InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Something to Protect - Echoes ❯ Evidence ( Chapter 3 )

 

Chapter Three

*~*~Evidence~*~*

 

 

 

Kagome couldn't imagine what had possessed her to go and try to talk to Inuyasha. Sheer stupidity she supposed. Or maybe she was crazier than she originally thought? I mean wasn't that the definition of insanity? Doing the exact same thing hundreds of times yet expecting different results?

 

Insanity would explain quite a few things in her life. Her only excuse was that when Kaede had agreed to help her with her training she'd been elated. If Kaede, a trained miko of nearly half a century, thought she had potential, then maybe she wasn't as inept as she'd initially thought.

 

With her newfound confidence she'd set out to find Inuyasha, determined to make him aware of her plans. She'd known he'd argue with her over it. She figured he'd think she was out of her mind, since she didn't particularly like to fight. Not much she could do about that, but she had been determined to at least make him listen.

 

The girl had been so angry at the time that her plan had been quite simple.

 

First locate Inuyasha. . . then sit him into oblivion for the comment he'd made earlier.

 

Okay almost made.

 

Then inform him of her decision while he writhed on the ground in agony.

 

Short.

 

Heartfelt.

 

And straight to the point.

 

Delivered in a way even Inuyasha was guaranteed to understand.

 

It had sounded great at the time.

 

She'd been convinced that that was the only way to restore her fragile dignity. Which was an important part of her plan if was actually had any intention of following through with it. But when she'd entered the clearing and stared up at him, exerting all of his effort to ignore her, she just couldn't do it. She hadn't an inkling why. God knows he deserved it.

 

Her anger had diminished gradually during her long trek through the forest, and by the time she'd located his red haori among Goshinboku's branches she just didn't feel like arguing with him any longer. Should have gotten here quicker.

 

Kagome guessed her grandfather had been right when he'd compared her anger to a candle's flame. Burning bright when it flared up, but put out easily by the slightest gust of wind.

 

Kagome pushed a low hanging branch out of the way, letting out a shriek when she misjudged how fast it would snap back and had to duck to avoid being slapped in the face. Real graceful, Kagome. She glanced over her shoulder self-consciously hoping Inuyasha hadn't witnessed her near mishap. She could already hear his “stupid girl” comments in her head. She released a sigh of relief when an insult wasn't hurled out at her.

 

He probably hadn't started following her yet. Your face being plastered to the ground tended to have that effect.

 

He always did come after her eventually, no matter how annoyed he pretended to be. She didn't sense anything.

 

Wait, I think I felt a flicker of something. . .

 

Inuyasha was probably a little ways behind her. He'd catch up to her in a minute or two.

 

Him being furious was pretty much a given.

 

She'd heard the loud thud signaling his crash to the ground, all the way from her current position in the woods.

 

Maybe I was a little harsh. Sitting him while he was in a tree, especially one as tall as Goshinboku, probably hurt like hell. It's not as if he hadn't deserved it though.

 

The youkai presence coming towards her through the forest caused her to wince.

 

Kagome let out an exasperated sigh. Expecting Inuyasha to drop out of a tree at any moment, and give her hell for leaving him, she glanced over her shoulder impatiently. She was concentrating so hard on figuring out where he would appear from, so he wouldn't scare the hell out of her, that she didn't notice the root protruding out of the ground in front of her.

 

Which probably saved her life.

 

Her foot connected and she pitched forward, sprawling onto the ground with a hiss of pain, as the malevolent presence washed over her.

 

W-What?! Kagome stared up in horror as the serpent youkai finished its strike, snapping at the place where she had been standing just moments before.

 

“The Shikon no Tama,” the reptile snarled irritated by its failed attack, “give it to me!”

 

Ignoring her initial instinct to freeze where she was she scrambled backwards wildly, reaching blindly for the arrows that had been scattered from her quiver when she'd fallen.

 

Where did it come from?!

 

Kagome watched in rising fear as the fifteen foot snake coiled itself with an angry hiss, and prepared for another strike. She let out a gasp of relief when her fingers closed around three of her errant arrows. Her bow!

 

She glanced around wildly for it, and spotted it at the foot of a tree.

 

About three feet away from the youkai that was even now springing to attack her!

 

Kagome dove to the side, clutching the arrows to her chest, not willing to lose her only weapon. She let out an involuntary cry, as the snake's fangs collided with the ground with a loud crack. Rolling swiftly Kagome made a mad scramble for the bow.

 

Her fingertips had just clasped around it as the serpent's heavy body came crashing down on her tender legs. Kagome released a wail of agony, and awkwardly notched an arrow.

 

Its fangs were no more than four feet away from her when she fired!

 

She sighed at the familiar release of energy, and smiled in satisfaction as the youkai disintegrated into nothingness with an earsplitting cry. Kagome groaned at the sudden release of her legs and stumbled slowly to her feet.

 

Her hands trembled briefly as she dusted the dark colered ashes from her clothing, hoping all the while that the charred stench wouldn't decide to make a home in her school uniform.

 

Ha, so I'm not completely useless.

