She felt like she was trapped. She tried to reach for her throat but her hands were chained. She tried to scream and it felt like the little air she had in her lungs was being squeezed out of her. It felt hotter than hell in her little confinement. She could feel conscious leaving her. Was she even conscious? Where was she? Had she been captured? She didn’t remember anything, but by her own mental analysis she had no weapons to speak of on her.She heard voices in the background. They sounded faint but familiar.
She was losing it.
In her mind she could see Miroku, smiling at her, his eyes sparkling with hope and innocence like they always did. Would she ever see him again? Her mental picture of him zoomed in on his lips. She had always wanted to kiss him but what you the others think of her? Falling for a hopeless pervert, that held her heart in his hands, the hands he used to grope any woman at any time. If she could cry in the alternate reality she would. She could never be with the love of her life. She sighed in defeat. And how she really wished to kiss him, to just see what it felt like.....
“ Sango.....” The small voice called her jerking from her thoughts. WIth a jolt and a sigh she was brought back to the land of the living. Kaede, and Miroku, with wide eyes. Shippo had fallen asleep in exshaustion.
“ Are you okay Sango! Ye frightened us...” Kaede said placing another rag on her head for her fever.
“ I’m okay. How long was I out?” She questioned trying to sit up.
“ Not long, a couple hours, you should stay still my dearest Sango..” Miroku said. Sango blushed crimson at his words.
‘ Get a grip Sango! They are just words!!’ She mentally kicked herself.
“ Where’s Kagome?” She asked noticing her friends absence. Miroku avoided her eyes.
“ She left, to go after Naraku...” Miroku answered
“ HOW LONG AGO? WE HAVE TO GO AFTER HER!!” Sango yelled.
“ Calm down. She said she didn’t need our help, we’ve become no more than a burden to her lately” Miroku answered hotly. Sango decided not to reply. How could Kagome not need them? She remember when Kagome barely knew what a demon was! How did the girl know how to out slay a demon slayer all of a sudden!
She had some nerve.
Coming out of her mind tirade she was greeted with Miroku’s stare. She blushed again and he smiled his genuine Miroku look. Sango somewhat fell into some peace. Kagome was a very powerful priestess and if she thought she could handle it, then she could handle it! Sango started to settle into the mat, ready to fall asleep when her eyes shot open.
“Miroku, do you feel that?”
“ Yea, its a demonic aura, and its heading toward the village.”
**********************
Cats were curious, aparently it appealed to dogs too.
He was passing the village and he was in sniffing distance of Kaede’s hut. He was simply going to by but he smelt all of them expect her and he just wanted to see them. Maybe they could give him back some of his spirit he had before she broke it.
He veered toward the door. Stopping short before entering. He wasn’t prepared for this. What if they still resented him, or worse, resolved that he was a mistake that never happened. What if he was stepping into a fairy tale they created without him and smash their happiness. He was turning to leave when a lone voice sounded behind him.
“ Inuyasha?” The voice asked. Unsure whether it was a dream or reality. Inuyasha let a smile tug on his lips. 4 years since he heard the voice of the perverted monk say his name. One of his best friends remembered him, he could cry.
“ So you remember me eh?” Was his reply. He turned around to get what was the equivalent of a man hug. He smiled harder than before.
“ 4 years Inuyasha, I’m glad your back.” Miroku said rubbing his eye.
“ Hey, did you KNOW Naraku was in the area? I was heading toward where he was and I smelled that you guys were here? Did you give up the fight?”
“ Someone decided that we would only slow them down if we went...” Miroku said not hiding his anger.
“ Who?” Inuyasha said as Miroku lead them inside.
“ Lady Kagome..” That was the last thing Inuyasha expected to hear. He could smell her power had increased dramatically but had she become so heartless that she thought of her friends as useless? It made his head spin.
Walking into the hut he had spent countless times in he looked around. Sango was laying rigidly on a mat a Kaede was stirring herbs.
“ Miroku what demon was.... Inuyasha?” Sango asked. She rubber her eyes to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. She gave him a broad smile and he returned it. He thought Sango disliked him the most. She was one who suggested his exile and everyone readily agreed.
