Kagome walked towards him, carrying a bowl of steaming herbal water. When the young woman working on InuYasha's wrist saw her, she quickly stood. She was about to speak, but Kagome spoke first.
"So this is the young man that's been causing all the talk." She smiled at him, "I hear you saved a little child this morning. I thank you." Her voice was different. A little deeper, no longer a young woman's voice but the voice of an adult woman. It was quieter, too.
"You...uh..." he felt numbed.
She was so beautiful. There was a serenity to her face he had never seen before...and her eyes seemed bottomless. Every step she took, every movement she made, was graceful and slow, as if decided upon.
He was used to seeing her so hyper, so excited all the time. Her emotions always getting the better of her. But here, now...she seemed calm and cool, collected. But there was still life in those dark eyes. They seemed to sparkle with a carefully hidden humor.
She slipped into the young girl's place, kneeling, and lightly took his hand, looking at the wound.
She tsked, "It's deep. But some herbal salve will help that." Taking up the cloth in the steaming bowl, she started to clean out the wound.
His eyes never left her face, and he couldn't speak if he had to. His voice seemed to have died somehow. He was aware of the heat in his face as the flush appeared over his cheeks and nose, but he couldn't help it. She was so close...and so beautiful.
He clenched his other hand into a fist, carefully hidden by his sleeve, afraid he might reach out and take her hands.
He had always thought Kagome beautiful...but...this was unexpected.
InuYasha noticed that there was a sort of sorrow about her, as well. A quiet grief that she kept about her. Even while tending to his wound, there was almost a wall that seperated him from her, a wall she put up.
But she doesn't know who I am...
Maybe it's to keep everyone out.
He just watched her, in a sort of silent, numb stupidity. Certainly he looked like he was shellshocked, just looking into her face with that blush over his face.
He wanted to say something to her...but his tongue had died. His mouth didn't seem to want to work.
Kagome finished, and bandaged his hand, tying it carefully. She smiled, and stood, "Now. No more fighting demons. Let the guards do that." She picked up the bowl, and turned, heading back outside.
InuYasha just sat there, stunned.
Shippo came and sat beside him, grinning, "Don't worry. Just about everyone reacts that way to Kagome the first time they see her."
He swallowed, and managed to croak, "Ka-Kagome?"
Shippo nodded, as if he were asking her name, "Kagome. She's sort of our...Priestess and Master Healer, all rolled into one. If you need anything, just ask for her. She's the one that started this place."
InuYasha watched the empty doorframe, where she had walked, "She did?"
Shippo nodded, "Yup! The village was started up by Kagome and us, her friends. Over time, as the demons got stronger and stronger, more and more people came looking for shelter. So we took them in. It was Kagome's idea to put up a barrier to keep out the demons."
"But...everyone's...leaving..."
He heard the Kitsune sigh, "The barrier's weakening. So Kagome and Miroku and some other powerful people got together and found the entrance through the mountain. And they managed to set up a place on the other side."
"She...she's so beautiful..."
Shippo laughed, but then his voice took on a very serious tone, "Yeah...but she's very well guarded. Everyone here loves her. Only someone really stupid would try anything with her."
InuYasha blinked, and turned to look at the Kitsune, shocked, "I wouldn't do anything!"
Not catching the emphasis on the man's statement, Shippo smiled, "Good! Now that your hand's all better, is there anything I can help you with?"
InuYasha stood up, "No...I...I'm fine." He walked towards the door, and slipped out, looking around.
Looking for her.
He couldn't see her. She had managed to dissapear into the crowd.
He wanted to see her again, to talk to her...
"Shippo!"
InuYasha turned to see the two twins come running towards the Kitsune. Their faces were lit up with laughter, "Those slingshots you gave us are great!"
"You're not still hitting people on the heads, are you?" Shippo asked.
They cast InuYasha a startled glance, and hesitantly shook their heads.
InuYasha glanced at them, but returned to looking around, trying to find a length of ink black hair.
Shippo spoke again, "Aren't you guys supposed to be looking after the little kids?"
"Oh yeah!" Kiyoshi spoke, "That's why we came! Shukun is looking after them for us, but we can't find Gin again."
Shippo rolled his eyes, "Again? I should have known. Alright." He looked at InuYasha, "Are you sure there's nothing I can do for you?"
