Chapter 4 - A problem Known!

Chapter 4 - A Problem Known!


~~Current Time - Modern Day Tokyou - The Higurashi Shrine~~


Knowing that Inuyasha could get to Kagome faster than anyone, Higurashi-nisou returned to the house, hauled out extra blankets, and got the first aid kit. Moments later, Souta, and Higurashi-daitoku came running into the house, opening the door wide as Inuyasha carried in a red wrapped bundle and gingerly laid it down on the living room floor.

"Ojii-san, take Souta out of here. This is something that he should not have to see," said Higurashi-nisou. The old man nodded his understanding and hugging the boy closely to him, led him upstairs to his room.

Kagome's mother was fighting hard, to not lose her own self control. She had to be strong for Kagome. There would be time later for her to break down and give into her own fear and horror at the sight that lay before her now.

"I will go call the police and get an ambulance," said Kagome's mother. Inuyasha startled her when his clawed hand whipped out and grabbed her wrist, effectively stopping her.

Inuyasha turned to Mrs. Higurashi when they were finished, "You need to know that Kagome asked me to take her back with me. I believe that she wanted to be as far from here for a while, as she could get and to get away from the nightmare of this evening."

"But we need to call the police and have her looked over by doctors here. If we do not, then we do not stand a chance of stopping these criminals," she argued.

"How would you explain to them that 'I' am the one who brought her home? She is obviously not in any condition to have gotten here herself, and Ojii-san and nii-san could not have gotten her here either," he stated firmly, but quietly as he let go of her wrist. "She will be safer with me, and her friends. We can watch over her, and give her the help she needs."

Slowly and reluctantly Higurashi-nisou nodded her understanding. "Though it pains me to say so, I have to agree with you. Even calling the police and reporting this would take time and it is very unlikely that the criminals would be brought to justice for their actions," she stated sadly. "Not to mention the emotional torture that the authorities would per her through just trying to get information."

Making a mental note of this statement, Inuyasha turned his attention to the more immediate concern. Getting some kind of treatment going on Kagome's injuries. Her arm was the most immediate problem along with her cracked ribs. She, also, needed to be cleaned up so that her other injuries could be attended to, as well.

"Her arm is broken and several of her ribs are cracked. I need something to brace her arm with once it is straightened and something to bind her ribs with," he stated firmly. Mrs. Higurashi nodded and left the room for a few moments. Inuyasha took this time to talk to Kagome, offering his comfort and support as best he could and to prepare her for what he had to do next.

"Kagome," Inuyasha leaned down and softly whispered to the injured onna. She was still sobbing, almost uncontrollably, but the hysterics had subsided.

"Kagome? I need to set your arm, this will hurt, gomen ne," he said. She looked at him, and the pain, trust and something he could not quite grasp, in her eyes, warmed him as she nodded her understanding.

Kagome's mother quickly returned with some strong but soft cloth to bind Kagome's ribs, and she had several bits of wood that could be used as splints for her arm. She took a roll of cloth and brought it to Kagome's mouth.

"Here, bite down on this as we straighten the arm. It will muffle the scream, and you can scream as loudly as you need to," she told Kagome. The onna nodded and opened her mouth as her mother set the cloth into place. Higurashi-nisou then settled herself near Kagome's head and held her daughter's shoulders to hold her steady while Inuyasha set her broken arm.

"Kagome, look at me and no matter what, do not take your eyes from mine," said Inuyasha. She complied with the request and focused her glazed vision on the face of the hanyou who held her heart, and nodded that she was ready for what she knew he had to do. For a moment, she just felt one of his hands bushed over her shoulder and the other gently but firmly wrapped around her wrist. Seconds later, the pain of her broken arm tore through her like someone had set every nerve she had ablaze with the fires of hell.

At the sudden wrench of the offended appendage, Kagome screamed for all she was worth, but it only lasted a moment as she passed out from the pain and shock of the evening's incident. The bliss of darkness engulfed her and gave her some small removal from the pain that she was suffering from the horrors of this cloudy, ominous night.

"Where did you find her and how?" Mrs. Higurashi asked Inuyasha. She knew that she needed to know, else she would have more nightmares than she thought she could handle. On the other hand, she was scared to learn the truth of what had taken place. But one thing about Kagome's mother, she was never one to turn away just because the situation was unpleasant.

Someone had hurt her daughter, and there had to be a way to bring justice to this matter. The real problem was, how to find the culprits and how to bring the evidence needed against them and make it stick.

"She was only a short distance from here, but the area was dark and most of the buildings appear to be old and abandoned," he stated heatedly.

