InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Mind Reader ❯ Kouga's Worse Nightmare ( Chapter 21 )

Mind Reader

 

Chapter 18: Kouga's Worse Nightmare

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Sango, seeing that Kouga was working on bringing the injured Inuyasha to lie beside Kagome, started walking to the still body of Kirara. She wanted to run to her cat, but her feet betrayed her thoughts. Her feet dragged, as much as she wanted to see Kirara she didn't want to discover that her cat had died during the battle. When she finally arrived she breathed a big sigh of relief. Kirara was still alive. Though bruised and bloodied her chest rose and fell at a steady pace.

 

Sango knelt down and gently picked up Kirara. Then cradling the cat to her chest she walked back to the group of injured people. Kouga had already brought Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru over. He soon arrived, the unconscious monk over his shoulder.

 

Kouga lightly smiled at the demon exterminator. He gently placed Miroku on the ground. “Well, I guess we should start taking them back to Kaede's hut.”

 

Sango surveyed her injured friends. “Yeah. We should take Kagome and Sesshoumaru first they seem to be the most severely injured.”

 

Kouga nodded and moved to pick Kagome up. He stopped when a hand was placed on his shoulder. He looked up to see Sango staring at him with sad eyes.

 

“Kouga, I can't take Sesshoumaru back. He's too heavy for me. I have to carry Kagome.”

 

Kouga's eyes looked pained for a moment but then he moved and picked up Sesshoumaru instead.

 

Sango placed Kirara on Kagome's stomach and then picked up the fallen girl. Together she and Kouga walked back to Kaede's hut. When they walked into the hut Rin and Shippo started crying. Their two favorite people looked like they had died.

 

Rin ran up to Kouga and grabbed one of Sesshoumaru's big hands with her two small ones. She looked at his face and gasped when she saw the hole in his neck. She looked at Kouga fearfully. “Is he…” she trailed off, she couldn't bring herself to say the word `dead.'

 

Kouga shook his head at the traumatized girl. “No, he's alive.” He gently laid Sesshoumaru on the ground. “And I'm sure he'll be happy to know that you are watching over him.”

 

Rin let a small smile flit across her face before she sat by Sesshoumaru's head and started running her hand through his hair.

 

When Sango sat Kagome down Shippo immediately went to her side. “Did Akki look her in the eyes again?” he asked, not bothering to disguise the fear in his voice.

 

Sango sighed and lifted Kirara off of Kagome and placed her beside the girl. “Yes.”

 

“Stupid squirrel,” grumbled Shippo. Then he finally noticed Kirara. “WHAT?” he shrieked. “Akki killed Kirara? Nooo! I never got to play tag with her! Nooo!”

 

Sango waited for Shippo to calm down but when she realized that it would never happen she gently bopped him on the head. “Shippo, she's not dead. But she may soon be if you don't give her room to breathe.”

 

Shippo jumped back from Kirara. “Not dead,” he laughed, embarrassed. “Oops, didn't see her breathing. Sorry `bout that Kirara,” he said.

 

Sango rolled her eyes and looked up when Kouga stood up.

 

“You can stay here. I can bring back Inuyasha and Miroku myself.” Without waiting for a response he left the hut.

 

Sango moved to follow him when Kaede gently grasped her shoulder.

 

“Let him go Sango. He can do it himself. And I'll need your help here.”

 

Sango nodded in understanding. “What do you need me to do?”

 

“Fetch some water please,” said Kaede.

 

Sango grabbed the bucket and left the hut. Kaede shuffled to her collection of herbs and picked out the ones she would need. Once Sango got back she started tending to Sesshoumaru.

 

“What happened Sango?” asked Kaede.

 

“Akki had him by the throat and seemed to be sending waves of energy through him.”

 

“Then all he'll need to do is rest and let his demon healing ability mend his body.” Kaede looked up when Kouga walked in with Inuyasha and Miroku over his shoulders. He placed them on the ground and then sat down by Kagome. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

 

“Kouga, what is the matter?” asked Kaede sharply.

 

Kouga opened one eye. “Nothing. Help everyone else. I'll be fine.”

 

“Akki looked him in the eyes. And Kouga started screaming in pain,” informed Sango.

 

Kaede took that in and quickly prepared a drink for the wolf demon. “Here, drink this. It will help the pain,” she said while handing the cup to Kouga.

