Not much to say.. except ENJOY!

Chapter 14: Back to Kaede's

Kagome looked at herself and noticed she was still in her normal clothes. She looked around for a moment and saw she was still in hell. 'It really was all a dream than?' She thought. 'Thank god.' She sighed. The physical pain she had been going through was nothing compared to that nightmare.

She suddenly fell. The chains released from her wrist and she felt like her arms were going to fall off. Her shoulders were dislocated. She was almost positive.

"Why were the chains released?" She wondered. She looked up and focused her blurry vision on a form in red. The warm presence was so nice. "Inuyasha?" She asked. Such a presence could only come from him.

"Kagome, are you okay?" She heard him ask as he knelt in front of her. She nodded. When he went to touch her she flinched back. She couldn't help, but feel a little afraid of him. He had raped her. Only in her nightmare of course, but it felt real enough. She just needed a little while to recognize it actually was only a nightmare.

Inuyasha was stunned she had flinched from him. He frowned. What had happened here? Inuyasha looked at Kagome's horrible wounds and knew she was probably in a lot of pain.

"Kagome, I'm going to get you out of here. I'm going to get you to Kaede's and she'll get you all fixed up." Inuyasha picked her slim form up bridal style. She leaned into his chest fatigued and closed her eyes. She sighed. It felt nice to be in his arms. His body was warm and his presence comforted her. Knowing she loved him made her feel good.

"Stop right there!" Came a small voice. Inuyasha turned with Kagome. He was careful with her. She was hurt still. He would have to be gentler with her once they got back to the living. After all here she couldn't die, but there she could.

"What do you want!" Inuyasha bit out. He noticed it was a minion. Kagome recognized the minion as one who whipped her. She would have glared, but merely turned back and leaned into the warmth of Inuyasha's chest. He held her tighter and more protectively.

"She.." He pointed to Kagome. "Killed my master, Hayabusa. She killed Akumu as well."

"She did nothing. She was chained up."

"Her miko powers purified them! Now they no longer exist anywhere. She can't live after this."

"Miko powers... so that's what the light was." Inuyasha said to himself. He looked at the minion. The minion looked like a weak imp. Inuyasha looked at Kagome and saw she really needed and wanted rest. He couldn't waste his time trying to fight an immortal imp.

Inuyasha jumped past the imp and decided there had to be a quicker way out than the way he came. He ran silently and made sure not to be seen. The imp wouldn't be able to keep up with him at this rate.

Inuyasha stopped in the place he was in earlier with Kagome and Hayabusa. It was the place Hayabusa and Inuyasha first made the pact concerning the feza-ki. Speaking of that... Inuyasha wondered where that thing could have gotten too.

Inuyasha looked up and noticed a small glow. 'A barrier. Hah. I can't wait to get out of here.' He placed Kagome down softly and a small whimper came from her form. He took out his sword. It glowed a fiery red.

"Wind scar!" he slashed at the barrier and it disappeared. He sheathed his sword and quickly picked up Kagome as they were taken into a purple twister.

Inuyasha landed on his feet in the field. Kagome looked at him thankfully, but passed out. He would have expected that. She was after all pretty beat up. Her breathing wasn't even. She was slashed up pretty badly. Her shoulders were still dislocated. That would be painful for her. It was good she was passed out, or else she'd be in a lot of pain right now.

Meanwhile

Kaede gaped at Miroku and Sango's explanation. The two were seated and by now the small family that was there had left back to their own village.

"Fate can be cruel." Kaede looked down. She wondered what Inuyasha had been up to earlier and hoped it had something to do with bringing Kagome back. Sango was now crying. It was to much to handle.

Shippo came bounding in and saw all of the sad faces. He knew what was going on. He had been there when Kagome had disappeared. He had left right after Hayabusa said she was dead and went to Kaede's and started acting like it never happened. He hoped when his friends returned they would have good news, but from the looks on their faces he assumed nothing was good in the news this afternoon.

"Kagome.." Shippo looked down and started crying. He tried to hold it in. Inuyasha had said a man never cried in public. He felt arms around him and looked up to see a teary eyed Sango.

"It's alright to cry Shippo." She said and pulled him closer. He cried into her chest. Miroku looked down. He too could feel tears springing. Kagome was the most important part of the group and everyone knew that. If it weren't for her none of them would have ever been friends and Naraku may still be alive to this day.

"We must pray for her." Miroku said sadly. "Come we will go to the spot she disappeared and hope she has peace in the after life." Miroku stood with his staff and kept his eyes down as he began to walk out. All eyes followed him.

Miroku was knocked the ground as he bumped into something. Everyone looked astonished. Inuyasha stood with an angry look holding the unconscious Kagome.

"Watch where you're fricking going before you wake Kagome up, monk!" Inuyasha hissed.

"Wake her up?" Miroku stood and looked over Kagome. "She's alive!" He said happily. Everyone got up to see if she was alright. When they saw her fully they all frowned again. Her face was contorted in pain and she was slashed and bruised all over. Her condition would need immediate tending too.

"Lie her down Inuyasha. We must tend to her wounds." Kaede said hastily and straitened a futon out for Kagome. Inuyasha nodded and placed her softly down on the futon.

Kaede gave directions on all the things she would need. It only took a few minutes for everything to be set.

"I must clean her wounds. You must all leave now except for Sango." Kaede commanded. Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara all walked out, but Inuyasha looked reluctant. "You must leave. Kagome would want respect."

