InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ What If? ❯ Chapter 6

Hi All!

 

 

Well, here's the final chap of my first fanfic…let's see what you guys think of it.

 

 

YoukaiLuvr

 

 

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What If?

Chapter 6

 

 

While her family waited anxiously inside the shrine, Kagome had gotten Naraku's attention. She fired a few arrows, trying to hit him or at least slow him down, but most of the next 20 minutes or, so she spent running around and dodging his attacks. She was successful in this to the point that Naraku was, well, highly ticked. Once he had enough, he slithered out one of his tentacles in Kagome's path to trip her up, literally.

 

 

Kagome's foot caught on the tendril, and she fell to her knees. Naraku took advantage of her vulnerability and sent out a blast intended to kill her. Kagome waited for the impact....

 

 

But it never came.

 

 

Kagome looked up to see Inuyasha standing there, evidently having just used Tetsusaiga to deflect the attack, for several of the trees to the right had scorched tops. He turned to look at her.

 

 

“Hey, you ok?” Kagome smiled and stood up.

 

 

“Yeah, I am now! So how to we get Naraku back to the feudal era? I mean, we can't let him stay here. The damage he could cause here would off the charts, and the news crews would have a field day with this.”

 

 

`Off the charts'? `field day'? I have no idea what she's talking about, but it can't be good, thought Inuyasha. Naraku's not moving. It's almost like he's in a trance, or waiting for something. We should do something now. He turned back to Kagome. They had to act before Naraku recovered from whatever had fallen on him. “I think we have to lure him through with something, something that he'd be sure to follow. But what?”

 

 

Kagome thought for a moment, then spoke.

 

 

“Me.”

 

 

“WHAT!” cried Inuyasha. “I don't think so! Are you nuts? I won't let you!”

 

 

Kagome looked at him, her expression giving out all sorts of clues that she had expected that response. “Look, it has to work. He came here after me, so it makes sense that he would follow me back through. You can wait here to make sure he does.”

 

 

Inuyasha opened his mouth to argue with what she had just said, but Kagome continued before he had the chance to say anything.

 

 

“And on the off chance that he doesn't follow me, you are better equipped to drive him back. And given what I have just done, I think I am more than capable of holding him off for the few minutes it would take to either drive him through or for the few seconds for him to pass through the well.”

 

 

To say that Inuyasha didn't like this would be a huge understatement, but he accepted it...mostly because he couldn't think of better plan.

 

 

“All right,” said Inuyasha, “Let's go.”

 

 

They started to move towards the shrine; their movement caused Naraku to break out of whatever trance he had been in. He followed them as they ran. Inuyasha broke away from Kagome in front of the shrine, staying just outside the door while she went inside.

 

If Naraku followed Kagome, Inuyasha would be right on his heels. If he didn't, then Inuyasha would be standing by to force him back through the well.

 

 

Naraku followed Kagome.

 

 

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Kagome ran into the shrine, and as she did, she saw Souta start to emerge from his hiding place. “Souta, stay hidden!” was all she had a chance to say before Naraku entered the shrine. She jumped down the last few stairs, ran the few steps to the well, and jumped through, praying that Naraku would follow her through the well, not stay and possibly harm her family.

 

 

She climbed out of the well in record time, though that was almost not enough, for Naraku got within a hand's reach from her before she got out.

 

 

- In the Modern World -

 

 

As soon as he saw Naraku enter the shrine, Inuyasha followed suit. Souta popped his head out from behind the box he was hiding behind.

 

 

“That big guy followed Kagome through the well!”

 

 

Inuyasha stopped, poised at the edge of the well. “Thanks, kid. You and your family stay hidden until one of us comes to tell you it's okay.” And with that, he jumped up and into the well.

 

 

- In the Feudal Era -

 

 

When Inuyasha emerged from the well, he expected to find Kagome fighting Naraku and giving him a run for his money. He didn't like to admit it, but Kagome was a strong fighter, and could hold her own against many a youkai. But, he supposed, part of the reason he didn't voice this thought was because a small part of him enjoyed protecting her. Not the fact that she was in danger, he hated that part, but protecting the ones he loved always gave him a sense of purpose, of belonging.

