InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Black as Night, White as Snow ❯ Been There ( Chapter 13 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

A/N: o.O; Don’t hurt me!

Just a reminder, this is the last day before the wedding and the curse is over and the poison is finished.

Er-Thanks for the reviews!

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Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Snow White.

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Black as Night, White as Snow

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- Last Chapter –

Her intuition and senses were going nuts! Her gut was telling her that something important was coming. The glass gave off a dark ominous feeling as though a bad accident would happen soon.

Sango always listened to her gut instincts.

“I think it’s a sign,” she whispered, “A bad sign.”

- End of Last Chapter -

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Chapter Thirteen: Been There

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“Be careful! To the left...no, wait, more to the right. More...more...Too far! Back to the left...uh uh...wrong, now to the right!”

“Why don’t you come out here and move it yourself?” Naraku yelled back disgruntled. He glared with disgust back at the young woman sitting in the doorway.

Miroku, panting slightly, grumbled back (although politely), “Why, Kagome- sama, should this glass case sit outside in the woods?”

Kagome blinked back at him. “Because I’m not having that dirty thing sitting in my clean kitchen. Now hurry up Miroku, Naraku, Kagura, Hojo! The others have been at the mines for at least an hour waiting for you!” Kagome scolded, scandalized.

“We could’ve been there helping, but you can’t decide where to put this DAMN THING!” Kagura screeched, her narrowed scarlet eyes promising nothing short of a horrible, painful, and disturbing death for the ex-princess.

Kagome huffed and crossed her arms. “Well if you’re just gonna act that way...drop it and get moving. It’s your last day...right? Or do you have to be there at the mines tomorrow when you change back to normal?”

“No, our time will be up and we can spend tomorrow here with you.” Miroku stepped back from the heavy glass case and watched it tilt as the other three struggled to hold it. He walked back to Kagome...

... Who looked back at him wondering how he had gotten from lifting a corner of the glass box to standing next to her.

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“MIROKU, YOU DAMNED HOUSHI! Get your ungrateful, lazy, perverted ass back here and help us!” Naraku’s eyes possibly glowed with the fires of hell. Kagura, her teeth clench in concentration, glared at the grinning Hojo.

“You stupid human. If you could STOP SMILING for one gods be damned minute we might actually finish moving this!” she growled at the blue-eyed boy.

Hojo shrugged and turned away from her, looking up at the sun and wondering what the pretty lights were that danced in front of him.

Kagome sighed, “Seriously, just drop it. You can move it again when we all get back here tonight.”

THUNK

“I didn’t mean drop it literally...” Kagome sweatdropped and stepped forward to inspect the glass ‘coffin’ for cracks.

“Good, we can get going,” Kagura grumbled, pulling out her fan to cool herself down. She hated sweating.

“Finally...” Naraku rumbled stalking up the path without a backward glance. Kagura scowled after him before impatiently waving goodbye to Kagome and following at her own pace.

Miroku watched the two demon blooded dwarves saunter off to the mines in the mountain. Shaking his head sadly he turned back to Kagome. “You know? I do believe I’ll die of happiness when those two are out of my lives forever...”

Kagome snorted. “Send me an invite to the funeral. You better get going before everyone starts to accuse you of slacking off.”

Miroku’s eyes widened in innocence. “Me? Why I’d never-,”

Kagome rolled her eyes and interrupted him yet again with a snort while folding her arms over her chest. “Drop it Miroku-sama, it’s just me here, so get rid of the I-Am-The-All-Powerful-And-Innocent-Houshi act.”

Miroku gave her a grin and a calm look before backing up the path to the mines, still facing her. “Have a good day Kagome-sama.”

“Yeah, you two.” Kagome lifted her hand in a small wave while she watched the monk start up the path again. Following the path soon had the purple robes disappearing behind a bend through the trees.

Giving a soft smile in her friend’s direction, Kagome started back for the cottage. While passing the glass case, a small jolt ran through her system. Pausing momentarily, the ebony haired beauty gave the box a weary look.

Something told her that the case wasn’t as innocently as it looked.

