InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shikon no Kakera Hunters ❯ Unmei ( Chapter 4 )

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

Shikon no Kakera Hunters

Chapter 4: Unmei

Sango and Miroku came up behind InuYasha, noticing the wound on Kagome's abdomen. "I can't believed we missed that," Sango exclaimed looking over at Miroku, who she was still supporting.

"There was so much blood, " sighed Miroku. InuYasha quickly grabbed some bandages and applied pressure to the wound, hoping to stop the bleeding. Everyone stood silent while watching the normally coarse hanyou tenderly nurse the unconscious miko. After a few minutes the bleeding slowed but did not stop completely.

"We need to get her to Keade's village as soon as possible." Sango calmly spoke, breaking the silence. InuYasha looked back at her. It seemed he finally realized they were there.

"It's a three day hike from here. I could make it in two, if I run with her, but I don't want to make her injuries worse," InuYasha answered. "Could we borrow Kirara?"

"Of course," replied Sango, looking down at the small neko curled around her leg.

"Tomie can get you there faster?" Everyone turned and looked at Nozomi. "It would take Kirara at least a day. Tomie can get there in about 8 hours." InuYasha looked at the raven perched on Nozomi's shoulder.

"Is she alright?" asked InuYahsa, pointing to the cut on her talon.

"Yes," replied Nozomi. "It's just a flesh wound. It will not slow her down."

"Alright," said InuYasha, as he carefully lifted Kagome from the blood soaked ground. Tomie transformed and InuYasha slowly climbed on, doing his best not to agitate Kagome's body too much. "Miroku, can you finish the villages burial rites?" asked InuYasha.

"Yes."

"We will probably camp here tonight and start out for Keade's in the morning," added Sango. InuYasha just nodded.

"Tomie, stay with InuYasha in case he needs you," said Nozomi. "And be careful." Tomie nodded and took to the sky.

During the long flight InuYasha refused to sleep; he just held Kagome, willing her to wake, and eased him with her smile. Kami. He loved that smile, how it would accentuate her flawless features and make his heart beat harder. Many times he would find himself defenseless against that smile and allow her to have her way. She easily accepted everyone, her sparkling disposition made making friends effortless. I think the person she truly hates is Naraku, and only because he has caused so much pain for those she cares for. He didn't think she even hated Kikyo, even though she has tried to kill her on more then one occasion. InuYasha looked down at the girl in his lap and again he felt a pang in his heart. She was so pale. He lowered his head and whispered "Onegai shimasu, don't leave me." He tried to breathe in her scent. He froze. Her scent was getting weaker. "Kami, she's dying! Tomie, we're losing her!" he shouted. Tomie nodded, and InuYasha leaned forward, holding Kagome closer to him. The raven youkai sped up, attempting to close the distance to Keade's. As they approached the village Tomie skillfully landed softly in front of Keade's hut. Hearing the commotion outside, Keade rushed from the hut.

"InuYasha, ye be alright?" asked Keade.

"It's not me," he answered finally loosening his hold on Kagome. "It's Kagome. She's been attacked. There is a bad wound across her stomach!" he said, jumping down from Tomie.

"Take her inside quickly," the old priestess directed. Once inside he laid Kagome down on a fur mat. "What happened to her?"

"She was attacked by Kagura," he said staring at Kagome. "I wasn't there to protect her." His voiced dropped to almost a whisper.

"I'm sure ye did everything ye could," Keade responded, kneeling beside Kagome. InuYasha could not tear his eyes away from Kagome, noticing something he never saw before. An aura of blue surrounded her. "This must be her miko aura, " he thought to himself. Dark shades of blue mingled with lighter shades. He watched as the dark swirls fought with the light swirls for dominance. "There is something else wrong besides her physical wounds," he thought. InuYasha felt his youki stir. It reached out towards Kagome's aura. The swirls became more intense and erratic, but as their auras touched it started to ebb. His youki had calmed her miko, but how can this be? His youki should have been attacked by her miko in an attempt to purify it. Even with this question lingering in his mind he knew he had to press further, her aura guiding him to a place that can only be described as nowhere. He stood, but there was no ground, and he felt as id he were enclosed in a room without walls. The only presence in the vast emptiness was a girl. She sat with her knees drawn to her chest and her head resting atop them. Her long ebony hair flowed down her legs like a funeral shroud.

"K-Kagome?" asked InuYasha. She did not look up.

"It is all my fault," she answered.

"What's all your fault?"

"All of this! I broke the Shikon no Tama, I caused all this suffering!" She raised her head, and her deep brown eyes met his. Her sudden outburst had shocked the hanyou, but not as much as her eyes. The lively glimmer that resided there was no more; it was replaced with dark melancholy. His heart ached at the sight; he needed that light back in her eyes.

"You can't blame yourself. You have been doing your best to retrieve the Shikon no Kakera," he said softly, attempting to soothe her.

"What do you mean, I can't blame myself? I brought the jewel back to the Sengoku Jidai! I shot the arrow that shattered it, sending it everywhere! Because of my actions Naraku became powerful enough to cause so many to suffer!!" As Kagome's anger flared the room became darker. InuYasha noticed the change right away; he knew he had to calm her down. "So who else am I suppose to blame!" she spat out venomously rising to her feet.

"You want someone to blame, then blame me!" he yelled back. Kagome stared at him; he noticed a slight change in the room. "Blame Kikyo, blame Naraku, hell, blame the priestess who created the jewel! F**k, blame the Shikon no Tama!" InuYasha continued. "This is destiny! You can't fight it and I can't fight it! So, maybe no one is to blame, I don't know!" He cast his eyes down. Kagome moved closer to him, not letting her eyes leave him for a second. "All I do know is I need you to fight. I need you to be strong, and most of all, I need you." He lifted his head and met Kagome's eyes. "Please Kagome, come back to me." She ran her hand through his long sliver hair; he closed his eyes, trying to memorize the feeling of her touch.

