Before I die
by: Goijh
Author's note: Here is chapter four...FINALLY! Anyways, this is where the story REALLY starts to change so you should probably start reading here if you weren't before. The next chapter will be the first all new one! YAY! Remember to review you guys. It makes me want to write and update all that much faster! (Hint hint)
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Chapter 4
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Inuyasha awoke the next morning to a peaceful forest. Sunlight was filtering in through the trees and everything was calm. It was almost like a fairy tale setting from one of the thick things with pages, 'Had she called them books?', that Kagome had read Shippo as a bedtime story (not that he would ever be interested in those!) 'Feh,' he thought. 'No way is this going to continue.'
As if on cue an ear-splitting scream shattered the silence, followed by a loud painful WHACK!
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"Miroku you hentai!" screamed Sango as she brought her hiraikotsu down upon the monk's skull a second time. Grinning as though oblivious to the pain that had to be washing over his head, Mrioku sighed and tried to force a serious expression across his features. "Sango, you know that this is all your fault." he said solemnly, gazing at the demon exterminator who returned his stare, speechless. "If you didn't have such a lovely backside then my subconcious inner desires wouldn't force me to sleep grope you. Then yo-"
BANG!
Miroku's speech was cut short as his former acquaintance, an oversized boomerang, decided to visit him again. His perverted grin only grew larger and remained plastered to his face as he fell backwards, slamming into the ground. "You baka hentai houshi!" yelled Sango as she continued, even after it was obvious that he was out cold, to bang him over the head.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes dramaticly before finally deciding that he would actually get up. Leaping from the tree, he landed with barely a sound on the ground, in front of a lumpy sleeping bag. Standing as straight as he could so that it would appear that he was towering, he waited impatiently, involuntarily tapping his barefoot.
"Urgh..." moaned the sleeping bag, " Do they EVER let up?" Slowly Kagome emerged from her nightime shelter and yawned. When she finally opened her eyes she squinted up at Inuyasha in curiousity. "Inuyasha?" she asked slighlty confused as she propped herself up on her elbows.
"Feh what do you want wench?" He asked impatiently. Kagome raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. Then she noted the manner in which he was tapping his foot and hovering impatiently above her. She sighed in exasperation and then put on a really cheesy smile.
"Why good morning to you too Inuyasha!" she began cheerfully. "Oh what's that you say? You'd like some ramen?" she continued, pretending that the hanyou would actually have the decency to ask for something rather than expect it. "Why its right in my pack! Hold on a-"
She was cut short when one of school books flew through the air and landed on the ground. She turned to see Inuyasha rummaging through her pack, making a mess. "Oh no, of course I wouldn't mind. Just go ahead and go through all of my possessions." she mumbled sarcasticly under her breath. Inuyasha, though, could hear her and he couldn't help but smirk. 'She's so adorable when she's grouchy in the morning.' he thought to himself as he found the ramen and began to stand up straight. Suddenly he jerked up and opened his mouth, appalled at his own thoughts. 'ADORABLE?!? That words not even supposed to be in my vocabulary!' he shouted mentally. 'Besides she's a real pain in the ass when she acts like this. Like 'I' should have to ask for ramen. She should already know and just give it to me!'
Feeling like his manhood had been proven at this silent declaration he strutted over to Kagome and just plopped the ramen down in her lap and himself down in front of her. To his amazement, she just stared at him and ignored his obvious need. "Well, wench...?" he growled. Kagome just continued to stare. 'Yeah she's a pain in my ass alright!' he muttered angrily to himself as he realized she had no intention of helping him unless he asked her. 'Doesn't she have any idea what that does to my pride?' a bitter voice in his head demanded. 'Of course she does!" an equally miserable voice responded. 'That's why she does it!'
After waiting only a few minutes, which seemed like an eternity to the half starved hanyou (Poor him...he only ate last night...), Inuyasha relented and quietly, so that Kagome could barely hear him, asked, "Kagome, could you make me some ramen?" Kagome smiled brightly as if she had never ignored him in the first place. "Of course Inuyasha!" she giggled. 'So he didn't say please,' she thought to herself, 'But at least he finally overcame his pride and asked!' She couldn't help but grin wider as she got up and cooked his breakfast.
Inuyasha watched as her smile grew larger and couldn't help but feel a slight pull in his chest. He couldn't believe how happy he had made her just by asking on simple little thing. He made a mental note to do that more often...well...maybe he would. Right now he was content to just watch her cook for him...'Just like a mate.' he internally sighed, unaware of what he had just thought.
As he watched her though, he felt his thoughts wander back to the Old God Tree. He couldn't help but wonder what she had been talking about when she said she had to tell him and everyone how she felt. He knew it had only been yesterday but still, he thought that she would have said something a lot sooner. The uncertainty that she was causing was nagging at him and driving him crazy.
Just as he resolved that he would ask her that day how about what she claimed she needed to do and how she felt, he became aware of fingers snapping arragavitingly in front of his eyes. "Hello...Earth to Inuyasha...Are you there?" Kagome asked with a peculiar look on her face as she began to wave her hands up and down before his face.
"Feh, what are you stupid?" he demanded pulling out of his thoughts. "Of course I'm here. I'm right in front of you aren't I girl? He scowled as she merely continued to smile in response. "It's only an expression Inuyasha." she replied as she turned to make herself a meal. "You seemed like you were lost in thought, almost like you were on another world. You didn't even notice when I put your ramen in front of you." She turned to face him with her sweet smile still on her face. "I was almost worried. I thought that maybe some demon had gotten into your mind and was consuming you." With that she giggled and turned away again.
