Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Moonlight's Shadow	By : northstar Category: InuYasha > Het - Male/Female > Naraku/Kagome Views: 40637 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Disclaimer: I don�t own anything Inuyasha.
This work of fanfiction is done without the
permission of the original creator (and doubtless the original creator wouldn�t
give me permission either; not with a story like this) but all anyone who sues
me will get is one reclusive roommate; one slightly used, very abused muse; a
steel penny; a couple very bad sketches that were my attempts at fanart; a small yellow Pontiac gt
hot wheels toy that was my first car; and some shiny rocks from field camp

And no, you can�t have the rocks. They�re mine. See? My
shiny!

[AN] Ahem. So yes, I have decided to make this into a full
length story. It was just a one shot idea, but I�ve gotten such phenomenal
reviews for this (yes, thank you, thank you very much, everyone who read and
reviewed. This chapter happened because of you, so give yourself a very well
deserved pat on the back. Have you done it yet? No continuing until you have! How about now? Did you do it? Good!) Okay-----I have
some good news and some bad news, depending upon who you are and what your
preferences are, this can be all good or all bad. The OFFICIAL pairings of this
story are as follows: Naraku/Kagome and Sango/Miroku. There won�t be much Sango/Miroku
unless it fits into the story. As for Inuyasha, there
will be some scenes between him and Kagome; that�s simply inevitable if I�m to
keep Kagome and him in character. He will not be who she winds up with unless
my muse wrestles control away from me and absolutely insists that Inu gets paired with Kag. The characters in my story will be changed by what
happens to them, so some ooc-ness may occur despite
my best efforts. Please forgive. Oh yes, the rest of the news; if you are
strong Inuyasha/Kagome fan or a strong Kikyo fan, you may not want to read. I�ve tried not to
distort their characters, but Inuyasha and Kikyo will not be shown in a good light. Consider yourself
warned.
Lalala. I�m long winded today, but I�m excited about getting this
chapter done. I suppose I should stop spouting dribble and let you read the
chapter. Sigh. Fine. Go! Read! *waves hand in
direction of the rest of the chapter* Enjoy.

Ha! No warnings needed for this chapter. Except
maybe depression. This chapter is not happy. BE WARNED!

�And she shall wear a
scarlet letter, so all may know her shame.�

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Ch 5 Rescue

Something feathered along the edge of Kagome�s numb
satisfaction. Absent minded recognition flared briefly in some still
functioning part of her brain; a programmed stimulus that demanded a response.
Irritation touched her blissfully ignorant state as habit struggled to kick in.
�KAGOME!!�
She knew that voice from somewhere. The urgency in its tone
compelled her, yet she was reluctant to answer its call. Something stark and
ugly, something so horrible she voluntarily blocked it out, hovered on the
brink of reality, ready to take her back into its nightmarish embrace.
�KAGOME!! Where are you?!�
Despite herself, Kagome began to surface from her stupor. It
was as if the mist of her dreams, insubstantial and blank, could not continue
to conceal the vivacity of real life. A minute change, a slight catch in her
breathing, was the first indication that this would not be a normal waking.
�KA-GO-ME!!!�
There was the sensation of being propelled, as if she was
being spit out of the belly of some great fish, and suddenly, she was awake.
Desperately, she clung to the last vestiges of the afterglow, rebelling against
the knowledge that awaited her return to consciousness.
No! She did not want
to be here!
But she was.
And there was pain.
A lot of it.
Her head throbbed. Her muscles ached. Her wrists were aflame
with irritation, where the skin had been rubbed
bloody. The bite mark on her neck sat against her skin like a steady blade that
only cut her deeper, every time she dared to draw breath. Her lips were tender
and raw as flayed skin, swollen and dry. She darted her tongue out to moisten
them, her breath catching in a gasp as she touched them. Minor things-such as
the way some of her nails were torn to the quick-or the crescent indentions in
the heels of her palms-passed by unnoticed. She was aware that she was naked
and vulnerable, but no where did she feel it more acutely than where she had
been violated. Something thick and sticky clung along her inner thighs, making
the skin there alternately slide slickly against itself where it was wet or
stick together where it was drying. Further up, further in there was bruising
and bleeding around and inside her vagina. The stressed muscles of her sheath
ached and knotted up painfully. The torn skin of her hymen gave an occasional
twinge of shooting pain as she shifted.