"Huh? Oh, no. Thanks..." he was fighting the blush, but it only grew stronger when Shippo laughed.
"Kin? Kiyoshi? What are you doing here?"
InuYasha turned to see Sango making her way down towards them. She was carrying a basket of something. She almost seemed to roll and pitch like a land-bound ship, she was so big. InuYasha thought it was likely Sango was carrying another set of twins, she was so big.
Shippo ran over and took the basket from her, "They needed my help with something. It's ok. What's this?"
"Oh. Some more of those mushrooms Kagome needed. Is she here?"
Shippo shook his head, "She healed him, and then left. Probably gone back to the Shrine. I'll drop these inside."
He darted inside, and then came back out, taking Kin and Kiyoshi by the hand, "All right, let's go."
InuYasha watched them leave, and noticed Sango was looking at him.
"Your hand's been hurt. Are you alright?"
"Yeah...uh...Kagome...took care of it..."
"Oh. Good."
"Kagome.."
"Yes?" Sango watched him from the corner of her eye.
InuYasha blushed again. Damnit!
"She's a good healer."
Sango softly laughed, "Yes. She is. The best we have."
"She...she seems...sad. Is...she...ok?"
There was a long pause, and he didn't think Sango was even going to answer at first. Finally, she spoke, lowly.
"Kagome's very worried. The barrier grows weaker. The move may have to be sooner. She's afraid people might get hurt."
"She's not doing this alone, is she?!"
Sango looked insulted, "You don't know us. Don't judge us."
He flushed. Damn. "Sorry, I didn't mean..."
"But as to your answer, of course not. We're not letting her handle any of this alone...but Kagome worries anyway. She always does."
"Is...I mean..." he paused, how the hell to ask this?.."Is she...I mean...is it just you and Miroku and her? Isn't there...anyone else to help?"
"Of course. We have a lot of other people helping out."
He mentally cursed. How could he just come out and ask-
He heard Mikado's voice in his ear, "I know what you're thinking. Say you heard something about a half-demon, InuYasha."
He spoke quickly, "I heard something about a half-demon that...was with...you guys."
There was a very long pause.
Sango lowered herself to sit on a pile of boards, getting off her feet. She sighed, "I hope I'm not having another set of twins. If I get any bigger, I'm going to pop."
Lifting her head, she looked at InuYasha closely.
"I know what you're trying to do. And it's not appreciated."
He blinked, holding up his hands, "Do? No...I'm just asking...I just heard...that's all..."
Sango looked away, sighing deeply. He saw something pass over her face, and then she spoke quietly.
"His name was InuYasha."
InuYasha swallowed, "W-Was?"
Sango nodded, "He was with us, in the beginning. He helped me train the soldiers. Helped us all. When we grew tired, he pushed us on. When we faltered, he was our strength. He was our friend." She spoke softly, "He meant everything to us."
"W-Wh-Where is he now?"
There was another long pause.
Sango looked away. A breeze lifted her hair, cooling her tired, sweaty face. Her eyes were distant, and sad.
"There was a bad battle. We were surrounded by demons. InuYasha fell."
A strange, sick feeling settled in his stomach. So he was...dead.
As strange as it sounded...he was ok with that, to a degree. Yes, it was horrible to know that you were dead...but he had been afraid...there for a minute...that he had somehow..just...abandoned them.
Left them.
Left her.
"H-h-how?"
Sango rubbed her face, "It was about 6 years ago. We were all pinned in a valley, about 25 of us. He went out to fight back the demons. And he did it." InuYasha couldn't help but hear the fierce pride in her voice, "InuYasha killed every last one of them. But his wounds were too great. He died."
InuYasha fell silent.
Sango spoke again.
"Kagome has never gotten over it. She carries her grief with her like a cloak."
InuYasha looked to where she had walked.
The Shrine.
The Demon Slayer's voice grew hard again, "I'm going to ask you to leave her alone."
He blinked, and looked at Sango, "What?"
She was watching him sternly, "You heard me. There have been enough people trying to 'help' her. Enough men trying to get close to her. Kagome doesn't need any of that right now. Besides...you're a little young."
He felt his face go hot, "Hey! I wasn't...I.."
