So here's chapter two of A Little's Enough. And once again, I don't own Inuyasha or any songs featured.
"There's lonely voices like a scarecrow, in the hallway like a lost ghost. In the bedroom I see a shadow from the moon with light from a candle. On a bed frame lies a girl, her reflection in the mirror."
"My head…it feels like it's going to explode!" she cried.
Miroku looked up at the ceiling and scowled. "It's them. They're playing with us."
"The demons?" Shippo gulped. "They're doing this to Kagome?"
"Dammit," Inuyasha swore. He released Kagome and snarled up at the ceiling. "C'mon you stupid demons! Show yourselves! Leave Kagome alone, already you fucking cowards!"
Giggling was heard around them and then suddenly nothing. Kagome's hands went limp around her head and she collapsed onto the floor, panting. Inuyasha scooped her up and cradled her in his arms.
"Kagome? Are you okay?" he whispered to her.
She weakly nodded and opened her eyes. "It felt like…like they were digging through my brain, like fire was rummaging through it or something…"
Inuyasha glared at the wooden roof and then looked back down at Kagome. He hated the fact that she had been in pain and there had been nothing he could do about it. It reminded him of how Kikyo had suffered and how he would rather die then let the same thing happen to Kagome.
"Is everything all right?" The innkeeper came into their room and saw Inuyasha supporting a semi-conscious Kagome.
"Those damn demons," Inuyasha explained to him. "They're having their fun by messing with Kagome."
"I'm terribly sorry about this," he confessed, looking at the floor with chagrin. "It's just…the entire village is afraid that the twins will attack their house next and I fear that they are right…I don't want anyone else to be hurt, especially those I care about…"
"We understand," Sango said kindly. "We're here to help."
"Not Kagome, though," Inuyasha said softly. "I won't allow them to hurt her."
The innkeeper's wife and daughter then entered the room and took away their plates of half-eaten food.
"Would you like us to get you your futons?" his wife asked Miroku.
"Yes, that would be great, thank you," he replied, nodding his eyes. His purple eyes landed on the daughter, watching her back as she and her mother moved quickly out of the room to fetch their bedding.
"You feeling better, Kagome?" Shippo asked as she moved to sit up. No eyes missed Inuyasha's hands, reluctant to let her go. Not even Kagome.
"Yes, Shippo-chan, the pain's all gone," she said with a smile.
A few minutes later, the two women returned and helped the group set up their arrangements for the night. Though they all doubted that they would get any sleep with the twin demons above them. After all, they were here to exercise them.
Once they had gotten all of their nightly preparations established, they all settled on top of their futons and sat up to talk for a little while longer. In fact, the reason why they hadn't gone to sleep was for fear of their dreams being overtaken by the twin demons. Of course, however, Shippo, Sango, and Kagome were very tired and had to keep talking in order to stay awake.
"Why don't you girls get to sleep?" Miroku suggested. "Inuyasha and I are capable of exercising the demons."
"We really shouldn't, Miroku-sama," Sango said sheepishly. She wanted to be there to help protect Miroku if something went wrong. She didn't want him to use his Kaza Ana after what happened with Naraku's spider webs.
"It's all right, Sango," he encouraged. "You, Kagome and Shippo get some sleep."
"He's right," Inuyasha agreed. "You guys hit the sack for a bit. We can handle things from here."
Reluctantly, the three of them agreed that they should get a little bit of sleep if they were to battle the demons later in the night. It was probably best that they got some sleep anyway, no one wants a cranky woman fighting in battle.
Sango and Kagome slept on the farther side of the room while Miroku and Inuyasha sat up together, Inuyasha's back against the corner wall. Shippo slept beside Kagome in futon while Kirara lay by Sango's feet as always.
After Inuyasha was sure that they were asleep, he leaned over to Miroku. "Do you really think that they're after Kagome?"
Miroku didn't miss the anxiety in his voice as he asked him this question. His desire to protect Kagome was even stronger now that Kikyo had passed on again.
"After all that's happened to her, I can't see anything that would deny it," he said calmly though he was also worried about her.
"They won't touch a hair on her head," he hissed, his eyes staring at her sleeping form.
"I doubt that they will show themselves to us," Miroku shook his head. "I believe that they will remain where they are and haunt us from the attic."
"Well, then I'll come up there and kick their asses."
