InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ In Close Quarters ❯ Never Knew the Worth ( Chapter 5 )

Okay... for some strange reason, I can't see the newer reviews... But I know you guys are out there! Thanks for reviewing! Here's the next chapter...

Chapter 5: Never Knew the Worth

Kagome remained crouched on the edge of the cliff; her head low as she sobbed quietly. Hugging herself, she leaned forward to look over the edge; only to jerk back as she felt another wave of overwhelming sorrow. She doubled over, her body wracked by stronger sobs, until someone touched her shoulder. Turning slightly, she sniffed as Sango knelt beside her.

"I'm sure he's alright, Kagome." Sango removed her hand to wrap an arm around her shoulders. "You know he can survive anything."

Shippou appeared at Kagome's side and scrambled quickly into her lap. Squirming under her crossed arms he snuggled against her stomach; his tiny arms making their best attempt at a comforting hug.

"Please don't cry anymore, Kagome. Inuyasha's okay."

"But how can you be so sure?" Kagome wondered aloud, wiping her tears on her sleeve.

"Because, child." Kaede approached and placed a hand on Kagome's arm. "Inuyasha has an new emotion growing rapidly inside of him. An emotion that he has not yet begun to understand. That alone will give him the will to survive anything. The same emotion rests in ye as well, Kagome."

"Um... yeah... that..." Sango blinked.

"An emotion?" Kagome asked, slightly awed but confused. "What emotion?"

Kaede turned.

"That ye must discover for yourself. Until then, ye must remain strong for the sake of Inuyasha and yourself. Now, knowing this, what do ye want to do?"

Kagome thought for a moment on this new idea.

"I... I want... I want to go find him! In my heart I know he wouldn't leave me." (how corny *sigh*)

"Then let us go and find him." Kaede said with a small smile. She turned as Kirara approached with Miroku sitting upon her back.

"Are you alright, Miroku?" Kagome asked as he leaned down to offer her an arm. She threw her leg carefully over the soft fur and settled behind him, making careful note on where he was keeping his hands.

"Oh sure!" He smiled, looking over his shoulder at her. "Just a bump." He turned and held his hand out for Kaede.

The elderly woman shook her head and took a step back.

"I'll remain here and find somewhere suitable to set up camp for the night. Something tells me we won't be going far." She put out a hand to catch the back of the Kitsune's shirt as Shippou bounded over to join them. "Ye will stay here as well."

"But I wanna g-"

Kaede shook her head firmly; causing the little fox to pout.

"Now, where to?" Sango asked as she jumped on in front of Miroku.

"Ummm... Well, since we can't see, I don't want to risk going straight down to the bottom of the cliff. So I guess we should look for a path that leads down. But, which direction should we go in?"

"Well," Started Miroku, "Since the air pressure will probably be higher down inside the cliff, all we need to do is..." He reached out and pull a handful of leaves off of a nearby tree. "Kirara, closer to the edge, please." They moved over to the edge, and the monk dropped the leaves into the rift.

The leaves floated down for a while until they seemed to hit a strong gust of air, veering off to the right.

"Now that," Miroku extended a finger to accentuate his point. "should mean that the closest end of the canyon is in that direction." He pointed off to the right, looking very pleased with himself.

Sango raised an eyebrow, staring at him with a skeptical expression on her face.

"I don't believe that for a second. But, unfortunately, it's all we have to go on. So let's get a move on. C'mon Kirara."

The cat-like creature turned and lunged in the chosen direction.

The wind stung Kagome face and caused her eyes to tear. She ducked down low behind Miroku to escape the wind.

`Don't worry Inuyasha, we're on our way.'

The tears continued to fall as she hunched lower, but now they were not a result of the wind.

Darkness. Complete and utter silence. Inuyasha looked curiously around.

"Where the hell am I?"

"Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha whirled around at the sound of Kagome's voice.

"Kagome!" He reached out for her, only to watch her disappear. "Kagome?"

She reappeared farther away, standing and smiling widely at him. She waved, and took a step towards him.

Inuyasha watched in horror as her face lost all color, contorting in a pained gasp. She slumped forward, supported only by the hand clutching a fistful of her hair. Her eyes were blank and empty, unseeing as he called desperately for her.

"Kagome!"

Midori emerged from the darkness; a sinister grin on his lips. He pulled Kagome's lifeless form against him, taking one hand in his own and tipping her back slightly. His eyes locked with Inuyasha's before he dipped his head.

"No! Kagome!"

The snake-like man licked his lips before leaning in, pressing his lips firmly against Kagome's.

"She is mine."

"KAGOME!"

