Update: Chapter Edit complete
Disclaimer: Except for Julia, none of the characters are mine.
A/N: Yeah the title kind of sums this one up too……
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Chapter Three: Strange Occurrences
"Julia, do you have to go to school and take tests like Kagome does?" asked Shippou, still perched on Kagome's shoulder.
"No," Julia replied with a smile. "I've already fini…Kagome? What's wrong?" she asked, suddenly noticing the younger girl's face going very white.
"He's coming," she breathed and spun around. And, with some unspoken signal, the others turned and readied themselves for who ever "he" was. Sango pulled her enormous boomerang off her back, Miroku stood ready with his staff and talismans, Kirara transformed into her larger form, and Inu Yasha came bounding over them to stand at the front lines. "Julia, just stay behind us." Kagome warned as she joined her companions, drawing her bow and notching an arrow as she went.
Julia found herself wondering what was going on, and holding a small ball of fuzz that was shaking with fear, when an enormous purple cloud descended into the clearing they had just left. Out of the smoke came a man wearing armor that looked to be made of bone, and who had several strange attachments coming out of his back.
"Shippou, who-" she started to ask, but Shippou did not let her finish the question.
"Naraku." he replied with a trembling voice. A silent 'oh' escaped Julia's lips as she watched Inu Yasha run in first to try and land a blow on their arch-nemesis, and in that instant all hell seemed to break loose.
Naraku threw Inu Yasha back with one of his back-attachments, which Julia now recognized as arms. Sango let her boomerang loose, yelling something about a flying bone, only to find it repelled by some kind of bubble that Naraku had erected around himself. That must be the barrier everyone told me about. Kagome and Miroku let their arrow and talismans fly, creating a blinding light, but it seemed to do little to harm Naraku. Sango took to the air on Kirara, boomerang in hand, apparently trying to get a better shot at Naraku. Julia was so transfixed by the battle raging in front of her that she didn't realize someone had come up behind her until it was too late.
Suddenly gripped around the neck, Julia's arms flew up to repel her unknown attacker. Though dropped in the process, Shippou quickly recovered and turned to face her.
"Kagura!" he shouted, as he tried to help Julia by jumping upon and biting the demon that now easily kept Julia in a strangle-hold. Kagura blocked Shippou and tossed him back to the ground, where he managed to rise once more.
"Shippou," Julia choked out. "Run!" But the little fox did not run. He jumped back at Kagura and yelled "Fox Fire!" causing a blue flame to shoot towards them.
"You think your little trick will work on me?" Julia heard a feminine voice say behind her. A gust of wind diverted the fire and knocked Shippou once more to the ground. As Julia looked at Shippou's still form in horror, she heard the feminine voice directed at her. "Now, you are coming with me."
"Kago-" Julia tried to yell, but Kagura covered her mouth before she could finish. Then with another gust of wind a giant feather appeared before them, onto which Kagura stepped, dragging Julia with her. The human tried to struggle free but the demon's strength was too much for her.
"I'm not sure why he wants you too." stated Kagura as the feather lifted off the ground. Wants me, too? thought Julia, still struggling with her captor. Well, if he wants me, I'm sure as hell not going to make it easy for this chick! She continued to struggle as much as possible, causing the fast flying feather to sway violently.
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Kagome had started to realize that Naraku was only playing with them when he merely kept repelling their attacks instead of attacking them in return. It was then that she sensed a shard growing farther away and turned to see a knocked-out Shippou and a missing Julia. Oh, no she thought.
"Inu Yasha!" she yelled. "Julia!" Kagome pointed behind herself. Inu Yasha stopped in mid-attack and landed on the ground at a safe distance from Naraku to see what Kagome was pointing at. Kagome could see the look of understanding on his face before he turned back to face a now-smiling Naraku.
"Ah, Inu Yasha." he said smoothly. "Thanks for the game, but my business here is complete." Naraku continued and began to transform into his usual cloud of smoke. "I'd warn your wolf friend the end is near if I was you." With that, Naraku completely disappeared and left the clearing.
"What happened?" Sango asked as she and Kirara landed next to Miroku.
"Naraku was acting as a distraction while someone else made off with Lady Julia." replied Miroku, who walked over to join Kagome where Shippou had fallen.
"Shippou." Kagome called gently, trying to wake the small demon as she cradled him in her arms. "Shippou." She shook him gently and noted that he started to come around. "Shippou!" she called one last time as he slowly opened his eyes and then suddenly jumped out of her arms.
