Disclaimer" I no own inuyasha...i dont want him, you can have him!...actually i do...but i cant =(
"…Blazing in the Night Sky," –Chapter Ten: Taiiku no Hi
A week later, as planned, the Taiiku no Hi Festival came. Though, during the week before it, people all along the country side had been assigned to their own little jobs. Whether it was supplying food or bringing decorations or places for people to sit, each had their own part to play and as Kagome's job was to decorate the festival grounds, along with a few others, she watched as it unfolded right in front of her eyes and smiled, ever so happy, as she saw how the community came together at these times to form a sort of bond. Even between the grumpy Mr. Ondori, who was hosting the coffee party after the main event.
But luckily during the whole setup, the rain clouds that people had begun to worry about making the festival impossible and that had threatened to stay forever, had suddenly dispersed the morning before everything was supposed to start, leaving time for the ground to dry. So now as Kagome placed the final touches on a few things, she climbed down from her latter and dusted her hands off, yawning after a hard days work.
Just then, Anata, followed by Hidama who had Faia on his left shoulder, came running up to her, giggling and laughing as they presented her with a bundle of flowers, collected, she assumed, from the field behind her. Laughing with them, she took them from the grasp and raised them to her face, inhaling deeply to catch their rich scent. Then, lowering them again to clutch them against her chest, she said to them, "Oh, children! These are just beautiful! Thank you so much."
Smiling, Anata laughed again then turned and ran off once more, still with Hidama and the fire youkai kitten on his shoulder. Then, as both Hidama and Faia turned there eyes to look back at her, Faia mewed softly, her voice carrying in the faint breeze that still remained after the storms. All of a sudden it felt as if a shadow of foreboding rose over her as one sun, last remaining cloud shut off the suns rays. With it came distant voices, growing louder by the moment, singing sad and sorrowful until they rang in her ears, blocking out all other noises. Inside her chest, she could feel her heart breaking and inside her head, her mind was screaming at her, trying to tell her something but as if it were blocked off, it only came as a soft drone as she wondered what was happening.
Looking up, Kagome gasped and took a step back, for the figures that had been the people working around her a moment ago were now gruesome looking demons that fell to a crouch to slowly crawl towards her. Turning, she cried out to see her children once more running towards her, but as their happy faces came into clear view, she saw how they slowly mutilated into something wrong, something utterly wrong.
Looking down when she felt something brush her feet, she saw that long twisted snakes had dug up out of the ground and were now wrapping around her feet. Letting out a shrill scream, she tried to step out of their grasp but only succeeded in tripping backwards and falling onto the ground beneath her.
The flowers that she had once held so tightly to her chest, now fell out of her hands and scattered across the grass and out of the corner of her eye, Kagome could see them shimmer a pink before they slid together and compressed into a small glowing orb. But just as she was about to turn her head to look at it, something else flashed into view. Whipping her head around she cried out once more to see a shirtless Inuyasha standing over her, his eyes pulsing a fiery red as he stared down at her, his growls echoing above the lulling song now vibrating in her mind.
Then, as the song reached a high point, his claw raised simultaneously, flexing as an evil grin crossed his lips. But instead of bringing the claw back down as she expected, he turned slowly to show his exposed back where two black wings were tattooed across his shoulder blades. For a moment the tattoos shimmered, then the next they seemed to flap once before vanishing. It was then that points began to show in his back, as if something were trying to escape through his skin.
Gasping at the gruesome way it made him look, Kagome watched in horror as the skin slowly ripped and something bloody and black pushed its way through, slowly becoming bigger. After a few moments, that seemed more like centuries, two drooping black shapes hung out of his back, each just below and to the side of her beloved's shoulder blades. Slowly they rose and stretched then flapped once, sending the blood and other body fluids that covered them, flying as they aired themselves.
Then, as they folded daintily against his back, Inuyasha turned back and stared at her with his now once more amber eyes. "Ka-..Nedrana," He said softly, raising a hand out to touch her face as a tear slipped over his cheek. Looking down at that hand, Kagome watched as it as well began to trans form, as the claws began to retract into nicely cut nails, as his skin began to darken up and as she looked up once more into Inuyasha's face, she couldn't hold back another gasp as it changed into that of a sharply chiseled design, beautifully handsome as his hair turned a shade of golden light to frame his now deep green eyes.
"No," She cried, finally shaking herself free of his entrancing green eyes. Standing, she pointed a finger to herself and yelled, "Bring him back! What have you done to him!?" The figure that stood in front of her only look confused and took a step back in surprise at her bluntness. "Kagome," A voice whispered in her head once, loud and clear before it repeated itself once more a moment later and suddenly the vision around her started melting away, leaving her in a void darkness.
