Chapter 6


It had been two weeks. Two long, torturous weeks since Inuyasha and Miroku had arrived back at the castle. For the better part of the last fourteen days Kagome had been doing her best to avoid Inuyasha. The castle was huge so how could keeping out of one person's way be so hard? Well it turned out to be a lot harder than she thought.

"Kagome you can't keep running away from Inuyasha. It's obvious they're not leaving anytime soon." Sango suggested to her friend. The two girls were taking a break out in the castle orchard. Kagome always felt more relaxed around nature.

"Yeah well they can't stay here forever either." Kagome huffed. Didn't she realize that this was killing her. Being away from Inuyasha like this was one of the hardest things she'd ever done in her life. They were just becoming close and already they were being pulled apart. Another heavy sigh escaped the young girl.

"Why are you doing this anyway? I know you don't really want to and you're not looking too good either." Sango eyed her friend. Since Kagome and Inuyasha took off that day she had been looking more and more pale. Her hair was losing it's luster and the bags under eyes screamed that she wasn't getting enough sleep.

"Thanks a lot." Kagome replied sarcastically. "I just want to keep him safe. He says he can protect me but I'm not willing to take that chance." Kagome looked into the Sakura tree her and Sango were sitting under. Things should be so much different. Naraku should have never shown back up, he never should have killed her family all those years ago, and Inuyasha shouldn't have to marry Princess Kikyou.

Kagome tried to suppress it but she couldn't help the pang of hurt and jealousy that shot through her heart.

'I like him.' Kagome admitted to herself, 'I like Inuyasha more than I should.'

And that's why she needed to stay away. Even if he didn't like her in same way, her feelings were dangerous.

Her crush on Inuyasha could get the both of them killed.


"Dammit Miroku I just don't understand!" Inuyasha paced back and forth in the guest room Miroku and him had been sharing the last two weeks. Inuyasha had made up some lie about some business needed to be taken care of in this part of the country. The Lord and Lady of Aomori had let them stay at the castle indefinitely or at least until their 'work' was done.

"Okay first go over every detail, from start to finish." Miroku said calmly. Since the day Inuyasha came back from his talk with Kagome he had been an absolue mess. He couldn't concentrate and was always fidgety. He constantly tried to track Kagome down in order to talk to her, but to no avail. The girl was stealthier than a trained criminal.

"Well we went to the gardens and everything was fine. Then she told me that she didn't want to see me anymore." Inuyasha's head drooped low and he looked more like a dejected puppy than a powerful prince. "She said that being together was dangerous but I told her I didn't care. I started to tell her about a dream I had and then she freaked out and ran off. I haven't caught up to her since."

"What dream did you have?" Miroku inquired.

"I saw Kagome as little girl in her home village, bandits had attacked and when she ran back to her hut she found her family dead. Then there was this guy with crimson eyes. I think his name is Naraku...I know he has something to do with why she doesn't want to see me." Inuyasha fell on giant bed in a disgruntled heap.

"Clearly she's trying to keep you from something, whether it's her or this Naraku person. Talking to her would be best."

"That's the problem dumbass! She doesn't want to talk to me!" Inuyasha yelled.

"I'll see what I can do." without another word Miroku left the room. Inuyasha was once again alone.

'You know I'm really getting tired of that.' Inuyasha thought.


Kagome walked down the hall swiftly towards Princess Kikyou's bedroom. After another successful morning of avoiding Inuyasha she was told that the young princess had wanted to see her.

'I wonder what she could possibly want...' Kagome walked up the bedroom door and shyly knocked.

"Come in!" Came the muffled reply. When Kagome stepped in she immediately took the sight of the grand bedroom. The walls were a light lavender color. Princess Kikyou's giant bed was covered in silk Lilac and white sheets, a simple flower pattern adorning the covers.

"Do you like my room?" Kagome whipped her head around to suddenly see the princess behind her. She turned to face the princess and bowed deeply.

"Yes, it's beautiful Princess Kikyou."

"Well I'm sure your wondering why I summoned you here are you not?" Kikyou's voice was devoid of emotion. It wasn't unpleasant, just a little unnerving.

"Um, yes that would be nice." Kagome replied still bowing.

"I'm sure you've heard of my engagement to the Prince of the Takahashi Clan."

Kagome gulped loudly "Um, I tend to stray away from the castle gossip my princess. My job is to serve the royal family." Kagome said hoping she'd successfully dodged the question.

But her relief was short lived.

"I don't believe that is what I asked you, Kagome." Princess Kikyou's voice went from monotone to sharp in one swift instant.

"Uh...no I haven't heard about the engagement." Kagome said quietly.

"Well let me tell you a little bit about it." Kikyou pulled on Kagome's hair so that they were eye level. Kagome's eyes widened and burned from her trying to keep her tears of pain at bay.

