Chapter Six: Acceptance
Dawn came faster than they would think. The weak rays of the sun slowly spilled into the mouth of the cave and soon rested upon the two figures lying together on the pile of leaves.
The rays woke Inu Yasha, and when he came to he realized that it hadn't been a dream; Kagome was really there in his arms, and he was sleeping beside her.
He looked upon her lovingly and gently stroked her long, ebony hair. 'She's so beautiful,' Inu Yasha thought to himself. He had always thought that people looked younger when they slept.
He rested his head back on the ground and closed his eyes, but he did not try to fall asleep. He was waiting patiently for Kagome to wake up. His ears picked up the familiar, soothing sounds of the birds making their morning calls, and a light breeze teased his silver hair.
Suddenly, she stirred in his arms, making light sighing noises. Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at him. "Wow, I thought that that was just a dream, but it wasn't," she said, a bit astonished. "I can't believe I was actually sleeping with a hanyou!"
He blushed, deeply embarrassed for no reason. "Is that a good thing? If not, then I'm sorry; I won't do it again." Kagome shook her head. "Oh, no, it's not that; I actually liked it. It was...an experience." She giggled a bit, and he sighed in relief.
He let go of her, sat up, and yawned. She sat up with him, and giggled again as she saw his tongue lolling out of his mouth while he did so. "What's so funny?" he asked when she stopped. "Nothing!" she replied, giving him an innocent smile. He grinned, put her in a headlock, and gave her a noogy. "Ow! Inu Yasha!" she laughed.
He finally let her go and got up. "How about we go on a little walk?" he asked her. "We'll need that exercise." She nodded, "That's a good idea; I haven't taken a decent walk in forever!" He helped her to her feet, put his arm around her waist, and walked off with her out of the cave and into the outside world.
"I know just the place to go to," he said to her. "You'll love it." Kagome smiled to herself. There was nothing in the world she loved more than Inu Yasha, but she also loved the things he did with her. (A/N: Hey, wipe that look at your face! That is not what I meant!)
They walked into the small forest that lay in front of the cave, and they didn't talk for a while. It could have been because they were trying to relish the beauty around them, or it could have been that they did not know what to say to each other. Heck, it could have been both.
After a while, Kagome finally broke the silence, as usual. "Inu Yasha, what happened after you met Sesshoumaru in the barracks?" she asked. His head snapped up, as if he was just coming into reality. "Oh, I forgot!" he said, mentally slapping himself. "Sure, of course I will. I knew I had to say something!"
Kagome giggled a bit as he said these things. But she soon quieted down as Inu Yasha began to speak.
"The next day, Imasu woke us up at six 'o clock; my friend had explained to me that that was eighteen hundred hours in military time, because I was so confused. Imasu sent us to work right away. It was still very early, and some of the marketers had been up way before us just to put together their stands.
"Imasu put us to work with a young kitsune, and we helped the kid put together his stuff together. After we helped him, it was about eight 'o clock; that was when people started coming by.
"After we helped the boy, we were sent to work with an elderly neko demon that was putting up jewelry. It wasn't hard work, and the pay was very fair.
"I was surprised, though, at how many people actually came to Shokugyo to buy stuff. 'I never thought that this place would be so popular; it gets more than a hundred people per day,' I had once said to Sesshoumaru while we were working. 'Well,' he replied, 'they didn't nominate it the most popular market in the north for nothing.'
"Well, progress was good, and Sesshoumaru had kept his word; he trained me between work breaks and also after work. He took me out into the field by the market and taught me how to fight, defend, run fast, and tons of stuff like that. But the best part was, he taught me the Iron Reaver Soul Stealer move, which is an ancient technique brought down in the inu race for thousands of years.
"This training was finally put to the test when I had to fight Sesshoumaru himself. He was pretty tough, and my fist barely made contact with his body. But I defended well, and I had become very fast. I ended up 'defeating' him, and he awarded me as his first successful student, even though he had no other students he trained in his past life.
"When I had asked him how he knew all those battle moves, he just shrugged and said that it just came to him. I didn't believe it, but I didn't want to pressure him into telling me his secret. I stayed for several more years, trying to make enough money to go on the road again. I had become fourteen years old, and Sesshoumaru was now like a brother to me.
"But then one day I had to leave; I could not stay there forever. I was very reluctant to leave, but I had to continue to pursue my journey to find the Shikon no Tama and become a true demon. Well, if it existed, that is.
"Before I left, Sesshoumaru had told me that we might meet again one day. Turns out we did two years later, but we had become mortal enemies. But you know about that, of course."
