InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Midnight Blood ❯ Vulnerabilities ( Chapter 22 )

@REVIEWERGODDESS: The level of appreciate I feel for you radiates out in this chapter, because I feel it’s something you would like. I also notice that you’re getting impatient for answers. Don’t worry, I’m getting there. I will answer a few questions though: yes, Sesshoumaru was born in the human realm. Different mothers. Kagome and Lilliana are blood class. But that’s all I’m giving you. Unfortunately, I won’t be answering most of the big questions yet, because for some reason, I just felt like writing a more, how can I put this without spoilers, relaxed (kind of) chapter this time. I felt it was about time for this to happen. Either way, I hope you enjoy it. Thanks again for the review! I’ll try not to let you down.
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< br> ‘‘What the hell do you mean we can’t go any further?’’ Inuyasha barked at the flea sitting on his shoulder. ‘‘I’m not resting until we rescue Lilliana.’’ He pushed through the thick patch of thorns leading into the icy forest in front of him, grunting at Myoga’s protests. Kagome held Shippo close to her chest as she followed him, thankful that his path made it easier for her to cross the thorns without being scratched.
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‘‘Please my lord! We cannot go any further now! It’s almost time for the black moon. This forest gets poisonous around that time and no nightwalker can pass!’’
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Inuyasha paused. ‘‘Poisonous? Are you kidding me? First you tell me that Lilliana was captured by Ice nightwalkers, then you say we have to cross a forest of thorns to get to the icy mountains on the other side to get to her, and now you’re telling me that the forest is poisonous because the moon is dark?’’
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‘‘W-well yes. It’s a natural barrier between the two regions. That’s how ice class nightwalkers protect themselves. Much like how Ghost Forest protects Lord Yoko’s Spirit Woods.’’
----
Inuyasha flicked the flea off his shoulder. Luckily for him, Kagome managed to catch him as he sailed toward her. Unfortunately, it didn’t look as though Inuyasha was stopping as he kept pushing through the thorns, sneezing and sniffling as he passed through. ‘‘Man, he’s stubborn.’’ Shippo said as he hopped down from Kagome’s arms.
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‘‘Hey, Inuyasha. You can keep going if you want. But me and Kagome are staying here until the next moon rise.’’
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‘‘Like hell you are. You can stay here runt, but she’s coming with me.’’
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Kagome wrinkled her nose. Ignoring Inuyasha for a moment as he foolishly pushed through frozen thorns, and kept sneezing as he did, she turned to Shippo and asked him if the forest really was poisonous. ‘‘Of course it is. Every dark moon.’’
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‘‘What’s a dark moon?’’
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Shippo looked at her as though she didn’t even how to count. ‘‘When the moon goes down, Kagome, duh.’’
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‘‘Say I have amnesia and I don’t know how this world works Shippo.’’
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‘‘Fine fine, I’ll play along. Look up there.’’ ----
Kagome looked up to see the black, starless sky looming over her. In the far edge of the sky, near the horizon was the red moon. ‘‘Once that moon sets all the way, the black moon appears on the other side of the sky. That’s when most normal nightwalkers would sleep, because it’s way more dangerous.’’
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‘‘ACHOO! Heeeeh, why does this forest stink s-s-so much? Achoo!’’
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Inuyasha swayed like he was drunk. ‘‘I think I’m g-going to-achoo!’’ Kagome rushed forward but it was already too late. Inuyasha’s head hit the floor hard and it didn’t take her long to figure out why. As she rushed into the thorns to pull him out, Kagome’s head pounded as though Totosai had beaten it over with his mallet. Her nose and throat burned and she just wanted to close her eyes and fall asleep right then.
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‘‘Kagome, get out of there!’’ Shippo yelled from the distance. Shaking her head, she hooked her arms under Inuyasha’s and pulled him backward out of the thorns, ignoring the pricks on her arms and legs as she finally cleared the thicket. She collapsed onto her bottom and breathed in deeply the clear air, trying to lift the fog from her own mind. ‘‘Was that the poison?’’ She panted.
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‘‘Yes. The forest is starting to release the poison spores. It’s a good thing you got him out of there before it got stronger.’’
