Chapter 10 - fighting the odds

~*~


Kagome slid down the ally wall as Inu-Yasha disappeared from view, slowly closing her weary eyes. She had never been more afraid in her life.


But not for herself-


For Inu-Yasha.


He was hurt so badly. . .


With a trembling finger she traced her mouth, where she could still feel his warm lips. Though her clothes were now soaked in his blood, there had been no blood in their kiss.


That was good.


At least there was no internal bleeding.


As of now.


`But for how long?' the girl sighed, scrunching into a fetal position. `When his `pack' or whatever finds him. . . they're going to get suspicious. That was another wolf that attacked me, I'm sure of it. What if that other wolf died? Won't Inu-Yasha get in trouble?'


She wiped a tear from her eye before it could fall down her cheek. `Well, he's always in trouble one way or another. . .'


With a small smile, trying to convince herself that he would be okay, Kagome got shakily to her feet and walked home- intent on taking a bath before Inu-Yasha came to get her for the Trial.


*


"There he is!" someone screamed as Inu-Yasha approached the apartment complex. The werewolf smirked to himself. He had expected a greeting like this, having known that he had given Kikyo a few fatal blows.


However, he hadn't any idea that his secret had been betrayed.


"Murderer!" one of the younger werewolf's cried as Inu stepped into the lobby. He was slightly surprised to find the whole clan waiting.


"So?" Inu-Yasha grunted. "She attacked me, too."


"But you didn't die!" the child squeaked back.


"Well he's gonna," Kouga growled, cracking his knuckles.


The were-teen raised an amused eyebrow, cockiness taking over once again. "For bringing down one slutty dog?"


"No. For falling in love with a human."


Before these words could even register properly, the silver hared werewolf found himself being tackled on all sides by the pack officials.


Quickly dodging every blow, Kouga's words finally took effect.


His eyes widening, Inu-Yasha slammed his fist into one of the attacking wolf's faces, causing them to fall into instant unconsciousness.


"Who told. . .?" Inu ground out carefully, glaring icily at the assembled pack as the attackers took a subconscious step back.


Many of the "people, too, began to back away slightly.


"Kikyo did," Sessho-Maru replied smoothly, directly behind the silver hared teen. Startled by his half brother's sudden presence, Inu-Yasha was barely able to dodge Sessho-Maru's claws.


"Will you let me explain?!" the teen cried as more werewolves pressed in, courage renewed. "She wan-"


But he was cut off by a swift kick in the stomach from Kouga.


Knocked to the ground and panting, the teen wolf glared up at the pack leader, ignoring the blood dripping from his mouth. Running his tongue over his teeth, he tried to remain calm.


Well.


If they wouldn't listen standing up. . .


They'd have to listen from the floor.


They were going down.


*


Sango and Miroku watched, terrified, as their friend began fighting the twenty-odd werewolves who's intent was to killing him.


"We've got to do something!" Sango whispered frantically from the back of the room, tugging on Miroku's sleeve as she pointed at Inu-Yasha. "He's badly wounded as it is!"


"There's nothing we can do," Miroku replied solemnly, his eyes never leaving his friend. "But he can do it. . ." Taking Sango's hand and squeezing it gently in reassurance, the two watched Inu-Yasha fight the pack- and the odds.


*


Kagome- washed, dried, and dressed- sat quietly on her window seat, watching and waiting for any sign of Inu-Yasha. Gods, she hoped he was okay. . .


"Whatcha doin'?" Sota chirped happily from her doorway.


"Nothing," Kagome murmured, only half paying attention as she watched a happy couple stroll hand in hand down the street. She shut the blinds for a moment- - - and then reluctantly peered through them.


"I doubt that. Are you okay? You haven't been to the library in ages," her little brother mentioned mildly, crunching on an apple.


"The librarian Kaede closed it for a while. Mentioned some family problems. . ." Kagome replied softly, her gaze still out the window.


"Oh. Well, it's time for lunch. You coming?"


Kagome didn't move.


"Kagome?"


She still made no attempt to get up.


"Kagome, are you hurt?!" Sota gasped, about to rush over to his elder sibling- - -


When the girl finally stood.


