"The End to the Feudal Fairy Tale"
Chapter 10
Author's Notes: Thanks to all who review! I love you all! Hope you're enjoying the story so far, I'm trying to update as quickly as possible, but my muse (btw his name is Nyuushin, I'll put up a pic eventually) sometimes takes a day off. On with the show!
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. How about Miroku? At least he'd be fun at parties. No? Rats. All characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. This story is mine though, so please respect it.
"Those cuts are still so deep!" she was shocked. The gashes were still nearly to the bone, and the fight had occurred three days ago! Her hand shook a little as she dipped the cloth in the cool water. "I'm so sorry, both of you." No time for tears now, with resolve, Kagome squeezed the excess water out of the cloth and tentatively rubbed it along the gash. It was going to be a long night.
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A sliver of moon hung peacefully in the starry sky. It was a clear night. The wind blew gently over the grassy clearing. Sesshoumaru floated gracefully to the ground of the Western Lands. He let the breeze caress his face for a moment before Aun lighted behind him. It was late, and though he did not require rest, his human companion did. "Jaken." He broke the spell of silence.
"Yes-" the toad tumbled from Aun's back, landing face first in the grass. Jumping to his feet, he dusted his clothes. "Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?"
"We will stop here tonight."
"Sesshoumaru-sama." He bowed.
"I will return shortly," Sesshoumaru said, "see to Aun and Rin."
"Huh?" the toad faltered. "But surely you can't want me to just watch over that-"
"Are you questioning my orders?" his tone remained the same.
"N-n-no! As you command Sesshoumaru-sama!" he groveled.
Sesshoumaru turned to Rin. The little girl was standing next to Aun, patting both heads softly. "Rin." She straightened up and met his eyes. "Stay here."
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" she smiled and bowed a little before taking hold of Aun's reigns.
"Come on, let's go sit over here." Rin bounced merrily. The dragon followed her lead.
Satisfied with the arrangements, Sesshoumaru walked beyond the low brush and into the forest. He knew every inch of these lands, after all, he was their ruler. Crickets silenced themselves as he walked. With the land at ease, Sesshoumaru's thoughts turned to his conversation with the undead priestess. What was she seeking? It didn't particularly matter. It was none of his concern. What mattered was that his father's blade had fallen into the hands of Naraku. Leave it to Inuyasha to allow such events to pass. Sesshoumaru continued walking seamlessly through the thick trees.
The wind shifted, bringing a new scent to Sesshoumaru's nose. Something wasn't right. Something was out of place. He paused, waiting for the presence to show itself or run. A child's shrill cry filled the air. His eyes slightly widened at the audacity of the creature before he drew his sword and turned around.
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Jaken's knees wobbled as he stood, holding his staff, threatening a large snake demon. "A-a-alright y-you! I am in the service of Sesshoumaru-sama! He will not tolerate such-" The yellow eyes of the demon flickered for a moment before it snapped its head forward. The toad fell backwards as his staff was knocked away. Rin huddled closer to Aun, trying not to make noise. The snake reared up again, its hood flared. Long coils of cold, scaly skin slipped around the clearing, enclosing it. "Sesshoumaru-sama." Rin whispered.
The snake's head danced a little, moving left and right as if deciding which morsel to devour first. Certainly, the toad would taste bad and the dragon would be tougher to chew. His gaze settled on the child. Perfect. He wrapped his coils a little tighter, sliding only a foot behind her. Rin stared at her assailant, frozen.
All of a sudden, the snake's head jerked. In a flash of light, its body was split down the middle. Each half peeled away and sizzled as it fell. Sesshoumaru floated between the pieces of snake. Sheathing his sword, he landed near Jaken. "Jaken." he commanded.
"Sesshoumaru-sama! I can explain, you see-" the imp babbled.
"Enough." He looked to Rin and she stood. Seeing that she was unharmed, he continued. "Come Rin."
"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Her fear was displaced by a smile instantly. "Come on Aun!" Rin grasped the reigns and tugged gently. She quickly fell in step behind Sesshoumaru.
"Why does she get all the attention." Jaken pouted.
"Jaken." Sesshoumaru said. Jaken just cringed. "You will be silent and I will forget that you are of little use to me."
"Y-yes." He picked up his staff and gripped it tight.
