InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Let Sleeping Dogs Lie ❯ The Connotations of Crimson ( Chapter 7 )

Random Odd Insane Ramblings of the Author: ::wanders in:: Whoa, you're all still here? ::hugs everyone:: Thanks minna-san! well, enough rambling. On with the fic! Anyways, buckle your seatbelts kiddies, cuz here we go! Brand Spankin' New Chapter Ahead!

 (also- song lyrics used in the end of the chapter belong solely to Linkin Park. I take no credit for their awesomeness.)

Now go read. =]

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Chapter 7: The Connotations of Crimson

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Red Eyes.

A cold, unfeeling look, full of bloodlust. The embodiment of violence and rage made into flesh, all contained in two crimson eyes that had once been golden.

What's going on?

Kagome frowned at the hanyou that stood a few feet away from her. She could feel Miroku's muscles tense next to her, as muttered curses poured forth from his mouth. He was worried, and almost scared... but he wasn't leaving.

Something is very wrong.

A cruel laugh came forth from the hanyou, as he brought one clawed hand up to his line of vision. "Oh look," his voice abounded with sarcasm and pseudo innocence, "I seem to have scratched them." He ran his tongue along his hand, licking off a generous amount of blood and adding to the sadistic glory that surrounded him. His laugh sent a shiver down the young girl's spine.

...Inuyasha?

Kagome's entire body was drained both mentally and physically from whatever power she had summoned before, and her exhausted mind could not comprehend what she was seeing. Inuyasha had turned into some sort of monster...

"Kagome, we need to get out of here." Miroku was nervously glancing behind them, judging the distance between himself and the car. "If we run, we can make it." He took a slow step backwards, pulling her with him.

Leave? How can I leave him? Something is wrong- but he needs me. I can't leave him. Inuyasha... what's happening to you?

"Stop." Suddenly, Kagome's head was beginning to clear. Obviously Miroku had some idea of what had happened to Inuyasha, or else he wouldn't be so worried. "Miroku, what's going on? Tell me, now."

Miroku blanched, judging the distance between himself and the car once again. "Kagome, this really isn't the time. In fact, we have very little time."

The determined girl glared at the pony tailed boy, and he relented. "All right, fine. What you're seeing now is Inuyasha's full demon form. But something's wrong, I've never seen him like this before... this is different somehow. Now let's go!"

Inuyasha had averted his attention back to Hiten, as he proceeded to kick the unconscious demon in the side repeatedly, tossing insults at the fallen man. Kagome winced as she heard the distinct sound of Hiten's ribs breaking, and her pulse quickened in fear. "Miroku, you need to be clear, and you need to make this fast. How is it different?"

Miroku's lips formed a thin line, but he nodded slightly in acceptance while tossing a cautious look at the hanyou. "Every other time he's gone complete demon, he hasn't had any rational sense. It usually only happens when his life is in extreme danger," he motioned to the gaping wound in the hanyou's stomach. "Like that. Inuyasha has amazing healing abilities, but if we don't treat him soon, he's going to die of blood loss. As is, I don't think he can feel pain right now- his mind has been taken over by the youkai blood in him. And yet..."

Kagome bit her lip in anticipation and fear for Inuyasha. "And yet what? Miroku, what's going on?!"

Miroku turned a very solemn expression towards the girl. "Kagome, this is possibly the most dangerous I've ever seen him. Any other time he's gone full demon he wasn't able to distinguish between friend or foe, but he also wasn't rational. He was overpowered by bloodlust, fiercely concerned only with surviving. He was a pure killing machine, but his youkai blood eventually made him pass out. But now, he's different. There's still a part of the old Inuyasha there- he's not only a full demon, but he also has a semblance of coherence. And that makes him cruel, calculating, uncaring, and extremely dangerous."

Kagome turned her head to stare at the hanyou. Her eyes were glazed, her voice was silent, but her inner thoughts were screaming at her to do something. What should I do? Inuyasha's gaze turned away from Hiten to lock with her own. A cruel smirk registered on his lips as he rose from his crouched position next to the thunder demon. "I spared his life," Inuyasha drawled, slowly walking towards her. "Aren't you proud of me?" Inuyasha flexed his claws, raising an eyebrow at the blood that stained them. "Pity. Now I'll have to wash my hands." He gave a mock sigh, as his vision encountered Manten. Seeing the younger Thunder Brother, he snarled viciously. "That's the bastard that attacked you, isn't it Kagome?" He stalked over towards Manten, a deadly look in his eyes.

For a moment Kagome had thought she had the old Inuyasha back, but as soon as the hanyou reached Manten, that thought was destroyed. This wasn't Inuyasha, this was some cold blooded sadistic killer. Inuyasha lifted the unconscious body of Manten into the air, reeling his fist back and throwing a vicious punch into Manten's face. He snarled fiercely, wrapping his hand around the younger thunder demon's throat and squeezing. "Your brother can live for now, bastard," he added more strength to his hold, "But you can die."

Somebody stop him!

Kagome's eyes were frozen wide in shock at Inuyasha's actions, but she knew something had to be done. "Inuyasha..." she whispered. Somebody had to stop the hanyou, and it looked like that somebody was her. "Inuyasha!!"

The dog demon paused, jerking his head to face her. "What?!" he snarled. "Don't even tell me you want this bastard to live too?!" He shook the thunder demon for emphasis, giving Kagome a cold smile. "Well, sorry. I can't do that. This prick is mine to kill."

"NO! Inuyasha, you can't kill him!" Kagome removed herself from Miroku's supporting hold, ignoring the boy's protests. She began to slowly walk towards Inuyasha, trying to keep herself as steady as possible. "Inuyasha, calm down. You have to listen to me, ok?"

