InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Choices ❯ Hope for the Hanyou ( Chapter 1 )

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

Four days. InuYasha had tried everything, from asking her mother to give Kagome a hot bath, to putting her beside her study desk with those books and tests she seems so love so much. More than once, InuYasha had almost given in to his frustration to yell at Souta or Kagome's jii-chan. For some unknown reason, InuYasha just couldn't bring himself to be disrespectful to Kagome's mother. Her aura soothed InuYasha, and for that he was grateful.

"Keh, that old hag must be getting a kick out of this," InuYasha mused.

"Most important, InuYasha, you have to talk to her, let her know of your presence. You are the only one that can help her now." Kaede's advice came back to him

"Fuck, How could I forget! Maybe. . .Maybe it's not too late," InuYasha looked out the window at the sky. He turned towards the unconscious Kagome and scooped her into his arms. Bracing himself against the frame, InuYasha leaped out, onto Goshinboku.

InuYasha settled himself against the trunk on the branch and let Kagome lean against him. He brushed her bangs away from her face and stared at her. Goshinboku's leaves rustled and blew Kagome's scent into his nostrils. The tree's aura seemed to wrap around them both, caressing them. InuYasha let out a small smile and took off his haori, putting it around Kagome.

"Keh, how long are you going to sleep, wench?" InuYasha murmured as he looked out at the unfamiliar city. Tokyo, Kagome calls it. "I need---We need you to find the jewel shards. Hell, everyone's waiting for you to wake up from your slumber. Lazy wench. I--I'm waiting for you too," InuYasha grudgingly allowed.

He dipped his head closer to Kagome's face and watched her rosy complexion, her long, sooty eyelashes for any sign that she's going to wake up. "Baka, it's not that easy," InuYasha berated himself.

A sudden urge to be closer rose in her, and InuYasha leaned in, lightly pressing his lips on her forehead. He sighed contently and lower his head until his forehead was against hers. "Don't leave me, Kagome. . .Scream at me, stay in your time. . .Hell, I'll even let you 'osuwari' me as many times as you want. Just wake up, I---"

His words were cut off when Kagome's body started glowing in a mixture of pink and green. InuYasha's fire-rat haori fell to the ground below when she rose and floated right infront of him. He reached out to touch her, only to be repelled by a barrier. It was an astonishing sight---the green edges, trying to reach out while the pink was evidently winning. InuYasha was seriously debating whether to unshield Tetsusaiga when the pink erupted all over the shrine, covering him in the light too.

The brightness hurt his eyes, but InuYasha could still make out Kagome's body, floating in the air. He had to admit, Kagome's miko powers were pretty impressive. Just like how it came, it disappeared, and everything went back to normal. Kagome's body fell through the air, and he jumped from his perch on the branch to save her, only to end up falling. Kagome landed on top of him.

"Inu---Ya---sha?" Kagome mumbled drowsily.

"Are you hurt, Kagome?" InuYasha sat up and carefully shifted her off him, not bothering to wait for an answer and examining her.

Kagome's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why are you human?"

"Quiet, wen---WHAT?" InuYasha stared at his unmistakably human hands. "What the fuck happened?"

Kagome shrugged.

"They're still not back," Miroku sighed. Sango gazed back at her would-be husband with a worried look in her eyes.

When Miroku and Sango reached the village, they saw Kagome---still unconscious---lying in Kaede's hut with InuYasha cradling her on his lap. InuYasha had ignored them, gaze intent on Kagome, lying limp in his arms. They exchanged a concerned look and Miroku started towards InuYasha. Sango's hand shot out to hold him close, unsure whether InuYasha would attack the monk.

"I'm sure Kaede would be able to fix her," Miroku remarked, hand reaching out to pat InuYasha's back.

InuYasha stopped Miroku with a deadly glare.

"I wonder who is Maekoshi, have you heard of her?" Miroku tried again. A quiet InuYasha doesn't bode well. Sango lightly nudged him as a warning. A long silence followed. Miroku opened his mouth to speak again, only to be interrupted by InuYasha this time.

"I. Don't. Fucking. Know." InuYasha bit out. "But she is fucking dead."

At that moment, Kaede entered the hut with baskets of herbs from the mountain. She acknowledged the party in her hut with a slight bow and began her task of sorting the herbs into the right places, not appearing to have noticed Kagome lying in the corner. InuYasha gently laid Kagome down and tenderly caressed her cheek. He stood up and stomped towards the old miko.

"Oi, fix her, you old hag," InuYasha demanded.

Kaede gave him a look for his perceived lack of manners and started towards them. She took a look at Kagome and touched the young miko's forehead with a grave look on her face. "Kagome's soul is being compressed by something dark, and evil. My powers are not strong enough to bring her soul back. What happened, InuYasha?"

"What should I do? She can't be in this state forever! I---I---She just can't!" InuYasha hollered with a hint of desperation in his tone. His fists were clenched together, claws digging into his skin. He hated this feeling, the feeling that he was completely helpless. Kagome. . .Kagome was strong. She had fought alongside him, stayed with him through his darkest times. . .InuYasha grimaced. Images of Kagome, of her kind face, her laughter that always warms his heart without fail, flashed past his mind. Frustruation coupled with anger got the better of him and InuYasha unleashed a deafening roar, looking for something---anything---for him to break. Instead, he punched a hole in the floor of the hut.