The physical damage was extensive, but would heal. It was
the wounds inflicted upon her mind and soul that would linger; continuing to
bleed long after her body was again whole. She had lost her innocence, but it
was more than just a tiny piece of skin between her legs. It was a loss of
faith, a loss of naivet�, a loss of confidence. It was a loss of her girlish
fantasies, the usual daydreams of marriage and children, of the giddy
excitement that had accompanied the thought of her wedding night. Her first
time should have been an experience of tenderness and patience, of love and
awkward laughter; but it was gone forever. All that remained in place of her
dreams were dark memories of erotic subjugation and painful humiliation. Naraku had been gentle�as gentle as he knew how to be�and
Kagome shivered at the thought of what he would be like if he ever got a hold
of her again. Would he be as considerate? As restrained? She shivered again,
some detached part of her horrified and shocked that she was even
characterizing Naraku with such emotions. Yet�he had
been. For him.
Revulsion and queasy excitement made her skin prickle.
Never again, she
vowed. Never again will I let him touch
me.
But how could she stop him? How could she really do anything
about that?
Tears clogged in her throat and slid down her bruised cheeks
to pool on the cool wooden floor.
Nothing had stopped him from doing that to her this time. How would next time be any different? Inuyasha had
been powerless to stop him. Even now, Inuyasha
arrived to rescue her too late.
Not his fault, a
part of her whispered even as a part of her wanted to blame him for his
failure.
Kagome�s tears still fell, unchecked.
She had so much hurt inside; she wanted nothing more than to
lash out and make someone else as miserable as she was. She was filled with
hatred; hatred of herself and what Naraku had made
her feel; hatred of Naraku and what he had done to
her against her will; hatred of her belief in Inuyasha
and how he had failed to live up to it.
But she couldn�t hate Inuyasha
himself.
Because his voice, his blessedly
irritating yelling, signaled the end of her ordeal. He was here, so
everything was going to be alright. Even as Kagome realized the falsehood of
that rationalization, she couldn�t fight the flood of relief and exhaustion
that overtook her. Survival instinct had kicked in, holding her together
despite herself, but Inuyasha�s arrival signaled safety and as much as she no longer
believed in the promise of his protection, habit kicked in and subconsciously
she recognized that it was going to be okay and she could break down now.
Strung out, nerved wracked, and drained emotionally beyond
hope, all she could do was sob quietly as the sound of Inuyasha�s
bare feet slapping the floor grew closer.
Another thought registered in her head. Inuyasha
would find her like this�naked, bound, and helpless on the floor. She found she
had the strength to care, and new anxiety swamped her. What would he do? What
would he think? What if he found out about her betrayal?! Surely the smell of
her arousal permeated the room! He would know that she�that Naraku�that
they had� She tensed at the thought, her muscles screaming in protest. He would
know. Her shame�her dirty secret�she found that she wanted it to remain a secret, hidden from all her friends�she
didn�t want to know how they would stare
at her with revulsion and pity. They hated Naraku,
one and all, and to know that she and
Naraku had done that�
Kagome whimpered, fresh tears spilling from her eyes. No, no, she pleaded silently, as if
preying to some merciful deity (although her recent experience proved there
were none), anything but that.
It would be a new kind of raw exposure, fresh horror to heap
upon the horrors she had already endured today. Kagome felt her skin crawl. She
was dirty. And they would be able to
see it, every single detail. She began to tremble uncontrollably, her shock and
numbness finally wearing off.
The sound of footsteps grew louder. Kagome made a low sound
of distress and struggled feebly against her bonds. First and foremost in her
mind was the urgent need to escape and
hide. She almost managed to lever
herself up onto her elbows several times, but ultimately failed to achieve even
that and finally curled up into a miserable ball on her side, waiting the
inevitable.
There was the vibration of pounding footsteps in the floor
beneath her cheek, then the violent smack of the paneled door being thrown
back. There was a thick, suffocating moment of silence in which Kagome could
physically feel the weight of Inuyasha�s eyes
studying her. Summoning the last of her pride, the wisps of her dignity, Kagome
lifted her head to meet Inuyasha�s shocked and
horrified gaze.
�Kagome!� he
breathed, his voice a broken sound of desperation and worry.
