You Can't Help Me

You Can’t Help Me

Written by: Kittydemon/ AZ

Date: 30/11/03

Warnings: Blood, Self-mutilation, Violence, and Occasional swearing.

Chapter 4: Tourniquet

Disclaimer: I don’t own Inu Yasha, and the name of this chapter is a song by Evanescence.

A/N: Just a quick note here to say that this is probably another necessary but slightly boring chapter, unless you like action! Quite a bit of fighting in here! J But this ‘is’, indeed a chappy you’ve all been waiting for!!! This is where Kagome finds out (you know what!)!

Ps. Sorry about the spelling mistakes! I haven’t really proof read this. Sorry!

Enjoy...

*~*


They were nearly there, she could feel it. The shard was close by. Kagome’s eyes focused in front of her on the top of the hill, which hid everything behind it from the group’s view. With each step, the shard’s aura got stronger and brighter in her mind’s eye. It’s presence was undeniable, she could ‘feel it’.

The sun was high up in the sky, signalling the time of day to be noon. Rolling her bike up the hill, Kagome took a deep breath and pushed on forward. It’s been a long morning, and Inu Yasha had once more established his bad mood as early as breakfast. Her eyes locked on the red clad figure in front of her.

His hair was blowing in the breathe, flicking and dancing in the sun’s light. His stoic figure strode with long determined steps. He was beautiful. But there was also something dangerous about him, like the colour of his bright haoiri. Red, the colour of blood, the colour of passion, fire, anger…

But there was something wrong with him recently, something that made him more irritable than usual. He hardly spoke to anyone, and when he did, it was always to either to demonstrate his annoyance, or to gruffly announce that he needed to go somewhere. Kagome’s hands grasped the bicycles handles in a tight grip. He was getting more and more distant from them everyday. But why?

Her heart ached for the hanyou. Whenever something wasn’t right with him, she couldn’t concentrate on anything else. Of course she felt the same way when the other members of the group got injured, but somehow it wasn’t as intense as it was with Inu Yasha. Kagome always felt that if she didn’t take care of his wounds every time he got injured, he would be left all alone to heal them all by himself.

He was so lonely.

But on the other hand, it was as if he didn’t want anyone to get close to him. As if he determined deep inside himself that he was supposed to be all alone, and he will be, until his final breath.

Kagome’s eyes scanned his form one more time. What was bothering him? What happened when she was away? Her eyes flicked to her other companions. Was she the only one that noticed the hanyou’s sudden change?

Sango was wrong last night. Inu Yasha wasn’t just being macho, or manly. She could feel it. Something was definitely wrong.

*~*

They stopped on top of the hill. Kagome’s eyes widened as she gasped and pulled her hand over her nose and mouth. It looked like a massacre. There was blood everywhere, fires burning down houses, carcasses sprawled across the roads in unnatural positions. And the smell! The smell of dead bodies and rotting corpses, of dried blood and smouldering flesh.

Fighting not to throw up, Kagome looked away. The whole village was demolished, it’s entire population extinguished. Who…who could do such a thing?

Inu Yasha brought one of his sleeves up to his nose to shield it from the assaulting smell. Everyone stood in complete shock, unable to move. Several minutes passed before Inu Yasha turned towards her.

“Where’s the shard?”

“I-I don’t know- It’s somewhere close by. I think there might be two of them.”

“Two?” Miroku’s voice sounded from her left.

“Are you sure?” The exterminator took a few steps towards the other girl.

“N-no. I can’t really tell right now… but- wait.” She looked around her, trying to see a bright warm glow that only she could see. Her eyes quickly scanned what was left of the village, before halting on the spot where she spotted a faint flicker. The small flash of the glowing shards reappeared almost instantly at a totally different location and once again, going out.

“What-?” Before she had anymore tio spo speculate on the strange shifting of the shards, a hyena demon materialised from thin air in front of them, blood covered and snarling. “Watch out!” The words left her too late as the monster’s fist connected with Inu Yasha's cheek who was turning round to look at what frightened Kagome so much. The hanyou skidded across the grassy hill, coming to a halt several feet away.

