Thank you for your wonderful reviews! They are greatly appreciated! Here is your second chapter! Next weekend I'll post the third one.
The Eternal Bond, Trust ch2
The day had slowly given away to night and as the traveling group nestled down into their sleeping bags further to stray away any of the coldness that came from the spring nights, a lone hanyou sat up in the boughs of a nearby tree, his face thoughtful.
Has it really been three years? He asked himself. It had seemed so short to him, after all the long, black and white years he had spent alone, these past few had flown by in a whirl of colors. But one vital object separated these two times by oceans. Kagome.
Before Kagome, when I was with Kikyo, I tasted my first glimpse at happiness. But what I had with Kikyo seems incomparable to how alive I am with Kagome.
His mind focused on his deceased lover, and a twinge of sadness poked through him. Kikyo was gone to him; Kikyo had been gone to him since the day she shot him to the sacred tree. The only reason he visited her now was he felt it his obligation to see to her safety, knowing that he was partly to blame for her being dead.
But, he didn't love Kikyo.
Inuyasha cared about her, and would always protect her, but he would never be able to overcome the complete lack of trust they held in another. No matter how many times she proclaimed she loved him that would never change.
The flames crackled below, snapping Inuyasha out of his reverie. Scanning the campsite for any signs or threat of danger, then the air as he tentatively sniffed it, Inuyasha found none. A sigh escaped his mouth, and his head lowered in exhaustion, allowing himself the peace of rest with the knowledge that Kagome was safe, at least for tonight.
Too bad he hadn't listened for any footsteps, because if he had he would've immediately heard the light, barely existent ones approaching upwind from him.
Kagura slid behind a tree, hiding from view in case the nuisance Inuyasha was watching. She glanced unsurely up to the branch she was sure he was in and smiled smugly when she found him to be asleep.
Don't worry, Inuyasha, she thought snidely, at least this time I do not come to take her life…
At this thought her gaze flicked to the girl, almost woman slumbering before her, her back turned to the wind witch. Kagura reminisced about the orders Naraku had assigned to her.
"Send Kagura in," Naraku had hissed to the silent Kanna, who merely nodded her head in acquiescence and disappeared behind the curtain, soon emerging with a highly uncomfortable Kagura.
"What is it this time, Naraku?" Kagura asked impatiently, and Naraku frowned slightly. "Watch your tongue, witch, I will not deal with your insolence for much longer."
Kagura fidgeted, not sure if he was planning on killing her now or later. Naraku smirked at her uncertainty and sneered, "No, Kagura, I will allow you to live… for the moment. But, you must spy on Kagome for me."
Spreading her fan open, Kagura questioningly eyed Naraku, but turned to leave instantly, not wanting to continue to be in Naraku's presence. Just his aura alone sickened her to no end.
"You are curious as to why Kagome." Naraku made it more of a statement than a question, and Kagura mentally shivered at the satisfaction in is voice. She stopped mid-step, but did not turn around.
"I am going to make Inuyasha suffer once more."
The glee he put into that promise frightened Kagura, but she hastily retreated from the room and, judging by Naraku's dark laugh, he had noticed her fear.
Kagura shivered from the mere memory of his evil, vile voice. She took one last, sympathizing glance at Kagome and Inuyasha, mentally wishing them luck from whatever Naraku had in plan. Then, whipping a feather out of her hair and throwing it on the ground, she lifted into the sky and took off.
The fire popped, sending an ember flying onto Kagome's hand. She awoke to the burning feeling and groggily stared down at the orange ash before fully registering that her hand was burning.
"Ow!" she squeaked and brushed it off, leaving a red mark in its trail. Kagome lifted her hand to her mouth and waited until the spot only throbbed before yawning and stretching. The sky was barely lightening; it had to be around dusk. The trees blocked off any hope of her watching the sun rise and she sighed, comprehending she was way too awake to try and sleep some more.
Standing up, Kagome stretched even more lethargically and dutifully rolled up her sleeping bag and stuffed it into her over filled backpack. Like this bag can hold much more… heck, I probably can't even fit a pencil in this thing.
Picking up the sounds of rushing water nearby, Kagome started to head to the source, hoping to maybe splash some water on her face.
She didn't get two steps toward the forest before a voice stopped her. "Oi, just where do you think you're going, wench?"
Tensing at the sudden question but then relaxing once more as she instantly recognized Inuyasha's deep voice, Kagome looked up into the trees, hoping for a glimpse of the dog demon. "Where are you?"
She caught a blur of red to the side of her and turned to him, smiling if not slightly startled. "Oh… good morning Inuyasha." Inuyasha assessed her for a lengthening second, and then grunted in response. He had woken to her indignant squeak of pain and had been fully prepared to jump down and kill the bastard who was harming her… until he saw her flick off the still hot ember from her hand.
He'd be damned if he ever got any sleep around her, with him rising to every sound or stirring she made. Stupid, oblivious, girl.
Kagome flashed Inuyasha another unsteady smile and continued to walk in the earlier direction she had been going for. "You never answered my question wench…" he growled threateningly.
"To the stream. Don't worry, I'll be back."
Inuyasha shoved his hands roughly into his sleeves, blushing lightly. "Keh. Did I say I would worry?"
Kagome wanted to stick her tongue out in frustration at the uncooperative dog demon, but couldn't help the small self pity that she allowed herself. Maybe he really didn't care what happened to her-.
