Wow, lets not all apply for that editing job at once. Yeah that was definitely sarcasm btw. C'mon ppl, if I'm not getting reviews I might as well get some help revising this sucker. I mean I'm sorry for the long intermissions between chapters but really, lets not punish me like this. I mean I know I can't pay you and all but I think me kissing u'r proverbial ass for the rest of my known writing career is payment enough. But hey, that's just me. N.E. wayz, here's the new chap, hope you guys enjoy. And for the wonderful ppl I luv who r loyal reviewers and haven't given up on me even during the long intermissions, (cough-u know who u r – cough) I luv and appreciate u guys 2 no end. And if there's n.e.way u can recommend this story, or even 'advertise' it if u will, to u'r friends or other ppl so that hopefully I can sucker my new fic junkie into the editing job, I will name my unborn, unconceived, children after you, and u will have reserved u'r own spot in my Deni heaven of eternal wonderment.
Luv
The Deni Pie
It took me another while to find a song to fit the chapter. Is n.e.one even reading these songs btw? They're there 4 a reason and have a crap load of hints and symbols in them and they can even direct you on the path the fic is going. They r pretty good and if u ever get the chance to download 'em I highly recommend it. Wait, speaking of symbolism, is n.e.one even getting n.e. of the symbolism in this story? Or is my retarded AP Lit course somehow subconsciously melting into my work? I hate that effin class, I'm sorry but poetry was not written to screw with students hundreds of years in the future. Half the guys writing this crap were on LSD when they were doing it n.e.way. I should get drunk one of these days and just start writing down meaningless crap to see who claims it 2 b works of a misunderstood genius in the future, lol.
C h a p t e r VIIII – Invisible
I feel that you should know
I have an empty soul
It's a warning
It's a warning
If you leave, if you leave
I will follow, I will follow
What am I?
What am I?
Yes, they are stomping on the switches
Take my back roads, 'round my fences
To an empty view
If you leave, if you leave
I will follow, I will follow
What am I?
What am I?
Yes, they are stomping on the switches
Climb the ladder straight to heaven
Where the creatures dulcify
Gods and devils take their pillows
Get in position to multiply
Surprise...
It's a warning
It's a warning
It's a warning
If you leave, if you leave
I will follow, I will follow
If you leave, if you leave
I will follow, I will follow
If you leave, if you leave
I will follow, I will follow
What am I?
What am I?
Yes, they are stomping on the switches
"Invisible" – Switchblade Symphony
Red, frost swollen, hands clutched the fur blanket tighter to her shivering sleep cradled body. It took her a minute to realize the foreign, unfeeling, appendages were her own. Heavy eyelids fluttered, only having enough energy to raise half way to the gray light of dawn. Kagome managed a shaking yawn before her jaw went pack to the tittering Morse code pattern of chattering. It took her a while to struggle against the sleep clot clogging her brain plumbing. Finally recognition swept over her shivering body making her grip the fur comforter like a life preserver in the middle of the ocean. Curling into a tight little hedgehog ball, she tried to conserve enough body heat to get said body under control. Unfortunately it seemed the cold could even penetrate her little comforter cavern of solitude and creep right into her bones.
Giving an irritated grunt she managed to sit up, wrapping the blanket around her like a hairy cocoon. Teeth still chattering she poked her head out of the little cavern room to look around dumbly for the source of such frigidity. Slipping out, frost bitten toes quickly made their way towards her pack, trying their best to make as little contact with the icy floor as possible. One of the unfeeling red hands darted out from the safe haven of blanket warmth to dive into the pack, pulling out anything that felt thick, warm, woolly, and probably uncomfortable. When the task was done, the freezing hand swept back into the blanket, leaving four sets of tube socks, a pair of thicker black socks with pads on the soles, two bulky sweaters, one cotton, one wool, and a pair of impenetrable looking navy sweat pants.
After a quick hesitation, almost wondering if it was worth braving the hand against the cold again, she picked the items up and dashed back to her cove. Climbing back under the covers she quickly pulled said items over her pajamas, racing against the chill. Even under the heavy blankets her fog-like breath could be seen, like a smoke stack puffing clouds of misty grey into the air. At last all the layers of clothing covered her from the neck down. Though now looking like a cotton cream puff of varying colors, Kagome did feel a degree warmer; however not warm enough to loosen her death grip on the fur comforter wrapped tightly around her.
While the rest of her body was now covered enough to suffer quietly, Kagome could still feel her ears reddening and stinging. Creeping back over to the pack, the socks making a wonderful barrier between her skin and the hated cave floor, she dug out a little yellow knitted ski cap. It wasn't meant for winter, actually her mother had made it for her because it had gone with a lovely little summer outfit she had bought her for her birthday, but if she pulled it down over her ears, farther than it was made to go, it would suffice for now. Besides, it was all there was; she had thrown most of her winter gadgets to Hakkaku after he had tossed them at Ginta. At first she thought the other youkai had simply left them on the ground after he left, but was surprised to find that all her gifts were gone when she had last been down the ladder and remembered to look for them. She hoped Hakkaku had come back for them and not some other animal or whatnot, though she hadn't a clue what anyone else would do with them, or if they would even know what they were for that matter.
Shaking her head, the extra worry was easily shrugged off. It didn't matter now, they were gone either way and she would just have to make do with what she did have. Pulling the hat down over her ears she noticed that it was almost in her eyes, but as long as her ears were safe she could walk around blind for the rest of the day for all she cared. Seeing her breath again brought her attention outside. It wasn't snowing, yet. But it certainly felt like it should. Winter had come early it seemed. Had August really flown by so quickly? Not finding the inner motivation to search for her little hand made calendar, she guestimated it was around some time in September now. The sound of clicking broke her from her thoughts as she began to jump about trying to regain some warmth, at least enough to stop the irritating chatter of teeth.
Taking deep breaths and rubbing herself up and down, she bounded about stupidly for a moment before feeling something was amiss. Ginta wasn't there. Her brows furrowed a little, ceasing her jumping she walked towards Ginta's own cove to peek inside. No, he definitely wasn't there. She looked outside again. She had never woken up so early in her life; she couldn't even see the sun through the grey matter covering the sky in its marshmallowy thickness. She doubted he would leave this early, if he did she liked to think he would at least tell her how cold it was beforehand so that she could take his unused blankets. Speaking of said blankets…………..Taking a quick shifty glance around the room, Kagome snagged the furry comforters that were not hers and hefted them around her body to join the others in their united mission of warmth provision.
The added barrier against the cold allowed her mind to focus more on the subject at hand. She was positive he went to bed last night, though she thought she had heard him get up. She certainly heard enough of him last night, with all the grumbling and mumbling she had prepared herself to smother him with his own blanket, and was thankful when after a few moments of restless shifting the noise had stopped.
An exasperated groan broke from her lips at the new decision. It was much too early and far too cold for this sort of thing. Was her last thought before wandering farther into the caves to look for the missing wolf.
It was black and it was cold. But Kouga wasn't there. A mixture of relief and despair swirled within him. The oblivion seemed to have swallowed him again into its murky depths of emptiness. He looked down, continuing his walk, what use was it to look around when there was nothing there. The chill didn't feel as cold as it did oppressive and confining, as though it were sitting on him, making it difficult to breath. His feet felt numb making him almost believe they weren't his own that were walking on an endless path. He didn't know where he was going, or what exactly he was looking for, but staying in once spot waiting for someone to come get him seemed just as pointless.
He hated this new loneliness. He missed his pack, he missed Hakkaku, he missed Kouga. Perhaps that was where he was going, maybe if he walked far enough the dark would lead him to them. Maybe they were somewhere in this void searching for him just as he was looking for them. This thought gave him a new weary purpose, a weary one, but still a purpose, a reason to continue his eternal walk into nothingness. Yes, he would find them. He would apologize and make up with Hakkaku, Kouga would have a new journey to go on and they would follow. Everything would be just as it was. Perhaps that was where this emptiness led to, back to the way things used to be, back home. With a renewed jaded determination, he continued walking into the onyx emptiness.
"Ginta…"
He stopped. Turning his head towards the voice coming from behind him, he noticed how familiar it sounded. It was begging him with just his name.
"Ginta……."
Taking a step back, he looked back to his original destination, then towards the voice again, hesitating. But, Kouga, and Hakkaku?
"C'mon….Ginta…."
He didn't want to; he had gone too far to turn back now. Ginta slammed his hands to his ears to block it out and continued to walk at a faster pace away from the voice, yet his hands might as well have not been there at all.
