Author's Note
:looks around at all the upset and disgruntled reviewers: hehe…hi guys!
:ducks fire balls: I'm sorry!! Life got in the way!
I had attempted to finish my stories too quickly and burned myself out. Last year I was in 9 clubs and on council for our Anime Otaku club so I was busy with that most of the year. Now I'm settling down in college…freshman again…:sigh: and hope to finally get back to my creative pond and fish out some more ideas. I hope you all enjoy this and continue to read. I've missed you all so much!!
Sammy-Sama
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or any of the characters associated with the series. However Artemis, Koji, Kane, Bakari, Shiizu, Taru, Kita, Ally/Maru, Soshi, Mia, Seiji, Riku, Sayo, Naito, Chiri, Shiro, Maeko, Makoto, Yumiko, Kita, Kisho, Akio, Yukio, Amaya, Kage and Fluffy are my own creations.
Scene Changes from Keep Holding On By Avril Lavigne
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Chapter VIII: You Laugh Because I'm Different I Laugh Because You're All The Same.
Part 1
--
You're not alone
together we stand
I'll be by your side
--
"You stupid, stupid hanyou," the young maiden whispered lightly, probing and prodding the dwindling flames before her, "You should have just stayed in that stupid hut regardless."
Hazel orbs watched the steady rise and fall of the man's chest as he slept peacefully behind her, "I hope the others find us soon."
The young miko's head snapped up after the thought, her gaze headed towards the entrance of the cave they'd taken shelter in; and it seemed her world stopped, why hadn't she sensed his presence sooner?
"What?" came the cool voice from the man before the young woman, "You seem surprised to see me, Kagome."
"Naraku," the said miko hissed, mentally berating herself for her lack of weaponry, "What are you doing here? Last I heard you were held up somewhere with a very nasty curse on your hands."
"Seems you've been out of the loop there, isn't it," Naraku replied, "I'm quite better actually. I'm here to make you a deal."
"What kind of deal?" Kagome inquired, her brow raised in curiosity.
"You come with me," answered the hanyou, "And you get your child back."
"What do you want me for?" the miko questioned.
"Is this an interrogation?" Naraku countered, "I just offered you your daughter and you ask questions?"
"Forgive me for being a bit skeptical," Kagome replied, "But you haven't been exactly the most reliable in the past."
"The past is the past," the half demon commented, leaning his form against the cave's rock walls, "Maybe I've changed."
"I doubt that strongly," the miko shot back, "You kidnapped my friend, almost had InuYasha killed dozens of times. Not to mention all the shit you put us through way back when."
"True," Naraku agreed, "But this is my only offer, I'll give you till sunrise to decide."
"And if I refuse?" inquired Kagome.
"Well then, you just might not see your daughter back alive now, will you?" was all the half demon said before he began to disappear, "Meet me in the clearing at the center of the forest by then or your daughter's life will end."
"Shit!" hissed the miko and her fists collided with the cave floor, the sharp edges of a few rocks cutting her skin, "What the hell do I do now?"
--
you know I'll take your hand
when it gets cold
and it feels like the end
there's no place to go you know I wont give in
no I wont give in.
--
"It's so cold out here Lord Sesshomaru," commented the young woman through chattering teeth as their group scoured the area looking for shelter.
"I know you are Rin," replied the lord, "We're sure to find something soon."
Amber orbs sliced through the falling snow, the vague outline of a hut and the billowing smoke which rose above it caught his attention. Leading the young mortal through the blinding white he reached the small structure, now noticing the sounds of excitement happening within. Just as he was about to bang on the door, the said barrier opened, the young Eastern Ruler ushering the occupants outside.
"Oh Lord Sesshomaru," Kane greeted upon seeing the demon as he opened the door, "Good to see you both are all right."
Sesshomaru nodded.
"What's all the commotion about?" Rin inquired, peering inside the hut.
"Sango's going into labor," answered Bakari as she helped Sango atop Kirara once they'd gotten outside the building, "We're taking her to Kaede's."
"We all planned on heading over there," Miroku added, following his wife and her companion.
"No…Miroku," Sango gasped as another contraction hit, "You need to go find Kagome."
"But you need me too…" The monk argued, trying to make his wife see reason.
"Please," The slayer replied, "I would feel better knowing you'd gone to look for her if something had happened."
"What could have happened?" Miroku inquired, "I'm sure InuYasha got Kagome somewhere safe."