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Kagome ate her breakfast thoughtfully. Inuyasha had long since finished and had left for a little while to do gods knows what. 'I wonder if I should really tell him how I feel?' she thought to herself as she recalled what she had said to him yesterday. 'But what if he rejects me? I mean, isn't he still in love with Kikyo on at least some level?' Without her noticing, a worried frown made its appearance on her face. 'I should never have said any of that!' she almost cried out. But it was too late now. Besides, it wasn't such a bad idea. She really didn't want to die before she told Inuyasha that she cared for him. And she needed to help Miroku act upon his feelings for Sango. She needed to let Shippo know that to her, he was and always would be her 'pup' (even though she suspected that he already knew that she thought that it would do him a lot of good to hear it aloud). She wanted to help Sango overcome her grief that she carried for her village and her family as well as let the older girl know just how much like a sister she was. Then there was Kouga. She needed to make sure that she got the point across that she loved him but not that way and that she wanted him to begin his search for a new candidate to be his mate.
Sighing she leaned her head back. There was so much to do and only the gods knew how much time she had left to do it. After all, she put her life in danger daily hunting for the jewel shards. It was only a matter of time before she was injured or worse... She shuddered to think about it. 'Still....' she wasn't sure if she could confess her feelings quite yet. Sure it would be no problem to do so with Sango, Miroku, and Shippo. Kouga might prove to be a bit of a challenge (he was just so thick headed). But Inuyasha....Putting her feelings right out there like that... That was practically suicide for her heart. 'Yep, he'll be difficult.'
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Inuyasha could smell her distress as he approached, but decided not to make his presence known quite yet. He wondered what she was thinking about as he watched her absently pick at her food. Whatever it was he hoped it had nothing to do with him. 'Urgh!' he pratically groaned out loud. 'What are these thoughts that I keep having? Its like I've turned soft or something.' Annoyed, Inuyasha walked into the clearing and stopped in front of Kagome.
She almost didn't notice that he was standing right in front of her, she was deep in thought. But no one could miss that bright red outfit for long. Wearily Kagome looked up at him and smiled weakly. "Inuyasha?" she questioned his intent.
"Well wench? Don't you have to go back to your time now?" he demanded. Startled, he watched as confusion, annoyance, and finally comprehension travelled across her face almost too quickly to follow. "Oh...um...yeah I do don't I..." she mumbled as she began to pack her possessions into her pack, refusing to meet the now completely bewildered Inuyasha's gaze.
"Kagome..." He began to ask her if she had lied to him about the tests that she needed to study for when he was interupted by a rather large pink ballon that had clamped itself onto his head by means of its jaws. Immediately the gentle tone in his voice was replaced by one of pure irritation. "Shippo you stupid kitsune!" he cried out as he pried the inflated demon from his scalp and proceeded to beat him into the ground until Kagome caught his arm roughly and shot him a death glare.
Inuyasha gulped. He knew better to mess with a mother's pups. And that was exactly the relationship that those two shared. He watched bitterly as the small fox ran and hid behind Kagome's legs and began to make faces at the hanyou, egging him on.
Finally Inuyasha couldn't take it anymore. A foreign and dangerous glint came into his golden eyes. and Shippo gulped. The young kitsine recognized the look that always came over Inuyasha's face before he made a major conquest. Squealing in fear, poor Shippo let go of Kagome's legs to do the only thing that he could think of at the moment- RUN!
Kagome, Sango and Miroku couldn't help but roar with laughter as they watched Inuyasha chase the small youkai around the camp, swearing enough to put a sailor to shame and then some, as he wove in and out of the trees, arms extending, trying desperatly to catch the kitsune and ring his neck. When Inuyasha finally caught him though, Shippo merely produced a jizo statue and ward that glued Inuyasha's claws to the ground. (For those of you who know how the two met, this is the same move that Shippo pulled then - much to Inuyasha's frustration.) Then Shippo stuck out his tongue and sought shelter behind Kagome's legs once more.
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The ever present glowing orbs watched in digust as the hanyou and young youkai began to scream insults at each other as if they were both still pups. The face behind them twisted into an angry scowl as the young miko finally grew angry with them and shouted, "Osuwari!" causing Inuyasha to plummet into the ground. This ended the squabble by sending the kitsune into fits of giggles and filling the inu's mouth with dark earth and gods know what else.
The eyes (is anyone besides me getting annoyed with this title here?!?) roamed freely along the miko's body as her chest heaved with her breath. The scowl deepened. How could a girl so weak and naive possibly win the inu hanyou's heart. It wasn't fair. Jealousy burned deep within the watcher's cold heart. 'Inuyasha is mine.' The thought echoed silently, yet malignantly in the person's head. The eyes closed for a minute, unable to watch the secret, compassion filled glances, that the hanyou and ningen were sending eachother without the other knowing. It made them sick to think that Inuyasha couls have possibly stooped so low as to betray her like this. 'But not for long,' The figure thought as they turned to depart. 'Soon you will be mine. ONLY mine...'
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Kagome looked up from Inuyasha's sprawled form on the ground. Taking a deep breath she let her senses suspend the way that Kaede had taught her and probed the area for a presence. 'That's weird,' she thought, 'I could have sworn that I felt something...' Resolving that it must have been the wind or some forest animal, she let her senses return to normal and returned the task at hand - fighting with Inuyasha.
