Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Elemental: A Feudal Soap Opera	By : plumcider Category: InuYasha > Het - Male/Female > InuYasha/Kagome Views: 19389 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
Whispering.
The first thing she was aware of were the voices whispering. She had the
fleeting thought that this was rather rude of the faceless voices, but it was
quickly shoved aside by the awareness that she ached, all over. Kagome
began to wake up more fully.

She
opened her eyes and immediately slid them shut again. The sun coming through
the small window made her head pound unbearably. She tried to lift her arm to
block out the offensive light that was burning through her eyelids, and let out
a small whimper at how much effort the simple action took.

�Easy,
child,� came one of the voices from somewhere above her. Kagome finally
recognized it as belonging to Kaede. �Give your strength time to come back to
you.�

Kagome
opened her eyes again with a wince, glancing up groggily before closing them
with a tired sigh. Kaede�s hut. I don�t remember how I got here. My
head...hurts.

Did
Inuyasha...?

�Kaede,�
she said, voice barely a hoarse whisper.

�Yes,
child?�

Kagome�s
thoughts became blurred, and the pain in her head began to recede. The world
was swirling away again. Kagome struggled to hang on to it. �Inuyasha...where?�

�The
hanyou is here,� Kaede said, and Kagome felt some of the tension go out of her
aching muscles. She had felt an unbearable fear that he would not be there, but
she could not remember why. She made a small sound of frustration.

Someone
picked up her hand, lightly caressing her palm before closing their fingers
around hers. She tried to open her eyes again, but she couldn�t. Her eyelids
were too heavy. �Rest, Kagome,� came a familiar, low voice. Inuyasha.

She
fought to stay awake. �Don�t...go.�

There
was a pause, then, �Rest. I�ll be here.�

She
squeezed his hand to let him know she understood, and fell back into darkness.

***

Kagome
slept for three more days, only half awakening when the others tried to coax
her to drink a bit of broth. Inuyasha stayed by her side, silent and brooding.
His temper had grown shorter and shorter, and he was snapping at anyone who
approached him. Shippou wouldn�t even stay in the hut, opting to spend time
with Kilarra, despite his worry for his surrogate mother.

Miroku
was growing concerned about Inuyasha, as were the others. Sango once again
attempted to get the hanyou to let her sit with Kagome while he took a break,
but he would have none of it. His response was quick and furious. Miroku glared
at him when Sango hastily apologized and ran outside, eyes bright with unshed
tears.

�Sango
is worried about you, too, you know. Both of you,� he said in reproach.

Inuyasha
didn�t look at him. �Feh,� he said simply, but some of the heat had gone out of
his voice.

Miroku
gave a mental sigh. Stubborn hanyou. �Kagome would want you to rest.�

Inuyasha
still did not reply. Miroku felt himself growing frustrated. He tried again.

�You
could go outside in the fresh air for a bit. Sango and I will both stay with
her.�

Inuyasha
glared at him briefly, before turning his eyes back to the wall. �No.�

Well,
at least he responded with an actual word this time. He decided to take
that as a good sign. �At least,� he began in a cajoling voice, but Inuyasha cut
him off.

�No.�

Well.
�You aren�t being rational, Inuyasha.� He glared at him, then saw the hanyou�s
hand flex convulsively in Kagome�s direction.

For a
moment, Miroku thought Inuyasha wasn�t going to answer, but finally, in a soft
voice, he spoke. �I promised her I�d stay.�

Ahh.
Realizing that trying to reason with him further would most likely be futile,
Miroku nodded once, then left the hut in search of Sango.

***

�Miroku,�
Sango said in surprise when the monk sat down beside her on the riverbank. She
hastily began to try and remove any traces of her weeping. �You startled me.�

Miroku
glanced at her, and she saw his features soften in sympathy. The pain she felt
was reflected in his eyes. He�s scared, too. She looked away. She felt
contrarily relieved at his presence, and uncomfortable with it, at the same
time.

�Are
you all right?� he inquired in a gentle tone.

�I�m
fine,� she said, and it was true, at least physically. The effects of the
demon�s poison had worn off soon after the vapors had cleared, leaving no
lasting effect other than a slight sore throat that was already feeling better.
Of course, she didn�t really think that he was asking after her physical
health, especially since he had seen her walk home unaided and declared fit by
Kaede. His next words confirmed her suspicion, and she braced herself for a
conversation she wasn�t sure she wanted to have.

�You
know,� he said after a short, contemplative silence, �Kagome is a very strong
girl. She has endured many things, and come out of them just fine. I believe,�
he said, voice low and soothing, �That it is far too early to give up on her.�

�Mm.�
Sango watched a crane lift a thrashing fish from the water and fly into the
afternoon sun. She felt a pang of sympathy for the fish. I�m not giving up.
I just don�t...don�t know what to do. It isn�t fair. She blinked away the
tears that had snuck back up on her, lowering her head and speaking her
thoughts in an anguished voice. �It isn�t fair. The demons...we can fight them.
We can protect each other, or at least try to. But this? How can we fight this?
Her own body is going to destroy her, and there�s nothing...nothing we can do.
It just isn�t fair,� she repeated, voice rising. She turned to Miroku, finding
a sad, crooked smile on his face.

