InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Children of Light ❯ Chapter 8 ( Chapter 8 )

Inu Yasha was running. Running as far and as fast as his demon legs would take him. Jumping high into the night of the forest, landing from one treetop to the next, he threw his whole body into the wind. Aching for clarity of mind. Hoping his nightly romp through the forest would help him to gain some understanding of all the thoughts and emotions that were running rampant in his head. That or maybe the strong night winds would just blow them away and leave him in peace.

"Stupid Miroku," he grumbled to himself as he paused momentarily at the top of a particularly large spruce tree. One that allowed him a view of the forest spread out below him, and a dark, inky night sky, carpeted in sparkling jewels, above him.

He crouched down, wrapping a clawed hand around his supporting tree limb for added stability as he looked up into the quarter moon. His other hand was curled tightly in a fist.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~Flashback~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Come on Inu," Miroku grinned as he followed his highly irate friend to the couch. "You understand don't you?"

After Sango had threatened to remove manly body parts from Inu Yasha if he didn't take good care of Kagome and take her home, Inu Yasha erupted at Miroku while Sango had gone to the bathroom. He was furious at the prospect of being ditched yet again for a pair of legs by his lecherous friend, and even though he would never tell Miroku, he was a little uneasy at the idea of being left alone with Kagome. Miroku had quickly reassured Inu Yasha that he would not leave him to care for Kagome by himself. He promised him that they would indeed all leave together. Of course, the second Inu Yasha had turned his back, the pervert had ditched him. Again.

"Yeah, I understand your freaken perverted ways left me babysitting last night you asshole!" Inu Yasha yelled at his friend as he took a seat on the black leather couch and continued to glare at the basketball game he'd been watching before Miroku had come over to test his patience.

"Now, now Inu Yasha," Miroku's mischievous grin spread across his face as he seated himself in the plush lazy boy next to his scowling friend.

"I have a difficult time believing that you had such an awful time last night." His eyes glittered with that `I know something you don't think I know' look.

Glaring at his unbelievably annoying friend, Inu Yasha growled menacingly, "What the fuck are you talking about Monk?"

Not impressed by his friend's canine impressions, Miroku continued to press his buttons. "Well you see, I just spoke with the lovely Sango. It seems she had breakfast today with Kagome." His grin widened as he noticed Inu Yasha's ear twitch momentarily on his head, giving away his obvious interest in this turn of the conversation.

Miroku pretended to look momentarily interested in one of his fingernails. "It seems, my, oh so tough guy friend," the comment provoked another growl from Inu Yasha and an impossibly even wider grin from Miroku who was enjoying every agonizing moment. "…that the lovely Kagome mentioned to Sango how wonderfully you had taken care of her. Fighting for her honor, carrying her home, tucking her into bed?" At this last comment, Miroku's eyebrows went up in a suggestive, questioning look.

"Keh. What did you want me to do? Leave her passed out in a damn gutter? Even I'm not that heartless." Inu Yasha's clearly annoyed retort however, didn't hold as much conviction as he wanted it too.

"No, no, of course not." Miroku replied, waving off the suggestion. "You did just what any half decent or in your case I guess, half human, person would do."

Inu Yasha glared coldly at his friend, aware that something more was coming.

"Of course…"

Yup. There it was.

Miroku's eyes locked with Inu Yasha's. Amusement danced in their chocolate depths. "I believe kissing someone goodnight that you barely know, and by your own admissions barely care about, might be a tad more over to the warm and fuzzy side, wouldn't you agree?"

"WHAT!?!" Inu Yasha bellowed at the top of his lungs as he jumped off the couch. His mind raced wildly, "How did she know? Was she awake? How could that be?"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about!" Inu Yasha continued yelling at his friend, "That stupid girl must have been dreaming!" He clenched his fists tightly at his side, burning holes into Miroku with his venomous stare, just daring his friend to contradict him.

After a thoughtful pause, Miroku stood from his seat, "Perhaps." His casual tone indicating that he just might consider this blatant lie.

