A/N: I'M SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING!! It was school! I was getting murdered with homework! Since I'm putting SS off for a bit, I should update my other stories more frequently. This one's got a bit of humor and fluff in it. Enjoy! ^_^
Disclaimer: Dang these things are getting annoying.....I don't own Inuyasha and co.
Chapter III
The Ball
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Now, Inuyasha had been in a castle before, oh yes. He was the hier of the Western Lands, and could remember fuzzy details about the castle he used to live in. But this place....wow. It was the most luxurious place he had ever seen. He couldn't remember much about the other castle, but just looking at the walls he could tell this palace like place took years to finish building. He turned to Kagome, who was walking steadily ahead of him. He did not betray any of his emotions through his face or body movements. He'd learned to control that long ago.
"Are we there yet?" He asked impatiently. He scowled as she turned around.
"We're almost there, Inuyasha." She sighed, turning back around. "You could be a little more patient." She muttered as an after thought. He twitched his ears and growled when he heard her.
"Who can be patient with you humans goin' so slow." He said closing his eyes and snorting. Kagome stopped at a door and turned to them with a smile, as if she hadn't heard his comment.
"We're here!" She said happily. Turning to the door she put her finger to her lips, silently telling them to be quiet. They complied, and she eased the door open quietly after checking if anyone was around. "You guys make sure no one is coming." She whispered to them. Inuyasha lifted his nose to the air and sniffed a couple of times. Lowering his head he shook it; telling them no one was there. She smiled and walked into the room quietly.
It wasn't very luxurious, at least not like her room. But none of the rooms in the castle were like hers. The walls were a light magenta, which she giggled at. The guests here were allowed to pick their own rooms. And Kouga seemed to pick the girliest room. The floor was a little darker than the walls, but still the same color. In the middle of the room was a small four poster bed, smaller than the others because he was a child, with matching sheets and blankets that went along with the walls and carpeting. On the right side of it, was a small room, much too small to even occupy a fox demon. Inside was clothing, all boys clothing.
She grinned and walked over, finding what she was looking for. She searched through the mountains of formal wear and nightclothes to find the perfect one. Pulling back one of the uglier formal ball suites, she found it. It was red, with gold trim and if you held it in the right light, it would shine and light up the walls. She grinned as she pulled it out, hugging it to her chest. Making sure no one was around, she began to walk out of the room. Just then, a shout from outside warned her.
"Kagome! Inuyasha says Kouga's coming! Get out before he gets here!" Sango called. She picked up her pace and ran out of the room, stopping next to Inuyasha, who was standing to the right of the door. He looked at the garment she held in her hands curiously.
"What's that?" He asked, checking to see if it had a scent. It had Kouga's scent all over it, and he held his breath. He hated the scent of wolves.
"You'll see when we get back to my room." She said looking up at him. "Can you carry me back?" She asked. He raised an eyebrow, but nodded. Crouching down he allowed her to climb onto his back, making sure she didn't slip. Once she was on, he put his hands beneath her knees and adjusted her so she was comfortable. Before he had a chance to ask if she was ready, there was a shout from behind them.
"Hey! Dog turd, let my woman go!" Kouga shouted angrily, running towards them. That made Inuyasha angry. That wolf had no right to call her his when he'd only known her for a day. Plus, she was very young for a human and shouldn't be messing with those things yet. He let out a growl as he turned to face him, baring razor sharp fangs.
"Who says she's your's!" He snarled angrily. Kagome sweatdropped. 'Their only twelve years old and already their fighting over a girl.' She sighed and whispered in his ear, which flicked when her breath touched it; she had to surpress a giggle.
"Get to my room." She said quietly. Kouga probably heard it because he snarled after she looked over Inuyasha's shoulder. He nodded and grabbed Sango's hand, throwing her on his back as well, and dropping to all fours. Kagome squeaked at the change in position.
"W-what are you doing?!" She asked. Inuyasha ran off as Kouga picked up his speed. He looked at her from the corner of his eye.
"I go faster this way." He told her, speeding up. She squeaked again and held on tightly, burying her face in his haori. Kouga snarled, trying to keep pace with the young half-demon. To his surprise, the half-breed was pretty quick, but he was a wolf! In no way whatsoever would he allow a half-breed to outdo him in running. He wouldn't be humiliated again. He picked up his speed once again and managed to get neck to neck with the half-demon.
Inuyasha growled his frustration. He had to loose the wolf before they got to Kagome's room, or else he would just destroy the door and get her anyway. He searched the narrow hallway for a door or staircase he could take to get to the roof, or maybe even outside. His search was a success when he skidded a turn to a large staircase, quickly bounding up the steps. The unexpected turn caused Kouga to miss the exit and run a little further ahead. Realizing his mistake quickly, he turned and sped back to the stairs, quickly climbing them. But his short detour had given Inuyasha a small advantage, and left him cursing under his breath.
Kagome, finally getting over her initial shock at riding a dog demon, or half dog demon, raised her head from the haori's fabric and grinned at the quick speed. The adrenaline racing through her veins excited her and she started laughing.
"This is so much fun!" She called to the bounding half-demon. He gave her a one sided look, before turning back to the stairs ahead of them. If he could get to the top of the castle, the wind would blow their scents every which way and it would be incredibly difficult to find them. Thinking of something he craned his neck to look at Kagome out of the corner of his eye.
"What does this thing lead to?" He asked, jumping over a broken step. She looked thoughtful for a minute.
