A/N: Hello! I'm back (about damn time, wouldn't you say?)! I have been
having an extra hard time lately, because school has been proving to be
such a bitch. We were even asked to interview street dwellers for one of
our classes, and my Humanities is clashing with NatSci. School sucks.
And just to add fuel to the fire, ff.net won't let me upload my work! This chap should have been posted since Sunday, but ff.net won't let me!!!! I am sooo sorry for making you wait.
Oh, and does anybody else, besides myself, think that my story is going too slow? If you do, please tell me in your reviews. I don't mind criticisms, honestly. I want to know what you guys think. I need your comments and suggestions.
Anyway, here is the ultra long-awaited next chap. Enjoy! Please read and review!
Disclaimer: I don't own it. I never have, I never will, but I deal with it.
-----/---@
SEVEN WEEKS
Fury
-----/---@
Kagome stirred slightly at the feel of gentle hands on her feverish cheeks. Her skin felt inflamed, her body numb and painful with near fatal exhaustion. She tried to open her eyes to see who induced the calming caresses, but her soreness didn't seem to permit her just yet.
She wanted desperately to see and know who owned those fingers, though in the back of her mind, she was already quite sure about whom it was.
Inuyasha.
His long-fingered hands smoothed back a stray strand of her obsidian hair, pushing her dark locks away from her face. Kagome nuzzled his palm, suppressing a weak giggle as she heard his muffled gasp.
Inuyasha, on the other hand, thought for all he was worth that the girl was still asleep. It was still quite dark and his powers had not yet returned, but her barrier of light surrounded and kept them warm like a cocoon.
His human body needed sleep, but at the moment, he just didn't want to. Kagome was laying her head on his lap, looking innocent and beautiful, a thin layer of sweat on her brow. He pushed her bangs out of her eyes, and let out a tiny gasp when he felt her try to push her face up his palm.
He smiled at that, and stared up at the slowly brightening sky. His fourteenth day in Crystallia was coming up, and he dreaded the daylight more than anything else. In only five more weeks, he would be out of here, whether he liked it or not.
She was sweating a bit harder, so he decided to turn and find something he could wipe her face with. He muttered out a curse when he realized that they seem to have forgotten all about Kagome's bag during the previous night's fight.
'Oh well,' he thought. 'It's probably back in the damn hut. I'll just try to find it and see if it wasn't crushed or anything.' He pulled his sleeve down and decided to use it as a makeshift hanky.
He was patting her forehead dry when he saw her hand come up to rest on his own. He blushed, but couldn't bring himself to pull his hand away.
He watched closely as Kagome lifted her head to look up at him. 'Damn those eyes,' he thought as she smiled up at him, her blue/gray eyes sparkling in glee.
"Ohayou," he greeted with a small smile.
"Ohayou," she smiled back. "Inuyasha, you're still... human."
"Yeah. I go back to normal when the sun comes up. Sorry." He replied.
"What on earth are you sorry for?"
"Well," he began uneasily. "For one, I'm less scary and less likely to cause a stir when human, then I have to turn back. Me being human is more convenient, but I can't stop the change. Gomen. And though I'm more acceptable as a human, I'm not strong enough to protect you then. I'm worthless."
"Inuyasha," Kagome said with a smile. "I don't care what form you're in! Even if you say that a human you would be convenient. I like both of your forms! Besides, I'll miss your ears! I miss them now, you know?! And human or not, you're still my personal, legendary knight."
"Really?"
"Really. Actually, I'm the one who should say sorry. I couldn't fight the youkai off last night. I couldn't protect and save you the way you do to me." She answered regretfully, turning her eyes away.
"Keh. What are you talking about, wench? You did great last night! We would have died if you didn't do what you did! Those power blasts, and this shield... you were way cool!" Inuyasha said with a smirk. As Kagome looked up back at him though, something occurred to him.
"Speaking of which... how did you do that?" he asked, watching Kagome's face blush with his question.
"It's... um, well... you know what?" Kagome said as she suddenly got up from his lap. "You were so sick last night! The sun has yet to come up, so I'd bet you really need to sleep. We still have a few hours til dawn!" she exclaimed cheerfully, trying to push him down to the ground, pulling his head onto HER lap.
"Demo, Kagome!" he exclaimed as she finally succeeded in pulling him into a sleeping position.
"Oh, Inuyasha, you must be so tired! Staying up all night to watch me, it was so sweet of you, and I'm really grateful, but now it's YOUR turn for some shut-eye! Come on, close your eyes and sleep. I'll keep watch!" she said much too quickly and much too cheerfully.
He was just about to protest when he felt her soft fingers cupping his warm cheeks. He was surprised, but tired as he was, the moment his head hit a soft surface, the drowsiness crept back up to him. His eyelids became heavy and he felt himself drifting off, Kagome's fingers bewitching him further into unconsciousness.
Before he knew it, he was moving to find a more comfortable position, his head on her lap. He closed his eyes, and he found himself moving to clasp one of her hands in his own. She gasped softly, and he chuckled.
'Screw my curiosity. I'm tired, and I doubt this would happen again anytime soon. I'm seizing it! I can always ask her again tomorrow.' He thought with a grin.
Just for the fun of it though, before he succumbed to sleep, he said one last thing to her, trying to see if Kagome would get flustered.
"Hey Kagome," he said drowsily.
"Nande?"
"You're really pretty when you're fighting." he slurred, feeling her stiffen in surprise. "And you know what? You smell really good too... like flowers..." he muttered, feeling himself finally drift off.
"Nani!?"
Kagome blushed scarlet at that last comment.
'Well, he WAS half-conscious... demo... did he mean it?' she asked herself. Her heart was beating rapidly, as if desperately trying to break out of her chest.
He was still clutching her hand, holding it so tightly, one would think his life depended on it. Her cheeks burned, the rapid pounding of her heart nearly making her nauseous.
