InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Metamorphosis ❯ Pulse ( Chapter 15 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: King Baka 
So how does Inuyasha get out of that jam?
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 01.26.2009 | Updated On: 12.30.2010 | Pages: 4 | Words: 6.4K | Visits: 3.7K | Status: Completed
So how does Inuyasha get out of that jam?
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 01.26.2009 | Updated On: 12.30.2010 | Pages: 4 | Words: 6.4K | Visits: 3.7K | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or any of the publicly known characters, plot, etc. I’m just renting them from Rumiko Takahashi, Viz, etc. I do own the plot of this story and any original characters I’ve created. I will make no money from this fic; I write for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of my readers.
Fanfiction of the Week: “Atmosphere,” by Sari-15
Just a simple, fluffy, well-written piece that always makes me smile.
little white kitsune – I knew I had seen your name before. You reviewed for “A Moment of Clarity,” I think before I had even finished the second chapter. Nice to hear from you again.
Pulse
Miroku collapsed to his knees, barely managing to keep from dropping the precious cargo in his arms. He set Kagome, with Shippou and Kirara resting on her stomach, down gently before leaning to the side and surrendering to the coughing fit that he had somehow managed to hold back as he ran. Whatever that smoke was, it was nasty. It instantly incapacitated anything with a strong nose, and had nearly knocked him out before he could gather up his fallen comrades and escape. He was ever so glad that Sango had kept Inuyasha from charging in after him. Rolling over on his back, he breathed the fresh air deeply, letting his aching arms and legs rest. He figured he deserved a breather after carrying his friends a good distance to safety; in their state, he knew they wouldn’t mind. They were all sleeping peacefully now, their breathing deep and regular, but he couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if they had stayed in the fog for more than a few seconds. It wouldn’t have been good, that much was for sure.
Sighing, he rose to his feet. He didn’t want to stay next to this dead wasteland any longer, and thanked the Kami that Kagome was light. He also thanked them that she had returned to normal, or at least what was now considered normal. The pink markings on her cheeks had disappeared, and her fangs were hidden by her lips again. It should have baffled him, how completely Kagome had assimilated her youkai side. It seemed her miko powers and youki worked in harmony, which should have been impossible. But Kagome was doing ‘impossible’ things left and right nowadays. She certainly was one hell of a woman, one any man would be unbelievably lucky to have. Now if he could just get Inuyasha to realize that…
Gathering his friends in his arms once again, he set out. His original goal was simply to find a suitable place to make camp for the night, and maybe some wild fruit to eat, but that mission was derailed quickly. The scent of roasting meat, fish, bread…the smells of a nearby village wafted to his nose. He heard Kagome’s stomach growl hungrily, and she stirred slightly but did not wake. Miroku grinned; it seemed his unconscious companion thought staying in the village was a good idea as well.
It was a rather large village by the standards of the day, the many huts kept in good repair. People were out and about, taking care of their late afternoon business. He stopped a young woman carrying a basket of clothing, flashing his most charming smile.
“Young miss, could you direct me to where I might seek lodging for the night?”
“A-at the inn, o-over on the h-hill,” she stammered, blushing, before scurrying away. Miroku smirked. I still haven’t lost my touch. Finding the inn, he went inside and inquired for the innkeeper. He was a round, balding man in his forties, a natural-looking scowl on his face.
“Whaddya want?” he grumped, eyeing Miroku condescendingly.
“Good sir, I seek lodging for the night. I would be more than happy to bless your inn, and drive out the evil spirit I sense emanating—”
“You got money, houshi? I ain’t interested in no phony exorcisms.”
Miroku sweatdropped, suddenly glad his companions were asleep. If anyone found out that his ‘evil spirit’ trick hadn’t worked, they would never let him live it down. Supporting Shippou, Kirara, and Kagome’s upper body with his right hand, he reached into his robes with his left, pulling out a small pouch.
“This is all I have,” he said, handing it to the innkeeper. The man dumped the contents out onto his palm and rolled his eyes, mumbling something about never getting any rich customers.
“Alright, houshi. This amount gets you a small room with one futon. You and your lady friend got a problem with that?” he asked, eyeing Kagome appreciatively.
“No, my wife and I will manage,” he lied, not liking the look in the innkeeper’s eye. The ass even had the gall to look disappointed at Miroku’s declaration.
“Fine. Go down the hallway, and it’s the last door on your right. You’ll have to leave those youkai outside though.”
“Excuse me?” Miroku asked incredulously.
“You heard me. Youkai stay outside.”
“These youkai are quite harmless, I assure you. If you insist, then I would like my money returned to me.” Miroku subtly raised his sleeve to cover Kagome’s ears, which the innkeeper apparently hadn’t noticed yet, partially hidden by her hair as they were. The innkeeper’s tune changed after that. Evidently, he was willing to bend his rules a little if it meant making money.
“Fine, but if they cause any trouble, I’m holding you responsible.”
“Yes, yes, they will be on their best behavior. Thank you.”
The innkeeper waved him off, and Miroku turned to find their room before the man’s voice stopped him. “Your wife, huh? Why do you let her go around dressed like that? She looks more like a whore than a married woman.”
Miroku didn’t miss the salacious inflection in his voice, nor did he fail to see the irony in that this man had just insinuated that the purest person he knew was a whore. He forcibly reigned in his anger, wondering if the innkeeper was trying to infuriate him on purpose. Fortunately for all parties involved, he possessed a monk’s restraint, in some areas more than others. If he did punch the corpulent ass like he truly wanted to, the villagers would probably tie him up for attacking one of their own, and who knew what they would do with two small youkai and a hanyou. Turning slowly, he favored the innkeeper with a fearsome glare, and spoke with bone-chilling seriousness.
“My wife has quite a temper, so I would not let her hear you say that. I won’t come to your rescue if she decides to teach you a lesson. In fact, I might just help her. Do we understand each other?”
The innkeeper scoffed, refusing to back down, but Miroku sensed he had been effectively put in his place. The monk held his eyes for a moment longer before turning and marching down the hallway.
Sliding the door to their room open with his foot, he sighed heavily. The enclosure, since it could only very generously be called a room, looked like it had gone twenty years without maintenance. There were several holes and stains in the floor, and the lone futon took up almost half the surface area. Its saving grace was that it wasn’t dusty; it had apparently received some use recently. Setting Kagome down on the futon, he closed the door and sat down cross-legged by her side. He stared at her peaceful face, recalling how she looked a few hours earlier as she tore into Takehiko. Vicious, bloodthirsty, rejoicing in the wounds and agony of her enemy, she had been something out of a nightmare, but still undeniably beautiful. Thinking of the way she looked, so different from her usual bright, cheerful visage, would forever send a chill up his spine. And yet, she hadn’t completely lost herself. She had maintained her coherency, and her protectiveness over Inuyasha. He couldn’t know for sure, but if any of their group had confronted her, he believed she would have recognized them as well. A low groan interrupted his thoughts and drew his attention toward Kagome’s stomach.