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Kagome slapped Inuyasha lightly on the cheek. ‘‘Hey, can you hear me?’’
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Inuyasha’s only response was a quiet ‘‘heeee.’’ He couldn’t even lift his head from her lap. ‘‘You and your ultra sensitive nose. Sometimes I wonder if you really are a dog.’’ Kagome hooked his arm over her shoulders and pulled him up. She could have easily lifted him over her back, but she had the clear sense that he wouldn’t like that when he sobered up. She walked some distance away from the frozen thorns and back into the regular part of the forest.
----
Myoga jumped up onto Kagome’s shoulder and sighed. ‘‘It will be some time before the red moon rises. Why not rest for a while. You two set off immediately from Totosai’s home and haven’t rested since. We’ve run quite a ways to get to the mountains.’’
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‘‘I say we do as he says.’’ Shippo was already halfway to sleep, leaning against a rock with hands behind his head. Kagome put Inuyasha gently down onto the ground and smoothed his hair out of his eyes. He stared up at the dark sky with a bewildered look on his face. ‘‘This world weird.’’ He slurred.
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‘‘Well maybe next time you’ll listen to the people that live here.’’ Kagome said.
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‘‘But Lilliana.’’
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‘‘I know. I want her back too. But we’ll be no use to her dead.’’
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‘‘Scarred.’’ Inuyasha said, turning his head side to side. ‘‘Head hurts.’’
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Kagome bent down and repositioned him so that his head was back on her lap. ‘‘Better?’’
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‘‘Little.̵ 7;’
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‘‘Why are you scarred?’’ She placed a hand against his forehead. His skin was cold.
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‘‘Here. So long. Worried.’’
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‘‘About the family?’’
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‘‘And Lilliana. And-’’
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He grimaced, pressing his hands against his dog-ears. ‘‘Head really hurts.’’ He moaned, closing his eyes. ‘‘It’s the poison.’’ Myoga said. ‘‘Keep him talking. Keep him awake until the delirium passes.’’
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‘‘Inuyasha? What else are you afraid of?’’
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‘‘The monster inside.’’
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‘‘Narek?’’
- ---
‘‘N-no, me.’’
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Kagome tilted her head to the side. ‘‘You’re not a monster Inuyasha. Just an idiot.’’
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When he didn’t give her a snappy reply, she really grew worried. ‘‘Hey, come on, you’re stronger then some smelly poison.’’
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‘‘It’s talking again.’’
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‘‘Very funny Inuyasha. Okay, I’m sorry I called you an idiot.’’
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‘‘Not you. The thing in me.’’
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She rubbed her hand on his forehead, hoping to warm him up a little. He shivered. ‘‘Inuyasha, you’re just delirious. You’ll be okay. I’m here.’’
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‘‘Scared for you.’’
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‘‘Don’t worry. I wasn’t in the poison as long as you. I’m fine.’’
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‘‘No, I want you.’’
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‘‘You want me to what? If you tell me to leave you here and keep going to find Lilliana, well forget it.’’
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‘‘No, I really, it really-ugh, head hurts!’’ He turned on his side, curled up into a little ball and closed his eyes.
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‘‘Oh no you don’t!’’ Kagome slapped his cheeks. ‘‘You really want what? Inuyasha, answer me!’’
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He blinked several times, tears leaking out of his glassy eyes. ‘‘What does you want?’’ Kagome repeated.
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He squeezed his eyes closed so tightly she saw wrinkles forming over his lashes. ‘‘It wants you. So bad.’’
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‘‘So you are saying that there’s a beast inside you that wants me?’’ Kagome rolled her eyes. She would really have hit him if he weren’t so out of it. ‘‘This is hardly the time to be so pervy Inuyasha.’’
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‘‘Not just you.’’
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‘‘Oh you want other women now too? You know I’m kind of glad you’re so delirious. Maybe I should get you drunk more often so that you can be honest with me.’’
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‘‘The beast inside me doesn’t just want you. It wants to kill.’’
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Kagome looked down into Inuyasha’s face. He wasn’t slurring his words anymore, and the dreamy look on his face was fading. ‘‘What do you mean?’’
