Chapter 37

To a Head

"Now!"

Again, Kagome dropped the barrier just as Sango and Miroku launched another wave of attacks. And, again, they took a step back.

It was always a step back. Bit by bit, they drew closer to the village. It was so close, Kagome could count the people lining the settlement's edge, weapons in hand to fight.

They were too close. Terror tightened Kagome's throat as she struggled to swallow through the new barrier she erected. They'd managed to cut many of the soldiers down but there was still so many of them. Would the village be able to fight them? Would any be able to escape? Run into the forests and find sanctuary someplace else?

Her grandpa? No. Souta? Maybe if he was smart-enough. Mom?

Kagome's chin trembled at the horror of her mother caught in this fight. Why couldn't they get rid of more of them?

"Now!"

Again, she dropped it and stepped back. They didn't have many more chances left. Soon the village will have no choice but to go into combat. She'd tried. She really did. Kagome just hoped she'd be able to spare as many as possible.

She had to protect her family. And, Koga.

"Now!"

Drop. Step back.

Kagome had no idea what had happened to Koga but she wasn't letting anything happen to him. He'd protected her through all of this and she wasn't running this time. This time, she was staying. Koga needed her and she wasn't going anywhere.

"Now!"

Drop. Step back.

She was tired of running. It didn't do any good. Every step of the way, Naraku brought nothing but pain and death in his wake. And, he wasn't going to stop. No-matter where she went.

"Now!"

Drop. Step back.

No more. She was done with this game! If Naraku wanted the Jewel, then he'd have to come and take it!

"Get ready!" Kagome heard not far behind her, causing her to grit her teeth.

This was it. The final chance they had. Kagome looked from Miroku to Sango and all three nodded in stern understanding. No-matter what, this had to matter.

"Now!"

Kagome was prepared. She was ready to give everything she had till there was nothing left. What she wasn't prepared for was the sudden whooshing of wind rushing right in front of her face the moment her barrier dropped.

Hair flew behind her and her breath froze as she watched the clay soldiers shatter before her eyes. The air's pull was to the side but barely a breath or two passed before that same wind rushed before her again.

Blinking in shock, Kagome stumbled backwards as more clay parts crumbled to join the previous piles. Again and again, it happened.

The wind continued in its mad rushing dash until a consistent whirlwind seemed to have surrounded the village, making pile after pile of the broken clay soldiers.

"Wh-what?" Sango huffed as she tried to catch her breath.

Miroku stared just as baffled. However, Kagome couldn't help but throw her head back in a victorious laugh.

"It's Koga," she breathed, relief causing tears to prick the corners of her eyes. "It's Koga!"

A thunderous cheer roared through the village as the winds reached near to tornado size, wrapping about the entire village like a protective shield.

Kagome could barely caught her breath as the winds whipped around her, pulling at her clothes and hair. Every so often, she caught a flash of blue in the stinging torrent that could only be Koga's bright eyes.

He was there. He kept his word to protect them all. And, if the constant crashes were any indication behind the roar of the wind, he was reducing the soldiers to rubble.

"Did he make it?" Hakkaku huffed as he raced over beside Kagome. "Is he….?"

"Yes," Kagome replied, not even bothering to look away from the swirling wind. "Yes, it's him."

The relieved sigh from Hakkaku had Kagome turning to thank him. However, Kagome froze as she stared at his bruised and blackening eye.

"What happened to your face?" she asked, reaching towards him in concern.

However, Hakkaku just shrugged it off, focused entirely in the whirlwind. "Doesn't matter."

Kagome was about to argue however, the wind suddenly stopped, snapping her wide eyes back to Koga's lone form, pieces of remaining clay raining down about him.

Eyes glowing, shoulders heaving, claws curled in exerted preparation, he looked every bit the wolf he was. In any-other scenario the sight would have every person there running in absolute terror.

Instead, they all stared in awed silence as Koga struggled to calm his breathing, bringing himself back. And, Kagome had never seen a better sight in her life.

Rushing to reach him, Kagome's smile slightly slid when she got a closer look at his face.

Breathing deeply through his nose, Koga had managed to get himself under control about the time she reached him. The hurried pounding of footsteps following was ignored as Kagome took in the blackening bruise spreading across Koga's jaw and mouth.

"Hey," he greeted with his usual cocky ease.

"Hey," Kagome returned. "What happened to your face?"

"Doesn't matter," both Koga and Hakkaku behind her answered at once, causing Kagome to look quickly between them.

However, it was obvious neither was willing to go further into their respective injuries. Kagome sighed in irritating acceptance. Apparently, men had their secrets.

SSS

Ginta didn't think he'd ever ran so fast in his life. Even tailing behind Koga didn't inspire this level of sheer desperation as he struggled to race back to the village.

He couldn't believe he'd wasted so much time. But, already, he could feel the slight tug in the air that could only be his Alpha's whirlwind. Koga must be in battle, now…..or about to be.

"Ginta!" Shipo called in his squeaky tone up above.

However, the hunter ignored the kit shape-shifter as he leapt over another fallen tree. How many of these did those clay soldiers leave in their wake?

The kit had changed into his outlandish pink floating ball, the elderly priestess perched firmly, if not slightly uneasily, on the top of his head. After Ginta had rushed off to help his Alpha, the kit had apparently decided this was the better way for them all to stay close.

