InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ To Nowhere ❯ The Dead ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: Inu-Yasha created by Rumiko Takahashi. And no, I don't legally own him.

A/N: Thanks again for more reviews! I meant to do this on the last chapter, but I was in such a hurry to get it posted that I forgot... so here are responses to all the reviewers... yay! Anyway...

Writer of Honor: Thanks! I'm glad you like the story. I'm sorry the updates are taking so long. Along with midterms and spring break, my computer decided to crash. Long story short, I've had a REALLY hard time getting this chapter posted. I hope you're still interested. And no, I won't have them leave each other… I don't think. Not as I have it outlined so far anyway… but who knows. Thanks again!

Miztikal_Dragon : Thanks for both reviews! I hope there is a plot… I intended for one. Then again, this is my first fanfic and I don't have the slightest idea what I'm doing. Go figure. ^_^ Anyway, I'm glad you're enjoying my fic. I'll try to be more regular about my updates, but it seems some force within my computer wants to prevent that from happening at all costs. But nonetheless, I hope you like chapter 4. It's shorter than I originally intended, but I know I've been long overdue for an update.

Relix: You really think it's that good? I'm glad you reviewed (my very 1rst reviewer EVER, I might add), I don't know if I would have been encouraged to continue writing without reviews. Thanks a bunch!

a general note - I feel like the story is moving really slowly, and it's bugging me. I have the whole thing outlined and I know what I want to put in, but I always get really into descriptions and the such and I like to concentrate more on the psychological aspects rather than action. What I want to know is am I boring you guys? Please Please Please let me know if I am, and what I can do to fix it. This is my first fanfiction ever, and I'm learning as I go along. If you have any suggestions on how I can improve, please tell me!

And one last thing before I shut up... when I started writing this, I had only seen up to episode 135. Therefore, much of this will contradict the later episodes. Just so you know. And while I'm on the subject, I've tried not to include blatant spoilers, but I do make few vague references to things that happen in other episodes. Note I said VAGUE. If something confused you, it's probably a spoiler, so don't read too much into it and it probably won't matter much. But, continue reading at your own risk. (I should probably put this warning on my earlier chapters, eh? ^_^)

Oh! I've posted some artwork to go with the story (well… only one so far, but that should change). So, go check it out! (Please?)

Okay, seriously…. On with the story…

**

Kagome stiffened as she stared wide-eyed at Inu Yasha. He abruptly stood and moved his hands to grasp Tessaiga, instinctively. Looking to the door, he growled out an almost undecipherable "where?" and Kagome tried to concentrate on the direction of the shard.

She paused and closed her eyes, while Inu Yasha began to grow increasingly impatient. It had never taken her such a long time to point out the direction of the shards, and it was irking him greatly.

"Well?" he spat out anxiously.

"Um… I don't know…"

"What the hell do you mean, you don't know? You just said you sensed it, right?"

"Well… I do… It's just… I can't tell where it's coming from. It feels really close, but I can't find a clear direction. It's almost like it's surrounding us." Kagome answered quietly.

"Surrounding us? Kagome, that makes no sense."

"I know that!" Kagome said, while standing up to face Inu Yasha. "But, it's not like I can help it! That's what I feel."

"Damnit, try harder!" Inu Yasha accused, as he grew increasingly desperate to get in some sort of fight. He needed to do something, and it needed to be done fast.

"Let's go outside" Kagome replied, trying to remain calm. "Maybe we'll be able to see something."

Inu Yasha nodded his agreement and rushed out the door in a flash. Kagome picked up her bow and arrows, and started after him. However, her legs only took her halfway to the doorway. A sudden pain wrecked through her body and she fell to her knees, scattering the arrows across the wooden floor. Her knees fell against the ground and she uselessly grasped for something to stop her fall, but her balance was lost. The ground met her face as her arms barely reached the floor in time to cushion the impact. She closed her eyes and whimpered quietly as the strange pain coursed through her veins. It felt as though she were being burned from the inside.

Inu Yasha stepped back inside, having heard the odd noise she had made.