“Ah, Shippou, I was wondering who would wake up first.”
The kit looked decidedly disoriented, glancing slowly around the room, then up to Miroku’s eyes. “Where are we?” he asked.
“In a village. I carried you three here after pulling you out of that smoke.”
At the mention of ‘you three,’ Shippou looked down, his gaze traveling up to Kagome’s face. He jumped, letting out a small cry of fright, and landed squarely on Miroku’s shoulder. He continued to stare at Kagome’s countenance with wide eyes, his tail vibrating in apprehension.
“Relax, Shippou,” Miroku soothed, patting the fox on the head. “Kagome-sama is back to normal now.”
Shippou just shook his head, his fearful gaze never wavering. Miroku could see the nightmare being replayed before his eyes, and perhaps his ears as well. Whatever Kagome said to Takehiko had spooked the kit badly. He placed Shippou in his lap, continuing to rub his head. It was all he could do; Kagome was the only one who could restore the lad’s confidence in her. Kirara stirred a short while later, and immediately hopped onto his thigh, demanding the same treatment. The sun was low in the sky by the time Kagome woke, moaning and placing her hand to her head.
“Ugh, my head. What happened?”
“Think, Kagome-sama. What do you remember?”
Kagome frowned in concentration, pausing for a moment before answering. “I remember fighting Takehiko and Sora…they hit Inuyasha with that dagger, and I had to purify him! Where is he? Is he okay?” she asked, frantically looking around the room.
“I’m sure he is fine. He was able to stand afterwards. We got separated, but Sango is with him. What else do you remember?”
“We have to go look for them! Come—”
“Please, Kagome-sama, humor me,” Miroku requested sternly. “This is important. Now, what else to you remember?”
“After…after I purified Inuyasha…Takehiko and Sora were laughing. I remember getting so mad…” Here, she broke off, her eyes bulging as the realization struck her. “I-I turned full youkai!”
“Yes, you did,” Miroku echoed grimly. “You went after Takehiko to protect Inuyasha, and—”
“I tried to shove my hand through his heart,” she interrupted.
“So you do remember?”
“Yeah, it was really weird. Like I was in control of my body still, but there was an urge, a drive, something compelling me to fight.” She paused again, additional parts of the memory filtering back to her. “I can’t believe I said that,” she lamented, hiding her face in her hands.
“Said what?”
“She said that it was fun spilling Takehiko’s blood,” Shippou answered quietly. All eyes lowered to him, and Kagome gasped at his vacant eyes and tear-stained cheeks. He looked completely traumatized, haunted by fragments of the distant past. That’s right, Shippou has had plenty of experience with demons who kill for the sake of enjoyment. One of them murdered his father before his eyes. And now, I…oh, Kami! What have I done?!
“Oh, Shippou-chan,” she tried, reaching for him, only to pull back when he flinched away. Hands dropping to her sides in defeat and despair, Kagome hung her head and gave in to the sobs that soon wracked her small frame. Miroku, feeling powerless to comfort either of them, spoke up.
“Did you recognize us, Kagome-sama? I know you recognized Inuyasha.”
“I did! I was mostly thinking about killing Takehiko, but deep down, I knew that I had to protect everyone—not just Inuyasha, but you guys too. I could never hurt you, not my little Shippou-chan…”
At this, the kit raised his eyes and looked at her, seeing her remorse, her shame, and hearing the honesty of her words.
“Kagome!” he cried as he leapt into her arms. They clung to each other tightly, crying together, healing the open wounds that had festered since her transformation that afternoon. “I thought you were gone, Kagome! I thought you were gone forever.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Shippou-chan,” was her watery reply. It took several long minutes for the pair to calm down, but eventually they pulled away from each other, each smiling hesitantly.
“So your miko powers kept you from losing yourself, Kagome-sama,” Miroku observed. “I’m glad.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I was still able to use them, wasn’t I?”
“That you were. To great effect I might add.”
“So what happened after that? I remember that awful-smelling smoke…”
“You blacked out, as did Shippou and Kirara when they went to rescue you. I picked up all three of you and ran from the smoke. Eventually, I found this village and rented a room for the night. Unfortunately, it cost me all the money I had, so we’ll have to go hungry tonight.”
“Thank you, Miroku-sama,” Kagome replied, grateful for the rescue.
“Think nothing of it, my dear. You’ve saved all of us on more than one occasion.”
“Hm. But why didn’t you just tell him there was an evil aura hanging over this building and get a free room that way?”
Miroku had the acting skills to look aghast. “Why, Kagome-sama! I’ll have you know that I only perform exorcisms with the purest—”
“He wasn’t buying it, was he?”
“…” Sighing, Miroku gave up the charade. “No, he was not.”
Kagome chuckled. “I think you might be losing your touch, Miroku-sama.”
“I’m not! I’m still as unbelievably charming as ever.”
“If you say so, Miroku,” Shippou interjected. “I’m going outside to play while it’s still light out.”
“Wait, Shippou!” Miroku ordered, halting the kitsune in his tracks.
“Why, Miroku-sama? He just wants to go flirt with some village girls. You’d be a major hypocrite to refuse him.”
“It’s not that, Kagome-sama,” he replied. “The innkeeper was decidedly hostile to the idea of youkai staying here. I’m fairly certain he would have kicked us out had he realized you were a hanyou, and there’s a good chance he isn’t the only one in this village who feels that way about youkai. I think it would be best if we just laid low tonight.”
“Awwww, but I’m bored!”
“Sorry, Shippou-chan, but Miroku-sama is right. We don’t want to stir up trouble.”
“That brings me to another point, Kagome-sama,” Miroku said, a familiar, lecherous gleam in his eye. “Until we leave this village, we are married.”
“What?! Why would you say something like that?” she asked, not so much upset as she was suspicious.
“Let’s just say I wanted to curtail any unwanted attention on your part from a certain corpulent innkeeper.”
“Oh,” Kagome uttered, shivering slightly. “Thanks for that.”
“My pleasure,” he teased seductively.
“Hmph,” she grumped, crossing her arms over her chest. “Just don’t think you get any special privileges because we’re fake married.”
“Ah, I’m so misunderstood,” he lamented, the picture of innocence. Kagome snorted, not in the least bit fooled. She would have to watch her backside extra carefully tonight. Or perhaps not. She stood, remembering her earlier declaration.
“Come on, let’s go find Inuyasha and Sango.”
Under other circumstances, Miroku might have tried to persuade her to remain in the village. But with Inuyasha human for an undetermined amount of time, and only Sango there to protect him, he knew he had no chance of convincing the worried miko to stay. It was getting dark out, but that would be no hindrance to Kagome.
“Kirara, can you transform?” he inquired. The fire-cat tried, but the flames which normally leapt to engulf her during her transformation sputtered out and died. Kirara coughed violently in her small form, and collapsed onto her side, breathing heavily. Miroku picked her up and began petting her again, knowing what her incapacity meant.
“Well, it seems you will have to go alone, Kagome-sama. I cannot keep up with you in the daylight, never mind the dark, and you will move much faster if you are not carrying us. I will stay here and watch Shippou and Kirara. Please, be careful,” he finished gravely. It was difficult to let her go, but he could see no other alternative. Inuyasha could be in serious danger, and Kagome could take care of herself.
The hanyou-miko nodded once, then was gone. Miroku sighed worriedly, his anxiety spiking. Inuyasha, Sango…be safe.
Shit…how the hell do we get ourselves out of this one?
Inuyasha had no idea. Sango still struggled to rise, but even if she did manage to stand she wouldn’t be able to fight with her wounds. Barring a miracle, both of them were going to die. I always knew I’d get killed in my human form. He gritted his teeth, downright pissed at his fate. Over fifty years ago, there were times in his life when he wouldn’t have cared one way or the other whether he lived or died. But now that he had friends, people to live for; now that he had Kagome…the Kami were taking it all away from him? Fuck that! It can’t end like this! And yet, despite his objections, his time was running short. The youkai were circling, slowly drawing inexorably closer with every revolution, watching Sango to see if she was really down for the count. It was only a matter of time before their courage returned and they attacked again. And that truly would be the end.
A pulse.
It sent a shockwave through his body, tiny sparks of electricity dancing along his nerves. Another pulse. And another. Coming closer together now, growing in strength. They emanated from his sword and he held it up, even as the blade continued to throb. Tetsusaiga…what’s going on? A final pulse, greater than any of the others, reaching deep inside him. Grasping, pulling, bringing something to the surface. And then Tetsusaiga shifted, transforming into its large, majestic form, and he understood. Tetsusaiga is calling my youki! Sure enough, his own metamorphosis came on seconds later, as his youkai blood roared to life in his veins. Smirking, he brought Tetsusaiga to his lips and planted a kiss on the blade. I fucking love this sword!
The rest of the battle was a cakewalk; a couple Kaze no Kizu decimated the remaining youkai, leaving just a handful to dispose of by claw. Sheathing his sword, he knelt by Sango’s side.
“You okay, Sango?”
“Yeah,” she rasped, clearly in some pain. “They’re just flesh wounds.”
Inuyasha examined the injuries, immediately concluding that she was understating things. She had two rows of tooth-shaped puncture wounds in her back, and a matching set on her stomach. The wounds were bleeding, but not quickly enough to be life-threatening. She was lucky whatever had bitten her had relatively small teeth. That didn’t mean she could go without medical treatment, however. Inuyasha grimaced; this was going to be unpleasant.
“Alright, Sango, take your armor off so I can bandage you up.”
“I’m fine, Inuyasha. They’re just fl—”
“They are NOT flesh wounds, taijiya! Now quit being so stubborn and let me bandage you, or I’ll knock you out and do it anyway!”
Sighing, Sango gave up, knowing deep down that she did need to be patched up. “Got anything in that bag I can wear?” she asked.
As Inuyasha went to retrieve some clothes and the first aid kit from Kagome’s backpack, Sango stripped her black bodysuit to the waist, hissing as the cloth pulled at her open wounds. Inuyasha turned and froze, gulping at the sight. On the one hand, he wasn’t attracted to Sango that way, but on the other, there was a gorgeous woman sitting half-naked before him. Shaking his head, he got down to business. It actually wasn’t as uncomfortable as he feared. Sango was a good patient, not even complaining when he cleaned her wounds. He bound her midsection tightly, satisfied that the bandages would stop the bleeding and facilitate healing. That done, he helped Sango into the hooded sweatshirt Kagome’s mother had purchased for him, and she also replaced the rest of her suit with a pair of draw-string sweatpants. She was actually pretty funny to look at, the clothes being several sizes too big for her. But Sango didn’t look like she would be amused by such an observation, so he kept it to himself. He hoisted hiraikotsu and Kagome’s backpack over one shoulder, and Sango climbed onto his back. They needed to find shelter, somewhere warm and away from the stinking carcasses of several hundred youkai
“Thanks, Inuyasha,” Sango mumbled as they walked.
“Feh. I should be thanking you. Why did you do it anyway? Saving me when you needed hiraikotsu to save yourself?” He felt her shrug against his back.
“That’s my duty as a taijiya, to protect the innocent from youkai, even at the cost of my own life. Besides, you’re my friend, and I could never look Kagome in the eye again if I let something happen to you.”
“Yeah, well, the same thing goes for you and the bouzu,” he replied thoughtfully. Sango didn’t point out that he had just compared her pending engagement with Miroku to his own relationship with Kagome. She shook her head; the dope didn’t even realize how hopelessly in love with her he was. A comfortable silence settled in, not broken until Sango’s teeth started chattering. The adrenaline of battle had faded, and the cool night air seeped through the fabric covering her, chilling her weakened body. Fortunately, Inuyasha soon located a cave, and built a fire. Sango wrapped herself in Kagome’s sleeping roll and slipped into an exhausted slumber, watched over by ever-alert amber eyes.
Kagome dashed through the forest, a blur in the darkness. Her step was quickened by a foreboding sense, deeper than mere worry. She knew something was wrong, with the certainty that she knew her own name. The source of this knowledge was a mystery, but that did not change its indisputable nature.
Never had she been more grateful for feline night vision. It wasn’t hard to find the site of that afternoon’s battle; she just followed the malodorous scent of dead and decaying vegetation. The problem was detecting Inuyasha’s scent over that smell. Progress was slow as a result, as she worked her way around the edge of the desolated area, searching for any trace of her lost friends. She traveled at a snail’s pace to keep from missing anything, and the night was mostly gone before she made it even halfway around the huge circle. The overpowering sense of certainty that Inuyasha was in danger had subsided long ago, but she plugged on doggedly, refusing to give up. Then, at long last, she found the scent she was looking for. She almost couldn’t believe it, but a second sniff confirmed that she had discovered Inuyasha and Sango’s trail.
She quickened her pace, the possibility of actually finding Inuyasha sending her adrenaline surging. Twice she lost the trail due to her hastiness, and had to backtrack. Eventually she made her way to a clearing, and her heart lodged in her chest. The burned-out remains of a campfire were surrounded by the dismantled bodies of countless youkai. It was nearly impossible to pick out the scents of her friends through the overwhelming stench, but she managed nonetheless. If her stomach contained any food, she probably would have thrown it up upon setting one foot inside the ring of death and destruction. But she pushed through; Sango’s scent in particular was emanating from a certain spot, a dark patch on the earth. Kneeling down, she realized with a sinking feeling what it was. Blood…Sango’s blood!
She forcefully reigned in her panic. It didn’t appear to be too much blood, and Sango herself was nowhere to be found. If the youkai had eaten her, they would surely have eaten Inuyasha as well, and she could detect no traces of his blood at all. No, they had somehow managed to escape the swarm. Reassured, she continued her search, and came upon another trail moments later, this one leading out of the battlefield. It was perhaps an hour after dawn when she came upon the cave where they must have spent the night. Their scents were fresh now, easy to follow, and she launched herself into a sprint, eager to verify with her eyes what her nose had already told her. This last part of the journey seemed the longest, though it did in fact take the least amount of time. She was so close, so close to seeing him alive, to confirming that she hadn’t killed him with her own stupidity and carelessness. Guilt and hope fused to fuel her tired body, driving her until the trees became a greenish blur and her feet flew over the ground. Then, he was there, walking ahead of her, heavily burdened by both human and inanimate cargo.
