InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Strength of Bond ❯ Thunder Snakes ( Chapter 23 )

A/N: Edited 11/11/05.

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha characters. Story is my own creation.

 

Translation and Pronunciation Guide:

An-chan- (ahn-chahn) Slang for big brother that Manten uses.

Chikushou- (chee-coo-show) Damn it.

Daijoubu- (die-jooh-boo) Are you all right?

Dojo- (doh-joh) Gym. It really is supposed to be Doujou, but it looks better shortened, like Tokyo does.

Hai- (hi) Yes.

Hama no fuda (hah-mah no foo-dah) Exorcism scrolls.

Hentai- (hen-tie) Pervert.

-Hime- (he-meh) Princess.

Hiraikotsu- (he-rye-koh-sue) Come flying skill.

Hiten- (he-ten) Correction marks, demigod.

Houmongi- (how-moh-n-ge)- A semi formal kimono worn by both married and unmarried women.

Iie- (ee-eh) No.

Itai- (ee-tie) It hurts, ouch.

Juso- (jew-soh) Nasty curse.

Kami- (kah-me) God.

Kazaana- (kah-zaah-nah) Air hole, vent.

Kaze no Kizu- (kah-zeh no key-zoo) Wound of the wind.

Ketsu- (Keh-sue) Ass.

Kohaku- (koh-ha-coo) Amber.

Koi- (koh-e) Love.

Konnichiwa- (koh-knee-chee) Good Afternoon. Wa is added to the end to show it is the subject or complete sentence.

Konoama- (koh-noh-ah-ma) Bitch.

Kuro- (coo-row) Dark, black.

Manten-(mahn-ten) Full marks, sacred baboon.

Nani- (nah-knee) What.

Nenju- (nehn-jew) Holy Prayer beads, rosary.

Ofuda- (oh-foo-dah) Amulet, charm.

Oi- (oy) Hey.

Onegai- (Oh-neh-guy) Please.

Otouto- (oh-toe-toh) Little brother.

Raigekijin- (rye-geh-key-gin) Next perfect battle play position.

Saimyoushou- (sigh-myoh-show) Most fierce victory.

Saya- (sah-yah) Scabbard.

Shakijoku- (shah-key-joe-coo) Staff, Buddhist staff.

Shikigami- (she-key-gah-me) A Familiar.

Shimatta- (she-maht-tah) Damn it.

Shouji- (show-gee) Paper screen sliding door.

Shujin- (shoo-gin) Master.

Sumimasen- (sue-me-mah-sehn) Excuse me.

Taiji-ya- (tie-gee- yah) Taiji means to exterminate, and ya is in referral to a group.

Tetsusaiga- (tess-sigh-gah) Iron Pulverizing Fang.

Tsubaki- (sue-bah-key) Camellia.

Urasai- (you-rah-sigh) Shut up.

Yoshi- (yoh-shh) All Right!

 

Warnings: Action

 

Chapter 23

An explosion rocked the building. "Not again," grumbled Kagome. This had been the fourth attack in three days since Shippou had learned of his parents' death and had come to live with herself and Inuyasha in his brother's residence. Due to Sesshoumaru's great influence as a powerful youkai, prestigious counselor, and successful business tycoon, the majority of the paperwork was going through quite nicely. Soon, she hoped, custody would be awarded to her and her mate. Another crash and she sighed again, losing her concentration. These attacks were not anything to worry about because of the state of the art security system for defense and surveillance of the compound. With Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, and occasionally Sesshoumaru's servants or himself, the attacks were stifled rather quickly.

She, therefore, spent her mornings either with her mother or Kaede, where they taught her how to use her powers more effectively. The degree of power she had shown without any formal training had been enough to get the two powerful miko worried enough to start training her privately. The whole school situation had been put at the back burner because of the current crisis about the jewel and the attacks. The school, even though it did recant their insults, still refused admission based on the fact that her presence in the school could endanger the students and teachers. She felt that they had a rather valid point, but nonetheless was a moot point. She was still a miko, and untrained to protect herself. With the council rallying to find a solution to her bond with Inuyasha, Kaede and her mother decided it best to train her themselves. Another loud crash echoed.

