Crossover Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Journey to the City of Endless Night ❯ Chapter Eighty ( Chapter 80 )

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This chapter is dedicated to my cat, Baby, who passed away on October 2, 2009 at age 20.

 

Chapter Eighty

 

After the pitch darkness of the thicket, the bright fires of burning trees stung Inuyasha's eyes. He blinked several times, trying to make them adjust. Everything seemed fuzzy to his human vision. There were strange halos surrounding the figures locked in combat. Inuyasha shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut. He cursed, not for the first time that night, his mortal frame's frailties. How could he protect Kagome if he couldn't see?

 

Inuyasha adjusted Kagome in his arms as fatigue caused them to tremble. There was a dull ache settling in his upper arms, and his hands felt numb. The longer he held her, the heavier Kagome became. It didn't help that her bow and quiver slid around on his back, making things awkward. Inuyasha muttered, “Damn, wench, you're heavier than you look.”

 

Instantly Inuyasha regretted the comment. His mate was in this condition because of him. Despite what his brother had said, the hanyou turned human felt that he had failed her. The idea that the Grolims could have taken Kagome to a separate altar to offer her as a sacrifice made Inuyasha's blood run cold. There would have been nothing that he could have done to stop it.

 

Shaking his head in an attempt to push away the guilt, Inuyasha looked around the camp. He needed to find someone who could help him with Kagome. In the haze, he couldn't spot Polgara. Unfortunately, it also felt as if someone had pulled a heavy blanket over his head, the sounds of battle muffled. Everything sounded so far away, dull and tiny. There was so much going on around him, but without his sharpened senses, Inuyasha knew that he was missing so much. His human eyes and ears simply didn't pick upon the slightest nuances that his hanyou ones did. He loathed how vulnerable that made him.

 

Regardless, the loud detonation of a nearby tree startled Inuyasha. He gasped and instinctively ducked down, covering Kagome's body with his own. The hiss and crackle of fresh wood burning filled the clearing. It smelt acrid, and for the first time that night, Inuyasha was glad that he had a dulled sense. He remained crouched over Kagome, afraid that another tree would spontaneously catch fire.

 

Inuyasha winced from the sharp pain caused by his knees slamming into the ground. He tasted the tanginess of his blood from biting his cheek during the swift motion. His ribs ached and he wheezed. Kagome's knees had driven their way into his abdomen inadvertently when he had pushed her down. Something he had done hundreds of times suddenly came with new aches and pains.

 

Slowly, Inuyasha turned Kagome towards him and brushed some strands of hair away from her face. She looked so pallid, and her skin felt clammy to the touch. Her body felt so limp and heavy in his grasp. If not for the soft rise and fall of her chest, Inuyasha couldn't be certain that she was alive. He felt so disconnected from his mate in his current form. He couldn't hear her heartbeat over his racing own. Even though he was holding her, Kagome seemed so far away.

 

The hanyou turned human couldn't help but wonder again just how it was that he was even in this predicament. He should have been holed up somewhere with his mate, waiting out the night. Inuyasha knew that he should have ignored the asinine voice that had taken up residence inside his head. If he hadn't listened to it, he wouldn't be in this situation in the first place.

 

“You know better than that. Do you honestly think that you would have been safe in your tent, Inuyasha? You would have ended up out here whether you had listened to me or not.”

 

“Shut up, asshole. No one asked you,” Inuyasha retorted absently.

 

“Come now, Inuyasha. There's no need to name call,” the dry voice in the hanyou's head said, feigning hurt feelings. “Besides, here's your chance to ask Garion about me.”

 

Inuyasha lifted his head, spotting Garion several feet away. The Rivan King deflected a sword stroke aimed for his head, his great blade a brilliant sapphire. Garion had a slight limp as he launched an offensive, pushing his attacker backwards. His expression was determined and stony, his blue eyes ablaze to match his impressive blade.

 

“It looks like he's too busy to talk right now,” Inuyasha said. He stiffened as a realization overcame him. “You set me up, fucker. You knew that I'd find Garion didn't you?”

 

“Naturally.”

 

“You motherfucker! You put Kagome in danger just because you wanted me to talk to Garion? How dare you!” Inuyasha raged.

 

“Don't be so dramatic. As I told you earlier, I needed Kagome to reach her full potential. You really were never truly in danger. They were supposed to capture her, not you.”