By the time she looked back at him, his third 'sit' had worn off and he was back on his feet. ( She had removed the scroll causing the jizo statue to vanish on his second sit.) She braced herself for the insults that she knew were coming and simultaneously began to rack her brain for some to holler back in return. She had just come up with some really good ones when she noticed Inuyasha was just staring at her, smirking. She looked down and all around herself, but she couldn't find anything wrong. Finally out of pure exasperation she turned back to face him, crossing her arms.
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Inuyasha smirked at her as he watched her try to think of some good insults to hurl at him. 'She looks so cute when she's mad,' he thought as he watched her nose wrinkle in concentration. 'WAIT! Backtrack there. CUTE! How the in the seven hells did these words get into his vocabulary?!? It must be that wench.' He thought. 'She's a bad influence on me!' Suddenly his thoughts were interupted as he heard her shout, "What?!" His ears flinched at the loud noise, why did she always have to yell? It was then that he realized he was still smirking at her.
Quickly changing his features into those of disgust and a scowl he ignored her demand and instead made one of his own. "Well are you going to stand there thinking of insults all day and pouting? Or are you actually going to go home?" He yelled at her. Kagome felt a faint blush creep across her cheeks at the fact that he knew what she had been thinking about. Then she just "Humph"d and grabbed her pack. Without another word she jumped on the hanyous back as they headed toward the well.
Inuyasha took off as soon as he felt her weight settle onto him. He wasn't going to make her mad again today. Well, at least madder than she already was. Okay okay! He would try his hardest not to upset her but the damn woman...she always got angry at the littlest things. No matter what! In fact, you know what, he didn't care. He wasn't going to give a damn if she was mad at him. It was her own problem anyway. He ran for a few more yards. 'Okay maybe I'll make a little effort,' he silently relented.
They were almost to the well when he felt Kagome shift her wait on his back. The feeling of her moving against his back brought back memories of the day before. 'Yeah that was a stupid idea.' he redeclared to himself as he reminisced on his attempt to get her to hold him closer. His thoughts turned to the God Tree and what she had said about ,"How she really felt about him," again. Trying to fight the urge to ask, he lost to his curiousity.
"Hey Kagome?" he asked. He felt her stiffen. 'No I won't answer him. I won't even say one word. I'm not talking to him, I'm angry with him.' Kagome began to chant in her head as she heard his voice. When she didn't answer Inuyasha was a little startled. Then he remembered,'Oh yeah, She's mad at me...AGAIN.' Softening his tone and making it a little more pleading he tried again. "Kagome?" He begged softly. 'No no no no no no! Well, maybe...NO! But it couldn't hurt..NO! But...NO! But...No..well, fine!' Kagome's mind silently waged a five second war before she finally answered him.
"Yes Inuyasha?" she asked trying to keep her voice indifferent.
He winced. Yep she was mad. 'But it was Shippo's fault!' his head screamed. Resisting the urge to yell something along those lines at her he kept his voice gentle. "Umm. Would you mind if I asked you a question? About yesterday?" He asked quietly.
Kagome felt herself tense as she prepared for the question that she thougth was coming. "Ugh..Sure Inuyasha, why not?" she replied with a little uncertainty.
Inuyasha felt his mind race through all the different ways to ask the question so that it seemed like he didn't really care. 'Dammit, I'm getting nervous!' he thought. If he was human he knew that his palms would be sweating. "Well...uhh...That is..I was wondering..."
Kagome's brows furrowed in confusion as she tried to figure out what he was trying to ask. Clearly he was not going to demand to know why she hadn't trusted him enough to think that he was going to let her die.
"Well...I..." he continued to stutter. 'This is ridiculous! Just get it out already!' he yelled at himself. "What did you mean when you said that you had to let me know how you really felt about me?!" He finally blurted out.
Kagome gasped. That was not the question that she had been expecting from him. When she was silent for a second, Inuyasha took it that as a sign for the worst. She saw his ears droop in rejection and heard him mumble something along the lines of ,"Never mind..." She felt her heart jerk. Did he actually care for her. Was he feeling sad because she had hesitated? She felt her pulse begin to speed up and hope rose in her chest, along with fear. 'What if I'm misreading the signals?' She wondered nervously. 'What if he's upset about something else that I just happened to miss?' She took a breath and summed up her courage. 'He has a right to know!' she finally decided.
Inuyasha had felt her pulse race and could smell, though barely, sadness followed by hope radiating off of her. Then the previous were replaced by fear. 'Fear of what?' he thought. 'Fear of me?'
"Inuyasha..." she began slowly and hesitantly. "I want to tell you something. Before I do though...Promise me that you won't get angry with me. Please?" Inuyasha started at the desperate note in her voice. He could still smell her fear though. 'This is it,' he thought sadly. 'She's going to tell me that she hates me. And she's afraid that I'll kill her.' He felt his ears droop even more along with his heart but replied to her. "I promise," he said, hiding the pain in his voice at the thought of what she was about to say.
