CHAPTER FOUR
*
"Kagome!" Sango shouted.
"KAGOOOOMMEEEEEE!" Shippo echoed.
"It's no use," Miroku said darkly. "Even if Kagome is unharmed, I doubt Inuyasha will simply let her walk away... or cry out."
"What does he want with her?" Shippo cried, hopping onto Miroku's shoulder. "I mean, he can't be planning to eat her, can he? He wouldn't do that, would he?"
"Only Inuyasha knows what he intends for Kagome," Miroku said vaguely, avoiding the question. He didn't want to contemplate what the full-demon probably had in store for the near-helpless girl from the future. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. Inuyasha had done nothing but destroy as a full demon, one of the reasons why he was so determined to keep his blood sealed.
"And unfortunately we don't know what that is," Sango said grimly.
"But he wouldn't hurt Kagome!" Shippo said. "He's always trying to save her. So why would he hurt her?"
"Remember that Inuyasha is not in his right mind," Miroku reminded him. "In many ways, he is not even himself any longer. He does things as a full demon that he would never do normally. And... remember that he once warned Kagome that while a full demon, he might harm her."
"Almost as important," Sango added, "we need to find out what has caused this transformation. Inuyasha still had Tetsusaiga when he transformed, so he should have remained only half-demon."
"You're right," Miroku said. He glanced up at the misty cliffs and swaying trees. "There's something about this place, I think. Something that caused Inuyasha to feel strange when we arrived, and then made his demon blood go wild and overwhelm his half-human heart."
"But what about Kagome?" Shippo said. "We just can't sit here and let Inuyasha hurt her! We gotta find her!"
"We will find her," Miroku promised. I just hope that what we find is not too terrible, he added inside his head.
*
Okay, Kagome thought, trying to stay calm. Inuyasha has turned into a demon for no good reason... he kidnapped me and took me to this damp smelly little cave... and now he's sitting between me and the only way out, and I don't know what he's going to do to me...
She crept back a little. Inuyasha was crouching at the mouth of the cave, with his clawed fingers splayed on the floor. He was watching her intently. "Um... Inuyasha," Kagome said in a small voice. "Um... can I... could I get out?"
For a moment she was afraid that he was going to kill her right there and then. When he was like this, Inuyasha could attack anyone without a moment's hesitation, and kill them just as fast. And there wasn't any other reason for him to drag her up a mountainside against her will.
Kagome felt a warm trickle on her cheek. She wiped it away absently, and the motion made Inuyasha stare at her. "I-I guess I scraped it when I was coming in," she stammered.
Inuyasha growled again. He could speak as a full-demon, but for some reason he had kept quiet except for that growl the whole time.
Kagome huddled against the wall, trying to make herself as small and unobtrusive as possible. This is really freaking me out, she thought. I could try to "sit" him, but... since he turned into a demon for no good reason, it might just make him mad at me rather than turning him back to normal again.
Suddenly she felt his eyes staring at her again. Not the way he had been watching her before -- more intently now. He sniffed the air, and his red eyes narrowed. He began to creep toward her on his hands and knees, since he was too tall to stand up in the cramped cave. Kagome inched back, getting more nervous at the intent look on his face. "Inu... yasha... what is it?" she whispered.
The savage demon stopped just in front of her, staring at her face.
Kagome backed away. Her stomach was flipflopping madly. Suddenly Inuyasha's taloned hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, squeezing it to hard. Kagome cried out and tried to kick his arm away, but his other hand was suddenly on her shoulder. He pushed her roughly down onto the ground, his demon strength pinning her to the cold rock floor. She couldn't move her arms, and he was pressing one of his knees on her legs to keep her from kicking him again. His face was only a few inches from hers, and his body was keeping her pinned and helpless. He was strong enough as a half-demon, but as a full-demon she couldn't even start to fight him off...
Kagome was too terrified to make a sound. What was he trying to do to her?