 

Kouga took it without complaint and drank it down at once. “Thanks,” he sighed.

 

Kaede looked from Kouga to Inuyasha. `I sure wish Inuyasha could learn some manners from Kouga. It would definitely make my job easier.' Kaede moved back to Inuyasha and Miroku and efficiently tended to their injuries. She turned to Kagome and administered the same herbs she did the last two times. Once finished she sat back and surveyed her work. `Not bad. I can still move pretty fast with these old bones.'

 

Sango walked up to the old healer. When Kaede glanced up Sango held out Kirara. “Please Kaede, can you mend Kirara? Akki attacked her and I don't know how long she has,” she whispered, her eyes downcast in pain.

 

Kaede took the cat demon with gentle hands. She looked over the injuries and then set about making them right.

 

Sango sat down and watch Kaede work on Kirara. Her eyes were glistening with tears but she refused to let them fall. She knew that if she started crying she wouldn't be able to stop.

 

Kaede looked up an hour later. “She was badly injured Sango. I did all I could for her. Now all we can do is wait and hope for her recovery.” Kaede stood up and deposited the cat into Sango's arms. She then left the hut to make her rounds in the village.

 

Sango sat there holding Kirara. She gently ran her finger up and down her cat's face. The next time she looked up she was surprised to see that it was night. She had sat there for hours, just holding her cat in gentle arms. She looked around the hut and took in the forms of her friends. Rin was curled up in the crook of Sesshoumaru's arm, her head resting on his chest. Shippo was lying on Kagome, his ear over her heart. Kouga was still sitting behind Kagome. His eyes were closed in a healing sleep. Everyone else was still unconscious.

 

Sango sighed and before she knew it she was softly crying. She started off crying for Kirara. She knew that if her cat died her world would come crashing down. Kirara was the only one left from her previous life. Kohaku was still around but he was a slave to Naraku. Kirara was the only one Sango had left to remember her village and family by. She cried for Kirara for several minutes. But before she knew it she was crying for everyone. How everyone had tried their hardest and had nearly died for it. In the end they still fell to Akki. But most of all she cried for Kagome. It was too cruel for someone to be so loving and full of life to by dying by the hands of an evil monster. Sango jumped when she felt a hand close over hers. She looked down to see a hand clad in rosary beads covering her own smaller one. She moved her eyes until they met Miroku's.

 

Miroku gave Sango a soft smile. He tried to sit up but he still didn't have full control of his body. There was still too much negative energy traveling through it. So he instead opted for grasping Sango's hand tighter. “Why are you crying?” he asked softly.

 

“For everyone,” she responded, “you, Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, Kouga, but especially Kagome and Kirara.”

 

Miroku closed his eyes in pain but reopened them a minute later. “Don't cry. You're too brave and beautiful to cry.”

 

Sango gasped but then smiled at Miroku. She didn't say anything but she did tighten her fingers around his before she was finally able to drift off to sleep.

 

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The next morning Kouga woke up to Kagome's whimpers. He was wide awake a second later and crouched by her side. He took one of her hands in his and gently squeezed it.

 

“Kagome,” he whispered urgently, “it's just a nightmare. It's alright. You're safe.”

 

“Inu…yasha.”

 

Kouga's heart broke when he heard Kagome whisper Inuyasha's name. She was obviously frightened and she called for Inuyasha. Not him.

 

Kagome suddenly starting thrashing wildly. The hand Kouga wasn't holding started trying to ward off some invisible monster.

 

Shippo woke up with a start. He looked dazed for a minute before he realized where he was. He jumped off of Kagome and stood by Kouga. “Kouga! What's wrong?” he asked.

 

“How the hell am I suppose to know?” grumbled Kouga.

 

“INUYASHA!” Kagome screamed, still in the throes of her nightmare.

 

Sango jumped awake at that scream and was at her friend's side in an instant. “What's wrong?” she asked Kouga.

 

“I don't know! She was sleeping peacefully and then she started doing this,” shouted Kouga, directing his comment to the girl who was not kicking her legs wildly.

 

“If we don't stop her she's going to hurt herself!” said Sango, placing her hands on Kagome's shoulders and holding the flailing girl down. She grimaced in pain when Kagome's free hand hit her in the face.

 

Shippo moved down to hold Kagome's feet down. He grabbed one but was then thrown into a wall as Kagome unleashed one particularly hard kick.

