InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Desert Rose ❯ The Heart Returns ( Chapter 15 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: ji-an
The memory comes back. And Inuyasha has to learn to cope with his fears.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, it's the sole property of Romiko Takahashi, and I cannot and don't want to take credit for her genius.

Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Mystery / Hentai / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 10.31.2006 | Updated On: 03.19.2007 | Pages: 12 | Words: 13.8K | Visits: 2.3K | Status: Completed

Happy Halloween!!
My gift to you,
Hope you like it
And hope I pulled through
To satisfy you! ^_^
 
I hope you like this chapter! You have no idea how hard and long I worked to make this one as perfect as possible!
 
Chapter 15: The heart Returns
 
He wheezed in the bed, clutching his chest as a part of him screamed angrily while his weaker half cried out in pain. His body shuddered, hacking and coughing while he tried to breathe as his heart gave another powerful pulse. It felt like he was being ripped apart, the heartache and the familiar feeling sinking deeper into his bones. He fought against the bile that had risen in his throat. How long had it been since he felt this pain last? He managed to stand without stumbling, slowly he toke his steps while his head and chest throbbed.
 
Inuyasha struggled to walk, his hand to his chest. The muscles constricted around his bones at the feeling of having the heart touched. It was burning. His heart was burning. He breathed with urgency as he neared the shrine.
 
()()()()()()()
 
“ Inuyasha's heart! I found it…” Kagome breathed as her fingers encircled the heart. It pounded in her hand. It was warm; it was burning and shimmering with the most powerful red color Kagome had ever seen. Strangely, the heart somehow called out to her own and she felt her own beating center burn with a powerful warmth and flutter against her cage. She closed her eyes, seeing the gold color in her hand and the platinum one in her chest. Bringing the crystal to her chest, she felt it beating faster than her own.
 
Blissful that she had found the cure to Inuyasha's disease, Kagome opened her eyes and held the heart closer to her chest as her eyes watered. She would be able to keep him from dying. She could get his soul back. Now the question was: how was she going to get him to accept it?
 
Break it!
 
`What!'
 
Shatter it!
 
`The voice that told me not to look at the painting!'
 
Smash it NOW!
 
`NO! He'll die!' Fighting with the voice in her own consciousness, Kagome's arms began to shake as she resisted her body's movements.
 
`I can't!' Her heart screamed!
 
Destroy it!
 
`NO! I have to give it back!'
 
“ I have to give it back.” She muttered, drowning out the malevolent voice she had heard. The voice that she had heard in Rin's room when she first saw the painting of the girl that looked like Inuyasha, it had spoken to her again. Where had that voice come from? It scared her that someone, or something, could be manipulating her in some way in this world. But what scared her most was the familiarity of that voice. It was the voice that told her to follow the sound of the heart, the voice that told her not to look at the painting. `What could it mean?'
 
“ You must know, Ms. Kagome, that the process is not simple.” Myoga said, bringing Kagome out of her frightening reflections and making her attention shift to what was more important.
 
“I don't care! I have to give him his heart back.” She shouted with determination.
 
“Wait, Kagome, please listen-”
 
She spun around to return to the manor, but her feet stay locked in their place. He was standing at the entrance, his eyes burning red and glowing. His unwavering gaze fell on her before jumping to the heart in her hands. A deep growl resonated from his throat and through the air, making a chill run up her spine.
 
“Inuyasha. Your heart…”
“Don't touch it!” He snarled, baring his fangs in warning. His voice was menacing and dark.
 
“What, but-”
 
“Put it back, NOW!”
 
Kagome squeezed the heart nervously, watching as Inuyasha's eyes widened before he fell to his knees, clutching his chest in pain. He began howling and Kagome's hands clench together in pressure.
 
“Kagome! Don't squeeze the heart! You'll hurt him!” Myoga warned as he jumped on her shoulder. Her hold loosened and Inuyasha stopped howling in agony. He stayed in his kneeled position, huffing for breath. “Inuyasha?” She called, hoping he was back to his normal self.
 
“ I said, put it back!” He growled, his face still facing the floor.
 
“You have to take it back, Inuyasha. You'll die.”
 
“Put it back!”
 
He tried to rise to his feet again, but he stumbled and fell forward. Kagome gasped and tried to catch him before he could hit the ground. Her arms encircled his torso and in the heat of the moment, before she knew what she had done, the heart fell from her fingers and was pulled into Inuyasha's chest. He stopped growling and was silent. Realizing what had occurred, Kagome looked up to see his face. A sudden rush of pain and sorrow filled her being. Salty water tickled their way down her cheeks.
 
