And another chapter done. I'm sorry to have to inform you, however, that soon, this weekly update-schedule will have to stop and we'll be back to monthly updates… if I'm (and you, too) lucky. Sorry in advance, but that's university life for you *sigh*
Well, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. Happy reading :3
ANONYMOUS REVIEWERS:
Blackreader27: Thank you, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed :]
Inulover: Maybe he is, maybe he's not… I'll leave that up to your imagination for now ;)
hello-anime: Well… OK. Anyway, to be quite honest, I WAS thinking about writing a book someday, maybe, but I don't think I'd become an author who'd just live off books she sells. It'd be more like a hobby or something. But who knows, maybe I WILL write a book someday… Anyway, glad you enjoyed, hope you'll like this, too :3
InuGome: So basically, the mention of 'pack' made you think of Kōga? Why am I not surprised ;) Well, hoe you enjoy this chapter :]
CatchySayo: Yes, I think it could be called jealousy. I don't really see what else to call it LOL I mean, it was more than just simple anger, and besides, he had virtually nothing to be angry about. Jealous on the other hand… well, he's crushing on Kagome, so he's got kinda a reason to be jealous, ne :3 And yes, I do hope you'll be happier still as the story progresses. I have to say, I'm really enjoying writing it so far, and I can only hope people enjoy to read it, too :] Hope to hear from you again!
Misty Blue: Yeah, I think that's one of the major differences between canon-Inuyasha and my Kagome: the reaction to when the Jewel/the Shards are stolen. But then again, Inuyasha is too much of a… 'closed in himself', for lack of a better expression, guy to ever admit aloud, especially in the beginning of the series when the shards were stolen constantly, that he was actually more worried about Kagome than about the Jewel. My Kagome somehow isn't like that. But you're right, I admire her, too :)
happyface2107: It's not that hard actually. I imagine what it would be like to be a certain character in a certain situation and how it would feel, then I describe what I 'feel' in a way. That's all there's to it, really, or at least that's the only way I can explain it. I just do it naturally, without even thinking about it. Glad you enjoyed the chapter, hope you'll like this one, too :3
Guest: What's so hilarious about it? Isn't 'flock' just another way to say 'herd' or 'pack'? If it's not and I got the words confused, tell me and I'll change it… but man, that'd be embarrassing… Oh, the ōkami's hairstyle made you think of Pokémon characters? Interesting… though that's not what inspired the hair cut. Believe it or not, the hair cut idea comes from real life LOL Anyway, thank you for the review and glad to hear you liked it. Hope you'll enjoy the rest of it, too :3
Tracks for this chapter:
Blood-C OST:Shousa ni wa Houbi O, Haisha ni wa Bachi O
Abingdon Boys School: Doresu
Breakers:
XxX: change of scene
~ξ~: time-skip
乗: Beginning/Change/End of Flashback
Ю: Beginning/End of a story told by one of the character (the parts in bold between the stars are what the present them are saying as a small narrative)
Ж: Change of POV (mostly used within a story told by several characters)
[T] and [/T]: Beginning/End of soundtrack
Reminder: 'Inuyasha' written normally refers to Inuyasha, while written in cursive (cursive and bold in thoughts) refers to Kagome, the "Gentle Dog Demon". 'Hanyō' written normally means "half-demon", while written in cursive (cursive and bold in thoughts) it means "half-breed".
Chapter 26 – The Shikon's Power
Kagome's nose twitched as she ran and she narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out where the ōkami's scent was the strongest. They had been pursuing the wolf for a while now and it didn't smell like they were getting any closer to him. If she hadn't known any better, she would have thought he was long gone and they were merely running in circles, following not a fresh trail, but a lingering scent in the area. The only thing keeping her from panicking was that she was certain they weren't running in circles. Problem was, there was nothing to prove the trail they followed was fresh. After all, the one they followed was a canine, just like her, so to expect him to try and mask his scent-trail was like to expect to be killed when a yōkai ran at you with claws at the ready and you refused to move. It was an obvious inevitability, and Kagome hated to admit it, but the wolf had done a damn good job at it.
'We'll never catch up to him at this rate,' she thought grimly as she skidded to a halt, once again taking a deep breath to make sure she was indeed going in the right direction, but the scent seemed to be scattered everywhere. There was no telling which direction was the one the wolf had left in. Or at least none that would give results rapidly enough.
Kagome was a predator and she had no problems tracking even those who were the most skilled at hiding. She had the patience to search for and find a trail to lead her to her prey in the end, and not once had she ever failed to find what she was looking for. But in the case she was looking for someone who was trying everything in his mind not to be found, it always took time. And time was not something they had a whole lot of right now.
"What's wrong?" Inuyasha questioned when Kagome didn't move for a while. She had stopped a few times before, something he was glad for because these few-second-breaks allowed him to regain his breath somewhat. But this time, the 'break' was definitely too long. The silver haired hanyō growled in response as she turned her head this way and that, sniffing furiously all the while, a frown neither spiritualist saw forming and deepening on her face.
"He's good," she admitted quietly, though she wasn't happy about it at all. "His scent is practically everywhere in the area. I can't tell where the freshest trail is. I don't know where he went," she said angrily, fists clenching at her sides helplessly. Inuyasha's eyes widened.
"That does not sound like a good thing," Miroku stated gravely as he closed his eyes for a moment. Kagome snorted, taking another deep breath as she lowered herself to the ground. If the scent lingering in the air wasn't enough, she'd have to try and find the trail on the ground. It always took longer, but then again, it was always more accurate. The wolf could have been running in circles to confuse them, but while the air wouldn't be able to tell them that, the earth would be more than happy to.
"Tell me something I don't know," the young half-demon replied sarcastically, still sniffing the ground. Her eyes widened when she suddenly caught the scent she was looking for much more strongly than previously. She found the trail. However, she knew better than to simply bolt in the direction madly, staying close to the ground instead as she advanced slowly. It was a good thing she did, too, for the trail abruptly changed directions a few steps further and Kagome had a feeling it would continue like that until they found the wolf. But that would mean the tracking would take much too long if she wanted to hope to still retrieve the Jewel.
She had fought a couple of demons who managed to snag the Jewel in the past, after all, and if there was one thing she hated about the blasted pearl, it was that it made the yōkai who used it stronger the longer he possessed it. Which was why time was of essence right now.
"He chose a path filled with lower demons. With all their demonic aura swirling around, even I cannot find where he had gone… especially with your yōkai energy so close, making sensing the others out there far more difficult, Kagome-sama," Miroku replied, as if he was really trying to 'tell her something she didn't know'. She snorted.
"I figured. Otherwise, you would have already told me you sensed him, unless you want him to keep the Jewel. I doubt that, however… wait," she said suddenly as she briskly stood up and turned to the two spiritualists behind her. Her golden gaze, however, fell not on Miroku, but on Inuyasha. "Can't you sense the Jewel?" she asked him suddenly, her voice tight.
The wolf could run in circles to mask his scent trail. He could pass through land highly inhabited by lower demons to let their aura mask his own. But he could never hope to mask the trail of the Jewel's energy, since there was only one gem. It was unique. There was nothing that could hide it.
