InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Buffy the Youkai Slayer ❯ My Kingdom for a Taxi ( Chapter 22 )

22. My Kingdom for a Taxi

Somewhere northeast of Edo, late 16th century Japan

Kagome lost track of time as the sun rose higher in the sky, then slowly, imperceptibly, began its descent in the west, bathing her face in blinding white-hot light. It seemed that she had been struggling to stay upright on Kirara forever, her fingers stiff and aching from clutching the firecat's long, soft pelt.

Every breath she took sent a long, blunt spear of pain through her side and chest, and every tiny movement she made to adjust her seat punished her with the nauseating sensation of bone rubbing against bone, and bright sparkles of agony drifting across her field of vision.

She secretly doubled the dosages of Panadol during their brief rest stops, and the result was to make her feel oddly detached from what was happening, as if she were floating in a reddish fog of pain.

At some point in the afternoon, they stopped for water and to let Miroku and Buffy catch their breath and stretch their legs. The monk was riding Kagome's bike. Inuyasha was running with his usual smooth stride, easily paced by Kouga, the two of them bounding ahead to scout out the path, occasionally taking to the treetops in the dense patches of forest.

Kagome slid slowly off Kirara's back, biting back a scream as her feet hit the ground and the impact jarred her ribs. She couldn't suppress a gasp, though, and both Inuyasha and Sango threw her sharp glances.

"I'm--I'm okay," Kagome lied, reaching out a shaking hand for the water bottle that Sango proferred. "I just--just need to take another tablet."

She took the battered bottle from her jacket pocket and shook out two pills through the hole Inuyasha had made. She frowned at the rattling sound--there weren't many tablets left. If traveling hurt this bad with the painkillers, she wondered whether she could move at all without them.

But she had to.

No matter how badly she hurt, they had to reach the Bone-eater's Well as quickly as possible. Before Naraku broke Minamide-sensei's seals.

Kagome had been torturing herself all day with thoughts of what might be happening, the lurid fantasies of Naraku loose in Tokyo spurring her to keep going, when what she really wanted to do was curl up--in Inuyasha's lap, whispered a voice in the back of her mind--and escape into the oblivion of unconsciousness.

She swallowed the tablets, and took another long sip of water. Her earlier chills had vanished, and she felt hot, flushed. She debated taking off her jacket, which would involve painful movement. Why bother? She knew that the heat would vanish soon, and she'd start feeling cold again. Was she feverish?

Well, if she was, it didn't matter. She had to keep going. Had to get home.

Replacing the cap on the water bottle, she noticed that everyone was staring at her, even Kirara.

"Kagome, you don't look so good," Kouga said, and everyone nodded.

Inuyasha said nothing, but he held her glance, his expression grim, his golden eyes burning into hers. He had not touched her, spoken to her, or even looked at her since breakfast. And now he looked as if he were angry with her.

Probably because I'm slowing everyone down. Or maybe because I used the osuwari spell on him in front of Kouga-kun. Yes, that's probably why. I shouldn't have humiliated him like that, not after we--

"I'm sorry," Kagome murmured, looking down. "I'm ready to go."

A light touch on her elbow, and a pair of concerned dark eyes. Sango. "Are you sure, Kagome-chan?"

Kagome caught a flash of silver hair from the corner of her eye, and raised her chin. "I'm sure. We don't have any time to waste."

* * *

"Let's stop here," Sango commanded, when the sun had sunk below the western horizon, and the sky had gone blue and tangerine.

Kirara descended, and Buffy rolled to a stop, her bike wobbling a little under the weight of her backpack.

"But--" Kagome said faintly, as Kirara touched down. "We should keep going. Naraku--"

"No, Kagome-chan." Sango said very firmly, speaking over her shoulder to the girl sitting behind her.

"Eh, Sango, what are you up to? If Kagome wants to keep going, we should keep going," Inuyasha called.

Sango slid gracefully down from the firecat. "Do you want to kill her, Inuyasha? Look at her. We should have stopped hours ago."

"I'm...okay, Sango-chan. Really."

But Kagome looked anything but okay, thought Buffy, as she approached. The injured girl had been popping pills all day, when she thought no one was watching. And she looked ready to pass out, her face drawn and deathly-pale.

