Pip pip pip pip!

DISCLAIMER:

Lady Kurama : Could I own Inuyasha?

Inuyasha: NO WAY IN HELL!

Lady Kurama : sob

Meanings of the flowers are NOT mine!

Chapter 4: Scilla

"Inuyasha! I have to go back! God knows how hopeless my grades will be if I never buck up!" Kagome hollered as they neared Kaede's village, with Inuyasha's loud ranting, forcing them to journey without rest the entire day, they arrived at the village in record time, legs sore and all.

Inuyasha growled, "You can't Kagome! You have Shikon Shards to search! We're here just to give the babaa a visit!"

Kagome snapped back, "Without Ramen?"

At that statement, Inuyasha's ears perked up, "You... You mean that the Ramen is finished?" Inuyasha uttered out in disbelieve, from what he recalled, Kagome had brought so many Ramen that his shoulder ached at transporting it back from the well to the village. Kagome fumed, "Who was the one who eat TEN of those Ramen a day?" she yelled sarcastically, glaring daggers towards him.

Inuyasha stiffened, "I didn't eat that much!" he protested.

"Yes! You did!"

"No I didn't!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Say it one more time I vow that I won't buy anymore Ramen for you!" threatened the once happy-go-lucky girl, who by now had transformed into a furious Miko.

Inuyasha was taken aback, never had once Kagome... the always cheerful Kagome threatened before, and it scared him. What was wrong with her? Was she still angry about what happened the day before? Shippou leapt up Inuyasha's head, "Baka Inuyasha! Kagome need to go back! We cannot travel without her Ramen and she need to see her mother!" Shippou shouted and began to gnaw his doggie ears, making sounds akin to growls to intimidate him.

"I need to go back Inuyasha! Can't you understand?" Kagome cried out in frustration, why did they have to fight for trivial matter such as these? Why was
Inuyasha so reluctant to let her go home? After all these time, he should understand that she knew of her own responsibilities and would never go home and seal the well! She had more honor than to flee with her tail between her legs, if she ever had one.

Inuyasha grabbed Shippou by the tail and flung him off, "Why can't you just sta-" he stopped, his honey coloured orbs widened by a fraction before he lifted his head and sniffed the air.

Sango and Miroku gripped their weapon, did he smell a youkai? This usually happened, Inuyasha would get a whiff of a scent and announced them of the presence of the youkai. But this time however, he said nothing, as though he was content in just sniffing the air.

All of them were bewildered, all except for one, who let out a small frown, she knew what did he smell... and she knew why he didn't go to her...

"What was it Inuyasha?" Sango warily scanned the clearing around them, no youkai would actually come so near to the village right? She had sensed none when they were traveling in this forest.

"It's..." His voice was aloof, he held a far-away look.

"Go to her Inuyasha." Kagome stated, it pained her to say that when her heart wished that he would not go. But, it also pained her to see the distant look in his eyes, it pained her to hear his soft voice, it was unlike the arrogant Inuyasha she knew.

Inuyasha hesitated, glancing at Kagome, as though asking for the permission to go. Kagome put up a fake cheery smile, "Go Inuyasha." she forced the bitter
words out of her lips, those words acting like an invisible blade that sliced the string that was supposed to bond them. She would not keep Inuyasha locked, he deserved to be happy. If she was the only one that could evoke those feelings in him, and that he wished to be with her, she would let him go. It was not as if she was his mate, and it was only fair if she allowed him to choose rather than pressuring him to be with her.

"I..." Inuyasha lowered his head, "sorry Kagome..." with that, he turned and sprung into the forest, where a woman awaits him.

Kagome bit her lips, trying her best to conceal her sorrow. No! She would not appear weak in front of her comrades, she was strong! She chanted those words in her mind. "Kagome-chan, it's okay..." Sango soothed the sad Miko, after being together for a year, they could read each other like an open book, they were practically sisters! Sango felt bad for her, she silently wondered how her sister could love someone so purely... She felt that her sister deserved someone better, someone who could love her back in return, someone who would love her for eternity.

Miroku gave out an audible sigh, trust Inuyasha and his clay-pot, he would never spoke it out loud, but he hated them, yes them, especially Inuyasha. On one
moment, he acted as though he cared, yet on another, he threw her away like some toy that he got bored of. 'Soon.' Miroku thought, soon when Kagome was finally able to move on, he would come begging for forgiveness when he had lost her. He knew that he loved her, it was just his pride, his ego that made him stay loyal to the clay-pot, like the phrase he saw on Kagome's book, 'Feed a dog a day and it'll follow you for eternity'. Damn straight.

They went back to Kaede's hut, with Shippou attempting to brighten the day by doing some neat fox tricks, which helped immensely.

# Night #

A figure stood silently on one of the highest branch he could find, staying as near as he could to the village Miko's hut, which was occupied by the shard hunting members. He could sense her worry and the slight traces of her fear.

