The Blue Cave
[1]
After 15 minutes of drudging thru the pouring rain, they reached the mouth of the cave. As they walked into its cool, blue dampness, Kouga stirred between them. Inuyasha looked at him side long. He still had Kouga's arm slung around his shoulders and was supporting most of the wolf demons weight. Le still held up Kouga's other side. They had half-carried, half-dragged him the four miles from the clearing up here into the foothills, and just as their luck would have it, it had started to rain. The three of them were drenched from head to toe. The rain; however, did not dim the smell of Kouga's blood to the hanyou. Kouga had lost a lot of blood already, and some of his wounds were still weeping. Some of those wounds were pretty damn deep. Le had bandaged Kouga up in the clearing, using Inuyasha's shirt and some of her own. Still, not all of his wounds had stopped bleeding. The worst of them had just slowed down a bit. A stain of fresh blood was spreading across the bandage over his chest. A steady stream of red leaked from the corners of his mouth when he breathed. From this angle, Inuyasha could see the first trickles of blood welling up out of Kouga's ears.
For the first time since they had left the clearing, they felt some resistance from Kouga. He was trying to stand up. His head lolled upward and he tried to focus out of the one eye he could still see out of. The gash over his eye looked as though it had stopped bleeding, but the whole side of his face was puffy. His right eye was swollen shut and purpling quickly. There was even a bruise forming across the bridge of his nose like a malevolent stripe. A broken nose was the last of Kouga's worries at this point. A busted face is better then a crushed skull, right? But Kouga didn't think it mattered much. Not anymore. He was going to die, was in fact, dieing right now. What he could see was tainted with spotty grey fuzz about the edges. The sound of the rain seemed far away even as it echoed in this place.
And he was cold.
He found his 'second wind', probably the last he'd ever have, and lifted himself away from Le and Inuyasha. Moving made the world tilt a little, but he didn't go far. "Let me be," he grumbled as he took a few tentative steps forward into the cave. As good a place to die as any, but The eerie light of the rainy afternoon cast his blue shadow before him. I always wanted to be looking up into the clear blue when I slid outta this world. He forced himself a few feet further to a wall. He leaned back against it, grateful for its stability. He lifted his head again and looked at Inuyasha. "You better kill Naraku, dog shit, you hear me?"
Inuyasha ignored Kouga's name calling, barely heard it really. He was just sort of standing there with a bewildered look on his face. Amazed Kouga was still moving even though he was clearly dieing. Inuyasha could smell the death coming for him. "What are you talking about Kouga? I think you outta sit down before you fall down." He fixed him with a flat eyed look.
Le walked over to Kouga and put a hand on his arm. "Sit down Kouga, or lay down of you want to." She was studying his ashy face with a growing degree of alarm. He's dieing the thought was like a startled bird fluttering in her mind. She blinked the thought away. "At least sit so I can check your bandages." She made her eyes lock on him. As if changing a bandage could do any good now. Oh no, he's dead. Dead and looking right at you.
"Yer still bleeding Kouga, I can smell it so why not just sit down and let her get a look at you." Inuyasha tried to sound tuff, even irritated, but it was laced with fear.
Kouga tipped his head to the right for a better view of Inuyasha. He smiled his familiar cocky smile. "It don't matter much now anyway buddy. Char-u got me good. Put enough holes on me so that if I tried to take a drink I'd leak like fishing net. I'm dead already." He tried to smile, but it was more of a grimace.
"Don't say that!" Le's voice was piercing. That fluttery voice had taken to fluttering in her chest.
Kouga chuckled and let himself slide down the wall until he sat leaning against it. He closed his eyes. "Go ahead then Le, if it makes you feel better. It was nice meeting you girl."
Inuyasha and Le stared at him wordlessly.
"Kill Naraku, dog shit, or I'll…kick your ass… all over… hell." Kouga's voice trailed off as if he were falling asleep. Falling unconscious though, that was the truth of it.
Le went to her knees beside him quickly. She felt at his throat for a pulse staring at his face and seeing that his lips were turning blue. Le moved in close, putting her ear to his lips. The pulse was there, but weak. So weak, he is dieing and for what seemed an eternity, Kouga didn't breathe. Finally he inhaled a small, gurgling breath. His lungs had most defiantly been punctured by Car-u's talons. She pulled away from him and looked at Inuyasha with large eyes. "He's dieing? What about his demon powers? Cant he just… hibernate or something?" Her words came out with a quick panickiness. The smell of his blood was stronger now that they were out of the open and out of the rain.
Inuyasha studied the demon slumped against the wall of the cave. He could almost see his spirit energy leaving him. Inuyasha swallowed dryly. The pit of his stomach felt weighted with steel. "His demon powers can't compensate for all the blood he's lost," he said ruefully. "He's going to die."
