InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ To Nowhere ❯ The Promise ( Chapter 11 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inu-Yasha but if I did…

A/N: Updating! Yay for me!

Kagome14: I'm glad it was worth the wait. I was really worried about that chapter, but I'm glad to know people liked it. I've been really busy these past few weeks and I apologize. Thanks again!

Miztikal_Dragon: Hey! I'm so glad you're still reading. You hadn't reviewed in such a long time I thought you had lost interest. Thanks for letting me hear from you again! Much appreciated! I hope you like this one too.

Essie: Thank you for another review. Once again I'm sorry for slacking off on updates. I hope you like this chapter!

**

The sun beat down from the clear, cloudless sky. A young woman wiped away the faint gleam of sweat that had formed her forehead just above her brow. The day was cool but her work was tiring and the sun was beaming straight down on her. She raised her bright eyes to the small fire cat perched on her shoulder. She smiled, thinking of the peaceful life she now led.

She had decided to restore the village as best as she could. If nothing else, as long as the village was inhabited, her family's graves could be tended. Her life's memories were less likely to be buried beneath shifting rulers as long as people populated the area. She was still unsure as to how she was going to repopulate the village with these kind people but her resident monk sure had plenty of suggestions. Sango sighed, wondering how any human being could expect her to have thirty children. She would be pregnant for the rest of her life.

As her thoughts strayed, she looked to Miroku on the other side of the village as he split wood for the repairs to the village homes. Sango smiled and a small blush illuminated her features. She had never seen him working quite like that. He looked utterly dejected as he sighed to himself and continued to work, adorning his face with a sad pout. He exagerrated every movement of his work as though each breath he sucked in would be his last. It was a pathetic scene, but Sango was noticing things about him she never had before.

She noted the peculiar way his muscles moved while bared with his sleeves pulled up to his shoulders. She giggled to herself and wondered when she had been reduced to such a little girl. Miroku seemed to be having that effect on her more and more often since they stopped traveling.

They had not shared another kiss since that day they were interrupted by Inu Yasha, but little things had changed. He still tried to grope her when she wasn't paying attention but he seemed to be holding back just a small bit. Sometimes he would brush her hand instead, which would cause her cheeks to redden more than when he brushed against her bottom. It was somehow more intimate than anything she had ever shared with a man, though she could not figure out why.

Perhaps, she decided, it was because he had never done so while they traveled with the group. It was so personal. She ducked her head as she felt her cheeks grow hot again with another blush. Kirara hopped around, confused by Sango's shifting emotions.

Sango continued to nervously run her hands through the dirt that would hopefully become a small garden. When she was growing up, there had been a small garden outside her home and she had always hoped it would be hers to care for.

Since the tragedy of her village, no one had cared for the garden in their absence. The flowers and small vegetables had died and stringy weeds had consumed the mass of dry earth. She sighed, wondering when her work would be finished and she could simply relax in her home.

Her stomach suddenly knotted as she thought of Miroku spending his life with her. She blushed again as she imagined their children playing in the very garden she was reviving. She decided she would not raise her children to be demon exterminators as it had brought her own family to its end, but she would teach them enough self defense to survive.

Her lips formed a slightly wicked smile as she glanced up at Miroku again. Perhaps she could make sure only older women moved to the village so Miroku would be less inclined to be led astray by that sinful right hand of his. A sincere grin lit up her features as she watched him working without the rosary on his hand.

She went back to her work and wondered how Kagome and Inu Yasha were doing on their journey. She hoped they would come visit soon. Sango herself had been considering going to visit Kaede once her and Miroku were settled in. She figured Inu Yasha and Kagome would come by soon and they could all go together. It would be wonderful to see everyone again without any worries for once. She hummed to herself as her smile lit up her face.

"Sango… are you ready to eat?" came Miroku's sudden voice.

Sango looked up, already blushing at his silky voice as she looked up to see him standing above her. Her hair was falling in front of her eyes and sticking to her slightly damp skin. She had smudges of dirt on her cheeks but Miroku looked at her as though she was a princess. Sango smiled through her blush at the expression he held on his face. Hentai or not, he still somehow managed to make her feel special.

She went to wash her hands while he started to prepare their lunch. On her way she cast her eyes on the distant horizon. A sudden knotting in her stomach caused a feeling of insecurity to was over her body. She frowned at the approaching clouds that were gathering among the hills in the distance. Chills suddenly worked up her spine, leaving her shivering while she stared into the distance. Although she tried with all her might, she was unable to identify the strange feeling that coursed through her veins.