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He took a deep breath then began hacking. ‘‘The pain’s going away.’’ He gasped between coughs. He trashed once, twice and then was still. Suddenly, he sat up, and began scratching his nose.
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‘‘Inuyasha?’’
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̵ 6;‘Hmm?’’ He rubbed his eyes. ‘‘What is it, Kagome?’’
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‘‘Looks like the poison has worn off.’’ Myoga jumped onto Inuyasha’s head.
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Inuyasha looked around. ‘‘How did I get here?’’
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‘‘The poison made you delirious, Lord Inuyasha. Lucky for you, Kagome pulled you out before it really did any serious damage. I told you, my Lord. We cannot cross the ice thorns during black moon.’’
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‘‘Shit. So we really can’t cross it for a while. Looks the runt’s already asleep.’’
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He yawned. Looking defeated. Kagome waited for a while, but it didn’t look like he was aware that he had been awake and speaking to her a second ago.
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‘‘Hey. When you were still out of it, you were talking about some monster inside you.’’
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His eyebrow twitched for a moment. ‘‘I don’t remember that. How out of it was I? That poison stuff really stank. Last thing I remember was trying to get through those frozen thorns before I passed out.’’
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‘‘Is it true though?’’
----
‘‘Is what true?’’
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‘‘What you said about some beast inside you wanting me, and wanting to kill.’’
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He looked confused, then flinched, and then he smiled. But it didn’t look like a real smile. ‘‘Yeah, sure it is. Do you believe everything a delirious person tells you?’’
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‘‘I’m being serious Inuyasha. Are you okay? Do you hear voices in your head or something?’’
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‘‘Now you think I’m crazy.’’
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‘‘No. I’m just worried about you. Maybe this is the thing that puts you in danger.’’
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‘‘Right, nightwalker schizophrenia puts me in danger. I don’t hear voices in my head. Just drop it.’’
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Kagome got on all fours and crawled over to him, leaning in so close her nose almost touched his. He leaned back, glaring back at her stubbornly. ‘‘Give me a straight answer Inuyasha. Is there something inside you? Something you’re afraid of. Do you hear it?’’
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‘‘No.’’ He hissed. ‘‘I don’t.’’
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‘‘Why can’t you tell me?’’
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‘‘Oh like you’re always honest with me?’’
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She stood up and began walking into the forest. ‘‘Hey, where are you going?’’
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‘‘Leave me alone. I’m in no mood for this right now. Don’t worry your stupid head. I won’t go far.’’
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She was relieved to hear him grumble, and when he didn’t follow, she was, for once, grateful for his stubborn idiocy. She would have screamed to vent her frustrations if she wasn’t worried about attracting another giant bug that could have been lurking in the forest. ‘‘Bastard. Moron. Idiot.’’
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Kagome walked and walked and walked, ignoring the foliage around her as she grit her teeth. What she wouldn’t give to go back there and pull on those stupid, cute dog-ears of his until he said uncle. ‘‘And to think I was actually starting to worry about him, but nooo, he has to go and pull out that whole ‘you don’t tell me everything’ card. Who’s he to talk? When I was human he kept me in the dark twenty-four seven. Oh, and he’s still keeping secrets! That hypocrite.’’
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She slowed down. ‘‘What did he mean? There’s a monster in him. And it wants me? And it wants to kill? Kill what? Me? Is that why he’s afraid? Was he lying? Was he hallucinating?’’
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She kicked a rock. ‘‘I hate this place.’’ The rock rolled under a bush and then landed somewhere, making a small ‘‘plop’’ sound. Kagome followed the sound. The smell of hot water reached her nose and she took in a long whiff. She swung her leg over the underbrush, pushed between two tree trunks and then stopped.
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Situated in a ring of enormous stones was a hot spring. The pools almost looked man-made; the large circular pool was perfectly symmetrical, with small branches of plants poking out from between the large rocks. There was another pool attached to the large one, making a number eight with one circle smaller then the other. Water fell from the big pool to the smaller one as the water sloshed about. Kagome climbed onto a rock and leaned over to put her hand in the water. Warm liquid met her fingertips.
