Chapter 13 - I Can't But You Can

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"What the frack?!" Naraku grunted as the ringing shot of his gun died away, absorbing into the darkness of the night.

Looking hurriedly around, he quickly bolted up as he saw what hit him.

No-

Not WHAT-

Who.

Another wolf. . .

Ebony coat glistening in stray rays of moonlight, the creature's stormy blue eyes looked murderous.

"Ah. . . Kagome," the hunter snarled, his dark orbs glittering menacingly. "Come to defend your mate, have we. . .?"

The female wolf's grown was cut out by a giggling from the heavens.

"Yes, she has!"

Naraku looked up hurridly, his eyes sweeping over the scene; looking for the owner of the sweet, melodic voice.

Wait-

Above him. . .

On the edge of a fire escape. . .

Sat a beautiful woman with long, sweeping blonde hair that faded slowly to the darkest shades of black, blending in with the color of the night. As pure white roses twisted around the bars of the escape, she smiled sweetly and waved a hand, causing the clouds in the sky to part.

And reveal that the moon-

The round, full moon-

Was gone.

"Wha-?!" the hunter hissed.

The goddess just laughed and beamed.

"Better forget about me for the moment, Naraku," she chuckled. "I'd be paying more attention to Kagome, if I were you. . ."

Naraku spun his face back to look for the female wolf that was in front of him-

But she was gone.

At least, the wolf was.

And in the canine's place stood a pissed off, naked, ebony haired teen.

"Keep the hell away from Inu-Yasha!" the girl snarled, baring her teeth.

Though caught in a state of momentary shock, a smile slowly over took the hunter's face.

"Ah. . . so as if this were a new moon, you are now all stuck in your human bodies. . ."

He laughed darkly as Kag's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, so?!"

"Forgive me, Kagome-chan, but I don't see how this plan of yours will work. When you were in your wolf form, you had the advantage. Now you are a weak human like myself- and I am the only one with a weapon. Also. . ." he added as an afterthought, his eyes traveling over Inu-Yasha, who's body was slowly transforming into that of a mortal's, "it really doesn't help your mate much. Human's are much more susceptible to bullets."

"True," Kagome whispered, "but they're much LESS susceptible to silver, wouldn't you agree?"

The hunter's eyes widened slightly as he took a better look at Inu.

The disgusting purple and violet color that had been taking over his body had stopped traveling.

shoot!

But still. . .

"Fat lot of good that will do," he snickered. "It doesn't change the parts of his body that have already been infected."

"He'll- he'll heal," the girl replied, her bold confidence wavering slightly as she cast a worried glance at her still bleeding mate.

"Keh! Ignorant dog. He's as good as dead- especially in that form!"

"Shut up! I'm not going to stand around and let you insult Inu-Yasha!" Kagome screamed, her fists clenching in anger as she growled at the hunter.

"Oh? And what are you going to do about it, sexy little miss?" the man murmured mockingly, slowly circling Kagome- much as he had done Inu-Yasha.

However, unlike Inu-Yasha, Naraku took a good look up and down the female; his eyes lingering on her abdomen and every one her luscious curves; causing her anger to grow.

"My, my, my. . . you are built healthy, aren't you?"

"Don't you dare look at my body, pervert!" she growled, wrapping her arms around herself the best she could.

He ignored her as he continued to ogle her bare figure. "Aren't you a little cold, though? It is rather chilly. . ."

The hunter smirked and trailed a finger lazily down Kag's body, but stopped as Kagome suddenly slapped him hard across the face- tearing her nails into his skin as she did so-, causing him to stagger backwards.

"I'd rather die of pneumonia then be touched by you!" she spat.

Naraku snarled angrily, his eyes flashing as a trickle of blood ran down his cheek.

"You'll regret that," he hissed, grasping the handle of his gun.

"You're the one that's going to regret everything, filthy bastard!" the girl snapped. "How dare you!"

"How dare I what?" he barked, growing impatient and annoyed. "How dare I try and kill your family and friends? How dare I try and get rid of your repulsive kind?"

"How dare you try and get rid of your OWN kind!" she yelled, her hair flying angrily around her in the wind.