Her hair flew over her shoulder in a sudden breeze and her hair ribbon tickled her cheek. She sighed, guessing her imagination was getting to her. After all, Naraku was gone and she had begun to lead her peaceful life. Everything was going to be just fine.

She smiled contently, convinced that nothing could possibly go wrong. She shrugged and continued on her way, maintaining the warm smile that lighted her features.

**

Warm light slowly filtered in through Kagome's eyelids as she lazily woke from her intense sleep. She stretched her arms in front of her and ran her wrist along the cold stone floor of the cave. Surprisingly she felt quite relaxed, as she lay nestled cozily in the soft blanket. As her surrounding slowly focused, she blinked until her sight was clear. She leaned up on her elbows and searched the cave for Inu Yasha.

She saw him sitting on the opposite side, head bent down, eyes closed, holding Tessaiga. She could tell by the rapid movements of his ears that he was not quite asleep. She yawned loudly and his head jerked up.

"Why are you over there? I'm cold." Kagome said in a slow and groggy voice that allowed only a tiny bit of bubbly undertones slipping through as the corners of her lips barely turned into a small smile.

Inu Yasha gave her an odd look. He had figured she would be depressed when she woke up so he let her sleep really late. He was slightly taken back by her somewhat playful attitude.

She sighed and leaned her back against the wall of the cave while wrapping her shoulders in the blanket. She sat still for a moment and finally met his eyes.

"What are we going to do?" she said in a meek voice.

Inu Yasha's confused expression suddenly softened and he gave her a sorrowful look. "I really don't know, Kagome."

Kagome looked down at her hands as she fiddled with the stitching on her sleeves. She could tell Inu Yasha was frightened, as much as he was trying to hide it. He was scared for her. Her mind fell into disagreement as she was both worried and touched by his actions. She was afraid for what the future held, but she was determined to keep her spirits up while she was still alive.

She had spent much of her time in the Sengoku Jidai trying to convince Inu Yasha that his life was worth living. She now had to appraise the same question for herself. She had to stay strong. She promised Inu Yasha she would be by his side forever, and she refused to back down.

"Kagome…" Inu Yasha said quietly.

She glanced up at him to see him averting his eyes from her gaze. "Yes, Inu Yasha?"

"The other night… when you saw that woman, what exactly did you see, again?"

"Oh, well…" Kagome started as she set pensively for a moment. "There was something in her veins and it glowed. But I don't understand. If she caught that sickness from me, then I should be glowing too. It doesn't make sense."

"But you're condition has changed." Inu Yasha stated simply.

"True." Kagome agreed. "But… I didn't ever glow… did I? I mean, I'm pretty sure I would have noticed something like that."

"But you fell unconscious." Inu Yasha stated quickly.

Kagome looked down for a moment. She could tell Inu Yasha had been thinking about it more than she had and she wondered what point he was getting at.

"But you didn't see anything funny like that, did you? I was just sick." Kagome said trying to force him to his point.

"You can see things I can't. You see jewel shards inside people."

"Well… yeah… but that wasn't…" Kagome trailed off, thinking hard.

"Do you think something was inside her with the jewel shard?" Inu Yasha asked before she had too much time to think.

Kagome frowned and shook her head. "It was like liquid. Not a jewel shard."

"But did it feel the same?" Inu Yasha asked, his voice hardening slightly.

Kagome stared at him for a moment. She tilted her head and tried to remember the feeling. She had been so frightened and surprised by what she had seen, she had not thought about the jewel. The more she thought however, she remembered receiving an intense feeling in her stomach as they had neared that hut. She put a hand to her mouth as she continued to think.

Inu Yasha looked up at her, noticing her slight change of attitude. "You remember something?" he asked, though it was more of a statement than a question.

She looked away from his gaze. "You're keeping something from me." She said sternly to produce a stalemate between the two of them.

He stopped for a moment, his eyes softening. "When you fell ill that night… you smelt like a demon… and the scent's still on you… but it's faded away a lot."

"WHAT?!" Kagome screeched. "You didn't tell me!?"

Inu Yasha stubbornly looked away. He had only hoped it would fade away with time. He had not seen the point in worrying her over nothing.

"I'm sorry." Kagome said softly after a few moments. "It doesn't make a difference. It won't fix anything now, and it wouldn't have fixed anything then."

Inu Yasha continued to look away but a small amount of relief washed over him. She was right. It wouldn't have made much of a difference even if he had told her.

"We're going to have to do everything we can to solve this." Kagome said resolutely. "We can find a cure, and we'll help the other people as well."

