Legacy

by Fandom Obsessions 016

"She thinks this is a game," Shippo stated weakly."Like… for fun." "Why the hell would you think that?" Inuyasha snapped. "Because that's what I was told it was," Kagome replied. "You were lied to."

6. Dark Thoughts

"I want a bow," Kagome demanded, jogging up to Inuyasha's side and looking up at him intently as the team walked through the familiar thicket toward the training field.

The half-demon rolled his eyes immediately, "no."

"Why not?!" Kagome exclaimed, indignantly placing her hands on her hips as she narrowed her gaze at him.

Inuyasha scoffed openly, leaning forward, unabashedly entering Kagome's personal space, causing her to stumble back a step. "Same reason as last time," he snarked. "You still can't defend yourself up close. Bows are long range weapons. They take time and practice."

"But I-"

"No!" Inuyasha snapped more forcefully, rubbing a temple with the pads of his fingers. "Go grab your stupid little knives and meet me in the middle of the fucking field. Miroku may heed your ridiculous whims but I won't."

"Hey," Miroku muttered, frowning as he came up beside his teammate, placing a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder while Kagome shook her head in frustration before stomping over to the wrack of weapons, leaving the two of them behind. "Too much. Back off her a bit."

Inuyasha growled before shrugging Miroku's hand away, huffing in response as he walked toward the center of the space, leaving Miroku to sigh tiredly as Sango glared at his back.

Kagome let out a frustrated hiss in front of the weapons stand, grabbing her daggers and angrily sliding them into the holders on her thighs, mumbling under her breath about Inuyasha's unreasonableness as that bitter feeling of uselessness wormed through her chest again.

He didn't trust her.

Inuyasha didn't think she was capable of anything… That was it, wasn't it?

Her shoulders slumped, tugging her bottom lip between her teeth. 'I have to survive this,' she thought to herself, her family's faces dancing to the forefront of her mind. Kagome had to make it out, had to see them again. It wasn't an option.

"What the hell is Inuyasha's problem?" Sango grumbled, walking over to the free side of the training space with Miroku and Shippo.

"He's scared," Miroku answered, speaking softly while watching as their new healer marched over to Inuyasha to begin her lesson, sapphire eyes aflame with determination and her own brand of pain. Sango rolled her eyes and chewed on the side of her cheek in aggravation but Miroku continued to watch as Inuyasha looked down at Kagome impassively, even as the half-demon's shoulders relaxed upon noticing that Kagome wasn't fighting him and was doing as she was told.

Miroku pressed his lips into a fine line, torn between taking a harder position with Inuyasha and continuing to let him be rough with Kagome. Sango and Shippo both felt that Inuyasha needed to be kinder, more understanding, reassuring and patient. There was a part of Miroku that thought that too but, strategically, he wondered if that was really what was best for Kagome.

Inuyasha wasn't wrong to feel an acute urgency, even if the pressure may have been stressful for Kagome.

No one said you had to like your teammates.

The goal was simply to see the next match. And that was never so simple.

"He's got a crappy way of showing it," Shippo remarked, grabbing his training materials and getting into position for training with Miroku and Sango.

Miroku nodded, letting his gaze linger on Kagome a moment longer before turning away. The problem, he thought, with letting Inuyasha continue to be as brusque with Kagome as he had been was that if Kagome needed a break or reassurance, his manner might harm her, not help her.

"What are we working on today?" Kagome growled, refusing to look at Inuyasha as she spoke, instead crossing her arms over her chest and glaring to her side as if that would preserve some dignity.

"Evasive maneuvers," Inuyasha answered dryly. "Think you can handle that?"

"We practiced that last time. Can't we do something new?"

"No, because clearly none of those fucking lessons sunk in," Inuyasha scoffed. Was it not obvious that she needed more practice? Was it not clear to everyone, especially her, that she didn't know what the hell she was doing? Inuyasha ground down on his cheek, shaking his head at her impertinence. Had they all really already forgotten that she'd barely made it out alive during the last game?! "Look, you can't heal-"

"Enough with that!" Kagome snarled, immediately whipping her head around and glaring at him heatedly. "I get it!"

"Do you? Because last time I checked you didn't have to teach a fish how to swim!" He spat back, instantly regretting his words as her gaze hardened, body becoming stiff and face pinching in disdain.

"I'm new!" She tried, her voice higher than normal, distracting feelings of humiliation and self-loathing shaking her conviction.

"Yeah, and?" Inuyasha pressed. "You're new, you're right. You know what else? You don't fucking listen."

"What is your problem?!" Kagome cried, feeling a defensive anger rise in her chest.

"We told you not to leave the main part of the Arena!" Inuyasha snarled loudly, a vicious and sharp burn bubbling through his veins and lungs as he spoke, unyieldingly powerful and too overwhelming for him to stop even as his heart pounded achingly in his chest. That same sense of fear that had held him so desperately in the Arena crept back through his chest, the memory of those brief moments where he'd thought that Kagome was gone, beyond his reach, terrified at the edge of the river bank when he'd realized she'd jumped in the water and his only connection to her severed by a thoughtless and desperate act for survival.

It reminded him too easily of his own limitations and inability to save his team when they needed him most. She shouldn't have been in that position, she shouldn't have needed to make the choice to swim, at all. If he was better it wouldn't have come to that.

And that was the problem.

Inuyasha would never be able to be there all the time. He would never be able to promise her constant protection in this place. Kagome would need to improve. And to improve, it would help if she didn't push back on everything he said just because it didn't jive with whatever inane concept of fighting she had in her head. She was new. He was aware of that. And, as a newbie, she needed to get better with her goddam knives.

"What's the big deal?! I survived didn't I?!" Kagome fired back, getting on her tip toes to yell back in his face. "I accomplished that much!"

His gaze darkened, turning from dark in warning. "You came out of there unable to fucking walk with a busted arm. Are you really proud of that?"

Kagome could feel the tears forming behind her eyes and she swallowed hard. Inuyasha's anger radiated off of him in large, blinding fiery swaths that would have been beautiful had his vitriol not triggered her already fraught insecurities. She looked down and away.

She wasn't proud of it. Not in the least.

Kagome had burdened everyone during that round and afterwards. She was a least mildly aware of that and her arm still ached from it, serving as a constant reminder of her own helplessness.

A single searing tear broke free, rolling down her cheek, before another followed it. Her breaths were harsh, her chest rising and falling repeatedly as Kagome held onto the anger and tension, using them as a shield against the pain that pushed on and expanded through her.

Realistically, she had no skills that were useful to them. She was a liability, through and through. Sucking in a sharp breath, Kagome felt her body quake, resisting the growing urge to throw herself in the river let come what may. Was she not in an impossible situation?

"You over exerted yourself," Inuyasha continued, the acrimony and anger mostly draining from his tone, though bits of it still decorated his inflections. "We're going to practice evasion and conservation of energy. Help you learn techniques that won't leave you stranded in the middle of a goddam forrest by yourself."

What Inuyasha didn't say was that those tactics were necessary to buy him time. If she could deflect longer, if she understood how to fend off attacks from the weakest Players, someone would be able to get to her.

That was what was most important. Leaving her to fend for herself would have been a death sentence; she wasn't ready for that yet.

Kagome nodded, still unable to look at him. She felt weak, pathetic, useless. Everything Inuyasha kept telling her she was.

"Get in position," Inuyasha directed, keeping his tone level.

She obeyed, reluctantly forcing herself to look at him through the tears. He let out an exaggerated exhale, looking back at her and getting in position himself, his anger palpable to her as he cracked his knuckles.

"One more thing," Inuyasha stated, eyes narrowing, gaze burning while his lips twitched as if he was resisting the urge to outright bark at her.

"What?" Kagome asked, tone clipped.

"Don't ever jump in the fucking water again. Got it?" He hissed harshly, ears pressing back against his head as his fangs broke through.

"What the hell else was I supposed to do?" She bit out, cheeks burning as her voice cracked. It was so easy for him to tell her this or tell her that but in the moment none of it had felt easy.

Inuyasha shook his head, "you really don't fucking get it, do you?" He paused waiting for her to insult him or push back. When she merely glared in his direction instead, Inuyasha continued. "Tell me, Ka-go-me, how am I supposed to find you… if you jump into the goddam water?" He spit out the last two words, his voice nearly breaking while his hands shook with constrained rage, though his anger was not at her.

Inuyasha understood that rules would get broken in the name of living another day. He did. And, truthfully, if he was stronger or even full the water wouldn't have been as big of an issue but he was what he was.

Kagome's mouth opened, ready to scream and yell at him for judging the choices she made in a desperate bid for her life when it suddenly clicked like a slap to the face. All her other thoughts and feelings drained out of her mind as she realized something that should have been obvious but hadn't thought about at all until then. Kagome had jumped into the river thinking that all she had to do was buy herself time… time for Inuyasha to find her.

It had never occurred to her earlier that in doing that she had made that task near impossible for him. That in her last ditch effort she had not only put more pressure on herself and on her team, to find her but specifically had put a lot on Inuyasha.

She had put them all in danger and delayed their strongest Player.

'No wonder he's so mad…' Kagome nodded softly, hanging her head, "I-I… I won't do that again…"

"Good," Inuyasha sneered. "Now, you remember how to duck?" He grinned though it didn't meet his eyes, pausing for only a second before thrusting his clawed hand through the air toward her. Kagome's eyes went wide before she recklessly threw herself to the side to avoid him.

Training with Inuyasha went about as well as things had in the morning, just, this time, instead of Miroku's disappointed gaze piercing through her Kagome had Inuyasha's claws literally and metaphorically tearing her apart. Kagome was tired and, frankly, distracted.

