InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Hanyou's Heart ❯ Rabid ( Chapter 7 )

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

Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha; this is a work of fanfiction

Chapter Seven: Rabid

Episode One: Seeing Red

Blood. He could see it even before he struck. It seemed to coat the night, an envelope of red over the world. Hiten and his two brutes were standing over Kagome, who was half-naked, herself, and their attention was firmly fixed upon her. He was upon them in an instant, and one of the brutes happened to look up in time to catch five sharp claws in his face.

Inuyasha dragged his claws deeply through the brute's face before pulling back to swipe at the other, fingers covered in blood and one eye hanging on the end of his talons. The thing screamed in pain but was quickly joined by the agonized cries of its similar. Inuyasha took the rib bone that he had pulled out of the second brute and stabbed it at Hiten, who managed to dodge it at the last second. Instead, Inuyasha plunged the bone downwards into the back of the fallen demon and into its heart, rejoining it with its friends.

Hiten leapt away and hurriedly grabbed up his spear, but Inuyasha was much too fast for him. His talons lopped away the end of the spear and then clamped painfully around Hiten's fragile neck. Hiten's hand grasped at Inuyasha in a futile attempt to do anything. Grimacing, or perhaps grinning, Inuyasha tightened his hold, crushing the demon's throat. Blood trickled down out of Hiten's mouth, and he spit in derision at the hanyou. The demon's blood on his face only made Inuyasha hungrier to kill, however, to bathe in blood.

By pure chance, Hiten's hand managed to find the sword still imbedded in Inuyasha’s shoulder. Laughing, or choking, in triumph, he yanked the sword free of the hanyou and plunged it again into his chest. Inuyasha growled furiously and stared at the sword as if trying to figure out what it was, then he tightened his grip still more. Hiten wrenched the sword free and stabbed again and would have tried once more, but Inuyasha slapped his hand from the hilt in annoyance.

Looking from sword to demon, Inuyasha finally came to the conclusion that he didn't want to break Hiten's neck. He wanted more blood. The hanyou dropped Hiten to the earth and drew the sword out of his breast. Hiten sobbed and gasped on all fours before the sword-wielding monster. Inuyasha raised the sword high, hoping to lop off something large but not fatal, when the surviving one-eyed brute crashed into him from behind.

The thing tackled him to the ground, but he kicked at it and rolled away and back onto his feet. The thing lumbered to its feet just in time to have the sword driven through its remaining eye. The sword stuck out from the back of its skull, glistening darkly. Out of weapons, the hanyou turned back to Hiten, flexing his claws.

Hiten managed to bring himself to his feet, but his balance was unsteady and he nearly fell over twice before Inuyasha made a move towards him. He didn't even manage a shout. Claws tore at his chest, his arms, his legs, his stomach, his face and eventually his throat. Inuyasha quite literally tore the demon apart, enjoying each new fountain of blood, each wet ripping sound as he tore flesh from flesh.

By the end, it was hard to tell exactly what parts of Hiten were what. Most of the bones were whole…a few claw marks, but unbroken, but all of the flesh had been shredded and flung about haphazardly, like bright red confetti. And Inuyasha stood in the center of it. A noise caused him to leap from his party mess. He landed, claws raised to find Kagome retching behind a tree.

She drew away from him a little, but seemed too weak to make any real attempt at escape. Her clothes were in better shape than his, which were tattered rags somewhere, stained with blood, but anything would have been better than those. Her shirt had been completely ripped down the front so that her breasts were exposed, and her skirt was shredded at the bottom and torn in half down the middle. She made an effort to close the flapping halves of her skirt, but it didn't work, and there was no way those bits torn cloth were going to cover her bosom.

Suddenly Inuyasha grew quite dizzy. The blood, and Kagome's current dress, or lack of it was affecting him in a strange way. His blood began to boil, if possible, even more than it already had been. Somewhere inside of him, there was a rational bit of the hanyou called Inuyasha, but it was overwhelmed completely in the demon blood coursing through his naked body.

Once she had realized Inuyasha wasn't going to kill her, and after she had realized her clothing was impossible, Kagome had finally noticed Inuyasha’s own clothing problem. She blushed faintly and her eyes slowly tracked downwards…Kagome's expression suddenly became very surprised, embarrassed, angry, disgusted, and then angry again very quickly. Forgetting that Inuyasha was a mad killing machine, she shouted "Sit!"

Inuyasha crashed to the earth, sending several sprays of blood as wounds reopened suddenly. His growl was murderous, and his eyes still glowed the color of blood. He levered himself back up and grabbed a tattered piece of Kagome's shirt, pulling her against him. Her eyes widened and she nearly blushed again, but her anger was not yet gone, and the reminder in her stomach only made her more furious and humiliated.

"Sit! Sit! Sit!" She shouted for all she was worth, which admittedly was not much at this point. Somehow, Inuyasha seemed to flash out of sight before she finished the first word, causing her to lose her balance. By the time she had finished the third 'sit', she was on her butt and Inuyasha was nowhere to be found.

