Chapter Seven

            Kagome blinked back the tears stinging her eyes.  Every time she watched him do this it broke her heart.  Inuyasha was badly hurt, but he stared at the demons before him with the same determination to destroy them that he always had.  He held the tetsuaiga so tightly, Kagome could see his white knuckles.  She desperately wanted to help him, but her gut told her that this wasn't the time.  So she stayed back, hidden from Kikyou's eyes, with her bow and arrows ready. 

            Things in the dream were starting to blur together.  She had no idea how long this had been going on, but Inuyasha looked as if he had been fighting for years.  His red robes were faded and badly tattered.  There were scars on his face she had never seen before, and he stood as if every movement brought him excruciating pain.  Kagome looked down at herself, and she wasn't in much better condition.  Her clothes were stained and muddy, her eyes were raw from crying, and she felt as if she hadn't eaten in days.

            She still visited with Inuyasha some nights, on the rare occasion when Kikyou slept.  Each time she did what she could for his wounds, and tried to comfort him.  He didn't know why Kikyou was doing this to him, but he was certain that he deserved it.  Each time he begged her to leave him, to return to her own time and forget about him.  Of course she always told him that she could never turn her back on him.  Sometimes he tried being gruff, pushing her away, telling her he hated her.  Even though this hurt her deeply, she still knew he was just trying to protect her.  When he saw that wouldn't work he stopped trying. 

            Those times when she could be close to him, made all the pain worthwhile.  Kagome would curl up in his arms, begging him to let her remove the necklace.  He always refused, not knowing what Kikyou would do to her if she interfered. 

            She looked over the boulder she was hiding behind and watched Inuyasha.  He brought down the tetsuaiga; it was his ultimate attack!  The demons disintegrated, and Inuyasha fell to his knees, using his sword to hold him upright.  Kagome had to choke back a sob.  Sometimes, in this dream, every time a demon wounded Inuyasha, she could feel it, as if it were her own body being beaten.

            Kikyou appeared behind him, and put her hands on his shoulders.  "It is almost over, Inuyasha.  Soon we shall be in Hell, together.  Just one more battle…"

            Kagome froze, listening to her words.  A tiny winged scorpion landed on the boulder, right before her nose.  Her eyes narrowed, glaring at the insect.  It's glittering eyes seemed to glare maliciously back at her.  It has already gotten worse, you evil thing.  How much more do you want to punish us?  How far do you think you can push us?  Kagome slowly raised her hand.  She was awash with feelings of anger, and despair, and exhaustion.  She couldn't remember ever feeling this way.  Huh?  How much do you think I'll take before- She brought her hand down swiftly, smashing the insect.  She grinned a wicked grin, looking at the greasy smear on the boulder, and then gleefully wiped her hands on the grass.  Ha Ha Ha.  Kagome felt like a completely different person.  She felt like she had suddenly gained some new power, some new force of energy was welling up within her.  I can make it… I can do this… I can! 

            The time was coming soon.  She could feel it.  Either she would manage to save Inuyasha from his undead ex-girlfriend, or she would follow the two of them into hell.  That's what this feeling is… clarity.  The decisions have all been made, there's just one last fork in the road, and I'm good with either path.  However things turn out, at least I've told Inuyasha the truth, and I told myself the truth.  All I can hope now is that my next life is happier than this one.

            Kagome shook her head.  This dream was really starting to get to her.  She kept forgetting that it was a dream, everything was too real.  She just couldn't keep telling herself that this wasn't really happening.  She felt like any life she had before this was the real dream, and that this horror of watching Inuyasha slowly kill himself was the reality. 

            She peeked back over the rock, Kikyou was walking away, and Inuyasha followed her.  Kagome saw him glance back furtively over his shoulder at her.  She lifted her hand slightly, to wave at him, letting him know she was okay.  He looked so sad, Kagome couldn't help but think that he was now truly a dog, broken to the whims of a cruel master.  She wiped away the new tears, and prepared to follow them.  Kikyou had to sleep tonight, and Kagome had been paying attention to the moon.  Inuyasha would be human.

            Miroku and Sango looked down at Inuyasha, curled around the sleeping Kagome.  Sango moved to kick the hanyou in the head for his indecency, but Miroku stopped her.

            "This has been hard on him, let them sleep."  He turned around and walked to the cauldron just as Shippou and Kirara came into the temple.  Shippou was carrying a large bundle of herbs.  "Oh good, Shippou, you found some.  Now we can get all these villagers back on their feet."

            He took the herbs from the kitsune, and began sprinkling them into the concoction he'd been working on.  Shippou looked over to Kagome and Inuyasha.

            "How's Kagome?  Did she wake up yet?"

            "Not yet, but it may be soon.  Leave her alone for now, eh Shippou?  Inuyasha's keeping an eye on her."  Miroku didn't want the innocent kitsune to disturb the sleeping couple.  It had been over a day now, since Kagome's poisoning.  Inuyasha needed the rest.  And he still stood by his opinion that Kagome's spirit took comfort in the hanyou's presence.  After all, Inuyasha, though a constant antagonist, had been Kagome's companion and protector from the very beginning. 

            Sango approached him, and began to help him stir the medicine. 

            "What is it with those two?  They're at each others throat every waking moment, but as soon they're both asleep… well look at them!"  She commented.

            "They have some issues to work out."  Miroku answered, looking at her, in what he thought was a sly glance.  Sango noticed the glance, but ignored it. Miroku continued, "She's from a different time, for one thing.  Inuyasha was in love with her past life, but that relationship ended… badly."

            Sango was new to the group, and she didn't know a lot about the other members.  She frowned slightly, deep in thought.

            Miroku couldn't bear it any longer.  His hand darted out, and tweaked a butt cheek of the beautiful woman next to him.  In the next instant he was picking himself up from the floor, rubbing the knot on his head, as she stormed out of the temple.

            Totally worth it…