So many thoughts whirled around in her mind, everything from the dull throb of pain in her formerly broken arm, to the way Inuyasha had looked so anguished when he'd demanded that she not go in the water again, to Sango's words telling her that as a team they were failing. It all swam around in her mind, even as his claws dug into her skin over and over.

It gave death by a thousand cuts a totally new and visceral meaning as Kagome failed, repeatedly, to get out of his path. Worse, Inuyasha yelled every time he pulled away, her blood glittering on the edge of his claws. His mood worsened with every hit he landed.

She was slow, she knew that. Especially compared to him. It didn't seem fair but, Kagome forced that thought away every time it surfaced. Nothing about the situation was fair and complaining would only earn her another growl or reprimand.

Kagome panted under the shade of a tree, all the tiny nicks and cuts angrily stinging, beads of blood trickling down her ivory skin and into the broken threads of her uniform, as the group took a mid-afternoon break. Each sat silently together, except for Inuyasha who sat off to the side on the ground, leg bouncing in irritation, arms crossed over his chest, grumbling incoherent things to himself. Shippo walked over to Kagome and offered her a slice of fruit as Sango walked up with bandages.

"We've talked," Sango murmured softly, pressing a cold, wet cloth against Kagome's skin and wiping away the little spots of blood. "I'm going to train with you for the rest of the day-"

"No," Kagome breathed hoarsely. "You paired me with Inuyasha because I need to learn, right?" She asked, looking up briefly at Sango. The Fighter nodded, her expression forlorn and concerned. "Then I will continue to train with him."

"You're tired-"

"I'll be tired the day of the fight too," Kagome replied flatly, letting her eyes flicker over to Inuyasha. "It can't be helped."

"You're covered in cuts," Sango tried again, pursing her lips at the end.

"They're small, nothing to worry about," she muttered, giving Shippo a weak smile and accepting the fruit.

Sango frowned, still tending to Kagome's wounds but unsure of what else to say.

"I'm sorry…"

"For what?" Sango asked, her head tilting slightly to the side.

"I-I only thought about myself in the Arena… I only thought about my survival."

"It's oka-"

"It's not," Kagome answered firmly, looking at Sango, big sapphire eyes searching her friend's. "I put you all at risk. Inuyasha was right."

"I don't think letting yourself get kicked by him a million times will change that," Sango whispered.

"No, but… I need to learn to fight through the pain," she replied, looking down at the ground. No matter how much she detested it, Kagome thought that Inuyasha would be the only one that wouldn't hold back. He'd cut her and yell about it staining his hands but it would benefit her in the long run. She hated how useless she felt every time those claws tore through her skin but Kagome wasn't naive enough to think that she'd never come out of the Arena uncut.

He was a prick.

But Inuyasha was a prick with a point. And as much as Kagome hated it under the circumstances, when push came to shove, he'd been right. Always. He'd been honest since day one. It was her only constant; a strange thread that kept her tethered to her sanity even if he made her feel wholly inadequate.

At least, whatever she still had hold of her sanity in the prison she kept waking up in.

His gold eyes connected with hers and Kagome stood immediately. "Ready?" She asked, abruptly pulling away from Sango and Shippo. Inuyasha nodded, gaze cloudy and tumultuous as he rose.

"You brought extra bandages right?" Shippo asked, looking up at Sango.

She sighed, "yeah…"

---

His moves were fluid, graceful. Even watching those deadly hands slice through the air toward her was truly a sight to behold. Inuyasha knocked her down over and over but he didn't have to ask her again if she wanted to die because Kagome got up. Over and over. Each and every time.

No matter how many times her ass hit the ground or skidded across the worn field beneath her, Kagome forced herself to get back on her feet. Her limbs shook but her resolve didn't. She couldn't heal but that didn't mean that she didn't have value. Or, at least, that's what she told herself as she crashed into the dirt again, with Inuyasha standing over her, unimpressed.

He was scowling deeply, those burning irises waiting for her to get to her feet again. Her arms quivered as Kagome tried to use them to push off the ground. She thought his disdain-filled look was merely more commentary on her weakness and lack of skill.

She was wrong.

Inuyasha's face scrunched as he tried to breathe through his mouth and ignore the truly vile stench of her blood. He hated it. It was like a thick fog that choked him, burning his lungs with every inhale. And he was covered in it. She was slow. She was physically weak. She was clearly getting tired and her movements were becoming not only more sluggish but less controlled; reckless. There was nothing fluid or graceful about how Kagome attempted to dodge his attacks.

And that was what should have been bothering him; her lack of form and carelessness as she fell to the side over and over. But none of that mattered to Inuyasha at that moment. He was struggling to teach, distracted from criticizing her or correcting her form.

All he could think about was her blood coating and adhering to his hands, sinking into his skin, and making him want to wretch.

"You need to attack," Inuyasha instructed, trying in vein to ignore the coppery scent tainting his skin.

Still struggling to get off the ground, Kagome looked over at him for a moment. "But… you said… we are… practicing… evasion…" she panted, words weak and shaky with exhaustion.

"Sometimes the best defense is a good offense," Inuyasha explained, kneeling down next to her, a single thick black brow raised. "Make your opponent have to think about their safety too. When you only think about yourself… you make mistakes."

Kagome nodded. "Alright," she muttered trying and failing to push herself up again.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and extended his hand toward her. Kagome eyed it for a moment, "is this a trick?"

"No, just take my goddam hand so we can continue," Inuyasha replied flatly.

Hesitantly, Kagome placed her hand in his. His fingers closed around hers quickly and firmly, hoisting her up before she yelped at the pain. Even if Inuyasha had been mostly gentle as he helped her off the ground, every muscle in her body was sore and aching, screaming at her for both moving and not moving. Once Kagome was steady on her feet, Inuyasha pulled his hand from hers, though the heat lingered.

Thoughtlessly, Kagome ran her other hand gently over the spot where his had just been, the pads of her fingers caressing her dirty skin that tingled after his touch.

"Ready?" Inuyasha near yawned, waiting for her to get in position, noticing the way she was still staring at the hand he'd grabbed. "What? You have an issue with me touching you?"

"No," Kagome replied firmly, quickly, cheeks heating. She let her hands fall to her sides, tired sapphire eyes flickering back over to Inuyasha.

'The best defense is a good offense…' Kagome took in a deep breath before getting into the position he'd taught her, except, this time, she didn't wait for him to lunge at her. Her hand wrapped around the handle of a blade and she sprang forward.

Kagome recognized that even by human standards her movements were slow. It must have seemed like fighting off molasses for Inuyasha to train with her, Kagome thought as she yanked out the dagger and threw her arm forward. Her blade cut through the empty air, the half-demon easily moving around it, before she felt Inuyasha's hand on her back, shoving her forward and reacquainting her with the ground.

Kagome grimaced as she crashed into the dirt, the blade flying from her hand and clattering across the grass, while she rolled away. She reached for her other blade only to cry out as her wrist was crushed, a heavy weight pressing on top of her. Kagome opened her eyes partially, lids feeling as if they were tied to lead while Inuyasha's shadow covered her face.

"That was better," he stated simply and flatly, before quickly getting to his feet and stepping back.

"Don't lie to me," Kagome snapped, rolling to her side. "I'm slow…"

"You're tired."

She glared over at him. One minute he was reaming her out for sucking and the next he was offering compassion. She wasn't really sure what she had done to have earned his compassion, if anything. Kagome was littered with scratches and dirt. He looked pristine, saved for the dried bits of her blood on his hands.

Inuyasha turned his head, looking away from her as Miroku jogged over to them.

"Well, looks like play time is over," Inuyasha sneered.

Kagome huffed, turning to face Miroku's feet.

"All done for today?" Inuyasha asked, already knowing the answer.

Miroku nodded. "Yup, Sango and Shippo are going to get dinner ready."

"Awesome," Inuyasha muttered, walking away abruptly and leaving Kagome to lay in the dirt.

She rolled her eyes, a little irate that he hadn't offered her a hand again before attempting to push herself up when she noticed Miroku's hand was out in front of her instead. Sighing loudly, Kagome reached out and took it, letting him pull her up. She frowned and her shoulders slumped as she looked him over. He had one cut on him.

One.

Compared to her… one hundred?

Her entire body screamed in sharp, stinging, agony at the hundreds of pricks and thin slices across her skin.

"I'd tell you it gets better but… that would be lying," Miroku teased, smiling at her like nothing was wrong and like she hadn't had one of the worst days of her life.

Kagome gave him a wan, fake smile before slowly following the rest of the group back to camp, trailing behind her team if only because her legs protested every step she took.

She felt no urgency as the group pulled ahead of her. Instead, she briefly looked up at the pixelated sky, watching as it slowly transitioned to red, attempting to mimic a real sunset. Her frown only deepened. It didn't look terrible for a fake sky but… it was fake and it was obvious to anyone who'd seen the real thing.

Miroku hadn't given her an evening job like he had the rest of the team, so as the others worked around the campsite preparing their evening tasks, Kagome took a seat around the fire that Shippo had started. She leaned forward, watching the flames flicker, almost mockingly at her inability to master basics. Inuyasha's words from earlier played on a loop in her mind, "last time I checked you didn't have to teach a fish how to swim!"

Kagome looked down at her hands. They were covered in dirt and sores. Sango had told her that she'd healed Inuyasha before, which meant she had the power in her. It was there.

'I just need to find it.'

Closing her eyes, Kagome tried to think of what Miroku had been teaching her earlier that day, 'if I can find the source within myself… I can find it in others.' She ignored the sounds around her, thin black brows coming together tightly as she searched herself again for what Miroku had described.

