Kittychan: 'fiddling with a necklace' Hmmm.
Hinochan: 'fiddling with her new class ring' Hummm.
Inu-Yasha and Kagome: 'Eying them like bombs about to explode'
Kittychan and Hinochan: I WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD!!!!!!
Inu-Yasha and Kagome: 'jump five feet in the air'
Kittychan: Let's go! Story time everyone! Now, let's all gather around the chair and I'll read you a story. Okay, here goes. Once upon a time, there were two authoresses. They loved to write. One day they decided to write a story together. They wrote about a half human who fell in love with a human girl. However, there was one catch to the girls writing this story. THEY DIDN'T OWN A SINGLE CHARACTER!!! They had to exclaim that they did not own them. And we don't. They were property of Sunrise. And they all lived insanely ever after. The end.
Hinochan: 'Wipes tear away from eye' That was so b-b-b-beautiful, man. I can't stand it. 'sniff sniff' bawls with Kittychan, hugging each other
Kittychan: Those two authoresses are an inspiration to all of us! 'shniff shniff'
Inu-Yasha: Uh... oO... you ARE the authoresses.
Hinochan: I know. That's what makes it so... so...
Kittychan: Awe inspiring! 'cries'
Inu-Yasha: 'to audience' There's something wrond with them... seriously. And if you guys don't get us out of here soon, there's going to be something severely wrong with us too. So... you'll pick us up after the chapter, right? Good. Hurry up!
Kikyo's next week of guard seemed to last a lifetime. Winter was upon the village and she was bundling up a lot. Inu-Yasha didn't seem to notice the cold though. He never changed his attire. She wondered if he was going to grow a thick coat of fur like many animals did during the winter. The image of Inu-Yasha as a white ball of fur kept her amused during the long, harsh, cold days. Inu-Yasha's appearance didn't alter though, and neither did his determination to stay by her side during the long days. She seemed to be alone a lot more often during the winter. That was because many of the villagers didn't want to leave the warmth of their houses and didn't come for their guard until they absolutely had to. Inu-Yasha was able to relax more and come out of hiding more than usual. He would help her with different chores she had to do, or build fires for her if she got cold. Sometimes he would give her his red cloak if she needed extra support, assuring her that he himself was not cold. She never believed him, but, there was no arguing with this guy. Most of the time, he was simply there for emotional support. The burden of the Jewel was an onerous one, and Inu- Yasha wanted to help her carry it. It was an onerous burden that was forced upon her. She hadn't had any choice whatsoever, and she was okay with being the priestess that she was, but sometimes, it was just so hard. Inu-Yasha made that all better. Just having him around seemed to calm her nerves and relieve some stress.
However, finally, her days of guard were over, and she and Inu-Yasha met out on the field to relax on the sixth day. It was cold, but neither minded. Their company was enough. Inu-Yasha kept glancing over at Kikyo. He noticed her beauty even under all of the bundles that she wore. Nothing she wore seemed to dim her unearthly glow. His dog ears sat straight up on his head as a plethora of scents hit his acute sense of smell. One scent was unfamiliar. The others were unmistakably blood. He turned to Kikyo. "Something has slaughtered many humans. The massacre is less than two miles away."
Kikyo's eyes widened in horror. "The village! We need to get there now!!" she stood, grabbing her bow and slinging her quiver onto her back. She was about to take off running when Inu-Yasha grabbed her and pulled her onto his back. Without explanation, he jumped into the air, covering hundreds of feet in a single leap. He took many leaps, until the village was in sight. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with the village. The bloodshed was occurring at the shrine. Inu-Yasha took a mighty leap toward the shrine where a giant cat demon, standing about twenty feet tall, was cutting down man after man, trying to make his way to the shrine that held the priceless jewel.
Kikyo dropped off of his back as he passed the shrine, and he darted into a tree where he waited, making sure that he was there if she needed him. The demon didn't seem to notice her at first, but as soon as she caught his eye, he charged straight for her. She fired four arrows at him, which he quickly hit away. He shooed away humans until he was towering over Kikyo. He reached down and scooped her up in his giant hand. Inu-Yasha held his position. His entire body screamed at him to go save her, but he remained still. I have to wait! If I go out there without her calling for me, I could be putting her in more danger. He sat and watched. The only way to vent some of his frustration was growling. He did that without cease.