Her fear...

It was a horrible scent, he detested it! Somehow it managed to rouse an uncomfortable feeling akin to anger, and he too loathed that emotion. For all he knew, the times when anger rose in him was only when he was battling, even though it was too, a rare occurrence. He recalled being angry a few times for some personal reasons that he would not remind himself of again. He stared at the hut, quietly wondered why was he courting her.

She intrigued him.

The answer came almost instantly, yes, that he admit, she intrigued him, but there was a fine line between mere attraction and getting a mate, could he even bare the responsibilities of having a mate? For all he remembered, his father died because of his mate, because she was kidnapped when he was battling and he had struggled to save her when he should have been resting. It was the way of a youkai, the male must save his mate at all cost, even by means he must sacrifice himself, for the honor of the youkai was placed at stake.

But...could he afford to make that same mistake?

More ever, time was another complication, he was a youkai, she was a ningen, a Miko at that, they were enemy from birth, he could live practically forever, but she could not even last a century. he would not age, he would always be in his youthful form, but she... she would age, she would grow old, she would lost her youthful looks, she would no longer be as appealing as she was now. Time was, after all, limited for a ningen, one that they could never waste, for there was no way to cheat time except for selling the soul to youkais, something that she would never do or even think about.

Again he wondered, unsure of his own thought, he hated this! He was never unsure about his actions, for he was always making the right decisions, just what was so special about her?

Tap Tap Tap

He shook himself out his thoughts and came back to face the reality. He saw her with her almost empty yellow bag, putting on her strange shoes, "I'm going to look for him and tell him that I'll be back in a week!" her face portrayed of concern mixed with sorrow, she was heading home? Yes! This was a perfect chance to know where she resides. Taking a breath, he could smell the hanyou and Miko in the forest...they stank of arousal.

Pushing all his previous thoughts away he trailed her into the forest, he could think of those questions another time, all he knew was that he could not allow the
Kitsune to claim her before he comprehended the foreign emotion. As they entered the dark forest, he hoped that those two had finished with their rutting before she saw them. He was fully aware of her upcoming reaction and it would be absolutely terrible, at least that was what he believed.

Kagome was at the brink of tears when she took sight of Kikyo's Shinidamachuu loitering around the area. Bravely, she stepped forward, bracing herself for the sight that was to come.

Then she saw it.

She stood rooted to the ground at the scene, there on the grass patch were the two, in midst of passion. She willed herself to move, Goddess knew she tried, but she could not seem to be able to take her eyes off the sight, could not block the sound that were echoing in her ears, so loud... it was as though the world was only made by the sounds of their lovemaking, only made by the sight of it.

'Run Kagome! Run!' She screamed for control, to have her feet moving, to have her eyes shut, to have her ears covered.

'RUN!'

She knew not what had happen, for all she knew, she was running, running... and running, away from them, she had been so foolish to actually worry about him when she should have known that nothing would happen to him. Her cheeks was a cascade of tears, she did not even noticed the scratches she received from the branches, everything was but a glassy blur to her, she could hardly see anything. They looked so perfect together, so untouchable and ethereal that she felt like a nitwit for trying to get in between them. Oh Goddess, why must she hurt herself so?

Finally, she stumbled into the clearing, the Bone Eaters Well a few feet from her. She fell onto her knees, gripping the grass till her fingers dug into the soil, she cried out for all she care, cried for the cruel reality, why had Lady Fate put her through this? Why did she have to suffer from such pain? Why not physical pain? She would have traded this pain for years of torture if she could, anything to take this pain away.

Inuyasha... The scene flashed into her mind, why couldn't she forget him? Why couldn't she think of anybody else except for him? People always said that when one had abandoned another, they would eventually find another one! She had waited, Goddess, she had waited for so long, but there was nobody that could make her forget him! If Lady Fate had known the pain that were to come, why did she still let them meet? She regretted for going into the well, she regretted for wandering around when she should have just stayed in the clearing, but most of all, she regretted for freeing Inuyasha from the tree!

Then everything dawned to her as though a pile of brinks falling right on her head, "Ah..." She covered her mouth, her eyes wide in disbelief. Since when... since when had she become so hateful? She...she had wanted Inuyasha to stay motionless, pinned to a tree... No wonder why Inuyasha chose Kikyo over her, Kikyo had only put him into an eternal sleep after the pain she had went through, for she believed that there would be someone who will release him. Yet she... she had wanted him to stay that way... she had wanted him to remain in his dreams forever for causing her pain...

ROAR

She lowered her head in shame, barely taking note of the oni that stomped into the clearing. She was better off dead anyway, that way, Kikyo would have all her souls back, it would be better for everyone. After all, Kikyo was superior to her in every aspect, she was gorgeous, she was way better than her in archery, she had full control of her power rather than her, whose power would not even do as she bid. She recalled all the times Inuyasha had compared them, he said that she was ugly and useless, and she was starting to believe it now, for no one had said otherwise. Inuyasha hated her for 'sitting' him, something that Kikyo would never do, another reason for his choice.

