Disclaimer: Inuyasha wo shoyuu shitenai ze. Ba~~ka. ^_~V
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To Be With You Tomorrow
Part Ten :: Naraku's Soul
Chapter Forty :: Back To the West
The night came quickly. Early winter evenings, even in the southern part of Japan, were chilly and dry, and the dark came swiftly. Drab violet clouds obscured the stars and moon from view, and so it was darker than usual as the gumi camped for the night.
Tama had been taken care of first, with the kits and Kohaku running the very important errands of searching out herbs and gathering firewood. Kagome worked up the burn remedies she'd been taught by Kaede-baachan, using a bit of the herbs Kitsuko had given them, with hopes that the demon-hybrids would help speed up Tama's recovery.
It seemed like such a long time ago that they had been in the mountain in Kouzuke, trying to take care of a sick Inuyasha. It had only been two weeks, give or take a few days, since they had made the trek up there.
It no longer startled Kagome that so much could happen in so little a time. It had been only a little more than half a year ago that she had been innocently drawn to the wellhouse, drawn into the world she now knew.
Drawn to Inuyasha.
The hanyou had taken to the trees, staying nearby in case they needed him, but away from them nonetheless. Kagome understood his need to be alone when he was upset, and how he could get testy when he was brooding and forced to be near them, but understanding made it no less painful when he struck out on his own, away from her.
Tama was only half-conscious as Kagome and Sango tended her wounds. They covered the injured girl almost head to toe in herbal salve and bandages, and then wrapped her in her kimono. They discarded the white yukata, as the parts that weren't half-burned away were torn and bloodied.
Kagome also gave Tama some aspirin and let her sleep. They could only hope she would hold out long enough to get back to Kagetoki's in time to see if the deputy lord knew where Sesshoumaru might be.
It was very late when Kagome got up. Miroku and Sango were sleeping next to each other --the houshi had used the excuse that it was cold and two bodies had more body heat than one body; Kagome rolled her eyes at the memory. Kohaku had both kits in his lap, and the three of them were bundled together underneath a blanket, snoozing away. Tama was closest to the fire, being kept warm.
Kagome had been bundled in her sleeping bag, but no matter how hard she tried, sleep wouldn't come. She felt dirty and bloody and icky, and there were minor wounds of her own that needed tending to that she had thought little enough to worry about later.
They had camped near a small pond, hardly enough to be called such. More along the lines of "wide ditch with rainwater." Kagome looked at the pond, frowning at it helplessly. She wanted to bathe so terribly, but the water went just above her knees; hardly enough to soak in. Besides, it was too cold to soak pleasurably.
*Well, I suppose this is the best I can do for now,* she thought, setting her bag at the edge of the grass. She undressed quickly, wanting to get the bath over and done with, with the same sort of speed. The air was freezing, and the miko could only be grateful it wasn't windy as well.
There was a rustle of leaves high in the treetops, as if a faint wind blew above the canopy. Kagome stiffened, listening carefully. The sound had stopped, and now there was nothing.
She went back to her bath, soaping up her sponge and rubbing gently over her arms. The soap irritated the small burns and Kagome winced, rinsing it off in the frigid water as quickly as she could. Smoothly she ran over her entire body, gratefully accepting the release that came with the bath, no matter how cold it was.
"What are you doing?"
"KYA!!" Kagome squealed in fright at the sudden speech and in one motion, ducked into the shallow water and flung her soapy sponge at the creature, hoping to allay its advance long enough to call for Inuyasha--
--until she realized it WAS Inuyasha.
The hanyou raised his eyebrows at the small wet spot the sponge had caused when it bounced off his chest. Kagome blushed. "Sorry…"
"Why are you out here alone? It's dangerous."
"I had to take a bath, well, what little bath I could... And take care of these burns. They were driving me crazy."
She could hardly see him, they were underneath the trees on a moonless night; the only way she knew he was there at all was by the rustling of grass as he moved towards her. His rough hands fell on her arms and he sounded disappointed as he ran his fingers gently over them. "You got hurt?"
"It's not a big deal, they're don't hurt, really," she replied, lying a little bit. If they hurt bad enough for her to come wandering out here in the pitch dark in a world where monsters were an everyday occurrence, they hurt.
She cursed mentally, knowing Inuyasha knew that. He sounded firm with her. "Liar." He shifted to sit a bit closer, and she could make out his outline in the dark. The pale gray mass that was his hair, a ruddy black that was his clothes. His eyes glowed in the dark, faintly.
