Chapter 59: All That Remains

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Kagome

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Had he heard her or not? It was hard for Kagome to tell. By the time she turned around to face him he was already in the air, the strength he harbored in his legs pushing him higher than any normal human could ever hope to leap.

She resisted the urge to run after him despite her promise not to. Coward, she thought, hating herself even as relief flowed through her chest. Despite her squabbling with Inuyasha, her frayed nerves soothed when she realized know she wouldn't have to face the Naraku youkai head-on this time around.

"He'll be back," Shippou said from her arms as they arrived at the bank of the river. Kagome gave him her best reassuring smile.

The river water looked cold, but at least it was crystal clear and allowed her to see straight to the bottom. It was mostly made of sludge; a mix of forest floor and scattered various-sized stones, and slow-growing moss moving in cadence with the waters' current. Kagome considered if she should go in fully clothed, but decided against it in the end. If a Naraku youkai did manage to slip by Inuyasha and the others, she'd have to move fast, and more clothing meant more weight to drag her down.

She sighed and dropped her bag at the edge of the river. The ground was damp here, but her pack was weatherproof enough to keep a little bit of water from soaking through. Her shoes came off first, then her socks, and she curled her toes into the softened dirt to keep her balance as she continued to disrobe. She was still wearing the same outfit that she'd dressed in that morning to go out looking for Inuyasha.

The thought of that morning caused a delicious image of him to manifest. She could practically feel his hand on her, his body moving in tandem with her own. She bit her lip to keep the memory at bay, to stay focused.

It was hard to believe everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours.

Just be thankful an attack didn't happen while we were in the meadow… or while Inuyasha was still chained up. She shivered at the thought, stepping into the cold water in nothing but her undergarments, her bow and quiver slung over her back and Shippou perched on her opposite shoulder.

The elders and children still gave her wide berth, but they had worse things to worry about than her smell at the moment. The current gave a light tug at her ankles and calves as Kagome waded in deeper. The others spread out around her, huddling in small groups. They didn't seem cold even a little, and Kagome cursed her frail, human body, so susceptible to the temperature, wishing for the hundredth time that she could also experience a youkai's natural protection against the harsh weather elements.

Thankfully, this river wasn't as deep or as strong as the one she'd had to bathe in to get the youkai gunk off of her, and she settled into the halfway point between the two banks, the surface reaching right below her ribcage. She withdrew her bow from her back and an arrow from her quiver, nocking it in place and holding it there, breathing in tandem with her beating heart, willing herself to stay calm. She could only hope the Naraku youkai kept their focus on Kouga and his warriors long enough for the tribe to win the battle. With Inuyasha in their midsts, it was likely they wouldn't have much trouble.

To keep herself distracted, Kagome made a note in her head of those in the water with her. She felt out of place; a singular human among the wolves. Shippou's presence helped, but just barely. He'd slipped down into the water with her and clung to her arm. He was shivering, but not from the cold like she was. Eyes wide and brows set in a determined knot, he was trying hard to stay strong.

Kagome would be brave for Shippou, if for no one else. She could do this. She didn't need to be near Inuyasha to feel safe, she'd felt safe for seventeen years without him by her side, and even though the danger had grown immensely, she'd held her own a few times. Besides, he wasn't that far. He'd hear if anything happened to her. What Kagome should have done was drag herself out of the water, go find Inuyasha and knock him over the head for banishing her here, in what basically amounted to the kiddie pool.

You faker, she chided herself. You're relieved he banished you here. You're terrified.

And she was. The cold sting of the water might make a believable story for why her hands trembled, why her teeth chattered, why she felt she'd be sick. But that's all it was: a cover. In reality, facing the Naraku youkai alone had knocked her confidence down a peg.

Four pegs, she corrected, biting her lip to still its' trembling. The tentacle thrashing above her head only moments ago had shown her how useless she would be if it came after her again. She hadn't even tried to nock her arrow, she just cowered under Inuyasha like a hapless infant.

Why did you freeze up like that? she berated herself, knowing full well what the answer was.

Nothing scared her like the Naraku Youkai did. She felt the warmth of her powers humming within, but the thought of it being ripped away from her again at the worst possible moment kept her apprehension high. She might get another lucky shot in like last time, but then what?

Your power is back, she insisted. She had felt it, and knew for sure if Ginta had touched her, he would have burned just like Kikyou had burned. Kagome swallowed, wondering if she would have trouble funneling her powers into the arrow.

That's why you trained so hard with Kaede, so you wouldn't have to rely so much on Inuyasha. Being afraid was one thing. Staying so afraid that she couldn't protect herself is what would get Inuyasha killed. She couldn't choke under pressure. Not now.

