Hey again. I've been feeling rotten about these tiny chapters I've been putting up recently, and about the cliffhangers, so I'll kill two birds with one stone. MEGA-MONDO chapter here, over 10 pages long! Easily my longest chappy EVER! And for once, it DOESN'T END ON A CLIFFHANGER! Yay, yay, STORY!
Chapter 28: The Solution To All Problems
The General was staring at his sword. Kagome was helping Tobias walk through the forest.
"Perfect," he said tonelessly. "Tobias can barely move. He will be nothing once the demons come back. And when they do..."
"Then what?" Naraku appeared in the doorway. In one swift movement, the General sheathed his sword, spun so he was facing the door, and sank to one knee.
"My liege," he said. "I did not notice you coming. I-" Naraku broke him off.
"I was walking down the corridor, when I saw you looking at your sword for some reason. I seem to have seen an image reflected in its blade that was not this room."
"My liege...surely you know I would not hide anything from you. If I had any other abilities, you would have known about them already."
"Draw your sword," Naraku commanded. The General did as he was told. "Now give it to me. We'll see for certain about that sword." The General did not move. "Well? Give it to me!"
"I request that you not ask me to surrender my sword...I do not feel entirely comfortable without it." The General was impassive, but Naraku narrowed his eyes.
"So, hiding something from me, then?"
"No, my liege. I would never-" In that instant, Naraku lunged for the hilt of the General's sword, aiming to yank it right out of his hand.
Naraku was fast. The General was faster.
Before Naraku was halfway there, the General leaped backwards across the room. Restraining the instinct to strike out at Naraku, the General whipped his sword out of the demon's reach. He landed in the far corner of the room and resumed his kneeling. Naraku was in awe. How could anyone move that fast?
"I beg of you, my liege, I must be in possession of this sword at all times. You may examine it, but I must keep it in my grasp." Naraku snorted in derision.
"Very well. Show it to me, then." The General walked back across the room and held the blade up so Naraku could see it. The only image in the blade was that of Naraku's reflection. Naraku glared at the finely polished surface, then batted it away and stormed out.
"That was far too close," muttered the General to himself as he heard Naraku leave. "I should think it wise to not use that ability until I am free of that wretched hanyou."
"Water!" Kagome exclaimed.
"What?" said Tobias faintly.
"You know...like when someone is being chased by dogs, they go through the water and their scent is gone! We could try that!"
Tobias shook his head. "Your scent is in the air, Kagome. Tracking through water wouldn't do any good. Besides, water carries a scent like anything else. Just diving in a lake will have no effect."
"Well, then...we'll do both. We go to a river, and I go in. The flowing water will wash away the scent!" Tobias stood up. A gleam was beginning to return to his eyes.
"You think so...?" he said slowly.
"What else can we do? It's either this...or we wait for them to get loose." Without a moment's delay, Tobias grabbed onto Kagome's shoulder and the two of them set off.
"Where's the nearest river?" Tobias panted.
"I don't...wait!" The sound of flowing water reached Kagome's ears. "That way!" They moved toward it as quickly as they could (which was just over regular walking speed.) The forest behind them was silent. The demons had apparently not awoken from the beating Tobias gave them.
"Quite the stroke of luck that the river was so close by," said Tobias wearily. "If it hadn't been, they might have caught up before we reached it." He glanced around. "We're almost there...just a few more..." The river came into sight. It was about twenty feet wide and ten feet deep at its lowest point. Kagome immediately waded into the water, only to shriek and leap back out again.
"It's cold!" she hissed, pointing at the water. Tobias just looked at her. "But...there are more important things," she said, embarrassed. She walked into the water, wincing at the frigidity of it, until she was shoulder-deep in the river.
She was being pulled and dragged at by the current. Her borrowed cloak was like a wet blanket; weighing her down and dragging her in the direction the river was flowing. Before she had a chance to voice her concerns, Inuyasha burst into the area.
He was still bleeding from Tetsusaiga, and he looked raging mad, ready to kill. Tobias stood up and raised his sword. It shook in his hand as he spoke, taking breaths as necessary.
