Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha
In a World of Demons
Chapter 8: Unknown Powers
The butterflies in her stomach only seemed to intensify as they got closer and closer to their destination. Actually, Kagome was not even sure where they were going, having no idea where they lived, but the longer she stayed in the car, the more nervous and anxious she got.
She was going to finally meet the mysterious "they" that had seen it in their and her best interest to have two people look after her and protect her up to this point, and also the people who almost took her two best friends away from her.
Kagome should have every right to feel scared of them and nervous about meeting them. First they tell her she has all these powers and that demons are after her then they try to take away the two they sent to protect her. They didn't seem to care about her, just her powers.
"Stop fidgeting, Kagome," Sango told her, glancing back at her while Miroku regarded her through the rearview window. "You're the one that wanted to meet them, so I talked to them and made an arrangement. Now you have to relax. Besides, I'm sure they'll like you."
It was just as bad as if someone were meeting their fiancée's parents for the first time. Kagome tugged at the edge of her skirt , while saying, "how do you know?"
"When we first met you… we expected a totally different person," he responded.
"Self-centered, snotty," Sango said, beginning her list, counting off the characteristics on her fingers.
"A slut," Miroku added, though he sounded partially disappointed.
"You wish," Sango told him, rolling her eyes.
This list was supposed to make her feel better?
"Once they meet you…. Believe me, they'll be relieved," Miroku informed her when they were done with their list a few minutes later.
I'll believe it when I see it, she thought as she toyed with the necklace she had on.
It was the necklace her father had given her, past down from generation to generation to the women in his family and also the necklace that Sango had retrieved after the wolves had stolen it from her so many years ago. On the gold chain of the necklace was a golden heart with engraved swirling designs all over it. It was slighter large than a quarter in length, though it was very thick, able to fit a small pebble inside. It had one break in the side of it, indicating that once a long time ago it could be open, but now it was stuck and would not. She had tried many times before to open the heart shaped necklace to see what was inside, to no prevail that only resulted in broken nails. And we all know that's such a tragedy.
"Try to think of something else," Miroku suggested, which had been what she was doing until he spoke.
"Well now I can't once you told me to!" Kagome said stubbornly, slumping down in her seat as much as the seat built allowed, arms crossed, acting very much like a moping five-year-old would. Hey, give her a break. She was scared out of her wits here, she deserved a little moping.
"Why not think of something else like… Inuyasha, for example," Sango teased wickedly.
Kagome scowled at her as a deep blush appeared on her features. Her fingertips brushed against her lips once more, remembering last night clearly, very clearly. She stared outside as the trees passed by, but her eyes did not actually see the scenery as her mind lost itself in thoughts of the previous night.
He had never uttered a word, not a sound, just stared at her with those golden orbs. She had wanted to shutter under the intense look in his eyes, just gazing at her for the longest time. Time had slowed down as he approached her, cradled her face in his hand until he had finally let his lips descend to hers. His warmth enveloped her as his hands played up and down her sides gently, teasing all her senses. Her hands had been tangled in his hair, his silky, long silver hair. All his heat and passion had transferred to her once their lips met and she had wanted nothing more than to melt into his embrace and never let him go. Of course, that was when Miroku and Sango had come back. She would have given anything to have a few more moments with him….
But why had he kissed her? Had it been an instinct, or was that the reason he came? And what did it mean for them? Would things change? Or would he act like nothing happened?
Kagome could not help but wish Inuyasha was there now. If he had been there he would have taken her mind off her problems because when she was with him, everything else melted away. All her problems faded until they disappeared, gone with the fall breeze, and she felt at ease. Usually they teased each other when they together, but when they were in each other's company, nothing else matter. The fact that he was a hanyou and she had hordes of demons after her no longer mattered. He was just a guy and she was just a girl and that was all there was to it. He was the one thing now that could make her stop worrying, even if most of their conversations were arguments or teasing to the point of mild annoyance from the one being teased.
She just needed him to take the nervousness away. He would probably have scowled at her, calling her a baka or some other name and she smiled slightly just at the thought.
"Ah, so do you have a crush on our new hanyou friend?" Miroku asked, lifting an eyebrow.
Yeah, you could say that.
The three climbed out of the car and Kagome glanced at the normal-looking house in front of them. Maybe a little too normal looking, she thought suspiciously. Okay, now she was way too paranoid and even she realized it.
There were no other houses in sight, all that could be seen was the worn road and the grass and trees stretching across the land in every direction. The driveway Miroku had parked the car in was pure grovel leading to a country-type home, complete with a porch with an old, wooden rocking chair. The air was crisp and fresh, having that clean, mountainous scent to it as they walked up the so-called driveway, mainly millions of tiny pebbles.
They walked onto the porch, the boards groaning in protest as they did, while Sango opened the screen door. She knocked on the door twice, then a pause, and then three more knocks.
Okay, this was not what Kagome had been expecting. Big, black gates with those sharp, pointy things on top that opened when you pressed a button, a few guards here and there, and a big, expensive house, that was what she had expected. Not a quiet retreat in the middle of nowhere, far away from the town and city she lived by.
Sango opened the door on her own, not waiting to see if anyone inside would open it for them. The chilliness of the fall air followed them inside and Kagome shivered, wishing she had brought a coat with her. Better yet, she wished she had not come at all. Half of her wanted to jump in the car and demand to be driven home, but the other half, the stubborn half, kept her feet firmly in place.
Sango continued down the hallway, obviously knowing exactly where she was going, while Kagome followed with Miroku behind her. Luckily, Miroku was on his best behavior and knew how nervous she was so did not try any of the things that she was sure were going through his perverted mind.
Sango opened a door on the right and they walked into a room filled with a few cheap, though comfortable couches. In the room there was another door on the opposite wall, but neither Miroku nor Sango made a move toward it. Miroku lounged on one of the couches, completely at ease and she had to admit, she was envious. She wished she could be so carefree at the moment.
Sango turned to Kagome. "You go on from here," she told her, jerking her head toward the door, "right through there."
"Alone?" she squeaked, tugging on her necklace nervously.
Sango put a hand on either one of her shoulders and shook her lightly. "You," she declared, "have to stop worrying so much. You'll be fine. Now go."
Sango gave her a slight push toward the door and with one last glance at Sango and then Miroku, she moved toward the door. She tapped lightly on the door, then frowning at her lack of nerve, rapped on the door more forcefully.
"Come in, child," she heard a woman's voice say through the door.
