InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Guilty Hero ❯ Plots and Plans ( Chapter 53 )

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

Well, I shall begin, as usual, with an apology for the delay.  I really have little to no excuse.  My social life exploded, I had an amazing vacation (road trip across the US, aw yeah!), and I am in the process of potentially changing jobs.  It is rather stressful, but hopefully for the best in the long run.  At any rate, my life is kind of a hectic mess, and it took a sick day to give me enough time off of work to finish writing this chapter.  So I hope you all enjoy the product of my stomach bug. :P
Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, and I hope you enjoy this latest installment.
Oh yeah, and I don’t own Inu-Yasha.  It’s probably for the best.
Guilty Hero
Chapter 52: Plots and Plans   

“I can’t believe you slept the whole way here,” Sango snapped as she and Miroku unlocked their office.  “We are expecting all-out war any day.  Our car could have been attacked and you wouldn’t have even rolled over.”
“It’s just a sign of how much I trust you,” Miroku replied sleepily, ending the sentence with a loud yawn.  “Besides, we were up so late last night.”
“Then I hope you have good news for me.”
At the sound of the deep voice, Sango and Miroku whipped out their weapons and pointed them at the speaker, terrified to realize someone else was in the room.
“Sessho-maru!” Sango cried, lowering Hiraikotsu.  “Don’t scare us like that!  I almost blew your head off!”
Giving her a look that showed his disdain at the very idea, the demon rose from his chair at the front of the room.  “With a war imminent, you two should be ready for anything.  Were I an enemy, you would be dead by now.”  He glared at each of them before looking away.  “But enough of this drivel.  What news of my brother?”
Sharing a sober glance, they put their weapons away and moved to occupy their desks.
“Myoga was neither lying nor over-exaggerating in his report,” Miroku began, shrugging out of his jacket.  “I shudder to think what would have happened had we never showed up.  Bottles everywhere, broken furniture…  Inu-Yasha hadn’t bathed since this debacle started, judging from the atrocious smell.”  His whole face was screwed up in disgust at the memory.
“Inu-Yasha himself was hardly present,” Sango added in, her business-like voice softened with concern.  “He would drift in and out.  One second he was with us, and the next his mind was elsewhere, wandering.  And he had to have that damn bottle with him at all times.  We couldn’t get it away.”
“All this merely confirms the flea’s report,” Sessho-maru interrupted a touch of impatience creeping into his tone.  “I wish to know what you have done to correct this.  How are you going to get Higurashi and my idiot brother to meet?”
“We’re going to trick them,” Miroku answered calmly.  “We have everything ready to go.  First off, since Kagome won’t go near Inu-Yasha’s apartment anymore, we have to get Inu-Yasha to come out.  To accomplish this, Sango and I took it upon ourselves to rid Inu-Yasha’s apartment of every drop of booze.  We thoroughly searched every room and got rid of each bottle we discovered.”
“Of which there was a ridiculous amount,” Sango added, rubbing her forehead.
Miroku nodded in affirmation.  “Indeed.  And when Inu-Yasha wakes up, he’s gonna go looking for his precious drink, but he won’t find any.  Sango and I are counting on his withdrawal to drive him outside.  He’ll most likely go to the nearest place that sells liquor, which is that convenience store a couple of blocks away.”
“This is where you come in,” Sango said, taking over the explanation.  “Kagome’s meeting with my brother today is in that vicinity.  Miroku and I will tell her that since she’ll need to be in the area anyway, you and she can patrol it until Kohaku’s arrival.  That way, whenever Inu-Yasha finally hauls his carcass outside, you can position Kagome to where the two can meet.”
Sessho-maru stared at each of them in silence, making Miroku shift in his chair.  “Of course, what they do with their time is up to them, as we can only do so much. However, I have little doubt that they can correct some things with each other.  Judging from the garbled phrases Inu-Yasha was uttering last night, he desperately wants to have Kagome in his life once again.”
Sessho-maru’s cold eyes narrowed.  “Your plan is flawed,” he said at last, crossing his arms.  “How will you know when the half-breed rises from his stupor?  For all we know, he could wallow in unconsciousness for the next forty-eight hours.  Your plan would be utterly useless at that point.”
“Not to worry,” Miroku said with a grin.  “We have Myoga keeping watch.  He will set Inu-Yasha’s alarm clock to go off two hours before Kagome meets with Kohaku, if Inu-Yasha doesn’t appear to be rousing by that point.  Once he rises, Myoga will inform Sango and me.  That’s when we will send the two of you out on patrol.  Myoga will keep us updated on the situation, so we can let you know the moment Inu-Yasha is heading outside.”  He mirrored the demon’s posture and crossed his arms.  “Well?  Any other ways to shoot our plan down?”
Although the cold sneer remained on Sessho-maru’s face, it was clear that his posture was not quite as stiff as before.  “I suppose it is better than leaving Inu-Yasha to himself.  When is Higurashi’s meeting with Kohaku to take place?”
“Tonight, around eleven o’ clock.  Kohaku said it would be easier for him to leave the quarry at night.  Apparently that is when Naraku prefers to allow his subjects out to terrorize the city.”  
“Very well.”  He abruptly rose from his chair.  “If I am to play along tonight, then I must attend to other matters first.”  And, never having been one for goodbyes, he strode out of the apartment without another word.
Miroku shook his head.  “Out of all his talents, he does lack social skills.”
“That doesn’t really matter,” Sango replied, rolling up her sleeves.  “As long as he’s there tonight.  Now, where’s that first draft of the script for our press conference?”  When Miroku hesitated for a moment, she added gently, “We have work to bet done too, you know.  We can’t put the war on hold.”