TO BE CONTINUED
*
"Kagome!" Sango shouted.
"KAGOOOOMMEEEEEE!" Shippo echoed.
"It's no use," Miroku said darkly. "Even if Kagome is unharmed, I doubt Inuyasha will simply let her walk away... or cry out."
"What does he want with her?" Shippo cried, hopping onto Miroku's shoulder. "I mean, he can't be planning to eat her, can he? He wouldn't do that, would he?"
"Only Inuyasha knows what he intends for Kagome," Miroku said vaguely, avoiding the question. He didn't want to contemplate what the full-demon probably had in store for the near-helpless girl from the future. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. Inuyasha had done nothing but destroy as a full demon, one of the reasons why he was so determined to keep his blood sealed.
"And unfortunately we don't know what that is," Sango said grimly.
"But he wouldn't hurt Kagome!" Shippo said. "He's always trying to save her. So why would he hurt her?"
"Remember that Inuyasha is not in his right mind," Miroku reminded him. "In many ways, he is not even himself any longer. He does things as a full demon that he would never do normally. And... remember that he once warned Kagome that while a full demon, he might harm her."
"Almost as important," Sango added, "we need to find out what has caused this transformation. Inuyasha still had Tetsusaiga when he transformed, so he should have remained only half-demon."
"You're right," Miroku said. He glanced up at the misty cliffs and swaying trees. "There's something about this place, I think. Something that caused Inuyasha to feel strange when we arrived, and then made his demon blood go wild and overwhelm his half-human heart."
"But what about Kagome?" Shippo said. "We just can't sit here and let Inuyasha hurt her! We gotta find her!"
"We will find her," Miroku promised. I just hope that what we find is not too terrible, he added inside his head.
*
Okay, Kagome thought, trying to stay calm. Inuyasha has turned into a demon for no good reason... he kidnapped me and took me to this damp smelly little cave... and now he's sitting between me and the only way out, and I don't know what he's going to do to me...
She crept back a little. Inuyasha was crouching at the mouth of the cave, with his clawed fingers splayed on the floor. He was watching her intently. "Um... Inuyasha," Kagome said in a small voice. "Um... can I... could I get out?"
For a moment she was afraid that he was going to kill her right there and then. When he was like this, Inuyasha could attack anyone without a moment's hesitation, and kill them just as fast. And there wasn't any other reason for him to drag her up a mountainside against her will.
Kagome felt a warm trickle on her cheek. She wiped it away absently, and the motion made Inuyasha stare at her. "I-I guess I scraped it when I was coming in," she stammered.
Inuyasha growled again. He could speak as a full-demon, but for some reason he had kept quiet except for that growl the whole time.
Kagome huddled against the wall, trying to make herself as small and unobtrusive as possible. This is really freaking me out, she thought. I could try to "sit" him, but... since he turned into a demon for no good reason, it might just make him mad at me rather than turning him back to normal again.
Suddenly she felt his eyes staring at her again. Not the way he had been watching her before -- more intently now. He sniffed the air, and his red eyes narrowed. He began to creep toward her on his hands and knees, since he was too tall to stand up in the cramped cave. Kagome inched back, getting more nervous at the intent look on his face. "Inu... yasha... what is it?" she whispered.
The savage demon stopped just in front of her, staring at her face.
Kagome backed away. Her stomach was flipflopping madly. Suddenly Inuyasha's taloned hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, squeezing it to hard. Kagome cried out and tried to kick his arm away, but his other hand was suddenly on her shoulder. He pushed her roughly down onto the ground, his demon strength pinning her to the cold rock floor. She couldn't move her arms, and he was pressing one of his knees on her legs to keep her from kicking him again. His face was only a few inches from hers, and his body was keeping her pinned and helpless. He was strong enough as a half-demon, but as a full-demon she couldn't even start to fight him off...
Kagome was too terrified to make a sound. What was he trying to do to her?
TO BE CONTINUED