Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I am making no profit from this. Inuyasha was lovingly brought to life by Rumiko Takahashi, the greatest female manga artist and writer of all time.
Warning: Major spoilers! If you haven't read at least up to Chapter 474, read on at your own risk!
Note to My Readers: Thank you or taking the time to read this fanfic. It is my very first, and I am quite nervous. If you would be so kind as to review this when you are through, I would be so happy! If you do not like what I wrote or how I wrote it, please tell me why. I cannot fix it if I do not know what is wrong. Thank you again and enjoy!
Chapter Notes: In this chapter, any thoughts by the characters will be in Italics and "quotations". They will also not be written in Script form. Thank you.
Author's Note: Sorry for the format changes. I promise I'm finished now. I hope this will be easier to read.
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Sleeping Beauty: Feudal Style
Chapter 2 – Read Between the LinesThe second night finds our group camping in a forest. There is a large clearing with a huge tree nearly in the middle. Sango and Miroku have gone looking for firewood. Shippo and Kirara have gone with them, leaving Kagome and Inuyasha to set up camp.
Kagome, having finished, sighs and leans up against the tree.
Inuyasha gets a fire started with the wood they have, and sits down next to it to keep it going until Sango and the others get back.
Inuyasha:Hey Kagome?
Kagome, who has been dozing off slightly, sits up.
Kagome: Yes?
Inuyasha pokes at the fire.
Inuyasha: How are you feeling?
Kagome gets a startled look, and walks over to Inuyasha. She puts her hand on his forehead.
Kagome: You don't feel like you have a fever.
Inuyasha blushes and swats her hand away.
Inuyasha: It's just been rough lately. Can't I ask how you are?
Kagome smiles. "He was worried about me."
Kagome: Of course you can. You just don't do it that often, so I was surprised. I'm fine. Thank you for asking.
Inuyasha blushes and grumbles something.
Inuyasha: Kagome?
Kagome: Hm?
Inuyasha: I've been thinking a lot… about what happened with Kaou.
Kagome gets a guarded/sad look on her face. "He's been thinking about Kikyo again."
Inuyasha: Thank you.
Kagome looks surprised, and then smiles.
Kagome: For what?
Inuyasha turns his face away to hide his blush.
Inuyasha: For being there.
Kagome smiles gently.
Kagome: You're welcome.
A comfortable silence falls between the two. Kagome leans against his back and closes her eyes. A gentle breeze blows past, making their hair dance together.
Inuyasha: You're always there.
Kagome's eyes flutter open, but she stays quiet.
Inuyasha: Even when I push you away. You're always there. Through every danger, even ones you should never have been dragged into, you're always by my side. I don't understand.
Kagome sends a small prayer heavenward for the right words.
Kagome: I stand beside you…
Inuyasha's ears perk up, but he says nothing.
Kagome: I stand beside you because I choose to. I… care about you, and I want you to be happy. I want to stay by your side, for as long as it takes for you to reach that happiness, in whatever form you choose.
Inuyasha turns around and picks up both of her hands. Holding them in front of him, he takes a deep breath.
Inuyasha: Kagome? Am I the reason you suffer? Kaou started to say what it was, but you stopped him. It's me isn't it? I'm the cause of your pain. That's why you wouldn't let him finish.
Kagome is quiet. She turns her head and won't look at him.
Inuyasha cups her chin, and gently turns her to face him.
Inuyasha: Kagome? Answer me.
Kagome is torn between telling him the truth, and her desire to spare him from any more pain. "No you're not! I cause my suffering, my own heart. I love you! I… don't want to be a burden to you."
Kagome starts to tremble, both from his close contact and the effort of biting back what she wants to say. Her heart is screaming, "Tell him!" Her mind is saying, "Stay quiet, or you'll lose him forever."
Kagome takes a calming breath. Inuyasha is still looking at her, expecting an answer. "Tell him! Let him decide if you are a burden or not. That's not your decision to make. Tell him!"
Kagome opens her mouth to speak, and…
Shippo: Hey guys! We're back!
The couple breaks apart, and looks up to see Sango, with Kirara on her shoulder, Miroku, and Shippo standing at the edge of the clearing, their arms laden with dry wood.
Inuyasha opens his mouth to yell at them. Kagome jumps up feeling very relieved, and slightly frustrated.
Kagome: Welcome back! We were just wondering what was taking you so long. Here, let me help.
Kagome walks over, pets Kirara, and takes the wood from Sango. Sango gives her a suspicious look.
Shippo: I'm hungry.
Kagome laughs.
Kagome: Well then, we had better get you fed.
Inuyasha watches Kagome with an odd expression. Miroku lays a hand on his shoulder.
Miroku: Something you'd like to talk about?
Inuyasha snorts.
Inuyasha: No, but there is something I would like to have answered.
Inuyasha walks away into the woods.
After dinner, everyone is setting up their bedding, and talking about what they will be doing tomorrow. Shippo is sitting with Sango and Miroku showing them a new trick, Inuyasha is up in the tree on a low branch, and Kagome is leaning up against the tree again, lost in her thoughts.