He turned and made his way to the door, eager to be out of range of Inu Yasha's temper. Stepping half out into the hallway, he turned to give his friend a final smug smile, "Here," and tossed something into the air.

Inu Yasha's fast reflexes caught the object easily. But before he could examine what it was, he heard his friend speak.

"Kagome gave it to Sango, hoping I could pass it on. She said you would know what it meant and what it was for." With a final ear splitting grin, Miroku closed the door behind him, leaving a stunned dog-demon in his wake.

Clutching the object in his right hand, Inu Yasha looked down thoughtfully at his closed fist. Unsure if he could look to see what was held within. What could Kagome possibly want to give him and why? Whatever it was, it felt hard and smooth, like a polished stone. Slowly, Inu Yasha opened his fist and looked down with wide, startled eyes, at the object in his hand.

It did look like a stone, sort of. Except this was about the length of his thumb and almost the width of two of his fingers, but still held easily within his large hand. The stone was somewhat translucent. Made of glass he decided, most likely hand blown. And there, within the clear surrounding edge of the stone was a dark inky middle, dotted with pin pricks of light it seemed. If he didn't know any better, he would say it was a tiny replica of the Milky Way.

She had given him the stars and he instantly knew why. He had told her that he hated crowded places and that he liked to run free under the stars. This was so no matter where he was, or how crowded a place he was in, the night sky would always be close at hand.

An unfamiliar sound caught at the back of Inu Yasha's throat.

How exactly did you react, when someone you barely knew, put the universe in the palm of your hand?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~End Flashback~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Inu Yasha uncurled his fisted hand to reveal polished glass, with an inky middle. Pin pricks of light glinted both from the surface and from within under the moonlight.

"I guess you trade one wish for another."

***********

Kagome gave a startled gasp at the sound of the deep voice calling out to her from the dark patches of her balcony. Instinctively taking a tentative step backwards, away from the mysterious voice, willing her heart rate and her breath to not give out on her. A crouched, dark shape slowly straightened itself and stepped slightly into the soft illumination coming through Kagome's balcony windows.

She put her hand to her mouth, as if to keep the gasp from flooding out, her eyes wide and brimming with shock and amazement as she took in the partial site of what looked to be a dark mass of flowing hair and undoubtedly, triangular ears.

The whole world had come to a staggering halt as Kagome struggled to peer into the deep shadows of her balcony. Trying, unsuccessfully, to make out any facial features in the dim light.

"Who…who are you?" She asked softly, when she was finally able to trust herself with her voice. She took another step backward as she spoke, not out of fear, though she was sure that, that was one emotion she should have been feeling, but mysteriously wasn't. No, the step back was to reassure herself that she was in fact, firmly planted on the ground. That this was no dream.

There came an equally soft reply. "Who do you think I am?"

That voice…Kagome's eyes widened, "You're… you're the one from the alley."

She knew she had seen those unearthly features. She wasn't crazy! She wasn't finally loosing herself to her daydreams, unable to distinguish fantasy from reality. And here, here was the proof of everything she had ever thought, ever felt, ever sensed.

The shadowed figure took another step closer, small enough that his face was still concealed in shadows, but an occasional glint of silver could be seen in the light.

"But who am I?" the voice asked again. A slight, imploring tone could be made out for just a moment.

That voice… something about that voice…

Kagome looked down at her feet, curling her fists. She knew this question was important. She could feel it. She also knew that if she didn't get this right, there was a possibility that the figure would leave and Kagome couldn't bare the thought of that happening. Not after everything she had been through. Not after all the uncertainty, the unanswered questions, the hoping, the wishing. The waiting.

She bit her lower lip in concentration. Who was this person? She knew that somehow she should know. It was there, at the tip of her tongue, teasing her mind.

Suddenly, she hears the figure take a step back into the shadows, concealing their appearance once again, ready to slip out and away from her life.

"No, wait!" Kagome frantically responded as she reached out a hand to stop the retreating figure. She gasped as her soul slammed a name into place.

