InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shikon no Kakera Hunters ❯ Kagome's Guilt ( Chapter 3 )

AN: Thank you for all the reviews, but for some reason they did not all post on the site. I did however receive the emails with the responses, so thanks again! I hope you enjoy this new chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or any of the characters from the anime series or manga.

The Shikon no Kakera Hunters

Chapter 3: Kagome's Guilt

Kagome ran from the village, trying to escape the horrifying realization, "This is my fault, if I hadn't shot the arrow that shattered the Shikon no Tama, none of this would have happened. How could something so small cause so much pain?" She found herself thinking about how she came by this dreadful new knowledge.

Kagome had wandered in the hut in the center of town looking for answers to the devastation they had happened upon. She couldn't help but notice the small altar set up in the room. It was simply a small table adorned with candles, flowers and incense. Whatever the object of adoration had been it was missing; only an empty case remained. She touched the small case and felt the remnant energy of Shikon no Kakera. "So that's why they were attacked! But there hadn't been any rumors of one being here," she said to herself. "They must have been protecting it". She noticed shredded spell scrolls on the ground and bent down to get a closer look at them. "They must have kept it hidden with these," she said, letting the paper fall from her hands. She noticed something lying behind the altar. In a small, child sized space between the altar and the wall lay a small cloth doll. Dried blood had stained the stitch face, leaving a haggard bloody smile. Everything hit her at once. "Even the children fought to protect the shard," she thought. Kagome stared at the bloodied doll in her hands suddenly realizing the fate of its owner. "Why?" escaped her shocked lips as the doll slipped from her hand. She heard Nozomi enter the hut. "There was a jewel shard here. The village must have been protecting it," Kagome said, looking down at the floor. "So many lives lost for just one small shard. I hate all of this," she said with a strained voice, and ran out of the hut.

Kagome's mind returned from the memory. She clutched the pouch with her Shikon no Kakera. "All those people dead because of something I did," she wept. A familiar feeling crashed over her like a tidal wave, "Shikon no Kakera", she thought to herself. Looking around her she found that she was in the forest and not the village. In her erratic state she had left the village without realizing it. Then it hit her: She was alone. "Baka! I left my bow and arrows!" she cursed. Then bearer of the Shikon no Kakera made herself known.

"Oh, poor little miko," mocked a familiar voice. Kagome quickly turned around.

"Kagura! I knew Naraku had something to do with this!" Yelled Kagome as she glared at the youkai before her.

"I see you are without your precious hanyou. Don't tell me they left you here for me," Kagura grinned. The wind suddenly began to pick up around them causing Kagome's long black hair to fly wildly about her head. Kagura continued to grin madly. "You should know better than to go off on your own, little ningen." Kagura make a sweeping motion with her fans, causing Kagome to be thrown back into a tree. She collided hard with the trunk; she had to fight to stay conscious. Kagome used the tree to pull herself up, the pain in her eyes masked by her hair. She finally managed to stand, and raised her head defiantly. Her eyes were on fire with rage.

"You and Naraku are going to pay for the lives you've taken!" she screamed.

"I'm not the one who shattered the Shikon on Tama, you are! You're responsible for all that has transpired," Kagura responded victoriously. She had overheard Kagome talking to herself, before she sensed her. Kagome's resolved faltered; her rage was replaced with misery. "Even Kagura knew it was all my fault," thought Kagome. Kagura noticed the change in Kagome's demeanor and took advantage of it, sending a wave of wind blades towards her. Kagome's legs buckled and she fell to the ground as the blades skimmed past her chest, missing it by mere inches. Yet, she did not escape uninjured, some of the blades grazing her arms and legs, the most effective of which sliced across her abdomen. She wished InuYasha was there to save her and protect her, but he probably didn't know she was even out here. She tried to stand one last time; she had to survive to see him again. The open wounds screamed with pain. Again, she fell to the ground. Kagome could feel herself slipping away. "I'm sorry InuYasha…I love you…" went through her mind as darkness consumed her. Before everything went black, she heard the cry of a bird, high and shrill, sounding very much like a cry for help.

