Hope beads on her skin like the dew on spring grass as she tightened her grip on the thick vines. She can feel it radiating in her blood while she climbed. Even though the dusk is still some time away, there is a light in her heart that was missing only yesterday. Right now, it is a spark of hope, a ray of sunshine yet to be born, but it is there, and she can feel it. It is a feeling she hasn't had in so long that it feels as foreign as it is welcome.
Kagome could feel something change in the air as her fingers pressed into the ridges and grooves that swirled with the shape of the Well. The feeling sits on her like a pillow over her mouth and nose. Enough air to get by, allowing her body to keep functioning, but it's crippling all the same. This fear is her challenge and her demon to slay, for it will come until she did, unannounced and gnarly. The only way out is to order her brain to function, to demand solutions instead of this circling anxiety. So though it feels as if her bones have no more strength and her muscles are all out of power, she still pushes herself out of the Well.
Feet firmly planted on the ground, she looked up at the sky, the dome of their existence. She sees no balance there, livid black clouds reared up like a cobra readying for the attack. The violent wind whipped her black hair around her face, demanded to be seen. Carnage followed, the trees did not sway, they creak, bend and moan as if their limbs were being ripped away and their dry leaves become not confetti, but ammunition in the gale. The wind screamed like a banshee, uprooting plants and leaves in a fit of ever-consuming rage.
Her palms were sweaty, and the adrenaline coursing through her veins was shutting down her capability to reason. She wanted to run, the dread was pushing against her like an invisible wind, attempting to reverse her steps back to her world. It had her stomach locked up tight, nothing getting in or out, but instead, she stayed right where she was.
Something is happening here...
She clenches her fists tightly until her nails dig into the palm of her hand, but she barely notices. Kagome's eyes were trained on some invisible specters in the clouds, her heavy eyelids a fraction too slow to blink, her irises too fixed. It was as if her brain was experiencing a massive short circuit and was struggling to compute. The only thing she is aware of is the sound of her heart throbbing against the cage of her chest.
Adrenaline floods Kagome's system, it pumps and beats like it's trying to escape. She feels like her heart will explode; her eyes remain wide with fear. Her body wants to run fast for safety or to fight, but instead, she stayed where she was. Let's face it, there is really only one thing she can do: Pray no one kills her. She wants to take one great leap off the pressure and run to safety. Her adrenaline surges so fast she feels like she could almost vomit, she can taste saliva thickening in her throat and beads of sweat running down her brow. At some point, she'll have to move, and she'll have to live with what she gets. And all she gets is a bow and arrow. No Sango, Miroku, Shippō. No Inuyasha.
She slowly readies her bow, keeping her eyes locked in the woods that surround her. She feels a strange sort of peace rising within her. This bow has been her steady partner all these years, safe at her side. The arrows it launches fly straight and true, always right on target. She would feel less at ease walking these forests without it, some things become a part of you over time.
The arrow in her hands speaks to her with Kaede's words, "Should killing ever be fun... stop. Leave it to another with deeper spiritual roots. Life is sacred, and without that, we would be the monsters." In her palms, it is but a twig, yet with the bow, it is quite deadly. She felt it in her soul, and find only love for creation, for all animals and plants, and a soft regret that she had to kill. Yet it is necessary to keep healthy those she loved, and she is a defender of those who cannot defend themselves.
The path at Kagome's feet fades as it leads into the darkness of the woods, yet follow it, she had to for the sake of the village. Somewhere in, there are the answers she needs, and so her feet follow the narrow strip of naked earth among the giants of root and leaf. Her hands touch their skin as she passed, feeling their gentle spirits soothe her own. For this is their world as they stretch toward the light, they never see, yet sense.
Out on the rolling skyline, a couple of miles away, a lance-like ray of blue-white light shot up into the gathering dusk in an irregular pentagon half a mile across, blended into one by the distance. An instant later, there was a blinding flash, like sheet-lightning.
A solid shockwave slammed into her, sending her toppling backward. Falling down as she felt the air become thicker in demonic energy. A dark aura enveloped her as she felt her body grow cold.
Out of this shock, Kagome crouched, she felt herself experiencing a mass of terrible sensations: the fearful blast of that light, the noise of trees breaking, the piercing howl of demons and animals, the sudden sound, the awful engulfing whirlpool of horror in the forest.
