Ah, another fast update (like chapter 5). I hope the length of this chapter suits you all. I wrote from 10:30 till 1 in the morning for this! Yeah, I guess that's slow typing. I know I can do more than that in less time. Don't know what's wrong with me.
Anyways, I was so happy that I got more reviews than I really deserved for chapter 7. I want to thank you all:
bookwrm580: Naraku huh? Well, I can't reveal anything about that (AT ALL) so I can't even say if you're right or not. Thank you for the review! ^_^
Saturnlover: Yes, I know I don't. I'm a lazy person and I had school to deal with. Too much stress. Also, I don't think I mentioned but I moved in with my mom during summer so I now have my brother's who distract me with "Come and watch this movie" or "Let's go here". So, yeah, no more privacy, too many distractions, and school projects pop out left and right. But I will update more now since I feel inspiration and my love for writing came back (not that it really left). That and I stopped reading so many fanfics ^_^ Thank you for the review! ^_^
Shellbabe: Read, but is there a review? Oh well, you still reviewed which is cool. Thank you for the review! ^_^
snooptopian: I didn't even know people were waiting for me. It made me very happy to read your review cause it showed me that people wait for my fanfic. Does that mean my fic is on your fav list? Thank you for supporting me. Btw, I don't think I'm that good at cliffie's. Thank you for the review! ^_^
Kusi-chan: A review for chapter 2 which is cool. I hope you read the rest and review the last chapter available. Thank you for the review! ^_^
Lover: What happens next? Hm, well, read on and find out ^_^ Thank you for the review! ^_^
diamond: You'll read the rest of my fics? Cool! Thank you! And thank you for the review! ^_^
MysticalWoodElf: Get you out of suspense huh? Sorry, no can do. The suspense is still going as far as this chapter is concerned. Read on to see what I mean. Thank you for the review! ^_^
lucrezia-senda-nyght: O_o Where did you hear I didn't like cursing? Not that that's a lie but I don't remember mentioning it to anyone. Anyways, sorry I take so long. I'm gonna try to make it up to people now. Projects come like the day and the night but I'll work extra hard to get them done so I can write k? Thank you for the review! ^_^
gueshoo: Lol, thank you for saying that. ^_^ It made my day! Thank you for the review! ^_^
whoobonhoolaglo: Did I get your name right? I hope I did. Anyways, thank to you much for the long review! Those are my favorite cause I like how you guys talk about the fic and ask questions and get really involved. I'll try to answer your questions without giving anything away: I don't remember mentioning that the killer had black hair. He could be a red head, he could be some weirdo with stringy white hair, he could be anybody (although I'm the only one who knows right now ^_^v). Until I read your review, I didn't really realize myself that I had made this a mystery fic sort of. I just wrote what came to me about plot. But now I see that I added a bit of mystery (detective stuff, investigations, etc) and I know people like that. It is sort of a twist huh? I'm glad you like my fic so much and that you like Shippou/OC. I always wanted to write a Shippou fic (I have three in mind right now but I won't post them for a while). And yes, he DOES have connections. It's what makes him so cool ^^ And about Asaka, well, I guess you all get to find out her deal in this chapter. Kukuku, I'm so evil sometimes it's funny ^^ Anyways, I hope you enjoy my fic and this chapter. Thank you soooo much for your wonderful review! ^_^
babiekagome: Envious of my skills? What skills? If you mean the writing I stink at it. This could actually have come out better. If anything I'm envious of authors like silver, teresa, LilFoxgirl, Snowgirl, Lazuli, Purple Rose, Skittles, Jodie-chan, and some other that I have on my fav list (gomen that I didn't remember your name!) But thank you for the review! ^_^
Laura-chan: A faithful reviewer like so many of you. Thank you so much for the review. Sorry the last chapter was short. I just wanted to send it off and I thought it was a good place to end anyways. I hope this chapter is to your liking. I'm quite happy with it ^_^
Okay, done thanking. Please read on and enjoy this chapter. I like the way it came out and it's breaking ground for further things to happen, things that will help me with my "plot development" writer's block. I have a lot of the fic planned out already (the ending first and right now writing up the chapter summaries of each one). So far I have up to chapter 12 written out but I know there are more chapters than that before I can finally close this up with the beautiful ending I have planned. I can't ruin it so you'll all need to wait and see. ^_^
Well, read, enjoy and PLEASE REVIEW for all my hard work on this fic! Please!!
