Chapter Thirty-six: Dark Resolve

"We managed to stop the bleeding, but she still lost so much of it."

"How bad is it?"

"I'm not sure. She still hasn't woken up yet. But her pulse and breathing are back to normal and that's a good sign."

Kagome felt pain over her entire body. There was a terrible, pulsing pain in her neck, like someone had stuck a fork into it. She could hear two voices arguing above her… she knew the voices but she couldn't remember where she had heard them. She felt so light-headed, the only other time she felt this was when…

Inuyasha…

She tried to think of his face. But she was so dizzy and sick that her memory seemed to swim around her. Where was she? Had she just been having a bad dream? She opened her eyes and realized that her vision was blurred; she could hardly see a thing. What was going on?

Kagome remained there, blinking her eyes two or three times. 'Inuyasha…'

Why was she thinking of him all of a sudden?

"Kagome?" whispered a voice.

Kagome turned her head and looked into Sango's worried face. "S-Sango?" she asked in confusion.

Sango, who had been hovering over her, had just sighed in relief. "Oh, it's so good to see that you're alright, Kagome. I was so worried… we thought…?"

"Thought what?" she asked bewildered. Where was she? What on earth had she been doing? She tried to sit up, but Sango pushed her back down. It was then she heard a strange crunching sound beneath her… she realized that she was lying on a patch of dead leaves, not a bed like she had thought. The sun was high in the sky above their heads, and—to her astonishment, Shippo was right there with them. He was curled up in a little ball right be her side, sucking on his thumb.

"Be careful," Sango said, her voice full of worry. "You lost a lot of blood last night."

"B-blood?" Kagome asked bewildered, not having the slightest clue to what she was talking about.

"Don't you remember?" Sango asked her cautiously.

Kagome blinked, trying to force her mind to remember what had happened before she fainted. She remembered Inuyasha… but his red eyes… the pain in her neck as he drained her of blood even as she begged him to stop…

She gasped as her hand flew to her neck—but she was surprised to feel that there was no mark. She looked when she looked down at her shirt, she saw that one side of it was stained with dried blood.

"Sango…?" she croaked in fear. "What happened?"

Sango gave her a sad look.

*Flashback*

"Just what the hell did you think you were doing?!" Sango cried as she put Kagome down, her fingers flying to Kagome's neck as she tried to stop the bleeding. "You almost killed her!"

Inuyasha staggered where he stood, not having the slightest idea to what had just happened. But as his vision cleared, all he could see was Kagome's chalky, white face as the blood glistening around her…

He froze and stared at her. The smell of her blood was everywhere… it was too close…

Hands shaking, he held them up and stared at them. They were splattered with Kagome's blood…

"Kagome…" Inuyasha whispered her name, feeling cold and numb inside. As Sango worked to save her, he slowly walked over and collapsed next to her. Carefully, he raised a clawed hand up to her face and gently brushed back her bangs and loose hair. "Kagome… open your eyes."

She remained still, her heartbeat slow…

Inuyasha brought her head into his chest, laying his cheek upon her hair. His hands shook as he clutched her tightly into his body, trying desperately to awaken her. "Don't you die on me… don't you die and leave me!"

Kagome let out strangled breaths of air.

Inuyasha loosened his grip to scan her face once more, his heart beating rapidly.

"Inuyasha!" screamed a voice from behind them. Sango turned to look, but Inuyasha didn't need to bother—he knew who it was.

"Shippo!" Sango cried. "What are you doing here?!"

Shippo had come pelting out of the darkness, gasping for breath. "Kohaku sent me to find you!" he cried and jumped up into her arms. "He said that—" it was then he noticed Kagome and screamed out in terror.

"K-KAGOME!" he cried in panic and lunged for her, but Sango held him back.

"We don't have a lot of time, Shippo!" she told him. "Kagome needs help now, but what did Kohaku want?"

Shippo couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from Kagome as he began to cry. But he was still able to say in a muffled voice, "N-Naraku! Ko-Kohaku said th-that Naraku has Mi-Mi-Miroku!"

Sango dropped him in shock.

"MIROKU?" she gasped. "Why? What happened?"

"Kohaku said that they were ambushed," he whispered. "After you both got separated, Naraku attacked them! He then said that if we want him back… we're supposed to meet him at a place outside of town. I don't know where but…"

"But most of us are injured!" Sango whispered. "And Kagome needs help! It's obvious a trap, but what do we do about Miroku?"

As she and Shippo talked, Inuyasha hadn't said a word as he stared at Kagome's face. He knew what he had to do. He held her tightly against this chest for a second longer before he gently laid her back down and got to his feet.

"Inu-?" Sango began as he walked away.

They watched as Inuyasha stopped for a second, his blood-soaked hands clenched into fists. "I'll go and get Miroku."

"Are you crazy?" Shippo cried out as Sango continued to help Kagome. "You barely stood a chance against him with all of us! What makes you think that you can fight them all?"

"You want to save him don't you?" he yelled at them and Shippo shut up, his face showing fear.

Shaking, Inuyasha said, "I'll get him back. And this time, I'll finish Naraku… Outside of town right? Good, knowing that, I should be able to find his scent sooner or later if I go there."

He glanced back at Kagome's lifeless form and said so quietly that there was no way that they could've heard him with normal ears.

"Take care of her."

Without another word, he turned and flew wildly behind him as he swiftly disappeared within the shadowed trees. He ran, not looking back, his teeth clenched as his hands shook.

It was his fault… he didn't know how, but he had hurt her like this.

Here, he knew that so long as Naraku survived, then Kagome would always be in danger. He had to save her… and he was determined to save her no matter what. The image of her lying there, covered in her own blood, sweat dripping down her face, inhaling and exhaling a heavy breath for air was stuck in his mind.

Kagome…

It killed him to see what he had done…

"I'll find a way to save you, I promise. I won't let you die…" he whispered.

*End of Flashback*

Kagome stared at her.

"Are you serious?" she asked. Sango nodded. "I wanted to go, but with my own injuries, I couldn't… Inuyasha went after Naraku to save Miroku. I don't know what's happened since then."

Kagome reached up to her neck again and told her what happened last night.

"It was like he was someone else," she whispered to him. "I don't get it, why would he do this?"

"I don't think he had a choice," Sango whispered as Shippo stirred a little in his sleep. "I think that Naraku must have gotten to him somehow. Because he was part demon when he was bitten, controlling that animal side is a much more difficult for him than the rest of us."

Kagome sat back. Although in much pain, she knew she had to reach him—to reach Inuyasha. Standing back up, she began to feel light-headed with a tumble, but Sango was there to catch her before falling again just as Shippo woke up.

"There is no strength left in your body for this, Kagome," she told her as she supported her weight.

"Kagome?" Shippo whispered, looking up at her through sleepy eyes. He then gasped in joy as he jumped up to hug her. "KAGOME! You're ok!"

She smiled and hugged him back. "Yes, Shippo… I'm alright…" she then looked up to Sango and said firmly, "And yes, I can do this." She pulled away and tried to move. "I… I can't stop here."

Seconds later, she stumbled and almost fell again. Pain was erupting in her side as if there was a knife embedded there. She gasped in pain and put her hand there, trying not to pass out again.

"Kagome!" Sango screamed as she bent down next to her.

She blinked once, but couldn't believe what she was seeing was real. Something small and glowing was beginning to lift out of Kagome's body and up into the air. Words could not explain what was happening to her for she did not know what was happening to her. "Kagome…" she whispered in amazement as Shippo ran and hid behind a tree.

Kagome was breathing hard, but silent at the same time. Her eyes closed as she was wrapping her arms around herself. It was as if she could feel a heavy weight lifting off herself. Her mind was clearing and her sickness was dissipating. "W-What…?"

"Kagome… what's happening to you?" Shippo screamed.

(I know… I know… I took a long time. But I've been pretty dried up on inspiration for this story. I do hope that this chapter is worth the wait though.)