To Protect the One I Love

Author's Notes:  Oh, my gosh!  I seem to have touched so many people with my story and made everyone so happy!  Yay!  Now, although Inuyasha and Kagome both love each other, that love will be tested.  They must learn to trust each other where trust is not easily found.  When Kagome is accused of a heinous crime, will Inuyasha stand by her side till the end?  Is his love strong enough?

Trust and Betrayal

            Kagura and Kanna had been walking aimlessly around for the last few days, unsure what to do next.  The last time they had this opportunity, they had been trapped by Princess Kaguya and Naraku wasn't really dead.  They hadn't said anything to each other, but something about the silence was comforting.  They didn't have some power hungry hanyou giving them orders anymore.

            But Kagura did feel an odd presence following them around for about the better portion of the day.  "Kanna, do you really think Naraku is gone for good this time?  I have my heart back where it belongs, but I'm still not sure."  She said, trying to seem as if she hadn't noticed anything.

            "I guess we won't really be sure until we're positive he won't be coming back."  The little white-haired demon replied. 

            "Naraku's dead, huh?"

            That presence Kagura had felt earlier finally revealed itself and the wind user immediately brought out her fan, stepping instinctively in front of Kanna, almost as if she were protecting a younger sister or something…

            "Who's there!?"  She demanded.

            The voice materialized into the form of a priestess with long flowing black hair and a black and green robe.   She had dark forest green eyes that almost made it seem as if she were a dark miko… "Then was the Shikon no Tama destroyed with him?"

            Kagura narrowed her eyes.  "If that's why you're here, you can forget it.  We don't have it."  She told the intruder.

            "Where is it?"  She asked.

            Kagura, keeping her fans at the ready, replied, "The priestess who destroyed him, Kagome, purified it and took it with her.  We don't know where she is and frankly we don't care."

            "Kagome, huh?"

            "Yes, now if you've asked all your questions, leave now.  I won't ask twice."  Kagura took one sweeping stroke with her fan, unleashing a powerful gust of wind, which was enough to cause the miko to retreat.

            "What was that, Kagura?"  Kanna asked from behind her 'older sister'.

            Kagura put her fans away and crossed her arms.  "I don't know but if its after Kagome and Inuyasha, let them deal with it.  Let's go."

            With that, the two demons continued on their journey of self-discovery.

* * *

            Kagome and Inuyasha were almost to the village the next day when they passed a hot spring.

            "Please, Inuyasha!  I feel so dirty!"  Kagome begged.  "I'll make it a real quick one!  I just want to wash my hair."

            Inuyasha crossed his arms in front of her and pouted.  "Yeah, like an entire afternoon is fast for you!"

            "Please?"  She asked again.

            "No!"  The hanyou turned his back to her.

            "I'll let you join me."  She tempted.

            Whipping back around, Inuyasha's eyes went wide.  "You will?"

            A pause.  A twitching eyebrow.  "OSUWARI!"

            Inuyasha's face plummeting into the dirt was a rare feeling these days.  The two had been doing so well too…

            Skipping over his spasming form, Kagome held her nose in the air.  "I was trying to be nice, but now I'll just take one and you'll have to wait!"  She stormed off, just as Inuyasha was recovering.

            "Wait?  For her?  Yeah right!"  Inuyasha bounded for the trees and continued on his way towards the village.  His guilt and worry got the better of him, though, and as the village came into sight, he sighed and turned back around.  She did have the jewel with her, so any number of demons could be around that wanted that power for themselves…

            "Kagome!"  He called out.  "Oi, Kagome!  Let's go!  It's been long enough!"  When he arrived at the hot spring, he cautiously peeked over the bushes and when he saw she wasn't there, he stood up in confusion.  "Hey, where'd she go?"
            "Away from prying eyes like yourself!"  Kagome announced from behind him.

            Inuyasha jumped and covered his ears, preparing to be sat again, but was surprised when Kagome simply turned around.  "Come on, let's go back."

            "Eh?"  Inuyasha looked up and saw she was already changed and her hair was dry.  "You finished already?"

            Pausing, Kagome seemed to get nervous.  "Well, yeah, I laid out in the sun and combed my hair until it was dry.  I told you I'd be quick."  She replied, then continued walking.

            Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, but shrugged and walked after her.

            When they got back to the village, there was a large crowd all around Sango and Miroku.

            "Oh, I guess they're back already."  Kagome said.

            "Yeah, but something's wrong."  Inuyasha's sensitive ears were picking up shouting, not welcomes and greetings.  "Let's go."

            Kagome and Inuyasha were running towards the group when one pointed at Kagome and shouted in fear.  "That's the one!  She did it!  It was Kagome-sama!"

            Kagome screeched to a halt and pointed to herself.  "Me?"  She questioned.

            Out of the center of the mob, Sango and Miroku ran to Kagome's side, following by the villagers, but they kept them at bay with Miroku's staff and hiraikotsu.  "You have to be mistaken!"  Sango exclaimed.

            "You all know Kagome-sama!"  The priest defended.  "She would never do something like that!"

            "What's going on?"  Inuyasha questioned, staying by Kagome's side.