"Kagome, quick!" he shouted, "Kagura took Julia, I tried to stop her but she was too powerful."
"Kagura." repeated Inu Yasha. "That wind demon probably has her miles from here by now. You guys catch up, I'm going on ahead."
"Wait," called Kagome, her voice stopping Inu Yasha from taking one of his flight imitating leaps. "The shard, I can still sense it! She's not that far from here." She then noticed Inu Yasha's face scrunching up as he smelled in the direction she was pointing at, and a small growl escaped his lips.
"What is it?" she asked, but knew she would get no answer.
"Come on," he growled out, "we need to hurry."
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Sesshoumaru walked calmly away from Inu Yasha and his half-brother's human friends, ignoring Inu Yasha's infuriated yells. No more could be learned from them at this time, but the appearance of that girl was definitely not expected. He had heard his half-brother's woman whisper to her 'to play along.' Did she honestly believe that he could not hear her? However, why that girl felt the need to cover for the new-comer was eluding him. Certainly they had similar qualities. Their scents, while very close, were distinctly different once they were side by side. Their clothes had a similar make to them, but beyond that the two could not be from the same village. The new-comer had spoken a strange language to him when he had first appeared, and if Inu Yasha had not shown up at that point he would have gotten to the bottom of that. Damn that half-breed Sesshoumaru thought, somewhat disgruntled. And when she had spoken Japanese, her accent was most strange. True, Inu Yasha's woman also had an accent, but it was barely noticeable. Japanese is obviously not that girl's first language. She could not have been raised with it! To top things off, her appearance was like no human he had ever encountered. Light skin, golden hair, green eyes…I've never even heard of a human with that coloring! The differences between the two girls could only mean that the new girl knew something that Inu Yasha's woman did not want said. Not to mention that he could see it in their body language when they had spoken. But what did she know that Inu Yasha's woman did not want shared?
He hated that, hated not knowing. Perhaps that was another reason why he wished to vanquish Naraku. The half-demon was an unknown that Sesshoumaru had been unable to predict, and that was dangerous even to him. As much as he hated to admit it, even if it was just to himself, Sesshoumaru knew that Naraku was becoming quite a threat.
Sesshoumaru had almost reached his own traveling companions when he sensed that particular threat coming from the clearing he had just recently vacated. Naraku Here, now? He turned and started back towards the clearing. This was definitely not a puppet as Naraku would usually send to do his dirty work. Why would he emerge now? Is he strong enough that he believes he no longer needs his subterfuge and deceptions? Sesshoumaru could feel the energy being thrown about as his brother and companions began the battle. He knew with a certainty that they would fail. What could a half-demon and some humans do against Naraku, something that was no longer human or demon, a complete monster?
He stopped just short of reaching the clearing, sniffing. Kagura So she was here as well, but she was not fighting. What could she be…? His thought was interrupted as the answer to his question flew over his head. Kagura sped off on one of her feathers, but she was not alone. In her grasp was the very girl that had drawn him to this clearing, struggling to get free of the wind demoness. Why would Naraku want her? It did not matter, since Naraku wanted her it could only mean that she would somehow make him stronger and that could not be allowed. Leaping into the air, Sesshoumaru closed in and overtook the feather causing Kagura to abruptly halt.
"Sesshoumaru," she hissed, "why do you interfere?" He could tell that, while she was trying to be calm about the situation, she was clearly agitated by his presence. The girl had stopped struggling upon his arrival and was now only staring wide-eyed at him.
"You will hand the girl over to me." he replied. If it was possible the girl's eyes seemed to grow even larger.
"This girl is Naraku's. I cannot give her to you." responded Kagura more calmly.
"Then I will have to take her from you." he said in as deadly a voice as possible. Kagura seemed to weigh her options, searching Sesshoumaru's face for some kind of answer.
"Fine," she replied, releasing her hold on the girl, "you can have her, but this is coming with me." She then reached for something hanging around the girl's neck. A sacred jewel shard. Let Kagura have it he thought. I care not about the Jewel of Four Souls. But, as Kagura closed her hand around it, the jewel let off a bright blue light that caused Kagura to quickly pull her hand back as if in pain. "You wretched human!" she shrieked and pushed the girl, causing her to fall over the edge of the feather, before speeding off.
