Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any other characters. All the
characters that you will not recognize are creations of my very warped
imagination. The rest belong to Rumiko Takahashi.
A/N : This is my first fic and please go easy on me. I welcome flames coz I sincerely believe that failure is a another step to success (or something like that) Although I must warn you that a very evil flame might destroy my soul and leave me depressed and deranged in front of a mirror with a sharp razor (all razors are sharp, I think) so be careful what you say. Suggestions are welcome. IF you don't review, then I won't write anymore coz then I won't know if anyone is reading this or not. So please, have a little heart. Thanx.
Chapter 1: I'll be fine
Inuyasha growled out of frustration. It had been hours since he'd been trying to fight off this hoard of demons and without any luck. It seemed it was an ambush. Sango and Miroku were clearly beginning to tire; their movements were slow and sluggish. Kagome was missing her target by miles and her fingers were looking dangerously red. Inuyasha himself was beginning to weaken and this itself made Inuyasha mad enough to nearly rip one demon to pieces. These demons were strange. They looked reptilian. Green-yellow scale covered their whole body and they had slits for pupils. They looked like a crossbreed between bees and snakes. This was not good considering Miroku had the same reaction to sucking these demons into his Wind Tunnel as he had with Naraku's insects. He soon resorted to fighting with his staff, which wasn't very effective since the scales on these demons served as armour, a very tough armour. Kagome's arrows did a lot of damage to these unholy animals but now Kagome's aim was...well non-existent. Overall, the fight was turning more and more one sided.
Inuyasha dodged an attack and headed for his sword. It had been knocked out of his hand at some point during the fight. Not like he could do much with it, he couldn't stall long enough to use his Wind Scar. With a grunt, he heaved the tetsusaiga (A/N: sorry if I misspelled it) out of the ground and swung it at the slimy demon inches away from him slicing him cleanly into two pieces. Inuyasha's eyes widened as he noticed an opening, there were not many demons left and most of them were occupied by Sango and Miroku. Kagome, having run out of arrows was pulling the older arrows out of the corpses and stabbed a few while getting into stance. Inuyasha leapt at the opportunity and swung the sword with all his might, sending waves of light through the ground and disintegrated the rest of the snake demons.
Panting heavily, he sank to the ground and watched Kagome move towards him. Even when she was tired, she never lost her grace. Inuyasha allowed himself a smile as she reduced the distance between them. Then suddenly she stopped, her eyes grew large with fear and she broke out into a run. Inuyasha sensing danger sprung to his feet and twisted. His battle had drained him of his energy and he could have dodged the attack if he had possessed even half of his previous energy. The snake demon that Inuyasha thought he had killed was behind him with his hand pulled back and his claws extracted. With lightning speed, the demon wrapped the half-breed in his tail and swung his claws at the chest of the panting half-demon.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried out before she equipped her bow and released the arrow. The arrow sliced through the air and embedded itself into the snake demon's heart. In a flash of light the demon was dust and Inuyasha lay on the ground holding his chest with his hand trying to stop the bleeding. Kagome ran up to him followed by Sango and Miroku. She fingered his wound as he tried to sit up.
"Inuyasha...are you all right?" Kagome looked at him with eyes full of worry and concern. Inuyasha's heart melted at the sight and he felt like the luckiest demon in the entire world to have her as a friend. Maybe even more than a friend someday.
"Heh... don't worry wench. I'll be as good as new by tomorrow morning." He raised his honey-golden eyes at her and met her worried black ones. Just to prove his point, he tried to stand and succeeded after putting an arm around Miroku and another around Kagome.
"See? I'll be fine. I just need to rest." He nodded at her as she smiled and gave his hand a little squeeze.
"Let's get you to Kaede's. She'll know how to speed up the healing process." With that, the gang turned in the direction of the village. Luckily, they weren't far from it when they got attacked. A few hours journey and they should be there before dark. Shippo, seeing that it's safe, emerged from his hiding spot and sat on Sango's shoulders.
An hour later, Inuyasha found hard to focus and he blamed his exhaustion for the dizziness. They stopped every once in a while to let Inuyasha rest but he seemed to grow weaker by the second. Eventually, Inuyasha rode on Kirara's back while Kagome kept a hand on his sleeve in case he fell. They actually reached village a bit after sundown. Kirara rushed Inuyasha into Kaede's hut and laid him down softly onto the ground.