"Inu Yasha" The name had come to her, effortlessly, as though she had always known. She whispered it so softly that she wasn't even sure if she had been heard, but her mind and her mouth, refused to work again, as is they had been welded shut, as she attempted to process the startling revelation.

But he had heard her. He had felt it when she realized who he was, like a light going on in a dark room.

Inu Yasha stepped out of the shadows, mere inches away from the awestruck girl.

"Kagome"

"But how?" Kagome looked up into those impossible wide golden eyes. Eyes that she had seen so many times in the last few days. Eyes that she now knew had visited her dreams. Kagome mentally berated herself for not making the connection sooner. She knew there had been something familiar about him, something that had nagged at her, but she pushed it off to her over active imagination.

Without realizing what she was doing, Kagome stepped towards him, closing the remaining space between them, as she touched the silky white forelock framing his otherworldly face. She needed to touch him, to know he was real.

"You're real," she softly spoke in an awed voice, her eyes watering at the edge of tears, unable to contain her excitement, her joy.

"Keh. Of course I'm real wench." Inu Yasha's light-hearted and amused tone contradicted his choice of words as he smiled gently down at the girl who had unconsciously curled a fist in his hair.

Kagome laughed. Relieved somehow to know that this was indeed the same scruffy boy she had met with Sango and Miroku. same boy who had picked a fight over her, who had taken care of her in her drunken state, who had carried her into bed and softly kissed her goodnight. The boy who had smashed open the floodgates of emotions and desires into her soul.

Inu Yasha's eyes smiled into Kagome's as her mouth reciprocated by turning up so wide, the corners of her mouth almost touched her ears. Ears. She wanted to touch his ears.

"Can I?" She asked, nodding towards the top of his head.

Inu Yasha rolled his eyes and sighed. He knew she would ask. "Yeah, sure." He tilted his head down to allow her easier access to his ears, only mildly surprised at himself for allowing her such close and intimate access to him. Of course, everything to do with this girl seemed to go against everything he had ever stood for, ever believed in.

Slowly, she reached a hand up and touched her fingers gently to the fuzzy white hair that surrounded the edges of his ear, causing the ear to twitch slightly as Kagome's hand flinched back in momentary surprise. They were real! Gaining courage, she rubbed her thumb and index finger along the entire length of his ear, down to its base where she began lightly scratching behind his ears. She couldn't believe how soft and velvety they felt. She could touch them forever.

Kagome, who had been so involved in the feel of his soft, adorable ears, was startled from her ministrations by the sound of soft purring. She blinked in surprise, realizing that Inu Yasha had his eyes closed and was leaning into her hand, urging her to go on, like a little puppy seeking comfort and attention. Even more shocking was the fact that the soft purring noise was coming from Inu Yasha.

Kagome giggled as Inu Yasha's eyes snapped open. Regaining his composure he quickly, but carefully, pulled his ears back from Kagome's reach. "What?" he asked in an indignant tone as he looked warningly down at her.

"You were purring," she giggled again, "Are you a cat?"

"WHAT!?! A CAT!?!" Inu Yasha couldn't believe it! He was horrified that someone would refer to him as a cat!

"I'm a dog woman, a dog!" He barked, glaring down at her. "And I don't purr!" He huffed as he crossed his arms across his chest and looked off to the side.

"Oh sorry," Kagome replied, while trying to suppress more giggles. "I must have been mistaken".

Inu Yasha looked at her from the corner of his eye, clearly not believing her sarcastic tone.

"But who are you? What are you? Where do you come from? Are there more of you?…" She began to ramble her questions off at an incredible pace.

"Whoa, slow down a second," Inu Yasha padded his hands in the air, signaling her to stop. "Damn it woman, don't you even have enough common sense to be afraid? Even a little!?" He couldn't believe she was taking this so well, and there wasn't even the faintest hint of fear or hesitation in her scent. He couldn't understand it.

"Why should I be afraid?" Kagome asked blinking, clearly confused. Being afraid hadn't registered in her mind, though somewhere in the back of it, she was sure she should have been, at least even a little.

