Disclaimer: The characters portrayed in this fanfic belong to Rumiko Takahashi……not me…….WAAA!!!!! *sob* sniff* dang. I want Sesshie…..*sigh*
SPOILER!!!: This fic is placed after episode 126. SUPPOSEDLY Kikyo dies….hehehe baka miko…hehe
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Chapter 1: Departing is Such Sweet Sorrow
"SIT! SIT! SIT! And just because you're a jerk, SIT!!!" The unmistakable yell of Kagome's command screeched through the village.
WHAM!!! "Oi, wench! What the hell was that for?! And if you say it's because you have to go home then forget it! We need to finish up the Shikon!" a very irritated hanyou howled.
"Don't you think I already know that?! You remind me every time I go home. And that's a lot after the past 3 years. But finals are in a few days and I have to study for them! There are some of the biggest tests of my life! I'm sorry you're so mad, but I HAVE to take these tests. So just go back to the village and SIT! *WHAM* you're grumpy butt down and wait until I'm finished in 3 days!" 'This is getting ridiculous,' Kagome thought to herself. 'Why is he always so mad when I leave for a few days?'
"Keh, how do I know you'll actually come back by the time you say? Last time you said you'd be back in 2 days, and you were gone for 3!!" 'Stupid tests!' Inuyasha screamed in his head. 'It does no real good. Especially for finding the Shikon shards.'
Kagome gawked at his accusation and turned as red as a cherry. He had definitely his a delicate chord. "SIT!!! *WHAM* You ungrateful, egotistical, conceded…" The list went on and on as Kagome kicked Inuyasha in the stomach to emphasize each word. Meanwhile, back in Kaede's hut, two humans and two youkai all sighed.
"They're at it again," the energetic kit pronounced while another 'sit' command rang.
"Yeah," and exasperated houshi replied. "I wonder if Kagome-sama could actually break something?"
"I really don't know," the taigi-ya sighed. "Inuyasha's skull is so thick, I don't think anything can penetrate it." A little cat youkai mewled in agreement, earning a quick scratch behind the ear from his mistress.
"You got that right!" Shippo exclaimed. "I don't think he'll ever learn! When it comes to Kagome, Inuyasha is so mean!"
'That's not all that happens when it comes to Kagome.' Miroku thought sadly. 'When will her just admit that he cares for Kagome? It's obvious to everyone but himself and Kagome.' Miroku sighed out of sheer pity for his friends' own thick head and heart.
"You know we shouldn't be taking about this, but it's really just getting ridiculous! We both know that they love each other, but those two can be so stubborn when it comes to their feelings," Sango exclaimed.
"But it can be hard to express one's feelings, ne Sango?" Miroku asked and winked. However, slowly but surely, the houshi's hand snaked towards its destination. "AKKKK!!! *SLAP* HENTAI!!!" Sango screamed.
"Hey," Shippo whispered. "I think she stopped yelling and kicking him" Silence. Only nature could be heard.
Over on the other side of the village, Kagome stood over Inuyasha with fire still burning in her eyes. Her haunched shoulders shakily rose and fell with each jagged breath. Inuyasha, who was still on the ground even after the rosary's spell had ended, clutched at his side. It didn't really hurt him, but with the 'sit' commands and the berating words Kagome had screamed at him, he really wasn't in the mood to get up.
*sigh* "I'm exhausted. Well, I hope you're happy Inuyasha. I'll be back in three days. And don't even think about trying to get me, or else you'll get shocked by an ofuda. I'm dead serious Inuyasha. I'm not playing games anymore," Kagome said quietly.
"Who's playing games?! Fine, I'll leave you alone. But if you're not back, I'm coming to get you. Ward or no ward," Inuyasha replied bitterly.
"Why don't you trust me Inuyasha? If anyone should be questionable, it would be you and your search for Kikyo. Then again, I'll be gone for a few days, so you can go search all you want," Kagome said seriously. Much too seriously for the usual "happy-go-lucky" tone. That's what really scared Inuyasha.
