InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Heal Thyself ❯ Heal Thyself ( One-Shot )

Rumiko Takahashi owns all the Inuyasha characters. I do not. Nor do I profit in any way from this writing, other than feeling vaguely accomplished.

 

A/N: Okay, so I have been reading fanfics for a while now and always meaning to post something. I am finally fed up with myself and am posting this, though it is far far FAR less than perfect. This is actually only one scene from a much longer story I am envisioning. Consider this a poor offering of thanks in return for the many stories on mm that I have gotten to enjoy. Feel free to comment, but please, be honest but be kind.

 

WARNING: Story starts with a rape scene.

 

 

Inuyasha flew from tree top to tree top, desperately trying to get any whiff of Kagome's scent. Nothing. Nothing! He was wild with fear and the need to find her, NOW. He knew in his heart that she was in horrible danger and feels sick with dread that this time, this time he will be too late. Suddenly, he sensed a mighty gathering of demons far to the west. His mind raged, unsure whether to continue back to Kaede's hut from which he might be able to trace Kagome or to head west to the ominous feeling of the gathering of hundreds of demons. Snarling his frustration, and fear, he screamed Kagome's name into the night. Immediately, he felt a pulsing answer, albeit weak, tugging his heart to the west. Instantly, he turned in that direction, Tesaiga already out and ready.

 

As he raced toward the valley swarming with demons, he struggled to see any glimpse Kagome. He could sense her, he knew she was here, somewhere. His nose caught her scent, but he was horrified that it was mixed with the scent of her blood, fear… and the scent of demon sex. Leaping higher on his next jump, he finally saw what he was looking for. Kagome. But…but… His mind refused for a moment to acknowledge what he was seeing. She was sprawled across a makeshift alter, naked beneath a demon three times her size that was…that was…raping her.

 

Kagome's body lay there like a battered doll, her eyes open but lifeless. Her entire body shook with each thrust of the demon on top of her. Clearly it was climaxing and it bit her already bloody body to mark her. To his increasing horror, her body was covered with these marks, indicating that many many demons had already had her. As the demon pulled out of Kagome's body, Inuyasha saw the blood and seed pooled between her legs. As another demon moved to take her next, Inuyasha let out a blood curdling roar, startling the entire assembly. He had become full demon in an instant, despite the Tesaiga in his hand, and his red eyes radiated an unholy fury so vicious that the hundreds of demons present shook with fear and tried a panicked retreat but there were too many of them. He had no time to make them suffer agonizing pain for centuries as he would have liked to have done. He had to kill them now so he could get to Kagome. His heart twisted with pain as he thought of her, but he continued his snarling rampage until each and every demon that had been present was no more than bloody meat upon the ground.

 

As soon as the last demon was dead, his transformation to full demon left him, his entire being too intent on Kagome to even notice how unusual this was. His heart in his throat, Inuyasha ran to where she lay, naked and unmoving. He dropped to knees, moaning. She was breathing, just, but her body was a wreck. Brusised, broken, bloody and marked with the demon bite in nearly a hundred places. He was so shaken he hardly knew what to do. He was desperately afraid - afraid to move her and make her injuries worse, afraid if he did not get her to medical attention she would die. His hands shook as he struggled to untie his haori and gently lay the short coat to cover her nakedness. Mind numb, he slowly reached out a trembling hand to tenderly push her hair back off her face. As if registering the motion, her unblinking eyes flickered and almost came back from that horrible blankness.

 

That blankness almost terrified him more than her injuries. His heart thumped wildly. Where have I seen that blankness before? Suddenly he knew. Kikyo. Her eyes always held an element of the void, the total lack of life, as she was the walking undead. Even when she claimed she loved him (or hated him), there was always an undercurrent of hopeless despair. He would have thought it impossible, but an even great fear seized his chest.

 

NO!!!! he screamed inside. Not my Kagome, she will never follow that path! I won't let her!!

 

Something fundamental shifted in his heart and soul. Pride no longer mattered - he would do whatever it took to help her, to heal her. He lurched forward so that his face was directly above hers. He took a couple deep breaths, attempting to master his trembling body and voice. Softly he called her name, “Kagome…Kagome wake up. I'm here. It'll be ok. Come back. We'll go to Kaede's, see the others, our friends, and, and, eat ramen and sleep and heal and it'll all be ok, ok? Cuz we'll be together, ok? I won't leave you, I'll be there always, ok? Come back to me, Kagome.” He continued talking softly, looking deeply into her eyes, calling her back from whereever she had gone. He had no water, so as he talked, he gently licked her face clean. The gesture was tender and intimate and he could feel himself pouring his love into her. He forgot about all else, focused on calling his love's soul back from the brink of hell.

 

Kagome blinked slowly, life and light flickering back into her eyes. Inuyasha pulled back slightly so he could see her face, her eyes.

 

Kagome, struggling and slow with pain, managed to raise one arm to gently touch his cheek, wet with his tears. His eyes searched hers frantically. She tried to smile and her lips curved slightly. “Inuyasha…” her voice was barely a whisper, even to his sensitive ears.

