Disclaimer- Blah, blah. Yadda, yadda. Consider Inuyasha disclaimed.
AN- Thanks too all my reviewers! I love them all! I love the 'as you go' reviews too, it lets me know what you are thinking through the whole thing.
I've changed the rating on this story from T to M, just to be on the safe side. I apologize if this causes any problems to some people, but Id rather not get my story deleted over something stupid. That said...
Warning- Gore factor later on. Squeamish beware.
I have a nice surprise for you at the end too!
Training
Whoosh!
Thunk!
The arrow embedded itself in the center of the target. The fletching trembled slightly from the impact.
"Wow, dead center the first time! That was great Lady Kaede."
Kaede bowed her slightly in thanks. "Now it is your turn. Where ye paying attention to my stance and how to position the arrow?"
Kagome nodded and picked out an arrow from the quiver at her feet, notching it in the string. Turning to one side, she moved her feet apart slightly and lifted the bow, pulling back the string while aiming at the tree in the distance. Kagome took a deep breath and sighted down her finger before releasing the bowstring. The arrow shot through the air, arcing a bit.
"Aww."
It fell about ten feet short and embedded itself in the dirt.
"Do not worry too much about your first few tries. It will come with practice. Watch again." Kaede picked up another arrow and fired it again. Kagome noticed how Kaede pulled the string back much farther than she had and also aimed at little higher.
Kagome repeated her attempt, this time managing to get the arrow almost to the target.
"Much better Kagome, now let me show ye a few more things..."
An hour later, Kagome was tired, sweaty, dirty (from chasing after stray arrows) and incredibly proud of herself. She was nowhere near as good as Kaede, but she could finally hit the target. And it had only taken a few hundred tries to get to it.
"Ye have done well child. I knew that ye would be well suited to archery."
Kagome smiled as she picked up another arrow and notched it. "I think so too. What made you think so in the first place?" She pulled back the bow string, her arm shaking slightly from all the new exercise it was receiving.
Kaede noticed and said, "I think this shall be out last one for today."
Kagome stretched the string back as far as it would go, aiming into the distance, determined to make her final arrow hit smack dab in the middle.
"But as to why I knew ye would be a natural, it was because my sister was a master archer also."
'Oh right. Her.' Her concentration slipped for a second a she released the arrow, distracted by thoughts of the dead priestess.
"Aaah!" Kagome dropped her bow, tears stinging her eyes as she clutched her arm to her chest. That had hurt!
"Oh dear. Let me have a look child."
Kagome held her arm out to the priestess, biting her lip to keep from crying out again. She watched as Kaede examined the large red welt on her forearm. It was about two inches wide and four inches long and extremely swollen. But then what did she expect when something snapped across her skin at a thousand miles an hour? Well, Kaede had warned her about getting her arm too close to the string. Served her right for not paying attention.
"I think," Kaede said with a smile, giving her hand a slight pat, "that now would be the perfect time to learn about healing herbs. We shall start with the ones that are good for burns."
"That sounds like a good idea," Kagome said with a pained grin. "I'll get the arrows. I think that last one flew over there somewhere." She nodded her head off to the left, past a large group of bushes. She quickly gathered all the other arrows at the target before tromping off after the stray one.
"If ye cannot find it, do not worry. One arrow is no great loss."
"Okay, I'm sure it's right over here though... aha!" Said arrow lay innocently on the ground, definitely no where near the middle of the target, but hey, there was always tomorrow. She leaned down to pick it up and saw something flash by in the corner of her eye. Something... blue.
"Huh?" Turning her head, she searched the bushes for some sign, but saw nothing. Funny...
Again she saw something flash in the corner of her eye, this time in the other direction. Spinning around, she quickly scanned area but still saw nothing. 'I'm losing it. Better get back before Kaede gets worried.' Kagome scooped the arrow off the ground and ran back to the older woman, smiling as she held up the arrow.
"Found it!"
"Aye, so ye did. Let's go see to that burn now."
"Alright." Kagome trailed after the priestess, listening as she told her about the different types of plants found around the forest and their medicinal properties. She glanced back to their practice area, searching one last time for whatever it was she saw, but still found nothing. She gave a mental shrug and put it out of her mind.
A pair of bright, inquisitive eyes watched curiously from the trees as she exited the forest.
The time passed swiftly for Kagome, who found herself faced with so many different things at once, she was afraid her head would explode. Soon it was late afternoon on the second day. She couldn't really be certain, but she thought it was probably close to four o'clock. They had just returned from a house call to a child who had fallen from a tree and broken his arm. Considering the lack of modern medicine and plaster for casts, Kagome thought Kaede had done a very good job at fixing the boy up. ''I'll have to remember to bring some of the medicine from my time to show her. It wouldn't hurt to bring some band-aids and gauze as well.' Kagome was mentally listing off all the things she should bring next time when Kaede suddenly come to a stop.
Looking up with a curious expression Kagome asked, "What's wrong?"
Kaede was looking off to her left towards the forest. "I feel the presence of a demon."
Kagome spun around to face the same direction as the priestess. "A demon! Where?" Now that she was on guard, she could actually feel something herself. A creeping chill that edged up her spine. It raised the little hairs on the back of her neck and made her shiver. Kaede noticed this and nodded her head at Kagome.
"Do ye feel it as well then?"
"I... I think so. It feels weird."
"Aye. What ye are feeling is the demonic aura of whatever is out there. It is not close or it would be stronger. Though it is too close now for my liking." The old woman turned to face Kagome. "I will go investigate this demon with some of the village men. Ye should stay here."
"But-"
"Nay child." Kaede shook her head decisively. "Ye do not know enough to be of any help."