Sango quickly skipped back a few steps from the demon that stood in front of her, while taking out her hairakotsu. “Kirara!” Her voice sliced through the thick, shocked silence, attracting the grey demon’s attention. The small cat was immediately engulfed in a ball of flames, that receded to reveal a large feline demon.

The hyena demon suddenly took a step backwards and let out a loud, threatening and warning roar. His red eyes narrowed into thin slits as his entire grey stripped mane shook with the force of the growl while he tipped his head up to sound their unwelcome. His whole jaw was covered with blood, both new and old, blotches of it sticking to the fur that grew on his animal like face. The bushy tail swayed from side to side in an urgent fashion, as the demon showed off his sabre-tooth like fangs.

Kagome quickly scrambled back, covering her ears to shield them from the assaulting sound of the creature before them. Shippou was running for cover towards some bush in front of her, leading her to safety. She mindlessly followed trying desperately to get away.

The demon’s roar seized and his demeanour turned towards the exterminator. His tail swung one more time, before the creature vanished from their site. Not one second passed when he reappeared behind Sango, his arm pulled back ready to strike. A grunt escaped his chest as he swung forward his claws, in a red edged arch. Miroku exclaimed Sango’s name in an attempt to forewarn the exterminator of the danger behind her as Kirara rushed at her mistress knocking the human down. The monsters claws missed the two by a sheer inch.

Before letting the demon pull back another hand, Kirara pounced on the hyena biting his shoulder while digging in her claws into his man-like chest. The two started falling to the ground behind them but before they reached it, the hyena once again teleported to a different location.

A loud squeal came from the feline, as the red-eyed demon sent her sprawling several feet away after he materialised behind her. His shoulder was covered in thick blood, but his armour safeguarded him from any damage that might have been inflicted to his chest.

“Hairakotsu!” The said weapon powerfully slammed into the demons mid-section, taking him by surprise and causing him to go flying into the air before shortly afterwards landing in a heap on the grass of the hill. Sango’s pants could be heard as she pulled herself up into a standing position, already readily holding her weapon.

“Bastard!” Inu Yasha's snarl sounded some distance from the scattered group. Getting up, Inu Yasha's eyes focused completely on the demon that was coughing up blood while crouching on all fours.

“He keeps on teleporting!” Sango exclaimed with rising panic realising how difficult it’s going to be to defeat this demon.

“I’ll rip his insides out! Kagome! Tell me where the shards are!” Inu Yasha quickly barked as he sheathed his father’s fang. Kagome’s head appeared from behind a bush, where she was hiding, her hands shook slightly widdeddded adrenalin as her eyes fell upon the opposing demon. Locating the shards, she quickly opened her mouth to speak.

“They’re in his-“ Unable to finish the sentence quickly enough, Kagome watched in horror as she saw the hyena disappear before her, and reappear in front of Inu Yasha. The hanyou swung his sword in swift reflex, diagonally aiming to slash the demon in half. Which is what would’ve happened had the demon stayed in the same place and not disappeared again. Reappearing at the hanyou’s side, a loud growl emanated from him, as he pounced angrily at the other, unaware male. Inu Yasha landed on the ground hard, with the red-eyed monster on top of him, slashing at his face and neck. A low grunt escaped him as the pain drowned his being.

“Inu Yasha!” Kagome’s voice trembled in fear for the hanyou. Her eyes glistened in tears, as her gaze switched to Miroku and then, Sango.

“We have to do something!” The panic in her voice was evt.
t.

“We-we need to create some sort of barrier- to stop him from teleporting-“ Miroku’s voice rapidly resonated through the air. His staff jingled as he desperately tried to think of spells that he could use.

“Do it!”

“I can do it, but it will mean that Inu Yasha will be trapped inside the barrier with the hyena-“

“Just do it! Now!”

