Chapter 7: Free speech carries with it some freedom to listen.
Disclaimer: No matter how much I whine.. and beg.. and wimper.. and howl.. no one seems to want to let me own the precious hanyou *sniffles* lol yeah right!
-Inu-Yasha- Hey.. whats that supposed to mean? *Danie pats Inu on head* Oi! get off!
-Danie- Its fine Inu.. no one expects you to get it anyway.. *sighs* on with the fic...
Kagome stood waiting in the glade that she had asked Kaori and Akiko to meet her at. Her now elongated ears twitched slightly from their position on the top of her head. She thought for a moment on how Akiko seemed to take to her... and was grateful he didnt have the eyesight she did just in case he decided to bring a bow and a few arrows to fire into her chest.
Chibi InuYasha lay at her feet watching something wriggle around in the high grasses. "Kagome?" He whispered. She looked down at him waiting for him to continue. "I dont like these people... please.. can we go?"
"InuYasha.. I have to talk to these people.. they need my help.." Kagome said as she hunkered down to his level. "Kind of just like you need my help ne?" She ruffled his hair lightening his darkened mood at having to subject himself to other's presences. Kagome felt something stiffen on the back of her neck. InuYasha sat up. "Kagome?... do you feel something?"
Kagome peered over the tops of the grasses to see something moving through it at an alarming rate and straight for them. Its scales reflected all the wonderful colors of the world and danced before her eyes willing her to stand. "Kagome dont look at it! Please Kagome!" InuYasha tugged at her shirt front hard enough to tear it to shreds but the compulsion was too strong to ignore.
Her legs moved for her. Making her step towards the mosterous beast that rose up to greet her. Ifs face appeared to slither and move in the moonlight til she realized it was completely made up of snakes that hissed and writhed in mass. Kagome felt herself start to slip backwards as the mouth opened and followed her down. 'Kaori.. Akiko... Im sorry that I couldnt help you.. InuYasha..' Her eyes flickered towards the child quivering in fear behind her and her heart shivered in her chest thinking of the man at the other end of time waiting on her to come back to him.
She watched in a haze as the child's mouth formed her name on his lips but everything was strangely silent except for the beating of her heart in her chest.
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InuYasha held Kagome's body close to his. He had awoken to a pain in his heart that something was wrong.. something was out of kilter and he couldnt fix it. He gasped as he watched Kagome's body disappear and reappear.. flickering in his arms. "Oh GOD!!" Kaori and Akiko heard him scream and rushed to see what had happened.
When they reached him Miroku and Sango were already there holding onto her chilled hands. Her face paled to that frightening shade of white that had plagued it on the way to take her to Kaeda-baba's hut. InuYasha clamped down on the panic and fear that was eating away at his stomach. "If this is your fault you will live to regret it.." He promised darkly to Kaori and Akiko as he looked over Kagome's head.
They frowned at eachother. 'I didnt expect this to happen did you?.. Do you suppose Kangrenich already knows that Kagome is there?.. or that he already knows what she is about?' Kaori tried her best to keep from looking panic-stricken at Akiko so as to not give away that she was talking to him through her mind linked to his. Her brown curling hair fell in a mass over her pallid friend's face.
Akiko sat back on his haunches not willing to look at her and think on what he might have caused. A small touch on his hands brought his blue gaze right into an identical one. "Sango.."
"Akiko.. whats going on in the past?.. We have to know.." Her breath caught in her throat as she looked at her friend fade and flicker back.
"I-I dont know.. I just dont know." Akiko said before he felt something warm spill down his cheeks. He heard Kaori choke on her tears while his fell freely down his cheeks.
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Chibi InuYasha watched in mounting horror as his surrogate mother was about to be killed. "Kagome!" His small voice didnt seem to carry over the deafening silence that he felt was bringing her death closer and closer to him. When her eyes rolled up in her head and the monster prepared itself to strike her, he rushed from his spot as if something had just released him to leap and take the painful sting upon himself. He felt his body become heavy and lax as his eyes closed and a heavy smile settled upon his lips.
Kagome awoke from her drug-like daze to see InuYasha sprawled at her feet, his precious blood leaking out of his side from a ghastly wound inflicted by the monstrous beast before her. A rage filled her veins as she watched the monster writhe in the grasses waiting for InuYasha to bleed himself dry. She let loose a cry as she leapt high into the air aiming to slam into the giant monster. In mid-leap she felt an odd euphic feeling wash over her body and realized that she would have to close her eyes to fight.
Growling, she squeezed her eyes shut and forced her body to slam down as hard and fast as she could. As she descended from the heavens, she felt her rage hone into something keener, it burned brightly in her chest until she felt that it would burn her alive.
InuYasha watched even with his vision slightly hazed of blood he could see Kagome glow in the night.. her body shifting from hanyou form to full-fledged demon in less than a minute. "Ka..go..me.." the slight noise leaked from his mouth before he felt unconsciousness reach for him.
Kagome heard him from in the air. It only served to fuel her rage making it ever more easier for her to focus on the heat. When she came down, instead of feeling a scaley hide meet her, she found herself stuck in a gellatinous mixture that held her fast. Her features streatched themselves and changed. Her jaw became elongated and she could feel fangs growing down into her gums. Her tail that had just appeared streached itself out and her body was compelled to all fours as she grew taller and longer. When the transformation was complete she howled as she reared back to attack the monster that had attacked her little ward.