"Inuyasha I..." she stopped for a moment unsure. Could she really do this? Strengthening her resolution she nodded her head firmly. She could and she would. It was now or never. "I care about you Inuyasha," she blurted out. "I care about you a lot. I fact I think I-"
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Inuyasha had felt a lump form in his throat as she began and then trailed off. He couldn't stand this. They were almost to the well. He would just cut her off now and then he would say good-bye. Probably for good. After all if she hated him then it would only be cruel of him to force her to keep coming here. And he couldn't bear the thought of hurting her even if she didn't feel the same way about him. Suddenly he was aware that she was speaking again. "I care about you Inuyasha. I care about you a lot..." He felt himself freeze. Then his heart began to beat so hard that he thought it would explode. All his senses were drowned out as a feeling of elation came over him. She CARED! She cared about HIM! This was not what he had been expecting. He was aware that she was still speaking and tuned his senses into her. "...In fact I think I-"
Inuyasha waited, suspense keeping him from noticing his surroundings. They were in the clearing before the well now but he made no move to let Kagome off of his back. He needed to know what she was going to say...
Kagome didn't pick up where she had trailed off though. Instead her entire body tensed against his back and she shifted anxiously, a sign that she wanted to get down. Confused, but unable to question or argue, Inuyasha complied with her wishes, letting her slide gracefully to the ground.
As soon as she was down he missed her warmth.
Inuyasha turned to face her before she could make any move to go down the well. He had to know what she was going to say. What what wrong? Why had she stopped?
As he turned though a faint blue shimmer caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Kagome's head was turned, staring in that same direction. A sense of dread filled Inuyasha's stomach as, almost as if he was moving in slow motion, he turned his head, already knowing what he would see.
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Kikyo couldn't help the triumphant smirk that made its way onto her face as she watched her reincarnation's eyes fill with tears at the sight of her. She knew exactly why Kagome was about to cry too. Kikyo had heard the whole thing. There the girl was, about to tell Inuyasha that she loved him, unaware that he felt the same way, and then she, Kikyo, his dead love, had shown up.
Kagome was still convinced that Inuyasha loved the deceased miko, and Kikyo couldn't have expected things to go any better. But then, something had happened that she had not anticipated. After letting her reincarnation of his back and turning to face her, Inuyasha had finally brought his eyes to meet the clay priestess'. His beautiful amber orbs were completely devoid of the guilt and pain that she was used to seeing in them. Instead, they were filled with anger and disgust. Kikyo involunatarily gasped and drew back a little under the intensity of his gaze.
It was almost as if he knew why she was there.
"Kikyo..." Inuyasha whispered, his voice was trembling with anger, but to Kagome it seemed like it was filled with longing and joy.
Kikyo lifted her eyes to meet the hanyou's in a defiant gesture. He was hers! No feeble reincarnation was going to take him away from her! Inuyasha's life was hers! He would go to hell with her no matter what. He had promised.
"Inuyasha. I have been searching for you." The dead miko called out to him, her voice cold and harsh, "Come with me. It is time."
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed in rage. He knew what Kikyo was doing. He knew that the resurrected woman despised Kagome and wanted her dead. Though Kagome had never brought herself to tell him of all the times that the older woman had tried to kill her, he knew. Each time he had tried to hope that it wasn't true. He felt obligated to protect Kikyo.
But now the wench was going to far. Now she was trying to take away the only happiness in his life, and then take his life. Now she was deliberately trying to hurt Kagome, and right in front of him as well.
Before he could tell Kikyo that he would never go with her. Before he could tell her that he loved Kagome, not her. He felt frail fingers opening the fist that was tightly clenched at his side. Bewildered Inuyasha jerked his head around to see Kagome placing something in his forcefully opened palm. Her head was lowered to shield her eyes, but it was of no use.
He could smell her tears.
Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak, to say anything at all to her, but before any sounds could leave him, he was silenced by a delicate finger at his lips.
Kagome slowly raised her sapphire orbs to meet his golden ones. Her eyes seemed to shine with unnatural light as the sun reflected of the moisture within them. She forced a small smile upon her lips.
"Inuyasha...I know that you love Kikyo." The hanyou opened his mouth in another futile attempt to speak but Kagome silenced him again, this time with her lips upon his own in a soul searing kiss. She poured all of her love, her sadness, and her hope into the kiss. Vaguely Inuyasha was aware of her hands pulling at something around his neck, but before he could register what she was doing, all his attention was drawn back to the kiss.
Just as the shock was wearing off, and Inuyasha was about to respond, Kagome's lips left his. With one final tug the rosary came off of his neck. Caught off guard all Inuyasha could do was stare as Kagome met his eyes one more time, her tears finally spilling forth.
"I love Inuyasha. And I want you to be happy."
Without another word, and before he could react, the girl fled and leapt over the side of the well, his hated rosary in her hand.
With a flash of blue maic she was gone from him.
Inuyasha stared dumbly down at his fisted hand, still not understanding the extent of what had happened. Slowly he opened it and looked upon its contents. Quickly he clenched his eyes shut and immediately closed his fist again. He could feel the first sign of tears begin to well up behind his lids and a knot formed in his throat.
In his palm rested the fused shards of the Shikon no Tama.
Kikyo's heartless laughter filled the air as one lone tear trickled down his cheek.
