InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Eenie Meenie Miney Miko ❯ The Cave ( Chapter 1 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: SplendentGoddess 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Comedy | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 09.03.2005 | Updated On: 11.29.2006 | Pages: 4 | Words: 3.2K | Visits: 4.5K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Comedy | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 09.03.2005 | Updated On: 11.29.2006 | Pages: 4 | Words: 3.2K | Visits: 4.5K | Status: Completed
Blanket Disclaimer:
Inuyasha, and the characters therein, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions.
========================
Chapter 1 – The Cave
“I’m telling you I sense a shard!”
“Feh, you’re sensing things.” he dismissed, adding “I’d know if there was a youkai around…”
“I didn’t say I sensed a youkai, now did I?” Kagome pointed out, perturbed.
“Feh”
Grudgingly, Inuyasha continued to romp the hill top with Kagome, as the sun continued to drop lower and lower into the Western sky. Reluctantly, he’d agreed not to postpone the search until morning, upon Kagome’s declaration that the shard was in motion. However, it was quickly becoming more and more apparent, that unless the shard were in the possession of the invisible man, there were no shards to be found on this hill.
“Feh, come on wench, where’s this shard of yours!?” he finally snapped after a few more minutes of pointless searching.
Kagome examined the ground thoroughly, continually darting from side to side while hunched over, reminding Inuyasha very much of Shippo when he chased grass hopers.
“It’s here. No wait, it’s moving over here. No wait, it’s over there... I know it’s here somewhere!”
“You sure this isn’t just another one of Naraku’s tricks?” he asked sarcastically, “Trying to turn us against each other?” he added for clarification.
“We’re not turning against each other.” she answered innocently.
“Don’t be so sure…” he muttered under his breath, but not quite quietly enough.
“Inuyasha?”
“Feh.” he shrugged off, refusing to answer. “Stupid, I won’t be able to protect you once the sun sets.” he pointed out, “Let’s go back to camp.”
Sighing, Kagome conceded, “Okay, you’re right…besides,” Taking a moment to gaze downward once more, she mumbled “I think it’s underground or something.”
“Or something…”
“Inuyasha!”
“Ke h.” He couldn’t help but chuckle, though that chuckle was short lived.
“INUYASHA!!!!!” she screamed in sudden panic, when in that moment, she lost her footing, slipping into what she at first thought to be a gopher hole, only it belonged to a gopher the size of a transformed two-tails.
“Kagome!!!!!!” he cried in surprise, as he lunged towards her.
The tree root that was her life line she held onto was slowly snapping away, taking with it in pieces, flashes of memories befalling her vision. A very hazy vision at that, as dust and debris clouded up from around where the ground had given way beneath her. Nature being an expert study at timed theatrics, waited until the precise second that Inuyasha had grabbed a hold of Kagome’s hand, before allowing the root she clung to to finally break free. Frozen in time for a moment, Inuyasha observed Kagome, who from a distance would appear as nothing more than a torso and head laying upon the ground. From his vantage, he could see her lower half, legs and feet, dangling into the darkness, but anything beyond that, his vision was already too weakened to tell.
“Feh.” he attempted to scoff, to lighten the mood, “Watch where you step, wench. Even the earth is telling you to knock it off...”
“Knock what off?” she asked, appalled that he would take advantage of her current predicament to scrutinize her.
“This ‘shard hunt’ of yours.” he elaborated, relishing in the fact that she couldn’t storm away from him at his words, for the moment. “There ain’t no shard” he continued, bating “Just admit it. You just wanted to spend time alone with me.”
Flabbergasted at the accusation, which was so not true, she shot back with “Well not like this I don’t! Now help me up!” She smiled inwardly when his expression shifted to indicate that perhaps he realized now was not the best of times to be teasing her.
“Keh”
He tried to pull her up, really he did, but he was quickly losing his strength, and the ground where he stood was hollow, chipping away beneath him like an ice bed atop a winter’s lake. One false move was all it took, and down they went, into the black obis. Inuyasha in his chivalry, did manage, while cursing, to fling Kagome upon himself, preparing to land on his feet, and take the blunt of the impact. She would have screamed, but the drop didn’t last long enough to take in the necessary amount of air required, before she found both herself, and Inuyasha, suddenly submerged, cold and wet, and instead of producing a scream, Kagome had acquired a mouthful of water.
