Chap 17

"No way.........." Kaoru whispered.

"There isn't any other alternative........." Sol replied "its most unfortunate. She WILL be killed"

Blake sighed. "In that case it will be up to you to tell her Sol."

"Why me?" Sol asked sulkily. If Kaoru agreed with Blake there was no stopping them. The two powerful spellcasters could turn the sky to brown if they wanted. The worst thing was, they thought alike.

"Sol." Kaoru simply stated before Sol sighed and hastily agreed on telling Kagome everything.

~later~

"TETSUSAIGAAAAAA!!!!!!" Inuyasha yelled before delivering a deadly blow to the dark demon.

The dark monster had came out of nowhere. But as soon it leapt out the others wasted no time attacking it. Akinshu shot with her gun, Sol with his sword, Sango with Hiraikotsu, Miroku with his wind tunnel, Kagome with her arrows, Blake with his axe and Rai with his whip. Kaoru was sort of creating these giant bubbles which enveloped the others and protected everyone from attacks.

The dark demon was increasingly violent. It swiped his claws at Shippo who managed to dodge it. Shippo has been very angry all through the battle. Every time he did something it took no effect.

"Grrrrrrrrr.......... FOXFIRE!!!!!!" Shippo yelled. His blue flames shot out taking a form of a serpent dragon. The dragon wrapped itself against the demon's body and squeezed. The demon gave a final howl before decintagrating.

"You did it Shippo!!!" Kaoru yelled happily before embracing Shippo.

"Yeah!!!! Did you see how big that dragon was????" Shippo replied happily.

"I know!!!! It was so cool!!!!" Kaoru smiled.

"Yeah, but I liked your barrier!!!! It protected us from attacks!!!" Shippo complimented.

Kaoru smiled and kissed Shippo on the cheeks. "Thanks!!!!" She grinned. Shippo returned a grin without a trace of a blush and gave her a hug.

All the while the others just stared at the two little youkais. One thing on their minds. 'Now why couldn't they kill that thing earlier?!!!'

~that night~

"C'mon you sluggish wenches! Cook faster!!!" Inuyasha barked.

Kagome and Akinshu gave him a cold glare. They were cooking ramen for the group but Inuyasha jus HAD to keep COMPLAINING AND COMPLAINING!!!!

"Inuyasha........" Miroku warned.

It didn't take a genius to see that Akinshu and Kagome's anger was just like the pot. Boiling to the rim...........

"DID YOU HEAR ME?!?!! I SAID COOK FASTER!!!!" Inuyasha barked.

"Inuyasha!" Sango warned

A vein popped on their foreheads.

"DAMMIT!!! HURRY UP YOU STINKING HAGS I'M HUNGRY!!!!!" Inuyasha howled.

That was it.

SPLASH!!!

A howl teared through the woods.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR YOU STUPID, FUCKING BITCHES!!!!" Inuyasha yell as the boiling water from the ramen pot dripped through his hair.

"FOR NOT BEING PATIENT!!!!" everyone yelled simultaneously.

"By this rate we won't be able to get anything to eat. Rai, do you know where to get food in the woods?" Blake yelled over the angry yelling coming from everyone to the hanyou.

"Hai, indeed I do." Rai bowed respectfully "we will need some firewood and large amount of water." He said before disappearing.

"I'm following him!" Akinshu yelled before tearing after Rai. Rai halted, and his dark brown hair flew to a stop. He had a light dragon tail, just like Miroku's except a little longer. (There is a difference between a dragon tail and a pony tail people!!!!)

Akinshu's breath caught suddenly at the tree youkai's various green clothes, and kind brown eyes. Rai blinked before asking "Do you want a ride?"

"Naw!!! Some exercise is good for me!" Akinshu said. Shaking that thought away.

Rai gave a cocky smile. "You sure? I run pretty fast."

"What do you want to ask? You proposing a challenge?" Akinshu grinned.

"No........... I was about to ask what your favourite colour is but now that you mentioned it, heck why not?!" Rai yelled before taking off.

"Cheater!!!" Akinshu hollered and took after him.

~With the others~

"Ok.......... We need to get new firewood and some water." Blake said.

Inuyasha quickly sided with Kagome, Miroku and Sango stood together. Shippo with Kaoru. Blake shook his head.

"Inuyasha I think Kagome should work with Sol." He said. 'I'm giving you a chance to explain to her Sol, use it well.' Blake prayed.

After a couple minutes the hanyou was somehow *persuaded* to side with Blake. Though he said Sol would regret if he hurt Kagome in any way.