For a moment, realization dawned in the hanyou's eyes, but in a flash in was gone. "Don't tell me what to do, bitch!" He snarled at her, wrapping both hands around Manten's neck. "Just leave me alone- if I want to kill him, I will!"

Kagome fisted her hands, trying to keep a lock on her emotions and try to talk some sort of sense into the blood lusting demon. "Inuyasha, just let him go. Let's go home, and treat that wound, ok?"

Inuyasha merely snorted. "Wound? This is nothing. I'll be fine. And just what the hell is your problem? Just let me kill him- he would have killed you! Besides," he grinned, "It's been a long time since I've killed anything."

Tears started to form in the corner of her eyes, but Kagome refused to let them fall. Every time Inuyasha looked at her, his blood red eyes shone with anger, hate, and violence. But she refused to give up- for at the very center of his eyes, a tiny spot of gold could still be seen there. Some small part of the old Inuyasha remained and refused to be wholly taken over by his youkai blood. Maybe, just maybe, Kagome could bring Inuyasha back. The tears she had been trying so hard to keep at bay began to stream down her face, leaving crystalline paths of sadness down her cheeks.

Recognition registered in Inuyasha's eyes once again, and he dropped Manten without a second thought. He frowned, and his gaze looked foggy. "Kagome...?"

Kagome let a small sob escape, and she nodded. "Come on Inuyasha," she took a few steps towards the boy, " Let's go home."

The hanyou's vision was still glazed, but gold was starting to reappear in his eyes again. He nodded slightly, stepping forward. "Yeah... home..." As he went to take another step, he cried out and grasped his head, wincing in pain as he fell to his knees. Throwing his head back, Inuyasha screamed his pain into the night.

"Inuyasha!" worried for his safety, Kagome quickly closed the distance between herself and the hanyou. She crouched next to his kneeling position in the ground, reaching a hand out to comfort him. "Inuyasha, are you al-"

Inuyasha's hand snapped out, roughly grabbing Kagome's wrist. As his gaze slowly rose to meet her own, Kagome could see that the crimson color had taken over Inuyasha's eyes again. Kagome futilely tried to pull her wrist out of the hanyou's grasp, but his vice-like hold didn't budge an inch.

"You should have just left me alone, girl." There was no humor in his gaze, no sarcasm. Just the pure coldness of his anger. But the slight traces of gold still remained in his eyes, and Kagome's hope refused to die out. She wrenched her arm free of his grasp, looking the hanyou dead on. "Inuyasha, just let the anger go. Snap out of it!"

All she received in reply was a snarl, and Kagome began to worry as her vision started to blur. "Inuyasha... please... go back to normal..." She wobbled a bit, and fell forward as her knees gave out. Kagome closed her eyes, expecting to hit the cold ground. Instead, strong arms quickly came up to catch her, holding her protectively. Inuyasha's grip was firm and supportive, but he refused to look at her.

A low growl came from the hanyou, and Kagome could feel his fingers clenching against her. "Kagome..." Inuyasha's voice was rough and barely recognizable, but Kagome's heart leapt with hope. "Get out of here... I don't want to hurt you."

"Inuyasha, I can't! You're not yourself... I won't leave you!" Kagome froze as Inuyasha's growl rose in volume, and a startled warning shout came from Miroku.

"Kagome, get out of there! Inuyasha, don't you dare hurt her!!" The pony tailed boy looked on with worry, debating whether to interfere or not.

Inuyasha's growl continued to grow louder, and his grip on Kagome's arms tightened painfully, and his claws began to tear through her skin. She fought against his bloodied hands, struggling to escape him. "Inuyasha, stop it! Let go, you're hurting me!"

The hanyou's head dropped forward, his hair shielding his face. "... Not...safe..." was his only response. He snarled suddenly, harshly throwing Kagome away from him. She stumbled and fell, landing harshly on her wrist. She cried out, cradling the injured wrist in her lap. A searing pain ran up her arm, and Kagome's eyes widened. Her wrist was broken...

"Kagome!" Miroku ran to her side, cursing himself for not helping her sooner. "Kagome... oh gods, are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" she snapped. "It's Inuyasha I'm worried about... Miroku, how can we help him?"

"I have an idea, but I'm not sure if it will-"

Inuyasha screamed once again, the sound tearing at Kagome's heart. His gaze locked onto her own again, but this time there was no gold left in his gaze. No comforting golden eyes to reassure her, just cold, cruel, crimson.

"Kagome, say the word! Say whatever made Inuyasha turn into a dog before, say it now!"

"But... " Kagome hesitated. "Miroku, he's hurt! How are we supposed to treat him if he's a dog?!"

Miroku helped Kagome to her feet, keeping a cautious watch on the advancing hanyou. "We'll figure that out later! Just say the damn word, Kagome!"

The girl sent a glare at Miroku, but relented. "But... what if he gets stuck as a dog?" There was no response from Miroku, and Kagome bit her lip in worry. Turning her gaze towards Inuyasha, two more tears fell from her eyes. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha... but I hope this works. Please don't hate me... " Gripping Miroku's hand for support, Kagome willed whatever power remained within her to help her. "Inuyasha... sit!!"

For a second, everything froze. No sound could be heard as fate decided the outcome of three teenagers and a kitsune. Would it work? Or would Inuyasha be stuck as a killer for the rest of his life? Luckily, fate decided to be generous that day.

There was no smoke, no cursing, no sounds of surprise- but Inuyasha had reverted back into a huge white dog. His torn and bloody clothes lay beneath him, and the dog was unmoving, apparently unconscious.

Kagome heaved a huge sigh of relief at the figure her friend had reverted back into. Glancing at the unsalvageable clothes, Kagome smiled wryly, a bit of sadness entering her gaze. "I just bought those clothes, you know." She spoke quietly to herself, unsure of what to do. She sniffed slightly, wiping away her tears. "Gods... there's so much blood." She was frozen for a moment, but she quickly shook herself out of the stupor. "Come on Miroku, let's go save Inuyasha."