 

He couldn't help the huge unsteady grin plastered across his features any more than he could help the torrent of tears streaming out of his eyes, down his cheeks and onto Kagome's face. Kagome's face. It was her face again and he felt wild happiness explode in his chest. Her other wounds momentarily forgotten. He had done it! He had saved her soul. He would figure out who to kill later, for now it was enough that she was here, with him. He went to hug her tightly, but stopped just in time, remembering her horrible injuries. His smile faltered.

 

Kagome whispered, “You… came back…thank you…can die…happy…”

 

His heart stopped.

 

“No!” he cried, “Kagome, hold on! Please! Don't leave me!” His voice cracked over and over with the intense pain he felt. “I can't…I can't live without you…Kagome…please,” he was pleading, whimpering. “I love you. I love you! I love you!!!!” His voice raised with each declaration until he was almost shouting, as if he could make the words wrap around her soul and keep it in her body.

 

Kagome sighed slightly, with deep contentment. She was weary beyond imagining, but somehow kept her hand on his tear-drenched cheek. “Inuyasha…” For both of them, time stretched out, agonizing and slow, focused on this moment, in which she was still alive, now this one, in which she still breathed. With one last effort, Kagome whispered, “Inuyasha…love you…always wanted you to be my first…” Her eyes closed, her hand fell, and Inuyasha's heart well and truly shattered. For the first time in the Dog Demon's life, he threw back his head and howled.

 

 

 

 

Inuyasha's howl reverberated across the land. All manner of creatures shivered at the sound, feeling as though their hearts must break.

 

Not bothering to wipe the tears from his face, he quickly wrapped Kagome in his robe, picked her up as gently as he could and flew east toward Kaede's hut. He wasn't even able to spare a thought for this sudden ability he supposedly hadn't inherited from his father. His entire being was focused on getting Kagome to the best healer he knew, as quickly as possible.

 

Her heart still beat, though faintly. He could feel it even through his clothes, even with the rushing of cold air beating him as he streamed through the air with greater speed than he had ever seen any demon manage. Some part of him knew this was further proof of what he had finally come to accept: he was stronger with Kagome in his life. She gave him strength and abilities he never thought possible, beyond even those of a full-blooded demon. She was the source of his strength, his courage, his happiness, his life. He clutched her tighter to him and flew faster.

 

Although it should have taken a good hour even at his fastest run, he reached Kaede's hut in less than ten minutes. Still cradling Kagome, he called out with fierce desperation, almost screaming Kaede's name. Kaede had to be home, she just had to be.

 

The screen across the door was hurriedly pushed aside.

 

“Inuyasha! Whatever is the matter?” Kaede's voice was full of worry. She had seen him arrive, flying no less, from the window, but the cry he had given a moment ago shook her.

 

Wordlessly, he showed her Kagome's body.

 

Kaede took in Kagome's appearance: the blood, broken bones, bite wounds, and worst of all the mixed gore of blood and some other substance smeared across her thighs.

 

Her voice was hard, shaking slightly, as she turned to go back inside, calling over her shoulder, “bring her in, quickly!”

 

As Kaede stoked up the fire and prepared her medicines, Inuyasha gently laid Kagome down on the bed.

 

“Inuyasha, go get Mai-chan.” Kaede had taken the girl as a promising assistant some years before.

 

He growled, as if to refuse to move from Kagome's side.

 

Kaede gave him a hard look. “Inuyasha, if you value Kagome's life, you will get Mai-chan and you will get her now.”

 

Inuyasha's growl turned into a whimper as his eyes turned to the girl on the bed, but he dashed out and returned with disheveled Mai a moment later.

 

“Kaede,” Mai said, exasperated and trying to get Inuyasha to release her arm, “what the hell has gotten into…” She trailed off as she saw Kagome's body on the bed.

 

Kaede began snapping out orders, to both Mai and Inuyasha. Kaede and Mai were to immediately set to work on healing and Inuyasha was to gather three other healer friends of Kaede's. She had seen how he arrived, and didn't question the new found gift, only put it to work.

 

The healers, all five when the other three arrived considerably more disheveled than Mai, worked with grim determination well into the night. Inuyasha was not barred from the hut, indeed, they had no hope that they could do so, but he was firmly told to stay out of their way. Despite all their medicines, poultices, and chanting magics, it seemed that they would lose Kagome after all.

 

Kaede and Mai pulled back from the others for a moment to confer.

 

“What about Shikon shards?” Mai asked. “Maybe…”

 

“No child,” replied Kaede. “She would become like Kohaku existing in a hellish semblance of life - only alive because of the shards and as soon as they were removed she would die. And that would only make her a greater target of the demons and Naraku. And the shards have brought nothing but misfortune and misery. She deserves a real life. There must another way.”

 

They continued to discuss possible theories in low voices, but of course Inuyasha heard them anyway. It didn't matter what it took, up to and including his life, he would do anything to keep Kagome alive. Unnoticed by Kaede and Mai deep in conversation, he slunk past them over to Kagome. When the other healers made as if to stop him, his barely audible but no less threatening growl convinced them to continue their work.

