After Midnight

DISCLAIMER: ::sings to the tune of The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers...which I also don‘t own btw.:: The wonderful thing about IY, cuz IY’s a wonderful thing, it’s full of hot male youkai, and hanyou’s that do crazy things....but I don’t own it.


Chapter 5:
Guardian


The Shikon no Tama looked so innocent in her palm.

Kagome lay propped against a tree on the edge of the silent battlefield. She could feel the poison coursing through her system.

‘I have to do this fast, but what’s a selfless wish?’ She looked over at Rin and Shippou who were huddled together against A-Un. They watched her with tears of terror in their eyes.

She felt clammy. It was getting harder to breathe, like there were iron bands tightening around her chest. Her fist closed around the jewel.

Miroku was holding Sango on the other side of the clearing as she wept over Kohaku’s body. Not far from them Inuyasha held Kikyo as she slowly disintegrated.

‘Everyone is saying goodbye.’ The thought floated through her mental haze. Her own body was becoming unresponsive. ‘I don’t want the kids to see.’

As if he read her thoughts Sesshomaru appeared before her and crouched down, effectively blocking the children’s view.

Kagome locked eyes with him. For the first time she saw something in them besides anger or disgust.

‘I’m going to die.’ It was a hallow realization. Determination flashed across her face as she tightened her grip on the jewel further. ‘But I’m taking this thing out of the world with me.’

Sesshomaru seemed to consider her for a moment before he moved his hand to the bite on Kagome’s thigh.

“You will not die.” He stated in a flat voice before he shoved his claws into her wound.

Everything went white and Kagome wondered if Sesshomaru had killed her. For a moment that thought really pissed her off. She stomped her feet and then realized that she wasn’t sure what she was stomping her feet on. All she could see was white.

“Where am I?” Her words carried a faint echo.

A smooth female voice called out. “What is your wish?”

Kagome’s eyes widened. ‘I have to make the wish now,’ she thought frantically.

The voice seemed to chuckle. “Guardian, what is your wish?”

In that moment the words came unbidden to her lips, “My friends,” was all she could say.

“You wish them well?” The question was a gentle murmur.

“I wish them happiness,” Kagome whispered.

“Such a simple thing,” the words carried an almost playful lilt, “yet so complex.” There was a long pause and then the voice asked, “What of you?”

“I ask nothing for myself. Their happiness is my own,” and Kagome knew it was true. Even if she died.

“Even if you die?” The voice seemed to read Kagome’s thoughts.

The answer was uncomplicated. Kagome didn’t want to die but, “Yes.”

“Very well.” There was a finality in that statement that almost made her shiver.

Before Kagome was thrust back into a world of pain where Sesshomaru was forcing an anti-venom through her veins, the voice said one last thing.

“You are worthy....Guardian.”

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Kagome awoke in a cold sweat. She was laying in her sleeping bag on the floor of the main room of the hut. The fire had died down to embers and she could just make out Shippou’s form across the room.

‘Guardian,’ the wind whispered.

Kagome sat bolt upright.

‘...danger,’ it sighed.

She wiggled out of her sleeping bag and padded across the floor barefoot, stopping at the hut’s entrance to push the mat aside. The uncomfortable pull of what Kagome had dubbed her ‘other conscience’ kicked in full force, making her skin tingle.

The moon was high, telling her it was still the middle of night. She couldn’t have been asleep for more than a few hours.

‘Stupid dream,’ she sighed. ‘What was I worthy of?’ Kagome simply couldn’t understand. It was not an selfless wish. Sure the voice had asked if she wanted anything, if she had wanted to live, and she had agreed to sacrifice her life. But her friends happiness was what she had wanted. That alone made it a selfish endeavor.

‘Guardian.’

Kagome whipped her head around searching for a presence outside the hut. When her eyes could detect none she expanded her aura.

‘Guardian!’ The voice was a harsh whisper right next to her ear. Kagome felt like someone had tugged violently on a hook behind her navel.

She fought to keep her knees from buckling as her aura seemed to explode. It expanded much further than she had intended it to, further than she was even aware it could. It blanketed miles. But what startled her into complete lucidity was the mass of youki she could feel just on the edge of this new awareness.

An army. Kagome’s eyes went wide.

‘Guardian.... Danger.’ The wind whispered again.

Kagome couldn’t help but agree.

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Inuyasha was quite happily asleep with his mate cuddled in his arms, until a maniac burst into his hut.

“Inuyasha!”

“Holy shit!” Inuyasha literally hit the roof and then fell down on top of his mate.

“Ugh,” Kikyo moaned. “Inuyasha get off!”

“Oh God, oh God, oh God!” Kagome chanted as she turned her back and squeezed her eyes shut, a blush spreading across her cheeks. “Did I interrupt something?”

“No!” Both Kikyo and Inuyasha yelled.