"Oh my!" Kaede exclaimed, looking at all the blood seeping from his shirt. Inuyasha had lost consciousness on the way and was murmuring in his sleep. He flinched when Kaede attempted to remove his shirt. The blood had dried and had adhered the shirt to his skin. Kagome came back with some herbs and bandages. She gave Kaede some rubbing alcohol and herself started cleaning the wound. It didn't look deep and there was no sign of infection. Kagome released a breath she didn't know she was holding, relieved that his unconsciousness was probably just caused due to exhaustion.
All bandaged up, Inuyasha slept peacefully in the corner. Kagome, Sango and Miroku sat around the fire trying to determine the cause of the ambush. Miroku had, of course, taken a seat between Sango and Kagome and constantly exhibited a red cheek, or two on occasions.
"I have a theory." Miroku said, looking very calm and collected. He raised a cup of tea to his lips, waiting before speaking to add to the effect. "The snake demons are known for their speed," He put the cup down, "they are also very resourceful and are very clever soldiers."
He looked at Kagome and noted with satisfaction that she was interested. One look at Sango however told him he should get on with the hypothesis.
"But there is another thing they are known for." Kagome looked at him, her eyes sparkling with curiosity, and Sango had stopped glaring at him and was paying attention for once.
"They are very.... Lustful" He hissed the last word suggestively at Sango and she glared at him in full force that gave Inuyasha's glares a run for their life. Kagome giggled as the sound of a boomerang hitting human skull reverberated through the hut.
Miroku rubbed his head where the boomerang had made contact and resumed speaking, "All I was saying was that the demons may have attacked us due to the fact that we had two very beautiful women travelling with us and may have wanted to produce offspring. Which, I might add, is not an offence. I rest my case."
Sango ignored every word he had said and proceeded to what she thought could have initiated the attack.
"I believe it was an ambush." She slapped Miroku to stop him in the process of extending his hand to less innocent areas. "And the fact that Miroku was unable to draw them in was disturbing as well."
Kagome nodded, "I thought about that too, do you think its Naraku's new trick?"
"Its very possible, my dear ladies." Miroku added, looking calm and composed again, "But I still believe that lust played a role. A rather large one, I dare say."
Kagome continued, "What about the fact that we were attacked close the village? We are always wandering; the village is the place where we go frequently. It would be a good place to set up an ambush."
"Very convincing." Sango agreed furrowing her brow in thought.
The conversation stopped abruptly as Inuyasha groaned and attempted to sit. He was still groggy from his long nap and fell back down on the soft blanket that Kagome and had put him on. He noticed that he didn't have his shirt on and craned his neck to see the damage. Leave it to Kagome to patch him up like a broken doll. He smiled at the thought and saw her sitting right next to him. So close he could touch her, but he didn't need to. Kagome extended her hand and touched his right arm lightly and then moved that hand to his forehead to check for temperature.
"That's odd," She murmured to herself.
Miroku landed softly on his knees next to Inuyasha's head and put his hand out to check his temperature too. His brow creased as he took a cloth from nearby to soak the sweat off of Inuyasha's face.
"Inuyasha?" He said it like he was testing if Inuyasha could still hear him. Inuyasha turned his face in his direction and grunted to show that he heard him.
"Are you hot? Does it hurt?" Kagome pulled her hand back and Inuyasha immediately missed her warm touch. He nodded his head with some difficulty; he was having trouble staying conscious. He kept drifting to sleep and then coming back due to their touch and seemingly endless questions. His irritation subsided only when Kagome asked him something, worry and concern laced with every word.
He coughed and felt something warm and coppery make its way into his mouth. He swallowed it not wanting to spend too much time dwelling on it. He noted that it was dark outside. So he assumed that he had been asleep for about six hours.
He opened his eyes again and looked at their worried faces. He mustered whatever energy he had into whispering a few words of consolation, "I'll be all right wench, and get some sleep." Kagome watched him drift off and she lovingly touched his left cheek noticing that he was very cold. It's the loss of blood, she told herself. He's fine. She moved her finger, tracing his strong jaw line and touched his lower lip. She rubbed her finger along it and noticed that something was seeping out of his mouth. He pulled his lip a bit to see what it was. She gasped and ran out of the hut leaving a very confused Sango and Miroku alone. The sound of a boomerang followed Kagome almost instantly.