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And tah dah! Here is the new chapter four. The ending is completely different, the beginning exactly the same. Next chapter will be the first completely original one since I reposted the story. Again. If anyone would like to read the story in its original form, just email me and I will gladly send it to you. It wasn't completed and I have no intention of finishing it at the moment, but at least the last chapter isn't a cliff hanger! REMEMBER TO REVIEW!
by: Goijh
Author's note: Here is chapter four...FINALLY! Anyways, this is where the story REALLY starts to change so you should probably start reading here if you weren't before. The next chapter will be the first all new one! YAY! Remember to review you guys. It makes me want to write and update all that much faster! (Hint hint)
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Chapter 4
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Inuyasha awoke the next morning to a peaceful forest. Sunlight was filtering in through the trees and everything was calm. It was almost like a fairy tale setting from one of the thick things with pages, 'Had she called them books?', that Kagome had read Shippo as a bedtime story (not that he would ever be interested in those!) 'Feh,' he thought. 'No way is this going to continue.'
As if on cue an ear-splitting scream shattered the silence, followed by a loud painful WHACK!
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"Miroku you hentai!" screamed Sango as she brought her hiraikotsu down upon the monk's skull a second time. Grinning as though oblivious to the pain that had to be washing over his head, Mrioku sighed and tried to force a serious expression across his features. "Sango, you know that this is all your fault." he said solemnly, gazing at the demon exterminator who returned his stare, speechless. "If you didn't have such a lovely backside then my subconcious inner desires wouldn't force me to sleep grope you. Then yo-"
BANG!
Miroku's speech was cut short as his former acquaintance, an oversized boomerang, decided to visit him again. His perverted grin only grew larger and remained plastered to his face as he fell backwards, slamming into the ground. "You baka hentai houshi!" yelled Sango as she continued, even after it was obvious that he was out cold, to bang him over the head.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes dramaticly before finally deciding that he would actually get up. Leaping from the tree, he landed with barely a sound on the ground, in front of a lumpy sleeping bag. Standing as straight as he could so that it would appear that he was towering, he waited impatiently, involuntarily tapping his barefoot.
"Urgh..." moaned the sleeping bag, " Do they EVER let up?" Slowly Kagome emerged from her nightime shelter and yawned. When she finally opened her eyes she squinted up at Inuyasha in curiousity. "Inuyasha?" she asked slighlty confused as she propped herself up on her elbows.
"Feh what do you want wench?" He asked impatiently. Kagome raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. Then she noted the manner in which he was tapping his foot and hovering impatiently above her. She sighed in exasperation and then put on a really cheesy smile.
"Why good morning to you too Inuyasha!" she began cheerfully. "Oh what's that you say? You'd like some ramen?" she continued, pretending that the hanyou would actually have the decency to ask for something rather than expect it. "Why its right in my pack! Hold on a-"
She was cut short when one of school books flew through the air and landed on the ground. She turned to see Inuyasha rummaging through her pack, making a mess. "Oh no, of course I wouldn't mind. Just go ahead and go through all of my possessions." she mumbled sarcasticly under her breath. Inuyasha, though, could hear her and he couldn't help but smirk. 'She's so adorable when she's grouchy in the morning.' he thought to himself as he found the ramen and began to stand up straight. Suddenly he jerked up and opened his mouth, appalled at his own thoughts. 'ADORABLE?!? That words not even supposed to be in my vocabulary!' he shouted mentally. 'Besides she's a real pain in the ass when she acts like this. Like 'I' should have to ask for ramen. She should already know and just give it to me!'
Feeling like his manhood had been proven at this silent declaration he strutted over to Kagome and just plopped the ramen down in her lap and himself down in front of her. To his amazement, she just stared at him and ignored his obvious need. "Well, wench...?" he growled. Kagome just continued to stare. 'Yeah she's a pain in my ass alright!' he muttered angrily to himself as he realized she had no intention of helping him unless he asked her. 'Doesn't she have any idea what that does to my pride?' a bitter voice in his head demanded. 'Of course she does!" an equally miserable voice responded. 'That's why she does it!'
After waiting only a few minutes, which seemed like an eternity to the half starved hanyou (Poor him...he only ate last night...), Inuyasha relented and quietly, so that Kagome could barely hear him, asked, "Kagome, could you make me some ramen?" Kagome smiled brightly as if she had never ignored him in the first place. "Of course Inuyasha!" she giggled. 'So he didn't say please,' she thought to herself, 'But at least he finally overcame his pride and asked!' She couldn't help but grin wider as she got up and cooked his breakfast.
Inuyasha watched as her smile grew larger and couldn't help but feel a slight pull in his chest. He couldn't believe how happy he had made her just by asking on simple little thing. He made a mental note to do that more often...well...maybe he would. Right now he was content to just watch her cook for him...'Just like a mate.' he internally sighed, unaware of what he had just thought.
As he watched her though, he felt his thoughts wander back to the Old God Tree. He couldn't help but wonder what she had been talking about when she said she had to tell him and everyone how she felt. He knew it had only been yesterday but still, he thought that she would have said something a lot sooner. The uncertainty that she was causing was nagging at him and driving him crazy.
Just as he resolved that he would ask her that day how about what she claimed she needed to do and how she felt, he became aware of fingers snapping arragavitingly in front of his eyes. "Hello...Earth to Inuyasha...Are you there?" Kagome asked with a peculiar look on her face as she began to wave her hands up and down before his face.
"Feh, what are you stupid?" he demanded pulling out of his thoughts. "Of course I'm here. I'm right in front of you aren't I girl? He scowled as she merely continued to smile in response. "It's only an expression Inuyasha." she replied as she turned to make herself a meal. "You seemed like you were lost in thought, almost like you were on another world. You didn't even notice when I put your ramen in front of you." She turned to face him with her sweet smile still on her face. "I was almost worried. I thought that maybe some demon had gotten into your mind and was consuming you." With that she giggled and turned away again.