After another half hour of walking, Rin was in a deep slumber on Aun's back. Sesshoumaru walked ahead, glancing back at the girl to make certain she was asleep. He needed to find a safe place for the girl to stay. Yes, the Tetsusaiga needed to be retrieved. He would have to seek it out, for Inuyasha would not be able to handle it on his own. A pulse at his side prompted investigation. Sesshoumaru placed a hand on Tensaiga's hilt. "So you want me to reclaim the sword as well." He continued walking, changing direction slightly. Naraku had made a grave mistake when he involved Sesshoumaru. "I suppose I should find Inuyasha then."
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Kagome wiped the sweat from her forehead. It had taken quite a while, but she finally finished cleaning and dressing Kouga's wounds. Sitting back, she sighed with relief. He appeared to be healing very quickly. "Well, one down," she eyed Inuyasha's still body, "and one to go." Kagome fell back on her heels, landing with a small thump. "Wonder when these two will wake up?" she mused. "Humph." Standing and stretching, she pushed her questions aside and picked up the bucket. "Okay. I'll be right back. You two stay here." She forced a smile.
Exiting the hut, Kagome breathed deeply. The cool air felt refreshing against her skin. She headed for the spring. Now that she was outside, she could relax a bit. It had been tough enough taking care of Kouga, but at least she knew if he woke up, he'd just talk nicely to her. "Not Inuyasha." She sighed. "He'd probably yell at me, or call me a pervert, or something." Kagome drew a mental picture of Miroku's body with her face. She shivered. "No way!" Shaking her head to clear it, Kagome arrived at the spring. She carefully dumped the remaining water and filled the bucket.
"Well, here goes nothing." She said, approaching the hut.
She decided that it would be best to start with his arms and upper body. At least she'd had experience with wounds on those areas before. With great care, Kagome began working. To fill the silence that put her on edge, she started thinking out loud.
"Well, that's one arm done and he isn't awake yet." She stared, he had a lot of bandages. "I probably don't have to worry about that any time soon." Kagome pulled at the strip on his chest. "This looks bad. Just what happened to you?" Her eyes softened. "Why are you always scaring me like this?" She held back the tears. "No, I won't cry." Wiping her eyes, she cleaned out the cloth and rubbed gently against his skin. Even being half demon, Inuyasha was not incapable of being hurt.
Kagome frowned, remembering words that she was so sure he'd said. "It couldn't have been a dream. I remember that face. He looked so hurt and angry." She trailed the cloth up to touch Inuyasha's face. Drawing away after a moment, she set the cloth down and lifted a hand to her lips. "I know that I felt it. It couldn't have been a dream." Letting her hand fall back to the bucket, Kagome tried to continue. "You idiot." She couldn't hold back her tears any longer and a few dripped onto her skirt.
Kouga twitched. He could swear he was in heaven; Kagome's scent and voice were near. He attempted to open his eyes, but to no avail. Slowly though, muffled sounds became clear.
"When are you going to get it?" Kagome whispered, still dabbing the damp cloth against Inuyasha's bruised chest.
Get what? Kouga was very confused. It sounded like Kagome was crying. Was she crying for him? Was she talking to him? Kouga tried to push all of his energy into sliding an eye open.
"I-" her voice caught, "I love you."
It was so hushed that Kouga strained to hear it, but it was all the encouragement Kouga needed to lift one eyelid enough to see Kagome. His heart sunk in his chest. He'd always known, but he never expected to see it. Kagome wasn't talking to him. Kagome wasn't paying any attention to him. Kagome had said those words to another; the only other person that Kouga would allow to have her. Inwardly, Kouga rolled his eyes and folded his arms in a huff. Unfortunately, his body didn't comply. Instead, a searing pain ran through his spine and he fell back into the deep embrace of unconsciousness.
Kagome sniffled. "Funny, how I can't tell you that when you're awake, huh?" She dabbed her own face with the cool cloth, wiping away the tears. "It looks like I'm the idiot." Kagome reached for the bandages. Taking a deep breath, she started the task of re-bandaging Inuyasha's battered chest.
It was only going to get tougher. Naraku was close to completing the shikon jewel, Kikyou was still alive, and Inuyasha had lost the Tetsusaiga. "No time for feelings in situations like this." She desperately tried to regain her composure. "But I promise-" she paused, unsure if she should make such a vow. "But I promise, if we stop Naraku and live through all this," Kagome dropped the cloth in the bucket. "I will tell you. I promise I won't leave without telling you."