"Inuyasha," she murmured softly. "Inu... I hope you meant it," she said, smiling softly at his sleeping form as she brushed his bangs back and waited for the coming daylight.
-----/---@
"Stop being nervous and get over it, Kanna! There's nothing you can do about it!" Kagura scolded her sister. Kanna had been near hysterics when she told Kagura of the problem.
"Demo, Kagura... Naraku will be furious!"
"I know. That's why we should keep it down. I've known about it for some time now. Why do you think I kept it secret for a long time? He doesn't need to find out." Kagura said with a smirk.
"He is bound to find out sooner or later, Kagura. Let's inform him!" Kanna cried worriedly.
"Bakero. I know he would, but I suppose it would be better if he found out on his own. He'll only blame and torture us if he finds out from US. Especially since I've known for so long. Once he realizes it, we can tell him that we had nothing to do with it!"
Kanna was silent. "Is that truly the reason you don't wish to inform him, sister?"
Kagura was shocked into silence. "Just what are you implying?" Kagura hissed.
"I know you Kagura. You hate Azalea. You envy her with a passion, and don't you dare deny it. You envy her power, her influence, her being an uncontrolled being and her humanity." Kanna accused.
"Urusai," Kagura said, feigning anger though her face had grown pale.
"Not only that... you envy her because she has Naraku-sama's affections!" Kanna whispered in a deadly tone, her voice icy with accusation.
"Shut up! Itsuwari... lies! You speak lies!" Kagura screeched, covering her ears.
"You envy her because she is free while we are controlled by Naraku. You envy her because she is a human and we are but youkai born from anger and vengeance. And you know that if you had Naraku's love, you could make him set you free, but that would never happen because he loves HER!" Kanna added, her eyes boring into Kagura's.
"URUSAI!!!" Kagura cried in hysteria, angry tears brimming in her eyes. She glared at her sister, before softly pleading. "Shizukani... kudasai... please, just stop..."
Kanna stared at her sister. Kagura looked at her with a mixture of sadness, anger and guilt, her fists clenching into her kimono as she fell to her knees on the floor.
"Hai, you're right," Kagura began. "I envied her. I hated her, and I wished for nothing else but to see her dead! Maybe this was why I never told Naraku. But I'm also scared, Kanna. I don't want us to... to..."
Kanna shook her head as she approached her sister. She placed a hand on Kagura's shaking shoulders and whispered, "It's alright. I understand. I envy her too. We could keep this a secret, alright?"
Kagura looked up at her sister, surprised. 'Her too?' she thought, before nodding.
-----/---@
Inuyasha walked steadily across the field, annoyed. It was late in the afternoon, and Crystallia's unusually scorching hot sun burned every inch of his skin. Now Crytallia had always been hot, but the heat right then was incredible! Even stranger, there was grass growing in the place where they presently strolled. He had never seen green grass in Crystallia!
He glanced back at Kagome, who was lagging behind him, a heavy bag slung on her shoulders.
It had been two days since the morning when he woke with his head on Kagome's lap, refreshed after his nap as a human. He had tried asking her about her sudden powers on his human night, but the girl always managed to dodge his questions.
He was pissed. 'Where the hell did she get those powers? How is it that she knows Sango? And WHY won't she fucking tell me?! Doesn't she trust me or something? I've proven myself loyal to her a lot of times. I think I deserve an answer!' he fumed.
"Why is it so fucking HOT!?" he suddenly screamed to the dry sky, making Kagome jump in surprise.
"Inuyasha! You almost gave me a heart attack!" she scolded.
"I'm roasting here, Kagome! Why in the seven hells does this land have such sudden weather swings?! Yesterday it was so fucking windy..." he said, but trailed off as an image flashed into his mind. He grinned, looking back at a blushing Kagome, who was smoothing her skirt down self-consciously.
"I know what you're thinking, Inuyasha. That would NEVER happen again, you hear me!" she shouted in indignation. The previous day had been so windy, her already short skirt flew way up while she was bending over her bag in front of Inuyasha, giving the hanyou a full view of her underwear and smooth upper thighs. Her hands got caught in her bag in her panic, and she fought the straps for a few agonizingly embarrassing moments before she was able to pull her skirt back down.
"Keh! It wasn't my fault that you weren't wearing shorts!" he replied with a smirk.
"I told you, I don't know what shorts are!"
"Well, you still can't blame me for staring. I was surprised," he said in defense.
"Whatever," Kagome said in embarrassment, her cheeks inflamed. "Now, where was I? Oh yeah - don't shout like that! I nearly jumped out of my clothes!"
Wrong choice of words, Kagome.
Inuyasha suddenly got an uncharacteristically lecherous grin on his face at her last comment. He suddenly got a mental picture of Kagome literally jumping out of her clothes, landing back on the ground with her arms crossed over large, round breasts. She was smiling shyly, her blush crawling to her arms and chest from her cheeks, making her look like a goddess to Inuyasha.
Kagome noticed her companion's grin and blushed more deeply.
"HENTAI!" she yelled shrilly, clenching her fists in embarrassment.
"WHAT?! What'd I do this time?" Inuyasha demanded, the grin still on his face.
"You were grinning, and only the gods know what you were thinking!"
"I wasn't doing anything! Aren't I even allowed to grin anymore?" he pressed.
"Hmmph! Pervert!"
Inuyasha laughed loudly before catching himself. Even Kagome turned back to look at him.
'I just laughed really loud! Man, that's... strange,' he thought. He barely laughed around his friends, always just his grumpy self around everybody else. He hardly even smiled, for Kami's sake.
Just then, it occurred to him: he HAD been smiling a lot more often since he met Kagome. Maybe she was the reason why he had been so cheerful lately. Her cheerful spirit must have been rubbing off on him.