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Kagome ate her breakfast thoughtfully. Inuyasha had long since finished and had left for a little while to do gods knows what. 'I wonder if I should really tell him how I feel?' she thought to herself as she recalled what she had said to him yesterday. 'But what if he rejects me? I mean, isn't he still in love with Kikyo on at least some level?' Without her noticing, a worried frown made its appearance on her face. 'I should never have said any of that!' she almost cried out. But it was too late now. Besides, it wasn't such a bad idea. She really didn't want to die before she told Inuyasha that she cared for him. And she needed to help Miroku act upon his feelings for Sango. She needed to let Shippo know that to her, he was and always would be her 'pup' (even though she suspected that he already knew that she thought that it would do him a lot of good to hear it aloud). She wanted to help Sango overcome her grief that she carried for her village and her family as well as let the older girl know just how much like a sister she was. Then there was Kouga. She needed to make sure that she got the point across that she loved him but not that way and that she wanted him to begin his search for a new candidate to be his mate.
Sighing she leaned her head back. There was so much to do and only the gods knew how much time she had left to do it. After all, she put her life in danger daily hunting for the jewel shards. It was only a matter of time before she was injured or worse... She shuddered to think about it. 'Still....' she wasn't sure if she could confess her feelings quite yet. Sure it would be no problem to do so with Sango, Miroku, and Shippo. Kouga might prove to be a bit of a challenge (he was just so thick headed). But Inuyasha....Putting her feelings right out there like that... That was practically suicide for her heart. 'Yep, he'll be difficult.'
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Inuyasha could smell her distress as he approached, but decided not to make his presence known quite yet. He wondered what she was thinking about as he watched her absently pick at her food. Whatever it was he hoped it had nothing to do with him. 'Urgh!' he pratically groaned out loud. 'What are these thoughts that I keep having? Its like I've turned soft or something.' Annoyed, Inuyasha walked into the clearing and stopped in front of Kagome.
She almost didn't notice that he was standing right in front of her, she was deep in thought. But no one could miss that bright red outfit for long. Wearily Kagome looked up at him and smiled weakly. "Inuyasha?" she questioned his intent.
"Well wench? Don't you have to go back to your time now?" he demanded. Startled, he watched as confusion, annoyance, and finally comprehension travelled across her face almost too quickly to follow. "Oh...um...yeah I do don't I..." she mumbled as she began to pack her possessions into her pack, refusing to meet the now completely bewildered Inuyasha's gaze.
"Kagome..." He began to ask her if she had lied to him about the tests that she needed to study for when he was interupted by a rather large pink ballon that had clamped itself onto his head by means of its jaws. Immediately the gentle tone in his voice was replaced by one of pure irritation. "Shippo you stupid kitsune!" he cried out as he pried the inflated demon from his scalp and proceeded to beat him into the ground until Kagome caught his arm roughly and shot him a death glare.
Inuyasha gulped. He knew better to mess with a mother's pups. And that was exactly the relationship that those two shared. He watched bitterly as the small fox ran and hid behind Kagome's legs and began to make faces at the hanyou, egging him on.
Finally Inuyasha couldn't take it anymore. A foreign and dangerous glint came into his golden eyes. and Shippo gulped. The young kitsine recognized the look that always came over Inuyasha's face before he made a major conquest. Squealing in fear, poor Shippo let go of Kagome's legs to do the only thing that he could think of at the moment- RUN!
Kagome, Sango and Miroku couldn't help but roar with laughter as they watched Inuyasha chase the small youkai around the camp, swearing enough to put a sailor to shame and then some, as he wove in and out of the trees, arms extending, trying desperatly to catch the kitsune and ring his neck. When Inuyasha finally caught him though, Shippo merely produced a jizo statue and ward that glued Inuyasha's claws to the ground. (For those of you who know how the two met, this is the same move that Shippo pulled then - much to Inuyasha's frustration.) Then Shippo stuck out his tongue and sought shelter behind Kagome's legs once more.
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The ever present glowing orbs watched in digust as the hanyou and young youkai began to scream insults at each other as if they were both still pups. The face behind them twisted into an angry scowl as the young miko finally grew angry with them and shouted, "Osuwari!" causing Inuyasha to plummet into the ground. This ended the squabble by sending the kitsune into fits of giggles and filling the inu's mouth with dark earth and gods know what else.
The eyes (is anyone besides me getting annoyed with this title here?!?) roamed freely along the miko's body as her chest heaved with her breath. The scowl deepened. How could a girl so weak and naive possibly win the inu hanyou's heart. It wasn't fair. Jealousy burned deep within the watcher's cold heart. 'Inuyasha is mine.' The thought echoed silently, yet malignantly in the person's head. The eyes closed for a minute, unable to watch the secret, compassion filled glances, that the hanyou and ningen were sending eachother without the other knowing. It made them sick to think that Inuyasha couls have possibly stooped so low as to betray her like this. 'But not for long,' The figure thought as they turned to depart. 'Soon you will be mine. ONLY mine...'
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Kagome looked up from Inuyasha's sprawled form on the ground. Taking a deep breath she let her senses suspend the way that Kaede had taught her and probed the area for a presence. 'That's weird,' she thought, 'I could have sworn that I felt something...' Resolving that it must have been the wind or some forest animal, she let her senses return to normal and returned the task at hand - fighting with Inuyasha.
