InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Beauty and the Beast ❯ Chapter Five ( Chapter 5 )

A/N: Okay you guys. Two things; First off, I've been looking over my chapters and merciful crap they're short! I hate short chapters. They are the bane of my life. Seriously. So I'm going to make an extreme effort to make my chapters longer and more filled. So bear with me, okay? Secondly, I'm looking for a beta reader. Beta reader must be meticulous, must telling me flat out what sucks...you know, all that jazz. I go through and check for mistakes but since I know what I WANT to be there I tend to skip over things, ya know> So, anyone who wants to beta me, email me. My email is c_and_a_writing@hotmail.com Thanks a bunch, to EVERYONE who reads my fic, reviewer or not! ::glomps::

Disclaimer: Still don't own InuYasha. I'm simply borrowing them for my own entertainment. ::whistles and shuts her closet door where InuYasha is tied to a chair, bound and gagged:: Teehee...I do own this piece of fiction based on the Inu-chan universe which means: You steal, I kill.

InuYasha sat in a tree in the castle gardens, which seemed more of a mini jungle then anything else, staring at the sun, which was riding high in the noontime sky. He was stretched out on a long, thick branch, one leg hanging off, his arms folded under his head. The wind whistled through the dry leaves of red and gold, the branches swaying in the slight wind.

However, InuYasha neither saw nor heard any of this, his mind far off. All his thoughts were either centered on, or came back too, Kagome. Her words, while not meant for him, ran his ears, echoing in his brain as if she was sitting beside him chanting her words repeatedly, an endless choir sent to tease and taunt him with hopes and dreams of what might be.

"I fell in love with him before I knew how to spell my name." InuYasha frowned, flipping onto his stomach, cushioning his head with arms, his feet crossed at the ankles. He had known, and been reminded, constantly, of the fact that Kagome would come to him. While they had not known who she was or where she was, it had been the only hope that burned in the castle that had once been a home full of love and warmth.

But then...then everything had changed, his life was turned upside down, and he had been cursed for simply being born.

Kagome had to be told, he knew that. But how was he to tell her? Tell her that fate and destiny and all that other bullshit (it was bullshit as far as he was concerned and that was that) had brought her there to free him? Hell, he hadn't held a conversation that hadn't involved him threatening to kill someone, or pissing them off royally for that matter, in years. He wasn't even if sure he remembered how to hold a conversation.

That was settled then, he would just have Miroku or Sango tell her. No, Sango. Better not to leave Miroku left alone with Kagome...other was, InuYasha decided with a slight growl, he would be forced to kill Miroku. Slowly.

He had to consider, of course, how Kagome would react. What she would do with the information given to her, how her feelings would change...his whole life rested in the palm of this woman's hand, and he did not like the feeling, at all.

There was nothing he could do about it, sadly enough. So with a huff he rolled off the tree branch and fell to the ground, landing silently on his feet in a crouch, then stood and stalked back towards the castle, his scowl in place, to find Sango...and in the pit of his stomach a rock dropped.

"Oh, yes, I've known InuYasha since I was young. My father was a missionary priest under his father, and we grew up together. We were decidedly wild." Miroku flashed Kagome a grin, eyes twinkling. Kagome smiled back, propping her elbow on the table that sat between the two of them and resting her chin in her hand, a smile lighting up her face.

"Did you really?" Miroku gave a small laugh, nodding.

"Yes, really. We were into everything. Following either one of our fathers around, putting frog's into the maids bed's, becoming completely filthy and driving our mothers mad."

"It sounds like you two had a lot of fun."

"We did, though we stayed in trouble most of the time." Kagome laughed, shaking her head.

"I can see that. Your poor mothers." The two sat in silence, Miroku reflecting on his childhood with InuYasha (and of course on how beautiful Kagome was) when Sango came in, followed by InuYasha. Sango shot Miroku a look, and he stared back blankly. Sango made a motion towards InuYasha then Kagome, bobbing her head. Kagome and Miroku blinked and shared a look of utter confusion. Sango sighed and grabbed Miroku whispering something in his ear.

