Chapter 26: Now my Eyes Open

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From the outside, the building looked as unsuspecting as the next. A window manufacturing warehouse, one of the many businesses, out near the bay.

The docks are empty, no importing or exporting to be caught up in, not one lonely soul out on the deck, to hear the blood curling screams that filled the dimming night.

Kagome threw her head back, her scream ending in a pitiful wail.

Naraku had manipulated his body, his bones shifting. So that instead of curling around him, they sprung forth, away from him and straight into her.

She felt them stab her sides; one bellow each rib, and one at the side of each hip.

The pain was surreal, as if the bone spikes had touched the fire inside of her; like a small wick-flame, it blew out just as easily.

Her hands dropped at the same time as Naraku had launched her, throwing her clear across the warehouse, to land and roll with no semblance of care.

Naraku panted with his efforts, smoke coming off his skin in rolls, confirming that he had indeed been burning alive before this girl. His eyes found her quick; coughing on the concrete ground, looking frail and weak- No!

Not weak; he was seeing her for what she was now, a threat that needed his full attention.

A threat that had nearly accomplished what thousands of foes had not...

His anger grew and twisted his aura around him, pulling and magnifying the darkness around them; he called on his renewed strength, thrilling in the fear that lay within her blue pools.

Each step was savored; her huddled form struggling back, her body too hurt to do more but to meekly push away with her legs.

The fear he could see living inside the girl.

It delighted him.

Reaching for his forearm, he grasped at the shard of bone growing there; tugging at it till it dislodged, he held this at eye view, for her benefit.

Naraku would do good on his promise to rip her to pieces, relishing each, and every stroke.

She had reached the end, her back against a metal crate, the girl had successfully corned herself.

He did not quicken his steps, no longer feeling the pressure of time, the weakness that plaque him was gone now. Absently, he registered the feel of his violent edge softening, a sign that the day had finally broken the horizon.

Not that it mattered, he didn't need his beast's edge to get a kick out of this.

His next steps proved to be his last; like the bell at midnight, the magic that had kept his strength going disappeared. The shock cleared across his face as he fell, numbingly so, on his knees, but a few feet away from his target.

"N-nani?" Naraku looked down to where the pain resonated, his hands hovering above the area, not sure of what would happen should he touch it.

The bullet holes she had purified- were turning.

The poison rushing back into his system in nauseating waves, leaving the ashen skin darker than it had ever been, breaking it down further, with a quick and nauseating rush.

The toxic muck spread, visible throughout his paper like skin, engulfing his entire chest in its burnt aftermath.

His eyes found hers, finding the same disbelief look, mirroring his own. He didn't need to look anymore to know, he was aging at a rapid speed now, his pain evident for her to witness.

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Kagome tried to keep her eyes on this demon, even when the bees around them fell one by one, her gaze had stayed on the withering man. Only when the loud bangs against metal doors sounded, did she finally tear her gaze away, seeing the row of large loading dock doors for the first time.

She coiled her arms tighter against her, pressing down on her bleeding sides with as much strength as she had left, this made standing a much harder task. Despite it, she managed, pulling herself to a slouching position, the best she could do given the circumstances.

Once this was accomplished, Kagome could see the bulges against the metal doors, as if someone was beating on all sides with a large hammer, leaving dents to attest to their force.

Kagome hoped this was the rescue team, and that she was the one they came to rescue.

She had never been stabbed before, or suffered from blood loss before, the weakness was proving hard to deal with. This day was certainly filled with first, Kagome could only hope preventing herself from bleeding out would be the last first.

The beating of the metal had stolen her attention, to where it was almost too easy to ignore the dying man in front of her, until her eyes had caught a shifting of shadows just at the other side of him.

Turning in time, she was able to witness his failed attempts.

The ink-like substance that had encased her, surrounded him in small puddles, squirming back to Naraku as if they were worm-like creatures. Failing to lift much higher than a few feet off the ground, before falling back into useless heaps of water.

"Damn it! I can't get out... Brother! Help me!"

Kagome forced herself to turn, facing him fully, she squinted past the film that had settled over her eyes. Had she simply kept her back against him, she might've avoided the next series of events.