He hadn't released her wrist yet, but she felt him rustling around in her medkit. Something cold and gloppy touched her arm and she flinched as Inuyasha began to spread it over the wound. She made a soft pained sound and Inuyasha looked up. "Sorry."
She glanced up at him. Their eyes met for a moment before he turned back to his work. He worked his way up from her wrist, seeking out the wounds by touch and then wrapping them. Once he was finished with that arm, he took the other.
Kagome could very easily have pointed out that she was naked, sitting in waist-deep, freezing water. She could have insisted that she could deal with them herself. But she knew he was feeling bad because he'd allowed Genrou to take her, and that he was angry with himself for not protecting her better. It was the only reason he would be so pushy with her about treating her wounds himself.
Besides, she had never wanted him to be with her as much as she wanted him to be now.
The hanyou released her hand and she pulled away, flexing her fingers and assuring the bandages weren't too tight. She then looked up at him. "Thanks."
"Keh," he muttered, gathering the miscellaneous band-aids and rolls of gauze, stuffing them back into Kagome's kit. "It's the least I can do, considering I'm the fucking idiot who got you hurt in the first place."
"Inuyasha, it wasn't your fault," she protested, and the hanyou slammed the box shut, shifting to his knees to get up. "It is my fault! I wasn't strong enough to keep you away from that bastard, and if you hadn't been taken there you wouldn't have gotten hurt."
Kagome stood up in the water quickly, stepping out of it and going towards him. She rested her hand on his arm and Inuyasha stopped, going rigid. The miko pulled him around to face her, the other hand cupping his cheek. Inuyasha was growling softly, and she knew it was at himself. "You can't blame yourself," she told him in a quiet voice, and he looked up at her.
"The hell I can't. As long as you're with me, no matter how hard I fight or how strong I get, they're always going to go for you. Why the fuck do you even stay with me? It's because you're with me that you get hurt."
"Because I love you, stupid," she told him, gently touching her lips to his. Inuyasha didn't react for a long moment, just stood still and allowed her to kiss him. Then, slowly, his arms wrapped around her and he kissed her back.
Her skin was slick and wet as she moved against him, pressing herself closer as though she weren't close enough to him, even as they moved as one. It was as though he knew what she wanted from him before he did it, where she wanted him to touch her before she even asked.
One hand reached out in the dark behind himself to feel for a place to lean, and slowly he let himself slide down to the ground, drawing Kagome down on top of him. He pulled away to breathe and looked into her eyes, his breath in soft, almost visible pants.
Kagome leaned forward and laid her head on his shoulder, her arms hugging him firmly around the ribs. As familiar and minor the gesture seemed, it meant the world to him. Inuyasha hugged her back, closing his eyes and breathing in the scent of her hair.
She smelled so good, so alive. Her body was unlike the cold dead thing he had embraced weeks ago when they killed Naraku. Unlike the smooth, cold clay of Kikyou, who had disappeared now that he had rejected her.
Why do I get this horrible feeling, like a bitter taste in the back of my mouth, that soon, very soon, the tranquility of this precious moment will be lost to me, replaced by hurt and pain?
Replaced by red, red anger, red grief.
Inuyasha's eyes drooped, he blinked once, twice, and fell asleep, his arms around his sleeping companion.
~*~
"So do you understand the plan?"
The elder miko sat at the altar that was against the back wall of the large fighting arena that was the top level of her shrine. Apprentice mikos were in the middle of the floor, two of them painting ancient youkai spells onto the very wood. Two others were lighting the thousands of candles that lined the walls.
Uramiko looked over Kagura and Kanna, who had been joined by Torou. Kagura shrugged. "Yeah yeah. We swoop down, nab them and head back so you can do your magic… soul-sucking whatever. Let's go already."
"I advise you to be careful, Kagura. Inuyasha is a strong foe. Not so much because of that rusted blade he likes to wave around, but just that he's incredibly persistent."
"Yeah yeah, enough already," the wind sorceress said, waving a hand aggravatedly at her. They went to the enormous bay window in the side wall and Kagura plucked a feather from her short hair, tossing it out the window. The three minions boarded the feather as it grew huge and flew away.
Uramiko watched them recede into the distance quietly. It wouldn't be long now.
Not long at all.
~*~
Kagome opened her eyes to see a sea of white. She blinked a little, confused, before realizing the white was actually Inuyasha's shirt. His haori was wrapped around her shoulders, as were his arms. Moving sluggishly she shifted, glancing up at his sleeping face.
He looked so peaceful, as he had been that first day, pinned against the tree. She took the opportunity to memorize his features, lax and serene, whenever he slept. Even as long as they had been together, it was still something she rarely saw, because he was usually awake before her, having watched over her all night.