 

“That's supposed to make me feel better? Besides, you said that earlier, asshole. They still almost cut my heart out. Explain how putting my mate and I in danger was such a good thing. If you ask me, we were lucky.” Inuyasha clenched his teeth, furious.

 

“I tried to explain it to you earlier, but you were too busy demonstrating your command of the more colorful side of language.”

 

“Well, I'm listening now, fuckhead.” Inuyasha seethed.

 

“You might want to pay attention to your surroundings for a moment.”

 

There was little time to react. Garion's attacker tripped, stumbled, and fell backwards. The Temple Guardsman landed mere inches away from Inuyasha and Kagome. Quickly, Inuyasha rolled away from him, pulling Kagome to his chest. The Temple Guardsman somersaulted away then sprang back to his feet. He circled back towards Garion, his sword point low. The Rivan King led his opponent away from Inuyasha and Kagome, falling back into a defensive position.

 

Inuyasha looked at Kagome and cradled her close. Tenderly, he kissed her temple. Resting his palm on her cheek, he was alarmed by how much colder her skin had become. Somehow, he had to warm her up. Despite the raging fires of nearby burning trees, Inuyasha himself felt chilled. The dichotomy of the situation didn't escape him.

 

He moved to sit comfortably and winced. An intense tingling sensation shot through his legs when he tried to straighten them. It had been a long time since he had felt any of his extremities fall asleep. The more he moved his legs, the more it hurt. It felt as if invisible pins and needles had punctured his skin. It was yet another reason to dislike his mortal form.

 

Looking around, Inuyasha spotted Garion as he continued to fight the Temple Guardsman. With a couple swift parries, the sandy-haired king broke through his foe's defenses. He quickly impaled the other man on his fiery blade, successfully eliminating his threat. Garion pushed the body off of his sword and turned towards Inuyasha.

 

The Rivan King's chest heaved, and he wiped his brow. His eyes went wide, and he shouted, “Inuyasha! Behind you!”

 

Inuyasha looked behind him, only to see a sword slicing directly for his head. In his current position crouched low to the ground, he couldn't even withdraw Tetsusaiga. He instantly rolled over and curled into a ball, shielding Kagome. Inuyasha fully expected to hear the blade snap as it connected with his fire-rat.

 

It never came.

 

Instead, a strange blue light surrounded them, casting eerie shadows on the ground and Kagome's face. Inuyasha lifted his head and looked behind him, assuming that Garion had blocked the attack. He hadn't. There seemed to be a luminescent shield around them. It encompassed Inuyasha, Kagome, and Garion, all the while repelling attackers in the vicinity.

 

Inuyasha noticed that his would be attacker's blade had cracked. The man hesitantly touched it, causing it to shatter. His eyes went wide with terror, and he turned, fleeing into the trees. Even with dulled hearing, Inuyasha could hear the man's screams of horror in the distance.

 

Inuyasha was about to ask Garion if he had something to do with the shield, but the question died on his lips upon seeing his shocked expression. His eyes were wide and his mouth hung slightly open, as if he were about to speak. The sandy-haired man's frame was tense, and he absently gripped his sword hilt. His thumbs caressed the Orb on its pommel. If he hadn't done it, then what had?

 

Shaking his head, Garion roused himself from his stupor. “Is Kagome alright?”

 

“I---I'm not sure,” Inuyasha replied softly.

 

“As soon as we can, we'll get her to Aunt Pol.” Garion looked around the clearing. “It might be awhile. There seems to be some loose ends to this battle.”

 

Even though he was positive that Garion wasn't responsible for the current barrier, Inuyasha asked anyways, “How did you put that barrier up so fast, anyways?”

 

“I didn't.”

 

Then, Inuyasha remembered what his brother had said. Sesshomaru had asked about a similar barrier. He had also mentioned that Tetsusaiga had turned blue. Tonight was the New Moon. His sword should have been unresponsive. Could it have erected a barrier somehow all on its own? If it had, why hadn't it done so earlier?

 

Siting up, Inuyasha adjusted Kagome in his lap, her back resting against his chest. A few stray strands of her hair tickled Inuyasha's nose, and he chuckled. A soft smile crossed his lips, and he kissed her ear. Inuyasha slid an arm around her waist, supporting her.

 

Slowly, with his free hand, Inuyasha withdrew Tetsusaiga. It remained untransformed, but the blade was a magnificent ultramarine. At intervals, small flares fluctuated around it. Oddly, Inuyasha felt a steady rhythm flow through the hilt. This shouldn't have been possible on this night.

