InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Beauty and the Beast, Inuyasha Style!! ❯ Sickness and Health ( Chapter 12 )

Chapter 12

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(Inuyasha speeds through the forest, following Kirara who is leading him from high up in the air. They must have been going for some time because the sun is already pretty far into the western hemisphere, showing that it's late afternoon. Suddenly a rope of hairs comes out and grips him around his waist, throwing him forward through several tree trunks. Inuyasha recovers quickly, picking himself up from the snow and leaping easily to his feet.)

Inuyasha (Yelling): HA! YURA IS THAT THE BEST YOU CAN DO?

(He stops as he sees a second, much larger rope of hair reaching for Kirara.)

Shippo: Kitsune bi!!

(His foxfire swirls down and set the rope on fire, however doesn't disintegrate it. Shippo and Tanuki scream as the flaming rope comes towards them.)

Inuyasha: SANKON TETSUO!

(He rips it to shreds and it falls to the ground, only to begin reforming itself. Inuyasha yells up to Kirara.)

Inuyasha: Kirara, are we almost there?

(Kirara suddenly begins descending, indicating that they are already there. Shippo looks on ahead and stares in amazement.)

Shippo: AHH! It's a giant hair ball!!

(Indeed, up ahead, attached to several bare old oak trees, Yura's hideout is suspended. Inuyasha makes ready to charge it when some hair whips around behind it. It comes through the nest, only to jump out directly in front of him. Inuyasha has to leap to the side instead as Yura herself appears out of the dark writhing mass, Katana in hand. They square off, Inuyasha facing Yura, who stands defensively in front of her hide out.)

Yura: What a pig! Arriving uninvited at a woman's house! For shame Inuyasha!

Inuaysha: Who gives a shit about that. Tell me where Naraku is or I'll unleash the Wound of the Wind on you're fucking fur ball!

Yura: You wouldn't dare!

Inuyasha: Oh yeah? Well then...

(He charges forward, Tetsuiga in hand. He's just about to leap at her when...)

Yura: STOP!!!

Inuyasha (still going): Where is he...

Yura (desperate): Okay, Okay I'll tell!

(Inuyasha instantly stops and shoulders Tetsuiga, looking on expectantly. Yura frowns and even looks sad for a moment.)

Yura: Inuyasha, if you destroy my home, you will kill me as well. Even knowing this, you would still...

Yura (Starting to cry): Do you really hate me that much?

(She sobs, but Inuyasha doesn't flinch.)

Inuyasha (gripping Tetsuiga): Cut the crap Yura, where's Naraku?

(Yura instantly stops crying, and looks up rather annoyed.)

Yura (bored): Geeze, you always were simple minded Inuyasha. Men like that are so boring!!

(Inuyasha brings Tetsuiga down into position.)

Yura (giving up): Oh fine! Fine! If you want naraku, he's in the black swamp. The gas there makes it impossible for any of his scent to escape or for someone with your nose to get in too easily. That's where he's hiding...

(After considering a moment, Inuyasha nods, and turns to walk back to the castle without saying a word. Shippo, Kirara and Tanuki move to walk beside him, but only take a few steps before Yura calls after them.)

Yura: Wait Inuyasha!!!

(Inuyasha half turns around to look at her, waiting. She smiles, seemingly acting like her cute, playful seductive self again.)

Yura (pouty): That's it? You're not even going to say goodbye? Oh dear!

(Inuyasha turns to walk away.)

Yura (sounding hurt): Why so sour! I wasn't really going to hurt you, you know. Naraku just wanted me to create a diversion, so I did.

(Inuyasha stops and whirls around.)

Inuyasha (stunned): D..diversion!

Yura: That's right, do you forgive me?

(Inuyasha has already disappeared into the forest, which is darkening as the sun is covered behind the thick and heavy clouds of late afternoon.)

*~*~*~*~*

(Inside the cell the torch wavers, growing dim as it threatens to burn out. Kagome, however, doesn't notice this as she has fallen asleep underneath Inuyasha's coat. Suddenly a strange buzzing sound is heard in the hall outside of the cell. One of Naraku's poisonous bees flies into the room and lands on Kagome's upper arm. After a moment, it finds a seam which is not protected by Inuyasha's coat, and sinks it's stinger into Kagome's skin.

*SMACK*

(Kagome instantly wakes up and reacts, smooshing the bee with a slap of her hand. After getting over her initial shock, she moves her hand away from her shoulder and stares at the collection of goo in her hand.)

Kagome (surprised): Something bit me?A bug!!

Kagome: EWWW!! getitoff! getitoff! getitoff!

(She wipes her hand on the cold ground beside her and pulls the coat tighter around her. Then she snuggles into it to go back to sleep.)

Kagome (sleepily): Hmmm...strange...a bug in winter...

