CHAPTER TWO
Poison
The sun was almost up when Inuyasha awoke with a sudden jerk. His chest was pounding and an undescribable pain was spreading thoughout his body. He did the only thing that he could think of, he got up quietly as to not wake anyone and walked out the door... hours later when the others awoke from their slumber they found no sign of Inuyasha. He was gone.
The forest floor was cool with the morning dew as Inuyasha ran through a path, apperently heading somewhere to the north. He could feel the pain sprading through him and it was all he could to to keep from passing out, but he lept on running. He could only think of one way to get rid of this pain that he felt... and it required the help of strong healing herbs... herbs like the ones that Jinenji-sama had growing in his garden. Jinenji was a hanyou just like Inuyasha. Hea was kind and very good at growing healing herbs for many illnesses such as poison. Inuyasha didn't want to admit it, but he had made a fatal mistake when Naraku pierced through him. Naraku's shouki had been injected into Inuyasha's blood stream and it was trying to dominate his body. That was the pain he was feeling. What he didn't understand was how he had made it through the night. Naraku's shouki was strong and therefore deadly... Inuyasha didn't know how it was that he was resisting the call of death, but he had to cure it before it got worse. He reached a clearing and gave it his all to sprint accross it as fast as possible.
Kagome woke up in a daze and looked around the hut for Inuyasha. She needed to speak to him and preffered to do it before the others woke up, but it looked like if he had already gone outside. She put on her shoes and walked out to the inviting morning air. She scanned the area but there was still no sign of Inuyasha anywhere. Kaede was outside weeding her little garden and Kagome walked over to her. "Good morning Kaede-sama" exclained Kagome from afar. "Good morning child, how did ye sleep?" she answered in a cheery voice. Kagome got to Kaede and started talking to her about the great weather. After what seemed like an eternity of chit-chat to Kagome she finally asked "Kaede-sama, have you seen Inuyasha?" Kaede looked down at her plants and began to speak, " You know, Inuyasha is going through a tough time my child. He is confused about what happened and he is upset with himself for letting Naraku escape..." "But he DIDN'T let Naraku escape..." Kagome interjected, but was silenced by Kaede's words, " that's not what he thinks Kagome, he thinks that he let you all down, Miroku's life hangs in the balance, so does Sango's vengence, as does Inuyasha's own personal vengence for my sister. When Naraku got away from him and managed to hurt him severely, Inuyasha felt that it was his fault." "But do you know where he is Kaede? We still have to tell him about the poison." Kaede's eyes suddenly showed a bright light of realization. She had forgotten. How could she forget..... Inuyasha had never been hurt in such a way... he was always dragging everyone else in with not a scratch on him... but this time he had come off worse in the battle, and he was in danger. "Early this morning I saw him step outside and head north. He was clutching at his chest and had a bit of a limp in his step." Kagome had heard enough, without bothering to wake the others, she grabbed her bike and neaded north, hoping that by some ray of hope that Inuyasha would be just over the hill.
'I wonder if everyone's worrying about me' Inuyasha thought as he made his way through the forest, "Keh, they don't even care. They're just fine." he answered himself out loud. His run had slowed down to a jog, which would eventually slow down to a crawl if the pain got any worse. His surroundings seemed to be moving with him as if he wasn't moving at all when he realized that he was standing completely still. "What the hell....?" he said as he prepared himself to take an enourmous and cover his lost ground..... then it hit him. His muscles tensed, his breathing became very difficult, and his eye sight started to blur. Inuyasha the invincible hanyou..... was dying.
Through the forest raced a blur of white green and pink.... it was Kagome going along the path as fast as her bike could take her. Her face was full of determination and her legs were stopping at nothing to reach her goal. 'Inuyasha.... please be ok.' she thought to herself as she sped along the shady forest towards what she was hoping was the direction that Inuyasha had taken. 'Will everyone be able to follow the trail that my bike is leaving behind?' she thought as she looked behing her hoping to see Sango, Miroku, and Shippou riding on Kirara, 'But I can't just stop and wait for them....' She turned her attention back to the path ahead of her. No, she didn't have time to stop. She had to find her Inuyasha. It was difficult work crossing a forest on a bike made to travel on the streets of modern Japan, but it was her only means of transportation, other than the hanyou's back of course. 'Please don't let it be too late....'
Darkness had spear through Inuyasha's mind and everything was slowly getting dark.... when he saw a little light in the distance. A tiny light heading for him at an amazing speed. The hanyou raised a clawed hand, ready for his final fight, when the light bearer came into view. "Ka...go..me" escaped his lips before he closed his eyes and passed out from the pain. At that very moment, right when Inuyasha closed his eyes, a mass of images flooded into his mind. Memories of Kagome and the others. Kagome's cheerful attitude, Sango's unweilding determination, Miroku's wisdom and Shippou's innocence. It was all pouring down on him like rain..... his pulse started to intensify......
Flashback
"Inuyasha, do you promise to always protect me with your tessaiga?" a smiling Kagome said as she stood at the base of a tree.
His breathing became ragged....
"I have to avenge my father and the other demon exterminators, and I must save Kohaku" spoke out an angry Sango.
His limp body began to respond....
"Naraku put this kazaana in my hand Inuyasha, I desire as much to destroy him as you, but we must be patient about this." stated a calm Miroku.
Inuyasha was on his feet....
"I can't protect everyone, I'm just a kid..." cried a shivering Shippou.
He was running again at full pelt......
Kirara was fighting swarms of oncoming demons by herself.
He have to survive.... for them....
"Let's go Inuyasha" said a pretty raven haired girl.
'Wait for me Kagome... I'll make it.'
End Flashback
Back at the hut everyone was now fully awake, wondering where Inuyasha and Kagome were. I tiny lecehrous smile spread across Miroku's face and he was about to open his mouth so speak when a dark glare from Sango suddenly froze him. Shippou was sitting indian style on the floor, pondering on what Miroku had just been about to say when Kaede walked into the hut. "Good morning to ye," she said to the still drowsy trio inside, Kirara had already gone outside to stretch her legs," I suggest that you head north, Inuyasha went that way before dawn and Kagome-sama went after him shortly after." At this Sango went outside and called Kirara. Miroku stood patiently outside waiting for Sango with Shippou on his shoulder. "Where do you think they went?" Shippou asked, he was always rather inquisitive. Miroku looked up into space, "well, I don't have to guess....." he stood for a moment absorbed by his own thoughts when a soft thud pulled him free. "Any ideas Miroku?" the now fully equipped demon exterminator asked. "Yes, let's head for Jinenji's garden..." Miroku's companions shot him a confused look which made him go into detail, "... obviously Inuyasha has noticed that he has been infected and will seek the help of Jinenji's healing herbs." "Inuyasha would'nt do something like that, he's too stubborn to accept help from anyone." Shippou said as he climbed onto Kirara's back. In an instant they were off, heading north after their friends.