A/N: This piece is written for a competition in Gaiaonline held by BL!SS. Comments are welcomed and appreciated!
Silence. The darkness of the night, illuminated by the bright moon, stretched far across the lands of Feudal Japan and nothing stirred, save for the crickets and occasional ripples of water. From time to time, the wind sighed and danced, but only softly as if they were afraid they might disturb the leaves and grass down below. Not many would notice such a peaceful night – especially not if they had never paid attention to the night time before. But of course, why should one pay attention to the night when there was always something to look forward to in the future?
Somewhere in the North, beneath a large tree, a set-up fire flickered, almost dead but still giving warmth to the group gathered around it. A monk, a demon-slayer, a cat demon, a fox demon, a young priestess and a half-demon – all gathered around though most were asleep. In the far corner, Sango was resting with her demon companion Kirara while not far beside her, Kagome slept, her arm around Shippo. Miroku sat near the fire, always calm and full of thought. He placed a few more logs into the burning fire, allowing the flames to expand somewhat before turning his gaze to the half-demon – also sitting, but lurking in the shadows.
"Inuyasha." Miroku prompted him. He glanced over to Kagome and Sango for a moment before turning back to look at the fire, waiting for an answer.
It came soon enough. Looking up, Inuyasha fixed a stare at the monk, raising his eyebrows. "Yeah?" He asked. Usually, Miroku would say more than just his name, so this has to be good…
Miroku fed another log to the fire. After making sure that it was alive enough to last for a while, Miroku turned to the half-demon. "About Naraku. We've heard a lot of rumours about him lately and even more about the horde of demons which appeared continuously in the sky. I have a feeling that the end might come soon." He said thoughtfully, moving his gaze away slightly so that part of his fringe covered his eye. "Maybe we should split up into two groups and find out for sure on what's going on…" He suggested.
Inuyasha raised his eyebrows. "Naraku's out there somewhere…" He agreed. "Splitting up might not be the best of ideas, but I know what you mean." He answered.
The monk nodded again. "Yes. I was thinking that if I move with Sango, you can move with Kagome. I'm sure Shippo would choose on who he wants to come with, but it might be best for him to come with us so that you two can search the lands." He said wisely. "And… I'm sure you want to protect Kagome." Miroku added quietly.
He snorted. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Haven't you sworn from the start that you wanted to protect Kagome? And be a full-blooded demon, Inuyasha? If the end is close and those demons are truly going to assist Naraku, then this will be dangerous – even for Kagome."
"So what are you saying; that I should let Kagome go back into her own era where it's safe?" Inuyasha asked hotly. "Look, Miroku, I know what Naraku is capable of – I know what he could do, but I promised Kagome that I want to protect her and I intend to keep that promise. Naraku might be dangerous, but I need Kagome by my side to sense the jewel shards in him – if not, he might never be killed." The half-demon finished, looking away.
Miroku sighed in defeat. He had expected as much from Inuyasha – perhaps splitting up might not be good for Kagome's safety, but it should do well for their relationship. Since Kikyo's death, he noticed (after Sango pointed it out) that the two hadn't really been that close to each other like they usually were. It was one of Sango's ideas that they might leave the two alone for a while – and for once, Miroku agreed. He stood up and walked over to the side, giving Inuyasha a small smile. "You decide what's best for her, Inuyasha." He said finally. With that, Miroku laid down on the hard ground and closed his eyes, soon asleep.
The half-demon grunted in reply, but he said nothing. He didn't know that Kagome was awake, listening to their every word. And that the conversation made her wonder on what she really was in the eyes of Inuyasha. Am I… just a tool to gather the jewel shards for Inuyasha…? She asked herself mentally. Kagome bit her lips slightly and closed her eyes, drifting back to an uneasy sleep.
When she woke up, it was already dawn. Kagome stirred and opened her eyes, gazing at the shadow which she knew was Inuyasha. She raised her eyebrows, noticing that his eyes were open. "Inuyasha?" She called out softly at him.
"Get some sleep. It's still early and we're moving out first thing." Inuyasha muttered, no doubt still affected by Miroku's words.
"You'll be here, won't you?" Kagome asked.
He spared a look at her before moving his eyes back to the fire. "Of course."
Kagome nodded and laid back down into her sleeping bag, closing her eyes. Of course he'll be there… Inuyasha always keeps watch on the whole group… Kagome thought to herself, her breathing calm. Always, she realised, the half-demon would stay awake while the rest of them slept, making sure that there were no demons to attack or take advantage by their low defences. Of course, Kagome knew that demons needed less sleep and food compared to humans, but Kirara and Shippo both slept a lot – but Inuyasha, being a half-demon, almost never sleeps at all. It made her worried.
Yet, her worries were soon gone as she drifted off again into her sleep.
