Disclaimer: I hope no one out there REALLY thinks I own Inu Yasha OR Yu Yu
Hakasho, but just in case. I don't.
~* last time *~
"About fifteen minutes ago..." Souta answered slowly. Kagome felt a giant burden pulled off her shoulders.
"Ah... thank the gods," Kagome immediately covered her mouth before starting to giggle. She'd have to be a lot more careful before saying those words anymore. When she finally opened her eyes, she noticed the stares of her family.
Yep... they'd definitely think her crazy now...
Kagome sighed and walked to her bedroom. She had places to go and people to see. And a very important present to give away.
~* this time *~
~*~*~*~* With Youko, through the well *~*~*~*~
Youko sighed. He knew she needed to work things out, but he'd really been looking foreword to spending some time with her. He had a feeling that he should.
He was finding it increasingly hard to keep a clear mind. His generals and captains wouldn't give him a break with the compliments, amateur suggestions, reviews of a plan he had memorized, ect... They were MUCH to loud. He needed to get away from them. A small smirk came to his voice. And he knew exactly how to do it.
The next moment all of the men who had bothered him so stood staring at the spot he had just been standing. He had just... disappeared... What had happened? They all scanned the halls for the fox youkai, but eventually got the idea that he wasn't there, and went searching the entire manor for him.
Unbeknownst to them, the object of their search was sitting down against an old well, head leaned over the rim, taking deep breaths of the scent of the Makai pine trees and the faded scent of water lilies.
Kagome...
There was nothing that he cared for more. He would give up the all the tapestries and precious stones and golden trinkets he had ever stolen if ever it would save her. Of course, he knew that he would probably try something like stealing them back once he had her but he'd still choose her. Another small smirk graced his lips.
Hell if he'd ever tell her he'd steal them back...
He wasn't sure when he'd let his eyes close but the next thing he remembered he had felt a sudden warmth slide next to him. His eyes snapped open and he turned toward the warmth, only to have them lock with the beautiful stormy eyes he had come to know. He saw her smile and felt the familiar tingling in him stomach.
"I'm surprised at you, Youko!" She said playfully, "I thought you'd have been awake as soon as I came out of the well!" She went to poke his stomach but as soon as she got close, his hand wrapped around hers. He slide his hand around hers until he was gripping the back of it and then brought her warm palm to his cheek.
"I'm surprised at you..." Youko said, more calmly this time, "You've never given up to what I said so easily before." And that was true. She usually waited till the last minute to go back and debate with him, until one of them said sorry. He watched her smile get a little smaller and some sadness seep into her eyes.
"I didn't want to spend the time before you... left, fighting over something... I don't even know what it was..." He knew what it was, but thought it better not to ruin this good fortune by telling her. He watched her for a minute before her eyes widened and she suddenly pulled her hand from his grip, "Oh! And before I forget..." Her hands reached up to unclasp the necklace she had set up for him. She pulled it off and watched as he stared at if for a moment, before returning his gaze to her, eyes confused,"... A gift."
He reached up to gently grasp the necklace. He opened his hand for a moment to stare at it before looking back at her.
"This is filled with, high level magic... where did you get it?" His eyes looked suspicious, and slightly demanding. For a moment Kagome wondered if she should lie, but gave up the idea upon seeing that she had done nothing wrong.
"Well, technically, I got the necklace at this really low level jeweler named Marco in England, you know I went there one summer. Nice guy, real low prices! He's got..." Kagome stopped when she saw Youko's eyes. They had become a lot less confused and more demanding. His left eyebrow had jumped behind his bangs and his fox ears were turned slightly to the side, "...ehhem.. well... yeah, anyway. As I was saying, I bought the necklace and then just basically filled the necklace with the magic manually," she watched as his right eyebrow jumped to join the left and his eyes were now filled with disbelief. She suddenly realized what she had implied and put her hands up, "Oh no no no!!! I didn't do it myself. I used an old incantation for... donations so to speak."
Youko hadn't gotten any less suspicious. He didn't know anyone who could get this level of magic without it killing them, well, short of the gods. He looked at Kagome suspiciously, then shook his head. No, there was NO way she could have gotten a hold of the gods, let alone convinced them to help her with something like this. He decided he'd figure it out later. And of course, he could always ask her questions and figure it out that way.
"So, what's the purpose of all the magic the necklace possess?" He watched as a broad smile came over Kagome's face.