"Calm down, InuYasha. Your yelling is not doing any good. You have to force the soul to come out from behind whatever that is holding her soul prisoner. I'm sure Kagome's fighting to get out in her own way. If her soul is trapped for too long, it was disappear forever, and Kagome will remain like this until her body dies. Hurry InuYasha, it takes only a matter of days for her soul--"

"Just tell me what the fuck to do!"

Kaede sighed. "Take her someplace she wants to be. Do things that she likes. Most important, InuYasha, you have to talk to her, let her know of your presence. You are the only one that can help her now."

Without another word, InuYasha lifted Kagome and bolted out of the hut. Miroku and Sango exchanged glances. "I'll go," said Miroku, and he dashed after InuYasha----in the direction of the Bone-Eater's well. He watched as the time slip engulfed the hanyou and the miko and he lifted his hand perpendicular to his face and said a silent prayer for Kagome.

Shippou had taken to camping by the well since that day, hugging the 'teddy bear' Kagome had brought back for him once. He would look worriedly into the well, then sit back down, disappointed. Sango had tried to persuade him to sleep in the hut but he would shake his head stubbornly and refuse to move.

"Shippou, won't you eat something?" Sango tried again for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"I'm protecting the well for Kagome's return! Without InuYasha, I'm the only youkai around. Don't worry, Sango. I'll protect you too," Shippou replied with confidence.

"But--"

Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by another presence, as the trees in the forest swayed to welcome their owner, InuYasha.

"InuYasha!" Shippou and Sango greeted in unison.

"---Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes! If you ask me one more time, I'll say 'it'!" Kagome's muffled voice could be heard, exasperated.

InuYasha jumped out of the well with Kagome in his arms. Before he had a chance to put Kagome down, a ball of fur hurtled into Kagome's chest, followed by "Kagome, I missed you!" A teary Shippou looked up at Kagome's face. "How did you come back?"

Kagome smiled. "InuYasha saved me. Right, InuYasha?"

"Keh!"

"Kagome! You're alright!" Miroku noted pleasantly. "InuYasha, why are you human?"

"No fucking idea," InuYasha grumbled, obviously annoyed by the fact.

"This is interesting, what happened over there?" Miroku asked curiously.

"Uh. . .I think it was because of my miko powers," Kagome then proceeded to recount the events that happened the day before. Miroku sat down on the grass, one arm crossed over his stomach, supporting the elbow of another arm thats supporting his chin as he pondered Kagome's words. ". . .And he was human when I woke up." Kagome finished.

"That's because InuYasha is weak. He's a hanyou, after all," Shippou remarked proudly. He caught sight of InuYasha's glower and let out a low whine. "Kagome! InuYasha's being mean again!"

Kagome shot InuYasha a warning look, which was normally followed by 'Osuwari!' InuYasha flinched and his features shifted into a pout.

"Ah. . .I see. So your miko powers purified Maekoshi's hold over your soul and in the midst, you accidentally purified InuYasha too? Very interesting. . .this skill could come in useful next time when we need InuYasha to lay low. We could call it Purified-Hanyou. . ." Miroku trailed off.

"Try it and I'll shove your fucking staff up your fucking ass."

"Easy now. We all know how often you tend to lose your temper," Miroku pointed out.

InuYasha cracked his knuckles and advanced on the monk. Miroku hurriedly backed away, hands infront of him to hold InuYasha off. "Now, InuYasha, we don't want to be fighting, do we? Sango wouldn't be too happy, right Sango?"

Sango shook her head and started in the direction of the village.

InuYasha let out a mocking laugh, still walking towards Miroku. "I'll show you how I lose my temper, fucking lecher."

"How could you call me a lecher? I'm so hurt, InuYasha."

"Keh! You will be, soon enough."

Kagome hurried between the two. "Well, now I'm all better already, shouldn't we be looking for Shikon Jewel shards now?" She placated, one hand holding Shippou, the other around InuYasha's neck.

InuYasha snorted. "Damn straight. The last thing we want is for some bastard to have more shards than us." He put his hands on his hips and his eyes shifted into an menacing glower. "But first, we have some bitch-hunting to do."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Yes, can you put me down now?"

InuYasha's eyes seem to soften as he gazed at the girl in his arms. ". . .You sure you're okay?" He asked gently, concern furrowing his eyebrows.

Kagome was about to retort when she looked up and saw the worry behind them. Freeing one hand, she reached for his face and stroked his brow, smoothing out the lines. Then her features broke into a wide smile and she blushed. "Yeah. . .I am."

His face took on a pink tinge as he did as she asked.

"A-hem. Now it's all been said and done, can we go back to the village?" Miroku announced.

"Wait, we don't know when InuYasha would revert back to his original form," Kagome pointed out.

"I'm quite sure he'll be back to normal by tonight, or tomorrow morning. Don't worry Kagome, it isn't permanent," Miroku reassured her.

InuYasha snorted. "You better be. I hate being a fucking human."

He didn't see the look of dejection on Kagome's face. Neither did he hear her heart break at his words.