Sol hefted a sigh, 'How the heck am I suppose to tell you this Kagome.......... Just how the hell can I tell you........you might die.'

( I would have ended here but I want to write more.)

The crystal lake glimmered under the moonlight.

Sol took a deep breath, it was now or never.

"Kagome........ listen........ if we succeed in the quest to kill Kubaya........ this thing is sorta complicated........but........" Sol paused. 'We given her a chance, she failed the test, no guilt Sol, no guilt.'

"Ugh..........Kagome....... Kubaya's last name is Higurashi."

Kagome sat on the ground completely dumbfounded. "What do you mean tha-"

'How the hell am I going to explain this?!' Sol cut her off. "If we succeed the quest you will fade. Fade because Kubaya is your ancestor.......... Although your personalities differ so many ways........ But..........I........ only can Kubaya NOT see the beauty of this forest.

He........ Kubaya that is, perceives the truth. The truth of the forest, the truth of the world. And the fact is........this place is exactly what your eyes see........ gloomy........ or so I have been told.........

His capability of manipulation, in incredible, as a matter of fact Naraku would seem like a novice compared to him. He sees the truth of our heart and uses it against us. That's why to continue, you will need no guilt."

Looking at his hands he continued.

"You will need to know what you are up against! No one is ready here, except Rai. I dunno what he did for his life, but he have no guilt, worries maybe, but nothing can bring him down......... but especially you.......... You have........"

Kagome didn't know what to think. Except anger, anger and more anger.

"HOW DARE YOU?!?!?!! I HAVE PRIDE!!!!! I WON'T TURN AGAINST MY FRIENDS!!!!!" Kagome yelled angrily.

"I don't doubt your pride........ it's your conscience I'm worried about. Everything has a will to survive. When the time comes your body will not react to what you believe anymore. Just live, that's what your body will do regardless of what your mind thinks." Sol said softly.

"THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK!!! I WILL COME THROUGH!!!" Kagome replied angrily. She trust herself, she WILL do what is right.

"You don't know Kubaya........ Kagome........" Sol spoke softly, as through if he was explaining 1 plus 1 equal 2 to a raging toddler.

Kagome fumed a few minutes before all was quiet and she calmed down..... letting her familiar unhappy feeling consume her.

Getting a bucket from her overly large backpack Kagome started to scoop in some water.

Sol sat back and suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

He hated this feeling, it was a feeling he loathed. The guilt that would well inside of him would burst even if he had nothing to do with it. His guilt would burst.

Just like someone's tears.

"Kagome?" He asked unsuredly.

Kagome gulped and tried hard to swallow the lump in her throat. A single tear leaked down her face. A few more came after that.

"D.......dou........doushita? I.......didn't do .....anything!" Sol stuttered. 'Well not exactly nothing.' His conscience taunted. He hated it, hated those stinkin' tears AND his conscience.

Kagome turned to face him and the moon's pale white rays landed on her face. Making her look like a glowing angel.

"Am I really........all those things Inuyasha say I am?" Kagome asked sadly.

Sol didn't understand for a minute before it hit him. "Huh?" he replied. 'she doesn't really think she's a hag or anything does she? She's so.......... Not like that........'

Kagome looked at the ground. "I try to ignore the insults, but deep down, deep down they really hurt." She admitted.

Sol couldn't believe what he was hearing! Kagome wasn't..........ANYTHING Inuyasha said she was.

Kagome gave a bitter smile. "I feel like a giant baby........... I still can't accept his insults.........."

Sol found his voice. "What the hell are you talking about Kagome?"

Kagome looked at him at the eyes. Sol gulped, the moon increased her beauty paling and shining out her unhappy creases. 'Wow.........." Sol stared.

"He repeats it again and again........ and each time he repeats it I think its true........"Kagome whispered.

Sol felt like a retarded idiot, he just HAD to tell her. It was his duty. But it felt so cruel to tell her when she was already so sad.

'I didn't know.' Sol said to his conscience immediately.

'So that doesn't give you a right to hurt her. She was already sad and what did you do? Make it worst that's what! Apologize you stupid half-breed!!' His conscience yelled at him.

'No way! Why should I apologize!? I just did what I had to!'

'Honour before pride! With honour comes respect! With respect comes trust! With trust comes loyalty! SO APOLIGIZE!!!! Kisama baka!' His conscience yelled again.

"Sorry Kagome........" Sol gave in periodically.

"For what?" Kagome asked confused. (CONFUZZLED!!!! Lol........ confuse and puzzled put together!!! ¬_¬ I have no idea y I said that........)