"Open your eyes……onegai Ginta…"
It felt as though the omnipotent voice had grabbed, was pulling at him. Pulling him away from where he had to go, pulling him in the opposite direction. He could feel it all over his body. He blinked against a new wetness on his face. Was it raining? Clawed hands tried to wipe it away while the rest of him tried to fight against the pulling voice that drove him back. It was useless, the wetness wouldn't go away and all he could do was watch pitifully as the darkness became smaller and smaller, like an empty hallway shrinking into oblivion. A dim light tugged at him like a rag doll, urging him.
He groaned, feeling his body and consciousness begin to enter a realer world, a more painful world. His eyes batted and cringed with pain when his entire being seemed to suddenly be assaulted with all sorts of different kinds of torture. And the wetness on his face only increased, drops falling onto his eyelids, cheeks, and forehead. Dripping lids opened wider into a pool of swimming mist colored eyes.
"Onegai, Ginta, wake up." The voice belonging to those eyes called to him, now allowing him to hear the desperate whimper clouding it.
Another grunt of pain escaped him when he tried to move, but his body appeared to have no drive to cooperate. A little coughing fit ripped through his sore lungs making it feel like hacking up needles.
"Ginta!" And suddenly he was shoved into warm arms with a vice like grip. "Gods! What happened!" She cried tearing herself away from him, petting at him in a weak attempt to wipe away her tears that had fallen onto his face. Though what good did that do when he was lying almost naked in a pool of water that had to be at least a million degrees below zero. Sniffling up some of the snot that was beginning to clog her nose from the cold she tried to compose herself the best she could. "Are you okay? What am I asking of course you're not! Lets go, we've got to get you out of here and into something warm." It was meant to be a command but a sob managed to fight its way out at the end and she threw his arm around her and hefted him out of the water.
He cringed when all the water seemed to pull him back into the pool with its vine like streams that clutched at him in their needy grasp. His eyes were now as open as they were going to get and he could see Kagome lifting him from the hallow and onto the icy floor. His mind tried to work through some of the syrupy goo that saturated it and took note of how bundled up she was. Was it that cold? He couldn't feel anything other than the shattered glass in his lungs. Another wince leapt upon his face, a strong coughing fit pummeled his already beaten lungs. He felt her hands grip him tightly when he keeled over a bit to hack and wheeze freely.
Feeling a little guilty for worrying her so over nothing he straightened up the best he could and helped her carry him back to the coves.
She couldn't speak; the only sounds penetrating the butter-like silence were her sniffles and his restrained coughs. She was so glad the first place her mind thought to look were the bath hallows. Still, she couldn't get the sight of him out of her head. How he lay there like a corpse tossed out of its coffin. His lips were so blue, his body so incredibly pale, he could have blended in with the non existent snow-Gods but he was cold! She tried to close her mind against it and focus. He had to get warm soon. How dumb was he to fall asleep in the bathing pool anyway!
"Baka yaro.." She mumbled at him with forced gently pressing him into her bed. It was warmer than his, having been more recently acquainted with body heat. Shamefully whipping the bundles of thick fur covers she had stolen and tied about her body she was about to wrap them around him protectively when she remembered his exposure. Her sniffles were now accompanied with sorrowful hiccups as she yanked off her warmer clothes until she was down to her pajama top. As quickly as she could, she dressed him in her many sweaters, socks, her pajama bottoms, her sweatpants, and finally tugged her hat down to his angular ears.
The biting cold instantly took a back seat to her worry, her hands coming up to cocoon him in the mounds of fur comforters. 'Get it together, Kagome…..' She coached, looking around the tiny cavern thinking what else she could chase away the cold with. She would have to get as many things into the hallow as possible to help with the heat, and then seal the opening. Nodding more to herself than to affirm anyone else she dashed out, grabbing her pack, it was the biggest thing in the cave and would probably fill the entrance nicely. Next she would have to sacrifice one of Ginta's blankets to block the opening with. Hesitating taking a blanket, frost swollen hands held the ends against the opening, coming to another problem. 'Baka! How am I going to hang this up! If I figured that out I'd have hung my torches a long time ago-My Torches!' Embraced by another idea Kagome scrambled out grabbing a few of her home made torches, throwing them in the cavern she spied their sitting logs and again had an epiphany.
The hallow was now crowded with an overly large pack, a set of logs and a few bundles of torches. Kagome held some of the blanket between her teeth to the opening, just being able to set the logs on either side and pin the sides of the blanket to the sides of the opening, and adjust her pack into the opening to hold the top of the comforter to the ceiling of the opening. She wanted to build a tiny camp fire but it would be too dangerous. If nothing caught fire from that then the smoke alone would suffocate them. A simple torch may work, though. It was smaller, portable, and the little smoke it spewed forth would more than likely be able to go through the small holes in the sealed opening that the blanket wasn't able to cover.
Oh Gods, now how was she supposed to light it? For the first time in her life, she wished her mother had been some sort of chain smoker so that she could have brought a lighter, or at least a match. She couldn't use sticks, but maybe flint would work. Her eyes flickered about the tiny room only able to find a rock in the midst of the straw bed. It would have to do, though she doubted rocks would create anything, but maybe with a little luck and a prayer.
Holding the torch between her thighs she faced the wall and began to dash the stone against it at an angle. This could go one of three ways. A: Nothing would happen. B: A Gods given spark would light and fall into the straw mattress and burn them both alive, or C: A Gods given spark would light and fall into the Gods given path onto the torch. She had never been a very lucky girl but she hoped that this meant that somebody up there owed her. Her fingers began to become raw and clumsy time passing with no result. She refused to stop, her movements becoming inept and irrational as frantic tears led a collision coarse down her face and frustrated, angry sobs set her body off balance.
"Pleasepleasepleaseplease….." She whimpered, her face wet and her nose running.
She gasped when a spark of light leapt from the stone. Then another, then a few and finally some landed on the torch, and a few landed on her exposed thighs and singed the milky skin there. A wet laugh came from her, seeing the torch light up like a firework. Someone up there definitely owed her, and they obviously had excellent credit. Cradling the end of the torch between her thighs, she sidled up as close to Ginta as she dared. Of course she couldn't keep this lit forever, it was still dangerous, but hopefully it would last long enough to warm the closed hollow a bit. It also helped fight the cold from her bare form.
"Nee-san, what are you doing?" Came his tattered voice, temporarily interrupting her anxiety fit.
"What were you doing? You could have frozen to death you idiot! What happened?" She tried her best not to raise her voice. She didn't want to yell at him when he lay there so pitifully.
"What are you talking about? S'not cold." He slurred, barely able to keep his eyes on her.
"I'm not a doctor, but I think you're either numb, or going into shock. Either way it's not good. Tell me what you feel, if you can." She urged. If he lost consciousness again at least she would know what she had to make better.
Another raging cough seared his lungs before he could answer. "It's neither. Is it late? I need to hunt while it's still early." He mumbled getting up. Or he would have gotten up had he had any energy to move, but in his defense he was able to jostle himself a little.
"Are you retarded! Lay down!" She barked placing her hand on his chest to push him down again with little effort. "Ginta, it's almost winter. Anything you could possibly kill in this forest has either already figured out your time slot or is hibernating. Either way you're not going to find anything. We have plenty of leftovers anyway."
She was cut off when she spied a shudder wrack his body. Most youkai would probably be able to ward off this sort of frigidity; she had to wonder what was so wrong with him to make him vulnerable to it.
"My chest…"
Her attention was again brought to him. His voice sounded weaker.
"Nani?"
"My chest feels like its being pressed into a bed of needles. Breathing hurts, coughing too." He murmured to her. He felt so weak.
She watched his eyes close and felt the worry worm its way back into her heart. Placing her hand near his lips she let out a breath of relief to feel the recognized puff of air against it. It was short and shallow but it was there. Taking in a staggering gasp of air she let her hand rest where it was, the feel of his breathing calming her, helping her get her shot nerves under control. Okay so that was a clue. His chest and breathing hurt so something was probably wrong with his lungs. 'I really wish I had gotten better than a B- in health and anatomy….' She thought longingly. Kagome was definitely no doctor but she had to do her best, it was simple common sense, every action has a reaction. So what had caused such a reaction in Ginta? 'Okay, lungs, something's wrong with his lungs. They were fine the last I saw him so something must have happened last night. He obviously had no problems when he was still in bed, I heard him make all those whines and noises so it probably happened when he went to the bathing pools. He obviously spent the night there so it had to be severe enough to affect him over night. Okay now onto the bathing pools. It has water, it's far into the cave so it's probably dank, and more than likely has mold. Mold!' She glanced at his now sleeping face. 'It might be mold, I doubt just that would affect him like this but add in this weather it probably hurt his immune system pretty bad so that would be enough. And if that's hurt then his circulation could be off too if he can't even fight off this kind of cold.'