By the time she looked back at him, his third 'sit' had worn off and he was back on his feet. ( She had removed the scroll causing the jizo statue to vanish on his second sit.) She braced herself for the insults that she knew were coming and simultaneously began to rack her brain for some to holler back in return. She had just come up with some really good ones when she noticed Inuyasha was just staring at her, smirking. She looked down and all around herself, but she couldn't find anything wrong. Finally out of pure exasperation she turned back to face him, crossing her arms.
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Inuyasha smirked at her as he watched her try to think of some good insults to hurl at him. 'She looks so cute when she's mad,' he thought as he watched her nose wrinkle in concentration. 'WAIT! Backtrack there. CUTE! How the in the seven hells did these words get into his vocabulary?!? It must be that wench.' He thought. 'She's a bad influence on me!' Suddenly his thoughts were interupted as he heard her shout, "What?!" His ears flinched at the loud noise, why did she always have to yell? It was then that he realized he was still smirking at her.
Quickly changing his features into those of disgust and a scowl he ignored her demand and instead made one of his own. "Well are you going to stand there thinking of insults all day and pouting? Or are you actually going to go home?" He yelled at her. Kagome felt a faint blush creep across her cheeks at the fact that he knew what she had been thinking about. Then she just "Humph"d and grabbed her pack. Without another word she jumped on the hanyous back as they headed toward the well.
Inuyasha took off as soon as he felt her weight settle onto him. He wasn't going to make her mad again today. Well, at least madder than she already was. Okay okay! He would try his hardest not to upset her but the damn woman...she always got angry at the littlest things. No matter what! In fact, you know what, he didn't care. He wasn't going to give a damn if she was mad at him. It was her own problem anyway. He ran for a few more yards. 'Okay maybe I'll make a little effort,' he silently relented.
They were almost to the well when he felt Kagome shift her wait on his back. The feeling of her moving against his back brought back memories of the day before. 'Yeah that was a stupid idea.' he redeclared to himself as he reminisced on his attempt to get her to hold him closer. His thoughts turned to the God Tree and what she had said about ,"How she really felt about him," again. Trying to fight the urge to ask, he lost to his curiousity.
"Hey Kagome?" he asked. He felt her stiffen. 'No I won't answer him. I won't even say one word. I'm not talking to him, I'm angry with him.' Kagome began to chant in her head as she heard his voice. When she didn't answer Inuyasha was a little startled. Then he remembered,'Oh yeah, She's mad at me...AGAIN.' Softening his tone and making it a little more pleading he tried again. "Kagome?" He begged softly. 'No no no no no no! Well, maybe...NO! But it couldn't hurt..NO! But...NO! But...No..well, fine!' Kagome's mind silently waged a five second war before she finally answered him.
"Yes Inuyasha?" she asked trying to keep her voice indifferent.
He winced. Yep she was mad. 'But it was Shippo's fault!' his head screamed. Resisting the urge to yell something along those lines at her he kept his voice gentle. "Umm. Would you mind if I asked you a question? About yesterday?" He asked quietly.
Kagome felt herself tense as she prepared for the question that she thougth was coming. "Ugh..Sure Inuyasha, why not?" she replied with a little uncertainty.
Inuyasha felt his mind race through all the different ways to ask the question so that it seemed like he didn't really care. 'Dammit, I'm getting nervous!' he thought. If he was human he knew that his palms would be sweating. "Well...uhh...That is..I was wondering..."
Kagome's brows furrowed in confusion as she tried to figure out what he was trying to ask. Clearly he was not going to demand to know why she hadn't trusted him enough to think that he was going to let her die.
"Well...I..." he continued to stutter. 'This is ridiculous! Just get it out already!' he yelled at himself. "What did you mean when you said that you had to let me know how you really felt about me?!" He finally blurted out.
Kagome gasped. That was not the question that she had been expecting from him. When she was silent for a second, Inuyasha took it that as a sign for the worst. She saw his ears droop in rejection and heard him mumble something along the lines of ,"Never mind..." She felt her heart jerk. Did he actually care for her. Was he feeling sad because she had hesitated? She felt her pulse begin to speed up and hope rose in her chest, along with fear. 'What if I'm misreading the signals?' She wondered nervously. 'What if he's upset about something else that I just happened to miss?' She took a breath and summed up her courage. 'He has a right to know!' she finally decided.
Inuyasha had felt her pulse race and could smell, though barely, sadness followed by hope radiating off of her. Then the previous were replaced by fear. 'Fear of what?' he thought. 'Fear of me?'
"Inuyasha..." she began slowly and hesitantly. "I want to tell you something. Before I do though...Promise me that you won't get angry with me. Please?" Inuyasha started at the desperate note in her voice. He could still smell her fear though. 'This is it,' he thought sadly. 'She's going to tell me that she hates me. And she's afraid that I'll kill her.' He felt his ears droop even more along with his heart but replied to her. "I promise," he said, hiding the pain in his voice at the thought of what she was about to say.