"Don't be too hasty, Inuyasha," Miroku warned sternly. "If you attack too soon, they may cause Kagome or even Sango or Shippo more pain. We must wait until they do something on their part."
"Damn, I hate waiting," he grumbled, hunching his shoulders and pouting. "Especially when Kagome is in danger."
Miroku couldn't help but smirk. "You really care about her, don't you?"
Inuyasha raised one of his eyebrows. "Duh, isn't that obvious?"
"I mean you care about her," he explained.
The monk watched as his friend turned red and looked away and out the window. He tried to hide his amusement as he found that he had embarrassed the great hanyou.
"So what?" Inuyasha finally challenged. "You care about Sango."
Miroku nodded knowingly and looked on at the their snoozing friends. He decided not to press on the subject more since Inuyasha had already admitted what Miroku had known all along.
"I don't know what she's going to do, Miroku," Inuyasha whispered.
"Hm? She? Oh, you mean Kagome?"
Inuyasha nodded. "I don't know if she's going to stay here in the Sengoku Jidai with us or go back to her own time once this is all over," he admitted.
"Have you asked her?"
"Yes. And she just says that her family and friends are in her era but…but I'm in this era. She told me that she'll always be by my side." His voice was barely a whisper and his cheeks were heating up.
"And what did you say to that?"
"That I'll always protect her." He remembered after that that he had taken her hand and looked into her charcoal colored eyes. His heart picked up as he recalled the fact that they had been seconds away from finally kissing when her stupid brother ruined it.
"Kagome's probably confused," Miroku finally said after he let Inuyasha recall memories that he didn't seem keen on confessing. "On one hand, the life that she was born into is on the other side of the well. It was all that she had known for fifteen years… But on this hand are us. You. She obviously would stay here for you and no one else and even you should know that by now. She doesn't know which side she would miss more and that's why she can't decide. You," he eyed Inuyasha carefully, "if you want Kagome to stay here, must let her know that this is the better world for her."
"It's not," he said, his ears drooping. "She's in so much more danger here…"
"That wasn't what I met," Miroku said flatly.
"Hm?" Inuyasha looked at him blankly, confused at the monk's words.
"I met better because you'll be with her. I met better for her heart, for your heart. Inuyasha, I know that Kikyo's death has taken its toll on you and I don't think that you could stand losing both Kikyo and Kagome. You need her as much as she needs you."
"You think so?"
"Inuyasha, it was clear the very day that we met that you and Kagome were in love with each other. And every day after that it's been even more evident. It's gotten to the point between you two that you won't even admit it. That you can't look into each other's eyes without becoming flustered or without yelling at each other."
Inuyasha didn't make eye contact with Miroku as he thought this over. It was indeed true. He was embarrassed to admit his feelings to Kagome even though he knew better than to think Kagome wouldn't want him. She's proved that theory to be wrong so many times. She's made it clear that she wants nobody but him.
He opened his mouth to say something to Miroku but the houshi held up his hand to silence him. "Shhh, do you sense that?"
"Sense what?" Inuyasha murmured.
"Their power."
Inuyasha sniffed the air and grimaced. The children were clearly ready to strike them; their power was the most prominent scent in the air. He also smelled their anticipation, their happiness, their fury…
"They won't attack now," Miroku whispered. "They'll wait until we're asleep."
"Keh, yeah, like I'm going to fall asleep now."
Meanwhile, in the attic, sat a girl on an old futon, her eyes lavender as she stared at her reflection in a dusty, cracked mirror. Her hair was long and brown and her face and body that of a nine-year-old child.
Her twin brother lay on the floor, his ear pressed to the wood so he could hear the conversation of a monk and half-demon. They were talking about the girl that they had decided to possess first. The girl they decided to torture the most.
"Aitou-kun, what do you hear?" the girl asked, running her fingers through her long hair.
"I hear the hanyou and monk talking about that miko…" he whispered, shutting his shockingly light blue eyes. "The hanyou seems to be in love with that girl. The monk is in love with the tajiiya."
"And that kawaii little kitsune?" the girl asked pleasantly.
"I don't think he has anyone, though I can sense that he has had his fair share of female attention. Mostly humans..."
"Hm…a beautiful young kitsune falling for humans?" She scowled at her reflection.
"Wait, a moment…I can see something…" Aitou said, closing his eyes. "I see a young girl…a demon. Soten. The sole survivor of the Thunder Demon Tribe…Shippo and her had a little tiff and they ended up liking each other…"
"Interesting," his sister said, smiling. "Do you see anything else about that miko?"
