InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ After-effects ❯ Comfort ( Chapter 14 )

Disclaimer: Well, the usual, I do not own Inuyasha and the gang.

 

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Chapter 13: Comfort

 

Everywhere Kagome looked, gray mist filled her vision. The fog was so deep and impenetrable that there was no way to tell up from down. For all she knew, she could be floating in the air instead of standing on solid ground. "Where am I?" she asked to no one in particular.

 

Not expecting an answer, she almost jumped out of her skin when one did come. "You are in the deep recesses of your mind," answered a woman's voice.

 

Now that was definitively not something she had expected. "Inside my own mind? But why?" she questioned incredulously.

 

"Because I called you here," replied a form that had suddenly materialized in the mist.

 

The person in question was a woman dressed in very ancient battle gears. A small cross shape design decorated her forehead and she was armed with both a bow and a sword. It didn't take long for Kagome to recognize the figure standing before her.

 

"You're... Midoriko!" she exclaimed in surprise.

 

"It's nice to see that some people remember me, even in this day and age," said the other woman with a smile.

 

"But... how?" asked Kagome, baffled by this unexpected encounter.

 

"I'm afraid that explaining it to you would take too long and my time is extremely limited," answered the old miko.

 

Seeing that Kagome was on the verge of asking yet another question, the ancient miko abruptly raised her hand, effectively silencing what the girl had been about to say.

 

"Before I start explaining anything, I must ask you something. Did you have any strange dreams lately?" questioned the old woman seriously.

 

Snapping her mouth shut, Kagome stared at the woman before her in complete and utter confusion. She could not for the life of her understand where all of this was going. However, the look she was receiving was so sharp and demanding that she could do nothing except answer the question.

 

"Well… yeah the other morning, one where I was chasing down a rabbit and…" she trailed off, shuddering in revulsion at the memory.

 

"That's what I thought, the jewel has awakened your youkai blood," muttered the miko grimly.

 

There was a second during which Kagome desperately tried to make her brain function again. The piece of information revealed by Midoriko had effectively frozen it up completely and utterly. Finally, with a supreme effort, she managed to overcome the block just enough to blurt a loud "WHAT?"

 

"It's just as I said girl, your youkai blood has awakened," repeated the ancient miko, visibly not understanding the girl's surprise.

 

"But I don't have any youkai blood!" exclaimed Kagome incredulously.

 

"Oh but you have child, though it is so incredibly diluted that it is barely noticeable; a tiny drop of milk in a glass of water," conceded the woman.

 

"Where on earth did I ever get that?" she asked the woman in front of her.

 

"Distant ancestry I suppose, but that is irrelevant child, what matters now is that it is awake," shot the miko sharply.

 

"Fine, if you say so," huffed Kagome irritably. "But you could at least tell me why it chose now of all time to manifest itself," she questioned back.

 

Sighing in defeat, Midoriko began her explanation. "It started when Inuyasha made his wish to revive you. You see, the jewel is not all powerful, it can do extraordinary things, but it can't bring a corpse back to life. Now in your case, he happened to be so fast in making his wish that there was still some traces of life left in you, so you were technically not dead yet."

 

She paused for a second to see if Kagome was still following her before continuing. "And so, to fulfill his wish, the jewel did two things. One: It healed your wounds, which was relatively simple. The second proved to be more of a challenge however. You see, your life force was so depleted that you would have died if the jewel had not found a speck of youkai blood in your veins. It immediately fed it power, nurtured it out of its dormancy until it abruptly realized what was going on and woke up, boosting your life-energy in the process and saving your life."

 

"I see," answered Kagome quietly, still trying to sort all the information that had just been given to her. "But Midoriko... what exactly is so wrong with me having a bit of youkai blood in my veins, even if it is awake?" she asked frowning.

 

"For any person but you Kagome, there would be absolutely nothing wrong, but in your case... things are a little different," explained the ancient miko somberly.

 

"And why is that?" inquired the girl impatiently. She was growing tired of those riddles, she wanted clear answers for once.