She lay her head back against his heart, her body soothed by the gentle rise and fall of his chest, by the steady beat of his heart. Randomly her finger traced over the soft folds of his yukata and she breathed out deeply through her nose, her eyes drooping as she started to be lulled back to sleep--
"Kagome-chan?"
Color flooded the miko's face. Instantly she was awake, the peace of her moment shattered into a thousand million little pieces just at the sound of Sango's voice. Kagome turned, wincing at what she knew she would see.
Behind her was EVERYONE. Even Tama was sitting up on Kirara's back, her amber eyes wide. Miroku was holding the kits together, covering their eyes, and Sango had clapped her own hand over Kohaku's eyes.
Kagome made a startled squeak and turned back, burying her face into Inuyasha's chest. "GUYS~~" she muffle-yelped, which of course woke Inuyasha. The hanyou looked down at her. "What're you--" His eyes trailed up and he too blushed, growling a little.
"What the hell are you guys gawping at?!!!"
The houshi laughed, his mouth opening for some form of lecherous comment, but Inuyasha shook his head, raising his hand and cracking his knuckles. "Don't, bouzu, or I WILL cut you another hole in that hand to replace the one you lost."
The houshi never closed his mouth. "I have business elsewhere," he said.
~*~
The clouds from the previous night had not dissipated; still, they hung ominously over the gumi as they trekked towards Kagetoki's home. In their usual line they tromped back through the thick forest that separated the wolves' den from the inuyoukai den. Tama leaned heavily upon Kirara's back as the big cat carted her about, and Sango, Miroku and Tanpopo stayed behind to keep an eye on the weakened hanyou.
Kagome stuck by Inuyasha as she was prone to do, with Shippou on her shoulder and Kohaku at her side. Both boys had been commissioned to play lookouts, and both were eager to help in whatever way they could. and slowly but surely, they found they way back.
As they were breaking from the forest on the north end, Inuyasha stopped suddenly, looking about warily. Miroku noticed this. "What is it, Inuyasha?"
At the sound of the houshi's voice Kagome, who had walked several paces ahead of Inuyasha, stopped and looked back at him. "Inuyasha?"
"This.. can't be…" he said in disbelief, "There's just no fucking way its…"
Before he had a chance to say anything else, he spun, leaping at Kagome and pushing the miko out of the way just as several blades of what seemed to be wind shot down to the ground, breaking up the solid dirt road.
Sango gasped as Miroku took a stance in front of her protectively, and Kohaku jumped in front of him, his chain-blade held out threateningly. From the sky a large feather lowered to the ground and Torou, Kanna and Kagura stepped down.
The inugumi all gawped, eyes wide with shock. It was like seeing a ghost, the ghost of someone who had never really been your ally, but then, Kagura had never really been the enemy once she turned against Naraku. Especially in her final moments.
Kagome pulled herself up by Inuyasha. "Kagura?!" she interjected, visibly surprised. Inuyasha pulled himself from an attack stance, still holding Tessaiga defensively before him. His eyes never left Kagura's form, nor Kanna's or Torou's flanking the wind-user.
"How?" Sango demanded from somewhere behind him, "She's… You're supposed to be dead!!"
"Lovely to see all of you as well," the wind-user said, "But I'm afraid to say, I have no memory of any of you bastards. I'm just here because I was asked."
At this, all of them were surprised even further. Kagura has only ever wanted to be free; it would take a lot for her to take orders again.
Like amnesia.
Kagura struck out and Inuyasha defected the wind blades without skipping a beat. Instantly Torou rushed in swinging, and the hanyou backed away, slipping an arm around Kagome and leaping back. He dropped next to Miroku and released her.
"Watch her," he told them before running back in. He took the two of them at the same time, Torou and Kagura slipping in and out and back again. Inuyasha was managing not to get hit, but at the same time was not making any damage himself.
Inuyasha swung, Kagura dodged. He twisted the blade towards Torou and he caught the edge of the sword, holding it in place. Inuyasha started, a little surprised at that, and the hesitation was more than enough time. Kagura launched Fuujin no Mai at him.
The inuhanyou tugged Tessaiga away from Torou in time to block most of the wind blades, but one struck his left thigh and another his right arm. Inuyasha cursed, hands tightening on the hilt of his sword as he landed, only to be blindsided by Ryuuja no Mai.
The tornados rushed over and around him, and the hanyou's body was flung into the air. Kagura threw the wind blades his way once more. Realizing that this time he would not be able to dodge, Kagome reached back for her bow and notched an arrow, letting it fly the second she had aim.
