InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Woodin Cylinders And Red Herrings ❯ Angel ( Chapter 8 )

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any characters there in.

Angel

"We've got to think of some other to do this!" Dusty exclaimed, "My lips are getting chapped."

It was early the next morning, the sky was only just beginning to hint at blue, but everyone had been awakened when Kagome pounced on InuYasha before Dusty convinced her to submit to sleep. It was popular opinion that Dusty postponed putting Kagome down for the entertainment value.

"Is there another way to get your lip dust to Kagome?" Sango asked.

Dusty thought for a second, "I'd have to produce more, and that's what's doing the damage." Dusty shrugged, she was watching Kagome as she slept restlessly, "So… any guesses as to the word spell?" she asked finally.

"What?" InuYasha looked down from the top of the great rock they had mad camp next to. His eyes reflected the campfire back at Dusty.

"Spooky." Dusty said, "The word? The last and possibly most dangerous part of the spell? We can look for it while she sleeps."

"Keh." InuYasha's eyes turned from the fire.

Dusty forged ahead anyway, "We'll make a game of it! Now it will have to be a one word action-"

"Like SIT. InuYasha sulked.

Dusty glanced at Kagome, "Yes, but that's not it."

"How do you know?" Sango asked, "What if she has to be awake for it to work?"

Dusty shook her head, "Even if she doesn't actually act, I should be able to see the Magic run through the mark. Like when InuYasha's rosary glows just before he hits the ground. I say it's… kill. Try that InuYasha."

Dusty waited expectantly, InuYasha turned to glare at her, "No."

"I think we should try other orders first, Dusty." Miroku respond, "Things that won't have us defending ourselves."

"Alright… the you think of something." Dusty leaned back against the rock.

"What would some want Kagome to do?" Sango asked the group.

No one seemed to know.

"Well you didn't want to say kill." Dusty pouted.

"I don't think any one sees Kagome as a very food assassin, Dusty." Sango said.

"Would you guys find it so easy to hurt her back?" Dusty asked expectantly.

The others looked at each other uncomfortably. None of them would be able to harm Kagome intentionally.

"Right, so anyway, lets try just calling out words then." Dusty straightened up again, "But the reaction might not be exactly what the word means, after all Kagome says "SIT!" but InuYasha lays down. Hey! Try "Lay" or "Down", InuYasha."

InuYasha grudgingly complied but with no result.

"Go." Miroku suggested.

"Give," Sango tried, "as in give us the shards?"

"Stay." Dusty indicated.

"Get." Miroku insinuated.

InuYasha tried all these words and nothing happened.

"Play?" Dusty asked hesitantly.

Nothing happened, again.

"Where does that leave us?" Sango asked.

"Maybe they are not after the shards," Miroku offered, "at least not directly."

Dusty nodded thoughtfully, "But what else does Kagome have to offer that someone would want? Besides the visible I mean."

InuYasha growled at Dusty's insinuation, then turned to Kagome and barked, "Talk."

Nothing happened to Kagome, but Miroku brightened, "Information!" he said happily.

"Tell." Said Sango.

Dusty shook her head, "Something the owner of the spell might not expect us to say ordinarily."

Miroku considered InuYasha for a moment then suggested, "Please?"

InuYasha ignored him completely.

"Speak!" Dusty squeaked happily.

"Speak?" Everyone said back to her incredulously.

Suddenly a mumbling could be heard from where Kagome lay on her sleeping bag. Then it stopped.

"InuYasha," Dusty whispered for some reason, "try that one again."

This time everyone watched and listened when InuYasha gave the command. Dusty saw the flash of blue white light from the magic coursing through the symbol on Kagome's abdomen just before she began to whisper.

"Inu… mmnnnmnn... mnnmnmhhh…"

InuYasha stared in shock as everyone else let out a relieved breath.

"That's fairly benign, then." Dusty said.

"What?" Sango asked, "What good would that do anyone?"

"Well," Dusty tried to look important and professional again, "either the spell makes Kagome say what's on her mind, or the person is a pervert and wants Kagome to entertain them."

"What did she say?" Miroku leaned forward in his curiosity.

"Shut up!" InuYasha jumped down on the opposite side of the rock from them.

"Consider the condition of her mind… er, body, Miroku." Dusty hadn't really heard that much of what Kagome said, but the basic content was clear. She glanced over at Kagome, who was beginning to wake up, "It's that time again. Miroku turn around."

*

"She's waking up, Dusty." Shippo said helpfully.

"I'm not doing it again." Dusty said shortly, "It's too close to that time anyway. She should be awake when the spell switches."

"What's left to go wrong?" Sango asked.