 

"Have you ever stopped to wonder why the jewel was not granting your wishes anymore?" asked Midoriko pointedly instead of answering Kagome's question.

 

"Well as a matter of fact I did, but I just happened to come out totally empty on this one," she shot back in frustration.

 

"That's rather simple: The jewel cannot grant two wishes at once," answered the ancient miko.

 

Kagome frowned at this. It didn't make any sense, whose wish could the jewel possibly be trying to grant. Her brows furrowed even more when she tried to put this together with the rest of the conversation. How on earth could the fact that the jewel had gone silent be linked with the fact her youkai blood was now awake unless... Her eyes widened as a horrible and terrifying idea suddenly sprung in her head.

 

"Midoriko... just whose wishes is the jewel trying to grant?" she asked in a low tone that was filled with dread.

 

The woman heaved a heavy sigh of relief when she noticed that the girl had finally put the puzzle together. "It's trying to grant the wish of your youkai blood Kagome... To take back what it considers to be rightfully his," she answered sadly.

 

Kagome gulped once before asking her next question. "So... am I going to turn into a mindless killing machine? Like Inuyasha when his youkai blood takes over him?" she asked fearfully.

 

"Who knows... but I do know that there is no stopping it... unless you consider killing yourself that is," answered the woman with a sheepish smile.

 

Kagome merely grimaced in answer and shook her head negatively.

 

"I didn't think so," answered the woman quietly.

 

"There is somewhat of a good news to this... I think," she continued hesitantly.

 

"You think?" repeated the girl doubtfully.

 

"Well, you see, in order to strengthen your youkai blood, the jewel has to feed it with its own energy. The thing is that it's a one way relationship. So in essence, the more powerful your blood becomes... the weaker the jewel gets..." she explained and trailed off as Kagome finished for her.

 

"Until it is completely empty," the young miko finished flatly. "But what happens to you then? Isn't your soul inside the jewel too?" she asked curiously.

 

"My soul is intertwined so tightly with the youkai's that if you take one, you have to take the other. That is mainly why I've been able to talk to you now, because a fragment of myself is now present within you," Midoriko answered.

 

Kagome had about a million more questions to ask the ancient miko in front of her, but as she opened her mouth to form the first, Midoriko's body slowly started becoming translucent. Noticing this, the woman's face took on a resigned expression.

 

"Child, youkai and human blood cannot mix together... but they can coexist. This may be the only chance you have of surviving this," she spoke softly before disappearing completely

 

As soon as the old miko was gone, Kagome ended up bolting up in bed, panting with the jewel burning her skin. Hurriedly taking it in her hands, she noticed that the pink was several shade paler that it used to be. She was startled out of her thoughts when the door to the room she was sleeping in opened to admit Inuyasha.

 

"Kagome, you're awake!" he exclaimed, relief evident in his features.

 

"Yeah..." she muttered as memories of what happened before she passed out started flooding back into her head.

 

"I couldn't protect them," she thought guiltily. "If only I had been stronger, I could..." but then she stopped thinking altogether, now was not the time to let guilt consume her.

 

"Inuyasha... how long was I out?" she asked instead to the hanyou in front of her.

 

"You've slept for most of the day," he answered. "I was really worried when you collapsed, but Kaede came back a while ago and she said that there was nothing wrong and that you would be okay after a little rest," he finished.

 

"Just that?" she reflected in surprise. "But with how tired I was, I should have slept for at least a week," she mused again.

 

That was when she noticed for the first time how sharp her senses actually were. First, she could hear Inuyasha's heart beat in his chest, which was not something that she should have been able to do. And then she could see, despite the room being pitch black. And last but not least... scents. God there must have been a hundred of them invading her nose at the same time. The musky odor of damp wood, the subtle aroma of the soap used to clean the sheets of her futon, but what mostly caught her attention was mostly Inuyasha's scent. A unique alluring scent that roused her most basic instincts and, at the same time, soothed and calmed her.