'Harsh, but true...'
"Alright. Please be careful Lady Kaede."
The old priestess smiled, the wrinkles in her face deepening with the gesture. For some reason, Kagome found it oddly comforting to see. "Do not worry Kagome. I am well practiced in getting rid of demons." With that, Kaede hurried away to gather together her group.
Kagome stood in the same spot for a minute, looking around and wondering what she was supposed to do. She fingered the bow that was slung over her shoulder. Kaede had told her to keep it with her, because even though she wasn't very good with it yet, it might save her life. It would also be a deterrent to the more cowardly thieves around here, who wouldn't want to attack an armed person, female or not.
'Well, no use just standing around looking stupid.' Still unsure of what she should do, Kagome picked a direction and began walking. As she wandered about she couldn't help but notice a feeling that she was being watched. As she glanced around from the corner of her eyes, she could see people smiling at her, while others would point at her while talking to others and make excited gestures with their hands.
'Weird...'
Turning around the side of a house, she accidentally bumped into a young woman and her child. "Oh excuse me. I'm sorry; I wasn't watching where I was going."
The woman smiled brightly and shook her head. "Oh please don't worry, Lady Kagome. No harm done." She gave a polite bow and continued walking.
'Eh...Lady?'
Deciding to go back to Kaede's hut, if only to get away from the polite stares, Kagome made her way back across the village. Once she reached the hut, she began to build a small fire as she had been shown the night before. It was slow going, but she managed to get a tiny flame started and inwardly congratulated herself while at the same time mentally adding matches and lighters to her growing list of things to bring next time. She was just debating whether or not to start making dinner, or at least trying to make dinner, when a scream broke through the quietness of the hut. Startled, Kagome let her hand slip and caught her fingers in the flames. Quickly snatching her singed fingers back, she blessed her inability to make a decent sized fire. In the same breath she cursed her horrible luck with burns in this era. Kagome hurried to the door, sucking on her hot fingers as she popped her head out to see what the commotion was. When she saw the crowd of people gathered around one collapsed figure, she ran from the door and joined them.
"What's going on?"
Several people turned to her, relief in their eyes. "Lady Kagome is here!"
"Lady Kagome!"
"Lady Kagome, Shuu is hurt!" She assumed Shuu was the person on the ground. The crowd parted to let her through and not sure what else she should do, she went and knelt next to the injured man. She had thought he was unconscious at first, but when she leaned closer to take a better look at the wound on his chest, he opened his eyes and looked into her face, his gaze a bit unfocused. He was probably around his mid thirties, but at the moment, he looked twice as old. His face was pale and sweaty, pinched in a grimace of pain. His eyes were tight and when he spoke, she could tell it took a lot of effort.
"Demon... demon attacked... in the forest... Lady Kaede... tell... Lady Kaede..." He wheezed harshly, trying to breath through the pain.
"It's okay, don't worry. Lady Kaede has already gone out to take care of it." His eyes fell closed at her words. She noticed his face was paling even more as the blood stain on his shirt grew wider, staining almost the entire piece of material a deep shade of red. For the first time she noticed a slight gurgling sound as he labored for breath.
'That's... that's his lungs...it's punctured his lungs.'
Even if they were back in her own time, there would have been little chance of him surviving. He would have had to been immediately brought to a hospital. And even then...
But they weren't in her time. And there were no hospitals. But still. Still...
"Someone! Bring me a cloth to stop the bleeding! I need bandages and... And hot water!" What else was there here she could use? She still didn't know enough about herbs to know what would help at a time like this. But still...
"Hurry!"
Several people ran off to get what she asked for and she soon found a large piece of material being pressed into her hands, probably someone's shirt. She quickly folded it and pressed it against the man's wound, crushing it against him in hopes off stemming the seemingly never ending flow of blood.
'Please...please...'
The man's breathing was a combination of ragged scratchy intakes and wet gurgling releases of air. It hurt her ears to hear it.
"Just hold on okay?" she whispered to the man beneath her. He opened his eyes again. People were coming back with the bandages and water. There was no helping it; she could see the look in his eyes. That he knew it too. But still...
Kagome removed the cloth from his wound and gently peeled back his shirt, using the water to loosen the fabric when it stuck to his skin. It took a while to get it off completely, mostly because it was in shreds and she could only remove a section at a time, some parts she had to practically remove from inside his skin. When she could finally see what she was dealing with, Kagome closed her eyes and prayed. There was just no helping it.
Still...
Opening her eyes, she grabbed a handful of bandages and soaked them in the water, biting her lip when her already burned fingers hit the hot water. She wiped away the semi-dried blood around the wound and got her first really good look at the gash. She wished she had left the shirt on. Four long gouges ripped across his chest from shoulder to shoulder, cutting deep into his flesh and bone. So deep that Kagome could see the twitching of muscle and the movement of something else underneath all the mangled flesh and splintered bone. She didn't want to know what that something else was, but she had a sinking suspicion that the rhythmic movement of it would soon cease.
'Oh God, I'm going to be sick!' But she bit her lip harder to distract herself, not even noticing when her teeth tore right through the soft skin. She continued to clean the wound as best she could, though it was difficult when the blood still seeped steadily from his body. Over her hands, onto her clothes, under her legs. How was it possibly to contain so much of it in a single body?
She was sweating profusely now and her burn from yesterday was burning like fire across her forearm. She welcomed the distraction however and focused on the sensation instead of what was in front of her. Her mind's only thought was not to be sick, not now, not here.
