No Longer Alone
Disclaimer: Inuyasha and co. don't belong to me, only in my dreams. ::sobs::
Whew! Back at last! The trip to Yellowstone was tiring! Half of it was in the stupid car. 12 hours all the way to Mt. Rushmore! The cabin we stayed in was so creepy. I was in a cabin alone with two of my girl friends and the toilet wouldn't stop making strange noises after it was flushed. ::shudders:: Sorry for the wait!
Ch. 8"Inuyasha…" the sound of his name floated softly through the air. Inuyasha raised his head, eyes wide in surprise. It was Kagome! Blue flames wrapped themselves around her body and twisted fiercely in random directions. Wisps of her raven hair flew around her face and fanned around her shoulders, but she paid it no mind. She held Shippo in her arms as was walking toward him with a relaxed smile on her lips. The minutes seemed to tick by for her to get a single step closer to him.
Eventually, he found himself staring up into her smoky blue eyes. Kagome crouched down to his level. "You fought very well, Inuyasha, and you avenged Shippo's parents. There is no need for tears." Her flame-encompassed hand reached out and slowly wiped away the tear that had dripped onto his cheek with her thumb. She stroked his face lightly.
"Thank you, Inuyasha." Shippo bowed his head to him. "My mother can finally rest in peace and so can my father. He couldn't have found a better fighter to hire. You are truly great, Inuyasha."
Both Shippo and Kagome looked up as the flames heaved violently and shot up into the air. Kagome's hair whipped up along with it, but her hand never left his cheek. The top of the flames curved to vaguely resemble a fox and disappeared all together with a faint fox-like call.
"Inuyasha," Kagome smiled at him happily.
"K…Kagome, you're really alive?" Inuyasha asked in disbelief. Kagome had a perplexed look on her face as she nodded. Suddenly, she found herself pulled into a fierce hug. Shippo struggled slightly from his position sandwiched between Kagome and Inuyasha's stomachs. Inuyasha ignored him. Kagome reciprocated the gesture and hooked her hands over his shoulders from under his arms. She rested her head lightly on his right shoulder and he laid his head on hers.
Inuyasha allowed a few moments for his heartbeat to return to normal before pushing her away and letting a scowl cross his features. "You stupid bitch! You scared the shit from me! Don't ever do that again!" Shippo bounced to the ground from the loss of contact and watched in confusion. His tiny fingers fiddled with his tail.
"I'm sorry, Inuyasha. It was all thanks to Shippo's father that we lived. His body created a shield." She said, lowering her eyes. She caught the bloodstains on her blouse from his wounds and looked up again in worry. "You're badly hurt, Inuyasha! Come on, let's go back home."
~*~*~*~*~
Kagome wrapped the bandages tightly over the last of his wounds. He winced slightly. "You don't have to do this, you know, I heal much faster than normal humans." He said with his usual arrogance.
Kagome gave him a light slap on the back. "Half demon or not, you could still get a bad infection. I'm just trying to look after your health."
Shippo sat next to her licking a lollipop. "Um, Kagome, where am I going to sleep? I'm an orphan now." He sobered immediately, a tear formed and was on the brink of falling. His candy was completely forgotten.
"Oh, Shippo," Kagome pulled him into a comforting embrace, "You can sleep in my room."
Shippo sniffed, "But I kind of wanna sleep alone tonight. I… I'm just not used to it yet." He mumbled into her bosom.
She rubbed his back, "That's okay, Shippo, I understand. I'll just share a room with Inuyasha, for the time being. Don't worry about it." She assured him and stroked his tail.
"Say what?" Inuyasha asked angrily.
"Oh, come on, Inuyasha. Please? It's not like we haven't shared a bed before." She pleaded.
He blushed a dark red and folded his arms, "Feh."
"It's settled then," she said with a clap.
She began to cook dinner right away, hearing the growling of her friends' stomachs. Inuyasha seemed much more distant than usual at the dinner table. He stuffed the food into his mouth automatically and stood up after he was finished. "I'm going to bed." He announced.