“INUYASHA!!!”
He had barely turned before she was upon him, twining her arms tightly upon his neck, her momentum causing him to stumble and nearly drop Sango on her ass. As it was, the slayer had another problem.
“Aack! Kagome-chan,” she wheezed. “I can’t breathe!”
“Oh, sorry Sango-chan!” Kagome exclaimed, releasing her hold on both their necks. Stepping back, she peered into Inuyasha’s eyes, deeply afraid of what she might see. But instead of anger or hatred, there was only confusion, and perhaps a hint of happiness that pulled up the corner of his lips to a barely noticeable degree. Still, Kagome knew she needed to apologize quickly; she couldn’t wait any longer to find out if they were still on speaking terms, or even still friends at all.
“Inuyasha, I’m so, so sorry…”
Now he just appeared even more perplexed. “For what?”
Kagome stared at him, her contrite expression morphing into bewilderment and then irritation. “For what?! For purifying you, baka!”
Inuyasha just stared at her for a moment, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. What the—first she hugs me, and now she’s yelling at me? What gives?!
“Uh, in case you’ve forgotten, wench, I fuckin’ told you to do that!”
“So what?! You wouldn’t have had to tell me to do it if I hadn’t been so careless!”
Inuyasha’s heated reply died in his throat as he realized what this was truly about. Idly, he wondered why he hadn’t noticed her obvious remorse sooner.
“Yeah, well if I had just taken care of that bastard in the first place, he wouldn’t have been able to throw that dagger at all.”
“Still…”
“No, wench! There’s nothing to forgive, so don’t apologize!”
“But I still hurt you! How can you forgive me!”
“Y-you saved me, Kagome. Get that through your thick head of hers.” He grimaced inwardly, thinking of all the times he had hurt Kagome, even if none of them had been physical. Even if he wanted to hold her actions against her, he couldn’t do so in good conscience. She had always forgiven him, stayed by his side no matter how much of an ass he made of himself, no matter how many times he abandoned her to see Kikyou…
“D-did it hurt badly?” she asked, interrupting his thoughts. It was clear that she had taken his words to heart, but the remorse hadn’t totally left her eyes. He searched for something to make her feel better, and blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
“Keh. You purifying me felt like an ear rub compared to what that dagger was doing to me.” The moment the words ‘ear rub’ left his mouth, he regretted them. Kagome’s eyes shot up to the fuzzy appendages, and he was helpless to deny her when she was wearing that pleading look. Sighing, he lowered his head. Her hands immediately latched on, her questing fingers massaging his ears in just the right way. A pleasured growl escaped him even as he fought to remain standing. All he wanted to do was lay his head in her lap and have her rub his ears all day.
Sango watched the entire scene curiously, biting her lip as she gazed at Kagome’s fingers working her hanyou’s furry triangles. She had always wondered if they were as soft as they looked. Kagome caught her eye, and nodded her head, removing one of her hands as she passed her a knowing smirk. For once, Inuyasha was grateful to have someone else touching his ears. Sango’s inexperienced hand broke him out of his Kagome-induced daze and returned him to reality. It wasn’t that the new sensation was unpleasant, it just wasn’t Kagome’s hand working her magic. After indulging them for a few more seconds, he raised his head abruptly, breaking the contact.
“Alright, that’s enough of that! What is it with you women and my ears, anyway?”
Kagome saw right through his feigned anger, knowing that he was just covering up his embarrassment at enjoying it so much.
“They’re cute, Inuyasha.”
“Feh! My ears are not fucking cute!” Said appendages twitched in annoyance, completely ruining the effect of his words, as Sango and Kagome giggled at his expense. He scowled, but otherwise remained silent. Evidently, Sango laughed a bit too hard, because she suddenly clutched at her stomach.
“Ouch,” she moaned, hissing through clenched teeth.
“Sango-chan! Are you alright?”
“Yeah. Just don’t make me laugh for a while.”
“Oh, your wound! Well, let’s bandage you up,” Kagome said, moving around to get a better look. Sango’s voice stopped her in her tracks.
“Inuyasha already did it.”
“H-he did?” Kagome wondered, utterly astounded. Lifting the back of Sango’s top, she examined the bandages woven cleanly around her midsection. It didn’t at all resemble the messy, hackneyed job she expected to find. “Wow…great job, Inuyasha! Where did you learn to do that?”
“Keh. Probably from all the times I watched you patch me up.”
Smiling, Kagome pulled Sango’s top back down, only then realizing what the fabric actually was.
“Sango? What on earth are you wearing?”
“Well, my armour had teeth-holes in it, so—”
“So I gave her those to wear. With the amount of blood she lost, I knew she would freeze if I gave her any of your skimpy clothes.”
Kagome’s eyebrow twitched as she completely forgot her previous line of questioning. “And what’s wrong with what I wear?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all…” Inuyasha said softly, and Kagome swore she saw just a hint of something lecherous in his eye. But it was gone too quickly to be sure. She gaped at him. Was he just flirting with me? The thought stirred up the butterflies in her stomach, and brought a silly grin to her face. It seemed their relationship was changing every day. If I asked him a question like that before, the conversation would have end with me saying ‘osuwari.’ Unfortunately, her empty stomach chose that moment to let out an obscenely loud growl, spoiling the moment.
“You hungry, Kagome-chan?” Sango teased.
“Uh, yeah. Haven’t eaten anything since yesterday at lunch.”
As the trio settled down for their modern-era meal, they took turns filling each other in on all that had transpired since they were separated. Inuyasha went to fill the water bottles, and Kagome took the chance to lean over to Sango and whisper in her ear.
“Thanks for taking such good care of him, Sango-chan.”
“Don’t sweat it, Kagome-chan.”
When Inuyasha returned, he did so with an angry expression, as if an upsetting thought had just occurred to him.
“So you went out alone looking for us, wench?” he demanded furiously. “Are you fucking stupid?!”
Kagome took a deep breath to keep her temper in check, knowing that his ire was born out of concern. “The smoke was still affecting Kirara, so she couldn’t transform. I knew you were human and that you might be in danger. And it turns out you were in danger. Did you honestly expect me to sit in that village and wait for you?”
“It would have been smarter,” Inuyasha muttered, but couldn’t really argue with her reasoning. If their roles had been reversed, he would’ve done the same thing. He had to forcibly remind himself that Kagome was not helpless. He had been the helpless one last night; Kagome had almost found the scraps from two recently devoured human corpses in that clearing instead of just a bloodstain on the ground. Another thought occurred to him, which made him gaze at the hanyou-miko in a new light.
“So you tracked us all that way, huh? Not bad, wench.”