After all, lately she had become some sort of magnet to rouge youkai attacks. Sesshoumaru had yet to lend a hand to any of these "pathetic third rate youkai attacks," but he and her mother worked tirelessly with the fickle representatives from the Mageran community, and engaged frequently into the numerous verbal battles that had been occurring more and more in the council chambers. Even the sudden interference of Gehin, Naraku had made things a bit antsy. He had showed up suddenly yesterday to speak to the council about alternative methods of this crisis in the community. He supported himself with facts that Kagome should be moved to a safer location and that the efforts of Sesshoumaru and her mother were wasted and ineffective. He even recommended his home, since he was already a "happily" married hanyou with maximum security, to help keep the miko and jewel safe. Obviously the council was still debating the issue of maintaining the miko's bond with the hanyou, and he had argued that it would be best to remove her so that no brainwashing could be done to cause more problems. He also stressed that Kagome and Inuyasha were, after all, still children and barely even bonded long enough to have formed any emotional attachments.

She had seethed when she heard this, but Inuyasha had been far more vocal and brutal in his attempt to head out and kill that man. Sesshoumaru seemed entirely unprovoked, but his more curt and sharp directives clearly stated he was not a happy puppy. Her mother had been furious and explicitly told Naraku to take his opinions and shove it up his ketsu, in front of the entire Council. Further more she stated that whatever was best for her daughter would be her own decision and that of her family. She had stormed out after that. Naraku was smug about the outburst, as the council was shocked and horrified by the demure and quiet female clearly showing a side no one ever saw. Kagome sighed. Obviously the issue of her bond was becoming more of a problem than these numerous attacks upon her family and her life. Though, ever since the centipede attack, she had been removed from harms way.

She groaned and returned to meditation. Inuyasha, since then, had been overly protective of her. The fact that Naraku had finally reared his ugly head and his intentions had put a whole new meaning to the word, protective. He hovered over to such a degree, when he wasn't fighting, that she at times thought she would suffocate. Not to mention that she had been cooped up in this house every single day, even being banned from going outside the walls of the house. Needless to say she was getting sick of being coddled. The cabin fever situation eventually came to a head last night when she verbally made the hanyou sit at least fifteen times before he finally left her alone to read a book.

Another loud crash resounded. This meditation stuff just wasn't working today. She opened her eyes to look around the room. It was similar to a dojo with fresh tatami mats and shouji doors on two ends. The room created a bit of an illusion as these doors opened up to more modern hallways in the basement level of Sesshoumaru's home. These outer walls were reinforced to withstand heavy attacks, and the entire floor was bewitched to deny access to all without blood or family ties. In other words, no one could enter that does not rightfully belong there. Kaede had also placed enchantments upon the area to also prevent other methods, such as mind possession, from foreign invaders. To the far side of the dojo room was a wall full of combat weaponry and other light assault youkai weaponry. Outside and across the hall there was an identical room to this one, except it was filled with heavy combat weaponry and enough arsenals for Sesshoumaru to be his own army or at least own his own army.

Another loud crash echoed through the floor. Typically it was rather quiet down here as most sounds didn't drift down this far, but this particular attack was rather loud even by this area's standards. What were they fighting out there? She stood from the ground and started some light stretches to loosen her muscles. There was no way she was going to be able to meditate when they were making so much noise. Not that she wanted to meditate in the first place. Why couldn't she be there when they fought those youkai? She had been useful in the last battle. Well, okay, the only battle she was in. Nonetheless, she had proved to have far more skills than even her family had realized. So why couldn't she get some field experience? She frowned. Why couldn't she? What was the big deal with making sure she stayed all nice and quarantined? She wasn't made of glass.