Kagome frowned, "Inuyasha, it's not even dark out. Plus, it's your turn to wash the dishes tonight."
"I'm… tired after the battle with the Thunder Brothers. I'll wash the dishes tomorrow night." He stumbled for his excuse and left hastily. Kagome frowned again and watched him leave, but shrugged it off.
Hoping to satisfy Shippo, she made a large bowl of popcorn and allowed him to watch a movie on Inuyasha's wide-screen TV in his living room, while she washed the dishes and cleaned up the dinner table. When she was finished, she reentered the living room to find Shippo curled up into a furry ball, sound asleep. His orange bangs were fluttering up and down with the wind of his even breathing. Smiling softly, she picked him up gently and tucked him into bed, in her room. She gave a motherly kiss to his forehead and closed the door soundlessly after her.
Exhausted from the day, she changed into her pajamas and went straight to Inuyasha's room, inching the door open quietly. Kagome slipped into the bed covers and found to her surprise that Inuyasha was still awake. His breathing was too uneven and light to be that of someone asleep. "Inuyasha?" She ventured softly.
"What?" His annoyed response was slightly muffled by the bed covers. He had hidden his head beneath the blankets. She tried to pull the covers away, but he refused to let her. He grunted half-heartedly and she finally managed to pull them away. It didn't do any good though. It was pitch black and she couldn't see her hand in front of her face. So she groped for the light switch and flicked it on.
To her utter surprise, she found a complete stranger in the bed. She let out a scream and the man's violet eyes widened before he clamped a hand firmly over her mouth.
"Mfu mmr oommf?" She asked, fear evident in her eyes.
"It's okay, Kagome, it's me, Inuyasha!" He told her, trying to calm her down. Through her panic, she took another look at him and did see the resemblance. His hair was the same length, although now it was as black as hers and his eyes had turned into a deep but just as beautiful violet color. His dog-ears had disappeared and human ears were visible on the sides of his face. All of his demon qualities had completely vanished. Once she had calmed down enough, he removed his hand.
"Is that… really you, Inuyasha? You look so… human…"
He looked down at his hand, an unreadable expression on his face, "That's because I am. I turn human every new moon night."
She stared at him in wonder and lifted a finger to stroke his human ears. He shuddered from the contact, but did nothing to stop her. "You look so different." She commented. After staring at him for a while she yawned and slumped down onto her pillow and snuggled into it.
Inuyasha gawked at her, "That's it? You don't care that I'm a freak?"
Kagome sat up and smiled at him sadly, "Inuyasha… you're not a freak. So what if you're part demon. It doesn't make a difference to me." She laid a hand over his heart, "It's what's inside that counts, what's inside your heart. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Now go to sleep." She pushed him back onto his pillow and turned off the light.
Inuyasha couldn't go to sleep. Kagome's words wouldn't leave his mind. They echoed around in his head meaningfully. Slowly, he relaxed and turned to face a sleeping Kagome. He put his arms around her and whispered into her ear, "Thank you." Despite being asleep, a small smile tugged at her lips. He breathed in her calming scent and soon drifted into a dreamless sleep.
~*~*~*~*~
A strange pulsing woke Kagome. She turned to see Inuyasha hunched in the bed close by her. Behind him, the sun was just beginning to rise, the light bursting from around him, creating an ethereal effect. She gazed in wonder as his eyes glowed red and a strong pulse ran through him, vibrating her and the bed. His black mane lightened by the second until it reached its usual brilliant silver. His nails and teeth lengthened. His human ears retracted into his head to grow on the top of his head. The crimson of his eyes faded and his golden pupils took its place. His transformation was complete and he turned his head to give her awed stare an arrogant smirk. She blushed lightly and averted her eyes modestly.
"I'll go make breakfast," She whispered and pushed the sheets back.
Inuyasha restrained her, "What's the rush? Relax a bit. I'm not gonna bite you."
