InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Seal ❯ Night-talk ( Chapter 8 )

Aloha!! (Yes I know I don't speak Hawaiian)

This chapter is in memory of my rabbit, known to some as Honey-Bunny-Buns or Stinkbomb as I was quite fond of calling her. I was forced by parents (and the fact that nobody wanted a fat rabbit with an attitude) to put her to sleep. I shall miss her greatly.

Next chapter MIGHT be delayed. I'll be off to baby-sit my younger cousins, and I'm not entirely sure if I'll be able to access their computer to post the next chapter. If nothing appears in the following two weeks, then you know the reason (though hopefully their computer will accept me, temperamental little buggers that they are).

Oh, and before I forget, I just wanted to say thanks for all the reviews!! I don't know what happened, one night I had ca 20 reviews, the next I was swamped with new ones, the number having now arisen to a awesome 48!! I'm touched!! It gives you this warm fuzzy feeling to know people don't think you're a total kook, so from the bottom of my heart: THANK YOU!!

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Now on with the show!!!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story (if I did I'd be rich, filthy stinkin rich. I'd be off to the Bahamas and… and… and I better come back down to earth as they aren't mine) ; Inuyasha and co all belong to Miss Rumiko Takahashi. Just having plain fun writing about them. ;-P

The Seal

Part 8: Night-talk

There was silence. Ultimate silence. The whole forest had gone quiet, not a sound escaping it.

The wind had stilled, as stopped by unseen forces. The predators had stopped their hunt, pressed to the ground, in hiding. The game stood frozen, seeking to be as inconspicuous as possible, not moving a muscle. The birds were silent, not a trill escaping their beaks, as in fear of committing some heinous crime.

Somewhere, a chittering stopped.

***

The echo of the slap slowly faded away, lost in the silent forest, but neither of the two facing eachother gave notice.

Inuyasha's face was turned sideways, from the force of the slap. His mind was not entirely there yet, still caught in the replay of the previous event.

In slow motion he could still see the girl's, Kagome's, silent glare, full of rage as he taunted her, a rage barely controlled, her body shaking with suppressed emotion. Looking back he could pinpoint the very millisecond she lost control; her eyes narrowing, pupils dilated to tiny pinpricks, glassy with unshed tears; her hair slowly rising, flapping to a silent wind of pure, pink, glowing power that surrounded her.

She had looked positively feral. Not human. And for a moment, he had been very very afraid.

And then, her rage gave way to surprise. He in realising that she had slapped him, feeling a stinging sensation on his now red chin; that she dared to lay a finger on him, while being fully aware that he could so easily break her, now that she had freed him; she in fascinated detachment, starring at her hand in wonder, as if not fully comprehending what she had done.

***

Kagome's eyes were wide, her mind a complete blank, eyeing the offending hand. She had slapped Inuyasha. She had SLAPPED Inuyasha. Why had she slapped Inuyasha?

*Flashback* "You are nothing but a weak pathetic human. You were born weak, you will die weak, and there is nothing you can do about it!" *End flashback*

As her gaze shifted to the silent hanyou who was still holding his stinging cheek, the tears previously held in check slid loose…

*Flash* "… and there is nothing you can do about it!"

…trailing slowly down her cheek…

*Flash* "… nothing you can do about it!"

…dripping from her chin…

*Flash* "… nothing you can do…"

…leaving wet red tear-tracks on her once pale skin.

And she was helpless. There was nothing she could do about it. Weak. Useless. Nothing she could do. Even if she wanted to. Nothing. Not a single thing. And yet…

Eyeing her hand once again, she fisted it. She had done something. She had slapped Inuyasha. Slapped him hard. Slapped him good. She hadn't thought, planned, or considered anything. Just reacted. For the first time in years she'd done something. It might have been stupid. It might prove a deadly mistake. But he'd deserved it. He had…

***

Inuyasha didn't know what to do. What do you do when someone slaps you? His youkai-side was boiling at her audacity, demanding she be punished for such an insult. He could already taste the coppery blood as he ripped his claws through her flesh. His other side was more confused, torn between its own anger and the urge to apologise to his only friend, who he had obviously wronged judging from her angry tears.

It was the last thought that stopped him from giving in to his superior blood. Did he really think of the wench as his friend? He'd never had a friend before. Kikyo didn't count, she'd betrayed and killed him after all. He'd never really given any thought to how he treated others, it being given that they would treat him as filth, so why the hell shouldn't he do the same? But she hadn't… and now it seemed as his temper had run away with him and spoilt his only chance at a friend.