The Life of a Star
By Inuyasha-loves-Kagome (A.K.A. Inu-chan)
Disclaimer: See previous chapters.
~*~^_^~*~
"I'm going to protect you Kagome...I promise..."
Those had been the last words Kagome had heard before they had drugged her and sent her to sleep. During her arrival at the hospital (which she didn't even known about), she had woken up, feeling a searing pain go through her body, mostly concentrated in her stomach and making her feel like throwing up. She didn't get the chance to, however, when she had felt weariness overcome her.
She had gladly succumbed to it.
Moaning, her eyelids fluttered open, her vision blurry. Everything looked white though. Am I in heaven? The light in the room was definitely bright enough for it to be heaven. She tightly closed her eyes and rolled over on her side to block out the intensity of the brightness. It always felt sort of good to her to hide behind her eyelids. When she couldn't see what she didn't want to see, it was as if it wasn't there. This was one of those times.
A moan from the bed next to her caused her to stop hiding and see what was there. She blinked her eyes several times to rid herself of the blur. When her vision was clear enough, rather than allowing her eyes to stay open a tiny bit, they widened till they were the size of dinner plates.
There, in the bed next to hers...was Inuyasha!
If she hadn't felt as weak as she did, she would have at least propped herself up on her elbow and rub her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Her body still felt tired enough that she couldn't even lift her hand let alone support herself. Turning over on her side had weakened the only energy she had for the day.
She took a moment to just lay there on her side and gaze as she slept. He looked so peaceful, his black locks sprawled out on the pillow. He looked a bit pale, but other than that fine. Why is he here? That thought had struck another in her. Where IS here anyways? She looked around the room, starting from her right where she spotted two doors, and then went to her right where she saw a window, a TV hung like a weird sort of picture, and a cushiony chair. There was only one place she knew of that looked like that.
The hospital.
She knew why she was there, but the question was, why was Inuyasha?
"K...Kagome?" a familiar voice said next to her, sounding a bit weak, but not that bad.
She turned her head in Inuyasha's direction and found him awake. He was looking at her through half open eyes and she marveled in how beautiful and purple they were. Such deep pools of amethyst...
He, at least, had the strength to prop himself on his elbow. He noticed how her color was almost fully back, but because it hadn't been too long ago since the transfusion, she was still weak and needed rest. He smiled lightly, a smile void of mockery or sarcasm, but rather, full of warmth. "Y-You're okay now."
Kagome nodded slowly. "What...what happened?
"You fainted on stage so we took you to the hospital to see what was wrong. They said you had poison in your system so they needed to take out the blood and put in some new blood." He blushed a bit but tried his best to hide it. Curse him and his inability to show his feelings. "I-I volunteered to donate blood to you."
She was shocked to say the least. She would never have expected for him to do such a thing for her. She marveled at the idea but was also confused and curious. "Why?" she asked weakly. She could barely speak at the moment. Even that put on strain on her.
Inuyasha looked away sheepishly. Why? Well, there were many reasons, almost all of them ones he couldn't tell her yet. He decided to pick the one he COULD tell her. Turning back to look at her as the sun shined on her like a halo around her head, he whispered, "Because you're too wonderful to let go."
Now, she definitely hadn't imagined THAT to be one of the answers! She had expected something like "Cause your friends would have been worried" or "Cause you're a famous star so no one wants to see you die."
But then she remembered back when she had almost died, the way he had held her in her arms and begged for her not to do something stupid again. This time it wasn't her fault (and she knew that he knew it), but the look was the same, the same sort of warm look filled with concern, as if he had wished he could have done something more to prevent it. She had realized he cared then, and she realized he cared now just as much, for no matter how much he wanted to hide his feelings, his face betrayed him and she could read him as easily as she could read "See Spot Run".