"Oh you'll love it!" she gently took the necklace from his hand and laid in on the ground. As soon as the leaf touched the ground, the grass beneath it gathered together into a solid surface and carried it upward. Youko's eyes widened before a genuine smile came onto his face. As soon as it grew to where Youko face hovered, it stopped. Youko reached out and traced the leaf with his finger before carefully grasping it. He looked over at Kagome who quickly reached over and snatched it away, before moving behind him to fasten it on, "You want to know the really ironic part though?" Youko looked at her as she slid back in front of him. Her hand flew forward to grasp it again, and Youko's breath caught in his throat as her fingers hit his chest instead of the chain.
Looking down, Youko watched as the necklace seemed to float back out through his skin. His gaze was now even more confused as he looked back at Kagome. She waggled (AN what else to you call it??) her eyebrows at him.
"Anti-thief maneuvers," Youko smiled at her, eyes showing that he wasn't convinced that she had said everything.
"And where, pray tell, does the necklace GO when it disappears?" He asked slowly, watching as the authenticity of her smile decreased. He was proud to know that though nobody else could tell when she lied, he had no trouble with it. He knew that she wasn't telling him everything now.
"It basically just... grabs onto your spirit and holds on until the coast is clear..." She watched his eyes widen imperceptibly and suddenly felt insecure, "It doesn't hurt it or anything! It just holds on. And anytime you want to take it off it will loose it's path to your spirit! I promise!" Youko's eyes softened and he pulled her into a soft embrace.
"I trust you, koi," he whispered, "it's just, it's all slightly... let's just say I've never seen anything with magic at this level before," he pulled her into his lap and smiled when she finally returned his embrace, "and I KNOW your not telling me everything. But that can wait, I suppose." He felt Kagome clutch him tighter.
"But what if it can't..." he almost couldn't hear her, and he knew that he wasn't meant to, so he didn't respond. He knew what she meant though, and only clutched her tighter.
~*~*~*~*Three hours later, the edge of the clearing*~*~*~*~
Youko held Kagome tightly. He knew that she was afraid for him. It was strangely comforting to know that. But he didn't want her to be so sad. He didn't understand why she was so much more worried about him now then she had been with all of his other jobs. This was the same. He'd come back again. Why was she so worried?
Kagome knew she was confusing him. He hadn't a clue why he would think this was so different. She knew that she should be pretending that everything was normal. That he'd be back soon and everything would be fine again. But she couldn't. It would mean letting go of Youko sooner. It would mean ending their embrace now. It was the last time she would see him alive. She couldn't let go that easily.
She felt her tears slide down her cheek. Youko pulled back slightly and reached his hand over to pull up her chin. When her eyes met his he watched her intently for a moment. He saw signs of every emotion possible fly through her eyes. Hopelessness, jealousy, anger... the one that never changed or left for any amount of time was the depression. He wished that he could tell her he would stay. That he'd be safe and that she had nothing to be sad over. But he couldn't lie to her. He knew perfectly well that, tell her whatever he might, he would go on this job.
"Don't worry, Kagome," he pulled her closer and nuzzled her cheek, "We'll be together again." Those words snapped Kagome out of it. Yes. They would see each other again. When he died she would follow him into the afterlife. She had already said her good-byes to her family. It would only be a short time before they were together again. Then they would live happily ever after, and she'd do what she was destined to do as a Guardian. She smiled.
"I know we will," She said through her tears, "I know that..." And so she let him go. He looked at her for a moment, trapped in her clouded eyes. Leaning down, he caught her lips in a soft kiss. He put all his love for her in that kiss. All his pride, his passion. He wanted to make sure that she knew how he felt. Wrapping his arms around her, he felt himself begin to purr when she responded, and made no efforts to stop it. He had never purred before he had met her, and that in itself proved just how much she meant to him.
Knowing that he had to leave, he quickly pulled away. Whispering a soft, "We'll see each other again..." he disappeared into the forest. Her shocked expression hurt him, he hadn't wanted to leave her that way. But he had felt that she needed it. That he had to make sure he did that before he left. He purposely swatted those thoughts away, and headed to the castle where the others would be waiting for him.
~*~*~*~* back at the clearing *~*~*~*~
Kagome just stared, wide eyed at the trees. She could still feel the warm tingle where his lips had been, bringing her hand up to brush over the imprint, she shivered.
