Open Your Eyes
Chapter Nine

---

Her neck was sunburned. She could tell without having to see the neck. She moved along forcefully with everyone else, feeling weak and useless. The bandits wouldn't let her do anything. The people here regarded her as some kind of divine God, yet she was merely a human. They wouldn't let her cook. They wouldn't let her watch the children. They wouldn't let her do laundry. They wouldn't let her mend clothes or tools.

The only one who didn't speak to her as if she were all-mighty was Inuyasha, and that was hardly something to get worked up about. The way he regarded her was unnerving sometimes, almost so uneasy that Kagome sometimes wished he would treat her like a princess.

Her ankles were sore, too. She wasn't used to this much walking, but it beat sitting alone in the caravan with Inuyasha's familiar looking after her. Besides, Inuyasha wouldn't let her out of his sight ever since Midoriko had made her appearance.

"We're a day away from the sea," Inuyasha murmured and Kagome jumped in alarm. She hadn't realized he was walking beside her. She touched her neck and her fingertips burned.

Inuyasha gave her a wary look, like he wanted to just flop down and fall asleep. Shippou sat perched on his shoulder, looking chipper and very childlike, as he always did. Though Kagome wasn't eager to return to the caravan, she did miss spending time with Shippou. He was like the little brother she never had.

"Princess!" Shippou chirped out happily, almost as if he'd read her mind. He launched off of Inuyasha's shoulder and landed on Kagome's own shoulder. The princess giggled and patted the boy's red hair.

"Hello to you, too, Shippou," Kagome said pleasantly, happy to see a friendly face in a sea of bandits. No matter how disturbing it was to remember Shippou was a supernatural creature.

Inuyasha only seemed mildly miffed by Shippou's affectionate welcome for the princess. He sighed lightly and repeated, "We're a day away from the sea."

"Oh?" Kagome asked lightly, "Well, that's nice. I've never seen the sea before."

"I know that," Inuyasha snapped and then jerked his head away. Kagome watched him suspiciously. "But there's a rebellion there."

"I know of the rebellion," Kagome reminded lightly and gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "You told me already."

She remembered what he'd said last time, about Hojo's family decimating Inuyasha's family. Kagome still wasn't sure what his family had done to deserve it, if anything, and she still wasn't sure who to believe. Inuyasha was just as evasive to her questions as before. And she'd thought things had opened up a bit between them, since she'd promised not to grow attached to him. She was an unwilling prisoner.

Inuyasha was watching the sky and took a moment to answer her. When he did, all he said was, "You must be careful from now on."

"I have been careful," Kagome said sharply. "Are you saying I'm clumsy?"

He lowered his eyes from the sky and gave her an amused look. The corner of his lip curved upwards and he looked a bit sinister with his black hair covering his white eye. "No, that's not what I was saying," he reprimanded gently, "I mean you must be careful hereafter."

Kagome's eyebrows slanted downwards. "I can take care of myself."

"Inuyasha's worried," Shippou translated.

"Why you…!" Inuyasha snarled and grasped the top of Shippou's head. The small fox child squealed delightfully and didn't look the least bit afraid of Inuyasha's violent streak. "Don't say such things!"

"Inuyasha's worried!" Shippou chirped again and squirmed out of Inuyasha's hold, sticking out his tongue as he returned to Kagome's shoulder. "And you can't hurt me, I'm part of your soul."

The wizard growled angrily and looked like he could have cheerfully strangled the child if he hadn't been hiding protectively behind Kagome's own neck. The princess smiled sweetly at Inuyasha, deciding some teasing was in order. Hey, he teased her all the time.

"Ah, does the wittle Bandit King care about me?" Kagome asked, whilst batting her eyelashes.

Inuyasha's golden eye flashed and he snarled at her, looking like he was debating strangling her just to get at his familiar. Kagome stuck out her tongue and, along with Shippou, was quite a sight.

The magician snorted and turned away from the two. "I don't need this. Shippou, watch the princess."

Kagome watched him go. "Huh, he can dish out the teasing but can't take any in return."

Shippou laughed, "He doesn't like to feel belittled. It's a pet peeve."

"You know a lot about Inuyasha," Kagome said conversationally, happy to have a companion for a change. The other bandits were fine, but they still groveled over her like a goddess and it was more than a little annoying.