The purple bubble fazed into existence, taking form right in front of her, and becoming more tangible by the second. Even through the loud blows at her back, she heard the gentle rugged voice, as though it was the only noise that could reach her. As it softly reprimanded.

"Aniki, how reckless of you to let this go so far"

"S-Shut up!" Naraku struggled to stand, his entire torso now stained black, "I am too weak to transport, you must do it."

"Hmph, If I must."

The bubble burst, from within a breathtaking man emerged, perhaps the most stunning man she had ever seen. His beauty seemed, almost, surreal in the face of the impending chaos.

He wore blue kimono-robes that brought out the gray in his eyes, the ensemble something which Kagome would only see in a shrine. His hair fell in long waves down his back, curling inward and outward at the tips, easily reaching the middle of his back.

His face was both angular and graceful, carrying such a gentleness to it, that Kagome almost bought into it.

But when those grey eyes had caught her gaze, she peered into the black of his irises, watching as they flashed with recognition. Like a schoolmate, catching you around the block, a welcomed surprise.

They filled with such familiarity that it uneased her.

When he reached his arms out, as if the space between them meant nothing, as if he could reach her just as easily despite it. She cringed away, an involuntary reaction that pulled at her wounds.

Kagome hissed through her teeth, withholding as much of the pain as she could.

This new man didn't seem to register her pain, his eyes had gone glassy, and when he stepped in her direction, Kagome feared this wouldn't be the end of the night.

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At the same time as he took the first step towards her, the door gave away. Metal breaking to let in, what could only be described as, a sea of silver hair. The demons that had not dropped, and still flew around the warehouse, found themselves trapped within the white mass.

She had only looked away for a second, but when Kagome turned back to them; they were gone.

It was funny how once the homicidal maniac left; her senses came back to her, her mind now able to range free from the step-by-step thinking she had reduced herself to. So that now, in a blinding rush, she was able to perceive several things at once.

The clattering noise from trained professionals as they forced themselves in, the specific way in which the hair moved back as if it were its own entity, and the pain from her bleeding sides, all topped the list.

As the masses filled in, she couldn't help but look for a messy top of chestnut hair, or a long silver curtain.

Hysteria was just around the corner, and now that she was safe, Kagome had the liberty to freak out if she chose to.

The EMT's arrived and homed in on her location; still huddled against the crate, afraid to let the pressure off her wounds. They spoke in calm tones, asked her questions, and attempted to move her. But as their hands reached for her, an unknown fear seized her heart; the terror she had been keeping closed behind doors, now moving freely throughout her.

She jerked away from their hands, barely aware that a fresh batch of blood seeped between her fingers because of such quick movements, the pain almost seemed bearable when considering everything else she had faced.

Kagome knew these were the good guys, here to help, and she needed their help.

But the fear that lived inside her was far too strong for her to see they meant no harm, it threatened to devour her. Made it so that the shadows cast by the morning sun, seemed like they too, were demons.

The three young men tried to talk sense into her, but Kagome was beyond that, and all her poor mind could focus on was the way they were approaching from all sides now.

Trapping her against this metal crate, hands out with clear attempts to grab her; she felt akin to an animal at the zoo, caged in and afraid.

When their hands went for her again, the scream inside got caught in her throat, so that all that left her was a dying whisper in its place. But it was enough, and the sudden flurry of noise and commotion ended with one single barked command.

"OIY! Keep your fucking hands off her!"

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Inuyasha never lifted his eyes off her cowering form, crossing the warehouse, bodies parted to make a clear aisle for him. He stopped but a few feet away from where she stood, pressed against the metal crate.

He confused her; the fear paused, as if it too, was measuring his every move.

He watched her for a long minute, assessing her wellbeing. His eyes traveled from head to toe, and for a moment, she thought she saw the look of guilt cross his face, before it passed.

Then his natural-teasing smirk pulled at the corner of his lips, "Feh, you look like shit."

And he looked like a guardian angel; the sun played behind the broken door, looking like a halo of light, that toyed with the browns in his hair. His face was both radiant, and familiar, and exactly what she had been waiting for.