"Why did you become enemies?" Kagome asked. Inu Yasha sighed. "Once again, you are rushing me." She looked down. "Sorry," she said. He shook his head. "It's okay. Just let me continue. She nodded and let him talk.
"After many tearful good-byes, I left, only this time I went to the east, where Sesshoumaru had mentioned the village with the jewel. I was ready to take anybody on, and that included priests.
"On and on I went, traveling through dangerously open fields and plains. I passed through several forests occasionally, but that was nothing new. I had actually passed through quite a lot of villages; being casual when I was in a demon village, and being extra cautious in human villages.
"Every village I came across, I asked a person if I were in the right village. Every time, they said no, that village is further to the east. So on I went, only stopping to eat or rest.
"Soon I came across a large human village with children running around, and protective mothers scolding them. There were hundreds of huts, and there were priests everywhere. I knew, without a doubt, that this was the village I was looking for. But how would I be able to get in? Why, act like a human, of course.
"I had pulled the hood of my shirt over my doglike ears, and tried as hard as I could to hide my claws by putting my hands into fists. When I was ready, I walked into the village. People looked at me and then looked away with little interest, as if they were used to seeing people wander into their home.
"A group of priests came up to me, and my heart must have stopped pumping for a second. They barked at me to state my business, who I was, and why I was here. I had said that I was a wanderer named Ishiko, and I was looking for a place to live.
"They gave me suspicious glances before escorting me to the largest hut in the village. When I asked where we were going, a priest had said that I was to be 'tested'. That word alone freaked me out.
"We entered the hut, and what I saw was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen before. She had long, black hair flowing down to her waist and dark eyes that struck fear and wonder into a person's soul.
"She sat in the middle of the floor, staring at me. They addressed her as 'Kikyo.' She told them to leave, and they did so. When they were gone she said, 'Come and sit before me.' I did as I was commanded; I was awestruck by her beauty. She was my age, too.
"She asked me what the priests asked me, and I answered the same as before. She looked at me icily and replied, 'You mustn't lie; it's a bad habit.' And with that, before I could react, she pulled my hood off, exposing my demon ears. I was so scared and shocked that I was discovered. 'Your real name, please,' she said coldly, 'and the real reason why you are here.' I told her my name, and that I was here just to find a home to live in.
"She scowled for a minute and said, 'If you were so desperate to find a home, then why choose this particular one from your long, perilous journey? Why a human village? Wouldn't you rather be with your own kind?' It was then I realized what 'testing' really meant. I strained my brain trying to find a fast answer.
"'I used to live in the village that was closest to yours, but I was exiled for an unfair reason. I was sentenced to live here, in the presence of Lady Kikyo.' I addressed her carefully, and didn't speak too fast. She looked at me, and her eyes seemed to decide my fate.
"Finally, she nodded and stood. 'I will accept you into my village. The priests will escort you to your new home. Welcome to Hikasuri village, Inu Yasha.' (A/N: I do not know the name of this village...if it has one, that is. I just made something up, so no flames, please.)
"She bowed, and I bowed back, carefully imitating how she did it, since I did not know how. The priests came back in at her order, and they escorted me to my home. It was then that I knew that Kikyo was the head honcho around here, even though she was only a teenager.
"I was thinking that she was probably the daughter of the pregnant priestess that Sesshoumaru was talking about. I also wondered where I would find this jewel, if it existed. They brought me to a small hut at the far end of the village that looked like it was big enough for two people, but that was good enough for me. I thanked them, and they just left without welcoming me.
"They must not have liked the idea of a hanyou living there. I went inside and found that it was decent looking, with a double bed, a kitchen, and a bathroom. It also had an upstairs patio, I think. It reminded me of the barracks, and I started to have pangs of loneliness. I missed Sesshoumaru dearly.
"I was restless that night, and troubled thoughts invaded my mind, like how am I going to find this jewel? How can I take it without Kikyo knowing? One crazy thought went through my head, and it was, 'Earn Kikyo's trust and ask her permission to take it.' Yeah, it was crazy, but somehow I thought that it just might work. I fell asleep with new hopes, and new dreams."
He finished just as they walked into a sunlit clearing with a small stream gliding through it. Exotic flowers were everywhere, and they could see deer browsing in the distance. "Oh, Inu!" Kagome gasped. "It's beautiful!" He looked relieved. "You really like it?" he asked. "Yes!" she said, hugging him. He smiled, feeling even more relieved.
As they made their way to the stream, he said, "I come here a lot, usually to think about things." Kagome looked up at him with a sly smile. "Like what?" He blushed. "N-Nothing," he said, embarrassed. She smiled and turned back to the stream, putting her hand in the water. It was pretty deep, actually.