‘Get a grip,’ she mentally chastised herself. ‘It’s a box for Buddha’s sake!’ Shaking her head forcefully to try and scatter the tinge of terror, Kagome took the last few meters to the doorway in stride. By the time she’d walked through it, she felt relatively back to normal.

Snapping the door behind her Kagome gave a slow wandering look at the few rooms. Pursing her lips and spreading her hands on the brown apron covering her kimono a thought struck her...although not painfully.

“It’ll be my gift,” she murmured under her breath. ‘They’ll like it to be completely spotless. It’s only fair; they let me stay here if I clean but I’ve been slacking off. My Mysterious Silver Haired Stranger,’ as she’d dubbed him, flinching at the long string of words, ‘will have to wait. He’ll understand. My friends come before my...friend.’

Okay, technically that didn’t make sense, but it worked for her and she shoved the guilt out of her mind.

Kagome strolled threw the household and located the mandatory items; this of course included a mop, a broom, a dust rag, and a wash rag.

Armed with the Weapons From Cleaning Hell, Kag turned a critical eye on the cottage. Where to start? It was a pretty small space, including a one medium sized dining room, kitchen, living room, two down stair closets, one bathroom, one giant bedroom, and one upstairs closet.

Kagome winced and slouched her stiff no-nonsense pose. ‘Okay, so it may look small on the outside but it’s a whole different...er...-cup of coffee?- when you’re cleaning it.’ She set to work on the first task of the morning: Scrubbing the floor clean of grime.

“Mew?”

“I did not miss a spot!” Kagome spluttered indignantly, her eyebrows drawing together as she tried to discreetly cover up the patch of floor with a potted plant.

“Mew...”

“I do not think you’re stupid!”

“...Mew...”

“Oh yeah, I’m insane,” Kagome muttered sarcastically, “I’m not a cat talking to a human.”

Kirara gave the maiden one final dry look before sauntering off to do things cats do---chase shadows, fall asleep in sunlight, fall asleep in extremely impossible and uncomfortable positions in said sunlight, see creatures that aren’t actually there...etc...

Groaning while rubbing at her eyes with a hand, Kagome then hung her head in shame. Blowing her cheeks out before letting the breath out to float her bangs upward, Kagome moved the plant back. Rubbing at the spot vigorously, Kagome muttered under her breath: “This is going to take longer than I thought.”

Casting a glance around to make sure she was alone and that Kirara was out of earshot, a few more words slid out.

“Hn, nosy busybody pussycat...”

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“My Queen, where are you going?” Kanna’s void eyes were widened slightly in concern as Kikyou draped a cloak around her shoulders.

“I forgot to add the eye of newt.” Kikyou looking at the amused mirror demon before giving a deadpan look. “Eye of newt, the flower. Apparently without it the recipe was able to take a shorter time. The poison wont’ be as strong, but it’ll still work.”

Kanna nodded slowly. She wasn’t going to morn the loss of Kagome, she’d already accepted that that particular woman wasn’t going to be the one to free her. “Are you leaving now then?”

“If I do, I’ll arrive by dusk,” Kikyou explained. “If I have to, I’ll wait in the forest and poison my sister in the morning. I’ll be back for my wedding.”

“I’ll have everything set up for you,” Kanna nodded and backed out of vision. ‘Sorry, Kagome.’

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“Where is she?” Inuyasha growled under his breath. He was pacing back and forth, enough to dig a trail in his wake, in the clearing where he met Kagome every day.

‘I’m getting,’ he broke off and groaned inwardly, ‘MARRIED tomorrow! Gods...How’d it get this far? Fuck! Is it really that possible for someone to put something like that off for so long?’

Those thoughts kept revolving in his mind, but it just kept coming back to the one word that seemed to fit the situation perfectly:

Crap.

‘I’ll tell her. As soon as she comes,’ his train of thought was momentarily cut off as a vision of her face floated in front of his face. His ears drooped and a barely audible whimper escaped his throat. ‘I’m so fuckin’ insane! I don’t know her! She doesn’t know me! Fuck, crap, shit...’

He growled low in his throat.

