Author's Note: My sincere apologies for not updating this sooner, but I was sort of busy and had just come back from writer's block. Those who read my Rurouni Kenshin fics know that I'm currently updating those fics as well and they're much longer than this, so therefore it's going to take longer for me to write them. Thank you all for being so patient and reviewed! I nearly forgot about this fic if it wasn't for a fan who emailed me a reminder! So I thank you, Neo-Crystal!
Chapter Four: Adjusting
Kagome sensed Inuyasha coming back, and quickly got to her feet to open the hut door for him. It seemed that her ability to sense others coming near her had grown, and she was sure that her power to find the jewel shards had also increased. She knew that adjusting to being a hanyou would be odd at first, but she also knew that she was going to be able to make the most of it while she was stuck this way.
"At least you aren't slow to react anymore," said Inuyasha in his regular annoyed tone as he entered the small hut, an old rag over his right shoulder as he closed the door behind him.
The new hanyou only growled at him as she followed Inuyasha into the hut.
"You could at least not act so distant anymore! We're both hanyous now, you know," stated Kagome as she sat cross legged in the hut across from the other hanyou as he moved aside the rag to the floor.
"I'm acting the way I always act! Maybe it's you that needs to adjust," snapped Inuyasha.
The two hanyous glared at each other before snapping their heads the other way and ignoring one another.
"If you don't want to eat, then you can starve for all I care!" yelled Inuyasha as he opened the rag to reveal corn, radishes, fruits, and yams.
Kagome had to fight herself from punching the guy across the face from acting so arrogant, but the sound of her stomach growling stopped her. She only blushed when she heard Inuyasha laugh at her.
"Oh shut up!" crowed Kagome as she threw one of her shoes at his face, and only growled when her companion dodged it.
Crossing her arms over her chest angrily, she narrowed her eyes at the laughing half dog demon.
"Just hurry up and eat so we can leave," said Inuyasha, his voicing a bit gentle as if he had felt that she was punished enough and threw her the rest of the contents in the rag.
"Aren't you going to eat though? And where are we going?" asked Kagome confused when she easily caught the worn bag.
"I ate before I got here, and just hurry up and eat so we can leave this place," said Inuyasha as he moved his hands into his sleeves.
"But where and why are we leaving here? It's peaceful and nice, I haven't sensed a youkai or any shards of the Shikon no Tama," stated Kagome as she began to chew on an apple that she had received from Inuyasha.
"Which is why we're leaving, as a hanyou you can sense the jewel shards better and we'll be able to collect more of shards with both of our abilities. We might as well gather the shards while we're waiting for you to transform back into a human; it's better not to waste your abilities," said Inuyasha as he quickly stood and made his way to the door of the hut.
Kagome only nodded as she finally realized that she wasn't going to be able to enjoy her powers as she thought she would be. Though there really was no point in wasting time like Inuyasha said, they had to get the shards before Naraku did. Gulfing down the rest of her lunch, she suddenly appeared beside Inuyasha and was ready to go. She only cocked her head at him when he only stared at her in what seemed like disgust.
"What?" shouted Kagome, she didn't like the way he was staring at her, it made her feel dirty.
"The clothes that you're wearing don't match well with your transformation," stated Inuyasha as he looked at her, it really didn't look right.
"But I always wear this," said Kagome as she looked at herself.
"When you were human; I'll wait outside as you change."
"Into what?" asked Kagome; her voice rising to indicate that she really didn't have any other clothes but the ones on her to change out of.
"These," said Inuyasha as he moved a clawed hand into a sleeve and produced a kimono similar to the one that she had worn on her first day in the Feudal Era, the one like Kikyo's.
"Where….? Never mind, just get out!" barked Kagome as she pushed him out and took the clothing into her hands.
~*~*~*~
Inuyasha only snorted as he stalked out into the woods and easily jumped into a tree. He needed to rest his mind at what had just happened and the questioned that whirled around in his head, but he knew his duty was to get the shards before Naraku did. Though whenever the others had thought about what they were going to do once they finished the Shikon no Tama, he always managed to avoid the subject.
He had been so sure when he first laid eyes on the jewel and heard about it that he was going to use its power to become a full youkai, but when he met Kikyo his mind changed…. But he changed his mind again once she had imprisoned him in that tree. Now that he had met Kagome, he wanted to change his mind again. He had always changed the subject because he himself had no idea what he really wanted. When he finally felt the power of his youkai half, he had been scared that he wouldn't be able to control his powers and attack his friends. And to change to a youkai for the rest of his life, he was risking himself in killing all of them before going insane.
