InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ After the Storm ❯ Reminiscence... ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 2

 

 

Kagome sat outside later that afternoon, sitting on the roots of the Goshinboku. She was remembering the first time she had ever met Inuyasha…it felt so long ago…

 

The Mudake JÅrÅ was chasing after her, demanding something called the Shikon no Tama. At the time, she had no idea what it was referring to, and all she knew was that it was after her, and her alone. In order to save the villagers, she ran from the village toward what Kaede had called the Forest of Inuyasha, the same forest she had ended up in earlier that day. Once in the forest, she headed to where, earlier that day, she had seen a boy with dog ears sealed to the Sacred Tree. She tripped after an attack from the Mudake JÅrÅ, sprawling face-first in the dirt before the tree.

 

"Hello, Kikyou. Playing with bugs now, are we?"

 

She glanced up, surprised. Did he just…talk? She pushed herself up until she was kneeling before the tree.

 

"So you're alive?" she asked breathlessly.

 

"Why's it taking you so long to kill it? Just do 'er like you did me," he had said scornfully. As he stared, his expression changed slightly.

 

"You look pretty dumb there, Kikyou. The Kikyou I know wouldn't waste her time," he said, more spiteful than ever.

 

"That does it," she said, standing up. "Kikyou, Kikyou," she continued, gesturing wildly with her arms, "whoever she is, she'd NOT me because my name is--"

 

He glanced up, as though sensing something. "She's here," he interrupted.

 

Out of nowhere, the Mudake JÅrÅ appeared and began attacking Kagome, who did her best for a few moments to fend of the attacks. She was picked up and thrown to the side, landing hard on the ground near the tree. Just as the demon reared back for another attack, she stopped and noticed spears and arrows puncturing her side. Kagome, Inuyasha, and the demon all noticed the villagers, doing their best to defeat the demon.

 

So I was saved…she had thought.

 

"You're pathetic, Kikyou," sneered Inuyasha.

 

"I'm not Kikyou!" she snapped, turning to look at him. "Look, I'm telling you, I'm not her! Whoever 'her' is."

 

"And I'm saying you gotta be her, cause if you're not, there's no way that you can smell so…" he paused, and his nose moved slightly as he sniffed the air around her. His eyes widened slightly as he realized, "You're not her."

 

"I know. My name is Kagome. KA-GO-ME!"

 

He glanced to the side. "You're right, Kikyou was cuter. Much cuter."

 

Kagome sighed and lowered her chin into the palm of her hand. Even then, when he believed her to have killed him, his first thoughts had still been for Kikyou. He had always thought of her…

 

She shook her head. She hadn't killed Kikyou yesterday, knowing that Inuyasha would've been beyond despair if she had. She felt so weak and pathetic, so cowardly, for allowing her only rival, who was a corpse anyway, to go free.

 

"Kagome?"

 

She jumped slightly and looked around nervously. Out of the shadows walked Inuyasha, his arms crossed and his expression drawn.

 

"What're you doing out here, alone especially? It's dangerous," he chided almost accusingly.

 

"I had my weapons," she said defensively, indicating her bow and arrows. "I could've managed if a demon had attacked me."

 

He walked over to her and sat beside her, his gaze softening. Her scent was changed again; she was apprehensive and sad.

 

"Are you still thinking about what you had said earlier?" he asked gently. She didn't say anything, which to him was a definite yes. He remained silent as well, unsure of what he should say. When Kagome got into these moods, it was hard to snap her out of them, because she so rarely got into them.

 

"Kagome, about yesterday…"

 

"I didn't kill her, if that's what you were wondering," she said rather coldly.

 

"Huh?"

 

"Huh, indeed. I mean Kikyou. She's still around."

 

"That's not what I was going to say!" he said rather loudly. She blinked and looked at him in surprise. He blushed slightly and lowered his gaze.

 

"I was going to say…don't be so careless next time. You were nearly killed yesterday. I'm not going to let the thing that happened with Mukotsu happen again. If she's going to hurt you, you can finish her off, you know."

 

She stared at him and he scowled, looking agitated. "What? If you've got something to say, say it!"

 

She smiled slightly and looked away. Maybe he didn't mean it, but it was nice to hear him trying to comfort her.

 

"By the way, what was with the shoulder thing when Kohaku's shard came out?" she asked teasingly.

 

His face flushed deeper than his haorihakama and he looked off to the side, trying to hide his embarrassment (and failing miserably, by the way).