It wouldn’t seem like much of a compliment to someone who didn’t know him, but Kagome did, and she knew it meant a lot more than the words would normally in and of themselves comport.
“Thanks, Inuyasha,” she replied, genuinely touched. And with everything that had gone on in the past twenty-four hours, she couldn’t help but feel that today was going to be a good day.
Converting /tmp/php5aqk5L to /dev/stdout
Fanfiction of the Week: “Atmosphere,” by Sari-15
Just a simple, fluffy, well-written piece that always makes me smile.
little white kitsune – I knew I had seen your name before. You reviewed for “A Moment of Clarity,” I think before I had even finished the second chapter. Nice to hear from you again.
Pulse
Miroku collapsed to his knees, barely managing to keep from dropping the precious cargo in his arms. He set Kagome, with Shippou and Kirara resting on her stomach, down gently before leaning to the side and surrendering to the coughing fit that he had somehow managed to hold back as he ran. Whatever that smoke was, it was nasty. It instantly incapacitated anything with a strong nose, and had nearly knocked him out before he could gather up his fallen comrades and escape. He was ever so glad that Sango had kept Inuyasha from charging in after him. Rolling over on his back, he breathed the fresh air deeply, letting his aching arms and legs rest. He figured he deserved a breather after carrying his friends a good distance to safety; in their state, he knew they wouldn’t mind. They were all sleeping peacefully now, their breathing deep and regular, but he couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if they had stayed in the fog for more than a few seconds. It wouldn’t have been good, that much was for sure.
Sighing, he rose to his feet. He didn’t want to stay next to this dead wasteland any longer, and thanked the Kami that Kagome was light. He also thanked them that she had returned to normal, or at least what was now considered normal. The pink markings on her cheeks had disappeared, and her fangs were hidden by her lips again. It should have baffled him, how completely Kagome had assimilated her youkai side. It seemed her miko powers and youki worked in harmony, which should have been impossible. But Kagome was doing ‘impossible’ things left and right nowadays. She certainly was one hell of a woman, one any man would be unbelievably lucky to have. Now if he could just get Inuyasha to realize that…
Gathering his friends in his arms once again, he set out. His original goal was simply to find a suitable place to make camp for the night, and maybe some wild fruit to eat, but that mission was derailed quickly. The scent of roasting meat, fish, bread…the smells of a nearby village wafted to his nose. He heard Kagome’s stomach growl hungrily, and she stirred slightly but did not wake. Miroku grinned; it seemed his unconscious companion thought staying in the village was a good idea as well.
It was a rather large village by the standards of the day, the many huts kept in good repair. People were out and about, taking care of their late afternoon business. He stopped a young woman carrying a basket of clothing, flashing his most charming smile.
“Young miss, could you direct me to where I might seek lodging for the night?”
“A-at the inn, o-over on the h-hill,” she stammered, blushing, before scurrying away. Miroku smirked. I still haven’t lost my touch. Finding the inn, he went inside and inquired for the innkeeper. He was a round, balding man in his forties, a natural-looking scowl on his face.
“Whaddya want?” he grumped, eyeing Miroku condescendingly.
“Good sir, I seek lodging for the night. I would be more than happy to bless your inn, and drive out the evil spirit I sense emanating—”
“You got money, houshi? I ain’t interested in no phony exorcisms.”
Miroku sweatdropped, suddenly glad his companions were asleep. If anyone found out that his ‘evil spirit’ trick hadn’t worked, they would never let him live it down. Supporting Shippou, Kirara, and Kagome’s upper body with his right hand, he reached into his robes with his left, pulling out a small pouch.
“This is all I have,” he said, handing it to the innkeeper. The man dumped the contents out onto his palm and rolled his eyes, mumbling something about never getting any rich customers.
“Alright, houshi. This amount gets you a small room with one futon. You and your lady friend got a problem with that?” he asked, eyeing Kagome appreciatively.
“No, my wife and I will manage,” he lied, not liking the look in the innkeeper’s eye. The ass even had the gall to look disappointed at Miroku’s declaration.
“Fine. Go down the hallway, and it’s the last door on your right. You’ll have to leave those youkai outside though.”
“Excuse me?” Miroku asked incredulously.
“You heard me. Youkai stay outside.”
“These youkai are quite harmless, I assure you. If you insist, then I would like my money returned to me.” Miroku subtly raised his sleeve to cover Kagome’s ears, which the innkeeper apparently hadn’t noticed yet, partially hidden by her hair as they were. The innkeeper’s tune changed after that. Evidently, he was willing to bend his rules a little if it meant making money.
“Fine, but if they cause any trouble, I’m holding you responsible.”
“Yes, yes, they will be on their best behavior. Thank you.”
The innkeeper waved him off, and Miroku turned to find their room before the man’s voice stopped him. “Your wife, huh? Why do you let her go around dressed like that? She looks more like a whore than a married woman.”
Miroku didn’t miss the salacious inflection in his voice, nor did he fail to see the irony in that this man had just insinuated that the purest person he knew was a whore. He forcibly reigned in his anger, wondering if the innkeeper was trying to infuriate him on purpose. Fortunately for all parties involved, he possessed a monk’s restraint, in some areas more than others. If he did punch the corpulent ass like he truly wanted to, the villagers would probably tie him up for attacking one of their own, and who knew what they would do with two small youkai and a hanyou. Turning slowly, he favored the innkeeper with a fearsome glare, and spoke with bone-chilling seriousness.
“My wife has quite a temper, so I would not let her hear you say that. I won’t come to your rescue if she decides to teach you a lesson. In fact, I might just help her. Do we understand each other?”
The innkeeper scoffed, refusing to back down, but Miroku sensed he had been effectively put in his place. The monk held his eyes for a moment longer before turning and marching down the hallway.
Sliding the door to their room open with his foot, he sighed heavily. The enclosure, since it could only very generously be called a room, looked like it had gone twenty years without maintenance. There were several holes and stains in the floor, and the lone futon took up almost half the surface area. Its saving grace was that it wasn’t dusty; it had apparently received some use recently. Setting Kagome down on the futon, he closed the door and sat down cross-legged by her side. He stared at her peaceful face, recalling how she looked a few hours earlier as she tore into Takehiko. Vicious, bloodthirsty, rejoicing in the wounds and agony of her enemy, she had been something out of a nightmare, but still undeniably beautiful. Thinking of the way she looked, so different from her usual bright, cheerful visage, would forever send a chill up his spine. And yet, she hadn’t completely lost herself. She had maintained her coherency, and her protectiveness over Inuyasha. He couldn’t know for sure, but if any of their group had confronted her, he believed she would have recognized them as well. A low groan interrupted his thoughts and drew his attention toward Kagome’s stomach.
“Ah, Shippou, I was wondering who would wake up first.”
The kit looked decidedly disoriented, glancing slowly around the room, then up to Miroku’s eyes. “Where are we?” he asked.
“In a village. I carried you three here after pulling you out of that smoke.”
