"What Could Be"
An Inu Yasha Fanfic by Nozomi
[A/N: I had this plot stuck in my head wayyyyy before I got a headstart on Chapter 3, so hooray for you! ^_^ Didn't get many reviews for Chapter 3 though *pouts*…
Dennisud: Thanks for your reviews for each chapter! Let me try to answer all the questions as best I can: 1) About Kikyou and all the other characters in the series, don't worry. My first objective in writing this fic is to provide a sort of "closure" for all the characters. So yes, a full accounting will be given for everyone. ^_^ 2) Inu Yasha and Kagome *will* eventually get together, just not yet. Hehehe. Well, in the anime it doesn't seem like they'll be admitting anything anytime soon, so I'll try to stay in character by developing their relationship… slowly. 3) The gang… I'm getting there… hang on for a few more chapters!
For everyone: Yeah, now that dennisud commented on it, there would probably others who will, so I'll point it out now. I wrote this fic with the intention of providing a sort of "closure" for all characters, including Kikyou, no matter how much of a b*tch she seems to be. ^_^ After all, Kagome is her reincarnation, she can't be all *that* bad. I *will* however, incorporate a little Kikyou-bashing coz I think she needs it. Bwahahahaha!!! ]
Disclaimer: Inu Yasha and company belong to Rumiko Takahashi. *Nozomi glares at the lawyers standing behind her as she types this*
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Chapter 4: When the Winds Howl
They had made their way down a part of the mountain when they heard something coming up towards them. Fast.
Inu Yasha's ears twitched and Kagome heard him mumble something under his breath. His eyebrows came together, he started growling, and his mouth had turned to a thin line on his face. It took her a few minutes to figure out what he said, and she wouldn't have been able to guess if she hadn't seen the look of extreme displeasure that had settled on Inu Yasha's face. The others had already assumed their fighting stances when they first heard the noise, thinking that some demons have finally decided it was safe to come out of hiding now that the power-hungry, evil jaki was gone.
A familiar whirlwind of dust and debris appeared over the path's clearing and the little party visibly relaxed. The whirlwind stopped right in front of Kagome, a cloud of dust exploding at her feet as the newcomer came to a halt. It was a demon alright, but…
"Kagome."
They had all completely forgotten about Kouga.
He had been with them for a part of the journey up the mountains to confront Naraku. Their pack had also gotten wind of Naraku's hiding place in the Northeast, and they had traveled towards the source of the evil jaki. After all, Kouga had his own score to settle with Naraku, what with the slaughter of his kinsmen a few months back. When he and his men arrived at the path where Inu Yasha's group had their encounter with Kohaku, he had caught hold of Kagome's scent and rushed ahead of his pack to catch up with them.
This had been much to Inu Yasha's irritation of course, as Kouga never could resist showing him up in front of Kagome.
As always, Kagome tolerated his presence, and had invited him to travel with them until his pack caught up. And as always, he and our favorite dog demon got on each other's nerves. They had insulted each other to the point where Kouga finally challenged him for the right to Kagome's hand, and Inu Yasha had drawn out his sword, with Kagome protesting and sweatdropping in the background. They were in the thick of what promised to be a good brawl when the saimyoushou suddenly came into the picture.
Needless to say, another of Naraku's puppets joined them.
It was sheer luck that nobody in their group had been injured during the encounter, because at that time, Naraku had only one purpose and one target.
Kouga had lost the Shikon shards on his legs that day, and would have lost his life as well had it not been for Inu Yasha. It was because Inu Yasha saved him that Naraku's bees were able to escape. This didn't sit well with Kouga, but nevertheless, he had grudgingly thanked Inu Yasha for this help. As soon as his pack caught up with them, they had left him to the care of his fellow wolves, with the instructions to take him home and nurse him back to health.
Apparently, his full-demon blood had allowed him to recover from his injuries quickly, because he was now standing in front of them.
Or *was* standing in front of them.
