To Prove Thy Love

Chapter 5: Grip!

Scattered about are seven purple stars

Thoughts are brought together by each,

Crushing out our cry for love

Unable to escape it, we cling to our dreams

We won't loose anymore to the everyday trickery

Wake up right now

Soon we seem to be surrounded

By the real world choking us

Your important person is…who?

In the luxury world, shards of eternity are appearing and disappearing

Touch and seize it, not let's precisely walk this way

"Without regret" we advance to our destination

Will we laugh? Will we cry? Will we be happy? Will we be unhappy?

After all now, yet I still don't understand

In the future you start to change: don't falter

That's life's essence

We're living just barely, we sent our answer

Even if it's different, and gives the wrong impression

But, it's a powerful hope

Until the day you become the real thing

In this cruel world, love's bud will probably be smashed

Touch and seize it, we now engrave it firmly

Wake up right now

Soon we seem to be surrounded

By the real world choking us

Your important person is…who?

In the luxury world, shards of eternity are appearing and disappearing

Touch and seize it, not let's precisely walk this way

In order to smile in the end, we now walk precisely this way.

Chapter 5

The journey to the wolves' den had taken Kagome and her group four days. The way back with the addition of the wolves only took them three. Kouga had insisted that Genza and Hakaku came with.

By the end of the first day, the two lower wolves had started refering to Kagome as sister, or the boss' mate. The second night's stop was also interesting. The humans had found it a bit strange the first night when the wolves slept in a pile. The second night, Genza and Hakaku insisted that Kagome sleep in the pile near them. Kagome refused, telling them that humans didn't do that. She didn't tell them the real reason was that Inu Yasha would flip if he found out that she had slept around wolves. He always hated them.

They had made it to the village in good time, Kagome decided when the arrived. It was mid day and the sun directly above them was overbearingly hot. Even so, Kagome insisted on taking Kouga to the forest. She asked Sango and Miroku to keep Genza and Hakaku out of trouble as well.

Kagome led the way through the forest, keeping her back to Kouga. The alpha wolf disliked the silence, but couldn't think of anything to say. After several minutes, the two finally came to Inu Yasha's clearing. A small breeze picked up.

Inu Yasha's golden eyes snapped open.

……………

It was very lonely for Inu Yasha. No one came into the clearing except Kagome those few times. She had even kissed him that once, saying she was giving him her heart to take care of. That was nice, but then she was gone.

With no one around, the solitude was unnerving. Even awaiting Kagome's return was heaven compared to the aloneness he was dealing with now. The thought occurred to him. Maybe I'm dead?

If he were dead, he decided, this was hell. He had gone to hell. Why? For loving the reincarnation of his first love? Was that so wrong? Maybe it had to do with something that was against some scripture or another. Something about loving thy brother? Well, he started it! So, apparently, hell was a very good possibility.

Suddenly, an odd scent caught his attention. The desire to sleep went away. Who was that coming towards him? Kagome was there, Inu Yasha thought with a thrill. It was quickly overshadowed by the idea of who was with her.

The scent had become familiar, over constant meetings. It smelled discretely of human flesh, human blood. There was also a hint of demon blood. Mostly, it smelled like dirt. It smelled like dirt and wolf, Inu Yasha growled at the thought. There it was, suddenly in front of him, as usual.

Kouga, Inu Yasha growled. He opened his eyes to see Kagome standing beside the mangy wolf. He was going to kill him.

……………

"This is the guy you wanted me to help you wake up? Here I was, thinking it was some human, but no. It's just a scrawny little mutt."

"Inu Yasha!" Kagome exclaimed before the half demon could retort. She ran to the tree, tears of joy in her eyes.

She scraped her hands as she scrambled up the tree to release Inu Yasha from his imprisonment. Kagome pulled the arrow that pinned the half-demon to the tree and he caught her as they both fell towards the ground.

Kagome hugged Inu Yasha and gave him a kiss. "I missed you," she whispered.

"I thought you were never going to come back," Inu Yasha murmured back.

"I always do. Even if you're being a pain in the ass."

"Hey, that's not nice, Kagome."

"Excuse me," Kouga growled. Inu Yasha set Kagome down gently and stepped in front of her.

"Kouga, you're about the last person I wanted to see when I woke up," Inu Yasha quipped.

"I was hoping you didn't wake up. Then, Kagome could have forgotten about you, and come to live with me."

"You're still going on about that?"

"After all, she did promise to be my mate if I came here with her."

Inu Yasha turned a betrayed look at Kagome. She shook her head, denying the fact. "I did not, Kouga."

"Then what was that kiss about? You were so passionate."

"You kissed him? Kagome, what were you thinking?"

"It was the only way I could get him here. I don't want to talk about it."

Inu Yasha tilted his head off to one side. His brain was finally asking the right questions again. How the hell had he gotten stuck to the tree this time?

"Fine Kagome. Now, there's just one thing to do. Kouga, your ass is mine."

"Bring it on, Mutt-face."

"Both of you, stop it!" Kagome demanded.

"Kagome, I need to make him pay for kissing you! It's my job now."

"What is the mutt talking about? Kagome, you're the only one for me!"

"So, fight next time we meet. I don't think Inu Yasha could handle a fight quite yet, despite all of his big talk."

"Kagome," Inu Yasha whined.

Kagome elbowed him in the back. She murmured, "Ten days stuck to the Goshinbuko. I think you need to get warmed up before you do too much."