'I don't… I don't understand… he said that… he saw darkness. I-I don't…' Exhaling loudly, Kagome clenched her jaw as an idea formed. 'What if… what if all that is in the way?!'

Keeping her eyes shut, Kagome focused on the light that she could see coming off of her body, using her hands, she began to slowly part it when a thump jostled the log she was sitting on, pulling her from her meditation. Glaring, Kagome turned to find Inuyasha sitting next to her, a bored expression decorating his face.

"What do you want?" Kagome snapped, irate that he must have seen her trying to meditate and had simply chosen not to acknowledge her training.

Wordlessly he lifted up a med-kit and placed it between them. "I have been tasked with cleaning your wounds," he muttered.

"That couldn't have waited?" Kagome grumbled.

"Not unless you want those to get infected," Inuyasha stated dryly, pointing at some of the deeper cuts on her arm. "Come on, give me your arms. We'll start there."

She listened obediently though reluctantly, lifting her shaking arms up, one at a time, and letting him handle her. Kagome watched as those same claws that had torn her apart treated her with care and tenderness, gently cleaning off the dirt and disinfecting the cuts before sliding on bandages.

She frowned, waiting for his biting criticism, expecting a volley of comments related to her terrible performance during training. When he didn't offer it immediately, Kagome figured she would beat him to it. "I know my hand-to-hand skills are literal trash…"

A single black brow rose as he looked away from her arm to meet her gaze. "Yeah, and? Everyone can see that. You act like that's new information."

Kagome rolled her eyes, 'why do I bother?'

Sango approached, her glare intense enough to cause even Inuyasha to look over at her.

"Oh relax," he admonished, "I'm not insulting your bestie or nothing, just covering her injuries. I'll be done in a minute."

Sango took a seat firmly next to Kagome, keeping her mulberry eyes on Inuyasha as he worked. She chewed on her cheek as she watched, her gaze briefly flickering over to Miroku who was also subtly keeping an eye on the half-demon. Kagome hadn't been the only one to notice how he could go from hot to cold, from abrasive to tender, in her presence.

"Shall we discuss our next match?" Miroku suggested, taking over the dinner duties that Sango had abandoned in order to keep a watchful gaze over Inuyasha and Kagome.

"What's to discuss?" Inuyasha grumbled, turning away from Kagome to address the man.

"Well, for one we don't have Kikyo with us… She was kind of important to our previous strategy," Miroku answered with a nervous laugh.

"So? Doesn't change the system from last round. Kagome gets paired with their weakest and slowest person, Shippo their next weakest, and so on. I'll take on Yura," Inuyasha stated, as if Miroku's concerns were unfounded versus real and silently weighing on most of their minds.

Shippo snorted as he walked over with additional food supplies for Miroku to finish putting together. "Yeah right," the fox scoffed, "Yura will have your head cut clean off your shoulders within five minutes."

"You got a better idea?" Inuyasha snarled, dragging a cloth over Kagome's thigh and pretending not to notice the shiver that ran up her spine, instead choosing to level a half-heated glare at Shippo who shrugged in response.

"Ar-are these bandages water proof?" Kagome murmured, her chest feeling tight as his hands slid effortlessly over her skin. She bit down on her bottom lip, heart beat picking up as she tried to mentally recall the last time a man had touched her before immediately grimacing.

"Yes," Inuyasha replied curtly to Kagome, before snapping the used towel at Shippo and snickering.

"Inuyasha," Miroku warned, tossing him a look, "we will need a plan for cover…"

"No trees," Inuyasha hissed, looking over at Kagome. "Or rivers…"

Her cheeks heated and she glared back, "got it."

"We do need to establish some form of cover," Sango agreed. "We can't go in there and just fuck around. Yura is too good of a Player."

The three of them continued to bicker, causing Kagome to frown as each began to speak as if she wasn't really there. Inuyasha insisted that if they moved fast enough cover wouldn't be needed while Miroku and Sango disagreed, each citing different reasons why his ideas were foolish at best and purposefully stupid at worst. Inuyasha pulled his hands off of Kagome to her disdain and relief, angling himself to more fully address his other teammates while Shippo merely sat to the side, watching the three circle each other with argument after argument.

Their voices were loud in her head, ringing and painful. Kagome shifted incrementally and slowly away from Inuyasha, not because she wanted to but because it felt too comfortable to be near him. Kagome felt the tension building in her head and the heat of her skin making her uncomfortable.

Though he had treated most of them, the cuts still burned and even itched under the bandages. She cast a look behind her, remembering the river nearby. Inuyasha had only treated the places where he had landed the most hits but Kagome still had cuts and dirt else where. 'A quick dip might be nice…' she thought to herself looking back at the three still bickering.

'They wouldn't notice if I just slipped away for a few minutes… I could even try to meditate again.'

Slowly, Kagome stood, careful not to draw too much attention to herself. Her legs were still shaky but they would work well enough to get her to the river. Only Shippo looked up and away. He nodded understandingly before turning back to the group whereas the others seemed to lean more into their arguments. Even as she walked toward the river, Kagome could hear their voices carrying across the space, each debating what to do without their former star healer.

She sighed as she walked, nibbling her bottom lip. 'I wonder what Kikyo was like…'

Kagome looked behind her, confirming that no one had followed her down, before walking along the bank, slipping off most of her uniform, and wading into the cool water. Instantly, the water soothed her burning cuts and the sensation of weightlessness felt rejuvenating on her tired muscles. The river had a timid current though the bed was deep enough for her to fully submerge.

She let herself relax and bob in the water, only the top of her head sitting above the surface line with her eyes and nose exposed to see and breathe. Kagome stared out ahead blankly, letting her mind take over.

'Okay, let's try this again,' Kagome thought, closing her eyes and searching for the light that surrounded her, potentially blocking her vision. Slowly she attempted to part it all with her hands when a splintering pang shot through her, causing her to gasp and sputter before she extended her arms, immediately stopping.

She groaned outwardly in frustration before blowing bubbles in the water. 'Great… I'm still useless,' Kagome thought to herself, a hand rubbing along the place on her chest that had hurt all because she'd moved some weird light around. Exhaling loudly, Kagome tried not to fixate on her frustrations or her sadness, reasoning that she was still adjusting and that in time it would all be better because… it had to be, right?

---

"That's the dumbest thing you've ever suggested!" Inuyasha spat, rolling his eyes and his head in response to Miroku's suggestion that they let Kagome attempt to fight one of the Players on Yura's team in open combat.

"What, so we just leave her in the back and tell her stand and watch?" Miroku admonished, angrily poking at their dinner as it cooked over the fire.

"Yes," Inuyasha answered firmly. "You don't have a problem with that do ya-" He turned, abruptly silencing himself as he realized for the first time that Kagome wasn't sitting next to him anymore. "Where the fuck did she go?"

"To the river," Shippo answered snidely. "Probably to wash off some of the dirt from earlier."

Inuyasha huffed loudly, growling while pushing himself to his feet.

"Where do you think you're going?" Shippo inquired, looking up at him.

"To get her!" He snapped, the 'duh' heavily implied by the tone of his voice. "She needs to be part of these meetings!"

"Right," Shippo commented dryly.

"What's with your attitude?" Inuyasha accused.

His emerald gaze flickered up to Inuyasha before Shippo sighed, "you're all talking about her like she can't hear you. You weren't even giving her a chance to voice an opinion even though it's her life on the line too. She knows she's weak but maybe if you told her about each of the Players and, I don't know, gave her information she might be able to help. She's not dumb…"

Inuyasha paused for a moment, looking over to Miroku who nodded slowly.

"You're right," Miroku admitted. "Then, maybe, training will make more sense to her as well. She'll know why we are doing what we are doing."

Shippo smiled smugly, proud of his observation and Miroku's prompt agreement with him, otherwise validating his point.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, "yeah, whatever. Fine. I'll go get her and we can bring her up to speed." He turned, taking a step toward the river before stopping and looking back over at Miroku. "How bad is she really?…"

"Excuse me?" Sango hissed but Inuyasha ignored her, instead looking directly at Miroku.

"I need to know before we go against Yura," Inuyasha murmured, his voice low just in case Kagome was within hearing distance. He truthfully didn't intend for it to be mean or harsh it just… he needed to know. Even if none of them said it out loud, Inuyasha recognized that it was his job to protect her. He needed to understand before the match what he was dealing with as best he could.

In the Arena there were only so many variables any one team or Player could anticipate or manipulate. Inuyasha didn't want to be left at a disadvantage because certain members of his team, Sango, were too concerned about Kagome's damn feelings than survival strategy. It wasn't an ask so much as it was a demand and Miroku saw that immediately.

He chewed on the inside of his cheek. "She can't see anything."

"Nothing?" Inuyasha asked in surprise. "Not even a damn flicker?"

"No," Miroku affirmed. "She's… she's completely lost. I watched her all morning… I-we may need to enlist help from another team…"

Inuyasha ran a hand through his bangs. That was bad. Sure, they had a couple alliances with teams that they could - in theory - reach out to but the problem was more strategic in nature than anything. If they sought out help from another healer… there was no way to ensure that that healer would keep their fucking mouth shut and not blab about Kagome's lack of ability. If the other teams knew Kagome couldn't access her powers then that left the entire team vulnerable. Right now they had the element of surprise on their side but that wouldn't last forever and even that would dwindle quickly if her scores didn't improve significantly.

"We really shouldn't gossip about Kagome," Sango stated. "She's got some work to do, yes, but we all have flaws and weaknesses. We need to keep her alive. We can think about seeking the help of other healers later."

