Blanket Disclaimer: The writer does not own any characters created by Rumiko Takahashi but like everyone else wishes she did. All original characters or concepts are the author's Inuma Asahi De's (with the exception of historical figures).
Chapter Thirty-Eight
White
Inuyasha held Kagome tight against his chest, his hand frantically searching for a pulse around her neck, "Come on, damn it, beat damn it—beat—come on Kagome—beat, beat, beat!" He chanted the words in his head as his fingers lined up on the side of her throat desperately searching for the indication that her body still retained life. His finger pressed hard into her neck, he waited and waited—he felt no fluttering under the pads of his hand, he felt nothing.
Inuyasha's nostrils flared as his pupils dilated with panic, absolute horror and fear. "She doesn't have a pulse." He heard himself whisper but the voice sounded far away. "She doesn't—there's no—Jinenji!" He screamed the name at the top of his lungs, absolute terror filling his voice.
The younger demon jumped towards him without thought for his safety, moving the short distance towards Inuyasha hastily as he crossed over bodies and abandoned weapons. Some of the villagers who were already regaining consciousness stared at the spectacle but none dared to move as if they knew the situation was desperate. Jinenji came to a sliding halt next to the other half demon immediately falling to his hands and knees. "Mr. Inuyasha?"
"She's not breathing." Inuyasha told him hastily as he clutched Kagome even tighter, his eyes becoming almost animalistic, demon instincts that shouldn't have been able to come out in his current state somehow coming to the surface. "There's no pulse—no breath—no pulse." He looked up at Jinenji his face like a small lost child, desperate and scared. "I—I can't—Jinenji—," His voice trailed off, even in his panicked state he was still unable to say the rest out loud. "I can't lose her!"
Jinenji looked at the man before him, the strong proud man who was staring at him wide eyed, tears hovering on his dark lashes, threatening to spill. His eyes were red around the edges, a sign that perhaps he was on the verge of crying or (as was more likely) transform and go on a killing spree.
"Save her!" He yelled when Jinenji didn't react, a faint outline highlighting his cheek bones as he screamed at the other demon.
Jinenji blinked in surprise, recognizing the addition of demon markings to the black haired man's face. "That's odd." He thought as he tilted his head mesmerized by the haunting jagged lines.
"Save her or I'll fucking kill you!" Inuyasha suddenly snarled, his voice sounding demonic as his eyes flashed completely red for all of a second matching his markings.
Jinenji stumbled backwards, his eyes dilating with fear, not understanding how a half demon in his human state could transform and loss himself to his demon blood. He had never seen anything like it but that wasn't saying much, Jinenji had never seen another half demon before Inuyasha either.
"Now!" Inuyasha roared, his voice echoing so loudly in the forest that a far off owl screeched in response. "Do it now or so help me god I will shove my hand down your throat and rip your entrails from your stomach."
Jinenji went pale at the gross description but managed to fight past it. "Its okay, Inuyasha's just scared—he feels cornered and I'm the only one who can help him, help her." He gulped and shook his head bringing himself out of his state of terror, he forced himself to focus. "Just focus." With that thought Jinenji took a deep breath, calming his whole body down as he closed his eyes and exhaled. "Calm—deep breathes—take control—that's the only way I'll save her. I'm a doctor and I will save her." With one more deep inhale he snapped his eyes opened, looking at Inuyasha with a doctoral stare, blank and business like. "Lay her flat—," He commanded his voice far stronger than it had ever sounded.
Inuyasha began to pant his eyes looking at Jinenji wildly. The human in him had heard the command, the human in him understood that Jinenji was Kagome's best chance of living through whatever was happening to her but the demon in him was angry, it was territorial, it was afraid for its mate's life. He tightened his hold on her, unable to bring himself to let her down. Subconsciously, he scented her even though his human nose was nowhere near strong enough to pick up her salty fragrance of flowers and the sea. Breathing harshly, he glared at Jinenji as if blaming the other demon for his lack of senses and pulled Kagome impossibly closer, hiding her pale face in the crock of his neck as he nuzzled the spot on her shoulder that he had marked so long ago. He tried to growl as he had before but this time the noise wasn't as intimidating, his throat was more human than demon again.
"Listen to him!" A voice inside his head yelled. He closed his eyes in response his hands gripping her as he hid his face in her hair, pressing his nose against that mark, against that connect; he could feel fading away from him.
"No!" The demon resurfacing in him yelled back, screamed as fear gripped it, it couldn't feel its mate, its connection with her was leaving. "Mate hurt, protect mate!"
"This won't protect her." The human voice fought back, strong despite its weaker nature. "We can't do anything but he can."
"No!" The demon in Inuyasha yelled in fury as it pulled Kagome so tightly to himself that the girls bones had to be on the brink of breaking. He panted, his dark eyes flickering gold and red as he turned to stare at Jinenji, fangs that should've been absent surprisingly bared.
Jinenji licked his lips and cleared his throat, willing himself to be strong. He glanced at Kagome, she was pale and the hard grip and jostling weren't helping her condition. "He's not in his right mind, he'll hurt her." Jinenji nodded to himself knowing he had no choice but to risk bodily injury from this man if he was going to save her. "For Miss Kagome, I have to be strong."
Forcing himself to feel brave, to feel inner strength, Jinenji stood to his full height, hovering over the other demon with sharp blue eyes staring down at Inuyasha's head. Inuyasha looked up at him his eyes tinting to an even darker red, his hair flickering between silver and black, little strands taking on the unnatural color off and on as an aura of malice hung thickly around him. He bared his fangs, they were even longer now, extended farther, more animalistic and less human.
Jinenji didn't even wince. "Lay her flat—now!" He roared showing the other demon that he was not intimidated in the least. This was no time for egos and territory, this was the time to save a life, one that was precious to not only the man in front of him but to Jinenji as well, and he would not let that amazing life slip away because of some mate guarding demon, no matter how long his fangs were or how vicious his snarl was—that didn't mean he wasn't terrified however. "If you don't listen, she will die!"
Inuyasha blinked in surprise at Jinenji's strong words, the human in him finally able to push through the demonized voice. "It's for her life! Do this for her life!" It screamed through the haze, it begged. "Please, listen to him, he's a doctor, he can help!" Without prompt Inuyasha nodded his head, whether he was nodding it at Jinenji or the strong human presence inside of him was unknown.
Shuddering and shaking Inuyasha forced himself to gently lay Kagome down on her back, never removing his eyes from her pale and lifeless form. They stayed fixed on the woman, watching her with such intense focus that she should have burst into flames from the gaze's heat. He bit the inside of his cheek as he took in her dull lifeless lips, he had seen lips like those before. The memory was enough to make his blood run cold.
"Papa!" A little boy screamed as he fell over the railing of the Shikuro, his small body falling into the angry waves of a hurricane ridden sea.
