Review Replies :)
thelunarstorm : Kagome gets put into the coma from when she was trying to protect Rin. She saved Rin but Kagome herself died. Sesshomaru saved her but she was in such a bad condition that she didn't return to consciousness when her body was healed by Sora. I apologize if I'm a little off on the biochem there :P
llebreknit : Kagome most definitely is NOT dead :)
Chapter 13 - Awakening
Days had passed and still no change. Things weren't looking good and soon, it would be too late.
Kiome watched over Kagome while Kiara played outside with Rin. Beads of sweat appeared on Kagome's motionless features; recently this had been happening more and more. Kiome patiently took a clean cloth, soaked it in fresh, cool water and placed it lovingly on Kagome's forehead. Gazing at the girl she murmured, "Wake up…" before rising and exiting the infirmary to get something to fill her neglected stomach.
Sesshomaru slipped into the room inconspicuously and glowered down at the unconscious human that had been dominating his thoughts for the past couple days. Her slender body lay bare on the infirmary bed with nothing but a thin bed sheet preserving her modesty. Her dark hair glistened softly in the light that filtered through the windows. "What kind of spell have you cast on me, miko? Tell me. Wake up and tell me!" Frustrated eyes studied her motionless features before the demon sighed inwardly and let his irritation melt away, "I owe you, you must wake up."
Feeling a sudden urge to run his fingers through her dark hair, Sesshomaru frowned and abruptly exited the room.
Back at Kagome's house, Inu Yasha paced impatiently. He still could not grasp what had just happened. Kagome had argued with him and left with Sesshomaru. Almost every experience Kagome had had with Sesshomaru, he had been hostile toward her. Since when did he start protecting her?
Inu Yasha threw open Kagome's door and scanned the room, furious to find it empty. Feeling rage building up inside him, Inu Yasha forced himself to take a few deep breaths; letting the girl's soothing scent wash over him. Settling on a large tree outside Kagome's window, he told himself that she would have a legitimate explanation when she came back.
Kagome clamped her eyes shut and wrapped her arms securely around the demon's neck as they flew through the night sky. When Sesshomaru finally chose a suitable location and stopped, Kagome opened her eyes gingerly. It took her a moment to recognize that they were in the park. Wind whipped through her hair and she huddled closer to Sesshomaru's well-built chest, "Thank you," she murmured.
She felt inexplicably safe with the youkai. It was a different kind of safe than with Inu Yasha; with Inu Yasha, the feeling of safety was fleeting and she always had to be on guard. With Sesshomaru, everything seemed to disappear and she ceased to notice anything that could be potentially harmful.
Sesshomaru looked down at the girl and noticed her tiny frame shivering against the cold. Impulsively, he grabbed her chin and angled it so that he could stare into her chocolate orbs.
Kagome's mind went blank. The moon shone strongly behind the demon, casting his features into darkness with only his beautiful, golden eyes gleaming brightly. Suddenly, his picture-perfect features changed abruptly. The inquisitive look disappeared and was replaced by a defensive one. His arm shot up and the demon covered his nose with his sleeve. He revealed his fangs and a guttural sound escaped him.
"What is that dreadful scent?"
Kagome blinked and her cheeks turned rosy, "Oh, umm right. I totally forgot. This era reeks of industry and garbage. It was hard on Inu Yasha's nose, so it must be doubly hard on your nose."
"Industry?"
"Factories and such, they pollute the air," she smiled sheepishly, "Come on, let's go back home."
Sesshomaru eyed her carefully.
Kagome saw his expression and could only assume that he was worried. She smiled softly, "I'm ready to go back."
Without a word, Sesshomaru lifted Kagome bridal style and hastily escorted her back to her house, eager to get away from the foul scents that assaulted his nose. Upon arrival, Sesshomaru stepped inside and put Kagome down. He quickly snapped the door shut and breathed in the comforting aromas of homemade food and sakura blossoms.
"Arigato Sesshomaru-sama," Kagome stared gratefully up at the demon until he gave her a silent nod of acknowledgement. Turning, she began climbing the stairs, certain that Inu Yasha would be waiting for her in her room. She walked casually down the hall to her bedroom and took a deep breath before entering the room. She was not at all surprised when she was met by Inu Yasha's clear gaze. He was perched on a thick branch outside her window. She smiled cautiously, "I was looking for you."
Inu Yasha eyed her with an unreadable expression without making any effort to come closer or answer. The miko's heart sank; he was angry. She stepped over to the window and climbed out onto the branch. Settling herself next to the hanyou, she stared straight forward. Resting her head against his shoulder, she tried to keep anxious tears at bay.
Feeling her eyes begin to water, Kagome buried her face into his warm clothing, "I'm sorry."