Kagome: ...Inuyasha, where are you?

(She shrugs and falls back asleep.)

*~*~*~*~*

Shippo: WHAT!! YOU LOCKED HER IN THE PRISON CELLS!!

Inuyasha: SHUT UP!!!

(Inuyasha sprints down the halls full speed, knowing each turn and corner by heart. Shippo clings angrily onto his shoulder, holding a torch, and Kirara is just a little bit behind with Tanuki riding her. Inuyasha looks worried as he runs.)

Inuyasha: Dammit! Hang on Kagome, I'm almost there!

(He comes to a skidding halt in front of the door and bursts into the tiny cell room.)

Inuyasha: Kagome!?

(Shippo searches the room with his torch and suddenly spots her in the corner, unmoving. Inuyasha looks on horrified while Shippo sticks the torch into another holder and leaps to her.)

Shippo (paniced): KAGOME!!

(Kagome starts to move and slowly opens her eyes. She blinks once and then looks at Shippo.)

Kagome (sleepily): Shippo...uhh...what's going on, where....?

(After a moment, her memory returns to her and as she looks up at everyone in the room. Shippo climbs up to her shoulder.)

Shippo: Kagome! Are you okay?

(Kagome wakes up a bit more and shrugs the coat off her shoulders. She smiles, grabs Shippo under his arms, and holds him up to her face like a doll.)

Kagome: I'm fine Shippo, but thanks for worrying about me.

(She sets him down on the ground and moves to get up. A relieved Inuyasha takes a step forward as if to say something, but stops in surprise. Kagome, having managed to make it to her feet, suddenly wobbles and grabs the wall for support. Inuyasha half holds out an arm to catch her, but stops as she seems to recover herself. Everyone looks on worriedly.)

Shippo: Kagome!

Tanuki: What's wrong?

(Kagome doesn't say anything for a moment, as the world stops spinning. Inuyasha watches her suspiciously before voicing his concern. Unintentionally, he ends up sounding like he's threatening her, as if trying to scare her into revealing what could be wrong.)

Inuyasha (low growl-ish): ...Kagome...

(Kagome suddenly turns to him with a cold glare, before softening her gaze to look down at Shippo. She refuses to acknowledge Inuyasha.)

Kagome (to Shippo): I'm fine, just a bit hungry. I've been down in this creepy cell so long that I'm practically starving!! Let's go help Tanuki with dinner right away.

(She accentuates her words just so that Inuyasha knows why she's mad at him. Shippo doesn't notice and, accepting Kagome's explanation, follows her out the door, past Inuyasha, without looking back. Tanuki follows and Kirara stays behind with Inuyasha. Inuyasha looks stricken for a moment, before stomping over to the corner to retrieve his coat looking angry.)

Inuyasha (muttering): Stupid, ungrateful little...I'll show her...

Inuyasha (yelling): Hey! Kagome!! Next time I'm leaving you down here, understand!

(The others just walk off, ignoring him.)

Inuyasha: Hey! Kagome!

(We watch as Inuyasha's anger begins to build, reflecting comically on his face.)

Inuyasha: Grrrr....damn that...that...BITCH!!!

*~*~*~*~*

(Meanwhile, Yura is sitting inside her lair, playing with a skull when something makes her stop. As she steps outside the giant hairball, Naraku stands before her in his baboon pelt at the edge of the clearing. Yura seems grumpy and doesn't look amused.)

Yura: So? What do you want?

(Naraku replies softly, almost tauntingly as usual.)

Naraku: Yura, did things go well with Inuyasha?

(Yura crosses her arms and looks down on him as if he were one of a lesser class.)

Yura: Humf, if all you want to do is talk, then leave. Goodnight.

(Yura turns to leave, but stops as he changes his tone of voice.)

Naraku (sternly): Yura.

(Yura gulps and turns back, instinctively putting on an innocent smiling face, as if for protection.)

Yura (playfully): Yes Naraku?

Naraku: I watched you today...you told him, didn't you.

(Yura visibly starts and looks scared.)

Yura (faking): Why Naraku dear, what ever are you talking about?

(Naraku doesn't move, his expression impossible to read under his mask.)

Naraku (darkly): Yura, I have allowed you to live for a long time in my power. However, I see now that I made a mistake. You shall have to pay the price for your foolishness.

(As he says this, the stuffing under his pelt begins to shift. Yura is too terrified to move as giant roots, or tentacles, shoot out from under the pelt and head straight for her. An ear splitting scream is heard above the woods, and then nothing.)

*~*~*~*~*

(Back at the castle, dinner appears to be over as Tanuki and Shippo get up to take the plates back to the kitchen. Kagome's plate remains however as it is still full of food. She plays with it, shoving it around with her chopsticks but not eating. Inuyasha watches her, annoyed. He is wearing a clean shirt and has his coat draped over the back of his chair. As soon as the others are gone, Inuyasha decides that it's time he got even with Kagome. He starts to bug her.)