"Inuyasha and I are going to get married and no one, I repeat no one will get in the way of that. Especially not some servant girl. I'm only giving you one warning, stay away from Inuyasha or I'll have your head on a platter." Kikyou opened her bedroom door and unceremoniously dropped Kagome to the floor, who flinched when Kikyou slammed her door shut.

Kagome quickly came to her senses and ran. Tears blurred her vision and it became increasingly harder to see, so she ran to the place she knew like that back of her hand...the secret garden.


"Sango?" Miroku slowly opened the door to the room that he knew Kagome and Sango shared.

"Who is it?" Sango came to the door wearing a dark and light purple striped yukata with a green apron over the top. She was certainly shocked to see Miroku standing at her door.

"Miroku what are you doing here?" she said opening her door wider to let him in.

"I have a plan to help Inuyasha and Kagome get out of their little funk." Miroku plopped down on the futon he had a feeling Sango had just been occupying.

"Oh yeah? What's your plan?" Sango took a seat on the floor next Miroku, giving him a strange look.

"The plan is to get those two in the same area, a closed one where they can't leave...then they'll have no other choice but to speak!" Miroku finished enthusiastically. He was clearly excited about his plan.

"I don't know Miroku...I talked to Kagome earlier and she was pretty adamant about her decision to not see Inuyasha anymore."

"But you and I can see the obvious feelings they hold for each other. It would be a shame to let such a love go to waste." Miroku countered.

"I understand but Kagome has her reasons. Plus they can't be together anyway...it's not allowed. It would be foolish the rules of society like that."

"We are here together, royalty and non royalty. I don't see anyone in here trying to keep us apart." he said quietly.

"Well this is different!" Sango turned her head in a futile attempt to hide her blush. Miroku grabbed her hands forcing her to look at him.

"Are you saying you wouldn't be with me because of lineage my dear Sango."

"I, uh, well..." Suddenly the room was too hot and too small. Sango needed to get out of there. She needed fresh air. Just when she was going to finish her intelligent response she felt a slight pressure on her backside.

SLAP!

"Fucking Hentai!" she screamed and stomped out of the room.

"Wait! You never said if you were going to help me!" Miroku chased after her but she was already gone. He gingerly touched his cheek and winced when it started to sting.

'It was worth the pain.' Miroku thought with a silly grin on his face.


After waiting for Miroku for over an hour Inuyasha became bored. He wondered the hallways searching for the secret garden Kagome had shown him.

'Dammit! Where is it?' Inuyasha was getting more and more annoyed by the second. Two weeks and he still couldn't navigate his way through this damn place.

"Damn it all to hell" he cursed under his breath.

"You should watch your mouth. What would your mother think if she heard you talking like that?" Not recognizing the voice Inuyasha whipped around ready for a fight. He froze when he saw the face belonging to the mysterious voice.

'Crimson eyes!'

"Who are you? What do you want?" Inuyasha said, trying to sound threatening.

"I just want to talk to you." the crimson eyed man said stepping closer, "You may call me Naraku."

"Naraku?" testing the name out on his tongue, Inuyasha's eye's widened in realization and he immediately took a defensive stance.

Naraku chuckled. "No need to be so uptight. Like I said I only want to talk." He continued coming closer.

"Well you can stay where you are cause I don't feel like talkin'." Inuyasha spat at him.

"Hmm well you see Prince Inuyasha there are some things your going to have learn about me, because right now your behavior is going to put you on your death bed." The malice in Naraku's voice stunned Inuyasha into slience, even though he continued to stand his ground.

"The first thing you should know about me is I am not a patient man, there are only so many chances I will give you to corporate before things turn ugly. Secondly I do not like to share. I am very greedy, and will not hesitate to kill anyone who stands in the way of what I want."

"Why are you telling me all this? How do you even know me?" Inuyasha finally asked.

"You are very dense aren't you?" Naraku sarcastically replied.

"So I've been told. Now answer my damn question." Inuyasha snapped not missing a beat.

"I've been watching you Inuyasha, because you're treading on thin ice. Kagome is mine and you are to stay away from her."

"Fuck you! I know what you did to Kagome and her family; you're sick!" Inuyasha yelled at him. Faster than Inuyasha could see Naraku had his hands around Inuyasha's throat pinning him against the wall.

"Listen and listen well you insolent welp, I'll kill you where you stand. I gave you fair warning about my non existent patience. I will repeat myself only once I do not share! Kagome belongs to me!"

Naraku gave Inuyasha a swift but hard punch to the gut. Inuyasha gasped for breath as the wind was knocked from his lungs. He felt Naraku's hands release his neck and he slumped down the wall and onto the floor.

"Heed my warning Inuyasha...unless your ready to die." Naraku walked away and seemingly became one with the shadows.

"Keh, bastard" Inuyasha barely whispered as he slipped into the blackness starting to consume him.


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