I'M SORRY!

In the Sands of Time

Soul's Hatred

Chapter 7 - Finally Talking

As she looked at him with fear in her eyes, he looked at her with fascination, as if he had never seen the true beauty that had always lay inside her. As if he were the only one who only now was seeing it.

The minutes passed and in them, her eyes softened into a mild question of his. They stood there, transfixed in each other's gaze; searching through the open door of their eyes into the unguarded world of their mind.

Neither of them noticed the presence of another until the silence was broken by a soft cough. They both jumped and spun around to see who intruded on their silence. "What do you want Miroku?" Inuyasha was the first who answered annoyance noticeable in his voice.

Slowly Kagome became aware of her surroundings. A light blush, a small bow, and a barely audible apology were given before she dashed out the door and into the hallway, away from the two men.

Miroku watched her leave and turned back to the silver haired hanyou. "Might I ask what that was all about?" he ventured.

Inuyasha turned to him sharply speaking, "No you may not." The monk inwardly cringed at the harshness of the prince's voice.

Figuring he wasn't going to get a straight answer by asking directly, Miroku began to walk around his room, admiring every little detail. Moving his way to the balcony, he looked out to the sinking sun. "Wow, have you always had this type of a view?" The monk asked, not expecting an answer.

"Yup." He could sense his attention wasn't fully in the answer the prince gave. Continuing to start up a conversation, Miroku began a new topic.

"She's quite pretty." He looked over to see a flat look from Inuyasha directed towards him.

"You'd say that about any girl that crossed your path." He responded dryly returning his attention to his thoughts.

Becoming frustrated with the attitude of the young man before him, the monk tried another topic that he thought would interest the prince. "You know you haven't always lived here, in this castle." Only a faint nod was giving, indicating he was partly listening at least. "Already you've found you served as a guard to that girl you looked so fondly at. I don't know the type of relationship the two of you had, but I can tell you that whatever it was, your mother doesn't want to see it here."

"Feh, what's that suppose to mean?" Inuyasha finally spoke, informing Miroku of his full attention. "I've never had feeling for that girl who now bows down to me. Nor has she ever had any for me. You heard her, 'I hate you all the same and that, I promise, will never change.' She said she hates me, and I hate her."

Miroku shook his head at Inuyasha's blindness to the subject. "Do you really believe she meant that?"

"She's said it on more occasions then just one. Just making it plain and simple so I'd be sure not to misunderstand her." The hanyou pointed out.

"I guess it makes no difference, seeing as your mother took her out because of reasons beyond what she has given you."

"Like what?" He was quick to respond.

"I don't know. Although, I've heard she has always hated the kingdom in which that girl would have ruled, and takes pleasure seeing her reduced down to this." At that last statement, Miroku walked past Inuyasha and out the door.

"Wait, I'm not done inquiring you!" He yelled after the retreating monk.

"You'll have to ask your mother the rest. I've said all I know." He gave a small wave and disappeared around the door bumping into Kagome as he did so. She quickly put her finger to her lips, an indication to be quiet. "Just be glad Inuyasha hasn't noticed you," taking the girl's advice and speaking in a whisper.

"I-I was just walking by and…"

"…stopped when you heard a conversation going on?" He guessed the rest of her excuse. At her reaction, he assured her she was safe. "Don't worry; I would never turn you over to him." The smile that formed on her lips quickly vanished when the dreaded voice came floating out the room to them.

"Miroku, bring that girl in here." Both the monk and Kagome cringed as they were discovered.

"What girl?" Miroku asked innocently as he poked his head around the door. Inuyasha turned to look at him with a dry look.

"What other girl? The one you're talking to out there as loud as the clanging pans in the kitchen." He almost yelled, pointing his finger out the door.

"I don't know which girl that would be. Many pass through here on their daily errands." He made a hasty waving motion with his hand towards Kagome indicating she should make her escape while she could.

Taking the hint, the girl bowed slightly and started backing up, away from the door and the monk. After going several feet, she turned and bolted down the hall. Inuyasha came walking out of his room after becoming thoroughly frustrated with Miroku's innocent act only to see the ebony hair flying down the hall. "What the hell? You let her get away?" the monk only smirked before waving and disappearing in the opposite direction. "I'm going to kill you when I catch you Miroku!" The hanyou yelled after the retreating monk as he turned and headed in the direction Kagome had gone.

He found her, an hour later, in the garden under the large tree by the lake. She appeared not to notice his presence for she continued to stare into the crystal blue water. As he went closer, he could see that she was shaking with her hand to her mouth and silent tears running down her face. He was shocked to see her like this and confused at how to handle this emotion she was showing.

Gingerly he placed his hands on her shoulders, at once the girl turn around and stared at him. Her face looked stricken with her eyes wide and wet cheeks half hidden by her hands. At the sight of the silver haired hanyou, she shook herself free from his hands and walked closer to the water, her eyes averted.

Inuyasha was thoroughly confused as to the feelings of this girl. To him, she had no reason for crying, he had done nothing to cause it…not that he could think of. A frown pulled down his face as he looked at Kagome.

"You were cheated." He said slowly and looked down at the ground below him. "You should be with the other women, being tested to see who's worthy enough. It's not fair for you to be here and not have a chance at all." Kagome looked at him, her brows where knitted together in confusion at his words and the way he spoke them.

"I-I had my chance," she said, hesitating, "but I threw it away."

