I really love the show (without being an annoying, rabid, fan girl about it!) and hope that you like my little story here. Little of course being an understatement!

Disclaimer: I don't own them, (but I rule you!) I'm just borrowing them for a little while. Sorry if I spell any names wrong, but I'm pretty sure they're correct.

Summary: For the sake of all that is Inuyasha, the character's names will stay the same though the roles have changed. This is a KagxInu fic, and Kikyou will not be appearing, but there will be other conflicts, don't worry.

Author: SailorCreative she is the one named sailor creative

""This means talking, ' ' this means thoughts
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To Live by Love

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Scroll 8

Kagome awoke with a start, frightened to be in a cave, and then remembered what had happened, and why she was there. Slowly, Kagome drifted into a daze as she shuddered; however, she wasn't exactly sure why she was shivering so. It wasn't like she could actually feel anything anymore for the past few minutes.

'I don't want to play this game anymore...' her eyes felt heavy, and her limbs were equally bogged down with weariness.

'I don't want this...' The rain seemed to engulf her thoughts in thunderclaps sounded, and she hung her head, a few tears running, and then slipping off of her cheeks.

Huddled up in the corner of the cave, the water continued to trickle down the ridges of the cave floor or drip from the stalactites that seemed to pound on her aching skull. The dampness of her clothes pressed against her soaked skin plus the combination of the chilly air whistling in chilled her to the bone, but she felt nothing; nothing, except for the contempt welling inside.

"What's the point?" she mused grimly; her shoulders sagged as she leaned into the stone, her voice barely louder than a whisper. 'No one ever wanted me...' The familiar, wet substance lined against the brims of her eyes then slipped from the corners as she blinked.

'No one wanted me, certainly he wouldn't want me, not to love anyways...' stifling an abrupt sob she brushed back strands of hair. She put her right arm on the ground to support herself as she laid herself on the ground and lapped at the small puddle of water that had gathered there, easing her sore through.

Shuffling through a few thoughts, Kagome wondered what it would like to be loved. Was it like spring flowers, a walk through the woods, kissing under moonlit with the stars gleaming down at you, a splash in a pond-

Thoughts of him rampaged into her consciousness. 'Inuyasha...'

A memory of their meeting filled her mind's eye.

"Inuyasha.... It suits."

Her eyes closed as she finally drifted into a deep, deep sleep.

--

Competing against the relentless pour of rain and bursts of wind, he franticly jumped from tree-top to tree-top tracking her down by her scent. Unfortunately, with everything around him, and the constant danger of being struck by a streak of lightening (or coming relatively close) hanging over his head, he was difficult and sometimes he found himself running in circles.

'Why does everything has to look so much alike?'

At times the sky would become pitch black, and he'd have to pause until there was a flash of lightning so that he could move again,, but then the darkness would proceed after making his journey that much slower.

Sometimes he would feel uneasy, as if something or someone was watching him, but even after a few quick looks it was yield nothing but the same familiar scenes he had sworn he's seen at least once or twice before.

'Damnit, if I keep going at this rate...'

Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind his teeth gritted together as he lunged to the next tree, and then the next. The scent of the greenery underneath him didn't bother his senses one bit, but the shower of rain clogging his nose and blurring his vision didn't help too much either.

Suddenly he felt a wash of her flowery scent fill his senses completely and he stopped in awe of the wonderful fragrance, mouthing her name and licked his lips.

In the instant that he relished in her aroma she had just fallen into sleep, and he found that the rain already washed away her footprints, but the aroma was strongest at the base of the cave. 'I'm coming.'

Crouching down and walking on all fours he quickly examined the cave, his eyes sweeping along all of the surfaces searching for her. When the familiar outline of her body jumped out at him he scrambled to her side, his bare feet slipping on the floor.

'Kagome!' he mouthed, glancing at the stalactites and soon become weary of their presence. He nudged her arm, and then gasped at how cold she was. He recalled the warmth of her body against his, but let the thought roll off his back, he needed to get her back to the village.

Taking off his haori and wrapped it around her body, hoping to give her body some warmth.

'C'mon Kagome,' he found himself thinking. Cradling her in his arms he held her close to his chest, her hair brushing against his cheek.

'I'll get you home. It's my fault you're in this mess...'

--

He made it back to the village in a few hours time, and walked half of the way there when the lightning started to get out of control and he feared that she would die from its electrical currents. Once on their way one of the rivers overflowed and started to flood, he had to choose between the lightning and the river. Just as he was ready to make a decision a sliver struck the ground and he jumped, deciding it would be best to get there as soon as possible.

As soon as he came within the first few feet the guards stuck their spears up in the air as he landed from his last leap and he showed him the bundle he carried in his arms. They let him through, sounding that she had finally been recovered. When he reached one of the temples Sango came running towards him and looked down at her and within the next instant he watched as they carried Kagome away to their medicine man, the monk trailing behind Sango. The monk briefly looked back at him with slight contempt and turned back to his duty. The rain poured down on him and he looked up into the sky, the moist droplets covering his face. Without knowing it, the rain wasn't the only thing pouring down from his face and he smelled the strange salty texture of the air, but dismissed it as rain.