She tried to ignore the iciness of her own body, wracking her brain for solutions. 'If it's his lungs then what would help that? He needs liquids; I need to find something warm. He needs Vitamin C, maybe milk. There's no way I can get any of that way out here, I'd have no idea where I was going, I can't leave him here alone anyway…..Okay water it is. Now what can I put it in?' She had never seen Ginta with any utensils of any kind, and she certainly didn't bring any with her.
Kagome caught sight of the other blanket curled around the worn wolf youkai. Lifting a corner to spy the bottom of the cover she saw just what she expected, the dried skin was obviously still there and looking quite leathery. Wasn't that was water sacks or old water canteens were made out of? It was all she had so she had nothing to loose. Taking a piece of it between her teeth she nibbled and chewed at a side to gain a little ripping leverage, ignoring the fur tickling the roof of her mouth. It was tough material; if it could withstand her teeth it should be able to hold water. Finally after what seemed like forever she was able to gnaw a small tear into the leather, it was small but it was enough. Pinning one side of the tear underneath her foot and taking firm hold of the other, with some straining muscles to boot, she tore off a fairly large section of the blanket, fur and all. Untying a piece of stringy vine from one of the unlit torches she carefully sifted her own flame through a cautious hole in the opening and let it drop with a cringe and a hope that it didn't go out immediately. Taking one last look at Ginta she then pushed her own body through, relieved to see the fire still lapping at the bundled twigs at her feet.
Quickly taking it up she dashed back down to the water pool, glad to have adequate lighting for once. Entering the watering holes her gaze darted about, noticing it seemed that the hallows no longer possessed the ambiance of tranquility and solace that it once had. Now she observed it begrudgingly, it was tainted to her now, like a friend not to be trusted anymore. Shrugging the feeling off, she knelt onto the frigid floor and dipped her piece of leather into the sub zero water. Biting back a cry at the stinging bite of cold she watched as the clear liquid cascaded over the cloth then brought the ends together to make a little sack. Pulling it back out the freezing air attacked her wet appendages like a virus, making it remotely difficult to tie the ends together with her little foliage made string.
The torch rested between her thighs again, this time too close for comfort because she needed the room to flood the leather. The flames now lapped at her skin, charring the fine hairs on her legs. Wiping off her free soaked hand she sprinted back down the cavern halls, taking just the right turns and ended back in the bed coves. She again crept carefully into her cove with her burdens, mindful of the trigger happy fire in her hands. The room was now cramped, almost claustrophobically so. She plopped back down into her tiny space with a worn sigh. Giving Ginta a brief once over before deciding that he was still ok for the moment, she decided she needed to heat the water up some how.
Glancing around for her newly proclaimed fire rock it was found nestled between her pack and the hall. Picking it up she began to grind it against the wall, making it smooth and flat. This would take a lot longer than if she had simply had a bowl, but she couldn't just hang the sack over the fire. The water would either leak through and douse the flames or the leather itself would change fire. Finally the rock was thin and smooth enough to pass for an incredibly primitive plate. Gently placing the sack onto the rock, the sides flowing over the slab, she positioned the rock carefully over the flames, just barely into the fire. She didn't have much time and this would no doubt take a while.
This was by far, the most uncomfortable Kagome had ever been. She was absolutely freezing, under dressed, exhausted, and now she had to sit perfectly still with a lit torch between her legs and a delicately balanced rock plate and home made water sack in her hands. Well, at least she had some free time; there was nothing more she could do until the water heated up. Her attention flickered to the pale youkai lying so still and so very close to her. Letting out a worried breath she examined him more thoroughly. His lips were still such an icy color, his body had gone from its porcelain complection to a deathly shade of snowy white, and though she couldn't see the rise and fall of his chest underneath all the clothing and now torn blanket, every now and then she could catch a glimpse of short small puffs of frozen breath coming from his mouth. 'His breathing must be shallow, maybe it's not a good idea do have all that stuff on top of him….' Unfortunately, right now she was too scared to dare removing anything that could possibly save him from freezing to death in this state.
"Ginta?" She questioned, was he unconscious? Sleeping? Or just too weak to open his eyes?
When no answer came she guessed it was one of the first two. Her eyes then stirred up from watching the light puffs to rest on his face. For some odd reason she had the urge to touch it. She sighed, turning her head away back to her lap. Her hands felt chapped and dry in the moistureless air. Glancing at her pack she wished she had thought to grab some lotion before she left home. Thinking of home made her realize she hadn't seen it in almost two months. A wave of nostalgia and homesickness swept over her but she quickly shrugged it off and leaned her head back against the cold stone behind her. Now wasn't the time for that.
"Itai!" She cried her hands beginning to burn as if she had accidentally touched a lit stove. Noticing a pinkish red circle dully glowing on the bottom of the rock, the water was as hot as it was going to get. Hissing she did the only thing she could think of, dropping the rock she quickly snatched the sack to catch it and maneuvered herself to throw off the heated stone the instant it touched her lap. Her face motioned into a quick wince of pain, even with all her lightening quick movements her thighs still managed to get burnt yet again. With the rock now safely on a section of the free stone floor she was free to examine her sack.
The bottom was quite warm but not hot, yet the sides of it, where the flames must have gotten to, were scorching. She hoped the water would be hot enough; it was all she could do at the moment. Lifting the sack above her head she tenderly brought her teeth to the bottom, cautious of her lips not touching it, and began to worry a small pinch of the leather between them. She stopped when she felt a tiny trickle of overly warm water stream into her mouth. Plugging the small hole with her tongue she made her way to Ginta, turning around to face him. Her hand snaked under his neck tugging him up the best she could. Looming over him she brought the holed sack bottom to his mouth.
"Ginta, wake up…"
His eyelids cringed, a curious warming in his mouth bringing him from his submission to fatigue. He could feel the same warm liquid flow down his throat, temporarily soothing the rawness he felt there.
"Ginta, wake up…"
His right ear twitched at the sound of his name. His lids slid tiredly open, revealing dotted irises that gazed unseeingly. His vision went in and out of focus for a minute until it rested sharply on a rather surprised looking raven haired girl. She looked as surprised to see him looking at her as he was seeing her looking at him. Her mouth opened looking like she was about to comment on it but it quickly closed and opted for something else.
"Here, you need to drink this." She murmured softly.
He could feel a soft, albeit frigid hand, underneath his neck, holding him up enough to touch the bottom of something warm to his mouth. He nodded warily closing his eyes, too fatigued to protest as he tiredly sucked at the small hole where the warm water cascaded from. A weight appeared to be pushed from his chest, his eyelids glided open again to see her gently shove some of the mounds of cloth to his hips. He sighed somewhat contentedly now that he could mark off at least one discomfiture. Now all he had to worry about was the stinging, chaffed feeling in his chest, but even the water appeared to help that a little.
She was kneeling more against him than next to him because of the microscopic space they now had left. Her pale knees brushing his arm. He was getting a little warmer, his lips were now drifting into a shade between peach and lavender, but it was better than the icy blue they had been. Grunting uncomfortably, his weight becoming just a little too much for her already strained wrist and forearm. Sliding his neck up, she adjusted him until his neck lay in the crook of her arm, the other still holding the water pouch for him. A dark blush stained her frost bitten features when his lids slitted open a fraction to glance at her closeness before shutting again, completely nonchalant, as if it made no difference if she were two centimeters from him or two miles. She swallowed, trying to shake off the flash of modesty. A twinge of irritation welled up within in her; she could probably do naked cart wheels around the room without affecting him. Taking in a steadying breath she tried to regain focus.
He was limp in her arms, the only sign that he was even still conscious was his now even breath and the gentle motions he made softly suckling at the water rip. Kagome had the ridiculous urge to begin rocking him tenderly as she watched him. She was glad he had closed his eyes again, so that he couldn't see the way she was looking at him now. He lay so docile in her arms, he couldn't push her away, couldn't say things that would hurt her, couldn't look at her with that formal politeness. Watching him like this made her feel very affectionate. It had been so long since she had a caring figure around her and she had the strange ardor to run her fingers through his coarse two-toned hair and warmly kiss his cheek.
Snapping her eyes away from his pliant face she tried to turn her attention to the new shame swimming through her heart. He was sick! He was more than likely seriously ill and she was having all these debaucherous thoughts! Perhaps Ginta wasn't the only one that was sick. Kagome shook her head of the mental scolding, she was just lonely and wanton for her old life, that was all. This was probably perfectly natural for someone in her position and would eventually go away on its own.
