I am so sorry! I feel terrible! I took a little too long to update…darn it…

Well, here's the apology: a new chapter! And come on, what worse a place to leave you, huh? Right on a cliffy…man…I feel so bad…

Don't own Inuyasha, never will, never can…it is owned by Rumiko Takahashi.


Chapter the Tenth

Dawning Comprehension


Kagome's scream halted in her throat. She was utterly still as the huge wolf lunged, its gigantic teeth bared in rabid hunger.

She was going to die.

The realization was like a blow to the head for Kagome. Tears welled up in her eyes and she shut them involuntarily, preparing for the fatal impact of teeth on flesh…

But none came. She only heard a strangled yowl and an angry snarl.

Kagome cracked open her eyes and saw a blur of black and silver, growls and animalistic noises reverberating in the dark forest. There was a unified cry from the wolves and she heard the noises of furry feet pattering away at breakneck speed.

The wolves had run.

She fully opened her blurry, teary eyes, attempting to wipe away the telltale streams of wet that were trailed down her pale cheeks. To say the least, Kagome couldn't tell exactly who had saved her.

She rubbed at her eyes some more, avoiding her face showing to her savior, "T-Thank you…" She murmured hoarsely.

"Just can't stay out of trouble, can you?" A cocky, arrogant voice snapped.

She could practically hear the righteous smirk.

"I-I-Inuyasha…?" Kagome stuttered, pulling her arm away from her eyes and staring up at him in shock.

He was standing in front of her, the sleeves and legs of his clothes torn and ripped. There was a gigantic gash on his left arm…a bite mark. The remnants of what he'd done to protect a woman who'd run off on him.

Kagome tried to get onto her feet, but she stumbled and went back to the ground. A light embarrassed blush dusted her cheeks when Inuyasha hefted her up bridal style, "Come on you troublesome girl."

Her face grew redder still as she watched him. In the moonlight, Kagome got quite the impression. His jaw was slender for a man's, but it was too jutting to be a woman's. There was a sparkle to his bright red eyes that made him look mystifying. Truthfully, in the darkness, he looked rather ethereal and mysterious.

Why do I suddenly find him so attractive? I mean, he's jerky, rude, aggravating, and he's got a terrible temper to boot…what is wrong with me? Kagome's inner struggle must've been showing on her face, because Inuyasha was looking at her with a worried expression.

"What?"

"Are you okay?"

"Why do you ask?"

Inuyasha half-shrugged, "You just look…troubled over something."

Of course I'm troubled! I'm suddenly attracted to you and I don't know why! Kagome screamed in her head. However, she gathered up her nerves and replied coolly, "Just a little shocked over the whole almost-ripped-apart-by-a-wolf ordeal."

He seemed to see that answer as satisfying, because he didn't press further on the matter.

"Inuyasha…"

"What?"

"Do you hate me?" Kagome asked, staring into his red and blue orbs with a passion that said 'answer-or-die'.

Inuyasha let out a deep sigh and looked away, his cheeks tinged slightly pink, "No. I don't hate you."

"Then why do you dislike me so much?"

"Because you have this insane ability to give me someone to talk to, make me think, torment me to no end, piss me off, and always somehow give me a reason to forgive you, usually resulting in you pissing me off again because you scare me."

Kagome's breath caught in her throat. She hadn't expected such a truthful and straightforward answer. Still, she managed to choke out one statement, "I-I scare you?"

"Yeah." Inuyasha huffed, "A pesky woman who couldn't beat up Shippo if she tried scares the hell out of me."

"And why is that?" Kagome inquired, gaining back some composure.

"It's exactly what I said. You have some strange power to make me open up, however slightly, and talk about things when I haven't talked to my closest friends in fifty years. You also managed to befriend a castle full of demons without being scared of us. No one in the time we've been like this has ever looked at us and seen people instead of monsters."

Kagome was tired and her body felt like lead, but she couldn't help her heart beating fast and her cheeks warming up when he said that. He didn't hate her, he was scared of her. And even still, he was scared of her in the least likely way. Her presence didn't make him squirm in fear, it made him feel able to open up, and it scared him because he couldn't figure out why she could make him pour out his heart.

A small smile graced her lips, "I'm glad." She whispered.

"Now why are you glad woman?" Inuyasha asked, almost as a joke, but still gruffly enough not to make Kagome think he'd undergone some complete 180 in the mood department.

"Because you…don't hate me," Kagome admitted, "And because of that, I'm glad. Thank you."

He smirked, "Any time Kagome."

"What did you call me?"

"I called you Kagome. It's your name, isn't it?"

She let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding, "Yes. It is." Kagome said with a brilliant smile.

Inuyasha's cheeks were very pink as she just smiled, pure joyous radiance pouring off of her. To him, she looked like the most beautiful woman, even when she was soaking wet and dirty. Thank goodness the rain had stopped.

Kagome just couldn't contain the happiness. It must've been the insane adrenaline rush, because she felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Inuyasha asked finally, unable to continue the mildly awkward silence.

Kagome shrugged, "Probably just because I almost died and you saved me. Thanks."

"For what?"

"For saving me," Kagome deadpanned, snorting slightly at his inability to pay attention.

"Oh. You already thanked me."

"Well, I'm thanking you again." Kagome told him slowly, trying her hardest to keep the calm.

Inuyasha let out a half-sigh.