She slowly turned the knob and pushed the door open in front of her, letting the light from the room she was in pool into the dark room. Slowly, she walked into the room, her eyes adjusting to the dark room in front of her. Miroku had gotten up and closed the door behind her, making her jump when she heard the click.
"Don't be so nervous," the woman told her, "come closer."
Said the spider to the fly, Kagome thought wryly.
Slowly, Kagome took a few cautious steps forward. Dim lights came on to reveal a woman who appeared to be in her late fifties sitting Indian style to the side of the room. She had gray hair tied back with an eye patch over one eye. Her visible eye was closed, but when Kagome came closer, she opened her eye to regard her.
A second woman in her early thirties also sat in the room, leaning against the wall, but was perfectly still. Her hair was long and black, nearly reaching her waist and her body was somewhat muscular from what Kagome could see. She made no move as Kagome walked further into the room, either oblivious to the fact she was there or not caring. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was rhythmic as though she were sleeping, but somehow, Kagome knew she was not.
When Miroku and Sango had always talked about "them" she had always pictured big, muscular men in sunglasses and black suits with stern looks on their faces, looking down at her with disapproving gazes, maybe even one of them cracking their knuckles in a threatening way. Never in a million years had she thought she'd be gazing at the two serene women she was looking at now.
Wow, had she gotten the wrong image.
"So you are Kagome," the older one said, "we finally get to meet."
Kagome nodded dumbly and said, "uh-huh."
Her brain was not yet fully processing the thought that the two women were the mysterious and tough seeming "they" Miroku and Sango always mentioned, mostly by accident since they were really bad secret keepers.
Kaede gestured for Kagome to sit down in front of her, so Kagome knelt down in front of the older woman, her hands clasped in her lap. Her eyes were focused intently on her lap, but realizing this was cowardly, she raised her eyes to look at the woman in front of her.
"I am Kaede," she told her, then nodded her head toward the other woman. "And that is Midoriko. We've heard a lot about you from the two out there," she said, meaning Miroku and Sango.
"Oh?" was Kagome's only response. She really was at a loss for words. What was she supposed to say to them? She had wanted to meet them out of curiosity's sake in the first place, but now she had some things she wanted to ask them, but how could she bring it up? She found it better if she just stayed quiet and let them speak instead.
"Yes. The two are very fond of you. Now, what brings you to us?" Kaede asked her.
"Well, I was curious about you and you seem to know so much about me, so…" Kagome began. Okay, so the quiet plan had not worked for too long.
"So you figured we could tell you what you wanted to know about yourself?" the other woman, Midoriko, said, speaking for the first time since Kagome arrived.
She opened her eyes, regarding Kagome intently, then got up from her sitting position. She had been sitting in the same position for a long time, but if she was at all stiff, she didn't show it. Midoriko sat next to Kaede in front of Kagome, sitting in an Indian style pose, just like Kaede.
Kagome tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear out of force of habit and said, "well, yeah. What am I exactly? Why are all these demons after me? What powers do I have? Why—"
Kaede cut her off as she laughed slightly. "One question at a time, child. We know you have strong powers, no doubt about that, since your aura gives of energy constantly. What they are, you'll have to find out later on as you learn how to use them. The demons, one in particular—Naraku, I believe Sango informed us—is after you, well, because…."
"There was a prophecy," Midoriko stated, taking over the conversation, "some centuries ago. It spoke of a human that had strange powers and had the ability to change the world, bring it back to what it was like a long, long time ago. Of course, these are not the actually words, but it's the gist of it. The prophecy is very hard to decipher." She paused in thought, then continued, "only the demons actually remember what it use to be like, and merely a few humans have heard the stories. Mainly, those humans are like us, fighting the demons that get too… rambunctious and letting the peaceful demons be."
"But if you fight demons, why do you live in the middle of nowhere?"
"We usually let the demons find us, most of the time," Midoriko said with a shrug. "Were not as young as we use to be, well at least Kaede isn't…" she smiled crookedly at the older woman, "…and we have to worry about the other demon slayers out there. We run the program, only fighting when necessary."
"So… you're like the leaders of this organization that kills demons and handles all the supernatural things?" Kagome inquired anxiously, thirsty for answers, as she shifted her position on the floor.
"Around this area we are, but there are more people in different countries that are leaders of this organization that goes against demons, just the same as the three of us," Midoriko answered.
"Wait, the three of you?" Kagome asked, bemused.
"My younger sister is usually here too—actually she looks a bit like you—but lately, since a few years past, she's been traveling around the world, using her powers to help the people who are plagued with demons that are wherever she happens to be at the moment," Kaede told her.
"So you have powers too?"
"We each have our own unique powers, some stronger than others. My sister is the strongest of us three, but she has different powers than we do. Midoriko can purify demons from the inside out, but her arrows don't have the same purifying light my sister's do. In the olden days, we would have been called priestess, but now we're just fighters, fighting for a cause."
Kagome nodded her head, showing her comprehension, then, as she twiddled with her heart-shaped necklace, asked, "can… can you teach me how to use my powers?"
The two woman exchanged a knowing glance.
"It'll be a long and difficult process," Midoriko warned.
"But you will be able to hide your aura and powers from the demons and could use it against them," Kaede commented.
"At the same time, they might be more anxious to get you once they know you're training your powers. If you can use your powers, they'll probably think they have a better chance of you changing the world back to the way it was using those newly learned about powers," the younger priestess informed her.
"Then again, you can use those powers to hold them off and keep them away from you and your friends, until you know enough about your powers to defeat your biggest threat, Naraku," the older woman told her.
They were talking back and forth about both sides of her predicament, making it so she could just listen to them instead of weighting the ups and downs of her problem on her own in her mind. They provided all the information, now it was up to her to make the choice. Did she want to learn about her powers and be able to defend herself, or not?
"I want to learn," she said firmly, interrupting the two as they weighed the advantages and disadvantages of the situation.
"Alright," Kaede said.
"When can we start?"
"Now, of course," Midoriko said as she got to her feet, taking Kagome's hands in hers, making Kagome stand up also.
Midoriko led her by the hand until she was positioned in the center of the room. She pushed on Kagome's shoulders until she fell to the ground with a squeak and the priestess told her to sit in an Indian style position or in any other position she would be comfortable sitting in for awhile. Kagome chose to sit as told and waited for them to tell her what the hell she was doing sitting on the floor.
"The first step is learning to control and conceal your powers. Have you ever meditated before?" Kaede questioned.
