InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ This Wasn't In The Job Description ❯ Kagome the Portal Detector ( Chapter 17 )

Chapter 17

 

Kagome the Portal Detector

 

Kagome lay on the basement floor of the pachinko parlor, where it was a little easier to breathe without choking. There was no trace of that strange wolf youkai, Kouga. The only way you could have told he had been there was the booby trap he had set off.

 

“Kagome!” Sango rasped as hard as she could. “I'm coming to get you. Just keep calling out to me the best you can, so I can find you.”

 

“Okay,” said Kagome, her voice slightly muffled by her hand.

 

Kagome kept a low call going, until she felt Sango's hand on her ankle. In order to reach Kagome, Miroku and Sango had created a human chain across the floor. Sango held one end of her weapon, while the other was grasped by Miroku, who also held onto InuYasha's prostrate form so they would not lose each other in the dark.

 

Slowly, Sango and Kagome scuttled backwards, pulled by Miroku until they were grouped together on the floor.

 

“What's the matter with InuYasha?” said Kagome. “Will he be okay?”

 

“That booby trap was set especially to knock someone like him out,” said Miroku. “It's the stench that overpowered his sensitive nose.”

 

“So how are we going to get out of here?” said Kagome.

 

It was pitch black. The miasma blanketed everything in darkness. They could not even tell where the door was. And they were going to have to carry InuYasha out of there.

 

Miroku thought for a moment. Then he had an idea, albeit it was based on a hunch.

 

“Everyone, stay on the floor behind me,” Miroku said.

 

“What do you have in mind?” said Sango uneasily as she took Kagome's hand.

 

“Watch,” he replied.

 

Carefully and quickly, Miroku removed the chain from his hand, and then the gauze. Extending his hand out in front of him, palm first, he said a short prayer to Buddha that this would work. A whooshing sound could be heard, and the miasma came swirling into the black hole in the center of his palm. The women both gasped as the air cleared, and some dim light entered the room. Before the furniture in the room could be sucked in, Miroku covered his hand.

 

“Thought this thing could be useful,” said Miroku with satisfaction.

 

“We need to get him out of here,” said Kagome, bending down towards InuYasha in concern.

 

The hanyou was on his stomach, his head turned to the side, and his long hair covering his face. Gently, Kagome moved the hair away, a twinge of pain and worry going through her to see him this way.

 

It took the three of them to get InuYasha up. Once up, Sango took one side while Miroku the other. Kagome was left to carry her and InuYasha's helmets, as well as her bow and quiver of arrows which she amazingly had found at his side. They must have come off as she fell and rolled away from the group.

 

`I rolled away…and right into someone else,' thought Kagome. `I wonder how he got here, and just why he was here?'

 

As if reading her thoughts, Sango said, “Were you talking to that wolf youkai in there?”

 

“Oh, my fucking nose is on fire,” InuYasha suddenly moaned. “Did I just hear you say that Kagome was talking to that fucking wolf youkai idiot who set off the booby trap?”

 

The hanyou pulled out of Miroku and Sango's grasp, and lurched towards Kagome.

 

“He…he needed help,” Kagome stammered uncertainly, and stepped back in alarm as it looked like InuYasha was going to crash into her.

 

“Kagome, how many times do I have to tell you that youkai are dangerous?” InuYasha growled in consternation, and grabbed her shoulders to look in her eyes and make his point.

 

But InuYasha was still unsteady on his feet, and he started to wobble dangerously. That led him to lean on Kagome unintentionally, and she couldn't handle his weight. Miroku and Sango frantically ran to either side of him and grabbed him before he took Kagome for another spill.

 

“Hear her out, InuYasha,” said Miroku. “She came to no harm.”

 

“Alright,” said InuYasha grudgingly, “but I got to get out of this shit-hole first. And then your story better be fucking good, Kagome.”

 

Kagome flinched and blinked at his angry tone, as Miroku and Sango pulled him away. There was a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, and she hoped her act of kindness had not got her in deep shit with her boss.

 

They got outside and gratefully breathed in the comparatively fresh air of the street. InuYasha plopped down heavily at the top of the stairwell, and pulled Kagome to sit down next to him.

 

“Okay, out with it,” he said. “I want to know everything that happened.”

 

Kagome took a deep breath and launched into her story about Kouga and the portal. InuYasha, Sango, and Miroku looked startled when she described how she had seen it, and yet the wolf youkai hadn't, and how she helped him to his feet and got him to the portal. Then he had disappeared.

 

Miroku and Sango glanced at each other in amazement, and InuYasha looked intense and brooding. A silence hung over them for a few minutes as they digested what had happened. Kagome began to feel uncomfortable, and slunk down where she was sitting, her hands in her lap.

 

“Do you mean to tell me you saw a portal to the demon realm?” said InuYasha slowly.

 

“Yes…is there something strange about this?” said Kagome, perplexed.

 

“Portals to the demon realm are very hard to find,” said Miroku, “and humans never see them…except you did.”

 

“But then how did demons like Sesshomaru and Kouga get through them to the human realm?” said Kagome.

 

“Powerful youkai like Sesshomaru can sometimes sense them, if not see them,” said InuYasha, “and they can use their youki to force it to stay open long enough to cross over.”

 

“But…how did you cross over, InuYasha?” said Kagome hesitantly, biting her lip and wondering if maybe she had gone too far.

 

InuYasha heaved a sigh, and put his hand to his aching head.

 

“That's a long story,” said InuYasha. “Maybe I'll tell you some day, but now it's time to go.”

 

Standing up, InuYasha weaved a moment. Quickly, Kagome stood up and put a steadying hand on his arm.

 

“Are you sure you're okay to ride your bike?” said Miroku, “I can drive you and Kagome back in my car.”

 

“Nah, no way I'm leaving my bike here,” said InuYasha. “We'll get home alright. But there is just one thing…”

InuYasha turned to face Kagome again, a snarl on his lips.

 

“If I ever see that wimpy wolf again, I'm going to beat the living shit out of him!” he growled. “And don't even think of stopping me!” he spat at the alarmed look on Kagome's face.

 

Somehow, Kagome didn't believe that what he was saying was in response to the booby trap - not by the way he was looking at her. It made her feel that maybe she should have left out what Kouga had said before leaving. InuYasha was bristling with an unmistakable air of jealousy.

 

Shaking her head, she helped him over to the bike and they got ready to go.