InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Dangerous Assumptions ❯ Perchance to Dream part 1 ( Chapter 5 )

With wide eyes, Kagome tried to stop the laughter and failed. After catching her breath, she turned to face Kouga. "Are you serious? Did you really throw both of your brothers in the river when your mother said to clean them up?"

"Well their furs were full of shit. Back then I didn't want to help clean them up, much less touch it! I was still too young to do that or so I thought." A peeved look appeared on his face as Kouga remembered. "My mother thought differently. She threw me into the river and made me pull Ginta and Haggaku out, and then I had to change them. Mother would stare at me with a certain look that told me she was disappointed in me, that she expects better or that she was angry...Argh, it's hard to put into words..." Kouga's voice trailed off, trying to describe a mother's indescribable look.

"YIPE!" He couldn't stop the yip of surprise as Kagome stared down her nose at him with a look of reproach, steel and dissappointment. "Yeah, that's 'the look'! Heh, human mothers give the same look, I take it?"

"Yeah, they do give 'the look'. " She answered with a small grin. "I remember getting 'the look' after I pushed my little brother into a pool. When mama asked why I did it, I reminded her that she wanted me to teach Souta how to swim." Kagome had to wait for Kouga to stop laughing before continuing. "It seems that youkai and humans are not so different when it comes to parenting. Oh, there are variations. There are some human parents that are more...physical in discipline; they spank their children all the time. I think that spanking is for when they really misbehave or when other forms, such as grounding, doesn't work."

"I agree that our approach to parenting isn't too different. I think the main difference is in the parents scent." Pausing, Kouga took a moment to stretch.

Kagome looked at him. "Is it true that you can tell a lot from scent alone, like someone's emotions?"

A smile graced his face, happy with that she had figured that out. "Yeah, through scent a mother can communicate with her cub. He could smell merely upset, afraid or calm. I've wondered how humans got by without the sense of smell." Realizing what he just said, Kouga gave a quick and embarrassed apology. "Sorry, Kagome! I didn't mean to..."

"That's all right, Kouga-kun, I know you didn't mean it." Kagome couldn't stop the smile that is threatening to take over her face. 'Kouga's cute when he blushes...gah...BAD GIRL! Remember Inu-Yasha, there's no way I'll cheat on him. Even though we're not really officially together.' Sneaking a peek at Kouga, Kagome's gaze took in the view of his side profile.

She continues to watch as he tips his head back, closing his eyes in some unknown contemplation. She didn't realize it as her vision took in the sight of Kouga darting his tongue out to wet his lips. Her eyes were captivated by the image of his tongue traveling across his upper lip from the left to the right, only to make the return trip just as slow on the bottom lip. `No, I won't cheat, but there's nothing wrong in window-shopping, right? Kami, it seems that he is going in slow motion but that is ridiculous. Why would he do that? It must be my imagination.'

Peeking at Kagome as she quickly looked away, Kouga let a grin materialize on his face. `Heh, father was right. It seems that by taking things slow and talking to Kagome, I'm finally getting her attention. Of course that little show didn't hurt either!'

The sound of laughter caught their attention. Looking over to the other side of the cave, they saw several wolves go in pursuit of a white streak. "Are they merely playing chase?" Kagome asked as Kouga listened to the yips and barks.

"Yeah, it's just a game." Kouga was pleased that Kagome was able to figure out the wolf's behavior without thinking that all wolves do was kill. A wolf pack is a close-knit society and with many different behaviors.

They watched as the laughter roared as the white one being followed

decided to jump over four wolves and one enterprising young wolf waited until then to jump at her, only for her to use his snout as a springboard. Now she was jumping on everyone's heads as the excited wolves were jumping up in a fruitless attempt to catch her.

"Catch her!"

"Watch out!"

"What are you guys, wolves or dogs?"

Were some of the cries as the wolf youkai were knocked down as the white one jumped on their heads and the wolves jumped at her.

"Ah Kouga, the chase is heading this way." Kagome nervously stepped behind the Wolf Prince. " I'm not scared but I really don't want to have a dozen or more wolves knock me down."

Kouga threw his arms out instinctively for balance as the white one jumped on his head. Kouga merely gave a look to the oncoming wolves that stopped them. Unfortunately, they did have some momentum so when they tried to stop they ended up running into each other. When the dust settled everyone could see the pile of wolves laying two feet in front of Kouga and Kagome.

Kouga looked up at the one who escaped the tangle, the one that was being chased, who sat atop of his head with her head tilted to the side.

A small mew was Kirara's only response.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Later, a day after they leave the wolf dens ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

#># Kagome's POV #<#

This day keeps getting worse and worse. First, Inu-Yasha yells at me for burning the ramen, then a twenty-foot rabbit youkai got away with a shard. That was bad, for me that is. Right as Inu-Yasha screamed that I was pathetic, Sesshoumaru dropped in to fight once again. During their fight, Jaken managed to scorch me with his fire-breathing staff and I loose my balance and fall into a pond. Not any pond either, oh no with my luck I had to fall into a stagnant pond filled with slime.

I had to go through all that before noon, and now this! Kikyo just had to show up.

I hear her tell Inu-Yasha that she is tired from fighting a giant rabbit youkai that had a shard. I roll my eyes as Inu-Yasha sends a pointed look at me. Oh great, is that…yes it is! Kikyo is handing him a jewel shard, I hear her whisper that it was in the rabbit's foot. I watch as Inu-Yasha says some gentle words to Kikyo, asking her if she needs to rest. Now it's that just the icing for my cake?

