For No One Else

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is not mine

Chapter One: Arguments

"Sit boy!"

The loud thump that soon followed after the command was inevitable, of course. An angry Kagome was storming off, stomping the entire way. She wanted out of these woods at the moment, she didn't want to look at Inuyasha. You could almost see steam streaming from her ears, and she swiftly made her way to the Bone-Eater's Well- she wanted to go home.

Hmph! He's never considerate of my feelings! I can't believe I spent an entire two hours making and preparing that lunch… her thoughts paused, and she turned her head back towards where she was speeding off from, gazing back thoughtfully, but the calm soon passed again. He asks me where the ramen was instead…

Sighing as she continued on, she then noticed that she wasn't going to the Well. Not surprisingly, she had wandered to the Go-Shimboku Tree; after all, it always seemed to calm her after moments like these. The aura around the sacred tree was rather different from anywhere else.

Once the miko had made her way there, she glanced up to the tall Tree of Ages, her mind pondering about. This was the very place where she had first found Inuyasha, where he had been struck down and killed by Kikyo, as she had thought he had betrayed her. Of course, they knew now that it actually had been Naraku that had pulled the strings. This was where her journey had begun.

Frowning, she turned her back to the tree and slowly slid down the somewhat smooth trunk of the massive tree, closing her brown eyes as she did so. Her mind was restless, but she could give her body a break. Why was Inuyasha always a jerk? A faint voice at the back of her mind reminded her that she tended to overreact, but Kagome shoved that thought aside. Opening her eyes, she crossed her arms over her chest and stared straight ahead. Should she apologize to Inuyasha, then?

However, unawares to the priestess below, a blur of red and silver had flashed through the branches above, the branches rustling softly, awakened from their slow slumber. The deep golden eyes that belonged to the blur watched the young girl carefully, his nose recognizing immediately the dreaded smell of salty water: Kagome's tears. His heart went out to her, but really, must she make a big fuss out of everything he did? He dropped down from what seemed the sky above, startling Kagome as he did so.

"Inuyasha! Don't do that!" she exclaimed, scrambling to stand up.

"Feh, I didn't do anything, wench," the hanyou growled, taking no time to already upset her.

Kagome seemed like she was ready to snap at him, but she was able to control herself. It wouldn't be smart to further this argument anyways; and, maybe, Inuyasha was here to apologize to her. Stepping back a bit, she absently sought out a root from the giant tree and sat down on it, her lips muttering nothing, only a sigh escaping from them. Would the boy ever realize? Why didn't he see what to her was so painfully obvious?

At the sight of her like this, the half-demon's eyes softened, and he knelt down by Kagome, and he muttered softly, "You okay, Kagome?"

At his sudden near presence, she looked up to him, and she quickly gave a sharp nod, "Yeah, just thinking…" she paused, unsure of what to say next. At parting her lips, however, one of the infamous soul collectors of Kikyo's had flown above the pair.

Inuyasha got to his feet in a flash, his amber eyes flashing, following the familiar-looking demons. Kikyo! Momentarily forgetting that Kagome was there, he walked a few steps forward, as if he was to follow them, but soon caught himself and stopped. He would hurt her, if he left to see the dead priestess, it would really hurt her… it always did…

Unfortunately, the young miko did not really register that Inuyasha had not run blindly to see the other woman. All Kagome's mind could see was him desperate for Kikyo's presence, itching to leave her side for Kikyo's. Her eyes began to flood with tears, her vision blurring with the thin film. Blinking her eyes to clear the tears and to adjust her vision, she finally noticed that Inuyasha was still there, staring where the soul collectors had drifted.

At first she couldn't understand, couldn't understand why in heaven's name would Inuyasha still be doing here. Next thing, also to her own surprise, she exploded out to him, speaking between tears, "What are you still doing here! Go to her! I'm nothing compared to her, so don't try to 'spare' my feelings like this…" she stood up, her voice cracking and her body trembling.

"No…no! Kagome! You don't understand, let me explai-"

"Yes I do! Perfectly clear! I am nothing but a shard detector to you, nothing but a burden that you keep having to watch out for!"

"LISTEN! Please let me-" he attempted to say, but was once more interrupted by the distraught girl.

"NO! Leave me alone! Just stop tearing me apart and just say what your choice is! Tell me that it's Kikyo!"

"No-!"