Le's heart leapt into her throat. "Shit," her lips moved but there was no sound. She stood up shaking the rain water from her arms and went past Inuyasha to the mouth of the cave. "There has to be something around here that can staunch the bleeding," she said matter-of-factly. "That's all we need to do."
Inuyasha turned and caught her by the arm. "It's too late for that!" He sounded angry, desperate. Then a thought came to him within a sudden swirl of confusion... Hadn't Kurama been this badly injured…or worse? Wasn't he dieing? She had saved him somehow… with her blood She made us leave them alone… but I could still smell it. "Wait a minute, what about your blood? It has some kind of healing properties or some…" he blurted. His mind was racing, searching for the memory.
Le turned around so fast that the water dripping from her bangs flew into Inuyasha's face. Her eyes were wide, but guarded. "What?" it was almost a hiss. She yanked her arm back violently.
Then he realized, he wasn't supposed to know. But the nose knows! "When Kurama was injured. When he was dieing, we all thought that he would die but you…" He frowned at the way her eyes had gone cold. "It's something in your blood. I know cuz I could smell it." He fixed her with a hard look. "Why don't you tell me what you did? Or better yet, why don't you do that thing to Kouga?" he stretched his hand to where the wolf demon had collapsed by the wall. "Can you help him? You can, cant you?"
Her nerves were throbbing now. Blood smell. Rain smell. Sweat smell. He's dieing! The rain sounded like drumming in her ears. The cave had taken on an eerie blue light. Her preternatural senses were awakening. The smell of blood was strong in here and her fangs ached to be freed their masters control. She balled a shaky fist. Out of anger or terror or both, she wasn't quite sure herself. "It's dangerous," she said slowly.
"Can you save him?" Inuyasha was growing impatient, and with good cause. Kouga wouldn't last much longer. He could see a crimson pool forming behind Kouga's back.
"It's dangerous," she repeated as if he hadn't heard her the first time.
He was ready to snap. He felt like dragging her back over to Kouga for a good look. To hell with danger and who gives a shit if it's some big secret! "If you can save him do it!" his voice carried loud in the cave.
She looked at him accusingly. "He could kill me or worse. Make me one of the living dead. I will be a prisoner of his mind while he feeds off of me, and let me tell you something Inuyasha; there's a lot of evil, a lot of darkness and a lot of terrible things in the minds of most men, let alone demons." She flattened out her hand and rubbed her palm down the side of her shorts as if trying to rub off something unclean.
He returned her accusing stare. "If you don't do it he'll die."
Horrible images floated up from her memory. Barlow mostly, still haunting her. His world had been eternal darkness, eternal slavery to that sadistic bastard. Le shuddered. "I'm scared okay?" her voice wavered with fright. "I don't know what I'll find in there," she gestured to Kouga with a flap of the hand, eyes still boring into Inuyasha. "He lets his wolves eat people! What do you think he'll do to me once he gets me into his own little world, huh?" Barlow's hands were always cold. For a horrifying moment she could see him digging his long, sharp nails into her throat. He used to say, "Sit still my little mi sai, and it wont hurt so much." But that was a lie.
Inuyasha blinked, considering it. "If you both live thru it, that's all that matters right?" The hard truth. He could see that she was afraid, but it didn't change the situation. He stood regarding her with eyes that had weight. No, he didn't know what Kouga's 'little world' would be like or what would happen to here there, but he didn't think Kouga would kill her. At least, I don't think so. "I'm pretty sure you'll be safe," he added confidently. "I'll watch. I'll help…if I can."
Le hung her head and pounded her fist into her thigh. "Damnit," she spat shaking her head. There was no other choice now. Inuyasha knew she had brought Kurama back from the brink of death. She was pretty sure she could save Kouga, but that was hardly a comfort. "Alright Inuyasha, I'll do it. But I want you to watch us very closely. I can give him enough of my blood to survive, but not too much. Too much is dangerous," she stressed.
"You'll die," he half-asked. Inuyasha didn't know for sure how it was for a dunpeal, but he was pretty sure she could bleed to death if Kouga took too much blood from her.
"No, I'll vamp out. Maybe I'll kill both of you or maybe I'll just chomp into Kouga and have myself a lil fun." She coughed out a nervous laugh and pushed a chunk of wet hair away from her face with a hand that wasn't steady anymore. "My other side, the vampire in me is… lets just say not nice, okay?" The smell of blood in here is so strong! The vampire nature roared to come forward.
Other side? Inuyasha thought the "lil fun" she was talking about was what vampires called the quickening. Their preternatural version of sex he supposed. "What do I watch for?"
"If it looks like I'm going to bite him, pull me away." She licked her lips and not too surprisingly, she could taste sweat there. Are ya there God it's me the dunpeal! The fluttery voice flew into her mind once more. Please God, don't let this demon be like Barlow okay? Please God? She was pulled away from the panicked voice when Inuyasha laid his hands on her shoulders. She looked up into his worried golden eyes.
