Times of Change

Disclaimer:  Inuyasha and all of its characters don't belong to me.  Neither does Kurama (he's from the cast of Yu Yu Hakusho).  *grins* I do claim all original characters though, even the bad ones.  Well that about wraps it up, let me know what you think at the end!

Learian Words and their translated/loosely translated meanings:

Kreelie- idiot

Tione- sister

Tionto- brother

Eliree- lover

Lireeh-tionto- Heart-brother

Lireeh-tione- Heart-sister

Chapter 12:  Consequences and Apologies

            Kagome ran like the very hounds of hell were behind her and didn't stop until her legs literally gave out underneath her and she fell next to a large boulder, which she used to lean against as she cried silently.  Her shoulders shook as violently as if she had been sobbing but she suffered in silence.

Some say love, it is a river that drowns the tender reed.

Some say love, it is a razor, that leaves your soul to bleed.

Some say love, it is a hunger, an endless aching need.

She remembered that old song and for once she really understood what it meant.  Kagome was tired down to the very debts of her soul.  Tired of being called a reincarnation, tired of all of the verbal abuse Inuyasha gave her, tired of hunting shards…  Somehow it had all just ceased to matter but she still cried.  Perhaps it was for the loss of innocence regarding the way she used to look at things that she cried for the most.  She'd always been afraid that Inuyasha truly despised her and he had finally confirmed it.  But did she still love him?  Oh yes, she couldn't seem to stop no matter what he did to her but she needed to learn how to distance her heart from him.  "Why does this hurt so much?"  She whispered aloud.

Inuyasha heard the whispered question and felt a sharp pain pierce through his heart.  He hadn't been thinking when he had spoken so cruelly about her and the sight before him nearly made his head bow in shame.  He had sworn to protect Kagome, to not hurt her, and look what he had done!  He'd hurt her worse than anyone else.  "Kagome?"  He asked softly and felt his heart twinge when she flinched from his voice and seemed to tense up as though preparing for him to strike her.  "Kagome."  He said again, except this time his voice was rough with pain.

"Please, just go away."  She whispered without looking at him.

She was offering him am easy way out; he could leave her alone and eventually she would compose herself and they would all move on again.  The problem was he was afraid that he had just shattered something and if he did not fix it now it would be broken for forever.  That thought scared him almost as bad as the thought of her dying did.

"I can't."  He answered and knelt down beside her and placed his hand on her shaking back.

"Please Inuyasha, I don't want to be hurt any more.  I don't have the strength for it."  She cried desperately.  No!  I don't want to be hurt.  Let me be strong, oh please let me be strong.  She thought desperately.  A few seconds later, she let out a surprised hiccup when she found herself suddenly being lifted up from the ground and into Inuyasha's arms.  He layed her head against his shoulder and wrapped his arms around her in a comforting embrace.

"Don't cry Kagome, please.  I can't stand to see you cry."  He said softly and rubbed his hand soothingly over her back.

"Because I disgust you and it's disgusting."  She asked and he felt the sting of his own sharp words because while it was phrased like a question it had been a statement.  It's now or never Inuyasha.  He said to himself.  You can either let her go on believing that, or you can trust her with your heart and love and tell her the truth.  You have to choose now for forever.  Oddly enough it was the easiest decision in his life.

Kagome jumped a little when she felt Inuyasha tip her head up towards him and start kissing the tears off her face.  "You don't disgust me."  He murmured softly and her eyes opened in surprise.

"But you said-!"  She started to argue when Inuyasha very delicately placed his lips over hers.  It was a chaste kiss, as all first kisses usually are but it was still enough to send a tingle through both of them.

"Kagome, listen to me."  He said and rested his forehead against hers and looked intently into her storm colored eyes.  "I didn't mean what I said earlier; I was trying to distance myself from you again and I didn't think about how hurtful all those things I said could be.  I don't want to hurt you Kagome, ever, but I'm afraid…" He drawled off and closed his eyes and inhaled her scent deeply to steady himself.

"Afraid of what?"  She asked softly.

"Of you."  He answered and smiled at the confused look on her face.  "Of loving you, of you being hurt or killed, of you leaving me…" He answered.

"Oh Inuyasha!"  She cried and threw her arms around his neck and began to cry all over again.  Inuyasha, thinking that she was upset because of what he said tried to make amends by soothing and apologizing as quickly as he could.  I should have known that she couldn't love me.  He thought forlornly. 

"Do you mean what you said?  That you love me?"  She asked a few minutes later when she had calmed back down.

Inuyasha swallowed nervously but knew that he couldn't lie now.  "Yes."  He answered and she started crying all over again.  "Kagome…" He started desperately, trying to soothe her and make her stop crying when she shut him up by covering his lips with hers and whispering, "I love you."

