A Journey in a Different Time

-Chapter 11-

True Feelings, but Forgotten

She had to run with all her might. She needs to escape or she'll die. She has to escape from the Wind Sorceress, Kagura. How can Kagura get her now that she is running in the forest with the trees as her guard? Still, she can't cut them down with her blades if she wants to. All Michelle has to do is keep running so she can reach for the others. But they're too far away, how will she reach them in time? Kagura could kill her now if she wants to.

Kagura was flying through the trees on her transformed feather, keeping her eyes open to make sure she gets the girl. How can a human run this fast? When Kagura saw a glimpse of brown ahead, Kagura opened her fan and stood straight on her feather. Kagura put her arm back and whispered: "Dance of Blades!" And swung her fan with blades coming out of it, chopping down the trees that were ahead of her.

When Michelle heard those words, she quickly ducked out of the way, putting her hands on her head, closing her eyes real tight, praying that she would be alive when all of this is over. She felt the ground tremble as the trees fall to the ground, also making a loud sound that echoed through the forest. She did hear something flying to her...she was afraid of this now...

Michelle sat up and turned around, finding Kagura smiling down at her, with her fan all closed up. Michelle crawled backwards and her back landed against the tree. She was really scared, right now she wished for Inuyasha to come and save her. But then again, why would he save her? He doesn't really care about her so why should she care about him? Why is she even thinking about this now when she only has a few minutes to live?

"Well, well...looks like I caught a little rat running in the forest," said Kagura, coldly.

"Who said I'm a rat!?" Asked Michelle.

"It's not time to answer that question...it's only time for you to die..."

Kagura opened her fan all the way and lifted it up above her head. Michelle's eyes widen as Kagura does it, then all kinds of things went through her mind. How much she wanted to do things better. She wanted to be more opened to others so they would accept her...more opened...instead of a closed heart person who doesn't want to show the true you...

"[Inuyasha...I wish you knew how I felt...I actually liked you! As a crush! Please come...I don't want to die now...Kagome...I'm sorry, but Kagura is going to take the jewel shards...Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kirara...I'm going to miss you guys a lot...Natsuyo...I LOVE YOU!!!] No!!"

"Dance of Blades!!" Michelle felt pain going all over her body. Blades creating scars on her face, legs, stomach, arms and cutting her in half...

"HELP ME!!"

"Michelle!!"

"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!!"

"Michelle! It's only me!!"

Michelle gasped when she woke up, she was clutching her hand to her chest, trying to breathe and feel her heart beat. Was that real or a dream? She looked around the area she was at...the forest. The place where she died in the dream. Is it going to come true here? She then turned her head to her side and saw Miroku with a worried look on his face. She thought it was Kagome who woke her up. The thing was....she didn't really mean anything about the dream. She doesn't have a crush on Inuyasha...she likes Natsuyo...wait!

"Are you alright? We heard screaming when we all woke up. We thought a youkai was attacking you or something..." said Miroku.

"I'm fine...just an awful dream I don't want to think about now. I'm sorry if I woke you guys, lets go back to sleep," said Michelle.

"Michelle...it's already morning."

Michelle looked up at the trees and noticed the light coming through the trees. "Oh..."

"I'll tell the others you're alright. Once I come back, you better be wide awake for us to walk again."

Michelle nodded as Miroku ran back to the campsite. Michelle started to fold up the blanket that Kagome gave her to sleep with. She did had a little something to eat last night so she should put away those things too.

(Campsite)

"Hey, Kirara? Do you smell that?" Asked Inuyasha. Kirara started to sniff around and started to his a little. "Yup...could be either Naraku or Kagura. Hope it's Kagura...I'm tired of smelling her scent, mistaking that it's Naraku..."

"So it means..." whispered Shippo.

"Yup...going into battle again. When was the last time we battled Kagura again?"

"When Michelle came here..." said Kagome.

"Oh...right. That pest..."

"Inuyasha!"

"What?"

"Well, she's awake. Nothing is wrong, just a bad dream," said Miroku. He just came by...looking at everybody.

"Well, someone is coming alright..." said Sango.

"Who?"