She worked until she couldn't do anymore for him. She blindly reached for more bandages, perhaps in hope of trying to stop the bleeding again, but her hand found empty air. She looked to the ground and saw all the bandages, as well as the cloth she had used before were completely soaked through with blood. Unsure of what to do, she looked back at the man, Shuu. She was surprised to find him looking back at her. His eyes were no longer troubled by his pain and for that she was grateful. So he couldn't feel it anymore...
So after all, it really couldn't be helped.
She stared back into his calm eyes and realized he could still feel. He just knew there was nothing either of them could do about it. Tears filled her eyes finally.
Still...
She grasped his hand in her own and squeezed, telling him with her eyes that she was sorry, unable to get the words past her throat.
"Thank you... Lady..." Her eyes widened in surprise. "Thank... you..."
He closed his eyes once more, took three more shallow, shuddering breaths and lay still. And eventually...
Eventually...
That 'something' beneath his torn chest stopped moving too.
Kagome wasn't sure how long she stayed kneeling by the man's side, head bowed, praying for his soul. But when someone finally laid a hand on her shoulder and she looked up, squinting in the light to see who it was, she saw it was already nearly sunset. She looked back to the ground and was shocked to find that the body of the man had been removed already. When had that happened? Turning back to the person next to her she felt something slip from her shoulder. Startled, she grabbed it and found a homemade shawl draped over her back and shoulders. When...
"Kagome..."
She looked up again, squinting futility to see who was there. The person knelt down in front of her so she wouldn't have to crane her neck.
Ah, Lady Kaede.
"Oh! Lady Kaede! When did you get back?" Normal enough words. She was glad her voice only shook slightly as she spoke.
Kaede smile gently as the girl in front of her. She was a horrid sight. Covered in blood, eyes wide and frightened. She reached out and grasped the girl's elbow, lifting her to her feet as she stood. "Come with me child. We should get ye cleaned up."
Kagome followed silently behind the older priestess, glad to be able to get the feel of dried blood off of her. Strange how she hadn't noticed it fully until now. She held her arms out in front of her. The blood had dried to a sort of gummy constancy in some areas, while other spots were beginning to flake off as she moved. It didn't seem real somehow, but as she peeled off some of the thicker layers and it pulled painfully at the little hairs at her arms, she decided it definitely felt real. She felt slightly fuzzy headed, but figured that was probably normal after witnessing a man die beneath her.
Kaede had led them to a river and she noticed with some surprise that her backpack was already waiting there for her, along with a large cloth that she assumed was a towel. How long had Kaede been back?
Kagome stopped beside the bank and turned to face the old woman. She was about to ask her again, but she was beat to it.
"I have been back for almost an hour. Ye had already been kneeling on the ground for two when I found ye. The villagers did not wish to disturb ye." When Kagome heard this she lowered her head, ashamed.
Kaede laid he hand on her shoulder once more and Kagome raised her head to meet her gaze. She was surprised at the warmth she found there. Why? Surely the villagers had told her how completely useless she had been. Wouldn't that be the reason they didn't want to move her? They were mad she hadn't done anything.
"Do not blame yourself Kagome. They people who saw what ye did told me just how kindly and brave ye were."
'Brave?'
"Ye did not have to try to help that man that ye did not know. All that I spoke to said the same. Shuu would surely have died anyways."
Kagome clenched her jaw tightly. So it had been completely useless to try and save him.
"But ye would not leave him to die. It is the priestess in ye Kagome. That part of ye that cannot help but aid others, no matter how hopeless the situation may seem. The villages saw that in ye. And they respect ye greatly for it. They did not leave ye out of spite Kagome, but out of admiration. If ye would wish to pray for his soul until the night fell, they would let ye." She tugged on the shawl that Kagome was now tightly gripping. "But they would not let ye harm yourself or become sick because of it."
Kagome gave a tiny smile and turned to the water. "Did you kill the demon?" Her voice came out soft, but clear. No waver in it this time.
"Aye, it was slain."
"Good."
"Clean yourself child. I wish to return ye home before dark."
"Alright."
There was only so much cleaning you could do in a cold river with a travel size bar of soap. She needed a long soak in her bathtub and a scrub brush to get the blood from under her finger nails. And the more she thought about it, the more she wanted it gone now. Her head still had that strange fuzzy feeling in it, as if there was something she should be feeling, but couldn't quite figure out what it was. As she followed Kaede back to the well, the sun was making its grand exit behind the trees and everything around her was in a wash of gold, orange and red. She shuddered a little when she saw the red. She could still see it spreading across the man's chest. She hoped to never see something like that again.
They finally reached the well and Kagome turned to say her goodbye's to the old woman.
"Will ye be returning?"
Kagome's farewell died on her lips. "Wha... Of course." She looked at the priestess strangely. "I told you that remember?"
Kaede smiled. "Aye. I have not completely lost my wits yet. I just was unsure if ye planned on returning after today."
Kagome raised her chin, a steely set to her jaw. "I'll come back for as long as it takes."
'I can do this at least. Him... I can still save.'
"I will see ye in two day time then. Farewell Kagome."
"Goodbye Lady Kaede. I'll see you soon." With a final wave. Kagome sat herself on the edge of the well and pushed off, letting the darkness swallow her and bring her home.
Inuyasha paced back and forth across the dirt floor of the well house, grumbling to himself.
"It's been two day." 'Well, almost.' "Where the hell is she?"
It had, without a doubt, been the longest, most boring two days in his entire existence. He desperately missed Kagome, not that he would ever admit it, and had barely left the small shelter during the entire time she was gone. Every time he would leave, he would be gone no more than thirty minutes before wondering if maybe she would come home early and racing back to see if she had. Which of course she hadn't. So he would pace the tiny room again until getting bored enough to leave again, only to return within the half hour.
So it had been a long, boring two days.
