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Disclaimer: Again, I do not own InuYasha… I wish I did.
Note: Thanks to the people that bothered to reply! You were VERY kind if you did.
The sword missed InuYasha, since he had been moved. Though it still had hit a target. The sword pierced her back, and sticking out through her belly. She gasped, and fell towards the ground. InuYasha caught her in his arms.
"No! Kagome!" He cried, eyes wide. He pulled out the sword, and blood poured from the open wound. Her eyes were open, than closed, "No! Open your eyes! Don't die on me! Kagome! NO! You can't die! OPEN YOUR EYES! KAGOME!" He held her tightly, and her blood soaked his kimono…
She opened her eyes half way, and whispered so silently, that even InuYasha with his higher hearing, had to listen hard, "I-I'm sorry, InuYasha… " She let her eyes fall close once more, but she said again softly with struggle, "Y-you know…" she fell silent, she her body became limp.
His heart started beating hard against his chest. He could feel her breath coming out slow and steady, but with strain. He held her carefully, but steady. He rose, and started jumping quickly back to Kaede's village. She could help her Kagome… Hopefully. This is all my fault. If I hadn't been ignoring her, she would fine. I would have seen the danger.
Soon enough, he crossed the forest to Kaede's. He saw Miroku and Shippo outside with a small fire roaring. Hearing him, they looked over to him. Shippo started waving happily, "Yay! You're bac-" He than saw Kagome. Miroku rose and picked up Shippo.
"InuYasha! What has happened?!" He said in concern, seeing the injured Kagome.
He didn't bother to answer him anyways. Bursting into the room with Kaede in it, he gently put Kagome down. He turned to her and pointed at Kagome, "Help her!" InuYasha said, not knowing what else to do. He glanced back at Kagome, to see if she still was breathing.
Kaede walked over to her, examined her with her eyes, than turned to InuYasha, "Aye. She is gravely injured. Perhaps I can help her," She started getting some herbs and stuff. But at the same time, asked InuYasha, "Can ye tell me how this has happened to Kagome?"
He winced at this; it was his fault why she was close to death. His fault Kagome may not survive. InuYasha said lowly, his ears now pressed against his silver hair, "I-I…a sword came at her and attacked her from the back. I didn't see the demon that did it though."
She didn't say anything back to him. She put her face down, than took off her shirt. She examined the deep wound, than cleaned up the blood around it. Soon enough, she was putting herbs on it, to help the cut heal faster on it's on, "She's lost a lot of blood, aye. But she probably will survive.
InuYasha felt better, slightly. But his heart still pained at seeing her like this. He'd promised to protect her, and looked what happened to her. He stared at Kagome's silent, pale face while Kaede applied some herbs. She looks almost like Kikyo… but…. She's totally different than her.
He sighed slowly, and stepped out of her hut. Looking over to Miroku, anxious to hear if she was all right, "Well, Kaede says she'll be okay…" One ear twirled towards where Kagome and Kaede were. But his eyes stayed on Miroku.
"Well, than. That is good news. Tell me, InuYasha. What had happened to Lady Kagome? Shippo and I had left you alone, and soon enough, you came back. Kagome gravely injured," His hand tightened it's grip around his staff. Shippo bounded after them, looking up at the tall faces.
"She said she sensed a shard. But I thought she was lying, so I ignored her… Than a sword came out of nowhere, and Kagome moved me, since it was on collision course with me. She got hit instead of me" He answered him finally. Than added as a bitter afterthought, "I wouldn't have been so injured, she should have let me take the hit,"
Miroku said softly after hearing InuYasha, "Perhaps whether you took the shot or not, she would have been hurt"
He didn't answer him. He walked back into where Kagome and Kaede were. He could see that she had bandaged her, and had a blanket over her. Her face had more colour now, and her eyes were closed somewhat more peacefully. He sat down by Kagome, and watched her.
"InuYasha?" She muttered ever so quietly, "Are you there?"
InuYasha was surprised; he thought she was still sleeping. He nodded, and answered, "Yeah, I am. Kagome… I'm sorry. For not believing you when you said there was a shard close by," He took hold of her hand, and held it tightly between his own hands, "Can you forgive me?" I wouldn't blame her if she said no. If she turned away, even if she left for her own era.