Dusty thought before she answered, "I'm not sure but the body's finished, so that leaves the head."

"What if she goes crazy again?" Shippo asked while clutching Sango's arm.

"We'll take care of her, don't worry." Dusty patted him on the head.

Kagome came around slowly; feeling as if she had been swimming too long, she was worn out, her limbs were sluggish and her head was floating. And still her body ached as it had last night when she had pounced on poor InuYasha.

Slowly her eyes focused on Dusty, "Aren't you going kiss me again?" she asked drowsily.

Dusty shook her head, "It's almost time."

"Oh." Kagome was confused, time for what?

Everyone else in the group watched her anxiously, InuYasha watched from the top of the rock. "I'm not going to jump on anyone," she mumbled, "I have a pixie dust hangover and I just want to curl up in a little ball and cry."

"Don't cry." InuYasha ordered quietly. His nerves were frayed enough without her crying again.

"I'll do what I want when I want, you jerk!" Kagome screamed.

"A bad day this may be," a small feminine voice said from outside the group, "but the rain may pass away tomorrow."

"… What the hell is she talking about?" InuYasha was the first to speak.

A few paces north of the group stood a pretty human girl, about Kagome's age. She was wearing a green and white Kimono with a brown apron, and a slightly blank expression. From her hand hung five crystals on five leather stripes, each identical to the one she wore around her neck.

"Angel! You're early!" Dusty chirped brightly, " Come stare at Kagome with us until the next phase comes."

Angel knelt gracefully next to Dusty, who was across from Kagome, Miroku sat next to Angel and Sango settled next to him. The only one that didn't move to watch the transformation was InuYasha. He stayed on the rock.

As annoyed as Kagome was at the others for, once again, treating her like a side show, InuYasha's refusal to face her irked her most.

"Coward!" She shouted up at him, "Come down and face me like a -"

Kagome swooned a little but caught herself. InuYasha leaned forward on his perch, trying to see if Kagome was all right without putting himself in "danger".

"Are you Ok Kagome?" Shippo asked, afraid to approach her.

Kagome seemed to ignore him. She sat very still blinking her eyes rapidly. She waved her hand in front of her face and accidentally hit her nose. Her face lifted to look around her, frightened, she moved her mouth like she was trying to talk, but nothing came out. She put her hand on her throat and tried again. Nothing. Finally she just curled up, hugged her knees and started crying.

"What's going on Dusty?" Miroku asked.

"Kagome seems to be blind, deaf, and for some reason mute." Dusty explained, "I'll bet she's can't smell or taste anything either. Don't knock the importance of those last ones to human's InuYasha, especially when missing all the others. Right now the only thing connecting Kagome to this world is touch."

Dusty considered the frightened girl while Shippo tried to get her attention by shouting and dancing.

"InuYasha, come down here." Dusty called.

InuYasha, now certain that Kagome was safe to be around, jumped down next to her. Kagome felt the rush of air and jerked away.

"InuYasha I think that you should hold Kagome's hand." Dusty said.

"What! Why?" InuYasha looked at Dusty suspiciously.

"Well your hands and clothes are unique," Dusty said. "I doubt that Kagome has held hands very often with Sango, Shippo is too young to offer her the comfort she needs right now, the knowledge that she is safe. And the only other one with a unique situation is Miroku, with his glove and beads. Now do you want Miroku holding hands with Kagome for the next 24 hours?"

InuYasha growled, but reached over and put one hand lightly on Kagome's arm.

She jumped, causing his claws to graze across her skin. She grabbed his hand with both of hers and hugged it to her for a moment. When she recognized InuYasha's hand her world had gained a glimmer of comfort. Her hands traveled up his arm, grasping at the fire rat haori, feeling it's familiar texture. When she reached his shoulder she rapped her arms around his.

InuYasha blushed, staring at Kagome as she clutched his arm to her chest.

"Good, good." Dusty smiled, "She looks better already."

"The beginning sits among the poppies, blackness does not fluctuate," Angel said quickly, "stillness does not beget the destination."

"Quite right Angel." Dusty stood, "Pass out the passes and let's get moving."

*

A/N: this is actually the first half of Chapter 8, but I decided to put it up to show you that I really was working on it. The next half, now chapter nine, will be out this Friday (October 17th). Heh, for a minute back there, writing the story, I felt like I was in "The Phantom Tollbooth". If anyone else knows that book, or the scene I'm talking about, I would be very surprised.

The count now stands at:

Just a test - 1

Kouga - 1

InuYasha - 1

Remember only your last guess will be counted in the final chapter. And you don't have to guess to review ^_~

Happy guessing!