Feeling something wet and cold touch her face, Kagome slowly opened her eyes to see Inuyasha and Mrs. Akaguro, as well as her children, looking down at her worriedly. "What," She asked softly, her mind reeling in bafflement as she tried to sit up. As she did, a pain began to vibrate in the back of her head, causing her to wince. Mrs. Akaguro, the friendly farmer's wife, stuck out a hand to force her back down. "Lay back down, you're in no shape to be sitting up or wandering around right now."
Sighing in relent, Kagome leaned back against the pillows and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, she asked softly, "What happened?" "You fell off the latter," Anata supplied as she gazed at her worriedly. Looking at her, Kagome smiled reassuringly then looked back up to stare at the ceiling. "Oh…"
Laughing, Mrs. Akaguro sat back in her chair as Inuyasha took her right hand and her children came forward to grasp her other. "Yes, you had quite a fall; I'm surprised you don't have a concussion. But the doctor should be here soon anyway to check on you." With that, the friendly woman stood up and left the room, gazing over her shoulder once more at the little family before disappearing from the room.
"Are you alright mommy," Anata asked softly as Faia jumped from her position at Hidama's shoulder to land on her stomach. Laughing softly, Kagome nodded, "I'm fine, love, just had a small fall…Though…I had the weirdest dream," She ended more softly. At that, Inuyasha leaned over to kiss her cheek then grinned as she looked over at him, "Oh come on, and say it. It was about me." At that, she could not hold back her laughter, but as she shook, the pain in the back of her head rose once more to greet her with its vibrating and for a split second, she was reminded of the eerie song that had echoed within her mind. But it was soon forgotten as the doctor walked in.
From the race lines, Inuyasha glanced over at his wife who stood beside both Sango and Rin with the children in front of her. Watching as his wife raised a hand to wave at him and smile, he gave back and awkward one himself then turned back toward the race lines. To his left was Miroku, also participating in this race and to his right, three lanes down, was Sesshoumaru, participating as well.
She looked alright, but deep inside, Inuyasha was worried about his wife. She had fallen off a latter just yesterday and though the doctor had said she just had a bump on the back of her head and would be fine, what worried him the most is what she had said before he came, about a weird dream, and how she'd looked at him funny when he'd remarked about how it was about him. 'Maybe it really was…' He thought to himself, and sighed, crouching down as the caller at the side lines told them to take their marks.
For the events today, he was wearing a pair of short, black, jersey shorts, a red and white jersey with his number pinned to it and his hair tied up and a pair of red and gold cleats on. Down the line, Sesshoumaru was wearing the same, only in greens and blues and to his direct left, Miroku had also taken to the same type of dress, except in his usual back and purple colors.
Hunching up as the caller told them to get set, he waited expectantly then took off as the man yelled, "GO!" And the sounds of the crowds around the racers erupted into cheering voices. Pumping his legs, he raced against five other persons to the finish line. It felt good to him to run, it almost felt as if he were back in the time so long ago when, well, when he was much, much younger.
But though his physical features had not changed a day over thirty, he felt tired as if he were feeling all three hundred years of his live gain way. So today, he wasn't really running for the festival, today he was running away from his age. He supposed maybe Sesshoumaru was as well, for he was only a few years older and though he seemed strong, Inuyasha knew that he felt the years had come back to haunt him as well.
Rounding the corner, Inuyasha shook his head every so slightly, brushing all thought out of his head for now. 'Oh well, I'll find out the things I need to know later…For now…I must win!"
Inuyasha had finished the race, tying, surprisingly, with Sesshoumaru, Miroku, and one other person. Shaking their hands, Inuyasha left with Sesshoumaru and Miroku to find Kagome, Sango, and Rin in the crowds. When thy found them, both Rin and Kagome had thrown their arms around their husbands and kissed them and while Sango had done the same to Miroku, except for the kissing part, it was surprising that those two were not already in that stage. It had been long enough after Naraku's first offense that they should have, but also surprisingly, they had only remained close friends.
As the last of the events finished, Kagome sighed in relief that nothing out of the ordinary had happened as she walked arm in arm next to her husband, accompanied by Sesshoumaru and Rin and Miroku and Sango, who like them, walked arm in arm with their loved ones too. The children, who had already ran ahead, giggled as they walked down to their cars to go to Mr. Ondori's for the after party. Seeing as how Kagome was the one supposed to get there first to turn the lanterns on, they left early and arrived before anyone else.
Once they got there, Kagome made her way into the back yard of Mr. Ondori's house and turned on the power supply. Beyond the fence and in the field she could hear the "Oo's" and "Ahh's" made by her friends, children and husband and smiled, proud of the job she and others who had worked with her had done.
"This is beautiful, Kagome," Rin said as she gazed around the small, Japanese lantern lit field. Giggling, she replied, "I'm glad you think so, but be sure to thank the others who worked on it as well."
So taking a seat, they waited as more and more people began showing up, and soon the party started. Food was served on a buffet, games were supplied for the children to play, and as the sun set, the crowd partied happily together. They laughed together, some karaoke together, some danced together. It was just a jolly old time, a perfect occasion to ready for fall an then afterwards, winter.