"Kaede! Kaede!" Kagome ran towards the river, knowing that Kaede had told her she'll be there if she was needed.
"Aye child," Kaede said heading towards a very frantic Kagome.
"Inuyasha's bleeding." Kagome said almost in tears. The fear of losing him was back. She can't lose him. If he left her, she would die. "Inuyasha's bleeding."
"Aye child, he's been badly injured. The wound has probably opened. I'll see to it immediately."
"No, you don't get it. He's bleeding internally."
At that, Kaede quickened her pace all the time muttering something about a bad sign. Kagome didn't pay attention. Her blood pressure skyrocketed when she saw Shippo run towards her in panic and started talking.
"Kagome! They won't let me go in. They told me to find you. They said there's something wrong with him." He turned around and ran into the hut only to have Sango grab him and push him out.
"Kagome," Sango saw Kagome's eyes move from her face to her clothes. They were drenched in blood, "Its Inuyasha's, I..."
Kagome didn't let her finish her sentence as she dashed into the hut to see Miroku squatting behind Inuyasha, his arms wrapped around Inuyasha's torso providing him support. Inuyasha's weight was mostly supported by Miroku and he was starting to turn blue from the loss of blood. Inuyasha groaned as he heaved another mouthful of blood onto the floor.
Kagome stopped dead in her tracks. The thought of losing him was back in full force, her heart felt like it was about to explode. Ignoring the painful lump in her throat and the stinging in her eyes, she knelt next to the man she had fallen in love with. She put her hand on his cheek in an attempt to calm him down. Thick dried blood covered his full lips and coated his well-toned chest and stomach. Miroku's hands were drenched in it and it was a very big contrast to his silver hair and deathly pale skin.
Kaede quickly ground a few herbs and poured the solution down Inuyasha's throat in an attempt to stop the blood. After a few more bloody coughs, Inuyasha calmed down and started breathing almost normally. Kagome gave him a bath using a wet cloth and dried him using modern towels. Without the blood on him, Inuyasha looked like he'll live.
Kagome sighed in relief as Inuyasha drifted off to a relatively calm sleep. She brushed off a stray lock of silver hair off of his face and noted with dismay that even after washing his hair, they had lost their natural sheen due to the encrusted blood. She has to get him to take a bath right as soon as he is strong enough to move.
She watched him for sometime and then told Miroku to watch him for her as she went outside to wash her face at the river. It was dawn already and washing her face could relieve her sleep-deprived state, even if it's just a little.
Outside she met Shippo who decided to tag along and stayed in companionable silence while Kagome changed into fresh clothes and washed her face and hands. Kagome noticed that it was very silent without Inuyasha and Miroku trying to sneak a peek at Kagome while she was changing. She always thought that she wouldn't live to see the moment when Miroku wouldn't even bat an eyelid when he hears that Kagome going to wash. She smiled as she realized the extent of Miroku's loyalty to the group. Even though Miroku and Inuyasha are always at each other's throats, they would easily give up their life to save the others. She felt warm and content, the fear of losing Inuyasha long forgotten. Thinking about Miroku inadvertently brought her thoughts back to a certain gold-eyed silver haired hanyou.
She had grown to love him more than she dared to believe. Her lovable little hanyou. So big and bossy, with an ego the size of Japan. At the first chance she gets, she's going to confess her love for him. Rejection or not, she'll let him know. Or maybe not.
Her smile faltered when she thought of Kikyo and Inuyasha's love for her. She will get rejected, no doubt about that. She'll keep her feelings to herself then, she thought resolutely. Its not likely her Mom will appreciate a demon son-in-law.
Kagome stood up and Shippo bounced back unto her shoulder reclaiming his place. He was unusually quiet. But then again, who wouldn't be after the events of today, or yesterday. As she neared the hut, Shippo's restlessness increased. Kagome ignored it and went to meet up Sango who was sitting under a big tree near Kaede's hut. She looked tired, very very tired. She smiled and nodded very slightly to greet Sango. Because of some reason, it seemed that any kind of sound or word would shatter the silent calmness of the place.
Kagome made her way to the hut and lifted the straw curtain to let herself inside. At that very moment, Shippo squealed loudly and jumped off her shoulder and ran to Sango. Kagome got worried and returned to Sango's place under the tree. This is the tree that Inuyasha sleeps in after they have a fight, Kagome noted with mild amusement.