"What was that…" Her voice was trembling. The noises engulfed her, ultimately capturing her brain, rendering any logical thought or conclusion impossible. She couldn't really describe the terror that assaulted her, any more than she could explain how much pain was in her stomach. No… That was because she was afraid. It was absolutely impossible to be relaxed.
Breathe, Breathe.
One.
"Where is..." Her palms were sweaty, and she wanted to run. She glanced around, trying to find the source of the noise. Kagome made no sound, the only thing that was heard was that of horror. It was a nightmare.
Her legs twitched as she reached out and felt around for her bow, keeping her eyes on the sound. She found it behind her, as she had expected, a few inches away from her feet. She gripped it tight, searching for her breath. If she could find it, she might have time to get off the ground.
There was only one way she was going to do this. As soon as she could, she pushed herself on her feet. She took a breath and forced herself to stand up straight.
Two.
The fear traveled in Kagome's veins but never made it to her face. Her complexion remained pale and matted; her eyes steady as she lined up her shot. She never thought something unseen would shake her very foundation. Soon she was in an attack position, breaking from the shadow in one movement. She knew it was best to fire right away, but there was so much riding on this. To miss was to lose. She lowered the bow, then in a second, she retook aim as she heard it break from the bushes.
Three.
Here it comes.
She let out an understated sigh as she saw that the "demon" was nothing but a deer. It looked so frightened, and it'd lost all of its concern for its own safety, told by the wounds on its body, it just wanted to escape.
"It's not safe for you in here, you have to leave," Kagome spoke softly and pointed slowly behind her towards the Well, not to scare the animal any more than it already was. Then she bit her lip and nodded. It seemed to understand what she meant, and it gave a big sigh.
She watched the deer for what seemed like a lifetime, then the silence was broken when the deer bolted passed her; the soft soil was no match for its hooves, and in its wake, the grass was kicked up. Its head was extended forward, its ears flat back, and puffs of moisture escaped from its nostrils.
A short time passed, the pounding of hooves echoing in her ears still linger. She looked up at the clouds above her oozed and billowed across the sky, casting the forest into shadowy darkness. A jagged bolt of lightning ripped the sky in half, and she began to run, wincing as each icy raindrop pierced her skin. She needed to get to the village. This would be her last chance to survive, and she would have to get there.
Hearing the cracking twigs and leaves underfoot, Kagome clutched her fists tightly, moving forward. The pain soon came as she collided with something. She felled to the ground, swinging her weapon wildly to defend herself. Her shin ached painfully from the impact, but the pain didn't stop. In her case, it was all about stopping the enemy.
A hand appeared from nowhere and tightened on her wrist, white-knuckled, secure, stopping the swing of her bow. She turned to fight it, but the wind rippled, sending black hair in her face, her eyes went wide when she saw the red cloth.
"Inuyasha...?" Brick by brick, her walls came tumbling down. The tears burst forth like water from a dam, spilling down her face. They roll silently into her cracked lips, salty and cold. She can never fathom why the Gods would give her someone so good. It was cruel that the sun continues to rise in her era, to welcome in each new day devoid of his laughter or even his grumpy complaints and sarcastic commentary. She wanted to hear him snort at something stupid she did or tease the cat. She wanted him there with her, she wanted him by her side.
She missed him so much.
He dropped to his knees and pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her. His embrace was warm, and his big, strong arms seemed very protective when wrapped around her frail body. The world around them melted away as she squeezed him back, not wanting the moment to end.
"Kagome...," Inuyasha whispered into her ear, feeling her hands around his neck, entwining her fingers through the black strands of his hair like pools of the purest ink. He felt her soft skin and the gentle squeeze on his own. He bathed in her warmth and the smell of freshly laundered clothes.
She let her hands come to rest softly on his cheeks, watching, taking him in. She kissed his forehead. Her lips were soft and light, hot against his skin. Inuyasha felt lightheaded, and his heart skittered in his chest as he tensed his body, feeling the heat growing in his cheeks against her hands.
"It's good to see you again, Inuyasha." Inuyasha sighed contentedly, pushing his face into her hand. They were together again, finally after so long. This feeling was enhanced in his human form, he missed her terribly. Besides this condition, he was now with the human that he had loved so dearly. He stretched out his hand and brushed her hair away from her face.
"What happened to you?" He raised her up, setting her on her feet. She blinked at him, the shock gone as she took a lock of his hair in her hand, examining it. She shot him a look of disbelief, and he scowled, pulling the hair from her.