Inuyasha saw it, too. He shouldered Kouga aside, and reached up to help Kagome down from Kirara.

Kagome shook her head. "Inuyasha, please, make her--"

"Keh." He grasped one of her hands. "Sango's right. You'll slow us down even more if you push too hard and make your injuries worse. Now, are you going get down from there, or do I have to pick you up and carry you?"

Kagome's shoulders slumped briefly, then she straightened up with a grimace. Buffy's side twinged in sympathy. She knew all-too-well what broken ribs felt like, and hers always healed within a day or two, thanks to her Slayer powers. Poor Kagome would be dealing with her injury for at least six weeks.

Moving very slowly, Kagome swung her leg over Kirara's back, and slid with painful slowness down the patiently-standing firecat's side. Inuyasha caught her hips and guided her down, but she still gasped when her feet touched the ground.

Buffy saw his ears twitch at the sound. He released Kagome and stepped back. "Do you want me to carry you?"

His voice was pitched low, but Buffy saw Kouga scowl. She caught the wolf prince's eye, and shook her head. He thought about it for a second, then took the hint and turned away. Good boy.

"Start a fire, houshi," Kouga said to Miroku, crossing his arms. "I'll be back soon with meat."

Then he was gone. Buffy hoped it wouldn't be rats again, but frankly, she was almost hungry enough to not care.

"Kouga-kun is right," Sango was saying, as she walked on Kagome's other side. "We need to eat something, and rest."

"But only for a little while," Kagome insisted. Inuyasha had her by the elbow, supporting her as they walked to the open patch of ground he'd selected as their campsite. "Please. We have to get back to the well as soon as possible. We have to!"

"I know, Kagome-chan." Sango traded looks with Inuyasha, then took Kagome's other arm. "But it won't do us any good to arrive at a battle exhausted."

"And it's not like you'll be able to draw your bow, anyway, when we get there," Inuyasha added, with brutal honesty.

"Oh." Kagome seemed to shrink as her resistance abruptly dissolved.

"Inuyasha," Sango said, reprimandingly, but Buffy noticed that she didn't deny his words. It was true--Kagome could barely walk. Archery would be impossible.

Kagome allowed them to settle her at the base of an ancient pine tree, where massive, twisted roots provided a convient hollow. She was looking really out of it, Buffy observed, as Inuyasha stripped off his jacket and wrapped it around Kagome's shoulders, then stalked off to gather firewood.

Shippou approached cautiously, putting one tiny hand on her leg. "Kagome?"

With a visible effort, she focused her eyes on the little kitsune. "Shippou-chan," she said. She opened the front of the red jacket draped around her, and spread her hands in invitation.

Looking very worried, Shippou crawled into her lap. Kagome's eyelids drooped as she stroked his rich auburn hair. "It'll be okay, Shippou-chan," she whispered. "Everything will be all right."

While Miroku collected stones, pinecones, and twigs to get the fire going once Inuyasha brought back fuel, Sango took the clear plastic liter bottles, and headed for the nearby stream to fill them.

Buffy wrestled Kagome's pack off the back of her bike, and dragged it over to the circle of stones that Miroku had set up as a makeshift hearth. She opened the flap and pursed her lips, considering.

Supplies were starting to run low...only a few packets of ramen left, and a couple of cans. And a single bag of garlic-flavored potato chips.

Her mouth watering, Buffy cast a considering glance at the direction Inuyasha had taken, reached for the chips, then hesitated. Dog-boy wasn't into sharing, and he'd made it quite clear on previous nights that those chips were his.

Buffy sighed, left the chips alone, and started pulling out packets and cans.

Tinned stew again, miso soup, ramen, tea, and dried fruit. Plus whatever Kouga brings back...after a moment of consideration, Buffy pulled out the little container of salt and another of a pepper-and-spice mixture, just in case they ended up roasting something again. Please, not rat. Or snake.

Then, she pulled out the rather battered map, and squinted in the dim light at it. Still a long way to go, she thought, measuring the distance between their estimated present location and the Sunset Shrine.