Ears flicked to and throw, betraying his uncertainty at the situation their harsh words had landed them in. Heart warred with mind. He didn't need friends, didn't want one; they only stabbed you in the back in the end anyway. Why should he care about how the bitch felt; she was loony, and even if she wasn't, she was still a puny human. But she was crying…

A frustrated growl slipped out from beneath his lips, as he once again eyed the girl who was silently shaking from whatever emotion she was experiencing, tears still trailing down, making his nose twitch with the salty smell surrounding her, pink glow illuminating her trembling features. Their eyes locked together simultaneously, hers a silent burning fury, his a cool gaze masking his underlying confusion.

"Listen bitch-" he began, only to be abruptly yanked down by her small fists, giving a yelp at having his hair pulled in a not so gentle way. "I neither was or ever will be a bitch, Inuyasha," Kagome breathed down the hanyou's sensitive ears, lips pressed as close to them as possible; voice soft, yet clearly conveying her rage. "I may be weak, I may be helpless, and I will probably die this way, but I will never let you say that humans are weak. Kikyo was human and she killed you. Do not confuse weakness in body, with weakness of spirit. Humans are mortal, and that is the only advantage you have over them, boy," she hissed at him, finally letting him go.

Inuyasha watched her sink down to her knees, strength spent on those final words. The glowing light held only the faintest of sheen, now that its owner was drained, emotionally empty. She really did look weak and pathetic, resting there on the forest floor, tears trailing down her worn-out face. Strange how that did not bring any comfort to him after the tongue-lashing she had given him. Instead, all he could feel was pity. All his anger snuffed out with one look at her melancholic visage. He felt sad for her looking so sad and beaten. She should be smiling that smile that annoyed him so, not moping on the ground.

'Keh, I'm loosing it,' he shook his head at his thoughts.

Crouching down, he brushed her raven hair aside from her face, wiping her tears from her eyes, by way of silent apology. She sighed tiredly, leaning in to the touch, "I am tired Inuyasha, and all alone." Smiling bitterly at him, eyes showing age beyond her years before she closed them, "I want to go home, Inuyasha, make them let me go. I don't want to be afraid anymore…"

Inuyasha smiled down at her as she breathed out, having fallen asleep in exhaustion. He didn't understand her, and he knew she was hiding things, but right now he couldn't be angry with her. She looked too peaceful, in her sleep.

"Let's get you back to bed… bitch" he added with an affectionate whisper, carrying her slumbering form back to the village.

***

Eyes followed the two through the dark, nightsounds masking its presence. Only a lone pink orb could be made out, its soft shine braking through all shadows threatening its master, illuminating her face in a ghostly light. Its strong glow spoke of power, lots of power.

Voices drifted eerily through the air, thick with in the night, mixing with all other forestsounds, till they were no longer voices but a ghostly quire of sound. Only a foreign chittering could be heard, far in the distance, driving a chill down their spine, making them restless.

Twin orbs of gold turned, directed towards it, searching the shadows for hidden threats. A soft growl escaped it, when it could not sense the disturbance it knew was out there, clicking its tongue in disappointment.

Narrowing its eyes, it left the village, not willing to risk detection. Darkness surrounded it, and all that was left to testament its former presence was the echo of unholy chittering and the soft rustling of feathers.

-

Praeceps:

Well, the reason for their fight was originally meant for a different reason (I won't tell you what), but as I wrote it I felt this was a good time for Inuyasha to become more accepting of Kagome (in baby-steps that is).

And don't you dare say Kagome would never smack Inuyasha!! I think she would, if she didn't have the 'sit', and Kagome is in some ways a lot like Inuyasha, prone to react without thinking.

I wouldn't call the ending a cliffhanger, but it left open an idea of what's going to happen next… eh…maybe I shouldn't have said that…

Oh! And any spelling mistakes can be blamed on incompetent English teachers, and/or my spell-check program, because I, myself, am PERFECT!!! ;-P (and when I say perfect, I MEAN perfect. My daddy said so ;-)

If you have any questions about the story that you find unclear, I will do my best to answer them, as long as I deem them of no harm to my present plot-line. I really appreciate all your ramblings (not in anyway meant as insulting, just clearing that up), and might use some for inspiration if permitted, but for now I have my own agenda.

Thanks to all you reviewers, I'll do my best not to disappoint you all.

PS. Is nobody going to read and review my other story, soon to be stories?

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Well that was all, for today at least, toodles!! ;-D