Battle
It had to be a bad dream. Kagome stared at the ceiling and let the tears slide down her cheeks. It just had to be a bad dream. She rolled onto her side and stared around the room. Sango and Miroku were curled together on a futon near the fire with Kirara at their head. Kouga and Shippo were each on one side of the door with their backs against the frame, asleep. Kagome shut her eyes.
Everything seems so normal, she thought. There are a few changes, but I feel that at any moment, Inuyasha could walk through the door with that cocky grin on his face.
She must have fallen asleep, because the next time she opened her eyes, Shippo and Kouga were gone. Quietly, Kagome rose and moved to the door. Sango and Miroku were still asleep, and she slipped out into the predawn light. Few villagers were out in the street, but the signs of wakefulness were visible in the windows of the nearby huts. Kagome moved away from the main part of the village, toward the forest. She needed something familiar. Something friendly in this world that had aged without her. Her steps led her unerringly to the goshinboku.
She stopped before the time tree and stared at it. There was the mark that indicated where Inuyasha had been pinned for fifty years. If she got close enough she would be able to see where the arrow had pierced the tree. Slowly, Kagome moved toward the tree. She stared up through it's branches at the still visible stars. With trembling fingers, she reached out and touched the rough bark.
"Inuyasha," she whispered.
She moved closer to the tree and pressed her cheek against the trunk. Tears stung her eyes and she shut them, only to have the hanyou's grinning face stare back at her.
"Inuyasha," she moaned.
With a low wail, Kagome sank to the ground and curled up between the tree's roots, sobbing. She couldn't believe it was true. Inuyasha had controlled his youkai blood for so long and with such success that she couldn't believe that he would give it all up.
"Kagome-sama!"
A voice ripped into her grief. Kagome sat up and listened. Apparently someone had missed her and the village was now looking for her. She heard Miroku's voice as well as Shippo's and Kouga's. An irrational fear took hold of Kagome and she stood and ran. She didn't want to be found. She didn't want to live in this new and terrible world.
The Bone-eater's Well came into sight and Kagome gave a small cry of happiness. She could just jump down the well...
Her steps faltered and then stopped just short of the well. Ten years had passed. Jii-chan was probably dead, and Sota would be older than her. What would Mama say, having not seen her daughter in ten years? The thought of going home was more frightening than staying where she was. Kagome sank to her knees and rested her head against the wood of the well. The voices from the village were getting closer, but she didn't care anymore.
I'm a misfit, she thought. I don't fit anywhere anymore.
Strong arms lifted her, and she found herself looking into Shippo's worried face.
"You weren't thinking of going home were you?" the kitsune asked.
Kagome felt tears welling up in her eyes again and she looked away.
"I was thinking about it, but if so much has changed here, I don't know what it's going to be like at home."
Shippo pulled her into a hug.
"I'll protect you while you're here," he said. "When you're ready, you can go back to your time. I'm sure your family will want to know what has happened to you."
Kagome nodded. She hugged Shippo back and then pulled away. It just felt wrong somehow, to be letting another man hold her. It should be Inuyasha's arms that wrapped around her. That made her feel safe. She quickly stopped that line of thinking. If she let it go to far, she be crying all over again.
"I'll be alright," she said. "Let's go back to the village. I didn't mean to worry everyone."
Shippo gave her an unsure look, but nodded. It was clear that he wanted to say or do something more, but the kitsune remained silent. They walked back to the village, gathering villagers as they went. As they emerged from the forest, Kagome noticed that there was quite a gathering around Miroku and Sango's hut.
"Kagome-nee-chan!"
Kagome gave a little shriek as she found herself surrounded by wolves and two very happy wolf youkai.
"Hakaku. Ginta," she said as the two youkai nuzzled her face.
Kouga pushed his way through the wolves and stared at his two most faithful followers.
"You've said your greetings," the wolf youkai leader said, "now back off."
Hakaku and Ginta backed away sheepishly. Another familiar figure moved to stand beside Kouga.
"It's been a while," Ayame said.
Kagome nodded at the wolf girl. "It's good to see you again Ayame-chan."
Miroku came forward leading a group of youkai. Kagome recognized Jinenji, Rouyakan, the pretty hanyou girl Shiroi, and Toutousai among others.
"Kagome-sama," Miroku said, "I'm afraid that Toutousai has some bad news."
The youkai swordsmith stepped forward. "It seems that there's a large band of youkai headed this way. They look ready for battle."
Miroku gestured to the group. "Everyone here has said that they'll help us fight. Shiroi-sama has offered to put up a protective barrier for those who won't be fighting."
Almost an hour later Kagome found herself, much to her chagrin, in a cave with the women, children, and old folks of the village. Shiroi sat near the mouth of the cave maintaining her barrier.
"We should be out there," Sango said.
She was seated at Kagome's side, Kirara in her lap.
"Miroku no baka," the taijiya murmured. "I've fought since losing my sight. Why is now any different?"
"Sango-chan?"
The exterminator turned to the sound of Kagome's voice.
"I don't mean to pry, but how did you lose your sight? You never did say."
A small smile crossed Sango's face.
"It wasn't Inuyasha, so you needn't worry about that. It was during the final battle with Naraku. I got careless and he sprayed me with his miasma. I took my sight and I couldn't breathe well for almost a three months. Kaede helped me though with herbs and Miroku was by my side."
"I'm sorry," Kagome said softly.
"It's alright," Sango said. "Kirara has been my eyes, and Miroku takes good care of me."
The ground shook a something huge crashed nearby. Sango stood, unceremoniously dumping Kirara from her lap as she grabbed her boomerang.
