InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Shikon no Tama ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever, owned any part of Inuyasha or his world. This is a work of fanfiction made entirely for the fans of Inuyasha to enjoy. This story is based off of Inuyasha characters that I do not own.

This is also a work of fiction. Any simularities to any real person, dead or alive, is completely coincidental.




Chapter Three:

As Kagome finished her story, she smiled. Looking around, she saw that Shippo had already fallen asleep in Inuyasha's lap and Sango and Miroku were looking quite tired, but intrigued.

"That was a beautiful story, Kagome," Sango commented. Kirara, who was curled in Sango's lap, mewed in agreement.

"Tell me," Miroku spoke, "why didn't the prince comment on Cinderella's attire when they met for the second time?"

Kagome thought about it for a moment. Then, she answered, "Because he was too busy looking in her eyes. In some stories, it's said that he did notice her clothing and asked her about them. She explained who she really was and how her stepmother and stepsisters had reduced her to a servant girl. He had then made the stepmother and stepsisters into servant girls as punishment. There are also stories that claimed he didn't care how she looked. One look in her eyes proved to him that she was his true love."

The monk nodded. "Thank you for a wonderful story, Kagome," he whispered.

Sango thanked her as well before both the monk and the demonslayer turned in for the night. Inuyasha still sat on Kagome's blanket with Shippo in his lap.

Kagome looked at the hanyou and smiled. When he wasn't arguing with the kitsune or calling the kitsune names, Inuyasha looked as if he belonged with the child. She knew Shippo looked to Inuyasha as a father figure. At that moment, she also knew that Inuyasha would make a good father. Grant it, he'd probably make mistakes along the way, but most fathers, even the best of, did so.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow and asked irritatedly, "What's that look for?"

Kagome giggled and shook her head. "No reason. I think I'm going to turn in for the night," she told him.

As if that simple statement had given him permission to leave, Inuyasha gently put the kitsune on the blanket and then jumped into the nearest tree. Kagome watched him go with a heavy heart. She sighed and made herself comfortable. Or at least, as comfortable as can be considering she was sleeping on the ground.

A few hours later, Kagome realized she wasn't going to sleep. Frustrated, she sat up and looked around. The others were peacefully snoring while Inuyasha was no where to be found. She assumed the hanyou was up in the tree.

The young miko grabbed her backpack and quietly pulled it toward her. Opening it, she took out the library book she had borrowed from Ayame. She knew this was why she couldn't sleep. This book, and the "legend" in it, bothered her. She opened it to the page where Ayame had read the information about the Shikon no Tama.

For what seemed like the hundredth time, Kagome reread what she already knew. According to the book, the Shikon no Tama was a human priestess with a pure heart. She kept thinking that the book was describing her. She travelled with a kitsune, a monk, and a demonslayer. Inuyasha was always around her... except when he was with Kikyo.

The priestess held back the tears she could feel prickling her eyes. Kikyo. The woman who held Inuyasha's heart and a promise he had made to her. Kagome knew Inuyasha would never break that promise. But, Kikyo was dead! Why couldn't he see that?

Kagome wanted to be happy, but more important, she wanted Inuyasha to be happy. She wanted him to live. To be a half-demon and not be ashamed of who he is. She wanted... It didn't matter what she wanted. Soon, Inuyasha would go with Kikyo, whether Kagome liked the idea or not. And he would die.

She tried to stop the tears from falling, but she couldn't help it. The thought of losing Inuyasha and the knowledge that she would, indeed, lose him, was too much for her to bear. She loved him. Why couldn't he see that? And not only did she love him, she loved him exactly the way he was. Kikyo had wanted to change him. Make him human. Kagome didn't want that. Kikyo wanted Inuyasha to die for something that was not his fault. Kagome wanted him to live.

She heard soft feet land on soft ground and quickly shut the book.

"Kagome? What are you doing still up?" Inuyasha asked.

She wiped away her tears and offered him a smile. "I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd study for a little bit."

He looked at her curiously and approached her. He gently touched her cheek, careful not to scratch her with his claws. "Why the tears?" he asked, concern in his eyes.

Without thinking, she burst into more tears and embraced him. For a moment, he didn't know what to do. Then, he returned her embrace and held her while she cried over something he knew nothing about. He looked at the book, thinking it might have made her cry. He knew Kagome well enough to know when she was lying. He didn't know what was in that book, but whatever it was, it touched a part of Kagome that hurt her.

He gently withdrew from the embrace and looked into her soft blue eyes. "Can you sleep now?" he asked.

She shook her head.