            Miroku turned to the hanyou.  "A villager was attacked today on his way here and he says Kagome did it."

            "Eh!?"  Kagome exclaimed.  "But I would never do something like that!"

            Sango grunted as she pushed back one of the raging villagers.  "We know that, but they won't listen!"

            Inuyasha growled loudly, "I can vouch for her, she was with me the whole time!"

            "The whole time!?"  One villager demanded.  "You could see her at all times?"

            Blinking, Inuyasha hesitated.  "Well, she stopped to take a bath, but she wasn't long…" His words seemed false even to him.  It's not that he believed Kagome could do such a thing, but her whereabouts were suspicious.

            "Inuyasha…" Kagome stared in disbelief.  "Don't you trust me?"

            The hanyou turned to her, "Of course I do, it's just that…"

            "See!  She could've done it!  What if it happens again!"  The villagers shouted.

            "She has to be held accountable!  Miko or not!"

            "Hang her!"  One shouted.

            "Toss her over a cliff!"

            "Stone her!"

            Kagome took a step back in fear.  Isn't it quick how they all choose to turn against you instead of trust you?  A voice said in her mind.  "Nani?"  She whispered.

            Inuyasha jumped in front of Kagome.  "Hang on!  I may not have been with her every second, but you all know her!  She's protected this village countless times and yet you are willing to kill her off!?"

            "Now wait just a minute!"  Kaede appeared at the back of the group of villagers and approached Sango and Miroku, who still refused to step aside. 

"Kagome!"  Shippo cried from Kaede's ankle, running towards the shocked miko.

"Kagome, I know you would never harm another soul unless you had to, but the man I treated positively says it was you and he is not under the influence of a demon as far as I can tell."  The aged miko explained.

            Kagome looked hurt and stared down at the ground.

            Turning to the villagers, Kaede opened her arms.  "Let's look into this attack more before we judge anyone!"

            "Can't we at least lock her away?"

            "What if she attacks the children next!?"

            The villagers obviously didn't trust Kagome any more and would not rest until she was at least put in chains.

            Sighing, the old miko nodded.  "Very well, but no harm will come to her until we are absolutely sure it was her!"

            The five behind her gasped.  "You can't be serious!"  Inuyasha shouted.

            "For now, it's the best we can do."  Kaede nodded to Kagome, who looked at the ground and nodded back.  If the villagers didn't trust her, then she had no choice.  She wasn't about to fight them outright, although they were not holding back to do the same to her.

            What does a miko do when those she's meant to protect turn on her?  The voice asked again.  This time, Kagome wondered the same thing herself…

* * *

            Inuyasha sat in Kaede's hut with the rest of the gang, gripping Kagome's bow in his hands.  After several minutes of silence, he got up angrily.  "Oh, come on!  There has to be a mistake!"

            "Well you were there!"  Miroku pointed out.  "Did you smell any blood on her or anything?"

            "No!  When I got to the spring, she came up behind me, said she was finished and to come back here, but…"

            "But?"  Sango pressured.

            "Well, her hair was already dry and it hadn't been long enough for that…"

            Miroku sighed and closed his eyes.  "This doesn't look good."

            "I know Kagome wouldn't do anything like that!"  Shippo defended the miko.

            Inuyasha came down on one knee next to the kitsune and patted his head.  "You are me are the only ones, little guy."

            Just as they finished talking, Kaede entered the hut from the other room where the victim was being healed.  Her head was hung low and Inuyasha got a sinking feeling in his stomach.  "Oi, Kaede-baba, what's wrong?"

            The old woman looked up with a grave expression.  "He's dead."

            The entire room fell silent.  This meant bad news for Kagome.  If they couldn't prove her innocence, the village would want her to pain for her crimes…

* * *

            Kagome sat in her hut/cell, lying down but her eyes were wide open.  She seemed to stare past the ceiling to the night sky that was now blocked from her view.  The victim was now dead and the village wanted her hung the next day.  She knew she was innocent.  But she didn't have any proof.

            Even if you gave them proof, do you really think they'd believe you?  And what of you loved one?  Why isn't he by your side?

            Kagome remembered Inuyasha practically accusing her like everyone else only because he hadn't been by her side for 100% of the time. 

            You don't need a protector who doesn't trust you.  All you need is the Shikon no Tama.  Its power will make it so you can easily escape out on your own…

            Kagome blinked.  On my own?  Without Inuyasha?

            Her thoughts were interrupted when the guard outside her hut made choking noises, then all was quiet again.

            Kagome got to her feet and clutched the Shikon no Tama still around her neck.  There was scuffling and the sound of dragging, then Inuyasha came into the hut, his eyes having a eerie glowing look in the dark.  "Let's go."

            "Inuyasha?"  She whispered.

            "I won't let them have you."  Was all he said, before he bent down, indicating her to jump on his back. 

            Kagome took an unsure step forward, the mysterious voice's words still echoing in her mind.  "Do you trust me?"

            The hanyou nodded with a strong sense of determination.  "With all my heart and soul."

            Kagome's heart fluttered in her chest as she got on his back.  He got up and stepped into the chilly night air.  "So where are we going?"