"Er… I've heard of it before, but I've never tried. Isn't that where you sit and say, 'Hum'?" Kagome inquired innocently.
Kaede smiled while Midoriko laughed and answered, "no, well, sort of. You don't actually have to say 'hum'. It's what we were doing before you got here. It's a way to be completely at peace, void of all thoughts, but in our cases, it's also a way to keep your powers in check."
"Now close your eyes, Kagome, and try to rid your mind of all thoughts," Kaede told her.
Yeah, like that's going to happen, Kagome thought as her mind became flooded with bits and pieces of thoughts about demons.
She'd see Inuyasha tomorrow in school. Would things be weird between them?… Kouga would be there also… Kagome was surprised they had not broken out fighting in school already… Kouga's two lackeys, Ginta and Hakkaku, were sweet though… she supposed she should learn more about this "Naraku" demon… but how? …She had no idea who he was… or what he looked like or if she'd be able to get him to stop stalking her with his demons… she supposed he was too cowardly to retrieve her on his own….
Someone was tapping on her head, interrupting her thoughts.
"She said clear your mind, not get lost in it," Midoriko stated as she stopped her insistent tapping.
Kagome frowned and grumbled some, trying to clear her mind, pushing back random thoughts that came to her.
"Now, breath in… breath out…" Kaede instructed and continued to tell her what to do as Kagome relaxed and her mind cleared.
It was two days later, and she had gone back to train with the two priestess each day after school, Miroku and Sango in tow, since
A.she couldn't drive.
B.she didn't have a car even if she did, and
C.she wasn't about to tell her mom where she was going so she needed Miroku to drive her. She spent most of the day sitting on the cold floor, still learning how to meditate. Apparently, she wasn't that good at it.
Many exercises and several hours later, Kagome stumbled outside, exhausted, hoping she did not trip and fall as she walked in the dark toward Miroku's car. She had spent hours training her powers, testing them to little prevail and now she was thoroughly drained of energy. Midoriko had told her it would be a while before she could use her powers, since first she had to get a hold on them. Let's just say, at the moment they were like tiny grains of sand slipping through her fingers. Which meant they were still making her come back everyday after school to train her.
Well, she had asked them to help her, hadn't she?
Now she had to give up some things so that she could become accustom to her new busy schedule. Things like sleep unfortunately, although she could always make up for that during math class and she supposed she could do some homework on the rides there and back instead of at home, since it was almost an hour ride each way….
Thinking proved to be too much for her exhausted mind, so as she slipped into the backseat of the car, she almost immediately fell asleep.
Kagome was jolted awake when Miroku slammed on the brakes, throwing her forward, making her bang into seat in front of her and then throwing her backward so that she was sprawling on the floor of the car between the backseat and the front ones. Stupid, stupid. Why hadn't she remembered to wear a seat belt? Oh, yeah, maybe because she was half-dead when she crawled into the car.
Kagome groaned, trying to form words, but she was not aware enough yet, sleep still weighing her down and the pain at being tossed around in the car making her unfocused. Why had Miroku stopped so suddenly? She could only think of two reasons. There was trouble or a particularly hot, young woman had gone by. Somehow Kagome did not think it was the second choice.
Her voice coming back to her, she was only able to say, "W—w-wh-at…?"
"Stay low, Kagome," Miroku told her sternly, his voice full of… something, but Kagome could not tell what.
And, of course, since he told her to stay low, she sat up slowly, bringing her head up just enough so that she could see over the dashboard and through the windshield as a feeling of pure dread ran through.
They were on a small road in the middle of nowhere, meaning she had not been asleep long since they were still in the country area. The only light anywhere around was from the headlights that shone brightly in the dark of the night. There was little moonlight that night and a fog had rolled in, shrouding the area.
In front of the car, maybe thirty feet away, there was a figure in the night. The figure was standing in the light, but the fog veiled them, putting whoever it was in darkness, only its outline shining through. By its outline, Kagome was fairly sure they were male and muscular at that.
A menacing, inhuman growl came from him, just loud enough so that the sound drifted into the car, surrounding the three and Kagome shivered as a chill crept slowly up her spine.
Miroku had stopped the car because he had seen someone in the middle of the road and did not want to hit him, though now, seeing that whoever it was, was not human, and more than that, hostile, Miroku floored the engine, his grip on the steering wheel tightening.
The car screeched forward as it picked up speed fast and Sango pushed Kagome down, seeing she was trying to watched what was going on, but only seconds later, Kagome lifted herself up again, peaking through the window.
The figure—which Kagome assumed was another demon after her—did not even make the slightest movement as the car came at it at incredible speed. The front of the car banged right into the demon, sending him flying backward a few feet, falling onto his back as his legs flew over his head and he did a backward somersault.
They were all jolted forward once again when they hit the demon and Kagome let out a muffled squeak as she was jerked around. Quickly, she got into a sitting position again so that she had a view of what was going on.
The front of the car was steaming, a large indent in the front and to her horror, the lump on the road began moving once again, getting swiftly to his feet, staggering only slightly. Miroku muttered and cursed quite colorfully under his breath, as he pressed the gas petal, but the car refused to start now. Guess the car did not like having a huge indent in the front of it, squishing the engine.
Miroku and Sango exchanged a look and each went for a weapon concealed in the car. Sango opened the glove compartment and took out bottom part of it to reveal a secret compartment that she promptly removed weapons and other objects from that Kagome could not identify.
Sango handed a few things to Miroku, one object that looked suspiciously like a dagger among other dangerous looking objects, while Miroku himself had reached under his seat to produce… a sword? …that he handed to Sango.
Both Miroku and Sango reached for the handle and opened the door into the darkness. Since Miroku had turned off the car, the headlights were no longer on and only the moonlight gave the fog-covered ground an eerie glow, but not enough for Kagome to see outside.
Sango closed the car door behind her, while Miroku stuck his head into the car and gave her a meaningful glare.
"Whatever you do, stay in the car," Miroku said firmly, then added, "unless it's absolutely necessary to leave it."
She nodded her agreement dully, her eyes widening slightly. With that, he practically slammed the door behind him, but not before he locked all the doors.
Kagome tried to watch what was going on outside, but only occasionally could she see a couple of shadowed figures, nothing more. She heard the exclamations of her two friends now and then, as well as the occasional growls from the demon.
