Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of it's characters. If I did, this wouldn't be fanfiction, now would it?
Reveiwer comments:
Camigwen- Glad you liked it. I wasn't sure about the Kouga element, but I figured I'd try it and see.
Dumb Romantic- Thank you very much! I'm always sitting here criticizing my own writing, so I'm glad people don't think it's as sucky as it seems to me. And look! Japanese translations!
Puchu-chan- Aww, I don't know if Inu-chan would land the punch. hehe. And we'll see about the girl-talk.
JediK1- The Sango/Miroku/Kirara issue will come up pretty soon, but for now everyone is just trying to settle the issue between Inuyasha and Kagome. They're the most stubborn two, so until they figure things out Kagome probably won't think much to ask about her friends. But, no worries, it'll come, and with some surprises too. hehe.
priestessmykala- Thanks for the movie information, it helped. And I'm not really surprised about Inuyasha's age if only for the fact that it seems like that would be sensible. Plus it helps me story. ;)
ShortPoet- I think a lot of Chapter 6 was to help the characters begin to sort out some of their emotions- Kagome especially. Though she's always been relatively clear in the end about her feelings towards Inuyasha, she often gets caught up in his stride when he tries to protect himself from getting hurt. I think it's almost her way of helping to protect him- by arguing with him and "denying" her own feelings to him, she helps him stay safe and happy, though that usually isn't actually the case. In that chapter she finally kind of got that no matter how much she wants to deny it, her love for him is what it comes down to.
When it comes to Rin, I really wanted the circumstances to be something significant. I've read the fics where it is simplythat humans get prolonged life, but I wanted to elaborate on it and make the situation something special, because Sesshoumaru doesn't do something unless there is an importance to it. I was trying to make it a point that Rin was important enough for him to do this.
And Kougawas the fun on my part. hehe.
Thanks for thegreat review (as always)!
Sigari-sama- Haha, I think I can manage to continue the angstfest. I'm glad it works so well. I don't generally like doing the whole "Oh, my darling, how I've missed you!" without some sort of trouble or issue in there somewhere.
And I checked out the and I found it really awesome. Thanks for pointing it out!
Hanyou-ass- No worries about popping up, I rather enjoy it. Thanks for the review! Glad you like the story!
Laura- I suppose with Rin and Fluffy-sama it's something of a love that grew over time. Sure, she started out as his charge, but as she grew he saw her more as an independent woman. Growing under him, she learns to take care of herself and be who she wants to be, though still proper and refined. In essence, in raising her he makes her everything he could want because she learns his ideals and mannerisms. She understands him better than anyone else could.
To Everyone- Sorry for the deal, Minna-san, but here's Chapter 7. If a few things seem a bit OOC, I'm sorry, but the way it's written is the way I felt it needed to be. Enjoy!
Chapter 7
They all sat awkwardly in one of Sesshoumaru's many sitting rooms, drinking tea that Rin had made and glancing between one another anxiously. Sesshoumaru and Rin were positioned passively on one of the couches, both drinking calmly. If not for Rin's occasional worried glance, they seemed like two mechanical beings- made only to perform certain movements as long as they were functioning. Sesshoumaru, for his part, said nothing more than to greet the wolf when he had initially arrived- startling Kagome sufficiently. Kouga was, technically, a visiting lord, but Kagome had never known the two youkai to be on good terms. So much had changed…
Inuyasha, on the other hand, seemed as hostile and irritated towards Kouga as ever. While the wolf was sitting in a tall, comfortable chair, being relatively silent, Inuyasha had chosen to wedge himself beside Kagome on the couch across from the taiyoukai and his mate, nearly glued to her side. She was sure her cheeks were stained pink, feeling herself sitting beside the hanyou almost thigh-for-thigh, though she could not say she did not enjoy the sensation of being so close to him. Either way, she was well aware of the variety of glances sent her and Inuyasha's way, particularly by Kouga. Still, there was something peculiar about those looks…
"So what matters bring the Lord of the Northern Lands to this Sesshoumaru's domain?" Sesshoumaru's voice startled Kagome, and she visibly jumped beside the hanyou, blushing even more furiously when that gained her further attention from the demons in the room. Rin, on the other hand, said and did little to embarrass the miko further.