"Yes… and it wasn't your fault. If I hadn't snapped at you for being with Kikyo, you wouldn't even had needed me to tell you that there was a demon nearby," she broke into a coughing fit.
InuYasha watched her worriedly, he looked over to Kaede who wasn't to far. Seeing that InuYasha was looking to her as if in reassurance. Kaede said to Kagome, "Do not speak, or at least not too much. Ye need your strength to heal yourself."
InuYasha turned to Kagome and he softly said, "Don't talk, Kagome…"
Kagome was able to form the slightest of a smile, and her hand was warmed by InuYasha's hands. She lost her smile as soon as she remembered that he had chosen Kikyo. Never mind that anyways, she'll stay. After all, InuYasha still needed her help for something. And who said they couldn't just be friends?
Soon enough, night passed and morning rose. That was the pattern for the next for few days. Each new sun Kagome felt stronger, and soon enough she was up. She started walking to short distances, and jogging here and there. She hopped her Grandfather hadn't come up with another crazy disease for her long absence.
Kagome walked over to a tree stump, and sat on it. She looked down at her shirt and said to herself, "Great. I forgot about the blood, it's stained. And it probably won't come out since I hadn't washed it since a while," She shook her head and sighed in frustration.
"It'll come out. Wouldn't be too hard to remove," A familiar voice said from behind her. Turning, Kagome saw the silver-haired demon, InuYasha.
"If you say so" She reached down and picked up a twig. Soon enough she started fiddling with it. She pulled the only dead leaf that was grown it.
InuYasha started becoming ticked at her playing with the stick, "Hey! Will you stop that? That's annoying!" He said quickly, crossing his arms across his red top. He uncrossed his arms than, and looked towards his right. He groaned, seeing Shippo arrive with them.
"Sorry," she muttered. She glanced up at the blue cloudless sky, and a sigh left her. Her face lit up when she saw Shippo bounding over to her, "Shippo!" She cried happily, she hadn't seen the little fox-demon all day.
"Great. The runt's here…" InuYasha muttered to himself.
"Yay! Kagome!" Shippo jumped onto her lap and gave as big a hug as he could with his small arms, "You feeling better today? We're so worried!"
Kagome chuckled, "I've been okay for the last few days, you know."
"But still"
InuYasha murmured again something to himself. He walked from them and jumped into a low branch of a close tree. He watched them from up there. Sighing, he watched Kagome. He turned, hearing someone walk closer to Kagome and Shippo. It was Miroku.
He walked up by Kagome and said, "Kagome. How are you feeling today Better I hope"
She nodded, "Yeah, better. Thanks for asking. Now, I'm fine now. So will you all stop asking me if I'm okay?" She said with a tint of annoyance. Everyday since she had awoke from her wounds she had been asked if she was okay. This had stated to annoy her a lot.
InuYasha crossed his arms. He looked around, seeing if anything was near. After Kagome's injury, he was always cautious. His eyes narrowed as he realized h didn't even know who had threw the sword in the first place. His fits clenched together, and continued looking around.
Kagome looked up to where InuYasha was, than looked back to Miroku. She snapped her head behind her. She sensed another demon, and was pretty sure it was the same one as before, "There's a shard! And I think it's the same one as before!" she said to InuYasha.
Miroku looked around, his grip on his staff tightening. He glanced over to InuYasha and watched him climb down from his branch. InuYasha looked at him than turned again to her, "Kagome, where's the direction of the shard-carrier?" Miroku asked quickly, not wanting the demon to get any closer.
"Um, that way," She pointed almost straight in front of them. Shortly after that, she reached for her bow and arrow. She wasn't going to be helpless this time. She got her bow and arrow ready, and aimed where she sensed the demon. She muttered under her breath, "Come on out…"
InuYasha looked over to Kagome, he was worried, though he dared not show it. He didn't want her to become hurt again, so he turned towards her, "Kagome, I don't want you in this fight…" He said softly, than ran over to her, picked her up, hopped high into a tree, and placed her there, "Stay."
He jumped down quickly; ignoring Kagome's annoyed and angered yells. Telling him to put her back on the ground. She ain't getting hurt this time. I'll make sure of that. Once back near Miroku, he unsheathed his sword and looked towards the now-visible demon.
