Near, the end is!
animegirl: To answer your question, it is, but it isn't. You'll have to wait and see! Thanks for reading!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inuyasha was getting desperate. He had been running most of the day, searching for any sign of Kagome's whereabouts. The longer he searched, the angrier and more desperate he felt. He didn't doubt that an eagle youkai could fly while carrying Kagome; and they had quite a head start.
Inuyasha did not know why Kagome had been taken away, but he was certain it was not for a trip to the hot springs.
The dog demon suddenly stopped when something caught his eye. He jumped down to the ground for an inspection, and discovered faint tracks coming out of a small cave. This part of the forest had a thick, moist underbrush, and tracks would have been difficult to avoid leaving. Inuyasha recognized the imprint of one of Kagome's strange shoes she wore, but was taken aback by the lack of her scent. She had to have been here, perhaps in the morning, yet there was no trace of her smell.
"They changed her scent," Inuyasha growled to himself. He followed the tracks until they stopped. His anger doubled when he realized her scent had been changed in order to prevent him from finding her. He cracked his knuckles, wishing one of the damned birds was in front of him right now. He looked up at the thick canopy above, wondering where they could have gone from here. Up, apparently. Well, Inuyasha didn't have wings, but he was still capable of covering distances rapidly. He continued to make his way east, certain that was the direction Kagome was being taken.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
With the fight behind them, Kagome and Washi returned to the creek and sat down for a meal. Kagome found she had lost her appetite, but ate a little anyways. She watched the fire eagerly consume the wood fueling it, the glow of the fire casting shadows over her features. The sun was down, and beyond the fire the only light was provided by the moon and stars. Fireflies danced among the trees, and most other creatures hadreturned to their homes for a good night's rest.
"Ah, Washi..." Kagome said, glancing up at him. Washi looked at her, taking his gaze away from the stars above. "Hmm?"
"How long do you think it will be until my memory returns?," she asked.
"I don't know, Kagome. It seems as if you are already remembering certain things. You remembered how to use a bow. It could be any day now, everything will come back," Washi said, offering a smile of reassurance. Kagome smiled back. "I hope so..." She watched Washi for any reaction, but his smile stayed the same. Kagome liked that about him; he seemed always eager to smile and laugh, especially to cheer her up.
Kagome stood up, brushing the dirt and leaves from her clothes. She looked down into Washi's questioning glance. "I'm going to catch fireflies," she said matter-of-factly, and headed toward the glowing insects. Washi chuckled, and followed her. He knew she tended to find trouble whenever she wandered off alone.
Kagome stood among the fireflies as they flew lazily about, and caught one carefully in her cupped hands. She peeked between her fingers and saw the annoyed creature trying to find a way out. She opened her hands and released it.
Washi watched Kagome, amused. He hadn't tried to catch fireflies since he was a small child. Kagome felt his eyes on her, and turned. Washi was taken aback for a moment by how beautiful she looked at that moment. Against the backdrop of dark forest and night sky, her soft brown eyes danced and her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders. He felt like he was looking through her eyes and into her soul, and was amazed. Kagome tilted her head at him.
"What?" she asked.
Washi blushed. "Sorry for staring, but you are beautiful," he said. It was Kagome's turn to blush. She looked away, and Washi worried he had offended her. He pushed thoughts of her away, knowing that she could never be his. The thought hurt him, somehow.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you," he said urgently. Kagome just laughed at him, still blushing.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The next morning...
After a quick breakfast, Kagome and Washi got their packs together and prepared to leave.
"We're going to have to be careful here on out. We're getting close to the snake territory. Not that they've been staying in their own territory as of late; the shikon shards have made them a little too self assured. I wish I knew how they gotten ahold of so many," Washi said, looking up at the sky. It was a cloudy, miserable day, and rain should be hitting them soon.
"Traveling in the rain won't be a very enjoyable experience, but we're almost there," Washi said, noticing Kagome frowning at the clouds. "Frowning at them won't make them go away," he teased. Kagome stuck her tongue out at him, then pulled her pack over her shoulders.
