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Journey of the Heart	By : HauntedReality Category: InuYasha > General Views: 3798 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
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Journey of the Heart: Chapter 4 - Determination

DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha and his companions are not mine to own.

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Inuyasha could feel his stride becoming shorter as the sun
sank into the horizon. �DAMMNIT!� he screamed loudly enough to startle a nearby
flock of birds from their roosts as he charged ahead.

�Why did it have to be today? Couldn�t she have found a more
convenient time to get abducted?� Inuyasha stopped briefly when he came to the
foot of an almost comically steep mountain. The smooth rock face was nearly
completely vertical, and the top was somewhere past the clouds that obscured it
from view.

Without any more delay, Inuyasha
attacked the climb with the same vigor he had poured into the previous tracking.
His sharp claws were the only thing standing between him, and a particularly
nasty fall. He knew turning human before reaching the top would mean death, but
he never even considered not going.

�Hanyou, youkai or human, I will rescue you, Kagome. I swear
it!�

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kagome�s fingers laced through Kouga�s long dark hair. It
was surprisingly soft considering the rough life he lived--devoid of the modern
conveniences afforded to her even in the feudal era.

The warmth of his body pressed against hers made her feel
slightly dizzy. His lips were massaging hers with zeal. Her body tingled all
the way to her toes as his tongue ran along hers in a sensually playful manner.

Kouga had enveloped her in his arms. His strong fingers were
working along her back, kneading and rubbing her muscles through the thin
fabric of her school uniform. Everything in her body buzzed with a strange
mixture of excitement and contentment.

She felt so safe--so cared for, but something in the back of
her mind was gnawing at her for attention. �What is it?� She found it difficult
to form thoughts as her body became progressively warmer. Her eyes fluttered
open to catch a glimpse of nearly lidded brilliant blue eyes. �Blue? Is that
right? Wait, shouldn�t they be amber?�

�Inuyasha!� she gasped as she broke the kiss. Lowering her
head in shame, she pushed away from the embrace.

Hearing that one word spoken from Kagome�s lips wounded
Kouga more than fighting a thousand youkai ever could. When she had initiated
contact he thought it was too good to last, but when she welcomed his advances,
part of him started to believe he truly had a chance in her heart. For the
first time since he met her, he dared to hope they were out from under the shadow
of the hanyou, who had captured her heart.

Now that hope had been shattered like a mirror colliding
with the cold, hard ground.

Kouga�s body pulsed in agony as he watched her retreat a few
paces away, and curl herself into a tight ball. His heart felt as if a clawed
fist was squeezing and wrenching the life from it.

�Kag-ome?� he tried to mask the hurt in his voice to spare
her further feelings of guilt, but despite his intentions, she flinched in
response.

�I-I�m sorry Kouga. I shouldn�t have�� Her voice trailed off
as tears began to bead within her dark eyes.

Kouga�s pain melted into concern as he watched a tear slide
down Kagome�s flushed cheek. He slowly crept closer to her position, and gently
pulled her into a nurturing embrace. One hand traced semi-circles over her back
while the other brushed over her hair in a comforting manner.

At first, Kagome had resisted his comfort--still feeling
guilty for the tortured look in his eyes--but soon she found her face buried
against his neck. Her tears slid over his tanned skin as the steady rhythm of
his breathing calmed her.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Naraku watched the wolf youkai and miko with growing
interest. �Hmm, I suppose for Kagome it is not absence that makes the heart
grow fonder, but rather out of sight out of mind. I do wonder how poor
determined Inuyasha will feel about all of this when he discovers how close
they have become.�

Naraku emitted his strange clucking laugh as he pictured the
hanyou�s face at seeing the woman he refused to admit he loved in the arms of
one of his rivals. As amused as Naraku was by their dysfunctional interpersonal
relationships, something about their earlier confrontation bothered him.

�She has never exhibited so much spiritual ability before.
Their current situation must be allowing her to tap directly into her powers. They
are not bound by the same inhibitions and restrictions they are normally. It
would be best if she made no further attempts to use her powers in there. It is
too difficult to predict what the outcome might be, and I do not enjoy leaving
things to chance.