"Heh...it's working already. The scent is dissipating..." To Tobias, the heady aroma was fading fast; after a few seconds, he couldn't smell it at all. Inuyasha blinked, sniffed the air, blinked again, shook his head a few times, and looked around. And with that, Inuyasha came awake.
Thoughts of all sorts were battling for priority in his head, but his mind went something like this.
Where am I?
This really hurts...it feels like I've been in ten fights. What happened?
Why is Kagome in the river with that cloak on? What happened to her clothes?
What HAPPENED to Tobias? The guy looks half-dead!
He spoke up. "What happened? Where am I? What happened to you?" he asked Tobias, who had to sit down, lacking the strength to stand. Tobias's face changed slowly to wonder.
"You...don't remember?" he said hesitantly. "Anything?"
"No, nothing. So, tell me. What happened? I don't remember anything for..." He thought hard. "The last day. Was it that witch's spell?"
Tobias looked at Kagome, who looked back at Tobias.
"In a sense...yes..." said Tobias quietly. He limped over to where Inuyasha was standing. "Maybe your human half would help you remember. I don't expect Sesshomaru or Koga to know, but you..."
"Sesshomaru? Koga?! What about those two? Were they here?" Tobias sighed.
"You don't remember fighting me, almost to the death? Or almost raping Kagome before I could get you away?"
"WHAT?! What are you-" Memories rushed to Inuyasha all of a sudden; a tidal wave of memories. Kagome's heat – lying on top of her – chasing Tobias – Sesshomaru and Koga – fighting, fighting, fighting – stabbing him – almost...
Inuyasha stared at Tobias. Tobias nodded grimly. Inuyasha cast a horrified glance at Kagome. By chance, she was looking at Tobias at that moment. She won't even look at me... Without another word, Inuyasha turned and ran, as fast and as far as his legs would take him.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome called out. "Wait! Don't..." He was gone. Tobias limped over to where Kagome was in the water.
"Let him go, Kagome," he said softly. "Put yourself in his position for a minute. He almost raped the woman he loved, and now he has to live with it. He needs some time."
"But...it wasn't his fault! He couldn't..." Kagome trailed off.
"I think that's part of the problem. He'll think he can't control his instincts, and he'll be scared to be around you."
"But he shouldn't! I'm safe now..." Tears welled up in Kagome's eyes. "INUYASHA!!" she shouted into the forest. "COME BACK!!"
"Come back..." drifted Kagome's voice through the trees. Inuyasha quickened his pace. It's not safe for me to be near her. I might...do something.
"He'll come back eventually, Kagome," said Tobias. He did not sound hopeful. "And if he doesn't, we'll hunt him down and drag him back, kicking and screaming." Even through all this mess, Kagome found the image of Tobias and her dragging a raging Inuyasha through the woods so funny that she burst out laughing.
"I guess so. He wouldn't leave forever..." Kagome slipped on an algae-covered rock and nearly slipped under the water. Her cloak was tugging at her, being caught by the current. This was not working.
"Tobias...?" she said quietly. "My cloak is dragging me under...the current and all...I think I need to..."
"Go ahead, Kagome," muttered Tobias. "I'll be in the trees close by. Not like I can do much of anything for or against you now," he added as he painfully walked away.
Kagome took off her robe, shivering with the cold. This was much better. She wasn't being weighed down with wet clothes anymore, at least...and nobody was around to watch, so it wasn't that big a deal.
"Think of it as a really long bath, Kagome," she muttered to herself. "Because I'll have to be in here for a while."
Tobias had sat down to rest. He was panting heavily. There was no way he could travel in his condition. He was losing blood from a score of claw and bite marks, not to mention the large hole in his stomach from Tetsusaiga.
"Well, this is it," he murmured. "Unless something happens, I'm not going to survive the night." Just as he said this, something happened.
Kirara swooped overhead, did a quick 180, and came down to land near Tobias. Miroku and Sango hopped off and were immediately shocked by Tobias's injuries.
"What happened to you? Where's Kagome?" demanded Miroku.
