A/N- I put these at the bottom so you guys can just get right on reading.
Disclaimer- Rumiko Takahashi owns all
The Colors of Emotions
Chapter 31
Shared Energy
"Shippou! You need to come back!" Inuyasha dashed after the panicked kitsune who was just barely in his sight. 'Since when has this kid got so fast?' The hanyou momentarily pondered before realizing he would have to speed up. Putting on an extra burst of speed, Inuyasha was able to snatch Shippou's tail just before the kid could make a leap over a small creek.
"Let me go!" Shippou wailed. The grip on his tail did not loosen even for a moment. Not ready to give up, Shippou tossed the pinkish shard that was clutched tightly in his hands into the creek he was dangling above.
"Nice try brat." Inuyasha commented as he swiftly maneuvered his other hand to catch the jewel shard. "We need to get this back to Kagome."
"But why? Naraku could kill her! Why can't you see that! Am I the only one who cares about Kagome?! She can't have that jewel shard near her!" Shippou was close to tears, and he doubled his efforts at trying to squirm his way free.
Angered by Shippou's tirade, Inuyasha's temper made him forget the importance of bringing the shard back right away. "Listen you little brat! I am very well aware that Naraku could kill Kagome. But she told me he wouldn't. I guess he needs her for some plan of his, but that is all she told me. And even though I am angry as hell about it, I cannot force her to remove the shard!" Inuyasha paused to take a breath before he continued. "Kagome could die if she doesn't have enough energy and she attacks. The jewel shard stops her from doing that. Now have I gotten it through your thick skull that Kagome needs this shard?!" Just before he turned to leave he added, "And don't you ever think that you are the only person who cares about Kagome." Inuyasha hissed out the final words before dropping the kitsune into the creek, turning around, and speeding back to the hut.
*
"No." Sango whispered. This couldn't be happening. Miroku couldn't be dead. He just wasn't allowed to be. She could not lose another person. She would break. "No!" Sango yelled even louder. Kirara stood stock-still next to her master, not knowing what to do. Sango dove at Miroku's fallen form and shook his shoulders forcefully. "Wake up! Please Miroku!"
Kaede was slowly gathering her bearings. She had never witnessed such a power before, and had never imagined Kagome as being the source of it. Her miko senses made her alert with the slight demon aura still surging through the air and emitting from Kagome's still form.
Kaede reached for Kagome's wrist in fear.
"What the hell happened?" A hoarse voice questioned from the doorway. Kaede, Sango, and Kirara turned their heads to see Inuyasha standing in front of the entrance, with a terrified look on his face. No one answered him as it seemed the hanyou already knew what had happened by the way his eyes traveled over the remains of the wall to the right of him. The wall had been blasted to bits and the path of destruction continued towards the fields where it finally seemed to have diminished. Thankfully no villagers had gotten in the way.
One could practically see the way the wheels turned in Inuyasha's mind as the realization hit him. Kagome had attacked, and she had not been awake or full of energy. Whipping his head towards her still form, he finally noticed Sango crouched over Miroku, who also appeared lifeless. Sango was crying, obviously assuming the monk to be dead. Inuyasha's hanyou senses told him better as he could hear the monk's heart beat and shallow breathing.
"Sango, he's fine. He's just unconscious." Inuyasha grumbled slightly annoyed.
"What do you mean? He was hit by the blast!" Sango sputtered out between her crying.
Inuyasha was already in a panicked state and his temper flared up at her human ignorance. "No he wasn't! If that pervert had been hit by Kagome's attack he would resemble that wall over there. Ya know, the one blown to bits. He must have hit his head. Now move out of my way!" The hanyou growled and stepped over Miroku's form leaving a stunned Sango in his wake.
Inuyasha had indeed been correct, as Sango soon realized. She could faintly hear the houshi's breathing, and he was moving slightly signifying his soon awakening.
Sango now knew one of the people she cared about was okay, now to see to Kagome…
Inuyasha and Kaede both had gone pale. Grabbing the young girl's wrist, Sango did not feel a pulse.