In the wake of Kouga's revelations, the group had packed up right after breakfast and pushed on as quickly as possible--which wasn't very fast, given that Kagome could barely sit upright on Kirara, and the firecat was consequently forced to fly more slowly than usual.

Buffy estimated that they were traveling at about half the pace they'd set on the outbound journey, and even so, Kagome was pushing herself hard. Harder than she should, but Buffy had sensed Kagome's anxiety mounting as the day passed and her strength waned, and the Bone-eater's well remained tantalizingly far away.

Kagome's family was in the line of danger, and Buffy understood, all-too-well, the need to rush to their aid.

She only hoped that Kagome could hang on until they got back.

* * *

Dinner was a subdued affair. Kagome, still wrapped in Inuyasha's jacked, knelt next to the fire. She sipped listlessly at a mug of instant miso soup, but refused the stew and barely touched her portion of the fish that Kouga had caught.

She glanced anxiously around at her gathered friends, as if willing them to eat faster. No one looked at her directly, but the tension in the air was as thick as the smoke from the damp firewood.

Finally, Buffy couldn't take it any more. "We need to talk," she said stating the obvious, since no one else seemed inclined to. "I know Kagome's the leader, but we only covered about twenty miles today, and at this rate, it's going to take us almost a week to get back to the well. Can we at least discuss our alternatives?"

Kagome lowered her mug, and Buffy winced at the haunted look in her eyes. "Go ahead, Buffy-chan."

"I was thinking that maybe we should split up," Buffy said, wiping her mouth. "And let the fastest guys--Kouga and Inuyasha--go on ahead to the well. Maybe they can hold down the fort until the rest of us arrive."

"And I could go, too," Sango said, quickly. "Kirara can keep up with Inuyasha, at least."

Kouga smirked at this, but was smart enough not to say anything.

"In that case," continued Buffy, "do we leave the bikes and most of our gear behind? Who stays with Kagome?"

Miroku inclined his head. "Buffy-san, since you can pass through the Bone-eater's Well, you should also go ahead. I will stay with Kagome-sama and guard her, just in case we encounter bandits. Or hostile youkai."

Kagome looked as if she wanted to protest, but Inuyasha got there ahead of her. "What, leave Kagome alone with you, you pervert? You've got to be fucking kidding."

"Stay, then, Inu-koro. I could be at the Bone-eater's Well before dawn, if I leave now," Kouga said, loudly. "And I'll make sure that Naraku doesn't go anywhere, I swear it to you, Kagome."

"The same way you swore to kill Kagura?" Inuyasha sneered. His gaze kept returning to Kagome, who was apparently sitting upright only through sheer force of will. "Your oaths aren't worth much, you wimpy wolf."

Kagome blinked, and Buffy saw her struggling to think through the haze of Panadol and fatigue. "Someone should go," she agreed. "And Kouga-kun is the fastest."

Inuyasha growled, low in his throat. "And what if Naraku's already gone through the Well?" he demanded. "That wimpy wolf can't follow him, and so he'll be just as useless there as he is here!"

"At least I won't have to smell your pissed-on stink there," Kouga snapped. "You--"

He stopped abruptly as he saw Sango looming over him, one hand looped through Hiraikotsu's handle. It was Inuyasha's turn to smirk, but he had the good grace to avert his face when Kagome simply looked at him with the cloudy gaze of utter exhaustion.

"Inuyasha makes a good point," said Sango. "If he goes on ahead, Kouga should take someone else with him. Inuyasha can travel through the well, but--"

"I'm not leaving Kagome." Inuyasha interrupted. "Not as badly hurt as she is."

"Me," said Buffy. "Then it has to be me. If the worst happens, I can travel through the Well using my key."

Kouga propped his chin on his hand, and examined her critically. "You're small enough and skinny enough that you won't slow me down much," he observed. "But can you really fight Naraku?"

A week ago, Buffy would have answered yes without hesitation. Now, she said, "I'd only have to hold him off long enough for Inuyasha and the others to arrive."

"It's settled, then?" Kouga put down his bowl, got to his feet, and stretched, looking fit and confident. And rested, as if today's travels had been a mere amble for him.

"Oh, I wish I could go faster!" Kagome said, miserably.