"That's simple: Kagome. I could smell her on the mutt when he went on his little escapade last night near my territory. I'm curious to know why she's suddenly reappeared again after five hundred years." Kagome was surprised by the noticeable growl in Kouga's voice. It was a more vicious, angry sound than she remembered from the past. Was he truly angry? "You've been hiding things from me all these years, haven't you?" Who he was referring to, she did not know.
"Keh, why should we tell you anything?" She shifted her gaze to look up at Inuyasha, watching as he stubbornly crossed his arms and leaned back on the sofa. Contrary to Kouga, the hanyou's voice was gentler than it had once been, almost apologetic, but stubborn nevertheless. He was attempting to justify actions to himself… or inactions.
Kouga seemed to take the demand bitterly. "Listen, Mutt-face," he said in a dangerously low, calm voice. What was going on? "I had every right to know what happened then, and I certainly have the right now. She was always coming and going, don't think I never noticed. Her scent would disappear and reappear in a matter of minutes, hours, days sometimes. Now fucking tell me why Kagome is suddenly alive five hundred years from when I first met her!" His voice rose with every word, until Kagome cringed at his tone. It was eerie to see and hear Kouga behave in such a calm, yet enraged manner as compared to the explosions of argument that had once been shared between him and Inuyasha. She frowned.
Had Inuyasha never told him? That day she had left, disappeared into the well, surely Inuyasha had explained it all after they had said goodbye…
"Kouga, I'm from this time." She spoke before she realized it, earning a fierce glare from the boy beside her. Still, she continued on. "Four years ago, I came home for good. I thought… I thought everyone knew back then, about my decision, and my need to leave. It was too dangerous to leave the rift open anymore between the two times. I thought…"
"You thought wrong." He was angry, truly angry. She could see it in his eyes, his demeanor, and it was the kind of anger that made a person flinch just by looking. The people she had once known so well had changed so much. When had she been left behind?
Five hundred years ago…"It's not important." Inuyasha's response caused multiple glares, the fiercest from Kagome and Kouga.
"The fuck it isn't! You kept her from me for five hundred years! How could you not tell me?" The irate wolf jumped up from his chair, stomping over towards the hanyou in order to yank him from the couch by his haori. Inuyasha's lip lifted in a half snarl, but he otherwise made no move to counteract the action.
"You would have ruined it."
"WHAT?"
"You would have ruined it all! She deserves a fucking life too! She doesn't need us interfering with every moment of her time, especially when she was just trying to live her life the way she's supposed to! You would have been there the entire time, watching her, corrupting her. She was normal until we came along!"
"What the hell do you know? Did you ever think to ask her? Did you ever run over the possibility that maybe she would have missed us? Maybe she would have liked to see us? Do you still not get the point that our time away from her is the equivalent of hers from us? No one lives forever, but I know I like to be with the people I love while I am!" Shoving Inuyasha away, Kouga looked down at a wide-eyed Kagome. "Right?"
This seemed to push the wrong button, for Inuyasha was up again in an instant. "Don't talk to her. Don't fucking look at her. What do you know about any of it? Did you ever see her here, so happy with people that weren't you? Did you ever watch her study so hard for a test that she couldn't stay awake any longer, only to return the next day ready to fight demons that could kill her instantly?"
"I WOULD have, if I had known!"
"Listen, you-"
"SHUT UP!"
The two men whirled to look down at Kagome as she screamed at them. Jumping to her feet much like Kouga had, she felt her fists clench at her side, her eyes squeezed shut as tears flooded them. Why was it that she always seemed to cry so easily around them? "Just, shut up! What do either of you know? You live for hundreds of years, watching generations go by, knowing that you'll see the future, and you don't even care! What do you know about my life? Nothing!" And with that she fled from the room, leaving the men standing there wide-eyed, furiously wiping at her tears as she went until she was safely back in her room, sobbing uncontrollably.
Why did they always have to make it a chore? Why could it not just be a happy moment, to see each other again? There were always the fights and the hatred and the accusations, but rare were the times when they could all simply be happy, then or now. Why did it have to be so difficult?
Throwing herself upon her bed, Kagome could not help but cry.
"'Kagome-oba-san?" At the sound of the little voice, Kagome looked up, startled, to see Aya standing uncertainly just inside her doorway. She had not even heard the hanyou enter. Quickly wiping away her tears, she sat up to look over at her, a slow, small smile creeping painfully over her lips. She was sure it looked more like a grimace than a greeting.
