Tokyo Angel

Chapter Seven- By the Light of the Silver Moon, I Do Dream By

"Just because you are blind,

And unable to see my beauty,

Doesn't mean it does not exist."

-Margaret Cho

Kagome stood silently against Inuyasha and took comfort in his embrace. She missed him.

"Kagome? Why do you smell like your hurt? Are you bleeding?" Hurt that she hadn't told him and raw panic raised through his body. He turned her around following the smell of torn flesh and old and new blood. But suddenly the smell of the wound disappeared, the smell of Kagome disappeared, even though he could feel her soft skin under his hands and feel her blood flowing in her and her heart beating in her. "Damn it, Kagome. Don't do that, I know your hurt just, fuck, tell me where. I need to smell you, Damn it!" Inuyasha felt Kagome stiffen at his raised voice, but he couldn't help it or correct it. He could feel the stirrings of his inner demon, and he concentrated on trying to keep his body under control.

"I'm fine, Inuyasha, really." Kagome turned around in his grip and smile listlessly up at him. "It's just an old scratch." She tried to tug herself away from him but he just held on tighter.

Inuyasha looked at Kagome with pink rimmed eyes, and silently asked her to help him. He had always had a temper and had lost control of his demon several times in order to protect Kagome when they were friends. And she had always been there to calm him down and talk him back into his right mind. He was hoping that she still could.

Kagome looked into Inuyasha's eyes and knew right away that he was battling his demon from taking control. She immediately stopped her attempts at getting away from him, and reached up to calm him by gently petting his ears. He always did hate losing control.

Inuyasha was grateful when Kagome stopped fighting him and started petting his ears. He felt her fingers, slightly cold and hesitant, pass over the fur on his ears so gently that he might of imagined her touch. His hooded eyes stared down at her as she concentrated on him, and though he could feel some semblance of normalcy return to him, he could still feel his demon lurking around the fringes, antsy with worry. Worry for his mate, who he had smelled hurt and who he was supposed to protect. Inuyasha growled as he felt the upsurge of his demon again, and this time not even Kagome's touch would settle it. His mate was injured.

Kagome watched nervously as Inuyasha shook his head and dislodged her hand. His eyes had lost the tint of pink for a moment, but now they were even redder than before. "It's no use, Kagome. I, I need to see. . . I have to make sure your okay. Please." He was begging her to show him her marks, marks left on her by Naraku. She shook her head before she had even made up her mind on whether or not she was actually going to show him. She had grown to fear the marks left on her skin, as if Naraku would appear if she glanced at them, as if they were tracking devises embedded in her skin and soul with blood.

"I'm fine, Inuyasha. You just need to calm down." She reached up to pet his ears again, praying that it would be enough and she wouldn't have to show him her scars. But it was no use, he just tipped his head out of reach and growled. When he looked down at her, Kagome saw that his eyes were even redder and that the violet stripes started to appear on his cheeks.

"Please, Kagome. It won't stop!" His voice was more of a growl and Kagome came to the depressing conclusion that she would have to show him. Her face was already aflame with shame; she had hoped that no one would ever see her body, that no one would see the scars that branded her skin. Then she did something without thinking; she healed all her wounds that she had previously only healed half way to conserve energy.

Inuyasha was fighting a losing battle with himself and he was scared of what he would do to Kagome if he transformed all the way. Then in the middle of his dilemma he smelled Kagome; smelled the vanilla and spice and musk and. . . her. He battered his demon back, promising him that he was going to make sure Kagome was okay. When he had gained control of his body, he looked at Kagome and whispered, "Thank you."

Kagome had sweat beading her brow and she looked tired all of a sudden but she smiled slightly at him. "I told you , Inuyasha, I'm fine." Her voice was a little breathless and Inuyasha snorted at her words. He knew what he smelled and he was going to make sure that she was really alright.

He took a deep breath and was surprised to smell nothing but Kagome's addicting scent. No smell of torn flesh, or blood of any kind. He took another breath and turned her around to try and find the scent he had smelled but seconds ago. It was no where to be found. Inuyasha turned Kagome around to look into her face and he looked hard at her face. "What did you do?"