So what if he’d never openly showed any emotions to her? It was him! Not prince charming, not a quack, him! As much as she seemed to affect him when ever she came bouncing into his sight (weak knees, dizzy mind, lack of thought...er...) he’d been careful to keep it unnoticeable.

He kept his distance, used insults (not many, mind you, but still...), didn’t let his eyes linger on her figure (...too much) and he was able to keep his hands to himself and not touch her as much as he wanted to.

He may not be the best with patience or intelligence but you had to give him credit for self-restraint! How many times had he wanted to yank her to him in a hug? To catch her lips in a tender kiss? To wrap an arm around her waist possessively? To tuck her head under his chin?

‘Too fucking many,’ he hung his head in misery. “I’m Inuyasha Gods Dammit! I don’t go get puppy love or crushes! I rip heads off people who disobey me! I try to kill by brother in his sleep! I punish those who defy...me...”

He drifted off as his mind reverted to some interesting ways of how he could punish the girl...

Catching himself drooling and having to hit his head into a tree in self- disgust, he forced his thoughts back to a safer topic.

“Where the Hell is Myouga?” His screech brought a few flocks of birds rushing out of the treetops. “Damn it all to hell! I can’t do this! I can’t get out of this stupid marriage on my own, Myouga knows I’m not smar--- patient enough to find an answer.”

Casting a weary glance around with shifty eyes, the hanyou then slunk off to a tree. Not only was he talking to himself, but also he was admitting that he wasn’t smart enough to run his own life.

If it were anybody else he’d distance his self from him or her and mutter things about how it was ‘unhealthy to argue with your own mind’.

‘But it’s me...Keh...I’m not insane, so it must be alright.’

His mind drifted away from his problem with Queeny and again Kagome’s face was presented before his mind’s eye.

‘What about her?’ he grumbled, although he was, for some reason, not trying to clear the image away. ‘Hell, if one pretty face affects me this much, Sesshoumaru has probably finally turned me into a lunatic...Damn you Fluffy!’

Maybe this girl he’d been meeting for over two weeks wasn’t real? He’d created her simply to find an actual reason not to try and pursue the marriage with a perfectly attractive monarch.

“Or maybe this is all just the ramblings of an insane man...fuck that, a hungry man,” he glared at his rumbling stomach. Rubbing his temples, Inuyasha felt the extreme need to slam his head into the first hard object he came across.

At that moment...it would be the tree he was sitting with his back to...Hmm...

Tapping his foot in boredom, Inuyasha looked up at the sun and found it was already hours after high noon. Damn that girl...she was late.

And she was probably just doing it to spite him! He’d finally gotten the nerve up to tell her that he was betrothed (and getting married in less than 24 hours) and she went and didn’t even show up for the explanation (that she didn’t know was coming...)!

“That witch...bitch...” Now which was a better insult? He’d always wondered about it...

So his large dilemma once again put out of his mind, the half demon started to argue with himself over whether a woman would take more offense to being called a ‘Pig Faced Slime Bucket’ or a ‘No Fashion Sense Moron’...

Ah the wonders of stupidity...

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The time barely registered in Kagome’s mind as she pulled the roast pig out of the iron oven.

Extreme pride in herself clouded her features as she thought over the way she hunted and killed the boar. She’d never liked taking the life of another, but she wanted something nice for the dwarves for their last meal together as, well, dwarves.

Kag left the flame burning high as she placed an iron skillet of fresh cut veggies on a rack to cook. The meal was going to be perfect! Carrots, squash, cucumber, grilled fish, roasted pork, all dusted with a secret spice. After a few moments of sizzling, she pulled the vegetables off the heat.

Whoever said she couldn’t cook could go screw themselves, Kagome thought firmly. Not only had she rubbed her hands raw with scrubbing, but she’d slaved over a hot stove for the entire day!

Plastering an excited smile on her face when she heard voices at the front door, Kagome dusted off her blue kimono and tightened the band that held her hair up in place. Standing proudly at the head of the set table, Kagome waited casually as the dwarves filed in, all of their noses comically in the air as they followed their noses to the source of the heavenly aroma.

Sango seemed slightly irritated as she came in last, her face twisted in an annoyed expression rather than the one of bliss her companions wore. Her scary gaze was plastered on the innocent looking Miroku.

