CHAPTER TWELVE
*
"Come on, Kirara," Kagome said. She started to move the little firecat down from Inuyasha's chest, but had a change of heart. She had been mewing and nuzzling Inuyasha ever since coming into the hut. Without exactly knowing why, she was worried about him.
Kagome sat down and rested her chin on her knees. I'm so tired, she thought. Sitting up all night, trying to stay awake in case Inuyasha came to... only he never did.
Thunder rumbled outside. Kirara looked up, and the fur on her tails stood on end.
"Uh oh," Kagome whispered. She glanced up at the holes in the roof. "Um... I'm not sure what I can do about that little problem... um..." She started digging through her backpack, until she found a few pans her mother had insisted on packing. At least if rain seeped in, she could
Kirara mewed and nudged Inuyasha's chin again. Kagome tried not to look at him, but she couldn't help it. The worst part is, she thought miserably, that I did this -- and I did exactly what Kikyo did to him fifty years ago. He was so angry and upset about it. For awhile, I think he hated her. He sure took it out on me...
She paused, thinking about what she had just said to herself. "Does this mean I'm not any better than Kikyo?" she whispered.
And worse yet, she thought silently, did this mean Inuyasha wouldn't trust her anymore? She had built up his fragile trust as time went on, bit by bit, without even trying to. And because of that demon Miroku had told her about, she had shot and almost killed him. Just like Kikyo had. It made Kagome want to cry, just thinking about hurting Inuyasha the way his first love, her preincarnation, had.
Lightning flashed outside.
The thunderstorm shook the tiny hut, rattling the hole-filled roof. The pans caught only a few of the drips. Kirara darted around, trying to avoid getting any wetter than she already was. And Kagome sat by Inuyasha's side, trying to shield him from the wind and water being blasted through the half-open door and roof. He still didn't move.
*
"Are you sure, Shippo?" Miroku asked, running as fast as he could. Sango, hampered by her boomerang, was only a few steps behind him.
"Yeah, I am!" Shippo replied, clinging to Miroku's robe. "They all had axes and spears and stuff. And most of them were all bloody. A few of them were just lying there with their eyes wide open. But they were dead all right."
"More illusions," Miroku said tightly. "The demon must have tricked the villagers into slaughtering one another."
They burst out into a clear spot overlooking a river. Near the river was a cluster of houses and stables. Three frightened-looking horses were banging around the stables, and some chickens were running in circles. But other than that, there was no sign of life in the village. And the ground was stained a brownish-red. Miroku didn't need Inuyasha's nose to smell the reek of spilled blood.
It was as Shippo had said. Bodies were strewn on the ground, all clutching axes, spears, battered swords and bows. Most of the villagers had savage wounds, or an arrow or spear jutting from their chests. A few were lying stiff on the ground, staring at the sky with wide-open eyes.
"It's horrible," Sango said in a disgusted tone. Miroku knew that she had seen many mass slaughters, but this one was far worse.
"Whatever you do, don't trust your eyes or ears, no matter how terrifying it may be," Miroku said.
Suddenly a white flash of light permeated the village, centering on a house at the far end. Miroku ran toward it, starting to pull the beads from his wrist. This is it, he thought. I'm not going to fall for whatever illusions you have in store...
TO BE CONTINUED
*
"Come on, Kirara," Kagome said. She started to move the little firecat down from Inuyasha's chest, but had a change of heart. She had been mewing and nuzzling Inuyasha ever since coming into the hut. Without exactly knowing why, she was worried about him.
Kagome sat down and rested her chin on her knees. I'm so tired, she thought. Sitting up all night, trying to stay awake in case Inuyasha came to... only he never did.
Thunder rumbled outside. Kirara looked up, and the fur on her tails stood on end.
"Uh oh," Kagome whispered. She glanced up at the holes in the roof. "Um... I'm not sure what I can do about that little problem... um..." She started digging through her backpack, until she found a few pans her mother had insisted on packing. At least if rain seeped in, she could
Kirara mewed and nudged Inuyasha's chin again. Kagome tried not to look at him, but she couldn't help it. The worst part is, she thought miserably, that I did this -- and I did exactly what Kikyo did to him fifty years ago. He was so angry and upset about it. For awhile, I think he hated her. He sure took it out on me...
She paused, thinking about what she had just said to herself. "Does this mean I'm not any better than Kikyo?" she whispered.
And worse yet, she thought silently, did this mean Inuyasha wouldn't trust her anymore? She had built up his fragile trust as time went on, bit by bit, without even trying to. And because of that demon Miroku had told her about, she had shot and almost killed him. Just like Kikyo had. It made Kagome want to cry, just thinking about hurting Inuyasha the way his first love, her preincarnation, had.
Lightning flashed outside.
The thunderstorm shook the tiny hut, rattling the hole-filled roof. The pans caught only a few of the drips. Kirara darted around, trying to avoid getting any wetter than she already was. And Kagome sat by Inuyasha's side, trying to shield him from the wind and water being blasted through the half-open door and roof. He still didn't move.
*
"Are you sure, Shippo?" Miroku asked, running as fast as he could. Sango, hampered by her boomerang, was only a few steps behind him.
"Yeah, I am!" Shippo replied, clinging to Miroku's robe. "They all had axes and spears and stuff. And most of them were all bloody. A few of them were just lying there with their eyes wide open. But they were dead all right."
"More illusions," Miroku said tightly. "The demon must have tricked the villagers into slaughtering one another."
They burst out into a clear spot overlooking a river. Near the river was a cluster of houses and stables. Three frightened-looking horses were banging around the stables, and some chickens were running in circles. But other than that, there was no sign of life in the village. And the ground was stained a brownish-red. Miroku didn't need Inuyasha's nose to smell the reek of spilled blood.
It was as Shippo had said. Bodies were strewn on the ground, all clutching axes, spears, battered swords and bows. Most of the villagers had savage wounds, or an arrow or spear jutting from their chests. A few were lying stiff on the ground, staring at the sky with wide-open eyes.
"It's horrible," Sango said in a disgusted tone. Miroku knew that she had seen many mass slaughters, but this one was far worse.
"Whatever you do, don't trust your eyes or ears, no matter how terrifying it may be," Miroku said.
Suddenly a white flash of light permeated the village, centering on a house at the far end. Miroku ran toward it, starting to pull the beads from his wrist. This is it, he thought. I'm not going to fall for whatever illusions you have in store...
TO BE CONTINUED