"You keep saying to give her time and suggest that there is a later for her," Inuyasha commented, looking over at Sango. "But you need to prepare for the reality that there may not be a later."

Her gaze hardened even as Inuyasha walked away, making his way toward the river to fetch Kagome.

Were his words harsh, mean even? Sure, Inuyasha understood that but they all needed to understand what they were dealing with and keep their expectations tempered to that.

---

Kagome ran her hands through the water, watching the liquid flow through her fingers languidly. The water both looked and felt so real. 'How-how can this be fake?' She asked herself, sinking back into the river. Her surroundings confused her. The land and the people in the Grid felt so real but then there were things that were clearly fabricated - like the sky or the bulletins. She recalled that all temperatures and even the weather were regulated and followed a consistent pattern.

Her thoughts drifted back to what she had known to be real. Images of her mother, brother and grandfather surfaced at the forefront of her mind. She could see their smiles plain as day, hear their voices and practically feel their touch in her memories. It hurt. She couldn't help but wonder, selfishly, if they were looking for her, if they knew she was missing.

Kagome closed her eyes, allowing herself to miss them without the fear of prying eyes or harsh comments. She could practically hear Inuyasha's voice cut through her thoughts, telling her that they all had people waiting for them and that she wasn't special. Kagome's eyes opened halfway, staring unfocused ahead of her as she began to idly wonder what family each of her teammates had and why their families weren't looking for them. 'How come… how come I've never heard of any of the Players going missing?'

Inuyasha walked down the familiar path, ears swiveling on the top of his head searching for sounds of movement or Kagome's voice. The silence that he was met with frustrated him. Her affinity for water was beginning to press on his last nerve, especially as her scent dwindled around him. 'Shouldn't she be splashing or some shit?' He thought to himself, picking up his pace as he walked toward the river.

Stopping at the edge of the river nearest him, Inuyasha cursed beneath his breath. 'Of course she didn't fucking stay somewhere where I could-'

He swallowed thickly, amber eyes tracing the shoreline over and over. Her clothes were discarded to the side but she was nowhere to be found and her scent stopped at the edge. Abruptly, his eyes flitted upward, locking on the mop of inky black hair that bobbed leisurely with the water while the rest of her body remained unmoving. His entire body stiffened and eyes went wide. Inuyasha's lungs constricted, his heart near seizing, an unwelcome chill burrowing deep in his chest, while unwanted and near forgotten memories rattled around in his mind, encouraging his budding panic.

"Ka-Kagome," Inuyasha whispered weakly.

He moved without thinking, without fully processing. Panic clouded his judgment as Inuyasha dove into the water and reached for her, quickly grabbing her by her shoulders and lifting her so that her head was well above the water line instead of bobbing along it.

Kagome squeaked in surprise as she was abruptly pulled from the water with Inuyasha staring at her. She looked back at him in utter bewilderment, sapphire eyes wider than he'd ever seen them as the warmth of her body soaked through his skin and Kagome's very much alive face began to burn scarlet as she remembered her lack of dress.

"What are you doing?!" She screeched, trying to wiggle and kick her way out of his grip before he let her go, dropping her back in the water unceremoniously. Kagome immediately wrapped her arms over herself for cover and began trying to put distance between them so she could hide or something. The light grey fabric that served as her only form of cover was practically see-through now that it was wet, when her foot slipped beneath her, ankle twisting, immediately sending a sharp pain through her leg.

Kagome shrieked as she fell into the river, becoming fully immersed in water that suddenly felt so much colder than it had moments earlier. Her limbs felt weak under the weight of the water as she struggled to get to the surface again. He'd disrupted her equilibrium, leaving her sputtering, injured, and feeling exposed.

Her desperate flails in the water were interrupted when Kagome felt a warm, firm arm slide around her abdomen before pulling her out of the water. She took a gasping, coughing breath as she resurfaced, her arms firmly pressed against her chest as she felt a searing heat bleed across her back.

"What the fuck?!" Kagome snarled, tossing her question over her shoulder to Inuyasha as he held her back against his chest, still trying to catch her breath. Her teeth began to chatter but her cheeks still burned, her chest heaving up and down as she tried to process her situation.

"I-I…" He began, in a daze.

"You what? Thought it would be okay to assault me?!" She screeched.

"No! I thought you were dead!" He spat, swallowing hard after his unwanted admission, the arm around her waist involuntarily tightening as if worried the idea of drowning herself would suddenly become appealing to her.

Kagome had several questions for him. However, the more pressing matter was the chill settling into her bones as the Grid's temperature dropped for the evening, wet underwear serving as her only flimsy protection.

"You can let me go…" Kagome grumbled.

Inuyasha released her and stepped back, keeping his eyes on the back of her head. Kagome placed all her weight on her uninjured ankle and waited. When she didn't hear him leave she turned her head and glared at him. "You can leave now…"

"You need to return to camp," Inuyasha snapped.

"I will," she answered firmly, still standing on one leg. "But… I would like a little privacy…" Kagome was sure her cheeks were redder than the kimono he lent her.

Huffing, Inuyasha turned, beginning to wade back to the shore, his ears focusing on her, listening for any sign that she would choose not to return, fighting in vain to stifle the memories he'd repressed long ago.

Kagome took one step on her injured ankle before collapsing back into the water. She pushed herself up with her one good leg, standing and groaning in frustration. It was like her entire body was giving out on her.

"Need help?" Inuyasha offered dryly, stopping halfway between where Kagome was in the river and the shore, facing the river's edge.

Kagome grumbled to herself, hopping on her foot in the water and finding it incredibly difficult. She bit down on her lip. Her arms were far too sore to get her to the other side and clearly one foot wasn't going to work. Closing her eyes and hugging herself more tightly, Kagome relented. "Yes… but don't look!"

He sighed and closed his eyes. "Start splashing," he instructed. Kagome did as she was told and watched the ears on the top of his head move, telling him where to go as he made his way back to her.

"So, um," Kagome murmured, relaxing a little as she realized he was taking it seriously and not so much as attempting to peak. "H-how does this work?"

"How does what work?" He asked impatiently.

"I hurt my foot… and my arms are too tired… I-I can't swim at the moment…"

'Thank fuck for small miracles,' he thought to himself as Kagome began to nervously ramble about her condition without asking the question she was really seeking an answer for. Cutting her off, eyes still closed, patience wearing razor thin, Inuyasha asked again, "how does what work?"

"H-how are you getting me back to shore?…" she forced out.

He extended a hand and released a loud, impatient breath. Kagome swallowed thickly, gingerly placing her hand in his. He yanked on her, pulling her forward, tired of her beating around the bush. He was hungry. He was tired. He wanted her away from the goddam water that always seemed to cause him fucking trouble. Inuyasha wrapped an arm behind her back and under her knees before turning, opening his eyes briefly to find the shore again.

"Hey! I said no looking!" Kagome yelled in his ear.

Pressing his ears to his head, a small snarl forming on his lips, he ground out, "I wasn't looking at you. I needed to find the fucking shore. It doesn't splash…"

"Oh…"

Kagome nibbled on her lip quietly, afraid of leaning too closely against him. Her heart raced and her ankle throbbed but he was so warm. She sighed lightly, watching the shore get closer and closer, a part of her silently wished it was farther away. She liked being in his arms. She felt safe there.

Inuyasha placed her down and waited when he felt the water give way for land, the sand firm under his feet, eyes still closed. When Kagome hobbled out of his arms, he crossed them along his chest, his ears flattening against his head. She may have been mortified but Inuyasha wasn't embarrassed in the slightest. All he felt was relief.

He could hear the fabric rustling over her skin a minute later but waited still.

"Okay," she breathed timidly, her cheeks still red but intending to indicate that she was appropriately dressed. She watched his eyes open and frowned when she noticed a distant look in them. "Why would I have been dead?" Kagome asked gently. His normally bright amber eyes fell to the side, his whole demeanor seeming far more helpless than she'd ever seen.

He turned away from her, facing the path back to the campsite. "Doesn't matter. Let's go. Whether or not you like it you need to be part of the strategy meetings."

Kagome nodded, then looked down at her ankle. "Can you, uh, can I get some help? I… I twisted my ankle…"

He faced her, eyes narrowed with annoyance written all over his face but even that was better, in her mind, than the expression he'd worn a moment earlier. Inuyasha stepped toward her, frowning but giving her his hand anyway.

Back at the campsite, all conversation died a quick death the moment Inuyasha and Kagome became visible through the trees.

"You weren't supposed to hurt her!" Shippo exclaimed, immediately hopping off his seat and scurrying over, landing on Inuyasha's shoulder. Big green eyes looked at Kagome with pity and remorse before he twisted and glared at Inuyasha, a tiny clawed hand grabbing the base of one of Inuyasha's ears. "What did you do?!"

"Nothing!" Inuyasha spat, growling at the fox, swatting away his hand.

"Then why are you both wet and her ankle twice the size it was when she left?" Sango questioned flatly, glowering at Kagome's swelling foot.

"I slipped and fell," Kagome answered, choosing to leave out the part where she had fallen because a certain half-demon had incorrectly assumed the worst thereby probably getting a pretty good look at her, well, her assets.

"Is that how people from the outside world describe sex?" Miroku joked, attempting to lighten the mood but instead merely earning himself glares from everyone in the group. "Sheesh, tough crowd," he muttered to himself, pulling their food out of the fire and dividing it up on the metal trays they used for plates.