Sighing at his confused thoughts, he scanned the area for at least the umpteenth time that he had arrived here; he had learned never to underestimate an enemy, especially after Kagome had nearly died from the last demon they had encountered.
Clenching his fists out of rage, he scolded himself for not being able to protect her from being attacked. He hated feeling weak; hated the feeling of being helpless and not able to fight back.
"Inuyasha, I'm done!" shouted a gentle voice from below, snapping him out of his dark thoughts.
Jumping down to the teenager, he couldn't help but smile when he saw her in those clothes. It wasn't because she was in the same clothes as Kikyo, but because she looked gorgeous. Her white mane falling over her shoulder like a silk waterfall as her amber depths shined like gold, and her smooth skin glistening in the sun.
"Inuyasha?" asked Kagome as she shifted uncomfortably under the hanyou's gaze.
"Huh? It took you long enough! Let's get going," said Inuyasha as he crouched down to let her get on his back as he usually did, but mentally slapped himself as he remembered that she was a hanyou now.
Kagome only chuckled as she watched the frustrated hanyou before her.
"Let's just go!" said Inuyasha as he led the way.
"Right behind you!" cried Kagome as she raced after him.
~*~*~*~
"I'm still not sure if it really was Inuyasha, or just another weak youkai," said Miroku as he and the others sat around the fire in Kaede's hut.
"Lord Inuyasha's scent was clearly visible, yet it wasn't. Something must have happened if his scent changed so much," said Myouga the flea demon as he hopped on Kirara's forehead as the small demon like creature nodded in agreement.
"What could have possibly happened to Inuyasha and Kagome?" asked Shippo anxiously; he really had a bad feeling from the two being away from so long.
"Ye must believe in the two and that they will be alright," said Kaede as she sat before the fire and stirred the stew in the black kettle on top over the open fire.
"We know that Inuyasha can take care of himself, but Kagome is another story. She must have been badly injured from all the blood that was found in the battle area," said Sango worriedly; her face reflecting the other occupants of the hut.
"Ye must not worry about Kagome if Inuyasha is with her," said Kaede as she looked up from cooking lunch.
"We all know Inuyasha wouldn't let anything happen to Kagome, but I guess that we're all worried about the fact that Inuyasha is without Tetsusaiga and can transform into a full youkai," said Miroku as his features darkened at the thought.
"Kagome was able to stop him all those times before!" stated Shippo as he jumped up and down; the Tetsusaiga placed towards the flap of the hut.
"But Kagome wasn't as injured all those times," pointed out Sango as she moved a hand to Kirara's back as if to comfort herself.
"There has to be some way to make sure that she's alright!" cried Shippo as he looked towards the monk and the demon exterminator who only fell silent without an answer.
"Ye must be patient," said Kaede as she calmed the anxious kitsune down.
"I just hope that Kagome won't get any worse than she already is," said Shippo, the rest of the group nodding in agreement.
~*~*~*~
"I beat you!" shouted Kagome with glee as she got to the end of the forest before the other hanyou, her silver mane flying in the air as she turned to face the exasperated Inuyasha that followed her.
"You shouldn't be celebrating so soon, you haven't beaten me because I wasn't even trying!" snapped Inuyasha as he rolled his eyes as she stuck out her tongue.
"I guess you're right…. After all you've been a hanyou longer than me…. But Inuyasha?" asked Kagome a bit nervously as she intertwined her fingers and looked at the ground, her face growing crimson.
"What?" asked Inuyasha as he moved back a bit uncomfortably as he saw her blush grow; he wasn't so sure that he wanted to answer her question.
"I-I…. How do you…. I don't know how to ask," said Kagome as she bent her head and avoided eye contact with the half demon before.
"Then don't ask!" snapped Inuyasha as he brushed passed her.
"Wait up! Answer me this before you start off with your rampage to ignore me, why didn't you ever tell me that your scent was on me?" asked Kagome as she caught up with him, and nearly rammed into the hanyou's back as he stopped.
"What?!" asked Inuyasha as he twirled around and nearly smacked into her forehead.
"Well…. I know that I'm new at this and that I'm not really sure about how to use my new abilities, but I'm pretty sure that my scent isn't the only thing on me," said Kagome as she lightly blushed from his intense gaze.
Inuyasha only looked at her confused, he couldn't tell if his scent was on her and his sense of smell was far superior to her new ones. Looking at her chocolate eyes, he took in her essence and didn't find a hint of his scent anywhere. The hanyou only cocked his eyebrow at her in questioning. She was obviously hallucinating scents or was confusing that his scent was on her from their time together.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" snapped Kagome as she took a step back and glared at the hanyou.