Kikyo felt her breath being squeezed out of her. She didn't know what to do. If she didn't escape, it would kill her and take the jewel. She got an idea and took in a deep breath. "Inu-Yasha!! Help!" she cried. It was loud enough that the hanyou would hear it, but quiet enough that the villagers could not.
Inu-Yasha heard Kikyo's quiet plea for help. You didn't need to tell him twice. He launched off the tree in the direction of the cat beast. He let a loud growl emit from his throat, catching the cat's attention. The cat turned around to face him, so that Inu-Yasha could plainly see Kikyo. He jumped onto his hand and pulled Kikyo from his grasp. He picked her up bridal style and was about to jump when he felt the cat's claws dig into his back, then pull across the small of his back. He screamed in pain, but held tightly to Kikyo as he jumped to the tree he had just left. He set Kikyo down on the branch and put a hand on his back.
"Inu-Yasha..." Kikyo managed to get out. Her lungs were craving more oxygen than they had gotten, and the cat beast had nearly squeezed the life out of her. "Are you... all right?" she wondered weakly.
"Kikyo!" Inu-Yasha turned around to face her and examined her face. "Are you all right? Did he break any bones?"
Kikyo would have laughed if it wouldn't cause her a lot of pain. "No. I'm okay. But... the jewel!" she cried as she saw the creature hunched over the shrine. He plunged his massive hand in and pulled out the minuscule sphere. He laughed and was abut to shove it in his mouth when Inu-Yasha jumped onto his arm and wrenched the jewel from his grasp. With his free hand, he readied an attack. YOU! You nearly killed Kikyo! You'll pay for what you've done!! Inu-Yasha's eyes glowed red for a second before he swiped his claws down the entire length of the creature's body, cleaving it in half as he had done to that alligator type demon those weeks ago.
Inu-Yasha landed gracefully on his feet, the jewel still in his hand. Kikyo descended the tree and stood, leaning against it. Inu-Yasha stared at the jewel nestled in his palm. This was all he needed to turn into a full demon. It was right in front of him. He looked up, and saw Kikyo. She was staring worriedly back at him.
Kikyo stared at Inu-Yasha. His orange eyes were fixated on the jewel. He may have been a man that she loved, but he was still half demon. Nothing assured her that he was not going to take off with the jewel. She made no moves for a long time. Finally, he looked up at her and slowly made his way toward her. He stopped when he was close enough that Kikyo could feel his breath on her face. He grasped her hand and brought it level with his own. He dropped the jewel into her small hand and backed away before disappearing into the trees of the forest. Kikyo stared after him. He does love me! Otherwise, he would have taken off with the jewel. That must have been so hard!
Kikyo didn't see Inu-Yasha for the rest of the day, but she knew that he was there. He just seemed a bit embarrassed, and maybe a bit miffed at himself for not keeping the jewel. But, he showed his feelings for her plain enough. However, she could not dwell on his troubles for long. She had her own to worry about. Unfortunately, the village men had seen Inu- Yasha, and were less than pleased that the demon seemed to be helping her. Luckily for her they never suspected that the two were in love, but she was still worried about him. At the end of the seventh day, Inu-Yasha finally gathered the guts to approach her. They sat on the snow-covered hill where they always did and simply enjoyed each other's company. They sat there for a few hours, before a few villagers appeared, and Inu-Yasha was forced to conceal himself. He soon came back down and sat a bit closer than he had before. Kikyo looked over at him and smiled. He looked at her, and gave her a look that seemed content. That was his version of a smile. The smile on her face soon weakened, as she asked the question that had been bugging her all week.
"Inu-Yasha?" The hanyou turned to look at her. "Yesterday, during the fight with that cat demon. You didn't take the Shikon Jewel. Why not? You had it right in your hand. You could have easily escaped, but, instead, you chose to give it back to me. Why is that?"
Inu-Yasha looked away. "Momentary insanity, that's all." Kikyo could tell he was joking. He continued. "Besides, even if I had tried to take it, I wouldn't have gotten very far. Your arrows would have stopped me before my feet left the ground." He threw her the very first smile she had ever gotten out of him. She loved his smile. She wished he would show it more often.