“ Yea, its me..”
“Inuyasha...I’m sorry...If I wasn’t in bitch mode then....everything.....everything....might be different......” Sango cried. Inuyasha looked away. It wasn’t her fault, it was his.
“ Ay, Inuyasha it is ye! Sit, we have a lot we must figure out...” Kaede said disarming the emotionally tense moment. He was thankful for her intervention.
“ Yes we must figure out our next course of action!”
“INUYASHA!!!” The little fox demon that was asleep woke up and started hugging Inuyasha around the neck.
“ Glad ta see you to runt?”
“ Will you make mom feel better?” Inuyasha remained silent. He knew who ‘mom’ was and he didn’t want to answer or to think about seeing Kagome. His friends accepted him back and he accepted them back for the moment but when Kagome was back he couldn’t forget what he did or how she shattered the bones in his arm.
*********************
Parting the dense foliage she made her way toward the field that came before the cave. She remained alert for anything. Naraku was a tricky demon, he would ambush her for sure. She had to handle it alone though, after bearing her soul to Miroku she couldn’t bare to have them along, at all. She worried for Sango at the moment but worry would hurt her chances of killing off the bastard, she had to have a focused mind. She pushed off the feeling of guilt and worry for her friends and advanced.
“ You came hn? Don’t girls know its bad to be alone in the forest, that's where demons live little priestess!” A sinister voice sounded all around her. She drew her arrow waited for her target to show itself.
“ NARAKU, YOUR DEAD!” She screamed hoping her threats would be enough to smoke him out.
“ You think empty threats is what it takes to scare me out? You should know me better than that my little Kagome.....” He said with a smirk that could be heard. She faltered, he was getting into her head.
“ BASTARD, GET OUT HERE MEET YOUR DEMISE WITH HONOR!” She said still trying to figure where he was sounding from.
“ Honor? You don’t know the meaning of the word! When have you acted with honor and not selfishly. You and me are just alike, we want power and that's all, sweet Kagome....I called you here not to tell you what you should already know but what you can do for me....” He snickered
“ WE ARE NOTHING A LIKE YOU BASTARD!! I DON’T STEP ON AND HURT PEOPLE FOR NO REASON LIKE YOU! “
“ You don’t? Could have fooled me! What about The monk and the demon slayer and we can’t forget about your precious Inuyasha whose heart you broke because you couldn’t even listen to him. You subjected him to something worse than death, you called him horrible names, the woman he loved calling him a worthless half-breed! And your abuse didn’t stop there. After putting him through the verbal assault you shot an arrow at him but instead of ending his life which held no meaning to him at that moment, you only shot his arm leaving him a permanent reminder of your betrayal”
“ FUCK OFF BASTARD! HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT TRANSPIRED BETWEEN US, IT ISN’T YOUR MOTHER FUCKING BUSINESS YOU BASTARD!!! BUT TODAY IT WON’T MATTER, I’LL KILL YOU AND TAKE YOUR SHARD FROM YOUR ROTTING CORPSE BASTARD!” Kagome didn’t know where her colorful language came from but she was really angry and she just wanted to kill him and get it over with. Bringing up Inuyasha caused unwanted tears to run down her face.
“ Your losing your touch, Enemies aren’t suppose to get behind you Kags” Naraku seethed as he stood behind her. She fumed, he created a nickname for her? He was one twisted person! He reached out and touched the small of her back.
“ Damn you Naraku” She tried to create a barrier with the last of her strength but Naraku’s touch did something weird to her and she was drained. She fell silently to the ground. Panting hard she tried to slow it down.
“ I’ve drain your life force Kagome, you will pass out in a moment, good night Kagome! You shouldn’t have gotten so angry, now you’ll never know what I had to tell you, oh well...” He said as she fought for her consciousness it didn’t work and she slipped slowly from reality. She couldn’t believe after all this training she put herself through he could defeat her with words and a simple touch. She was still the little girl who couldn’t do anything. Before her world went black she swore she saw the red of a kimono and the light of the wind scar. Fate hated her so she knew it wasn’t true.
Fate would never be kind to her.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended