I didn't get to work on this because a friend of mine came over to my house... She's still here actually. Well, whatever.

Save Me From Myself

Chapter Twelve: Pain of Ignorance

Even though that had to be one of the most embarrassing nights of my life, I also thought it was one of the most treasured. I found out later that it was Miroku and Shippo who took my clothes, but I just laughed. I knew where they were coming from. I had tried to do such things for Miroku and Sango before, if I remember correctly.

It was rare that InuYasha was nice like that, but when he was, I felt like he was opening himself up to me.

- - -

Kagome's eyes fluttered open, all of the things that had happened recently momentarily forgotten. All she knew is that she was really comfortable and warm.

She closed her eyes again and tried to go back to sleep, but she knew that she was awake now, and she wasn't going to get back to sleep.

Kagome yawned and looked around, starting to remember where she was and what happened last night. She blushed at the memory of how InuYasha gave her his haori, and how the only clothes in her bag was a pair of panties.

"InuYasha," Kagome whispered, blushing a little bit.

"Not yet, I'm really comfortable," InuYasha said, indicating that he woke up earlier than her.

Kagome smiled. "Yeah... I am too," she said, loving the sound of InuYasha's voice while her head was pressed against his stomach. It made it sound deeper and more... earthy? She decided that would be a good word to describe how it sounded.

Kagome adjusted herself a bit and realized her back hurt a little bit. Of course, what would she expect by sleeping on InuYasha all night?

"I think we should get up," Kagome said, tapping on InuYasha's shirt.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," InuYasha said, straightening up a little bit.

Kagome slowly pushed herself up and stretched her back, causing it to crack in multiple places. Over the night the haori that InuYasha had lent her had become a little loose, and InuYasha was trying to catch Kagome's attention by clearing his throat.

The miko looked at InuYasha, her arms still up near her head like she was stretching, and raised an eyebrow. Catching on, she looked down and gave out a cry of surprise. That's what woke up Miroku and Sango over in the bushes.

Sango woke up, and was surprised to see Miroku laying next to her, looking at something sleepily. Sango blushed and got out from under the warm blankets to wake herself up.

Kagome turned around, holding onto the edges of the haori tightly, and saw Sango and her flaming red face. Shippo yawned and woke up next to her and tugged on the exterminator's clothes. Sango looked down and then reached for something that Kagome couldn't see.

"Uh, we found your clothes," Sango said, picking up the clothes that had been stolen by the monk and kitsune, and held them towards Kagome.

"Great!" Kagome said, walking over to Sango and taking the clothes. She left to change and soon enough the group left camp, off to search for Naraku.

The morning slowly changed to midday and the weather slowly changed to storms.

Thunder heads rolled in and a few flashes of lighting light the sky before the rain started to fall on the group of travelers. Miroku and Sango covered themselves with their rain hats and Shippo managed to huddle in the space between Miroku's shoulder and his hat. InuYasha didn't pay any attention to the rain, but Kagome tried to find an umbrella in her bag.

"What are you doing?" InuYasha asked, turning towards Kagome and adjusting the backpack that he was carrying.

"Looking for my... Uh... AHA!" Kagome said, pulling out the compact umbrella.

The hanyou watched as she fumbled with the umbrella, her shirt starting to stick to her skin. Once she undid the button holding the umbrella together, she opened it away from the others and held it over her head. She saw InuYasha shrug and turn back to the direction they were traveling and she walked over to him and held the umbrella over his head as well.

"What're you doing? I don't need that!" InuYasha growled, not wanting to accept help from Kagome.

Kagome watched the road in front of them. "Your ears looked like they were bothered by the rain," she replied simply.

He frowned at her and glared.

"Keh."

- - -

A few hours later, as the sun started to get lower in the sky and the rain had slowed down to a drizzle, the travelers came upon a village.

"Yay! We can sleep in nice beds tonight!" Kagome said when she saw the village.

Being the bearer of bad news, Sango said, "We have no money."

"Aw..." Kagome groaned, sighing but still holding up the umbrella over InuYasha and herself.

Miroku laughed a bit. "Don't worry, I'll get us somewhere to stay," he said, grinning widely.

"Why doesn't that make me feel any better?" Kagome asked.

"You're going to lie to get us a place to stay, aren't you?" Shippo asked.

Miroku glared at the kitsune and sighed. "No, there's a youki coming from one of those houses."

Sango nodded. "You're right, Houshi-sama. I sense it, too."

The group walked into the village and found their way to where the youki was coming from. They all stood in front of a shrine, where an older man stood out in front, sweeping the front steps.

"Excuse me," Miroku said, walking up to the man. "I sense a strange youki from this shrine. Is it possessed by a youkai?"

The man looked up at the monk and shook his head. "No. It's always been like this. The aura has actually gone down since the Bachiatari Jewel was stolen."

"What?" Kagome said, running towards the man. "You mean this place is the home to that jewel?"

The man nodded, though he looked slightly frightened by Kagome's sudden shouting.

"This shrine is actually where the jewel once resided before it was stolen by a youkai," said the old man.

"Naraku," whispered InuYasha, clenching his fists.

"I need to know about the jewel!" Kagome said urgently.

The man quickly nodded, fearing what Kagome might do, and opened the doors to the shrine. The others walked in before Kagome, but all of them could feel the evil youki coming from the building.

Five steps into the building and Kagome stopped. A pain so excruciating erupted from her back that she couldn't scream, she could just feel. Kagome tried to speak, or even make any noise, but all she could do was lift up her hand and clench her teeth. Tears started to fall down her face, which made InuYasha turn around.

"Kagome?" InuYasha said, concerned.

Kagome collapsed to the floor, hardly able to breathe correctly.

"Kagome!" InuYasha's voice sounded far off to her, but she could feel herself being picked up.

Once she was outside the pain in her back slowly went away and Kagome's breathing went back to normal.

"Are you okay?" InuYasha asked, holding Kagome's shoulders carefully.

Kagme nodded slowly. "I think so..."

The old man came outside and asked, "What happened?"

Kagome, regaining her ability to do normal functions, said to him, "I think it was because that was where the Bachiatari Jewel was kept. See... the hanyou that stole it put the jewel in my body," Kagome explained, looking away from the man's face.

He gasped and then stood up.

"Hey, get this group the best room in the inn! This girl is under the curse of the Bachiatari Jewel!" said the man, yelling at all the people to get things nice for them.

Everyone started to help the group around the place and they led InuYasha and the others to the inn.

Once settled inside, they were greeted by the man who had shown them the shrine.

"I suppose you want some questions answered about the Bachiatari Jewel," the old man said.

Kagome nodded. "How come humans can't touch it?" she asked.

He answered with, "When it's not being used, then humans can touch it without any pain, but when it is in use, only youkai may touch it. It will place a curse on any human who manages to touch the jewel, but it also has a barrier that protects the humans from touching it."

Miroku spoke up this time, and he also wondered why Kagome didn't ask this first... or maybe she was afraid of the answer. "Is there any way to get the jewel out of Kagome?" he asked, making everyone turn to stare at him.

"There is, but we do not know it."

Kagome glared at the floor and asked, "What causes the transformations?"

"That... I do not know either," said the old man sadly.

"What? What do you mean, you don't know? You guys are the ones who were protecting the damn jewel! You should know what it does!" InuYasha shouted, standing up and trying not to attack the man.

"InuYasha!" Kagome shouted, glaring at the floor. "Yelling won't do anything... We'll just have to go find Naraku."

Kagome sighed. She thought to herself, We'll have to find Naraku, and hope that I can get rid of this Jewel.

Chapter End