Hey, everyone! OMG, I'm SO sorry for my absence, though I have a good excuse! May 3rd was my birthday, so I spent that night with my mom and puppy. Then the next day I got grounded for the week (I know, feel free to laugh at my ignorance) and then this weekend I lost my dog. He was my best friend and my sweet baby, so it's been hard to come up with inspiration to write over the last two days. So, I hope all of you understand and forgive me. Please keep reading, and I promise I'll try to keep updating continually! I think I'll take a night to mourn over my loss, and I hope all of you will sympathize with me. So, here is chapter Twenty-Nine, and thanks again for your support!

Whitewolfffy~


~Chapter Twenty-Nine~

When a girl wants to play games at a carnival, one would think that she would get tired quickly or want to be with her friends. But much to Inuyasha's surprise, Kagome wasn't satisfied unless he was there with her at every booth and every game. His favorite was a tall thingy, and the man handed him a huge hammer. Kagome bounced up and down, encouraging him to hit the dinger as hard as he could.

He eagerly complied, slamming the hammer down so hard that the 'thingy' shook and the wood on the hammer's handle splintered. The ding was so loud that many heads turned to gawk. He only smirked, grabbing the stuffed bear from the stunned man and handed it to Kagome. She snuggled the white bear, smiling brightly at him.

He had to admit, Kagome was surprising him with her enthusiasm. Sure, she was almost always excited and bouncy at festival and banquet things, but for some reason she seemed especially keen to show him every booth there was. When they stopped at the 'cotton candy machine' – as she dubbed it – the woman handed them a cone with puffy pink stuff sticking to it in a rolled up mass. He watched with curiosity as Kagome picked off a piece, sticking it in her mouth. Her eyes lit up and she giggled with excitement.

"Here!"

Before Inuyasha could say another word, she pulled off another fluffy piece and pushed it into his mouth. The moment it touched his tongue, all thoughts evaporated. It melted with a sweet ecstasy that made his eyes widen. The flavor was indescribably delicious! He blinked a few times as Kagome slowly pulled her finger from his mouth. He realized, with surprise, that a slight pink stained her cheeks and she looked back at the 'cotton candy'.

"I want another piece!" He blurted, reaching for it.

She smacked away his hand, pulling off a piece and then handing it to him, seemingly over her sudden lapse of composure. He rolled his eyes and then took it, immediately sticking it in his mouth and reveling in the sticky sweetness.

They walked from stall to stall, Inuyasha depleting the cotton candy rather quickly. Kagome showed him just about everything, taking the time to stop and point, her chocolate eyes alight and full of enchantment. He stared at her for a moment as they walked. She was swinging a shopping bag in front of her, a happy smile playing on her lips. She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, stopping as she noticed him staring at her.

"Is there something wrong?" She asked softly, turning to face him.

The hanyou clenched his jaw, a little embarrassed at being caught. He quickly looked away, crossing his arms and sorely missing his kimono right then. Kagome blinked a few times.

"No, I just…erm…forget it." He growled.

She sighed, turning back forward and starting to walk again. She wasn't surprised; after all, she was used to this Inuyasha. He was always like this, but she still enjoyed that lately he had been opening up to her more. She stopped again, a smile creeping over her face.

"Oh, Inuyasha! Look, a funhouse!"

He raised an eyebrow, confused and not understanding the new word, but looking in the direction she was pointing. It was a building-looking thing, erected to a tall height and had brightly painted words on the front. Before he could open his mouth to inquire as to what exactly a 'funhouse' was, Kagome grabbed his hand, her fingers intertwining through his as she tugged him along.

They slipped through the entrance, well, Kagome practically dragged him through. It was dimly lit inside, mirrors lining the walls on both of their sides. They were surprisingly alone in this first hallway, and Inuyasha was still trying to figure out what was so 'fun' about it when suddenly their reflections bounced off of all the mirrors at once. The young boy let out a surprised growl as multiple Inuyasha growled back at him. Their golden eyes glared back at him intensely, and he reached for his sheath, only to see that the others mimicked his action.

"Inuyasha, calm down! They are only your reflection."

"My what?"

Kagome smiled sweetly at him, patience in her eyes, "When you look down at water in a river, do you remember how you see yourself in it?"

"Well, yeah, but that's only because it-…Oh!"

"Yeah, these are your reflections. Besides, remember my condition!" She gestured to his sheath before slipping her hand back into his and pulling him along.

The two continued through the hall, turning around a corner that appeared. Kagome laughed as the young hanyou stopped, glaring at a picture on the wall. He stepped to the right and then to the left, his movements slow and cautious.

"What is it now?"

"Kagome, wherever I step, the eyes in the painting follow me."

She had to stifle a giggle at his naivety. Sometimes his ignorance of the things in her world made her want to laugh, while at other times it frustrated her. This misunderstanding was innocent enough, though.

"It is science." She sighed tugging at his jacket sleeve.

"What is 'science'?"

"It is…erm…a form of study. If you combine certain elements together, you can learn and create different products," She furrowed her brow, trying to think of a form of science from his time, "Like…potions!"

"Oh…so, what form of science is a 'reflection'?"

"That isn't science, Inuyasha. That is just a law of nature, or a fact."

"I don't understand."

"Uh…gravity?"

"Gravi-what?"

"Never mind."

The floor tilted as they walked into the next room. Inuyasha grunted, pulling Kagome against his chest in one fluid movement, her back facing him. His warm arms wrapped around her middle, holding her loosely against him.

"I don't like this place. It is…odd. Are you sure there are no demons here?"

"I-Inuyasha, stop it! It's just another science-thing!"

Kagome pulled away from his embrace, her cheeks heating up. She swallowed and looked away from him, breathing in slowly, though her heart was pounding. What was wrong with her? In the last few days, just the simplest touch from him had made her pulse race and her face flush. After all, it wasn't like he hadn't grabbed her suddenly before. He was only concerned for her safety in a place that he was unfamiliar with.

What made matters worse was that he didn't realize that his simple actions, such as unconsciously brushing her arm with his fingers, made her react so. If such contact made her heart stutter now, she couldn't imagine how much more intense it would be when they returned to the Feudal Era and he started carrying her on his back and such.

"Kagome? What's wrong? Are you alright?"

"I'm…erm…fine. Let's keep going."

They continued walking, her explaining the science of the floors to him while they walked. She talked about the law of perspective and such, and how they affected the eyes and the mind as well. He laughed, comparing it to a kitsune's fox magic. She shrugged, figuring it would be easier for him to think of it that way than to get even further confused.

Kagome was very careful as they walked through the narrow halls, careful as to not touch his skin again. Even though she thought he wouldn't notice it, being as dense as he was, he actually did. Considering the fact that the whole time they had been there so far, she had been holding his hand and touching his arms. He was curious as to the sudden change in her mood, but he shoved it to the back of his mind when they ascended the stairs at the end of the funhouse.

"Wasn't that great?" She beamed, seemingly back to her vibrant mood.

He scrutinized her face for a moment, trying to find any hidden emotions there. After a minute, he finally sighed, shrugging. Kagome looked down at her watch, a smile on her face.

"Oh, look at that! There is twenty minutes left till the concert! Let's head there."

"Fine, whatever."

He scowled, wishing that he had more cotton candy.