InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Yeah, He is ❯ Life Goes On ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inu Yasha, (I'm sticking with this one. The creativity should go into the story.) and special to this chapter, I do not own Muzzy or Hooked on Phonics.

Chapter 1: Life goes on.

The sword came down upon the offending creature with ferocity. There was a comrade in trouble and only this person could help. Just before striking the monster, he had looked into his sword; there in the reflection was not his own face, but that of a woman. The intensity was almost frightening, but it was what he saw after the beast was slain that bothered him the most. Though coated in a flow of blood, a small polished portion remained untouched. The face it now reflected smirked ruthlessly back at him. Its eyes were tinted red, and fangs protruded from its evil lips. He dropped the sword to his feet and starred at his own overly clawed hands. They were covered in blood. He surprised himself as a low, hungry growl tried to escape his throat. Resisting the urge to lick the blood from his hands, he began try and wipe them off on his clothing. He began backing away from all of the carnage that he had created, now, instead of a demon; the ground was littered with human bodies. Then, after about ten paces, he felt himself fall. Just waiting to hit bottom.

Kagome awoke to a loud thud, which originated outside of the house. She looked out of her window to find Inu Yasha lying on his back at the base of the tree. Kagome gasped and ran down the stairs. She was not the only one that the noise had awakened. Her mother and Sota followed her down the stairs.

"Again?" Her mother asked. Kagome just nodded as Sota turned back around and went back up the stairs to bed.

" I thought it was something serious." He yawned out. Kagome ignored the statement, and put on her shoes before heading out the door.

Both women reached the tree about the same time. There lay Inu Yasha. Just as he was every time this occurred.

"You grab the head and I'll grab the feet." Kagome's mother instructed. The two of them hoisted him off the ground, and placed him onto the couch. Just as Kagome placed an icepack on his head he began to stir.

"Hey, that's cold." He murmured. Kagome hugged him, glad that he was okay.

"You had that dream again, didn't you?" She let go to look him in the eye.

"Considering where I am, I would say that I did." Kagome frowned at his statement.

"I've told you before, I do not like you sleeping out in that tree. Why do you continue to do so?" Inu Yasha sat up and looked the worried Kagome in the eye.

"You know perfectly well why I sleep in the tree." He picked off the icepack, but she put it right back.

"I think you landed on your head this time. A concussion is still serious no matter how fast you can heal, so looks like neither of us are getting any more sleep tonight." He grumbled at her statement.

"She's right you know." Her mother explained. "Your going to feel very tired, but if you fall asleep, there is a chance that you might not wake up." He crossed his arms and grunted.

"Now," she picked up on her original subject, "outside of the obvious reason, why do you insist on sleeping in that tree." He rolled his eyes.

"Because," he glared at Mrs. Higurashi, "someone won't let me sleep in your room." Kagome's mother glared back at him.

"I'll let that little bit of rudeness slide, and attribute it to the bump on your head." She gave a tone that expected that to be the end of the conversation, but Kagome wasn't going to let it slide.

"Come on, Mother." She stood to face her while putting her hands on her hips. "I'm nearly nineteen years old, I leave the door open, and your room is right across the hall. Besides, we share rooms in the feudal era all the time!" Both women glared back and forth at each other. The air was static with their clashing attitudes. Mrs. Higurashi just sighed.

"We'll discuss it tomorrow. It's three in the morning, and I'm too tired to argue." She left the two people down stairs and shut her own bedroom door behind her. Kagome looked back to Inu Yasha.

"Maybe I can reason with her tomorrow, but for nights like tonight, why can't you take the spare room? At least then the fall won't be so bad." He ignored her and picked up the remote. She sighed in defeat. "If you're going to ignore me, at least make some room." He reached over and snatched her into his lap. She 'eeped' at the sudden action, and snuggled into his chest.