In retrospect, it was a good thing the river was there. It had likely saved them both from some pretty nasty broken bones. But now...
Looking around, they found they could both see much better, the light emanating from the hole above them creating at least enough light find their way to shore. However, it was quickly getting darker, and darker, as the light fell from view of their sunroof, and the velvety blue sky began to reveal smaller pinpricks of light.
“Damn it…” he cursed more to himself, shaking himself somewhat dry before calling “Come on Kagome, hurry!”
He motioned for her to climb up onto his back, so he could make the leap out of the cave through the hole from whence they’d came. But cruel fate was not yet through with our beloved couple, as Inuyasha’s last ounce of demonic strength chose that precise moment to vacant the premises, causing the two to, albeit gracefully, leap right back into the river.
“Damn it!” shrieked a rather feminine voice, as this time it was Kagome to curse.
“Kagome?” He’d never heard her cuss before.
“I’m sorry…Inuyasha. This is all my fault!”
“Feh. Damn straight, wench.”
“Baka!”
“Bi tch!!!”
“Such language…” interrupted a third voice, also decidedly female.
“Who said that?” they both asked at the same time.
“Inuyasha…” Wait...he knew that voice.
“Kikyo!”
Kagome gasped. “Kikyo?”
“Kagome…” she addressed.
“Kikyo!”
“Inuyasha…Kag ome…how nice of you to drop in.”
“Kikyo, what are you doing here?” he asked.
“I could ask you the same question…”
“Keh. Isn’t it obvious?”
“Quite…”
After a few seconds of her head bouncing from side to side as if she were observing a tennis match, it suddenly dawned on Kagome that Kikyo had a jewel shard.
“Ah-hah!” she exclaimed, suddenly earning the attention of both others present, “So you have the shard!” she announced, smiling and clapping her hands together, nodding to herself in confirmation, before she turned to address the human Inuyasha. “See...” she drew out, “I told you I wasn’t sensing things.” she sneered as she crossed her arms across her chest in a very Inuyasha-like pose.
“Feh” he brushed off at first, not appreciating Kagome’s ‘told ya so’ snicker, until what she’d said actually sunk in… “Wait…” he said after a moment, turning to address the other miko, “Kikyo, you have a jewel shard?” Uncertainty was clear in his voice, as though he were uneasy regarding her pending answer.
“What of it?” she asked in return, seeing no point in denying it.
“Nothing, except...”
He tried to bite his tongue, but she persisted, asking “Except?”
More emotional in his human state, he was unable to stop himself from voicing his concerns.
“Whenever you find any jewel shards,” he paused, not wishing to hurt her feelings, but the blank look she shot back at him, assuring him she had no such feelings, was enough encouragement to continue, hesitantly, “You give them to Naraku.”
“Don’t forget the ones she stole from me…”
Inuyasha flashed Kagome a You’re not helping look, and continued…
“What is this place, anyway?”
“This place?” she echoed, glancing around. “This place is a cave. What does it look like?”
“A trap.”
“I assure you Inuyasha, this is no trap.”
“Keh, whatever wench. Then what are you doing here?”
Kagome wasn’t sure if it made her feel better or worse that Inuyasha was speaking to Kikyo in basically the same fashion in which he always spoke to her. It was true that she usually never heard a word exchanged between the two. Whenever she was around, he’d run off to talk to her ‘alone’. But now, there wasn’t anywhere to go really, and even if they did decide to go down stream, it’s not like Inuyasha would really just up and abandon her in a cold, dark cave...Would he? Her concerns grew a little when Kikyo’s response of “Waiting to die…” sunk in. What could she have possibly meant by that?
“I came upon this place by accident, and quite abruptly. I do not have my soul collectors. Without them, I will slowly lose my energy, until I cease to be.”
As if illustrating her point, one of her borrowed souls emerged from her body right on cue, and floated out via the newly formed skylight. Weakening slightly, Kikyo lost her balance, and fell dizzily into Inuyasha’s waiting arms.
“Kikyo!”
Kagome couldn’t take much more of this. It was either come up with a plan of escape, or watch Inuyasha cradle a dying corpse all night. Seeing the two of them together was making it a little hard for her to concentrate on anything else, though. Where the hell were her soul collectors, anyway? They couldn’t find her down here?
