InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Mou Ichido Dake ❯ Chapter 9

"Kikyou onee-sama, how is Inu-niichan?" Keade questioned softly upon entering the small hut. It has been two days since the big fight between Inuyasha and his half-brother and Inuyasha had been lying unconscious since then. When questioned, Myouga speculated that it may be due to the poison in Sesshoumaru's claws that led to Inuyasha's coma. Kaede turned to look at the figure lying on the futon. Inuyasha was pale, far paler than usual. She remembered that after the fight ended, her sister had exerted all her strength just to pull Inuyasha into the safety of the hut. Then, she tried to stop the bleeding and place wards around the house to protect them all.

"Still the same, I guess." Kikyou replied. To tell the truth, she was utterly exhausted. Dividing her time between taking care of Inuyasha, defending the village and acting as the village healer has sapped all her energy away. "Kaede, did you get the pain-numbing herb that I ask for?"

"Here they are," Kaede thrust out a neatly tied bundle of herbs. "Sako-san accompanied me to get them."

"That's really nice of her." Kikyou commented absently, her gaze not leaving the hanyou's face.

"Onee-sama, can I ask you something? Why did you save him?" Kaede gently questioned. "He is a demon, isn't he?"

"You think I should leave him to die?" Kikyou replied, horrified that her sister would suggest that.

"No! No!" Kaede quickly protested. "It's not that, onee-sama. It's just that why are you so concerned for someone who by all means, is our natural enemy? Isn't it wrong?"

Kikyou paused. Why was she so concerned for the hanyou? She don't understand it herself, she knew that her level of concern for the hanyou went beyond the normal healer-patient relationship. Yet something within her urged her on, to take care of him. It's like there's a voice within her telling her not to let him die. She hate to be confused but the hanyou brought nothing but confusion to her. Confusion, and a range of strange emotions that she dare not think about. Something about the hanyou drew her near like a moth to fire, and she feared that in the end, she would be burnt too.

"We must always help someone in need, no matter who he is." Kikyou gently answered. "And he is not of the evil."

"Onee-sama, would he wake up?" Kaede wondered, remembering the hanyou's gruff voice and the extremely soft ears. She could even remember the feeling of them twitching in her hands. It was a very pleasant and warm feeling. Somehow, it doesn't seemed right for the hanyou to be lying here, so silent and quiet.

"I think so. He's a hanyou. That means he have youkai blood within him. It confers him great healing ability." Kikyou tried to comfort her younger sister, and convincing herself at the same time. The statement was true, she reasoned. Inuyasha's wounds were already closing up and most were healed. In fact, there's no reason for him not to wake up now, except for the explanation that Myouga supplied. Speaking of which, the flea had disappeared, claiming to have something important to do. Kikyou thought that for a servant, Myouga doesn't seemed too terribly loyal.

"Onee-sama….today there is a village festival. Can I go with Sako-san to see the fireworks?"

Kikyou paused. "Alright, but come back home early alright? I trust that Sako-san would take good care of you."

Kaede jumped in joy. "Thank you onee-sama. Thank you, thank you."

"Shh! You are disturbing our patient here, Kaede." Kikyou gently admonished.

"But, isn't that the point? To wake him up?" Kaede questioned innocently.

Kikyou laughed. "You are right, Kaede. But not like this. Now go, and come back safely."

Kikyou sighed when Kaede disappeared into the setting sun. She had forgotten that today is the festival of harvest. Soon, winter would be coming. Kikyou thought of Kaede's simple joy and frowned.

Kaede….I wish I could give you a proper family. If only Otousan and Okaasan didn't die in the war, if only I didn't have the gift of Miko power, then perhaps we would be ordinary folks out there. Just to take pleasure in simple things in life, no need to worry about youkai or Shikon no Tama.

Suddenly, Kikyou felt a pulse of power vibrating nearby. She turned to look the sleeping Inuyasha, whose hair was turning black and youki was receeding at a alarming rate.

Oh no, Kikyou thought. I forgot today is the New Moon. Inuyasha would be even weaker, becoming a human.