"Of course," Shippou said happily. "I'm a fraction of his soul pulled away in order to become his familiar."

"Hard to think you're part of his soul," Kagome said hesitantly, "I can't imagine Inuyasha ever being as sweet and gentle as you are."

Shippou giggled. "I'm a personification of everything that he's lost."

It was a bit strange hearing such a thing coming from a chirping fox, and Kagome felt uncomfortable. Inuyasha wasn't cheerful or childlike. To think that he'd somehow lost that was disturbing to her. Perhaps Shippou meant he lost it when the royal family killed his family.

"He's lost so much, hasn't he?" Kagome asked bitterly.

Shippou nodded gravely. He pressed his cheek against Kagome's and smiled, his green eyes dancing. "But he'll be okay," he reassured, "Because the princess is here."

"Don't be silly." Kagome shook her head. "I'm here against my will so that he can complete the prophecy. I'm the key. As long as I'm alive, I'll be a grievance to him."

Shippou hummed. "You should listen to me more, Kagome. I'm a portion of Inuyasha's soul. I am connected to him. I know my master. I know everything about him."

Kagome paused in her step and turned to look over her shoulder, where Inuyasha was helping herd some children back towards their mother; one was grabbing onto his arm and laughing loudly. He looked miffed but didn't shove the child away.

He must have sensed her eyes on him because he jerked his head up and his eyes narrowed. He looked pissed off that she was looking at him and turned away with an aggravated look on his face, and the tiniest bit of blushes on his cheeks.

A cloud passed over the sun.

Kagome turned around and bit her lip. "I don't make him happy."

Her heart clenched and Kagome stomped her foot impatiently. No, she was not allowed to be upset by that! Inuyasha was her captor, and she'd be damned if she was growing attached to him. He stole her away from her perfect life, and she could never forgive him for that.

Shippou huffed and crossed his stubby little arms. "Fine, don't believe me. But the words of The Judgment have already begun moving, and you cannot stop it."

"Too bad I don't understand anything about tarot cards of seeing the future, Shippou," Kagome said with a roll of her eyes.

"Hey," Inuyasha snapped as he came back over to her. He grabbed her wrist and started dragging her. "Come with me."

"Hey!" Kagome said loudly and tried to pull out of his grip. Shippou laughed on her shoulder and her cheeks turned pink despite herself. "Let me go this instant! This is humiliating!"

People were staring. Children peeked out from inside caravans.

"At this point, I'd think you wouldn't care about such things now, Princess," Inuyasha sneered, threw back the curtain on the caravan and tossed her inside. She squawked at him, but with a pointed glare he released his hold on the tarp covering the caravan and left her.

"That jerk!" she seethed and Shippou giggled again. She turned to look at the fox. "Stop that. What's so funny?"

"Inuyasha's worried," Shippou said for the third time. "He doesn't want Princess to get hurt."

"I'm capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much," Kagome said snidely, and glared at the wall because she couldn't bring herself to glare at the fox child. "I'm not something that will break. I'm not fragile."

"He doesn't want you to get hurt," Shippou insisted. "He's been using magic to ease your aches and pains. He's lent you the softest blankets for sleeping. He's given you food and shelter. He just doesn't want you to get hurt. He cares."

"This is not a sign that he cares," Kagome snapped. "Under normal circumstances, and if he were anyone but Inuyasha, yes it would be affection. But I am not a princess. I am not a little flower that will be crushed by the wind. I've lived under my stepmother's rule for years, and I didn't bend and break under her."

"He just doesn't want you to get hurt."

"What are you talking about?" Kagome squawked and moved to the exit of the caravan. She'd be damned if she let him treat her like luggage. She whipped the curtain open and was assaulted by an onslaught of heavy water droplets. She blinked her eyes.

Thunder rumbled high above and rain fell dangerously fast against the men and women walking outside. Kagome's eyebrows furrowed in frustration. It'd been sunny not too long ago.

"He was putting the children into a haven to keep them from getting wet," Kagome realized. Then she grew angry. "What the hell? I am not a child!"

"He doesn't want you to get sick, Princess," Shippou explained.

"Does he not care about the other women walking outside, then?" Kagome snapped. She stood up and daintily hopped out of the caravan. She nearly tripped and got trampled by the horse behind the caravan she'd emerged from, but she managed to dodge gracefully.

