eyes. Then he remembered something as he heard a soft sob from Shippo. Fear clutched his heart as he slowly turned around. There, where he had been standing, was Kagome on the ground with and arrow in her chest. He rushed over to her and she smiled weakly up at him. It tore him to pieces that she would still smile at him at a time like this. "Hold on Kagome," he said to her, "I'll go get Mitsukake. He'll fix you right up."
From behind them Tamahome spoke up, "I'm sorry I have to tell you this, Inu- yasha, but Mitsukake can only heal once in a day and he already wet to heal Yui's arm."
Inu-yasha looked shocked. Then his eyes filled with tears as he looked back at Kagome.
"Inu-yasha, I'm so tired," she said.
"No Kagome, you can't give up. Ai-aishiteru!"
Kagome smiled again, "Aishiteru, Inu-yasha." Then her eyes closed.
Inu-yasha looked panicked, "Kagome? Kagome? No!"
At that moment Mitsukake appeared next to him. "She is still alive. I can't fully heal her now but I can try to keep the damage from getting worse. Still it will be a fight for her to make it until tomorrow."
Inu-yasha nodded. The whole group went silent as Mitsukake removed the arrow and did what he could for Kagome. Then Inu-yasha picked her up. They needed to get back to Kaede's village where they could properly take care of Kagome until she got better or.. he gulped. He didn't even want to think about the alternative. "Shippo, grab the shards. We're going back to Kaede's place."
Suddenly Miaka perked up, "Inu-yasha, couldn't you use the jewel to save Kagome?"
The others turned to Inu-yasha, looking hopeful. But Inu-yasha shook his head; "The jewel would need to be all in one piece for it to work without enslaving her to the jewel and only Kagome can put it back together because she's the protector." With that he headed back toward the village.
In her hut, Kaede was working on an inventory of herbs when she felt a shiver up her spine. She turned around to see Inu-yasha cradling something in his arms and she was filled with dread. "What has happened, Inu-yasha?"
Inu-yasha choked out the story, "Naraku and Kikyou are gone. We got all the shards. But Kagome.. Kikyou shot her. The arrow was meant for me but she saved me. She's still alive but we don't know." He trailed off as a sob escaped his throat.
"Put her down there on those blankets."
By this time the rest of the group arrived and Mitsukake stepped forward, "I have done what I can fro her, Kaede-sama, but now the rest is up to her. I suggest we let Inu-yasha stay with her while the rest of us try to get some sleep. It's been a long day." The others nodded reluctantly and left as Inu-yasha sat down next to Kagome. He stared down at her. Her face was so pale. But he could still hear her breathing and her heart beating so he knew that she was still alive. Tenderly he reached out to brush a strand of hair off her face. As his fingers touched her cheek he gasped. She was burning up. Frantically he turned and called for the healer.
Luckily, Mitsukake had not gone far and was able to hear Inu-yasha call his name. "What is it?" he asked as he reached the hut.
"She-she's got a really high fever," answered Inu-yasha in a voice that sounded more like a scared child than the powerful hanyou he was.
"Chikuso! There must be some infection. We'll need to clean the wound and get some water and clothes to help cool her down."
Kaede had appeared and ran off to fetch the water. Inu-yasha ran to Kagome's pack. A few moments later he pulled out a bottle, "Kagome puts this on Sango and Miroku's wounds sometimes. She says it's supposed to stoop infections."
After working on Kagome for about fifteen minutes Mitsukake and Kaede left and Inu-yasha was again alone with Kagome although the others were staying nearby just in case. Inu-yasha rewetted the cloth and carefully placed it back on Kagome's forehead, noting that her skin felt slightly cooler than it had been. He then took one of her hands in his and held on to it as if he could somehow keep her life from escaping that way.
Sometime during the night Kaede came in to check in on the two of them. She smiled softly at the sight before her. Inu-yasha had fallen asleep next to Kagome with his head on her shoulder. He was still holding onto her hand. she thought Then she turned and headed back to her sleeping area.
Inu-yasha awakened before sunrise to find Kagome thrashing her head around. She looked tortured, her face twisting in pain. Her breathing had become ragged. Frightened, Inu-yasha started calling to her, "Kagome! Can you hear me? Please hang on Kagome! If you hang on a little longer, Mitsukake can heal you. Please Kagome! I'm right here! Don't you dare give up on me!" Kagome found herself in a strange dark place with no boundaries. There was nothing. She couldn't see or hear anything. When she called out no one answered. Suddenly she felt her self being drawn in one direction. As she moved she began to see a bit of a light glow that slowly became the image of a field of flowers (A/N: the same field Miaka saw after she stabbed herself). She was about to step into the field when she heard Inu-yasha's voice calling to her. She listened. He was telling her not to go. She shook her head and stepped back into the darkness.
Inu-yasha watched as Kagome calmed and her breathing returned to what it had been, just as the sun began to rise. He sighed in relief. Kagome had made it through the night.