"I think it leads to the roof. Why?" She told him. He just nodded and turned forward again, ignoring her question. Sure enough, just after she said that, they reached the rooftop. Inuyasha jumped out of the staircase and ran over to the right side of the castle. The roof of this castle was huge; probably 1/3 of a mile long. In the middle of it was a huge court yard, and out of that was a gigantic crystal blade, that glowed in the sun. It reached about 70 to 80 feet higher than the castle walls. This was the Eastern lands mascot.((A/N: Okay, if you've ever played the game for PS1 Final Fantasy 9/IX that's what the castle looks like. I will be using some of the principals from this game, like the airships and some of the moderate modern things, such as electricity and steam powered airships. No T.V.'s, telephones, or any high tech things. If you ever get the chance, you should check this game out. If you have any questions about it, feel free to IM, E-mail, or ask me in a review. I could also give help if you're stuck somewhere in it ^_^ Sorry for the interruption please continue.))
It didn't take them long to reach the East wall, considering how far it was. Once he stood at the edge, maybe 500 to 700 feet off the ground, Kouga lept out of the staircase. He couldn't see Inuyasha directly because the half-demon was standing behind the crystal blade, nor could he find their scents. Inuyasha's plan to come to the roof where his, and the girls scents would be quickly blown away worked, and very well.
He chuckled to himself as he hid behind the blade. Kouga was trying hardest to sniff them out, running everywhere and sniffing every corner. Kagome and Sango climbed off of his back and stood on either side of him, grinning at Kouga's antics.
"He'll never find us now." Kagome whispered quietly into his ear, which flicked at her breath, once again. Kouga couldn't hear her over the roaring wind on the roof. He nodded, grinning as well; then he felt something on his shoulder. Looking over, he froze; Kagome had touched his shoulder, while trying to get a better look at Kouga. He hated being touched, because anyone who had touched him before was either to hurt him or throw him out of their village. But her touch didn't effect him at all, so slowly he relaxed, and went back to watching Kouga.
After a while of futile searching, Kouga gave up and went back inside the castle, sulking miserably. Inuyasha grinned and stepped out from behind the blade when he was inside.
"Well, he's gone now. What do you wanna do with that shirt? It smells too much like that wimpy wolf." He said with a snort. Kagome grinned at him.
"You'll just have to see when we get back to my room!" She said happily. He grumbled and crouched down on the ground, allowing the girls to climb on his back once again. Once they were positioned comfortably, he lept off in the opposite direction of the stairway, causing Kagome to stare ahead in shock. "W-Where are you going!?" She shouted at him as they passed the stairway. He just grinned and sped up--strait for the edge of the castle walls.
Kagome shut her eyes tightly as they reached the ledge, squeezing Inuyasha's haori tightly in her hands. Sango was staring at him as if he was crazy, and just as he reached the ledge, she shut her eyes as well. Suddenly, the girls couldn't feel the steady lope of his feet on the stone, and the wind whipping their hair got stronger as it whistled in their ears. Kagome risked opening her eyes for a quick glance, and they snapped open and stared widely at the horizon. The sun was just beginning to set and the sky was sparkling in different pastel colors. The purple, orange, yellow, and red colors mixing perfectly with the suns glare. The plains and hills behind that, along with the huge forests that dotted the land were glowing angelically. Her hair flew out behind her like a raven waterfall as it whipped around her face, and she smiled brightly as they flew through the air, as if riding on a floating cloud.
She couldn't see his face, but she could tell that Inuyasha was also smiling. Time seemed to slow down as they flew high in the sky, admiring the beautiful colors. Even Sango had opened her eyes, and was staring at the beautiful horizon. Time then resumed as they fell back towards the earth; but Inuyasha wasn't aiming for the ground. Instead, he twisted in the air, so that he was facing the castle, and pinpointed a balcony. Extending his legs, he landed gracefully in a crouch, still holding the girls securely to his back. He let them off and stood up, turning around and grinning.
"Well? What do you think?" He asked. Kagome grinned again.
"That was SO much fun!" She giggled. Sango agreed.
"I've never been that high before! I've never even been on an airship." She said. Kagome looked at her friend and gave her an apologetic look.
"I'm sorry Sango....I promised you that I would get my father to take you on one of our trips to the other villages around here," She then turned to Inuyasha and smiled, "You could come too! I doubt you've ever been on one! Their so much fun! Especially the big ones." She said excitedly. He just shrugged and turned to the door that lead into the room from the balcony, but Kagome stopped him before he opened it. "Wait! Do you know whose room that is?" She asked. He turned to her and nodded slowly.
"It's your's. You're scent's bathing this place." He told her. She blushed a bit.
"O-okay then. Lets get inside, then I could tell you what I have planed! And only the lords and ladies of the four lands are allowed to come." She said slyly as she walked into her room. Her compainions gave her a curious look, before shaking their heads. Kagome was just too confusing.
They walked into the room, Inuyasha shutting the balcony doors quietly before following them. Kagome set the garment down on her bad and went to her wardrobe. She motioned for them to come over; which they did.
"Sango, which dress do you like best?" She asked stepping back from the doors. Sango looked at her confused a moment before shrugging and began sifting through the dresses. She looked for a few moments before grinning and pulling out a dark fushia one and holding it before her.
"What do you think?" She asked turning slightly. Kagome grinned.
"It's perfect!" She said happily before looking at Inuyasha. "Ok, I want you to find which one of these you like best." She said, pulling out a wooden box and setting it on her bed. She opened it and showed them to him.
"Different scents? Flower scents?" He asked her, raising an eyebrow. She just nodded.
"Which one do you like best?" She asked. He shrugged and lookd over the box, sniffing at the small bottles containing the flower petals. After a short while he pointed to one.
