InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Under Anothers Watchful Eye ❯ Awaiting The Scars Of Battle ( Chapter 19 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

                  Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha and company. Soul rights belong to Rumiko Takashi

                  Note: -*-*-*- Means we are seeing a dream. It will not be in italic.

                  Note: 'This is how it will be written if it is thought to ones self.'

                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


                  The village in which they stayed seemed to live in a time of its own. It bustled with an exceitment that none they had encountered seemed to match.               Young    women were able to stand idly here, speaking of things that mattered not, and spreading false tales to one another like a deadly disease.                 They seemed to have the civilation of which would not come until many years later. The portrait would be that of the husband, the leader, the                      worker, going off to his job, supporting the family in which he created. All responsibilty was intrusted and inlied with in him. The weight of his non-           exsistant world was on his shoulders. The women, the mother and care taker to the property, was one that could be considered useless yet essential                all at once. The sired children-         boys, whom were the favored, for they would be the next in line to inherit what ever was left behind, and the only                bondage that was required was that he    carry on the family name. The girls were fragile and sheltered. They were unable to soil their hands, and thus,                   helped tend to the matters of a home.


                  This was so different from every thing that surronded them in the world in this era. Men and women alike suffered the same jobs, some mens backs                  broken, some women heavy in pregnancy. The purpose of children was extra hands to help move along the dutys that needed be carried out in a               days work.


                  The streets of such places were dusty and filled with people. The huts were of low quality and proved little help to sheild out the harsh winters night                   air, blowing angrily at them, as if punishment for their wrong doings.


                  Kagome always felt a rush of sadness when she had first learned of such things. She had been at the tender age of ten, and she listened, jaw dropped              when the tales of such horror were taught to her like it was alright. The only image that could come up in her mind was that of Souta, whom was                   three and a half. He had just managed to eat on his own. But if they lived back in these anceint times he would be expected to do the work of a                            person three times his age? And what of she? She was ten. In the waring states era, in four years she would be old enough to be wed. Now, she             wouldnt even be old enough to drive.


                  But that all changed. Kagome was still saddned by the sights she witnessed daily, but it did not pain her as it once did. Perhaps she had grown                            accustomed to it, or maybe she understood the need for it. They were essentail for survival. And what also had made the difference, was that the                  cold history books had forgotten to put one detail into account. Love. When the authers wrote, they neglected to mention that the children were                            wanted for other reasons. For more than extra hands, and for more than free labor. They were symbols of love. And even though she may be the              only one to know it, it was true. She had learned something that her text book could not. She had gotten vision. It taught her to see beyond the days             sun, and into the comming night.


                  Kagome walked with an urgency through this village, tears marks streamming down her checks. She noticed the strange stares that was given to her                  by all   sorts. Some women looked at her with envy, seepingin their eyes, and others had angry glances of hate swirling toward her. If looks could                 kill, the women          would have buried her ten fold. Yet others had pitty for her, and they did not even know why.


                  But she truded on. She needed to find InuYasha. She needed to leave, they needed to leave. All she wanted was for him to hold her, and take her                   away from the looks of the villagers, the rumors that circled thick in the air, and the fate Sango was going to suffer if Miroku stayed the night with            Ayano.
        

                   She searched in what seemed like forever until she reached their hut. It was shabby, and it was small, but the place was familar to her. Kagome                            greeted it whole heartly when she saw it.


                  'I guess I will just have to wait here if no one is in there.' She thought grimly. The idea of being alone for an unknown amount of time seemed to                scare her. She prayed to the gods that some one was there.


                  "Kagome!" A small blur of chestnut called out.


                  "Shippo!" She cried.


                  "Where have you been Kagome? We have been looking for you every where!"


                  "Who?"


                  "Me and InuYasha. Where were you?"


                  "I was walking around, looking for you." She said with a smile.


                  "Is InuYasha in the hut?" She asked. The kitsunes smiled dropped a little.


                  "Yeah, hes in there."


                  "Thanks Shippo." She said with a smile, as she walked over to him.


                  Kagome pulled the reed mat to the side, peeking inside.


                  "InuYasha?"


                  "Kagome? Where have you been?" His stern voice demanded.


                  "Looking for you!" She snapped back. "Where have you been?"


                  "Looking for you!"


                  "Ugh," Kagome breathed out.


                  "InuYasha?"


                  "Yeah?" He said in a low tone.


                  "When can we leave?"


                  "Huh? I thought you liked it here."


                  "I do, but Sango..."


                  "What about Sango?"


                  "I think Miroku is going to hurt her."


                  "What do you mean?"


                  "Not phyically or anything. I mean..."
        

&nbs p;                 "What do you mean? Oi, spit it out."
        

 & nbsp;                "I mean I think he is going to break her heart."


                  "Why would you say that?"


                  "Because I over heard him talking to one of the villagers. She wants him to stay the night."


                  "So we have to leave today, in order to not let this happen?"


                  "Yeah, Sango cant be hurt like this. It will kill her."


                  The hanyou nodded in reply.


