Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, it belongs to Rumiko, the wonderful writer and artist!
By Mikoyru Kaniu
Inuyasha was acting his "normal" self, you know, acting weird to Kagome and Shippo. Miroku hasn't really been paying attention, same with Sango, the two have been blushing at each other and such. Shippo knew something was up, but knowing it was best to keep his mouth shut, he did so.
Inuyasha began to stare up into space up in a tree. Kagome looked up at him and gave him a heartbreaking look, she began to think. 'My heart is beating fast again. What does this mean? Am I--no! What's a matter with me, thinking such stupid thoughts? He's a stupid, selfish, violent punk! Besides, all he thinks about is Kikyo.'
Inuyasha looked down at Kagome and he jumped down. "What is that," Inuyasha exclaimed. "Pity again?"
"Oh no," Kagome replied, snapping out of it. "Just something extremely stupid."
"What?"
"Leave me alone!"
"What was it!"
"Get over it, Inuyasha!"
"What were you thinking!" Inuyasha began to stalk Kagome.
"Sit!" Inuyasha slammed to the ground as Kagome walked away.
"Ooh, Kagome said the word again," Shippo said looking at the indent in the ground where Inuyasha laid in great pain.
That night, as Sango and Shippo were sleeping and Kagome lied awake in her sleeping bag, Kagome listened to the conversation between Miroku and Inuyasha.
"It is expected of a man," Miroku said.
"What do you know," Inuyasha shouted. "You chase after every girl you meet!"
"I know that you think about Kagome more and more each day, leaving Kikyo in the dark more." Miroku took a drink of his water, looking wise.
Inuyasha turned a little red and he blinked, "She's only my shikon shard dector! That's all I really need her for." Inuyasha pouted in the way he always does, his legs crossed and his arms between his legs, looking down at the ground.
"So, it has nothing to do with the fact that she resembles Kikyo, she's softening and healing your heart, and you fight stronger and faster when she's in danger?" As Miroku said this, he counted each statement with his fingers.
"What are you talking about? I just don't want my dector to be killed! No bastard is going to kill the dector before I become a full youkai with the Shikon no Tama." Inuyasha turned away from Miroku, glancing over Kagome, Shippo, and Sango. Kagome just closed her eyes.
"I know what you're thinking..."
"Oh! Do you know all the sudden?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes and leaned againist a large rock.
"You don't want to confess your feelings to Kagome because you're afraid the same thing will happen to her just like Kikyo." Miroku took another drink of his water, knowing he was right.
Inuyasha ignored him as the image of Kikyo came to his head and that day she was attacked by Naraku.
Kikyo walked to that place in the fields of the forest, holding the Shikon no Tama, awaiting for Inuyasha to come. Quick sprints from behind Kikyo, moving from side to side, unnoticed by the hopeful Kikyo. A slice at Kikyo's shoulder from behind came and she fell to the ground, her hand releasing from the Shikon no Tama from her hand.
Inuyasha clinched his teeth and made a fist with his hands. It wasn't me... He thought in his head. It wasn't me.
Kagome frowned and fell asleep as the silence of Miroku and Inuyasha continued.
The next morning, all she could think about was Inuyasha's and Miroku's conversation last night. Kagome began to think: What did Miroku mean when he fights better when I'm in danger? Is it true? Well... I couldn't be sure, could I?
"We're gonna leave without you," Inuyasha shouted.
"Don't leave without me," Kagome shrieked and ran after the others.
Kagome walked behind the others, thinking; Inuyasha has been stranger than usual... He seems to be kinda dodging me. Why though? If he has feelings for me, he wouldn't do that... Would he?
Later on, they stopped for a break and Inuyasha sat up in a tree, gazing up into the cloudy, blue sky. Inuyasha sat and thought only about Kagome. Her scent is a wake up call for me... It brings me back. Inuyasha thought. Yet, she looks so much like Kikyo... Inuyasha stopped thinking for a minute, glanced down at Kagome and back up at the sky, and whispered, "Could Kagome have feelings for me?"
