InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Soul Within ❯ To Heal ( Chapter 21 )

Something to Think About (courtesy of Lady Otori): I dream of a better tomorrow…where chickens can cross roads without having their motives questioned.

 

A/N: I hope that everybody's holidays went well! But now it's back to the real world…*falls asleep*

 

I want to take a second to promote a new fanfiction site. It is called Eternal Destiny and it is a site strictly for the InuKag pairing. If you like reading/writing this couple, go take a look at the site. I'm signed up over there as Angel449. Here is the URL (without spaces): http :// www. ik-eternal. net/

 

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The Soul Within

Chapter Twenty-One

 

“Inuyasha?”

 

He didn't answer.

 

“Inuyasha, this isn't funny. Open your eyes!” Kagome commanded.

 

He still didn't answer.

 

Panicked, Kagome used one of her hand to feel for a pulse on Inuyasha's wrist. It wasn't there…it wasn't there! Kagome maneuvered herself so that she could reach the carotid pulse on his neck. She pressed two fingers against his neck and prayed. “Come on Inuyasha…”

 

There! She had found it! It was weak but it was still there. Kagome sighed in relief and went back to his stomach. Adrenaline was the only thing that was keeping her going now. After that attack on Naraku, her energy was almost completely wiped out. She knew that if it disappeared completely, she would die. Yet, she still healed him.

 

“Kagome.”

 

Without turning around, said miko replied, “Miroku.”

 

“How bad is he?”

 

Kagome swallowed hard and forced herself not to cry. “Pretty bad. The organs in the lower abdomen are burnt from his stomach acid. He got a tentacle through the stomach.”

 

“Let me take over.”

 

Kagome shook her head. “I'll save him. I will.”

 

“No disrespect, Kagome, but you are currently lacking that kind of power.”

 

Kagome didn't answer.

 

“Kagome…let me take over for awhile. If you keep going like this, you'll be in more trouble than him.”

 

Kagome knew that he was right but she felt like she was failing Inuyasha. She knew that Miroku was better in healing though. She swallowed her pride and nodded. “Okay.”

 

Miroku knelt on the other side of Inuyasha and lit his hands with white energy and crossed them over Inuyasha. When he nodded to Kagome, her hands went back to normal and she collapsed beside Inuyasha.

 

“…Thank you, Miroku,” she whispered.

 

Miroku simply smiled.

 

“Kagome!” a female voice called.

 

Kagome rolled over. “Sango…and Kaede…and Shippo…”

 

“Kagome, are ye okay child?”

 

“Kagome, what happened?” Shippo asked worriedly.

 

She smiled. “Don't worry, everything is okay.”

 

Sango looked concerned. “You defeated Naraku…but what about you and Inuyasha?”

 

“I'm just a little tired…and Inuyasha will be fine,” Kagome said firmly.

 

Kaede looked like she wanted to say something, but she simply clasped the young miko's hand and began to transfer white energy. Kagome protested, saying that Inuyasha needed the power more, but Kaede didn't stop her work. “He needs ye to live,” she whispered.

 

Kagome reluctantly laid quietly, turning her head to look at Inuyasha. Sango and Shippo also moved to Miroku's side to watch the healing process.

 

When ten minutes had gone by, Kaede stopped. “Now that your power isn't deathly low, I need to talk to ye…in private,” she said seriously.

 

Kagome glanced over at Inuyasha. She didn't want to leave him, but unlike her father, she couldn't very well knock Kaede out - wait! Her father!

 

“Kaede! We have to go to the castle! My father - !”

 

“-Was left unconscious by the front door?” Kaede asked in amusement.

 

“Yes! Wait, how did you know that?”

 

Kaede looked at her apprentice pointedly. “I saw him there, child. He is now safely indoors and will wake in a few hours; do not worry about him. Though you did pack quite a punch.” Kaede still sounded amused.

 

Kagome blushed. “…There was something that you wanted to talk to me about?”

 

Instantly, Kaede's face became serious again. “Indeed. Come with me child.”

 

Kagome nodded and got to her feet. She looked at Miroku. “I'm just going to talk to Kaede for a few minutes,” she told him. “I'll be right back.”

 

Miroku nodded. “Go right ahead. I'm not going anywhere.”