It makes me sick; Kikyo wants to Inu-yasha to Hell, I want him to live. Kikyo imprisoned Inu-Yasha, I set him free. Kikyo wanted Inu-Yasha to become human which would cause him to loose his powers. I want him as he is and I gave him the Tetsusaiga, his greatest weapon. And how does he repay us? He loves Kikyo and hates me.

I thought he cared for me. He saves me from danger, but then yells at me. He says he can't loose his shard detector. But what about the times he looks at me in a certain way? I look at Inu-Yahsa over there with Kikyo…oh Kami, is that the same look he would give me? Oh no…please no! When he looked at me, he would never look at me in the eye, not like he's doing with Kikyo right now. They seem as they are drowning in each other's eyes.

Could it be…?

Is it possible…?

Yes, it is true.

It is plain as the nose on my face, that when Inu-Yasha gave me that look, he was seeing Kikyo, not me. Is that all he sees me as, a shard detector and Kikyo's reincarnation?

*Sigh* It's been half a day and Inu-Yasha is still codling Kikyo. If it were me sitting there, he would be yelling at me, saying that I'm wasting precious shard hunting time.

What's this, something is tugging at my sense of the paranormal, oh no, not now!

A glance at Miroku lifting his Shakujon tells me he senses the demons as well. I see Sango grabbing her Hiraikotsu, her training as a demon exterminator serves her well. "Inu-Yasha, demons are coming fast! There's a horde of them!" I yell out as I see Inu-Yasha sniff the sir and Kikyo strings her bow, preparing her Hama no Ya.

>>>>Normal POV<<<<

The horde quickly comes into sight, coming from the northeast. Everyone is horror-struck at the size of the onslaught. "It's bigger that the horde that came with Kagura that time to get Kohaku, much bigger." Miroku claims in a soft voice. No one had time to answer as the demons swarmed over them. Both Kagome and Kikyo fired a volley of Hama no Ya, taking out a third of the first wave.

"Kaze no Kizu!" Inu-Yasha took out much more. But everyone's hopes dimmed though when the second wave came and the third after that. To Kagome's horror, they were separated from each other by the sheer numbers.

It was obvious that Naraku wants this to be the last battle. The size of the demon force is overwhelming, all of his underlings and detachments are a part of the attack. Kagura went after Inu-yasha after she beheaded Kouga. Kanna took Shippo's soul, letting his small form fall to the ground to be trampled by the on-coming demons. Kagome had no room to cry as Hakudoushi stepped in front of her, using a small sword to cut her bow in two. To the far right, she saw Kohaku cut Sango down, his Kusarikama hitting the exact same spot on her back as it did the night he murdered their father . Kirara's roar pierced the sky as she was attacked by four giant centipedes, each grabbing a limb as a fifth tore her throat out.

With a most sinister smile, the now teenaged Hakudoushi addressed Kagome. "You do realize that this is hopeless, don't you? Half of your team is gone, all that is left is Miroku, Inu-Yasha, Kikyo and yourself. Miroku has already taken man so many of the hell wasps, he doesn't have much longer to live." Kagome heard the ominous crunch as he stepped on her broken bow.

Kagome shook her head, not wanting to hear any thing else. She knew that this detachment's power came from attacking one's very soul, digging at one's darkest fears. "Shut up, you evil thing! Inu-Yasha will…."

"Inu-Yasha will do nothing. He is too busy protecting Kikyo to protect you." He gestured to the left where Inu-yasha was fighting off demons as he stood over Kikyo's still form. " Now there is no one to protect you, Kagome."

At those words, the demons that once stood behind Hakudoushi rushed past him, eager to taste the miko's blood. Desperate, Kagome decided to try to do one attack that she hasn't able to perform for some time. She was able to do such a feat only twice before. The first time Kagome released a white blast was when Mistress Centipede attacked, it had melted the youkai's arms off. She had the Shikon no Tama within her body then. The second time was when she was possessed by Menomaru, when Kagome attacked Inu-yasha, she released a purple blast that sent Inu-Yasha into a tree. She had previously thought that it was Menomaru's powers that allowed her to create the attack. Those memories flashed through her mind in less than a second. Taking a deep breath, Kagome prepared to try to blast them away.

Raising her arm, Kagome steadied herself, focusing the energies to channel through her arms. She imagined a stream, a current of power beginning in her chest, flowing through her arms and into her hands. Thinking of those she has lost, she felt the power rise, making her arm feel as if it's pulsing. `Kouga, Sango, Shippo, Kirara, Miroku… I won't forget any of you!'

As Kagome neared the point to release the power, she saw a snake youkai rear up and rush forward with its jaw opened wide, aiming for her arm. She screamed as she felt its mouth closed with an audible snap.

Kagome passes out as she felt claws dig into her skull.

To Be Continued

Author's notes= Yes, some of you may think that there was a BIIIIGGG jump from them talking to Kouga to the battle scene. Or that I skimmed over some of the battle. Well, there is a method to my madness, and it will be revealed next chapter.

Yes, the chase going on in this chapter seen by Kagome & Kouga was the same one as last chapter seen by Shippo & co.

Translations=

Shakujon - a monk's staff

Hiraikotsu - "flying bone" Sango's boomerang made out of youkai bone, first forged by her grandfather.

Kusarikama - the chain and blade weapon of Kohaku

Hama no Ya - "Purity arrows" "Arrows that destroy evil" Both Kikyo and Kagome use this attack, called sacred arrows in the translated shows.