Silently and mechanically, she walked over to the boy and stared down at him, unseeingly. He swallowed, nervous. `Is she mad. . . Ack!' Tensing as she gently took hold of his shoulders, Sota blinked in surprise as she carefully wheeled him into the hall and shut the door with a small click, indicating that she'd locked him out.


The little boy stood, confused, staring at the closed door in front of him.


`What's with her? . . . Ah well, more pudding for me, then!' he concluded happily before racing downstairs to eat.


*


Panting, bleeding, and barely able to stand, Inu-Yasha balanced himself on his feet, amidst piles of unconscious bodies. The werewolves that had decided not to fight took a second fearful step back.


All, that is, except Miroku and Sango.


They came running up to help their friend.


Coughing up blood, the silver hared teen fell to his knees once more, trying to keep the world from spinning. Too. . . much. . . blood loss. . .


"Stupid. . . puppy," Kouga grunted as he slowly woke up and began crawling towards Inu.


"LISTEN," Inu-Yasha panted roughly before the wolf leader could attack again. "She- she wants to- to take the Trial. . ."


This stopped Kouga in his tracks.


As it did to Sango, Miroku, and all the others there.


"The. . . The Trial?" Sango gasped, her hold on Miroku's hand tightening. "But- but- but she'll be killed!"


"All the better," Kouga chuckled darkly, a small smirk on his face. "For the crime of falling for a werewolf- and of a werewolf falling for a human- it seems only right their "love" be put through this ultimate test. Then she can die the same way your mother did, hmm, Inu-Yasha?" the leader taunted softly, causing a low snarl from the were-teen. "Let the Moon Goddess make her judgment!"


The conscious members of the pack all cried their approval.


"Until the full moon, then," Kouga smirked, nodding at the others.


"I'll go tell her," Inu-Yasha muttered more to himself then anyone else- but was cut off by a heavy blow over the head from Kouga.


"No. You'll stay here until the Trial," the leader said softly as Inu blacked out. "For we can't trust you anymore."


*


Inu-Yasha awoke to find himself locked in the apartment basement. `Damn!' he cursed mentally, rubbing his sore head. He already knew the door would be bolted- trapping him in this slimy, grimy, pitch-black excuse for a storage room. Not that it mattered- he doubted he could stand anyway. And from the looks of things, he wouldn't be helped out of here until the full moon. But how would Kagome know what was going on if he couldn't tell her? Would she be mad at him for not showing up again until late that month? Would she still want to take the Trial- still love him?


Listing every profanity he knew under his breath, Inu-Yasha allowed himself to slip back into unconsciousness, knowing full well there was nothing that could stop it from happening- and no reason for him to try.


*


As night fell, Kagome's dull hopes burnt out.


`Where is he?' she thought sadly, choking on tears as she closed her curtains. `Where could he be?! Is he okay?!' He. . . he couldn't have. . . have di- - -


A sudden knocking on the front door caused the girl's eyes to widen.


`Inu-Yasha?!'


Bolting into the hall, the girl raced down the steps at the speed of light, only to throw open the door and find herself face to face with-


"Sango?"


The were- teen nodded, looking grim.


"May I come in, Kagome-chan?"


"Of course," Kagome murmured, slightly disappointed that she wasn't Inu-Yasha, but glad that she wasn't Kikyo. Pulling the wooden barrier open a bit more, Kag watched silently as the second female let herself in. And then the two stood silently in the foyer for a moment, waiting for the other to speak. Finally, Sango rose to the challenge.


"I need to talk to you about Inu-Yasha, Kagome. Perhaps we should talk in your room. . .?" Sango whispered, not wanting to be overheard. Nodding, Kag quietly led Sango to her room, re-locking the door behind them.


"What's going on, Sango?" Kagome whispered, her hands still on the door knob as the other girl flopped unceremoniously onto the bed. "Be honest with me."


Sango bit her lip. "Things are not good."


Not. . . good. . . ?


"No, REALLY?!" the black hared girl couldn't help but snap as she whipped around to glare at her friend. "Tell me another!"


"Calm down," Sango soothed, unaffected by the yelling.