"That one." He said simply. Kagome smiled and picked it up. Taking out the cork that cealed it, she carried it over to the suit and poured the flowers all over it, and began rubbing them around it. Inuyasha looked at her as if she was crazy. "What are you doing?" He asked, curious despite himself. She picked it up and walked over to him, grinning.
"There, now it doesn't smell like Kouga." She said, holding it out in front of her. He cocked his head and sniffed deaply. She was right. The flowers overpowered the wolf scent. He looked at her quizzicotaly.
"Why the heck did you get that thing anyway?" He asked. She looked at him.
"It's for you! You can't go to a ball dressed in that can you?" She asked grinning again. He stared at her, openly gaping. His ears stopped listening after 'go to a ball'. But Sango didn't have the same reaction as him though.
"Oh my god! A ball! I can't believe I'm actually going to a ball!" She said happily bouncing up and down while hugging the dress to her chest. Kagome grinned at them both.
"Yup! It's to honour the wolf demons for helping us out. I don't know what they did, but at least we get to have fun!" She said. Inuyasha was still staring at her in shock. She turned to him and pused the glittering garment into his hands, and began pushing him towards her bathroom. "Now you get dressed in there and don't peak!" She said before shutting the door behind him. "Come on! We've gotta get ready!" She squealed happily, grabbing her silk dress and putting it on.
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"I look stupid in this."
"Inuyasha, I told you. You have to wear it to the ball."
"Keh...."
Inuyasha, Kagome, and Sango, sat in the small room as they waited for their turn to go into the ball. Inuyasha complained about his outfit every now and then, and if he wasn't doing that he was either sulking or muttering things under his breath. Kagome was seriously wondering when Sango would snap. After five minutes of Inuyasha's behavior her eye had began twitching. Now she was slightly red in the face and had a scowl on her lips. It was easy to get Sango so irritated, but Inuyasha didn't know that. He'd just have to learn the hard way, which was slightly entertaining. Just when Kagome thought Sango was about to beat Inuyasha into squash, a guard opened the door to her room and stood regally.
"Princess Kagome. You and you're subjects are required to meet at the ball room starit away." He said without batting an eye. Inuyasha flinched at 'you're subjects' and was about to set the guy strait, but Kagome got to him faster; grabbing his sleave and nearly dragging him out of the room, flshing a brief smile at the guard.
"You may return." She said with an accent, flinching slightly at the sound of her own voice. The guard nodded and bowed, before heading in the opposite direction of the ball. Kagome then let go of Inuyasha's sleve and straitend her dress. Inuyasha cocked his head and gave her a funny look.
"What happened?" He asked, refering to her voice and change of attitude. She sighed and looked at him.
"As long as I'm acting like a princess I have to talk that way." She told him, smiling slightly and turning down the corridor. Inuyasha shrugged and followed her, avoiding Sango's gaze. He knew she was a bit irritated with him, but he didn't know why.
They walked around the corridors for a while, going in seemingly meaningless patterns. Left turn there, right turn here, straight down then take a left at the third door. It confused him after a while. He was just about to ask Kagome if she knew where they were going when she stopped at a wooden door. She turned around and grinned.
"I present you, my lord and lady, to the ball!" She said happily, and pushed the doors open. As soon as they could see inside, Sango, and Inuyasha's mouths nearly hit the floor. Inuyasha had never seen so many people crammed in such a huge room in his life!
"I've never seen so many people in one place...." Sango muttered, absently voicing his thoughts. Kagome just grinned and ushered them inside.
"You and I have to introduce Inuyasha to my mother." Kagome said, changing her voice. Sango agreed, and they headed over to the refreshments table. Kagome spotted her mother at the end of it, talking to a noble woman. When she saw her daughter heading towards her she smiled, and looked t the two people following her.
"Ah Kagome dear. Is that the new friend you were telling me about yesterday?" Her mother asked pleaently. Kagome nodded.
"Inuyasha, this is my mother." She said, turning to him.....but he was still gaping at the scenery around him. Her smile slipped a bit and she tapped his shoulder. He spun around and looked at her, calming when he realized who she was. She gave him a pointed look and he cleared his throat, looking up to her mother and smiling a bit.
"Um....hello Miss?" He asked politely, silently grinning to himself for rmembering all those lessons his mother gave him on manners. She smiled.
"What a polite boy. Just call me Asame." She told him. He smiled and nodded. Kagome stared at him in shock for a moment before coming back to reality.
"Well, mother we'd better be off to get something to eat. Shall we?" She looked at her friends. They nodded without hesitation. She grabbed their arms and walked to the end of the table, out of earshot from her mother. When they were far enough away, she turned to Inuyasha with a biwildered look. "Ok. Who are you and what did you do to Inuyasha?" She asked slipping on the accent. He just glared at her.
"I'm Inuyasha, stupid." He said with a snort. "It's not like I don't have any manners and I live like a pig." He glared at her again before turning to the table of food and grabbing a chiken leg, biting into it with his fangs and ripping it off the bone like a dog. Kagome gave him a dry look.
"Yeah....sure." She muttered before turning to the table herself and smiling at Sango. "So....what looks best?" She asked. Sango looked over the table carefully with a thoughtful look. She turned to her and grinned widely.
"I think that cake looks best." She said, her mouth watering. Kagome giggled. Sango had a soft spot for sweet things.
"Ok, lets go get some." She said, grabbing Inuyasha away from his chicken and heading toward the cake. He protested, but when he caught site of what they were heading for, he shut his mouth quick before he could drool on the floor. He LOVED cake. He'd only had it once before, and that was quite a while ago.