"What!? Why!?! Are you serious!? Because I'm a dog demon! A D-E-M-O-N! With fangs and claws and super human strength, standing on your balcony, in the middle of the night, that's why!"

"Wow! You're a dog demon? And you have super human strength? Cool! Can you fly?"

Inu Yasha sighed, shaking his head. Nope. Apparently she didn't have any common sense.

He looked into her excited and wonder filled eyes. She was weird this one, but amazing. He couldn't help himself.

"Listen, let's get out of here and then we can talk. Okay?" Inu Yasha stated before Kagome could spew off another hundred questions. He could see her, squirming, trying to keep a lid on the thousands of questions that were no doubt bombarding her mind.

"Oh, Okay. Come on in, we can cut through my living room." Kagome responded as she turned to make her way back into her apartment, when she was suddenly halted in her steps by Inu Yasha's firm grip around her wrist.

"Not that way," he grinned, when Kagome turned to look at him, wondering why he had stopped her.

"What do you mean?" She was more then just a little confused. What was he going to do? Jump? Unlikely, they were over four stories up.

Inu Yasha let go of her wrist as he crouched down in front of her. He looked up at her and smirked.

"Climb on."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She was flying, and life had never been more wonderful, more perfect, then at that moment! Kagome squealed in delight as Inu Yasha leapt from the roof of another building, gaining momentum and speed and allowing himself to float along the air currents at the height of his leaps.

Kagome wrapped her arms more tightly around Inu Yasha's neck and shoulders and squeezed her thighs against his waist to keep from slipping. Even though Inu Yasha had his hands cupped behind her knees to hold her securely in place, wrapping herself tightly around him, made her feel safe. And the sensation… the sensation was all too familiar to her soul.

Inu Yasha leapt higher and farther, just to hear her squeal. Her body molded against his back like she was always meant to be there. Her legs wrapped tightly around his waist, were driving him insane! Tensing his leg muscles, he catapulted from the edge of another building and climbed as high into the sky as his demon strength would carry him, just so he could hear her squeal like that again and feel her thighs clench around him more tightly.

Kagome thought she would burst from the pure joy swelling in her heart, especially when Inu Yasha had taken an exceptionally high leap that allowed them to soar an even greater distance over the brightly lit city below. Kagome was unafraid as she simply tightened her grip around him with her legs as she held on for dear life, when suddenly, Kagome's body went rigid as her heart stalled in her chest.

Inu Yasha felt her tense instantly. But just as he was about to set down on the roof of a nearby building to see what was wrong, his own body tensed, almost fumbling his landing. He managed to just barely keep both of them from tumbling off the edge of the roof, as he squatted down to regain his composure. His eyes screwed shut as Kagome lay plastered to his back, her head covered under the mane of his hair.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~Flashback~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The night air sweeping through the forest is calm and peaceful. In a clearing on the horizon, the dim light of a campfire can easily be seen. Two figures leap through the forest, their destination clearly discernable by their direction. The fire on the horizon.

A smaller body clings tightly to the back of a larger one. The shadows conceal much of their appearance. But as the figures make their way closer to the fire, the unmistakable feature of white hair can be seen glinting through the treetops.

The running figure takes a final immense leap upwards and forwards, as the clinging body on its back squeals in delight. Suddenly the figure drops down in the light of the campfire like a heavy stone. Two figures sitting on the opposite side of the campfire greet the new arrivals. Their arrival clearly welcomed and expected. But as the first figure rises from his warm seat next to the fire, he turns his head slightly to the side, his tiny ponytail clearly silhouetted against the fiery night sky.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~End Flashback~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Wha… what the hell was that?" Inu Yasha gasped as he struggled to catch his breath when the vision finally cleared from his mind.

"I don't know." Inu Yasha was briefly startled by the soft reply behind him. For just a moment, he had forgotten that she was there. It just seemed so comfortable, so natural, having this small figure clinging to his back. It was like she had become a part of him.

"Ka…Kagome?" Inu Yasha slowly began to right himself, allowing her to slip easily from his back.

"Are you alright?" He asked, as he turned and caught hold of her by the shoulders. She still seemed a little shaky.

