&&&&&&&
Miroku stepped from the clearing. Removing the spiritual seal that bound the wind-tunnel, he aimed his hand at Kagome, causing her and the soul stealers to fly toward him. Inu-Yasha gasped as he knew what the monk was up to. If this didn't work, however, Kagome could be gone forever.
It was difficult. Miroku still couldn't exercise any great control over his curse. He had come to the clearing originally to summon his Tanuki friend Hachi, to ask him to fly them over to Sango's village as he had become concerned about the huntress. He had come upon the stalemate between Kikyo and Inu-Yasha and witnessed his friend the young miko bound by the demons. He was well aware of Kikyo's power, so he had to move quickly, before the dead miko realized what was happening. He prayed that he wouldn't hurt Kagome too badly, but anything was better than what she was going through now.
The vortex created by his curse pulled them to him. As Kikyo turned to observe the commotion, she realized what was about to happen. She commanded the demons to release the girl, which they did immediately.
And not a moment too soon.
The soul stealers left a flailing Kagome, and fought against the pull of the wind tunnel. When Miroku saw that, he sealed the curse with not a second to spare. This was going to be tricky, but he had done it before, when he attacked Inu-Yasha and Kagome threw herself into his wind tunnel vortex, convinced that he was NOT evil.
She was moving through the air slightly faster than she was the last time. He braced for impact.
Kagome reached out her arms as Miroku caught her, the force of the collision sending the both of them sliding along the ground about fifteen feet. Kagome shook the cobwebs from her head and checked herself. She was o.k., but Miroku was dazed and confused. She hopped off of him.
"Thanks Miroku, I'll be right back for you."
"Uggh."
His head plopped back onto the ground. She hated to leave him there, but the danger to her love caused her heart to clench in her chest. She would not let Kikyo have him. Kagome loved him enough to...to... Yes, she would die for him if need be. That self-revelation moved her feet even faster.
She rushed back to the clearing, just in time to witness the end of the conversation between the hanyou and the priestess. He still had Tetsusaiga drawn, facing her.
"It's over, Kikyo! Why can't you understand that? What we had would have been wonderful, but it was not meant to be! I'm so sorry for what happened to you, but I love Kagome, and there's nothin' you can do about that."
Kagome gasped.
Kikyo shuddered.
He said it.
The living heart exploded with joy.
The clay heart broke in two.
Kagome wanted to run over to him more than anything, but she felt compelled to let him make his peace with the dead priestess, so she willed her feet to stay where they were.
"Inu-Yasha."
Kikyo realized she was bearing no fruit from her efforts. She folded her hands in front of her, her eyes never leaving his. She almost stepped toward him, but stopped at the last moment.
"I will take my leave of you for now. But do not take my love for you lightly. I will not give up so easily. Do you understand?"
Inu-Yasha's face took on a pensive, almost sad look.
"Yes, Kikyo."
She summoned her demons, who wrapped themselves around her, and escorted her away. She turned and her eyes met Kagome's for a fraction of a second before she looked away and was gone.
Kagome rushed over to the hanyou, who had by now shielded Tetsusaiga. He had dropped to one knee over the ordeal, one hand on the ground to steady himself. He was powerful enough to withstand the most physical of battles, but the emotional ones took the most toll on him.
"Inu-Yasha!"
She knelt to the ground in front of him, and threw her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly to her, trying her best to control her dry sobs. He grunted, and embraced her with the arm not supporting himself. It was good to have her this close to him. She was afraid to look him in the eye for what she was about to say. She might break if he denied what he had said, so she spoke softly into his ear.
"I...I heard what you said to Kikyo. Do...do you...really...feel..."
"Kagome..."
He gently pulled her head from his shoulder so he could look directly into her eyes when he spoke. She blushed, almost unable to withstand the intensity of his gaze.
"Kagome, my love, my darling, I've hungered for your touch, a long, lonely time."
She put her hand to her mouth.
He hadn't needed to memorize the words, they were already a part of him.
"I need your love, I need your love, Kagome, I really need your love."
"Oh, Inu-Yasha..." Her dry sobs began to increase uncontrollably.
"Kagome, I do love you."
She was becoming faint from the blood rushing to her head. He reached up to brush a tear from her cheek, and then, with the other hand, cupped her face and brought it close to his, the golden eyes meeting the deep brown ones. Kagome's face was a deep crimson. This was what she had been waiting for once she realized where her heart belonged. His lips brushed hers lightly. Then again.
She was in agony.
She was in ecstasy.