Shippou's little nails dug into her arm, pulling her from her thoughts and reminding her that he was there, huddled in the water beside her. She glanced down at him and bit her lip. He could probably use a distraction like she could.

"Shippou," she asked, "you have better hearing than I do, are you listening to the battle?"

He glanced up and gave a quick nod. "I can hear some of it."

"How much?"

"There's a lot of fighting but it's kinda weird and quiet cause the Naraku youkai don't make sounds, remember that? That's why they snuck up on us the first time, too quiet. I can hear a lot of Kouga and Inuyasha though and they're pretty mad."

"Pretty mad about what?"

"Boring stuff and it's not even about the Naraku youkai cause they just keep yelling at each other and calling names and cursing and stuff and they're sayin' your name a lot and they keep threatening to take you away and stuff but you're right here so I don't get it."

A smile cracked through Kagome's fear; a giggle broke through her lips and she couldn't help the laughter that fell from them next. Shippou tilted his head to the side.

"What's so funny, Kagome, tell me the joke."

She laughed some more before giving him a squeeze. "It's not really that funny, I'm just scared."

"You are?"

"Yeah. We all get scared sometimes, and the Naraku youkai are the scariest. But we have to stay brave. Do you remember how brave you were when it came for us the first time?"

He nodded, wide-eyed.

"Well, this is another time to be really brave. Plus, it's not just you and me, there are a lot of others fighting, too. In fact, we probably won't even get close to one this time, I think they'll be able to-"

She froze, and it came from behind them.

It was silent and fast, as if its bloated body had blinked into existence from hell itself. It wasn't in her line of sight yet, but she felt it coming. Realization smacked her in the face - a Naraku youkai with a shard in its grasp would be on them within moments.

The jewel… I will take it… give it to me...

Horrified, Kagame spun to the opposite shore of the battle taking place, heard the choked sound that made its way from her throat.

The deadly voice in her head grew louder, more insistent. She could feel its desire, its burning lust for the power it would receive and the blood it would shed.

Her mouth opened. She barely registered Shippou's worried questions, or the sharp nails he dug into her arm.

"Duck…" she said, a low tremble as she struggled to find her voice, then, "Everyone down!" she screamed. It tore raw from her throat and brought her back to her surroundings.

No one moved. The elderly and young started at her, open-mouthed and displeased. They thought she was crazy.

Only Shippou, bless his heart, listened. He lept from her arm and swam as if his little limbs depended on it.

Mine… the jewel is mine… give it to me…"

Its thoughts filled her head as it drove forward, gleeful for the shards Kagome possessed. What could she do? How could she convince the others? There was no way they would listen to her at this point, not with their hatred towards Inuyasha. Not with their obvious hatred towards Kagome herself.

She did the only thing she could - reached behind her and drew an arrow from her soaked quiver; nocked it to her bow. It was now or never, and even as fear threatened to swallow her whole, she felt that bit of warm spark in her center. It grew, gathering into her chest, thumping with each beat of her heart.

She drew, blinded by the scattered trees. How could it be so far away not to alert the others, yet so close that it would be on them in seconds?

Her confidence began to swell as the warmth in her strengthened and followed her command. It was a welcome friend, a hole that was mending. How could she have had so much trouble gathering her powers after her first run-in with the Naraku youkai, when it was now just as simple as taking a breath?

The youkai around her begin to back away, sensing her power. She knew she was flush with it, blazing with light that they could see as it grew in strength. She heard the children crying, the elders wondering what the hanyou's bitch was doing, wondering if this had been planned.

Time slowed to a crawl in her eyes as her power flowed from her chest and into her arms and gathered bright at the arrowhead - like a star, impossibly bright and warm. She knew she would hit her mark, the trees spreading apart in her mind, finding a path that wasn't possible.

"There!" she roared. Released. Her arrow shot straight and long, disappearing through the clear line in the trees that hadn't been before.

Silence, save for the battle that continued to rage on the far side of the mesa.

A pop, impossibly loud, like a blipped shot of thunder, and the forest lit up around them.

Screaming. Crying. Confusion. The elders held the children tight in their arms, and then it was heard - a keen that echoed in her ears, not her head. The sound reverberated into the fading daylight, and a tentacle blocked out the sun.

This time, everyone moved, including Kagome, as a giant tube of flesh came slamming down across the river. She dove out of the way as the detached appendage splashed across the surface and began to hiss. The sticky goo covering its flesh sizzled away, dissolving like a reactive acid.