Immediately, Kikyou took hold of Inuyasha's wrist, counting his pulse rate in order to make sure his condition wasn't deteriorating. So focused was she on her task however, that she jumped in surprise at the feel of his fingers clenching around her hand instead.

She peered at Inuyasha's face, only to see the eyes slowly opened to reveal violet orbs instead of the usual amber gaze. Inuyasha scrunched up his face, looking confused.

"Where….where am I?" Inuyasha questioned weakly, squinting his eyes at the same time against the light. His head was pounding, his chest was throbbing painfully and he felt weak and nauseous.

"You are at my hut." Kikyou responded, feeling Inuyasha's forehead. He seemed to be burning up, his pupils were dilated and his face became flushed. "Do you remember what happened?"

Inuyasha was confused. It was as if he was swimming under water, his vision was groggy and he cannot breathe proper. He tried to sit up and inhaled faster, only to be tormented by the burst of pain around his chest area. He started to cough and panicked.

Kikyou's eyes widen at the sight of Inuyasha sitting up and clutching his chest. Then a soft moan escaped his lips and he began to cough violently.

"Easy there, easy. Take deep breaths slowly." Kikyou encouraged, rubbing Inuyasha's back at the same time. She had seen cases like this before, where people who underwent trauma and go into shock started to hyperventilate.

Inuyasha slowly began to regain his rhythm of breathing. The voice, it was soothing and comforting and familiar at the same time. He felt safe. He hasn't felt that since Kagome left him. So da….it must be Kagome who was with him now. She had returned to him.

Kikyou frowned when she saw the strange expression on Inuyasha's face. It was a smile of happiness, like someone who lost a favourite toy and finally found it, or like the smile of someone who was starving and finally ate. It was unnerving. But she was even more unprepared for what happened next.

Inuyasha grabbed Kikyou's wrist, grinning manically at the same time. "You finally came back to me, wench."

"Don't call me wench." Kikyou responded, trying to pry his fingers away from her. It was clear from Inuyasha's expression that he was not very sane now. In fact, she suspected the poison in Inuyasha's bloodstream is making him delirious and suffering from hallucinations.

Inuyasha pouted. "Sorry. Sorry. I know you don't like me to call you that. But I can't help it, you know. Who asked you to stay away for so long this time? Did you finish your tests already?"

"Tests? What test?" Kikyou questioned, giving up on prying his fingers away. His grip was unnaturally strong for a human, and she don't want to agitate him when he was in such an unstable state.

Inuyasha did not reply. Instead, he drew Kikyou even closer. "Keh. Wench. Always running back to your time when I'm hurt. Why am I hurt anyway? How come I cannot remember?" Before Kikyou could respond, Inuyasha continued, running his hand through Kikyou's hair. "Don't you know I missed you so much when you are not there with me?"

Kikyou froze. Whoever Inuyasha was seeing through his hallucination, it seemed like he was very close with her. What happened to the girl then?

Inuyasha then proceed to cup Kikyou's face in his hand, the gentle expression on his face stirring something deep within her. Before she knew it, his lips closed in onto hers, his tongue silently begging entrance.

It seemed almost an eternity before the kiss ended, yet it seemed like a matter of split seconds at the same time. To her, he tasted like nothing she had ever tasted before. How is it possible that he taste like wind and rain, like sunshine and spring forest at the same time? She gazed into his face, which was smiling with masculine pride even as he gently traced her swollen lips with his thumb. She wanted to scream, to push him away. A part of her felt violated because she had never been so intimately touched by a man before, yet another part of her wished he could continue on, to lavish the love and passion she felt from him onto her. It scared her, that deep in her heart, she felt some strange emotions and strange desires at the sight of the gentleness in Inuyasha's gaze.

"Say you love me," he huskily whispered, the purple gaze burning into her. "Say it."

Kikyou was shocked. "I….I…."

Inuyasha looked sad. "You don't, do you? Nobody loves a filthy half-breed." With that, he started coughing again.

Kikyou hesitated. "I, I love you." She whispered, so soft that she could hardly hear herself.

"I love you too," Inuyasha sighed, slumping as his eyes started to close in fatigue. "I love you too, Kagome."

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