There was such torment and such compassionate caring in that
golden gaze that Kagome forgot her misgivings. The violent urge to throw
herself in Inuyasha�s arms and cry until her heart
stopped breaking overcame her suddenly and only her bound wrists prevented her
from doing so.
�Inu��
she started to sob when a shadow in the doorway behind Inuyasha
brought her up short. For a moment her pulse fluttered and her lungs seized.
What if Naraku had returned? But then a figure
stepped into the room and the lamplight fell across a familiar face.
Dark eyes burning with disdain and revulsion, Kikyo stepped into the room.
Kagome�s brimming emotions stilled so fast, she felt as if
she�d been dunked in ice water. Even with tears still glistening on her cheeks,
Kagome�s eyes were now dry and wary. Like an actual mask, Kagome could feel her
face shut down and go blank. Kikyo was a dangerous
threat and instinct would not let Kagome break down and show weakness in front
of her. And so it was with dull, dead eyes that Kagome returned the stare of
her soul twin and rival.
Inuyasha halted, surprised by this
change in Kagome. He had put away his sword at the first sign of Kagome, his
first and only thought to go to her, but now he was held still by the prickling
of unease that raised the hairs on the back of his neck. Both of the women were
ignoring him, which was unusual since he had always before been the center of
their conflict.
Kikyo�s cold brown eyes roved over
Kagome�s indecent form.
�Whore!� she
hissed maliciously.
Inuyasha�s spine instantly went
ramrod stiff. His eyes flashed amber fire. He opened his mouth to protest.
�Can you not sense it? Naraku�s jyaki is all over her!� Kikyo
spat.
Inuyasha fell quiet as he lifted
his nose and scented the room. Immediately his worried expression grew stormy
with rage and hatred.
�Nar-ra-kuuuuu,�
he growled low and deep.
Kagome gave a sobbing little hiccup, unable to help herself,
and Inuyasha�s mood shifted to concern for her once
again. Without conscious thought, he advanced towards her, his arms
outstretched to reach for her. He murmured nonsensical reassurances under his
breath, approaching her like he would a wounded wild thing. Kagome raised her
head higher, her gaze fastened hungrily on him, her entire body language
communicating her eagerness to be held. He was so close to her, inches away
from gathering her into his embrace, when she gave an anguished little mew and
shrank away from him.
�Don�t touch me! Don�t
touch me! Don�t touch me!� she cried pitifully.
Inuyasha froze with surprise, his
eyes widening as he read fear in her eyes.
Fear of him.
�Don�t touch her!� Kikyo
reinforced urgently.
Inuyasha straightened, his eyes
locked with Kagome�s, his hands curling into fists.
�Why?� he
demanded, his voice falling into the thickening silence.
Kagome gave a helpless little whimper, caught between
conflicting needs. She wanted to be held, to be rocked, to be soothed, but she
couldn�t bear the thought of anyone touching her dirty skin, especially not Inuyasha. She looked up at him, pleading for him to make it
better, unconscious of the fact that she was asking the impossible.
�She�s been defiled. She�s unclean! An abomination!�
Kikyo stated with more passion than she usually ever
showed. �We must kill her. Now.�
�WHAT?� Inuyasha practically roared, whirling to confront Kikyo.
Only to be met with the sight of Kikyo
with a strung arrow pointed directly at Kagome. Instinctively Inuyasha slid between Kikyo and
Kagome, moving to protect Kagome from Kikyo.
Kagome whimpered. It was too much. Too
much after what she had already endured. Please, please, just let it all end, she cried silently.
�Move or I will shoot you,� Kikyo
commanded icily.
�Of course I won�t!� Inuyasha
retorted, drawing his sword. The sound of it leaving its sheath was audible in
the quiet room. He pointed it at Kikyo.
The dead miko laughed; the noise
so brittle it was like swallowing needles or treading on broken glass. She sauntered
closer to Inuyasha, her hips swaying in mocking
suggestion.
�I am your one and only love,� she stated sardonically as
she approached, �Can you really use that sword against me?!�
Kagome�s eyes widened with horror as her gaze flickered from
Kikyo�s confident smirk to Inuyasha�s
drooping sword. Anguish stabbed through her, erasing the small comfort she had
derived from Inuyasha�s coming. Something flickered
and died within Kagome, and suddenly she felt tired, so tired. She laid her
head back on the floor and closed her eyes.
