InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ One Can Only Wander For So Long ❯ Always Watching ( Chapter 14 )

(AN - To answer a few questions/comments that are immediately in mind, this fic is an AU (alternate reality) and people/places/things are as I see fit. Kagome is not Kikyo's reincarnation, the 'Shikon no Tama' is... well, not a part of the story. Sango's brother, I've decided, is probably a good ten years older than her. I might bring Naraku into the tale in the prequel should I attempt to write it. And, I didn't give the last youkai a name, because that's just what he is, nameless. Kouga was not brutally slain by Kagome's shard of glass, I personally don't think he'd die quite that easily. He, as well, might make an appearance in the prequel. This AN (and most other notes in the fic) will be removed upon completion of the fic, to shorten and clean up layout of the story.

This chapter's illustration -

http://www.mediaminer.org/fanart/view.php/168037

Chapter Fourteen - Always Watching

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Kikyo stared, unblinkingly, at the image before her. 'He failed. That blasted youkai FAILED me.' Her fingers clenched the mirror handle tightly as her hand started to shake. "When you need something done right..." she muttered, fury lacing her words, "...you've got to do it yourself..." Her eye narrowed for a moment as she caught sight of the enchanted bracelet being pulled from the human male's pocket. Her frown of displeasure faded as she watched the minor glamour spell take effect on both girls in the room, drawing their attention to the seemingly harmless object.

Her gaze became calculating as her original target for the curse toyed with the trinket for a moment before slipping it over her wrist. Her mouth fell open slightly in surprise, for she hadn't expected the girl to just wear the cursed item like that. She was quite certain the girl had formidable skill as a miko to have been able to release Inuyasha from his binding necklace.

A thought occurred to her... the current date. It was perfect timing. The spell would last slightly less than half a day... so the sun would be setting just prior to it wearing off... She stood shakily. Her body was in even more agony this morning, and a few gray locks of hair swished by her arm, for it seemed her link to the hanyou's lifespan had been severed. Her age was rapidly beginning to show.

Kikyo knew what she would do - what would finally seal Inuyasha's fate. It would give her the vengeance she sought, and the freedom she craved from her horribly mangled body, broken and destroyed over the decades, eternally wounded and never healing.

~-~-~

Sango found her gaze transfixed on the glinting silver bracelet as Miroku pulled it from his pocket. Her fingers twitched with the strangest desire to reach out and touch the cool loop of metal as he seemed to wave it, tauntingly, in front of her, before setting it upon the table. She pushed aside her plate, intent on reaching for the bracelet until Kagome lifted it from the table.

The strange feeling passed almost immediately, however, as the band slipped over Kagome's wrist. Sango closed her eyes and shook her head in confusion. 'That was the strangest...'

*thump*

Sango opened her eyes again to see Kagome slumped over in her chair, a surprised look in her eyes as her head lay against the table. She realized someone had been talking just prior, for the room was suddenly silent as they looked on in confusion.

Kagome found her sight centered on Inuyasha as she fell against the table. She watched him turn towards her with furrowed eyebrows, and before she knew it, he had overturned his chair to get to her. She felt herself being dragged up from the table, and she watched him, panic overcoming all other thought or feeling, as he called her name, searching for any sort of response. She was still blinking, and breathing, but not under conscious effort. Her body simply refused to respond to any directions.

Her head slowly tipped over to the side, her gaze following to look at his chest. "Kagome?! What's wrong?" She heard Sango ask. "Why isn't she moving?"

Kagome was pretty sure she'd made a terrible mistake when she put on that bracelet. Her fear turned to despair, her lack of control making her feel as though she was in a strange sort of coma. A tear slipped from the corner of her eye. 'Please... help!'

Inuyasha watched the drop travel down her cheek, his worry lifting some. He knelt, pulling her from the chair to crush her to his chest, relieved that she was still conscious. He sat back on the floor with her in his arms, holding her tightly. Her head tilted backwards with the motion, and she found herself looking up into his face as he brought his hand to her cheek. He brushed his thumb lightly against her skin, wiping the tear away as Miroku spoke. "Inuyasha, take that bracelet from her wrist..."

