InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ As My Daughter Wishes ❯ Consent to Heal ( Chapter 2 )

CHAPTER 1

The Abduction of the Time Traveler

"Excellent job, Higurashi. You've outdone yourself this time." The man handed his student a sheet of paper, beaming as she took it from him hesitantly.

The girl stared down at the marks at the top of the paper in her hands, disbelief apparent on her face. All around her, her peers were smiling and congratulating her.

"Wow, Kagome! A perfect score!"

"Yeah, and on your geometry final, too!"

"You could all learn a thing or two from this young lady," said the professor, patting Kagome's head affectionately. "Keep up the good work, Higurashi."

It's not a dream… is it? Kagome asked herself as she suddenly found herself in the school auditorium, accepting her honors award from the principal. It can't be a dream…

Modern day high school student Kagome Higurashi sighed as someone shook her awake, nearly laughing at her own folly. Of course it had been a dream. There was no way in hell she'd graduate the top of her class. Not when she was stuck here, anyway, in the Sengoku Jidai.

Hearing someone chanting her name, she slowly opened her eyes. All she could see was Shippou's face. Kagome giggled. "Let me up, silly." She sat up in her sleeping bag, stretching her arms before returning her attention back to the kitsune in her lap.

"Why is it every time I have a good dream, you have to go and wake me up?"

The tiny fox demon smiled. "Sorry, but Inuyasha told me to."

The girl looked around. The forest was lit with the blue light of early dawn.

Morning already? she wondered. Her eyes found the resting forms of Miroku and Sango, sleeping a respectful distance from each other near the ashes of the now dead fire. Kirara, Sango's tiny cat demon, was curled up contently at her side. She frowned slightly.

"Where's Inuyasha?" she asked the fox cub after a moment.

"Getting breakfast."

Almost as if one cue, the hanyou appeared in a red blur before them, three large fish draped over his shoulder. He cast a look over at the monk and exterminator. "Still asleep, are they?" he asked in an offhand tone. "HEY! SANGO! MIROKU! WOULD YOU WAKE UP ALREADY?!" He tossed the fish down and set about restarting the fire while the two other humans groaned as they got up.

"Inuyasha…" Sango growled, glaring at the half-demon with one sleepy eye. "Do you know -"

"- What time it is?" finished Miroku for her, covering a yawn with his hand. He eyed the fish on the ground. "Breakfast?" he asked.

Inuyasha just snorted as he picked up one of the fish, using a long, sharpened stick to impale it. Kagome made a face.

"I think I'll pass," she said, not bothering to hide her disgust.

The half demon snorted again. "Oh yeah? What do I care?" he replied, roasting the fish over the now raging fire.

Sighing, Kagome turned to the large yellow pack at her side. Unzipping the first pocket, she retrieved two small sized cereal bars wrapped in purple foil.

"Want one, Shippou?" she asked the kitsune sweetly.

The little boy eyed the brightly wrapped food warily. "I'd rather not," he finally said, much in the way she had when she had stated her dislike of Inuyasha's choice of breakfast. She giggled again and unwrapped one of the cereal bars, taking a bite of it before picking up her "pillow", which had been her geometry textbook. Propping it against her knees, she began to study.

Turning the stick so the fish would cook on all sides, Inuyasha frowned as he shot a glare in Kagome's direction. "What's that?" he asked after a moment.

Kagome looked at him from over her book. "What's what?" she answered, turning the page after folding down the top corner of the previous one.

"That," he said, gesturing at the textbook with a clawed hand. Kagome looked at the book in her hands, then at the hanyou in surprise.

"This? It's my geometry textbook."

"Not planning on going back for one of your 'test' things, are you?" he asked dangerously, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Gee-oh-meh-tree…?" Shippou repeated hesitantly, his tongue tripping over the foreign word. "What's that?"

"A type of math, I guess."

"Well? Are you?"

"What do all those triangles mean?"

"That's the Pythagorean Theorem. See, I have to use this formula here to find this side here…"

"ARE YOU?!"