Kagome had to stop herself from flinching at his low, angry voice. She didn't want to make him worry, but there was no way in hell or heaven that she would willingly let him see the ugly markings that were wrapped around her body like leaches. "I told you I was fine. Maybe you smelled something else, and just got confused." The way Inuyasha was looking at her, she knew that he didn't believe a word that was coming out of her mouth., and the way his eyes were practically aflame clearly showed that he was less than pleased with her.

"Inuyasha? Kagome?" Izayoi was at the French doors looking out at them. "Rin said you two were out here. Why don't you come and eat. I made ramen."

Kagome walked to Izayoi and felt like hugging her for her perfect timing. "Actually, I'm pretty hungry." She should be, usually her dinners consisted of a handful of berries or whatever she could find in the forest. Once she had even eaten grass; that is one thing not meant to be repeated. She couldn't even remember when the last time she had a real meal, where she didn't feel the empty space in her stomach that still wanted food.

"Inuyasha, you have to be hungry. You always are." Izayoi smiled at Kagome, and put her arm around her as she came to her. She pretended not to notice when Kagome tensed at her touch, and she made sure that the pain she felt for this girl didn't show on her face. Izayoi looked up at Kagome and she smiled, "You, my lovely 'Gome, have grown to be a beautiful young woman."

Kagome looked away from Izayoi and stared at the floor. She couldn't stand when people lie, when they say something meant to be nice, but it's an insult because it's a lie. She's seen her reflection, seen the scars adorning her body and knew without a doubt that she was not beautiful. She wasn't anyones "lovely 'Gome" anymore. She was a mess, sure. A train wreck, absolutely. A mental case, most definitely. Beautiful? Not a chance.

Izayoi glanced at Inuyasha in concern. Inuyasha shook his head. All three stood there in silence, until on an unspoken agreement walked together toward the kitchen, where the smell of ramen could indeed be smelled.

"So, Kagome. Where do you live?" Izayoi wanted to dive right in and demand who has been hurting her, but knew that she would have to go the round about way to get that information.

"Not far away from the shrine. It's nice." Nice was an understatement, the forest was beautiful. Maybe not the most comfortable place to live but beautiful none the less.

"Do you live with anyone?"

"I live alone." Kagome didn't want to look at either of the people walking beside her. She didn't need to see their pity or their speculations. She knew her life wasn't perfect and had long ago stopped expecting anything to be perfect, but these people hadn't seen her since her perfect life. They've never seen her as the way she was now.

"What have you been up to these past few years? I thought about you often." Izayoi had more than thought of her, she had tried to find her. She wanted more than anything to fulfill her friends last wish regarding her daughter.

Kagome felt like crying. She had thought of her, but more than that she could tell that she was telling her the truth. She had really thought of her after all these years. Kagome couldn't tell her the truth of how her life has been, that would be too painful for both of them. "I've been living." One day at a time, living one day at a time, and always thinking that the next day couldn't be as bad as this one. Sometimes that was the only thing pushing her up in the mornings, the hope that this day couldn't possibly be as bad as the last.

Izayoi had to curb the instinct to grab Kagome and shake her. She needed information here, not some answers that didn't answer a damn thing. "Well, as you can tell we've been rather busy. Inutashio's company has really taken off, and Sessomaru is working for his father. He's a great businessman but he's really changed since him and Rin have become engaged, and for the better. Inuyasha is doing good in school and is dating a, well, a very, uh um, a an indescribable girl." Izayoi had made her dislike of Kikyo very obvious to her son but thought it good manners not to bring that into a conversation. She hadn't liked her simply because she wasn't her son's Chosen, but also because she felt that she didn't really care for her son the way she thought she should.

Inuyasha jerked his head at his mother and gave her the nonverbal sign to stop. He sighed; he guesses that his mother will be happy about his break up with Kikyo. He wasn't looking forward to that and didn't know how he was going to go about it. He felt like he owed Kikyo, like he was betraying her by finding his Chosen. He groaned internally and prayed that he wouldn't have to go into details with her about the mating rituals of inu demons; she never did want to know anything about that.