"But…"
Inuyasha stuck out his bottom lip and gave her an imploring look. Kagome had never seen such a look on him before and burst out laughing. Tears beaded at her closed eyes as she hugged her stomach and tittered in her mirth. When her laughter subsided and her vision cleared she saw Inuyasha with an amused expression on his face.
"What?" He asked innocently. She gave him a playful smack on the arm and proceeded to get up. "Hey," He protested, "I thought you were going to stay in bed for a little while more."
"I never said that." She said calmly and shut the door to the bathroom.
Inuyasha fisted his hands lightly on the bed in disappointment. Wait, he thought, it's not like it matters. It's not like I… he paused in his thoughts, …like her or anything. She's just a stupid human girl. I can't get attached. She'll just betray me like… Kikyo did… He saddened at the thought, but even as he told himself over and over, he knew that he was slowly falling for her, no matter how hard he tried to deny it.
~*~*~*~*~
Shippo hummed happily as he devoured his pancakes. He may have lost his original family, and he knew that he would never fully get past that, but here a new sort of happiness awaited him. Life was just beginning for him and he planned to live it to the fullest despite his significant loss.
Kagome served a stack of chocolate chip pancakes onto Inuyasha's plate, "What are you doing?" She asked curiously. He was fiddling with his sword.
He looked up, "Huh? Oh. It's this sword, there's something carved into the sheath, but I can't quite make it out…" He brought it close to his face. "There are two separate phrases. The first says… Te- Tetsusa--"
"Tetsusaiga," Kagome completed for him automatically.
Inuyasha's head snapped up, "How did you know that?"
"Oh," Kagome waved her hand offhandedly, "That's the name of the sword. It was carved into the stone that held it."
"The sword has a name?"
"Well, it is pretty special. You saw yourself how it transformed. I still don't understand why it does that." She tilted her head to the side thoughtfully.
Inuyasha went back to his attempt in reading the small characters carved into the sword's black scabbard. His hand groped blindly for a cloth of some sort to wipe the surface. He settled for Kagome's apron and he jerked her forcefully toward him to get her apron closer to him.
"Hey what…?"
He cleaned the dirt-flecked surface carefully. The Kanji characters became legible and he was able to read the words. In astonishment, he whispered, "Inutaisho?"
"Inu- what?"
"Inutaisho." Inuyasha repeated, "It's my… father's name. But he's long dead. I can't believe this sword once belonged to him. Now I'm really curious. I'm going to have to ask someone for answers as much as I hate asking for help."
"Do you have a someone in mind?" Kagome asked.
"Yes," he sighed in defeat, "My half brother, Sesshomaru."
"Sesshomaru's your brother?! You only told me he was the Head of the Organization, you never told me he was your brother!" She exclaimed in surprise.
"Half brother." He corrected.
"Does it make a difference?!"
"Yes," He huffed immaturely. Kagome gave an exasperated sigh.
"Are you guys finished talking? I'm bored," Shippo said, sucking on his fork, making a face at the metallic taste. All traces of syrup had left the utensil so he began to suck gingerly on the dull butter knife Kagome had given him to cut his pancakes with instead.
"No!"
"Yes!"
Kagome and Inuyasha said at the same time. Kagome glared at him, "Fine, but I'm still disappointed in you for not letting me know that your brother was so famous."
"My brother means nothing to me. I don't give a shit that he's famous. He can rot in hell for all I care." He grumped.
Kagome frowned at him disapprovingly, but said nothing.
"So let's go see this half brother of yours, Inuyasha." Shippo said with a final clap of his small little hands. He jumped into Kagome's outstretched arms and snuggled into her chest.
"Wha…?" Inuyasha growled angrily, "I thought you wanted to go, not cuddle." He grabbed Shippo by his large furry tail and dragged him out of Kagome's arms. He gave him a bonk on the head and tossed him carelessly over his shoulder. "You have legs, walk on your own."
"Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted at him, "He's just a baby! And plus, he's still hurting from… you know. Stop being so cruel." She plucked Shippo from the floor and hugged him to her chest again. She walked stiffly past Inuyasha in anger. Shippo stuck out his tongue at him from over her shoulder.
