Well, before I hit off another fun chapter, I just wanted to slip in a little notification; I'm way too lazy to be a frequent updater like Rozefire... (I swear, she updates at least twice a week, I have no idea how she does it!) So, you can ready your flamethrowers for the end of the chapter to singe my ass and get me writing again. Most writers hate being bugged to update, but I actually need the motivater, considering all the crap going on at home. Just as long as it's more like, "I hope you update soon... since I can't wait to read your next chapter because you're such a WONDERFUL author..." (Are you trying to flatter me? 'Cause its workin', babe...) and hopefully NOT "You better fing update right fing now or I'm going to come to your fing house and fing KILL YOU!" (because then I'll cower in a corner in my closet and never write again...)
Uh... Yeah.
Sorry again for the late chapter.
And, on a side note, I would like to... cackles announce that this will be an Inuyasha/Kagome fanfiction... if you haven't figured that out already. Just for that certain reviewer who asked me.
Corrupted Thought
Chapter Four: Stolen
By: Kaji-chan
Kagome turned her eyes away... her vision assaulted by stark change in lighting, the once dark room flooded by a pale white glow, illuminating the figure before her. It was the figure of a lone woman, clothed by responsibilities long forgotten and the hint of darkened pathways. She stood before Kagome in many more ways than just physical manifestation.
"Kikyou..." Kagome breathed.
"Kagome," she whispered back, her tone soft... cautious.
The young miko was unsure how to reply, merely watching a mirrored look in the other woman's eyes. It was almost as if she were wearing a similar expression... a similar expression of apprise and insecurity which also found home to Kagome's orbs.
"Kagome..." she whispered again, once again a reflection of hesitance. "I'm afraid I must be brief."
Her eyebrows pinched, watching Kikyou with confusion. "Brief? Wha--"
A finger pressed to her lips in a request for silence. "Please. Do not speak. Only listen." Kagome was still puzzled, but remained silent to her words. "I have felt a fluxuation in the magic which resides here. Have you felt such a disturbance?"
Kagome was held from speech. Fluxuation? If she was speaking of the horrified tingling sensaton that fluttered down her spine about a minute before Inuyasha grabbed her by the shoulders and terrified her... then yes. If she was speaking of Inuyasha's strange behavior and then his transformation into youkai... then yes. If she was speaking of her mere presence here, unexpected, appearing before her without warning... then yes. Well, perhaps it would be wise to not akwnowledge such to Kikyou when Kagome was as of yet unsure as to her motive. Holding back any explicit details, Kagome nodded slightly, tentatively.
Kikyou reciporacated the nod, her eyebrows lowering in thought. "I see."
Kagome watched her quietly... unsure. "I will be keeping a keen eye on your movements. There is something that resides here which perturbs me."
But more importantly, why was Kikyou telling her this? Why was Kikyou even in the same room as her without an arrow aimed at her throat? "Ah... Kikyou--"
"Listen carefully Kagome, for this will be our only confrontation for a while, as I am to be departing shortly..." Kagome puzzled over this thought as she continued, "And because of such, I am placing the responsibilities of Inuyasha's safety with you." Her eyebrow twitched. "Be alert. This one will strike when you least expect it."
" 'This one', you said... but how--"
She was gone.
People seemed to be doing that a lot to her lately.
A smirk crossed her lips as a wise twinkle illuminated her eyes. "Magic, hm?" She bit her lip, feeling the soft pressure of a fang on her lips. Her fingers itched for the folds of her kimono, but she held them stationary by her sides. "I wonder what she's talking about?"
Her question lingered in the air, unanswered.
"Perhaps not."
The woman hopped down from her perch above the small hut, landing silently on the ground. The only disturbance of sound was the soft flutter of her kimono as she rolled off the balls of her feet to stand, her shoulders set back in comfortably air position. That miko's aura perturbed her with curiousity. Though seemingly dead, she was not absent of the normal vibes she tended to get from... living things. She seemed to be perceptive of her surroundings, but far too dangerous to interact with at the moment. The other woman, however...