"They didn't get her, did they?" said Sango worriedly.
Tobias shook his head. "She's safe now. She thought of a way to get around the spell. Right now, she's in the river. The water is washing away the scent. And as for what happened to me...well, fighting and running for roughly twenty-four hours straight, against the three toughest opponents I could find, would tend to get one all beat up." He tried to stand up and collapsed.
Miroku and Sango hurried over and helped him up. "We need to get you some help," Sango said. "Kagome left her pack with us when you left, and all of her medical supplies are here. Let's get you to a village."
"No!" said Tobias. "I have to stay here, with Kagome."
Miroku sighed. "Fine, then. We'll set up camp here, and treat your wounds as best we can."
"I heal fast, but even so, this is going to take a while." Miroku and Sango began setting up camp and bedding for Tobias.
Later that night...
Kagome drifted idly in the water. She had been in there for hours, and she was freezing cold; not to mention exhausted. I can't tread water forever...what am I supposed to do? She thought briefly of just lying on the edge of the water and sleeping, but as she considered this, the angry snarls of the three crazed demons popped into her head. Okay, I'll stay in. She was so tired, though...what was she to do?
Inuyasha kicked a few rocks. The shame and anger he felt with himself was like nothing he had ever felt before. What have I done? I almost...raped her. How can she even stand to be around me? Frustration rose up in his heart. She probably only sees me as a dirty half-breed who can't even control his own instincts.
Far away, he heard splashing noises. Kagome? He moved closer, holding his breath to get a quick look. He came upon the clearing where Kagome was when he left. There was a pile of wet clothes, but no Kagome. He moved downriver, thinking all the time. Where is she? He got his answer soon when he caught up with her about a mile downstream.
Kagome was drifting along the river. She looked unconscious. Worse yet, the river was flowing right over a waterfall, and unless he didn't get there soon...
"KAGOME!" he shouted, tearing through the underbrush to come to her aid.
Kagome sank. In her dream, she was surrounded by a cold, lifeless blackness that seemed to suck away all of her energy. She struggled a little, but it closed in around her like a thick blanket. Her thoughts turned to only one thing.
Inuyasha...Help me...
Inuyasha dove into the water. He swam quickly until he found Kagome, grabbed her, and pulled her to the surface. Why did she have to be so far down the river? Did she fall asleep? With her cradled in his arms, he swam – with her – back to the spot where she originally was.
As Kagome fought against the encroaching darkness, she felt strong arms encircle her waist. She felt herself being pulled from the heavy darkness and back into the light.
"Inuyasha..." she murmured.
Kagome was in the shallows, but she wasn't breathing. Inuyasha panicked. Think, dammit, think! You've seen those books she carries around! If someone is drowning...pull them out of the water, try and get the water out with...oh, gods, do I have to do that? What if she catches me and gets frightened? Kagome's face began to turn a shade of blue. Dammit, she's worth it! Inuyasha lowered his mouth to hers and began giving her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. He pressed lightly on her chest to try and force the water out.
She was out of the suffocating blackness, but still feeling its effects. She felt her dream savior kissing her and caressing at her chest. Inuyasha... she thought. He's saving me... She struggled with all her might.
Kagome coughed once, twice. She spat out a lot of water and coughed again. Her eyes fluttered open.
"Is it...real?"
Inuyasha moved away to get a better look, when he noticed her eyes. She was awake. Oh Kami, she's awake. What will I do? He laid her on the edge of the river (keeping her head above water) and let go of her.
Or, at least, he tried. Kagome's arms flew around his back and pressed him to her so tightly that she seemed incapable of letting go. Inuyasha panicked and tried to break her hold, but Kagome only rose up and put her face to his.
"Kagome," he said desperately. "I'm sorry. You were drowning, I-" He was cut off by Kagome firmly pressing her lips to his. Tears dripped down her already wet face. Inuyasha was completely shocked. After all I did to her, she still...?
They finally broke apart. "Inuyasha..." whispered Kagome. "I love you...so much..."
"K-Kagome..." said Inuyasha. "Aren't...aren't you...scared?"
