An Unforgettable Sunset
~Well, this day has certainly been informative. You have learned that 'Dogboy's brother is
truly out to make 'his' life a living hell, that 'Dogboy' fears heights, and what your unknown twin
was/is like. You also met two of 'Dogboy's acquaintances, made 'him' blush, and were saved from
falling to your death by none other than 'Dogboy' himself. Now, having nothing to do, you tell him
about your family and the whole 'deal with mom' slips. Oops... Oh well. 'He' didn't read much into
it. Guess what... You still have a while to go. After all, it is only three o'clock and you just woke
up from your nap. 'He's still asleep... Oh, what to do! ~
I sat alone, watching the clouds roll by. It really was a nice day. The sun was warming and
not too bright. The birds sung songs, never sticking to a certain one; I never got bored of hearing
them. The air was just right, not too cold, not too hot.
I looked over the edge to the other balloons. From Sango's balloon, I saw one person
standing, starring down to the ground (A/N: Wonder why? ^_^ No, I didn't make Miroku fall of
the edge). Whoever it was had a lot of gut's to do that. I never could bring myself to, even when I
was holding on for my life when I'd fallen over. I'd been scared out of my mind!
In Ayame's balloon, both of them were standing up, side by side.
'Way to go Aya-chan,' I cheered silently. Maybe she had gotten it through his thick skull
that I didn't like him or that she did. Which ever it was, I knew she was content right where she
was.
I returned to my spot in the center of our balloon, stopping for once to admire the place.
The basket was made of a thick, woven material- what kind, I am not sure. The balloon was
stripped, laterally, with blue, yellow, pale purple, and light teal. All in all, it was very colorful; a
calm feeling was given from it.
I looked to my life's ruin, not judging him for the first time; just seeing him. He had rolled
up his jacket to form a pillow, laying one arm under his head and the other across his hip. His hair,
although it had been brushed out a few dozen times, was a mess, tousled by the slight breeze. A
few bangs fell over his face, casting a shadow that hid his closed eyes. His clothes, even though
his shirt was its' usual red, fit him perfectly, color and all. His lips in neither a frown nor smile. It
was the first time I'd seen him that no sadness showed. Peace did. He was... I cannot think of the
right word. He wasn't handsome, the word just didn't fit. He was... Beautiful...
He yawned, startling me. I looked away, blushing. I was extremely glad I hadn't been caught
starring at him. How was I going to explain that?
He stretched, grunting as he started to roll over. The basket swayed slightly and he started
flailing his arms... I could only guess. I really hated those kind of nightmares. Ne, the ones where
you are falling off a cliff or building, or just plain falling. And, as if he had hit rock bottom, he
stopped, paused, then sat up bolt right.
"Cool down," I said quietly, trying not to startle him. It didn't work though. He jumped,
making the basket jerk around underneath us, frightening him even more. "It's okay. You're fine...
You do remember where we are, don't you?"
He looked at me for a while, trying to focus his eyes. "Hai..." He shook his head, clearing
his thoughts, then sighed in relief.
"You fall from a cliff or naked off a school building?" I snickered.
He growled. "The later."
I stopped laughing, choking in shock. "You're kidding."
"Iie. I even had the teachers chasing me with rulers and the principle pelting me with books,"
he laughed. "I still don't understand how us humans can go to the movies and see a hideous
monster and not believe- or be scared- in it, yet we fall for our ridiculous dreams."
"I know. Weird, ne?" I laughed with him.
"Hai." He sighed, leaning back on the basket's edge. "So? How much longer?"
"Four to five hours, I think."
"Great," he said, unenthusiastically. "Well... What else is there to talk about?"
"Hmm..." I sat there, racking my brain for ideas, yet again. "Ah! About your song, 'A Feudal
Fairytale'- did your nicknames come from that or did your song come from the nicknames?" I
asked, remembering the (A/N: horrible?) song from earlier that day.
"Oh... Sugoi... I never really thought about that, but the nicks were first. I think that it was a
coincidence. After all, Myouga was the one that found that song and he never knew about our
names," Inuyasha said, rummaging through the basket of food. "Want anything?"
"Sure," I responded, watching him as his hair was blown in front of his face. He looked cute
that way, but I didn't have time to stare right now. He'd notice it like always. "Are there any
peaches left?"
"Yep," he said, tossing me one. "Wanna drink?"
"I..."
'Okay, this is a problem,' I thought. My mouth was dry, and even though the peach would
help with that, it would be too sweet and the only thing to drink was Coke... Was it really that
bad?
"It is only Coke... isn't it?"
"Yeah."
"I... I guess so," I said resignedly, looking at my lap. Why did it feel so strange? For some
odd reason, I knew he wouldn't do anything like that again, but still it felt off... Maybe it was
because I hadn't had Coke in such a long time and that, for the first time in a long time, I was
going to drink it, sitting next to the reason I hadn't had it for that whole time. (A/N: Sugoi...
