InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ I'm safe at home... aren't I? ❯ The Fight ( Chapter 6 )

Hey everyone! Sorry it took forever to put this chappy up… it's been really hectic around here, what with friends coming over, school letting out (Whoohoo! I did it!! I'm in the ninth grade!! ^_^), and, well, basically a lot of stuff to do. But I think you'll love this chapter!! Arigato to my loyal reviewers, and a pox on those who read and don't review! *Sits back and laughs as a million people in the audience suddenly burst out with large red pox* Mwahahahahah!! Serves you right!!!!!!!!

Previously…

Inuyasha muttered something under his breath as he rubbed the fresh lump on his head. Everyone else quieted down as the headman's wife passed out the small bowls and began ladling out soup from the large pot.

Chapter six: The fight

Kagome walked a little ways into the woods near the village. She sat unsteadily on a fallen tree, thinking over what she had seen. Why did that man look like the thug for a minute? she asked herself.

The girl sighed, putting her head in her hands tiredly. What if every new man I see looks like him?! she thought suddenly. It's bad enough that he causes those nightmares- and speaking of which, how does he do that? He's a mortal! Last time I dreamed about him, he came at me and sliced my cheek with a knife- and it was real! She shivered; the girl didn't want that happening again!

(A/N- Whoa! I just got an idea of what could have happened in the clearing! But no… Inuyasha wouldn't have waited that long to go get her, and besides, the rest of this chapter happens because of what's here. Oh, well! I'll give you a hint as to what my idea would be.

Kagome looked up suddenly from her seat on the log: she had heard a crunch of fallen leaves. A tremendous rat loomed over her, and she gulped. She ran for the village, screaming.

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A scream alerted the friends and their hosts to what was going on. It was Kagome! Inuyasha leapt out of his seat and raced out of the hut, unsheathing his sword. Kagome was running toward them, followed by a humongous rat!

Did you guys like that? I know, isn't it so awesome? But I think you'll like what actually happens better. Oh, speaking of which, back to the story! Sorry to interrupt!)

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Inuyasha looked toward the door again. The foreboding feeling was growing. He quickly filled one of the small bowls with rice and a few of the small bits of food and rose, walking out of the door.

Sango gave the hanyou a quizzical look, then turned to Miroku and said, "I bet he's going to see about Kagome."

"Then why did he not go sooner? You know him: he is overly protective of her, and anything could have happened in these fifteen minutes," the monk said.

Sango giggled. "He was hungry!" Miroku shared her laugh. Kirara, by Sango's knee, meowed up at them from her spot by a small bowl she was eating from.

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Inuyasha sniffed. The scent of Kagome… but which direction did it come from? Ah. That way. He trotted in the direction he had smelled her from, being careful not to spill the food he carried.

Inuyasha walked into a small clearing, where he saw his friend sitting on a log, with her head in her hands. He gently touched her shoulder. "Kagome?" he asked. "Are you okay?"

She started at his soft touch, surprised. "No…" she whispered as he sat down next to her, placing the bowl next to him. Suddenly she turned to him and, clasping him around the chest, commenced sobbing into his haori. He looked surprised for a second, then, looking unaccustomed to it, put his arms around her comfortingly. The girl's body wracked with sobs.

Gradually her tears slowed, and she drew back, sniffling and wiping her tears on her right sleeve. "Sorry," she said quietly, ashamed of breaking down like that in front of her friend.

"It's all right," Inuyasha told her. "Why are you crying?"

"It's that thug again," she murmured.

"What?" Inuyasha cried, shocked.

"I- when I looked at the headman, he looked just like the thug. But then I blinked, and he looked normal. I don't know what's wrong with me, Inuyasha… maybe I'm going crazy from the stress or something. I don't know, I just don't know anymore…" Fresh tears trickled down her face, and Inuyasha felt his heart jerk. He hated to see her cry. And if his suspicions about who was causing this were true…

Inuyasha tenderly wiped away the newest streams of tears with his sleeves, and consoled her, "It's going to be all right, Kagome. I don't think you're insane, and I'm sure Sango, Miroku, and Shippo don't either."

Kagome sniffed again, rubbing under her eyes to get rid of the redness. "Thanks, Inuyasha," she said quietly. She tentatively leaned her head on his shoulder, and when he didn't protest, sighed blissfully. Inuyasha, in turn, put his arm around her waist, pulling her snugly against his side.