 

Kouga and Sango managed to smile at the kitsune. Kouga left go of Kagome's hand and moved to hold Kagome's feet down. He succeeded where Shippo failed. He smirked at the kitsune. Shippo stuck his tongue out at Kouga and then grabbed the arm Kouga had abandoned. This time he was thrown up to the ceiling. He hit the ceiling and fell to the ground with a resounding thump! Shippo gave up trying to help hold Kagome down.

 

“Has she ever done this before?” asked Kouga desperately.

 

“No,” replied Sango, managing to move her head before she got hit again.

 

Kagome gave a violent lurch, it was almost as if someone had kicked her in the side. She then did something that terrified Sango and Kouga. She brought her hands up to her face and started clawing at her head. Scratches started forming all over her face. And Sango and Kouga were powerless to stop her. It was taking all of their power to hold Kagome down. If they left go of her she would injure herself further.

 

“Get out! Leave me alone! Get out of my mind!” screamed Kagome, her voice full of fear. “INUYASHA!”

 

Then a remarkable thing happened. Inuyasha's ear twitched and even though he was still unconscious one hand reached out and grabbed Kagome's. Kagome immediately quieted down.

 

When Sango and Kouga thought it was safe they let go of Kagome. Kagome stayed still, one hand enveloped by Inuyasha's.

 

“Well I've never seen that before.”

 

Kouga and Sango looked up in surprise when Kaede spoke.

 

“Where the hell were you when all that was going on?” growled Kouga.

 

“I was watching you guys,” she replied.

 

Sango's jaw dropped. “What? You mean while I was getting clobbered by an unconscious girl you were watching?”

 

Kaede wisely nodded.

 

Kouga jumped up, one hand clenched tightly. “Why you old hag! Why didn't you give Kagome one of your herbs?”

 

“If I went it there Kagome would have hit me. My job doesn't require me to risk my health. Besides, you guys seemed to be doing quite a fine job by yourselves.”

 

Sango rubbed the bruise that Kagome had left on her jaw line. “Oh yeah. Me and Kouga had it handled, huh?”

 

Shippo jumped up. “Hey! I was helping too!”

 

Kouga turned to the runt, one eyebrow raised. “You? You were using the time to hitch free rides on the flailing limbs of Kagome.”

 

“I was just getting ready to help you guys again when Inuyasha stopped her,” said Shippo defiantly.

 

Kouga scoffed at the kitsune. “Yeah, ok. You can think that as hard as you'd like. We'll never believe you.” Kouga than returned his attention to Kaede. “But you. You are a healer. You have no reason for sitting on the sidelines.” He took one step towards Kaede, one arm flexed dangerously.

 

Sango was beginning to think Kouga would actually attack the old lady when Kaede calmly reached behind her. She brought her hand back to the front, but this time with the addition of a rosary.

 

Kouga sadly didn't see that. He kept advancing on the old lady.

 

Kaede quickly said the spell and sent the rosary on its way. Now Kouga saw it. It was kind of hard to miss, a rosary floating through the air making its way towards its doomed target.

 

Kouga's eyes filled with fear and he backed up into a corner. “No! No!” he screamed, “pull it back! I won't attack you! I swear! Pull it back!”

 

But alas Kaede had no power over the free rosary. Even if she wanted to (which she didn't) she wouldn't be able to call it back. The rosary was free. And it wouldn't rest until it doomed the life of its target.

 

Kouga watched in horror as the rosary got closer. He tried to swat it away but his arms had become lifeless. The rosary had him now. Just a few feet closer and the rosary would claim its prey. Kouga started clawing at the wall behind him as the rosary floated above his head. Then it gently fell down around his head and landed softly on his chest. The rosary was victorious. It had claimed another victim.

 

Kaede grinned at the wolf. “Now the next word out of Kagome's mouth will finish off the spell and will be the subduing word.”

 

Kouga, Sango, Shippo, and Kaede all stared at the sleeping girl. They were all waiting for Kouga's fateful word. Luckily for all of their sanity they didn't have to wait long.

 

“Inuyasha,” breathed Kagome, snuggling closer to the hanyou.

 

Kouga's face was one of pure disbelief and horror as he plummeted towards the ground. He now had one more reason to hate the hanyou.

 

SMACK!!