A/N: Sorry I haven't updated sooner; school's starting along with homework, catfights, and a lot of anarchy! I don't have time for shout-outs but I appreciate every one of your reviews. Huggles to everybody; chow!

XXXX

Inuyasha was running, racing, almost literally flying across the pavement. Kagome needed him, damnit, Kagome needed him! He could still hear Kagome calling him, angry, but fearful, her voice the exact note of terror Hamuri had had when telling him what was going on.

Miroku was racing next to him, somehow as fast as he was. Hamuri had told them both that Sango was unconscious, she knew that because she had seen it. In the rain, Inuyasha could make out Miroku's tightly drawn face, a face set in the same fieriness, worried, and regretful glare as was on Inuyasha's.

Kouga was right behind them. He didn't have to worry much; Hamuri had said Yume wasn't there. But Kagome...she was injured too, he was sure of it. He might not have her love, but he wanted her friendship. But...where was Yume? She should have heard the screams, she couldn't have been that far that fast.
A gun shot rang out. Shippo, clinging to Kouga's back, jumped in response to it.

"What the hell is that?!" Inuyasha yelled, looking over his shoulder for an explanation.
Hamuri, who was shaking, soaked, and crying, told him.

"It's a gun. It shoots a small metal ball at high speeds into the flesh of living things," She paused as another gun shot sounded and someone roared in pain. "It can kill almost instantly and penetrates anything," she finished solemnly.

A howl broke the night and Kouga put an extra burst of speed into his limbs. Easy, since he still carried the Shikon Shards. He had forgotten to give them to Kagome earlier on; it was going to be a present if she became his woman rightfully. But now she was with Inuyasha and Kouga himself had chosen Yume. Still, he only matched Inuyasha's and Miroku's speed, he didn't surpass it. Yume was howling...and by the tone of it she was in pain. Lots of it.

"Right here! Stop, right here!" Hamuri suddenly shouted and Inuyasha skidded to a stop, pressing his ears down against his head.
Noises met the boys' ears first. People within the alley were crying, moaning, or yelling gruffly. A muffled strike passed through the air, and that's when the smell of blood bypassed the smell of garbage.

Kagome's blood. Yume's blood. Sango's blood.

Rage boiled and threatened to overflow Inuyasha's veins. Kouga beside him was trembling in fury, immobile at the moment with it, barely under control. Only Miroku, without a keen sense of smell, was still only furious. If he could smell Sango's blood, if he could smell it....

Inuyasha felt himself slipping. His hold on Hamuri fell and she slipped off his back, sobbing, but trying to remain silent. She drifted to one side of the building, hiding on the corner, but Inuyasha's attention was not on her anymore. He could see now, rain was pouring into his eyes, but he could see. And one of those men had their hands around Kagome's throat.
"Get. Your. Hand. Off. Her." With each word, Inuyasha's voice grew more primal.
His fangs grew in his mouth and jutted out slightly. His claws, already long and sharp, became longer, sharper, much more dangerous. His normally sunset colored eyes turned blood red. He was stronger now, faster, and so much more dangerous to everything and everyone around him. Even himself.

Kouga felt the changes in Inuyasha, but wasn't surprised when his own changes occurred. Kouga himself had never really reverted to his true youkai form; like Inuyasha when he lost control. Inuyasha had done it once and killed someone close to him, and he never wanted to do it again. But ... his eyes had fallen upon his newly mated, his life-mate, and she was lying unconscious on the alley floor; a fallen angel dressed in her own blood.

A flash of lightning. Miroku saw the scene before him clearly, could feel the demon's rage before him. But now his own rage was developing, though he knew he would not change like they were doing. He was human, not demon. His own Sango was still lying as she had fallen, except a man had his gun, still smoking, held above her. She was bleeding profusely...she had been shot. His rage doubled.

Then the men noticed someone was watching them, getting ready to fight them. They drew their guns and looked hard into the darkness, at the mouth of the alley. The man holding Kagome dropped her and allowed her to land with a sicken thump on the stone of the alley. That was it, Inuyasha was thoroughly pissed.

