InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Difference a Little Time Can Make ❯ Chapter 12 ( Chapter 12 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this story.

 

Author's note: As I said previously, the updates will likely begin to slow down a bit. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Please continue to review and let me know what you think. The changes from canon will continue to ripple out, though some things will remain the same.

 

Please review. Does Inuyasha seem too out of character in this chapter? I wasn't sure if I had gotten his reactions correctly.

 

 

Inuyasha hefted the Tessaiga in his hands as he swung it a few times, as he thought about his ability to wield it. They had returned to Kaede's hut and explained their adventure to the worried miko. Afterward, he had come out to this field to practice with his sword. He had become frustrated at first when it wouldn't transform but had calmed himself by thinking about Kagome and her unwavering trust in him. He had vowed to himself to always protect her and give her no reason to doubt her faith in him. At that thought the rusty blade had transformed into the powerful fang and staring at it he had realized that it was his desire to protect her that caused the transformation. He paused in his movements and thoughts as he felt a presence land on his shoulder. “What do you want Myouga-jiji? If you're looking for a snack, you can forget it.”

 

“I'm hurt that you would think so poorly of me Inuyasha-sama” the flea spoke up from where it had been examining his neck. He turned his gaze to the transformed blade. “Very good, Inuyasha-sama. I see that you have learned the secret of the fang.”

“Keh. I know it transforms based on my wanting to protect Kagome, if that's what you mean.”

 

The flea-youkai felt himself freeze in shock at those words. He honestly hadn't thought the hanyou would realize that fact yet. “Yes, the Tessaiga was forged by your father to protect your mortal mother. It was your feelings towards mortals that allowed you to wield the fang.”

 

'Not mortals, but one mortal. Kagome' Inuyasha thought as he glanced back toward the village.

 

“Yes, Inuyasha-sama” Myouga continued on, ignorant of Inuyasha's thoughts “that is why you could wield the Tessaiga when Sesshomaru could not. His hatred of humans makes it impossible for him to ever wield the Tessaiga.” The flea youkai peered closely at the hanyou's face before asking “Inuyasha-sama, what is Kagome-sama to you? Even I can tell that she is a special person.”

 

Inuyasha felt himself blush at the question and began to bluster. “K-keh! She's not anyone important. I just don't want to see her get hurt, is all.”

 

Myouga stared intently at him. “Are you sure that is all? Her presence doesn't affect you at all? Your heart doesn't beat faster when she is near? Or your youki feel calmed by her presence?”

 

Inuyasha felt his blush increase as he wondered just how Myouga knew all of this. “Keh. There's nothing special about her presence. Why should I care about that bitch” He said instead, not noticing the slip he made.

 

Myouga noticed his slip but made no mention of it. 'He thinks of her as his bitch already? This is more serious than I first thought.' Instead he said “I think that you are lying to yourself Inuyasha-sama. If I were you I wouldn't let Kagome-sama get away. You won't ever find another person like her again. She completes you, is your missing half.” The flea youkai made to depart but was stopped by Inuyasha's hand.

 

“Wh-what do you mean that she completes me?”

 

Myouga peered at him intently before answering. “Everybody has that one special person that is the other half of them, the one that their soul calls out to. You may fall in love with someone who is not the other half of your soul but it is never as special, as intense as when you find the one that completes you. Your mother was the one that completed your father.”

 

Inuyasha gulped as he digested these words. “H-how do you know when you've found your other half?” he asked.

 

“You will simply know. There will be an instant connection. You will feel complete when they are near, feel pain when they are hurt or sad. You will want to protect them from everything.” Myouga stared at him again. “Also, your father once told me that he knew by Izayoi-sama's scent. He said that to him it was the most wonderful scent, he had never smelled anything like it before or since. For an Inu-youkai, they will be able to tell their other half by their scent.” And with that the flea youkai left his master to contemplate his words as he hopped away.

 

Inuyasha stood there in silence for a long moment. “Keh! What a load of crap.” But as he turned away, he looked back towards Kaede's hut once more and couldn't help but wonder if maybe Myouga spoke the truth. Kagome's image flashed through his mind, and with a sigh he sheathed his blade before returning to Kaede's hut and the girl from the future.

 

 

Kagome awoke with a start. She had been dreaming about the encounter with the Un-Mother, only this time she hadn't been able to free Inuyasha. She felt tears fill her eyes as she thought about what could have happened if she was too late. She also wondered about her own mother. How did she feel not knowing where Kagome was, what she was doing? She felt her tears increase before she was drawn against a hard chest.

