InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Not My Fairy Tale ❯ Sleeping Beauty ( Chapter 7 )

Part seven

Sleeping beauty

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“A spindle is something they use to spin thread, Shippo, it's the pointed part the finished thread or yarn wraps around.”

 

“Oh. That's what I thought but I wanted to make sure.” Shippo nodded and sat back down beside Kirara.

 

Kagome smiled, easing her legs closer to put less strain on her aching back and stomach muscles. She'd taken a hit earlier, her back was now one big bruise thanks to the tree that broke her backward momentum. The massive locust youkai that had found them had two shikon shards and it knew how to pack a powerful punch in it's extraordinarily long legs.

 

She'd been sighting it with her bow from behind but it caught her with a crushing kick to her chest and stomach, it's foot as long as her arm. It had knocked the breath out of her, snapped her bow string, shattered her arrow, and flung her into the unnecessarily sturdy tree behind her. She was positive she heard something crack or pop. Thank the kami it wasn't her spine. It had taken a full minute lying motionless on the ground before she could breathe again. It still ached now even with the painkillers and InuYasha had gotten an earful when he had tried to move her when the last thing she wanted was to be touched- it hurt too much. She had probably hurt his feelings but she couldn't help it, she could barely keep from sobbing as it was because she couldn't keep still enough. He ended up taking out his frustration on the locust which was promptly dusted.

 

As soon as she could take a full, shaky breath, she sat up, accepting the shards from Miroku and a supportive arm from Sango. Due to her condition, Sango's sprained wrist, and InuYasha's bad temper, they ended up setting up camp under the next large tree they found.

 

“No sooner had the girl taken the spindle from the old woman when it slipped and pricked her palm and she fell into a faint. The old woman didn't know what to do and called for help. Servants from all over the palace arrived to try and wake the princess but nothing worked. The king and queen realized it was the wicked fairy's curse and had the princess placed in a splendid room with walls of gilt gold and a bed blanketed with spun silver. The king and queen ordered that no one should come near the palace or the sleeping princess until a good fairy-“

 

“A good fairy's like a miko, isn't she, Kagome?”

 

“Yeah, she'd be like miko, I suppose. And the evil fairy'd be like a black miko.” Kagome nodded shortly, afraid to move too much lest her back or chest or stomach muscles protest. She tried to suppress a yawn, that large a breath was still painful, plus she didn't want the others to realize the extent of her minor injuries or how tired she was.

 

She was really, really tired.

 

“They wanted to find a good miko who could reverse the evil spell. When one was found she declared that princess had not died but had fallen into a deep sleep from which she would not awaken from for five hundred years. With that, the miko, knowing what sorrow and grief would be felt by the people whom loved the dear little princess, placed everyone in the palace in a deep sleep so no one would feel the passing of years.” Kagome paused to take a careful lungful of air and blinked heavily several times trying to clear her dazing mind.

 

“So five hundred years passed and an enchanted forest grew up around the castle. The princess within became a legend, the people and her story forgotten over time. Finally, the day came when five hundred years had passed and a prince hunting in the woods nearby stumbled upon the castle as if by fated accident. He went inside though it was quiet and he was scared by the unchanged, sleeping forms of the palace's people. The prince found his way to the golden room where the princess lay on her bed of embroidered gold and silver. He almost mistook her for a tennyo, she was so very beautiful. Her five hundred year sleep had not diminished her complexion even a little; her cheeks were carnation, and her lips were coral. He fell to his knees at her side, unbelieving that such a pretty girl had ever existed.” Kagome couldn't stop her yawn and winced at the sharp pain piercing her lungs.

 

“Kagome-chan?” Kagome shook her head, smiling ruefully at her taijiya friend. She was fine, really, she was fine.

 

“Uh, as the five hundred year curse had passed, the hour of the princess's awakening arrived. She opened her eyes to find the prince staring at her with unhidden admiration. She smiled at him and said, `Are you my prince? You have taken a long time to get here.' The prince returned her smile and agreed. `I am your prince and I have waited too long. Return with me to my kingdom and be my queen.' The princess nodded and he lifted her up and-“ Kagome smothered another yawn. “And he carried her way.

 

“Now the moment she had woken up, the rest of the people in the castle also woke up and they cheered to see the princess alive and well and the handsome prince who vowed to marry her. He took her away to his kingdom where they lived happily ever after.” Kagome closed her eyes a moment, inhaling carefully, willing all her aches to go away. She should just give up and go to sleep. No one needed to know she was up all last night crying over how callous and stupid InuYasha was, they would just think she was exhausted from the battle today.

 

“Kagome?” Shippo's apprehensive little voice rose from somewhere in front of her and she opened her eyes to look down on him. “You should go to sleep now.”