She was trusting, optimistic, and powerful.
She was perfect.
Of course, it was no secret that this girl... Kagome... that her powers had reached far beyond that of her half-dead predecessor. She was difficult to sway and deathly loyal. In many ways, she was more of a nucience than she would be anything else in aid to her own situation, but, of the select few choices, she was deemed best fit.
Perhaps this girl's mercy would turn out one for the better.
Kagura smiled.
Kagome was unaware of how long she actually remained awake after the leave of the mysterious miko of sorts, her eyes trained intently on the glowing bottle of shards lying inanimately by her pleasantly plump backpack. The warm pink tickled her nose, dancing stars in her eyes. She stared unblinkingly through the soft glow, unfocused and immersed within a steady stream of inquiring thought.
It was unanamously decided that Kikyou had never been very concerned with Kagome's personal welfare unless it was in direct correlation with that of Inuyasha's, leading to the perturbed expression which contorted the young woman's features. Obviously Kikyou was concerned enough for Inuyasha's well being to inform her of such, but why not tell Inuyasha himself? Surely he was able-bodied enough to take care of himself.
This led Kagome to an even more puzzled inquisition. If it was so important as to inform her, then why was it to be held from Inuyasha's own knowledge, if it concerned his safety? Was Kikyou afraid of something? If so, should Kagome be wary of it as well?
She had also mentioned someone, though no name or description was provided; they appeared to be the "mastermind", as could be put, of this... discrepency. Perhaps they are a sorcerer of sorts? And if so, what could their intentions be? If it concerned Kikyou, they must be enough to where Kagome would have much difficulty in future hidrances with this person, whoever they are.
Kagome closed her eyes, a sigh escaping her lips. Perhaps sleeping on it would do some good? At the moment, the only connection she could make between Kikyou's warning and any past events was Inuyasha's unexpected transformation, but... if he was under the influence of a spell, she definately would have sensed it.
Wouldn't she?
Her eyelids began to droop, and Kagome felt her train of thought beginning to stray. Perhaps it would be a good idea to just sleep on it? Inuyasha would be back by morning, and she would just talk to him about all this. Besides, it was about him, wasn't it?
She wasn't able to complete the thought as she slipped into a restless night of distraught dreams.
Kagome awoke quietly, her eyes squinting against the harsh rays of sunlight against the fogginess of unrest. She sat up slowly, waiting as consciousness began to filter back into her, blinking as she did so. It took a few moments of sitting up in bed and staring blankly at the wall before the previous night's thoughts came back to her.
She looked around the still hut, her eyes searching. It seemed as if he had yet to return. Perhaps it would be in proper place for her to look for him; after Kikyou's warning, she couldn't leave him out by himself, especially in the condition he left in. While she was out, she might as well do a bit of research of this... influence that had come to her attention. It seemed that the best way to go about this would be to begin where this had started... with who this seemed to root from; Kikyou.
It was time for a bit of investigation.
She crept quietly out of her sleeping bag, reaching towards her yellow backpack. She knelt down, fishing out of it her only other change of clothes. She found that bringing a change of clothes was beginning to be a bit of a necessity, since it was so rare that she could wash her dirty, stinky, and sometimes, bloody, clothes in a river. Having that extra set was always a plus.
With a small smile of triumph, she pulled out a familiar dark blue top and light blue skirt. It was what she had dubbed her "study attire", as it was what she always wore when she was at home making up for her excessive absences. Standing, she slipped quietly out of her pajamas and into the skirt, pulling it up to settle at her waistline before pulling the longsleeve shirt over her head. Her attention then turned to the doorway as she straightened her shirt. There was just one more thing she needed to do before she set off.
Sighing, she slipped out into the sunlight. Before she left anywhere, she needed to move her blood-stained uniform out of sight. She couldn't let her friend's know what was going on... not just yet. Not until she, herself, found out what was going on.