"Why you…!" Inuyasha rolled up his sleeve threateningly. Shippo gave a small yelp and hid behind Kagome's form. Kagome turned her head to give Inuyasha a piercing glare. He turned into the very image of innocence as she watched him suspiciously before turning her head back to ahead of her. She wrenched open the door and didn't wait for Inuyasha to pass through before releasing it. His door was annoying that way. It swung back to close automatically without the need of even a little push. He grumbled angrily at having to open the door again, when Kagome could have easily held it out and let him get through instead.
He nearly bumped into Kagome after exiting his apartment. "Well, what are you waiting for?" He asked grumpily.
"You," she replied evenly. "I assume you know the way to wherever Sesshomaru lives."
He sighed and crouched down in front of her, his arms extended behind him. She wrapped her arms around his neck without hesitation and Inuyasha pulled her to his back by grabbing her thighs. He was still angry with her, but he couldn't resist giving her thigh a small stroke as he lifted her up. Hopefully she wouldn't notice it through her thick jeans. Shippo clung to Kagome's shoulder tightly and Inuyasha leapt from the building.
Sailing through the air calmed him down. There was something about it that cooled his temper. The breeze swept his long hair into Kagome's face, so she resolved the matter by resting her chin on his shoulder. She took in a large gulp of air. The air smelled so much fresher up here. Bits of Inuyasha's wild scent was mixed in. It was very comforting.
A large edifice that towered over all others came into view as Inuyasha leapt from house to house. He landed in front of the office building, slightly startling the two bulky guards in front of the entrance. The guards were large identical-looking men dressed in navy colored suits and wore sunglasses, concealing their eyes. They masked their surprise quickly with emotionless faces.
"State your name and purpose," one of them said formally.
"Inuyasha; I wish to see my brother, Sesshomaru." He stated solemnly.
"Very well," the guard replied with a grim nod of his shaved head. He and his partner held the door open for the three. Upon entering, they were met with an extremely fancy and luxurious yet surprisingly empty room. Expensive-looking crystal chandeliers hung from the glass ceiling. White, leather couches lined the walls and ostentatious fur rugs draped the floor. At the far end of the room was a large office with semi-transparent walls. On the opaque door, hung a sigh. It read:
Secretary
Rin Hamasaki
Inuyasha strode forward purposefully and knocked loudly.
"Come in," a dulcet voice replied from within. Inuyasha turned the doorknob with a quick flick of his wrist. Inside was an exceedingly neat and immaculate office. Cabinet files filled up most of the space. In the middle of the room was a desk, with stacks of paper piled on one side and a computer and a complicated-looking phone on the other side. Seated behind the desk was a beautiful young woman of around age 18 or 19. Red, rectangular spectacles perched on the bridge of her nose. Her hair was piled on the top of her head in a tight bun. Not a single strand of hair was out of place. She wore a dark red suit with a matching skirt and her chin was rested on her folded hands with her elbows on the table.
"Inuyasha!" Rin exclaimed with a welcoming smile. Her face was slightly plump and dimples immediately dented her rosy cheeks. She lifted her head from her hands and came from behind the desk to greet him. "It's been a while since I last saw you! Who are your new friends?"
"This is Kagome and Shippo," he informed her.
"It's nice to meet you, Kagome and Shippo," she said with a warm smile. She leaned toward Kagome and whispered loudly, "Inuyasha's a really nice guy. He's a great catch." Rin winked at her suggestively and nudged her ribs with her elbow. Kagome's face flamed up immediately, as did Inuyasha's but she decided that she liked this young woman right away.
Rin turned back to Inuyasha, "So what are you here for?"
Inuyasha patted the sword strapped to his side, "Just here to see Sesshomaru about something." He replied vaguely.
Rin nodded, "Take the elevator and go to the 43rd floor, room number 305 D. There should only be two rooms on that level, so you'll have no trouble finding him."