Inuyasha (annoying): Hey Kagome, what's wrong? I thought you were supposed to be starving?

(Kagome stops pushing her food around and looks up at him, a warning look on her face. Inuyasha ignores it, and continues bugging her, saying her name in a tone that makes it sound like an insult.)

Inuyasha (Sarcastic): Oh, did you forget? We only eat rice and vegetables here. I guess it's not good enough for you, eh Kagome.

(Kagome seems to realise what he's trying to do and goes back to pushing her food around her plate, patiently.)

Inuyasha (still sarcastic): Better get used to it Kagome, because you'll never eat anything else for the rest of your miserable life. Keh!

(He smiles with triumph, crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat, eyes closed. Kagome snaps. She balls her hands into fists and slams them down on the table.)

*WHAM*

Kagome (standing suddenly): REALLY!! YOU... ... ...uh?

(Inuyasha waits for her to hurl insults at him, but after a moment of nothing, he arches his eyebrows in surprise and cautiously opens an eye, before snapping both of them open in shock. Kagome is still standing at the table, but her eyes have glazed over a bit, and she seems shaky.)

Inuyasha (worried): K...Kagome?...

(He leaps out of his seat so fast that he turns it over. Kagome's knees buckle under her and she falls backwards, half missing half hitting her chair.)

Inuyasha (yelling): Kagome!!

(Inuyasha back hands the chair out of the way and catches her head in his hand before it hits the stone floor. He sets her head down gently and kneels beside her, watching in panic as she moans and shivers, curling herself into a little ball.)

Shippo: AH! KAGOME!!!

(The others, Tanuki, Shippo, and Myouga on Kirara, run into the hall and come to a stop beside them.)

Shippo (accusingly): Inuyasha, what happened?

Inuyasha (worried): I...I dunno. She was fine and then...

(They stop as Kagome shivers again and starts to moan. Concerned, Inuyasha rubs her cheek with his hand, noting a fever, and leans in closer. The others watch worriedly.)

Inuyasha (whispers gently): Kagome, what is it? Tell me what's wrong?

(He slips his hand under her head as her eyes open briefly, not even half way.)

Kagome (weakly): ...arm...hurts...

(She closes her eyes again and Inuyasha looks up to see where she is clutching the upper part of her arm. Gently he plucks her hand away, and then uses one of his claws to tear the cloth of her blouse just where she was holding it. Within seconds they can see the large red welt that has formed where the bee has stung, and several red vein looking things that are spreading out from it. Inuyasha swears.)

Inuyasha (worried): Shit...

Shippo: What is it Inuyasha?

Inuyasha (grimly): ...It's a sting...from one of Naraku's bee demons...

Shippo: WHAT!!!

(Shippo starts running around in panic yelling curses and blames as Inuyasha stares down at Kagome, looking worried, if not downright scared. He brushed some hair out of her face and gently feels her forehead for fever. Suddenly Myouga jumps up to her and lands on her arm.)

Myouga: Hmmm, this is not good...

(Without another word he sinks his nose into Kagome's arm, much to the surprise of Inuyasha. After a few minutes, in which he swells to twenty times his normal size, he lets go and rolls to the side.)

Inuyasha (surprised): Myouga?

(He takes a deep breath.)

Myouga (Sigh): Whewww...I sucked some of the poison out, but a great deal of it has already entered her system. Her life could still be in danger if we don't take immediate action to keep her fever down.

(Inuyasha watches Myouga, his face changing from one of astonishment, to hope, to understanding as Myouga finishes his explanation. With a short nod he gently picks up the limp, unconscious form of Kagome in both arms and turns to walk resolutely out of the room. Tanuki and Shippo stop their sobbing long enough to look up.)

Tanuki: M...Master, where are you going? Where are you taking Kagome??

Inuyasha (in charge): I'm taking her to the parlour. There's more light in there. Tanuki, run and get some cold water. Shippo, find some clean cloths. Both of you meet me there.

(For a moment, they don't move, and simply stare at him, stunned. Inuyasha narrows his eyes at them and growls.)

Inuyasha (angrily): Hey! What are you standing there for? Kagome's life is in danger here!

(At this everyone suddenly scrambles to do his bidding, and Inuyasha heads off to take Kagome to the parlour (evening fire area). Meanwhile, Shippo runs off quickly down the dark halls.)

Shippo (running): Inuyasha...for a moment there...looked like he was really scared...

Shippo: Maybe he really likes Kagome...but just doesn't want us to know about it.

Shippo (worried): ...Kagome...please be alright...

(He disappears into a black hall.)

*~*~*~*~*