They sat like that for several more minutes, comfortably. Finally Inuyasha said, "Oh! I forgot. Here." He handed her the bowl of food. "This was my excuse for coming out here." The hanyou grinned sheepishly.

Kagome grinned, taking the bowl. "Thank you." Her hunger returned in a rush, and she wolfed it down as Inuyasha looked on, amused. She finished and stood up, pulling Inuyasha up too. As they started walking back, she asked Inuyasha, "How am I going to explain why I left to Sango and Miroku without telling them about the thug? I don't think I'm ready to tell anyone else yet." She gave Inuyasha a plaintive look, pleading silently for a good answer.

He shrugged. "Tell them… that your arm was hurting too much to eat."

"Yeah, that might work…" she said contemplatively, her fist under her chin. She realized suddenly that the thug had done that, and she gasped, pulling her hand down.

Bowl in hand, she and Inuyasha walked up to the headman's hut. Kagome knocked tentatively, and once again Iku answered. "Why, Kagome," she said, surprised. "I thought you weren't feeling well?"

"I- I'm not," Kagome answered. "I'm just returning your bowl." She held out the elegant china item, and Iku took it, saying politely, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Are Sango and Miroku still here?" the girl asked.

"No; they left several minutes ago, and retired to your hut," the woman replied.

"Oh!" Kagome said. "Well- we'll be leaving now. It was a pleasure meeting you!" She smiled cheerfully, and Iku smiled back before Kagome and Inuyasha turned back toward their collective hut and Iku closed the door. Kagome sighed inwardly in relief; she didn't want to have to see the headman again.

Inuyasha was the first to open the door, and, as he walked in, Miroku said, "Inuyasha! Did you find Lady Kagome?"

"Is she all right?" asked a worried Sango.

"I'm fine," came a small voice from behind Inuyasha, and Kagome stepped into the hut.

"Kagome!" Sango said. "Why did you leave during supper?"

"I- my arm was hurting," Kagome said quietly, wincing internally at having to lie to her friend.

"Well, are you all right now?" asked an anxious taijia.

"I'm okay," Kagome hurriedly assured her friend. "It's just little ache. Listen, we should get some sleep if we're going to be ready to fight the rat-demons tonight," Kagome said logically.

"Yes, you are right," Miroku yawned. "We must be at our best." He settled himself down into one of the corners of the little hut, in an upright position and was asleep almost at once. The others giggled a little at his light snoring (or rather, Kagome and Sango giggled, whereas Inuyasha rolled his eyes in frustration.), then took up comfortable sleeping positions- Kagome and Shippo on one wall, Sango on the opposite, and Inuyasha in the corner closest to Kagome and the door. "G'night," Sango mumbled, almost asleep.

"Sleep well," her friend replied.

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Kagome couldn't get to sleep. It's that stupid thug's fault, she thought angrily. If he didn't keep giving me nightmares, I'd be able to sleep! The girl forced her mind off of that topic. It wouldn't do her nay good to be angry at nightmares. Instead, she changed her line of thought to Inuyasha. Looking at the sleeping hanyou, she thought wistfully, I wonder if he'll ever give up that mass of dirt and bones that was once Kikyo… No matter which one of us he chooses, I just want him to be happy, even if it means me leaving forever so he can focus completely on her. I just hope and pray that he comes to his sense soon, before she drags him to hell with her. She'd probably be right in the middle of all our fights, especially the one with the rat-demons coming up…

Reminded of that, Kagome looked at her watch, thinking gratefully, At least those thugs didn't take this. She gasped; it was 11:55! They were supposed to be in the middle of the village in five minutes!

She rushed over to Inuyasha and shook him, crying frantically, "Inuyasha, wake up! You've got to wake up right now!"

He sat up instantaneously, his hand flying to Tetsuseiga's hilt. "What is it?!" he cried.

"We're supposed to fight the rat-demons in five minutes!" she told him. "Wake up Miroku while I wake up Sango."

"Is that all?" he grumbled, nevertheless going over to Miroku and smacking him on the head to wake him up.

Kagome rolled her eyes as she nudged Sango, telling her, "Get up, Sango! We have to go!"

