Chapter Six -

Tests of Loyalty

It was a few weeks later when things began to test their loyalty.

Walking through a familiar area of forest, Inuyasha caught a scent that greatly annoyed him.  He began to walk a slightly different direction.

"I smell something nasty," he said insultingly, and Kagome looked up at him.

"What is it?"

Before he could answer, the source of the smell appeared in front of them.

"Oi, Kagome!"

Startled slightly, she forced a smile.  "Hi, Kouga-kun."

The wolf began to walk up to them, ignoring the growling coming from Inuyasha's direction.  But when he was a couple of feet away, he suddenly stopped.

"Kagome," he said, his eyes narrowing slightly.  "Why do I smell that puppy on you?"

"Baka wolf," Inuyasha sneered.  "You know exactly why."

Kouga stepped forward again, and reached forward to cup Kagome's chin in his hand.  He then tilted her head, and his eyes narrowed further when he saw the mark.

"Oi, dog-crap," he growled.  "Who said you could touch my woman?"

"She was never your woman, you wimpy wolf," Inuyasha growled back.  "Now get your hands off of what is mine!"

Kouga dodged Inuyasha's claws, and the hanyou smirked at the wolf's slow movements.  "Heh, now that you don't have your jewel shards, you're just an ordinary wolf youkai," Inuyasha taunted.  "I wouldn't even have to draw my sword to kill you now."

Kagome could see where this was going, and for a moment regretted removing Inuyasha's necklace.  No, it wouldn't be fair to sit him now anyways, she thought.  He's just protecting me.  Instead, she focused on the other youkai.

"Kouga-kun," she said, and watched as they both looked towards her.  "Please don't fight with him."

"What, you actually love this dog-crap?!" Kouga exclaimed, disgusted.

"I've never been your woman, Kouga-kun.  I chose Inuyasha.  And if you fight him now, I will never speak to you again."

"Keh, you wouldn't be able to," Inuyasha butted in, cracking his knuckles.  "He'll just be some blood stains on my claws."

"Kagome, you can't be serious," Kouga said.  He glared in Inuyasha's direction.  "Why would anyone want to be with a hanyou, anyways?  I'd be a much stronger mate."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed.  "Hanyou, huh?  Perhaps it is the humanity in me that caused her to choose me, wimpy wolf.  After all, you're just a giant ego who thinks he can beat anyone just because he got to have some Shikon shards for a while."

Who's a giant ego? Kagome thought, suppressing a laugh.  Her amusement was cut short, for Inuyasha's insult received a sudden attack from the full youkai.

The hanyou dodged easily, and then swiped with his own claws, snickering to see red lines appear on Kouga's left arm.

"You're no match for me, wimpy wolf," Inuyasha taunted.  "Why don't you just run back home?"

At that, Kouga attacked again, and received a matching set of claw marks on his other arm.  The wolf growled, and was about to attack again when Kagome suddenly flung herself between them.

"Stop it!" she demanded, holding Inuyasha's wrists in an attempt to hold his claws back.  "I don't want either of you to get hurt!"

"Kagome!" Inuyasha protested.

"Kouga-kun, go back to your lair, ok?  Don't mess with Inuyasha anymore."

"You think that puppy can beat me?" Kouga outraged.  "Get out of the way, Kagome.  I'll show you who you should really be with."

"Kouga, I love Inuyasha!  You can't change that!"

The words seemed to strike the wolf, and he took a step back.  "You…you really mean it, don't you?"

"Yes, I do," Kagome said.  "Now please, go back to your lair.  I don't want the two of you to fight."

Looking defeated and hurt, Kouga backed away.  "A…alright, Kagome.  Because you want me to, I will.  But if that dog-crap ever hurts you, you can come to me."

"Ursai!" [Shut up!] Inuyasha shouted at the departing wolf.  Kagome sighed and released Inuyasha's wrists.

"Why do you two always do that?!" she yelled.  "Why can't you just accept each other?!"

He recoiled, and then got mad.  "If you really like him that much you should have gone with him when you had the chance, instead of being stuck with a stupid hanyou like me!"

She gasped.  "Inuyasha…"

"Keh!" He turned and glared at the trees, still boiling from what Kouga had said to him.

"Why would anyone want to be with a hanyou, anyways?"

Soon, he felt her slip her arms through his.  "Inuyasha," she said softly.  "I love you the way you are.  I don't care if you're a hanyou."

He sighed, and returned the hug.  "One of these days that wolf's gonna get himself killed if he keeps running his mouth."

*          *          *

Inuyasha sat on the roof of his house, watching the sunset as he waited for Kagome to return.  She'd been gone all day visiting Sango and Miroku, who were expecting their first child now.  It had only been a few days since the meeting with Kouga, and he's spent a lot of that time thinking about what had happened.

She really does love me, he thought, and closed his eyes.  When he reopened them, he saw a soul-stealer flying in the air before him.

"Kikyou…" he gasped.  He leapt off of the roof, and then hesitated.  Kagome will be back soon.  She's the one I've chosen.  But…Kikyou, I must know if you're still out there.

With that thought, he ran into the trees, following the soul-stealer and hoping it wasn't going far.  Soon, he arrived at the God Tree, and there she was sitting at its base.

"K…Kikyou…" he whispered.  She looked up at him with the same cold, sad look in her eyes that she'd had ever since she'd been brought back.

"I knew you would find me, Inuyasha," she said quietly.

"…Kikyou…"

"I know what you've done," she interrupted.  "You've chosen that girl, Kagome.  My reincarnation.  I never understood her.  She was always so compassionate, even to me.  I've always known she loved you."

Inuyasha walked up to her, stopping a few feet away.  "Why are you still here, Kikyou?"

"Do you remember, Inuyasha, a promise you made?"

He started.  "A promise?"

"You told my sister, Kaede, that you would go to hell with me."

He gasped at the memory.  He HAD said that, but it seemed so long ago.

"So much has changed since then, Kikyou," he said softly.  "I said I would go to hell with you, if it was our destiny.  But…I think my destiny is different."

She looked away.  "Does this girl mean so much more to you than I do?"

"Kikyou, you know how I feel about you!  And if I could…"

"You would what?  Be with me again?  I'm dead, Inuyasha.  I died fifty years ago.  This body…" she chuckled slightly, looking at her hands.  Inuyasha knelt before her.

"Kikyou, what do you want me to do?"

"If I told you, would you really listen to me?  You've already chosen Kagome.  She wears your mark, the mark I would have if things had gone differently."

He didn't say anything, but his heart felt torn.  Why, Kikyou?  Why did we have to meet again?  Kagome is my wife now; I can't abandon her after the promise I made to protect her.

"Inuyasha," Kikyou said softly.  "I will return to hell.  Whether you come with me or not is your decision."

She stood, and he stepped back away from her, for he knew that if she touched him, he wouldn't be able to say no.  He watched as she sank into the ground, and fought the tears that came to his eyes.  When a ball of light shot out from her and headed the direction of his home, he ran, desperately chasing it and knowing it was the part of Kagome's soul that Kikyou had kept.  The part that hated him.

He shot out from the trees just in time to see the light engulf Kagome.  Her feet lifted from the ground, and within seconds, she fell, being caught in his arms at the last moment.

"Kagome!"

"Inu…yasha…" she whispered.  "What happened?"

He hugged her tightly, and didn't say a word.  Kikyou's soul has returned to where it belongs.  Now I'll never have to choose between them again.