The sun rose slowly. It had been a long night…a scary, sickening long night. Kagome had felt physically ill at the though of the bodies laying about her, but she had been too frightened to leave the spot. With the red rays of morning now lighting the clearing, she felt the need to vomit some more. So she did. The gore was even worse in this light than she had expected. The red light made the blood and gore shine, and there was a lot of blood and gore.

Inuyasha had never reappeared. Kagome wasn't sure what to think of that. She was scared of that murderous thing he transformed into, but she didn't think it was really him. And he'd return to normal, soon…wouldn't he? She crawled over to the lump of rags that was his clothing. They were covered in blood, and even if they hadn't been, they were in even worse condition than her own, so she was still essentially naked.

She held them against her breasts nonetheless, not for decency, but for comfort. An hour passed, possibly two, and Inuyasha had not returned. She was stranded in the middle of a demon-infested forest in the feudal era, with no Inuyasha and no clue how to get back home. Kagome was already crying when the wolves came.

Episode Two: Eyes Of Blood

Kouga was more than a little surprised to find the half-naked human girl where he did. He and his wolves had been patrolling, making safe the forest surrounding the new rebel headquarters, so he maintained. That bastard hanyou was in this forest, Kouga could smell him. His stench was strong as they approached the clearing, the stench of his blood…but somehow it was different. Certainly the scent of hanyou blood hung heavily in the air, but also was the scent of a fully-blooded dog-demon, and a powerful one from what Kouga could tell. Who could that be? Lord Sesshoumaru was dead, and so the last of the powerful family was gone, unless one counted the hanyou…He didn't count in Kouga's mind.

There were other scents as well. Demons, a couple of brutes, and a powerful demon, possibly Lord Hiten, one of Naraku's lieutenants. Oh, and that human girl. She was a bare flicker in Kouga's mind, unimportant, though fairly pretty, in that weak human sort of way. Inuyasha was the important one. He had led Naraku's demons to the rebel camp, Kouga knew he had, and more importantly, he'd embarrassed Kouga before his own men. Kouga wouldn't let things stand at that. He'd kill Inuyasha and parade his corpse about for all the rebels to see. That bitch Sango would finally acknowledge his power, and stop looking to the dogs for deliverance.

Entering the clearing was like stumbling upon an open-air slaughterhouse. Blood and gore decorated the very trees, and green patches of grass contrasted starkly to the red-dyed ground that was more prevalent. There in the middle of it all, sitting near a large puddle of blood, dry now, was the girl. Kouga was stunned at her appearance. She was covered in blood, and her face, beneath the red painting, was purpling quickly. Her clothes, what little of them Kouga could still call clothing, did nothing to hide her body.

Kouga took an involuntary step back, taken aback by the obvious violence of the clearing. The two wolves with him gasped and uttered oaths in surprised voices. Surprised and a little fearful. Whatever had done this, they didn't want to be here if it came back. From the amount of gore littering the clearing, and the strong scent of hanyou-blood, Kouga first assumed that Inuyasha was among the ruins of flesh, but as he drew nearer, he realized that these bits of demon were not dog, but the other demons that he had smelled trailing Inuyasha.

He was within yards of Kagome before she noticed him. Her head swung up and around when he came closer, eyes not quite full of fear. Kouga had to respect her for that. After what she'd been through, most human girls would be hysterical. She was clutching some rags against her breast, as if they were going to protect her. The stench of hanyou was overpowering here. This blood, it was all Inuyasha’s. So…he was dead, after all. What this girl clutched so desperately were his clothes, soaked with his blood, which Kouga now realized what was covering the girl as well. It wasn't her blood, none of it that he could tell, but the hanyou's rubbing off of his clothing.

The girl was trembling, possibly readying herself for flight, as if she could escape HIM…No, he couldn't let her run off. He had to know what had happened to the hanyou. Perhaps once he had finished that…He took in her near-nude state again, as were his companions. They were leering lewdly. Sango would frown on such mistreatment of the girl, besides, the girl didn't deserve that. Kouga stepped softly up to her, making an exaggerated effort to seem unthreatening. He knelt beside her, careful not to get any of that reeking dog blood on himself, and wiped her face gently with a leaf.

She looked up at him with a strange look in her eyes, possibly gratitude? Or maybe just plain relief? "Girl…umm, Kagome, you are all right?" He waited for her tentative nod. "Good, I am glad. The bad demons are all gone now. This isn't a good place for you to be though. Maybe you should come with myself and my companions back to the rebel camp?" She looked uncertain about that. "You should probably tell us what happened here…Could you tell me, now?"

Kagome suddenly looked very sick, and more than a little frightened. "The- the demons attacked us and…Inuyasha couldn't protect himself. He…" She broke off and buried her face in the rags once again. So much for his effort at cleaning her face.