The snake monster hissed as it saw the transformation of the ages. "Hanyousss like yourssself arent ssssuppossed to be able to sshape sssshift like that." Its voice sounded like nails scrapping on a chalkboard.
Kagome couldnt think of anything through the red haze that had taken over her vision; ordering her to kill the danger in her path. Her gigantic paw raised itself and slammed down on the creatures head. Her fangs were revealed as she grinned evilly at her opponent. She tried to say anything.. something to make it feel before she crushed its skull but she could not. Pressing down with her massive paw she heard it crunch like a roach under a shoe. A hiss escaped her jaw as she felt the calm claim her from her kill.
Akiko stood rooted to the spot. He had seen Kagome go through all the phases she possessed. 'If she could do that why didnt she just crush the village and have at it like that?' he thought as he watched her change back into the petite woman he had seen earlier that morning. Her clothes were more or less useless he figured as he looked down at her when her detransformation was complete.
Kaori stepped up next to him. Her hands shook as she gripped his arm. "What is she?" Her eyes were wide in her face as she looked down at the strange woman before her.
"Whatever you do Kaori.. you will not speak of this at the village.. and you will not be afraid of her do you hear me?" Akiko said as he glanced down at her. His blonde hair blew in his face as he surveyed the surroundings. "She just killed what was eating the neighboring villages if I am correct.. she should be a hero.. and she seems to have been protecting this child demon." He said as he moved closer to InuYasha. The little boy's hands were clasped in the ground showing the pain and agony his mind hadnt let his body register. "We need to get him to the village doctor-"
"Akiko.. you know as well as I do.. that Kangrenich would not touch them.. they are part demon and he would sense it beyond a doubt.." Kaori said quietly.
He let his ice-blue gaze rest on her. "If you seriously want anything to progress between us you will help me help them." He said curtly.
"That is not-" Kaori started before she saw him give her a calculating glance then turn away. He got down to his knees and picked up the child demon. Opening the kid's mouth he cut his wrist on one of the fangs that resided there. His blood pooled in InuYasha's throat before he coughed and sputtered coming to slight consciousness. The blood went down his throat as Kaori looked horrified at what she was witnessing. "What are you doing?!"
"Im only doing what I should be.. some demons heal by taking in blood and I know that if Im not ill and he is.. and he is obviously lacking in blood... he can use at least a quarter of mine before I would be unfit to carry him.. which is where you come in because he isnt that heavy at all and he should be able to handle you jostling him about slightly while he heals." Akiko said calmly as he shifted the tiny boy in his lap.
"Or you could make matters better by taking that girl there and doing the same thing.. she by no means needs as much blood as he does-" he cut himself off when he heard the horrified squeal that meant a certain 'no' from her end. "Fine.. Ill do it myself." He glared at her over his shoulder. "Get your useless ass back to the village."
Kaori let her breath hiss out from her mouth as she swallowed her pride and moved slowly and cautiously toward the girl from just that morning. Opening her mouth she couldnt find any fangs like what the boy had, only regular human teeth. For some reason this frightened her more so than if she would have found more dangerous looking teeth. Taking her boot- knife out Kaori cut her hand across the palm and heard a snickering "baka" from behind her. Grimacing she parted the girls lips and fisted her wounded hand digging her nails into the freshly made wound.
The salt from her fingertips burned all though her arm as she squeezed out her blood into the opened mouth below. She hissed some more as she felt her hand shake from the pain of her self inflicted wound.
Kagome's eyes parted open as she tasted something coppery in her mouth. She swallowed the warm liquid heedless to recognize what it was. When some more spattered on her face after she closed her mouth, she jolted upright only to have her world tilt and spin on its axis in the most jarring way. "Damnit.." Her voice sounded strangely to her ears as if it were readjusting itself to her body.
Her eyes opened only to see brown curls and dark eyes set in the most lovely face.. "Kaori.." She sighed. Trying to sit up she felt her blood pound in her head. "Where's-Inu!" she called as she saw him laying in Akiko's lap blood spattered across his small features. Moving over to him as fast as her recovering body would allow, she collapsed beside him and stroked his hand.
When she saw Akiko recut his wrist when the blood stopped flowing she growled at him. "Dont be an idiot.. human blood isnt good for that.." Her eyes widened when she didnt recognize the voice that had issued from her lips.
"And what are you going to do Miss? Cut your own wrist and give it to him?" Akiko said sarcastically but groaned when he saw her scratch her arm with her nails and blood gushed forth. InuYasha's small mouth worked as he took in the new flow. "How much will he need?"
"From me? Only a little bit more before he can walk a few meters.. from you.. you wouldve bled yourself to death before you gave him enough to be able to move his eyelids." She blew out a breath when he opened his eyes and sat up.
"Kagome!" He called as he saw her laying beside him. "You're alright? I saved you?"
Kagome grinned. "Yes Im alright and you did a very fine job of saving me." She tweaked his nose as she closed her eyes. When her eyes opened next she was in a strange hut and the day had passed by again showing the stars in the hole in the roof of the hut. "How vintage." She remarked as she looked around her in the smoke hazed room.
