A Wish upon a Star
My holiday's started so I'm going to have so much free time... and in that free time, I guess I'll have to write my stories! YAY!
Hmm... So five more chapters left until the story finishes... wow... I've been writing this story for five months, so I have to say: Thanks for everyone who waited so long for every update and who stuck along from the beginning and now to the nearing end.
I'll reply to a few reviews: ..............................................................
iwish2livelizzy : I'm sorry I couldn't reply earlier, I was so packed with homework... my mind was going blank, and I mean it! All I can say to your review/or note/or letter (Whatever you want to call it .) was that I'm really overblown but very happy by your compliments and I really, really hope that you can exit the sick kids hospital and can appreciate the wonderful things in life (If you already haven't). Good luck, and once again, thanks!
megjennings (megjenningshotmail.com) :Lol... yes, you do have a perverted mind... and I cant make myself answer those... eh... lol... um... well you know what I mean... .
Goddess-Of-Anime: Hmm... good question, well... hey... you got me on that! (maid or maiden... wah?!) Oh... lol, sure you got the secret before I posted it up .
K-Starshine: Thanks! . - I read your story ... what happens now... oh, it was good !
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Chapter Twenty- Five
Incubus
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Kagome stared up as Inu-Yasha swung over the lowest branch and leapt up onto the one above him. How he could do that in his human state surprised her, but if it meant that a human possibly could do it, why would it make her an exception?
Putting on a determined goal, she reached up for the branch, and with all her will, tried to pull herself up. As she did so, a nearby owl decided it was the time for him to hoot and doing so, scared Kagome and made her fall down.
"Owie!" Kagome wailed out as she felt herself fall square on her bum. Opening her currently shut eyes, she noticed Inu-Yasha had almost made himself to the top of the tree. Not daring to give up and admit he was a better 'human' than she was, she got up and tried to swing up the branch.
Panting as she pushed her leg over the wide and thick branch, she pulled her other leg up, and then, pulled her whole body up. Gulping as she looked down the short distance she had climbed, she remembered that climbing tree's had always been one of her biggest fears.
What if she fell down and cracked her neck? Or what if she fell down and cracked her neck and her whole head broke of? But... what if she fell down and cracked her neck, making her head fall off and then all her brains oozed out afterwards as well?
Pushing the horrific thought to the corner of the many veils in her mind, she looked up and spotted the next branch she was supposed to jump up to. Spotting it, she reached up, and only then noticed, she wasn't tall enough to reach it.
"Hey, Inu-Yasha, I can't go further than this because I'm not tall enough!" She yelled out, scaring a few sleeping birds in the tree, making them flutter their wings and look around in awe at what was disturbing their sleep.
"Then leave me alone!" He yelled down, making Kagome pout at where she had to remain standing.
"But I'm too scared to jump down!" She wailed out, the thoughts of breaking her neck reoccurring immediately.
Inu-Yasha didn't reply but Kagome knew that he was probably snorting up there at her weakness.
"Fine then, I'll come up anyway!" She said and looked for cracks in the tree stump. Feeling the stump thoroughly, she sighed against constancy. There were cracks alright, but they were so thin that she'd probably fall backwards... and then crack her head on the tree stump.
Growling, she looked around for any way of climbing up the tree, and spotting none, she scoffed at sat back down on the large tree branch, and then crossed her arm in frustration.
Oh... Inu-Yasha could make her want to kill him one time and then cuddle him to sleep the other... but right now... it definitely wasn't the latter. Looking up to see if she could spot him, she gulped nervously when she couldn't see anything further than the big clump of leaves and branches above her.
"I hate being short" she said as she remembered the only reason she couldn't go up was because of her height.
"Nah... you're fine just the way you are" A voice said right behind her ear.
Kagome jerked instantly, her nerves lighting instantly at the thought that Naraku could be back, and without thinking, moved aside so she could run away... of course, she had forgotten she was sitting on a tree branch.
