Chapter 11: The Ninth Hour- Good and Bad Memories

Inuyasha was watching Kagome in the mirror again. He saw that she had escaped the temple with Tsubaki and was relieved to see that she was safe. He saw her run… and run… and run… until she fell and lay motionless on the ground.

After a moment and no movement, Inuyasha stood up from his throne and was about to go to her when he heard a smug voice from behind him.

"Let her be."

Inuyasha quickly spun around, "Sesshomaru!" he snapped. "How many times do I have to tell you! Don't sneak up on me!"

Sesshomaru came from the shadows like the aristocratic assassin that he was. He shrugged at the outburst before he continued on his way like nothing had happened. But before he left the hall he turned and said, "Kagome's memories are returning to her as we speak. I wouldn't bother her now if I were you."

Inuyasha, who was about to call Sesshomaru something that would make any mother want to wash his mouth out with soap, stopped dead.

"What?"

"You heard me," said Sesshomaru. "By the time that she wakes up, her memories should've returned to her. Besides, you should be more concerned about getting ready to face Naraku. I mean, if you want to defeat the villain, save the kingdom, and win the fair maiden's heart… then you better be getting ready for battle."

And without another word, he left the room.

Inuyasha stared after him, completely stunned. Why was Sesshomaru being so uncharacteristically understanding? Why was Sesshomaru caring if Kagome got her memories back at all? Sometimes he just didn't understand his brother.

But if what he said was right, then soon… Kagome would remember everything. He clenched his fists so tightly that his claws where cutting into his flesh. He remembered if as if it were yesterday.

*Flashback*

He had gone to fight Sesshomaru. He wanted to prove that he could fight back, and that he wasn't worthless like everyone believed. He had been warned not to go and pick a fight with Sesshomaru. But he didn't listen, and he ended up getting his butt kick. Heck, he was almost killed in that fight. Inuyasha used what little energy he had to get away… but there was no way he was going back to the castle after getting beaten by Sesshomaru… again. There was no way that he was going to face everyone at the castle like this… no he had to go somewhere else until his injuries healed.

Instead, he decided to go down to earth… to a small secluded wood where he knew that no one would bother him. At least he thought that no one would…

He had wondered through the trees for a short time until he spotted a large tree that was smack-dab, right in the middle of the woods. It was the perfect place for him to rest and recover… which, of course, shouldn't be more than a few days.

So with what little energy he had, he leapt up onto the nearest branch, leaned up against the trunk, shut his eyes, and fell into a light sleep.

He hadn't been asleep for very long though. If felt like he had just closed his eyes when he heard a soft and timid voice ask, "Are you alright?"

His eyes snapped open at the sound of the gentle voice and he ended up tumbling out of the tree.

"OWW!" he yelled out as he hit the ground with a loud thud. "What the hell are you doing!" he yelled in the direction of the voice. "What was that for?"

"You don't need to yell!" the voice shouted back. "I just wanted to know if you were ok! So stop yelling at me!"

Inuyasha shut up when he saw who it was. It was a young girl that looked no older than he was, dressed in a bright pink dress, with her hair tied back in a ponytail with a red ribbon. She had an angry and hurt look on her face which was turning red from her yelling; and Inuyasha almost immediately felt ashamed at yelling at a girl. And a cute one at that.

But what amazed him was that she was actually concerned about his wellbeing… "You wanted to know if I was ok?" he asked in amazement.

The girl looked surprised that HE was so surprised, "Yeah," she said hesitantly. "I just saw you up there… and I was wondering if you were hurt. Do you need help? I can go and get my mommy and…"

"NO!" Inuyasha yelled, making the girl jump and cover her ears. He felt sorry for hurting her ears, but no one else could know that he was here.

"Why do you keep yelling?" the girl yelled out angrily.

"Look," he snapped, suddenly not caring if he hurt her feelings anymore. "I'm doing fine on my own. I don't need anyone to look after me. So just go away."

"But…" she began as he turned his head away from her and huddled closer to the tree. "I said I'm fine. Just go away."

He heard the girl stamp her foot in anger. "Fine! I'll go!" and without another word, he heard her go stomping away, fuming.

Why? Why did he always turn people away? He guessed that he just couldn't stand the thought of a girl seeing him hurt and weak. He pulled his knees up to his chest and curled up at the base of the tree, trying to go back to sleep.