"Ahh.. so youre awake are you?" A stranger's voice came from the another room.
"Well Im answering you arent I?" Kagome said not ready to be happy so soon from waking up. "I need to speak with Kaori and Akiko.."
A short rotund man stepped from behind one of the many curtains leading from the room. Her ears twitched as she regaurded him. "And what might you be wanting with the lord's son and the rich man's daughter?" His hands were meaty and looked greasy with whatever concoction he had been messing with in the back room. His brown apron was covered in splotches of multi-colored substances and Kagome didnt even want to know what half of them were for if the looks of his home were any indication to what he did.
On the wooden walls she saw plenty of heads and paraphenillia of demons.. along with a few human attributes that she would never have liked to see in all her years. Skulls were lining his shelves and she would bet anything that they were real and not like the fake ones she could pick up at home in the stores for halloween. Various weapons were positioned below the skulls which had attracted her attention so raptly. She took note of the different spears and bows. There were also needle-like looking things with red strings trailing from their ends.
"Like my decorating style do you?" His gravelly voice brought her back to the man standing a few feet from her.
"Sir to be perfectly straight I am more than disgusted and thoroughly dissatisfied with your decorating tastes. And if I never enter this shack again in all of my natural human born life it would be too soon." She said as she gave the walls one last glance before looking back at the greasy man before her. Kagome looked at his hair or lack-there-of and figured that if it werent for the messy gunk that seemed to be scattered through it he might actually be a light brown color more than the ink black that it appeared to be. "You need a bath." She said before she thought.
She was startled when he burst out into laughter. "So thats what you were studying me for." He let loose another chuckle. Then he sobered and walked up to her. His hands reached down to touch her forehead but she shyed away from his touch. "You wash your hands.. then we'll talk about you taking my temperature.. besides I know Im just fine thank you." Kagome said tersely. "Where is my-"
"Your little hanyou boy is in the other room dont worry.. Just through that right there." He pointed to a little screen and was surprised to see the bed empty before he could finish his sentance. Shaking his head he bustled back to his apothecary room.
"InuYasha.." Kagome whispered as she saw the sleeping boy. "A-are you okay?" She asked quietly as she stroked his forehead. The beads rattled as someone passed through the doorway. "Who are you and what do you want?" She said without sparing a backwards glance.
"Already running the place like you own it?" She heard laughter in his voice. Turning she spotted the blonde Adonis sitting in a chair behind her. "In any case shouldnt I be the one asking you those exact same questions?"
Kagome sighed and sat with her back resting against InuYasha's small cot. "I am Higurashi.. Kagome Higurashi and I am wanting you to cooperate with me." She said quietly.
"Cooperate with you in what?" Akiko asked as he stretched his legs out before him.
She eyed him with disdain as she stretched herself slightly and poped her neck. "Youre a real playboy jerk at this age arent you?" She shrugged and moved on before he could be offended or amused at what she had said. "I am wanting you to stay away from some certain people.. to prevent future problems..." She scratched her head as she blew out a breath. "I cant really explain it in the best way imaginable.. but I can get as close to as much as I know as long as this doesnt change the course of fate.." She frowned as she scrunched her toes up trying to wiggle around as she thought.
"Course of fate?.." He frowned at her. "What do you mean?.. Are you from the future? or more like a prophetess?"
Shei sighed. "..Well technically either or would pertain to me it doesnt necessarily make a difference to me how you view me just as long as you listen." Her eyes flew up to meet his. The vibrant colors that shone in hers and were lacking in his entranced him without her knowing it as she told him the entire story as she knew it. "So more or less you are looking at your future sister or love depending on how you act on my words.. you may take them or leave them it doesnt make one bit of difference to me and depending on what you decide is what I do."
Akiko sat back in the chair staring at her as if she had sprouted another head. "I.. me?.. her?" He ran his hands through his hair. "You do realize this is something that I will have to take into a more.. serious.. oh how do I put it.. I need some time to think this over.." He glanced at the floor then met her unnerving gaze again. "How long do I have?"
She started to laugh. "I assume you mean before you fall in love with her? No matter youll do it no matter what I tell you or dont tell you. Id say its soon because you only have a few months before your village will be destroyed."
"What?!" Akiko gasped.
"Oh did I leave that detail out?" She closed her eyes fatigue starting to take over her body. She blew out her pent up breath. "Yeah.. more or less one of your trusted villagers is going to ruin your life and exterminate your village permanently wiping out any traces that you ever existed at all." Her body sagged against the bed as darkness edged her vision.
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InuYasha watched as her body stabilized. "So I take it we're not moving on as planned due to this minor set back?" Akiko said sarcastically. InuYasha shot him a glare of hatred over Kagome's head.
"For some reason I cant remember my past as it was.. I think something changed." InuYasha said as he stared at Kagome's serene face. She had stopped the major fading a few hours ago and she was sleeping peacefully in his arms.
Miroku looked around but couldnt see Sango anywhere near the campsite. Looking toward her bag he saw that Kirara was missing as well. He blew out his breath. "I guess everyone will defend themselves in their own way." He whispered to himself as he contemplated the major scare he had gotten during the course of the day. 'Nothing to make you realize how much you love someone until you cant have them anymore, ne Miroku?' Kaori's voice sounded in his head and gave him that unnerved creepy feeling that always came with it.