Ginta just wanted to get back to the others.

"Ginta!"

That long climb up, a disgusting fight with poisonous bugs, and they had nothing to show for it. But, with any luck, they'd be able to spare the village from too much damage. Maybe save a few from the complete destruction of their home.

"GINTA!"

Nearly falling over his own foot, the hunter scrambled to stay upright as he pressed a hand to his chest. Kami, the kit could shout.

"What?" he huffed upward, shielding his eyes against the stiff wind.

"The village," Shipo squeaked, wide eyes bulging. Although, whether from terror or effort, who knew?

But, the delay still had Ginta's throat tightening. "What about the village?" he demanded.

"It's…." And, yet, the kit refused to finish.

Chuffing in frustration, Ginta raced off through the cleared tree path, ignoring the calls from the kit. When he broke through the forest edge though, he blinked in stunned relief.

The last remnants of a mammoth whirlwind was dying down to barely more than a light breeze. And, while the outskirts of the village was completely surrounded by mounds upon mounds of shattered soldiers, there wasn't a single house out of place. The village was safe, entirely untouched.

Even from the slight distance, Ginta could spy Koga's familiar form as he stood proud and tall before the approaching crowd.

All the air rushed out of Ginta's lungs as he leaned against a nearby tree. By the looks of things, Koga had done it. He'd saved them all. Again.

Ginta almost wanted to laugh at the thought. Of course, Koga saved them all. It was what he did.

Shipo slowly floating down, the pink ball popping like a bubble in a puff of smoke right before he and the old woman came up beside the relieved hunter.

"He did it," Kaede breathed. "Koga did it."

"Of course, he did," Ginta answered, an easy smile pulling at his lips as he watched the crowd of villagers surround him.

This was what his Alpha deserved: the respect and honor of a hero.

"We better hurry, then," Kaede informed, as she and the kit continued towards the village.

Ginta took a moment to compose himself before he started to follow. To see his leader welcomed by the humans, to see them smile and pat him on the back was more than he could ever hope for. The acceptance and joy on their faces was surely enough to prove Koga belonged amongst them. It had to.

With an amused shake of his head, Ginta started to make his way to the village, careful to step over the shattered pottery with utmost care.

Cheered and congratulations filled the air as he reached the growing crowd of humans, Koga and Kagome standing at the very center of it all.

Ginta smiled as he saw the look in his Alpha's eyes. To Koga, there was no-one else about but Kagome. She was all he focused on, all he cared to notice.

This was nothing new to Ginta. However, the look in Kagome's eyes had the hunter freezing in hopeful anticipation. Was it just him or….was she looking at Koga the same way?

Could it be? Would she finally…..

However, before the hunter could finish his thought, Kagome reached up and, before what had to be every member of her village home, leaned up and pressed her mouth to Koga's in a welcome, warm kiss.

The answering cheer filled Ginta's ears with a ringing buzz, and his shoulders slumped with glorious relief.

'Thank the Ancestors for that.'

SSS

The soft humming from the nearby trees caused Naraku to turn his head towards the lone saimyosho flitting back him. Like a trained pet, the insect perched on his fur-cloaked shoulder and started a rapid series of whirs and clicks against his ear.

"Did he?" Naraku asked smoothly. "Very well."

Rising to his feet, he slowly made his way to the smoke-ruined remnants of the witch's hovel, the insect hovering about his head.

"It was a gamble to begin with," Naraku mused aloud as he kicked the charred doorframe to the side. "But, at least, the kit can follow instructions."

Before letting the trembling kitsune skitter away, he'd ordered the kit to not let anything be taken from the witch's home. He didn't care how but failure wasn't an option.

Truth be told, it had also been a test. And, thankfully, the kit had passed. Now, he had a minion amongst the ookami's own pack. And, when the time was right, the kit would bring Naraku his ultimate prize.

But, first, it was time to reap his current rewards. The whole point of this entire endeavor.

Naraku only hoped Urasue was as good as she was rumored to be. Otherwise, he was definitely going to be put out.

A quick glance to the side, Naraku spotted the half-charred handle of the witch's long shovel. Her most precious tool.

With an amused quirk of his mouth, he reached smoothly for the handle and turned the head around as he approached the tall smoking mound.

No-matter what, this had better been worth it.

A hard crack against the upper shell was all it took. The strike was swift and sure but the cracks spread across the packed dirt shell in a web-like pattern. A bright glow peeked through the edges till miniscule pieces of clay and bone clattered down the sides to the ground.

Naraku remained still as he watched a still, lone figure start to stir in the center of the earthen egg before slowly lifting a head of long black hair and turning in his direction.

Something akin to joy flared in Naraku's chest as he grinned in bone-deep satisfaction.

"Hello, Kikyo."

(To Be Continued...)

(To all my wonderful readers: Fear not! I'm still continuing this series of stories with Wolf and Miko Part 5. However, there is a hole in the story. A big gaping one that I intend to repair first. So, the next installment will be the story of Koga and Kagome's handling through the previous winter in their respective SEPARATE hiding places. So many questions shall be answered: How did Koga get Goraishi? When did Kagome admit to her feelings? Why was Ginta moody? What about the Northern tribe? Who caught Sango? Where's Kirara? I assure you, it will all be answered and be worth it. So, join me on the journey of Wolf and Miko 3.5 Thank you. )