Inuyasha gasped, realizing that Kagome and Midori were nowhere in sight. He was floating down a river. He frowned, shaking his head to free his mind of the horrible images.

"Great, now I'm soaked to the bone. Again. Who would've figured there'd be a river down here?"

He treaded water as he gazed grumpily around at the sheer rock walls; years of erosion having wiped any hand or footholds away long ago. And so he laid back in the water, his thoughts drifting back to Kagome.

`I sure hope she's alright.' He thought idly, gazing up into the seemingly endless fog that blocked the sky. Sighing loudly in boredom and closing his eyes, he found his mind being bombarded with images of the raven haired girl.

The time that she had saved him from the spider head demon. How she had cried for him. No one had ever cried for him, ever. Save for his mother.

And the time that he had forced her down the well without her shards. But she'd made it back, and had been so happy to see him. He could still remember her forceful hug.

And all the times that she had helped him, bandaged his wounds, supported him. Even the times she had used the `s' word on him held an affectionate place in his memories.

He sighed again. His mood sank, but he felt funny. Something inside him gave him an unbearable need to see her again. That was it.

"I need to get out of here."

He scanned the walls again, but no ledges were visible. With an annoyed grunt, he began to swim with the now swifter current. He passed a ledge just out of his reach, and then a tree branch. Then a vine, which broke under his weight, sending him plunging back into the churning water.

"Damn it. Can't somebody cut me a break here?" He asked no one in particular.

(Cue the heavenly rays of light)

On his request, a narrow ledge a good ways down the river appeared. It looked like it led up to the top of the cliff.

Casting a suspicious glare around the canyon, he wondered how the heck that could have happened.

"Oh well!"

He paddled towards the side of the water, suddenly realizing the water was moving very rapidly. And there was a hissing noise. The hissing noise turned into a rumble. The rumble turned into a roar. Inuyasha felt his happiness disappear.

"What the hell!? A WATERFALL!?"

"Miroku! You try that one more time and I'm gonna knock you down the gorge myself!"

Kagome sighed. Not even Sango and Miroku's constant bickering could keep her mind off of Inuyasha. Every time she closed her eyes she saw him. His eyes, his hair, his ears. Everything about him. She knew she was blushing just thinking about him. The way he would always help her, rescue her, protect her.

She would always remember the time he fought the Thunder Brothers. When he thought she was dead. The way he cried out for her still made he heart pound. And then when he'd thought she was a spirit. Kagome chuckled slightly. He'd clutched her arm.

`Don't leave me!' Still echoed in her mind.

Kagome hugged herself. She needed to find him. She couldn't explain it.

`I think I'm falling in love with him. That rude, cocky, sadistic, handsome, comforting, strong, but confusing half demon. How could this have happened?'

"Whoa!"

Kirara put on the breaks, and they skidded to a stop several feet away from where the ground disappeared. Moving closer and peering over the edge, they realized that this cliff was even deeper than the one they had been following.

Kagome dropped to the ground and inched closer to the edge. She gasped in horror as she caught her first glimpse of the thundering waterfalls that poured from the more shallow part of the cliff.

"Hey! Look over there!"

Sango's call shook her from her gruesome thoughts.

"What is it Sango?" Miroku asked as he dismounted as well.

"Over there! There's a path or something!"

Sure enough, a dangerous looking path appeared from the side of the ridge. Kagome eagerly hurried off to reach the top of the trail.

"Eureka! I have done it! Handsome and a genius. Some guys have all the luck."

Sango sighed and shook her head.

"Miroku, you're incorrigible."

Miroku smirked at her.

"Does incorrigible mean handsome, suave, and irresistible?"

"No."

Kagome couldn`t do anything but run. Her earlier fears were pushed aside and her tears were forgotten. The only thing she knew was that Inuyasha could be somewhere down that path. She was almost there when she finally saw him. Frozen in her tracks, the beads she still clutched in her hand dropped to the ground as she watched him trudge up the last steps of the path.

Inuyasha grumbled as he shook out his sleeves.

"Stupid river. Of all the-oof!" He was cut off as he was struck by a very solid force. "Kagome!"

Kagome flung her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"You're alright! Thank goodness." She smiled as she felt him wrap an arm around her shoulders.

"Kagome... I-"

The raven haired girl suddenly reeled backwards.

"What's wrong with you!?"

"Huh!?" Inuyasha blinked.

"You go and get me all worried!" Kagome fumed. "You jerk!" She stepped forward and took a swing at the still confused Inuyasha.

"Hey!" Inuyasha dodged out of the way.

"You idiot!" She cried, punching at him again.