Too bad Inuyasha knew so little where his powers and his kannushi status were concerned.
"Sense the Jewel?" he repeated, his voice betraying his confusion as he blinked a few times for good measure. Kagome felt the urge to groan in exasperation.
"Something like a pull within you. Or a calling. I don't know, I never felt it. But isn't there any feeling inside that usually isn't there that seems to be pointing you in a certain direction or something?" she asked urgently, her eyes never leaving his. Inuyasha frowned and was about to shake his head negatively, but stopped himself from doing so in the end. There was some strange feeling tugging at his insides for some time now, and it had only gotten stronger as they advanced. It had annoyed him, though, so he tried to ignore it. Now, it seemed like the feeling was not only stronger than before, but also urgent. Almost pulling him, as if whatever it was that kept making him feel that way urged him to move on and find it… no, rather the other way around – his insides were yelling at him to run and regain the thing they were trying to pull him towards.
"What makes you think he'd sense the Shikon, Kagome? I thought only demons could sense the thing," Shippō asked curiously from his perch on Kagome's shoulder, where he had jumped back after hopping off when she started to sniff the ground like an actual dog.
"He can see the Jewel in situations no one else can. It would only make sense he'd sense it, too," Kagome replied swiftly, remembering how he had pointed to one specific bit of yōkai flesh when they first met, after she destroyed the centipede demon that ate it. "Kikyo had the power of sight, too, and she could sense the Jewel. I don't see why he should be any different," she added after a while, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the silent kannushi, annoyed when he didn't answer. His eyes suddenly snapped open before she could ask him again, though, and he easily pointed only slightly to the left of the direction they had previously been going in.
"That way," he said confidently, although if anyone asked him how he knew that was the correct path to the wolf demon and the Jewel, he wouldn't have been able to answer. He was surprised, however, as no one questioned him. Miroku and Shippō probably because they were as surprised as him, and Kagome – the source of their surprise – simply because she had bolted in the direction he had pointed without a second thought. Inuyasha stared at her for a few seconds before he realized he and Miroku were being left behind. Cursing and yelling after the half-demon, he followed her, the monk easily keeping up with him. Kagome's ears twitched on her head as she heard him call for her to wait, and although annoyed, she yielded and slowed down enough for the two ningen to catch up.
"Did you catch his trail, Kagome-sama?" Miroku asked calmly as he and Inuyasha caught up to the running half-demon. Kagome scowled.
"No, I didn't," she bit out as she sped up again, forcing the two spiritualists behind her to try and keep up, one with more difficulty than the other, but neither complaining.
"His scent is literally everywhere. Tracking him is impossible," Shippō added as he also sniffed the air, only to confirm what Kagome had said before.
"It is possible, but it would take too much time," Kagome corrected stiffly.
"Then why did you run off like that if you're not sure this is the right direction?" Inuyasha grunted out, slightly irritated. If she was leading them the wrong way…
"Because you told me it was that way," Kagome replied matter-of-factly, making Inuyasha almost stumble and fall flat on his face in surprise. As if sensing his astonishment, the Inuyasha continued. "I asked you if you could sense the Jewel. You told me you sensed it this way. So why wouldn't I run? You both know time is of essence. The quicker we find the bastard, the quicker this will be over and done with," she growled. 'And the easier the fight will be,' she added in her thoughts, but did not voice that opinion. Then her eyes narrowed in a half-glare which she directed at the black haired teen over her shoulder. "You better not tell me this is the wrong direction," she warned in a low tone. Inuyasha shook his head in response.
"No, it's this way. I'm sure of it," he said, though again, he had no idea where the confidence in his words came from. He just somehow knew he was right.
"That's all I need to know," Kagome replied and faced forward once again, missing the surprised stare Inuyasha was giving her completely. 'She isn't questioning my confidence in my words at all,' he couldn't help but notice and slowly, a small smile formed on his face before he forced it away.
Maybe… just maybe, she was starting to trust him? At least a little bit?
They continued to run in silence for a while, Kagome and Shippō's noses twitching more and more often the further they went. The stench of wolf was finally getting stronger and the only thing Kagome could think at the moment was that it was about damn time they caught up.
"We're getting close," the young half-demon informed her companions, but narrowed her eyes and slowed down as she noticed something. Mainly that their surrounding were eerily quiet – much too quiet for her liking. "And I'd assume he's waiting."
Inuyasha only nodded his agreement when she glanced at him, still wondering how he was so sure of himself. He could only be glad no one asked him for an explanation how he knew where the Jewel was or whether it was moving or not, because frankly, he didn't know the answer himself. He just knew, period.
"It's going to be a hard battle. That's one thing you can count on," the young half-demon added grimly, her eyes glancing at Inuyasha meaningfully. He caught her gaze and instantly knew what she was about to say next, so he took it upon himself to let her know he wasn't going to yield.
"I'm not going to stand back. I'll fight," he hissed at her, making the half-demon narrow her eyes as she stared at him. He barely registered Shippō calling him a baka when his attention was brought to the monk who spoke next.
"Are you sure it is wise? Should you not stand back and recover first?" Miroku tried to reason, much like he had an hour or so prior, when Kagome fought her battle of honor and pride. Inuyasha snorted.
"Keh. A little injury like that won't stop me from beating a weakling like that into the ground," he replied arrogantly.
"He's not weak," Kagome replied softly.
"You said yourself he wasn't even worth killing," Inuyasha replied hotly, slowing down and stopping next to Kagome when she halted her run. They were close now, and it wouldn't be long before they were close enough for the waiting demon to hear them. They had to settle this now, so that she could be certain Inuyasha wouldn't do anything stupid.
"Not anymore. He has the Jewel now," the hanyō-girl replied calmly, hoping Inuyasha would get was she was hinting at. She was thoroughly disappointed, however.
"So what? We'll just get it back from him and beat him up. It can't be that hard, considering how easily you dealt with him a while ago."
"Don't you get it?" Kagome growled, slowly starting to get angry. "Don't you remember what happened to that centipede when she devoured the Shikon? And she was only low-life yōkai vermin. That wolf may have been weak, but he's not a low-life. He's strong enough to maintain a decent human form – that should tell you something."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Inuyasha asked, confused. Kagome massaged her temples, reminding herself that this guy really knew nothing of the world he had found himself in. She sighed, trying to remain calm.
"Yōkai don't usually look like humans. You noticed that, right?" she asked, receiving a nod in response. "That flea-infested scumbag aside, how many demons that looked like humans have you seen? Not many, right?" she continued, but never waited for him to respond. "Only stronger demons hide their true appearance. And the stronger they are, the better the disguise. That wolf had a rather decent humanoid form, right? Sure, he was weak compared to me , but that will no longer be the case now. The Jewel will grant him power, and more of it the longer we wait. By now, he'll be likely to be one of the strongest yōkai you've ever met here."
If she were to be honest with herself, the wolf was likely to be one of the stronger yōkai she's ever met, too, though he definitely wouldn't come anywhere close to, say, Sesshōmaru. Still, this was not going to be an easy battle and with Inuyasha weakened due to his injury, it would be suicide for him to fight with his sword. The wound was healing, sure. But it was not healed yet.
