Inu- Yasha isn't mine!!!!
Also, I'm trying to add more details to my chapters, and thank you for your suggestions!!! I've decided to use one reviewer's idea about Kouga entering the scene…
STORY: BED OF THORNS CHAPTER: 5As the event with Inu- Yasha and the girl unfolded, Kagome was silent, engrossed in the whole thing. Although the mirror didn't pick up any pitches of sounds, Kagome could practically predict every line that Inu- Yasha said. She was tense when her imposter was placed her small hand on Inu- Yasha's cheek, and was quietly cheering as Inu- Yasha quickly finished the rose- girl off. When the last particles of her had evaporated, Kagome could hear herself breathe a sigh of relief.
She relaxed her limbs from sitting in the same position, and moved to a more comfortable arrangement, with her knees kneeled in front of the mirror. Seeing Inu- Yasha fight with his Tetsusagia made her smile wistfully. She had forgotten how much she missed the stupid idiot. She missed his smirk, his haughty attitude, and even their continuous arguments over the shards. Kagome felt a sudden pain shoot through her chest, and she placed her hand over it.
"Inu- Yasha…" she murmured softly under her breath.
Across the room, Prince Rui sat on his jeweled throne with a distasteful look plastered on his face. He wrapped his hands around his wine goblet, and then with a crack, he crushed the cup, watching with satisfaction as the glass pieces fell with a tinkle to the cold floor.
"I should've never expected that incapable wench to fulfill her duty. Never mind, I have only lost a battle, not the war. There will still be more chances yet to finish off that miserable half- breed." Regaining his calm posture, Rui stood up with an elegant air, and got up from his throne chair. "Now…, to more important matters," he mused, and took a step toward an unaware Kagome.
Tmp. Tmp. Tmp. His footstep made a soft sound against the smooth floor of the palace, and once he was but a foot away, Rui bent slightly over, and gently tapped Kagome on the back. Startled, she gave a little jump, and turned around to meet herself face to face with Rui. Instantly, Kagome self- consciously backed up, giving a safe distance between him and her.
"Why do you move away so?" Rui asked in a mocking tone. Kagome felt herself becoming tense, and snapped back. " Don't flatter yourself! Didn't you see how Inu- Yasha finished off the girl you sent? I'm sure he's on his way to rescue me from this horrible place!" Rui just chuckled, amused by the remark.
"My dear, dear Kagome. You have deciphered it quite wrong. I am not keeping you imprisoned; rather, it is you who keep my heart captive."
This following comment had caused Kagome to grow even angrier, and she indignantly stood up, her cheeks flaming. "You think you're such a hotshot, don't you? For your information, I have no interest in you whatsoever. There's only one person I'd give my heart too, and it's In-….not you!" Kagome hastily refrained herself from speaking Inu- Yasha's name, and nonchalantly continued her sentence.
Rui smiled mysteriously, and brought himself upright so that he was facing straight at Kagome. "Oh, you don't, do you? Well, let me change your mind." Before Kagome had realized what had happened, Rui had pushed her arms behind her, and pressed her closer to him. Kagome felt her heart thumping, and saw his steel gray eyes staring directly at her. She squirmed uncomfortably under his glance, but his grip was too strong. His face leaned closer to hers, and his mouth started to close in on her lips. Kagome's eyes widened, and an expression of horror crossed her face. She couldn't let him do this to her, but her hands were currently bound by Rui's tight hold, leaving her defenseless. As his mouth touched hers, Kagome panicked, and did the only thing she could. She sank her teeth into his lip.
Immediately, Rui loosened up, and he sprang back. His tongue went over his lips, and there was the salty yet sweet flavor of blood. Closing his eyes, Rui laughed, unaffected. "Well, I see you are still very much reluctant. Although I am not really harmed, I'm still very offended at your treatment." He paused, and a long silence swept across the room.
"You will need more discipline to soothe that temper of yours," Rui commented, while shaking his head.