Miroku smiled as he carefully lifted the dog in his arms. "Kagome, can you get the kit? I'll put Inuyasha in the car." He scowled as he picked up the dog form of his best friend. "Dude, you need to lose some weight." Kagome barely heard his next muttered words. "Just stay alive Inuyasha. Don't even think of dying on me, or I'll kick your ass in hell."

Kagome smiled sadly, and looked for the kit. He was next to a wall, still unconscious from some blow he had received before. Kagome cradled the kitsune in her shaking arms as she surveyed the destruction around her. Manten and Hiten were still knocked out, or worse- she wasn't quite sure, nor did she wish to find out. Blood was splattered around the alley, and shreds of clothing stirred as a passing breeze blew by. If she hadn't stopped Inuyasha...

Kagome shook her head fiercely. "Don't think like that," she scolded herself. Steeling her body to remain steady, she rejoined Miroku next to his car.

Miroku had just put the white Inu into the back seat of his car, moaning about blood stains ruining the leather. Kagome rolled her eyes, noticing the hidden worry in Miroku's eyes. He was trying to keep the mood light, but Kagome could tell he was deeply worried over Inuyasha's safety. Perhaps that was the other boy's way of dealing with the pain of his friend going insane... it was sad in a way, but she was grateful for his company. Kagome forced herself to remain positive, sitting in the back seat next to the unconscious form of the dog. Miroku settled himself in the driver's seat, checking to make sure Kagome was alright. The girl placed the kit in her lap, patting the small youkai's fur in soft comforting strokes. She carefully rested her injured wrist in her lap, wincing slightly at the pain. Seeing that Kagome was set to go, Miroku started the car and raced towards Kaede's store. They needed to help Inuyasha, and fast.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Miroku, hurry up!"

"Damnit Kagome, Inuyasha weighs a ton! He's starting to wake up too. I don't know if we can control a youkai dog!"

"All the more reason to hurry! Come ON!"

Lady Kaede calmly exited the back storage room where she had been cataloging items for her store. Being interrupted by the shouting of Kagome and some other boy, she decided to investigate. As she came within sight of the front doors, Kaede could see some boy valiantly carrying a huge injured dog in his arms, while Kagome held the door open, trying to give the boy directions. They two were bickering and letting blood drip all over her pristine clean floor. The elder woman clicked her tongue in chastisement. This would not do. Politely clearing her throat, Kaede turned her attention to the two teens. "Excuse me, but what, may I ask, is the meaning of this?"

Kagome sharply turned her head to glance at the elder woman, hope filling her concerned blue gray eyes. "Oh Kaede, I'm so glad you're still here! It's terrible! Inuyasha, he's hurt, and I don't know what to do- we can't take him to the hospital, and I'm no good with healing. Miroku doesn't know what he's doing either." An indignant shout came from the boy who was hauling Inuyasha around, but Kagome ignored the boy. "Kaede, please. You have to help us."

Kaede quickly made her way over to the strange group in her doorway, noticing the beat up kitsune in Kagome's arms for the first time. Patting the girl's shoulder in a comforting gesture, Kaede motioned to one of the many back rooms. "This way, if you please."

Kagome nodded, and followed Kaede obediently, Miroku right behind her, still muttering about Inuyasha's heavy weight. Kaede flicked on a light switch for yet another storage room, and motioned for Miroku to set Inuyasha down. He did so, sending his Inu friend a concerned look. "Kaede... he's lost a lot of blood. Is there any way we can heal him as a dog?"

Kaede frowned in concentration. "It would be easier to treat him if he was not in his full Inu form, but it is not an impossible task." The elder woman rolled up her sleeves, raking her eyes over the shelves as she looked for the necessary medicines and herbs she would need to heal the Inu-youkai.

Miroku glanced at the shelves dubiously, noticing the odd combinations of new treatments as well as packages that looked alarmingly old. "Um... Lady Kaede... I don't mean to be rude, but will those medicines really help Inuyasha? Some look rather, uh... ancient."

Kaede sent a glare over her shoulder at the pony-tailed boy. "Do not question my knowledge, boy. Kagome has faith in me, and you should as well. Now, make yourself useful and go boil some water."

The boy nodded and walked off in daze, forgetting in his haste to comply that he had absolutely no idea where a stove, microwave, or even a sink was. Well, he was a smart boy. He'd find them eventually.

Kagome smiled as she watched Miroku leave. Kaede had that sort of effect on people, rather surprising for a stout little woman. She had a commanding presence about her that demanded attention and compliance, yet at the same time she was not intruding or overly forceful. She was simply someone not to be taken lightly. Kagome set the kit comfortably on the floor in a corner of the room, away from Inuyasha. Dusting her clothes off with her good hand, Kagome made her way towards the elder woman, intent on offering any help that she could. Kaede was rather short in stature, and was currently struggling for an item that was higher up on the shelves. "Here, let me help you with that." Kagome grinned as she stood on her tiptoes and grabbed the package from it's resting place on the shelf. She handed it to Kaede, who grinned and shook her head.

"You're not that much taller than me, Kagome. You're just younger and free of arthritis."

The two women laughed softly, and Kaede took stock of the items that she had in her arms. She nodded to herself, and slowly kneeled next to the unconscious hanyou-turned-dog. Dumping the items on the floor next to her, she motioned for Kagome to join her by the Inu's side. Kaede calmly began mixing ingredients together, softly chanting a spell over them. A pale blue light began to flare up from the bowl she was mixing in, then quickly went out. Kaede continued to mix the powders and herbs together, her glance quickly passing over Kagome.