"The miko…she has a time aura around her, it's different. She's not from this time, from what I sense. Her heart's been lonely for a long time since that hanyou has love for another miko in his heart."
"Another miko?" the girl said, her lavender eyes wide. "How interesting. Do you know of her name?"
"I believe it is Kikyo."
"Kikyo and Kagome? That half-demon sure has a thing for priestesses, don't you think, brother?"
"Dosakusa-chan, when do you think we will be able to strike that girl's mind?"
His sister, who was still sitting on the old futon, smiled wickedly and looked over her shoulder at Aitou. "Wait until they all fall asleep. I want her to suffer as much as possible before that half-breed notices. He seems like a hothead, does he not, brother?"
Her brother sat up and crossed his legs on the floor. His eyes settled in on his reflection from across the tiny attic space and smiled a sweet smile. His sister and he were truly beautiful, blessed with eternal youth with the powers of a demon. They could pass as regular village children if the other villagers weren't so paranoid.
"Nee-chan," Aitou said calmly.
"Yes?" she asked as she ran her fingers through her long hair.
"Do you think that monk will know when we are going to ravage the miko?"
Dosakusa giggled and flew backwards onto the futon, crossing her legs. "Of course not! He is not a very powerful houshi if I'm being honest. I can feel his power; I can almost smell his power. The miko's power may be stronger in those terms."
Aitou nodded and joined his twin on the old futon. She curled up by his side and he rubbed her silky dark brown hair.
"Such a calm night," Dosakusa murmured as they listened to the monk and half-demon talk quietly.
"Yes, it is," Aitou agreed.
They both closed their brilliant eyes and began to wait.
While hours seemed to pass and the night grew darker, Inuyasha did not sleep. His amber eyes remained focused on Kagome's sleeping body, rarely blinking for fear that he would miss something in that half second. He refused to let her fall into danger like Kikyo had. He couldn't bear losing her; he needed her so much.
Silently so as not to disturb a now sleeping Miroku, Inuyasha slid over to Kagome's side and looked down at her face. Her breathing was deep and regular and her face was so relaxed, so calm. Unconsciously, he ran the back of his hand down the length of her cheek, feeling the warmth radiate from her skin. Sighing, he then sucked in a deep breath of her scent and closed his eyes. Her scent always made him drowsy and he had to shake his head several times to force himself to stay awake. This wasn't the best time to fall asleep when the most important thing in his world could be in danger.
"Aitou-kun!" Dosakusa whined. "The hanyou is not falling asleep!"
"I know, nee-chan," he said, agitated. Does that half-breed ever sleep?
"Make him sleep, brother! I'm itching to invade that girl's dream!"
"Are you going to take her then?" he asked.
"Of course! I can't wait to mess with her mind! I want to see what she fears the most and play with it so badly, Aitou!"
"May I play with the tajiiya's mind?"
"Do what you wish!" she said pleasantly. "Is her mind worthy?"
Aitou closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. "She has many thoughts that she would rather not revisit. It will be fun to make her see them all again."
"Very well." Dosakusa beamed. "Anything with the monk and half-demon?"
He nodded. "Both Miroku and Inuyasha have demons of their past. The monk seems to have less than the hanyou, however."
"I'll take the monk after that, then. You may take Inuyasha since I am getting the better of the women."
He kissed his sister's cheek. "Arigato, nee-chan. And the little kitsune and the demon cat?"
She smiled. "Let's let them be. The kitsune doesn't have much that's easy to see. And the cat isn't worth our time."
"We're just going to have to be patient, then, Dosakusa. We are immortal, after all."
As they were discussing their plans, Inuyasha was trying to fight away his heavy eyelids. Every time he blinked, his head would bob and his muscles would untie. But he knew that he couldn't fall asleep. The twins were awake and ready, waiting for him to pass out so they could attack. He couldn't sleep now, not when his friends depended on him so much.
"I can't take it, Aitou-kun," Dosakusa hissed. "I'm going to knock him out."
"Nee-chan," Aitou chided. "Don't be hasty…"
"No!" she screeched. "I'm not waiting any longer!"
Dosakusa closed her eyes and sank through the floor and gently landed on the boards of the floor below them, into the room of Inuyasha and his friends.
The end of another chapter. R&R please!!!!