Realization
of what she had just said dawned on her. She was instantly contrite. �Miroku,� she
said, placing a hand on his arm.

He
covered her hand with his own, causing her heart to do a funny little leap. She
wondered at the feeling, but did not pull away. �Sango, do not forget that as
long as there is breath, there is hope. Kaede said that she did not know of a
way to save Kagome, not that there was not a way to save her. We will
find a way. You have to have faith in that.� He drew back a bit and fell
silent.

Sango
wondered briefly if he truly believed that, or if he were simply trying to comfort
her, but then she saw him clenching his hand, fidgeting with the prayer beads
that kept the air void inside sealed away. I suppose he has to believe
that...and I...I think I want to believe it, too. She reached out
hesitantly and grasped his cursed hand, earning a start of surprise from the
monk. Turning it over so that the palm was facing up, she gently traced her
finger over and around the prayer beads there. �Yes,� she said, finally. �We
will find a way.�

�Sango,�
he said, softly.

�Yes,
Miroku?� She met his eyes, wondering at the tenderness she saw there. Her heart
gave another flutter.

�Thank
you.�

She
nodded and averted her gaze, feeling suddenly shy, but could not hide a small
smile. She felt his arm come to rest on her shoulders lightly, as if he were
afraid she would push him away, but she had no intention of doing so. Not this
time. It felt...nice...to be held this way, and she felt a little of the stress
from the day seeping away from her. If only he were like this all the time.
I could almost... Sighing, she closed her eyes and tentatively leaned into
his side. He froze for a moment, then relaxed, pulling her more firmly to him.
She flushed lightly, but allowed the familiarity. Turning so that her cheek lay
against his chest, she listened to the river rush by them, and was content, for
the moment, to rest in the solace he was offering.

***

�Kagome,�
Inuyasha said once he was sure he was alone with the girl. He brushed the back
of his knuckles across her cheek, staring intently when her eyelashes
fluttered, but she did not awaken. Stupid Kagome, don�t you know what
happens to people who get too close to me? He patted her face one last
time, then leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes, remembering, with
nightmarish clarity, carrying her limp form into Kaede�s hut.

�What�s
wrong with her, old woman,� he asked Kaede, after depositing Kagome on the
pallet, and telling her of Kagome�s collapse during the youkai attack. Ignoring
his own fiery blush, he also informed her of Kagome�s loss of innocence.

�And
you were human on that night?� Kaede asked.

Inuyasha
nodded, hoping she would not want more detail than that. �Yes.�

�Hmmm,�
she said, and began fussing over Kagome again, causing him to fidget in
impatience.

Trying
to tamp down his frustration, he fought the urge to bare his teeth and snarl at
the old woman. �Well, hag, what�s wrong with her?�

Kaede
looked at him then, her one eye boring into his, and he suddenly did not want
to know her answer. She gave it to him anyway. �She is dying.�

Inuyasha
staggered backward as if he had been struck. Sango gasped behind him. Steadying
himself, he demanded, �What?� He was furious, thinking the bitch was lying to
him for some sadistic purpose, but the mournful look on her face told him that
she was not toying with him, but telling the truth. He felt a dull pain in his chest, and a desperate desire to smash
something. He was forestalled by Kaede motioning for him to sit down. Inuyasha
did her bidding in stunned silence.

Kaede
sighed, and began speaking. �You, too, Sango. Sit down. I will explain while
Shippou is outside with the monk.�

Inuyasha
folded his hands nervously into his sleeves, waiting for her to begin. She
seemed in no great hurry, pacing a around the room, muttering a little under
her breath. Finally, when he had been about to jump up and demand some answers,
she spoke. �For a miko, power lies in purity. Purity of heart, purity of soul,
and purity of body.�

Inuyasha
colored, knowing where this was headed. �I know this already, hag.� Kaede
silenced him with a frown.

�Yes,
but Sango does not.� She bustled about a minute, then continued. �As I was
saying, a miko�s power lies in her purity, but that does not mean that she
cannot love. However, giving herself to a youkai is strictly forbidden.�

Inuyasha
clenched his jaw and looked away.

�But
Inuyasha isn�t pure youkai,� Sango protested.

Kaede
shrugged. �It does not matter. If there is even a drop of youkai blood, the
effect is the same.� She paused and gave Inuyasha an appraising look. ��Tis why
you had agreed to become human for my sister, is it not, Inuyasha?�

Inuyasha
flinched, angry that she would bring that up. �Feh.�

Sango
still looked confused. �So, Kagome is going to die because she and Inuyasha...�
She trailed off with an embarrassed glance at Kaede.