Kagome sat with her hands folded neatly in her lap, staring absently at the dog in front of her. Kaede noticed that one of the girl's wrists was bent at a strange angle... another injury to heal. The young girl looked lost, and above all, confused. Kaede could guess at parts of what the girl was feeling, but most of this whole escapade was a mystery. Kaede knew that Inuyasha and Kagome were destined to meet, but what they would do with the hand they had been dealt in life remained to be seen. Complications had begun to arise, and this was only the beginning. There was something much bigger in store for the couple...

Kagome cautiously stroked her hand over the soft white fur of the Inu in front of her. This was only the third time she had seen him in this form, and she prayed feverently that it wouldn't be the last time he saw him. She was going to heal Inuyasha no matter what, and make sure he survived.

Kaede noticed the determined look that entered Kagome's eyes, and the elder woman nodded in approval. "Here, Kagome. Put this on the wounds Inuyasha has."

Kagome snapped out of her musings as her gaze was redirected to the woman next to her. She took the bowl from Kaede, noticing the thick paste had retained the faint blue tint. Kagome frowned flighty, some sixth sense telling her there was magic in the mixture. The fact that it had been glowing blue only minutes before was kind of a give away as well. "Kaede, are you sure this is ok to use on Inuyasha? He is part demon after all..." Kagome gave the elder woman a skeptical glance. "Won't this magic hurt him?" Kagome was too exhausted to realize she had just told the elder woman about Inuyasha's demonic nature, or to wonder how Kaede or she herself suddenly knew about magic- hell, her brain was on autopilot right now. She wouldn't question it even if Miroku walked in and suddenly announced he was gay. Ok... actually, she would question that, but still...

Kaede patted the girl's shoulder in reassurance. "I am perfectly aware he's a hanyou. Just apply it with your fingers, Kagome. Your touch is the best thing for Inuyasha right now."

Kagome nodded and scooped some of the paste out of the bowl with her fingers. Hesitating, she shook her head and began to spread the weird medicine over the various wounds on Inuyasha's body, concentrating mostly on the wound through his stomach. Even when he was in his dog form it still looked terrible. As Kagome continued to treat the hanyou's wounds, she felt an odd heat coming from her hand, and when she glanced down she gave a yelp of surprise. Her hand was glowing softly with a white light, permeating through the medicine and covering Inuyasha's wounds. Kagome sat in shock, watching in complete bafflement as she watched this white light spread over Inuyasha. What the hell...?

Kaede watched with rapt attention, a triumphant smirk appearing on her lips. Miroku walked into the room, carrying a pot of hot water. "Here you go Lady Kaede, I - whoa, what the hell are you doing Kagome? Your hand is glowing!!"

Kagome chuckled slightly, still shocked. "I'm aware of that, Miroku." Kagome finished applying the medicine to Inuyasha's wounds as she turned to Kaede. Miroku just stood in the exact same position he had entered into the room. "Care to explain?"

Kaede laughed. "Apparently your miko powers are beginning to show themselves, Kagome dear." She grinned. "I had expected that it wouldn't be for a few more years, but I suppose the hanyou gave them a jump start."

Kagome winced, rubbing at her forehead in a tired manner. She was completely exhausted now that all the adrenaline that had been flowing through her body had worn off. She could feel a major headache coming on. "Right. I'm a miko. Great. Wonderful. Joy. I'm completely ecstatic with happiness... What's a miko?"

Kaede sighed at the girl's sarcasm and Miroku chuckled as well. "Hey, Kaede- what should I do with this water?"

Kaede looked at the boy with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "You can pour it down the sink. I didn't need any water, but I needed something to get you out of the way."

Miroku's face formed a silent "wha?" expression as he stared in bewilderment at the elder woman. He blinked a few times, then turned and went to dump the water down the sink, muttering about "psycho old women who send innocent guys on pointless errands..."

Kagome rolled her eyes, giving a playful scolding to the woman. "Kaede, that was mean." She laughed. "But his expression was priceless!" The younger girl started to laugh again, but the amusement died out of her tone as she looked at Inuyasha. "Kaede, what did I just do? Will Inuyasha be alright?"

Kaede sighed, putting the powder and herb packages into somewhat of a pile. "I believe wholeheartedly that Inuyasha will be fine-physically. Mentally is another matter entirely."

Kagome nodded slowly. "Ok, I can accept that. He's bound to be pretty torn up after this whole ‘transforming’ thing, right?" Kagome sighed. "I just wish I knew more about what was going on. I can barely even see straight right now. I'm not even sure what I am, or what happened to Inuyasha! And geez, why was my hand just glowing?!"

Kaede patted the girl's hand softly, discreetly telling her to calm down. Both Inuyasha and the kit had begun to stir as Kagome's voice began to steadily increase in volume, and it was imperative that both get as much rest as possible. "Kagome, calm down. We will try to sort out as much of this mess as possible, but unfortunately there are questions that only Inuyasha can answer himself."

Kagome sighed in resignation. "You're right." She massaged her temples again, and thanked Kaede as the woman gave her some headache medicine she had gotten for the girl. "Can you please explain what you know?"

Kaede resettled herself, taking a deep breath. "Kagome, you are a miko." She raised a hand to cut off the girl's protests. "Whether you know what a miko is or whether you want to be one does not matter- the fact of the matter is you are a miko. You have spiritual powers to heal, destroy, and purify. And from what I've seen so far, they are quite powerful."

Kagome snorted. "This is nothing. You should have seen what I did in the alley. I never thought pink light would be destructive, but hey... ya know, whatever." Kagome shrugged tiredly as her frazzled body and mind attempted to stay in focus. "So that white glowing light stuff... I was healing Inuyasha?"

Kaede smiled in admiration. Kagome was catching on fast. "Exactly. Now... pink light? What are you talking about?"

Kagome stretched, cracking her back slightly. "Well, Inuyasha and I were fighting to protect the kit from two other demons. Inuyasha was fighting one of them, and well... when he was busy, the other one attacked the kit and me. I felt some weird power building up inside, and I smashed his face with it." Kagome grinned in satisfaction. "Serves the jerk right too."