Suddenly a painful stab laced her stomach. She collapsed to her knees a scream spilling from her lips. It felt like a very sharp object had run her through. It was unbearable. She glanced over her body, but found nothing wrong with her body. She was whole, and there did not appear to be any injury, or was there? A bright gold light flared as if in answer to her unspoken question, followed by an answering flicker from the Shikon no Tama. Something was wrong. Dread filled her. Inuyasha!

Kagome raced from the room, her sock clad feet slipping on the smooth floor. She stumbled on the stairs upward, as her right arm began to throb painfully as another jolt of pain numbed the limb. She faltered and slithered up the stairs. “Please be okay,” she whispered the mantra over and over in her head. She came out onto the first floor and skidded down the hallway to the front doors. Shippou, Rin, and Souta were playing a game, while Kohaku- Sango's otouto- watched them play. At her abrupt race passed the door, they all were on their feet wondering what was wrong. She sprinted into the entryway heading for the door when she paused in surprise, and brought herself to a stop. A woman stood in front of the doors. “Eh? Sumimasen.”

The woman's red eyes narrowed upon her. She held a beautiful silk fan in one hand and wore a traditional winter kimono, houmongi. Short black hair was pulled back into a small ponytail with two feathers sticking out at an angle. She was very beautiful, though rather intimidating with her blood red, pupil missing eyes.

Rin rushed passed Kagome and took a sweet, but clumsy bow. “Kagura-sama!”

The woman's eyes moved to the small girl, and her eyes softened ever so slightly. “Konnichiwa Rin-san.” She inclined her head in greeting before fixing her gaze back on Kagome. “Taishou, Kagome-sama? I am here to escort you to my shujin home.”

“Then you will just have to tell Gehin-san that you failed in getting past me,” came a smooth cold voice from the right of the entry.

Kagome watched as Kagura turned her eyes toward the new comer, Sesshoumaru. “I am only following orders, Taishou-sama. My shujin asked for me to retrieve the miko. I must obey.” She flicked the fan open in a move that Kagome had never seen before.

“Obey is a powerful word I thought you would never use, Kagura.”

“I may be the wind, my lord, but you and I know that I am not yet free to make my own decisions. Step aside.”

“I suggest you tell your… father that he and his children and minions should stop harassing my family, before the council intervenes in his affairs more than they already do.” Sesshoumaru pulled the blade of a sword from its saya, tossing it aside. “Kagome. Take the children and go upstairs to the play room, now.”

“Iie!” Kagome snapped, before she collapsed to the floor in a scream of pain. Every eye in the entry turned toward the miko. “Inu…ya… sha… itai.” Before the others could say anymore, Kagome staggered to her feet, pushed passed a surprised female youkai, and pressed her way outside. The sounds were louder out here, the battle in full swing. She raced around the front to the side where the battle seemed to be coming from since that is where she saw the flashes of light accompanied by booming thunder and various other sounds. She had to get to Inuyasha. He was seriously hurt. Why was he still fighting?

She stepped around the corner and froze. Up in the air hovered a youkai with long, braided black hair, holding a trident-like weapon where… lightning spilled from it. Lightning? He had just pulled the blade of the weapon from Inuyasha's right shoulder. She screamed in horror as the hanyou plummeted to the ground in a dead faint. The battle seemed to have stopped, all occupants paused to see who had screamed and rushed into the battle.

“Oi, Manten. It's the girl!” spoke the male that had just impaled her mate.

Kagome ignored everything except for her fallen mate. She plowed through the garden in her sock-clad feet, and dropped down beside his body. “Inuyasha!”

His face was slack, numerous scratches and bruises speckled his face, hands, body where his skin was exposed to her eyes. His clothes were torn with blood collecting upon it from his arm and his stomach area. His breathing was shallow, but his pulse remained strong upon initial test. “Inuyasha? Wake up. Onegai… Wake up.” Tears streamed from her eyes, as she rubbed a hand down the side of his face. “Inuyasha… koi?” Her other hand reached toward one of his ears, and gently stroked it as she teased it to move.

