Manga No.9

Chapter 2

by Tequ!ni

Hi you guys! I know, I know what you're thinking "Don't hi me after such a long time!" I's been a while since I've gotten the time to write. I've a lot of things to do lately studying, getting my driving license, more studying...oh, and studying. Anywayz, hope you'll enjoy this chapter, don't forget to REVIEW! Thanks... *'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*' *'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'

In the room Inu Yasha left before, a certain pile of rocks slowly started to shake. What came forth was a hermit. Made of stone. "Hehehe...You're not going to get away like this." Tokajin patted his stone belly with his stone hand, "Besides. I'm hungry." He let out a hollering laugh and started towards the stairway which lead to the kitchen.

Tokajin grinned inwardly, 'Ha! It's so easy to follow this stupid boy. The blood on the floor leads the way. He hasn't got a chance.' The labyrinth of stairs which lead deep into the heart of the mountain had often caused intruders to get lost and die from hunger. Whenever Tokajin found one of them he was happy about the nice snack waiting for him.

From his sitting position Inu Yasha turned his head and looked upwards the stone steps leading into the darkness. 'I can already feel him coming.' He was waiting for Kagome to come back from her "exploration". Inu Yasha had, after a short discussion, agreed to let Kagome go and look for an exit while he would try to regain a bit of his strength. She wanted to be brave for him, Inu Yasha knew it.

He turned back his head and leaned heavily against the wall behind his back. Allowing his eyes to close for a bit he tried to forget about the pain which was slowly driving him insane. Miroku and Shippo looked out from under the fabric of Inu Yasha's gi top. Shippo looked up at the now human's face, "Inu Yasha is really bushed." Miroku nodded, "With those wounds of his, it would be better for him not to move at all."

Inu Yasha was trying to take deep and slow breaths. 'Wonder if we're going to get out of here alive. But I have to make sure that Kagome is save. Either I will get her out of this hell or die trying.' He was pulled out of his thoughts by a soft hand pushing away the bangs that curtained his closed eyes. He opened his eyes and saw Kagome kneeling in front of him, still clad only in his flaming red top wrapped around her like a dress.

She pulled back to sit on her heels, but then the look of concern in her eyes and the weak state he was in confused his emotions further when she leaned forward to wipe off a few trickles of blood which had escaped from a not too deep scar on his cheek. Pushing the strange emotions aside he forced himself to think more rationally, "Have you found an exit? Is it still dark outside?" Kagome nodded, "I've found one, but it's still dark."

"Damnit!" Inu Yasha swore. "Come on let's go to the exit you found. I can feel this Tokajin coming our way and I'm not much of a use for fighting in my human state." Kagome nodded, "Can you walk?" Inu Yasha said, "Feh, sure." He gritted his teeth and swore under his breath while forcing his weight onto his tired legs. Kagome could see the pain that was written all over Inu Yasha's face, so she went to help him, but Inu Yasha shook his head. He averted his gaze and grabbed the stone wall on his left for support.

The loss of blood and the sudden movement had made him dizzy. Inu Yasha took a step, but instantly stumbled over his own feet. Kagome immediately acted upon his clumsy attempt. She rushed to his front and threw her arms around his waist using her body to support him. She turned a little and leaned herself against the wall on her back, so he wouldn't fall on top of her and make them hit the hard steps.

A few seconds passed without them moving. Kagome hugged Inu Yasha as close as she possibly could and wound one of her hands into his silky black hair. She moved her head and let their cheeks touch so she could whisper into his ear, "I...Inu Yasha?"...Kagome wasn't able to hold back her tears any more..."Inu Ya...Yasha! Can you hear me? You're okay, aren't you?...Please Inu Yasha...you...you can't leave me...I need you..." Never ever had she thought that something like this could happen.

Inu Yasha, the glorious Hanyou, almost defeated and at the end of his strength. Bloody bruised and beaten. This had to be a nightmare. Kagome still had so many things she wanted to tell him. The most important one being the fact that she loved him. To say that she was desperate would have been an understatement.

Inu Yasha's eyes were clenched shut in pain, but he could very well hear her. He brought one hand up to cup her other cheek, "Don't worry Kagome...I'm not gonna die that easily. Nothing is gonna make me leave you..." What? What did he say? He couldn't help himself. Her intoxicating scent and those damn human feelings always made him loose control over his damn mouth.

Kagome blushed. Every time Inu Yasha was in his human form he said such nice things to her and made her believe he had feelings for her. She was totally oblivious to the fact that she wasn't quite wrong in thinking this. Inu Yasha couldn't help but curse himself for making her cry. He wanted to make up to her, to comfort her, so he did the first thing that came to his mind.