His eyes were wide and unfocused as the gold returned to his irises, looking but not really seeing. His mouth was slightly agape as he fell to his knees while Kagome let go of him and jumped before he could fall on her. He screamed in anguish as his hand went to cover his chest, blood running from between his fingers and spilling into the floor.
He was panting, shouting as more drops of blood fell into the marble floor as the heart began to reconnect to his body, digging between the bones of his rib cage to center between his lungs where it rightfully belonged.
 
Kagome ran to him, placing her hands on his back, watching, as his hair became a dull grey then cascaded into a midnight, black color. His ears vanished from the top of his head, becoming normal human ears on the sides of his face. He continued to cry out and grunt in grief, the blunt nails of his fingers sinking into his black hair as he began to shake and tug his black tresses in necessity.
 
“Myoga, what's happening?” She demanded, tying to sooth the boy with her hands on his back.
 
“He's reliving the moment his heart fell out.” The flea jumped up and down on her shoulder in panic.
 
“Then why is he hurting! What's wrong with him!” She asked desperately over Inuyasha's tragic wailing.
 
“ His heart is reconnecting his body and his soul.”
 
“But what about-”
 
“I don't have time to explain. You have to try and get him outside. He needs fresh air.” Inuyasha had stopped his hollering. He was now gasping for oxygen as the heart reunited itself to his blood and his heartbeat began to change back to its true rhythm. He still shook feverishly, the icy images, moments before his heart fell, filled his mind: the dark place, the bodies, the blood, the heart on the floor, the guilt, and her. “ S-stop…” He muttered before his world went black.
 
Kagome managed to hook her arm around Inuyasha's waist, noticing that he had fainted from terror. She felt poignant and heartbroken. From where these emotion sprang, she wasn't sure, but she managed to pull the boy's arm over her shoulder and stand up. Somehow she was able to carry his body out of the shrine and into the rain that was pouring outside. She set him on the ground as gently as she could manage with his weight and let him lie on his back. She turned his head, his wet, black bangs falling over his closed eyes.
 
“He's human now?” She asked as the rain drenched her clothes, her hands pushing aside the obsidian locks that covered his face.
 
“Yes. It usually happened every new moon. That was his human night. When he brought his heart here sixty years ago, he no longer turned human on this night. He had torn away the human part of him, the side with his emotions and heart.” The flea answered.
 
Kagome unbuttoned the front part of his robe, watching as the crystal of his heart glowed in the open wound on his chest, between his bones and lungs. Amazed at herself from not even flinching at the site of the grotesque wound, she pulled a blue shawl to cover the wound as best as she could without harming him. He panted in his sleep as the rain fell on his face.
 
“What can I do, Myoga?”
 
“ All we can do, I'm afraid, is bandage him. Now, it's only a question of his will to live.”
 
“What do you mean?” Kagome said as she lifted Inuyasha's head to rest in her lap. “He wants to die?”
 
“ May I ask you something?” The flea saw Kagome nod.
 
“What do you fear most?”
 
“ I-I don't know.” Somewhere in the back of her mind an image of Inuyasha lying motionless in the ground appeared.
 
“What caused Master Inuyasha's heart to fall out was his worst fear. If a person sees something so terrible that haunts them for every living moment of the remainder of their lives, their heart couldn't take that kind of despair. They would rather die than go on living with that despair. It matters not how strong the heart is. It's all a matter if they could face their fears and live on.”
 
“I don't believe that he will die. I know he's strong.”
 
Myoga was silent for a while before saying, “I hope you're right, Ms. Kagome.”
 
The droplets danced their way through her hair as Kagome sat there on the brick road with Inuyasha's head cradled in her lap. She had to admit he still looked handsome, even as a human. His hair, ears and nails were different. She kept expecting to see his silver hair every time she looked at him. The first thing she missed was his ears. ` I wonder what color his eyes are…'
 
The flea jumped off of her shoulder, saying that he had to go inform Totosai about the “Master's condition.” Kagome asked him not to tell anyone else just yet. “I don't know if Inuyasha will be okay with that. And I want to see how he feels when he wakes up before I tell them anything…”
 
The flea nodded and ran off. Kagome stayed there, not moving from the rain. She rather enjoyed the weather so long as there was no thunder to roar in the skies and she didn't seem to mind the small amount of mud that had gathered on her clothes from the dirt against the brick road. For some reason, the sadness she had felt earlier had faded away as the water fell on her face. Feeling the urge to sing, Kagome sang the first song that came to her, letting the sound soothe her mind. She felt Inuyasha move in her lap and, stopping her singing, found herself staring into deep, violet eyes. He looked up at her in a daze.
 
He didn't say anything. She looked at him to see for the first time a wave of sadness cross his face. He looked sullen and forlorn. Air puffed between his lips causing him to wince as the heart kicked between his lungs. She began stroking the hair out of his forehead to soothe him. At her touch, his solid gaze focused on her, sad and empty.
 
