Dusk seemed to fall so much faster under the cover of the heavy midsummer canopy, and Inuyasha's eyes peered from side to side as he studied the shadows that flickered in and out of his sight amongst the darkness. Lingering just under the perception of what he could sense was the distinct smell of what would soon become food.
Leaping upwards from the forest floor, and into the thick branches of a towering oak, Inuyasha looked out onto the wilderness before him. Sprayed out in front of him were the brilliant reds and yellows of the setting sun as it began to sink over the edge of the distant trees, and amongst the vegetation below him, he could see the outline of his prey. Dropping down from the branches of the oak, Inuyasha fell quietly into the bushes behind the creature.
The light sound of twigs snapping against the weight of the hanyou's agile feet echoed out to only the sharpest of ears, and the animal raised its head to look into the direction of the noise.
Squeezing his eyelids nearly closed to avoid the gold of his eyes from reflecting off the fading sun, Inuyasha patiently waited as he watched the deer search for him amongst the cover of vegetation.
Dropping its head back down to the forest floor, the deer again continued to feed in its false sense of security. Flying like thunder out of the bush, Inuyasha slashed its throat with his claws. A short spray of blood flayed out from the animal's flesh as it stumbled backwards, before falling to the ground; it's eyes blinking one last time.
Carefully watching over his kill, Inuyasha gathered firewood from the fallen trees around him. The summer had been dry and humid, so the wood caught quickly into flame when he ran his clawed fingers across the metal of his sword, and let the sparks fall against the kindling. Thrusting a wooden spear through the body of the animal, Inuyasha placed the deer up onto a spit and carefully rotated its body over the fire.
As the flesh slowly began to darken, Inuyasha heard a sound from the bush behind him. Nervously grasping the hilt of his sword, he stared into the direction of the noise. He was not far from the Bone Eaters Well, and as Sesshoumaru's words flowed within his mind, as they always flowed within his mind, he couldn't help but to become fearful.
Leaves rustled in the wind behind him, and he spun around as he swung the full power of his Tetsusaiga against the darkness. The wind energy of his weapon violently tore the vegetation from its roots, however no creature emerged from the destruction to challenge him.
"A little on edge now are we Inuyasha?" Miroku said as he emerged from the region of the forest where Inuyasha had heard the first sound.
"Dang it, I missed," Inuyasha said as he sat down next to the fire, and again began to rotate the spit.
"Sango tells me that you encountered Sesshoumaru in Kagome's era. I would like to hear the story first hand for myself if that is alright with you," Miroku said as he sat down next to the fire beside Inuyasha.
"Ask Kagome, I don't much feel like talking about it."
"I understand," Miroku said as he though about what Sango had told him earlier. It came as no surprise to Miroku that Inuyasha did not want to talk about such things, what man ever wants to talk about something such as death with another person. It is far too emotional to discuss with another man, and one cannot reveal fears such as these to the fairer sex. It is a man's place to be brave; so impossibly brave.
Starring aimlessly into the warm glow of the ragging fire, Miroku passed the fingers of his left hand over the covered palm of his right. He had intended to tell Inuyasha everything was going to be all right, and that destiny is not unchangeable; but then he decided not to. His own fate was still as uncertain, and terrifying, as Inuyasha's was now.
"Do you remember when I first met you and Kagome?" Miroku decide to say instead as he continued to stare into the glow of the fire.
"Of course. What does that have to do with anything?" Inuyasha said as he lifted the deer off of the fire and cut a piece off the leg for himself.
"I was just thinking of how much being with you people has changed me. I am no longer thinking about just myself, and I have come to believe that because of that, the Wind Tunnel doesn't frighten me as much as it use to," Miroku said as he gratefully accepted the piece of the deer's leg; even though Inuyasha hadn't offered it.
Awestruck by the disappearance of his meal, Inuyasha found himself tearing off another piece of the animal. "What has gotten into you Miroku, you are staring to sound exactly like Kagome."
"I didn't mean to," Miroku said. "It is just that I want you to know that even though you may wish to be alone in body, you are not alone in heart. Kagome, Sango, Shippo and myself are here by your side; whenever you need us to be there," Miroku said as he rose to his feet, and slowly began to walk back into the forest.
"Thank you," Inuyasha quietly said as he stared into the fire. After a few short moments of eating peacefully under the darkening sky, Inuyasha finished the portion of venison he held in his hands, and turned to tear another piece from his kill, however, it was not there.
"Miroku!"
Miroku pushed aside the hanging reed flap of the hut and walked into the room, the roasted body of a deer hanging across his shoulders.
With Kirara curled up inside of her lap, Sango sat against the wall in the far corner of the room. "Did you find Inuyasha?" she asked as she watched Miroku move towards her.
"Yes," Miroku answered as he sat down next to Sango and gently scratched Kirara behind the ears. "He didn't feel much like talking though," Miroku said as he let the deer slide off his shoulders, and fall against the ground.