Tomie was flying on the outskirts of the village when she noticed a strange shift in the wind. "That's unusual. The wind is shifting upon itself," she thought. She decided to check out this oddity. Tomie followed the strange wind to the source, and saw a girl in green and white, bloody from the abuse of the youkai with the fans. Tomie transformed and called Nozomi, with a high-pitched cry. She flew onto the scene and grabbed the injured girl in her talons. Kagura screamed in fury when she realized Kagome had been stolen from her. She quickly pulled a feather from her hair and started to pursue the raven youkai.

Sango and Shippo ran into the center of town. Nozomi was looking at the sky. "The wind feels strange," Nozomi said. She glanced at Sango and Shippo. "Did you find her?"

"No, but I found Kirara and asked her to get Hoshi-sama and InuYasha" Sango answered. "Did you say something about the wind?"

"Hai. Its movements are odd, as though it's not sure in which direction to go. You probably can't feel it, because the wind is kind of weak here. But it shifts one direction and then back onto itself, like it's waiting for orders."

"Kagura"

"Nanimono"

"Kagura is one of Naraku's offspring. She is a wind user youkai." InuYasha, Miroku and Kirara came upon them.

"Where is Kagome?" Yelled InuYasha.

"We don't know. Can you track her scent?" asked Nozomi. Before he could answer, Nozomi heard Tomie's call. She instantly unfurled her glossy black wings, "Kagome been hurt!" With that she took to the sky, following Tomie's call. InuYasha ran after Nozomi; Kirara transformed Sango, Miroku and Shippo climbed on and joined the pursuit.

"Kagome, I'm coming! Please hang on," InuYasha pleaded inwardly. "I could never forgive myself if something happened to you. Why would you run off like that?" He noticed Nozomi landing, and he rushed in that direction. He came upon a clearing. A large raven-youkai held a bloody form in its talons. InuYasha froze when he realized the bloody form was Kagome. "No!" he yelled in his head as he drew Tessiaga from its sheath. He ran towards the strange youkai, determined to bring it down for hurting his Kagome. Nozomi jumped in-between them,

"No, InuYasha she's with me!" Nozomi said, holding her arms up to stop him. InuYasha returned Tessiaga to its sheath and moved towards Kagome's bloody body. Tomie released her from her hold; InuYasha picked her up and held her to him for a moment. His heart was in his throat as he looked down at the girl in his arms. She was covered in blood and he knew the image would never leave his mind. "Please don't be dead", he whispered. "I need you". He was afraid to check her heartbeat, fearing silence. He gently laid his head on her chest. A faint series of beats sang to his ears. "Oh, Kami you're still alive" he thought. InuYasha carefully put her down on the soft grass. "Kagome hold on," he said gently. Kirara landed next to the couple. Sango jumped off and ran to Kagome.

"Sango, take care of her… please," InuYasha said with unusual sentiment.

"Hai" Sango nodded. Miroku ran over to Sango with the first aid kit. Sango looked over Kagome's body, and then glanced nervously at Miroku. His eyes softened as he touched her hand reassuringly and opened the kit.

"It's alright Lady Sango. Lets get to work," he said, trying to comfort the young taiji-ya. She managed a small smile as she returned to evaluate Kagome's condition.

InuYasha walked over to Tomie, looking for answers. "Who did this to her?" he asked. A slight tint of red crept into his eyes as his youkai blood boiled with anger. "Who would dare touch Kagome?"

"Tomie said a youkai with fans was attacking Kagome when she found her" Nozomi responded.

"Kagura!" yelled InuYasha, looking past Nozomi to the youkai on the feather behind her.

"InuYasha, did I break your little shard detector?" She grinned down at the enraged hanyou. He winced inward at the name "shard detector," one of those phrases that always came back to haunt him.