"It's either Naraku or Kagura..."

"Oh no....I'll tell Michelle!"

"No!" Said Inuyasha with a deep voice. "You don't tell her...any of you, don't tell her."

"Why not?" Asked Shippo.

"I don't want her to know everything!"

"Alright...if you say so," said Miroku. He started to run back to where Michelle is. Leaving the others behind, and coming back with Michelle and started to walk off. As they get close to the exit of the forest, Michelle felt something triggered in her body. She knew something was coming...the thing is, she couldn't tell Kagome because she was all the way up in the front, walking next to Inuyasha. Since Sango was in front of her, she decided to tell her.

"(Hey...Sango, something is coming. I can feel it...)" whispered Michelle.

"(Look, whatever you do, stay next to Kirara. No matter what happens, okay?)" Said Sango.

"(Why?)"

"(Just do it...)"

Now she was confused...why stay next to Kirara? She's not use to Kirara yet because she's a neko youkai. Inuyasha is okay because he's just a hanyou, with half power. So she's not afraid of him...just afraid of his temper. When they finally reached out into the forest, a gust of wind blew against them, hard. Kagome's and Michelle's skirts almost lifted up, but it's a good thing they put their hands on the bottom of the skirt to keep it down.

Inuyasha looked up at the sky and noticed it got cloudy all of a sudden, but that's when white blades started to come out of the sky. "Everybody look out!!" He shouted. Everybody crossed their arms over their faces and felt the ground tremble as the blades hit the ground, causing big chunks of rocks turning into little ones.

Inuyasha looked up once again, seeing Kagura on her feather in the mid air, smiling down at them.

"So...I guess I have finally caught you guys," said Kagura. She lifted up her fan and said, "Dance of Blades!"

One blade cut Miroku's shoulder, Sango's upper arm, and Kagome's leg. Shippo was hiding next to Kirara. Inuyasha got cut across his chest. A little bit of blood burst out after that. He went to his knees, putting his hand over his wound and then looking at it...the blood.

Michelle saw what Inuyasha was doing and then looked back up at Kagura, angrily. She then saw Kagura throwing another crowd of blades...one heading straight to Inuyasha. Suddenly, her legs started to move very fast, running towards Inuyasha. Hoping that the blade doesn't finish him off. ( Don't think she's stupid. She doesn't know how a hanyou body works yet.)

Inuyasha saw her coming to him and was about to say something. But instead, she pushed him aside, making him fall a few inches away, and letting the blade cut her left shin. Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kirara were standing close together. Watching out for the blades and also Inuyasha and Michelle. She landed on her stomach, sitting up a little touching her left leg.

"You idiot!!!" Inuyasha shouted with anger.

"Now it's time for the finishing touch...Dragon Dance!!" The wind started to get strong and rough, throwing all kinds of things around. Then all sorts of tornados appeared, hitting ground trying to lift things up. One hit near Inuyasha and Michelle and they lifted up from the ground. They flew in the air, disappearing into the sky that just became blue.

"INUYASHA!!!" Kagome shouted at the top of her lungs.

(In an another forest)

Inuyasha and Michelle were falling from the sky, landing in a stream going down. Michelle's right ankle hit the hard rock in the stream. Inuyasha saw his blood spreading out into the water. When he saw the current carrying Michelle up to him, he quickly wrapped his arm around her waist and swam up. Inuyasha tried his hardest to swim to shore; he was getting pissed of Michelle not helping. When Michelle knew he was getting pissed, Michelle tried to use her arm and her use leg.

When they got to shore, Inuyasha used his free hand to put on the ground. He crawled out, dragging Michelle on the ground and threw her away from him. He needed to take a breather. He hates to be wet.

"Ow! What was that for!?" Said Michelle, angrily.

"I had to go on my knees to get some air at least!" Said Inuyasha, shouting.

"Doesn't mean you have to throw me on the ground!"

"Yes it does!!"

"No it doesn't!!!" Inuyasha got up and looked at Michelle, who was on her bottom, looking up at Inuyasha. Inuyasha bend over so he can look at Michelle more closely and argue with her more.

"You wanna fight right here!?"