Miroku's eyes went wide then he nodded in understanding...while his hand reached around Sango and got a handful of her tight bottom. Sango shrieked and slapped him, left eye twitching madly, while Miroku rubbed his cheek, a happy smile on his face.

"It was worth the pain." He sighed happily, eyes dreamy. InuYasha rolled his eyes and grabbed Miroku by the arm, bopping him on the head.

"Fucking pervert."

"I'm nothing of the sort. I was simply expressing my fondness for Lady Sango and her beauty." This, of course, was said with a saintly look that could have fooled anyone if he hadn't been shooting glances at Sango's chest. She let out something that sounded suspiciously like a snarl, and InuYasha dragged Miroku out of the room before he dug himself deeper.

Sango fell into the chair Miroku had been pulled out of, glaring towards the door, hands clinched into fists.

"One of those days I'm going to strangle him in his sleep." Kagome stifled a laugh behind her hand, looking away. Despite the very love/hate relationship Miroku and Sango had, Kagome was sure there was more there that meets the eye.

After Sango had drawn herself out of the many ways she could maim and/or kill Miroku she fidgeted in her chair, twisting her hands together in lap while Kagome watched her.

"Uh...we...we have to talk, Kagome-chan." Kagome nodded, leaning forward, her face set in worry, afraid something was wrong with her new friend.

"Its...its about InuYasha..." Kagome blinked, her mind racing to try to think of what Sango might need to talk to her about. However, she could come up with nothing, and simply motioned for Sango to continue.

Sango, for her part, looked like she was anywhere but there.

"Well...you see...there's a reason...that InuYasha is here. Why we're here..." She drew in a deep breath, taking a minute to compose her thoughts. "You know InuYasha is a hanyou." Kagome nodded. "No, I can't start there...I'll just tell you all of it.

"InuYasha's father was the daimyo of the Western Lands, as well as the Clan leader of the Inu-Youkai. His name was Taji, and was born a second son. Unfortunately his brother was not strong, and was very weak. He was killed when Taji was a ten years old, and at once Taji began full fledge training to take over his father's place as the youkai-daimyo. He showed great aptitude for it, and quite simply, Taji was a natural born leader.

"In time his father died and he took his place, and as had been arranged since he was a child, he sired a heir on the Lady Yukiko, giving her a place of honor in the Clan and giving the Clan a heir, Sesshoumaru. Sadly though, the Lady Yukiko kept Sesshoumaru away from Taji, out of spite because he would not mate with her. Mating being a demon's version of marriage, and in many ways much more binding.

"His mother convinced him that his father didn't want him, and turned Sesshoumaru into a bitter little boy, and then into a strong and cruel young demon. And while the loss of his son hurt Taji deeply, he was able to find love.

"To the horror of most of his Clan it was a human woman, Lady Keiko. She was a gentle and beautiful woman, with long raven hair and gentle violet eyes. She won over most of the Clan, but those who hated human's turned to Lady Yukiko, and secretly they plotted.

"Now, as the Clan Leader and daimyo of the Western Lands, Lord Taji could choose his heir, and no one, not a single person, could stand in the of that. And, as Lady Yukiko and her followers feared, Lady Keiko became pregnant. There was no chance for single youkai or human to cause Keiko and her unborn child harm. Taji had faithful servants guarding her day and night, and even had a sword, Tessigua, commissioned, made from his own fang, to keep Keiko and the child safe.

"Soon the Lady Keiko gave birth to a child who they named InuYasha, and at once he was the light of their lives. InuYasha grew up here, in this very castle. Miroku's father was close friend of Lord Taji, and Miroku and InuYasha grew up together. From what I've heard, the two were quite a pair together, always into something.

"Somehow, Taji managed to wrangle Sesshoumaru from Lady Yukiko, and while Sesshoumaru would never admit it, he grew quite fond of little InuYasha. Sadly, though, the happiness did not last.