Winter passed and spring came. Soon, Kikyo and Inu-Yasha were seeing less and less of each other during her guard days. This just made them look forward to seeing each other at the end of each week. Kikyo thought about him all the time, as he did her. The more she thought, the more she figured that asking him to become human seemed like a good idea. On the third day of that week, she decided that she would ask him. And she did. At the end of the fifth day, she met him as she always did. They sat on the hill overlooking the village in silence for a long while before Kikyo sorted out her scattered thoughts and managed to bring up the issue.
"Inu-Yasha, have you ever given thought to using the Sacred Jewel for something other than turning into a full blooded demon?" she wondered.
He turned and gave her a look, but then spoke. "Not really. Why? What were you thinking of?"
"Well..." Kikyo trailed off. After a few tense seconds under his orange gaze, she spoke again. "What if you used it to... turn into a human?" she wondered. "Do you think you would be better or worse off for it?"
"Me... A human?" he asked staring at her.
"Sure you can. You're half human, after all. If the Sacred Jewel fell into the hands of a demon, its powers would greatly increase. But if it was used to turn you into a human, the Jewel would be purified and would probably cease to exist."
Inu-Yasha pondered this for a few minutes. Would that help him? He responded to her with his own question. "Then what would happen to you, Kikyo?"
Kikyo's spirits brightened. He was seriously thinking about it!! She looked over at the village. "My duty is to protect the jewel. Without the Jewel, I'd become an ordinary person. I'd live out the rest of my life as a normal woman." She answered. Inu-Yasha went silent again as he pondered the ups and downs of this. "If you really, seriously consider it, you need time to think. Why don't we meet at the river dock tomorrow? We can speak once again there. Maybe go on a boat ride. But for now, you must think. It is growing late and I must get some sleep. You get some sleep as well, Inu- Yasha." She turned to leave.
"Until morning, Kikyo." Inu-Yasha said quietly, his head still swimming around in the questions she had asked him.
"Until morning, Inu-Yasha." She smiled at him as she left.
You know why she asked you those questions, don't you? The little voice inside Inu-Yasha's head asked. She wants to be with you. Doesn't she? Inu- Yasha shook his head. Why would she want that? I'm not even all human! As if she'd want to live with me! He cried. She was saying that the whole time you were talking! Stupid! You love her, don't you?! Inu-Yasha's eyes widened. Of course! I love her with everything I've got! The other voice continued. If she asked you outright, do you love her enough to say yes? Inu-Yasha almost nodded. Of course I would! Then, I guess it wouldn't hurt to try. I need to tell her how I feel, but I haven't a clue how to do it!
Inu-Yasha thought no more. He longed for a human life with Kikyo. Or any life with her. If he could be with her, he would undergo any transformation required. It didn't matter to him. He would die for her. And it seemed as if his demon side was going to die for her. That didn't matter anymore. He would tell her tomorrow.
True to her word, Kikyo went to the dock of the river. She retrieved a boat, climbed in and peddled it downstream until she was out of sight of the village. At the bank, she met Inu-Yasha, loyally waiting for her. He climbed in and took the stick to paddle the boat. Kikyo sat in the back while Inu-Yasha stood up front propelling the craft. After a few minutes of silence, Kikyo spoke.
"You thought about my idea last night, did you?"
"Yes." Was her only answer.
"What are your thoughts on it?" she wondered, trying not to force the issue.
"I was simply thinking of how it would effect my life. All my life, I've been pretty much alone. That is due to my being half and half. Not quite anything definite. I wondered if becoming one or the other would solve my problem. I always thought so, but I never considered turning human instead of demon. That never seemed to be an option. My spirit seemed to demand respect and I thought the only way to get it was by force, becoming a demon." He answered as they neared an empty dock.
"Has that thought changed?" Kikyo wondered.
