InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Returning Home ❯ The Chase ( Chapter 18 )

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any characters there in.

Also please remember, all my stories take place around the time of Kouga's first appearance.

 

Chapter 18: The Chase

 

Kagome's knees bounced with the effort of staying still as she crouched over the sleeping Sango, keeping balance with the tips of her fingers on the wooden floor. The rain Kagome had predicted had come and gone, a light sprinkling just enough and long enough to soak the unfortunate camper.

 

“If she wakes up with you like that she'll hurt you.” InuYasha stated quietly.

 

“She won't hurt me.” Kagome whispered, but she sat up anyway.

 

“So you meant to smack me then?” InuYasha scowled.

 

“What?” She turned and glanced at him over her shoulder before frowning at the human again, “Oh that was ages ago InuYasha.” She stood up and moved to sit next to him.

 

“How long do we have to wait?” she sighed, stealing a look at Miroku.

 

InuYasha let out a long suffering sigh, “A while Kagome.”

 

“I'm soooo bored!” She groaned and folded over, letting her head hit the floor with a hollow thunk sound. Suddenly she bolted upright and looked at InuYasha hopefully, “Can we run?”

 

“This close to a town? And leave them unguarded?” InuYasha huffed.

 

“… Wrestle?”

 

“That would wake them up.”

 

“So does talking.” Sango glared at them as she sat up, “How long?” she asked InuYasha.

 

He rolled his eyes, “A while.”

 

Sango squinted at the dark sky out the window, “We could get there early, check out the territory. Be prepared for once.”

 

Kagome trotted over to Miroku on her hands and toes, she leaned down on her elbows next to his head and whispered, “Wake up sweet monk, there isn't much time for fun before the sun reveals us.”

 

Miroku cracked his eye open and gave Kagome a sardonic look, “Go sit next to InuYasha.” He said, and rolled over.

 

Kagome sat back on her heels and pouted at his back, “I'll just have to entertain myself some other way…. I wonder how high you would jump if I put my claws-“

 

Miroku sat up and turned eyeing Kagome unhappily, “You are a cruel vixen Kagome.”

 

Kagome blinked her large eyes at him innocently, but couldn't hide a small grin.

 

*

 

Sango yawned and blinked blearily at the horizon, the pale light of dawn through the dispersing clouds did nothing to warm her chill arms or replace the hours of sleep that Kagome's restlessness took. Long before InuYasha and Kagome began to talk, the vixen's unease with the unfamiliar dwelling grated against Sango's warrior instinct, making her sleep lighter then she would have with InuYasha's steady alertness.

 

Shippo and Hitomi were huddled together under a bush and nearly behind a tree, “I can't see anything.” Shippo complained, “Why did we have to come if you were just going to stick us back here?”

 

“Would you rather be bait?” InuYasha called back.

 

“You have to keep Hitomi safe from the Hawk.” Kagome added.

 

“How'd I get stuck babysitting?” Shippo pouted.

 

“Hey!” Hitomi exclaimed, “I can take care of myself just fine.”

 

“Keh.” Shippo finished.

 

Kagome hid her giggles behind her hand, InuYasha just rolled his eyes, “The sun's rising.” He stated.

 

Everyone looked to the east to see the light of morning growing brighter and warmer. The distant cry of a hawk sounded from the mountain.

 

InuYasha's ears swiveled and perked, “It's coming.”

 

“It has a shard.” Kagome's grip tightened around her bow and she squinted into the brightening sky. This was her first battle since the transformation, and she suddenly wished she had taken time to practice with her bow.

 

The shadow of a great bird rose from the mountain and headed their way.

 

“Keh, this'll be easy.” InuYasha snorted.

 

“It's huge!” Shippo exclaimed.

 

“It's passing by!” Sango called as she started after it.

 

“Kagome!” InuYasha yelled and followed the creature.

 

“Uh, the shard,” Kagome fumbled in her nervousness, “it's in its back, between its wings!”

 

“Stop flying and pay attention!” Sango threw her hiraikotsu, trying to head it off before it reached the village, yanking several tail feathers loose.

 

The hawk dove to avoid the weapon and turned to face its attacker. It swooped low over them, forcing them down before hovering to survey them at a small distance.