“Inuyasha? How are you feeling?” He didn't answer, just rose from his position while trying to stand with his back to her.
 
“You shouldn't move, you're injured. You'll be too weak to fight against the pain in your human form.” Kagome had risen to help him steady himself but he pushed her hand aside by shoving his shoulder away from her palm.
 
“Inuyasha?”
 
“Get lost.” He said.
 
“Huh?”
 
“ I don't want to talk to you right now!”
 
“ What's-”
 
“Why did you do it!” He asked, angrily turning back to her to look at her. The rain dripped over his face as he looked at like she was a traitor.
 
“Do what?”
 
“ You asked me how I feel, right? You wanna know? I feel like shit! I want to die! Why did you do it?! Why did you return the pain that's been tormenting me for so fucking long?!”
 
“ You could've died! I didn't want you to become an empty shell with no heart or feelings!” She sobbed.
 
“ I don't give a fuck!” The sound of his voice made her cringe. She had never seen him this angry before. Not even that time in Southern Domain when soldiers attacked him. “I'd rather be dead than feel the way I do now! Why do you think my heart dropped in the first place! I wanted to forget! I never wanted to feel this fucking pain again!”
 
“ You have to face whatever happened Inuyasha.” Tears where rolling down her pale face now. “ You have to go on living! Bad things happen. You've lived through many things. Why can't you let go of whatever happened and move on?”
 
“Shut up! You wouldn't understand what I'm going through!” He said as he turned to leave. She moved to follow.
 
“Go away! I don't want to talk to you! Leave before I do or say something I might regret later.” He stated that last part as calmly as he could muster before he turned and walked away.
 
She stood with her head facing the floor. For a while she let the rain wash away the salt from her face, before she began following him. Safe from a distance, he didn't detect her presence as she watched him struggle to climb on a large bolder at the edge of a cliff. The rain made the smooth rock a difficult climb, but he managed to sit himself on it, facing the precipice below. She watched as he leaned forward on his knees and covered his face with his hands.
 
“Damn it!” He growled as he hit the rock underneath him with his fist while one hand still covered his face. “Why do I have to be reminded of this? Why does it feel like the guilt will never leave me? How long do I have to fucking feel this!”
 
()()()()()()()
 
Kagome lay alone in the bed. Having decided that it was best to leave Inuyasha to calm down, she had left him be. She didn't have to be near him to know what he was feeling. She understood now why she hadn't felt his pain when he could feel hers. She could feel his pain emotionally and he could feel her pain physically. She knew how he felt, but she couldn't understand why he was so hollow, lost, and alone?
 
For the first time, she didn't know what to say to comfort him. She couldn't just tell him to get over his pain and move on. Whatever happened to him was so painful that he could still berate himself about it after sixty years. What could she say that would calm him? What could she say that would make him smile? What could she do that would make emotions other than anger and sadness rise to surface?
 
She hadn't seen him so full of sorrow, so melancholy and perturbed. A part of her wished that she hadn't returned his heart. It had happened as an accident. She hadn't meant to return the heart they way that she had. She wanted him to accept it willingly, not for the heart to be drawn into him. Even if he had his heart back, so many questions were left unanswered.
 
She thought about the voice she had heard. `Break it…' She repeated in her mind. She shuddered at what kind of omen that voice could represent. Was there someone who had another connection to her, like the host bond she had with Inuyasha? The simple idea had her shake with fear. Whoever had her under their eye wanted unfortunate things for Inuyasha and that meant that he was even in danger around her. The revelation had Kagome cry out in fear and grief.
 
She tossed and turned, finding her position awkward no matter how she rested. Images and doubts about what happened earlier this night had made her so emotional broken and tired. It didn't feel the same without Inuyasha next to her. It was colder. The rain continued to bang against the windows as Kagome huffed in frustration from being unable to find a comfortable position.
 
“He'll get a cold if he stays out too long.” She rose from the cushions, returning to the wet atmosphere of the outdoor world. She saw him walk through the rain from the doorway she had just emerged. He padded past her, ignoring the mud on his feet, as the skies got lighter with the nearing of sunrise. Kagome stood to follow him as the sun's light appeared over the clouds.
 
Inuyasha laid his head back against his shoulders, closing his eyes, his face towards the clouds. The light from over the clouds came over his face. His body glowed in silver for a moment before the black hair slowly became lighter as his ears migrated to the top of his head again. His nails grew into sharpened claws as he opened his eyes to reveal that the gold had returned to his irises.
 