By now the hanyou managed to throw the other off and get up, but the hyena teleported once again, placing himself at an advantaBefoBefore Inu Yasha could so much as take a step forwards, he felt long teeth sink into his shoulder, from behind. The shock from the attack caused him to loos his grip on the Tetsusaiga. When the pain finally hit him, his fingers had completely let go of the fang, as a cry broke from his lips.

“Inu Yasha!” Kagome exclaimed, her eyes wide with hopeless terror, and her entire body paralysed by fear for her hanyou. As the two demons collapsed to the ground in a messy heap, with the hyena on top, Kagome’s trance-like state broke. Breaking out into a run, the teenage girl brought herself into a halt, next to her bag, that lay close to her bicycle, her fingers shakily tried to undo the clasps. When she finally opened, the big yellow sack, her hands reached out to grab the bow and arrow, pulling them out.

In the background she could feel the wisps of power from Miroku’s newborn shield. Turning round Kagome noted the exterminator kneeling next to Kirara as the later mewed in pain, having difficulty to stand upright.

Her eyes led her to inevitably look at the sprawling pair that emanated growls and grunts as the red-eyed demon straddled the blood-covered hanyou. Turning his face away from him, Inu Yasha grabbed onto the hyena’s hair and roughly pulled the demon off of him. The semi-spherical barrier around them was almost complete, but before it reached it’s maximum strength, the grey demon teleported, once again pushing the hanyou down to the ground and straddling his figure once again. He then proceeded to pull his head back, as a loud roar echoed inside the barrier’s walls. Two shards shimmered from where they were buried like precious stones, in his fangs.

Inu Yasha's white hair was covered in large blotches of red, as blood flowed from his cheek and neck down to the ground. One grunt after another was choked out as the hanyou was repeatedly punched and clawed at.

Kagome’nds nds shook and tears filled her eyes, blurring her view of the two struggling demons. The glowing arrow in her hands quivered when she tried to shakily aim at the enemy. Moments passed as she uselessly attempted to find a clear shot of the hyena- patiently waiting for the right time.

A few more punches later, the hanyou’s head rolled on its side, his chest was heaving, while his tongue tasted his owood.ood. A clawed hand grabbed a handful of white locks before lifting the whole of his torso off the ground. Sharp, long canines once again sank into his bloody shoulder, tearing the flesh apart. His honey eyes widened in pain, before his blurry vision began to ebb away as darkness proceeded to dominate his view.

But before he was allowed to slip into unconsciousness, a red suddenly flickered in his eyes. As more blood flowed from the wound in his shoulder, the animal instinct to kill inside Inu Yasha increased. His heart lurched into a sudden fast beating pace, as his fangs and claws lengthened. Two navy stripes appeared on his cheeks, and his pupils lengthened into thin, bright blue vertical slits.

Before long, the two demons were once again furiously fighting. Claws and teeth sliced at anything that would be unfortunate enough to be caught. They proceeded to bite each other to death.

Kagome inhaled a deep breath as a new wave of panic covered her. He transformed. Her eyes flickered from one form to another, acknowledging that the only way to tell them apart was by the hanyou’s red haiori. Seeing the intense battle scene before her, Kagome urgently prayed for it to end prior to Inu Yasha getting anymore hurt. Before it was too late, she fired the arrow upon seeing a clear shot of the hyena’s back.

The glowing object zoomed through the air and the barrier, and pierced the furry demon’s back… as well as Inu Yasha's chest. Time seemed to stop for that one moment. Just as Inu Yasha's hair seemed to gently sway in the wind, and the hyena’s tail appeared to move in slow motion. Kagome still held her bow in position, and Miroku looked completely unaffected.

A dog-like sound rang through the air, cutting through the motionless second, as the hyena’s fist tore a hole in Inu Yasha's stomach and his teeth once again embedded themselves in the hanyou (-turned demon’s) tortured neck. A moment later the enemy demon went limp, his hold on the demon bellow him remaining as strong as ever.