Inu Yasha looked up at her, concerned. "Kagome… if I allow you to go into another village, they will come after you. Those people will see you as a threat to them. You should stay away from them."

Kagome narrowed her eyes slightly. Was he trying to tell her she could not see her friends and family?
"Inu Yasha." She said sternly.

He looked up and she caught his amber eyes with hers.

"To lay down and give up. Is that what you're asking of me? I find it hard to believe that you of all people would expect me to do that." She said with a small amount of venom seeping through her words.

"No, Kagome." Inu Yasha said, slightly hurt. "I'm just afraid something's gonna happen to you. We know all of this has something to do with a demon so I'll find away to kill it. Just let me take care of it, okay?"

Kagome leaned back letting her muscles relax. His tone was slightly desperate and it was echoing in her mind.

"Inu Yasha…" she started, quietly. "You have to let me help. It's my fault… Kaede-bachan is… gone." She looked up at Inu Yasha with tears in her eyes. "I'm causing people to fall dead by staying alive! I have to help you fix this! I refuse to just sit here while you try to save the world by yourself. This isn't like the other demons we've fought… it's not even like Naraku. We haven't even identified the enemy yet!"

Inu Yasha lowered his ears as her sobs echoed through the cave. "I won't let anything happen to you, Kagome. I can't let you get yourself hurt. I won't let you sacrifice yourself. I WILL protect you!" Inu Yasha yelled.

"You can't always protect me, Inu Yasha!" Kagome yelled back.

Inu Yasha growled in frustration. "You don't trust me or something?" he ground out.

Kagome rolled her hands into fists out of her own frustration. "That's not it at all! If it means letting hundreds of other people die to let me live - you can't!"

"You never listen to anything, do you? I just told you I'd fix it! Stop saying things like that! You're going to be fine!" he yelled, standing up to walk towards her.

He sat across from and pushed back on her shoulders, forcing her to look up at him. Her tears streamed down her face and she looked more lost than she ever had before. Inu Yasha's anger evaporated at the look in her eyes and he watched the tears fall from her eyes and slowly drip down her face. He followed their trail under her chin and down her neck. He felt his own sorrow welling up as he watched hers.

She was hurting deeply and there was nothing he could do to make the pain go away. The woman he loved was miserable and he was helpless. He wanted to keep her away from the horrible people who were trying to kill her. His demon blood screamed for him to annihilate each one for the simple thought.

Kagome continued to cry in front of Inu Yasha, though her sobs were softening.

"Inu Yasha…" she said between breaths. "I'm… scared."

He looked at her as he absorbed the pain rolling off her in waves. He moved his hand to cup her face and he felt her shaking beneath his touch. She was such a small girl and she was still young, but her strength had always touched him. It was largely his reason for falling in love with her. Even through the most impossible situations, she maintained her hope. His heart tore to see her in such a state.

"I'm not going to let anything happened to you. I can't. I told you I would protect you and I will. I promise." He said sternly and watched her nod slightly in response.

He leaned forward and met her lips with his own. No matter how things turned out, he wanted her to know that he had meant everything he said to her. She would be his mate soon. It was his duty to protect her at all costs. Nothing in the world would ever break that bond.

Kagome was first confused by the sudden kiss. She felt guilty for giving into pleasure when she should be trying to fix her mistakes, but the warmth of Inu Yasha's lips upon her own made her mind fuzzy. She gave in and let him kiss her, allowing her hands to drop lifelessly in her lap. As Kagome slowly parted her lips, Inu Yasha deepened the kiss, forcing her back against the wall of the cave. Her eyes momentarily shot open as his tongue forced itself between her teeth. She responded as best she could with her limited experience and pushed her own tongue into his mouth.

She felt a strange knotting in her stomach as she ran her tongue along one of his fangs. There was something strangely arousing about the fact that she was sharing such an intimate moment with such an exotic creature. Since she had met Inu Yasha she never really thought of him as a demon. He was just Inu Yasha. She was amazed at how one little action had completely flipped her perception.

She could feel his power and she sensed the small degree of bloodlust that lay hidden beneath his skin. He was no longer the shy but arrogant boy that got flustered over the tiniest contact from her hand. He was strong and completely capable of doing whatever he pleased with her at any given moment. The thought sent chills down her spine.

She continued to dwell on her new both frightening and exciting emotions as his hand that remained on her face tightened slightly so that his claws gently pushed against the skin on the back of her neck. The simple action earned a heavy gasp and Kagome instinctively turned her face away from his.