He was considering trying to jump down the well again to see if anything would happen. Though the first fifty times hadn't really shown any promise. Suddenly he saw the blue glow from the well that signaled it was in use and his heart lifted happily.
"About damn time!" He jumped up to the ledge of the well and waited for the glow to fade. As the blue light left his nose was suddenly assaulted with the stench of blood. Panicking he leapt down the well and landed next to Kagome with a thump. Startled, she gasped and spun around.
He grabbed her shoulders and held her at arms length looking her over carefully. He smelled a lot of blood, but so far none of it was hers. Then whose was it? He looked into her eyes finally and froze, stunned.
He usual warm and sparkling eyes, ones that he had come to look forward to seeing every day, were replaced by something... wrong. He saw confusion there, probably from him, and sadness. But there was something there he had hoped to never see in her eyes. A haunted look that said she had seen death. And it had been bad.
"Kagome..." He saw her tilt her head like she usually did, but no smile for him came with it.
'Dammit! Dammit! Why her? I should have been there... I'm so sorry Kagome.'
He knew she was waiting for him to do something, but all he could do was stand there like an idiot and stare at her. Finally she was the one to break the silence.
"I'm... glad you're still here."
He released her abruptly. "Yeah well, I didn't really have anywhere to be."
She gave him a small smile, no where near her usual brightness, but a start. "You didn't have any problem then?"
"Yeah right. Like there was anything I couldn't have handled anyways. But what about you? You reek of blood." He felt like smacking himself as soon as he said it, but it was too late to take it back and as her face fell and she swallowed heavily, he could only mentally call himself an idiot over and over.
"I..." She took a step back and bumped against the wall of the well. He suddenly realized it was almost completely dark out. He glanced up to the top of the well and decided they should probably go inside. A salty smell tickled his nose and he whipped his head back down to see Kagome hastily wiping away tears. It was no use though, they just kept coming. Finally she stopped trying and just covered her face with her hands.
"Kagome..." He stepped closer to her and hovered hesitantly for a moment. A soft, heart-wrenching sob came from her and he suddenly couldn't take it anymore. Wrapping his arms around her small form, he pulled her close, squeezing her tightly. He held her to his chest, letting her cry, saying nothing. Just being there. He ran one hand through her hair, letting his fingers comfort her, saying with each soft lift of hair what his voice could not. 'It's okay.' 'I'm here for you.' 'You're safe.'
Eventually she wrapped her arms around him and held him back, her tears subsiding gradually. After a while it was just the sound of the wind and crickets that echoed through the well. Still he didn't let go. And still his fingers smoothed through her hair, calming her, soothing her.
Of all things, it was the grumbling of Kagome's stomach that finally pulled them apart.
"Heh, I guess we should get home."
"Yeah. Kagome..."
"Yeah?"
He paused, unsure if he wanted to bring it up again, afraid of how she might react. "Do you want to talk about it?"
To his relief, she only gave him a small shake of her head. "Not right now, okay?"
"Okay."
She looked up to the top of the well and then back to him, smiling sweetly. "How about a lift?"
He rolled his eyes and held out his arms. "What do I look like? Your own personal elevator?"
She grinned as she stepped into his arms and held him around the waist. "As a matter of fact, you do." He muttered under his breath as he easily leapt them clear of the well in one bound, depositing her carefully on the floor.
"Whatever. Don't get used to this."
"Of course not." She flashed him another smile as she walked up the stairs, pausing at the door for him to catch up to her. She slid open the door and sighed happily at the sight of her beloved shrine spread out before her. Same as always. It may have only been two days, but Kagome suddenly felt as if she had been gone for a year. Quickly shutting the door, she dashed out onto the yard and headed towards her house, wanting to feel her family's reassuring presence around her. Her heart ached in remembrance of the last few hours and she longed to have the normalcy of her home surrounding her once again.
She reached her front door, panting slightly, and was surprised when Inuyasha caught her hand and turned her around. She tugged back, slightly annoyed at having been stopped. She glared up at him, ready to ask what his problem was. She stopped herself when she saw he wasn't trying to make her mad on purpose. In fact, he looked down right concerned.
"What's wrong?" She was acutely aware that he hadn't let go of her hand yet and inwardly hoped he would continue to hold it a little bit longer. Unfortunately the fates were not with her at the moment and he released her a second later when he was sure he had her attention.
"You should wait a minute before going in."
"What? Why?" she demanded. She wanted to see her family now.
"You're a mess," he pointed out bluntly.
Oh. Well, duh.
"They don't care what I look like." She was a little offended that he thought her family would care if she was messy looking or not. They weren't shallow people after all.
"You're eyes are all puffy from crying. I think they will care if you were upset."
He had a point there.
"Yeah, I guess. But I don't want to wait out here all night for my eyes to get unpuffy."
He seemed to think about that for a second. "Alright hold on." He walked through the door and glanced around to see if anyone was coming. He could smell the mother in the kitchen. Mmm, she was making one of Kagome's favorites too. That would make her happy. The grandfather was in the living room, watching the news from the sound of it. And the kid was no where to be found. That puzzled him for a minute until he remembered hearing snatches of conversation from inside the well house. That's right; the boy was spending the night at a friend's house. He walked back out to Kagome, who was staring up at the sky, watching the stars. She turned her attention to him when he returned.
"The hallway is clear, so you can go up to your room for now."
Her lips twitched as if she wanted to argue, but knew better. "Alright."
She slid open the door with great care, softly removing her shoes before tiptoeing to the stairs. Halfway up, she began to feel as though she were sneaking in after being out too late and felt a hint of guilt creep up on her. She stopped.
