Disclaimer: No I do not own InuYasha, but if you don't mind, I'd like to get on with my story. --

Renaming a friend

Kagome was sitting on her bed trying her best to amuse herself. After dinner she had showered and gotten ready for bed. But she had no homework and wasn't quite sleepy yet, so she took a rubber bouncy ball and gently threw it at the wall, catching it as it bounced on the floor and back to her.

InuYasha watched from the top of Kagome's desk, his head following the ball going to and fro. The bounciness of the ball was tempting him, but he couldn't imagine himself playing with a bouncy ball as well... himself. Yet he too was board to his wits end, and since he was a cat, not only could he not go back through the well (for he had tried earlier and wound up with a sprained ankle) but he could not talk to Kagome either.

Jumping down from the desk, he came to a fair conclusion. I may be a cat, but I'm still me and Kagome doesn't know that. He readied himself to a pouncing position almost daring his target to bounce in front of him one more time. The ball accepted his challenge and with a small tump, bounced right next to his face.

"Reowr!! (No particular caption, more like a battle cry)" He lunged himself at the inanimate foe, nearly catching it with his new, razor sharp claws. Kagome saw this attempt and laughed. What the heck are you laughing at?? Am I not allowed to amuse myself without it being--- "That's so cute!!" Kagome giggled. I thought she'd say something like that. InuYasha scowled.

"Oh I'm sorry, kitty-Hmm..." Kagome thought for a moment, "You know, I should give you a name." She hadn't really thought of that before. Yes, I would like to have a name besides 'Kitty' as you've been calling me. InuYasha agreed in his head.

"But what to call you?" Kagome asked. InuYasha leaped up onto her bed and sat next to her, listening intently for one he might see fit. I know she isn't going to put my name into consideration, seeing as I'm a cat now... InuYasha thought but anything other than 'Kitty' should do fine.

Little did he know this would be harder than he thought.

"Well," she started, "I haven't been able to get too much of a personality from you, but I know one thing for sure." InuYasha looked up at her, urging her to continue. Without even meeting his gaze she went on, "I need to give you a very special name because to remind me of a very special person..."

What? Who is she talking about?? InuYasha couldn't think of anyone so important to Kagome.

"He can be kind of a jerk sometimes..." Jerk, huh? He thought. That sounds a lot like what she calls... me? He listened more closely to Kagome's description.

"Even though he's mean sometimes, he is strong and I feel like I will always be safe around him." She reached over to her nightstand and grabbed something. InuYasha only got a glimpse of it, but is shined brightly in the light of the lamp that rested nearby.

"But in the long run, he is the one that causes the most pain for me. It's ok, though, this person doesn't mean to hurt me, and I don't think he even knows that he does." InuYasha gulped. This guy was sounding more and more familiar...

Kagome showed the snowy cat what she held in her hand. It was a gorgeous, golden heart shaped locket.

"Anyway, he is extremely important to me. His name is InuYasha." Kagome opened the golden heart locket and revealed a picture of a silver-haired, dog-eared hanyou.

InuYasha felt about two hundred times more confused than when he saw the math problem, and about two thousand times more guilty than when he ate most of her dinner.

"It's all right, I won't be seeing him for a while." Kagome added, almost sensing the cat's confusion. "I don't think he'll be too worried, we need some time apart anyways, I think he was mad at me before I left-"What am I rambling to this cat for? I need to give it a name, not tell it all about my past. She thought. But it does feel good to tell someone. I feel like this cat really understands me.

"Alright, let's get you a name!!" Kagome said brightly. "Let's see..."

She thought for a moment then a list of ideas formed in her head.

Now here comes the hard part...

"How about Hideaki?" she thought aloud. "You are a very excellent cat."

InuYasha didn't feel like an excellent person after what Kagome said earlier.

"No? What about Ichiro?" It was a grand sounding name, but InuYasha had an older brother, therefore he was not the first son. But again Kagome did not know that she was naming one of her best friends.

"Isamu? You and my friend are both very brave..." InuYasha took this name into consideration, yet it still felt strange having one of his friends referring to him as two different people.

"Ok, Katashi?" Firm? Both of them felt that this wasn't a very suitable title though, so they moved on.

"I got it!" Kagome exclaimed. "I know what I'm going to call you!" Well, don't leave me hanging, what is it? InuYasha cocked his head to the side inquisitively. Kagome grinned and lay on her bed so she was face to face with her new feline friend.

"Katsuro."

Katsuro? I like that name, but why dose she pick this one? InuYasha was starting to get the feeling that Kagome really could read his thoughts because, once again, she answered his question.

"InuYasha almost always comes out on top, he wins very many battles. I know you're not him-"wrong. "-but you remind me of him so much. Do you like it?

"Mreowr. (Of course I like it.)"

Kagome hugged the cat tightly. "I'll take that as a yes!!"

Despite him being a cat, InuYasha blushed deeply; his fur being so light in color didn't prove much coverage but Kagome didn't see. By now she was tired and ready for a good night sleep.

InuYasha reluctantly jumped down from the bed, away from the warmth that Kagome served, in search of a place to sleep.

"Katsuro, why don't you sleep up here?" Kagome called, patting the foot of her bed.

He shuddered at the thought and decided on the next best idea that he had. He went under Kagome's bed, way deep in the corner, hiding away from the many events that happened that day.

He curled up in a ball and immediately fell asleep.

Author's Note: How was that? Hmm? I was listening to my new Chronicles CD as I wrote this. And yes, the name meanings are as accurate as I could manage. Yay! Today was a rainy day so crossing the mini campus to go class to class was uber cool. Rain makes me happy and inspired me to write this today, so those of you who are diggin' this story, thank the rain (and the fact that I love it as much as the full moon.) Wow, after a 182 day drought I was... well, here's a fraction of how blissful I was. out of so... yeah. I'll update a.s.a.p.!!! Love yall, bi bi