But as Kagome and Inuyasha conversed with the many people who stopped by at the table, they did not take heed of the screams from the children's area they took to be those of excitement until on boy came up and tugged at Inuyasha's sweater jacket.
Looking down, Inuyasha smiled at the small sandy haired boy who stood there and asked, "What's up?" When the boy only scowled and gave him a serious look, Inuyasha's brows wrinkled and he looked up again toward the circle of children in the grove just beyond them. No child played though, instead, they just stared off into the trees, looks of terror plastered on their faces.
"Kagome," Inuyasha called softly, over his shoulder, catching her attention. Frowning, Kagome looked at him, then in the direction he was facing. Slowly, her eyes began to grow wide in realization and standing, she shoved the chair over and ran towards the grove, Inuyasha hot on her heels.
Once they too realized something was happening, Rin and Sesshoumaru, as well as Sango and Miroku stood and ran after them, abandoning their company with confused faces.
Turning in a circle, Kagome could feel the hysteria rise within her as she searched each face of the children carefully. But no seeing the ones of her own, she screamed in frustration and grabbed on blonde haired girl by the shoulders. "What happened, where are they," She cried franticly. Surprised, the girl cried out in reply as she lifted a hand to point into the now dark forest, for not even the colorful light given off by the lanterns could penetrate its inkiness.
Turning, Kagome started off in the direction of the forest, a look of determination set firmly upon her features as she moved. But just as she was about to step foot out of the circle of warm light, a pair of arms snaked around her middle and pulled her back. "What are you doing," She cried, "They're in there, we have to get them!"
Turning to face the one who had stopped her, the one she knew to be her husband, her beloved, her life's support, she glared at him for a long moment, as if trying to convince him to let her go. Finally, he opened his mouth and said softly, "We'll never find them like this Kagome, and you know it…You know as well as I do who took them so we at least have a lead. Besides, their scent is strong, it will still be there by morning…"
As he finished, Kagome regretfully nodded numbly, for there was no reason for her to protest, she knew he was right. Then, as if she were a cookie in milk, she crumbled in his grasp and began to sob, clinging to his shirt as she buried her face in his chest. Quietly, Inuyasha lowered his head to hide his own held back tears and pulled his wife tighter against him. 'Kagome, we'll find them,' His mind thought, but in the back of his mind, he almost wondered if it was helpless.
Behind them, the two other couples, as well as the rest of the party had stopped what they were doing to stare at the sorrowful two. Sadly, their faces fell in sympathy as they also tried to hold back their tears for their countryside neighbors, for they all knew the story of Naraku and how they had pestered their lives endlessly. "Poor dears," Some whispered, while other parents silently inched forward to claimed their children and pull them securely into grasp. And all the while, their close friends, Sango, Miroku, Sesshoumaru and Rin could only stare, for they did not know how to comfort their loved ones.
That night, as Inuyasha carried his sleeping wife inside the house bridal style, he looked down at her now peaceful face and sighed softly. 'My poor Kagome…' He loved his children very, very much, he'd die if he thought they'd never get them back, but…a father's love just isn't the same as a mother's…and that's what made it so hard on them to lose the one they gave birth to our of their own bodies.
Walking carefully up the stairs, Inuyasha nudged open the bedroom door and walked in. As he did though, a breeze drifted into his face and quickly, he lifted it to see the broken window. Turning his head automatically, he looked toward the box on the shelf above their bed and gasped when he found it open.
"Shit," he cursed softly, then looked down again to see that Kagome was still sleeping. "I…I can't tell this to her right now…," He finally resorted, setting her down on the bed. Then, climbing up the bed, he reached down the side against the wall and felt around under the bed with his hand for awhile.
A few moments later, he sighed in relief and pulled out what he'd bee searching for. The ancient sword, Tetsuiga, his inheritance from his father. Setting it down, he reached down the bed and carefully, ever so slowly, pulled Kagome up beside him, placing her on the side against the wall as he lifted the sword and put it in reaching distance to snuggle up beside her.
As he drifted to sleep that night, something occurred to him and he wondered why they'd never slept like this before. But remembering that they once had, reminded him that Kagome had a habit of getting up early and waking him up. So smiling faintly, he closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around his wife, pulling her into his protective embrace. "We'll find them," he whispered in her ear before he drifted off to sleep, feeling her shift in his grasp, ever so slightly.
Ok, so what'd you think? Are you proud of my longness? Hehe, I'm trying. Anyway, is it just me, or hav ei totally lost my touch? Cause I remember so many people used to comment on my writings, now not so many do. Sigh oh well, actually, I guess I'm doing a purty good job. 10 Chapters and already many reviews. You guys are so nice to me Anyway, if I am losing my touch, please tell me and give me an idea of how I can get it back lol. Anyway, review please! =)