War

Chapter Three

As Kagome stepped out of Sesshoumaru's mansion later that night, the chill in the air sent a shiver down her spine. Moving out into the darkness, her eyes continually scanned the shadows for someone who might possibly try to jump her. Pulling her jacket tighter around her thin frame, the young miko glanced up at the sky for a moment, watching the moon as it slowly began its journey into the sky. It was a lovely night, Kagome thought to herself with a dramatic sigh; the sky was clear and the moon provided a light for Kagome to be able to see by. It was far less dangerous that way, at any rate.

As she walked, the young miko thought of her future. At the moment, everything was clouded and uncertain, fear and violence ruling almost every part of her life. It was a sad existence, she mused, but at least she was alive. That much she could be grateful for, at least.

"Hey."

Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin as a rough voice broke into her thoughts, the hand holding her bag turning white as she clutched it violently. As she turned, she was surprised to see the boy she'd seen in the mall standing there, watching her through hooded eyes.

For a moment, fear clutched at her heart before Kagome took a deep breath, forcing herself to relax. Mustering up a slightly frightened smile, she spoke.

"Who are you?"

It hadn't been the smartest thing to ask, but Kagome had been tired. Not only that, but curiosity had been eating at her since she'd seen him in the mall. He and Sesshoumaru looked so similar that Kagome couldn't help but wonder what kind of relationship they must have had as children to make them hate each other so much.

For a moment, there was silence. Finally, the hanyou lifted his head slightly, his golden gaze locking with hers. "That's nothing you need to know," he replied defensively, his silver ears twitching irritably. In spite of herself, Kagome found the way his ears moved to be cute. She had a feeling that he wouldn't appreciate that observation as much as she did.

Raising an quizzical eyebrow, Kagome eyed his wearily. "Then why am I standing here, attempting to hold a conversation with you if I don't need to know who you are?" She began walking briskly, shaking her head. "I don't stand around, talking to strangers."

But, before she had gone too far, a clawed hand snaked out and grasped her arm in a loose grip. "Wait."

Turning slightly, she was surprised to see his face a few inches from hers. Seeing that he was struggling for words, Kagome remained silent, waiting for him to say what it was that he had on his mind.

"We need to talk," he told her in a low voice, sounding as though he didn't want for them to speak out in the open. Without warning, he began to lean down slightly, his arms wrapping themselves around Kagome's thighs. But, not for long.

"What do you think you are doing?" She shrieked, causing the hanyou's sensitive ears to ring violently. Wincing at the sound, Inuyasha turned furious golden eyes to the miko.

"What do you think you're doing?" He hissed irritably, his eyes narrowing. "Do you want the whole youkai world to know what's going on over here?"

Kicking furiously, Kagome attempted to free herself. "You haven't answered my question," she hissed in return. "What do you think you are doing?" A moment later, Inuyasha released Kagome's legs, nearly causing her to topple over onto the pavement.

Standing abruptly, she pinned Inuyasha with a withering glare while he merely shrugged.

"Well, I was trying to give you a ride," he remarked defensively. "It will be a long walk from here to where we need to be to talk."

For a moment, Kagome considered his words. Could she trust the hanyou? Could she trust him not to lead her into a trap and get her killed? Shoving the thoughts of a million violent ways she could die, the miko quietly agreed to allow him to carry her to their destination, uncertain and slightly concerned.

It took a lot of self-control, but Kagome managed to keep herself from screaming as she soared high above the city on Inuyasha's back, clutching at his haori as though it were the only thing keeping her alive. Of course, she had no way of knowing that she was going to be doing a lot of flying with Inuyasha.

A few minutes later, Inuyasha touched down at an old, dilapidated building on the outskirts of the city. Kagome had to agree with Inuyasha; it would have been a long walk. As she followed the hanyou inside, the miko stifled a gasp. All over the place, wherever they could be laid, were injured hanyous. Kagome had a sneaky suspicion that they had been picked on merely because they were hanyous. Some of them looked seriously wounded, almost to the point of death.