Normally, he would have been surprised, even angered at this realization, but he then figured that he didn't mind at all. He liked the feeling of having a piece of her within him, even if it was subconsciously.
"Now what are YOU staring at?" he asked the ogling Kagome with a smirk.
"Nothing," she replied.
"Good!" he said, before remembering that he hadn't called the palace for three days.
'Baka,' he thought, stopping in his strides to pull out his amulet.
Kagome noticed, and before she realized it, she said unconsciously, "Oh, that's right, you haven't called Miroku-sama for quite some time now."
Inuyasha was shocked, but Kagome didn't seem to have noticed that she just said that aloud. She just flopped down on the ground, sorting through her things.
"Kag... you... you KNOW Miroku?"
Kagome suddenly paled, then looked straight at him, trying to contain her anxiety and shielding it with a smile.
"Oh, well, yeah! I hear his name from you whenever you talk to him!" she said.
"Oh right," he replied testily. "And I assume that you also heard Sango from me?"
Kagome kept her smile. "Actually, yes! I don't really know them both!"
"Oh," Inuyasha said suspiciously. "But I recall you saying something about her being a taijiya?"
"Well, yeah! She is, I think I heard it from you, too!"
"That's funny," he said, now positive that she was hiding something. "Coz you couldn't have heard it from me, because I DIDN'T know that she was a taijiya!"
Kagome paled even worse. 'Shimatta,' she thought. 'Now I've done it! Great. Just great! How could I have been so stupid! Kagome no baka!'
Her mouth opened and closed a few times, making it clear to Inuyasha that there was something she wasn't telling.
"It's ok, tell me later," he said as Kagome simply blanched. "Tell me HOW you know Sango and Miroku after I talk to the monk on the amulet, ok?"
Kagome was considerably greener by now. 'Fuck,' was her last thought before she saw him call out the hentai houshi's name.
-----/---@
"I still think that he is deliberately torturing us, Sango-sama," Miroku commented to the anxious ex-taijiya. He tried to appear calm about it, but like the woman before him, he was worried. "Come on, Sango-sama, calm down! It's only been, what, three days? I'm sure he's fine!"
"Houshi-sama, no matter what you say, I'm still worried! Besides, we still have to tell him about the glitch!" Sango barked, making Miroku wince a bit. "It almost seems as if the gods want us to suffer."
"Sango-sama, have you forgotten? On his first week here, Inuyasha forgot all about the amulet. Perhaps he just forgot to call us again." He said, trying to placate her.
Sango sighed. "I hope so. But I'm scared of how he will react when he finds out about the glitch. He will be so mad! We promised him that his world would remain untouched, remember?"
"His world is still untouched. He just has to hurry it up."
"His world is in grave peril, Houshi-sama," she interjected. "I don't think..."
"THE AMULET!" Miroku suddenly shouted. "He's calling!"
"Wonderful! Or not..."
Miroku hurriedly pulled the amulet out of his robes, almost shouting in relief. "Inuyasha! We're so glad you called! Now... WHY HAVEN'T YOU BEEN CALLING US?!"
"By Kami, Miroku, don't scream at me! My ears are so fucking sensitive! I got in some trouble and I just got out yesterday. Forgive this humble fucking hanyou's fucking idiocy." Inuyasha snarled in a voice filled with sarcasm.
"Ahh, gomen, Inuyasha-sama! We were just worried! Are you ok now?" Miroku said as Sango gasped.
"Yeah, I'm damn fine. I'm in a weird valley right now. I crossed this bridge that connected a really bad ravine the other day. I have no idea what this place is called, so don't ask."
"Weird valley? What makes it weird?" Sango suddenly inquired, looking over Miroku's shoulder at him.
"Well," Inuyasha began. "For one, it is so fucking hot. Secondly... well, this would sound funny, but... this place actually has GRASS all over it."
Right then, Sango decided to take the amulet from Miroku. "Hot and grassy, you say? Well then... do you remember passing through a horribly windy plain before you got there?"
Inuyasha suddenly got a strange grin on his lips, accompanied with unremorseful blushing. Sango was puzzled.
"Hell yeah! I passed that place. Why?"
"I think I might know where you are. Congratulations, Inuyasha-sama! You are now nearly half-way to the Garnet tower!"
"NEARLY halfway? Dammit, I don't know if I should be glad or not! We've been traveling for two weeks now, and I'm only halfway?!" Inuyasha exclaimed.
Now, Sango had very good hearing. "Inuyasha-sama, what do you mean, WE?"
Inuyasha paled suddenly. "Nothing. It was a damn grammar mistake. Now tell me what's up in there."
It was Sango's turn to go pale. She glanced back to Miroku and saw him holding out his hand. He knew that she could never bring herself to tell him. He had to do it himself.
Miroku took the amulet and stared intently at the puzzled knight. He breathed in deeply, summoning his courage.
"Inuyasha, we... I regret to tell you that... your world may be in danger," he said.
Inuyasha visibly stiffened. "What do you mean, my world is in danger?"
"I'm sorry. It was when we passed through the portal on our way here. We seem to have made a glitch in the dimensional portal. The glitch made it so that if you stay here even a second longer than the original seven weeks, your world would be destroyed." Miroku explained slowly, afraid of the hanyou's reaction. The said hanyou just stared at him in shock.
"Are you... sure?"
"Hai. Gomen nasai, Inuyasha-sama. I... I didn't know it was possible."
Miroku stared at the heavily breathing knight. Inuyasha was staring beyond the amulet, his eyes unseeing. Miroku nearly jumped in terror when Inuyasha looked back at him with amber eyes that spelled murder.
-----/---@
Inuyasha was dumbfounded. He stared off as the news sunk in, not knowing what to do. Kagome, who could hear the conversation quite clearly, had sucked in a breath in horror at hearing this. HE could just stare in desperate agony.