Kagome grabbed the plates and sliced some cake for each of her friends. Sango ate it slowly, chewing with proper manners. Inuyasha was about to stuff his in his mouth whole before she sent him a glare. He quickly opted for life and ate politely. But that didn't stop him from eating it fast. The girls were giggling and laughing while eating what was left of their's when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He swallowed the last of it and turned to look at an ugly noble woman. She eyed him carfully before loweing her glasses and peering at him strangely. It took all of Inuyasha's will power not to run away from the overpowering scent of perfume.
"Are you the busboy?" She asked in a screechy voice. Wanting to get away from her as soon as possible; to get away from the stench, he nodded quickly. "Good. Go get me and my fellows a drink of punce would you?" She asked, glaring down at him. It wasn't a request, so he nodded and quickly counted the peopple surrounding her before dashing off to the punch bowl. He muttered obsinities to himself as he grabbed two trays to carry the drinks on.
He poured the punce into some cups, making sure he had enough. When he finished, he carfully put them on the tray, balencing them easily. Then did he notice he had a problem. There was still one drink that wouldn't fit on the trays, and he contmplated on what to do. Getting an idea, he sighed and put the trays down. He picked up the leftover drink and balanced it carefully on his face. He picked up the trays carefully, and slowly made his way over to the purfume lady. He approched Sango an Kagome, who suddenly cut off their conversation to stare at him; then try to hide snickers behing their hands. He growled slightly when he passed them, only making them snicker even more.
He made it to the lady who turned around when he stood behind her. She scowled a bit, before grabbing the drink off his nose and taking the trays in a huff. She turned her back to him and continued talking to the group of people surrounding her. He glared at her back and turned back to Kagome and Sango, to give them a peice of his mind for laughing at him. What he'd expected was Kagome laughing, but what he saw was Kagome angry. He walked up to her looking confused.
"What an egotistic pig!" She hissed angrily. He stared at her, shocked for a moment before finding his bearings.
"What?" He asked, obviously confused. She glared at the woman's back heatedly.
"You just did that for her and she doesn't even thank you! Then she goes and looks at you nastily! That's just not right!" She said angrily. Inuyasha shifted nervously before her. No one had ever stood up for him besides his mother and father.
"I-it's no big deal. People do that to me all the time." He tried to assure her, but that only made her angrier.
"They shouldn't do that! It's inhuman!" She growled again. He shifted a bit again. Sango had seemed to dissapear to the other end of the table, and was now talking with Kagome's mother happily. "I should put her straight this instent!" She said, beginning to stomp over to her. Inuyasha grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
"Don't! You're mom'll get mad!" He told her. She stopped struggling and sighed.
"Yeah....I don't want to let her down..." She muttered before glaring at the woman one more time and walking away, Inuyasha following her. The ball would end soon. The young children were only allowed to stay at the near end of the ball for safety reasons. Inuyasha suddenly got a crazy idea, or he thought it was crazy. He hoped it would cool her down at least.
"Um....K-Kagome?" He asked, shifting once again. She looked up at him and smiled.
"Yes?" She asked. She was hinding her anger, he could smell it.
"D-do you want to.....you know.....dance?" He said the last word quietly. Kagome stared at him a moment before smileing.
"Sure." She said happily, and grabbed his arm, pulling him towards the dance floor. The last song was playing, meaning it was slow and sweet, calling the last dance of the night.They reached the dance floor and Kagome looked up at Inuyasha, smiling. "Can you Waltz?" She asked, putting her arms around his neck and looking up at him. Inuyasha gulped quietly, placing his arms around her waist.
"A-a little." He muttered, looking down at the floor. She smiled a bit before resting her head on his shoulder. A shock went though him, and he stiffened a bit before forcing himself to relax. He'd never been this close to anyone before. He hadn't touched anyone like this in nearly seven years, so it was somewhat new to him. Unconsiously he pulled her closer, but just a little; bearly noticable. Slowly they swayed along with the sweet music. Inuyasha closed his eyes after a moment before resting his chin on her head and taking in her scent, just realizing how pleasent it was.
On the other side of the room Sango and Asame were smiling at the pair.
"They look good together, don't they?" Sango asked, looking up at Asame. She smiled and nodded, casping her hands together and sighing happily.
"I may actually get grandkids earlier thn I thought." She said happily. Sango gaped at her.
"But...their too young!" She said, staring in disbelief. Asame chuckled a bit and patted her head.
"I ment when they get older dear." She said, smiling. Sango's eyes widened and her mouth formed an o.
"Oh..." Then she realized what she ment. "Ohhhhh....."
After a while, the song ended and the couples broke apart, getting ready to file out of the caslte. Inuyasha held onto Kagome a little longer than nessicery, but let her go. She looked at him and smiled.
"Do you want to stay here tonight?" She asked. He smiled and shook his head.
"Nah. I'd rather sleep in my tree. I'm more comfortable there." He told her. She smiled at him again before walking over to stand next to her mother, sending off the guests. Inuyasha waited until everyone but him, Kagome, Sango, and Asame were left. He walked over to the door, followed by Sango and smiled at Kagome and her mother.
"I had a wonderful evening Asame-san." He said with a short bow. "I'll see you soon!" He said, his gaze lingering on Kagome before he walked out of the castle, still wearing Kouga's suit. Wait....Kouga wasn't arond tonight.....that was strange. But, she shrugged it off and waved to Inuyasha. He'd probably drop by her room on his way and pick up his clothes. Sango gave a hug goodbye and smiled.
"Thanks for all the fun Kagome. See you tomorrow!" She said as she began to run down the path. Kagome waved to her happily.