Noticing her friend for the first time, her face warmed as a smile graced her lips. “Kagome-chan! Did you do this? It smells great!”

Kagome’s grin mirrored the dim-witted one on Hojo’s face. “Thanks...I worked hard all day!”

Sango looked around at the glowing kitchen, “I can tell. It looks great too.”

“Good, then let’s eat.” Kagome plopped herself down at the table without waiting for the others and began to cut the meat and distribute it among the eight plates. She looked up at the grinning 3-foot-people and gave them all a blank stare, “Well? You eating?”

Casting a glance at each other for a split second, the seven short-people raced to their seats.

Kagome smiled and finished serving everyone. “How was you day...Dear?”

“It was just awful, darling,” Miroku launched into the description of how Hojo had managed to drop half a cave ceiling on Naraku. Said evil hanyou sat gnawing at his meat dejectedly.

“Yeah, honey, but it was just as hilarious as it was, er, um, sad...?” Sango joined in.

Kagura shook her head sadly at their role-playing. Honey, dear, darling? ‘And they say I’m not right in the head...’

“Oh, hey, Kagome-sama? How were you able to get this all done in just a few hours?” Miroku asked as he waved a hand vaguely at the clean dining room and the mouth-watering meal.

Kagome blinked blankly back at him before what he meant registered in her mind. “I didn’t leave today. I’m been here all day...I’ll meet him after dinner.”

Miroku gave the young woman a disturbing wink, “Meeting a man after dark? Why, Kagome-sama, I didn’t know you to be so kinky and dirty...”

Kagome placed her fork down and cocked her head calmly at the suggestive eyebrow raising. “Miroku? Were you entertaining ideas about the man I meet in the woods? I never knew you swung that way...”

Miroku opened his mouth before processing the question. “Of course I can envision what could go...on...WAIT! Kagome-sama! I meant you and him, not me and him!” An expression passed the houshi’s face that looked as though he’d drunken a pint of lemon juice.

Sango and Kagome roared with laughter as the rest sitting at the table (minus the forehead slapping monk) looked blankly back at the two girls having missed the conversation.

“Do you think they’ve finally lost it?” Kagura whispered to her cousin who sat at her left, calmly eating his meal.

“My dear, whatever they had, they lost a long time ago...” Naraku carried on chewing his food thoughtfully. Kagura scowled before going back to her own pig.

“You know...I was thinking...” Kagome started.

“Always a dangerous thing,” Naraku commented from down the table.

Kagome ignored him. “You know the owner of that glass case? Mr. Big Bad Wolf? I think I know who that is...”

“Yep, me too,” Miroku nodded.

Kagome looked at him questioningly, “You know Kouga the huntsman from the castle?”

“Who? Never mind, I was talking about the wolf that has been crashing down houses at the edge of the forest.” Miroku shook his head sadly, “Three pig demons and a little girl have already lost their homes...”

“Right.” Kagome went back to her food. “You know what? I think I’ll be heading out now,” she cast a worried glance at the sun as it lowered itself closer to the horizon. “You guys can finish my food, I’m not hungry. I’ll be back soon, so don’t wait up.”

“Ok,” Shippou chirped while spearing most of her food on a fork and proceeding to shove it into his mouth at once.

As soon as Kagome was sure that he kitsune baby wasn’t going to choke on the amount of pork stashed in his mouth, she excused herself and started for the door.

‘I wonder how his day was...’ she mental sighed and started for the clearing.

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Inuyasha picked at his claws nervously. Was she coming? Or had she decided he wasn’t worth her time or did she find someone else?

...

‘Nah,’ he dismissed the thought after entertaining it for awhile.

Plus if anyone even thought of handling what was obviously his (based on his scent he’d been sure to imprint on her every time he did touch her) he had reason to throw them off the nearest cliff.

A mental picture of a mini him doing that to a mini suitor left him grinning evilly and cackling maniacally.

Kagome found him under his tree ‘Muwaha’ing and she couldn’t help the grin that tugged at her lips. “Hey!” she called out to him. She was curiously pleased when he stopped his ‘bad guy’ laugh and blushed lightly.

