Inu-Yasha was a little stunned by her touch. He hadn't expected to feel her hand graze across his ear. Even though his senses were heightened, he still didn't know what she was thinking and that was annoying him.
"I'm okay." He repeated softly for Kagome's ears to hear.
Kagome exploded.
"What the hell do you think you're doing? First you fight this bitch; then you befriend her. Next you bath with her; then you tell me there's nothing to worry about. Now you turn into a demon and tell me you're okay. I don't know what to do with you, Inu-Yasha! You're gonna kill me. I can't take this. What the hell are you thinking? I've never seen you take to anyone so quickly. Who the hell does she think she is? …"
Inu-Yasha's sudden growl shut her up.
"Are you growling at me?" Kagome yelled back furiously.
Miroku and Sango had never seen Kagome face off against Inu-Yasha like this. She had no fear of him.
Inu-Yasha grabbed Kagome by the arm jerking her to the side.
"You know nothing!" He barked out.
With Inu-Yasha's sudden aggression towards her, Kagome shut her mouth, but not for long. "Then talk to me, Damn it."
Inu-Yasha growled at her again; he suddenly stopped spinning his head to the side. He heard something but he didn't like the aurora that was coming from where the noise emanated from.
The gray bird hanyou that had greeted them when they entered the area bound up to the girl demon and bowed addressing her. She bowed in return. He whispered his business for only the demons to hear. "Kagura has returned."
Inu-Yasha stared at the girl demon in disbelief. "Kagura? Kagura has returned…that means she's been here before? What kind of deal are you making with her? She works for Naraku or haven't you noticed?"
"She's here to answer my offer. …The jewel in exchange for her freedom."
"Freedom? From what?"
She glanced at Inu-Yasha almost mocking his stupidity.
"Naraku."
With that the female demon bound off into the woods. Inu-Yasha threw Kagome upon onto his back then started after her. Sango and Miroku raced after Inu-Yasha with their weapons; they weren't sure if they were going to need them or whom they'd have to use them against.
Inu-Yasha realized when Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck protectively that her scent had changed. She was afraid. She seemed afraid of losing him. Kagome may have been angered at Inu-Yasha, but she knew Kagura's appearance would take everyone's full attention. Inu-Yasha certainly didn't take her stubborn yet curious nature seriously since he knew it was only concern.
"Inu-Yasha," Kagome started, "I'm sorry…"
She had felt bad for yelling at him in her jealousy. Actually she was afraid that Inu-Yasha had picked up on just how jealous she really was, but she was glad she hadn't sat him. Apologizing, for the sit would be much harder.
"Why are you apologizing?" Inu-Yasha asked over his shoulder.
"…For yelling at you. Who you like and don't like is none of my business."
"…Like? Kagome what are you talking about?"
"Are you really that dense?"
Inu-Yasha growled at Kagome in response. Kagome felt the growl force its way into her own chest. "Kagome, are you jealous?"
"NO!" Kagome denied. She knew full well that Inu-Yasha had probably picked up on the fact that she was lying. She was thinking of how to ask him when she decided that just asking would be most effective. "Inu-Yasha… Who… Who is she?" The question threw Inu-Yasha off guard. Kagome was jealous of her?
"My sister." He answered.
Kagome felt stupid, stupid for not knowing who she was, stupid for not seeing the resemblance sooner, stupid for being so jealous.
"Sister?" Kagome finally etched out.
Inu-Yasha nodded.
"When we were little, mom had arranged for us to meet. Her mother died when she was born. She had been living in the forests and was doing quite well for herself. She was a little older than I was but a real sucker for humans. During our play…date, Sesshoumaru showed up. To him we were scum. He wanted us dead, but if he was caught with our blood on his hands then…well…"
Kagome could see that this hurt to talk about. He seemed to be more chocked up talking about the girl than Kikyo. Kagome decided to change the mood. "What's her name?"
"Kiame." Inu-Yasha answered.
"…So …she's a hanyou too?"
"Yeah." Inu-Yasha answered almost nostalgic.
"I thought there was only you and Sesshoumaru."
"Well we were so young when he attacked her that… well you have to understand that there are more important things than remembering weak demons."
"So you chose to forget?"
Inu-Yasha slowed his pacing.
His slowed pace answered more than just her question so Kagome wrapped her arms securely around his neck. Her 'death' had practically ripped him apart. It wasn't that he just forgot; he chose to forget. He didn't want to remember.
Before long Sango and Miroku had caught up to them. They all stopped in a clearing, in the bright moonlight. The wind was stronger here. Kagome knew before she dismounted Inu-Yasha's back that Kagura was waiting for them.
Kagura stood up with a little shock impressioned upon her face. She stared at Inu-Yasha. Kagura's look upset Inu-Yasha.
Inu-Yasha growled pushing Kagome back away from danger. Inu-Yasha started to charge then fell over backwards.
He'd hit something.
"Kagome, What the hell was that for?" Inu-Yasha yelled. She might have killed his only chance to get Kagura.
Kagome looked confused.
"I did it, Inu-Yasha." A feminine voice rang out.
Inu-Yasha stood face to face with her as she ignored him. The female dog demon, which resembled Inu-Yasha, stepped through the barrier picking up her dagger on the way through. Two other hanyou-demons followed closely behind Kiame. They had been the near her since she returned from the village. Kagome concluded that the hanyous were probably her bodyguards; not that she needed them.
"Speak" The female dog demon barked out.
"I accept." Kagura stated degrading. She'd originally come to decline the offer, but Inu-Yasha's transformation had changed her mind. If the young bitch could increase Inu-Yasha's power then there was still hope that Naraku could be defeated and she could be free.
