CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
.
"So... this woman was Kikyo's... mentor?" Miroku asked.
"That's what she said," Kagome replied. "She believed that Inuyasha killed Kikyo fifty years ago, and she was determined to wreck his life for it. I tried to tell her that Inuyasha never hurt Kikyo, but... well, she wouldn't believe me." She clenched her fists. "What she did to Inuyasha was so horrible. She taunted him right before she transformed him again!"
Miroku glanced over at Inuyasha. The half-demon was still dead to the world, but Kagome and Sango had rolled him up in Kagome's sleeping bag. Now he was curled up, snoring softly.
"Fortunately," Miroku said, "she won't have the opportunity to do it again. When we last saw her, she was being pulled into my wind tunnel."
"And good riddance!" Shippo said, disgusted.
"And Shippo was the one who broke the curse?" Kagome asked.
"Yes. He floated up to the hag while she was distracted, and used foxfire to destroy the sphere with Inuyasha's blood inside," Miroku said. "It must have been that moment when Inuyasha transformed back to normal."
Suddenly Inuyasha groaned and began stretching out in the sleeping bag. "I gotta go now," Kagome said quickly. She crawled over to him and sat bby his side, waiting for him to wake up.
"What I can't understand," Sango said quietly, "is how Inuyasha managed to control himself for such a long time. As a full demon, he's never held back on killing things -- he even warned Kagome to stay away from him."
"It may be that since these transformations were forced and unnatural," Miroku said equally quietly, "it wasn't quite the same as his prior transformations. Perhaps because these changes were different, he was able to keep some kind of tenuous grip on himself." He glanced over at Kagome. "On the other hand... it might have been something else entirely."
.
Kagome watched as Inuyasha's eyes flickered open. He still looked exhausted. "K-Kagome?" he whispered.
"Yes, Inuyasha. I'm right here."
"You all right?"
"I'm fine," Kagome said warmly. "Don't worry about it, okay? Just try to rest up. You were really worn out when you turned back to normal."
Inuyasha paused for a moment. "The old hag?"
"She's dead. Miroku pulled her into his wind tunnel."
Inuyasha closed his eyes. "Wha' about me?"
"Don't worry, Inuyasha! Shippo broke the old woman's spell. You won't be transforming into a full demon anymore."
Inuyasha seemed to sag with relief. "That's good to hear," he mumbled, turning onto his stomach. "You sure you're okay?"
"You didn't even scratch me," Kagome assured him. She thought, You see, Inuyasha! I knew that you wouldn't hurt me, even as a full demon. And I was right all along...
She stroked his white hair fondly. And for once, Inuyasha didn't pull away or protest at this sign of affection.
Kirara limped over, with her little leg carefully bandaged. Demons healed quickly, so she was already doing better. But Sango estimated that it would be at least a few days before the little fire-cat could carry them again. "Hey there, Kirara," Kagome said, patting the wounded demon on the head.
Inuyasha didn't open his eyes as Kirara came over to him. She purred and rubbed her head against his cheek. "Sorry 'bout that," Inuyasha mumbled, scratching her ears. "Didn't know what I was doing."
After a few more minutes, he looked up at Kagome. "How long have I been sleepin'?"
"Hours. But just rest, Inuyasha," Kagome said quickly. "Look, you really need it. Your body is all worn out." She smiled. "We'll all wait for you, however long you need."
With a sigh, Inuyasha sank back into the sleeping bag and closed his eyes. And Kagome just sat and watched him, thinking.
THE END.
.
"So... this woman was Kikyo's... mentor?" Miroku asked.
"That's what she said," Kagome replied. "She believed that Inuyasha killed Kikyo fifty years ago, and she was determined to wreck his life for it. I tried to tell her that Inuyasha never hurt Kikyo, but... well, she wouldn't believe me." She clenched her fists. "What she did to Inuyasha was so horrible. She taunted him right before she transformed him again!"
Miroku glanced over at Inuyasha. The half-demon was still dead to the world, but Kagome and Sango had rolled him up in Kagome's sleeping bag. Now he was curled up, snoring softly.
"Fortunately," Miroku said, "she won't have the opportunity to do it again. When we last saw her, she was being pulled into my wind tunnel."
"And good riddance!" Shippo said, disgusted.
"And Shippo was the one who broke the curse?" Kagome asked.
"Yes. He floated up to the hag while she was distracted, and used foxfire to destroy the sphere with Inuyasha's blood inside," Miroku said. "It must have been that moment when Inuyasha transformed back to normal."
Suddenly Inuyasha groaned and began stretching out in the sleeping bag. "I gotta go now," Kagome said quickly. She crawled over to him and sat bby his side, waiting for him to wake up.
"What I can't understand," Sango said quietly, "is how Inuyasha managed to control himself for such a long time. As a full demon, he's never held back on killing things -- he even warned Kagome to stay away from him."
"It may be that since these transformations were forced and unnatural," Miroku said equally quietly, "it wasn't quite the same as his prior transformations. Perhaps because these changes were different, he was able to keep some kind of tenuous grip on himself." He glanced over at Kagome. "On the other hand... it might have been something else entirely."
.
Kagome watched as Inuyasha's eyes flickered open. He still looked exhausted. "K-Kagome?" he whispered.
"Yes, Inuyasha. I'm right here."
"You all right?"
"I'm fine," Kagome said warmly. "Don't worry about it, okay? Just try to rest up. You were really worn out when you turned back to normal."
Inuyasha paused for a moment. "The old hag?"
"She's dead. Miroku pulled her into his wind tunnel."
Inuyasha closed his eyes. "Wha' about me?"
"Don't worry, Inuyasha! Shippo broke the old woman's spell. You won't be transforming into a full demon anymore."
Inuyasha seemed to sag with relief. "That's good to hear," he mumbled, turning onto his stomach. "You sure you're okay?"
"You didn't even scratch me," Kagome assured him. She thought, You see, Inuyasha! I knew that you wouldn't hurt me, even as a full demon. And I was right all along...
She stroked his white hair fondly. And for once, Inuyasha didn't pull away or protest at this sign of affection.
Kirara limped over, with her little leg carefully bandaged. Demons healed quickly, so she was already doing better. But Sango estimated that it would be at least a few days before the little fire-cat could carry them again. "Hey there, Kirara," Kagome said, patting the wounded demon on the head.
Inuyasha didn't open his eyes as Kirara came over to him. She purred and rubbed her head against his cheek. "Sorry 'bout that," Inuyasha mumbled, scratching her ears. "Didn't know what I was doing."
After a few more minutes, he looked up at Kagome. "How long have I been sleepin'?"
"Hours. But just rest, Inuyasha," Kagome said quickly. "Look, you really need it. Your body is all worn out." She smiled. "We'll all wait for you, however long you need."
With a sigh, Inuyasha sank back into the sleeping bag and closed his eyes. And Kagome just sat and watched him, thinking.
THE END.