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Feeling as though a bath would help her relax, she stripped, folded her clothes, and waded into the small pool, happy to feel the water ooze over her tired muscles. Kagome let out a very content sigh and sank deep into the steaming water. How long had it been since she had gotten a proper bath? There was no way of telling time in that world, since they just rested when they were tired, but if she had to guess, she must have been in that world for at least a week. Kagome’s only regret was that there wasn’t anyone there to enjoy the bath with her. If only Lilliana were with her, then they could have languished in the water together and spoke of strategies, theories, and try to come with answers to the thousands of questions they had, as long as it didn’t end with Lilliana parading around naked again to get her way.
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That had been such a stupid plan. Kagome still couldn’t believe that Lilliana had actually done it. Inuyasha may harp on her for keeping secrets from him, but this was one of the few secrets she had to keep, as she was sure that Lilliana wouldn’t want him to know. Not to mention that if Inuyasha ever found out who it was that saw her in the buff, he would really blow a fuse. He was so protective of Lilliana.
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Kagome splashed water over her face. She hoped Lilliana wasn’t hurt. She wished she could see her. She wished she had someone to talk to about what Inuyasha had said while he was out of it. She dunked her head underwater. They had built a very rickety, old bridge together since they had come to that world. Kagome just hoped that she and Inuyasha didn’t break the bridge they were standing on. She didn’t want to fight like that ever again, no matter how she felt about him. Even now that she was annoyed, she realized that she rather liked this calm albeit aloof Inuyasha way better then the hateful, raging bastard he was when they had their fight back in the human world. At least now, with their truce, they could at least be in each other’s company without seething at each other. She just hoped they could both keep their cool.
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She resurfaced from the water and ran her hands over her face. ‘‘Now is not the time to be thinking about that! We still have to find Lilliana.’’ An aching feeling filled her chest as she thought about her. Kagome looked up into the black, starless sky, wondering who it was that abducted her. Myoga hadn’t given them much detail, other the fact that she was captured by ice demons and that they were moving her toward the spider king’s territory. Kagome just hoped they could locate her before-
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Something stung her leg underwater.
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Inuyasha looked down at his hands. He couldn’t remember anything after passing out from the poison. The only thing he did remember was a stinging pain in his head, as though someone had hammered a long nail into his brain. What had he said to Kagome? What could he say? That he heard something in his mind and--he smacked his temple. No. He couldn’t think of that now. Something shined in the corner of his vision. He looked down at the scabbard he had tucked into his belt, at the sword that had been gifted to him.
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His father’s sword. Totosai spoke of the old man as though he were some great leader. Inuyasha spat. His father? The man who murdered his own mate so that he could enforce his beliefs and his way of living on others? To call him noble was akin to calling a spider loveable. The only reason Inuyasha had kept the sword was because it would somehow lead them home. As soon as he found Lilliana, he-
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Kagome screamed, her shrill voice echoing through the trees, waking Shippo from his place by the fire. Inuyasha ignored the boy’s confused gasps as he sprang through the forest, following Kagome’s scent. The smell of her blood reached his nose, and he felt his fangs and claws harden. As her scent grew stronger, steam appeared through the trees. He skidded to a stop at the clearing where the mist was thickest. There was a hot pool of water situated in a ring of stones in a little depression in the ground. Kagome was collapsed on a large, smooth, bolder, naked, covering her face with both her hands. It didn’t take long for Inuyasha to realize what she was hiding from.
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Something black, long and slimy had wrapped itself around her leg. It was as thick as a tree trunk, and firmly attached to her knee, blood dripping from where it touched her. The creature was so long that the tip of its tail was submerged in the pool. ‘‘Ew!’’ She cried. ‘‘Get it off!’’
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‘‘The fuck is this nasty thing?’’ Inuyasha said as he knelt down in front her, taking her left foot in his hand. She uncovered her face to look at him with the most pleading look he’d ever seen. He felt his chest suddenly constrict, as though something had grabbed his heart and squeezed. She hadn’t looked at him like that in a long time, not since she was human. Trying to focus on the task at hand, and not on how pale her skin looked under the black moon, or the pain he felt because he wasn’t looking, he began to pull the slippery, black leech off her leg. Kagome took one look at the thing he was pulling, and buried her face her hands, moaning in horror.