Inuyasha, however, only snorted.
"Like I said, all we have to do is get the Jewel back. Then he'll lose that additional power, right? It can't be that hard to get the Shikon back from him, he can't be that strong," the black haired priest replied with a frown. Though not oblivious to Kagome's mounting fury, he just couldn't understand what was getting her so riled up. He was sure she was exaggerating.
"Do you think it will be that easy to get it back?" she snapped.
"It can't be anything I won't be able to handle," Inuyasha replied, arrogance seeping into his tone yet again, masking his other emotions. Like the need to prove to Kagome that he could handle it, to prove to her that he could fight, and that he could protect her… that it was okay to believe in him.
"You're weakened! Do you really think he's weak enough for you to take on in your injured state?"
"I'm not that weak, Kagome! I can handle it! I'm stronger than you think, you just never give me the chance to prove it!" Inuyasha yelled back, now getting angry himself. His words, however, were too much for Kagome by that point, and she snapped. Next thing Inuyasha knew, she was right in front of him, her claws around his neck, not squeezing hard enough to cut off his air supply or to break his skin, but strongly enough for him to know there was something around his neck that should not be there. And she had done that before he had even had the time to blink.
"You're strong, are you? Then tell me, why is it that I can get you in a situation that would mean your death had it been anyone else so easily?" Kagome exploded, her anger almost palpable in the air as glared at him, letting the future-born teen get the full burn of her fury, while Miroku and Shippō hung back and observed, slightly wide-eyed. The kit had long since decided to move to a safer location, which was why he was with the monk, who for some reason decided not to interfere.
"Tell me, if you're as strong as you say, why do I have to save you over and over? Why can't you fight your own battles and finish them without needing my help at least once? If you're so strong, why is it that you could have died a hundred times over already, had it not been for me saving you?!" The hanyō-girl continued to yell as she released Inuyasha and let him fall to the ground, only to loom over him like a predator over cornered prey. He wanted to leash right back out at her and tell her she was wrong, that he didn't need her help. But he couldn't, because he knew that would be a lie. So he stayed quiet, while the half-demon continued to berate him. She was far too angry to control her words now. His arrogance just did something to her that made her lose all control.
"Do you want to know the truth, Inuyasha? The truth is that you're so arrogant because of your so-called strength that you think there's nothing that can be possibly thrown your way that you couldn't handle. That might be true for where you come from. I wouldn't know. But it's not the case here! If it was, you wouldn't have had to remove the arrow back then to let me take care of the centipede you allowed to swallow the Jewel! If it was, I wouldn't have had to come over to your home to make sure that nymph didn't kill you! If it was, you would have been able to stand your ground against Sesshōmaru! Maybe not actually defeat him, but you wouldn't have been frozen in fear when faced with the power he has! Do I need to go on?" Kagome continued, her fists clenching angrily at her sides as she stared down at Inuyasha, who by then refused to glance up at her. He wanted to say something to her, anything to defend himself, but no words came to mind. None could, because he knew she was right, as much as he loathed admitting it. His shoulders slumped in defeat. But the young half-demon wasn't done yet.
"Your arrogance already almost cost you your life once, not so long ago," Kagome said, although her voice had lost the seething edge to it. It was eerily detached now, instead, or at least that's what it sounded like to him. "Why can't you learn from past mistakes, stupid?"
He actually flinched slightly at those words, knowing perfectly well what she was referring to. There was only one thing, really. And he still felt badly whenever he thought about it. At first he had thought the whole situation could have been avoided if only he had trusted Kagome when it counted. But truth was, his trust in her wouldn't even have to be tested in the first place if he only accepted the truth for what it was – that he wasn't as strong as he repeatedly tried to make everyone believe he was. Not for this time's standards.
"Last time, I was there to save your butt. But what if I'm not around, or too preoccupied with another enemy to help you? What then?" the Inuyasha continued to question, her eyes and voice getting softer as she slowly knelt down in front of the black haired kannushi, who was still staring silently at his lap, the fight having left him long ago. Her words hit home and he flinched again when another voice spoke in his head, saying almost the exact same words.
"Well, what will you do now? Your hanyō friend isn't here to protect you now, is she?" he recalled the swords the samurai had taunted him with. The saddest thing was, he hadn't done anything. He had needed her to save him during that battle again. Twice even. Once, she could have died because of it, too. And if she hadn't, he would be the one biting the dust right now.
He supposed his arrogance was as much to blame for the situation they had found themselves in later as his lack of faith in Kagome. If he hadn't stomped off, angered by the fact she hadn't acknowledged his strength, he wouldn't have met Naraku and he wouldn't have even gotten his hands on the sword, much less been possessed by it. And Kagome wouldn't have had to draw his blood to help him.
"Why can't you just understand that I only want you to stay safe until you finally have the strength to back up those arrogant words of yours?"
His head snapped up at those words to stare at Kagome, only now noticing that she wasn't looming over him anymore, having knelt down in front of him. Before he could respond, however, she sighed and stood, extending her hand towards him to help him up.
"I'm sorry for blowing up," she told him gently as he refused her help and picked himself off the ground himself. He didn't look at her, though, almost feeling unworthy of staring into her eyes. She was only looking out for him, trying to make sure he stayed alive… he sighed. 'Don't be. You're right, anyway,' he thought, but didn't say those words aloud. His pride wouldn't allow him to admit her words had struck a chord. "Did the Jewel move?"
"No," he replied quietly, still not willing to look up at the half-demon. Kagome merely nodded.
"Let's go then. We lost enough time as it is," she said before sniffing the air again. This time, she didn't start running, though, opting instead to slowly approach the wolf's location. She was careful to stay silent and downwind, as to not be smelled by her prey and the rest of the group followed her lead, trying to remain as stealthy as possible.
"Kagome's scary when she's mad," Shippō whispered suddenly, making Kagome's ears twitch on her head in response to the sudden noise, even though it was a mere whisper.
"I find myself obliged to agree," she heard Miroku reply and rolled her eyes in annoyance.
[T]
"Stay quiet," she whispered over her shoulder as they reached a small wall of bushes and small trees. Kagome quickly crouched down behind one of them and the rest followed her example. It was a good thing they did, too, because looking over the edge of their respective hiding spot, they could already see the wolf they've been chasing. The silver haired half-demon narrowed her eyes as she stared at the thief. He hadn't changed physically at all, or at least her keen eyes couldn't detect any changes. She knew better than to assume he wasn't any more powerful than he was before, especially since she couldn't see the Shikon anywhere. That meant he either hid it somewhere in his fur, or, which was unfortunately much more likely, he had already eaten it, or merged it with his body in some other way.
A loud laugh reached her ears as she saw the ōkami swing his claws at the air with a gleeful look on his face. 'Yup, he definitely merged the Shikon with his body… looks like he's testing his new power now. I always wonder whether it's a good or a bad thing if they know just how much more power they have,' Kagome thought as she observed the wolf. She was actually quite surprised he hasn't noticed their presence yet, but then again, he was obviously preoccupied with his little display to himself. The hanyō-girl had to admit, however, that just from watching, she could already see the difference in power between the wolf she had fought before, and the wolf she'd be facing now. The Jewel's power was truly terrifying, she noted not for the first time.