He took his hand from her face and pulled the narrow band of silver from her forearm. He knew who was responsible for this mess. He knew it had to be her. She was the only person who disliked him this much, the only one who had the knowledge and power to cast enchantments of this nature. He growled in frustration, crushing the band in his clenched fist.

Kagome felt strangely lighter, as though someone had turned on a lamp in a room she hadn't know was dark. She was able to glance around the room at them, but she found herself looking back up into Inuyasha's troubled expression. The fear and concern for her was evident in his eyes, and it broke her heart to know she had mistakenly caused him pain.

"The woman who cursed me is responsible for this," Inuyasha said quietly. "She still lives... even after all these years..."

Miroku's expression was solemn, and Sango bit her lip as she thought. She rose to her feet, saying "I'm going to make some calls in my study. Miroku can use the computer there to search for more information on this, so, Inuyasha, can you carry her and follow us?" Inuyasha nodded once, rising with Kagome in his arms, bridal style.

Several phone calls by Sango and a thorough internet search by Miroku brought them to the conclusion that, without the miko being there to cast the spell directly on Kagome, it couldn't be permanent. Now all they had left to do was wait for the enchantment to fade, as it had begun to as soon as the bracelet was removed and destroyed.

But Kagome's condition, while it might have been temporary, could last anywhere from another few hours, a week, or even an entire month... the people they'd asked had no idea of the length without knowing the miko or her intentions.

"...What if this lasts for longer than a day? A month, even a year? It's like she's a mute paraplegic... Not only can she not talk, not move..." Sango tried to say. Kagome found herself wanting to retort to her friend's comments, for Sango spoke as if she wasn't in the room.

"I'm not leaving her side," Inuyasha quietly responded. As his thumb absently caressed the edge of her hand, Kagome wondered what he had meant by that... for it sounded innocent enough, but could mean so much more.

"But you've just met her!" Sango tried to reason. She knew Sango was concerned for her welfare, and wasn't about to leave her well-being in the hands of someone she didn't know, especially someone who had managed to bring trouble TO her. So, she understood the arguments, but, didn't know whose side to be on. She trusted Sango, but didn't want to be a burden on her. Sango had a job, a life!

Inuyasha didn't seem to have anyone else but her. He had the opportunity to leave her side many times, but he never did so. He had been there for her, even through life threatening situations. There had to be more to it all than just duty or obligation, for Kagome found herself trusting her very life in Inuyasha's hands. Not only because of her ability to pick up on evil intentions, of which Inuyasha had none, but because she felt right being next to him. She felt like she was at home, whenever he was near. The short time they had spent together, while he was in his canine form, allowed them to form a sort of bond that made her completely at ease with him, well, in most situations. Her earlier reaction to his kiss was purely from her innocence in such matters. Sure, she'd kissed before, but she's never made out with a man who...

"It is my fault this happened to her... Because I chose to stay at her side, I brought this upon her, and it is my duty to make sure she stays safe, and that she comes out of this safe and sound." His hand brushed down her arm, once, as she sat mostly in the cradle of his lap, propped up against his chest. Sango sighed and rubbed her temples. She knew they had bonded to each other already, and that showed a high level of trust and acceptance between the two of them that she really couldn't argue with...

Miroku continued his search as they talked, pulling up many interesting files and reports on possibly-related occurrences, but nothing immediately useful. He stood and stretched his arms above his head, casting an amused glance at the two sitting together. He caught Sango's eye before jerking his head at the door, signaling they take a break for lunch. Sango and Miroku were the only ones in the room that knew they'd formed a bond already, so Kagome and Inuyasha were both surprised when they left the room, saying they'd talk more about it later.

But Kagome's thoughts tumbled to a halt as Inuyasha's hand trailed back up her arm, and then across her collarbone to rest on her opposite shoulder. A simple motion that would preclude a slight embrace, but coupled with Inuyasha resting his forehead at the juncture where her neck met her shoulder brought a fleeting image of her recent dreams came to mind.

