InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Cannot Be Broken ❯ Before the Dawn ( Chapter 25 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

“Love.”

The word echoed in InuYasha's head. “I…I don't under….” He swallowed hard.

Miroku sighed and closed his eyes. “The process is simple to understand. Lady Kagome's powers only occur when she feels love, and when that love is channelled or in harm, her power emerges to grow from it, or protect it. In either case, when you and Lady Kagome were together, her powers awakened and grew from the miasma of pleasures….GAH!”

Sango placed her boomerang beside her and stepped over the twitching monk. “What the pervert means is that when Kagome felt love for you, and love from you, her powers became more powerful. When she believes her love is harmed, such as when she thought you might have been when we attacked you, her powers would automatically bond to protect those that are in danger.” She frowned. “And that means we are in more trouble than we thought.”

Kagome looked pale white as she lifted her gaze to Sango. “Why?”

The slayer pressed her hands to her face in exhaustion. “Your power works to protect all you love… how can you expand your power, your love, to include the entire army against Naraku?”

InuYasha growled furiously. “I don't care how you think it gets done. No one touches her!”

A choking sound erupted from the ground as the monk finally stood shakily, rubbing his head. “Not all love needs to be expressed or received physically.”

Everyone stopped and stared at Miroku.

“Are you kidding me?” Sango's face dropped.

“Not at all.” Miroku smiled. “Love can be expressed in many ways than through pleasures of the body. Love itself is the voice of the heart, and it has many means to make itself known.” He looked at the incredulous look on the slayer's face and grinned slyly. “But worry not, my lovely Sango, I will continue to express my love to you as I have always have.” He reached his hand towards her.

Sango's mouth shut quickly and her eyes turned fierce as she slapped away his hand. “You keep groping my ass, your head will continue to feel my hand.”

Miroku's face lit up and his grin turned devilish. “Then I will make sure your beautiful curves receive as much attention as necessary to guarantee that.” He flicked his gaze up her appreciatively.

Sango looked at him confused then gasped. “That is not what I meant and you know it!” Her face pinked hot.

Miroku sighed and feigned hurt. “Alas, it is the burden I must bear, but I will forever delight in any fashion you wish to prove your love for me, even if I end up with a concussion.”

Sango crossed her arms in frustration. “Pervert.” But her face relaxed and her angry blush turned soft and shy.

“Oh for the love of fu… can we get back on topic here?! How is Kagome going to protect thousands of demons and humans against Naraku?” InuYasha shouted and fisted his hands in anger.

Sango settled her gaze on the hanyou and shrugged. “She is going to have to do what she was born to do. Love us all as if we are apart of her, which we all are. That is the only way her power will work to save us all.”

A soft crunching of snow caught their attention and all turned to see Kagome kneeling in the ice-capped snow.

“Kagome?” InuYasha quickly kneeled in front of her and held her face to look up at him.

She flicked her eyes up at him and just watched him before she laid her head against his shoulder in utter exhaustion. “I'm scared.” She whispered. “I don't know how to… I don't know how to do anything.”

InuYasha felt at a complete loss at what to say or do as he held her uncertainly. “Kagome?”

Sango slowly walked over to them and stood over the couple. “You will have to push aside your doubts, your fears, and your hatreds as if they were never there. You will have to look past the ugliness in the darkest part of the heart, and see the light in everything. You will have to love no matter what the nature of the life around you, whether they are innocent children or savage murderers. Since you grew up human, you will have to forget every injustice you have learned to grudge. You will have to forget yourself in order to do this….”

Kagome dragged her gaze to look at the slayer. Her eyes were haunted and dark. “You ask me to forget being human?”

Sango sighed and kneeled down beside them. “Kagome, you have to realize… you are not human.”

Kagome's head snapped up to look fully at the slayer in hurt and anger. “How can you…?”

“Kagome, you are not a real human, you are the….” Sango started exasperated.

InuYasha growled. “She is real, Sango. And you will not think otherwise.” His eyes narrowed in challenge as he gripped Kagome and held her tight against him.

Kagome rested her head against his chest. “InuYasha,” she said softly. His hands pulled her closer to his chest.

Sango sighed. “InuYasha. Kagome has a lifetime of training to accomplish in a day, more if we are lucky. How can you expect her to understand if she doesn't take into account what she is?”

InuYasha growled deeper as he nuzzled his nose in Kagome's hair. “I don't care. I will fight Naraku with or without the help of this Shikon shit. Kagome will have nothing to do with it. She will be far from it if I can help it.” He tucked his face further into her hair, breathing her in.