Tears began welling in the corners of Kagome's eyes again as all her angry energy vanish, replaced by a jelly-like nothingness in his knees and her heart. "Will I- - -I ever see him again?"


"Of course you will," the brown hared teen whispered, opening her arms for Kagome. Kag paused for a moment, considering- - -


And then threw herself, sobbing, into the hug.


"I'm so worried about him, Sango. . ." she admitted tearfully, snuffling pathetically as her friend ran her hands through her hair in a sisterly fashion.


"He's worried about you, too. . ."


"Then why isn't he here?!" Kagome glared through her sadness.


The were-girl sighed. "Kouga had him locked in the basement until the full moon. He wants your trust in Inu-Yasha to snap before the Trial takes place. Neither knows I'm here."


Kagome nodded slowly. "How are his injuries. . .?"


Sango's grim look darkened. "Not good. He got beaten up pretty badly in a fight against the pack officials. . . But he's alive. He'll heal. Don't worry."


"How can I not worry?!" Kag practically screamed. "He's hurt! He could be dying!"


"Come the full moon, so could you!" Sango replied, fear in her eyes. "Kagome-chan, are you sure you-"


"I am sure, Sango," Kagome cut off swiftly. "I love him, and for him I'll fight the odds."


". . ."


The werewolf took a deep breath and nodded, slowly getting up. It was no use fighting. . . "If that's what you want. . . then I wish you the best of luck. You know I'll be rooting for you."


The girls smiled at each other before Sango briskly took her leave, exiting without another word. Kagome listened intently until she heard the downstairs door close quietly. She was gone. . .


Flopping back on her bed, the teen carefully picked up her picture of Inu-Yasha and hugged it close to her heart.


`I love you, Inu-Yasha. . .'


*


The month passed slowly.


Day after day, Kagome tore through books on werewolves, trying to find something about the Trial to help her and Inu-Yasha. Night after night, she watched the moon ever-so-slowly transform into a large, round orb.


The full moon seemed to take an eternity to arrive.


But finally. . .


It did.


*


Inu-Yasha could sense it, feel it- the full moon was here. His wounds had just about healed- but thanks to the fracking poison Sessho-Maru had hid in Inu's soup a few days earlier- they hadn't completely shut.


"Damn you, Sessho-Maru," Inu-Yasha hissed into the cold blackness of the cellar. "You and your scentless poison."


"Now, is that anyway to speak of your brother?" a calm voice echoed through the basement.


The teen wolf glared up the steps and at the opened door, where his accursed brother stood calmly, small smirk on his face. "It's time," the older male informed simply. "You coming or not?"


"Of course I am, bastard," Inu snarled, slowly getting to his feet. It took a few moments of wobbling, but eventually the boy found his balance and began heading up the steps.


"When can I go get Kagome?" Inu-Yasha asked quietly, his voice rather raw from its lack of use- excepting the times he had screamed insults at random members of the pack.


"You will not be getting her," Sessho-Maru replied coolly, pushing Inu-Yasha past a mirror and towards the garage. "Sango will be."


The silver hared teen was able to get a glance of himself as they passed the looking glass- and he had never looked worse. His skin was icy white from lack of sun, and his eyes had gaunt yellow rings around them. Bruises were still adorning his face like purple patches, and his hair was so sooty it took on a gray color. His clothes were messy from mud and blood, and his claws were chipped. He was a mess.


But at least he would get to see Kagome.


As he was pushed into the back of an unfamiliar car, the teen werewolf only had one thought in his mind: He hoped she was all right.


*


Kagome nearly jumped a foot in the air when she heard the knocking on the door.


"Seriously, Kagome, dear," her mother chided gently, walking in from the kitchen with a laugh. "You're only going to a sleep over- not death row."


Kag gave her mother a weak smile. "Ha ha. I know." If only her mom did. . . As the teen opened the door, Sango entered and gave her and her mother a fake, chipper smile.


"Kagome-chan!" she beamed, grabbing the empty bag that Kagome had near her feet. "Ready to party tonight?"


Kagome grinned. "Heck yeah."


The ebony hared girl turned to her mother, knowing full well that she would probably never see her again. Her heart all but shattered on the spot. "Bye mama," she whispered, trying not to choke on tears as she gave her mother a hug.


