InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ To Nowhere ❯ Starlight ( Chapter 16 )

Disclaimer: I.DO.NOT.OWN.INU.YASHA.

A/N: Ack! So sorry! I know this delay is beyond excuse. I've been working extra at my job, and didn't even get the chance to start writing this chapter until about two weeks ago. Then, I got stuck. About halfway through this chapter… all inspiration left me so I just made myself finish tonight. I feel really bad but I'm having a hard time finding the time to write and now I'm beginning to doubt any decent writing skills I ever had. Blah. I'm pathetic.

Anyways though… here it is… the new chapter. A really big THANK YOU to all those still reading. My wonderful reviewers are the only reason this story is even still being written so please keep me from slacking off and review review review.

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Hours later, the rain finally tapered off and Kagome and Inu Yasha remained asleep in the cave. Nightfall had come and fresh moonlight traveled through the cave opening in faint white rays. Inu Yasha had slumped over in his sleep but he still cradled tessaiga in his arms. His hair fluttered across Kagome's face in an unexpected breeze while she still slept just beneath him. The sensation woke her from her dreams and she opened her eyes to see Inu Yasha's face decorated with moving shadows from the waving tree branches dancing outside. She quietly sat up and maneuvered herself away from Inu Yasha.

She crawled to the mouth of the cave and looked into the clear night sky. A few misty gray clouds still hung around like ghosts in the night sky but their transparency revealed the pale moon. She smiled at the view, enjoying the utter serenity that surrounded the moment. She leaned against the stone wall and relished the feel of the smooth blanket wrapped loosely around her body. The gentle wind flowed below their cave and some birds chirped in alarm at some unseen predator but all else was quiet.

She instinctively jumped when she felt something warm against her back. Her gasp of surprise was ignored as Inu Yasha wrapped his arms around her. She relaxed instantly when she realized who it was but she shivered as she felt his moist breath falling down the back of her neck.

"I- I thought you were sleeping." She stuttered as she turned her head back to look at him.

"Can't sleep." He said simply, trying to keep his face nuzzled against the warm flesh of her neck as she moved her head around trying to look him in the eye.

"I'm sorry." She said and raised her hand to his cheek. "I didn't mean to wake you. I couldn't sleep either"

A long silent moment drew out between them before Inu Yasha looked away just as a blush started to twinge both of their faces. He missed the genuinely concerned look on her face as his gaze shifted over her shoulder at the generous amount of pale flesh exposed by the movement of her arm. He continued to focus his gaze downward at her chest while he kept his face snuggled against the arc of her neck.

"I-Inu.. Yasha…" she drew out slowly, confused by his behavior. "Are… are you…" She stuttered before stopping, suddenly tracing his fixated gaze. "INU YASHA!"

His head shot up and his ears flattened against his skull. "What?!" he asked in a thoroughly offended voice.

"What's wrong with you?!" she asked harshly.

"Huh?"

"You've become such a pervert!" she accused, gathering more steam. "You go straight from hating my guts to trying to… to… whatever it is you're doing!"

"Bitch!" he replied intelligently. "You said you didn't like fighting, didn't you?"

Kagome's gaze darkened. "That doesn't give you permission to look at me like that."

"Like what?" he asked.

Her face twisted in anger and she came utterly close to growling when she suddenly noticed his arms were still wrapped around her stomach and she could feel his warm breath on her face. Her anger deflated and a deep blush tore across her features. "Why… why are you?"

Inu Yasha tilted his head in confusion. "Look bitch, I don't have the slightest idea what the hell you're talking about. Don't you ever shut up?"

Kagome struggled in his arms but his grip did not loosen. She glanced around, trying to think of something to say but she was much too flustered to think normally. "But… we were going to… I told you that you had to figure out… WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT AGAIN?!" she screeched as he started nuzzling her neck again.

He recoiled again and shot her pained look. "Why are you so damn loud?"

"Because!" she cried out defensively. "I don't understand why you're doing that! It's making me nervous."

"Nervous?" he questioned wryly.

"Yes!" she asserted. "You've never acted like this before. Why are you like this suddenly?

Inu Yasha gave her an odd look and then glanced away as though suddenly embarrassed.

"Well?" she said, trying to urge him on.

"I'm really not sure." He said blankly, though a blush started to form on his cheeks. "I think it has something to do with mating instincts."

Kagome's face fell. "mating instincts? Why do you suddenly have mating instincts?"