Reaching behind her, Kagome gently grasped Inuyasha's wrist and tugged lightly to tell him she wanted him to come closer. Her eyes never left the form of the cheerful wolf as he felled one of the bigger trees with one careless swipe of his claws – which Kagome suddenly noticed seemed longer than before.
"Do you see the Jewel somewhere?" she asked when the black haired teen was next to her, his violet eyes also observing the wolf. He was quiet for a moment as his eyes roamed the demon's form before finally zeroing in on the bull's eye.
"In his chest, close to his right shoulder," he whispered back. He barely saw Kagome nod in response, as he kept staring at the glow he saw between the fur, bright as day. He still marveled how Kagome couldn't see it, since it shined so brightly. But then again, he seemed to be the only one able to see that glow, anyway.
"Shippō-chan, stay with Inuyasha," Kagome whispered to the kit, her hand releasing Inuyasha's in favor of reaching for her sword. "And you," she continued, glaring at said kannushi. He was about to open his mouth to tell her he was going to fight, too, but abruptly shut it when he saw her glare. It softened soon enough, though, and Inuyasha couldn't help but stare at her at her next words. "Promise me to stay out of harm's way," she said simply.
She wasn't asking him to sit back and watch. She wasn't asking him to let her handle everything. She was merely asking him to stay out of trouble… to not get too involved. Inuyasha slowly let his eyes fall to the ground again, now ashamed of his arrogant words before. She wasn't even attempting to stop him from fighting. She merely asked he didn't get in way over his head. And she was also entrusting Shippō to him. She trusted him to protect the kit.
It was the first time the idea entered his head that maybe it wasn't her looking down on him, but him overestimating his own capabilities.
"Promise me," Kagome pressed when he didn't answer.
"I promise," Inuyasha replied softly, slowly raising his head to glance at the hanyō in front of him. She nodded in acceptance, her eyes revealing her relief before she turned her head to stare at the wolf again. With a barely noticeable nod in Miroku's direction, she jumped out of the foliage and unsheathed her sword, ready to come down and kill the unsuspecting yōkai in one strike. Or so Inuyasha would have liked to think.
[/T]
The ōkami easily jumped out of the way, making Tessaiga cut only air as he somersaulted away. He landed for a second or two before he leapt into the air again, this time to avoid a couple of o-fuda Miroku threw at him from his hiding spot. Once in the air, he was intercepted by the hanyō-girl a second time, but before she could strike at him, he turned and tried to kick her in the stomach. He was much faster than before, but Kagome still managed to avoid it, flipping in the air to do so. Making sure to keep a big enough distance from each other, the two demons landed lightly on the ground, though the demon had to duck immediately afterward, unless he wanted a shakujō to strike the side of his neck. In the blink of an eye, a claw shot out after the staff and grabbed it, the yōkai easily throwing it and its owner over his head and towards Kagome. Miroku landed on his back at her feet, but was quick to get back up and resume a protective stance.
"That's some speed and strength," the monk admitted, making the ōkami smirk arrogantly in response. Kagome only snorted as she stepped from behind the houshi, pushing him slightly to the side in a way to inform him that she did not appreciate his obscuring her view of the enemy.
"That's nothing. He's merely warming up, I'm afraid, Miroku-sama," she replied calmly as she glanced sideways at him, her eyes easily passing the message to not get in her way.
"I imagine that is the case," Miroku replied gravely. The yōkai laughed, having heard every single word.
"Hah! So now you acknowledge my power, half-breed? A little late, wouldn't you agree? What took you so long to notice?" he gloated, though whether he was planning on getting under her skin or was simply getting very much overconfident, Kagome didn't know, nor did she care enough to find out.
"No," she replied simply as she adjusted her hold on Tessaiga. "You are weak. I'm merely acknowledging the power of the object you stole and which I'll tear out of you myself. I'm only stating the obvious: the Shikon is very powerful indeed. You, however, are a completely different story. If not for the gem, I wouldn't have even bothered to follow you, much less to kill you. You're hardly worth the effort," Kagome said, her voice gaining a very mocking edge at the end of her 'speech'. She spared a quick glance at the bushed where Inuyasha still stood, hand positioned over Seiryuu's hilt but visibly hesitating. She was surprised he hadn't joined the fight yet, but was glad for it.
Her words have visibly affected the wolf-demon, too. His lips were pulled back in an impressive snarl, had it been anyone else growling at her. His eyes were narrowed, his claws flexing and his fur was bristling. He was obviously angry and Kagome had a very good idea why. She couldn't help but smirk, an action that made the ōkami even madder. 'Watch closely, Inuyasha. Watch and learn what arrogance can cost you in battle.'
"I'll make you pay for saying that, half-breed! You won't even live to regret insulting me!" the wolf yelled angrily as he lunged at her. Kagome didn't plan on making him wait and, ignoring Miroku's call to be careful, lunged as well. Seeing this, the yōkai swiftly drew one of his claws back to try and stab her through, but the hanyō-girl easily ducked out of the way and continued advancing below. In the next second, Tessaiga flew upwards in a practiced move. Normally, it would aim to slice the opponent's chest and head in half. But in this case, Kagome knew that even an injury like that would have been useless in the long run. So instead, she aimed a little more to the right.
The wolf had absolutely no time to evade until it was already too late. He jumped away with a yowl, a trail of scarlet following his every move. Kagome clicked her tongue in annoyance as she stood up from her crouch and swung Tessaiga lightly, making the excess blood fall off the blade.
"Should have aimed closer to the shoulder. Damn," she murmured under her breath, just barely glimpsing a bright light for a second within the demon's flesh before it vanished, covered by the already-healing tissues. "For someone who wanted to make me pay, though, you left quite the opening there," she said louder, her voice openly mocking. "If not for the Shikon, you would've been already dead. So tell me, oh extremely powerful ōkami, out of the two of us, who's the stronger one? Me, or you?"
The wolf snarled at her angrily, but her words weren't only meant to anger the yōkai further. From between the leaves, Inuyasha observed the battle with wide eyes, his arm slowly lowering from Seiryuu's hilt. 'That wolf… He had been so certain she couldn't let a single blow on him that he had left himself wide open. Only a complete imbecile wouldn't be able to use an opening like that! Does the guy want to die or what?' the black haired teen couldn't help but notice with a small smirk on his face. It had taken but a moment for it to vanish, however, as something suddenly became very clear to him. His eyes widened as Kagome's words from before rang in his head, his mind connecting the dots amazingly easily. And he didn't like the pictures he was obtaining.
It was suddenly all too clear why Kagome had taunted the wolf, and why she continued to do so as the battle continued. The enraged wolf was so set on making Kagome pay for her words, that not only had he left himself wide open to any kind of attack, he had also completely forgotten about Miroku, a fact he was paying for dearly as an o-fuda almost nailed his arm before the monk's staff hit him strongly in the back, making him stagger forward straight towards Kagome and Tessaiga. It was only by sheer luck that he avoided being stabbed through the shoulder by the blade. Also, the ōkami had yet to pay attention to anyone besides the two people he saw, mainly Inuyasha, who remained so far undetected and had thus the element of surprise to his advantage. But that wasn't the only thing the teen noticed.