Her eyes glowed with the affection he held. Why? Why does he care so much about me? I don't understand. I know he does, but WHY? She scrunched up her eyes, the prickle of tears beginning to form. She didn't want to cry in front of him. She didn't want to seem anymore weaker than she actually was.
"Kagome?" he asked uncertainly, noticing the way her emotions battled on her face. At first she was shocked, but then it was replaced with dazzlement at his statement, before turning into confusion, denial and sadness. Had he said something wrong in confessing those feelings to her? Had he been too open?
"I don't..." she began, turning her face away so he wouldn't see the tears fall, "I don't understand why. Why...Why do you care so much about me?" All of this was wearing her out terribly and all she asked for was for him to be honest and just say it.
This time Inuyasha could not reply. What could he say? I care cause I realize that I'm in love with you? You were what was missing from my life? You hold the jewel, therefore you're the one my mother predicted I was destined to be with? Yeah, that would really settle with her. He at least decided to TRY and tell her something. "I guess...I guess cause you deserve more from life than what it offered you. I want to help you to get what's missing, to heal your pain and sadness."
"No one can...heal it..." she whispered out so low he had to strain to hear it. Her breathing was even again and he guessed that she had fallen asleep from the sheer emotional stress she had just gone through. Emotional stress that he felt he was at fault for. She had started it, but he had encouraged it, caused it to grow stronger, for her to remember the pain of loosing her family.
We all loose the ones we love he mused as he turned to look up at the ceiling, his own thoughts wandering back to his mother. Many of us loose them in ways we weren't supposed to. It hurts, but we need to learn to accept it and move on in life. There's never any point in dwelling on the pains of the past when we should try to embrace the future. All we should remember are the good times and try to make the future just as worthwhile.
Finally, his own energy was spent and he let himself fall into dreamland.
~*~^_^~*~
Driving alone the highway towards the hospital, Sesshoumaru was contacting a very highly skilled detective. He trusted this man as much as he trusted himself. He had never failed on him once.
"What I want you to do is investigate who it could have been who sent that man to kill me," he talked into his cell phone, keeping half of his attention it and the other half on the road.
"Did you send him to jail, or just kill him?" the deep voice on the line asked.
"To jail. You should know I don't kill anyone. I hate killing."
"So you think the one who was sent to kill you is working for the same person who could have poisoned your father with that highly advanced type of poison?"
"Yes. It has to be the same one. The man didn't tell me the reason he wanted to kill me, but I know this all ties together. Someone is out to ruin my family and the business." He started to pull into the exit that would lead him to the hospital his father was at.
"All right then. Don't worry about a thing Sesshoumaru-san. I'll get the job done."
Sesshoumaru smiled lightly, despite himself. "Thanks. I knew I could count on you." He clicked the phone off just as he pulled into the driveway of the hospital. Right in front of the main entrance were many vans from various television stations, cameramen, reporters, and even people with flowers and gifts. The security guards of the hospital fought to keep them all outside and as Sesshoumaru parked his car in an available lot and then climbed out of the car, he managed to catch their questions.
"What was her diagnosis?"
"Will she live?"
"Will she be available to interview?"
"How long is she going to stay in there?"
He thought that perhaps the hospital had gotten a recent celebrity who was now recovering, and it annoyed him to no extent how nosy those damn reporters could be. It was a HOSPITAL for crying out loud!
He decided to ignore them and walked in through the back way, the one families went through to reach the sick faster.
He despised hospitals. They reminded him too much of when his own mother had gotten ill and died. She was a demon like his father, but she had caught a disease only demons can get, one that's similar to human cancer. It hurt to remember the day she had slipped away from them. When his father had fallen in love again, this time with a human and one he had cared about deeply, in a different way from his mother, he had not minded and instead warmed up to the woman. Although he had never forgotten his mother, he still thrived for a motherly figure. She had been kind and had cared for him as much as if she were his real mother. That's when Inuyasha had been born and he was happy to have a brother to play with. Ever since then, they had been a happy family.
That is, until his second mother had died in the hospital of old age.
It hadn't turned him bitter or anything. It had just made him despise the hospital and also made him glad that he was a demon rather than a weak human who always needed to come here for every little thing. He hoped that after this, he would never have any need to come back.
