DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters of the Inuyasha series nor do
I own the original storyline.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Hey all!! Thanks for waiting! Here's the next chapter! Enjoy reading okay?
But the third chapter won't come as fast as this one. As I have already told
you before, I'll be having 2 tests and 2 deadlines next week so I'll be very
busy studying. But I promise to update as soon as I have finished them all okay?
Since I already have the third and fourth chapter on paper, it shouldn't be
too difficult ^-^!
Italic: thoughts
-- --: locations
"...": spoken words
~*~*~*~*~: time gap
*...* : noises
-by Kittymui-
A start
~*~*~ the next morning ~*~*~
Inuyasha yawned and stretched out his arms as he pulled himself up to a sitting
position. What's this sweet scent...? he wondered dreamily, sniffing
the air and slowly tracing the scent to its origin. When his eyes fell on his
nightstand, he realized that it was coming from the blue flower, which became
'normal' again since sunrise. He didn't know why, but he felt calmer just be
looking at the rare creation of nature. He averted his gaze when a ray of sunlight,
which was refracted by the water and crystal material of the transparent vase,
shone into his eyes.
[AN: In case you want to know what he's wearing. He's only dressed in his red
hakama and the white shirt that he's always wearing beneath his red haori.]
"Kagome..." he whispered its name as the image of the raven-haired
girl dressed in her yellow yukata appeared in his mind again.
As soon as it came, the image in his mind vanished as someone politely knocked
on his bedroom door.
"My young lord, your father and brother are waiting for you in the dining
room," the servant from last night spoke with a low bow after opening the
door.
"Half-brother," Inuyasha grunted annoyed as he got out of his bed.
"I'll be right there."
"Hai, my lord," she bowed again and left the room again.
An annoyed expression appeared on Inuyasha's face as he walked over to a red
diva near the bed where his red haori was resting on.. "Feh! Why am I fascinated
by this crap anyway, it will wither away like all the others as always."
he mumbled to himself, eyeing the flower on his nightstand at the same time.
[AN: He's referring to the flower as well as the girl who gave it to him.]
Not wanting to be lectured again for being tardy, he quickly put on his haori
and slipped into the hallway while tying op the sash around his waist.
~*~*~*~
Shortly after finishing breakfast, Inuyasha left the mansion again to head towards
his usual spot near the creek.
There's nothing like a good nap in the middle of Mother Nature. he thought
contented as he stretched out his body over his favorite branch again.
~*~
Meanwhile, a certain raven-haired girl was walking through the forest alongside
the creek in which she almost drowned yesterday. Also the same creek where the
strange boy named Inuyasha had saved her from being swallowed by the streaming
water.
I guess I should thank that prince of the wolf tribe...hmm...what was his
name again...Kouga? Yes! That was it! I mean...if he wasn't all eager to get
his hands on the flower that I had discovered and hadn't sent all those minions
of him after me, I wouldn't end up jumping into this creek. she thought
to herself.
~*~
It should be around here somewhere... she scanned the area as she brushed
away some branches that got in her way.
Her eyes almost glowed when she recognized the place where she had met Inuyasha.
But the joy faltered as soon as it came when she saw no sign of the silver-haired
boy.
Kagome shrugged. Oh well...I've tried... mentally comforting herself
as she turned around again.
Just when she was about the leave the place, a faint sound of rustling leaves
reached her ears, causing her to stop. What was that? she thought, looking
for the origin of the sound.
Her heart almost stopped beating when a small brown squirrel suddenly jumped
out of the bushes in front of her. Although it scared the hell out of her, she
managed to swallow most part of her scream and released a small squeak instead.
All of her shock vanished when she noticed the injury of the little fur-ball's
tiny leg.
The squirrel jumped backwards as Kagome knelt down in front of it.
"You poor thing...were you attacked or something?" she asked with
a gentle voice, stretching out her hand towards the little mammal.
The brown fur-ball replied her question by standing on all four legs and making
all of its hair stand up to make itself look bigger and more threatening.
Not even slightly surprised by its defensive behavior, Kagome continued to reach
out to the squirrel whispering: "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you."
Well, that was until the fur-ball suddenly lunged forward and caught her forefinger
with its sharp teeth, which could easily crack an acorn.
Kagome winced at the sudden attack and bit her lower lip when she felt the sharp
teeth digging into a cut that was still healing from her adventure yesterday.
When she realized that the squirrel wasn't letting go of her finger, she quickly
took the chance and stretched out her other hand to catch it before it could
escape.
