Stolen True One

Chapter 6. Sad goodbye

Inuyasha looked at Kagome who refused to meet his gaze. His heart ached for her because he knew the truth but there was nothing that he could do now. Only pull her close to him hoping that it would make her feel better at some least.

Kagome's thoughts scattered at Inuyasha's embrace. What was he thinking, doing something like this in front of everyone? And as she asked herself that question, she realized that she did not really care. Releasing all of it, she wrapped her arms around him and laid her head against his chest. Against all the revolt, it felt good. Safe.

"Um, Inuyasha, what are you doing?" Sango asked, confused.

"What does it look like?" hanouy retorted and glared at the new comer. She ignored him completely and turned to Miroku.

"I thought you said that she is going to be gone now," the girl said and pointed to Kagome.

Inuyasha saw red. "She is not going anywhere but with us."

"Inuyasha, Kikyou here is the one. She even has the same name. Come on, and she also has a shard. Does Kagome have one?"

Before Inuyasha could reply, Kagome turned to look at the girl. "I do. The only problem is the only ones who can see are the people who care about me."

"I care," Inuyasha murmured. Kagome shook her head and stepped out of his embrace. Inuyasha shivered involuntarily at her coldness. "Show it to me, please," he tried the last thing and only hoped that it would work.

Sango and Miroku froze as Kagome raised her shirt slowly and stopped just a centimeter above her belly button. Inuyasha saw a purple flash, and there it was. The same purple shard all of them had on their left shoulders. He smiled at Kagome who had tears in her eyes. He had seen it, she knew. And it made her seriously happy.

"I …don't see anything," Sango said, and Miroku nodded. Kikyou just shook her head and returned to inspecting her nails.

Inuyasha let out an irritated breath. How could they not see it?

Kagome placed a gentle hand on his bicep. Turning, Inuyasha faced her smile. "That's all right, Inuyasha. I want to go home to my family anyways."

"But, Kagome…"

Kagome interrupted him by placing a finger on his lips. Such a small gesture but it almost made him cry if he was a man who cried.

"It's for the best."

And without another word, she returned to the stairs and followed them to her room. Closing the door, she went to the closet and took out her sports bag and started to pack.

"Inuyasha, be reasonable, please," Sango pleaded as hanouy moved around the kitchen like a tornado, bumping into absolutely everything and knocking it down. When Miroku tried to stop him, he was thrown away. This lesson he learned: Never stand in the way of an angry demon.

"I do not want to be reasonable!" Inuyasha shouted and almost knocked Sango out of her chair. He realized that he almost hurt his friend and caught her before she fell. Sango stared at him in confusion.

"Are you in love with her?" came a question in no more than a whisper.

Inuyasha faced the window. Yes, he was. Kagome woke something in him, something that he thought he lost. The feeling that he felt when he first fell in love returned, only this time it was stronger and the connection was more powerful. There was no Nakago to put the distance of betrayal upon them. The object that stood between them was the shard that only he of all them could see.

He remembered how Kagome cried one night when she had a nightmare. He woke up in the middle of that night, aggravated, and wanted to strangle her for that violent shriek she gave out…But when he entered her room, all of that disappeared as she ran to him and pulled him close, whispering, "Oh, thank God…" She would not explain what had happened: only that she had a terrible nightmare but everything was fine.

Now he knew what she had been dreaming about. He understood, and it touched him. She cared. She felt…maybe even loved.

No, there was no maybe.

Only love.

He nodded.

Sango sighed. "What are you going to do?"

"Nothing."

"What do you mean, nothing?! If she is the one, we have to take her with us," Miroku said, trying to reason and instantly hiding behind Sango who would have laughed if the situation they were discussing was not serious.

"She does not want to go. She made it perfectly clear before she walked out of the kitchen."

"Well, can you talk to her?" Sango asked, hoping that Kagome would change her mind. She had a suspicion that Kikyou just had a shard tattoo. "Maybe she will reconsider."

Think about others before oneself, Inuyasha thought, and shook his head. "Sorry. Besides, you have already found the other one. Maybe we were just mistaken about Kagome."

"But, you saw the shard…"

"And you did not. The shard is not the point. I cannot make her do something against her will."