Kagome, who had recovered from the surprise of the move, was now very irritated and upset. "Who are you calling temperam-" Before she had finished her sentence, Kagome had heard Rui shout for the guards, and instantly two burly men appeared. Each carrying a spear in a hand, they grabbed hold of Kagome and covered her nose with sleeping gas. Kagome struggled to stay awake, but the lure of the smell drew her into deep slumber. Their load now unmoving, the guards easily carried Kagome off to their ordered destination.
Behind, watching them from the throne room, Rui smiled knowingly.
"Kagome…I will make you the Queen of Roses, with or without your consent."
***
"So where do you think Kagome is again?" Inu- Yasha demanded. He sat cross- legged, arms hidden in the cloth of his kimono. Kaede reached over to place some more firewood in the fire before speaking again, with the attention of all those around her.
"Based on how that lass was connected to a single blossom of a rose, I am sure she is of the rose-people. I have heard many travelers declare that they are like youkai, but then in some ways they are not. It is told that they live in the Rose Dimension; different than the period we are in now. Tis not an easy task to get there, Inu- Yasha." Kaede said in a low voice.
Inu- Yasha gave a loud snort. "Don't underestimate me, Kaede- baba. I'm positive that I'll find and defeat that stupid prince. I'll pay him back for kidnapping Kagome!"
Sango and Miroku looked interested, and they smiled teasingly. "So…Inu-Yasha, does that mean you actually care about Kagome?"
Inu- Yasha suddenly felt nervous, and he looked away from Sango and Miroku's curious eyes and white hot gaze. "Well….maybe…" he said, trying to appear calm and unconcerned, but they knew better. Inu-Yasha lowered his head, and thought about the recent events that had taken place. Oh, gosh, he missed Kagome so. Thinking about her smile, her eyes, and even her "SIT"s made him long for her. He wanted so much to hug her and bathe in her scent. Inu- Yasha cursed himself for how mean he was to her all the times before. If only he hadn't given her that wretched rose… The room fell silent, and no one dared to speak. As everyone was memorized in their own thoughts, the cloth covering the entrance was ripped to shreds.
A familiar voice was heard. "Hey! Dog- turd! COME OUT and face me like man!" Inu- Yasha rolled his eyes, and muttered angrily under his breath. Could there be a more inconvenient time for that idiot to appear?!?
Inu-Yasha angrily pulled back the remaining part of the cloth, and there but to meet him was Kouga himself.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Inu- Yasha exclaimed in a loud and fierce voice, his eyes glaring crossly at his rival.
Kouga just scoffed. "You know perfectly well what I mean! What have you done to Kagome? I couldn't catch her scent anywhere around the forest! So I knew you must've had something to do with it…" Inu- Yasha stopped still in his tracks, and his hands fell lifelessly down. His face paled and a pained expression appeared on his face. Kouga saw this instant change in Inu- Yasha, and he started to wonder if something really did happen to Kagome.
"Oi! Inu- Yasha! Kagome is here, right? You're just playing a trick on me, correct?" Kouga insisted, his voice high- pitched. Inu- Yasha didn't answer. Kouga grabbed Inu-Yasha's kimono, and shook him back and forth. "INU-YASHA! Answer me!" Inu-Yasha felt his temper rising, and he wrenched Kouga's hands off.
"Couldn't you just shut up for once? How am I supposed to know where Kagome is? She was kidnapped by some rose- person!!"
Kouga's worst fears were confirmed. "Aren't you supposed to protect Kagome? I thought you were stronger than that, you moron!"
The comment hurt Inu- Yasha's ego greatly. He had despised himself for letting Kagome slip out of his protection, because he had done nothing to stop it. "Well, if you have to know, Kagome was kidnapped using some sort of magic, so there was nothing I could've done at the moment!!" He retorted back angrily, his cheeks flushed.