"Remember, if I don't sleep, you don't sleep." She nodded and watched him flipped the stations. The television was on it's lowest setting, and she couldn't hear what was on it, but she knew that it was plenty loud for his tastes. "Why are there only infomercials on? Where's a movie when you want it?" She smiled, she and Inu Yasha had been spending more time here than the feudal era lately. Mostly so she could finish school. That, and there were no quests calling them back on constant occasion. So, they would visit on weekends and vacations. Things were nearly perfect now.

Inu Yasha smiled down at her as her breathing evened out. There was no way that he was going to wake her up. He liked watching her sleep too much. As he shut off the TV, a glint of white caught his eye. He knew it was the shard. He considered it for a moment. That little piece of glass was all that remained of the very item that had changed his life. Ruined it, then made it so perfect. He held back a laugh, not wanting to wake Kagome. He thought about the first time they tested the power of her magic. The look on Sota's face when he came out of the well, and scared Shippou was priceless. Sota had come nose to nose with him, and since the little fox had been expecting Kagome, having a complete stranger pop up kind of freaked him out. Sota wasn't too far off from having the same reaction; he screamed and fell back into the well. Lucky for him there were still two people at the bottom to catch him.

Yeah, that that thing had done so much to them, and now seemed to be making up for it. It almost reminded him of Kagura, who was now training with Kaede. Though she did not have any spiritual powers, she made quite the assistant when it came to healing and medicines. That, and her ability to travel long distances in a short amount of tome became quite handy. She doubled as a messenger among the surrounding villages. Mostly birth announcements, but once in a while she would spread important news. A few lords had offered her much to become their personal runner on official business, but still she refused, claiming that she still had to make up for past sins. On top of all of that, she was even helping Shippou with some of his training and fighting skills when and where Inu Yasha could not. Being around Naraku as much as she had gave her some insight into the art of illusions, and that was definitely an area of Shippou's training that he had no experience in. How someone could change so much in such a short time was beyond him.

That's when he looked back down at Kagome, and then he understood. Kagura was no different than he was, only with different intentions and motivation. She was paying back, and he was being paid. Yeah, things were definitely different.

He had become lost in his thoughts for quite a long time. He became so wrapped up in watching Kagome that he didn't even notice the sunrise. His concentration was only broken when Mrs. Higurashi whispered in his ear.

"It's nice to see that survived the night." He turned to look at her. "You have to wake her up, she needs to go to school." He sighed and nodded. Then, leaned down and gently kissed her forehead, her eyes slowly opened. She took in her surroundings, and nodded in the understanding of what time it was. Inu Yasha watched her as she walked to her room. Mrs. Higurashi waited until Kagome was in her room before speaking to him.

"About last night." She picked up the icepack that now lay on the floor and sat on the couch next to him.

"I'm sorry about that." He hung his head, feeling ashamed.

"I think I'm the one who should apologize." He cocked his head at her in confusion. "What I mean is, Kagome had a bit of a point. You do a lot of things back then that I probably wouldn't allow here, and you are her fiancée. For all I know, the two of you have already.." She trailed off a little.

"Oh, no, we haven't." He was dispelling any implications. 'Not physically any ways.' He added mentally. "That is one thing that we have not done, and the only times we've seen each other without clothes has been through pure accidents." Mrs. Higurashi was surprised by his reaction.

"I was about to say 'shared the same sleeping bag, but what you just said almost justifies Kagome's reasoning. I guess you can stay in her room, but not in the same bed." She shook her finger at him sternly. "And what I just saw this morning, does not become a constant thing. Kagome still has a month of school left, which means three months until the wedding. Get it?" He nodded to her.

"Yes ma'am." It was then that Kagome came out ready for school.

"So, Inu Yasha." She smiled. "Are you going to walk me to school today?" He looked back to her.

"Do I have to wear a hat?" He indicated that it was still a little tender. She came over and began to gently massage his ears, and he melted immediately.

