InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Kagome's Realization ❯ Chapter 16 ( Chapter 21 )

Inuyasha easily jumped out of the well on his side. Home, he thought sighing and turning to look back at the well. Soon, he reminded himself, soon. His nose twitched as a familiar scent caught his attention.

"I've smelled it before." He thought, trying to place it but finding it difficult. Deciding he had nothing better to do he followed his nose. It didn't take him long to realize that whoever it was he smelled was down wind because it took him several miles of walking before he realized he was smelling a human. "Human?" He questioned puzzled. It was then that he sensed he youkai in the area. All this way just to save a human, he thought.

Inuyasha stopped, high up in one of the trees and scanned the area, not sure what he was looking for so he looked for anything. A bush started shaking to his left, so Inuyasha very quietly jumped down to the ground and moved left. Stopping right in front of the moving bush he squatted and pushed the leaves and branches aside. Amongst all the greenery was a little girl. Can't be more than six, Inuyasha thought smiling a little at her. To which the girl responded with the biggest, brightest smile he had ever seen. Except, maybe from Kagome, he corrected.

"You found me!" The little girl said, jumping up and clapping her hands, coming out to stand before him. She didn't even come up to his waist.

Just then Inuyasha sensed to youkai from earlier he grabbed the little girl by the back of her kimono, causing a cry of surprise, and pushed her protectively behind him. Drawing his full transformed Testuiga, he stood ready to fight. When a head appeared, half man half woman, Inuyasha tilted his head slightly. That looks familiar, he thought sniffing the air again, and so does the smell of this youkai. Inuyasha lowered his sword slightly.

Jaken, having heard Rin's cry of surprise, came running through the bushes and screamed, "Nintogo" And a burst of flames came shooting out of one of the mouths of his staff.

Inuyasha, having expected this, leaned down throwing the little girl on his back and jumped up onto one of the branches in the trees above. The quick movements caused another cry to spring fourth from the child he carried.

"Rin!" Screamed Jaken from below. "Rin!"

Just then Sesshomaru appeared out of nowhere, his sword drawn. "Where's Rin, Jaken?" He asked with a deadly voice.

"Rin?" Inuyasha whispered to himself.

"Rin is up here, Sesshomaru-sama." Cried the little girl on Inuyasha's back.

"Inuyasha." Sesshomaru stated, looking up at the duo high above him. "What do you think you are doing?"

Seeing as there was no reason to hide in the tree anymore, Inuyasha jumped down, bring Rin with him.

Rin jumped off of Inuyasha's and ran to stand in front of her Sesshomaru-sama. "Rin was playing hide and seek with Jaken-sama when Inuyasha-sama found Rin first." Rin smiled up brightly at her lord and then looked down frowning. "Then Jaken-sama came through the bushes and shot fire at us. And then Rin was in a tree." She finished with another smile.

"I see." Sesshomaru said looking down at Jaken.

"I heard a scream. I did." Jaken said when it looked like Sesshomaru wasn't going to believe him. "I came running through the bushes and saw red and so I shot fire at it."

"Seems that Jaken didn't know it was me." Inuyasha offered with an amused smirk on his face. Why hadn't he realized sooner, this was Sesshomaru's human. He had only seen her once so maybe that was why he couldn't place her scent. Naraku had used her as a way to allow him time to escape if his plan of absorbing Sesshomaru failed. Which it did, of course, so Naraku ordered Kohaku to kill Rin. Which also failed, due to the fact that Sesshomaru reached Rin in time.

"What are you doing here, Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru questioned bringing Inuyasha out of his thoughts.

"I should ask you that, seeing as you are in my territory." Inuyasha said.

"How laughable. This forest was named after you only after you were sealed in it. But aside from that it's only your territory because you protect these humans and they like that." Sesshomaru looked at his brother with all the hatred that he felt for him.

"That still makes it mine." Inuyasha said rolling his eyes around in a thoughtful way. "Humans live in your territory and are under your protection as well, aren't they?"

"This Sesshomaru does not protect the humans in my territory personally." Sesshomaru mocked.

"I did not come here with the intention of saving any humans." Inuyasha said, his temper flaring.

"As it was asked, what are you doing here?" Sesshomaru repeated.