 

He took Kagome's hand in his. It was cool…far too cool. He rubbed it gently to warm her, then held it up to cradle against his cheek. He stared down at her. Kagome, he willed his thoughts to reach her as they had when she had nearly lost her soul to hell, don't leave me girl, don't… His thoughts stumbled as the pain of possibly losing her washed over him anew. He took a deep breath and continued in his mind. Don't leave me, I need you, and damn it I know you need me too! I can't do this without you. You are my strength. You are my heart. You are my soul. You are and always have been. I have never known real happiness until I met you, I have never known acceptance. You are the most precious thing on this planet. You are the most amazing person I have ever met. Your smile lights up the world. Do you know this? Do you realize how people react to you? And, and, we're not done here! We, we need to collect the shards…He snarled at himself in his mind. Damn the shards! I don't care about them anymore, just you. Kagome, I need you. I love you, Kagome, I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. Willing the unconscious girl to hear, Inuyasha kept repeating that line like it was a mantra, a prayer that would save her if only he said it strong enough, long enough. He was so deep into it that he didn't hear what was happening around him.

 

Suddenly one of the healers gave a gasp and called for Kaede and Mai to come over.

 

“What is it?” asked Kaede sharply.

 

“The girl! I don't know how, but a little after the hanyou took her hand, her life energy began to grow! It was almost gone but now it's coming back! It's still guttering though.”

 

Kaede looked hard at Inuyasha. He was leaning over Kagome, cradling her hand against his cheek, and his eyes locked on her face like he could keep her alive by sheer force of will. After a moment Kaede realized his lips were slightly moving, as if he was chanting something. She moved closer, but he gave no indication he had the slightest awareness of those around him. An idea sparked in her brain.

 

“Inuyasha!” she yelled. Some how, she knew he would have difficulty hearing her wherever he had gone inside. “Say it out loud! Whatever it is that you are saying, say it out loud where it will have more power!”

 

Inuyasha's eyes never moved, his concentration never wavered but slowly, his voice began to grow in volume until what he was saying was audible to his listeners.

 

“Kagome, I love you. I love you, Kagome, don't leave me. I love you. I love you. I love you, Kagome. I need you. Don't leave me. I love you. I love you Kagome.” On and on he went, his voice filled with a strangely compelling power.

 

Kaede's eyes flicked back and forth from Inuyasha to Kagome, almost able to see the lines of power flowing between them and Kagome's struggle to keep life in her body. Quickly Kaede snapped out commands to Inuyasha. She knew phrasing something as a positive rather than a negative had more power. “Tell her to come back, Inuyasha! Tell her to come back and tell her why. Tell her what she will be missing, tell her what your life together can be!”

 

He didn't bat an eye or ear but somehow incorporated Kaede's commands into his never ceasing litany. “I love you, Kagome. I need you. Come back. Come back to me. I need you here. Come back, Kagome. Come back to me and Kaede and Sango, Miroko, and Shippo. We all need you. Come back to us. I want a life with you. A life we've only just begun. A life of love and happiness, with our friends, our family, not just here but your mom and Souta and Grandpa too. Come back to me, Kagome. Come back and be my wife, my partner, my mate. I love you. I need you. Be my wife Kagome, come back to me.”

 

Kaede and the other healers watched, stunned as Inuyasha continued his litany and Kagome's body began to fill with life force, at first slowly, then more and more rapidly until she was literally glowing. Her back arched up as life force filled her to the brim and spilled out in all directions, like thousands of brilliant shooting stars, sending energy into them all.

 

 

 

 

After life force had radiated so spectacularly from Kagome's arched body, all was quiet. Inuyasha's litany had ceased. Some how he ended up on the bed with her, curled up beside her, still holding her hand. They both appeared to be sleeping peacefully. The five healers approached the bed shakily.

 

Mai gripped Kaede's arm, hard, and pointed. “Kagome's body! Her wounds have healed! Even the demon bites! Th-, th-, th-,” Mai couldn't help stuttering, “those are supposed to be permanent! At least when they are made when, uh, rutting.”

 

The awe on all five healers' faces was apparent. Kaede was the first to recover.

 

“Well, my friends, it appears a good ending for all our hard work, even if we don't understand how it came to be. Obviously, it has to do with the special bond of love between those two. They have always been stronger together and maybe that just needed to be acknowledged.” Kaede shook her head. “Come! Let me find bedding for you all. We'll have a good sleep and figure it out in the morning. Although I am less exhausted than I should be.”

 

The healers all nodded, happy the crisis was over, however it happened. Something had happened to them when the life force filling Kagome's body radiated out in all directions, sending energy into everything around her. They didn't know exactly what had happened, only that it had something to do with Kagome and Inuyasha. But they knew it was good and they were content to wait for answers.

 

On the bed, both the hanyou and the human smiled in their sleep and snuggled closer to each other.

 

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