Day early! Woohoo! Be really nice to me and it'll be early again. Teehee!
Chapter 25: To Boldly Go
"Temee, did you really think you could get away from me?" Inuyasha snarled.
He flexed his claws, his knuckles cracking in response. And he lunged.
His hand shot out and through the water, finally grabbing a hold of the large fish he had been pursuing for a full five minutes. His hand reemerged with the squirming prey, and he had to clasp it with his other hand to keep it from slipping away. "Keh, like a damn fish could get away from me. This ought to keep Kagome fed for a week."
His feet pushed against the current as he walked back towards the shore. It was a ritual he grew tired of quickly, coming out here to fish. All the time, his friends had asked him to go out hunting. It really did make it feel like a hunting dog. But it was more the worry of leaving them alone that bothered him, especially Kagome. There were many times when nothing had happened; and times when he could come back to find the ground smoldering and his comrades in the clutches of some demon. He never could tell when they might strike. Even his nose couldn't predict with their speeds.
When he made to the shore, he shook of the water and brushed off some leaves clinging to his clothes and skin. He growled in spite of himself. It still bothered him that he had left Kagome alone, even if Kirara was there. As a matter of fact, he never quite cared for when she was separated from him, whether safe or not.
The fish still squirmed, and he took a moment for it to stop moving before he could put it in the pocket of his haori. He sighed in frustration at the fish that had taken him too long to pursue as it was. "That girl better be hungry after I went through all this trouble. I ain't letting her starve after this one."
Though he probably wouldn't have let her go hungry anyway. Even her comfort seemed important to him. He had known long ago, it was the mere knowledge that she was being taken care of that kept him at bay.
A scent drifted to him, followed by a growl he knew well. The hanyou looked upward just as Kirara descended to the ground. Now in her giant demonic state, her white fangs shown brightly in the full moon. The ground was now lit lightly by the characteristic fire on her tail and ankles, causing her eyes to glow a little more. She roared once.
"Kirara?"
He gasped, "Kagome… Something's wrong!"
In an instant, he raced back into the cover of trees, running like all hell had broken loose back to the camp. Kirara flew close behind him, though still without enough speed to keep up with the furious hanyou. Some trees gave way to his fists, though most of them he dodged without wasting time. Only by the light of Kirara's fire was he able to see clearly. The sun was nearly completely set now, and under the cover of the forest, everything was in shadow. He nearly tripped countless times. 'You'd better be okay, wench!'
In less than 30 seconds, he made it to the clearing and sprinted for the hut on top of the hill. So far, as his eyes scanned the area, he could find no indication of an attack. Everything seemed peaceful. Even the crickets continued chirping. He bellowed, "Kagome!"
No answer, and his fire was dosed with fuel. When he entered the hut, he did not toss the beads aside, he tore them from his path. They scattered over the floor, though he paid it no mind. Nothing, as empty as a desert. He yelled again, as though it would make her appear in the room, then stopped as another scent invaded his senses, ruthlessly masking itself over the wildflower smell of his Kagome. He knew it well, all too well. His face twisted, congealed heartlessly into a hard growl. So harsh there were shards of a gasp between them, and a writhing curl of youkai instincts.
He tore from the hut again, screaming into the night, "SESSHOUMARU!"
Kirara arrived quickly on the scene, and Inuyasha turned to her, "Kirara, did he take her?"
It didn't faze him that she couldn't talk, but the snarl that formed on her face would suffice as an answer. He commanded, "Go to Sango's village and find the others. When you've got them, follow Sesshoumaru's scent. I may need everyone's help."
The neko-youkai nodded and took to the skies swiftly. Inuyasha didn't hesitate as he shot off in the opposite direction, following the scent towards the far west, where Sesshoumaru's castle resided. Not three seconds into the run, he knew Sesshoumaru would be a challenge to catch up to. He knew, because of his speed, and because the strands of black hair wiping his face told him so. 'Shit.'
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"Why are we on the ground, Sesshoumaru?" questioned Kagome from behind the youkai, "Don't you usually make that cloud-thing or use that flying animal?"
"We'll have to do without Jaken's powers and A-un. They are currently preoccupied."
"How long should it take to get there?"
"Maybe one full day, but considering we stop to rest once or twice, probably a day and a half."