Inuyasha
had had enough. �No,� he said through his teeth. �It�s not supposed to kill
her. She just wouldn�t be a miko anymore. Her powers would be dormant. Right,
old woman? It isn�t supposed to kill her,� he continued, voice a near shout. He
got to his feet and came to stand in front of Kaede, taking an aggressive
stance. �So what the hell is wrong with her?�

�You
were human, Inuyasha,� Kaede replied calmly, as if this explained everything.
She seemed undisturbed by the angry hanyou glowering at her from less than a
foot in front of her face. He continued to glare at her, and she relented with
an exasperated grunt. �Her miko energy was not sealed because your youkai blood
was inactive. However, your demon aura, your youki, still mingled with hers,
and they entertwined. Her miko energy now mistakes Kagome�s own aura as
belonging to a demon, and it is attempting to purify her. When she tried to use
her energy to fight the demon earlier, it became stronger, and tried to consume
her. It is a very lucky thing that the demon�s poison caused her to lose
consciousness, or it would have succeeded, and we would be burying her right
now.�

Inuyasha�s
ears flattened to his head as her words conjured up an unwanted image. He
blinked at her a few times, the scowl slipping from his features, then sat back
down, dazed.

Sango
was losing her composure. �Surely we can stop it,� she cried.

�Perhaps,�
Kaede said, and the hanyou�s ears twitched toward her. �From what you have told
me, Inuyasha, Kagome still has some control over her power. I do not know how
this is possible, or if it will help her, but I suspect that as long as it is
so, there may be a chance.�

Inuyasha
leaned forward, trying to hide the hope from his voice. �What chance, old
woman?�

�I
do not know, Inuyasha. That is what we must find out.�

He
growled in frustration, folding his arms and glaring at the wall. Sango looked
contemplative and scared, but said nothing.

Kaede
glanced back at the unconscious girl behind her before facing the hanyou and
the demon exterminator again. �You must not give up hope. Her life depends on
it.�

Unable
to listen any longer, Inuyasha had gotten to his feet and stormed from the hut.

Inuyasha
opened his eyes, shaking himself lightly to rid himself of the memory. And
just how the hell am I supposed to figure out a way to save her? He cursed
savagely, the weight of the responsibility nearly crushing him. The words
sounded unnaturally loud in the almost-empty hut, and he shot a guilty glance
toward Kagome, but she was still sleeping. Kaede had given her something to
help her rest while she regained her strength, but it should be wearing off
soon. Inuyasha wished she would wake up. It was beginning to feel as if she
were already...gone. He sucked in a sharp breath, catching her scent. That was
another worry. She still smelled like Kagome, but now his scent was mixed in,
too. She usually smelled a bit like him. She rode on his back all the time,
after all, but this wasn�t the same. Her scent just wasn�t right. It had
a sickly edge to it that had increased in the last few days, as if it were some
decaying thing. He had initially noticed it when Kaede had left him alone with
her on the first day. He had been trying to analyze her scent so he might
figure out if she was carrying his child, even though, logically, he knew it
would be too soon for even his sensitive nose to tell.

He
had been right. He couldn�t tell if she was pregnant or not, but what he had
smelled had so distracted him, he had nearly forgotten why he had been checking
in the first place. The scent was now noticeably stronger. She
smells...tainted. He turned away, feeling faintly ashamed. This wasn�t
right. It wasn�t supposed to happen this way.

It
wasn�t supposed to happen at all, moron. Remember?

He
cursed again, and changed the direction of his thoughts. He had to grudgingly
admit, at least to himself, that Miroku had been right. He did need to rest.
He�d never be able to think clearly enough to help Kagome if he kept on this
way. He didn�t need as much sleep as the others, but he definitely needed some,
and he hadn�t had any at all in over seventy-two hours. The problem was how to
do it and still be near enough if she woke up that she wouldn�t think he�d
broken his word. There was really only one solution.

Looking
around to make certain that the others had not returned, he scooted closer to
Kagome, pulling her up carefully until her head rested in his lap, then leaned
back against the wall again. One corner of his mouth tilted up in a crooked
smile as he remembered a time when he had been human, weakened from poison, and
she had done the same for him.

He
tucked her hair back from her face, wishing again that she would wake. He
wanted...no, needed...to talk to her. To explain to her what was going on, of
course, but he also wanted to know why. He shifted slightly, stretching
out his legs, careful not to jostle her. Why would you do that, Kagome? Was
it just an impulse? Were you only curious? You said I thought you were Kikyo.
Was that the reason? Was it...pity? The thought that she had thought he was
so desperate for Kikyo, and had felt sorry enough for him to lie with him,
filled him with shamed fury. He shoved it back down, realizing there was no use
trying to understand her actions while she slept. But when she wakes up, I
want answers.

Making
sure she was as comfortable as she could be under the circumstances, he closed
his eyes and allowed himself to relax. It was only moments before exhaustion
pulled him into slumber.

***

-to be continued-
- 9
- 10
- 11
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Elemental: A Feudal Soap Opera