Suddenly she was running, past the hovering emergency team, away from the armed forces that to this moment continued to file in. Barreling straight into his arms, careless of that surprised look that betook him moments prior; he was tense, and for an awful moment, she thought he would push her away.

But as his warm breath blew in a sigh against her hair, she felt his arms coming fully around her; supporting her weight as she practically became boneless in his hands.

Distantly, Kagome realized she had begun to shake, her body filled with dry sobs as her hands clung to him on their own.

He was speaking to people now, in the back of her mind she followed the conversation; Inuyasha gave his orders out, mean and gruff, he was short with everyone that approached them. His growls and temper should've frightened her further.

But being here, in his arms, Kagome found it easier to breathe.

"Kagome" his voice was soft as he spoke her name, waiting for her to lift teary eyes before continuing, "You're bleeding, I need to take you to a hospital."

If she could laugh, she would've. But because she was afraid that one laugh would lead to an endless hysterical fit, she optioned to scoff at him.

"Hospitals are for the weak" she repeated his words back to him, relaxing further with the sound of his barely masked chuckles.

"And the elderly" he reminded, then shocked her by scooping her up into his arms, "and seeing how you're neither, I guess I should be the one to patch you up then, eh?"

His hands came around to press against her sides, and although his hold wasn't particularly comforting, Kagome took comfort in his rough ways anyhow. She laid her head against his shoulder, her eyes fluttering half shut as the air that never quite settled back into her lungs finally eased back into place.

Taking solace in his embrace, and pleasure at his words, she placed her trust in him to keep her safe.

Inuyasha moved almost silently, not once jostling the girl in his arms; once outside the noise rose to a painful chaos. She pressed herself deeper into his arms, and he was all too happy to take her away.

He left without a word to anyone.

It was easy to settle her against him inside the too quiet limo, natural, as if she fit there all on her own. Had the situation been any different, Inuyasha would have taken this moment for himself, enjoyed it even. But the scent of her blood surrounded the small space, making it impossible to relax, even with her finally safe at his side.

There was a part of him upon waking from his blood thirsty tirade that had wondered if she would be better off somewhere else, he had failed to protect her, worse than that he had been the one to place her in direct danger.

But as she clung to him with every sway of the vehicle they were in, he knew he could never willingly hand her off to anyone else, not again, not after this.

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She was tired, that much was clear, her lids fluttered close for long pauses, before snapping open. Her mind reliving the night's events in slow, terrifying pictures.

So that every time her eyes closed, the darkness threatened to swallow her whole.

This fear could root itself deep within her, make it so that every moment in the dark would lead back into the deep end, back into cold-unforgiving waters.

Kagome could lose herself within this despair.

Or; the hand that wasn't pressed against her side landed on her head. She blinked her large crystal eyes up at him, his clumsy pets and pink embarrassed cheeks broke through her brooding thoughts.

"S'okay now; you're okay."

The damn broke; even though she shook in his arms, wracked with big gasping wails, and face stained with her pouring tears.

Inuyasha felt as though he was seeing the magnitude of her bravery, witnessing firsthand the iron will and steel resolve of this remarkable human.

He held her long after she had grown still, relieved when she fell into a deep sleep, another sign of her strength.

Keeping a tight hold of the blood that continued to pour from her side, Inuyasha bent down gently, aware of every move that might rouse the girl in his arms. Taking advantage of her being unaware, he allowed himself to brush the skin of her temple with his nose, breathing in her scent.

"Never again, Kagome... I swear to you, you will never know this kind of pain, ever again."

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Aurthor's note: Hello fellow Inuyasha lovers! I have been having issues with Fanfiction, it was bad enough I can no longer see the traffic for my page or stories, the big fat 0 views have made it discouraging to say the least.

But recently I have tried to upload the new chapter and it just didn't take, I've gone to several down server pages that had almost everyone saying the same thing. Something is up with fanfiction but worry not, the story will continue.

Please remember that voting for the writers' award has started, and I would just be tickled pink to win something like that. That being said it's obviously not necessary and your continued support of this work is all the thanks I need, but if you find you have extra time and a tumblr page... well.

Anyhow, carry on, happy readings everyone!