"A Yōkai did this." He told her, looking at the lock. He had one responsibility. He had to follow through and get Kagome to a safe place. It wasn't secure until that Yōkai was dead. For Inuyasha, that meant reaching the village. He sighed and wrapped a tender hand around Kagome's hand, giving her a gentle squeeze. He felt her look down and back up, a light blush creeping on her face.
"A Yōkai? Were there two? What was that other demonic energy?" She snapped herself out of her blush and wore a puzzled expression while looking back at the forest they were in, she sensed something earlier, perhaps that was the demonic energy. In that case, later, she felt the energy surging and mixing from two different sources.
That question stunned Inuyasha, who was holding his breath. But he remained calm. He couldn't help but wonder how Kagome would react once he tells her. It would be tough for her to believe him at first, but it would be worse to keep her in the dark.
"Kagome." Stopping, he whispered to her, the rain fell as if it knew of the hardships both behind and ahead.
The pattering of the rain, a soothing sound, suddenly turns into drumbeats on the rooftop. The sky turns black, and life comes to a stop. Kagome couldn't see the road outside as rain poured off the roof like a waterfall. Lightning strikes the trees, tearing them apart. She could hear her heart pound against her chest, having only candles giving them light as everything outside drowned.
"Wow, it's still pouring. I wonder if Miroku and the others are taking shelter from the rain too." She said as she peeked her head outside. The hair on her arms stood on end as she stood alone, the cold air licking at her skin. She looked over her shoulder to Inuyasha's direction, while an empathetic look appeared on her face.
A muscle twitched at the corner of his right eye; his mouth formed a rigid expression. With arms folded tightly across his broad chest as he sat on the futon, all the while, staring at the old wall. This was his primary defense mechanism. That sort of impenetrable routine. This was the armor he wore when the day to day outbursts of anger, or frustration, reached an equilibrium.
He's different, not just his appearance but his mood too. Ever since he told her about what happened with that Yōkai, he's seemed troubled.
The Yōkai had spoked a strange spell, then a piercing screech pushed a negative invisible force towards him, and his torso was suddenly pressed in by enormous pressure. With the atmosphere becoming hot with the black flames, the collision left him stunned. He quickly pushed his consciousness out, tried to swallow the unconsciousness in his throat, but he was unable to breathe.
He could feel his heartbeat, every single pound in his chest. Not through his ears, that was occupied by the wild wind, drowning it out. This great pounding, this enormous pressure; every beat. He couldn't hear it, but he felt it.
But the blackness engulfed his thoughts.
He woke suddenly, but he can't think of why; his heart is pounding, mind empty. It's as if a hypodermic of adrenaline has been emptied into his carotid, he saw numerous light; in those lights, his retinas became flooded, and all he saw was white. The light seared into his eyes like the sun, once the heat and light had gone, he was left in the most complete darkness he had ever known.
He rubbed his eyes, trying to get his vision back, but nothing could be seen. He began to panic. He must be blinded, he thought desperately, but nothing made sense, as everything slowly became red in his peripheral vision. Suddenly, there was a sound in front of him, and when he turned around, he was able to make out someone standing there. The person had long silver hair, and two pointed ears were sticking out of his head.
He instantly became nervous, as his vision cleared; he saw himself. Then he looked down and saw that his claws were gone, his hair now black.
He was human.
He watched himself dropped to his knees with his shoulders slumped like an empty shell as the wind blew with a powerful passion, swirling around his hair like a thick foam. His arms and body were pushed back by the force of the wind, and suddenly, he looked frozen.
And that was his Yōkai.
The momentum of the wind became strong, changing direction entirely. His hair was flying up in the air, overturn with the wind. In an instant, the grass broke apart; the situation was on the verge of chaos.
That's when a chill went down his spine, all he could focus on was his face. Lines formed above his cheeks, purple, mirroring each other. The whites in his eyes glowed as they turned red, and his iris glared blue. His eyes were narrowed, rigid, cold, hard. They were filled with suspicion and a little more than wild. It was like looking into the depths of the unknown and not the underlying reality of it.
His Yōkai looked at her, his eyes flashed with indignance and anger, much like lightning on a pitch-black night. She'd crossed some invisible line, offended his sensibilities with her presents. He'd seen her, smelled her. He'd seen her bloody hands and, again, saw the blood on the ground next to her.
