InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Ashes and Dust ❯ His First Mistake ( Chapter 8 )

I do not own Inuyasha and Co.

Chapter 8

His First Mistake

The next morning, at around 8 a.m., the house was filled with the scents of breakfast. Gold eyes inched open as his nose twitched, taking in the scents of morning. It took a moment to recognize where he was, and sat up. He itched his head, entrenching his fingers in his tangled, silver hair. He stretched his long, sinewy arms high into the air above him, and tipped his head from side to side to loosen his cricked neck. Pops and cracks riddled his ears. He yawned loudly. He shifted his ears toward Kagome's room. He heard soft, even breaths. She was still asleep.

He stood from the futon and pulled on his lounging pants. He slipped on a red, tight, T-shirt, lifting his full, long hair out from the neck of the shirt. His hair drifted down his back softly, and inched down past the small of his lanky back. He looked around the corner of her bedroom to see her sleeping on her left side, her right arm hung loosely over the side of the bed, almost lifeless. He entered her room, and quietly knelt beside her bed. He held her hand to feel her pulse through her fingers. Her hand was soft, petite, and her nails were subtly long. He ran his thumb over the skin as she slept. He knelt his lips down to kiss the tender skin on top.

Her scent filled his nostrils with a sweet flowery and berry mix. When he closed his eyes, he saw one of the forests he visited a long time ago while helping Kikyo exorcise a demon from a faraway village. After a moment of nostalgia, he opened his eyes to see brown irises groggily looking right at him. He dropped her hand and knelt back a bit. She blinked and rubbed her eyes a moment.

She yawned. “Oh, Inuyasha. That's right, you're living here now. I almost forgot.”

“Yeah, I had to remember that too.” He stood beside her bed.

She sat up and looked up at him. His eyes searched hers a moment, then he lowered his gaze to his hand extending to her.

“Mom cooked breakfast. Let's get down there and eat.”

She put her hand in his and lifted herself onto her good foot, keeping the one with the tender ankle off the floor. He held her shoulders to help steady her. He stepped up beside her, lowered his other hand to her knees and effortlessly lifted her up to his strong chest, and went down the stairs.

“Will you ever tire of doing this for me?”

“No. I lift weights heavier than you. You're not heavy to me.”

“But, you're giving so much, and yet not requesting anything in return.”

“Why should I? You've given me a place to crash, and a purpose, aside from conquering Ninja Warrior. For a while, as Kaede grew older, and her energy waned, I wondered where I would end up next.”

“I see. What are you going to do when my ankle is healed?”

“I guess I won't need to carry you down and up the stairs anymore.”

He sat her into the chair she occupied the day before, and then knelt down to see how her ankle was doing. The swelling had gone down, and he lifted the leg to pivot the ankle. She watched him move the joint, and he looked up to see only a slight change in her expression.

“It's healing nicely. Another day, or so, and you may be able to put weight on it.” He re-wrapped the ankle and took his seat.

“Good. Then I'll be able to return to the unemployment office to get some things squared away.”

“You could call them today and set up the appointment.”

“Yes, I will do that.”

Her mother greeted them and set their full plates before them and took her seat with her own plate in hand. The three dug in, and enjoyed the short eating time together.

After breakfast, Inuyasha set his plate in the sink, and kissed Kagome on the forehead as she dialed the phone to call the office. He left the kitchen and quickly ascended the stairs, and grabbed his toiletries. He holed himself in the bathroom and grabbed a towel from the linen shelves. He undressed, and started the shower. Once the water was warm enough, he stepped past the curtain and stood beneath the steady stream of hot, steamy water. The water trickled off his skin as he enjoyed the feeling of its exfoliation. He sighed openly as he rubbed the water into his skin, and turned his back to wet his hair.

Kagome hung up the phone after setting up the appointment, which would be for the next day. She looked around the corner and noticed he wasn't there. She noticed her mom had left the room as well. She lowered herself from her chair and put slight pressure on her bad ankle. She could steady herself on her toes as she limped, with minimal pain through the living room to the bottom of the stairs. She looked up and yelled, “Inuyasha?”

No response came. She looked at the stairs and put a hand on each railing, lifting herself fully up each step and standing only on her good ankle. She slowly made it up the stairs to the door slightly left open. The shower was running. She gasped and turned away for a moment, her cheeks flared red. She peeked through the cracked open door, and saw the shadow of him moving behind the opaque curtain. She put more pressure than she meant to on her bad ankle and hit the floor.