That's a lot of 'times'! ^-^)
He picked two out and walked over to me, handing me one before he sat down. "Next
question is mine... What are you doing with friends like them? Don't take it the wrong way, but
you seem so different from them."
"Well... I have known Sango-chan for some time, but I actually met her through her younger
brother. My brother had made a new friend and invited him over for dinner, but he had to bring
his sister or he couldn't go. That's how I met Sango-chan. We had a lot in common, like beating
the snot out of our snoopy little brothers. Her brother's neat. A really great athlete.
"Aya-chan was new at our school, but, like Kouga and you... we didn't get along at first. Ne,
she had lied to this guy, saying that I liked him so that he would break up with his girlfriend.
Supposedly, she had received a rather rude note from the girl and thought that was the perfect
revenge. I was pestered by the boy, jumped by the angry ex-girlfriend, and suspended for giving
her a black eye. Sango-chan and Aya-chan became friends while I was suspended, only because
Sango-chan had been sick during that day and didn't know.
"About a month later, Sango's dad lost his job and couldn't afford to live in Tokyo; they had
to move. I was devastated because she was my only really good friend. Aya-chan spoke to her
grandfather and he paid for the house- all the payments- and gave her father a job. He isn't a very
hard worker, so he didn't exactly get rich off of it. I was so happy that I had forgiven Aya-chan
and became her best friend all at the same time. She was happy for another friend and we've been
a best-friend-trio ever since," I explained, taking a deep breath. "Next question. Hmm... I can't
really think of any... What were your parents like?"
"I don't really remember my dad," he said as he grabbed an apple from the basket. "He was
the one that gave Sesshomaru and me the odd hair and eye color though. He was really strict, just
like Sesshomaru. I take after my mom when it comes to personality. She was really sarcastic most
the time. She always had a comeback at the tip of her tongue; very clever. She was also very
sweet and caring... I don't know which my sister is more like, though..."
"What about her?"
"Uh, uhn, uh," he scolded, wagging a finger. "My turn."
"Okay then. Shoot."
"What about your dad? You didn't mention him before," Inuyasha said, looking at his half
empty Coke, then to mine. "And why haven't you started drinking?"
"Because I haven't needed to yet and I am still not sure if I can. That memory is right at the
surface and I don't care to remember," I stated, then smirked. "So, what about your sister?"
"You didn't answer my question," he stated, frowning slightly.
"Hai, I did too. You asked why I hadn't started drinking and I told you," I told him, smiling
in delight. "It was your rule after all."
"You're right... Sugoi, you really are a tiger when it comes to word games," he chuckled,
shaking his head. "My sister... She is a little older than 13 and she has been sick for almost 6
years."
"Sugoi... That's so sad," I said in sympathy and grabbed his hand for comfort, startling us
both. I blushed slightly, but didn't let go. "Go on," I urged, reassuringly.
"She was hospitalized. After fainting for an unknown reason, she slipped into a comatose
state and would wake up once in a while, but then go back into a coma- we never knew when the
next time she'd wake up would be. We always were up there when she was awake and we'd talk
about the new things and she'd tell us her dreams. It was nice back then; not as morbid as it is
now.
"Well, she stopped speaking after my mother died. Sesshomaru is there a lot, just waiting for
her to wake up. I think she's the only one that can get the soft side of my brother out in the open...
I can't stand to see her though. She looks like death, pale all the time... Last time she woke up
before Mother died, she said she had seen mama and they talked. It was kind of spooky and I can't
help but think that she knew what was going to happen ahead of time..."
I had listened through the whole thing, squeezing his hand lightly in the places were his
voice would fade. He sighed, then smiled. "That felt good... To have finally gotten that outta my
system..."
"Good," I said, smiling sadly. "That must have been a pain, carrying it around with you...
Now, you don't have to do it alone..." I paused. Whatever had made me say it had its own way of
thinking, that is for sure. "Well, your question."
"Umm... What about your dad?"
"He was really nice, always smiling. He was almost never serious, but he was a down to
earth guy; the exact opposite of my mom when it comes to that. He was always there for us, with
a smile no matter what the problem. I miss him a lot, but his death has taught me some important
things," I said, thinking to myself.
'I learned that life is not as limitless as we think... And a smile only goes so far...'
"He past away when I was five in a car accident. I was in it, too, but I had slipped into a
comatose state. I was practically dead to the world for ten days while my dad was literally dead. I
woke up to my mother yelling at me... I blamed it on myself for a number of reasons, but I forgot
about it all, which was an amazing feat considering everything we went through," I said, leaving it
as vague as possible. I don't know why, but I didn't want him knowing the truth right now...
Something was holding me back.