Kagome pulled the skirt and blouse from the branches, feeling soft and clean from their airdry. Unfortunately, the stains were not successfully purged, and still gleamed subbornly in her face. She frowned at the clothes, slowly moving back into the hut to hide them in her backpack. They wouldn't go through her things unless they knew something was up, and sincce they didn't know yet, it would be wise not to provoke any unneeded knowledge. Right?
Besides, this wasn't about the "bad presence" that Kikyou was talking about. This was about Inuyasha, and his odd transformation the other night. If she told Miroku and Sango about it, they wouldn't let her venture off by herself or with Inuyasha until they found out what was going on, and who knew how long that would be? She wasn't being impatient, she just really needed to talk to Inuyasha alone about this.
Not only that, but she had a strange feeling that Kikyou's appearance the night before, right after her odd encounter with Inuyasha's transformation, was not complete coincidence. Not that Kikyou had anything to do with the transformation, necissarily, but anything about the three of them needed to stay within the three of them. It would be unfair to drag her friends along with personal matters.
Though, this wasn't really a personal matter... She felt oddly like it was, though her common sense was telling her that she was just trying to complicate things. Not that she wanted anymore complications with Inuyasha and Kikyou. It was bad enough, wasn't it?
She sighed, crawling over to her backpack and flipping over the flap. She moved around the books and packages of ramen around in her bag to make room, wincing as the wrapping on the ramen crinkled loudly in the still quiet of the room.
"Kagome-chan?"
Kagome quickly stuffed her clothes into the bag and turned to the voice, resting on the half sleeping form of her friend, one eye cracked open lazily to gaze at her. Sighing, Sango forced both her eyes open, slowly propping herself up on her elbow to stare blankly at Kagome. "Where are you going?" she mumbled, her eyes fluttering as they seemed to demand more sleep.
"Ah..." Kagome glanced outside fleetingly, and them looked back at Sango. She seemed too tired to have noticed her nervous glance. "I was... going to fetch something I left in the forest last night," she said, stumbling over the lie awkwardly. She was never a very good liar.
Sango raised a sleepy eyebrow at her, though fairly sleep-dazed, picking up on her fumbling with a keen eye. "Really?"
"R-really..." she stuttered, forcing a convincing smile on her features.
The taijiya sighed again, mumbling tiredly to herself as she pushed herself up to a sitting position, grumbling sleepily to herself as she retied her obi and readjusted the neckline of her yukata from its sleep-touseled position. She ran her fingers through her tangled hair, an irritable exhale fluttering against her lips as her fingers were repeatedly caught within a knot. She gave up on her hair, glancing towards Kagome again. "Do you need me to help you look for it?" she asked, stifling a yawn.
Kagome waved her hands in a dismissive manner. "Oh, no! I'll be fine," she brushed off, convincing her with a nod. "If I'm not back in five, you can come get me," she assured her.
Sango glanced at her with an unreadable expression. "Okay... but if you're not back in five minutes, I'm coming to get you," she said, frowing at her.
Kagome smiled in reassurance. "Please, don't worry about me," she said as she slipped through the doorway into the afternoon sun.
Sango frowned at slowly waving door flap, pursing her lips. She wasn't telling her something.
No matter how many times he had walked this trail before, it still seemed strange and foreign to his memory. Every step he took along the tangled pathway, the un-traversed road towards a place that he revered and despised at a similar instance of feeling. It was a sanctuary of reference where he commonly composed himself a disposition of hatred, guilt, and remnicence.
Kikyou's grave.
He sometimes came here to seek a sense of calm. He never understood why he did this. It was some strange feeling that would pull him towards this place whenever he was confused or angry. Perhaps he found inner peace here; yet this possibility was ruled as an impossibility, for in no instance was he at peace in the memory of her death.
It was for such reason that he came to a conclusion; going to her grave was not a place where he found tranquility or understanding, it was where he was faced with the painful suffocation of his life's mistakes and failed attonements. It was where he realized that even though he knew Kikyou would not return the feelings which he held for her, they would never disappear. It was also where he first discovered that his love for Kagome was equal to, if not surpassing, his love for Kikyou, and that he would never be able to give any of it to her.