Why did two days suddenly seem like a two months to her? 'Great,' she thought in chagrin, 'Just great. Inuyasha will have my head for this one.'
The fur on his shoulder smacked once across her face as he leapt. It was weird, being on Sesshoumaru's back instead of Inuyasha's. A part of her felt like it had been a betrayal. Then again, it wasn't like she hadn't betrayed him enough, going off into the night with his much-hated half-brother, without so much as a goodbye. But the youkai had made it clear that she was to come alone if this priestess was to help her. Inuyasha would never let her go alone, not in a million years. It was one of the things she loved most about him. Too bad it turned out to be the biggest burden now.
She mumbled into the fur, "He'll come after me. Inuyasha will follow your scent."
"He's hanyou. Not quite as fast as me. He won't catch up," his voice was unmoved, as usual.
"Sesshoumaru?"
He rolled his eyes, much to her amazement, "My God, miko. You talk more than Rin."
She paid his annoyance no mind, "How does this miko know me?"
"She's not just a priestess. She sees the future, and uses magic that other mikos never use. And considering that your flow of time is so different, I believe she has had an eye on you for quite some time."
Great, now she was already becoming a damn celebrity. "Why doesn't this priestess want Inuyasha there?"
The truth… it wouldn't be completely lost. Yet it was a story he didn't really know. It could very well be a lie if he told her. Considering what he knew though, even Inuyasha would have wanted to steer clear of the priestess, even run as far away as he could. But why lie about that which he did not yet understand? "I don't know."
"…And why did you let a human priestess into your castle, Sesshoumaru?"
He stopped in his tracks abruptly, throwing her forward and against him. She grunted at the contact, and threw her head back to see what the problem was. He was glancing at her over his shoulder, his look no longer unfeeling, but full of emotion. Not that it was anything pleasurable, for he looked positively livid with her. She shivered. How she hated that look of his.
"We'll rest here for awhile," he remarked as he loosened his hands for her to slide off.
"Sesshoumaru?"
"No more questions, miko."
He walked to a rather large tree trunk some seven feet away. Even for a youkai as tough as him, it would be nice to rest himself. As he sat down against the tree, he looked suspiciously at the girl who was digging through her yellow bag. She removed some ramen from her backpack, thanking the Gods that Sesshoumaru allowed her to take just a couple things with her. She pulled out some ramen, and looked to him. She opened her mouth to ask if he wanted anything, but his look told her enough. She boiled some water for just herself this time as the fire she had managed to start grew big.
Not much of a talker, that Sesshoumaru. Though she had to admit, she wasn't exactly itching with anticipation to have a conversation with him. If anything, she was dreading the next week more and more.
She curled her knees up to her chest and looked at the empty forest around her. No youkai lerking in the shadows, so far as she could tell. Kagome hadn't realized up till now that were something to happen, Sesshoumaru wouldn't risk his neck to help her, let alone save her. She was a sitting duck. And now with her hanyou far away, who had she to turn to when she came across some youkai sniffing out the shikon shards still around her neck?
Sighing, her thoughts went back to her hanyou, as they often did. It could have only been minutes after they left when he came back. He had to already be furious. He would be following them now, she knew. The inevitable thought struck her, "Sesshoumaru, won't Inuyasha catch up to us now that we are stopped?"
His gaze aimed up towards the sky as he remarked, "A little dubious, wouldn't you say?"
She gazed up too, wondering what he was getting at. The answer hit her square in the face and she gasped, "A new moon!"
"He won't be able to catch up even if we stop for a whole night."
Her hand went instinctively to her mouth, "Oh my goodness! I left him alone on his human night! What the hell was I thinking?"
She made a move to get up, but his voice stopped her, "He's with that cat, isn't he?"
"Er… Yeah. Kirara is there."
He nodded and looked away once again. Kagome's muscles relaxed. If Kirara was with him, he couldn't really get into that much trouble. She sighed and returned her attention and empty stomach to the noodles. Still, it was hard to be gone from him. It would be hard for her to get any sleep. Even when she was at home, in her comfy bed and air conditioning, it was always hard to sleep when he wasn't there. Hell, it was hard to sleep when he was there too, sometimes. At least when he chose to stay up as she slept. She always wondered if he had been staring at her, but had been too scared to open her eyes to be proven wrong.