"It will be alright. I'll watch and I'll take care. If it takes too long I'll break it up anyway. Okay?"
She nodded. Lips to numb now to move.
"Okay then, let's get this over with."
[2]
Le sat on her heels beside Kouga with the Tetsusaiga across her lap. Inuyasha sat on Kouga's other side watching with a mix of curiosity and fear. Vamp out? Not nice? A prisoner of someone else's mind, in their own little world? He eyed Kouga silently. You better be nice to her in there buddy.
Le lifted the Tetsusaiga. "One more thing you should know Inuyasha. My blood has a way of …effecting demons you might say. It's better then crack to them."
" Better then what?"
"Something that once you taste it you want more. You might have to pull him off of me."
"Gotcha." He knew what she meant well enough. The scent of her blood was sweet, alluring somehow.
Le inhaled deeply and then let it out as she slid her wrist down the swords sharp edge. The cut was clean and not very big, big enough for say, a mouth. She opened and closed her hand a few times and the blood began first to leak, then to flow the slit below the hand. All at once the cave was filled with her blood scent and Inuyasha straightened. For a moment he wished that he was the one the cut had been made for, for surely to taste such sweetness would be ecstasy.
She leaned over Kouga, letting the blood drip from her arm to his lips. Though Kouga had shown no sign of consciousness, his lips parted and he moaned. She covered his mouth with her wrist, at the same time bending to whisper in his ear. "It's going to be alright Kouga," her voice was velvet. It seemed to come from far away to the hanyou. "Drink and you will live."
As her blood flowed into his mouth his body reacted. His teeth came down on her arm, securing it in place. Le winced, bit did not cry out. Then he wasn't waiting for his mouth to fill with blood. He started to draw it out himself in long, greedy pulls. His arm, not consciously aware of its actions, came up and wrapped around Le's waist. Kouga drew her in until she was pressed tightly against him. She didn't resist, couldn't resist now that he was feeding. The darkness is coming. Le's eyes rolled back and her head rested against Kouga's shoulder.
After a long, quiet moment Inuyasha realized that he was alone. Their bodies were here, going through whatever motions needed to transpire; but their minds… they were gone. He tried again to imagine what Kouga's 'little world' would be like. He hoped for the best.
[3]
Out of the blue and into the black.
Le had the sensation of falling thru darkness. The smell of the rain and the dust of the cave growing faint as she went deeper. She was swallowed by the blackness. A nightmarish panic tried to seize her heart and mind. There were things moving in the darkness. She squinted in the black. Light from below. Something not quite yellow, but not quite orange. Still falling into Kouga's world. What's down there? Suddenly she could see. A great, green forest, a thousand years old if it were even a day. Trees, the biggest she had ever seen in her life, reached up as if to pluck her from the afternoon sky through which she descended. She landed nimbly on thick limb high up in one of the ancient trees and looked around. The leaves of the tree were so vibrant they almost hummed. The sky was a peaceful blue as the sun pulled its way down to dusk. Breathtaking, beautiful. Le gawked, relived not to find herself in some nightmare world in chains. This would was full of light, not in the least bit scary, so far. "It's nature," she panted, relived, tears standing out in her eyes. She laughed feeling the strength leave her legs for a moment as relive rushed in. "It's beautiful… Kouga, you're so beautiful!" She looked down and found herself to be wearing the clothes of a wolf demon. She bent over putting her hands on her quivering thighs and laughed again.
[4]
Kouga was running thru the forest he visited only in his most special of dreams. Here in this deep green place his speed was incredible. His senses tingled with the clarity of the air around him. A warm summer wind pushed the hair back from his brow. He raced along the tree tops feeling light as a feather. He smiled his cunning little smile as he propelled himself forward on his strong legs. And here I don't even need the jewel shards!
He was fully focused on the challenge of moving at such a speed. One wrong move going this fast and he could get himself killed. Slam! Head first into a tree! But that never happened here. Not in this place. And then Kouga caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He slowed, skipping his eyes to his left to see what was there. He came to a reluctant stop when his eyes fixed on Le. She stopped as well, a few trees over and stood there watching him. What the hell is she doing here? Was she just keeping up with me? He looked at her surprised. And why does she look like a wolf demon? Why is she wearing that? He frowned, suspicious. "Le?"
She favored him with a smile, still trying to decide if this was such a good place to be after all. "It's a nice place ya got here Kouga." She looked at her surroundings. Old growth forest in all directions for miles. To the south she could see the first hump of a mountain, but it was far away. This is nothing like the hell hole Barlow kept me in… but just be careful. It was a hot afternoon. Summer sunlight dappled her face. It's when the earth is most alive. It's summer here.
"What do you mean?" he sounded suspicious. "How do you know this place is mine? How did you get here and find me?" How the hell did you keep up? Kouga raised an eyebrow at her. "And why are you wearing that?" He looked her up and down emphasizing his point. Not too bad on the eyes now is she? One hand went to his hip and he fixed her with a cautious look.