But he just couldn't bring himself to sleep; the hurt look on the girls face was keeping him up. He felt worse with each passing second.

After a little while, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching the tree again. He looked up startled, and began to growl like an angry dog. Oh, it was just the girl again. "What are you doing back here? I thought that I told you to go away!"

He then turned his head away, not wanting to look at her; now feeling even more guilty for taking his anger out on her. But what she said shocked him more than anything else that day.

"Because I want to help you!" said the girl and she went over to his side completely ignoring his warning. "My daddy always taught me that if there's someone out there that needs help… then I should at least try to take care of them!" she said this with such force that he didn't dare argue back.

She wanted to help him? No one had ever wanted to even come near him, let alone help him. Was this some kind of trick?

The girl knelt down be his side, and held out a water bottle. Oh, God… that water looked so good. He was just dying to take a sip… in fact it was taking every ounce of his will to not grab it out of her hands and gulp it down. But what if she had done something to the water?

"I swear," the girl softly. "I just want to help you. But if you don't believe me," she took the lid of and took a few small sips. After waiting a few minutes… his will caved in, and he reached over and began to drink; and it was the best water he ever had.

After he had drunk all the water, he looked back at the girl trying to figure out why she was bothering herself to do this. She could just have easily left him here, even after he yelled at her. So why was she doing this? "Why are you helping me?"

The girl merely shrugged, "Like I said, my father always said to help someone if they need it. No other reason. Now can I look at your arm? I have a first aid kit and I think that I should be able to make it feel better."

*End of Flashback*

Inuyasha smiled to himself as he thought about how she came to help him even after he told her to get lost. Even way back then she was a kind person…

* Flashback*

"Let's start over," said the girl as she began to treat his arm.

"Hi! My name is Kagome. What's yours?"

Kagome? So that was her name… and a pretty one too… "My name is Inuyasha," he said to her. "And I'm the prince of the Spirit World."

Kagome gasped. "Prince of the Spirit World?" she squealed in a high-pitched voice. "No you aren't… really? Are you serious? If you are then why are you here? What happened to you? What are you doing underneath this tree? Where did you get all those injuries? Are you really a prince? Where's the Spirit World? What's it like there? And are those doggy ears?"

Inuyasha was staring at her like she had grown a horn or something. "You sure talk a lot."

Kagome laughed with a slight blush. "Yeah, momma says I ask too many questions. But I can't help it, you know?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "No I don't. I don't really talk all that much."

Kagome tilted her head in a confused way, "Why?" she asked.

Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably, "I'm a half-breed," was his simple answer. "People think that half-breeds shouldn't be allowed to speak.

"Half-breed?" repeated Kagome in confusion.

"Can't you see?" said Inuyasha showing her his fangs, claws, and his dog ears. "I'm half demon and half human. Even in the Spirit World there's no place for me. Humans are afraid and hate me because I'm part demon and demons look down on me because I'm part human."

"Why should they?"

Was she for real?

"I mean…" went on Kagome, "What's wrong with being half? The way I see it you get the best of both worlds right?"

No one and he meant no one had ever said anything like that to him. They had always considered him an outcast. For as long as he could remember, he had been told that he born a cursed fate from the moment of his birth, and that he must not be allowed to exist. And now, this girl here was telling him the exact opposite. Inuyasha shook his head in exasperation, "You're the first person, other than my mother, who thinks like that."

"Your mother is human?"

"She was…" he said sadly. His mother had dead a few years ago; and his heart still felt as if someone had stuck a rusty blade into it.

Kagome had gone very pale and leaned back onto her knees. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"Don't apologize," said Inuyasha not wanting her to feel sad because of him. "It's not your fault."

"Yeah… but I know what it's like to lose a parent."

Inuyasha raised his head in surprise. "How do you know?"

"Because… my daddy is dead," she answered sadly. "So I know what it's like when you lose someone."

It was Inuyasha's turn to look at her with sad eyes. So she, of all people, must understand what he was going through… but he was surprised by the way she suddenly brightened up. "But it's ok now," she said happily. "I still miss daddy but I still have mommy. And she says that daddy is now a guardian angel and he's watching over me and my family now."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "You honestly believe that?" he said disbelieving.

Kagome glared at him with a dark look. "I have to," said little Kagome. "I miss daddy so much that I ache… but that thought makes it better… if only a little bit." She suddenly smiled again, "And you know what? I'm sure that your mommy is watching over you right now."

