InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Stolen Soul ❯ Drawing on the Soul ( Chapter 8 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Author's Note: Okay, so this chapter is mostly Kagome and Koga. I'm afraid my Koga may be a bit OOC, despite my best efforts. Ah well. Like I said, I did my best.

I'd planned a whole lot more for this chapter, but once I got to writing I realized that I'd been overly ambitious, so I figured I'd go ahead and post this part, rather than keeping everyone waiting while I wrote the Incredibly Long Chapter of Infinite Delights.

In case anyone is worried -- and some reviewers have, in fact, expressed fears -- this story is Inu-Yasha/Kagome through and through. And I always end my stories happily. One reviewer requested IY/Kagome fluffiness sometime soon ... but I'm afraid things are going to get a LOT worse before they get better. Don't say I didn't warn you. Hmm. Perhaps I should have listed "Angst" as one of the genres for this fic. Oops. It didn't seem so angsty when I was just writing a plot outline, but actually writing the chapters is very different.

Thanks: A million thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter 7. You guys are incredibly great. Every time I start to worry that the story is probably boring everyone to tears, I get another review that inspires me to keep going. So thanks for the continued inspiration!

Japanese Terms: Nothing that hasn't been mentioned in previous chapters, mostly just clothing terms. So if you get confused, I'm sorry, but you can look back at the notes to previous chapters to refresh your memory.

Disclaimer: These characters don't belong to me. This fic, however, is mine. Please don't take it without my permission.



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Chapter 8
Drawing on the Soul

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When Inu-Yasha fell to the ground, Kagome dropped to her knees, immediately pressing both hands over the gaping hole in his neck, desperately trying to staunch the flow of blood. "Inu-Yasha?" she cried urgently, gazing into his slack face. His eyelids did not move, and his skin was far paler than normal. "Inu-Yasha, listen to me! You're gonna be okay." Kagome turned to look over her shoulder for help, but Kaede had vanished, presumably into the hut for medicinal supplies.

Kikyo stood motionless near the wall of the hut, staring at Inu-Yasha with a horror which had now calmed to a haughty disgust. "Why do you try to save his life?" Kikyo asked when she saw that Kagome was looking at her. "Why do you try to salvage the life of a monster?"

"Inu-Yasha is NOT a monster!" Kagome spat, leaning protectively over the hanyou's body as if to shield him from the other woman's harsh words. "YOU are the monster, Kikyo. So if you aren't going to help, then just get the hell out of here." Turning back to face Inu-Yasha again, her blood-slick hands still pressed to his terrible wound, Kagome leaned close to the top of his head, resting her cheek against his hair and whispering in his left ear, "You aren't a monster, Inu-Yasha. Don't listen to her. I know you love her, but she's a bitch. She doesn't know you, Inu-Yasha. I know you, and I love you, and you are NOT a monster. So you'd better fight, because you still have a LOT to live for, Inu-Yasha. And I'll be really really mad at you if you give up after everything you've survived before!"

Kagome's frantic whispers were interrupted by the arrival of Kaede with a jug of water and a basket filled with bandages and medicinal salve. "Do not move your hands, Kagome, for you hold the flesh closed as well as can be done. I shall wash the wound and apply the salve as best I can around you, and then we must wrap the bandages quickly."

The two women worked smoothly and efficiently together from plentiful experience. Inu-Yasha's transformation to full-demon had allowed him to ignore his injuries far too long, and he had lost a great deal of blood. Even with his usual quick healing, he would need care and time to recover.

Soon, Inu-Yasha's neck was tightly bandaged and it was time to transport him inside before treating his plentiful other injuries. The hanyou was too heavy for the women to lift him easily between themselves, and Kikyo still offered no assistance, and so Kagome turned to look at Koga, who had regained consciousness and seemed none the worse for the bump on his head.

"Koga, please help us carry him inside." Kagome knew the request was ironic, given that Inu-Yasha's injuries were Koga's own work, but she needed the help and he was standing right there.