            His voice was low, almost to a growl, as he said, "To find the real culprit."

* * *

            The next day as the village gathered around Kagome's hut, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo all stood in front of it, refusing to let them pass.  As they grew angrier, Shippo jumped up and said, "Kitsune Top!"

            The large toy spun around back and forth, scaring the mob back.

            "You're a priest!  How can you defend a miko who has killed someone!?"  One of the villagers demanded.

            "Because we know her better than any of you and we know in our hearts that Kagome-sama would never kill anybody unwarranted!"

            The night before, they had all decided that if they could convince the village that Kagome was still there, they could buy Inuyasha and Kagome some time to find out who really killed the man.  If not, find the youkai that did it.  That was the only way to save Kagome and put an end to this. 

            So that's what they did.  Sango, Miroku, and Shippo all gave Kagome the benefit of the doubt, because they all knew she'd do the same for them.

            The dark miko from before growled as the image before her showed the hanyou taking the priestess away.  "Damn it.  Now it will be harder to convince her to leave her protector.  With him there, I can't steal the jewel from her, but I were to separate them, then the Shikon no Tama would be as good as mine."

            The two were on their way back to the forest to find the one who really killed the villager, and if they found that her… "Well, I'll just have to jump to plan B, but I was hoping to do this without bloodshed."  She said casually.  "Oh well."

* * *

            Inuyasha jumped from tree to tree, heading back to where the victim said he was attacked.  It wasn't too far from the hot spring, which would only work against Kagome's defense.

            "Kagome, I need you to tell me something."  Inuyasha said.  "Where did you go before?  You didn't take a bath.  I need to know the truth."

            Kagome bit her bottom lip and knew she had to come clean.  "There was a presence in the forest.  I felt it on my way to the spring and decided to check it out.  You had already stormed off, so I couldn't call you to help me.  I saw something flash in front of me, but it disappeared into the bushes and I didn't get a clear shot.  When I headed back to the spring, you were already there and…"

            "Then why lie to me?"  Inuyasha wondered.

            "You're always so careful when it comes to my safety, always having to baby sit me because of the shards.  I didn't want you to worry needlessly when nothing more could've been done."

            Inuyasha stopped in one of the trees and looked half behind him to look into Kagome's eyes.  "Kagome, don't you know why I do that?  It's not because of the jewel being stolen, it's because I don't want to see you hurt."

            This came as a shock to the miko and her eyes went wide.

            "When Tsubaki had you on the brink of death, it tore me up inside, I couldn't bare to see you suffer like that."  The hanyou still had nightmares of the time the black miko had cursed Kagome and threatened to curse-kill her should he pull Tetsusaiga from its sheath.  The entire time Kagome was near-convulsing in pain and blacked out several times, at one point nearly forgetting about everyone and everything in feudal Japan.  "Whenever a demon threatens you or tries to take your life, I destroy it because I don't want anything to take you away from me, or hurt you in anyway.  It would tear me apart inside to see you in so much pain." 

            Kagome gently squeezed Inuyasha from behind and snuggled into his back.  "Arigatou."

            The hanyou smiled.  "Now, let's find out who really did this and clear your name."

            Kagome nodded and looked around.  Pointing to a particular patch she said, "That's where I saw it."

            "Yosh!"  Inuyasha jumped down to the forest floor and Kagome got off his back.  She took off her bow from her back and loaded it with an arrow, just in case.  Looking around, she stretched out her senses.  "It's faint, but it's still here."

            Inuyasha was sniffing the ground trying to find which direction it went.  If this person really did kill the villager, are they purposefully trying to frame Kagome?

            The image of Inuyasha sniffing the ground became clear in the dark miko's vision pool and the woman smirked as her plan was about to be set into motion.  "Hanyou, you may have protector her before, but now it will be you who brings about her downfall."  She laughed as she dipped her fingers into the pool directly on top of Inuyasha and began chanting the spell…

* * *

            Kagome looked around, but still couldn't find a clue as to where that feeling had disappeared to.  She had her back to Inuyasha, when she heard him pull Tetsusaiga from its sheath.  She spun around, thinking he'd picked up on something, and froze when he came running at her ready to swing the mighty blade across her body and rip her from shoulder to hip.

            "Inuyasha!"  She rolled out of the way, but the sword got part of her leg and opened a deep gash.  Her bow and arrow landed out of her reach.  She tried to jump to her feet, but lost balance and fell down again.  "What's going on!"

            Inuyasha didn't answer, but instead spun around and loomed over his miko raising the demon fang over his head…

Author's Note:  Another beautiful place for a cliffhanger!  Hee hee.  "To Protect the One I Love" is beginning to heat up again but this time, who's protecting whom?

As an added treat, I've placed my music videos of Inuyasha on Kazaa so everyone can download them.  I'll include the titles so you can watch them!  They're all by me, Digidynasty:

All of Me

For the Fate of My Beloved
Come What May

Gravity of Love

In the End

Inuyasha no Baka

Crush

Unbelievable

            Download them today!  Chapter eight is in the works so don't worry.  It'll be out soon…