So, perhaps, this shrine to the dead was more of a clamp upon his soul; something that drew out his life and willingness to live. Something that would forever scar him.
His unfocused eyes came into focus as he realligned his thoughts with his forward moveent, looking before him into the break in the trees, already feeling a pull at his chest as he spotted the tombstone and small memorial shrine glinting in the sharp intensity of the day's light. Yet this small twang in his chest did not amount to half of what strained his heart as he spotted a familiar figure kneeling before the grave; a figure which, in its own irony, was looking at the buried spirit of herself.
Kagome.
He felt a sudden flash of pain assault him, clutching his head as it exploded into pain. "What the--" he hissed through clenched teeth. He leaned awkwardly against a tree as the bright sunlight flickered in his vision, slowly darkening to a grey blur as the pain in his temples was so great that it drowned out the sun.
"Ka...gome..."
Her eyes gazed at the kanji etched into the tombstone, retracing it again with the gentle touch of her fingertips, memorizing the name of her identical soul, an odd glimmer in her eyes. She watched the soft glint of sunlight reflect off of its smooth surface, her expression soft as she was immersed in thought. "Kikyou..." she whispered, the name heavy on her lips.
If this was where her questions began, perhaps this would be the sanctity where they would be answered.
She closed her eyes, drawing in a slow, soft breath as if for courage. Her eyes lifted, lingering on the softly padded dirt before her, as if the earth would reach up through her fingers and possess her with answers.
Who was Kikyou talking about when she came to her? Was is someone that they knew, or had crossed paths with in the past? If so, what kind of grudge did they hold against her and Inuyasha?
Perhaps it wasn't someone she knew. Maybe it was someone from Inuyasha's past or... from Kikyou's past?
She squeezed her eyes shut, his hands raking into the ground, curling into fists against the soft dirt as she was overwhelmed by aggravation. She wasn't answering anything. All this was doing was creating more annoying questions left unanswered.
Unless... it had something to do with her past? But that made no sense... wouldn't she remember something like that? And Kikyou surely would have been more specific if Kagome had encountered it before, right?
A sigh escaped her lips, her fingers weakening against the ground as her breif bit of anger melted away, leaving her feeling strangely refreshed. Perhaps she should leave this to her grave. Perhaps Kikyou would find a solution without Kagome's help. Besides... it wasn't really her problem anyway. It wasn't like she was being affected by this new... situation. Well, not yet anyway.
She felt a familiar sensation tingle down the back of her spine, and a warm feeling pulled at the back of her conscious. She would know that presence anywhere. "Eh?" she said, turning her eyes from the tombstone. She hadn't even noticed him approach her. Kagome smiled. "Inuyasha, you could have said something, you..."
She trailed off, her smile fading. "Inuyasha...?"
Sango glanced out the door, one eyebrow cocked as she crossed her arms. "Its been a bit longer than five minutes..." she mumbled.
There was something about that look that Kagome had given her right before she left... something that gave her the chills, but she didn't know why. Something definately wasn't right. Why would she have run off like that, especially so early in the morning? And to give her such a lame excuse in return for her questions...
The taijiya sighed, turning to her neatly folded futon, her eyes resting upon the boomerang lying next to it. "Perhaps I should go check on her?" she murmered, moving towards her weapon.
"Is something wrong, Sango?"
She shifted her gaze to the other corner of the room, blinking at Miroku. "Eh? What do you mean?"
She watched tensely as the monk slanted her a curious look. "You have been staring at that window for quite some time, now. I would have said earlier, but..."
"No, nothing is wrong..." she said, taking a step away from Hiraikotsu. "I just... I'm waiting."
Miroku folded his arms, nodding. "Kagome-sama has not come back, yet?"
Sango seemed a bit startled by his words, staring at his expression. "You knew?"
"I heard you speaking this morning," he responded calmly.
She felt another sigh pause against her lips, and her arms dropped from their crossed position to hang by her sides. "I don't know why she would lie to me," she said, her eyebrows drawn together as she pondered the morning's events with concern. "What would she have to hide?"