Inuyasha's face twitched in a grimace, before he opened unfocused gold eyes. “Ka-go-me?”

“Hai?” she whispered and relief washed over her. He was alive.

His face grimaced again and then a scowl fell over it. “What are you doing out here?” He sat up quickly. Dizziness overwhelmed him, and the arms of his bonded were the only things that kept him from falling back down.

“Be careful, Inuyasha. You were just knocked out.”

He glared at her. “I wasn't knocked out, Kagome. I was a bit winded, but I was still awake. Now what the hell are you doing out here?!”

She flinched back from him. “I thought you were dying. I felt your pain.”

His eyebrows shot upward into his bangs. “Nani?”

“I felt the attack to your stomach and arm. I came as soon as I could.”

“Ain't this sweet?” said a voice above them. “But makes our job easier. Manten! Grab the girl.”

A large, bullfrog looking creature stomped his way to where she sat with her mate. He was large, like an overgrown pumpkin with three small hairs on top of his head. Large beady black eyes and a mouth full of Great White Shark teeth, he was an imposing sight. Both he and the more human-like youkai wore the same black and blue uniform and armor. “Hai, Hiten-an-chan.”

“Hiraikotsu!” Sango screamed out, throwing a humongous bone boomerang at the larger youkai.

He veered off course, turned toward the taiji-ya, and opened his cavernous mouth. Lightening condensed and blasted out of his mouth in a large wave. Sango and Miroku dived in different directions, barely escaping the blunt of the attack. A large, black scorch mark remained where the blast had gone.

“Oi, Hanyou! You need to start paying attention to me again!” Hiten yelled.

Kagome didn't know what happened just that suddenly she was wrapped in her bonded's arms and rolling away from another attack. She could hear and feel the vibrating growl from her bonded, as well as the long string of curses spilling from his lips. But most of all she felt the pain he had when he had moved to protect her. She reached a hand up to his face and he paused to stare at her a moment. He nuzzled her hand slightly, before he tightened his claws and they were off, bounding across the garden and away from another series of strikes.

“You can't avoid my Raigekijin forever. It thirsts for more blood to cool its blade.”

“Sometimes I wonder about youkai,” muttered she. “Infatuation in blood cannot be a good thing.”

A curious look fell over Inuyasha's face. “You don't seem to mind it when I take it from you.”

Her face heated up at that, but no words could rebuttal the comment before another attack came crashing toward them. Thunder rumbled loudly around the area, while gray storm clouds formed overhead. Could youkai control the weather like these two, or did they just have good timing?

Inuyasha, meanwhile, looked for a place he could put her down and be out of harms way. He landed in a group of trees and hid from view of the youkai. His gold eyes squinted out in the looming darkness that formed by the dark thunderheads now blocking out the sunlight. Where could he put her? Where would they not find her in case they failed? The fact that the two thunder brothers blocked all means of escape from the yard did not help. “Kagome, I need you to go-“

“IIE!”

“Urasai, Konoama! Listen to me! It's safer inside!”

“No it isn't. I just left there and Sesshoumaru was fighting some female youkai… Kagura, I think that was her name.”

He faltered mid-step and together they plummeted out of the tree he had just landed in. Luckily for them, they had fallen and just missed the strike of lightening that had hit their previous spot. “Kagura? You sure?”

“Pretty sure.”

“Chikushou! Why can't they do that later?!”

Kagome looked at him surprised. What was he talking about? Kagura had announced that she was coming to take her to her shujin. What did Inuyasha mean by them doing their fighting later? Of course they couldn't fight later. The diversion attacks were going now and it was the perfect opportunity to kidnap her.