'He's overconfident because he has the Jewel. Because of that, he leaves many openings, thinking no one could ever truly harm him. He is not only overestimating himself, he's underestimating his opponent, too,' Inuyasha thought, his mind wandering yet again to the many spars he had with Kagome. But this time, he noted something else about them, something he never paid attention to before.
Each time they sparred, she won. And each time, he was telling her it was merely because he held back. He told her she was underestimating him and wanted her to draw her blade, which she always refused to do. But after each try on his part, their next sparring session was much more intense, and usually took much shorter until she had landed a 'killing blow'.
It was only now he realized that each time he told her she underestimated him, it was actually the other way around. And afterward, it was always her proving to be stronger than he thought.
He had been overconfident and had been forced to pay the price for it. Worse even, he had almost made Kagome pay a price much worse for a mistake he made.
Frowning, the black haired teen glanced at his bandaged hand. It wasn't healed yet and even with Kagome's blood, it would still take a couple more days. It was nowhere near healed enough for him to wield a sword yet, he knew that. It was his pride that made it impossible to accept that fact, and it was his pride that made him try to achieve the impossible, just because he couldn't stand the idea of being thought of as weak. 'It was the same with that samurai, too. I knew I shouldn't fight. I didn't have to. But I wanted to prove I could… and it almost got me killed twice,' he admitted, if only to himself, his hand slowly falling to his side as a thought he never would have imagined to enter his head did just that.
'What good is pride if it's going to get me killed?' Wouldn't it be wiser for him to just stand back and sit this one out? The only thing that would suffer would be his ego. But if he fought, he risked much more than just a bruised ego. He'd be risking his life.
"Why can't you just understand that I want you to stay safe until you finally have the strength to back up these arrogant words of yours?"
"Promise me to stay out of harm's way. Promise me."
Maybe he should just suck it up this once and let Kagome help him. After all, without a sword, there wasn't much he could do, anyway, and he wasn't in good enough shape to use it yet. So he really should just sit this one out…
On the other hand, he didn't want to be the one always watching from the sidelines. He didn't want Kagome to fight for him and instead of him. If she really had to fight (and he knew she wouldn't let him fight for her), he wanted her to fight alongside him. He wanted to fight with her. And she always pushed herself beyond her limits, her fight with the samurai proved that. So if he wanted to fight with her, why should he be any different?
His hand wandered back to his sword's hilt.
Then again, as he was now, he really wouldn't be of much help.
His hand stilled as two sides of him warred with each other, one the voice of reason, the other the voice of pride along with some other emotions he couldn't quite place. Both were right in his opinion, and both were wrong, too… so how the Hell was he supposed to know what to do?!
"You're good at dodging, I'll give you that much. But just speed won't be enough. Sooner or later I'll get you and rip the Jewel right out of you. I bet it'll be sooner rather than later, too," Kagome's voice cut through his inner monologue and he looked up at the battle field before him.
The wolf and Kagome were facing each other, both ready to act at any given moment and neither looking overly hurt or even winded. Miroku was standing to Kagome's right, looking slightly worse for the wear, but nothing that might endanger him. Only a few scratches here and there.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, hanyō. You're about to meet your end," the ōkami smirked back, flashing his fangs. Kagome frowned in retaliation, not failing to notice how the wolf's youki suddenly skyrocketed. She knew well what he was about to do and she couldn't help but curse inwardly. 'Damn, I took too long… now it's going to be a real hassle,' she thought furiously as sudden wind picked up and played with her hair. She growled under her breath.
"Get ready, Miroku-sama. The real fight is only beginning," she said to the monk standing next to her without turning her head. He was handling himself pretty well so far, having only a few minor scratches on him. The ōkami had focused more on her and it was a good thing – strong and capable as he was, Kagome doubted the houshi would have been able to keep up with the demon's speed. He was only human, after all.
"You sound like what is happening is a good thing. Should we not rather be concerned with how much power the Shikon is granting him?" Miroku asked calmly, his own eyes never leaving the wolf as he slowly started to seemingly dissolve in thin air as he shed his human disguise. Kagome snorted in response.
"Of course it's concerning. He's going to be quite a bit stronger now," she replied, yet a grin was placed on her face. "Then again, he's also going to be quite the bit more confident. They always are. You understand what I mean, do you not?"
"The stronger he gets, the more confident he is and thus the easier to crush his defenses, is that what you mean?" the monk asked calmly, a small confident smirk also forming on his face now. Kagome nodded curtly.
"It only works if he doesn't turn out to be too quick for you to get a hit in, though."
[T]
A small distance away, still between the bushes, Inuyasha blinked as he watched the demon transform while a strong feeling he was slowly learning to associate with youki flooded his senses. When the demon's form solidified, he blinked in surprise while Shippō trembled on his head.
"He's big," the kit whispered in fear as he stared at true form of the yōkai – a wolf, unsurprisingly.
"You've seen nothing yet, kit. That's nothing," Inuyasha replied rather calmly as he stared at the bristling, brown fur and the bared teeth with indifference. Yes, the ōkami definitely looked mad and the young kannushi wouldn't be looking forward to being caught between his jaws. But when he remembered the gigantic dog that Sesshōmaru had become after changing, when he remembered that daiyōkai looming over him with bloodlust in his red eyes, the wolf he was seeing now couldn't make him feel any fear. He just didn't measure up. His eyes weren't the blood-thirsty red that made you tremble in fear, taking a deep blue color instead that seemed almost calming. His pupils were a deep violet, another color that failed to be menacing, and weren't nearly as slit-like as Sesshomary's eyes have been. The wolf might be snarling and his brown fur was bristling, sure, but where Sesshōmaru had towered good five or even more meters above him, the ōkami was several sizes smaller. His muzzle was maybe a meter above Kagome's head, not more – after meeting a being like Kagome's half-brother, you weren't scared of a whelp like that, infused with the Jewel's power or not.
Kagome was thinking along the same lines as Inuyasha, only she had even the gall to voice them.
"What, that's all? I would have thought you'd be larger. If that's all the power you can show with the Jewel, I don't even want to know how pathetic you would look like without it," she mocked, earning herself a very much enraged growl. She achieved her goal, however, as the wolf attacked her, one large paw falling at her and Miroku from above. The monk easily jumped away not to be caught up in the blast of the attack that hadn't even been aimed at him. And Kagome merely jumped back to avoid being crushed, then swiftly pounced and landed easily on the paw that had just tried to flatten her. Two more leaps on her part, and she was already at the height of his muzzle, Tessaiga raised high over her head.
"Too bad for you, I fought bigger canines than you. I fought demon's you can't even hope to ever measure up to," Kagome said simply as she swung down. The yōkai was faster than she expected, however, so instead of cutting of his arm like she had once done to her own brother, she merely cut deeply into his shoulder. However, unlike the last time she cut in exactly the same spot, she didn't see the glimmer of light that was the Shikon. Kagome's eyes widened. 'What?!' she thought in surprise, though really, it shouldn't have surprised her that much.