Sango opened her eyes and grabbed hiraikotsu, saying, "I'm ready." She glanced over to where Inuyasha was bombarding Miroku with punches, and she grinned.

"I told you, I am already awake!" exclaimed an irate monk.

"So?" Inuyasha asked, grinning. "I like to hit you."

The monk glared at him, but picked up his staff and stood up, groaning as he leaned back and popped his back with a loud *crack*. "Ow."

Kagome giggled, then looked at Shippo. "Do you think he'll be all right if we leave him here? " she asked her friends worriedly.

"He'll be fine," Sango assured the girl.

"Okay," Kagome agreed. She picked up her bow and the quiver of arrows Kaede had given her, and followed her friends out of the door.

A small "meow" told the girl that Kirara had followed her, and the girl grinned at the cat and picked her up.

The group half-walked half-ran to the middle of the village. They arrived, panting, and Kagome checked her watch. " Eleven- fifty-nine," she gasped.

Kagome looked around. The villagers had thoughtfully placed torches in brackets all around so, though the shadows were numerous, it was still fairly easy to see. The villagers themselves, however, were nowhere to be seen.

And she wasn't the only one to see that. "Cowards," Inuyasha muttered, glancing around quickly before returning to keeping his eyes on all of the shadows at once. In readiness, he pulled out Tetsuseiga and transformed it, holding it in front of him.

"Inuyasha," Kagome scolded him, "it's not their fault. They're frightened; they're less used to this kind of thing than we are, remember."

"Feh," he scoffed.

An enormous rat flying out from behind one house at Inuyasha marked the beginning of the fight. He sliced it in half and prepared himself for more as a flood of rats poured into the center square.

Miroku darted around, directing rats away from Kagome and towards Inuyasha, purifying a few with his ofudas. Sango threw hiraikotsu, throwing unconscious rats aside and pummeling others to make them run. Kirara, in her larger form, assisted her, tearing up rats with her teeth. Inuyasha was in the midst of it all, swinging Tetsuseiga this way and that.

Kagome stood on the edge of the melee, shooting purifying arrows at rats that came at her, and, when there were none, shooting at rats that were overbearing on her friends.

A rat, sneaking by Kagome, slipped unseen into their hut.

A screech of "Mama!" made Kagome jump and turn around.

"Shippo!" she cried. A humongous rat was chasing the kitsune toward them!

Inuyasha leapt for him, Tetsuseiga in hand, but jumped to the side as a blazing arrow shot past him. The rat, squealing, vaporized.

Breathing hard, Kagome stood, bow held loosely in her grip. "Shippo…" she murmured.

"Kagome!" he screeched, then catapulted himself into her stomach, knocking her onto her back on the ground.

The girl instinctively curled up, protecting the more major bruises on her stomach. She closed her eyes tightly, willing the fiery pain consuming her insides to stop. "Ow," she whispered, curling her arms around her knees to protectively lock in the sobbing, scared kit that clung onto her like she was a lifeline.

Sango and Inuyasha ran over to Kagome and Shippo. "Kagome!" the taijiya cried. She kneeled by her friend's side. "Are you all right?" she asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," she gasped through another wrenching pain. "Just- surprised me, that's all."

"You're lying," Inuyasha said gruffly. "You're in pain, and not only do you know it, everyone else does too."

Kagome looked up at her two friends gazing back at her with sad eyes, and she lowered her gaze. "I didn't want to bother you guys…" she murmured, studying the ground next to her.

"Bother us?" Sango repeated, her eyes wide. "Why would it bother us? We're your friends, Kagome; and you know we would do what we could to spare you that pain."

"Yeah," she replied quietly, wondering what had come over her to think that her friends would be annoyed by having to help her.

A yell of "Assistance, please!" from Miroku reminded them that all the rats weren't gone yet. The monk was currently holding off a rat with his staff, and Inuyasha ran to help him as Sango helped Kagome to her feet, the girl still holding Shippo. She pulled the quiver of arrows on her shoulder and picked up the bow, at the ready should a rat get too close to hurting her friends.

Suddenly a foreboding glimmer of power fell over the girl, and she shivered. Was that… a Shikon shard?

An enormous rat, bigger than all the others, answered her question by emerging from behind the houses. A glimmer sparkled at its forehead, and Kagome gasped. "Inuyasha!" she yelled. "That one has a shard in its forehead!"