 

She took a wincing step towards the village, her legs almost buckling from the pain. Kagome ran her hands through her disheveled hair in frustration. Maybe the snake youkai was a sign that her decision to train had been the right one. She had to admit that she did have some natural talent, and maybe with a little work she would be standing beside the others in battle, not behind them.

 

One thing was troubling her though.

 

Why wasn't I able to distinguish between the serpent's youki and Inuyasha's? She'd traveled with the him for quite some time, and in the last few months been able to determine his youki from others. A hanyou wasn't as easy to detect, as his power wasn't as obvious as the others.

 

So why had the serpent's youki been so faint?

 

Kagome decided to ponder these questions in the comfort of the village. If I ever make it to the village. She glared at her uncooperative legs.

 

She took another hesitant step, and managed to stay on her feet. The next step was not so fortunate though, as she fell to her hands and knees. Beautiful. With her luck she'd probably have to wait for Inuyasha to find her. Well at least I can rub in his face the youkai he didn't get a chance to kill. The somewhat evil thought brought a small smile to her features.

 

The sensation of the ground shifting washed away all joy from her face. Her first thought was that she'd overexerted herself. Am I really that injured?

 

Her eyes squinted in confusion as she felt the earth tremble again beneath her fingertips. What was that?

 

Kagome's eyes widened in shocked realization as the ground literally erupted beneath her! The force alone sent her airborne. Spinning constantly in what she deemed the most unaerodynamic way possible, she enjoyed a brief flight before landing roughly in a cluster of bushes.

 

Letting out a low moan as she sat up slowly, she blinked several times trying to decide if the sight before her was real. I must have knocked myself unconscious.

 

The snake that was coiled a few yards away made the serpent she had just killed look like a caterpillar. This thing resembled something out of a horror movie.

 

She watched it slither to what little remained of the smaller snake. The hiss that emitted from the youkai's enormous mouth sounded furious.

 

No wonder the first snake's youki had been so faint until it had attacked! It had been traveling underground!

 

Kagome backed away slowly, never rising from her crouched position. She struggled not to draw the serpent's attention, while clinging to her two remaining arrows.

 

The burning in her ankles increased, and she bit her lip to keep a pained squeak from escaping. Watching cautiously as the youkai's tongue flickered out repeatedly, as if trying to catch the scent of prey.

 

Kagome stared in shock as the beast swiveled its massive body in her direction, its beady eyes focusing on the clump of splintered bushes that was serving as her hiding place.

 

It couldn't possibly see her!

 

The frightened girl watched the snake lick the air once more experimentally, then release a gigantic hiss.

 

Could it?

 

“You!” the enraged youkai screamed.

 

Oh, Kami! It darted at her so fast that all Kagome could do was scream in terror, and raise her arms in a futile attempt to protect herself.

 

The collision sent her tumbling across the ground until she collided with the thick trunk of a tree with a loud smack. The impact was enough to jar her teeth loose.

 

The rough bark caught in the fabric of her already well worn clothing shredding holes dangerously close to her sensitive skin. She struggled to remain lucid, barely hearing the youkai's enraged accusation that she had killed its mate. Her vision was swimming before her, but not enough not to notice the scaly beast bearing down upon her again!

 

She drew in what could be her last breath, and let out a desperate scream that echoed off the trees in the surrounding forest.

 

“Inuyasha!”

 

The youkai paused mid-strike, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. Instead of descending upon her it wrapped itself around her and the tree, pinning her to it in a crushing grip.

 

“Inuyasha?” the youkai asked, staring down at Kagome as if debating whether to bite her head off or not.

 

His mouth opened revealing his poison dripping fangs. A drop of the yellow fluid about the size of Kagome's head fell from the youkai's mouth and landed on the trunk of the tree, about an inch away from the young girl's face.

 

The bark melted almost instantaneously with a sizzling pop.

 

Kagome's eyes widened as she struggled to reach one of the arrows that was currently pinned to her heaving chest. She wouldn't be able to fire it, but maybe she could manage to infuse it with enough purifying energy that she could get him to release her.

 

Her wiggling antics only caused the youkai to laugh down at her, as she grit her teeth in frustration.

 

Kagome didn't understand the pure terror that was attempting to overtake her. Exaggerating her senses and dulling them to her surrounding environment simultaneously.

 

She could feel its repulsive breath on her sensitive skin, causing her to shudder in revulsion, a true panic beginning to take hold of her.

 

She thrashed against the creature in earnest.

 

She knew she'd been in situations far more dangerous than this, but for a reason that she could not understand she'd never been more frightened in her entire life. Pure terror coursed through her as she desperately tried to recall a situation that had inspired this much fear.

 

Not when she'd first fallen through the well.

 

Not when she'd felt her spirit being ripped away from her body to resurrect Kikyou.

 

Not even when Inuyasha had given in to his youkai half and slaughtered those bandits in cold blood.

 

Her vision began to blur as anger began to mix into the torrent of her emotions.

 

Miroku and Sango would have no problem with this. What they constantly referred to as a “low level youkai.” The snake that was currently sending tremors of fear throughout her entire body was what Inuyasha considered a “leftover”.