Inuyasha had gone very red and turn his head away from her so that she couldn't see the blush. Kagome just smiled as she went back to tending his injuries.

*End of Flashback*

He met Kagome when she was a young child and she had gone out of her way to tend to his injuries. Every day for a few weeks, she went to him with food, water, and medicine and did whatever she could help him. All too soon, his injuries had healed, but he couldn't bring himself to leave her. Whenever Kagome came, they would talk for what seemed like hours. She would tell him all of her hopes, dreams, fears, memories, and everything else that came into her mind.

And he would tell her everything about his life. He talked about his parents, his brother, the world that he lived in, how he was always bullied in picked on for being a half-demon…

She had become his only friend… his source of comfort… like a ray of light at the end of a dark tunnel.

Little by little, she would heal a little bit of his wounded heart. Whenever he was with her, it was like time stand still for just the two of them, and that was fine by him. He could've stayed frozen in time with her the rest of eternity. Somehow without him ever realizing it, he had fallen in love with her… and he never stopped.

She was his first love. He had been in love with her for most of his life… ever since the day the met underneath that tree…

Even though they were only children at the time… he just couldn't help falling in love.

*Outside the throne room*

'What an idiot,' thought Sesshomaru as he walked through the halls. Even after all this time, his brother's heart had been captured by the same kind of creature that stolen their father's heart.

Inuyasha had gone to him one day and demanded a fight to prove himself. Of course, Sesshomaru had no trouble and won easily.

But Inuyasha just didn't know when he was beaten. He just kept fighting, blindly forward, until Sesshomaru had no choice but to teach him a lesson. By the end of the battle, Inuyasha had been wounded and took off.

He had expected his little brother to go back to the castle, but instead he went running off to earth for who know why. Sesshomaru had also thought that he would have been back in the week that followed and demanding a rematch… but he never returned.

Finally, after weeks and still no sign of him, he was told to go out and fetch him.

Finding him wasn't any trouble…

Bringing him back on the other hand…

* Flashback*

"Let go Sesshomaru! I don't want to go back!" cried out Inuyasha. "I want to stay here!"

"After all the trouble I went through to find you after that fight, and this is how you treat me?" said Sesshomaru in that cold voice of his. "What? Didn't you ever learn manners?"

Inuyasha wrenched his arm about of Sesshomaru's cold one and took a few steps back.

"Why do you want to stay here anyway?" demanded Sesshomaru in a calm voice.

"None of your business," snapped Inuyasha. "Just go away and leave me alone!"

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. "I'm not leaving until you give me an explanation to where you have been the last few weeks and why you don't want to come back now."

Inuyasha had merely blushed and snapped for Sesshomaru leave again. Sesshomaru raised his eyebrows; what could be so important that he didn't want to leave? He decided to find out.

"Fine," he said and began to walk away.

Inuyasha's ears had twitched. "What?" he said.

"You said you want to stay here… fine by me… I never felt that you belonged in the Spirit World anyway."

He just disappeared after that. Or, so Inuyasha thought.

Instead, Sesshomaru hid himself in the trees and waited. Something was keeping Inuyasha in this world and he wanted to know what it was. He didn't have to wait long. In no time at all, a small girl came running up out of nowhere crying, "Inuyasha! Inuyasha! Sorry for taking so long."

Ah! So this was the reason he didn't want to go. Well, this girl looked like trouble… and trouble causes problems.

She and Inuyasha sat underneath the tree and both began having long talks, about anything that would come up. It was very boring here the troubles of two small children. He stayed hidden for a long time, just waiting for the girl to get tired and to just go home. (Which she finally did, although it was long after the sun had gone down.)

She got up and he heard her say, "I'll see you tomorrow Inuyasha." she gave him a small wave and a large smile before she went skipping through the trees, and leaving Inuyasha with a star stuck look on his face.

Once she had gone, Sesshomaru leapt down from his tree so gracefully and quietly that Inuyasha didn't have a hope of hearing him. "She's a sweet girl," he said right behind Inuyasha.

His brother jumped a good 6 feet in the air when he heard Sesshomaru speak. It was so funny that even Sesshomaru had to work hard to hide a smile.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" he bellowed at Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru merely shrugged. "I was curious. I waited, and I saw that girl come here. What was her name again? Kagome?"