'My world... my mom... my friends... everything and everyone I know! They would all be destroyed!" At this realization, his desperation quickly faded into pure fury.
He glared at Miroku, who cowered at his anger. Inuyasha could practically hear the monk's erratic, quickened heartbeats.
"How could you fucking let this happen?!" Inuyasha demanded in a soft yet deadly voice. "You PROMISED me that my world would be safe!" Inuyasha yelled as he snapped, sweat running down his forehead. "I agreed to help you out. I'm risking my fucking NECK to save your wench, and you couldn't even do your part in keeping my world away from danger?!"
"Inuyasha-sama," Sango's voice chirped from behind Miroku. "It is only a threat if you stay away from your world longer than seven weeks! If you come back on time..."
"That is not the fucking point!" he raged. "You said nothing would happen, no matter what! And now you're saying that everything and everyone I care for will disintegrate in a fucking flick! What if I can't rescue your wench on time? What if I get held as prisoner and not be able to escape until it's too late?! My world will die!"
"Inuyasha-sama, please calm down! We will be coming over to help you in a few days, to ensure that you and your world will be safe. That way, you can never go past the designated time." Miroku said quickly.
"Well you'd better be fucking sure about that! I only have less than five weeks, and I'm only halfway." Inuyasha said, not calming down in the least.
"We promise not to let anything happen, Inuyasha-sama," said Sango.
"Good," Inuyasha said, before abruptly hanging up. He abruptly turned to Kagome, who was clearly shocked at his furious behavior.
"Inuyasha... I'm so sorry..."
"It's nothing, wench." He said, before suddenly slumping down on the ground.
"Inuyasha, daijobu?" Kagome asked softly, hoping he wouldn't snap at her.
"My world is about to crumble, I'm only halfway to the princess, and I just realized that I have to turn human one more time during this quest. Yeah I'm fine. I am so god damn FINE!" he shouted in frustration.
Inuyasha neglected to mention the other reason why the news pissed him off. Strictly seven weeks or less... that meant seven weeks or less with Kagome. Sixteen days down, thirty-three days to go.
"And now I nearly told them about you," he said softly. "I'm sorry."
"Inuyasha, it's ok! Don't be mad anymore! I'm sure everything will turn out fine. Now, we have a very long way to go, and time is just NOT on our side. If I were you, I'd set out every chance I get!" Kagome said cheerfully. "We have yet to pass the toughest parts of Crystallia, so we'd better get going!"
Inuyasha glanced at Kagome's bright face. 'Kirei,' he thought, before standing and taking her bag from her with a hand.
"You're right. Let's go."
-----/---@
A/N: That's it for my chap! I know you guys are probably insulting my mother right now for that pointless chap, but oh well... I guess I deserve it!
Sorry AGAIN for the long update. TO make up for it, I'll post the NEXT chap earlier, probably on Saturday. Fair enough? Hope so.
And gomen to everyone for my mistake about Inu's human eyes in chap10. I actually forgot what his original human eye color is, so I put deep gray, because *I* like guys with deep gray eyes. *sweatdrop* Gomen.
Here are my responses to all my wonderful (ff.net) reviewers, by the way.
Inutori: Hi! I'm glad that you liked my last chap and my storyline. Sorry for taking so long. You know how ff.net sometimes won't accept updates. It reeks. I was actually half-expecting a well to sprout out of my backyard anytime now. Anyway, thanks for the review. Ja ne!
LiLmissy^^: Wow kabayan, those were two VERY long reviews! Possibly the longest ones I ever got. Salamat for taking the time to review. I'm glad to know that you check my fic whenever you go visit ff.net. I'm also very glad that you liked my previous chap. Gusto ko rin yun sa lahat ng ginawa ko e, lol! Sorry at natagalan tong update. Agree ako - gago ang ff.net. Dapat nung Lunes pa ko naka-update, kaso nag-overload nanaman. Grrr. Kikyo the walking claypot, lol! You're from ESLR - Sucat? Cool, I'm not too far from you! I actually live in Cavite, but I go to the University of the Philippines - Manila. Dun lang ako sa Taft Avenue nagpe-penitensya, este, nag-aaral. Pareho tayong may mga teacher na demonyo. Lol! Again, thanks for the review, and I hope you enjoyed this chap! Ja ne!
Vegito044: It's ok, really. I use the caps a little too often when I review, too! I'm glad you liked the previous chap! Sorry for the late update. FF.net just gave me its usual load of b**ls**t. Her secret will be out soon, don't worry! Thanks for the review! Ja!
SurfAngel: You think she's the real one? Hmm... maybe, maybe not. Haha! Thanks for the review!
Taina: *Blushes.* Wow, thanks! I'm glad you enjoy my work. Thanks for the review!
EJ: No cheating! I'm not telling you anything! ^_^ Thanks hun!
LitWolf689: Yeah, I guess my story is a bit confusing. I'm starting to clear things up though, so PLEASE stay tuned! Thanks for the review!
Guesshoo: I've updated! ^_^ *Thinks for a moment* Hey, that's not weird at all! I actually laugh when I'm sad, and cry when I'm angry. And hey... cool signature! Thanks for the review!
Mikogurl: I won't leave you hanging, don't worry! LOL! I'm glad you like my fic. Thanks for the review!
Justmeh: I've updated! Harharhar!
Trina: Ang layo ng Megamall sa bahay ko e! I usually go to either SM Southmall, SM Bacoor or Robinson's. Don't say that your fics are bad, I'm sure your stories are great! Tayo pa, e mga Pinoyz tayo! Hehe! Thanks for the review! Muwaah!
Alexis: I'm glad you like my fic! And about Kikyo, her whole turn-human-and- go-to-hell-with-me bit REALLY pisses me off! I'm happy to know you hate the whore as well. You're welcome! Thanks for the review!