Mrs. Higurashi nodded. "I know the place you speak of. There have been many who had tried to get something done about that area, but so far we have not had much luck in getting the authorities to demolish the old buildings and clean up the area."

Mrs. Higurashi knew of the gang that was involved. Their name the 'Nightwalkers', had appeared in the newspapers and on the news too many times to count. The biggest problem with the group, was that no one was willing to step forward and bear witness to the crimes committed and there were no apparent pictures of the individuals of the group, as the police had never been able to link any known criminals with the crimes to provide who they were or what they looked like.

The only thing that pointed the crimes committed to the criminals that committed them, was their horrid habit of leaving their name, 'Nightwalkers' carved in their victims chests or stomach's and traced near the bodies in the victims own blood. The gang seemed to revel in the torture of their victims.

At least half of them were onna who the gang had taken and kept locked in kami knows where, while they repeatedly and painfully tortured them, until they either lost interest, or the victim died of their injuries. The public was in an uproar, but so far little or nothing had been done, or seemed to be able to be done to catch this horrible gang of hells own devils.

Inuyasha was unable to restrain a growl at this news. It was offensive, no it was more than offensive, it was an injustice of the worst possible kind. It was horrible that such places existed as havens for the vile and dirty things such as had hurt Kagome, this night. He vowed that he would make each of the six pay for what they did, and the basics of a plan had already begun to set in him mind.

"I had been waiting for her to come back to Sengoku Jidai. Kagome was late, and I had thought to come at get her. Something told me that she was in danger, and...I tried to...get here as quickly...as I could," Inuyasha paused, shuddering with guilt as he recalled how he had originally refused to come, because he was angry at her for being late. "But...I...I...failed to get here in time. I...I...I...was not....fast enough. I was not here...to protect her like I was supposed to."

He could not bring himself to look Mrs. Higurashi in the eye. He hung his head, the shame more than apparent to the mother of two. While he didn't say it, Kagome's mother knew that part of his shame was most likely because he had hesitated to come earlier to get her daughter. She knew of the friction between the two, but also understood that much of it was simply that the two could not bring themselves to face each other and open their hearts, because each was afraid that the other would say the one thing neither wanted to hear.

Mrs. Higurashi put a comforting hand upon the shoulder of the shaken hanyou, "Inuyasha, even if you had been here, you most likely would not have been able to stop this crime. Kagome was late coming back from her friend's house, and it is unfortunate that the way she took is the only path home from where she was."

She paused to collect herself. She wanted to cry, but now was just not the time. When she felt that she could speak again, without her anger and fear showing, she continued.

"Her friends are as much to blame as anyone here, they should have seen her safely home, or at least made her come home before it got dark. The gang that did this to her are not unknown, but our authorities have not been able to capture them and bring them to justice. Unfortunately, Kagome is just one of many of their victims and she is not likely to be the last," she stated with more anger than Inuyasha thought the woman possessed.

Mrs. Higurashi had gotten a couple of sturdy bits of wood that as it turned out, were pieces of the old Goshinbuko, and with these, Inuyasha was able to rapidly and efficiently splint up Kagome's arm. Between the two of them, they were able to tightly bandage her ribs and was relieved as the sound of her breathing being less erradic and more normal. Inuyasha continued to dress the various wounds, and with Mrs. Higurashi's help, they took Kagome into the bathroom, where they cleaned up the mess from the sexual violation that she had suffered.

Inuyasha had, had more experience in dressing injuries over the past five years, what with the hunt for the shards, and their numerous encounters with Naraku, and Mrs. Higurashi had a background as a registered nurse. So between the two, they were able to clean up and treat all of the injuries that Kagome had suffered. At least the physical ones, anyway.

Once they were done, they returned to the household living room. Kagome, injuries dressed, wearing a pair of loose fitting sweat pants and baggy t-shirt, and bundled into a warm blanket, was currently lying on the couch. Inuyasha and Higurashi-nisou were packing the things that they thought most needed and wanted for Kagome, into her backpack. While they packed the necessities, including some painkillers that Mrs. Higurashi had on hand for her father's arthitis, they discussed the situation at hand, and what could be done about the criminals.

"You said yourself nothing your 'authorities' have been able to do, has stopped these monsters. You, also, said that there seemed no hope of anything being done to capture them or even to find them," Inuyasha said with more heat than he had meant to. "If your authorities cannot protect her here, then the very least that I can do is take her where I KNOW she will be safe, and take what steps are within my power to see to the justice your 'authorities' seem unable or unwilling to do themselves."