Inuyasha gave her a confused look as she began to head back down the steps. "What are you doing?"
Kagome gave him an apologetic look as she reached the foot of the stairs. "I have to at least let her know I'm home."
She took a deep breath and shouted in the direction of the kitchen. "Mom, I'm home! I'll be upstairs taking a bath if you need me!" She quickly turned around and jogged back up the steps.
Her mother poked her head around a corner, smiling at her daughter's retreating back. "Welcome home sweetie. Dinner will be ready in a little bit, but take your time. Souta is staying at a friend's tonight, so it's just you, me and your grandfather."
Kagome turned her head slightly and grinned brightly before turning back around. "Okay mom." Retreating to her room, she dropped her back pack on floor with a thump and gave a sigh of relief. Eagar to get the lingering feel of dried blood off of her finally, she spun around and headed for the door again.
And ran into a warm body.
"Oof." Hands reached up to steady her and she found herself looking into Inuyasha's eyes once again. This time the golden depths held amusement.
"Watch where you're going would ya."
She glared half jokingly back at him and poked a finger at his chest. "You're the dummy who's standing right behind me."
"That's because you're blocking the whole room just standing next to the door like an idiot."
"Who's the one who can walk through things here? Wasn't that you?"
"I would have if I had known you were just going to stand here all day."
Kagome opened her mouth to shoot another comeback at him and stopped suddenly. She gave him instead a soft smile. "Thank you."
Confused by her complete shift in mood, Inuyasha could only stare blankly at her for a moment. "Uh... for what?"
She shrugged and reached around him for the door handle. "For just being you." She opened the door and walked to the bathroom, giggling softly as she glanced back at the stunned looking hanyou. He was still standing in her doorway with his mouth hanging open, as the door closed behind her. She fully ready for a nice long soak. While the water filled the tub, sending a pleasant waft of steam into the air, she stood in front of the sink and scrubbed at her nail with a hand brush, trying desperately to remove the now dark-rust colored substance from her fingers. The rough bristles scraped harshly against the sensitive burns on her fingertips, but she ignored them. The tub was almost full by the time she considered her nails clean enough for her peace of mind. Shutting off the water, she slipped from her clothes and placed them in the hamper, glad that she had left her other blood soaked ones back with Kaede. She couldn't imagine having to explain them to her mother.
Sighing deeply as her thoughts wandered yet again to the gruesome events of that afternoon, she closed her eyes. How long would it be before she stopped seeing that man die? How long before the image of his torn body faded from the mind? She didn't think it would be anytime soon. She wasn't sure if she wanted to tell Inuyasha at all what had happened. Unfortunately she knew he wouldn't leave her alone until he found out what was bothering her. He was very persistent like that. A gentle smile found its way to her lips as she recalled how he had held her in the well as she cried. At the time, she had been incredibly surprised at his show of gentleness. Though in her heart, she supposed she wasn't really surprised at all. Hadn't he held her like that once before after all? When she had woken from a dream and thought him dead.
Sighing again, this time in happy remembrance, she let her thoughts float around a certain silver haired half-demon. It was a good alternative to the other things lurking in her mind. As she leaned back in the tub, soaking in the heat of the water, she played back the feeling of his arms around her. She let herself recall how strong and warm his body been against hers and how safe she had felt listening to the thump, thump of his heart. She imagined him stroking her hair again like he had earlier and felt a pleasant shiver go through her. She loved it when people played with her hair; it always felt so nice. Somehow she got the feeling if Inuyasha were to play with her hair it would feel very, very nice. Suddenly the tub seemed a little too hot for her and she quickly finished washing herself, scrubbing her hair and body thoroughly to rid herself of any lingering traces of blood. Hadn't Inuyasha said she reeked of it? She soaped herself up one more time, just to be sure. The burn on her forearm burned hotly at being dunked in the water, but she ignored it, reminding herself to put some burn cream on it later. When she was finally satisfied that she couldn't possible smell like anything other than soap and berry shampoo she got out and drained the tub. Kagome wrapped herself in a towel and wrapped another around her hair. She had forgotten to bring clothes, but that was okay. It wasn't that she didn't trust Inuyasha, but now that she could see him and know where he was, she didn't feel as shy changing in her room anymore.
Now, it was time to go downstairs and sit with her family.
Kagome's spirit's lifted considerably as she sat at the dinner table and chatted with her mother and grandfather. She wished Souta had been home too, but knew she would see him the next day and decided to give him a great big hug as soon as he came home. It would surely confuse and embarrass the boy and she was looking forward to it. Inuyasha stood leaning against the far wall, in his usual spot, eyes closed, ears twitching occasionally as they spoke. She noticed they most often turned to her when she spoke and felt a great affection that he paid such close attention to her. Not for the first time she found herself troubled by his lonely appearance. She wished she could include him in their conversation and that he could join them at the table. She knew her family would accept him as her friend and treat him as family. Her mother already did. She had to break that stupid curse!
After dinner she helped her mother with the dishes, drying and putting them away, for once glad to just spend time with her. Afterwards they sat in the living room together and watched the television. A completely normal night that made her inexplicably happy. Sitting on the floor, she glanced up at Inuyasha and found him looking at her. Wanting to include him, even if no one but he knew he was there, she patted the ground next to her and jerked her head to the side indicating he should sit next to her. Inuyasha rolled his eyes, but pushed himself off of the wall anyways, and settled down close to her. Kagome smiled and leaned into him slightly, letting her arm rest against his. Glancing over to the other two, Kagome found her mother smiling at her and knew she had seen her gestures. Mrs. Higurashi gave her a happy wink and went back to watching T.V. Kagome smiled again; glad she wasn't really the only one who knew he was there.