An ear twitched and Inuyasha turned to see Kagome stand behind him looking sympathetic. What could he say to he now? He didn't feel like seeing anyone, talking to anyone. He didn't even feel like living. First the visions of what caused his heart to fall and then he took out his frustration on her. He knew she was right: he had to face his past, but how could he move on when everything he cared for was ripped from him. He didn't feel much like seeing her now. The guilt from snapping at her and the anger he felt at her for reminding him of his pains made him want to be as far away from her as possible.
 
`Then how was I able to go on those sixty years?' He asked himself. `I wanted to be unfeeling so I could escape this pain, but was I really running away instead of facing it?'
 
He eyed the woods that stood next to him, watching as the trees welcomed him as an escape route, but he felt guilty, guilty that he was running away from her when he knew that what she had done was for his best interest. Nevertheless, he didn't want his sharp tongue to hurt her.
 
“Inuyasha?” Her voice kept him in place before he could sprint off into the woods. “I'm sorry.” She said, facing the floor. “I didn't know how much it would hurt you to have your heart back but I still didn't want you be a body without feeling and die. You've helped me so much, I couldn't bear to know that you could die.”
 
He was silent for a while and Kagome was afraid that he was rejecting her apology. She kept stealing hidden glances at him. His fists clenched and unclenched and he looked like he was struggling to find words. He was also facing the mud, keeping his eyes from locking on to hers. She noticed how his feet took tiny steps on their own. She knew he wanted to run, but was fighting the urge. She couldn't blame him: it had taken every ounce of courage on her part just to see him.
 
“ There's nothing to apologize for. You didn't do anything wrong.” He finally answered, looking up at her quietly.
 
“Then you accept my apology?”
 
“ No.” Her heart sank.
 
“ There's nothing to be sorry for. You're right. I can't run away from my pain forever. I have to face this and finish it.”
 
“Inuyasha…”
 
He looked at her, a weak, guilty smile covering his face. “I should be saying sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you, but you still can't understand what I'm going through, even if you can feel my sadness. Let's just forget about it, okay?” That was about the closet to the sincerest apology he could manage. He wasn't one with words and, after the memory of what happened to him returned in full force, he was lacking in confidence and he didn't like the feeling. It was not like him to suddenly doubt himself, but the images and the remembrance had drained him of self-esteem.
 
“ I won't ask what happened. If you don't want to tell me, I won't press it.” Kagome said. No matter how much she wanted to know, she wanted him to tell her willingly.
 
His heart gave another kick, and he snapped his eyes shut, placing his hand over the painful area as he sank to his knees again. He heard her whimper in worry, but stopped her from coming close by growling. She won't ask what happened! God, it was taking every last bit of power he had within himself to try and NOT think about it! Even the slightest hint had his heart churn with fire. He stood, drawing in a few shaky breaths and returning his focus to her. She calmed after a while before her facial cast began showing concern.
 
“ You still intend to send me home?” She finally asked afraid of his answer could be.
 
“ The border's not safe enough for me to do so. Besides, it'll be another two days before that Totosai tells me how to use the sword.”
 
“Inuyasha…”
 
“Forget about it.” He looked away from her and into the clouds. “It's not your fault. It's mine. This never had anything to do with you. You're right. I do have to face what happened, no matter how much it bothers me.” He concluded as if he had recited what he meant to say in his head a thousand times.
 
“ You've sure done a lot of growing up since I gave you your heart back.” Came a slightly happier voice.
 
“Keh, what was that supposed to mean?”
 
“ Nothing.” Kagome smiled, thankful that things were back to normal with them She rubbed her eyes sleepily. She suddenly felt cold from the rain. Her host clothes drenched from the water that still fell from the skies. She blushed when she realized that the cloth was clinging to her damp skin, showing things she would rather keep secret. Her blush intensified when she heard Inuyasha come near her.
 
“What's with the face this time?” Inuyasha asked as he walked toward her, his arms crossed in front of his chest, smirking at the way her clothing clung to her.
 
“It's nothing. I just haven't slept all night. I'm tired.” She said, avoiding his gaze as she covered her chest with her arms as best as she could.
 
He was standing directly in front of her, looking down into her face with an unreadable expression. He smirked before leaning forward so close that she could feel the heat of his body. “You miss me being there?” He asked huskily and grinned when she blushed even further.
 
“Let's go to bed then.” Her blush deepened again. “I'm tired too.”
 
()()()()()()()
 
Kagome and Inuyasha had gone back to their room together as the rain pounded outside. She had blushed and turned when Inuyasha removed his wet clothes. He chuckled, still knowing that he could make her blush easily. He would never admit it, but he did love the way her cheeks heated, and he did get a kick out of knowing that he was the one embarrassing her. They changed into dry, sleeping robes with Kagome yelling at Inuyasha to keep his eyes to himself before she changed. It resulted in him rolling his eyes and turning while she switched outfits.
 