"About time that you guys got back. We were about to eat without you." Rin smiled from the table where she sat next to Sessomaru. She indicated a seat next to her where Kagome could eat. Kagome smiled her thanks and sat next to her.

Inuyasha frowned when he saw that there was no place where he could sit next to Kagome and settled for sitting across from her and next to Miroku. Inutashio smiled at his son, and at the instincts that he couldn't control regarding the girl across from him. He couldn't even hide it.

Inutashio waited until everyone was seated then smiled, "Now, before we go through the whole tiring business of going through what happened tonight, lets eat a quick snack. Then I'll tell you all what will happen." he inclined his head for everyone to eat, and for a few minutes there was no sound but Inuyasha slurping down his raman.

Kagome took a few bites of the soup, and it was heaven. It was hot and had flavor. She took the fist few bites quickly, almost afraid it would disappear from in front of her. But after those first bites her stomach started to cramp, and she suddenly became dizzy and felt like the few noodles she swallowed were about to come back up. She stared at her bowel and tried to force down her gag reflex and to stop everything from swirling around the room. She could feel sweat start to coat her face, and her hands started to shake. For a terrifying moment she remembered the time when Naraku had knocked her out with a drugged cup of water, and how she had woken up in that cold room with her shoes and socks gone and new bruises covering her body. But then she remembered where she was and knew that none of them would do that to her.

"Kagome? Are you alright?" Inuyasha watched Kagome carefully and noticed right away when she stopped eating. He became even more concerned when he saw her skin start to glisten with sweat and her hands shake. He was up and next to her when she moaned a little and dropped her chopsticks, grabbing at her stomach. "Kagome! Where does it hurt?" He was cursing himself for letting her brush him off; he knew he had smelled that she was hurt and she had hid it from him.

Sessomaru and Inutashio were both up and beside her in a second. Izayoi ran to call the doctor, and Sango, Rin and Miroku waited and watched in a tense silence.

Kagome didn't notice any of this; her world was narrowed down to the unending pain coming from her stomach. She tried to heal it, but when nothing happened she became scared. Her healing power had always worked on her wounds and now that it wasn't she became almost as scared as when she was first sent to Naraku. She came to the realization that she could die, just like when she was sent to Naraku.

She didn't hear Inuyasha, Sessomaru, or Inutashio, all she heard was a dull roaring in her ears. She briefly noticed that someone was shaking her, but she was trying to heal herself again and payed it no mind. She concentrated so hard, picturing the light that would surround her, and the feeling of calling on her power and how it would empower her and drain her all at the same time. But, like before, nothing happened. After that was when the panic set in.

Inuyasha forced Kagome to look at him, but even though her eyes were inched away from his, he knew she didn't see him. Her eyes were glazed over and at times she closed them in pain. "Kagome? Can you hear me? Kagome, what's wrong?" He wiped his hand over her face to clear the sweat away, and when he felt how clammy and cold her skin was his worry spiked. "Damn it, what's wrong with her?" Suddenly Kagome jerked away from him and turned away, puking on the floor. The heaves wracked her body violently, and when Inuyasha moved to drag her hair out of her face, he was shocked and disturbed to see blood mixed in with the vomit, a dark red, almost black color, swirling around the regurgitated noodles. What was making it even more scary for him was that he couldn't smell anything, he couldn't smell where she was sick, or her blood laying there on the floor. "Kagome. Kagome, you have to listen to me, okay? You have to take down the scent shield. Kagome? Kagome, listen to me, Damn it!"

Sessomaru looked on in sympathy; he remembered how he felt after he saw Rin and what her father had done to her. Her pretty face covered in bruises and her wrist in a cast. "Inuyasha, try what you did before." When Inuyasha looked at him in confusion Sessomaru sighed. "Try talking to her in the Inu language."