 

 

Whenever he thought things like this, however, he turned his thoughts to something else, for he inevitably began to wonder if Kagome returned his love.

 

 

There! He said it! He loved her. More than he ever imagined he could. But the problem was who could ever love a half-breed like him - an outcast, a hanyou?

 

 

But that was not the scene he saw when he jumped from the well. Kagome was simply standing there looking up, bow and arrow drawn, but held loosely in front of her.

 

 

“What happened?” he said, walking over to her. “Where's Naraku?”

 

 

She turned to look at him. “I don't really know. I came out of the well and Naraku was right behind me. I pulled out my bow and arrow to fight, but he just kept going up and up. Didn't even stop, in fact, I think he actually sped up. Maybe he didn't think that you'd be there, and that scared him.”

 

 

“Maybe,” said Inuyasha, “For Naraku to not attack when he had a prime opportunity like that.... Anyway, we'll discuss it later. I told your family that one of us would be back to give them the all clear. Why don't you do that, and you can gather your things at the same time? And I'll go tell Kaede about all this.”

 

 

Kagome agreed and they parted ways: Kagome back to the modern era and Inuyasha to Kaede's hut.

 

 

Kagome gathered her things and was back in about a half-hour. She returned to the feudal era and headed to the village. She realized, not for the first time, that the feudal era was seeming more and more like home and that the modern era was seeming more like a foreign place every time she went there.

 

 

She supposed it was because she had spent and was spending so much more time here than there. Another thing was her friends here. Sango was like a sister, someone she could share anything and everything with. Miroku was almost like an older brother. Almost. If he just control that hand of his.... When he couldn't, he earned himself either a red handprint on his face or a whack on the head - courtesy of the Hiraikotsu - from Sango. Though he really hadn't done that to anyone other than Sango in a long time.

 

 

Kagome always smiled when she thought of that. Sango really did care for Miroku, no matter how she denied it, and vice versa. They'd be an interesting couple. Shippou was turning more and more into a son, albeit an adopted one, but a son all the same. He evidently had lost his mother some time before Kagome met him, and his father right before, thanks to the Thunder Brothers. He had started to travel with them because he did not have any place to go, but before long, Kagome had started to feel like his mother, with Inuyasha as a reluctant father-figure and no one thought to turn him away. Although, she didn't mind that he thought of her as a mother; it felt good to be needed like that.

 

 

Thinking about Inuyasha always lead to thinking about her feelings for him. When she first met him, he was a stupid, arrogant, insolent jerk. He annoyed her more than anything, or anyone, else. But now, he had...changed, somehow. She hadn't sat him in a while, at least not for any of the original reasons she had sat him in the beginning for, like trying to kill her.

 

 

He still was far from perfect, however. She didn't see why he got so jealous when she merely said hello to Kouga, yet he didn't understand why she left nearly every time he went to see Kikyou. She realized she loved him, but she didn't see any reason for him to love her in return.

 

 

He had Kikyou back; she was just a girl in the wrong time, caught up in a battle that wasn't hers, and a weak human on top of it. But Kagome kept coming back, again and again. Her greatest wish was for him to live and be happy. Her greatest fear was that, when they did complete their quest and the Shikon Jewel, Inuyasha would use it to become full demon, and forget all of them, forget her. But if that made him happy, she would support him fully, and not tell him of her fears, her feelings.

 

 

By this time in her musings, her feet had taken her to the entrance of Kaede's hut. She pushed the bamboo curtain to the side and entered. Inuyasha was sitting around the small fire in the center of the floor with Kaede sitting across from him. Both of them looked up and Kaede asked Kagome how she was doing.

 

 

“Alright, I guess. Still a little shaken, though.” Kagome crossed the room to sit beside Inuyasha.

 

 

“That is understandable,” said Kaede. “Inuyasha and I have been discussing this latest attack.”

 

 

Kagome turned to Inuyasha, a questioning look in her eyes. He spoke up. “I figure that now that Naraku knows that I can pass through the well, he'll think twice about going through. There's only 4 shards left, and we know where 3 of them are, so we'll have to meet him face-to-face soon.”

 

 

“So, does that mean we'll head out to look for the last few shards once Miroku and Sango come back?” asked Kagome.