Though they had made peace with each other on the matter of Inuyasha's feelings, there was still a tension between them as they laid in bed together. Kagome had been a little nervous and it surprised the hanyou that his company seemed so foreign to her after being separated for one night. He had to pull her toward him, chuckling when she squeaked and threw him an angry look.
 
“How do you feel?” Kagome had asked, using his arm as a pillow as they both rested on their sides.
 
Inuyasha tensed a little before placing his hand to rest over Kagome's shawl, which still served as a bandage. “I think it may be a little while before the wound closes, even with my quick healing.”
 
“How come?”
 
“You saw it. My heart dug it's way through my flesh just to get to its rightful place. I can still feel it reconnect to my blood. It hurts.” He said, his palm covering the shawl over his heartbeat.
 
The girl in his arms stirred, before coming closer into his embrace. She wrapped her arms around his chest and placed her head next to his hand.
 
“Kagome?”
 
“A heart's a heavy burden, Inuyasha.”
 
She leaned up to him, brushing her lips against his, making him groan with the contact. Shyly, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. He sensed a rush of familiar energy seeping into him from her, and he wondered how she had learned to give energy back on her own.
 
The surprise of the moment faded quickly and he took control of the kiss, turning them over so that he was on top. Her eyes opened wide for a moment before they closed again as she felt her breath being stolen from her. She felt his arms wrap around her waist, pulling her closer to him and giving him the advantage of plunging his tongue to surge against hers when she gasped. Shocked at how fast her mind was spinning, Kagome shyly returned his kisses, forgetting how to breathe and ignoring the significance of oxygen when refused to release her from his embrace. Lost in the feeling of swirling emotions, the passionate feeling became too much for her to bear without breathing, she wrenched her lips away from his, gasping for air.
 
Somehow, she had drained him of whatever strength she had left. Barely able to hold himself up on his elbows anymore, he collapsed on her, his chin resting against her shoulder. Her could hear her breathing heavily next to his ear. Being too exhausted from his condition and being far to content from where her body pressed his, he would've moved. He wondered if he scared her and decided to shift, but was surprised that she wrapped her arms around his torso and laid her head on his shoulder.
 
“Inuyasha…” She gasped. Still a little stunned at what just happened, it took a moment for the mist to clear from her mind. She just wanted to give whatever of his strength she had with her, but was surprised when he reacted the way he had.
 
“Go to sleep, Kagome. I'm sure we're both tired.”
 
After a while, he noticed that she had fallen asleep contently. Deciding he should follow her course of action, he managed to pull her body to rest on her side so that he wasn't crushing her. Her unconsciously placed her head on his arm, but didn't release her hold on him. Smirking, he fell asleep.
 
()()()()()()()
 
For the next two days, Kagome had unenthusiastically spent her days, wandering through the grounds. She spent a lot of time with Sango in the baths, letting her overused muscles relax in the steaming water. Shortly after she and Inuyasha had woken up in the middle of the afternoon, Kagome had to tell Sango and Miroku about the things that had happened the night before. They were pleased that Inuyasha would live without losing his soul, but they weren't happy about the pain that Kagome had described. Of course, she didn't tell them of their argument.
 
Still, the mystery surrounding the hanyou remained in a haze. No matter how the three of them were left baffled on what pained him so, Kagome was determined to respect his secrecy. No matter how she and the others wanted to know what caused him to lose his heart, no matter how they wanted to know Inuyasha's connection to the girl in the painting, they had all agreed not to press him about the details. Even as the enigmatic situation daunted Kagome to no end, she had promised herself not to bring up the subject in front of the hanyou.
 
Inuyasha wanted to spend a lot of time to himself. He would still sleep for a good part of the day. If he wasn't sleeping he was dawdling about the grounds with his arms crossed and his eyes deep in thought. The sore in his chest would hurt from time to time and he would have to lie down to let his heart rest. It was painful. The process of reconnecting his heart and soul was just as painful as when the heart fell from him. He would even find it a challenge to walk sometimes.
 
The morning of the last day at Inu-taisho's tomb, Totosai had called Inuyasha to speak with him privately about the dimensional sword's powers. The blade had been sharpened and re-forged to perfection. Its abilities were more reliable as was its terrible power.
 
“ The sword will also keep you from reverting to your demon form. You shouldn't over use it. Now that your heart has returned, you will not be able to control your demon half so keep the sword with you.” The old man warned.
 
“Keh, I know that.”
 
“ Be responsible for your actions. What would you do if you ended up hurting your friends?”
 
“ Save it. I know what I'm doing.” Inuyasha growled, hitting Totosai over the head.
 
“ Ouch! If that's your attitude then I'm taking my sword back.”
 