Inuyasha heard a loud thump and a strange sound coming from outside the bathroom. He slid the curtain aside an inch, looking around it to see Kagome's legs on the floor.

“Shit!” He threw the curtain aside.

He grabbed the towel from the bar on the wall and wrapped it around his torso. He opened the door and saw her on the floor. She looked up at him, and averted her eyes.

“It's okay, I'm covered up. Are you OK?”

She opened her eyes and looked upon his wet skin. A moment later, she looked up to his wet face, his eyelashes bunched together in spikes, water dripped from his chin and down his cheeks. His wet lips were lined in water droplets. She couldn't speak for what felt like forever.

“How did you get up here? By yourself?”

She nodded, and didn't break eye contact. “Well, I guess you're doing better than I thought. Are you hurting?”

“A little. I guess I just…”

“What?”

She shook her head. She couldn't tell him she could see him through the curtain. “Nothing, I lost my balance.”

He looked her in the eye a moment. Their gazes entangled tightly, and before they knew it, wet lips pressed against hers. His wet arms encircled her torso as he lifted her up against his body and walked her into her bedroom where the kiss continued. He laid her down onto the bed and loomed over her, his wet body settling over hers. Before they knew it, the kiss had become so deep, the towel around his torso had opened slightly, and her leg settled between his legs. Neither of them noticed the eyes watching from the hallway until a throat cleared, and he fell off the bed, the towel rolling off him completely. Her mother gasped and put her hands over her eyes with a laugh.

“Mom!” Kagome shouted, but then looked to him and saw his hands covering himself as best he could, turning his hips away from her mother.

“I-I'll just close the door.” She looked down as she closed the door and walked down the stairs.

The two looked at each other panting in shock. “She…”

“Saw us…”

Their gazes met again. She lifted the wet towel from her lap and fanned it out to cover him up. He sighed in relief as he lifted his hands onto his lap.

Suddenly, she giggled slightly. He looked up and saw her fighting back the giggle. He shook his head and started chuckling with her. Before they knew it, they were looking at each other again, longing to continue. He got on his knees and leaned up to kiss her. He wrapped the towel around his torso and tied it again. He lifted himself onto her body again and said, “Where were we?”

Her breath hitched in her throat as she met his eyes. His eyes were laden with lust, and she felt overwhelmed. “Inu?”

He kissed her neck. “Hmm?”

“Are we going to…? You know…”

“Do you want to?”

She choked a moment as his eyes penetrated her. “I-I…”

“I'll stop if you're not ready.”

Her breath hitched in her throat. He sat up and lifted her body with him. “We don't have to. It's OK. But can we continue kissing?”

“That's fine.” Her eyes closed as he held her close, and continued loving her with his lips.

Meanwhile, her mother turned off the shower, and went downstairs to go shopping at the supermarket.

When they stopped kissing, he looked at her bed and said with a smirk, “I guess I wet your bed.”

She turned and looked at the wet spots and giggled with him and said, “You're such a `boy.'”

He sat back a bit, and looked to the towel and then back at her. “You saw, didn't you?”

“Saw what?”

“It.”

She shook her head, and he lifted his eyebrow with a smirk. Her cheeks went bright red and she sheepishly replied, “I, uh…”

He started to chuckle. “You did.”

She put her hands over her eyes and shook her head. “No! I didn't!”

He chuckled and lowered his eyes. “It's OK, Kagome.”

She panted as he lifted her chin to gaze into his warm, golden eyes. “I'm not upset.”

“I-I just…”

“You've never seen one.”

She shook her head. “That's OK.” He stood from her bed, and faced her. Her breath hitched in her throat, her lungs paralyzed. `Is he going to show me?'

He turned and opened the door. “Maybe, sometime, you can join me in the shower.” He winked and entered the bathroom again, slinking into the shower to finish bathing.

Kagome's hands slapped to her eyes, and she fell over to her right side sobbing figuratively. `I can't believe mom saw us!'

Inuyasha stepped under the stream of hot water once again, and sighed deeply. He placed his hands against the tile, and closed his eyes. He was ready to go all the way with her. His needs and feelings overwhelmed him. The last time he was `with' a woman was Kikyo, and it was obvious he needed to take care of that somehow. He would never force himself on a woman, as he is a man of principle. However, the growing member below was tempting him immensely. He closed his eyes, and took care of that need alone, being as silent and as quick about it as he could be. Before he turned off the water, he made sure all evidence was lost, and exited the shower. He dried himself off, and wrapped the towel around his torso once again.