At the mention of ‘you three,’ Shippou looked down, his gaze traveling up to Kagome’s face. He jumped, letting out a small cry of fright, and landed squarely on Miroku’s shoulder. He continued to stare at Kagome’s countenance with wide eyes, his tail vibrating in apprehension.
“Relax, Shippou,” Miroku soothed, patting the fox on the head. “Kagome-sama is back to normal now.”
Shippou just shook his head, his fearful gaze never wavering. Miroku could see the nightmare being replayed before his eyes, and perhaps his ears as well. Whatever Kagome said to Takehiko had spooked the kit badly. He placed Shippou in his lap, continuing to rub his head. It was all he could do; Kagome was the only one who could restore the lad’s confidence in her. Kirara stirred a short while later, and immediately hopped onto his thigh, demanding the same treatment. The sun was low in the sky by the time Kagome woke, moaning and placing her hand to her head.
“Ugh, my head. What happened?”
“Think, Kagome-sama. What do you remember?”
Kagome frowned in concentration, pausing for a moment before answering. “I remember fighting Takehiko and Sora…they hit Inuyasha with that dagger, and I had to purify him! Where is he? Is he okay?” she asked, frantically looking around the room.
“I’m sure he is fine. He was able to stand afterwards. We got separated, but Sango is with him. What else do you remember?”
“We have to go look for them! Come—”
“Please, Kagome-sama, humor me,” Miroku requested sternly. “This is important. Now, what else to you remember?”
“After…after I purified Inuyasha…Takehiko and Sora were laughing. I remember getting so mad…” Here, she broke off, her eyes bulging as the realization struck her. “I-I turned full youkai!”
“Yes, you did,” Miroku echoed grimly. “You went after Takehiko to protect Inuyasha, and—”
“I tried to shove my hand through his heart,” she interrupted.
“So you do remember?”
“Yeah, it was really weird. Like I was in control of my body still, but there was an urge, a drive, something compelling me to fight.” She paused again, additional parts of the memory filtering back to her. “I can’t believe I said that,” she lamented, hiding her face in her hands.
“Said what?”
“She said that it was fun spilling Takehiko’s blood,” Shippou answered quietly. All eyes lowered to him, and Kagome gasped at his vacant eyes and tear-stained cheeks. He looked completely traumatized, haunted by fragments of the distant past. That’s right, Shippou has had plenty of experience with demons who kill for the sake of enjoyment. One of them murdered his father before his eyes. And now, I…oh, Kami! What have I done?!
“Oh, Shippou-chan,” she tried, reaching for him, only to pull back when he flinched away. Hands dropping to her sides in defeat and despair, Kagome hung her head and gave in to the sobs that soon wracked her small frame. Miroku, feeling powerless to comfort either of them, spoke up.
“Did you recognize us, Kagome-sama? I know you recognized Inuyasha.”
“I did! I was mostly thinking about killing Takehiko, but deep down, I knew that I had to protect everyone—not just Inuyasha, but you guys too. I could never hurt you, not my little Shippou-chan…”
At this, the kit raised his eyes and looked at her, seeing her remorse, her shame, and hearing the honesty of her words.
“Kagome!” he cried as he leapt into her arms. They clung to each other tightly, crying together, healing the open wounds that had festered since her transformation that afternoon. “I thought you were gone, Kagome! I thought you were gone forever.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Shippou-chan,” was her watery reply. It took several long minutes for the pair to calm down, but eventually they pulled away from each other, each smiling hesitantly.
“So your miko powers kept you from losing yourself, Kagome-sama,” Miroku observed. “I’m glad.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I was still able to use them, wasn’t I?”
“That you were. To great effect I might add.”
“So what happened after that? I remember that awful-smelling smoke…”
“You blacked out, as did Shippou and Kirara when they went to rescue you. I picked up all three of you and ran from the smoke. Eventually, I found this village and rented a room for the night. Unfortunately, it cost me all the money I had, so we’ll have to go hungry tonight.”
“Thank you, Miroku-sama,” Kagome replied, grateful for the rescue.
“Think nothing of it, my dear. You’ve saved all of us on more than one occasion.”
“Hm. But why didn’t you just tell him there was an evil aura hanging over this building and get a free room that way?”
Miroku had the acting skills to look aghast. “Why, Kagome-sama! I’ll have you know that I only perform exorcisms with the purest—”
“He wasn’t buying it, was he?”
“…” Sighing, Miroku gave up the charade. “No, he was not.”
Kagome chuckled. “I think you might be losing your touch, Miroku-sama.”
“I’m not! I’m still as unbelievably charming as ever.”
“If you say so, Miroku,” Shippou interjected. “I’m going outside to play while it’s still light out.”
“Wait, Shippou!” Miroku ordered, halting the kitsune in his tracks.
“Why, Miroku-sama? He just wants to go flirt with some village girls. You’d be a major hypocrite to refuse him.”
“It’s not that, Kagome-sama,” he replied. “The innkeeper was decidedly hostile to the idea of youkai staying here. I’m fairly certain he would have kicked us out had he realized you were a hanyou, and there’s a good chance he isn’t the only one in this village who feels that way about youkai. I think it would be best if we just laid low tonight.”
“Awwww, but I’m bored!”
“Sorry, Shippou-chan, but Miroku-sama is right. We don’t want to stir up trouble.”
“That brings me to another point, Kagome-sama,” Miroku said, a familiar, lecherous gleam in his eye. “Until we leave this village, we are married.”
“What?! Why would you say something like that?” she asked, not so much upset as she was suspicious.
“Let’s just say I wanted to curtail any unwanted attention on your part from a certain corpulent innkeeper.”
“Oh,” Kagome uttered, shivering slightly. “Thanks for that.”
“My pleasure,” he teased seductively.
“Hmph,” she grumped, crossing her arms over her chest. “Just don’t think you get any special privileges because we’re fake married.”
“Ah, I’m so misunderstood,” he lamented, the picture of innocence. Kagome snorted, not in the least bit fooled. She would have to watch her backside extra carefully tonight. Or perhaps not. She stood, remembering her earlier declaration.
“Come on, let’s go find Inuyasha and Sango.”
Under other circumstances, Miroku might have tried to persuade her to remain in the village. But with Inuyasha human for an undetermined amount of time, and only Sango there to protect him, he knew he had no chance of convincing the worried miko to stay. It was getting dark out, but that would be no hindrance to Kagome.
“Kirara, can you transform?” he inquired. The fire-cat tried, but the flames which normally leapt to engulf her during her transformation sputtered out and died. Kirara coughed violently in her small form, and collapsed onto her side, breathing heavily. Miroku picked her up and began petting her again, knowing what her incapacity meant.
“Well, it seems you will have to go alone, Kagome-sama. I cannot keep up with you in the daylight, never mind the dark, and you will move much faster if you are not carrying us. I will stay here and watch Shippou and Kirara. Please, be careful,” he finished gravely. It was difficult to let her go, but he could see no other alternative. Inuyasha could be in serious danger, and Kagome could take care of herself.
The hanyou-miko nodded once, then was gone. Miroku sighed worriedly, his anxiety spiking. Inuyasha, Sango…be safe.
