AN: Well, I just got back from VA Beach this morning so I stayed home today and decided to update ^-^ I wrote most of this chapter out on paper while on the bus and in the hotel (when we weren't stalking hot guys XD). I wanted to thank everyone for their reviews, and it looks like this will be a ::drum roll:: Kagome and Kouga fic ^-^
Right now I'm hooked on Sango x Miroku fics, and I can't figure out why! ^-^ But don't worry, there will be Sango and Miroku fluff, and I'm working to piece together a couple Sango x Miroku songfics too. (You get pretty bored sitting a bus for eight hours o.o)
~*^-^*~
~Two Years Later~
"Mama! I'm leaving!"
Kagome yelled over her shoulder as she slid her socked feet into her school shoes. She tapped the toes on the ground to get her feet all the way in before quickly raking her hands through her hair. Using her fingers as a comb, she pulled it into a ponytail, then grabbed her backpack and slid into the straps.
"I'll see you later, Kagome-chan." Her mother called from somewhere in the house. Kagome smiled and slid out the door, getting ready for another day of school.
It was a nice day out, the sun rays dancing on her skin, not obscured by clouds. She sighed and shielded her eyes as she continued forward.
She hadn't even gotten to the top of the stairs yet when she stopped in front of an old shrine. Hesitantly, Kagome turned towards it. The door was shut, fading papers placed on the door to ward of evil (or so her grandpa said). Her heart pounded in her chest. She gulped and shook her head. She was never going back. And she couldn't now even if she wanted to. And Kami-sama knew she wanted to. Needed to.
"Minna…I miss you. Sango-chan, Miroku-sama, Shippou-chan. Kouga-kun, Inuyasha." She felt tears well up in her eyes and quickly scrubbed at them. She smiled ruefully as she recalled all the fights Inuyasha and Kouga had over her. But those days were gone. Frowning, Kagome turned on her heel and walked away, not once looking back.
~*^-^*~
He could smell the dog. He was close. This time he would get him for sure. The man jumped up and ran, using the power of the shikon shards in his legs. As he moved, the smell grew stronger, threatening to make him choke. He hated dogs.
Kouga ducked under some bushes and jumped over a fallen log before sliding to a stop in a small clearing. The wolf snarled, a low, dark sound that echoed throughout the forest. Inuyasha turned around and evenly met his flare, eyes neutral.
"I'll ask you again. Where the fuck is she?"
"I'm not telling any wolf anything."
"You bastard." Kouga lunged forward, claws extended. Inuyasha jumped back, golden eyes glittering dangerously. He chucked Tetsuagia to the side, earning a confused but weary glare from Kouga. Inuyasha's eyes flickered from gold to red, then back to gold. Kouga's eyes widened and he took a cautious step back. In all the times he had confronted Inuyasha about Kagomes' disappearance, never had the dog looked or acted like this. And his scent wavered, almost to the scent of a full yokai.
"Inuyasha! Stop!"
Miroku ran into the clearing, followed closely by Sango. The monk stepped in between the two and hit the bottom of his staff into the ground. Inuyasha's eyes slowly changed back to gold.
"Here." Sango pressed his discarded sword into his hand and stood next to him to keep him from throwing it away again.
"Keh, I'll kill the puppy with or without his sword. Now tell me, where is she?" Nobody asked who 'she' was. Sango's eyes darkened, sorrow and regret swirling in their depths. Miroku said nothing, monitoring the wolf and dog, both known to have a temper.
"I'll never tell a wolf where-"
"The well."
Sango stared at the ground, hands clenched at her sides. She couldn't take this anymore. Kouga had been tracking them down a lot recently, demanding to know where Kagome was. Each time she bit her tongue, but she couldn't keep the secret anymore.
"S-Sango." Miroku sounded surprised, as if he never expected someone to tell Kouga. Sango felt, more than saw Inuyasha approach her. Slowly, she looked up.
"You bitch. Sango, you-" He raised a claw and only then, when it was too late, did Sango realize that he wasn't holding Tetsuagia. His eyes were red and his fangs were huge. He snarled as he swiped at her. Sango gasped.
"Inuyasha!"
"H-houshi-sama!" Sango's eyes widened as she stared at Miroku. His staff held Inuyasha back, preventing him from attacking.
"Sango! Get Tetsuagia!" Miroku didn't glance back, his eyes trained on Inuyasha as he struggled to keep the hanyou back. Sango sprinted towards the sword for a second time and quickly shoved it back into Inuyasha's hands. His eyes flickered back to gold and he stood, panting, glaring at Sango.
"It's getting worse and worse. He's constantly throwing away his sword like he doesn't care." Sango said as she watched Miroku cautiously back away. Kouga watched in amazement at the group before him. His amazement turned to anger as he approached them.
"Did you attack Kagome?" His voice was soft but not innocent. Tension built as Sango shook her head and stepped in front of Kouga.
"Iie. He would never hurt Kagome. She…She's home. The well. If you follow me, I'll show you." She nodded towards a path and waited for Kouga to go first before following.
"Sango."
"Inuyasha?"
"Why did you tell him?" Inuyasha asked as he studied her. Sango sighed and turned to face him.
"I'm sick of this. All of this. You wanted Kikyo, why does it matter? I miss Kagome-chan. It's time she came home." Sango watched him with a blank face. He stared back just as evenly. Shaking her head, she turned and hurried after Kouga. Miroku put a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder and turned to lead him away, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the wolf, walking swiftly towards Kagome.