"Yes, Aya-chan?"
Daring to step further inside, the raven-haired child eyed Kagome carefully. "Are you angry with Ji-chan and Kouga-sama?" Wide golden eyes looked up at the miko curiously, and Kagome could not help but laugh gently, forgetting her tears before crawling to the edge of the bed and grabbing the little girl up in her arms lovingly.
"A little, yes." Aya nodded quietly, seeming to process this gentle admission and making herself comfortable all at once.
"But… You still like them, right?" Frowning lightly, Kagome sighed grudgingly.
"I do."
"A whole lot?" She was caught up in that bright, amber stare, and looked swiftly away when she found that she was not thinking so much of them as Aya's eyes.
"More than you could know."
She could feel the little hanyou shift in her lap, glancing down to watch as the talkative child began to play with the fabric of her shirt, obviously aware she was on sensitive grounds. "Even Ji-chan?"
"…Especially Inuyasha…"
They were interrupted then by a loud knock on the door, causing Kagome to jump involuntarily. Aya seemed unphased, almost expectant, and stayed perched expertly on her lap as the door opened, unbidden.
"Oi, runt, go to bed." It was Kouga, of all people, glaring in aggravation at the two girls. Kagome could see the deep set of his forehead, the way his eyes were narrowed as though on a hunt. He was intent on questioning her tonight, of that she was sure, though how he might have disposed of Inuyasha she could only guess.
Aya pouted defiantly from across the room, making those deep blue eyes narrow further. Nervously, Kagome set the stubborn child on her feet and held her lightly at the arms. "Aya-chan, would you do me a favor and go say goodnight to Inuyasha for the both of us? I think he would like to see you very much, and I would appreciate it." The look the hanyou shot her way was enough to tell Kagome that the wise little girl did not buy her excuse for a second, but she obediently nodded and abruptly, wordlessly, ran from the room with only a few stolen glances behind. Once gone, Kouga firmly shut the door behind her.
"I see you haven't lost your touch," he said quietly, eyes boring into her. She felt awkward beneath his gaze, scrutinized to a note, but at the same time she realized that he was not looking at her any differently than he ever had. If anything, it was Inuyasha who was now being seen in a new light. So much had already happened within one day…
"Miroku always said I charmed like the devil." She offered a smile to the wolf, but it quickly died on her lips when it was not returned. Tentatively, she tried again, "Kouga…"
"All this time and you were right here under my nose. I never knew." He was frowning as he spoke, directing his words more towards himself than towards her. He seemed to be mulling over this new piece of information, and began to pace around the room as he did so. Kagome, for her part, sank slowly onto her bed, watching the wolf warily as he went. Suddenly, he stopped, watching her with a dead stare. "That day, I knew you were leaving, but I didn't think that it meant… this long. I figured maybe a year or two, until all the youkai forgot about the jewel and about you, but then when you left, you said those words, and I realized that wasn't the case.
"And that bastard would never tell me what happened to you, no matter how much I asked him. I don't know how many times I threw myself down that well only to land on the dirt," he scoffed angrily, suddenly dropping to the floor of the bedroom like a stone, cross-legged and thoughtful as he looked up at her. "He knew you were here all along, didn't he?" She nodded mutely. "Figures… The mutt always was a greedy fuck."
Unable to think of a response, they sat there simply staring at each other, brown clashing with deep, vibrant blue. Kagome could tell, just by looking and listening to him that Kouga had changed much like Inuyasha had. There was something calmer about him now- something more controlled and deadlier all at once. She was already beginning to see how Inuyasha's life had warped, but how was Kouga surviving in this new era?
Looking him over, she realized for the first moment that the wolf was wearing modern clothes: jeans and a t-shirt. Unlike the Inu brothers, Kouga wore no glamour to conceal his youkai features, but instead looked like an every day street punk, bandana and all, with the manipulated features that often accompanied gang members such as the cat-pupiled eyes and point ears. Kagome was forced to laugh to herself- a gesture that came out as a strangled giggle that curled her lips. Kouga blinked in surprise.
"What?"
She shook her head, but only laughed more, louder and clearer this time, grinning at him from behind her hand. "I just never thought I'd see you look like that." He blinked again.
"Like what?"
"Like someone who was going to rob me in a dark alley." His expression was enough to throw her into full-blown laughter and she curled up into a ball upon the bed, gripping her stomach as it shook. Kouga, for his part, sat watching her with an amused and slightly annoyed expression.