Inuyasha gently lowered Kagome down and waited by her side until she had safely managed to take a seat around the fire. He dipped into their med kit, tossing her an ice pack before Inuyasha took up his previous spot, an appreciable distance from her. Kagome frowned even as Shippo took the spot directly next to her.

"Okay," Miroku began, leveling his gaze at Kagome. "Yura. We need to protect Kagome. Yura is too strong to leave Kagome unguarded."

"How?" Kagome questioned immediately. "What are her strengths?"

"Long range attacks," Sango answered vaguely.

Kagome ground her teeth, shooting a glare over at her trainer, Inuyasha. "So then why was I practicing close-combat today?"

"Because, you won't be going after her. I will be," the half-demon answered brusquely. "The only thing we need to decide is what to do with you while the rest of us handle her and her lackeys."

"Miroku can put up a barrier, I say the two of them hang back and provide support as needed," Sango cut in.

'Great,' Kagome bemoaned silently to herself as the others continued to debate.

"He's one of our best fighters, he can't just stay in the goddam back the whole fucking time!" Inuyasha barked in exasperation, feeling the weight of the five person team fall on his shoulders again.

"He's the only one that can act as a pseudo-healer while Kagome is working on accessing her powers," Sango countered.

Inuyasha crossed his arms angrily over his chest, turning his nose up at the tray of food that was placed at his side. "This sucks," he said more offhandedly than he meant to.

Kagome sagged in her spot, idly poking at her own plate of food. She agreed with him. It did suck. A lot.

---

"So," Miroku began, that mischievous and lecherous glint in his eye that had Inuyasha rolling his before the man even finished his thought. "You were both wet…"

"It's not like that," Inuyasha snarled, glaring at the Player before letting his gaze flicker over to where he could hear Sango and Kagome changing into night clothes, preparing for bed.

"Oh, really? How'd you both end up in the water then?" He pressed, wiggling his eye brows.

Inuyasha stared at the ground, grabbing a twig for kindling and snapping it before throwing it in.

"Inuyasha, what happened?" Miroku questioned, noticing the way the half-demon tensed up and his gaze became unfocused.

He let out a long breath, ears pulling back against his head as he spoke, "I just… I only saw her head… she-she wasn't moving."

Miroku nodded, looking away from his friend and chewing on the inside of his cheek. "You thought she was injured?"

Inuyasha laughed darkly, "no… I thought she… didn't…"

"You thought she didn't want to fight anymore…" Miroku finished for him.

Inuyasha nodded, a snarl tugging at his lip at the mere concept of it. It wouldn't have been the first time that he'd witnessed a suicide. Players died all the time. Inside and outside the Arena. He'd learned that years ago. It wasn't exactly something he'd easily forget. He didn't consider himself educated enough to know the difference between what separated those insane enough to end their lives from those insane enough to live another day in hell but Inuyasha also really didn't want to hazard a guess.

He just wanted her to live.

Miroku let the silence hang between them for a few moments before sighing in a forlorn understanding. "The games aren't just hard on the body. They are hard on the mind too."

"I know that," Inuyasha snapped, glaring at him.

"You don't need to get defensive," he stated, understanding that Inuyasha was more sensitive than he felt comfortable expressing in the world they lived in, "but… I do think you need to be a little nicer to Kagome. If she doesn't feel safe, if she doesn't feel like she can rely on us when she needs support, next time she might not just be relaxing in the water…"

His lip pulled up in a full snarl and his leg began to bounce as Inuyasha stifled the urge to wretch at the very thought of finding Kagome lifeless and cold. All he could think about was the instantaneous sensation of relief that had flooded through him when he'd found those big, sapphire eyes looking back at him, still full of fire and light. The thought of never seeing them again was something too heavy to process. "Fine," Inuyasha bit out, not so much as looking at Miroku but exhaling loudly in resignation.

"She's pretty and all-" Miroku tried, attempting to make light of a situation he'd stumbled on before realizing was darker and deeper than he'd meant to prod at.

"It's not like that," Inuyasha cut in quickly. Truthfully, he didn't give a fuck what she looked like or that she'd been near naked in the water. He hadn't thought about that. The image of her inky black hair, unmoving in the river was too close to memories of years past, earlier in his tenure in the Grid, when he was barely old enough to control himself let alone provide assistance to another. He could still remember the chill that crept through his body as the pads of his fingers had brushed over the ice cold, lifeless frame of a former teammate driven to their breaking point.

Those memories didn't just leave a person willingly.

The half-demon, turned, amber eyes watching the girls and Shippo each find their beds in their sleeping quarters, half-smiles dancing on their lips, before he turned back toward the fire.

There were a lot of ways to die in the Grid. The most obvious were physical but the most dangerous were often the silent ones. It was a little too easy to lose yourself, to lose your humanity, in a place like the Grid. For many it slipped away little by little, so incrementally that one day you just woke without it, not even aware that you'd once been different.

And that was the last thing Inuyasha wanted for a person who's eyes blazed so brightly and intently they managed to make even him believe in a better world, if only for a moment.

She deserved more.

She deserved better.

---

Kagome stood in the middle of the training area across from Inuyasha the next day. He didn't need to smell her to know she was nervous. Her fingers were trembling and she was almost twitching even as she stood before him. If he so much as moved a centimeter her entire body flinched, waiting for the hit.

It sickened him. Far more than it should have. Kagome should fear him and listen to him. She should flinch and stand ready at all times to defend her life. That understanding did nothing to ease the pit in his stomach.

She was learning. Her reflexes were getting there, which he knew he should have been happy about. Those reflexes would save her life.

Logically, he knew this.

But still… she was learning to fear him. Any move he made, Inuyasha watched her recoil. 'It's training,' he reminded himself. 'She's supposed to move out of the way…'

Inuyasha huffed out a large, haggard breath and then rolled his shoulders, getting ready for the next move. He lunged for her and she evaded. Just like before, diving haphazardly toward the ground away from his claws that had been no where near her.

He sneered as he walked away. Her form was still sloppy and slow. She barreled to the side without concern for having to get back up and fight but he was going to be 'nice' to her, whatever the hell that meant.

Kagome rolled across the ground after diving out of his path and then waited, her eyes forced shut, thinking that she would feel the sting of the paper thin cuts burn along her flesh from his claws any moment. But it never came. She opened her eyes slowly and blinked down at her arms and uniform. Both were clean. Not a single tear or scratch.

Her large smile broke his heart. Her big blue eyes thinking that she had successfully moved away in time. Inuyasha swallowed thickly and got back in position, ignoring the pang in his chest and the nagging in the back of his mind that screamed that going slow wouldn't help her.

Still, they repeated the exercise.

Again, he missed her purposefully, Miroku's words from the prior evening running rampant in his mind, images long ago sealed away pushing forward again and making him feel weak. He was surrounded by death and she was a pristine flower everyone wanted to trample.

Protecting her felt like an impossible situation.

Kagome tumbled to the ground again, wincing as she landed on a bruise that had formed on her hip from repeatedly tossing herself to the side in the same way. She hissed out a breath and looked warily at her arms but they were still clean. She smiled again, biting down on her lip and daring to think that she could do this, that she could make it out alive. Inuyasha was one of the fastest Players in the Arena, if she could dodge him-

Kagome paused, her brow crinkling as she rose to her feet. She shouldn't have been able to dodge him. That was all she knew for sure. She turned to face Inuyasha, examining his form questioningly.

He wasn't looking at her. His gaze forced elsewhere. Kagome's head tilted incrementally, alarms sounding in her mind for reasons she didn't quite understand, all while her brain supplied her with the memory of Inuyasha grabbing her out of the water, barely clothed, causing her cheeks to flush in the middle of the training field.

Inuyasha could see that's she was making progress, it was just too slow, too minute. He watched her get in position and swallowed again, forcing his eyes closed before lunging forward, intentionally moving at a pace he knew she could counteract. It hurt. Holding back from her hurt. Watching her confidence, false confidence, soar riddled him with shame.

But he had to be 'nice.' He had to make her feel better. So that she wouldn't end up cold and rigid in the water or on the field.

Inuyasha watched her again, getting to her feet with gusto and exuberance, biting down on that lip that began to weasel its way into his thoughts and daydreams, sapphire eyes sparkling like the most brilliant of diamonds as she got back into position, a hand curling around one of the blades that rested along her thighs.

He felt none of her jubilation as he moved, a clawed hand skating through the air, missing her shoulder when Kagome merely stepped to the side versus moving out of his line of attack entirely. Inuyasha's frown deepened. In a life or death situation, that extra space that she wasn't taking would determine whether or not she saw their fake sun again.

And she wasn't taking it.

Huffing loudly, clean fingers curling into fists, Inuyasha barked, "you need to attack! Don't just hold the damn thing!"

Kagome nodded as she reset, brows knitting together. He was… off. Kagome bit her lip again but this time she didn't smile. She wrapped her fingers around the dagger on one of her legs again and watched him closely. Inuyasha still wasn't looking at her. In fact she… Kagome watched him close his eyes before lurching forward. She moved away from him, drawing her blade, examining him more closely than her own movements, noticing how his gold eyes opened and fixated on her blade as she swung it loosely through the air that divided them.

He dodged her attack easily and with practiced skill.

Kagome frowned as he backed away, moving out of the reach of her blade. Stepping forward, she waited but he didn't move. 'What… what is he doing?' Kagome wondered, grinding her teeth and narrowing her gaze.

"Reset," she demanded, a bitter and sinking feeling gripping her chest.

"Excuse me?" Inuyasha growled as Kagome turned her back to him, walking back over to where they usually started their practice, the beaten patch of dirt marking her traditional starting point.