She yelled when felt herself falling sideways and all thoughts of cracking her head came back to her... she knew it might happen one day, but she didn't want her last words to be "I hate being short"
Her voice caught in her throat as a strong hand encircled her small arm and pulled her back onto the tree branch. Panting slightly for the slight... no... big scare, she clutched her chest as she tried to catch her breath.
"Jeez... next time I'll warn you before I come back down to get you eh?" Inu- Yasha's reassuring, though somehow softer voice was heard from behind Kagome.
She relaxed instantly and then afterwards turned around to give him a slap on the arm. "How dare you scare me so... so incredulously!"
"It was your wits, so don't blame me" He said and gave her a 'eh... he he?' look.
She rolled her eyes and looked back at him, somehow not used to the sudden change in his appearance.
He hesitated under her stare, somehow he never got used to people staring at him when he transformed into a human, heck... he still wasn't used to himself turning into a human, though – he never backed down from a battle...
So he stared back.
Kagome blinked as a slight thought occurred to her head: if his doggy ears were gone... did this mean he had human ears? Curiosity taking over her, she raised a hand to reach over and touch his cheek softly.
Inu-Yasha jerked instantly as her soft as a petal touch groomed his cheek, and trying to ignore the raging butterflies in his stomach react just to a simple touch, he tried to move away instantly.
However, he wasn't fast enough as Kagome reached further into his silky hair and then giggled with delight as she felt his ears.
Inu-Yasha moved back instantly, and thanked god for the darkness in the tree for otherwise the blush which had ignorantly appeared on his cheeks would have been revealed.
Coughing up the pent up embarrassment, he got up and grabbed Kagome up with him.
"Don't tell me you can't even find your way up this tree" he said and then pulled Kagome up so she could reach the branch, ignoring the mass of weight he felt which he didn't when he was a half Youkai.
"Umm..." was the only thing Kagome could say as she steadied all her focus on the branch above, as her hands reached the branch, she gripped the cracks instantly, and then pulled herself up.
The rest of the way was easy, all she had to do was swing here, or climb there... and even jump from a branch to another.
In the end, she smiled brightly as she found herself staring at miles and miles of greenery and beauty. The tree was incredibly tall and from where Kagome was sitting now, the palace seemed like a small house.
She moved forward, ignoring the rip which came from the rim of her dress so she could make room for Inu-Yasha.
He jumped out and then, settled himself beside Kagome.
Both of them remained in elapsed silence as they stared at either the scenery or the stars which looked incredibly bright.
"So... are you going to do anything for the engagement or... marriage which is coming up in about a week...?" Inu-Yasha asked, feeling a slightly too nervous in the silence.
"Apart from dread the day?" Kagome retaliated, feeling that he shouldn't be the only one who should hate the plan.
He smirked. "Yeah, like... pretending you're ill..."
Kagome shook her head, "It won't be worth it, they'll just postpone it and you're going to have to face it sooner or later then, so I guess I'll just have to live with it"
He looked over to her. "How?"
Kagome sighed. "I don't know, but just as everyone knows, we get another ring apart from our engagement ring and wedding ring... suffering"
He glanced at her for her choice of actions. "You don't sound like the girl I met two months ago... all chirpy and determined"
Kagome lowered her gaze. "Well... a lot of things have happened since then"
He sighed. "Really?"
"Well, I met you, that's one definite thing" she said and he laughed at her words. "I really don't think I'll meet any one as hot headed, stubborn, arrogant and rude as you are... and certainly no one who had so many secrets about their life either"
He smirked and then nudged her. "Well, living with Kikyou wont be so bad, she wont boss me around at least , she wont fight back, or call me names, squeeze personal things out of me, and... she wont go around being a 'Oh... back off because I've got girl power' unlike some people around here"
Kagome pouted, knowing full well that he was trying to describe her. "I don't go around telling people to back off because I have 'girl power'"
"Well, those vibes have seriously reached me" Inu-Yasha replied and yelled when she pushed him aside. Acting quickly, he grabbed a branch and steadied himself. "You almost pushed me off!"