Shit…how the hell do we get ourselves out of this one?
Inuyasha had no idea. Sango still struggled to rise, but even if she did manage to stand she wouldn’t be able to fight with her wounds. Barring a miracle, both of them were going to die. I always knew I’d get killed in my human form. He gritted his teeth, downright pissed at his fate. Over fifty years ago, there were times in his life when he wouldn’t have cared one way or the other whether he lived or died. But now that he had friends, people to live for; now that he had Kagome…the Kami were taking it all away from him? Fuck that! It can’t end like this! And yet, despite his objections, his time was running short. The youkai were circling, slowly drawing inexorably closer with every revolution, watching Sango to see if she was really down for the count. It was only a matter of time before their courage returned and they attacked again. And that truly would be the end.
A pulse.
It sent a shockwave through his body, tiny sparks of electricity dancing along his nerves. Another pulse. And another. Coming closer together now, growing in strength. They emanated from his sword and he held it up, even as the blade continued to throb. Tetsusaiga…what’s going on? A final pulse, greater than any of the others, reaching deep inside him. Grasping, pulling, bringing something to the surface. And then Tetsusaiga shifted, transforming into its large, majestic form, and he understood. Tetsusaiga is calling my youki! Sure enough, his own metamorphosis came on seconds later, as his youkai blood roared to life in his veins. Smirking, he brought Tetsusaiga to his lips and planted a kiss on the blade. I fucking love this sword!
The rest of the battle was a cakewalk; a couple Kaze no Kizu decimated the remaining youkai, leaving just a handful to dispose of by claw. Sheathing his sword, he knelt by Sango’s side.
“You okay, Sango?”
“Yeah,” she rasped, clearly in some pain. “They’re just flesh wounds.”
Inuyasha examined the injuries, immediately concluding that she was understating things. She had two rows of tooth-shaped puncture wounds in her back, and a matching set on her stomach. The wounds were bleeding, but not quickly enough to be life-threatening. She was lucky whatever had bitten her had relatively small teeth. That didn’t mean she could go without medical treatment, however. Inuyasha grimaced; this was going to be unpleasant.
“Alright, Sango, take your armor off so I can bandage you up.”
“I’m fine, Inuyasha. They’re just fl—”
“They are NOT flesh wounds, taijiya! Now quit being so stubborn and let me bandage you, or I’ll knock you out and do it anyway!”
Sighing, Sango gave up, knowing deep down that she did need to be patched up. “Got anything in that bag I can wear?” she asked.
As Inuyasha went to retrieve some clothes and the first aid kit from Kagome’s backpack, Sango stripped her black bodysuit to the waist, hissing as the cloth pulled at her open wounds. Inuyasha turned and froze, gulping at the sight. On the one hand, he wasn’t attracted to Sango that way, but on the other, there was a gorgeous woman sitting half-naked before him. Shaking his head, he got down to business. It actually wasn’t as uncomfortable as he feared. Sango was a good patient, not even complaining when he cleaned her wounds. He bound her midsection tightly, satisfied that the bandages would stop the bleeding and facilitate healing. That done, he helped Sango into the hooded sweatshirt Kagome’s mother had purchased for him, and she also replaced the rest of her suit with a pair of draw-string sweatpants. She was actually pretty funny to look at, the clothes being several sizes too big for her. But Sango didn’t look like she would be amused by such an observation, so he kept it to himself. He hoisted hiraikotsu and Kagome’s backpack over one shoulder, and Sango climbed onto his back. They needed to find shelter, somewhere warm and away from the stinking carcasses of several hundred youkai
“Thanks, Inuyasha,” Sango mumbled as they walked.
“Feh. I should be thanking you. Why did you do it anyway? Saving me when you needed hiraikotsu to save yourself?” He felt her shrug against his back.
“That’s my duty as a taijiya, to protect the innocent from youkai, even at the cost of my own life. Besides, you’re my friend, and I could never look Kagome in the eye again if I let something happen to you.”
“Yeah, well, the same thing goes for you and the bouzu,” he replied thoughtfully. Sango didn’t point out that he had just compared her pending engagement with Miroku to his own relationship with Kagome. She shook her head; the dope didn’t even realize how hopelessly in love with her he was. A comfortable silence settled in, not broken until Sango’s teeth started chattering. The adrenaline of battle had faded, and the cool night air seeped through the fabric covering her, chilling her weakened body. Fortunately, Inuyasha soon located a cave, and built a fire. Sango wrapped herself in Kagome’s sleeping roll and slipped into an exhausted slumber, watched over by ever-alert amber eyes.
Kagome dashed through the forest, a blur in the darkness. Her step was quickened by a foreboding sense, deeper than mere worry. She knew something was wrong, with the certainty that she knew her own name. The source of this knowledge was a mystery, but that did not change its indisputable nature.
Never had she been more grateful for feline night vision. It wasn’t hard to find the site of that afternoon’s battle; she just followed the malodorous scent of dead and decaying vegetation. The problem was detecting Inuyasha’s scent over that smell. Progress was slow as a result, as she worked her way around the edge of the desolated area, searching for any trace of her lost friends. She traveled at a snail’s pace to keep from missing anything, and the night was mostly gone before she made it even halfway around the huge circle. The overpowering sense of certainty that Inuyasha was in danger had subsided long ago, but she plugged on doggedly, refusing to give up. Then, at long last, she found the scent she was looking for. She almost couldn’t believe it, but a second sniff confirmed that she had discovered Inuyasha and Sango’s trail.
She quickened her pace, the possibility of actually finding Inuyasha sending her adrenaline surging. Twice she lost the trail due to her hastiness, and had to backtrack. Eventually she made her way to a clearing, and her heart lodged in her chest. The burned-out remains of a campfire were surrounded by the dismantled bodies of countless youkai. It was nearly impossible to pick out the scents of her friends through the overwhelming stench, but she managed nonetheless. If her stomach contained any food, she probably would have thrown it up upon setting one foot inside the ring of death and destruction. But she pushed through; Sango’s scent in particular was emanating from a certain spot, a dark patch on the earth. Kneeling down, she realized with a sinking feeling what it was. Blood…Sango’s blood!
She forcefully reigned in her panic. It didn’t appear to be too much blood, and Sango herself was nowhere to be found. If the youkai had eaten her, they would surely have eaten Inuyasha as well, and she could detect no traces of his blood at all. No, they had somehow managed to escape the swarm. Reassured, she continued her search, and came upon another trail moments later, this one leading out of the battlefield. It was perhaps an hour after dawn when she came upon the cave where they must have spent the night. Their scents were fresh now, easy to follow, and she launched herself into a sprint, eager to verify with her eyes what her nose had already told her. This last part of the journey seemed the longest, though it did in fact take the least amount of time. She was so close, so close to seeing him alive, to confirming that she hadn’t killed him with her own stupidity and carelessness. Guilt and hope fused to fuel her tired body, driving her until the trees became a greenish blur and her feet flew over the ground. Then, he was there, walking ahead of her, heavily burdened by both human and inanimate cargo.