The purifying energy around the arrow created a shield, blocking the blades as Kirara flew up and caught the falling hanyou. Torou, still on ground by Kagura, cursed at Kagome. "Bitch, you wanna fight? Let's go."
Kagome notched another arrow, and it struck Torou in the shoulder, and the demon howled. Skin and muscle was burned away and he staggered back. Kagura swept her fan at the miko, and Miroku took a defensive between them, spinning his shakujou and throwing them aside.
The houshi and taijiya rushed their enemies, while the kits went to Kirara as she landed. Shippou hopped up by Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, are you okay??"
"It's not bad," he told the kit, pulling his hand from his arm, which was bleeding. Kagome was suddenly at his side, and she tore off her neckerchief, tying it quickly around the wound. "Why would Kagura attack us… Even an amnesiac Kagura…"
"Maybe it's just the fact she's part Naraku, the bastard…" he told her, and Kagome looked at him accusingly. "Inuyasha, Kagura hated Naraku. She wouldn't do anything she thought he might enjoy."
"Yeah but we've already decided she's forgotten all that bullshit," he interjected, standing up and taking a few steps forward. Miroku and Sango were fighting Kagura and a wounded Torou without any trouble. None at all.
It was almost as if they were just stalling… And then he noticed he couldn't find Kanna.
Inuyasha turned to Kagome, his voice lifted in what might have been a yell to run, a shout for her to escape. He wasn't sure what would come out of his mouth as he turned to her, but as he did, he saw Kanna standing behind the miko and her charcoal eyes centered on his.
The mirror she held flashed once, and Inuyasha's body stiffened. He felt all his strength leave him, as though it were being sucked out of him. Kagome murmured his name, and he heard her cry out as she was thrown aside as though she were a rag doll.
His vision blurred, and just as his legs were about to buckle underneath his own weight, thin arms wrapped around his form. He fell back, and as his eyes closed he looked up, and saw the wrinkled old face of Uramiko.
~*~
Inuyasha spun to face her and for a moment he looked frightened, as if he had realized something important. Kagome watched his eyes travel over her shoulder to someone behind her, and suddenly he stopped, as if all his joints had frozen.
Like a statue he stood, eyes wide, and Kagome raised her eyebrows, confused. "Inuyasha?" Slowly, a dark form took shape behind him and Kagome's mouth dropped open as she recognized the silvery hair and red eyes that blurred into view. Dark-sleeved arms slipped around his body as he fell, and the young girl started forward in fear. "Inuyasha!!"
Uramiko looked up at her fiercely. With the glance alone, an invisible force slammed into the younger miko and she was thrown to the ground. Kagome forced herself up, eyes going back to Inuyasha. The hanyou's eyes stared blankly at the sky, as if in a trance. He didn't struggle, he didn't fight the demon off.
In fact the half-demon didn't move at all, and Kagome realized he couldn't, and that it was up to her to save him. Hoping to stall for a little bit of time, time enough to think of a way out of the mess, Kagome looked up at Uramiko with what she hoped was a fearless glare. "What do you intend to do with him?!!"
The demon smiled. "In order for my master Naraku to rise again, he needs the blood of that man who killed him. Inuyasha is going to do me that favor."
Kagome paled, but knocked herself from the stupor quickly, her hand flying back for an arrow. But in the time it took for her to notch the arrow and take aim, Uramiko --and Inuyasha-- were already gone. Kagome let out a soft squeak of dismay at how swiftly they had disappeared, and she caught her breath. *Inuyasha…!!*
Having witnessed the whole event and realizing their business was finished, Kagura threw out her feather and the three youkai boarded it, taking to the air as suddenly as they had arrived. Miroku and Sango watched them leave, face taut with anger and concern for their kidnapped friend.
Kagome stared blankly at the place Inuyasha had been moments before, as if she could not comprehend the fact that he was gone. It had been that quick; he was there one moment and then he wasn't, and the only thing Kagome could think was, *I couldn't stop her… I couldn't protect him…!*
But instead of falling to her knees, instead of collapsing into a heap, she took a step forward, then another. What would Inuyasha do? Another step. What had Inuyasha done, dozens of times before, and would do again, for her sake? She took another step. Then another and another, faster and faster, until she was in a breath-taking dash for Uramiko's shrine. She could heard the others, Miroku and Sango, behind her, calling her name.
"Kagome-chan!!!"
"Kagome-sama, where are you going?!!"
She didn't even spare the seconds to look back. Her voice was full of confidence. "I'm going to save him!"
~*~ To be continued ~*~
a/n :: Im late beyond late~ Please please please don't hurt me.