                  "I understand."


                  Kagome looked at him for a long moment, then slowly, a smile escaped her gental lips. In an effort, but a losing one, InuYasha tried to hide his own.             Suddenly, his snow covered ears twitched and he turned his head to the east, with a hint of anger written on his face.


                  "InuYasha?"


                  "Human blood."


                  "Huh!"

                 
   &nbs p;              "Theres not a lot. But its there."


                  "Is it a demon?"


                  "Yeah."


                  "I can't sense any jewel shards."
        

&nbs p;                 "Then this should be easy."


                  He turned to look at Kagome, worry streched out in her features.


                  'Nothing is ever easy.' She couldnt help but think.


                  He took notice, and the anger in him loosened.


                  "I'm comming with you."


                  "No." Simply like that. No argueing would persuade his judgement.


                  "InuYasha-"


                  "No. I can handle this!"


                  "But!" She protested.


                  "NO! Oi, Kagome, drop it now."


                  Her next reply was soft and low spoken.


                  "You will be careful, right?" Kagome asked.


                  "Keh."
        

                   "Please InuYasha."


                  "I always am." Was his reply.


                  "Tell me you will come back." She looked at him. Never before had he refused her offer to join him on a hunt. And through it all, it worried her.
        

 &n bsp;                "Please? It would make me feel better if you would. I need to know your..."


                  "Fine. I will come back." Came his answer. Stern yet gental.


                  'Just like him.' Was all that raced through her mind.


                  And he left. She saw the blurs of red quickly grow smaller as he jumped and lept off into a distant place. She turned and forced her attention on                          Shippo and not InuYasha.


                  "Looks like were here for lunch. What do you want?"


                  "What do we have?"


                  Kagome smiled.


                  "Good question. Lets go see."


                  "Kagome!" Miroku called off.


                  "Miroku?" She asked, dazed.


                  "Where did InuYasha rush off to."


                  "A demon is near."


                  "I better accompany him."


                  Kagome nodded in reply.


                  "Kagome?" The kitsune asked, his sentance darting off into space.


                  Taking his hand in her own, she lead him back to the small hut where she dug out her yellow, over stuffed duffle bag. Searching through it, she spied             a bag of chips, some orange soda, and about three remaining donuts.


                  "Were all out of our good food." She cried with a marked frown.


                  "What are you talking about? This is the good stuff!" Shippo exclaimed. Kagome planted a smile on her face.


                  She tended to matters that did not need tending to that day. She cleaned the hut that was not truely theirs. She sorted through her bag, finding several                  cups of Ramen, and a few small snacks. and, from the bottem of her bag, she found her math book. She now sat in the corner of a impecable room,                   the fire slowly dying, book in lap, eyes glued to the page. She pretended to concentrate when all the time all she could comprehend was 'he said it               would be easy. Its taking too long. Some thing is wrong. He promised...'


                  Shippo sat on the floor, warmed by the small fire. He colored with the vibernt colors that Kagome had brought back from her home. He knew all             along that she was not focused on, yet he played his own game of pretend where he was obliviant to the whole thing. He was just a boy, coloring on                the floor, with the person dearest to him, studing her books from another time.


                  Sango had returned to them with saddned eyes. She was eager to be active, eager to move. Sitting still would only mean she would have to think,                   and to think, the only thoughts that would come to mind were that of Miroku. She couldnt let herself do that. She had to do something. If she was                 not idle, and kept busy, every thing would be okay, just for now, just for the moment. And Sango was never one to live in the moment.


                  If she had, her greif for Kohaku would be ten fold, her love for Miroku would show doubtlessly, and her true feelings would erupt like that of a                           volcano. Sango refused to let herself live in such a state. It was more dangerous than living in the past.
        

 & nbsp;                She knew whom stayed where, and why. InuYashab lived in the past. So much so that he was unaware that the Kikyo he once loved had changed.                Would it be possible for him to love such a cold hearted person, one willing to kill off Kagome, just because she simply could? If so, then everything            she had thought about the hanyou was incorrect. But as of late, he is seeing the present, and a gleam shone in his eye. No one other than Kagome                  could put that shine there.
        

                   Shippo stayed firmly planted in his memorys. He held on to his childhood for dear life, almost so that if he was to let them go, he would sufficate in            the truth. That Kagome was no longer the one to keep him warm at night, hust Kirara. It pained her to see one so young in such a deep dispair.


                  Miroku....


         ;          No, I wont think of him. To hell with the perverted bastard.'


                  But as soon as she thought that, she regretted it. There was no use in denying it. She loved him. More than the air, more than the stars that shone at            night. More than life itself, because with out him, there is none.


                  The demon slayer through her weapon at a small tree. It hit it, cutting through then returning back to her. The oak fell to the ground with a loud thud.                  Chopping it into small peices, then taking them in hand, Sango started to make her way off to the hut where Kagome and Shippo remained.


                  'Maybe InuYasha and... Maybe InuYasha has returend...'