"But you still better come back in one piece, ya hear?" he added at the end. Kagome's features softened and she flushed at Inuyasha's unspoken concern. It didn't make a difference if some people told her to beware, that Inuyasha was a cold blooded animal. He would always be her gentle hanyou in her heart.
He watched her go in silence, aware of the rousing companions behind him. Turning to them only after Kagome was no longer in sight, he plopped down and started up a new fire over the dead ashes of last night's one, keeping an ear trained on Kagome's whereabouts at all times.
Sango was the first to make her way over to the flames, and her demeanor was polite, if not a little sleepy. "Inuyasha," she asked curiously, "where is Kagome?"
"At the river," he answered distractedly, and poked a stick into the growing fire.
She nodded her head in acceptance and folded up the thin sheet she slept on, wrapping it in her small pouch she carried with her always.
Miroku chose that time to stiffly sit up in his bedding and yawn, the prayer beads over his right hand rustling quietly as he raised his arms over his head in a stretch.
"Hey, lecher, finally awake?" Inuyasha asked, standing up and observing the waking monk. Miroku made no reply, just grinned at him and stood up, walking over to Sango, who sent him a dangerous glare.
"Not too close, Miroku…" she warned and he lifted his hands up in fake innocence.
"Why Sango! I was not even thinking of those things!" Miroku protested, and picked his staff up from the ground.
Sango eyed him warily, scootching away from him. "Sure you weren't," was all she said, but it was enough to make Miroku go over and sit by the fire instead of rubbing her rear.
Bored by this all too familiar scene that had nothing to do with him, Inuyasha excused himself, "If you two don't mind, I'm gonna go catch us some breakfast."
Miroku beamed at the idea of food. "Excellent suggestion, Inuyasha! What is on the menu today?"
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "Fish." With that final statement he walked to the river, figuring he might as well watch over Kagome while fishing since it would drive him insane to be in constant worry over her.
Kagome dove into the water again, and burst up to breathe. It felt wonderful to swim, especially in her good mood. Inuyasha's words repeated themselves over in her head, causing a small, secretive smile to stay on her lips the whole time.
She recorded every nice thing he ever said to her, knowing that those times were rare indeed, and cherishing each one dearly.
Glancing at her discarded clothes on the shore, Kagome wondered if she should return to camp. Surely everyone would be awake by now. But as she pondered in the middle of the rushing water, Kagome felt a light mist from the water hit her face in the wind and made her decision.
She could get out in a little while.
So wrapped up in the enjoyment of the cool water was Kagome, that she didn't notice the figure striding out of the trees, nor when his eyes riveted to her as if by some invisible magnet. Nor did she hear his breath catch in his throat from the beauty before him.
Inuyasha leapt behind a tree before Kagome had time to spot him. He knew if she had seen him, she would've sat him into a crater for peeping on her.
His teeth ground together. Well, it ain't exactly peeping… I mean for god's sake she didn't say she was going to bathe.
The image of her body standing before him, bare and without clothes to hide her gorgeous curves, made him bite down on his lip to keep from whimpering. He had known he was aware of her… but not to this extent.
Damn, she was going to drive him mad!
The sound of wet footsteps coming towards him caused him to freeze. Kagome was heading towards him, apparently done with her swim, and would find him here, in perfect view of the stream she was just in.
Holy shit…
Throwing caution to the wind, Inuyasha jumped into a branch above the path Kagome was coming down and prayed that for once she wouldn't notice him. He watched as she walked closer and closer to his hiding spot, droplets of water still dripping from her soaked clothes.
A twig snapped below him as, one branch below, a squirrel crawled up the tree. Inuyasha felt like ripping the squirrel apart. Damn you, you fucking rodent, he cursed mentally.
Kagome tensed up, panickingly searching the trees. "W-who's there?"
You're in for it now… he told himself, but knew that Kagome wouldn't give up unless she was absolutely certain there was no one around. So, hoping his dent in the ground wouldn't be deeper than four feet, Inuyasha swung off the bough and onto the spot in front of Kagome.
Breathing deeply as Kagome realized it was just Inuyasha; she placed a hand over her rapidly beating heart. "My god, Inuyasha, please tell me when you're going to sneak up on me!"
"Keh. Then it wouldn't be sneaking."
She managed a reluctant smile before giggling. "I suppose you're right…"
"Of course I'm right, wench," was his arrogant remark, an answering smile on his mouth too. He thoroughly relished their playful bantering, and the fact that Kagome had overlooked the fact that he was way too close to the river.
Shaking her head at his comment, Kagome teased, "Egotistical male."
He quickly shot one back to her. "Feh. Sanctimonious females."
Here Kagome crossed her arms crossly over her chest. "Hey! I'm definitely not sanctimonious!"
Inuyasha shrugged, the playful look still in his expression. But a wind blew by the couple, making Kagome shiver violently in her drenched clothes. Inuyasha, a frown firmly on his mouth, quickly stripped himself of his outer haori and laid it on Kagome's shoulders.
Kagome clutched the haori close to her body and warmly smiled at Inuyasha, who froze at the emotion he saw in those beautiful brown eyes of hers. But before he could place the unnamed emotion, Kagome dragged her gaze away from his and said shyly, "Thank you," before resuming her walk back to camp.
Moving to join her, Inuyasha started as he recalled he was supposed to have gone to catch fish. Damn Kagome has a way of distracting me from other things…he thought absently as he raced back towards the stream once again.
Hope you liked it, and I would like to know your ideas! Please send them in!
A/N: I saw the fourth movie, and I don't see the "big problem" that was resolved. Can someone explain?
-kikyohater92-