�It�s okay,� she whispered.
Inuyasha�s ears perked at the
sound of Kagome�s voice and he shifted so that he could see her out of the
corner of his eye, never taking his full attention off of Kikyo.
�It�s okay,� Kagome whispered again. �Inuyasha.�
Inuyasha turned more fully towards
her, his eyes searching her face. Disbelief and confusion kept him speechless
for a moment.
�Wha-� he started.
�Let her do as she pleases,� Kagome clarified, opening her
eyes and rolling her head to meet his stare.
�Never!� Inuyasha
immediately retorted.
She was too tired; too broken to spare him the truth.
�You can�t hurt her,� she told him softly.
Inuyasha reared back, his eyes
suddenly defensive and haunted. �I�� he started to protest.
Kagome�s eyes shifted and she lifted her head to meet Kikyo�s hard gaze. A moment of silent understanding passed
between the mikos. Kagome looked back at Inuyasha and read the lost and childlike look in his face.
She felt as if she should smile gently, to ease the impact of her words on him,
but she couldn�t find her smile; it was no where to be found.
�You would have to hurt her to stop her, Inuyasha,�
she clarified slowly, wearily.
Inuyasha�s head whipped around and
his eyes settled on Kikyo�s face. He read the resolve
there and knew then that Kagome was right.
�Why?� he roared
again, his voice tinged with panic. Conflicting emotions poured through him and
he could not decide on any clear action.
�Because she will destroy the world,� Kikyo
stated with absolute conviction. She stepped past the stunned Inuyasha and leveled her arrow at Kagome�s heart.
Kagome closed her eyes in acceptance. Did she mind dying? Perhaps not. It would make all the pain and hatred go away. She remembered her earlier
desire to live, despite what Naraku had been doing to
her, and wonder at it. Death really wasn�t all that scary. Inuyasha
couldn�t protect her, not anymore, and especially not from Kikyo.
Her earlier words were true. It was okay.
The noise of air movement filled the room, and the stray
thought oh, that�s Hiraikotsu,
echoed through Kagome�s empty mind just as the giant boomerang whistled through
the doorway and sliced through the air between Kikyo
and Kagome, narrowly missing Inuyasha.
�San-go!� Inuyasha
complained as Kikyo stepped back and lowered her bow.
Sango, dressed in her black youkai slayer�s outfit, appeared in the doorway in time to
catch the giant boomerang on its backward arc. She ignored Inuyasha,
her full attention on Kagome. She opened her mouth to say something but it was
drowned out by Shippo�s urgent, hysterical cry.
�KAGOME!� the fox
kit screamed. With the uncanny accuracy of a child, he could sense that
something was terribly wrong with only a glance. He was nothing more than a
tawny blond blur as he launched himself at Kagome.
Battered and abused as she was, Kagome�s maternal instincts
immediately snapped her head around to lock eyes on her adopted child. She
levered herself up a little, heedless of her body�s pain. Shippo
hit her chest square on with a solid thud, missing the sound of her quiet grunt
as he sobbed into her skin.
�Kagome! Kagome!� he moaned as he butted his
head against her breastbone.
She cradled him against her as best she was able, part of
her deriving strength from the gesture of offering comfort. Her own tears fell
in harmony to his and she was surprised to find herself trembling almost as bad
as the fox child was.
�Shippo!�
she sighed. �Oh Shippo!�
Kagome cringed away from the fragile sound of her own voice
and fell silent. She didn�t want to be touching Shippo,
not with the taint of Naraku still all over her. She
was deathly, illogically afraid that it was transferable, that her ill luck
would become Shippo�s. What would she do if it drew Naraku�s attention to the kit?
She whimpered. She couldn�t just assume she was strong
enough to protect Shippo from Naraku.
She was helpless against Naraku.
�No�� she breathed
as Shippo burrowed further against her body.
�No!� she reiterated, squirming away from Shippo�s clinging form.
�Shippo!� she snapped sharply. The
fox kit�s head snapped up and his big, tear filled eyes met her desperate and
panicky ones.
�Kag�?� he started tentatively,
his voice trailing off as his gaze was drawn lower. His eyes widened in shock
and two unnoticed tears trailing down his cheeks. He turned pale, swallowed
audibly, and reached out a shaking hand to touch Kagome�s chest.