"I need to tell him. It's not fair to him not to, but how?"
Shippo: Kagome?
Kagome gives a little yip, and sits up straight.
Kagome: Shippo! Did you need something?
Shippo: You said you'd continue the story tonight.
Kagome: Story? Oh! Yes. Ok. Are you ready for bed?
Shippo: I need to put away the crayons you brought me, but then I will be.
Shippo trots off to pick up his crayons.
"The story… the story! Yes! That's how I will tell him! Now what to say…"
Shippo finishes putting his crayons away, and comes over to sit with Kagome under the tree.
Kagome: Now where did I leave off?
Shippo: Tsubaki cursed the baby princess!
Kagome: Ok.
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Now the King and Queen, fearing for their daughter's safety, ordered that all spinning wheels in the kingdom be burned. The people, out of love for their infant Princess, agreed. The King and Queen of the neighboring kingdom also ordered all spinning wheels to be destroyed.
6 years passed peacefully, and the Princess grew into a very lovely little girl with blue eyes, and soft midnight black hair. She was also very kind and gentle.
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Inuyasha makes a scoffing noise. Kagome gets annoyed.
Kagome:Sit!
Inuyasha falls rather ungracefully to the ground, making a shallow crater. Grumbling and cursing under his breath, Inuyasha pulls himself back up into his tree.
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The whole kingdom loved her. However the King and Queen were still worried, so they assigned two guardians to the Princess. One was a cute young girl, who was a very capable warrior despite her age, and the other was a young monk with rather impressive spiritual powers. Their names were Erii age 8, and Haru age 9. Both children had lost their families in the war. The three became fast friends, and were hardly ever apart.
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Miroku: She is lovely, isn't she?
Sango blushes. Then her face gets really red, and a small vein pops out at her temple. The next few seconds are a blur. Miroku ends up on his face in the dirt, and Sango is brushing her hands off.
Sango: Please continue.
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Nearly 10 years passed in happiness, and most people began to forget about the curse. As for the children every afternoon the three of them would go for a walk in the gardens behind the castle, and today was no exception. The three of them left after lunch, and walked to the border of the Royal Gardens and the Forbidden Forest that stood between the two kingdoms.
The Princess and her two friends sat down to rest by a small brook. As her guardians sat arguing over something Hare had done, the Princess saw some movement in the bushes. At first she was afraid, but as she continued to watch a small boy jumped out of the bush that had moved. He was a cute little boy with a big fluffy tail.
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Shippo: That's me!
Kagome laughs.
Kagome: Yes, that's you.
Shippo giggles and snuggles closer to Kagome.
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"How cute!" Thought the Princess.
Then, just as she was about to call out to him, he dashed away. The Princess checked to see if her guardians were watching. Erii had her back to Haru, and Haru was rubbing a bright red handprint on his cheek.
(Everyone laughs, Inuyasha cracks a smile, and Miroku sighs heavily.)
Laughing to herself she turned and followed the boy into the woods.
The boy kept darting in and out of the bushes, and the Princess tried her hardest to keep up with him. She followed him into a clearing with a large stump in the middle. Not being able to find the boy, the Princess decides to sit down and get her bearings.
"I've never been here before," the Princess thought. "I hope I can find my way back."
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Kagome pauses in her storytelling.
"Ok. Here's your chance. I know he's still got a thing for Kikyo, but he asked you straight out earlier. Just because you're embarrassed, and scared, doesn't mean you can't be honest right? Tell him girl! And what's meant to happen will happen. Just please don't let him hate me, or have things get awkward between us."
Kagome settles against the tree, and gets a sort of far away/dreamy look in her eyes. Taking a deep breath, and offering a prayer to the heavens, she continues with her story.
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As she looked around she spotted, off in the distance, a tree that was taller than all the rest and covered in beautiful white blossoms. Intrigued, the Princess made her way toward the tree. As she came into the small clearing something silver caught her eye. There, leaning up against the base of the tree was a young man.
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Shippo: Inu…Sango quickly covers his mouth, and shakes her head at him.
Everyone is listening in silence. Even Inuyasha has come out of his sulk, and turned around to hear her better.
Kagome continues to stare up at the stars with her dreamy/dazed look. A small blush is slowly spreading across her cheeks.
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He was the most beautiful young man she had ever seen. His hair was long and silvery-white, his face looked so soft and peaceful in slumber, and peeking out of his hair was a pair of cute, furry dog-ears!
Trying not to wake him, but wanting to be closer to him, the Princess crept near. As she got just close enough to reach out and touch him, she stepped on a twig. At the loud snap his eyes fluttered open, and blue eyes met gold.
"Amazing!" Thought the Princess.
The young man jumped up, quite startled.
"Ren?" The young man asked softly, staring at the Princess in disbelief.
"I'm sorry," replied the Princess. "My name is Yume."
"Sorry," replied the young man looking away. "I thought you where someone else."
The Princess continued to stare at the young man, particularly his waist length silver hair. It was so beautiful! Completely unlike anything she had ever seen. Before she knew what she was doing, she reached out and touched it.