But Koga only sniffed the air, once, and then again, and looked at Kagome with confusion. His voice was tentative when he said, "Kagome?"

Kagome only sighed heavily, leaning back to rest on her heels where she crouched beside Inu-Yasha's body. "Yeah, it's me. Look, it's a really long story. But could you just please help?" She gazed up at Koga with a plea in her eyes ... eyes which Koga could see were not her own, and yet which shone with Kagome's sweet light.

With only a token show of reluctance and a few muttered insults regarding the hanyou's lineage, Koga picked up Inu-Yasha and carried him into the hut, settling him on the mat Kaede indicated. Kaede immediately began removing Inu-Yasha's torn haori so that she could wash and dress his other wounds.

"Thank you, Koga." Kagome stood before the wolf demon and gave him a pained smile, aware that he was staring at Kikyo's body and face with a certain amount of curious displeasure. I know I don't look like me. I know I look like HER. But I'm me! I'm Kagome! And then, suddenly, she gasped.

"What is it?" Koga moved closer to her and looked around for a source of danger. Kaede too looked up from her work.

Kagome swayed unsteadily where she stood, murmuring softly, "It feels ... it feels as if ... my soul is being ... pulled away ... drawn out of my body..." Koga wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders to hold her upright lest she fall, as she seemed to be weakening quickly.

At that moment, Kikyo pushed aside the hanging mat which blocked the doorway and stepped into the hut. A slight smile upon her otherwise impassive face, she watched Kagome as she said, "You feel it too. Yes, this body wishes to complete its soul. Abandon that false body's life of pain, let this soul become complete, and I shall use its power to wreak vengeance upon Naraku without need of the demon Inu-Yasha's assistance!"

Kagome stared at Kikyo a long moment, almost as if in a trance, but then broke free of Koga's grasp and ran from the hut.

* * *

Kagome ran blindly, tears clouding her vision, and did not stop until the pulling sensation on her soul had faded. Apparently her instincts had guided her, for when she stopped running, she found herself once again at the well. Collapsing beside the wooden structure, Kagome rested against it and allowed herself to cry some more.

There's no one to see. I don't have to be brave. I can just admit that I'm tired of being so alone and so scared! And now Kikyo has some kind of control over the only small amount of soul I have. I miss Inu-Yasha! I miss Mom! I'm so tired of having to deal with everything by myself. Is it so much to ask to have somebody take care of me? Just for a little while? And not try to steal my soul or kill me? I wish I was a kid again and I could hide under the covers and never come out. Because I've gotta say ... lately ... things have really sucked. Really really sucked.

When Koga stepped into the clearing, he found her pressed against the old well, her hands covering her face, her hair in disarray around her. She still wore the unfamiliar miko clothing, her white blouse now heavily stained with Inu-Yasha's blood so that it was even darker in color than her red hibakama.

Standing some distance away, Koga watched her, sniffing the air again to investigate the strange scent of this unfamiliar body, as well as the slight hint of Kagome in the unfamiliar aura, though the overriding scent was still Inu-Yasha's blood, mingled with his own.

It had been disconcerting, seeing Kagome's body possessed by someone else, particularly someone so cold and scornful, so little like Kagome's own kind, feisty personality. It was also disconcerting to see Kagome's eyes shining from within this distasteful unliving body. It was all very confusing, and Koga wondered what Inu-Yasha had done to mess things up so badly.

Not wanting to startle the girl, Koga walked slowly toward her, certain that she must be growing aware of his presence. When he was almost near enough to touch, she started, turning her head to blink up at him in surprise with red-rimmed eyes, wet tracks on her cheeks. "I didn't know you were there," she murmured tearfully, lowering her face into her hands again. "I can't sense shards ... I can't sense anything ... I'm totally useless."

