Some fun fluffy stuff in here… Ooh, and next chapter it gets even better. I've decided to go with a songfic chapter again. It's "Dame tu Aire" (hence the title) by Alex Ubago. Big inspiration for his chapter, so I hope it'll be okay with you all. It's a fluffy song, and I think it relates a lot to the story, so…. Ooh, and if I haven't mentioned it before, I know it's weird that I have Spanish songs in a Japanese story, but I'm a die-hard Spanish student, so I actually know the words enough to be able to use them. Anyways, please read and enjoy! As always, responses are required! Haha!
Chapter 21: Give Me Your Air
Blackness… and cold… everywhere his primitive mind could reach. A death-like grasp that held him strong to the rugged ground… gravity. The silence of the night invaded even his mind, until he couldn't hear anything, not even the symphony of rain and thunder above him. Insanity cradled his cheek, cooed him to fall further down. His body had no where else to go but down, down, down. Why shouldn't he? Why couldn't he keep falling? Because the ground held him up?
No, the ground did not hold fast. Over time, it would crumble, and he would be sucked away into further emptiness. There were other things, far more important things, that kept his body within reach of hope. The earth was pitiless, or so it always seemed to the hanyou. What had it to offer one so vulnerable as of now? For years, he had hated the earth, but he had protected it with fervor. He didn't ask for anything in return.
And now, he was still breathing. Thank God in heaven, here was his retribution.
Through the black and the cold, one ember was left to flourish. Like the last speck of life after the rest of him had been washed clean, so he could rebuild into someone far more worthy of this life. This life… this cherished life… met no contest as it grew. The innate desire to keep fighting, and the promise that still needed keeping… it nudged him. Lightly at first, but harder by the second. The most important memory of all, who was above even the power of earth itself, was the first to cross his now conscious mind.
It seemed so long ago since the battle, but he did not know. His eyes twitched beneath his eyelids, as though in a dream. Why couldn't he find anything in the darkness? He did not understand. All too soon, he became aware of the horrible wounds on his shoulder and his stomach. To say the least, it felt like he had been ripped apart, and the smell of his own blood would attest to that. Slowly, the memory came back to him. The snake-demon with Inuyasha in his grasp, squeezing his own sword into him, sinking its poisonous fangs into his shoulder. The pain of the poison was overwhelming.
Something had come forth, something he didn't expect. It wasn't his youkai side, but something he welcomed fully. Another part of himself that took over. Yes, he remembered now what the snake had said after poisoning him. Before the change could occur, he unleashed the Kaze no Kizu. Even without swinging the sword, it didn't stop it from coming. The power of the dancing fires broke him free of the coils, although damaging himself even further. Then, when he had regained the fighting chance he needed, he struck. Back and forth, left and right, up and down. The last sight he had was that of his enemy breaking into a thousand pieces. After that, gravity took him to the ground. The last thought he had before his mind gave way to his damaged body was that his fingernails were no longer sharp. '…… Human……'
Hoy, te perdí una vez más al despertar.
Si sonara la realidad, y viviera lo que se fue.
With much struggle, he opened his eyes to the world of the living. He panted hard, but cringed at even that movement. His skin burned with poison, and his wounds were so deep he could even taste a few particles of the venom in the wet air. Once, he tried to get up again, but the pain was so unbearable, he didn't want to fight it. He let his head fall back again to the ground. But as his eyes glanced into space, he saw birds flying above him, making their way to cover from the rain. The forest that hadn't seen any animal life in years was finally being reborn. He rolled to his side and grasped the ground under his human nails. He too could be reborn.
Mi humor, mira lo pintando un cuadro sin color.
Puedo ver un paisaje gris que refleja mi interior.
With much effort, he crawled to the one place he could think of, his purpose, the roses. His tired eyes barely noticed, but most of the garden had been destroyed by the battle. When he reached the forest, only seven red roses remained. Five of them were in good condition, so he plucked them, paying no mind to the thorns. Two, he left behind. One to make the land reflourish, the other to make sure the other one was never alone. For being strong, for living long enough to rebuild their utopia, the hanyou left them this one act of pity. And with that, he dragged his feet to the ground, growling at the pain surging through him, and began to rise.
Y en el. En el…
He grimaced into the nothingness of space. He never would have thought it would take so much strength just to straighten his spine. When he managed to pull himself up, his one free hand went instinctively to his stomach, the other clutched the five roses close to him. Slowly, then nearly matching the rhythm of nature, he started the long stretch towards home… towards the girl he knew to be his home.