Sesshoumaru only sighed and quickly descended to retrieve the girl, starting to regret his decision to even get involved. This could definitely be more trouble than it is worth he thought. In an instant he was below the girl and catching her with his remaining arm. Damn you, Inu Yasha he silently cursed, pulling the girl close to him as he continued their descent to the ground at a much slower pace. Glancing down, he noticed that she was staring up at him with the same wide eyes she'd had when he'd stopped Kagura. Those eyes…they should not belong to any human he thought off-handedly. Yet, as wide as they were, he did not sense any fear in her. Excitement, yes, and perhaps some uncertainty, but no fear. Who is this girl, and why would Naraku want her?
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Julia had continued to struggle against Kagura, but she knew that the demon possessed more strength than she could ever overcome. She was convinced she was going to be taken prisoner and put somewhere highly unpleasant when their ride had come to an abrupt halt. Looking out at the road block, Julia had been surprised to see the mystery man from earlier. He had not only stopped Kagura, but demanded that Julia be turned over to him. I can only imagine how buggy my eyes looked… By what little she had seen of Sesshoumaru's interaction with Inu Yasha, and the lack of information that the group was willing to give to her about him, Julia had assumed that he must not be one of the 'good guys.'
Julia's shock had continued as Kagura was repelled by her keep-sake and she was pushed over the edge of the feather - only to be rescued moments later and trapped in a strong embrace as they then floated gently down to the ground. Wow, this is like some odd fairy tale she thought as their feet touched the ground. He released her then, and she took a step back from him.
"Thank you." Her voice was smaller than she would have liked it to be, but she was still breathing rather deeply from her recent adventure. He merely stared at her. Okay, apparently we are back to the not-speaking thing again. I did say 'thank you' in Japanese, didn't I? "Okay…well, thank you again, and if you would be so kind as to point me in the direction of my friends I'll be on my way." If he was not going to speak, she decided, it would be best to leave. Besides, even with that handsome of a face, his cold stare was starting to creep her out.
"What does Naraku want with you?" he suddenly asked with absolutely no emotion in his voice. Well, at least he is talking she thought.
"I have no idea." she replied honestly. "Before today I didn't even know that Naraku existed." She could tell that he was weighing what she was saying. He's probably trying to decide if I'm telling the truth. She reached up to her throat to attempt an off-handed check of her jewel shard. Good, it's still there…but what made it hurt Kagura? "Look, thanks again, but I really should get back to the others. I am sure they are worried." That said, she started to walk past him when she was caught by a strong hand.
"I am not done with you yet." His tone had changed, but only marginally. Was that a hint of annoyance she detected?
"Look, I'm sorry you feel that way, but I have to go." she replied, attempting to shake off his grip and having no luck. "Would you mind letting me go?" she asked, still trying to pull his hand off of her arm. What is with this guy?
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This girl was not the least bit scared of him. Did she not know who he was? She would presume to walk away when he had not given her leave to, and now she wished to give him orders.
Not to mention the fact that she had not told him the entire truth.
"I will let you go when I am ready, girl, now you…"
"GIRL?!" She had interrupted him. Him, Lord Sesshoumaru! Nobody interrupted him! "Look, I am not some kid you can boss around, I…"
"I will call you whatever I wish." he stated, interrupting her tirade and pulling her back in front of him so that he did not have to stretch to maintain his hold on her left arm with his right. She seemed startled by his quick actions, but he still could not sense any fear in her. She was, however, definitely angry. "Now you will tell me the truth." He stared directly into her eyes, hoping to cause some discomfort. "All of it."
Sadly, this was not to be the case. Sesshoumaru suddenly found himself in a position he had never thought possible. The girl grabbed him by the upper half of his arm, spun, surprising him enough that he loosened his grip on her arm and found himself promptly flipped over onto his back. As he lay there in shock he could hear her take off running. Oh, that girl is going to pay
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That'll teach him she thought as she ran wildly through the forest. Imagine, the nerve of that guy, thinking he could boss me around like that! Sure, he saved my life, but that does NOT give him the right to treat me like that! Besides, I did tell him the truth about not knowing who Naraku was. Damn it, I don't know how much I'm supposed to know, and how much I'm not! Kagome had filled her in on almost everything, but Julia had no idea how much of that Sesshoumaru was supposed to know, and she still had no clue as to what part he played in all of this. Man, I hate being left in the dark.