~*~ V^-^V ~*~
~Tessen
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To Be With You Tomorrow
Part Ten :: Naraku's Soul
Chapter Forty :: Back To the West
The night came quickly. Early winter evenings, even in the southern part of Japan, were chilly and dry, and the dark came swiftly. Drab violet clouds obscured the stars and moon from view, and so it was darker than usual as the gumi camped for the night.
Tama had been taken care of first, with the kits and Kohaku running the very important errands of searching out herbs and gathering firewood. Kagome worked up the burn remedies she'd been taught by Kaede-baachan, using a bit of the herbs Kitsuko had given them, with hopes that the demon-hybrids would help speed up Tama's recovery.
It seemed like such a long time ago that they had been in the mountain in Kouzuke, trying to take care of a sick Inuyasha. It had only been two weeks, give or take a few days, since they had made the trek up there.
It no longer startled Kagome that so much could happen in so little a time. It had been only a little more than half a year ago that she had been innocently drawn to the wellhouse, drawn into the world she now knew.
Drawn to Inuyasha.
The hanyou had taken to the trees, staying nearby in case they needed him, but away from them nonetheless. Kagome understood his need to be alone when he was upset, and how he could get testy when he was brooding and forced to be near them, but understanding made it no less painful when he struck out on his own, away from her.
Tama was only half-conscious as Kagome and Sango tended her wounds. They covered the injured girl almost head to toe in herbal salve and bandages, and then wrapped her in her kimono. They discarded the white yukata, as the parts that weren't half-burned away were torn and bloodied.
Kagome also gave Tama some aspirin and let her sleep. They could only hope she would hold out long enough to get back to Kagetoki's in time to see if the deputy lord knew where Sesshoumaru might be.
It was very late when Kagome got up. Miroku and Sango were sleeping next to each other --the houshi had used the excuse that it was cold and two bodies had more body heat than one body; Kagome rolled her eyes at the memory. Kohaku had both kits in his lap, and the three of them were bundled together underneath a blanket, snoozing away. Tama was closest to the fire, being kept warm.
Kagome had been bundled in her sleeping bag, but no matter how hard she tried, sleep wouldn't come. She felt dirty and bloody and icky, and there were minor wounds of her own that needed tending to that she had thought little enough to worry about later.
They had camped near a small pond, hardly enough to be called such. More along the lines of "wide ditch with rainwater." Kagome looked at the pond, frowning at it helplessly. She wanted to bathe so terribly, but the water went just above her knees; hardly enough to soak in. Besides, it was too cold to soak pleasurably.
*Well, I suppose this is the best I can do for now,* she thought, setting her bag at the edge of the grass. She undressed quickly, wanting to get the bath over and done with, with the same sort of speed. The air was freezing, and the miko could only be grateful it wasn't windy as well.
There was a rustle of leaves high in the treetops, as if a faint wind blew above the canopy. Kagome stiffened, listening carefully. The sound had stopped, and now there was nothing.
She went back to her bath, soaping up her sponge and rubbing gently over her arms. The soap irritated the small burns and Kagome winced, rinsing it off in the frigid water as quickly as she could. Smoothly she ran over her entire body, gratefully accepting the release that came with the bath, no matter how cold it was.
"What are you doing?"
"KYA!!" Kagome squealed in fright at the sudden speech and in one motion, ducked into the shallow water and flung her soapy sponge at the creature, hoping to allay its advance long enough to call for Inuyasha--
--until she realized it WAS Inuyasha.
The hanyou raised his eyebrows at the small wet spot the sponge had caused when it bounced off his chest. Kagome blushed. "Sorry…"
"Why are you out here alone? It's dangerous."
"I had to take a bath, well, what little bath I could... And take care of these burns. They were driving me crazy."
She could hardly see him, they were underneath the trees on a moonless night; the only way she knew he was there at all was by the rustling of grass as he moved towards her. His rough hands fell on her arms and he sounded disappointed as he ran his fingers gently over them. "You got hurt?"
"It's not a big deal, they're don't hurt, really," she replied, lying a little bit. If they hurt bad enough for her to come wandering out here in the pitch dark in a world where monsters were an everyday occurrence, they hurt.
She cursed mentally, knowing Inuyasha knew that. He sounded firm with her. "Liar." He shifted to sit a bit closer, and she could make out his outline in the dark. The pale gray mass that was his hair, a ruddy black that was his clothes. His eyes glowed in the dark, faintly.
He hadn't released her wrist yet, but she felt him rustling around in her medkit. Something cold and gloppy touched her arm and she flinched as Inuyasha began to spread it over the wound. She made a soft pained sound and Inuyasha looked up. "Sorry."