She stared at the mouth of the cave while she tried to catch her breath. She figured Inu Yasha would come to his senses and back away embarrassed, but she was wrong. The moment she focused her attention to her left, she felt his lips pressed against he right side of her neck. She made a surprised noise and tried to access the situation through her cloudy mind.

Inexperienced as she was, she still had the stinging suspicion that he was trying to seduce her. She panicked and pushed against his chest, his stormy eyes glancing up to meet her wide ones.

"I-Inu- wha- what are you trying to do?" she asked shakily. She flinched slightly as she thought she saw a flash of red go through his golden eyes, but decided she was imagining things.

Inu Yasha looked at her for a moment and smirked at the deep crimson blush coating her skin. She was having a hard time catching her breath and Inu Yasha's demon blood was quite satisfied that he was the one to elicit such a response. His human side, however, was equally embarrassed and his smug smile quickly faded away to invite an awkward silence between the two.

For a long moment they stared at each other, too worried to reveal intentions or too shy to ask the questions. Eventually Kagome cracked a smile and Inu Yasha smiled back, delighted to see some of the life returning to her eyes.

"Feel better now? I don't want to hear you talking about dying again." Inu Yasha said, hoping his Kagome had replaced the scared, whimpering, little girl he had seen only moments earlier. He would not allow her live like that. Along with protecting her it was also his duty to make sure she was happy.

She giggled a little and stood up, brushing herself off. She lifted her arm to look at the oversized hakui she still wore. She shot Inu Yasha a meaningful glance and he sighed, handing her his haori and turned around while she changed.

When she was done, she spun around and handed Inu Yasha the large robe with a huge smile plastered over her face. Her smile faltered slightly as she watched him slice the sleeves unevenly.

"Baka!" Kagome screeched, grabbing the white fabric from his hands. "You're going to make them too short! I'll freeze!"

Inu Yasha shot her a dirty look and she smiled at him. He raised an eyebrow at her grin.

"I'm not really mad, you know." She said absently as she pulled the stitching from the torn fragments of the sleeves. "Turn around again so I can change back."

Inu Yasha sighed loudly and turned around in a huff. Kagome's constant mood swings always grated on his nerves, but he figured she needed the space. After all, she was going through quite a lot.

A few minutes later, she finally told him he was free to turn back around.

He swiveled in his spot, trying his best to glare up at her and look menacing. She smiled and hummed as she secured the hakui around her waist with the black stitching from the sleeves. She left it un-tucked from the hakama; satisfied that it was long enough to cover any bothersome drafts of cold air.

In the back of her mind she was vaguely aware of Inu Yasha's gaze as she adjusted the hakui around her waist. She was happy to receive his attention, but she was not used to such an open Inu Yasha. She turned and gave him a warm smile when she was satisfied with her outfit.

"How does it look, now?" Kagome asked, spinning around.

No answer.

"It still looks stupid, doesn't it?" she asked with a frown.

He merely "hmmphed" in return.

He continued to scowl at her from his spot on the ground until she sighed and sat down next to him. He tried to maintain his angry demeanor, but he lost his resolve when one of her hands shyly drifted up to his left ear. His scowl quickly faded and his eyes closed as he instinctively leaned into her touch. Giving him a sideways glance from her spot, she squeezed his ear between her thumb and forefinger until she knew she had his full attention.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! What the hell was that for?" he asked while she still held his ear.

"You were ignoring me! I was teaching you a lesson." Kagome answered simply.

"Bitch!" he said, wanting to squirm out of her grasp but afraid since he knew it would cause more pain.

Kagome glared in his direction for a moment and reluctantly let go. He leaped to the opposite side of the cavern as soon as Kagome let him free of her grip. He crouched in the corner and studied her, awaiting her next move. Kagome rolled her eyes at his response.

"Oh, come on. I didn't hurt you that bad." She said while stretching her arms above her head and yawning. She faltered slightly as she heard a low growl coming from his corner of the cave. She smiled coyly, realizing he was playing with her. She could not figure out what primal instinct had led her to the conclusion that he was playing, but she somehow knew. In all her experiences with Inu Yasha she had never known him to `play' though some of his frays with Shippou had come close.

She glanced up quickly as she heard him stand up. His features had hardened somewhat and she was suddenly concerned.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I just remembered something." He replied.

"Remembered what?" she asked, becoming worried and irritated at his vague answer.

"I have to go somewhere." Inu Yasha said, feeling the guilt of leaving her alone again wash over him.