The creature let go of her forefinger of shock and squirmed terrified under
her gentle yet firm grasp.
"Shh...shh...it's okay..." she reassured it, hoping to calm it down
a little. She slowly reached into her sleeve with her injured hand and pulled
out a small white handkerchief. She put a corner of it between her teeth while
holding onto the rest of the cloth. She began to pull at it, ripping it apart,
until a thin piece remained and threw the rest of the handkerchief onto the
grass. She took the thin piece from her mouth and started to wound it around
the injured leg of the struggling squirrel.
Because of the spastic movements, it took Kagome several tries to bandage it.
And after a couple of attempts, she succeeded in wounding the white cloth around
the little leg several times.
By the time she finished bandaging it, the little creature had finally stopped
its useless struggling.
"Done!" Kagome smiled as she released her grip and let the squirrel
stand on her open palm.
It didn't jump away immediately; instead, it sniffed her palm and stared at
her.
Kagome giggled and gently stroked its furry back with her other hand. "You're
free to go now, you know," she said with a wink and a smile.
Little did she notice the curious pair of golden orbs, which was watching her
from above.
~*~
His white dog-ears twitched when the sound of rustling leaves reached them.
Inuyasha slowly opened his eyes a little. Great...what is it this time...?
he groaned mentally.
His eyes opened fully when he heard the rustling sound again, followed by an
almost inaudible squeak from below. He frowned when a familiar scent caught
his nose. This scent...is it her...? he thought.
His gaze dropped to the floor below and his eyes widened. There she was...the
girl named after the flower, kneeling in front of the squirrel that he had smacked
off of his branch yesterday.
What is she doing? he wondered as he watched how she attempted to gain
the little pest's trust and failed.
Keh! Stupid girl! he smirked inwardly as he witnessed the pain written
all over her face.
His lips curled into a grin when he couldn't help but imagine how she was going
to punish the little pest for adding another scar to her bruised hand. But to
his surprise, she didn't even shower the fur-ball with curses. She's going
to bandage it!?? he thought dumbfounded as he watched her patiently trying
to wound the bandage around its leg.
As much as he wanted to feel disappointed, Inuyasha couldn't help but feel a
bit fascinated by the human girl's kindness. Is that what I am to her...?
Another...'injured' animal...? he thought inwardly when he saw the smile
on her face that matched the one she gave him yesterday, slightly annoyed at
thinking about the word of vulnerability. But he quickly shook off the thought.
Feh! Why do I even care what she thinks?! She doesn't even know me!!
When he came back to reality again, the next thing he knew was that his golden
orbs was staring straight into a pair of dark blue ones.
Apparently, the 'Keh!' that should have been spoken inwardly had escaped his
mouth beyond his knowledge.
The squirrel, which had been staying on Kagome's palm until now, immediately
jumped to the grass and disappeared into the bushes, as if it recognized the
one responsible for its wounded leg.
Just when Inuyasha had expected her to scream and run away, a wide smile surprised
him instead.
"Ohayoo!! Inuyasha!!" she greeted him cheerfully.
Not knowing how to respond to the sudden greeting, Inuyasha only released a
soft 'Feh!' and turned to lay on his other side with his back to her. I'll
just ignore her...she will leave... he thought to himself as he closed his
eyes, not knowing why he had to act that way. I guess you could say it was his
own unique way of defending himself against possible harm.
~*~
Why is he acting like that? Kagome wondered as she bowed to pick up her
handkerchief, or what was left of it. While she thought about it, she completely
forgot about her own injury and reached out the wrong hand towards the cloth.
"Ite!" she winced as the pain reminded her and dropped the handkerchief
as soon as she picked it up.
Kagome raised her hand to her eyes and examined the bite mark on her forefinger
with a pained expression.
Suddenly she felt a soft gush of wind and the next thing she knew was the silver
haired boy standing right in front of her within arm reach, with her handkerchief
in his clawed hand.
Not knowing what to say, she silently watched how the boy ripped off a thin
piece of the handkerchief using the same method as she did a while ago.
Her whole body froze when he suddenly grasped her hand with his, raising it
to the height of his eyes and began to wound the thin piece of cloth around
her forefinger, covering the bite mark.
She didn't notice it before, but the boy was actually not much taller than her.
Her cheeks turned slightly red when she suddenly realized how close they were
standing to each other. They became even redder when she felt the warmth that
transferred from his clawed hand to hers.
Kagome quickly suppressed her blush. When she shifted her gaze from her finger
to the silver-haired boy, she was relieved that he was only concentrating on
her forefinger and not on her while her blush was slowly beginning to fade.