A warm wind carried her nervous laugh to Kouga. She stood with her hands clasped together in front of her observing him with calculating eyes. "We're in your mind Kouga. Well, no, not quite. It's a sort of a metaphysical place…"
"A what?" He shook his head. "What are you doing here? I've seen this place before, but there has never been anyone here before but me … and now you just show up?" He stared at her trying to get his mind around what was happening. "This isn't a dream this time," he spoke the words like someone in a dream; slow and careful. The world around him was too alive for this to be just a dream, of that he was sure. Le stood by in silence, letting him figure it out for himself. "This is the end of it. The real of it. The where I'll go when I die of it cuz I'm dieing right now." The frown left his face and was replaced by a look of curious dread. "So… what are you then? The grim reaper? Have ya come to see me off to hell?"
She came closer, gracefully hopping from one tree to the next. She halted a few feet away from Kouga on a branch of near height. "You were dieing. I'm trying to help you." Her eyes dropped to her feet. They were wrapped just like Kouga's were; only now she noticed a thin gold bracelet around her right ankle sparkling in the shaft of sunlight in which she stood. That wasn't there before. "Back in our physical bodies you're drinking my blood."
Kouga was taken aback. "What?" he gaped, wide eyed.
She brought her eyes up to his quickly. "It will be okay. You lost a lot of blood and I can give you some of mine. It will help you. I know it sounds…"
Kouga didn't know much about vampires, but he knew that their blood was a strong elixir to his kind. But the girl is only half vampire, jackass! He raised a brow in alarm. "What about you?" Just as the words fell out of his mouth an image came into his mind. It was them as they were in the cave, and for a moment he smelled the rain. He saw the way he was holding her tightly to him, almost on top of him, and flushed.
"Inuyasha is watching," she said, musing over Kouga's coloring cheeks. "I'll know when to stop anyway. Then I'll just have to go." She was relaxing around him. Maybe Kouga could keep his composure here. She felt safe enough. Maybe it's okay after all.
Kouga pushed the image of them in the cave from his mind. Now that wasn't too bad on the eyes though either, was it? Too bad that mangy mutt is watchin, huh? He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "So what are we supposed to do now?"
She cocked her head and grinned. Kouga saw the points of her eye teeth had grown to their vampire stature. Standing there she looked like a wolf demon. "Why don't you show me around?"
[5]
Inuyasha watched the two of them intently. Le had closed her eyes and lay limp across Kouga's chest, her cheek on his shoulder. Kouga's eyes fluttered once, as if he was trying to rouse from a deep sleep, and then he stilled. As he fed from her, Inuyasha could hear Kouga's heart beat stabilizing.
The hanyou's nerves were on edge; he supposed it had something to do with her blood scent in the cave. "She'll know when to pull away right? He sighed to himself. "Just watch, that's all I gotta do." He fixed his gold eyes on Le's face. Just watch.
[6]
They raced across the canopy of the ancient forest in tandem. She followed Kouga with an ease that was preternatural, taking in the view. This place is so awesome. The forest stretched to the horizon at all points of the compass except for the south where a shoulder of mountain lay on the edge of the world. Kouga's course had been taking them steadily east. Ahead Le could only see miles of uninterrupted forest. She didn't even care if they had a destination. Just being out in the open air of this clean world was enough. No darkness here, no monsters waiting to ambush her and chew her to bits. This is Kouga's inner self. There is nothing to be afraid of here… Her senses were tingling. The green of the trees was so alive it nearly screamed from the trees. The blue sky was darkening as the sun went west. As they ran on it bowed toward the trees behind them and the light they moved thru went from afternoon yellow to dusk orange. Though they had not been on the move long, the day fled with a supernatural speed.
"There's a place up here a little ways," Kouga called to her as they moved side by side. He was impressed that she was keeping up with the killer pace he had set for them. Every so often he would steal a quick glance at her to make sure she was keeping up. Not bad to look at though, is she? "Something I think you'll like. Its not far now."
Le studied the horizon looking for a break in the canopy of the ancient wood. Soon enough she saw it. A great slash in the forest with an abrupt plateau on its far side. As they made their way closer Le could hear a rumble. Waterfall. A moment later she could smell the water rising above the green scent of the trees. The air here was so pure it could carry a scent for miles.
Kouga slowed them as they approached the clearing and brought them to a stop beside a great chasm in the earth. From the plateau, a waterfall that dwarfed Niagra Falls dropped water hundreds of feet into the depths of the gorge. Le peered through the mists and saw dozens of smaller waterfalls pouring over the top of the gap across from them. Rainbows danced in the mist. "Wow," she was awed.
In front of them was a boulder roughly the size of a truck. Kouga went to it and sprung up on top of it where he sat down. "Have a seat," he said patting on the rock beside him.