"So, when do you think we should meet up?" Miroku asked, raising his eyebrows. He walked over to Sango and turned to face Inuyasha and Kagome, still not entirely convinced that the half-demon was doing the right thing. But of course, he said nothing.
Inuyasha shrugged lightly. "I don't know. As soon as we find a whiff of Naraku, I suppose. If we meet up, we meet up – if not, then just fight him off. I mean, if Naraku is going to show up, it's bound to attract a lot of attraction – it's hard to miss him." He said pointedly, crouching slightly so that Kagome could climb on his back. Once she was balanced steadily on his back, he gripped her legs tight and straightened as she placed her arms around his neck.
"Right. We'll be searching in the North before moving to East. You might want to cover the other two. Just in case, meet up at Kaede's in two weeks." Miroku said, receiving a nod from the whole group.
"Got it." Kagome answered confidently. They were all ready to face the worst. "I gave Sango some medicinal herbs and food from my era – we should be alright." She smiled.
Sango nodded. "Don't worry about us, Kagome. We'll be fine." She answered.
"Don't die." Inuyasha smirked. With that, he took off to the South as Sango, Miroku and Shippo made a move to go further into the North. Kagome spared one last glance at them before turning to look ahead, resting her chin on Inuyasha's shoulder. The half-demon's golden eyes looked at her for a moment but he said nothing, making her wonder. What's he thinking about…? She asked herself mentally. But no matter how sharp Inuyasha's ears were, they weren't sharp enough to hear her thoughts.
Not long afterwards, with slight embarrassment, Kagome realised that Inuyasha's grip on her was tighter and they were moving swifter than ever. She opened her eyes slowly, realising that she had fallen asleep when Inuyasha was carrying her. Mentally, Kagome cursed herself. It must've been uncomfortable for Inuyasha to carry me while I was asleep like that. And to think that I might have sensed the presence of a Jewel Shard! She groaned.
Inuyasha's ears perked up and he gave a small smile. "So, you've finally woken up, eh Kagome? I said you should have slept earlier." His voice was hard as usual, eyes focused straight ahead.
Kagome frowned. "I'm sorry – I guess I must've dozed off while you were running." She said sincerely. When he didn't reply, Kagome leaned forwards, placing her hands on his shoulders so she could peek at his face. "Inuyasha?" She asked.
"What is it, Kagome?" He answered, jumping down from a cliff.
Kagome buried her face into his shoulder for a moment until Inuyasha made another leap. "Can you smell anything? Any demons?" She asked.
"Not a thing. Naraku must be hiding somewhere deep – whatever it is, I don't like it. We've passed enough villages earlier which looked as if demons had attacked it. There was no time to give them a proper burial, but I did sense that we're following the right trail. With each village, the smell of blood got stronger." He said calmly, but also angry.
Kagome nodded slowly. Perhaps it was better that she had fallen asleep earlier – if she had been conscious, no doubt she would have told Inuyasha to stop and help the villagers. In a way, Kagome was both relieved and disappointed, but they needed to kill the source of the destruction first and worry about the ones affected later. Inuyasha jumped again and Kagome held his shoulders, but it was plain that releasing them would do no such difference – he was holding her so tightly anyway. As he ran, Kagome suddenly gasped in surprise.
"Inuyasha! I sense the presence of the Shikon Jewel shards! It's coming straight at us!" She cried out loud.
"No wonder. I can smell Naraku's disgusting scent from here. Kagome, hold on tight." Inuyasha answered.
Kagome noticed a hint of worry in his tone and she nodded firmly, but the presence was coming along too fast. Without warning, the ground suddenly burst under them and they were flung away at a terrifying speed.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed.
"Kagome!" With a quick move, Inuyasha landed on his right foot and he kicked the ground, catching the girl. They both landed onto the hard ground, Kagome wrapped securely around the half-demon's arms. Feeling as though he was dragged across the rough surface, Inuyasha gritted his teeth and his back slammed against something hard which, he thought, might be a large boulder. He was grateful that it was his back at least – if it had been his front, Kagome would no doubt be injured by now.
Silence filled the air for a moment and Kagome peeked through her closed eyes, gasping in surprise. "Inuyasha? Inuyasha! Are you alright?" She asked, shaking him.
"Yeah." He answered, releasing her from his embrace. They sat up and he rubbed the back of his head painfully.
Kagome looked around. "What was that?"
"Naraku. I don't know what the hell he's up to, but I can smell him all the way from here." Inuyasha growled stiffly. He stood, hoisting himself to his feet as he began to sniff the air. "Can you sense any jewel shards, Kagome?" He asked, moving further away as he tried to find the scent. Much to his dismay, it was getting fainter by the moment.
Kagome could only shake her head. "It's too faint. I can't sense it anywhere." She said in disappointment, standing straighter. Kagome looked around, trying to sense something, but it looked as if they were deserted. Her brows furrowed until a sudden sound behind her made her turn, scream out and launch herself to the side, followed by a large fire attack which would have burned her if she hadn't moved a split second earlier. "Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted.