He's got beautiful eyes... she thought mesmerized, not realizing that
she was actually staring into them.
~*~
Although Inuyasha had closed his eyes and decided to ignore her, he was still
following each of her actions with his ears.
When he heard the girl wince out in pain, he couldn't help but feel guilty and
partly responsible as he realized that the injuries on her hand were indirectly
caused by himself.
As if his body acted by itself, he had already jumped off the branch and picked
up the girl's handkerchief before he knew it.
[AN: Damn sentence!! Actually, this was the one causing the delay of posting
this chapter hehehe *blushes*. I had trouble rephrasing it when MS Word didn't
accept it. Thanks Kyia!! For helping me out!!]
As he began the bandaging, after he had ripped off a small piece of the cloth,
he wondered what the big deal was about him holding her hand. I mean, nobody
would be able to bandage the finger of a clumsy girl like her without holding
her hand in the process.
He knew the girl was blushing in deep shades of red, he could even smell the
nervousness coming from her but he ignored it and continued to finish what he
had thought to be his responsibility. Well, until the staring became too obvious,
that is.
What is she looking at...?! he growled inwardly as he began to feel uncomfortable.
Why is she staring at me like that?
~*~
It took Kagome several seconds to realize that the bandaging had stopped and
that the beautiful pair of golden eyes was looking straight into hers instead
of her half-bandaged forefinger.
She immediately dropped her gaze to her wooden sandals. "G-gomen!"
she stuttered as blood gushed up to her cheeks once again.
Without saying anything, Inuyasha continued the bandaging again and eventually
finished it.
"T-thank you," Kagome said as she felt his grip on her hand disappear.
When she looked up from her finger, she realized that the silver-haired boy
had turned around to walk away already.
She frowned. Why is he shutting himself off like that...? she mused.
Yes...this question was truly bothering her now.
When he was looking at me...there was this great deal of annoyance and impatience
in those eyes of his but...it was more like a barrier of some sort...a smokescreen...as
if he was hiding some feelings that he doesn't want other to know about...
Kagome narrowed her eyes. And I can swear I saw a glimpse of guilt and sadness
in them.
"Wait!" she halted him and ran after him.
Inuyasha stopped walking, causing her to almost bump onto him, but he didn't
turn around.
"Euhm...do you like the flower I gave you?" she asked.
A moment of silence passed before he finally replied coolly. "I don't hate
it."
Kagome's eyes glowed. "Great!! I knew you would like it!!!" she cheered
happily.
Inuyasha was surprised once again. What the...? I didn't__ He wanted
to tell her that she was wrong but when he turned around and saw the girl's
happy face, he just couldn't do it. He hate to admit it, but there was something
about this girl that's starting to create ripples in his personal barrier he
made to keep others away.
"Ne Inuyasha?" Kagome suddenly spoke, cutting off his train of thoughts.
"Do you come here often?" she asked, hoping to lure him into a conversation.
When he didn't reply, she suddenly started talking herself. "I do,"
she smiled as she pivoted on one foot and started walking towards the creek.
"I like the forest very much. It's more fun than to stay at home and learn
how to sew or act like a lady. Out here I can do what I want to do and be who
I want to be."
~*~
Inuyasha didn't know why he didn't walk away and left the girl with her almost
endless story.
Somehow, she made him feel as if she was translating HIS thoughts into audible
words. Maybe it was because she had the same motives as he for being out here.
I guess we're a bit of the same huh? he thought, but he quickly denied
it. No! he screamed at himself, jerking away his gaze at the same time.
What are you doing!! You moron!! he scolded himself. Are you going
to let yourself be hurt again?? It happened before...remember???
[FLASHBACK]
A much younger version of Inuyasha appeared in his memory. He was sitting on
the same old branch again with his back leaning against the main branch of his
favorite tree. His eyes were closed but he didn't seem to be sleeping.
He wasn't alone. There was another person, a girl. She was sitting at the base
of the tree and leaning against the trunk. She was dressed in a white yukata
with red sakura blossoms embroidered on it along the edges. Her black hair made
a small wave when she suddenly jumped to her feet and leaned against the tree
again with both of her hands functioning as a cushion between her bottom and
the hard trunk.
"We'll always be together...won't we Inuyasha?" she asked with a soft
voice.
"Ah." he replied, without opening his eyes or moving an inch.
A giggle escaped the girl's mouth as she looked up to the blue sky. "We'll
always come here and play together...right?"
"Ah." was his cool reply again.