"Well, don't get me mad next time" she said and then narrowed her eyes.
"Yes mom..." he murmured lightly but loud enough for Kagome to hear.
"You're getting me mad..." she warned him and raised her arm for another attack.
"Eh... I mean, yes dear" he said and she hesitated, wondering if this was a good thing or bad thing, she settled for the latter. He yelled when she hit him on the arm. "But I said dear ... what's so bad about that?"
She scoffed, "I don't know, but for all I know, you can be mocking me"
"Feh" he said, crossed his arm across his chest and pouted.
Kagome looked over him and then softened his gaze... there he went again, one moment he made her feel like murdering him... then the other... well...
She scooted closer to him and then lowered her face so she could see his eyes which were hidden underneath the shadow of his bangs.
"Well... honey, you aren't mad at me right?" She asked and frowned when he murmured an 'Oh come on, isn't it obvious?'
She growled with frustration and then laid her head down flat on his lap. "You can't stay mad at me forever..."
He stared down at her. "Don't you ever shut up?"
Kagome blinked up at him. "I don't want to"
He rolled his eyes, "But I want to get some sleep -."
"We're going to be sleeping out here?" she asked instantly, cutting him off mid sentence.
"Well, I'm not going back right now, but you can if you want – I aint forcing you to stay" he said and then leaned back so he could rest himself on the trunk.
Kagome shifted her position so she could lay her back on the branch. "But I don't want to go back alone"
"Then stay" he said, tiredness evident in his voice.
Kagome thought for a while, then after much aggravation from only her side, she decided she would stay, but only to experience how a night on a tree would feel like. "Anyway, I want to see the sunrise from up here"
Inu-Yasha yawned in complete peace, for the first time in many nights as well. "Whatever you wish"
Kagome nodded, his yawn catching to her, making her yawn as well. "Um... tell me a story"
Inu-Yasha had to strain to keep his eyes open, somehow her reassuring figure being near him at night was mysteriously making him want to go to sleep, something he hadn't and needn't done in a long time. "Huh?" was the only word he said as another yawn caught him off guard.
Kagome didn't reply as she had already fallen asleep in the warmth of him and he didn't notice as he drifted off asleep right after.
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Kagome slept peacefully on her bed in her bedroom at the Youkai Palace. She had just fallen asleep from a rough day of wedding dress fittings and ring choosing and now, all she had in store for her was a good night of peaceful sleep.
"...Kagome..."
She woke up a jolt as someone hissed her name in her bedroom, someone... or something...
Looking around as fear crept inside the crevices of her mind and body; she pulled back her bed cover to investigate what exactly had released her name from their mouth.
"...Kagome..."
She whimpered as she heard the someone, or something hiss her name again, this time, only loudly and much, much closer. Having the nerve to get out of her bed, she slowly pulled her feet out of the safe covers of her bed and onto the cold floor of her bedroom.
"...I'll kill you..."
She screamed as something bit her sharply on her ankle and she fell down in pain. Just as she looked around, a viper was retreating slowly, ready to attack again, but the viper wasn't alone.
That taunting, yet mortifying face was floating above it, smiling with pure agony. His face... Naraku's face...
She yelled and whimpered when she realized she couldn't move, but she winced when the viper attacked yet again.
A shocking pain jolted throughout her whole body, and if Kagome had been taught to recognize death, she would recognize it right now...
"...I'm coming..." hissed the voice before everything became blank.
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Kagome bolted straight awake and screamed immediately.
"Ah... Aah... what the – ouch- heck happened?" Inu-Yasha jolted awake and looked around, stabbing himself with a thorn on his left hand as he tried to steady himself from a fall.
Kagome tried to steady her fast paced breathing and the tears that were on the verge of her eyes. "... I don't want to die..." she whispered out and she hugged herself as her breathing didn't slow down a bit.