 

“How---,” Inuyasha breathed.

 

Garion sheathed his sword onto his back. The small globe of the Orb peeked out over his shoulder, casting an eerie blue light on the Rivan King's face. He gestured for Tetsusaiga, the silvery mark on his palm reflecting its light as well. Inuyasha obliged. Garion held the blade in his hand, examining it. The Orb of Aldur blazed brighter, almost as if it was proud of something. Tetsusaiga pulsed in return, becoming an even richer sapphire.

 

“The Orb did this.” Garion handed it back. “It seems to really like you.”

 

As Inuyasha took the sword back, a strange exultant song burst into life within his mind. It erased all the questions that he may have had and filled him with a strange warmth. It took away the building massive headache and the muscle aches. It took away the chill. He held Tetsusaiga up and ran a finger along its edge slowly. The strange song swelled again, sounding almost like bells. Inuyasha tried to push it aside.

 

“Don't fight that song, Inuyasha. It's the Orb communicating with Tetsusaiga.”

 

“Tetsusaiga? Why?” Inuyasha asked, befuddled.

 

“It's the only way for the Orb to allow you access to its power---especially since you can't touch it. It has to work through Tetsusaiga.”

 

Garion's eyebrows shot up and a concerned frown crossed his lips. “Inuyasha? You alright?”

 

Inuyasha burrowed his nose into Kagome's hair and inhaled deeply. Even without his heightened senses, the action calmed him. The odd melody receded, but remained at the back of his mind. He said, his voice shaky with uncertainty, “Yeah.”

 

“You can hear it, too, can't you.” Garion's expression became serious.

 

“The voice?” Inuyasha snorted disdainfully. He shivered as the chill of the night penetrated his body again. “That fucker's been pestering me for sometime now.”

 

“The voice? I meant the Orb's song.” The Rivan King's eyes went wide and he gasped. “Tell me, what does the voice sound like. Is it dry?”

 

“Yeah. It thinks that it's really funny, too.” Inuyasha narrowed his eyes in ire. He sucked in air as new muscle aches thrummed through his tired frame. “That asshole won't even tell me who or what it is. It's not a Grolim, is it?”

 

Garion shook his head. He shifted to sit more comfortably on the ground. “No. It's not a Grolim.”

 

“Then what the fuck is it?” Inuyasha's nostrils flared in frustration. He closed his eyes, feeling a new migraine building in his temple.

 

“The Purpose of the Universe.”

 

“The what?” Inuyasha's grip tightened around Kagome. His eyes shot open, trained on Garion. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

 

“Remember when we talked about that star exploding?”

 

“Yeah. I guess.” Inuyasha absently brushed some stray hair from Kagome's face. The action lessened the tightness building in his chest---if only a little.

 

“Well, when it exploded, it did so in the wrong place. That changed the direction of the Universe itself. What was once one became two.” Garion sighed. “This make any sense?”

 

Inuyasha's nose wrinkled. “So you're saying the voice I'm hearing is the original direction of the Universe?”

 

“Yes and no. The original Purpose of the Universe was split into two distinct possibilities. We refer to ours as the Light. It's opposite is Dark.” Garion brushed a hand over his stained and torn hose absently. “I wish that Beldin was here. He could explain it so much better.”

 

“So that's what it meant when it said that it had an opposite. It told me that they agreed that I had to ask you about it instead of it just telling me.” Inuyasha snorted. “I still don't understand why it couldn't have told me.”

 

“Grandfather would say that it's to infuriate you for its amusement, but these two Purposes would destroy the Universe if they met directly. So, they make rules. They must have agreed to it for some reason to do with the upcoming EVENT.”

 

“I think I agree with the old man.” Inuyasha sighed. “Just what does it want with me?”

 

“That I can't tell you.” A wry smile crossed Garion's lips and he tapped his temple. “It won't let me. It still visits me on a regular basis, after all.”

 

“Well isn't that just fucking convenient.” Inuyasha squeezed his arm around Kagome. “It gets me an answer to one question only to raise another.”

 

“You'll get used to it.” Garion ran his hand through his mussed sandy hair. “Let me give you a piece of advice. Whatever the voice is telling you, listen. No matter how odd or disturbing it might seem at times, listen. The Purpose is telling you something for a reason---and usually for your own good. Trust me, as irritating as it can be, it's on your side---even when it doesn't seem like it.”