Her eyes strayed to Kagome's backpack. What did she stuff in there this morning that she was so hasty to hide from her?
The monk nodded again, almost gravely, and stood. "Perhaps it is something trivial... I'm sure if it was of importance that she would inform us without much hesitation."
"I know, but..." Sango closed her eyes. After a short pause, in which she took a slow, deepened breath, she lifted her lashes to gaze across at Miroku's still, observing form. "What if it is important, and she just doesn't know, yet?"
Miroku walked towards her, placing a hand upon the lip of the windowsil, looking out into the morning's forest line. "Are you speaking of the night before?"
She bit her lip, nodding. "I just... I can't shake that horrible feeling I got. Something was going on by the well."
Miroku turned, laying a consoling hand on her shoulder. "If it would put your mind at ease, I will accompany you to investigate."
Sango smiled softly, looking down shyly at his hand. "Yes... thank you... I--"
For some reason, she wasn't too surprised by the familiar carress on her backside, nor the reflexive slap that followed in response to the light squeeze. "Thank you, houshi-sama..." she hissed, clenching her fist as she forced herself to look beyond his absence of his morals and concentrate on the matter at hand.
Miroku sighed, folding his arms into his robes and ignoring the handprint adorning his cheek with the utmost expertise. "I'm sorry, Sango. It was reflexive."
"Of course it was..." she muttered, reaching down and clasping the tassle of Hiraikotsu, grunting as she lifted it over her shoulder. "Lets go, then, shall we?" She turned to him with an expectant glare. "Well? Aren't you going to--"
A gasp reached her lips. He was taut, his eyes wide as he looked out the window. She followed his gaze, feeling her chest clench in a terrified anticipation. "What is it, houshi-sama?"
He grabbed his staff, the rings jangling as he turned to her, hands gripping the shakujou with tight, white knuckles. "Do you feel that, Sango?"
She nodded, biting her lip.
"Lets go."
"Inuyasha!"
Her lips trembled as her gaze fixed upon his form. A smirk had stretched across his expression, and he flexed his claws before him, their length glinting in the harsh sunlight. It wasn't until she laid eyes upon this form in the light of day that she could truely see its horror.
He took slow, haggard steps towards her, his feet dragging upon the ground as he made his way forward. She felt herself take a stumbling step back, away from the menacing grin glinting in his red eyes, and froze. Was she running?
Kagome's terrified expression faltered, and her eyebrows drew low above her eyes as she narrowed them in determination. No. She would not leave him.
His smirk slowly faded as he observed her frown, a disapproving frown of his own contorting his already twisted features. He raised a clawed hand before him, as if showing it to her. "Are you... not afraid, girl?" he said, voice raw and disturbingly low-pitched.
A shiver ran up her spine, and she felt her determination faulter again as fear began to strangle the back of her conscious. Of course she was afraid. She was deathly afraid.
But there were more important emotions... more powerful emotions than fear.
"Inuyasha..." she whispered, a crack in her tone. He noted it. "What... what is happening...?" The words she couldn't form the night before were forcing their way through her clenched throat.
"What... is happening...?" he repeated, his words slow and ragged as he seemed to process her question. "What is happening?" he said again, another smirk spreading across his lips, exposing a long fang beneath it. "I have power," he rasped, another chill causing her body to tense.
He took another step forward, watching as her foot staggered, willing her to run, but she did not move. Her hands had begun to tremble, but her expression remained firm as she gazed at him.
He lifted his hand, holding it out before him. Flexing his claws, he slowly drew them to his stomach, watching her with every movement, watching for every slight bout of hesitation in her eyes. She faintly realized that his chest was still bare, as she hadn't had the chance to sew the tear in his haori, and the torn pieces were hanging from a haphazardly tied position at his waist.
He slowly pushed against his stomach, barely wincing as his claws sunk into his abdomen; a gasp escaped her lips. Her determination was beginning to waver, her lips parting, watching him with disbelief and holding her breath.