�I had hoped to use the beast to prevent them from
discovering sensitive locations, but perhaps I should eliminate all opposition
for now to keep her skills at a reasonable level.�

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When Kagome gained control of her emotions again, she
shifted so they were more or less facing the same direction, but she remained close
to him. �Don�t ever do that again,� were the first words to break the mutual
silence.

Kouga�s eyebrows arched with surprise. �Could she mean the
kiss? It wouldn�t surprise me, but she was the one who started it. Maybe she
meant the way I have been comforting her. Am I to never touch her again? But if
that were the case, why hasn�t she pulled away? Perhaps I should just ask.�

�What is it I should never do again?� he forced his voice to
remain even, and hoped for the best.

�Get yourself nearly killed just to save me,� she said
simply.

�Ohhh,� he purred in understanding. �Kagome, it will take
more than a little pest like that to stop a youkai prince,� he said with more
than a hint of his trademarked arrogance.

His reply earned him a sharp slap on the chest from Kagome
as she pulled away to face him. �I�m serious!� Her eyes glistened slightly as
she continued, and he feared another wave of tears might be brimming. �I
thought you were dead,� she said just loud enough for his sensitive hearing to register.

�Actually, why did I heal so quickly? Given the extent of my
wounds it should have taken at least a week for a full recovery--probably even
longer--and that is with youkai healing abilities. So
why is it I�m sitting here without a scratch on me?�

�Kagome, what happened with the beast? I remember I was just
regrouping to take it out when I saw a blinding pink light, and then I must
have rested my eyes because the next thing I remember is holding you,� he asked
without a trace of sarcasm.

�Regrouping to take it out?� Her expression took on a
deadpan look. �Resting your eyes?�

�Something wrong?� Kouga asked when he saw a bead of sweat
form on her forehead.

�No, of course not, assuming that translates to �being
crushed to death by a giant beak� and �passing out� in wolf youkai that is.�

�Ahem, I did not �pass out,�� he said rolling his eyes and
crossing his arms over his chest in a pout.

A small smile found its way onto Kagome�s lips at the proud
demon�s reaction before turning more serious to answer his question. �I�m not
sure I understand what happened either, Kouga.

�One minute I was just desperately hurling a rock at it in
hopes it would cause enough of a distraction for you to get the upper hand, and
the next it was dissolving in midair,� she said trying to rack her brain for
more information.

�Isn�t there anything else you remember?� he probed.

�I was so upset. I wasn�t really thinking straight.�

�I guess that explains the kiss,� Kouga thought sadly.

�Wait, there is something. I felt a surge of energy go
through me when I threw the last stone. And...� She wasn�t sure how to finish
the thought. Surely, she couldn�t have destroyed the creature using her miko
powers without an arrow.

�And?� he goaded.

�Well, it�s just that it felt like I was channeling my miko
abilities. It was kind of like the time I repelled Madam Centipede without
using a weapon. I guess that makes sense. But, the next part is really
strange.� Kagome�s brow furrowed slightly as she remembered watching Kouga
slowly lower to the ground in a halo of pink energy. �Could I really have been
controlling that? I�ve never used my powers like that before. I�ve never even
seen Kikyo do anything that controlled without something to focus the
energies.�

�Go ahead Kagome, after the day we have had, I think I could
believe anything.� Kouga shot her a winning smile in hopes of picking up her
spirits so they could get to the bottom of the strange land.

It did the trick, and Kagome�s shoulders dropped a bit,
showing she was more relaxed. �I think I kept you from hitting the ground, but
I don�t know how that is possible.�

Kouga cocked his head to the side to study the doubtful
young woman. �I do.�

�You do? How?� she asked with considerable surprise.

�You are a resourceful and powerful woman, Kagome. I�ve
known that for a long time. It is sad you have such a hard time believing in
yourself.�

A bright blush spread across her cheeks, and she averted her
gaze slightly at his generous words. In hushed tones she managed to thank him
before continuing. �It isn�t that. I just, well, I�ve never seen anyone use
miko powers like that--not Kaede and not even Kikyo. So how could I do it
without even being trained?�

�You have a very strong will. Perhaps, the power simply
obeyed when your heart desired it enough.� Kouga said while taking one of her
hands in his own in a reaffirming manner.