Shippou reached up and patted her cheek. "Don't cry, Kagome," said the kitsune.

"I wish the Sengoku-jidai had SUVs. Or even a taxi," Buffy quipped, trying to relieve the gloom.

She got up as well, with the thought of sharpening the blade on her naginata before she left with Kouga.

"Buffy-chan, wait!" Kagome was suddenly looking very alert. "Your Portal Key...is it tied to the Bone-eater's Well?"

Buffy stopped. "Um, I don't think so."

"Then, why don't we return to our time, here and now, and use a taxi? It would be faster than traveling this way." Kagome gestured toward the camping gear and bikes parked nearby.

"Unless it's rush hour," Buffy couldn't resist murmuring, remembering her endless ride from the airport to the Higurashi Shrine.

Despite her smart-ass comment, though, she recognized the simple brilliance of Kagome's plan. Buffy kicked herself mentally for not having thought of it this morning, before they wasted an entire day putting Kagome through the wringer for twenty lousy miles.

Kagome smiled for the first time that day. "And if you use the Key, Buffy-chan, we could all go, isn't that true? Miroku-sama, Sango-chan, Shippou-chan, even Kouga-kun."

Everyone was looking at Buffy, varying degrees of hopefulness, bewilderment (Kouga) and disgust (Inuyasha) on their faces.

"Yeah. We could all go, and be at your place in a couple of hours," Buffy said. "But--" she raised her hand to quell the flood of questions. "There are a few hiccups. For one thing, we have to find a place to open the portal that's near transportation. My book says that right here is a National Park in our time."

She heard Inuyasha snort at the reminder of how urbanized Japan would become 500 years from now.

Buffy continued, "So, we still have to get to an area that's a suburb of modern-day Tokyo. Then, I'll have to find a place to open the portal, and that'll be tricky. "

"Why?" asked Sango and Shippou, simultaneously.

"Because if there was a building in the place where the portal opened," Buffy said. "We'd materialize in the middle of a wall or something. It would be...ugly." She bit her lip, wondering how to work out this problem. "And I'm not sure how I can pick a place that's open space now, and open space in our time."

Miroku gave a cocky smile, and raised his hand. "There are still shrines in Kagome's realm, are there not? Ancient shrines?"

Of course! Buffy grinned at him. "You're right! And they all have courtyards! All we have to do is find a shrine around here that's still in operation in our time, and we're golden."

"And how will you find such a thing?" Sango slapped Miroku's hand away from her hip, and leaned on Hiraikotsu with a thoughtful expression. "Houshi-sama will know of shrines in this area, yes, but are you familiar with the shrines in your time, Kagome-chan?"

Kagome shook her head, looking depressed again.

Buffy dug hastily in her backpack, and held up a thick, rather battered looking paperback. "This book can tell us."

At Miroku's questioning look, she said, "Lonely Planet Japan. It's, uh, a traveler's guide. And it has information about most of the shrines and temples in the Tokyo area."

"Most useful," murmured Miroku. "Even if it is written in foreign script."

* * *

It took less than an hour to figure out that they were in the area that would be known as the Chichibu-Tama National Park in the twenty-first century.

By this time, it was completely dark, so Miroku and Buffy crouched near the dying Coleman lantern, Kagome's maps spread out on the ground before them.

Miroku was indeed very knowledgable about the shrines in the area--he mentioned that he had been a wandering monk for nearly four years--but he did have a disturbing tendancy to let his hand brush against Buffy's breast as he reached to point out a possibility.

The second time it happened, she fixed him with a glare. "Houshi-sama," she said, mimicking Sango's prim tone. "Don't make me break your fingers."

"You wouldn't." But he pulled his hand away, very quickly.

Buffy smiled at him, very sweetly. "Do you really want to find out?"

"Just keep your fucking hands to yourself, bouzou." Inuyasha said, from beyond the fading circle of lamplight. He was sitting next to Kagome, letting the injured girl lean against him. Her eyes were closed again, as if the effort of suggesting the Portal Key had taken the last of her strength.

Miroku sighed, loudly, and changed the subject. "How about Chichibu-jinja?"