"Are you okay? Did you fall down?" He asked, raising an eyebrow to figure out when she had grown so clumsy. She hadn't done anything that stupid in a long time.

Kagome pulled her eyes up to meet his, and spoke in a slow, strained voice, "Inu… Yasha… help."

If the request itself had not torn through his soul, the pained and desperate look in her eyes would have. Tessaiga clanked loudly as it hit the ground, seeming to fall slower than Inu Yasha, as he moved to pull Kagome up. He grabbed her shoulders and brought her up to look at him. He felt her trembling beneath his hands, and in a panic, he pulled her protectively into his arms.

"What's wrong?" he asked, barely concealing the shakiness of his voice.

"It hurts…"

"Where? What hurts? What happened?" Inu Yasha demanded, allowing a small amount of anger to seep out of his voice, at the frustration he held for not being able to ease her pain.

"… Don't know." Kagome answered, with a shaky voice as tears began to cascade down her face. She balled her fists into Inu Yasha's haori and tried to concentrate on anything other than the vicious pain that surged through her.

Inu Yasha sat still, holding her, feeling completely helpless. He had seen her hurt before, but she had never looked as though she suffered as she did then. Something in her voice was attempting to pull tears from his eyes and his own body became wrecked with shudders that he no longer had the will to control. Kagome whimpered in his arms, and he pulled her tighter into his embrace, willing whatever disgusting creature was torturing her, to leave her alone. His ears twitched and he concentrated on every scent he could find, in search of a physical opponent. He could hardly bear to see Kagome in so much intense pain.

He shifted uncomfortably, trying to figure out a way to comfort her shaking form. He frowned as he experimentally laid a hand on her cheek to offer some solace, and felt a heavy layer of perspiration. Her breathing had slowed and came out in deep raspy breaths that lightly touched the skin on his neck. He leaned his chin on her head and tried to concentrate on the feel of her breath on his skin, looking for any change in the delicate rhythm.

"Is it still bad?" Inu Yasha asked quietly, knowing full well that her condition had not improved, but looking for any way to keep her conscious.

"s…okay…" Kagome breathed quietly.

"Oh." He replied. It was painfully obvious that she was lying, but Inu Yasha knew an argument would not make anything better. He began to wonder if it would be better if she slept. At least then she wouldn't feel most of the pain. A nagging tension in his heart, however, warned that she might not wake up. It might be best not to take chances when the enemy remained unknown.

Moving his left arm underneath her legs, he cradled her head with his right. Carefully, he carried her to the pile of blankets she had previously set up and laid her down. He arranged the blankets around her and crouched beside her, contemplating on what he should do. He didn't want to leave her, but there had to be a reason she was so suddenly like this, and he planned on finding it, and promptly ripping it to shreds. Maybe if he found that doctor to watch over her while he was gone, she would be okay.

Taking a deep breath, he stood and walked to pick up Tessaiga. He got only a few steps when he heard a small cry from behind him. He turned around to see Kagome propping herself up on one elbow, while the other reached out towards him. His heart sank as he nodded in understanding.

After putting Tessaiga back in its sheath, he knelt beside Kagome. She reached out and grabbed his hand, entwining her clammy fingers between his. He furrowed his brows and tried to reason with her.

"I have to find what's doing this to you. I won't be gone long… I promise." He pleaded.

"…don't want to be alone… scared…"

"I'll send the doctor over here. You won't be alone."

"…no… need you…"

Inu Yasha's ears drooped at the anguish in her voice. He did not want to leave her anymore than she wanted him to, but there was no other way. He was weary to trust the doctor on protecting her, but there was nothing he could do for her while remained there, in pain. He didn't want to move her, for fear of hurting her worse, but…

"I'm taking you to Kaede." Inu Yasha said sternly to cover up his own weariness at the prospect.

"but…"

"It shouldn't take that long to get there, since I'm carrying you." He continued resolutely, while ignoring her protests. "She can take care of you while I fix this."