The second of lack of focus had cost her, though. Next thing she knew, the ōkami's teeth caught her blade, suddenly reminding her that she was in the midst of battle. 'Shimatta!' she yelled in her mind as the massive teeth threatened to crush her blade. But Tessaiga held firm, so the demon swiftly did the next best thing. Turning his head to the side, he opened his jaw to release the sword, thus sending Kagome flying. Her back hit a tree a little distance away before she slowly slid down to the ground.
'Kagome!' Inuyasha yelled frantically in his mind, though no sound escaped his lips. He relaxed a little bit when Kagome stood up immediately afterward, seemingly unharmed. Still, seeing her being thrown like that sent his caution flying through the window… well, almost. 'Screw it, I'm not going to just sit back and do nothing!' he decided then, his hand immediately closing over Seiryuu's hilt. The movement made him wince, however, and that caused him to think twice about what he was about to do.
He had promised Kagome not to get in harm's way. If he jumped right in the middle of things with Seiryuu held high, he'd be doing just that. And while he definitely didn't want to do nothing, he didn't want to break his promise either, as stupid as it now seemed to be. So, what could he do if he still wanted to fight, anyway?
The answer to that was surprisingly easy… though of course, it still had its disadvantages.
The Inuyasha was meanwhile berating herself as she picked herself off the ground. 'Damn it. I was careless. He changed his form, I should have expected the Shikon to move,' she berated herself as she adjusted her hold on Tessaiga. Of course, that made the battle quite a bit more difficult, as she had no idea where to aim. And she couldn't exactly ask Inuyasha where the Jewel was, as it would draw the demon's attention to the teen. That had to be avoided.
The wolf in front of her growled, though it sounded mocking, rather than menacing. He was taunting her as he slowly stalked closer, but Kagome didn't rise to the bait. Instead, she waited patiently for the right moment while the ōkami slowly stalked closer. He had forgotten that Kagome wasn't his only enemy, though, and he was about to pay the price for it.
An o-fuda flew soundlessly through the air and got stuck to one of the demon's paws. Small lightning bolts like an electric discharge erupted from the piece of paper upon contact and the demon yowled and retreated a few steps on instinct. Quickly realizing where the origin of his pain was, the wolf turned his head and ripped the small piece of paper off his paw, lowering his head in the process a little bit. Next thing he knew, Miroku was in front of him and slammed his shakujō right between his eyes, as the wolf had lowered himself far enough for the monk to jump and hit. Kagome used the ōkami's momentary distraction to get closer, and before the yōkai could retaliate at the monk, he found himself retreating again as the young half-demon imbedded her sword up to the hilt in his belly.
"That wasn't half bad, Miroku-sama," Kagome commented as she landed lightly beside the monk after having disengaged her sword from the wolf's body. The demon had retreated a fair distance away and was growling furiously, the blood dropping from the wound in his belly rapidly slowing down as his wound closed, causing Kagome to scowl. "Looks like it wasn't good enough, though," she commented sourly.
Indeed, all that Miroku and her had achieved, was making the wolf even madder. It was visible in his narrowed eyes and changed demeanor as the demon pounced at them. They both retreated in opposite directions, evading the wolf as it landed right where they had stood, the ground shaking when it hit the ground. The ōkami didn't waste any time in turning towards Kagome, either, and swiping a paw at her, which she dodged again. He followed her easily, thus avoiding the few o-fuda Miroku threw at him from behind again. 'He's faster still,' Kagome noticed with concern as she continued her retreat, the wolf following easily. That wouldn't do.
Making up her mind, the young half-demon quickly jumped upward and turned mid-air before beginning to spin around her own axis to gain momentum. When she fell on her opponent, though, Tessaiga only clashed with his teeth as he caught the blade before throwing her off to the side again, then turned half-way around to dodge a few more o-fuda Miroku threw his way. He proceeded to swing his tail, using it to fell a tree to try and flatten the monk, but the houshi managed to evade it.
Kagome had meanwhile turned in mid-air once more, having this time been prepared to be thrown, and landed lightly on her feet on the ground, only to leap right back at the wolf. She held Tessaiga in her right hand by her left temple, ready for a horizontal slash. The ōkami noticed her advance and stood on his hind legs, leaving his chest wide open. She smirked as she got close enough and swung widely, her father's fang easily cutting through the demon's flesh. He didn't yelp this time, though, and acted as if she had done nothing at all as he slowly fell forward, easily smacking the hanyō towards the ground. She slammed face-first into the dirt and barely had enough time to roll away as he raised a paw to squash her. She was quick to stand up again, too, and it was a good thing she did, for the wolf pounced on her again. Instead of jumping backwards, however, she lunged forward as he landed behind her, then jumped high into the air when he passed. Her plan was to grab onto his tail, or land on his back if she could, but he had turned around quicker than she would have liked and Tessaiga met his fangs again, although this time, he didn't catch the blade between his teeth.
They pushed away from each other and the wolf jumped back a little bit while Kagome landed in a crouch on the ground. That was when an arrow suddenly whizzed just slightly over the demon's back, burning the fur of his back a little, but otherwise not harming him. In fact, he didn't even seem to notice the arrow. Kagome allowed herself to glance quickly in the direction the arrow came from and saw Inuyasha already notching the next one onto Kikyo's bow, though his right arm, which he used to draw the arrow back, trembled slightly and he was biting his lip. 'Stupid idiot. He's going to bust that wound again if he keeps that up,' Kagome thought as her eyes traveled back to the wolf. It was pouncing at her again, but was stopped it its tracks as a staff suddenly slammed right into his face as Miroku threw it. The monk was swift to retrieve it, too, and as soon as he did, he didn't waste any time to swing it in a wide, horizontal arc, much like one would a sword. Surprisingly, it not only connected, it also forced the wolf's muzzle to the side from the force of the blow. When it turned back, it was even angrier and it showed as it once again stood on its hind legs, exposing his by then already healed chest, intent on crushing the monk. By doing so, however, its face came right at the height where Kagome was at, as she had intended to use its distraction to reach its back – since Inuyasha was aiming there, she figured the Jewel was somewhere in the vicinity of the wolf's back. As it was, she didn't get the chance to get there, however, and she swung down her blade on the wolf's muzzle.
As she soon found out, she couldn't have done it in a worse moment, though.
Back in the bushes, Inuyasha had tried to aim and released the second arrow, but it ended up flying much higher than he wanted it to. He didn't think too much of it, though, as just then, the wolf stood up, his neck getting right in the path of the arrow. But when Kagome swung, he leaned back and fell flat on his back, only to roll easily back onto his feet, while the arrow hit Tessaiga's blade and ricocheted towards the sky. In a flash, the sword shrunk and Kagome was merely holding the rusty, useless blade as she fell to the ground and landed easily, though her mind was elsewhere as she stared at the sword. 'Tessaiga's transformation… was reversed?' she thought incredulously. 'And Inuyasha did that with one arrow?!' eyes wide, Kagome almost missed the charging wolf and only barely managed to get out of the way. Sensing that Tessaiga would be useless for now, as Inuyasha had purified it (she could only hope it was temporary), she sheathed the sword and flexed her claws, preparing to get into even closer combat now.