For the first time in their young lives both Kagome and Inuyasha felt that they were exactly where they needed to be; with each other.  Inuyasha pulled Kagome even closer to him and wrapped his arms around her fragile body and inhaled the scent of sunshine and rose petals.  There's no turning back after this, ever.  Kagome…  I can't let you go now; I'm yours just as much as you're mine.  He thought but didn't say anything aloud.  Now wasn't the time when they were just starting out like this; instincts, wants, and needs would just have to wait for a while.

            When Kagome and Inuyasha finally returned to where the others were waiting they received a few curious looks but nobody really commented about the way Kagome had stormed off with Kurama sending Inuyasha after her and now how they'd come back holding hands.  Inuyasha did receive a cold glare from Kurama that promised a later beating, but for now the silver kitsune was occupied with holding a sleeping Destiny cradled in his arms.

            "Do we go now?"  Sesshoumaru asked.

            Of course.  Shad answered, now back in his wolf form again.

            "But what about Destiny?"  Shippo asked and jumped onto the wolf's back.

            Shad grinned wolfishly as Kurama stood up carefully and shifted the delicate form in his arms for a moment and then looked at all of them impatiently.  Trust me little one, she'll sleep well enough.  He answered and headed over towards Kurama and Destiny.

            "Don't you ever get tired?"  Miroku asked a bit grumpily as he shouldered his pack.

            Nope.  Just hungry.  Shad joked.

            When everyone was ready Kurama asked Sesshoumaru to lead the way; succeeding once again in surprising the youkai.  He was also surprised to find that he actually wanted to please the silver kitsune as he would his father or a favorite uncle or someone he really respected when he was younger.  Destiny…  He wasn't really sure how to treat her; true, she was Kurama's mate but she wasn't really motherly to anyone except for Shippo and Rin.  No, she treated him the same as she treated her heart-brother, Inuyasha, and the human male Miroku.  Apparently Kurama hadn't been lying about being claimed as family by the two Learians.  They teased him as readily as they did everyone else, including Kurama,  and Destiny was one of the few people to ever touch him with innocent affection since his father died.  He was disturbed by that yet oddly enough, comforted as well.  It was nice being a part of a family again…

            Sess?  You with us?  Shad asked, snapping him away from his thoughts.

            "Of course.  We are heading to the village correct?"

            In that direction anyway.  Shad confirmed as Sesshoumaru took the lead, heading towards the distant village.  The order in which they traveled had changed now.  Sesshoumaru was in the lead by himself with Kurama and Shad following behind him.  Inuyasha and Kagome came next, then Sango and Miroku.  They traveled quietly for the most part, allowing Destiny to sleep.  Shad stayed close to the group now and would occasionally circle around them a bit but was usually either next to Kurama or would go and join Sesshoumaru in the lead for a short period of time.

            "Why are you staying so close to the group now?"  Inuyasha finally asked.

            Because if we are attacked then Kurama must fight and who will protect my heart-sister then eh?  I would be most displeased should anything happen to her just because I did not stay.  He answered calmly.

            "And you call me overprotective?"  Kurama joked.

            Shad grinned and nodded.  Ah but you see, I've done this for years.  He replied lightly but then his voice took on a more series tone.  Some habits are just hard to break.

            "Why would you need to protect her?  Didn't your family do that?"  Sango asked.

            For a time Destiny's mother protected both of us but as soon as her heart-mate and my parents died, so did Destiny's mother begin to die.  Leaving us when we were close to four years of age.

            "Wait.  Why did she begin to die when her husband and brother died?"  Kagome wanted to know.

            The bond between heart-siblings is very strong; stronger even than that between twins.  However, the price for such is that should one of us die the other, unless, they have found their heart-mate and bonded completely with them, then the other will soon die as well.

            "What if your heart-mate dies?"  Inuyasha asked.

            The bond between heart-mates is even stronger than that of heart-siblings.  In truth, I do not know how Destiny's mother managed to keep death at bay for so long.  Mayhap that is where my heart-sister gets some of her stubbornness from, in all respects, she should not have lived past a year.  Especially since two bonds where broken.

            "What would happen if you or Destiny died?  Would all three of you die?"  Miroku asked.

            Should Destiny die then I would soon follow after her.  Should I die before Destiny and Kurama are completely bonded then I'd be praying that the bond they have is strong enough to bypass hers and mine.

            "What about Kurama?"  Shippo asked.

            Now that is where the maybe, maybe not factor comes in.  Since Kurama and Destiny are not fully bonded then should either of them die there is a chance that the other will live on.  However, they already have a strong bond despite the fact that they are not fully mated so it's really impossible to know.

            "Why bond so strongly if the penalties are so harsh?"  Sesshoumaru asked.

            Because the rewards and gifts that go along with the bonding are sweeter than the best nectar in the world.  He answered and after a moment of thoughtful silence continued, there can be only one love for us, perhaps that is why we die.  After all, what is the body and soul without the heart?