"Poor baby," she cooed as he began to purr, "not if you wear 'the outfit.'" With that statement, his purring stopped abruptly. Mrs. Higurashi took this as her cue to leave, and headed into the kitchen, carrying the ice pack. She did not like to get involved when it came to 'the outfit.'

Inu Yasha stood in the doorway, not looking all that happy. He wore a pair of black thong flip-flops on his feet, and a pair of black clam diggers with a white t-shirt tucked into the waistband. He hated that outfit, but it wasn't the worst part, no she made him wear a pair of sunglasses that limited his peripheral vision, but he could deal with that, it was the hot pink over shirt that 'completed the ensemble,' as Kagome put it, that severely bothered him.

"Could you please explain to me again why we even bought this stuff?" He pleaded.

"Because," Kagome giggled as she pulled him out of the door, "it was the only one that keeps your ears from being seen."

"Only because I'm so utterly depressed." He said as they reached the bottom of the shrine steps. "If this doesn't prove that I'll do anything for you, I don't know what will. They walked to the school holding hands, and Inu Yasha carried her books. Once they reached the gate, Kagome took her bag, and gave Inu Yasha a kiss goodbye.

"I'll see you this afternoon." She started to walk away but turned around again. "Remember, it's Wednesday, so I get out at noon."**(Check note at bottom.) He nodded and turned to walk away. For some reason, she didn't like it when he hung around at the gate to watch her go in. She insisted that the school didn't like people that weren't students, teachers, or parents on the grounds. He was just too tired to argue the point with her this time. That was another thing he had gotten used to, good night's rest. In fact, on the few occasions they had fought demons since the end of their quest, his fighting skills were much sharper. It amazed him how important sleep truly was. He trudged away from the school slowly, waiting to get far enough so that he could run without being noticed.

"I still don't understand what you could see in a guy that dresses like that." It was one of Kagome's friends. He had dealt with these comments before, and learned to ignore them. He was just about to take off when the last comment hit him.

"Yeah," another friend squeaked, "Hojo is such the better dresser." Anger boiled within him. He had never met this guy, but it always made him mad to be compared with him. Kagome however said something that washed that anger away pretty quickly.

"Okay, now you have never seen Hojo wear anything but school uniforms. I have seen his taste in street clothes, and he looks like a complete dork. Besides, I think those black pants make Inu Yasha's butt look absolutely delicious." All of her friends giggled at the statement. Inu Yasha only smiled, and sped off towards the shrine. It was eight forty-five as he stumbled in the door and headed up the stairs.

"Oh, your back!" Called Mrs. Higurashi from the kitchen. "Would you like some breakfast?" Her only response came in the form of a door slamming. "He must be ill if he doesn't want to eat."

Inu Yasha slammed Kagome's door, and threw himself onto her bed. This was the only place he could sleep and be truly comfortable, well that and whenever she slept with him. He hugged her pillow, and surrounded by her scent, he fell into a deep and nightmare less sleep.

Inu Yasha was awoken to a pounding sound on the door. Groggily, he opened it. Mrs. Higurashi. Stood there with a huge grin on her face.

"What?" He asked.

"Well, I ordered something for you, and it just came in the mail." He half nodded to her. "Why don't you wake up, change out of that horrible outfit, and come down for some breakfast. Then, I can show you what I got." He shook the sleep from his eyes as she headed back into the kitchen, and realized that he was still in his ugly clothes. Normally, he would wear his fire rat clothing, but he decided that it should be saved for trips to the past and special occasions. In fact, he had gotten used to some of the clothes in Kagome's time. The thing he couldn't stand was shopping for them. His first excursion to the mall had also been his last. The only thing that would make him want to go back would be going to the record store. He loved movies, and he actually was allowed to pick out three DVD's in exchange for letting Kagome pick out his clothes. He'd never get duped like that again. Next time he'd hold out for a little more than just three movies, maybe four.