Buffy flipped through her Lonely Planet guide. "Bingo! And there's a train station nearby, too! There isn't a direct line to Kagome's home, but the train will take us into downtown Tokyo, uh, in about hour and a half, and we can change trains there."

Kagome opened her eyes with an effort. "That sounds good, Buffy-chan. Let's leave now."

Inuyasha's hand clamped down on her arm. "Hell, no. You can barely sit up."

"And we're still about fifteen miles away from Chichibu-jinja," Buffy added.

"And we will have to obtain permission from the priest or miko of the shrine to open a portal on the grounds," Miroku said.

Kouga jumped to his feet again. "Fifteen miles is nothing! I'll go now, and let them know we're coming."

"What, you think they'll take one look at you, and say, yes of course, please pollute our shrine with youkai sorcery?" Inuyasha asked sarcastically.

He had a point, Buffy thought, but it was more likely that he resented Kouga playing the hero.

"I'll go," Inuyasha continued. "I'm nearly as fast as you are, and at least a local shrine will have had heard of the quest for the Shikon no Tama, and know that we're friends of Kaede's."

Miroku cleared his throat. "But, Inuyasha, what if Naraku's apparent retreat to the Bone-eater's Well is a ploy? What if he doubles back to attack us once our two strongest members are gone?"

"Keh. You have a point." Inuyasha said, sulkily. "Let that wimpy wolf go, then. And good luck to him."

"Rather than Buffy-sama, perhaps it would be best if I accompanied him," interjected Miroku, very ostentatiously keeping his hands to himself. "Inuyasha did have a point. A youkai, or even a hanyou, requesting use of a sacred precinct might not be...favorably received. Whereas, I..." He coughed modestly.

Kagome opened her eyes again. "Kouga-kun, would you mind taking Miroku-sama with you?" Her voice was faint, and a little hoarse.

Kouga shrugged. "Sure. It'll be slower going--he's bigger than the gaijin taijya. But we'll still be back before dawn." He fixed Inuyasha with a glare. "Just remember who's really helping you out, Kagome, and don't let Inu-koro take any liberties in your weakened state."

"Don't worry," Buffy said hastily, as she saw Inuyasha's clawed fingers clench into the dirt. "Sango, Shippou, and I will be chaperoning them, after all."

A few minutes later, Kouga took off in a Shikon-powered sprint, Miroku clinging to his back. The monk had insisted on bringing along his bronze-headed staff, and Buffy heard the chime of the musical rings quickly fading to a faint jingle in the distance.

"Now, we wait," said Sango, putting aside Hiraikotsu and pouring herself a cup of tea. "Kagome-chan, try to sleep, at least until Kouga and Miroku return."

* * *

Kagome knew that she should change into her pajamas, or at least brush her teeth and take another dose of Panadol before going to sleep, but she found herself unable to move. She tried opening her eyes, but it took too much effort.

Even the ever-present pain in her back and side seemed to withdraw a little. Reality shrank until her only anchors were the soft, slightly prickly feel of Inuyasha's fire-rat fur sleeve against one cheek, and the creeping chill of the autumn night against her other cheek.

"Kagome?" He sounded concerned, she thought, distantly. But it was so hard to form words. "Kagome!" Louder now, more demanding.

"Ngnhh," she managed. Was he going to make her move now? She didn't want to stand up and go, but home was still so far away. Fifteen miles, she thought. Then she could sleep on the train.

"Here." She felt his fingers touch her lips, and push something between them. Tablets, tasteless at first, then quickly bitter. The hard rim of a plastic bottle rested against her mouth, and she drank, washing away the bitterness.

"Is she okay?" Buffy-chan's voice, very near.

Kagome felt something brush her hair, then Inuyasha's low tones. "Yeah. Just tired...I can smell it. She's nearly asleep."

"I'll get her sleeping bag. You guys can, uh, wrap it around yourselves."

The warm pleasant cloud of sleepiness evaporated as Inuyasha's arms closed around her and lifted, jarring her broken ribs. Kagome couldn't stop herself from crying out as the sudden agony took her by surprise.

Inuyasha froze. "I'm sorry, Kagome," he whispered, and that concerned her. Inuyasha never apologized. Ever.