In a begrudging manger, Miroku shuffled through the papers on his desk.  As much as he desired to concentrate on Inu-Yasha, the war now had to take precedence.

“Whew…”  Koga paused outside the doors to the Order’s training room, resting against the wall.  His t-shirt was soaked with sweat and clung to his well-muscled frame.  Tugging irritably at the loose fabric, the wolf demon sighed in frustration.  He had been running himself, his wolf pack, and the city’s police officers ragged with endless drills and training sessions over the past five weeks.  While he understood that any time to practice was valuable, boredom was setting in.  There were only so many times they could spar.  There were only so many lower-level demons currently terrorizing the city they could take out while on patrol.  And yes, Naraku was most likely an unbeatable opponent, but at least that final battle would be one to go down in history.
At least, that’s what I’m hoping, he thought wryly, using a towel to dry his brow.  For all he knew, now that Naraku had the completed Shikon Jewel he may be capable of laying waste to the entire city in a single blast.
Pondering that rather grim thought for just a moment, Koga shook his head.  Nah.  The bastard’s too cocky to win without rubbing victory in our faces.
Satisfied with that thought, he pushed off the wall and tossed his towel over his shoulder.  The time for action was coming, and soon.  Patience would simply have to be practiced until then.  It wasn’t his favorite pastime, but it was all that could be done.
He turned to walk down the hallway when a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks.
“Stop, Koga.  I've been meaning to speak with you.”  Kaede's hunched frame appeared in a nearby doorway.
“Yes, ma’am?”  He waited as she emerged and strode toward him.  She was followed by a rather large figure that Koga also recognized.  The man was two heads taller than Kaede, with graying, military-style hair.  His arms and legs were as big around as tree branches and obviously quite powerful for a human.  Behind a bushy, salt and pepper mustache were several scars and age lines.  He had remarkably piercing green eyes, which Koga felt were a boon in one of his position.
“I believe you and Chief Matsuhara have met,” Kaede said with a slight question in her voice.
“We have,” Koga replied, respectfully shaking the man’s ham-sized hand.  He normally did not put much stock in humans fighting abilities.  However, through his work with the police force, Chief Matsuhara had learned Koga’s name and had requested a few private training sessions.  After only one, Koga felt the man was more than capable of holding his own in any fight.  “Still have that nasty right hook, Chief?”
The chief smiled grimly at Koga.  “I can’t afford to lose it now.  From what Lady Kaede says, I’ll be needing it in a few days’ time.”
“Ah.”  Koga brightened considerably, his tan-furred tail twitching in excitement.  “Is that true?” he asked the older woman.  “Have we gotten more information?”
She shook her grizzled head.  “No, Koga.  However, the mole we placed in Naraku’s lair has requested a meeting with one of our agents tonight.  I have a feeling we will learn some valuable information.”
Noting Koga’s disappointed expression, Chief Matsuhara spoke up.  “We do have other clear signs that Naraku’s arrival is imminent,” he said, crossing his hands behind his back and straightening his broad shoulders.  “That weasel he slipped into the government, Muso, is slowly disappearing from the public’s eye.  He has resorted to denying any demon attacks in the city, and the rest of his policies are as flimsy as tissue paper.  I guarantee he will be assassinated or he will flee the city before long.”
“So the citizens are beginning to notice his dumb-ass campaign ain’t going so well?” the wolf sneered.
“The people of this city are noticing something doesn’t feel right,” Matsuhara replied smoothly.  “There’s something in the air.  Those who remember the last war are feeling very uneasy.  We’ve gotten several phone calls at the station asking questions.”
“The Order will be making a television appearance very soon,” Kaede added.  “We’ve wanted to warn the city for some time now, but without solid proof of Naraku’s return, we wouldn’t be taken seriously.  It could be very damaging if we were to declare a state of emergency prematurely.”
Growling, Koga balled his hands into fists at his sides.  “Naraku plays his cards a little too well, dammit.”
Kaede nodded sagely.  “Couldn’t agree more.  Which means we must be prepared.  How is the training coming along?”  She fixed him with one beady eye.
He stood a little straighter.  He was proud of the position of authority Kaede had placed him in, and he did not want to disappoint.  “Very well.  My men have gained new abilities through the training, and the police officers have improved a thousand fold.  I believe we are as ready as we will ever be.”
“Hm.”  Staring hard at him for a moment, Kaede sighed.  “That’s as may be.  With Naraku, there is no such thing.  I would like Chief Matsuhara to inspect what you have accomplished, and see where you can improve.  We must make use of every minute to train.”
His pride stinging, Koga fought to keep a scowl off his face.  “Fine.”  Turning on his heel, he gestured shortly to the chief.  “Come.  They are practicing now.”
Nodding in affirmation, Chief Matsuhara turned to Kaede.  “I will report back to you later, ma’am.  And if your agents hear anything of Muso, please inform me.  I don’t trust him.”
“You and the rest of the city, chief.”  Leaving the two to their newly assigned task, Kaede shuffled off down the hall.
Koga glared after her for a brief moment before sighing and shaking his head.  “All right.  Let’s go.”

Death was the preferable option to consciousness as Inu-Yasha’s awareness slowly returned to him.  He didn't dare to open his eyes from fear of the barrage on his senses.
A terrible thirst was the first malady he experienced upon rousing.  His mouth, tongue, and throat had apparently been replaced with sandpaper during his most recent bout of unconsciousness.  The second sensation to make itself known was pain.  It was blossoming spectacularly behind his forehead, beating a furious rhythm in his temples as though it had to make up for lost time.  And the third ailment that attacked was an overwhelming wave of nausea.  His stomach had a hurricane raging inside, and was not going to cease until the entire contents of the chamber were released.