Le stood where she was a moment longer, still dazzled by the beauty of this place. This place is huge. Everything in it is so big…so old. The reality of it silenced her for a moment. Here in the center of this wolf demons very soul was a place of exquisite beauty. Not what she had been expecting at all. Hoped for maybe… but I've never seen anything… like this. Not even Kurama was… She shook her head gathering her wits and went up to take a seat near Kouga. She didn't sit close, a sister's distance perhaps. Be careful. That anklet wasn't on you when you came into this world. Wasn't on you 'till he saw you. She remembered the female from Kouga's tribe wearing a similar anklet. When she had asked about it, the woman had told her it was something like the tribes version of a wedding ring. "It means that I'm mated miss," the woman had said. Le suddenly wanted her thoughts elsewhere. "This place is amazing Kouga. What is this place really?"
The side of his mouth twitched with a sad smile. "This is the true home of the wolf demon tribes… in the maki… at least it was until it was destroyed." His sharp eyes stared thru the mists to the far side.
"This was part of the maki?" she was stunned. "But its so…"
"Beautiful," he finished for her. "Yeah," he sighed. "It was really something."
Le felt a sudden sadness stab its way into her heart. This place had once existed. Kouga's beautiful homeland was gone now. "The Great War in the maki?" she asked with a dry mouth.
Kouga nodded, haunting blue eyes distant. "That was a long time ago."
The sun was nearly down behind them. The sky above them had taken on the hues of twilight, purple and pink. Above the plateau a gigantic moon began its ascent into the night sky. Like everything else in this place, Le was marveled by its enormous size. "Will you ever be able to restore your homelands in the maki? To make it like this again?" she asked sadly.
Kouga pulled in a deep breath of misty air. "No. This is just gone now. Kouga had seen the homeland in the maki once, but it was long ago and millenniums had passed since the Great War. It was nothing but burnt out rubble, yet when he stood there with the hot dry wind pulling the tears from his eyes, he could see what it had been. He laid back, hands behind his head and watched the moon float above the tree line. Maybe I miss the moon of my homeland… just a little.
Le watched the moon too. She couldn't be sure how much time had passed around their bodies, but here time seemed to move faster. It was getting dark quickly though the sun was barely down.
S he was almost certain that by now Kouga had taken enough of her blood to survive. Yet, some part of her wanted to linger. Wanted to see the big moon make its way over their heads. It must take up most of the sky! "I have to go soon Kouga," she said with regret.
"If you say so," he sighed beside her.
They sat in silence for a bit just watching the moon rise. When she sensed the time for her to leave growing close she cast him a side long glance. "I think this is where you'll go when you die Kouga. It's your Nirvana or something close to it." She could see the silver light of the moon reflected in his eyes. "This is your place Kouga, what's inside of you, and it's beautiful. And so are you."
He cut his eyes from the moon to her face. "Don't think I ever been called beautiful before, but if this is the place I'll end up after I slide outta the world," his eyes shifted back to the moon, "I guess I can live with that."
"I have to go Kouga."
His eyes went back to her. "Now?"
She bit her lip and cast her eyes down. "Yeah, probably should."
He sat up and faced her. "Does that mean I'm…?"
Le looked up at him and smiled. "You'll be okay now I think. The rest is up to you, but I think you can handle it," she eased.
He realized he was hesitant to see her go. He hadn't thought of time restraints, and he was just beginning to enjoy having her there beside him. "What about you?" Kouga looked her up and down still expecting to see her battle scarred from their encounter with Car-u, but she wasn't. In fact, she was perfect. Right down to the bit of leaf stuck in the length of her ponytail. She was beautiful and in the moons light she nearly glowed.
"I'm okay. I'll be alright too. Just tired." She stood and stretched her back, hands going to the small of her back. Kouga stood beside her. She looked around once more at this magnificent place and then back at him. There was something in his eyes. Gratitude maybe? She thought so.
Kouga suddenly felt pressed for words. He wanted to thank her, but didn't want to see her go from here either. Because she belongs here. Part of her lives in the halls of the dead. The vampire part of her. "Well then," he tried to sound cheery. "Thanks a lot Le. I guess you saved my life." He took her hand meaning to give it a shake, or perhaps a kiss if he was feeling cheeky, and froze. For a moment it seemed as though some sort of electrical charge had sprung from her hand. He looked into her eyes and could see that she had felt it too. Her eyes had widened and her lips had parted enough to expose her fangs. The spark became a flame looking down into her eyes. Before he realized what he meant to do, he was doing it. He took a step closer to her, pulling Le to him by the hand he still held. His other hand went around her waist and pulled her against the length of his body. He was vaguely aware that he was trembling as he gazed down into her dark eyes. A moment later whey were wrapped in a kiss so sweet it could only exist in a dream.