            No one answered his question for they all already knew what the answer was:  nothing…

            A few hours later when it was close to ten at night Destiny woke with a quiet sigh and began to stretch lazily in Kurama's arms.  "Good morning."  She said pleasantly to everyone and kissed Kurama lightly on the cheek as he let her slide to the ground.

            "Great.  You woke just when we were fixing to make camp."  Inuyasha told her.

            "Lovely."  She answered good-naturedly and looked around their camp spot and smiled when she heard the sound of a nearby river.  "Wonderful!  Whoever picked this spot I commend you."  She said jokingly.

            "Thank you."  Sesshoumaru said with a little ironic smirk.

            "My pleasure."  Destiny replied with a smile.  It took them only a few moments to set up camp and then Destiny dug around in her bag until she found a small mesh one that held her bathing supplies.  "Are you guys coming?"  She asked everyone absently without looking up as she checked over her things to make sure she had everything.

            "Umm…  Destiny?  The guys can't bathe with us."  Kagome stated firmly.

            Destiny looked up in confusion and before thinking asked, "eh?  Why not?"  Then she held up her hand and shook her head.  "Never mind.  I keep forgetting about that modesty thing."  She said and stood up and grabbed a towel and a change of clothes.  "Shall we go?"  She asked. 

            After the girls were gone Miroku was staring off in the general direction of the river when he commented, "you know, most guys would love to have a girlfriend who didn't mind them bathing with her."  Kurama and Shad exchanged a look and Kurama turned to look at Miroku.

            "Yes but bathing and having sex are two different things are they not?"  He asked bluntly.  "Or staring at a female like a leach for that matter."  He added pointedly.

            "I'm a monk not a saint."  Miroku said defensively.

            "And I'm a very protective youkai not a human."  He countered.

            "Point taken."  Miroku conceded with a grin and wandered over to the campfire.

            "Inuyasha."  Kurama said calmly but quite clearly and the hanyou look up at him warily.

            "Yes?"

            "Go get the training sword that you were assigned and come with me."  A very unwilling Inuyasha did as he was told and followed Kurama to the edge of the campsite.  He had been hoping that Kurama would forget about what had gone on the past afternoon along with his promise, but it seemed fate was against him.  "Well aren't you even going to try to fight me?"  Kurama taunted.  "or are you afraid?"

            "I ain't afraid of nobody."  Inuyasha stated with a grin and rushed at the silver kitsune.  It was the last thing that he would be able to say comfortably for a while.  While not up to the rank that Destiny was, Kurama was still an expert swordsman and fought with a cool head and clean grace that was back by hundreds of years of experience.  Inuyasha, on the other hand, was very hot-blooded and was still learning the meaning of the word grace.

            The purpose of such training was not to humiliate Inuyasha or make him feel inferior, but to let him know that there would be consequences for him acting without thinking.  If he learned this now, it could be what saved his life later on.  After all, there were no promises that any of them would live beyond this night or tomorrow.  Regardless, Kurama was determined that Inuyasha learn something, even if it was that once you made a promise to someone, breaking it isn't a very wise idea.  Especially when that someone could kick your rear end all over the surrounding area.

            A half hour later, the girls were coming back from the river and Inuyasha and Kurama finally finished their "training" exercise. 

            "Inuyasha, what happened?"  Kagome cried when she saw the bruised and weary hanyou.  Even Sango and Destiny looked concerned about him.

            "Kurama."  He managed to get out with a groan and Destiny looked up at her heart-mate curiously.  The silver kitsune looked back at her steadily and met the angry gazes of the two girls just as calmly and made his way to them.

            "Come."  He said to Inuyasha and picked the hanyou up off the ground and headed towards the river.  After a moment, Miroku also followed as he didn't want to be the one who had to explain all of what happened to Kagome.

            "Shad?  Sess?  What happened?"  Destiny asked.

            The hanyou broke his word to Kurama.  So he just got a bit of a workout. 

            "What promise?"  Kagome asked.

            That he would not be deliberately cruel.

            "But he wasn't meaning to earlier!"  She said angrily.

            And that makes it all right for one to be cruel to another as long as they're not thinking about it?  No, Kagome.  I stand behind Kurama on this one.  Inuyasha must learn to think before he acts.  Shad stated and looked so intently into Kagome's eyes that she had to look away.

            Sesshoumaru studied all of them curiously.  He had watched as the silver kitsune beat Inuyasha but despite the kitsune's superior knowledge he had not taken advantage of Inuyasha's ignorance.  It was like he was fighting on Inuyasha's level but more cool headedly.  "You have an interesting code, wolf."  He said to Shad.

            Of course.  He answered good-naturedly and watched as Destiny started making a soup.