Licking her chapped lips, Kagome could feel her own fatigue come over her now that she could comfort herself with the thought that Ginta would be okay. The pouch in her hand felt lighter somehow, she thought with a yawn. She couldn't help but wonder what time it was, they had been in here quite a while, so it was probably some time in the late afternoon. Then again, it had been so early when she had…woken up….Kagome couldn't seem to keep her thoughts together. Her eyelids suddenly weighed five million tons and gravity had intensified one hundred G's. Another exhausted yawn broke from her lips and she just couldn't fight it all…….
She woke up shivering. Again. Kagome frowned, feeling the sleep she hadn't realized she had even indulged in slowly sift away unconsciously curling into the warmth beneath her pulling the covers closer. Since when was straw this soft. Soft and remarkably fleshy. Her eyes snapped open to find a bountiful plane of snowy white skin that wasn't her own. The breath she had been in the middle of taking halted in her throat. Her body lay strewn across the sleeping wolf, her shoulders paired with his and her face right by his left ear. Swallowing the lump in her throat she slowly rose and moved herself away from the oblivious youkai.
Once she was the safest distance possible from him she lifted her hands to rub some warmth back into her arms. Was it just her or did it seem impossibly colder than it had been before? How long had she been asleep? What time was it now, anyway? Glancing down at her attire, or lack thereof, she realized she had the time to at least change into some real clothes. At the mention of clothing she threw a haphazard glance at the person wearing her own. She couldn't help but bite back the giggle now that she had the time to calm down and examine his garb. His height and shoulders made the clothes a little tight, but she was thankful he had been lanky enough to not make them terribly so. Turning away from the spectacle, her hands started to ferret through her pack.
The only thing she was able to find was a pretty red turtle neck and her old worn pair of jeans that she had worn yesterday. It would have to make do for now. Turning her back to Ginta she merely unbuttoned her pajama top and slid the turtle neck on under it. After she was done tugging on her jeans and some socks and shoes she took a glimpse at Ginta noticing his breathing was back to shallow and sounded raspier now. Pressing her ear to his chest she strained to hear his heart beat through all the cloth. It was strong but something didn't sound right. Lifting a hand she felt at his forehead. It was warm against his freezing body. Worry again attacked her feeling the shallow, hazardous, breath from his lips.
It appeared he was back in the woods. This either meant his youkai circulation was back and helping his immune system fight off the mold, or his system was doing poorly and his lungs had gotten worse. Her eyes searched the room for the water sack, revealing disappointment when they found the empty pouch sagging pathetically against the ground by Ginta's other side. Had the water even helped at all? He definitely needed something else. Vitamin C, maybe? Some milk? What did you give a sick youkai!
"Whatever it is I'm not going to find it here." She mumbled to herself, taking one last anxious glance at Ginta before crawling out of the opening.
It was snowing. It was night and it was snowing. Kagome's jaw dropped. It wasn't a blizzard but there were definitely flurries falling from the sky. She had always loved snow; then again that was when she had a nice heated house to come home to. Could she really take her chances out in that? Her thoughts broke her attention back to the covered hovel. She didn't really have a choice.
Taking a deep determined breath Kagome pulled the pajama-top-made-jacket tighter around her shoulders and made her way down the ladder. 'At least there isn't any winter wind….' She thought thankfully. 'Okay, while you're at it you might as well think of a plan. I have no idea where I'm going but maybe I can just go straight ahead and hopefully InuYasha will find me. I can ask Kaede for help and make it back before too long. ' It appeared finding the hanyou was her only chance, seeing as how she had no idea where she was going. She could probably risk calling for InuYasha since most dangerous youkai would more than likely be in for the night, or the winter, whatever. Her body shuddered, a sudden shill went through it, making her bare hands clutch at her pajama top tighter. 'This isn't that bad. At least I have a plan. It could always be worse…'
"OI! Get back here you little shit!" InuYasha hollered feeling yet another acorn smack against his temple.
Shippou snickered bounding out of the danger range that appeared to surround the hanyou whenever he was around. "I need to practice, InuYasha. So when the snow gets here I can pelt your fat head with snowballs instead." He explained as a matter of factly, dodging yet another swipe from InuYasha.
"Do you find it completely impossible to behave for a few hours while I am gone?" Kaede asked exasperatedly.
InuYasha growled, giving up on the kistune for the time being. "When are you gonna be back, babaa?" He questioned irritatedly watching for the cub out of the corner of his eye.
"I must leave to attend to some last minute preparations for winter. I do not believe anyone was expecting snow so soon, it is a bad omen." She explained gravely.
The hanyou spat rudely. "This is stupid. Getting all worked up over a few snow specks falling from the sky."
Kaede ignored his crudity. "All I ask is that you stay with Shippou while I am gone. If it is too difficult an errand for you I would be happy to enlist the aid of someone more…… competent."
InuYasha glared at her. "Just hurry up." He grumbled.
The Miko nodded going off on her own way.
Leaping up onto a nearby tree branch, InuYasha glowered down at the kistune dancing happily in the falling snow. Said cub appeared to feel the angry daggers digging into his back as he turned around to send the hanyou a glare of his own.
"Don't be mad at me just because Kagome isn't back yet!" He barked.
"FUCK YOU!" InuYasha snarled. Shippou was relentless in claiming that the young girl's absence was his fault.
Shippou snorted, ignoring the hanyou, turning back to his game of catch the snow flakes.
InuYasha watched the cub heatedly. Kaede said watch him and keep him from harm, though she didn't say anything about not harming him himself. He could just say Shippou had a fit and he had to restrain him to protect him from himself. A wayward grin broke across the hanyou's face, his body crouching against the branch, ready to pounce…
"!"
He froze, his ears turning, prodding the air for the sudden sound. It was so far away he couldn't make it out, but it was familiar.
"!"
His brow furrowed. There it was again. Jumping from the branch, his ears twitched finding the right direction to go in. A sudden weight leaped onto his shoulder.
"What's that?" Shippou asked curiously peering into the forest. He had obviously heard the noise as well.
"Beat it, brat!" He said swatting the kistune away.
"OI! I wanna go too!" He shouted trying to go back in InuYasha's direction.
"Too bad you're staying here!" InuYasha said chucking him away back into the open before bounding off in the direction of the sound.
The further away from the village the more distinct the sound became. Now a scent was tied to it, the snow was doing a good job of covering it but it was there. Finally it seemed he was close enough to make out the noise.
"InuYasha!"
He froze, stunned, his ears at attention. His mouth felt dry and his voice hoarse. It took him a minute to regain his senses enough to sprint in her direction. "Kagome!" He hollered back, though he knew she couldn't hear him from this distance. His legs pushed and sprung across the ground, going faster and faster, getting nearer and nearer to her. "Kagome!" He called; maybe now he would be close enough for her to hear him.
"InuYasha?"
He hastened his pace, dashing faster through the forest. "I'M COMING, KAGOME!" He shouted, her scent becoming clearer, sharper, more distinct.
"Where are you!"
Her outline was coming into view and less vague the nearer he came. He saw her whirl around obviously hearing his approach. He slowed down to a light jog so as to not bull her over in his rush. He wasn't even winded from the path, that would've taken a human days to complete, as he came to a halt in front of her. It was as though he hadn't seen her in years, the sight, the smell, the presence, of her was all so beguiling. His senses welcomed her like air to a drowning man. He should be angry with her, and he was, and he would make sure she knew just how much, but later. Right now he wanted to absorb as much of her as he could, she had been gone so long.
They both just stood there, looking at each other for moments on end. They had never been apart so long before ever since they met. It was strange to realize just how much you could miss someone without even knowing it. Kagome wanted to hug him, but she was too cold, too stressed, too worried and frantic to indulge in those comforts now. She tried her best to shake off the wave of tenderness and nostalgia that crashed over her. "InuYasha, I need your help." Her voice sounded foreign to her, it sounded sore and raw from the cold air.
"Nani! What happened?" The hanyou took in her presence; she was wearing a strange assortment of clothing he had never seen before. She looked disheveled, her hair unkempt, her body shaking, and smelling of snow and tears. A low rumble reverberated in his chest. "Did that bastard hurt you!" He snarled angrily, his eyes scanning her for any injury.
Kagome shook her head desperately, trying to quell his anger before it escalated. "Iie! Iie, nothing like that. I need medicine for him!"
InuYasha blanched, he blinked for a moment, taken aback before a furious growl tore through his throat. She hadn't come back to see him at all! "Is that it? You dropped us for Gods know how long and then only come back when you want something! We don't even fucking hear from you! I don't know if you've figured it out yet, but you ran away from us! And now you're asking me for help! So tell me, WHY THE FUCK SHOULD I, He roared into her face furiously, looming over her.
Kagome glowered right back. "I can't tell you how much I want to stand here and scream right back at you, but I need Kaede's help with some medicine. Either take me to her, tell me how I can find her, or just forget it." She bit back. She really did want to scream and yell in his face about how immature he was being when she really needed him, but as always, now wasn't the time.