“So this is…your human form…” she said softly, reaching up and fondling his human ear… “It suits you.” she whispered.
“I prefer his hanyou form, if you ask me.” she heard her reincarnation mutter from somewhere behind them.
“Kagome…” he sighed quietly to himself.
“I didn’t.”
“Kikyo!” He couldn’t believe she said that.
“Did you even ask him?” Kagome retorted, unfazed. “You wanted him to use the jewel to become human, but he hates being human!”
“Inuyasha agreed to my proposal.” she replied stoically, “I offered him a chance to purify his taint, and to be accepted by others. Surely such a trade greatly outweighed with rewards whatever sacrifices would have been required.”
“Shows what you know.” she snapped bitterly, but attempting to calm her tongue, she continued in a softer tone. “He hates being hanyou, yes, but he wants to use the jewel to become a full youkai.”
“And you would allow it?”
“I…” she paused, asking herself that very question. Was it morally ethical? Screw ethics. She loved him. Sure, she preferred him as a hanyou, but if he really wanted to become a full youkai, would she stop him? Realizing her answer, she shared it with her preincarnation. “I wouldn’t stop him…” she confessed, “I love him as a hanyou, but…it’s his choice…”
He gasped, “Kagome...?”
Her face flamed bright red, though it was hard to see in the darkness of the cave. How had she forgotten that Inuyasha had been present throughout their bickering? Kagome knew what she had confessed to Kikyo, but she’d also just unthinkingly confessed it to Inuyasha, as well.
Way to go Kagome she scolded herself mentally. Quickly trying to change the subject, she started up with...
“So…” rather cheerfully, clapping her hands together… “What say you we get the heck out of this cave, huh? How ‘bout it?” she grinned.
Easy there, Kagome...don't get carried away.
Kagome flashed the brightest smile she could muster at Inuyasha, who still cradled the fallen Kikyo in his arms. She couldn’t really blame him for being concerned for Kikyo. After all, if Koga were hurt, she’d want to help him, and she doesn’t even have ‘those’ types of feelings for Koga. What annoyed her the most at this moment was just how Kikyo was grating on her nerves, seeming to draw pleasure in arousing her anger. She’d have to keep her cool, for Inuyasha’s sake. Flashing Inuyasha a quick look, he smiled back and nodded, then began helping Kikyo to her feet. Surprising all three of them, Kagome made her way over to Kikyo’s other side, to aid in Inuyasha’s assistance of Kikyo’s walking.
“You’re kind Kagome, but this is not necessary, nor you Inuyasha, I can walk on my own, for now…” she assured them both, suddenly sounding so much like the Kikyo Inuyasha remembered.
“Keh.” was her only reply, indicating the subject was closed, and they would be assisting her. “Now the question just becomes, where do we walk to?” he added after a moment, looking both ways.
“I suggest we follow the river downstream, that’s what they always taught us in school.” Kagome said with a shrug.
“Works for me.” he agreed.
As the three walked on in near blindness, following the path of the flowing river, Kagome’s thoughts drifted towards hoping that they wouldn’t have to swim at all further down, as that water was quite, quite cold. She was still flashing high beams from her previous encounter, and she’d also heard Inuyasha make an inhaling yelp she’d never quite heard before. She chuckled at her silly thoughts, but her amusement soon died as another soul vacated Kikyo’s body, and the clay miko toppled sideways into her grasp.
“Kikyo!” she exclaimed in surprise, catching her quickly. “Are you okay?”
“I’m all right…” she attempted to assure, sounding rather exhausted.
“Do you need to sit down?”
*THUD* (muffled curses)
“Inuyasha!” she shrieked. “You're human! Gods, are you okay?” she asked frantically, still keeping her grip on Kikyo.
A few more muffled curses, and some not quite so muffled, were her reply. So in other words, he was fine.
“What happened?” asked Kikyo, thoroughly confused.
Ignoring the question, Kagome assisted Kikyo in leaning over against a portion of the cave wall that sort of formed a seat, and then she rushed down to Inuyasha’s side. At least he hadn’t been dunked into the river...
“Inuyasha…” she murmured, wincing at his angry expression, and what looked like a split lip. “I’m sooo sorry…” she insisted, “It was an accident.”