Once the noodles were consumed, she pulled out her thin blanket and lay out on the hard ground. Her eyes remained on the fire as they finally drifted shut, 'Inuyasha, please stay safe.'
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No matter how hard he pushed himself, no matter how he forced his body to keep going, he could not. God help him, he needed to rest. His knees met the ground, and he held up his upper body with his hands as he panted loudly. Each rigid breath steadily amplifying the heat in his body, creating warmth that he had not the strength to endure. The night was considerably cold for late summer even if it was almost fall, though it didn't keep sweat from drenching his face. He wiped his forehead with one hand before pressing it into the dirt to hold the rest of his body up. 'Damnit, just for a minute! If I could just rest for a minute… Sesshoumaru…"
The abhorrence he associated with the name did not encourage him like he thought it would. On any other night, he might have been able to draw strength from his fury. Not tonight. He was always more sensitive on his human nights, just as much emotionally as physically. At least he assumed due to his behavior around Kagome during this period. Even he knew that his eyes were different, not only in color, but in how he would look at her. They were always trembling wonderfully.
He turned his face to the side to look at the open world. He had fallen in the middle of a grassy field, and for the first time, it truly dawned on him just how alone he was. For over two years, he had never been alone on the new moon. It wasn't something he particularly missed, now that he had his miko. "Kagome, you'd better be safe when I find you. Or I won't forgive you! I swear once I find you, I'll make you sorry you ever met me! I'll tie you to the damn hut and leave you there! I'll… I'll…"
'Hell, I'll fucking kiss you again for all I know,' he thought bitter-sweetly.
The instinct to keep fighting for her assailed him once more. Nearly primal, a truly primitive thing. When she was the only thing that caused the sun to rise, how could he not think she was a necessity for his survival? Long ago, he wanted to call her scent his breath, wanted to call her touch his warmth. It seemed life-threatening when she was gone. Like he was choking on empty space. More often his breaths caught in his throat and stirred his pain wickedly. And now, he didn't even know if he had the strength to fight Sesshoumaru when he found him.
At least the next morning, he would be hanyou again, and therefore a great deal faster. 'Sesshoumaru, if you so much as touch her, I'll know it. And I'll rip you apart.'
His panted subsided only slightly, leaving only harsh wheezes, and his body was not yet ready to cope with even a stand. Just a few more seconds, that was all he needed. For fighting. For Kagome. Inuyasha allowed himself to roll onto his back and face the heavens. Even if the fates were cruel enough to separate him from Kagome, it wouldn't stop him from seeking what little solace he had in the stars. For years, they had found a way to comfort him, make him forget himself. But now he only saw Kagome within the constellations. He knew he had to be going mad. Either that or falling head over heels in love with the girl.
He pondered the latter for a moment. Mostly he didn't know if he truly loved her. What was love and what rules did love entail? All he knew was how it compared to his devotion to Kikyo, and at least that was saying something. Though he knew full well that if he did love her, it meant he would never be rid of her, not in spirit anyway. Damned if he did, damned if he didn't.
Transcending the dimensions, it was the whisper of stars that gave him the most hope. Every memory of her voice came back to him, gave back the much borrowed strength she had once needed for her tears. Their strength always was one; the stars would attest to that. The words he had whispered to her as she cried came back to him, only now in her voice. Its sweet echo in his ear enticed him to do her bidding, whatever she might ask, and she did. 'Inuyasha… Breathe. Breathe with me.'
He steadied his breaths, slowly inhaled and exhaled as he had done before. He closed his eyes to better hear the memory of her breathing to guide him. And like a charm, his lungs relaxed, his heart slowed back to normal. He smiled dazedly into the sky, and his hand fell to his neck line, where the rosary and the locket had become slightly tangled together. His fingers fiddled with them.
'Shit. I might really have to kiss you for this one,' thought Inuyasha.
He got to his feet. It was all he needed in the end, the memory of her breath and her kiss. That would sustain him at least throughout the night, '… After I kill that bastard of a brother!'
His black hair flew behind him, still hindering in nature but not nearly as much now. The stars followed.
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'I still don't see it,' he thought, 'She can't possibly be the one. Not her. Not my baka brother.'