InuYasha glared at her, still fuming. He looked at her for a moment debating on making her walk on foot, though noticing her attire he refused that idea. Snorting angrily he threw her over his shoulder and once again went racing through the forest. He knew how much she hated this position, how uncomfortable it was for her with his shoulder digging into her stomach, and for that he made sure he had to jump over and onto things as much as possible.
Why the hell was she so fucking worried anyway? He thought conveniently forgetting all her pointless stressing over him when we would have been just fine. He sat sulkily in the room glaring at the floor, every now and then glancing up to see Kagome and Kaede still talking while that bastard Shippou practically drilled a hole in the young miko's stomach with his damned 'snuggling.' The little shit was just a pervert if you asked him, to hell with all that 'innocent child' crap. His right ear perked up, noticing how her voice became softer every time she reached a point in her explanation which particularly upset her.
"A-and his breathing's very shallow, very raspy. Something's wrong with his lungs, I'm sure of it. Onegai Kaede, I can't stay gone long, I have to get back as soon as humanly possible." She beseeched, fighting back the water gathering in her eyes.
Kaede nodded, understanding. "Hai my child, if all the symptoms are as you speak then I may know what to do. I will work as fast as I can." She said sympathetically. She understood how hard this winter would be with just the two of them up in that mountain cave.
"Is there anything I can do?" Kagome asked eagerly.
"Perhaps you may borrow some milk and other assortments from the villagers. I am sure they would be willing to help your terribly ill……'child'." She explained meaningfully.
Kagome stared at her for a moment before giving an 'oh' of understanding. "Hai, I'll ask."
InuYasha rolled his eyes, all this trouble for a little cold. He would probably recover in a day or two.
Kagome caught the hanyou's rude gesture and sent him a scolding frown. Watching him look so healthy, as if the weather didn't even touch him, it couldn't help but bring out a pang of envy in her. InuYasha was fine, so why was this affecting Ginta so badly?
"Serves the idiot right, falling asleep in the water during winter.." He grumbled knowing full well she could hear him.
"Urusai, Chikusho yo!" She hissed.
InuYasha looked taken aback by her hurtful words but quickly regained himself. She watched him shoot daggers at her before taking his leave through the doorway.
Kagome sighed wearily. Her words really were too mean. But why did he have to be such a jerk when he saw how this was affecting her? Shaking her head she waited a while, until she was sure he would be a good distance away, to go to the village. At least she could bring some good things home for Ginta, out of all this there had to be something that would help him.
Apparently Kaede didn't interact much with her fellow villagers. They were a lot less helpful than she made them out to be. Kagome thought bitterly. Most of them had just taken one look at her clothing and either proclaimed her a demon on the spot, bad luck, or a sorceress. Though there were some that knew her well enough, or some that had heard about her from Kaede and took pity on her and her sick 'child' enough to give her whatever they had. A shiver went through her body; it was colder without her pajama top to protect her thin turtle neck from the cold. Said pajama top was now used as a makeshift basket for her small amount of assorted items gathered.
She did manage to get some rather helpful things. She had received some milk for instance, a few vegetables, dried fruit, a young man had given her some flints (for which she was eternally grateful), an old widow even given her a little tea. All in all it wasn't so bad, granted the nice villagers were most certainly in the minority. Another shudder went through her body, apparently the cold and her fickly attention span had taken her mind off ever retying her shoes. Which was unfortunate because with a surprised grunt she was thrown forward, her things making varied noises as they hit the ground.
With a growl of frustration, she brought herself upright to tie her show and examine the damage. Her face fell noting one or two broken vegetables and there must now be a leak in the tea bottle because half of it now formed a small puddle on the ground. With an exasperated breath she reached for the clutter now laying pitifully in the frosted dirt, only to draw back when a clawed hand began to pick up the muddle. Her eyes flickered up to InuYasha in surprise as he put all her things back into her little pajama sling, not once did he look at her but rather kept his focus on gathering her things.
She didn't say anything but let him help her and together they walked back to Kaede's. Neither was sure what to say, both still angry but willing to put that aside for the sake of the other. The walk was quiet and awkward, but it had a certain familiarity to it that comforted them.
"Gomen nasai, InuYasha." She said softly, still unable to look at him. She felt more than saw him give a brusque nod of acknowledgment, not looking at her either.
The stroll was a little bit more comfortable after that.
"I think this will help him. Granted I am no youkai physician, but hopefully this will at least relieve him of some of his symptoms." Kaede stated, handing her a bottle filled with some liquid, the faintest hint of green, almost yellow. "And here, I believe you already know how to use these." She said handing her a bundle of blankets and assorted robes.
Kagome chuckled gratefully. "Arigato Kaede."
The old woman nodded, a faint smile marring her wise features. "There is no need, my child. InuYasha," Kaede spoke to the hanyou without taking her eye off Kagome. "you will take her back, I am sure she is late as it is. As am I for that matter. I am afraid I must see you off here, Kagome. You are not the only one sorely unprepared for winter."
"Nani! Oi! Babaa! Don't tell me what to do!" He hollered at the miko's back.
She was either too far to hear him or simply ignored him. Kagome turned to him trying to fight off the bit of annoyance his statement stirred within her. Was he still so angry? "Just take me to where you found me, InuYasha, I can get the rest of the way." She grumbled.
"Keh! I'm not taking you anywhere!"
"Nani! What are you talking about?" She asked outraged.
"I already told you I was against you going in the first place. You think I'm gonna bring you back? I'm not encouraging this shit!"
She wanted to yell. She really did. She wanted to put her mouth right against his ear and give him a screech that would make a banshee blush. But she couldn't. Even if she did she wouldn't know what to say. Ginta was back there going through Gods know what, she was cold, hungry, wasn't a doctor, and had had enough of being in charge to last her a life time. So she only did what any over worked and over stressed female would do. She cried.
InuYasha's eyes went wide at her eyes clouding over with tears, and her little sniffles from the cold becoming sniffles from the sorrow. She hiccupped before pushing rudely past him, huddling over her bundles.
"Fine! I'll go myself, you jerk!" She cried.
Quickly shaking himself out of his stupor he immediately felt guilty. She had come to him for help and he had been an ass to her. He knew that she was only doing for Ginta what she had always done for him. InuYasha quickly caught up with Kagome, turning her around even when she angrily turned her face away from him.
"Iie, Iie I'll take you. Keh, you'd probably freeze to death before you got there anyway." He mumbled taking her up into his arms.
She wanted to make him work for her forgiveness a little bit more, but she was tired and really did need to get back, so she just let him lift her and take her back.
It was cold. And hollow, too. A pair of pale eyelids fluttered weakly, finally revealing a set of dotted irises. Ginta cringed, apparently Kagome had been right. It was indeed chilly, but the sharp pain at the back of his head was what really made him tense. All at once all the forgotten physical pains rushed at him like an old friend. He let out a shaky breath bringing a hand to his forehead. His nose twitched, this place smelled familiar, but not right. A feeble cough reawakened yet another 'old friend.' He must be getting better, though, because the pressure that had associated itself with breathing was gone and now only the stinging remained and even that would fade eventually.
His eyes darted about his surroundings weakly, feeling too anemic to actually get up and look around. He doubted it would have helped though with the place being so confined. This wasn't his nest. An enormous yellow pack lay at what must be the entrance, several strange but recognizable garments lay in flaccid disarray across the floor. It was Kagome's room, not his. He winced, raising himself to his forearms, now noticing his strange new garb.
"Nee-san?"
When no answer came he strained to hear for any sound of movement and flared his nostrils to intake any trace of the familiar scent. The only remaining vestiges were long since stale. She must have left a few hours ago. He groaned exasperatedly falling back into the straw nest, flinching once again at the flash of pain at the back of his head. He hoped she had not gone far because he really didn't feel like looking for her now. With a relaxing breath he let his tired muscles settle. Even with the pounding headache and the tedious breathing it still felt good to have time to relax like this. When was the last time he was able to sleep so long? Still laying down he sleepily tugged the oppressing clothes off of him. As cold as it may be, it was nothing compared to the itch and irritation this attire introduced him to.
His jaw opened wide in a tired yawn. Suddenly his mouth halted in mid open. His left ear strained to pick up the sound again. It sounded like scraping and strained wood. Rising to his forearms once more he looked at the covered opening, not really seeing it but trying to focus more on the sound. His brow furrowed in confusion, the blockade against the entrance impaired his sense of smell so he couldn't make out the source of the noise exactly.