She'd struck a nerve.

"I am NOT a werewolf, nor will I ever be one!" he bellowed, cocking his gun and pointing it straight at Kagome.

Her eyes widened in slight surprise, but she did nothing else.

A maniacal smirk slowly plastered itself on Naraku's face.

"Looks like you're in luck, Kagome-chan. . ." he hissed at the calm werewolf before him. "I've got three bullets left. One for each disgusting wolf here, eh?"

The girl remained silent, her eyes locked on the weapon, though she made no move to escape.

"I'm impressed that you figured out I'm a half-wolf like your little koi, Kagome-chan," he murmured, "And it's too bad you've already mated for life. We could have made beautiful music together, you and I. . ."

He graced her a short, longing, lustful look, causing disgust to well up inside the ebony haired female.

"But no matter to either. You figured out my secrets, but who cares? You're going to die here anyway. . ."

"That's where you're wrong, Naraku," Kag whispered, her eyes full of confidence as they slowly left the gun and locked themselves with the man's own cold orbs. "By playing your little games, you challenged the whole pack- not just me. And so. . . in order to kill me. . ."

She smirked.

"You'll have to defeat the whole pack!"

A look of momentary confusion crossed the hunter's face, but it was quickly wiped away as every member of Inu-Yasha's clan walked out of the shadows; a few of the younger children hopping off the fire escapes and landing before Naraku on the ground.

Every werewolf was naked, angry, circling the hunter- - -

And smirking.

Up in the fire escape, the Moon Goddess laughed again and disappeared in a rush of rose-scented air-

As the full moon reappeared in the sky.

Naraku's eyes widened as he tried to back away, but only tripped over the slowly transforming 'mortals' and fell against the wall. Wincing in pain at his head connected with hard brick, he gasped as the werewolves changed before him- their bodies and faces lengthening, glossy fur sprouting quickly as they lunged for the man- their razor sharp teeth glittering in the moonlight as they sunk into Naraku's flesh.

Hissing in pain, the hunter tried to raise his gun- which was now shaking along with his bloody hand- but instead felt a searing, ripping sensation as a wolf tore the limb off his body. Moments later, the rest of his being was blanketed in blood-thirst canines.

Screams of terror and pain echoed through the night.

Everyone ignored them.

*

However, Kagome didn't participate in the digestment of the hunter.

She didn't even turn back into her wolf form.

She was thankful to find that the goddess had allowed her to go straight to caring for her injured mate.

Without even taking a moment to thank her mother, Kag fell to her knees next to her koi.

He looked awful-

His bare body was slowly turning ice blue from the cold; his torso dyed dark red from the maroon substance gushing from his being. A gaping hole penetrated his side, reviling ripped pink muscle where excessive amount of silver had eaten away at his skin and internal organs. The remaining flesh around the wound was black and purple, painful even to look at. The boy's eyes were half lidded- his usually lively amber orbs glassy as his ebony human hair- crusty with blood- clung to his body.

"Inu-Yasha!" she whispered breathlessly, gently shaking the boy, ignoring the sticky red liquid that clung to her hands. "Wake up! Wake up! We all did it! We all defeated Naraku together!"

Inu-Yasha made no reply, his head lolling dully from side to side as his blood continued to stain the icy ground.

"Inu-Yasha. . .?"

Still nothing.

"I-Inu-Yasha. . ." she choked, tears filling her eyes as she raised her now bloody hands to her mouth. "N-no. . . .W-wake up. . . INU-YASHA!"

*

The pack stood silently by a hospital bed, clothed and somber as the early pinks of morning took over the sky.

Sango, slowly getting over the after affects of her flu medicine, looked cautiously around the room. It was pure white.

Everything was pure white.

The tiles, the walls, the ceiling, the comforters, the equipment- - -

It was scary.

Not to mention it smelled awful!

"How is he. . .?" she whispered to Miroku, who she was weakly clinging to. Her stomach still felt rather queasy.

Her mate said nothing, instead tightening his arms around her.

She lapsed into silence.