The wind was knocked out of her as she found herself pushed back against a large tree. “Stay hidden. And for kami sake, don't do anything stupid!” His mouth crashed down upon hers in a desperate need. She yielded to him, knowing that he needed this, needed her. She pushed her mouth to his before he could pull away, and drew him into a deeper, more powerful kiss. He needed her as she needed him. When he pulled back from the kiss, he smiled once and nuzzled her nose with his. Then he was gone from her as he leapt upward to the flying youkai.

 

She watched as he pulled a katana from his side, but instead of the rusted samurai blade, the thing looked like a giant machete. She watched as he rushed toward Hiten, her heart beating wildly. She had only witnessed him fighting once using his bare claws as his only weapon. In fact, it was only recently that she was given the opportunity to see Inuyasha's family heirloom in battle. He had only mentioned Tetsusaiga once to her, and she vaguely recalled him carrying it with him whenever he went to work. She even examined it once, to find it to be an old rusty blade inside the saya. She couldn't fathom how it could harm anything or anyone. That is, until now. The huge- was it a fang?- was certainly not the rusty old katana she had originally thought it to be. What kind of person forged such a weapon?

 

Kagome turned her gaze toward the other youkai that breathed lightening again at Sango and Miroku. Sango used her gigantic boomerang to shield them from the blast, while Miroku tossed sutras at random intervals. He appeared to be debating about something, while Sango kept yelling at him to keep the beads on. She reached back into her memory and recalled a conversation she had with the hentai houshi. His right arm was wrapped in nenju- holy prayer beads- as his hand was cursed with a hole that sucked up everything around. He called it his kazaana. Why wasn't he using it then? If it could suck up anything, why hadn't he used it on the youkai? She turned her gaze and spotted several small bees flying near the large youkai. What were they?

“Houshi-sama! You can't use it. The saimyoushou!” The rest of Sango's words were lost with the next blast from the youkai.

 

What are saimyoushou? She watched as they hovered near the battle, but she couldn't understand their significance. They weren't attacking or doing anything. It was almost like they were observing the battle. But why?

 

“Miko should learn to stay with their protectors than stand around unguarded outside,” came an elderly female voice behind her.

 

Kagome whipped around to see an old woman with large bugging green eyes. She wore a midnight blue dress, trimmed in silver lace. Her long silver hair was braided in a coif upon her head and large matching hoop earrings dangled from her pointed ears. Another youkai? A black aura swirled around the old woman, and she shifted back in surprise. “You have got to be kidding me,” she mumbled to herself before glaring at the woman. “Who are you?” she demanded, surprised that her voice remained steady and calm.

 

“Tsubaki-hime to you girl. I am a Kuro Miko. I am here to take you back to my shujin.” The woman hobbled forward a step, then paused to observe the girl with a sneer. “Don't see what he sees in a pathetic creature such as you.”

 

“Kuso, Not another one,” she groaned.

 

“Such language from one carrying the sacred jewel,” the woman stated in quiet surprise. “I would have never thought it possible for a miko to speak such words. Obviously mated to a pathetic half-breed is detrimental to the soul of a miko.” The woman gloated at this. “Mayhap you will be easy to corrupt into a kuro miko, ne? If so, that would make sense. Even the jewel is contaminated in your care.”

 

In shock, she glanced down at the pink jewel. To her, the jewel seemed much lighter in color than it had once been. Hadn't it been a lovely shade of maroon when it was first removed from her side? It certainly wasn't this soft rose taffeta pink for sure. “Tainted?” she asked in wonder. “The jewel's not tainted.”

 

“Of course it's tainted, girl. The Shikon no Tama is meant to be white... pure. The pink means that there is taint in the jewel. Though I am surprised that there is no black. I expected extreme pollutants in the Jewel with a girl bonded to a power hungry hanyou always within reach.”

 

“Inuyasha is not power hungry! He's a good and decent man.”