"What's that for?"

"Nothing,"

"Okay…"

A rustle came from the bushes, and Inuyasha stopped in his tracks. Kagome's heart began to beat at a rushed pace. She'd heard the noise too. Were the wolves back?

"Stay quiet." Inuyasha murmured in her ear, his breath tickling her neck. She could practically feel the urgency of his words.

He sniffed the air once, and Kagome saw his ears twitch a few times, and then he sniffed the air again before he relaxed, "Wind. Just wind."

"Inuyasha?"

"What?"

Kagome tried to say something, but the only thing that came out of her mouth was a sneeze.

"You're going to get sick. I'll pick up the pace, can you handle it?"

"Yes, but-"

"Good." He then took off at a quick speed, dashing towards the castle.

- - - - -

A white creature resembling a white bug with a long tail that had no end and red eyes floated towards a shadow. It hovered there before landing delicately on a slender, pale hand.

"Was he with her?"

The creature stared into the soulless, blank eyes.

The shadow emerged from behind the tree. It revealed a woman dressed in traditional priestess garbs, her long black hair falling elegantly down to her hips, shorter pieces framing her thin face. Her light pink, almost white lips curled into a thin smile as more creatures came, all of them holding onto circular white orbs.

The bug-like creatures all let go of their respective orbs, the white balls of light hovering midair as if kept up by an invisible string, unmoving.

"Come to me." She whispered, her voice carrying on the wind with a quiet but strong, melancholy, song-like quality.

The orbs quivered for a moment more before they all rushed towards her, all of being absorbed into her body. Her pale arms raised to the moon, her face pointed to the stars above her, her eyes closed. Her hair whipped violently in an imaginary wind, her clothes moving along with the strange wind.

Once the orbs had completely disappeared, the wind stopped and she lowered her arms. However, her face still was turned upwards to the sky. Her eyes opened slowly, and she began to murmur a strange lyrical poem…

"The spirits of old, to you I will leave,

Upon darkness's black head I cleave,

The blood of the ties be brought back this night,

Upon a new life, when dark turns to light,"

She paused, walking forward like a graceful dancer. Her feet almost teasingly moved with the forest as if in a trance. She bent down, her finger dipping into a thin line of red that went in the direction of that place.

"Pure is evil, and evil is pure,

To the souls of the damned, the bold, and demure,

When salt mixes wine, and white tinges mud,

I give you fair traces of the cursed prince's blood,"

The small streak of blood on her finger seemed to evaporate into an invisible force, and the woman let out a hollow breath.

"I give you a small blessing cursed prince." The woman murmured in the direction of a place she knew well, "You will need it."

Then she turned lightly on her heel and disappeared into the thick darkness of night.

- - - - -

Kagome blinked her eyes when Inuyasha burst into the castle, her in his arms. Even though the castle seemed dark, compared to what it was outside, the whole entrance hall seemed brighter than the sun. It took her eyes a minute to adjust.

"Kagome!" A familiar voice cried in a mixture of worry and relief.

Kagome looked over to see Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Koga, and Ayame all standing apprehensively nearby. Sango let out a sigh of relief and dashed towards her friend, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm sorry for running away like that Sango!" Kagome cried, hugging her friend.

"At least you're not hurt. The wolves in the forest are vicious little buggers." Koga piped up, his arms behind his head, his elbows pointed to the sky. His overall demeanor was relaxed and casual.

Kagome smiled, "I know. They tried to attack me."

"But they didn't get you did they? Kagome, they didn't get you?" Shippo wailed, leaping into her arms.

Kagome hugged Shippo tightly, moving him so he wasn't up against her wet and ratty clothes, "No. Inuyasha saved me."

"Did he now?" Miroku asked, "I wonder what drove him to do such a heroic thing…" He was cut off from further insinuations when an unidentified flying object miraculously flew from the general direction Inuyasha was standing in and bashed Miroku in the head.

"Good aim!" Ayame commented, viewing the mildly delusional and surprisingly not unconscious Miroku.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome suddenly gasped, "Your arm!"

And, on queue, Inuyasha hid his arms behind his back in complete and total innocence.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome warned, standing up.

He glared in response, "I can take care of myself."

Kagome snorted, "As if, now let me see your arm."

Inuyasha, forced to reveal the deep gash due to insistence and threatening of violence from Kagome, held out his arm reluctantly.

Everyone seemed to gasp except Koga who made a 'that doesn't look painful' remark and then an insult which resulted in many head beatings from a royally pissed off Ayame.

Kagome had forced Inuyasha down into a chair and wrapped the wound with aids provided courtesy of Sango.

Much complaining and bickering ensued, resulting in Miroku being beaten by a wooden plank that had been conveniently situated in the immediate area, Koga being injured in an area he claimed he 'needed for future plans' which also resulted in further beatings, and Inuyasha's complaining and irritability led to a very stern and pissed lecture courtesy of Kagome.

Needless to say the male residents of the castle - with the exception of Shippo - all went to bed that night either injured or scarred for life.


End of Chapter


I figured such a fluffy/angsty two chapters deserved a little comedy. Yes, my sense of humor is questionable, so please, tell me if I need to redo the end part where I attempted to be humorous. I understand if you want to sue for metal scarring.

But seriously, don't sue me. Just review, I'd appreciate that much more than I'd appreciate restraining orders.

Review!