"Well, it's my turn! What did Keade mean by that whole leash and collar thing?" I asked,
remembering the old woman's words.
Inuyasha growled as his cheeks turned a light pink. "She was saying that she thought you
were a perfect match for me, because I don't listen to many and you made me. The collar thing
was her way of saying she liked you more than most...
'Wedding bells in the future' kind of thing," he finished, looking out to the sky.
"Oh..." I mumbled, unable to think as my face reddened. It made sense now, that was for
sure, and I think it would have been better to leave the question unanswered. That question was
one heck of a conversation killer.
I yawned, lying back down. That's when I noticed it... My bottle... was empty. "KYA!" I
screamed, throwing it over the side. Why I did it, I'll never know.
"O~kay," Inuyasha said, uncertainly as he looked at me with a you've-
officially-lost-your-mind look. He shook his head and stretched out, lying in the center, which I
had claimed as my own domain. I let him know by growling and glaring, a very Inuyasha-like
thing to do. "Nani?"
"That is my spot," I growled.
He yawned. "And?"
"Get out," I said calmly, hoping that would scare him. It didn't work.
"Iie," he stated, closing his eyes and rolling to his side, away from me.
"Either you move," I said, praying he'd move- I am not a person that will back down on my
words- "or you'll have to deal with sharing."
"Keh!" he snorted, not even so much as twitching.
'Iie,' I cried mentally.
'H-he didn't move.'
"I hope you know I'd rather be called 'fangirl' than do this," I sneered, blushing fiercely,
though I am not sure why.
"Then don't."
"I am NOT laying by the edge," I hissed. "Jerk." And so the age old battle commenced.
"Baka."
"Bastard."
"Bit-witch," he corrected himself.
"Dogboy!" It felt kind of strange, yelling at a back.
"Slut," he countered, receiving a none-too-gentle kick in the ribs, courtesy of me.
"Asshole!"
"Tomboy!"
"Baka!"
"I said that already, wench!"
There was a brief silence. That really did feel weird, calling him a name without looking him
directly in the eyes.
"This doesn't exactly work unless we face each other, does it?" I asked, speaking my
previous musings.
"Nope. Sounds funny this way," Inuyasha said, sighing.
"Well," I grumbled as I laid down. "I guess this shouldn't feel so strange... After all," I
sighed, turning on my side, away from Inuyasha with a grin, "We've slept together before...
Haven't we?" I asked, mockingly.
"N-nani!?" He exclaimed in shock. From the way the ground moved, Inuyasha had turned to
face me, staring at my back. I smirked.
"I don't sleep walk, just for further reference. Plus, a camera can be pretty loud- especially if
there are giggles afterward."
"B-but you didn't yell or anything," he stammered.
"Well, it was nice of you and I did have a separate blanket. Besides, I knew I could use it to
my advantage in the future and I didn't want Sango knowing I knew... She'd use it against me
somehow," I explained. I could literally hear his mind processing this, then a smirk.
'Oh, Kami-sama, what now?'
"So... Does that mean you didn't mind it... fangirl?"
I remained calm, trying to think of something fast.
'Let's see... My purse is in Sango- chan's car...'
"Drat," I muttered under my breath, just loud enough for him to hear. I knew that he was
grinning like mad right about then. "I left my cell phone in my purse... I'll just ask Myouga-jiichan
to call Sesshomaru after we get back on the ground... I'll kick ya later. Right now," I yawned, "I'm
taking a nap."
I let him take as long as he wanted to comprehend my threat as I fell gently back to sleep.
******
I woke with goose-bumps. The temperature had dropped considerably as it grew late.
Opening my eyes, I vaguely noticed that the sky held shades of purple and orange, the setting for
an oncoming sunset.
I rolled to my side, looking at my surroundings. Inuyasha had chosen to stay in the center,
but kept to himself. We had been back to back, it seemed.
I sat up slowly, stretching as a yawn found its way to me. I rubbed the sleep from my mind
as my mind focused on reality.
'That nap was... Sugoi! Almost four hours,' I thought as I looked to the sky. The sun
wouldn't set for another half hour so I busied myself with 'Search and Devour'- the hunt of the
mindless, starving 19 year old woman when food was out of sight. I stayed civil, though. I chose
another sandwich and an apple. Let's see, for a drink I chose... Oh, looky here! A Coke!
'Yeah, me,' I thought sarcastically.
Well, that took me a good twenty minutes to finish... And the sun was descending.
'Better wake Dogboy.'
I crouched down beside the sleeping singer, waiting a while before I disturbed him. Again, I
noticed he was more peaceful then when he was awake and, I found myself realizing, he was even
better this time. It did him more good then I had thought, talking about his sister and all.
'Maybe... when he remembers like I did... he will feel lighter at the heart,' I thought as I
watched his chest rise and fall with each breath.