"I'm certain it was very frightening. A mere hanyou couldn't have stood a chance against those demons." She started trembling violently. "Don't be afraid though. We are strong, and we'll protect you. You are lucky to be safe. Though…" Perhaps he'd spoken too soon, her clothing showed plainly that she hadn't escaped the demons' evil, or perhaps that'd been the hanyou's work. For some reason this infuriated Kouga, especially that it might have been Inuyasha who had despoiled this girl…Of course, that was only natural. He'd been amongst humans for so long…he was starting to think like them. Besides, this girl…was much prettier than he'd thought at first. Despite her state, Kouga was having trouble keeping his eyes from drifting…drifting and fixing themselves in place.

"Inu…Inuyasha isn't dead." This was mumbled so softly that even Kouga had trouble hearing it, and he wasn't certain he'd heard right in any case.

"What!"

Kagome spoke a bit more assuredly this time, "Inuyasha isn't dead. He…killed the demons, but he wasn't right…he…his eyes were red…and he…he's in the forest somewhere."

The three wolves looked around at the carnage. The hanyou had done this? Red eyes? Had he gone berserk somehow, maybe insane? Suddenly his two companions were getting edgy. Kouga himself was a bit anxious to leave this place, as well…though not from fear of any hanyou…certainly not. He just wanted to get Kagome back to safety, of course.

"Come, Kagome, let me take you back with me."

Kagome looked at him almost with panic in her eyes. "But Inuyasha…he'll be back, soon." Her eyes said that this idea might frighten her more than sitting alone. "I can't just leave…and besides," she was conquering her fear now, or at least hiding it well, "he doesn't have any clothing. He'll need these." She showed the rags a bit sheepishly. As if anyone was going to wear those.

More diplomatically than even Kouga had ever suspected he could be, he took this in stride. "Well, Kagome, if Inuyasha is still…how he is…we won't want to be here when he gets back. He'll be able to find us, no problem. His nose is decent enough to track us. And by the time he gets back to the village, he'll probably be back to normal. He might even be there now."

Kagome looked at him doubtfully. She even gave him what might have been a quick glare. What was that about? Then she sighed. "You're probably right. I can't just stay out here…besides, I don't know where he is. Maybe one of the rebels will know. And I need some clothes anyways. I can't have demons staring at my breasts all the time." Kouga almost blushed, but instead merely coughed and feigned a glare at his two subordinates, who pretended not to notice.

"Good. We'll leave at once."

The village that Kouga led her to showed less activity than the last one she'd seen the rebels in. None of the humans or demons she saw seemed to be working at anything in particular. They all just hung about listlessly. Guess they were hit hard. Her appearance sparked what looked like the only interest the rebels seemed to have energy for anymore…naked girl. Kagome ignored the leers, both human and demon, and followed Kouga towards the main hut. Kouga, for his part, glared at the horny gathering, though no one seemed to notice…either they didn't care at all about Kouga, or Kagome's naked flesh was even more enticing than she'd ever assumed.

Sango was immediately helpful in the girl's quest for more modest coverings. Kagome was brought into the leader's hut- the door loudly shut in Kouga's surprised face- and giving new- or old?- clothing. Sango, herself, treated the nasty bruises covering Kagome's cheeks and arms. The girl was battered but not too terribly, considering that it had been demons trying to rape her. Hiten hadn't wanted the girl's body ruined too badly. He prized soft flesh…had.

Sango was more than a little surprised to hear the news of Hiten's death, but then, the one who had managed to kill Lord Sesshoumaru would be able to do so easily. She didn't think that Kagome was telling her the whole story, though. The girl stumbled thoroughly beginning the tale, more than she would have for trauma. Details were sketchy of how exactly Inuyasha had been incapacitated long enough for Kagome to be beaten. He'd been surprised or something…no wait, he'd ganged up on…or both…or…Kagome wasn't a great liar.

However it had begun, the ending was more certain, though Kagome hesitated upon its telling. Inuyasha had gone mad or berserk, and the details got messy. Kagome was surprisingly steady for a mere girl. Traveling with Inuyasha probably helped her harden herself, but Sango suspected that, even more than that, Kagome was very strong inside on her own.

After that brief telling, Kouga was allowed into the hut, with his two wolves and four of Sango's own human guards, so Sango could find out each of their stories. She didn't particularly trust the wolves, but it would be easier to gauge them against one another. Normally she'd have questioned them separately, but she was rushed today. Though none of the rebels appeared in any hurry to do ANYTHING, Sango knew how desperate their situation had become.

Naraku had stuck a harsh blow against them, and his armies were still very nearby. However, if Hiten were truly dead, the army would be frozen for the time being. It would give the rebels a small time in which to prepare a plan, probably flight. If only Inuyasha would join them. She expressed this wish aloud to Kouga's scoffing. Trying not to glare at the wolf, Sango turned to Kagome, hoping to convince the girl. She could sway Inuyasha, Sango was sure of it.