 

 

“Yeah, but for now, I think we all oughta get some sleep,” replied Inuyasha. Kagome and Kaede agreed, and pulled out their sleeping mats while Inuyasha headed outside to his favorite perch in the Sacred Tree.

 

 

A few hours late, Kaede was sound asleep, but Kagome was still tossing and turning, unable to sleep. She finally gave up about 1-2 in the morning and decided to take a walk to clear her head so she could sleep.

 

 

Inuyasha will probably yell at me for walking through the forest at night, she thought. But I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself. Well, speak of the devil.... She had reached the Sacred Tree and had found Inuyasha asleep at the base of it. She stopped and knelt in front of him. He looks so sweet when he's asleep. Like he's at peace. It's as if all the worries and problems he tries so hard to hide just disappear.

 

 

Just then, Inuyasha woke up and looked up to find Kagome staring at him. “Hey,” he said, sitting up a little straighter. “What're you doing up?”

 

 

“Nothing, I just can't sleep,” replied Kagome, sitting down beside him.

 

 

“Well, this evening was pretty eventful, so your body's probably still on edge,” said Inuyasha, a slight smile to his voice.

 

 

“Yeah, I guess so,” said Kagome, not looking up at him.

 

 

Inuyasha frowned and said, “Ok, spill. What's wrong?”

 

 

That got her attention. Kagome looked up and opened her mouth to say that nothing was wrong, but Inuyasha interrupted her before she could say anything. “And don't tell me `nothing'. I think I know you better than that by now!”

 

 

Kagome looked back down at the ground, wrapped her arms around herself, and spoke. “I just keep thinking about what happened today. Or what could have happened if you hadn't shown up when you did.”

 

 

Inuyasha frowned and said, a little confused, “What do ya mean? From what I saw, you were doing a pretty good job of holding him off til I got there. And I did keep the promise I made to you - I did get there, even if it was a little too close for comfort.”

 

 

“I know,” said Kagome. “And I'm glad you came when you did. It's just, well, I'm worried about my family. I mean, what if he went through the well again, and we didn't know it? The damage he could do...it scares me.”

 

 

Inuyasha placed his arm around Kagome, pulling her closer to him and covering her with part of the sleeve of his haori. “Well,” he said. “At least it shouldn't be too much longer before we get rid of him.”

 

 

Kagome looked up at him, confused. “What do you mean?”

 

 

“I mean, with there only being one shard still on the loose, as soon as it has been found and someone ends up with the other three, we will have to battle Naraku for his portion of the jewel. Then we can end this, once and for all.”

 

 

Kagome settled back down with her head on Inuyasha's shoulder once again, and said, yawning widely, “Yeah, that makes sense. We can figure out what our next plan of action is once Miroku and Sango return.” She yawned again. “Good night, Inuyasha.” Not ten seconds later, she had fallen asleep.

 

 

Inuyasha turned his head to look at her, careful not to move his body for fear of disturbing her. All of a sudden, he was struck by how much trust she had to have in him to fall asleep next to him. Most humans wouldn't even touch him, much less stay with him or tend to his numerous battle wounds like Kagome had.

 

 

Ever since he had first met her, and realized that she truly wasn't Kikyou, he had known that she wasn't the same as the people from his time. She accepted him for who he was, didn't try to change him, and trusted him. Most people treated hanyou with distrust, disrespect, fear, hatred, or ignorance. The last was probably the worst. He could deal with being hated or feared, but it was when he was treated as nothing or like he wasn't even there that got to him.

 

Kagome had never done that, and if she ever did, Inuyasha didn't know how he would handle it. For now, though, he was just content that she was here, by his side once again.

 

He smiled, settled himself down to sleep, and whispered, “I promise, Kagome. We will defeat Naraku, and if I have anything to say about it, nothing will happen to you or your family.”

 

 

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So, that's it for What If? The next arc semi-connects with this one.... And it'll have Kouga in it for our wolf lovers out there.... Oh, and btw - in case you were wondering where Inuyasha was the whole time Naraku was in Kagome's era and why he didn't smell Naraku, Inuyasha was helping out Kaede in her herb garden, and he turned out to be allergic to a couple of them and couldn't anything for a long while. I just couldn't think of a way to insert that into the story.

 

 

YoukaiLuvr