Author's Notes: Yes, my story has taken a different turn but one that will lead to more action and more romance between Inuyasha and Kagome. As much fun as it was to write for Sesshoumaru and Rin, Inuyasha and Kagome are still my favorite couple. Although Shippo and Yuuki are cute together too, ne? Well okay so Inuyasha has to convince a five-year-old Kagome to help him in his world. It sounds just about as difficult as it will be for our little hanyou pup. Read on and see!
Inuyasha and Kagome: Prisoners of War?
Slowly opening his eyes, Inuyasha took a deep breath and sat up in bed, feeling his body regenerated and healed after his battle with Sesshoumaru.
Scratching the back of his head, Inuyasha wondered how he should proceed. In this time she just met me, so I can't scare her by letting her realize how much I know about her. Then he remembered the goddess' words.
Together you must return to this world and save the beast god. Though I must warn you the time you enter the girl's life will not be an easy one. Help her and she will ultimately help you in return.
I wonder what just happened to her? Inuyasha wondered.
Just then the door opened and Kagome entered with a smell that made Inuyasha's mouth water. "I uh, brought you some ramen." She said unsurely. "So you even need to eat?" Coming over, she handed him the cup of warm soup.
He took it hungrily and began slurping away.
Noticing he was so energetic, Kagome asked, "Are you all better now?"
Nodding, Inuyasha stopped inhaling his food to answer. "Yeah, I heal real fast." He left out the fact that he was a half demon to save himself the explanation.
No such luck. As soon as Inuyasha finished his meal, Kagome – who had been staring at his dog ears the entire time – asked. "So like what are you anyway?"
Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha tried to explain. "I'm half demon, half human or a hanyou."
"Oh, you said that earlier." She remembered. "And you were in a well to see me?" She asked sarcastically.
"No, I mean yes." Dammit! Inuyasha had to keep his temper in check.
"Kagome! Can you come down for a minute!" Her mother called.
Rolling her eyes, Kagome growled. "Coming!"
Inuyasha frowned as she left. Kagome and her mother always had a good relationship. I wonder what's up. Stepping down off the bed, he padded his way out the open door and listened from upstairs and out of view what was being said.
"What do you want?" Kagome asked with attitude.
Looking sad, Kagome's mother sat down on the couch. "I know this must be very hard for you."
"No it's not." Kagome countered. "I'm glad I found out now rather than later."
Kagome's mother frowned. "But you're father loved you very much."
Inuyasha gasped. Loved? Where is he now? Come to think of it, he was never here when I visited in the future. Could he…?
Kagome scoffed. "Yeah whatever. Is that all you wanted to say?"
Getting frustrated with her own daughter treating her this way, Kagome's mother stood up. "Now listen here. We are all going through a hard time right now. But you have till the end of the week and then you're going back to school. I hope you come to terms with your father's death by then." Then she left the room.
Kagome shouted at her mother's back. "Does it matter if I do!? You don't love me just like daddy didn't really love me!" Her voice broke on the last word and she ran out of the house crying.
Watching the pain reminded Inuyasha of his own pain at his father's death. He didn't really like to think about it, but that day when the demons attacked his village, Inuyasha wished he had been stronger to protect both his mother and father. Maybe then…I can't think about that now! That happened a long time ago, even if my body is around that age! I have to find Kagome and get her to the other world, or she won't have a future at all to worry about!
Running back to her room, Inuyasha opened the window and jumped onto the roof. My senses might not be as strong as they usually are, but I can find my Kagome anywhere. Taking a few quick sniffs of the air, Inuyasha picked up her distinct scent and took off into the city.
Kagome ran blindly, not caring where she was going. She just had to get away from home. She hated all the memories it held for her. I don't want to go home! I don't want to go to any more funerals! I don't want to go to school! I just want to be with daddy! Tripping, Kagome looked up and saw she was at the city park.
The setting sun's rays made all the sand in the park bright orange. Sniffling, Kagome walked over to the swings and sat down. "Why did you have to leave me?" She asked, knowing she wasn't going to get an answer.
"Sometimes things happen that we don't understand, maybe don't want to understand, but none the less they happen and we can't let them hold us back."
Gasping, Kagome looked over and saw Inuyasha sitting on all fours facing her with a serious expression. "What would you know?"
Looking down in the sand, Inuyasha sighed. "I lost my parents when I was little too." Meeting her gaze he continued. "I've lived on my own ever since then and I still wish my folks were with me but the reality is that they can't be."
"You don't have a mommy or a daddy?" Kagome asked in a small voice.
"Not anymore. But I learned that living my life to its fullest now and doing everything I wanted to do would somehow make them happy too."
Kagome looked away. "My daddy was a police officer and had to catch bad guys all day. He said that he only had one year left and he would retire. I don't really know what that means but he said it meant he could be home all the time."
