InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The New Student and Kagome's Secret ❯ Chapter 20: The Forest of . . . Surprises? ( Chapter 20 )

A/N: I know I am the author, but I absolutely love writing this story! I really should be studying right now, but the story beckons me. Again, I am sorry for not addressing each of you but I kind of lost track…but so that I can remember for the next time…I am writing this chapter with 132 reviews!

Anyways! Enough chit chat! On with the story!

Chapter 20

The group walked cautiously through the forest. Shippo led the way with Kagome and Inuyasha by his side followed by Sango and Miroku and then Myouga. They all looked at the forest that surrounded them. The forest was so thick it shielded a lot of the sunlight from entering it. It would be getting dark in the forest much sooner than they thought. Shippo tried desperately to be brave, but couldn't help but be a little scared at being out this late. Inuyasha glanced down at the little kitsune. He could sense Shippo's fear. He smirked. He knew the little fox was trying to be brave for them.

"BOO!" Inuyasha shouted jumping in front of the little fox with his claws raised in a menacing manner.

"AGHHH!!" the little kitsune squealed as his fur frizzed in fear and he scrambled behind Kagome. Inuyasha held his stomach as he laughed. His eyes had followed the kitsune all the way behind Kagome as he continued to laugh. His laughing ceased, however, when his eyes met Kagome's stern disposition.

"Inuyasha!" she scowled at him with her arms folded in front of her. She glared at him evilly. Inuyasha cowered beneath her. He had never seen her expression like that before. The little kitsune snickered behind Kagome. He could tell already that he would have to remain on her good side. Inuyasha stared at Kagome waiting for her to continue. Kagome turned around to face Shippo.

"Come here, Shippo," she said as her expression softened and she extended her arms as invitation for her to hold him. He smiled and gleefully jumped into her arms. Kagome gave Inuyasha one more cold stare and then walked passed him. Inuyasha's ears flattened against his head as watched her walk away. Sango and Miroku walked up next to Inuyasha.

"She sure has taken a liking to the kit, hasn't she?" Miroku commented. Inuyasha became a little jealous.

"I know," Sango commented. "I have never seen Kagome be so protective over someone." Inuyasha became a little more jealous.

"I agree," Miroku said. "I think Kagome feels responsible for the kit because his family died for all of us. Had his family not fought, we would all probably be dead right now and the world would be ruled by demons!" Sango and Miroku looked at Inuyasha who just stared blankly ahead at Kagome.

"Inuyasha?" Miroku questioned.

"Yeah?" he said.

"You okay?" Miroku asked. Inuyasha growled and whipped his head around to glare at him.

"Of course I am!" he huffed and stomped off after Kagome. Sango and Miroku stood there dumbfounded.

"Ya' think someone's a little jealous of the attention Kagome is giving Shippo?" Sango asked. Miroku nodded his head in response.

* * *

The group finally arrived at what was once Shippo's village. Kagome gasped as she looked at the scene. The houses and huts were destroyed leaving piles of dusty burnt wood. The worst part, however, was the bodies that still lay around the village. Bodies of older fox demons, some transformed into huge foxes and some not, lay everywhere. Kagome thought she was going to throw up. The scene was just about too much for her to bear. She let Shippo down and he hopped around the rubble sniffing around. The light shown down a little more in this area due to the absence of some trees. Trees still grew intermingled throughout the former houses…almost as if they had built the houses around the trees.

"Huh!" he said. "The smell has changed here." Sango frowned.

"Of course the smell has changed here," Sango said. "There are dead bodies lying everywhere. The smell will continue to change." Shippo was hesitant to accept her theory, but then shrugged his shoulders and walked back over to the group.

"Follow me," he said motioning to them. He walked through the small village past corpses of all description until they finally came to where there appeared to be no bodies.

"We can sleep here," he said. Sango and Kagome jumped.

"WHAT???" the two said in unison.

"We're not staying here tonight!" Kagome shouted. Inuyasha looked up into the sky. The sun had just set. It would be dark soon and he had no idea what might be in the middle of the forest at night.

"We won't make it to the other end of the forest before it gets dark," Inuyasha said to her. "We will be traveling through this forest in the dark." Kagome pondered his statement for a minute.

"He's right," Shippo said. "The other side is a lot longer to travel and there is no way that we would be able to make it out the other side in time."

"In time?" Sango asked curiously. "In time for what?" Shippo looked at her.

"I'm not sure," he said. "All I know is that something travels through this forest at night. I normally sleep over there inside that tree to avoid being scene. The scent and presence of these corpses are really the only thing that I can think of that has protected me." Sango gulped. Shippo had begun to quiver a little.