"… still feel the shard… it's here… somewhere"

"Forget about that!" Inu Yasha chastised. "You get better, and then we worry about he damn shard! Understand?"

"yes…" Kagome whispered.

Inu Yasha lifted her up carefully into his arms and pulled her close to his chest. He was surprised and unnerved by the ghastly amount of heat escaping her body.

"Gods, Kagome… you're burning up." He said, more to himself than to her. He knew she would not be able to ride on his back in her current condition, so he would have to carry her in his arms. It would slow him down, but at least he would be able to watch her while they moved. If he saw that her pain worsened, he could always stop.

Satisfied with his plan, he set off into the night. Somewhere along the way, he noticed something extremely peculiar about Kagome's scent. It was changing. Most disturbing to him was how it was changing. It was the scent of a demon. A nagging sense of dread began to wreck Inu Yasha's mind. He could think of no human disease that would cause its victims to smell like demon, and he was sure that no good would come out of it.

"Hang in there, Kagome. Not much farther." he said, trying to keep his mind off all the frightening thoughts plaguing his mind.

By the time he reached the village, the sun was beginning to peak over the horizon. Kagome was stirring in his arms, moaning and muttering nonsense under her breath. She had fallen asleep, or at least she had lost her grip on the real world, a few hours before. Inu Yasha was much too panicked to stop before they reached Kaede's.

He barged into the hut, screaming for the old woman to get up. He was becoming slightly delirious from the amount of stress consuming his rational thought. There had been numerous times he had come close to losing Kagome, but he had never been forced to see her suffer. He laid her down on the floor and turned to the old Miko who was still trying to grasp the situation with her tired mind. She became worried the moment she noticed Inu Yasha's shaking hands after he laid her down.

"FIX HER! NOW!" Inu Yasha yelled, motioning to the girl at his feet.

Kaede walked to Kagome as quickly as she could and bent down to feel her forehead. The old woman frowned as she noticed Kagome was beginning to go into convulsions.

"Inu Yasha, ye must tell me exactly what happened."

"WHAT HAPPENED? I don't know! She was fine, and then she was like this! JUST DO SOMETHING! She's in pain!" he yelled back, frustrated and tired from the situation.

"Ye needs to calm down. Flailing about like that will not bring Kagome any closer to being cured. I need ye to think hard and try to remember anything out of the ordinary." Kaede said, trying to sound as soothing as possible.

Inu Yasha paced back and forth in the hut. He didn't have time for questions; Kagome needed help. "Just give her something for the pain! Please?"

"Inu Yasha." Kaede scolded, "I do not know what will help her unless I know what is wrong with her. If ye don't relax, I'll have to ask you to leave."

"She smells like a fucking demon." Inu Yasha stated darkly.

Kaede paused, thinking over her next question carefully.

"Do you mean she has demon scent on her?"

"No. Old woman, I told you. SHE smells like a demon. It's in her scent, not on it." Inu Yasha growled, growing irate at the worsening situation.

Kaede took a deep breath. She was beginning to understand why Inu Yasha was acting particularly hysterical. In all her experience as a Miko, the old woman had never seen anything like what she saw in Kagome at that particular moment. The only logical explanation she could She was weary about giving the young girl any herbs to help her sleep, since it might feed whatever demon was inside her.

"Inu Yasha, please go fetch some water." She finally said in hopes that it would distract him long enough to calm his senses. She had seen his feelings for the young girl transform and bloom slowly from the time Kagome had first come to them. His feelings for her obviously ran deeper than he knew himself. Only now, those feelings were growing too strong for his wounded heart to suppress any longer.

Inu Yasha nodded and stepped out the doorway. He hated leaving her side, but once the fresh outdoor air hit him, he felt slightly relieved. He told himself that Kaede would take good care of her, and she would be back to herself by morning. He decided that the whole mess was her fault anyway, having insisted - despite his protests - that they stay in a sick village. Stupid girl. He almost managed a weak smile before a sliver of fear crept its way back into his consciousness. He had thought recently that their luck was running out. Had he been right?