The hanyou was very good at shielding his thoughts, but his stance when she'd confronted him last had plainly shown that he considered Kagome his. As far as Sango could tell, Kagome wasn't aware of this, so them being lovers seemed doubtful. Honestly, Inuyasha might not feel such towards the girl at all, but he did at least feel possessive. Dogs were like that, and no matter how powerful they became, Inu-youkai would always be dogs.

Kagome seemed sympathetic, but gave no indication that she could persuade Inuyasha of ANYTHING at all, and certainly not with him acting like, pardon the pun, a rabid dog. She seemed almost more afraid of Inuyasha than anything else, though this showed only at certain moments. Not when Inuyasha had slaughtered Hiten or his demons, but when he'd approached Kagome afterwards. Something had happened, Sango was sure of it, but the girl wasn't telling. Perhaps it hadn't been HITEN who had tried to rape her? That might explain why Kagome's story seemed so full of holes.

Something was bothering Sango, besides Kagome's faulty story…something from earlier. She snapped bolt upright, startling everyone in the room. "Oh, shit! The Beast!" Sango turned to her fellow slayers and understanding dawned in their eyes, but Kouga's face was completely lost, and Kagome, though more intelligent looking, was no less understanding.

"We got reports earlier this morning about some monster, demon or animal, running wild in the woods near here. It nearly killed some of my scouts when they stumbled upon it. The thing was covered in gore, so they didn't get a good look at it. We've been tracking the thing for a few hours now…can't have that sort of thing lurking near my camp…It's leaving a trail of dead animals and fallen trees that even Kouga could follow. So far no one's gotten a good look at it, save the first scouts, and all they can say is that it has RED EYES."

Kagome gasped and Kouga narrowed his eyes…wait…wait…there, understanding lit in them finally…several steps behind everyone else. Sango mentally repeated that he was necessary to hold the Alliance together. Though at this point she almost thought she'd be better hunting Naraku down by herself. "Inuyasha!" The girl's voice was hopeful, but a moment later her face fell. If he was still like that…

Sango watched the emotions cross the girl's face. The hope had quickly disappeared as she'd realized the situation, but surprisingly, the anxious look vanished into determination almost immediately. She really needed to learn more about this girl. There was a lot more to her than the eyes saw, and Sango was sure that every eye in the village had seen quite a bit of her. If only Inuyasha would join the Alliance…

Kagome quickly expressed concern over the hunting party, though not for Inuyasha’s safety but their own. It was swiftly decided that the hunting party sent after 'the Beast' would have to be given new instructions. If they attacked Inuyasha they'd be slaughtered. Even Kouga agreed to this. Of course, he'd agree that the hanyou was unbeatable, to anyone save himself, since his embarrassing loss before. Kouga was a bit full of himself…among other things. Kouga set out immediately to give the new orders, and the rest followed him quickly. Sango herself led the expedition, partly because she didn't trust Kouga's ability to handle this situation and partly because she needed the exercise.

They caught up with the hunting party nearly two hours later. It was waiting for them, Kouga having ordered a halt to await the 'slow humans'. They began their search again, more thorough now that Sango was leading it. Even the demons were afraid to slack off in front of the slayer. Soon the trail, truly very obvious, left by the beast was growing fresher. Sango announced that they were no more than 10 minutes behind it. Apparently it was moving slowly…it took a while to completely depopulate a forest. The party looked about nervously, clutching weapons or flexing claws.

The attack was so sudden that, at first, no one knew it was such. A crimson blur seemed to blow through the middle of the line, knocking several rebels flying. It disappeared into the foliage left of the party before a shout could be raised. Kagome had been watching as it happened, near the middle of the line herself, but even she couldn't confirm it as Inuyasha, though it seemed about his size, if he were bent over, nearly on all fours.

In the sudden commotion, no one noticed as one of the flying rebels collided with Kagome's backside and sent her tumbling down a steep hill. She disappeared into the forest with a muffled yelp. The sounds of the rebels grew distant as she rolled, seeming to hit every protruding rock or root, to the bottom of the hill. She lay on her stomach panting and cursing gravity silently. The hair on the back of her neck rose as she felt something watching her.

Kagome raised her head to see two eyes staring at her from the bushes before her. Eyes of blood.

Episode Three: Wild

The forest was deceptively peaceful as he traveled through it. He knew that such appearances very often hid great dangers. Of course this one was no stranger to peril. Nor was he at all averse to peril, though certain kinds were better than others. The man who now reflected on just such peril did not know what he might suffer in the future, but he did recall that suffering often led to more enjoyable experiences…though logic promptly pointed out that it didn't really see a connection.