As for the rest of his body, he was strangely numb.  He could only vaguely feel the fabric of the sheets his face was smashed against.  His arms and legs were detached and out of his control; they twitched and spasmed at irregular intervals.  It didn't occur violently or often, but it was enough to prevent him from sinking back into darkness.
And oh, how he wished he could.  A heavy, dreamless, whiskey-induced sleep was far more forgiving than reality.  Fortunately, attaining that slumber was in the realm of possibility.  It merely required a slight movement.
Slowly, achingly, he stretched out his left arm, his muscles complaining with the movement.  With his hand shaking unsteadily, he groped about the nightstand for a bottle of whiskey.  It wasn't that he recalled setting one there.  He just knew that there was always one within reach.
However, this search was proving fruitless.  His trembling fingers felt nothing but wood and a hard plastic box, which he vaguely realized was his alarm clock.  Feeling blindly for a minute more, his concern began to grow.  There was always a bottle nearby when he awoke.  In fact, the whiskey was a necessary part of rising.  Every time he had regained consciousness in the past several days, a bottle had been by his side with at least enough left to grant him energy to find more.  And he always wanted more.  Sobriety had become an uncommon and unwelcome state of existence.  He preferred to keep it that way.
Uttering a low grunt of frustration, he struggled against the lead weights on his eyelids and forced them open.  A white-hot bolt of pain seared through his head as the light from his table lamp attacked his retinas with vicious abandon.  Flinching, his eyes snapped shut once again.  He would have moaned at the unpleasant sensation, but had to keep his mouth clamped tightly shut against the rising bile.  Dearly wishing unconsciousness would return to put him out of his misery, he knew he needed liquor to achieve this.  And that was only possible by opening his eyes.
Snarling when his limbs twitched involuntarily to remind him of his needs, he hesitantly cracked his eyes once more.  The light still burned like hellfire, but he raised a quivering hand to shield his sensitive vision.  He squinted blearily at his nightstand, again struggling not to vomit as his head pounded harder and harder.
“What th' hell...” he croaked when an empty table top greeted him.  The sight was a concern.  This meant he would have to get up.  The idea was highly undesirable, but also unavoidable.  He needed his drink as soon as possible.
Fighting all the protests his aching muscles were putting up, Inu-Yasha heaved himself upright on the bed.  He stayed very still after that.  The movement made him question several things.  Had the world actually split in two, as his double-vision suggested?  Was his head going to stay attached, or would pain cause it to topple off his neck?  And was his stomach ever going to stop flip-flopping like a fish on dry dock?  It took several moments to reach any decision.  The room was indeed stationary, and his head surprisingly remained stuck to his neck.  The situation with his stomach was still questionable, but that was no shock.
“Urgh.”  Yet another tremor wracked his limbs.  It was his signal to ignore as many maladies as he could and get a move on.
Brushing the blanket off his shoulders, he gritted his teeth and pushed himself off the bed.  Unused to being fully upright, he tumbled all the way to the opposite wall.  Having little control over any part of his body was making the simple task of walking more difficult by a hundredfold.  He paused to take a few deep breaths and attempt to force his brain to stop sloshing around in his head.  Feeling as though he was wading through water up to his neck, he used the wall and his battered dresser to work his way to the door.  His steps were wobbly and uncertain.  When he reached the door, his claws clutched the doorframe tightly.  His legs trembled beneath him.
Lacking the strength to even mutter a curse at the situation, he pressed onward in his whiskey quest.  It was the only thing keeping him upright and moving.
As he stumbled from wall to wall down the hallway, his concern grew.  Even with his vision sliding in and out of focus, he could tell something was different in his apartment.  It gave him an unsettled sensation in his chest.  He didn't know what exactly felt off, but something was amiss.  The feeling came upon him even stronger when he reached the living room.  He took a brief moment to blearily gaze around, but could not focus enough to take in anything that was out of place.
With a growl, he shook his head and continued his laborious trek to the kitchen.  Such matters could be dealt with after there was a bottle in his fist.  A drink was first and foremost in his feverish mind.
Lurching toward the cabinets, his uneven path caused him to take a nasty blow from the corner of the kitchen table.  He was now beyond feeling any outside stimuli, and didn't even flinch.  What energy he had exerted getting to the kitchen left him even more vulnerable to his craving.  Desire was ready to drive him over the edge, and his salvation was but a few feet away.  Not even physical pain could distract him now.
Reaching out with his fluttering hands, he grabbed wildly at the knob to an upper cabinet.  It took several tires, but sheer determination let him win the battle.  He threw the door open with a grunt of satisfaction.
When the sight of empty shelves greeted him, his mouth dropped open in shock.  He couldn't understand what had happened.  With his dependency now so strong, he never allowed himself to be so negligent as to let his stores run dry.  So how?  How was there no booze on his shelves?
It was at this point an irrational surge of anger swept over him.  Baring his teeth in rage, he snarled loudly and slammed the cabinet shut.
“No, no, no, NO!” he howled, flinging open every door and drawer in the room in a frenzied search.  “What the hell happened?!  Where is it?!”  His kitchen was ransacked in a matter of seconds.  He flung a chair to the floor and knocked the table askew.  Scouring every inch of the counter, he scattered a pile of clean dishes everywhere.  And several drinking glasses were smashed in a fevered search through the shelves.  For several moments there was nothing but the sound of breaking dishes and furious curses as he tore the room apart.