The half demon immediately hooked a finger below her chin and lifted her tear-streaked face. He looked her in the eyes and wiped away her tears, "Don't be. I shouldn't have lost my temper." Inu Yasha took the girl inside and slid the window shut. Turning to face her, he was a little surprised when she instantly latched onto him.
"I missed you so much Inu Yasha. I didn't know if I would ever see you again… I was so scared."
Inu Yasha's arms wound around her and he rested his chin upon her head, "Kagome I—" A sudden intake of breath cut him off. His arms loosened in shock.
Kagome grasped her head, all other thoughts erased by a sudden fiery headache. She could hear Inu Yasha's voice but it was distant and she couldn't make out what he was saying. Voices in her head blocked out the hanyou's. 'Wake up. Rin will be sad if you don't. Wake up. I owe you, you have to wake up. Wake up. Rin hopes that Kagome-chan will wake up soon. Wake up.' Her knees buckled and she could feel herself falling but was powerless to stop it. "I am awake!" 'Wake up.'
Inu Yasha caught the falling girl and lowered her to the ground. His brows furrowed, what was going on? Kagome was clutching her head, shaking it back and forth, crying repeatedly that she was awake.
Kagome tried to calm herself down enough to try to identify the voices. There were three; one was the small, childish voice of Rin, one was a familiar, female voice that she couldn't place and the third was the unmistakable, masculine voice of Sesshomaru. 'Impossible! How can their voices be inside my head?'
"Kagome? Kagome, calm down! No one can hurt you. I'm here. I will always be here. Kagome!" Inu Yasha embraced the girl in an attempt to quiet her.
Kagome felt Inu Yasha's strong arms around her. She leaned into them and wept against his chest. Still the voices harassed her. 'Wake up. Wake up soon Kagome. Wake up.' They were calm with a sad edge to them. Were they pleas? 'But I am awake,' she thought, as if in answer to the voices.
She suddenly found herself wishing that it would be Sesshomaru embracing her and not Inu Yasha; she yearned to feel that inexplicable safety again.
All at once the voices stopped.
Silence.
Kagome couldn't explain it, but when she finally opened her eyes and looked up, she was greeted by the crescent moon and stripes of the demon lord. It was against all logic, Kagome couldn't even begin to understand how seconds ago Inu Yasha's voice had been reassuring her, yet it was Sesshomaru who was looking down at her. All the same, she was grateful.
Kagome saw affection and worry flit into Sesshomaru's eyes. He tucked her head into the nook of his shoulder and said quietly into her ear, "What kind of spell have you cast on me, miko? Tell me. Wake up and tell me." He paused and squeezed her body against his before speaking again, "I owe you… you must wake up."
Kagome felt herself slipping away from reality. She could no longer feel the tight embrace of the demon and she was no longer in control of her motor functions. Helplessly, she sank further and further away from consciousness.
Sango had spent the last few days nursing a sore ankle. She had been declared free of her make-believe sickness while Kirara was pronounced to be progressing well. Kayo had remained constantly by Inu Yasha's side.
Currently, the two were seated next to each other leaning against the same tree trunk with Sango looking on from the foliage. For the first time in days, Inu Yasha looked relatively content.
Sango turned away from the scene and bumped right into Miroku. Miroku grabbed her arms to steady her, "Careful there taijiya-san." He looked down and his eyes glittered devilishly at their proximity.
Sango blushed and pulled away from the monk. She began to walk past him when she felt a warm hand encircle her wrist; effectively stopping her in her tracks. She sighed and turned to face her team member.
Miroku fixed her with a serious look, "Are you okay? You've been distracted lately."
Sango pressed her lips firmly together and looked down.
Miroku recognized this look; she was holding back her feelings, "Come now Sango, don't cry." He closed the distance between the two with a firm hug.
"I miss Kagome," she mumbled sadly into his shoulder.
Miroku's arms tightened comfortingly, "You'll see her again."
"How can you be so sure?"
"If Kagome can handle Inu Yasha then I'm sure that she can handle his brother. Besides, Sesshomaru keeps the company of a human child; she is not unlike Kagome." At Sango's lack of response, Miroku began pulling her toward the hut, "Let's go inside; it's beginning to get chilly."
Sango nodded and let the houshi guide her inside.
Kayo shivered when a cool breeze washed over her features. Her new, watery blue kimono had been made more for aesthetic purposes rather than for warmth. The fine silk allowed the cold air to easily seep in.
Inu Yasha cast a sidelong glance at Kayo. He had always enjoyed looking at Kikyo and Kagome; it gave him peace knowing that they were safe and happy, "Kayo?"
"Hai?"