"Did you forget what tonight was?" Sango argued, her hand immediately going to grip her throbbing abdomen.
"Fine," Miroku sighed, his staff resting on his shoulder, "Would you please assist me Lord Sesshomaru? I could sure use that powerful sense of smell."
"I'll help you find the hanyou and his mate," Sesshomaru nodded, looking down towards his own mate.
"You know I'm coming too," Rin commented, "Even though I'm half frozen."
"I'll come too," Artemis voiced, pushing her way through the crowed.
"Me too!" shouted Mia from the back of the horde now blocking the entrance to the hut.
"We'll head on to Kaede's and get Sango some help," The Northern Ruler informed, "I really don't trust the villages around here, if the last one we were at is any rate of comparison."
"Agreed," replied Kane, as he and Koji darted off towards the east.
Bakari climbed atop the twin tail to help steady the slayer, "We should get there faster now that we're flying. Please be careful while you all search and if the storm starts to pick up again don't get caught in it."
"We won't," the hanyou nodded as she watched the rest of the group-with the exception of one-head off towards the east.
"Just don't do anything I wouldn't do," came the warning from the hanyou's mate, navy locking with amber.
"Don't worry so much Seiji," Mia laughed, taking a few steps towards the demon and capturing his lips, "Be careful and I will as well."
Seiji smiled before his body was engulfed in a spectral blue aura and his form changed as bones rearranged and soon a large midnight blue dog stood before them. With one final look of warning he turned around and thundered after the rest of his companions.
With that the group split in two, one going east the other deeper into the woods in search of their missing friends.
--
Keep holding on
'cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through
just stay strong
cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you
--
What had taken previously a week and a half to achieve the group did in just about six hours. With no light from the moon above the group had traveled nearly across half the length of the entire continent to reach this small little village.
Koji, Kane, Sayo and little Maru had been the first ones to arrive at the hut and inform the elderly priestess what had occurred.
As the twin tail touched down, Kaede was ready with instructions, "Seiji I need you to go to the river and get some water if you would."
"Right," the demon replied after he'd transformed, immediately making a run for the nearby river.
"You'll need these!" shouted Riku, following after with two empty buckets.
"Bring her inside and we'll get her comfortable," Kaede said, leading Kirara inside the hut and over towards an empty futon, "Lay her down over here."
After a few short minutes the slayer had been prepped on the futon and comfortable, the water having been brought was now warming from the fire the Southern Lord had started.
"How long ago did this start?" the elderly priestess inquired.
"Around six hours or so," Ally answered, coming to sit next to the young woman, "Is there anything we can do to help?"
Kaede nodded, "I need all the men out in fact, the women may remain."
With that all that was left in the room were Ally, Bakari and Maru.
"What do you want us to do now?" Bakari questioned, dabbing the slayer's forehead with a cool, damp cloth; trying to ease her while her contractions shot through her body.
"All we can really do now is wait," came the healer's answer as they tried to make the young woman as comfortable as possible while she delivered her baby.
"Where is Miroku? I did not see him with the others," Kaede inquired.
"InuYasha and Kagome have been missing," Ally answered, "Sango asked him to stay behind with a few others to help look for them."
The priestess nodded once again, leading the young slayer through the birth of her first child.
--
theres nothing you can say, nothing you can do
theres no other way when it comes to the truth
so keep holding on
cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through.
--
Pain filled, drowsy auburn orbs watched unwavering as the young maiden prepared the couple's meal. The young miko closed her eyes, a soft sigh escaping her lips as she finished the evening preparations.
"He's going to hate me for this," She thought, guilt weighting heavily on her conscience as she quickly mixed the crushed powder into her mate's bowl of ramen.
"Here," the maiden offered, handing the young man his bowl as she rounded the fire and sat beside him.
Auburn orbs simply regarded her with a calculating glare; one that would rival even his brother; before picking up his meal and began eating.
"You're not going," He stated between a mouth full of ramen.
"Why not?" his mate inquired, setting her own bowl down and turning to face the young man, "Why is it that every time something dangerous happens it's always got to be you that goes into the thick of it? Why can't I for once be the one to do it InuYasha?"
A very un-demon-like growl escaped the young man's chest as he slammed his bowl onto the stone ground, the remaining contents spilling over the crushed plastic, "This isn't like I'm always the one driving and you want a turn Kagome! This is Naraku we're talking about here! You're just human and you're asking me why I always go into danger!"
"You're human right now!" Kagome pointed out, "What's the difference?"
