InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ I'm Still Here ❯ Quiet Pain ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 4

Quiet Pain

The sun was burning when Kagome's eyes finally fluttered open. And then closed again. All she could think of was the pain on her skull. Why was she hurting so much? She tried to get up, but felt a hand push her down gently. Someone was talking to her, but she couldn't really make out who it was, or what they were saying.

She tried to force herself to remember what was going on. How long she'd been out, she had no idea; but she knew she hadn't just fallen asleep, especially with the throbbing and banging she felt in her head.

The last thing she remembered was going down the cliff… then she'd hurt her leg. And then suddenly, all fell into place.

She'd seen his haori… His bloody, ripped haori.

But there was no sign of him.

She opened her eyes again, and stared up. Sango was holding her on her lap.

“Are you feeling better?” the taijiya asked with a smile.

“Yeah,” Kagome uttered, pushing herself up a little.

“When you fainted, you fell on your head,” she said. “And you'd hurt your leg, too.”

Kagome nodded slowly. “I'm feeling a lot better,” she lied. She took a couple aspirins and then rubbed her temples. “The cut on my leg isn't bad, is it?”

“No,” Sango answered. “It's nothing important. You just needed rest.”

“How long have I been out?” Kagome wanted to know.

“About three hours,” Miroku sounded from next to her. She turned her head slowly to look at him. They both had a serious expression on their faces.

Kagome didn't know what to say. She wanted to ask them if they had found Inuyasha, but it was obvious that they hadn't. Or else he'd be there next to her, holding her and telling her how stupid and reckless she was.

Oh how she missed his annoying judgmental tone right about then. “You didn't find him, did you?” she asked, her eyes closing again.

“No,” Miroku said. “But Kouga is talking to a few villagers around here. They said they saw a white haired demon lying on those rocks.” When Kagome looked up she could see them a little farther away.

Kagome bit her lip, her eyes instantly filling with tears. She got up, careful not to move too fast, so she would stay conscious to hear what the villagers had to say to Kouga.

“Kagome!” Sango protested. “You're not feeling well enough to be walking!”

“Yes, I am. I'm fine,” the girl from the future countered as she made her way to where Kouga and the villagers were. She really was feeling better actually. She knew she would be able to walk to where they were and join in the discussion.

So Sango didn't stop her, and Miroku just stared at her go. “I don't think he's still… still…” Sango whispered. She just couldn't bear to say it.

“I know,” Miroku agreed, his voice breaking. “I know…”

When he smelled Kagome close to him, Kouga turned. “Kagome!” he exclaimed. “You're up!” He held her close to him for support, then turned back to the villagers. Then softly, he said, “These kind men were just telling me that they had seen Inuyasha lying on the rocks there, and that he was hurt.”

Kagome's eyes lit up. If they'd seen him, they must have helped him. “What did you do?” she asked them hopefully.

One of the older men, Hadushi, looked at her, and then back at Kouga. “I don't understand how you can spend your time with these demons,” he spat. “But we didn't spare the disgusting creature. I pierced a knife through his chest and then we all threw him in the water,” he finished coldly.

Through the whole time he'd been talking, Kagome's eyes had widened and her throat had tightened. To hear someone talk about hurting Inuyasha that way was so infuriating, frustrating, that she forgot about crying, about her skull still pounding, and just threw herself at him with a cry of rage. “You heartless bastard!” she yelled, clawing at his face while he tried to push her away. The villagers around them, and Kouga, were too surprised to react. She was yelling and hitting him, her nails scraping his face, her fists hitting his chest.

She looked quite mad, and everyone around was now looking at her. Sango and Miroku had gotten up and ran to her, understanding exactly what was happening. “Kagome, stop! It's no use!” Sango yelled, trying to pull the girl away from Hadushi.

“He was already dead!” Hadushi screamed, pushing her off of him and straightening his robes, panting. “I just wanted to make sure before pushing him into the water.”

Kagome panted heavily, tears flowing down her cheeks. “You could have saved him!” She cried. “If you'd known him, you would have known that he wouldn't have hurt you! He wasn't a mad youkai who would kill any human he saw! He had a heart, unlike you!” Sango held her close, stroking her arm gently.

When Kagome looked behind her, she noticed all three of them - Sango, Miroku and Shippo - crying. Kouga had a cold expression on his face, and then turned to Kagome and signed. “Let's get the fuck away from here,” he said.

As they all walked away, Kagome sobbing on Sango's shoulder, Kouga looked back with a strange look on his face. He looked at the men, then at the water, then took a long sniff, and shook his head.

XX

They had only been walking for about thirty minutes when Kouga decided to stop, so that Kagome could get rest. She pulled out her sleeping bag quietly, and just lay in it. No one talked to her; they all just stared at her silently, wondering what they would tell her if they packed up the courage to say something.

She'd been silent since they'd left, which didn't happen to her often. She was tempted to take out her diary and write, but it seemed that it wasn't enough this time. It wasn't nearly enough to make her feel better.

Not to mention that everyone was staring at her, and she didn't want them to know she owned a diary.

She just lay there for a while, thinking, and crying silently. It had all happened so fast. One minute she was on Kouga's back, happy that she was going to see Inuyasha again, and the other, she was finding out that he was dead.

How all this could have happened, she had no idea. It had all been such a simple argument, such a small fight - but now, she would never see him again.

She felt her eyes close as she cried herself to well needed sleep, to where nightmares of happy memories awaited her…

XX

Sango and Miroku were also quiet, sitting together against a tree. The houshi was holding his love in his arms, caressing her arm absently. They both wanted to think, wishing they could have done something to help. Sango was feeling responsible - after all, if she'd thought of asking Kirara to track down Inuyasha, they might have been able to find him in time…

But none of them could even imagine how Kagome felt. It was after all her fault that he'd gone off in the first place, and she was the one who blamed herself most. They had unconsciously realized that if you don't hold the person you love close, you might lose them in an instant.

Kouga was sitting close to Kagome, wondering what to do. He could smell the tears on her cheeks, but didn't know what to say to her. Perhaps she wouldn't even want to talk to him; she would want to be alone after what had happened. Was it his place to comfort her? Not yet.

And so they all sat there, watching her sleep. Shippo had been weirdly quiet the whole time, and was staring at Kouga wearily. The wolf demon would stare back, challenging the kitsune to say what he was thinking.

But it was all over now, Kouga thought. Kagome had heard from the villagers that Inuyasha was dead, and would stop thinking about him. Soon enough, she would fall madly in love with her wolf in shining armor, and all would turn out well.

Or so he thought.

XX

Sweeties!

Another short chapter, but at least I didn't make y'all wait too long, ne? :: smile ::

So here it is, depressing, and I'm not too pleased with it…

Now, I'm surprised to be getting reviews like “I don't like where this is going…” or even “The summary wasn't appealing”.

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but it DOES say I/K. Now how would the pairing be I/K if there isn't any in the fic?

I'll let you think about that. I think I've made it quite obvious that Inuyasha and Kagome are a forever-in-life-and-death couple, haven't I? So stick with me guys, I promise, you'll love me pretty soon :: smile ::

I'm quite pleased to say that my block is subsiding, and that I am writing like mad (especially now that I have finals coming up and that I should be studying. Ironic, I know).

I'll try my best NOT to update until Friday June 8th (end of my horrendous exams), but you all know my writing always wins over the need to study. :: siigh ::

Oh well, I'll stop rambling about, now.

Love, IK/InusMistress