"Dammit, bitch. I've always had them!" he snarled out and abruptly set Kagome free of his grasp. The way she had said `mating' kept repeating in his head. The way her voice had spit out the word made him sure she was disgusted. The only happy thoughts he'd had since Kikyou was alive suddenly vanished into thin air. Any dreams he harbored of one day taking Kagome as his mate were now a dead end.

Kagome frowned at the obvious change in his mood. "What's wrong now?" she asked tentatively as he backed away from her. Her body instantly yearned for his warmth. In a panic she reached out and grabbed a fistful of his robes. He looked down at her hand but didn't glance up to her concerned eyes. "Please tell me." She requested softly.

She tried to search his face as he remained silent but all she saw was sadness. "Inu Yasha… please don't do this." She began to run her fingers softly along his face and he relaxed but did not look up. She inched closer and started running her fingers through his hair. His eyes closed at the contact but his lips stayed set in a frown. Kagome pulled herself close enough that her body was coming in contact with his arm. She leaned her head on his shoulder and kept the blanket secured around her body while her right hand weeded through his hair.

She smiled slightly as she noticed the slight tremor run through his muscles when she came in contact with his ears. Pretending it was an accident, she returned to innocently running her fingers through his long mane. She felt relieved when his arm finally fell around her waist holding her gently against his chest. She looked up at his face as she massaged his head through his hair. She giggled at the obvious effort he was taking not to smile. She put her finger to his lips and whispered against his skin. "I hate that I can't stay mad at you."

Leaning against him, she lifted her left hand to pull apart his robes. His eyes opened, startled by the motion, but she only cradled her head under his chin so her cheek was against his bare chest. "You're warm." She reasoned, though Inu Yasha could smell the heat drafting from her own body. Her scent was growing heavier and musky; he knew what it meant.

He had to stop her. As much as he enjoyed her actions - and he really did enjoy them - he was still as confused about their relationship as she was. Somewhere in the back of his clouded mind he was not willing to risk hurting her. Until things were smoothed out between them, he would not allow himself to do something she might regret. Even though he wanted - no, needed…

"Kagome, stop." He said it softly but she recoiled as though he had hit her.

She shifted away from him so that a longing space filled the air between them. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to - I mean…" she spoke nervously as she tried to think up something intelligent to say. Her embarrassment was obvious but she also seemed slightly ashamed. "I shouldn't have… I know… I'll just…"

Inu Yasha sighed in frustration. Frustration at both her and himself. He opened his mouth and for a moment he was absolutely sure something good was going to come out. Then reality hit.

"Keh. Looks like you're the one who can't keep your hands off me."

Kagome looked as though she would make an angry retort for a moment but her face quickly went blank. "I'm sorry."

Her quiet attitude threw him off guard, but instead of quieting himself down he only became more frustrated. "You're so damn clumsy like that. I was just trying to be nice. You didn't have to start coming on to me like a…"

"Like what?" Kagome asked in a small voice.

Inu Yasha looked at her blankly though he seemed to be thinking something through carefully. He studied her expression as though he was weighing consequences heavily.

"Nothing." He finally replied.

Kagome looked away and stood, wrapping the blanket tightly around her shoulders so that no skin would show. As she walked past Inu Yasha, the bottom of the blanket dragged on the ground. Inu Yasha glared at it as it trailed behind her. Suddenly, just as a hungry animal stalking its prey, he grabbed the blanket and yanked hard enough that Kagome almost fell backward.

She shrieked as she clutched the fabric against her chest and turned back to glare at Inu Yasha who was looking at her innocently. She tugged on the blanket, willing him to let her go, but he just looked at her. She sighed heavily and turned, crouching down so that she could look at him while still keeping her limited supply of blanket covering her body.

"Inu Yasha…" she said sweetly, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"

"Where were you going?" he asked blankly.

"I'm going to sleep."

"I thought you couldn't sleep." He said in a slightly mocking voice.

"I'd rather try than stay up and argue with you." She said coldly.

Inu Yasha narrowed his eyes at her. "I was not-"

"YES. You WERE." She said angrily.

"How so?" Inu Yasha asked in an irritated voice.

Kagome didn't answer but only looked at him with a sad expression. She tore her blanket free in his moment of distraction but she only walked to sit in front of him. She faced him and he backed away from her gaze. She stopped him, grabbing a hold of the rosary around his neck. He turned his face to give her a confused look.