Inuyasha nodded and turned back to the girl who he was holding onto tightly. He growled low, made sure it vibrated into her body. Then he pulled her head back and nuzzled her throat, giving small yipps in between the continuous low growl. Body language was almost as important as the actual words when you speak Inu.

Kagome heard Inuyasha distantly, like a bee buzzing near her ear. She could almost make out what he was saying, but it all sounded garbled and twisted. She knew that Inuyasha could help her, knew that he would make it okay. "Inu. . . yasha. It hurts." The end was more of a whimper than actual words and she hated that her voice sounded so weak and that she could hear the tears in her voice. She was stronger than that.

Inuyasha kept his head against Kagome and when he heard her soft, broken words he felt like he had been punched in the gut. He cuddled her to his chest and softly rumbled 'where' in Inu and prayed that she could understand him.

Kagome grabbed a hold of his hands and brought them to her stomach. She clenched them in her hands and held them there. "Here."

Inuyasha nodded his head and gently pushed against her abdomen. When she flinched away from him and moaned softly he quickly stopped and flinched himself. He whined softly his sorry and then asked her to pull down her shield. He needed to smell her.

Kagome didn't think twice about doing what Inuyasha asked. She just wanted the pain to stop, and if he could help she would do anything to help him.

Inuyasha immediately smelled the copper of blood, and the acid of vomit, mixed in with the scent of Kagome. He could smell that she was hurt, was bleeding from inside. He whined softly at the thought of her hurt and without thought licked her cheek for comfort. Suddenly Izayoi came flying through the door, pulling behind her a small old man with a pointy nose carrying a black bag.

"I got the doctor! The doctor is here! Here," She pushed the old man toward Inuyasha and Kagome, making him stumble and fall, "help her."

The old man mumbled something about, 'Crazy people always abuse poor Myoga.' Then he became a professional and approached Kagome. "Hello, Master Inuyasha. I trust you have been using that rash cream I prescribed." Inuyasha would of blubbered and hit him upside the head if he wasn't so worried about Kagome. As it was he didn't even acknowledge the old doctor, instead focusing all his attention on the girl in his arms.

Dr. Myoga carefully moved Inuyasha's and Kagome's hands away from her stomach, presuming that that was were the pain was coming from since her hands were clenched so tightly against her stomach. When he pressed a little bit down, he felt that her stomach was inflamed. Then she screamed and a very strong hand was clenched over his throat. When Myoga looked up he wasn't surprised to see Inuyasha's eyes a vibrant red.

Izayoi came up and took Inuyasha's hand, whispering to him that the doctor needed to, to help Kagome. Inuyasha slowly lowered his hand but the growl he released was clearly a warning to the old man. Myoga just smiled, reading between the lines perfectly. This young, beautiful girl was his master's Chosen. Then a frown of concentration came onto his face; if this was Inuyasha's Chosen he needed to find out what was wrong fast, because this was now his Master's Lady.

"Is this her vomit?" He leaned closer to examine the stomach acid and wasn't surprised at all to see the blood. "Was she eating just prior to this episode?" He turned to Inuyasha to find him nodding his head. "Okay. Kagome, Kagome, I need to know when was the last time you ate, before tonight. Kagome, you need to answer me."

Kagome was very proud of herself. She had finally compartmentalize the pain away; she knew she could do it and she suspected that she could of done it faster if Inuyasha and his family wasn't here. They made her feel like she could lean on them and that made her distracted.

Inuyasha hated to see Kagome in pain but when he saw her face become clear of any pain, that made him even more worried. "Kagome, when was the last time you ate?" He made sure there was a hint of steel in his voice.

Kagome tried to sit up, but Inuyasha refused to let her. She glared at him but stop trying to get up. "Last night." She was lucky enough to find some bear root. Her grandpa had taught her about the sweet root, and how it was used in healing by eating it. She also learned that it tasted kinda good, in a weird way.

"What did you eat?" There was some relief in the old doctor's voice but Kagome didn't know why.

"Bear root." She didn't see the harm in telling him that; he would just assume that she ate something else with it.