Kaede rolled her eyes. "Kagome, I think Inuyasha is beginning to affect your personality. Anyways, you're advancing much faster than I thought you would. I may have to start teaching you a few things, if you don't know them already."

Kagome nodded. "We'll talk about that later. What I really want to know is what's going on with Inuyasha..."

"So do I." Miroku returned, free of the water and pot he had been previously carrying. "And I've heard your conversation so far, and I think there's a bit I can add to it. Though," he yawned widely, "That may have to wait until later because I'm not quite coherent right now."

Kagome glared at the boy as she yawned also. "Yeah, I feel like I just went a week without sleep." Kagome glanced at her broken wrist, staring at it absently for a moment. Yep, she was definitely tired. "Hey Kaede, can I heal myself too?"

"Yes, you can... " Kaede followed the girl's gaze and sighed. "Kagome, is your wrist broken?"

"Um... yes?"

Miroku smushed his face into the palm of his hand. "You say that like it's an everyday thing, Kagome..." he mumbled. "You're all crazy."

Kaede began mixing medicines together once again for the girl, taking bandages down from the shelf as well. "Everyone's sanity is debatable, Miroku. Some people are just more open about it." The elder woman spread the paste over Kagome's wrist, chanted, then wrapped the broken appendage. "Try not to use that wrist for a few days. My medicine works extremely fast, and it should be healed by then. It will be sore for quite awhile after that, though."

Kagome nodded, and Miroku collapsed backwards onto the floor. Kagome shot the boy an odd look. "Uh, Miroku?"

"Yeah?"

"What are you doing?"

Miroku sighed, closing his eyes. "Sleeping."

Kagome nodded to herself, rolling her eyes. "Ok, you do that."

Kaede rose from her sitting position on the floor. "Actually, a nap would suit you both right now. And the kit as well. Stay here while I go and get some sleeping pallets and a few blankets."

Miroku laughed. "I'm good with the floor. At least I know it's not going anywhere and it won't attack me."

Kagome grinned, laying down in between Miroku and Inuyasha on the floor. "Actually Miroku, with the way this day has been going, I wouldn't be surprised if the floor moved and we woke up in Alaska."

"Fiji."

Kagome frowned. "What?"

Miroku yawned, turning over to lay on his side. "One time Inuyasha and I fell asleep in his living room and we woke up in Fiji. It's a long story... has to do with his brother. I'll tell you later."

Kagome nodded and closed her eyes. Sanity was definitely debatable with her new friends.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - --

I woke up in a dream today...

Inuyasha looked around in confusion, surveying his red surroundings. Where the hell was he? And why was it all red? A chill ran down the hanyou's spine as his thoughts were thrown into chaos. He was all alone, and something felt seriously wrong. A scream pierced through the thick silence, and Inuyasha jumped, all his senses ready for combat. When nothing attacked him, Inuyasha dropped his guard a bit. What was going on?

Another scream rang out, and this time Inuyasha could decipher a feminine voice. It sounded very familiar... like... like Kagome! Inuyasha panicked and threw himself forward, racing towards where he thought the scream had come from. What if something was attacking her? What if he didn't get there in time... what if he-

Suddenly, everything around Inuyasha shifted and blurred into a pitch black. The hanyou paused for a moment, ears swiveling around to catch the slightest hint of sound. Damnit, what the fuck was going on?!

Sobbing... that was the sound he heard next. But who? ...Kagome? Why was she crying? Inuyasha growled, his golden eyes flashing into the thick blackness. His patience was running severely thin, and whatever was making Kagome cry was going to die a long and painful death. Did he mention it was going to be full of pain? Because it was. Throwing caution to the wind, Inuyasha charged in a direction that felt right and hoped for the best.

So close to me, but I can't bring you back...

Black faded to gray, and Inuyasha could begin to see the outline of people in the distance. He could still hear the crying, and the sound pierced his heart, driving his thoughts into further frenzy. The pain-filled sound had to stop, because if it didn't... that meant that Kagome's pain hadn't ended. Inuyasha snarled as he pushed his body to run faster. Nobody was allowed to hurt his Kagome- there was still so much he wanted to know about her, and just be around her...

Inuyasha sprang his powerful legs into a leap, hoping to cover more ground. The surrounding darkness was lightening, but all he could see in front of him was shades of gray. Halfway through the air, time stopped around Inuyasha, freezing his body in place. Inuyasha snarled at the invisible force, but suddenly he was being pushed ahead faster than his mind could comprehend. Colors flew past his vision, blurring onto a myriad of confusion and blinding chaos. Inuyasha winced, shaking his head while trying to free himself of the everlasting hold. What was going on?!

In a jarring stop that knocked the breath from his lungs, Inuyasha was free. His eyes darted around, trying to figure out where he was, but all he could see was black. Suddenly, his world exploded into color.

"Inuyasha... please, stop!"

Inuyasha's jaw went slack as he viewed the scene in front of him. Kagome was kneeling on the ground, her clothes smudged with dirt and stained with blood. Tears trailed down her cheeks as she pleaded with the looming figure in front of her. Somebody had attacked her! Inuyasha raised his eyes to see Kagome's attacker, and nearly passed out from shock.

He was watching... himself!

Another Inuyasha stood glaring at Kagome. A menacing smile was present on his lips and his hands were covered in blood not his own. Claw induced slashes were present on Kagome's sides and arms, and the real Inuyasha quickly made the connection. He was watching some sadistic scene between himself and Kagome, but why? And fucking hell, HOW??

As Inuyasha heard another soul shattering sob come from Kagome, he wanted to beat the crap out of his other self. He didn't care what was going on, as long as he helped to ease Kagome's pain. Explanations could come later. As he glared at his other self, Inuyasha noticed the crimson eyes and stripes on the other demon's cheek. That was his full blooded demon form...