Cowering underneath one of the cherry blossom trees, many blossoms were shaken of their respective places on the tree branches and fell onto his face. They reminded him of Kagome, but it wasn't as alluring as her scent was. 'How could I have been so stupid?' he groaned, lurching as he remembered he hadn't eaten at all since dinner, but knew this wasn't the time for his stomach.

For the longest time he just sat there, letting the rain soak into his flesh, soaking into his soul as the rhythmic pounding of the rain was in sync with his breathing. Soon he felt nothing too; nothing except for the unknown feelings he couldn't quite express except anger in all of his bewilderment. Why did he care so much anyways?

In the dim light he saw a group just outside one of the doors, amongst the group were Sango, the Monk, and a few others he didn't recognized or cared too. Curiously struck him as he quietly jumped onto the rooftop and listened in on their conversation.

"She has taken on pneumonia, surely if she isn't given treatment she won't last the night," the voice rasped.

"We can't get to any other villages that hold a cure in time, the storm is too violent," he heard another voice protest in dismay.

"I will do anything for her, just tell me where it is," this voice belonged to a female, and full of fear. It was Sango; did she truly fear for Kagome's life?

"I won't let you Sango, I don't want to lose both of you because you have the foolish notion that you could possibly-"

"Since when did you start caring about someone else than yourself lecher? Unlike you I carry out my duties!"

"Then why did you allow her out of your sites?"

There was a brief pause of silence before she spoke again, "At least I was watching her when that hanyou nearly raped her because you were too busy thinking about your britches!"

"Now you're just exaggerating-!"

"I'll get it!" he finally growled, jumping from his spot. "It's my fault that she's sick. I'll get it and I'll be back before night's over, just give me the chance to make up for it."

"No, we can't possibly put the life-"

"If you just stopped arguing and listen for just a second!" he roared, suddenly finding himself very agitated with their bickering. "Every moment that we let go by standing here and arguing over petty things that's one more minute wasted that could have been spent saving her," his voice cracked at the end, his breath coming in short rasps.

"It's my fault, just let me help her, Please," he pleaded, stifling back what could have been mistaken to be tears, but none could tell because of the downpour, nor did they notice.

The group exchanged looks, and he realized Miroku was the one she had been arguing with the entire time. Something didn't make sense, but he didn't have the time to think about it then. "It's south of here a few miles. There's a woman there named Kaede, she'll have a cure. If it's too late we'll let the arrows let you know before you get here," Sango spat, before walking inside. An old man followed and Miroku handed him a bag. "Be swift."

Inuyasha nodded as he snatched the bag out of Miroku's grasp and ran out of the village, and then started to leap amongst the trees once more.

'Please let me make things right, Kagome!' he pleaded inwardly. It wasn't too long until he reached the village. He only had minor problems, and ran into a snake demon along the way but quickly disposed of that. When he was just outside the village gate, the guards regarded him with the same tactics as the ones from Kagome's, but he told them of his distress they believed naught a word.

"Have it your way!" he sneered. He unsheathed his sword and held it out in front of him with both hands. He thought of slaying the two, but dismissed the thought and ran right through them. 'If I'm not going to use it, might as well put it away. He shoved it back into the scabbard and searched franticly for the hut.

At long last he recognized the markings and rushed right in. The old one sat there, he snow-white hair pulled back into a ponytail and wore an eye patch. "What do ye want?" She showed no indication of fear as she spoke, obviously feeling she had seen this kind of thing all the time. Inuyasha quickly explained himself once more and showed her the bag he had kept dry, despite his travel.

"I see," she said, "My apprentice will collect the herbs needed and then I'll make the medicine."

The time seemed to go by, inch by merest inch as he reminded himself that Kagome's life hung by a thread. He silently prayed that she was okay, but then remembered she wasn't quite as fragile as she appeared to be.

A small kitsune padded into the room and held out his basket, "I brought the herbs you asked for Lady Kaede," he told her. He set them on the floor and brought in some dry wood for the fire. "Very good, thank you Shippo. Please see to it that Inuyasha has a place to rest while I brew it, I must not be interrupted." She made a warning glance at him as he left and was guided to another hut.

"This Kagome of yours must be some woman if you'd risk your life just to get medicine," the young fox-child commented. Inuyasha only grunted and swatted him away. "Hey! That's not very nice, you know. Just stay here until it's done," he sniffled, rubbing the sore spot on his head.

"Whatever." In a few minutes Inuyasha drifted off into sleep, but awoke only an hour later. He never slept easily, especially now. The door flapped open and the kid walked back in with the back. "It's finished, be sure to put it in hot water, and then have her drink all of it." Inuyasha nodded and looped one of its strings around his neck.

'I just hope it's not too late...'

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Hope that this scroll made up for the shortness of the last one. I finally have the rest of the fic planned out, and its last chapter will be Scroll 12. (Amazing, isn't it?) I don't have much commentary at the moment; in fact, I'm working on the next scroll as we speak. I hope to get it up by tomorrow at the latest. (Waves)

Thanks for all of the love and support, if I haven't told you guys that already!!