"Have a good time sweetie," he mother smiled, kissing her daughter on the head. "I'll see you in the morning."


"Yeah- See ya, Kag!" Sota smiled. "I'm gonna eat all the rest of the pudding, by the way."


"You do that," Kagome smiled softly. "Bye."


And with that, she silently followed Sango to the car.


*


Twenty minutes later, the pack and Kagome walked into a large, open field; a place where the late afternoon sun had cast long, dark shadows over the ankle high yellow grass. In the middle of the expanse of grass, the pack fanned out into a large circle, Kouga and Kagome in the center. Kag had already looked desperately around for Inu-Yasha, but he was no where to be seen.


"Tonight," Kouga cried into the silent crowd gathered, "this mortal takes the Trial! But first- preparations."


At this the girls of the pack stood up, nodding silently to one another as Kag noticed a sudden flash of white from the corner of her eye.


It was Inu-Yasha.


But before she could do or say anything, the female wolves pushed Kagome away, towards a small trailer at the far edge of the field.


The Trial was growing nearer.


*


Inu-Yasha watched as Kagome was dragged off with the other doges, towards the small mobile home where she would be `purified' and all that shoot. She didn't NEED to be purified. . . She was already the purest person he had ever met.


Flopping down in a huff in his place in the circle, the silver hared teen sighed and looked up at the dark blue autumn sky. Usually he would be anxiously waiting for the moon to rise at this time- but tonight, because of the Trial,- no one would be transforming until after Kagome was judged.


Many of the pups were growing bored- taking out dolls and yo-yos and books. One child had a CD player, but Kouga had snatched it away, saying they could have it back later. Inu-Yasha sighed, his worries for Kagome eating away at him from the inside.


So this was hell.


*


From inside the trailer, Kagome could see the sky was slowly darkening.


"Won't you guys change into wolves when the- ow!- moon rises?" Kagome asked as one of the females ran a brush through her hair.


The girls shook their heads.


"Why?"


They watched her blankly.


"You're not allowed to talk to me, right?" Kag sighed.


The woman brushing Kagome's hair nodded.


"All right then, I'll guess. You're not going to be transforming tonight, will you?"


The females shook their heads no.


"Because I'm taking the trial?"


Unanimous nod yes.


Kag sighed as the girls handed her a silky, white-silver robe.


This was going to be a long night. . .


*


Kagome examined herself in the mirror, a bit surprised. She had been expecting rags and bruises, not this. . .


She was dressed in the white-silver robe, which flowed around her like water, hugging her in all the right places. On her feet she wore matching slipper-like shoes and pearl anklets. Her wrists were bedecked in pearl bracelets and she wore a pearl circlet over her tumbling ebony hair. Her hair, eyelids, and cheeks sparkled with a dusting of glitter, and her lips were painted with a pale, frosted pink color.


She looked lovely.


`At least I'll die looking nice,' Kag sighed as the females around her bustled about, applying the final touches of makeup and tying a silver-colored sash around her waist. Finally, the were-girls slowly poured out of the trailer, leaving Kag alone.


Well, almost alone.


Kagome was just about to get off of her chair when she felt a hand on her shoulder.


Turning her head, Kag found herself starring into Sango's eyes.


"San-?"


But before the charcoal haired teen could finish, Sango swiftly bent down and began whispering in her ear.


"Don't turn away


Don't give into the pain


Don't try to hide


Though they're screaming your name


Don't close your eyes


God know what lies behind them


Don't turn out the lights


Never sleep- never die."


With that, the woman whirled around and glided out of the trailer, her hair billowing out behind her as she made her swift exit.


Kagome gaped after her friend as she left.


What did she mean?


`Well,' the girl reasoned, sliding off her seat and cautiously opening the door, `I'll think about it later.' With that, Kagome stepped out of the trailer and into the twilight- where the pack was assembled, waiting for her. Swallowing hard, Kag stepped gracefully down the stairs, slowly gliding towards the wolves.


Earlier in the month she had told Sango that for Inu-Yasha, she'd fight the odds.


And that was what she planned to do.


~*~

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