As Inuyasha walked down the path he smiled. He'd actually danced with a girl. And, for once he'd had fun around strangers. He smiled gently to himself once more. Oh yes, this would definatly be a night to remember.
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Disclaimer: Dang these things are getting annoying.....I don't own Inuyasha and co.
Chapter III
The Ball
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Now, Inuyasha had been in a castle before, oh yes. He was the hier of the Western Lands, and could remember fuzzy details about the castle he used to live in. But this place....wow. It was the most luxurious place he had ever seen. He couldn't remember much about the other castle, but just looking at the walls he could tell this palace like place took years to finish building. He turned to Kagome, who was walking steadily ahead of him. He did not betray any of his emotions through his face or body movements. He'd learned to control that long ago.
"Are we there yet?" He asked impatiently. He scowled as she turned around.
"We're almost there, Inuyasha." She sighed, turning back around. "You could be a little more patient." She muttered as an after thought. He twitched his ears and growled when he heard her.
"Who can be patient with you humans goin' so slow." He said closing his eyes and snorting. Kagome stopped at a door and turned to them with a smile, as if she hadn't heard his comment.
"We're here!" She said happily. Turning to the door she put her finger to her lips, silently telling them to be quiet. They complied, and she eased the door open quietly after checking if anyone was around. "You guys make sure no one is coming." She whispered to them. Inuyasha lifted his nose to the air and sniffed a couple of times. Lowering his head he shook it; telling them no one was there. She smiled and walked into the room quietly.
It wasn't very luxurious, at least not like her room. But none of the rooms in the castle were like hers. The walls were a light magenta, which she giggled at. The guests here were allowed to pick their own rooms. And Kouga seemed to pick the girliest room. The floor was a little darker than the walls, but still the same color. In the middle of the room was a small four poster bed, smaller than the others because he was a child, with matching sheets and blankets that went along with the walls and carpeting. On the right side of it, was a small room, much too small to even occupy a fox demon. Inside was clothing, all boys clothing.
She grinned and walked over, finding what she was looking for. She searched through the mountains of formal wear and nightclothes to find the perfect one. Pulling back one of the uglier formal ball suites, she found it. It was red, with gold trim and if you held it in the right light, it would shine and light up the walls. She grinned as she pulled it out, hugging it to her chest. Making sure no one was around, she began to walk out of the room. Just then, a shout from outside warned her.
"Kagome! Inuyasha says Kouga's coming! Get out before he gets here!" Sango called. She picked up her pace and ran out of the room, stopping next to Inuyasha, who was standing to the right of the door. He looked at the garment she held in her hands curiously.
"What's that?" He asked, checking to see if it had a scent. It had Kouga's scent all over it, and he held his breath. He hated the scent of wolves.
"You'll see when we get back to my room." She said looking up at him. "Can you carry me back?" She asked. He raised an eyebrow, but nodded. Crouching down he allowed her to climb onto his back, making sure she didn't slip. Once she was on, he put his hands beneath her knees and adjusted her so she was comfortable. Before he had a chance to ask if she was ready, there was a shout from behind them.
"Hey! Dog turd, let my woman go!" Kouga shouted angrily, running towards them. That made Inuyasha angry. That wolf had no right to call her his when he'd only known her for a day. Plus, she was very young for a human and shouldn't be messing with those things yet. He let out a growl as he turned to face him, baring razor sharp fangs.
"Who says she's your's!" He snarled angrily. Kagome sweatdropped. 'Their only twelve years old and already their fighting over a girl.' She sighed and whispered in his ear, which flicked when her breath touched it; she had to surpress a giggle.
"Get to my room." She said quietly. Kouga probably heard it because he snarled after she looked over Inuyasha's shoulder. He nodded and grabbed Sango's hand, throwing her on his back as well, and dropping to all fours. Kagome squeaked at the change in position.
"W-what are you doing?!" She asked. Inuyasha ran off as Kouga picked up his speed. He looked at her from the corner of his eye.
"I go faster this way." He told her, speeding up. She squeaked again and held on tightly, burying her face in his haori. Kouga snarled, trying to keep pace with the young half-demon. To his surprise, the half-breed was pretty quick, but he was a wolf! In no way whatsoever would he allow a half-breed to outdo him in running. He wouldn't be humiliated again. He picked up his speed once again and managed to get neck to neck with the half-demon.
Inuyasha growled his frustration. He had to loose the wolf before they got to Kagome's room, or else he would just destroy the door and get her anyway. He searched the narrow hallway for a door or staircase he could take to get to the roof, or maybe even outside. His search was a success when he skidded a turn to a large staircase, quickly bounding up the steps. The unexpected turn caused Kouga to miss the exit and run a little further ahead. Realizing his mistake quickly, he turned and sped back to the stairs, quickly climbing them. But his short detour had given Inuyasha a small advantage, and left him cursing under his breath.
Kagome, finally getting over her initial shock at riding a dog demon, or half dog demon, raised her head from the haori's fabric and grinned at the quick speed. The adrenaline racing through her veins excited her and she started laughing.
"This is so much fun!" She called to the bounding half-demon. He gave her a one sided look, before turning back to the stairs ahead of them. If he could get to the top of the castle, the wind would blow their scents every which way and it would be incredibly difficult to find them. Thinking of something he craned his neck to look at Kagome out of the corner of his eye.
"What does this thing lead to?" He asked, jumping over a broken step. She looked thoughtful for a minute.
