InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ His Heart & The Only One Who Can Save Him ❯ Chapter 10 ( Chapter 10 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Ten: You Don’t Know What You Got Till It’s Gone
(earlier that evening)“Oh I’m SO hungry…” whined a young man. He had been traveling for about a day and a half with out food, now he was slowly making his way through the thickest part of the forest. He wore a simple dark blue kimono, complimented by lighter blue squares scattered about the fabric. His short jet black hair was pulled into a high pony tail at the back of his head.
“I hope I can find them.” he said to himself. He was sent by his lord to meet up with a group of travelers who were making their way to his village. The demon who had come was getting out of control. It had rampaged throughout the village for several days now and no one could stop it.
A rather tall tree came into his like of vision and he saw large thick roots that protruded from the ground around it. His strength finally giving out, he was exhausted from the traveling non-stop and with out food no less. He situated himself comfortably in between two of the thicker roots; if a demon should come by looking for its next meal, he would be able to hide so as not to give the demon the option of having him for dinner.
Not too far from the resting traveler, a small yet somewhat loud call rang through the quiet surroundings, like the screech of a small animal. The young traveler looked around for the source of the call and not a moment later spotted the small animal hoping from tree to tree heading towards him.
“Well hello there, I thought I had lost you back there.” he said as the small creature reached him and proceeded to climb onto his shoulder. It was a small white monkey, its face and hands a light pink color and was no larger than a small todler.“Can you do something for me?” the tired traveler asked the creature now before him. To signal it was listening, the little monkey took it’s big brown eyes to meet his gaze with that of the traveler. “Can you go and find us some food”
The monkey nodded, showing he would comply with the request, leaping up into the tree above him then off into the deeper parts of the forest. The traveler sat back and watched as his traveling companion made his way off into the setting sun.

The night had been quite with a gentle summer breeze, the crickets were chirping with the peeping frogs to create a melody that was only a sign that warmer weather was to come.InuYasha, Miroku and Shippo were out gathering firewood while the girls were ‘freshening up’ at the hot springs.
“So, InuYasha,” Miroku started, a mischievous grin spreading across his face, “What have you and Kagome been up to”
“What do you mean monk?” InuYasha asked, not liking one bit where this conversation was going.
“Well, it’s just you’ve been spending so much time ALONE with Kagome lately I was just wondering if something was going on between you two.” Miroku stated innocently. “We didn’t do anything you lecher.”
InuYasha growled, “So just back off before I tear you limb from limb”
“Okay then just wanted to clear the air that’s all.” Miroku said, disappointed as he backed off the now enraged hanyou’s case.
The rest of the firewood gathering expedition was done in almost near silence, there was the occasional fighting between InuYasha and Shippo but nothing out of the ordinary.
The boys headed back to the small clearing they had all agreed to make camp at and set down the wood they had collected. Miroku found himself a spot next to the small fire pit they had made and began to fix up the wood to be lit.
“Shippo,” Miroku asked, “can you come here”
“What do you need?” Shippo asked.
Miroku pointed to the small pit with the wood they had gathered and gave the little kitsune an innocent look.
“Fine.” Shippo said, not at all happy at being used. He lit the fire and settled down in the top of Kagome’s sleeping bag, near her belongings.
InuYasha however went to a near by tree and made himself comfortable on a rather low branch.
They all waited for the girls to get back, just enjoying the rare silence and no immediate fear or threat of demons at the time. As they all were about to drift off a terrified scream sliced through the quite night air.
“Kagome!” InuYasha yelled as he jumped out of the tree and ran as fast as he could. He sniffed the air and caught the familiar smell of something, yet he couldn’t quite place it. Then he caught a sharp whistling sound with his sensitive hearing.
(A/N anyone know what‘s going on? Lol muhhahhhahhahaaaa)
He reached the edge of the hot springs on the opposite side from where Sango and Kagome were facing and abruptly turned around.
“What’s wrong?” InuYasha asked, concern lacing every word, yet relieved to see the girls weren’t harmed.
