Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Golden Gaze ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter Three

Kurama awoke in the middle of the night, his scarlet locks tumbling down his back. He was breathing heavily, but it had not been a nightmare that he had had. No...It was a dream that had caused this reaction from him.

He had never had a dream like that before.

He had been walking through the forest - searching for something.

Then he had found her. This beautiful girl that he had never seen before. She was lying in a clearing, covered in mud. It had looked like she had been in some sort of trouble.

He had recalled approaching her, then being shot away by some kind of force. Then she had turned to him and...they had talked.

He couldn't recall what they had discussed, only that he had taunted her and been amused by the growing furstration he aroused within her. But then, for some reason or another, he had left.

Leaving her alone.

But he had not really left.

He had hidden in the forest and watched her.

Then he had woken up.

Kurama shook his head as if to clear it. His window was open allowing a cool night breeze to caress his bare chest (drooling currently allowed! ^_^) eliciting an involuntary shiver from him. Streching a little so that his lean muscle rippled in the moonlight (Drooling still allowed!) he crossed his room in a few strides and closed the window. It had gotten a bit cooler in the night.

Suuichi Minamino made as if to go back to his warm bed, but decided against it. It would be no use. He was wise enough to know that their would be no returning to sleep after that dream. The kitsune part of him wanted to stay up and figure out why it had come to him.

Forcing himself to disregard the comfortable expanse of his blankets and pillows, Kurama walked instead to his desk in the darkest corner of his room and sat in the chair. He was positive that he had never seen the girl before in his life. At least not in his life as Suuichi. It was possible that he had known her as Youko...No it wasn't. Closing his emerald eyes, the distressed young man forced himself to picture the subject of his dream once again. Youko definately could not have known her. She was wearing modern clothing. A uniform similar to the ones worn at his highschool, yet not nearly as modest.

In spite of himself, he found his thoughts turning to the revealing length of her skirt. It had definately suited her long legs...

'Snap out of it!' he yelled at himself mentally. If it was possible, he would have supposed that he had yelled a little too loud. But he wasn't completely sure that one could do that in their own mind. Not completely.

But it seemed that he had, for in the recesses of his mind, he felt a presence stir. One that had been, to his relief, absent for the past few days. That meant that his kitsune nature was reliving memories of his freedom and past. It was usually around these times that Suuchi found himself having strange dreams such as this.

Again the notion toyed with him that maybe...

But her clothes were modern. Youko couldn't have known her.

'Couldn't have known who?' A husky voice cooed to him. If Kurama hadn't known who it was and where it was coming from, he would have perhaps been startled and attempt to bat the air behind him in an effort to ward off the intruder. As it was though, there was nothing that he could do about it. After all, the intruder was in his mind. It was him.

In a manner of speaking.

Suuichi rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his slightly ruffled ruby tresses. Now there really was no chance of ever sleeping again that night.

"Done chasing memories of what used to be?" The boy asked softly, yet aloud.

The voice in his head gave a small chuckle but did not provide more of an answer.

A silence lapsed once again in his mind, though Kurama could feel that all to familiar presence lurking there, impatient for something to do. He sighed heavily, all he wanted was to sleep. He had school the next day for kami's sake.

Another soft mocking chuckle rang through his head.

Kurama stood and pulled at his hair in aggravation. He hated nights like this! Hated them with a passion. They were the almost the only things that could stir him from his impassive, yet calm, ways and he found that most frustrating.

Unwillingly his thoughts strayed to the dream again. Her tattered clothes and unkempt appearence. As he pictured her once again he felt his alter ego tense a little. Only for a moment though. Then the excitement Youko was feeling washed over him, contagious to the human. His curiosity spiked, though not all of it was his own.

'Know her?' Kurama thought, unable to help himself from asking the question that was driving him crazy. He could almost feel Youko smirk in response.

'I'll take that as a yes.'

There was a long pause.

'So are you going to tell me about her?' Suuichi pressed. He really wanted to know.

He could almost feel Youko's spirits drop, like a school child who didn't know the answer to a simple question and was being mocked by the class for it. An image of the girl flashed in his mind once again.

'I suppose not. After all she looks like she's from modern days. If that would be the case there's no way you could know anything about her. Even if you do seem to recognize her.'

Youko Kurama tensed in irritation at this assumption. He was about to make some rude comment about it when the picture flashed once again across their mind.

'Kagome...'

**********************************

Youko watched the girl from a few yards away, hidden in some brush. As he had deduced, without the jewel fragment, she could no longer sense him. He was a little annoyed with himself that he had overlooked that at first. His only excuse was that it was so damn obvious.

His molten stare followed her as she paced impatiently aroung the clearing. It was as if she was waiting for someone. But for who?

For once Youko's restless spirit was not urging him to leave on some journey or another. For some reason or another he was oddly grateful. And a little confused. He could not understand his own actions. Why was he still there, almost an hour after he had 'left', watching the strange ningen, when she was obviously doing nothing interesting.