Finally reaching the room his father was in, he turned the knob and opened the door. The room was located far away from the ones where his two mothers had died, by his own request. In the room he saw his father sitting up in bed, looking far better than the last time he had visited. He was too busy watching television to notice he had even entered.
"Ohayou Chichiue," he called out softly, trying to keep his regularly emotionless face emotionless.
His father, Inukyojin, turned to look at him and a large smile broke out. "Ohayou Sesshoumaru-kun! Finally decided to visit aye?"
His father, the definition of respect and power. It was still a strange thing to see him hiding his true demon form in the form of a human. No one could know however, or else all demons would be found and then killed. Of course they would have to fight back, leading in a great human-demon war.
He walked over with his regular regal grace and sat down on one of the hospital seats. "Sorry I couldn't come sooner. The business is getting better and better but it is also demanding more attention."
Inukyojin seemed happy with the news. "I'm glad to hear that. It means despite competitor lies, we're still pulling through and even succeeding in overcoming them."
"Many of our customers are loyal. They don't want to believe the lies because they know that's all they are...lies."
Inukyojin nodded, but he was sharp and could tell when something was bothering his son. "There's seems to be more you wish to discuss on the subject."
How he hated his father's sharpness. Only when he wanted to keep it from him until later, his father could tell. Yet when he wanted him to be able to sense it right away, he was as dense as a brick wall. He decided to tell him anyways, since he was planning onto sometime during this visit. "I was attacked last night by someone I know to be associated with the one who tried to kill you through poison."
Inukyojin's deep red eyes (the color his eyes were when he was human) widened slightly as Sesshoumaru could tell he was shocked someone would try to kill his son and not him. "Are you sure?"
"Well, I have a very high suspicion so I hired Detective Mitsurugi to investigate the matter."
Inukyojin nodded grimly, obviously agreeing with Sesshoumaru's plan of action. "Yes, he'll find out the information we need. He always manages to pull through."
"And as soon as I find out who it is, I will personally go after him and drag his a** to jail while dragging him by his tongue!"
His father was a bit shocked by the fire in his eyes, but he knew it was caused over worry for him, his family, and the business. He was proud to have such a loyal son. "And I'll make sure to help you."
Both men grinned at each other, knowing very well that they would savor the moment.
~*~^_^~*~
Sango paced back and forth, completely worried. Who could blame her? Her best friend was inside and she wasn't allowed to enter cause she was still resting. She hadn't even left the hospital, deciding instead to stay and sleep. Miroku had offered as well, but he was forced to sleep as far away from her as humanly possibly.
So far the doctor who had attended Kagome had told them that she would be able to leave tomorrow, but she had to take it easy. That meant so singing or practicing for a concert.
It was even better that they had gotten security guards and blocked all possible ways for fans to get through and try to see Kagome. Even Jake was among those helping, though he preferred to stand guard at her room and not with the other guards.
Right now they were waiting for the doctor to arrive so he could check up on them. Sango wanted to go in there already and hug Kagome in relief that she was fine. She had scared her out of her wits last night with her fainting and being diagnosed with the poison in her system.
Miroku watched her as she paced back and forth, his head resting on his palm and his eyes bored and sleepy. He didn't get a good night's sleep, what with Sango waking up every little while. He understood that she was worried, but it wasn't as if Kagome was going to die. They had successfully taken out the poison and given her blood to replace what she had lost.
"Sango," he called out, trying to be as soothing as he could be. She continued to pace but he could tell she was listening. "There's no need to worry anymore. Kagome's fine. She just needs to rest."
"I know," she answered back, looking a little defeated but not relenting in her pacing. "But she's my best friend...I don't know what I'd do if..." her voice trailed off as she bit back a sob. She had finally stopped moving and was instead standing in the middle of the empty hallway with Jake and Miroku as her only companions. They may as well have been gone, though. She felt alone, scared and trapped in loneliness. She covered her face with both her hands and started to sob.
Miroku had still been a bit mad at her for accepting to dance with that guy (who he had later punched the lights out of), but at the moment he forgot completely and just decided to envelop her in his arms, giving her as much comfort and strength as he could. He wasn't even thinking perverted thoughts.