Inuyasha let out a heated sigh; he hated it when Sesshomaru had the upper hand, in anything. "You should teach Rin, here." He said pointing at her. "How not to stand downwind. I picked up her scent a few miles back and since she smelled familiar I decided to investigate."

Sesshomaru just stared at him. Rin, on the other hand, ran up to Inuyasha and took his hand. "You found Rin, now it's Rin's turn to find you." When he didn't respond she tugged at him.

"I think play time is over." Inuyasha said, smiling down at the girl. "Besides, I don't think Sesshomaru would like that very much." Inuyasha looked up to see Sesshomaru watching Rin.

"We're leaving." Sesshomaru said turning on his heal.

"Bye." Rin said, taking off after her lord and Jaken.

"Oi!" Inuyasha shouted after them. "Typical." Inuyasha said to himself. It was then that Inuyasha felt an electrifying sensation run up his spine and then back down again. All the hairs on his body stood on end. Suddenly the strongest urge he ever felt came over him, the urge to see Kagome. It was swift and stunning in it's fierceness.

Inuyasha took off running. Could something have happened to her? He asked himself, the sudden thought causing him to run even faster. Please God, he prayed, if anything's happened please let me be in time.

It seemed like hours before the well was finally in sight and his stomach dropped when he smelled the smoke coming from the well before he saw it. "I'm coming Kagome!" He shouted before he jumping into the well.

Space and stars and weightlessness were the only thing Inuyasha saw or felt before Kagome's side of the well suddenly appeared below his feet as he made a gentle touchdown. Inuyasha instantly covered his face with his sleeve as the strong sent of smoke filled his senses. Inuyasha looked up and saw that the ceiling of the shrine that covered the well had collapsed.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha called as he jumped and grabbed the side of the well pulling himself up but not over, the ceiling was only a foot or so above his head. Inuyasha looked around in shock.

Inuyasha felt his blood run cold when he suddenly smelled Kagome's blood mixed in with the smoke. Inuyasha didn't care if he hit his head on the roof or not he quickly pulled himself up and over looking frantically for Kagome.

"Inuyasha." He heard faintly. Inuyasha looked around trying to find where it came from.

"Where are you, Kagome?" Inuyasha said, listening for anything.

"Over here." And that was all it took for Inuyasha to find Kagome. He wouldn't have known she was there because she had pieces of wood covering her. Throwing them off her Inuyasha got his first look at her.

"Oh, God. What happened?" Inuyasha said, afraid to touch her because she was covered in blood. He felt hot tears sting at his eyes as he looked her over and saw how pale she was becoming from the loss of blood.

"He… me." Kagome whispered.

"What?" Inuyasha asked, leaning in closer so he could hear when his hand landing on something sharp. He looked down and saw a knife covered in blood. Kagome's??

"He attacked me." Kagome whispered again when Inuyasha's ear was just a breath from hers.

"Who did? Who attacked you? Where is he?" Inuyasha said lifting his head so he could look at Kagome. He used his free hand to brush her hair out of her face and to stroke her cheek.

"I got him." She whispered smiling weakly at him.

"Good. Hush now, hush." He said stroking her hair soothingly. "We can talk about it later. We have to get you some help." Inuyasha said, thinking of Keade instantly, but she was away. "Where do you go when you need help here?"

Kagome's hand weakly stroked Inuyasha's cheek. "It's too late for that, Inuyasha." Kagome said weakly. "I'm glad you came though. At least I'll get to say goodbye."

Inuyasha was shaking his head. "Don't talk like that. You'll be all right." Inuyasha felt tears fall down his face.

"Don't cry." Kagome said trying to wipe away his tears but more kept coming. "I've had a good life. It's been short but good. I am so happy that I told you that I loved you. Wouldn't seem fair if this was my last chance."

Inuyasha hung his head, laying it gently on her chest. "I love you too. Please don't leave me." Kagome ran her fingers through his hair; she had always wanted to do that.

"I'll always be with you." Kagome said as her last breath left her body and her hand fell from Inuyasha's hair.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha said, pulling himself up. He gently lifted her into his arms. "Kagome?" He whispered, his tears falling onto her still face.

"KKKKKKKAAAAAAGGGGGGGOOOOOMMMMMMEEEEEEEEE!"

Author's Note:

Sorry that this chapter isn't very long. And I know, you all hate me for killing Kagome. Just keep reading; I'll post the next chapter as soon as I can.