She had come to truly know him then. She knew what he felt for her. Everything he felt for her. He had put all that he was in that kiss, just to show her that. For one moment in her screwy life, she had had a pure moment of bliss. Her sadness and worries faded away. There had been no well, no feudal era, no home... The clearing had been gone. There was no home, no stealing, no secrets... No end...
But it had ended, and as he left the harsh reality of all of this came tumbling back down. She loved him, he loved her. And now he had to face an ending that was sure to be pain filled and lonely. She couldn't stop it or help him... Kagome fell to her knees, jaw agape and wide eyes still firmly locked on the trees around the path he had disappeared by. Dropping her head into her hands, she cried. Tears flowing, eyes slammed shut, and body shaking in desperate sobs of grief.
"No..." ~*~*~*~* about an hour later *~*~*~*~
Kagome now lay on the forest floor. Eyes red rimmed, distant and unfocused. The cloudy orbs looked dead now. She kept reminding herself that she'd see him again, but it didn't help. What if we're not meant to be together in the next life? What if we're both born in the same time but we grow up away from each other and never find each other again? What if he forgets about me and falls in love with someone else?
She absently brushed her fingers over her lips and found the answer to that last question. No... he couldn't forget about her anymore then she could forget about him. But she still felt the grief of her heart weighing down on her.
That's about the time she heard it.
Kagome sat bolt upright. Her heart was beating so fast she thought it would be heard from miles around. Then it came again.
'...Kagome...'
Kagome jumped into a fighting position and spun around. The voice had sounded so much like Youko's. But how could it be? He was in the middle of a job somewhere.
'... Kagome... I need you...'
That had been all it took. Kagome tore through the forest toward the voice. He needed her. His voice had been so strange... so... so pained. She couldn't stand to think of him like that. She didn't even realize that she had been moving at the speed of a strong youkai. She did, however, feel the new star on her forehead pulse in a steady rhythm with her feet. She had to get to him... She had to!!
Not five seconds later, Kagome came into a clearing. The grass around her was only a few inches shorter then she was. Running through it, she searched furiously for Youko. After a minute of this, she heard a distant shout. Glancing up, she saw a torch light. Then ten. Finally twenty. All heading toward the center of the field.
Ducking beneath the grass, she ran to the center, finding, to her horror, a trail of blood. She felt her heart speed up and her adrenaline jump dramatically as she raced silently through the grass field, slowing only when she heard the soft panting of an animal. Creeping silently toward the sound, she crouched beneath the last strands of tall grass, looking inside at what she had not expected to see.
In fox form, Youko struggled to push himself up. His back legs limp, the muscles in his front legs rippled and strained to keep up themselves. An ugly wound in his back where the spearhead had entered. It gushed with blood just to the left of his spinal cord. She guessed that was the reason why his back legs were paralyzed. But the part that hurt her much more to look at was his face.
The only time she had seen Youko in fox form, his face had been strikingly familiar to his human forms. Soft, cunning... beautiful. But now, muzzle streaked in blood, face contorted into the angry scowl she had seen on ravaging demons so many times. His eyes filled with pain, anger...
And hate.
That scared her more then anything. She had never seen that look in his eyes before. She suddenly realized just how little she knew about him. She had always thought he was playing around when he stole the things he did, but now...
Now he looked like a criminal...
She jumped slightly when he heard him growl, just as his front legs went out. He lay there panting. Panting and bleeding. And she felt what little resolve against him she had formed break away. She didn't care if he was a criminal. She didn't care how many he'd killed. She'd never let him die alone. No matter how many died at his claws...
Because she loved him...
Springing quietly from the bushes, she jumped to his side. In his pain, he thought her a hunter, and began to growl threateningly. She shushed him and brought her hand to softly caress his muzzle, ignoring the blood. Having finally caught her scent, he quieted. His eyes widening instead.
'It's okay, I'm really here,' she whispered telepathically. She felt him jump softly beneath her fingers.
'How... how did you learn that!?' he murmured back. Smiling unconsciously, she brought her hand up to rub his ears.
'It's not important now, koi,' she slowly lie down beside him, curling herself around his smaller form, 'No questions.' His body seemed to relax as she gently rubbed his neck and back, avoiding what was bound to be soar.
'I'm going to die, love,' he finally murmured. Tears beginning to fill her eyes, she brought her nose down to his.
'I know...'
'I'm sorry I won't be able to keep my promise...' he found himself truly sad that this was the last time he'd see her. She shook her head, surprising him slightly.