There goes another one of my insanely long A/N's. anyway, as I always say, please read and review and to those who did, thanks for the reviews! Ja ne!
ScarletRaven1001
And just to add fuel to the fire, ff.net won't let me upload my work! This chap should have been posted since Sunday, but ff.net won't let me!!!! I am sooo sorry for making you wait.
Oh, and does anybody else, besides myself, think that my story is going too slow? If you do, please tell me in your reviews. I don't mind criticisms, honestly. I want to know what you guys think. I need your comments and suggestions.
Anyway, here is the ultra long-awaited next chap. Enjoy! Please read and review!
Disclaimer: I don't own it. I never have, I never will, but I deal with it.
-----/---@
SEVEN WEEKS
Fury
-----/---@
Kagome stirred slightly at the feel of gentle hands on her feverish cheeks. Her skin felt inflamed, her body numb and painful with near fatal exhaustion. She tried to open her eyes to see who induced the calming caresses, but her soreness didn't seem to permit her just yet.
She wanted desperately to see and know who owned those fingers, though in the back of her mind, she was already quite sure about whom it was.
Inuyasha.
His long-fingered hands smoothed back a stray strand of her obsidian hair, pushing her dark locks away from her face. Kagome nuzzled his palm, suppressing a weak giggle as she heard his muffled gasp.
Inuyasha, on the other hand, thought for all he was worth that the girl was still asleep. It was still quite dark and his powers had not yet returned, but her barrier of light surrounded and kept them warm like a cocoon.
His human body needed sleep, but at the moment, he just didn't want to. Kagome was laying her head on his lap, looking innocent and beautiful, a thin layer of sweat on her brow. He pushed her bangs out of her eyes, and let out a tiny gasp when he felt her try to push her face up his palm.
He smiled at that, and stared up at the slowly brightening sky. His fourteenth day in Crystallia was coming up, and he dreaded the daylight more than anything else. In only five more weeks, he would be out of here, whether he liked it or not.
She was sweating a bit harder, so he decided to turn and find something he could wipe her face with. He muttered out a curse when he realized that they seem to have forgotten all about Kagome's bag during the previous night's fight.
'Oh well,' he thought. 'It's probably back in the damn hut. I'll just try to find it and see if it wasn't crushed or anything.' He pulled his sleeve down and decided to use it as a makeshift hanky.
He was patting her forehead dry when he saw her hand come up to rest on his own. He blushed, but couldn't bring himself to pull his hand away.
He watched closely as Kagome lifted her head to look up at him. 'Damn those eyes,' he thought as she smiled up at him, her blue/gray eyes sparkling in glee.
"Ohayou," he greeted with a small smile.
"Ohayou," she smiled back. "Inuyasha, you're still... human."
"Yeah. I go back to normal when the sun comes up. Sorry." He replied.
"What on earth are you sorry for?"
"Well," he began uneasily. "For one, I'm less scary and less likely to cause a stir when human, then I have to turn back. Me being human is more convenient, but I can't stop the change. Gomen. And though I'm more acceptable as a human, I'm not strong enough to protect you then. I'm worthless."
"Inuyasha," Kagome said with a smile. "I don't care what form you're in! Even if you say that a human you would be convenient. I like both of your forms! Besides, I'll miss your ears! I miss them now, you know?! And human or not, you're still my personal, legendary knight."
"Really?"
"Really. Actually, I'm the one who should say sorry. I couldn't fight the youkai off last night. I couldn't protect and save you the way you do to me." She answered regretfully, turning her eyes away.
"Keh. What are you talking about, wench? You did great last night! We would have died if you didn't do what you did! Those power blasts, and this shield... you were way cool!" Inuyasha said with a smirk. As Kagome looked up back at him though, something occurred to him.
"Speaking of which... how did you do that?" he asked, watching Kagome's face blush with his question.
"It's... um, well... you know what?" Kagome said as she suddenly got up from his lap. "You were so sick last night! The sun has yet to come up, so I'd bet you really need to sleep. We still have a few hours til dawn!" she exclaimed cheerfully, trying to push him down to the ground, pulling his head onto HER lap.
"Demo, Kagome!" he exclaimed as she finally succeeded in pulling him into a sleeping position.
"Oh, Inuyasha, you must be so tired! Staying up all night to watch me, it was so sweet of you, and I'm really grateful, but now it's YOUR turn for some shut-eye! Come on, close your eyes and sleep. I'll keep watch!" she said much too quickly and much too cheerfully.
He was just about to protest when he felt her soft fingers cupping his warm cheeks. He was surprised, but tired as he was, the moment his head hit a soft surface, the drowsiness crept back up to him. His eyelids became heavy and he felt himself drifting off, Kagome's fingers bewitching him further into unconsciousness.
Before he knew it, he was moving to find a more comfortable position, his head on her lap. He closed his eyes, and he found himself moving to clasp one of her hands in his own. She gasped softly, and he chuckled.
'Screw my curiosity. I'm tired, and I doubt this would happen again anytime soon. I'm seizing it! I can always ask her again tomorrow.' He thought with a grin.
Just for the fun of it though, before he succumbed to sleep, he said one last thing to her, trying to see if Kagome would get flustered.
"Hey Kagome," he said drowsily.
"Nande?"
"You're really pretty when you're fighting." he slurred, feeling her stiffen in surprise. "And you know what? You smell really good too... like flowers..." he muttered, feeling himself finally drift off.
"Nani!?"
Kagome blushed scarlet at that last comment.
'Well, he WAS half-conscious... demo... did he mean it?' she asked herself. Her heart was beating rapidly, as if desperately trying to break out of her chest.
He was still clutching her hand, holding it so tightly, one would think his life depended on it. Her cheeks burned, the rapid pounding of her heart nearly making her nauseous.
"Inuyasha," she murmured softly. "Inu... I hope you meant it," she said, smiling softly at his sleeping form as she brushed his bangs back and waited for the coming daylight.