Taking the chance to look back, she was relieved to see that she was not being followed only to run into something very solid a moment later, the force knocking her completely down. "That would be just like me to run into a tree," she mumbled as she sat up rubbing her backside.
"So now I am a tree." stated a very angry voice, as a hand reached down to forcibly drag her up. Oh crap she thought as she looked into the face of a very angry Sesshoumaru. Well, at least I know he is capable of showing emotion.
"You will pay for your impertinence. I, Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands, is not to be talked back to, walked out on, or thrown about like a doll." He growled then, much like Inu Yasha had. "Especially not by a human woman like you." Oh yeah, he was definitely mad. My, my, throwing about titles now, sounding all important…
"Hold on a sec" Julia asked, suddenly tuning into the important part of his little outburst. "What's a 'Lord of the Western Lands'?" The shocked expression on his face told her that she may have just asked the wrong question. Then his eyes narrowed, and he released the grip he had on her arm. Damn, I think I'm going to have a bruise there in the morning… She could feel how tender it already was as she rubbed it. She noticed that he had closed his eyes and was taking a couple of deep breaths. Upon opening his eyes, she was once again treated to the stoic mask he'd worn when they'd first met.
"You are either a simpleton," he stated, "and as such should be pitied, not punished. Or," he paused and looked directly into her eyes. Geez, that is really intense. "you really do not have any idea who I am, and that intrigues me." The cold tones he used almost chilled her bones. Whoa, this guy could definitely be trouble. "You will tell me where you are from and how you were able to command that shard to repel Kagura, but not right now." He stepped back a pace. "My idiot half-brother and his companions approach, and one meeting with them today is more than enough." That said he suddenly disappeared in a bright blue ball of light.
'Idiot half-brother,' who was he talking about? As if in answer to her question, Inu Yasha came flying into the section of the woods where she now stood closely followed by the rest of the group.
"You're his brother," she blurted out without thinking. Inu Yasha stopped dead in his tracks.
"Where is he?" he questioned, ignoring her statement. "I know he was here, what happened?" Kagome put a calming hand on his shoulder and explained.
"Sesshoumaru is Inu Yasha's older half-brother. He is a full demon while Inu Yasha had a human mother." Kagome paused and gave Inu Yasha's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Sesshoumaru is not…overly happy about that."
"Oh." Julia replied. "That would explain his behavior after he rescued me. I got the feeling he was not too fond of humans."
"Whoa," interjected Sango, "Sesshoumaru rescued you from Kagura?" Julia nodded and proceeded to tell them about what had happened, minus flipping Sesshoumaru. I can just see that one getting thrown in his face the second he and Inu Yasha got into another argument…
"And, Kagome." she paused at this point, not really sure how to explain. "When Kagura tried to take my pendant from me it was as if…as if it shocked her somehow."
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Sesshoumaru was furious. He'd went out of his way to rescue that human and she had had the audacity to treat him like that. Why did I even bother saving her, anyway? She was just a human! Because…because Naraku wanted her he reminded himself. He knew about the shard she possessed, as he had seen Kagura try to lift it from her neck, but that did not explain why Naraku had given orders for the girl to be captured. Kagura could have just killed her and removed the shard from her corpse, so why? Perhaps the capture was due to the girl being protected by the shard…which was strange enough by itself. Naraku must be planning something, but what?
As Sesshoumaru entered the clearing where he had left his servant and ward earlier - much earlier - that day, he heard a shill cry. He inwardly winced but made no outward show of his discomfort.
"Lord Sesshoumaru!" squealed the little girl with delight, hugging his leg. He endured it, but did not respond. He wished she would not do that, her outward displays of emotion made him most uncomfortable. He simply did not understand the human need to show weakness like this. After all, what could it be but a weakness?
"Rin," shrieked Jaken, "do not cling to Lord Sesshoumaru! You'll get your wretched human stench all ov…," Jaken stopped and started sniffing his lord in earnest, causing his large round eyes to flare open in surprise. "My lord, why do you smell so strongly of human? What has happened to you?" cried Jaken, who then promptly covered his mouth and scooted back as he obviously realized that he had overstepped his bounds. Sesshoumaru merely glared at him. He did not need to tell his servant what had transpired. He was Sesshoumaru, and Sesshoumaru answered to no one.
"Jaken."