He turned his head and kissed her cheek. Kagome stiffened and her hand on his back fisted. She let out a sob and pulled him against herself more tightly, so she could feel his body against hers. Inu Yasha noticed her behaviour and wished for nothing except for being alone with her and nobody else around in a radius of ten miles. How he longed to kiss her breathless and rip those stupid clothes off them, so he could make love to her until she was crying out his name in ecstasy.

"Um....hello you two?!" Shippo crawled out of Inu Yasha's sleeve, "I really don't want to disturb you, but we really should get a move on before this guy finds us." Kagome and Inu Yasha blushed ten different shades of red. They had completely forgotten that they were not alone. He really wanted to stay like this jut a little bit longer. The feeling of her soft, warm body against his was just what he needed to forget his pain.

Kagome agreed with Shippo though she would have liked to stay like this forever, with Inu Yasha's lean body pressing her against the wall and making her feel all girlishly and wanted. She sighed inwardly and slipped a hand around his waist and pulled his arm over her shoulder so that he was leaning on her. Inu Yasha unconsciously blushed when he noticed that the entry left side of her soft body was pressed up against his and that he could see well past the neckline of her makeshift dress.

Inu Yasha felt a little better now. This scene had helped them both to gather new strength. "Here it is." Kagome said when she lead Inu Yasha through a sliding door into what looked like a store room for sake an herbs. She helped Inu Yasha to get over to the window on the other side of the room. He decided to let Kagome rest a little and removed his arm from around her shoulders.

Leaning onto the windowstill he looked down the at least hundred metre deep ravine, "Is this the exit you've been talking about?" Kagome looked at him, "Not good?" Inu Yasha smacked his forehead, "Okay, I've got an idea..." Kagome balled her hands into fists, "No way!" Inu Yasha looked at her, "I haven't said anything yet, have I?" Kagome said, "You want me to run away alone, don't you?...No Way." Inu Yasha nodded in defeat.

"Hah, I've found the little lovey doveys!" Kagome and Inu Yasha whirled around. "Oh no, look, the jewel shard has turned his body into stone." Out of instinct Kagome moved a little closer to Inu Yasha and he took her hand to assure her that he would protect her, or at least try to. Tokajin swung his club at them and a giant tendril broke through the earthy ground. Inu Yasha took Kagome in his arms and with all his might jumped out of the way.

Kagome heard him scream and felt him gripping her tighter. One of the arm- long thorns had easily cut it's way through Inu Yasha's thin gi top at the area of his upper back and created a new wound. Nevertheless he turned around in midair, so that he would take the impact of the fall. Kagome, now crying freely again, quickly got off him and cradled his head against her chest. "Oh my god Inu Yasha!!!" He groaned in pain and opened his eyes. "Why d' you do that?"

Kagome stroked his cheek with a shaking hand. "Everything's gonna be okay, do you hear me Inu Yasha?" Tokajin grinned evilly while enjoying the girl's fear, "Humans are scum. As weak as flies. Working in the dirt from dusk till dawn and dying in the end." Miroku and Shippo slid out of Inu Yasha's sleeve to help them. Tokajin didn't even notice it when Miroku pointed his black hole at the giant.

Shippo said, "Miroku, you're only taking in dust particles." Miroku looked desperate, "I know, but this small body can't take any more." Kagome looked around the room, searching for something that might help them. Then she spotted something, 'A bow and arrows. I've got to get to them.' She carefully put Inu Yasha's head on the ground and gave him a reassuring smile.

Tokajin just stood there dumb folded when he saw the girl get up and hurry over to the window, to grab the bow and arrow which were lying in a corner. It didn't take him long to get to her and he nearly broke out into a hollering laugh when she notched an arrow onto the bow and pointed it at him. Kagome silently prayed for the arrow to hit, but when she pulled just a little harder, the wooden bow cracked and broke into two pieces.

Tokajin grinned, "I'm sorry, but I didn't really look after this one." Kagome backed into the wall. "Don't worry. I don't want to eat you any more. You'll become my wife!" With his last strength and willpower Inu Yasha rose behind Tokajin. 'But only over my dead body!" He sprinted into their direction and shouted, "Kagome, duck!" Kagome jumped out of the way and threw herself onto the ground.

She hurried to get up when she heard the cracking of wood, the angry shout of Tokajin and a grount of pain from Inu Yasha. 'No, this can't be!' But her worst fears had come true. There was a huge hole in the outer wall and she could see Tokajin and Inu Yasha plummeting down down down. She cried, "Noooooooooooooo INU YASHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!" He looked at her face which was steadily getting smaller and smiled one last time, "Kagome. As long as you're save, everything's gonna be all right."

tbc...

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Yeah, it's short. I'm only posting this as a kind of 'Hi-I'm-still-alive- and-not-abandoning-this-fic' chappie.

Don't forget to review on your way out, thanks c ya

bye