"Want to go for a swim?" she asked suddenly. His face went a dark shade of red. "Um, uh, well," he said, but Kagome was already taking her clothes off. "Argh! No, Kagome! Not in front of me!" he screamed, turning away. The deer looked up at him, yelled 'shut-up' in deer language, and went back to browsing.
She looked hurt for a second, and then shrugged. Once all her clothes were off, she jumped in. When she resurfaced, she said, "Come on, Inu! The water's great!" Inu Yasha didn't turn. "You can look now," she called to him. He slowly turned and looked down at her. His face was getting hotter by the second. "Come in," she pleaded, her eyes getting big and watery. Inu Yasha sighed. "Fine. Turn around." She did as she was told, and she heard the ruffling of his clothes being taken off.
Finally, she heard a big splash just beside her. She turned to see Inu Yasha, looking grouchy, and keeping a good distance from her. "You can't see anything, right?" he asked her, shielding his front with his hands. She laughed. "No, I can't see anything," she lied. "Oh, okay," Inu Yasha replied, lowering his hands. She had to stifle a giggle.
They sat there for a while, not really doing anything. She swam around a bit, but he didn't. He just stood there like a statue, gazing into space and beyond. She sighed. "Look, if you don't want to swim, then we can get out." Those were the magic words for Inu Yasha; he shot out of the water and got dressed faster than Flash Gordon.
She groaned, but was not really mad. She was actually kind of amused. "Turn around," she ordered. He did, and she got out and got dressed. But they made up for the waste of time by fishing, and then ate the fish they caught. When the sun was starting to go down, they lay down in the flower beds and watched the stars appear.
"Kagome," he asked her. "Do I disappoint you?" She looked at his concerned face. "No, not at all," she replied. "Why do you ask me that?" He shook his head. "Forget it. It's nothing." They lay there until it got dark, and they went back to the cave.
Once again, they settled in together and lay by each other. "I'll have to leave in the morning, Inu Yasha," she whispered to him before drifting off. But he didn't reply, for he had already fallen asleep. He was exhausted. Outside, the moon shone bright and the stars were shining. The crickets were starting their nocturnal chorus, and the fireflies danced brightly in the shadows. All was peaceful for the two lovers that lay together, under the light of the moon and the stars.
Dawn came faster than they would think. The weak rays of the sun slowly spilled into the mouth of the cave and soon rested upon the two figures lying together on the pile of leaves.
The rays woke Inu Yasha, and when he came to he realized that it hadn't been a dream; Kagome was really there in his arms, and he was sleeping beside her.
He looked upon her lovingly and gently stroked her long, ebony hair. 'She's so beautiful,' Inu Yasha thought to himself. He had always thought that people looked younger when they slept.
He rested his head back on the ground and closed his eyes, but he did not try to fall asleep. He was waiting patiently for Kagome to wake up. His ears picked up the familiar, soothing sounds of the birds making their morning calls, and a light breeze teased his silver hair.
Suddenly, she stirred in his arms, making light sighing noises. Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at him. "Wow, I thought that that was just a dream, but it wasn't," she said, a bit astonished. "I can't believe I was actually sleeping with a hanyou!"
He blushed, deeply embarrassed for no reason. "Is that a good thing? If not, then I'm sorry; I won't do it again." Kagome shook her head. "Oh, no, it's not that; I actually liked it. It was...an experience." She giggled a bit, and he sighed in relief.
He let go of her, sat up, and yawned. She sat up with him, and giggled again as she saw his tongue lolling out of his mouth while he did so. "What's so funny?" he asked when she stopped. "Nothing!" she replied, giving him an innocent smile. He grinned, put her in a headlock, and gave her a noogy. "Ow! Inu Yasha!" she laughed.
He finally let her go and got up. "How about we go on a little walk?" he asked her. "We'll need that exercise." She nodded, "That's a good idea; I haven't taken a decent walk in forever!" He helped her to her feet, put his arm around her waist, and walked off with her out of the cave and into the outside world.
"I know just the place to go to," he said to her. "You'll love it." Kagome smiled to herself. There was nothing in the world she loved more than Inu Yasha, but she also loved the things he did with her. (A/N: Hey, wipe that look at your face! That is not what I meant!)
They walked into the small forest that lay in front of the cave, and they didn't talk for a while. It could have been because they were trying to relish the beauty around them, or it could have been that they did not know what to say to each other. Heck, it could have been both.
