Chapter 5: Challenges
"Are you sure you want to do this, Kagome?" Mom asked.
Kagome was standing in front of the well, with her mom behind her.
"No, but I won't feel any better until I see him again." Kagome said.
"Ok. Be careful." Mom said.
"I will." Kagome said, and didn't waste anymore time.
She took a deep breath, and slipped herself into the well.
The fall was about as long as the previous one, and she landed.
Kagome climbed out of the well, the familiar field and trees.
Now which way should she go?
Kagome closed her eyes, and took in the calm breeze that blew towards her.
Nothing...Nothing...
A vision suddenly flashed in Kagome's mind.
The kiss that they shared.
Kagome then opened her eyes, breaking off the vision.
She found his scent.
Kagome began walking towards the depths of the forest.
When she was about ten miles into the forest, a shadow appeared at the corner of her eye.
"Hmm?" Kaome stopped, facing the direction of the shadow, seeing someone standing calmly a couple yards away.
The two pair of red eyes glew in the shadows of where he stood.
"uh...Who's there?" Kaome asked shakilly.
'You're in a world full of demons, Kagome, remember that.' She told herself.
"Kagome!" InuYasha's voice called from her far left.
She let out a small breath of relief.
"What's wrong?" InuYasha asked, noticing her fear.
"There." Kagome returned her sights to the red eyes, that were still in its place.
After a few moments, InuYasha spoke.
"What are you doing here Sesshomaru?"
"I could ask this female the same question." The red eyes dimmed, and a figure emerged from the shadows.
'Another dog demon?' Kagome thought as she silently picked up his scent.
He had golden eyes just like InuYasha.
"You carry the stench of half-demon blood. What is your name?" Sesshomaru asked.
"Kagome." She answered simply, unafraid of his cold glare.
Sesshomaru took a few steps forward, and stopped.
"You do not belong here." He said.
Kagome frowned, "Excuse me, I don't want to hear other people tell me where I do and don't belong!"
Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed, "You have a lot of nerve, for a half-breed."
"That's all I hear around here! Half-breed, half-breed, half-breed! I hate it!" Kagome said.
"Sesshomaru, get whatever you've come for, and et the hell out of here!" InuYasha said.
"As you wish, little brother. I wish to test the new half-breed." Sesshomaru said.
"Like hell you..."
"Challenge accepted!" Kagome cut off InuYasha.
"Kagome! You said so yourself, you weren't much of a fighter, what are you doing? He'll kill you in a split second!" InuYasha warned.
"I have a few moves in mind." Kagome said, and faced Sesshomaru.
"Go easy on here. Sesshomaru." InuYasha said.
"You wish." Sesshomaru said plainly, and lunged at Kagome.
She stood in place, waiting for him to get close enough, and when he was, Kagome lifted her nails, that she had not trimmed since the day before.
Sadly, her move didn't go as planned.
As she began to scratch at him, his hand tightly restricted around her wrist, and began to glow green.
Kagome screamed.
Her wrist felt like it was burning with a bunch of needles.
She dropped to her knees, trying to get her arm free.
After a few seconds, Sesshomaru released her.
Kagome's wrist was bright red, thanks to her extra demon blood, other wise, she would have probably been killed.
"You are almost nothing more than human. I wonder how you even survive out here." Sesshomaru said.
Kagome remained on her knees, she didn't have what it took to take him.
"That's enough, Sesshomaru, let her be." InuYasha said, and Kagome could feel him standing close behind her.
Kaome heard Sesshomaru turn from her, and leave.
"If I am to confront you again, I will kill you." Sesshomaru said, and then he was gone.
InuYasha knelt next to Kagome, "You ok?"
"Sesshomaru's right, I am weak." Kagome said, staring at her still red wrist.
"No you're not." InuYasha laid his hand on hers, "You're just inexperienced."
"Which makes me weak. I wouldn't be alive today if I lived here." Kagome said.
"Well, maybe you can learn." InuYasha said.
"What?" Kagome looked at him.
"yeah, I could teach you some tactics." InuYasha said.
"Really? You'd do that?" Kagome asked.
"Sure. It won't be a problem." InuYasha said.
"Thanks." Kagome smiled.
InuYasha leaned forward and kissed her, "Now." He said, when he pulled back, "Why'd you come back?"
"Because, I told you I would." Kagome said.
"No. You said you'd think about it." InuYasha said.
Kagome sighed, "Ok, you want the truth?"
"Truth would be nice."
"Ok," Kagome took another deep breath, "I think...I think I have some sort of connection with you. Every second I was gone, I felt empty, and lost, I missed you...Too much."
"Really? I've been feeling the exact same way." InuYasha said.
"Really? " Kagome asked surprised.
"I couldn't stop thinking about you. I thought you had forgotten about me." He said.
"I couldn't, even if I tried." Kagome said.
"So, you came back to see me?" InuYasha asked, as he stood, taking her hand to help her up.
"Well, yes, you're the only one I know and trust around here." Kagome said.
InuYasha smiled, "Follow me."
Kagome gave a confused look, but followed him.
"Are you taking me back to the village?" Kagome asked, sounding a little annoyed, she really just wanted to spend time with him.
"Ha, no." Inuyasha said, and shortly stopped. "Watch this."
Kagome watched as InuYasha leapt high in the air, and landed on one of the branches of a tree.
"You ever done this before?" InuYasha asked.
"No." Kagome said.
"Well then, this is lesson #1." InuYasha said.
"How do you do that?" Kagome asked, he was pretty high up, not even the tallest human could try to jump and reach it.
"It's all inside of you Kagome." InuYasha said.