 

In an attempt to actually hide her rising blush, she put her hand to her face and felt her muscles ripple with the movement, promising a strength and power that she definitively had not possessed the day before. She looked worriedly at her hand and was relieved when she saw nails at the end of her fingers instead of the half-expected claws.

 

"Kagome?" asked the hanyou, puzzled by the girl's strange behavior.

 

If she had heard him, she gave no outward sign. Instead, she was looking around as if searching for something. When her eyes fell on the pieces of Sango's hiraikotsu, she abruptly stood up and made her way to it.

 

"Kagome, what are you..." he trailed off when the miko bent down and picked up one of the pieces as if it weighted nothing at all.

 

Putting the severed weapon back on the ground, she turned to Inuyasha, only to find him looking at her curiously. "I wanted to see if I still had that strength the jewel gave me," she answered his unspoken question.

 

It was not the entire truth, but she couldn't afford to tell him everything. If she did, he might end up locking her in a closet while he went to deal with whoever was after the jewel alone. She didn't want that, partly because she wanted to be by his side during the coming battle, but mostly because she felt it was her responsibility to see everything through to its end. She had been the one to bring back the jewel to the sengoku jidai after all.

 

"Kagome, what's troubling so much?" the hanyou asked, obviously not satisfied at the miko's previous answer.

 

"I just can't help but feel guilty about what happened to Yuna and Shippo. I wish I could have done more. They were a few feet away and yet I couldn't help them at all," Kagome answered with a deep sigh.

 

Without a word, Inuyasha closed the distance between them and wrapped her in a comforting embrace. He seemed to do that a lot lately, comforting her. In a way, she was glad that he was more open about his feelings, but on the other hand, he was comforting her which meant that she was constantly breaking down and needed him to keep her up. She could easily remember a time when she had been Inuyasha's anchor, when she had been the one he could hold on to when he needed it. But now, somehow, the tables had turned and she found herself desperately clinging to him in order to keep herself together.

 

"Don't worry Kagome, tomorrow at first light, we're going to go after whoever kidnapped Shippo and Yuna and trust me, he's going to regret ever messing with us in the first place," the hanyou said in a low and menacing tone.

 

That made something click in Kagome's mind. "You didn't rush after them?" she asked in surprise, pushing slightly away in order to be able to look him in the eyes.

 

"Trust me Kagome, it took all I had to keep myself from jumping after that eagle," he answered and the stiffening of his body told her just how difficult that had been for him.

 

"But with you unconscious and me hardly able to stand straight, going after it would have been pointless. Besides, the way these youkai attacked Kagura is proof enough that you were right. These people are organized soldiers, not ruffians," explained the hanyou, his voice and body tense with emotions.

 

That was when she realized that she wasn't the only one feeling responsible for what had happened to their friends. The kidnapping also weighted heavily on the hanyou's shoulders, if not more than hers. It came to her that she was not the only person in need of comfort in this room.

 

"Inuyasha..." she began, snuggling back into his embrace. "Could you... sleep with me tonight?" she asked, unable to keep from blushing.

 

She felt the hanyou jerk in surprise at her suggestion and hastily continued before he could interrupt her. "Nothing perverted, I just want to feel your arms around me tonight. I could... I mean I'd feel..." she trailed off, unable to continue, unable to find words to explain what she meant.

 

Her embarrassment disappeared though when she could feel the hanyou relax against her. "Then will you hold me too Kagome?" he asked softly. "Will you wrap your arms around me as well while you sleep?" he inquired again in the same tone.

 

"Yes... I will," she murmured.

 

******

 

"Kagura, you've been moping around all day. It's high time you snap out of your daze," admonished Sango sternly.

 

"That's easy for you to say," answered the sorceress evenly. "I swore I would protect her... and I failed. How do you think I feel?" she shot back in an accusatory tone.

 

"And how do you think I feel lying helplessly in bed while my friends are risking their lives?" the demon slayer questioned back angrily. "How do you think Miroku feels? And Kagome and Inuyasha who rushed back here only to see their efforts go to waste?" she continued on, her tone rising by the second. "You're not the only one in pain here Kagura, everyone in this house is. It's about time you realize what it means to be part of a family," she finished hotly.