However, with very little energy to expend, his rampage ended as rapidly as it had begun.  His tantrum came at quite a cost to his current state.  Sweat now coated his body.  It soaked his t-shirt and made his hair cling to his clammy forehead.  His limbs held all the stability of jello, and he was forced to sit down hard on the linoleum.  With the room spinning twice as fast as before, he slumped against the lower cabinets and gasped for breath.  He didn't even have the strength to raise him arm and wipe his bangs from his eyes.
After a few minutes of sitting and attempting to concoct some wild solution to his problem, he slowly came to realize that his refrigerator had somehow escaped his ire.  Though he had yet to store his favored booze in there, he was desperate enough to take a look.
Crawling across the tile, he grasped the refrigerator's handle.  With a terrible moan, he forced his useless legs straight and heaved his body off the ground.  He then staggered backward, using his body weight instead of arm strength to open the door.
While the cool air was a relief to his flushed skin, the sight inside did nothing to soothe this burning thoughts.  There was no whiskey residing on the shelves.  In fact, there was nothing but a plate of food covered in plastic, sitting innocently on the otherwise bare racks.  But since it wasn't whiskey, he paid it no mind.  Uttering a soft whimper, he leaned against the door to shut it.  He rested his forehead against the white plastic, trying to figure out the jumble of thoughts banging in his aching head.  What was he going to do?  He couldn't bear the thought of going any longer without some relief.
Heaving a sigh, he blinked when a piece of paper fluttered in the moving air.  He pulled back a bit and realized it was a sticky note.  With a slight frown, he squinted at it in an attempt to read despite his deteriorating physical condition.
“Dear Inu-Yasha,” it began in a messy print.  “We stopped by to check up on you, but you weren't feeling very well.  We put you to bed, and then decided to help out and clean up your apartment.  There is some food in the fridge when you get hungry.  We hope you're feeling better.  Take care, Sango and Miroku.”
His hand shaking even worse than a few minutes prior, Inu-Yasha tugged the note free and let it float to the floor.  It explained so much.  He now understood what was feeling 'off' in his apartment, and why his alcohol stores were empty.
Sango and Miroku had cleaned up.  The collection of empty bottles, dirty glasses, and dust that had built up was gone.  The floor and tables were clear, the carpet had been vacuumed and the dishes washed.  And apparently, they had decided that a part of their cleaning process was to throw away any remaining whiskey in the apartment.
Had he been in a more normal state of mind, Inu-Yasha would have cursed them for their dirty play.  They had pulled this stunt on him before, when he would dip a little too deep into the bottle in years past.  He usually responded with a terrible temper tantrum. However, he had no energy to waste getting angry this time.  Instead, he had to fix the issue the same way he had countless times before.
Urgency giving him speed, he scrabbled for the front door.  His only hope now lay in the small convenience store a couple of blocks away.  If he hurried, he might make it before his body completely shut down.  He was uncertain what would happen at that point, but he really didn't want to find out.
His legs were trembling so badly that he only made it down a couple of steps before he lost his footing. Tumbling down to the next landing, he groaned in pain when he hit the floor.  He paused for only a moment to swallow rising bile before resorting to a childish, but necessary, means to descend the stairs.  He slid down the next five flights on his bottom, clutching at the rungs of the guard rail.  His arms shook warningly, but he clung on out of sheer necessity.  Sweat was streaming down his face and dripping off his nose, while beads of it coated his forearms.  His body felt as though it was burning, and everything was spinning crazily in his vision.  Queasiness made his head throb and his stomach churn relentlessly.  Finally he had to shut his eyes to finish the descent.  There was no other way to make it.
After an interminable length of time, or so he felt, his shaking hands grasped at nothing but thin air.  With the sudden lack of support, he quickly fell off the last step and landed face-first on the ground floor.
“Ohh...”  He remained prone for a moment, not caring that his face was pressed against the dirt-encrusted concrete.  Then, painstakingly, he hauled his tortured body upright, gripping the last post with slick palms.  Breathing heavily, he swayed on his feet and leaned against the railing.  There was very little hope he was going to make it as far as two blocks.  The walk to the convenience store was akin to scaling a mountain, but he had no other choice.  Now nothing but a mindless slave to his vices, he pushed away from the stairs and staggered outside.
Adjusting her coat collar to protect her neck from the chill of evening air, Kagome glanced irritably at her partner.  They had only been out for an hour or so, but Sessho-maru was irritating her already frayed nerves.  He had spent the duration of their patrol leaping from rooftop to park bench to lamppost and back again in a rather frustrating fashion.  Only one who had spent any amount of time with him would notice, but he appeared rather restless.  She had heard him whispering into his earpiece quite frequently, but never within earshot.  It was obvious he didn't want her to hear, and it she was tiring of it quickly.
Frankly, she had enough to worry about.  Naraku's reappearance loomed closer by the day, but was still cloaked in mystery.  Her meeting with Kohaku tonight would hopefully help clear the air around the matter, but nothing was certain.  Kohaku was putting himself at a great risk to get her the information.  But why only her?  She slipped her hand around the crossbow in her pocket as she slowly wandered down the sidewalk.  The boy had been very adamant in his cold, abrupt phone call to Sango and Miroku.  It had to be her.  Absolutely no other person could be nearby.  What was so special that could only be passed along to her?  She was rather anxious to find out.
Taking a deep breath, she shook her head.  All in good time.  Her meeting was still an hour away.  For now, she needed to focus on the patrol.  Demonic activity was blatantly on the rise.  Wandering around after hours with her head in the clouds was asking for an attack.
When she heard the rustle of leaves to her right, her hand automatically gripped the crossbow in preparation to attack.  However, her senses informed her that it was Sessho-maru, and she relaxed almost immediately.