"Miroku!" Inuyasha screamed in response, his mind not even registering nor caring that the boy had called him father. It didn't matter, what mattered was his life. "Miroku!" He yelled as he ran to the rail, searching desperately for any sign of the small figure, the only indication was a small speck of white skin, a hand sinking underneath a wave.
Without hesitation Inuyasha jumped off the side of the boat before he could even grasp that he was jumping into a storm ridden sea and dived into the deadly waters, praying his son was still alive. He swam down as deep as he could, his eyes wide opened and searching desperately for the small boy. A flicker of white, a tiny body drifting lower and lower caught his eyes. Despite his need for oxygen he pushed himself to swim down deeper and deeper until he reached that ghostly hand, grasping it tightly before kicking with all his might back to surface.
His head broke the top of the water and he gasped for breath yanking Miroku upwards so the boys head was above the surface.
"Captain!" Myoga screamed from the deck, his voice filled with terror.
He barely heard the scream over the loud roar of the storm. "Over here!" He yelled back as he treaded water, his eyes just able to make out the ship that was a little ways to his side. He was lucky it hadn't drifted too far off.
"Rope-e." It was the sound of Totosai. "Rope-e!"
Inuyasha blinked as rain pelted his face, what had they said—a rope? Looking around himself desperately he searched trying to see what the man was indicating. He saw nothing but a wave headed straight for him and Miroku. "Fuck!" He yelled as he pulled Miroku tight against him, the wave smashing into them throwing them down into the sea, flipping them and jostling them. He held onto Miroku with all his might, praying he had the strength to keep him safe. The rushing feeling subsided and he dared to open his eyes and try to tell up from down, it was mere impossible but he had to make a guess.
Kicking with both legs and reaching with one hand (the other holding onto his then unknown son) he clawed his way back to the surface, his head breaking through once again. Frantically he looked around for anything to hold onto, it came in the way of a rope.
"Thank fucking god." He gasped as he used his remaining strength to swim one armed towards it, reaching for it urgently. "I've got it!" He screamed as loud as he could once he had the rope firmly in his grip. "Hurry!"
It was only seconds before he felt a tug as they pulled them back aboard.
The memory faded, his thoughts vaguely coming back to the present. "Miroku's lips looked just like that," Inuyasha thought to himself vaguely as he felt panic swell within him once again. "When they pulled us from the sea." He bit his lip, that wasn't a good sign. "Do something damn it!" He found himself yelling at Jinenji as he pried his eyes away from Kagome to glare at the other half demon. "Why aren't you doing anything?"
"I will." Jinenji fired back as he threw his ear to her chest.
Inuyasha hissed his teeth grinding together creating the noise as he took a deep intake of air in respond, his protective instincts still unbelievably strong despite his human blood. Gritting his teeth he dug his fingers into the dirt, redirecting his hands from the initial instinct he had: the instinct to punch Jinenji in the face—hard.
"No, damn it." Jinenji cussed for the first time in his life, his eyes widening in panic as he brought his head away from her chest, his hands coming to grab her wrist, feeling for something else.
Inuyasha's eyes darted between Jinenji's face and the demon's hand. "What—why no—why no, why damn it?"
Jinenji dropped her wrist and put both of his hands on her throat, closing his eyes as he narrowed his brow, feeling for the pulse Inuyasha had said didn't exist. There was none. Pulling back Jinenji took a deep breath his eyes darting up and down her body. "She's going pale—there's no blood flow—no heart beat to make the blood move—no pulse in her wrist." He glanced at her hands. "Or her neck." He looked at her throat as he bit his lip. "What do I do?" He took in shaky breaks. "She's dead—she's not breathing, her heart's stopped—I can't bring someone back from the dead!"
"Don't just stare at her!" Inuyasha yelled at him again. "Do something—why aren't you doing anything—come on!"
"There's no heart beat!" Jinenji told him bluntly as he clenched and unclenched his fist. "I can't do anything without a heartbeat."
"What are you saying?" Inuyasha fired back but he already knew what Jinenji's words meant. A man without a heartbeat was a man who was dead. There was no way to make a heart beat once it had stopped, none at all—it was impossible.
"She's—," Jinenji's voice broke in his throat as his eyes started to water anger at himself and at the situation taking over his heart. He brought his hands up to cover his face as slight sobs started to rack his body. "She's—," He hiccuped. "She's dead!"
Inuyasha felt his whole world start to crash around him, his jaw dropped, his heart stopped, the sweat that had been pouring down his face went deadly cold. He tried to speak but his voice caught in his throat, lodging itself in his trachea. He felt moisture in his eyes, it blurred his vision, he felt his chest heave up and down, he felt his bottom lip begin to tremble. He had never felt this sensation as an adult, not once. He had felt it as a child when his father died, he had felt it when his mother had followed when he was a teenager, but he had never ever felt it as an adult—not even when Kikyo had died had he felt the swell of tears rush out of his eyes and onto his face. This wasn't him, Captain Inuyasha of the Shikuro didn't cry.
Slowly, as if in a dream Inuyasha reached a hand up to touch his face, his fingers brushing against the strange moisture that was settling there, slight but still there. "What?" He questioned as he brought his hand away and looked at the droplets of salty water on his fingertips. Absently he looked at the sky half suspecting that they were raindrops not tears but no clouds lined the Milky Way that night, it was clear, uncharacteristically clear.
Inuyasha squeezed his eyes shut bringing a hand to push at the strange moisture not believing it to be true, not believing his tears to be necessary. "She's not dead." He told himself as he took a shaky breath. "These aren't tears—this isn't happening."
Still no raindrops fell onto his cheeks, only truthful tears.
The moisture of his pain ran down his face and like a waterfall started to plunge off his chin as if it was some great cliff. "Kagome." The name sounded sweet in his head but held a deadly connotation behind it. "Kagome." He could see her smile, that accepting sweet smile that hadn't changed at all over the course of the past month or so. Even when she had hated him that smile had still existed but now, it was gone, gone with her, dead, buried within her lifeless body.
"Have you ever—um—met a half demon?"
"No."
Inuyasha opened his eyes as the memory of that night exactly one month ago today filled his mind. It seemed strange to remember that, to think of a time when she hadn't been aware of who he really was or, for that matter, who she really was.
"Can I—call you by your first name too?"
He blinked his vision somewhat blurry as her voice reached him, another question on that night. "You let me call you by your first name," He recalled remembering the way her voice had sounded that first time, as if the world would end when she pronounced each syllable but it hadn't. The world had continued to spin despite her calling him by his first name and they had grown closer to each other. "You—you accepted me even then, didn't you?" He realized the sound of her saying his name gently filling his head. "Even before you knew what I was, you accepted it."
"It's not the same."
The memory of just a few hours ago filled him, the way her hand had felt on his face, touching his hair, his human ears. It had been delicate, gentle and contemplative. It had made him feel things and sensations he had never known both in his body and in his heart. It was sweet, it was sensational and it was the epitome of acceptance. She had accepted him just like that.