Kagome ignored him, sliding her dagger back into the holder on her thigh and crouching into position, her blue gaze settling heavily on Inuyasha as he stood before her.

"You don't call the shots here," he snapped.

She chewed on the inside of her cheek, merely glaring at him and waiting for him to reset. Kagome's mind raced, bitter doubt and lung seizing agony building because, she could see it. He was purposefully moving more slowly than before. And Kagome didn't like it one fucking bit.

Training days were brutal, Kagome would be the first to admit that, but she thought she was getting better. Sure, she recognized that training was slow and painful but as she waited for Inuyasha to reset Kagome couldn't help but feel all her prior confidence drain out of her.

'It's… it's too easy today…' She thought to herself, staring at the ground for a moment before flickering her gaze up at the half-demon. Her lip twitched in a slight snarl and Kagome decided she was done waiting for him to reset, she lunged forward, her hand gripping and ripping out the dagger from her thigh and thrusting it forcefully toward Inuyasha.

He caught her wrist faster than Kagome could even process his movements, pushing her off to the side before the blade could knick him. She tumbled to the ground, relinquishing her grip of the knife so she could catch herself as she fell. Kagome huffed, her hands aching and throbbing after having scraped across the beaten ground to break her fall before she looked back up at him.

Inuyasha hadn't been able to look at her in the eye since the evening prior and now he was-

'Is this because he saw me in the river?'

Getting to her feet, Kagome bit down on her lip then walked over, picking her dagger off the ground, sapphire eyes glazed over with doubt and confusion. Resetting, Kagome watched Inuyasha closely again. He still refused to look her in her eyes like normal, he still refused to knick her skin, but he still shoved her away before she could land even a minimal hit on him.

Kagome began chewing on her lip angrily, bending down and snatching her dagger off the ground again after Inuyasha had all but tossed it over his head after twisting it out of her hand. Huffing, Kagome paused, standing a few feet away from him, bitter feelings of sadness and dejection bubbling in her chest.

She began walking back to her start position, pausing in her step as she came up next to Inuyasha. Clenching her jaw, Kagome ground her teeth before looking at him. Her eyes burned hotter than a real sun as she perceived him intensely while Inuyasha still struggled to meet her gaze. Kagome crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. "Why won't you look at me?"

"Excuse me?" He hissed, golden eyes searing her as they finally collided with sapphire.

"This is the first time all morning you've looked me in the eye. Why?" She asked in a hush, not wanting to alert their teammates who were training not that far off on the other side of the space.

"You're being paranoid. Reset," Inuyasha demanded, pulling his gaze off of her.

"Is this because you saw me almost naked last night?" Kagome hissed, walking right up to him, defying his order. Inuyasha's cheeks tinged red but he didn't answer. Rolling her eyes, Kagome stomped back to her spot and reset.

Except this time she didn't move when Inuyasha did. Kagome remained planted in her starting position, not even so much as reaching for her dagger but just observing as the half-demon lunged forward. She watched Inuyasha hurdle toward her in the blink of an eye and miss her.

Her hands trembled with fury as Inuyasha pretended not to notice that she hadn't moved. But Kagome didn't pretend. She marched over to where he was silently resetting, abruptly placing her hands on his chest and shoving him. "Are you a fucking child?!" She spat as she pushed him.

Inuyasha snarled immediately, knocking her hands off of him. "What the fuck are you babbling about?!" He snapped in response, caught off guard by her anger.

"Hit me!" Kagome exclaimed, tossing her hands up. "What?! You think because you saw my tits last night that changes anything here?!" She yelled, ignorant of the way Sango, Miroku, and Shippo had all stopped what they were doing to see what the commotion was about. "For fuck's sake," Kagome continued, "it's not that big of a deal!"

"Hey!" Miroku called, jogging over, a strained smile on his face as he approached. "Shall we take a break?" He suggested, quickly physically inserting himself between Kagome and Inuyasha.

"Fine," Inuyasha spat, glaring directly at Kagome before turning his nose up at her and walking over to their normal break spot.

Kagome huffed loudly, crossing her arms over her chest, glaring at his back as he walked away from her. "What the fuck?" She grumbled under her breath, shaking her head and trying to hold back her tears of frustration. 'He's such a jerk!'

"Hey," Miroku began, smiling uncomfortably and running a hand through his bangs, "you wanna tell me what the yelling was about?"

She rolled her eyes before looking at her teammate, "last night Inuyasha saw me basically naked and now he won't look me in the eye."

"I see," he murmured.

"What the hell is the big deal anyway?!" Kagome exclaimed. "I mean, we're adults. We all know what things look like!" She vented in frustration, thinking Miroku a sympathetic ear.

Miroku snorted and scratched idly at the side of his head, letting out an awkward laugh.

She paused, narrowing her gaze at him. "What? What's that for?"

"Kagome," he began, looking off to the side, cheeks tinging slightly pink as he explained. "Not… not everyone here knows…"

"Wha-" she stammered, her shoulders slumping and eyes fluttering shut as she realized her mistake. She'd assumed that everyone had had some type of education, taking for granted the lessons she'd received, but as she looked over to where Shippo sat, Kagome realized that that was… wrong. Worse, she let her gaze roam over the other adults around her and realized that she had no idea how long they'd been in the Grid. 'Miroku…' She felt the blood drain from her face.

Kagome released a harsh breath, another question coming to mind. "H-how long… how long has Inuyasha been in here?" She whispered, trying not to alert the half-demon to her question or concern.

Miroku fell silent, his gaze steeling as he thought about how best to answer her. "A while," he stated, intentionally giving her a vague answer.

She watched his face fall into a quiet and somber expression, a chill running down her spine. Her gaze flitted back over to the demon who was patiently listening to Shippo while the kid gingerly snacked on a fruit. She felt her heart plummet in her chest as Kagome watched them.

"Sango said that Shippo's the longest surviving kid in the game."

"That's not quite true."

"So… there are other kids?"

She bit down on her lip and dropped her head. 'Miroku… he had to have been referring to Inuyasha, right? Which means… he's been here so long…'

"Come on," Miroku stated, putting on a wan smile, "gotta hydrate and all that."

Kagome nodded silently, following behind him. She didn't look up as she approached and she barely put on a good front when Shippo ran over to talk to her. All she could think about was how every day the nightmare got worse.

---

The following morning, Kagome sat in front of Sango under the shade of a tree, listening to the Player quiz her on different game rules and points of their team strategy. She answered and nodded when appropriate but Kagome felt like a shell of a person as Sango cheerily pulled her wavy raven hair into a tight braid at the back of her head.

After her talk with Miroku, she had been silently resigned to whatever Inuyasha wanted. If he didn't want to meet her gaze she didn't want to force him. If he wanted to go slower than normal, she'd let him, even if it ate at her because she didn't understand why he had changed tactics without telling her.

But really all of that just… it paled in comparison to the realization that the half-demon likely didn't know or remember anything about a life outside the Grid. Kagome had spent the entire night thinking about all her life experiences, silent sobs wracking her at the understanding that he didn't know any of it. All the things she'd taken for granted, even something as simple as a public education, were things that Inuyasha likely had no concept of.

All because he'd been dropped into this hell-hole for reasons that continued to escape her. 'He shouldn't be here… None of them should be.'

"Today should be easier than yesterday," Sango murmured, noticing Kagome's far off expression and abnormal silence. "The match is tomorrow, so today Inuyasha will focus on honing what skills you've already developed versus trying to teach you new ones or improving stamina."

Kagome nodded silently in response. Truth was, she wasn't very sore from her training the day prior and she'd even forgotten that the following day was their match with Yura. Inuyasha had just… he'd moved so slowly when attacking her only to move at full speed when deflecting her attacks. It had been frustrating more than anything but it was Miroku's words that continued to weigh heaviest on her mind.

Her blue gaze flickered over to where Inuyasha was. He and Miroku were off to the side, each getting a quick morning practice in before Inuyasha would be stuck training her again all day. Really, Kagome recognized, that was Inuyasha's only opportunity to actually work on his skills.

She watched him, still feeling Sango's fingers shift through her hair. He moved so easily and quickly, claws tearing through pieces of Miroku's uniform without hesitation. Kagome's shoulders slumped, while her eyes continued to follow everything Inuyasha did.

He was fast but also strong. She could easily see the way his trained and toned muscles moved under the fabric of his uniform. While his performance didn't have the same grace as say a professional ballerina, Inuyasha still moved with a mastery of his body and its capabilities. He reminded her more of a decorated gymnast, the way he was always aware of where he was in relation to the rest of the world and his opponents. She found herself captivated by his normal, unrestrained actions.

But most of all it was his smile that made her heart beat a little faster and skin feel a little flushed. Inuyasha only ever scowled at her, so much so Kagome hadn't actually realized he was capable of a fucking smile until she watched him spar with Miroku. He smiled and laughed as the other player tried and failed to land a hit on the half-demon, gloating as he whirled around before Miroku could fully even turn his head.

Subconsciously, Kagome bit down on her bottom lip. It was fun to watch him. It felt like a strange thing to think given the circumstance but the light in his eyes was just so bright. So too were the flames of energy that curled around him. They were so brilliant and dynamic, wild in their movements but utterly enthralling to witness. It was like his soul itself couldn't be contained and just wanted to play.

She felt enraptured.

So enraptured that Kagome hadn't realized that she'd fallen totally silent, eyes dancing in time with Inuyasha's movements across the field all but ignoring Sango.

Sango folded pieces of Kagome's hair together, a sad smile pulling down the corners of her lips as she leaned forward thinking that Kagome might have been upset or scared after she'd mentioned the impending round. Instead, Sango found Kagome's gaze fixed on their teammate. The Healer's eyes were wide and pupils large, a gentle flush coloring her cheeks as she continued to watch, oblivious of the way Sango's gaze hardened, her lips pressing into a fine line.

