CHAPTER TWENTY
.
Kagome felt it, since she was still standing with her arms around Inuyasha. She hadn't budged in what felt like hours. He was still shaking, still fighting against the desire to hurt her. But he was still fighting, and Kagome's fear had ebbed away. There was no way she was going to let him deal with all this alone!
And then she felt it.
Her eyes went wide as a strange pulsing seemed to pass through his body. Goosebumps rose on Kagome's skin where she was touching him. "Inuyasha," she whispered. "What's happening....?"
Inuyasha gasped.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome said, hugging him tighter. What was wrong? Was that horrible old woman hurting him again?
Suddenly Inuyasha clutched at her. His long claws dug into her back, making her wince. But what concerned her was the long, painful groan he let out. Kagome held him tightly. Then he suddenly went limp in her arms. Kagome staggered backwards, with Inuyasha draped limply against her. "Inuyasha?" she whispered. "Can you hear me? Inuyasha?"
Somehow she managed to sit down on the ground, and eased Inuyasha down on his back. And then she saw that he was normal again. The lines had vanished from his cheekbones, and there was no reddish glow from his half-closed eyes. Even his claws had shrunk back to normal.
Kagome's face softened. As carefully as she could, she cradled Inuyasha's head and shoulders in her arms.
.
Miroku didn't know what they were going to find, but he was dreading it. He ran alongside Sango through the mist, calling Inuyasha's name. Shippo was tottering after them, wailing, "Kagome! Inuyasha! KAGOME!"
Miroku didn't tell the kitsune that in all likelihood, Kagome was already dead. It weighed on his heart that he had let her go after Inuyasha despite the danger. From the look on Sango's face, he guessed that she felt the same way -- especially since she and Kagome were such friends.
Then Sango pointed. "Over there!"
There was a blotch of red in the middle of the mist. As the three came closer, they saw that it was Inuyasha. But he wasn't on a rampage. Instead he was sprawled on the ground, with his head in Kagome's lap, not moving. Her uniform looked a little tattered, but she wasn't hurt.
"Inuyasha!" Shippo shouted. "Is he dead?"
"No, he's just sleeping," Kagome said quietly. She stroked Inuyasha's hair. "I think all those forced transformations just wore him out. So when he turned back to normal, he just sort of passed out."
Miroku sighed. "That's a relief."
"Kagome," Sango said, kneeling beside her friend. "We thought that Inuyasha had killed you."
"He could have," Kagome said. "But he didn't, no matter how angry he got. "
Inuyasha stirred in his sleep, snuggled against Kagome's elbow.
"If he's exhausted," Miroku said quietly, "maybe we should make camp here, and let him rest."
"Okay. But what happened to the old woman?" Kagome said, stiffening. "We encountered her, and she turned Inuyasha into-"
"She's dead," Sango said. "Miroku sucked her into his wind tunnel. And the curse should be off Inuyasha. He won't transform again."
Relieved, Kagome looked down at Inuyasha's face. He looked peaceful and tired, like a child kept up past its bedtime. "I'll explain what the old woman had against Inuyasha," she said quietly. "It's a pretty strange story."
TO BE CONTINUED
.
Kagome felt it, since she was still standing with her arms around Inuyasha. She hadn't budged in what felt like hours. He was still shaking, still fighting against the desire to hurt her. But he was still fighting, and Kagome's fear had ebbed away. There was no way she was going to let him deal with all this alone!
And then she felt it.
Her eyes went wide as a strange pulsing seemed to pass through his body. Goosebumps rose on Kagome's skin where she was touching him. "Inuyasha," she whispered. "What's happening....?"
Inuyasha gasped.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome said, hugging him tighter. What was wrong? Was that horrible old woman hurting him again?
Suddenly Inuyasha clutched at her. His long claws dug into her back, making her wince. But what concerned her was the long, painful groan he let out. Kagome held him tightly. Then he suddenly went limp in her arms. Kagome staggered backwards, with Inuyasha draped limply against her. "Inuyasha?" she whispered. "Can you hear me? Inuyasha?"
Somehow she managed to sit down on the ground, and eased Inuyasha down on his back. And then she saw that he was normal again. The lines had vanished from his cheekbones, and there was no reddish glow from his half-closed eyes. Even his claws had shrunk back to normal.
Kagome's face softened. As carefully as she could, she cradled Inuyasha's head and shoulders in her arms.
.
Miroku didn't know what they were going to find, but he was dreading it. He ran alongside Sango through the mist, calling Inuyasha's name. Shippo was tottering after them, wailing, "Kagome! Inuyasha! KAGOME!"
Miroku didn't tell the kitsune that in all likelihood, Kagome was already dead. It weighed on his heart that he had let her go after Inuyasha despite the danger. From the look on Sango's face, he guessed that she felt the same way -- especially since she and Kagome were such friends.
Then Sango pointed. "Over there!"
There was a blotch of red in the middle of the mist. As the three came closer, they saw that it was Inuyasha. But he wasn't on a rampage. Instead he was sprawled on the ground, with his head in Kagome's lap, not moving. Her uniform looked a little tattered, but she wasn't hurt.
"Inuyasha!" Shippo shouted. "Is he dead?"
"No, he's just sleeping," Kagome said quietly. She stroked Inuyasha's hair. "I think all those forced transformations just wore him out. So when he turned back to normal, he just sort of passed out."
Miroku sighed. "That's a relief."
"Kagome," Sango said, kneeling beside her friend. "We thought that Inuyasha had killed you."
"He could have," Kagome said. "But he didn't, no matter how angry he got. "
Inuyasha stirred in his sleep, snuggled against Kagome's elbow.
"If he's exhausted," Miroku said quietly, "maybe we should make camp here, and let him rest."
"Okay. But what happened to the old woman?" Kagome said, stiffening. "We encountered her, and she turned Inuyasha into-"
"She's dead," Sango said. "Miroku sucked her into his wind tunnel. And the curse should be off Inuyasha. He won't transform again."
Relieved, Kagome looked down at Inuyasha's face. He looked peaceful and tired, like a child kept up past its bedtime. "I'll explain what the old woman had against Inuyasha," she said quietly. "It's a pretty strange story."
TO BE CONTINUED