Defining Love
Chapter One
She sat at the edge of the old Bone Eater's well. The wind blew around her, making her raven hair flail around her, which, in turn, gave her dark wings. The sun caught every strand of her hair, giving it a slight, golden tinge.
Kagome sighed. She'd seen him again, seen him with Kikyo.
She bowed her head and watched the grass sway with each passing breeze. "I don't know why, but…" She looked up into the sky, tears threatening to glide down her flushed cheeks. "But this time seeing him with her was different." She blinked and a few tears escaped the confines of her eyes. Earlier on their journey, she' run into the same situation and sat in the same spot.
Flashback
"Kikyo, I'm the only one you have. I'm the only one who can protect you," Inuyasha yelled while embracing the priestess he loved. "If you need anything, just call for me."
Kikyo pulled away. "Do not worry Inuyasha, I will not let any man but you touch a single hair on my head." Then she left.
Inuyasha turned around and looked straight into Kagome's soft, brown, eyes.
Later the next day, Kagome had realized how much Inuyasha had meant to her. She couldn't bear to not see him anymore.
"Can I stay with you?" she asked, knowing that she would take whatever came at her. Inuyasha looked taken back, completely surprised by her question.
"You…you want to stay with me?"
End Flashback
And I stayed too…even though he told me he had a promise to keep…to her. Kagome shook her head at the thought. She buried her face in her hands. It's not like I can handle this as it is, but having Kikyo in the picture complicates things a bit…
"Kagome, are you okay?" Sango's voice broke Kagome's train of thought.
Kagome looked up, regret clearly plastered on her face. "Yeah. I'm fine," she managed to sigh out.
Sango made a little laugh. "If I know you like I do," she said, sitting down next to her troubled friend, "I know that when you say 'I'm fine,' you think the world is gonna collapse around you. Now, what's wrong?"
Kagome graced her friend with a faint smile, but she didn't even try to answer, knowing that she would burst out in tears if she did. Pained tears still came, however, and gathered at the corners of her brown eyes.
"She saw Inuyasha with lady Kikyo again." Miroku said, out of nowhere. He had somehow 'appeared' in front of the two girls, Shippo freeloading on his shoulder.
"I wonder where he's gotten to?" the little kitsune added.
A fair distance away, sitting in a tree, a pair of white dog-ears silently flicked. Inuyasha looked tenderly at the back of the girl who'd most recently been the light in his dark, lonely, world. "I'm sorry Kagome," he said quietly, but his usual scornful look quickly returned. "Damn that fox. Hasn't he learned that I'm never too far from Kagome?"
Silent tears slid down Kagome's face. She was alone, completely alone. No, no, I was never alone, and I never will be. Sango's arm was draped comfortingly around Kagome's shoulders. Miroku and Shippo sat watching the sky to the right of Kagome. The four friends were sitting silently, trying to straighten out her life.
"He only sees me as…as a shard detector." Kagome muttered, barely louder than a whisper. Her friends turned to look at her. Kagome was the least expected to say anything at this particular situation.
"What was that, Kagome?" Miroku asked.
"He only sees me as a shard detector. He doesn't care about me, as in me." Kagome said with a lot more confidence. "He only saves me because I can see the shards of the Shikon Jewel. What and who he really cares about is becoming a full demon and being with Kikyo."
Kagome's words hit Inuyasha like a pile of bricks. "She thinks I only care about those things?" he quipped, taken back by this revelation. "I care about more than that. Much, much, more than that."
Kagome stood up. "Come on guys." She said, wiping tears off her face. "We'd better go back. We've got a long day ahead of us." She began to walk back to Kaede's village.
"What?" Sango asked, stunned at Kagome's sudden change in attitude. "What do you mean?"
Kagome looked back at her friends, her warm, happy, sincere expression back on her face. "We've still got a lot of shards to find, you know." Kagome said as she wiped away her last tear. "Besides, Inuyasha will come looking for me soon, and I don't want him to see me like this."
"Lady Kagome," Miroku started. "It amazes me that you can remain so strong and optimistic though all of this."
"Yeah. Inuyasha ran off with Kikyo and you're obviously hurt, but he doesn't care," Shippo ranted. "You're amazing Kagome!"
Inuyasha had had enough. He jumped down from his perch and started to walk towards the group of friends.
"It hurts me, yes, but I can't control Inuyasha's heart. He loves who he loves. And as long as he's happy, that's all that matters." Kagome said as she walked back to the village. "That's all that matters even if it tears my heart apart."
Sango shook her head in surprise. "Did she just…?"
Miroku nodded. "Kagome just forfeited her heart. She's given up." The monk sighed.
"Boy, she's strong." Shippo put in.
Inuyasha was confused. "Given up on what?" he asked. Apparently, he was not very welcome among Sango, Miroku and Shippo. No one answered him. "Look, if you really care about Kagome, tell me what the hell is wrong with her!"
Sango's hands clenched at her sides as she slowly turned around. "I thought that you of all people would know what's wrong with Kagome!" Sango yelled, a slight growl in her voice. She was about to yell something else, but Miroku stopped her.
"Allow me, dear Sango." Miroku took a deep breath. "Kagome has decided that she cannot take anymore of your 'attention' towards lady Kikyo. So she's decided to give up, to not fight for your heart anymore. You can go to hell with Kikyo."
Inuyasha stumbled back a few steps. "She wants me to be with Kikyo?" His friends gave him 'as-if-you-don't-know' looks. "Never mind." He rushed past them as he ran after the one girl who melted his heart.
Kagome sat across from Kaede, holding a cup of tea.
"Something bothers ye, Kagome." Kaede stated more than asked. Kagome didn't answer. She just sat staring at nothing in particular, blowing at her tea.
"Kagome?"
The young girl's brown gaze snapped up. "Huh? Sorry Kaede. I'm just a little out of it today."
Kaede sighed. "Kagome, this isn't like ye. Your face holds no smile; your eyes hold no sparkle. They just reflect the light." The elderly priestess sipped her tea. "What is it that bothers ye?"
This time it was Kagome who sighed. "I'm going home."
Okay, let the flames come!! By the way, I'd like to say thank you to my cuz, Marie, and my buddy-buddy and amazing author Fire Dragon6666 for helping me edit this story...um...chapter... I probably won't finish updating this story cuz I never get any reviews.... okay, time to stop ranting now... lataz! xox