'You will. I've made sure of that...' and with that last sentence, she brought her lips to his nose, kissing him softly.
'I'll never loose you.'
With questioning eyes, Youko took his last breath. That's when the strange part happened. His whole body began to slide into translucence. Fading so that Kagome could see the flattened grass beneath him. Scared, she tried to pull him to her, but instead felt her arms slide right through a cold air, like fog.
"Youko," she whispered frantically, "YOUKO!!" she hissed. What was going on? She had always thought that they'd both fall dead and travel to the next world together. But... Did it go wrong? Did she mess it up somehow?
As his soul disappeared into the night sky above her, she heard the shouts of the hunters again, but so much closer this time. Head whipping around, she decided she'd have to figure this out someplace else. Jumping up, she used what skills she now had as a guardian, she flew across the grass towards the well, loosing them in seconds.
Kagome was almost certain she had seen a clear-white streak go into the well, but dismissed it as a hallucination, and instead jumped in herself, closing her eyes until she felt her feet hit the solid ground of the well in her time.
She didn't want to stay here. She knew her mother would try and comfort her. The last thing she wanted was to be comforted. She wanted to think this whole thing over. When Scorch wove from the gods knew where to sit at her feet, she got an idea. Getting into a praying position, she closed her eyes.
"SilverStar, Fairy of the wind goddess, the second elemental goddess, I summon the for I am in need of your advice." When she opened her eyes, a tiny tornado of silver and gold began to spin before her. A moment later said tornado was replaced by a very ticked looking fairy.
"What do you need? I WAS in the middle of dinner, you know!" Kagome ignored her.
"Why didn't I follow Youko into the next world!?" When SilverStar merely looked confused she added, "Did I do something wrong?"
AN: *hides in bomb shelter*.. I'M SORRY!! REALLY!! I didn't MEAN to wait so long to update! *hears silence. Stupidly walks out of bomb shelter to check if it's clear*
Crowd of angry readers: *pop out of no where* GET HER!
AoI2: AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!! *runs off*.
Kagome: *sweatdrops* umm. forgive her. she's been having a hard time lately.
Shippo: *looks after AoI2* I don't think she's coming back any time soon.
Youko: *grins*
Kagome: umm. well. thanks for readin! Ja ne!
~* last time *~
"About fifteen minutes ago..." Souta answered slowly. Kagome felt a giant burden pulled off her shoulders.
"Ah... thank the gods," Kagome immediately covered her mouth before starting to giggle. She'd have to be a lot more careful before saying those words anymore. When she finally opened her eyes, she noticed the stares of her family.
Yep... they'd definitely think her crazy now...
Kagome sighed and walked to her bedroom. She had places to go and people to see. And a very important present to give away.
~* this time *~
~*~*~*~* With Youko, through the well *~*~*~*~
Youko sighed. He knew she needed to work things out, but he'd really been looking foreword to spending some time with her. He had a feeling that he should.
He was finding it increasingly hard to keep a clear mind. His generals and captains wouldn't give him a break with the compliments, amateur suggestions, reviews of a plan he had memorized, ect... They were MUCH to loud. He needed to get away from them. A small smirk came to his voice. And he knew exactly how to do it.
The next moment all of the men who had bothered him so stood staring at the spot he had just been standing. He had just... disappeared... What had happened? They all scanned the halls for the fox youkai, but eventually got the idea that he wasn't there, and went searching the entire manor for him.
Unbeknownst to them, the object of their search was sitting down against an old well, head leaned over the rim, taking deep breaths of the scent of the Makai pine trees and the faded scent of water lilies.
Kagome...
There was nothing that he cared for more. He would give up the all the tapestries and precious stones and golden trinkets he had ever stolen if ever it would save her. Of course, he knew that he would probably try something like stealing them back once he had her but he'd still choose her. Another small smirk graced his lips.
Hell if he'd ever tell her he'd steal them back...
He wasn't sure when he'd let his eyes close but the next thing he remembered he had felt a sudden warmth slide next to him. His eyes snapped open and he turned toward the warmth, only to have them lock with the beautiful stormy eyes he had come to know. He saw her smile and felt the familiar tingling in him stomach.
"I'm surprised at you, Youko!" She said playfully, "I thought you'd have been awake as soon as I came out of the well!" She went to poke his stomach but as soon as she got close, his hand wrapped around hers. He slide his hand around hers until he was gripping the back of it and then brought her warm palm to his cheek.
