The hiatus is finally over… Back to our original broadcast, already in progress…
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Inuyasha had been wandering, looking for any clue or the whiff of a scent. He had stayed near the river where Kagome had fallen, hoping to discover that she had survived the fall and swum to safety. While his mind found this as highly doubtful, his heart refused to simply give her up as lost. He couldn't lose her. If he had, it would be his fault for not being able to protect her. Just like Kikyou. The thought came unbidden, and painfully to the surface.
Inuyasha thought of Kagome's family. Her mother, grandfather, and brother... They all trusted him to protect her while she was here. He could barely think about having to return to Kagome's time to tell them that because he had failed to get to her in time, she was gone.
He was close to turning around and starting over when he picked up a scent that made him growl with annoyance.
Sesshoumaru had been here, although the scent was very weak… Inuyasha inspected the area carefully, and was sure he had picked up another scent, but water from the river had washed it away. His heart raced with the hope that it was Kagome. He hurried to follow his brother's scent.
As he dashed madly through the trees, the unknown scent became clearer, and Inuyasha was sure it was Kagome's. Relief flooded through him, as did trepidation at the thought of her being with Sesshoumaru. He had no idea what his older brother could possibly want with her…
Inuyasha finally came across a meadow, where an old house stood quietly amid the tall grass. A light breeze tilted the grass and flowers, and his white hair billowed across his face. Kagome's scent was stronger here; he followed it to where a creek meandered its way through the meadow. A piece of paper, crumpled and discarded, caught his eye from where it was stuck between the branches of a bush. He picked it up and read it.
Dearest Lord Sesshoumaru,
Two women who claim to belong to you are now in our company, including your lovely mate. Or so she claims. Seeing that they were left alone and unprotected, this clan of demons claims them for our own. Unless you wish to offer something in exchange, such as the powerful sword Toukijin, we will keep them for our own. We will be in touch!
Love,
Neighborhood Friendly Demons
A very long moment passed as Inuyasha let the words of the letter sink in. He thought that surely, the mate being referred to was someone other than Kagome. But the scent that was mixed in with Kagome's was not that of a female demon, but a female child. By the mix of several different types of demons that he was smelling, Kagome and the little girl had been the ones taken. So either his brother was extremely perverted, or...
He crumpled the paper once more and tossed it to the ground before following Kagome's scent. His anxiety had increased significantly...
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The climb up the mountain paths was becoming difficult, and Kagome was finding it hard to keep up. The sheer drop on either side that ended in a river far below did little to calm her, either… Part of her kept saying to turn around and go back, to search for Inuyasha and the others. She was unsure now, however, if Sesshoumaru would allow her to leave. She could only wonder what he had in store for her.
It was the thought of Rin with that demon… That disgusting, perverted, horrible demon that kept her going, kept her placing one foot in front of the other. So focused was she on walking, and not falling on her face, she nearly bumped right into Sesshoumaru. He was standing still, listening.
"Lord Sesshoumaru?" Jaken began to ask, but was waved into silence.
Sesshoumaru's sword was suddenly out, and he leapt gracefully through the air and onto a cliff. From farther above, a mad cackle erupted.
"Have a snack, dog!" the grating voice of Gebi came from somewhere within the cliffs. As Sesshoumaru continued to climb higher with leaps and bounds, a cloud of purple dust descended and surrounded him.
Jaken scurried forward, desperately trying to find a way up the side of the cliff.
"What's happening up there?" Kagome wondered, and then also began to climb.
There was more laughter, and then a cry of shock. Kagome recognized the voice as Gebi's, and was relieved. She finally made it to the cliff, and was shocked to discover Sesshoumaru on his knees, coughing.
"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome hurried over to him. He scowled, blinking rapidly before rising back to his feet to stare up at Gebi. Kagome stepped back, lowering a hand to Jaken, who was scrambling desperately up the side of the embankment.
"Lord Sesshoumaru, Jaken is here to help!" Jaken declared, and was ignored.
"Oh… shit," the pig demon muttered, as his poison had had little to no effect on the demon lord. He stared at the half empty bottle, cursing the old woman he had gotten it from, before stashing it away. He turned to run, but was not nearly fast enough.