-----/---@
"Stop being nervous and get over it, Kanna! There's nothing you can do about it!" Kagura scolded her sister. Kanna had been near hysterics when she told Kagura of the problem.
"Demo, Kagura... Naraku will be furious!"
"I know. That's why we should keep it down. I've known about it for some time now. Why do you think I kept it secret for a long time? He doesn't need to find out." Kagura said with a smirk.
"He is bound to find out sooner or later, Kagura. Let's inform him!" Kanna cried worriedly.
"Bakero. I know he would, but I suppose it would be better if he found out on his own. He'll only blame and torture us if he finds out from US. Especially since I've known for so long. Once he realizes it, we can tell him that we had nothing to do with it!"
Kanna was silent. "Is that truly the reason you don't wish to inform him, sister?"
Kagura was shocked into silence. "Just what are you implying?" Kagura hissed.
"I know you Kagura. You hate Azalea. You envy her with a passion, and don't you dare deny it. You envy her power, her influence, her being an uncontrolled being and her humanity." Kanna accused.
"Urusai," Kagura said, feigning anger though her face had grown pale.
"Not only that... you envy her because she has Naraku-sama's affections!" Kanna whispered in a deadly tone, her voice icy with accusation.
"Shut up! Itsuwari... lies! You speak lies!" Kagura screeched, covering her ears.
"You envy her because she is free while we are controlled by Naraku. You envy her because she is a human and we are but youkai born from anger and vengeance. And you know that if you had Naraku's love, you could make him set you free, but that would never happen because he loves HER!" Kanna added, her eyes boring into Kagura's.
"URUSAI!!!" Kagura cried in hysteria, angry tears brimming in her eyes. She glared at her sister, before softly pleading. "Shizukani... kudasai... please, just stop..."
Kanna stared at her sister. Kagura looked at her with a mixture of sadness, anger and guilt, her fists clenching into her kimono as she fell to her knees on the floor.
"Hai, you're right," Kagura began. "I envied her. I hated her, and I wished for nothing else but to see her dead! Maybe this was why I never told Naraku. But I'm also scared, Kanna. I don't want us to... to..."
Kanna shook her head as she approached her sister. She placed a hand on Kagura's shaking shoulders and whispered, "It's alright. I understand. I envy her too. We could keep this a secret, alright?"
Kagura looked up at her sister, surprised. 'Her too?' she thought, before nodding.
-----/---@
Inuyasha walked steadily across the field, annoyed. It was late in the afternoon, and Crystallia's unusually scorching hot sun burned every inch of his skin. Now Crytallia had always been hot, but the heat right then was incredible! Even stranger, there was grass growing in the place where they presently strolled. He had never seen green grass in Crystallia!
He glanced back at Kagome, who was lagging behind him, a heavy bag slung on her shoulders.
It had been two days since the morning when he woke with his head on Kagome's lap, refreshed after his nap as a human. He had tried asking her about her sudden powers on his human night, but the girl always managed to dodge his questions.
He was pissed. 'Where the hell did she get those powers? How is it that she knows Sango? And WHY won't she fucking tell me?! Doesn't she trust me or something? I've proven myself loyal to her a lot of times. I think I deserve an answer!' he fumed.
"Why is it so fucking HOT!?" he suddenly screamed to the dry sky, making Kagome jump in surprise.
"Inuyasha! You almost gave me a heart attack!" she scolded.
"I'm roasting here, Kagome! Why in the seven hells does this land have such sudden weather swings?! Yesterday it was so fucking windy..." he said, but trailed off as an image flashed into his mind. He grinned, looking back at a blushing Kagome, who was smoothing her skirt down self-consciously.
"I know what you're thinking, Inuyasha. That would NEVER happen again, you hear me!" she shouted in indignation. The previous day had been so windy, her already short skirt flew way up while she was bending over her bag in front of Inuyasha, giving the hanyou a full view of her underwear and smooth upper thighs. Her hands got caught in her bag in her panic, and she fought the straps for a few agonizingly embarrassing moments before she was able to pull her skirt back down.
"Keh! It wasn't my fault that you weren't wearing shorts!" he replied with a smirk.
"I told you, I don't know what shorts are!"
"Well, you still can't blame me for staring. I was surprised," he said in defense.
"Whatever," Kagome said in embarrassment, her cheeks inflamed. "Now, where was I? Oh yeah - don't shout like that! I nearly jumped out of my clothes!"
Wrong choice of words, Kagome.
Inuyasha suddenly got an uncharacteristically lecherous grin on his face at her last comment. He suddenly got a mental picture of Kagome literally jumping out of her clothes, landing back on the ground with her arms crossed over large, round breasts. She was smiling shyly, her blush crawling to her arms and chest from her cheeks, making her look like a goddess to Inuyasha.
Kagome noticed her companion's grin and blushed more deeply.
"HENTAI!" she yelled shrilly, clenching her fists in embarrassment.
"WHAT?! What'd I do this time?" Inuyasha demanded, the grin still on his face.
"You were grinning, and only the gods know what you were thinking!"
"I wasn't doing anything! Aren't I even allowed to grin anymore?" he pressed.
"Hmmph! Pervert!"
Inuyasha laughed loudly before catching himself. Even Kagome turned back to look at him.
'I just laughed really loud! Man, that's... strange,' he thought. He barely laughed around his friends, always just his grumpy self around everybody else. He hardly even smiled, for Kami's sake.
Just then, it occurred to him: he HAD been smiling a lot more often since he met Kagome. Maybe she was the reason why he had been so cheerful lately. Her cheerful spirit must have been rubbing off on him.
Normally, he would have been surprised, even angered at this realization, but he then figured that he didn't mind at all. He liked the feeling of having a piece of her within him, even if it was subconsciously.