 

Sango caught her hiraikotsu and prepared to attack again when InuYasha jumped and struck at the dodging youkai.

 

It screeched as its wing was severed from its body and Sango, seeing that it would fall on the group yelled, “Kagome! Shoot it now!”

 

The group was forced to scatter as the wounded youkai hit the ground heavily, thrashing its one good wing and tail in an attempt to right itself.

 

“Kagome!” InuYasha shouted angrily. An arrow from her could have dissipated the youkai's body before it reached them.

 

“Just finish it off InuYasha!” she screamed her answer over the quickly recovering foe.

 

It was an easy matter for him to dispatch the grounded bird, and he growled as he sheathed his sword, “What the hell was that Kagome?” he turned to her as she walked sheepishly toward the rest of the group, head bowed and gripping her bow tightly.

 

“I'm sorry!” she cried in frustration as she brought her gleaming starburst eyes up to meet his, but what InuYasha noticed immediately was the long cut from her temple to her chin, “I tried to shoot, but it broke!” she presented the group with her bow, the string neatly sliced in two, “I think it caught on my claw.” She whimpered, her face scrunching worried sadness.

 

, “Stuff like that happens.” InuYasha said quietly, his face neutral, “Don't let it bother you.”

 

“But…” Kagome blinked at him in confusion, “we could have been hurt. I failed to do my part.”

 

InuYasha stepped forward, putting his hand on her shoulder, “We weren't hurt, you're still getting used to things. We should have known better then to count on you in battle right now.”

 

“But…”

 

InuYasha scowled, “You're bleeding on your shirt.”

 

Kagome's shirt was cut along the front of the shoulder and along the side of her breast, under which was another long thin bleeding wound.

 

“Kagome, we need you to get the shard now.” Sango broke in on the unusual scene when the youkai began to reassemble itself.

 

Kagome nodded and retrieved the shard quickly before trotting away toward the village.

 

“This is so weird.” Shippo stated quietly from Miroku's shoulder as they watched her.

 

“Not so weird.” Hitomi frowned thoughtfully as she walked up next to Sango.

 

“You don't know InuYasha.” Shippo leaned slightly so that he could see the blind kit, “He should have yelled at her and… not touched her.”

 

“Why wouldn't he touch her?” Hitomi asked.

 

“InuYasha is not one to initiate physical contact, usually.” Miroku stated, “However, he is one to yell in these situations. His understanding is … strange.”

 

InuYasha gave them an annoyed look as he grabbed Kagome's bag and turned back to her, “Hey, aren't ya forgetting something?” he said as he walked toward her.

 

Kagome turned to give him a blank look, “Oh.” She smiled, “My bag, thanks InuYasha.” She held out her arm to retrieve it as he came to a halt near her.

 

InuYasha frowned, “You're wounded, you need to be taken care of.”

 

Kagome frowned in return, “I don't need you taking care of me.”

 

“You're bleeding!” InuYasha raised his voice.

 

“Not anymore!” Kagome yelled, “It's nothing that can't wait.”

“You're not going back to the village like that!” InuYasha yelled back.

 

“I can do anything I want to do!” Kagome shouted, showing her teeth.

 

Miroku decided to risk interceding, “Your shirt is ripped Kagome.” He paused when the vixen looked at him, but continued when her mouth closed with an audible click, “We crossed a stream on the way here, perhaps you could take the opportunity to wash off the blood and change.”

 

Kagome nodded, somewhat petulantly and the group continued back toward the village, stopping once they reached the stream. Kagome and Sango headed off the path and followed the water around a bush.

 

Kagome quickly removed her shirt and growled softly as she cleaned her cuts, which were only pink lines now.

 

“Eh, Kagome.” Sango looked up from Kagome's bag, “Where are your other clothes?”

 

“There aren't any,” Kagome groused, “I'll just glamour the cut out of this one for now.”

 

“But I thought…”

 

“I packed spares but they fall to pieces.” Kagome explained as she carefully pulled her shirt back on, “I know it's my claws, but my clothes don't fit right, they fall apart… I know it's silly but, it feels like I'm being rejected.”