The demon clearly was one of ice. She was not much taller than InuYasha, but she was much more muscular. Her skin was a light blue, and white spiked hair grew from her hair. Her eyes were crystal-blue with the pupiless blood red. She was wearing a white and purple dress-like covering. Also, at her wrists and elbows, she had clear spikes sprouting from her skin.
"You're InuYasha, are you not?" Her strange low and echoing voice called, "Give me the Shikon Jewel Shards! Or be prepared to meet your death!" She jumped lightly and started flying towards InuYasha at full speed; her wrists ready to pierce into his neck. He moved quickly out of the way,
He attempted to hit her with his sword, but she too dodged. She unsheathed her own sword, clear and cool like a piece of ice. InuYasha stared at it; It's the same one that hurt Kagome! This angered him more and stared towards her with his sword, "Damn you!"
She lifted her sword in attempt to defend herself from him. It did protect her, but it shattered to pieces as soon as the two swords collided together. She screamed in rage, "How dare you!" In the air, she finally noticed Kagome in the treetop, trying to get down with no luck. She smirked; she found InuYasha's weak spot.
Miroku narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on his staff. He didn't dare risk using his Wind Tunnel; InuYasha and Kagome were much too close to the ice-demon, which made them able to being sucked in his hand. Shippo was cowering behind him, watching the fight in fear.
"You'll pay!" Lifting her right hand towards InuYasha and her left towards Kagome, three arrow-like crystals shot out. They zoomed towards them. InuYasha saw them, at least the ones towards Kagome. There was no way he'd reach her in time, and Miroku was too far!
He jumped towards her nevertheless, but the demon had calculated where he would jump. Only one arrow hit him, at his left shoulder. He ignored the cold, painful feeling that filled his shoulder. He yelled as loud as he could, "Kagome! Watch out!" He hopped she would move.
She turned her head, and her body towards his voice. Which happened to be the direct direction where the crystals were coming from. An arrow hit her right shoulder, slamming her into the trunk of the tree. Crying out in pan, she than said in fear, "InuYasha!"
"Kagome!" He turned towards the demon. He was enraged; he swiped the sword at her and killed her instantly. Two shards clattered to the ground. He quickly picked them up and ran to Kagome. He jumped into the tree and pulled out the arrow. She had a confused look on her face.
"InuYasha… Look at your wound!" She said, pointing at his shoulder pierce. It was crystallizing; the crystals were a light blue-red colour, kind of violet. He picked her up and jumped down the tree, angry thoughts filling his mind. Twice injured in so little time! How can this be?!
"InuYasha, I'm okay. You can put me down," As he did so, she turned to look at where the crystal was. Hers too was crystallizing, but hers was a light blue colour, not violet like InuYasha's. Touching it, she said to him, "It's cold," He shrugged, but he was truly worried. About Kagome anyways.
Shippo bounded over to them, his eyes wide open, "Are you guys okay?! What's the ice stuff on your shoulders?!" Miroku came over to them soon enough. He said simply, "We should get to Kaede's, these crystallizations might be dangerous in a sort. Let's go."
"I don't need an old hag telling me I should just warm up or something," He muttered under his breath. But as he turned to Kagome, she had started shivering. She turned to them, and her teeth now starting chattering. He also felt slightly cold as well, but not shivering like Kagome!
"You cold or somethin'?" He said to Kagome, now crossing his arms, "Jeez, you humans can't even stay warm yourselves," He took off his top red Kimono and draped it onto her, "Better?" He asked, again crossing his arms. He saw she nodded, but he wasn't fooled easily.
They started walking towards Kaede's. InuYasha offered Kagome a ride, but she seemed really keen for some reason not to go. I guess she feels weak or somethin'…
~Before Ice-Demon's Attack~
Kikyo was silently standing near a creek, and her soul-snatchers bringing back more souls for her. She felt a presence, turning around she narrowed her eyes, "Show yourself!" She snapped coldly, she looked around.
Nothing came, at least, no body. Instead, a crystal-arrow replied. It shot towards her, and dug into her waist. She cried out, than pulled it out. Again narrowing her eyes she said, "Come out!"
No answer came again, but she suddenly felt weak. Falling to her knees, her breathing shallow. She dropped to the ground, and her empty eyes closed.
Before she passed out, the last thing she heard, "Your survival depends on the one you used to love…the one that betrayed you… He shall have to decide soon… Or be happy with nothing"