"I want to be out there. I should be out there."
Kagome stood. "I agree. They can use all the help they can get."
"Kirara," the taijiya called.
The cat demon transformed into her large form and Kagome and Sango climbed onto her back.
"Take us to the village," Sango said.
With a growl, Kirara leapt forward and charged through Shiroi's barrier. The field around the cave was empty, but Kagome could see smoke rising from the direction of the village. As they sped over the landscape, the cries of battle began to sound in the air.
"We need to find a bow and arrows quickly," Kagome said.
Sango nodded. "We'll go to my hut. Miroku and I kept your old bow in case you ever returned."
The two women hung on to Kirara as the youkai neko sped toward the village. Two oni appeared in front of them and Kirara growled softly.
"Duck!" Sango yelled.
Kagome ducked and felt a whoosh of displaced air as the Hiraikotsu was swung and expertly released. The two oni stared stupidly as their torsos were split by the huge bone boomerang. The two women and Kirara breezed past the oni even as they fell, cut neatly in half.
"Sugoi, Sango-chan!" Kagome said.
Sango caught Hiraikotsu on it's return and grinned over her shoulder.
"Once a taijiya always a taijiya."
They entered the village almost unnoticed. The battle was thickest at the other end of the village. Kirara touched down in front of Sango's hut and the two women rushed inside.
"Your bow is on the back wall," Sango said.
Kagome spotted the bow and a full quiver of arrows hung on the wall and rushed to gather them. She slung the quiver over one shoulder and pulled out an arrow, nocking it to the bow.
"Let's go!" Kagome said.
The women ran out of the hut and Sango climbed onto Kirara, then reached out for Kagome.
"I'll stay on foot. You can fight better if I'm not in the way."
Sango nodded once and they took off toward the main battle.
From her vantage point on Ah-Un's back flying over the battle, Rin spotted Kagome.
"She looks just like I remember," the young woman said.
Ah-Un chuffed and Rin watched as Kagome rescued a group of villagers from the youkai that was menacing them.
"I guess I'd better tell Inuyasha-sama that I've found her."
Kagome got separated from Sango and found herself battling alone. She didn't mind too much. She knew that her friends were also somewhere fighting. She'd seen occasional bursts of foxfire from Shippo and the whirlwind-that-was-Kouga rampaging through the enemy lines. Her first impulse had been to go find her friends, but then remembering their adamant requests that she stay in the cave, she thought better of it.
I'll just help where I can and we'll get the whole 'stay in the cave' thing figure out later, Kagome thought to herself.
She let another arrow fly at a serpent youkai that was threatening a group of villagers.
"Arigatou, Kagome-sama," the men yelled before charging off after another youkai.
A sudden wind sprang up around Kagome and she found herself lifted into strong arms. She let out a shriek and whacked the person who held her with her bow.
"Itai! Kagome, stop it. It's me."
Kagome opened her eyes and saw Kouga looking down at her. She gave him an apologetic grin.
"Gomen, Kouga-kun."
He started moving back toward the cave, Kagome still in his arms.
"I thought you were told to stay at the cave," the wolf leader said sternly.
"I happen to care about this village too," Kagome said heatedly. "I want to help fight."
Kouga stopped and set her on her feet.
"This isn't about the village. We think that Inuyasha has heard that you're back and he'll be coming for you."
Kagome's face lit up. "Good. I want to talk to him–"
"You don't get it do you!" Kouga thundered.
Kagome was taken aback. Kouga had never used that tone with her before.
"Inuyasha has changed. He's not the 'sweet' hanyou that you remember. He's a full fledged youkai who's gone insane. He's not stable–"
"Sankon Tetsusou!"
Kouga was cut off mid sentence as the familiar attack ripped into him. The wolf leader crumpled to the ground as Kagome spun to locate the attacker. He was standing in the shadows cast by the trees.
"Inuyasha... why?"
"Where have you been wench?" he growled.
Kagome shivered hearing his voice. It was so cold.
"I don't know," she said. "But if you'll call off your youkai then we can talk about it."
She thought she saw him smile. "I should have wiped this place out a long time ago. I'm not going to stop until every human and youkai in this village lies dead at my feet."
There was a wordless cry and a figure dressed in the uniform of a taijiya suddenly came running at Inuyasha.
"This is for Sesshoumaru-sama," cried the figure as she raised a sword over her head.
Inuyasha grinned casually and pulled his hand back, ready for another Sankon Tetsusou.
"Osuwari!" Kagome yelled.
Inuyasha face planted into the turf with a grunt. Kagome ran at the girl who was still intent on killing Inuyasha and used her bow to trip her. She kicked the sword away.
"Why?" the girl asked, turning a tear stained face up to Kagome.
"Rin?" Kagome asked, shocked.
Rin stood and let out a high pitched whistle. Ah-Un dropped out of the sky and Rin climbed onto its back.
"Quickly," Rin urged, "back to the castle."
Ah-Un chuffed and lifted off into the sky. Kagome turned back to Inuyasha who was just getting free of the restraining spell. Kagome dropped her bow and moved to his side.
"Gomen nasai, Inuyasha," she said as she knelt next to him.
The hanyou reached out a clawed hand and grabbed her arm in a painful grip.
"You'd better be sorry," Inuyasha growled, looking at her with blood-red eyes.
His fist came up, connecting with the side of her head, and sent Kagome spiraling down into blackness.
Author's Note: HA! You thought I'd forgotten about this fic, ne? Well I have not. I have the last chapter finished and now just need to finish chapter 5. Yay me!