“I didn’t think you’d show up,” he scowled at her, struggling to cover the smile that wanted to break out on his face at the sight of her. See what she did to him? Inuyasha did not smile, he’d smirk, but smiling was out of the question.

Kagome toddled closer and reached out a hand to help him up from his cross- legged position on the floor, but instead of taking her hand and pulling himself up, he yanked her down. The sudden pull caused her to tumble downward with a squeak, but Inu caught her easily and set her solidly on the ground next to him.

She sulked back at him, “You could have warned me that you were going to do that...”

He gave her a toothy grin as a mischievous glint sparkled in his amber eyes, “Now where’s the fun in that?”

Unable to hold her glare any longer, she finally gave into the urge to laugh whole-heartily. Inuyasha seemed to drown in the sound, and Kagome had to snap her fingers to pull his attention out of his little world. “Sorry I’m late. I had to do a few things for my friends.”

“Keh. I didn’t notice.”

Kagome gave him a half-lidded sideways glance, but held her tongue. “How was your day?”

“Boring as hell...”

“Ooo fun!” she chirped, her sarcasm buried beneath the bubble of laughter in her voice.

Leaning back into the tree, Inuyasha sighed tiredly. He had to tell her...but he didn’t want to do it right then...

Kagome settled back comfortably and watched the shadows stretch as the sun began to set. “My father used to watch the sunset with me.”

Inuyasha snapped a golden gaze on her only to find her own blue eyes were still closed.

“I’d sit in his lap and we’d sit on a hill, and watch the sunset. I loved trying to find as many colors as I could,” she sighed blissfully, caught up in her memory.

Setting his jaw grimly, Inu made a split second decision. Before Kagome could flick her eyes open, Inuyasha had her repositioned in her lap. They were twisted to the West and through the patch of space between trees Kagome could just see the sun setting over the forest.

There were streaks of colors, more beautiful than even the most skilled painter could create. Mixed in with the tangerine oranges and burnt yellows was a gold as deep and liquid as the eyes of the man who held her. Intertwined in a curve and a wave was a stream of pink and tangled in with it was the last of the baby blue of the day. Above the lighter colors were warmer ones. From behind them, in the East, to the top of the oranges was a range from the twilight royal purple to dusk violet, almost white.

It was the most breath taking sight and scene Kagome could ever remember.

She barely registered the fact that she sat in a man’s lap, her own head tucked under his chin with extreme care. She didn’t even notice when once hand creeped up and intertwined its clawed fingers with her own small ones.

She was too enchanted by the simple act of nature turning from day to night.

“It’s perfect...” the smallest of whispers passed her lips.

“Mm,” he hummed in agreement, pulling her tighter to his chest as soon as he noticed she wasn’t resisting.

“Thank you.”

“Anything for you,” he murmured, his golden eyes closed as Kagome watched the last of the hues fade in the sky to a shimmering purple.

They were the first words said by him that she actually pondered. He’d sounded like he’d meant them too... “Anything?” She whispered.

“Mhmm,” The hanyou sighed, unaware of the thoughts running through the young woman’s mind.

“Then...” she forced herself to relax into him, “Tell me your name.”

Amber eyes opened thoughtfully. Practically purring with happiness, Inu couldn’t find anything wrong with her request as long as he learned her name in return. “It’s-,”

“Master! NO!” A nasally voice cried out in time for Inuyasha to cut off his words.

Myouga bounded onto the hanyou’s shoulder and sighed in relief. He’d made it! And before Inuyasha had unwittingly ruined his chances with the girl sitting comfortably in his lap!

Inu blinked at the panting flea before hissing, “Bug off,” and flicking the tiny demon across the clearing.

“Oh...no...” the old youkai murmured while watching his lord and master open his mouth. The desperate situation was almost humorous by the fact that it was completely upside down as Myouga was on his head...

Kagome smiled up at him encouragingly. Inu looked back at her, deciding it couldn’t be all that bad liking (loving) her if a simple smile made him feel so at... ‘I don’t know, at peace with myself. It’s weird...considering I’m normally thinking of ways to maim people.’ Looking down at her with a softened smirk, he hugged her tighter.

