InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Synthetic Twilight ❯ XVIIII ( Chapter 19 )

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

Inuyasha watched the woman sitting across from him sleep, the moonlight seeping in from the holes in the roof seemed to lend her an unearthly glow. He sighed, if she remained in that position all night, she was going to wake with a sore neck. He tried to flex his fingers, nothing. Damn Miroku and those ofudas! The growl that he made sounded like a quiet gurgle in his ears, at least the nightmare Kagome looked to have had passed. She let out a breathy sigh, Inuyasha vaguely wished she'd have another nightmare instead. Her head lolled back against the door and she sighed again. Inuyasha breathed in her scent deeply, I'm going to have to take a bath in freezing water before I kick Miroku's ass when I get out of here. Sango's a strong woman, she can manage without him. His eyes locked on the jewel that fell away from Kagome's hand, the second it dropped to the floor, purple began to swirl lightly inside of it. I'm sorry you have to be burdened with this, Kagome. If there's a way to destroy it, I'll do anything to help you.

"...Power?" The voices asked as Kagome laughed standing victoriously over a mountain of felled demons, humans and demons alike bowed low before her. "Our priestess," they said together, reverently. "None surpasses her abilities," a few said in wonder. Kagome laughed harder as rose petals and confetti fell from the sky, "This is too much," she said between giggles. Apparently, whatever was controlling the dream did not understand the concept of 'too much' as she was lifted into a gold palanquin lined with red silk with very attractive- and very sparsely dressed- men guiding her through a crowd of worshipers. "I could get used to this!" she said sighing as she leaned back against the plush pillows watching the silent crowd pass by.
"...Wealth?" the voices asked.
Kagome sat up, "Hey, what's the matter with you guys? You sound so far away now. I can't really hear- hey!" she squeaked as she fell through the palanquin and landed in a very plush bedroom. She gazed at the expensive-looking aquarium that made up one of the walls of the bedroom with brightly colored fish swimming around. "We're in my time!" she exclaimed as she wandered into the 'closet' filled with racks of shoes and clothes. Kagome's mouth dropped open and she ran to one of the racks and picked out a brown coat and slipped into it. "Oooooh," she breathed, "I remember seeing this in a magazine once, it cost more than seven month's rent, but oh! how I wanted it!" she said, pulling up the collar and snuggling against it. She laughed, "Let's see what else is in this house!" She ran past lavishly decorated rooms and down the stairs, where she stopped at a table in the hallway that held framed pictures of her family smiling brightly. "Is this my house?" she wondered out loud and walked into the living room. "Wow," she gasped as she stared at the large entertainment center and picked up a dvd case, "I love this movie! I wonder if it's possible to watch TV in your dreams," she said as she approached the wide screen plasma television.
"...Love?" the voices asked.
The television wobbled and toppled over on Kagome who cowered and screamed. She looked around and realized she was back in the Warring States period, "I really wanted to watch that movie again," she sulked. "Oh well. Hello, Goshinboku," she stroked the bark of the tree fondly.
"Kagome," came a voice from behind her.
"Inuyasha," she said and tensed as he touched her hair affectionately. She smiled sadly, "What the hell, it's my dream anyway," she shrugged and leaned into his touch. Dream Inuyasha held her face and kissed her tenderly, "I love you," he whispered, "always you." She closed her eyes and gave herself to the sensations racking her body, If only...
"Stop tempting her!" screamed the voice that Kagome came to call "The Woman".
"No, no, no. I want this," Kagome moaned, "Please don't tell me to wake up," she said as Dream-Inuyasha kissed around her jawline whispering endearments when he stopped to take breaths.
"Fool! You're giving them power!" The Woman cried outraged.
"I don't care," Kagome whined.
"Is this what our priestess wishes for?" the voices asked all together, their question fully coherent.
"Enough! I have not fought for so long to lose to this! I will not allow them to win you, wake up!"
"Who are you exactly?" she asked, hoping to stall The Woman.
"Not now, wake up!"