She'd dreamt of him. She knew it had to be him, his voice... the motions he'd just repeated... Her body warmed slightly in remembrance, right before a strange seeping chill racked her body, stronger than she'd ever felt before.

Kagome's involuntary shudder caught Inuyasha's attention. 'If I can't have him...' a soft voice echoed through her thoughts. Kagome's breath sped up and she turned wild, panicked eyes around the room, willing someone to look at her. "Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, leaning around her to look at her face. Kagome could feel it, something was coming towards them, something big, and she couldn't say anything, couldn't warn them of the danger.

'No one can...' A large roar sounded nearby, just as Miroku and Sango had stepped away from the study's door. By this time, Inuyasha had definitely picked up the scent of her fear and the rapid tattoo of her heart.

"We've got company!" He shouted, leaping to his feet, with Kagome carried protectively in his arms. Sango and Miroku raced from the building, Sango heading straight for the front building where they had attempted to eat breakfast. Her extremely huge boomerang was there, placed above the fireplace mantle as a 'decoration'. Miroku headed in the opposite direction, for the master suites.

Inuyasha leapt onto the roof of the front building in the estate, checking the surroundings for the enemy that had so loudly announced its presence earlier. He sniffed, checking the wind for a scent, and his ears twitched, alert to any noises, but he couldn't detect anything more. He looked down at Kagome, and asked "Where?" Kagome's eyes became large as saucers as she looked over his shoulder to something, or someone, behind him in the air.

He had barely turned his head to look as well when a searing jolt of energy connected with his back. He shouted out and fell off of the roof, clutching Kagome to his front protectively, and rolling with the fall to make sure she wasn't injured. He cracked open an eye and struggled to his feet, his precious, immobile cargo still held tightly to his chest. A glance skyward showed their newest opponent: A huge dragon-youkai roared in untamed fury, its beady eyes staring down at the two of them in the tree line.

Inuyasha winced; it felt like he'd had a hole torn through his back. The dragon landed briefly on the overhang immediately in front of them, taking a moment to roar at them once again. Inuyasha couldn't help but notice the strange purplish glow around its teeth, claws and the tip of its tail; the creature practically screamed its poisonous features.

The youkai opened its mouth to show off rows of sharp, dark-blue teeth and an odd glow collecting in the back of its mouth. Inuyasha's eyes widened in realization, leaping as far to the left as he could right before a massive blast tore through the spot he'd just been standing. He leapt again, trying to get some distance between himself and the creature, for with Kagome's current situation, she'd be guaranteed dragon-kibble if he set her down somewhere. There was no doubt about it; the dragon was there to take her away from him.

No way in hell he was going to stand for that.

Sango raced out of the building in time to see the fiery blast knock down one of her favorite trees. She scowled; she wasn't going to just let her house be destroyed again. She lifted her huge boomerang and gave it a mighty hurl towards the poisonous looking creature. It ripped through one of the beast's flimsy-looking wings, and it crashed to the ground. It sent a small glance in Sango's direction before releasing another fireball at her. Without having the time to build up its power, it wasn't large enough to demolish her house, but was coming too fast for her to dodge. The second it was released, however, Miroku dropped to his knee next to her, holding his hands in a half prayer, muttering something. The fireball bounced harmlessly off of his barrier and singed more landscaping, but did no real damage.

Sango smiled down at him, he'd gotten better over the years they'd known each other. He'd had to improve his skills after he'd met her, due to some unforeseen events in both their lives.

The dragon paid them no more mind as it loped after Inuyasha and Kagome, who'd disappeared into the forest mere moments prior. The speed at which it traveled, even with the damaged wing, was frightening. No doubt the thing would catch up to the two of them soon, so Sango whistled once, summoning Kirara to her side. The fire-cat transformed into her larger form, and Sango retrieved her boomerang as they took flight.