Inu Yasha whipped his head around to the side where Kagome had been walking beside him and sure enough, there was Kouga, with his arms around her.
With. His. Arms. Around. Her.
Kouga seemed oblivious to the guttural growls that were now loudly coming from Inu Yasha's throat. "Kagome, I'm glad to see you're alright. Did you finish Naraku off completely?" he queried, carefully examining her from head to toe.
"Yup, Inu Yasha got rid of him," Kagome answered cheerfully, as Kouga turned her around in place, sniffing, and patting her back and shoulders to check for injuries he could not smell. "I'm all right, Kouga-kun, Inu Yasha made sure I didn't get hurt."
Kouga remained silent and gave her another look-over before he was satisfied she was really unharmed.
"You did something right for once, puppy boy."
Inu Yasha crossed his arms over his chest and smirked. "It's more than I can say for you, puny wolf."
"…"
Damn it, he's right. That stupid last battle with the kugutsu almost killed me. Then the shards were taken out of my legs, so I had to depend on just my demon blood to keep me going. I was alive, but I couldn't go with them to confront Naraku. I don't know what happened up there, but Kagome could have been killed with dog-face, because I wasn't around.
He turned his back on Inu Yasha and took Kagome's hands into his own, pulling her aside to put some distance between them and his rival.
"Oi!"
Kouga decided to just ignore the dog demon. He looked at Kagome, who now had a bewildered look on her face. He took a deep breath, and blurted out the reason why he had come to them.
"Kagome, I've come to claim you as my mate."
Kouga went down on one knee and gave Kagome an expectant grin, his hands still holding hers.
"It's all finished. There is nothing else but you."
Everyone stood in stunned silence. Kouga had always called Kagome his woman, and this scene wasn't really new to anyone, except that before, he had always tried to steal her away, or he carried her off to safety as demons attacked them. It was always him trying to take Kagome from her friends. But this time…
This time he was waiting for her to accept his claim and go with him.
Willingly.
Willingly submit herself to him as his woman, and walk away together with him.
It was her decision to make.
Kagome didn't know what to say. She had long before gotten used to his odd possessiveness with her, and she had never really denied or accepted that claim. She was usually too embarrassed by his outbursts to do much. But now, he was doing this, in front of everyone.
It was either a yes or no.
There was no in-between, and she didn't know how to tell him. She never did, which is why she never said anything. Neither did she have the heart to put him down, because he's a nice guy, and she considered him to be a very good friend. She did not like to be put in the middle like this. Kouga was kind, and he had been a welcome ally.
But nothing more. She had never led him to believe otherwise. Had she?
Kagome bit her lip. Inu Yasha was the one she wanted to be kneeling in front of her right now, but he loved Kikyou. She would not be able to change the fact that he had chosen the dead miko over her, but she had accepted it and it had been her choice to stay here in the Sengoku Jidai with him. If not for him, then to collect all the Shikon shards, at least.
But the Shikon no Tama was whole now, in her protection. And if Inu Yasha was going to end up with Kikyou in the end, there was no reason for her to linger too long in this era anymore. She glanced momentarily to the dog demon in question. He was looking directly at her, his face taut. He looked tense, she realized. Was he worried about what she was going to answer Kouga?
Aside from being her protector, which Inu Yasha took to heart, he thought nothing more of her, right? Kikyou was still around, after all. As long as she walked this earth, Kagome would not stand a chance of winning him over. In fact, even though she had pinned him to the Goshinboku tree, Inu Yasha still kept those feelings he had of her. Kagome would never hear him profess his love for her, would not have memories of his lips on hers. She envied Kikyou in those moments that she had caught her and Inu Yasha in the forest. But despite knowing what she did, she had chosen to stay with him here, because she could not deny what she felt in her heart.
She knelt down so that she could be face to face with Kouga.
"Kouga…I can't be your… I can't be with you," she started gently, in a low tone of voice, wondering if the others could hear her.
