~Ch. 2- Awakening~

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

Okami © Capcom

Kagome panted as she continued to run through the forest while Shippo clung to her shoulder. Mistress Centipede hissed as she crawled after them, toppling trees and smashing through bushes in her wake. As Kagome kept running, she yelped as she suddenly tripped on a root, causing her to tumble to the ground and spill Shippo as she fell. She gasped before she quickly scrambled to her feet and grabbed the young fox demon, just as Mistress Centipede was getting closer.

"You won't escape me, girl~!" she shouted.

"She's gaining on us!" cried Shippo.

"It's okay! We're almost there, I know it!" Kagome answered, but then, she turned around and gasped as she saw the centipede demon lunge for her with jaws agape, forcing her to duck out of the way while Mistress Centipede barely missed her by a hair. The teenage priestess grunted as she slid along the grass on her side, holding Shippo close to her so as not to let harm come to him, as well. She groaned as she tried to sit up, but as she did, her eyes suddenly fell upon the same familiar red string from before...and as she followed it, she gasped upon seeing Inuyasha, his body still pinned to the tree by the arrow in his chest.

"So...it's you, huh?" asked Inuyasha, his golden eyes glowering down at her.

"Inuyasha...!" Kagome whispered.

"Wait...this guy is supposed to help us?!" asked Shippo. "But he's pinned to a tree!"

"Yeah...no thanks to that damned priestess," Inuyasha cursed.

Kagome panted before she glanced back, sensing Mistress Centipede drawing nearer. Then she turned to Inuyasha before she sat up on her hands and knees.

"Great and powerful Inugami, Inuyasha," she preached. "I beg of you, please, slay these demons that are plaguing my home village!"

"...And just why should I?" Inuyasha asked, turning his head away from her with a sneer.

"W-what?!" Kagome questioned in disbelief.

"Uh...K-Kagome...!" Shippo said as he glanced back, worriedly as he heard Mistress Centipede's roars. "I think Mistress Centipede's getting closer!"

"Wait a minute!" Kagome cried. "You're supposed to be the guardian of the village!"

"Why should I help those worthless mortals?" Inuyasha asked. "I practically broke my back for them, and what do I get in return? An arrow in my chest, that's what."

"But please!" Kagome urged. "If nothing's done, everyone will be killed!"

"Not my problem," Inuyasha replied. "Maybe they should have thought of that before pinning me a tree for 50 godforsaken years."

Kagome stared up at the Inugami in shock...but then she sighed.

"...I guess I should have seen this coming," she said...her voice breaking, ever so slightly, which caused the Inugami's ears to twitch as he glanced down at her head. "After all...the village betrayed you, right? What reason do you have to protect it, again?"

At that moment, Mistress Centipede came bursting through the trees.

"Found you!" she shouted.

"AAH! SHE'S HERE!" Shippo screamed.

"But even so...this is the only home that I have...!" Kagome whimpered before she looked up at Inuyasha with tears welling up in her eyes. "Please...you have to help! You just have to!" She then sobbed as she covered her face. "I beg of you, Inuyasha! Please!"

Inuyasha's eyes went wide...but then he growled in irritation.

"Will you stop your damn crying?!" he questioned. "I can't stand seeing crap like that!"

"Huh?" Kagome muttered as she looked up at the Inugami.

"Listen, I'll help you," Inuyasha began, "but you have to pull out this arrow in my chest, first, you understand?!"

"The...the arrow?" Kagome repeated.

"What are you, a parrot?!" Inuyasha questioned. "Hurry up and pull it out!"

"But I- AAH!" Kagome cried as she suddenly found herself being squeezed by Mistress Centipede's huge thorax, which constricted around her, Shippo, and Inuyasha, who growled as he glared at the demon.

"Oh, no, we're trapped!" cried Shippo as he struggled to break free.

"Well, well...look what we have here," said Mistress Centipede. "The Great Inugami, Inuyasha. How was your little nap?"

"Heh," Inuyasha smirked. "Couldn't really sleep much with the stench of demons around me...especially yours."

Mistress Centipede narrowed her eyes and made an annoyed hiss at the Inugami, who gave her a toothy smirk that revealing a glinting fang sticking out from under his lip.

"Insolent little pup...!" the demon growled as she tightened her body around the tree, causing Kagome and Shippo to grunt in pain.

"I don't think he's helping, Kagome...!" Shippo cried in a strained voice. "He's just making her madder!"

"Ungh...!" Kagome grunted as she looked up at the arrow in Inuyasha's chest.

"Come on, hurry up!" Inuyasha shouted. "Pull out the arrow! You have a death wish or something?!"

Kagome gasped before she knitted her brow in a determined expression, then, using her free arm, she reached up and began to pull on the arrow's shaft with all her strength. Then, all of a sudden, the arrow began to glow in a bright pink light, then it dispersed in an array of tiny blue sparkles. Not long after...Inuyasha grunted as he flexed his fingers, causing his knuckles to pop. As for Mistress Centipede, she gasped in shock, but then growled as she began to squeeze tighter...but it was too late.