Kagome hadn't left her bed. She remained laying on her side, her hands over her eyes, and her back facing the open door. Images constantly played through her mind on what had just transpired. She tried to sort out her feelings on their actions. Were they moving too fast? Her heart didn't think so, but her mind and the butterflies made her question that. As he needily kissed her the first time around, she would have allowed him to go as far as he wanted. Her mind was subdued as her body went along with the flow. She was submersed in carnal need for the first time in her life. Sure, she'd kissed boys before, but the relationships weren't very exploratory. Not only that, but learning of the connections she has with Inuyasha, and his historic past, she felt a connection with him she'd never felt with another man. The way he acted the second time caused her to think that he wouldn't have minded if she'd have joined him in the shower this time. She heard him open the bathroom door further.

Meanwhile…

He casually exited the bathroom, and walked into the extra room, closing the door behind him.

Was she ready for that? He opened his door, and looked in on her to see she hadn't moved.

“Are you OK?” He entered the room and sat on her bed behind her.

She rolled over and looked up at him. He was dressed in a black tank top, and his eyes showed concern. “I'm just a bit confused.”

“About what? Did I do something wrong?”

“No. I'm just new to the relationship thing.”

“Talk to me.”

She sat up and faced him. Her gaze focused on her hands as she picked at her nails. “I told you I hadn't been with anyone yet.”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I like you.”

“But…”

“Huh?” She looked up at him.

“What you said inclines a `but.'”

“Yeah.”

“So, what's the problem?”

“Well, I'm wondering where this is going. Where do you wanna go with this?”

He looked her in the eye for a moment longer, and then lowered his gaze to her hands and held them. “I will be honest with you.” He looked up into her eyes. “I don't know. None of this is planned. I have no idea where this is gonna go.”

She sighed. “Are you nervous too?”

“Yes, and no.”

“What do you mean?”

“I've been down this road before, and I'm not sure how smoothly this will go. The last time I fell in love, and laid with a girl, giving all of myself to her, Naraku destroyed it all, and pit us against each other. The second time she returned, our relationship was badly strained with trauma, nervousness, and we were filled with revenge instead of hope of the future. When she died the second time, I felt such loss in my heart, it nearly killed me.”

He looked her in the eye. “This is the first time I've fallen since, and I usually tend to restrain myself from falling for the Priestesses as things could be repeated, and they are to remain virgins if they are living the lifestyle, and I know I couldn't bare it if that happened again.”

“Are you ready for us?”

He let out a sigh as he looked down at their hands again. “Maybe. I can say this,” he looked her in the eye. “I've fallen as much for you as I fell for Kikyo back then within a week. I haven't felt this way since Kikyo, but I'm afraid to pursue it. I'm comfortable with you, and I do like you, a lot. I just don't want it to go wrong, and I don't want you to get hurt. With what has happened in the past, my life has included those risks. So, I guess some trust would need to form before going any further.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, trust in our relationship; trust in you to not run from me when things go bad, and vice versa. Trust in knowing we're not going to hurt each other over trivial things. Trust on our feelings about each other, and being open. Kikyo and I thought we had that trust, but we gave ourselves to each other too soon without establishing that deep rooted relationship that time can give.”

“Why would I run from you when things go bad? Explain what you mean by things going bad.”

“There's something you don't know about me; something very important. If badly injured, and my life is in danger, I transform.”

“Transform? Like into something else?”

“Well, it's less complicated than that. I look different; my eyes change color, my claws grow longer and sharper, my fangs grow longer, and I gain purple stripes on my cheeks. If this happens, I will need to be brought back from the dark. That means I've lost control of my spirit side, and I've become a beast.”

She gasped. “So, you mean…”

“Yes, I can't differentiate between friend and foe. I seriously doubt that would ever happen, as this era is peaceful, but anything is possible. If that happens, I will need someone strong to pull me back to myself. If not, then I will possibly need you, or someone nearby, to hand me something.”

“Hand you what?”

“My sword, the Tetsusaiga.”

“Where is it at?”

“Back at the house. I didn't know if I should bring it here. I haven't held it in decades, as I have not needed it.”

“I will need to know what it looks like.”

“Well, get dressed, and I'll bring it here.” He stood from the bed, and closed the door behind him.