"Well, free will sucks," Miroku said and sighed. Sango rolled her eyes.

"And emotions do not have brains," Inuyasha said under his breath. Then, he raised his voice so others could hear him. "Can I still ask her if she wants to go to the festival?"

"Um…I think you should turn around and that will answer you."

Confused, Inuyasha turned in the direction of the stairs and his jaw dropped. Kagome stood at the bottom of the stairs, her face flushed. She was wearing blue yokata that matched her features perfectly. Inuyasha looked into her glistering brown eyes and saw her approval. Smiling, he excused himself and retreated to his bedroom, passing Kagome on the way and brushing his hand against hers. She did not move but the smile on her face became gentler.

Sango and Miroku coughed and left the kitchen through another path of stairs. Sango whispered in Miroku's ear who nodded and Kagome watched as they made their way towards the room in the basement where Kikyou was. She did not say anything as she went to the kitchen and sat down, waiting patiently.

Inuyasha descended from the stairs quickly and looked at Kagome. She walked out of the kitchen without a word. Inuyasha headed towards her as she exited from the house and stopped. He bumped into her and as Kagome turned, he noticed tears in her eyes.

"I can't leave you," she whispered, ignoring the tears that were now going down her face. Inuyasha froze at her words and his heart stopped.

"Is it…why you … why you wanted to go?" he asked and Kagome nodded solemnly. Refusing to believe their misfortune, Inuyasha took her hand in his and lead her away from the house, towards the park where they could be alone. In the midst of the crowd where no one could see them and interrupt their farewell…

Kagome pulled closer to him as their walked. Without realizing what she was doing, she wrapped her arm around Inuyasha's waist and held on to it. The fear of parting from him was so great as she clang to him, praying that no matter what they will meet again one day.

And she was not the only one with that thought on the mind.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha called, his voice breaking. They stopped in front of a cart and Kagome stared at it absent-mindedly. She stopped a necklace made of the beads and what seemed to be fangs, and looked at the seller.

"How much?" she asked, pointing at the piece of her interest.

"200 yen, please," the seller replied. Kagome was baffled by the cheap price at first but then took out her wallet and paid.

"Kagome, what are-" Inuyasha started to ask but the question died as Kagome put the necklace around his neck, and smiled.

"I want you to have it," she whispered, her gaze never leaving his as Inuyasha lowered his head close to hers. Around them, the motion seemed to stop. The people froze, expecting something, eyes turned toward the couple so deeply in love. A lonely cat passed by, the only one not frozen and meowed, encouraging them. The wind changed its path and flew towards them, gently pushing them towards each other.

Inuyasha and Kagome touched each other lips…

"Kagome!"

The chain was broken, and the world continued to move. Kagome withdrew from Inuyasha, who tried his best to hide the disappointment on his face. Turning, he searched for the person who so rudely interrupted them.

"Kagome, oh thank Goodness!"

"Mom?"

The brown-haired woman run towards them and stopped, breathing heavily, as she neared them. She pulled her daughter in the hug, and kissed her in the cheek. Inuyasha saw tears in the woman's eyes, and swallowed.

"How did you find me, Mom?" Kagome asked after her mother finally released you.

"I hired a private detective. I was worried about you, and you never called. Are you all right?" her mother continued to ask, and at the same time she was examining Kagome's body, looking for any bruise, injury, any cruel mark.

"Mom, I am really fine. Stop it, it's embarrassing!"

Inuyasha watched the two. That was her mom. No wonder she wanted to get back home. He could not hold her here against her will or ask her to come with him. He loved her too much.

"Kagome…"

She turned, and so did her mother. The anger flashed in the elder woman's face but before she could attack the hanouy, Kagome pushed her away from him. Confused, her mother had no choice but to watch the action from side.

"I have to go…"

Kagome nodded. Nothing betrayed what she felt as she looked at him. "I know."

Inuyasha touched her cheek with his hand. "Remember, that to me, you'll be forever sacred…"

Kagome closed the door of her room, and stared out of the window. She was home. She should be happy but she wasn't. She missed him more that she would ever admit.

And in Yokohama, Inuyasha said the sacred words and him, Sango, Miroku and Kikyou, disappeared in the purple light. And yet, his heart stayed with her…

Forever stolen one…