Chapter nine- revisited pain ****

Kagome stared at him. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard him speak her name. Slowly she rise to her feet, using the Goshinboku to brace herself. She leaned against the tree, holding her hands at her chest. Inuyasha stepped forward towards her. She closed her eyes, half wishing half not that he was an illusion or dream. She waited a few moments then opened them. Inuyasha was so close that she could smell his scent and stare into his golden eyes. "Your not real." They both told themselves in their minds. Kagome felt his touch on her arm and knew that he was real. She felt pain in her heart and couldn't stop the tears from coming. Silently they fell down her cheek. Inuyasha wrenched up and wiped a tear away, letting his hand caress her tear stained cheek. She leaned into his touch, closing her eyes. She felt his hand slide down her arm and pull her closer to him. She couldn't stop more tears from falling. Her body felt numb at his touch. She had longed and feared this moment. She slowly raised a hand, gripping the sleeve of Inuyasha's kimono. She opened her eyes and Inuyasha's face was so close to hers that she could smell his sweet breath.
His nose almost touched her and he tilted his head to the side, leaning in he kissed her. Both pain and happiness flooded her. Despite everything she had told herself. How she was not going to break down. That if she saw him again she would not allow herself to be overwhelmed with love. Despite all she had told herself she gave into the kiss and kissed him back. After a few moments Inuyasha was the one to break this kiss. He pulled her into a tight hug. He held her tightly as if he thought that if he was to let go she would disappear. He missed the sweet taste of her kiss and the scent filling his nose. Kagome gripped him just as tightly. Not wanting this moment to fade. As everything this moment came to an end. Inuyasha pulled back and ran a hand over her cheek. He couldn't believe how beautiful she was, how grown up. Though he noticed her eyes held deep sorrow with in them. She seemed different Inuyasha could sense it. He moved the hair from her face, letting his hand linger at her cheek. He gave her a quick sweet kiss. One last time taking in her taste and scent.
The moonlight now shinned over them and the stars twinkled above. Kagome couldn't believe how quickly her defenses fell down with just one kiss. All these years she had shielded herself from love and tried to harden her heart to numb the pain. She had dreamed about this moment over and over again. Happiness and agony now filled her. It hurt to touch him to see him. Her heart ached. But at the same time it filled her with happiness and relief. She waited. Waited for the question that would end this perfect moment. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ray told Miroku and Sango he needed to find Shippou. That wasn't a lie but not the entire truth. He wanted to find his uncle Shippou and have Shippou help to find Serenity. He hurried to the place he left Shippou at. The village. Only when he got there he couldn't sense the teenage kitsune. He did on the other hand spot a woman in a priestess kimono and bowed respectively. She didn't even seem to notice him standing there, much less bow. He noticed when he finally looked at her face, that she seemed vaguely familiar. He shook it off and continued to walk. He came upon Lady Kaede hut and knocked. "enter." He heard a raspy voice say. He entered and immediately bowed at the door. "Oh, Ray child it is you." Kaeda said as she added some wood to the dying fire. "Lady Kaede, do you know of where I can find Shippou?" Ray asked. Silence. "I believe you shall find young Shippou at your hut. He said he was going there the last I spoke with him after you ran off." Ray bowed and thanked Kaede and rushed out of the hut, running full speed to his hut.
He pushed back some branches and came to see his hut. Standing outside the door was Shippou. He had his arms crossed and his eyes closed. A smug look on his face. Ray approached him quietly. At first thinking he was asleep but saw that he was tapping his foot against the side of the hut. "What took you so long to find me?" Shippou asked, not bothering to open his eyes or even tilt his head Ray's way. Ray shook his head but said nothing. Shippou pushed off from the wall, stretching. "I've had time to take a nap and play with Sasami. It seems I have not trained you well enough." Ray smiled as the Kitsune opened his eyes and smirked. "Starting tomorrow we will get back to your training." Shippou informed him. Ray brushed that off and looked inside. Sasami was playing with Kirara. He closed the door quietly as not to grab Sasami's attention. He turned back to Shippou. "I need your help." He said. Shippou rolled his eyes. "What else is new..what is it?" Ray pulled him away from the door so Sasami wouldn't hear.