“Keh…” he grumped as he stood up, and Kagome knew his silence meant she was forgiven, otherwise she’d really be hearing it right about now.
“Was that the power of the subjugation beads?” Kikyo asked after a moment, realization dawning.
“How’d you guess?” snapped a bitterly sarcastic Inuyasha. He may accept that it was an accident, but it still hurt like hell to get sat as a human. He had a right to be pissy.
Kikyo, ignoring his attitude, turned her cold gaze to Kagome, an evil smirk in her eyes…
“And you claim to love him as a hanyou, yet you keep him under your power?” she taunted, observing the way Inuyasha flinched at her words.
“Kikyo…” he sighed, attempting to tell her it wasn’t like that, but he never got the words out as Kagome angrily spouted off with...
“You’re one to talk! You’re the one who made the stupid rosary.”
I thought Kaede made the rosary... “Kagome?”
“Don’t believe me?” she scoffed “Ask her!”
“Kikyo?”
“Yes, I made it.” she confessed blandly, explaining “But chose not to use it.”
“Kikyo…”
“Okay okay, let’s not fight.” Kagome implored, hating the hurt that suddenly appeared in her friend’s gaze. “We need to get you out of this cave.” she addressed to her previous self.
“Why do you care?”
“Oh come on, let’s not start that again…” she sighed, “I care because Inuyasha cares, okay?”
“Kagome?”
Irritated by his continual parroting, she quipped “Yes. Me Kagome. Her Kikyo. Can you say anything else?”
“Feh, funny…” he grumbled, but smiled smally when the women weren’t looking. He had learned more about Kagome’s feelings for him than he imagined she’d ever wanted him to, based on her reactions afterwards. Why didn’t she ever tell him? Why didn’t she want him to know? His smile was slowly fading...
“Okay then, it’s settled.” He heard Kagome say next, pulling him from his thoughts.
Rising to her feet, and taking Kikyo by the wrist, Kagome declared that if there was one thing she knew the two of them could do, it was get out of a cave they were trapped in. Inuyasha stared in amazement for a moment, over the way Kagome was handling everything. He also thought he heard Kagome say something to Kikyo about a previous time they were trapped in a cave together, but Inuyasha knew nothing about that…What was she talking about?
Deciding he’d worry about that later, when he saw the two women slowly continuing to make their way down stream, he quickly rushed to catch up, assisting Kagome with carrying Kikyo, who was still having difficulty walking.
Inuyasha, and the characters therein, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions.
========================
Chapter 1 – The Cave
“I’m telling you I sense a shard!”
“Feh, you’re sensing things.” he dismissed, adding “I’d know if there was a youkai around…”
“I didn’t say I sensed a youkai, now did I?” Kagome pointed out, perturbed.
“Feh”
Grudgingly, Inuyasha continued to romp the hill top with Kagome, as the sun continued to drop lower and lower into the Western sky. Reluctantly, he’d agreed not to postpone the search until morning, upon Kagome’s declaration that the shard was in motion. However, it was quickly becoming more and more apparent, that unless the shard were in the possession of the invisible man, there were no shards to be found on this hill.
“Feh, come on wench, where’s this shard of yours!?” he finally snapped after a few more minutes of pointless searching.
Kagome examined the ground thoroughly, continually darting from side to side while hunched over, reminding Inuyasha very much of Shippo when he chased grass hopers.
“It’s here. No wait, it’s moving over here. No wait, it’s over there... I know it’s here somewhere!”
“You sure this isn’t just another one of Naraku’s tricks?” he asked sarcastically, “Trying to turn us against each other?” he added for clarification.
“We’re not turning against each other.” she answered innocently.
“Don’t be so sure…” he muttered under his breath, but not quite quietly enough.
“Inuyasha?”
“Feh.” he shrugged off, refusing to answer. “Stupid, I won’t be able to protect you once the sun sets.” he pointed out, “Let’s go back to camp.”
Sighing, Kagome conceded, “Okay, you’re right…besides,” Taking a moment to gaze downward once more, she mumbled “I think it’s underground or something.”
“Or something…”
“Inuyasha!”
“Ke h.” He couldn’t help but chuckle, though that chuckle was short lived.
“INUYASHA!!!!!” she screamed in sudden panic, when in that moment, she lost her footing, slipping into what she at first thought to be a gopher hole, only it belonged to a gopher the size of a transformed two-tails.