Most probably, he would soon be slaughtered by a ravening demon, or so the villagers he'd talked to this morning had believed. Their foresters had fled in terror of the thing, gibbering like children. Though they did not expect any success, they'd loudly endorsed his proposal that he exorcise the foul thing. They'd cheerfully waved goodbye to the doomed stranger and then gone about their business. Of course, they hadn't known who he was, though he rather hoped that several of the village girls would learn his name a bit more intimately soon.

The man could definitely feel some sort of presence ahead of him, powerfully demonic. It nearly gave him pause, but so sure of his own prowess was he that he continued on, jangling with each movement of his holy staff. Its holiness could be debated as could his own but he was in fact a monk. He frowned.

People often displayed doubt about his holiness and purity of spirit. Even this morning the villagers had expressed their misgivings at him, but he posed in his robes majestically and brandished his staff before him to quell any doubts. Of course it was hard to be majestic when one's eyes kept landing upon a particularly succulent bit of curvature…His hand itched and he brandished his staff again. Promising to relieve the village of its demonic reaver.

The path here was growing steeper, and the man was using his staff more and more, wending his way through the increasingly thicker forest. Suddenly the demonic aura was very near indeed, possibly just over this next hill. The man hesitated, fist tightening on some prayer beads. Instead of reciting a prayer though, he continued on to the top of the hill. Yes, the demon was definitely near…

Kagome stared into those blood-red eyes, frozen in place. Now she could see that they weren't truly solid red, but held pupils of a deep bluish-green. She was no longer afraid. She could read nothing threatening in those eyes. There were emotions there, confused, and hidden behind the animalistic powers that had taken over…Yes, he was still not himself, but Inuyasha was definitely still there. Kagome slowly stood, taking care not to startle him, and walked closer.

Inuyasha blinked, seeming uncertain of what to do. His eyes showed recognition, and his body language was almost welcoming. Kagome reached out to him with one hand, brushing softly his sticky hair from his eyes. He stared at her, wonderingly, and his own hand rose to take hers…But a shout from above startled him, and he jumped back, his hands going into a defensive position. Kagome heard the crashing of bodies behind her as several rebels came running towards her. Kouga burst through the brush, shouting in triumph. Inuyasha took one look at Kagome and dashed away, before Kagome could think…and long before Kouga could.

Tears burned her eyes, angry tears and she turned and stalked passed the confused Kouga, back towards the rest of the hunters. Kouga snorted and gave one last look after Inuyasha, who was long gone now, before turning to follow her. Looks like they'd have to track him down all over again.

The man was nearly at the top of the hill when a blood-red blur barreled straight into him. Twisting so that he could land somewhat less painfully, he found himself cast to the ground beside a large and painful looking tree. Muttering thanks with almost blasphemous familiarity, he vowed again to lead a pure and holy life…Really, this time he was serious.

He drew himself to his feet, slowly preparing to berate the one who had knocked him over, when he suddenly realized that the demon presence was practically on top of him. He leapt aside just as four unhappily sharp claws swung past his throat. The man noted that they were already very messy with blood. So this was the demon he'd come to exorcise. He examined the thing, which now stood, paying him no heed.

So this was the demon? It certainly looked the part right now. Its eyes glowed a fierce red, and its long hair, apparently naturally white, was almost completely obscured by bits of gore. It was young, which for some reason surprised the man. It didn't look old enough to call itself a man yet…though he supposed it really could never do so. So young…ah well. He could not undo the way things were. He swung his staff into a defensive position, and braced his feet for fight.

"All right, demon. I'm here to exorcise you. Make whatever preparations you need now." He frowned as the demon continued to ignore him "Hey you, don't pretend you can't hear me…I'm right here!" Whatever he had in mind to say next was lost, as for the first time he noticed the creaking sound that had begun just moments ago when he'd dodged the demon's attack.

Looking up, he flinched and threw his arms up futilely to block the tree that fell on him. Barely conscious, the man tried to crawl from beneath the heavy weight but he was pinned. The demon was gone from sight, but right where he'd been standing the man could see the severed trunk of the tree that now lay on him. The one he'd just praised divinity missing…If only it had missed him too.

Episode Four: Choice

Kagome fidgeted anxiously where she sat in the main hut of the rebel HQ. It had been fully one week, eight days actually, since Inuyasha had disappeared. She was worried for him and for those he might hurt, frustratingly having to avoid Sango's advancing propositions as to her joining the Alliance, and, on top of that, Kagome now had to fend off the even less welcome advances of a certain wolf, who suddenly was very interested in her. Of course, the fact that he'd seen her recently in the altogether probably had NOTHING to do with that. He was annoyingly persistent, and not nearly as lewd as some of the others around the camp. Nor was he as ruff or emotionally offensive as Inuyasha, so he did have his qualities…but Kagome wasn't interested. There was just something about Kouga…or perhaps something missing. His sincerity of attachment was easy to question, but there was something else…

While Kagome mused about just what it was that Kouga didn't have, Sango paced impatiently. The latest scouting report should have arrived by now. The rebels had been forced to move camps twice already, further from the forest where Inuyasha was supposed to be hiding, as Naraku's forces regained some composure and supposedly a new commander had replaced Hiten.