"Mommy seemed happy with that too and everything was fine until she got a call saying that daddy wasn't going to be coming home anymore." Kagome teared up again. "It's not mommy's fault he died! But she doesn't seem to care that he's gone at all! She wants things to go back to being normal and I can't! Not without daddy!"
Inuyasha walked over and stood behind Kagome, gently swinging her back and forth. "When something really bad happens, its hard for anyone to look forward." It was hard for me when I slaughtered all those humans while in my demon form. But Kagome was there for me. Just by sitting next to me she calmed my soul and gave me a clear mind. Now I want to return the favor. "You don't have to do it right away. But you have to come to terms with the fact that your dad might not be coming back, but he's still watching over you. I know my parents are." He paused then smiled. "If it means anything, I understand what you're going through and I'm here for you."
Kagome nodded and jumped off the swing. Turning around she threw her arms around Inuyasha's neck and started bawling. "I miss him so much! Oh doggy ghost!!"
Upon hearing this, Inuyasha pulled Kagome off him. "D-doggy ghost!?" He shouted. "I got a name ya know!"
Kagome looked up shocked, but the tears still came as she sniffled.
Crossing his arms, Inuyasha looked away – still not being able to look at a girl when she's crying. "It's Inuyasha."
A smile slowly grew on Kagome's face and she nodded, giving Inuyasha a gentler hug from the side. "Thank you, Inuyasha."
Walking home, it was already nighttime and Kagome knew her grandfather and mother were probably worried sick for her. "Last night…" She started.
Inuyasha looked over casually. "Yeah?"
Blushing, Kagome looked down at the ground again. "I heard you say my name."
Eyes going wide, Inuyasha tried to think up an excuse. "Um, well you see…"
"Do you know me?" She asked.
Putting his hands in his sleeves, Inuyasha tried to find a simple way of putting his predicament. "I was sent to get help from you so…" I can save a beast god and in turn save your life decades from now? "I could save my friend." He thought up quickly.
"What happened to your friend? Is it your best friend?" She asked innocently.
Nodding, Inuyasha thought he heard something behind him, but played it off. "Yeah, my best friend is in trouble and I need help. I can't do it alone." A little closer…
"What can I do?" Kagome wondered.
Finally sensing the person following them was close enough, Inuyasha turned on a dime and lashed out with his claws.
"Holy crap, did you see this kid!?" The thug exclaimed as he held a hand to his chest. Already three long gashes were oozing with blood.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome turned to her companion.
Claws and fangs barred, Inuyasha stood between Kagome and the now two men standing in front of them. "Kagome, stay behind me."
Nodding, Kagome maneuvered behind him.
"Here I thought this would be easy, but I guess I was wrong." The guy pulled out a knife, making Kagome squeal. "Most kids run when they see us. You're either really brave, or really stupid."
"Let's just find some other kid to snag. With what he's wearing, I doubt he's parents have any money to cough up for him anyways." The second one said.
"My parents are dead and you'll soon be joining them!" Inuyasha barked, jumping towards the guy with the knife.
Caught off guard by the bold move, the guy couldn't react fast enough to stop Inuyasha from grabbing his weapon hand. Pulling forward, Inuyasha twisted the man's hand until he let go of the weapon and followed up with a kick to the face.
The man was thrown back and held his chin in pain as he attempted to pick himself back up. "Damn brat!"
While Inuyasha punched the guy in the gut to shut him up and send him into unconsciousness, the second man grabbed the knife and held it to Kagome's throat. "Okay, now you've gone too far!" He said, getting Inuyasha's attention.
Flexing his claws, Inuyasha seemed unfazed with the fact that the man had the upper hand…or at least appeared to have the upper hand. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." He said in as low of a voice as he could muster.
Stuttering, the man took an uneasy step back, pulling Kagome with him. "W-what are you?"
Kagome whimpered, but had yet to cry. She was scared, but somehow the way Inuyasha fought made her realize these guys picked the wrong fight to start.
"Let her go." Inuyasha warned. "And I might let you leave with just a broken jaw like your friend back there." He kept advancing forward.
"I'll do it. I'll kill her!" The man tried to sound confident.
"Not in this lifetime!" Jumping up, Inuyasha pulled back his right arm.
In reflex, the man pushed the girl forward and planned to use the knife against the boy. What he didn't realize was that Inuyasha had a projectile of his own which eliminated close combat. "Sankon Tessou!" Being little, his attack only cut the man up in a few places and shredded his clothes in others.
But it was enough to get him to drop the knife and run away, screaming like a girl and leaving his friend unconscious behind him.
Kagome got to her feet and looked at Inuyasha in a new light. "You are part demon." She said quietly.