Inuyasha looked at her angrily, "What are you saying? It wasn't your fault you were taken out!" He was close to yelling, but restrained it to a gritted reply.

"Then whose was it?" She asked, more tears running down her pale skin and over her hands. "If it wasn't my own then whose was it?"

His voice, when he replied, was so soft he could barely hear it. "Mine…"

"What?" She asked choked out. Her hands came away from her mouth to rest by her side.

"It's my fault you're here. My fault that you're even in this castle and tomorrow serving me. If it weren't for me, you would be ruling over your own country with me as your guard, not this way. Had I only done my job none of this would have happened, I wouldn't be in your dreams, in your memories; nor would you be in mine." His voice was filled with emotions even he himself had never known to possess. The amber eyes stared at the girl before him, she only gazed at him with a look of bewilderment. "I'm sorry I've caused you so much pain." With that, he turned around and began to leave.

Kagome could only look after him as he left. No words came to her, even though she wished she could call to him, nothing came, and he moved from her sight. She continued to stare at the place he had last been until her knees failed her and she crumpled to the ground, racked with sobs. "If it wasn't for you," she breathed in heavily. "I would be a different person…that's not what I want." but he wasn't there to hear her, he had left. Only the wind heard and carried her words with it as it traveled.

Inuyasha walked down the hall of the castle, he didn't know where he was going, he only kept walking. He was blinded by his thoughts not to notice he was now standing in the middle of the throne room.

"Inuyasha…Inuyasha?" Suddenly he seemed to come back to the world of the living and noticed the voice speaking his name. Looking towards the front of the room he saw his mother sitting there watching him with a worried expression placed upon her thin face. "I've been waiting for you." Inuyasha's stomach lurched, unsure what to expect from the queen.

"Oh, don't look like that…it's nothing to be afraid of, Inuyasha." She had noticed his uneasy look and laughed lightly. However, Inuyasha wasn't so sure it was not to be feared…everything she had to tell him made a shiver of fear run down his spine.

"Tomorrow, you know, is the day in which the women will finish their last trial and the day you are to be crowned the King of this castle and land." Truly, the hanyou had completely forgotten about being crowned and wed; he'd wanted to forget. Now that he knew, he never wanted tomorrow to come. His head bowed down and his gaze went to his feet.

Slowly his mind wondered away from the thoughts that his mother had put in his head and went instead to the conversation, if he could call it that, he had with the girl who captured his eye.

"Do you have anything to ask?" Inuyasha thought for a moment, if he did. The cream face of the girl flashed through his mind. He was about to speak his thoughts but thought better of it and only shook his head.

When his mother said nothing, he backed up and left the room. "I could run," he thought. "But what good would that do?" He didn't have anywhere to go. So he went to the place he could think best.

In the garden; Inuyasha spent time to look at the flowers that grew there. Truly, they were lovely. Bright reds, oranges, pinks, blues, and colors no words could describe. His hand ran over one and picked it unconsciously. Smelling the sweet sent he looked ahead of him with blank eyes.

His life was going to change, as he knew it in only one day. Tomorrow he would be given the crown and all the responsibility with it. It was true, he knew everything he needed to rule, he'd been taught, but he didn't want it, never wanted it. Though, the thing he wanted even less then the crown was to be married to someone he'd never met.

A frown came on his lips when he saw a small figure standing by the water. His eyes became narrow when he realized who it was. Without thinking, he walked quietly behind her and whispered in her ear. "How many times must I tell you before you believe me?"

She whipped around and looked startled at Inuyasha. "And how do you always seem to find me where ever I go?" She snapped back.

"Because oddly enough, this is the place I always go to think." His reply was just as cold as hers had been. "You just always seem to be here."

At that, she turned away from him and looked back out across the pond. Not knowing what he was thinking or doing, Inuyasha delicately placed the flower, he had earlier picked, above her ear. Kagome's hand slowly moved towards the place the flower had been place and lightly touched it. A small smile formed on her lips.

"Spot…" She breathed. Inuyasha frowned at the nickname; he'd never liked it. "Why are you still alive?"

"What are you talking about?" He was confused at the sudden question.

"You were supposed to have died. Why are you standing here today?" Not getting an answer, Kagome tried again. "I know you saw yourself pinned to that tree."

Inuyasha was silent for a moment, not sure exactly how to answer, but decided to tell her what he knew…maybe she would start to believe him. "After your 'father' stopped in," the hanyou began. "He took you, but not before I tried to stop him. I did not intend to let him take you wherever he was going…no matter how much I pretended to hate you." His choice of words surprised even himself. Had he really been pretending that whole time? Without hesitating, he answered his own question. "I had attacked him and severely wounded him. Still he got away, and you with him."

"Why don't I remember any of this?" Kagome asked, interrupting his explanation of the night.

"Because you were out cold…can I finish now?" she blushed slightly and nodded. "With you gone, the whole kingdom turned into a mess. Naturally, they all blamed me for your kidnapping and so in the forest I was caught off guard. They shot me with an enchanted arrow…not on purpose I suppose seeing as they were aiming to kill." He paused for a moment. "That's all I remember, the next thing I know, I'm here."

"You wounded him well; he was dead when I awoke in the desert."

"Our two worlds seem to be connected."

AN: Yay! I'M SORRY! REALLY TRULY, I'M TERRIBLY SORRY! I never meant to take so long to update. School caught up with me and then it ended and I went on vacation to Arizona and now is the only time I've had to think and write. I'm sorry! Please forgive me!