“INUYASHA!!!”
He had barely turned before she was upon him, twining her arms tightly upon his neck, her momentum causing him to stumble and nearly drop Sango on her ass. As it was, the slayer had another problem.
“Aack! Kagome-chan,” she wheezed. “I can’t breathe!”
“Oh, sorry Sango-chan!” Kagome exclaimed, releasing her hold on both their necks. Stepping back, she peered into Inuyasha’s eyes, deeply afraid of what she might see. But instead of anger or hatred, there was only confusion, and perhaps a hint of happiness that pulled up the corner of his lips to a barely noticeable degree. Still, Kagome knew she needed to apologize quickly; she couldn’t wait any longer to find out if they were still on speaking terms, or even still friends at all.
“Inuyasha, I’m so, so sorry…”
Now he just appeared even more perplexed. “For what?”
Kagome stared at him, her contrite expression morphing into bewilderment and then irritation. “For what?! For purifying you, baka!”
Inuyasha just stared at her for a moment, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. What the—first she hugs me, and now she’s yelling at me? What gives?!
“Uh, in case you’ve forgotten, wench, I fuckin’ told you to do that!”
“So what?! You wouldn’t have had to tell me to do it if I hadn’t been so careless!”
Inuyasha’s heated reply died in his throat as he realized what this was truly about. Idly, he wondered why he hadn’t noticed her obvious remorse sooner.
“Yeah, well if I had just taken care of that bastard in the first place, he wouldn’t have been able to throw that dagger at all.”
“Still…”
“No, wench! There’s nothing to forgive, so don’t apologize!”
“But I still hurt you! How can you forgive me!”
“Y-you saved me, Kagome. Get that through your thick head of hers.” He grimaced inwardly, thinking of all the times he had hurt Kagome, even if none of them had been physical. Even if he wanted to hold her actions against her, he couldn’t do so in good conscience. She had always forgiven him, stayed by his side no matter how much of an ass he made of himself, no matter how many times he abandoned her to see Kikyou…
“D-did it hurt badly?” she asked, interrupting his thoughts. It was clear that she had taken his words to heart, but the remorse hadn’t totally left her eyes. He searched for something to make her feel better, and blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
“Keh. You purifying me felt like an ear rub compared to what that dagger was doing to me.” The moment the words ‘ear rub’ left his mouth, he regretted them. Kagome’s eyes shot up to the fuzzy appendages, and he was helpless to deny her when she was wearing that pleading look. Sighing, he lowered his head. Her hands immediately latched on, her questing fingers massaging his ears in just the right way. A pleasured growl escaped him even as he fought to remain standing. All he wanted to do was lay his head in her lap and have her rub his ears all day.
Sango watched the entire scene curiously, biting her lip as she gazed at Kagome’s fingers working her hanyou’s furry triangles. She had always wondered if they were as soft as they looked. Kagome caught her eye, and nodded her head, removing one of her hands as she passed her a knowing smirk. For once, Inuyasha was grateful to have someone else touching his ears. Sango’s inexperienced hand broke him out of his Kagome-induced daze and returned him to reality. It wasn’t that the new sensation was unpleasant, it just wasn’t Kagome’s hand working her magic. After indulging them for a few more seconds, he raised his head abruptly, breaking the contact.
“Alright, that’s enough of that! What is it with you women and my ears, anyway?”
Kagome saw right through his feigned anger, knowing that he was just covering up his embarrassment at enjoying it so much.
“They’re cute, Inuyasha.”
“Feh! My ears are not fucking cute!” Said appendages twitched in annoyance, completely ruining the effect of his words, as Sango and Kagome giggled at his expense. He scowled, but otherwise remained silent. Evidently, Sango laughed a bit too hard, because she suddenly clutched at her stomach.
“Ouch,” she moaned, hissing through clenched teeth.
“Sango-chan! Are you alright?”
“Yeah. Just don’t make me laugh for a while.”
“Oh, your wound! Well, let’s bandage you up,” Kagome said, moving around to get a better look. Sango’s voice stopped her in her tracks.
“Inuyasha already did it.”
“H-he did?” Kagome wondered, utterly astounded. Lifting the back of Sango’s top, she examined the bandages woven cleanly around her midsection. It didn’t at all resemble the messy, hackneyed job she expected to find. “Wow…great job, Inuyasha! Where did you learn to do that?”
“Keh. Probably from all the times I watched you patch me up.”
Smiling, Kagome pulled Sango’s top back down, only then realizing what the fabric actually was.
“Sango? What on earth are you wearing?”
“Well, my armour had teeth-holes in it, so—”
“So I gave her those to wear. With the amount of blood she lost, I knew she would freeze if I gave her any of your skimpy clothes.”
Kagome’s eyebrow twitched as she completely forgot her previous line of questioning. “And what’s wrong with what I wear?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all…” Inuyasha said softly, and Kagome swore she saw just a hint of something lecherous in his eye. But it was gone too quickly to be sure. She gaped at him. Was he just flirting with me? The thought stirred up the butterflies in her stomach, and brought a silly grin to her face. It seemed their relationship was changing every day. If I asked him a question like that before, the conversation would have end with me saying ‘osuwari.’ Unfortunately, her empty stomach chose that moment to let out an obscenely loud growl, spoiling the moment.
“You hungry, Kagome-chan?” Sango teased.
“Uh, yeah. Haven’t eaten anything since yesterday at lunch.”
As the trio settled down for their modern-era meal, they took turns filling each other in on all that had transpired since they were separated. Inuyasha went to fill the water bottles, and Kagome took the chance to lean over to Sango and whisper in her ear.
“Thanks for taking such good care of him, Sango-chan.”
“Don’t sweat it, Kagome-chan.”
When Inuyasha returned, he did so with an angry expression, as if an upsetting thought had just occurred to him.
“So you went out alone looking for us, wench?” he demanded furiously. “Are you fucking stupid?!”
Kagome took a deep breath to keep her temper in check, knowing that his ire was born out of concern. “The smoke was still affecting Kirara, so she couldn’t transform. I knew you were human and that you might be in danger. And it turns out you were in danger. Did you honestly expect me to sit in that village and wait for you?”
“It would have been smarter,” Inuyasha muttered, but couldn’t really argue with her reasoning. If their roles had been reversed, he would’ve done the same thing. He had to forcibly remind himself that Kagome was not helpless. He had been the helpless one last night; Kagome had almost found the scraps from two recently devoured human corpses in that clearing instead of just a bloodstain on the ground. Another thought occurred to him, which made him gaze at the hanyou-miko in a new light.
“So you tracked us all that way, huh? Not bad, wench.”
It wouldn’t seem like much of a compliment to someone who didn’t know him, but Kagome did, and she knew it meant a lot more than the words would normally in and of themselves comport.
“Thanks, Inuyasha,” she replied, genuinely touched. And with everything that had gone on in the past twenty-four hours, she couldn’t help but feel that today was going to be a good day.
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