Inuyasha thanked her and moved to exit the room. Rin ruffled Shippo's hair from his perch on Kagome's shoulder and secretly slipped him a lollipop. He smiled gleefully.
Kagome followed Inuyasha into the glass elevator and watched as Inuyasha punched in the numbers to the 43rd floor. "Who was that woman?"
"That was Rin. She's Sesshomaru's fiancée. Nice woman," he said shortly. Kagome watched as the elevator rose. She alternately admired the view outside and looked at the busy offices on the inside. After a few minutes, the elevator gave a small ping, indicating they had arrived on floor 43. The glass doors parted to reveal a small door to their right that read: Employees Only.
On the end of the hall stood two grand-looking oak doors again flanked by guards. These two looked just as sturdy and blank as the other two. "State your name and purpose," one guard said exactly like the guard on the ground floor.
"Inuyasha; I've come to see my brother, Sesshomaru, about family matters."
The guards blocked the door, "I'm afraid Lord Sesshomaru has no desire to see the likes of you. If you would kindly leave."
"What?!" Inuyasha cried out, "Listen buddy, I'm not leaving until I speak to him!"
"Let him in, guards," A cold, monotonous voice said.
"Very good, sir," They replied and parted the doors. Inuyasha and Kagome stepped in to see a large room. It was furnished more like an expensive apartment than an office. On the side was a shallow but large ditch, where sofas, a TV, and a desk stood. More couches covered the floor along with a few file cabinets and a bar at the far corner. Closed doors indicated that this wasn't the only room. Seated on the sofa was Sesshomaru.
The man had long silver hair like Inuyasha, but his looked cleaner and silkier than his brother's. His eyes were golden as well, but his ears were on the sides of his face instead of on his head. They looked fairly human but had pointed tips. A purple crescent moon was imprinted on his forehead. He held a piece of paper in front o him as if he had been reading it before they came in. He wore casual clothes on his lean form. A calm yet completely emotionless look was on his face. Kagome couldn't help noticing how handsome this man was. But while Inuyasha's gorgeous traits were because of his manliness, this man, Sesshomaru, seemed almost feminine. She'd rather stick with Inuyasha.
"So, little brother," the man spoke, "What brings you to my doorstep?"
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Sorry for getting this chapter out so late! I couldn't think of what to do, but I think I have an idea now! Don't forget to review! Love ya!
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Review Responses~*~*~
Leomae108: When I say I'm underage, I mean that I'm not even 14 yet! Even younger than you! I will be 14 very soon ::cheers:: but still quite underage. Yeah, this wasn't quite a cliffhanger, I agree, but I couldn't think of anything else to do. I'll tell you what I'll do, since you've stuck with me since the very beginning of this story, I'll email you a lemon when I get there. But just for you! Don't you feel special? Just make sure to leave me your email address. Please, keep reading my story! You're really great.
DemonKitty: LOL, thank you so much! You are a very loyal reviewer! Thank you so much!
Djel: I completely agree with you, that was too similar. From now on, I'll try to make up my own adventures! Thanks for your constructive criticism!
ladykaa28: Yup, Inuyasha definitely cares about Kagome, but it might take a while for him to show it. Say… chapter 11 or 12…? *hint, hint* I'm not completely sure about that, but that's what I'm planning to do. Thanks for your review!
Angelstar = mitsukai-hoshi: LOL, well, it's not much of a cliffhanger, since, well, this battle was based on the original story. I love your review! It was very kawaii. Thank you! Don't forget to review for this chapter!
wouldn't_u_like 2_no: Thank you! I was thinking about killing Kagome, but then… I wouldn't know how to bring her back… LOL. Review for this chapter!
ArtemisMoon: Hmmm, is this really a cliffhanger? I guess it would be for someone who never read the original story or watched the anime, but then what would that person be doing here? LOL. It does get a little fluffy, right? But then he acts like a jerk again. LOL. I was planning on killing them and then bringing them back. But how would, they come back without being a corpse like Kikyo? So I made it like the anime. Thanks for your review! See ya later!