 

“Tell me about it.” Inuyasha frowned.

 

Garion sighed. He glanced around the clearing. “Come on. It looks like a lot of the skirmish is over. We ought to get Kagome to Aunt Pol so that she can take a look at her.”

 

Inuyasha looked down at Kagome. Her expression was still relaxed and peaceful. Slowly, he sheathed Tetsusaiga. Then, he adjusted Kagome against him, cradling her against his shoulder. He tried to stand, only to fall back onto his bottom. His legs tingled like mad, still fast asleep. Heat rushed to his cheeks at his predicament. “Fuck. Can you give me a hand?”

 

“Sure.” Garion reached down, taking one of Inuyasha's hands. He pulled, and Inuyasha stood.

 

Inuyasha started to lift his legs, shaking each one separately, trying to get the blood flowing again. He muttered, “Stupid worthless human body.”

 

“One more thing. You can't let Grandfather know that the Purpose is talking to you. He's not supposed to know yet.” Garion smirked. “I think that it likes to test Grandfather's patience.”

 

“I know that it likes to test mine.” Inuyasha sighed, taking a few ginger steps on shaky legs.

 

They carefully entered the disheveled camp, passing several burning trees and knocked down tents. Many had large tears, while others were severely singed. Inuyasha kept his gaze towards the ground, not wanting to trip over discarded weapons, overturned packs---or worse. A few bodies littered camp, a mixture of Temple Guardsmen and Grolims.

 

“Garion!” The tiny Rivan Queen rushed from the trees, her coppery hair flowing behind her wildly. It took on a deep burnished red tone from the various fires. There was a large blood stain on the front of her grey skirt. Ce'Nedra called out, “You're hurt!”

 

“Never mind me.” Garion gasped. “Ce'Nedra! What happened? Are you hurt?”

 

Ce'Nedra tripped and stumbled forward. Before she could hit the ground, Garion caught her. She looked up at him, a grave expression crossing her tiny face. “How can you tell me to never mind when you're limping so badly. You ought to see Aunt Pol.”

 

“It's fine. Really. I sunk my foot into a gopher hole during a fight.” Garion held his wife at arms length, looking her over closely. “I'm more concerned that you could be hurt.”

 

“Whatever for?” Ce'Nedra's button nose wrinkled. “I'm fine. Durnik made sure of it.”

 

“Then what's this huge stain?” Garion tugged on her skirt.

 

“Oh. That.”

 

“Yes. That.”

 

“Simple. I had to duck down and ended up on my knees in a pool of blood.” Ce'Nedra winsomely smiled up at him. “Don't worry, Garion. None of it's mine.”

 

“Good.” A relieved expression crossed the Rivan King's plain face.

 

A concerned frown crossed Ce'Nedra's lips. She asked softly, “Is Kagome alright?”

 

Inuyasha opened his mouth to respond, but Garion interrupted. He said, “We were just on our way to see Aunt Pol.”

 

“Good.” She gave him an imperious glare. “I want you to do the same thing.”

 

Garion sighed in defeat. “Yes, dear.”

 

“I knew that you'd see it my way.” Ce'Nedra laughed softly and hugged her husband tight.

 

A heated argument captured Inuyasha's attention. It came from the center of camp---or what had been camp. Glancing in its direction, he watched Polgara push on the old man's shoulders in an effort to make him sit. An irritated scowl crossed Belgarath's face, and he grunted in protest. It didn't seem to deter the sorceress.

 

“Sit down, Old Wolf. You've been stabbed and I need to dress the wound.” Her frost lock took on a ruddy cast due to the fires. A matching ominous frown settled over her features and her steely gaze bore down upon the old man. “You really are the most obstinate patient in the world.”

 

“I already told you, Pol, that I'm fine. The knife didn't even cut that deep. It's only a small wound. Don't fuss over me.”

 

“Only a small wound, my foot. If you hadn't been so careless we wouldn't be having this argument. You should have known that Grolim would have had a dagger in his robes.” Polgara firmly gripped Belgarath's shoulders. “Now sit and quit being so stubborn.”

 

Belgarath winced, his eyes closing in defeat. A large dark spot marred his tunic. He gingerly pulled it over his head and sighed. A small gash ran down his side, an angry red. “Fine, Pol. Have it your way.”