"I don't know what it is that travels through here," he said. "But I never wanted to find out either. It was something that scared me to death and scent a chill down my spine." Shippo suddenly felt a fist connect with his head. "OW!" he shouted. Inuyasha towered over him with a clenched fist.

"Shutup!" he commanded. "You're scaring the women!" Shippo normally would have protested, but he was too fond of Kagome to scare her.

"You still didn't have to hit me!" he shouted growling at him. Inuyasha crouched down so he was nose to nose with the little fox.

"Shut-up fox!" he shouted back. "And don't you dare think about challenging me! I could tear you limb from limb…"

"Inuyasha, ENOUGH!" Kagome shouted. Inuyasha looked up to see Kagome standing behind the little fox with the same angry disposition as before. "He's just a kid!" Inuyasha stood up growling at Kagome.

"He's still old enough to talk like that! He should know his place!" Inuyasha shouted back at her.

"Well, you didn't have to tell him you were going to tear him limb from limb!" she argued. Inuyasha growled.

"I said I could tear him limb from limb not that I would!" he argued back.

"ENOUGH YOU TWO!" Sango said stepping in between them. "I believe we have more important matters to discuss…like sleeping arrangements." Kagome glared at Inuyasha.

"This is really is the safest spot," Shippo said suddenly. "We really should stay here. The corpses might could even shield our scent and presence."

"Yeah, but they would see us, dumbass!" Inuyasha retorted. "Not all of us can fit in trees ya' know!" Shippo scowled at him.

"You got a better idea?" he asked. Inuyasha fell silent. Miroku stepped forward.

"I think our best bet is staying inside the village," he said.

"You mean I have to sleep next to a corpse?!" Kagome asked in disbelief. Miroku nodded. "I think I'm going to faint." Inuyasha was there in a flash to catch her as she fell backwards.

"Come on, Kagome," Inuyasha said lightly slapping her face so she wouldn't drift off into unconsciousness. Her eyes fluttered open to meet his amber orbs. She couldn't help but think he looked handsome as the sunset's colors of pink, yellow, and orange haloed his features. His golden eyes shown brilliantly against his tan skin and his white hair flowed softly around his face. [A/N: Jesus! I'm making myself hot imagining that picture!]

"You okay?" he asked.

"F-Fine," she stuttered. She blushed as she realized she had been staring at him. He had been holding her up with little effort and gently helped her to a standing position.

"We need to stay where it is safe," Inuyasha said shocking everyone. Miroku and Sango had been watching the scene with Kagome and Inuyasha, but suddenly forgot everything when Inuyasha said that.

"What did you just say?" Kagome asked.

"What?" he questioned her giving her a puzzled look.

"Well…it's just that…normally, you would insist that we continue through the forest and that you could take care of whatever was out there," she said. He frowned.

"I just think we should stay here, okay?!" he shouted at her causing her to jump back a little.

`Why is he so on edge?' she thought to herself. She looked over at Sango and Miroku for an explanation, but they merely shrugged their shoulders. Shippo frowned.

"Does he always yell at you like that?" he asked Kagome. Inuyasha heard him and his words pierced through his heart. He would never yell at Kagome to be mean to her…intentionally, that is. `Do I really treat her that bad?' he thought.

They all followed Inuyasha and began clearing spaces for them to sleep. Soon, they had made a clearing large enough for all of them to sleep comfortably. Inuyasha stood up and brushed off his hands.

"I will keep watch," he said. He jumped into a nearby tree and the others stared after him confused.

"What's with him?" Sango asked. "He has been acting strangely. He just left like that and didn't even say anything to us. No good-bye or nothing." Miroku nodded.

"He's even treating Kagome differently," he whispered to Sango.

Meanwhile, Kagome stared after Inuyasha in her own little world, a look of concern on her face. She walked over to where Inuyasha had gone.

Inuyasha sat in the tree and stared up into the sky. `Damnit!' he thought. `Why didn't I remember this!'

"Inuyasha?" he heard someone call. He looked down to find Kagome staring up at him with a concerned look on her face.

"Go to sleep, Kagome," he muttered folding his arms across his chest and looking back into the sky. Kagome sighed sadly. Inuyasha heard the sigh and looked back down at her. She hung her head and began to walk slowly back to camp.

`Why does she always have to look so pitiful?' he thought. `I can't stand it when she acts like this.'

"Kagome!" he called after her. She turned around and looked back up at him. "What did you want?"

"I just wanted to know if you were okay," she said sweetly. "You've been worrying me. You've been acting strangely. Is everything alright?"

`I've been worrying her?' Inuyasha thought.

"I'm fine," he replied. "Now just go to sleep. I will keep watch tonight."

"But you kept watch the other night!" Kagome protested. "When are YOU going to sleep?"