       &n bsp;          The women with the dark hair pushed the green reed mat to the side. She stood there for a moment, almost afraid to admit that the scene she had                   left, she now returned too. They were not, they had not...


                  "Kagome?" The raven haired women looked up from her activitys, her eyes etched worry perfectly. That was all that was needed. Sango feared.


                  "Sango they..." It was too hard for her to finish, to hard to admit. Everything seemed impossible.


                  'Where are you InuYasha?'
                 

    ;               "They have not returned yet, have they Kagome?"


                  "No. Its been almost an entire day. He said it would be easy! He said..."


                  "He said what Kagome?"


                  "He said that he would come back..."


                  "Then I am sure he will. InuYasha never breaks his word."


                  Kagome nodded.


                  "Its just that.... Sango.... What if..."


                  "We cant live on what ifs Kagome." She said, pushing away her own personal fears and worrys. "What ifs wont feed us, nor keep us warm. We                 have to deal with what we have right now. What do we have to eat?"


                  "Not much. I havent been back to my time in a while. But I think that we have some soup left..."


                  "Good. Now, lets start to make it."


                  "It will only take a few minutes."
        

&nb sp;                 Sango gave a cheerful smile then nodded.


                  "Hmm."


                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


                  The forest was bathed in colors of all sorts. Greens, reds, orange and yellows. A artists dream, and a childs play ground. The day had quickly turned             into night and the stars hung over head, lighting the dim sky, accompanying the bright, yet almost gone moon. It seemed to be tainted more a yellow               than white. It was a guide, a mystery, and a love symbol. As long as InuYasha and Kagome were under the same moon, they were close.


                  The hanyou lay on the ground, only semi concious, and badly hurt, but not beaten. It had been a long fight. The culprit was a bear demon, one of                  great size and had a even larger will to live, and avenge his right to, by killing off what ever came upon its path. It was smarter than what it had                       seemed, and in the end, it was the back lash wave that finally brought him down, meeting his demise. All in all, the monster had three jewel shards.


                  InuYasha was left with a deep wound in his stomach, a high fever, and blood sprawled all over his pale skin. The bear had been well protected. His                claws    dripped poison, and the bear had given InuYasha several swipes, and hit all of them. He could barely move, but he wanted too. He made a                   promise to Kagome to come home to her. And he would. He rose to stand, and instintly he felt the pain. He gasped out in the unexpected burst                       of pain. Miroku jumped to his side, willing to aid him.


                  "Mir..."


                  "InuYasha. Dont talk."


                  "But-"


                  "We will get you to the nearest place, and ask for transportation."


       &n bsp;          "K'h" His words slurred.

                  Miroku put InuYasha's arm over his shoulder.


                  "I'm kay. Dont ned yor help." He complied.


                  "Dont think of it has help. Think of it as saving your life."


                  "Let go monk."


                  "Come on, Kagome must be worried sick."


                  And his attitude changed then. InuYasha co-operated.
                 
   &nbs p;              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


&n bsp;                 Kagome and Sango sat in silence while they waited. It was almost a new day and they still had yet to return. Their prayers to the gods were                        remaining unanswered for the time being so they opted for sending their love straight to the hanyou and the monk. It was strange how in a time of                 pain and fear, worry and anxity, one forgets all the trouble and arguments you have had in the past, all the times you have almost spoken out of your             love, all the times you almost told your deepest darkest secrect, and ended it with a kiss, but instead was left off with a silence. Whom makes the               first move is not in mind at such times. The only thing you are able to think is their name, and of their return.


                  Kagome was leaned up against a wall, in a panic, yet she never let it show. The miko looked like she was tired, but it was only her body that said so.            In her mind thoughts raced at such a speed it was unthinkable.


                  Sango sat near the fire, stroking Kirara, a past time she had not done in quite some time. They had been on the move constintly for the past month,               and with Kagomes problems, it seemed like petting her cat was the least important thing she had to do. She looked down at the cream color                          animal that had rolled itself into a ball. She had been the only one there for her when her childhood dreams came aching in the night. It was silly to           think such a thing, that a cat was the only one that she found comfort in, but it was true. She had always found safety in her fathers arms, but if it was                something as little as a night mare, or she had thought they were a little matter at the time, she would not want her father to see her as meak, so she                   confided her dreams from the dark side to Kirara, knowing that she would not speak a word of them. Sango smiled as she purred happily in her              sleep.


                  Shippo lay a sleep, he was in another world filled with all of his hearts wishes. Kagome was happy, and InuYasha was alright. No nightmares                        plagued her, nor him. Sango was thrilled because Kohaku had returned, and Miroku no longer had a wind tunnel on his right hand. Everything was            peaceful and fine for the kitsune. In these times, he was happy.


                  The wind blew feircly. Kagome looked up as a hand pushed the reed mat away. It was still dark outside, and the moon was the only light that they                  had, making the figure in complete shadow but Kagome could see it was no stranger. The man breathed in deeply, then let out a ridged sigh. The            figure was not alone...
        

&nbs p;                 "InuYasha..."