----
‘‘Just try to hold still, okay?’’ He said, in what he hoped was a soft tone.
----
‘‘Okay.’’ She was shaking all over, even as she tried to keep herself still. He had to hold her knee so that he could get a good grip on the thing.
----
He grabbed the leech right under its mouth, trying to get his hand as close to where it was connected to Kagome. Thinking it was best to get it off as quickly as possible, he pressed down on her knee, and dug the claws of his free hand into the leech. He yanked, the leech stretched, Kagome cried out, and then it popped off of her like suction cup being pulled from a wall. Just as she was free, she curled up into a ball. Inuyasha held the thrashing thing in his hands and pulled, tearing the leech in two and then throwing its oozing remains into the pool. Then he sat down next to Kagome and pulled her into his arms. She didn’t protest, still in her little ball, even as he ran his finger over her afflicted knee.
----
The wound didn’t look infected; there was no puss. The circle of punctures was already starting to slowly close. He just hoped her trembling was due to emotion rather then physical injury. ‘‘It’s gone now. You can relax.’’
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Kagome sobbed into his shoulder. He held one her hands and tried to pull it away from her face, but she resisted. ‘‘It was just a leech, Kagome. You don’t have to cry.’’
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‘‘Easy for you to say! You didn’t have something long, black and slimy slither up your leg! I feel violated!’’
----
He was at a loss. How should he comfort something like that? With no other answer, he simply repositioned her so that she was sitting on his lab, it was easier to place her shoulder against his chest and wrap his arms around her that way. And so he waited, as she sobbed and sobbed and sobbed. ‘‘That was terrible.’’
----
He soon lost track of time. Kagome’s sobs slowly turned into muffled hiccups as she pressed her face into his chest. All he could do was wait until she tired herself out. She was so absorbed in crying that she didn’t notice him rubbing his hand over her afflicted knee. The bite marks had faded and all that were left were blue bruises. How deep had that thing’s fangs gone into her?
----
‘‘At least it was life-threatening.’’ He said to himself. Unfortunately for him, his attempt at providing a bright side was met with Kagome indigently pushing away from him. ‘‘Shut up! You have no idea how horrible it felt to have that thing on me!’’
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He managed to grab of one her thrashing hands after she hit him in the neck, interweaving his fingers with hers in an attempt to calm her down. ‘‘I’m not trying to patronize you. I’m trying to get your mind off it.’’
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Kagome pouted at him, crossing her free arm over her breasts, looking like a mother that was ready to scold a child. He looked at her furious expression, her attempt to look serious while she was stark naked. He pressed his lips together as hard as he could, but air escaped his nose, and he couldn’t stop his body of shaking as the laughter tried to escape him. ‘‘You are patronizing me! You jerk!’’ She tried to pull her hand out of his.
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‘‘Kagome-’’ he took in a shaky breath, but the chuckles didn’t stop. ‘‘Listen, I-’’
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‘‘Stop laughing!’’ Inuyasha managed to steady himself enough to speak without his voice breaking. ‘‘I’m sorry. I don’t find the leech attaching to you funny.’’
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‘‘Then why were you laughing?’’ She stuck out her lower lip.
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‘‘Don’t look at me like that!’’ He was fighting a losing battle against his own face. His muscles wanted so badly to smile. He pinched his own cheek to regain control of himself. He managed a serious expression, even though the corner of his lip still twitched. ‘‘When I heard you scream, I almost had a heart attack. Then I get here and some nasty leech has stuck on you. I’ve never gone from annoyed at you to terrified to confused to worried so quickly. I get it off and you start crying, and I’m trying to help, but then you go and look at me like I just used your favorite shirt to clean up a mess.’’
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‘‘You make it sound so childish!’’
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Inuyasha smirked. ‘‘It kind of is.’’
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The wide eyed glower she gave him made him stop smirking, although it didn’t dissipate his humor. ‘‘You’re the last person I want to hear that from.’’ She turned her face away just as her cheeks were beginning to brighten with color. Staring off in the distance, she was quiet and he guessed she was trying to collect herself. As he waited, his eyes lazily traveled from the redness of her cheeks to the curve of her neck, to her collarbone, to her bre---He shook his head and cleared his throat. ‘‘You should get dressed before you get cold.’’
