When they arrived at Kaede-sama's village, Kagome began to feel a
strange sense of déjà vu. " I know I've been here before, many times
before.", she thought to herself. They stood in front of an old style
house. " I feel like I've stepped inside of a history book.", she whispered
confusedly. Beside her, Inu Yasha yelled out, " Hey! We're back!"
A little fox child came bounding out of the door. " Kagome!", he yelled as he ran towards her. As if by habit, she opened her arms so that he could jump into them. Kagome stared down at the kitsune who was making himself at home in the crook of her arm. She was certain that she'd never seen him before, but it felt as though she'd known him for quite a while. " Shippo?", she hazarded.
" Where have you been?", he demanded in a determined voice. Kagome didn't know how to answer his question. She wasn't sure if she knew him or not, but Shippo definitely knew her. " I'm sorry.", she said lamely. The kitsune smiled up at her and said, " It's alright, but please stay here for a while."
" Kagome won't be leaving for a long time. At least not if I have anything to do with it.", said Inu Yasha who was standing behind her. She was so surprised that she nearly dropped Shippo. " You're going to keep me captive here in this place?", she yelled angrily as she whirled around to face the half-demon.
" Yes.", he answered firmly. Inu Yasha stood in front of her looking so serious and resolute that she couldn't immediately think of something to say in return. A moment went by before she asked, " Why?"
The dog-eared boy growled and said, " That damned half-demon Yuki is after you, and this is the only place where you'll be safe." Kagome blinked in amazement then said, " He is not after me. He just needed my help with something." Inu Yasha gave her a dark look and muttered something under his breath. " Now that we have cleared this whole thing up, will you please take me home?", she asked hotly.
He clenched his fists and was about to answer, but two people walking towards them interrupted him. A boy and a girl who looked to be somewhere around her own age walked right up to Inu Yasha and stood beside him. Kagome stared at them in surprise.
They gave her the same sort of feeling that Shippo had. She knew them, in spite of the fact that she'd never seen them before. Two words casually drifted to the front of all her thoughts. " Miroku, Sango?", she cautioned.
They both welcomed her in return with titles of familiarity. Sango had addressed her as Kagome-chan. This confused her, but it was good to know that in this strange land she had a friend.
" Are you going to being staying here for a while?", asked Miroku. Kagome glared at Inu Yasha before nodding her head. " Great!", yelled Shippo as he hopped out of her arms. " We should probably start looking for the shards now that you're back.", Miroku said in a most serious voice.
Kagome sighed in frustration, then muttered, " Why is it that everyone is only interested in these shards? You want me to find them. Yuki wants me to find them. I'm just tired of the whole thing."
**********************************************************************
Shortly after Kagome's somewhat bitter remark, Sango and Miroku left to gather some supplies for their upcoming journey. Once they were out of sight, Inu Yasha turned to Kagome and said, " There's something I need to ask you about." Both Kagome and Shippo stared at him expectantly. " Go away.", he said irritably to Shippo.
The kitsune left, but only after many threatening gestures on his part. " What's wrong?", Kagome asked looking worried. " You know that Kobayashi is after the jewel shards too, right?", he asked slowly.
" Of course I know that Yuki's after the shards, he asked me to help him find them.", she answered, relief evident in her voice. He paused for a second, because he wasn't sure if he'd heard her right. " He asked you to help him?", Inu Yasha asked incredulously. " Yes.", was Kagome's simple reply.
He was now feeling slightly confused, because he was no longer sure of what Yuki was planning to do with Kagome. The other half-demon had made it sound like he was somehow going to trick her into helping him. " Are you going to help Yuki?", Inu Yasha asked cautiously. " I don't know", she said flatly.
" WHAT!", he yelled in surprise. He was so sure that her answer was going to be no, maybe even hell no. It never even occurred to him that she would actually consider his proposition. " B.but you're helping us.", Inu Yasha spluttered angrily. " That's something that I've been meaning to talking to you about.", Kagome replied calmly.
A strange sinking feeling overcame him, after her last remark. Did she no longer want to help him? That particular thought was so unpleasant that he banished it immediately. " Talk to me about what?", Inu Yasha asked, even though he was pretty sure he didn't want to hear the answer.
" What exactly are you going to do with the Shikon jewel after you've collected all the shards?", she asked. He let out a deep breath in relief. This was old territory, something that he knew the answer to. " The jewel is going to help me become a complete demon.", he said confidently.
That's when he noticed that Kagome's neutral expression and calm demeanor were gone. She was staring at him with such a sad, disappointed look on her face. " Oh.", she said dispiritedly. It suddenly occurred to Inu Yasha that he'd just been judged and found wanting. The answer to her question was not the one she was looking for.
