Chapter 18

LIfe continued peacefully at the castle.The Only thing that plauged Kagome's mind was that one night a month Inuyasha would disapear, always on the full moon and she would occationally hear the growling and howling of the animal kept in the sealed room. It took Kagome almost three months to build up her courage to go back to the sealed room durring the daytime, only to find the seals gone. When she entered the room it was bare. There was only a straw pallet with chains above it and a bucket. It looked like a cell to Kagome. This presented even more of a mystery to Kagome. She determined that on the next full moon she would solve this puzzle.

Her oppertunity came a few days later just before sunset Inuyasha and Miroku disapeared for a time. The monk resurfaced a few hour later to share an evening cup of tea with the girls after Shippou had been put to bed. They talked of what needed to be accomplished the next day. When the howling started, Sango and Miroku ignored it and preteneded that there was nothing going on as they had everytime they had been in Kagome's presance. Kagome had learned that there were little indicators that would show her that both her firends heard the same sounds that she did.

Miroku played with whatever was near his hand at the moment, wether it was a cup, his prayer beads or Sango's rear, which usually gave him a red mark accross his face accompaning a blissful look. Sango's eyes would widen slightly and her movements seemed to get more adjated whenever she heard the noise.

Kagome excused herself from her friends company earlier than normal claiming to be tired from their long day, and went to her room. Sango followed suit not wanting to be left alone with the letcherous monk.

After a few hours Kagome could hear the rythmic breathing from her companions, assuring that they were asleep.

She crept from her room and silently went down the halls to find the cell like room. As she expected the room was sealed and the animalistic noises originated from. As before the sounds stilled as she got near the door. She took this opportunity to remove the seal an open the door.

Crouched on the far side of the room was Inuyasha, his red eyes narrowed as she entered the room. Violence radiated from this form, chained to the wall. A low growl eminated from his throat. Kagome could only stare for a several heartbeats. This was truly what her dreams were telling her. This was the monster that had scared her at night for several months. She clutched at the necklace that he had given her as she had done after every time after she had awoken from her nightmares. "Inuyasha" she whispered.

This barely audiable word on her lips worked like a magic spell. The growling stopped, the blood red eyes grew soft and he began to wimper. Kagome's courage grew as the creature backed away trying to make itself small against the wall. She knelt down next to the crouched figure slowly reaching out her hand to stroke his head. When he didn't pull away from her when she stroked down his back she pulled her into her soft embrace.

This keyed his voice to come back to him, "Kagome" he croaked "you have to get away from me righ now. I don't want to hurt you"

Kagome continued to hold his head to her chest letting her hand stroke down his back "Shh, Inuyasha, I know that you would never hurt me" she kept her voice soothing "I could never leave you, especially when you are in pain"

He couldn't respond, all he could do was wrap his arms around her waist and hold on to this treasure that the gods had sent him with all his strength.

She reached up and unbound his hands and stayed by his ide the whole night. When his beastial side started to cause him to pace, and growl, she would sing calming songs, or take his head on her lap and stroke his hair to calm him. Near dawn Kagome fell asleep leaning against the wall. InuYasha moved her gently away from the wall and placed her head on his lap petting her hair as she had done to him through out the night.

Miroku rushed through the door an hour later scare that Inuyasha had escaped only to find him peacefully sleeping against the wall with Kagome's head on his lap. The shocked monk leaned for a moment against the wall, to still his racing heart, then left, coming back only moments later to lay a blanket on the sleeping girl, before leaving them alone again.