"But you're still you, right?"
"Acceptance." Inuyasha bit his lip, pain ripping through his heart.
"You're still you, right?"
She had said that, she had accepted his human, accepted his demon, accepted what he was without a second thought and she had smiled when she said it. Her face had lit up and her cheeks had flushed as she whispered the words, Inuyasha's heart pounding from the sound.
"That being said," Her voice was smooth, her expression a little devious. "I like your puppy ears better."
Inuyasha eyes opened, the tears stopped as the meaning behind her statement fully sunk in.
"I like your puppy ears better."
She accepted him—
"I like your puppy ears better."
As a half demon.
"I'm sorry." Jinenji found himself whispering apologetically unaware of the man's thoughts who set before him. "I'm so—sorry—so sorry—."
"She accepted me." The thought ran through Inuyasha's head. "She accepts me for who I am. Demon, human, half—Kagome accepts me. She doesn't care." The tears began to build again this time though their pain was even greater. "I can't lose her. She—she's the only person to ever just accept me. To just see me, truly see me and want me despite my blood, despite my heritage, despite my filthy mouth and bad temper I won't lose her! I refuse." Slowly he looked at Jinenji who was crying, his sobs coming out in pants. "Do something." He found himself saying to the crying man. "Do something." It came out strong, begging and desperate.
Jinenji reached up a hand wiping at his eyes. "There's nothing."
"There has to be—something—anything—even if it's impossible you have to try—," Inuyasha pressed as he openly cried, the tears an unnatural addition to his face. "She did it for you." He told Jinenji as he growled through his own pain, his human voice making the sound strangled. "She did the impossible for you!" His hands suddenly flew up showing all the people in the clearing who were now awake watching the scene, all the malice that had been permanently lodged in their hearts having long since evaporated into the night's sky. "If she can do it so can you!" He pointed an accusing finger at Jinenji. "You have to at least fucking try."
Jinenji stared at the Captain's panicked wild eyes, the eyes of a man who couldn't survive if the current situation escalated. He blinked, the world slowing down as he turned to look at Kagome's pale form. She had done the impossible—he wasn't even sure what it was she had done but she had stopped these people, she had opened her hands and released such a pure essence that she had taken malice and hate out of people who were so filled with it that it blinded them. She had done it without thought, stepped in front of him without thought, defended him without thought, fought for him and accepted him without thought, saw him for what he was inside instead of his outward appearance without thought.
"I can't let her die." Jinenji felt the words permeate his mind, ringing in his ears loudly. "I can't let her die but what—how do I stop it?" He closed his eyes trying to think of anything, anything he could do to save her—he ran over medical texts and books he had read, he let his mind explore lessons his father had briefly offered him, lessons his mother had given him to this day—nothing can to mind, there was no way to start a heart that had frozen in a chest.
"Onegai."
Jinenji's head shot up as the foreign word hit his brain. He looked at Inuyasha, taking in the eyes of a man who was dying inside.
"Onegai," He repeated the strange word, his eyes looking down at Kagome, staring at her with such loss, with such pain that it made Jinenji's heart ache. "Jinenji-sama," He whispered before turning to look up at Jinenji face, his eyes pleading, translating the words that Jinenji couldn't understand. "Onegai."
"Please." Somehow Jinenji knew he was saying 'please.' Please save her, I can't live without her, I need her, so please save her. Inuyasha was breaking; this would kill him just as it had killed her. "He defended me, he—gave me a reason to live and I can't even protect his." He looked at Kagome feeling utterly helpless. "I'm sorry—," He whispered to the pleading man. "I can't make a heart beat again—there's no way—I can't just hit her heart and make it star—." Jinenji's words trailed off, his mind formulating something that was crazy and didn't quite make sense but seemed probable. "Wait a minute."
Jinenji's voice froze on his lips as he remembered a piece of literature he had read just last year about the possibility of pressing on the chest to stimulate the heart muscles even after they had stopped. It was untested—it was considered ludicrous by the medical community but what would it hurt to try? At least he could say he had tried.
His hands began to shake, the largeness of them making his mind panic as his idea started to take off. "I can press on her chest, stimulating palpitations of the heart muscles. It could work, it could work." He nodded to himself as he moved closer to her cold form, about to place his rather large hands on her chest but stopped as he noticed that his hands were, in fact so large that they covered her whole small frame. "My hands are too big," He realized as his heart beat escalated in his chest, his eyes darting around for a solution. "I need smaller—," His eyes froze on Inuyasha's hands—hands that would not crush her.
"Inuyasha!" He cried out getting the man's attention, he had to act quick, there was no telling how long her body could go without blood for her heart and oxygen for her lungs. "Make your hands into a ball, together like this!" Jinenji commanded as he put one hand over the other, showing Inuyasha how to place the palm of one hand to the back of the knuckles of the one underneath.
Inuyasha blinked confused, his eyes blurred with tears unable to focus. "Wha—?"
"Do you want to save her or not!" Jinenji threw into the older man's face, his adrenaline pressing him to do and say things he had never thought to do nor say.
Inuyasha instantly seemed to sober up, his eyes widening with understanding. "What do I do?" He asked without preamble causing Jinenji to nod hastily satisfied.
"Your hands," Jinenji motioned to his own, once again showing the Captain how to form the life saving exercise he had read about. "Make your hands look like mine."
Without a second thought Inuyasha complied, fixing his hands to mimic the manner in which Jinenji had put his own. "Now what?"
"Put your hands on her chest and push. Push a few times—down and up real hard but not so hard to break her ribs." He demonstrated on the ground, pushing it gently four or five times his palm digging into the dirt.
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow completely confused. "She didn't drown." He protested harshly recognizing the gesture as one done to drowning victims.
Jinenji felt his blood boil in his veins as his eyes flashed red. "Just do it!" He felt his heart beat even more wildly in his chest as the fear of the stronger man retaliating gripped him. He was scared, scared shitless of the man before him but—there wasn't time for fear now; there wasn't time for anything but saving a life. "Please this is her only chance." Jinenji continued to plead, hoping the other man would trust him, believe in him as he had before. "I would do it but my hands are too big," He motioned to his large hands then back to Kagome. "I'd kill her."
Inuyasha didn't stop to think at those words, he put his hands on her chest between her breast, held in the manner that Jinenji had demonstrated, and pushed just as the younger demon had demonstrated for him on the ground. He focused his eyes on her watching as her whole body moved under the pressure of his palms. Her chest heaved with each push but not from oxygen entering her, not from life returning to her. "Come on." Inuyasha thought to himself, not understanding what he was doing but trusting in the other demon. "Work—this has to work."