"I need you to help me find the hanyou that was in the village earlier. Serenity." Shippou quirked a brow at him. "On first name basis. Yeah why do you need me to find her?" Ray told him what happened with Inuyasha and Serenity's battle and how she was wounded badly and how Miroku stopped Inuyasha from killing her. "That bad huh?" Shippou said at last. He said nothing after but looked to be deep in thought. After a few moment he nodded his head and agreed. He closed his eyes and tried to sense her. Ray heard a gasp a few moments later. Shippous eyes flew open in horror or astonishment Ray wasn't sure. "Shippou what is it?" He asked stepping in front of him. "I-it c..cant be." Was all Shippou could muster at first. Ray raised a hand and slapped Shippou across the face. Shippou still stared wide eyed at the forest. "Shippou? Did you sense her?" Ray asked shaking him. "N-no not...her." Shippou said after a few moments. He then raised from his sitting position and ran to the hut. He flew opened the door and stared at Kirara. They didn't speak a word, but it seemed they didn't have to.
Ray, who stood next to Shippou at the door, looked from Kirara to Shippou and back to Kirara once more. Kirara immediately ran to the door, slipping under Rays feet and outside. She stopped a few feet away from the hut and stared at the forest. Sasami came up behind Ray and tugged on his robe. He looked down and picked her up so she could see what was happening. They heard Kirara give a sigh and a happy meow and turn back to Shippou. "So I was right." Was all Shippou said as he took off running towards the forest. "Shippou!" Ray yelled. Kirara transformed into her large neko form and Ray jumped onto her back with Sasami still in his arms. Kirara took off full speed with Shippou. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Serenity could feel her wounds beginning to heal and gave a sigh. She was regaining her strength fast and could move around some now. Narahiko watched her from the other side of the cave. He noted she seemed to be healing faster then he thought she would. He looked down at what he was doing. He had a lotus flower torn to pieces and was smashing it with a rock, trying to get most of its nectar out. He had a cauldron over the fire, a small one. The liquid inside was an Erie green color with black swirls. Floating in there where eyes and other youkai parts. As well as many other flowers. It smelled horrible and Serenity wrinkled her nose at is and made her way over to him. "Narahiko what is that?" She asked pointing at the liquid. "That.is a.remedy." He said rather hesitant. "It can heal any wounds and save you an inch from death." He said as he poured the nectar into it as well as the lotus petals.
"Give it a few minuets and it will be ready then you will not have to wait to heal and can take revenge on that.Inuyasha." Narahiko said. Serenity nodded and leaned back against the wall of the cave, crossing her legs and arms. Narahiko looked at her. "You seem to be angry.but not entirely at Inuyasha. What is it that angers you so?" He asked. "Feh." Serenity said and looked away. She gave a sigh and decided to tell him. "It.its my mother." She said. Narahiko nodded. "Go on.." "Well.she never trusts me, I mean I'm old enough to be trusted." Serenity said as she rose to her feet and started to pace. "I mean its not even that she lied to me about my father its that she didn't trust me enough with the truth to tell me anything. I always though he had left her after finding out about me..she wouldn't tell me anything so I had to come up with things on my own. I figured he was a youkai or hanyou I mean how else would I be a hanyou...but that fact that she has lied to me from day one and not trusted me enough to let me know the truth..i just feel as if she has betrayed me." Serenity gave an exhausted sigh when she finally finished.
Narahiko nodded. "I totally understand..like you I was betrayed by a love one, then to loose her not soon after." Narahiko stopped, staring the liquid. Serenity smiled. "It seems we have some things in common." She set back down and crossed her legs, looking at him. 'hes not bad looking. Very handsome in fact.' She told herself and blushed some. "Its ready." Narahiko said at last. He took it from the fire and poured some of it into a small bowl. He gave it to Serenity, who looked at it skeptical. She smelled it. "It smell terrible." She said wrinkling her nose once more. "Just drink it.its good for you." Narahiko said. "All right..if your sure." She pinched her nose and put the bowl to her lips, taking it all in one gulp. Narahiko's eyes glinted evilly as she drank, a sinister smile crossing his face. 'it has begun.' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just as Kagome expected that was Inuyasha next move. "Kagome.." Inuyasha said, thinking. trying to find the right words to say. "Kagome where have you been all these years? I've waited for you and tried to get to you but I couldn't.. Why did you leave? Why couldn't I get through the well?" Kagome closed her eyes at these questions, letting a single tear drop. She tried to put up her wall again. She didn't know what she was going to say to these questions. All these years she had stayed away from the well. Trying not even to think about it, little by little losing herself in her memories. She realized then that she couldn't very well blame Serenity for running away to this time. She never even took the time to tell Serenity even a little bit about Inuyasha, even his name. She opened her mouth to speak but her words caught in her throat. She turned away, tears falling more rapidly down her cheeks.