"How good are you with a bow and arrow?"
After a long pause, she responded, "I used to love archery. I was good at it even before my vision changed. I was surprised that I still excelled at it afterwards… it made me feel normal; like I was still the same person even though everyone saw me as a stranger."
"You used to love archery? What happened?"
Kayo hesitated but noticed his genuine interest, "Not too long ago, I was in yet another village. A man was courting me rather informally. I ignored his jeers and began to walk away. However, this man was persistent and I could hear his footsteps following me. Finally, I turned and asked him what he wanted. He was closer than I expected and he grabbed my wrist tightly so I couldn't pull free. My other hand instinctively pulled and arrow from my quiver and suddenly, my arrow was coloured. It was the most beautiful lavender I'd ever seen.
"It was as if my hand had a mind of its own. It pierced the man with my arrow. It was the most curious thing, the arrow just glided into him… there was no impact. It was as if I hadn't stabbed him at all. His lustful aura turned the same lavender as my arrow and suddenly it as if he were made out of tiny grains of flour. A gust of wind blew the grains away and I was alone again.
"Since then, I have avoided situations in which I would need to use my bow and arrow."
Inu Yasha was shocked; she had purified a man without knowing it."It's alright Kayo, who knows what he would've done to you?"
"It couldn't have been worse than what I did to him," Kayo knew that her voice had betrayed her. Despite how much she had tried to hide her distress, she could feel her eyes growing moist. She looked away.
Inu Yasha tried to comfort the girl as much as he could. She couldn't be much older than Kagome and she had already been through so much. Noticing her become rigid, his brow furrowed, "What is it?"
"…"
"Tell me what you see," Inu Yasha said urgently.
The girl trembled, "It's that same light purple glow." Kayo fearfully buried her face into Inu Yasha's firm shoulder and clutched his arm for support.
"Where is it?"
"It's coming closer," Kayo whispered.
Immediately, Inu Yasha stood up, hauling Kayo up with him. "C'mon we have to warn Miroku and Sango."
Before she could question him, Inu Yasha lifted Kayo in his arms and raced toward the hut. Bursting inside, he found the two leaning against the back wall.
"A demon's coming! It has a shard of the Shikon-no-Tama!" Addressing Kayo, he said, "When the demon arrives, I need you to tell me where the glow is coming from. Okay?"
Kayo nodded nervously, "Okay."
The two rose immediately and within minutes the group was speeding toward the fiend. They stopped in a large clearing far enough from the village to not cause alarm.
"Kayo, can you tell where the jewel shard is?" Inu Yasha inquired.
"Not yet," she answered, trying her best to look calm.
At that moment, a loud snort sounded and Sango gripped Hiraikotsu, "It's coming."
Abruptly, a pig demon with dirty, mutated skin appeared. Its pitch black eyes were menacing and the pig wielded a huge club. The demon snorted and squinted down at them.
Miroku began unwinding the beads around his right hand when the Saimyosho made their presence known. Miroku glowered up at the pig and charged at it, thrusting his staff forth. The pig frowned down at him and swept its giant hoof at Miroku. Miroku feinted left but with an evil grin the demon adjusted his swing. It was a direct hit. The houshi was sent flying backwards into a thick tree; his head slammed painfully into the trunk and his staff was flung from his hand. Eyes wide, he drew shuddery breaths and struggled to his feet. He teetered slightly as he regained his breath and went to recover his holy weapon.
"Hiraikotsu!" Sango cried, hurling her weapon at the demon. The demon glared and swung his club at the oncoming weapon. The giant boomerang flipped backwards and flew back at its owner.
Sango's eyes widened and she stood dumbfounded in the path of her boomerang. Inu Yasha scowled and leapt toward Sango. He grabbed her and jumped out of the way just in time.
"His stomach! The jewel is in its stomach!" Kayo shouted.
He was in mid-air when he heard her scream. He quickly set Sango down clear of the boomerang's path and turned to see Kayo cowering on the ground. Above her was the giant hoof of the pig.
Inu Yasha felt something inside him click. Adrenaline rushed through his veins and he felt his old vigour to fight return. He inhaled sharply and almost coughed. The air ran into the back of his throat, it was colder than he'd expected. Inu Yasha felt as if a blanket had been covering his head and he'd just wrenched it off. The air was fresh again. He felt a new need to protect. Inu Yasha drew his Tetsusaiga and charged at the demon just as the pig was beginning to bring its hoof down.
A/N) Yay Inu Yasha's back :)
Anyways, just a short note this time: in Kagome's coma reality, time passes a lot slower than in real life. In this chapter it is especially evident. In real life, a few days pass whereas in her coma-dream only about 20 minutes has passed since the previous chapter.