"Don't worry about it!" he retorted. "I'm a half-demon. I don't need sleep the way you humans do."

"But…"

"But nothing! Go to sleep!" he shouted at her. She sighed and walked away with the same sad expression as last time. `Well that didn't accomplish anything,' Inuyasha thought as he watched her walk away.

"But I just worry about you, Inuyasha," Kagome said softly as she walked away. Inuyasha's ears perked up. He had heard her even though she had said it quietly. `She worries about me?' he thought. `Why? Why does she worry about me? I'm a half-demon. I'll be fine.'

`But she doesn't understand that,' his mind scolded him. `And even if she did, she would still worry about you.' Inuyasha watched the girl settle herself down next to Myouga. Inuyasha sighed.

`Kagome, you never cease to amaze me,' he thought as he smiled. He glanced down at his hands. `Damnit! Not already!'

* * *

Kagome, meanwhile, had settled herself down next to Myouga with a sigh. The little kitsune came crawling over to her.

"I just don't think I'll ever understand him," Kagome said to the others.

"What's wrong, Kagome?" Sango asked.

"Inuyasha has just been acting so strange lately. Have you guys noticed?" she asked.

"Yeah, I have. Just what is his problem anyway?" Sango asked.

"I don't know," Kagome replied. "I just went to try to find out and about got my head bitten off." Shippo gasped.

"Would he really bite your head off, Kagome?" he asked curiously. Kagome smiled.

"No, Shippo," she said amused at the fox. "It's just a figure of speech." Miroku looked at Myouga.

"Myouga," Miroku began. "You have been awful quiet lately. Do you know what's going on?" Myouga gulped. Of course he knew what was going on. He had been Inuyasha's servant since he was born, but he really wanted Inuyasha to address the question, not him.

"Well…" he began, but was cut off by Kagome screaming.

"Aghhhhhhhhhh!" she screamed. Inuyasha was down there in a flash.

"What is it? What's wrong?" he asked. Sango and Miroku were to her side before he was though…surprisingly so.

"Spider!" Kagome squealed. There beside her sat a huge black widow spider.

"A spider is what you were screaming about?" Inuyasha asked as he killed the spider with one swipe of his sword. Everyone had been staring down at the spider and hadn't even looked up to Inuyasha. After Inuyasha killed the spider, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo were checking Kagome to make sure that it hadn't bitten her. Meanwhile, Myouga was standing behind them cod mouthed as he looked at Inuyasha. He started making weird motions towards Inuyasha that Inuyasha couldn't understand. Inuyasha dismissed it as nonsense and leaned over to check on Kagome.

"You okay?" he asked. Kagome nodded her head but jumped back when his hair fell in front of her. It wasn't his hair that had scared her. It was the color of it. Everyone gave Inuyasha a puzzled look when they saw his altered appearance. The first thing they noticed was his hair was black and his ears were gone.

"Inuyasha, why are you in your human disguise?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha sighed and looked at Myouga. Myouga shook his head.

"That's not his disguise, Kagome," Myouga said.

"Huh?" she asked puzzled. Myouga walked over next to Inuyasha and grabbed his wrist. He extended Inuyasha's hand to Kagome for her to see.

"His claws are gone," he said pointing to Inuyasha's fingers. Kagome gasped when she also noticed that his usual golden eyes were now a deep shade of violet. Sango gasped as well. Miroku just stood there amazed.

"I had heard this happened to half-demons though I have never actually seen it," Miroku said walking over to Inuyasha as if he was going to examine him. Inuyasha gave him a look warning him not to touch him.

"Inu…Inuyasha?" Kagome stuttered in disbelief as she sat back propping herself up with her hands. "What…who…are you?"

Inuyasha looked down at her with an apologetic and slightly embarrassed expression.

"Inuyasha," Myouga explained, "is human." Kagome gasped and scooted back a little. Inuyasha reached out to her.

"Kagome," he said. Kagome stood up and walked cautiously over to him.

"Come on, Kagome," he said. "You act like you're afraid of me in human form. I would expect you to be more afraid of me in my hanyou form rather than now."

"I know," she said examining him and edging closer to him. "It's just different. I am not used to seeing you look like this." She finally reached him and looked him over. "Are you really human? How? Why?"

"Every half-demon changes into their human form once any given time of the month," Myouga explained. "Inuyasha's time just so happens to be when the new moon is in the sky." Everyone looked up into the night sky to find a new moon. They all looked back down at Inuyasha who hadn't said much the entire time.

"Do you change back?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha nodded and folded his arms in his haori.

"When the sun rises I will be a hanyou again," he said.

"Your fangs are gone!" Kagome exclaimed.