She squinted her eyes, as though it would help her see better, even if she was only deluding herself, until suddenly something hit the windshield forcefully, making Kagome yell in alarming and jump backward, hitting her head on the top of the car in the process. She ducked as shattered glass was thrown all over the car.
Faintly, she heard the cry of Sango's name from Miroku, but she was not paying much attention, since she could only watch what was in front of her with wide, frightful eyes.
Sango's body was half inside the car, half outside, parts of her going through the broken glass. A spider web of cracks went through the windshield, starting from wherever Sango's body had connected with it with much force. Her eyes were closed, obviously unconscious… or worse. A deep red liquid, blood, ran through the cracks, making its way slowly down, most of it starting from a large gash on Sango's forehead, covering the once clear windshield in a thin layer of red.
Kagome let out a long, fearful scream.
Kagome began to crawl to the front of the car, going closer to Sango, when she heard Miroku's scream of pain. She wanted to run outside and help Miroku but at the same time wanted to stay and help Sango, plus she had said she wouldn't leave the car. Determined to do something, she tried to make her way over to Sango when suddenly the demon was there, grabbing Sango by the arm and rolling her off the top of the car as though she were a rag doll, until her limp body fell onto the road with a large thud and out of Kagome's sight.
Kagome tried to muffle her shriek, to no success, and threw herself into the back seat huddling in the corner, as though that would save her. Maybe if he didn't know Kagome was there she could go unnoticed… and then later get to a phone… or make a run for it to a nearby house to call the police and an ambulance….
She stayed absolutely still, trying to stifle the sobs that tried to come when she thought of Miroku and Sango. They weren't…. Were they?
It was quiet for a few moments that seemed like an eternity, only making the feeling of pure dread intensify within her. Her heart had leap into her throat, the car feeling hot and stuffy, even if there was the occasional cool breeze coming in through the gaps in the windshield where… she had hit. Everything was dark and still for those few moments…
…until all hell broke loose.
The back door across from her was thrown open, literally, the demon actually taking the metal door of the hinges and throwing it to the side on the road as easy as though it were nothing more than a feather. The car light turned on and he reached inside for her with a clawed hand. Quickly, she fumbled with the lock on the door she was pressed against, opening it and falling outside, rolling out onto the pavement, the hand grasping at the air where she had been moments before.
The demon growled and leaped for Kagome, but she scrambled backward and got to her feet, running into the woods by the road. Again, he grabbed for her, catching her ankle so that she fell forcefully to the ground, the pebbles and glass of the road biting into her skin, drawing blood. Kagome kicked blindly until she felt her foot connected with something—his face—making him let go.
She ran for the woods, making it into the shelter of the trees, though she had doubts for how long they would be shelter, if they were any at all to begin with. If she had any luck, she'd be able to reach someone with a phone… but then again, she wouldn't want to led a demon to someone's house….
She needed to get back to Kaede and Midoriko. The only problem is, she didn't know which way to go, or how close it was. Why, oh, why hadn't she ever paid attention when they were going to the priestess' home?
Kagome did not get far in the forest before she heard the demon advancing on her. She sped up and the demon gave hot pursuit, letting out a defiant and deadly howl as he also sped up at a pace that would make it easy for him to catch up with her. She was sure he could have easily caught her by now but he was drawing the hunt out. He was… enjoying this… this chase. He thought it a game. Her friends were lying in the middle of the road with deadly wounds. A game?
Wait a second…
Howl?
Before she could even thinking about that troubling fact, strong arms wrapped around her waist roughly, lifting her feet off the ground and began hauling her backward. She struggled in his arms, but the more she struggled the deeper he dug his demonic nails into the flesh of her sides making her squeal.
She kicked her feet and flailed her trapped arms around wildly, struggling to get free. The back of her foot connected with his shin and he threw her away from him with a infuriated growl. She stumbled away trying desperately to keep her balance as she tried to run but she fell to the grass in a matter of seconds. She tried to crawl away as she attempted to scramble to her feet, but it did not do much.
Her attacker rolled her onto her back and climbed on top of her so that his body pinned her to the ground, also pinning her arms to her sides at the same time. With him pressed up against her, Kagome could feel his arousal at their current situation that thoroughly disgusted her. This demon liked the fact that she was afraid and that he had all the power, him and her both knowing that he could kill her in an instant if he wanted to. He enjoyed hunting her friends, hunting her, smelling the fear that cloaked her.
That was when she finally caught sight of his face.
His normal cold blue eyes were now just puddles of deep blue, the white in his eyes completely gone since he was in his demonic form at the moment. She was not sure if it was the excitement that changed him, or if it was because he had always looked human to blend in with others, or maybe he when he got into full power he changed. Kagome was betting on the latter.
His jet black hair blended with the night, though if there were light she knew she would have seen what looked like dark blue streaks in his hair. He had always been handsome, but in a deadly, cold way. He gave her a wolfish grin—which made sense since he was a wolf—though it was none too friendly. His eyes held a murderous glint, his nature now more animal than human… or would it be better put to say his demon nature? Demon, wolf, whatever he was at the moment, was nothing near human—not that he ever was human—and more predatorily with a one track mind that said, "kill" instead of the complex thinking of a human.
His pools of blue were glaring into her dark brown eyes as she whispered his name in an annoyed and slightly frightful voice.
"Yukio."
At his name, his grip tightened on her, but some of his wits came back to him. Yukio got up abruptly, dragging Kagome up with him. The moment her feet touched the ground he picked her up and swung her roughly over one shoulder, running with inhuman speed through the forest.
Now, being hung halfway upside down as someone—more accurate something—ran with unnatural speed was not exactly very settling for her stomach. She had a very good urge to throw up and if she did, it would be all over Yukio's back. In her mind, he deserved it, but she doubted he, the demon hauling her to only god knows where, would enjoy such a thing.
She closed her eyes, trying to keep the urge to hurl down, and so that she would not have to see the trees speeding by them. Where being carried by demons was concerned, she liked being cared by Inuyasha much better.
Inuyasha…
She had not seen him since he had kissed… since he had come to her room that night, having not showed up at school since that night. Where was he now?
Finally, she felt them stop and he dropped her onto the ground, which thankfully was grass instead of cement pavement. She took a moment to get over her nausea and waited for the world to stop spinning.
Shakily, she got up to her feet, finally noticing where he had brought her. He had brought her to… her school?