 

The sorceress gave a small start when she heard the other woman's speech. "A... family?" she thought in surprise.

 

As the full meaning of the words sank in, scenes of the last week started flashing in front of her eyes. Her arrival with the wounded Yuna. Herself doing laundry and keeping a watchful eye for Shippo and Yuna. Herself helping Sango to bed and having a quiet conversation with the woman. Herself playing cards with the rest of the gang, sharing in the fun of teasing Miroku, but more than that, sharing in the fun of simply being together.

 

One week, seven little days. It was a mere drop of water in the ocean of her life, but somehow, she found that this single drop was more precious to her than all the years she had lived so far. "Sango... do you... mean it?" she asked, not daring to believe. "Do you really consider me part of your... family? Even after all I've done?"

 

"Yes Kagura, I do. And not just me, everyone here does," answered the demon slayer seriously.

 

"Besides, not just anyone's allowed to tease Miroku the way you did without repercussions," continued Sango, with a dead serious tone that made the sorceress look at her in surprise.

 

They stared at each other for a few seconds before the slayer, unable to hold it in any longer snorted to repress her laughter. Kagura wasn't long to follow and before long both youkai and human were laughing their heart out.

 

"Thanks Sango... I feel a lot better now," the sorceress said once she had regained her composure.

 

"No problem, I needed this as much as you. Just make sure that whoever did this will regret ever messing with us," answered the demon slayer.

 

"I wouldn't worry about that too much if I were you," said the sorceress in a sinister tone. "Whoever kidnapped Yuna and Shippo is going to pay... dearly," she finished.

 

 

******

 

"So basically, all we do know is that they've been taken east. That's a bit vague," said Kagome dejectedly.

 

"True, but I believe we might be able to narrow the search area a bit," said Miroku. "Since it is quite obvious that we have been observed, it is logical to deduce that wherever the mastermind is, he is close enough for him to spy on us, while at the same time far enough to escape our attention," reasoned the monk.

 

"That's really nice and all, but it still doesn't tell us much monk," shot back Kagura, rather let down by the man's conclusion.

 

"Well then how about 30 miles east, is that precise enough for you?" taunted a voice from the door.

 

Inuyasha was on his feet in an instant, hands gripping the hilt of his sword. "Mattemaru," he growled menacingly at the form.

 

"Now now, is that any way to welcome an old friend," laughed the kitsune.

 

At this, the hanyou's grip on the Tessaiga tightened and his eyes narrowed dangerously. "If you have something to say then say it and leave," he snarled.

 

"Well it's not really what I have to say, it's rather what I have to bring," he answered lightly. And with that he reached for something just beside the door and hurled it inside.

 

When it landed, they noticed with surprise that it was one of the panther youkai that had attacked them the day before. "He was supposed to tell you where to meet Akkimaru," explained the kitsune. "But he wasn't fast enough for my taste so I gave him a lift," he snickered.

 

"Akkimaru?" asked Kagura in confusion.

 

"She's the one behind the kidnapping. I'd be careful though, she's definitively not someone to be taken lightly," he explained in a serious tone for once.

 

"Well then I'll get going, after all I wouldn't want my boss to think I'm slacking," he said, his normal attitude immediately coming back.

 

"Your boss? Who on earth could be crazy enough to actually hire you?" questioned Kagome incredulously.

 

"Oh don't worry too much about that, you'll find out soon enough," answered the kitsune right before he bowed and disappeared into thin air.

 

"Man I can't stand this guy!" exclaimed Inuyasha as he flopped down on the ground irritably.

 

Ignoring the hanyou's outburst, Kagura turned to the panther youkai currently sprawled on the ground. Grabbing the back of his kimono, she lifted him off the ground and eyed him menacingly.

 

"So you came here to tell us something?" she asked darkly.