"And what else?" When Kagome just looked at him and stayed silent, Myoga became worried once more, a realization coming to him that he didn't like at all. "Kagome I really need to know."

Kagome knew that she needed the help of this doctor, she couldn't heal herself and she could still feel the pain, though it was dim and far away. Then a thought came to her and she wanted to dance with her intelligence. "I want everyone to leave but you." She looked at the doctor and she could actually feel the room tense at her order. Or maybe it was just Inuyasha.

"Like hell, I'm going to leave!" His words were expected but Kagome stood by her request and refused to talk to the doctor anymore until they all left. Inuyasha sighed and he couldn't hide the hurt very well. "Fine, but I'm going to be right outside this door, and just yell if you need me." When he stood everyone made room for him to pass then followed him out.

When the door was safely shut Kagome looked to the wrinkly face of the man and stated very matter of factly, "I only had bear root yesterday. Before that I hadn't eaten in two days, and before that I had a handful of berries that I found. I don't eat much." She had tried stealing food but always found that she couldn't eat it and gave it away.

Myoga tried to keep his face blank, impassive knowing that this girl didn't want sympathy. "How long have you been eating like this?" He was praying that it wasn't as long as her injury was telling him.

"A few years. Your my doctor right now, right?"

Myoga nodded his head and started to rummage in his big black bag, looking for some very special pills, "Yes, why?"

"Doctor patient confidentiality. You can't tell anyone what I'm telling you, or what my injury if from." Kagome smiled at the look of complete shock that over took his face. "I'm not stupid. I don't plan on staying here long, so just tell me what's wrong with me and fix it."

Myoga shook his head, "Master Inuyasha is going to kill poor Myoga. In fact I think the whole pack is going to kill me when I tell them I can't tell them." He sighed and rummaged through his bag once again. "Here take these." He handed her little yellow pills.

"What will they do?" She eyed them suspiciously and didn't take them even when he handed her a glass of water from the table.

Myoga sighed and realized that this girl was going to be a stubborn patient, "They're going to make you puke, to get everything you ate out of your system." When she just looked at him like he was crazy he explained further. "Because of how you've been eating your body hasn't been getting all that it needs. Your stomach started to eat itself, and because of the small amounts of food you've been eating, when you actually ate, it grew smaller. From what I can tell it's about three times smaller than what it should be. And suddenly eating real food, in a bigger proportion that what you've been used to can kill you. Now take those!" He pointed his finger at the pills laying in her hands and without further complaint swallowed them down.

Kagome choked down the pills, "Can I at least have a bag. I don't want to spew all over their floor again." Myoga handed her a garbage bin and three white pills.

"Their to stop your system from attacking it self." He answered before she could ask. She swallowed them. "I would feel a lot better if you would go to the hospital. This is serious."

"No offense, but I'm not going any where near one of those death infested buildings."

Myoga simply shook his head, "Now how did I know you're answer was going to be something like that."

"I don't know, maybe your physic." Kagome closed her eyes and leaned back, waiting for those pills to kick in. When her shirt was suddenly pulled up she sat up and pulled it back down, staring at Myoga in fear.

Myoga was still staring at her stomach, but even though it was covered he still saw the scars that criss crossed her skin like pink ribbons dancing over her skin. Even if he wasn't a doctor he still would of known that some of those scars are fairly recent. And deep. "Doctor patient confidentiality." He reminded her. His voice was thick with tears he wouldn't shed. That would only push her farther away. At that moment he knew he had just lied to her. There was no way he wasn't going to tell Masters' Inutashio, Inuyasha or Sessomaru about this.

Kagome could see the lie in his eyes, she knew that he wasn't going to keep her problems a secret. She's had a lot of practice detecting lies and disguises. Then the little yellow pills kicked in and she bent over the bucket and emptied her body of the remaining food. She only wished she could get rid of the fear just as easily.

NEW SCENE

Inuyasha paced outside the door. Right about now he was cursing the day his parents had basically soundproof the house. All he could hear was mumblings of the two people in side the dining room. He could hear if Kagome screamed, which his father said was the most important thing but he wanted to know what was being said, because he knew Kagome wasn't going to tell him the truth. But he guessed he could beat it out of Myoga.

"Inuyasha, sit down. Your giving me a headache." Miroku kept watching as Inuyasha went from one side of the room to the next at a less than human pace, and he kept having to look away, only to look back.

Inuyasha ignored his friend and kept pacing outside the door. Izayoi sat next to Inutashio, holding his hand. "Tash, remember what I told you about what Minori asked me? You know, after she stopped that mob from going after Inuyasha?" Izayoi whispered so that only her husband could hear, but she suspected that Sessomaru could hear from the way he turned his head just slightly in her direction.

Inutashio nodded; he could remember how surprised and honored he felt when he had learned about her request. Ever since Minori's death it's been hanging over his head.

Izayoi lowered her voice even more so her oldest son wouldn't hear. "I don't think Minori ever told Kagome. And I need to do what Minori asked of us. It might be late but. . ." Inutashio simply grabbed her hand. He didn't need for her to spell it out; he already knew. It wasn't that they were obligated, but because they felt that Kagome was already a part of the family.

Sessomaru tried to pretend he couldn't hear his parent's conversation, but it was kinda hard. He wanted to know what they were talking about. What did Kagome's mom ask of them?

"Sesso?" Rin's soft innocent voice pulled him back and he looked down at his Chosen. "Did you know that Kagome went to the same school as me?" Sessomaru's eyes widen and he shook his head.

"I would of thought that Inuyasha would of noticed." Sessomaru looked to his little brother and wondered why he hadn't known that his Chosen had been within arm's reach for who knows how long.

"I love you, Sessomaru." Rin's voice was soft and she cuddled into his side. They've been together close to two years now, and he was still surprised when she said that to him. He was still surprised she had forgiven him for the two years of torture he had put her through. He didn't think he could handle it if the tables had been switched.

"And I love you, Rin." Rin smiled when he softly kissed the top of her head. Then Inuyasha cursed rather colorfully and her smile turned into a frown. "Do you think Kagome's going to be alright?"

Sessomaru leaned back and stared at the door through half closed eyes. He was silent for awhile, but Rin waited patiently for his answer. "I think that Kagome has had a hard life. And that she's a fighter."

Inuyasha heard his brother's words and took comfort in them. Kagome was a fighter. She had been ever since they were kids, standing up for him against their whole class. Inuyasha looked over at the people he had there, waiting as anxiously as him. His dad, mom, brother, Sango, Rin, and Miroku, he owed all of them so much.

They all waited there, out in front of the door that leads to the dining room, for hours. For two hours they heard nothing but the sound of Kagome retching and the murmurs of their voices. Inuyasha felt like he was going insane; there were a few times his brother and father had to restrain him from barging in and stubbornly refusing to leave. Not that anyone could blame him, even they were getting antsy. They didn't know if what was happening to Kagome was life threating or if she just had the stomach flu. They didn't know if she was in pain or if she was just. . . they didn't know anything.

Inuyasha eventually took a seat by Miroku so that he was directly in front of the door. If there was anything to be heard, he would hear it. Sango had fallen asleep sometime after the first hour and was leaning on Miroku's shoulder. Miroku was trying his hardest to keep his wandering hands to himself, and Inuyasha had laugh silently as he watched his friend argue with his hands about the pro and cons of touching Sango while she slept. He even went so far as to sit on his hands, thinking that all they wanted was to touch a nice round butt, and he thought he had a mighty fine one, if he did say so himself. His theory was proven wrong a few minutes later with Sango waking to find his wandering hand caressing her. With a loud slap she stormed off to sit next to Rin, leaving a dreamy looking Miroku with a red hand print across his cheek. Inuyasha simply shook his head at his foolish friends; he didn't know how many times he's told him that the long term effects of not fondling Sango every five minutes greatly out weigh the momentary pleasure of touching her ass. But he never listened.