[7]
Back in the cave, Inuyasha watched. How long have they been like this? 15 minutes? 20? How long can it take? Just as he was beginning to think that now might be just as good a time as any to break them up, Kouga moved. He put his arms around Le pressing her to him like a lover. A dreamy sigh escaped her lips and she opened her mouth. Christ are those fangs? Inuyasha gaped. She means to bite him. I've gotta stop this!
He was on his feet in a hurry.
[8]
Her lips were soft, her scent maddening this close. He kissed her softly, maybe expecting resistance, but the yielding pliancy of her lips told them there would be none. He parted her lips with his tongue feeling the points of her sharp little teeth. She ran her fingertips up his arms to his neck sending little shivers of pleasure down his back. His tongue found hers and the kiss deepened. His hand slid down the small of her back to the curve of her ass. He let go of her hand and felt his way up to her breast. Her hands came up and caressed his smooth cheeks… and the tender spot on the nape of his neck.
I've got to have her. His body pulsed with a burning lust. She'll let me take her. He kissed her harder and faster. Le kissing him back with the same fierce longing. He found her nipple hard beneath his palm and pinched it lightly. She moaned into his mouth. She wants me to. He put his arms around her holding her tightly to him.
Inuyasha grabbed Le under her shoulders and pulled. Kouga's grip on her was strong, but after a few forceful tugs, he gained some ground. Kouga still had not released her. "Let her go damnit!" Inuyasha grunted as he pulled again. He didn't want to hurt either one of the, but he had the feeling he had to make Kouga let go now. He cradled the unconscious woman about the waist and did the only thing he could think to do. He drew back and punched Kouga hard in the jaw. "Let go of her Kouga!" his voice was harsh with frustration.
The clip on the chin was enough to loosen Kouga's bite grip and Inuyasha pulled Le back with all of his might. He went tripping backward into the gloom trying not to drop her. She landed beside him on her back, her body limp. The demon was not happy that Inuyasha had interrupted his meal. Kouga lunged forward, eyes blazing red teeth barred. Inuyasha's mouth fell open, but there was no time for words before the demon was on them. Kouga straddled Le, claws to either side of her head and growled low in his throat. Inuyasha swallowed hard and found his voice. "Stop it Kouga! You have to stop it or you'll kill her!" At first it was as if Kouga didn't hear him. It was like the wolf demon was in complete control. He leaned over the unconscious woman and sniffed her throat. Oh God, he's going to kill her! "Kouga stop!" He sat up and shoved Kouga back hard, knocking him into the wall. Inuyasha got quickly between the two, ready to draw Tetsusaiga.
But the jolt of crashing into the wall was enough to bring Kouga to his senses. His eyes quickly faded from red to their usual cool blue. He looked dazed, like he had just awoke from some incredible dream. "You didn't see that didja dog shit?" he slurred.
"I don't know what yer talking about Kouga, but I'll tell you what I did see. You just tried to kill her!"
Kouga looked past Inuyasha to where Le was sprawled on the floor. But I was just kissing her. Dog Shit didn't see it because it didn't happen here, it happened there. Here I was… was I really going to kill her? "Is she okay?"
Inuyasha relaxed his guard seeing the sanity return to Kouga's eyes. The wolf demon looked better already. The swelling in his face was gone and he was looking at Inuyasha with both eyes open. He turned back to Le and hunkered down beside her. She was out cold, it looked like she was in some deep sleep. The slit in her wrist was closing with an eerie quickness, leaving no mark behind. Kouga's bite mark was reduced to pinpricks already and would be gone in no time as well. "I think she's sleeping," he said looking down at her.
"Then just leave her alone."
Inuyasha snapped his head around and faced him. Was that jealousy in your voice just now Kouga? "What about you?"
"I'll live," Kouga grunted. With a little effort, Kouga found himself able to stand. His muscles felt soft and weak but he managed to stumble his way over to where Le was laying in the cave. He sat down hard beside her as his knees buckled. He looked at her first, and then turned to the hanyou. "Why don't you see if you can find something we might be able to pass off as dry firewood? Or perhaps you don't mind letting the little girly here sit in wet clothes in a cold, damp cave."
Inuyasha studied Kouga mistrustfully. If you had just seen yourself Kouga… "How do I know you won't go after her again?"
Kouga scoffed. "Like I could in this shape right?"
"I think you were going to tear her throat out."
Kouga looked down at Le contemplating this, and then he turned back to Inuyasha. "It's okay now. Whatever that was, it has passed." What it was is you felt him take her away from you. Take her away from that place. That kiss… He sighed and let his top half lower to the ground. "Go on Inuyasha. We need a fire."
Reluctantly, Inuyasha went.
[10]
A fire was warming the cave when Kouga came to. Inuyasha had moved Le away from Kouga and she lay on her side in the fire's orange light. The hanyou sat near her feet and between the two of them with his arms folded stubbornly across his chest. When Kouga stirred, Inuyasha turned his head. "Welcome back, flea bag," he said sourly.