They stood in the field behind her school with few trees around them, except the large one her and Inuyasha often sat together under. Yukio leaned his forehead against the tree as his breathing came out raggedly and, although his eyes were closed, she was almost sure his eyes were changing back to their normal blue. His claws retracted, becoming stubby human nails as the predator inside him receded and he tried to regain control of himself again and resisted the urge to kill, trying to take on his human disguise once more. Kagome took a step backward, preparing to run, figuring since he had not killed her yet, he might not want to, but she was worried about what else he was thinking about doing to her, or if he would kill her if that other, more wolfish side of him came out once again.
"Don't even think about leaving," he growled in a low voice to her, without even glancing at her, "I could hunt you down in a second, girl."
She froze, no longer trying to escape, but glared defiantly at him. Slowly, Yukio turned around, as though he could feel her gaze boring into him, and glared back, which was when Kagome noticed his eyes were back to their normal cold blue.
"What do you want from me then?" she asked.
"Everything has to be about you, doesn't it?" His words were meant to confuse her, since he was really here to just take her, but she did not have to know that.
She gave him an annoyed, yet bemused look. "Why else would you capture me? There's no point in kidnapping me if it's not about me…." The words died on her lips as she realized how foolish and selfish that sounded. Could it have been about Miroku and Sango? …or maybe Inuyasha…?
"So your queen of the fucking world now, is that it, love? Not everything is centered around you." He moved closer. "You should remember your place."
"And where is that?" she asked boldly, though she took a step back, ruining the effect.
"In the gutters with the rest of the humans, but just because you're this… this special girl of prophecy, you matter now, sweet," he told her, using one of his pet name for her, even if it was said resentfully. You'd think it'd be easy to capture one little girl, but this girl always seems to avoid the demons, but how? Yukio wondered. Out loud, he continued to torment her. "But if it wasn't for your fucking powers…"
"What?"
"You'd be dead now," Yukio told her, advancing on her, "you'd be dead now, if it weren't for them."
"Is that a threat?" she inquired, keeping her distance.
"No, reality. I'd have either killed you back then when we were kids, or Kouga wouldn't have stopped me from killing you after I knocked you out. The only reason you're so 'safe' is because of your stupid powers."
She knew it was true, but it did not stop her from being angry with him, but as he moved closer her anger was replaced quickly with panic. Kagome kept taking steps back, but he continued to stalk toward her. She moved until she was backed up into the tree, with him too close for her to move around the large oak and scramble away.
He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. "Ah, I love the smell of fear, Sweetie," he said as he opened his eyes.
Yukio reached out, taking a tendril of her hair in his hand gently, playing with the lock. His touch was gentle, but the motion was threatening nonetheless.
Remembering some of the few things the two woman had taught her in their three sessions, Kagome closed her eyes, focusing on bringing her power out and around her. She did not have a good control of her powers yet, so finding her power and controlling them as they tried to escape and leak out of her proved to be difficult. She bit her lip as pain seared through her, through every fiber of her being. Her nails dug into her palms, drawing blood and her lip split, bringing the metallic taste into her mouth as her eyes shot open and she screamed in agony. The few cuts and bruises she had gotten when he had chased her bled quicker while the gashes became larger and reopened. Cuts that had not been there before began formed all over Kagome's body, appearing from no where.
A pink light, her power, swirled violently around her and Yukio dropped the lock of hair as though it had burned him and moved away. Specks of pink appeared in her eyes and therefore in her line of view.
"Stop that!" he yelled angrily at her.
Her mind was screaming, telling her to stop, but she forced what little control she had left on throwing her power at Yukio in a forcefully attempt. A small spark jumped from her to him in the form of a small lightning bolt and just as fast. Yukio did not realize what happened until after it hit him.
His flesh was burnt, sizzling, but it was only a small portion of his upper arm where her power had struck out and seared. She could not do it. It was too much power, too little control and he was too strong, since he was a demon and she was untrained.
"That actually hurt, Sweetie. Stung a bit too." He brought his other hand to his arm, touching the burnt skin lightly without wincing. "So, your getting some training, are you? It's obviously not enough. Maybe one day you'll actually be able to cause me mild pain."
It was actually a lie since his arm hurt like hell, but he was not about to let her see that. He tried to move his burnt arm but immediately had to stop before he cried out. Yukio reached his other arm toward her, but her barrier of pink light stopped it. The moment he touched it, he was thrown back a few feet but Kagome took no notice, too busy with the wounds that appeared and bled all over her body.
Kagome fell to her hands and knees, panting between screams. Yukio growled as he stood back up, irritated that Kagome had banded him from coming close, just like she had when he had sent those wolves after her. After she had fallen unconscious, the pink light had surrounded her, keeping her, and her little demon slayer friend, from getting harmed. Now she called out that power on her own, but she was having more than a little trouble. The wind pick up around her, swirling around her with the light, forming a barrier around her so Yukio could not get in, making the barrier even stronger then it was before. If he tried to touch it now, his hand would be burnt too.
A growl sounded behind Kagome and another demon flew past her and slammed into Yukio. Except, it wasn't another demon… at least not a full-blooded one.
Inuyasha…? Kagome thought wearily between the pain that filled her head and screams that escaped her, leaving not that much time for actual thought.
Fighting ensued between the two males, but Kagome did not see. Her hair had fallen into her eyes and she dared not move an inch, afraid of how much the pain she was feeling would magnify if she moved. Her eyes might not be able to see them, but her ears picked out on the sounds of fighting, including the sound of someone's fist connecting repeatedly to the other's face.
Beginning to get weaker, her arms trembled with the strength it took to keep herself up, and she bit the inside of her cheek to stop from screaming again, though a whimper escaped her.
Yukio fell to the ground with such force that it would have been bone crushing if he had been human. He tried to get up, but Inuyasha planted his foot squarely in the middle of his back, pushing him down once more. Yukio lifted his head up and Kagome and Yukio's eyes met.
"We'll be meeting again when you don't have the hanyou to protect you, sweetie," he hissed at her.
Then he kicked Inuyasha's feet from under him, making him fall to the floor and he took off running.
Inuyasha jumped to his feet, cursing after Yukio and calling him a coward. He was about to go after and hunt him down, when he felt it behind him.
When she saw Yukio leave and move completely out of view, Kagome let go of everything she was trying to hold back, letting go of all control she had been desperate to keep before. The moment she surrendered, Kagome fell to the ground with a thud, the pink light and wind surrounding her quickly vanishing. Gashes stopped forming, but the ones that had appeared when she had called out her powers did not fade, just stopped bleeding as fast.