It wrestled past Inuyasha, gaining only a gash on one shoulder, and past Sango and Miroku despite desperate attempts to stop it. What was its target? or who?

Kagome!

The girl's hand went protectively to her necklace, on which the Shikon shard resided. Backing up, a frightened look invaded her eyes, and she screamed, turning and running.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled. He leapt for his friend and the demon that was chasing her. "Get out of the way!"

She dodged another swipe from the rat and flung herself behind the protection of a hut just in time as the hanyou yelled, "Kaze no Kizu!" The rat dissipated in a burst of light, and Inuyasha sheathed Testuseiga and ran to check on Kagome.

He found her sitting on her legs, pressed up against the hut wall, arms held protectively over her head. Inuyasha touched her shoulder. "It's gone," he told her gently.

Kagome got to her feet slowly. "Is it over?" she inquired.

"Yes, it's over."

She sighed. "Good. I think we've had enough excitement for one night, don't you?" She grinned at the hanyou, who nodded.

The two walked back into the now-peaceful square. Kagome paused. She knelt and picked up the Shikon shard that the rat had had. She melded it to her necklace, sighing. When would all of this be over, so she could get back to her life?

"Kagome?" Shippo said, looking up at her. "I'm sorry I hurt you…"

She picked him up and nuzzled him. "It's alright," she told the kitsune. "I know you didn't mean it."

"Kagome?" Sango ran over to her friend, Miroku following her. "Are you hurt?"

"No, just shaken up," she laughed. "It's not every day you get chased by a humongous rat-demon."

"It certainly is not," Sango agreed, laughing.

"But we did get a Shikon shard," Kagome said brightly, fingering the shard. "See, Inuyasha? It wasn't for nothing."

"Yeah," the hanyou agreed reluctantly.

"Where do we go from here?" Sango asked.

"Well, I really should go home," Kagome said, sighing. "I just disappeared, and Mama and Jii-chan are probably worried."

"WHAT?!" Inuyasha yelled. "You just got back! Why?!"

She put her hands on her hips. "In case you didn't notice, I kinda left without telling anyone I was going. I couldn't exactly tell them, `I'm going to get beat up by some thugs tonight and go to the Feudal Era for a few days,' could I, Inuyasha?"

"No," he snapped, looking away.

She sighed, lowering her head into her hand. "What will I tell them?" she murmured.

Sango touched her shoulder. "Tell them the truth, Kagome-chan. It is for the best, anyway."

"Yeah…" Kagome replied reluctantly. "My mom's gonna freak."

~*~*~*~*~

They reached the well a lot sooner than the trip to the village- Inuyasha had decided that if Kagome's arm was healed enough for her to draw her bow, then it couldn't hurt to be joggled around while riding on his back.

With luck, they got there just as the sun was beginning to set. Kagome shielded her eyes and watched it sink beneath the horizon, painting golden rays across the sky. She sighed, reveling in its beauty, then turned toward the old well. "It'll probably be a few days," she told her friends, facing them. "My mom'll insist I go to the hospital for the doctors to check me, and they'll insist I stay the night. I can't wait to have my mom crying over me." These last words were spoken bitterly.

Sango hugged her friend comfortingly, then stepped back as Kagome hugged Shippo a last time and gave him to Miroku and jumped over the rim of the well. A blue flash indicated that she was indeed gone, and Inuyasha leapt into a nearby tree, huddling against the branch forlornly. What were those- doctors- going to do to Kagome? He indulged in a quiet growl. If they hurt her-never mind. He was sure she'd be all right. Still, he was going to check on her anyway.

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Whew! That took a while. Guess what I'm doing right now! I'm watching sister Act II. If you haven't seen it, then… poo on you!! Lol just joshing. You know what I just realized? Inuyasha is kind of OOC in this chapter! Seriously. Hugging Kagome when she was scared, not earning a sit when Kagome said she had to go home… what's going on here? Oh, wait, I wrote this! Right. *Searches brain for reason Inuyasha is ooc…* I've got nothing. Oh well! Ce lavie… live and let live… Enjoy! Oh, and there's really something in the next chapter you'll like… so you'd better read and review!!!

Kagome14 out!