To Tame a Hanyou

Chapter 12

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Kagome jerked when she heard Kikyo call her name. Realizing her hand was
on Inuyasha's chest, she stood up quickly to see Kikyo walking towards them.

The Miko stopped a few feet from them and looked at Inuyasha. "I see
you have already begun training with the hanyou. It seems you have much
potential. This hanyou is quite injured. Tell me, did he resist in any
way or did you find it easy to attack him?"

Her jaw almost dropped. Kikyo thought she had attacked him? "Uh...well..
he uh...I mean...no. He didn't resist." She managed to stumble out.

"Very good, Kagome. You have mastered the art of instilling fear in
your enemies. Now, I have come to help you with your sutra training."
She took out some pieces of paper from her Priestess robes. "These
are sutras. I will create a barrier around the hanyou, and I want you
to disolve it."

Kagome looked at the sutras and then Inuyasha. He was looking down, hiding
his eyes from her. This made her uneasy. She had just begun sutra training
in class. Would she be able to take a barrier down that was made by a powerful Miko
like Kikyo? She was about to speak up when Kikyo acted.

The Miko threw the papers in the air and they landed in a neat circle
around Inuyasha.

He didn't move.

Raising her hands, she began to chant, and then a wind blew about them. The sutras glowed
brightly for only a second. "It is done." Kikyo said as she lowered her hands.

There was no difference now as she could see, but supposedly there was
a barrier around Inuyasha.

Kikyo gave Inuyasha an order. "Get up Hanyou and go foward."

Kagome watched Inuyasha try to stand. Her chest hurt for she could
see how hard it was for him. He was so injured.

"Get up Hanyou!" Kikyo commanded.

Finally, he stood, but he swayed on his feet. As he began to fall forward,
Kagome reached out to catch him but Kikyo quickly moved to hold her back.
"No, Kagome."

Kagome watched, horrified as he fell forward into the barrier. The purrifying
energy crackled all around him. She saw the pain in his eyes right before he
fell to the ground again.

"You see, Kagome," Kikyo said while moving away. "this barrier is in working
order. Your assignment is to remove it. If you have trouble that is okay. You
have three days to complete this assignment. Come see me when you have
removed it." Kikyo left.

Kagome fell to her knees in front of Inuyasha. He was on his side breathing
heavily and almost whimpering under his breath. She reached out to touch him
but drew her hand back when the barrier shocked her. Sucking on her finger,
Kagome frowned. This was a full force barrier. No demon could get out and no
human could get in, complete and total isolation. This type of barrier was only
used on dangerous full blooded demons to trap them before killing them. It
was very powerful.

"I'm going to try to remove it, Inuyasha. Just..just..don't move."

Kagome meditated for a few minutes before chanting a removal spell.

After chanting she tried to reach out again but got another electric shock
instead. Not to be daunted, she tried different spells, again and again.
Nothing worked. Fear was creeping up in her gut. What if she couldn't do it?
What if....

She looked at Inuyasha. He appeared to be sleeping. Kagome, depressed, sat
down to think.

For a long time, she mentally poured over all she had ever learned from
Kaede, but she couldn't think of anything.

Feeling a drop of water, Kagome wanted to grumble at the dark cloud
looming overhead.

She wasn't going in. No. She was determined to do this and if she didn't,
Inuyasha would be out here all night in the rain.

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Inuyasha woke from his old dreams to feel plip plops on his face and
body. He groaned and turned his head to see Kagome kneeling a few feet
from him. Her eyes were closed, and she looked like she was praying.

With some effort, he sat up. Damn he hurt bad! What the hell was all this
with the barrier shit? Didn't that Miko Hag have anything better to do than
to attack him?

He watched Kagome while the rain began to fall. In the failing light of
dusk, as the rain misted over her form, it almost seemed like she was glowing.
The rain was not new to him. He had spent many days and nights in the wild
soaked to the bone. It really didn't bother him, but Kagome was human. Humans
went inside when it rained. "Kagome." It was the first time he had called
her by name and it left his lips more softly than intended.

The girl didn't answer him. It seemed as if she was meditating or something.
Her hair was soaking wet, plastered to her head and face. Her clothes
were wet too and clinging to her petite form.

What would happen to her if she stayed out here in the rain? Humans needed
to be warm and dry. If they got wet and cold....
One time, he remembered, in winter, his mother had
gotten sick because she had gone out in the snow and rain to find his....

"Kagome. Go inside."

She barely flinched but he saw it. "Go inside, Kagome. I'll be alright
out here. I'm a hanyou. The weather doesn't bother me." Still she didn't
respond, showing no signs of hearing him. She was being stubborn!
It began to rain harder, so hard he could barely see her form. "Damnit Kagome!
Go inside! Now!" He yelled at her through the pouring rain and growing dark.

Not moving, Kagome remained kneeling, her hands clasped under her chin.

He yelled and yelled at her but it did no good. She must be in deep
meditation, deep meditation to set him free.

The rain continued to pour around them for a long time, hours perhaps,
because he could feel the movement of the moon behind the clouds overhead.
All the while, he watched the girl, head bent, meditating, kneeling in the pouring
rain, trying to break this barrier surrounding him.
The rain began to lighten up, and finally, her form started
to glow brightly. The bright glow flowed from her to circle him. It
melded into the barrier, glowed with it for just a second, then went out
as the sutras flared then burned to ashes.
Kagome fell to her side in a slump.

Inuyasha began to crawl to her then hesitated. Was the barrier down?
He reached out and found that it was. As quickly as he could, he crawled to
the girl lying on the ground.

Hovering over her, he gazed at her face. Droplets of water slid down her
skin, down her nose and cheeks, and over her lips.

Without thinking, he reached out and pushed some of her wet hair back.
Why? Why did she stay out here all night trying to break the barrier? Why?
He would have been alright. He was half demon. Why hadn't she listened to him?
Sitting there in the mud by this soaked wet girl, he couldn't think of
any reasonable explanation to his inward questions.
It was a mystery to him, but he did know she was unconscious.
Whatever meditation she had went through had knocked her out. Now, she was
lying in pool of water and mud while the last traces of rain drops pattered on
her body and face.

He looked at the house and then back at Kagome. It would take some effort
but..... he could do it.

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