It was everywhere she looked. Everywhere she ran. Red. Red. Blood red. On the ground. On her hands. On the trees she ran past. Everywhere. Red. Blood red.
She ran and ran, but couldn't escape the harsh metallic smell or the feel of it slick on her hands and legs. It was night out and she could barely see where she was going, but eventually she stumbled onto a rocky clearing. She had found herself at a river back and relief washed over her. She lunged recklessly into the water, wading out until her waist was covered. Desperately she thrust her hands beneath the gently flowing current and scrubbed viciously at her hands. Only when she raised them again to see if they were clean did she realize something was wrong. All the way up to her elbows, her arms were now dripping with warm, fresh blood.
"No..." It was only a whisper, but her whole heart was behind the denial. She looked down and saw that waves beneath her were slowly soaking her clothes a deep red.
"No..."
Why hadn't she noticed the smell until now? It clung to the back of her throat, making her gag with its thick coppery tang.
"Lady Kagome."
Kagome jerked her head up at her name and gasped in shock, stumbling back a step into the river. The current had picked up and now it tugged at her legs, trying to make her fall with its force.
"Lady Kagome..." The man Shuu, was stumbling towards her, his lags splashing in the 'water' as he closed in on her.
"No." She backed up again, the red waves splashing just below her ribs now.
"Lady..." Shuu was reaching out to her in a parody of every cheesy horror flick she had ever seen. For some reason that didn't make it any less frightening. One hand stretched towards her as he stumbled on through the water, while the other pressed against his chest, blood leaking through his fingers, dripping down into the river to add to its collection.
"No." Her heart pounded painfully in her chest and she wanted to run. Run away from this man who she had seen die in her arms while she could do nothing to save him.
"Don't... let me die... Lady..." He was getting closer now.
Her mind screamed at her to run, but she couldn't bring herself to move past him and she didn't want to wade in any deeper into the horrible river. Still he came and she found herself backing up again. The redness was licking below her chest now.
"Please... help... help me..."
Kagome shook her head rapidly, willing him to stop moving, to leave. "I... I can't! I can't help you! You're already dead!"
"Lady..." Finally the man was close enough to grab her arm. Kagome panicked and hit his arm away, surprised when it fell away easily and he stopped his advances.
"You... let me... die..." And with that the man fell backwards and was carried away with the current. Kagome stared after him, her heart still leaping in her chest.
"I didn't mean to..."
The current was still intensifying and she suddenly found herself fighting to stand. Terrified of the thought of being tossed underneath the bloody waves, she struggled to go back to shore. But it was dark and she suddenly couldn't see where the shore was. It should be right ahead of her, but as she walked the water only got higher and higher until she was swimming to keep her head up.
'What's going on?'
She swam back in the other direction, but couldn't find the ground anymore. She was lost in a river of blood. She was going to drown! Desperation kept her moving, even as the waves grew higher and the current tugged mercilessly at her.
No. She would die like this.
"You let me die..."
'No...'
"You let me die."
'No.'
"You let me die!"
"No!"
Suddenly her strength gave out and she could no longer fight the pull of the current. She struggled weakly as it grabbed her and dragged her under the surface, pulling her into a world of swirling red waves.
She struggled, pulling back weakly against his hands.
"Kagome, dammit! Wake up!"
Finally her eyes opened and focused on him. 'Thank goodness.'
She blinked at him a few times, as if confused by who he was for a moment.
"Inuyasha?"
He sighed and let go of her arms. He swept one hand over her forehead, brushing the damp locks from her face. "You were having a nightmare."
Her eyes clouded over as she remembered everything in a rush. She buried her face in her hands with a strangled sob. It had been a dream. A dream. Then why was she still so afraid? Why did she still here the man's voice echoing in her ears as if he had really spoken those words to her.
"You let me die."
He had never said that to her. Why did she still feel like they were true?
Warm arms wrapped around her for the second time that day and she found herself surrounded by the comforting scent of warm fur and rain soaked earth. The smell of Inuyasha.
"I'm sorry."
Huh?
She leaned back in his arms and looked into his eyes. It was difficult to see him the dark, but she was pretty sure she could see regret lurking beneath the surface. What did he have to be sorry for? She shook hear head to tell him she didn't understand.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."
"But there's no way you could have been there." She laid her head against his chest, glad for his company at this moment, but not understanding how he could feel bad for something he couldn't control.
"Tell me what happened. Kagome."
Her hands clenched involuntarily at his request. But... She owed him this at least. She took a steadying breath.
"I... I saw a man die today." Slowly, she went over the afternoon's events, telling him only the bare facts, finally ending with the arrival of Lady Kaede. The whole time she had spoken, her head had remained down, resting against his chest. It had given her strength, but now she lifted her head to see his reaction. Surely he wouldn't be too disappointed in her.
Anger. Lots and lots of anger.
She pulled back from his arms and he let her, standing up suddenly to pace beside her bed.
Lots and lots of anger.
But she didn't feel as though he was angry at her. Which confused her, because surely he couldn't be angry at the man for dying, could he?
He stopped abruptly next to her bed and dropped to his knees. Grabbing her hands in his own he caught her eyes and did something so completely out of the ordinary; she could only gape in surprise.
He begged.
"Please, Kagome. Please don't go back."
"But..."
"Please, I beg you. Stay here. You...you'd be safe here." He dropped his head, hands tightening on hers until it was almost painful. "I can protect you here!"
"But it wasn't me who got hurt..."