Suddenly Sesshoumaru was there, and clutching the pig demon firmly by the throat. He shoved the lesser demon against the cliff, smacking its head against the rock.
Gebi coughed and sputtered. "Rrgghh…"
"Where is Rin?" Sesshoumaru asked, his voice quiet and cool. Kagome nearly shuddered at the sound of it; it was the kind of voice that was not to be ignored.
Fear shone in the eyes of the pig demon; but perhaps stupidity ruled over his thoughts; he managed to bring a dagger up and swipe it at Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru let go of Gebi long enough to snatch the hand with the dagger, and with a swift movement, snapped it backward. Kagome flinched at the resounding crack and the screech that accompanied it. She couldn't find a way to climb to where Sesshoumaru was; the wall of rock before her rose sharply into the sky, and she could find no handholds. She backed up in an attempt to see what was happening.
"Do I have to ask again?" Sesshoumaru said to Gebi, who was holding his hand and whimpering.
"No, I'll tell you! I'll tell you…" Gebi coughed, and while holding his hand, suddenly snatched the small bottle out and threw it before turning to flee once more.
Kagome watched the bottle descend, wondering what it was. Sesshoumaru easily dodged the bottle, which continued to fall, and ran after Gebi.
The bottle hit the side of the cliff above Kagome's head and exploded violently. Great chunks of rock flew through the air, and a thick cloud of smoke rolled down the cliff. Kagome coughed as the terrible gas reached her, and Jaken hurried away from it.
"It's poison!" he cried, trying to cover his mouth with his robes as he backed against the cliff wall.
Kagome cried out as a huge chunk of rock fell toward her from above, and reflexively took a step backward. Her right foot slid out from beneath her, and she flailed her arms in a desperate attempt to find purchase. She grabbed ahold of the edge of the cliff just in time and found herself dangling from it. A glance down showed that she was dangling over the river. Her heart raced with the sudden terror that coursed through her body. Her mind flashed to the last terrible fall she had taken...
"Inuyasha!" she realized in the middle of her cry that there would be no answer to that name, and fought back tears as her arms began to ache from holding her weight. She kicked her legs, trying to find a place to grip to the side of the cliff.
I was never good at those stupid pull-ups, she thought with frustration as she continued to slip, her arms throbbing. She continued to cough from the fumes she had inhaled, making it that much more difficult for her to hold on.
"Kagome!" Jaken lowered his staff toward her, and Kagome attempted to reach for it. Unfortunately, unlike in the movies, she was unable to hold her weight up with one arm, and she finally lost her grip. She yelled with fear as she began to fall.
Her breath escaped her as she fell into the arms of Sesshoumaru. He brought her back to the path below and looked down at her.
Kagome coughed violently, and began to feel as if she was burning alive. She clutched onto Sesshoumaru, and tears began to pour from her eyes.
"Can't... breathe," she managed to gasp, and the lack of oxygen began to make the world swirl madly about.
"If you can cough the poison up, it should not kill you," Sesshoumaru said, and Kagome wondered for a moment at the fact that he was still holding her.
Kagome tried to breathe between the fits of coughing, but found that she couldn't. Sesshoumaru's face began to blur, and all she could make out was his gold eyes. A small gasp escaped her lips.
A strange sensation occurred then, a warmth pressing against her lips. Numbly, Kagome realized that Sesshoumaru was helping her to breathe, and that involved his lips on hers. The world came hurtling back into focus, and the absolutely ludicrous situation secured itself in Kagome's mind. The coughing stopped, her breathing leveled, and all she knew was that she was in the arms of Sesshoumaru with his lips pressed firmly against hers.
But that wasn't the awkward part... The awkward part was that somehow, Kagome realized that she didn't mind...
"What... what the HELL IS GOING ON!?" Inuyasha stared at the two, mouth dropped open and a mixture of fury and disbelief on his face.
Kagome's eyes snapped open, and she looked over at Inuyasha from her place in Sesshoumaru's arms. The deepest, reddest blush she had ever experienced washed over her entire body.
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Oh lord, I am so amused with myself right now. BWahahaha!