The voice was silent in her head, the Naraku youkai no longer headed in their direction, which meant she'd struck true. She blinked back tears; the relief that it hadn't gotten her this time, hadn't raised her infeasibly high into the air, hadn't wrapped around her throat to squeeze the life out of her, was palatable.

Get a grip, you're not safe yet, she scolded, and pulled herself, shivering, out of the water. Her underthings soaked through, she nocked another arrow, just in case, as she peeked over the fleshy log that bridged the river.

"A headcount!" she called to the stunned wolf youkai. They no longer held disdain in their eyes, though it didn't mean much. They were most likely in shock like she was, and she wondered what kept her moving, what held her together. "Is anyone missing?" She glanced back and forth to the youkai on either side, the few that came-to first slowly following her commands, making sure no one was pancaked under the giant muscle.

"All here," came the wobbling reply of an elder to her left, and a "we're alive," from Shippou, who had fled to her right.

Relief flooded through her, and she paused for one moment, reaching out as best she knew how, trying to sense if any others were coming for them from behind.

Nothing. The forest on this side of the mesa was still again. She could feel a shard, pulsating yards away. She lowered her arrow, taking a closer look at the twitching body of tissue.

"At least we know for sure it's allergic to water," she murmured, then: "stay back, I'm going to destroy it."

This time they listened, moving through the water up and downstream as quick as they could. Kagome drew the bowstring back again, gathered her powers, her spirits lifting at the little thrill it caused, at the confidence it instilled in her once more. The arrow flew the short distance, and another pop sounded, obliterating the nightmare into small bits and chunks. They bobbed and swept downstream with the light current, the wolf youkai in their path dodging each speck as if it were still a danger to touch.

"Kagome!"

Kagome's heart thudded in her chest as Inuyasha came flying down through the trees.

"What happened?" he asked, mouth pulled into a grim line, "I heard you scream, but I was-."

She didn't let him finish, dropping her bow and running straight to him, throwing herself into his arms. "I'm okay," she whispered, his arms allowing her to relax her tensed muscles. "We're okay."

He drew her close and inhaled. She could feel his own relief, his heart pounding in turn with hers. "I thought I might be too late at first," he admitted. "I knew you were alive, but… last time…"

He didn't have to say it, she felt it as he did, the heavy sick in her stomach a grim reminder of her brush with death.

"I should have known," he chuckled, the sound reverberating in his chest. "You can hold your own."

She pulled away from him, meeting his eyes. "My powers are back," she said, relishing in the way she felt whole again. She'd felt the same when she'd discovered Inuyasha under the sun. "I think…" she trailed off, realizing she'd felt the same when she had discovered Inuyasha under the sun. Now she knew, that was the moment her powers returned. "I think they've been back since earlier today."

She wasn't going to question how it happened. She was just glad that it did.

But Inuyasha raised his brow and suspicion etched his words. "What do you mean 'they're back,' when did you lose them? And why are you in your underwear?"

She blushed, "the clothes weigh me down, I need to be able to move fast. See?" She swept her arm out to show him the bits of Naraku youkai that littered the riverbank.

"It didn't touch you?" he asked, rubbing her arms to feel for goo.

She shook her head. "No, I could hear it coming for the shards. I got it before I saw it. Oh! It had a shard too!" She pointed in the direction her arrow had flown.

His eyes widened. "On my back," he said, and she obeyed, slipping her arms over his shoulders as his came up under her legs. His back was warm and she focused on containing as much of his warmth as possible as they flew through the forest until they arrived at ground zero.

Bits of Naraku youaki flesh were already moving in a slow, steady pace back towards the jewel. Kagome pointed it out and then slipped from Inuyasha's back, plucking the shard from a disgusting lump of guts and holding it up to show him, a grin on her face.

"I'm not going to lie, I kind of miss this," she said.

"What," he said, a grin breaking free, "standing in the bloody massacre of your prey?." He swept her up again and pressed his lips to hers, and she stirred inside like she always did, feeling a bit empty when he pulled away. "I have to go make sure Kouga is holding his own, but I'll come right back as soon as I kill the bastards. Let's get you back to the river."

She nodded, not minding his cocky assertions this time. "The water thing is true," she said.

"Noted." He gave her one last kiss, then swept her up again, depositing her moments later at the bank. He readied himself to leap, but not before turning back to her once more. "We'll discuss your loss of powers later," he said. Then he was gone.

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Thirty minutes later and he was back, covered in goo this time. Kagome pulled herself from the river to meet him. "Do you feel any different?" she asked, reaching out to touch the goo.