“Higurashi.”  His deep voice came to her from behind the frail coverage of a small tree tucked in a courtyard.
“What?” she asked, her tone slightly clipped.  He was not on the best of terms with her tonight.  More so than usual, even.
“Do you not sense that presence?  There is a demon among us.”
She rolled her eyes, pulling her weapon completely out of her pocket.  “You mean, besides you?”  In the beat of silence Sessho-maru often gave her in response to a snippy comment, she immediately regretted the remark.  Goodness, I'm so short-tempered tonight.  What's wrong with me?
“Retire your feeble quips, Higurashi.  Focus on the task at hand.”
With a deep breath in an attempt to smooth her frayed temper, she lifted her crossbow and shut her eyes.  Reaching out with her senses, she tried to find what Sessho-maru was speaking of.  The area had been unusually quiet this evening, but she was able to feel the presence of a very minor demon.  In fact, one with an aura so weak was usually of such small stature that it could do little to no harm.
“I sense nothing but a minor imp,” she replied at last, opening her eyes.  Her tone was not argumentative; she had complete faith in Sessho-maru's abilities.  When he said there was a demon present, she believed him.  “Do you think that's a cause for concern?”
“Hm.”  His cold eyes narrowed as he stared down the road.  “Perhaps.”
Kagome, while watching the end of the road as well, gazed at Sessho-maru out of the corner of her eye.  His hackles were visibly raised, something which she rarely saw on him, and she noticed that he quickly turned off his earpiece.  Frowning, she finally asked, “This doesn't have anything to do with who you've been talking to for the past couple hours, does it?”  It was an explanation that made a good deal of sense.  If her senses were telling her it was just a minor demon, but Sessho-maru was worried, he probably knew more about this demon than he was letting on.  So perhaps whoever he had been speaking with had been feeding him information.  And as soon as she realized this, her temper sparked.  She and Sessho-maru, however grudgingly they worked together, were a team.  If he was hiding information from her, then their efforts were useless.
Peeling his eyes from the road ahead so he could glare at her for just a moment, Sessho-maru replied coldly, “Have I ever given you reason to disregard what I say, Higurashi?”
Meeting his glare with a perfectly capable one of her own, Kagome chose not to answer the question.  While what he said was true, she still was suspicious.  Her senses had yet to fail her.  What was so different about this lurking demon?
“You still do not trust me.”  The ire in Sessho-maru's tone was quite obvious.  He turned to face her, his cold eyes burning into her.  She almost felt guilty under his gaze.  “Very well.  I shall leave you to deal with this.  Let's see how you fare with this demon.”  Without giving her the opportunity to argue, he leaped straight up onto the nearest rooftop and then sprang away.
“Hmmph.”  Staring after his retreating form for just a second, Kagome disdainfully flipped her hair over her shoulder.  Fear was not a part of her demeanor; she could handle whatever situation she was dealt.  Rather, it was the strange behavior of her supposed ‘partner’ that had her vexed.   
They had been working together for weeks now.  What was it about tonight that had the demon acting so strangely?  Usually her quips and comments went ignored by Sessho-maru.  Rarely did he ever react.  But it seemed tonight he was not going to stand for them.  Was this his way of punishing her, perhaps?
With a sigh, Kagome shook her head.  This war has everybody out of whack.
For now, she had been given a job.  She and Sessho-maru could settle things later back at headquarters.  With that thought in mind, she tugged her crossbow out of her pocket and snapped the prongs into place.  Time to go see what has Sessho-maru’s silk boxers tied up in a knot.
She strode confidently down the sidewalk, pausing only when she hit the street corner.  She could tell that the demon she sought was around the corner, and possibly a couple of blocks away even still.  It would be best to sneak around now and take away the element of surprise her foe could potentially gain over her.  So, taking a deep breath, she raised her crossbow and silently slipped around the brick building.
A quick survey of her surroundings brought a familiar sight.  She had been on this particular stretch of road many times.  Unfortunately, it was a place she had no real desire to see again.  Painful memories were being dragged to the surface already.
Just ahead on her right was the convenience store that her former patient had often used to restock his shelves with liquor and to fill his pockets with cigarette packs.  And approximately three blocks ahead loomed the dark, ten-story high apartment building that she had spent so many wasted hours in.  These sights halted her progress for several seconds as she dealt with the wave of memories.
“Keep it together, Kagome,” she whispered, gripping her crossbow with both hands.  “Focus.”  There was still a minor imp nearby.  While feeble in power, it could do serious damage to one who wasn’t paying attention.
Keeping to the shadows as much as possible, she silently crept her way up the first block.  She hid behind any building or bush she could find, straining to catch a glimpse of her opponent.  Her senses informed her that this demon was awfully close, but it wasn’t until she reached the next side street before she caught sight of a dark silhouette.
Crouching down behind a trash can on the corner, Kagome warily eyed the shadowy figure that was several yards before her.  It was too dark to make out any kind of detail, but there were a few things about this creature that sparked concern.
Firstly, its gait was uneven and unsteady.  The figure would barrel forward for a few steps with little to no control, and then tumble backwards as it overbalanced.  It staggered to and fro, so dramatically that Kagome feared it would fall off the curb and into the road.
Secondly, this creature’s behavior was quite erratic.  It clutched at its arms for several seconds, but then its limbs would twitch so violently that they would break free from the demon’s apparently weak grip.  It attempted to keep a firm grip, but every few seconds another thrash would disturb the demon’s intent.  It appeared to have no power over its limbs.