With a primal roar of rage, he leaped into the alleyway. Kagome's blood was driving him crazy, her sweet scent was enough to make him mad. The man that had been hold Kagome lifted his gun and fire three rounds at the figure about to land on him. The figure with white hair draped behind him like a cape. One round missed, the other two struck deep into Inuyasha's chest. Blood spurted from the wounds and he felt as if someone slammed a tree into his chest twice, but he continued his decent.
His claws sliced through flesh, muscle, sinew, and bone.
Blood was everywhere now. Kouga joined in, attacking the attackers. Yells were rising, bullets were flying, and tearing flesh was heard. During all this, Miroku managed to grab Sango and Eri, but Kagome and Yume lay untouched. He knew if he touched them...the two demons might kill him as well. Still, they weren't safe even if the demons were occupied having a slaughter feast.
The scent of death and carnage drove Inuyasha and Kouga faster, destroying anything in their way. If they caught sight of each other, what might happen? Miroku didn't know. All he knew was that this had to stop, he had to revert them somehow. But how?

Tetsusaiga was at Kagome's house, in her room. And Kouga? How to revert him? He had no Tetsusaiga to restrain his demonic blood for he was totally demon. How do you revert a full demon with a thirst for human blood? What would you revert him to?
Shippo trembled in fear.

Kagome was still in there, Miroku hadn't gotten her. Why? Because Inuyasha would have killed them both. And Yume was still there too. Where was Shizuko? She wasn't in sight, that was for sure, and that seemed the best thing to do. Not be in sight. Inuyasha and Kouga were in crazed form and not being in sight was always best.

"Shippo! Go get the Tetsusaiga...hurry!" Miroku whispered, cradling Sango's head in his lap. Eri was beside him propped up on his discarded shirt. "Hurry, Shippo, before Inuyasha kills us all!"

"But...what about Kouga?" Shippo asked, watching as the demons started to finish the carnage.
"Don't worry about that now, I feel Inuyasha is more dangerous at the moment. Now go!" Miroku commanded.
Shippo left. He himself had a natural form that he never seemed to revert to, a fox form. With a small "pop", he transformed into a golden orange colored fox, streaking along the sidewalk as fast as he could go. His steps were light and he was much faster this way. He'd be there and back within minutes.
But...where minutes too long?

Sango felt someone's hands on her face, keeping her still. Large hands, one of them with some sort of fabric on it. Something round and cold touched her cheek, her neck, and then her forehead. What was going on, what was happening? Where was she? Things slowly came back to her. She remembered the morning...Kagome's house...Hide and Seek....and then being attacked.
She sat up so suddenly and stopped so abruptly that blackness filled her vision once more. She willed unconsciousness away with a huge effort and opened her eyes. She was cold...and wet, she knew that. Thunder was rolling and rain was falling. Cold rain. Exhausted, she fell back onto what she thought was a pillow. She couldn't be much help...but she had a feeling there was nothing more to help with.

"Sango! Lady Sango, are you with me? Say something, Sango!" The voice was right above her, so familiar and sending shivers down her spine.
Or was that the rain? She didn't know, she felt herself drifting again.... Boy did her head hurt. Her whole body hurt...and tingled at the same time. The rain was cold and she shivered again. Her eyes drifted shut, shutting them from the outside world and the rain that beat against her face, blinding her vision anyway. Drifting...she was so exhausted.
"Sango!"
That's Miroku... She thought dazedly, the blackness still pressing in. He sounds so urgent....I wonder what's wrong...
"Sango, please, answer me!"
Sorry, Miroku, I can't answer you...I'm so tired right now. Let me sleep some more... She slipped back into the darkness, embracing it with arms wide open.

Miroku looked down at Sango's peaceful face, gazed down at her soft features. In the pale light and the brief flashes of lightning, he could see blood splattered on her perfect features. Her blood, he was positive. That gun, that weapon...she was wounded and badly. He didn't know anything about a gun shot wound, nor did he know of a place around here that could take care of it for him. And Sango had slipped back into unconsciousness

.
She was so peaceful, she could have been sleeping, dreaming peaceful dreams, but he knew better. She was slipping from the real world, he could feel it in her aura. She was slipping, slowly, but she was slipping. More blood poured from her side onto his jeans, but he didn't care. He hugged her close, tried one last time to call her from the depths of darkness, and cried.
"Sango...please..answer me."
Beside him, Eri lay as silent and still as Sango herself.