'Fuck! That wasn't supposed to happen!' Inuyasha cursed in his thoughts as his good arm slowly closed over his injured one, a dull ache pulsing from shooting just those couple of arrows. He should have known a bow was not his type of weapon, but as his arm was hurting even more now, even he knew grasping his sword was impossible. But shooting and hitting the right target with an arrow obviously wasn't working either. 'Maybe if I got a little closer…'
"Sankon Tessō!" Kagome yelled as she flew by the ōkami, her claws digging into his flesh but the wound was quick to close. This was getting her nowhere. 'If only I had a clear idea where to aim…'
You are strong…
'What the..?' her eyes widened as a strange and yet familiar voice suddenly resonated in her head, distracting her almost enough for the wolf to hit her, but she evaded his claws in the last second and they only shredded the front of her haori.
But you could be stronger still… And I know you want to be…
"Whose voice is this?" the young half-demon muttered under her breath. Throughout the battle, she had the feeling like someone was trying to whisper something in her ear, but she couldn't discern the words. It was like an annoying buzzing in the background, much like the one she heard when she fought the samurai. But this time, it couldn't be just her feverish mind, as she was not mortally wounded or poisoned. She had ignored it at first, but now that she could actually understand what the weirdly familiar voice was saying, it had gotten quite a bit harder.
I can give you power…
She shook her head and jumped into the air as the yōkai tried to pounce on her again, then swung her claws horizontally one after another, blood flying through the air as she tore into the skin of the wolf's muzzle. He yelped and jerked his head upwards, but she twirled in the air to avoid being hit while Miroku used the opening to once again throw his staff, this time managing to hit straight into the demon's throat. Eyes opening wide, the demon lowered himself to the ground, obviously winded.
Tear into him. Take me. I'll grant you your wish. I'll give you power. Take me.
Kagome turned around in the air again, noticing that she was right over the wolf's back. Flexing her claws, she descended slowly, only to use another set of Sankon Tessō to tear into his flesh. The demon yelped and jumped right back up, succeeding in throwing the half-demon off his back. In the next second, it felt almost as if her body moved on its own as she reached out a hand and imbedded it in the wolf's side to stop her fall. He yelped again, and jerked his whole body again.
Yes, you're close. Just a little deeper. Take me! Let me give you the strength you desire!
The sudden movement made her retreat her claw, lest she wanted to be thrown into a tree again, but the movement was groggy as she felt her mind slowly closing, as if she were falling asleep. Thus, she didn't notice the ōkami's tail approaching her until it was too late. It slammed into her stomach and threw her towards the ground, making her slam into Miroku on her way, though she quickly rolled off of him and they both stood up (the monk with a little more difficulty than her). Kagome shook her head as her mind cleared again. 'Whose voice is this? What in the world is happening to me?' she thought frantically, though those words were discarded the next second as another arrow flew through the air. This one struck the target, however, going right through the top part of the demon's back. No blood flew through the air as it passed through, but the yōkai still yowled loudly and blood stained his fur from the open wound once the arrow was gone – a wound much bigger than a simple arrow should have left.
'Damn, almost had it,' Inuyasha thought angrily as he reached for another arrow. This time, however, he hadn't been ignored. The wolf turned to him, growling savagely, and pounced at him. 'Shit!' Jumping out of the way, Inuyasha rolled on the ground before getting back on his feet when he thought he was far enough, losing hold of the bow in the process. He had underestimated the wolf's speed however, and the beast was right in front of him, a paw already swiping in his direction. This time, he didn't have the time to dodge and his brain only barely registered Kagome yelling his name. Raising his arms in front in his face in a feeble attempt to protect himself, Inuyasha desperately tried to find that door within himself he felt opening each time he drew out his power, hoping to somehow protect himself with his reiki. But he never found it.
He never felt the pain of the wolf's claws tearing into him, either. Instead, he felt what seemed to be human hands grab his arms tightly before he was falling onto his back, a second body falling on top of him. A body that was very obviously female.
He vaguely heard another yelp as Miroku did something to the wolf, but he hardly paid any attention to it as he opened his eyes, focusing on the half-demon lying on top of him instead and cursing in his head that she had had to save him again.
"Kagome?" he asked tentatively as he slowly started to rise into a sitting position, laying one hand on her back so that she didn't slide off, as she didn't seem to be conscious. That was worrying enough in itself, but the second Inuyasha's hand touched her back, he froze and his eyes widened. Bringing his hand away from her back as if he had been burned, Inuyasha stared at it with growing horror when he realized it was drenched in blood. To the point one could believe he had laid his hand on the surface of a small puddle of blood. "Kagome!" he called frantically, panic slowly taking hold of him as images of a few days before when she had nearly died flashed in his mind. She groaned in response and slowly got off him, which calmed him a tiny bit. At least she was conscious…
"Damn, he got me good," the young half-demon muttered through clenched teeth as she crouched down next to Inuyasha, her eyes swiftly finding the enemy again. The wolf was jumping wildly around, small bolts of purifying energy appearing here and there on his body from an o-fuda she could not see. He was flailing much too wildly for anyone to approach, but now that she could just calmly observe from the side-lines, knowing he wouldn't attack any time soon, she noticed something else, as well. Something she had seen before, though never as clearly as now. She bit her lip, remembering the first time she saw that thin line of something she could not describe, back when she had closed her eyes for the first time as she fought her brother. And then to the other time, when she had accidentally cut through it, or at least she thought she did. In both cases, she didn't really 'see' it, though. At least not with her eyes. She saw it with her nose.
"Kagome…"
"Where's the Jewel?" she interrupted Inuyasha calmly, her eyes still on the wolf who desperately tried to get the o-fuda off himself, but to no avail. Miroku must have stuck it somewhere on his back or head if he couldn't get it off, but that was only a good thing. The only thing to complain about would be that it wasn't strong enough to finish the job.
"What?" the young kannushi asked, bewildered. Kagome huffed, suddenly noticing that the voice she had been hearing earlier suddenly quieted down to annoying, incomprehensible whispers again, while Tessaiga pulsed at her hip. It looked like it had recovered its youki and Kagome couldn't help but be glad.
"The Shikon," she replied as calmly as she could. "Where do you see it?"
"On his left side, between his ribs," Inuyasha replied as he glanced at the agitated demon as well, quickly finding the glow he had been aiming for before with his arrows, only to fail rather miserably each time. "You don't plan to…" he started to say, but Kagome was no longer listening to him as she lunged forwards. "Kagome!" he yelled after her, his eyes widening once again when he saw the wound on her back – the result of the blow she had taken for him… again.
'Onegai, Tessaiga… let my guess be correct,' Kagome thought frantically as she flew towards the yōkai and drawing her sword as it transformed dutifully into the great blade it truly was. The line between her and her opponent suddenly got that much more visible as Kagome got closer and the hanyō-girl took her chance, leading Tessaiga straight through the air, cutting something only she could see.
A bright light erupted from Tessaiga in response, a light she had seen once before – the light she suspected was the Wound of the Wind. It rushed towards the yōkai, slicing through him before he even had the chance to look. When the light vanished, the ōkami was lying on his side in a growing puddle of blood, with four deep wounds in his body – two that ripped apart his front and hind paws and two between them, each of the cuts almost cutting right through him. From one of the wounds, a small, violet pearl stuck out like a sore thumb before it fell out and into the growing, bloody puddle. The second it fell out, the wolf shrunk, being now only slightly bigger than a regular wolf.