“Kagome!!!!!!” he cried in surprise, as he lunged towards her.
The tree root that was her life line she held onto was slowly snapping away, taking with it in pieces, flashes of memories befalling her vision. A very hazy vision at that, as dust and debris clouded up from around where the ground had given way beneath her. Nature being an expert study at timed theatrics, waited until the precise second that Inuyasha had grabbed a hold of Kagome’s hand, before allowing the root she clung to to finally break free. Frozen in time for a moment, Inuyasha observed Kagome, who from a distance would appear as nothing more than a torso and head laying upon the ground. From his vantage, he could see her lower half, legs and feet, dangling into the darkness, but anything beyond that, his vision was already too weakened to tell.
“Feh.” he attempted to scoff, to lighten the mood, “Watch where you step, wench. Even the earth is telling you to knock it off...”
“Knock what off?” she asked, appalled that he would take advantage of her current predicament to scrutinize her.
“This ‘shard hunt’ of yours.” he elaborated, relishing in the fact that she couldn’t storm away from him at his words, for the moment. “There ain’t no shard” he continued, bating “Just admit it. You just wanted to spend time alone with me.”
Flabbergasted at the accusation, which was so not true, she shot back with “Well not like this I don’t! Now help me up!” She smiled inwardly when his expression shifted to indicate that perhaps he realized now was not the best of times to be teasing her.
“Keh”
He tried to pull her up, really he did, but he was quickly losing his strength, and the ground where he stood was hollow, chipping away beneath him like an ice bed atop a winter’s lake. One false move was all it took, and down they went, into the black obis. Inuyasha in his chivalry, did manage, while cursing, to fling Kagome upon himself, preparing to land on his feet, and take the blunt of the impact. She would have screamed, but the drop didn’t last long enough to take in the necessary amount of air required, before she found both herself, and Inuyasha, suddenly submerged, cold and wet, and instead of producing a scream, Kagome had acquired a mouthful of water.
In retrospect, it was a good thing the river was there. It had likely saved them both from some pretty nasty broken bones. But now...
Looking around, they found they could both see much better, the light emanating from the hole above them creating at least enough light find their way to shore. However, it was quickly getting darker, and darker, as the light fell from view of their sunroof, and the velvety blue sky began to reveal smaller pinpricks of light.
“Damn it…” he cursed more to himself, shaking himself somewhat dry before calling “Come on Kagome, hurry!”
He motioned for her to climb up onto his back, so he could make the leap out of the cave through the hole from whence they’d came. But cruel fate was not yet through with our beloved couple, as Inuyasha’s last ounce of demonic strength chose that precise moment to vacant the premises, causing the two to, albeit gracefully, leap right back into the river.
“Damn it!” shrieked a rather feminine voice, as this time it was Kagome to curse.
“Kagome?” He’d never heard her cuss before.
“I’m sorry…Inuyasha. This is all my fault!”
“Feh. Damn straight, wench.”
“Baka!”
“Bi tch!!!”
“Such language…” interrupted a third voice, also decidedly female.
“Who said that?” they both asked at the same time.
“Inuyasha…” Wait...he knew that voice.
“Kikyo!”
Kagome gasped. “Kikyo?”
“Kagome…” she addressed.
“Kikyo!”
“Inuyasha…Kag ome…how nice of you to drop in.”
“Kikyo, what are you doing here?” he asked.
“I could ask you the same question…”
“Keh. Isn’t it obvious?”
“Quite…”
After a few seconds of her head bouncing from side to side as if she were observing a tennis match, it suddenly dawned on Kagome that Kikyo had a jewel shard.
“Ah-hah!” she exclaimed, suddenly earning the attention of both others present, “So you have the shard!” she announced, smiling and clapping her hands together, nodding to herself in confirmation, before she turned to address the human Inuyasha. “See...” she drew out, “I told you I wasn’t sensing things.” she sneered as she crossed her arms across her chest in a very Inuyasha-like pose.
“Feh” he brushed off at first, not appreciating Kagome’s ‘told ya so’ snicker, until what she’d said actually sunk in… “Wait…” he said after a moment, turning to address the other miko, “Kikyo, you have a jewel shard?” Uncertainty was clear in his voice, as though he were uneasy regarding her pending answer.