"I didn't know that........you weren't in the mood." Sol said dumbly.

"It's ok........" Kagome said, "how were you suppose to know?"

'Yeah! How was I suppose to know?!' Sol said to his conscience, he hated losing to his conscience.

'Because you should have asked how she was before giving her the crap!' His conscience yelled back.

'.***' Its impossible to win against his conscience........ he's been trying to win for twenty years!

Sol blinked. Kagome was trying to stop her tears. She was holding back, was she embarrassed?

Sol wondered how stupid it sound before saying. "It's ok Kagome.......... Don't hold back."

He regretted saying that. Kagome really didn't need to be told twice. She was crying seriously, she hugged her legs. And cried, just their, sitting........and cried.

'Go away Sol, don't listen to that crying! Run away!'

'WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING?!?!!!?!?! GO AND COMFORT HER YOU STUPID ASS!!!!' His conscience yelled.

'Why do you always have to yell?' Sol thought grudgingly

Either then that though Sol didn't show any more signs arguing. It wasn't right to just leave someone here crying.

Inching over until he sat beside her he bent his head and looked at her before rising his head again.

"You shouldn't cry Kagome.......... I don't think you are ugly even when you are crying." He said, looking away.

Kagome just kept crying, it was soap opera to Sol's ears. (¬_¬ no that means its horrible.......... I'm sorry if you like them but I hate them........just like screaming or something........)

"Stop Kagome." Sol mumbled. 'It must be horrible to have a name........ but never been called by it by someone you love.'

Kagome felt her nose stuffed. Her breathing was strained, but she wanted to cry. To not act tough and accept everything thrown at her all the time. 'No one understands me! I just wanted to have some respect, besides being a jewel detector to Inuyasha...........'

Suddenly she felt two strong things wrap around her. 'Strong but flexible?' She though.

'Inuyasha?' she thought for a second. She looked up and saw Sol looking away from her. He was hugging her. It didn't matter if it wasn't Inuyasha at the moment. She was just glad someone was there.

Sol gulped. Kagome was crying into his chest he could feel the tears dampening his hard green vest armor. Isn't it funny how he knew what to do when he had to fight a demon but not what to do when someone need comforting?

Not to Sol. It was friggin impossible to cheer a person up.

"Erm, Kagome........" Sol started.

A snuffle answered him.

"Do you want anything?"

'Do I want anything? Respect, love and understanding from Inuyasha, that's what.' Kagome thought. But other then that she was happy some was there for her. She shook her head.

Relieved, Sol gently pulled her away. Looking at her face he said solemnly. "Listen Kagome, I don't think you are ANYTHING like a hag or wench or whatever. It's just a way that Inuyasha vents his frustration out. I think you just have no self-esteem. Tell him to shut up or something, stand up for yourself and call him a few names lets see how he takes it.".

Kagome nodded. She wasn't going to be laying back and be weak anymore. She wasn't going to stand for all the crap Inuyasha gave her. She was going to retaliate.

Sol was surprised a bit at a new determined look in Kagome's eyes. Nonetheless, he got up and carried the bucket of water.

Kagome got up too, except by the fact that her knee was so damn numb she toppled over. (- -;;; I tried to open a door once in a party, but my legs were so damn numb it couldn't stand up and then my brother yelled at me at how lazy I was........so it can be very hard to balance actually........ - -;;;;)

Quick as flash Sol abandoned the bucket letting the contents spill on the grass and grabbed her hand. (erg........... you can puke anytime now........)

Pulling her up to her feet he suddenly widen his eyes.

He leaned forward as he was about to kiss her and when he was close enough he whispered. "There's a demon here Kagome, it's a snide one........ following us so long without a trace, until now," Sol gave a frown here "it's probably one of Kubaya's spies........ it has heard too much........ I need to kill it. Can you hear it?"

Still flustered by the lack of space between them she listened closely. Ignoring the crickets chirping, she concentrated on a little voice at first. She strained her mind. Strangled, wheezy breathing reached her ears. It chilled her to the bone.

"Ghreh........ hreh..........greh....." it sounded like as if it was drooling........

Kagome gave an involuntary shiver. "Wha........ what is it.........."

Sol furrowed his eyes, "A shadow demon from Kubaya........ strange........ most of them lurk in the Graver's Mountain......."

Sol suddenly looked like he realized something. "It's you........ you have Kubaya's scent........" Sol shook his head here "I mean essence........you........"

"They are after you."

REVIEW PLEASE!!!!!!!!! I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT!!!! ^^