He walked down the hall into his designated room. The only decoration in it was his sword on the wall. The walls were navy blue, and his sheets were white. It was originally the guest room, so it was kept pretty plain. In the corner was the cherry wood dresser. He didn't use it for much. What he was looking for was in the closet. When he found what he was looking for, he threw it onto the ever-made bed. Once he had changed, he threw the horrid outfit under the bed, hoping that it would be forgotten there. Then, he headed down to the dining room.

Mrs. Higurashi sat at the table sipping a cup of coffee.

"I still don't understand why she doesn't let you out of the house wearing that. You seem to look just fine in it to me." He shrugged. True, the pair of oversized blue jeans, and red long-sleeved tee was the most comfortable thing for him to wear, but he wasn't about to let any of them know that.

"I think she's afraid someone else will notice my ears, and take me away. That's what she says anyway." He sat down across from Kagome's mom at a bowl of creamed wheat. He still had trouble getting used to the stuff, but she usually put enough butter and sugar in it to help him get over it. Once, she tried the flavoring packet from a pack of ramen, and he almost choked. He was upset for a week at how they would try to trick him into thinking it was anything like his favorite food. After that, they decided sugar might be a better alternative to him spitting it out at every turn.

"I think she's more concerned about other girls taking you away," she smiled at him, "to her friends, you'd be considered a hottie." Inu Yasha sputtered at that statement.

"I'm sorry, didn't I put enough sugar in it?" He waved her off and wiped his mouth off with a napkin.

"No, it's just that," he thought it over, "I'm just getting used to how you use words here, and that happens to be one I know. How can the world change so much that some one like me can go from being only wanted as dead, to someone considered a desirable companion?" They just stared at each other for a minute.

"Perhaps it's evolution, or lack there of." That statement had caught him off guard.

"What's evolution?" He drew out the last word as if his tongue were covered in thick molasses. Mrs. Higurashi smiled, and held back a laugh.

"That's one of the reasons I got you these." She reaches under the table and pulls out two postal boxes. Inu Yasha stared at them quizzically.

"What are those for?" Mrs. Higurashi pushes them across the table.

"Open them and find out." She smiled as Inu Yasha used one of his claws to break the seals on each package. He looked into one and cocked his head in confusion.

"You got me books?" Mrs. H just nodded, then Inu Yasha looked into the other box. His ears perked up when he looked into this one. "And Movies!" He pulled out the DVD's. "But, they're all the same one." Mrs. Higurashi shook her head.

"They're learning tools. Just because Kagome is going to school doesn't mean she's the only one that needs an education." She pulled out a couple of the books. "Around here, most people your age can speak up to six languages. I though these might help you learn to read in English, it is called Hooked on Phonics. As far as the DVD's, that program is called Muzzy I have it in a few languages there, so you can pick which ones you would like to learn." She pointed to a particular one. "I'd recommend this one. It's often considered the language of love. I'm sure you could surprise Kagome with it some time." He stared at her for a moment. Not completely sure of how to respond.

"Umm, Thank you?" He looked at the items again. "No one has ever done anything like this for me." She just nodded towards him.

"Think nothing of it. Could you please go find grandpa and tell him it's time for him to take his medication and eat lunch."

"Lunch?" His eyes were wide. "What time is it?"

"Don't worry, it's only eleven thirty. You'll get there in time." She pointed to the boxes, but you might want to put that stuff away if you want to keep it a surprise." He nodded, and took the boxes into his assigned room. Then, searched the grounds for grandpa, and took off to pick up Kagome.

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** I'm not positive about the school schedules in Japan, but most of the eastern continents use the following high school schedule, and it is the one I plan on using.

On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday school starts at nine in the morning and lasts until six in the evening. With an hour for lunch, in which off campus dining is allowed.

On Wednesday and Saturday, classes last until noon, and the rest of the day is meant for clubs and other extra-curricular activities.

I hope that clears it up.