"I think it leads to the roof. Why?" She told him. He just nodded and turned forward again, ignoring her question. Sure enough, just after she said that, they reached the rooftop. Inuyasha jumped out of the staircase and ran over to the right side of the castle. The roof of this castle was huge; probably 1/3 of a mile long. In the middle of it was a huge court yard, and out of that was a gigantic crystal blade, that glowed in the sun. It reached about 70 to 80 feet higher than the castle walls. This was the Eastern lands mascot.((A/N: Okay, if you've ever played the game for PS1 Final Fantasy 9/IX that's what the castle looks like. I will be using some of the principals from this game, like the airships and some of the moderate modern things, such as electricity and steam powered airships. No T.V.'s, telephones, or any high tech things. If you ever get the chance, you should check this game out. If you have any questions about it, feel free to IM, E-mail, or ask me in a review. I could also give help if you're stuck somewhere in it ^_^ Sorry for the interruption please continue.))
It didn't take them long to reach the East wall, considering how far it was. Once he stood at the edge, maybe 500 to 700 feet off the ground, Kouga lept out of the staircase. He couldn't see Inuyasha directly because the half-demon was standing behind the crystal blade, nor could he find their scents. Inuyasha's plan to come to the roof where his, and the girls scents would be quickly blown away worked, and very well.
He chuckled to himself as he hid behind the blade. Kouga was trying hardest to sniff them out, running everywhere and sniffing every corner. Kagome and Sango climbed off of his back and stood on either side of him, grinning at Kouga's antics.
"He'll never find us now." Kagome whispered quietly into his ear, which flicked at her breath, once again. Kouga couldn't hear her over the roaring wind on the roof. He nodded, grinning as well; then he felt something on his shoulder. Looking over, he froze; Kagome had touched his shoulder, while trying to get a better look at Kouga. He hated being touched, because anyone who had touched him before was either to hurt him or throw him out of their village. But her touch didn't effect him at all, so slowly he relaxed, and went back to watching Kouga.
After a while of futile searching, Kouga gave up and went back inside the castle, sulking miserably. Inuyasha grinned and stepped out from behind the blade when he was inside.
"Well, he's gone now. What do you wanna do with that shirt? It smells too much like that wimpy wolf." He said with a snort. Kagome grinned at him.
"You'll just have to see when we get back to my room!" She said happily. He grumbled and crouched down on the ground, allowing the girls to climb on his back once again. Once they were positioned comfortably, he lept off in the opposite direction of the stairway, causing Kagome to stare ahead in shock. "W-Where are you going!?" She shouted at him as they passed the stairway. He just grinned and sped up--strait for the edge of the castle walls.
Kagome shut her eyes tightly as they reached the ledge, squeezing Inuyasha's haori tightly in her hands. Sango was staring at him as if he was crazy, and just as he reached the ledge, she shut her eyes as well. Suddenly, the girls couldn't feel the steady lope of his feet on the stone, and the wind whipping their hair got stronger as it whistled in their ears. Kagome risked opening her eyes for a quick glance, and they snapped open and stared widely at the horizon. The sun was just beginning to set and the sky was sparkling in different pastel colors. The purple, orange, yellow, and red colors mixing perfectly with the suns glare. The plains and hills behind that, along with the huge forests that dotted the land were glowing angelically. Her hair flew out behind her like a raven waterfall as it whipped around her face, and she smiled brightly as they flew through the air, as if riding on a floating cloud.
She couldn't see his face, but she could tell that Inuyasha was also smiling. Time seemed to slow down as they flew high in the sky, admiring the beautiful colors. Even Sango had opened her eyes, and was staring at the beautiful horizon. Time then resumed as they fell back towards the earth; but Inuyasha wasn't aiming for the ground. Instead, he twisted in the air, so that he was facing the castle, and pinpointed a balcony. Extending his legs, he landed gracefully in a crouch, still holding the girls securely to his back. He let them off and stood up, turning around and grinning.
"Well? What do you think?" He asked. Kagome grinned again.
"That was SO much fun!" She giggled. Sango agreed.
"I've never been that high before! I've never even been on an airship." She said. Kagome looked at her friend and gave her an apologetic look.
"I'm sorry Sango....I promised you that I would get my father to take you on one of our trips to the other villages around here," She then turned to Inuyasha and smiled, "You could come too! I doubt you've ever been on one! Their so much fun! Especially the big ones." She said excitedly. He just shrugged and turned to the door that lead into the room from the balcony, but Kagome stopped him before he opened it. "Wait! Do you know whose room that is?" She asked. He turned to her and nodded slowly.
"It's your's. You're scent's bathing this place." He told her. She blushed a bit.
"O-okay then. Lets get inside, then I could tell you what I have planed! And only the lords and ladies of the four lands are allowed to come." She said slyly as she walked into her room. Her compainions gave her a curious look, before shaking their heads. Kagome was just too confusing.
They walked into the room, Inuyasha shutting the balcony doors quietly before following them. Kagome set the garment down on her bad and went to her wardrobe. She motioned for them to come over; which they did.
"Sango, which dress do you like best?" She asked stepping back from the doors. Sango looked at her confused a moment before shrugging and began sifting through the dresses. She looked for a few moments before grinning and pulling out a dark fushia one and holding it before her.
"What do you think?" She asked turning slightly. Kagome grinned.
"It's perfect!" She said happily before looking at Inuyasha. "Ok, I want you to find which one of these you like best." She said, pulling out a wooden box and setting it on her bed. She opened it and showed them to him.
"Different scents? Flower scents?" He asked her, raising an eyebrow. She just nodded.
"Which one do you like best?" She asked. He shrugged and lookd over the box, sniffing at the small bottles containing the flower petals. After a short while he pointed to one.
"That one." He said simply. Kagome smiled and picked it up. Taking out the cork that cealed it, she carried it over to the suit and poured the flowers all over it, and began rubbing them around it. Inuyasha looked at her as if she was crazy. "What are you doing?" He asked, curious despite himself. She picked it up and walked over to him, grinning.