Sango leaned her back againist the tree with Kiara sitting in her lap. Kiara's ear twitched and Sango looked around. Sango picked Kiara up and gazed around. Kagome began to feel a Shikon shard near by.
"Inuyasha," Kagome said. "I feel a Shikon shard near by... No wait... Two, no, three!"
Inuyasha jumped down and prepared himself. An old man with a cart walked by and Inuyasha slumped.
"I think your senses are being knocked off," Inuyasha said.
"No, I'm serious, I sense them! They're really close," Kagome complained.
Kagome looked around and spotted them in the mans cart and she pounced on the cart.
"Uh oh," Shippo said. "She's becoming Inuyasha."
Inuyasha gave Shippo an evil look and Shippo hopped on to Miroku's shoulder for protection from the pissed hanyou.
The man dragging the cart, looked back and Kagome rumaging through the cart, he did a little half smile and jumped into the air, revealing his true identity as a youkai.
This youkai had large fangs that curved in like a sabber-tooth tiger and eyes like a hawk, except they were blood red. It starred fiercely at Inuyasha as Inuyasha pulled out his sword. The youkai took a few steps toward them, the ground shaking beneath them as the monster took steps towards them, it's large claws digging into the ground with each step. It's tail had a large point on the end that came above its head like a scorpians, the point filled with poison, ready to strike Inuyasha and his companions.
Inuyasha grinned at the youkai, holding his sword, ready to fight. There was a short pause when the youkai attacked. Inuyasha dodged the youkai, but the tail went to strike Inuyasha. Inuyasha dodged it when it was an inch away from getting him. He threw his sword down to the tail, but he missed.
"Where are the Shikon shards," Inuyasha shouted to Kagome, while trying to get away from the tail.
"They're in his tail," Kagome shouted back.
The youkai glared at Kagome, it saw the Shikon shard around her neck, the large half of the Shikon no Tama. The youkai went after it, desiring more power. Inuyasha jumped in front of the youkai and cut it's ear off. The youkai screamed in pain. It glared at Inuyasha and hit him with it's large hand. Inuyasha wasn't quick enough and he fell to the ground. Miroku, Sango, and Shippo looked paniced.
Sango started at the youkai, riding on Kiara's back, holding her boomerang ready to throw. The youkai struck at the two and they fell to the ground. Sango groaned in pain and Kiara layed on the ground unconsious.
"Sango!" Miroku shouted, grabbing his staff. Ever since his hand was cut, he knew he could only use his right hand in an emergency or else there would be a risk of him being sucked in himself.
Miroku dived at the youkai, but as Miroku was dodging it's tail, the tail hit him and he fell himself. Shippo ran over to Inuyasha to wake him up.
"Inuyasha," Shippo shouted. "Inuyasha!" Shippo shouted louder, "Inuyasha!" Shippo smacked him across the face, "Wake up, you baka! Kagome is in trouble!" Inuyasha still didn't wake up and Shippo was trying everything he could think of.
The youkai went after Kagome, she starred in shock, unable to move her body. She screamed as the youkai snatched her. Kagome struggled. The youkai stood on his two back feet and snatched the Shikon shard from her. It laughed evilly as he squeezed harder, sufficating the helpless human.
Inuyasha woke up and saw Kagome struggling more and more, but growing weaker. Inuyasha stood up and grabbed his sword as Kagome slumped in the youkai's hands. It laughed deeply and evilly as he dropped Kagome.
Inuyasha's sword transformed, he jumped up, caught Kagome, and landed in tall grass near by, even though he knew it wouldn't help with the large youkai on it's two back legs. Shippo ran to them and looked at Kagome.
"Kagome," Inuyasha shouted. "Kagome!!"
Shippo looked down at Kagome and back up at Inuyasha. Inuyasha set Kagome on the ground, clenched his fist, and growled. He grabbed his sword, leaped into the air, and screamed in the most anger he had ever felt in his life, "You bastard!"