'I'd feel better, too... because... he'd be happy... Why though? Why do I feel this way...'
I sighed, looking to the sky for answers. "Kya!" The sun was setting! "Dogboy! Wake up!"
I yelled, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him. I lost my balance, falling on the soundly sleeping
man. Well, he wasn't sleeping any longer.
"Ah! Get off me!" He yelled, shoving me away roughly. I didn't blame him, I'd do the same
thing if I woke up with someone on me.
"Gomen, but I was trying to wake you up," I said. I pointed to the sky. "The sun's setting!"
"So?" he asked in bewilderment.
"SO!? I thought you'd like to see it..." I stated.
"Oh..." He sat up, stretching.
"Come on, get up!" I tugged on his sleeve, causing him to fall on his side.
"I am," he said, yawning.I stood up, walking over to the edge to watch the sun. It had gotten
considerably cooler and I shivered involuntarily. I felt something drape around my shoulders as
Inuyasha stood beside me. His jacket... "A- arigatou..."
He looked over to me, smirking. "You should have thought about that earlier- bringing a
jacket."
I was going to retort, but shrugged it off. I didn't want to ruin this.
I turned back to watching the sky's colors change from a purple and orange mix, to a bright
pink and light blue, then back to a dark purple and red mix as the sun lowered.
"Isn't it beautiful?" I asked, smiling as the colors brightened slightly, again. He didn't
respond, I didn't expect him to. As the sun sank beneath the horizon the last ray of light stood out
among all others. It was entrancing. The feelings that ray gave off...
"Oyasumi nasai," I whispered, startled to hear my words come from the one next to me,
also. I looked at him, questioningly. He gave a sad smile.
"I always say that," he said, looking back to the sky that now had the moon as its only guide.
"I used to watch the sunset with my mother... She had said 'when the sun sets, the memories of
that day are lost to it. If you speak to that sun and bid it a "good night"... the next one will
remember that day and it will remind you of those times... But with the good comes the bad.'" He
laughed. "My mom wasn't always a down-to-earth woman, either. She always had her head in the
clouds."
I turned my gaze back to the sky, sighing.
'I feel like he is a whole different person right now... Chotto! What ever happened to his fear
of heights!?' I was going to ask, until I felt a hand... on my butt...
"HENTAI!" I screeched, slapping Inuyasha. He looked at me, completely and utterly
confused.
"Nani? What did I do?"
"You-" I started, then stopped as I heard an angry snarl and a few thud's. I looked behind me
and found an unconscious Miroku at the foot of a steaming Sango. "S-Sango-chan?" I mumbled.
The events replayed themselves in my mind and I turned to Inuyasha with some profound type of
determination. "I-I am so sorry. Oh Kami-sama, are you alright? I am sorry! I didn't mean to- I
didn't know... Daijobu ka?" I was totally frantic.
He laughed at me. Instead of being angry, I was relieved. "Daijobu, fangirl." That mad me
angry.
"Sango-chan, remind me to give Sesshomaru a call later, okay?" I asked, glaring at the
singer."
"Hai... Kagome-chan?" She asked, uncertainly. I looked over to her. "How did you not hear
us coming?" Slowly, with each word, her expression sprouted a calculative grin. I glared at her.
"What are you doing here anyway?" I sneered.
"Gomen ne, Kagome-chan. We didn't mean to interrupt."
"Sango," I growled.
"It's almost time for us to go back down and Miroku here," Sango said in disgust, kicking
the fallen drummer, "ate all of our food... I'm a little edgy when I'm hungry, so I hit him a little
harder than I meant to..."
"You feeling guilty? Most people do when they hurt the one they love," I smirked.
"And some lose track of time and space- like Aya-chan- while others find themselves in a
whole different dimension," she replied, grinning. I didn't hear the last part.
"Aha! So you admit it?" I asked, smiling as her expression changed from smug to defeated.
"That is not what I said."
"Doesn't matter. You didn't have to say anything... I've always known it," I replied, tossing
her a sandwich, which happened to be the last one.
"I DO NOT!"
"Hai, you do," I said, sitting down. Inuyasha followed suit, sitting next to me in a daze. He
just looked at Sango, then to me, and back again. "Well," I said, cutting off any further shouts
from her, "we need to do something for Aya-chan... Like throw a birthday party."
"She's going out with Kouga later, when we get back on land... They're taking my
convertible," Sango said, sitting next to the abused drummer. "Maybe we can set it up tonight."
"Yeah..." I mumbled, tossing around a few dozen idea's. "What are we going to do though?"
Sango sighed in resignation. "I don't know... I just don't know..."
"I have an idea," Inuyasha said. In the next few minutes, Miroku woke up, I lost myself in
deep thought, and the plans for the night were revealed... I really didn't want to do this...
The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted.