CHAPTER FIFTEEN
*
The rushing wind stole Kagome's breath as she tried to scream. For a moment she saw Inuyasha's horrified face over the edge of the precipice, saw his hand stretch out towards hers. But then the darkness swallowed him, and the cliff began to rush away above Kagome, as if the mountain itself was shooting up into the sky.
She had been backing away from the fight, not wanting to distract Inuyasha during the deadly fight. When he tricked the snake into going toward him and pushed it over the edge, Kagome had been elated. He had beaten the snake, even as a human -- and a sick one at that. She had started toward him, intending to give him a hug before he could protest -- and had felt something heavy, thick and cold smack into her. She had fallen backwards, and kept on falling before she could try to catch herself.
The enraged snake was taking her down with it -- probably revenge against Inuyasha, she thought. It kept threatening me to make him angry. And... I didn't expect it to be able to do that!
She suddenly hit a slope on the precipice, a steep sweep of rock and gravel. Her fingers clawed helplessly as she skidded down. She managed to make a sound now -- a strangled squeak that sounded like Inuyasha on helium. Her hands caught on a dead vine for a moment, and she glanced down to see the writhing, shrieking snake vanish down into the valley. Then the vine snapped. Kagome slid down the stretch of bare rock, squealing every inch of the way -- and ended up in empty space again.
She closed her eyes as she began falling again. There were little cuts and scrapes on her face and arms, and they stung in the cold air. It was stupid of her to care about those when she was about to die at the bottom of a chasm.
If only Inuyasha were a demon right now, he would be here to stop me from falling, Kagome thought miserably. I wish... I wish I weren't leaving him... but at least he'll be okay now... that's what matters...
And an arm slipped around her waist.
Kagome gasped and opened her eyes. Inuyasha was falling right behind her, his black hair blown above his face, and a strange smile on his lips. He was still clutching his Tetsusaiga with his free hand.
"Inuyasha..." Kagome whispered.
Stunned, she thought, He... he came after me? He jumped off that cliff to save me? Even though he knew he couldn't stop or jump back up?
She knew that she should be miserable that he was going to die with her, since he hadn't transformed yet, but the expression on his face made her feel like nothing bad could happen. It was such a... a gentle look. They were plummeting together down a cliff, and probably had no more than a minute or two before hitting the bottom.
Kagome felt tears forming in her eyes. The wind blew them up her face and into the air; Inuyasha flicked one off her cheek.
"Don't worry, Kagome," he said quietly.
"I'm not worried," Kagome said in a whisper.
"Just hold on to me, and everything'll be okay," he added. Kagome nodded, not entirely sure what he meant.
Inuyasha smiled at her for a moment more, then raised Tetsusaiga over his head and jammed it into the rock face. There was an earsplitting screech, and the smooth fall suddenly shattered. As the sword sheared through the cliff's cracks, Kagome felt Inuyasha's arm digging into her stomach. She felt like all her teeth were being rattled loose, but she clung to him desperately, hoping that this horrible shaking would stop.
Then suddenly the fall stopped. Kagome slowly opened her eyes. She was dangling over the rest of the cliff, her short skirt fluttering in the wind. Looking down made her dizzy, so she quickly looked up at Inuyasha, who was pressed tightly against her back. His face was sweaty and tense, but he opened his eyes a little. "You... okay, Kagome?" he whispered.
"I think so," Kagome said. "How-"
"Don't talk. It's distracting me... just... just hold on... for a little while... until the sun rises."
Kagome fell silent. But she glanced down at Tetsusaiga, and was stunned. Inuyasha's right hand was still clutching Tetsusaiga's hilt, with the sword buried halfway in the rock and jammed into a crack. But his left arm was still wrapped around Kagome's waist. Somehow he was holding them both up with only one hand -- in a human body. Could he keep this up? she thought. As a demon, he was more than strong enough, but as a human...