Palomas blancas vuelan razo
Sobre el tejado brilla el sol.
Y rien todos menos yo
Que ahora soy hombre o mas
Pidiendo a gritos la verdad.
He walked rather quickly for having such horrible wounds. He only stumbled once. He grasped his stomach harder and let out a gasp of pain, but soon continued along the same path. Lighting slashed through space, illuminating his dark hair to the world around him. Showing his vulnerability to anyone who might dare to roam the lands during a storm. The world was still blurry to him, and he had only a memory to lead him back. It would take longer, he knew, to get back to her. But no matter how long the journey, that which cooed his fragile soul called him back.
Mi vida eres tu, y si te vas
Vendra la obscuridad.
His hands held the roses closer to his heart, to where their purpose resided. Never would he let the cold rain steal away their warmth. His thumb ran along one of the pedals, reminding himself exactly why he chose to keep breathing, why he chose to keep walking.
Dame tu aire un dia mas
Para que pueda respirar.
Que un rayo de luz
Me haga brillar.
Que muera soledad.
All around him, animals ran to find shelter, hid with their families and huddled to keep warm. The storm grew stronger and stronger by the minute. By the time he exited the forest and came to the fields, the wind was practically ripping the leaves off of the trees. Out here, especially, he was vulnerable. No one was there to protect him now from the harsh winds. He had gone off on his own, and now, it might cost him his life. Inuyasha had no idea how long he might last like this. His every muscle screamed for him to fall down and have his rest, let the poison have him without fighting against the pain. But he knew to do this would mean never to rise again. The poison had already subdued his youki, and it was only a matter of time before it killed him. His eyes stayed firmly locked to the east, and the village far far away. Kagome… she would take care of him. He would find her, she would mend his wounds and his heart, she would smile for him, at least one last time.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Hoy sonare, que despierto junto a ti
Y te canto canciones que anoche te escribí.
"Inuyasha! Inuyasha!" she bellowed into the night.
Once again, she was answered with nothing but loud winds and the patter of rain. The panic was slowly rising every minute, and she turned to the others, who were also drenched in water. They turned to her with the same answers she had received from the storm. She yelled so as to be heard over the thunder and rain, "What should we do?"
Miroku shouted back, "I don't know, but we can't go off too far, Kagome-sama. You must stay close to the hut!
Llegare por ti, adonde nada pudo ir.
Puedo ver el mejor lugar.
Hay tantos que conocí
Y en el. En el…
"But I don't understand. Why did he just run off like that? I didn't sense any shards nearby."
"Who knows," Sango spoke up, her head sheltered the kitsune in her arms, "Who ever said that baka needed a good reason to ditch us?"
Kagome held a hand to her mouth, and fought to hold back the hot tears stinging her eyelids. Why Inuyasha suddenly decided to run off into a storm, she had no idea, but it was enough of a reason to sit the living-daylights out of him when he got back. One would think he would have learned his lesson after the greeting he received when he left them the last time. Did he even care about her feelings?
'Inuyasha… no baka. How could you do this to me? Why in the world would you run off like this?'
Miroku and Sango went to look on the opposite end of the hut, while Kagome remained seemingly trapped in one spot. The inevitable thoughts filled her mind. What if something had happened to him? Could he be hurt… possibly dead? 'Inuyasha… please be okay. I beg of you.'
Palomas blancas vuelan razo
Sobre el tejado brilla el sol.
Y ríen todos menos yo
The tears would not stay back now. They came full force, running like a stream down her cheeks. She was in a sea of her own sorrow, merely waiting to be pulled under by her own crying. Behind the many raindrops drenching her face, the salty fragments were indiscernible. But she felt them hot on her skin, burning her with the knowledge that Inuyasha's fate was still unknown to her. However long to be apart from him, made her weary of the battle. She wanted to collapse, even to turn and run away from it. But it was herself she feared most. She feared what would become of her if Inuyasha was truly gone. She kept calling for him, as long as she had the air to scream, she would do it. God help her, if she still had a body to move with, she would not give up yet.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Que ahora soy hombre o más
Pidiendo a gritos la verdad.