She stomped her way through the rain. Lightening flashed, but she didn't even notice as she marched up to Inuyasha and grabbed the front of his tunic.

She tugged him down to her eye level and he gave her a surprised look. His eyebrows shot upwards as Kagome's grip on his tunic tightened.

"I am not made of glass," she seethed. "I will not break."

He gave her a bewildered look before his lips burst into a smirk. "Is that so?"

"Yes," Kagome stressed. "Mere water cannot deter me. I am not some damsel in distress who waits patiently for her prince to come and save her. I am not weak."

"Oh?"

"Don't patronize me," Kagome commanded in her most authoritative voice.

"I did not know you reacted so strongly to such things," Inuyasha said casually, but there was an underlying warning in his tone.

"Don't insult me! I know you've been treating me like I'll break at any moment for days now! You won't let me work around here! You won't let me walk for too long! You shelter me from the rain! I am not some damsel!"

"I must have been mistaken, are you not a damsel? You can't even fight for yourself. You're sitting around docile, waiting for your Prince Charming to come and save you, aren't you?"

"I am not sitting around!"

"You're waiting for Hojo to save you. Can't have him feeling emasculated, now can we?"

"I am doing no such thing!"

"You're not even putting up a fight for your so called imprisonment. What is keeping you here, Princess?"

"I am not sitting around docile, but I'm not stupid enough to go against you. You have magic on your side. All I have are boots that are too large for me."

"You're right," he said with a smirk, "If you were to run away, I would chase you. I would catch you. I'll never let you get away."

Kagome flared up, looking like a disgruntled rooster more than the regal princess she was supposed to be. "I will be saved."

"Because you are incapable of saving yourself."

Her grip on his tunic tightened and she pulled him down further. She looked like she was about ready to slam him in the forehead with her own forehead. She looked like she could have done so without a scratch on her own head, so obvious was her own fury.

"I hate you," she hissed.

He raised his eyebrows, completely unperturbed by her display. "Be indifferent to me. For hate is still an emotion."

"I hate you," she insisted.

He rolled his eyes. "Were you this rebellious against your stepmother? Against the royal family? It's hard to believe you could even pass for a princess without anyone realizing."

Her eyes narrowed. "I lived under my stepmother's reign for years, and she and my stepsisters tired to crush me under their boots. I had to do as she said or she'd kill me, but I made every waking moment for that woman a living nightmare. I do not roll over like an obedient dog. She had to work for my labor."

"Is that so?"

"She made me suffer," she hissed. "She made me sleep in the barn with the animals, or, sometimes, in the fireplace. They started calling me 'Cinders', and thought it was the funniest thing on the planet."

"Slept among the ashes and soot, did you?" Kagome wasn't sure if Inuyasha sounded amused when she said this.

She shook him. "She made me eat just enough to keep me alive. And when the ball came… if it hadn't been for Midoriko, I wouldn't be here now."

His eyes misted over. "Magic does not decide your destiny, Princess. It aids you, but it does not define you. You are here because you are meant to be. Not because of some magic for one night."

"No! I'm here because of you and your blasted magic! If you had just disappeared like youwere supposed to, then I would be—"

"You would be right where they want you," he responded evenly, and didn't snap at her like Kagome half-expected him to. "If it weren't for me, you'd be dead on your birthday."

"I don't need your help."

He smirked, but didn't look quite as pleased as she would have expected. "Yes, you do."

Kagome's eyes narrowed and her black hair, wet from the rain, stuck to her face uncomfortably. She probably looked like a drowned rat, but she didn't care. She wanted to strangle him. She wanted to run away. But he would catch her, and they both knew it.

They both knew she couldn't save herself.

And they both knew that she hated herself for being unable to do so.

---

Damn you, Inuyasha, Kagome thought bitterly that night as she slept in the caravan. Shippou dozed beside her, but Kagome knew that he wasn't really sleeping. Familiars only slept when they returned to the master. Kagome growled lightly to herself with her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes trained on the covering of the caravan. Damn you to hell.

"Princess?" Shippou murmured quietly.

Kagome's eyes softened and she asked, "I'm sorry, Shippou, am I distracting you?"

"No," Shippou said and didn't open his eyes. Kagome wasn't sure what he was doing, but he was being unusually still and concentrating on something. "I was thinking, that's all."