'I just want to see what she's waiting for.' he told himself sternly.

Somewhere deep inside of him a little voice did not agree.

The trees were silent, as was everything else in the forest. Nothing seemed to dare break the silence that he was treasuring at the moment. It was almost as if all of nature feared upsetting the beautiful youkai hiding in the brush.

Hiding in the brush like some kind of human stalker.

The kitsune couldn't help but snicker inwardly at the thought. As if he would ever do something like that!

'But isn't that what you are doing?' That doubtful voice dared to question.

Youko chose to ignore it.

********************************************

Inuyasha sniffed the ground, looking exactly like a blood hound searching for a fugitive. Was it...? He wasn't sure. He needed to check again. Yes. It was. After almost a day of searching he had found Kagome's scent.

"Hey! I've found it. She's this way!" He called triumphantly to his companions. He could feel his chest swelling with pride. The wench owed him this time!

"Truly Inuyasha?" Miroku questioned as he peered suspiciously at the hanyou. The dog demon had claimed to have found Kagome's trail a few times already that day, only to mysteriously 'lose' it or at one point stumble upon a hermits herb garden.

Inuyasha glared daggers at him. How dare the monk express his doubt in him so blatantly! "Of course I'm sure!" he snarled.

Miroku caught the promise of a slow and painful death if he disagreed in the half demon's eyes. Wisely he chose to trust his friend once again, and merely shrugged his consent. Turning with a small jangle of his staff, he walked over to where Sango and the transformed Kiarara awaited him.

His hand began to creep a little more south than was proper as he sat behind the demon exterminator. The back of his hand lightly brushing over her thigh as he reached for the other end of his staff, which he held horizontally in front of her as a sort of safety belt.

He chuckled softly as he felt her muscles jump a little at the unexpected, though completely innocent touch. Sango only scowled. "Just make sure to keep your hands to yourself monk." She snarled over her shoulder. "Or I shall have to personally remove them for you." Miroku feigned an involuntary gulp. He was used to such threats due to his lecherous ways. Especially from his dear Sango.

"Ah. Lady Sango. How it pains me so to think that you believe me to not have only the purest of notions. Especially when it comes to one with such beauty as yourself."

"Onegai, spare me houshi-sama. I do care to hear your spouting of meaningless devotions right now."

Miroku knew that it was pointless to argue. Though he honestly spoke the truth to the young woman in front of him, she always doubted him. Not that he blamed her. She had reasonably solid evidence on which to stand her cases. If only she knew how much he cared for her...

Unwillingly the monk sighed as he relaxed in his posture. The noise bought a puzzled look to Sango's face, but as she was looking forward, he did not see it. Instead the companions travelled onward quietly, in torturous suspense as to whether or not they would truly recover their missing priestess.

******************************

Golden light tinted the forest as the sun's last rays spread throughout the trees. Kagome raised her head to the sky and noting the time, could feel the hope that she had been trying to hold onto all day draining from her body and rushing to the ground.

'They aren't here yet.'

Kagome looked wistfully towards the darkening edges of the clearing. Her stomach was growling its protest at not being fed all day but she didn't want to take the chance of wandering off and getting lost again. No. If she stayed put then there was a better chance that Inuyasha would find her.

Then everything would be okay.

If only her rumbling bowels could agree.

Sighing heavily for probably close to the thousandth time that day, the raven haired girl waked over to the tree that she had met that youkai under. What did he say his name was again?

"Youko Kurama..." she murmered softly, testing the feel of the title in her mouth. Unbeknownst to her, upon hearing the name fall from her lips, a figure on the outer bounds of the clearing jerked their head up and stared curiously.

Kagome began to feel slightly uncomfortable as she tried to relax against the rough bark of the tree. It was almost as if she was being watched. But she couldn't sense any youkai or, for that matter, any wildlife around for quite a distance. None of them were close enough to even catch her scent if they were standing upwind of her. Unable to endure the nagging suspicion sitting still, the miko began to fidget and twitch until she was incapable of sitting upon the ground and forced to stand up once again.

It was in the process of standing that she felt it.

A small group was coming towards her.

And she knew exactly who they were.

Breaking into a run, Kagome fled the clearing, heading towards the south. A genuine smile unlike any other that she had worn that day lit up her face as she continued to travel, gaining speed, in the direction of the appoaching prescences.

Youko, who was STILL hiding in the brush despite the large interval of time that had passed, was momentarily surprised at the suddenness of her actions. For a few seconds all he could do was sit there and stare at the ground where Kagome had once stood. But as it always happened, he shook his entire body in attempt to ward of the shock, and returned to rational thought.

'Go after her!' his mind screamed at him.

Well almost rational thought anyways.

With a twitch of his silver tail, he leapt to stand on his feet and began to pursue his chase. Though he was not actually hunting her for any reason other to see where she was going, he couldn't help but feel excitement racing through his blood, heating it to unbearable levels. The youkai instincts in him were screaming for him to catch her and end the chase, but being the kitsune he was, he was enjoying himself. Besides he knew that he shouldn't reveal himself to her if he wanted to keep watch on her. If she knew that he was still there than she might catch onto him.