"Baka!" She bopped him on the nose. "Why would I be scared?"
"After what I almost did! After I almost raped you! Why WOULDN'T you be scared?" he demanded.
"Inuyasha..." She silenced him with a finger to his lips. "You weren't in control. It wasn't you doing it. Now that you're here, I feel safe."
"You shouldn't..." Inuyasha turned away. All the pent-up sadness and anger at himself spilled out in a rush of words and emotions. "I couldn't even control my own instincts! Sesshomaru is right. I'm just a dirty half-breed. Why was I so weak? I can't even stop myself...you deserve better." He turned to leave.
Kagome clasped him to her. "No! Don't go! Inuyasha..."
"What?"
"You don't get it, do you." Kagome was getting mad. "You didn't fall for it because you're a hanyou. Look at Sesshomaru and Koga! They're full-blood demons, and they got caught in the spell. Even Tobias and Miroku had problems with the scent. You're not weak...that spell was just too strong."
"But I am weak," he returned forcefully. "I'm just-"
"Inuyasha, stop insulting yourself and listen to me for five seconds!" Kagome was definitely mad now, but her voice softened. "I'm not scared, or angry, or afraid, or anything. You didn't remember most of it, you probably don't remember when..."
"When what?" Oh Kami, what did I do?
"When Sesshomaru and Koga were knocked out, and you stabbed Tobias with Tetsusaiga, you were coming right for me and there was nothing I could do about it." Inuyasha broke her off.
"Why didn't you just sit me?" Kagome sighed. This was going to take a lot of explanation.
"I couldn't. The witch cast another spell and I couldn't say the word. But what happened was..." She regained the thread of her story. "You were heading right for me, and I couldn't do anything about it. And then, you stopped."
Inuyasha froze. "I did what?"
"You stopped, right outside the cave I was in. You sort of grabbed at your head and screamed a lot, and then you told me to leave. It was you talking, Inuyasha, not the demon inside you. I remember it clearly. You stopped yourself from harming me. You overcame the demon."
Inuyasha's face was brightening. "Does that mean..."
"Inuyasha, I know you would never let yourself hurt me. And you proved me right yesterday. You are not a dirty half-breed. You can control your instincts. And you know what?"
"Wh-what?" Inuyasha stammered.
"I love you. I love you and I always will love you; whether you're demon, human, or hanyou." She swept onto his lips for another bruising kiss. Her hands moved over his chest to toy with the rippling muscles under his kimono. Inuyasha gasped into the kiss.
"Kagome...I love you...more than anything..."
"I love you and I want you more than I ever have," whispered Kagome. "And I'm not scared. Tonight, I want you to prove that you love me. I'm ready."
"WHAT?" Inuyasha was sure he had heard incorrectly. Just hours after I tried to rape her, she says this? Is she saying what I think she's saying?
Kagome giggled. "Do I have to spell it out for you?" She pressed her body to him, so firmly that all the breath rushed out of his lungs. "Please...make love to me."
Inuyasha could have sworn his heart stopped when he heard that fateful sentence. Jaw working, he could think of no answer other than to kiss her, long and desperate. If that was possible, she held him even tighter to her than before, as his leg slipped to rest between hers.
Some minutes later, Miroku, Sango, and Tobias were in camp. Tobias was covered in bandages and gauze, with some special herbal remedies added just in case. He had a crutch nearby, in case he needed to walk, but Miroku and Sango weren't going to have any of THAT. No, he needed his rest.
"You know, even without all this stuff, I'll be okay in a few days..."
"But with 'all this stuff', you'll be healed sooner. Now go back to sleep. You've had a long day," said Sango.
At that moment, they all heard Kagome's scream echo through the woods. But only Tobias heard the other noise: a muffled, feral growl. Miroku and Sango started off, but Tobias beat them to it. Grabbing his crutch, he tore off in the direction of the scream.
"Kagome's in trouble!" he shouted back, by way of explanation and apology.
When Tobias burst into the clearing, all he could see was Kagome, lying in the shallow water near the edge of the river. She was breathing heavily. Tobias hobbled over as quickly as he could.