�Maybe you are right,� she finally agreed, but she was far
from convinced. �Something still doesn�t feel right about this. After all, I�ve
been in life or death situations before. I�ve seen my friends injured. I�ve
seen Inuyasha nearly killed. And yet, none of that was able to draw out such
massive power, so why now? Why here? Does it have anything to do with this
place?�

�Is that how you were able to heal me too?� Kouga asked,
needing confirmation on the event he found most surprising and impressive.

�Me? I thought your youkai powers healed you.�

�They would have healed me eventually--but take a look--not
even a trace of a wound.� Kouga said as he stretched his arms wide to give her
a clear view of his body.

Kagome�s eyes darted over his arms seeing no abrasions of
any kind. His smooth neck was free of nicks and scratches. Her eyes trailed
slowly down to his chest where much of his armor had been torn away by the
beast, exposing a well-defined hairless chest. Transfixed, her gaze continued
to slide further down--over his tight abdominal muscles and down a little
further to the fur belt holding his lower furs in place. Her cheeks felt hot as
she continued staring to check for cuts, yes, cuts.

Kouga smiled almost wickedly when he realized his body had
caught her interest. �Everything looks good?� he asked mischievously.

�What?! Oh, yes, it looks great! Uh, I mean good. No, I mean
fine! Ummm...that is, there are no injuries.� Kagome managed to stop speaking
to prevent her already red cheeks from blushing any brighter. �I think I could
use something to drink, um water that is.�

�I love it when she gets flustered. The tips of her ears
turn pink. It is quite endearing,� Kouga thought
happily. �Water, yes, we might be here for a while. It is time we gather some
provisions. Sunset is upon us, so we should probably find a campsite too--preferably
something with some natural protection since we obviously do have enemies in
this place.�

Kagome was immeasurably grateful that the conversation had
finally turned to safer topics. The less she thought about her feelings for her
travel companion, or the silver haired hanyou on the other side of the vortex
the better.

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Dull claws savagely embedded themselves into the firm ground
as Inuyasha strained every muscle in an attempt to pull himself to the top of
the cliff before his transformation was complete. Dark black strands of hair
were already threading their way throughout the normally silver mane, and his
senses and strength were declining rapidly.

�Just a little further,� he thought as he grunted loudly,
and thrust himself onto the landing in one final extreme effort before his
amber eyes darkened to an almost obsidian color.

Cursing his weakness, he laid on his back to gather his
strength before continuing. His labored breathing was the only sound he could
hear, which wasn�t surprising since he lacked his acute hanyou senses.

Finally pushing himself up--using Tetsusaiga for balance--he
took in a full survey of the mountain top--or at least as full as it could be
without the benefit of keen night vision. He could no longer track Kagura, and
if he allowed the trail to completely dissipate there would be no finding it
tomorrow.

He had to continue on using his limited human abilities for
all their worth. Seeing nothing of interest in his first sweep, he moved
forward to see if he could discover any clues as to where Kagura had gone.

�Keh, where is Kirara, or even that runt, Shippo when you
need them? Oh right, I abandoned them in my rush to rescue Kagome. They were
holding me back. Glad that is working out so well for me. If only I hadn�t
turned human--stupid hanyou weakness! Sigh, this is no time for self-loathing
or self-pity. Wait, what is that behind the grove of trees?�

Inuyasha increased his pace in the direction of his
discovery in hopes that he had stumbled upon some clue to Kagura, and thus
Naraku�s, whereabouts. Sure enough, he had found the entrance to some kind of
cave.

�Finally!� he exclaimed as he ran full tilt at the mouth of
the cave only to be violently repelled by one of Naraku�s forcefields. He was
sent flying several meters before a tree graciously impeded his momentum.

�Damn!� he managed to groan as he struggled to get back to
his feet. He nearly doubled over from the pain in his side. �Great, now I have
a broken rib.� He attempted to take a few steps, but collapsed from the searing
agony in his chest. �OK, a few broken ribs.�

Inuyasha managed to pull himself into a reasonably
comfortable position, and although it took every bit of willpower he had, he
forced himself to remain still. �Damn Naraku! And damn this frail human body!
But at least I know where I need to go once I can wield the barrier breaking
Tetsusaiga again.