Her vision was blurry so she closed her eyes, but she could not open them again. Not a muscle in her body would move on command, all her energy drained completely. A voice was calling to her and she tried to swim to the surface of the abyss she was falling into, but failed miserably. Her mind was beginning to be taken into the darkness.
Inuyasha fell at her side, looking at her with worried-filled eyes. He gathered her up in his arms, lying her in his lap gently. There was not an inch of her skin that was not covered in a thin layer of blood, from all the wounds that had appeared, except for her face where only one cut ran across one cheek, blood trailing down the side of her face like tears.
"Kagome…?" he asked softly, then more loudly, "Kagome!"
He could feel it, feel her slipping away. Her body was being drained of all energy but it was more than that.
Kagome, what have you done to yourself? he asked her silently.
She had needed energy to manage her power, more energy then she had in her to give, especially after being so exhausted after training all afternoon. So, without realizing, she had done anything she could to control that power.
Somewhere along the way she had tapped into her life's energy.
And her life was slipping away as he clutched her to his chest, tears forming in his eyes.
She hurt too much to be dead, she knew that much.
Not so much hurt though, as felt exhausted. Totally and utterly, exhausted in body, mind, and soul.
How had she survived?
Kagome opened her eyes slowly, though she was reluctant to. She did not recognize the dim room she was in, or the bed, which frightened her. What had happened after…?
She took a deep breath in, the scent of the room, that fresh, crisp aroma reaching her along with a few other familiar scents. With Kaede and Midoriko, that's where she was. But how?
"So you're finally up," said a female voice that she knew belonged to Kaede.
Kagome tried to sit up, but her arms felt like Jell-O and shook violently when she tired to lift herself up even the slightest bit and she collapsed back on the bed. Kaede walked over, as well as Midoriko and they helped her to sit up, piling the pillows behind her so she could lean on them.
Glancing outside Kagome saw it dark outside. If it was still night so she hadn't been out for that long….
Seeing where her gaze went, Midoriko informed her "you've been out for three days."
"Three days!" she squeaked.
Kaede nodded. "You got here Tuesday night, it's now Friday."
"But how did I get here? What happened?" More events crashed into her mind and she sat up straight in the bed, only to fall back heavily on the pillows, still not strong enough. "Sango and Miroku! Are they okay? And my mom! She must be worried sick…" Kagome babbled on in a panic.
"One question at a time, child," Kaede told her.
"Sango and Miroku are in the hospital, fine for the most part, but the doctors want to do a few more tests before they let them out. We've spoken to your mother, saying you were stranded her after the Miroku's car 'accident' and that you've been under a lot of stress so you're here for the time being. She was very understanding," Midoriko said.
And my mom bought that? Kagome wondered, as she felt guilty for all the lies she'd been having to tell her mom. Her mom had thought she had been doing community service after school, not getting trained because there were demons after her.
Midoriko continued. "Inuyasha brought you here after you nearly killed yourself. You would have too if it had not been for him. You're lucky he showed up." She scrunched her nose in a displeasing way. "Even if he is a hanyou."
"Wh-what?" Kagome asked, perplexed.
Kaede sat down on the edge of the bed, regarding her intently. "You were dying, Kagome. You had drained yourself of all your life's energy. You had been very foolish. Inuyasha had to transfer his energy to you to keep you alive."
A feeling of pure dread took over her and her body felt icy.
Kagome's eyes widened. "He's not…? Is he?" she said in a frightened whisper, as tears welled up in here eyes at the mere thought. No, no, he couldn't be….
Midoriko answered instead of the older woman. "No, he's still very much alive. I can tell from the headache he gave me as he ranted on after he woke up." She rubbed her temples in remembrance of the headache. "He was also unconscious for a day. He gave you too much of his energy."
"He tried to keep you alive with his own life force, but since he's half-demon you rejected his energy after awhile, so he could only sustain you until he brought you to us. We cared for you after," Kaede stated.
Her heart leaped into her throat. Why… why would he do that for her? Almost give his own life so she would still live…. Sure, he had saved her before, but fighting was something he knew how to do and he was always positive he would come out the victor and very much alive. What he did for her… he would not have known if he would come out of that alive or not.
Why? Why had he done it?
"That was reckless, careless thing you did. You could have killed yourself easily. You don't have enough training to attempt something that drastic," the younger woman scolded.
"I didn't have a choice!" Kagome protested, "he was going to kidnap me!"
"No, Inuyasha would have saved you as he did," she responded.
"Except, how was I suppose to know he was coming? All I knew was I was being taken to the enemy, actually your enemy. You'd think you'd at least be concerned about that part of all this. Besides, I would think you'd be happy," she said bitterly, "if I'm dead then the demons can't use me."
And in that same way, you're just as bad as the demons, she thought, your organization is no different from the rest. Everyone wants to use me in some way.
Except… Inuyasha.
"Kagome, you misunderstand," Kaede said, "we don't want you to get hurt. We just worry about you that's all. We should have cautioned you before starting your training that you should not use your powers until you are able to handle them. You have strong powers, so it will take longer, but in the end it will be worth it."
What was missing from the end of that sentence was the "hopefully" because no one really knew what would happen. For all anyone knew, Kagome could blow up herself by the end of the training.
Kaede: I want you to try to bring out your powers now.
Kagome: Wow, this is easy!
Midoriko: Now, focus on striking out and destroying that vase on the table.
Kagome: Er… Alright…
KABOOM!
"Big kaboom," Kagome muttered to herself.
"What was that?" Midoriko asked curiously, hearing her mutter something.
"Nothing," she replied sheepishly. Feeling that they were about to start lecturing her again about the misuse of her powers, she added, "can I just be alone now? I'm kind of wiped."
The two were silent until Kaede nodded and they left the room silently, leaving Kagome alone with her thoughts.
Inuyasha felt when Kagome wake, a small portion of his life force still inside her that she had yet to push away. Although she was not conscious of it, sooner or later her body would reject that small portion too. It was like there was an invisible string that stretched from him and right to where she was. He could fell her in the priestesses' house, he knew exactly where she was. Even if he had not been the one to bring her there, he would have been able to find her easily.
He took off into the night, heading toward Kagome.
He was extremely relieved she had woken up, because when he had first brought her there… let's just say, things were not looking good. He had almost lost her and that scared him to no end. Of course, then he had fallen unconscious, yet still when he woke up… she had not.