�What�� he managed to gulp. �Is that?�
Kagome looked down. There, in stark and charred relief, was
the black mark of a spider against her creamy skin.
�What is what?!� Inuyasha demanded, plucking Shippo
out of the way by the back of his shirt.
Kagome choked back a sudden sob as disbelief closed her
throat. �Abomination�� she whispered.
�What?! What is it?!� Inuyasha snapped, his temper fraying further. He loomed
over her to get a better look.
Belatedly Kagome realized what was happening. He was close,
too close. He would see�
�No!� she instinctively denied. She looked up. It was too
late. She could read the raw revulsion in his eyes. For a detached moment, she
wondered whether he felt revulsion for just the mark upon her body or for her
body also because it now bore Naraku�s mark. Then she realized it didn�t matter; he had
looked at her and been repulsed and that was enough. Any need to seek sympathy
and comfort from him died.
The sound of a bow string being pulled taunt interrupted the
terse silence. Everyone�s attention flew to Kikyo,
but she had eyes for Kagome alone.
�Die,� she commanded.
Kagome looked up at Kikyo�s
arrogant, righteous face, and just like that, her numbness was gone. Anger
rushed through her so fast it burned like cold fire and she could feel her eyes
flash with challenge. Wrath built as a heavy weight in her chest and she
realized she wasn�t angry; she was furious.
�What right do you
have to judge me?� Kagome hissed back. �YOU
are just as much at fault! I took YOUR
PLACE in Naraku�s bed! This happened for your sake! Because of you! I hate you!�
Kagome fell silent, her eyes glittering with the frigid
beauty of ice and diamonds. She was so worked up she was panting softly, her
ribcage protesting every breath. A complacent, twisted smile�one that was an
eerie echo of Naraku�s�spread across her face.
�If you wish to kill me, do it now,� she warned quietly,
�because there won�t be another
opportunity. You owe me a debt I will come to collect if you don�t shoot
me now.�
The quiet between the two thickened as Kagome stared down Kikyo. At last, the dead miko
dropped her eyes and relaxed her hold on the bow�s string. She tucked the arrow
she had strung back into the sheath on her back. She half turned, as if to
leave without a word, then paused.
�I will leave you to your grieving. For now,� she said at
last in her deadpan voice. With that she started for the door. �But things are
not over between us,� she shot over her shoulder as she disappeared from sight.
Kagome remained tense until she could no longer sense the
dead miko. A hand grasped her shoulder and she
instantly jerked away, but the grip remained firm and as she looked up into Sango�s concerned brown eyes, she allowed herself to relax
marginally.
�It�s a bad burn,� was Sango�s
only comment as she surveyed the spider mark. �It�s going to need salve.�
She made a quick movement with her other hand and Kagome
couldn�t help it; she flinched. Sango�s voice trailed
off. She said nothing, but the concern in her eyes deepened. Steadily, she
raised her other hand, and Kagome could have wept when she saw that Sango was covering her with the sheet.
�Shippo?
Do you think you can untie her?� Sango asked gently.
�Yes!� he replied with false enthusiasm as he struggled from
Inuyasha�s lax grasp and hurried over to Kagome.
Kagome hissed as the silk moved against her raw wrists. Shippo instantly ceased, his gaze going to Kagome�s face.
�Do it,� she gritted out. Her features softened, just a
little. �Please,� she added.
Sango finished draping the sheet
over her naked form about the same time as Shippo
finally worked the knot loose. Slowly and painfully, Kagome curled her arms
into her chest. She could feel Inuyasha watching her,
but she refused to meet his gaze. She had her own inner turmoil to deal with.
This time, Inuyasha would have to deal with his own
alone.
�Can you sit up with my help?� Sango
queried.
�I�ll try,� Kagome answered. She flexed muscles that
screamed in protest, but her determination to get out of this room, this place
of her violation, was stronger than her body�s resistance. She sat up.
Blood rushed to Kagome�s head and the room spun dizzily.
Only Sango�s strong grip on her shoulders kept her
swaying form upright. She blinked several times, a small sound of pain escaping
from her throat. Her vision cleared slowly, and the blurry faces around her
resolved into Miroku�s, Shippo�s,
Kirara�s, Sango�s, and Inuyasha�s concerned features. She blinked in absent
surprise.
