Aw yeah yeah yeah! Thanks for all the reviews! Let's get these three out of the cave and into a fluff ball, shall we?
Again, italicized bits are the thoughts of the characters.
Disclaimer: These disclaimers are stupid. Of course I don't own Inuyasha, this is a fanfiction site.
Smoldering rain dripped from every crevice of the cave. Mist became drizzle, drizzle became showers, showers became a torrent of blue flames that thrashed against the assassins. Koga kept the red cloth above his head as he churned toward Kagome. Inuyasha kept close behind, Tetsusaiga drawn and slicing through the wind. He was badly injured, the burns crawling up his neck and now drizzled across his face.
"Fools! The closer you come to Kagome, the faster my flames will envelop her body! Sounds like a familiar fate, doesn't it, Inuyasha?"
A delicate image of Kikyo's body being engulfed in fire danced behind Inuyasha's eyelids. He clenched his jaw and moved with greater rapidity. Soon, he was at speed with Koga.
"Oh, it seems I've triggered something," Naraku said, delighted.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Inuyasha bellowed.
Koga was nearing Kagome's body. Inuyasha slowed down just enough so that Koga could break ahead, and his eyes focused on the limbs that were still binding Kagome's wrists. He wielded his sword across his chest and sliced diagonally. A brilliant emission shot forth and hurtled toward the spiked tentacle.
"KOGAAA!" Inuyasha screamed. Before the wave even sunk into Naraku's flesh, Koga had propelled himself off the ground and up toward Kagome.
Simultaneous withdrawal.
The limbs were reduced to bloody stumps and relinquished the girl. Naraku coiled them back up into his body. Koga caught Kagome halfway down her descent and wrapped her in the haori. Without hesitation, the wolf demon raced away from the balcony.
"You will not go so easily!" Naraku rumbled. A low hum emanated from the cave walls. Weathered pieces of rock flung themselves from the walls and ceiling, narrowly missing the assassins' bodies. The cave was closing in.
"INUYASHA, MOVE!"
The listless hanyou began to run for the entrance to the cave, but was weaving in and out of consciousness. The burns had taken their toll on his body; his last battle cry had sealed his fate. Black fog wheeled in from both sides of the cave. He could hear Koga's voice, somewhere… distant… how had he gotten so far ahead…?
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"Inuyasha, stop struggling, I'm trying to help you! Sango, hold on to that leg, he keeps kicking me in the chest. GET. IT. TOGETHER!"
Inuyasha groaned and tenderly rubbed the side of his face that Miroku just pounded with his fist. His eyes opened slightly, slivers of light poured in, and blurry images of Miroku's and Sango's hovering faces swam into view.
"Where am I…? Where's… KAGOME!" Inuyasha's upper-half sprung forward in search of Kagome. The pain immediately seeped into his skin, and he cried aloud.
"DAMMIT!"
Inuyasha was completely covered in bandages. They coiled like snakes across his arms, chest and neck. His fingers found the marks on his face, now covered in a sticky, foul-smelling salve.
"Don't touch that, it took me two hours to make," a voice called from behind a curtain. Kaede stepped out, grinding herbs in a small, metal bowl with a wooden stub. Her face was lined with concern. To his left, Sango and Miroku sat tentatively holding bandages and damp cloths.
"Where's Kagome?" he demanded huskily. The room remained silent. Kaede padded over to the curtain and pulled it back with a gnarled hand.
Kagome was lying flat on the floor, eyes closed, wrapped in one of Kaede's kimonos. Bandages poked out from underneath her clothes, insinuating that her entire body was mummified. Koga hovered right above her. He sat cross-legged next to her head and stroked her hair tenderly. He, too, had one bandage that stretched across his chest and over his one, injured shoulder like a broken wing. Inuyasha gritted his teeth.
"Koga carried both you and Kagome back to Kaede's hut last night. You are badly inujured," Miroku said quickly, trying to diffuse the anger.
"Yeah, I can see that!" Inuyasha spat. Miroku continued, unfazed.
"Had it not been for Koga, both you and Kagome would be dead," he finished. Inuyasha looked back at Kagome, trying to ignore Koga's presence.
"How badly is she injured?" he asked quietly. Kaede knelt down next to Kagome and dipped a long cloth into her herbal remedy.
"She is badly cut. Thankfully, she has no trace of any burns, but she has yet to regain consciousness. That is what this is for," Kaede said, gesturing to the cloth. She shook out the excess liquid and twisted it into a long rope.
"Koga, would ye lift her head?"
Koga scooped his hands under her head and gingerly lifted it off the ground. Kaede took the soft rope and wrapped it around Kagome's head and over her eyes. She tucked the tails back underneath her dusty hair. Inuyasha tried to lift himself to stand next to her, but was forced back by four hands.
"Ye must stay where ye are. I'm not done bandaging ye yet," Kaede said without turning to face him.
"I've got bandages all over me already! Let me go see her!" Inuyasha yelled.
"Inuyasha, stay here. Kaede and Koga have this completely under control," Sango said soothingly. Inuyasha frowned.
Koga has this under control… that's what I'm afraid of…"Now we must try and bring her back," Kaede said. "Kagome… Kagome, can ye hear me, child?"
"Kagome… Kagome, please wake up," Koga said. His hand reached her cheek and brushed it softly. Kagome's mouth parted.
"This is good, she is coming to!" Kaede said.
"Kagome! Kagome! Can you hear us?" Koga said desperately. Kagome's mouth was now moving. She was breathing inaudible words. Suddenly, her hand shot out and latched onto Koga's. She clenched it tightly within her own, and began to thrash around on her mat.
"Kaede!" Inuyasha screamed.
"This is normal! This is normal! She still thinks she's with Naraku! Kagome! Kagome, wake up!" Kaede urged. Kagome's thrashing became more violent, and now her voice was carrying. It became clear that she was whimpering. Just then, Shippo and Kilala stepped into the hut, herbs bundled in small sacks.
"Kaede, we got the- what's wrong with Kagome!" Shippo shrieked. He dropped his sack and dove for her, but Miroku gribbed him by the tail.
"Stay back, Shippo! She doesn't know who we are, she could hurt you!"
"Kaede, she's going to open all her wounds!" Sango warned.
Without hesitation, Koga lifted up and straddled Kagome between his legs, still holding tightly to her hand. Her motion suddenly limited, she stopped thrashing and began to call out louder. Inuyasha struggled vehemently against Sango and Miroku.
"KOGA, GET THE FUCK OFF OF HER!"
Kagome shrieked.
"NOOO!"
"Kagome, listen to me! You are in Kaede's hut! You are safe now, YOU'RE SAFE NOW!"
And with that, Koga closed his eyes, bowed his head and shrouded Kagome's trembling lips with his own.
And now… we get fluffy. ENJOY! REVIEW!