XXXX

The massacre was done, other matters needed attending to. Kagome's blood, she was bleeding a lot it seemed, the whole area was covered in her intoxicating scent. Inuyasha turned his head slightly to where she was lying on her back, arm bent slightly, face receiving the rain. She looked as if she had taken a nap, knees together and lying to the right. She could have been sleeping, if not for the blood trickling from the corner of her mouth and the knife slashes on her body. It looked as if she had fought one on one with a sword master and all she had was a stick.

Inuyasha took a step closer to her. She was as good as dead lying there, bleeding. Some of the wounds looked like they would heal, but he couldn't be sure. Even in the crazed state he was in now, he knew that. Covered in blood with his mind reeling, he took another step towards her fallen figure.

He knelt down slowly. His clawed digit reached out and caressed her cheek. His other hand reached underneath her head and tilted her up. Her arms hung back and her mouth fell open slightly, the blood continuing its journey out of her mouth and down her chin. For a second, Inuyasha just stared at her. His bond wouldn't allow him to harm her at all, but he couldn't ignore the smell of her blood.

It was just so...intoxicating.... something he could not ignore at all. Like the stench of the men that had done this to her.
He let out a snarl and replaced her on the floor. He needed something else to kill, something else to maim. He had to get this anger out, deplete the blood lust. And for that, he needed more victims. Something, anything.
His eyes traveled the length of the alley and fell upon Kouga. He'd do...

XXXX

Kouga had dropped out of his crazed form as fast as he had fallen into it. The smell of Yume, the sight of her stilled body; it had caused him to drop back to normal. And there was no other way to describe it, he had dropped back into his own mind like a diver jumping into a pool. Clunk. He was back.
He neared Yume slowly. Her face was scrunched up in pain despite the fact that she was still unconscious. He could hear her moan, her small little yips and yelps, her high pitched cries. Each sound she made wrenched at his heart and tears flowed freely from his eyes. He wished he had more of those bastards to kill...he needed something to vent the last of his rage on.
But the rage was empty now. What would be the point if Yume died? Killing wouldn't bring her back, maiming something wouldn't help at all. It wouldn't ease the pain of loosing her anymore than it would ease his rage.

He fell to his knees beside Yume and placed his hands on her shoulders gently. Tears stained her cheeks, tears of pain and guilt, mixing with the rain and running them off her face. But that did not make the trails of her tears, those salty trails, disappear from his mind.

Something sharp embedded in his back, deep. It didn't hurt at first, all he could feel was the pressure of the wound, and the sharp thing pulled free and the pain started. Compared to what he felt deep within himself, the pain of the wound was nothing. It was the fury that accompanied it, fury at being interrupted while he was with his Yume.

Kouga whipped around and stood up as fast as lightning. What he saw amazed him. Unlike himself, Inuyasha didn't transform back. He was still full demon, his blood thirst was still racing, and he had come for either him or Yume...or both. Kouga growled low in his throat.

"What are you doing, Inuyasha." It wasn't much of a question, more of a warning.
They circled each other slowly, eyes locked, claws outstretched, clicking together. Inuyasha was grinning maniacally and the sticky red blood that covered half his face despite the purifying rain made him look even more evil. Kouga shuttered slightly and wondered momentarily if he had blood all over him. Of course he did, with a massacre comes the blood of the massacred.
"Killing. What's it to you, wolf-shit?"
"What's it to me? Well, I have a life-mate to protect, half-breed."
"Feh, I'm not a half breed in this form."
"You'll always be a half-breed no matter what form your in."
It was wrong to provoke the beast and, unfortunately, Kouga knew it. Inuyasha leaped at him with claws stretched, moving faster than Kouga had predicted. Even though Kouga dodged the lethal blows, Inuyasha's claws still did damage to his right arm.
"Inuyasha!" A voice yelled out from near the mouth of the alley.
Inuyasha snapped his head towards the voice and Kouga did the same. Shippo stood there with Tetsusaiga held in his hands. He tossed the sword from one hand to the other, looking warily but defiantly at Inuyasha, almost daring him to come get it. And Inuyasha responded just the way Shippo wanted and planned for him to.
"Give me that, bastard! It's mine!" Inuyasha roared.
Shippo threw it through the air, aimed right towards the demonic half-breed. Inuyasha caught it in mid-air before the thought occurred to him. With Tetsusaiga, he couldn't remain demon. He let out a cry of anguish and made to drop the sword, but it had already done it's intended work. Inuyasha's teeth shrunk, his nails shrunk, and his eyes returned to their honey gold. He was Inuyasha again.
And he was terrified for Kagome.