The crescent moon on Sesshoumaru's forehead glowed in the light of the dim fire. It was almost out now. The miko had fallen asleep two hours prior, and hadn't moved since. He had only planned to remain for an hour, but perhaps a few more wouldn't hurt. It was hard for him to admit that even he was tired from all the running. He wasn't usually one to run when he traveled. He had had to make sure Rin was able to keep up, and usually he had Jaken's powers to use for transportation. Now with his brother on his tail in his mere human form, it didn't seem entirely necessary to pick up the pace. Though Saku-sama did say she wanted Kagome there as soon as possible.
Sesshoumaru had only one thing on his mind now: the prophecy. His golden eyes stared at her sleeping form, far too peaceful and naïve. It was a wonder the girl hadn't been killed yet, and yet she was supposed to be a threat. He supposed it didn't matter, since the prophecy really had nothing to do with him, and it probably wouldn't even affect him. There were still bits and pieces of it that he didn't understand, namely how it could be that two weaklings held such power in their destinies.
Then again, he had seen his brother and the miko together, and their presence might have startled him if he wasn't so used to it by now. Perhaps it was possible, if Inuyasha wasn't such a moron. The flame of the fire danced through the shadows of Kagome hair, and he glared slightly, 'I've seen the way Inuyasha looks at you, miko. For the life of me, I'll never understand how he could care that much, how he could willingly be so weak…'
He grimaced harder, 'You're kind have disgraced the honor of my father, and as such have disgraced the honor of this world. So then why does my brother need you so?'
His thoughts paused, as though assuming he would receive an answer, then continued, 'I care not what you do, where you go, or what destiny beckons you. So long as my honor is kept intact. That's all that matters now.'
'And why did you let a human priestess into your castle, Sesshoumaru?'
Sesshoumaru suppressed a growl. The implication in her voice had been crystal clear. He hadn't wanted to admit it. 'Let's just hope she will help you, because I'll have no more of weak humans like you once this is over… And save your theories of pity for someone who deserves them.'
To be continued…
BTW, I just recently started watching the English versions of Inuyasha, and can I just ask somebody why in the world Kaede says "ye"? She don't have the right accent for her to be using it. And why did they make her name have three syllables rather than two. How weird! Grr, the linguist in me is confused and angry. Not to mention the woman sounds 30. Grrr… okay, ranting done. Did you enjoy the chapter? Lol!
Kawaii-CherryWolf: Ugh… must… have fluff… FA is mean! Haha! I wants more too! Soon… very soon! (hugs)
NeuroticallyDignified: Okay, I updated a day early. Aren't I good to you? (hugs)
Reina no Taisho: Yep yep! I sure am. Hurray for me! Hurray for you! (hugs)
Lacey Beans: Cans, is it? Aren't you the feisty one? And thank you for being so patient, though I've probably said that like a thousand times now. Forgetful. (hugs)
Fanficluv7Inu: OMG, that's so cute. I love that. Poor Inuyasha. Haha! Yeah, I wouldn't leave you hanging like that. I'm far too into writing it. (hugs)
HelikaAkileh: Well then hears me telling about the hundredth time, thank you, thank you, thank you for being so uber cool and responding even once. (hugs)
InuyashaGal: Wow, you were a little hyper, weren't you? Crazy crazy Amber! But there will be a big battle before they come together, so it'll be fun along the way. I'm estimating right now maybe 6 chapters from now. Maybe 5, maybe 7. I'll do everything in my power to update early though, and write nice long chapters. (hugs)
Kamira: Yeah, she is stupid sometimes. Argh, but I'm thankful because it means I can have some fun with her. Haha! (hugs)
mooximxaxwhale: That's what'll make writing this so much fun. Ooo, the inner conflict. Must… keep… writing. (hugs)
srg1: I'm glad you think so, cause sometimes I worry that people aren't patient enough to wait around. Quite frankly, I can't wait to get Inuyasha and Kagome together, but I'm holding off for the good of the story. Thank you. (hugs)
a100rinchhead: Yeah, Sesshy's a weirdo, but he looks just so sexy in that outfit. Ooh, I want a big fluffy bushy shoulder thingy. What in the world is that for anyway? Magic powers? Hahaha! (hugs)
trekker4life: Oh, I sure hope you do, cause it'll take a lot of hard work to make everything perfect. It'll be the longest fic I've ever done, so it's really saying something. (hugs)