Suddenly the door was opened and out walked Myoga, carrying his big black bag making everyone stand up at attention. He shut the door quickly before anyone could go in.

"Well? How is she? Can I see her?" Inuyasha made to push Myoga out of the way, when he found that the old man wouldn't budge. Inuyasha tried to shove him, but she still refused to move.

"Lady Kagome asked for five minutes of privacy so she could dress." It was rather apparent that he was going to give her those five minutes two, and Inuyasha guessed that he could wait five more minutes. Barely.

"What's wrong with her, Myoga?" Inutashio's voice was demanding and Myoga flinched knowing that he was betraying the trust of his Lady.

Myoga sighed and everybody knew that they weren't going to like what he was going to say. "She been slowly starving. Her stomach is about three times smaller than what it should be. The best I could tell, it's been going on for two, maybe three years. This episode was brought on by eating too rich of a food, in too big of a proportion, too soon."

Izayoi gasped and took a step back, "My food did that to her?" Her voice was soft and teary, guilt almost closing off her ability to speak.

Myoga was quick to correct her, "No, No, my Lady. This would of happened if she had eaten any food other than the bland foods she has been eating. In fact she's lucky this happened here, where she had such fast help. If she had been alone, I don't think she would of survived."

When everyone took a collective gasp, Myoga nodded his head and his eyes were deadly serious. "Oh, yes, I am sorry to inform you that this is life threating. I could tell you more, if we were in a hospital and I could do some tests, in fact I would recommend it, but Lady Kagome refused. Her exact words I believed were, 'I'm not going any where near one of those death infested buildings.'" Myoga tried to mimic Kagome's voice but just ended up sounding like he inhaled a balloon of helium.

Rin was scared for Kagome, and hanged onto Sessomaru. "Do you think that. . . She did this to herself?" When Inuyasha turned to her with his eyes shooting knives at her, Rin threw up her hands and Sessomaru moved in front of her. "My cousin died because of bulimia, I just want to know that she isn't. . ." Rin's voice faded but Myoga was already shaking his head.

"From the other. . . wounds I found on her, I believe that she's being abused. Severely." There was silence for a second, out of disbelief or from pain, Myoga didn't know. But then the small hallway was filled with swears, and yells, and anger.

Inuyasha punched the wall, his fist driving through the it like it was butter. He didn't notice the low moans escaping his mouth, or the tears gathering in his eyes. He grabbed at his chest aware of a pain coming from his heart, like he had just been stabbed there. He suddenly felt arms surround him, pulling him into a tight embrace.

"Brother, I know what your going through. I've been there." Sessomaru's low voice filled his ears, and his voice was full of anger and sadness. "You have to pull yourself together. She wouldn't like you to react this way. Come on, Brother." Inuyasha turned around in his brothers arms and grabbed a hold of him. He was grateful when all his brother did was hug him tighter. "Come on, Brother."

Izayoi watched her sons with wet eyes. She turned to her husband and found his eyes blood red, and crying. "We already suspected, Tash."

He shook his head and pulled her to him, "It's worse knowing without a doubt that it's true." Inutashio held onto his wife and mate for a second then turned toward Myoga once again. "How bad?"

It's amazing how those two words could bring such a tense silence. Myoga couldn't look at his shoes, trying to come up with some courage to tell his Master's exactly how bad it really was. "HOW BAD!" Inutashio roared and Myoga jumped.

"She has scars everywhere. Across her stomach, and back. Some on her arms. There are bruises, new ones and old." He took a big breath and released it along with the information he was dreading the most to tell them. "The scars look like they were made by a, a. . . a whip." His voice cracked and his horror of what he had seen was easily read.

The disbelief and hurt and sadness disappeared and was replaced by the helpless rage that quickly follows after hearing such news. All three of the demons in the room were battling their demons from taking complete control of their bodies.

Once Inuyasha was sure that he had control of his body, he stepped forward and pushed Myoga out of the way. "I need to see her. If that's alright with you." Inuyasha opened the door and stopped dead in his tracks.

