Cold As Fire, Hot As Ice by Kerushii
Chapter One
The magic of the well surrounded her as she reached the bottom. InuYasha had done nothing but fight with Kagome the last three days over her going home for Souta's elementary graduation. She was also depressed over how little she was able to see her family as it was. It seemed she was able to make it home less and less. In the last two months she had gone back to the future one time for three days. Upon returning to the Feudal Era she had gotten her head chewed off by an extremely irate hanyou for being an hour late.
Kagome felt her feet touch the ground as the magic disappeared. Excited to see her family, she rushed up the ladder that hung from the wells edge. Opening the sliding door, she was almost immediately greeted by her aging grandfather.
"Kagome! I am glad you have returned safely."
"Hi grandpa! I missed you. Are mom and Souta home?" She asked embracing him.
"Yes child, they are in the kitchen getting ready for Souta's graduation party." Smiling, she released him and happily made her way to the kitchen.
As she approached, Kagome could smell her mothers wonderful cooking. Another smile crossed her lips when she realized she wold be able to have real food. She was glad to have a break from the charred, tasteless game she had grown used to.
"Hi mom! Hi Souta!"
"Kagome! I am so glad you made it back for your brothers graduation party."
"Hey sis! InuYasha didn't put up too much of a fight did he?" Not wanting to upset her brother on his day, Kagome just shook her head and smiled.
Dinner that night was Souta's favorite. Crab cakes and french fries. At his mothers demand there were also steamed vegetables. As time had flown by and it had gotten rather late their mother sent Souta to bed and began cleaning up the nights meal.
"Need any help mom?" Kagome asked, appearing in the doorway.
"That would be lovely dear." Together, the two women cleared the table and scrubbed the dishes. Nearing the completion of their task Kagome's mother looked at her daughter with sad eyes.
"You were awfully quiet at dinner tonight Kagome. Is there something bothering you?"
"Yeah I guess." Kagome paused a few moments to gather her thoughts. She was afraid of how her family was going to react to her news. "It's just that I've been traveling back and forth for two years now and all we have left to collect of the jewel is Naraku's half, Kohaku's shard, Koga's two and plus maybe three to five others. Once I wish on the whole jewel I don't know what'll happen to the well. I'm afraid we won't even beat Naraku."
"I am sure you will succeed Kagome. As for the well, only time will tell. If you can't come home just please promise me you will be careful and remember how much we all love you and we will miss you."
Her mothers words were a comfort for Kagome. She smiled her thanks to her then headed off to bed. Kagome knew tomorrow was going to be a long day. She planned on taking as much back to the Feudal Era with her as possible. She knew there was no way InuYasha was going to let her return to stock up on supplies until their task in gaining the shards was complete. Not wanting to worry herself further, Kagome let herself drift off into sleep.
Kagome woke the next morning in her typical peppy mood. She knew she would have to make her way back to the Feudal Era today. Not wanting to waste time, she bathed herself quickly then proceeded to fill twelve huge bags full of supplies and odds and ends she figured they would find useful on their journey.
'InuYasha will be here soon to come get me.' She thought as she dragged the last heavy bag into the old well house. 'Let him carry all this. There's ramen in every bag so he won't argue.' Kagome giggled at the thought. Lunch would be soon so she did not have long to wait and thought it best to spend the remaining time with her family.
It was close to one o'clock before InuYasha arrived to take her back to the past. Kagome knew she the instant she saw him he was far from happy about having to carry all the bags she had packed this time around.
"What did you have to bring so much stuff this time?" InuYasha whined.
"I come home so rarely anymore, this way we won't run out of stuff as fast." She replied.
"You packed more ramen right?"
"Of course I did InuYasha. Should we get going then?"
Kagome's family members each hugged and exchanged a good bye with her. None of them knew how many more times they would be able to see each other. If any. Waving one final good bye, Kagome followed InuYasha to the Bone Eater's Well. She noticed all the bags she had packed were now gone.