She glanced up at him. Their eyes met for a moment before he turned back to his work. He worked his way up from her wrist, seeking out the wounds by touch and then wrapping them. Once he was finished with that arm, he took the other.
Kagome could very easily have pointed out that she was naked, sitting in waist-deep, freezing water. She could have insisted that she could deal with them herself. But she knew he was feeling bad because he'd allowed Genrou to take her, and that he was angry with himself for not protecting her better. It was the only reason he would be so pushy with her about treating her wounds himself.
Besides, she had never wanted him to be with her as much as she wanted him to be now.
The hanyou released her hand and she pulled away, flexing her fingers and assuring the bandages weren't too tight. She then looked up at him. "Thanks."
"Keh," he muttered, gathering the miscellaneous band-aids and rolls of gauze, stuffing them back into Kagome's kit. "It's the least I can do, considering I'm the fucking idiot who got you hurt in the first place."
"Inuyasha, it wasn't your fault," she protested, and the hanyou slammed the box shut, shifting to his knees to get up. "It is my fault! I wasn't strong enough to keep you away from that bastard, and if you hadn't been taken there you wouldn't have gotten hurt."
Kagome stood up in the water quickly, stepping out of it and going towards him. She rested her hand on his arm and Inuyasha stopped, going rigid. The miko pulled him around to face her, the other hand cupping his cheek. Inuyasha was growling softly, and she knew it was at himself. "You can't blame yourself," she told him in a quiet voice, and he looked up at her.
"The hell I can't. As long as you're with me, no matter how hard I fight or how strong I get, they're always going to go for you. Why the fuck do you even stay with me? It's because you're with me that you get hurt."
"Because I love you, stupid," she told him, gently touching her lips to his. Inuyasha didn't react for a long moment, just stood still and allowed her to kiss him. Then, slowly, his arms wrapped around her and he kissed her back.
Her skin was slick and wet as she moved against him, pressing herself closer as though she weren't close enough to him, even as they moved as one. It was as though he knew what she wanted from him before he did it, where she wanted him to touch her before she even asked.
One hand reached out in the dark behind himself to feel for a place to lean, and slowly he let himself slide down to the ground, drawing Kagome down on top of him. He pulled away to breathe and looked into her eyes, his breath in soft, almost visible pants.
Kagome leaned forward and laid her head on his shoulder, her arms hugging him firmly around the ribs. As familiar and minor the gesture seemed, it meant the world to him. Inuyasha hugged her back, closing his eyes and breathing in the scent of her hair.
She smelled so good, so alive. Her body was unlike the cold dead thing he had embraced weeks ago when they killed Naraku. Unlike the smooth, cold clay of Kikyou, who had disappeared now that he had rejected her.
Why do I get this horrible feeling, like a bitter taste in the back of my mouth, that soon, very soon, the tranquility of this precious moment will be lost to me, replaced by hurt and pain?
Replaced by red, red anger, red grief.
Inuyasha's eyes drooped, he blinked once, twice, and fell asleep, his arms around his sleeping companion.
~*~
"So do you understand the plan?"
The elder miko sat at the altar that was against the back wall of the large fighting arena that was the top level of her shrine. Apprentice mikos were in the middle of the floor, two of them painting ancient youkai spells onto the very wood. Two others were lighting the thousands of candles that lined the walls.
Uramiko looked over Kagura and Kanna, who had been joined by Torou. Kagura shrugged. "Yeah yeah. We swoop down, nab them and head back so you can do your magic… soul-sucking whatever. Let's go already."
"I advise you to be careful, Kagura. Inuyasha is a strong foe. Not so much because of that rusted blade he likes to wave around, but just that he's incredibly persistent."
"Yeah yeah, enough already," the wind sorceress said, waving a hand aggravatedly at her. They went to the enormous bay window in the side wall and Kagura plucked a feather from her short hair, tossing it out the window. The three minions boarded the feather as it grew huge and flew away.
Uramiko watched them recede into the distance quietly. It wouldn't be long now.
Not long at all.
~*~
Kagome opened her eyes to see a sea of white. She blinked a little, confused, before realizing the white was actually Inuyasha's shirt. His haori was wrapped around her shoulders, as were his arms. Moving sluggishly she shifted, glancing up at his sleeping face.
He looked so peaceful, as he had been that first day, pinned against the tree. She took the opportunity to memorize his features, lax and serene, whenever he slept. Even as long as they had been together, it was still something she rarely saw, because he was usually awake before her, having watched over her all night.