His lips took her top lip as his tongue lightly brushed it. Her lips parted, and their kiss deepened. He cradled her head with one hand, the other reaching around her waist as she gave herself up to him, her thick raven hair cascading down to touch the ground. They broke the kiss and gazed deeply at one another, their silent communication telling them everything they both had wanted to know.
They never wanted this moment to...
"Inu-Yasha! Kagome!" The voice made them look skyward.
Sango and Kilala had returned, the cat-youkai touching down softly, and then reverting to her small form as soon as Sango dismounted. Sango picked up her friend, and kissing her nose lightly, put her into the now empty backpack she carried over her shoulder next to her weapon.
"You sleep now, o.k?" Kilala yawned and snuggled in as Sango slung the pack over her shoulder.
Sango walked over to Kagome and Inu-Yasha. Kagome, slightly embarrassed, was about to pull away, but Inu-Yasha pulled her back to him. Sango smiled. So he finally admitted his feelings. She was happy for her friends. Life could be so unpredictable, and it was too short not to grab hold of love when it was given to you.
Grab hold of it when it was given.
Sango clutched her fist to her heart, which started beating faster. She needed to see him.
"Umm. I certainly don't want to intrude on any special moment here, so Kilala and I will be heading back to the village now."
Inu-Yasha didn't care if Sango went to the moon, he was lost in Kagome's presence. Kagome cleared her throat.
"Sango. It's so good to have you back." She stood up a bit shakily, gently removing the hanyou's arm from around her waist, her smile at him the promise of more to come.
"The three of us just had a confrontation with Kikyo, and she..."
Sango looked around. Kagome's brain eventually caught up to her.
'The three of us. The THREE of us.'
"Miroku!" They both shouted in unison. Kagome took off for the edge of the clearing where she had left him last, Sango right on her heels.
&&&&&&&
To my wonderful reviewers:
LOTRwolf: yes, I was. And I love the song version of "Harvest Moon" by Akino Arai, I believe. (My mistake! It's "House of Moon" - temporarily spazzed, sorry)
ShortPoet: wow, that's a heck of a review. I'd better make sure the rest of the chapters are really, really good before I post. Thanks.
NefCanuck: now, now. Let's keep Kikyo bashing to a minimum. And as you can see, it's not Kikyo he was aiming for. Thanks.
CriscoKittie: it's confusing for you because of what happened to the original story. I still have to put up chapter 8. Chapter 9 will be new for you. I hope it all makes sense then. Thanks for your review.
Miroku stepped from the clearing. Removing the spiritual seal that bound the wind-tunnel, he aimed his hand at Kagome, causing her and the soul stealers to fly toward him. Inu-Yasha gasped as he knew what the monk was up to. If this didn't work, however, Kagome could be gone forever.
It was difficult. Miroku still couldn't exercise any great control over his curse. He had come to the clearing originally to summon his Tanuki friend Hachi, to ask him to fly them over to Sango's village as he had become concerned about the huntress. He had come upon the stalemate between Kikyo and Inu-Yasha and witnessed his friend the young miko bound by the demons. He was well aware of Kikyo's power, so he had to move quickly, before the dead miko realized what was happening. He prayed that he wouldn't hurt Kagome too badly, but anything was better than what she was going through now.
The vortex created by his curse pulled them to him. As Kikyo turned to observe the commotion, she realized what was about to happen. She commanded the demons to release the girl, which they did immediately.
And not a moment too soon.
The soul stealers left a flailing Kagome, and fought against the pull of the wind tunnel. When Miroku saw that, he sealed the curse with not a second to spare. This was going to be tricky, but he had done it before, when he attacked Inu-Yasha and Kagome threw herself into his wind tunnel vortex, convinced that he was NOT evil.
She was moving through the air slightly faster than she was the last time. He braced for impact.
Kagome reached out her arms as Miroku caught her, the force of the collision sending the both of them sliding along the ground about fifteen feet. Kagome shook the cobwebs from her head and checked herself. She was o.k., but Miroku was dazed and confused. She hopped off of him.
"Thanks Miroku, I'll be right back for you."
"Uggh."
His head plopped back onto the ground. She hated to leave him there, but the danger to her love caused her heart to clench in her chest. She would not let Kikyo have him. Kagome loved him enough to...to... Yes, she would die for him if need be. That self-revelation moved her feet even faster.
She rushed back to the clearing, just in time to witness the end of the conversation between the hanyou and the priestess. He still had Tetsusaiga drawn, facing her.
"It's over, Kikyo! Why can't you understand that? What we had would have been wonderful, but it was not meant to be! I'm so sorry for what happened to you, but I love Kagome, and there's nothin' you can do about that."
Kagome gasped.
Kikyo shuddered.
He said it.
The living heart exploded with joy.
The clay heart broke in two.
