InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ On a Leash ❯ The Shrine Sentinel ( Chapter 9 )

Disclaimer: I love Inuyasha! Alas, he still is not mine… *sigh*

A/N: Ok, been a while, I know. Finally got to it. Please, actually read these things….please? For my sanity, I beg of you! Gah, under lots of stress, but luckily started my live journal, so, it's all good. My Advanced Speech and Comp teacher is…odd…. We don't get along. ^^; Oh, and the part about Kagome being "Glad she had" was talking about her checking outside, not about her feelings. Believe me, I know her feelings are natural because I've had a dog or two disappear only to coincidentally check out in the backyard and have him sitting there. What happened was I forgot to hit the 'Enter' key, so…fixed that. ^^; Amazing how not indenting can affect the whole meaning of something.

Chapter Nine: The Shrine Sentinel

The wind was biting cold as Inuyasha pawed the door all the way open and darted inside, eagerness welling up inside him. Snow had begun to collect in a minute drift in the gap, which the dog kicked away a bit. A faint moon glow cast a silvery light, making him look ethereal amongst the dark splashes of the room.

It took a moment or so for his honey orbs to adjust to the softer light. Inuyasha padded in further, glimpsing around for some sign of something out of the ordinary…

Well, Higurashi-Shrine-ordinary.

Charms and wards hung from the ceiling. Bottles of various colored liquids sat on shelves far up, and boxes of souvenirs lined one wall. As well as Inuyasha could tell, there was nothing contained in the mini-shrine that every other Shinto temple he'd been in didn't have.

He sniffed the ground quietly, sneezing as the occasional dust bunny decided to explore the cavern of his nose. It wasn't until he came upon a white rice paper screen, ajar slightly, that he became aware of another sound that was not being made by him. It sounded like a low hum, almost like a bee or something.

What the hell? thought Inuyasha. Blacker blotches scurried in over the screen, growing larger and smaller as they varied their proximity. There's no way a normal bee could be alive in these conditions… He felt an icy feeling sweep down his spine, a familiar tingle. That's youki…and those shapes are a little too big for bumblebees so they have to be demonic.

A bright flash of bluish-white light crackled loudly from the other side of the screen and a small tongue of cerulean flame blazed shortly on the ground. A barrier. The buzzing grew annoyed, and soon Inuyasha realized that there were more than one or two bees present; there were at least a dozen.

Whatever's on the other side is being rejected so that's gotta be the 'item' Kagome wants me to protect. Why else would there be a ward? His eyes narrowed slightly. "And I'll bet those bees aren't supposed to be in there!" Smacking the screen halves all the way apart, Inuyasha sprang into the room. "Better start doing my duty!"

The droning was most intense here, and the swarm turned red eyed gazes down on him, the veins of their translucent wings stood out in web-like fingers. They were as large as Buyo was, in length at least. Long stingers protruded from the backside of the yellow and black banded bodies. The demon bees hovered around a long black box; one lay dead on the wooden floor.

Without warning, the swarm suddenly dove at the lone dog. Inuyasha dodged and then jumped up and knocked a few from the air, squashing them. He let out a deafening bark. "I don't know what the hell you're doing in here," he growled, "but if you wanna fight, fine."

He leapt up and snapped at a couple more while the remaining group dive-bombed him. He managed to evade them as he landed, but his body was still nowhere near as agile as it had been when he was half-demon. Several of his assailants had landed glancing blows on his exposed side when he twisted in the air, and one had even stabbed Inuyasha with its stinger.

Landing heavily, Inuyasha felt the dull throb of diagonal wounds that ended at his left flank. He sprang upon another set of five, leaving two left.

An abrupt bout of dizziness clouded his senses, yet the dog managed one last bound by adrenaline alone, and knocked out the remaining bees by flattening one with his paws and the other was ripped apart by his fangs. He returned to the ground on unsteady legs. Inuyasha's entire body ached; it felt like he was being torn apart sinew fiber, by sinew fiber.

He lurched forward at a tottering pace to the long box. A sutra was placed over the lid of the box, effectively shielding it yet the dog-demon didn't notice as his vision continued to distort. "What the hell is in there…?" Nosing it slightly, Inuyasha was unexpectedly thrown by a force of pinkish-white.

He met with the rice paper screen and it came down around him with a loud crash. The chiming of shattered glass rained upon him as shards flew about the enclosure.

Staring blankly for a moment, he thought, Guess I don't get to see…

Then everything went blurry…then darkness…then he completely blacked out.