"Yeah, I'm okay." She finally replied, looking down at her feet. Her mind desperately tried to understand what it was she had seen when a thought suddenly hit her and she looked up to meet Inu Yasha's concerned gaze.

"You saw it too, didn't you?" It was more of a statement, then a question really. But when she saw Inu Yasha simply nod his head in agreement, she shut her eyes to keep the world from swimming out of focus.

"I don't get it," Inu Yasha thought. "Who is this girl, and why the hell is this happening?"

At a complete loss for the events unfolding before him, he thought back to when he had come by her balcony earlier that night. He had wanted to give her something as a thank-you for the jewel of stars he held tucked safely in his pocket. The gift that had meant more to him then she could ever hope to understand. But what could he do? What could he possibly bring to her that would equal such a gift?

It was then that he had heard her talking to herself on her balcony. She had seemed so lost, so lonely. Like him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~Flashback~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I wish I knew what was out there," she sighed to herself, "I wish I was someone special. I wish my life was something specia.l"

Being adopted had left Kagome wishing for an identity. Something, someone, that could tell her who she was and why she was here. Someone who could show her where she came from and who would help show her how to get back. Back to that place where her heart, her soul, felt complete.

"I don't know who I am," she softly spoke, "I don't know where I belong. I just… I just want, I need to know that there's more then just this."

She hung her head, chin just touching her chest. Her desperate need echoed in her silent soliloquy more then evident. Tears rimmed the corners of her eyes as she wished desperately for life to carry her as far as her stories did. If only she could understand why she felt the way she did. Why did it always feel like a piece of her soul was missing? What had happened to her to cause such a rift inside her being? Why did she feel so lost, so empty, so alone?

"I want to feel… alive."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~End Flashback~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was then that he knew he had to, needed to, reveal himself to her. Even though there was that small part of him that couldn't believe he was thinking of doing something so careless, so stupid, there was an even larger, more dominant part, that felt connected to her pain. The part that told him to finally step out of the shadows that he had lived in for so long.

She wanted to feel alive? Well, he knew that in the last few days he had known her, he had never felt more alive. He hoped that she would feel the same.

"Keh" he argued to himself, "Why do I care if she feels the same way. I could care less about her or what she thinks".

"That's a lie and you know it." The voice within his subconscious whispered to him.

"Bullshit!" He yelled at the inner voice, "Besides, she talks too much and she's too stupid to even be afraid when she needs to be. She's careless".

"You love the sound of her voice," the whisper continued, "It reminds you of laughing rain and singing rose petals. And you love that she's stubborn and fearless… like you."

Inu Yasha grumbled at the voice in his head. "Keh, what do you know? Laughing Rain? That doesn't even make sense!"

"Love never does" …

Inu Yasha froze. Love? It couldn't be, he hardly knew this girl. It wasn't possible… was it?

He gently reached out a clawed finger and tilted her chin up so he could look into her eyes. She looked up at him, her eyes pleading with him to explain everything she was feeling. Everything she was sensing. Everything she couldn't trust herself with.

"I don't know," he began softly, reading her unasked questions in her expression. "But there's…" unable to think of exactly what it was, or how to say it, he glanced down at his feet and shook his head in frustration. What was it exactly?

"Something"

Inu Yasha looked back into her wide, trusting eyes at the sound of her words. "Yeah," he replied, amazed. As if her answer was the most intelligent response anyone, anywhere, had ever made.

"There's…something." He repeated softly, as he felt his head being pulled closer to hers. They came together, slowly, tentatively. Like two opposite ends of a magnet, unable to resist the pull, the need, to come together.

Inu Yasha tilted his head slightly and cupped Kagome's chin with his hand as he brought her mouth closer to his own. He could hear the fast thrumming of her heart in his ears, combined with his own. Their eyes closed slowly as their lips finally touched, just a mere grazing against each other, like a kiss given by the wind. When white blinding light exploded around the two figures, ripping them apart, as Kagome's fearful scream was ripped from her throat.

"INU YASHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!"