He snarled suddenly, making her jump, and released her hand, leaping up to pace the room once more. He whirled on her a minute later, jabbing a finger in the air at her. "It could have been you! Why can't you get that through your thick head? Next time it could be you laying on the ground bleeding to death! And there's nothing I can do about it!" He stopped then, clenching his jaw and breathing hard. She could tell he wanted to say more, but was trying to restrain himself.
Several tears slipped down Kagome's cheeks and she brushed them away harshly. "I'm sorry too."
Inuyasha looked hopefully to her for a second, probably thinking she was apologizing for having gone the first time. She clarified. "I'm sorry for having to make you worry when I leave. But... it can't be helped." She remembered having thought that earlier in the day also. "It can't be helped. There's nothing you can do about it. It's something out of your control. You... you can't beat yourself up over something that isn't in you hands, something that you have no power to stop." Her throat was becoming tight and words were squeezed out painfully. "Some things are just meant to be. It's a mistake to linger on things that can't be helped. If there's nothing you can do, then there's nothing you can do. And no amount of fighting is going to let you overcome it. No matter how much you want to help... no matter how much... you want them to live. There are just some things... that can't be helped."
Inuyasha watched the young woman in front of him as she spoke these words and knew she wasn't just speaking to him. In fact, he wasn't really sure if she had been speaking to him at all past the first few words. It didn't matter though. She was right either way. He couldn't beat himself up over not having been there for her. She had covered her face with her hands again; a gesture he knew to mean she was hurting deeply inside. Forgetting his anger at himself for a moment he went back to her bed and sat on the edge. He touched her shoulder, wanting her to look up. Her eyes were dry, but swollen and red. He could see many things in the dark depths, many of which caused his heart to clench painfully in his chest. She shouldn't look like this. She shouldn't look so lost and lonely. Not his Kagome. It just wasn't right.
"I... I didn't let him die... right?" It was the tiniest of whispers, but his sharp ears picked it up without trouble and it shocked him to the core that she would even think such a terrible thing. Was she crazy? What in the world would make her think something like that?
"Of course not. Who the hell would tell you something like that?" he demanded furiously. He would kill them. Who ever had said that, he would kill them. Nice and slow.
"The dead man."
Well, guess his job was already done then.
"But he didn't really. It was a dream... It was just a dream." She sighed and closed her eyes.
He couldn't take it anymore. He hated seeing her depressed and in pain, it was too much for his heart to take. Grabbing her arms, he lifted her from under her covers and settled her in his lap, legs dangling to one side. Her surprised face was a preferable change to her earlier anguish. He gripped her face in his hands, careful to keep his claws stretched away from her.
"I don't ever want to hear you say something so completely idiotic again, do you understand me?" She managed a tiny nod, her eyes wide.
"It was not your fault, alright?" Another nod.
"What you did was all anybody could have done, more really, because I know for a fact that no one else would have helped him like you did. People are selfish and self concerned. Especially the people from that time."
Kagome shook her head a little. "No they're not. You wrong. Not all people are like that." She thought back to the shawl, laid across her shoulders by some unknown person. She resolved to find that person and thank them.
"Think what you want." He tightened his grip on her face, forcing her full attention to him. "But keep yourself safe. Let that old woman teach you archery and tell her to teach you to use your powers as a priestess, and don't let her say no. She obviously sees them in you or she wouldn't be teaching you in the first place. Learn them, they'll save your life where I can't." He stared into her eyes waiting for her to speak.
"O...okay, I'll ask."
"Don't ask! Tell her to teach you. Promise me."
Kagome's lips twitched. "I promise."
"Good."
"To ask."
Feisty wench. He growled at her teasing smile. "You always have to make things difficult don't you?"
"You always have to demand unreasonable things don't you?"
"Damn straight."
"Well then I guess the same goes for me."
"Feh." He finally released her face; sure that he had at least made his point. Her hands caught one of his before it dropped away and pressed it against her face once more. He blinked in surprise.
"Thank you Inuyasha." A tender smile grace her mouth and his heart pounded as she closed her eyes and rubbed her cheek against the roughness of his palm. He felt the heat rise in his cheeks. He cleared his throat and managed to squeeze out two words.
"Your welcome."
She opened her eyes and let go of his hand, but for some reason it didn't want to leave the softness of her skin. He found himself tracing the edges of her jaw with his fingertips, being careful to keep his claws out of the way. Her eyes softened and he could feel the skin beneath his fingers warm with her own blush. His fingers trailed over her chin and to her lips. He traced the outline of her mouth and gently brushed his thumb over the delicate skin. He could hear her heart thudding rapidly in her chest and smiled, knowing his slight touch had caused it. He tore his gaze from her mouth and looked into her eyes, searching their darkness for any sign that he shouldn't be touching her so freely. He only saw a soft amazement there, backed by traces of heat and a little uncertainty. But the thing that made him catch his breath was the faint glimmer of happiness he saw coming to the surface. He had made her happy. His heart swelled when he realized she no longer held sadness or that horrible haunted look in her eyes anymore.
He had made her happy.
He was startled out of his thoughts by the feel of her hand against his own cheek. What? He looked at her in surprise. She gulped nervously and licked her lips. What was she nervous about? Suddenly she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his.
It was sudden and a little awkward, since she couldn't really see that well and had almost missed his mouth completely, and it only last for a second, but when she pulled away and looked at him with an uncertain expression, as if wondering if that had been all right, he felt his heart melt a little. He had been frozen in surprise when she kissed him, but now blood raced through his body in a rush of energy. Kagome looked ready to apologize by this point and he quickly grabbed her around the waist and pressed her against him, dipping his face to hers as his other hand came to cup her cheek once more. He pressed his lips to hers gently, not wanting to hurry his second kiss with her. Her breath puffed lightly against his mouth and he felt her press her lips more firmly to his, causing a small thrill to go through him. Her hands came to rest against his shoulders, her fingers splaying across them lightly before finding their way to his hair and gently tugging it to bring him closer.