"Shippo?" Kagome bent down and spoke softly with the tiny fox-demon, "Shippo, what's wrong?" Shippo started fidgeting again. Then he started whimpering and before long was in complete sobs. Kagome's heart wrenched at the sound and grabbed the cub out of reflex and hugged him tightly.
"You can tell me Shippo, what's wrong?" She pulled him away to look straight into the big green eyes noe hazy with the steady stream of tears, "are you missing your parents?"
She watched Shippo shake his head weakly before he muttered something inaudible.
"What? What is it?" Kagome pressed on, determined to find what was distressing her poor little cub.
"Its Inuyasha," Shippo mumbled into her shirt, and then something inaudible.
Kagome gripped him tighter as the fear returned and her heart rate and blood pressure skyrocketed, "what's wrong with Inuyasha?"
Shippo suddenly jumped back and looked around, then with sudden, almost forced, calmness he said, "you should go to him. I smell death in the hut."
Kagome's legs refused to move as she digested this piece of information. Her whole world collapsed in front of her and eyes started to sting, promising tears. She forced herself to get up and made her way to Kaede's hut. She was surprised when she found herself next to Inuyasha's make-shift bed and landed on her knees. Miroku made his way to the bed and looked at her with concern.
Kagome picked up one of Inuyasha's hands and intertwined her fingers with his. Inuyasha opened his eyes, ever so slightly, and smiled weakly at her. His mouth moved and he whispered. Kagome leaned in, her vision blurred by tears refusing to fall, and strained herself to listen to what he was saying.
"I'll be fine, wench." With that he released a long breath and closed his eyes. Kagome felt his fingers release hers and his hand went limp.
She had just lost Inuyasha. The only man she had loved. The only man who had managed to get away with calling her wench. The man who had tried to kill her the first time they had met. The man who had saved her life countless times by putting his on the line. The man who had called her a bitch and then promised her to protect her always. The man who now lay lifeless in front of her.
She had just lost Inuyasha. Inuyasha was dead. Inuyasha had left them. Inuyasha will not protect her from any demons anymore.
Her vision blurred and black seeped into her sight. She lost her balance and lost consciousness.
A/N : This is my first fic and please go easy on me. I welcome flames coz I sincerely believe that failure is a another step to success (or something like that) Although I must warn you that a very evil flame might destroy my soul and leave me depressed and deranged in front of a mirror with a sharp razor (all razors are sharp, I think) so be careful what you say. Suggestions are welcome. IF you don't review, then I won't write anymore coz then I won't know if anyone is reading this or not. So please, have a little heart. Thanx.
Chapter 1: I'll be fine
Inuyasha growled out of frustration. It had been hours since he'd been trying to fight off this hoard of demons and without any luck. It seemed it was an ambush. Sango and Miroku were clearly beginning to tire; their movements were slow and sluggish. Kagome was missing her target by miles and her fingers were looking dangerously red. Inuyasha himself was beginning to weaken and this itself made Inuyasha mad enough to nearly rip one demon to pieces. These demons were strange. They looked reptilian. Green-yellow scale covered their whole body and they had slits for pupils. They looked like a crossbreed between bees and snakes. This was not good considering Miroku had the same reaction to sucking these demons into his Wind Tunnel as he had with Naraku's insects. He soon resorted to fighting with his staff, which wasn't very effective since the scales on these demons served as armour, a very tough armour. Kagome's arrows did a lot of damage to these unholy animals but now Kagome's aim was...well non-existent. Overall, the fight was turning more and more one sided.
Inuyasha dodged an attack and headed for his sword. It had been knocked out of his hand at some point during the fight. Not like he could do much with it, he couldn't stall long enough to use his Wind Scar. With a grunt, he heaved the tetsusaiga (A/N: sorry if I misspelled it) out of the ground and swung it at the slimy demon inches away from him slicing him cleanly into two pieces. Inuyasha's eyes widened as he noticed an opening, there were not many demons left and most of them were occupied by Sango and Miroku. Kagome, having run out of arrows was pulling the older arrows out of the corpses and stabbed a few while getting into stance. Inuyasha leapt at the opportunity and swung the sword with all his might, sending waves of light through the ground and disintegrated the rest of the snake demons.
