Under the Tree
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Written By: DragonRayne
Posted By: Spirit-Wolf25
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Started: 8/17/2003
Revised: 9/8/2005
Reposted: 3/7/2006
Words: 2,177
Quote of the week: "If you aren't fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm." - Vince Lombardi
A/N: This story was originally two different stories, but I put them together because I felt like it, and because DragonRayne said it was ok. Anyway, that's why the 1st four chapters are in Inuyasha's POV and the rest are not.
Also, all A/Ns in the story are by Rayne, NOT me. They're usually pointing out something important, so I left them as is.
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Disclaimer: Inuyasha is nowhere in my grasp, nor will it ever be.
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Chapter 1: Making Peace
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'Inuyasha!'
I turned to see an arrow coming straight towards me. As I watched, it pierced my chest and pinned me to the ancient tree behind me. The Shikon no Tama flew from my hand, and I made a feeble attempt to catch it. Then I looked up.
'K - Kikyou?' I whispered before falling asleep...
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"Inuyasha!"
I woke up with a start and looked around frantically, searching for the arrow that would soon come...
"Inuyasha, come down here," the voice called. "You're having dreams again."
I looked down. A girl was standing at the bottom of the tree I rested in, her arms on her hips. She was scowling, so I figured I'd said Kikyou's name out loud.
"Feh... I don't dream," I said, crossing my arms and turning my head away. "And I don't need to come down."
"As if," she retorted, also crossing her arms. Then she waved one hand airily, and closed her eyes. "But... If you want to stay up there and sulk, Shippou, Miroku and I will search for shards ourselves. You just stay up there and think of her. We'll be fine."
She started to walk off when I jumped down. "Guess I could come," I mumbled, looking down and slightly blushing. Then I looked up and put my hands on my hips. "Just 'cause you weak humans'll need my help."
She glanced back and smiled. She had won from the beginning, and she knew it. She knew I hated when she mentioned leaving with Miroku, curse her. And besides, I couldn't just let them have the jewel shards. I needed them to become a full-fledged demon! I scowled and started walking, ignoring her laughing looks.
"Let's go," I snarled when I reached Miroku. He gave the girl a questioning glance.
"What's got his tail in a knot?" he whispered to her behind his hand, knowing well that I'd hear him. She opened her mouth to answer.
"Kagome... " I warned.
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I leaned on all fours and sniffed the ground.
"Feh, she's been here," I said, glancing back.
"But I still can't figure out why she left in the first place," Miroku called, catching up. "Without telling us."
"If you ask me," Shippou piped up, hopping up onto Miroku's shoulder, "She probably left because she got in another fight with you, Inuyasha."
"That would explain the trench we found you in," mused Miroku, a hand on his chin.
I scowled. I knew exactly why Kagome had left.
-flashback-
"Sit, boy!"
"Ahh-uhh!" I mumbled as I fell from the tree and crashed into the ground. I struggled to raise my head. "Oh... what d'ya do that for!"
"Quit ignoring me!" Kagome shouted. "Ever since Kikyou's come back, you never look at me, and when you do, your eyes are haunted, and you look straight through me!"
"It's not... damn it, Kagome," I sighed, looking at the ground. I slowly stood up.
"She's dead!" cried Kagome. "The only thing keeping her alive is stolen souls and her hatred of you! Don't you get that? You're such a fool... she hates you! And I - I... "
"You what?" I said, looking at her. When she didn't answer, I grabbed her upper arms and shook her. "You know I need you."
"Huh?" she said, looking shocked, then suspicious. She narrowed her eyes. "For what?"
"Duh, stupid. For the shards," I answered.
"Wha - What did you just say!" she gasped in a shocked whisper. She brought her hand up to her mouth. Tears brimmed at her eyes. Her left side overflowed, leaving a salty trail down her cheek.
I released her, surprised at her reaction. She turned around and started running away. What had I done? All I said was... Realization hit me like a rock. How could I be so stupid! I easily caught up with her and grabbed her again, spinning her around.
(A/N: His realization was not a pun off of when she really hit him with a rock, just so you know!)
"Kagome, I - " I began. She slapped me across the face.
"Don't you think you've done enough?" she hissed, still crying. "You just stay away from me, Inuyasha!"
Ignoring my burning cheek, I reached out to her. She took a step back.
"Sit!" she yelled.
I slammed to the ground. "Uhh!"
"I'm going home," she said. "Don't bother following me, either."
She walked off, leaving me in the ground. I sighed and stayed there, thinking things over. That's where Shippou and Miroku found me later.
-end-
We stepped out of the woods and the well came into view. Miroku and Shippou went ahead while I leaned against a tree. I hid my hands in my sleeves and feigned sleep. Everything became quiet and I opened my eyes. Both Miroku and Shippou were looking at me.
"Huh. What're you looken at?" I asked, looking away.
"Why are you just standing there, Inuyasha?" Shippou squeaked. "Go after her!"
"Why don't you go!" I yelled.
"Nonsense," answered Miroku. "We don't know where to find her. And even if we did, only you can go through the well."
"Jeez!" I cried, throwing my hands up in the air. "You act like I'm the one that scared 'er off!"
I jumped on the well's ledge. I glanced back angrily before jumping in, and as I was floating down, I heard Miroku's voice following me.
"But Inuyasha, you are the one..."
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"Kagome! Where are - "
"Haven't seen you in a while," someone said from behind, grabbing my ears.
I put my hand behind my back and grabbed Souta's feet, pulling him up front and holding him upside down. I looked down at him.
"Yip - ee!" he shouted, swinging his arms.
"Where's Kagome?" I asked, the corners of my mouth twitching.
He calmed down and just hung there, bringing his finger to his chin. My ears flicked back slightly; the gesture reminded me of Kagome...