"Yes Kaori.. that is always the case." He frowned at her as he relaxed his body. "What do you want?" He rubbed his sore back as he stretched his legs out.
"I am your friend Miroku.. please dont talk to me like Im your inferior." Kaori said quietly reminding him that she was capable of using her lips just as well as her mind.
"Kaori.. Im sorry." He sighed. "Im just tired.. so so very tired.. can you leave me be for a bit while I try to sleep or something to assauge this problem?" He felt her hands undo his pony-tail and release his hair letting it brush his shoulders slightly. Her hand opened his and she placed his hair band in it. "Thank you." He murmured before sleep claimed him.
InuYasha watched the exchange between the two. "..Dont you ever feel.. jealous?" He addressed Akiko. Looking at Kagome he thought of all the times Kouga had come to 'claim' her as 'his' when she didnt belong to either of them.. but he felt jealousy stirring in his veins everytime the wolf would get anywhere near her. Sometimes it was so bad he could taste it in his mouth but he had always brushed it off as something minor like wanting to desperately squash the wolf into the ground until he could feel himself coming out the other side.
Akiko glanced at the hanyou out of the corner of his eyes. "Of Kaori flirting with other men? No.. not really.. she just gets horny every once in a while.. and she cant very well scratch that itch with me.. so Im fine with it.." He fell back on his arms to look at the star studded sky. "I love her InuYasha.. I cant bear to see her with them.. so I just dont think about it more or less otherwise you would have at least one dead comrade on your hands.. Kaori appears to be the same way as Im contemplating Sango." Akiko heard Inu's indrawn breath. Turning his head to look at the hanyou he eyed him cooly. "Does that bother you?"
"No.. not at all.. but I just wish.. you know if you do.." InuYasha tried to start up a good reason as to why he shouldnt and not sound like he actually cared. But he found it terribly difficult. When Akiko just stayed staring at him he shrugged. "Well you know you would be killing Miroku's hope that Sango loves him ne? As he does believe that Sango is a virtuous woman and that she would only give herself to those she loves."
Akiko nodded. "But thats the thing.. she loves all of us... Kaori, you, Kagome, Miroku.. myself.. so she really wouldnt be going against what he believes-"
"What about the virtuous part?.. Have you pried into her past that much to see if she had a past lover or something?" InuYasha looked down his nose at Akiko. "I dont think that is the best thing for anyone to do.. besides if you do.. doesnt that mean you have no faith in Kagome being able to suceed for you to be able to.. 'scratch' your itch with.." He nodded his head in Kaori's general direction.
He was startled to hear Akiko burst out laughing. His eyes widened with shock before they narrowed at the blond man. "Who wouldve thought.." He gasped for breath between his words. "That you.. you of all people.. would be able.. to make such sense out of this." He clutched his sides as he rolled to the side.
"Oi! Are you making fun of me?!" InuYasha demanded.
Akiko sobered up just as fastly as he had started laughing. "No I am not.. actually I am quite impressed that you can formulate such a convincing argument and so much quicker than I wouldve ever suspected of you." Akiko nodded to Kagome even though he knew she wasnt awake then trailed off to Kaori.
InuYasha noted that Sango seemed to be missing and Miroku was asleep. Akiko had just taken Kaori and led her into the woods somewhere. "Eh so trusting in Kagome theyre willing to sin morally eh?"
"Thats not how it is.." Her voice was so weak he almost didnt hear it. A pale hand raised up and cupped his cheek. "InuYasha.." His golden gaze honed in on her. Kagome's eyes were wide open and staring up into his trustingly even though he had almost lost her today.
"Kagome." He groaned her name as he hugged her tightly to his chest. "Oh Kagome.." He pressed a chaste kiss to her temple. "What happened that made me almost lose you today?"
Kagome smiled at him. "I almost lost you is the thing..." She glanced at the woods behind him. "I was standing in the grasses waiting on someone to meet me... and I was standing with you.. and then we were attacked by a monster.. and oh InuYasha.. Im sorry that I couldnt help it.. it's force was just so compelling I couldnt do anything but obey.."
"Shhh.. Its okay." He rocked her slightly hoping that no one would come and intrude but hoping that maybe they would so that he wouldnt have to be so uncomfortable trying to comfort her.
"I did something different this time.. When I got mad.. because you were hurt.. trying to protect me.. something went different.." She frowned slightly as she fought to breathe calmly. "I.. you know how Sesshomaru can change into a gigantic dog looking demon?.." At InuYasha's nod she sighed. "I can.. I did that.. it was.. it was so exhilarating.. but.. scary.. Im.. trying to readjust my voice to my body.. as I suppose I said something while I was in that form that kinda threw my body of kilter or something.."
InuYasha looked down at her. Her eyes shown up at him under the stars. "InuYasha.. I think.. I dont know that Ill be able to make it through.. this is so hard.. so very hard.." Her body shuddered with wracking coughs.
"I take it that most of the damage you sustained came onto this side of your consciousness?" He prayed that it was so.. he didnt want to think that she had been terribly beaten and bashed in the past but he couldnt help but think it was so.