“ No way.” Inuyasha jumped before the old man could snatch the sword out of his hands. “You said it yourself, how am I going to keep my demon half at bay?”
 
“ Hmm. Just make sure you rest up before you go charging into battle again. That wound on your chest will take longer to heal, even with your demonic and sorcerer healing.” The old man said.
 
“He's right Master Inuyasha.” Myoga jumped on Inuyasha's shoulder.
 
“You shouldn't overwork yourself while in your present condition.”
 
“ And where have you been hiding all this time Myoga?” Inuyasha asked angrily. The flea twitched a bit before answering. “I was checking the grounds.”
 
“Sure, while I was wasting away in my room from the pain. You couldn't come and drain my heart's poison, now could you?” He squashed the flee between his forefinger and thumb. Myoga floated down into the floor, un-flattening himself before apologizing. “I'm sorry Master Inuyasha. I thought you wouldn't want to be disturbed.”
 
“Keh!” He rose to leave the room and collect his friends.
 
“ Well, he hasn't changed that much.” The old man remarked.
 
“Indeed.” The flea agreed.
 
The sun was out that day. The afternoon he had woken up with Kagome sleeping next to him, it was cloudy and it had been so for the past two days. He wondered if the grey weather corresponded to the way he had felt those days. The dreams where becoming more frightening and realistic. He was no longer able to go back to sleep after waking up even with the girl slumbering peacefully next to him.
 
Inuyasha walked to find Kagome returning from the bath with Sango. She was giggling; her face was a little flushed. Realizing that Sango was yelling at Miroku, who was padding nervously behind them, a twinge of annoyance and anger crossed his mind. He knew the monk had peeped at them.
 
“Come on, my dearest, you know my intentions were honorable.” Miroku defended himself innocently.
 
“Save it! You were still watching us. So we slipped off a stone and sank in the water for a few moments! You had no right to jump in there! Just think of the embarrassment you caused Kagome-chan!”
 
“I was trying to keep you from drowning!” He said sadly.
 
“Sure you were!”
 
“ Calm down Sango-chan. I'm sure he was only trying to help.” Kagome interrupted. She couldn't help but giggle at the image of Sango running after Miroku in a rage yelling that he shouldn't expect children from her after she was done with him. After he had been caught in the bath, Sango had run after him with nothing but her towel and her hiraikotsu over her head.
 
Turning her head away from the bickering couple, Kagome saw Inuyasha waiting for them near the manor. He watched them with a strange expression Kagome had never seen on his face. As they neared, his expression grew more annoyed at the sight of Miorku.
 
“Don't tell me I did something that offends you too.” Miroku said when he saw the hanyou's gaze on him.
 
“Maybe next time you should try to respect your wife's and my host's privacy. It's bad enough you peep at your own wife, you have to watch my host too?” Inuyasha answered coldly. Sango and Kagome blushed. How did he know about that?
 
“INUYASHA!” The two women yelled angrily before stopping their hands in midair and remembering the weakened condition he was in. He stood there watching them nonchalantly, as if the fact that they were about to slap him didn't bother him in the slightest.
 
Miroku cleared his throat. “So, what's our next move?”
 
The hanyou eyed him irritably. Before he could answer, Kagome spoke, her face still a little pale from his earlier remark.
 
“How are you feeling, Inuyasha?”
 
“ The wound is taking longer to close than I expected. I can't go to fight the way I am now.”
 
“So we are going back home?” Sango cut in. Inuyasha nodded. Sango smiled, knowing that she could see her brother for a little while. She missed him.
 
()()()()()()()
 
From what had begun as an odd morning was becoming an intriguing day. Kagome and Sango stayed in the garden speaking with Kohaku, laughing when he explained the bet the servant girls had. Apparently the human sorceresses and the demons had made a wager to see who could clean their half of the castle the fastest. The two teams had rushed through the entire castle, whipping and cleaning everything in sight. Even the tai-youkai was amazed at the “flashes” that seemed to clean his castle. The end result was a tie, and both the teams were so tired that they had fainted in the great hall.
 
“Um, Ms. Kagome?” A servant girl interrupted Kagome and Sango as Kohaku began another story.
 
“What is it?” Kagome rose from her chair. The girl fidgeted before, playing with her hands before bringing her face to Kagome. “It's…um.”
 
“Is there something wrong?”
 
“Something strange has happened.”
 
“What?”
 
“ Inuyasha-sama is gone.”
 
“I think I know where he is.”
 
“No. He told me to tell you not to look for him.”
 
“What! Why!” Kagome stuttered, growing agitated.
 
“I don't know, my lady. He said, `Tell her not to follow me.' That was all.”
 
()()()()()()()()
 
“This Sesshoumaru hasn't seen that scowl on your face for, hmm, how long was it?”
 