"Watch it!" Inuyasha ducked again.

"Stupid! Stupid..." She stood still for a moment; her fists at her sides, fighting back tears. Then she lashed out again. "You stupid dog!"

Inuyasha caught her trembling fist in his own hand.

Kagome froze, her chest shaking with barely contained sobs.

Inuyasha wedged his fingers under her tense ones; sliding them against her own until their hands were splayed palm to palm. Then he shifted his hand, lacing his fingers with hers. He saw Kagome's eyes flicker over his face and he smiled; a genuine smile. Then he swiftly pulled her against him; releasing her hand to wrap his arms snug around her waist. He bowed his head close to her ear; pressing his face into her hair.

"I'm sorry."

"Well well well. Doesn't this seem like deja vu?"

Kagome giggled, the same smile her face had held earlier that day was back. Inuyasha was under another towel, his clothes drying by the fire again.

Kagome felt like she was going to float away she was so happy. Inuyasha was alright, and that's all that mattered. She dropped the towel on the ground and sat beside the hanyou. Sighing happily, she leaned against his shoulder, closing her eyes.

Inuyasha tensed, painfully aware of the eyes staring suspiciously at him. Glaring back at them all, especially Miroku, who had stopped midway to Sango's rear-end to gawk at them. Inuyasha smirked in satisfaction as he heard the sharp sound of Sango's hand meeting Miroku's face. That one had to sting. Finally allowing himself to relax, he slouched over a bit, enjoying the feeling of her petite form against his. Suddenly feeling very sleepy, he let his eyes close, his ears drooping. Almost immediately, he felt something settle around his neck, and a quiet mumbling. His eyes shot open and an angry half demon looked ready to strangle the smug old woman in front of him.

"What the hell is this!?" Inuyasha shouted, holding up the band around his and Kagomes neck, sufficiently jerking the girl at his side enough to wake her.

"What does it look like?" Kaede asked back. "I shall be sure to keep ye stuck together until I get an understanding. I am getting tired of you're constant arguments."

"Why you little-" Inuyasha's hand shot forward.

"Sit!"

Both of them went plunging to the ground. Kagome, managing to catch herself, while Inuyasha was face down in the dirt. Inuyasha sat upright, his mouth open to shout yet another obscenity at the elderly woman, but Kagome's voice and her hand on his arm stopped him.

"Inuyasha... It's alright." She took her hand back, looking sheepishly away.

Inuyasha couldn't do anything but gape. How could she control him like that!? He growled, but it was also silenced as her eyes fixed with his. He relented, standing up.

"Stupid old hag." He muttered, pulling Kagome to her feet. "Fine then, we're going to bed." He stomped over to a nearby tree and plopping down on the ground in a huff. When Kagome didn't follow willingly, he looked up at her, and angry eyebrow arching over his left eye. "Well?"

Kagome knelt down, and grinned weakly.

"Well, I kind of thought maybe we could... um... well... sleep up in the tree tonight."

Inuyasha was stumped again.

They stood up together, Inuyasha's eyes locked with hers, searching for something. He stepped closer and put his arms around her waist.

"Alright then. Hold on."

Kagome flushed; putting her hands on his shoulders. The next moment their was a rush of air. She gasped, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and closing her eyes as they leapt from branch to branch.

"Kagome?"

"Hm?" She still had her eyes closed tightly. Her face pressed against his shoulder.

"You can let go now."

"Huh?" Her eyes opened and she realized they had stopped. "Oh." They stood on a thick branch a good ways up from the ground. Kagome eased herself back from Inuyasha, blushing again. Glancing around, she was awed at what she could see from their vantage point. She gasped. "It's beautiful!" Endless miles of moonlit trees, grassy meadows, and sloping hills stretched out before them. She took a step back and immediately lost her balance. She shrieked, flailing helplessly before her cries were silenced again by a broad chest.

"Careful!" Inuyasha snapped, although half-heartedly. He began to step backwards toward the trunk, not even looking at where he was walking. "Can we settle down now?"

"Oh, sure yeah." Kagome allowed him to sit down, leaning back against the tree. Then he guided her, turning her around to lean back against his chest.

"Alright?" He questioned as she relaxed.

Kagome nodded.

"You better not drop me."

Inuyasha almost laughed. But instead, he moved to wrap his arms around her waist, and when she didn't protest, he pulled her more firmly against himself.

"Don't worry. I won't"

Okay, please excuse my old English, the way I wrote that sounds really stupid to me, but that's how she talks, right? Oh well. I hope you enjoyed it! You guys are great! Keep reviewing! Cause that's what keeps me writing!