“My name...Is Lord Inuyasha.”
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--- “Yes Kikyou, what can I do for you?” Kagome asked sweetly, kneeling before the thrown.

She happily eyed the cup in her sibling’s hand, as it was tilted to her lips. It was full of water.

Well water.

“Yes, Kagome. I am now engaged. My loving fiancée, Lord Inuyasha, shall be visiting soon and I would like a bouquet of special flowers to decorate my room.”

Kagome nodded, slightly confused. “Congrats. But would you like the red or the white roses from the garden?”

“You seem to have misunderstood me. I want special flowers, meaning I need you to travel to the valley a few miles away to gather those lovely wild flowers.”

“Of course, Queen.” Kagome backed out of the thrown room, head still bowed. ---

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Kagome’s eyes slid shut in a troubled expression that worried the hanyou. Suddenly they snapped open with such violent force that he tried to reach forward to make sure she hadn’t hurt herself. Kagome scrambled up from the warm embrace and stared down at him with eyes widened in horror.

“I-Inu-Inuyasha?” she choked out. ‘Oh, Gods, please let me have heard him wrong.’

The man blinked up at her from the ground. “Yeah...”

“Oh, Gods No...No...No...”

Inu yanked himself upward when the girl started to breathe heavier, as though hyperventilating. “Are you okay? What’s wro-?”

“NO!” Kagome pushed away from him. “No, no, no, no, no...”

Was it possible? Was it actually possible to feel what she was feeling at that precise moment?

It was as if her heart had been torn out. ‘This is ridiculous! I can’t feel this way,’ she grasped at the pain in her chest. ‘It hurts so much, though! My gods...it hurts. It feels like I’ve been slapped...hard, over and over.’

Inuyasha watched her wide eyed as the woman stumbled backward as though in great pain while clutching wildly at her throat as she tried to even her breathing. What the hell was going on? What was wrong with her?

‘Is it possible...? No, it can’t be. If I loved him, I’d know it and I didn’t feel this way before. I’d know if I loved him. I mean, I don't even know him...’ She looked around her as all the sounds and sights of the forest disappeared as her cluttered mind tried to sort out what was happening.

‘I don’t love him...Unless, unless...is it possible not to know if you love someone until they’re taken away? Maybe, I ...I just didn’t notice before because I never really thought if any of this was real. I never thought that it could be taken away...Oh Gods, what have I done?’

It had to be the most despairing feeling in the world, she decided as she wildly began to back away from the shouting hanyou. Inuyasha’s words couldn’t reach her hearing as her own heartbeat rang shrilly in her own ears. Jerking away whenever one of his grasping limbs came too close, Kagome began to back out of the clearing.

‘What the fuck is wrong with her? What the hell is going on?’ Inu ranted as he watched the woman stumble around while whimpering as though in pain. She wouldn’t let him reach out and grab her, to hold her and calm her down. “What the fuck?!” He yelled while it hurt him to know she was hurt and he couldn’t help.

“No, no, no...” Kagome kept repeating over and over until her mouth finally stopped twisting. Taking a deep shuddering breath, she looked up with such bright and clear eyes that Inu couldn’t believe that just moments before she wasn’t acting like a sane person would.

Casting a few glances around as the clearing slowly came back in focus, her ocean eyes finally found his. “I-I have to go now. I’m sorry, but I c- can’t stay. I’m sorry,” she repeated as she fled.

Inuyasha watched her flee blankly, his mind trying to work out what had just happened. He’d told her his name, and then she’d just freaked out. She’d dragged herself away from him like he’d burned her.

Running a worried claw through his silver tresses, he licked his dry lips as his mind started to function again.

It was dark now, and the woman he cared deeply for, although he still couldn’t understand why, was running through a forest alone, desperate, and upset.

“She could be in danger,” he sputtered. “That stupid bitch has to be insane!” As the muscles in his bunched as he prepared to give chase, a prick to his cheek alerted him to Myouga.

“My Lord! You’re a moron!” Myouga shouted angrily. “I tried to warn you, I tried to tell you not to say your name because she would recognize it and it’d upset her!”