“Yeah well, THIS Inuyasha hasn't lashed out at your for at least sixty years and isn't afraid to start now.”
 
“ You're defiantly back to your old self. Your unintelligent replies are proof of that. Personally, I preferred it when your demon half was in more control. At least then you had some manners.”
 
“Keh.”
 
Both brothers glanced at each other from across the table. As Inuyasha placed his feet up on the counter, while his brother sat back into his seat, they regarded one another in contemplation. Having his heart returned brought back feelings of dislike that he had felt for Sesshoumaru years before. They weren't the type of brothers that had a sacred bond between siblings. Both knew that there was no real family love between them. Their relationship was one based on competition and business. Though they weren't the types of brothers that were inseparable, there was s tiny bit of caring between them. They could fight and bicker until one emerged victorious, but the gravity of one's death was severe to the other. Remembering this fact, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru stopped their glares and reverted their attentions to more important matters.
 
“So, what is it you want?” Sesshoumaru began, breaking the silence.
 
“I can't go to fight in my state now. I might need a few weeks to heal.”
 
“How are you feeling at this point?”
 
“I never expected those words to come out of your mouth.”
 
“Then you had better enjoy this moment.” Sesshoumaru replied just as sarcastically.
 
“I want two things done.”
 
“Hmm?”
 
“First, I want her unsealed. Second, I'm leaving for a while and I want you to keep quiet about where I am.”
 
“Running away from your host again?”
 
“No. I'm going to see an old friend.”
 
“Very well, so long as you're out of my sight. You have two weeks to heal.” That being said, Inuyasha walked out of the room. His attention turned to where he had planned to go and, deciding that he should depart before he was detected, he walked toward his room to collect his sword. He needed to see her. Walking into his dimly lighted room, he gathered the Tetsusaiga while his mind wandered back to…
 
He grunted, falling to his knees and clutching his chest in pain. Every time he'd think about it, that moment, his heart would give a painful kick. He knew that it was permanent, the memory, the pain, now that he could no longer forget. Before, he'd be reminded in dreams, now it came to his mind almost all the time. The very pain he had tried to forget was now plaguing him again. It felt like yesterday, the pain was fresh and he remembered clearly. “ And I thought the pain of having his heart drop was the most painful.” He laughed nervously. He hated himself for constantly thinking about it!
 
After composing himself, though the pain in his chest only a minor ache, he returned his attention to the task at hand. Picking up the Tetsusaiga, he swung the weapon in front of him, entering the portal to his destination.
 
()()()()()()()()
 
Kagome had looked everywhere and still no sign of him. He hadn't been anywhere in the castle, not even in the golden room, and she was getting frustrated that she couldn't find him! Why would he leave in his condition! Was he crazy! What if an enemy found him while he was in his state of vulnerability? Or worse: what if his heart dropped again. Where would he possibly go that he didn't want her to come along?
 
She stopped in mid step in the middle of the castle corridors. After all they had been through together, he still kept things from her! She felt angry for the lack of faith he had in her and yet she completely trusted him! She felt…sad, sad that he didn't open up to her. She was his friend, why couldn't he believe in her? Sighing, she turned to see Sango walking up to her, a myriad of emotions running across her face.
 
“Kagome, what's wrong? You couldn't find him?” Sango asked as she neared the younger girl, noting the worried expression on her face.
 
“No, he doesn't even answer me when I call to him with my mind. Why doesn't he trust me?”
 
“ Kagome…”
 
“I just can't stand it! He hasn't told me anything! Everything I know about him came from an outside source. He never told me about himself, I always have to find out from somewhere else! I wish he'd talk to me!” She admitted, her eyes downcast and staring at the floor. She felt Sango put her hands on her shoulders.
 
“Kagome, I know that he's very secretive. I think part of the reason he doesn't let anyone get close to him is because he doesn't want to be hurt.”
 
“But I want to help him. How can I do that if he doesn't have faith in me?”
 
“Let him have his space. I honestly don't know what it was that could scare Inuyasha to make his heart drop. He's the type of person that could see the worst death and be unaffected. Whatever it was, it must have been really horrible. I'm sure he needs a little time to come to terms with it.”
 
“ He's such an idiot! What was he thinking going away when he's hurt so terribly! I don't want to hear anything else about him! If I'm going to find out something about him, I want to hear it from his own mouth!”
 
“I'm sure he'll trust you in time.”
 
“But…I feel so guilty, Sango. It's all my fault that he's in such turmoil now! Is he mad at me? Is that why he left? I wish I knew where he was so I could stop worrying! Why can't I get him out of my mind? I hate that I made him remember what hurts him most!” She tried to fight back the tears that were coming, only to let them fall when Sango pulled her into an embrace.
 