(Everyone chuckles softly, Inuyasha smiles, and Kagome starts to grin and goes back to being herself.)
"Hey!" The young man said.
"I'm so sorry!" The Princess replied blushing. "Your hair is just so…beautiful!" Clasping her hands in front of her, she gave a small bow. "I didn't mean any disrespect."
"That's all right," said the young man.
As the Princess turned to walk away, the young man spoke again.
"Hey! You said your name was Yume, right? I'm Yueh."
"It's a pleasure to meet you sir." The Princess said, again giving a small bow.
"Whoa! Whoa! Just Yueh is fine! I've never been one for formalities," Says the Prince, holding up his hands with a grin. "Now if you don't mind my asking, just what are you doing all the way out here? Don't you know this forest is forbidden?"
"Well…" began the Princess. "I was…"
Just then the small boy she had been chasing dashed out of the bushes, and jumped up onto the Prince's shoulder.
"…Following him!" The Princess finished.
"Huh?" Said the boy looking confused.
Laughing, the Prince said, "Some sly fox you are! You didn't even know you were being followed."
"At least I'm not the idiot that let her walk up on me taking a nap!"
(Everyone laughs. Even Inuyasha chuckles a bit.)
Fierce looks are exchanged between the two.
"Whatever." The Prince said.
"Um…" began the Princess.
"Oh yeah." The Prince says. "Introduce yourself runt."
Sticking his tongue out at the Prince, the boy jumps onto the Princess' shoulder.
"I'm Momichi! I'm a fox demon! Nice to meet you!"
Laughing, the Princess introduced herself and asked if they were related.
"No!" Came two identical replies.
"No," said the Prince. "The runt just lives with me."
"So what are the two of you doing out here?" The Princess asked.
"Just getting away for a while." The Prince answered. "This is my favorite part of the forest."
"It is peaceful here," the Princess agreed.
"Why don't you stay with us for a while? It would be fun!" Asked the boy.
The Princess agreed, and the three of them spent the rest of the afternoon talking and playing. Time passed quickly, evening fell, and it was starting to get cold. The Princess knew she would have to go home soon. So she asked Yueh and Momichi if they could show her the way back to the brook that ran into the kind King's garden.
"Do you live at the castle?" Asked Momichi.
"Yes," said the Princess.
Not wanting her new friends to treat her different, like most people did when she told them she was The Princess, she told them she was one of the orphans to whom the King had invited to live with him.
"Wow," said Momichi.
The three companions began walking in the direction of the brook, and Momichi began telling her about how he was an orphan as well. His father had been the general for the neighboring kingdom, and his mother died in the first attack.
"He must have been very brave," commented the Princess.
Nodding, Momichi continued to talk about all the different things he could do with his fox magic, and how he had used it many times to save the day.
(Kagome gets her dreamy look back, and everyone is quiet.)
"He means stealing from the kitchen." The Prince leaned over and whispered.
Glancing over at him, she saw him roll his eyes at the little fox.
"He really is handsome," the Princess thought. "Especially when he smiles."
Completely lost in her own thoughts, the Princess didn't pay attention to where she was walking, and tripped over a tree root. The next thing she knew she was being held tight against the Prince's chest.
"Are you all right?" The Princes asked, looking down at her with concern.
"I'm all right." The Princess replied breathlessly.
The couple continued to gaze into each other's eyes until Momichi came running back asking if they were going to be there all night. The couple broke apart quickly, both bright red, neither looking at the other.
"Coming runt." The Prince said with a small cough.
The three started out again, and soon arrived at the brook.
"Here we are," the Prince said. "You should be able to find your way from here?"
"Yes," replied the Princess, cheeks still tinged pink. "Thank you both very much." With a small bow the Princess turned to go.
"Yume?"
"Yes?" The Princess said, turning back around.
"Will you be able to come back tomorrow?" The Prince asked.
Smiling softly, the Princess replied, "I shall try."
(Kagome's spacey look fades.)
Saying goodbye to her new friends, and with one last look at the Prince, the Princess hurried home following the brook.
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Kagome is quiet for a moment.
Kagome: Ok. Bedtime.
Shippo: Ahhh!
Kagome: More tomorrow, but only if you go to sleep now.
Shippo: Ok.
Everyone goes to bed quietly. Except Inuyasha, who can be seen silently looking at the stars, his eyes glowing in the dying embers of the fire.
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Chapter Notes: In this chapter, any thoughts by the characters will be in Italics and "quotations". They will also not be written in Script form. Thank you.
I did it! The second chapter is finally finished! I got wicked writer's block on this one. It's so long! I hope the next one goes smoothly. I am going to wait until I get 10 reviews to post the next chapter. To view the progress I'm making on my chapters, visit my profile page. I try to keep it completely up to date. Thank you in advance. I look forward to hearing from you. -Crimsonangel
A Special Thanks: I would like to thank everyone who has read and reviewed my first chapter, and special thanks to Shewhodanceswithdragons for catching my typo. Also thank you to my many proofreaders for your loving support and gentle guidance.