"Kagome…" Inuyasha started and rose to his feet, but was abruptly cut off.
"Save it. I'm not in the mood. I'll see you in three days Inuyasha," Kagome sighed and started walking towards the well, yellow backpack in hand.
"Fine! Go ahead and leave! You're not THAT useful! We aren't THAT desperate for your "services"!" Inuyasha fumed.
"Whatever," Kagome waved off, but kept her brisk pace towards her destination as Inuyasha stomped back to the village. But slowly, Kagome's pace withered into a slumping walk. The young miko sighed as she entered into deep thought, 'Why is he so bent on not letting me go back? I swear, he can be such a jerk sometimes.' However, while Kagome was in a deep conversation with herself, she didn't notice the choking evil aura until it was just across the field from her.
Kagome froze, and slowly turned towards the center of the thick miasma. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Naraku!" This was bad. Kagome hadn't seen him since his latest and greatest transformation. His spiked, grey armor entwined around his shoulders. Extravagant blue and purple flowing robes hung loosely off his shoulders, but still gave him a cutting appearance. But no matter how much the transformation had changed him, the sickly pale skin, thick black tresses flowing wildly down his back, and the glowing red eyes still existed. Yet there was one big change within Naraku. No more Onigumo. The one factor that stopped Naraku's evil aura to consume all.
"How perceptive young miko," Naraku chided as he inched closer towards Kagome. The stench was getting unbearable, even for Kagome's weak nose. As the miasma slowly climbed towards Kagome, the young miko started glowing a soft pink. The instinctual, yet vain attempt her body was emitting; desperately trying to purify the surrounding evil.
hmph "Such a poor attempt of a last defense. And I thought you were useful to Inuyasha," Naraku taunted. Kagome's first of fear were soon forgotten as sheer rage took over. Especially after what Inuyasha had just yelled at her minutes ago.
'You're not THAT useful!!'
'Damn! I'm with Naraku and I leave my bow and arrows back at the village. Real smart Kagome, REAL smart!' Kagome berated herself. 'And now he's taunting me. Can my day get any worse?!…never mind.'
"so little miko, what are you doing out here all by yourself, with no weapons I might add," Naraku mock scolded.
'I must not let him get to me,' Kagome told herself. 'He's just trying to get under my skin.' "J-just thought I-I'd go out f-for a walk." 'Damnit!' Kagome swore as she scolded herself. 'And stuttering makes you all the braver. Go Kagome! Way to show you're not afraid!' She sarcastically thought to herself.
"Never-the-less," Naraku smoothly countered, now seeing the fear that the priestess was vainly trying to hide, "your "walk" has come to a short end," Naraku sneered evilly as the young miko paled considerably.
'Oh no' was all Kagome could think. Reflexively, the priestess ran, screaming in one last attempt to escape. "Inuyasha!!"
"He cannot hear you miko. No one can!" Naraku yelled the last 3 words considerably with emphasis as he shot long tendrils of flesh towards Kagome. Tears formed in her eyes as she realized there was no one to save her this time. With flushed cheeks, dripping with tears, Kagome tripped on one of Naraku's appendages and fell with a hard thud onto the hard forest floor. As soon as she hit the ground, Kagome passed out. Not only from exhaustion from running and too much emotional stress, but the ground was pretty hard too. Seeing as she hit her head on a protruding root.
(a/n: I couldn't make Kagome seem weak now, could I? ^n#n^)
"Inuyasha," Kagome mumbled unconsciously. Slick black tendrils slithered around Kagome's lithe body as both she and Naraku were sucked back into the miasma.
***
Back in Kaede's hut, a grumpy hanyou sat in the corner with aggravation twitching in his golden eyes. Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kirara were circled around the fire pit, all giving the wary eye towards Inuyasha. Once the hanyou paused in his brooding, and finally noticed the suspicious stares he was receiving, he turned his back towards them and retorted with his usual 'Keh'.
