Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA! BUT I WILL SOMEDAY! YOU'LL SEE! YOU'LL ALL SEE! I WILL RULE THE WORLD! ...a nurse yanks me off the table, "time for your medication!"... NO! WORLD DOMINATION! ...tries to run away, and is tackled by several male nurses and restrained... AH! NO!
Chapter 11
Zara shivered slightly as the mountain came into view ahead of them. An immense tower of rock, it towered over them until it's top was lost in the clouds surrounding it's peak.
Grumbling Inuyasha turned toward her and demanded, "Well? Is this the place, whelp?"
She raised a single eyebrow at his attitude. Apparently a little time alone with Kagome wasn't enough to sweeten his disposition. She grinned at the memory. They hadn't been the only ones to sneak off. Minutes after they left Sango and Miroku had wandered off on the excuse that they were looking for firewood.
Yeah right. She scoffed silently. They had returned hours later without even a single twig- and only minutes ahead of Kagome and Inuyasha.
Spying...! She chanted silently, allowing a small grin to flicker across her face. She stopped smiling when Inuyasha lifted her off her feet with a growl.
"What's so funny?"
Instead of replying, Zara pointedly looked over at Kagome, then arched a single brow at the half-demon.
Astoundingly, his cheeks turned a dark red and he dropped her as if her skin had suddenly turned burning hot. He turned and angrily stalked away, grumbling about children who knew too much for their own good.
She grinned, amused in spite of herself, and proceeded to look around the mountain.
There should be a stream somewhere around here... Or a lake... Some kind of running water...The visions that were presented to her where never completely what they appeared. Most had a hidden meaning or were clues to lead her to the actual answer. Very few of the things she saw were entirely straight-forward.
She searched around while the others engaged in a heated debate over one thing or another. Something about Kaede's knee or some such silliness.
Honestly, she couldn't have cared less, because, just as she scrambled over a large rock, she heard it. The drip of water running over stones.
Not too far away... She noted, searching for the source of the sound. Finally, she saw it, a small stream at the base of the mountain. It formed a shallow pool at the base of the stone.
So much for a babbling brook and a calm lake... She thought, dipping her fingers into the frigid liquid.
As soon as her fingers made contact with the surface of the water, her eyes went blank and a tiny tremor shuddered through her.
She slumped, tumbling into the water without realizing it.
OOOOO
I'm not surprised you made it so far little flower. I always knew you could do it.
Stop playing games with me. Where is the ring?
So impatient! What if I decided not to tell you where the ring was?
My mind spun. After so much torment, I wasn't sure if I had the mental strength to continue on if I didn't find the ring soon. Instead of voicing my deepening concerns, I forced a patronizing smile onto my face.
You need me to find the ring. You want it. That's the only reason you gave me life again.
Don't presume to know anything you pathetic slave.
I shuddered as the chilling affect of the voice settled into my very soul.
Dear flower... The coaxing tone was back, hiding the restrained malice behind the sweet facade. I don't want to fight with you little one... Why can't you ever speak with me without reducing yourself to pitiful insults?
I stifled a cry of anger. She was the one that was always baiting me! She's the one that always lost her temper! Not me!
It doesn't matter... The sweet, melodic voice continued, soothing as it might a child. I only want to help you dear heart.
Then release me! I cried out, knowing even before the words tumbled from my lips that it would do no good.
But you have not yet completed your task...
OOOOO
"Oh my God! Zara!" Kagome's shocked voice cut through Inuyasha's thoughts, his hand instantly went to the hilt of his sword as he rushed over to her.
He caught sight of her, carrying the soaking child out of a pool of water. The girl's lips were blue and her skin was pale.
"She's sopping wet!" Kagome exclaimed softly. "She must have been in there for a long time... I can't believe we didn't notice her before!" A glittering sheen of tears appeared on her face as Inuyasha scooped up the child into his own arms and carried her back toward the camp.
"Set her down here." Kagome said, laying out her sleeping bag. "Miroku, Sango, go and get firewood and start a fire, a big one. Inuyasha, find me something dry to put her in."
Kaede had already settled near the child and was removing the soaked clothing, noticing the child shivers.
"She must have been in the water quite some time. If we hadn't found her... I think she may have died."
Inuyasha returned with a clean kimono around the same time Sango and Miroku brought back the firewood.
All of them watched anxiously as Kaede rubbed the girl's legs and arms, hoping to get the circulation flowing and keep her warm.
Finally, the child's skin begin to warm, and her lips returned to their original rosy hue.
"There's nothing more we can do for her." Kaede told them with a sigh. "She will have to awaken on her own."
Kagome settled down near the girl content to wait out the night by her. With an huff of annoyance, Inuyasha cast a longing glance toward the tree branch he had intended on sleeping on, and settled near Kagome.
Almost as a reflex, she leaned into him, laying her head on his shoulder, and lacing her cold fingers through his warm ones.
He froze for a moment, then relaxed, excepting her new position by putting his arm around her to draw her closer.
While Kagome eyed Zara, he sent death glares at the others, who wisely chose to become occupied with some other activity that took them as far away as possible from camp.
"Do you think she will be all right?"
Inuyasha was about to answer with a quick retort, but stopped when his amber eyes met Kagome's worry-filled ones.
"We've done all we can for her. Now she has to do the rest."
"I know, but..." Kagome's grip on Inuyasha tightened and she let out an involuntary shudder.