"HA!"

SLASH! With a swipe of his claws, Inuyasha soon rent Mistress Centipede's body into shreds, causing her to scream in pain. Then, in a blur of red, Inuyasha leaped up into the air with both arms spread open, then he brought them down in an X-formation, completely obliterating the demon while Kagome and Shippo both gaped in awe.

"He...he actually defeated her...!" Shippo whispered while he held onto Kagome's shoulder.

"Amazing...!" Kagome said while Inuyasha landed gracefully on the ground.

"That takes care of her," he said as he turned to face the priestess and fox demon. "Now then...I hope you brought me my brush."

"...Your...your what?" Kagome asked.

"My brush," Inuyasha repeated. "My Celestial Brush."

"What Celestial Brush?" Shippo repeated, which prompted the Inugami to give a low, irritated growl.

"Are you kidding me?!" he questioned. "My Celestial Brush! It's a giant paintbrush that I use for my powers! You came here to get me to save your village, but how am I supposed to do that if I don't have my Celestial Brush?!"

"Uh...wait," Kagome spoke before she spread out her arms. "A big paintbrush about...this long?"

"Yes, that one!" Inuyasha replied. "Where is it?!"

"...It's enshrined in the village," Kagome answered.

"Well, then, what are we waiting for?!" Inuyasha asked as he grabbed the young priestess by the arm and pulled her onto his back, causing her to yelp. "Hold on tight, wench!"

"Hey, my name's not wench!" Kagome shouted. "It's Kagome-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Inuyasha soon bolted off on all fours, causing her and Shippo to scream as she found herself clinging to his white fur cape while Shippo held onto the sleeve of her suikan. As Inuyasha ran, the wind howled loudly and a trail of flowers was left in his wake, causing Kagome to gape in awe as she looked at the dog-eared youth.

'Mom was right...he really is a god...!'

XXX

As the trio made it to the village...Kagome gasped at the damage that had been done. Houses were wrecked, several dead bodies were strewn about the ground, and the grass was stained red with blood. There were even severed limbs strewn here and there. She could see that a few villagers were still alive, some of them tending to those who had been injured. However, as she looked around, worry began to build up in the pit of her stomach.

She couldn't see Kaede anywhere.

"Sheesh..." Inuyasha muttered. "This place sure has changed since I've been sealed away."

"Kagome?" Shippo asked in concern while the young priestess hopped off of Inuyasha's back and ran through the ruined village, searching frantically for her adopted grandmother figure.

"Kaede?!" she called out, but all that met her was silence. "Kaede! Where are you?! Answer me!"

"...Did she say 'Kaede'...?" Inuyasha whispered.

"Kaede's the village's guardian priestess," said Shippo. "She raised Kagome when her mother died and helped train her as a priestess."

Inuyasha didn't speak...but instead, he suddenly bounded off, leaping from rooftop to rooftop while Kagome continued to search for Kaede on the ground.

"Kaede!" she called. "Kaede, where are you?! Can you hear me?!"

There was still no answer. Kagome whimpered, her heart sinking into the pit of her belly. Kaede was getting old. Perhaps she couldn't overpower the demons this time. Kagome's eyes began to blur as she felt her tears begin to return...but then...

"Kagome?"

Kagome gasped as she turned around and saw Kaede, her right arm in a sling and bandages around her forehead while a few of the younger village men walked alongside her while she used her longbow as a walking stick of sorts.

"Kaede!" Kagome exclaimed as she ran up and threw her arms around the elderly priestess, who chuckled warmly as she gently patted her back. "I'm so glad you're okay...!"

"And I am glad that ye are unharmed, as well," Kaede replied, "but tell me...where did you run off to? And what happened to Mistress Centipede?"

"I ran into Inuyasha's Forest," Kagome replied, causing Kaede and the men to gasp quietly.

"Inuyasha's Forest?" Kaede repeated before her wrinkled visage took on a more serious expression. "Tell me...did ye break the seal on him?"

"...Yes, Kaede," Kagome replied. "I had to. The village was under attack and Mistress Centipede was about to eat Shippo and me, so..."

"Say no more," Kaede replied. "I understand, my child."

"Well, well, if it ain't Li'l Kaede?"

Kaede, Kagome, and the man all looked up to see Inuyasha standing on the rooftop while Shippo still clung to his fur cape.

"Of course, I can't really call you 'li'l', no more, now can I?" the Inugami quipped.

"Who is the fellow with the silvery hair and dog ears?" asked one of the men.

"Never have I seen such a thing," said another.

"...Hello, Inuyasha," Kaede said with an incredulous stare. "I see that 50 years of dormancy has not changed that attitude of yours."

"Kaede, you know Inuyasha?" Kagome asked while Shippo hopped down from the roof to join her side.

"I know him, all right," Kaede replied. "After all...it was my older sister who sealed him to the tree."

Kagome gasped quietly while Inuyasha glared at Kaede, a bitter growl rumbling in his chest.

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