She hopped over to her dresser and closet, grabbing clothes, and then her crutches. She made her way into the bathroom and closed the door behind her to clean up.

Inuyasha locked the door with the spare key her mother showed him and made his way across the lawn. He was sensing the odd energy again, but ignored it. Once he arrived at the side door to the house, he lifted lid on the code pad, and typed in the code. Once the garage door opened, he slapped the cover down and entered the garage. He went to the weapon rack on the wall and unlocked the glass. He opened the heavy glass door and grabbed the sheathed sword from the top prongs. It felt good to hold the sword again. He moved there a few years ago, and even then, sixty years passed since he'd wielded it last—since he found Kaede. He shut the glass, locked it shut, and coded the door shut again.

Kagome slinked on her jeans, and was brushing her teeth when he unlocked the front door and entered the house.

He made his way up the stairs and went to his new room, dropping off his keys. He gripped the tattered hilt and slid the blade from its sheath. The blade looked the same fifty years ago when he showed the sword to Kaede for the first time. The sword never aged, no matter what he did to it. His sword had to be the most reliable object he'd ever owned.

After a few moments, the bathroom door opened, and Kagome made her way into the hallway on her crutches. He slid the blade back into the sheath and while holding the sword at his side as he did centuries ago. She stopped and looked at him standing before her with the sword; he looked like a warrior.

He stepped into the hall toward her while holding the sword horizontally before her. “This is Tetsusaiga.”

He drew the sword slowly from the sheath. The look in her eyes changed when she looked upon the blade.

“That's no ordinary sword. I'm getting a strange vibe from it.”

“You're right. You are a sensitive. I use this sword now to test to see who the next Priestess is. Only the next Priestess can sense what kind of sword it is, especially in this form, while its powers remain dormant.”

She looked him in the eye at that observation. “You're the next Priestess.”

He guided her into her bedroom and said, “Sit down.”

She turned and sat on her bed. He set the sheath down on the bed beside her and held the sword with both hands and closed his eyes. A moment later, the blade was surrounded by a bright light as gold as his eyes. The blade grew exponentially, rising up to two times its length. The hilt became covered in white fur, and the blade widened to twice its normal size. A moment later, the light dissipated, and the new form was revealed. It looked as big as a Zanbatou, a large blade wielded in ancient times to slay a rider and his horse in one swing.

“Wow… The energy from this sword is immense. It's a spirit sword.”

“Yes. It is an extension of me, keeping my spirit aspect subdued within me. If I lose control, I need to be near this sword to come back. You will have to hand it to me, as I will not think about grabbing for it. It's a lot to ask, but I need your trust that you would do this one thing for me.”

He loosened the grip on the hilt, and the sword transformed back to its original form. He slid it back into the sheath and handed it to her. She looked at the sword and then up at him.

“It's OK, it's used to protect humans like you. You can hold it.”

He handed it to her and felt the energy seeping into her hands, combining with hers. She felt tingling run up her muscles under her skin, like it was awakening her senses. “It feels like it's bonding with me.”

“It does that. It reads its wielder; gauging whether they are spirit or human. If anyone fully spirit without human energy touches the hilt or sheath, it will repel the spirit. It can only be held by humans and half humans now.”

“Now? Who wielded it before?”

“My father. He left it to me when he died protecting my mother and I on the night of my birth. He was a full spirit, but the intentions were set once he passed. This way, the sword could not be used by anyone who could abuse the sword's power.”

She looked down at the sword in her hands. She drew the blade. “This blade is badly nicked up.”

“Yeah, it's seen many battles.”

“Shouldn't it be repaired?”

“No, this is how the blade looks. It's of no use aside from being a shield in this form. When it transforms is when the blade comes to life, and is sharper than any blade a human can create. The Tetsusaiga is the sword of earth, used by the protector of man to protect humanity from demons. It can slay a hundred demons in one swing.”

“Wow! I can't believe this sword never made it into the legend.”

“Yes, only the slight mention that a man was involved was all I got. Not that I protected her, or humanity from the most evil threat ever conceived by the evils of this world and the underworld.”

She handed the sword back to him and he leaned it against the wall beside her side table. He took his seat beside her on the bed, his hands clasped in thought as his elbows rested on his knees.

“So, in essence, you are now my protector?”

“Yes.”

“What do I do now?”

“Live your life, and I will be at your side.” His eyes met hers.

“So, wait… If I go to school, work, or anywhere, you'll be there?”