"Yes. Last night I thought if the demanded respect would truly make me happy. To be honest, I'm not sure if it would." Inu-Yasha stopped the boat by the dock and got out, turning and watching as Kikyo began to climb out. She put one foot on the wooden dock, but when she brought her other foot up, it caught on the side and she fell forward. Inu-Yasha held up the pole that he used to steer and propel the boat horizontally and caught her as she fell against his chest. Inu-Yasha looked at her eyes. Her love for him was sparkling brighter than ever in her rich brown eyes. Inu-Yasha had never had any second doubts on his actual answer, but now, he had no second thoughts about telling her. He dropped the stick and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, holding her close. Kikyo gasped quietly, before Inu- Yasha spoke.
"The truth is Kikyo," he started quietly, "I would destroy my demon side any day if I could be with you. I know that now, and I'm sorry it took me so long to realize it. I do love you. I want you to know that."
Kikyo smiled widely and grabbed him as well, returning his hug. "I love you too, Inu-Yasha. I hope you already know that. Thank you so much."
The two sat there, not moving, holding each other close. Inu-Yasha didn't even move when he heard Kaede approach. Kikyo heard her too, but she didn't move either. Kaede looked at the two and gasped quietly. Kikyo and Inu- Yasha broke their embrace and turned to see Kaede. Kikyo approached her younger sister and put a hand on her shoulder. "Kaede..."
"Sister, what are you doing? You must understand what he is. He is half demon. He will turn on you as soon as the jewel is near. You mustn't be near him so much." Kaede cut her off and spoke quietly and with an edge of fear in her voice.
"Kaede, I love him, and he loves me. There is nothing to worry about. He is going to use the sacred Jewel to turn into a human so that we won't have to worry about him being dangerous." She answered, smiling warmly.
"Kikyo, how can you be sure that he will use it in that way? He is wild and untamed." She answered, still not excepting him.
"Sister, do not worry. Everything will be all right. I will bring him the jewel in a few days and everything will be over. I know what I am doing. Do not interfere, sister. Please. I ask you this as a sister. I don't want you, me, or Inu-Yasha hurt." Kikyo pleaded, looking back at Inu-Yasha. Inu- Yasha had a somewhat worried expression on his face. It was the first time she had seen a scared or worried expression on his face. The thought of losing Kikyo was scarier than anything he had gone through before.
Kaede looked at Inu-Yasha. Inu-Yasha looked back at her. Kaede seemed to be trying to delve into the very feelings of the half-demon. She saw something in his eyes that she thought she would never see in the eyes of any being associated with demons. Love. Love sparkled in his eyes like a bright light. She relaxed a bit and turned to her sister. "I still do not completely approve of this, sister. But, I will not interfere. I can see that there are strong feelings between you. But, be careful. The villagers now know of Inu-Yasha and are terrified. They will lash out angrily if they get their hands on him. I suggest that you, Inu-Yasha, stay low until you are human. If that is truly what you are going to do. Go, before I come to my senses, sister." she said laughing.
Kikyo smiled a smile that radiated its own light and grabbed her sister in a tight hug. "Thank you sister. I know things will all be over soon."
Kaede returned the hug quickly before turning to head back to the village. "It is fine. I know that you are more than just the priestess of this village. You are a human being and my sister. Now, come. We must return before it gets too dark."
Kikyo laughed and started to follow, before she turned to Inu-Yasha. "I will see you tomorrow night at our tree. All right?"
"I'll be there." He answered before taking off into the forest.
Inu-Yasha sat in the tree he and Kikyo called their tree. He dozed a bit as he waited for Kikyo to show up. There was only one more day until she was to bring him the jewel. She was going to give it to him on the first day of the week, when she had access to it. He caught wind of her scent and turned his eyes downward to lift her up into the tree. He pulled her into his lap as he had when she had fallen asleep against him. Kikyo rested her head against his chest, listening to the strong slow rhythm of his heartbeat. Allowing it to lull her into a dozing state. Inu-Yasha wrapped his arms protectively around her and emitted a low, content growl as a dog would. She wrapped her arm around his and sighed a bit. The two sat there for a long while, before Kikyo looked up at his face. He was looking out around the forest, almost like a watchdog, but his expression was a relaxed one.