When had Miroku and Kirara entered the room? It worried her that she was out of
touch with her surroundings, but her recent encounter with Naraku
was still startlingly clear in the back of her mind and she found herself
wishing she could lose touch with that
particular memory. As if thinking of it had summoned it to the fore, the
sensations of her rape rose up to swallow her. Her throat closed with panic.
Her heart beat kicked up to high speed. Her body, her traitorous, wretched
body, came alive with arousal.
She concentrated, and her gaze narrowed down until all she
could see was Inuyasha�s set, angry face and furious,
broody gold eyes. The sensations vanished and the reality of Inuyasha�s presence set in. She felt her cheeks flush with
shame, and quickly dropped her eyes.
She looked from face to face, fighting down her panic,
fighting back her irrational fear. Her friends were here. She loved them; and
seeing the anguish and concern in each gaze reassured her that they, indeed,
loved her too.
Miroku, usually flamboyant, was
frowning and his eyes were deadly serious with reserved anger and pain. Here
was someone who would fight beside her to defeat Naraku.
Shippo, his eyes still watery with
tears, was eating her up with his eyes as if he still couldn�t believe she was
alive and present before him. He was so needy, but instead of feeling
resentment, she felt stabilized. Here was someone who wanted her despite how
soiled she was and who loved her unconditionally. She ached to reach out and
cuddle him, but she couldn�t, not yet. She was too broken and she was afraid
that if she held him close, she would cut him with the raw, razor sharp pieces
of her soul.
Kirara, animal youkai
though she was, saw far more than she ever revealed and was the keeper of many
secrets. This secret would go into her vault of hidden knowledge as well and
even death would not part her from it. In her cat eyes, Kagome thought she saw
the gleam of timeless wisdom and fathomless compassion. Here was a source of
acceptance and strength that Kagome could lean on.
And last but not least Sango with
her gentle touch and fierce protectiveness and hurting eyes. She was hurting for Kagome. Here was a friend who
wouldn�t shy away from listening to every grisly detail of her story and who
wouldn�t shy away from offering her understanding.
Kagome took a deep breath. She searched inside and found a
tiny wisp of her strength left. Grasping it more desperately and more tightly
than she ever had anything else in her life, she contorted her lips into a small,
soft smile that had no bitter edge.
�I�ll be alright,� she assured them.
Kirara gave one of her chirping
mews. The corners of Miroku�s frown tightened and his
eyes were too keen; he saw through her act. Sango�s
eyes filled with relief and tears. Inuyasha gave a
low growl. Shippo burst into sobs and reached for
her. Miroku observed the way she recoiled from him
and quickly gathered the fox kit against his chest. For a moment Shippo squirmed, then he went limp
in Miroku�s arms, crying into the front of the monk�s
habit.
Miroku stood,
his staff in one arm and the fox child in the other.
�Let�s get Kagome out of here,� he suggested.
Kagome gave the monk a look of gratitude and turned to the
others.
�Please,� she pleaded with hopeful, damaged eyes.
Inuyasha nodded curtly and reached
down for Kagome�s form. Without even feeling regret, Kagome shrank back into Sango�s chest and averted her eyes.
�Sango, would you take me home?�
she whispered so quietly that the other girl had to bend her head to make out
the words.
�Sure,� Sango replied instantly.
She paused a moment to make sure Kagome was securely covered by the sheet. She
worked one arm under Kagome�s knees and wrapped the other one around Kagome�s
shoulders. Sango stood, lifting her injured friend
with ease.
Inuyasha fell back, his hands
curling into fists at his side. He raised one in anger.
�Why can�t I take her home?� he demanded, his gaze resting
on Kagome�s turned face. The force of his temper was almost a tangible thing,
as if he could compel her to look at him.
�Inuyasha.�
Miroku�s voice was cool and calm
and controlled. Inuyasha whirled to confront him.
�What?!� he snarled. The monk didn�t bother to look at him.
�Let it go,� Miroku advised; his
tone discouraging argument. With a gentler tone that held a trace of warmth, he
directed his next question at Sango.
�Are you sure you can carry her?�
Sango smiled back, her arms
tightening around the still and silent girl.