"I'm surprised at you..." Youko said, more calmly this time, "You've never given up to what I said so easily before." And that was true. She usually waited till the last minute to go back and debate with him, until one of them said sorry. He watched her smile get a little smaller and some sadness seep into her eyes.
"I didn't want to spend the time before you... left, fighting over something... I don't even know what it was..." He knew what it was, but thought it better not to ruin this good fortune by telling her. He watched her for a minute before her eyes widened and she suddenly pulled her hand from his grip, "Oh! And before I forget..." Her hands reached up to unclasp the necklace she had set up for him. She pulled it off and watched as he stared at if for a moment, before returning his gaze to her, eyes confused,"... A gift."
He reached up to gently grasp the necklace. He opened his hand for a moment to stare at it before looking back at her.
"This is filled with, high level magic... where did you get it?" His eyes looked suspicious, and slightly demanding. For a moment Kagome wondered if she should lie, but gave up the idea upon seeing that she had done nothing wrong.
"Well, technically, I got the necklace at this really low level jeweler named Marco in England, you know I went there one summer. Nice guy, real low prices! He's got..." Kagome stopped when she saw Youko's eyes. They had become a lot less confused and more demanding. His left eyebrow had jumped behind his bangs and his fox ears were turned slightly to the side, "...ehhem.. well... yeah, anyway. As I was saying, I bought the necklace and then just basically filled the necklace with the magic manually," she watched as his right eyebrow jumped to join the left and his eyes were now filled with disbelief. She suddenly realized what she had implied and put her hands up, "Oh no no no!!! I didn't do it myself. I used an old incantation for... donations so to speak."
Youko hadn't gotten any less suspicious. He didn't know anyone who could get this level of magic without it killing them, well, short of the gods. He looked at Kagome suspiciously, then shook his head. No, there was NO way she could have gotten a hold of the gods, let alone convinced them to help her with something like this. He decided he'd figure it out later. And of course, he could always ask her questions and figure it out that way.
"So, what's the purpose of all the magic the necklace possess?" He watched as a broad smile came over Kagome's face.
"Oh you'll love it!" she gently took the necklace from his hand and laid in on the ground. As soon as the leaf touched the ground, the grass beneath it gathered together into a solid surface and carried it upward. Youko's eyes widened before a genuine smile came onto his face. As soon as it grew to where Youko face hovered, it stopped. Youko reached out and traced the leaf with his finger before carefully grasping it. He looked over at Kagome who quickly reached over and snatched it away, before moving behind him to fasten it on, "You want to know the really ironic part though?" Youko looked at her as she slid back in front of him. Her hand flew forward to grasp it again, and Youko's breath caught in his throat as her fingers hit his chest instead of the chain.
Looking down, Youko watched as the necklace seemed to float back out through his skin. His gaze was now even more confused as he looked back at Kagome. She waggled (AN what else to you call it??) her eyebrows at him.
"Anti-thief maneuvers," Youko smiled at her, eyes showing that he wasn't convinced that she had said everything.
"And where, pray tell, does the necklace GO when it disappears?" He asked slowly, watching as the authenticity of her smile decreased. He was proud to know that though nobody else could tell when she lied, he had no trouble with it. He knew that she wasn't telling him everything now.
"It basically just... grabs onto your spirit and holds on until the coast is clear..." She watched his eyes widen imperceptibly and suddenly felt insecure, "It doesn't hurt it or anything! It just holds on. And anytime you want to take it off it will loose it's path to your spirit! I promise!" Youko's eyes softened and he pulled her into a soft embrace.
"I trust you, koi," he whispered, "it's just, it's all slightly... let's just say I've never seen anything with magic at this level before," he pulled her into his lap and smiled when she finally returned his embrace, "and I KNOW your not telling me everything. But that can wait, I suppose." He felt Kagome clutch him tighter.
"But what if it can't..." he almost couldn't hear her, and he knew that he wasn't meant to, so he didn't respond. He knew what she meant though, and only clutched her tighter.
~*~*~*~*Three hours later, the edge of the clearing*~*~*~*~
Youko held Kagome tightly. He knew that she was afraid for him. It was strangely comforting to know that. But he didn't want her to be so sad. He didn't understand why she was so much more worried about him now then she had been with all of his other jobs. This was the same. He'd come back again. Why was she so worried?