Kagome looked up at the sky in the east. The band of light was turning a bright peach color as the sunrise approached. But it was still a long way off.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
The rushing wind stole Kagome's breath as she tried to scream. For a moment she saw Inuyasha's horrified face over the edge of the precipice, saw his hand stretch out towards hers. But then the darkness swallowed him, and the cliff began to rush away above Kagome, as if the mountain itself was shooting up into the sky.
She had been backing away from the fight, not wanting to distract Inuyasha during the deadly fight. When he tricked the snake into going toward him and pushed it over the edge, Kagome had been elated. He had beaten the snake, even as a human -- and a sick one at that. She had started toward him, intending to give him a hug before he could protest -- and had felt something heavy, thick and cold smack into her. She had fallen backwards, and kept on falling before she could try to catch herself.
The enraged snake was taking her down with it -- probably revenge against Inuyasha, she thought. It kept threatening me to make him angry. And... I didn't expect it to be able to do that!
She suddenly hit a slope on the precipice, a steep sweep of rock and gravel. Her fingers clawed helplessly as she skidded down. She managed to make a sound now -- a strangled squeak that sounded like Inuyasha on helium. Her hands caught on a dead vine for a moment, and she glanced down to see the writhing, shrieking snake vanish down into the valley. Then the vine snapped. Kagome slid down the stretch of bare rock, squealing every inch of the way -- and ended up in empty space again.
She closed her eyes as she began falling again. There were little cuts and scrapes on her face and arms, and they stung in the cold air. It was stupid of her to care about those when she was about to die at the bottom of a chasm.
If only Inuyasha were a demon right now, he would be here to stop me from falling, Kagome thought miserably. I wish... I wish I weren't leaving him... but at least he'll be okay now... that's what matters...
And an arm slipped around her waist.
Kagome gasped and opened her eyes. Inuyasha was falling right behind her, his black hair blown above his face, and a strange smile on his lips. He was still clutching his Tetsusaiga with his free hand.
"Inuyasha..." Kagome whispered.
Stunned, she thought, He... he came after me? He jumped off that cliff to save me? Even though he knew he couldn't stop or jump back up?
She knew that she should be miserable that he was going to die with her, since he hadn't transformed yet, but the expression on his face made her feel like nothing bad could happen. It was such a... a gentle look. They were plummeting together down a cliff, and probably had no more than a minute or two before hitting the bottom.
Kagome felt tears forming in her eyes. The wind blew them up her face and into the air; Inuyasha flicked one off her cheek.
"Don't worry, Kagome," he said quietly.
"I'm not worried," Kagome said in a whisper.
"Just hold on to me, and everything'll be okay," he added. Kagome nodded, not entirely sure what he meant.
Inuyasha smiled at her for a moment more, then raised Tetsusaiga over his head and jammed it into the rock face. There was an earsplitting screech, and the smooth fall suddenly shattered. As the sword sheared through the cliff's cracks, Kagome felt Inuyasha's arm digging into her stomach. She felt like all her teeth were being rattled loose, but she clung to him desperately, hoping that this horrible shaking would stop.
Then suddenly the fall stopped. Kagome slowly opened her eyes. She was dangling over the rest of the cliff, her short skirt fluttering in the wind. Looking down made her dizzy, so she quickly looked up at Inuyasha, who was pressed tightly against her back. His face was sweaty and tense, but he opened his eyes a little. "You... okay, Kagome?" he whispered.
"I think so," Kagome said. "How-"
"Don't talk. It's distracting me... just... just hold on... for a little while... until the sun rises."
Kagome fell silent. But she glanced down at Tetsusaiga, and was stunned. Inuyasha's right hand was still clutching Tetsusaiga's hilt, with the sword buried halfway in the rock and jammed into a crack. But his left arm was still wrapped around Kagome's waist. Somehow he was holding them both up with only one hand -- in a human body. Could he keep this up? she thought. As a demon, he was more than strong enough, but as a human...
Kagome looked up at the sky in the east. The band of light was turning a bright peach color as the sunrise approached. But it was still a long way off.
TO BE CONTINUED