"Leave me ALONE!" she wept, the tears rolling harshly down her fair face, leaving red marks behind. She began to sprint towards the well, running past the hanyou and not looking back. She heard him begin to run towards him, so she twirled around and screamed at him, "Sit, sit, SIT!"

Miroku, Sango and Shippou quickly arrived at the Bone Eater's Well, not long after the fox demon child had spotted Inuyasha red clad body by the well. He told them that he looked awfully upset, and so had hurried to mention this to the demon slayer and the monk.

Once the three stepped before him, Miroku began to speak, "Where has Kagome gone?" he asked Inuyasha, peering at the old well before he let his wandering eyes rest on the angry looking half-demon.

"She went home for one of her 'tests,'" Inuyasha answered, still stubbornly sitting cross-legged next to the well, his arms crossed in a cocky expression now. Looking from Sango's face to Shippou's, he looked back to Miroku again. The monk wasn't stupid… but he could try.

Sango frowned, her eyebrows lifting before glancing absently to the well, then she cocked her head towards Inuyasha, "Really? We were going to go to the hot springs for a bath today, and I could've sworn she never mentioned having a reason to go home today, much less a test…" she cast the hanyou a suspicious look.

Shippou bounced onto Inuyasha's shoulder, staring intensely at the silver-haired demon before he loudly declared, "I bet he made Kagome upset again, and she went back to her time!"

"Shaddup!" was the immediate response from the half-demon, throwing down the little kitsune to the ground.

The monk sighed, rubbing the back of his head. Couldn't Inuyasha ever control that mouth of his? No doubt he said something upsetting to Kagome, "What did you do this time?"

"I didn't do anything! I told you: she went back for her 'homework'!"

"I thought it was a test?…" Sango questioned innocently.

Inuyasha growled at them, looking more then quite ready to pound on one of them. What business of theirs was it to butt in like that? However, untrue to his nature, he stood up and simply jumped away to the woods, leaving the trio alone to ponder in their thoughts about this current problem.

Kagome still had not left the well house, somewhat unaware of the time passing by. Her eyes were intensely watching the Shikon no Tama pieces that were in her hand. So much trouble for such a small thing… The priestess' mind wandered to Inuyasha, and she was in no doubt that he was locked in a passionate kiss with Kikyo by now. Her thoughts hammered at her, her mind at unease. Why was he so blind? He could, at least, tell her that he chose Kikyo.

How could I ever compete with Kikyo? She died for him…

She stayed here for a bit longer, not even going to the shrine, to her house, but rather choosing to remain here to think things over about the whole mess. After what to her felt like eons, she stood up and carefully looked down into the well. Why had Inuyasha hesitated about visiting Kikyo? Maybe… just maybe, she had judged wrongly of him. With that flicker of hope, she jumped into the well, and the blue cosmic enveloped her, transferring her to feudal Japan.

Inuyasha's ears perked, and he cocked his head. The faint wisp of Kagome had reached his nose, informing him that she had come back. An unsure expression crossed his mind; she was back much earlier then he expected, didn't even have to come back to get her. Still slightly annoyed he jumped from the tree branches and raced to the well.

To his confusion, Kagome was not there, as he had expected. Where did she go? It was seconds ago that he had caught her smell, and rushed here. He should have caught her before she left the well area. She wasn't really that fast. Glancing around slowly, he suddenly realized something else.

A demonic aura.

Kagome! The silver-haired hanyou tried to keep himself calm; it was entirely possible that the wind had been blowing the wrong direction, and caught her scent much later then she had arrived, and he had simply missed her. In fact, he could almost be sure that she would be waiting with the others for sure.

His heart pounding, he sped towards where he last knew where the others were camped. He kept telling himself that she was there, that she was there, that she was there… Upon seeing them, his panic rose: where was she? She was not there. Stepping in front of them, as a last hope, he asked them furiously, "Where's Kagome?"

The trio looked to themselves, and it was Shippou who answered, though there was a tint of uncertainty under his voice, "Stupid! You said it yourself that she had left; you chased her away!"

The demon slayer was the first to notice Inuyasha's expression first, and she reached for her Hiraikotsu, grasping the giant boomerang's sling tightly as she stood up, swinging it to her back. Speaking carefully, as if she was afraid something would be break, she questioned him, "Was there anything else?"

Inuyasha seemed almost embarrassed to say it, but it was more in fear as if speaking it would make it truer, he growled to them, "A demon."

TO BE CONTIUNED