His vision wasn't the only thing that was blurring. His thoughts were incoherent as well. All around him, things started to spin, and he became dizzy. He swayed back and forth a few times, stopping for a few moments to redirect his path. To steady his walk, he used Tetsusaiga to hold him up with one hand. Standing was becoming more and more difficult. His legs shook as he took each step, the muscles about ready to give out beneath him. Three of the flowers in his grasp had fallen victim to the elements of the storm, and they dissolved into the water. Only two seemed to hold strong against him. They alone knew his deepest secret, what lied beneath his tired heart.
Mi vida eres tu, y si te vas
Vendra la obscuridad.
The grimace never left his face. The poison was working hard now, destroying him from the inside out, eating away at his consciousness. All he knew, all he understood was Kagome. To feel her touch upon his burning skin, making him whole, bringing him to life again. Through her and her alone, he could be free. If he died that very night, he at least wanted to die in her arms, just so he could feel the power on his fingertips, to hear the voice that tamed his wild spirit. And to see her smile when he gave her the roses, that would be enough for him to die happy. No, he couldn't fall again. Her smile kept him walking.
Dame tu aire un dia mas
Para que pueda respirar.
Through all the pain, he smiled weakly. Silently, he begged for her to breathe for him, begged her for the power to keep going. 'Kagome… Don't worry… I'm coming. I'll always come back for you.'
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Que un rayo de luz
Me haga brillar
Que muera soledad.
Her faithful eyes never left the dark outside. The storm didn't shake her determination to find him. She sat under the cover of the tree, so at least to stay somewhat dry. She sat on the roots, hugging her knees to her chest, sniffling a few times. The storm could rip the tree and the house away, and she would never leave. Not until he came back. Then, over the hills, she saw a dark shadow emerging. Her eyes squinted, blurry with tears, to see if her one prayer had arrived. The figure… was moving so slow, it couldn't be him. But… the wind gave her her wish, and blew under his hair, pushing it up. She saw the long hair and the waving haori, and knew.
Throwing herself to her feet, she screamed, "INUYASHA!"
As fast as her feet could carry her, she raced down to meet him in the long valley between the two hills. The wet mud was slippery beneath her feet, and she nearly fell a few times. Lightning clashed around her, perhaps as a warning that she should forget about the hanyou. Never would she turn away, though. The closer she got to him, the more she realized that something was wrong. Something had happened.
With another growl, he pulled on the Tetsusaiga to keep himself standing. It rattled in the sheath, due to his constant shaking. Now he had not only his wounds and poison to worry about, but the cold as well. As a human, his immune system would not kick in until much later. Not that it mattered. He was going to die soon anyway. The pain told him so. It was a useless fight, and yet…
He heard her voice, calling out to him like she needed him to save her. Baka… she was the one who had been saving him, who had been protecting him all along. She sang the songs he knew by heart, merely by saying his name. The name that didn't belong on her lips, in his mind. He didn't deserve her, but how now, did he want her with him when he died. How he wanted her to know that he was sorry for keeping her from her loved ones. How much he needed her to be happy.
She came closer, calling his name once more, sweetly this time, worry lacing her voice. He smiled into the nothingness of space, and collapsed on the ground. The battle was over, he had found her again. At this point, his brain was so disoriented; he didn't even remember the long journey he had taken to find her, how hard the struggle was to return to her. 'You've come back to me… Kagome… I'm… glad.'
"Inuyasha!"
Kagome approached, and dropped to her knees next to him. She saw the blood, it was practically saturating him. 'What's this? Why is he human? Why is he hurt? Did he battle… without us?'
Her fingers latched onto his clothing, and she shook him, "Inuyasha! Are you alright? Inuyasha!"
"… You're here…"
There was something about that tone of voice. She hadn't heard it before. But it strummed along her skin, making it rise, making it bend to his will. Gentle torture, as it played on her body. She turned him over onto his back, and hovered over his face. His eyes were closed tight, probably due to intense pain. Her hands went instinctively to his cheeks, brushing away the dirt.
He shuttered under her touch, under her warm gaze. The way she looked at him made him forget why he had fallen, why he was still alive. Was it the poison talking, or did she seem like the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes upon? Her wild hair was born away by the wind, and it reached as far as it could go. Her eyes glittered… with something. He didn't know what. No one ever looked at him like she did. Those trembling doe eyes, he wanted them to be his to cherish. It could never be, he knew this. But even if the fates condemned him, there was so much that couldn't be left unsaid. At least, that was what his delirium was telling him. He wanted to tell her then, just how beautiful she was to him, but any words he could have said were already lost.