She swallowed thickly, leaning back and staring idly at the raven hair in her hands. Sango tied the braid and cleared her throat, drawing Kagome's attention.

Kagome got to her feet and let out a long breath before tossing Sango a quick look. "Well, he looks like he's in a better mood than normal," she remarked, gesturing toward Inuyasha. "Hopefully that means he won't be such an ass today."

"I heard that!" Inuyasha snapped, immediately frowning in her direction, as Miroku panted next to him, trying to catch his breath.

Miroku placed a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder and patted it lightly. "Be nice," he scolded, narrowing his gaze at the half-demon. "One day doesn't make up for the shit impression you've left on her."

Inuyasha shrugged free of Miroku's hand and stifled the urge to hiss profanities at him. "Whatever," he grumbled, pouting while walking over to the part of the field where he and Kagome had been training during the day.

Miroku sighed and walked over to the women. He smiled at them both before grabbing a canteen of water and taking a healthy swig. "I think he's ready for you now," Miroku teased as Kagome let out a defeated groan before skulking over to Inuyasha.

Sango crossed her arms over her chest, mulberry eyes keeping a close watch on her friends.

"Oh no," Miroku murmured, capping his bottle, "what's that look for?"

"Cut the shit," Sango hissed, flicking her gaze to Miroku for a moment before returning it to Kagome. She watched as Kagome's eyes overtly roamed over Inuyasha anytime she thought he wasn't looking, checking him out before biting down on her lip only to immediately stop when the half-demon faced her again.

Miroku followed her gaze and sighed again when it landed on the duo already bickering at the other end of the field. "What about them?" He asked flatly, violet eyes dipping and looking around for Shippo.

"I think that Kagome is distracted," Sango whispered.

He nodded silently. "Well, we'll have to keep a closer eye on those two I guess," Miroku commented noncommittally.

"Right," she muttered unhappily, before grabbing her hiraikotsu from the ground. "Whatever. Let's train," Sango called over her shoulder, no longer interested in discussing the matter with him.

"We need to find Shippo…" Miroku stated, looking around the field for him before both players heard Inuyasha snarl loudly, immediately followed by the kitsune's laughter. He looked back over to where Inuyasha had been trying to train Kagome to find Kagome's likeness multiplied by ten, all but one of the 'Kagomes' laughing at Inuyasha's obvious annoyance.

"Shippo!" He snapped, reaching forward and immediately plucking the fox out of the group.

"Hey!" The boy exclaimed as Inuyasha dangled him from his tail. "How did you know that one was me?" He whined.

Inuyasha growled, "because Kagome doesn't have a fucking tail…"

Shippo immediately deflated, "aw man… I thought I'd worked past that…"

"Apparently not," the half-demon snapped, releasing the boy.

"Shippo!" Miroku called, beckoning him over to where he and Sango were setting up. "Why don't you work with us to refine that?"

"Coming!" He exclaimed, before turning to Kagome and smiling. "Have a good session Kagome!"

"Thanks, you too," she murmured, waving at him as he ran off.

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha cracked his knuckles and continued to grumble under his breath. "Reset," he demanded irately. Kagome did as instructed, her smile disappearing immediately and making Inuyasha more irate still.

He was growing to hate training with her. She always looked so upset in his presence. It was irritating and distracting and Miroku was in his goddam head telling him to be 'nicer' to her. 'What does it fucking matter?!' He thought bitterly to himself. 'She'll hate me regardless.'

Kagome sucked in a long breath through her nose, crouching into position and waiting. She wanted to see if he was going to go easy on her again.

And he did.

She bit down angrily on her bottom lip and shook her head. Kagome waited for the reprimand that never came. Instead, he silently reset across from her. She could see the frustration in his gaze but still he said nothing. He made her feel like an unwanted child, there to be tolerated at best until a better thing came along. It was demoralizing and demotivating.

Kagome felt the tears prick at the back of her eyes as she made a decision. She waited. She let him lunge at her again and again, but she didn't move. Over and over she watched him move out of her way right before nicking her with his claws. Each time she watched the tension build in his muscles and the way he fought the twitching snarl that he clearly wanted to show. She watched him curl his fingers into fists, digging his claws into his palms before getting back into his starting position just to repeat the whole process.

She swallowed thickly, eyes becoming glassy. 'He… has he… given up on me?'

The silence that filled the space, which should have been drowned out by his biting critiques, was deafening to her. She hadn't improved. It was all… fake.

Gripping a handle on her dagger, Kagome closed her eyes, feeling the hot tears build, nearing a tipping point. She opened them again, gaze burning as she looked at him and waited.

He charged forward, claws extended toward her. Kagome pulled out her dagger and aimed it for his face, her wrist immediately caught by his hand. She felt the heat of his grip burn before he released her. Inuyasha glared at the ground, "better."

His encouragement felt like a slap in the face. They both knew she was barely trying.

'He's… he's lying to me…'

She shook her head, angrily throwing the dagger to the ground.

Inuyasha paused, hearing the metal clatter in the dirt and smelling the putrid odor of saline commingling with Kagome's natural fragrance. He turned slowly, immediately seeing the way her chest rose and fell in an exaggerated rhythm as she failed to hold back the flood.

He swallowed quietly, forcing a glare in her direction to mask his own pain at being the cause of her tears. Inuyasha kicked her dagger back over to her. "You dropped something," he growled.

Wordlessly, Kagome pulled out her other dagger and flung it at him. Inuyasha caught it in the air, his face pinching in anger. "What the fuck is your problem?" He bit out, marching over to her and shoving the dagger in her hands.

Kagome let it fall and land with a thud in the dirt at their feet. "Me?" She seethed, placing her palms on his chest and gripping his uniform. "What's my problem?!" Kagome cried.

"Yes!" Inuyasha spat.

"You're treating me like a child!" She yelled.

Inuyasha recoiled at her outburst, angrily growling back at her. He was being nice! Wasn't that what she wanted?!

"Reset!" Kagome snarled, releasing him and angrily picking up her daggers.

He did as she instructed.

As she crouched back into position, Kagome glared at him. "I know you can do better," she goaded.

Inuyasha ignored Kagome's comment, a small snarl forming on his lips before pushing off the ground. Just as before, he skidded by her again only to hear Kagome growl out a frustrated cry. She glared at him, her body shaking as she lifted a dagger and angrily tossed it at him. Inuyasha caught it, turning to face her, his blistering gaze meeting Kagome's but she was too upset to care about what he was feeling.

She swallowed roughly, sucking in a haggard breath, her chest bubbling in pain. She felt it, her mind beginning to unravel, the toll of it all pushing down on her as she stared back at him. Her vision began to blur from the tears that perched on her lashes. Even so, Kagome charged him, curling her hand around the other dagger on her leg.

Inuyasha paused, eyes widening. It wasn't the image of her running at him that stopped him but the way the air had suddenly become thick with static that crackled across his skin and made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, purifying energy seeping out of her as she moved. He watched closely, waiting as she lifted the dagger higher, seeing the look of determination in her eyes, seeing how badly she wanted to hurt him.

Kagome closed the gap between them, hand held high before she tried to bring the dagger down. His movements were swift. Inuyasha knocked her wrist away, stepping to the side, out of her way, mentally berating her for her sloppy technique. She'd over committed and the moment he moved out of her way, Kagome lost her footing and hurtled toward the ground, her dagger sliding over the dirt as she slid to a stop.

"That's the best you've got?!" Kagome spat out at him, scrambling to her feet then lunging for him again without resetting. "You're supposed to be good!"

Inuyasha growled at her again, shoving her hands away again as she tried to attack.

She didn't relent. He pushed her away, his lips parting in a growl before issuing a command she didn't listen to. Kagome sprinted toward him, fury and a refusal to let him give up on her fueling her actions.

He jumped over her, landing softly behind. Kagome whirled around immediately, thrusting her elbow into him, only a little surprised when she felt her elbow connect with his stomach. Inuyasha hissed out a breath, fangs bared and amber eyes near seething.

She ignored him still, instead turning to hit him again.

Inuyasha put her on her ass, quickly dodging as Kagome attempted to punch him before sliding his foot out in front of her and shoving. She toppled immediately. Huffing loudly, Kagome pulled herself off the ground. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. Her arms quivered as she attempted to push herself up, legs trembling as she turned to face Inuyasha again.

She could barely keep her arms up. And that was after he'd gone easy on her the entire day before.

It sickened him.

Inuyasha could smell the tears in her eyes. 'She shouldn't be here…' he thought to himself, swallowing down the bile, gaze narrowed as Kagome's face contorted in pain. Inuyasha stood over her, grimacing and breathing harder than he should have, gold eyes barely open, nauseous as he couldn't help but see every tear in her uniform that he'd caused. Inuyasha couldn't help but fixate on the water bubbling on her lashes, or the way her scabbed arms shook before Kagome collapsed in the dirt, the weakest and most heart wrenching cry squeaking out of her as her tired body hit the ground after being unable to push herself up.

He forced his eyes sideways, fingers curling into fists, claws pressing into his palms because he just… he couldn't watch anymore.

But he could still hear her and still smell the acrid scent of her tears as they scorched down her cheeks. Kagome exhaled loudly, slowly and painstakingly getting to her feet.

She would not stay down. Her resolve would not shake even if her limbs did.

Inuyasha swallowed thickly, not able to face her.