Gasping, Inuyasha turned around and realized how that must've looked like to someone who wasn't used to it. "Kagome…I…"
Shaking her head, Kagome looked at the hanyou sadly. "I don't know what help I might be able to lend you. You already seem so strong."
Inside, Inuyasha thought. I'm only strong because of you.
"But you saved my life and it's the least I can do." Smiling, she held out her hand to his. "Where do we go from here?"
Shaking her hand, Inuyasha's heart filled with relief. Even as a child, Kagome was wise and understanding. Turning around, Inuyasha signaled for her to climb onto his back. "Climb on."
Giggling, Kagome laughed as he carried he through the streets, not scared at all about falling. She knew she was safe in his arms.
Much to her surprise, he took her back to the shrine. Taking her by the hand he led her back to the well where he'd found her. "Your friend is down there?" She asked skeptically.
Nodding, Inuyasha pulled her up onto the edge. "When we jump through we'll come out the other side."
"Is that where you came from?" When he nodded, she braced herself. "Okay. I'm ready."
Then together they jumped back through into Feudal Japan.
Just as the goddess promised, Inuyasha and Kagome came out back in the forest and for a second, Inuyasha was afraid his brother was still around. That would definitely cause problems.
Amazed at the change in scenery, Kagome looked around with a smile. "Wow! This definitely isn't the shrine anymore!"
Inuyasha crossed his arms and thought about his next move. Okay, that beast god could be anywhere, but chances are I'll run into him by chance anyway. Otherwise, the goddess would've told me where to find him.
Appearing at his side, Kagome asked sweetly. "So where to next? Where's your friend?"
"I'm not really sure to tell you the truth." He admitted.
Putting a finger to her lips, Kagome closed her eyes and turned to face the West. "How about we try in this direction?"
Frowning, Inuyasha looked at her. "Is that just a guess?"
"Yep!"
But as she said this, Inuyasha could see the powerful pink aura surrounding her body and immediately knew what it meant. Back when she first came here, that centipede demon attacked her saying she had the Shikon no Tama. After it hit her side, the jewel was forced out! It's the Shikon no Tama inside her body telling her where to go! Nodding, he let her get on his back again. "This should be a piece of cake!"
A few hours later, Kagome's stomach growled, but she said nothing. Inuyasha had been traveling for so long now, she didn't want to make a fuss when he had been so nice to let her ride piggyback.
"If you're hungry, you should say something." He said before slowly down to a stop and setting her down.
Blushing in embarrassment. "I-I'm not hungry."
Raising an eyebrow at her, Inuyasha crossed his arms and pointed to his ears. "You think these are for decoration?" Looking around, he sniffed the air. "Not much around, but I should be able to snag us a rabbit or something."
"A rabbit!?" Kagome protested. "I can't eat a helpless rabbit!"
"Unless you're into eating tree bark, we don't have much of a choice." He pointed out. Just then his ears picked up something. "What about fish?"
"Fish is good!" Kagome smiled cheerfully, thankful they weren't going to hurt a poor bunny.
"Alright, I'll start a fire and you can stay here until I get back." He started gathering sticks and leaves for the fire.
Kagome helped but stayed as close to Inuyasha as possible. It was getting darker and the forest was looking increasingly scary by the minute. "Here you go." She handed him her pile.
Taking them from her, he stuck them together and wished for a moment that Kirara was with them. He could tell Kagome was scared, she reeked of fear, but right now a fire was what they needed. "You don't have to worry." He said as he looked around for some rocks. "There's no harmful demons or animals nearby." He said.
Blinking, Kagome dug into her pocket and brought out a lighter. "Will this work?"
Inuyasha looked at it. "What is it?"
Flicking it on, Kagome lit the twigs and soon they had a small campfire. "It used to be my daddy's. I stole it from his room before Mom cleared everything out. Now it's all I have left from him." She looked down sadly, then glared at the hanyou. "And I'm not scared!"
Smirking, Inuyasha looked to the side. "Yeah sure. Listen, stay here and if anything happens, call me okay?"
"And you'll hear me?" She asked as she sat down and pulled her knees to her chest.
Looking up the way she was made Inuyasha's heart skip a beat. Catching himself, Inuyasha shook his head and jump into the nearest tree. "Just call and I'll come." He promised with a small smile, then jumped towards the river he'd heard earlier.
Kagome sighed and tried to keep her attention on the flickering flames instead of the enclosing darkness. "Inuyasha said there's nothing out there, so I've got nothing to be afraid of." She tried to convince herself.
Some time had passed and Kagome heard a noise out of the bushes and turned to see someone other than Inuyasha come towards her. "Ahh!"
Pulling his sleeves up, Inuyasha listened carefully before diving his hands into the water. Bringing his hands back up, a big juicy fish tried to wiggle out of his grasp. "This one's mine!" Tossing it towards shore, Inuyasha began searching for another.