A deathly silence once again covered the hill. Kagome dropped to her knees, feeling weak and shaken from the whole experience. Miroku finally opened his eyes, letting the shield flicker out of site and existence. Shippou peaked from behind Kirara. And Sango let her fisted hand fall to her knees from where she was holding it to her chest. All slowly exhaled, as they absorbed what just happened into their minds.

Pants, whimpers and growls could be heard froe ble bloody heap, as Inu Yasha tried to get up from his prone position, but the arrows prominent glow spiked as it’s head embedded itself further into his chest, blood flowed freely from his wounds, and before he could help it, he passed out.

Kagome quickly got up, leaving her bow and arrow behind, she rushed towards the hanyou’s injured form.

*~*

The sun was slowly rolling down bellow the horizon, painting red and blue colours in the sky. An evening chill played with her ebony hair as she sat outside Kaede’s small hut, waiting patiently for the older miko to finish bandaging the hanyou. Miroku’s racoon friend had once more helped them to get back to the village as Kirara was too hurt to carry four adults by herself. And Inu Yasha's injuries demanded immediate attention.

Kagome’s thoughts flickered back to the large puddle of blood they had to drag the unconscious half-demon out of. She was crying, both out of fear and joy that Inu Yasha was still alive. She just hoped he’d stay that way. Shifting uncomfortably on the log she was resting one, Kagome shook her head, to try and rid herself of the morbid thoughts.

She watched a few village kids for a while before he thoughts drifted once again to what happened earlier that afternoon. She remembered how she nearly threw up while trying to dig out the Shikon shards from the demons blood covered fangs. Covered in Inu Yasha's blood. She looked down on her hands. You could still see the blood under her nails, as she didn’t have a chance to properly wash herself. She had to make do with Kaede’s useless bowl and jar of water.

Going home for a wash wasn’t an option either. She couldn’t leave Inu Yasha alone. She had to make sure he was alright. And-

“Kagome.” Her thoughts were interrupted by Kaede’s gentle yet unquestionable voice.

“Yes Kaede?” She quickly got up from her seat and headed for the door flap, anticipation running through her veins.

“Could you come in please.” As soon as she said it, Kagome pocked her head through the curtain, before slowly walking inside.

On the floor, lying on a mat she could see Inu Yasha's unconscious form. His head resting on a hard pillow, and the bottom half of his body covered by a warm blanket. Bandages covered the whole of his torso, including his shoulders and neck, and a few were wound round his head. His chest rose and fell with a strong defined rhythm.

Kaede’s face rose to look at Kagome in grave seriousness. Kagome’s smile quickly faded, as she realised something was wrong. The old woman inspected the girl for a few more moments before suddenly reaching out for Inu Yasha haoiri, and taking out an object carefully wrapped in some cloth. She placed the object in Kagome’s hands and asked her a question while looking straight into the teenager’s eyes.

“Kagome, is this yours?” Shocked by the question, the girl began to slowly unwrap the elongated item, before revealing it to be a very sharp, modern, kitchen knife. Her lips parted in deft suse. se. It’s the kitchen knife that her mother lost…but why was it in Inu Yasha's haoiri?

Kagome’s eyes glanced at the sleeping hanyou, before coming back to stare back at Kaede’s own inspecting orbs.

“Y-yes, it’s mine…but-but I don’t know how-?”

“Kagome- look at his arms.” Kaede reached out an old wrinkly hand and lifted one of the hanyouimp imp ones. Deep slice-like marks decorated the full length of his lower arm. They were already healing, and it was evident that they were older than the rest of the wounds by at least a day.

Kagome gasped, as everything about the recent days added up into head.

Inu Yasha was cutting himself.

*~*

Few... wrote the whole thing in one big long sitting. Sorry to leave you all hanging, but I feel like I can’t write any more...But if you leave reviews, I’ll definitely try to update more frequently! J