He'd never felt such extensive self-loathing during training. 'She… this is for her survival,' he tried to remind himself. He wasn't hurting her for his enjoyment. Inuyasha never enjoyed this. Any of this. It was all heinous.

Kagome huffed loudly, angrily, glaring at his forlorn figure as he looked toward the dirt. "Is that it?!" She cried, chest heaving up and down, ignoring the way her teammates paused at the other end of the field.

Inuyasha turned to her. If she wasn't so angry with him, his expression would have caused her to pause but she was angry. She should have been flat on her ass, begging him for a break instead of on her feet again. Her skin should have been torn at odd ends instead of merely a few new grazes along her uniform.

Her chest heaved and her breathing felt loud even to her ears, tears rolling down her cheeks as she stared back at him, embedding her gaze with the full fury of her entire emotional arsenal. "Well?!" Kagome screamed at him when he didn't answer her.

She watched his gaze harden, warm amber eyes turning as cold and dark as stone. Inuyasha looked like he was going to be sick.

She hated that look. It was worse than his disappointment in her.

Without waiting for his reply, Kagome snarled and burst forward. Her hand grabbed a dagger, her cheeks raw from the water running down her face, as she attacked him. His wrist caught hers, stopping her from inflicting any damage, but Kagome collided into him, knocking him to the ground. Inuyasha stared back at her, his own breathing belabored as he glared at her.

Kagome's face scrunched in anguish, her braid falling to the side, her tears dripping down as she ground her teeth. Her entire body lay over his, pressing Inuyasha against the dirt, his hand easily holding her wrist with the dagger out and away from anything vital.

Inuyasha watched her expression contort. She looked ugly, not as in unattractive but her face was twitching, contorted into a mix of pain and rage as Kagome perceived him, eyes clouded and bloodshot, lips pressed tight as she shook her head.

Her lips turned upward into a snarl as she spoke, "why… why are you doing this?" She hissed so low that only they could hear her voice.

Inuyasha didn't speak. He merely released her wrist. Kagome moved immediately, pressing the edge of the blade against his neck.

"Why?" She asked again, her voice shaky and weak; pleading. Kagome swallowed.

She looked so hurt. For a moment he held her gaze, before Inuyasha let his head fall to the side, gaze leaving hers. It was too much. He couldn't watch the light leave her eyes. But it would. Either the Arena would kill her or his training might. He wasn't sure which was worse.

"Inuyasha," she begged, tossing the dagger to the side, unconcerned with the way her teammates looked at them, reaching down and gripping his uniform before shaking him. "Answer me," Kagome demanded through gritted teeth.

He didn't. Inuyasha couldn't stop imagining her head bobbing lifelessly in the water and the way his own will to live had so summarily declined upon even the thought of Kagome dying.

She deserved to live.

But she wouldn't.

Not here.

He couldn't deal with that, he didn't know how. It was getting too real. All of it. The lies he told himself weren't enough when it was her life at risk.

She shook him again, her tears dripping over his uniform. "Look at me!" Kagome demanded. When he didn't, she let out a tired sob, reaching for the other dagger on her thigh, her hand shakily held it over his chest. "Answer me…"

Inuyasha forced his eyes shut.

He couldn't do this.

He couldn't watch her die.

Inuyasha felt the tip of the blade prick his skin but that meant nothing. It was when he felt her forehead press down against his chest, her body shaking as she released a shuddering breath, that he reluctantly looked at her, gaze softening and saddening as Kagome sobbed over him.

She peaked out through her bangs and glared at him. "Why…" She asked again, "why are you going easy on me?"

Her tears wounded him in a way he'd never known. Her sadness made breathing hard to comprehend. Her cries were worse than whatever she would do with that dagger. He wanted her to live so fucking badly.

"Is it because you saw me naked?" She pressed, her voice was so weak that he could tell from that alone that even Kagome didn't believe that that was the reason.

Inuyasha looked away. He had no idea how to explain the emotions he was feeling. They didn't make sense to him. He just… she would die. Kagome wasn't strong enough. She wasn't fast enough.

And he wasn't enough to save her.

"Inuyasha… Please," she begged again.

His face scrunched in pain and he reached out, his hand curling around the one that held the dagger against his flesh. He placed his hand over hers and slowly lifted the weapon.

Inuyasha looked at her again.

"What?" He asked weakly.

"Why are you going easy on me?" She asked, her voice quivering and a look of defeat on her face that was so palpable, so painful to behold. "Ar-why are you giving up on me? Wh-what did I do wrong?"

"Miroku…" he began, wincing at the hollowness in his own voice, "told me to be nicer to you…"

Kagome stared back at him, her expression morphing into one of disgust, "no…" she shook her head, gripping him more tightly. "No," she repeatedly more firmly. She closed her eyes for a moment, sucking in a shuddering breath that had Inuyasha biting on his cheek to stifle his own whimper of pain.

Kagome tossed the dagger aside like the other, her fists curling around his uniform. She could hear Sango and Miroku calling to them, walking over to the duo most likely confused about her laying on top of Inuyasha and his reluctance to drop her on her ass like he normally would.

"You… you can't do that… Don't do that."

Inuyasha looked at her, watching the way Kagome's head dropped down, her entire face hidden behind her bangs. He could feel her shake against him, her sobs light but loud.

"Kagome!" Sango called urgently, confused.

She peered through her bangs, tilting up and glaring at Inuyasha, digging her nails into him. "So, you're giving up on me…" Kagome murmured, her shoulders sagging.

"No," he stated, harshly. He'd never do that.

"Then what is it?!" She cried, shaking him again.

Her image, her lifeless form in growing cold while her head bobbed in the water, the way she just… Kagome reminded him too much of his former teammates. They had each had life in their eyes once too but the Grid was so good at stomping that out.

His eyes screwed shut, as he growled back at her, a clawed hand gripping one of the wrists that held onto his uniform, "you can't die…" Inuyasha snarled, spitting out the words defiantly at her, glaring as if she had control over her own fate in such a way.

Kagome removed her hands from him, "then stop going easy on me."

"But-"

"I don't give a shit what Miroku says," Kagome interrupted, leaning down toward his face, gaze unwavering as she looked into his eyes. "Your opinion matters, you… you can't go easy on me, got it?"

"Why?"

Kagome paused, biting down on her lip before answering. "Because," she began in a whisper, "you're the only thing keeping me sane right now. You have always been honest with me. Don't stop because you think that… I need… nice."

Sane, she knew, was a generous term for what she was in that moment but the sentiment remained. If he gave up on her, Kagome knew it meant she'd die. As long as he had faith in her-

'He's scared…' She realized, genuinely realized, seeing him differently. Seeing Inuyasha not as a fighter or her trainer but as a person.

He closed his eyes, letting out a long, tired breath.

"You suck today," Inuyasha blurted out, shaking his head and opening his eyes just to level a heavy glare at her. He waited, expecting a biting retort that never came. Instead, Kagome looked at him and smiled.

"How bad?" Kagome murmured, sapphire eyes glittering as she looked back at him.

"Your skills are literal trash, embarrassing really," he continued in a grumble. "You never fucking listen! It's like this is your first fucking day here! You can't just throw yourself anywhere. Move out of the way but always be ready to move again! You make it too easy to fucking murder you."

She smiled and nodded, biting down on her lip playfully, "so… then what are you doing on the ground letting a 'trash' fighter pin you down?"

"Please," he scoffed, propping himself up on his elbows, "you could never really pin me…"

Kagome leaned in, getting in his face, "oh, really?"

"Really," Inuyasha replied dryly.

"Then stop half-assing our training and show me what the fuck you've actually got," Kagome snapped, yanking on a silver forelock.

He growled and slapped her hand away from his hair.

Kagome stood and sighed. "Look," she began, extending her hand down to him. Inuyasha stared at it for a moment before taking it, slowly getting back to his feet, watching her closely.

Kagome nodded in the direction of their teammates, "they're allowed to sugar coat things for me, okay? But…" she paused, looking back into his amber eyes earnestly, "you're not, got it?" Inuyasha paused, waiting for more. Kagome reached forward, her hand clasping around his as she looked into his eyes. She could see the shock and confusion he exhibited from her touch. It pained her, thinking that he so rarely felt the warmth and gentle touch of another. Kagome squeezed her hand, fingers curling around his in a kind gesture, "even if your words hurt, I need to hear them, okay? You're my only constant in this place," she tried to explain. Kagome bit down on her lip, "I… I need it…"

"Need what?" He asked.

"I need you to be honest with me don't ever hold back, okay?" Kagome asked, "please, not from me…"

Inuyasha nodded.

"Promise me," she pressed. "Inuyasha, promise me that you'll never go easy on me again."

Rolling his eyes he nodded, "I promise…"

"Thank you."

"Now, get your goddam daggers," he snarled, pulling his hand out from hers. "Your form is utter shit."

Kagome smiled up at him, "alright!"

"While you're at it," Inuyasha remarked, running a hand through his bangs and forcing his eyes shut, "grab a sword. You need to get better at stabbing people."

"What?" Kagome asked, thinking she'd misheard him.

"Go grab a sword. You need to get better at something before tomorrow," Inuyasha growled.

"Okay," Kagome answered cheerily, a renewed vigor in her voice as she jogged over, pulling out a standard blade. "This one okay?"

Inuyasha nodded and pinched at the bridge of his nose. 'She's going to get me killed. If not by Yura's hands then Sango will definitely slit my throat in the middle of the night…'

"So… what do I do with this?" Kagome asked, coming up to him again.

"For fuck's sake…" he groaned. "It's pretty self-explanatory, you stab things with it." 'We'll all be dead before end of game tomorrow…'