Inuyasha pried himself off his slightly squashed mate and glared at Kagome. “What the hell Kagome?! It’s the middle of the god damn night!”

Kagome spun around having judged she wasn’t going to see any naked body parts. “There’s an army coming!”

“What?” Inuyasha asked in his usual intelligent manner. However Kagome’s statement seemed to get Kikyo’s attention. She leapt up and without preamble started to pull on her miko garb, uncaring of the spectators in the room.

“We need to wake Sango and Miroku,” Kikyo said.

Kagome nodded. “Shippou’s already on it.”

“Then I shall alert the Headman,” Kikyo stated as she made her way to the door grabbing her bow and arrows. She paused and looked over her shoulder just before she reached the hanging mat. “Kagome, how many are there?”

The younger miko gave Kikyo a grave look. “Too many.”

Kikyo made a noise in her throat before she slipped into the night. If Inuyasha wasn’t still half asleep he would have sworn his mate had cursed.

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Kagome jogged back to her hut intent on doing battle in something other than her pajamas this time. She lit a lamp and rummaged through her bag to pull out a body suit similar to Sango‘s. She slid it on and then dropped to the floor to put on her socks and boots.

Strictly speaking the style of foot ware she wore wouldn’t be invented for awhile, but they were just something she couldn’t live without. She had given the village tailor a pattern for the socks and shoes and had several sets made. The woman had given her an odd look, but said nothing of it. Truthfully the boots were no where near the equivalent of their modern counterparts. They most closely resembled Sesshomaru’s, but she was just happy they weren’t straw sandles.

As Kagome laced her leather boots up she found she was glad she had a few clothes designed to her specifications. She was never too happy at fighting her clothing and an opponent at the same time.

She stood up and slid a long tunic like shirt over her head on top of the slayer garb. The deep blue shirt fell loosely to just above her knees and had short sleeves. She cinched it at the waist with her belt and attached her sword to her hip. Kagome threw her hair up in a messy pony tail and grabbed her bow and arrows. Finally she moved to wake the children.

Sayuri was already sitting up on her futon when Kagome entered the back room. The girl’s eyes were wide in the dim light.

“Akitsuki,” Kagome called as she shook the other girl’s shoulder.

The panther hanyou opened bleary eyes, “What?” She asked, her voice still rough with sleep.

“You and Sayuri need to get up. We need to get you over to the Headman’s hut so you can leave.”

“Leave?” Sayuri echoed. “Why?”

Kagome pulled Akitsuki out of bed and grabbed Sayuri’s hand as she hurried out of the hut.

“Because there’s an army coming and it’s not safe for you to be in the village if they are who I think they are.”

Kagome saw Sayuri grip her necklace tightly and a thought struck the miko.

“Sayuri,” the girl was shaking, “does your mother still wear a necklace like yours?”

Sayuri blinked owlishly, “Yes.”

“Good,” Kagome said as they arrived in front of the Headman’s hut. ‘She’ll be protected for awhile.’

Kagome turned to Kikyo and the Headman. “Has everyone been awakened and alerted?”

“Yes,” the Headman, a short balding man in his early forties answered. “Are you sure we must leave?”

“Absolutely,” she replied without hesitation. Kagome turned her attention to the village, finding it eerie to see so much activity in the dead of night.

It was as if the villagers were bustling around in a state just short of panic. The darkness filled with torch light casting shadows that flickered with their own life. The younger miko had to repress an instinctive shudder. It was surreal. The firelight would glance across a villager’s face, freezing that expression in time. The shouts of men and the high cries of children rang throughout the normally peaceful streets. Kagome could see horses being saddled and people clambering onto carts.

‘Is this the one?’ The thought always came unbidden.

She was snapped back to reality as Kikyo laid out the plan. “Were getting everyone out. The women, children, and elderly, are leaving now with a small group of men for guards. The rest of the village men are following behind them at a distance.”

Kagome nodded, pulling Sayuri and Akitsuki in front of her. “These two are going too.”

Kagome eyed the necklace around Sayuri’s throat. She couldn’t make another one now. She needed her energy to fight. It was at this moment she was glad she spent years honing her ability to think on her feet.

“Sayuri, do not leave your sister’s side. If there is trouble I want you to pull the chain of your necklace over both your’s and Akitsuki’s necks. Understood?”

Sayuri nodded without question, while she watched her sister‘s face scrunch in confusion.

“Good girl,” Kagome said picking up the small hanyou and moving towards the nearest cart.

She spotted Shippou out of the corner of her eye. “Ship!”

He skidded to a stop, “What?”

“You’re going with them.” Kagome informed her son as he stepped up beside her.

“WHAT?!” Shippou began to protest but he was cut off with a look from the miko that only a mother could give.

“Don’t argue. Do this for me, Ship.” She turned pleading eyes up to her son who now stood a head taller than her.