This particular habit piqued Kagome’s curiosity.  Rarely had she met a demon with no control over its body.  Such a trait usually meant that it had gained a great deal of power in a short amount of time, and its body could not handle the effects.  In fact, it was a habit that demons with a Shikon Jewel shard often possessed.  However, she knew Naraku had obtained the completed Jewel, rendering her theory impossible.  So what was happening to this creature?
It took merely a few more seconds of spying for everything to click into place.
The demon, with its wandering gait, took an unusually long stretch of time to reach the next lamppost.  But when he finally clung to it in desperation and relief, an oh-so-familiar shock of white hair flashed in the glow of the streetlight.  
Realization hit Kagome like a ton of bricks.  The pitiful creature before her was none other than Inu-Yasha.  His unsteady steps and odd behavior were not only explained, but they also confirmed her greatest fears.  He was back on the same destructive path he had once traveled, but she knew that this time the results could easily be fatal.
“Oh dear…” she breathed softly as she slowly rose from behind the trash can.  This was the first time she had seen the half-demon in nearly two months, and it was clear the time had not been good to him.  She watched in horror when he suddenly doubled over, clutching his abdomen.  His shoulder catching the lamppost was the only thing that kept him upright.  And then he vomited all over the pavement.  Even from over a block away, Kagome could hear the retching.  It was clear his stomach was violently repelling whatever resided in its chamber.
Shaking her head, she took a step backward.  She did not want to deal with this.  In a mere hour, she had an important meeting to learn information crucial to the city’s survival.  Dealing with the slew of emotions the hanyou evoked was not a good idea.  She needed to stay in control.
I can’t get involved again.  I can’t.  
Taking a few deep breaths, she squared her shoulders and stared straight ahead.  Inu-Yasha would simply have to be ignored.  She could not jeopardize the mission, or ultimately, the outcome of the war, just for the man who spurned her so many weeks ago.  
So, sending a glare in the half-demon’s direction, she turned on her heel.  She had the sinking suspicion that a certain full-demon had played her for the fool, and she was going to find him and give him a piece of her mind.  Anything, even anger, to divert her thoughts from Inu-Yasha was a welcome distraction.
However, as she took her first determined strides, Inu-Yasha let out a particularly wretched dry-heave that stopped her cold.
Damn it.
Shutting her eyes with the realization, she muttered softly, “Damn you, Sessho-maru.”  With great reluctance, she spun around once more and walked briskly over to the light that Inu-Yasha was precariously hanging onto.
The closer she got, the more driven her steps became.  She was able to take in more and more maladies as she approached, and the list was quite extensive.  His whole body was trembling.  The hair that had fallen in front of his face was limp and scraggly.  His baggy clothes outlined his emaciated frame.  His claws, clutching weakly at the pole, were split and chipped.  But perhaps what concerned her the most was the fact that he did not register her presence.  
She could recall a time when he could catch her scent from a mile away.  Even when he was completely wasted, he would still rouse enough to greet her when she arrived at his apartment.  But now, when she gripped him under his arms and tugged him upright, he offered no sign of recognition.  A weak moan was her only response.
Hauling his limp body to a nearby bench, she tugged and pulled until he was at last seated on the wood.  She then collapsed next to him and they both sat wordlessly, panting for breath.
When her breathing started to slow, she turned to study Inu-Yasha and her worry only increased.  His head had fallen back as he gasped for air.  She could see how sunken his cheeks and eyes were.  The rings around his orbs were so dark that it appeared as though he had been in a fight.  And the mess on his chin and his cracked lips only made his appearance more pathetic.  She also noted that his feet were bare, and he was clad in pajamas.  He had obviously left his apartment in a hurry, and she was curious as to why.
“Damn it,” she cursed again, watching as his arms and legs twitched occasionally and his hands shook continuously on his lap.  Withdrawal.  And very bad.  How could he do this?  After everything he went through…
Finally getting some of his breath back, Inu-Yasha shifted uncomfortably on the bench and opened his eyes.  He peered fuzzily about himself, then blinked and swiped at his chin with his forearm.  Glancing down at the sick now coating his arm, he growled angrily.  Kagome noticed sweat was beading on his brow.  He heaved his quivering body upright and attempted to stand despite his numerous ailments.
Reacting quickly, Kagome pushed down hard on his shoulders.  He needed to rest, not go gallivanting all over the city.  In his condition, he would hardly be able to make it to the next block before fainting.
Surprised by the impediment and completely incapable of fighting back, the half-demon returned to his seat with a loud thump.  “What th’ hell…?” he grunted hoarsely.  Apparently, her presence was still going unnoticed.  He merely shook his head woozily and attempted to rise once again.  And, just as before, Kagome barred his passage.
This time, however, he fought against her.  He was determined to rise.
“Dammit,” he growled, struggling under her hands.  “Lemme go!  I need outta here!”
She didn’t need to look to know where he was so desperate to go.  The convenience store she had passed to meet him was just a few yards behind her, waiting innocently to lure the hopeless addict inside.  Staring into his feverish eyes, it was quite clear he was desperate for that damning golden liquor resting on the shelves.
“No,” she said loudly, pushing hard on his shoulders.  Being a half-demon, he should have easily been able to overtake her.  The fact that she was currently holding him down with minimal effort only added to her concern.  “You need to sit down.”
“Who th’ hell’re you?!” he snarled back.  There was a touch of panic in his voice.  “Nobody tells me what t’ do!  I need m-my whiskey!  Let me go!”
“Inu-Yasha!” Kagome boomed, surprising even herself with the force of her voice.  “Sit down! Now!”