She took a slender hand and put it to his cheek. He looked down at her and smiled slightly. Kikyo noticed that once again, their faces were drifting slowly together. This time, however, the distance was closed. Inu-Yasha closed his eyes and succumbed to the kiss Kikyo gave. He felt like his body was being wracked by electricity. Being so close to her invigorated him with a new passion every time. It never failed to make the love in his heart grow. After a few minutes, they broke apart and looked at each other. Inu-Yasha threw her a loving smile, the smile that Kikyo absolutely adored. She got out of his lap and sat down next to him, leaning on his shoulder, enjoying the view of the forest. Inu-Yasha was somewhat slumped against the tree, so she could easily reach his head if she were to try. She looked at his dog ears. Those seemed to communicate more than his words could. His face never showed a lot of emotion, but she could tell what he was thinking if she watched those inhuman ears. They would droop when he was saddened, perk up when he was listening, flatten when angry, and she could tell that as long as his ears were up, she knew he was listening to her, whether it seemed that way or not. They always twitched, ever sensing for any danger or unwelcome movement. She reached up and grabbed one of his ears, feeling the soft fur that covered it. Inu-Yasha jumped slightly and looked at her, his ears down slightly.
"Sorry." She said, taking her hand away.
"It's alright." He smiled weakly, then sat back against the tree and closed his eyes once more.
She looked at his ears again. Did he mean it's alright to touch them, or was he simply forgiving me? Whichever it was, she reached for them again. This time, she took both in her hands and looked at his reaction. There was none. Not even in his ears. She rubbed them slightly, finding an odd pleasure in their softness. Inu-Yasha's entire body relaxed as she continued to rub his demon ears. This would probably be the only time she would be able to. She continued to rub them, until Inu-Yasha seemed to lean back against her. She lowered his head into her lap and once again stroked his ears as a smile played on his lips. He let out a low content growl, almost like a purr and relaxed again. She smiled and almost laughed.
"Does the doggy like that?" she wondered, baby talking him.
Inu-Yasha smiled a bit more and moved his mouth very little when he spoke. "Mmmmm... be quiet." He joked. He sounded as if he was about to fall asleep. Kikyo remained by his side for a while more before the sky began to darken. She told him she had to go, and he got up, Kikyo standing with him. He pulled her into an embrace and planted a quick kiss on her lips. She smiled and put a hand to his face.
"So, I will meet you on the hill tomorrow right after dawn?" she asked him quietly.
"Yeah. I'll be there." He answered softly.
Kikyo was about to take off when Inu-Yasha grabbed her wrist. She turned to him. "What are you doing?" she wondered playfully.
Inu-Yasha pulled her onto his back and jumped. Kikyo smiled at the wind rushing through her hair. She grabbed Inu-Yasha around the chest and held on as he jumped and soared through the forest. He was headed to the village. About halfway there, Kikyo stopped him. "Inu-Yasha, wait! We should not go all the way. The villagers will see you. Why don't you drop me off somewhere nearby?"
Inu-Yasha's ears perked up and he nodded. He dropped out of the sky and landed in a tree just outside of the village. She hopped off his back and landed gracefully on the ground. Inu-Yasha followed. Unbeknownst to the two, Kaede was watching as they dropped to the ground. She had been out looking for her sister, when she had seen the two land in the tree. Inu- Yasha didn't seem to notice Keade's scent, if he did, he was ignoring it. Kikyo gave Inu-Yasha a hug. "Thank you Inu-Yasha." She then reached up and grabbed his ears once more. She rubbed them, Inu-Yasha growling contentedly. He smiled and opened his eyes as she took her hands away and then disappeared into the forest, already anticipating the next day's events. He was ready to spend the rest of his life with her. And he knew she was ready to do the same with him.
Keade smiled as she went to meet her sister. They really love each other. I still cannot say I like the fact that she is going to be the wife of a half demon, but It is not my decision to make. She is free to love who she wants. I will be glad to see those two happy.
Kittychan: Well, welcome back. I expect you had a pleasant time here at Love's Betrayal? Thank you for driving Kinochan airlines.
Hinochan: Watch that first step! It's a looloo! Come back and see us for chapter six!
Inu-Yasha: Can you see our position? We need to get out of here for sanity's sake!
Kagome: Sent in the firefighters, the police, the looney bin, the SWAT team! Anyone to get us outta here!