If only she knew WHO this new commander was. Sango knew, or thought she did, most of Naraku's highest followers. Kagura the wind-bitch was his second, his personal guard, and she was a tough one, but it wasn't Kagura. Nor was it the spider lord. His small army of spider-like demons was off slaughtering some samurai lords or something. It was possible that some human had risen high enough to claim leadership, but Sango doubted it.

Perhaps it was this Kanna that she'd heard of. No one knew anything about the demon, save for the name. It was a complete mystery. As far as Sango knew, Kanna never left Naraku's side, but perhaps he'd merely been saving her- with the name Kanna it was probably female- for some specific task. She'd heard a name, unconfirmed, that might be the new demon, but she didn't recognize it. It was something like Go…Ga…Gaten-something-or-other. Not like it mattered.

If they could find Inuyasha, they could defeat whoever Naraku threw at them, Sango was certain of it. Of course, this was assuming Inuyasha didn't slice up the rebels instead, sane or not. He had shown no inclination to help them. Sango was prepared to use Kagome as bargaining tool…ransoming her for Inuyasha’s aid, but somehow Sango was certain that this would backfire much too swiftly. Sango thought the forest looked nice enough how it was…It didn't really need her guts decorating it.

Somehow she had to convince Inuyasha…her thoughts were scattered like Hiten's entrails as one of her slayer's burst into the hut. Kagome jumped nearly to her feet, and Sango had half-drawn a sword before she realized who it was.

"We've found him!" The man shouted excitedly. "We've found Inuyasha!"

Kagome's face was suddenly hopeful as she appeared at Sango's side. They'd heard rumors of the hanyou from villagers, who were now too terrified to enter the forest, but any clear sign of him had escaped them. He wasn't killing everything around him anymore, and it was a hell of a lot harder to track him now. He was like a ghost or shadow. Oh, how she had to have that hanyou! He would be a perfect addition to her Alliance!

"Where, and how long ago? We can't let him evade us again."

"Yes, ma'am I know…He's not far from here at all. In fact, he was spotted just outside the village we were camped in last week. Seemed to be following some sort of trail. I hurried back as quickly as I could, so the trail couldn't be more than an hour old by now."

Sango looked back at Kagome. Inuyasha had been following Kagome's scent? That seemed like the most probable answer, since that village was empty now. "Where is he now? Do we know?"

"I left the others to keep track of him. They're to keep us informed of any major movements, so until we get a message, we can assume that he's still in the same area…or he's murdered the scouts." True enough. If Inuyasha noticed them, and Sango didn't see how he could fail to, he might very well kill them.

"Okay…get a party ready, and get some horses for us. I don't want him to get away from us again. Oh, and I guess you should tell the 'holy man'…"

"I thought you knew, ma'am, but he is already there. He went with us this morning…he's been going with us on every scouting mission since…" Since he'd tried to grab her ass and she'd hit him so hard over the head he'd not been able to stand for two days. The bastard was lucky that she'd let him live…

They'd found him half-crushed beneath a tree, apparently Inuyasha’s doing, and brought him back to their camp. He'd seemed a perfect addition to their forces at the time…eloquent, well-mannered, and…well, she'd soon decided he wasn't fit for the Alliance and that was saying something. But he'd been too injured, or so he made out, to leave the village, and again too injured after she'd nearly caved his head in. She saw him from time to time at a distance where she preferred him and he always made as if to come near her again, but a lazy caress of her sword-hilt always seemed to turn him around.

Kagome was blushing slightly at the man's mention. He'd not been able to get close to the younger girl before his unfortunate 'accident' with Sango, but he had asked them both to bear his children as soon as he had seen them.

Sango rubbed her head. That man really made her head ache. She smiled slightly. Well, at least she knew she did the same to him. "Okay, now let's hurry up and get going. I want to talk to Inuyasha today!"

Inuyasha tried to ignore the humans' clumsy attempt at tracking him, he really did, but something in the back of his mind had grown annoyed with their presence and he'd leapt into a tree. They were still wandering around beneath him, trying to figure out where he'd disappeared to. Another of them had set out on a horse not long ago, but he'd not make it far…he was heading directly towards a band of demons, not many, but too many for one mere human to handle. Inuyasha felt no remorse for the human's imminent death.

His vision and mind had both cleared somewhat over the past few days. His mind was still bubbling with animalistic instincts, but a more rational part of his mind was asserting itself more and more with each day. He was far from recovered, though. His eyes were still crimson, and the stripes on his cheeks were a warning to any foolish enough to come near him.

Inuyasha had followed the scent to the village and then further on towards the west before vanishing into the tree. He was quite comfortable where he was- he seemed to remember spending a lot of time with trees- and could easily outwait the humans below. But now more were arriving. Damn them, why could they not leave him alone? All he wanted was to find…HER! She was here! With the other humans. Now this made things so much easier!