Sitting cautiously nearby, Koga pondered what to say. Kagome was obviously very upset, but the whole situation was so complicated that he really wasn't sure exactly which part had sent her into tears. Was it because Dog-Turd was hurt? Was it because she was in this weird body? Was it because of something else? He had no idea what to say, and so he simply sat there, a frown furrowing his brow, his blue eyes watching her with hard-won patience. He was tempted to just grab her and take her back to his cave, but that hadn't worked particularly well in the past, so he tried to wait until she was able to talk.

Gradually, Kagome's tears subsided and she wiped the tears from her cheeks, not realizing that Inu-Yasha's blood was upon her hands, and therefore leaving red streaks across her face. Feeling the moisture on her hands, she looked down, shuddering at the sight of so much blood. Inu-Yasha! Will you live? There's nothing I can do to help you. And you don't want me here. I know that. I won't get in the way. Kaede'll take good care of you, even if Kikyo is being a bitch. Gods ... how can you love her so much? But ... but I really hope you're okay, Inu-Yasha. I really really hope you're going to be okay.

Growing self-conscious with Koga watching her, Kagome apologized quietly, "I'm sorry. I'm a little distracted. There's a lot going on."

"Come with me, and you won't have to deal with this. I'll take care of you," Koga insisted quickly, glad that the time had finally come to speak.

Kagome smiled sadly. "I can't, Koga. I wouldn't be any good to you now. I can't sense the shards, and I can't purify arrows anymore, either."

"I would still have you for my mate," replied Koga promptly. "I can protect you far better than that half-breed puppy ever could."

Kagome frowned in frustration. "Koga, don't you even SEE me? Don't you see that I'm in some other girl's body, and it's a DEAD body? And I'm weak and useless?"

Koga's eyebrow went up and he shrugged carelessly. "You're still Kagome."

Kagome's tears began to roll helplessly down her cheeks again at those words. Yes, I'm still Kagome, whatever that means anymore. And he wants to take care of me. Can't I just let him do that? Would that be so wrong? I can't go home ... and Inu-Yasha doesn't want me ... and Koga does. He wants to protect me. And I'm just so tired, and so scared, and I don't want to be alone anymore.

"I have to see Inu-Yasha," Kagome insisted. "Then ... I don't know. I guess so. I don't really have anywhere else to go..." Her voice trailed off in exhaustion. It wasn't a weakness that would be alleviated by sleep, but she felt as if she could barely find the energy to move.

Pleased that she had implied a willingness to come with him, Koga quickly offered, "I can carry you there. You shouldn't strain yourself for that runt."

Kagome nodded, and Koga leaned over to slide one arm under her knees, the other around her back, lifting her to his chest. Before she could even react, he had whisked her away toward the village.

But Kagome struggled in his arms almost immediately, crying, "No! Wait!" and so Koga skidded to a stop. Kagome was panting heavily, shaking her head and clutching her chest. "I can't go back there. I can feel it ... she's trying to take my soul again ... I can feel it as we get closer ... it's like DYING. I can't go back there ... I can't go any closer."

"Well, then, let's move further away," declared Koga simply, and headed instead in the direction of his clan's cave.

* * *

That night, Kagome slept surrounded by warmth, nestled among Koga's wolves, her fingers curled in their thick fur. She had weakly protested when Koga tried to wash the blood from her face and hands, and so the wolves had initially sniffed her with rather alarming interest. But at one sharp word from Koga, the wolves had relaxed and lay down together to sleep, no longer seeming aware of Kagome as an entity separate from themselves. She was part of the pack.

Lying in the darkness of the cave, Kagome relished the heat of the wolves' bodies. She had missed warmth, missed touching and being touched. She was grateful that Koga was keeping a gentlemanly distance instead of expecting to sleep near her, but she was also grateful for the comforting presence of the animals.

The wolves' hearts beat loudly in the silence, or so it seemed to her. She had become so horribly accustomed to long nights without any living sound, the sound of hearts beating nearly brought tears to her eyes.

