Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the other characters (but it would be awesome if I did). That privilege goes to the ever so talented Rumiko Takahashi.

A Power like Mine

Chapter Nine

The next day was uneventful. They didn't catch Naraku's scent or find any jewel shards. That night, they hadn't found any nearby village so they camped outside. "Kagome, what's this flower called?" asked Shippo holding a pink flower. He and Kagome had been looking for herbs for Kagome to use making their dinner.

"Hm…let me see." She held the flower and eyed it carefully. She had seen this in a school book once. "I think it's called a Pyrethrum. If you burn it, then the smoke that emits from it will kill insects." Kagome had an idea and she pocketed the flower. Afterward, everyone fell asleep almost instantly, but Inuyasha stayed awake sitting on a tree branch in case a demon attacked. He looked down at Kagome and was surprised to see her lying down but awake. Her eyes shone in the fire light and she seemed to be deep in thought. Inuyasha leaped from his branch and landed quietly behind her. He leaned down and whispered in her ear so that he didn't wake anyone else up.

"Kagome, are you alright?"

She blinked. She knew that he had been watching her, she felt it, and so she wasn't surprised when he jumped off his perch to come talk to her. "I'm fine, Inuyasha. I'm just thinking."

"About what?"

"…I'm trying to concentrate on using my mind-reading powers on someone without them sensing that I'm doing anything. I just…I can't seem to be able to do it."

"Why don't you practice on someone?"

"Because I've refused to read any of my friends' minds."

"Then practice on me."

She turned over in her sleeping bag to look more closely at him. She could tell he was serious by the expression on his face. "I can't practice on you!"

"Why not? It's not like you'll find anything new. I've told you everything already."

She considered him for a moment. He was right. There were no secrets between them now, and he would be able to tell her if he felt anything. "You sure?"

"Yeah"

She smiled at him. "Okay then…thank you."

He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, then jumped back onto his tree branch. Kagome was still smiling at him as he left her side. Inuyasha made himself comfortable and looked back down at Kagome. They stayed that way until Kagome fell asleep.

The next morning, Kagome made a quick breakfast and then they went on their way. As they walked down the dirt road, Kagome focused on Inuyasha's mind. As she delved deep, she could tell that he was thinking about her. His ears gave a twitch and Kagome knew that he sensed her in his head. 'I knew this wasn't going to work.'

Inuyasha's ears gave another tweak and she could now hear a little voice in her own head. 'Kagome?'

'Inuyasha?' she thought.

'I just heard you in my head!'

'You did? What did I say?'

'You said that you "knew this wasn't going to work" How is it I can hear your thoughts?'

'Maybe it's because I was reading your thoughts the same time I thought to myself.'

'…What?'

'I don't know! It's just a guess!'

'Well…does this mean we can talk to each other without the other's hearing us?'

'I suppose so.'

'That's perfect!'

'Yeah, but I still need to practice reading your mind without you noticing,'

'Oh, right'

After a bit of practice during their walk, Kagome got it down. Though she could sense the other's wondering why Kagome and Inuyasha were so quiet. It was getting night already, but they had neared a village. So Miroku put his spiritual powers to use and found them a nice place to stay in the headman's house. At they settled into their sleeping arrangements, Kagome walked to the door that leads outside. "I think I'm going to go for a walk." And she left through the door.

"Inuyasha, don't you think you should follow her?" asked Sango.

"Feh, why should I?"

"Fine Inuyasha. Don't go look out for her" said Shippo getting into Kagome's sleeping bag while sticking his nose in the air. "But if she gets attacked by a demon, it'll be all your fault."

Inuyasha growled, but got up nevertheless. He walked out of the house and pursued Kagome's scent. He couldn't help but grin at how clever he was. Either way he was going to follow Kagome, but if he had refused, one of them would insist that he follow her to keep her safe. This way, it didn't seem suspicious if Inuyasha just got up and chased after her. He sniffed for her scent that continued into the woods. When he found her she was sitting on a large rock hanging just above a river.

"There's no one here Inuyasha, so it's alright to come and sit by me."

"Feh, I know there's no one here. I would have smelt them" he said walking over to Kagome and sitting next to her. He wrapped on arm around her waist and she leaned her head on his shoulder.

Both stiffened as Kagome sensed and Inuyasha smelt Kikyo nearby. Kagome looked into river and spotted the reflection of the soul collector that ruined their perfect moment.

"She's calling for you Inuyasha" she said.

He was quiet for a moment. Then he tightened his hold on Kagome and laid his head on top of hers. "I know."

"Aren't you going to go to her?" she said looking up at Inuyasha with confusion.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to."

Kagome looked at Inuyasha with astonishment. When Inuyasha saw this he narrowed his eyes.

"Why do ask? You trying to get rid of me?" he asked suspiciously.

She waved her hands franticly at him. "No, no, no! That's not it!" she exclaimed hoping he wouldn't get the wrong idea. "I didn't mean it tha—"

She stopped talking when he started laughing. No matter how confusing he was, it put a smile on Kagome's face to hear Inuyasha laugh. "What's so funny?" she asked.

"Nothing" he said still chuckling. He cleared his throat, stood up, and held his hand out to Kagome. "Come on. We better get going or the others will wonder where we are." He helped Kagome up. When she stood, she stared at Inuyasha. "What?" he asked.

"Why don't you want to go to Kikyo?"

She was serious, and Inuyasha knew this was no time to make jokes. "Because I don't want to go to hell with her" he said simply, turning his head away from Kagome and looking up at the soul collector circling their heads from above. He turned back to Kagome and took her in an embrace. She sighed at being in his arms, and rested her head on his chest. "I'm not responsible Kikyo's death, Naraku is. I know that now. I don't want to die with her. I want to live with you, for as long as we can be together. Whether it's ten or a hundred years. I want live with you. I want to be with you. I want to start a family with you. And I can use the jewel and become human so I can grow old with you." She wasn't talking which made him worry, but when he felt dampness on his shirt he whispered calmly to her. "Kagome, what's wrong?"

She raised her head and looked at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You don't know how long I've waited for you to say all that." She leaned up and kissed him on the lips. When they broke apart, she wiped her eyes dry on her sleeve. "But Inuyasha, I don't want you to become human. I never wanted that. I love you no matter what you are. Even if you had chosen to become a full fledged demon I never would have stopped loving you. I already told you before that I love you for who you really are. No matter what kind of blood you posses." She wrapped her arms around Inuyasha and held him close to her.

Everything she had said just now was what Inuyasha had always wanted to hear. He had searched most of his life trying to survive and look for someone to accept him for who he was. And when he found Kikyo, he thought that the only way he could be with someone was if he was human. But he knew that she would never be with him if he remained a half-demon. But now he had Kagome, and even though she was the reincarnation of Kikyo, she truly accepted him no matter what. Everything he wanted was in the woman that he held in his arms. She was everything he had searched for.

He held her closer, careful not to break any bones. He held on to her as if for dear life. She was the most precious thing in his life. "I'll stay a half-demon. For you."

"Thank you Inuyasha."

They held on to each other for quite a while until they let go and walked back to the headman's house they were staying at, hand in hand.

Back in the forest

Kikyo held her arm out for the soul collector. It rested on her arm, and she listened.

"So Inuyasha has betrayed me once again."

Author's Note: I've never really liked cliff hangers, but for some reason I couldn't help myself. Please read and review, and on the end of the last chapter I will thank everyone who has reviewed. I promise. Plus, if you have any kind of fanfiction also, I would love to read and review them. I've read so many that I'm starting to run out of things to read. The last chapter will be thirteen. Just to let you know. Thank you.