Inuyasha, up till the last moment, was looking after the girl’s path with a longing look, but he finally thought over the words. “My name, that’s what set her off?”

“Of course,” the flea shrieked while fretting his hands. “You’re an idiot!” he wailed miserably, all her really wanted for his master was for him to be happy but Inuyasha seemed to always botch any chances of that.

“Why? Why Myouga?” Inu growled, angry at not being able to understand. He was tired of being so damn unsure about everything. It was driving him insane!

“Because,” Myouga sobered, “That young woman...well, I was visiting Totosai, that’s where I’ve been, and I found out-,”

“Get to the point,” Inu snarled.

Myouga swallowed thickly. “That young woman is the younger step sister to Lady Kikyou...the woman you are meant to marry.”

The statement triggered several things in the hanyou’s mind.

1. He’d upset the woman he wanted nothing more than to keep happy and safe.

2. He still had a wedding, his own, to attend the next day.

3. If the girl was the stepsister, then she would have to be royalty, thus she could marry him.

4. He could actually be happy with her with no messes like him marrying a peasant or his brother disowning him from the family inheritance.

And 5. That he’d heard from that kitsune brat that the girls’ older sister (now identified as Kikyou) was trying to kill her.

So the woman, who he grudgingly admitted he loved, was out in the middle of a dangerous forest alone at night, and she had someone after her that had everything she needed at her beck and call. And if Kikyou, Queeny, even thought of hurting The Maiden, he’d tear her apart, no matter what Fluffy said.

“Myouga,” he said calmly which alerted the flea to his lord’s immense anger more than shouting would have. “I’m going to fix this fuckin’ thing if it kills me. I’ll be right back.”

Myouga barely had time to realize he was falling as the hanyou shot off in unmeasurable speed into the forest. “Of course, Master Inuyasha,” he muttered distractedly.

Inuyasha raced through the trees, the only real thought on his mind of catching the girl before she got herself in trouble.

But once out of the clearing, he cursed horribly.

Kagome had been traveling through the forest over hundreds of paths over the last three weeks. Although some scent trails were stronger than others, even Inuyasha’s superior nose could sort out her latest path.

Even if he had found the strongest weave through the trees, it was mysteriously covered by the scents of deer, rabbits, and other forest animals.

“Damn it, why did you have to be so difficult,” he growled as he paused to look wildly around, his amazing eyes able to see through the night as easily as any cat.

A rumble in his chest at the thought of the hunt, made him narrow his eyes. He needed to find her and sort it out.

It was only a matter of time before she tripped up and he caught her.

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Kagome stumbled over the uneven ground and over fallen trees. Her vision was curiously blured and she was amazed to find that when she reached up to touch her face, her eyes seemed to be leaking.

‘Damn it, damn him...I’m crying!’ she wanting to shriek at herself for being so stupid!

Not only had she gone and fallen in love with Kikyou’s fiancé but she had fallen in love without even knowing she was in love.

‘I hate my life, I hate my luck, I hate karma,’ she cursed under her breath. She didn’t know where she was, she’d just ran in the first direction she could find. Kagome knew if she stumbled around she’d find the dwarves’ cottage. The cottage was a thing of magic and if Kagome was lucky, Midoriko was watching over her and would lead her ‘home’.

Tripping over an upturned root; it seemed to be reaching up solely to stop her from continuing her blind run.

And it took only one thing to convince herself that that thought was right:

Kikyou came walking calmly from the trees.

Even in her disturbed and angry state Kagome was able to find one coherent thought as she looked up pitifully at her stoic stepsister. ‘God Kikyou, couldn’t you come up with something more...uh...normal?’

The young queen was standing quite comfortably in britches with the disguise of a...man. Kagome didn’t want to think why Kikyou looked so natural and felt so normal in it. But Kagome could see through the strong glamour, it all faded away and the ex-princess could see her stepsister clearly beneath it all.

Sitting up slowly, Kagome looked dully at the ‘man’. It didn’t matter how upset she was, she couldn’t bring herself to disappoint Kikyou. She didn’t mention the disturbing disguise.

The queen’s goal in life had been to destroy Kagome, so why ruin the final moments? And at this time, Kagome would welcome an end with open arms.