�As much as I hate to admit it, there isn�t much more I can
do until the morning.� Inuyasha fought the powerful urge to sleep that
threatened to overtake him. He never slept while he was in human form. He was
far too vulnerable, and with his recent injuries it was even more important to
remain alert.

To keep himself awake he tried thinking, but every thought
turned toward his last argument with Kagome. Her parting words still looping in
his memory, and it brought him pain that eclipsed even the physical pain of his
injuries.

Struggling to find a more peaceful line of thought his mind
drifted to the rest of the group. He knew that even their significant abilities
would not be enough to break through the barrier, but he had to admit he wished
they were there. He had been alone for some time before encountering Kikyo
fifty years ago, and although he always tried to make it seem like he preferred
it that way, he really hated it.

As he awkwardly laid on the cold
hard ground, he thought about how much better his situation would be if the
rest of the group was there. Sure, Shippo would no doubt be taking this
opportunity to make up for some of the times Inuyasha had chased or hit or
yelled at him. And Miroku would probably spend most of the night finding ways
of getting his hand on Sango�s bottom. And Kirara would just do whatever it was
Kirara did when they were resting for the night. But just being with them was
kind of nice, even if he rarely participated in their idle banter.

Traveling with the strange group had become his second
chance at having a family. Even though they squabbled at times, it was never as
serious as his battles with his brother, Sesshoumaru. His brother had never had
any use for him, but there was a time when all Inuyasha had wanted was to be
just like him. And although he would never admit it--certainly not in his
hanyou form--a part of him still admired the older dog demon.

�Why do I always become so sentimental when I�m in this
form?� He shifted slightly, and winced when a new stabbing feeling shot through
his torso. �If Kagome was here I�d feel better. Of course, if Kagome was here,
then I wouldn�t need to be. Did that make sense? I think the pain is starting
to affect my brain.

�Wherever you are right now, Kagome, I hope you are safe. You
better be protecting her, wolf!� And as a second thought came crashing into his
mind, he added, �And staying the hell away from her!�

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Author�s Note: I got myself a new computer for Christmas.
Good news for me, but less so for fans of this story. Writing just didn�t seem
as much fun as testing out all the new capabilities! But at last you have
chapter 4! You can also blame my Crossing
the Line fans. They MADE me update it twice before I updated this story.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Please review.

FF Reviewers: Angel6582 (I always look forward to your
reviews! I�m glad you think my stories are fairly error free. I hate the
editing part, so I�m glad someone appreciates it.), TheLightintheDarkness (I�m glad you enjoyed it!),
Dancing-Anime-Lover (hey person, thanks and I will!), AnimeLover18 (Aww, shucks!), Kouga�s #1 fan (I
will!), kogas-mate05 (I love people who are reading both of my chapter fics!), Black-rose23 (All will be revealed in time), Sierrakoi (I have to agree), Nichole Hibiki
(Merry Christmas to you to, and a Happy New Year!), nonofyorbiz
(I hope this chapter helped alleviate your concerns with the pace of their
relationship.), garry (Thanks! I think you are great
for reviewing!), i-wish-i-was-kagome (Yea!), VangieGirl (No plans to involve Kikyo or Sesshoumaru yet,
but I haven�t ruled it out as an impossibility either. I feel like I�m already
juggling a million characters as it is!), Mesa Juu-Chan
(You are awesome!), and jschu25 (It is always great to have a shot at
converting someone to one of my favorite alternate pairings!)

MM Reviewers: I just found out that no one can review
without being signed in. Sorry for thinking no one cared about me on this site.
If it is easier just email me with your reviews directly. E-mail:
wastedthoughts @ insightbb. com (just take out the
spaces.) And now, on to the thanks...I couldn�t access the reviews when writing
this so, sorry I can�t do a personal message, but thanks for your review BookNerd!

AFF Reviewers: KogasHentaiLuver
(I�m happy to hear I�ve still got you reading), KitKat
(Sorry I didn�t update as soon as I would have liked. I shall make it my new
year�s resolution to be faster!), Nikolyta (Aww, thanks! That was definitely the kind of review that makes
my day), and Cheshire Angel (Thanks!)

Direct E-Mail: brittany
s (Thanks for your review--whether it was to this story or my other one!)
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Journey of the Heart