"InuYasha…InuYasha!"
"I'm so happy!" -- Kagome
"What...?" -- InuYasha
K: "I was afraid you were dead! You never came to get me!"
I: "Didn't I tell you never to come back!"
(thinks) I didn't care where you were... I just wanted you to be alive.
I: "Why! Why did you..."
K: "Because!"
K: "I couldn't help it! I wanted to see you!"
I: (thinks) She wanted to see...?
"...Me...?"
K: "You got a problem with that?"

Dialogue from Episode 21: Naraku's True Identity Revealed
(or from the InuYasha manga, in volume 8)

A Late Night Conversation

An InuYasha and Kagome One Shot Fanfiction
-- A Continuation or Alternate Ending to Episode 21 --
By: Aienkien-Jitsuni

Kagome tucked a loose strand of raven hair behind her ears as she rested her head upon her knees. She rubbed at her tired brown eyes as she sighed from exhaustion -- but no matter how hard Kagome tried, she just couldn't fall asleep.

Due to recent events, and to recent discoveries about the despicable Naraku, so many thoughts were buzzing around her head. The mystery of Onigumo was solved and they finally figured out who Naraku's true identity was. They also found out what Naraku's motives were and why he had such a grudge on InuYasha. All of this information was much needed, since they knew nothing about Naraku up until this point. But all of this was just too much for Kagome to handle in one sitting, since Miroku had just informed her about all of this a couple of hours ago.

Kagome got up from her green sleeping bag and decided to stretch a little. She was really getting a headache, so she decided that maybe if she moved around a bit, she would finally get a little shut eye.

"The stars are beautiful tonight." The modern-era girl looked up at the night sky as she admired the clear night sky above her. Despite the uncomfortable sleeping area, and the lack of baths that she took, she would never get tired of this era -- since the air always seemed cleaner and the sky seemed to be clearer. The stars were also a lot brighter in the Feudal Era than in her own time.

Her eyes followed the lights of the stars, until they fell upon the bright moon. She walked towards it, trying to get a better view. But as she walked, she found herself shaded by the branches of a tall tree.

As she looked up, Kagome saw a glimpse of a red haori and a hunched figure.

"InuYasha…" she said under her breath. She looked up at that hanyou, ready to meet his golden amber eyes, but instead his eyes were closed. She expected nothing less, since he did after all battle with Naraku -- and even though Naraku ran away like a coward, InuYasha still had not properly healed his wounds from the fight he had with Sesshomaru right before that. He had to be worn-out.

It was strange, because for some reason Kagome just couldn't keep her eyes off of him. His long, silver hair was gleaming in the moonlight, and with him asleep he looked almost peaceful. Her curious brown eyes were glued to his face, but they were soon filled with fierce anger as they rested upon the scar on the half-demon's cheek.

"Geez, InuYasha! Why can't you ever just stop for a moment and rest! All I do is worry about you, while you go and get yourself killed! Can't you just get over yourself, you big egotistical jerk! Even though your wounds heal faster than humans, you're still hurt! You're not invincible!"

Kagome was on such a roll that she couldn't help but continue -- she was boiling with rage.

"And then you push me down the well, which was the rudest thing to do a person while your embracing them, and steal the Shikon Jewel from me! Uh, hello, I'M the ONLY one who can find the jewels, you idiot! You need me, you practically can't do anything without me! But still, that doesn't mean you can call me a jewel detector!"

At this point, she was so angry, that her eyes turned glassy -- tears were about to fall.

"You didn't even come and get me, while I sat on the other side of the well wondering if you were dead or alive! Do you know how worried sick I was? YOU'RE SUCH A JERK!"

Kagome fumed, screaming the last part of her tirade up at the half-demon…

…Who she forgot was asleep.

"Oh man, I'm really going crazy! I'm starting to talk to myself!" Kagome panicked as she raised her hands up to her face.

She then collapsed onto the ground and took deep breaths, since she had run out of breath from her angry outburst. She rubbed furiously at her eyes and harshly wiped her tears away.

The time-traveling girl was so preoccupied, that she didn't even realize how much she was bottling up inside. As her breathing returned to normal and her temper disappeared, she got up and sat against the trunk of the tree. She looked up once more at the hanyou, her eyes fixated him.

"But…I can't help but feel…"

And then all at once, like a movie playing in her mind, she started remembering different moments she had with that idiot…

----

I: Tend my wounds? You think I need you?
K: Drop the attitude, you got hurt in that fight. Now come down.
I: Huh.
K: SIT!
I: Hey! What'd I do?
K: Just take off your clothes!
I: Beg me to!
Kaede: Well, I see you two have gotten over your differences.

I: "No, you should wait here and let me protect you!"

I: "No! Wait! Don't go!"
K: "Huh?"
I: "...uh!"
K: "..."
I: "You're... alive...?"
K: "Um... what did you mean "don't go" ...?"

K: "There... is that better?"
I: "Yes... You... smell good"
K: "Huh...! Wait a minute. You said you hated my scent."
I: "Well... I was lying."

K: "Look at me!"
K: "You've been doing your best to avoid looking at me since yesterday! Does it bother you so much that I look like Kikyo! Do you hate me for it! "
I: "You have it wrong..."
I: "Kagome... you always ask how we feel... but you... are hurt too."
K: "Me...? I've got a little bump, that's all."
I: "I'm sorry... to put you in such danger..."
I: "From here on out... things will be even more dangerous."
K: "I guess so, huh?"
I: "Kagome... aren't you afraid? You barely escaped with your life this time!"
K: "I'm not afraid! Anyway, what does that matter compared to your injur--?"
K: "InuYasha...?"
I: "I... I was afraid..."

----

Kagome quickly forgot about everything -- Naraku, the Shikon Jewel, the math test that she had tomorrow, and even the conversation she had with herself earlier. She forgot everything but the hanyou. She glanced at InuYasha's scar again, no longer feeling angry or furious with him.

"I'm glad…" she whispered to herself.

She suddenly remembered how she felt when she had just arrived in the Feudal Era from her time. How she felt when she climbed out of the well to see him, after wishing so much to see him…after worrying about him so much…

'I'm so glad that he's okay.'

With that final thought, the weary girl from the present shut her brown eyes and finally fell asleep -- a soft, gentle smile gracing her face.

Author's Note: So, this is my first one-shot after a long absence from writing fanfiction! What do you think? I'm really rusty and I don't think this was very good. The ending wasn't that great -- it took me forever to write though because I was so indecisive! Originally, I planned to write in InuYasha at the end, but I decided to make this a Kagome-only piece. I kind of like to think of this one-shot as a tribute to InuYasha and Kagome, since I used many InuYasha and Kagome moments in this! I've always wanted to make an alternate ending for this episode -- and now I have finally gotten the chance to, which I'm so happy about!

Anyway, please tell me what you think! Thanks for reading and please review!

Also, don't forget to check out some of my other works! R&R.
-- AK-J