"Kagome!" he said. "Are you all right? What happened?" Kagome waved a hand to silence his questions as she took great gulps of air, trying to regain her composure. After a few seconds, she spoke.
"I'm...fine. I just...must have...fallen asleep or something...and gone under the water...I'm fine now...just a little breathless..." Tobias looked anxious.
"Going to sleep in a river is dangerous! Do you want me to stay here and make sure you don't fall asleep again?"
"No!" Kagome choked out. "No...I'll be fine...just got a little panicked...I can handle...myself..." Her breathing was slowing.
"All right..." Tobias stood up with some concern. He walked away slowly, but paused at the edge and turned around.
"Are you sure?" he called out.
"I'm fine. Now go back and rest. Speaking of that...where did you get all that stuff?"
"Miroku and Sango," he said nonchalantly. "They caught up with me just after I left you."
"Fine then. Make them happy by going back and resting. You need it." Tobias left.
A pair of golden eyes appeared in a tree hanging over the water. "Is he gone?"
"Yeah, he's gone." Inuyasha jumped out of the tree and landed silently on the ground. He crept back into the water, whereupon he and Kagome immediately grabbed each other and began kissing desperately.
"I didn't think it was possible...I love you more than ever...my mate..." murmured Inuyasha.
"Oh, Inuyasha..." purred Kagome. "I love you. I love you!" She kissed him again. "Mate...right? Is that what you call it?"
"I am a dog demon," growled Inuyasha affectionately, "so you are my mate."
"That was...just...unbelievable. I've never felt anything like that."
"You liked that?" said Inuyasha in a deep, sexy voice. Kagome nodded faintly. "Then you'll love this."
It was fortunate that Tobias tripped and swore loudly when he hit the ground right then, else he might have heard the other noise echoing from the river.
Kagome weakly swallowed a bit of blood and breathed heavily. She had bitten down hard on her bottom lip to stop from screaming out in pleasure again. She absolutely melted into Inuyasha's arms.
"One thing, though," said Inuyasha while Kagome's breathing slowed again. "Why are we keeping this secret? You're my mate, I want the whole world to know!"
"Because of Tobias," murmured Kagome. Inuyasha looked puzzled. "The way he is right now; if he finds out we...mated, he's going to think you raped me, no matter what we tell him; and he'll never forgive himself for it. Better to tell him later, when he isn't panicked like now."
"All right, mate. We'll tell him...eventually." Kagome giggled and kissed Inuyasha again. "I love you," said Inuyasha for what seemed to be the hundredth time. "And I always will." He brushed her hair to one side and smirked.
"What?" she said playfully.
"You didn't notice?" he grinned. "I marked you." Kagome looked as best she could at her neck and saw a large bite mark there. "Now we are officially mates."
"The hickey of the century," Kagome giggled. Inuyasha stared at her, confused. "Never mind. I love you, Inuyasha. And I always will."
"Kagome..." Something had just occurred to Inuyasha. "You're still in heat, so now that we've mated...two things."
"Y-yes?"
"One, you'll finally have let go of that scent. Two..." He hesitated. "You're...more likely to breed now...so..." Tears of happiness welled up in Kagome's eyes.
"Inuyasha?" she said. "Are we going to have a baby?"
Damn right. "Yes, Kagome. We're going to have a pup." Kagome cried tears of joy, right into Inuyasha's already wet shoulder. "I'm so happy..." she whispered.
"Me too," he whispered back, kissing her yet again.
Yes, for once, dear readers, I do not end on a cliffhanger. So tell me...what do you think? Inuyasha finally gets lucky...but in a way NONE (well, almost none) of us predicted. REVIEW, I COMMAND THEE!
Lots of other stuff goes here, about my friend's poem (FictionPress.com, The soothing of a Savage Soul, Poetry, Life, Fantasy/Supernatural), and about the various people who review (I LOVE YOU ALL!) and about various other things, but it's 6:00 in the morning and I don't have the energy. Read the blinkin' story. Toodles.