Kagome groaned and rubbed her eyes, "I never get to finish that one, why does she always have to ruin it?" she pouted.
"Mmf."
Kagome remembered where she was and peered at Inuyasha, "I can see your hands aren't bound, you can take out that gag yourself."
Inuyasha rolled his eyes and tried to say, Wench, if I could've taken this damn ofuda out myself, I would have!, though it came out as nonsensical grunts. "MMF!"
Kagome laughed and she looked over a still Inuyasha, "I see what Miroku did, I wonder if he'll teach me how to do it?"
As if on cue, the slot in the door was opened and Miroku held up a couple bowls of rice and miso soup. "Breakfast is served!" he said cheerfully.
"Miroku," Kagome said, taking the bowls and setting them down, "how long do you guys plan on keeping us in here?"
"As long as it takes," he replied stoicly, "the two of you need to talk to each other. Everyone in the area has been complaining about your arguments, so as soon as you get over yourselves, we'll let you out."
"MMFRMM!"
Miroku laughed, "I suggest you take that ofuda off of Inuyasha, Kagome."
"Hmph, I've decided that I like living in this shed, bring some mochi for lunch," Kagome said, grabbing the pot of tea and small cups and slamming the slot closed in Miroku's face.
Kagome stopped, chopsticks poised over her bowl of rice and sighed, "I'm going to take that off now, but I want to eat in peace. If you raise your voice at me, I'm going to slap that thing back on." she said, pulling the ofuda from Inuyasha's face.
He grimaced at his body's protests from laying in the same position all night, he cracked his back and sighed with relief. He reached for the other bowl of rice, "Were you really going to eat in front of me like that?"
"I was going to try," Kagome grumbled.
"Well, they want us to work this out so," he paused, shoving another bit of rice into his mouth, "what's crawled up your ass?"
Kagome narrowed her eyes, "I don't want to talk about it right now."
"Hey, ain't ya going to pour me a cup?"
"I'm not playing tea ceremony with you today, asshole, pour your own."
"You're the one being an asshole, it's polite to pour the other person's cup. See? I poured yours."
"Since when do you stand on propriety?" Kagome rolled her eyes, "Fine," she said pouring the green tea into his cup, "Are you happy now?"
"Not really," Inuyasha muttered as he slurped some miso from his bowl. "What happened to you?" he asked sadly.
"How could you ask what happened to me?" Kagome asked, venom practicly dripping from her lips. "You of all people! Please tell me that you just asked to get a rise out of me, because I refuse to believe you're that dense." She glared at Inuyasha, who flinched, and sighed in exasperation. "Let's see what's happened to me, do you want me to start from the very beginning or do you just want me to start from after you left me alone in my time? My problem stems from this," she said, holding the pink jewel up, "and the fact that I fell in love with a dipshit that loved someone else. He took this," she said thrusting the jewel in his face, "and gave it to his girlfriend, and since I wasn't useful anymore, tossed me back to my old life. Which is fine, just fucking fine, because I eventually got used to life without him in the other time. Then I'm told I'm needed in this time, but when I get here, I'm not needed for anything. I'm going to assume, however, I'm needed for the jewel because the girlfriend wasn't able to destroy it. Except, I don't know what to do with the damn thing either, and the goddamn dipshit that I fell in love with is following me around, asking what's wrong with me! See, unlike his girlfriend who said that he betrayed her when she first came around, I actually was tossed aside for the jewel. I'm sure by now, you can understand 'what happened' to me and maybe, just maybe, why I'm a little angry."
"Is that what you think?" Inuyasha asked quietly, "That I just brushed you off for the jewel?"
"Isn't that 'what happened'?" Kagome snapped.
Inuyasha studied Kagome's face, her cheeks were flushed prettily with her anger, her narrowed eyes held the light being filtered in from the holes in the roof warmly. She's beautiful and-, he swallowed, she loves me. Though calling him a 'dipshit' beforehand kind of killed the warm and fuzzies. "No, that's not what happened. Wench, it was better for you to be in your time, with your family, with a life you were familiar with. Has it been easy for you without things from your time here?" he asked.
"I adjusted, those things were not necessary." she replied tersely. "Do you think me incapable of living in this time?"
"Weren't you more comfortable in your time?" he tried to steer the conversation in another direction so she wouldn't explode on him again, "Safer, even?"
"What would you know about it? It's not anymore safer there than it is here, the dangers are just different. I can't save myself from a car crash, or an earthquake, or some asshole bombing the subway, but I can do something about a demon trying to attack me here." she leaned back against the door, the fight beginning to leave her, "Did you ever care for me like you did for Kikyo?"
Yes. No. Inuyasha gulped, that was a tricky question. He loved her, he also loved Kikyo. Kikyo was his first love, and even when she was first resurrected and furious with him, she still held a big part of his heart. To him, she represented the happier times of his past, when he was so willing to sacrifice everything for her. Becoming human was never anything about 'bettering' himself for her, it was a way to destroy the jewel so that she wouldn't have to guard it- they could have a normal life together. For so long, his only wish was for her and little else. Because he loved her, he felt that her death was his fault, so he was obligated to her because of that love. And then there was Kagome... he looked at the woman across from him, pulling a lock of her hair anxiously, though her face was somewhat expressionless. How many times had he wished that he could just tell her how he felt about her in a way that she'd understand? I've never been good at that sort of thing. Kagome had always burned bright in his memory, she was what he longed to have, but he didn't feel worthy of her attention. Not after Kikyo- he couldn't bear it if she met the same fate. She always held an intangible quality about her, not of this world, the power she wielded both frightened and excited him. She was exhilirating, a cool breeze on a hot, humid day. She deserved better than a half demon in a small hut in the wilderness, hiding from everyone, didn't she? "I-I-" he stammered.
Kagome let go of the piece of hair she had been toying with and reached for the teapot shakily, "It doesn't matter, forget I asked."
It matters, goddamn it! Why can't I just spit it out? He watched, dismayed, as Kagome drew into herself. She let out an alarmed cry as the teapot fell from her hands, Inuyasha moved quickly, catching the pot before it could smash on the ground. "Here, let me," he said pouring some of the green tea into her cup.
"You don't have to stay," Kagome said in a small voice. "What I mean is, I don't want you to feel that you're responsible for me, I can take care of myself here. That's why I've been such a bitch lately, I guess. I don't want you to feel that you're obligated to take care of me, I..." she sighed, "I couldn't stand it, if that were the only reason you stayed here."
Inuyasha looked away, blushing, "It ain't the only reason, and I'm staying." he muttered.