Disclaimer: No matter how much I whine.. and beg.. and wimper.. and howl.. no one seems to want to let me own the precious hanyou *sniffles* lol yeah right!
-Inu-Yasha- Hey.. whats that supposed to mean? *Danie pats Inu on head* Oi! get off!
-Danie- Its fine Inu.. no one expects you to get it anyway.. *sighs* on with the fic...
Kagome stood waiting in the glade that she had asked Kaori and Akiko to meet her at. Her now elongated ears twitched slightly from their position on the top of her head. She thought for a moment on how Akiko seemed to take to her... and was grateful he didnt have the eyesight she did just in case he decided to bring a bow and a few arrows to fire into her chest.
Chibi InuYasha lay at her feet watching something wriggle around in the high grasses. "Kagome?" He whispered. She looked down at him waiting for him to continue. "I dont like these people... please.. can we go?"
"InuYasha.. I have to talk to these people.. they need my help.." Kagome said as she hunkered down to his level. "Kind of just like you need my help ne?" She ruffled his hair lightening his darkened mood at having to subject himself to other's presences. Kagome felt something stiffen on the back of her neck. InuYasha sat up. "Kagome?... do you feel something?"
Kagome peered over the tops of the grasses to see something moving through it at an alarming rate and straight for them. Its scales reflected all the wonderful colors of the world and danced before her eyes willing her to stand. "Kagome dont look at it! Please Kagome!" InuYasha tugged at her shirt front hard enough to tear it to shreds but the compulsion was too strong to ignore.
Her legs moved for her. Making her step towards the mosterous beast that rose up to greet her. Ifs face appeared to slither and move in the moonlight til she realized it was completely made up of snakes that hissed and writhed in mass. Kagome felt herself start to slip backwards as the mouth opened and followed her down. 'Kaori.. Akiko... Im sorry that I couldnt help you.. InuYasha..' Her eyes flickered towards the child quivering in fear behind her and her heart shivered in her chest thinking of the man at the other end of time waiting on her to come back to him.
She watched in a haze as the child's mouth formed her name on his lips but everything was strangely silent except for the beating of her heart in her chest.
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InuYasha held Kagome's body close to his. He had awoken to a pain in his heart that something was wrong.. something was out of kilter and he couldnt fix it. He gasped as he watched Kagome's body disappear and reappear.. flickering in his arms. "Oh GOD!!" Kaori and Akiko heard him scream and rushed to see what had happened.
When they reached him Miroku and Sango were already there holding onto her chilled hands. Her face paled to that frightening shade of white that had plagued it on the way to take her to Kaeda-baba's hut. InuYasha clamped down on the panic and fear that was eating away at his stomach. "If this is your fault you will live to regret it.." He promised darkly to Kaori and Akiko as he looked over Kagome's head.
They frowned at eachother. 'I didnt expect this to happen did you?.. Do you suppose Kangrenich already knows that Kagome is there?.. or that he already knows what she is about?' Kaori tried her best to keep from looking panic-stricken at Akiko so as to not give away that she was talking to him through her mind linked to his. Her brown curling hair fell in a mass over her pallid friend's face.
Akiko sat back on his haunches not willing to look at her and think on what he might have caused. A small touch on his hands brought his blue gaze right into an identical one. "Sango.."
"Akiko.. whats going on in the past?.. We have to know.." Her breath caught in her throat as she looked at her friend fade and flicker back.
"I-I dont know.. I just dont know." Akiko said before he felt something warm spill down his cheeks. He heard Kaori choke on her tears while his fell freely down his cheeks.
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Chibi InuYasha watched in mounting horror as his surrogate mother was about to be killed. "Kagome!" His small voice didnt seem to carry over the deafening silence that he felt was bringing her death closer and closer to him. When her eyes rolled up in her head and the monster prepared itself to strike her, he rushed from his spot as if something had just released him to leap and take the painful sting upon himself. He felt his body become heavy and lax as his eyes closed and a heavy smile settled upon his lips.
Kagome awoke from her drug-like daze to see InuYasha sprawled at her feet, his precious blood leaking out of his side from a ghastly wound inflicted by the monstrous beast before her. A rage filled her veins as she watched the monster writhe in the grasses waiting for InuYasha to bleed himself dry. She let loose a cry as she leapt high into the air aiming to slam into the giant monster. In mid-leap she felt an odd euphic feeling wash over her body and realized that she would have to close her eyes to fight.
Growling, she squeezed her eyes shut and forced her body to slam down as hard and fast as she could. As she descended from the heavens, she felt her rage hone into something keener, it burned brightly in her chest until she felt that it would burn her alive.
InuYasha watched even with his vision slightly hazed of blood he could see Kagome glow in the night.. her body shifting from hanyou form to full-fledged demon in less than a minute. "Ka..go..me.." the slight noise leaked from his mouth before he felt unconsciousness reach for him.
Kagome heard him from in the air. It only served to fuel her rage making it ever more easier for her to focus on the heat. When she came down, instead of feeling a scaley hide meet her, she found herself stuck in a gellatinous mixture that held her fast. Her features streatched themselves and changed. Her jaw became elongated and she could feel fangs growing down into her gums. Her tail that had just appeared streached itself out and her body was compelled to all fours as she grew taller and longer. When the transformation was complete she howled as she reared back to attack the monster that had attacked her little ward.