Kagome took a deep breath, and she felt her leg muscles tense as she prepared to jump.
One...Two...Three!
Kagome leapt off the ground, and rather than coming down after a couple seconds, like she expected, she was raising higher and higher.
The branch was almost in her reach.
Then, her energy ran out, and she began to go down again.
Panicked, knowing she would hurt something falling this far up, Kaogme managed to grab the branch.
Her arm hurt, but she held on.
"InuYasha!" She cried worriedly, as her grip loosened a little.
"I got you." He knelt down, and grabbed her wrist. (Her good one.)
He pulled her up until she was standing on the branch, and still held her in case she lost balance.
"You ok?" He asked.
"Yeah." She was trembling a little, and was pretty sure InuYasha felt it.
"That was pretty good for your first try." InuYasha complimented.
"Are you kidding? I didn't jump high enough." Kagome said.
"Well, I don't expect you to get things right the first time." InuYasha said.
Kagome remained quiet.
"We don't have to do this if you don't want to." Inuyasha said.
"No, I do. You said so yourself, I have to learn to accept it." Kagome said.
InuYasha nodded, "Ok, that branch over there is closer than any of the others, try to jump to it."
Kagome nodded, "Wait, what if I fall, or lose my balance?"
"Then I'll catch you. I'll go first if it makes you feel better." InuYasha said.
"Please." Kagome said.
"Ok." Inuyasha said, and Kagome watched as he glided over to the next branch on the other tree.
"Ok, whenever you're ready." InuYasha said.
'He makes it look so easy. Come on Kagome, you can do it.'
Kagome took a deep breath, and she leapt.
This felt better than jumping up.
Soon, her feet gracefully landed on the brach Inuyasha stood at.
She took a deep sigh of relief, "I did it!"
"Good job, Kagome. Ready to take it to the next step?" InuYasha asked.
"I think so." Kagome said.
"Ok, but you have to keep up!" InuYasha said, and he took off in a blur.
Kagome watched, mouth-agape, as she saw InuYasha already past five tree branches.
"You have got to be kidding me." Kagome said, and she looked down, surprised at how high up she was.
"Ok. I can do this. I can do this." Kagome repeated to herself, and she leapt to the next tree branch.
She felt more confident after about three limbs, and smiled.
"Ready or not, here I come!" Kagome said, and she easily leapt the branches like stepping stones.
Kagome could see InuYasha getting closer and closer to her view.
"Hi, Yasha." Kagome said as she now leapt by his side, which surprised him.
"Not bad, now how do you plan to get down?" InuYasha asked, and when he said down, he jumped halfway to the next branch, but ended up stopping short and dropped down.
Kagome landed on the next branch, and stopped, turning worriedly, thinking he had missed the branch.
"Come on." InuYasha said, who was standing calmly on the ground.
Kagome swallowed, "How?"
"Just jump off, silly." InuYasha said.
"What?!" Kagome gasped.
"Come on, I'll catch you." He said.
"Oh sure." Kagome said sarcastically, but gulped again, before jumping off the branch, and she felt herself fall.
Before her feet touched the ground, she felt two hands on the sides of her waist, and she was lowered slowly to the ground.
"Told you I would catch you." InuYasha said.
Kagome remained quiet as she stared into his soft golden eyes.
"You learn quickly." He said.
"Thank you." Kagome said.
InuYasha's hands, that were still at her waist, moved to rest agaist Kagome's back.
With a light push, she was now touching his body.
"InuYasha. I need to tell you something." Kagome said breathlessly.
"Yes?"
"This connection I have with you...I think...I think you are..."
"MY mate." He whispered, and his lips met hers.
Kagome felt her chest flutter, she wasn't sure if those words were his own or if he was finishing her sentence.
It didn't matter, they both understood the same thing, and she was happy and relieved to be in his arms again.
She missed him, she missed his lips, she missed his body, she missed all of him.
Slowly, Kagome pulled him closer to her, until he was pressed tightly against her.
InuYasha deepened their kiss, his hands running up and down Kagome's back.
Kagome suddenly felt this urge to feel of his ears.
So, she did.
She slid her hands through his hair, and gently massaged the back of his ears.
InuYasha moaned her name, kissing her again.
After a long, magical, wonderful, moment, InuYasha was the one to pull back.
It was then, that Kagome realized how much she had to breathe.
"I don't kow if you know this or not, but... Will you be my mate?" InuYasha asked.
Kagome's eyes lightened, "Yes. As long as you will be my mate."
"I wouldn't think twice, yes." Inuyasha said.
Kagome smiled.
They noticed the sun begin to set. "Well, I'd better get home now."
InuYasha immediately felt saddened.
"Can't you stay here tonight?" He almost begged.
"As much as I would love to. I can't. I've got things to do." Kagome said.
"Will you come back tomorrow?" InuYasha asked.
"Maybe..."
"Not maybe. I want to be sure you will or won't be." InuYasha said.
"Ok, if you want a positive day, in my era, it's Wednesday. I'll come back to see you on Saturday. That's in 3 days. I don't have anything to do that day.
InuYasha still looked sad, "That's too long."
"I'm sorry. I promise I..."
InuYasha stopped her with a short kiss.
"I'll be waiting for you until then." He said.
Kagome almost felt heartbroken when she walked away from him.
It began tot get dark, and Kagome still hadn't found the well.
She began having the feeling someone was following her, and it wasn't InuYasha.
"hmm, what are you doin out here all alone."
A/N: Hmm, who could that be?
Leave some reviews, please! It will take a little while to update again, I'll get back to writing it when I get some well rest.
Anyway, hope you enjoy.
~Wolflover235