Kagome was dead.
*
It was so peaceful. Well, there wasn't really an 'it' that could be described. There was just…nothing. All her memories were gone, she felt relaxed and completely calm.
Until a feeling like she was being torn apart into a million pieces and being dragged downwards overcame her.
Kagome opened her eyes to find herself lying flat on her back with that annoying white mist swirling above her…again. She had never had a hangover before, but she imagined this is what it felt like. Her head was throbbing, her joints ached, and she felt extremely nauseated.
"Whoops. Almost lost ya there." A deep voice chuckled. "I really should pay more attention to just how weak you really are. Apparently that image made you a little bit too protective. It never occurred to me that you would actually die from losing too much energy."
Kagome could only think of one thing to say to Naraku right now, "I hate you."
His cruel laughter echoed around her. "Oh come now. I just saved your life. You lost all of you energy and what do I do? I let you have some of mine. You do remember me telling you how I can give you energy right?"
Kagome didn't answer. She just lay there catching her breath until she was ready to speak. "I died?"
"Yep. And it would have been an awful shame. Luckily I gave you some energy just in time. If I waited a few more seconds you would have been a goner."
"How very thoughtful of you." Kagome snapped sarcastically.
"So, did you like my little image?" Naraku sounded like a three year old asking how their picture in a coloring book was. He was that excited and proud of himself.
"That was all fake? That whole think with Kikyo shooting at Inuyasha was just an image?"
"Of course. But that energy was all yours. I guess I might need to clarify something for you. We are connected no matter what. It's just I cannot physically control you without the shard near. But I can still mentally have a hold on you. If I can make you attack of your own free will, the destruction you cause is amazing."
"You are such a sadist." She commented dryly.
"Yes, I'm aware of that. Now, why don't you get that jewel shard back so I don't have to make you attack anymore. There's no point to make you attack when you have the jewel shard, and I have so much more fun when I can actually touch you. I think that is a good compromise. You wear the jewel shard, and I don't make you attack and hurt the people around you without knowing it. That is what you're afraid of, is it not?"
"I have one question for you. Was that nightmare I had a few days ago with Inuyasha leaving me for Kikyo also an image?"
Naraku appeared above Kagome as she hadn't gotten up off the floor yet. He offered her a hand to help her up, but she predictably refused.
Lowering his hand, Naraku answered her. "Yes, and having you attack with hatred was also just part of the image. None of that energy was real. You can't feel hatred anyway, you are too pure." A cruel smile etched itself onto his features. "This is why it will be all the more fun to defile you. But now it is time to wake up Kagome. I'll let you take some more of my energy so you can awaken right away."
Then he disappeared, and Kagome could feel herself being rushed into consciousness.
*
Kagome was not dead. And the realization felt like a huge weight coming off of everyone's shoulders. Shippou had come barging in through the flap a few moments before, and before anyone had to break the shocking news to him, Inuyasha announced that the supposedly dead girl's pulse had just come back. For a moment there, the grief was so horrible; Kaede thought Inuyasha was going to seriously lose his mind. He had clung to Kagome's wrist not believing that she was truly gone. It was by some miracle that he had been given another chance, and you could tell he knew that by the eagerness displayed on the hanyou's face for Kagome to awaken. Now they all waited expectantly around Kagome, not knowing what was going on, or how this miracle had occurred in the first place.
"I suppose we could just let her rest, while we return to our other duties. She is probably trying to gain energy again by sleeping like she has done before." Kaede offered to try to make the tense situation easier to deal with. But predictably, no one moved a muscle.
Shippou had curled himself on Kagome's stomach, and Inuyasha was too worried to remove the kit.
Thoughts were running through the hanyou's head, but one prevailed among the rest, 'Please open your eyes Kagome.'
*
I know, I have been gone for weeks and when I finally come back it is with an extremely short chapter. I'm really sorry everyone. School has really been a workload lately and I'm surprised I could even get this chapter out. I'll be updating sooner than this one took though, so no worries. Thank you all for sticking by me.
Lots and lots of love,
Vold