            Later, when Kurama, Inuyasha, and Miroku came back from the river they were all in good spirits.  Especially Inuyasha who was feeling much better now that his body had time to recuperate a bit.  "So what's for supper?"  Miroku asked and Sango handed him a bowl of soup.

            "Ah, who made it?"  Kurama wanted to know.

            "Shad."  Destiny answered straight-faced.

            Me.  He answered at the same time and Sesshoumaru looked from one to the other, curious as to why they were lying to him.

            "No thank you then.  I'm not hungry."  He replied and ignored the bowl Destiny held out to him.

            The two Learians both started to laugh and Shad looked at Kurama with a hurt expression.  You mean you don't like my cooking?  I'm…  Hurt!  He moaned dramatically and then changed his expression completely.  Actually, I don't like mine either.  Destiny made this so it's safe to eat.

            When Kurama accepted the bowl then Sesshoumaru shook his head in wry amusement.  "You two are very odd."  He said to the two Learians.

            "Yes, but at least we make life interesting."  Destiny joked and handed him a bowl of soup as well.

            Later, after everyone ate Sango and Shad went down to wash all of the dishes and when they came back everyone was getting ready to lay down and sleep.  "Who's going to stay up for night duty?"  Inuyasha asked.

            "I am.  It makes more sense that way since I'm going to be awake all night anyway."  Destiny answered and pulled on a pair of soft-heeled boots.

            Ghost in the woods?  Shad asked curiously.

            "Ghost in the woods."  Destiny confirmed and started to leave the campsite when she stopped and walked back to Kurama and looked up at him expectantly.

            "Yes?"  He asked.

            Destiny grinned and playfully motioned him to lean down.  As he did so she very suddenly jumped into his arms and kissed him teasingly.  Almost everyone was startled to hear Kurama chuckle as he returned her kiss before setting her back down.

            "Don't start what you can't finish."  He warned her.

            "Oh, I can finish it."  She teased and nipped at his bottom lip playfully before dancing out of his arms.  "Just not for a few years."  She added sassily and disappeared into the night.

            Kurama sighed heavily and Shad looked up at his future brother-in-law and grinned mockingly.  Can't live without her but you just want to strangle her eh?  He joked, causing Kurama to glare at him with deadly intent.  Shad, however, was not through irritating him.  Don't get mad, get glad!  He rambled on.

            "Don't talk unless you have something intelligent to say."  Ho said coolly, but didn't manage to intimidate Shad.

            Well since I'm intelligent, everything I say is counted as intelligent.  Shad countered and so they argued good-naturedly with each other for a while.  Both Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were a little surprised by the easy bantering that took place between the two.  The only thing that connected the two of them together was a little slip of a girl named Destiny and yet, they seemed almost like brothers.  Something the two sons of Tsuyoi, former Lord of the Western Lands, had never felt.  But, they were beginning to feel something besides the age-old dislike and distrust that separated them.  Perhaps, if fate was kind they would have the chance to become true brothers.

*after the chapter is written, Shad creeps up and tries to scare Silver Destiny by growling*

S.D. – Hush I'm busy now.

Shad- So?

S.D- So shoo!  Go fetch a ball

Shad- I am not a dog!

S.D.- *raises an eyebrow and smirks at the wolf*  Well your breath smells a lot like a dogs.

Shad- *sticks his nose up in the air regally and preens*  You're just mad that all you can do is write, you don't have charm like me.

S.D.- Riiiight…

Shad- That is correct I am always right.

S.D.- *groans and mumbles something about superiority complexes in wolves and overlarge egos*  Here I tell you what, you thank the reviewers for putting up with you okay?  I'll be back in a moment.  *leaves the room*

Shad- Aren't I good?  Now then, I hope everyone is enjoying reading about me.  (Even if Kagome and Inuyasha are the important characters, darn it!)  Artemis, I'm glad to see that you like Kurama's way of dealing with Inuyasha.  The pup's hardheaded but he's learning, the hard way…  *sighs*  Must be a family trait or he takes after his brother.  Talent for Love, you mean to say that you only now just started reading about all of us?!  *gasps*  I think I may die of shock, no one loves me!  *sniff*  *sniff*  Hehehe, that's alright though!  My heart-sister does!

Destiny- I do?

Shad- Yes you do.

Kurama- No you don't.

Destiny- *covers both their mouths*  To conclude this, Demonblade, thanks again for reviewing and for our unknown reviewer, I'm sure S.D. (Silver Destiny) is very pleased that you think she is doing such a great job.  Slice, I'm glad you like this fic as well.  Careful when you talk about food though or Shad might pay you a visit.  Well catch all of you next time!  Right now we have to go make sure Sess and Inuyasha don't get in a fight.

Kurama and Shad- No we don't.

                                 No we don't.

~ Well that was a bit of fun.  Don't forget to review!  Thanks! ~