Jinenji stared intently, his eyes watching as Inuyasha's hands pushed into Kagome's chest right above her heart. "Will it work? Will it make her heart beat?" He licked his lips and took a deep breath the action causing his mind to spring forth with thought. "Air—," The word dangled on his lips. "She needs air." He realized as he took in another lung full. Kagome wasn't breathing and just stimulating her heart would not make her breathe again. It was just like a drowning victim—she had to have air. "Air."
"Air?" Inuyasha questioned as he continued to push down on her chest, his eyes darting between her and Jinenji.
"She can't breathe—," Jinenji explained hastily. "She needs someone to breathe for her."
"How the fuck do I do that?" Inuyasha shot back as he continued to press down on her chest in a gentle rhythm, his hands starting to tire but his will unrelenting.
"Like a drowning victim, you push the water out of their stomach and then breathe into their mouth to inflate the lungs!" Jinenji nodded his head vigorously. "Take a deep breath and then push it in her lungs. It'll make her have to breathe." Jinenji told him before firmly adding. "Just do it," before Inuyasha could argue.
But Inuyasha wasn't going to argue. Without a further thought he performed the next action flawlessly, this was one he knew—he had performed it a few times during his life at sea, once having actually done it to Miroku in that memory from long ago.
Tilting Kagome's head back and pinching her nose he inhaled a deep breath and pressed his lips over her own, pushing as much oxygen into her body as his own would allow.
-break-
"I feel weightless." Kagome mumbled as she felt her eyes flutter open only to close again, "I'm floating." Her voice sounded drifty to her ears, disembodied, almost suspended, hovering above her head instead of coming from her mouth.
Slowly, she tried to open her eyes once again, her mind willing her to wake up but her body saying it wasn't time yet that she needed to rest—to drift away. With her eyes still closed she allowed her mind to wander, allowed herself to relax and simply drift, memories touching her, flittering in and out of her consciousness, little flashes barely visible to her mind's eye stirring just behind her eyelids.
She saw a smile; the smile of a man. How she knew it was a man's smile she wasn't sure but somehow she knew it was a man. Was he human, demon? The smile flashed before the back of her eyes, it was coy, childish, boyish and charming—a little fang peeking out from tightly closed lips. "Demon." She found herself mumbling into the void, the sound of her voice once again presenting itself above her, away from her, as if it wasn't a part of her.
Yes, the smile belonged to a demon—
Another flash came to the back of her eyelids, the image of golden eyes open and wide, cocky and full of inner strength but also a little sadness. It was a sadness she had not understood until just recently, wasn't it? It was separation, neglect, a part of that smile and those eyes that haunted him, haunted a part of himself he had not shown her, had not shown the world. She saw another flash, a twitching motion that just caught her attention, silver and bright shining in afternoon light, twitching—it was an ear, a dog ear on a human head. "Puppy."
And then they were gone, the twitching was gone replaced by nothing but black. Black met her vision but not the black of absence, there was still something there, something black in color, something that had gone black by change—his hair had changed, his ears had changed, his eyes had changed, that smile had changed. Black, all black, human ears on the sides of his head, and no fangs in his mouth—everything was different, everything about him expect—
Another flash met her vision, just the sight of his eyes they were black, black and sad.
Black and gold, gold and black: two sides of one face marked only the same by the one similarity that they both shared—they were both filled with sadness. "Why?" She questioned, "Why are they sad?"
And yet she knew, she knew why the sadness was there, she knew what had shaped it, the hate that had put that sadness in his eyes.
"Half demon." The word filled her, consumed her, stabbed her in the chest so hard that she couldn't inhale. She felt claustrophobic, she felt tight and constricted, she couldn't breathe. She needed to get back, to get back to that pain-filled man, he was important, his pain was important, she was important to him, to helping ease that pain. She needed him and he needed her whether either truly realized how much or not. "Inuyasha!" She cried out for him, desperate, his name ripping from her throat no longer forgotten.
"I-I-n-nuyasha-a-a."
Her eyes snapped opened as her voice and his name echoed back towards her the sound bouncing off a million walls that she could not see, all she could see was white, it was completely white, indefinitely white. Her panic lessoned, the feeling in her heart slowly dissipated as she stared around her at the ongoing, never ending white void.
"Where am I?" She whispered to herself as she looked around her, as she tried to find any sort of landmark to notate her location. She saw none. There was nothing here, nothing but a long white emptiness.
She blinked several times and brought her arms around her body or at least she thought she did but no sensation of comfort met her. Looking down she searched for her feet, for her hands, for her anything but was met with that same whiteness, that same nothingness—that vacant lack of color. It was as if she was part of the void, part of that never ending whiteness.
"Am I dead?" She found herself wondering silently but her thoughts were projected around her as if she had spoken them out loud.
"You're not dead."
If she would have had her body she would have jumped at the strange mellow voice that entered her mind. "Who's there?" She called as she turned, looking in every direction trying to see who had spoken. She saw nothing.
"You're scared?" The same voice asked from beside her suddenly, her heart lodging in her throat.
Kagome pushed herself away from the voice as she looked attempting to see where it had come from, still she saw nothing. "I am scared." She answered the voice's question truthfully, her own voice shaking slightly.
"There's no need to be afraid," The voice echoed in one ear, then echoed in the other. "Kagome."
She blinked and gulped before speaking slowly. "How do you know—my name?"
A chuckled filled the void, the sound wrapping around everything it touched. "I know all that has ever been and all that ever will be."
Kagome's eyes went wide her mind racing for an explanation. "Are you—," She hesitated, her eyes still looking for the source of her conversation. "God?"
The voice actually laughed loudly, the sound deafening in the white abyss. "No—I am no god, Kagome." The gentle and calm reply came. "I was once like you, a living being but I have long since died."
"So," Kagome tried to conclude. "I'm not dead yet?"
"You are neither alive nor dead," The voice spoke tranquilly the sound seeming to cover everything in a supple blanket of warmth and security. "You neither exist nor do you not exist, you are neither a part of the earthen world nor a part of this one."
"Wha—?"
"Do not worry on it, Kagome," The voice was breathy feeling as if its words were being spoken directly into Kagome's ear. "It is not important. All you need to know is that you are very much alive, even if you aren't in your earthly body now."
Kagome blinked rapidly and looked down at herself once again fully understanding why she had seen no legs or arms and instead was met with nothing but a fuzziness that set in her line of vision. She gulped expecting to feel panic ensue at any moment but the feeling never came, instead she was filled with an understanding that shouldn't have been so easy to obtain. "My soul." She identified easily. "This is my soul."
"Yes," The voice agreed. "It's a very old soul."
Kagome looked up away from herself, her eyes searching for the body behind the voice, she saw nothing; the understanding built up again. "You're a soul too?"
"I am." It responded.
"Then this place—?"
"Is not definable."
Kagome would have narrowed her eyes had a soul been capable of such an act. "What?"