Inuyasha had gone red at the mention of Kagome's name.

"So… would I be right in saying that she's the reason why you refuse to come back?"

"How do you know?"

"It's obvious."

"If you know then why do you ask?"

"Inuyasha… you know as well as I do that you can't stay here forever."

"Why not! You said so yourself! I never belonged in the Spirit World! So why not stay here?"

"And I stand by what I said. But if you stay… then she will be in danger."

Inuyasha had gone very pale. "What are you talking about?" he demanded.

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes again. "Isn't obvious?" he said. "Half-demon though you are, you are still the son of the Demon King. Enemies of the Spirit World could try to use that to their advance. If they go after you, they will discover the relationship between you and your strong-willed girlfriend. They'll use that to get what they want."

"First of all, she's not my girlfriend!" said Inuyasha. "And second, you don't need to worry. I can deal with any sort of demon!"

"Like how you dealt with me a few weeks ago?" asked Sesshomaru slyly.

Inuyasha gave him a look of hatred before Sesshomaru went on, "I'm not talking about you. What if they get hold of Kagome? They'll be able to make you do anything they want you to do. And if you don't, then they'll kill her." He saw that Inuyasha had gone as white as a sheet when he realized what he was saying.

"I know that you want to stay with Kagome. But if you stay… then you will be putting her life in danger… is that what you want?"

*End of Flashback*

Not surprisingly, Inuyasha chose to go back to the Spirit World. Although he insisted on staying until Kagome came back… he wanted to see her one last time.

They both waited up in the trees until he saw her leaving the house and running through the woods toward their tree. But he just couldn't bring himself to say goodbye to her. So before she reached the tree, he left with Sesshomaru. But not before making a promise that they would meet again. And with one final look at the girl, the two brothers left earth and returned to the Spirit World.

After they had returned home, Inuyasha fell into such a deep spiral of depression that the healers who lived in the castle thought that he would never get better. He would spend long hours staring out the window, refusing meals and never said a word. After a few months of this, even Sesshomaru was getting sick of his misery.

He had been down for so long, that Sesshomaru gave him the magic jewel and the mirror so that he could look at Kagome whenever he wanted. Inuyasha would gaze into the mirror and use the jewel several times a day, just to look at his beloved's face.

Sesshomaru was just glad that soon this whole mess will be over. His brother had never stopped thinking about the girl and Sesshomaru was often visited by the urge to strangle Inuyasha.

Hopefully, once Naraku was defeated, Inuyasha would stop thinking about her and just marry the girl already.

*Kagome*

Kagome had woken up when she heard someone calling out her name. She opened her eyes, still dazed from the dream she just had, and from her returned memories.

As she forced herself to sit up, she saw two tall figures and a much smaller one, racing towards her.

"Kagome!"

"Sango! Miroku! Shippo!" she cried out in happiness once she recognized who they were. As she struggled to get to her feet; she laughed as the small fox demon flung him into her arms, apparently forgetting to be mature and intelligent in his excitement to see her. "Kagome! We were so worried! We thought that we lost you for good! It's good to have you back!"

Sango ran up to her friend, grinning and slightly out of breath. "Kirara tracked you down," she explained gesturing down towards her fire kitty that just mewed proudly.

"Thanks guys," was all Kagome could say to her wonderful friends.

"Look, Kagome," said Miroku, pointing to something behind her. Kagome turned around and grinned. "We're almost there. Just beyond these hills are the gates to the castle."

The friends continued the celebration as they headed towards the castle gates. They were all talking and laughing; just glad to all be together again. A couple of them kept falling down a few times in their haste to reach the gates.

Finally there, Kagome dusted off her clothes and grinned again. I mean, how could she not? She had found her friends, she was finally at the castle gate, and soon everything was going to be answered. Ever since she regained her memory, an infectious smile had been plastered onto her face. For one memory in particular kept popping up.

Inuyasha…

Feeling her face heat up, Kagome quickly turned away from her friends. She remembered dancing with him, and she remembered the feeling of his lips on hers. And now Kagome remembered that she was in love with him. But there was a question that was eating away at her… and she needed to know the answer… and Inuyasha was the only person who could give it to her.

"Kagome?" asked Sango, noticing that Kagome had turned away from them. "Is something wrong?"

Before Kagome could think of something, a cold voice rang out and stopped them in their tracks.