"If not...then I apologise. But remember what I said." She pulled herself up to her feet, "Ug. It's going to be another long, hot day. Then again...every day is hot when you're as big as this."
She chuckled, and he watched as she gently ran her hands over her swollen belly. But he saw there was wrry in her eyes, and he remembered the rumors about the children being born sickly.
She turned, and started away.
InuYasha balled his hands into fists, and turned, seeking some solitude.
He found it behind a tree, where he sat.
"Mikado? GodsDamnit Mikado, get out here."
She seemed to appear, slightly, beside him. She studied his face, "What's wrong InuYasha?"
"What's the matter?!" he fought to keep from yelling, "What do you think the matter is?! Why did you bring me here? What am I supposed to see? A village that's under attack by powerful demons! I see Miroku and Sango worried about their unborn child, I see Shippo becoming a little too mouthy with a hard look on his face, and Kagome who's living this quiet life of misery...and all of them living on the edge of a blade that's going to turn and cut them all open! What's so important that I'm supposed to see?"
"InuYasha-"
"Oh wait, I get it!" he nearly ground his teeth, "All this started with Kagome's training, right? You're going to show me that she might have been able to save me with her powers? Right? You couldn't just tell me that?"
Mikado's voice was soft, "No. You have not yet seen what you need to see."
InuYasha stood up, "I've seen all I want to see. You take me the hell back."
"Amaterasu says no."
"I don't-"
She tells me," Mikado said firmly, "That she promised you should would be fair with you from now on. And that you wouldn't believe what you have to see, you have to see it to believe it."
InuYasha cursed.
"Calm down. This is a future, remember? It may not yet come true."
"And where's DarkWind? He's supposed to be protecting her too, remember?"
"DarkWind is not going to be here forever, InuYasha. He is a Kageri. His job is to teach Kagome."
InuYasha said nothing, but he had a very bad feeling that DarkWind might be around a lot longer than he wanted.
He huffed, but sat down again.
He didn't want to see anymore. He didn't want to see how his friends were living such an unhappy life here. Why couldn't Mikado get that?
He kicked some rocks away, muttering darkly under his breath.
None of this stupid mess would have even started without DarkWind showing up!
"Be careful."
He blinked, coming back to his surroundings, and found himself about to step onto a pile of newly dyed clothing.
The clothing looked old, but the new dye was giving it some new life.
He looked around, to find himself near a small stream, where some people were working.
Walking towards him, over the grassy area, was Kagome.
She had taken off her outer shirt, and was wearing a lighter white one underneath, her hair pulled back tighter into a ponytail, as the heat of the day moved on.
She smiled, "You almost had purple feet."
He stammered, feeling that stupid blush rise to his face again. With her hair like that...she looked even more like his Kagome...his old Kagome...but she was still so beautiful.
Kagome softly laughed, and held out a clay cup, "Are you thirsty? I was just about to take a break from dying these clothes. Would you like to join me?"
"Please." he croaked, and gratefully took the cup, drinking the cool water. It gave his hands, and his mouth, something to do.
Kagome turned and looked at the two other women who were working on dying the clothing. She spoke, "The cloth is old, and can only hold so much, but at least it gives the children a little bit of happiness, to get hand-me-downs that aren't completely faded."
He said nothing, just took another drink.
She spoke again, "Are you thinking of joining the guards here? We are all very grateful to you, you know."
"Uh...I...I'll...think about it." Why was he acting so...so...stupid? This was just Kagome, after all. The same old...
No, not the same.
He looked at her, trying to think of something to say, and the words were out before he could stop them.
"I'm sorry. About him. Dying, I mean."
Emotion passed over her face, and she quickly turned from him.
Crap.
"I mean...I'm sure he..he didn't want to...leave you.."
"That's enough!" her voice was angry, and he fell silent.
"I..I'm sorry." the words were a whisper.
She looked at him, and her eyes were hard, "You don't know anything about him, so keep your mouth shut, do you understand?"
Miserable, he nodded.
She turned, and walked from him, heading back towards the Shrine, where some of the women were standing now, watching. As Kagome approached, they turned, going back to their tasks.
But they all cast looks of death at him.
InuYasha carefully put the clay cup on the ground, and turned, and bolted.