"Lord Taji was killed when InuYasha was still a pup, only five years old. The Clan was horrified, and Lady Keiko was devastated. The only thing that kept her alive was little InuYasha, and her love for him. Sesshoumaru took his place as the new Clan leader...but there was a drawback. It was only until little InuYasha was old enough to rule. InuYasha, naturally, had no clue, and Sesshoumaru, while feeling rather angry, accepted it.

"Lady Yukiko, on the other hand, was urging Sesshoumaru to kill InuYasha and Lady Keiko. Sesshoumaru, bound by blood, did not kill them, and allowed them to stay in this castle. A year passed, and Sesshoumaru ran with a strong hand, if not rather cruel at times.

"And Lady Yukiko plotted. When InuYasha was six she had gather enough followers to manage the killing of Lady Keiko. InuYasha watched her die. She was poisoned, and it was a long death. They found InuYasha clutching his mother's body and sobbing, both of them covered in the blood Lady Keiko had retched up from the poison. Sesshoumaru, while not fond of Lady Keiko because of the fact she was human, and as he could see, below him, ordered the killer to be found and brought to him.

"They never found out who, exactly, had done it.

"InuYasha would not speak, and nearly starved himself to death, sobbing bitterly for his mama, curled up in a tiny little ball. After nearly two weeks of this Sesshoumaru locked himself inside the room with InuYasha...InuYasha ate a full meal that night, and while he was still hurting, he began to bounce back, ever so slightly. No one knows what Sesshoumaru said or did to InuYasha, but he saved his life.

"Then the worst thing happened.

"Lady Yukiko formed a plan with a miko by the name of Kikyou. And they cursed the young hanyou. The Clan left after that, Sesshoumaru locking his mother away. InuYasha grew up by himself. Miroku had been taken away by his father, but when the two were around the age of fifteen Miroku found this castle again, and has since then lived there.

"I came later on.

"But that curse...you see, because InuYasha is a hanyou, he is not human. He is not demon. He is both, and yet neither. Once a month InuYasha looses all his demon powers and turns into a full human for one night. And when his life is threatened, he turns into a full demon of sorts...however, his mind is gone, and he will kill anyone and anything that should stand in his way. He knows no friends; only enemy's.

"This curse put him in this castle, alone. That should he not find someone who could love him for he is, all of him, human and demon at the same time, then he would turn into this full demon beast. He would loose his soul.

"The dark miko Kikyou had a younger sister, Keade. She did what she could to help InuYasha. And she told him that the young woman who would love him for who he was, all he was, would know him her whole life. She would dream of him, she would love him above all other things.

"But she would still be given a task to prove herself to InuYasha. No one rightly knows what this task is. I don't even know if Kaede herself knows what this task will be.

"You see Kagome...I think...no, we ALL think...that you're the girl who can break this curse." Sango stopped, staring at Kagome. Kagome's face was calm, while her eyes, eyes such of depth, were a swirl of emotions and thoughts. But, reflected from deep within herself, was a understanding, a bright shinning love.

Kagome sat back, arms wrapping around her stomach as she stared out of the window's to her left. Sango began to chew on her bottom lip, and for a moment was quite sure Kagome was going to end up running out of the castle, screaming for help.

Till Kagome spoke, that was.

"I don't know if I'm the one who can help InuYasha, Sango. I do know I love him. I always have. You know that." Sango drew in a deep breath, her whole body unclenching, making her slump over the side of her chair.

She nodded, and stood, giving Kagome a soft smile, who returned it, and then walked out. She saw InuYasha and Miroku standing at the door, unabashed that they had been listening. Miroku was grinning madly, and InuYasha looked rather stunned. He nodded at Sango and turned, walking towards his privet wing of the castle.

"Its her, I know it is." Sango nodded.

"She's the one who'll love him. But will he love her?" Sango wondered, she and Miroku sharing a look.