His face scrunched into a torturous wince lifting his body up, he moved away the huge pack and stepped out into the open. Looking around his attention rested on the main entrance to the cave. Whatever it was it was coming from there. For the first time he was able to see outside and notice the falling snow. Where had all this weather come from? Was his last thought before a large, furry, hand shot out and gripped the edge of the cave. Ginta jolted back, startled. An enormous body, encased in brown fur rose from the taloned hand to clamber into the cave. Huge trunk-like legs extended up into a hulking torso and back, to leviathan head, completely covered in shaggy brown fur. The enormous bear youkai turned his head about the cave before his beady eyes fell onto the smaller youkai.
Ginta's eyes widened as the massive bear youkai caught sight of him. His mouth fell open at his incredibly bad luck. The bear must have been caught by surprise by the unexpected winter just as everyone else and been too unprepared to find a shelter of his own. The bear let out a low growl advancing on the other youkai. Ginta took a shy step back before another raging coughing fit took hold of him. The mammoth bear took the opportunity and charged the wolf, bringing back his gigantic arm he sent Ginta careening into the nearest wall like a rag doll with one colossal strike. His body hit the stone with a sickening crack. Luckily Ginta was able to brace himself before impact, but that didn't stop the throbbing pain from shooting through his spine and skull. The wolf quickly caught himself from the fall, staggering uncertainly to his feet he readied himself into a crouching position perfect for bolting at any time.
Hastily putting some distance between himself and the other youkai he tried to formulate a plan. The bear had trapped him weakened from his illness, there was no way he could take him down being as incapacitated as he was. Still, he had to get this threat out of the caves. He would either get both himself and Kagome killed by the bear or by the elements, so there wasn't really anything to loose. The youkai began to advance again, foamy saliva dripping from his incisor laden jowls. Ginta held his ground trying to sooth his trembling body. What was he going to do! He was weak and alone! There was an obvious reason wolf youkai always traveled in packs and this was it! Together they were strong, apart they were like fresh meat waiting to be picked off.
Ginta felt his knees grow weak, time seemed to slow down, or speed up, he wasn't sure. If he let the bear win he would die. What was there really to be alive for anyway? He would have been appalled at such a dishonorable death to leave Hakkaku alone for. Now Hakkaku would have a new tribe, he would have no need for him anymore. He would be sad, of course, but it would pass. Ginta let his muscles relax in acquiescence. He was sick, he was tired, and he didn't want to be in a world where he would always be alone, anymore. The bear was close enough to him now and with a salivated snarl lunged for him. 'Nee-san!' His eyes widened. She would come back and find this animal here and that would be the end of her as well.
The bear let out a gasp of air, the wind being thrust from him as Ginta collided firmly with his chest. He braced himself again holding securely to the foul, matted fur, feeling the leviathan body being propelled out of the cave. He clenched his eyes shut during the free fall, making sure his attacker took the brunt of the landing. The second he felt his world ram into the ground, jostling his bones, he heard the anguished grunt from under him, instantly leapt out of harms way, and digging his feet into the bear's stomach for propulsion leverage.
Ginta quickly got back into an agile position to dart out of the youkai's rage should he charge again. He didn't have any force against the bear but hopefully even in his weakened state he could still wear him down with his dexterity. He had to get the mammoth away from the caves. He couldn't let harm come to his den brother's mate.
Just as he expected, it took longer for the youkai to mount to his feet, yet when he did he had hell in his eyes. Ginta set his feet determinedly trying to bring his wheezing under control, beginning to have a plan in mind. With a raging bellow the bear charged at him again, his massive talons ready to tear him to pieces. Ginta immediately sprung out of the way taking off to the right for the other side of the forest.
He knew he had enraged the youkai enough to get his mind off finding shelter and centered onto killing him. Ginta's breathing grew raspy, his vision fading into vague blurs. He stumbled a bit bringing a hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead. NO! He had to keep going, he could loose the bear if he could manage to get him lost. Ginta shook his head, blinking rapidly to refocus his sight. His attention drawn from sprinting, he didn't notice the uprooted tree root sticking from the ground. But his foot was able to get caught anyway. Ginta let out a surprised yelp feeling himself unceremoniously yanked to the ground.
Panting he quickly rose to his feet, his eyes darting around to get his bearings back. The snow was coming down heavier, making everything look the same. His eyes widened in terror as a familiar mountain cave came into view to his left. He let out a withered cough; his illness had led him in a damned circle-
WAM!
Now it was his turn to have the breath knocked from him, his body being slammed from behind, hurling it out into the open with the ease of skipping a rock. Ginta lay there for a moment, temporarily numb. The first thing he noticed was that the ground was now white. A thin layer of snow covered the green, yet it couldn't cover the red that seeped into it, staining it, tainting it. All at once the pain came back tenfold. His head and muscles stung and now his hand sprung to his side to grip at the dripping gash there. Flinching, his legs flailed to get to his feet again and ignore the searing pain.
"GINTA!"
Oh no.
"I can go the rest of the way from here. You didn't really have to take me this far." She explained softly.
InuYasha wanted to protest, he was close to the edge of the forest. The snow was falling heavier than before, snowflakes fell and clung to her butchered hair making her look ethereal. Unfortunately, things were too tense between them to give him the right to voice his protests. So he simply set her down, waiting for her to leave him. Again.
Kagome mumbled a quiet 'thank you' before beginning to jog in the direction of the caves. She could still feel him behind her and paused. 'I can't go with things like this….' Turning around she found him just as she expected, standing there, looking for all the world like he was waiting for her to come back to him rather than walk away from him. His face remained void of any emotion or expression, even as she walked back.
"Gomen, gomen nasai, InuYasha." She said sincerely, looking into his face for something, anything. When she didn't get a response she continued. "I don't want things to be like this between us. We, we can't go back to before Naraku. We can't. So much has happened. In a sick and twisted way he brought us together," She flinched when she heard the indignant 'keh!' "Now that he's dead, it's like we can really feel his damage. We were in a hurricane, InuYasha. We all shared the same shelter, you, Shippou, Sango, Miroku, and me. But now that hurricane's passed, and it's time to clean up the damage."
His face turned away from her, but she could see this affected him.
"How long do you plan on 'cleaning this up'?" He asked gruffly.
An ironic smile turned her lips. "I don't know. As glad as I am that Naraku is dead, I think that if I could turn back time, I would." She said.
InuYasha turned back to her, his eyes exploring her own resolutely. Kagome closed her eyes, fighting the tearful sniffle that threatened to come out to play, before throwing herself into his arms in a fierce hug. After a moment she could feel familiar arms wrap around her waist. Finally the sniffle appeared and she wiped her eyes, quickly disengaging herself from him, not wanting the temptation to stay in that little circle of comfort between his arms to become too great. She smiled a watery smile before taking off, hurriedly dashing for the caves.
InuYasha stood there for a long time, his face a determined mask of stone, letting the snow fall and bury itself against him.
"Me too."
With that, he started his long walk back. The forest now appearing smaller, more confining.
Kagome sniffled, the tears trailing along her cheeks being smeared by the wind her running generated. Her nose began to run again and she let out a little cry. She missed her friends so dearly. It was as if she never realized that things truly could never be the same again until a few minutes ago. She slowed down coming to the clearing, running her winter chafed fingers under her eyes to derail the tears leaking from them. Her pace digressed into a drudge, emerging from the last of the trees and walking into the plain that led to the caves. Her eyes observed the new layer of snowy ground solemnly. She had always heard that 'life wasn't fair' and she had always been too optimistic to believe it, until now.
CRASH!
Kagome's head jerked up, startled at the blast of clamor. She gasped horrified as the limp body of Ginta came careening out into the open to land heavily in the snow. A hasty red pool instantly seeping out from under him like a leak.
"GINTA!" She screamed watching him stumble to his feet.
His attention flickered to her and she dropped her gathered burdens, racing frantically towards him. She let out a choked shriek almost tripping over herself as what looked like an enormous bear smashed through the trees and came lunging wildly into the open at Ginta on its hind legs. "GINTA!" She screeched desperately.
His head turned just in time to see the darkening shadow of the youkai over him launching himself at him, bowling him into the ground. Ginta gasped for breath feeling the brunt of the bear impale itself on him. He was grateful for that bulk though, as the other youkai clawed madly at the ground missing his intended target, his own weight getting between him and Ginta. The wolf took the opportunity to tear at the meaty animal from underneath while he struggled to get out from behind. He wormed his way further underneath, hearing the bear pant in frustration, all of the sudden the furry muscle tapered into soft, malleable flesh. Ginta stopped feeling his luck change at finding the stomach. Throwing all of this weight into it he thrust his claws up into the ample sack of vitals and intestines. A bellowing roar broke the frustrated breaths from above and Ginta felt floods of something warm and sticky glide down his arms with satisfaction. The other youkai felt Ginta's grip tighten on something crucial inside him and reared up twisting this way and that, trying to shake him loose.