He suddenly ripped outwards, rending another set of gashes over the scars already lacerated across his front, and a cry wrenched its way through her throat. Without a second thought, she darted towards him, reaching out to pull away his claws, her eyes quivering in concern and alarm.
"What are you doing!" she cried, her voice strained and broken as she pulled at his wrist, jerking his claws away from his body. Her fingers brushed over the new wounds, blood blossuming from the incisions and dribbling down his front.
Inuyasha bared his fangs, their elongated tips overlapping his mouth to bite into the soft skin of his lip. Kagome reached a hand up to touch his face, his eyes immediately drawing to stare at her trembling fingers, his eyes narrowing in what seemed to be a suppressed irritation. Kagome slid her blood tipped fingers over the smooth line of his jaw, cupping his jaw with her stained palm and forcing a smile at him, burying the strangled hurt from his disgusted frown as she touched his skin.
"Inuyasha…" she whispered, her voice scratched but strong. He showed no sign of registering her words. She drew in a sharp breath, the hand on his cheek curling in panic; however, she did not let her fear travel to the stormy depths of her eyes. She gazed into the unyielding shields of his ice blue corruption, finding a soft tone touch her heart in stark contrast to his own harsh exterior. "Inuyasha, you must turn back!"
"You stupid woman. He cannot turn back."
Her eyes widened, their cloudy blue color seizing and darkening to a deep, ashen grey. It was then that her miko powers overtook her, washing through her body as if the small trickle had broken through to release a powerfully flowing river of purification. Her eyes opened, this time to see beyond the image before her. She searched deep within him; her two years of experience and self-discovery of her own distinctive powers were now coming into play. Two years pervious, she was merely a girl from the future who had fairly good aim with a bow and a glimpse of her naturally imbedded purification powers. But her miko abilities, as she had come to ascertain, extended far beyond anything of her comprehension as a young, inexperienced 15-year-old.
Mastering the art of archery was mere child's play compared to what she was now capable of; her powers has exceeded far beyond the reaches of Kikyou's in her life. Now she was able to correspond her purification abilities through her hands, not just through a bow and arrow. With intensive training from Toutousai, she was building fairly amiable swordsmanship; hence, she was beginning to undertake the powers of holy sword skills, hind's sight, and aura cleansing. Anything she touched, she could search the aura of its most pervious contact, and utilize any weapon—though at the moment was limited to archery, swords, and small daggers—with her purifying abilities.
The touch of her hands against Inuyasha's face would have been all she needed to find and cleanse his aura, but the blood on her fingertips was interfering with her connection to him. That, and the obstruction of another. Kagome's eyes dilated as they drew darker and unfocused, looking beyond his physical appearance to search his living ambiance. Her senses were assaulted by an unfamiliar presence—a dark presence. Inuyasha wasn't the one speaking. Someone was controlling him.
Suddenly everything began to fall into place, and she was no longer cluelessly staring at the puzzle. Suddenly, her eyes began to focus on the picture.
'This one will strike when you least expect it.'
Her lips parted in a soft gasp, her eyes widening as she realized just exactly what was happening, almost so strongly that she felt the urge to harshly scold herself for missing it.
She should have noticed the first time he transformed... not the second. She should have known when she first grasped onto the strange, swirling chaos in his eyes. When he looked at her... that it wasn't him looking at her.
It was someone else.
His chest was still cased in sweat, drenched in the salty mixture of exhaustion; his breaths were jagged and worn as his chest shakily rose and fell. Inuyasha was still there; buried—but there. He was fighting them. But loosing.
Her eyes narrowed, and her hand slipped from his cheek, trailing down his neck and the smooth of his chest to meet her other hand pressed against the muscles of his center. She laid both hands next to each other, pressing the flat of her blood-smeared palm against his sternum, feeling her fingers slip against the mixed blood and sweat on his chest.
