In the Beholders Eye

Written By Sarga

May/June 2006

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters, I'm just taking a theme and running with it...

Chapter 15: Delicate Protector

Inuyasha sat on a rock, his back to another rock and his feet dangling as he lost himself in thought.

"Kagome," he sighed aloud.

He thought of her advancing on him, unknowingly initiating what he had secretly desired for years. Her new hanyou form only made his aching heart desire her more.

'Is this wrong?' He questioned himself silently. 'She's always cared for me as I am, and now I've caused her to change. Is it wrong to like, no, love, the new her? ' He felt the guilt well up. 'I did this to her, and I don't know if she'll ever truly forgive me...' Inuyasha squashed the guilt. 'But I'll be damned if I let her go back to her time without any reason for her to come back!'

With the thought still fresh on his mind, Inuyasha looked to the distance with dismay, not really seeing what was there.

He knew these conflicting feelings were going to tear him apart. He couldn't stop them though. 'Mine is the will that had changed her fate,' he thought with a mixture of guilt and pride. 'I'm not sure that I want it to turn back to the way it was. Sure she's stronger and faster, but she was still, well, Kagome. And she smells real good too!'

With a slight tinge of embarrassment, Inuyasha shook himself from his thoughts. Sooner or later he would have to face her again, and with these more carnal thoughts her new form provoked, he knew it had to be sooner. The longer he waited, the stronger he felt.

'With Kikyo gone, she knows she's the only one.' Inuyasha started to breathe heavily with the thought of Kagome and himself...Inuyasha stood abruptly and jumped back to Totosai's cave. Kagome was still Kagome, and he knew there would be a better day to tell her everything.

- - - - - - - - - -

Kagome awoke at the sudden lack of noise.

Sitting at his anvil, Totosai stared lovingly at the small blade in his hand.

"Kagome!" he called, noticing her as she sat up. "You're awake! I can give you your new dagger now."

Kagome blinked and rubbed her eyes before standing to join the old man in his examination.

"As you can see, the blade is quite durable and will be well suited to making clean, deep cuts in your enemy."

'At least it's not jagged,' Kagome thought with a small frown.

Seeing her displeasure, Totosai assumed the worst.

"You don't like it?" Dejected, the old man looked as if he were ready to cry. "After all the hard work I put into this, it's not good enough?" A single tear slipped down his cheek.

Kagome looked at the old man in confusion, then realized her error. "No, Totosai, it's perfect!" she said with slightly forced interest. 'It's perfect for keeping me held in this form,' she added silently.

Looking up at her as if she had just given him the world, Totosai's eyes gleamed with unshed tears. He smiled hopefully and held the blade to her. As she took the blade from his hands, Totosai jumped back and examined the pair before him.

"Once Myoga brings me the scabbard, it'll finally be complete! She likes you!" As if to accentuate what the old man had said, the blade began to vibrate in Kagome's hand.

"She?" Kagome raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Her name is Hogosei," he said with finality, crossing his arms with a nod.

" 'Delicate Protector'?" Kagome questioned, turning the blade in her hands.

"She'll keep you a hanyou so long as you keep her near. And she's sharp enough to inflict serious injury!" He looked quite pleased with himself.

"Thank Kami she'll cut clean," Kagome muttered wryly, tucking Hogosei gently at her side.

- - - - - - - - - -

As promised, Myoga returned the following day. Inuyasha greeted him in his usual manner, slapping the flea from his neck.

"Where'd you go to, Myoga?" Inuyasha asked. Truthfully, he hadn't really noticed the flea demon's absence until he had showed up again. His attention had been on the events of the previous day and his response to Kagome's unexpected, and inadvertent, advance.

"I went to get Kagome supplies, Master Inuyasha. We need to...prepare something," Myoga replied cryptically.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha demanded.

Myoga jumped away, heading towards Kagome in Totosai's cave.

"Kagome will tell you when she is ready. For now, I need to speak with her in private."

Totosai came out of the cave shortly, scratching his head in confusion, wandering aimlessly away from his home.

- - - - - - - - - -

Myoga stood on Kagome's shoulder, watching as she fingered the necklace in her hands.

"At least it's pretty..." she sighed halfheartedly.

"You don't have to go through with this Lady Kagome," Myoga tentatively proposed.

Shaking her head, Kagome closed her eyes wearily. "Yeah, Myoga, I do," she said softly.

Pulling Hogosei from her waist, Kagome looked at the sharp blade warily.

"So what do I need to do?" she asked with renewed determination.

"As I said, you'll need to enchant the necklace to be bound to Inuyasha using his hair." Myoga pulled a hair from behind his back and handed it to her solemnly. "You'll need to use the dagger to inflict a wound deep enough to scar and use the blood that flows to bind the necklace to yourself as well."

Kagome shut her eyes and nodded. 'This isn't going to be pleasant.'

"Then you'll need to keep the wound fresh, cutting it every few hours until the end of the period that you want the curse to last."

"Three days," Kagome opened her eyes. "I want it to be three days."

"Very well, then." Myoga jumped from her shoulder. "I shall go inform the others that you will be indisposed for the next few days." With that Myoga hopped out of the cave, leaving Kagome to gather her things.

"What d'ya mean, she'll be gone for three days?" Inuyasha's shout pierced the empty cave.

Stomping up to Kagome, Inuyasha started to yell. "Where do you think you're going?" He demanded, blocking her way out.

"I've got to do something important, Inuyasha! Don't make this harder on me than it has to be," she pleaded. She wasn't about to tell him the reason, not when he already felt so guilty.

Inuyasha's brow furrowed in confusion. His voice, still harsh, boomed at her. "What do you mean 'harder than it has to be'? I'm not letting you get out of here without an explanation!" He stomped his foot childishly and crossed his arms.

Then Kagome did something to shock them both.

Reaching up to his shoulders gently, Kagome laid a soft kiss on his cheek and leaned towards his ear.

Whispering softly into his ear, she cooed. "Remember this when I get back," Pulling away, keeping her voice just as soft and gentle, she added a final word, the one she wanted him to remember. "Sit..."

And he did. While Inuyasha was face first on the floor, Kagome grabbed her things and ran from the cave.

The next three days were sure to be painful ones.

End of Chapter

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Another day, another chapter. Keep the reviews coming...They inspire me to do great things (if you consider posting another chapter a great thing...)

- Sarga