"Wind Scar!" Inuyasha lashed out with his sword, taking the demon by surprise. "Kagome, get outta there!"
Kagome nodded firmly and came to her feet, scampering away. She looked up and examined the demon, sensing a powerful demonic aura. It was huge. The demon looked like some sort of dragon, attacking with its arms, legs, tail and mouth. Kagome bit her lips, worried. Dragon scales were supposed to be very powerful. Once or twice, she could see glimpses of the red haori Inuyasha wore.
"Inuyasha…" Kagome whispered, watching him. Please, let him be alright…
The demon howled and in the next minute, she could see it whipping his tail against the figure in the red haori, sending him flying back. "Inuyasha!" Kagome ran over to him as he pushed himself up. "Inuyasha, are you okay?"
Inuyasha kept his eyes on the demon. "Yeah. He reeks of Naraku's scent. Must be ordered to come here and I have no doubt that Miroku and Sango might be facing something like this themselves. Kagome, do you have your arrows?" He asked, turning to look at the young priestess.
She nodded. "Yes, I have them here."
"Good. Wait until I call you." He said firmly, jumping up. "Hey, ugly! You looking for me?" He smirked, running back to the demon.
The events after that happened in a flash – at least in Kagome's eyes. From time to time, on Inuyasha's command, she shot the arrows in various places, followed closely by Inuyasha's Wind Scar. Scales showered the half-demon as they were blasted away, covering him with small cuts everywhere. As Inuyasha lashed out, Kagome realised that she had one arrow left.
"Kagome, shoot your arrow! Aim straight at his body!"
"Right." She answered, taking the last arrow. Kagome pulled it back, eyes fixed on the spot, waiting for the right moment. It was their last hope and she wasn't going to miss like she had a few times earlier. "Hit the spot!" The arrow was released. She was dangerously near to where the demon was.
As the arrow travelled, Inuyasha ran after it, preparing his attack. The swing of Inuyasha's sword came at the same time as when the demon swung his tail, lashing out at Kagome who flew back with a sharp gasp. "Backlash Wave!" Inuyasha shouted, bringing his sword down with extreme force. The blast of wind came out, combined by the Sacred Arrow by Kagome and it enveloped the demon that trashed madly in his last attempts to escape. "Wind Scar!" Inuyasha commanded, finishing him off. It fell, showering the half-demon with its scales again, but by now, Inuyasha was accustomed to the pain. What pained him more was to see Kagome lying on the ground, unmoving with blood covering her right side. The half-demon's eyes widened in horror and he sheathed the Tetsusaiga, running to her.
"Kagome!" He dropped down beside her, shaking her gently. "Kagome, wake up!"
Her eyelids moved slightly and she opened them, peeking through to see the half-demon. "Uhm…. Inuyasha?" She mumbled as he held her. Her hand moved to her side instinctively and she winced. "What happened?"
"You were hit by the dragon. Come on, we'll find shelter somewhere." He said, tucking his sword in.
Inuyasha grabbed the yellow bag lying near and he wore it on his shoulders awkwardly before he stood, holding Kagome bridal-style in his arms. He could feel the blood soaking his haori and he frowned. Her head lolled to the side, resting against his chest as she whispered his name again, falling back to unconsciousness. Well, at least he didn't need to worry about getting distracted. Inuyasha looked around; deciding that somewhere in the depths of the forest would serve a better place for them to hide – not to mention the fact that he could find some medicine for her there.
He moved away swiftly, glancing down at her regularly until they eventually met another cliff, this one slightly higher than the previous. A large forest could be seen at the bottom and Inuyasha halted, staring down as he judged the moves he could take without injuring her. Deciding that it was manageable, he tightened his hold on her and jumped down, running once or twice until he landed on his feet, earning only the slightest of moans from the young priestess. Satisfied, Inuyasha sniffed around before continuing until he eventually found a deserted cave.
It wasn't what he wanted exactly, but it was better than nothing – at least the cave was deep. And as much as how Kagome had denied it in the past, Inuyasha was able to take care of himself, so the situation wasn't exactly harsh. Entering the cave, Inuyasha set her down, resting her on the ground before he removed his haori to cover her. That done, he sniffed around again to make sure that nothing dangerous was around before he exited the cave in search for wood and leaves.
It didn't take him long to make a bed for the priestess using some large leaves, but the fire was trickier, considering that the matches were hard to manage with his rough fingers. But with the last match, he did manage to light a fire, thankfully. At least the matches weren't as tricky as the bandages. At long last Inuyasha sat down against the wall of the cave, his Tetsusaiga resting against his shoulder. He bowed his head, covering his eyes with his fringe as he waited, deep with worry – but he wasn't about to admit that just yet.