 

“I always do,” Polgara quipped. “Durnik, dear, can you get me some bandages and a bucket of water?”

 

“Yes, Pol.”

 

The dark haired sorceress dipped a cloth into the water and cleaned her father's wound. She then held a square bandage to it. A sharp hiss of pain escaped Belgarath's lips, causing his daughter to apply more pressure. She pulled the soiled gauze away and applied a new one before wrapping a long strip around it to secure it in place.

 

“There. Now was that so bad, Old Wolf?”

 

Garion called out, “Aunt Pol, we need your assistance.”

 

Polgara turned, her expression stony. It softened upon seeing Inuyasha and Kagome. “Bring her here.”

 

Durnik draped a blanket over Inuyasha's shoulders. “This might help warm you up.”

 

Inuyasha nodded his thanks. He hadn't realized that his teeth were chattering. Even with his fire rat, the chilly night air seemed to penetrate his bones. “T-thanks.”

 

Durnik then unrolled one of the few remaining undamaged bedrolls. “Set her here, Inuyasha.”

 

Inuyasha gently placed Kagome down onto it. He kissed her temple and brushed some hair away from her forehead. He noticed that her hands were like ice, as he took one in his own. A new swell of concern bubbled inside him. Somehow, he still believed that this was his fault. If he hadn't been so careless, she wouldn't be like this. Kagome had been unconscious for far too long. She should have woken up by now.

 

Polgara gently squeezed his shoulder and rubbed his back. “Did a Grolim hurt her?”

 

“No,” Inuyasha whispered. He wasn't entirely sure how to explain Kagome's condition. “Something else happened.”

 

“Tell me what happened.” Polgara looked over her shoulder. “Garion, dear, why don't you go sit down and get off of your injured ankle. Help Durnik pack. I'll see about it after I've taken care of Kagome.”

 

“Yes, Aunt Pol.” Garion slipped his arm around his wife's shoulders. “Come on, Ce'Nedra.”

 

Inuyasha trained his eyes on Kagome's face. He took a deep breath and intertwined his fingers with his mate's. The hanyou turned mortal kissed the back of her hand. “She---she saved me.”

 

“How?” Belgarath asked while he adjusted his tunic over his bandages.

 

Inuyasha looked up, his eyes meeting the old man's. “When the battle broke out, I was grabbed by some Grolims. They took me to an altar to sacrifice me, but Kagome stopped them.”

 

“Just how did she stop them?” Belgarath asked, his voice soft.

 

Tucking a few stray strands of hair behind Kagome's ear, Inuyasha replied, “She purified them. All of them.”

 

“Purified them?” Polgara's brows knit together. The sorceress rested the back of her hand on Kagome's forehead. She dipped a rag into the bucket and rung it out before wiping sweat away. “I don't understand. How did she purify them?”

 

Inuyasha shrugged the blanket off and slid Kagome's bow and quiver from his back. He held up the bow and said, “With this.”

 

“Her bow?” Polgara put her hands on either side of Kagome's face. Her eyes fluttered shut, a worried frown crossing her lips.

 

“Remember that pink light we saw, Pol?” Belgarath interjected. “We've seen her use it in other skirmishes, like that one in the fog.”

 

“But never like that, father,” Polgara replied. Taking blankets from her husband, the sorceress pulled them over Kagome's prostrate form. “It's about the rawest display of power that I've seen since Garion started to demonstrate his talent.”

 

“Something tells me that she had a lot of incentive.” Belgarath tilted his head in Inuyasha's direction. “What I don't understand, though, is just what this power is.”

 

Inuyasha brushed the back of his hand across Kagome's cheek. “It's her spiritual power.”

 

“Define spiritual power.”

 

“Kagome's a miko, which means she has a natural purifying power. She can purify demons or tainted objects.” Inuyasha sighed. “Kagome's usually capable of purifying things with her touch. She's just never been trained on how to use it. In her---you know---she says there's less of of a focus on her type of power.”

 

“She's untrained?” Polgara's eyebrows shot up. Again, she placed her hand onto Kagome's forehead, her eyes closing. Wrinkles of concentration creased Polgara's forehead, as if she was searching for something. “Isn't that dangerous? I'd say that explains her current condition. She must not know how to focus and release that amount of energy. It's completely drained her.”

 

Belgarath rubbed his beard. “It's not the Will and the Word, but it seems to behave in a similar fashion. My guess is with practice and learning how to focus she could avoid ending up like this after using her power.”

 

“So, she's alright?” Inuyasha squeezed Kagome's hand.

 

“She will be, yes. Releasing that much energy the way she did has utterly exhausted her.” Polgara pulled and tucked the blankets further around Kagome. She turned her serious gaze upon Inuyasha. “She must learn how to control her ability.”

 

“But she doesn't have anyone that can teach her.”

 

“I will teach her. I may not share her power, but I do know how to focus my Will,” Polgara replied. “If she can learn how to harness the raw power we witnessed tonight she will only become stronger. Leaving her untrained is not an option.”

 

“She's right. Even if we don't quite know all about her power, we'll explore it with her,” Belgarath said.

 

“Why don't you get some rest, dear?” Polgara suggested. “You look awfully tired.”

 

“But---” Inuyasha began to protest, only to be interrupted by a massive yawn.

 

“We'll talk about it when she's awake.” The dark haired sorceress gently cupped Inuyasha's chin in her hand. “Don't worry. It'll all work out. Just get some rest for now. It's already been a long night.”

 

Before Inuyasha could respond, another yawn overtook him.

 

“Come on, Pol. We should help clean up camp,” Belgarath said. He stood up, looking around. “Let's pack what's salvageable.”

 

“Alright, Old Wolf.” Polgara smiled at Inuyasha. “Try and get some rest, dear.”

 

Inuyasha shrugged into the blanket Durnik had given him. He felt completely exhausted, and yet he couldn't sleep. Too much had happened and it all left him with a bit of sensory overload. Inuyasha stared ahead at nothing in particular. His eyes felt hollow and throbbed. He yawned and closed them. Everything ached. His head throbbed. His back felt tight as if someone had kidney punched him all night. His legs hurt almost to distraction. Inuyasha hadn't felt this sore in a very long time.

 

Opening his eyes, Inuyasha looked down at Kagome. He pulled the blanket further around her. Gently, he eased her head into his lap. If he couldn't sleep, he would watch vigil over her. Inuyasha smoothed some hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. At his touch, Kagome turned her face into his hand and sighed contentedly.

 

Tears flooded Inuyasha's eyes as relief filled him. He took a deep breath and blinked them back. Slowly, Inuyasha rocked Kagome, gently stroking her hair. A tear escaped and slid down his cheek. Inuyasha bit his lip to keep it from trembling. He wiped his eyes with the palm of his hand, embarrassed by the emotional outburst threatening to overtake him. How he hated these uncontrollable human emotions.

 

Guilt crept over him. Kagome was in this condition because of him. As relieved as he was that Kagome would be alright, Inuyasha still blamed himself for allowing it to happen. He shouldn't have gotten caught by the Grolims. On this night, he should have done anything to keep her safe. Instead, he had put her in danger. He had not been a good mate tonight.

 

“Not this guilt again,” the dry voice interrupted Inuyasha's thoughts. “Really, it won't do you any good.”

 

Inuyasha sniffed, rubbing his eyes. He snapped back, “No one asked you, asshole.”

 

“No, but I'm right.” The voice sighed. “You have the worst guilt complex that I've ever seen. It's really a bad habit of yours. Besides, what happened tonight wasn't your fault.”

 

Inuyasha growled softly. “That's right. It was yours. I believe you still owe me an explanation, asshole.”

 

“Very well.” The voice of the Purpose paused. “Kagome was supposed to be taken to that altar, not you.”

 

“So you've said, fucker.” Inuyasha's guilt fell away to be replaced with anger. “I still think that you were playing games with my mate's life.”

 

“Do you want to hear this or argue with me?”

 

“I'm listening.” Inuyasha sighed, stroking Kagome's hair.

 

“As I was saying, they were supposed to grab Kagome. Unfortunately for the Grolims, there was another set of Grolims that interfered. The Grolims who took you aren't aligned with Naraku.” The Purpose paused, almost as if chagrined. “I must admit, I wasn't certain that the other Grolims would arrive in time to capture you first.”

 

“I gathered that when they tried to sacrifice me. What I don't understand is how that stopped the other Grolims from taking Kagome anyways.” Inuyasha stiffened, then growled low in his throat. He felt anger vibrate through his tired frame. “You mean to tell me you didn't know for sure that they were going to show up and grab me first? How close was it? How close was Kagome to getting captured first, you motherfucker? How dare you take a gamble with her life.”

 

“The moment they grabbed you, Kagome became essentially invincible. Since they had failed in their task to capture and sacrifice her, she could go on to succeed at hers. That, and the two opposing Grolim factions fought each other as much as they did Belgarath and Polgara.” The voice sighed, exasperated. “I knew that the other Grolims would arrive. I wasn't certain when. I also didn't know when the Grolims that were supposed to capture Kagome were to arrive. The only thing I did know was that they were to attack camp tonight.”

 

“I don't understand. Why can't you just tell me that this shit is going to happen. Next time, I'd like it if you'd just tell me what's going on, fucker. Why should I even trust you if you're not going to tell me everything?” Inuyasha clenched his teeth, trying not to shout at the Purpose aloud.

 

“I can't do that. My opposite and I have agreed to rules, and that means that I can't always tell you everything. I know that it's frustrating, but when you have tasks that need to be completed, I need you to be natural. If I told you what was going to happen or what you should do for every step, you'd over think and potentially mess up.” The voice paused. “Garion told you the truth. If my opposite and I were to meet directly, we'd destroy the entire universe. We have to do things this way---no matter how cumbersome it is.”

 

“Fuck you and your fucking opposite. I don't like either one of you assholes playing games with my life or my mate's life. I didn't ask to be a part of this game of yours. Leave me and my mate out of it, damn it.” Inuyasha clenched his hand into a fist, his anger increasing. “You can both shove your tasks up your ass, anyways.”

 

“This isn't helping, you know. We are going to be working together, whether you like it or not, Inuyasha. The less you fight me, the better off you'll be. There are rewards for working with me, after all.”

 

“Alright, fuckhead. Assuming that I care about your stupid tasks or working with you on anything, why should I want your rewards? Who says I need rewards? I am not some lap dog. I am not here to amuse you.”

 

“I never said that you were, Inuyasha. I simply reward those that cooperate with me. It may have taken thousands of years, but I rewarded Polgara with her husband, Durnik, for her diligence in raising the Rivan line until Garion could finally arrive.”

 

“Thousands of years! I don't want to be stuck with you for thousands of years, asshole.”

 

“That may be extreme,I suppose. If it'll help, Ce'Nedra was Garion's reward for doing what I asked.”

 

“Alright. I already have what I want. I already have Kagome. What could you possibly give me that I don't already have?”

 

“You might be surprised. If you want to find out, you'll have to do as I ask.”

 

“Fine. But it doesn't mean that I have to like it.” Inuyasha sighed, trying to calm his temper. “So what do you mean by tasks, anyways? You sure make a big deal out of them.”

 

“My opposite and I have agreed that there are certain things that need to be met before an EVENT can take place. Each side will have tasks to complete. Depending on its significance, failing one task won't necessarily hinder one side or the other in a major EVENT, but it can make it difficult if too many aren't met. Fortunately, they failed at theirs tonight because if they had succeeded, we would have been in big trouble.”

 

“And Kagome succeeded at hers?”

 

“Succeeded? She performed her task brilliantly. I couldn't be more pleased and you should be very proud. She exceeded all of my expectations and then some. I knew she had the power, but wasn't sure how much she'd use tonight.”

 

“I am proud.” Inuyasha yawned. He rubbed Kagome's back. “You might not have known that she'd use that much power, but I'm not surprised.”

 

“Now that she's used that level of power, she'll never be able to bottle it up. Take up Polgara's offer. It's too dangerous for her not to.”

 

“I was going to.” Inuyasha yawned again, even wider. “I've got a question, though. Why didn't you have Tetsusaiga's barrier prevent the Grolims from capturing either of us?”

 

“My opposite and I agreed to the terms. From now on, though, the barrier will protect you on the night of the New Moon---but only if you're in possession of Tetsusaiga. Besides, I needed Kagome to use that incredible power of hers.”

 

“I'll keep that in mind.” Inuyasha's eyes fell shut and his head felt fuzzy.

 

“Take Polgara's advice and get some rest. You're no good to me exhausted.” The Purpose sighed. “I do hope that you'll learn to trust me.”

 

Before Inuyasha could respond, the voice was gone. He opened his eyes and looked towards the trees. The grey of approaching morning covered the sky. Finally, the longest night of the New Moon in recent memory was coming to an end. As far as Inuyasha was concerned, it was about time.