He frowned and gave every indication he wasn’t done protesting until Kagome waved her hand sharply through the air in a gesture for silence.

“Think of it this way. Sesshomaru probably knows what happened by now. He probably knows that we have the kids, and he probably knows that we headed here. What do you think will happen if he shows up and I have to tell him I sent Rin’s daughters away with a bunch of, in his terms, ‘useless ningens’ for protection?”

Shippou’s eyes widened comically as he took in the idea of an irate demon Lord.

“See, you’re quick,” Kagome gave a wide grin. “That’s why your my son. Just think of this as saving your mother’s hide from an angry daiyoukai.”

As she helped Akitsuki up beside her sister Kagome leaned down and whispered lowly in her ear. “You are headed North. If you get attacked and separated from the villagers I want you to run to Prince Koga.”

Akitsuki looked at Kagome oddly and then whispered back “The Prince of the Northern lands who lives in the smelly cave?”

Kagome chuckled a bit and smiled, “Yes. Do you know where his den is?”

Akitsuki nodded but looked skeptical about the plan. Shippou didn’t look too pleased either. After all, the last time he ‘visited’ the den he was almost eaten.

Kagome’s smile widened. “Tell him you are friends with the miko Kagome and he will take care of you.”

Kagome patted Akitsuki on the head lightly. “Stay together,” Kagome finished as the cart started to roll away.

Sayuri put her arms around her sister and buried her head in the curve of Akitsuki’s neck. Shippou walked slowly behind them glancing over his shoulder only once.

Kagome watched the wagon pull out of sight feeling her chest tighten just a bit.

“You should be going with them,” the voice behind Kagome startled her.

“What?” She swung around to see Inuyasha staring at her intently.

His lips pressed into a thin line. “I said you should be going with them. You shouldn’t be here to fight. You’ll get hurt.”

“Inuyasha,” Kagome said trying to reign in her temper. ‘How many times do we have to have this fight?’ She thought. “I’m a miko and I have been fine fighting on my own for over four decades.” Her hands found their customary position on her hips.

Inuyasha huffed and crossed his arms. “Well I don’t know how you’ve managed to stay alive, you being a weak human and all. But don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”

Kagome’s jaw dropped. ‘Weak human!?’ “Inuyasha,” Kagome said in a voice that threatened a ‘sit’ in every syllable, “protect your mate. She’s human too, after all.”

Oblivious to danger he continued his rant. “Yeah, but Kikyo can hold her own. You on the other hand-”

Kagome cut him off harshly and began to walk away. “Protect your mate, Inuyasha, and stay out of my way or I might fry you.”

She heard him say “Feh,” as she walked up to Sango and Miroku.

Miroku put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it Kagome. He’s just protective.”

“Overprotective,” Kagome muttered. ‘Why does he always make me feel like I can’t breathe?’

“When will they get here?” Kikyo asked appearing beside Sango. Kagome heard Inuyasha’s heavy steps behind her as they all turned towards the entrance to the village.

“Soon,” Kagome said as she watched the first lightening of the sky to the East.

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AN:

Indigo: Battle!!!! ::giggles to self:: Has anyone here seen the movie Michael? It’s about a dirty angel and there’s a scene where he faces off with a bull and yells that. Sorry, weird. I know. ::hangs head::

Sessho: NINGEN!! Why was this Sesshomaru not in this chapter AGAIN?

Indigo: Well, sorry Sess. I really did mean to put you in this time but somehow I got a little hung up. I was actually expecting the battle that’s going to happen in the next chapter to happen two chapters ago.

Sessho: Pray I am in the next chapter. I have the might of the fangirls behind me.

Indigo: Wow, Ok. That was scarier than I expected.

Sessho: Indeed.

Indigo: Don’t smirk too much buddy. ::pulls out remote::

Sessho: ::eyes warily but keeps mouth shut::

Indigo: Anyway. I know it seems hella drawn out but in reality only a day has passed from the beginning of Chapter 1, till now. The dawn of the battle marks the second day of this story. Wouldn’t you be tired if you were Kagome? I mean the girl wakes up, eats breakfast, gets ambushed, kicks ass, picks up two kids, runs to the village, has a discussion, eats dinner, deals with emotional trauma, goes to bed, wakes up a few hours later to a creepy non-corporeal voice and prepares to fight an army of impossible size. I’m exhausted from that sentence alone.

Kagome: ::snores quietly in corner::

Indigo: So...you know the drill.

Read and Review.

Preview!

Chapter 6: The Burning of Edo

Abruptly the soldiers pulled back. Kagome could hear Inuyasha’s furious declaration, “What the hell?”

She couldn’t see him. He was too far into the mass of soldiers.

“Who the hell are you?!” The group heard Inuyasha yell.

A moment after that Kagome was hit with a powerful demonic aura. She watched as the dog-eared hanyou flew over their heads, and hit a tree so hard he was knocked unconscious.