Hello again...next, uh, two chapters...only two? Gasp! I'm slipping! Must write more...
Promises
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"Where are we?"
"Close."
"It's that way," Kagome pointed to the left.
Hiei blinked at her. "The lake is that way," he pointed to a path that led to the right.
"But the demons aren't at the lake. They're over there."
"Idiot. Why would water dragon demons be in the woods?"
Kagome stared at him. "I don't know.. Let's go ask them." she promptly took the left path.
Hiei clenched his jaw and glared at Kurama. "You let her come. You talk sense into her."
"She may be right."
"Hn. If we can't trace their energy, I doubt she can either," Hiei answered.
"Kagome!" Kurama called out to her. She paused and let them catch up. "What makes you think they are this way? Can you sense them?"
"No."
"Hn," Hiei snorted.
"But there are birds and squirrels and things over there. Over here, there is nothing. Koenma said everything was dead, so..."
"You're following the empty places."
"Yeah. Something like that." she pushed a branch out of her way. "I wonder why they got so violent."
"Kagome, when we get there, I want you to stay out of the way."
"I can fight!" she protested.
"The fox is right," Hiei agreed. "This is different. The male won't be able to do anything but fight. It won't feel pain. It won't recognize danger. It won't spare you."
Kagome sighed, "It's like when Inuyasha's blood was too strong for his body, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"I'll stay back."
"Thank you," Kurama touched her arm gently.
"But I can still shoot my arrows at it. I don't have to be close to help."
Kurama dropped his head, trying to keep his patience. He didn't want her anywhere near danger. He wanted her safe and he wanted her to be there for him when he was finished fighting. He need her to be there when he needed her near, which he had to admit was becoming more and more frequent. He also didn't want her out of his sight, which was the only reason he had allowed her to come in the first place. He need to protect her from danger, to keep her safe, and free from any harm. It was a confusing tangle of conflicting needs that drove him when he was with her.
With her...that just sounds so right. I can't lose you now...not when I've never even told you yet that I want you to stay with me. I want to tell you...
He brought his other hand up to her other shoulder and leaned in until he was resting his forehead on hers. "Kagome..."
"Y-yes?"
"Please, stay out of the fight. Please?"
"But I-"
"Please?"
Kagome peeked up at him through long lashes. "I-" his eyes were vivid liquid jewels. She swallowed shortly, "Okay. I'll stay back." She couldn't deny him.
"Thank you."
"Hn."
Kurama released her slowly and followed the path to the left. Kagome stood where he had left her, pale and sad. Hiei stopped beside her, concerned but not showing it. Her aura had shifted so suddenly and grew darker and heavier around her, he was surprised to see her attempt to smile at him at all . She raised her blue eyes to his red ones.
"I'm not useless."
"I know."
"I...I could have helped. I could have..." Kagome turned away from Hiei and stumbled along the path that led in the other direction from the one Kurama had taken.
"Kagome," Hiei's deep voice cut through her thoughts. "He didn't mean-"
"I know what he meant." Kagome said sharply. "Just like Inuyasha. Only Kurama is more polite," she sucked in a soft sob and took a trail farther to the right. "Don't worry. I'll stay out of your way, Hiei."
"Kagome, it's not-"
"Forget it." she cut him off again. She didn't want for him to see her cry so she increased her pace. "If you don't hurry, Kurama will be fighting alone. I know how weak I am. I've heard it all before, so spare me the lecture," she walked away, refusing to all out run.
Hiei glanced at her retreating back. "No, you don't understand," he said softly. You are one of the strongest people I know. That stupid fox just doesn't know how to tell you how important you've become...to all of us. Hiei knew that she hadn't heard him, but she was right. His place was with Kurama at the moment. He was a warrior and there was a battle to win.
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"I'm not a fighter!" Boton screamed and ran away from the blue oni as fast as she could. "Fight him!" she yelled pointing at Inuyasha's battle ready figure.
He twitched his ears at her in disbelief. The woman had no shame. "Don't worry Boton. I'll protect you." I gotta quit saying that. It's brought nothing but trouble. But...she may actually let me...
Kagome and Kikyo were both too strong willed to believe he meant it when he promised to save them from harm. They tended to cause more trouble then they avoided. Boton seemed perfectly willing to rely on his strength. And he realized how much that meant to him. Inuyasha needed to be needed. His biggest strength was his determination to protect those he cared about. Kagome and Kikyo were both too powerful in their own way to truly need him. They were as determined to stand on their own two feet as he was to help them. They both gave and took away his purpose when any battle began. Boton was...different. She did need his strength.
The oni grunted and resumed his clumsy chase of the blue haired girl in the pink kimono.
"Over here, Stupid! Your fight is with me!" Inuyasha yelled. The oni roared and turned toward him, but unfortunately, so did Boton.
"Help!" she shouted.
Inuyasha watched as a tree crashed down dangerously close to the girl and felt his insides burning with a new strength. He growled and leapt up toward the monster. "I won't forgive you!" he shouted and swung his sword over his head. "Boton, get out of the way!"
"Yes!" she ran on, hiding herself behind a large boulder. As soon as she was out of danger, Inuyasha prepared to use the wound of the wind. The oni, losing sight of its prey, faced the hanyou and swung a massive fist.
