Disclaimer: Me
Disclaimer: Me? Own Something? Ha, yea right, that will be the day. (I don't own anything except the idea for this story)
BETA: Wolfluv
AN: SUMMER BREAK FINALLY.
Quick reminder: 'Memories'
Thoughts
Kouga/Inuyasha
Ginta/Hakkaku
As the sun arose the next morning, Inuyasha slowly opened his eyes and glanced around to see where he was. There didn't appear to be any danger. He could tell he was still in the wolf den, their scent was very strong. When he tried to move, he felt a weight around his waist. He looked down and saw an arm and then realized that there was another person in the bed with him. He slowly turned his head and tried to make as little movement as possible. There, in the bed next to him, was Kouga. The leader of the wolf pack was sleeping soundly, still in his armor. In that moment, Inuyasha felt an array of emotions; fear, anger, loneliness, desperation, contentment, all of them and none of them at once. He began to panic. Not knowing what to do, he got out of bed, careful not to wake Kouga, and made his way to the door.
"I see you've regained some of your strength," a voice from behind him said.
Inuyasha froze and turned around to see Kouga, now standing next to the bed.
"How are you feeling?" Kouga asked.
Inuyasha was already in a panicked state and all he could think of was to run.
"Inuyasha, wait…"
The Hanyou ran through the caves heading for the entrance. He noticed Ginta and Hakkaku at the entrance with another demon and a wolf. He ran right through them without even a second thought.
"Inuyasha…" Hakkaku said confused.
Ginta spoke to claw and Fang, "Would you two mind waiting before you leave?"
"O-Okay,' was Claw's reply.
Ginta ran off after Inuyasha yelling back, "Hakkaku… check on Kouga!"
"Hakkaku turned to speak to the other two, "Sorry for all the trouble, please help yourselves to anything in the den. You are free to go where you wish." With that, Hakkaku hurried off to find Kouga.
When he ran into the room where Kouga and Inuyasha slept that night, he found Kouga standing in the middle of the room with his head cast down.
"Kouga, are you alright, what happened?"
Kouga stood silent for a moment.
"Kouga…"
"He ran from me," was Kouga's quiet reply.
"Did you do anything or say…"
"I was nothing but nice to him and he ran." He turned and went to sit on the bed again. "What's wrong with me… I'm acting like…"
"You have feelings?" Hakkaku interjected. "Kouga, can I speak to you?"
"Why do you even bother to ask, go ahead."
Ginta took a moment before he began, "Last night Ginta and I were speaking with Claw and he gave us some interesting news. Their scouts have seen the other members of Inuyasha's pack several times since the death of Naraku. At first they all stayed together in the human village. After a while, Inuyasha and the fox boy were pushed out and shunned by the village, and the demon slayer and the monk did nothing to stop it from happening."
"Why would they do that?"
"There's more… the fox boy, Shippo if I remember correctly, eventually left him at some point and that was when their scouts lost track of Inuyasha completely."
"Why are you telling me this?" Kouga asked.
"Well… Ginta and I believe…. We believe that Inuyasha feels abandoned. Right now he may be confused or unwilling to trust anyone."
"So you think that's why he ran?"
"It's possible."
"…yasha…" Kouga whispered out.
+ Elsewhere +
Ginta had finally managed to catch up to Inuyasha, who was now sitting idly in a tree.
"Inuyasha!"
The hanyou ignored the call.
"Inuyasha!"
Still no reply.
"INUYASHA!!"
"WHAT!?"
"It's Ginta, from the wolf pack."
"Keh… I know that, what do you want?"
"To talk, brother."
Inuyasha jumped out of the tree. "This better be good."
"I just wanted to know why you ran away from the den?"
"That's none of your business. I left 'cause I felt like it."
"But brother, you are still not fully recovered."
"I'm strong enough not to need help from a bunch of wolves, and what's with this 'brother' stuff?"
"Well," Ginta began, "Kouga brought you to the den and he… well let's just say, he's the one that took care of you."
Inuyasha chose not to speak. He huffed, turned and walked a few steps away from Ginta.
Ginta began to speak again. "As long as you are with us, you will be a member of the pack and…"
"What if I don't want to be a member of your pack?"
"Well… you'd still be welcome to stay for a while. At least stay 'till you're fully recovered."
"Hn… whatever," Inuyasha muttered as he walked away.
"At least consider it, brother. You wouldn't be alone, even if it were only for a short time."
Inuyasha froze for a moment. Ginta seemed to have hit a soft spot in the hanyou.
"I'll think about it," he said as he continued on his way.
Ginta, satisfied with the response, headed back to the den. When he turned around, Inuyasha was nowhere in sight. He then continued on his way. Please consider the offer.
Inuyasha had returned to the higher branches in the trees. His eyes were filled with tears, but he did not cry. 'You will never be weak. You are the strongest person I know…and I will never allow you to be left alone again.' A single tear fell to the ground as he remembered the words that were whispered to him.
A few minutes later, the scent of a very strong demon came to him.
"I'd better make sure to stay downwind of whatever it is," Inuyasha muttered to himself. As he moved to get out of the path of the demon, the heavy scent of blood was present in the air.
Some fool must have been caught off guard. No sooner had the thought crossed his mind that he realized that Ginta had walked in that direction on his way back to the den.
'As long as you are with us, you will be treated as a member of the pack… At least consider it, 'Brother'… You wouldn't be alone…"
"DAMN IT!" Inuyasha exclaimed as he jumped down from the tree. He then dashed off in the direction that Ginta had been going. When he arrived moments later, the sight before him didn't look to good. There before him was a giant scorpion demon with Ginta being squeezed by one of its pincers.
+ In the Battle +
"You will make a delicious snack, little wolf demon," the scorpion screeched out as it began to squeeze Ginta.
Ginta was doing all that he could to break free until the sickening sound of bones popping could be heard.
"GHAHHH!!" Ginta yelled as his ribs began breaking from the tremendous amount of pressure. Blood began to trickle out the corners of his mouth.
"Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" A voice called out. Not soon after the pincer holding Ginta fell to the ground. Ginta rolled free of the claw but was unable to move. His ribs were broken and his ankle had been twisted in the fall. Inuyasha quickly put himself between Ginta and the scorpion demon.
"If you want to eat him, you just gonna have to go through me first," Inuyasha proclaimed calmly.
"You? Ha… you are but a mere half demon. Your puny efforts are nothing but child's play."
"Heh… Big words coming from a bug that just lost a limb."
"Do you really think that I need that many limbs to defeat a weakling such as yourself?" The demon questioned as it began to attack. As the scorpion charged, Inuyasha realized he didn't have his Tesusaiga.
Great, what a time to be unarmed. Inuyasha thought as he began doing everything he could to counter the demon's attacks.
TBC…..
AN: I know when I read some stories I can't help but want to yell at some people for posting short chapters. So…would you guys let me know if the chapters are long enough or would you like them to be a bit longer. Thanks a lot.