A sob escaped her lungs again, and his heart dropped. Her eyes… they glittered with tears. When she spoke, her voice sounded along with hasty heart-beats, "Inuyasha. Why? What the hell were you thinking?"
If she thought he wouldn't see her tears, she was very wrong. The distance between them was short enough that when her tears fell on his cheeks, he could fell their warmth. His heart crackled and shook, afraid of what was wrong. It couldn't have been him. No, he had time to fix this. "It's okay. I'll make it better," he said softly.
Reaching into his haori, he brought out the two roses that he had kept hidden from the rain.
Que ahora soy…
She gasped as her eyes beheld two red roses, slightly damaged, within his grasp.
...hombre o mas
Pidiendo a gritos la verdad.
Mi vida eres tú y si te vas
Macerara la oscuridad.
Her gaze returned to him, and she saw him struggling just to stay awake. His wounds were so deep, and yet, he was smiling at her. What a strange smile. Like that of a child, so innocent and pure. He spoke, "They'll make it better, right? Tell me it's okay now."
No voice, no matter how unusually sweet, could tame the new rage that filled her. "You mean to tell me that you nearly got yourself killed over some stupid flowers!"
His breathing stopped, and he looked up at her with wide eyes. She glared hard at him, ignoring the insistent plea in that look. He grunted, obviously trying to find the right words to say. As the sinking feeling in his heart grew, he prayed for her to reconsider. The sensitive strategy wasn't working out so well. "But… but… they're for you, baka!"
Dame tu aire un dia mas
Para que pueda respirar.
"You! How could you, Inuyasha! What made you ever think that flowers could mean more to me than your life?" Her voice cracked, and tears blurred her vision.
He gasped lightly, and his eyes began to shine just as brightly as hers. Did he hear that correctly? Before he had a chance to consider it, she threw herself on top of him, and wrapped her arms tightly around his torso. Kagome buried her head into his chest and sobbed. All the hours of pent up worry came rushing out of her quickly. For hours she had forbidden herself to cry, and he could have died for some stupid flowers. Why had he done it? Surely he couldn't be that dense not to see how much she cared for him.
Que un rayo de luz
Me haga brillar
Que muera soledad.
As the patter of rain tickled her back, she felt another presence. Something warm and inviting pressing against her back. She shivered further as she felt it caress her back with soft rubs. Slowly, his hand sought to soothe her tears. It broke through all her sorrow, and she became lost in the promise of a dream. She froze once he spoke the next words, "You're… beautiful."
He felt her body tense, but in his current state of bliss in her embrace, he didn't even notice it. Nor did he even notice the words he had spoken so out of character. Then, she rose up and looked at him in confusion.
She brought a hand to his forehead, and her suspicion was confirmed. The hanyou was indeed delirious. "My God, you're sick, Inuyasha."
He whimpered as she got off of him, causing her to blush even more. 'He isn't thinking straight. Oh God, something must really be wrong with him. I… have to get him inside.'
Right on cue, she heard the monk calling, "Kagome-sama!"
She looked up to see Miroku, Sango, and Kaede running towards them. Good, at least she could get help carrying them inside. She called, "Hurry! Inuyasha needs to be car-."
Her shout was interrupted as a cold hand came up to cup her cheek. She looked down on him. His eyes weren't even open. It was like he was moving in his dreams. Even through the rain, he must have known she was crying, for his thumb brushed them away in one sweep. She gulped, and took the hand away from her face before her hopes could be dashed and her heart broken once again.
The others arrived, and they all lifted the hanyou into their arms gingerly. Kaede went into the hut ahead of them, already on the search for medicines. Kagome lagged a little behind, keeping one fist clutched to her chest in worry.
Those words… 'Oh God, how will I ever get through this?'
To be continued…
Oooooh, next chapter…. Such fun…. Can't wait…. Eeeeee! Fluff!
Okay, so again, I really wanted to respond to you all, but I keep hearing about this no posting responses rule, though I haven't seen it on the sight. I guess if I don't hear again about it by next time, I'll just start them up again, cause I miss communicating with you all. I just don't wanna get kicked off the sight or something. That would totally suck, and I think it would for you too, if I couldn't finish the story.
So how am I doing? I know, I was being daring with the songfic thing, but it was really a great source of inspiration for me. Hope it worked for you. Let me know how I'm doing, pretty please. Love you all! Toodles poodles!