“What of it?” she asked in return, seeing no point in denying it.
“Nothing, except...”
He tried to bite his tongue, but she persisted, asking “Except?”
More emotional in his human state, he was unable to stop himself from voicing his concerns.
“Whenever you find any jewel shards,” he paused, not wishing to hurt her feelings, but the blank look she shot back at him, assuring him she had no such feelings, was enough encouragement to continue, hesitantly, “You give them to Naraku.”
“Don’t forget the ones she stole from me…”
Inuyasha flashed Kagome a You’re not helping look, and continued…
“What is this place, anyway?”
“This place?” she echoed, glancing around. “This place is a cave. What does it look like?”
“A trap.”
“I assure you Inuyasha, this is no trap.”
“Keh, whatever wench. Then what are you doing here?”
Kagome wasn’t sure if it made her feel better or worse that Inuyasha was speaking to Kikyo in basically the same fashion in which he always spoke to her. It was true that she usually never heard a word exchanged between the two. Whenever she was around, he’d run off to talk to her ‘alone’. But now, there wasn’t anywhere to go really, and even if they did decide to go down stream, it’s not like Inuyasha would really just up and abandon her in a cold, dark cave...Would he? Her concerns grew a little when Kikyo’s response of “Waiting to die…” sunk in. What could she have possibly meant by that?
“I came upon this place by accident, and quite abruptly. I do not have my soul collectors. Without them, I will slowly lose my energy, until I cease to be.”
As if illustrating her point, one of her borrowed souls emerged from her body right on cue, and floated out via the newly formed skylight. Weakening slightly, Kikyo lost her balance, and fell dizzily into Inuyasha’s waiting arms.
“Kikyo!”
Kagome couldn’t take much more of this. It was either come up with a plan of escape, or watch Inuyasha cradle a dying corpse all night. Seeing the two of them together was making it a little hard for her to concentrate on anything else, though. Where the hell were her soul collectors, anyway? They couldn’t find her down here?
“So this is…your human form…” she said softly, reaching up and fondling his human ear… “It suits you.” she whispered.
“I prefer his hanyou form, if you ask me.” she heard her reincarnation mutter from somewhere behind them.
“Kagome…” he sighed quietly to himself.
“I didn’t.”
“Kikyo!” He couldn’t believe she said that.
“Did you even ask him?” Kagome retorted, unfazed. “You wanted him to use the jewel to become human, but he hates being human!”
“Inuyasha agreed to my proposal.” she replied stoically, “I offered him a chance to purify his taint, and to be accepted by others. Surely such a trade greatly outweighed with rewards whatever sacrifices would have been required.”
“Shows what you know.” she snapped bitterly, but attempting to calm her tongue, she continued in a softer tone. “He hates being hanyou, yes, but he wants to use the jewel to become a full youkai.”
“And you would allow it?”
“I…” she paused, asking herself that very question. Was it morally ethical? Screw ethics. She loved him. Sure, she preferred him as a hanyou, but if he really wanted to become a full youkai, would she stop him? Realizing her answer, she shared it with her preincarnation. “I wouldn’t stop him…” she confessed, “I love him as a hanyou, but…it’s his choice…”
He gasped, “Kagome...?”
Her face flamed bright red, though it was hard to see in the darkness of the cave. How had she forgotten that Inuyasha had been present throughout their bickering? Kagome knew what she had confessed to Kikyo, but she’d also just unthinkingly confessed it to Inuyasha, as well.
Way to go Kagome she scolded herself mentally. Quickly trying to change the subject, she started up with...
“So…” rather cheerfully, clapping her hands together… “What say you we get the heck out of this cave, huh? How ‘bout it?” she grinned.
Easy there, Kagome...don't get carried away.
Kagome flashed the brightest smile she could muster at Inuyasha, who still cradled the fallen Kikyo in his arms. She couldn’t really blame him for being concerned for Kikyo. After all, if Koga were hurt, she’d want to help him, and she doesn’t even have ‘those’ types of feelings for Koga. What annoyed her the most at this moment was just how Kikyo was grating on her nerves, seeming to draw pleasure in arousing her anger. She’d have to keep her cool, for Inuyasha’s sake. Flashing Inuyasha a quick look, he smiled back and nodded, then began helping Kikyo to her feet. Surprising all three of them, Kagome made her way over to Kikyo’s other side, to aid in Inuyasha’s assistance of Kikyo’s walking.