 

The woman cackled, the sound crawling up and down her spine. “He is not a man, girl. He's only half-human. He's a thing, really. An abomination. Surely even a miko should know this. It goes against everything a miko strived in her life- to kill all Youkai! Mating with a youkai or hanyou is the worst blemish to a miko soul. Not to mention producing offspring. They should all be terminated and destroyed. Midoriko was wrong to protect such impure filth.”

 

Kagome snapped, her anger boiling over her in waves. “Inuyasha is not filth, hag! He may not be the best personality wise, but with people like you around, I don't blame him. Nevertheless, you do not slander the name or race of my mate, konoama! Or you deal with me.”

 

The old woman smirked. “I seriously doubt you can do anything to me, little girl.” Suddenly the old woman dissolved into a younger version of herself, her aura becoming more sinister and pollutant that even the plants by her feet withered and died. “I am a high order miko. I do hope you won't die. My shujin might be very upset if I don't bring you in alive...” Her voice was simply beautiful and musical. It sent shivers up and down Kagome's back. “But, alas, I really have no sworn fealty to him. I will have the Shikon no Tama.” The woman rushed forward, a forest green ball of light formed into her hand.

 

Kagome screamed and dodged the attack as Tsubaki threw the orb at her. The tree behind her shrived up and died, sickly green fumes pouring off of it. She covered her mouth and coughed.

 

“I do hope you will like my juso. It would be a fitting poison for you to not be able to control your body.”

 

She began to choke upon the gas, air becoming difficult, as she tried not to breath in the fumes. What is this stuff? Her eyes began to swim and she faltered as she moved away from the fumes, her head spinning. “I need help,” her mind said as she stumbled into another tree, banging her back into the rough bark. “Help,” she whispered fervently. Her body thrummed and a blue shimmering light surrounded her body.

 

The green fumes dissipated and the woman howled in outrage. “Well, that was child's play. Try this! Shikigami come forth!” From the woman's left green eye came a large green serpent.

 

“Youkai?!” She turned and ran from the snake as fast as her sock-clad feet could carry her.

 

“You can't run away from us, miko.”

 

She ignored the witch and searched around for a weapon, something she could use against the woman, who continued to cackle in glee. She raced out of the protected area and right into the battle between her friends and the thunder brothers.

 

It was Miroku that noticed her first and the woman on the side watching the miko run away. He narrowed his eyes and pulled out a few sutra from his robes. “Sango! Keep Big Ugly distracted. I'm going to help Kagome-sama!”

 

Sango nodded her head and threw her boomerang. “Hiraikotsu!”

 

Kagome rushed to Miroku's side, gasping out, “Snake chasing me!”

 

Miroku turned to see the serpent heading for them. “That's not a snake, Kagome-sama!” He placed his shakijoku into the ground and a purple barrier surrounded them. The snake lunched at the barrier and was thrown back several meters. “I thought Inuyasha put you somewhere safe!”

 

“He did! Well until that kuro miko showed up!”

 

“Kuro miko? With a shikigami?” he asked, confused for a moment before his eyes lit up. Shaking his head slightly, he shuffled through the sutra, found what he wanted, and replaced the others back into his purple and black robes. He then held the ones he wanted out from his body, and turned his gaze to the surrounding area. “I should be able to banish her from her youkai contract then. When I do, go back to the trees. Inuyasha will kill me if he notices you out here!”

 

Kagome looked at him confused now. Youkai contract? Banish her? What about the snake?! And what the heck's a shikigami?! That woman had called the snake that, but she never actually told her what that was. She had figured it was the name of the snake. Though snakes coming from people's eyes… that's a bit scary and wrong. But it was a youkai?

 

He threw the hama no fuda at the kuro miko. The papers flew true, and amazingly flew quite well for paper. Tsubaki seemed to hiss like a snake in outrage, but the ofuda just disintegrated upon reaching the woman. “Shimatta!”

 

“Look out!” shrilled another voice.