"Uh... I dunno," he said thoughtfully. Then, "Oh! Now I remember. She went to a movie with Houjou."
She's not here... I frowned. "Movie? What's a movie? And who's Houjou?"
Souta snickered. "Hah! You have a crush on my sister, don't you? Oh... wait till I tell her!"
I set him down, lost in my own thoughts. I was brought out of my reverie when Souta started singing a weird song about me and Kagome sitting in a tree.
"What was that?" I asked him, meaning the word he had spelled out. He just laughed. "Hmm... Oh no! You little... Get back here!"
I made a swipe, but he ducked and ran. I started to follow when I caught a familiar smell... I stopped at a closed door. I opened it and a wave of Kagome's scent washed over me.
So this is her room, eh? I thought. I wonder...
I walked in, gently shutting the door behind me. I looked around. Noticing a large, pink, rectangular object in the corner, I walked over and sat down.
Oh! It's...soft, I thought, running my palm across the surface. And comfortable. This must be a 'bed'.
I laid my head on a fluffy object and curled up. She won't mind if I...rest...for a...minute...
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I watched as Kikyou came closer. The soul-gatherers surrounded us, creating a slight breeze. She reached out her hand to me, and I stepped closer and took it.
'Inuyasha... ' her voice echoed around me. She slid her hands up my back and pulled me close, hugging me. I hugged her back.
'Kikyou, I want to protect you, always,' I whispered in her hair. I separated from her and looked down at her. My head slowly dipped towards hers, my eyes closing. Our lips met.
Everything around me had no meaning; I only felt Kikyou, wanted only her. I did not notice the light blue glow around us change into blood red. My body began to feel light...
A familiar voice broke into my mind, making me realize what was happening. 'Inuyasha, snap out of it! Can't you see? Inuyasha... Inuyasha! I want you to live! Don't leave me! Please! Inuyasha... '
I slowly looked up and saw Kagome pinned to a tree by the soul-gatherers. All of a sudden, Kikyou pushed me away and glared at Kagome. Then she turned and walked off, her soul-gatherers in pursuit. I took a step after her before I remembered Kagome.
Spinning around, I saw her lying at the base of the tree. I ran to her, afraid Kikyou had hurt her in some way. I gently picked her up and caressed her cheek.
She looked at me and whispered 'Inuyasha... '
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"Inuyasha! What are you doing in my home, in my room, on my bed!"
"Hmm... Wha - ?" I mumbled, perking my ears and opening my eyes.
Kagome's blurred image slowly focused, but it took a few minutes to realize what she was saying. I quickly sat up and looked out the window. The sky was decorated in several shades of pink, red, orange, and yellow. I looked up at Kagome and then quickly jumped out the window, running to the big tree in her yard. I jumped up a few branches and sat there, waiting for her to come. After waiting for what seemed like five hours, but was really about five minutes, I heard her familiar footfalls below me. I looked down and stared at her.
"Inuyasha... " she said quietly. Then she sat down and waited, leaning against the trunk. I jumped down and sat next to her, waiting for her to start yelling, but she didn't.
"Is this place familiar?" she asked quietly.
I opened my mouth, unsure of what she was asking. "I..."
She smiled. "No, probably not. But why should it be? So much has changed in five hundred years...Inuyasha. This is where I found you when I came through the well. My house is built around the tree where Kikyou bound you."
I stared around me, into the branches of the tree above us, and finally at her face. She was watching me with an amused expression. I narrowed my eyes.
"What's that got to do with anything?" I asked her. Suddenly, she grabbed my hand and pulled me up. I let her pull me to the front. She pointed to a bare spot with a notch in the middle.
"There," she said, pulling me closer.
"Again, what's this got to do - " I began, until I saw her look at me. For some odd reason, she had tears in her eyes. "Kagome?"
"Inuyasha...please," she began. "I need to know...You don't need me for just jewel shards...Do you? Tell me I mean something more to you than that."
"Oh, Kagome," I breathed, pulling her into a hug. I put my hands on her shoulders and separated from her. I moved my hands to her face, wiping away the tears with my fingers.
"Inuyasha, I went to the movies with Houjou," she said. "It was a date with Houjou. And yet...you were on my mind. I couldn't stop thinking of you. I'm always thinking of you."
I grinned and sat down, leaning on the trunk. "I'm one of a kind."
She sat down too, leaning against my knees. "Inuyasha? Last night, I dreamed about you and Kikyou...and me. You wanted Kikyou, and you made her a promise that you would always protect her...and you didn't even see me, there next to you. You…kissed her, and she almost took you to Hell. And you know what? You wanted to go. I called out to you...wanted you to live, and I guess you heard me, because...Inuyasha? What's wrong?"
I had stood up and was looking away from her, not wanting to meet her eyes. "I did too. Earlier. I had the same dream."
I knelt next to her and cupped her chin. "Kagome...you do want me to live, don't you? And some part of me does too, because that part of me wants you."
Her eyes watered again. "Inuyasha..." she whispered. "Tell me you'll stay with me...and not her...Kikyou. Please?"
I hugged her again and pulled her close. Soon she fell asleep, and I carried her to bed.
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I stared down at her while she lay on her bed. Smiling, I quietly left and walked to the mini-shrine, which held the well in Kagome's time. I jumped in, knowing I would see Kagome the next day.
"Did you apologize?" a young voice said as soon as I jumped out of the well in my time. I smacked Shippou on the head. "Oww! What was that for?"
"For getting in my business, ya little runt," I snapped. I started walking off.
"Inuyasha," Miroku called. "Where is Kagome?"
"Would ya get off a' my back!" I shouted. "She'll be here tomorrow, okay?"
"Then you made peace with her?" he continued.
I ignored him and kept walking.
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