CHAPTER SIX
*
"Kagome, don't! Please, Kagome-" Inuyasha threw out his hand to try to stop her. But as he called her name, the arrow shot from her bow. White light flashed around it, streaming behind the arrow like a comet's tail.
Inuyasha's eyes widened, and he tried to pull back. But he couldn't dodge the arrow -- it was coming straight at him, and he had been in mid-jump when Kagome had released it. He couldn't smash it in mid-air, as he did for most human arrows -- just its touch would burn him. Even the blast of white light was searing his eyes.
This can't be! his mind cried. A flood of memories came back to him -- Kikyo calling his name, just before she had pierced him with her arrow, pinned him to a tree for fifty years, killed him for all that time. All the pain, the fear, the horror poured back into Inuyasha. Not again, he thought, bracing himself. Not this... all over again!
The tip of the arrowhead burned through his fire-rat clothes. Then Inuyasha felt it, running through him like a white-hot sword. Fire coursed through his body, blasting him from the inside out. A hoarse scream tore from his throat, but he heard it only distantly... until the arrow slammed his back against a tree trunk, silencing him.
The white light faded away as Inuyasha fell heavily to the ground. Though his eyes were tightly closed, he could see it all again -- Kikyo, standing with blood on her shoulders. Kagome, standing in that clearing with that cold look on her face. Their faces faded away, and he heard a voice calling his name...
*
The bow fell from Kagome's hand.
For a moment, she was too shocked to move. Then she stumbled over toward where Inuyasha had fallen. "Inuyasha!" Kagome called. "INUYASHA!"
He was lying on his back under the tree. Please don't be dead, Kagome prayed, scrambling over the tree roots toward him. Please, please don't let him be dead. He can't be dead... She landed beside him, and felt sick.
Inuyasha was lying half-curled up, shuddering. Kagome's arrow was still stuck in his chest, right over his heart. As Kagome crept toward him, he raised one hand and touched the arrow, as if he were going to pull it out. It glowed, and he made a pained noise.
"Don't touch it!" Kagome said desperately. "Inuyasha... I'm so sorry. Just hang on and I'll -- I'll try to pull that arrow out. Hold still..."
He winced again, and whispered something.
"What is it?" Kagome asked.
"K-Kikyo..." Inuyasha whispered hazily. "Why... did you do it..."
Kagome felt like crying. But she didn't have time. Inuyasha could live through practically anything -- she had seen him get punched through the chest, enveloped in flames, and still come back fighting. But her arrows purified demons... and half-demons... and if she didn't get it out soon...
Taking a deep breath, Kagome grabbed the arrow and pulled. Inuyasha cried out, clutching at her arm tightly. But the arrow wouldn't move. She couldn't pull it out. Kagome bit her lip and pulled again, thinking back to the day when she had freed Inuyasha from Kikyo's spell... how desperate she had been to get him free...
The arrow dissolved into smoke.
"I did it!" Kagome cried.
Inuyasha collapsed back against the mossy roots, breathing hard. His eyes were still closed, but he wasn't shuddering anymore. "Inuyasha?" Kagome said, creeping over. "Inuyasha, can you hear me?"
He didn't respond, except for another pained wince.
Kagome wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Inuyasha, I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry... it was so stupid of me. If I had waited just a few seconds more... Inuyasha?"
Kagome quickly sat up. Inuyasha hadn't moved from where he had fallen. But now he was too quiet, too peaceful... and she couldn't see him breathing. His face was turned away from her, shadowed by the withered tree leaves. Tears welled up in Kagome's eyes. She clutched at his hand. "Inuyasha," she whispered. "Please... don't leave me..."
TO BE CONTINUED
*
"Kagome, don't! Please, Kagome-" Inuyasha threw out his hand to try to stop her. But as he called her name, the arrow shot from her bow. White light flashed around it, streaming behind the arrow like a comet's tail.
Inuyasha's eyes widened, and he tried to pull back. But he couldn't dodge the arrow -- it was coming straight at him, and he had been in mid-jump when Kagome had released it. He couldn't smash it in mid-air, as he did for most human arrows -- just its touch would burn him. Even the blast of white light was searing his eyes.
This can't be! his mind cried. A flood of memories came back to him -- Kikyo calling his name, just before she had pierced him with her arrow, pinned him to a tree for fifty years, killed him for all that time. All the pain, the fear, the horror poured back into Inuyasha. Not again, he thought, bracing himself. Not this... all over again!
The tip of the arrowhead burned through his fire-rat clothes. Then Inuyasha felt it, running through him like a white-hot sword. Fire coursed through his body, blasting him from the inside out. A hoarse scream tore from his throat, but he heard it only distantly... until the arrow slammed his back against a tree trunk, silencing him.
The white light faded away as Inuyasha fell heavily to the ground. Though his eyes were tightly closed, he could see it all again -- Kikyo, standing with blood on her shoulders. Kagome, standing in that clearing with that cold look on her face. Their faces faded away, and he heard a voice calling his name...
*
The bow fell from Kagome's hand.
For a moment, she was too shocked to move. Then she stumbled over toward where Inuyasha had fallen. "Inuyasha!" Kagome called. "INUYASHA!"
He was lying on his back under the tree. Please don't be dead, Kagome prayed, scrambling over the tree roots toward him. Please, please don't let him be dead. He can't be dead... She landed beside him, and felt sick.
Inuyasha was lying half-curled up, shuddering. Kagome's arrow was still stuck in his chest, right over his heart. As Kagome crept toward him, he raised one hand and touched the arrow, as if he were going to pull it out. It glowed, and he made a pained noise.
"Don't touch it!" Kagome said desperately. "Inuyasha... I'm so sorry. Just hang on and I'll -- I'll try to pull that arrow out. Hold still..."
He winced again, and whispered something.
"What is it?" Kagome asked.
"K-Kikyo..." Inuyasha whispered hazily. "Why... did you do it..."
Kagome felt like crying. But she didn't have time. Inuyasha could live through practically anything -- she had seen him get punched through the chest, enveloped in flames, and still come back fighting. But her arrows purified demons... and half-demons... and if she didn't get it out soon...
Taking a deep breath, Kagome grabbed the arrow and pulled. Inuyasha cried out, clutching at her arm tightly. But the arrow wouldn't move. She couldn't pull it out. Kagome bit her lip and pulled again, thinking back to the day when she had freed Inuyasha from Kikyo's spell... how desperate she had been to get him free...
The arrow dissolved into smoke.
"I did it!" Kagome cried.
Inuyasha collapsed back against the mossy roots, breathing hard. His eyes were still closed, but he wasn't shuddering anymore. "Inuyasha?" Kagome said, creeping over. "Inuyasha, can you hear me?"
He didn't respond, except for another pained wince.
Kagome wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Inuyasha, I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry... it was so stupid of me. If I had waited just a few seconds more... Inuyasha?"
Kagome quickly sat up. Inuyasha hadn't moved from where he had fallen. But now he was too quiet, too peaceful... and she couldn't see him breathing. His face was turned away from her, shadowed by the withered tree leaves. Tears welled up in Kagome's eyes. She clutched at his hand. "Inuyasha," she whispered. "Please... don't leave me..."
TO BE CONTINUED