“Well, not put that way. We'll have a form of communication. I mean, in reality, I can't follow you everywhere. However, if you call me, I will come ASAP.”

“No matter where I am?”

“Yes, I'll be there before you could even blink.”

“How will you do that?”

“Do you need to know every little detail? Just trust that I will come for you, OK?”

“OK.”

“Now, as long as you don't develop your abilities, you may not come to harm, and may go unnoticed throughout your life. That is what I'm hoping. That way, you can remain an ordinary woman, and not have to live the life of a Priestess.”

“I would like to remain as I am, ordinary, and safe.”

“Good.”

They remained sitting beside each other with the only sound being the ticking of Kagome's alarm clock. He looked her way, but she was lost in thought. “What's on your mind?”

“Will we be OK together, if I'm essentially a Priestess?”

“Not if you don't live the lifestyle, or perform the duties of a Priestess.”

“So, we're OK to be together, then?”

“Yes.”

“My ankle doesn't hurt so much anymore.”

He knelt down before her to check her ankle again, and the swelling had gone down a bit more. He moved it around gently. She didn't wince, or show any change in expression. “Put pressure on it. See how it feels.”

She stood up from the bed and slowly stood centered before him. “It feels funny.”

“Funny how?”

“It doesn't feel like it used to.”

“It won't, essentially. It's not the same as it was, so you'll just have to continue supporting it with a wrap for a bit, but you can put pressure on it, just not constant pressure yet.”

“So, keep the crutches?”

“One crutch. You should be OK getting around on your own, it'll just take a little longer.”

She nodded and sighed in relief. “Thank you.”

“You're welcome,” he stood before her.

“Inuyasha?”

“Yeah?”

“How fast do you want this to go?”

“You're in control of the pace, Kagome. If you're ready, just say so.”

She looked up at him and nodded.

“Although, one thought comes to mind if we decide to go further.”

“What's that?”

“You could move in with me at my place.”

Her cheeks went red. He walked closer and put his hand on her cheek. “It's OK, we'll talk about it later.” He looked down at her feet. “Would you want to get out of this house?”

She shrugged. “And do what?”

“Well, we could go eat, see a movie, I could carry you on my back for a walk, go to a shrine for kicks, see what's happening.” He pulled his bandana from his back pocket and tied it over his ears.

“Well, most things require walking, but if you don't mind sitting when you're not carrying me, that's fine.”

“OK.” He knelt down before her, looking over his back.

She grabbed her crutch and stepped up to his back. He gripped her legs behind the knees and she wrapped her free arm around his shoulder, her hand spread across his chest. He stood with her on his back, and went down the stairs. He opened the door, and closed it. He secured the lock, and then leapt off the porch toward the street.

Kagome whooped and cheered each time he took off with her on his back. They leapt off over the tree-line across the street and landed on a sturdy branch below the canopy. He leapt off again, effortlessly avoiding branches, leaves, and obstacles surrounding them at blinding speeds. For the first time, she understood why he said that he'd just show up wherever she was if she called.

Before she knew it, they landed just outside the nearest park. He knelt down, and released her knees. She set down the crutch and steadied herself as he stood before her. They entered the park and she took a deep breath. She looked up and saw the bright, blue sky above, and the sun warmed her pale skin. She'd been cooped up for almost a week, and it felt good to be out in nature.

Inuyasha didn't disturb her for the few moments she stood beside him. He smiled and watched her soak in the environment until her eyes opened a few moments later, and met his. His smile widened as he gestured toward the nearest park bench and he walked beside her quietly. Kids played on the nearby jungle gym, and they watched them play.

Kagome leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees and her chin on her folded hands with a smile on her face. Inuyasha looked over and smiled at the nostalgic look she had on her face. A moment later, he watched the kids with her as well.

Neither one kept track of how much time had passed before the mothers collected their kids to have lunch, or go home. By that time, Kagome's gaze went to the trees. She never imagined he would have existed, and that what he did was possible. She glanced at him. He casually crossed his left ankle over his right knee, leaned back against the bench, and sprawled his arms out along the top wooden bar. He gazed off in the distance ahead, looking through the trees.

She looked down at his frame. He was solid, lanky, and didn't seem strong at first glance. And yet, flying and leaping through the trees was nothing to him. His body was perfection in the sunlight. His posture was perfectly relaxed. He looked like he could remain like that forever. His long hair glistened in the sun, and his eyes were warmer than indoors.

He caught her looking at him, and met her gaze. “What?”