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What was Naraku's plan for her? Kagura sat on the hill, thinking. The wind whipped at her hair and clothes, but it soothed her. Surely Naraku wouldn't set her free, but then, what did he want? He had to know that she betrayed him numerous times. Kagura frowned deeply. Many times, she'd hoped for death to save her. It never came. Maybe he wanted her dead. If so, then why fight at all? Death is a sort of morbid freedom after all.
She shifted slightly. Her restless spirit wouldn't let her simply stand idle through all of this. Now, if Naraku had no more use for her and wanted her dead, what would he do? Bait. The small word flowed into her mind like running water. "Bait." She whispered. Naraku would use her to lure out Inuyasha when he was ready. Yes, bring Inuyasha to the point of death without the sword and he becomes a crazed demon. Crazed demons don't fare well with barriers and traps, but those unprotected by such things are killed swiftly.
Kagura sat up. The breeze no longer calmed her. She had to fight back. There was no sense in sitting around, waiting to die a caged bird. "I will die on my terms." She said sternly. Kagura knew that Inuyasha didn't trust her. That didn't matter because his group was already going to fight Naraku. But Mouryoumaru could be a wild card. She had to think of a way to turn the powerful creature against his master.
The creature wasn't stupid. She couldn't just tell it to attack him. Kagura fell back into the grass, her head on her hands. Mouryoumaru only seemed loyal to Naraku's heart, the helpless baby that Kanna carried around. The gears in Kagura's mind turned slowly, trying to search for something out of reach. Mouryoumaru was deadly to anything that moved. He'd kill anything if it even took a swipe at him. Kagura's eyes opened wide. Could it be that simple? The gears turned wildly now. She remembered Mouryoumaru lashing out at Naraku, even from behind barriers.
Kagura grinned. Anything was better than nothing, she mused. If Naraku attacked Mouryoumaru, the creature would instantly turn on him. That might give Kagome and her companions enough time to defeat Naraku. Sighing, she let her eyes fall closed again. Kagura knew that she would be free soon, even if it meant her death.
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Kagome and her friends sat nervously outside of Kaede's hut. A gloom clung thickly to the air. A silence had befallen the group at breakfast. Speaking up, Miroku tried to lighten the mood. "So, Kagome, did you have any problems last night? You didn't miss any places, did you?" he quipped.
"W-wh-what? No!" she stuttered.
"Oh?" he grinned.
"Houshi-sama!" Sango glared at him.
"Ah, sorry! Sorry!" he waved a hand, still grinning. It was obvious why he was still grinning when Sango tensed next to him. SLAP!
Miroku rubbed his cheek. "My, my. Sango, your bottom grows softer each time-"
She stood up and walked towards her boomerang. Kagome watched the sweat bead on Miroku's face. Shippo bounded up to Kagome's shoulder. He smiled at her. "Just watch! I'll bet this time, she beats him up good!" His tail wagged brightly.
Kagome couldn't help but giggle a little.
Inside the hut Kaede sat in her chair, watching over the injured warriors. She caught a movement with her good eye. "What be this?" Shuffling to her feet, Kaede crossed the room and kneeled. She felt for a pulse. It was strong, racing, as though he had just wakened from a deep sleep. So he'd made it after all. Kaede smiled a little and stood, making her way to the door.
"Everyone!" she held the door aside. "Please come in, it seems as though he's about to wake."
Sango lowered her boomerang to the ground while Miroku sighed heavily. He'd escaped her wrath for once. Silently, he thanked the gods. Kagome just rose and ran towards the hut. Was it Inuyasha? Had he healed so soon? She slowed to move past Kaede. Her eyes glided over Inuyasha. No movement. She let her gaze push on, lifting her head. Kouga grinned back at her.
He was struggling to sit up, so Kagome sat next to him and helped. Pushing gently, she and Miroku managed to get him into a sitting position. The wolf prince wasted no time in grabbing Kagome's hands. He clasped them between his own and winced at the pain.
"Kouga-kun?" she asked, concerned.
"It's nothing. I'm fine." He replied. "My fair Kagome, any pain is worth your being by my side."
Kagome looked at the floorboards. This was truly embarrassing. "Thanks, Kouga-kun-"
"Besides, I will be fine in a day or two. So don't worry." He smiled at her.
"Kouga-kun." Kagome was still staring downward. How was she supposed to tell him that his jewel shards had been taken?
Sango touched Kagome's shoulder in reassurance. "Kouga, your jewel shards were taken."