"Where did you get that?" Sango calmly asked as she tightened her arms around Kirara to prevent the fire cat from leaping towards the dead animal.
"I caught a deer for you my dear," Miroku said as a gentle dimple began to form on the edge of his smiling face. Sango softly laughed, and for that fleeting moment, both of them managed to forget about the pains of their world.
"I wonder if Kagome would like some of this as well," Sango said as she picked up the animal and carried it out of the hut; a patient Miroku, and a hungry Kirara following behind her. The first few stars had begun to rise against the darkened sky, and the glow of the crescent moon shone down onto them as they walked towards the small fire in the distance.
Kagome casually watched Sango and the rest walk towards her as she lay on the soft grass next to the fire. Leaning her head back against the ground, Kagome looked up into the endlessness of the night sky, and for only a short instant, thought she say Inuyasha's face in the outline of the stars. I wonder what he is doing right now, Kagome thought.
"Any sign of Inuyasha yet," Sango asked as she rested the venison against the flame to warm the meat.
"No, not yet."
"That is strange," Miroku said. "You would think that he would be racing back here with great haste after I took his dinner from him." Sango laughed, however Kagome looked up towards Miroku with a silent gleam of desperation in her eyes.
"You were speaking to Inuyasha? What did he say?" she asked as she perked herself up off the ground to better hear Miroku's words.
"He didn't say much Kagome," Miroku said. Then, after waiting a few moments to think about what he was going to say that would help to put her mind at rest, he continued. "But he did tell me, to tell you, that he just needs some time to think about everything. After all, to be confronted with such a horrific destiny is difficult for anyone to bare, even someone as strong and stubborn as Inuyasha. He doesn't do this to hurt you, he just needs time to himself."
"I guess your probably right," Kagome said as she leaned her body back against the grass. Even thought Miroku's words brought her some comfort, she couldn't help but worry about him. Don't you understand how difficult this is for me, to have come so close to loosing you? I just don't know why you can't let me try and help you get through this. The thought of Sesshoumaru taking your life like that, it is as scary for me as it is for you, Kagome thought. And then, thinking the words that can only ever be safely thought, but never spoken, Kagome again formed the image of Inuyasha in the outline of the stars. I love you, she solemnly thought to herself.
"Why don't you try some of this Kagome," Sango said as she cut off a sizeable piece of deer for Kirara, as well as one for Shippo who had stepped into the range of the fire's light only a few moments earlier.
"That's alright," Kagome answered. "I'm not very hungry."
"What is the matter with Kagome?" Shippo asked as he viscously tore the venison into smaller pieces with his fangs.
"She is just worried about Inuyasha," Sango said.
"Don't worry about Inuyasha," Shippo exclaimed. "That dumb mutt can take care of himself, even if he is nothing but a dumb mutt."
Kagome softly laughed despite herself, and even though she continued to think about Inuyasha, she couldn't help but to feel slightly better.
Sliding her body up next to Miroku, Sango halfheartedly spoke into his ear. "Kagome is vulnerable now, I'm very proud of you for not trying to take advantage of her yet."
"I am insulted by the way you speak to me my dear sweet Miss Sango. Have you no faith in my good intentions," Miroku teased.
"What are you two talking about?" Kagome asked as she watched the two softly laugh amongst themselves.
"I bet that Miroku said something perverted," Shippo commented as he continued to gnaw at his meal.
"I resent that."
"We were just talking about idle things," Sango said. "It is starting to get late though, I think I will go get some sleep. Don't stay up all night waiting for Inuyasha."
"I will try and get some rest as well," Miroku mentioned as he rose to his feet and followed Sango into the inner reaches of the village.
Even Shippo and Kirara found that they could not avoid the allure of sleep, and they too left for their respective beds. Kagome was thus alone.
Watching the last few sparks cinder amongst the charred remains of the fire, Kagome looked up into the stars one last time before she followed after her friends.
"Please come back to me soon," Kagome softly whispered to herself as she walked into the darkness of the village.
Author notes: I guess I have been putting off writing these for a while now (the author notes that is). Now that I think about it, I probably should have written them way back in chapter 4, seeing as that is when most of the plot is set out.
Speaking of chapter 4, I have a rather interesting story to relate about it. When I first wrote that chapter I had intended for Kagome to spend the entire scene concealed within a rapidly draining bathtub. My intention was to add a level of humor and urgency as Kagome found herself coming closer and closer to being completely naked amongst the raging battle. However, around the end the story quite inevitably took a very dark turn, one that for the sake of my PG-13 rating I am not going to elaborate on. That coupled with the fact that the chapter was riddled with abrupt paragraphs caused me to do a thorough edit of the chapter.
As for the direction in which I intend to take this little tale that I have spun for myself, I would like to comment that this story has always been an Inuyasha, Kagome romance; although it may not seem like it now. If you don't believe me then go back and read chapter 1, that chapter is nothing but foreshadowing.