InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Camp Koshin ❯ I Will Survive? ( Chapter 32 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Disclaimer: I still have a spankin' new laptop.

Hi guys! *sees angry readers* Um...hi? *sees pitchforks and torches* O.O PLEASE, don't kill me! I WANT TO LIIIIIVE! *hides*

So the winner(s) of the game are as follows:

White Wolf of the Moon

*jaw drops* What happened to all my faithful reviewers? WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?! Are you guys mad at me?

I don't know about you guys but I've had trouble reviewing my favorite fics. (Like Rozefire's SHE ROCKS!) I think MM is having some problems. So please, if you can't get through feel free to e-mail me at kagome_miko@hotmail.com or cheetah_girl7@hotmail.com.

Anyway, this chapter's word is: clammy

I Will Survive?

Kagome remained numb and distant as the waves splashed tentatively against the rowboats' side. Even the waves seemed to pity Kagome with it's calm reassuring splash. There was no sound except the splash of water on wood, and every man woman and child sent worried glances at the stoic girl that had not shed so much as a tear for someone who seemed very important to her. The people in company with her all looked as if they had something to say the young lady but were too afraid of what might happen.

The rowboats continued to move through the water in the way Miroku had said. Kagome just stared in the direction that Inuyasha had disappeared in, her face a mask of calm indifference. She did not move, she did speak, sometimes it didn't seem she even breathed.

“Is that land?” Some stranger's voice cut through the tension like a knife.

Everyone looked in the direction he had pointed, that is, everyone except Kagome. Some people exclaimed in relief, some cheered among their group. Only one boat had no reaction whatsoever.

~*~*~*~

Even when the boat hit sand and people went about to explore the landscape, Kagome did not move. Everyone had deserted their boat to explore the island while the girl remained unresponsive. All of her group cautiously gathered around Kagome, waiting for someone to voice what everyone wanted to say.

“Kagome...” Sango's voice faded as she lost confidence.

“Are you ok?” Rin asked quietly.

At first Kagome didn't respond, her back still turned away from them toward the sea, then her voice rang bitter on her friends ears, “Why wouldn't I be? It's not like anyone...”

Kagome's voice caught, she closed her mouth before any more emotion could escape. If it started, she might not be able to stop.

The guys obviously felt awkward. They wanted to comfort her, but they didn't know the words.

“Do you...want to talk about it?” Miroku asked.

Kagome laughed mirthlessly, too bad it sounded like a dry sob, “You were there, you saw. There's nothing to say.”

“So then, you want to be left alone,” Sesshomaru's usually stoic tone had a faint note of attempted comfort.

Kagome said nothing. Her friends waited. When it became evident that she wasn't going to respond, they headed toward the others who were looking at them for direction. Only after everyone had left her, did Kagome finally break down and cry

~*~*~*~

Sango watched Miroku half-heartedly give people direction. He knew about as much as they did but the motley crew (no pun intended) seemed to have established Miroku as their leader. If Sango wasn't so worried about Kagome she might have wondered why Sesshomaru, the strongest, hadn't been chosen.

Sango sighed. Why did he have to go? How could the headstrong, stubborn hanyou simply die? Could someone's life be extinguished so easily, even an almighty demon? Surely Inuyasha wouldn't loose his life without more of a fight. Sango had been sure he'd make it. She chuckled bitterly to herself. It sounded dry and hollow. Surely he was to stubborn to die. She would never had believed he'd met such a...human...demise if she hadn't witnessed it.

She glanced over her shoulder grudgingly. She couldn't see Kagome, but she knew Kagome was suffering. Sango wondered if she would ever recover. Sango was remorseful too, Inuyasha had been her friend, but it was Kagome who took the blunt of this emotional blow. Sango looked over at Miroku, if she lost Miroku-

She closed her eyes (and mind) before she could complete the thought. She had to be strong for Kagome. As much as Sango was hurting at Inuyasha's loss, Kagome would be feeling a million times more anguish.

But something was nagging at the back of her mind. Why had such a stable ship sunken so easily? It didn't make sense...

~*~*~*~

“Kagome?”

Kagome quiet sobbing stopped on a harsh intake of breath. Her hand moved slowly to wipe tears from her eyes as she tried to control her sporadic breathing. Someone plopped down beside her in the boat. She folded her hands loosely in her lap. Even though she recognized his presence and knew who it was, she did not acknowledge him for quite a while. When it became evident that he was not discouraged she spoke.

“Hojo, I'd like to be alone,” she said tightly.