“You’re kind Kagome, but this is not necessary, nor you Inuyasha, I can walk on my own, for now…” she assured them both, suddenly sounding so much like the Kikyo Inuyasha remembered.
“Keh.” was her only reply, indicating the subject was closed, and they would be assisting her. “Now the question just becomes, where do we walk to?” he added after a moment, looking both ways.
“I suggest we follow the river downstream, that’s what they always taught us in school.” Kagome said with a shrug.
“Works for me.” he agreed.
As the three walked on in near blindness, following the path of the flowing river, Kagome’s thoughts drifted towards hoping that they wouldn’t have to swim at all further down, as that water was quite, quite cold. She was still flashing high beams from her previous encounter, and she’d also heard Inuyasha make an inhaling yelp she’d never quite heard before. She chuckled at her silly thoughts, but her amusement soon died as another soul vacated Kikyo’s body, and the clay miko toppled sideways into her grasp.
“Kikyo!” she exclaimed in surprise, catching her quickly. “Are you okay?”
“I’m all right…” she attempted to assure, sounding rather exhausted.
“Do you need to sit down?”
*THUD* (muffled curses)
“Inuyasha!” she shrieked. “You're human! Gods, are you okay?” she asked frantically, still keeping her grip on Kikyo.
A few more muffled curses, and some not quite so muffled, were her reply. So in other words, he was fine.
“What happened?” asked Kikyo, thoroughly confused.
Ignoring the question, Kagome assisted Kikyo in leaning over against a portion of the cave wall that sort of formed a seat, and then she rushed down to Inuyasha’s side. At least he hadn’t been dunked into the river...
“Inuyasha…” she murmured, wincing at his angry expression, and what looked like a split lip. “I’m sooo sorry…” she insisted, “It was an accident.”
“Keh…” he grumped as he stood up, and Kagome knew his silence meant she was forgiven, otherwise she’d really be hearing it right about now.
“Was that the power of the subjugation beads?” Kikyo asked after a moment, realization dawning.
“How’d you guess?” snapped a bitterly sarcastic Inuyasha. He may accept that it was an accident, but it still hurt like hell to get sat as a human. He had a right to be pissy.
Kikyo, ignoring his attitude, turned her cold gaze to Kagome, an evil smirk in her eyes…
“And you claim to love him as a hanyou, yet you keep him under your power?” she taunted, observing the way Inuyasha flinched at her words.
“Kikyo…” he sighed, attempting to tell her it wasn’t like that, but he never got the words out as Kagome angrily spouted off with...
“You’re one to talk! You’re the one who made the stupid rosary.”
I thought Kaede made the rosary... “Kagome?”
“Don’t believe me?” she scoffed “Ask her!”
“Kikyo?”
“Yes, I made it.” she confessed blandly, explaining “But chose not to use it.”
“Kikyo…”
“Okay okay, let’s not fight.” Kagome implored, hating the hurt that suddenly appeared in her friend’s gaze. “We need to get you out of this cave.” she addressed to her previous self.
“Why do you care?”
“Oh come on, let’s not start that again…” she sighed, “I care because Inuyasha cares, okay?”
“Kagome?”
Irritated by his continual parroting, she quipped “Yes. Me Kagome. Her Kikyo. Can you say anything else?”
“Feh, funny…” he grumbled, but smiled smally when the women weren’t looking. He had learned more about Kagome’s feelings for him than he imagined she’d ever wanted him to, based on her reactions afterwards. Why didn’t she ever tell him? Why didn’t she want him to know? His smile was slowly fading...
“Okay then, it’s settled.” He heard Kagome say next, pulling him from his thoughts.
Rising to her feet, and taking Kikyo by the wrist, Kagome declared that if there was one thing she knew the two of them could do, it was get out of a cave they were trapped in. Inuyasha stared in amazement for a moment, over the way Kagome was handling everything. He also thought he heard Kagome say something to Kikyo about a previous time they were trapped in a cave together, but Inuyasha knew nothing about that…What was she talking about?
Deciding he’d worry about that later, when he saw the two women slowly continuing to make their way down stream, he quickly rushed to catch up, assisting Kagome with carrying Kikyo, who was still having difficulty walking.