Inuyasha's expression dropped its malicious smirk, his eyes narrowing in anger as his head snapped down to glare at the placement of her hands on his chest, her hands slowly beginning to pulse. He would not fight alone. She pressed her palms flat into the soft contour of his bare chest, biting her lip as her fingers were encased in a soft, light pink glow. "Get out of him!" she cried, her brows drawn down in concentration.
Inuyasha's body was wracked with a strong spasm as her powers lanced through his body, jolting the alien presence with a powerful blow. He growled, and she hesitated slightly. Suddenly, his growl turned into a chuckle, his lungs contracting in laughter as he scoffed her weak efforts. Kagome held back her contempt.
"Stupid girl." The voice continued to speak, Inuyasha's lips moving to the alien tones not his own, mouthing and forming words not of his making. "Your powers are a nuicense," he hissed, looking down upon her through glowing, red eyes. His hands moved to encircle her upper arms, squeezing them tightly as she winced beneath his grip. "I will take them from you."
Kagome's head snapped back as a shockwave of electricity shot up her spine, causing her to reel back and arch her spine. Her mouth opened to scream, but no sound was emitted from her lips, thinned and open in shock. Suddenly, she felt her body being lurched forward, as if something was being yanked forward from her. She tried to grasp it, her lips tembling and fingers curling. "No..."
Slowly, she began to feel a soft, draining sensation. Her eyelids drooped, feeling a strong sense of exhaustion flood through her, suddenly becoming strangely weak. Her knees wobbled, her head lolling forward as she felt her muscles go limp, dropping her suppot from under neath her. She slipped forward to collapse into his chest, his tightened grip on her shoulders the only force keeping her upright as her legs feebly sank inwards. She was suddenly very tired...
Her eyes fluttered closed, her breathing ragged and uneven as she drew in deep, heavy breaths. She vaguely remembered why she was feeling so listless, her thoughts now clouded as a strong fatigue washed over her. Kagome slumped entirely in his hold, weakly realizing that something was wrong... something wasn't right. "Inu..." she mumbled unconsciously, "...yasha..."
Her thoughts suddenly paused, and she momentarily forgot her impending debilitation. What...?
Her fingers curled as she fought the dazed weight against her consciousness, drawing in a slow, ragged breath as they curled against the familiar texture of red cloth. Fire-rat...?
She drew in another slow, raw breath, pulling in the strong scent that surrounded her. The soft, pleasant smell of the forest, blanketed by a strange... unfamiliar scent. Blood...?
Her eyes slowly opened.
Inuyasha...?
Kagome's hands entwined around the cloth, clenching his haori with a tensed, almost panic-stricken grip.
INUYASHA!
Her eyes shot open, her legs twitching as she forced strength back into them, fighting against the weary muscles with a renewed energy. "Inu... yasha..." her voice strained, choked and raspy. "Inu... yasha!" she repeated, her limp knees fortifying, pushing against her slump. Her fingers laced through his haori, trembling as she pulled herslef up, forcing her body to her feet.
His grip faltered, and he glanced down at her, his eyes narrowed as she pushed against his drain. "What do you think you're--"
In the split second he took to release his lock on her soul, she reversed the spell, yanking her lost energy from his hold and turning it on him. She felt her powers slam back into her body, winding her as she exploded into purple light, her hair whipping around her face as she stumbled back from him, her fists clenched in rage.
He regarded her with a slight shock, watching with an almost twisted interest as she was enveloped in a purple fire, the flames dancing in her eyes as she burned hatred into his. He merely smiled, a strange, coiled smile, tilting his chin towards her. Without another word, the menacing presence disappeared, dissolving into Inuyasha's slumped form as he pitched forward, unconscious.
The light was swept from her body as she released it, returning to dormantly sleep inside of her, a gasp escaping from her lips. Tears plagued her eyes as she ran forward, dropping to her knees before him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders, burying her face into his shoulder. "I'm sorry..." she whispered, "I'm so sorry..."
And that's how they found them.
Hm. Interesting end. Have Sango and Miroku found out yet? I can't wait for chapter five, can't you?
Until next time!
Next chapter: Fractions