He deepened the kiss, parting his lips and taking her bottom lip between his, nibbling until she sighed softly, parting her own lips in response. He tilted his head and took advantage of the opportunity to lick the inside of her lips with a quick dart of his tongue. Her fingers clenched in his hair, telling him without words that she hadn't expected that. He repeated the action and her lips parted even more to allow him entry. His hand on her back pulled her as close to his body as she would go, but still he wished he could be closer. His thumb drew tiny circles on her cheek as he tentatively explored her mouth. She tasted like Heaven.
And toothpaste.
But that was fine with him. Her breath was coming rapidly and he pulled back to allow her some air and to look at her face once more. Her eyes remained closed and her lips were still parted as she took in deep breaths of air. Even in the dark he could tell her cheeks were flushed and he felt a tingle of pride at having been the one to put it there. When she realized he wasn't coming back, Kagome opened her eyes and looked at him in confusion.
He couldn't help but give a small chuckle at her expression. As much as he would have liked kissing her all night, and he could see she probably wouldn't have minded either, he looked at the clock and saw it was way too late for her to be up. So, it was with some reluctance that he stood up with her in his arms and laid her gently back in bed. The confused expression didn't leave her face as he pulled the covers over her and sat down on the edge of the mattress facing her.
"It's late and you need to go to sleep."
She blinked owlishly at him and finally glanced at the clock herself, doing a double take when she saw how late it really was. "I guess you're right." She smiled shyly at him and took one of his hands in her own. "Thank you." Her blush spread itself charmingly across her entire face and began to creep down her neck.
"You already said that."
She wound his fingers through his and he stared at the joined hands that lay between them.
"I know, but I still mean it."
Inuyasha felt his own cheeks heating up again and silently wondered what it was about this girl that made him blush like a little school girl.
"Feh. Just go to sleep now. I don't want to deal with you being all cranky tomorrow because you didn't get any sleep."
Giving a wide yawn, Kagome settle back into her pillow and closed her eyes, certain she would be having sweet dreams for the rest of the night. "Yes sir."
She felt him move against the bed and second later his lips brushed lightly against her forehead.
"Good night Kagome."
She smiled contentedly. "Good night Inuyasha."
Her last thought before drifting of to sleep was happily realizing that he still had his hand entwined with hers.
AN- I dedicate this chapter to all the fluff mongers out there. Congratulations. You finally made me break down and write it. I hope it wasn't too bad. :-)
And I'll give more fluff if anyone guesses who the flash of blue was earlier in the chapter.
Q and A
Q. sakurablossomskxk- Will Kouga's wolf tribe (and Kouga) be included in this? Or Sango and Miroku?
A. All shall be revealed in time. In other words, yes. They will all be thrown in to my world of chaos- er I mean this story.
Q. kikironie- How come Inuyasha will still be able to remember Kagome after she lifted the curse? If there's no curse it would mean that none of the guardianship thingy has ever happened right?
A. Wrong! He he. No really, I have my reasons. In a nutshell, the curse will be broken, but it will still have happened, so his memories will be intact. For a more detailed (and probably more complicated) answer, go back to chapter 20 and scan through the Q and Q until you get to LukeShaehl. It should answer your question. Key word being: should.
Q. karen- What do you think will be the title for the "supposed" sequel?
A. I'll have to wait until I get o the end of this one to know for sure, but my head seems stuck on Savior. Hmm, I hope that doesn't give away too much.
Q. SoranoDarkHorse- Will Inuyasha ever get a chance to kiss Kagome? Please? Please, Please, Please, Please, Please? More fluff might I add? When can she touch his ears? Can Kagome see him only when he's by the God Tree or by the well? More fluffiness? Please?
A. Yeesh, it's people like you... that make me cave like a wet paper bag. Yes! Fluff for you! The ears are still in negotiations... And now she can see him all the time! But you figured that out by now.
Q. Inuyashafreke- Will Kagome and Inuyasha get a make-out session?
A. Yes, yes they will. :-)
Q. InU-DragoN-GirL- Can you put a bunch load of fluff in the next chapter?
A. Yes, yes I can. Your persistence had paid off.
Q. SliverStarWing- . When Kagome releases him from his curse, will he remember everything that's happened? Or will it start all over as in the anime with him trying to kill her for the jewel? If Inu has to sleep, doesn't that mean he has to eat too?
A. He will remember it all, I'm stubbornly sticking to this, so no, he won't try to kill her when he wakes up. He doesn't need to eat yet, so fortunately I haven't been starving him. LoL.
Q. PippetJimmy- The Shikon no Tama is going to be included in your story, right? And, will Kagome shatter the jewel like she did in the series? And, just who was the owner of that creepy voice from behind or within the well? Since Kikyo will be a part of this story, is there going to be a love triangle between her Kagome and Inuyasha? Is Kouga going to be in this story too? Can I Laugh When She Gets Hit By The Bus?
A. So much for keeping it short. :-) Don't worry about constant questions, I like them! Yes, the Shikon is going to be making an appearance. It will be shattered, though the circumstances will be different. As for the owner of the creepy voice... I'll give you something special if you can guess it on your own. Kikyo will definitely complicate things a bit, but it won't be the same as in the series. My way of thinking is that Inuyasha has had Kagome to himself all this time (it will still be a while til the curse breaks), so he will be more attached to her than in the original series. Kouga shall be in here, making trouble, causing headaches, yelling profanities and all that good stuff. And it's never good to laugh when someone gets hit by a bus. At least not in public.