"I don't care if we fight or not! That's your decision to make because you're getting on my nerves you damn dog!!!"

"Forget it! If Kagome see you all beat up she's going to blame me! Come on, let's go!"

Michelle tried to get up, but when she stepped on her foot, she fell to her knees. "Ouch..." Michelle whispered very quietly.

Inuyasha heard her complaint and turned around. "What now?" He asked her.

"My ankle...I can't walk..."

Inuyasha went to his knee; he used his index and middle finger and put it on her right ankle. He started to press into her skin; Michelle flinched and started to whine. He put his fingers off and looked at her. He felt her forehead as well.

"You sprained your ankle so it would get better tomorrow and you have a little fever., what did you do to your leg?" He asked her, with no serious tone.

"My ankle hit a rock when we landed in the stream."

"Whatever, bye!"

"Hey! You can't leave me here!!" Inuyasha didn't move, he was clenching his teeth very angrily.

"Oh great, I don't want it to come to this!" He turned around, having his arms behind him with gaps between his arms and the sides.

"What?"

"Just hop on! It's easier to travel, if you travel on foot you'll slow the both of us down and you'll just hurt your ankle more. Now get on!!"

Michelle didn't do anything except to put her legs in the gap and wrapped her arms around his neck. He stood up and started to walk in the bushes, trying to find a road to walk on so he can make it to the others. He can hear Michelle's breathing are getting heavy, she sounds really tired.

"You know...Inuyasha; the truth is I have been trying to be your friend from the start. Well, not really from the start but at least when I got use to the things. I have been trying to be your friend...but all you do is push me away..."

Is this really happening? Is she really saying all of this or is this the fever talking?

"I hate you....but also I want to be your friend...that's why I risked my life for you...I care for you Inuyasha..." She wrapped her arms tighter around his neck. "I don't get why you hate me so much...when all I have been aiming for was to be your friend."

What is he suppose to do now? Should he tell her what he really thinks about all of this? Ah, what the heck! No problem! She probably won't remember all of this.

"The truth for me is...you are pretty damn annoying. Too nosy and weak, but you're useful sometimes. You're good for a laugh at times...I have words that can not be explained. But all I know is...that I care for you too...but..."

He stopped because he heard her snoring a little bit. She must be sleeping now. That fever must've tired her out and made her fall asleep. He was hoping she didn't hear all the things he said to her just now. He doesn't really want her to know but it felt right for some reason.

Ah! Who cares! She is so damn annoying!

(Kagome's group)

"What should we do now? Kagura just disappeared right after Inuyasha and Michelle flew away," said Kagome.

"I don't know, Kagome-sama. But...I'm sure whatever happens, Inuyasha will be there," said Miroku, who was trying to calm Kagome down.

"Yeah! Kagome, Inuyasha is a hanyou so he would watch over Michelle!" Said Shippo, happily.

"I'm not worried about Michelle..." said Kagome.

"Then what are you worried about?" Asked Sango.

"I'm more worried about Inuyasha...we all have seen how much he is so cruel to her. I'm afraid he might hurt himself...when he turns to his youkai form..."

"Oh...that...I forgot about that. He could hurt himself and die..."

Kagome started to think about the blood...the last time he turned to his youkai form. All the blood spilling to the ground. All the blood all over his claws and hands. Just thinking about it is starting to make her eyes real teary. Tears started to fall from her eyes and landing on the ground. She can't stop this time...

Sango realized what was wrong and decided to give her friend a comfort hug. Patting her back to try and calm her down. It's not Kagome's fault that this is all happening. It's no one's fault...

But...what will happen next? Right now...Sango hopes that Natsuyo will find them. She doesn't know why but she trusts Natsuyo, he may work for Naraku but...he's trust worthy and he doesn't like to kill the innocent. That's one thing she likes about Natsuyo. He is right for Michelle...

Where is he now? Where is Inuyasha and Michelle?

"Kagome-chan, it's okay. I'm sure everybody will be alright..." said Sango softly.

"I hope...hiccup! ...so!" Kagome cried even more. She didn't want to stop. All she has to do is release all the pain.