This time the girl pushed herself away from the trunk and looked up at the boy
up in the tree with her hands on both sides of her waist. "Mou...can't
you respond a bit gentler?" she pouted annoyed.
Inuyasha finally opened his eyes and looked down at the girl, his golden orbs
meeting the dark gray ones. Although he didn't admit it, but this girl had miraculously
managed to penetrate and find a place inside his personal barrier.
It wasn't love, he knew that, but he was truly fond of her. She always treated
him like an equal and she trusted him. But most of all...she made him trust
her.
But then one day...she left. He never found out why, because she didn't even
leave a note or something like that. No, she just stopped coming to their meeting
place, just like that.
He just waited and waited, day after day, but she never came.
And finally, about a half-year later, he heard a rumor about her family having
moved out of their shrine and gone to a faraway city, which he didn't even bother
to remember the name of.
Ever since that day, he said to himself...never to trust anybody again.
[END FLASHBACK]
It's already been two years since...but I'm not going to trust anybody again...not
now...not ever... he thought determined.
Without realizing it, he ended up mumbling the last couple of words of his thoughts.
"What did you say...?" Kagome asked, turning to him.
"Nothing." he replied coolly.
A disappointed expression appeared on her face. Not that I have expected
something else...but still... she thought. I just wish I knew how to
make him open up a little...
Her thoughts were cut when Inuyasha suddenly spoke again. "You should go
home and wash that wound, you are mistaking if you think that that handkerchief
of yours will do the trick."
With that said, he turned around and walked away.
If he had kept his eyes just a little longer on the girl, he would have been
able to see the astonished look she was giving him.
Kagome just stood there and watched Inuyasha disappear into the woods. Well...it's
a start... she smiled inwardly.
~*~ that night ~*~
Why did he have to say something like that? It's not that he cared about her...he
doesn't even know her.
Inuyasha tossed and turned on his bed as he kept pondering about it.
Then he turned to look at the blue flower on his nightstand, which had started
to glow again. Strangely enough, his body relaxed as he stared at the beauty
of it.
Maybe... he gave in, finally being able to close his eyes as sleep slowly
claimed him. ...maybe I just didn't want to see her disappointed face...
Like it? Found a mistake? Let me know with a review okay? Thanks in advance!!
Please look forward to the next chapter!!
Oh by the way, if you're looking for an interesting Rurouni Kenshin x Inuyasha
crossover, I'd recommend "In every age" written by Kyia Star. She's
a good author ^-^. Other recommendations? Just look at my "favorite stories"
list and you'll find them!
Next chapter: It's not your fault
~*~
\\"And your mother? What is she like?" she asked, almost instantly
regretting it as she saw the flash of pain in his golden eyes.//
\\"You must be missing her a lot, don't you?"//
\\"Just because I'm acting kind towards you, doesn't mean you can pry into
my personal life!!"//
\\Not caring about the fact that he was actually taking away her chance to defend
herself against his words, he dashed into the forest.//
\\"I-Inuyasha?" (...) "W-what are you doing here?! Go away!!
Leave me alone!!"//
~*~
Vocabulary:
hai: yes
ohayoo: good morning
ne: hey
ite: ouch
mou: geez
ah: sort of like 'yeah'
gomen: I'm sorry
REPLIES ON REVIEWS:
Niomi Twilight: Hahaha never really thought of that one before, but hey!
Thanks!! It's really encouraging ^-^! Oh by the way, I've added you to my mailing
list so you can expect an email from me whenever I update, hope you won't mind
that.
Kagura wind fairy: Thank you very much!! Although I don't really mind
readers not reviewing my story after reading, but still...it's good to know
how many people are actually reading it ^-^.
Fire Kitsune Goddess: Thanks for telling me! Oh by the way, I've added
you to my mailing list (as you might alreadyhave noticed hehehe).
Kyia: Thanks!! I've added you to my mailing list. And thanks for telling
me. About the movie...all I know is that it's already showing in the Cinema's
of Japan, but it won't be downloadable till October or November...at least not
the good versions (DVD-versions) coz I'm not really waiting for the ones who
are recorded illegally in a Cinema ^-^. As far as I know through experience,
movies of Inuyasha tend only to be downloadable about one year after it has
been showed in the Cinema's in Japan. Quite logical if you think of how long
people usually wait until they actually sell DVD's of movies and animes.
Guardian-of-the-night: Thanks! I'll try to update as soon as possible!
~*~
Lots of greets
~Kittymui~
Posted: 25 January 2004
Last Edited: 25 January 2004
Spelling check: YES