Inuyasha watched as the humans gathered together, fortuitously just below his own tree, and listened to hear what they were saying.

Sango jumped off her horse- she didn't really like the animal- and ran over to the surprised scouting party…the surprised and now chagrined scouting party. "Well, where is he? What are you all doing just hanging about?"

"Umm…well, we were following him just like we were told, and he suddenly vanished! Evaporated like a fog! We sent a rider to tell you…" The man peered at the new arrivals. "but I guess he didn't find you?"

"No, the rider never came near us. We had to detour around some of Naraku's patrols though, so he could be on his way to the camp. I can't believe you lost him!" Sango looked almost ready to strangle someone. She looked around for the 'holy man'. "Where's our guest?"

"Well, he's the one that went to tell you. He was in a hurry to talk to you or something…" The man coughed realizing what dangerous ground that sort of talk could find. "I mean, he wanted to keep you informed…"

"Yes, yes, I hear you." Sango ground her teeth. Damn it all. Inuyasha lost again, and no holy man to murder for it. "Kagome, he's probably still near. Do you want to go with me to look for him? I'm sure we can find him very soon."

The girl's faced lit at this suggestion. "Yes, that would be wonderful! I need to find Inuyasha. I need to tell him…"

Whatever she had been about to tell him, she swallowed it back as the hanyou suddenly appeared before her. He dropped in from above, standing now mere feet from Kagome, amidst nearly twenty surprised humans. Sango looked from Inuyasha to the tree they were standing under. She wasn't the only one who looked up, for the first time, to inspect the branches.

"K'gome…" Kagome wasn't able to respond. Inuyasha had said her name, and he sounded almost normal. His eyes were confused, and sad as always, but Kagome thought they looked more yellow than anything else, now. "Kagome…I…I missed you."

Kagome was stunned. Inuyasha hadn't ever expressed any feeling for her at all, and now…No, this didn't make any sense. He was still not himself. Her heart beat wildly though. "Inuyasha…Inuyasha, don't run away again…You have to snap out of it, Inuyasha."

The hanyou suddenly looked around at the closing rank of humans. Several of them were inching closer. He flinched slightly, and they all shrunk back, fearing an attack, but instead he launched himself upwards again, into the limbs of the tree.

"Go away! Only Kagome, stay!" No one budged, but the soldiers all looked to Sango for orders.

"Sorry Inuyasha, but we can't leave her just yet, not with you like you are. I don't want to see Kagome hurt…she's my friend, you know."

The hanyou snarled, pacing in his tree, then spun about and leapt down, grabbing Kagome about the waist and leapt away again before anyone could respond. He carried her back into the tree, and then into another, and another, until the rebels weren't certain where he'd gone.

Inuyasha carried Kagome against his breast, his heart beating unexplainably hard. After he was certain that the humans were lost, he sat her down on his lap. Kagome seemed nervous this high up, but at the same time, very relaxed in his arms. Something had been building inside him, and he knew he couldn't put it off any longer. His feelings for Kagome…were very confusing, but he knew he didn't want her hurt. He couldn't let himself run around like an animal.

He had to do something, SOMETHING, to keep her safe. The idea of sending her away from him, though appealingly noble, struck painfully at his heart. No, he couldn't bear to have her gone, though it seemed hard to have her with him. So he would have to control himself…he would have to make a choice, for Kagome.

"Kagome…" She stared up into his eyes, and his words were lost for a moment, as he was swallowed by her own eyes, so deep he could drown. The red was completely gone from his eyes now, and the stripes a fading memory. "Kagome…I want you to help me."

Episode Five: Collar

"Kagome…I want you to help me."

The words seemed to echo inside her head. Inuyasha could not ask for help. That just wasn't how the world ran. Kagome would have sooner expected the moon to crash into Tokyo and I'm sure there's an anime out there where it does or for…no, she couldn't really come up with anything as drastic as this…Inuyasha asking for help?

"I…I, Inuyasha how am I supposed to…?" The hanyou held her more tightly to him, almost like a hug.

"Kagome…you make things more…peaceful. I don't understand…I don't know how, but you can help me. You DO help me." The hanyou paused and gave her what was, for all she could tell, a melting look of sincerity. A movie star would have been jealous of that look. "Kagome…I'll listen to you…I'll…" The hanyou tugged at the necklace about his throat. It suddenly occurred to Kagome that she probably COULD have used that once in a while…but Inuyasha seemed so feral. And at the same time so cold and omnipotent.

"You'll…listen to me? Inuyasha, I don't see how that will…I can't imagine YOU obeying me."