The wolf was finally flung away, toppling over the snowy clearing. He lurched up, his ears ticking at the sound of thudding, like someone running through the thin snow. His eyes flickered to the forest to find Kagome running towards him. "NEE-SAN STAY BACK-"
"GINTA WATCH YOU!"
He barely had enough time to leap out of the way at the sight of the massive set of dagger like teeth coming at him. Ginta let out a cry of pain, feeling the same teeth intended for his stomach and possibly the rest of him, crunch around his right leg. His face clenched in immeasurable agony, his left leg thrusting out to lash violently at the bears face. The youkai only winced and bit harder, raising back up to fling Ginta about between his teeth like a limp rag.
Kagome gasped quickening her sprint. The youkai was too involved in his adversary to notice her leap at the laceration in his stomach. She cringed at the feel of mushy organs and blood between her fingers but ripped and tore at him determinedly, trying to do as much damage as possible. The youkai cried out, dropping Ginta, to thrash her away.
Yelping at the enormous claws coming at her she managed to jump back and save her head, but not the rest of her body as it was heaved across the clearing. Kagome grunted painfully making impact with the solid ground. She could hear the pounding thud of the youkai coming for her. Her eyes darted up to see the bear lumbering straight at her, her body staggering to move away. Her scream tore through the winter night air seeing the bear make a dive for her only to rear careening back when a firm weight pounced on the back of his head, bloodied claws coming to gouge at his eyes.
Ginta grunted in exertion, digging his thumbs deeper and deeper, ignoring the clumsy swipes the talons made for him, until he finally felt a fleshy softness beneath the pads. Almost instantly the bear stopped, his leviathan mass falling lifelessly to the ground. The smaller youkai gasped for breath, the burning in his chest nothing compared to the need for oxygen. The strength seemed to completely drain from him leaving him tired and so incredibly worn, the adrenalin and endorphins rushing through his fatigued body making him immune to the massive weight now sagging against his damaged torso and leg. He panted wantonly, feeling his eyes close, his mind going blank.
"Ginta!"
His eyelids slid open a fraction at his name and insistent grunting. He looked to the side and down to see Kagome's face scrunched in strained effort pushing relentlessly against the monster on top of him. No, it wasn't really a monster. Just another desperate life trying to survive, wasn't he just doing what he and Hakkaku were trying to do? He couldn't help but briefly wonder if the other youkai had a family of his own before the weight was gone, and Kagome was hovering over him, her face saturated in worry. Ginta didn't know if it was the immense blood loss or the sickness, but all of the sudden, he simply didn't care anymore. At that moment everything was right in the world and there was no reason what so ever to not close his eyes and take a break from it. He should have gotten ill and nearly get killed by a youkai sooner if this was the way it made you feel afterwards, he thought drearily, his mind frolicking between reality and unconsciousness.
"Iie! Don't go to sleep!"
He groaned feeling a firm persistent patting against his cheek. His eyes opened a sliver to the bleary visage of the girl above him now throwing his arm around her to lift him. He made a moan of protest but could do nothing but relent to her will letting her stumble with him towards the wooden, tree ladder. She grunted in surprise when he gave up effort and let his weight sag against her.
"Ginta, I can't do this by myself, onegai! Wake up!" She exclaimed.
He wanted to give her an annoyed look but managed to lift himself enough so that she didn't bare the brunt of his weight. She stopped and glanced up at him again with those concerned eyes when he cried out now reacquainting himself with the pain in his mangled leg.
"We need to look at that, but we can't do this here. Do you think you can make it up the ladder?" She questioned not waiting for an answer before she began to help him up the carved trunk.
Suddenly, breathing became more difficult than fighting the youkai, and his head swam in foggy conscious. Kagome squealed when he sagged against her once more.
"Iie! Ginta onegai! I can't do this by myself!" She bawled.
This time Ginta wasn't able to take most of his weight off her. Kagome grunted, pulling and pushing on him at her side to make it up the ladder. Keeping her eyes on the top she kept telling herself, even as her arms burned with strained muscles, 'almost there, just a little further!' Just as she reached the last step, the wolf became just too heavy and she felt herself loose footing. She yelped tumbling backwards, but this time Ginta was the one to catch her. Grabbing her wrist he cringed and labored, bracing his forearm against the entrance floor and pulling them both forward to sprawl across the inside floor.
With a tired sigh he fell limply to the stone ground only to be caught in Kagome's freezing embrace. She gasped and raped the room for all the oxygen it had, holding Ginta steadily before forcing herself to rise, lifting him with her and wobbling back to her cove.
This just wasn't her day, well night actually. Kagome leaned tiredly against the back of the wall, just coming back from finding and collecting her things. Some she couldn't find and had no idea what happened to, such as her pajama top, but the others looked fine. Shaking the green/yellow bottled substance in her hand to re-mix all the ingredients, she removed the top, bringing her hand to the back of his neck again and touching the medicine to his lips. Her worn eyes watched the liquid glide down his throat lifting his head to help it down without him choking. Replacing the top she set the remedy aside for later use.
Removing some clothing from her pack she tore at it, making long jagged strips. She supposed yesterday she would have cared and never thought of desecrating one of the only things left of her birth home, but at the moment she would have ripped the Japanese flag for all she cared. The mass blood loss would no doubt have him out for the day, two or three at the most, but it wouldn't kill him. If InuYasha could have a whole arm through his stomach and Kouga could have a giant bird practically tear his arm from his body then Ginta could withstand this.
The sickness combined with the cold was the only thing that bothered her. It was an un-seeable, nameless, wound that she couldn't bandage. It damaged from the inside, a place she couldn't get to. It seemed he would be alright though. Then again she was just too tired and too drained to worry as frantically as she had been all day. Watching the pale skin pucker and pinken into the wound she began to address the grotesque lacerations. After his side was done she went to the leg, which was a bit harder. There were bits of crunched and splintered bone which had her going back to the water holes and bringing back something to clean it with. But eventually that was seen to as well.
She sat back, feeling exhausted. She felt unclean and dirty, her hair felt oily and matted. She wanted nothing more than to take a bath but all the running and adrenaline had numbed her to the cold for now and she didn't want to ruin it with icy water and possible death due to exposure. Laying her head back, her eyes ran randomly across the ceiling. Her vision became blurred with smears of fatigue until she finally submitted to the sugary yumminess of sleep.
She couldn't feel her toes. Or her fingers for that matter. Kagome groaned in irritation. Was this going to be the norm? Her waking up practically having to amputate half her body from frostbite? She winced at the stress headache that appeared to have drilled its way into her head upon awakening but other than that she felt a little better, a little fresher. It was freezing again, and no doubt still snowing. She couldn't feel the fingers that rubbed the warmth back into her arms. Her body quivered under the pressure of the cold. Winter had never seemed so impending, so vengeful as it did now.
Her eyes snapped open, darting to the form next to her in panic. His body was back to the sickly shade of death, and his lips were a frosty blue. Her breath was temporarily knocked from her ash she mentally pummeled herself. She hadn't taken notice of his exposed state and had forgotten to cover him! He lay there in only his fur wrap he had slept in the night before. Her head fell to his chest desperately, only feeling a smidge of relief upon finding a heartbeat. But he was so cold! He had never felt so frigid to the touch. She darted about the room in search of the clothes she had given him. Where were they? Why had the idiot taken them off at all?
She shivered feeling the ice seep into her skin again, no longer feeling the numbness the endorphins had brought her. Her hands rubbed up and down his chest and arms trying to get some kinetic heat back into his snowy frame. Panicking she looked down at him, fighting back the tears of worry. He would have her as wrinkled as crumpled paper by the end of the month with this! Kagome bit her lip, worrying it between her teeth. Sickness, cold and severe blood loss were not a good combination. 'Stop being so immature, Kagome!' She mentally scolded herself. There was no other way…
Taking a deep breath she hesitantly lifted the red turtle neck from her body, followed by her favorite jeans. Kagome crouched into herself, holding herself to protect it from the cold and burst of self consciousness. She knelt there watching him wearily in nothing but her panties and bra, her panties clean but her bra was tainted with a tinge of gray at not being washed. Swallowing the lump in her throat, taking little reassurance in that fact that he would not doubt not be waking up any time soon, she crawled over him. Closing her eyes not wanting to watch herself as she straddled his torso before laying over him, covering them both with the thick fur blanket. Wrapped her arms delicately around him, she tried to keep most of her weight on her buckled knees so as to not aggravate any of his wounds or handicap his breathing.