A dark chuckle rumbled from the full demon Inuyasha, and he cracked his knuckles. "I think I've stalled enough, little girl. Prepare to die!"

The real Inuyasha's eyes widened in shock. "Wha- Hey, knock it off! What the hell is going on here?"

"Inuyasha, please... just go back to normal." Another broken sob came from Kagome as she lowered her head. "I don't care what happens to me... just go back to the Inuyasha I know."

Inuyasha growled as the full demon version of himself smirked. "Kagome, get up! Please! Stand up, bitch! Get out of the way, do you want to die?!" Inuyasha pleaded and yelled obscenities at the girl, anything to get her out of the way of his other fucked up self. Kagome didn't bat an eyelash in his direction, merely remaining in place, oblivious to him. It tore at his emotions to see the bright and fiery girl broken and crying on the ground. If she didn't move soon...

The red eyed Inuyasha condescendingly patted Kagome on the head. "There's a good girl. Now, lift up your head so I can reach your neck easier. It will make your death faster, of course."

Kagome lifted her vision to lock with the evil counterpart to Inuyasha. Her blue-gray gaze was full of sorrow and determined courage. "I swear I'll return you to normal one day, Inuyasha. I swear it. I won't let you suffer alone."

Somehow, this seemed to anger the dark Inuyasha. "Shut up, bitch! Just die already!!"

As the normal Inuyasha watched his other self's arm reach up to deliver a finishing blow, he exploded into action with one thought on his mind.

Save Kagome.

The sound of a sickening slash reached the hanyou's ears as he watched the young girl's body slump forward onto the ground, a pool of crimson pouring from the wound on her neck. Too late... His lunge to save the girl was abruptly halted as he stood staring in disbelief. No longer were the girl's eyes filled with determination. A glassy blue-gray gaze stared blankly ahead, unseeing of the hanyou who was slowly losing his grip on reality. He was too late... Kagome was dead and it was all his fault...

Inuyasha's fists shook as he locked his fingers together to keep control of his emotions, and his claws bit into the flesh of his palm. All he could see was a lifeless Kagome, killed by a full demon version of himself while he had simply stood by and watched. The distinction between the evil Inuyasha and the real one blurred and melted into one form, until a single hanyou stood staring down at a lifeless girl.

Everyone has a face they hide inside...

Blood stained the boy's hands, but his eyes were a sorrowful golden. Had he done this? Had he watched the scene run it's course, or had he been the one to play the main part? Inuyasha raised his hands, shaking his head at the blood that was there. Two tears slipped from the corners of his eyes and his ears drooped in sadness. "No..." he whispered, "No..."

As darkness began to once again close in upon Inuyasha, a heart wrenching scream tore from his throat. "KAGOME!!!!!!!"

- - -- - - -- - ---

"KAGOME!!!!!!!"

Kagome bolted up from her sleeping position on the floor, her eyes quickly scanning the room in panicked confusion. Someone had just screamed her name, and with such a heartbroken tone it had scared the living daylights out of her. It had sounded like Inuyasha, but that was impossible- he was in his dog transformation...

As Kagome's gaze fell to the Inu in question, she was startled to see that Inuyasha had reverted back to his normal hanyou form. His wounds were bandaged, and a blanket covered his body, salvaging his modesty and shielding him from the chill of the night. Kaede must have treated Inuyasha while Kagome was asleep. Miroku was no where to be found in the storage room, but his sleeping pallet had been neatly folded and left in the center of the room.

A small sorrowful yelp came from the hanyou, and Kagome knelt next to his thrashing body, smoothing his tousled bangs away from his forehead. "Calm down Inuyasha, everything's fine." Through the dim light in the room, Kagome watched his troubled expression slowly ease into a more relaxed pose. Something was really troubling Inuyasha, and Kagome's brow furrowed in worry. It seemed like he was having a nightmare, but what was it about?

Inuyasha's foggy golden eyes slowly slid open as he stared at the girl next to him. "Kagome?"

Kagome smiled softly, nodding once. "Yeah?"

The hanyou's eyes shone with a guarded hopeful light. "You're ok?"

A small laugh escaped the girls lips as she grinned, softly scratching one of the boy's soft furry ears. "Of course I'm all right, silly. It's you that I'm worried about."

Before he could think twice about it, Inuyasha sat up and grasped Kagome in a bone-crushing hug. He buried his nose in her hair, keeping a tight hold on the girl. "I'd thought I'd lost you."

Kagome had stiffened at the rapid movement of the hanyou, surprised to be wrapped in his embrace. Slowly relaxing her tense muscles, she gave the boy a heartfelt hug. "Inuyasha, what's wrong? What are you talking about?"

Inuyasha closed his eyes and shook his head softly, holding onto the girl almost like a lifeline to reality. "It was terrible," he whispered.

Kagome's worry increased tenfold as she heard the proud voice of Inuyasha crack in fear. She ran her hands through the hanyou's thick white hair in comforting strokes, surprised at the slight tremble of the boy's muscles. "It's alright Inuyasha. I'm here now, ok? Manten and Hiten are taken care of, you don't have to worry about them. I don't think they'll ever bother us again." If they're even still alive, Kagome added mentally.

The boy shook his head. "That's not what I'm talking about. This is... worse." Inuyasha swallowed, steadying his voice as he tried to clear his head. However, his voice refused to rise above the loud whisper it had stubbornly chose. "I watched him, Kagome. He attacked you, and you were crying... he was going to kill you! Only it wasn't really him, it was me... and all I could do was watch. But when I think about it... what if I wasn't watching? What if it was me who killed you?" He tightly gripped the girl as if to make sure that she was truly alive. "I never meant to hurt you, Kagome. I swear I'll protect you, even from myself. Please don't die Kagome, please..."

