Thanks to you reviewers! I enjoyed the feedback. Well, to keep it short and sweet (as per usual) let's get the disclaimer up and this first note wrapped up!
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, no matter what false documents of ownership I may attempt to create, I don't own him. (No, I am not saying I am conspiring to make false copyrights or anything, just trying - and failing miserably – to add a little humor to these usually bland and annoying disclaimers. I never said I was one for comedy…)
Chapter the Ninth
Blow Ups and Disappearing Acts
"How should I put up my hair? Leave it hanging down as usual or put it up in a cute bun? Ugh! I don't know! Hey you, human Sango, come out of your picture and fix my hair!"
Yes, Kagome had locked herself in her room, having dangerous rants about how she was going to look.
It had bothered her at first as to why she was so intent on looking nice for Inuyasha, but she settled for the assumption that she merely wanted to look nice for all of them.
Then again, she seemed to be seeing some nice changes in the dog-demon. Slight, almost non-existent changes, but changes nonetheless.
A light blush stained Kagome's cheeks.
For someone so elusive, he sure seemed to be having an impact on her…
A small rapping noise came from the other side of Kagome's door. She straightened up and trotted over to the door, opening it.
"Oh, Sango!" Kagome cried out, "You have no idea how you just saved me!"
Sango blinked and let out a startled noise as she was grabbed by the arm and wrenched into Kagome's room. The door was slammed shut and…for some reason Kagome had strewn things around the bedroom.
"Uh, what do you need Kagome?" Sango asked hesitantly, a tad wary of the overexcited girl.
"I need you to do my hair."
"Your what?"
"My hair," Kagome shouted, balling her hands up into fists, "I need you to do my hair!"
"What do you want me to do with it?" Sango asked, utterly befuddled by this girl's sudden insanity.
Kagome sighed, "I need a nice little hairdo for my hair. I just assumed that you might be good at that kind of thing."
Sango smiled lightly and laughed, "I am. Ayame and I used to braid each other's hair all the time…then we'd get a hold of Inuyasha and Miroku…"
Kagome giggled at the thought of Miroku and Inuyasha with their hair all braided up and pretty. Sango joined Kagome in the short laugh before a maniacal glint came to her eye, "Now, shall I get started?"
Kagome gulped and sat on the edge of the bed as Sango settled herself down behind Kagome. Kagome felt as Sango took an experienced hand, braiding Kagome's hair prettily, pulling it back into a sweet little bun.
After Sango's work was done, the older girl smiled and picked up a small mirror for Kagome, "How do you like it?"
"It's…wow…you're so awesome Sango." Kagome breathed, looking over the pretty hairstyle.
Sango walked over to the dress that Kagome had placed in a folded pile on the side table, "Is this what you're wearing?"
Kagome stopped looking in the mirror and nodded at Sango, "Yes. I found it in the drawer. I also found a necklace and a diary."
"A diary?" Sango seemed particularly intrigued by this one.
Kagome nodded, "Why do you ask?"
"No reason…" Sango trailed off. She unfolded the dress and brought it over to Kagome, "Put it on, I want to see how it looks." The girl then politely turned around and sat on the side of the bed facing opposite to where Kagome was.
Kagome put the dress up to eye level, scrutinizing it mutely for a moment before shedding her clothes, leaving them in a messy heap on the floor. She slipped on the kimono, expertly tousling with it to put it in place.
"I'm ready." Kagome told Sango, beaming as the girl turned around with an expression of shock written all over her face.
"Wow Kagome, that's so beautiful. You look so wonderful in red!" Sango cried in glee, dashing over to the girl and fastening a few little pieces here and there.
Kagome laughed outright at Sango's excited antics, "Thanks. I think we should go…wait…aren't you changing?"
"Oh, I will. It's okay." Sango assured her, grabbing Kagome by the arm and pulling her out the door.
As they walked, Sango began to speak, "Listen. You will be sitting opposite to the King's chair at the centre of the dining table. Inuyasha will be taking his father's seat tonight. It took us a lot of whining to get him into it, but we told him that you wouldn't feel comfortable sitting there and he needed to sit opposite his guest."
"And where do you guys sit?"
"We'll be…scattered amongst the seats." Sango told Kagome, a faux innocent look on her face.