Kagome spun around fuming, fire blazing in her eyes, ‘how dare he come barging in while we‘re bathing.’ She thought, ‘but then again I did scream’
She was about to sit him to next week for looking at them while they were bathing but, turning around and sinking lower into the water she instantly softened when she saw that he was turned around. ‘Taught him well.’ Kagome thought. ‘Good Boy’
“What’s wrong?” Miroku asked as he finally made his way to the girls who were now both turned around.
“Pervert!” Sango yelled as she threw a rock, successfully hitting her target and sending the Monk to the ground.From her spot in the water Kagome said, “InuYasha something made off with our clothes”
(A/N yeah...now ya know who it is don‘t cha..lol)
InuYasha began to pull off his red haori and placed it by the hot spring and Kagome began to get closer to the edge, “Which way did it go?” InuYasha asked.
Kagome pointed off a little ways from the opposite direction from where they all were and InuYasha took off to retrieve the stolen articles of clothing.
Miroku, finally getting up, took off his purple robes (A/N the lighter purple not the whole thing), left it next to InuYasha’s haori, and then went after InuYasha.
Kagome swam the rest of the length to the edge and put on InuYasha’s haori, fashioning it like a dress and stood up. Sango fallowed suit and the girls were just about to head after the boys when Shippo came bounding to the spring.
“Are you two all right?” Shippo asked.
“Yes Shippo we’re fine.” Sango responded as Kagome picked him up and they all made their way after the boys to find out what had taken their clothes.The boys had reached the culprit who had stolen the girls clothing, more like culprits to be precise. A young man was sitting under a tree, his jet black hair pulled into a small, low pony-tail in the back of his head. He wore a dark blue kimono with lighter blue squares. The small little pest who had come by the hot springs jumped into his arms, the young man then took the articles from the tiny monkey.
“What did you find my friend?” He asked as he went through the clothes, “This isn’t food”
“Damn right it isn’t!” InuYasha barked as he made his way toward the young man and his monkey. “Do I know you”Miroku and the girls caught up to InuYasha as he snatched their clothes away from the “stranger” and went over and handed them to Kagome.
“Doesn’t he look familiar Kagome?” InuYasha asked as he got a good look at the man before him.
“Nobunaga!” Kagome called as she approached the youth by the tree, “How have you been”
“Oh it’s you Lady Kagome.” Nobunaga said, rising to his feet and slightly bowing in respect, “It has been a long time hasn’t it”
“Now I remember..” InuYasha said as the light bulb in his head turned on, “You’re the idjet from the castle where the Lord was taken over by that Toad Demon”
“InuYasha..” Kagome warned.
“What!” InuYasha exclaimed, “He is! He’s an idjet and a fool”
“Why do you say that?” Miroku inquired, he and Sango, as well as Shippo were all standing a little away from the three with confused lost expressions upon their face. They had no clue what InuYasha was talking about.
“Oh…that’s right,” Kagome started as she turned from Nobunaga and looked at her lost friends, “We met him a little while before you Shippo, and come to think of it way before Miroku and Sango”
“How’d you meet him Kagome?” Shippo asked in his little childish voice, he was thrilled at the chance for Kagome to tell a story.
(A/N Do I make Shippo sound too little? Lemme know okay you guys….anyway on with the FanFic)
“Let’s head back to camp and I’ll tell you about it.” Kagome said to the group, “Come on with us Nobunaga, I’m sure you’re hungry too and we have plenty of food to share… InuYasha just give Sango and me a few moments to change okay”
(A/N I‘m going to have to apologize to all of you who have not seen the Nobunaga episode because ur gonna miss some of the next part but u‘ll just have to read the Manga or watch the episode but I hope that you had seen it do to the fact that it just showed a few days ago…thank you and on with the FanFic….)
In no less than five minutes Sango and Kagome had changed back into their original clothes and made it back to the camp. Kagome pulled out enough Ramen for everyone with the addition of Nobunaga and set them aside. She then reached into her bag and pulled out a rather large put which she then proceeded to fill up with water from her bottle.