After a while, Kagome finally broke the silence, as usual. "Inu Yasha, what happened after you met Sesshoumaru in the barracks?" she asked. His head snapped up, as if he was just coming into reality. "Oh, I forgot!" he said, mentally slapping himself. "Sure, of course I will. I knew I had to say something!"
Kagome giggled a bit as he said these things. But she soon quieted down as Inu Yasha began to speak.
"The next day, Imasu woke us up at six 'o clock; my friend had explained to me that that was eighteen hundred hours in military time, because I was so confused. Imasu sent us to work right away. It was still very early, and some of the marketers had been up way before us just to put together their stands.
"Imasu put us to work with a young kitsune, and we helped the kid put together his stuff together. After we helped him, it was about eight 'o clock; that was when people started coming by.
"After we helped the boy, we were sent to work with an elderly neko demon that was putting up jewelry. It wasn't hard work, and the pay was very fair.
"I was surprised, though, at how many people actually came to Shokugyo to buy stuff. 'I never thought that this place would be so popular; it gets more than a hundred people per day,' I had once said to Sesshoumaru while we were working. 'Well,' he replied, 'they didn't nominate it the most popular market in the north for nothing.'
"Well, progress was good, and Sesshoumaru had kept his word; he trained me between work breaks and also after work. He took me out into the field by the market and taught me how to fight, defend, run fast, and tons of stuff like that. But the best part was, he taught me the Iron Reaver Soul Stealer move, which is an ancient technique brought down in the inu race for thousands of years.
"This training was finally put to the test when I had to fight Sesshoumaru himself. He was pretty tough, and my fist barely made contact with his body. But I defended well, and I had become very fast. I ended up 'defeating' him, and he awarded me as his first successful student, even though he had no other students he trained in his past life.
"When I had asked him how he knew all those battle moves, he just shrugged and said that it just came to him. I didn't believe it, but I didn't want to pressure him into telling me his secret. I stayed for several more years, trying to make enough money to go on the road again. I had become fourteen years old, and Sesshoumaru was now like a brother to me.
"But then one day I had to leave; I could not stay there forever. I was very reluctant to leave, but I had to continue to pursue my journey to find the Shikon no Tama and become a true demon. Well, if it existed, that is.
"Before I left, Sesshoumaru had told me that we might meet again one day. Turns out we did two years later, but we had become mortal enemies. But you know about that, of course."
"Why did you become enemies?" Kagome asked. Inu Yasha sighed. "Once again, you are rushing me." She looked down. "Sorry," she said. He shook his head. "It's okay. Just let me continue. She nodded and let him talk.
"After many tearful good-byes, I left, only this time I went to the east, where Sesshoumaru had mentioned the village with the jewel. I was ready to take anybody on, and that included priests.
"On and on I went, traveling through dangerously open fields and plains. I passed through several forests occasionally, but that was nothing new. I had actually passed through quite a lot of villages; being casual when I was in a demon village, and being extra cautious in human villages.
"Every village I came across, I asked a person if I were in the right village. Every time, they said no, that village is further to the east. So on I went, only stopping to eat or rest.
"Soon I came across a large human village with children running around, and protective mothers scolding them. There were hundreds of huts, and there were priests everywhere. I knew, without a doubt, that this was the village I was looking for. But how would I be able to get in? Why, act like a human, of course.
"I had pulled the hood of my shirt over my doglike ears, and tried as hard as I could to hide my claws by putting my hands into fists. When I was ready, I walked into the village. People looked at me and then looked away with little interest, as if they were used to seeing people wander into their home.
"A group of priests came up to me, and my heart must have stopped pumping for a second. They barked at me to state my business, who I was, and why I was here. I had said that I was a wanderer named Ishiko, and I was looking for a place to live.
"They gave me suspicious glances before escorting me to the largest hut in the village. When I asked where we were going, a priest had said that I was to be 'tested'. That word alone freaked me out.
"We entered the hut, and what I saw was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen before. She had long, black hair flowing down to her waist and dark eyes that struck fear and wonder into a person's soul.
"She sat in the middle of the floor, staring at me. They addressed her as 'Kikyo.' She told them to leave, and they did so. When they were gone she said, 'Come and sit before me.' I did as I was commanded; I was awestruck by her beauty. She was my age, too.
"She asked me what the priests asked me, and I answered the same as before. She looked at me icily and replied, 'You mustn't lie; it's a bad habit.' And with that, before I could react, she pulled my hood off, exposing my demon ears. I was so scared and shocked that I was discovered. 'Your real name, please,' she said coldly, 'and the real reason why you are here.' I told her my name, and that I was here just to find a home to live in.