A bit of the hanyou's old fire returned to his eyes. "I never said I'd OBEY you! I'm not a damned dog, and you're not my master!" He quickly calmed from the outburst, and Kagome mused that he WAS actually a dog…Or at least a dog-demon. "I'll listen to you…maybe you'll balance me out a little bit. I don't know what it is about you, but maybe if I'm around you more, I'll calm down…I won't become…that again."

Kagome understood, or at least thought she might. Inuyasha was used to being completely in control of himself. He blocked off nearly all of his emotions and feelings from everyone, controlling them all, or hiding them behind alternating rough, fiery and cold, uncaring masks. Losing control of himself completely, not just his emotions, but his entire mind and body…that would probably be a horrible experience for the hanyou.

Despite the fact that the hanyou looked full-grown, Kagome felt that he had never really had a chance to become more than a child in many ways. Oh, certainly his mind was very agile and he understood most of the harsh truths of life, better than most probably, but he'd never had a chance to really grow. Often he'd bluster like a teen boy, and once or twice Kagome could have sworn she'd seen childlike curiosity and surprise flash through is eyes.

"Kagome…I don't want to hurt you…I could have…" The hanyou flinched from some particularly bad memory. Kagome wasn't certain if she should say anything…She'd never seen Inuyasha with his guard so low. She didn't want it to end. "I…I'd do anything to keep from…from that. I'd do anything to keep from becoming that thing again. I'd…"

The hanyou cast about for some way to express what he was feeling. His hands again rose to the beads about his neck. "Kagome…I'd collar myself to keep that from happening. I…" His hands fell down behind her back again, and he leaned forward, his face coming closer and closer to her own.

Kagome's heart jumped into her throat as his lips approached hers, and she hardly noticed as they kept on right passed so that his face rested against hers, cheek to cheek. His mouth right by her ear whispered so lowly that she couldn't understand the words, only feel the buzz of his voice and the breath on her skin…which prickled expectantly. The girl blushed, chagrined at her body's reactions, but a moment later Inuyasha was drawing back.

His face brushed along hers briefly, sending chills through her body. The contact ended the pang in her heart made no sense but at the last moment something soft brushed against her cheek, and then he was staring into her eyes again. Kagome's mind was frozen. What was…? Her eyes fell immediately on the hanyou's lips, soft lips. Did Inuyasha kiss me?

Whether he had or not, Inuyasha gave no indication. He seemed to pretend that nothing at all had happened. But his eyes did hold some unknown color in them that Kagome didn't recognize. Something new?

"Kagome…I want you to help me…you will won't you?" The girl nodded wordlessly. What words could she find? "Good…I don't want to turn into this…animal again. Running around the woods, naked…killing things and…"

Something about that last bit stuck in Kagome's mind. Suddenly her cheeks were burning and she nearly shoved Inuyasha completely away, causing her to nearly tumble out of his lap. The ground looked very far away…She hugged him close, suddenly afraid of heights, and again blushed as she realized…Inuyasha was still naked!

She'd been a bit too busy at the time to really pay attention, and true he was covered in mud and leaves, but he WAS naked. And she was sitting in his lap…

Inuyasha hadn't been aware that a red so bright existed, or at least that no human face could match it. His own clothes weren't even that red…oh, that might explain it…clothes…no clothes. The hanyou blushed, himself, and shifted uneasily. Kagome seemed a bit relieved by the hanyou's discomfort. She didn't see him blush often…

"We…your clothes! I had them in my backpack! I think I left it with the others, if you want them…" Her voice seemed to hint that even if he liked to feel the breeze on his skin, SHE wanted them on him. Kagome had seen Inuyasha naked so often that she would have expected some horrible synth music to be playing in the background, but never in a situation where she could actually do any admiring. Yeah, she could remember, but she'd been preoccupied and not too interested in…

Her cheeks grew red again. Not that she WANTED to see such a thing! No, she had no inclination to see Inuyasha…Even in her mind she had to pause. Lie, truth? Lie. She didn't want to see Inuyasha naked at all! She had NO interest. Having at last determined that, her mind again turned to getting him clothed again.

"Inuyasha, we're gonna have to go back to get your clothes…or at least I am. I need my stuff, and I have to tell them that I'm okay."

The hanyou scowled. "Feh, those pathetic humans…I'd almost rather keep on without my clothes than have to deal with them again…but those clothes are special."

"I don't know what kind of condition they're in now…I did my best to wash them, but I'm not much with a needle, and so I didn't get much patching done…When I packed them up, though, they seemed almost whole. I guess they weren't as torn up as I remembered."

"Oh, they probably were…But those clothes are special like I said. They'll resist fire and weapons, and they regrow themselves, so I don't have to worry about finding new ones."

Kagome opened her mouth to ask, but the wonder of Inuyasha’s clothing would have to wait, because the hanyou had rolled off of the branch, with her in his arms, and the ground rushed towards them in a hurry. Then they were bounding away, back towards the rebels. Kagome couldn't do anything but be amazed at Inuyasha.

End of Chapter Seven

-Chevalier