Kagome was extremely confused and worried by the boy's jumbled words. Desperately, she tried to pick out the meaning buried within them, but only confused herself more. "Inuyasha, I'm fine. Really! I mean, Manten attacked me in the alley, but I'm fine now. And I'm certainly not dead." Kagome frowned slightly, biting her bottom lip. What was he talking about?

Inuyasha slightly released his tight hold on the girl as he pulled back to look into her eyes. Kagome gasped, an ache rising in her heart at the terrified look in the golden gaze that was locked with her own. "Inuyasha?! What's wrong?"

The boy took a deep breath, realizing he was just turning the girl in confusing circles. "Kagome, we really need to talk." He winced as he shifted his position, and he glared at the bandages wrapped around his abdomen. Muttering a curse, he took another deep breath. "There's a few things about my past that you need to know about... but first, the nightmare... or whatever it is I saw."

Kagome intertwined her hand with Inuyasha's and gave an encouraging squeeze. "Ok."

The boy hung his head, a curtain of white hair coming down to shield half his face. "I wasn't talking about what happened in the alley... although we probably should soon. I had this... this nightmare, but it was so real! Like I was really there... I'm not quite sure where it began, but I was in darkness and I heard you scream. I tried to find you, but something kept holding me back. When I finally did find you, you weren't alone. There was another... another, me." Inuyasha paused and grimaced. "Only it wasn't me. It was my full blood demon form, and it had attacked you. I watched him toy with your life, and you said... you said that you'd make the evil me return to normal. You promised it." Inuyasha's grip on the girl's hand increased, and Kagome could tell that even though the boy's emotions were presently chaotic, he was still being careful not to hurt her. Kagome gave a silent thanks that he wasn't holding her injured hand. That would make things rather difficult. Kagome ran her thumb along the hanyou's hand, hoping for a semblance of comfort.

Inuyasha took a shaky breath and continued. "But then... the other me- he got mad, and said he was going to kill you. I tried to stop him, but I was too late." Inuyasha scowled. "Damnit, all I did was sit there and watch him kill you! God!" The hanyou's expression turned bitter as he shook his head. "But then again, maybe I wasn't watching. Because after you died... there was no more evil me. I was alone, and the blood was on my hands. It was like... like I had killed you, Kagome."

Kagome reached over and lightly tugged a lock of the boy's shocking silver-white hair. "Inuyasha, look at me." The boy's gaze slowly rose from the floor to clash with a blue gray storm of emotion in the girl's eyes. "It was only a dream. That's it, just a dream." She shook the boy's hands slightly to emphasize her words. "And although it's very haunting, and there's probably a whole lot more to this whole deal than I know right now, there's one thing I know for sure- the fact that you would never harm me intentionally."

Inuyasha blinked, mulling over the girl's words. "Yeah, intentionally," he growled. "Accidents happen Kagome, and I almost broke your wrist that time at the mall! Who knows what could happen when I don't pay attention?" He scowled, casting his gaze towards the ground again.

Kagome swallowed nervously, discreetly putting her broken wrist out of Inuyasha's range of vision. If he only knew..."Inuyasha, that was different. You mistook me for an enemy. I think that's the only thing that affected your judgment. And besides," she softly caressed his cheek, giving him a warm smile. "You got control of yourself before you did any real damage. Inuyasha, I trust you."

A slight hitch caught in the hanyou's breath as he stared back at the girl in front of him. Trust. Had he ever really trusted anyone before? Sure, there was Miroku... they were closer than even brothers could be. And yet, there were things he even hid from his pony tailed friend. But this raven haired girl was unwittingly placing her gift of trust in him, a twisted Inu-hanyou. How could he protect one so pure as this girl? He didn't deserve her trust... but as undeserving as he was, a small flicker of pride and hope lit in a darker corner of his soul, a tiny ray of light attempting to banish the darkness. This girl trusted him... and she held his complete and utter trust, as well as every hope he had ever felt... she was his anchor to the hope of a better reality.

Inuyasha snapped himself out of his musing, giving a soft smile to the worried girl. Resting his forehead against hers, Inuyasha closed his eyes. "What have I ever done to deserve your trust, Kagome?"

She took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. Her life had been so jumbled the past few days... "I'm not exactly sure, Inuyasha." She laughed slightly as the boy snorted slightly. "It's more of a gut feeling. Other than the fact that you protected me from two psycho thunder brothers, the trust I place in you... it's something that I just know."

"What if I screw up? One mistake from me could get you killed... " Inuyasha's voice trembled slightly, belying the fact that he really did want to accept Kagome's trust, but he was afraid. Something still held the boy back...

Kagome leaned in closer to the hanyou, placing a soft kiss on his cheek. The hanyou's eyes snapped open, surprise lining his features. Kagome merely tilted her head and grinned. "I trust you, Inuyasha. You won't mess up."

A voice inside Inuyasha's head screamed, yelling at him to believe the girl's words. And the gods knew how badly he wanted to, but so many things were wrong... so many issues hadn't even been touched yet. Secrets she didn't know... but all that was aimed at him was a comforting aura of peace and trust, and Inuyasha caved in. Mentally sighing in relief, Inuyasha gave into the girl's warmth, absorbed in the comforting feeling. Grinning, he clasped the girl in a tight hug. He squeezed quickly, placing his lips near her ear. "I swear to you Kagome, I will protect you." He voice lowered in volume in pitch, his next whispered words slightly rough. "You're mine."

Kagome swallowed, intent on calming the butterflies that had suddenly arisen in the pit of her stomach. Had she heard him right? No... surely not. But all the denial in the world couldn't stop the silly grin that graced her lips. I'm his. The grin morphed into a mischievous smile. Inuyasha, you'd better keep your word, because this girl just might be interested in being yours. She chuckled slightly. Only time will tell. "Ne, Inuyasha?"