Inuyasha swung Tetsusagia and it automatically killed the youkai, Inuyasha looked at Tetsusagia and nodded in satifaction. Inuyasha ran to the tall grass.
Miroku, Kiara, and Sango had already become concious again and are looking over Kagome. Kagome, still lying there, is still and not breathing. Inuyasha looked down at her and held in his emotions.
"Come," Miroku said. "We must leave him be..."
Sango, Miroku, Kiara, and Shippo walked away, hoping for the best.
"Kagome," Inuyasha said quietly, seeing a tear on her face. "Don't go, please." Inuyasha picked her up and hugged her. "Kagome, I-I... Can't let you go... I never got to tell you that I..." Inuyasha set her on the ground and leaned close to her face. "I love you..." Inuyasha kissed her.
Kagome felt a jolt of air rush into her and she woke. When, she opened her eyes, Inuyasha was kissing her. W-What? Is he... kissing me? Kagome began to blink, not believing what was happening to her. Her heart began to pound harder than ever, but she felt relief. Was this what she wanted? Could it be that Inuyasha actually did love her?
Inuyasha sat up again and opened his eyes, Kagome was alive. "K-Kagome..." Inuyasha said quietly. "Are you alive?"
"I guess..." Kagome replied and she began to remember hearing something before she felt that jolt of life. "Di-did you say that you lo-loved me?"
Inuyasha shook out of it, "Feh! Why would I love a stupid girl like you!"
Kagome felt tears run down her cheek, I guess she was wrong. Inuyasha must've thought he was talking to Kikyo. He's still not over her... Kagome thought. He still loves her... more than he'll ever have feelings for me...
Inuyasha eyes widened by Kagome crying. "K-Kagome... Don't cry..."
"Why, why not!" Kagome shouted at him, still crying. "I wake up to you kissing me and you make a stupid comment like that, you idiot!"
"What did you call me!"
"You heard me, you're an incredible baka!"
"Nani!"
"You're the most unsensitive idiot I will have ever met in a life time!"
Inuyasha backed away from the shouting and then came back in. "You're calling me the idiot! You're the one who can't take one step out of the way when a youkai trying to attack you!"
"It's called fear; you get it too!"
"Nani! I'm not afraid of anything!"
"Really? Then how come when you first sent me back to my world without my Shikon shard, before you sent me back, you held me close and said you were afraid for my safety!"
"Well--" Inuyasha paused and blinked.
Kagome got up and went out to the field to gather the Shikon shards left behind by the youkai, picked them up, and walked away.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted running after her.
Kagome went by a tree and sat down, staring out at the lake in front of her.
"Kagome..." Inuyasha said sitting down next to her, Kagome ignored him. Inuyasha sniffed around, but only smelled Kagome... Her rich scent, driving him crazy just to kiss her. "Kagome, I--"
"I don't wanna hear it," Kagome said, turning away. She wanted to say sit so badly, but her mouth wouldn't let her.
"Fine," Inuyasha pouted.
Kagome sniffled and let a tear roll down her cheek. Inuyasha kissing her, saying that he loved her, and then, telling complete lies, it can hurt a girl. It hurt Kagome.
Inuyasha looked up and saw a tear fall, and he got freaked out like he always did when anyone cried. "Uhhh," Inuyasha said and he did the only thing he wanted to do, he kissed her. Kagome was stunned again, and ended up kissing him back.
What am I doing? Kagome thought.
Inuyasha ended the kiss and whispered, "I-I-I love you..." It was the hardest thing for him to say since Kikyo died and when she was reincarnated as well.
"I love you too," Kagome whispered. What did I just say! Kagome thought in her head. Did I really mean it? Kagome felt her heart beat hard, but then relax, like it's what she always wanted. Kagome kissed him again.
Up in a tree, Kikyo watched and she whispered, "So it is true, Inuyasha cares for her more than I..."