After only a few hours of flying, the rain began to pour down. Washi descended into the forest to look for a place to take shelter. Kagome sighed with relief; the icy rain had her soaked in moments, leaving her both cold and miserable. When she got her feet on the ground, she sneezed. Washi took her hand and they made their way through the storm, eyes squinting against the wind and rain. The best they could find was an oak tree, its massive trunk mostly hollow. The tree was large enough for them both, so they agreed it would suffice until the storm blew over. Washi did his best to close up the entrance, then dug out a blanket from his pack to cover Kagome. She smiled her appreciation.
Washi sat against the inside of the tree and slowly spread his wings. Kagome sat next to him, still shivering with cold.
Washi hesitated a moment, then chided himself for being silly. He pulled Kagome next to him and wrapped his wings about them both. Kagome rested her head on his shoulder, and finally stopped shivering. Lulled by the sound of the rain outside, both demon and human were soon asleep.
Later...
Washi awoke with a start, and took a moment to recognize his surroundings. He looked down at the girl that had her arms wrapped around him, and licked his lips nervously. The sound of the rain had stopped, and sunlight was filtering in. He hadn't meant to fall asleep, and wondered how much time had been lost. He gently shook Kagome awake.
Kagome yawned, and looked about in disorientation. She looked up at Washi, then at the sunlight. "Oh good, the rain stopped!," she said brightly, and untangled herself from Washi before leaving the shelter of the tree. Washi followed her, and immediately shook his wings dry when he was outside.
He groaned when he saw how far down the sun was already; they had slept away most of the day! Just as well. Maybe her friends will catch up, and I won't have to make her fight with me, Washi thought. He was afraid that when he faced the rest of the snake demons, he would be unable to protect her.
"Why don't we just make camp here? By the time we have something to eat and get fresh clothes on, it will be nearly dark," Washi suggested.
"But I thought you wanted to keep traveling after the rain stopped? You said we're almost there," Kagome asked, puzzled.
Washi shrugged. "We'll get there tomorrow," he said. Kagome shrugged as well, and dug through her pack for fresh clothes.
The rest of the day was uneventful for them, which Washi was grateful for. He told Kagome stories of his home, about the battles fought with the snake demons. Especially the ones his father had been a part of. He had always looked up to his father, forever aspiring to be as great a warrior. His father had taught him how to fight, and how to live. The memories stirred about in Washi's mind, and the sadness he felt at his father's loss filled him.
"What happened to your father?," Kagome asked, noticing the sorrow in his eyes. She wrapped her arms around her knees and leaned forward to hear Washi's answer. Firelight reflected in her eyes and illuminated her face. Washi saw her concern, and felt embarrassed at his display of emotion.
"He was against some of the ideals our leader, Fusae, was teaching. He took a stand against her, so she killed him as a punishment for betraying our tribe," Washi said softly, poking at the fire. Kagome heard the bitterness in his voice, and her heart went out to him. She rose and walked over to him.
"I'm sorry, Washi," she said, her eyes brimming with tears of sympathy.
Washi stood and gave her shoulder a pat. He had pushed the emotion from his voice. "You're too nice a person, Kagome," he said, and felt a wave of guilt pass over him. Tears in her eyes, Kagome went into his arms, and her lips met his, to his surprise and dismay. He couldn't stop himself; his eyes closing, he pulled her close and tenderly returned the kiss. The rest of the world ceased to exist for that moment, no matter how much his heart cried out that it was wrong.
Inuyasha had finally found fresh tracks, and Kagome's scent. Whatever had been done to mask it before had worn off, and in his excitement he continued to travel in the dark, his yellow eyes easily finding the trail before him. Then he caught her scent, and knew she was near. The smell of cooking fish and a campfire also reached him. He doubled his efforts, and found the campsite... And froze in complete and utter shock, when he discovered Kagome embracing the eagle demon, Washi.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Good Lord, I am eeeeevil! Don't hurt me, I promise to update soon. *cackle* Review and tell me what you think!
animegirl: To answer your question, it is, but it isn't. You'll have to wait and see! Thanks for reading!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inuyasha was getting desperate. He had been running most of the day, searching for any sign of Kagome's whereabouts. The longer he searched, the angrier and more desperate he felt. He didn't doubt that an eagle youkai could fly while carrying Kagome; and they had quite a head start.
