Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Not mine.
Forever
Chapter 1: The Beginning
Pouring rain seared Kagome's skin as she ran. Tears fell behind her, merging with the rain. He was gone, and wouldn't return. Why had she ever grown to trust that insolent scoundrel? What was it she saw in Inuyasha, anyway? He treated her like dirt most of the time...
Most of the time.
But there were times he'd been sensible, kind, understanding... Those times seemed so faded, so old, that they had become like a legend in Kagome's mind. Who was she kidding? Inuyasha loved Kikyo, not her! He'd never love her, as long as Kikyo lived... as long as Kikyo still roamed the land.
The trees cut her skin, but Kagome kept running. It was growing dark... she wouldn't make it to the well in time. Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Shippo and her had been off fighting demons again, and had strayed far from the village, the forest, and the well. Far from home.
Home...
Where was her home, anyway? Kagome had once thought home to be in her time, but... is home not where the heart is? Her heart lay here, in the past, with Inuyasha. Her heart lay here, with her friends. This was her home. But home cost Kagome dearly. For each moment she spent with Inuyasha, she felt her life adding more and more sorrow, building up grief like a cloud, until it broke and fell to the earth.
Would Inuyasha notice she was gone? He would, perhaps, tomorrow morning. Kagome smile slightly at the thought of the hanyou's rage. His precious shard detector, gone. Her humor faded instantly. Is that all she was? A shard detector? That was the sad truth, she knew. Kagome felt Inuyasha's fancy towards Kikyo... and she deserved him. Kikyo had, after all, died because of Naraku. She had been tricked, as had Inuyasha. But Kikyo's mortality prevented her from living as Inuyasha had survived. She deserved him. He was hers.
Then who was Kagome for? Kouga? The wolf demon that called her his? She loved him, certainly, as she loved Sango and Miroku. He was a friend, an ally, and a comrade. But her love for Inuyasha... that was different. He was forever in her mind, forever dominating her dreams, forever there.
Forever.
Not even death, Kagome presumed, would shield her from Inuyasha. He would just return to her soul, and she would be dead with him...
Shaking her head, Kagome stopped. Looking about, she estimated that the well was about a mile away. And it was dark. She couldn't see her hands when put out before her. So Kagome leaned on a tree trunk, and caught her breath. It was then she noticed tears still running down her face.
"Why do I cry?" she asked aloud, muttering to keep herself company. "Do I cry for Inuyasha? Why do I weep for he who doesn't even care?" She smirked bitterly, tears running faster. Her voice became hoarse.
"He... he doesn't even notice me! I'm just a shard detector, nothing more... No more! He loves Kikyo... he always has, always will. And if I love him truly, I shall respect his choice, and love what he loves. If my love for Inuyasha is true... I won't give up hope. I... I can't leave him. I won't. Tomorrow morning, I'll find him, tell him how I feel. And then... We'll continue on our quest, like nothing happened..."
But something would have happened. Kagome knew she wouldn't be able to forget her feelings, nor act like noting had changed. All the world would change.
She fell asleep rehearsing her words.
Inuyasha
She was gone. Gone! Where was that human brat? Oh, Kagome... Where could she have hidden this time? Stopping to smell the ground, Inuyasha caught the distinct scent of... salt? She was crying! But... why?
Because of you, you idiot!
Shaking his head, Inuyasha jumped up the nearest tree. Crossing his arms over his chest, he pondered what he could have done to cause Kagome's behavior. What had happened?
Flashback
"Inuyasha! If ye wish to find the demon who bears the jewel shard ye seek, ye must take Kagome!"
"Shut up, old hag. I don't need your word in this!"
Kaede watched the hanyou rise slowly, and begin to walk from the hut.
"Ye must take Kagome!"
Inuyasha stopped, and glanced back at Kaede.
"Oh yeah? And why should I?"
"Because Kagome is the only one who can locate the shards, Inuyasha. Ye need Kagome!"
"I'm just fine on my own, thank you!"
Kaede studied Inuyasha carefully, receiving a strange glance from the hanyou.
"Inuyasha," she said, "why do ye speak so? Ye have traveled with Kagome for long now, after all..."
Inuyasha snorted and walked outside, not answering Kaede. He didn't know the answer himself. He sped up, and began to run, as fast has his feet carried him, towards the demon...
Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kagome, meanwhile, found Inuyasha gone. Kaede kindly informed them of his location, and the four boarded Kirara, hoping they would arrive to fight the demon on time.
They arrived on time, but not for the demon.
There was a dead demon carcass on the ground, blood spilled around the clearing. Miroku and Sango held Shippo while they investigated the carcass for possible marks of its past crimes. Kagome, meanwhile, set off to find Inuyasha.
She found him soon enough.
Inuyasha and Kikyo, standing in a clearing. Kagome knew this story well enough to understand that if she stayed, her heart would be broken again. But she found she could not leave.
"Inuyasha..." she heard Kikyo breathe to his ear.
"I won't leave you..." came Inuyasha's soft reply.
Kagome felt tears forming in her eyes as he caught Kikyo's mouth in his own. And these were no tears of joy. She stumbled back a few steps, then turned and ran. She just ran, not knowing where. Kagome knew but one thing: she must get away from the clearing. And so she did.
Kagome
Her eyes fluttered open at the first rays of the sun. Kagome's back was sore from leaning on the hard trunk all night, but overall she had found rest that night. Her tears had dried, but new ones threatened to spill at new grief. Kagome stood, and wiped away all the dirt she had collected on her shirt and skirt.
Glancing up at the red sky, Kagome smiled with a newfound hope.
Now to find Inuyasha...