"Very well." The dog demon relied unfazed. She beckoned with her claws for one of her 'guards' to step forward.
One of the guards handed her a small red stone. She pulled out a dagger from the sheath on the side of her leg; with the dagger glowing, she stabbed the stone. She removed the dagger holding it down by her side. A small liquid seeped out of the stone almost as if it was bleeding. The drop fell free landing on the ground. Next the dog demon bent down and picked it up. A small familiar glowing ring appeared and transformed into a rosary. The girl threw the rosary at Kagura.
Kagura just stood there as the rosary took hold of her. The female dog demon nodded. Then Kagura pull a feather from her hair and with a quick blast of wind, she was gone.
"Why the hell did you let her get away?" Inu-Yasha bellowed out.
"I know this may be tough for you to understand Inu-Yasha, but she craves her freedom more than anything else. Whether she fails or succeeds, Naraku will be destroyed."
"It's not that easy." Inu-Yasha barked out thinking from personal experience.
"Inu-Yasha, the only way my plan will fail is if Naraku frees her of his own free will."
Inu-Yasha stared at her disconcertingly.
"She will return to Naraku's castle before the sunsets."
"And how do you know that?"
"It's not that far from here."
"What…?"
"You can't tell me you can't sense it."
Inu-Yasha diverted his eyes from her a little ashamed.
"Uh…" she moaned as she rolled her eyes, "stand still."
The female demon slowly approached Inu-Yasha. She carefully brushed his hair back from the side of his neck with her perfect claws.
Kagome began to have flashbacks of the waterhole where Inu-Yasha had dropped his head and dropped his ears at her touch. Something about the closeness of this bitch with her Inu-Yasha unnerved her.
The demon pulled her lips back to a snarl position revealing her diamond fangs. She then sank them into Inu-Yasha's neck and clamped down.
Inu-Yasha yelped in pain. That hurt! He clinched his teeth as pain seared through his body. Inu-Yasha steadied a small consistent growl. He wanted to pull away or fight back, but somehow his soft growl had turned into small whimpers.
Kagome's worry had turned to fear. The female demon wasn't releasing her hold on Inu-Yasha's neck.
Inu-Yasha's eyes suddenly flew open from their half conscious state and a large growl proclaimed itself.
The female demon kept her jaws clamped tightly on his neck.
His growl calmed as he slipped into unconsciousness.
She released Inu-Yasha's neck only when he collapsed in her hold leaving his limp body to fall heavily to the ground.
Kagome consequently rushed to his side.
"What did you do to him?" Sango demanded raising her weapon.
"He'll be fine in an hour or two." The demon defended.
"Inu-Yasha's never been one to give in that easily…" Miroku started.
He stopped when he realized that the female demon had no interest in Inu-Yasha or them. Kagome coddled Inu-Yasha's head as she waited for him to regain consciousness.
Inu-Yasha woke slowly not immediately jumping up as he could have. Still in his demon form, Inu-Yasha seemed more human than demon. He lay quietly in Kagome's hold, lightly closing his eyes as her fingers combed through his wild bangs and stroked his forehead. Kagome forgot how comfortable he was around her until he began to growl when anyone else dared to approach them.
Inu-Yasha rolled over onto all fours then backed into a squatting position. Kagome reached her hand to his face. He nuzzled her hand slightly at her touch.
A bright blast of moonlight diverted Inu-Yasha's attention from Kagome's tender touch. Kagome brushed his hair back causing Inu-Yasha to nuzzle her hand again. Then it happened.
A bright light emanated from Inu-Yasha. The light reminded Kagome of the light from the end of Inu-Yasha's human nights when his demonic powers returned. Kagome felt Inu-Yasha's face disappear to a mass of hair. Blinded and confused all Kagome could do was wait till the demonic light faded. And it did. When the light faded a dog sat in front of her, eye to eye.
The dog was mostly white stricken by a purple nose and a purple strip on each cheek. Two large ears were only partly hidden by a white fluff of bangs that hung low into its golden eyes. If not for the rosary that still hung around its neck Kagome would have never guessed that this was Inu-Yasha.
Four huge black paws and a black underscore to his large tail contrasted the purple moonlit highlight of the white fur. Inu-Yasha spun in a circle ears at the alert. He had obviously heard something. The girl demon fell from a nearby tree. Inu-Yasha circled Kagome and nuzzled his head against her. He was large for a dog. With Kagome kneeling, Inu-Yasha stood just high enough to nuzzle her face without any effort.
Inu-Yasha then sat down next to Kagome. Kagome and Inu-Yasha sat about the same height. From the back, except for the tail, Inu-Yasha looked exactly as he always did. Inu-Yasha lowered his head and whimpered. Kagome knew that Inu-Yasha knew something was different.
The female demon transformed in and out of a dog as she passed through the moonlight making her way closer to Inu-Yasha. She stopped a few feet away and knelt down.
Inu-Yasha slowly crept over to her.
Once in her range of touch, she stroked Inu-Yasha's cheek and petted him. "Since you are not a pure demon," she stated, "some of your human characteristics still remain… like your black hair and your human emotion."
"Is that Inu-Yasha?" Miroku asked. Kagome stood and nodded with a brief yet pleased noise. "He looks so young." Sango stated. Kagome stared at Inu-Yasha. He did look young. She had forgotten just how young he really was. The oversized ears, giant paws, and overly proportioned tail gave away the youth behind his rough exterior. "That's because he is." Kagome replied in a daze without diverting her attention from Inu-Yasha's new form.