"There, now it doesn't smell like Kouga." She said, holding it out in front of her. He cocked his head and sniffed deaply. She was right. The flowers overpowered the wolf scent. He looked at her quizzicotaly.
"Why the heck did you get that thing anyway?" He asked. She looked at him.
"It's for you! You can't go to a ball dressed in that can you?" She asked grinning again. He stared at her, openly gaping. His ears stopped listening after 'go to a ball'. But Sango didn't have the same reaction as him though.
"Oh my god! A ball! I can't believe I'm actually going to a ball!" She said happily bouncing up and down while hugging the dress to her chest. Kagome grinned at them both.
"Yup! It's to honour the wolf demons for helping us out. I don't know what they did, but at least we get to have fun!" She said. Inuyasha was still staring at her in shock. She turned to him and pused the glittering garment into his hands, and began pushing him towards her bathroom. "Now you get dressed in there and don't peak!" She said before shutting the door behind him. "Come on! We've gotta get ready!" She squealed happily, grabbing her silk dress and putting it on.
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"I look stupid in this."
"Inuyasha, I told you. You have to wear it to the ball."
"Keh...."
Inuyasha, Kagome, and Sango, sat in the small room as they waited for their turn to go into the ball. Inuyasha complained about his outfit every now and then, and if he wasn't doing that he was either sulking or muttering things under his breath. Kagome was seriously wondering when Sango would snap. After five minutes of Inuyasha's behavior her eye had began twitching. Now she was slightly red in the face and had a scowl on her lips. It was easy to get Sango so irritated, but Inuyasha didn't know that. He'd just have to learn the hard way, which was slightly entertaining. Just when Kagome thought Sango was about to beat Inuyasha into squash, a guard opened the door to her room and stood regally.
"Princess Kagome. You and you're subjects are required to meet at the ball room starit away." He said without batting an eye. Inuyasha flinched at 'you're subjects' and was about to set the guy strait, but Kagome got to him faster; grabbing his sleave and nearly dragging him out of the room, flshing a brief smile at the guard.
"You may return." She said with an accent, flinching slightly at the sound of her own voice. The guard nodded and bowed, before heading in the opposite direction of the ball. Kagome then let go of Inuyasha's sleve and straitend her dress. Inuyasha cocked his head and gave her a funny look.
"What happened?" He asked, refering to her voice and change of attitude. She sighed and looked at him.
"As long as I'm acting like a princess I have to talk that way." She told him, smiling slightly and turning down the corridor. Inuyasha shrugged and followed her, avoiding Sango's gaze. He knew she was a bit irritated with him, but he didn't know why.
They walked around the corridors for a while, going in seemingly meaningless patterns. Left turn there, right turn here, straight down then take a left at the third door. It confused him after a while. He was just about to ask Kagome if she knew where they were going when she stopped at a wooden door. She turned around and grinned.
"I present you, my lord and lady, to the ball!" She said happily, and pushed the doors open. As soon as they could see inside, Sango, and Inuyasha's mouths nearly hit the floor. Inuyasha had never seen so many people crammed in such a huge room in his life!
"I've never seen so many people in one place...." Sango muttered, absently voicing his thoughts. Kagome just grinned and ushered them inside.
"You and I have to introduce Inuyasha to my mother." Kagome said, changing her voice. Sango agreed, and they headed over to the refreshments table. Kagome spotted her mother at the end of it, talking to a noble woman. When she saw her daughter heading towards her she smiled, and looked t the two people following her.
"Ah Kagome dear. Is that the new friend you were telling me about yesterday?" Her mother asked pleaently. Kagome nodded.
"Inuyasha, this is my mother." She said, turning to him.....but he was still gaping at the scenery around him. Her smile slipped a bit and she tapped his shoulder. He spun around and looked at her, calming when he realized who she was. She gave him a pointed look and he cleared his throat, looking up to her mother and smiling a bit.
"Um....hello Miss?" He asked politely, silently grinning to himself for rmembering all those lessons his mother gave him on manners. She smiled.
"What a polite boy. Just call me Asame." She told him. He smiled and nodded. Kagome stared at him in shock for a moment before coming back to reality.
"Well, mother we'd better be off to get something to eat. Shall we?" She looked at her friends. They nodded without hesitation. She grabbed their arms and walked to the end of the table, out of earshot from her mother. When they were far enough away, she turned to Inuyasha with a biwildered look. "Ok. Who are you and what did you do to Inuyasha?" She asked slipping on the accent. He just glared at her.
"I'm Inuyasha, stupid." He said with a snort. "It's not like I don't have any manners and I live like a pig." He glared at her again before turning to the table of food and grabbing a chiken leg, biting into it with his fangs and ripping it off the bone like a dog. Kagome gave him a dry look.
"Yeah....sure." She muttered before turning to the table herself and smiling at Sango. "So....what looks best?" She asked. Sango looked over the table carefully with a thoughtful look. She turned to her and grinned widely.
"I think that cake looks best." She said, her mouth watering. Kagome giggled. Sango had a soft spot for sweet things.
"Ok, lets go get some." She said, grabbing Inuyasha away from his chicken and heading toward the cake. He protested, but when he caught site of what they were heading for, he shut his mouth quick before he could drool on the floor. He LOVED cake. He'd only had it once before, and that was quite a while ago.