The snake monster hissed as it saw the transformation of the ages. "Hanyousss like yourssself arent ssssuppossed to be able to sshape sssshift like that." Its voice sounded like nails scrapping on a chalkboard.
Kagome couldnt think of anything through the red haze that had taken over her vision; ordering her to kill the danger in her path. Her gigantic paw raised itself and slammed down on the creatures head. Her fangs were revealed as she grinned evilly at her opponent. She tried to say anything.. something to make it feel before she crushed its skull but she could not. Pressing down with her massive paw she heard it crunch like a roach under a shoe. A hiss escaped her jaw as she felt the calm claim her from her kill.
Akiko stood rooted to the spot. He had seen Kagome go through all the phases she possessed. 'If she could do that why didnt she just crush the village and have at it like that?' he thought as he watched her change back into the petite woman he had seen earlier that morning. Her clothes were more or less useless he figured as he looked down at her when her detransformation was complete.
Kaori stepped up next to him. Her hands shook as she gripped his arm. "What is she?" Her eyes were wide in her face as she looked down at the strange woman before her.
"Whatever you do Kaori.. you will not speak of this at the village.. and you will not be afraid of her do you hear me?" Akiko said as he glanced down at her. His blonde hair blew in his face as he surveyed the surroundings. "She just killed what was eating the neighboring villages if I am correct.. she should be a hero.. and she seems to have been protecting this child demon." He said as he moved closer to InuYasha. The little boy's hands were clasped in the ground showing the pain and agony his mind hadnt let his body register. "We need to get him to the village doctor-"
"Akiko.. you know as well as I do.. that Kangrenich would not touch them.. they are part demon and he would sense it beyond a doubt.." Kaori said quietly.
He let his ice-blue gaze rest on her. "If you seriously want anything to progress between us you will help me help them." He said curtly.
"That is not-" Kaori started before she saw him give her a calculating glance then turn away. He got down to his knees and picked up the child demon. Opening the kid's mouth he cut his wrist on one of the fangs that resided there. His blood pooled in InuYasha's throat before he coughed and sputtered coming to slight consciousness. The blood went down his throat as Kaori looked horrified at what she was witnessing. "What are you doing?!"
"Im only doing what I should be.. some demons heal by taking in blood and I know that if Im not ill and he is.. and he is obviously lacking in blood... he can use at least a quarter of mine before I would be unfit to carry him.. which is where you come in because he isnt that heavy at all and he should be able to handle you jostling him about slightly while he heals." Akiko said calmly as he shifted the tiny boy in his lap.
"Or you could make matters better by taking that girl there and doing the same thing.. she by no means needs as much blood as he does-" he cut himself off when he heard the horrified squeal that meant a certain 'no' from her end. "Fine.. Ill do it myself." He glared at her over his shoulder. "Get your useless ass back to the village."
Kaori let her breath hiss out from her mouth as she swallowed her pride and moved slowly and cautiously toward the girl from just that morning. Opening her mouth she couldnt find any fangs like what the boy had, only regular human teeth. For some reason this frightened her more so than if she would have found more dangerous looking teeth. Taking her boot- knife out Kaori cut her hand across the palm and heard a snickering "baka" from behind her. Grimacing she parted the girls lips and fisted her wounded hand digging her nails into the freshly made wound.
The salt from her fingertips burned all though her arm as she squeezed out her blood into the opened mouth below. She hissed some more as she felt her hand shake from the pain of her self inflicted wound.
Kagome's eyes parted open as she tasted something coppery in her mouth. She swallowed the warm liquid heedless to recognize what it was. When some more spattered on her face after she closed her mouth, she jolted upright only to have her world tilt and spin on its axis in the most jarring way. "Damnit.." Her voice sounded strangely to her ears as if it were readjusting itself to her body.
Her eyes opened only to see brown curls and dark eyes set in the most lovely face.. "Kaori.." She sighed. Trying to sit up she felt her blood pound in her head. "Where's-Inu!" she called as she saw him laying in Akiko's lap blood spattered across his small features. Moving over to him as fast as her recovering body would allow, she collapsed beside him and stroked his hand.
When she saw Akiko recut his wrist when the blood stopped flowing she growled at him. "Dont be an idiot.. human blood isnt good for that.." Her eyes widened when she didnt recognize the voice that had issued from her lips.
"And what are you going to do Miss? Cut your own wrist and give it to him?" Akiko said sarcastically but groaned when he saw her scratch her arm with her nails and blood gushed forth. InuYasha's small mouth worked as he took in the new flow. "How much will he need?"
"From me? Only a little bit more before he can walk a few meters.. from you.. you wouldve bled yourself to death before you gave him enough to be able to move his eyelids." She blew out a breath when he opened his eyes and sat up.
"Kagome!" He called as he saw her laying beside him. "You're alright? I saved you?"
Kagome grinned. "Yes Im alright and you did a very fine job of saving me." She tweaked his nose as she closed her eyes. When her eyes opened next she was in a strange hut and the day had passed by again showing the stars in the hole in the roof of the hut. "How vintage." She remarked as she looked around her in the smoke hazed room.