"Are you a dream?" she asked.

"No, it's me, wench" he said with a smirk.

"How did you get here?"

"I don't even know where here is, I just felt that you needed me, and so I came." Kagome smiled at him. He surprised himself by running his claw softly down the side of her face. "I should get back and help old Keade. I'll see you when you wake, ok?" She just nodded in response. He took a step back, but as he did Kagome threw herself into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her small frame, and held her like someone was trying to take her away. The room instantly changed from drab to luminous. InuYasha never wanted to leave. He wanted to stay there with her forever, locked in this moment.

"Thank You, InuYasha" Kagome whispered. He pulled back and looked into her eyes. The light was back.

"Anytime. But if you ever run off like that again, you better hope a demon finds you before I do," he said with a smirk, and disappeared.

InuYasha returned to himself and found a very astonished Keade. "What's wrong with you? " he asked.

"How did ye do that?"

"Do what?"

"Enter her aura. Her miko energy should have purified your youki, destroying it. But it seem to welcome you. How?"

"You could see that?"

"Of course. I maybe old, InuYasha but I'm still a miko. Seeing and reading auras are easy. Yet what just happened is impossible, unless…" she trailed off.

"Unless what!" InuYasha questioned, losing his patience.

"I'll have to think more on this at another time. Right now we need to focus on Kagome. I have stitched the wound on her abdomen. Yet she has lost a lot of blood and needs more, in order to heal."

"Great! Miroku and Sango are still out and will not be back till tomorrow." He said shaking his head.

"Ye will have to give it to her."

"What!"

"She would only need a small amount of your blood, because you are part demon." Keade said, setting Kagome's arm out.

"What if her body rejects my demon blood? Wouldn't that kill her?" he said, looking concerned.

"I am beginning to believe she is more powerful then either of us imagined. She was strong enough to prevent her miko power to harm your youki, which is almost impossible. Even in her state she would not allow herself to harm you. "

"To bad she didn't feel the same when she osuwari's me" Keade just smiled at him. She knew he loved her. He loved Kagome even more then he loved her sister. InuYasha and Kagome had something that InuYasha and Kikyo didn't: Trust. They trusted each other completely and that is truly something.

"Very cute, InuYasha. Just give me your arm." Keade made a small X shaped incision in his arm, opening the vein. She did the same to Kagome, attaching a small tube made from woven reeds. She then attached the other end of the tube to InuYasha and told him to pump his hand to increase the blood flow. After about 5 minutes Keade detached the hose and bandaged their arms. "Now we just wait. Why don't you go into the other room and rest. It is getting late."

"No, I will stay here," InuYasha responded. He sat against the wall beside Kagome and closed his eyes. Keade just shook her head, knowing that it was no use arguing with him. She looked over Kagome one more time and then left the room. When he was sure she was gone, he leaned over and placed a soft kiss on Kagome's forehead. Her scent washed over him like a wave. It was intoxicating. He sat back up determined to watch over her till morning.

Sango, Miroku, Nozomi, Shippo and Kirara set off before sunset, anxious to check on their friend. The group seemed to be making good time; in fact Sango believed they would be in the village by dusk. Time passed without much conversation. They each seemed lost in their own thoughts. Nozomi was the first to feel the youkai's presence. She started to slow down; Kirara did the same, also detecting danger. A tall, elegant figured floated on a trail of red mist. His long silver hair flowed with the wind. Nozomi stopped fifteen feet from the youkai; she could not help but notice his cold beauty. When he spoke his voice was commanding, yet calm, "You are out of your territory." Sango started to answer him when she realized the situation did not look good. It never occurred to her that Sesshoumaru might not take kindly to another youkai ruler on his lands. Nozomi stopped Sango with a raise of her hand; she knew this called for diplomacy. Because if things got out of hand then another great war would began and the country had already seen enough blood shed by the humans.

"You must be Lord Sesshoumaru-sama, ruler of the western lands." Said Nozomi, bowing slightly.

"Hai, and you must be Lady Nozomi-sama, ruler of the eastern lands. I heard rumors that you were traveling with my useless half brother. Why would you dare wander so far from your borders?," Sesshoumaru asked.

"I am not here to invade your land, I am searching for the hanyou Naraku. He is disturbing the youki in my lands and I hear rumor that he plans to spread his influence into the east. As the ruler of these lands I can not allow it."

"I know of him, he can influence lesser youkai, but is no danger to me," he said flatly.

"It has been my experience that any powerful youkai is a danger. Even though he is a hanyou, he is very powerful. As I understand you have had experience with powerful hanyous," Nozomi said never allowing her eyes to leave his. Sesshoumaru knew she was making a reference to his younger brother. He hated the fact that his father had sired a child with a ningen. Yet even more than that he hated the fact that his father had left Tessiaga to the worthless hanyou. The fabled sword was rightfully his, InuYasha will never be deserving of it. Thinking of this always made him angry. He was ready to fight. He could feel the poison racing to the tips of his claws.

AN: Well here is chapter 4, I hope you like it. I know that InuYasha is a little OOC, but I just could not help myself. I have already started chapter 5 but again I am suffering from "Attack of the Writer's Block". Well, let me know what you think and how you think the battle between Sess & Nozomi should end. My husband says this is to fluffy, so let me know. Thank you to all my reviewers.

RavenShadow