"About what?"

"Master," Shippou said, and then corrected himself, "Inuyasha."

"What about him?" Kagome asked warily. She was aware of Shippou's affection towards Inuyasha and didn't want to insult him in front of the fox. Shippou had, after all, come from Inuyasha's soul.

"He won't listen to me."

"Why not? You wouldn't lie to him."

"He doesn't want to believe what I say to him," Shippou said mournfully. Kagome wondered why they were talking about this. "Princess… how do you make him listen to you?"

"He doesn't," Kagome said quickly and looked away from the familiar. "He doesn't listen to a single word I say."

"But he does," Shippou said, and added before Kagome could protest, "I would know."

"I don't know, then. He barely says anything to me. And when he does, he's all cryptic and vague, I have no idea what's going on anymore. Not like I ever did. This is all as hazy as it's always been. It's damned frustrating, I want to know what he's doing, what's happening, and why this all has to revolve around me!"

"He'll have to tell you everything in due time," Shippou reassured. "It's impossible for him to hide it forever."

Kagome looked down at her crossed arms and slowly unfolded them, staring at he palms of her hands. Her heart throbbed again as she thought of the recent events and she turned over, looking annoyed and peeved with the entire situation. She curled into a ball and clenched her eyes shut, wishing she were back home, before all this. She wished her father was still alive.

"Princess?" Shippou murmured. "I am a fraction of Inuyasha's soul. I am not him, exactly, but, please… don't be sad. It makes my heart hurt when you're sad."

Kagome wished she could sink into the ground.

---

It seemed like it was going to be another boring day for Kagome. She didn't like walking as much as she thought she could. Perhaps the fight with Inuyasha made him less inclined to perform his magic on her pains, because her ankles felt a lot worse.

In fact, she hadn't been speaking to Inuyasha much at all for the entire day. She figured he was angry with her, but that was okay by her because she was certainly angry with him, too. She didn't like the way he treated her, and she hated the truth in his words when he said she wasn't able to save herself.

I really am useless, she thought miserably and quickly banished the thought. No, I am worth something. I'm worth something to Inuyasha, because I'm the key. And I'm worth something to Hojo because he is to be my husband. He's out there searching for me, and while I should be able to take care of myself, I need to be able to wait for him to save me, too.

She hated herself for being weak.

A seagull cawed above her and she froze in shock, staring at the creature as it flew. She was not completely familiar with the creature, but she knew that a seagull was near the sea. She perked up considerably. Now that she paused to think about it, the air smelled salty. She'd never been to the sea before, but it mattered not, for she knew that what she smelled was the ocean.

"We're here!" she cheered and some women walking by gave her an amused look. She didn't care. She was thrilled. "We've reached the sea!"

She could even forgive Inuyasha for the moment, as she ran up to him and grabbed the sleeve of his tunic. He was leading a horse but paused when she grabbed him. He gave her an unreadable look for a moment before shaking his head and frowning at her thoughtfully.

"What is it? What's wrong?" he asked.

"The sea! We're here!" she said happily. She could smell the sea. The seagulls were flying above her. "I've never seen the sea before!"

He gave her a strange look and then chuckled. And then he smiled. Kagome wasn't used to the smile and released her hold on his sleeve and clasping her hands together.

"You're like a child," he said, but he said it in an almost affectionate tone, not in a teasing one. Kagome blinked at him in surprise as he continued leading the horse forward. "Yes, we've reached the sea. We should be at the ports in half an hour's time."

"Wow," Kagome marveled and smiled brightly. "The forest really does lead right to the ocean. Is there… is there sand?"

He laughed again. "Who knew that such simple things could bring you joy!"

Kagome blushed, realizing how foolish she must sound. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you with my trifling pleasures." She wasn't sure if he was making fun of her or not. "I'll leave."

"No, don't," he said, still laughing. He handed her the reigns of the horse. "It's refreshing. I so rarely get to see the princess smile." He smirked. "Be a dear and hold this for me, will you?"

Kagome stared at the horse. "How do you know that I won't take it and leave?"

"Can you ride bareback?" he asked skeptically. Kagome, of course, could not, but she didn't need to say so. "Good, now be a good girl and stay here."