 

“Kagome,” Sango started empathetically.

 

“Don't-” Kagome snapped before taking a deep breath, “It's silly. Don't worry about it. I just need to put more work in on making them fit. I never realized what a pain a tail can be.” She finished lightly.

 

The chore didn't take them long and Kagome easily put up an illusion of clean new clothes before they joined the others. They were silent as they made the trip back to the village, Kagome didn't bother trying to look human this time. Miroku retrieved the reward from the headman and offered them some lunch before they headed out again.

 

“We are officially farther than we were before we had to return to Keades.” Miroku stated as they leaned over a rough map of the area surrounding the village, “Sorrell did not come to this village, but one of the children saw a youkai that could have been Sorrell heading north toward the road that skirts the mountain.”

 

“That road heads west through a low pass farther up.” Sango added.

 

“Isn't that where we think Naraku's hiding out?” Shippo spoke up.

 

“It's the only part of the mountains we haven't searched yet.” InuYasha said quietly, “but he's slippery, he just keeps moving so… who knows.”

 

“Sorrell was after Naraku, right?” Kagome asked brightly, “So it makes sense that she would head straight for him.”

 

“So the question is,” Miroku took the conversation back, “Did Sorrell keep to the road and head west through and around the mountains, or did she leave the road continuing north and east into them.”

 

“And did Kohaku continue to follow her all that way?” Shippo added.

 

Sango frowned, “I don't think there are any villages between here and the other side of the pass along that road.” She looked at Miroku for conformation and he nodded.

 

“There is a village a few days travel once you traverse the mountains, but it is a few days still before we would even reach the pass. And there is no guarantee that either Kohaku or Sorrell would have encountered any of the villagers if they did go that way.” Miroku sighed. The thinning of the population that occurred as you approached these mountains had always hindered their search for Naraku in just this way.

 

The truth was Sorrell could have turned away at any time in any direction after being seen, and Kohaku had not been seen this time at all. The child, however, had wisely not stood around waiting to be noticed after seeing the youkai woman. Still the search for Kohaku was all but futile and, if it was not also wrapped up in the search for Naraku and the jewel shards, it would likely be wiser for Sango to come to terms with the fact that she might never see her brother again, even if he was still alive and free. But as they were looking, they might as well look for him. Miroku just wondered how long Sango could hold on to this hope before it broke her.

 

*

 

The day's journey had been dull and camp made too soon after they had started for InuYasha's tastes. Kagome had begun to understand InuYasha's reluctance to stop once they were moving, she was just getting her second wind as the sun set and the humans were cooling down. Dinner was made and cleaned up after and Sango and Miroku lounging drowsily by the fire. But Kagome sat on her sleeping bag wide awake and looking for trouble.

 

InuYasha knew it too. She was sitting on her heels, her hands flat on the fabric between her knees, ears forward sharply, head tilted, and she was looking at him contemplatively.

 

Kagome jumped up, startling everyone, and trotted up to resume her previous positing next to InuYasha, “Can I borrow your jacket?” she asked easily.

 

“No.” answered as he leaned away from her slightly, on guard in case she attacked. You can't trust a vixen's motives, and you certainly can't predict their actions.

 

“You let me borrow it the other night.” She leaned forward slightly and spoke softly, as if trying to keep their conversation from the others.

 

InuYasha leaned back a bit more, “You were wet.” He replied cautiously.

 

“I could be wet tonight.” She grinned and leaned farther in, her eyes half closed, “I like to sleep in your clothes InuYasha, I like the feeling of something rough against my skin as I sleep.” She ran one hand along the hem of his jacket at his chest, “Your wonderful scent surrounding, protecting me. I want it InuYasha, why won't you give it to me.”

 

He opened and closed his mouth a couple times before settling on, “You're not strong enough to take it.” A lame echo from that first night but his experience didn't give him a retort for this situation.

 

She frowned and backed up a bit, her hand still clutching the firerat between them, “Strength isn't everything InuYasha.” With that she lunged forward, knocking him over with her body, then ran on hands and toes over his body, stopping to crouch a few feet away.

