CHAPTER FOURTEEN
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Shippo found Sango's weapon, sunk in the mud near the mountain. Miroku helped her lift it out and wipe it down; the last thing they needed was for Sango to get gobs of mud in her face during a battle.
As he rubbed off the last streaks of filth, Sango glanced over her shoulder. "Miroku... do you think... Kagome will be all right if she finds Inuyasha?" she said.
"Well, she did say he had returned to normal," Miroku said reluctantly. "I wish she hadn't left alone, but all the same, I know she would never leave Inuyasha alone during a crisis."
Sango hesitated before asking, "If you were in her place... if you had to put yourself in danger to make sure that someone you... cared about wasn't alone... do you think you would do the same?"
Miroku avoided her eyes. "Er, why do you ask?"
"Hey, Miroku!" Shippo interjected, jumping on the edge of Sango's boomerang. "I think I just saw a shadow going through the clouds."
Miroku put Sango's question out of his mind as the three of them ran through the mist, with Kirara in a makeshift sling on Sango's back. Now wasn't the time. Now was the time to pursue that crone, and somehow break whatever spell was on Inuyasha. The problem was, Miroku wasn't sure how to do it. The old woman was clearly very powerful, and Miroku didn't know exactly how she had roused Inuyasha's demon nature, despite the Tetsusaiga's powerful influence.
It may harm him even more than we thought, if she keeps forcing him to transform, Miroku thought. Weaken him, at the very least. To overcome a powerful spell like the one on the Tetsusaiga... well, it can't be easy on him.
"You're awfully quiet, Miroku," Shippo said.
"I was just thinking," Miroku said. "Sango, how is Kirara's leg?"
Sango glanced down at the little fire-cat. "She still can't walk on it. I don't think she'll be able to for at least a few days."
"I thought not. Shippo, could you fly overhead and look for some of those flying demons?"
"You think they'll lead us to the old lady?" Shippo asked.
"It certainly seems that she commands them. But be very careful." Miroku watched as Shippo vanished, leaving a walleyed pink bubble in his place. The bubble floated over their heads and into the mist.
As Miroku and Sango continued running, Sango turned to him and asked, "What do you think Kagome is doing now?"
"Hopefully she's with Inuyasha," Miroku puffed, hurdling a fallen tree, with the slayer right behind him. "That is, if he's normal again."
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Dammit, Inuyasha thought, wrapping his arms around himself. He had barely spoken to Kagome since she had found him. He couldn't -- what could he say? He didn't admit fear very often, let alone the horrible, doomed kind that was filling his soul. Besides, even if he admitted it, it wasn't like he could really show it. What could he do? Blubber into her shoulder? No way.
I have to keep strong in this, Inuyasha thought, gritting his teeth. I can't lose to my demon half. If I do... no, I won't lose. I can't. If I do, Kagome will...
He stole a glance at her. She was crouched down on a little tree stump, staring off into the mists and fingering her bow. At least if worst comes to worst, he thought, she could kill me with that. Even as a full demon, a sacred arrow would stop me...
Kagome caught his gaze. "Why are you sulking so much?" she asked.
"I ain't sulking."
"Yes you are. You haven't said a word to me in two hours." Kagome stood up. For a moment, Inuyasha thought she was going to leave -- but she was just wiping a smear of dirt on her short skirt. "Ever since I got here, you've been acting all weird. I know that you must be--"
"Don't you get it?" Inuyasha suddenly burst out. "I didn't want you with me! I wanted you to stay away from me, and I wish you would go NOW!"
Kagome drew back, looking as if she had been slapped.
Then she suddenly turned away. Inuyasha couldn't see her face, but somehow he knew that tears were rising in her eyes. He put a hand toward her shoulder. "Kagome... wait... I didn't... mean it like that," he said haltingly. "It's not that I... don't want you with me. I just HATE having you see me like this."
Kagome slowly turned around. Inuyasha's teeth were gritted, and he was clenching his fists. "Like what?" she asked in a small voice.
"Turning into a full demon. I hate having you see me when I'm out of control... and I hate having you be in danger because I can't stop myself. That why I don't want you near me," Inuyasha mumbled. "If you're somewhere else, I know you're safe from me."
Kagome's eyes softened. "Inuyasha, it's okay," she said quietly. "I was with you before, remember?"
"Not really," Inuyasha mumbled. "I don't remember any of it. That's why I was freakin' out when I woke up."
"The thing is," Kagome continued, "you didn't hurt me at all during that time."
Inuyasha flinched. "Yeah, but next time there's no guarantee. It gets worse every single time."
He fell silent, hunching over as if he wanted to curl up and disappear. Kagome wanted to hug him, but knew that right now he didn't want anyone to come close... even if it was to comfort him. Don't you see, Inuyasha? she thought. You didn't hurt me before, and I don't believe you'll hurt me if you transform again. I'll take that risk... just so you won't be by yourself and afraid.
Suddenly Inuyasha stiffened. "I smell her," he whispered. "The crone."