 

"Y... Yes," stuttered the captive. "Akkimaru-sama wishes to exchange the jewel for her two prisoners. She'll be waiting for you at the abandoned village 30 miles east of here," he blurted out, fear evident in his features.

 

"Anybody knows where that is?" inquired the sorceress.

 

"I think he means the old miner's settlement near the mountains," butted in the hanyou. "We'll be there in a few hours at most," he finished.

 

"Good. Then you're no longer needed," said the sorceress, turning back to her captive. "Get lost!" she snapped and with that she quite literally threw him out the door.

 

"So what do you think?" asked Kagura as she settled down once again.

 

"Whatever that Akkimaru has in mind, it's definitively not fair trade," answered Kagome.

 

"Yeah," snorted the hanyou in agreement. "Give her what she wants and we're all dead meat," he finished.

 

"She has hostages, she chose the ground, she has numbers and she knows us," counted Kagome. "And what do we have?" she asked.

 

"I have the Tessaiga and my claws," answered the hanyou.

 

"I have my fan and I can fly," Kagura added immediately.

 

"And I have my arrows and my powers," finished the miko.

 

A miewling sound caused her to look down and she smiled. "And let's not forget Kirara too," she added.

 

"So basically, Akkimaru has all the cards, but it's our turn to play," the hanyou summarized.

 

"Exactly," agreed the miko. "And I think I have an idea," she added with a mischievous smile.

 

"Really? Then by all means, speak Kagome-sama," said Miroku, both eager and curious at the same time.

 

"Well, I say we hide one card with another," said the miko. "Since she's expecting Inuyasha, Kagura and me to show up, let's use this to our advantage. Inuyasha and I will go through the front door while Kagura sneaks around in the back to free the hostages."

 

"When only two of us shows up, she'll instantly know the other is sneaking up her back. That's not very smart," countered the hanyou.

 

"That's exactly my point, she'll be expecting one of us to sneak up on her, not two," she added, lowering a meaningful gaze to the cat youkai sitting beside her.

 

Inuyasha and Kagura looked first at Kirara, then at each other, then back at Kirara and finally their gaze settled on each other. "That's the craziest plan I've ever heard," began the hanyou.

 

"But you know what? It just might work," finished the sorceress with a smirk.

 

"Well then, I think it's high time we show that Akkimaru what it means to mess with us," said the hanyou, cracking his knuckles for emphasis.

 

"Let's do this," added Kagome, gathering her bow and slinging a quiver of arrows on her shoulder.

 

"No one messes with the wind sorceress and gets away with it," Kagura finished darkly, snapping her fan shut with a loud snap.

 

Just as they were about to go out, Sango's voice stopped them. "Don't you dare let anything happen to you," she said firmly. "Because if you do, I swear, eternity won't be enough for you to forget what I'll do to you," she finished menacingly.

 

"Don't worry Sango, we'll all return safely," answered Kagome with a smile.

 

"We'll even give Akkimaru a few extra bruises in your place, just to make sure," Kagura added with a sardonic smile.

 

"Keh! As if I'd let anyone kill me," snorted the hanyou.

 

And with that, they made their exit, leaving a wounded monk and demon slayer to hope for their safe return.

 

"Don't you think it was a bit extreme of you Sango?" questioned Miroku as he shifted his head toward the woman beside him.

 

He couldn't help but stare in surprise when he saw the demon slayer's expression. Fire burned brightly in her eyes and when she spoke it was in a cold and emotionless tone. "I swear Miroku... if even one of them dies, I'm going all the way down to the pits of hell and I'm bringing them back."

 

Not knowing exactly what to answer, he kneeled beside her and took her good hand in his. "Don't worry Sango, everything's going to be okay," he whispered reassuringly.

 

Inside though, he couldn't help but feel uncertainty grip his stomach painfully. "Buddha, I beg you, I may not be the most virtuous monk there is, but please, allow my friends to come back safely, if not for me, then for Sango. Spare her the agony of seeing another of her loved ones die before her eyes," he prayed silently. And as the minutes passed, he kept praying, because after all, that was all he could do, that was all they could do.