Sango stood up in fury. “InuYasha! You have no idea what you're saying! Kagome is the only way…!” She stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Sesshomaru looked at her in mild annoyance. “Sango, Kagome will do what needs to be done when the time comes. She is what she is, and she will do what she must, regardless of any of our wants.” He peered down at the girl on the ground. “Kagome, you will not deny what you are, nor is it wise for any of us to do so. When the time comes, you will know what you must do, when you know what it is you are.”

Kagome shuddered in InuYasha's arms and peered up to look at her father with tear stained eyes before looking hopelessly to the ground. “I…I am … the Shikon no Tama.”

Sesshomaru's amber eyes narrowed. “That is just a name.” He turned and walked off towards the manor, indicating all discussion and training was now over.

Sango looked furiously over at InuYasha and picked up her weapons and stormed off. Miroku sighed in defeat and followed after her.

InuYasha quickly stood and looked away uncomfortably from Kagome as she remained on the ground. He turned to walk away. “It's getting dark, we should go in.”

“InuYasha?”

He stopped, his back still facing her. “Yeah?”

Kagome stood and looked around as if trying to find other means to focus on until letting her eyes rest on him in sincerity. “Thank you.”

He looked stunned as he turned his head towards her. “Huh? What for?”

She cast her gaze to the ground before building her courage to look up at him again. “For telling Sango… that I'm real. I… I can't tell you how much I appreciate….” She cast her eyes down. “Thank you for thinking I'm human.”

InuYasha smirked. “Keh, stupid girl… you just are. What else could you be?” With that he walked to the manor, stopping once to wait for her.

She stood quiet for a moment as she watched him walk away. “I just am…and there is nothing else I could be.” She whispered sadly and followed.

****

Her bedroom was dark from shadows cast by the low fire in her fireplace. She couldn't sleep. She didn't even know why she bothered to try. So she just sat and stared at the fire. It was quiet, like a heavy blanket has coated the manor.

No one had spoken during the evening meal. It was morbid, as if it was the last meal. Kagome couldn't eat, nor did InuYasha, who had looked like his plate was the avatar of sorrow. Sango was nowhere to be found and Sesshomaru had left early to scout the soldiers. Miroku tried light talk, but it soon became apparent that no one was in the mood for any sound, since their own minds were flooded with enough torment. Eventually Miroku left, and reluctantly so did InuYasha, leaving Kagome alone to gather her heavy thoughts and head to bed.

Now she sat alone in her room on the floor, gazing at the dancing images of the flames. She wanted the night to last a while longer. The thought of tomorrow made her soul run cold. The inevitable light of a new day seemed cold and dead. She wondered if it was possible to ever feel joy from the dawn again. Was it possible to ever feel safe again?

“Kagome?”

Startled, Kagome turned her gaze from the fire to look towards her bedroom doorway. In the darkness she could see nothing, but smiled sadly as the bright spring green aura glowed before her. “Shippou? Why are you here?”

“Sango got me awhile ago. She said you needed me….” The small kitsune pattered softly into view of the glowing embers. He looked up at the young woman who sat alone in front of it on a large cushion. He rested his tiny hands on her crossed legs and looked up at her face. His large green eyes filled with tears as he slumped dejectedly in front of her. “Kagome, I failed you.” He sniffed heavily and sighed out a sob. “I was supposed to protect you and I can't.”

Kagome looked at him in quiet contemplation, then gathered him into her arms and held him. “Oh Shippou. You are protecting me. You being here now saves me from my own sadness.” She hugged him for a long while as she stared back into the fire.

Shippou clenched his fists into her kimono and snuffled soft whimpers into her shoulder. “I don't…understand… wha… what's going to happen. Sango is so mad, and no one is talking and… I'm scared, Kagome, I'm scared.” He hiccupped between gasping sobs.

She held him tighter and shut her eyes hard. She began to rock her body back and forth. “Shippou, oh Shippou. Don't cry. Nothing will happen to you. I will take care of you.”

Shippou lifted his face to gaze up at her own, tears flowed in big drops down his face. “I'm not scared…for me. Naraku k…killed my parents, and Sango's and Mir…Miroku's villages, and even yours.” His eyes filled again with tears. “Who will make sure nothing happens to them and …and to you?”

Kagome opened her eyes slowly to stare blankly at the fireplace. The fire sparkled dully in her eyes. “I will. I will make sure no one gets hurt.”

“The hell you will!” An angry hanyou stormed into the room. “You're getting the hell out of here!” He lifted her by her arms and shook her slightly, making her drop Shippou in shock.