"A robber, huh?" She could only nod and watch as his amusement turned to a mischievous smirk. Leaning forward onto her hands and knees, he crouched low on the ground, bare feet up furling from their crossed position in order to grip the carpet. "I think I could manage that." Her eyes widened.
Uh oh…
With a shriek and a movement faster than she realized herself capable of, Kagome bolted upwards and off the bed just as the wolf pounced after her. Continuing to screech as intervals she rounded the bed and groped for the door, flinging it wide before flying out into the hallway, Kouga hot at her heels. They ran like that through the hallways, a brilliant game of cat and mouse that cause adrenaline to pump in both sets of veins.
Of course, she was well aware that Kouga could have easily caught up with her. She had seen the youkai lord outrun more than his share of demons much faster than she could ever be, but it was the point that they were enjoying themselves just for a moment.
Glancing over her shoulder, Kagome could see the raven-haired youkai closing the gap between them, a wide grin stretching across his lips and revealing pearly fangs. At that moment she was very glad that she had never been real prey for the wolf demon, and frantically threw herself around a corner into a new hall, only to slam face-first into something sturdy and rather hard, coming to an abrupt, jarring halt. Kouga, only a few steps behind, also came to a sudden stop, the grin gone and forgotten for something far more serious.
She could feel the clawed fingers on her arms before she had regained her thoughts and quickly looked up to find Inuyasha staring over at Kouga, holding her gently against him. His expression was indecipherable.
"The runt told me you went to talk to Kagome." He was not speaking to her.
"I did."
"Settle things?"
"In a way. You still owe my five hundred years of explanations, mutt."
"Keh…"
Inuyasha seemed thoughtful as he glanced down at her then, still directing his words towards Kouga even as he gazed into her eyes.
"Go home. Ayame will come looking for you if you don't, and I don't want to have to deal with your brats. The two here are more than enough." Kagome smiled lightly up at him, then, suddenly…
"Kouga-kun, you have children?" Blinking and pulling away from Inuyasha, she eyed the wolf in surprise. Kouga, on the other hand, grinned proudly and puffed out his chest.
"Yup. The finest there are. You should come visit, Kagome, they'd love you! Ayame wouldn't mind ya too much, either." Stunned, she could only nod dumbly in response, and Kouga redirected his attention back to the hanyou before him. "I'll be back tomorrow. I won't stop coming until you give me a good reason for all of this. Be thankful Kagome was here when I arrived." It was not so much a threat as a friendly joke. Kagome was stunned, and the wolf, still grinning, brushed past them both on his way to the door.
What was going on here? Had she gone insane?
She definitely had some questions of her own that needed to be answered.
"Kagome, we need to talk." Glancing up at Inuyasha, she nodded her agreement.
It was the understatement of the century.
AN: I know, I know. Flog me if you must. I haven't updated in a long while and I'm really sorry! I can't really give you a good excuse except for school, sickness, writer's block, and life. That's how it goes, folks, but here's chapter 7, even if it's a little overdue. Thanks for being so patient, everyone!
-Sar
Oh, for everyone who's been asking about the japanese, a few translations:
Osuwari: Literally the command "Sit" for a dog. It's different than telling a person to sit down.
Otouji/Oji/Ji-chan: A father's younger brother/Uncle.
-Sama: An honorific on the end of a name that suggests a person of power or lordship.
-San: An honorific that is used for acquaintances, elders, and really just anyone who isn't socially close to the speaker. It is polite to address a stranger with the –san honorific, though the level of formality differs depending on the adjectival or person that it is attached to. (Such as Higurashi-san as compared to Kagome-san. Higurashi-san is more formal because it's Kagome's last name.)
-Chan: An honorific used for close female friends and younger acquaintances. You can use it for boys, but it's not something that should be really used in such a case unless it's a child (such as Kagome being able to refer to Shippou as Shippou-chan, and she continues to do so because that's how she knows him).
Chichiue/Otousan- Father.
Onii-san-chan: Older/Younger Brother. This can also be used in reference to an older male who is close to the family.
Onee-san-chan: Older/Young Sister. Same rules apply as with brother.
Inu: Dog.
Inuyoukai: Dog demon
Taiyoukai: Demon Lord
Inuki: Puppy
Miko: Priestess