He pulled back from her reach. "Idiot, don't touch it," he said, not unkindly, then shook his head. "I feel disgusting, but I'm fine otherwise. They've been dealt with." He nodded towards her clothes. "Dry off and get dressed, the others are on their way to rinse off as well."

Kagome nodded, doing as he said. She wondered what it was that caused her irritation at his demands to quell. Was it the danger they were in? Was it the trust she had in him?

She realized that now she could simply tell what he meant. Though his words still came out gruff and demanding, she could tell he held no feelings of hatred, no arrogance, no belief that she was stupid or weak. There was no urge to dominate her with his words. He oozed care and concern instead.

How often did I mistake his gruff demeanor for any of those terrible things? she thought. Though, she didn't doubt he felt them when they'd first met. She couldn't help but grin as she remembered seeing him for the first time. It seemed so long ago, and she was different. He was different.

Still, it would have been nice to know back then what he was really feeling as he spoke to her.

She just managed to pull her blue sweater down over her head when the wolf youkai began to appear through the trees. She heard Inuyasha pull himself from the river.

"Anything I can help with?" she asked as he tried his best to shake dry. She handed him her damp towel, hoping it would help some.

He took it and squeezed it around his hair. "Nothing at the moment. We had a few casualties, but we definitely outnumbered them," he paused, glancing her way, "not that it should surprise us with the amount of wolves at their call..."

She hummed in agreement. There had certainly been an ocean of wolves when they'd first been attacked within wolf territory.

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Hours in, it was nightfall, torches had been lit around the makeshift camp near the river, fearing the return of the Naraku youkai while the wolves healed. Kagome spent her time making sure the elderly and children were comfortable, as well as assisting some of the healers as best she could. They acted differently around her, now. Instead of narrowed eyes and upturned noses, there were wide eyes, and some even seemed shy. She supposed it made sense. After all, they hadn't known about her reincarnated power. To them, she was even more of a freak.

At least they aren't telling me I smell anymore, she thought, tucking in a young youkai with an extra fur pelt.

Inuyasha was near her at almost every moment. Sometimes she couldn't see him, but she could feel him, and it was a strange comfort she was slowly getting used to.

"Kagome," Kouga called out to her, motioning her over with a wave. Curious, she stood, her lips quirking up as she heard Inuyasha land on the ground behind her from where he'd been hanging out in the tree. He trailed after her as she made her way over. She wasn't going to argue with him about whether or not she was safe around Kouga, but she was disappointed that fighting against the Naraku youkai together had done nothing to soften the relationship between the two.

Most of the clan who weren't injured enough to keep off their feet had gathered around their King. He'd been in deep conversation with a group of elders for a while, and Kagome had been curious about what they were discussing. Clan business wasn't any of hers, though.

What could they possibly need me for? she wondered. Something about the jewel shards, maybe?

"Everything okay?" she asked, stepping into the semi-circle they'd created. No one reared back like she smelled, so that was a step in the right direction.

"Kagome," he repeated, "I've been discussing the events of today with the elders." There was a look in his eyes that Kagome couldn't read. He wasn't angry like she'd seen before, nor was he playful, like he usually was with her.

"They told me of your actions to save their lives during battle. As King, I'm ashamed that I did not have the wherewithal to think a stray might come at us from the other side of the river. I got no information of such a sighting from my seeker wolves." His jaw tightened. "It seems the Naraku youkai got to them without us knowing. I requested you be sent to the river for your protection, but it turns out you protected both the historical knowledge and the future of my clan instead. We would be at a great loss without you."

Kagome's cheeks reddened, the flush spreading up from her chest onto her neck. She opened her mouth to reply, but stopped when Kouga dropped to his knee in a deep bow.

"I am forever in your debt. The elders and our children survive today because of you. From every one of us, I thank you."

"Oh," she started, then fell silent as the wolf youkai gathered around followed suit, slowly dropping to their knees and bowing at the floor.

She didn't know what to say. She'd been terrified. She wasn't strong like the youkai were strong. She was forced, and lucky enough, to have to rely on something more. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Inuyasha. His shoulders were back, chest puffed out. He glanced down at her, catching her gaze, and opened his mouth to speak.

Kouga beat him to it. "It will be an honor to follow you and hunt down the jewel shards," he said, standing from his knee. "We will not stop until we are able to collect the shards and complete the jewel."

Oh… oh no. The color drained from Kagome's face. She hadn't… been able to tell Inuyasha about the deal she'd struck with Kouga while he was full youkai. The grip on her shoulder tightened.

"What's this," Inuyasha asked, voice unusually high and stiff, "about following us?"