Kikyo was perfect.

She lifted her head, staring blankly at the oni, no emotion played in her eyes, for the emotions were only proven by the tears that could not seem to stop falling out of her eyes. Death, she wished for death, the fire in her eyes was slowly being extinguished, she waited for the oni to deal his blow.

The oni roared as he ran to her, chanting the word "Shikon." as though it was a mantra. It raised its clawed hand and leapt at Kagome.

Suddenly, it froze in mid-air, lines appearing on its body. Kagome gasped as its body was separated into bits, falling unceremoniously right in front of Kagome, blood splattered everywhere.

A figure stood behind a tree, allowing its shadow to conceal him from sight, he could not believe what he had witnessed, she had wanted death? Wanted the oni to kill her? Glancing back at the sobbing girl, where had the fiery Miko disappeared to? That was not her, that could not be her, the Miko he knew was one who would have foolishly stood up to that oni. The Miko he knew was strong, not a pathetic crying ningen, and the Miko he knew was one who would have struggled to live, not one who wished for death.

"Why did you save me?" she sobbed, "You should have leave me for death!" it was then she unleashed all her inner sorrows, "I was but a reincarnation! I'm nothing like the original! I'm weak, ugly, stupid! I'M BETTER OFF DEAD!" she cried, she did not give a damn about how pathetic she seemed, perhaps this way, he would kill her for being so weak, she could not hold it in anymore, could not hold it in like how she had done for a year.

He listened as she told him of how happy Kikyo and Inuyasha would be for her death and how they could search for the shards faster. She berated him for saving her, how dare she! He had saved her life and this was how she repay him? But... All his anger dissipates into the air when she shouted brokenly.

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ANYMORE!"

So she was lost, since the start, she was lost, she had no idea what to do, it was just because of the oni's appearance that cause her to resort to such a drastic
measure, like a lost child seeking for the right path.

Kagome sniffed, hugging her bag pack closer to herself, she was sure that she would never get any answers from the mystery youkai, but to her surprised, an
object flew past her, stabbing itself on the soil in front of her.

A blue rose...

No, when she plucked it off the soil, she saw another flower, another flower tied to a knot around its thorn stem, a medium size violet flower with six petals, its
middle was patched with white, colouring it as though it wished to overlapped the violet hue, it was a Scilla... and it meant...

Forgive and forget.

Kagome broke out in a cry again, "Goddess knew I tried! Damn it! Did you think that it was easy? Did you think that it was as easy as killing those youkais?" she clenched her fist so tight around it that the thorns pricked her delicate skin. She did not even flinched at the pain, "What do you know? Do you even know how it feels? She yelled to whomever near, she had no idea where he was nor did she care, she needed to let this out, to let everything out.

"Do you even know how it feels to love someone who did not love you?" she cried.

Her body was wrecked by her sobs, until suddenly, a sentence came into her mind, one that she had said before, 'Blue rose... it signifies fantasy and impossibilities, hoping for miracle and new possibilities.'

AH!

"Oh..." that was all she could come out with, what was with her? First she hurt herself, second she thought of killing Inuyasha, and now she had hurt another. Of course he had known, he was after all, interested in her even though she harbor no feelings towards him. "Gomene, hontou ni gomene..." she whimpered, she was so selfish, she only thought of herself and not the feelings of other, how could she forget...

Kagome wiped her tears away, how could she forget... He did not want her dead, he had proved it to her, and her baby Kitsune...Oh, how could she almost left him? Who would take care of him if she left? Sango... who could she turn to when she had troubles? Miroku... from who could he ask for advise if she died? Kirara... no one could provide her with her favourite cat food if she were to die... And Inuyasha...

She giggled, 'He won't be able to eat his favourite food anymore.' she smiled, her tears had stopped, why didn't she think of it before, the happiness she provide for others, she might not be perfect, but she could do something that Kikyo or anyone else could not... she could make them happy.

The mysterious figure thought of the irony, it caused another question to pop up in him mind. Why had he court her when he was aware that she would not
accept it? It was just to stop the Kitsune from claiming her before he discovered the strange emotion, the answer came immediately, yes, just to stop the Kitsune... but somehow, there was this nagging at the back of his mind, telling him how wrong it was.

"Arigatou Blue Rose-san..." He heard her utter out, she placed the Rose and Scilla in her bag pack before standing up. Not caring whether he saw or not, she
jumped into the well, letting the blue light engulfed her, bringing her to the future.

His eyes widen when he saw her jumping into the well, but all the thoughts flew away when he felt a huge surge of ancient magic coming from the well and the
disappearance of the Miko, 'What?' He sniffed for any scent of her blood or death, but none was found. That came out with a conclusion.

She was from another world.

TBC...