“Where does she keep it all?” Nobunaga thought as he looked at the seemingly normal caring pouch that housed all of Kagome’s belongings, “She has so much stuff but how can it fit in that tiny bag”
When Kagome had settled by the fire with the groups diner now cooking over the fire she began her little story. “Well as you all know InuYasha and I meet Nobunaga not too long before we met Shippo”
Everyone, with the exception of InuYasha nodded their heads signaling for her to continue, InuYasha however seemed to zone out for he himself had lived that little ‘adventure’
(InuYasha‘s thinking while Kagome‘s telling most of the story)
“Now what am I going to do?” InuYasha thought to himself, “The New Moon is tomorrow night, what if we can’t take care of the demon before sunset? How will I protect Kagome”
(He thought for a while, while Kagome was telling the story, then he seemed to zone back as she approached the ending)
“Now right about the time that the monkey left, the princess tripped, sending her and I to the ground with the Toad Lord hot on our trail. The little monkey brought us some fire, but it was only a small torch. When InuYasha showed up he told me that he wasn’t going to waste anymore time and that he practically didn’t care that the young lord was still inside the demon.” Kagome said the last part with a hit of anger.
“Well at the time I didn’t.” InuYasha retorted.
“Anyway, please continue Lady Kagome.” Miroku persisted, not wanting for the two travel companions to start and argument and be at each other’s throats. “Okay Miroku.” Kagome agreed, redirecting her attention back to telling the story, “Well when we fell a can of hairspray fell out of my backpack and I had the idea to spray the Toad Demon with my hairspray. I put it behind the small torch and pressed and presto! I had a make shift flame thrower”
The rest of the group had no idea what a ‘flame thrower’ was, but decided that it would take to long to explain so they simply nodded their heads and she continued her story.
“Well this turned out to be a great idea seeing as how now the toad demon was expelled from the young lord and we were able to defeat him now with out hurting the lord himself.” Kagome closed her eyes for a moment to collect her thoughts, it had been a long time since they had battled the Toad Lord, it HAD been one of the FIRST battles her and InuYasha were in together,
“But as the demon was escaping the lord’s body, InuYasha sliced the demon and was able to retrieve the jewel shard.” Kagome finished her tale and began to serve the Ramen that was now ready and cooled off enough for everyone to eat.
“Hey InuYasha,” Shippo asked innocently, “Why did you call Nobunaga an idjet”
“Because he wouldn’t let me kill the lord and after it was all said and done he had saved his only rival in love.” InuYasha said in between slurping his noodles. “I don’t think that makes him an idjet.” Sango protested, “He has a good heart and didn’t want to hurt anyone”
“That’s what I said in the beginning.” Kagome agreed.
They all sat and talked until they felt it was getting too late and then they all said their good-nights and went to sleep. They would need all the rest they could get for the day ahead.

(A/N Sorry if I went a lil fast or if that was boring but it‘s gonna get better)
The snake demon which had plagued the small village at the edge of the river quietly sneaked it’s way into the deep forest surrounding the small community. It came to a small clearing that was positioned almost at the exact center of the forest. “You summoned me?” The demon questioned to the darkness around him.
“Yes.” The monotone voice of Yokoro said as his icy blue gaze landed on the demon whom Naraku had sent. “I require your jewel shard”
“You’ll never take this from me.” The demon hissed.
With out a single word Yokoro created what looked like a sword only, it was made of solid ice. He sped toward the demon as if carried by the wind and sliced the demon through the middle. The demon landed on the ground and disintegrated, Yokoro reached down and retrieved the shard that had enabled the lower being to rampage the small village so long.
“Now to wait for the half breed and his group to show,” Yokoro said to himself, “Pity that their services in slaying this demon won’t be put to use. Once they meet up with me they won’t be able to help anyone”
(A/N okay…as of the series now; at the band of seven; I don‘t think that Naraku‘s other incarnations after this time have these kinds of abilities…if they do lemme know but Yokoro is my own lil incarnation for Naraku okay…lemme know if he has one like this okay…thanks…just wanted to clear that up)

The sun peeked over the horizon as InuYasha made his way back to camp. He went out early that morning to clear his head and gather wood for a fire. He also managed to catch a few rabbits for breakfast. Reaching camp, he set down the wood and started a fire, then preparing the rabbits to cook, he placed them on sticks and set them near the fire to cook. One by one the group then began to awake, Nobunaga being last.