"Inuyasha I..." she stopped for a moment unsure. Could she really do this? Strengthening her resolution she nodded her head firmly. She could and she would. It was now or never. "I care about you Inuyasha," she blurted out. "I care about you a lot. I fact I think I-"
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Inuyasha had felt a lump form in his throat as she began and then trailed off. He couldn't stand this. They were almost to the well. He would just cut her off now and then he would say good-bye. Probably for good. After all if she hated him then it would only be cruel of him to force her to keep coming here. And he couldn't bear the thought of hurting her even if she didn't feel the same way about him. Suddenly he was aware that she was speaking again. "I care about you Inuyasha. I care about you a lot..." He felt himself freeze. Then his heart began to beat so hard that he thought it would explode. All his senses were drowned out as a feeling of elation came over him. She CARED! She cared about HIM! This was not what he had been expecting. He was aware that she was still speaking and tuned his senses into her. "...In fact I think I-"
Inuyasha waited, suspense keeping him from noticing his surroundings. They were in the clearing before the well now but he made no move to let Kagome off of his back. He needed to know what she was going to say...
Kagome didn't pick up where she had trailed off though. Instead her entire body tensed against his back and she shifted anxiously, a sign that she wanted to get down. Confused, but unable to question or argue, Inuyasha complied with her wishes, letting her slide gracefully to the ground.
As soon as she was down he missed her warmth.
Inuyasha turned to face her before she could make any move to go down the well. He had to know what she was going to say. What what wrong? Why had she stopped?
As he turned though a faint blue shimmer caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Kagome's head was turned, staring in that same direction. A sense of dread filled Inuyasha's stomach as, almost as if he was moving in slow motion, he turned his head, already knowing what he would see.
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Kikyo couldn't help the triumphant smirk that made its way onto her face as she watched her reincarnation's eyes fill with tears at the sight of her. She knew exactly why Kagome was about to cry too. Kikyo had heard the whole thing. There the girl was, about to tell Inuyasha that she loved him, unaware that he felt the same way, and then she, Kikyo, his dead love, had shown up.
Kagome was still convinced that Inuyasha loved the deceased miko, and Kikyo couldn't have expected things to go any better. But then, something had happened that she had not anticipated. After letting her reincarnation of his back and turning to face her, Inuyasha had finally brought his eyes to meet the clay priestess'. His beautiful amber orbs were completely devoid of the guilt and pain that she was used to seeing in them. Instead, they were filled with anger and disgust. Kikyo involunatarily gasped and drew back a little under the intensity of his gaze.
It was almost as if he knew why she was there.
"Kikyo..." Inuyasha whispered, his voice was trembling with anger, but to Kagome it seemed like it was filled with longing and joy.
Kikyo lifted her eyes to meet the hanyou's in a defiant gesture. He was hers! No feeble reincarnation was going to take him away from her! Inuyasha's life was hers! He would go to hell with her no matter what. He had promised.
"Inuyasha. I have been searching for you." The dead miko called out to him, her voice cold and harsh, "Come with me. It is time."
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed in rage. He knew what Kikyo was doing. He knew that the resurrected woman despised Kagome and wanted her dead. Though Kagome had never brought herself to tell him of all the times that the older woman had tried to kill her, he knew. Each time he had tried to hope that it wasn't true. He felt obligated to protect Kikyo.
But now the wench was going to far. Now she was trying to take away the only happiness in his life, and then take his life. Now she was deliberately trying to hurt Kagome, and right in front of him as well.
Before he could tell Kikyo that he would never go with her. Before he could tell her that he loved Kagome, not her. He felt frail fingers opening the fist that was tightly clenched at his side. Bewildered Inuyasha jerked his head around to see Kagome placing something in his forcefully opened palm. Her head was lowered to shield her eyes, but it was of no use.
He could smell her tears.
Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak, to say anything at all to her, but before any sounds could leave him, he was silenced by a delicate finger at his lips.
Kagome slowly raised her sapphire orbs to meet his golden ones. Her eyes seemed to shine with unnatural light as the sun reflected of the moisture within them. She forced a small smile upon her lips.
"Inuyasha...I know that you love Kikyo." The hanyou opened his mouth in another futile attempt to speak but Kagome silenced him again, this time with her lips upon his own in a soul searing kiss. She poured all of her love, her sadness, and her hope into the kiss. Vaguely Inuyasha was aware of her hands pulling at something around his neck, but before he could register what she was doing, all his attention was drawn back to the kiss.
Just as the shock was wearing off, and Inuyasha was about to respond, Kagome's lips left his. With one final tug the rosary came off of his neck. Caught off guard all Inuyasha could do was stare as Kagome met his eyes one more time, her tears finally spilling forth.
"I love Inuyasha. And I want you to be happy."
Without another word, and before he could react, the girl fled and leapt over the side of the well, his hated rosary in her hand.
With a flash of blue maic she was gone from him.
Inuyasha stared dumbly down at his fisted hand, still not understanding the extent of what had happened. Slowly he opened it and looked upon its contents. Quickly he clenched his eyes shut and immediately closed his fist again. He could feel the first sign of tears begin to well up behind his lids and a knot formed in his throat.
In his palm rested the fused shards of the Shikon no Tama.
Kikyo's heartless laughter filled the air as one lone tear trickled down his cheek.
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And tah dah! Here is the new chapter four. The ending is completely different, the beginning exactly the same. Next chapter will be the first completely original one since I reposted the story. Again. If anyone would like to read the story in its original form, just email me and I will gladly send it to you. It wasn't completed and I have no intention of finishing it at the moment, but at least the last chapter isn't a cliff hanger! REMEMBER TO REVIEW!