Kagome knew she was confusing him. He hadn't a clue why he would think this was so different. She knew that she should be pretending that everything was normal. That he'd be back soon and everything would be fine again. But she couldn't. It would mean letting go of Youko sooner. It would mean ending their embrace now. It was the last time she would see him alive. She couldn't let go that easily.
She felt her tears slide down her cheek. Youko pulled back slightly and reached his hand over to pull up her chin. When her eyes met his he watched her intently for a moment. He saw signs of every emotion possible fly through her eyes. Hopelessness, jealousy, anger... the one that never changed or left for any amount of time was the depression. He wished that he could tell her he would stay. That he'd be safe and that she had nothing to be sad over. But he couldn't lie to her. He knew perfectly well that, tell her whatever he might, he would go on this job.
"Don't worry, Kagome," he pulled her closer and nuzzled her cheek, "We'll be together again." Those words snapped Kagome out of it. Yes. They would see each other again. When he died she would follow him into the afterlife. She had already said her good-byes to her family. It would only be a short time before they were together again. Then they would live happily ever after, and she'd do what she was destined to do as a Guardian. She smiled.
"I know we will," She said through her tears, "I know that..." And so she let him go. He looked at her for a moment, trapped in her clouded eyes. Leaning down, he caught her lips in a soft kiss. He put all his love for her in that kiss. All his pride, his passion. He wanted to make sure that she knew how he felt. Wrapping his arms around her, he felt himself begin to purr when she responded, and made no efforts to stop it. He had never purred before he had met her, and that in itself proved just how much she meant to him.
Knowing that he had to leave, he quickly pulled away. Whispering a soft, "We'll see each other again..." he disappeared into the forest. Her shocked expression hurt him, he hadn't wanted to leave her that way. But he had felt that she needed it. That he had to make sure he did that before he left. He purposely swatted those thoughts away, and headed to the castle where the others would be waiting for him.
~*~*~*~* back at the clearing *~*~*~*~
Kagome just stared, wide eyed at the trees. She could still feel the warm tingle where his lips had been, bringing her hand up to brush over the imprint, she shivered.
She had come to truly know him then. She knew what he felt for her. Everything he felt for her. He had put all that he was in that kiss, just to show her that. For one moment in her screwy life, she had had a pure moment of bliss. Her sadness and worries faded away. There had been no well, no feudal era, no home... The clearing had been gone. There was no home, no stealing, no secrets... No end...
But it had ended, and as he left the harsh reality of all of this came tumbling back down. She loved him, he loved her. And now he had to face an ending that was sure to be pain filled and lonely. She couldn't stop it or help him... Kagome fell to her knees, jaw agape and wide eyes still firmly locked on the trees around the path he had disappeared by. Dropping her head into her hands, she cried. Tears flowing, eyes slammed shut, and body shaking in desperate sobs of grief.
"No..." ~*~*~*~* about an hour later *~*~*~*~
Kagome now lay on the forest floor. Eyes red rimmed, distant and unfocused. The cloudy orbs looked dead now. She kept reminding herself that she'd see him again, but it didn't help. What if we're not meant to be together in the next life? What if we're both born in the same time but we grow up away from each other and never find each other again? What if he forgets about me and falls in love with someone else?
She absently brushed her fingers over her lips and found the answer to that last question. No... he couldn't forget about her anymore then she could forget about him. But she still felt the grief of her heart weighing down on her.
That's about the time she heard it.
Kagome sat bolt upright. Her heart was beating so fast she thought it would be heard from miles around. Then it came again.
'...Kagome...'
Kagome jumped into a fighting position and spun around. The voice had sounded so much like Youko's. But how could it be? He was in the middle of a job somewhere.
'... Kagome... I need you...'
That had been all it took. Kagome tore through the forest toward the voice. He needed her. His voice had been so strange... so... so pained. She couldn't stand to think of him like that. She didn't even realize that she had been moving at the speed of a strong youkai. She did, however, feel the new star on her forehead pulse in a steady rhythm with her feet. She had to get to him... She had to!!
Not five seconds later, Kagome came into a clearing. The grass around her was only a few inches shorter then she was. Running through it, she searched furiously for Youko. After a minute of this, she heard a distant shout. Glancing up, she saw a torch light. Then ten. Finally twenty. All heading toward the center of the field.