He walked away in the opposite direction, towards the back of the bandit group. She followed him with her eyes and watched how quickly he retreated. Had he been unnerved by their actual civil conversation? Kagome had. Her heart was still beating painfully. She clenched the fabric above her heart and closed her eyes tightly. She didn't like to think it was possible to be kind to Inuyasha.

Was he just being nice to her because he felt bad for the words he'd said to her? He was, after all, a rather crude guy. But, at the same time, there were instances when Kagome could forget that he despised her. There were moments when Kagome could dare to say they were friends.

True to Inuyasha's word, they reached the sea in half an hour, but Kagome could only see the distant horizon over the bustling town of the port city. It was large, like the capital. Ships dotted the horizon and the port. Kagome stared, unsure how to take it all in.

The bandit group stopped just at the edge of the forest, before the dirt path melted into cobblestone roads. Kagome absorbed the look and feel of a sea-side city. Her blue eyes reflected the sky.

"Okay," Inuyasha said, once the group of bandits assembled. "Despite the fact that this city houses more rebels than loyalists, the fact remains that the king has probably posted guards and soldiers to search for the princess." He gave Kagome a look, as if this were all her fault. He continued, "We cannot freely walk into this city. We are, after all, banished criminals."

A strange hush befell the group, for they'd said so many times that they were not disloyal to the throne. Kagome stared at her feet.

"You're no criminal, Inuyasha," one man said boldly.

Inuyasha sighed and nodded. "I know. Nor are many of you. But our voices matter not in the eyes of that old king." He snorted. "We're here for supplies from the rebellion. After that, we're returning to the forest and going back to the kingdom."

"This all seems like a lot of work just for some supplies," Kagome snorted.

Inuyasha glared at her. "Who would suspect we'd return to the scene of the crime, Princess?"

Kagome huffed.

"Anyway," Inuyasha continued as if he hadn't been interrupted, "Miroku, you go and scoop out the city. No one here knows your face."

Miroku nodded and made his way past a group of bandits before setting foot on the cobblestone road. He turned back to Inuyasha and gave him a nod. "If I'm not back in an hour, come get me."

After that, the group mostly dispersed. They stayed in hidden in the enchanted forest, wary of travelers who dared wander too close to their hiding place. Kagome was bored out of her skull, but it was to her satisfaction that Inuyasha was, too.

He sat in the grass, leaning against a tree and picking at some lint on his trouser pants. He looked like he wanted to move, but was resigned to waiting for the lookout to return. Kagome couldn't blame him.

"So the rebellion's inside the city?" Kagome asked conversationally.

Inuyasha eyed her and nodded mutely.

She sat down next to him, half expecting him to shove her away. He stared off toward the horizon and said nothing, so Kagome took that as a good sign. She sighed lightly and picked at a blade of grass with her fingertips.

"How long will we stay here?"

"Just a couple days. For regrouping and resupplying," Inuyasha said lightly. "I'd go tomorrow, but they get angry with me if I'm too hasty with our movements."

"Are we… really going back to the capital?" Kagome wasn't sure what her feelings on this were.

"Hojo is probably still out there searching for you. He wouldn't expect me to go back there. If I were smart, I'd go into hiding with you until the dawn of your eighteenth birthday. Without you, they can't start the beginning part of the prophecy. But I'm going back."

"Why risk it?" Kagome asked, genuinely curious.

He looked like he was mulling over his next words, contemplating telling her or not. Finally, he sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "They took something away from me," he said, and sounded far more confident than he looked, "and I want it back."

"You're going back just for a vendetta?" she questioned hesitantly.

"Yes," he said gravely.

"I applaud your bravado," Kagome said skeptically. "What did they take from you? It obviously isn't just because of your…" She paused, unsure whether to continue. She swallowed and managed to choke out, "family?"

"Nothing that concerns you, Princess," he said delicately, which was something Kagome wouldn't normally associate with Inuyasha's voice. He was anything but delicate. Hell, even she wasn't delicate.

"I hate being in the dark about these things," Kagome said stubbornly. "I wish you would tell me more about you and this prophecy. I just want to know."

"Ignorance is bliss," he said helpfully.

"Ignorance is a pain in the ass," she shot back.

"Such language doesn't befit a lady of your stature," he said with only the tiniest hint of sarcasm. Kagome snorted again and rolled her eyes. She stared at the tree branches high above her. The wind rustled the leaves and they seemed to whisper to her.