Forever
Chapter 1: The Beginning
Pouring rain seared Kagome's skin as she ran. Tears fell behind her, merging with the rain. He was gone, and wouldn't return. Why had she ever grown to trust that insolent scoundrel? What was it she saw in Inuyasha, anyway? He treated her like dirt most of the time...
Most of the time.
But there were times he'd been sensible, kind, understanding... Those times seemed so faded, so old, that they had become like a legend in Kagome's mind. Who was she kidding? Inuyasha loved Kikyo, not her! He'd never love her, as long as Kikyo lived... as long as Kikyo still roamed the land.
The trees cut her skin, but Kagome kept running. It was growing dark... she wouldn't make it to the well in time. Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Shippo and her had been off fighting demons again, and had strayed far from the village, the forest, and the well. Far from home.
Home...
Where was her home, anyway? Kagome had once thought home to be in her time, but... is home not where the heart is? Her heart lay here, in the past, with Inuyasha. Her heart lay here, with her friends. This was her home. But home cost Kagome dearly. For each moment she spent with Inuyasha, she felt her life adding more and more sorrow, building up grief like a cloud, until it broke and fell to the earth.
Would Inuyasha notice she was gone? He would, perhaps, tomorrow morning. Kagome smile slightly at the thought of the hanyou's rage. His precious shard detector, gone. Her humor faded instantly. Is that all she was? A shard detector? That was the sad truth, she knew. Kagome felt Inuyasha's fancy towards Kikyo... and she deserved him. Kikyo had, after all, died because of Naraku. She had been tricked, as had Inuyasha. But Kikyo's mortality prevented her from living as Inuyasha had survived. She deserved him. He was hers.
Then who was Kagome for? Kouga? The wolf demon that called her his? She loved him, certainly, as she loved Sango and Miroku. He was a friend, an ally, and a comrade. But her love for Inuyasha... that was different. He was forever in her mind, forever dominating her dreams, forever there.
Forever.
Not even death, Kagome presumed, would shield her from Inuyasha. He would just return to her soul, and she would be dead with him...
Shaking her head, Kagome stopped. Looking about, she estimated that the well was about a mile away. And it was dark. She couldn't see her hands when put out before her. So Kagome leaned on a tree trunk, and caught her breath. It was then she noticed tears still running down her face.
"Why do I cry?" she asked aloud, muttering to keep herself company. "Do I cry for Inuyasha? Why do I weep for he who doesn't even care?" She smirked bitterly, tears running faster. Her voice became hoarse.
"He... he doesn't even notice me! I'm just a shard detector, nothing more... No more! He loves Kikyo... he always has, always will. And if I love him truly, I shall respect his choice, and love what he loves. If my love for Inuyasha is true... I won't give up hope. I... I can't leave him. I won't. Tomorrow morning, I'll find him, tell him how I feel. And then... We'll continue on our quest, like nothing happened..."
But something would have happened. Kagome knew she wouldn't be able to forget her feelings, nor act like noting had changed. All the world would change.
She fell asleep rehearsing her words.
Inuyasha
She was gone. Gone! Where was that human brat? Oh, Kagome... Where could she have hidden this time? Stopping to smell the ground, Inuyasha caught the distinct scent of... salt? She was crying! But... why?
Because of you, you idiot!
Shaking his head, Inuyasha jumped up the nearest tree. Crossing his arms over his chest, he pondered what he could have done to cause Kagome's behavior. What had happened?
Flashback
"Inuyasha! If ye wish to find the demon who bears the jewel shard ye seek, ye must take Kagome!"
"Shut up, old hag. I don't need your word in this!"
Kaede watched the hanyou rise slowly, and begin to walk from the hut.
"Ye must take Kagome!"
Inuyasha stopped, and glanced back at Kaede.
"Oh yeah? And why should I?"
"Because Kagome is the only one who can locate the shards, Inuyasha. Ye need Kagome!"
"I'm just fine on my own, thank you!"
Kaede studied Inuyasha carefully, receiving a strange glance from the hanyou.
"Inuyasha," she said, "why do ye speak so? Ye have traveled with Kagome for long now, after all..."
Inuyasha snorted and walked outside, not answering Kaede. He didn't know the answer himself. He sped up, and began to run, as fast has his feet carried him, towards the demon...
Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kagome, meanwhile, found Inuyasha gone. Kaede kindly informed them of his location, and the four boarded Kirara, hoping they would arrive to fight the demon on time.
They arrived on time, but not for the demon.
There was a dead demon carcass on the ground, blood spilled around the clearing. Miroku and Sango held Shippo while they investigated the carcass for possible marks of its past crimes. Kagome, meanwhile, set off to find Inuyasha.
She found him soon enough.
Inuyasha and Kikyo, standing in a clearing. Kagome knew this story well enough to understand that if she stayed, her heart would be broken again. But she found she could not leave.
"Inuyasha..." she heard Kikyo breathe to his ear.
"I won't leave you..." came Inuyasha's soft reply.
Kagome felt tears forming in her eyes as he caught Kikyo's mouth in his own. And these were no tears of joy. She stumbled back a few steps, then turned and ran. She just ran, not knowing where. Kagome knew but one thing: she must get away from the clearing. And so she did.
Kagome
Her eyes fluttered open at the first rays of the sun. Kagome's back was sore from leaning on the hard trunk all night, but overall she had found rest that night. Her tears had dried, but new ones threatened to spill at new grief. Kagome stood, and wiped away all the dirt she had collected on her shirt and skirt.
Glancing up at the red sky, Kagome smiled with a newfound hope.
Now to find Inuyasha...