“Wow InuYasha.” Kagome said groggily, “You did all this this morning”
“Yeah thought you lazy people might want something to eat before we left.” InuYasha responded playfully.
“Well excuse me!” Kagome exclaimed, enjoying the game, “It’s not like we don’t cook most of your meals anyway”
“Well take this and eat it.” InuYasha said handing her a rabbit.
“Thank You.” Kagome responded.
“Well, well you two are getting along very nicely today.” Miroku commented, giving InuYasha a perverted look.
“Can it monk.” InuYasha snarled.
Everyone ate their meal and then packed up. Nobunaga then showed the group the way to the village and to the headman’s hut.“Headman! Headman are you here?” Nobunaga called as he slid the door to the mansion open and peeked his head in.
“He’s not here Nobunaga…” A small girl called as she entered the room where the front door led to. She was around five or so with short dark brown hair and bright, glowing green eyes. (A/N not a youkai…okies) Her pink kimono swayed a bit as she ran to greet the man from her village and the travelers accompanying him.
“Where is he Tori, do you know?” Nobunaga asked ruffling the young girls hair a bit as she stood before him.She giggled and said, “Well he left to go and inform the villagers that the demon was gone. Some man came by this morning and told him that he had slain the demon”
“Well too bad for us I suppose.” Miroku said, scratching his head.
“Who was it that did that? Was it an outsider?” Nobunaga asked.
“Yes…the Headman wouldn’t tell me the man’s name but he said that he got a very strange feeling about the man…like a really bad feeling.” Tori said, “He told me not to leave the mansion until the man had left the village”
“Well thank you Tori, I’m going to show my friends my hut and I’ll come back later.” Nobunaga informed the young girl,
“Please tell the Headman when he returns that I stopped by”
“Hai…please come and visit soon Nobunaga, you haven’t been by in forever and I really miss you and your monkey’s visits.” Tori said with a small pout.
“Tell you what we’ll come by later today or tomorrow if we have time okay…but you know I have matters to atend to and quite busy at home.” Nobunaga said as he bent down to the girls level and gave her a quick hug.Tori hugged Nobunaga then pulled away and whispered something in his ear. He laughed and stood up to leave, “Will do Tori, will do.”
They left the mansion and followed Nobunaga as he gave them a small tour of the village. Some time between leaving the mansion and making their way to Nobunaga’s hut, which was rather large for a normal sized hut, the group had gone from seven to four. Miroku had wandered off to speak with some of the village women and of course Sango and Kirara were no more that a foot behind him. Nobunaga, InuYasha, Kagome and Shippo continued until they reached Nobunaga’s hut. They had almost reached it when a young woman came from behind the bamboo cover and called to him.
“Hello Nobunaga! You’re back!” The young woman; around the age of 16 or so; called as she walked up to greet the traveler. Her shoulder length black hair pulled up into a small, high pony tail, she wore a green kimono which had three pink stars in the top left corner. She reach the young man and gave him a quick hug as they started a small conversation.
“InuYasha…?” Kagome asked.
“What?” InuYasha said, getting nervous of the upcoming sunset.
“Doesn’t she look familiar?” Kagome responded.
InuYasha gave the girl a good look and sniffed the air a couple of times. The truth was that she did look familiar and her sent…it was as if he’d smelled it before.
Shippo over heard them and too looked at the young woman before them.
As she turned from Nobunaga and toward his guests she asked, “Who have you brought with you?” ‘They look familiar….” she thought.
“Oh…” Nobunaga said, he had forgotten that the three had followed him. “These are the travelers whom the Headman sent me to meet”
Shippo thought he had defiantly met this young woman before and then something clicked as he finally realized who it was. He ran to the woman and jumped into her arms and gave a small hug, “Nazuna!” (A/N yeah I said reunited with TWO old friends….…but coincidently meeting again in the same situation…almost….I‘m bad...hehehe)
InuYasha and Kagome just stood there.