Kagome wanted to run over to him more than anything, but she felt compelled to let him make his peace with the dead priestess, so she willed her feet to stay where they were.
"Inu-Yasha."
Kikyo realized she was bearing no fruit from her efforts. She folded her hands in front of her, her eyes never leaving his. She almost stepped toward him, but stopped at the last moment.
"I will take my leave of you for now. But do not take my love for you lightly. I will not give up so easily. Do you understand?"
Inu-Yasha's face took on a pensive, almost sad look.
"Yes, Kikyo."
She summoned her demons, who wrapped themselves around her, and escorted her away. She turned and her eyes met Kagome's for a fraction of a second before she looked away and was gone.
Kagome rushed over to the hanyou, who had by now shielded Tetsusaiga. He had dropped to one knee over the ordeal, one hand on the ground to steady himself. He was powerful enough to withstand the most physical of battles, but the emotional ones took the most toll on him.
"Inu-Yasha!"
She knelt to the ground in front of him, and threw her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly to her, trying her best to control her dry sobs. He grunted, and embraced her with the arm not supporting himself. It was good to have her this close to him. She was afraid to look him in the eye for what she was about to say. She might break if he denied what he had said, so she spoke softly into his ear.
"I...I heard what you said to Kikyo. Do...do you...really...feel..."
"Kagome..."
He gently pulled her head from his shoulder so he could look directly into her eyes when he spoke. She blushed, almost unable to withstand the intensity of his gaze.
"Kagome, my love, my darling, I've hungered for your touch, a long, lonely time."
She put her hand to her mouth.
He hadn't needed to memorize the words, they were already a part of him.
"I need your love, I need your love, Kagome, I really need your love."
"Oh, Inu-Yasha..." Her dry sobs began to increase uncontrollably.
"Kagome, I do love you."
She was becoming faint from the blood rushing to her head. He reached up to brush a tear from her cheek, and then, with the other hand, cupped her face and brought it close to his, the golden eyes meeting the deep brown ones. Kagome's face was a deep crimson. This was what she had been waiting for once she realized where her heart belonged. His lips brushed hers lightly. Then again.
She was in agony.
She was in ecstasy.
His lips took her top lip as his tongue lightly brushed it. Her lips parted, and their kiss deepened. He cradled her head with one hand, the other reaching around her waist as she gave herself up to him, her thick raven hair cascading down to touch the ground. They broke the kiss and gazed deeply at one another, their silent communication telling them everything they both had wanted to know.
They never wanted this moment to...
"Inu-Yasha! Kagome!" The voice made them look skyward.
Sango and Kilala had returned, the cat-youkai touching down softly, and then reverting to her small form as soon as Sango dismounted. Sango picked up her friend, and kissing her nose lightly, put her into the now empty backpack she carried over her shoulder next to her weapon.
"You sleep now, o.k?" Kilala yawned and snuggled in as Sango slung the pack over her shoulder.
Sango walked over to Kagome and Inu-Yasha. Kagome, slightly embarrassed, was about to pull away, but Inu-Yasha pulled her back to him. Sango smiled. So he finally admitted his feelings. She was happy for her friends. Life could be so unpredictable, and it was too short not to grab hold of love when it was given to you.
Grab hold of it when it was given.
Sango clutched her fist to her heart, which started beating faster. She needed to see him.
"Umm. I certainly don't want to intrude on any special moment here, so Kilala and I will be heading back to the village now."
Inu-Yasha didn't care if Sango went to the moon, he was lost in Kagome's presence. Kagome cleared her throat.
"Sango. It's so good to have you back." She stood up a bit shakily, gently removing the hanyou's arm from around her waist, her smile at him the promise of more to come.
"The three of us just had a confrontation with Kikyo, and she..."
Sango looked around. Kagome's brain eventually caught up to her.
'The three of us. The THREE of us.'
"Miroku!" They both shouted in unison. Kagome took off for the edge of the clearing where she had left him last, Sango right on her heels.
&&&&&&&
To my wonderful reviewers:
LOTRwolf: yes, I was. And I love the song version of "Harvest Moon" by Akino Arai, I believe. (My mistake! It's "House of Moon" - temporarily spazzed, sorry)
ShortPoet: wow, that's a heck of a review. I'd better make sure the rest of the chapters are really, really good before I post. Thanks.
NefCanuck: now, now. Let's keep Kikyo bashing to a minimum. And as you can see, it's not Kikyo he was aiming for. Thanks.
CriscoKittie: it's confusing for you because of what happened to the original story. I still have to put up chapter 8. Chapter 9 will be new for you. I hope it all makes sense then. Thanks for your review.