'Catch onto what?' his mind asked his spirit.

It recieved no answer.

Oh well, it hadn't really expected one either.

The miko was actually quite fast for a ningen. Youko had to actually use some of his speed in order to keep pace with her. He could've always lagged behind her, but for some reason or another, he wanted to watch her. The smile on her face was enchanting, and the grace with which she ran breathtaking. She was truly a puzzle to him.

Kurama was so caught up in watching his target that he didn't catch the scent of the approaching creatures until he saw them. Then it took all of his power to bring himself to a halt without causing noise that would alert them to his presence.

When he finally managed to stop and get cover he began to curse himself mentally. It was only due to pure habit of covering his scent that the other demon hadn't sensed him yet. He never let his guard down like that. What the hell was he thinking. He began to laugh at himself. He knew exactly what he was thinking, and it was surprising even to him that he had been beginning to lust for the human.

'Kagome..' he mouthed the word suspiciously, almost as if he thought that by saying it he was helping to strengthen whatever spell she had put on him. Oh yes. He would definately enjoy trying to solve this puzzle. The shock and confusion that this girl was causing him was only making all the more interesting..

He was ONLY pursuing her because he wanted to try to figure her out.

'Uh huh...' his mind began doubtfully.

He put a stop to that faster than he could run. Content that his mind was no longer going to try to betray his inner nature, he returned his atttention to the girl. And he felt the humanoid need to gasp at what he saw.

Obviously while he was arguing with himself he had missed something for now, instead of running, Kagome had thrown her arms around the neck of the inu-youkai and was embracing him with her head buried in his outer haori. Upon seeing this a foriegn emotion began to rise up in the bystander, bringing his blood to a boil. It was urging him to hurt the one that the girl was holding in his arms and make him pay for daring to return the affection, however subtly that he was.

Youko Kurama had never, in all his years of lovers and lust, felt this way before him. These strong urges were almost enough to make him more than a little uncomfortable.

'This must be what they call jealousy...' he thought when he watched the girl and inu seperate. It was not an emotion that he ever planned on having again. He was partially repulsed, partially shocked, that he was felt this.In an attempt to ignore hide the true reason from himself as to why he was experiencing this new emotion, he began to ask himself why.

'Don't even start that.' the annoying little voice warned.

Youko resisted the need to growl low in his throat. Having a conscience was pretty damn annoying. Especially when there was nothing he could do about it.

***********************************

Inuyasha raced deeper and deeper into the forest. Kagome's scent was getting stronger. Hiding the elation that he was beginning to feel at the prospect of finally finding the miko, he increased his speed, literally hurtling past unsuspecting vegetation and occasional wildlife. Oddly, the amount of wood creatures was thinning out as he approached his destination. And it was definately getting quieter.

Those sign would have normally triggered some kind of response from him. Normally one that said DANGER. But not now. All he could think of was that he had finally found Kagome, not just another deadend, he had found her.

Her scent was increasing dramatically as he continued onward. He inhaled it deeply, basking in the warmth that it spread throughout his body. Only Kagome had ever managed to make him feel this way, not even Kikyo had been able to make him feel so...at peace.

Inuyasha forcefully broke through the brush and undergrowth that hindered his movements. Kagome was coming towards him now, no doubt she could sense his presence as well and was coming to find him. He would never admit it to anyone, not even her, but he had been worried about her. He had been unable to cease the thoughts that flooded his mind, all of them of the worst possible things that could've happened to her.

Frightening and disturbing scenes had plagued him all throughout the last night and passing day. The most disturbing thought of all however, was the one that maybe she had purposely left him. He knew that he was cruel to her sometimes, but he couldn't help it. He was angry with himself for allowing him to become so emotionally attached again that he took it out on her. And though he would only ever speak of it to his conscience, he missed her whenever she left. He was constantly afraid that she would never return to him.

He could run no faster, depite how he tried. Kagome was just a little ways away. Any moment he crash through the trees and she would be there, running towards him with that smile that always lit up her face whenever she knew he was coming for her. Distantly he could hear Miroku yelling for him to slow down a little.

Like hell he would. He wanted to go faster, not slower! Didn't the monk know that they were almost there. Only a little farther and they could put aside all their uncertainties and rejoice in their reunion. He would not wait for that moment. He was going to rush to greet it.

"Kagome....."

Her name left his lips, a whisper on the wind. He could see her now, her hair in wild disarray and mud and dirt clinging to her clothes. But to Inuyasha she had never looked more beautiful. Momentarily forgetting his tough guy act he ran happily into her open embrace, relishing the feel of her throwing her arms around his neck and pressing her face into his chest. He returned her display of affection, wrapping his arms around her small waist and pulling her closer to him so that he could rest his head upon her own.

Kagome was finally back where she belonged. She was with him.