XXXX

Inuyasha ran over to Kagome and dropped down next to her. He picked her up slowly and carefully, making sure not to disturb her wounds anymore than he already had. For a moment, he thought for sure that Kagome wasn't breathing anymore. And why? Because he said all right and allowed her to head on into the city alone. He didn't know about the human's guns and their devastating power. He himself was bleeding profusely from two gun wounds...and they hurt like hell.

But Kagome had not been shot, she had been knifed. Slashes were all over her body, tearing her clothing in certain places. She looked as if she had taken a tumble into a thorn bush, with the thorns taken out and replaced with short little army jack knives.

Dead. If Kagome was dead... He didn't want to think about that.

He had lost his first love, he wasn't going to lose Kagome. Never. Kagome was his, and his she would remain. And when they were ready, he would make sure she stayed his. He wouldn't let her go without a fight.

Kagome stirred in his arms. She croaked out a cry and tossed her head to the side. She was unconscious, but she was also in pain. Inuyasha set aside his woe and his rage to feel how bad Kagome was. What he felt was worse than the two shots he had sustained. And Kagome was only human! Placing his hand on her back and willing it to be so, he took some of her pain from her using their bond. She quieted and Inuyasha grunted under the agony.
Kagome was going to be fine, he was sure of it. Slowly, and very gently, he picked her up and held her close. Tetsusaiga was now wrapped around his waist. He would have to thank Shippo later, lavishly thank him. If it wasn't for him, he would have killed...he would have killed everyone except Kagome. He knew that.

When he neared the mouth of the cave, he looked to the side of him. Kouga was walking there, right arm hanging uselessly, the other holding Yume with a ton of effort. He didn't want to hurt her, Inuyasha was sure of it, and it was so hard to be careful when you only had one arm.

Wait a second, he only had the use of one arm? Why? He looked closely at the wound, blinking running water out of his eyes, and felt sick. Claw wounds, his claws. He had done it when he was crazed, he had harmed Kouga. Was Yume next, after he disposed of Kouga? He didn't know, and he didn't want to dwell on it.
Sobbing reached his ears, sobbing in a familiar voice. It was stifled, as if the person didn't want to cry freely, but had no choice. The tears were coming anyway. As they neared the exit of the alley, he saw the source of the crying.

Miroku was holding a deathly pale, deathly still Sango.
Miroku tilted his head up and looked at Inuyasha. Water mixed with the tears falling from the priest's eyes, dripping down his cheeks in torrents. Inuyasha froze in horror.

What if Sango was dead? Kagome...Kagome would take it especially hard. And the priest... Inuyasha didn't want to think about what the priest would do to himself if Sango died. He knew there had been something going on between them, something deliberately hidden from other's eyes. Why hidden? He had no idea.

But Sango looked so pale...
Eri lay next to Miroku, her head propped up on Miroku's discarded shirt. She stirred every once in a while, but never woke. Hamuri was crying silently near the edge of the building, gazing at Sango's still form, at Kagome's form, and at Yume's still form. Shizuko magically appeared and looked at them gravely.
"The police are coming. If you don't want to answer any questions, I suggest you leave. We'll stay. We'll talk to them." She said solemnly, her eyes never leaving Inuyasha's. "But you have to hurry."

Inuyasha listened for a moment and heard sirens. He nodded, thanking her, and then looked down at Miroku. Miroku was starting to stand, drying his eyes.
"She needs help, Inuyasha. Bad."
"I know. We'll get her to Kaede. Can you carry her?"
"Yes."
"Then lets go."
Four figures ran off into the darkness, holding three other figures in their arms.
And still the storm raged on.