Who deserved to live in life if they couldn’t even know when they were in love? Humanity would be better off without her...

“You look upset,” Kikyou murmured and Kagome almost smiled, bemused, at the believable fake sympathy in the voice. “Here, you should have something that could warm you up.”

Out of a fold in the rough material of a dark brown cloak appeared a porcelain bowel. Over the top was stretched a fabric to keep the heat enclosed. Handing the bowel to the surprisingly un-protesting Kagome, Kikyou stood back to watch with sick satisfaction.

Kagome gave one last glance at her sister before sliding the fabric off to find how her death was going to come about.

The poor woman almost groaned in misery when she found that the weapon that would end her life would be ramen. ‘So Kikyou is insane, too bad Sango’ll never she was correct about that.’

“Go ahead and drink it,” Kikyou encouraged wickedly even though Kagome was already bringing it to her lips. One sip of the broth, that was all it would take...

As her famous cherry lips parted, a single sip of the tangy broth and a perfect noodle slid in. Kagome took a shuddering breathe and accepted passively as she felt the heat flow out of her and the feeling in her body disappeared.

She welcomed death.

And Kikyou watched the bright sky eyes of her baby sister, the most beautiful woman in all the land, drift shut as she drifted out of life.

As her glamour dropped, Kikyou walked gracefully away from the curled up body on the ground and started the long walk home to prepare for her wedding.

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“KAGOME!” Sango yelled out. She and Miroku and Shippou had been the only ones who left just after dusk to find their friend. Everyone else believed Kagome would be alright and weren’t worried. Kagome had told them not to wait up for her, after all.

But Sango had felt a pang and knew that evil had befallen her friend. Miroku followed obediently after her when she left the house and Shippou, out of pure worry for Kagome, had toddled after them.

But even Sango hadn’t expected to find the strong-spirited girl as she was.

Her sorrow filled scream wound it’s way throughout the forest. It shook the animals, the friends of the amazing young woman, and the worried hanyou to the cores of their hearts.

“Sango?” Miroku ran as fast as his legs could carry him, but even his schooled expression failed him at the sight of Sango weeping over the still body of Kagome. “Oh, dear Buddha, give us strength...”

Sango was so absorbed in mourning the lost of a good friend that she didn’t even notice when Miroku pried her away to look at the 'dead' beauty himself while cuddling the taijiya to his chest. But his sudden sigh of relief did grab the brunette’s attention. “H-houshi- sama?” she stuttered.

Miroku turned back to her with a small grin. “I think you might want to look at this...”

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A short time later, Inuyasha broke through the thick trees that surrounded a second clearing, one that he’d never been to. Kagome's sweet scent filled the entire landscape.

On one side was a small stone cottage and on the other was a sight that didn't even surprised him, although it probably should have.

A collection of every animal he’d ever seen or heard of that lived in the forest was in a circle, surrounding something. Deer, birds, badgers, skunks, foxes, wolves, rabbits, mice...The list could go on and on.

As gently as he could, Inu pushed his way through the crowd of normally skittish animals that didn’t even seem to notice his presence. Each deep and colorful eye of every woodland creature held a look of mourning and of anguish.

His amber orbs drifted shut in pain at what he found in the middle of the strange procession.

A long solid glass coffin, that reached a little past waist height, sat in the center while seven tiny men, and women, stood praying on either side. And in the clear case, laid out in her blue kimono with her silky wavy locks spread around her shoulders, her face slack and peaceful lay the girl. His girl.

A small weight appeared on his shoulder and he sluggishly looked into the red, sore, tear-filled eyes of Shippou.

"I finally know that you are evil," he whispered gently, his emerald eyes glued to the face of the woman who had promised to take care of him when there was no one left to do that.

Inuyasha sighed, his eyes drifting back to the face of the woman who had entranced him so easily. "How did you finally come to that?"

"Because, if you weren't evil, you would have been there to save her."
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A/N: Yes, I know, it was sad at the end of this chapter, but the humor will come back in the next chapter.

Review, please!

Ja ne!

Fay/ Day (DON’T KILL ME!!!)