Kouga sat up. A wave of dizziness washed over him. He tentatively touched the wound on his brow. It didn't hurt nearly as much now. The taste of her blood still lingered in his mouth and he swallowed. "How long have I been out?"
Inuyasha looked back to the fire. "I dunno. About eight hours or so I guess."
Kouga peeked at the mouth of the cave and saw blackness beyond. It was the middle of the night. "What about her?" His eyes wandered to Le's sleeping face.
"Sleeping like a baby."
"Is she okay?"
"Her breathing is okay, her heartbeat is okay. She just seems to be in a deep sleep," he sighed heavily. "Don't worry; I've been keeping an eye on her."
Kouga studied the side of Inuyasha's face. "What…happened? I kind of remember coming in here, and then…" Then I was away. Back home… with her. He felt a pang of longing and looked down at his lap. He didn't want the hanyou to see what was in his eyes. "She did something to help me."
Inuyasha turned himself all the way around so that all of him was facing Kouga. "You passed out on us. You were going to die so…" Inuyasha cut his eyes away from Kouga. "She gave you some of her blood." He wore a guilty face. "I guess I kinda pushed her into it, but anyway, she did it." His eyes went back to Kouga, "After a while, I had to break it up. You went demon on us and I had to throw you off of her."
Kouga sat quiet for a moment letting Inuyasha take his part of the blame. After a while he raised his head. "Is that everything you saw? You didn't see anything else?"
Inuyasha scowled at him. "What did you do to her in your own little world Kouga?" he snapped bitterly. "You didn't seem to want to let her go. Did I interrupt something?"
Kouga narrowed his eyes jealously at Inuyasha. "What are you talking about?"
Inuyasha huffed out the last of his aggression. His tone took on the sound of concern. "Its like you guys weren't even here anymore. You didn't move for a long time, and when you did," his eyes went cold and his voice went flat. Inuyasha licked his lips. "You grabbed her and were holding her… I think she was going to bite you."
And if Inuyasha hadn't stopped it, it would have been the quickening. I would have had her. He closed his eyes and could almost see himself making love to her on the boulder beneath the demon moon. He forced the thoughts away. They weren't in that world anymore, nor should there ever be the need for to come to him there again. She has Kurama. Leave her alone. He sighed and lay down on his side suddenly feeling exhausted. "I should be good to go by morning," he mumbled, closing his eyes. He said no more that night, but lay awake long thinking of the woman sleeping across the fire.
[11]
When Le finally came around, it was morning. She sat up, finding herself alone in the cave. She could hear Inuyasha's voice from somewhere outside, then the crunch of footsteps. Le rubbed her sleep puffy eyes with the back of her hand. She saw a silloette in the center of the bright morning sunlight coming toward her. A moment later she sat in Kouga's shadow. Le looked up at him with naked eyes.
He hadnt expected her to be awake yet and almost walked into her before he looked down. He stopped suddenly in his tracks, captured by her eyes."Le," it was almost a whisper.
Her breath caught in her throat. Kouga looked well this morning. You certainly couldnt tell by looking at him that he had almost died yesterday afternoon. Her blood had worked wonders for him. Several of last nights bandages were gone, only his deepest wounds were still covered. The swelling had left his face, but he still had the hint of a black eye."Morning Kouga. You look a lot better today."
"Thanks to you," he replied and offered her a hand up. Part of him was curious, very curious to see if he would feel that energy between them. He doubted it, but it was of no concequence anyway. He had already decided he would leave her alone, wether he really wanted to or not.
She looked at his hand and then back to him. After a moment of hesitation she took it and let him help her to her feet. She felt road weary and her knees came unhinged the moment she was up. Kouga got an arm around her fast and held her untill she stedied. She pulled away as soon as she was sure her legs would hold her. It's best not to be too close to him right now. Though she had nearly slept the clock around, she still felt tired. She looked at him with the same calculating eyes she had in his world. Now the questions will come.
At first Kouga said nothing, just stared. She doesnt want me touching her. When he had taken her hand to help her up, it had been warm, but there was no exchange of energy like there had been between them in his world. But when her knees had given way, he had put his arm around her and held her up for a minute. Her scent is the same here. There had been no preturnatural exchange of energy when he took her hand, but he felt something when her body leaned into him. Did she feel it to? I mean, that was her I was kissing under the demon moon... right? "Are you alright?" he felt suddenly chilled.
Le backpeadeled slowly until she had her back against the wall. "I'm okay," she said looking at her feet. "It's like waking up from a really long nap. I'm fine though Kouga." She raised a hand to the back of her neck and rubbed nervously there. Why is he lookin at me like that?!
"Did I ..hurt you Le?" he asked taking a step toward her. Her head was down and her hair was in her eyes, but she still startled a little when he moved closer to her. Is she afraid of me? He felt his heart sink a little.