Inuyasha easily dodged this and waited for his youki to crash into the oni's. There it was. "Kazi no Kizu!"
The monster was ripped into shreds, spaying bits of gore and flesh over the forest. A silence replaced the angry roar of the monster and Boton peaked out.
Inuyasha stood there, sword slung over one shoulder casually. The sun sparkled on his pale hair and haloed his features.
"Keh! Pathetic creature."
"Thank you!" she ran up to him and hugged him. "Thank you! You are so strong! You defeated him so easily!" she gushed.
"Uh...Feh! He was nothing. I've fought much stronger monsters then that." he blushed. But none with so satisfying a result...
"Still, I would not have been able to beat him. Thank you!" she repeated and tightened her arms around his waist once before letting go.
"It was nothing," he grumbled, insisting. In truth, he felt like he was on top of the world!
"Oh, now, don't give the girl the wrong idea," a new voice interrupted them. "Inuyasha always liked to play the hero."
Boton's eyes widened when she saw the speaker. Inuyasha tensed and forgot his earlier elation. "Kikyo," he greeted in an empty voice. "I've been looking for you."
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"Urameshi! I can't hit a girl!" Kuwabara stiffened.
"Then kick them instead."
The blond launched herself at them, screaming in a high pitched voice. "Chauvinistic Pig!" she screeched.
"Huh?"
"Save it, Yuki," The red head sneered. "He's obviously too stupid to understand such big words."
"Hey!"
"Arrggh!" she reached up to pull the big oaf's hair. "I'll kill you!"
"Not like that, you won't," Yusuke laughed.
"Beast!" the green haired woman snarled. The other three quickly surrounded him. Yusuke looked on, amused.
"What are you gonna do now? Scratch me?" he taunted.
The brunette hissed at him. "Exactly."
The three woman, eyes glowing red, merged together into one. Yusuke blinked and lost his smile. The creature in front of him was both big and entirely ugly. It was also very lopsided.
One arm and leg were about half the size of the other and it's neck muscles were strangely inferior in strength on one side giving the monster a comical inquisitive look.
"Yuki!" it snarled. The blond let go of Kuwabara's hair and joined her sisters. She merged into them, straightening the demon out. It was still ugly, just not as deformed looking now.
"Huh. Neat trick." Yusuke narrowed his eyes. In the back of his mind, he couldn't help but wonder what it would look like if Hiei, Kurama, Kuwabara and himself merged like that...then he shook himself, shuddering at the picture that implanted in his mind.
That he wasn't paying attention was obvious to the demoness...or demonesses...and was beginning to infuriate them farther. It lifted it's massive hands, displaying razor sharp claws and gave a rather toothy grin. "Now I'll have you!"
"Sorry. I'm taken." Yusuke pointed a finger distractedly at the charging demon. "Spirit gun."
"Urameshi! How could you?! They were just girls!"
"You and your stupid honor code. Didn't you see that thing?"
"...ahhh..."
"Never mind. That was too easy. Why can't something some thing strong ever get through the barrier?"
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"Ahhh! Yusuke watch what you say!" Koenma pulled his pacifier out long enough to yell at his screen in his office.
"I don't think he can hear you."
"I know that!" Koenma pouted.
"Then why-"
"Because it makes me feel better, ogre!"
"Yes, sir."
This just keeps getting worse and worse. How do I fix something when no one knows how it works to begin with? Koenma dropped his head to his desk. He pressed his face down on a pile of papers and his forgotten stamp pad. Why can't we find any record about the making of the barrier? What is it? Where did it come from? There is nothing...nothing about it at all except the consequences of it's appearance.
"Is it really so bad, Koenma-sir?" George asked.
"Yeah, George. It is," he told the desk intimately. "Even Dad is worried."
"King Enma?!" The blue ogre jumped back in fear.
"No, my other father." Koenma looked up and glared. "Of course King Enma!"
"Ah, yes sir!"
A quick knock on the door announced the arrival of more paper work. Koenma sighed and resumed his official stamping. Things still had to get done or he'd just be adding to the problem.
Stamp.
Stamp.
Stamp.
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Kagome followed a narrow deer trail up a steep incline, continuously walking away from a battle she had promised not to join. It opened up on a rocky outcrop overlooking the lack.
Kagome sighed, sat near the ledge, and hugged her knees to her chest. Alone now, she felt the warm trickle of tears over her cheeks.
The sun reflected on the little waves in the water, dancing beams across the surface. The wind blew gently in the large trees clothed in green leaves. Wild flowers sprung between every crack in the rocky ground, gracing the other wise barren ground. But, Kagome didn't seem to see them.
She was watching a small spot of shore at a small inlet that curved inland. There, a red and a black speck of color were darting in and around the visible figure of a silverish dragon. From where Kagome sat, the figures were so distant they lost all detail and became like that of a half-remembered dream.
That's all it was from the start anyway...a dream. Kagome buried her head in her arms, and sobbed aloud. Her now useless bow and arrows sat forgotten beside her. It seems, when you are told something often enough, you begin to believe it...
She looked like a beautiful picture of a broken warrior..sad and alone. A weapon she had promised not to use and a broken spirit her only companions in a world turned against her.