"Feh, I'm going. I'll be back as soon as she dressed again though." Inuyasha got up and walked to the door. He looked back once more. "Her shoulders need to be relocated. If she is harmed any farther I'll kill you ya old hag." He left.

"Sango, I think it's best to relocate her shoulder first." Kaede informed. Sango nodded.

"I hope she doesn't wake up." Sango gripped Kagome and made she didn't move as Kaede began to relocate Kagome's shoulders. Kagome winced even in her sleep.

Once Kagome's shoulder was relocated Sango and Kaede removed her clothing except for her under clothes. They figured Kagome wouldn't want that removed by anyone but herself.

Kaede and Sango wet cloths and began to clean Kagome's wounds slowly. Sango added soap Kagome had given her to her cloth so Kagome's wounds would be better cleaned.

"How do you think she got this bad?" Sango asked as she gentle washed a large gap caused by the whip.

"I am not sure. When Kagome awakes we should give her time before asking her questions. She needs rest." Kaede had taken a bucket and some shampoo from Kagome to wash Kagome's hair. She dipped it into the bucker of water to clean the shampoo and next added conditioner.

"Of course. Exactly how long should it take her to recover?"

"I am confident she will recover and live on. With her will it shouldn't take her to long to recover. I believe it will take two weeks. She has no broken bones. Only deep wounds now and who knows what mental wounds she has at this point."

"Inuyasha should know how she is still living. I'll have to ask him later." Sango mumbled and finished cleaning the wound and moved onto the next.

Meanwhile

Inuyasha sat on the porch. He had just given Miroku an explanation of what happened. At least all he knew about it. Shippo and Kirara had to leave, since Shippo was to young to understand.

"You saw Naraku!" Miroku asked astounded. Inuyasha nodded.

"Yea, what'd you think? We killed the bastard. It's not like he'd end up in heaven." Inuyasha crossed his arms.

Meanwhile

Kaede and Sango finished cleaning Kagome up.

"Now to get some clean clothes on her." Sango looked around and noticed Kaede get up. Sango's eyes followed the old priestesses moves.

The old woman stopped and knelt in front of an old floor board. She lifted her hand and dropped it strongly on the board. It popped up.

"What are you.." Sango began. Kaede waved her hand to silence her.

After a moment Kaede pulled a box from the floor board. She used her hand to remove some dust from the top.

"What is it?" Sango asked.

"It is a kimono. My mother had left it for me when I came of age. She never expected I would become a priestess. This kimono was to be my everyday where, but I never got a chance to wear it. I am to old for it now and since Kagome is the closest thing to a daughter I'll ever have she should have it. She most likely will feel uncomfortable wearing my sisters clothing again."

"I see."

Kaede opened the box and lifted out a beautiful silk kimono. It was a red kimono. The red matched Inuyasha's haori. On the upper left was a dragon. The dragon was a red darker than the kimono. The silky kimono glowed and suited someone of higher standards.

"It's beautiful." Sango said in awe.

"Aye. My mother was a woman of very good taste."

Meanwhile

"What do you think caused Kagome's miko powers to erupt as they had?" Miroku asked. Inuyasha looked down in wonder.

"I don't know. I think it was like a form a self defense. It looked like she was having a nightmare.

"Kagome you shouldn't be up." Came Sango's voice from within the hut. Inuyasha stood up. He was about to enter, but Kagome existed. She looked warn out, but beautiful. Inuyasha was frozen in his tracks at the sight of her in such beautiful clothing. "Kagome you should rest."

"Inuyasha.." Kagome said and looked up at Inuyasha weakly. She started crying and ran into his arms and hugged him tightly. Inuyasha was a little surprised and at first didn't embrace her back, but after a moment he did.

All the friends looked startled at Kagome's sudden affectionateness toward Inuyasha.

"Oh.. Inuyasha. I was so scared. I thought you wouldn't come for me. Hayabusa said... Hayabusa said..." Kagome stopped herself. She didn't want to say to much. She didn't want to tell him about Hayabusa saying Inuyasha would forget her and be happy with Kikyo.

"Hayabusa said what?" Inuyasha asked.

"N.. nothing. I just thought you had no way to get to me." She continued to hug him. She suddenly pulled away blushing. She hadn't really paid attention to the close contact between them. "Sorry." She apologized hoarsely.

Kagome felt strange and comfortable. She looked down to see what she was wearing and gasped.

"It's beautiful..." She looked over to Kaede, who only smiled. Kagome smiled back. "But wait.." Kagome frowned. "Where are my other clothes?"

"They are ripped.." Sango began, but saw the worried look on Kagome's face. "They're in the hut, but I don't think you'll be able to wear them again. They're really torn."

"That's okay." Kagome ran into the hut and picked up her skirt. She ruffled through the pockets and smiled when she pulled out the completed jewel. She could finally rest. Everything was alright.

"Kagome." Inuyasha and the others ran into the hut to see what she was doing. Inuyasha saw the jewel in her hands. She smiled at him and then her eye lids dropped and she began to pass out again. Inuyasha ran and caught her. He sighed. She was alright and that was all that mattered.

Inuyasha rested her body on a mat and walked over to her backpack. He pulled out her sleeping bag and figured she'd be more comfortable in it. He was glad Kagome showed his what a zipper was.

Inuyasha unzipped it and walked over to Kagome. He picked her up and rested her in the sleeping bag and zipped in back up around her.

Sorry about how long it took to update. I hope you liked it!