“Nazuna.” They both said in unison, they had realized who she was now.
“Oh yes,” Nazuna said, giving them a good look and too finaly realizing who was standing before her, “InuYasha! Lady Kagome! And Shippo too”
Shippo jumped from her grasp and looked up at her, “So how are your feelings toward demons now”
She gave him a sincere look and said, “I think that not all demons are bad”
“See…” InuYasha said to Kagome, annoyance in his voice, “people listen to you and not me…why is that”
Kagome gave him a look that clearly said you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me, “Well for starters I’m understanding and I don’t go around when ever I meet someone, threaten them with my sword do I”
“That’s cuz’ you ain’t got one.” InuYasha retorted “That’s enough out of you two, geeze grow up!” Shippo shouted at the, yet again, arguing couple.
The two just starred at him in disbelief. “Well…” Nazuna said, trying to break the silence, “Why don’t you all come inside, I’ve started diner and I need to go out soon to help the other villagers set up for tonight”
“Why?” InuYasha asked.
“We’re having a small celebration because the demon is gone.” Nazuna replied entering the hut.
“Yeah, that still doesn’t seem right to me…” InuYasha said lowly, “I just hope we don’t have any trouble after the sunsets”
“Yeah, we have to keep you hidden,” Kagome said, softly so only he could hear, “But something doesn’t seem right here. But hey, at least we can stay with Nazuna I bet, and she’s even seen…well…you know”
“Yeah you have a good point.” He grumbled.
Then the two entered the hut, it was going to be a long and uneasy night ahead.
“So how’d you come to live here Nazuna?” Kagome asked.
“Well when my master was killed, the spider head-master anyway, I was all alone and had no one in the village. So I gathered up my belongings and started to travel. After about a day or two I found my way here and they welcomed me with open arms.” Nazuna answered.
“That’s good to hear.” Kagome said sweetly, “Thank you.” with that she began to eat the hot stew that Nazuna had handed her. They were going to help the villagers after the meal.
The group had eaten some stew Nazuna had prepared and with the exception of InuYasha the rest went out to help the villagers for the celebration. Kagome had sent Shippo to track Miroku and Sango down and tell them where they were staying, hoping of course Miroku hadn’t pulled one of his ’exorcisms’ on the headman.

It was getting close to sundown and Kagome made her way back to Nobunaga and hut. Kagome entered the hut just as the last rays of sun vanished below the horizon and darkness covered the land. InuYasha began to transform and then sitting in a far corner was a raven haired, brown eyed InuYasha. He looked up as Kagome entered.
“Do you wanna join us?” She asked.
“Thought I had to stay here?’ he said.
“Oh come on InuYasha, it’ll be fun.” She replied, walking over to her companion and tugging on his sleeve. Reluctantly he got up and they went out into the decoratively lit village, beautiful light fixtures were hung here and there making the warm spring air shine with many different colors. The two just wandered around the village, admiring the beautiful decorations and the great smells of the food that wafted over to the two humans.

Yokoro emerged from the hut he had been staying in. After killing the demon that Naraku had sent, he decided that it would be a good idea to stay in the village and wait for InuYasha. He began to walk around the village and look around, he was like a hunter tracking down his prey. He reached the edge of the village where no one was and said to himself, “It’s too warm tonight.” as soon as he said that it seemed to get almost freezing, he could see his own breath and he smiled, “Now it’ll be easier to track them down.” Then he made his way back into the village.

Kagome started to shiver, the sudden drastic change in temperature affecting her more than InuYasha, of course it would, she was wearing a mini skirt for heaven’s sake.
“Here.” InuYasha said, concerned as he shrugged off his red haori and draped it over Kagome’s shoulders.
“Thanks.” she whispered. “This isn’t regular weather, what’s going on?”
“I have no clue.” InuYasha said, very unnerved, “I think we should go back, we ventured out too far anyway.”
That they had, for sum reason they had made their way out to some spot in the forest.
“Yeah, lets go back.” Kagome agreed.