Kagome stood and began to pace, he's staying. She felt mortified, how could I ask him to compare his feelings about me with Kikyo? And... and he didn't answer! Well, what could I expect? Stupid! I'm so stupid! She ran a hand through her hair nervously, I have to get out of here, now! Oh god, how could I have asked him that?
"Are you feeling alright?" Inuyasha asked worriedly.
"Ah- great! I feel great!" She straightened, "So, we talked, great. So you're staying and I won't fight you about it anymore, isn't that great?" Kagome felt like hitting her head against one of the walls, Great? I have to get out of here. "Shippo, can you hear me?" she nodded as she heard the kit's muffled voice. "Go to Miroku and tell him we've settled, and that we're both sorry for the inconvenience, right?"
Inuyasha shrugged, "Sure," and watched Kagome's tense form pacing in the doorway. I'm sorry, one of these days, I'll be able to tell you.





AN: Busy weekend, my nephew came to visit and we played video games, went to the zoo...
The little guy so much as sniffles at me and I catch a nasty cold, so I'm nursing stuffy nose right now. Meanwhile I can go to work and be around people who never seemed to learn how to cover their mouths when sneezing/coughing and not catch anything, go figure. I take this all as a sign that life is telling me not to ever have a kid. The only benefit is that I get a buddy who will team up with me to veto anyone who visits that doesn't want to watch cartoons, aaaaaand I get to watch all sorts of pixar and Harry Potter movies that I'm too lazy/embarassed to go and rent myself, it's awesome.
He also brought his ugly puppy... who had fleas, and I'm calling the exterminator because I'm weirded out. Fleeeeas, I keep thinking something's crawling on me. Ack.


As for updating, I don't have a set schedule for it, I've been shooting for at least twice per week.
The day just depends on whenever I have time for it really.