A/N: Wow. I haven't updated in like a year and a half. Please forgive me for anything that might not make sense or might seem out of place, etc. It's been a very long while. And remember: single quotes (' ') indicate thoughts.
"In the Crossfire" by Jesia
Chapter 12: Love is a Blur Even to Those with Perfect Vision
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Dear Diary,
Dad finally told me what happened to Mom. Now that I know, I want to try getting down the well myself. I'll have to find a time to go when everybody else is busy. I don't know what's become of Kouga-kun… I want to visit him so badly, but if he really is going to make that ookami onna his mate…I don't know. She was so terrible to me. I wonder if he doesn't want to see me anymore? He still hasn't come around. I thought he might've wanted to wish me a happy birthday yesterday…
On a happier note, all of my wounds and bruises have healed. I sure have been getting into a lot of trouble lately. Because of my youkai blood I was able to recover most of the bruises that Ayame gave me before Dad could see. Sango-sama told him I wasn't feeling well that night, and not to disturb me. I'm so thankful to her.
Maybe I can sneak out sometime today…
Ja ne,
Sakura
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"Sakura," a voice whispered. Kouga risked being noticed in broad daylight outside Sakura's home, sniffing around for her. "Damn, where is that girl?" He began to fidget a bit, fearing she might already have been taken away by someone else. The ookami youkai followed her scent away from the house, leading to the Forest of Inuyasha. "I don't smell anyone else with her… Maybe Mutt-face told her what happened to Kagome." Continuing to track her sweet scent as quickly as he could, a million thoughts raced through the wolf's mind.
'What if she knows I once courted her mother? Would she hate me?'
'What if she's trying to go to Kagome's time?'
'Oh no, what if someone in the village asked for her hand--!'
He shook his head, attempting to erase the doubts in his mind. Surely everything would work out just fine… That's when he heard it—a scream so shrill it scraped not only his sensitive ookami ears, but the very fiber of his being.
It was her.
The adrenaline pulsed and his legs and lungs began to burn. He tore through the forest and thrashed his way into a clearing, where a deranged demon looking for nothing more than a good time, not to mention a meal, was attempting to fondle his beloved Sakura. The fear in her eyes and aura was more than enough to make Kouga snap instantly.
He threw himself at the foul demon. Sakura instinctively seized the chance and fled to the side of the clearing, breathing heavily. 'Kouga-kun…' Suddenly she began to cry. 'What's wrong with me? Why am I crying?'
Kouga threw a series of swift kicks and punches at the offending demon, who was caught by surprise. It growled and shrieked, flailing its long arms about like the true beast it was. 'Heh, weakling!' thought the wolf demon as his opponent immediately retreated. "Sakura, are you all right!" Kouga shouted as he rushed to her side. "You're not hurt or anything are you?"
Sakura, tears in her eyes, flung herself into Kouga's arms. "Arigatou gozaimasu, Kouga-kun! Thank you so very much," she sobbed. "I don't know what would've happened if you didn't find me…" Sakura brought her teary gaze up to the wolf's eyes, shaking.
'Thank the gods… That demon would've marked me then probably eaten me when he got hungry. I'm so glad… Kouga.'
A little surprised, but glad nonetheless, Kouga wrapped his beloved up tightly in his arms. 'Sakura-chan… What a relief.'
"What were you doing out here, Sakura?"
"I… My dad told me what happened to my mother. It's nothing though, Kouga-kun. You don't have to concern yourself with that."
His brow furrowed. "But, Sakura—"
She smiled. It was the kind of smile that was supposed to be reassuring, even though he knew what pain she must be in to know about her mother. He remembered Kagome herself utilizing just such a faux smile. "It's okay, really. Thank you so much for saving me again, Kouga-kun. I was so afraid. I didn't want to be, you know… marked by someone that didn't love me."
"Uh." Kouga blinked. "S-Sakura…" He looked past her towards the ground, stopped dead in his tracks by her words. "I…" Oh, how he longed to tell her now. How he desired to pull her close and nip the delicate flesh of her neck. How he wanted to make her his… "I understand, Sakura." Kouga looked back into her tear-streaked face, and proceeded to wipe some of the salty rivulets away.
"Umm… Kouga, is it true that you're about to choose a mate?" She fidgeted a bit, reminiscing her run-in with Ayame.
"H-How did you know about that?" he gulped, nervous.
"I heard about it… from another wolf demon." Sakura averted her gaze, her cheeks turning slightly pink. How embarrassing! There was no way he felt anything like that for her.
"I see…" Kouga backed away slightly. "I guess you should go home now, Sakura." His tone suddenly took on a serious, cold tone. Sakura's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "And please, stay out of trouble, Sakura-san." He took off into the forest.
As soon as he was out of sight, she crouched down on the ground and cried all the harder. 'I wish my mom was here!' Sakura decided to continue on her quest to the Bone-Eater's Well, despite Kouga's command.
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"Kooouuugaaa-chaaaaan!" called Ayame, as she caught up to her love. She whirled out in front of him, and took his arm in hers, smiling flirtatiously.
"Ayame? What are you doing here? This better not be about me taking you as my bride."
"Kouga-chan, you sound annoyed. You did promise me, remember? You've had plenty of time to get over that Kagome woman. Why won't you take me?" Ayame kept his arm in her firm grasp. "I'll bear as many pups as you like…"
Kouga's face turned cherry red immediately. Out of embarrassment or simply anger, the girl could not tell. "Ayame!"
"Please, Kouga…" she pleaded. "I'll do anything. Really. You promised, and I've been waiting for so long—"
"I will not mark you, Ayame! I will never make you my bride. I don't love you," Kouga sighed in frustration, and almost guilt. "I don't love you…"
Tears sprang to the wolf girl's emerald eyes. "But…"
"There is someone else. I'm sorry." Kouga could not bring himself to look at her.
"K-Kouga…" Ayame nearly began to cry, but then remembered her meeting with Sakura. She growled, throwing his arm away from her. "That girl won't let you take her, Kouga! She won't even cross into your territory. She knows that you're engaged to be married to ME!"
Kouga's icy orbs widened in shock. "What the hell did you just say?"
"You heard me…" the she-wolf spat through clenched fangs. "She's afraid to even step foot into your territory now."
"What did you do to her?" Kouga grabbed Ayame by the shoulders and shook her. "Did you hurt her! Ayame!"
She smirked. "Yeah. I told her you were mine. I hope that wretched quarter-demon drops dead!"
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"There it is…"
Sakura stood in awe of the well, blanketed in vegetation. Time had definitely worked its mysterious spell. Why hadn't she noticed theit therebefore, even as a child? She had often visited the Goshinboku tree with her father, and according to his story the Bone Eater'sWellhad been there for decades, maybe even centuries. Suddenly determined to see her mother, she tore at the vines and leaves until she created a significant gap in which she could easily drop through. "Here goes..." Sakura swallowed, and jumped into the dark abyss.