 

With Kaede, Kagome turned around and walked away before she could change her mind. She didn't stop until she reached the castle. “Kaede…where is my father?” she asked quietly.

 

“Sleeping in a futon. Why do ye ask child?”

 

“I have to tell him something…and you too, Kaede.”

 

“Of course Kagome. But first, tell me how ye defeated Naraku.”

 

Kagome's eyes widened. “That's what you wanted to ask me? At a time like this?” she asked incredulously.

 

“Aye.” The look in the elder miko's eyes left no room for argument.

 

Kagome sighed and decided to just tell her as quickly as possible. “I'm not really sure, Kaede. It was so strange…I don't remember what happened exactly.” Kaede waited patiently. “Naraku had just dealt a deadly blow to Inuyasha….he taunted us…I remember feeling like I needed to protect Inuyasha…and then…power that was different than my usual energy just started pouring out of me relentlessly. I put as much spiritual energy into one arrow and…” she trailed off.

 

“What happened?'

 

“I don't know how it could be possible but the arrow wasn't normal. It was almost as if it was magnetically attracted to Naraku. It missed again and again, but it kept coming back. While he was dodging that arrow, I hit him fatally with another one.”

 

Kaede was silent for a long time. She appeared to be deep in thought.

 

“What does that mean?” Kagome asked. She hadn't cared at the time, but now she wanted to know what had happened to her.

 

“Child…that kind of power…it isn't normal. I can only think of one explanation for it,” she said serenely.

 

“And that would be…?”

 

“Your hidden power was awaken.” Without paying any mind to Kagome's shocked expression, Kaede continued. “Though it is rare to begin with, I have never heard of it surfacing during an intense battle. I was led to believe that it was born through nothing but a pure heart, without even the slightest remains of darkness. I wonder how it was possible to be so focused on defeating Naraku and have a completely pure heart at the same time…” Kaede trailed off.

 

Kagome didn't know what to say.

 

“Perhaps…perhaps ye were able to because - ”

 

“-Because I wasn't focused on defeating Naraku,” Kagome said in a quiet voice. “I…I was in the beginning, but when Inuyasha was hurt…I can't remember thinking of anything but him…”

 

Kaede smiled and her eyes sparkled. “I'm proud of ye, Kagome. Now that your hidden power has been awaken, it will no longer lay dormant - it is a part of ye. Ye can bless people, curse people, and-”

 

“Change reality!” Kagome stood up in excitement. “I can cure Inuyasha!”

 

Kaede looked sad. “It is true that ye can change reality…but not now. Ye lack the training with your hidden power. The miko I told ye about had been training for many years and had-” Kaede stopped talking.

 

Kagome had already started running back to Inuyasha.

 

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“Miroku…I….” Kagome panted from running. “I think that I can cure Inuyasha!”

 

Miroku looked grave. “Come here for moment, Kagome,” he said seriously.

 

The look in his eyes frightened the young miko. Sango and Shippo were sitting quietly and not saying anything. They looked somber.

 

“Please tell me that he didn't die,” Kagome whispered as she sat beside her friend.

 

Miroku shook his head. “Concentrate your energy on his arms or neck.”

 

“…Why? What about his abdomen?”

 

“Just do it and you'll understand. Focus on his major arteries.”

 

Kagome bit her lip, but she shut her eyes and did what she was told too. As soon as her hands touched his brachial artery, she gasped and pulled away.

 

“There's poison,” she said fearfully.

 

Miroku nodded. “I completely healed his abdomen, but he still would not wake. That was when I did a body scan and discovered…” he trailed off.

 

Kagome didn't know what to say. If she was taking care of someone back in her village and they had poison pumping through their major arteries, she would have no choice but to tell the family that there was no hope for their loved one. Naraku's tentacles must've contained poison…

 

“No.” Her eyes glittered with unshed tears. “He can't die. He just can't.”

 

“Miroku said that there is hope though,” Sango said softly.

 

Kagome wiped her eyes. “Really?”

 

Miroku nodded. “Simply put, if he can survive until sunrise, his youkai transformation should save him.”

 

“Should?”

 

“Youkai blood is considerably stronger than human blood.”

 

Kagome nodded, filled with fresh determination. “Sunrise isn't far off. Until then, I will slow the effects of the poison. Inuyasha will survive.”