"Yes, my Lord?" the little toad immediately hopped to, apparently trying to regain some favor.
"Find something for Rin to eat and make camp," he commanded.
"We are not returning to the castle, my lord?" questioned Jaken. Sesshoumaru only eyed him again, but this time with more venom. Now even my servant is questioning me! Jaken sprung into action, but Sesshoumaru did not miss the disgruntled complaints as Jaken began his search.
"Rin."
"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru?" she replied in her normal happy tone, staring straight up at him with a look of utter devotion.
"Get your parchment and ink and review your lessons." The little girl immediately ran over to Ah-Un's saddlebags to find the requested items. As soon as she did she promptly sat down, arranged her materials, and began to work.
Sesshoumaru watched the little girl with amazement. That was the kind of respect he expected. His orders were not questioned, merely obeyed immediately. That was how it had always been - he was right and everyone else was not.
But that girl did not know this, and even after he had saved her life she had treated him no better than a common human male - perhaps even less. He had never observed any human male allowing their female to talk back to them. She did not even appear to realize that she was doing something wrong! There was no shame, no blush, only that infernal stubbornness and will.
No, they were not going back to the castle, not yet. He would get to the bottom of who this girl was and why Naraku wanted her. Naraku had appeared today and, wherever that girl went, Naraku was likely to appear again. So he would shadow Inu Yasha's little group and, if he could, he would question that girl again. She would tell him what he wanted to know. No one denied Sesshoumaru anything!
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Kagome sat in front of the small cooking fire in Kaede's hut, thinking over the day's events. Kaede sat opposite her, working on preparing some medicinal herbs for their journey. Inu Yasha was probably hiding on the roof somewhere. Miroku had offered to take Julia on a tour of the village, and while Sango had gone on the pretense of protecting Julia from Miroku, but Kagome knew that she was jealous. Those two were quite the pair. Shippou and Kirara had joined them - Kirara because of Sango, and Shippou because they were the most interesting thing happening. He was, after all, just a kid, and loved being entertained. Kagome could tell that Julia understood Miroku's games and had continued to shoot him down to avoid raising Sango's ire. She really was a very interesting woman.
After Julia had explained what the shard had done to Kagura they'd decided to try a few experiments. First, Inu Yasha had tried to remove the shard only to receive a shock as soon as he touched it. Miroku had offered to try as well, but after clearly reaching a bit lower than necessary Sango had punch him in the head and tried it herself. She, too, was similarly shocked. Miroku then theorized that since it had been with Julia all her life as sort of a good luck charm it had somehow become, quite literally, bound to her. He figured the only way for it to be taken would be if Julia gave it freely to someone.
Inu Yasha had tried to use the opportunity to send her back, but Julia had seemed more adamant about staying now than she had been before. She figured the shard would be safest with her since nobody could take it from her. Inu Yasha made some comment about taking it off of her corpse only to have Miroku tell him that it would probably never leave her even in death. So, after a little more arguing, Inu Yasha had conceded to let her stay.
What Kagome was more worried about was why Naraku would have had Kagura take Julia in the first place. He couldn't have known of the spell on the shard, and Shippou said that Kagura had just tried to take her before attempting to get the shard. Then Sesshoumaru coming to Julia's rescue, well, that part had really baffled her. Perhaps that little girl he was now taking care of was having some sort of effect on him. Sighing, Kagome decided she needed some air.
"Excuse me, Kaede," she said as she stood and exited the hut. Outside, the others were nowhere to be seen, but she could sense Inu Yasha on the roof above her. It was something that she had begun to notice that she could do. She could feel when he was near her almost like detecting a jewel shard. "Inu Yasha," she called softly, knowing his cute dog ears would pick up on her voice. A moment later he alighted in front of her.
"What do you want?" he asked rather testily. Kagome ignored the attitude, she knew he was still upset about Julia staying, and she also knew that it was out of worry.
"Why do you think Naraku wanted Julia?" she asked as she walked away from the hut, Inu Yasha falling in beside her.
"You're wondering, too?" Inu Yasha always managed to surprise her. He acted like a macho tough guy all the time, but he really did think things through. Well, some things anyway. "I'm not sure why, but that is more reason to send her back to your time." Kagome turned to him and could see the genuine concern in his eyes. It only added to the growing list of reasons for why she loved him.