Sango simply sobbed onto him, gripping his shirt like a lifesaver as she was lost in her own sea of grief. "She...she really had me scared Miroku...I thought...I thought I was going to loose my best friend..."
"Shhh," he soothed, rubbing her back in circle with one hand and stroking her head with the other. "It's okay. I understand."
"Is Kagome okay now?" a voice annoying only to Kagome asked, seeing the sobbing girl and the worried boy. Both of them looked towards the source and discovered Suboshi standing there with a suit, his gold locks combed for once. He was holding a bouquet of roses. From the scene Miroku and Sango were causing, he had thought Kagome didn't make it and they were grieving over her.
Sango pulled away from Miroku, a feeling of emptiness washing over them, and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Oh, Suboshi-san, no, Kagome's okay. She just had us scared, that's all." She smiled bravely. "Especially me."
Suboshi looked thoroughly relieved and smiled a bit weakly, the worry still hanging around him. "I'm glad. Have the two of you gotten to see her?"
"No," Sango answered. "We're waiting for the doctor to come and tell us it's okay to go in."
"Well I'm glad some people still listen to the doctor when he gives a strict order."
All of them looked off and saw the doctor coming their way, holding some files in his hand. "It's all right though," he commented, smiling a bit. "You can all go in now. Just try not to get her overexcited, don't hug her too hard, and keep your voices low."
They all (except for Jake who had stood quiet the whole time) nodded and without further hesitation went inside the room.
Kagome was still sleeping but Inuyasha was awake, just lying there and looking completely lost in his thoughts. The doctor walked over to stand at the side of his bed and lightly tapped his shoulder. Inuyasha looked at him as he talked. "How do you feel son? Still tired?"
Inuyasha frowned. "Feh. As if drawing my blood, even that much, would make me some sort of weakling."
The doctor was unimpressed by his attitude. He scribbled a few things down and talked as he wrote. "Well then I guess that means you can go. You don't need to stay here if you don't want to."
Inuyasha said nothing but they could all tell that although he was given the chance, he wouldn't go until the doctor said the same about Kagome.
The doctor turned to her this time but rather than ask (since she wasn't even awake), he put on his stethoscope and pressed the end at her heart. He scribbled something down, then went on to do the rest of the check-up while everyone waited, wanting to hear when Kagome could get out.
In the meantime, Inuyasha looked at Suboshi with his roses at the corner of his eye. In the little time he had known the man, he had never seen him comb his hair as well as today. The roses weren't so suspicious, but the fact that he got himself all dressed up just to see Kagome was definitely something he needed to watch out for. The man had "suspicious" written all over him.
"Well," the doctor began, writing more on the files and papers, "she has recovered from the blood loss. The blood responded well to her, as it should have. She should be able to leave tomorrow if she wants to. But she still needs to take it easy for a few more days."
Everyone nodded and watched as the doctor clicked his pen and walked out of the room.
Everyone (except Inuyasha who had the feeling) was bubbling with extreme joy. The nightmare was over at least and Kagome was safe. Within a few days things could get back to normal, or at least as normal as things could get.
"Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha turned his head at the call of his name and blinked a few times.
"Onii-san? Chichiue?"
~*~^_^~*~
Asaka had cried herself to sleep that night, the guilt swallowing her up whole and threatening to eat her up. She had never expected for any of this to happen. At first, when she had accepted Shippou as her apprentice, she hadn't known, hadn't felt his demon powers. She especially hadn't known she would start to feel for him what she was beginning to feel. She thought it would be an easy assignment...but she was wrong!
She slammed her hand on her cushiony bed that morning, feeling that she couldn't go through with this anymore. She wanted out and she wanted it now. She didn't want to lie to him anymore!
"What's wrong Asaka? Getting weak over some stupid boy?"
Asaka gasped, fear consuming her. There was only one person she knew with that voice, that sneering voice filled with hate and evil. She looked out towards her door (her room is Kagome's room right now) and saw the one person she dreaded to see now, or any other time in the future.
"Naraku!"
To be continued in part 9...Mwahahahahaha!