"Kagome, is this really how you feel?" Kouga asked.

Kagome nodded. "Yes. Kouga, I'm really greatful for you coming to help me out, but I really do love Inu Yasha."

"You hear that, you mangy wolf! Kagome loves me. She's picking me over your full blooded flea-ness."

"One day I will have you, Kagome. I'll kill Inu Yasha in a fair fight."

"Just set the time and the place!"

"When I kill Inu Yasha, I will get everything he owns. Kagome will be mine then."

"Keep dreaming. In what world could you ever beat me?"

"Um…Inu Yasha…"

"Not now Kagome."

"In what world? In any of them. If it's for Kagome's sake, I can do anything."

"Then…Kouga, could you please leave now?"

Kouga hesitated. He really wanted to stay by Kagome's side to make sure the half-breed would treat her as she deserved to be treated. The pleading look Kagome sent him was melting his heart. "If that's what you truly want Kagome."

"Yes. It is."

"I'll give you a month, mutt-face. You have one month until I come for your head."

Inu Yasha shrugged. "I'll be here."

With a curt nod, Kouga turned and ran though the forest. Inu Yasha turned to Kagome.

"So," Kagome started, "Where were we?"

"When? This time, or the time I almost made you forget about your test?"

"Hm. Maybe we should just make this a new time?"

Inu Yasha bent his head to kiss her. He broke apart for a moment. "I think that works."

They continued to kiss for a few moments. "Hey, Inu Yasha?" Kagome mumbled between small kisses.

"Yeah?"

"Can you promise me one thing?" Kagome asked, breaking apart to look him in the eyes.

"For you, anything."

"Promise me that you won't make me do that again?"

"Do what again?"

"Oh, that's right. You don't know what I did for you!" Kagome exclaimed. For some reason, that annoyed her.

"No, I was kinda stuck to a tree Kagome?"

"Because you got yourself stuck to a tree.."

"It wasn't like I had any choice!"

"I had to go to the thunder brother's valley and run all the way back here!"

"Wait…"

"Then I had to think of who to go to so that you would wake up! Do you know how far it is from here to Kouga's den?"

"Now, Kagome, you're not being fair."

"What isn't fair is that I couldn't see you! I couldn't see you for ten days! I forgot all about my school work, all about my tests, and all about my life over there!"

"I did notice you are wearing priestess clothes."

"And?" Kagome asked, eyes flashing with anger. If he said she still looked like Kikyou, she would kill him herself.

"You look like the strongest priestess I have ever seen."

"So, I don't look like Kikyou?"

"Kikyou? Who's Kikyou?" Inu Yasha whispered, closing in on Kagome again.

Suddenly, the world dissolved. The trees just melted away into a white nothingness. Inu Yasha wrapped his arms around Kagome protectively.

A female voice echoed through the fake nothingness world. "Oh, that was wonderful! This was just perfect! I knew my scheme would work!"

"Who the hell are you?"

"Me? Why, I am one of the three goddesses of love!"

"No such thing."

The woman laughed. "No, no, of course not."

"Wait!" Kagome called. She turned and pulled away from Inu Yasha. "The reason Inu Yasha was stuck to the tree again…"

"It was all just a test. We needed to see if you were strong enough in heart to be qualified lovers. We needed Kagome to prove that she loved you. The extent you went to Kagome, it was all the proof we needed. Oh, that Kouga is just so handsome…I was sure you were going to fall for him in this world."

"Hey, why would Kagome fall for that wolf when she has me?" Inu Yasha asked as he slung his arm around Kagome's shoulder.

"Tehee. That's love for you." The presence of the voice faded out. The two were left alone once more.

"Well, this sucks."

"Inu Yasha!"

"It does. I mean, there's nothing here. There's no one around, and not even a bed."

"I do not like the way your thoughts are heading."

"I thought you loved me, Kagome."

"I do. It's just…no sex until after we're married. My mom's rule."

"Married?"

"Married. Or…whatever demons do. We'll do both."

The voice came back. "Ops, silly me. I forgot to send you two lovebirds back. Which time do you like better?"

"Which time? Mine." Kagome and Inu Yasha said in synchronization.

"Oh, sillies. You know, you really do make a cute couple. What I meant was, which world do you like better? The one we made for the trial, or the one you were normally in?"

"Give me back my own world."

"Well, I have to say the original one," Kagome replied shyly. "Then I can have my sit beads back."

"Ok, then. Old World, there they go!"

The sit bead idea finally sunk into Inu Yasha's brain. "Wait…No, let's stay in this one."

"Too late now!"

Kagome and Inu Yasha felt like they were spinning. Kagome closed her eyes until if felt like something spit her out.

When she opened her eyes, she was in her room. Her very own room, in her time. The bed was so soft, she couldn't help but drift off to sleep.

……………

A/N Ok, I know. The last bit of this chapter was just a little odd. I don't know, it was just the best way I could think of to get the whole story line to make a little bit of sense and explain the title of the story. Yeah…now that I've typed it, it sounds really…weird. I think it's too much Angel Sanctuary contaminating my view of the higher ups, like the Goddess of Love.

Any way…I might try and revamp this chapter cuz I don't like the way it is. Or, maybe I'll just leave it, depending on the reviews I get! I want reviews! But…I suppose I'm just being greedy…or hopeful, maybe.

Please R&R!