"Ahh.. so youre awake are you?" A stranger's voice came from the another room.
"Well Im answering you arent I?" Kagome said not ready to be happy so soon from waking up. "I need to speak with Kaori and Akiko.."
A short rotund man stepped from behind one of the many curtains leading from the room. Her ears twitched as she regaurded him. "And what might you be wanting with the lord's son and the rich man's daughter?" His hands were meaty and looked greasy with whatever concoction he had been messing with in the back room. His brown apron was covered in splotches of multi-colored substances and Kagome didnt even want to know what half of them were for if the looks of his home were any indication to what he did.
On the wooden walls she saw plenty of heads and paraphenillia of demons.. along with a few human attributes that she would never have liked to see in all her years. Skulls were lining his shelves and she would bet anything that they were real and not like the fake ones she could pick up at home in the stores for halloween. Various weapons were positioned below the skulls which had attracted her attention so raptly. She took note of the different spears and bows. There were also needle-like looking things with red strings trailing from their ends.
"Like my decorating style do you?" His gravelly voice brought her back to the man standing a few feet from her.
"Sir to be perfectly straight I am more than disgusted and thoroughly dissatisfied with your decorating tastes. And if I never enter this shack again in all of my natural human born life it would be too soon." She said as she gave the walls one last glance before looking back at the greasy man before her. Kagome looked at his hair or lack-there-of and figured that if it werent for the messy gunk that seemed to be scattered through it he might actually be a light brown color more than the ink black that it appeared to be. "You need a bath." She said before she thought.
She was startled when he burst out into laughter. "So thats what you were studying me for." He let loose another chuckle. Then he sobered and walked up to her. His hands reached down to touch her forehead but she shyed away from his touch. "You wash your hands.. then we'll talk about you taking my temperature.. besides I know Im just fine thank you." Kagome said tersely. "Where is my-"
"Your little hanyou boy is in the other room dont worry.. Just through that right there." He pointed to a little screen and was surprised to see the bed empty before he could finish his sentance. Shaking his head he bustled back to his apothecary room.
"InuYasha.." Kagome whispered as she saw the sleeping boy. "A-are you okay?" She asked quietly as she stroked his forehead. The beads rattled as someone passed through the doorway. "Who are you and what do you want?" She said without sparing a backwards glance.
"Already running the place like you own it?" She heard laughter in his voice. Turning she spotted the blonde Adonis sitting in a chair behind her. "In any case shouldnt I be the one asking you those exact same questions?"
Kagome sighed and sat with her back resting against InuYasha's small cot. "I am Higurashi.. Kagome Higurashi and I am wanting you to cooperate with me." She said quietly.
"Cooperate with you in what?" Akiko asked as he stretched his legs out before him.
She eyed him with disdain as she stretched herself slightly and poped her neck. "Youre a real playboy jerk at this age arent you?" She shrugged and moved on before he could be offended or amused at what she had said. "I am wanting you to stay away from some certain people.. to prevent future problems..." She scratched her head as she blew out a breath. "I cant really explain it in the best way imaginable.. but I can get as close to as much as I know as long as this doesnt change the course of fate.." She frowned as she scrunched her toes up trying to wiggle around as she thought.
"Course of fate?.." He frowned at her. "What do you mean?.. Are you from the future? or more like a prophetess?"
Shei sighed. "..Well technically either or would pertain to me it doesnt necessarily make a difference to me how you view me just as long as you listen." Her eyes flew up to meet his. The vibrant colors that shone in hers and were lacking in his entranced him without her knowing it as she told him the entire story as she knew it. "So more or less you are looking at your future sister or love depending on how you act on my words.. you may take them or leave them it doesnt make one bit of difference to me and depending on what you decide is what I do."
Akiko sat back in the chair staring at her as if she had sprouted another head. "I.. me?.. her?" He ran his hands through his hair. "You do realize this is something that I will have to take into a more.. serious.. oh how do I put it.. I need some time to think this over.." He glanced at the floor then met her unnerving gaze again. "How long do I have?"
She started to laugh. "I assume you mean before you fall in love with her? No matter youll do it no matter what I tell you or dont tell you. Id say its soon because you only have a few months before your village will be destroyed."
"What?!" Akiko gasped.
"Oh did I leave that detail out?" She closed her eyes fatigue starting to take over her body. She blew out her pent up breath. "Yeah.. more or less one of your trusted villagers is going to ruin your life and exterminate your village permanently wiping out any traces that you ever existed at all." Her body sagged against the bed as darkness edged her vision.
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InuYasha watched as her body stabilized. "So I take it we're not moving on as planned due to this minor set back?" Akiko said sarcastically. InuYasha shot him a glare of hatred over Kagome's head.
"For some reason I cant remember my past as it was.. I think something changed." InuYasha said as he stared at Kagome's serene face. She had stopped the major fading a few hours ago and she was sleeping peacefully in his arms.
Miroku looked around but couldnt see Sango anywhere near the campsite. Looking toward her bag he saw that Kirara was missing as well. He blew out his breath. "I guess everyone will defend themselves in their own way." He whispered to himself as he contemplated the major scare he had gotten during the course of the day. 'Nothing to make you realize how much you love someone until you cant have them anymore, ne Miroku?' Kaori's voice sounded in his head and gave him that unnerved creepy feeling that always came with it.