XXXX

Kagome was in pain, there was no doubt about that. It was the worst pain she had ever felt in her entire life, more pain than most of the wounds she had gotten while with Inuyasha shard hunting. And this time, it was in her own world. How ironic.

She could hardly open her eyes and when she did, she always saw a golden pair staring back at her. Whenever her eyes opened even part way, a bowl of tea or water was brought to her lips and those same golden eyes always stared back into hers. And his hands were so gentle when they cared for her.
For around two days, Kagome had been lying flat on her back. Well, there goes that math test... She though, unconcerned. She could tell that she was in Kaede's hut, she could smell the familiar aromas. She could also hear her, even if her voice was fuzzy to Kagome's ears.

On the second day, Kagome was sitting up and looking about. Inuyasha wasn't in sight, but other figures caught her eye. Miroku was leaning over a figure wrapped in a blanket and she thought she heard him sobbing.
A bolt of fear ran the length of her spine. Miroku normally watches over Sango...and if she was hurt as badly as Kagome thought she was when she saw her in the alley... She shuttered at the thought, which in turn caused her body to ache. No, Sango would be okay.
But then why would Kaede have wrapped her up, from head to foot? She tried to make a sound, but her throat was so dry and her mouth felt cottony. Not a sound could escape her. Instead, she rustled around and pushed off the blanket, gently forcing herself upon her feet.

Kagome looked down at herself slowly, neck stiff and sore. All over her body were bandages, in some places small and in others larger and more pronounced. She looked close to a walking mummy, even some places on her face and neck were covered with the soft cloth. Slowly, she made her way over to Miroku, gently placing her hand on his shoulder. Her right hand was bandaged too.
"Miroku..."
At the sound of his name, he looked up. She saw the tear stains on his cheeks and assumed the worst. Looking past him and down at the covered body, she looked for any sign that it really was Sango, and sorrow built up in her chest.
Something moved underneath the blanket.

Kagome would have shrieked if her throat and mouth wasn't so dry. Instead, she watched as Miroku started to smile. This whole thing now seemed like a twisted nightmare, and she even expected to watch as the blanket was thrown back and a zombyish Sango appeared. Instead, Miroku stood up, hugged Kagome as tight as he dared, and looked back down at the moving figure.

The top of Sango's head appeared above the blanket, only eyes and hair. But her eyes were enough to tell Kagome that her friend was all right; she seemed to be seething. Kagome looked back up at Miroku and would have laughed if she could have. A red hand mark had appeared amidst the happy tears. She assumed the monk must have taken advantage of Sango being unconscious. Unlucky him, it seemed to be the wrong day to try it.
"Since Kaede was gone, he thought it'd be right to try to change my shoulder bandage!"
"Hahh...I got the shirt half-way up before she slapped me..." Miroku looked dreamy eyed.

"Yeah, right you pervert!" Sango looked enraged, made to throw something at him, but then squinted in pain.
Miroku's expression now looked distressed as Sango wriggled in pain. He told her to lay still and, when his hands captured hers, she did as told. Kagome looked away from them with a small smile, trying to give them as much privacy as she could, and looked around the hut instead.
Kagome suddenly felt someone else's anxiety. Inuyasha's probably, since she was linked to him. It mingled with her emotions and caused her to feel a bit jumpy, looking around, and exhausting her with the effort. She sat down and motioned to Shippo for something to drink.
"You got it, Kagome!" Shippo said with a smile, rubbing his newly awakened eyes.
When he returned with her drink, she drank it up greedily. Shippo watched her the entire time. She seems to be better, he thought happily. And when she's totally supremely better, I'll give her the biggest hug imaginable! He smiled happily, tail twitching.
Mouth satiated, throat no longer dry, Kagome let out a satisfied 'ah!' before tilting her head at the young Kitsune.
"Do you know what happened? Where are Eri, Hamuri, and Shizuko?"
Kagome's worry doubled as her mouth spoke the sentence. What did happen to her friends? Hopefully they weren't injured? And, if they were, where were they now? They didn't appear to be within the confines of the hut and she was sure Inuyasha wouldn't bring them to the Sengoku Jidai.

