AN: This author does not own Inuyasha, or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, or other expanses, and simply owns the developments on the character Kirara. Yeah, that sounded pretty legal and serious, but it's my lawyer-speak for "I do not, I repeat, do not own Inuyasha, as much as it tears me up inside."
Chapter One
"Kikyou wouldn't have put herself in danger like that! Kikyou wouldn't have made such a stupid mistake! You're so stupid; you could have been killed!" As soon as the words had left Inuyasha's mouth, he knew they were mistakes, and he should have just closed his mouth. Kagome's eyes had widened and small jewels welled up at the corners of her eyes, sliding down her cheeks, and some shattering on the ground beneath their feet, while others fell onto her sleeping clothes. In the summer heat, she had decided not to wear her regular pajamas, and had instead chosen a tank top, with very wide straps and baggy shorts, so as not to tempt Miroku too much, and her feet were adorned in simple sandals. She said nothing in her defense, refusing to let her cracking voice out as she turned and walked back to Kaede's hut in silence.
Miroku sighed, realizing that this would be another day, another fight between the two, because Inuyasha couldn't seem to keep his big mouth shut. Sango, eyes dulled slightly in suppressed anger and sadness over the pain inflicted so frequently upon her surrogate sister, simply walked over and started to hit him, saying nothing because she refused to waste her words on the stubborn hanyou. Inuyasha didn't even fight the pain, slumping his shoulders and taking the blows one after another, the occasional fox fire licking at his coat before he took off to his private haven near the well in the Sacred Tree.
Meanwhile, Kagome sat in Kaede's hut, crying softly to herself, and wishing the old woman was back to hold her, like her grandmother always used to before she passed away, when she felt something soft against her ankle. She looked down to find Kirara rubbing against her with her tails, looking up at her with ruby-red eyes that just seemed to tell her that everything would be alright and that she shouldn't let the dog get to her so much. Kagome smiled sadly, picking up and cuddling with the fire cat, her tears dropping into the soft, crème colored fur.
Feeling no more tears, Kagome sighed, "Kirara, why do I put up with him?" The cat in her arms meowed softly in response and shrugged her small furry shoulders as if to say she didn't know either, before nuzzling her nose into the crook of Kagome's elbow to listen, "I mean, he's stubborn, brash, and he treats me like crap. Should I even still be here?" Kirara turned back around, rubbing her nose into Kagome's neck and licked her cheek, effectively conveying to Kagome that everyone loved her. The sixteen year old girl giggled, feeling, for a moment, as carefree as one born in the 1990s should, and then shaking her head for translating meows and nuzzles and smiled, thanking Kirara before scratching her favorite spot and pulling her sleeping bag out of her backpack, deciding to sleep on the subject.
In walked Sango and Miroku, Shippou perched comfortably on Sango's shoulder. The demon slayer gave Kagome a comforting smile, walking over to give her a quick hug and scratching behind the ears of her cat. Kagome gave a saddened smile back and hugged Miroku as well, watching his hands, but was relieved when they stayed on her back. She smiled, remembering a conversation that they had had, where Miroku had divulged a secret to her; he tried not to grope women when they were deeply troubled, unless he thought it might cheer them up or get their mind off their problems. Kagome's smile turned wry; it wouldn't do anything for her, except aggravate her or take her mind off her problems for a minute. Like the novel her teachers had assigned, Siddhartha said, many times, people search for the complete release from things, but only find temporary, always being brought crashing back down to Earth before they reach what they seek, like a man who drinks a lot of wine, to leave his life, even if it's only 'til his hangover comes.
She laid down, pulling the covers up to her chin and opening her arms, only to be surprised by the company of two small demons, Shippou curled under her chin and Kirara by her nose. Sango smiled, knowing Kirara was in safe and comfortable hands, and shrugged before settling awkwardly into her new sleeping bag, specially chosen for quick exits, just in case the demon slayer needed to get up quickly. Miroku sat cross-legged, his back against the wall, facing Kagome and Sango, but not near enough to either to do any damage. Realizing that she probably wouldn't be able to sleep, she thanked her intuition for putting her near the window, and started watching for the first stars of the evening.
A few hours later, after everyone had fallen silent, Inuyasha came back, helping Kaede with her things. She had basically blackmailed him into helping, seeing his distraught face and asking what he had done to the young Kagome this time, and saying that Kagome would wish the old woman wouldn't have to carry everything. As they walked, he described the whole situation to her. The group was walking to another jewel shard, when one seemed to appear from thin air, barreling towards them in the form of an earth demon made of boulders. Near the end of the fight, the demon seemed to be bleeding dust, and in it's rage, it lashed out towards the person who caused it's pain, Kagome, but the thing that Inuyasha thought to be so stupid was that she didn't move. She didn't do anything, except shoot directly at the jewel shard, shattering the demon into the large stones it was made of, and then, she started to run. Knowing she couldn't go in time, Inuyasha snatched her up in the nick of time, and pulled her to his chest, smelling her hair to calm him down from screaming at her at that moment.
Pushing aside the straw door, Inuyasha let Kaede in first out of habit, following her in as he would do for Kagome, the difference being he wasn't watching her walk. Shuddering slightly at the thought, he looked around, his eyes falling on said schoolgirl, curled up near the window with Shippou and Kirara, and couldn't help but smile a little.