Trying not to gag, Kagome stayed right on Inuyasha's heels, her eyes filling with tears as she listened to the sound of the wounded and possibly dying creatures.

"Hurry up," Inuyasha snapped as she paused at the bedside of a young hanyou, its face completely wrapped in gauze. A tear trickling down her cheek as her soft heart broke, Kagome hurried after him, sniffling softly as she went.

Finally, they reached a room that had no wounded in it. In it, sitting behind an old desk that looked about ready to fall, was the boy that Sango had taken great delight in smacking. He was whispering instructions to women that Kagome knew to be the people silently treating the wounded hanyous, who were not only picked on, but sent to the front lines in battle as well.

When he turned to face her, Kagome winced. He was smiling, although the young miko could swear that the sight she had seen was enough to suck all happiness from those who laid eyes on it.

"You are the Phoenix," he stated confidently, leaning against his desk as he stared up at Kagome, who was gaping at him. Smirking, he shrugged nonchalantly. "There were humans that saw that whole thing too, you know."

"Now that you know," Kagome ventured quietly, "what are your plans for me? Are you going to turn me into Sesshoumaru?" There was a slightly hesitant pause before she spoke again, suspicion and uncertainty creeping into the miko's tone. "Are you going to tell the youkai where I am?"

The boy laughed, his violet eyes twinkling with pleasure. "I wouldn't dream of it, Kagome Higurashi. If anything, we need your help." His words caught Kagome's attention instantly. "We are the underground, the humans and hanyous that have teamed up to fight the youkai's opposing rule. On the other hand, if Sesshoumaru lives, then our battle will continue."

Kagome grasped what they wanted from her almost instantly and, with a gasp, she shook her head vigorously. "No! If you want Sesshoumaru dead, you kill him yourself!" Tears shone in her eyes as she met Inuyasha's gaze, her own stormy gaze intent. "I will say this once, and only once- I do not kill intentionally. Self defense is one thing in my mind, but that's just plain murder!"

"Great… our future is in the hands of a miko with morals," Kagome heard Inuyasha grumble, but Miroku said nothing.

"But on the other hand," Kagome continued, "I would be willing to help out around here. It's apparent to me that you need more people to nurse your wounded."

"Do you know how to heal?" Miroku asked innocently, watching her with those intense violet eyes. It was Inuyasha, though, that answered Miroku's question.

"Are you nuts, Miroku? Mikos can't heal hanyous without running the risk of purifying them," the irate hanyou snapped irritably, his cute, fluffy ears pinned to his head in irritation. "They would die if she attempted to use her powers to heal them."

Kagome hung her head in shame. "And besides, I don't know how," she admitted sheepishly, not looking up from her shoes, which had suddenly become rather interesting. "I haven't been trained to do anything, and what I have learned, I learned in the heat of battle."

Inuyasha looked just plain irritated now. "What are we supposed to do with a miko who doesn't know anything? Look," he stated firmly, turning to Kagome, "it's getting late. We should probably get you home."

Without another word, he pulled Kagome out of the room and out of the building, the young miko doing her best to keep up with Inuyasha. As the hanyou leapt over the city in gigantic leaps, Kagome did nothing more than stare at his ears, lost in her thoughts.

She was caught off-guard when Inuyasha landed in front of what was her home, which was actually nothing more than a broken-down hovel in the middle of the city. Feeling self-conscious as she removed herself from Inuyasha's back, she didn't meet his gaze as she stared at the place she called home.

"Thank you," she told him softly, still not meeting his gaze. "By the way, I don't know your-"

She broke off as she turned, realizing that the hanyou had left already, as silent as the night itself. With a resigned sigh, Kagome hurried into her home, her heart weighed down by the fact that she couldn't help the Underground fighters very much. Silently, she closed her door behind her and headed to her room…