Kouga sunk a little. He knew that they were gone; he could feel it. But he couldn't have Kagome upset for him over it. Sighing, he spoke, "Well, can't be helped now." He smiled when Kagome met his gaze again. "I'll miss 'em, that's for sure, but I'm strong without 'em too. Stronger than dog shit, that's for sure." He dropped her hands and glanced around the room. " Could I talk to Kagome alone please?"
All eyes turned to Kagome. She blinked, but then nodded gently. Slowly, the room emptied. "Kouga-kun? What did you want to talk about?"
He huffed loudly. "Kagome, listen. As soon as I can run again, I'm going to find what's left of my pack. Ginta and Hakkaku should still be alive out there, along with a few others." He took a deep breath. "When you're ready to take on Naraku, just call for us. We'll be there to help you."
"Kouga-kun, but you shouldn't-" She stiffened, thinking of how many friends he must have lost already.
"No. I'm going to help. I want revenge and you'll need my help. After all, mutt face can't protect you all the time." He waited and watched her face. Sure enough, she blushed.
"But-"
"Don't worry about it. Oh, and one more thing."
"Huh?" Kagome sat back.
"I'm not gonna give up on you until mutt face over there," he eyed Inuyasha, "comes to his senses. And if he ever harms one hair on your head, I'll be there to make him pay." Kouga growled a bit, but turned his eyes back to Kagome. She didn't respond. "I think I need to rest more before I go. Better help me lie down."
Coming out of her trance, Kagome helped her friend to lie on his back. He closed his eyes and feigned sleep. Unsure of what to do, Kagome just walked out of the hut. "Sango-chan?"
"Yes, Kagome-chan?" she called back.
"I need to take a bath now." Kagome blushed madly and couldn't seem to control it. Sango grabbed her things and rushed to her friend's aid. The two walked away at a fast pace.
"Wonder what that was all about?" Shippo watched them disappear into the village.
"I don't know." Miroku plopped down on the grass. Kagome always told Sango her troubles; and she always told her in the bath. He frowned, the only way to find out what they were talking about was to spy. That usually had negative results. Namely, Miroku was typically knocked unconscious. Bad plan. Wait a minute, there was another option. Deciding not to spy, Miroku smiled and began developing ways to find out from Sango later.
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A day after awakening, Kouga insisted on leaving. He wasn't completely healed, but the bones had mended and he could at least walk. Since no one wanted to argue with him, they let him go.
That had been three days ago. Inuyasha was still sleeping. Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. At least without Kouga here, Inuyasha had one less reason to get angry when he woke up. If he woke up. Kagome was beginning to wonder if he would ever wake. Every day since arriving, she had cleaned his wounds and dressed them. She stayed with him all day and night, only leaving his side to take care of a few personal needs.
Inuyasha had never been unconscious this long before. The whole situation had everyone on edge, so the days passed quietly. Yet again the day had gone by and Kagome sat in her sleeping bag. Everyone else was asleep, snuggled warmly in the corner. In moments like these, Kagome found herself watching Inuyasha. Each day, she noticed improvement in his condition, but he remained asleep. Last night she'd even tried rubbing his ears to wake him up. She stifled a giggle. He'd never let her get away with that if he was awake. She gently ran her hand over one of the silver triangles. They were still soft and fuzzy. Kagome rubbed his ears lazily before letting herself drift into a deep sleep.
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The room was blurred. Colors swirled together and blended wrong. It smelled wrong. His head felt like it'd been slammed into a rock and to top it off, something was pulling his hair. Inuyasha tried to raise a hand to his head. It was pinned down. The colors were clearing now. He could make out a ceiling. Great, so he was in a hut somewhere. Wait, he'd seen that ceiling before. Inuyasha smirked inwardly as he sniffed to double check. He was definitely at the old woman's home.
Gradually, his senses returned. He tried moving his arm again, but nothing happened. Memories of what must have brought him to Kaede's place hit him fast. "Hey!" he yelled, though it came out softer than he'd intended. Shuffling answered him.
"Inuyasha?"
He knew that voice. "Old hag. What am I doing here? Where's Kagome?"
Purple fell into his vision. Miroku looked down at him, a huge grin plastered onto his face. Inuyasha could vaguely make out a blushing Sango, trying to pull the monk back. He frowned. "What are you lookin' at?"
"If it be Kagome-sama ye are looking for, she be right there." Kaede lowered her hand, pointing to Inuyasha's side.