Inuyasha ran his claws through her hair, gently soothing her until her grip on him loosened.
"Inuyasha?"
"Hmm?"
Kagome tilted her head to look up at him. Their faces were so close, she could feel his breath on her cheek and see every fleck of color in his eyes.
Without any specific orders from her brain, her hand drifted up to cup his cheek and she leaned in a little closer...
Inuyasha closed the distance between them, pulling her toward him to intensify the kiss. He slid one hand to her neck, cradling her head as he continued to kiss her.
Finally he released her, turning her so that she was reclining in his arms, her head against his chest. She relaxed against him, his warmth keeping her safe as she lay in his arms.
OOOOO
"Sango?"
"Yes?"
Miroku plucked a flower from the meadow they were walking in and handed it to her. "Do you ever wonder who's going to die?"
She had thought of little else since they started out on this journey. She was worried that she may never see her one of her friend's again. She was worried that she might die.
"Do you think we should have just refused to go with her?" Miroku asked, not waiting for an answer as the expression on his face told what she was thinking.
"Could we have? Could you have looked at that poor girl and told her you wouldn't help her?"
Miroku sighed. "I know. I couldn't either. But Sango..."
He broke off heaving a sigh of resignation.
Her curiosity eventually got the better of her and she reached out and tugged him to a stop. "What?"
Miroku turned to face her, his normally cheerful features contorted with sadness. He took a step toward her, then paused for a moment to speak. "If one of us dies tomorrow, I won't ever have a chance to do this..."
He stepped up to her and kissed her. Unlike the kiss of the other night, this one was more passion than friendship.
She couldn't even summon the energy to slap him, it was like all her bones had turned to water.
When he finally broke the kiss, he gave her a small smile and brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear.
Then he took her hand and they continued to walk through the meadow together.
OOOOO
Little one... Have you brought those I named in the Prophecy?
Every one. The Old One, The Godly Man, The Longtime Friend, The Seeker, The Protector- and myself.
Very good. You will need all of them to accomplish your task.
I'm so sick of playing these mind games. Just strung along until it's convenient, and then dumped like nothing until the next time.
Where is the ring!? I did nothing to conceal the impatience in my voice, or my growing anxiety.
So hasty to rush to our demise? Did you forget the other half of my riddle? One of you isn't coming back you know.
Sadness clogged my thoughts for a moment. All of these people had been so kind to me... But now, one of us was going to die.
Please... I let a hint of defeat push into my voice. Just tell me where the ring is...
Very well then. Look...The mountain spread out before me, an impenetrable mass of stone. My gaze drifted higher, noting every crevice in the rock's surface.
Look there.
I craned my neck upward, my vision intensifying until I could see a small cave near the top of the mountain.
It is there. Go and you will find what you are looking for.
OOOOO
"Inuyasha." Kagome shook his arm gently, rousing him from sleep. They must have drifted off after the...
Kagome continued to speak, breaking into his thoughts. "She's waking up."
Zara stirred opening her eyes. She tried to draw in a gulp of air, but only ended up in a coughing fit.
Kagome hastily extracted herself from Inuyasha's grasp and rubbed the child's back, soothing her until she could get her breath back.
"We thought you were going to die!" Kagome exclaimed dramatically once the coughing had receded.
Zara took in a shaky breath, allowing herself a small smile to soothe her rescuers. "I can't die."
Kagome seemed to think about that for a moment, but Zara allowed her no time to ask the questions that were clamoring to be asked.
"I had another vision. The ring is in a cave at the top of the mountain."
"Fine." Inuyasha made a move toward the mountain, "I'll just go up and get it and we can leave."
"No!" Zara latched onto his leg before he had gotten more than a few steps. Damn, she was strong. "We need all of us to get there! None of us will be able to do it alone!"
"Fine!" Inuyasha finally managed to extract himself from her grip on his leg. "I'll go get the others."
Zara nodded, if a little suspiciously. "Good. Don't do anything stupid."
Inuyasha went off grumbling and cursing to himself.
"Are you sure you're strong enough to make the climb?" Kagome asked, helping Zara up.
"I'm going to have to be."
OOOOO
Author's Note: I'm back! I'm sure by now you're all astoundingly ready for something, anything to happen. Well I won't disappoint. Unfortunately, there will only be two more chapters in this story. At least when it's done, you'll all be able to get on with your lives instead of waiting for a lazy author like me to finish! Anyway, thanks to a review, I spent most of my energy trying to convince those lazy bums to admit their feelings for one another. They got a little closer, but hopefully they've gotten the idea by now and will do it themselves.
Review Responses: Angeloflight (Heeheehee... I know, it's cute isn't it...? At least something happened!), Dark Inu Fan (I may take you up on your offer as a sitter, she's beginning to bug me. I'm glad you mentioned the 'revalation of their feelings', because I sure didn't think about it!), StarfireRobin (Please continue to review! Your support means so much to me!), wolf enchantress 340 (Please continue to review, I love to know what people think!), and finally: Salem (Thanks for the support! It's always nice to have a new reviewer!)!
...my muse is nowhere to be seen... Oh great. Just wonderful. Just freaking wonderful! Now where'd she go?
Okay, quick contest. My next chapter will be dedicated to the person with the best excuse for my muse's absence. And trust me, it will be a good chapter. I'll paste whatever answers I get on the next chapter and announce the winner. Have fun.
MysteryMaiden7