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Kagome twitched, and then detangled herself from him, turning into a ball again. Except this time, Inuyasha could see her pale skin coloring from all over. ‘‘I’ve seen you naked before, what’s the big deal?’’
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‘‘Shut up!’’
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‘‘Okay, now you’re just being stubborn.’’ He stood and walked around the pool then noticed her discarded clothes. By the time he came back to Kagome, she hadn’t moved an inch, still glaring off into the distance. He put her clothes down next to her, and she didn’t move, except to hide her face with her arms. ‘‘What’s got you acting like a little virgin?’’
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At this, Kagome turned the darkest shade of red he’d ever seen her wear. In an attempt to keep from laughing again, or was it from the pain he was beginning to feel elsewhere, he grabbed her by the elbow, pulled her up and practically attacked her with her own bra. Kagome shrieked when he clasped it behind her back. ‘‘What the-I can dress myself!’’ But before she could even reach for her panties, Inuyasha had already thrown her sweater over her head. As she pulled down her sweater, she saw Inuyasha looking quizzically at her pants. ‘‘Where’s the underwear?’’
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‘‘Give. Me. That!’’ Kagome snatched her pants from his hand, and then kicked him in the shin. While he was busy jumping up and down and cursing, Kagome finished dressing.
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‘‘Wait. You’re seriously not wearing underwear?’’ He stared at her hips, feeling very uncomfortable in his own pants.
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‘‘I don’t wear underwear.’’ Kagome huffed. She walked passed him with her back straight and her head high, but, if Inuyasha really thought about it, there was no way he could see her as dignified. ‘‘What? Did you forget your underpants at home?’’
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Kagome rounded on him. ‘‘I haven’t worn any since I became a nightwalker, all right? It feels weird!’’
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Inuyasha was aware that if he kept gawking at her she would hit him, but that didn’t stop him from looking from her face to her hips, and smiling guiltily when she did hit him a second later. ‘‘Doesn’t it feel weirder not to wear underwear?’’ He rubbed his cheek. Kagome’s only response to him was to pat her ass as if to ask him to kiss it. ‘‘What time?’’
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This time he anticipated that she would punch him, as he grabbed her fist a second before it would have hit his face. ‘‘Why you jerk!’’ Kagome tried yanking her arm back, but Inuyasha was not letting go. ‘‘You can’t blame me for that one, you walked right into it.’’ He laughed.
----
Kagome’s free arm flew at his face. Inuyasha ducked to the side, letting go of her hand. ‘‘When was the last time we sparred Inuyasha? Because I’m really dying to kick your ass!’’ Kagome said as she flew at him, grabbing his shoulders and throwing him over her head.
----
He flipped in the air, using the momentum to aim a kick at her as he fell downward. She dodged and then charged, and before either of them could stop it, they were suddenly doing the dance of punches, kicks, blocks and dodges. ‘‘This. Is. Not.’’ Inuyasha ducked as her foot swung over his head. ‘‘How I expected the situation to go.’’
----
‘‘Next. Time. Don’t. Be such a smartass! Ha!’’
----
Inuyasha flailed as she slid behind him and pushed him down into the dirt, pressing her hand into the back of his head. ‘‘I win.’’ She puffed. He almost found her little giggle cute. Reaching up with his arm, he pinched the back of her hand. Kagome growled, and the instant she pressed her free hand against his, he grabbed her and pulled her down. He didn’t yank hard enough for her to fall, but enough for her to lose her balance to that he could regain his feet. Kagome aimed a kick at his leg. He grabbed her ankle before she could, hoisting her up till she was hanging upside down.
----
She glared up at him, swaying slightly. ‘‘Put. Me. Down.’’
----
‘‘Are you sure you really want me to do that?’’
----
‘‘Fine, flip me over, then put me down.’’
----
‘‘I kind of don’t want to. What if you come at me again?’’
----
‘‘Like you’re really scared of me.’’