(A/N: I know that I haven't updated in a long time. I'm really sorry, but there were so many things going on, that I just didn't have the time to write. However, things should be easing up now that Christmas vacation is on the way. I will try hard to update much more frequently. Thanks to anyone and everyone who reads and reviews. ^_^)
A little fox child came bounding out of the door. " Kagome!", he yelled as he ran towards her. As if by habit, she opened her arms so that he could jump into them. Kagome stared down at the kitsune who was making himself at home in the crook of her arm. She was certain that she'd never seen him before, but it felt as though she'd known him for quite a while. " Shippo?", she hazarded.
" Where have you been?", he demanded in a determined voice. Kagome didn't know how to answer his question. She wasn't sure if she knew him or not, but Shippo definitely knew her. " I'm sorry.", she said lamely. The kitsune smiled up at her and said, " It's alright, but please stay here for a while."
" Kagome won't be leaving for a long time. At least not if I have anything to do with it.", said Inu Yasha who was standing behind her. She was so surprised that she nearly dropped Shippo. " You're going to keep me captive here in this place?", she yelled angrily as she whirled around to face the half-demon.
" Yes.", he answered firmly. Inu Yasha stood in front of her looking so serious and resolute that she couldn't immediately think of something to say in return. A moment went by before she asked, " Why?"
The dog-eared boy growled and said, " That damned half-demon Yuki is after you, and this is the only place where you'll be safe." Kagome blinked in amazement then said, " He is not after me. He just needed my help with something." Inu Yasha gave her a dark look and muttered something under his breath. " Now that we have cleared this whole thing up, will you please take me home?", she asked hotly.
He clenched his fists and was about to answer, but two people walking towards them interrupted him. A boy and a girl who looked to be somewhere around her own age walked right up to Inu Yasha and stood beside him. Kagome stared at them in surprise.
They gave her the same sort of feeling that Shippo had. She knew them, in spite of the fact that she'd never seen them before. Two words casually drifted to the front of all her thoughts. " Miroku, Sango?", she cautioned.
They both welcomed her in return with titles of familiarity. Sango had addressed her as Kagome-chan. This confused her, but it was good to know that in this strange land she had a friend.
" Are you going to being staying here for a while?", asked Miroku. Kagome glared at Inu Yasha before nodding her head. " Great!", yelled Shippo as he hopped out of her arms. " We should probably start looking for the shards now that you're back.", Miroku said in a most serious voice.
Kagome sighed in frustration, then muttered, " Why is it that everyone is only interested in these shards? You want me to find them. Yuki wants me to find them. I'm just tired of the whole thing."
**********************************************************************
Shortly after Kagome's somewhat bitter remark, Sango and Miroku left to gather some supplies for their upcoming journey. Once they were out of sight, Inu Yasha turned to Kagome and said, " There's something I need to ask you about." Both Kagome and Shippo stared at him expectantly. " Go away.", he said irritably to Shippo.
The kitsune left, but only after many threatening gestures on his part. " What's wrong?", Kagome asked looking worried. " You know that Kobayashi is after the jewel shards too, right?", he asked slowly.
" Of course I know that Yuki's after the shards, he asked me to help him find them.", she answered, relief evident in her voice. He paused for a second, because he wasn't sure if he'd heard her right. " He asked you to help him?", Inu Yasha asked incredulously. " Yes.", was Kagome's simple reply.
He was now feeling slightly confused, because he was no longer sure of what Yuki was planning to do with Kagome. The other half-demon had made it sound like he was somehow going to trick her into helping him. " Are you going to help Yuki?", Inu Yasha asked cautiously. " I don't know", she said flatly.
" WHAT!", he yelled in surprise. He was so sure that her answer was going to be no, maybe even hell no. It never even occurred to him that she would actually consider his proposition. " B.but you're helping us.", Inu Yasha spluttered angrily. " That's something that I've been meaning to talking to you about.", Kagome replied calmly.
A strange sinking feeling overcame him, after her last remark. Did she no longer want to help him? That particular thought was so unpleasant that he banished it immediately. " Talk to me about what?", Inu Yasha asked, even though he was pretty sure he didn't want to hear the answer.
" What exactly are you going to do with the Shikon jewel after you've collected all the shards?", she asked. He let out a deep breath in relief. This was old territory, something that he knew the answer to. " The jewel is going to help me become a complete demon.", he said confidently.
That's when he noticed that Kagome's neutral expression and calm demeanor were gone. She was staring at him with such a sad, disappointed look on her face. " Oh.", she said dispiritedly. It suddenly occurred to Inu Yasha that he'd just been judged and found wanting. The answer to her question was not the one she was looking for.
(A/N: I know that I haven't updated in a long time. I'm really sorry, but there were so many things going on, that I just didn't have the time to write. However, things should be easing up now that Christmas vacation is on the way. I will try hard to update much more frequently. Thanks to anyone and everyone who reads and reviews. ^_^)