"It has no name," The voice explained soothingly and delicately, the sound of it becoming a little bit harder to hear as if it was moving away from her. "Neither can it be named."
"Okay—," Kagome mumbled before continuing. "Then why am I here?"
"A Miko's power is great Kagome," The voice seemed to jump around her, shifting to her other side, the sound of it echoing off the walls as it grew louder—not angry, just louder. "It was not designed to be used with such immensity."
"I used too much of my energy?" Kagome mumbled to the unseen voice her understanding growing as she thought on it.
"Exactly." The other soul told her, its voice tender, a caress in the whiteness. "You've used so much of your power that your body has given out but with some rest it will be ready to sustain your soul once again."
"So I'm here to let my body rest for a second," Kagome inferred skeptically. "Because it can't support my soul any longer? It's too tired?"
"Yes. And while your body rests within that earthen world," The voice was becoming harder and harder to hear with each passing second as if the soul was wandering off, perhaps bored with her. "Your soul will temporarily reside here." The voice faded in and out before coming back to Kagome's ears strong. "You must be careful Kagome," It warned, the sound hesitating as if it wasn't supposed to be saying anything at all on the current subject. "This world is not forgiving. It will only let you rest temporarily once." It was loud, demanding as it continued. "It will not let you simply rest like this ever again; if you ever come back it will keep you."
"Keep me?"
"If you see this white again Kagome," The voice was ominous. "You will be dead."
It was strange to feel her heart plummet in her chest when she knew that currently she had neither chest nor heart for the action to take place in or with. "So I can't use my powers or I'll die?"
"Yes," The voice drifted away from her growing faint once again. "And no." It came back a million times louder. Almost hurting her nonexistent ears as it chimed in piercingly next to her. "The body cannot sustain the power you possess Kagome, for it is only mortal."
"Okay," Kagome whispered puzzled. "So you're still basically saying that if I use that power I'll die."
"Your body will only die if you channel that power through it," The voice grew quiet but it still sounded hauntingly close to her head. "It cannot take the strength of the energy, it was not designed for such power but that doesn't mean that there aren't things that were designed with such a use in mind."
"Things?"
"Yes, Kagome." The soul confirmed the sound of it behind her now but still easily heard. "For centuries Miko's and their western equivalents have found ways to control this power, channeling it through objects designed to both amplify and simply sustain its enormity." The voice pressed itself to Kagome's ear then, making sure she took in every word. "You must find something to channel it, something that can support it, control it, something outside of yourself. If you can find such a thing, then your body will not suffer the fate of death for it will not bear the power that no mortal can sustain."
Kagome felt as if her eyes had gone wide, nonexistent that they were, she felt as if the hairs on the back of her neck had stood on end, even though in this place they could not reside. "How, how do I find such a thing?"
"When you see it, you will know. It will call to you Kagome and you will have no choice but to pick it up and through it channel all your power." The voice was quiet then but only for a second as if it was thinking or had been disturbed by some unseen occurrence. "You will go back to the earthen plane soon." The voice was fuzzy now, almost gone. "He will bring you back," The voice almost seemed to smirk.
"He?"
The soul appeared to ignore her. "He's calling you."
Kagome strained her ears trying to hear what the fading voice had alluded to. "I don't hear anything."
"It's faint and yet loud—weak and yet strong—sad—and yet healing." The voice vanished, the white vanished and Kagome found herself consumed by black.
-break-
Jinenji leaned over Inuyasha as he breathed into Kagome's mouth, pushing the vital air deep into her lungs. "Now the hands!" He commanded swiftly his large blue eyes fixated on the girl in front of him, hoping beyond hope that this would work, it had to work.
Without so much as a nod Inuyasha complied placing his hands back on her chest in the same exact manner he had before, pressing down firmly—one—two—three—four—
"Air!" Jinenji interrupted the motion. "Give her more air, now!"
Without thought, Inuyasha complied tilting her head again, gulping down oxygen before pressing their lips together in the least romantic lip gesture he had ever performed on a woman.
"Hands—," Jinenji pressed, his voice desperate. "Quick the hands!"
He obeyed his hands already on her chest prepared to push once again when she suddenly took a deep breath on her own, her eyes snapping opened large, the size of tea saucers. Jinenji reached forward stopping his hands as he watched her, his eyes wide and panicked.
"Kagome?" The large half demon managed to whisper as she turned herself onto her side, coughing and wheezing as she began to breathe again.
"Please be okay." Inuyasha barely managed to think to himself as he watched her wheeze and roll slightly onto her stomach before coughing and going back to her side, her hands clutching her abdomen tightly.
The wheezing subsided, turning into a loud and painful sounding dry cough and then a rasping noise as she took in air that had been absent from her body for some time. She hacked, the sound painful to both half demon's ears as they watched her eyes close, water leaking from them as she rolled back onto her back her body racked with her efforts to breath and not choke at the same time.
Inuyasha watched her as she coughed, her hands wrapping around her stomach even tighter holding her sides as she rasped and wheezed violently. He fought the urge to reach for her, to grab her and pull her to him, he wanted nothing more than to press his lips to hers—not in the manner he just had but in a life affirming kiss. He needed to feel her, he needed to know she was alive. "Kagome." The name chanted in his head as tears of utter happiness filled his eyes. "She's breathing, she's ali—," He winced as suddenly the cough turned into a retch and Kagome rolled onto her hands and knees before heaving. "She's vomiting."
The wince turned into a wave of dizziness the demon inside of him waning as his adrenaline subsided. He just managed to see Jinenji move to grab her shoulders, holding her up away from the spot on the ground where she had vomited but he didn't dare move himself. Not because he didn't want to (because he sure as hell wanted to) but because his body would not for the life of him move any longer. He felt heavy, tired as if every muscle in his body was about to give out.
"She's okay." They seemed to all say with him. "She's okay we can rest." They all agreed. Inuyasha felt his eyes flicker open and closed, his mind drifting away from the situation as relief flooded him from head to toe.
"She's okay." The distant voice of the demon within him growled in agreement before it left him completely, a hasty retreat, making him feel even heavier.
"She's alive." Inuyasha managed to whisper as he started to feel sleepy or perhaps faint; his human body not able to take the strain of the demon blood and then its sudden absence on top of his near death experience and still healing bullet wound.
"Miss Kagome?" The gentle sound of Jinenji's voice filled the air as the large demon turned her, facing her towards Inuyasha unconsciously.
Her eyes fluttered opened from the movement, the deep stormy grey catching Inuyasha's eye instantly. "Inuyasha?" She whispered into the dark as she took him in by the light of torches that hung from the trees where the villagers had earlier placed them.
Inuyasha felt his heart skip a beat at the sound of her weak voice. "Kagome." He whispered back the smile on his face filled with love, love that he hadn't realized he was showing her. "You're alive." He whispered as he neared her, one hand reaching for her brushing softly against her cheek as she rested in Jinenji's arms.
