Once more, the reviews are most welcome. K- enough from me, let's go!
Chapter 3
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Kagome's face blanched as she looked beyond the shoulder of the demon that crouched before her. Someone was standing in the shadow of the doorway. Laughing softly, the red-eyed Inuyasha released her throat and stood to his feet. The being in the doorway stepped forward, a shaft of light falling across his face. "Inuyasha?" The human kept his dark eyes locked on the demon before him. "You know, I never liked how you look with red eyes." The demon laughed. "Funny, I was just thinking how weak you appear as a human!" Crouching, the human Inuyasha pulled Tetsusaiga from its sheath. "I'm not much of a conversationist, how about we just do this!" The demon Inuyasha laughed at the unchanged Tetsusaiga. "I don't think I need to bother drawing mine!" With a snarl, he leaped forward, claws extended. "Inuyasha!" Cried Kagome as the human version leapt out of the way, barely dodging the sweeping claws. "Eat steel!" He cried, swinging his blade in retaliation. Unfortunately, his blade didn't so much as dent the fire-rat cloth. Shaking off the attack, demon-Inuyasha swept back his arm and knocked human-Inuyasha into the wall.
Cracking his knuckles, the demon unsheathed his own Tetsusaiga, smiling as it grew to full size. Slowly, he walked up to the human, still crumpled on the ground. "Looks like mine is bigger than yours." He said, smirking through his fangs. The black-haired Inuyasha pushed himself up by his hands. "Too bad you don't know how to use it!" With a slash, he knocked the demon off his feet. Then, leaping upright, human-Inuyasha raced to Kagome's side. "Can you walk...." He stopped as he took in her ruined body. "Inuyasha, run- get away from here!" He shook his head. "Not a chance, come on!" Stooping, he pulled her into his arms and ran from the house. "He killed my family!" Cried Kagome as he ran. Inuyasha shook his head. "Your family * puff * is fine! Try to, try to think Kagome!" Kagome gasped with every rough step that jarred her body. "Stop, please stop!" Inuyasha kept running, making for the well house. Behind him, swift footsteps gained quickly. Just as they were about to reach their destination, Kagome screamed.
Inuyasha looked over his shoulder, and stumbled to a halt. The family home had vanished. Once more, Kagome and Inuyasha found themselves racing through the forests of ancient Japan. Rising up behind them, floating on a boiling mass of dark clouds, were the Thunder Brothers. "No no no no no no no!" Weeping in pain, Kagome slid to the ground. "This must be one of your worst fears cause I sure don't remember being afraid of these guys!" Said Inuyasha, feeling a surge of strength run through him. Holding his hand in front of his face, he grinned widely. "It's about damn time!" Once more, his fingers had claws at their tips. Twitching his restored ears, Inuyasha unsheathed Tetsusaiga. "Come and get it you bastards! I killed ya once, I can't wait to do it again!" On the ground, Kagome began to shiver. "How can they be real- I saw them die!" Inuyasha snorted. "Well quit thinkin' about the stuff that scares ya!" She looked up into his face. "What...." Her eyes widened. "I- I was bitten. But I thought... that was a dream!" Inuyasha shifted his sword to his other hand as the Brothers swept towards him. "Humph! That was no dream, that was real! This is the dream!" At his words, Kagome pushed herself up on her hands, turning to look at the hanyou.
Meanwhile, Inuyasha's smile grew to a feral grin. Tightening his grip, he suddenly ran forward. "Tetsusaiga!" With a powerful sweep, he aimed the blade right at the brothers.... who suddenly vanished as though they'd never been there. "Wha- hey, HEY!" Caught off guard, Inuyasha smashed ungracefully into the ground. "It is a dream!" Said Kagome, face shining with understanding. Inuyasha stood quickly, dirt cascading from the top of his head. "Next time warn me when you plan on being enlightened!" Ignoring Inuyasha's remark, Kagome stood to her feet, all traces of her devastating injury gone. "It was all fake! I just imagined it!" Shoving Tetsusaiga into its sheath, Inuyasha walked up to her. "Yeah, well I'm glad you get it. So how the hell do we wake up!" He yelled, staring into the clouds. Kagome stared at him. "You're, you're really here?" Inuyasha regarded her. "Yeah, Kaede said it was the only way to bring you back...." His words cut off as Kagome launched herself at him, throwing her arms about his waist. "I'm so glad you're here!" She cried, tightening her grip. Inuyasha looked down at her in shock. "Uh, um, you're welcome." Still, she did not release her grip.