~*~*~*~*

Kagome had awoken with a yawn when she heard Inuyasha's raucous barking. What a loud mouth… she cogitated with a slight grumble. Stretching for a moment, she glanced at her clock and decided to go back to sleep; it was the ungodly hour of one-twenty in the morning after all.

Yet as she settled into her covers again, Kagome shot up for a second time at the thunderous racket outside. Sliding out, fully intent upon yelling at Inuyasha for being so darn noisy, the girl started at the sight of the mini-shrine doors open. Her eyes widened. Oh no!

Running out of her room, Kagome went to her mother's and threw open the door yelling, "Mama! Someone's in the mini-shrine!"

Mama had woken as soon as her daughter had burst in. In a moment, the woman was beside the girl, her white nightgown swishing quickly. "Hurry, Kagome, we need to get down there."

Nodding, the onyx-haired girl trotted ahead of her mother, heart pounding madly in her chest. She worked her way outside, running barefoot into the heavy snow, which grew ever thicker. Ignoring the stinging in her toes and arches, she slipped her way to the demi-shrine.

Kagome tramped up the steps and onto the wood floor. She gasped when she saw Inuyasha lying on his side, and, even with the dim illumination, the unmistakable streaks of crimson blood.

Kagome staggered back for a second as Mama entered. "Kagome, what's-?" The older woman also cut herself off with a sharp inhale. She raised a hand to her lips. "How badly is he hurt?"

"I-I don't know…" the girl stammered, rooted to the spot for a time. She was baffled and vaguely frightened as her wide azure eyes took in the scene of busted bottles with their elixirs streaming out and the large white screen that covered a majority of the shrine's floor space.

It wasn't until her mom started toward the injured animal that Kagome rushed ahead of her, sidestepping the collections of broken bottles, and knelt by his side. "Inuyasha…" she whispered, stroking his pale muzzle. She watched his ragged breathing, thanking the gods that he was still alive at least; her dog looked so vulnerable and strained. His stunning gold eyes were sealed away behind his heavy, furry eyebrows. Kagome peered at his injuries, wincing slightly in sympathetic pain. "Please be all right… Just hold on, boy…."

Inuyasha shuddered as the only response to her plea.

"I'll help you bring him inside," Mama said quietly, coming over and sliding her hands carefully underneath his hindquarters, until her palms hit his uninjured flank.

Kagome nodded her assent as she grabbed hold of his upper body and hoisted him with her mother out of the mini-shrine.

Once they toted him into house, they laid Inuyasha on the carpet of the front room. That was when Kagome saw the sallow bubbles popping from the wounds, especially from the deep puncture close to the fleshy part of his left hind leg, just short of the junction. The sordid froth mixed with scarlet nearest the dog's lacerated skin.

"It looks like he's been poisoned," she heard Grampa say as he hobbled into the entryway.

"Are you sure?" Kagome asked, worry piercing her gaze.

"I'm afraid so, Kagome." The old man bobbed his head once. "We should make a poultice until we can get him to the veterinary clinic."

Forlorn, the girl looked back to the dog, only comforted by the fact that her grandfather knew quite a bit about medicine regardless that he retained no spiritual power. She heard Gramps shuffle out of the room, presumably heading to storeroom in the rear of the house. Souta had come down the stairs, and was being shooed away by Mom.

"Is Inuyasha ok?!" the little boy asked frantically as he tried to get passed the wall that was Mama Higurashi.

She gave him a gentle push and a firm look. "Go to bed, Souta."

"But--!"

"No 'buts'. We're not sure what happened to him. He was out in the mini-shrine. He must have driven off whatever had tried to get to your sister's dowry."

Souta sighed irritably at his mother as she gave him that glare that insisted he do as he was told.

Kagome paid the squabble little attention as she focused on the tremulous canine on the ground beside her. She stroked his back, whether for her comfort or the comatose Inuyasha, she wasn't sure. How did something even get in the mini-shrine…? the girl wordlessly wondered. A soft whimper rose to her ears and she brought her hand to one of his silky ears and rubbed. Why did this have to come to us…?

~*~*~*~*

When Inuyasha roused, the world still seemed foggy to both his ears and to his eyes. The walls were smears of white while the fluorescent lights that purred demurely overhead made the metal in front of his snout reflect brightly. Cool steel beneath him absorbed the heat from his body, which felt slightly hot even to him.