Now he remembered why he had not wanted to be so close to her. He had felt her dying while he held her in his arms… her energy slipping away…. It might be selfish, but he did not want to feel that pain if she suddenly died or was taken away… and neither did he want her to feel tormented if he died. Inuyasha did not want to inflict any pain on her… so he had tried to stay away. He had tried but when he was at her house that night…. He should have told her he could not protect her, that he had to leave… but he didn't actually want to. He wanted to stay… to be with her.
He cursed himself for his own contradicting mind. He was going to argue himself into a headache he just knew it.
Reaching the house, he easily slid through the window of the room Kagome was in. She turned his way, startled at first, then she downcast her eyes, watching her hands in her lap instead. He noticed that most of her small wounds were gone, having healed when he, and then the two woman, had given her their strength.
He stalked over to the bed, looking down at her, ready to let her have it.
"Do you know how stupid you were? How stupidly you acted? You nearly killed yourself, Kagome! And all because of that fucking demon, one of the wolves. I told you not to trust them…. You told me you could trust Kouga to keep that wolf away from you and that trust nearly got you killed. Killed as in gone, never coming back! Are you even listening to me! You were dying."
And I was holding you, crying, as you faded… he added silently.
Something was wrong though. Kagome did not argue back like she usually did. She just continued to stare at her hands, not looking at him.
She would not look at him, her gaze firmly in her lap. Kagome moved not a muscle as he talked to her, not even acknowledging his presence at all. The only reason he knew she was aware of him was because she glanced at him as he came in.
Angry at being ignored, he went over to her and grasped her chin, forcefully making her look up at him. Their eyes only met for a fraction of the second before she jerked out of his grasp and stared out the window so she would not be looking at him, but that fraction of a second was enough.
In that brief moment, he had seen so many emotions in her eyes. Regret, guilt, vulnerability, and pain among others.
"If it hadn't been for you I would have died…" were the whispered words that came from her. If he had been human, he would not have heard the soft words.
All his anger with her evaporated after that. His anger had been a cover up for his concern but now he let her see the worry that was in his eyes, although she still wold not look his way. Now he felt guilty for yelling at her like he did. And to think before he came he had wanted to yell more….
"I just got the lecture from Kaede and Midoriko. I don't need one from you too," she said quietly.
Silence followed. The room felt hot and stuffy, she could not stand it. She felt like a prisoner. Kagome turned her head, tearing her gaze from the window, to finally look at him.
With a pleading look in her eyes, she asked in a whisper, "please… just take me away. I don't want to be here any longer."
Whether she went the actually house or if she was tired of all the stress, he did not know, but he complied.
It was obvious she was still weak, so Inuyasha picked her up, one arm under her knees, while the other went around her back so that he held her bridal style. She rested her head against his chest, taking a deep breath inward. She closed her eyes and listened to the relaxing sound of his heartbeat as he took her into the night.
With him… she knew she would be alright. He would protect, he always did.
The cold breeze of the night blew across Kagome's face as she sat, leaning against the ledge of the roof they were on. She looked straight ahead, looking at the city during the night with all the tall building around her. Inuyasha sat next to her, one leg drawn up and his arms draped casually over it with his head tilted downward so his bangs hung over his golden eyes.
They were on the roof that overlooked the department store she use to work at and that same roof Inuyasha had been on when he first saw her getting attacked and had saved her. So long ago it seemed, yet it was only two months previous. The day had signaled the beginning of her new life, aware of new dangers and threats.
She looked over at Inuyasha, breaking the silence as she asked, "how'd you know where to bring me?"
His head snapped upward and he turned to meet her gaze. "What do you mean?"
She was distracted for a moment since when he turned it brought their faces only inches apart. His warm breath caressed her cheek.
Finally getting her wits back, she asked her question. "How did you know about Kaede and Midoriko?"
He blushed slightly and Kagome smiled inwardly. So he had followed her once again.
In a way, I'm flattered that he did, even if it is on the stalker-ish side, she thought, then added wryly,you know something wrong when you're happy someone stalking you.
"I heard of the thr—two before, so I thought that would be a good place to bring you," he said in a partial lie.
It was true that he had followed her one day, curious where the her two friends and protectors were bringing her and just because he had wanted to check up on her, but he had also known the three priestesses from a few years earlier, although he had only spoken with the two older woman a few times, but that was a whole different story.
She opened her mouth to inquire another question, no doubt, so he answered before she could ask the full question. Kagome seemed to like to ask question a lot, he took note of.
"When I was with Yukio—" she began.
"How'd I find you? Three things, I heard your scream, I smelt your blood, and most of all I felt your power."
"Well, you were using three out of the five senses, your mother would be proud," she said dryly.
"I think every demon in a ten mile range felt your power," Inuyasha commented, only half-joking.
"Then how come no others came?"
"Either fear or disinterest, probably," he sneered, "Kagome, that was a hell of a lot power you were letting off. I've never felt anything like it before. Anything."
"Yeah, lucky me," she said sarcastically, "I almost killed myself with that power."
She had looked away off into the night's sky as she said it, but gently, Inuyasha touched her cheek, bringing her to face him again.
"You did what you thought was best. Now next time you'll know not to do that." Seeing the indecisive look on her face he added, more firmly, "right?"
She nodded her head mutely and moved away so his hand fell to his side. She looked off into the distance once more, failing to notice the look of disappointment on Inuyasha's face.
They were silent, stuck in an awkward moment. Kagome, however, was too busy thinking things over in her mind to notice the awkwardness to much.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked softly after a while.
"Yeah?" he said gruffly.
"Do you… do you ever wish it was how it use to be?" From his blank look she continued, still speaking softly, "you know, when demons had power over the humans."
"I don't know," he answered truthfully, "I'm half and half, never really fitting in either world, so why should it be any better if the demons ruled. But what do I know? I was never alive during those times. I am only seventeen. My dad was alive though, he was a couple of thousand years old."
"Was?"
"He died a long time ago," he said shortly.
"Was he powerful?"
"Yeah, had a weak spot for humans though." Or mainly, just my mom, Inuyasha thought.
"Do you miss him?"
"Yeah, I guess." His voice had softened when he talked about his father, then his voice became hard again, "look, I don't want to talk about it."
"I'm sorry," Kagome whispered.
Her eyes started to moisten when she began to think about her own father and how he had died when she was seven. Had it been her fault? Had the demons been searching for her and gotten her dad instead? There were still so many unanswered questions in her life.
Seeing Kagome's eyes well up with tears, Inuyasha panicked. He never did well with crying women.
