InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Chaos ❯ Cold ( Chapter 4 )

Hours after Inu-Yasha awoke, he had left. His path had been blind except for the direction. In his dream, Kikyo said that she was in a far off village to the south. Her words had been dark and she had spoken of great danger. By his aid, she had already died alone once and he would be damned if she were to do so again.

It had taken him only seconds to decide that he would go to aid Kikyo, but it had taken him hours to decide on what to do about Kagome. He regretted not being able to say goodbye to her. He knew she would worry about him, but he had to go, and he had to go alone. He told Lady Kaede that he was leaving and made a request for Kagome to stay with her if she were to return before him. When the crone had agreed, Inu-Yasha left.

He had traveled many miles when he felt Kagome enter his realm. His first instinct was to turn around and go to her, but he continued southward instead. There was a feeling deep in his heart that said he must go, honor would not let him delay. Inu-Yasha traveled many miles, and when he reached the village of Shi, he wished he had turned away when he had had the chance. What lay before him was nothing more than a town painted in red. Bodies hung like ornaments across homes and trees. Faces of strangers were bent into monstrous masks of horror. Large chunks of meat lie covered dust and scattered around gardens and fields. In some areas, where the blood had rained enough, the grass had grown red. His eyes beheld nightmares that even his demon brain could not process. Eventually he came upon a mix of ash and dust. The smell that gathered around it gave him his answers.

Inu-Yasha did not take time to burry the dead or even morn. He left the village, in all its death, and started home. After several days travel, he had been able to smell the fires of the familiar village. Their fires held a welcoming hint of spice from the local woods. He longed to see Kagome. The thought brought unease to him but images of her danced in his head. Her eyes always seemed so welcoming, so warm. Her smile was frequent and innocent. He needed her right now. His mind played back the last time they saw each other, when she had left through the well. Inu-Yasha's warm thoughts were quickly cut by a scream. The wail was so high pitch that he knew it was Kagome.

His feet felt slow as he ran towards her sound. Another scream was torn out some where ahead of him, and he tried to run faster. His heart beat fast and he knew that he was still some distance away. A scent of demon and Kagome hung loosely in the air.

What has that damn girl done now??

The trail ended at a small clearing around a swimming hole. The demon smelled as if it were long gone, but the pool was bathed in Kagome's scent. There was nothing to be seen. The forest was silent and still. Nothing moved. Nothing except several black hairs that swam on the top of the water. The hair swam on the surface as if they were alive. Sun beat down on their black skin, and they seemed to dance.

Inu-Yasha dove. The water was frigid. It was if he had entered liquid ice. Around him blue light played and echoed. He swam downward until her saw her. The only things that moved in this underwater grotto were anchored tresses of black. The hair shone like a dark beacon and led him to his goal. Her body lay at the very base of the pool, and her skin matched the surrounding water.

Please don't be dead Played through his mind endlessly.

He grabbed her body and swam upwards. She felt limp in his arms. Her eyes hung wide and her whole body was eclipsed by a feeble look of a hollowed shell.

Please don't be dead.

When he reached the surface he didn't stop. He ran to the village. His legs felt as if some great weight were shackled to them, and with every step the world seemed to slow down. The village was only a short distance away, but he felt as if he had all the time in the world to gaze upon her.

Kagome's body lay hunched in his arms. She was naked, and normally Inu-Yasha would have felt the need to blush. But the skin he saw was dulled. No life, no pink, glowed from her familiar form. Her lips were laced of purple and a pale blue was now the only color to blossom upon her frozen skin. She didn't smell alive, but she didn't reek of death either. She only smelled of ice.

Helpless tears skimmed Inu-Yasha's eyes as he ran her towards the village.