"I know," she began but paused as she looked out from the vantage point of the cliff overlooking the valley. It was her favorite place to come to when they were in the village. The view was breathtaking, especially at night. The star-filled sky was always so bright, even with the moon's light. She didn't think there was a spot anywhere on Earth, in her time, where the stars seemed so vivid. Kagome sat then, pulling her knees up to her chest, and Inu Yasha followed suit, sitting in his typical dog style.
"But," she continued "I am afraid that if he really is after her, he is keeping a closer watch on her. Which means he could find out about the power of the well, and, since he has jewel shards, I think he might be able to travel to my time? Can you imagine the kind of chaos that would cause?" She looked over at him only to see his concern-filled eyes staring back at her. It always took her breath away when he did that, did he have any idea how much it affected her?
"Kagome," he said softly, "I would never want that to happen, you know that." He looked away then, off into the distance. "We'll just have to make sure that she is safe, and," a wry smile played across his face, "she did want an adventure, after all. It looks like she is going to get one." Kagome smiled too, but hers was one of affection.
"Thank you, Inu Yasha." she said softly as she leaned in and placed her head on his shoulder. She could feel him tense momentarily, but then he relaxed and sat more comfortably on the ground. It had been a long day, and as tired as she was she thought she might fall asleep right there.
She had always felt so safe when she was with him, especially when they were together like this. And now that Kikyo is gone… How could she even think that? Kagome abruptly sat up and stared at her lap, unable to look at Inu Yasha.
"Kagome," he asked, concern obvious in his voice, "what's wrong?" She had come to terms with Inu Yasha's indecision concerning Kikyo a long time ago. She had even come to accept Kikyo in some small way after the ordeal they had shared inside that giant demon. They had worked together to find their freedom, but after it was all said and done they had gone their separate ways. No thanks, but no harsh words either. Now she was thinking about how good it was that Kikyo was gone. That was not the kind of person Kagome wanted to be.
"I have to go." she replied, choking back tears that threatened to fall as she stood up. She was stopped by a strong hand around her wrist, and found herself pulled back to the ground, now facing Inu Yasha. But she still did not look up. She could not.
"Kagome, what's wrong?" asked Inu Yasha, obviously not understanding her sudden change in mood. "Did I do something wrong? If I did, just sit me or something, but don't cry." he pleaded, still holding her wrist. "You know I can't stand it when you cry." He gave her wrist a small squeeze.
"It wasn't you, Inu Yasha." she replied, a hitch in her voice from tears that were now doing more than threatening to fall. "It's me." He wouldn't understand, and it would hurt to bring up the subject of Kikyo, she knew that. So, why bother explaining? It won't do any good. Suddenly she found herself pulled to him and put into a strong embrace.
"Kagome," he said softly into her ear, "I wasn't thinking about her just now." Kagome's breath caught in her chest and her heart seemed to stop. Inu Yasha then put her at arm's length and gently lifted her chin so that she was looking at him. "I meant what I said. I won't ever leave you again, regardless of what you think." He paused and used his thumb to wipe away the tears from her cheek, the look in his eyes so intense that she couldn't move, couldn't speak.
"Kikyo is gone," he said sadly, "but she was gone long before Naraku took the life of her recent incarnation. But, even though she was made of bone and earth, I could not let myself care deeply for another. I felt as though…I was betraying her somehow, and I knew that my life belonged to her." Kagome's heart resumed beating. She knew Inu Yasha did not share his thoughts openly, and that this was monumental, but she knew all of this and he did not have to speak words which would cause him pain.
"Inu Ya-" she began but was silenced by a finger covering her mouth.
"No, Kagome," he said softly, "you have tolerated my silence for too long. You must already know this, but saying it to you takes a great weight off of me. You have been by my side since the beginning. You've put up with my jealousy and put my heart to rest time after time, and I did nothing, said nothing, to ease yours." He lowered his head, apparently feeling guilty over what he had done. "But, Kagome, if I had come one second later that little bastard Akago would have had you and I…I could never have forgiven myself. I was tricked by some rumor that Kikyo was alive, and it almost cost me you." He looked up at her then, and she could see unshed tears lining his eyes. She had only ever seen him like this once, that time he'd thought that she and the others were dead. "I could not live with that, without you. If Kikyo is still alive then I wish her well, but she is no longer in my thoughts. You, Kagome," he reached up with both hands to cup her face and drew her closer to him, "are my world now," he said softly as he placed a gentle kiss upon her lips.
