QoH: Lookit! Another chappie! ^_^ *ducks heavy objects such as bowling balls, bricks, and the occasional cement block* What?! *earns herself flaming glares* -_-' Oh, yeah… The cliffhanger I left ya with last time… I dunno why I do those things… *shrugs* I'm sorry about the late update…. o_O My life's kinda crazy right now. 4 1 thing, I got a new job (go me! lol) and that takes up a good share of my day……

Chapter 7: To Defend It All

                Inu-Yasha was flying. That was the sensation he had, at least. He opened his eyes and looked around, somewhat surprised to see himself surrounded by low-lying clouds. How'd I get here? he wondered, confused for a moment in his memory lapse. He looked down at himself, hoping to find a clue as to what he was doing there. To his astonishment, he found he wasn't exactly "all there," so to speak. What the heck?! I'm see-through! That was when he remembered what had just transpired, and the full realization hit him.

                No! I am not dead! his eyes widened in panic, I can't be! Not yet! Kagome and the others are still in danger! He forced his astral self to go horizontal and squinted, hoping to see what was going on below him.

                The snake was still where he'd landed when Inu-Yasha had broken off his fang, recuperating more from the shock of it than anything, most likely. The prisoners were straggling back to the scene, now that it had calmed down, of a sort. They all stared at their former "master," then at his friends.

                My friends… He forced himself to look at them as they crowded around his inert form. He saw Sango crying, her face pressed tightly into Miroku's shoulder, with Kirara mewing pitifully on hers. Miroku, himself, had his stricken face turned away in grief. His eyes were squeezed shut as he held the demon huntress desperately, as though afraid he'd lose her, too. Even Shippou was sorrowful. Tears coursed down his little cheeks as he tried hopelessly to comfort his surrogate mother. He, at last, got up the courage to look at the girl who'd come to mean everything to him. What he saw broke his heart, more than he'd ever thought was possible.

                Kagome was collapsed over his body, sobbing and screaming for all she was worth for him to come back as she clutched at his clothing. Oblivious to everything around her, she was completely lost in her frantic attempts to call him back from the beyond. Invisible tears fell freely from his own eyes as he watched her. Oh, my angel… My poor, sweet Kagome… I wish…

~I know now, just quite how
  my life and love might still go on.~

                He didn't have time to finish that wish, because Jashin-Jadoku was now recovered, and moving stealthily toward the unsuspecting group. How can I warn them?! An idea hit him over the head then, as if it should've been obvious from the beginning. Well, why not? Inu-Yasha thought as he tried willing himself down to the clearing, I can't get any worse off, and I might be able to help. Now, if only I can get there in time…

****

                "Inu-Yasha!" Kagome wailed for the millionth time, her throat getting hoarse from the exertion, but she didn't care. If there was the slightest chance she could bring him back through her (admittedly amateur) miko powers, she had to take it. The only problem was, she didn't know how, or if it was even possible.

                "Kagome…" the barest whisper of breath fanned against her ear. She raised her head hopefully from the crook of Inu-Yasha's neck to look into his pain-filled eyes, "Kagome… look… out…"

                She had no idea what he was talking about for a second, and Inu-Yasha saw this in her eyes, so he tried again, "Snake…"

                Kagome's gaze flicked to the approaching enemy, then back to him, "I don't care!"

                "You have… to get… away…" Inu-Yasha's face screwed up as he sought to regain his feet.

                "No!" Kagome cried, trying to get him to lie still.

                "How touching," hissed a cold, sibilant voice high above them, "Frankly, I'm quite amazed you're not already in the spirit world by now. How ever did you manage to survive that last attack?"

                Inu-Yasha closed his eyes, gathering his remaining strength. Then he stood, pulling out the fang as he did so, scowling up at the evil demon, "You'll find that it'll take a lot more than merely being skewered for me to keel over, you sorry excuse for a reptile. I've had worse injuries, yet you see me standing here, don't you?" He glanced at everyone behind him, who all seemed to be wearing an identical expression of utter shock.

                "Well, well…" Jashin-Jadoku smirked, amusement glittering in his eyes, like he knew something no one else did, "Ready to go another round, then? I doubt you'll last long, however. You're much weaker than you let on, I can tell. It won't take much effort on my part at all to kill you for good this time. And after that, I'll have the pleasure of killing all of your little friends."

                "Feh. Like I'll let you." Inu-Yasha rolled his eyes and picked up Tetsusaiga. As he began what he knew to be his final charge, time did that weird little slow-motion thing again, his friends' supportive voices ringing in his ears.

                "Come on, Inu-Yasha!" Shippou hollered, punching the air with his fist, "Just kick that scrawny garter snake's butt!"

                "You can do it!" called Miroku, his hand ready on the rosary over the Air-Rip, just in case.

                "Show him what a true demon can do!" Sango yelled from her position on a transformed Kirara, who put in her own resounding roar of encouragement. Even the freed prisoners cheered for him as they stood behind their rescuers.

                Somehow, though, above all the rest, Kagome's whispered, "I love you, Inu-Yasha…" thundered through his ears to his heart.

                As he ran toward his target, he closed his eyes for a moment as tears slipped out again. I never wanted it like this. Forgive me, Kagome… He gritted his teeth and launched himself into the air. Drawing level with Jashin-Jadoku's head, he swung back Tetsusaiga, the sword his father had forged to protect his mother all those years ago, now remade with his own fang and used to defend everything.


 ~In your heart and your mind,
  I'll stay with you for all of time!~

QoH: o_O Oooh, I'm soooo evil! Please review! *goes 2 roast herself over a barbeque 4 doin this 1* _ owww…..