"What did they take from you?"

"Many things," he granted. He shrugged again. "Some things I can retrieve, and others I will never see again."

Kagome stared down at the blade of grass in her hand and didn't dare lift her head to glance at the bandit king. He sat in silence beside her, considering his words and thinking. Kagome sighed and released the blade of grass. It floated in the air for a moment before dropping back down to Earth.

"What lies ahead?" she asked hesitantly.

"If Sango and Shippou have anything to say about it, a lot of trouble." He kicked out his feet, obviously not liking the current topic at hand. "Seeing into the future is overrated. If it weren't for the fucking prophecy, maybe I'd have a normal life."

"Maybe," Kagome agreed.

"You'd have your happily ever after," he said lightly.

"I still will," Kagome promised, and wondered why she sounded so confident. "I'm sure you'll live happily ever after, too."

He stiffened for a moment before laughing bitterly. "People like me never get happy endings. We're the antagonists of people who deserve happy endings. Like you."

"Who says you're undeserving?" Kagome questioned.

Inuyasha laughed. "The direction I'm heading… the path I've chosen to walk… there is nothing heroic and happy about revenge, Kagome." He was calling her by name again. Kagome was too engrossed in his words to care. "I shall continue down this course until my wish is granted. I will die before I give up on my wish."

He stood up and stared at the horizon beyond. From her position on the ground, Inuyasha actually looked rather tall and valiant. The sun high above them hit his hair in just the right manner, and Kagome never really considered just how pronounced and regal his profile looked. He stood up straight and tall, and looked like he was a king of something greater than a group of bandits.

Kagome blushed and looked down, silently reprimanding herself for complimenting Inuyasha's features, if only in her own mind. But she couldn't deny that Inuyasha wasn't unattractive. In fact, she usually chose to ignore such things, because that was something an almost-married woman should not be thinking.

"Either way, I will die," Inuyasha broke the silence with softly spoken words. Kagome whipped her head up, momentarily forgetting the blush that painted her cheeks. He'd shifted his gaze to look down at her. "My wish will only bring death. But I still wish for it."

Kagome swallowed and fiddled with the sash holding her oversized tunic closer to her body. A strange shiver ran through her body.

"I don't think you're undeserving of a happy ending," Kagome said lightly, and prayed Inuyasha hadn't heard her.

He had, and he chuckled. His laughter lacked malice and sarcasm, however. He knelt beside her, and he looked like he almost wanted to smile.

"Come on," he said, grabbing her hand and hauling her upwards. "I'll take you to the sea now."

Kagome wondered why he was being so nice to her.

The books she'd read hadn't been lying. When the written word described the sea, Kagome had yearned to touch it and remember it and see it. As they drew closer to the ocean, Kagome grew more and more energetic as the ocean scent filled her nostrils.

"What about Miroku? He hasn't finished scouting."

"No one would dare fight me here," Inuyasha said casually. They made their way closer to the waters. He draped his cloak over her head. "Don't let your face be seen. The last thing I need is for someone to recognize you."

Kagome did as she was told and wondered why she wasn't raising the alert for people to come and rescue her. She decided it was because she wanted to see the sea so desperately. She followed happily behind Inuyasha, eager to see the water.

They made it to a sandy beach and Kagome smiled brightly, taking in the look and feel of sand beneath her feet and water stretching far beyond her human eyesight. Her heart leapt into her throat and she grasped Inuyasha's cloak tightly. She could smell him, and it was just as overpowering as the scent of seawater.

"The sea," Kagome said lightly, "Is so beautiful. I've seen pictures… but… it's so beautiful."

"Yeah," Inuyasha agreed softly. His golden eye stared at the horizon. "It's free."

Kagome looked at him, surprised at the shockingly subtle, yet deep, declaration. She turned away from him and tucked some black hair behind her ear.

"I wonder if Prince Hojo would have taken me to the sea," Kagome said lightly. She saw Inuyasha scowl out of the corner of her eye.

"When are you going to realize?" he hissed.

"Realize what?"

"That he's not as great as you make him out to be," Inuyasha snapped and kicked at a shell in the sand. It cracked under the kick and split in two. He glared at it, as if it was the cause of his anger. "He's using you, you know."

Kagome didn't meet his eyes. "We love each other."