TO BE CONTINUED
.
Shippo found Sango's weapon, sunk in the mud near the mountain. Miroku helped her lift it out and wipe it down; the last thing they needed was for Sango to get gobs of mud in her face during a battle.
As he rubbed off the last streaks of filth, Sango glanced over her shoulder. "Miroku... do you think... Kagome will be all right if she finds Inuyasha?" she said.
"Well, she did say he had returned to normal," Miroku said reluctantly. "I wish she hadn't left alone, but all the same, I know she would never leave Inuyasha alone during a crisis."
Sango hesitated before asking, "If you were in her place... if you had to put yourself in danger to make sure that someone you... cared about wasn't alone... do you think you would do the same?"
Miroku avoided her eyes. "Er, why do you ask?"
"Hey, Miroku!" Shippo interjected, jumping on the edge of Sango's boomerang. "I think I just saw a shadow going through the clouds."
Miroku put Sango's question out of his mind as the three of them ran through the mist, with Kirara in a makeshift sling on Sango's back. Now wasn't the time. Now was the time to pursue that crone, and somehow break whatever spell was on Inuyasha. The problem was, Miroku wasn't sure how to do it. The old woman was clearly very powerful, and Miroku didn't know exactly how she had roused Inuyasha's demon nature, despite the Tetsusaiga's powerful influence.
It may harm him even more than we thought, if she keeps forcing him to transform, Miroku thought. Weaken him, at the very least. To overcome a powerful spell like the one on the Tetsusaiga... well, it can't be easy on him.
"You're awfully quiet, Miroku," Shippo said.
"I was just thinking," Miroku said. "Sango, how is Kirara's leg?"
Sango glanced down at the little fire-cat. "She still can't walk on it. I don't think she'll be able to for at least a few days."
"I thought not. Shippo, could you fly overhead and look for some of those flying demons?"
"You think they'll lead us to the old lady?" Shippo asked.
"It certainly seems that she commands them. But be very careful." Miroku watched as Shippo vanished, leaving a walleyed pink bubble in his place. The bubble floated over their heads and into the mist.
As Miroku and Sango continued running, Sango turned to him and asked, "What do you think Kagome is doing now?"
"Hopefully she's with Inuyasha," Miroku puffed, hurdling a fallen tree, with the slayer right behind him. "That is, if he's normal again."
.
Dammit, Inuyasha thought, wrapping his arms around himself. He had barely spoken to Kagome since she had found him. He couldn't -- what could he say? He didn't admit fear very often, let alone the horrible, doomed kind that was filling his soul. Besides, even if he admitted it, it wasn't like he could really show it. What could he do? Blubber into her shoulder? No way.
I have to keep strong in this, Inuyasha thought, gritting his teeth. I can't lose to my demon half. If I do... no, I won't lose. I can't. If I do, Kagome will...
He stole a glance at her. She was crouched down on a little tree stump, staring off into the mists and fingering her bow. At least if worst comes to worst, he thought, she could kill me with that. Even as a full demon, a sacred arrow would stop me...
Kagome caught his gaze. "Why are you sulking so much?" she asked.
"I ain't sulking."
"Yes you are. You haven't said a word to me in two hours." Kagome stood up. For a moment, Inuyasha thought she was going to leave -- but she was just wiping a smear of dirt on her short skirt. "Ever since I got here, you've been acting all weird. I know that you must be--"
"Don't you get it?" Inuyasha suddenly burst out. "I didn't want you with me! I wanted you to stay away from me, and I wish you would go NOW!"
Kagome drew back, looking as if she had been slapped.
Then she suddenly turned away. Inuyasha couldn't see her face, but somehow he knew that tears were rising in her eyes. He put a hand toward her shoulder. "Kagome... wait... I didn't... mean it like that," he said haltingly. "It's not that I... don't want you with me. I just HATE having you see me like this."
Kagome slowly turned around. Inuyasha's teeth were gritted, and he was clenching his fists. "Like what?" she asked in a small voice.
"Turning into a full demon. I hate having you see me when I'm out of control... and I hate having you be in danger because I can't stop myself. That why I don't want you near me," Inuyasha mumbled. "If you're somewhere else, I know you're safe from me."
Kagome's eyes softened. "Inuyasha, it's okay," she said quietly. "I was with you before, remember?"
"Not really," Inuyasha mumbled. "I don't remember any of it. That's why I was freakin' out when I woke up."
"The thing is," Kagome continued, "you didn't hurt me at all during that time."
Inuyasha flinched. "Yeah, but next time there's no guarantee. It gets worse every single time."
He fell silent, hunching over as if he wanted to curl up and disappear. Kagome wanted to hug him, but knew that right now he didn't want anyone to come close... even if it was to comfort him. Don't you see, Inuyasha? she thought. You didn't hurt me before, and I don't believe you'll hurt me if you transform again. I'll take that risk... just so you won't be by yourself and afraid.
Suddenly Inuyasha stiffened. "I smell her," he whispered. "The crone."
TO BE CONTINUED