"Listen to me." She said firmly. "All I want is for you to be honest with me. I want you to be open. Do whatever you need to do… whether it takes five minutes or five hundred years… I'm waiting for you. But you have to do this and you have to do it for yourself."

Inu Yasha looked at her but could think of nothing to say in reply. Kagome looked at her hand that was still clenching the rosary. "I really am sorry, Inu Yasha." She said quietly. He furrowed his brows and was about to ask what she was talking about when she suddenly lifted the rosary from his neck.

He blinked for a moment, unsure if she had truly just done what his eyes were telling him she did. "uh… Kagome…"

"Well, I did lose the jewel twice so I figure I owe you something." She said with a smile.

Inu Yasha sat where he was, completely perplexed. Even though the rosary was finally gone, he had no idea what he was supposed to do. He had dreamed of the day for over a year but he could think of nothing to do. He was not going to hurt Kagome, Shippou and Kouga weren't around, and he couldn't leave Kagome alone long enough for to go and destroy the well...

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked as she watched Inu Yasha's face twist in deep concentration.

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Sango and Miroku trudged through the foliage as they once again neared the abandoned village. The moon was high but daybreak was still a few hours away. The forest was quiet except for the occasional breeze that spurred the hissing of leftover raindrops falling from the branches as they swayed. Kirara stalked beside Sango who kept her senses alert as they neared the village with Miroku following close behind.

Night was not the necessarily the ideal time to rummage through a demon-infested village, but Sango and Miroku both reasoned that every moment counted. The sky was especially clear since the rain had washed away all the floating dust and silver light flooded through the chilled night air. Sango turned back to Miroku as the trees started to thin out and rooftops could be seen.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

Miroku nodded, already slipping on his mask. Though his mouth was not visible his eyes revealed his large smile.

"Remember we're all sticking together." She reminded him as she pulled on her mask. "Let's go."

They arrived in the village shortly after and they walked as quietly as they could. The village was silent and the seemed more eerie as it reflected off the moonlight. Sango held her head high as she and Miroku walked between the buildings. Sango pointed to room the demon had gone into but Miroku shook his head and urged her onward. They decided to enter a corridor in the next building. Sango stepped on the wooden walkway first and the floor creaked loudly underneath her weight but she ignored it, trying to stay aware of any other sounds. Miroku followed immediately after her and Kirara padded behind silently.

They turned into a large room with screens completely torn. Light filtered into the room easily and Sango felt her heart beat as shadows danced across the dark walls. Miroku walked past her, seemingly knowing exactly where he was heading. Sango followed closely. She knew Kirara was right behind her, ready to protect her if need be, but she felt nervous. The previous events with the shadowy demon played clearly in her mind. Every movement she caught out of the corner of her eye made her heart jump. She did not see Miroku's destination until she was leaning over his crouched body.

A book. He was looking directly into an open book. Sango furrowed her brows in confusion but soon noticed odd things about the book as her eyes adjusted to the low light. It was bound together perfectly and the pages were bleached white with tiny black characters. She also noticed the blotches on the pages that looked like tiny paintings. The only other place she had seen such an amazing book was in Kagome's bag. Miroku lifted the book and Sango suddenly twisted her body to look outside. She tugged on Miroku's robe but didn't turn to face him.

"I think we have company." She said in a low distorted voice underneath her mask.

Miroku turned and tucked the book under his arm while holding his staff with his free hand. "Is that it?" he asked.

Sango watched as a dark substance curled along the floorboards, lifting up through the cracks like black incense smoke. "I'm afraid so."

Miroku squinted as he watched the substance begin to fill the room. It was not forming together into a single being but somehow that made him more nervous.

"What do you think it's doing?" he asked Sango, trying to keep his eye on the demon.

"I'm not sure." Sango answered, her nervousness barely showing through in her voice.

"It has us blocked in here." He said, though it was clear. "We can't get out unless we run through it."

"Do you think we can do that?" Sango asked, glancing up to Miroku.

"I don't know. I'm afraid it might be-"

He stopped as Kirara suddenly charged through the dark fog. "Now!" Miroku grabbed Sango's arm and pulled her as he sprinted through the space the fire-cat left open. They landed outside on the dusty ground and they quickly turned to see the smoke spilling from the room.

"We've got to get out of here!" Sango yelled, pulling herself up from the ground. She and Miroku ran and jumped on Kirara's back, hoping they would be able to outrun the smoky demon. As soon as they lifted into the air, however, the creature did not even attempt to follow them.

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A/N:

Is there any way to change your pen name on MM?