 

It took him a second to realize she had his jacket now. How she had managed that he wasn't sure, must have been a kitsune trick of some sort. What surprised him was she hadn't kept running, or returned triumphant to her sleeping bag. Instead, as he rolled over to look at her, she stood on her toes and the tips of her fingers, holding his firerat jacket high in the other hand, grinning at him.

 

“How's my strength now InuYasha?” she moved into a proper crouch waiting for him to make his move.

 

InuYasha grinned back, if she wanted a chase she could have just asked for one. He didn't bother to stand before pouncing for her. As he expected, she wasn't there when he landed. He followed her in a flash, into the quickly darkening woods.

 

“NO!” Shippo jumped up and shouted, “InuYasha stop, Kagome come back.” There was no hope of him catching up to them.

 

“It's alright Shippo.” Hitomi reassured him, “Destiny says Kagome always listens.”

 

“Maybe,” Shippo pouted, “but I bet Destiny doesn't listen to me.”

 

*

 

Kagome laughed as she ran and dodged through the gathering night now wearing InuYasha's jacket. It was exhilarating, being chased like prey, but knowing that the hunter wouldn't hurt her when he caught her. Of course InuYasha would catch her, the game had to end eventually and he was the more experienced, and faster, of them.

 

Still she ran as though she wanted to lose him, and it was over an hour of tricky moves at the speed of sight before she heard him jump, she tried to stop, duck and change directions but this time he had anticipated her move and she was snatched off the ground by a hand around her waist.

 

InuYasha had caught her and pulled her with him through the air until they landed, on his back, and tumbled, losing speed until he could stop them. He growled down at Kagome and she responded with her own vulpine trill of a growl. That cute little thing just made him want to bite…

 

He didn't stop growling even when he leaned down to kiss her. She wrapped her hands, enclosed in his Firerat sleeves, around his shoulders and nipped at his lips while she pulled him closer, pushing her body into his, trilling deep in her throat. His growl vibrating through her, thrilling her.

 

He groaned as the kiss changed, deep and passionate, that wonderful trill/growl calling him on. InuYasha moved one hand to rest at her waist, where her uniform shirt pulled away from her skirt.

 

When his hand touched her skin, Kagome's eyes shot open and she suddenly pushed him away, shouting “NO!” She skittered to one side before jumping up and pacing back and forth in front of him, chanting “no no no no” one arm wrapped around her stomach, the other hand pressed to her mouth, still hidden in the billowing sleeve.

 

“Wha-“ InuYasha blinked at her trying to understand what had just happened.

 

“We can't do this InuYasha,” Kagome said without looking at him.

 

“Why not?” He sat up, still disoriented from the sudden shift.

 

“I'm not playing that game.” She continued, clearly not hearing him, “I'm not letting you choose me now, you always go easy on the weakest, you always choose the one that needs your protection more. I'm not letting you hold me now and go back to Kikyou after you think I've become strong again.” Her eyes were wide and tears were gathering quickly.

 

“I'm not changing my mind Kagome,” InuYasha scowled, “I always-“

“No! No no no NO!” Kagome stopped and lifted her hands to her head where her ears used to be, “You can't mean that! If you mean that, that means you love me and you can't love me! You love Kikyo!”

 

“Kag-“

 

“You have to love Kikyo!” Kagome insisted tears falling heavily from her tightly closed eyes, “You have to love her more than you love me. That's the way it's supposed to be, that's the way it makes sense! You can't love me because it wouldn't hurt so bad if you did, you're not a monster InuYasha. You wouldn't hurt me like this unless you were a monster, and I won't let you be a monster. This didn't happen. We're friends, just-“

 

“Shut up! Stop crying and listen to me!” InuYasha stood up.

 

“NO! no no NO!” Kagome turned and ran.

 

InuYasha cursed and started after her when he realized that she wasn't running toward camp, but she had tossed energy behind her, instinctively calling vines from the ground. They wrapped themselves around his arms and legs, and when he tried to pull free calling Kagome's name, he was shocked by the powerful miko energy that had summoned them, and blacked out.

 

*

 

AN: I know it's been a while, but I don't want to take the space here to discuss anything, but I am sorry it's taken this long. Please enjoy and review. Thanks.