Needless to say, it was a typical morning for the group. Once the fish had been cooked and everyone fed, they quickly gathered their belongings before continuing their journey. They spent most of the morning walking without encountering anything of importance, stopping only to rest and get water.

Kagome sighed to herself. They had been venturing through this forest for days now. Why can't those jewel shards just make themselves known already? It would make things a whole lot easier…

Ever since the half demon Naraku had appeared, what had begun as a difficult task had turned into a nearly impossible quest. Now she, Inuyasha and company raced to find the remaining fragments of the Shikon Jewel before Naraku and his offspring.

Kagome pulled out the small container she kept with her at all times, looking at it long and hard. The small, pink crystals glittered in the sunlight, creating a faint sheen around the glass that contained them. It seemed strange to Kagome that something so beautiful could bring so much pain and death.

So wrapped up in her thoughts was Kagome that she failed to notice the approaching demonic presence until the last second. It was moving at an incredible, deliberate speed towards them.

"Inu - " she began, but the hanyou was already moving. Grabbing her around the waist, he jumped out of the way as a white blur appeared where Kagome had been standing. Inuyasha pushed Kagome behind him and drew the Tetsusaiga from its scabbard, the blade transforming in his hands. He looked around, but the demon had disappeared. He pulled Kagome closer to him protectively as Miroku and Sango came up beside them, Shippou riding on a transformed Kirara.

Inuyasha sniffed the air, a dangerous gleam in his eyes. "He's here…" he murmured darkly, scanning the forest around them. Before Kagome could ask what he meant, her demon sense twitched again.

"Look out!" she screamed. Inuyasha tensed to jump, but he wasn't fast enough. The demon reappeared, backhanding Inuyasha and sending him flying. Twisting in midair, the hanyou managed to land on his feet, using the Tetsusaiga for extra balance. Kirara grabbed Kagome by the back of her collar and retreated back to the edge of the forest with Shippou as Sango and Miroku took positions some distance behind Inuyasha; ready to provide help should he need it.

"Sesshoumaru!" snarled Inuyasha, dropping into a defensive stance. The pale demon lord regarded him with an almost bored expression.

His appearance was very much like Inuyasha - they had the same, silvery hair and golden eyes, though Sesshoumaru's were slightly brighter and retained a certain coldness. But that was where their similarities ended. Though related, the two brothers could not be further apart.

"Inuyasha."

With an enraged yell, the hanyou lunged at his half brother, sword raised. Sesshoumaru dodged his attack easily, the barest trace of a frown on his handsome face. "I have no time for this," he said. Before Inuyasha could turn he sent him flying again with another swing of his claws.

"Demon!" Sango yelled. Unslinging her boomerang, Sango hurled it at him while Inuyasha struggled to recover. Sesshoumaru caught it and threw it back at her. The weapon caught Sango across the chest and threw her backwards, slamming her into a tree with an audible crack. Kagome drew her bow as Miroku rushed past her to take care of the fallen exterminator.

"Alright, what do you want here?" she asked angrily as she put an arrow to the string. The demon turned his gaze away from his brother to focus on her. Kagome swallowed nervously, but held her ground.

Sesshoumaru studied her for a moment, his expression unreadable. "I am here for you."

Kagome's eyes widened. Before she had any time to resist, Sesshoumaru had lunged at her, aiming a heavy blow to her neck. Surprised, Kagome could only register the faint sensation of falling backwards before she blacked out entirely.

---

Struggling to his feet, Inuyasha cursed his brother vehemently. The bastard had probably come for the Tetsusaiga again. Hadn't he learned by now that he'd never give it up? When he got through with him…

"Kagome!" Shippou's despairing cry brought the hanyou out of his thoughts. Looking up, he was welcomed by a most unwelcome scene.

Kirara and Shippou were gathered around Sango, who was still recovering from the blow directed to her by her own weapon. Miroku had stepped before them; his hand instinctively poised on the rosary that sealed the void in his other hand. All of them had a horrified look on their face, and it was obvious to Inuyasha why.