Perhaps it was the strength with which she spoke.  Perhaps it was the sudden burst of pressure she applied to his shoulders.  Or perhaps it was hearing his name coming from the mouth of someone who he had thought, up till now, to be a total stranger.  But whatever the reason, he was shocked into silence.  His legs quickly gave out, and he dropped to the bench.
Kagome met his confused stare with a fierce scowl, crossing her arms tightly in frustration.  These were exactly the feelings she had wanted to avoid by meeting him, and it was clear things were not going well.
As she slowly and stiffly reclaimed her place next to him, she at last noticed the flicker of recognition in his face.
“Kagome!” he shouted suddenly, making her start in surprise.  His weak body sagged toward her a little, and she shied away from the proximity.  “It’s you!”
Disturbed, and uncertain of how to react, Kagome eyed him warily.  “Yes…?” she said, not certain if he was angry or delighted to see her.
In an attempt to get an even closer look at her, Inu-Yasha slumped over, using a frail arm to keep himself at least partially upright.  He peered hazily at her, his brow furrowing as he tried to concentrate.  It was so intense that Kagome shrunk away from the attention.  Seeing him in such a state was quite disturbing, and the fact that she was dealing with a torrent of emotions did nothing to soothe her nerves.
“H-here, Inu-Yasha… Please.”  Digging into her pocket, she pulled out a tissue and silently breathed a sigh of relief at her resourcefulness.  “Clean yourself up.”  Perhaps, a couple months ago she would have done it for him, but that time was long gone.  He could clean his own vomit up now.
It took him a moment to realize she had said anything at all, and a moment longer to switch his focus from her face to the tissue in her fingers.   Slowly, his shaky claws snagged the thin paper from her grasp and he roughly attempted to mop up the splatter from his mouth and arm.
As he studiously worked, Kagome stared at him from the corner of her eye.  Now that he knew who she was, she didn’t dare look at him straight on.  It would seem, despite the cruel words he had spoken to her upon their last meeting, she still held some sway over him.  The whiskey craze that had been threatening to take control had ebbed somewhat.  His body was still wracked with tremors, but his mind seemed to have regained a little more stability.
“Wh…why’re you here?”  Even his voice was shaky, emulating the rest of his body.  She could still make out neither joy nor anger in his voice.  Rather, he was strangely serious.  His tone was solemn, but there was a strong undercurrent of confusion.
“I’m working,” she answered coldly, keeping her eyes locked on the empty road before her.  “I would pose the same question to you, but I already know the answer.”
She could feel his surprised gaze, and let out a heavy sigh.  “Booze, Inu-Yasha.  You were out getting some.”
“Oh… Y-yes.”  He slowly rubbed his face, where sweat was still trickling down.  It was yet another sign of the withdrawal he was suffering.  “Um, where have y-you been?”  
This time, his voice was slightly detached.  His confusion had now reached the point where Kagome was growing concerned.  He wasn’t just unable to follow the conversation.  He was wondering where he was and what was happening in the world.  This led Kagome to ponder if he had actually been intoxicated for the entirety of the past two months—an act that would have killed a mere human.  She shuddered to think of the effects it would have on her former patient.
“You should know.  You were the one who dropped out of the Order, not me.”
At her response, he growled and slumped forward.  His shaking hands were balled into fists and he was weakly banging himself in the side of the head with them.  Kagome watched with morbid fascination, until she realized he wasn’t planning to stop anytime soon.
“Inu-Yasha!  Stop that immediately!  You’re killing whatever brain cells you have left.”
He stared fearfully at her when she wrenched one of his arms down, jarring him out of his thoughts.  “Wait.  Wait,” he mumbled, waving limply at her.  “Y-you… you weren’t home this wh-whole time?  That wasn’ you?”
That seemingly simple question broke the damn holding back Kagome’s feelings.  It was too much.  
“No, Inu-Yasha,” she hissed, whipping around to fix him with a chillingly frigid glare.  “No, after what you said to me two months ago, I vowed never to speak to you again!  Which includes not going to your apartment!”
Inu-Yasha flinched back, surprised by the sudden verbal attack.  Even though he was clumsily trying to figure out that any memory he had of the past several weeks was probably unreal, there was no misunderstanding the fury coming out of the girl sitting next to him.  She was, in a word, pissed.
“It’s so nice to know that while you decided to literally drown yourself in booze, you were able to hallucinate a nice little version of me, so you could continue to live that idyllic life you so badly wanted!  Well guess what, Inu-Yasha?!  I had to deal with what you said to me!  I had to pretend that you were no longer important!  I had to try and live without guilt, without thinking that you had undoubtedly slipped back into your old lifestyle!  It hurt, Inu-Yasha!  It still does!”
She was on her feet now, jabbing the open-mouthed hanyou in his thin chest with each sentence as though her rage were more easily felt that way.
“I cared about you!” she shouted, her eyes flashing a bright blue.  “I cared, and I worried, and I thought about you every day!  I tried not to, but I couldn’t help it!  Even after you hurt me so badly, I didn’t stop worrying!   And now I see how you were affected by all this.  You just drank everything away.  All those bad feelings you just tucked down into the bottom of another empty bottle.  You ran away from your problems, just like you always do.”
She stood up straight, placing her hands on her hips as she stared down at Inu-Yasha.  “I know I shouldn’t have expected any better, but I did.  I always hoped for you to get better, Inu-Yasha.  But I can see now it was a total waste of time.”  
She turned around so her back was toward him.  Her arms crossed tightly over her chest, and her shoulders trembled as she tried to hold back tears.
The air fell silent and thick between the pair.  Kagome’s back was stiff with anger, while Inu-Yasha stared agape at her.  Even though his tremors had done nothing but worsen over the past few minutes, he barely noticed the ailment now.  