 

Kagome and Miroku turned as one to see who had yelled. Inuyasha and Hiten were ramming into each other over and over again, completely oblivious to what was going on around them. Sango was on the ground, her boomerang somewhere behind her. “Wait a second,” Kagome began. “Where's-?”

 

“Run Kagome-sama!” Miroku shouted while a lightening blast slammed toward them from Manten.

 

She did as he said and raced out of the barrier back toward the woods. The shikigami followed her. She stumbled through the garden path, heading back to Tsubaki, the lesser of the evils out and about in this lovely afternoon. The woman glared at her, obviously not happy about the ofuda that had attacked her from Miroku. As a last, angry resort, she picked up a large stick from the ground and raced passed the woman, hitting the woman behind her head with the stick on the way.

 

“Temee!” the woman screamed, touching her fallen hairstyle and bump on the head. She whirled around to see Kagome standing a few feet behind, holding the stick as a weapon. Tsubaki smiled malevolently at the girl.

 

The snake lunged forward from behind Tsubaki and Kagome swung the stick like a baseball bat. She hit the snake smack on and the snake went flying straight back into the miko's eye! She celebrated her victory with a happy shriek. “Yoshi!”

 

The woman hissed and growled out a curse. “This is far from over konoama!” And the woman disappeared in a whiff of green smoke.

 

Kagome collapsed to her knees breathing heavily. She was safe again. The loud crashing sounds continued to echo out in the area beyond the trees. Slowly she wobbled to her feet and moved toward the clearing. A bright flash blinded her and she vaguely heard the words, “Kaze no Kizu” shouted over the blasting of the attack. The sounds then diminished to nothing, and that frightened her more than anything. Were they okay? When she stepped out beyond the tree, she saw Miroku and Sango breathing heavily, the body of Manten sliced into two parts, hiraikotsu implanted next to the body.

 

Inuyasha was nowhere to be found. She rushed out of the safety of the trees, when a hand reached out and dragged her back into them. She screamed, when a clawed hand clamped over her mouth. “Would you mind explaining to me what the fuck were you doing out there?! Not once, but TWICE?!”

 

She winced at the loud, harsh whisper in her ear. Inuyasha. She sagged in relief against his body, tears leaking out of her eyes. The hand moved from her mouth in surprise, and he whirled her around to face him. “Oi, stop that!”

 

She just cried harder and lunged into him, holding him as close as she possibly could. “Thank kami!”

 

“Oi! Kagome! You haven't answered me yet! Oi! Stop crying!” The poor hanyou seemed quite at a loss to the sobbing of his mate. Her nonsensical whimpering and half formed words finally allowed him to piece together what she needed. Comfort. He sighed and wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. Almost instantly the whimpering and tears subsided.

 

“I'm glad you are safe,” she finally said, when her tears had dried.

 

“Takes more than that to keep me down.” He seemed to strike a pose before he recalled the heart-stopping moment when she had raced out from the trees. “Daijoubu ka, Kagome?”

 

She lifted her head to smile at him. “I am now.”

 

“Good.” His face softened for a moment before he pulled back and with a glare yelled, “Then what the fuck were you doing?! You nearly cut off a hundred years of my life! What the hell were you thinking?!”

 

Kagome glared. “Well, someone wasn't paying attention that there were more than two opponents here! I was running for safety!”

 

“Out in the middle of a damn battlefield?! Are you insane?!”

 

“Where else was I supposed to run?!”

 

“You were to-” he paused in mid rant. His shoulders sagged. “Still, you don't run out in a battle like that! You could have been seriously hurt, konoama!”

 

Kagome glared at him. “Mind repeating that last part, Inuyasha-kun?” she asked in a sickenly sweet voice.

 

“Konoama…” he growled, not understanding what she was upset about now. “You are trying my patience!”

 

“Osuwari. Osuwari. Osuwari.” She turned and stalked off leaving a pained hanyou imprint behind her.

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