Inuyasha did not know why Kagome had been taken away, but he was certain it was not for a trip to the hot springs.
The dog demon suddenly stopped when something caught his eye. He jumped down to the ground for an inspection, and discovered faint tracks coming out of a small cave. This part of the forest had a thick, moist underbrush, and tracks would have been difficult to avoid leaving. Inuyasha recognized the imprint of one of Kagome's strange shoes she wore, but was taken aback by the lack of her scent. She had to have been here, perhaps in the morning, yet there was no trace of her smell.
"They changed her scent," Inuyasha growled to himself. He followed the tracks until they stopped. His anger doubled when he realized her scent had been changed in order to prevent him from finding her. He cracked his knuckles, wishing one of the damned birds was in front of him right now. He looked up at the thick canopy above, wondering where they could have gone from here. Up, apparently. Well, Inuyasha didn't have wings, but he was still capable of covering distances rapidly. He continued to make his way east, certain that was the direction Kagome was being taken.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
With the fight behind them, Kagome and Washi returned to the creek and sat down for a meal. Kagome found she had lost her appetite, but ate a little anyways. She watched the fire eagerly consume the wood fueling it, the glow of the fire casting shadows over her features. The sun was down, and beyond the fire the only light was provided by the moon and stars. Fireflies danced among the trees, and most other creatures hadreturned to their homes for a good night's rest.
"Ah, Washi..." Kagome said, glancing up at him. Washi looked at her, taking his gaze away from the stars above. "Hmm?"
"How long do you think it will be until my memory returns?," she asked.
"I don't know, Kagome. It seems as if you are already remembering certain things. You remembered how to use a bow. It could be any day now, everything will come back," Washi said, offering a smile of reassurance. Kagome smiled back. "I hope so..." She watched Washi for any reaction, but his smile stayed the same. Kagome liked that about him; he seemed always eager to smile and laugh, especially to cheer her up.
Kagome stood up, brushing the dirt and leaves from her clothes. She looked down into Washi's questioning glance. "I'm going to catch fireflies," she said matter-of-factly, and headed toward the glowing insects. Washi chuckled, and followed her. He knew she tended to find trouble whenever she wandered off alone.
Kagome stood among the fireflies as they flew lazily about, and caught one carefully in her cupped hands. She peeked between her fingers and saw the annoyed creature trying to find a way out. She opened her hands and released it.
Washi watched Kagome, amused. He hadn't tried to catch fireflies since he was a small child. Kagome felt his eyes on her, and turned. Washi was taken aback for a moment by how beautiful she looked at that moment. Against the backdrop of dark forest and night sky, her soft brown eyes danced and her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders. He felt like he was looking through her eyes and into her soul, and was amazed. Kagome tilted her head at him.
"What?" she asked.
Washi blushed. "Sorry for staring, but you are beautiful," he said. It was Kagome's turn to blush. She looked away, and Washi worried he had offended her. He pushed thoughts of her away, knowing that she could never be his. The thought hurt him, somehow.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you," he said urgently. Kagome just laughed at him, still blushing.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The next morning...
After a quick breakfast, Kagome and Washi got their packs together and prepared to leave.
"We're going to have to be careful here on out. We're getting close to the snake territory. Not that they've been staying in their own territory as of late; the shikon shards have made them a little too self assured. I wish I knew how they gotten ahold of so many," Washi said, looking up at the sky. It was a cloudy, miserable day, and rain should be hitting them soon.
"Traveling in the rain won't be a very enjoyable experience, but we're almost there," Washi said, noticing Kagome frowning at the clouds. "Frowning at them won't make them go away," he teased. Kagome stuck her tongue out at him, then pulled her pack over her shoulders.