She waited until her breathing calmed down, gradually digressing to its relatively normal pace to open her eyes. It was dark but not so that she couldn't still see the puffs of frozen air her breath created. Her ear lay against his chest, her head facing the closed entrance of the cove. Her head moved in a barely noticeable up and down motion with his breathing. The gentle thump thump below her ear was soothing and reassuring. For the first time since this all began she felt completely comforted. She felt right and at peace, protected. Nothing could touch her.
Her arms tightened softly around him, and she told herself that it was only to make sure enough contact was made for adequate body heat to be produced. She wasn't sure if it was the heat from her own body or if this method was actually working, but she felt warmer after a while. His skin no longer felt like the icy floor the nest bed was made on, but actual fleshy skin. As bad as the situation was she morbidly wouldn't have traded it to be anywhere else in the world. She swallowed, willing such thoughts to go away, she didn't want to deal with this now.
Kagome buried herself closer to him; it was like cuddling with a heavy doll. His arms hung at his sides, his form completely detached from her. It seemed everything about him was detached from her, she thought miserably. Her hand came to rest against his chest next to her face, the other still holding him closely. His heartbeat felt steady and strong against her ear and palm. At that moment she wanted him to wrap his arms around her, just as InuYasha had done to her not so long ago.
At the mention of the hanyou Kagome couldn't help but wonder why was it that he seemed to be shoved into the back recesses of her mind whenever Ginta was around. She felt guilty for only thinking of him when the wolf wasn't there to keep her company. Perhaps he was right; maybe she did only come to him when she needed something. Thinking these things made her feel sick and selfish. Kagome closed her eyes pressing her cheek into the crevice between his breast bones.
Kagome wanted him to put his hand on her head, to rub her back. Her mind was screaming that she was unlocking a door that would never close. Half of her shouted to her to take her hands away from the lock, the other half begged her to turn the key. She was torn and scared. She was tired, worn, and nervous. She wanted him to be better, she wanted him to take control so she didn't have to anymore, she wanted him to tell her what needed to be done so she could give her brain a rest. But most of all she wanted him to look at her. As much as she wanted him to never know about this, she wanted just as much for him to open his eyes, look down at her, and smile. She wanted him to look at her with acceptance and something unnamable. Not just polite toleration.
Her hand fisted at her head. No more of that lukewarm tolerance. She'd go crazy from it. She wanted him to go one way or the other. Either hate her passionately or-
A small dry cough broke into her reverie. Her head jolted up like a deer caught in headlights. She was torn over weather to stay or to bolt. 'He's warm enough, leave!' one half told her, 'So he should suffer over your immature modesty?' the other half scolded. She doubted she could have moved anyway, her body was frozen to the spot with a mixture of fear and anticipation. Thankfully, the dry cough was all. His eyes didn't open, he didn't awaken, the young wolf's head just turned to the side, away from the entrance, and continued his frozen slumber.
She watched him for a long time after that. Her face still and motionless as if he were still on the verge of waking up. The only sign that she hadn't turned to marble were the tiny streams mapping paths down her cheeks. She blinked, hearing the titter of the droplets hitting his chest. Swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat, she observed his plain features regretfully. The same hand at his chest slid weakly up as if to touch those very features that had made her hand turn the key. She stopped halfway, her fingers freezing in midair before coming back to close at her own chest.
Gathering the strength in her legs, she rose up. He was warm enough now. She staggered feebly out of the cove feeling as though she had been kicked in the gut, pausing only to humbly pick up her turtle neck and jeans and snag the other fur blanket on the way out. It didn't feel so cold anymore; it didn't really feel like anything anymore. She pushed quietly at her makeshift barricade and slide cautiously out. Kagome walked on shaky legs until she collapsed at the entrance of the cave, her body sagging limply against the side of it.
Her legs curled against her hip, her hands bringing the blanket around her shoulders to clasp at her chest. She gathered a shuddering breath, gradually letting it out. It was still snowing. It was either really late or really early. Considering it wasn't so dark anymore and since she could actually see the snow she guessed it was the latter.
When InuYasha had first introduced her to this feeling she had thought it was the same as any of its kind. When she had found out about Kikyou, she was crushed. But there was still that hope, it was more subconscious since she always told herself that she was always second best to her incarnation, but it was still there. It brought happiness to her. Gave her visions of them together when she actually had time to let her mind wander to such places. Places that existed before Naraku. Those places brought her so many feelings. Ardor, Hope, despair, envy, sadness, happiness. So many different colors.
There were no places here. There was no hope. He had made that unbearably clear to her. She had thought that there was only one way to feel the way InuYasha had once made her feel. Now she knew its other side. Its foil, it's opposite. Her hands clenched at the blanket. The sky was growing lighter, shades of white and yellow bleeding into the murky navy. A sob convulsed through her body. Her head hung flaccidly against her chest as the quiet weeping wracked her trembling physique. She had opened a door. She had opened a Pandora's Box of loneliness, misery, and shame.
"Nee-san?"
A more violent sob seized her form hearing the weak but questioning voice brake the silence only her weeping had violated. She didn't answer him. She didn't move. If she didn't go to him maybe that would prove her knowledge to be false. The doors were closed and love was still interchanging with colors not this bleak darkness she realized it had become. She didn't hear a second call and the pang in her chest took the place of the satisfaction she had wanted to feel at her resistance. There were so many versions of love. Her first experience of it was full of possibilities, it hurt as much as it contented, it gave as much as it took. And she had thought that was love. That was it, the very definition. There were no variations of it.
It was a lie now. This love was miserable. It killed and made her cry. It made her long for things she would never have and should never want and never gave her any happy fantasies to content herself with. No, it was dark and lonely. There was no thrill, no heart skipping. Instead her heart felt as though it had stopped. Never to beat again. It was like loving the chain that bound you. Like kissing the bars of your prison cell. It was hopeless, unfeeling, and twice as cold.
She had opened a Pandora's Box. Blackness, misery, shame, guilt, agony, and pain swirled around her in grotesque swirls of oblivion. The only thing left, glowing dully in the emptiness was love. And she honestly didn't know how that was enough to survive everything else.
It was still snowing.
Holy God that's a long ass chap! Well how'd ya like that? Did n.e.one c that coming? I'm sure some did but I'm just curious. Well I'm glad its out and again I need an editor so please, somebody's gotta wanna do it!
Ok now I think I'm gonna need 2 explain the ending of this chap because I know I'm gonna get at least one reviewer going 'what the hell?' And I hate explaining these things because I like to let you guys take u'r own interpretation of things, but I don't want anyone thinking Kagome's crazy so I gotta do this. Ok did n.e.one get that Kagome has just figured out that she's in love with Ginta? Now I don't want n.e.one thinking that this is gonna be a romantic love story, it's not. When she was describing this new feeling it's her epiphany that love takes on many different forms and is not always a good thing. This is not Romeo and Juliet, guys. Love is never the same the next time around, it just depends on who you fall for. With InuYasha, it was like loving your high school crush even though he had a girlfriend. You know it's prolly never gonna happen but you still fantasize and hope and get all fluttery when he looks at you. Ginta made it perfectly clear to Kagome before any of this started that he hated her. And even though he doesn't hate her, Kagome doesn't know this. It's like having your heart both stolen and shattered within a five minute time span. It's very staggering and hurtful experience to realize you've some how fallen in love with someone you know for a definite it will never happen, and would prolly be disgusted by your feelings. Kagome was so confused about what she felt for Ginta because the only experience she had with love was InuYasha and she made a generalization that it would always be like that, and when she started having feelings for Ginta she didn't know what they were or how to categorize them. Right now, Ginta is completely inaccessible to Kagome. He's going through a lot of stuff and consciously he can't see her that way; but there's a lotta subconscious stuff going on that u gotta look out 4 that's gotta kick him in the ass later. When referring to Kagome's love for Ginta picture what love would be like without the fluttering feelings, the romance, the fantasies and so on. This love is very dark and fairytale-less, but as everyone knows it's not something you can flick off like a light switch. I guess I explained that the best way I could. N.E. wayz, I do some awesome things w this fic so stay tuned because it gets better. This was the turning point guys! The fic takes a huge change now.
Luv
The deni pie
C h a p t e r X – R o o m 1 1 8
He wasn't sure what to make of her dramatic change. She ate little, or if she did she just didn't eat in front of him. She now flinched when he called her and every now and then he would catch her watching at him with the strangest look when she thought he wasn't paying attention. He would just reassure her again that he was fine now and that was the first time he had ever been sick and it wasn't likely to happen again, yet it didn't take the odd sorrow out of her eyes or stop the ailing glances she paid to him.
Urusai, Chikusho yo! – Shut up, you beast!