Oh yeah, and what happened to Yume? Kagome could remember waking back up after being knocked unconscious and seeing Yume take the first bullet for her. She also remembered Yume being fired at another two times before they both fell unconscious.

Someone stumbled through the door and glanced around quickly. Before Kagome could turn her head to see the newcomer, she was picked up and held in a tight embrace. Suprised, she let out a small yelp until the familiar smell and fell of Inuyasha came to her. Now that she was even nearer to him she could feel his new emotion. Supreme happiness. It seemed to be radiating out of him and into her. She could even smell the scent of the forest on his haori.

He moved his arms just slightly and rubbed Kagome the wrong way. She let out a small cry of pain and the arms instantly relaxed. Inuyasha's golden eyes, full of concern, gazed deeply into hers. She bit back the next cry of pain and forced a smile.
"You took the clothing off."
It was the only thing she could say. She noticed it the moment he had held her; the clothing he had worn during the rather short time in her world was gone. He was back to wearing his normal red haori.
Inuyasha nodded slightly. "I took it off when we got back." He pulled at the haori. "Suits me better."
Kagome put on a genuine smile and gave him a small hug. "It does. I like the haori better on you than the other stuff."
"Really?"
"Yes. Reminds me of everything we went through." Kagome pulled back slightly and looked up at him. "I have to go back and talk to my mother. She's probably wondering why I didn't come home."
His whole demenor changed quite suddenly. He started growling and his gaze became more intent. He straightened his back, seemed to look down his nose at her. She grew surprised and confused at his behavior and even took a slight step back from him.
"I don't want you to go back to that place." He said gruffly. "Ever. Kagome," His features grew softer and he reached out to caress her cheek with his fingers. "I don't want you hurt like you were before. You had me scared."
"I-Inuyasha..."
Kagome was shocked. Blindly shocked. Inuyasha saying he was scared? And his gaze was so sincere, so loving, that she just couldn't think of anything else to say.
Inuyasha was stunned at himself for saying it. Seemed as if his thoughts nowadays just tumbled out of his mouth before he could check them and edit it. Still, since it was the truth, he couldn't help but continue. He didn't want Kagome to leave his side again, not now, not ever. She would never feel pain like she had before ever again. He would make sure of it.
He held both his hands to her cheeks, forcing her gaze to stay on his. "Stay here. Don't head back to that freakin' death trap." He growled, but not at her. "I can't bear to think what else must have happened to you in that time before what had happened three days ago."
Kagome placed her hand on his and closed her eyes for a moment. "Inuyasha, you know I have my family there-"
"We'll bring them here, they can stay in this time."
"-and all my friends-"
"Them too!"
"-school-"
"Screw school, you won't need it if you stay here."
Kagome finally opened her eyes and gazed at him. "Are you serious?"
Inuyasha jerked slightly. "Serious about what?"
"Do you really want Eri, Hamuri, Shizuko, my mom, Sota, and my grandfather here?"
"If that's what you want, sure! I'll carry them if I have to! Just please..stay."
"Are you going to, Kagome?" Shippo leaped on her shoulder and widened his eyes into one of his cutest expressions.
Kagome blinked at him. She had momentarily forgotten that he had been there. She had forgotten everyone else existed. Without warning, the curtain opened again and two people entered.
"We couldn't help it, we heard your conversation. Kagome? Are you really pondering staying in this time?" Yume was standing upright, but she was cradling her left arm which was still bandaged heavily.
"You can't just leave Inuyasha here." Kouga grumbled before taking a seat and pulling Yume down to sit as well.
"Well, seeing as everyone else put in their two sence first, I might as well have a say." Miroku put his finger in the air. "One, if you stay in your time when this is all over, we'll be devistated. Two," Another finger. "We'll help pay to build a house, or build a house ourselves, for both family and friends."
Kagome blinked again. Where did everyone come from? Overwhelmed with gratitude at her friend's 'two sense', as Miroku kindly put it, tears fell from her cheeks. She turned her head and brought her teary gaze up to lock with Inuyasha's.
Only one second of hesitation lasted before she finally spoke.
"I'll stay, but we're going to have to wait to get the others after Naraku is defeated."

XXXX Okay, you guys know what to do! R & R!!!