“Inu… InuYasha!” She stuttered.

He set her on her feet and growled down at her. “You are having nothing to do with any of this!”

Kagome looked at him in shock then fury. “You say that like I have a choice! I have to be involved. It's my life that's the cause and it's my self that's the solution!”

InuYasha snarled in retaliation. His fangs were bared and his eyes flashed red within gold. “I don't give a fuck what they told you or what they think you are. No one is putting you in danger. You will be far from the fight as possible!”

Kagome's eyes began to tear in her anger and frustration. “I am the one putting everyone in danger, you idiot! You think it matters where I am? He's been looking for me my whole life! Fuck! He's been looking for the Shikon no Tama for gods know how long! He was killed once before and he's come back. How the fuck do you think anyone is safe?! No matter where I am, he'll come for me, and those around me will suffer! This is my life! This is my fight! I can't hide from it!” She broke down and cried, her voice barely audible. “Kami, I can't hide anymore….”

InuYasha closed his eyes and faced toward the fire, his hands clenched hard. “Kagome….” He growled.

“Kagome.” Shippou tugged on her kimono. “If you die… if Naraku….” His eyes welled up again. “Kagome, you can't stay, I don't want you to die.”

Kagome never responded. Instead, she walked towards her window and stared out at the dying night.

“Kagome…. Fuck, woman! Why are you being so stubborn?!” InuYasha stormed over to her and turned her around roughly by her upper arm and stopped short when he saw the grief written over her face. He let go of her arm and cupped her face in his hands, wiping her tears with his thumbs. “Kagome….”

She shut her eyes to stop the flow of tears. “I'm sorry, InuYasha. I'm sorry for so many things.”

He held his breath for a long moment from the emotions pouring from her and pouring into him. “Why…are you sorry?”

She opened her eyes and he could see the sharp violet ebbed with white light as the dawn peaked over the horizon. Her mouth opened but nothing could come out as she struggled to hold in her tears.

InuYasha closed his eyes and pulled her into a tight embrace. He could feel it all from her, her fears, her doubts, and most of all her regrets. He could feel the heavy weight of the desired life she wanted to live, and the words she wanted to say, things she wished she never did. He embraced it from her, letting her in turn feel his exact emotions in return. “Never feel sorry. Don't you ever feel sorry.” He tucked his face into her hair and inhaled her deep, kneading his fingers into her blue-black tresses, the soft ebony beauty he saw the day they met. The day he knew his life began. “Kagome… Gods, Kagome, I….”

“InuYasha?” Her voice was soft and hitched as she held him harder.

He lifted his gaze to look at her. She was looking out the window and then slowly peered up at him. Panic and fear thundered in him and he staggered back from the force of it. “Kagome?”

Her mouth opened as she struggled to breathe. “He's here.”

****

Sango bolted onto Kilala. “Get the wolves on the offensive, where the fuck is Kouga?!”

Miroku ran up beside her. “The Inu soldiers are at the gates. They are ready.”

Sango looked out at the snow-capped field. “I don't get it. Where is his army? Why is he just standing out there?”

Miroku never responded as his eyes followed her gaze.

Naraku stood alone on the barren tundra, facing the manor. His baboon cloak was the only movement as it buttressed heavily with the bitter wind.

“Something isn't right about this. We have over ten thousand strong. Where are his demons?” Sango clenched her fists into the fire cat's mantle and looked around the barrens.

“Naraku is the army.” Sesshomaru stood beside her from seemingly out of nowhere.

Sango looked up at him. “That's impossible. We delegated the army to fight a mass of demons, not just one. This is too simple….”

“It is not. To assume is to be foolish. The truth is under many layers, and the truth lay under his cloak.” Sesshomaru flashed his gaze at the multitude behind them. “Where is Kagome?”

Sango and Miroku both peered back.

“She would be with InuYasha… he went to get her early this morning.” Miroku frowned.

Sango paled. “Where is InuYasha?”

“Sango! Miroku!”

“Shippou?” Sango frowned as the baby fox came into view from the legs of the inu sentries.

“I tried to keep it a secret! I tried, but InuYasha… he….” Shippou tugged hard on his ears.

“Shippou?” Sango's face grew pale.

“He took her. I don't know where they went, but they're gone!” The fox kit wailed.

Sesshomaru growled in fury. “That idiot!”

At that moment Naraku's head turned sharply to the east and ran swiftly across the barrens that would eventually lead to the forest.

Sesshomaru roared to the throng, and ten thousand bodies swarmed the white-cloaked figure. The war of the Shikon began.