"Now what are YOU staring at?" he asked the ogling Kagome with a smirk.
"Nothing," she replied.
"Good!" he said, before remembering that he hadn't called the palace for three days.
'Baka,' he thought, stopping in his strides to pull out his amulet.
Kagome noticed, and before she realized it, she said unconsciously, "Oh, that's right, you haven't called Miroku-sama for quite some time now."
Inuyasha was shocked, but Kagome didn't seem to have noticed that she just said that aloud. She just flopped down on the ground, sorting through her things.
"Kag... you... you KNOW Miroku?"
Kagome suddenly paled, then looked straight at him, trying to contain her anxiety and shielding it with a smile.
"Oh, well, yeah! I hear his name from you whenever you talk to him!" she said.
"Oh right," he replied testily. "And I assume that you also heard Sango from me?"
Kagome kept her smile. "Actually, yes! I don't really know them both!"
"Oh," Inuyasha said suspiciously. "But I recall you saying something about her being a taijiya?"
"Well, yeah! She is, I think I heard it from you, too!"
"That's funny," he said, now positive that she was hiding something. "Coz you couldn't have heard it from me, because I DIDN'T know that she was a taijiya!"
Kagome paled even worse. 'Shimatta,' she thought. 'Now I've done it! Great. Just great! How could I have been so stupid! Kagome no baka!'
Her mouth opened and closed a few times, making it clear to Inuyasha that there was something she wasn't telling.
"It's ok, tell me later," he said as Kagome simply blanched. "Tell me HOW you know Sango and Miroku after I talk to the monk on the amulet, ok?"
Kagome was considerably greener by now. 'Fuck,' was her last thought before she saw him call out the hentai houshi's name.
-----/---@
"I still think that he is deliberately torturing us, Sango-sama," Miroku commented to the anxious ex-taijiya. He tried to appear calm about it, but like the woman before him, he was worried. "Come on, Sango-sama, calm down! It's only been, what, three days? I'm sure he's fine!"
"Houshi-sama, no matter what you say, I'm still worried! Besides, we still have to tell him about the glitch!" Sango barked, making Miroku wince a bit. "It almost seems as if the gods want us to suffer."
"Sango-sama, have you forgotten? On his first week here, Inuyasha forgot all about the amulet. Perhaps he just forgot to call us again." He said, trying to placate her.
Sango sighed. "I hope so. But I'm scared of how he will react when he finds out about the glitch. He will be so mad! We promised him that his world would remain untouched, remember?"
"His world is still untouched. He just has to hurry it up."
"His world is in grave peril, Houshi-sama," she interjected. "I don't think..."
"THE AMULET!" Miroku suddenly shouted. "He's calling!"
"Wonderful! Or not..."
Miroku hurriedly pulled the amulet out of his robes, almost shouting in relief. "Inuyasha! We're so glad you called! Now... WHY HAVEN'T YOU BEEN CALLING US?!"
"By Kami, Miroku, don't scream at me! My ears are so fucking sensitive! I got in some trouble and I just got out yesterday. Forgive this humble fucking hanyou's fucking idiocy." Inuyasha snarled in a voice filled with sarcasm.
"Ahh, gomen, Inuyasha-sama! We were just worried! Are you ok now?" Miroku said as Sango gasped.
"Yeah, I'm damn fine. I'm in a weird valley right now. I crossed this bridge that connected a really bad ravine the other day. I have no idea what this place is called, so don't ask."
"Weird valley? What makes it weird?" Sango suddenly inquired, looking over Miroku's shoulder at him.
"Well," Inuyasha began. "For one, it is so fucking hot. Secondly... well, this would sound funny, but... this place actually has GRASS all over it."
Right then, Sango decided to take the amulet from Miroku. "Hot and grassy, you say? Well then... do you remember passing through a horribly windy plain before you got there?"
Inuyasha suddenly got a strange grin on his lips, accompanied with unremorseful blushing. Sango was puzzled.
"Hell yeah! I passed that place. Why?"
"I think I might know where you are. Congratulations, Inuyasha-sama! You are now nearly half-way to the Garnet tower!"
"NEARLY halfway? Dammit, I don't know if I should be glad or not! We've been traveling for two weeks now, and I'm only halfway?!" Inuyasha exclaimed.
Now, Sango had very good hearing. "Inuyasha-sama, what do you mean, WE?"
Inuyasha paled suddenly. "Nothing. It was a damn grammar mistake. Now tell me what's up in there."
It was Sango's turn to go pale. She glanced back to Miroku and saw him holding out his hand. He knew that she could never bring herself to tell him. He had to do it himself.
Miroku took the amulet and stared intently at the puzzled knight. He breathed in deeply, summoning his courage.
"Inuyasha, we... I regret to tell you that... your world may be in danger," he said.
Inuyasha visibly stiffened. "What do you mean, my world is in danger?"
"I'm sorry. It was when we passed through the portal on our way here. We seem to have made a glitch in the dimensional portal. The glitch made it so that if you stay here even a second longer than the original seven weeks, your world would be destroyed." Miroku explained slowly, afraid of the hanyou's reaction. The said hanyou just stared at him in shock.
"Are you... sure?"
"Hai. Gomen nasai, Inuyasha-sama. I... I didn't know it was possible."
Miroku stared at the heavily breathing knight. Inuyasha was staring beyond the amulet, his eyes unseeing. Miroku nearly jumped in terror when Inuyasha looked back at him with amber eyes that spelled murder.
-----/---@
Inuyasha was dumbfounded. He stared off as the news sunk in, not knowing what to do. Kagome, who could hear the conversation quite clearly, had sucked in a breath in horror at hearing this. HE could just stare in desperate agony.
'My world... my mom... my friends... everything and everyone I know! They would all be destroyed!" At this realization, his desperation quickly faded into pure fury.