In fact, Kagome was the only one who made a sound; her body shaking with loud sobs as she kneeled next to her koi, wincing in agony every time of the machines attached to Inu-Yasha made a sound.

And he was attached to a lot of machines.

Cords and tubes were sticking out from every inch of his skin; and his mouth was covered in a breathing mask. Water, blood, and oxygen supplies hung all around him as his heart monitor remained in weak existence.

The sight was more then many could bare. . .

"Kagome. . ." Kouga finally murmured soothingly, squatting next to the girl and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Just think of it this way. . . He's going to go to a better place. . ."

If he had been trying to help, he failed miserably.

Kagome instantly stiffened. "NO!" she screamed, hitting the leader's hand away as she clung to her love's arm. "NO! He won't leave me! He can't leave me! I can't survive alone. . .!"

'What if Naraku was right?' the girl couldn't help but think as tears poured silently down her face. 'What if by getting rid of the moon for those few minutes, the Moon Goddess and I sealed Inu-Yasha's fate. . .? What if we made it worse. . .? No! I can't think like that! I won't listen to that dead bastard! Inu-Yasha will be okay, he has to be. . .!'

"Kagome-chan. . ." Sango whispered, gingerly touching her best friend's shoulder and startling the crying teen out of her thoughts. "Please, you know Inu-Yasha wouldn't want-"

"I don't want to talk to you all right now," Kag hissed coldly, her face buried in her hands as crystalline tears slid down her raw, red face. "Go away. . ."

"But-" a few of the wolves protested as Sango slowly retreated her hand, but Kouga shook his head to silence them.

"We'll give you a few moments alone with him," the pack leader murmured, ushering everyone out of the room.

The wolves grumbled and whispered as they left, a few crying, a few silent, and a few emotionless.

Though that was their way of showing emotion.

Soon, the only sound in the room was the slow, dull, occasional 'beep'ings from the heart monitor.

And those occasional beeps were quickly growing fewer. . .

"No, Inu-Yasha. . ." Kagome whispered breathlessly, burring her face in her arms. "Don't leave. . . You can't. . ."

'He can't leave me all alone. . .

He won't!

He mustn't!

He CAN'T!'

"Don't do this to me, Inu-Ya-" she began to say, but was cut off as she felt someone lay a cool hand on her shoulder.

Gasping, the girl looked up to see a nurse smiling sadly down at her.

But the disguise didn't fool the werewolf.

"You. . ." Kagome choked. "Moon Goddess. . ."

"Yes, it's me, Selene," the deity replied softly, sitting next to the still, pale half-wolf and sighing, all traces of a smile wiped off her lips.

"Oh, Inu-Yasha," she murmured, brushing the boy's ebony bangs out of his face. "Why don't you ever listen to me? Why didn't you acknowledge my call? I told you I'd keep in touch. . ."

Kag watched the goddess carefully, her grip on her mate's hand never loosening.

"Goddess. . .?" the girl finally asked, her voice as soft as a breath.

"Yes?" the elder female responded; sounding rather tired as a white rose blossomed in her hand. The goddess gently set the flower on the table, allowing it's sweet scent to rid the air of pungent smell of medicine.

"Ca-can you save him. . .?"

The deity didn't reply, though her features darkened.

That was all Kagome needed to see.

"Bu-But you saved us both before!"

"That was different, child! That was the trial-!" the Moon Goddess retorted, but was cut off by Kag.

"I don't care! You did it once, you can do it again!"

"It doesn't work that way-!"

"Then can't you do it for me, your daughter?!"

"I already told you- I don't do favors-!"

"DON'T YOU CARE?!" Kagome sobbed, flinging her arms around her koi's neck as the heart monitor gave one or two weak 'bleep's.

The goddess was silent for a moment, allowing the girl a minute to cry before continuing.

"Of course I care about him. . ." she finally whispered, her voice full of pain. "I love all my children, Kagome. I don't want to see him die-"

"Then prevent it!" the ebony haired teen begged, raising her red, puffy, tear-filled eyed to meet Selene's.

The Moon Goddess gave her daughter a small, sad smile.

"I can't."

~*~

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