Panting heavily, he sank to the ground and watched Kagome move towards him. Even when she was tired, she never lost her grace. Inuyasha allowed himself a smile as she reduced the distance between them. Then suddenly she stopped, her eyes grew large with fear and she broke out into a run. Inuyasha sensing danger sprung to his feet and twisted. His battle had drained him of his energy and he could have dodged the attack if he had possessed even half of his previous energy. The snake demon that Inuyasha thought he had killed was behind him with his hand pulled back and his claws extracted. With lightning speed, the demon wrapped the half-breed in his tail and swung his claws at the chest of the panting half-demon.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried out before she equipped her bow and released the arrow. The arrow sliced through the air and embedded itself into the snake demon's heart. In a flash of light the demon was dust and Inuyasha lay on the ground holding his chest with his hand trying to stop the bleeding. Kagome ran up to him followed by Sango and Miroku. She fingered his wound as he tried to sit up.
"Inuyasha...are you all right?" Kagome looked at him with eyes full of worry and concern. Inuyasha's heart melted at the sight and he felt like the luckiest demon in the entire world to have her as a friend. Maybe even more than a friend someday.
"Heh... don't worry wench. I'll be as good as new by tomorrow morning." He raised his honey-golden eyes at her and met her worried black ones. Just to prove his point, he tried to stand and succeeded after putting an arm around Miroku and another around Kagome.
"See? I'll be fine. I just need to rest." He nodded at her as she smiled and gave his hand a little squeeze.
"Let's get you to Kaede's. She'll know how to speed up the healing process." With that, the gang turned in the direction of the village. Luckily, they weren't far from it when they got attacked. A few hours journey and they should be there before dark. Shippo, seeing that it's safe, emerged from his hiding spot and sat on Sango's shoulders.
An hour later, Inuyasha found hard to focus and he blamed his exhaustion for the dizziness. They stopped every once in a while to let Inuyasha rest but he seemed to grow weaker by the second. Eventually, Inuyasha rode on Kirara's back while Kagome kept a hand on his sleeve in case he fell. They actually reached village a bit after sundown. Kirara rushed Inuyasha into Kaede's hut and laid him down softly onto the ground.
"Oh my!" Kaede exclaimed, looking at all the blood seeping from his shirt. Inuyasha had lost consciousness on the way and was murmuring in his sleep. He flinched when Kaede attempted to remove his shirt. The blood had dried and had adhered the shirt to his skin. Kagome came back with some herbs and bandages. She gave Kaede some rubbing alcohol and herself started cleaning the wound. It didn't look deep and there was no sign of infection. Kagome released a breath she didn't know she was holding, relieved that his unconsciousness was probably just caused due to exhaustion.
All bandaged up, Inuyasha slept peacefully in the corner. Kagome, Sango and Miroku sat around the fire trying to determine the cause of the ambush. Miroku had, of course, taken a seat between Sango and Kagome and constantly exhibited a red cheek, or two on occasions.
"I have a theory." Miroku said, looking very calm and collected. He raised a cup of tea to his lips, waiting before speaking to add to the effect. "The snake demons are known for their speed," He put the cup down, "they are also very resourceful and are very clever soldiers."
He looked at Kagome and noted with satisfaction that she was interested. One look at Sango however told him he should get on with the hypothesis.
"But there is another thing they are known for." Kagome looked at him, her eyes sparkling with curiosity, and Sango had stopped glaring at him and was paying attention for once.
"They are very.... Lustful" He hissed the last word suggestively at Sango and she glared at him in full force that gave Inuyasha's glares a run for their life. Kagome giggled as the sound of a boomerang hitting human skull reverberated through the hut.
Miroku rubbed his head where the boomerang had made contact and resumed speaking, "All I was saying was that the demons may have attacked us due to the fact that we had two very beautiful women travelling with us and may have wanted to produce offspring. Which, I might add, is not an offence. I rest my case."
Sango ignored every word he had said and proceeded to what she thought could have initiated the attack.
"I believe it was an ambush." She slapped Miroku to stop him in the process of extending his hand to less innocent areas. "And the fact that Miroku was unable to draw them in was disturbing as well."
Kagome nodded, "I thought about that too, do you think its Naraku's new trick?"
"Its very possible, my dear ladies." Miroku added, looking calm and composed again, "But I still believe that lust played a role. A rather large one, I dare say."
Kagome continued, "What about the fact that we were attacked close the village? We are always wandering; the village is the place where we go frequently. It would be a good place to set up an ambush."
"Very convincing." Sango agreed furrowing her brow in thought.
The conversation stopped abruptly as Inuyasha groaned and attempted to sit. He was still groggy from his long nap and fell back down on the soft blanket that Kagome and had put him on. He noticed that he didn't have his shirt on and craned his neck to see the damage. Leave it to Kagome to patch him up like a broken doll. He smiled at the thought and saw her sitting right next to him. So close he could touch her, but he didn't need to. Kagome extended her hand and touched his right arm lightly and then moved that hand to his forehead to check for temperature.
"That's odd," She murmured to herself.
Miroku landed softly on his knees next to Inuyasha's head and put his hand out to check his temperature too. His brow creased as he took a cloth from nearby to soak the sweat off of Inuyasha's face.
"Inuyasha?" He said it like he was testing if Inuyasha could still hear him. Inuyasha turned his face in his direction and grunted to show that he heard him.
"Are you hot? Does it hurt?" Kagome pulled her hand back and Inuyasha immediately missed her warm touch. He nodded his head with some difficulty; he was having trouble staying conscious. He kept drifting to sleep and then coming back due to their touch and seemingly endless questions. His irritation subsided only when Kagome asked him something, worry and concern laced with every word.
He coughed and felt something warm and coppery make its way into his mouth. He swallowed it not wanting to spend too much time dwelling on it. He noted that it was dark outside. So he assumed that he had been asleep for about six hours.
He opened his eyes again and looked at their worried faces. He mustered whatever energy he had into whispering a few words of consolation, "I'll be all right wench, and get some sleep." Kagome watched him drift off and she lovingly touched his left cheek noticing that he was very cold. It's the loss of blood, she told herself. He's fine. She moved her finger, tracing his strong jaw line and touched his lower lip. She rubbed her finger along it and noticed that something was seeping out of his mouth. He pulled his lip a bit to see what it was. She gasped and ran out of the hut leaving a very confused Sango and Miroku alone. The sound of a boomerang followed Kagome almost instantly.
"Kaede! Kaede!" Kagome ran towards the river, knowing that Kaede had told her she'll be there if she was needed.
"Aye child," Kaede said heading towards a very frantic Kagome.
"Inuyasha's bleeding." Kagome said almost in tears. The fear of losing him was back. She can't lose him. If he left her, she would die. "Inuyasha's bleeding."
"Aye child, he's been badly injured. The wound has probably opened. I'll see to it immediately."
"No, you don't get it. He's bleeding internally."
At that, Kaede quickened her pace all the time muttering something about a bad sign. Kagome didn't pay attention. Her blood pressure skyrocketed when she saw Shippo run towards her in panic and started talking.
"Kagome! They won't let me go in. They told me to find you. They said there's something wrong with him." He turned around and ran into the hut only to have Sango grab him and push him out.
"Kagome," Sango saw Kagome's eyes move from her face to her clothes. They were drenched in blood, "Its Inuyasha's, I..."
Kagome didn't let her finish her sentence as she dashed into the hut to see Miroku squatting behind Inuyasha, his arms wrapped around Inuyasha's torso providing him support. Inuyasha's weight was mostly supported by Miroku and he was starting to turn blue from the loss of blood. Inuyasha groaned as he heaved another mouthful of blood onto the floor.
Kagome stopped dead in her tracks. The thought of losing him was back in full force, her heart felt like it was about to explode. Ignoring the painful lump in her throat and the stinging in her eyes, she knelt next to the man she had fallen in love with. She put her hand on his cheek in an attempt to calm him down. Thick dried blood covered his full lips and coated his well-toned chest and stomach. Miroku's hands were drenched in it and it was a very big contrast to his silver hair and deathly pale skin.
Kaede quickly ground a few herbs and poured the solution down Inuyasha's throat in an attempt to stop the blood. After a few more bloody coughs, Inuyasha calmed down and started breathing almost normally. Kagome gave him a bath using a wet cloth and dried him using modern towels. Without the blood on him, Inuyasha looked like he'll live.
Kagome sighed in relief as Inuyasha drifted off to a relatively calm sleep. She brushed off a stray lock of silver hair off of his face and noted with dismay that even after washing his hair, they had lost their natural sheen due to the encrusted blood. She has to get him to take a bath right as soon as he is strong enough to move.