"Inuyasha.. Please, dont..dont ask." Kagome said letting go of his kimono and turning away. Inuyasha looked at her, he felt her tremble and heard her small sobs. He placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her around, gripping her arms with so much strength she couldn't break away. "Kagome tell me! Why did you leave..why did you go away without a word?!" Kagome lowered her head, not wanting to meet his penetrating stare. She tried to harden her heart against him, and managed to a little. "What do you want me to say Inuyasha?" She asked rising her head, her eyes narrowing as some tears fell. Inuyasha looked at her a little surprised. 'Her eyes.they are not as they were.' "Kagome." Kagome looked away. "Inuyasha.please just dont.please." She whispered. Inuyasha pulled her into another hug. "Kagome. I just need to know.why did you leave me?" He asked Kagome could hear some frustration and rage in his voice as he asked. Kagome pulled back, getting anger herself.
"Inuyasha what do you want me to say?! Do you want me to say the reason I left was I didn't love you?" Kagome couldn't stop herself from saying that, and regretted it immediately from the look in Inuyasha's eyes. But..most reluctantly she decided to go with it. If she could prove to Inuyasha that she didn't care for him anymore maybe it wouldn't hurt for her to leave again. No matter how she destroyed her heart in the process. "Inuyasha I." She couldn't finish the sentence. For at that moment a figure darted out of the bushes, stopping dead at the sight of Inuyasha and Kagome. "K-Kagome.." He said. Kagome stared at him surprise. Kirara showed up a moment later with Ray and Sasami on her back. Kagome stared at the kitsune, looking him up and down. "Sh-Shippou?" She said. He nodded and poofed into his little form, the form she new when she left. He ran straight at her, jumping up and burring his face into her kimono. "Kagome your back!" He squealed. Kagome hugged him. "oh Shippou.." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG! YOUVE HAD TO WAIT A FEW DAYS FOR THIS CHAPTER. INUYASHA FINALLY FINDS KAGOME AND WHAT DOES SHE DO! ::shakes head:: SORRY I HAD TO DO THAT. OH! IM SO HAPPY! ::does happy dance:: I GOT PASS MY WRITTERS BLOCK FOR THIS STORY! IVE HAD IT FOR ABOUT A MONTH AND YESTERDAY I FINISHED A CHAPTER! YOU WONT SEE THE CHAPTER FOR A WEEK OR SO BUT I THINK ITS THE BEST ONE I HAVE WRITTEN SO FAR! THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO ARE REVEIWING AND ALL MY LOYAL READERS! NOW TO ANSWER A FEW OF YOUR QUESTIONS!

ZSilver- Sorry this one took so long, but I will be updating more or less every few days. Lol I dont like school very much either but its a necessary torture so I deal with it. Of course I freak most people out but that is beside the point. ^_^ your welcome for the shout out and if you have any questions about my story please feel free to ask. ^_^ thanks for reading a reveiwing.

Princess of Darkness and me- ah! A loyal reader! ^_^..you catch on quick. Just between you and me.. ::whispers:: yes..BUT SH! Dont tell no one. I had thought about Kagome 'sitting' Inuyasha once she sees him but I couldnt do that to everyone's favorite hanyou! Ill try to update more and thanks for reading and reveiwing!

NOW THAT THAT IS OUT OF THE WAY, THANKS TO ALL FOR REVIEWING AND I WONDER IF ANYONE ACUALLY READERS MY AN'S. ;; ANYHO I HAVE ANOTHER STORY OUT THERE, AND I DONT WANT IT TO SEE LIKE IM ADVERTSING IT (WHICH I AM) BUT I HOPE YOU ALL LIKE ITS.ITS CALLED SHADOWSCURSE. ITS MAINLY ABOUT MY OWN CHARACTER AND MY FRIENDS BUT ITS HAS INUYASHA AND SESSHOUMARU IN IT, ALONG WITH MIROKU. BE WARNED! IT IS AN AU (ALTERNAT UNIVERSE) JUST THOUGHT ID GIVE IT A TRY. ITS MAINLY WHAT ME AND MY FRIENDS RP WHEN WE GET A CHANCE. ::whispers:: I DID NOT ADVERTISE THIS. I DID NOT ADVERTISE THIS. ;; ;; OH AND FOR ALL YOU TRIGUN FANS I HAVE A FANFIC TO RECOMMEND. ITS CALLED CHEAKMATE::A SPIDERS BEAUTY. ITS A REALLY GOOD FANFIC. I THINK ITS RATED R. IF ITS NOT IT SHOULD BE! PLEASE REVIEW MORE TO GET FASTER UPDATES! TOODLES!
~SHADOW~