Inu-Yasha's blood had dried dark upon her skin, and now cracked here and there, flaking in some places. But it was part of him. She hadn't wanted to leave, and so she wasn't willing to wash off the only part of him left to her.

Though Kikyo's unnatural body got no benefit from sleep, Kagome had found that slumber provided some small escape from the harshness of this new world she'd been forced into. And tonight she just felt so tired, so weak, as if Kikyo's hated body was failing around her. Is it because of the souls? Because I let them go? Or is it because she was pulling at my soul earlier tonight? I just ... I feel like I can barely move. Like all I can do is lie here. I don't understand any of this. What's happening to me? Am I ... am I going to die like this?

Around her, Koga's wolves breathed deeply, their hearts beating slow and steady in the warm darkness. Seeking comfort, Kagome ran her hands over their thick fur ... it reminded her of Inu-Yasha, though his hair was much softer. But the texture was still similar, and therefore comforting. And so, with a quiet sigh, Kagome lay among the snoring wolves and eventually fell asleep.

* * *

The dream wasn't always exactly the same, but it was always familiar.

In the moonlit clearing, Inu-Yasha's long white hair billowed as he moved, flowing gracefully behind him almost as if in slow motion. The tall grasses brushed against his bare feet and red hakama as he walked toward her. Though she was dressed in the traditional miko clothes, he felt no confusion. This was Kagome, with her wide, expressive gray eyes and her bright smile and lovely scent. He'd been looking for her for so long!

"Kagome!" he cried with relief, pulling her into his arms and holding her close to him, his heart beating fast and glad in his chest. "Kagome! You're safe!"

Looking down at her, he suddenly noticed blood on her face and clothes, and her hands and arms were thickly stained. His golden eyes widening in horror, he frantically looked to see if she had some terrible injury, but he saw nothing.

"Don't worry, Inu-Yasha," she smiled up at him, her gray eyes soft and gentle, her wonderful scent surrounding him and soothing him. "I'll be all right. I'm scared sometimes, but I'll be all right."

Pulling her close again, Inu-Yasha pressed her head against his red haori, his hand tangling in her dark hair. "Don't be scared, Kagome. I'll protect you. Nothing will ever hurt you ... I promise."

But her voice was small and sad when she replied, "You can't promise that, Inu-Yasha. I'm sorry. You can't protect me from this."

Pulling away so that he could look down into her face again, flinching at the streaks of blood upon her skin, Inu-Yasha frowned and asked, "What can't I protect you from? Tell me, and I'll find a way!"

But Kagome only shook her head slightly, reaching up a hand to gently caress his cheek. "I'm going to have to leave, Inu-Yasha. I'm sorry. I can't help it."

Her palm lay flat along the side of his face, cradling his cheek with her soft warmth, but Inu-Yasha felt a sudden chill at the sound of her words. He didn't want her to leave! Before he could speak, however, a small boy came hurtling from behind a tree and hugged Kagome's legs, his tears wetting the red cloth of her hibakama. "I don't want you to leave," he sobbed.

Pulling herself from Inu-Yasha's arms, Kagome knelt and gently held the boy's face in her hands, drying his tears with her fingers as best she could, not even realizing that she was leaving dark red smudges of blood upon his skin. "I have to leave, Tanaka, but I won't forget you."

Throwing his small arms around her neck, the boy hugged her tightly, his remaining tears wetting the side of her neck and her thick waving hair. "I love you, Lady Kagome," he whispered, sniffling.

Kagome smiled softly, turning to look up at Inu-Yasha as she spoke. "I love you too. And so you'll always be in my heart. Because that's what love is."

* * *

Inu-Yasha woke to find himself in Kaede's hut, and in a fair amount of pain. His neck and throat, in particular, felt as if they were on fire. He tried to keep a grasp on the memory of the dream he'd been having, but the sharp pain in his body drove the lingering images from his mind.

Still, his first waking thought was simple, despite his body's injuries.

Kagome! Where is she? I ... I don't want her to leave!



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To Be Continued

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