She watched him for sometime and then told Miroku to watch him for her as she went outside to wash her face at the river. It was dawn already and washing her face could relieve her sleep-deprived state, even if it's just a little.
Outside she met Shippo who decided to tag along and stayed in companionable silence while Kagome changed into fresh clothes and washed her face and hands. Kagome noticed that it was very silent without Inuyasha and Miroku trying to sneak a peek at Kagome while she was changing. She always thought that she wouldn't live to see the moment when Miroku wouldn't even bat an eyelid when he hears that Kagome going to wash. She smiled as she realized the extent of Miroku's loyalty to the group. Even though Miroku and Inuyasha are always at each other's throats, they would easily give up their life to save the others. She felt warm and content, the fear of losing Inuyasha long forgotten. Thinking about Miroku inadvertently brought her thoughts back to a certain gold-eyed silver haired hanyou.
She had grown to love him more than she dared to believe. Her lovable little hanyou. So big and bossy, with an ego the size of Japan. At the first chance she gets, she's going to confess her love for him. Rejection or not, she'll let him know. Or maybe not.
Her smile faltered when she thought of Kikyo and Inuyasha's love for her. She will get rejected, no doubt about that. She'll keep her feelings to herself then, she thought resolutely. Its not likely her Mom will appreciate a demon son-in-law.
Kagome stood up and Shippo bounced back unto her shoulder reclaiming his place. He was unusually quiet. But then again, who wouldn't be after the events of today, or yesterday. As she neared the hut, Shippo's restlessness increased. Kagome ignored it and went to meet up Sango who was sitting under a big tree near Kaede's hut. She looked tired, very very tired. She smiled and nodded very slightly to greet Sango. Because of some reason, it seemed that any kind of sound or word would shatter the silent calmness of the place.
Kagome made her way to the hut and lifted the straw curtain to let herself inside. At that very moment, Shippo squealed loudly and jumped off her shoulder and ran to Sango. Kagome got worried and returned to Sango's place under the tree. This is the tree that Inuyasha sleeps in after they have a fight, Kagome noted with mild amusement.
"Shippo?" Kagome bent down and spoke softly with the tiny fox-demon, "Shippo, what's wrong?" Shippo started fidgeting again. Then he started whimpering and before long was in complete sobs. Kagome's heart wrenched at the sound and grabbed the cub out of reflex and hugged him tightly.
"You can tell me Shippo, what's wrong?" She pulled him away to look straight into the big green eyes noe hazy with the steady stream of tears, "are you missing your parents?"
She watched Shippo shake his head weakly before he muttered something inaudible.
"What? What is it?" Kagome pressed on, determined to find what was distressing her poor little cub.
"Its Inuyasha," Shippo mumbled into her shirt, and then something inaudible.
Kagome gripped him tighter as the fear returned and her heart rate and blood pressure skyrocketed, "what's wrong with Inuyasha?"
Shippo suddenly jumped back and looked around, then with sudden, almost forced, calmness he said, "you should go to him. I smell death in the hut."
Kagome's legs refused to move as she digested this piece of information. Her whole world collapsed in front of her and eyes started to sting, promising tears. She forced herself to get up and made her way to Kaede's hut. She was surprised when she found herself next to Inuyasha's make-shift bed and landed on her knees. Miroku made his way to the bed and looked at her with concern.
Kagome picked up one of Inuyasha's hands and intertwined her fingers with his. Inuyasha opened his eyes, ever so slightly, and smiled weakly at her. His mouth moved and he whispered. Kagome leaned in, her vision blurred by tears refusing to fall, and strained herself to listen to what he was saying.
"I'll be fine, wench." With that he released a long breath and closed his eyes. Kagome felt his fingers release hers and his hand went limp.
She had just lost Inuyasha. The only man she had loved. The only man who had managed to get away with calling her wench. The man who had tried to kill her the first time they had met. The man who had saved her life countless times by putting his on the line. The man who had called her a bitch and then promised her to protect her always. The man who now lay lifeless in front of her.
She had just lost Inuyasha. Inuyasha was dead. Inuyasha had left them. Inuyasha will not protect her from any demons anymore.
Her vision blurred and black seeped into her sight. She lost her balance and lost consciousness.