She lay her head back against his heart, her body soothed by the gentle rise and fall of his chest, by the steady beat of his heart. Randomly her finger traced over the soft folds of his yukata and she breathed out deeply through her nose, her eyes drooping as she started to be lulled back to sleep--
"Kagome-chan?"
Color flooded the miko's face. Instantly she was awake, the peace of her moment shattered into a thousand million little pieces just at the sound of Sango's voice. Kagome turned, wincing at what she knew she would see.
Behind her was EVERYONE. Even Tama was sitting up on Kirara's back, her amber eyes wide. Miroku was holding the kits together, covering their eyes, and Sango had clapped her own hand over Kohaku's eyes.
Kagome made a startled squeak and turned back, burying her face into Inuyasha's chest. "GUYS~~" she muffle-yelped, which of course woke Inuyasha. The hanyou looked down at her. "What're you--" His eyes trailed up and he too blushed, growling a little.
"What the hell are you guys gawping at?!!!"
The houshi laughed, his mouth opening for some form of lecherous comment, but Inuyasha shook his head, raising his hand and cracking his knuckles. "Don't, bouzu, or I WILL cut you another hole in that hand to replace the one you lost."
The houshi never closed his mouth. "I have business elsewhere," he said.
~*~
The clouds from the previous night had not dissipated; still, they hung ominously over the gumi as they trekked towards Kagetoki's home. In their usual line they tromped back through the thick forest that separated the wolves' den from the inuyoukai den. Tama leaned heavily upon Kirara's back as the big cat carted her about, and Sango, Miroku and Tanpopo stayed behind to keep an eye on the weakened hanyou.
Kagome stuck by Inuyasha as she was prone to do, with Shippou on her shoulder and Kohaku at her side. Both boys had been commissioned to play lookouts, and both were eager to help in whatever way they could. and slowly but surely, they found they way back.
As they were breaking from the forest on the north end, Inuyasha stopped suddenly, looking about warily. Miroku noticed this. "What is it, Inuyasha?"
At the sound of the houshi's voice Kagome, who had walked several paces ahead of Inuyasha, stopped and looked back at him. "Inuyasha?"
"This.. can't be…" he said in disbelief, "There's just no fucking way its…"
Before he had a chance to say anything else, he spun, leaping at Kagome and pushing the miko out of the way just as several blades of what seemed to be wind shot down to the ground, breaking up the solid dirt road.
Sango gasped as Miroku took a stance in front of her protectively, and Kohaku jumped in front of him, his chain-blade held out threateningly. From the sky a large feather lowered to the ground and Torou, Kanna and Kagura stepped down.
The inugumi all gawped, eyes wide with shock. It was like seeing a ghost, the ghost of someone who had never really been your ally, but then, Kagura had never really been the enemy once she turned against Naraku. Especially in her final moments.
Kagome pulled herself up by Inuyasha. "Kagura?!" she interjected, visibly surprised. Inuyasha pulled himself from an attack stance, still holding Tessaiga defensively before him. His eyes never left Kagura's form, nor Kanna's or Torou's flanking the wind-user.
"How?" Sango demanded from somewhere behind him, "She's… You're supposed to be dead!!"
"Lovely to see all of you as well," the wind-user said, "But I'm afraid to say, I have no memory of any of you bastards. I'm just here because I was asked."
At this, all of them were surprised even further. Kagura has only ever wanted to be free; it would take a lot for her to take orders again.
Like amnesia.
Kagura struck out and Inuyasha defected the wind blades without skipping a beat. Instantly Torou rushed in swinging, and the hanyou backed away, slipping an arm around Kagome and leaping back. He dropped next to Miroku and released her.
"Watch her," he told them before running back in. He took the two of them at the same time, Torou and Kagura slipping in and out and back again. Inuyasha was managing not to get hit, but at the same time was not making any damage himself.
Inuyasha swung, Kagura dodged. He twisted the blade towards Torou and he caught the edge of the sword, holding it in place. Inuyasha started, a little surprised at that, and the hesitation was more than enough time. Kagura launched Fuujin no Mai at him.
The inuhanyou tugged Tessaiga away from Torou in time to block most of the wind blades, but one struck his left thigh and another his right arm. Inuyasha cursed, hands tightening on the hilt of his sword as he landed, only to be blindsided by Ryuuja no Mai.
The tornados rushed over and around him, and the hanyou's body was flung into the air. Kagura threw the wind blades his way once more. Realizing that this time he would not be able to dodge, Kagome reached back for her bow and notched an arrow, letting it fly the second she had aim.