Kagome closed her eyes from the touch, her expression serene as she took in the feeling of his calloused hands on her soft skin. "Inuyasha." she mumbled as she leaned into his caress. The sound made his heart stop and the tears that had been brimming on his lashes to nearly fall again.
With a motion to Jinenji that he was about to take her, he reached to place a hand under the back of her knees, before wrapping his other arm around her shoulder, pulling her to him tightly as his heart cried with relief that he wouldn't allowed his eyes to show. "You were dead." He thought only to himself as he cradled her delicately to his chest before sitting down, crossing his legs, allowing his tired arms a rest by simply placing her in his lap. Without another thought he bent his head and placed his forehead to her shoulder. The position impossible for any other man. He inhaled her scent with his human nose but even hindered he was able to take it in, the essence of flowers and of the sea calming his nerves, making him feel tired and sleepy. He butted his nose against the place his mark rested, the demon in him coming back to the surface just long enough to reaffirm that connection.
"Mate." It seemed to whisper before it disappeared once again, not to return until the sun rose on the horizon.
He felt Kagome move against him, her hand coming to touch his hair faintly before drifting back down. She was still far too tired to even move. Slowly he moved back so he could look into her face and smiled at her when she opened her eyes. "You're alive." He repeated but his words held such deep meaning that it touched her very soul.
"Of course," She chuckled but the sound was met by coughing, she turned her face into his chest not wanting to cough directly into his own face. After a moment it subsided and she looked at him again, her eyes washing over him slowly. Her fingers reached up, the pads of her fingertips just touching his cheek before falling back down to rest on her breast. "You look how I feel." She tried to joke but the love in her eyes was no laughing matter.
"You must feel pretty horrible then," He smiled back at her and glanced down at himself for emphasis. "Because I look like shit."
She couldn't bring herself to smile again, she was much too tired but the message was still conveyed in her eyes. Those grey pools smiled far brighter than her lips ever could as she whispered her next words. "You're still human." She told him her eyes traveling to the sides of his head then to the top and then back to his face. "You still have your mother's eyes."
"Yeah." He nodded, but still felt a slight twinge in his heart. Even now as he held her in his arms filled with so much happiness, so grateful that she was still here alive and speaking with him, he still felt pained by the idea of her bringing up the fact that he was still human.
"Inuyasha—," She shook her head slowly back and forth before the smile highlighted her eyes once again but didn't quite reach her lips. "When the sun rises," She pushed herself to speak even though every word was difficult, her body so unbelievably tired that she found it hard to keep her eyes opened any longer. "You'll—," Her eyes started to close. "Go back, right?" She whispered faintly as her hand reached to touch his torn shirt, her fingers gripping it as if holding onto him would keep her awake.
Inuyasha stared at her for a minute, his mind trying to comprehend what was going on but far too fuzzy to really tell. He felt a prickling of fear enter him, why was she asking, was she disappointed that he might change back, did she want him to stay this way, had she lied earlier when she told him she liked this form better or at least the puppy ears better? Mustering up some of his trademark arrogance he managed to narrow his eyes in his tired state. "Yeah," He told her bluntly, his voice neutral but that neutrality speaking volumes. "What's your point?"
She smiled, forcing the feature on her face, her eyes finally closing, their expressiveness absent now. But that smile spoke volumes, it told him that she knew—she knew what he was thinking and that he shouldn't have been worried. "Good," Her words were faint and hard to hear but they were real and loud with meaning. "I missed that—you." The words trailed off and Kagome's head tilted to the side falling silently against his chest, she was asleep, exhausted but very much alive.
Jinenji who had been silent for the conversation gulped, his large blue eyes looking at the Captain who was staring down at Kagome, his face filled with love. "Mr. Inuyasha?" He mumbled causing the man to glance at him. "What now?"
Inuyasha blinked several times and looked up away from her as he held her tight, his eyes staring at the villagers who were now mostly awake around them, all of them looking confused as if they had no memory of the incident. He felt exhausted, he wanted to sleep, to cuddle with Kagome (for assurance that she would be there when he awoke) and drift off but he knew now was not the time. There was still too much to do. He eyed the men and women as they groaned, some of them badly injured still. They would need help, help only Jinenji and himself could offer.
He took a deep breath and looked back down at her worn out form. She was sleeping softly against him, her chest rising and falling, up and down, up and down. She was safe, she was alive, and even though he never wanted to let her go again, he knew he needed to, there were people who needed help and he needed to help them. Bending down he kissed her forehead gently, allowing all his feelings of relief and love to enter her through his tired and chapped humans lips. Pulling away he thanked the gods for the chance to kiss her forehead whilst she slept, for if he had kissed it from her death, he would have cursed their very names instead.
"Let's take her and your mother inside." Inuyasha commanded as he forced himself to stand to his feet although his legs were shaky and about to give out. He pulled Kagome more firmly in his grasp, carrying her as if she was the greatest treasure the world had ever known. "And then we'll help the villagers." He motioned with his head to the groggy people around them who were now starting to administer basic first aid to themselves and their peers.
"But—," Jinenji protested as he stared at the shaky man before him. "You're in no condition to even move."
"Keh." Inuyasha pulled the woman in his arms up to his face and breathed in her scent. It gave him strength, strength his body shouldn't have even had. "I'll be fine." He told the other demon truthfully as he smiled down at the woman's sleeping face. "As long as I have her to live for, I'll be able to live through anything." Stepping forward he easily took Kagome towards the house as if he was a demon and not a human who had been shot and worn down and practically almost died of grief. "Come on Jinenji." He called over his shoulder to the younger man. "The sooner we get to work, the sooner I can sleep."
Jinenji watched in awe as that strong man walked into the house, moving on legs that shouldn't have walked with such strength yet. "Amazing." He mumbled to himself as he forced himself to stand. "They're both simply, amazing."
Inuyasha reemerged from the house, looking for him with sharp black eyes. "Come on already, get your ass moving!" He yelled as he picked up the still unconscious Haniyama bringing her into the house as well. "Don't you need to get your supplies ready? There's a hell of a lot of sick people."
Jinenji smiled and nodded his head, the strength of the seemingly invincible man before him causing his own first steps towards the house to be just a little bit stronger.
-break-
After making sure he had everything he might need to treat the injured, Jinenji and Inuyasha stepped out of the small house both of them wearily eyeing the hurt villagers, knowing that they had caused those injuries.
"Where do we start?" Jinenji whispered down towards the shorter half demon.
Inuyasha only shrugged. "I guess with the ones who will let us help them?" He grumbled as he took a step forward into the clearing. The humans around him eyed him skeptically and he grunted. "I wonder if they remember?" Hepondered as he bit his lip. "Please tell me they forgot, that'd be a nice addition to Kagome's power—make the people I nearly kill forget that I did it." He blinked dryly. "Knowing my luck, they remember every minute of it." With a deep sigh he motioned for Jinenji to step beside him. "Come on, the only way to start is to—start."
