Hey all, here's a new chapter! Enjoy!
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The landscape of Japan was spread out beneath Kagome's feet. Her long hair cascaded back and into the wind, her eyes watering at the strength of it. She spent the flight on Washi's back enjoying the hills, valleys, and seemingly endless forests from far above. The speed at which Washi managed to travel was remarkable; Kagome was amazed at how much strength demon blood could give a person. Whenever the wind got to be too much, she closed her eyes and rested her head on Washi's pack. It was actually an enjoyable experience.
Washi began a descent in the middle of the afternoon, much to Kagome's relief. Her arms and legs were tired from gripping Washi in flight, and she was very hungry. Not to mention she had an urgent need for a bathroom break.
"How does fish sound for dinner?" Washi asked, as he landed before a gurgling creek. Fish could be seen darting about beneath the clear water. Bright sunlight sparkled off the water and the back of the occasional fish that splashed above the surface. Kagome smiled. "Sounds good to me. I'll be right back!" She hurried away to find some privacy in the bushes. Washi peered carefully into the water and with a lightning fast movement grabbed a fish out of the water with his claws. He started up a small fire to cook his catch.
"Kagome, you okay over there?" he called out after a few minutes. He frowned when there was no response. Cursing himself, he rose from where he had been encouraging the fire to burn, and walked in the direction Kagome had gone.
"Kagome! Where are you?" he yelled. He followed her tracks, and a few minutes later discovered the girl staring at a tree. It was large, towering over the trees around it. Sunlight dappled the ground at Kagome's feet, and a gentle breeze tugged at her hair. Washi watched as she reached toward the tree, where a large bald spot dominated the front of the trunk. Her hand brushed against it, and Washi was amazed to see her eyes begin to glitter with tears. He wondered if a memory was making its way loose in her mind.
Kagome let her hand drop to her side and turned to Washi, her eyes filled with inner turmoil. No tears fell.
"What is it, Kagome? A memory?" Washi asked softly, as if afraid to destroy the moment.
"I... I'm not sure. I saw this tree, and a terrible sadness came over me. As if..." She chewed her lip and struggled for the proper words. "As if I have lost something. Something very important." She glanced back at the tree for a long moment before turning her back on it. "Were you going to cook the fish?" she asked.
Washi stared at her. "Yes. Are you hungry?"
Kagome nodded in reply and headed back into the woods. Washi followed her back to where his fire was crackling, and got to work preparing their small meal. Kagome went to the creek and washed her face with the cool water before taking a long drink. She considered the terrible feeling she had while in front of the massive tree. She had felt as if her heart was breaking. She knew that it had to do with something she didn't remember, or someone...
After their meal, Washi and Kagome continued their journey on foot, giving Washi's wings a break. Kagome remained lost in her thoughts, and Washi in his. He kept stealing glances at her, wondering if she would recover her memories at any moment. The potion had only given her partial amnesia, after all; without Fusae around to manipulate her, she should recover. And then Washi could return her to her friends. The thought relieved him greatly, although he knew he would miss her. He had been around Kagome for a very short time, but he was already attracted to her. Even without her memories she was a vibrant person, being both kind and considerate. Washi wondered if he would ever be lucky enough to find one like her in his tribe. If only she had wings... he thought with the quirk of a smile. And not in love with someone else, even if she wasn't aware of it, he added.
"What are you smiling about?" Kagome asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow at the eagle demon. He shrugged, then winked. "I'm not telling," he said coyly. Kagome rolled her eyes. "Fine, I didn't want to know anyways," she said, putting her nose in the air. Washi laughed at her.
As they walked along the forest paths, Kagome suddenly froze. She blinked and looked about in apparent confusion.
"What is it?" Washi asked, looking about for the trouble.
"I'm not sure," she replied. "I just felt something strange." Kagome continued looking about warily, brow furrowed.
"Are you hurt, you mean?," Washi asked, confused. Then he realized. She still had the ability to sense shikon shards, but not the memory of what a shikon shard was. Then the smell came to Washi's nostrils. "Snake demon, with a shikon shard," he grumbled. "Get behind me, Kagome," he said, and an instant later the giant snake demon appeared. It halted when it came across them, as if surprised. It took one look at Washi and drew its head back, hissing a warning. This demon was far more disgusting than the last; it was covered in slimy green scales and stank of rotten vegetation. It glared at Washi through slanted yellow eyes.