“You just look so relaxed, but you seem to be focusing on something.”

“I've been feeling a strange aura in those trees for the past couple days, and I was hoping to see what was causing it.”

“Found or seen anything?”

“Nope.”

“What do you think it could be?”

“I can't really say.”

“And it's just been within the past couple days you've sensed it?”

“Yeah.”

“Want to explore? I'll be right here. If anything happens, I'll call out to you, I'm sure your ears will hear me.”

He looked at her concerned for a moment. She nodded and he leapt off into the trees. She sat and watched as he flew from tree to tree. Barely a sound was made as he leapt around. She smiled, trying to follow him with her eyes, and eventually lost his position. She closed her eyes and tried to listen for sounds of him. Eventually, she heard nothing. She opened her eyes and he hadn't returned yet.

She raised her arms and stretched. She looked around the park, and she was the only one there. She looked to see if he was nearby, but still didn't see a sign of him. She began to worry as the length of silence grew. She continued to look around to make sure it was still safe.

Suddenly, she heard a strange sound off to her left by the jungle gym. She saw a man squatting on top of the monkey bars, looking right at her with a mischievous smirk on his face. She gasped and called out for Inuyasha. He suddenly disappeared at the sound of her voice.

“Now that wasn't very nice, was it?”

She turned to see the small, stalky man standing beside her, where Inuyasha recently sat. She tried to scoot down the bench, but knocked the crutch over onto the sidewalk, and nearly fell over herself.

“So, you're the woman he's watching over now, aren't you?”

“Inuyasha!” She called out again.

“He can't hear you, as long as I'm nearby.” He reached out and gripped her right wrist. “I wonder what his expression would be if I were to take you from this bench before he returns. I'd very much love to see him angry and scared.”

“No, get your hand off me!” Kagome tried to peel his twisted, dirty fingers from her wrist, but they were too strong for her.

“Pipe down, young thing, or I will have to silence you.”

“His nose will find us, just you wait. You won't get far with me, and you know it!”

“You have no idea who I am, little thing, do you?” She looked him in the eye. “I am undetectable. You see, he's been sensing an object I placed in the tree-line, not me.”

He lifted her off the bench, and put her arm around her back. “You're coming with me, my sweet thing, and there's nothing he can do about it.”

“Inuyasha!!!!”

A moment later, he leapt off with her, leaving the crutch behind.

Inuyasha remained still, perched on a sturdy tree branch with his eyes closed, listening. He couldn't hear anything unusual, nor could he smell anything different. He leapt down onto the ground and let the energy he was sensing guide him along the ground. Finally, he caught a glistening sheen at the end of a sun ray. He got to it and saw it was an unfamiliar object that looked to be out of place. He went to touch it, but it repelled him with a spark.

“What is this thing doing here?”

He turned around and leapt back toward the park. When he met the bright sunlit grounds, he noticed the empty bench, and her crutch on the ground.

“Kagome!” He shouted. The park was empty, and no response was heard. He grit his teeth. “It was a diversion. How could I be so stupid?”

He ran to the bench and tried to catch a scent, or something, but he couldn't sense anything off. He sniffed the ground to see if she left on foot, but her scent only surrounded the bench.

He fell onto his knees, and lowered his gaze. “Kagome…”

Not too far away, Kagome's unconscious body was laid over a branch in a nearby tree while the napper watched Inuyasha fall to his knees.

“You'll regret leaving your precious ward, Inuyasha. Just you wait `til `he' gets his hands on her,” he chuckled. A moment later, he grabbed Kagome and leapt off from the park, disappearing from site.

Inuyasha slammed his right fist into the concrete, cracking the surface. “Damn it! It's been hundreds of years. How could I be so careless?”

He stood, and looked at the tree-line. He saw it wrap around the park. “She can't have gotten too far, I wasn't gone for that long.”

He leapt into the trees and made his way, sniffing the air all the while, until he came upon a tree with her scent. He landed on the branch and sniffed the bark. “She was here, just a few moments ago. Her scent is still fresh.”

He looked at the view, and saw the view from the branch was a straight line to where the bench was from the tree was a straight line. “Whoever took Kagome was watching me.”

He leapt to the adjacent branch, and sniffed the bark. It was very faint, but there was a scent of a demon left behind. “It's not much, but it'll have to do.”

He followed the scent, leading away from the park and the neighborhood, south. “Whoever you are, if you harm Kagome, you're dead!”