Jinenji gulped but agreed silently. "Um—," He called into the throng of people who were in various stages of standing and dressing each other's wounds. "I—um—I have some—supplies—I'd be happy to help, if you'd—like." His voice was once again soft and timid.
The villagers didn't move. They only eyed him as they silently continued to help one another in the only ways that they with limited medical knowledge could. Jinenji lowered his head slightly, his large eyes studying the people he knew by name. The ones with gun wounds from Inuyasha had already pretty much been taken care of (probably during the duration of the battle in which the barrier has been cast) and even some of the ones with broken bones had already had them splinted but they were still in pain. To his knowledge none of the people around him knew medicinal herbs well enough to make adequate pain relieving medicine.
His eyes continued to watch the crowd for a few minutes, taking in the sight of the people he had hurt, his eyes landing unexpectantly on Henry—the man he had thrown into a tree, the man who had most likely punctured a lung. Henry was sitting up against a tree, a young woman (his wife Amelia) beside him, trying to help him drink some water as he continued to cough up blood. Jinenji frowned, from experience (although it was experience he had gained from medical text) he knew that Henry was in danger of dying soon if his lung was in fact punctured, but he wouldn't be able to tell the extent of his injuries until he was able to exam the man.
Without thought he stepped away from the safety of Inuyasha's side and made his way towards Henry and his wife. "Um—excuse me?" He whispered as he reached them but he might as well have screamed for everyone turned and stared. Nervously he shifted from foot to foot, the innocent gesture loud because of his size.
"Yes?" Amelia spoke up as she bravely stood, her eyes staring at Jinenji tiredly.
"I—I noticed he's um coughing a lot of blood," Jinenji stuttered as the woman watched him with those tired eyes, but at least she was listening. "I've—I know that—um that might be a sign of a—a—well punctured lung, if you'd like I could—take a look?" He finished, his voice hopeful but his expression downcast as if he was expecting a beating to follow.
Amelia watched him for a minute, her expression contemplative and a little bit afraid but otherwise vacant of any hatred.
From a distance Inuyasha gauged her body language, taking in her shifting feet and her wringing hands. That wasn't how someone moved when they were filled with hate; that was how a wife moved when she was trying to decide what was best for her husband. Should she trust the man before her, the stuttering giant who was offering her medical advice? Should she be afraid of him, apprehensive? Inuyasha smiled, "If those are her only concerns, then Kagome really did remove their hate." He grinned as he added. "And they probably don't remember the fight, oh lucky day!" He sighed, another thought entering them. "If they don't remember then—why do they think they're here? What do they think happened?" It was a very good question—two very good questions in fact.
The young woman licked her lips and took a deep breath, all eyes upon her as her next words came. "You brought that girl back from the dead." She mumbled her eyes downcast, her voice soft. "I watched, I've never seen anyone perform a miracle like that."
"It was no miracle." Inuyasha interjected putting his other thoughts aside as he stepped towards them his body still tired but his will to stand great. "Jinenji is a doctor, he simply used his expertise to save her life."
The woman looked at the human Captain, her mind still scared but her heart so willing to listen, so clear, so able to see. Slowly, she blinked and turned away from Inuyasha to look at the shy form of Jinenji. "I've heard stories of your father," She told him, her voice growing steadier with each word. "He was the village doctor long ago, right?"
Jinenji worried his lip, years of persecution and abuse making him feel small under her fearful gaze. "Um—," He began and looked over at Inuyasha for reassurance. The other demon gave him a tired smile and a halfhearted nod, it was enough. "Yes, Papa was—the—um—your village's doctor. He trained me when I was little."
The woman nodded and held her hand to her chest, supporting it with tender fingers. "Do you think—well—," She looked down at her husband, her eyes shining with tears. "That you could—really help him?"
Jinenji was taken aback by her words, by the strange approval in her eyes, that strange acceptance. Kagome really had taken away their hate and replaced their unwarranted malice with something completely her own: acceptance, eyes that could truly see. Yes, there was still a certain amount of fear in this woman but the fear was no longer accompanied by rage or revulsion. Jinenji felt his heart warm with joy as he looked into this small woman's visage taking in her hazel eyes, they were not as wide open as Kagome's but they were cracked, they were willing to see and in time, hopefully, they would truly look at him and see him for who he really was.
"I can try." He spoke softly as he knelt down before her, a kind expression on his face. "Punctured lungs are hard to heal but if it's not too bad, I can certainly make him better."
The woman eyed him uneasily for a moment but none of the hatred of before returned to her. Instead her look was simply one that women often give to strange men, a look that was right to be on her face.
Around her the other villagers waited, some of them in great pain but too strong willed to go to the demon, not out of malice, but out of fear—they were afraid of the unknown. This was a man they had never trusted, a man they had never identified as a doctor, how could this girl trust him, how?
Jinenji gave the girl a soft smile, being extra careful not to show his fangs. "Would you like me to take a look at him now?" He spoke, a new found confidence entering him as he watched her look back at him with eyes filled only with skepticism instead of anger and rage.
She gulped but nodded hastily. "I don't want him to die." She gushed as she fell onto her knees beside him, her worry over her husband taking over her as rested a hand on Henry's leg gently.
Jinenji grinned and nodded at her as he went to work feeling lighthearted and useful.
-break-
"Thank god." Inuyasha grumbled as they finished patching up the last patient, a woman who had been hit over the head at some point by either Inuyasha or Jinenji, which neither was sure. It had taken a few hours for the tag team doctor and (although he would never admit it) nurse to finish giving medical treatment to all the villagers.
Through that time, they had learned that Kagome had in fact done more than just remove hate, she had changed the course of events for these people—they all believed there had been an attack on the village and that the attack had led them to Jinenji and his mother's home. None of them remembered fighting Inuyasha or Jinenji. In fact they seemed to remember Inuyasha helping them fight or something like that.
In the end one thing was certain, Kagome's powers were far greater than anyone could have ever imagined.
"Don't grow happy yet." Jinenji mumbled to Inuyasha as he stood back up and looked over towards the tree line some feet away. "I've one more patient to see today."
"Dear lord." Inuyasha grumbled as he glanced at the slowly awakening horizon. It was probably getting close to sunrise, he couldn't wait for it to come. Inuyasha yawned, "As soon as that sun is over the horizon my body will heal and I won't feel tired. Good grief I hate being human." Stretching one last time and popping his neck he followed Jinenji who had already started towards the tree, medical herbs in hand. He stopped dead in his tracts once he saw the patient in question. "Why the hell would he help him?"
"Mr. Carver." Jinenji called out, unaware of Inuyasha thoughts, stepping towards the one man who had bore him more hatred than any other single person.