 

Inuyasha had been sitting against the wall, holding the Tessaiga to his chest when his ears had detected her faint sobs. He opened his eyes as the scent of her tears reached him. He stared at Kagome for a moment, her soft sobs causing his heart to clench painfully, as he wondered how to calm her down. After a few moments he could take the sound of her tears no longer, and he laid the Tessaiga on the ground before moving to kneel beside her and drew her to his chest.

 

“Ssh. It's alright wench. It was just a bad dream.” Inuyasha held her as she cried out her fears and worries against his chest, holding her tucked beneath his chin. When the tears finally stopped and she had calmed down he asked “Feel better?”

 

She nodded, too embarrassed to look at him. He tilted her chin up and asked her “What brought that on?”

 

“I dreamed about the Un-Mother and what would have happened if I hadn't been able to wake you.”

 

He interrupted her before she could start to cry again. “Keh. Is that all? Don't worry about it. It's in the past. Besides, no way a weakling like that would have been able to kill me” he boasted, trying to make her smile.

 

But her frown remained. “It also made me think about my own mother, and what she must be going through right now. She must be so worried. I miss her so much.” And she felt tears prickle at her eyes again.

 

Inuyasha began to panic when he saw her about to start crying again. “Don't worry, you'll see her again. I told you I'd help you find a way home, didn't I?” He ignored how his heart clenched painfully at the reminder that she would leave him.

 

She dried her eyes and offered him a smile. “You're right. And I still haven't tried the well. It will probably let me through if Kaede-sama's theory is right. Maybe we could try it tomorrow?” she asked still upset by how much she missed her mother. She ignored the way her heart skipped a beat at the thought of leaving Inuyasha.

 

Inuyasha's heart seemed to leap into his throat at her words. 'She wants to leave me?' He swallowed painfully and said “Sure, if you want to. But for now it's time to sleep.” He laid her back down and watched as she fell asleep. But instead of sleeping himself, he remained awake all night and drank in the sight of her, memorizing her, as he was sure that tomorrow he would lose her forever.

 

 

Kagome and Inuyasha stood alone in the clearing beside the Bone Eater's Well. Kagome had already said goodbye to Kaede, who had duties to attend to in the village and could not come herself. Kagome fidgeted as she stood there. Her feelings were so mixed up. She was eager to try the well and get home, anxious about whether it would work, and at the same time she didn't want to leave Inuyasha. Her heart gave a pang at the mere thought of leaving him and never seeing him again. She glanced at him before looking away, not knowing what to say. She thought about asking him to come with her but didn't know if the well would let him through, didn't even know if it would let her through. 'Besides' she thought as she glanced at him again. 'He wouldn't be able to fit into my time. It's too different from everything he's ever known.'

 

Inuyasha stood there looking anywhere but at her. This was it, she was going to leave him. He wanted to tell her not to go, to stay with him but couldn't. Her family was waiting for her, probably worried out of there minds. He couldn't ask her to stay and give all of that up for him.

 

Kagome fidgeted once more, looking at the well before turning to Inuyasha. She pasted a fake smile on her face. “Well, I guess this is it.” She stared at him as he refused to look at her as she fidgeted again. “Thank you for everything, Inuyasha. I don't know what I would have done without you.” When he didn't say anything she sighed and said “Well, wish me luck.”

 

Inuyasha turned as she sat down on the well, preparing to jump down into it's depths and out of his life. He was filled with the sudden urge to grab her, destroy the well, and run as far from this place as he could but he ruthlessly squashed it. He wanted to beg her to stay,to say anything but goodbye. He didn't want to feel this way. Instead he told her “Keh! Just hurry up and go already wench.” He didn't mean it. He was praying that it wouldn't work, that she wouldn't be able to get through, but he knew he was just being selfish. 'She's got family there, people who love her. She doesn't belong here.' He ignored the voice inside of him that was screaming that she belonged with him. He turned to her and said “Well, what are you waiting for?”

 

Kagome felt her face fall. She didn't know what she was expecting, a hug, or him begging her to stay, or anything but this. She felt her heart sink at his apparent eagerness to get rid of her. 'It's like he can't wait to get rid of me. Was I really just a burden?' she thought sadly. She ignored how her heart felt like it was breaking at the thought of never seeing him again. She pasted on a fake smile as she said “Well, here goes” and she threw herself forward into the well.

 

She hit the bottom with a painful thump. “Oww.” There had been no blue light, no weightless sensation, just a sudden impact with the ground.

 

Inuyasha had turned away when she pushed herself into the well. He was afraid he would snatch her out of the air if he didn't. But his ears perked up when he heard the thump and her pained exclamation. He could still hear her, could still smell her. Did it not work? He felt his hopes begin to soar.