�Of course. She�s no where near as
heavy as Hiraikotsu�oh! Can you get that for me?�
Miroku nodded. �Don�t worry about
it, we�ll handle everything here.�
His reserved dark eyes watched as Sango,
with Kagome, strode out of the room, Kirara on her
heels.
�Why did you stop me?� Inuyasha
bit out between clenched teeth. He was so far gone with anger that he was
shaking.
�If you would stop thinking with your emotions for a moment,
you would realize that Kagome didn�t want you to hold her,� Miroku
reprimanded sharply.
�What?! Why?� Inuyasha
yelled, his anger flaring more.
�Because you�re a man,� the monk shot back.
Inuyasha gave him a blank look,
confusion crippling his tantrum.
Shippo stirred in Miroku�s arms. He looked up, using one fist to wipe the
tears from his eyes.
�Is that why she didn�t want to hold me?� he asked in a
small voice.
Miroku smiled, and his eyes lit
with kindness. �I�m sure that�s all it was. Kagome loves you, Shippo. She�s just been hurt very bad by Naraku and isn�t herself right now. I want you to be strong
for her and help us take care of her. Can you do that?�
Shippo hopped up to Miroku�s shoulder, a tentative gleam of hope and courage in
his eyes.
�Yes!� he assured the monk.
�Why?!� Inuyasha
interjected; his patience at its end. �Why didn�t she let me carry her?�
The monk�s eyes turned cold. �What makes you think you should be able to touch her? You failed her, Inuyasha!
What happened to Kagome is something I
would never allow to happen to Sango. Ever. And if you
can�t even understand how what happened to Kagome would make her fearful of a
man�s touch, then you really are as pathetically
stupid as your brother says you are.�
Miroku stopped abruptly, his
struggle with his temper visible. The fight for control tightened the monk�s
lips into a thin, thin line. Without another word, he turned a cold shoulder on
the gaping Inuyasha and marched out of the room.

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[AN] Yes yes, I know what you�re
thinking. �Didn�t I talk enough already?� And �Hurry up and write/post the next
chapter!� :P Greedy children.
First of all I would like to thank SesshysGirl.
I will be using your idea in this story, and your idea is partially why I�m
continuing this story.
I would like to thank HANA for being my first reviewer.
Thanks to
Dragon_Lady, SesshysGirl,
sky, Daemon_Shadow, Animegrl,
Mija, JWM, sara, Alice M,
kat8125, Jasmine Fields, Jordy, Anon, renusuru, Midnight_Sparrow, Lord Folken, jem, Kawaii
Hentai, sesshoumaru�s love,
Marigold, Gemini, HauntedReality, Kagome_LinkinPark,
chanda, fluffysarah, ShikonJewel, reasha, Naraku-s Dark Soul, akumu,
Ashley, lost child, ChaosD, wynter89, Korinna, whirleeq(I like your
name J),
donovanwitch, Manda, Bibsta, and fluffy for reviewing my story. I hope you are
still reading!
Thanks to Kat, Fairia13, YoukaiObsessed,
Soudesuka_Shurikens, Amanda, fallenangel7583, Anvil, luckyducky7too,
and RainStorm, for your multiple reviews.
Special thanks to Amanda, aka vet_tech82.
Field camp was really tough this summer for me and I didn�t really have the
energy to spare to update with chapter 4, even though I did. Your words, �Holy fucking christ....That
was perfect.� made it all worthwhile.
Special thanks to fallenangel7583 for your extravagant
praise. I hope the story has continued to live up to your expectations.
Anvil: Yes, Inuyasha doesn�t
deserve Kagome�s love and yes, I thought the phrasing of "What are you doing?"

"Raping you."

"Oh."
sounds cute as well. Don�t worry;
if you are going to hell, then you will be in good company.
Marigold: I am sorry about your friend. The human body is built to respond to certain stimulus
with preset response. Sometimes there is nothing
you can do to counter this, no matter how very much you want to. I won�t even claim to understand what rape
victims really go through. So much of fiction is clich� reactions that have
been used over and over again; hell�I use them in my story. Only someone who
went through it for real could tell you what they felt and why the hell should
they have to tell anyone unless they want to. I think
the only one who needs to know how
they felt is the one who did the raping in the hopes that that will keep them
from doing it again.
- 4
- 5
- 6
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Moonlight's Shadow