Ducking beneath the grass, she ran to the center, finding, to her horror, a trail of blood. She felt her heart speed up and her adrenaline jump dramatically as she raced silently through the grass field, slowing only when she heard the soft panting of an animal. Creeping silently toward the sound, she crouched beneath the last strands of tall grass, looking inside at what she had not expected to see.
In fox form, Youko struggled to push himself up. His back legs limp, the muscles in his front legs rippled and strained to keep up themselves. An ugly wound in his back where the spearhead had entered. It gushed with blood just to the left of his spinal cord. She guessed that was the reason why his back legs were paralyzed. But the part that hurt her much more to look at was his face.
The only time she had seen Youko in fox form, his face had been strikingly familiar to his human forms. Soft, cunning... beautiful. But now, muzzle streaked in blood, face contorted into the angry scowl she had seen on ravaging demons so many times. His eyes filled with pain, anger...
And hate.
That scared her more then anything. She had never seen that look in his eyes before. She suddenly realized just how little she knew about him. She had always thought he was playing around when he stole the things he did, but now...
Now he looked like a criminal...
She jumped slightly when he heard him growl, just as his front legs went out. He lay there panting. Panting and bleeding. And she felt what little resolve against him she had formed break away. She didn't care if he was a criminal. She didn't care how many he'd killed. She'd never let him die alone. No matter how many died at his claws...
Because she loved him...
Springing quietly from the bushes, she jumped to his side. In his pain, he thought her a hunter, and began to growl threateningly. She shushed him and brought her hand to softly caress his muzzle, ignoring the blood. Having finally caught her scent, he quieted. His eyes widening instead.
'It's okay, I'm really here,' she whispered telepathically. She felt him jump softly beneath her fingers.
'How... how did you learn that!?' he murmured back. Smiling unconsciously, she brought her hand up to rub his ears.
'It's not important now, koi,' she slowly lie down beside him, curling herself around his smaller form, 'No questions.' His body seemed to relax as she gently rubbed his neck and back, avoiding what was bound to be soar.
'I'm going to die, love,' he finally murmured. Tears beginning to fill her eyes, she brought her nose down to his.
'I know...'
'I'm sorry I won't be able to keep my promise...' he found himself truly sad that this was the last time he'd see her. She shook her head, surprising him slightly.
'You will. I've made sure of that...' and with that last sentence, she brought her lips to his nose, kissing him softly.
'I'll never loose you.'
With questioning eyes, Youko took his last breath. That's when the strange part happened. His whole body began to slide into translucence. Fading so that Kagome could see the flattened grass beneath him. Scared, she tried to pull him to her, but instead felt her arms slide right through a cold air, like fog.
"Youko," she whispered frantically, "YOUKO!!" she hissed. What was going on? She had always thought that they'd both fall dead and travel to the next world together. But... Did it go wrong? Did she mess it up somehow?
As his soul disappeared into the night sky above her, she heard the shouts of the hunters again, but so much closer this time. Head whipping around, she decided she'd have to figure this out someplace else. Jumping up, she used what skills she now had as a guardian, she flew across the grass towards the well, loosing them in seconds.
Kagome was almost certain she had seen a clear-white streak go into the well, but dismissed it as a hallucination, and instead jumped in herself, closing her eyes until she felt her feet hit the solid ground of the well in her time.
She didn't want to stay here. She knew her mother would try and comfort her. The last thing she wanted was to be comforted. She wanted to think this whole thing over. When Scorch wove from the gods knew where to sit at her feet, she got an idea. Getting into a praying position, she closed her eyes.
"SilverStar, Fairy of the wind goddess, the second elemental goddess, I summon the for I am in need of your advice." When she opened her eyes, a tiny tornado of silver and gold began to spin before her. A moment later said tornado was replaced by a very ticked looking fairy.
"What do you need? I WAS in the middle of dinner, you know!" Kagome ignored her.
"Why didn't I follow Youko into the next world!?" When SilverStar merely looked confused she added, "Did I do something wrong?"
AN: *hides in bomb shelter*.. I'M SORRY!! REALLY!! I didn't MEAN to wait so long to update! *hears silence. Stupidly walks out of bomb shelter to check if it's clear*
Crowd of angry readers: *pop out of no where* GET HER!
AoI2: AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!! *runs off*.
Kagome: *sweatdrops* umm. forgive her. she's been having a hard time lately.
Shippo: *looks after AoI2* I don't think she's coming back any time soon.
Youko: *grins*
Kagome: umm. well. thanks for readin! Ja ne!