"Uh, Kagome?" Inuyasha growled as her felt a blush creep over his face. 'She sure has a strong grip! She must really have been scared!' In a small attempt at comfort, Inuyasha patted her back- an awkward attempt as his arms were trapped at his sides. "It's ok, we just need to figure out how to wake up." He said, glancing skyward again. "Why would you want to wake up?" Asked Kagome dreamily, tightening her grip again. Inuyasha gasped as a thread of pain shot through him. Kagome continued to speak. "Amusing, thinking that, just because you know this is a dream, you can't be harmed by it." Her grip grew crushingly tight as she turned her eyes to him. Inuyasha opened his mouth wide as he looked into the face of.... "Kagura!" He cried, squeezing his eyes shut as her vise-like grip crushed him mercilessly. "You don't think I'd forgotten you, do you Inuyasha?" He cried out as he felt one of his ribs give way with a muffled snap. Struggling, he tried to pull free- to no avail. Within her ever-tightening embrace, Inuyasha turned his eyes to the sky. "Kagome!"
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Kagome opened her eyes- and met with the enveloping blackness of night. Remembering the last moments before losing consciousness, she sat up quickly. The demon Inuyasha was gone. "What, what just happened?" She asked shakily, pulling herself to her feet. The house, as well as her injury, was gone. "Inu- Inuyasha?" She shook her head. 'I swear I saw him standing in the doorway for a minute before I blacked out!' Straining her eyes in the enveloping blackness, Kagome felt a drop of sweat roll down her face. 'This is just like how my other dream started.... when I was.... bitten....' Her face twisted as the thoughts ground to a halt. 'Did I dream that?' She lifted a hand to her neck- encountering only smooth skin. 'Idiot- you're in a dream now, there wouldn't be a scar!' Dropping her hand, she began walking forward, reaching out with her hands- blindly searching for objects in the darkness. 'If only I had some light!' She thought with frustration. In response, the darkness only deepened around her. "Great." She muttered out loud. Feeling the hopelessness of further travel, Kagome dropped to the ground once more. With the heavy blackness filling her vision, Kagome's fear began building in her once again. 'This is ridiculous!' She thought, feeling goosebumbs rise on her skin. Fighting her chattering teeth, Kagome sought any form of solace in the moonless dark. Fighting a flush of embarrassment, she began softly singing. 'Inuyasha would never let me live this down if he were here!' She thought. 'What am I saying! I don't care if he teases me for the rest of my life, I want him here!' Feeling hopeless tears slip down her face, she sang louder.
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Another rib cracked, and Inuyasha felt a surge of nausea pass through him. 'Hmph, at least I can have the satisfaction of throwing up in Kagura's face!' The demon woman grinned at him. "Did you enjoy it when your Kagome threw her arms around you, hmmm? Such a sweet little girl." Inuyasha bared his fangs. "I'll enjoy it more when I can wrap my claws around your throat you hag!" Struggling madly, he somehow managed to pull one arm free. With a grunt, he swiped his claws at her face, leaving behind a trail of crimson. Laughing, Kagura leaped away, allowing Inuyasha to collapse to the ground in pain. "Pathetic attempt!" She called to him. Inuyasha stared at his hand. 'My claws should have taken her head from her shoulders!' The laughter behind him only increased. "Don't you understand yet hanyou? You can't defeat anything in here!" Looking up, Inuyasha saw her floating into the sky on a transformed leaf, her laughter falling down on him like rain. "Come back here!" He cried, lurching to his feet on unsteady legs. 'Damn it! This is getting ridiculous!' Turning, he examined the landscape around him. The once tree-covered hills were now bare, grass shriveled and dead on cracked earth. A familiar yellow mist wallowed up from the valleys and sluggishly made its way to where he stood. "I've already played this game." Said Inuyasha under his breath. In spite of this, the mist continued to grow. Coughing as the noxious fumes rose about him, Inuyasha turned, seeking any refuge. It was useless, the landscape was barren.
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Kagome's singing faltered, then stopped. Something in the nearby vicinity smelled awful! "What * cough * what is that!" She squeaked, feeling her lungs burn from the odor. With a gasp, she realized the light level had gradually begun to rise. Looking around, she saw that she was crouching in a scorched valley. The dry earth was split, and the brown vegetation under her fingers disintegrated at her touch. 'Gross!' Jerking her hand away from the rotted feeling, she stood slowly, disturbing the acrid cloud of mustard-colored mist that swirled around her. Coughing again, she began walking towards the closest hill.