He could just barely hear his mother ask how they should go about taking care of Kagome. What she could eat-oatmeal. For how long-at least a month and a half before new foods could be added. And when Myoga wanted her at the hospital-now. But Inuyasha was completely shocked and couldn't move for a few seconds. Then he exploded.

"Where the FUCK is she?!"

The room was completely empty. All that was left of Kagome was her fading scent and the acrid acid smelling vomit on the ground and in the waste basket. The window was open just slightly and Inuyasha knew right away that she had slipped out while Myoga had been telling them the new. She had known that Myoga would tell and decided to leave then face them. To let them help.

Inuyasha couldn't believe it; he couldn't of just found her only to have her run away from him. Sure it would be poetic justice to some, but to him it was unacceptable. He raced to the window and threw it open, scanning the outside, looking for any sign of her. Any movement that didn't belong.

His family came barging into the room at his bellow, and he rounded on Myoga. "Look what you did! This wouldn't of happened if you had just let me come in when I wanted!" Myoga backed away from him, saying that he didn't know anything about it.

Sessomaru cut in front of him and grabbed him by the arms, "You can't be doing that, Inuyasha. She just left a few minutes ago. We can find her if we leave now." Inuyasha nodded at his brother and their fahther walked up to them.

"I'll go Sessomaru. You've already been attacked tonight." Inutashio swore and he looked out the windows again. "I don't like this, not with what has been going on."

Rin stepped forward and touched Inuyasha's arm, "If you don't find her tonight, you can just do it at school."

Inuyasha frowned at her, "What are you talking about, Rin?"

Rin smiled slightly, though it was kinda sad. "She goes to our school, Inuyasha. She'll be there on Monday."

Inuyasha smiled and even laughed, he was so relieved. He would find her, and when he did he would make damn sure that she didn't get away a third time.

NEW SCENE

Kagome didn't bother to look back. It would just waste time she didn't have; running away from three Inu demons was a talent she didn't think she possessed but she wasn't about to stay there. She couldn't stay there.

She ran from the immaculate lawn of the Takahashi residence, to the streets of the upscale neighbor hood they lived. She ran until she was in downtown Tokyo, where the lights are always on and people never sleep, to the surrounding neighborhoods. She ran until her legs screamed and pleaded with her to stop, for just a moment. But she knew that if she stopped she would never come up with the strength to start again. She pushed herself to the point of pain, then pushed herself beyond that, where the pain is so bad you go numb. She ran until she was numb.

She suddenly found herself in front of her old home, the shrine standing proudly against the night sky, with the moon light washing down on it. Kagome looked up the towering steps and slowly crawled up them, her energy to low to do anything else. She couldn't go to the house-too many ghosts still walked the halls. Instead she found her feet carrying her to the God Tree. It stood against time, and looked like it had the last time she had seen it. Slowly, as if she was a zombie, she lifted her foot and climbed the giant. She climbed until she was hidden in the foliage of the tree, then climbed higher until she couldn't see the ground.

She found the branch that her and Inuyasha had climbed to many times before, the one that was hidden from the ground but open to the sky. She gently laid down in the silver moon light, and took a breath of clean air. She had always stayed away from here, expecting the memories would attack her and beat her until she was nothing. But the tree was protecting her, like it knew that she couldn't handle that right now, so it was batting away the memories until she was ready.

So there, bathed in the light of the silver moon, Kagome fell asleep and dreamed of times that had been and ones that had yet to become.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - -

So I'm back, obviously. I had a hard time in Sprague cleaning the graves, but it was good. It's a healing process that I've been doing for the past twelve years. I want to thank all of you who reviewed while I was gone and especially the one saying that I was doing good by going. It's something that a lot of people don't understand.

So, this is chapter seven. I think it came out rather well, I am particularity proud of the last bit about Kagome. I think it captured what I wanted Kagome to be going through.

As always, if you have questions or spot an error tell me. And I didn't know Kagome's mom's name so I gave her one. Does she have a name? I don't know, please tell me if she does so I can change it! If not, hey I like the name I gave. XD

Review please,

Dream-Walker1436