"Huh? Where are you going?" Kagome asked, thinking he must have sensed danger nearby.

Inu Yasha grimaced as he heard the slight anguish in Kagome's voice. He had not wanted to tell her that he was going to see Sango and Miroku because he knew she would want to come too, but if he did not tell her she would do nothing but worry while he was gone.

"I'm going to the Demon Exterminator village." He answered, trying not to meet her sad eyes.

"Oh." Kagome said, glancing to the ground.

"Sango knows a lot about rare demons so she might know something we don't. The village isn't far from here so I should be back soon and I'll be close enough that I should still be able to smell anything that would be heading towards you."

Kagome nodded and sighed. Inu Yasha lifted her bow and arrows and tossed them in her direction.

"Keep those nearby just in case. And don't go anywhere." He said firmly.

Kagome looked up at him with sad eyes. "But, Inu Yasha…"

"No buts!" he responded, raising his voice slightly. He hated it when she looked at him like that. "If you go with me then you might-"

"I'm not asking to go with you." Kagome interrupted. "I know why I can't and it's okay. I just wanted to know if I could go take a bath in those hot springs outside." Kagome said motioning toward the outside of the cave.

Inu Yasha sighed, and nodded. "Fine. But stay in the area and try to avoid going out in the open."

He turned to walk out but stopped halfway and marched back to Kagome. He handed her Tessaiga and waited for her to meet his eyes.

"Take that with you." He said firmly as soon as he knew he had her attention. "If something happens, hide and wait for me. Don't go anywhere with anyone. Got that?"

Kagome gave him an irritated look. "Geeze…"

"It's important!" he insisted.

"Okay, okay. Don't talk to strangers and look both ways before crossing the road. I gotcha."

Inu Yasha looked to her, tilting his head in utter confusion, but she waved him off. "I understand. Now, go. Remember to say `hi' for me, okay?" Kagome asked with gleaming eyes.

Inu Yasha shot her one last dirty look before storming out of the cave. She sighed when he was finally gone but felt a sickening knot in her stomach as she remembered her current situation. Taking a deep breath, she decided she would be positive and use the time she had to relax. There was nothing much else she could do before Inu Yasha returned anyway.

Forcing a smile to her lips she lifted herself off the ground and walked outside carrying her weapons.

**

Inu Yasha ran as fast as he could, not wanting to leave Kagome alone for any longer than he had to. He actually considered the possibility of getting Shippou to help him out with Kagome so she wouldn't be alone. Since Shippou was a demon, Kagome wouldn't affect him.

Of course, Shippou wouldn't be the one left to protect Kagome. Inu Yasha would stay with her while Shippou left to run all their errands. Inu Yasha smiled slightly, thinking the plan might actually work. If he ever wanted to be alone with Kagome, then he could just make up an excuse to send Shippou away.

He let his mind wander as he made his journey to the village. He pictured Shippou working as his and Kagome's personal servant.

It was a perfect dream. Kagome would be the part of a queen, wearing nothing but fine silks that draped across her wonderful body in equally wonderful ways. Miroku and Sango could even come and visit them. Of course Miroku would have to stay at least ten feet away from Kagome at all times. Shippou could gather their rice, bring them water, clean their home, and then sleep outside.

A wicked smile crossed Inu Yasha's face. Kagome wanted to keep Shippou… fine. He would be used to his fullest advantage.

His daydreams faltered however, as he got the image of Kagome running to Shippou's rescue. He could see just see her fawning over the little crybaby while she cradled him in her arms, allowing him to snuggle up to the rather low-cut silk `thing' Inu Yasha had imagined Kagome wearing.

No. That situation would never work. Inu Yasha would just have to fend for Kagome without Shippou's aid.

Fortunately, he reached the village before his thoughts got him too riled up.

**

A/N: I wanted the chapter to be a little lighthearted because the last one was so depressing. I'm afraid that I severely overdid it. I really didn't want to trivialize Kaede's death, but I didn't want to dwell on it too much either. No offense to Kaede, but in the scheme of this story it's really not that important. I mean, it's important, but it's not the over-arching point. But still, it's bothering me b/c it wasn't as big a deal in this chapter and it should have been.

The problem is I want to move on with the story. I feel like it would get really boring really fast if I just concentrated on her death. I'll have to think of a way to even it out though. I don't want to take anything out of this chapter… but it just doesn't feel right the way it is. I'll have to work with it some more but in the meantime I'll move on.

Please let me know what you think! And any advice on how I could fix that problem without throwing everything off would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!