The boy's voice was turning sluggish, and his eyelids began to droop as he buried his nose in the girl's sweet smelling hair. "Yeah?"

Kagome's hands traced patterns along Inuyasha's bare back, and he gave a happy rumble in response. Kagome smiled, content. "You said that there were other... um, issues that we had to talk about. They sounded kind of important."

A small scowl raced across the boy's features for a fleeting second as his content bubble was suddenly burst. He sighed, untangling his arms from around the girl. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, there's a couple things from my past... that you should probably..." A large yawn interrupted his words, and he blinked at Kagome's giggle.

The girl laughed again, seeing Inuyasha look like a big, sleepy, puppy. "Tired, Inuyasha?"

The hanyou gave a sheepish grin, crossing his arms in embarrassment. "Feh. I'm fine... just..." he paused, searching for the right word, "...comfortable."

Kagome rolled her eyes, flashing a grin at the boy. She stretched in an attempt to uncramp her sore muscles, mindful of her injured wrist. She silently marveled at the potency of Kaede's medicine, or rather, magic. She could already move her wrist a bit without a ton of pain! It was a very small movement, but Kagome would take what she could get. "Well," she hedged, "It is rather late. Maybe we should get some rest, and head back to the shrine tomorrow?"

Inuyasha nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that sounds good." He started to lay back, but paused, propping himself up on his elbows. His ears perked up as a thought suddenly entered his head. "Hey Kagome, the kit... did we save him?"

Kagome grinned, smoothing out her blanket as she prepared her bed on the floor. "Yeah, we did. I'm not too sure how he's doing right now, but he's in the care of Kaede and Miroku so he'll be fine."

Inuyasha grinned, nodding one last time in closure. "Good." He hesitated as he watched Kagome prepare for bed. Sparing a quick glance at his own blanket, he pushed all ecchi thoughts out of his mind. "Uh, Kagome?"

"Hmm?" The girl turned, an inquisitive smile on her face.

A small blush crept over the hanyou's cheeks, a rare sight indeed. "Do you think... uh... would you sleep next to me?" The boy crossed his fingers, praying that the girl wouldn't take it the wrong way.

"Eh?" A red flush tinted her cheeks as she blinked absently. "Um..."

Inuyasha sat up, waving his arms in a placating manner. "I don't mean anything perverted, I swear!" his blush deepened. "But... it's just that... well, your presence calms me, and I really don't want to go through another nightmare from hell. But if it makes you uncomfortable-" he broke off, toying with the hem of his own blanket.

Kagome shook her head slightly, smiling. Picking up her own sleeping mat, pillow and blanket, she set them next to Inuyasha's. Tugging on a lock of the boy's hair, she sat next to him, spreading the blanket over herself. "Inuyasha, uncomfortable is a term applied to leather." She laughed at the boy's perplexed expression. "I would love to sleep next to you. Maybe you'll scare my nightmares away too, ne?"

Inuyasha grinned, silently contemplating what nightmares could trouble the girl. "No nightmare can get past the girl I'm protecting." He tucked a stray piece of raven hair behind her ear, tilting his head with a smile. "Sweet dreams then, right?"

Kagome grinned, laying down. "Sweet dreams Inuyasha."

The hanyou followed her example and lay down, facing the ceiling. He bit his lip, debating internally whether to pull the girl closer or not. She was curled slightly, facing away from him and already drifting away to sleep. He silently argued for a few minutes, then growled softly, rolling his eyes. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around Kagome's waist, pulling her back against his broad chest. He froze, feeling her shift and mumble something incoherent. She turned in his grasp, changing her position to face him, pillowing her head on his chest. Blood pounded in the boy's ears as he waited for an accusation of being a hentai, or a chastisement for being too bold, but nothing came. He sighed in relief, but his body froze again when Kagome shifted closer to him.

"Ne, Inuyasha... you're so warm." her sleep murmured words were soft, and her eyes remained closed. "But you're too tense..."

Inuyasha let out a slow breath, ordering his body to calm down, relax, and sleep. He felt Kagome toss an arm over his side, securing their embrace. He smiled, placing his chin on top of the girl's head, a contented rumble echoing out from his chest. A goofy grin was etched onto his features as his eyes slid close. So comfortable... Inuyasha mentally laughed- he'd like to see nightmares try and get them now.

- - - - -- - - -

A few hours later, deep into the night, the door to the store room slowly creaked open. A beam of light entered into the dark room, partially blocked by the dark silhouette of the heads of two curious onlookers.

"Hey Kaede, do you think we should let them know that Inuyasha's naked underneath that blanket?" Miroku's whisper cut through the silence, bordering on laughter.

The elder woman gave a smirk in reply to the boy's question. "They'll figure it out when they wake up tomorrow morning." She grinned, giving a short bark of laughter. She pulled slightly on the boy's ponytail, motioning for him to move so she could shut the door. "Come, young one. We should go look after the kit. Tomorrow morning will prove to be... rather interesting." With another grin, the elder woman softly clicked the door shut, leaving the couple in peace.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Woo, and another chapter comes to a close. Had to add more fluff at the end, I just can't help myself. And I swear, Sango is coming! It will just be a little bit. There's a lot more humor coming up, more romantic tension, and of course more angst. Oh, and there's a plot stuck in there somewhere to… can't forget that, now can we? And whatever happened to Kikyo? Well, you'll see. Probably following someone around downtown, scaring the crap outta them.

::hugs everyone:: I hope you liked this chapter, I had some major trouble putting it together... ::kicks chapter:: but I like the end result. It’ll help me set things up for later in the plot... ::evil laugh:: bwaha. anyways, thanks for reading! Leave a review if you can, I'd love it! Ja, till next time minna-san!