Mr. Carver didn't make eye contact; instead he continued to lean against the tree trunk his eyes staring off, far away from Jinenji, proud and arrogant despite all the change Kagome had created. He appeared to be in his own little world or maybe he was just ignoring the half demon—some malice still present in his heart that even Kagome couldn't destroy.
"Um—," Jinenji whispered as he watched the man look off into the distance. "I know they already took care of your gun wound, sir, but I—a—have some herbs that are—well—um—they help with the pain."
The old man didn't respond, his eyes still looking into the distance, his face expressionless as he watched for the sun that was starting to peek above the horizon, much to Inuyasha's relief.
"Well," Jinenji cleared his throat, setting the herb paste next to the man's hand before backing away. "If you'd like to use it—just rub it on the wound." He made the motion of treatment with his hands before laughing, the sound awkward in the cool air. "Well—I'll just be—um—going, good night—um well morning." He turned away his large eyes looking at Inuyasha for some kind of sign. The older half demon barely shrugged before the sign came from the sound of Mr. Carver's voice.
"Jinenji." He said the name, the sound causing everyone to cease breathing in the clearing, half demon and villager alike. "I don't know why and I don't care to have it explained." His voice was harsh but his words were meaningful. "But for some reason today I—," He trailed off for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "As I watched you help us, I was reminded of your father." He reached forward touching the ointment Jinenji had laid beside him absentmindedly. "He was a good man you know."
Jinenji nodded, Mr. Carver continued.
"I knew him for a long time. He watched me grow; he was our family doctor when I was a boy." He scratched his nose absently. "He provided for my family when we first moved here, helped us get on out feet, gave us food, helped my father build a house." He took a deep breath, his eyes haunted with memories. "He delivered all my children, a few grandchildren even before he died." He paused on the word 'died' for a moment and Jinenji wondered if he had seen his father die. "He saved my wife when she gave birth breached and saved my eldest son when he was ill with measles." He looked up at the sky, his eyes studying the fading stars. "He was a good man, an honest man—for a long time I thought his only fault was that he chose to marry a human." He looked back at his hands. "Until together they bore a son. At that time, a realized his greatest fault was loving her."
His words stung but Jinenji didn't dare interrupt.
"I resented that child. To us," He motioned around him. "That child tarnished a good demon name but—and I can't speak for all of us but I hope I do—we were wrong." Mr. Carver looked directly at Jinenji then, his eyes tough, commanding, charismatic in a way. "You may have mixed blood but you are still that good man's son. I watched you heal these people tonight and I was astounded when I thought for a second that I—," His eyes grew hazy with memories once again. "I thought that I was watching him. That you were him." He gazed at Jinenji, his eyes that had once been so full of hate now full of understanding. "You have the same gift that he did for medicine. I just wish I would have seen it sooner."
Jinenji gulped and nodded his head, unsure of what exactly he was supposed to say. After several minutes, in which the silence was only interrupted by the rustles of the night, he decided to smile. "I forgive you." He told the proud man as he closed his eyes, happy tears hitting his skin. "And—I thank you for your kind words."
"Jinenji." The man addressed him by his name again, it was a kind gesture even though his voice sounded militant. "I hope with time you will come to aid us as you have today, everyday." The man looked away, his pride clouding his eyes for a moment but only a moment as Kagome's power worked its magic riding the man of his racist thoughts before they could even form. "We would appreciate it, if you were able to lend us your skill whenever the need arises."
Jinenji was silent, his heart beat wildly in his chest. Never in all his years of life had he imagined such a complete change could ever occur. Kagome was a goddess—there was no other explanation. Only a goddess could remove so much hate, so much clouding malice and contempt from the eyes of a man who had wanted him dead his whole life. Maybe that's why she had almost died, it had to have taken a great deal of power to enact such a change. "Thank you Kagome." He found himself thinking, his heart reaching for her, so happy that it had saved her. That he had done the impossible for her, when she had clearly done the impossible for him. "I will never be able to repay you for this great deed you have done for me." He thought to himself as he wiped his eyes and attempted not to cry.
"Sir—a-a-a," He cleared his throat and licked his lips, willing himself to control his emotions. He sniffled the sound like a horse's nay before he finally let go, allowing the tears to fall openly for all to see. "I would be honored." He whispered through his tears. "To help you in any way I can." He looked up his eyes full of hope. "As a part of this village, as your neighbor," He said the word, his heart filling happiness when no one screamed at him for admitting it. "It is the very least I can do."
Jinenji's smile then was a million times brighter than the dawning sun.
End of Chapter
Please Review
Congrats to Nur Nur for being reviewer 950! Edited for Grammar and Content 11/12/2011 and for Accents 6/5/2013.
Chapter Fun Fact: This is to date the longest chapter in the whole of the fiction.
Bonus Point:
The villagers at the end of this chapter believe that Jinenji helped save them from something attacking their village. Has does this relate to the actual Jinenji arch in the anime and/or manga?
Last Chapter's Bonus Point:
"I Want to Change the World" is a song sung by V-6 that was used for the opening of the very first season of Inuyasha! Congrats to the winners:
Rmk11, RavenShadow, Regina lunaris, Ciao From Indiana, eloquent dreams, Saria Forest14, Little Margarita, Warm-Amber92, Nur Nur, StrikerTheWolf, inuKag4eva, Litle C, flamendwaterislochnessmonster, Kiarra24, glon morski, SilverStarWing, Coka Cookie Cola, 3lue 3utterfly, Purple Dragon Ranger, Summer Jasmine, InuEared Miko of Darkness, SharaMoon, HeavenlyEclipse,
Notes:
CPR – CPR is a modern medical revival technique. The development of the current method started in 1767 when the Society for Recovery of Drowned Persons was created in Amsterdam. At the time of this fiction there would be no distinct strategy resembling CPR, however, physicians would have been aware of:
1. Applying manual pressure to the abdomen to push water from the stomach (A concept that preceded the act of stimulating the heart through pushing on the chest)
2. Respirations into the victim's mouth, either using a bellows or with a mouth-to-mouth method.
Therefore it is safe to assume that someone with medical training would be able to deduce a method of reviving a victim of cardiac arrest. However, it should be noted, that during this time the success of such a method was relatively slim.
Punctured Lungs – Jean Marc Gaspard Itard, a student of René Laennec, first recognized pneumothorax (punctured lungs) in 1803, which is a good fifteen years after this fiction. That being said, this is just the documented first case of a punctured lung, meaning someone else could have figured it out before but not have been in a position to publish it for all of the medical community to see. Thus, making it possible for Jinenji to have figured it out first lol.
Fun Fact: In the Society of Recovery of Drowned Persons guide to reviving a drowning victim, mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-nostril respiration includes the advice that "a cloth or handkerchief may be used to render the operation less indelicate."
Next Chapter:
A Father's Dying Gift
See you then!
UNEDITTED
POSTED
11/11/2011