"Yes Kaori.. that is always the case." He frowned at her as he relaxed his body. "What do you want?" He rubbed his sore back as he stretched his legs out.
"I am your friend Miroku.. please dont talk to me like Im your inferior." Kaori said quietly reminding him that she was capable of using her lips just as well as her mind.
"Kaori.. Im sorry." He sighed. "Im just tired.. so so very tired.. can you leave me be for a bit while I try to sleep or something to assauge this problem?" He felt her hands undo his pony-tail and release his hair letting it brush his shoulders slightly. Her hand opened his and she placed his hair band in it. "Thank you." He murmured before sleep claimed him.
InuYasha watched the exchange between the two. "..Dont you ever feel.. jealous?" He addressed Akiko. Looking at Kagome he thought of all the times Kouga had come to 'claim' her as 'his' when she didnt belong to either of them.. but he felt jealousy stirring in his veins everytime the wolf would get anywhere near her. Sometimes it was so bad he could taste it in his mouth but he had always brushed it off as something minor like wanting to desperately squash the wolf into the ground until he could feel himself coming out the other side.
Akiko glanced at the hanyou out of the corner of his eyes. "Of Kaori flirting with other men? No.. not really.. she just gets horny every once in a while.. and she cant very well scratch that itch with me.. so Im fine with it.." He fell back on his arms to look at the star studded sky. "I love her InuYasha.. I cant bear to see her with them.. so I just dont think about it more or less otherwise you would have at least one dead comrade on your hands.. Kaori appears to be the same way as Im contemplating Sango." Akiko heard Inu's indrawn breath. Turning his head to look at the hanyou he eyed him cooly. "Does that bother you?"
"No.. not at all.. but I just wish.. you know if you do.." InuYasha tried to start up a good reason as to why he shouldnt and not sound like he actually cared. But he found it terribly difficult. When Akiko just stayed staring at him he shrugged. "Well you know you would be killing Miroku's hope that Sango loves him ne? As he does believe that Sango is a virtuous woman and that she would only give herself to those she loves."
Akiko nodded. "But thats the thing.. she loves all of us... Kaori, you, Kagome, Miroku.. myself.. so she really wouldnt be going against what he believes-"
"What about the virtuous part?.. Have you pried into her past that much to see if she had a past lover or something?" InuYasha looked down his nose at Akiko. "I dont think that is the best thing for anyone to do.. besides if you do.. doesnt that mean you have no faith in Kagome being able to suceed for you to be able to.. 'scratch' your itch with.." He nodded his head in Kaori's general direction.
He was startled to hear Akiko burst out laughing. His eyes widened with shock before they narrowed at the blond man. "Who wouldve thought.." He gasped for breath between his words. "That you.. you of all people.. would be able.. to make such sense out of this." He clutched his sides as he rolled to the side.
"Oi! Are you making fun of me?!" InuYasha demanded.
Akiko sobered up just as fastly as he had started laughing. "No I am not.. actually I am quite impressed that you can formulate such a convincing argument and so much quicker than I wouldve ever suspected of you." Akiko nodded to Kagome even though he knew she wasnt awake then trailed off to Kaori.
InuYasha noted that Sango seemed to be missing and Miroku was asleep. Akiko had just taken Kaori and led her into the woods somewhere. "Eh so trusting in Kagome theyre willing to sin morally eh?"
"Thats not how it is.." Her voice was so weak he almost didnt hear it. A pale hand raised up and cupped his cheek. "InuYasha.." His golden gaze honed in on her. Kagome's eyes were wide open and staring up into his trustingly even though he had almost lost her today.
"Kagome." He groaned her name as he hugged her tightly to his chest. "Oh Kagome.." He pressed a chaste kiss to her temple. "What happened that made me almost lose you today?"
Kagome smiled at him. "I almost lost you is the thing..." She glanced at the woods behind him. "I was standing in the grasses waiting on someone to meet me... and I was standing with you.. and then we were attacked by a monster.. and oh InuYasha.. Im sorry that I couldnt help it.. it's force was just so compelling I couldnt do anything but obey.."
"Shhh.. Its okay." He rocked her slightly hoping that no one would come and intrude but hoping that maybe they would so that he wouldnt have to be so uncomfortable trying to comfort her.
"I did something different this time.. When I got mad.. because you were hurt.. trying to protect me.. something went different.." She frowned slightly as she fought to breathe calmly. "I.. you know how Sesshomaru can change into a gigantic dog looking demon?.." At InuYasha's nod she sighed. "I can.. I did that.. it was.. it was so exhilarating.. but.. scary.. Im.. trying to readjust my voice to my body.. as I suppose I said something while I was in that form that kinda threw my body of kilter or something.."
InuYasha looked down at her. Her eyes shown up at him under the stars. "InuYasha.. I think.. I dont know that Ill be able to make it through.. this is so hard.. so very hard.." Her body shuddered with wracking coughs.
"I take it that most of the damage you sustained came onto this side of your consciousness?" He prayed that it was so.. he didnt want to think that she had been terribly beaten and bashed in the past but he couldnt help but think it was so.