InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ For the Love of a Miko ❯ The Mind and Soul, but Still No Heart ( Chapter 12 )

Kouga heard the confrontation between Kagome and Inuyasha and smiled to himself. She was mad at the mutt-face and that pleased him. He wanted more that anything to run to Inuyasha and rub it in his face, but thought better of it since he did not need Kagome's wrath aimed at him as well.

Miroku looked up when he heard Inuyasha's trademark 'thump'. The lunch he was watching over tentively was done cooking. It was a fine looking lump of venison. Miroku removed it from over the fire and set it to the side to allow it to cool, while he retrieved his friends. He looked at Kouga and sighed inwardly to himself.

"Kouga, would be gracious enough to inform everybody that lunch is ready?" Asked the houshi.

Kouga did not give an answer as he left to gather the comrads.

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"Miroku, I didn't know you could cook like that?" Remarked Sango.

"I've been cooking for myself for some time," answered Miroku

"Feh, yeah when he couldn't find a lord who would belive his crap about dark clouds," rhetorted out favorite oblivious inu-hanyo.

"Inuyasha you don't have to be so mean about it. Miroku doesn't always lie to the lords that he works for. Sometimes there really are ominous clouds and stuff," defended Kagome

"Oi wench, who asked you!"

Before anyone could act upon Inuyasha's rude coment, Kouga had him dangling a few inches off the ground by his neck.

"You will treat her with respect and call her nothing but her name, or else I will rip out your throat!" Said Kouga through gritting teeth. Everyone stood gaping at him like he had grown two heads or something.

"Kouga, it's alright I'm used to it. You can put him down now." Said Kagome, who sighed audibly when he complied. She was unaware that she had even been holding her breath. His defending of her honor left her blushing, though she did not know why. Here she was, daughter of the gods, blushing because a youkai defended her honor from an inu-hanyo. What was the world coming to?

"Kagome you should never have had to become used to it. Why do you continue to stay with him when he treats you so badly?" asked Kouga.

Kagome blushed even more at his question. She had been doing that alot lately. She mentally cursed herself for her lingering 'girly' antics.

'Are you going to answere him or not?'

'I'm thinking, butt out!'

'No, besides you weren't thinking of an answere. You were mad at yourself for blushing!'

'If your not going to leave then help me think of an answere.'

'......'

'WELL!!!'

'How about you don't give him one?'

'What the hell is that supposed to mean?!?'

'Instead you can just walk up to him and give him a big...'

'I am not hearing this!'

'What? You know you want to.'

'Go away'

'......'

*sigh*

"Um Kagome?" Asked Kouga. She had yet to answere his innocent question. He didn't really expect it to affect her this much. He always asked it, but she would always say that Inuyasha was her friend and could not leave him. Kagome actually seamed to be considering it for once! Her eyes betrayed all of her thoughts. They went from confusion, to anger, then back to confusion.

"Oi Kagome?" Inuyasha was waiting expectantly for her answere and was begining to get anxious since she had yet to give it.

Kagome stood up suddenly and walked away from the gathering. All conversation stopped as the group watched Kagome walked away. This was very unlike her.

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'Um....Kagome aren't you going to answere Kouga?'

'No, I need time to myself.'

'Kagome I was just kidding about not answering. Besides you don't have to leave....do you?'

'I just want to be alone for now ok?'

'Sure....Are you alright?'

'You are me, you shoud know.'

'I guess not....I'll shut up now.'

'Thank you.'

Kagome meandered through the village deep in thought. She knew everyone was a little confused about her abrupt departure, no need to read minds there. It was obvious by the amount of silence surrounding the village. Yep, they were confused. So was she.

Kagome looked to where she had wandered and found herself in front of the god tree.

"This is where I first met Inuyasha," She said to herself, "And this is where my father proposed to my mother."

"God tree, what should I do?" Kagome asked the ancient tree. Midoriko's words played in her head once more.

'Follow your heart, and never look back.'

That was the advice that her mentor and fellow jewel soul had given her. Her heart still wished for Inuyasha, but he did not want her for the same reasons. To him, she was still Kikyo's reincarnate and no one could prove him otherwise. Kouga wanted her for herself. Not because she was able to see the shards of the Shikon, there was no longer any need for that, nor for her powers. He did not know their extent, same for Inuyasha.

Kagome had read somewhere that if she was in love, her mind, heart, and soul would all be in agreement. Kouga held her mind and soul, but her heart was torn. He still had work to do, but was close.

Kagome fealt Inuyasha's presence behind her. She reached into his mind to see what his thoughts were.

'Kagome...why didn't you turn Kouga down again? Why didn't you defend me? You've changed so much in a few hours. Have you given up on me? Have I hurt you that bad?'

She could not listen to his thoughts any longer. He was playing with the piece of her heart that he held without even realizing it. He was tearing her up.

A single tear traveled down her cheek before she could call it back. Inuyasha behind her stiffened at the smell of salt in the air. 'Kami this is hard' were Kagome's thoughts.

"Kagome are you ok?" Asked Inuyasha. He wanted her back to her usual self, and things to be normal again. He missed her smile and laughter. Most of all Inuyasha wanted her to run to him and hold him once more. Little did he know that the woman before him was no longer the sweet niive child he had known. Everything about her had changed. Even her scent. Luckily Midoriko had taught her how to mask her scent so as not to attract suspicion from her companions.

"No Inuyasha, I'm not. Please just leave me alone for a while."

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