Worrying about that carried her through the next few agonizing moments, as Inuyasha walked a few steps with her in his arms, then sank down and settled her into his lap, much as he had the previous night.

Roused by the pain, she managed to open her eyes as Buffy unzipped the sleeping bag and draped it over her like a quilt, tucking in the edges so it wouldn't slide down.

"Sleep well, Kagome." Buffy touched her cheek, and then she was gone.

"Kagome," asked Inuyasha. "Are you comfortable? Do you need anything?"

Just you. Kagome managed to smile. It had been a horrible day, and tomorrow looked to be just as bad--fifteen miles!--but for now, she was as close to happy as she could be when she was so worried about her family.

And Inuyasha has been so ill-tempered today, scarcely talking at her except to snap commands and criticisms of her slowness. Did he regret kissing her last night? Would he pretend nothing had happened?

He was simply holding her now, staring straight ahead with an impassive look on his face. Nestled against his shoulder, Kagome sensed Sango, Shippou, and Buffy settling down for the night--the smell of Buffy's mint toothpaste mingled with smoke from the fire, Kirara's sleepy purr, Shippou wheedling Sango for just one potato chip.

"Don't even think about it," Inuyasha said, not bothering to raise his voice. "Those are mine, you little brat."

Shippou pouted, but within a short time, he was curled up against Kirara's warm flank. Buffy and Sango talked a little while, their voices pitched too low for Kagome to catch their words, then they, too, settled down to sleep, and silence reigned in the camp.

Inuyasha shifted a little, and she felt him stroke her cheek, her hair. "Hey, Kagome."

She opened her eyes, wondering whether he was going to kiss her again. Her heart began pounding with a mixture of hope and nervousness.

"Inuyasha," she murmured. It was an effort to look up at him--her head felt strangely heavy--but she managed it.

His eyes were closed and there was a peaceful, intent expression on his face as he bent his face to hers.

Their kiss this time was longer and deeper, each of them becoming a little bolder as the seconds passed.

He had the softest mouth, and despite the pain and the effect of the tablets, she wanted more. He obliged with light, nibbling kisses around the perimeter of her lips; slow, hard kisses, his mouth devouring hers; and the pleasant shock in her belly when his sharp teeth very gently fastened on her lower lip, and he stroked its length with his tongue.

Yuki-chan was wrong about tongue-kissing, thought Kagome dizzily, opening her mouth to welcome him in. It wasn't gross at all. Just the opposite. She felt as if he were claiming her, making her his.

Her movements as languid and slow as if she were pushing through water, she put one hand against his chest, the beads of his enchanted rosary cool and hard beneath her fingers, and felt his heart racing, pounding nearly as hard as hers.

Finally, after what seemed both a long time and a terribly short one, Inuyasha pulled away, breathing a little harder now. Kagome tightened her fingers in his shirt, protesting the loss of his mouth, and he covered her hand with his own.

"I think you should try and sleep now," he said, in a strained tone.

Kagome didn't trust her own voice, so she just sighed, and let her head rest against the comfortable solidity of his shoulder.

Then, as if he couldn't help himself, she felt Inuyasha brush gentle kisses over her forehead, her eyes, her nose. He kept her hand in his, and she felt him rest his cheek against the top of her head in a familiar gesture.

"Mmm, such a nice smell," he whispered.

"You, too," she said, without opening her eyes. She turned her face to his throat and took a deep, ostentatious sniff.

She was rewarded by his almost soundless chuckle, vibrating against her hair. "What can you smell, anyway," he whispered. "With your human senses?"

Kagome smiled. His scent was familiar by now--woodsmoke and the wool smell from the fire-rat fur of his haori. A faint tang of sweat, and something else that she couldn't describe, but that was uniquely him.

"Enough," she said, "to know what I like."

He snorted, softly. "Baka," he said, affectionately.

She let sleep claim her at last, wondering a little at how strange life was.

How could she be in so much pain--even breathing hurt--and worried sick about Kaede, the villagers, and her family, and yet at the same time, be so happy, nestled in Inuyasha's embrace, his kisses still warm on her mouth and face?

To be continued...