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Inuyasha clenched his teeth as the haze grew around him- turning the sun into a tarnished coin in the sky. A whisper of sound caught his attention. Spinning, he spied a flash of white before the mist swallowed up the shape. "Who is that! Show yourself!" Placing his hand on Tetsusaiga, he peered into the murk. A footstep sounded behind him. Whirling, he saw a shape forming. "Who are you!" He made out an arm, a leg, a short, green skirt.... "Kagome?" The girl stepped forward, and Inuyasha backed from her, gripping the hilt of his sword. "Inuyasha?" He paused. "Is it really you Kagome?" She smiled. "Of course it is! Don't be stupid!" Relaxing slightly, Inuyasha dropped his hand. In that moment, Kagome drew her bow. "I should never have freed you!" She cried. "Kagome!" The arrow flew towards him, glowing with a white light. Leaping wildly, Inuyasha was just able to avoid the deadly bolt- wincing as it nicked his hand. Kagome already had another arrow ready. "You are really an idiot if you think I'd actually care about a demon!" She cried, loosing another shot. Inuyasha leaped again, feeling a burning pain scrape across his cheek. "Kagome, why?" She smiled. "You disgust me." She drew back her bow.
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Kagome shook her head to clear the spots in front of her eyes. She felt so tired! And her throat burned worse than ever. Reaching up her hand, she gulped as she felt a ragged wound between her collarbones. 'So it was real! But why can I feel it now?' A sound drifted down from above. Distantly, she could hear a voice calling.... it was calling her name. "....kagomeeee...." Her mouth dropped open. "Inuyasha." Clenching her jaw, she raced up the hill.
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Inuyasha stared at the slender length of wood that jutted from his chest. This time, there was no sacred tree to be pinned to. The soft feathers at the arrow's tip fluttered in the wind. Trying to step back, Inuyasha felt himself stumble to the ground. Before him, Kagome prepared a final arrow.
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The girl panted as she crested the final hill. Through the coiling mist, she could make out two shapes. One of the shapes raised something in its hands. Stepping a little closer, Kagome cried out. "No, Stop!" With horrified eyes, she watched.... herself, fire an arrow into Inuyasha's chest. "Nooo!" The half-demon crashed to the ground from the impact of the shot. Running, tears streaming from her eyes, Kagome cried out in desperation as her other self notched a final arrow. 'It's a dream, it's a dream!' But that fact couldn't erase the horror she felt as she lunged forward.
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Inuyasha, wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. "Well- what are ya waiting for!" He screamed, wincing at the pain it caused. Kagome smiled back serenely, lifting her bow. "Noooooooooooooo!" A blur of white and green flew in front of Inuyasha. Kagome released her arrow in the same moment- and something heavy slammed into the hanyou, knocking the wind from his body. On the other side of the clearing, Kagome smiled, and vanished.
Inuyasha looked down, into the face of.... "Kagome!" An arrow protruded from her stomach. She looked up into his face. "You really are here, aren't you." He couldn't speak; afraid she would turn into just another apparition. Sighing, Kagome turned her head. "Even if it is just a dream, this still hurts." Slowly, Inuyasha placed a hand on her arm. "You feel real enough. Of course, so did those other Kagome's." Turning her head again, Kagome smiled slightly. "Yeah, but did those other Kagome's take an arrow for you?" Eyes wide, Inuyasha shook his head. Around them, the mist began to dissipate.
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Back in Kaede's hut, Shippo leaned forward eagerly. "Kaede, Kaede! Come look!" He cried, jumping up and down. The old woman kneeled on the floor next to Inuyasha and Kagome. Placing an aged hand on Kagome's chest, the miko smiled. "They have found each other." At her touch, Kagome's brow wrinkled. "Quickly Shippo, bring me the rest of the herbs!" Leaping at her command, the little fox-demon grabbed the last of the herbs from the satchel and placed them in Kaede's hands. Chanting softly, the old woman crushed the plants together, releasing their heady fragrance. Then, leaning forward, she rubbed the residue at the base of Kagome and Inuyasha's throats. "Will that wake them up?" Asked Shippo worriedly. In response, Inuyasha and Kagome began to cough. "Stand back young Shippo- they may not know ye." Reluctantly, the little fox retreated to Kirara's side. A voice from the doorway responded ominously. "I don't think that's the only thing we have to worry about." Glancing up, Shippo trembled as Sango lifted her weapon from its sling. "The spirit viper is here."