Kagome was momentarily taken off guard by his action, but she soon found herself kissing him back. They had kissed once before, when it was the only way she could think of to keep him from transforming into a full demon, but they had both sheepishly denied its existence when it was all said and done. But, this time there was no dire emergency, no life and death situation, he had just wanted to kiss her. She was in heaven. They broke the kiss, and she looked up at him.
"Inu Yasha," she said slowly.
"What?" he asked, but there was something different about his voice. He no longer had that soft sultry tone that he had when he was speaking a moment ago, he almost sounded annoyed.
"Inu Yasha," she said once more.
"What?" came the reply, but this time he was definitely annoyed. She then found herself being shaken and thrown into darkness only to open her eyes a moment later to see Inu Yasha staring down at her. Sitting up, she realized that she must have fallen asleep and had slid down to where her head had been resting on his thigh. It was a dream? She looked over at Inu Yasha to see a confused look on his face. All a dream?
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"You okay?" asked Inu Yasha. She seemed to be okay, but what ever she was dreaming about had really shaken her up. And why had she been calling his name?
"Yes," she replied, "I'm fine now. Come on, we should get some sleep. We have to get going early tomorrow." She started to get up and leave but Inu Yasha still wanted some answers.
"Hey," he called as he got up and moved in front of her path, "what were you dreaming about?"
"What?" He could see her face visibly pale, even with only moonlight. "It was nothing, now let's get going." She tried to walk around him, but he only stepped in her path.
"So a dream that has me in it is just nothing, huh?"
"Look, it's none of your business."
"Well, if it involves me," he shot back," I think it is my business."
"Why do you always have to be so stubborn?" He could see that she was starting to get angry now, but he was not going to back down.
"Me, stubborn, hah," he mocked as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You're the one who is being stubborn."
"Well, it is personal." Oh yeah, she was definitely mad. "And, it is not like telling you what the dream was about would make any difference, anyway!" she exclaimed as she shoved him.
Now, normally Kagome shoving him would not have moved him an inch, but he was so unbalanced by her statement that he found himself falling backwards, and reaching out to grab Kagome to steady himself. However, he wound up pulling her down with him instead. He now found himself flat on his back with Kagome lying on top of him, her face only inches from his own. He looked into her eyes, she was still angry with him, but there was something else too. Hurt…uncertainty…love…and that one scared him the most. He cared for Kagome, but he had not allowed himself to openly show his affection for her, aside from his desire to protect her, out of respect for Kikyo. But Kikyo was gone, finally at rest, and now that he had Kagome this close he could just lift his head and take her oh-so-tempting lips with his and show her how he felt, but…
The moment seemed to last forever, but, as it had been on so many other occasions, it seemed that fate did not want them to be together when a squeaky little voice could be heard at the edge of the clearing.
"See, I told you we should have left them alone!" cried Shippou as he pointed in their direction from a perch on Julia's shoulder. Miroku looked like he was giving him a nod of approval, and Sango's face would have given a tomato a run for its money. Kagome must have finally come to realize how improper their situation must have looked because she immediately jumped up.
"This is not what it looks like!" she yelled, her face vying for the blushing championship. She then hastily explained what had happened before quickly changing the subject. "So, why were you guys looking for us anyway?"
"When we arrived back at the hut you were gone and Kaede said you had left some time ago." explained Sango, her face returning to a more natural shade. "We were worried, so we came to look for you." Shippou then jumped into Kagome's arms to continue the story.
"I told them Inu Yasha was with you and we should probably leave you alone, but do they ever listen to me?" He crossed his little arms and shook his head.
"It's alright, Shippou." she replied, patting his head. Inu Yasha suddenly wished that was his head, the little brat was always taking Kagome's attention. Realizing his train of thought he mentally slapped himself and then started back to the village.
"Come on, we have to get an early start so we can save that wimpy wolf's life." he called back. "Let's get some sleep." They had decided that Naraku's next target would definitely be Kouga. Kagome was sure that the shard Julia had was the final piece and, since Kagura would tell Naraku of its strange protection, the next easiest target was Kouga. If Naraku manages to get that stupid wolf's shards he'll be one step closer to completing the Jewel. Inu Yasha hated to think what would happen if that came to pass, and if he had anything to say about it that day would never come.
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A/N: Please Review. I like to know what you all are thinking…
