Chapter 4
They walked into the village, the fresh air soothing. She breathed in deeply, memories flooding her mind. She had missed this place so much. She sat on the grass, not wanting to see everyone just yet. She had forgotten just how beautiful the sunrises were here in a time where everything was lush and green and peaceful. She forced herself to hold back the tears that were threatening the fall. She wouldn't cry, especially not in front of him. She had already almost lost it when she kissed him, she didn't want anything to ruin this moment of bliss.
"Kagome, I thought you wanted to see everyone?" he all but whispered. She looked at him then in the morning light. He was still her perfect angel. Her guardian. She had never stopped thinking about the good times she had had here. She was a mess and she knew it.
"I don't want to wake everyone just yet, let them sleep." She shivered as the cool air swarmed around her, gasping as she felt the familiar material of his haori. She wrapped it around her, relishing its warmth and comfort. It was one of the few things that had made her feel safe here in this dangerous yet beautiful time. She watched as he stopped a few feet from her, unsure of where to go. She patted the ground next to her, motioning him to sit. He did.
"Kagome...I don't want you to go on thinking I did this because I don't like you or want you around anymore. It's just..I thought you deserved better.." he paused there, unsure of which words to use to describe his true intentions.
"Better meaning what exactly?" she asked as she pulled her knees to her chest.
"Better everything I guess. I wanted you to have a better life. I didn't want you to make demon slaying a career. I thought you deserved better then.."
"You?" she finished for him, " How could you think I would want anything more then you? How could you not see how much you meant to me, how much I needed you in my life? How blind are you!" she yelled, slapping him again. She watched as a wave of emotions filled his face. She waited for him to say something, to yell back, but he didn't. He rubbed the new red mark on his face and looked away.
" I didn't want to hurt you Kagome, I didn't want...this," he motioned to her new look, " I wanted you to have a happy, safe, life.
"I always felt safe Inuyasha." she whispered. She stood and walked to the tree that held more memories then she could count. She reached up, touching the hole left by the arrow that had changed so many lives. She jumped as she felt arms reach around her, holding hers by the wrists.
"What's wrong with you Kagome?" he asked. He needed to understand this new girl. He needed to find out why she was here, why she was blocking the Kagome he loved from coming back.
"Nothing..everything...I don't know.." she admitted, pulling her arms from his grasp and cradling them to her chest. She struggled to keep the tears at bay, she always cried when she thought of how messed up she really was.
"How can you not know why you do something? You choose to..do that..to yourself...so you should know why you do." He stopped and looked her in the eyes. They were no longer empty, instead full of a sorrow that ran deeper then he imagined. He watched as that sorrow turned to rage almost instantly and regretted his words just as fast.
"How dare you demand to know why I am the way that I am? I'm this way because of YOU! It's your fault! Everything is your fault! YOU did this, YOU stole every ounce of happiness I had! It's your fault! I HATE YOU!" Tears fell freely from her eyes, her anger leaving just as quickly as it had come. She fell into a heap on the grass, clutching her knees to her chest. She had shocked herself with her own words. She had never screamed at anyone like that, even in her darkest hours. She forced herself to look at him. He had said nothing, just let her scream at him. It wasn't like him. He had also changed more then she thought. She waited for him to say something, looking back down at the grass so he wouldn't see her crying anymore.
"I didn't mean to hurt you. I just wanted you to be happy. If you truly hate me then I'll leave you alone..you know where everyone is. Nothing has changed and everyone misses you so much." He walked up to her and set the almost whole jewel on the grass in front of her. He watched her reach for it and clutch it to her chest like a lifeline. He didn't say anything else to her, instead he turned and walked away.
"Don't leave me.."she whispered.