Not far from him, Kagome was lying, a damp cloth on her forehead. Her brows were furrowed and a red haori protected her from the cold along with the warmth from the fire. Beside her, there were bandages and a bowl of clear water which Inuyasha had used to aid her earlier.
This would be a long night.
Kagome suddenly turned and looked around with her eyes, spotting Inuyasha against the wall. She could see his golden eyes open, but they were gazing down, not at her. It was always like that – Inuyasha keeping guard while the others were asleep. Though it offered her the sense of comfort and protection, she couldn't deny that she was still worried.
"Inuyasha…"
The half-demon looked up and was beside her in an instant. "Kagome. How're you feeling?" He asked. There was no doubt for the concern in his tone.
She smiled slightly. "I'm alright. Where are we?"
"Nearby cave. You were knocked out unconscious." He said, settling down beside her. Kagome nodded slowly and closed her eyes again. The half-demon blinked. "Kagome?"
"It's so cold."
Inuyasha rested the back of his hand against her cheek, realising that she was burning up – he had expected it earlier, but the realisation still bothered him. He sat, removing the damp cloth from her forehead, drenching it with water again. Inuyasha wrung it out and began to dab her face gently – it looked as if she fell asleep again. He continued the process for hours, earning one or two moans from her.
"Kagome, don't you die on me." Inuyasha growled under his breath, laying the back of his hand against her forehead for the hundredth time that night.
As she slept, he worked. It was a good thing that there were no demons nearby to interrupt their moves. The smell of blood was thick in the air, both from his scratches and from Kagome's now-bandaged wound. Inuyasha wrinkled his nose once or twice, but he was more worried about Kagome's condition to even bother to think about the smell around them. She stirred again some time during midnight and he raised his eyebrows.
"Kagome."
"Inu… yasha…"
"What is it?" He asked, leaning nearer as he placed the cloth on the ground.
She opened her eyes. "I'm sorry… to cause you a lot of trouble." She apologised.
"Feh, what are you talking about? Kagome, the first priority now is to get you better, understand?" Inuyasha scolded her gently.
"I'm glad that you're with me right now." Kagome admitted.
Inuyasha was surprised. His eyes widened slightly but it changed a moment later to a gentle look. With Kikyo killed by Naraku in Mt. Hakurei, he could be with her at ease. And though a large part of him went with Kikyo's death, Inuyasha couldn't help but admit that he did care for Kagome, no matter what.
"Kagome…" He whispered, taking her hand. Her fingers tightened weakly around his hand and Inuyasha looked down at her for a moment. Without much of a second thought, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers, eyes closed.
Inuyasha… A tear leaked from her eyes but she closed them promptly, wondering if she was dreaming. But… how can he? I mean Kikyo's gone, but…
They stayed like that for countless moments and Kagome even considered telling Inuyasha that she wanted to stay in the Feudal Era… with him. But she couldn't, could she? They had to search for Naraku and the Shikon Shards… at least.. that was what she heard him say to Miroku earlier.
Inuyasha withdrew slowly, eyes still locked with hers. Kagome averted his gaze for a moment, her pain clouded by the weird feeling she was feeling. No doubt, she would rather be here with him than being in any place in any time. For some reason, Inuyasha was looking at her expectantly as if he wanted her to say something, and yet, Kagome said nothing – but just for a moment. He didn't look embarrassed or regretful for what he had done and for that, Kagome gathered the strength to ask him.
She pushed herself up, supported by Inuyasha's arm which went instinctively around her back, holding her upright. "Inuyasha… that night… when you talked to Miroku…" She started. The half-demon raised his eyebrows – he hadn't expected that. Kagome looked at him. "Am I just a tool for you in search of the Jewel shards?" She asked.
Inuyasha raised his head slightly. What was she thinking? "Kagome…"
"I know it's a bit foolish to ask you, but I want to know. You know… to prepare myself when this finishes." She explained weakly.
He shook his head. "Kagome, you know you're more than that. We need you for the shards to kill Naraku, but…" He trailed off. Inuyasha wasn't accustomed to such gentle talks – and she knew that.
"Inuyasha…" She looked at him. "I want to be here with you. I love you… as who you are. It won't matter what form you're in…" She said, turning her gaze away.
"Kagome." Inuyasha embraced her then, burying her nose into her shoulder as tears leaked out from her eyes. "…I love you." He whispered, perhaps too softly, but Kagome heard him. It was all she needed to know. The fresh tears fell faster and Inuyasha moved slightly. This time, Kagome knew what was coming instead of being taken by surprise. Their lips met for the second time that night and she knew wherever he was, she would love him always. Especially as a half-demon.
A/N: I hope you all enjoyed that piece. Constructive criticisms are appreciated and welcomed, as well as random reviews. Until next time! -Zant.