He sighed, "What was in the book that made you so upset?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. It's a book about this era. My history class is studying this era right now and my friend and I went to the library to research it. I guess knowing that one day, I'll be gone from here upsets me. I don't want to leave this place. It's much my home as the present is."

He knew by the look in her eyes that that wasn't the only reason she was crying, but he decided to drop it. Seeing her shiver from the cold night air, Inuyasha took off his robe and wrapped it around her. He told her to put the book up, which she did. And then, he picked her up and jumped into the tree. He continued to climb until he got all the way to the top. Then, he sat down and placed her carefully into his lap, with her back pressed against his chest.

Inuyasha couldn't give a reason why he had done that. Why he had brought her into the tree with him. From the way she was calming down, though, he knew it had been the right thing to do.

Kagome watched the stars twinkling. She was also a bit confused as to why Inuyasha brought her all the way up here. The view was breaktaking. She breathed in Inuyasha's scent. That wild, untamed scent surrounded her and she knew that come morning, she'd smell much like him. She didn't mind. She loved his smell.

She let the feel of his body, his scent, and the stars lull her to sleep. Inuyasha held her close, protecting her so that she did not fall from the tree. He let his head fall back so that he could look up at the moon. Something about Kagome's tears had gotten to him. He didn't know exactly why she was crying, nor what was in that book to make her so upset. However, he knew that he couldn't do this to her forever. He figured her tears had something to do with him and he felt ashamed to hurt her so much.

Eventually, he, too, fell asleep. He held Kagome close and kept his ears alert for the slightest sound.

~~~

Inuyasha watched as the sun began to rise. Kagome's head rested comfortably against his arm. Well, comfortably for her. He could feel the tingling in his arm that told him the arm was asleep. He didn't mind, though.

He felt her stir and his eyes glanced over her. Knowing she would wake up soon, he leaned his head back and looked up at the sky.

Kagome's eyes fluttered open. She felt strong arms encircle her body and a heart beat against her back. She blinked and almost let out a gasp of surprise when she realized she was in a tree. Then, remembering last night, she realizd she as in Inuyasha's arms, and therefore she was safe. Smiling, she leaned her head against his chest and watched as the sun rose. She thought about commenting about the golden rays, but she decided not to. Such symbolism seemed to be beyond Inuyasha's understanding.

"Hey," his gruff, but soft voice, rumbled against her back, "are you awake yet?"

She nodded and felt his arms tighten around her. She looked up and saw he was watching the sky. Not even looking at her! The look on his face was peaceful, though, and she couldn't find it in her to reprimand him. Then, his golden eyes turned to her. "Like the sun," she whispered.

He looked at her curiously and found himself silently agreeing. She was so beautiful in the early morning hours. The way the morning sun seemed to sparkle her eyes and lighten her face. She was like a celestial being to him in that moment. Before he could stop himself, he leaned his head down and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

At first, Kagome was surprised by this. Inuyasha? Kissing her? It was like a dream come true. She relaxed considerably in his arms and returned his kiss.

He wanted to go further. He could feel a need he had never known begin to grow in him. But, he knew better. He shouldn't have even kissed her and he didn't know what had possessed him to do so. He broke away from the kiss and looked back up into the sky. The taste of her lips remained on his and he fought the urge to lick his lips. At least, in front of her. He didn't want to give her any indication that the kiss meant anything to him.

"Inuyasha?" she whispered. "Why did you just kiss me?"

He shrugged and let out a soft grunt. Oh! How he irritated her! Why couldn't he just say what was on his mind? Why did he have to be such a jerk? "Can you let me down?" she asked, her voice more irritated than before.

He hadn't meant to make her angry at him, but he knew it was for the best. The last thing either of them needed was for her to know how he felt towards her. Not saying anything, he slipped an arm under her knees and his other arm behind her back. Then, with ease and skill, he jumped out of the tree and landed softly on the ground. He placed her gently on her feet.

She threw the fire robe at him and went to her backpack. That's when she noticed the others were awake. Miroku stared at the miko and hanyou with a look of amusement on his face while Sango stared at them in disbelief. Even Shippo had a look of surprise on his face.

"I take it the two of you had quite the evening," Miroku commented, while taking a sip of his drink.

Kagome snorted, "It wasn't like that, ok. We just slept."

The monk nodded, but she could tell he didn't buy her story. She walked over to him and stamped her foot on the ground. "Do I look like a girl who's been with anyone?" she demanded.

The monk's eyes slowly trailed up her body until they rested on her eyes. It was then he knew she spoke the truth. He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Alas, yet another of Inuyasha's blunders," he answered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha snarled.

"It means, you're an idiot," Shippo answered for the monk.