Inuyasha had made it merely a quarter mile from the house before the dragon had caught up with them, spitting fireballs at his back as he tried to dodge and run at funny angles to the beast's position. Another blast caught him in the foot, and he tripped to the ground, trying to cradle Kagome's form to his body once again to avoid harming her. The game of cat and mouse had gone on long enough. He planted a quick kiss to her forehead, let go of her, and turned to face the dragon head-on with a flurry of claws, slashes, and dodging leaps. The dragon seemed to be taken by surprise by the sudden counter-attack, but instead of trying to redirect its focus on the helpless girl, it went after the injured hanyou. The dragon caught Inuyasha's right arm in its mouth and bit down, breaking the bones in two places - a split second moment of agony. Inuyasha could smell the sickly sweet scent of the dragon's poisonous saliva dripping from its mouth, but he took the moment of closeness with the creature's face to dig his claws into his arm, covering his fingers with his own blood before releasing a flurry of demonic projectiles with a sweep of his arm.

They cut through the dragon's face and body, causing it to quickly release Inuyasha's arm, and it backed away from the two of them, rubbing at its face with its overgrown, clawed fingers. Sango and Miroku arrived moments later, Sango hurtling her boomerang towards the creature, Miroku, pulling an impressive firearm from the carrier on his back, and opening fire on the creature as soon as Sango's boomerang had connected.

The boomerang took off the creature's arm, the bullets riddled its leg, removing large chunks of flesh, muscle, and bone. The creature, still alive and kicking, completely ignored its two newest enemies, choosing to take another swipe at Inuyasha with its deadly sharp claws. Inuyasha leapt out of reach, just in time, before the dragon vanished.

Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku stopped and stared at the spot it had been mere moments prior, before quickly scanning the surrounding areas for any signs of the beast. Not a wisp of smoke, a scent of blood, or a footprint in the grass could be seen. The creature had disappeared as though it had never been there in the first place. Even the bits of flesh and bone that had littered the grounds were gone.

Aside from the very obvious bite wounds and smoldering burns on Inuyasha's body, and the demolished tree back at the estate, you couldn't tell anything had been near the grounds at all.

Miroku and Sango dropped to the forest floor and split up, Sango to collect Kagome's slightly battered form, Miroku to assist Inuyasha with anything he might need.

"That was the oddest occurrence I think I've ever witnessed," Miroku commented.

"Yeah, I wonder what it was after... " Sango added. She caught a glimpse of Inuyasha's back as Miroku helped him to his feet. "We're going to need to bandage you up, Inuyasha." She remarked, amazed that he was still walking. They made their way back to the kitchen building, where Sango put Kagome down on the thick area rug in front of the fireplace. Inuyasha sat down, cross-legged, next to her, and Miroku started a fire.

Sango returned shortly with some materials to set Inuyasha's broken arm, and set about her task of disinfecting the horrible blast injury on his back.

Inuyasha's thoughts were far from his injuries, however, as he looked down at the girl whose life he had saved, again. It seemed that the two of them looked out for each other as often as a proclaimed couple, and they had never stated such intentions to one another. He reached over to her hand and gingerly picked it up with his left, stroking one of her fingers in an assuring manner. His injuries hurt like a bitch, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd actually broken a limb, but he'd live. It was a few hours past noon already, and he knew he had to heal and rest as soon as possible, for once the sun disappeared over the horizon...

Kagome watched Inuyasha's expression carefully. He'd been so intent on protecting her; was it that he only felt it was his obligation, since he was the one putting her life in danger? Or, did he actually like her? The look on his face that morning had alluded to the fact that he thought he was dreaming... but, even then, if he were dreaming of her, and thought he was kissing her... either way...

Her thoughts trailed off as he stroked her fingers softly, looking away from her face to see what Sango intended to do with his right arm. She would have gasped, her eyes would have widened, and her lips would have parted in slight shock at the wonderful feeling jolting down her arm at that simple caress. Her inability to move or show a reaction had saved her from yet another embarrassing moment. He was only holding her hand, and he seemed to be touching her in the most innocent way, but it made her tingle from the tips of her toes to the roots of her hair. Her face slowly flushed a soft pink, and she prayed to everything holy that he wouldn't look back at her and notice.