"Every demon trait of Inuyasha is gone," Myouga said.

"I have to see something," Kagome said. She walked towards Inuyasha causing Inuyasha to jump and question what she was about to do. She pulled his hair to one side to find human ears.

"Oh my God," Kagome murmured taking a step back. "But why didn't you tell me?"

"All hanyous keep their transformation times secret, for if any of their enemies were to find out, they could attack them during that time," Myouga said. Inuyasha scowled at Myouga. He knew what was coming next.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome said balling her fists at her side. "You couldn't think you could trust me with that information? I wouldn't have told anyone! You know that I wouldn't have! Why didn't you tell me?" Inuyasha took a step back in shock when he saw tears start to well up in her eyes.

"Kagome," he said reaching out to her. "I…I didn't mean…" He stopped his sentence when he saw the tears start falling down her cheeks. "Kagome."

Sango and Miroku just stared at the two. They didn't know what to do. Suddenly, Kagome took off running.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha called out. "Stop! Wait Kagome!" She didn't go far. In fact, she was only a short distance away from the camp. As much as she wanted to be by herself, she knew that it wasn't such a wise decision to run too far considering her environment. She stopped and rested her back against the trunk of a tree and continued to cry. Inuyasha had followed her. He approached her slowly. She wouldn't have even known he was there had he not stepped on a twig. She looked up quickly. She said nothing to him. She just stared at him and waited for him to speak.

"Kagome," he began.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she blurted out.

"Kagome, it's a really complicated thing," he said. He stopped when she dried her tears and stood up. She walked towards him and pointed a finger at him.

"Too complicated to tell your supposedly best friend?" she asked accusingly. "You know I would have never said anything. I didn't tell anyone at school that you were a hanyou. What makes you think that I would tell someone about this?"

"It's not like that, though!" he protested. "I didn't keep this from you because I thought that you would go running your mouth! I didn't tell you because…because…" Kagome waited for him to finish. "Well, basically because the opportunity never really presented itself number one, and number two…number two…" Kagome tapped her foot impatiently.

"Number two?" she asked motioning for him to continue.

"Number two, because I always wanted to protect you, and I feel so weak in this human form!" he blurted out. Kagome stopped tapping her foot and stared at him. `Did he just say what I thought he said?' Kagome asked herself.

"Think back Kagome," Inuyasha said. "I know you may not remember exact dates so that you can associate them with the new moon, but don't you remember when there were nights that I really stressed for you to stay inside and not go out?" Kagome thought back. Come to think of it, she did remember that about once a month he got like that. She had just come to assume that he had heard something about the demons that night and didn't want her in danger.

"Yeah, actually I do," she said. "I just never really thought anything of it though because it only happened about once a month."

"Precisely," he said. He sighed. "The truth is Kagome…" He walked over to her and placed his hands on her arms. "I didn't tell you because I was afraid of what it might bring to you. I know how you worry about me and I didn't want you to worry about me. But mostly…mostly…I just didn't want you to think of me as weak and that I couldn't protect you. I will always protect you Kagome." Kagome had to swallow the lump in her throat as she allowed herself to be hypnotized by his violet eyes. A slight blush crept onto her face. He had never been this open with her before. She was beginning to like Inuyasha in his human form. There was no doubt he was still incredibly attractive in his human form and he was open with her…thus far anyway.

"Don't ever think like that, Inuyasha!" she said hugging him. Inuyasha was a little caught off guard by the hug, but he wrapped his arms tightly around her, resting his chin on the top of her head. "I would never think that way of you! But you are right about the worry part though. I probably would have demanded that you stayed at my house during those nights. `Maybe I should have told her then,' he thought evilly. `Stop that! You're being just like Miroku!'

"Please just don't ever be afraid to tell me something, Inuyasha, okay?" she said.

"Okay," he said giving her a quick squeeze before releasing her.

"How touching…" someone said from within the darkness. Inuyasha pushed Kagome behind him.

"No, Inuyasha, you're not fit to fight," Kagome pleaded.

"Shut-up and stay behind me!" he commanded. "Don't let go of my haori!" Kagome clung to him. "Who's there and what do you want?!"

"You ventured a little too far into the forest," the thing said ominously. "And on a really bad night!

A/N: Dun, dun, dun!!! LOL! Okay, I am going to have a lot of fun writing these next couple of chapters! Okay, just a question for the readers. How many of you guys A) saw that one coming? And B) how many of you guys think it is cool as shit that Inuyasha gets all open with Kagome when he is in his human form? I hope I'm not the only one whose noticed that!

Okay! I have more tests…what a surprise, huh? So if I don't update right away don't shoot me! I do however require 15 reviews before I update again! HAHA!!! See you guys later!