The purifying energy around the arrow created a shield, blocking the blades as Kirara flew up and caught the falling hanyou. Torou, still on ground by Kagura, cursed at Kagome. "Bitch, you wanna fight? Let's go."
Kagome notched another arrow, and it struck Torou in the shoulder, and the demon howled. Skin and muscle was burned away and he staggered back. Kagura swept her fan at the miko, and Miroku took a defensive between them, spinning his shakujou and throwing them aside.
The houshi and taijiya rushed their enemies, while the kits went to Kirara as she landed. Shippou hopped up by Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, are you okay??"
"It's not bad," he told the kit, pulling his hand from his arm, which was bleeding. Kagome was suddenly at his side, and she tore off her neckerchief, tying it quickly around the wound. "Why would Kagura attack us… Even an amnesiac Kagura…"
"Maybe it's just the fact she's part Naraku, the bastard…" he told her, and Kagome looked at him accusingly. "Inuyasha, Kagura hated Naraku. She wouldn't do anything she thought he might enjoy."
"Yeah but we've already decided she's forgotten all that bullshit," he interjected, standing up and taking a few steps forward. Miroku and Sango were fighting Kagura and a wounded Torou without any trouble. None at all.
It was almost as if they were just stalling… And then he noticed he couldn't find Kanna.
Inuyasha turned to Kagome, his voice lifted in what might have been a yell to run, a shout for her to escape. He wasn't sure what would come out of his mouth as he turned to her, but as he did, he saw Kanna standing behind the miko and her charcoal eyes centered on his.
The mirror she held flashed once, and Inuyasha's body stiffened. He felt all his strength leave him, as though it were being sucked out of him. Kagome murmured his name, and he heard her cry out as she was thrown aside as though she were a rag doll.
His vision blurred, and just as his legs were about to buckle underneath his own weight, thin arms wrapped around his form. He fell back, and as his eyes closed he looked up, and saw the wrinkled old face of Uramiko.
~*~
Inuyasha spun to face her and for a moment he looked frightened, as if he had realized something important. Kagome watched his eyes travel over her shoulder to someone behind her, and suddenly he stopped, as if all his joints had frozen.
Like a statue he stood, eyes wide, and Kagome raised her eyebrows, confused. "Inuyasha?" Slowly, a dark form took shape behind him and Kagome's mouth dropped open as she recognized the silvery hair and red eyes that blurred into view. Dark-sleeved arms slipped around his body as he fell, and the young girl started forward in fear. "Inuyasha!!"
Uramiko looked up at her fiercely. With the glance alone, an invisible force slammed into the younger miko and she was thrown to the ground. Kagome forced herself up, eyes going back to Inuyasha. The hanyou's eyes stared blankly at the sky, as if in a trance. He didn't struggle, he didn't fight the demon off.
In fact the half-demon didn't move at all, and Kagome realized he couldn't, and that it was up to her to save him. Hoping to stall for a little bit of time, time enough to think of a way out of the mess, Kagome looked up at Uramiko with what she hoped was a fearless glare. "What do you intend to do with him?!!"
The demon smiled. "In order for my master Naraku to rise again, he needs the blood of that man who killed him. Inuyasha is going to do me that favor."
Kagome paled, but knocked herself from the stupor quickly, her hand flying back for an arrow. But in the time it took for her to notch the arrow and take aim, Uramiko --and Inuyasha-- were already gone. Kagome let out a soft squeak of dismay at how swiftly they had disappeared, and she caught her breath. *Inuyasha…!!*
Having witnessed the whole event and realizing their business was finished, Kagura threw out her feather and the three youkai boarded it, taking to the air as suddenly as they had arrived. Miroku and Sango watched them leave, face taut with anger and concern for their kidnapped friend.
Kagome stared blankly at the place Inuyasha had been moments before, as if she could not comprehend the fact that he was gone. It had been that quick; he was there one moment and then he wasn't, and the only thing Kagome could think was, *I couldn't stop her… I couldn't protect him…!*
But instead of falling to her knees, instead of collapsing into a heap, she took a step forward, then another. What would Inuyasha do? Another step. What had Inuyasha done, dozens of times before, and would do again, for her sake? She took another step. Then another and another, faster and faster, until she was in a breath-taking dash for Uramiko's shrine. She could heard the others, Miroku and Sango, behind her, calling her name.
"Kagome-chan!!!"
"Kagome-sama, where are you going?!!"
She didn't even spare the seconds to look back. Her voice was full of confidence. "I'm going to save him!"
~*~ To be continued ~*~
a/n :: Im late beyond late~ Please please please don't hurt me.
~*~ V^-^V ~*~
~Tessen