[/T]
Panting, Kagome stood up from the crouch she landed in after swinging her sword and slowly approached the fallen ōkami. She knelt down in front of him and reached for the pearl that was the Shikon, though her eyes were on the wolf's wounds. 'The Shikon's power must have protected him somewhat… if not for the pearl, that attack would have cut him to pieces. He's lucky to be alive… though I don't think he'll be for long with these injuries,' she noted with awe, hardly believing it was her who did this much damage in a single swing.
You could be stronger still, if you just keep me for yourself…
Her eyes widened as she heard the voice again, and though she understood its words, it was much quieter than before. Her hand closed over the Shikon without her realizing it as she slowly stood up, feeling eerily detached from her body, as if it wasn't her deciding what she was doing. With a start, she realized what was happening and fought with all her might against it.
"Kagome?" she heard Inuyasha ask her as he approached tentatively, completely missing the way her hold on Tessaiga tightened, as if she were preparing to swing.
It took all of her willpower to swing her arm in his general direction, flinging the Jewel at him. He almost didn't manage to catch it, as she didn't even care to aim and had thus thrown it a little bit to the side of where he was standing. But that didn't matter to her.
"Keep the thing away from me," she growled warningly, not glancing at Inuyasha. The future-born teen stared at her in surprise before his eyes fell on the gem, noticing how it was slowly turning from the deep purple back to light pink, progressively glowing brighter and brighter until it was almost blinding to his eyes. Kagome sheathed her sword and exhaled in relief as she saw the Jewel being purified out of the corner of her eye, while the whispers in her head quieted down once again, but did not disappear completely. At least her mind cleared. 'That was much too close,' she thought with a frown. 'And… it could get even worse… next time, whenever that'll be… 'cause I'm sure there will be a next time.'
The young half-demon shuddered slightly at the thought, but it went unnoticed as she fell to her knees right afterward with a barely audible groan.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha called as he pocketed the Jewel and rushed to her side and fell to his knees beside her, his eyes traveling to her wound almost on their own. He gulped when he saw it up close. The young half-demon had four deep claw marks on her back, going neatly from one side to the other, making it seem as though her whole back was shredded. The wound was bleeding extremely, too, to the point where Inuyasha couldn't tell where her shredded fire rat fur jacket ended and the blood began, much less the other way around. The black haired priest bit his lip as guilt washed over him. She had gotten hurt while saving him again… and after he promised he wouldn't get into trouble, too.
Why couldn't he just protect himself for once? Why did he always have to be a drag on her? Was that the only thing he was good at?
Inuyasha hung his head in shame, his throat closing up as he tried to find the strength to apologize. Though at this point, an apology would hardly help. It wouldn't change the fact that she was hurt because of him. It wouldn't change the fact she had had to protect him again, saving his life once more, and that even though he had promised to stay out of trouble. He hadn't wanted to break that promise, but he had. How could he ever expect her to trust him in this case, if he was starting to realize he would never trust himself, either, had he been anyone else?
"Kagome, I…" he started, but his voice died in his throat and he clenched his fists. Noticing once again how one of them was stained with Kagome's blood, as if he had been the one to injure her. Given the circumstances, he might as well have. He slowly raised his head to glance up at her, but she stubbornly refused to glance in his direction. He swallowed. Was she really that mad at him? Not that she didn't have the right to, but…
"Let me see your wound," he requested gently, slowly reaching a hand towards her. He was the reason she was hurt in the first place. The least he could do was to treat her, to make sure the injury would heal as fast and as painlessly as possible. But Kagome knocked his hand away and stood up, unknowingly hurting him more than she realized – though it was not physical pain.
"Leave it. It's nothing. I've had worse," she replied quickly as she tried to distance herself from the priest. She didn't mean to be cold to him or make it seem as though she couldn't even stand to be close to him, but the truth was, the closer he got, the louder the whispers were. And though they were still incomprehensible, she wasn't planning to chance it.
"It doesn't look like nothing, idiot" Inuyasha replied quietly, his head once again bowed as something within him twisted painfully when she distanced herself from him. He didn't know whether it was because she was angry or something else, but it was painfully obvious she didn't want him near her for some reason. He didn't know why she would be so adamant to stay away from him, but the simple fact that she tried to keep her distance hurt. He wasn't able to tell why, but it did. A lot.
As if to prove him right, Kagome lowered herself to her knees again, her own eyes also closed, which Inuyasha noticed as he glanced at her through his bangs. But before he could ask her again to let him treat her, Miroku spoke up instead.
"I have to agree with Inuyasha. That is not a minor wound, Kagome-sama. Although you are a hanyō, and are thus much more durable then us humans, you should still have this looked at. Even for one such as yourself, it does not seem to be a scratch to be taken lightly," Miroku said gravely, just as a red blur ran past him and stopped right in front of Kagome.
"Kagome," Shippō said worriedly, having seen the wolf's talons tear into Kagome's back when she had shielded Inuyasha. Seeing the injury up close didn't make him feel any better. Kagome sighed as she ruffled his hair in a reassuring manner.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine for now," she said softly, but her words did nothing to reassure Inuyasha. His head snapped up to stare at her, his violet eyes wide.
"For now? What do you mean 'for now'?!" he asked, trying to sound angry, but his voice was much too weak to convey such an emotion. It sounded rather like he was panicking… not that he wasn't.
"I mean, I won't die right here and now. I'll be fine for the time being," Kagome replied calmly as she glanced at Inuyasha through narrowed eyes, only now realizing how upset he seemed to be. She decided not to dwell on it now, though. "I will have this treated, too," she added when the black haired priest opened his mouth again. "As soon as we get to Kaede's."
"Kaede's?" Inuyasha echoed weakly, the implications of the fact that Kagome wanted to return to Kaede's village shaking him to his very core. 'She never wanted to return because of an injury before, no matter how serious… if she wants to now, then it must really be bad… though if it is, why is she refusing my help? Doesn't… doesn't she trust me to help her anymore?' He hadn't ever thought that would have happened. She had trusted him to tend to her wounds before, so why not now? What changed?
"Yeah," Kagome replied quietly, unaware of Inuyasha's confused thoughts. The black haired teen himself decided he didn't want to know the answers to his questions.
"How will we get there, though? It's quite a ways away from here," he pointed out quietly. Both were surprised when Miroku spoke up once again at that point.
"I think I may be able to help."
And that's it for this chapter.
To anyone who's getting impatient, believe me when I tell you: it may not look like it right now, but the days when Inuyasha needs to be saved all the time will soon be over. And if you're still frustrated it takes so damn long, keep in mind that in canon, Kagome needed quite a lot of time to start being useful, too… and she still needed to be saved then on an almost regular basis. So there ;)
Well, hoe you enjoyed and see you (hopefully), next week… vacation is almost over, just two more weeks *sniffle*
Next Issue: The group returns to Kaede's and a few interesting knowledge-issues are addressed…