She knew that Kouga was about to protest, so she covered his mouth with her palm. "It wouldn't be fair to you, Kouga-kun. I-- I'm-- I can't be with you." She winced, knowing she sounded lame and redundant, but what could she say?
Kouga stared at her for a moment. Then he pressed his lips to Kagome's palm, which was still on his mouth, and kissed it.
"Kagome, I love you."
There, he said it.
A loud crash reminded them that they had an audience. Kagome jumped up at the noise, but Kouga merely turned his head in Inu Yasha's direction.
He had slammed his sword on a rock and was now stomping towards them.
Kagome had to sit down. Her knees were feeling weak all of a sudden. No boy had ever declared his love for her, and it…
It felt good.
Inu Yasha was fuming. He was a dog hanyou, for crying out loud! He heard everything they said. He was sure Shippou, Myouga and Kirara heard it too, with their demon hearing and all. Damn him! Damn that stupid wolf!
Kouga got to his feet when Inu Yasha stopped right behind him. He whipped his head around, and came face to face with his rival.
"I can't stay around to play with you today, puppy boy."
With those words, he winked at Kagome, and sped down the mountain again.
It was Shippou who broke the awkward silence that came after that departure. "He sure can move fast even without the Shikon shards in his legs."
~*~
Kouga was pissed as he sped down the mountain. His pack was waiting at the bottom, where they had been camping since he had lost his Shikon shards. Kagome had told them to take him home, but he wanted to be nearby in case they needed help. His demon blood would allow him to heal quickly enough, after all.
He had feared the worst when the evil jaki that surrounded the top of the mountain had burst forth into a black abyss that threatened to envelop the midnight sky. They had all watched as thousands of demons surged from the abyss like a herd of rampaging bulls in chaos.
Then flashes of bright light filled the darkness until it exploded into a blinding wave. Kouga had seen Inu Yasha's attack too many times to be ignorant of where the light was coming from. Kagome would stay safe as long as puppy boy kept his wits about him.
He sneered. Inu Yasha. Damn, but he hated being interrupted by Inu-koro. He had no rights over Kagome whatsoever! He didn't even know how lucky he was that she stood by his side.
The wolf thought about Kagome, a smile beginning to play across his lips. At first, she had been nothing more than a human that could detect Shikon shards. She was useful then. That's what made her appealing. That's what caught his interest in the first place. But as he got to see more of her character, her appeal had changed. He began to look at her as a possible mate. And the more he thought about it, the more he started thinking of her as his woman, even though she was always in the company of that dog-turd.
What surprised him was that he started to have feelings for her.
Mates are chosen for their strength and their ability to keep the pack together. Kagome definitely had these traits, and his brothers already considered her as their sister the moment she had come to their aid. She had defended them and protected them as best she could; as a clan leader would. But she also had a nurturing side. She was gentle, kind and spirited, and these softer traits endeared her further to him and his pack.
Kouga wondered if Inu-koro had already made any claims on Kagome. He doubted it though, because Kagome had never spurned his advances. True, she didn't openly accept them either, but the mere fact that Inu-koro never called Kagome his woman goes to show that she was still available.
With this in mind, he slowed his descent and could now feel the wind picking up. The breeze made it easier for him to glide down smoothly along the path. He chuckled. As long as Inu-koro did not make any claims on Kagome, the words he had given her earlier would sway her to become his. If they didn't, the lack of action on puppy boy's part would convince her that she was better off with him. He started laughing.
Kouga knew Inu-koro liked Kagome and Kagome liked Inu-koro, it was really obvious. Only kami-sama knows why she likes the puppy dog, but Kouga was sure he could win her over.
As long as Inu-koro denied his feelings for Kagome, Kouga had the upper hand.
After all, he had already told her he loved her.
Kouga's pack looked up to the mountains in confusion as they picked up the sound of a lone wolf's joyful howling carried by the winds.