"What do you mean Inuyasha?" asked a now nervous Mrs. Higurashi. She saw the look in the hanyou's eyes, and that feral gleam promised things that she didn't even want to conceive. It left her shuddering in fear. "You can't mean to track them down and kill them. We have laws against that in these times."

"Iie! I will not 'kill' them. That would be the easy way out," he said with such a sadistic voice that Mrs. Higurashi thought she might faint from the chill that ran down her back.

"I may not have much love for him, but thanks to Kagome, I have more respect for my older brother that I have every thought possible. One thing he taught me in some of our recent encounters, is that sometimes it is better to 'make them live'," he said with a growl. Now Mrs. Higurashi knew that something was up, but she could not argue in all logic with the perspective. Death for those that found pleasure in this kind of vile act, was the coward's way out and too good for such. But she didn't even want to imagine what Inuyasha had in mind. The malicious way he spoke and the feral, sadistic gleam in his eye was enough to make her cringe at the thought.

"I am going to take Kagome to Kaede-baa-chan. The old miko will take care of her as well as any of your 'hos-pit-alls'. She has cared for her before when the need was there and she can and will do so again," he stated firmly brooking no arguments. Kagome's mother just nodded her understanding.

"I will be returning tomorrow well before sunset, however, and I intend to bring some...'friends'...with me. In the mean time, I need somethings gathered together if you do not mind?" he asked.

"Sure, Inuyasha! If it is within my or my family's power to do, I will help as much as I am able," came the hesitant reply. She was not sure what she was being asked, but she was not sure she really wanted to know. All she knew for sure, was that whatever happened, she didn't want to know the details.

"Good," said Inuyasha. Removing the scraps of cloth from the sleeves of his haori, he gave them to Kagome's mother. "I need these kept safe, separated, and preferably sealed so that they can't be contaminated by any other scents than the ones currently on them. I need a map of that dark area where I found Kagome, and if you can get me some of those picture things of that area, too, it would be a big help.

I will require clothing for a woman about your size, a male a head taller than myself, two males about my size, two males just a bit smaller, and one male lees than half Souta's size. I am the only one who need worry about my ears, the other can use their hair. I will explain myself further when I return," he stated firmly.

Inuyasha continued. "You need to be prepared to receive a pure blood inu youkai, three pure blood ookami youkai, a pure blood kitsune kit, a pure blood neko mononoke, a Taijiya, and a houshi. There will, also be five ookami. Because they are wild, we will not be able to leave them outside unattended, so they will have to come into the house or the shrine for at least a short time. Do not be afraid of them. They are lead by an ookami youkai Prince and are under the strictest control."

"I will have everything ready by the time you arrive Inuyasha," said Mrs. Higurashi. "I understand about the wolves, and will speak to Souta and Grandpa as well. We will be ready for you."

At that Inuyasha stood up, and picked up the now fully clothed but still unconscious little Miko. Mrs. Higurashi wrapped the blanket more securely around her daughter and gently kissed her bruised face, then turned to the loving but seething hanyou.

"She trusts and loves you more than you could possibly imagine Inuyasha," she said. "She would give her life for you. She is just afraid to tell you because she doesn't believe you feel the same for her. You have always been there for her, and done your best to protect my daughter from evils that I cannot possibly imagine."

"You are always welcome in our home, Inuyasha. You are more than just a friend to us here. You are the one that my daughter has given her heart to, and I trust you not to break it and to treasure what you now hold in your arms like it was your life," she concluded.

Inuyasha was shocked at these words. He would never have expected them. To be accepted by such a family, especially when most of them hardly knew him, was almost overwhelming in and of itself. They never treated him with prejudice or anger, and had always welcomed him into their home. He owed them more than he could ever repay, and was quietly thankful for their generosity and graciousness.

But to learn that Kagome loved him that deeply, was something that he had only dreamed of. Why had she never said how deeply she felt? Oh, Kagome had told him many times that she loved him, but for some reason, he could not quite fathom, he thought is was friendship and nothing more. He had always wanted more, and he had admitted sometime ago to himself that he deeply loved her himself. But after his own fashion, he was afraid to speak of his feelings for her, because of the betrayal he had suffered in the past with Kikyou, and fear that Kagome didn't feel the same.

Mrs. Higurashi's words warmed his heart in ways that he had never dreamed possible. With more gratitude than he had ever felt for anyone, he looked her right in the eye, "Arigato, Higurashi-nisou-sama. Your words have just given me back my life and my heart. We are leaving now, but remember, I will be back tomorrow and I will be bringing friends." With that he was out the door and before one could draw breath he was down the old well and passing back through time.

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