“K-Kagome…I-I…”
“Don’t even bother,” she snapped.  “You’re way too late.  You’re in too deep to be saved by now.  I’m not going to try anymore.  I already wasted a year of my life on you.  I wasted a year of time, effort, energy, patience…love…”  She choked a little on the word.  “And what did I get from it?  Did I get the healthy, happy hanyou that I so desperately wanted?  No.  I was a fool, thinking I could bring you back from all that.  I had a chance at healing your body, and I was even helping to heal your mind.  But there’s one part of you I’ll never be able to change.”  She glowered at him over her shoulder.  Her stare was so fierce that he slumped down under her gaze, hardly able to meet it.
“Cowardice.”
He flinched at the word.
“A year of hard work.  A year of tears, of setbacks, of successes, all tossed out the window because you—“  An accusatory finger was thrust in his direction. “—are a coward.  You let Naraku win.  He hasn’t even emerged from the quarry, and yet he’s already beaten you.  I always thought there was more to you than that, Inu-Yasha.  I now know… I was wrong.”
Retrieving her crossbow from where she had absently placed it on the bench a few minutes prior, she snapped the prongs shut and slipped it into her pocket.  “I’m not wasting any more time on you, Inu-Yasha.  I am going to live my life free of the burdens you placed on me.  You can never take anything away from me again.  While you poison yourself to a very early grave with that damn alcohol, I will be living life to the fullest—or at least die trying.”
She made to walk away, but paused and approached the silent half-demon one last time.  “There is one more thing I’ve wanted to do since we last spoke…” she said fiercely.  She had leaned down, and her face was so close that Inu-Yasha clearly saw the tears pooling in her flashing eyes.
Suddenly, the world spun in his vision when her hand connected with his cheek, fueled by the force of a wrecking ball.  However, he didn’t bother to turn back to meet her gaze after that.  There was no point.  He was far beyond redeeming himself now.
“I don’t ever want to see you again,” she said quietly, both malice and sorrow strangling her voice.
She strode away quickly after that, desperate to get far from the ailing half-demon as fast as she could.  It did not ease her fevered state of mind when, a few minutes after her departure, a tortured howl was faintly heard.  Dropping onto a bench, she buried her face in her hands and wept.
“Higurashi.”
The strange voice caused Kagome to jump in surprise.  Despite the terrible danger, she had become lost in thought, spending the better part of an hour sitting at the predetermined meeting place in front of the park and gazing at the sky.  Her mind was elsewhere, far away from the matters of the city.  It seemed, somehow, that her mission had lost its importance.  It was hard to dredge up the drive to carry out her task.
However, with the dark figure of a young man emerging from the trees in front of her, Kagome quickly tried to force her mind back to the present.  
“K-Kohaku,” she replied in greeting, clearing her throat as her voice cracked.  Several minutes of weeping tended to constrict her voice, and she did not wish to sound weak in front of the boy.
Kohaku tilted his head slightly as he peered left and right.  “Are we alone?” he asked, his tone almost accusatory.  Being an obviously seasoned fighter, he clearly was able to sense the answer to that question.  However, he was testing her honesty, and she wasn’t about to disappoint.
“Of course,” she answered smoothly.  The boy’s arrival was helping to break her out of her depressing thoughts.  He was just the focus she needed to get her mind back in the game.  “And you are as well, I see.  Tell me, what news do you have for us?  We need any information we can g our hands on.”
Kohaku nodded.  “I understand, but we can’t speak here.  It’s too open.  Please, follow me.”  He gestured for her to trail after him.
Leading the way into the park, Kagome could easily understand what he meant.  With the tall trees and heavy foliage, it was practically pitch black without the sunlight to guide the way.  Nobody would be able to find them.  However, the darkness had a sinister feel to it.  With one so in tune with her senses, Kagome felt several chills running down her spine.  She did not care for the situation, but found little choice but to follow.  The place gave her the creeps, certainly.  But she could feel no malice from Kohaku, and he was certain to have essential information.  It wouldn’t do to give up so early on.
“Here is far enough,” Kohaku said at last, raising his hand and turning to face her.
“All right, then.”  Kagome crossed her arms and regarded the boy.  “What can you tell us about Naraku?  Has he consumed the entire Jewel yet?  Does he have any secret weapons that we don’t know about?”
Kohaku met her gaze with an even one of his own.  He appeared entirely unafraid.  “Lord Naraku has indeed consumed the Jewel in its entirety, and grows more powerful by the day.  He is intending to attack within the next couple of days.  The city will burn, Higurashi.  He is beyond what you can imagine.”
A little concerned with the strange way he spoke, Kagome asked again, “What of weapons?”
A small smirk tugged at the corner of Kohaku’s mouth.  “Lord Naraku is in the process of acquiring a weapon that, given the proper circumstances, will become deadly to all who encounter it.”
Her brow furrowing, Kagome took a step closer to him.  “And just what is it, exactly?  You’re being awfully cryptic, Kohaku.”
He did not retreat.  “You are well aware of the explosive power when energies demonic and holy combine, are you not?”
Gasping, Kagome covered her mouth.  “Naraku has discovered another priestess?  Is there another with holy powers?  Or is he plotting to kidnap Kaede?!”  Her voice heightened with terror at the realization.
Kohaku shook his head.  “No, Higurashi.  He’s plotting to kidnap you.”
And before Kagome could react, he raised a mask over his face and heaved a poison pellet at her.  She sank into darkness before she could even lift her crossbow.
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Another chapter done, at last.  Another cliffie started, yay!   I’m sure you’re all thrilled about it.  Anyways, please leave a review, as you all know I love to hear your thoughts.