Chapter 3
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Kagome's face blanched as she looked beyond the shoulder of the demon that crouched before her. Someone was standing in the shadow of the doorway. Laughing softly, the red-eyed Inuyasha released her throat and stood to his feet. The being in the doorway stepped forward, a shaft of light falling across his face. "Inuyasha?" The human kept his dark eyes locked on the demon before him. "You know, I never liked how you look with red eyes." The demon laughed. "Funny, I was just thinking how weak you appear as a human!" Crouching, the human Inuyasha pulled Tetsusaiga from its sheath. "I'm not much of a conversationist, how about we just do this!" The demon Inuyasha laughed at the unchanged Tetsusaiga. "I don't think I need to bother drawing mine!" With a snarl, he leaped forward, claws extended. "Inuyasha!" Cried Kagome as the human version leapt out of the way, barely dodging the sweeping claws. "Eat steel!" He cried, swinging his blade in retaliation. Unfortunately, his blade didn't so much as dent the fire-rat cloth. Shaking off the attack, demon-Inuyasha swept back his arm and knocked human-Inuyasha into the wall.
Cracking his knuckles, the demon unsheathed his own Tetsusaiga, smiling as it grew to full size. Slowly, he walked up to the human, still crumpled on the ground. "Looks like mine is bigger than yours." He said, smirking through his fangs. The black-haired Inuyasha pushed himself up by his hands. "Too bad you don't know how to use it!" With a slash, he knocked the demon off his feet. Then, leaping upright, human-Inuyasha raced to Kagome's side. "Can you walk...." He stopped as he took in her ruined body. "Inuyasha, run- get away from here!" He shook his head. "Not a chance, come on!" Stooping, he pulled her into his arms and ran from the house. "He killed my family!" Cried Kagome as he ran. Inuyasha shook his head. "Your family * puff * is fine! Try to, try to think Kagome!" Kagome gasped with every rough step that jarred her body. "Stop, please stop!" Inuyasha kept running, making for the well house. Behind him, swift footsteps gained quickly. Just as they were about to reach their destination, Kagome screamed.
Inuyasha looked over his shoulder, and stumbled to a halt. The family home had vanished. Once more, Kagome and Inuyasha found themselves racing through the forests of ancient Japan. Rising up behind them, floating on a boiling mass of dark clouds, were the Thunder Brothers. "No no no no no no no!" Weeping in pain, Kagome slid to the ground. "This must be one of your worst fears cause I sure don't remember being afraid of these guys!" Said Inuyasha, feeling a surge of strength run through him. Holding his hand in front of his face, he grinned widely. "It's about damn time!" Once more, his fingers had claws at their tips. Twitching his restored ears, Inuyasha unsheathed Tetsusaiga. "Come and get it you bastards! I killed ya once, I can't wait to do it again!" On the ground, Kagome began to shiver. "How can they be real- I saw them die!" Inuyasha snorted. "Well quit thinkin' about the stuff that scares ya!" She looked up into his face. "What...." Her eyes widened. "I- I was bitten. But I thought... that was a dream!" Inuyasha shifted his sword to his other hand as the Brothers swept towards him. "Humph! That was no dream, that was real! This is the dream!" At his words, Kagome pushed herself up on her hands, turning to look at the hanyou.
Meanwhile, Inuyasha's smile grew to a feral grin. Tightening his grip, he suddenly ran forward. "Tetsusaiga!" With a powerful sweep, he aimed the blade right at the brothers.... who suddenly vanished as though they'd never been there. "Wha- hey, HEY!" Caught off guard, Inuyasha smashed ungracefully into the ground. "It is a dream!" Said Kagome, face shining with understanding. Inuyasha stood quickly, dirt cascading from the top of his head. "Next time warn me when you plan on being enlightened!" Ignoring Inuyasha's remark, Kagome stood to her feet, all traces of her devastating injury gone. "It was all fake! I just imagined it!" Shoving Tetsusaiga into its sheath, Inuyasha walked up to her. "Yeah, well I'm glad you get it. So how the hell do we wake up!" He yelled, staring into the clouds. Kagome stared at him. "You're, you're really here?" Inuyasha regarded her. "Yeah, Kaede said it was the only way to bring you back...." His words cut off as Kagome launched herself at him, throwing her arms about his waist. "I'm so glad you're here!" She cried, tightening her grip. Inuyasha looked down at her in shock. "Uh, um, you're welcome." Still, she did not release her grip.