'He probably already took them to Keade's. I'll just go through them later.' Kagome's thoughts were interrupted by InuYasha poking her arm with an irritated look on his face. Nodding her acknowledgement of him, she jumped back into the well once again consumed by its magic. Moments later, she was able to hear birds chirping above. Quickly appearing at her side, InuYasha extended his arm to her and leapt them out of the well.
The trip to the village was quiet. Both Kagome and InuYasha were lost in thought and worried about the jewel shards. Kagome knew they were nearly done collecting them. She was sure Koga would give up his two easily enough but was saddened when she thought of young Kohaku. The very instant his shard was removed from his back he would die once again without so much as a last breath. This, she also knew, was weighing heavily on Sango's heart. The two women had grown close and Kagome wished there was something she could do to ease Sango's pain.
A light breeze picked up and InuYasha's nose twitched several times.
'I smell blood and sickness.' He thought worriedly.
"Kagome get on my back. We need to hurry. I think there might be something wrong in the village." Kagome's eyes widened at his statement. She immediately complied to his request and they sped of toward the scent.
Keade's hut was quickly coming into view which was where the smell was originating. Jumping off his back, Kagome hurried through the door. Lying helpless and dying on the floor was the young child Kagome recognized as Sesshomaru's ward. Rin. Huddled in the corner, there was a panicked Jaken.
"Keade, what's wrong with her?" Kagome asked.
"From what the toad youkai has told, they and the dragon outside were attacked by Kagura. The dragon called Ah Un carried the two here. The child is the only one injured. Kagura's attack hit her on her upper thigh, side and upper arm. They arrived not long after InuYasha went to retrieve ye. The attack was two days ago. I have done all I can for the young girl, but I am afraid she will be incredibly lucky if she survives the night. Her wounds have become infected and it is too far along for me to help further.' Kagome's eyes filled with tears at the news. This girl was younger than her brother Souta and she had already died once in her short life.
"Lady Keade she is so young. Is there nothing we can do for her?" Sango asked, tears welling in the corners of her eyes.
"I am afraid I do not have the ability to rid the girl of such infection."
"Wait! Keade I just brought back a bunch of medical supplies from my era. The stuff in my time is way stronger and works a lot faster than anything in this time would." Kagome exclaimed.
Not wanting to waste any more time, Kagome dug out the medicines and gauze she would need to cure the girl. The gash on her upper thigh was the worst. There was still blood seeping out and the wound had started to ooze a yellowish green liquid. Kagome scrubbed the area with the rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide thanking the Kami's Rin slept because of the pain she would be feeling awake. She moved on to Rin's side and arm scrubbing all three areas with peroxide until the wounds no longer bubbled with infection.
Hours passed and it had reached dinner time. Knowing she needed to eat, Kagome decided to wake the sleeping Rin.
"Where is Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin asked as she cracked her eyelids to a strange place. Before answering, Kagome fed her a few bites of broth.
"I am sure he is on his way here now. Try to sleep some more and maybe he will be here when you wake up." Kagome's kind eyes and reassuring words comforted the tired child. Helping her lay back down, Kagome watched Rin fall asleep almost instantly.
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He could smell Kagura's putrid scent where he had left Jaken and Rin with Ah Un. Taking in the scene before him, it was all to clear the wind witch had made an attempt on Rin's life. It was also clear Jaken and Ah Un saved the girl by escaping and flying her to safety of his half brothers village two days to the East.
'Kagura.' Sesshomaru thought, his gold eyes flashing crimson. 'For this Kagura, you will die. The hanyous orders or not.' Turning from the sight and scent of Ring's blood, Sesshomaru left in the direction the trio had fled.
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Okay so I'm posting this from my phone. Sorry about the typos. I'll fix them when I replace my computer. Eventually. Anyway, thoughts, questions, comments, concerns? Let me know.
- Kerushii