"Kagura, you bitch! I'm your opponent!" InuYasha yelled, drawing Tessiaga. Even though he knew without Kagome to purify the youki, he could not use the Kaze no Kizu.

Kagura just laughed his rage. "Not today half breed!" She smiled as Naraku's youkai rose behind her. Motley serpentine youkai filled the sky eager for bloodshed. "Kill them all!" Kagura said with a cool, calm tone. The youkai descended upon the group.

Sango looked up in time to see the youkai advancing towards the clearing. "Hoshi-sama!" she yelled, standing. Miroku looked up from the arm he was bandaging and followed Sango's gaze.

"Shippo!" he yelled as he jumped to his feet. "Protect Kagome!"

"Right!" the young kitsune answered, as he surrounded Kagome and himself in foxfire.

The three warriors and hoshi ran to meet the challenge. Nozomi pulled her obi and removed her long black traveling kimono, revealing her scaly battle armor, and met the enemy in the sky along with Tomie. Nozomi's soft hands converted into long sharp claws. She easily ripped through six youkai like paper, reducing them to dust. Tomie bit down on an unsightly yellow youkai as it attempted to attack Nozomi from behind. Kirara and Sango also ascended into the sky to take care of their share of youkai. Sango pulled out her Hiraikotsu a large boomerang made of demon bone. Hiraikotsu cut through a long row of youkai, upon its return five more youkai met their end. Kirara skillfully moved through the rows of youkai. She could interpret her mistress's demands and act upon them without hesitation. The tiaiji-ya and neko-youkai worked in perfect balance with each other. Miroku stood beside InuYasha, turning youkai into dust with his paper spells and hoshi staff. InuYasha looked for Kagura, even though he knew the youkai were a diversion for her escape. "Damn her and Naraku!" he growled. He lifted Tessiaga and swung the sword towards the ground, causing three waves of energy to erupt from its tip, reducing forty youkai into dust with his Kaze no Kiza. The lesser youkai were no match for the warriors, yet no matter how many they slaughtered more arrived in waves. Miroku knew they could not keep this pace up forever. Kagome still needed help.

"Get behind me!" Miroku yelled as he readied his right hand. When he noticed his friends were clear of danger, he pulled at the prayer beads wrapped around his hand. Once loosed the Kazaana was unleashed. The wind held incredible power as it sucked the youkai from the sky, each getting pulled into the void in Miroku's cursed hand. The sky soon began to clear; Miroku quickly sealed the wind tunnel by replacing the prayer beads. He held his wrist as a dull ache radiated from his palm. The Kazaana would be useless for at least a day due to the hundreds of youkai he had just absorbed. Sango ran to his aid. She could tell he was clearly exhausted from his efforts.

"Houshi-sama are you alright?" asked Sango.

"Yes, I'm just a little tired" Miroku responded as he leaned onto her. Nozomi glanced at them as she checked Tomie over. She had received a small wound on her left talon, but otherwise she was unharmed. Tomie had returned to her normal size and had perched herself on Nozomi's shoulder. InuYasha took the opportunity to check on Kagome. Shippo looked saddened and worried as InuYasha approached him and Kagome. "Is she going to be alright?" Shippo cried. InuYasha looked at the little youkai. He knew that Shippo thought of Kagome like a mother. He felt bad for the kitsune, having to see her like this.

"She's going to be fine," he said, only half believing it. InuYasha looked down, noticing a red stain growing on Kagome's shirt. He quickly lifted it to reveal the wound across her abdomen, bleeding.

AN: Sorry for the cliffy, but I rewrote this chapter about 5 times. I hope you like it and please review it. Oh, and I have to thank my unofficial editor for the help (especially with my grammar, because I am the comma splice queen!) I will have the next chapter out soon (I hope). Thanks again to everyone who has read and reviewed my work so far, I really do appreciate it.

RavenShadow