 

Kagome raised her head to look up and out of the well. Instead of the roof of the old shrine she saw clear skies. Tears prickled at her eyes as she realized that it hadn't worked, that she was still stuck in the past. 'I can't get home and Inuyasha obviously doesn't want me around. What am I going to do now?'

 

Inuyasha turned around as the scent of her tears hit him. 'She's crying.' His ears drooped as he berated himself for being happy about something that obviously caused her pain. He leaned over the well to face her. “Oi, are you alright down there?” he called but got no answer. Worried that she might have hurt herself when she jumped, he leaped in after her. “Wench?” he said as he placed a hand on her shoulder but his actions only made her cry harder.

 

“Kagome” he said as he looked sadly at her, not knowing what to say to comfort her. “Oi, d-don't cry bitch.”

 

That made her look up and she leveled a glare at him through her tears. “How dare you?! I can't get home and you call me names and tell me not to cry. Just leave me alone.”

 

His ears drooped and he took a step back. What had he said? 'I only called her a...' His thoughts trailed off as he realized what he called her. 'I didn't even realize I was referring to her that way. How did she come to mean so much to me in such a short amount of time?' Then he recalled her words and felt his heart clench even more. 'S-she obviously doesn't feel the same way. She's probably disgusted by me. Who can blame her. Why would she want to be with a filthy hanyou.' Movement caught his eye and he turned to watch her.

 

She rose to her feet and tried to climb out of the well only for her foot to painfully give out on her. 'I must have twisted my ankle when I landed' she thought as she felt herself begin to fall. But strong arms caught her before she could fall and hurt herself further.

 

Inuyasha picked her up and leaped out of the well. “Keh. Can't leave you alone for a minute, can I?” he joked trying to cheer her up but his words only deepened the scent of her despair. “Oi, I know the well didn't work but I'm sure there's another way for you to get home. We just have to look for it” he told her, ignoring the pain his words caused his own heart. 'At least this way I'll have her for a while longer' he thought.

 

She felt her heart clench at his words. 'He can't wait to get rid of me. He's probably upset that the well didn't work and now feels that he has to find another way to get rid of me.' She turned her face so that he couldn't see it. “That's okay Inuyasha. You don't have to help me. I'm sure I can find a way home by myself.” She told him, not wanting him to feel obligated to her. She ignored the heart ache her words caused herself.

 

'She doesn't want me around?' he thought as he felt his heart shatter at her words. He turned and began to head back to the village, the girl his heart longed for cradled in his arms. 'Why should she? I'm just a hanyou, I've got nothing to offer her. I should just leave her in the village. She'll be looked after and accepted there once I leave.' The beginnings of a plan forming in his mind, he quickly headed to Kaede's hut. Upon reaching the hut, he entered and laid her down on a futon.

 

Kaede looked up at their entrance. One look at the expression on Kagome's face told her the story. “I am sorry child” she told her.

 

Inuyasha turned to her. “Oi baba, you might want to check her over. She hurt her ankle in the fall.” He moved aside and watched as Kaede quickly checked over the distraught girl and took care of her injury. While she worked he continued thinking about what he should do. 'She'll be safe here, Kaede-baba won't let anything happen to her. And the villagers haven't tried anything at all since she's been here, they seem to respect her as a miko in training.' He drank in one last look at her as he stood and prepared to leave.

 

His movement caught Kagome's attention. “Inuyasha?” she asked. “Where are you going?” She immediately kicked herself. It wasn't any of her business what he did.

 

“Keh. I'm healed and it's time for me to be moving on. I don't belong here.”

 

Kaede spoke up from her place by the fire. “There is no reason for you to leave Inuyasha. You are welcome to stay here for as long as you like.”

 

“No thanks baba. I don't belong in a human village. And besides, there's nothing holding me here, nothing I need or want” he said while ignoring how his heart and soul were screaming at him, calling him a liar. 'I'm doing this for her. She doesn't want me. She'll be better off once I'm gone.'

 

Kagome had felt herself freeze at his words. 'He's leaving?' She wanted to tell him not to go, to stay but she couldn't. 'No. Much as I want him to stay, I can't do that do him. I don't want to be a burden.' She felt tears well up in her eyes but refused to let them fall as she watched him leave in silence. Once he was out of sight and she could no longer sense him nearby, she gave into the urge to cry as she threw herself against the futon and sobbed out the pain of her broken heart.

 

 

Please don't kill me, I won't be able to post the next chapter if you do. I promise that the next chapter will be up soon. Things will get better, you'll see.