"How can it possibly be love?" Inuyasha asked skeptically.

"Have you ever been in love?" she countered.

"Someone like me has no time for petty things like love."

Kagome closed her eyes and felt her heart throb again. She wished it'd stop doing that.

"You'll break someone's heart with those words, someday."

"Ha," he said bitterly, and didn't sound the least bit amused. "That's a laugh. Someone like me has no time for love, but no one would love someone like me."

"I don't like self-pity," Kagome said lightly, "especially coming from you. It doesn't suit you."

He grinned acrimoniously. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"It wasn't meant to be," Kagome countered. "Since when were you so bitter about love, anyway?"

"No reason," he said with a shrug. "I've seen it wage war. I've also seen your silly display of affection for your prince."

"That's what you do when you're in love."

"Is it really love?" he questioned.

"It was love at first sight."

He snorted and rolled his eyes. Kagome glared at him. He pretended not to notice. "What kind of person falls in love at first sight? What can something so trivial possibly create an everlasting bond?"

"It was."

"There is no such thing as love at first sight," he said boldly.

Kagome sat down in the sand and drew her legs close to her chest, staring off towards the ocean. "You don't know anything."

"What could a first meeting possibly constitute that could create something as intense and precious as love?" Inuyasha demanded as he flopped down beside her, kicking up sand as he went. Kagome closed her eyes so it wouldn't get in her eyes. The last thing she wanted was to start crying from sand in her eyes.

"I think you're just bitter."

"And I think you're just foolish. What could love at first sight be, hm? You see the beauty of that person. But that beauty is only skin-deep."

"You're unusually deep today."

"And you're missing my point."

Kagome didn't answer.

Inuyasha didn't seem to care about her lack of enthusiasm and he continued, "A first meeting can create many things, but not love. Things that people often confuse with love. Security, obsession, lust…"

He sighed and picked up a small rock before chucking it towards the water. It splashed with a small ripple. He watched the lolling waves and sighed.

"Love grows. It doesn't spark."

Kagome hugged her legs to her chest tighter, feeling raw and exposed under his intense words. She never knew that Inuyasha could harbor such intelligence. Sure, she knew he was smart and crafty. He had to be in order to live as the stable boy without the royal family's knowledge. But, he was deep. There was depth in his eyes.

"Look, sea glass," she said, deciding a change of subject was in order. She picked up the milky white glass—perhaps, at one point, it had been clear. It was white and rounded now.

She looked up at Inuyasha to see him watching her. His eyes were soft and the wind played with his black hair. She held the weathered and worn piece of glass in her hand, but she was captivated by Inuyasha's eyes.

They looked just like the sea glass.

Kagome wondered why it'd taken her so long to realize. Inuyasha was not just some bandit king, anymore. She'd spent too much time with him to think of him as merely her captor. She'd never seen such painful eyes before.

"What are you looking at?" he groused.

Kagome shook her head and dropped the white glass to the ground. "No, nothing. Sorry."

She closed her eyes and rested her chin against her knee.

"I know this means nothing to you," Kagome said after a long silence, "but thank you for taking me here."

"I can't even begin to wonder why you're thanking me," Inuyasha muttered. "I took you away from your love. You should hate me."

"Hmm," Kagome said lightly. "You wanted me to be indifferent to you, right? So, let's just say I am and be done with it."

"You're in dangerous waters, Kagome," he warned.

The girl smiled. "You said my name."

"Don't get used to it," he muttered and his cheeks turned pink.

---

Author's Notes: Wow, hey, everybody. It's been a long time since I've done an author's notes, huh? I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who's stuck with this story, despite my terrible fight against the dreaded writer's block.

I figured that maybe I should answer some misconceptions I've been getting in reviews. Usually, instead of addressing them here or in review replies, I try and work it into the story, just so that I don't insult anybody by being unintentionally rude, or anything like that.

Well, I guess there's only one real misconception. This lies with Kagome's affections, whether that be for Inuyasha and Hojo. As many people who are familiar with my stories will know, I don't like to rush the romance. But I also like working with real human emotions, when I can. Those of you out there that remember your first love and those feelings, try and have some patience with the princess. And please excuse Inuyasha's cynicism about love and life in general. He has good reasons, I swear.

Thanks again for all your love and support. It means the world to me.