Her embarrassment quickly faded, however, as she felt a strange pulse run through her body as Sango touched Inuyasha's arm. She inwardly frowned; it was that same strange feeling from before, when Sango assisted them in front of Kagome's house. She had the strangest urge to push her friend away from Inuyasha's injury, to tend to it herself, but she couldn't move to do so. She watched as Sango carefully bound the broken limb, trying not to come in contact with his skin again after the initial touch. Kagome looked on in confusion. It seemed that when she wasn't able to do anything but watch, her focus was a bit clearer, and she found herself starting to put the pieces together. Sango couldn't touch Inuyasha without getting burnt... the same thing that had happened to her when Sesshoumaru had shaken her hand. Both of them seemed to know that they couldn't, or shouldn't touch...

She'd never thought or heard of touch between a youkai (or hanyou) and a human to cause such a violent reaction such as that, yet, Inuyasha was still holding her hand, and it only felt remarkably pleasant. She found her thoughts drifting from the stranger occurrences in her life to the more pleasant possibilities, something like cuddling up with Inuyasha... embracing Inuyasha... getting lost in Inuyasha's golden eyes, tweaking Inuyasha's adorable furry ears... running her fingers through Inuyasha's luxurious silver hair, kissing his sexy, soft, slightly pouty lips... She mentally shook herself.

She was getting way ahead of herself!! She'd only met him... well, his hanyou form, earlier that day. She had no idea what he was like as a person, only as the dog that had lived in her house. Thinking of which... where would he live now?

Sango finished securing the binds on his arm with a quick tug, and Inuyasha lifted his arm to examine her handiwork. She let out a breath and nodded at his arm, "That should help it set well while your body heals." He flashed her a fanged smirk, and Sango smiled back and stood. "You two keep drawing this much violence to my house, I'll make you pay for the repairs..."

Sango walked into the kitchen to prepare them something to eat while they waited for an improvement in Kagome's curse. Inuyasha assisted Kagome with a cup of water, unfortunately spilling quite a bit of it in the process. The four of them stayed in the den for another few hours, enjoying the calm and silence of the afternoon. Inuyasha had picked her up again, cradling her carefully against himself. She briefly wondered what her reaction would be if it were anyone else holding her like that.

Kagome sighed impatiently, for she her stomach was protesting to the lack of food. She couldn't wait until she could start chewing and swallowing, for without a damned tube shoved down her throat, she wasn't going to reasonably be able to consume anything. The lack of sustenance was beginning to make her lightheaded.

It was nearing dinnertime, and the sun was getting closer to the horizon when Inuyasha informed them of his wish to retire for the night. "Retire…?" Sango asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, retire for the night. How else do you say it? I'm not goin' to sleep." He frowned at her, slightly annoyed at having to clarify himself. He wiggled the fingers on his right hand, checking for any twinges of pain from his broken limb. He was very sure that the only reason his arm had nearly completely healed was because of his close contact with Kagome over the last few hours. She, however, looked quite worn and tired, as though she'd been up all night and day. "Kagome needs to go sleep, and I have to watch over her... You have any better ideas?" He asked, challenging them with a steady gaze.

He knew he'd won the argument before it started, though, as Miroku stood, collecting their teacups and offering a hand to Sango. She stood, smiling up at Miroku, before looking back at Inuyasha and Kagome to bid them good night. "If you two need anything, my room is directly across the garden from yours."

Inuyasha carefully picked Kagome up from the floor, her eyes drooping sleepily. He carried her motionless form back to the room they had slept in the night prior, turning slowly to not rouse her too much from her light dozing in his arms. The sun was hanging low on the horizon, and he didn't want to be near the other two humans for any longer. Inuyasha pushed the door shut behind them with his foot.

Kagome's eyes cracked open a bit at the 'click', and she realized where they were, alone. She lifted her gaze to his face, and she watched his expression carefully. He snuck a glance down at her, and she found herself unable to stop the blush that crept over her features. His eyebrow rose slightly as he watched her cheeks turn red. She had no idea what he thought until he looked away from her, when she noticed his own face was tinted an adorable shade of pink. It seemed their thoughts were drifting in the same direction as he approached the bed.