 

And she was completely at its mercy.

 

The youkai was still speaking to her, she realized, but she couldn't hear him. She watched his mouth move, as the irrational sensation continued to hold her in its grasp.

 

One of his demands finally filtered into her panicked brain.

 

“Tell me more about the hanyou,” the serpent hissed at her. Kagome stilled her movement in shock. How did he know of Inuyasha? How did he know he was only half youkai?

 

He seemed to read her mind. “Thisss isss hisss foressst,” he whispered, the serpent's tone mocking, his exaggerated s's flicking acidic saliva into the stale air. “Now where isss he?”

 

She opened her mouth to speak, but fear caused the words to lodge in her throat. What should I say? Should I even speak? Saying anything about Inuyasha to this vile creature, even a lie, seemed a betrayal to her. When she remained silent he tightened his grip on her, squeezing the breath from her lungs.

 

The terrified scream was building painfully, but her thoughts were of a stubborn half demon. Any second the youkai would surface from its grief stricken rage and sense a power much too strong to be hers.

 

The Shikon no Tama in the small jar around her neck.

 

If Inuyasha didn't appear before the youkai discovered it then there would be nothing stopping him from taking them. She could barely think straight, let alone defend the jewel.

 

The serpent was staring down at her as if she were some type of strange toy. It seemed to be contemplating the amount of fun to be had before growing bored and disposing of her.

 

Her ear shattering scream took him by surprise.

 

He hadn't thought he had been allowing her to inhale enough air to make a noise above a whisper.

 

“INUYA. . .” The youkai tightened his body in reflex.

 

Kagome felt the panic escalate until she couldn't even make out the image of the massive snake that held her prisoner. Her heart began to beat faster as she fought the urge to pass out.

 

A warm fluttering sensation suddenly passed over her limbs, which had gone cold from lack of circulation. She couldn't decide if the fleeting sensation was pleasant or not, but it felt vaguely familiar.

 

For the briefest of moments she was no longer in the forest, though she had no inkling of where her mind had been transported. Kagome squinted trying to bring the impossible images into focus.

 

A flash of blue so dark it almost looked black. Long tendrils floating softly against her skin. Lingering rays of light wafted around her, dancing in the air. The sun reflecting off of something glistening. A blade? Its shine so bright it gave the impression it was made of pure silver instead of mere steel.

 

A sharp crack against her chest dragged her back to reality and sent more than a little fear racing through her veins. Had he broken a rib? she thought in horror, waiting for the excruciating pain to reach her frazzled mind.

 

Relief washed over her when the pain didn't come. But relief turned to horror when she realized that it was her wooden bow clenched to her body he'd snapped and not one of her bones.

 

Numb with terror and barely clinging to consciousness, suddenly irrationally all Kagome could think about was her bow. She turned all of her concentration to her broken bow, fighting to make sense of what had just happened. Fighting to remain conscious. It had been one of her most prized possessions. Though she was only mildly proficient with the weapon, she still felt tears gather in her eyes over its loss.

 

She'd replaced it many times after arriving in the Feudal Era, but she had held onto this one the longest. This one had even become lighter and easier to shoot every time she'd picked it up.

 

Kagome knew that she shouldn't be whimpering over a chunk of wood when she could barely breathe, but at least concentrating on these emotions seemed to be relieving the fear induced paralysis she'd been gripped by.

 

The sudden stiffening of the serpent's body caused her eyes to widen and the small amount of breath she had left to expel from her lungs. Scale covered muscles tensed to unbelievable proportions and her vision grew pitch black around the edges. Her fading senses barely recognized the serpent's thin lips turn up into a crude smile. But with that smile Kagome's last sliver of hope disappeared.

 

He sensed the jewel.

 

The youkai brought his face so close to hers that his toxic tongue nearly flickered over her skin. “It seems I no longer need you after all.”

 

 

 

 

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**

 

 

Author's Note

 

 Feedback: Love it! Just no flames please. Be constructive please. Thanks for the great reviews you guys!! :) Keep them coming. They motivate me! I know I didn't make Kagome as courageous as she normally is in this situation, but there is a good reason for that! :) Keep reading to find out)

 

 

* * * Blanket Disclaimer: Inuyasha's mine? Keh! I wish! I'm just borrowing 'em * * *

 

 

 

Review response:

 

“Not to be mean or anything, but if you're basing it off the show, then Kagome's been training throughout the series with Keade. Also, her powers are bigger than Kikyou's in the show.”

 

I do know that Kagome has been training so don't worry. :) Kaede has always shown her how to enhance her miko abilities. Kagome has also never asked to be formally trained. Her powers are still a little wild. Though she can infuse her arrows with purification energy with the best of them. There are still many things she has never been formally trained to do. Such as spell reflection (she used it on Tsubaki, but it was an emotional response and has never been replicated), creating a barrier, healing, and an assortment of other things. I don't believe she has the control or confidence that Kikyou has, but I believe she has the potential to eventually surpass her. Hope I explained it well enough. Feel free to ask more questions! :) I don't want anyone to be confused.