"Uh, Kagome?" Inuyasha growled as her felt a blush creep over his face. 'She sure has a strong grip! She must really have been scared!' In a small attempt at comfort, Inuyasha patted her back- an awkward attempt as his arms were trapped at his sides. "It's ok, we just need to figure out how to wake up." He said, glancing skyward again. "Why would you want to wake up?" Asked Kagome dreamily, tightening her grip again. Inuyasha gasped as a thread of pain shot through him. Kagome continued to speak. "Amusing, thinking that, just because you know this is a dream, you can't be harmed by it." Her grip grew crushingly tight as she turned her eyes to him. Inuyasha opened his mouth wide as he looked into the face of.... "Kagura!" He cried, squeezing his eyes shut as her vise-like grip crushed him mercilessly. "You don't think I'd forgotten you, do you Inuyasha?" He cried out as he felt one of his ribs give way with a muffled snap. Struggling, he tried to pull free- to no avail. Within her ever-tightening embrace, Inuyasha turned his eyes to the sky. "Kagome!"
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Kagome opened her eyes- and met with the enveloping blackness of night. Remembering the last moments before losing consciousness, she sat up quickly. The demon Inuyasha was gone. "What, what just happened?" She asked shakily, pulling herself to her feet. The house, as well as her injury, was gone. "Inu- Inuyasha?" She shook her head. 'I swear I saw him standing in the doorway for a minute before I blacked out!' Straining her eyes in the enveloping blackness, Kagome felt a drop of sweat roll down her face. 'This is just like how my other dream started.... when I was.... bitten....' Her face twisted as the thoughts ground to a halt. 'Did I dream that?' She lifted a hand to her neck- encountering only smooth skin. 'Idiot- you're in a dream now, there wouldn't be a scar!' Dropping her hand, she began walking forward, reaching out with her hands- blindly searching for objects in the darkness. 'If only I had some light!' She thought with frustration. In response, the darkness only deepened around her. "Great." She muttered out loud. Feeling the hopelessness of further travel, Kagome dropped to the ground once more. With the heavy blackness filling her vision, Kagome's fear began building in her once again. 'This is ridiculous!' She thought, feeling goosebumbs rise on her skin. Fighting her chattering teeth, Kagome sought any form of solace in the moonless dark. Fighting a flush of embarrassment, she began softly singing. 'Inuyasha would never let me live this down if he were here!' She thought. 'What am I saying! I don't care if he teases me for the rest of my life, I want him here!' Feeling hopeless tears slip down her face, she sang louder.
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Another rib cracked, and Inuyasha felt a surge of nausea pass through him. 'Hmph, at least I can have the satisfaction of throwing up in Kagura's face!' The demon woman grinned at him. "Did you enjoy it when your Kagome threw her arms around you, hmmm? Such a sweet little girl." Inuyasha bared his fangs. "I'll enjoy it more when I can wrap my claws around your throat you hag!" Struggling madly, he somehow managed to pull one arm free. With a grunt, he swiped his claws at her face, leaving behind a trail of crimson. Laughing, Kagura leaped away, allowing Inuyasha to collapse to the ground in pain. "Pathetic attempt!" She called to him. Inuyasha stared at his hand. 'My claws should have taken her head from her shoulders!' The laughter behind him only increased. "Don't you understand yet hanyou? You can't defeat anything in here!" Looking up, Inuyasha saw her floating into the sky on a transformed leaf, her laughter falling down on him like rain. "Come back here!" He cried, lurching to his feet on unsteady legs. 'Damn it! This is getting ridiculous!' Turning, he examined the landscape around him. The once tree-covered hills were now bare, grass shriveled and dead on cracked earth. A familiar yellow mist wallowed up from the valleys and sluggishly made its way to where he stood. "I've already played this game." Said Inuyasha under his breath. In spite of this, the mist continued to grow. Coughing as the noxious fumes rose about him, Inuyasha turned, seeking any refuge. It was useless, the landscape was barren.
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Kagome's singing faltered, then stopped. Something in the nearby vicinity smelled awful! "What * cough * what is that!" She squeaked, feeling her lungs burn from the odor. With a gasp, she realized the light level had gradually begun to rise. Looking around, she saw that she was crouching in a scorched valley. The dry earth was split, and the brown vegetation under her fingers disintegrated at her touch. 'Gross!' Jerking her hand away from the rotted feeling, she stood slowly, disturbing the acrid cloud of mustard-colored mist that swirled around her. Coughing again, she began walking towards the closest hill.