 

"If you didn't like it, you could've--"

 

"No, I didn't mind. I just found it odd that you'd do something like that, and in front of the others, too," she explained.

 

He didn't say anything. She laughed softly, then smiled and leaned against him, just as she had in the tree after the incident with the Oni a few weeks ago. After a moment, he relaxed and snaked his arm around her waist, pulling her into the nook of his shoulder, smiling a little himself and closing his eyes. She closed her eyes too, happy just to be with him.

 

But I shouldn't, said that naggy little voice in her head. I can't get any closer to him…it'll just make it that much harder when I have to say good-bye…

 

She opened her eyes slightly, feeling a little sadder.

 

"Kagome, dammit, tell me what you're thinking about," he said suddenly, his eyes still closed.

 

She blinked. "What're you--"

 

"I can smell the sadness and fear pouring off you, Kagome, and I heard your breathing change," he interrupted. "Don't try to deny that. Tell me what's upsetting you so much. You're starting to…you're starting to worry me," he finished quietly, hesitantly.

 

She pulled away from him, and he immediately released her. She stood and stared off into the distance.

 

"Kagome?"

 

"Kouga's coming."

 

He jumped up, his hand on the hilt of the Tessaiga. Sure enough, he could smell the scent of a wolf. A couple seconds later, a small tornado appeared and stopped dead in front of Kagome.

 

"Hey, Kagome, how's it going?" said Kouga smoothly, taking said girl's hands into his own. "That mutt hasn't endangered you again, has he?"

 

Inuyasha jumped and swiped at Kouga, making the youkai-ookami to release Kagome's hands, and he instantly blocked her from Kouga's path.

 

"Do you really think I'm that irresponsible?" snarled the hanyou.

 

"You were once, mutt," replied the demon. "I'm keeping a close eye on her from now on."

 

"Kouga?"

 

Both men looked around at Kagome. She was regarding the wolf demon closely.

 

"Kouga, can I talk to you?" she asked. Glancing at Inuyasha, she added pointedly, "Alone?"

 

"W-what is this?" stuttered Inuyasha furiously. The other two ignored him and walked away together, leaving Inuyasha to stand at the base of the Tree of Ages, trying to figure out just what in hell's name he had done to make her want to go with Kouga…Kouga, of all people! He growled deeply in his throat. Just what was she up to?

 

He leapt into the trees and jumped from branch to branch, landing quietly on one when he could clearly see both of them. He focused his keen hearing on them; now he could spy on them easily.

 

"What is it, Kagome?" asked Kouga. "Are you ready to ditch that mutt at last?"

 

She sighed in exasperation and looked away. "Kouga…I thought you ought to know…Naraku's dead."

 

Whatever he had been expecting, it clearly wasn't that. The youkai widened his eyes in amazement. "Dead? But how?"

 

"We killed him." As proof, she showed him the almost complete Shikon no Tama. "We're collecting the rest…"

 

A look of realization dawned on Kouga's face, and he stared down at Kagome, who couldn't meet his gaze.

 

"I'm sorry, Kouga…but yours are the only two left, and as the guardian of the Jewel…"

 

"I understand," said Kouga, his voice cracking slightly. He looked down at his legs and stooped over, carefully digging the shards out of his legs. He straightened, gazing down at the shards in his hand. Then he closed his fist tightly around them and looked directly at Kagome.

 

"They're not for free, though."

 

Kagome and Inuyasha stiffened simultaneously, and Kagome looked rather uneasy.

 

"What do you want for them?" she asked hesitantly.

 

The wolf smiled rather thinly, his fangs protruding ominously.

 

"A kiss," he said happily.

 

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Author's Notes:

 

Ha ha! Plot twist! Okay well not really, but whatever. Okay I know this is up later than I promised, but I still got it up, right?

By the way, for those of you who left me reviews on ff.net, thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying the story.

Oh yeah, Japanese vocab. Let's see…

 

Goshinboku: Sacred Tree/ Tree of Ages

Mudake JÅrÅ: Mistress Centipede (see episode 1)

Haorihakama: Japanese male formal attire; in this case, Inuyasha's Robe of the Fire Rat

Youkai-ookami: wolf demon

Youkai: demon

Hanyou: half-demon

Shikon no Tama: Sacred Jewel of the Four Souls (yes I know most of you will know these last three, but just in case some people didn't, I included them anyway.)