"Wah? It's just the break of dawn ... what the hell? You don't want to die, what's going on?" Inu-Yasha asked as he rubbed his eyes to relieve himself of all sleepiness so he could study on what the heck of all havoc was erupting in front of him.
Kagome erupted in tears as the dream replayed itself in her head. It was worse than a nightmare... more like an incubus...
Inu-Yasha furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to make the most of the situation in front of him. Weren't they just sleeping peacefully a minute ago? "Eh... Kagome, why are you up so early?" he said and just then he noticed that something was definitely wrong. "Wait a minute, why are you crying?"
Kagome burrowed her head in her arms as the dream replayed again and again over in her head. "He's haunting me... he wont leave me alone" she sobbed out.
Inu-Yasha, still not understanding fully what she was talking about, decided it had something to do with a night mare and did the best he could do to comfort the crying girl. Not being an expert at this, he unsteadily patted her back, and when he noticed it wasn't working, he pulled her in to an unsteady hug.
"Eh... it's okay?" he said and tried to remember what his mother did to him when he woke up from a nightmare.
Kagome felt herself calm down when Inu-Yasha's comforting hand rubbed her back and his other arm encircle her body, giving her the feeling of complete safety.
"What happened?" he asked, feeling very much like a father as he replayed exactly what his mother used to do.
"He..." Kagome scrunched her eyebrows as if to remember, it was one of those times when you tried to forget something but as more you wanted to remember it, the more difficult to remember it became...it was like trying to hold water in your hands, but the longer it stayed, the more it dripped away.
"Who?" he asked, though he needn't need any hints to know that Naraku had been her nightmare.
"He came to kill me" she sobbed out, the familiar feeling of fear sweeping into her body again.
Inu-Yasha surprised himself as he felt his demon senses come alive again. Looking up at the sky, he noticed that it was once again, dawn and the phase in which he became human was over.
He tightened his grip on her as he sensed fear ooze out of her body as if it were blood pouring out of a deep wound. Not wanting her to feel this way because of what he had dragged her into (What he thought he dragged her into), he buried his face into the crook of her neck and nuzzled it, wanting the negative feelings to just wash away.
Kagome felt herself calm down as Inu-Yasha's scent surrounded her, and her once shaking shoulders regained their previous posture. Not wanting herself to miss his rainforest scent, she buried her face in the folds of his Kimono and inhaled deeply.
Any fears that had occurred from her dream had washed away and the promise of a good sleep swept over her.
Inu-Yasha sighed as he sensed her enter the fields of sleep again, but he wouldn't let her go this easily... not when he went through such extents.
"Oi – don't fall asleep on me wench!" He yelled out, making her drooping eyes open immediately.
"Wah?" she yawned out, not wanting to exit the cozy embrace.
"What exactly happened just now? It seemed you were going to kill yourself because of a nightmare" he said, though he shouldn't have as small details of the dream returned to Kagome, making her shudder in disgust.
"I had a nightmare... Naraku, he was murdering me" she whispered simply, though each word held pain.
Inu-Yasha winced, so Naraku had gotten to her dreams too, just when he spent one night without his taunting face in his mind, she received the curse. "You'll live through it"
Kagome whimpered and shut her eyes, not letting go of Inu-Yasha. "It seems you have a lot of experience"
"Don't ask" he said and then sighed and leaned back again against the tree stump. "We should be heading home..."
"Inu-Yasha?" Kagome asked in a timid voice.
"Yeah?" He asked and then looked down at Kagome.
"I really...really have to go to the bathroom"
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This chapter... IS really, REALLY short! But, don't worry, I'm reaching the climax of the story, and soon... but when you wont expect it – the last battle with Naraku will arrive...
Oh... yeah, and I promise the next chapter will be longer!
And... um... let's see...
Oh yeah –
Five chapters till the story reaches its end...