"Quick Kagome, do you see anything shining on the snake?" Washi asked, his eyes carefully tracing the snake's movements. This was not a large clearing; the snake would have to dodge around the thick vegetation to attack.
Kagome stared up at the fearsome beast. She could feel the horror of it threatening to overwhelm her, and it was all she could do to not turn and run. Then she saw what Washi had been talking about; a speck of purple light glittered between the eyes of the snake.
"Between the eyes!," she told Washi, her voice quaking with fear. She could not explain why the creature terrified her so. She just wanted to run away as fast as she could, and find a place to hide. She backed into a tree as Washi charged the monster. She shook with fear.
The snake dove toward Washi, weaving rapidly between trees, knocking some down in its path. Washi leapt into the air and wheeled about, sending a torrent of razor sharp feathers into the snake's head. It screamed, but continued forward toward Kagome. Washi cursed; the snake had understood that Kagome knew where its shard was, and was attepmting to eliminate her first.
Kagome screamed and turned to run. In her desperation she didn't look where she was going, and her foot caught in the protruding roots of a tree. She fell hard, knees and hands slamming into the hard ground. She cried out in pain.
Her fall worked for her advantage, however, as the snake's attack went over her head. It hissed angrily and was about to strike again when Washi landed in front of Kagome, sending more feathers into the snake's eyes. Kagome struggled to her feet and was about to run once more when her eyes fell on the pack Washi had discarded. A bow and a quiver of arrows had fallen most of the way out and lay on the ground. For a reason she could not explain, Kagome ran around Washi and went for the bow.
Washi slashed at the snake, trying to keep its attention on him. He had glanced back at Kagome to see if she was injured, and had been amazed when the terror in her eyes had shifted to pure determination. He saw her make a run for it, and wondered what she was doing. He had no time to watch her, as the furious snake dove at him once more. Washi dodged the attack and tried to aim his own attack at the snake's shikon shard, with no luck. He knew that once the shard was gone, the snake would lose its super speed and strength.
"Hey! Over here, you ugly bastard!" Kagome yelled. Washi stared at her in amazement; she had an arrow nocked and aimed at the snake. The snake turned away from Washi and considered Kagome. She let the arrow fly, and it might have struck home if the snake couldn't move so fast. It brought its large tail to bear, and knocked the arrow away. Before Kagome could prepare another arrow, the snake was upon her. She brought one arm in front of her face and swiped at the snake with her bow, in a futile attempt to stop the attack.
The second the snake had turned to Kagome, Washi had used the distraction to fly above the snake's head. As it lunged for Kagome, he brought his fist down into its head with a sickening slurp, and brought out a fistful of gore and a shikon shard. The snake screamed, and collapsed on the ground in a fit of thrashing. Washi snatched Kagome up and away before she could get crushed by the snake in its death throes. After a few seconds, the snake became still.
Washi flew some distance from the dead beast before landing and carefully setting Kagome down. "Are you injured?," he demanded, seeing the blood on her hands and knees. He tore some of clothes and attempted to dress her wounds.
Kagome looked down at him, still shaking with fear, her heart pounding. She let out a choked sob and went to her knees in front of Washi, throwing her arms around him. "I don't know why I was so afraid. I knew you could fight it, but just looking at its yellow eyes, I was terrified. I'm sorry, Washi," she said, tears slipping down her cheeks. Washi looked at Kagome with complete surprise. "Don't be ridiculous, Kagome. There's nothing to be sorry for," he said, running a hand down her hair. Kagome swallowed thickly, and nodded. "Then... thank you," she said.
"For what?" Washi asked.
"For saving me," she said, looking earnestly into his eyes. Washi thought his heart would stop as he looked back at her.
"You don't need to thank me for that," he said, looking away as a faint blush creeped over his face.
Kagome considered Washi for a long moment, then rose to her feet. She looked down at the bow in her hands, wondering at the fact that her skill with the weapon had come out of nowhere. Not that it had helped, but still... She watched Washi as he used a canteen full of water to wash the gore from his hand. He had saved her, then acted as if it didn't matter. But somehow it seemed natural to have someone at her side, protecting her. Her heart warmed, and she wondered if Washi was the one she felt so lost without remembering.
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Another chapter complete. Just a few more until the end! Please review!