Kagome sent the girl a suspicious glance before brushing it off as silliness. Kagome looked at the front door of the castle, knowingly turning opposite to the door, seeing the dining hall's equally as grand doors. They were open today, unlike any other day. Most days, Kagome would enter through the servants' entrance, going in through the side door in the dining hall.
Apparently today was special.
Kagome couldn't help but snort and roll her eyes at the formalities. Of course, her whole demeanor changed when she saw Inuyasha sitting tentatively in his seat. He was squirming, looking all the more awkward. He was dressed the same as usual, except he looked much cleaner. Apparently Sango had gotten to him before she'd gone to see Kagome.
When he saw her, there was a flicker of an emotion in his eyes that Kagome couldn't discern. But as quickly as it had come, the emotion disappeared and his eyes went back to their usual annoyed passiveness.
Sango ushered Kagome to her seat, letting out a cough and turning, "We'll get the food."
Kagome got up from her seat and looked to her friend, "Do you want me to help?"
"No, Kagome, you are not helping tonight." Sango told Kagome firmly, hurrying out through the kitchen door.
Kagome fidgeted in her seat, unable to make eye contact with the demon before her.
He did not speak, simply remaining a calm demeanor and staring over her head like she were invisible.
"So…" Kagome began awkwardly, unable to strike conversation with him.
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, "So…what?"
"Uh, how are you doing?"
His expression seemed to go from annoyed to confused to embarrassed and back to confused. He cleared his throat slightly and replied in a bit of a rasp, "I'm…as I typically am."
Kagome huffed slightly at his lack of response, "Oh."
"And…how are you?" He managed to choke out.
Taken aback at his sudden reply, Kagome almost fell out of her chair. How comical that would have been…
She regained her composure and spoke carefully, "Fine, thank you."
Soon enough, ending the awkward air of the room, Sango and Koga came in carrying the vat of soup. Miroku came in after with the meat and Ayame came in with dishes.
Kagome quickly noticed Ayame had only two dishes and two bowls. Realizing their ploy, Kagome sent her nastiest, coldest glare at Sango.
Sango, of course, ignored Kagome's anger and served the food. Once the food was dished onto the two plates and the soup was served up, Sango bowed slightly, "Enjoy your meal."
"Traitor," Kagome hissed as Sango passed by.
That earned Kagome a snicker from Sango, furthering Kagome's fury.
Once again, she was left alone with Inuyasha. To Kagome's relief, this time she had food to distract herself with. She began to eat the meat on her plate, leaving the soup to cool beside her. Inuyasha wordlessly did the same.
They ate in silence, at least until Kagome brought up conversation, hoping to stir up the quietness, "Inuyasha, what are you hobbies?"
Inuyasha choked on his food and looked up at her in question, "What?"
"Your hobbies," Kagome repeated, "Don't you have hobbies?"
"No," He said simply, returning to his muteness.
Kagome shrugged, "I like reading. I have a book that I was given before I left my village, but I haven't gotten around to reading it since I arrived here."
This earned her a derisive snort from Inuyasha.
"Do you like reading?"
Inuyasha, obviously giving up the idea of remaining silent and hoping she'd shut up too, replied in his usual gruffness, "I did."
"Well don't you read anymore?"
"Sometimes," He replied simply.
Kagome took a bite of her food and chewed thoughtfully, "Inuyasha, is that room you keep locked up in the East Wing a library?"
He blatantly ignored her question.
Kagome sighed, playing with her fork, "You know, you don't have to be difficult."
Inuyasha halted his quiet eating and ignoring. He glared up at her, "I'm not being difficult."
"Well you are," Kagome told him point-blank, "Otherwise you wouldn't be dodging questions and outright ignoring me."
"I just don't talk okay?" Inuyasha snapped, looking away angrily.
Kagome frowned, "Why do you have to be this way? Why can't you just try to be nice for once? I mean, it's not going to kill you."
"Stop analyzing me."
"I'm not analyzing you." Kagome protested, placing down her fork, foreseeing the conflict.
Inuyasha copied her movements, "You are. My actions are my business. Leave me be."
"Whatever you say…" Kagome replied, coolly avoiding another battle between them. She picked her fork back up and took another bite of food.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes and went back to his meal.
Kagome looked up again, feeling her curiosity rise again, "Is that empty space…was that your picture?"
Inuyasha turned and looked, seeing the picture of the King and Queen, and the picture of his brother. He looked at her sharply, "Yes."