Kagome grabbed the plates and sliced some cake for each of her friends. Sango ate it slowly, chewing with proper manners. Inuyasha was about to stuff his in his mouth whole before she sent him a glare. He quickly opted for life and ate politely. But that didn't stop him from eating it fast. The girls were giggling and laughing while eating what was left of their's when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He swallowed the last of it and turned to look at an ugly noble woman. She eyed him carfully before loweing her glasses and peering at him strangely. It took all of Inuyasha's will power not to run away from the overpowering scent of perfume.
"Are you the busboy?" She asked in a screechy voice. Wanting to get away from her as soon as possible; to get away from the stench, he nodded quickly. "Good. Go get me and my fellows a drink of punce would you?" She asked, glaring down at him. It wasn't a request, so he nodded and quickly counted the peopple surrounding her before dashing off to the punch bowl. He muttered obsinities to himself as he grabbed two trays to carry the drinks on.
He poured the punce into some cups, making sure he had enough. When he finished, he carfully put them on the tray, balencing them easily. Then did he notice he had a problem. There was still one drink that wouldn't fit on the trays, and he contmplated on what to do. Getting an idea, he sighed and put the trays down. He picked up the leftover drink and balanced it carefully on his face. He picked up the trays carefully, and slowly made his way over to the purfume lady. He approched Sango an Kagome, who suddenly cut off their conversation to stare at him; then try to hide snickers behing their hands. He growled slightly when he passed them, only making them snicker even more.
He made it to the lady who turned around when he stood behind her. She scowled a bit, before grabbing the drink off his nose and taking the trays in a huff. She turned her back to him and continued talking to the group of people surrounding her. He glared at her back and turned back to Kagome and Sango, to give them a peice of his mind for laughing at him. What he'd expected was Kagome laughing, but what he saw was Kagome angry. He walked up to her looking confused.
"What an egotistic pig!" She hissed angrily. He stared at her, shocked for a moment before finding his bearings.
"What?" He asked, obviously confused. She glared at the woman's back heatedly.
"You just did that for her and she doesn't even thank you! Then she goes and looks at you nastily! That's just not right!" She said angrily. Inuyasha shifted nervously before her. No one had ever stood up for him besides his mother and father.
"I-it's no big deal. People do that to me all the time." He tried to assure her, but that only made her angrier.
"They shouldn't do that! It's inhuman!" She growled again. He shifted a bit again. Sango had seemed to dissapear to the other end of the table, and was now talking with Kagome's mother happily. "I should put her straight this instent!" She said, beginning to stomp over to her. Inuyasha grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
"Don't! You're mom'll get mad!" He told her. She stopped struggling and sighed.
"Yeah....I don't want to let her down..." She muttered before glaring at the woman one more time and walking away, Inuyasha following her. The ball would end soon. The young children were only allowed to stay at the near end of the ball for safety reasons. Inuyasha suddenly got a crazy idea, or he thought it was crazy. He hoped it would cool her down at least.
"Um....K-Kagome?" He asked, shifting once again. She looked up at him and smiled.
"Yes?" She asked. She was hinding her anger, he could smell it.
"D-do you want to.....you know.....dance?" He said the last word quietly. Kagome stared at him a moment before smileing.
"Sure." She said happily, and grabbed his arm, pulling him towards the dance floor. The last song was playing, meaning it was slow and sweet, calling the last dance of the night.They reached the dance floor and Kagome looked up at Inuyasha, smiling. "Can you Waltz?" She asked, putting her arms around his neck and looking up at him. Inuyasha gulped quietly, placing his arms around her waist.
"A-a little." He muttered, looking down at the floor. She smiled a bit before resting her head on his shoulder. A shock went though him, and he stiffened a bit before forcing himself to relax. He'd never been this close to anyone before. He hadn't touched anyone like this in nearly seven years, so it was somewhat new to him. Unconsiously he pulled her closer, but just a little; bearly noticable. Slowly they swayed along with the sweet music. Inuyasha closed his eyes after a moment before resting his chin on her head and taking in her scent, just realizing how pleasent it was.
On the other side of the room Sango and Asame were smiling at the pair.
"They look good together, don't they?" Sango asked, looking up at Asame. She smiled and nodded, casping her hands together and sighing happily.
"I may actually get grandkids earlier thn I thought." She said happily. Sango gaped at her.
"But...their too young!" She said, staring in disbelief. Asame chuckled a bit and patted her head.
"I ment when they get older dear." She said, smiling. Sango's eyes widened and her mouth formed an o.
"Oh..." Then she realized what she ment. "Ohhhhh....."
After a while, the song ended and the couples broke apart, getting ready to file out of the caslte. Inuyasha held onto Kagome a little longer than nessicery, but let her go. She looked at him and smiled.
"Do you want to stay here tonight?" She asked. He smiled and shook his head.
"Nah. I'd rather sleep in my tree. I'm more comfortable there." He told her. She smiled at him again before walking over to stand next to her mother, sending off the guests. Inuyasha waited until everyone but him, Kagome, Sango, and Asame were left. He walked over to the door, followed by Sango and smiled at Kagome and her mother.
"I had a wonderful evening Asame-san." He said with a short bow. "I'll see you soon!" He said, his gaze lingering on Kagome before he walked out of the castle, still wearing Kouga's suit. Wait....Kouga wasn't arond tonight.....that was strange. But, she shrugged it off and waved to Inuyasha. He'd probably drop by her room on his way and pick up his clothes. Sango gave a hug goodbye and smiled.
"Thanks for all the fun Kagome. See you tomorrow!" She said as she began to run down the path. Kagome waved to her happily.
As Inuyasha walked down the path he smiled. He'd actually danced with a girl. And, for once he'd had fun around strangers. He smiled gently to himself once more. Oh yes, this would definatly be a night to remember.
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