 

“No, it's oka-” She was cut off by InuYasha coming up behind her and deftly swooping her up in his arms.

 

“Damn woman, just get some rest, will ya?” He demanded as he carried her to her sleeping bag which had at some point been removed from her backpack and unrolled for her. Conveniently enough it was directly below the tree they camped under, within close sight of the cooking fire though the sun had only just started to set and it wasn't yet dark.

 

“I'm fin-” She gave a little yelp when her sore muscles protested as she tensed to fight the hanyou off. She went limp in his arms and groaned instead. He frowned down at her closed eyes and shallow breathing, her face abruptly drained of all color.

 

“You're not `fine.' You should know better than to try and hide this from us. You got the kid and Sango worried sick now. There'll be no livin' with the pup after this.” He growled softly, amber eyes filled with concern. The miko took a halting breath and barely opened her eyes as he set her down on the bed.

 

“I'm sorry. I'm okay. I just need to do something real quick then I'll take it easy I swear.” He nodded and stood, frowning suspiciously as she took the glass bottle of eight glittering shards from her pocket and tossed them into her hand. InuYasha's scowl deepened as he watched cup her hand over the shards and close her eyes, praying, just as Kikyou had told her to back in the miko-eating cave.

 

She drew a careful gulp of air and focused, her concentration wavering as her exhaustion grew exponentially the harder she tried to compress the shards. The lavender radiance that erupted from her hands faltered and paled but she forced herself to keep up the pressure until finally the light died with the sharpness of a candle blowing out. With it's vanishing, Kagome collapsed with a surprised sigh.

 

“Kagome!” InuYasha dropped beside the fallen girl, inhaling her scent and listening to her stumbling heartbeat. Her own smell was weak in comparison to the bright perfume of her miko power and the single large flake of shikon no tama. “Dammit! Stupid wench!”

 

“InuYasha?! Is she okay?”

 

“Is Kagome-sama alright?” The others came running, Shippo and the fire cat bounding up to stand between the demon slayer and the monk.

 

“Looks like it. She merged the shards into one-“ He carefully eased the unconscious girl into a more comfortable position, covering her in her blanket with a white knuckled fist.

 

“I didn't know she could do that.”

 

“Obviously- there it is.” He grumbled as he showed them the large piece of crystal before roughly throwing it into Kagome's jar. “Idiot was so tired already she passed out. If she wakes tomorrow, we probably won't be able to go far. Her recklessness is gonna keep us from getting anywhere!”

 

“But you think she'll be fine?”

 

“Yeah.” He scowled, glaring at her prone form then at the monk. The others took the hint and frowning with concern, they returned to the fire.

 

“Promise she won't leave, InuYasha.” Shippo commanded, a pout on his lips as he patted her cold hand and trudged away.

 

“I promised, pup. Now don't come back till you're gonna sleep.” The older boy growled at the kitsune. Shippo nodded and left his foster mother alone with her protector.

 

When he was sure no one was listening he murmured, “Kagome . . ? Please wake up . . .” His eyes a little anguished as he held her small hand and sat by her side, shutting out the rest of the world, ready to sit forever beside his miko.

 

A little while later, InuYasha still sat unmoving, staring at the perfect young woman before him. He watched her hitched breathing, the unsteady rise and fall of her chest, the thick, low thud of her heart. When her eyes cracked open, he was so entranced he didn't notice at first.

 

“InuYasha . . ?”

“Kagome, you okay?” He took her hand, feeling it's slow warmth returning.

 

“Yeah, did I overdo it with the shards?”

“Just. A. Bit.” He growled, his voice low and swirling with an undercurrent of anger. “You baka, I don't know what you were thinking trying something like that when you were hurt-“

 

“It wasn't a big deal the first time, I didn't think it'd knock me out . . .” Her momentary passion fled like spilled water and she crumpled, her breath sighing away, her eyes falling closed once more.

 

“Kagome . . !”

 

“I forgot to finish the story-“ She whispered, loosely gripping his hand. “Tell Shippo, the end, there's a lesson, a rhyme- a poem really- Many a girl has waited long, For a husband brave or strong; But I'm sure I never met, Any sort of woman yet, Who could wait five hundred years, Free from fretting, free from fears. Now, our story seems to show, That a few centuries or so, Late or early, matters not; True love comes by fated-lot. Some old folk will even say, It grows better by delay.” She forced her eyes open to gently meet his confused gold eyes. “It's true, isn't it? You love better and truer for having waited for your soul mate.” She smiled faintly, her dark eyes falling closed a last time.

 

“I waited fifty years for you to find me, Kagome. I'll wait five hundred more if I have to but you damn well know I'm not gonna let you go.”