"Why'd you take it down?"
"Because it reminds me of what I used to be," Inuyasha told her darkly, "What I never will be again."
Kagome shivered at his cryptic words, "Well, if you break the spell, you'll be human again."
"Well I don't have a chance in hell of breaking it so shut up." Inuyasha snapped irritably, growling and muttering something suspiciously akin to 'troublesome wench' under his breath.
Kagome, who was quite smart, knew exactly what he was doing, "Stop being a pessimist. If you're positive, you might actually get somewhere."
"Stop bugging me," Inuyasha warned.
"I'm not bugging you; I'm trying to help you!" Kagome yelled, automatically getting up-in-arms.
"You're not. You're sticking your nose where it doesn't belong…again!" Inuyasha shouted, equally as defensive.
"Maybe I wouldn't stick my nose where it doesn't belong if you'd stop being a cold-hearted ass!" Kagome retorted, standing up and balling her hands up into fists.
So much for avoiding conflict.
"Shut the hell up!" Inuyasha told her angrily, putting his hands over his dog-ears.
Kagome pointed an accusatory finger at him, "Oh yes, and block out the world! According to the rest of this castle, that's exactly what you've been doing for fifty years!"
"Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Inuyasha boomed, "You have no idea about anything to do with this castle. You're merely a prisoner, nothing more, so stop annoying me! I'm sick of your idiocy!"
Kagome was taken aback. She felt angry tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. Just a prisoner eh?
"So I'm just a prisoner? I thought I was at least a little more than a prisoner!"
"No, you're not! I wanted you locked up in the dungeons where annoying little bitches like you belong! But the others took to you and wanted you to be all comfortable," He snorted mockingly, "Ha! Soon enough they'll tire of your ways and will put you in that damn dungeon! Nosey women like you deserve to burn!"
Kagome was seething. But she was also hurt, upset, and horrified. Kagome, being a confused soul at that point, took her only way out. She fled out of the dining hall.
She ran with all her power, thrusting through the main doors and outside into the slowly darkening forest.
She pushed herself as far away from the castle as she could. This was her chance, her chance at freedom. She could get away from that angry demon Inuyasha! She would be free! She was no longer a prisoner; she no longer had to take his insults! She could go to the next village and start the new life she'd been intending to take all along.
In her flurry of anguish, Kagome had forgotten the entirety of her situation. She couldn't discern that she, in fact, had grown partial to Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Koga, and Ayame. She'd forgotten about them at that point, only associating the castle with that horrible monster named Inuyasha.
Kagome ran and ran; her kimono tearing as she passed thorns and tree branches. Her face was grazed by pine needles as she barreled through the trees. Nettles clung to her bare ankles, tearing at her skin and rubbing it raw. She'd lost her shoes a while back, way back near the castle.
Her feet were red, aching, and bleeding. Her arms were grazed, bruised, and bleeding. The rest of her was in no better condition.
And lucky her, it began to rain. She kept going through it though, trying to put as much distance between Inuyasha and herself. Kagome dashed through a creek, muddying her feet and causing her to slip up the slope of the bank, falling front-first into mud and grime. As she stumbled to her feet, the rain washed the mud off of her face, showering her as the sky cried for her.
She got up the slope, collapsing from exhaustion at the crest of the slope. She kneeled in the soft, wet grass, falling backwards and wheezing.
Growls came from the bushes, rustling around her.
Kagome sat up abruptly, her heart beating in her chest at a violent strum.
She had no means of defense. She was alone in a forest with no help. Sango and the others could not sniff her out because the rain had washed away her scent.
She'd made a stupid move in her fury, leaving herself for prey in the dark forest.
Many pairs of yellow eyes emerged from the brush. Kagome found herself faced with four…no five…
Six…no…seven. She found herself faced with seven hungry, rabid, angry wolves.
And they had their eyes fixed on her.
The largest of the pack, a wolf with bright eyes and mussed black fur, prowled forwards. Kagome pushed herself back, her eyes wide in terror.
The pack let out a howl of warning. Kagome screamed out in fear.
The large wolf bared its teeth…
And lunged for Kagome's neck...
End of Chapter
I know, I know. I'm horribly mean for leaving you with a cliffie. But seriously, if you know Beauty and the Beast you'll know the outcome of this situation. Except…you must know by now that I do love to twist things and mix it up… (Insert evil laugh here)
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