His icy blue eyes were filled with frustration as he scanned the village one more time. “Damn, if they’re not here then…” Yokoro realized, “they must be in the woods someplace.” With that he headed into the now darkened forest, unknown to him that he was going the same way the ones he was in search of were coming from. Should he see them, well, the odds were not in the two human’s favor.

Kagome sensed something up ahead, “InuYasha I don’t think we should go that way.”
“Why not?” he questioned.
“There’s some one coming.” she responded shakily.
“It’s probly’ just Sango or Miroku, maybe even Shippo. They’re bound to be looking for us by now.” InuYasha said, shrugging of the uneasy feeling he also had as they headed back toward the village.
“it’s not them.” Kagome said, starting to back up and went to head in the opposite direction.
“How do you know?” He looked at her, she was frightened, he could tell.
“Their aura’s…tainted…and they have a jewel shard.” Kagome said, she started to shake even more now, not from the cold but the fright. “Almost like Naraku’s…”
Then as they rounded the corner, both sets of brown locked eyes with icy blue. Kagome stood frozen and InuYasha stopped and stood protectively in front of her.
“Who are you.” InuYasha shouted at the figure approaching them, drawing out the untransformed Tetsusaiga.
“So you’re InuYasha, I’ve been searching for you.” Yokoro said as he continued his approach to the pair of humans, forming his own sword out of solid ice. The air had become almost 30 degrees below freezing and he knew that any human couldn‘t stay out in this degree of cold much longer before they succumbed to the effects..
“Answer the question.” InuYasha said protectively.
“You need not know my name half breed,” Yokoro said, “Only that Naraku will put an end to you.” Then he began to run, closing in on the two at a quick pace.
“Kagome, RUN! He‘s an incarnation of Naraku!” InuYasha yelled as he blocked Yokoro’s ice sword attack with his Tetsusaiga, which wasn’t doing very well because it wouldn’t transform for him.
“Right.” Kagome said as she ran off into the woods.
“You shouldn’t have told her to run, but I do love a chase.” Yokoro taunted as he slashed InuYasha’s side with his sword. The wound was deep and InuYasha had to kneel because of the pain.
Yokoro took his chance and ran toward the retreating miko and grabbed a hold of her and then the two seemed to lift off the ground as a thick black cloud formed beneath them and they rose high into the air.
“InuYasha help me!” Kagome shouted to the injured man.
“Kagome…”InuYasha called, wincing from the injury but pulled himself up and ran after her, “Hold ON!”
InuYasha ran after Kagome, determined not to let her out of his sight. The cold temperatures had mad ice sickles stick to the tree branches and they poked and pierced his exposed skin as he ran through them following Kagome’s kidnapper. About Five minutes later he caught up with them only to stair in horror. There he stood on a cliff over looking the river a good, forty or fifty feet down which was now covered in a thin layer of ice and hardening by the second. There mere feet in front of him was Kagome and the man who’d taken her. She looked so scared, she had a right to be, she was floating about two feet from the edge of the cliff and fifty feet from the river below. Then with an evil laugh the man let go of Kagome as she fell from the cloud.
“InuYasha!” She yelled as she plummeted to the icy-water covered below. Then she felt two strong arms wrap around her and she tightened her grasp on the white shirt of the one who was trying to save her and shut her eyes for the impact below.
“Don’t worry Kagome, I’ll protect you no matter what.” InuYasha said moments before they came in contact with the ice below. InuYasha managed to turn so he took most of the blow, as he hit almost every bone in his body shattered and they smashed through the layer of ice entering the freezing water below, his grip loosening from Kagome.
As they sank farther downward Kagome looked up just enough to see the ice forming over where they had penetrated the ice and hardening once more. Kagome looked back at InuYasha and knew they were in trouble. She gasped for air only pulling in water, her lungs burned with the lack of oxygen as they filled with the freezing liquid; she started to loose consciousness. The last thing that went through her mind before her lungs finally gave out was, “InuYasha please be alright...someone please help us. Then she let go of InuYasha as she blacked out and they drifted farther apart; from each other and the air above.