A/N- Hey everybody! Thank you SO much for all of the reviews. They are really starting to pick up and I love the feedback I am getting! I am glad you guys liked Sesshoumaru's character. The story might slow down a little bit, but the plot will pick itself right back up again soon! I promise! At the moment I have finals and I have to study hard. So don't expect an update for a little while. But who knows, maybe if I get a whole bunch of reviews I will be motivated to update! ;)
Disclaimer- 'Feh' ( I stole that from another author. I think it sums it all up!)
The Colors of Emotions
Chapter 18
Family
Inuyasha was leaned against a tree trunk with Kagome in his lap. He looked at her pale face and was reminded of all the times she had fallen unconscious in the last few days.
'Will it always be like this from now on? Will Kagome attack and then we will have to wait around hoping she will gain her energy and wake up soon? How close was she this time to dying? She was hurt when she attacked, why would she risk her life knowingly? Was that little girl so important to save?' Not for the first time did Inuyasha find himself thinking too much.
He was angry at Kagome for risking her life. If she had died, he didn't know what he would have done. 'If she had died, part of me would have died with her. And she almost died for a stupid little human brat!'
"Inuyasha?" Shippou's voice broke through the hanyou's thoughts. Inuyasha immediately saw the rest of his companions looking at him with either curious or knowing stares. He looked down and remembered that he had Kagome curled up in his lap. She was wearing his haori, and her face was nuzzled against his chest.
Trying to save some pride, he quickly began barking out orders to change everyone's focus. "Let's get some food ready! None of us have eaten today. Kagome has ramen in her bag, so boil some water and get it ready." Miroku and Sango exchanged exasperated looks, but did as they were instructed. Sango got a pot from Kagome's bag, poured in the water from the bottles she was carrying, and set the pot over a fire that Miroku had made. In little time at all, there were five cups of steaming ramen.
"So what are our plans?" Sango questioned.
"I suppose we should wait here until Kagome wakes. It would be pointless to return to Kaede's, for she cannot do anything more to help Kagome. All we can do is wait. I wouldn't suggest traveling when she's unconscious, so we should get comfortable in this spot." Miroku stated.
"How long till she wakes monk?" Inuyasha asked.
"Well, the last time she attacked, it was a day before she woke up. But we have to take into account that she was wounded, tired, and hadn't eaten when she attacked this time."
"Why would she be stupid enough to attack when she was bleeding?" Inuyasha growled.
"I doubt she knew what she was doing. It will take time for her to master how to control her power, so I bet she wasn't even aware that she was attacking." Miroku defended Kagome.
Inuyasha's anger subsided when he realized Kagome might not have attacked on purpose.
"But she destroyed that kotsonu, so she must have focused her attack like Kaede told her to. It wouldn't have been powerful enough otherwise." Sango mused. Miroku suddenly grabbed Sango's hand and pulled her up off the ground.
"Sango, will you help me look for this herb that might help Kagome regain her strength?" He winked at her.
Sango, slightly confused, but getting the hint that he really meant he needed to tell her something, nodded and followed him away from camp out of hearing distance.
Inuyasha, Shippou, and Kirara watched the two leave with a questioning gaze. Each could tell that the monk wasn't looking for an herb, but the incident was ignored. When they could no longer see them, the three situated themselves to wait until their return.
"Hey Inuyasha?" Shippou asked.
"Yeah twerp?"
"Why did Kagome attack? What if she died?"
"She's not dead. I think Miroku was right. I don't think Kagome would be dumb enough to attack on purpose. She probably can't control herself yet, and she attacked without even thinking."
"What if it happens again?"
"I don't know Shippou."
"Hey Inuyasha?"
"What?"
"I'm sorry I couldn't protect Kagome."
Inuyasha gave the kitsune an incredulous look. "I'm the one who shouldn't have let her go without me."
"Yeah, but I still couldn't protect her."
"I couldn't either." Inuyasha murmured more to himself.
Shippou decided to take advantage of this momentarily nice Inuyasha, and the little kit climbed carefully onto Kagome's stomach. He ignored Inuyasha's slight growl knowing that the hanyou wouldn't move him, and he rolled up into a ball fast asleep. Kirara walked over and curled up into a similar ball at Inuyasha's feet. Inuyasha looked around himself shocked.
'Before Kagome came, I never would have had someone care for me like this. Before Kagome came, I couldn't truly trust anyone. But now it's almost like I have
a…a family again.'
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Sango and Miroku had stopped by some random trees far from camp. The monk sat himself against a tree, and Sango mimicked him a few feet away. "What do you want houshi?"
Miroku smirked, "I want a lot of things. One would be-"
"Stop right there. That's not what I meant. I meant, why did you bring me out here?"
"Sango, Inuyasha was extremely worried about Kagome. When he found her unconscious and close to death in Sesshoumaru's arms, he freaked out. He has gone through so much, and he can't afford to lose someone else he cares for. Kagome dying would push him over the edge."
"I know that."
"He knows that too. Do you really think it would be a good idea to tell him that Kagome was willing to risk her life on purpose for a little girl she didn't even know?"
"But you said she probably didn't attack on purpose."
"She knew what she was doing. I can assure you of that. It sounds just like Kagome to attack, even if she knew she might be killing herself, to save a child. She is such a good person, and she values other lives over her own."
"You're right."
"Kagome needs to tell Inuyasha herself. Inuyasha is scared, and he changes that to anger at her for almost dying on him. It would only anger him more to know she would have died to save a child without even thinking about how he would be affected."
"You really understand Kagome don't you?"
"I understand unrequited love just like her." And the monk left.
Sango was stunned by that statement, but didn't even want to get her hopes up about the meaning behind it. She followed Miroku back to their camp.
When the two returned they found Inuyasha lying against a tree trunk with his eyes closed. Kagome was in his lap, Shippou on Kagome's stomach, and Kirara at his feet. He opened his eyes at the sound of their footsteps and scowled. "Get them off me. I am NOT a pillow."
"Why didn't you remove them earlier?" Miroku smirked.
"Feh."
Night was approaching fast. The sky was darkening rapidly and the sun soon vanished entirely under the horizon. Kagome had been placed in her sleeping bag. Shippou was curled up next to her, and Kirara was curled up next to Sango, who slept a few feet away. Miroku was on the other side propped up against a tree. Inuyasha was, as usual, up in the branches above Kagome keeping watch. His gaze rested on her beautiful face.
His eyes wandered downward to rest upon the exposed flesh where his haori had slightly fallen off of her chest. He would have turned away, but seeing all of the bandages littering her creamy skin glued his eyes to her.
Inuyasha couldn't stand to see her wounded any longer. Guilt swept through him, and he leapt off of his perch onto the ground. He pulled his haori tighter around Kagome, and walked over to Kirara. He nudged the fire cat with his foot. Kirara stirred and opened her eyes to give Inuyasha a questioning gaze.
"I'm leaving for a little bit. I'll be back in the morning. Keep a lookout okay? I won't be far."
Kirara nodded her understanding and closed her eyes again. Inuyasha ran off into the woods. He needed to get away. He needed to clear his head. The best way to do that was to run.
He ran extremely fast through the forest. He didn't stop or take a break. He just ran.
'It's my fault she is like this. It's my fault that she is wounded. I am a horrible protector. I never should have let her go off by herself! She is never getting out of my sight again unless I know she is safe.' Inuyasha knew Kirara was keeping watch, and he knew his friends would be okay as long as another demon was there to protect them. But he still never went beyond shouting distance in case his help was needed.
Back at camp, the sleeping companions didn't notice Kagome's sudden movement. The young miko's mind was filled with a terrible nightmare.
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Vold