She didnt lift her head, but she cut her eyes up to Kouga's. "No Kouga. I'm fine, really." Who am I trying to convince? Him or myself? "I'll have my strength back just as soon as I wake the hell up a little more."
Kouga needed to know. He started toward her again and this time she did straighten up. She looked suprised and sadly, alarmed. She is afraid of me damnit! He didn't stop until their toes were touching and he was looking straight down into her doe eyes. "Did I hurt you in some other way?" But she was kissing me too! Her hands on my skin... "Le, did I do something to hurt you?" his voice was sober.
"No," it came out in a quick breath. She found herself lost in the blue of his eyes, thinking of the sky in Kouga's world. It was so beautiful. I didnt want to leave I ...
Kouga leaned forward putting a hand on the wall beside her and leaned over her. "So when we were back in the Homelands, that was you I was kissing right?" Theres still something there. Thats why she wants to get away from me. Kouga had always prefered the direct approach. Being this close to her let him breath in her scent deeply. It's the same scent. It would be an exact match if her passion were released.
She looked shocked for a minute. Well, he's to the point isint he? "Yeah. I mean no. I mean," she blurted. She dropped her eyes, cheeks blazing red. "It's yes and no. Its a metaphysical...thing." She caught her breath. "Its a place at the core of your spirit energy, sort of. Its like your true center. Because you were feeding off of me I was there too."
Kouga no longer cared about the physical aspects. They were both just fine and that was good enough for him. It no longer mattered how she had ended up in the Homelands with him. What happened there was what he wanted to talk about. He had thought last night that it would be better if he just let it go on account of her damn boyfriend and all, but that was before he looked down into her eyes, smelled her hair,and felt her soft skin in his hands."At the end Le. I took yer hand. I was going to shake it or something. You remember that?"
She nodded affirmitavly and bit her lip, still not looking up at him.
It dawned on him all at once. If that place has something to do with my true self, then the Le there was... "What about the woman that traced her fingers up my arms and sent shivers down my spine. That was you wasnt it?"
She bit down harder on ler lip, his words echoing in her mind. Shivers down your spine huh? "Yes it was me Kouga. But the me that is here in this reality is different from the person you were with last night. My vampire nature really wanted to come out." She had noticed that the smell of blood was now faint as a memory in here.
"What do you mean a different person? It was you wasnt it? You didnt seem any different to me." He took her chin in his hand and tipped her eyes to his. I could just kiss her now and it would be just like it was...
"It's not the same here as it was there Kouga." Her heart skipped a beat when his eyes moved to her lips. Oh hell, hes going to kiss me! Kouga leaned in, releasing her chin and putting his hand on the wall on her other side boxing her in. Le flattened against the wall as if she could flee through it. But Kouga did not stop at Le's lips, he tiped his head downward until she could feel his hot breath on her neck. Oh shit oh shit oh shit her mind chanted as a warmth flashed through her body.
Kouga might have kissed her, if he hadnt been so moved by the way she had recoiled from him. Unlike him, she had someone waiting for her. Though Kouga didnt care one way or the other for her fox demon boyfriend pffft fox demons are always trouble she had saved his life. He already had the answers he needed anyway. So rather then kiss her, he did the next best thing. He moved in close enough for his lips to tickle the silky skin of her throat and inhaled deeply. Its the same scent though Le ... He supressed the urge to kiss her, maybe even nip her, below the ear.
She shuddered. "Kouga..." her voice sounded far away.
Stop it, damn you! his concious bleated. Reluctantly, Kouga pulled away. He stood up straight and dropped his arms to his side. She looked at him helplessly. Kouga huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Guess your right," he tried to sound convincing. She bought it though, gratefully. If it werent for that guy yer with... He turned and headed for the entrance. "We're ready to go whenever you're feeling up to it."
Le watched him disappear from sight and heard him say something to Inuyasha. She puffed out a sigh of relife. "Thanks Kouga. Glad ya understand."
[12]
Inuyasha, Kouga and Le made their way back toward Keida's village. The day was clear and a breeze kept it from being too hot. It wouldnt take long to meet up with the others, and there was one piece of business Le wanted taken care of before they got back. "Do me a favor you guys," she had asked. "Let's not mention what happened back there to anyone, alright? I'm not really supposed to be doing stuff like that?"
They had agreed with no problem, though Kouga thought he probably would tell Ginta, maybe. Inuyasha figured Le would end up telling Kagome herself later on anyway, so he kept his mouth shut. When they neared the village Kouga took his leave of them, saying he needed to get back to his tribe. He made his good bye's brief and disappeared in a tornado of dust. He thought that maybe getting some distance between himself and Le would clear his head.
Inuyasha and Le walked on in silence for a long time. Finally he asked, "You sure you're alright?" He was looking at her from the corner of his eye.
" "Fine." She felt some relife seeing Kouga go, but it had a bitter edge. He really was beautiful.
Life went on as it always does and it was months before Kouga saw Le again.