“That's what you think, but what you really want is a man who won't leave you,” Hojo said bluntly.

Kagome's head snapped in his direction. Her eyes were filled to the brim with tears but held anger in their watery depths, “You have no idea what I want!”

Hojo shrugged as if he hadn't heard her, “You and Inuyasha never would have been happy anyway. I mean talk about stupid, who'd jump into the water near a sinking boat just for a little brat?”

“That little `brat' would have drowned!”

Hojo nodded, as if acknowledging a child with a silly idea, “Well then why didn't his mother jump in? It was never his responsibility. If he would have just life and let die. He would have survi-”

He never got to finish his statement, because Kagome punched him so hard he was knocked unconscious. She felt the all to familiar prickling of tears that was brought up by Hojo's cruel words. She fought herself fiercely to keep them in.

“Kagome?”

Kagome recognized Rin's voice.

`No', she thought, `Not now. I can't handle it now.'

Rin and everyone else was getting closer. Before she could even think about it she was off running. She couldn't face their pitying looks and sympathetic words. Tears started pouring down her face. She heard them call to her, asking her to come back. She shut her ears to them, she put all her energy into working against the sand. And noticed with relief, they didn't try to follow her.

~*~*~*~

Kagome ran until her muscles screamed and her lungs cried for her to stop. Kagome's harsh sobs racked her body and their intensity brought her to her knees. Kagome's body collapsed into the moist sand. She tried to get back up, but her legs became wobbly and she fell again. She closed her eyes to slits and noticed dimly that it was sunset. She was tired, so tired. She let her eyes drift close as the waves lapped at her toes and the sun shone on her back. She was so exhausted she barely noticed the very annoying and sporadic seagull calls. Her drowsy mind tried to ignore it. It came again. The logical side of Kagome's mind wondered what would startle a seagull so. Seeing as the emotional side was thoroughly exhausted, it was not at all surprising what happened next.

Curiosity won over exhaustion. She pulled herself up onto her knees and crawled in the direction of the gulls. Her limbs felt like lead and her brain felt slow and awkward. One of her arms gave out and she faltered. She regained her balance and noticed where the call was coming from.

There was a body.

Kagome was first terrified, then hopeful. Could this be...

Kagome crawled hesitantly toward it, and the seagulls scattered. It was covered in driftwood so all she could see was from the knee down and a hand. It was definitely male. Hope spurred her on, she shoved off the driftwood with a speed that a fully energized Kagome would have been hard pressed to match. Finally she uncovered the entire body.

It was Inuyasha.

He was covered nicks and scratches, more than a few nasty looking bruises. Kagome's hands shook as she moved his long silver hair out of his face. One trembling hand covered her mouth in helpless hope and fear.

“I-Inuyasha...?” Kagome asked, hating her voice for trembling.

He didn't move.

Kagome touched his cheek gently, it felt cold and clammy, no doubt due to the cold depths of the ocean.

“Inuyasha.”

Tears prickled her eyes as she cradled his limp head to her chest and gently rocked back and forth. This was a different kind of cry, a quiet, tired sob. She stroked Inuyasha's matted hair and cried to herself. She looked down at Inuyasha. He looked to be peacefully sleeping, his injuries the only hint to his demise.

A tear fell on his forehead. She bent down and pressed her warm lips to his cold forehead.

“Ka...gome?”

Kagome's heart leapt. Inuyasha was alive? Please don't let this be my m ind playing a cruel joke! She looked at Inuyasha hopefully. His eyes fluttered open, they seemed to be working very hard to try to focus on her face. He attempted a reassuring smile and his hand came up to gently caress her cheek.

“Kagome.”

Kagome smiled and felt happy tears fill her eyes, “It seems all you can do today is make me cry.”

Inuyasha tried to smirk but came up with something closer to a grimace.

“I thought you died,” Kagome said as her lip treacherously wobbled.

He tried to laugh but it came out as more of a wheeze, “It'll take more than a few waves to kill me.”

And suddenly, it all caught up to her. She had just enough time to give Inuyasha one last loving look before it became to much and simply collapsed.

Inuyasha was first concerned but her steady breathing said she was fine. To tell the truth he wasn't in the best shape either. So instead of doing what he'd usually do, carry her back to whatever camp the assumed survivors must have established, he decided that maybe this once the best course of action could be to just relax. With that he also fell into an exhausted sleep.

~*~*~*~

Ok, sorry. That felt kinda awkward...but at least I didn't kill him!