He glared at Miroku, who cowered at his anger. Inuyasha could practically hear the monk's erratic, quickened heartbeats.
"How could you fucking let this happen?!" Inuyasha demanded in a soft yet deadly voice. "You PROMISED me that my world would be safe!" Inuyasha yelled as he snapped, sweat running down his forehead. "I agreed to help you out. I'm risking my fucking NECK to save your wench, and you couldn't even do your part in keeping my world away from danger?!"
"Inuyasha-sama," Sango's voice chirped from behind Miroku. "It is only a threat if you stay away from your world longer than seven weeks! If you come back on time..."
"That is not the fucking point!" he raged. "You said nothing would happen, no matter what! And now you're saying that everything and everyone I care for will disintegrate in a fucking flick! What if I can't rescue your wench on time? What if I get held as prisoner and not be able to escape until it's too late?! My world will die!"
"Inuyasha-sama, please calm down! We will be coming over to help you in a few days, to ensure that you and your world will be safe. That way, you can never go past the designated time." Miroku said quickly.
"Well you'd better be fucking sure about that! I only have less than five weeks, and I'm only halfway." Inuyasha said, not calming down in the least.
"We promise not to let anything happen, Inuyasha-sama," said Sango.
"Good," Inuyasha said, before abruptly hanging up. He abruptly turned to Kagome, who was clearly shocked at his furious behavior.
"Inuyasha... I'm so sorry..."
"It's nothing, wench." He said, before suddenly slumping down on the ground.
"Inuyasha, daijobu?" Kagome asked softly, hoping he wouldn't snap at her.
"My world is about to crumble, I'm only halfway to the princess, and I just realized that I have to turn human one more time during this quest. Yeah I'm fine. I am so god damn FINE!" he shouted in frustration.
Inuyasha neglected to mention the other reason why the news pissed him off. Strictly seven weeks or less... that meant seven weeks or less with Kagome. Sixteen days down, thirty-three days to go.
"And now I nearly told them about you," he said softly. "I'm sorry."
"Inuyasha, it's ok! Don't be mad anymore! I'm sure everything will turn out fine. Now, we have a very long way to go, and time is just NOT on our side. If I were you, I'd set out every chance I get!" Kagome said cheerfully. "We have yet to pass the toughest parts of Crystallia, so we'd better get going!"
Inuyasha glanced at Kagome's bright face. 'Kirei,' he thought, before standing and taking her bag from her with a hand.
"You're right. Let's go."
-----/---@
A/N: That's it for my chap! I know you guys are probably insulting my mother right now for that pointless chap, but oh well... I guess I deserve it!
Sorry AGAIN for the long update. TO make up for it, I'll post the NEXT chap earlier, probably on Saturday. Fair enough? Hope so.
And gomen to everyone for my mistake about Inu's human eyes in chap10. I actually forgot what his original human eye color is, so I put deep gray, because *I* like guys with deep gray eyes. *sweatdrop* Gomen.
Here are my responses to all my wonderful (ff.net) reviewers, by the way.
Inutori: Hi! I'm glad that you liked my last chap and my storyline. Sorry for taking so long. You know how ff.net sometimes won't accept updates. It reeks. I was actually half-expecting a well to sprout out of my backyard anytime now. Anyway, thanks for the review. Ja ne!
LiLmissy^^: Wow kabayan, those were two VERY long reviews! Possibly the longest ones I ever got. Salamat for taking the time to review. I'm glad to know that you check my fic whenever you go visit ff.net. I'm also very glad that you liked my previous chap. Gusto ko rin yun sa lahat ng ginawa ko e, lol! Sorry at natagalan tong update. Agree ako - gago ang ff.net. Dapat nung Lunes pa ko naka-update, kaso nag-overload nanaman. Grrr. Kikyo the walking claypot, lol! You're from ESLR - Sucat? Cool, I'm not too far from you! I actually live in Cavite, but I go to the University of the Philippines - Manila. Dun lang ako sa Taft Avenue nagpe-penitensya, este, nag-aaral. Pareho tayong may mga teacher na demonyo. Lol! Again, thanks for the review, and I hope you enjoyed this chap! Ja ne!
Vegito044: It's ok, really. I use the caps a little too often when I review, too! I'm glad you liked the previous chap! Sorry for the late update. FF.net just gave me its usual load of b**ls**t. Her secret will be out soon, don't worry! Thanks for the review! Ja!
SurfAngel: You think she's the real one? Hmm... maybe, maybe not. Haha! Thanks for the review!
Taina: *Blushes.* Wow, thanks! I'm glad you enjoy my work. Thanks for the review!
EJ: No cheating! I'm not telling you anything! ^_^ Thanks hun!
LitWolf689: Yeah, I guess my story is a bit confusing. I'm starting to clear things up though, so PLEASE stay tuned! Thanks for the review!
Guesshoo: I've updated! ^_^ *Thinks for a moment* Hey, that's not weird at all! I actually laugh when I'm sad, and cry when I'm angry. And hey... cool signature! Thanks for the review!
Mikogurl: I won't leave you hanging, don't worry! LOL! I'm glad you like my fic. Thanks for the review!
Justmeh: I've updated! Harharhar!
Trina: Ang layo ng Megamall sa bahay ko e! I usually go to either SM Southmall, SM Bacoor or Robinson's. Don't say that your fics are bad, I'm sure your stories are great! Tayo pa, e mga Pinoyz tayo! Hehe! Thanks for the review! Muwaah!
Alexis: I'm glad you like my fic! And about Kikyo, her whole turn-human-and- go-to-hell-with-me bit REALLY pisses me off! I'm happy to know you hate the whore as well. You're welcome! Thanks for the review!
There goes another one of my insanely long A/N's. anyway, as I always say, please read and review and to those who did, thanks for the reviews! Ja ne!
ScarletRaven1001