"My scent isn't on you Kagome…. It's the same as it always was since you came to Era," said Inuyasha as he looked at her seriously.
Kagome was about to question him further, but decided against it. She was new at this, and her nose was probably telling her wrong information. But a part of her wasn't so sure about that. It seemed that Inuyasha had marked her, but why would he? Kagome only blushed deeper as her mind began to come up with solutions as to why he would.
"Women!" said Inuyasha aggravated as he threw up his hands and walked on ahead.
"Hey, can't you at least wait?" called Kagome as she easily caught up with him.
"You're a hanyou now; you won't ever have to worry about not being able to catch up with me for as long as you're in this form," snapped Inuyasha as he walked faster, causing Kagome to pick up her pace to be side to side with him.
"Why are you so grouchy all of a sudden," asked Kagome when she caught up.
"Why am I grouchy?" asked Inuyasha in a silent tone as he suddenly stopped his voice no more than a whisper.
Kagome took a step back uncomfortably; there was something weird about Inuyasha today but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She gasped when Inuyasha turned around with ruby red eyes and two violet claw marks on either side of his cheeks, his grin causing her to take a step back in fear. Her heart pounding in her ears as she saw his claws come together and his eyes staring at her form; she did the only thing that she could think of, she ran.
Her mind began to race as she realized that Inuyasha's sword was missing, and as long as he was without it she was going to be in open victim to his demon half. Using her new speed, she ran as fast as she could to get away from the demon. She knew that there was something wrong with Inuyasha, but she never thought that it was the fact that Inuyasha's other half was becoming more powerful the longer that he was without Tetsusaiga.
I've got to get back to the other! But where are they? Thought Kagome as she felt the youkai catching up with her; she had to get Tetsusaiga back to Inuyasha before he went insane and killed everything in his path until he died.
"How long do you tend to run miko?" asked a deep and powerful voice ahead of her, the sound ringing through her ears like thunder.
Kagome let out a high pitched scream as she slowed down as she realized that the youkai was just beside her and grinning. Stopping, she moved to run back the other way but rammed right into something hard and warm. Looking up, her heart stopped as she stared into deadly crimson eyes.
Before she could try anything, powerful clawed hands clamped onto her elbows and stopped her from moving and saying anything to harm the demon. If he went down, she was going to go with me.
"I-Inuyasha," whispered Kagome as she tried to get through to him, her amber eyes begging him to remember her and let her go.
"Why do you run away from me?" asked the demon, his voice almost sounding as if he were hurt.
"Have you always understood me?" asked Kagome as she cocked her head at him, a bit curious.
"Yes. I can always understand you; can always feel you with me," said Inuyasha as he released one of her elbows and touched her cheek with his claws but careful not to scratch her, feeling her smooth skin against calloused hands.
Kagome was speechless as she saw his eyes open up to her, felt him as a real live creature like she always had, but now she was sure of it. She was confident that even if Inuyasha was turned into a full youkai, he was still a creature with emotions, not a killing machine. He had a heart, and she could hear it beating like her own, could see clearly than ever before that he really was a part of Inuyasha. Even if he was the hanyou's darker half, he was still a part of him.
"Then why, why do you kill?" asked Kagome, burning tears welling up in her eyes as she looked at him; her free hand moving to go over his own tense ones. She hated that he would kill, that he'd kill anyone that got in his way, kill those that begged for their lives; she couldn't handle it to see him as a cold hearted killer when he really wasn't.
"It's all instinct; just like the instincts that are telling me to finish my claim on you," whispered the demon into her ears hotly, causing the teenager to blush a deep shade of red at his straight forwardness.
Kagome suddenly grew angry as she glared back up at him; did he really think that she would just let him claim her as if she were an object? Well he was madly mistaken; there was no way she was going to allow him to claim her from under her nose, even if a part of her knew that she wanted him to. But she wasn't going to allow him without a fight. It was either her new hanyou instinct that was making her think this way, or just her anger thinking for her; either way she was going to make him that he really wanted her, and not because she looked like Kikyo, or use to anyways, or because of the lust that she saw in his eyes.
"You won't be able to fight me, even if you wanted to," said the youkai as he revealed his sharp fangs, his body moving closer to her in a predatorily way.
~*~*~*~
A/N: That's all for now, and I probably will update this in a few weeks if my new school will allow me and I have to get use to my new home. Since well I'm an exchange student from America to France now! Right now I'm probably on a plane to France; I had a friend update this for me since I left this fic at home. The rest will be from France!
Je vous espère tout apprécié ce chapitre!