“I know how you feel, Kagome. We're all worried about him. But…I know for sure that if he will ever tell anyone what happened to him, you will the first one to know.” Kagome fisted Sango's shirt, sobbing into the older girl.
 
“ Do you care about him?” Sango asked over Kagome's sobs.
 
“Of course I do!” Kagome countered, defense clear in her voice.
 
“No, I mean, how much do you care. How do you really feel about him?”
 
Kagome looked up at her, eyes watery and filled with confusion. “What do you mean?”
 
“Is something wrong, Sango?” A knowing voice appeared from behind Kagome and Sango could tell that her husband had, once again, chosen to make his presence known at the worst time. “It's nothing, Miroku.” She said as she let go of the smaller girl, watching as she whipped her eyes quickly before facing the monk behind her.
 
“Miroku, teach me the transportation spell!” She ordered, her eyes burning with determination. The monk was taken aback by her sudden demand as he stared at her astonishingly for a moment before answering her. “Kagome, what is this about?”
 
“Just teach me! I know that I can perform it. Please Miroku!”
 
“Hmm. I'll teach you, but first you must tell my why you want to learn.”
 
“I want to see Jordan and the sooner, the better.”
 
“ The concept is easy, it's the toll the spell takes on you.”
 
“I don't care! Tell me how!”
 
“ All you need to do is imagine the place you want to be in your mind. See it and see yourself going there, feel that place around you and know that you are there. All your thoughts must be there and no where else. If you think of something else, you may end up far from where you want to be.”
 
“That's all?” Miroku nodded seeing how she was surprised at the simplicity of it.
 
Ignoring Miroku and Sango for the moment, Kagome closed her eyes, drawing in a deep breath and forgetting her surroundings. She could do this, she knew she could. Her body's reactions to Inuyasha's power had given her a hint of sorcery into her miko abilities. All she had to do was focus. She meditated, a skill Jordan had taught her, drowning out all sounds and clearing her mind. With her eyes closed shut, she illuminated the image of Crystal Palace in her mind. `Focus, see myself there, with Jordan, Lord Levion…There was another palace…somewhere else…Think about Crystal palace…by the ocean…in the snow…made of seashells…made of crystal…cold…warm…'
 
“Kagome? Kagome!” Miroku waved his hand in front of her face, hoping to snap her out of her trance. She didn't respond, her eyes still closed and her attention averted. Somehow sensing that something was wrong, he tried to shake her to wakefulness but, her eyes remained closed and she surprised the monk and his wife even further when her body vanished from his hands.
 
()()()()()()()
 
“Did…I…transport?” Kagome repeated to herself, her eyes closed and her hands on her temples. It was a wonder she didn't fall, her legs felt weak and every muscle in her body felt as though it were ready to tear like paper. Miroku was right: the spell was very draining. It was like she had been holding her breath for so long, her breathing came as urgent gasps, and she was shaking, not from the cold, but rather, from the sudden loss of warmth in her own blood. Her head wheezed with pain, as though she was having someone hit her skull from the inside. Opening her eyes, Kagome saw the loss of color in her hands. Her hands were white; the blood had receded from her hands and face. She stood there trying to clear the haze from her mind as the normal redness returned to her palms.
 
“Where am I?” Kagome muttered as she took in the desert around her. Did she make a mistake, taking herself far away to a place she didn't mean? She was alone in the desert again, but something felt off, why was there a smell of water. Walking closer to the smell, she saw the ocean in front of her.
 
“Is…this Southern Domain?” She asked herself.
 
“Finally figured it out, huh genius? It's all been reduced to a desert now. No doubt the rest of the Domains will share the same fate should they come under the control of Naraku as well.” A voice answered her, causing her to gasp and turn into the direction of the voice.
 
 
 
()()()()()()()()()()()
 
 
http://www.xanga.com/inuyasha1fangirl
 
Okay some reviewers said that the link above didn't work. But if you still would want to see the cutest Inuyasha and Kagome related thing EVER!!! FOLLOW MY PERCISE DIRECTIONS!!!
 
First, use the link (Copy and paste it or copy it manually on the web) and you should arrive at a website with a blue back-round and a picture of Kagome, Sango, Inuyasha and Shippo at the top.
 
Second, scroll down till you see the picture of Sango and Miroku getting married. Under that picture, is another picture of Inuyasha and Miroku bathing. RIGHT NEXT TO THAT IS AN UNCOLORED PICTURE OF INUYASHA HOLDING KAGOME!!!
 
CLICK ON IT AND YOU SHOULD HAVE ANOTHER WINDOW POOP UP AND YOU WILL BE GIVEN THE BEST INUYASHA AND KAGOME THINK EVER!!!!