His left hand tightened on her shoulder fractionally, and he brought her to the edge of the bed, laying her out flat and propping her head on a pillow. Now was not the time to be considering things like that, he reasoned, as he snuck a glance down at her parted lips. 'Yeah, 'cause she wouldn't want me to kiss her again,' he thought to himself. Her reaction at the unexpected kiss that morning confirmed that she wasn't interested in him like that. He sat back in the chair next to the bed, propping his elbows on his knees and lacing his fingers in front of his eyes, hiding his expression from her gaze.

She let out a nearly inaudible sigh as he pulled away from her, for as strange as it seemed, she was already missing his warmth. He hadn't let go of her much since the lapse in her normally sound judgment that morning, and she'd grown used to feeling herself molded quite nicely against his chest. His heart thumping strongly against her back or shoulder, and depending on which way he held her, sometimes she would get the tickle of his breath wafting against her neck.

In a way, she was partially thankful she couldn't move or make noises, else she might have giggled and grinned like an immature schoolgirl for the entire afternoon, despite the severity if the situation. She was amazed at the reassuring grasp Inuyasha kept on her, as well as the possessive nature she could feel as he protected her from the dragon-youkai's multiple attacks on them. It just felt so...

"Kagome..." Inuyasha's voice caught her attention, and she stopped wondering over what had occurred earlier that day.

"I know we've only just met, and, now that I'm no longer..." He paused, unsure of how to finish his sentence.

'Just look at her, and ask... it's not so hard...' A tiny voice said.

She won't agree, I'm still a stranger.

'What can she do, blink at you?' it continued.

She doesn't like me that way...

'But you haven't asked her how she feels, you're just assuming.'

Why else would she have pushed me away this morning...?

'You surprised her. Would *you* like someone you'd never seen before kiss you like that? That only works in dream-land, lover boy.'

Kagome watched him gnaw on his lower lip absently, and found her gaze stuck to his mouth for a while, before he opened it again to try to continue. For all his confidence earlier talking with Sango, he didn't seem to be sure how to continue while it was just the two of them.

"I..." he started, his mouth snapping shut again. He frowned, and growled at his lack of confidence.

"I don't want to leave yet. I know we just met, but... I want to stay with you." he said, before hurriedly adding on his 'reasons', "I mean, I need to make sure that you stay safe until we can stop her... I don't want anyone else to get hurt or die by her hands, because of me. And, all these youkai coming at you, I don't want anything to happen to you... it seems like she's always watching, and… I should always be watching over you, to be sure you're safe… and," he paused for a moment, looking at his fingers, slightly distracted by the stranger though running through his head.

Kagome felt her spirits fall after his reasoning. She'd been hoping he wanted to stay with her for a better reason, like, some sort of undying love that blossomed while he was a cute dog. She knew it may as well have been love at first sight in her case, for she'd never be able to tell him 'No.'

He looked into her eyes, and reached out slowly with his right hand, the arm nearly completely mended. "There's something different, between us. I want to know what it is, and, the only way I can think of us to learn, is if we have more time together." He stroked the back of her hand with his fingers. "I've never healed this quickly. I've never felt like I'd been burned when touching, or being touched by, another woman. I know it's been happening with you, as well, from when Sesshoumaru..." He trailed off, stopping himself before he mentioned the dream that he was quite sure they'd shared.

Kagome's thoughts were drifting again to more pleasant ideas at his tender touch to her hand. She really was tired, and maybe it wouldn't be so bad to just close her eyes and sleep a little...

Inuyasha watched her as she drifted off to sleep. He knew there was perhaps an hour before sunset, still. 'Perhaps a nap wouldn't be such a bad idea, after all,' he thought to himself.

O_O

I fell asleep right after typing that line!! I'd have posted this chapter a good eight hours ago if I had stayed awake for another fifteen minutes...

I've already started on the next chapter! Not much more to go now...