Chapter 5

Twang! Another arrow sliced through the air piercing the ground several yards from
its intended mark. Kagome let out a desolate sigh as she went to retrieve it. Not
even she was this bad on her worst of days. It seemed no matter what she did, she
couldn't bring herself to focus on anything but the occupants in Kaede's hut.

'I know it's her job…' she thought to herself. 'But what if she doesn't know what's
wrong either…? What if she can't help him…?' She trailed off, tapping herself on the
head. "Iya… don't think like that, Kagome. You have to stay positive." She reached
for the stray arrow, placing it in the quiver on her back. Glancing upwards, she noticed
several other arrows strewn upon the ground. She went along retrieving them, stuffing
them back into her quiver as she passed.

Remembering the look he had given her on the floor of the hut made Kagome pause
in her tracks, bringing a hand up to her heart. It was still thumping wildly in her chest,
as it had been when she was with Inu Yasha.

"I'm gonna have a heart attack if this keeps up…" she muttered to herself. Kagome
forced a laugh. "Inu Yasha'll freak if I end up dying before all the Shikon no kakeru
are collected."

~ Will, he now? ~ a voice in her head taunted.

~ How do you know he won't dance for joy when you're gone? ~ snickered another.
~ In fact, why doesn't he let some youkai gobble you up and get it over with faster?
Finding shards is all you're good for to him anyway. ~

"That's not true!" Kagome exclaimed, though she was well aware she was arguing
with herself. "It's not like that; Inu Yasha wouldn't let something like that happen…
he and I are…"

~ You and him are what, travelling companions? ~ The two voices laughed cruelly.
~ Give me a break… you're certainly not friends, that's for sure! ~

"That's true…" Kagome murmured. "He and I don't exactly have what you would call
a normal relationship."

At this, her mind wandered back to the incident in the tunnel pass.

~~ Flashback ~~

Inu Yasha rose to his feet slowly, after being thrown to the ground by the now-dead
worm-youkai, a scowl etched deeply on his face. "I told you I had it under control,"
he replied, turning to Kagome, who had just saved his life. "You should'a stayed out
of it!"

Kagome blinked in surprise; was this his way of showing gratitude? She frowned up
at him. "Hey, I was just trying to help!"

Inu Yasha turned away, sheathing the Tetsusaiga as he made his way back the way
they came. "Just get the damn shards so we can get out of here."

~~ End Flashback ~~

Kagome shook her head, her mind slowly making its way back to the present. She
just didn't understand him some times. She was well aware that Inu Yasha often
blurted out rude things to cover up what he was really feeling (like the time he told
Miroku she was nothing but a Shikon no Kakeru-detector). Still, there were those
certain occasions - like that of the tunnel pass - that it seemed as though he really
meant the cruel things he said.

'If I hadn't had the ability to see the Shikon no kakeru,' Kagome thought to herself
gloomily. 'He definitely wouldn't have insisted I tag along. I know we've had our ups
and downs, and there are times when it seems like we understand each other better
than anyone else… but what am I to him?' She paused for a moment. 'And for that
matter, what is he to me?'

Plucking the last arrow from the earth, Kagome sat down, tracing the arrowhead
along the ground, scrawling absent little doodles into the dirt. "I guess I see him as
a friend," she mused out loud. "But that doesn't mean he sees me as one…" That
thought brought a sharp ache to her chest. Still, Kagome persisted on. "But if I'm
not his friend," The wild look in his eyes came to mind. "Why did he look at me like
that? Why does he make me feel like this?"

Though she was aware that there was no one around to hear her, she was frustrated
that no answer had revealed itself to her. Didn't she have enough problems to deal
with already? Raking a hand through her hair, Kagome rose to her feet, making her
way back towards the hut.

Unbeknownst to her, Kagome had left an audience hidden in the bushes as she
vented her secret frustrations to the winds. After she vanished from sight, the two
figures emerged from their hiding spot, brushing stray leaves from their clothing.

"Hm, she's got a lot on her mind, hasn't she?" replied one.

"Hai… he may be oblivious to it, but she cares a lot for him, despite how pigheaded
he can be." agreed the other.

Thump! One of the figures was shoved into a tree not far from where they stood.
"He's not the only one." the other muttered.

"Heh… gomen… my hand must have slipped…"

"And I'm supposed to believe that?"

"Erm, the point is that we must all try to be strong for Kagome… she'll be needing
us now more than ever."

"Not just Kagome, houshi-sama, but Inu-Yasha as well."

There was a pause. "You're right, Sango-san. You are indeed quite right."

~~~

Inu Yasha opened his eyes, staring at his surroundings blearily. "Still in this
damned hit, huh?" he groaned. "I'm getting tired of this…"

"I'm sure you are." Kaeruishi's face came into view.

"Definitely not the first face I wanna see when I wake up." Inu Yasha muttered under
his breath.

"You're a nasty one, aren't you," Kaeruishi replied with a raspy chuckle. "Definitely
a dog youkai - always overly aggressive, and especially rude when sick or injured. I
suppose insults are all I should be expecting from you during your treatment."

A short 'keh' was her only response. Inu Yasha sat up slowly, though his side
protested throughout the entire process. The hanyou frowned, was simply sitting up
going to taken an effort now?

"I take it you feel no different than before?" Kaeruishi questioned.

"No, I feel even worse." Inu Yasha gave her a scowl. "Are you sure you did anything,
old hag?"

"If you weren't so busy trying to be short with me, you would have noticed already."

"Keh…" Inu Yasha paused, the smell of herbs and incense was nearly overpowering
his senses. Immediately his hand went to cover his nose. He stopped, staring at it
in wonder. His claws were back; he was a hanyou again!

"I take it you are pleased?"

Inu Yasha turned to the healer. "I thought you said you were going to heal
me?"

"Ay, that I did." Kaeruishi replied. "But remember, I am a youkai healer, and the
patient I treat must therefore be youkai before I can begin any sort of treatment."

"Fair enough, you've done that." Inu Yasha replied. "So, treat away, I've got places
to be and things to do; I don't have a lot of time to waste around here." Kaeruishi
was silent. "Well, whaddya got to say to that?"

The healer gave him a level gaze. "I am sorry," she replied. "It is not that simple,
Inu Yasha, son of the Lord of the Western Lands."

At her words and at being addressed so formally, Inu Yasha felt his heart drop to
the pit of his stomach. Instantly his hand went to his side as to ward off any pain or
fear that would surely come at her next words. "Is it… that bad…?"

"I'm afraid it is," Kaeruishi answered. "I am an old healer, and I have traveled the
lands far and wide, encountering many different illnesses. Though your case is rarer
than most, I have seen it run its course before… it will not be pleasant."

So, that's how it was gonna be, huh? Inu Yasha steeled his resolve, his poker face
sliding into place. "So, how long have I got?"

"One month."

~End of Chapter 5

Authors' Note -

INU YASHAAAAA!!!!! ::both authors start wailing uncontrollably::

Wufei: Psh... emotional onnas... ::sighs heavily when they don't stop:: Read on to
find out what happens. ::pauses:: Why are you still here? Go, NOW!