Gradually, his senses sharpened, and he realized he was in the overnight room of a pet hospital. Oak cabinets were on one wall with a small sink and trashcan below them. He sniffed the air tentatively, catching no scent from a roommate, yet picking up the familiar smell of that old hag Kaede; it was about half an hour old.

Inuyasha began to sit up when a lightning bolt of pain crackled through the side that faced the ceiling. He ground out a few select curses as his body thudded down upon the metal examination tray once more. Heavy gauze was wrapped around his torso, restricting his movement and the ease in which the wounds could reopen.

"Stupid, fucking bees…if I ever…" he curtailed his rant when he heard voices in the hall outside. Inuyasha lay still so he could eavesdrop easier.

"…I've never heard of venom that strong before…" Mama was saying.

A sigh, and then Kaede's voice replied, "It is not a common one. I have not seen this strain before, but I will try to find out exactly what poisoned Inuyasha." A pause. "If you had not treated him and gotten him here first thing yesterday, he would have died. At last check, his fever was only minor; not enough to cause serious trouble."

Inuyasha snorted at the very notion of his life being threatened; he had felt a bit helpless when he passed out on the floor.

The sound of Kagome speaking made the dog-hanyou's ears pivot forward slightly. "May I go see him, Ms. Kaede?"

"Let me check on him first." Inuyasha observed as the old woman entered the room, catching the glimpse of the Higurashi family outside. Kaede walked over to him, a half-smile on her face. "Nice to see you're back in the world of the conscious."

"Thanks for the warm welcome," he retorted.

"You're very welcome."

He wasn't surprised this time that she answered him, as it seemed more people were able to understand him than he was aware of---at least generally anyway.

Kaede pulled out the stethoscope and listened to his heart and lungs, nodding slightly. She removed a pen from her pocket and jotted down her findings on the clipboard that sat on the counter.

"Inuyasha," the old woman began, checking his bandages, "you must take very good care of Kagome. She is an extremely special child, and unfathomably gifted, though she doesn't know it yet. Sit up, please."

As she pulled out a pair of surgical scissors Inuyasha peered at her inquiringly, doing as she instructed while she cut the tight bands,. "What do you mean?"

He started at Kaede's answer.

"Kagome is a young miko; however, the problem lies with the fact that she cannot harness and utilize her power to the fullest extent. You must protect her, Inuyasha. "

He mulled over this as she redressed his injuries. "Does that mean she could remove Kikyou's stupid collar?"

"Possibly," she noncommittally responded. Kaede unwound another ball of gauze and snipped a length off. "Do not rush it, Inuyasha. Your spirit will be freed of that soon enough. Wait."

"WAIT?! I can't wait any longer! I've been stuck like this for fifty years, hag!"

"And a few more weeks or so won't kill you, so stop complaining," she snapped back.

He brooded while she continued her ministrations. He grumbled to himself, focusing on the steady ticking of her wristwatch.

"There. The toxins seem to be wearing off, but that makes your wounds all the more troublesome as they are healing a tad slow." Kaede rolled the gauze up and tucked it and the scissors into the large side pocket of her coat. "Luckily for you, you aren't normal."

"Neither are you, Kaede."

The lady vet gave a watered down smirk. "I'll give Mrs. Higurashi your medicine, and you can return home today." She patted him on the head once before going to the door. "And, Inuyasha?" She turned a little. "Do not forget to heed what I have told you."

As the door started to swing closed, it opened inwards again as Kagome came in, clad in her green sailor fuku. "Are you feeling better, Inuyasha?" She leaned over and massaged his ears fondly. "We were all really worried about you. I hope that's all we have to worry about for a while…"

The sinking sensation he'd felt earlier, of nearing something very bad, returned with a sickening vengeance. Somehow, Kagome, he thought, I think is just the beginning….

~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Sorry! I was hoping on having this out on Monday and after my less than stellar chapter of SH, which I will eventually fix even if I had one reviewer who has not been on my Christmas card list…long, boring story; don't worry about it. Anyway, I've got a bunch of projects coming up, my AP US History exam coming up, and…lot's of other stuff. One of you mentioned something about "knowing that I was in college" and I wanted to let you know that I'm a sophomore in high school. Anyway, hope this has quenched everyone's appetite for now. The plot is getting more interesting…heheh….

*throws on her fire proof cloak* In case of flames of "Evil Cliffy!" or something. By the way I finished "The Mysterious Little Visitor" which has made me very happy.

Ja ne,

~Moonlight Shadow

P.S. My mom's not feeling good, so sorry if there are any mistakes; she betas my stuff.