~*^-^*~
"This is it?" Kouga asked as he and Sango stopped in another clearing not too far from the other. Sango nodded.
"It looks….too old."
"It's been two years since someone has used it."
Kouga turned back to look at the crumbling structure. The bricks were faded and cracked, vines and moss snaking their way through the openings.
"She went in here?" He moved closer towards the ledge and looked down. It looked like a normal well.
"Someone with shikon shards can get through."
"Do I just, jump in?"
Sango nodded again and watched with hope and interest as Kouga swung his legs over the side of the well. Before letting himself fall in, he said, "I'll bring Kagome back."
Then he was gone. Sango stared after him before silently praying for the return of her friend.
~*^-^*~
Kagome let out an exhausted sigh as she brushed loose strands of hair away from her face. No matter how much she tried, her ponytail never kept all of her hair up. It had been another long, uneventful day at school, and she couldn't wait to go home and sink into a nice, hot bath.
A sharp, tingling sensation that she hadn't thought she'd ever feel again hit her, causing her to stumble. She gasped as the warmth spread through her body, starting at her feet and working its' way up. The warmth caressed her skin through her clothes. She shuddered.
"Shikon no Tama?" Kagome dropped her backpack and raced up the shrine steps, towards the concealed well. There were two, no, three shards. Her heart thudded in her chest. Had Inuyasha finally come back to get her? She almost ran past the small wood shrine surrounding the well.
Skidding to a halt, she fumbled with the rusty locks and almost cried out in frustration when she couldn't open them. The feeling started to fade and Kagome pounded on the door harder. The warm power from the jewel was ripped away and she whimpered, pressing her palms against the shrine door. She felt tears cloud her vision as she sank to her knees and pressed her forehead against the wood. She was too late.
The wind began to pick up, whipping her hair around her, but she didn't notice. A sound like creaking wood made her look up. The shrine door was bending towards her. She shrieked and stumbled backwards in an awkward crab walk just as the door snapped, splinters of wood and debris flying through the air. She shielded her eyes and coughed as dirt choked her. The wind whistled, then stopped. Silence.
"What's going on?" Kagome muttered as she looked up towards the shrine. She froze, jaw slack and eyes wide.
"Yo! Long time no see."
"K-Kouga-kun?" She squeaked, staring up at the man. Surely enough, the wolf yokai stood before her, hands on his hips.
Slowly, Kagome stood and walked towards him. He frowned, but stayed still. She reached out a hand and hesitantly brushed her fingertips across his cheek.
"You're really here. K-Kouga-kun, you're really-" She choked on a sob as her bottom lip trembled. Kouga panicked.
"Kagome? Don't cry, I didn't mean to make you-" He stopped sputtering when Kagome threw herself at him. His eyes widened but he wrapped his arms around her, engulfing her in a much needed hug. Soft whimpers and wet tears were all that came from the girl in his arms.
Millions of questions ran through his head. Why was she here? Why was she so happy to see him? Those and more repeated over and over again as he held her, waiting for her tears t subside.
"Kouga-kun? Why are you here?" Kagome asked when she had stopped crying. Her face was still buried in the fur on his shoulder, making it hard to hear. He shuddered when her breath hit his bare neck, and buried his face in her hair. She smelt like vanilla and wild flowers. He pulled her back at an arms length and looked at her for the first time in two years.
She had grown a couple of inches, though still not his height. Her hair was longer and pulled back into a ponytail, a few pieces clinging to the tears drying on her cheeks. Her face was more sculptured and had lost most of the baby fat, her lips fuller. She was curvy, and her breasts, he noticed with a slight blush, had grown as well. What startled him the most was her eyes. Once cheerful and full of courage, were now the opposite. They were still their normal shade of brown, but filled with a deep sorrow and weariness. The courage was gone too, he noticed with a start. She had no faith left in herself.
"Kouga-kun?"
"Huh?"
"Why are you here?" She asked again, pulling him out of his thoughts. He blinked twice before looking down at her.
"I came to get my woman back, or course. What kind of man would I be if I left you here?"
"Kouga-kun…I can't go back." Kagome muttered, averting her eyes and backing away slowly. He growled in frustration, but immediately regretted it when she backed away even more.
"I'll kill the puppy!"
"K-Kouga-kun? Please don't-"
"Don't you want to see your friends again, Kagome? That woman sent me here."
"Sango-chan?"
"Yea."
"I could see Sango-chan, and Shippou-chan. And Miroku-sama. But Inuyasha…" She bit her lip. If she went back, she'd have to face Inuyasha. Kouga seemed to read her mind.
"I won't let that puppy steal my woman. Please Kagome, you've been gone for so long." His voice softened as he finished the sentence. Kagome thought about it for a second before slowly nodding.
"I'll go back."
~*^-^*~
AN: Wow, a whooping four pages o.o This was way more detailed than my written copy. But that's good ^-~ I'm sorry for those of you who want Kagome and Inuyasha, but a majority wanted Kagome x Kouga and I wanted to write one ^-^
Oh, I wanted to ask if anyone knew of any good Sango x Miroku stories or sites that have S x M fanfiction. I'm hooked, and I'm hoping to start writing my own sometime in the near future.
Review Please!
~Neoshipper~