Sesshoumaru had Kagome's limp body in the curve of his single arm. The only reason Miroku had not released his Kazaana was because he was afraid of hurting her in the process.

Kagome was deathly still in the taiyoukai's hold. For one horrible moment Inuyasha was afraid she was dead - but her scent told him otherwise. Still, the fact that Sesshoumaru had touched her - let alone hurt her - was enough to push the hanyou over the edge. His eyes burned red as his demonic blood took charge.

"SESSHOUMARU!!" he roared. Tetsusaiga was forgotten as he lunged at the other demon, claws extended. "GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF OF HER!!!"

Caught off guard, Sesshoumaru dodged the attack at the last second, clutching Kagome around her waist and pulling her with him. He did not expect Inuyasha to follow through with another slash of his claws, however. He pivoted, but did not manage to evade the attack entirely. A long, shallow cut appeared on his face. His lips pulled back in a faint snarl.

"You will not interfere," he growled. Supporting Kagome with his tail, Sesshoumaru rammed his claws deep into Inuyasha's spine before his brother could decrease his velocity. The hanyou twisted in reflex, hoping to counter attack, but tensed suddenly as his brother's poison entered his bloodstream.

"NO!" he yelled in defiance, pushing himself away from Sesshoumaru. Clutching his wound, the hanyou sunk to his knees. He glared daggers at the other inu-youkai, which gazed back at him regally as he shifted his hold on Kagome, slinging her over his unarmored shoulder.

"You should not have intervened, little brother," he told him. "I came here for the miko, not to engage in a pointless battle."

Inuyasha tried to stand, his hand stretching towards Kagome, as if to reach her. "You will… not…" the hanyou began, eyelids lowering. He collapsed to the ground, the poison beginning to take its hold. By the time he had raised his head, Sesshoumaru was gone, Kagome with him.

He moved to get up, then fell to the ground again, grimacing in pain. But the physical pain was nothing compared to the sudden wave of self-hatred he now experienced. He had failed her. He had failed the woman he had vowed (grudgingly at first, it was true) to protect.

Inuyasha was disgusted with himself.

"What are you bastards doing?!" he roared when Miroku and Sango ran over to him. They both looked a little tussled - Sango was limping slightly - but otherwise fine. "Follow him! He's got Kagome!!"

"We are well aware of that, Inuyasha," Miroku said, kneeling to look at his friend. He winced as he examined the wound Sesshoumaru had inflicted. The taiyoukai's claws had actually punched through many of the muscles in Inuyasha's back. The skin was turning reddish, and Inuyasha's blood had turned black from the venom.

"We can't do anything about it now. If you're not cared for, the poison will kill you."

Inuyasha shoved him away angrily. "I don't care! Sesshoumaru's got Kagome! As long as he has her, she's in far more danger that I am! Now go!"

Now it was Miroku's turn to yell. "Inuyasha, think about what you're saying! He's probably miles away from here by now and we have no idea where he's going!" Miroku's voice had taken on a slightly pleading tone, as if he was begging the hanyou to understand what he was saying. "Without you, we have no way of tracking them!"

"Sesshoumaru kidnapped her for a reason!" Sango added, her face bearing a tortured expression. She felt the same frustration as Inuyasha. She could not bear to think of the girl that she considered a sister harmed in any way. "He's probably using her to get the Tetsusaiga!"

Inuyasha swore heavily. "That bastard! His fight is with me, not a - " He trembled, huddling near the ground again.

"Kirara!" Sango called. The fire-cat ran over. Working together, the monk and exterminator managed to lift Inuyasha's wounded form onto the cat's back while Shippou sobbed uncontrollably.

"No," Inuyasha protested again, struggling to open his eyes. "I must save… Kago…me…"

"We will, Inuyasha," Miroku answer seriously. "Once you're healed, we'll find her. Her and that cold-blooded brother of yours."

They got no answer from the hanyou; he had already passed out.