"She scowled for a minute and said, 'If you were so desperate to find a home, then why choose this particular one from your long, perilous journey? Why a human village? Wouldn't you rather be with your own kind?' It was then I realized what 'testing' really meant. I strained my brain trying to find a fast answer.
"'I used to live in the village that was closest to yours, but I was exiled for an unfair reason. I was sentenced to live here, in the presence of Lady Kikyo.' I addressed her carefully, and didn't speak too fast. She looked at me, and her eyes seemed to decide my fate.
"Finally, she nodded and stood. 'I will accept you into my village. The priests will escort you to your new home. Welcome to Hikasuri village, Inu Yasha.' (A/N: I do not know the name of this village...if it has one, that is. I just made something up, so no flames, please.)
"She bowed, and I bowed back, carefully imitating how she did it, since I did not know how. The priests came back in at her order, and they escorted me to my home. It was then that I knew that Kikyo was the head honcho around here, even though she was only a teenager.
"I was thinking that she was probably the daughter of the pregnant priestess that Sesshoumaru was talking about. I also wondered where I would find this jewel, if it existed. They brought me to a small hut at the far end of the village that looked like it was big enough for two people, but that was good enough for me. I thanked them, and they just left without welcoming me.
"They must not have liked the idea of a hanyou living there. I went inside and found that it was decent looking, with a double bed, a kitchen, and a bathroom. It also had an upstairs patio, I think. It reminded me of the barracks, and I started to have pangs of loneliness. I missed Sesshoumaru dearly.
"I was restless that night, and troubled thoughts invaded my mind, like how am I going to find this jewel? How can I take it without Kikyo knowing? One crazy thought went through my head, and it was, 'Earn Kikyo's trust and ask her permission to take it.' Yeah, it was crazy, but somehow I thought that it just might work. I fell asleep with new hopes, and new dreams."
He finished just as they walked into a sunlit clearing with a small stream gliding through it. Exotic flowers were everywhere, and they could see deer browsing in the distance. "Oh, Inu!" Kagome gasped. "It's beautiful!" He looked relieved. "You really like it?" he asked. "Yes!" she said, hugging him. He smiled, feeling even more relieved.
As they made their way to the stream, he said, "I come here a lot, usually to think about things." Kagome looked up at him with a sly smile. "Like what?" He blushed. "N-Nothing," he said, embarrassed. She smiled and turned back to the stream, putting her hand in the water. It was pretty deep, actually.
"Want to go for a swim?" she asked suddenly. His face went a dark shade of red. "Um, uh, well," he said, but Kagome was already taking her clothes off. "Argh! No, Kagome! Not in front of me!" he screamed, turning away. The deer looked up at him, yelled 'shut-up' in deer language, and went back to browsing.
She looked hurt for a second, and then shrugged. Once all her clothes were off, she jumped in. When she resurfaced, she said, "Come on, Inu! The water's great!" Inu Yasha didn't turn. "You can look now," she called to him. He slowly turned and looked down at her. His face was getting hotter by the second. "Come in," she pleaded, her eyes getting big and watery. Inu Yasha sighed. "Fine. Turn around." She did as she was told, and she heard the ruffling of his clothes being taken off.
Finally, she heard a big splash just beside her. She turned to see Inu Yasha, looking grouchy, and keeping a good distance from her. "You can't see anything, right?" he asked her, shielding his front with his hands. She laughed. "No, I can't see anything," she lied. "Oh, okay," Inu Yasha replied, lowering his hands. She had to stifle a giggle.
They sat there for a while, not really doing anything. She swam around a bit, but he didn't. He just stood there like a statue, gazing into space and beyond. She sighed. "Look, if you don't want to swim, then we can get out." Those were the magic words for Inu Yasha; he shot out of the water and got dressed faster than Flash Gordon.
She groaned, but was not really mad. She was actually kind of amused. "Turn around," she ordered. He did, and she got out and got dressed. But they made up for the waste of time by fishing, and then ate the fish they caught. When the sun was starting to go down, they lay down in the flower beds and watched the stars appear.
"Kagome," he asked her. "Do I disappoint you?" She looked at his concerned face. "No, not at all," she replied. "Why do you ask me that?" He shook his head. "Forget it. It's nothing." They lay there until it got dark, and they went back to the cave.
Once again, they settled in together and lay by each other. "I'll have to leave in the morning, Inu Yasha," she whispered to him before drifting off. But he didn't reply, for he had already fallen asleep. He was exhausted. Outside, the moon shone bright and the stars were shining. The crickets were starting their nocturnal chorus, and the fireflies danced brightly in the shadows. All was peaceful for the two lovers that lay together, under the light of the moon and the stars.