"Huh?" Inuyasha seemed confused. He shifted again, trying to raise his arm. Something gripped it firmly. "What the hell?"
"I think what she's trying to say, Inuyasha," Miroku said, "is that Kagome is right next to you."
Inuyasha's expression became one of horror. He struggled against the weight, turning his head. Suddenly, he was nose to nose with Kagome. Kagome, of course, chose this moment to yawn and open her eyes.
Outside the hut, all was peaceful. Well, it was until two screams shattered the serenity and sent all of the woodland creatures in the area into panic. When the shout ebbed away, it was replaced with argument.
"What were you doin' there, wench?"
"I was sleeping! And I didn't know that I was-" she shouted
"How did you end up there and not know?" he fired back
"I don't know!" Kagome blushed.
"Stupid wench! And where's Tetsusaiga?"
"It was stolen, you jerk!"
"What?" His scowl deepened.
"I said it was stolen in the fight!"
"And why do I smell wolf? Was he here?" that seemed to enrage Inuyasha further. He was actually standing now.
"Dog boy!" Kagome fumed. She'd had enough already; she didn't care that he was still hurt. "Osuwari!"
Inuyasha fell to the ground with a thud and a yelp. Already injured limbs cried out in pain. Inuyasha spit out what could only be a string of curses from his position flat against the floor. Kagome sank to the floor, she didn't want to hurt him. Now she felt bad for even yelling. Kagome was a mass of unstable emotions; each one trying to take control at once. The result was tears.
Fighting off the last effects of the spell, Inuyasha sat up. Kagome launched herself into his arms. "I though you'd never wake up-" she sobbed. Sango and Kaede backed out of the hut, taking Kirara, Shippo, and an unconscious Miroku outside.
Inuyasha sat numbly. He didn't know if he'd be sat again, hugged, or left alone. Anything was possible at this point. Inuyasha let his anger drain away, he hated when Kagome cried. "Shh. Stop it already, I'm okay." He assured, but she didn't stop. "I'm not mad okay?"
Kagome pulled back.
"I just w-asn't expecting that, that's all!" He tried to find something interesting to stare at on the ceiling.
"I didn't do it on purpose." Kagome said.
"Just forget about it." Inuyasha's eyes followed a speck of dust floating to the floor.
"Sorry."
"And dammit, don't apologize!"
She flinched from the coarseness in his voice. "Okay."
"Here." Inuyasha raised his sleeve to her eye level. "Don't cry okay?"
Kagome tentatively pulled the material to her face and wiped her tears.
"I think you opened up a few of these wounds when you sat me." Her face brightened a little as she released his sleeve.
"Oh really?" She put her hands on her hips. That was the Kagome he knew. "Well if you didn't yell all the time, I wouldn't have to do that." Kagome mimicked his usual smirk.
"Keh."
Kagome smiled. "Oh, and there's something else."
"Huh?"
"You promised to go to my school's festival tomorrow night." Kagome reached out to check a slightly bloody bandage.
"I did not!" he yelled back.
"Yes you did. Sango and Miroku heard you say so too." She knew it was a lie, but she also knew her friends were eavesdropping. "Isn't that right?"
Miroku peered into the hut. "Yes, absolutely. I heard you loud and clear. Didn't you, Sango?"
"Wh-" she glared at him before catching the hint. "Oh yes! I remember Kagome-chan asked you and you agreed."
Inuyasha glared. Some friends, they always turned on him when it came to Kagome. He really didn't know if he'd agreed sometime while he was healing. He couldn't remember. It didn't sound like something he'd willingly agree to. At least he could get something out of it. "Keh. I guess I'll go then."
"Really Inuyasha? I mean-" Kagome cleared her throat, "I'm glad you remember."
"Just wait, wench. I said I'll go, but on one condition." Inuyasha waved a finger in front of her face.
"What's that?"
"Ramen."
"You want me to make you ramen when we get to my house?" Kagome grinned. That was simple.
"No, I want you to make me all the ramen I can eat while we're at your house."
"Oh. Okay." Kagome gulped. She had a sinking feeling that she'd be boiling a lot of water this weekend.
Inuyasha smirked. He was getting hungry just thinking about it.
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A/N: I hope you enjoyed! Yesterday was my birthday, but I wrote the chapter anyway. Next time look forward to the festival in Kagome's time, not to mention how Miroku's going to get that information out of Sango. Please read and review!