Stopping, he couldn't remember hearing the fish land and when he spun around a large net was thrown over him. "What the hell!?" He became disoriented when the net was pulled, dragging him onto shore. "Let me go!"
The humans who'd captured him aimed their spears at them. "Stay where you are demon!"
"Like hell I will!" Flexing his claws, Inuyasha broke through the net and tried to jump away.
"You're not getting away!" The human in front of the group threw a ball and chain towards the little hanyou, snagging him around the legs and bringing him down hard to the forest floor. "Subdue him! Now!"
All at once the humans used the blunt end of their spears to knock Inuyasha unconscious.
"What do we do with him Kamai-sama?" One asked the woman who'd thrown the ball and chain.
Towering over the white haired half demon, Kamai smirked in victory. "Bring him to the village. If they want their member back, they'll have to surrender or…we kill him."
Nodding with cheers, the humans took Inuyasha and carried him back into the forest.
"Inuyasha! Inuyasha!" Kagome cried out over and over for the hanyou, while her captors simply laughed at her misfortune.
Clad only in shorts, the large werewolf looking demons ate pieces of roasted boar and decided what they were going to do with their prisoner. Their faces were canine like and the fur covering their body ranged from light brown to dark brown and black. "She's too scrawny to eat." One of them said.
"I bet if we tell the humans we have of their runts, they'll give up the land to us in exchange!" Another laughed.
"Yeah! That's what we'll do!" They agreed. Pointing to one of the smaller demons in their group, the first one ordered. "Go to the human's village and tell them to meet us at the youkai graveyard in two days time! Tell them that we will come unarmed and expect the same."
Nodding, the demon ran off.
Kagome shied back into her cage and hugged her body to stay warm. "Inuyasha…where are you?"
As soon as Inuyasha had awakened, he found himself tied to a wooden stake in one of the human's tents. "Let me go! I already told you I ain't a part of your war!"
Scoffing, one of the guards in charge of watching him looked behind him at the enslaved hanyou. "Why should we believe anything you say demon?" He asked. "With those ears, claws, and teeth, there's no way you couldn't be a part of that cursed youkai village. They think they can just hunt in our forests and attempt to steal our land, well they got another thing coming." This got both to laugh.
"That's right! As soon as Kamai's hunting party find that healing god that's said to roam this forest, our people will be invincible!"
Inuyasha gasped at the mention of the god. Could it be…? "What does this healing god look like?" He asked.
"Silence!"
Jumping to attention, both guards froze up when Kamai came walking over. Her weapon still hung at her hip and her long white hair brushed against it lightly. The red bandana around her forehead made it evident that she was the leader of this village. "I don't want anymore talk of our plans in front of the prisoner! Do you intend for him to return to his village with detailed knowledge of our future missions?"
Shaking their heads, both guards knowingly stayed silent.
Walking into the tent, the woman glared at Inuyasha. "I suppose you're going to tell me that you are not a part of the demon village across the river?"
"That's what I've been saying!" The hanyou shouted in anger. "It's about time somebody started listening to me!"
"Ha! They must think we are even foolish than they are!" Kamai laughed. "It doesn't matter what you know. Even if you go back and tell them of our plans, it will be too late!"
Narrowing his eyes, Inuyasha said nothing. I have to break out of here and find Kagome before…
"Kamai-sama! Kamai-sama! One of the demons is coming!"
Going back out of the tent, the woman met the young demon as he struggled to catch his breath. "Speak or else I'll send you back to your brethren without your tongue." She threatened.
Already six spears encircled the messenger. "I come to tell you that in two days time our tribe would like to meet you yours at the youkai graveyard to negotiate the exchange of one of your humans. They also say to come unarmed."
Gasps ran through those present and Inuyasha struggled to hear everything that was being said.
Kamai though, smirked. "Tell them we'll meet them and come unarmed."
"Kamai-sama!" One of the guards questioned.
"That is an order!" She barked. Turning back to the small demon, she added. "Also tell them that we have one of yours. We'll make the exchange then."
Bowing, the demon messenger left to return to his tribe.
"Kamai-sama! You're not actually thinking of going without any weapons at all are you!?" The same guard asked.
"Not exactly. You see, we have already gotten word of the beast god's whereabouts and when we go, we will be unarmed…and immortal."
Inuyasha struggled against his restraints once more. If a war was about to break out between the humans and the demons, Kagome could end up in the middle of it! He no doubt believed Kagome was the one the demon messenger talked about and it was up to him to get her back.
Baka! I should've never left her alone! Dammit!
But unknown to Inuyasha, who was being held inside the tent, the next night would be one that would see no light from the moon. Amaterasu's power sent him back in time close to the same time of year as when he left. Therefore it would one again be the Night of the First Day. Can Human Inuyasha save Kagome from a village of full dog demons?