"Find her. I'll kill this bitch." He growled, watching him with serious eyes. With a grin, he looked back to her, cracking his claws. At that moment, Inuyasha wasn't sure what he meant by "her," but now he knew. He caught Kagome's scent, which was why he got threaten by the woman.
Inuyasha nodded in acknowledgment. There was nothing he could do against her, not in this state, at least. He noticed his Yōkai bolt, leaving a blurred trail of color, almost vanishing entirely from view.
He glanced around, looking for him, that's when his Yōkai appeared right in front of her. He threw his body weight behind the fist that edged closer to her face, it hit her jaw with such force blood pooled into her mouth, sending her flying. She slammed against a massive tree, her entire body trembling as her hair stuck to her face.
"Mama always says I'm mischievous, I just say I've got an eye for fun." She'd bit the edge of her smile like she had a funny idea in her head, a vain attempt to keep her creeping grin at bay. The trail of blood dripped from her lips soon disappeared into the forest floor, the reddish-brown drops utterly invisible to the human eye. For a moment, he just watched her. But then, her eyes shifted between the two, nothing. A nightmarish look set across her features; her face broke into a smile that was haunting.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome's words pulled him from the thought, her eyes showed the kind of gentle concern his mother used to have. She laid her hand lightly on his cheek, and instead of flinching like he usually did when he was human, he was soothed by it. He placed his hand against her cheek and rested his forehead against hers. His body seemed to relax as he settled in, resting his hand against her neck.
He found her.
She was safe.
She came back to him.
She blushed, not only on her cheeks, but her whole face turned red. Though her ears had been hidden among the messy locks of her hair, it was apparent that they were as rosy as her face. She wasn't used to seeing Inuyasha this gentle, this intimate. This was nothing like the nightmare, this was him, this was her Inuyasha. He wouldn't dare hurt her; she didn't have to fear him.
Inuyasha gently leaned in, his lips nearly brushing hers when she felt the demonic energy vanished. Kagome jerked back, away from him. She felt something struck inside her heart. The second one remained, the demonic power, the darkness wrapped around her body, becoming almost tangible, and a string of nerves burst from the deepest part of her causing her to tremble. Inuyasha watched her, feeling the same power she was.
"It's him, isn't it?" She looked over her shoulder towards the door, her voice trembling.
"Yes, it's him, he won't hurt you," Inuyasha answered in a gentle voice as he looked past her, to the door.
Kagome pushed herself from the floor, sauntering towards it, pausing when she heard a thump from outside. She was apprehensive. It is the jolt she needed to know that she was walking into a storm, but not so much that her steps will be hindered. If anything, it gives her the courage she needs to make them, knowing that she safe.
She slowly peels back the straw curtain and let out a gasp. Her eyes wide as her hand covered her mouth, her knees tensing, her body going rigid.
Forever she will be in that moment, his hands scarlet and sticky. The blood flowed thickly over his fingers, while a sickness crawled within her as she watched him use the running rainwater from the roof to wash the stains off of his claws. This was her nightmare. Was that her blood? She was starting to panic until her mind quickly took control and refused to let her go down that path again.
She tried to focus again, really looking at him. He didn't seem like the normal Yōkai when Inuyasha lost control before. He seemed somehow more civil, like Sesshōmaru and not just a blood lust beast. She couldn't help the glances she was taking at him, watching him try to decide what to do. She noticed his ear twitched towards her; it was a reflex to her movement.
"Inu...yasha," She whispered. Her eyes nervous as he faced her, glancing at her.
"Kagome, I thought I lost you." His face turned from utter nonchalance like he was just spacing out to relaxed with a smile. He's smiling - smiling as if something good were about to happen. The world falls through her feet. Good for him is likely bad for me. Very bad.
"I was feeling lonely that you were gone." It looked like he was toying with her, almost teasing her with his stare. No wonder she felt so much more aware of this "Inuyasha" than the other. He reached up, one hand going for her face as he walked towards her. She flinched, averting her eyes as she took a step back.
"What happened? No! Don't tell me! We are going to fix this." She shook her head, uncomfortable, disapproving her own question, and trying to get the image of blood out of her mine simultaneously. She pushed her hands out in front of her, taking another step back, not wanting him to get too close. But it didn't help. He was right next to her, and she couldn't look away from him.
"Of course, now that you are back. I'm going to show you all the things I was too scared to do before. Now that I don't have anything holding me back, I'm going to fuck up your world." He pulled her hard against his body, looking down at her with hungry eyes.