"Hey, don't cry! I didn't mean to snap at you—" he began, not even sure why he was apologizing.
She shook her head rapidly, trying to tell him it was not because of him, as she wiped the tears away in frustration. Kagome shivered involuntarily, as the night got even colder. She wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to keep warm that did not do much. Seeing her discomfort, Inuyasha move the side of the roof and came back with a blanket in hand.
"Here," he told her, offering the blanket to her.
She took it gratefully, and wrapped around herself. She noticed it was worn and tattered in places, but it was warm nonetheless. But… why did he have a blanket here of all places? A thought struck her.
"Inuyasha, where's your home?" she inquired.
He wanted to lie, and tell her he lived in a grand house with his mother. He might have lied too, if he had not made the mistake at looking into her eyes.
Stupid, alluring eyes, he thought grumpily.
"I—I don't have one, alright? My parents… they died when I was young, so I've been living on my own ever since. It doesn't matter where I live though, I'm part demon, I'm comfortable anywhere I want to be." Seeing the question in her eyes, he continued, "when I'm finished with high school I'll get a job and my own apartment. Right now… it doesn't matter."
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
"For what?" he asked sharply, "you have nothing to be sorry for. It's not like you killed them or anything. I've been on my own for a long time now. There's nothing to be sorry for. I don't care anyway."
"But Inuyasha…" she began.
He silenced her by putting a hand over her mouth. Again, a question formed in her eyes, but he ignored her, his eyes searching the shadows of the roof. Abruptly, he haled her onto her feet, the blanket that had been around her shoulders falling to the ground, and took her swiftly by the door that led down into the building. They stood outside it, Kagome pressed against the door with Inuyasha practically on top of her, both pooled in the light that hung next to the door. Her legs were still weak from exhaustion, but his body and the wall kept her standing in place.
Inuyasha's eyes were still darting back and forth in the shadows, while Kagome was trying to relearn how to breath with him pressed on top of her like he was.
"Wh-what…?" she stammered out.
"Shh," he hissed at her. He brought his lips right down to her ear, which was not really helping her breathing situation and he murmured softly, "there's a demon lurking in the shadows, well more like, is a part of the shadows. I don't think it can see, but it can sense human energy so…."
So he figured by covering her, it would not be able to sense her. The only problem is, Inuyasha was also part human so could not offer that much protection from whatever it was. She stiffened and tried not to focus on the demon, but the harder she tried not the focus on it, the more she did.
Kagome was too tense and giving off a faint scent of fear, Inuyasha noticed. Demons, no matter what kind, were often extremely good at finding anything that feared it. He needed her to relax, then the shadowed demon would not find them. So he let some of his animal instincts take over like they always wanted to when he was around her.
His mouth still right next to her ear, he nipped her ear playfully, letting his teeth graze over her lobe and then his tongue did the same as his arms snaked around her waist, pulling them closer together.
"Inuyasha…" she said in a soft gasp as she melted against him, though there was still some slight tension between her shoulder blades. He could fix that.
He brought his face down to gently nuzzle her neck, then teased the skin with soft kisses. Her arms were trapped at her side, making her unable to run her hands through his hair like she had a strong urge to do. Inuyasha could sense her need and smiled against her neck, while giving the side of her neck a hot lick.
Before she could cry out, he crushed her mouth with his, bringing her into a rough, passionate kiss. She had her eyes closed as she shyly parted her lips and he smiled inwardly while slipping his tongue between her parted lips. Any of the coldness Kagome had felt before was gone when Inuyasha kissed her and she forgot everything else but his touch.
He put everything he was inside that kiss. His life, his hopes, his desire and passion, his ecstasy when with her, his fears when he had felt her life slipping away while she lay limp in her arms. Everything, into that one kiss, trying to explain unsaid words.
Abruptly, he removed his lips from hers and she whimpered, trying to find his unattainable lips. Instead, she felt Inuyasha's lips kiss their way down her jaw and to her neck once more. His eyes, however, were not closed, searching the shadows for the demon instead.
The shadowed demon began to slither into the light, bringing the shadows with him. Inuyasha tensed and brought Kagome into him closer while still running his lips over her neck, covering her with his scent. If Inuyasha could have killed the demon he could, but he could no more kill the demon then he could kill a shadow. They may disappear from time to time, but the shadows was never truly gone.
It paused for a moment, hesitating as it sensed its surrounding, then slid away, moving far from the two.
After a few more seconds, Inuyasha let go of Kagome slowly, taking a few steps from her. She opened her eyes and they remained unfocused while Inuyasha just watched her with golden eyes full of affection. She leaned against the wall for supported, her breath erratic.
"Inuyasha…" she said breathy, though in a sweet way. He moved closer—only to be hit in the arm by her forcefully. It was not too hard, but none too gentle either. "Jerk! You only did that so I'd calm down and so that demon would go away," she yelled at him, looking quite mad.
Inuyasha was bewildered and said angrily, "yeah, so? Did you want the demon to find us?"
Why did things never go right with her? Why was she always so unpredictable? It was intriguing, yet annoying at the same time.
Her face was flushed. "That's not the point! What is this, some game to you?"
She rambled on, stomping her foot and yelling at him while he began to comprehend her anger toward him. Kagome did not understand why he was kissing her, or at least thought he was doing so for the wrong reasons.
Inuyasha opened his mouth to say something, but the words were stuck in his throat, not willing to come out. Instead, he went over to her and cut her off mid-sentence, covering her lips with his.
Kagome protested against his hot, moist lips, but it was not long before she melted back into his arms. His hands slid down her figure and gripped her hips tightly as he deepened the kiss. He took his lips away moments later and leaned his forehead against hers, both of their eyes still closed.
"I should bring you back," Inuyasha whispered into her lips, before taking her lips into another, nearly chaste, kiss.
"Mmm, you should," Kagome agreed, though her words were mumbled. Why could she never hold onto her anger for long near him?
He lifted her up in his arms once again, but before he began jumping for roof to roof she asked him.
"Um… do you think we can go somewhere before we go back?"
He arched an eyebrow. "Where? And if you say Kouga's place, I'm telling you I will drop you right now and leave here."
She giggled, and said, "no, not there." Her face suddenly got more serious. "Could we… go and see Sango and Miroku in the hospital?"
Inuyasha looked at her for only a moment and saw the concern in her eyes. He nodded firmly and took off into the night toward the hospital, with Kagome in his arms.