"Come morning if I'm run through with a sword I won't get killed," InuYasha stated calmly, "His miasma doesn't effect me as much as you, even if you do purify it. it's too risky."
"I think you're being hypocritical," Kagome argued, crossing her arms across her chest.
"I don't care; as long as it keeps you alive," replied the hanyou evenly.
"I thought you'd have more trust in me," the miko sighed, her gaze averted from the young man.
"I have all the trust in the world for you," InuYasha corrected, "It's Naraku I don't trust."
"Then you should know that I can take care of myself!" Kagome exclaimed, chestnut orbs igniting with fire.
"I don't want to argue with you," InuYasha said gently, taking a deep breath, "I just want to keep you safe. There's got to be another way to get Amaya back then risking both your lives to do it."
"I understand what you're getting at," Kagome replied, watching as her mate's eyes began to droop, "But this could be the only way. With me on the inside it could be beneficial."
"The risk out weighs the gains," InuYasha stated, as he slumped to the floor, "I'm too tired to fight with you about it."
Kagome sighed, slowly rising and treading over to the unconscious hanyou. Kneeling down she folded her legs beneath her and carefully slipped the half demon's head into her lap.
"Everything will work out all right in the end InuYasha," Kagome whispered, gently brushing a few wayward tresses of hair from is face, "You'll see, it always does."
--
So far away I wish you were here
before it's too late this could all disapear
before the doors close, this comes to an end
but with you by my side I will fight and defend i'll fight and defend yeah yeah.
--
It had been roughly another six hours before the small group inside was able to leave. The only one to leave the hut however was the young Southern heir; both other girls wanting to help the young slayer. Now don't get her wrong, it wasn't that she didn't want to help her friend; it was just that there was too much pain in the air. That was something her new powers weren't reacting too very well.
Upon stepping out into the night air, violet orbs gazed around at the huddled mass outside of the hut. The men had gathered together to share battle plans or stories of some sort. The only one missing was the Southern Lord and his companion.
Crossing the short distance from the hut entrance to the group the young maiden bent down and taped the young ebony haired demon lightly on the shoulder.
"Have you seen Lord Sayo by any chance?" she inquired, her mate's crimson orbs turning towards her.
"I think he went to put Kage in the stable," Soshi answered, "I told him he wouldn't fit but I assume he just took him to the pasture instead."
"All right," the young woman nodded, straitening her posture and heading off in the direction of the clearing where the villages livestock was kept.
"Just be careful what you say Ally," Soshi called after the retreating form.
"I will," the said maiden replied, continuing her trek towards where the young lord had supposedly gone.
Violet orbs gazed around the small field, immediately spotting the large horse grazing off near the small stream's bank, the young lord casually tossing stones into the water.
"How's the young slayer doing?" inquired the young lord, his attention focused on the approaching figure.
"She's doing fine," Ally replied, crossing the field and taking a seat next to the young man, "I just needed to get a bit of fresh air is all."
Sayo nodded, "I know the feeling."
The duo sat in silence for a while, each enjoying the comfortable feel of the quiet.
"May I ask you something?" The young lord inquired.
"Ask away as long as it doesn't have anything to do with my age or weight," Ally jested.
"Have we meet somewhere before?" continued the demon, "I mean Maru seems to be taken with you so fast. And that symbol on your garb is the very one for the Southern lands."
"You could say that," Ally answered, thinking over her words carefully.
"You're not going to tell me directly?" Sayo questioned.
"Well no. You know how it could ruin the whole fate of the world and all," the young maiden replied, tossing a small pebble into the water.
"What I mean to say is, can I trust you?"
"Yes, you can trust me."
Sayo nodded, "If my daughter can trust you enough with her life then I suppose I should too."
Ally just sat there for a moment, watching as her father stood up and retreated back to the small hut her friends from the future had called home for so long. She kept thinking, was it right for her to be interfering like this? Could she do something that would doom the future, had she already and not even known?
"I guess the lapse in my memory is a good thing then," She sighed to herself as she nimbly rose to her feet, brushing off the dirt and grass that had attached itself to her garb; and headed down the path her father had taken.
Author's Note:
Okie Dokie then! Part one is out for you guys finally…I should have the last bit of this finished within two weeks…midterms start up soon so I don't know if this 2 week schedule will be regular but I swear I will try my best. Hope school is going as well for you as it is for me and I will have this next chapter out ASAP!
Sammy-Sama
Remember 5 reviews or no update….lol