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Inuyasha clenched his teeth as the haze grew around him- turning the sun into a tarnished coin in the sky. A whisper of sound caught his attention. Spinning, he spied a flash of white before the mist swallowed up the shape. "Who is that! Show yourself!" Placing his hand on Tetsusaiga, he peered into the murk. A footstep sounded behind him. Whirling, he saw a shape forming. "Who are you!" He made out an arm, a leg, a short, green skirt.... "Kagome?" The girl stepped forward, and Inuyasha backed from her, gripping the hilt of his sword. "Inuyasha?" He paused. "Is it really you Kagome?" She smiled. "Of course it is! Don't be stupid!" Relaxing slightly, Inuyasha dropped his hand. In that moment, Kagome drew her bow. "I should never have freed you!" She cried. "Kagome!" The arrow flew towards him, glowing with a white light. Leaping wildly, Inuyasha was just able to avoid the deadly bolt- wincing as it nicked his hand. Kagome already had another arrow ready. "You are really an idiot if you think I'd actually care about a demon!" She cried, loosing another shot. Inuyasha leaped again, feeling a burning pain scrape across his cheek. "Kagome, why?" She smiled. "You disgust me." She drew back her bow.
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Kagome shook her head to clear the spots in front of her eyes. She felt so tired! And her throat burned worse than ever. Reaching up her hand, she gulped as she felt a ragged wound between her collarbones. 'So it was real! But why can I feel it now?' A sound drifted down from above. Distantly, she could hear a voice calling.... it was calling her name. "....kagomeeee...." Her mouth dropped open. "Inuyasha." Clenching her jaw, she raced up the hill.
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Inuyasha stared at the slender length of wood that jutted from his chest. This time, there was no sacred tree to be pinned to. The soft feathers at the arrow's tip fluttered in the wind. Trying to step back, Inuyasha felt himself stumble to the ground. Before him, Kagome prepared a final arrow.
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The girl panted as she crested the final hill. Through the coiling mist, she could make out two shapes. One of the shapes raised something in its hands. Stepping a little closer, Kagome cried out. "No, Stop!" With horrified eyes, she watched.... herself, fire an arrow into Inuyasha's chest. "Nooo!" The half-demon crashed to the ground from the impact of the shot. Running, tears streaming from her eyes, Kagome cried out in desperation as her other self notched a final arrow. 'It's a dream, it's a dream!' But that fact couldn't erase the horror she felt as she lunged forward.
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Inuyasha, wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. "Well- what are ya waiting for!" He screamed, wincing at the pain it caused. Kagome smiled back serenely, lifting her bow. "Noooooooooooooo!" A blur of white and green flew in front of Inuyasha. Kagome released her arrow in the same moment- and something heavy slammed into the hanyou, knocking the wind from his body. On the other side of the clearing, Kagome smiled, and vanished.
Inuyasha looked down, into the face of.... "Kagome!" An arrow protruded from her stomach. She looked up into his face. "You really are here, aren't you." He couldn't speak; afraid she would turn into just another apparition. Sighing, Kagome turned her head. "Even if it is just a dream, this still hurts." Slowly, Inuyasha placed a hand on her arm. "You feel real enough. Of course, so did those other Kagome's." Turning her head again, Kagome smiled slightly. "Yeah, but did those other Kagome's take an arrow for you?" Eyes wide, Inuyasha shook his head. Around them, the mist began to dissipate.
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Back in Kaede's hut, Shippo leaned forward eagerly. "Kaede, Kaede! Come look!" He cried, jumping up and down. The old woman kneeled on the floor next to Inuyasha and Kagome. Placing an aged hand on Kagome's chest, the miko smiled. "They have found each other." At her touch, Kagome's brow wrinkled. "Quickly Shippo, bring me the rest of the herbs!" Leaping at her command, the little fox-demon grabbed the last of the herbs from the satchel and placed them in Kaede's hands. Chanting softly, the old woman crushed the plants together, releasing their heady fragrance. Then, leaning forward, she rubbed the residue at the base of Kagome and Inuyasha's throats. "Will that wake them up?" Asked Shippo worriedly. In response, Inuyasha and Kagome began to cough. "Stand back young Shippo- they may not know ye." Reluctantly, the little fox retreated to Kirara's side. A voice from the doorway responded ominously. "I don't think that's the only thing we have to worry about." Glancing up, Shippo trembled as Sango lifted her weapon from its sling. "The spirit viper is here."