After only a few hours of flying, the rain began to pour down. Washi descended into the forest to look for a place to take shelter. Kagome sighed with relief; the icy rain had her soaked in moments, leaving her both cold and miserable. When she got her feet on the ground, she sneezed. Washi took her hand and they made their way through the storm, eyes squinting against the wind and rain. The best they could find was an oak tree, its massive trunk mostly hollow. The tree was large enough for them both, so they agreed it would suffice until the storm blew over. Washi did his best to close up the entrance, then dug out a blanket from his pack to cover Kagome. She smiled her appreciation.
Washi sat against the inside of the tree and slowly spread his wings. Kagome sat next to him, still shivering with cold.
Washi hesitated a moment, then chided himself for being silly. He pulled Kagome next to him and wrapped his wings about them both. Kagome rested her head on his shoulder, and finally stopped shivering. Lulled by the sound of the rain outside, both demon and human were soon asleep.
Later...
Washi awoke with a start, and took a moment to recognize his surroundings. He looked down at the girl that had her arms wrapped around him, and licked his lips nervously. The sound of the rain had stopped, and sunlight was filtering in. He hadn't meant to fall asleep, and wondered how much time had been lost. He gently shook Kagome awake.
Kagome yawned, and looked about in disorientation. She looked up at Washi, then at the sunlight. "Oh good, the rain stopped!," she said brightly, and untangled herself from Washi before leaving the shelter of the tree. Washi followed her, and immediately shook his wings dry when he was outside.
He groaned when he saw how far down the sun was already; they had slept away most of the day! Just as well. Maybe her friends will catch up, and I won't have to make her fight with me, Washi thought. He was afraid that when he faced the rest of the snake demons, he would be unable to protect her.
"Why don't we just make camp here? By the time we have something to eat and get fresh clothes on, it will be nearly dark," Washi suggested.
"But I thought you wanted to keep traveling after the rain stopped? You said we're almost there," Kagome asked, puzzled.
Washi shrugged. "We'll get there tomorrow," he said. Kagome shrugged as well, and dug through her pack for fresh clothes.
The rest of the day was uneventful for them, which Washi was grateful for. He told Kagome stories of his home, about the battles fought with the snake demons. Especially the ones his father had been a part of. He had always looked up to his father, forever aspiring to be as great a warrior. His father had taught him how to fight, and how to live. The memories stirred about in Washi's mind, and the sadness he felt at his father's loss filled him.
"What happened to your father?," Kagome asked, noticing the sorrow in his eyes. She wrapped her arms around her knees and leaned forward to hear Washi's answer. Firelight reflected in her eyes and illuminated her face. Washi saw her concern, and felt embarrassed at his display of emotion.
"He was against some of the ideals our leader, Fusae, was teaching. He took a stand against her, so she killed him as a punishment for betraying our tribe," Washi said softly, poking at the fire. Kagome heard the bitterness in his voice, and her heart went out to him. She rose and walked over to him.
"I'm sorry, Washi," she said, her eyes brimming with tears of sympathy.
Washi stood and gave her shoulder a pat. He had pushed the emotion from his voice. "You're too nice a person, Kagome," he said, and felt a wave of guilt pass over him. Tears in her eyes, Kagome went into his arms, and her lips met his, to his surprise and dismay. He couldn't stop himself; his eyes closing, he pulled her close and tenderly returned the kiss. The rest of the world ceased to exist for that moment, no matter how much his heart cried out that it was wrong.
Inuyasha had finally found fresh tracks, and Kagome's scent. Whatever had been done to mask it before had worn off, and in his excitement he continued to travel in the dark, his yellow eyes easily finding the trail before him. Then he caught her scent, and knew she was near. The smell of cooking fish and a campfire also reached him. He doubled his efforts, and found the campsite... And froze in complete and utter shock, when he discovered Kagome embracing the eagle demon, Washi.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Good Lord, I am eeeeevil! Don't hurt me, I promise to update soon. *cackle* Review and tell me what you think!