Two humans and youkai turned back to the fire and sighed. The only signal that Inuyasha had heard the exasperation was the one twitch of his dog-like ear.
"I can't believe you're so mean to Kagome, Inuyasha!" the young kit chimed. "No wonder she leaves for her time so much. She wants to get away from you!" Shippo 'hmph'ed as he got out his crayons his surrogate mother had giving him.
Inuyasha sighed as he entered into deep thought. 'For once, the brat's right. Why am I always such an ass towards her?'
'Because you want to hide your feelings from her. They just get in the way.'
'Stupid youkai pride,' Inuyasha berated himself. 'Besides, why would she even like me? A half-breed? She probably thinks I'm filth.'
Still sulking in his little corner, Inuyasha was disturbed out of thought by a sudden cold wind that blasted into the hut. Everyone shivered, even those by the fire pit.
"What was that?" Sango asked suspiciously.
"I don't know," replied Miroku cautiously. "But whatever it was, we all felt it."
"Keh," Inuyasha snorted. "Weakling. It was only the wind." But to tell the truth, Inuyasha was a little unnerved by the sudden blast as well. Not that he'd ever admit that of course. Yet it didn't truly scare him, but it mad him nervous enough to expand his senses to check around the village.
Nothing. Just a little too quiet for the hanyou's taste.
"That was no ordinary wind, my friend." Miroku wearied. "There was a large surge of power riding that wind. Whether it was demonic or pure, I'm not sure."
"Which direction was it coming from houshi-sama?" Sango beckoned as she grabbed her Hiraikotsu from the adjoining room.
"South East," Miroku replied bluntly.
'South East. Towards Inuyasha's Forest," the hanyou thought. 'And the well…Kagome!' Inuyasha's eyes widened at his newfound resolve.
"Shit! Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled as he bolted out of the door. As soon as the two humans and youkai heard the exclamation, they too rushed out the door in search of their friend.
Inuyasha bounded towards the well so fast, all that could be seen of him was a red and silver blur. 'I swear, if anything happens to Kagome, I'll beat 'em to a bloody pulp with my bare claws!'
The frantic hanyous' fast pace was kept up until his body stopped dead in his tracks and bolts of electricity shot out at him. Inuyasha growled and unsheathed the Tetsuiga and willed the sword to turn blood red. "Damn barrier! Get out of my way!" he growled as the enlarged fang made a bright red arch across the air, dispelling the barrier.
Then the stench finally hit him. Naraku. It was everywhere. And then something else stung his sensitive nose. Fear. Pure, unbridled fear. And it was Kagome's. Panicked gold eyes scanned over the grassy field until a bright flash of yellow caught his eye. "Damnit." Inuyasha cursed silently as he realized what the bright fabric was. Kagome's backpack. The dog hanyou growled loudly and punched the ground as if to punish the earth itself for what had happened. "Aaaah!!! Damnit! Damnit! Damnit!" Inuyasha screamed, still punching the ground, as the rest of the group rushed towards the well. Sango gasped and Miroku tightened his grip on his staff as they sensed the evil aura surrounding them while Shippo was on the verge of tears. No one was exactly sure what had happened, but Kagome was gone and into Naraku's clutches.
Inuyasha was still crouched on the ground as he finally came back to his senses and realized what he had to do. He gripped his hand until his claws broke the skin. 'I'll get you back Kagome. And that bastard Naraku will pay for even laying a finger on you,' Inuyasha swore in a blood oath. 'He WILL pay.'
***
YEAH!!! FIRST FIC, FIRST CHAPTER! DONE!!! Go me!! *achem* Ne way, like I said, this is my first fic, so I'm really excited. Ok, be honest in your reviews. I can take it! I swear! Bring it on!! -Nina