----
‘‘Not of you physically attacking me, that’s for sure. Besides, I kind of like the view from up here.’’
----
Kagome grabbed her sweater and covered herself up to her belly button. ‘‘Enough already! Let me go!’’
----
‘‘As you wish.’’
----
‘‘Wait! No, not like tha-ah!’’
----
He grabbed her arm and then threw her up in the air, and Kagome flailed for a second before she landed back in his arms. Once her feet were back on the floor, she glared at him again. ‘‘You said to flip you over.’’
----
Before he could stop her, she squatted and grabbed his ankles, pulling them out from under him. He managed to keep his head from hitting the floor by lifting his upper half, even as his behind hit the ground hard. ‘‘Ow.’’
----
‘‘Why are you picking on me, Inuyasha? Are you trying to annoy me?’’
----
‘‘Kind of.’’ He rose, rubbing his behind.
----
‘‘Excuse me?’’
----
‘‘Hold on! Hear me out.’’
----
‘‘I’m listening.’’
----
He had to bite his tongue so that he didn’t laugh again. ‘‘It’s just been a while since I’d seen you so full of energy, that’s all. You’ve been dreary and quiet for a while. I haven’t gotten the chance to pick on you since Claire caught us with all those boxes in the hallway.’’
----
‘‘I’m still mad at you for that!’’
----
‘‘What’s the big deal? It’s not like the family doesn’t know what we’ve done over the years?’’
----
‘‘I don’t care what they know! It’s one thing to know what a couple is doing; it’s something else to actually SEE them doing it! I don’t know about you, but I’m not very comfortable with getting caught in sexy situations.’’
----
Inuyasha’s throat was beginning to hurt. ‘‘Couple? Sexy situations?’
----
‘‘You know what I mean! Anyway, isn’t this the wrong time for all this! We have to find Lilliana! And you left Shippo all alone!’’
----
‘‘Way to ruin the mood! As for the brat, what I was I supposed to do? I heard you scream and I reacted without thinking. Besides, Myoga is with him.’’
----
Kagome turned away from him and began walking back. Thinking it was best to let her go, he didn’t follow. Then she stopped mid-step, and without turning to him said, ‘‘Th-thanks for saving me from that thing back there.’’
----
Inuyasha looked at the back of her head, wishing he could have seen her say the words because he almost couldn’t believe it. ‘‘Anytime. And uh, thanks for pulling me out of the poison.’’
----
She turned around. ‘‘Anytime.’’
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From farther away, it looked like mountains. However, the closer and closer they approached, the more the snowy tips and valleys looked like ice. Even closer still, the ice appeared to be carved. Thousands of spires, buildings, houses, roads, doors, windows, all made of ice. So high up that clouds flowed through the city, covering areas of the town in mist. Nightwalkers moved about the frozen trees and rooftops, wearing very light clothing even though snow fell softly from above. It would have been a beautiful sight, if not for the fact that each nightwalker watched them as they passed.
----
Even Shippo’s bravado had disappeared. He hid under Inuyasha’s white tuft of hair. Kagome walked beside him. Though no one had taken any aggressive action against them, every hair on her body stood up. The cold hair seeped into her clothes, caressing her skin almost like a lover’s touch. Even with her extra body heat, she felt a shiver. But the weather didn’t bother her half as much as all the muscled lightly clothed nightwalkers stared at her as they walked through the town.
----
The road ahead of them looked as though it stretched up and up into the labyrinth of buildings in the mountains ahead, and she wondered how they were going to find Lilliana in this mess, as well as hoped they wouldn’t stay there longer then they had to. It felt as though the entire town had come out to gawk at them. They were a rare parade that inspired not awe, but rather, some sort of hostility. A low hum came from Inuyasha’s throat. His muscles tensed.
----
She whispered. ‘‘Do you feel it too?’’
----
‘‘Oh yes I do. This town.’’
----
‘‘Something’s not right here.’’
----
Inuyasha grabbed her hand. His grip wasn’t hard or painful but it was urgent, enough for her to look up at him. Without turning to her, his eyes were in front of him, concentrating, he said, ‘‘Every nightwalker here, they’re all men, Kagome.’’
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