Kouga stood unmoving, processed this in his mind, then regained his liveliness again. "Then I'll go and kill that bastard, then rescue Kagome from his evil clutches!!" This was exactly what Inu- Yasha had just said a minute ago, just put in different words. Inu- Yasha felt stab of annoyance pass through him.
"Kouga, you idiot! We don't need you coming along. 3 people are already a crowd!" And besides, he thought, I don't need any more people knowing how Kagome got there in the first place…
Surprised by Inu- Yasha's sudden stillness, Kouga glanced at him, and was surprised to see a sorrowful feature on his face. Although he himself was worried stiff about Kagome, he decided that he wouldn't interfere this time. Inu- Yasha looked awfully depressed, and it wasn't his business to butt in, although he would dearly love to "All right then, I'll leave this one up to you, but once Kagome's back, I'll beat you to dust!" After finishing his declaration, Kouga leaped away, and disappeared back into the forest in where he had first appeared.
Inu- Yasha stared blankly after him, his mouth wide opened. When had Kouga ever just run off? He pondered this thought in his mind, but then shook himself out of it. It really wasn't up to him what that idiot did. There were more important things to think about, like Kagome. He turned his gaze back to Kaede, and settled back into his sitting position.
"So, old woman, what was that you said about the Rose Dimension?"
"Well, I am afraid it is nearly impossible to travel to that place. Thee must possess strong endurance and skill." Kaede said in a barely audible tone. Inu- Yasha gave a disgusted 'hmph', and spoke. "Are you taking us for fools? You must know that Miroku and Sango are strong enough. As for me, I am way capable of dealing with stuff like that!"
Kaede nodded her head tentatively, then suddenly her eyes shone. "Wait! I think I might acquire a spell book that has a enchantment specialized for time travel!" She stretched her stiff arm, then stood up, with her hand gripping the wall for assistance. Finally, after her feet were steady, Kaede walked over to a corner of the small hut, and uncovered an old ancient book.
She absently flipped through the book, browsing here and there, before she stopped on a page. Placing her thumb to mark it, Kaede read the contents of it aloud to her audience. "The Rose Dimension is a mysterious and little-known place. Its inhabitants are rarely known to travel to any other time. However, if a foreigner were to be brought into that time zone, he or she would be permanently situated there after a stay of exactly 6 months. There is only one recognized way to reach the Rose Dimension; it is to gather three roses of the colors red, green, and yellow, and then wait for the day of the full moon to boil them together. Know that this method isn't guaranteed to succeed, and many risks of being trapped in oblivion is possible."
Inu- Yasha lowered his head in deep thought. "Full- moon, eh?" he mumbled to himself.
"It would be dangerous to accomplish this task while as a human, Inu- Yasha. You would not have your demonic powers, and your stamina would not be very dur-"
"Cut it! I can take care of myself. Aren't Miroku and Sango humans too? Plus, we have to hurry up and rescue Kagome, I mean, she's already been there for three days!" Inu- Yasha shouted impatiently, while pacing the room.
Miroku and Sango nodded seriously, and they went to get their belongings organized for the perilous journey ahead. As Inu- Yasha walked out after them, Kaede opened her mouth, as if she had something to say. Thinking about it, she decided against it, but a knowing smile crossed her face.
She slowly walked out, and took small strides toward the meadow, where various flowers grew. Kikyo had started planting roses there many years ago, and Kaede knew she would find the blossoms she needed there.
The aroma of the flowers and the fresh cool air brought back memories from long ago. When Kikyo and Inu- Yasha had sat close together, exchanging conversations.
Inu- Yasha, Kaede thought. It is good that you have finally gotten over my elder sister.
Kaede's mouth crinkled into a contented smile, and she resumed to completing her task.
***
Inu- Yasha's Lesson: Kouga loves to appear at the worst times.
***
Well, I finally got this chapter up!!! Wohoo! PLEEEEAAAASSSSEEEE review!!! I know I'm being annoying, ^_^; , but I'm just a pathetic little writer, so humor me!!!!