Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

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
- 4
- 5
- 6
Journey of the Heart: Chapter 5 - Slipping

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

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

�Oww!� shouted Miroku in pain.

�If you don�t want Sango to hit you with Hiraikotsu then you
should stop being such a hentai,� Shippo said dryly.

�No, it was worth it,� Miroku replied with a dreamy
expression which earned him a hard glare from the demon slayer.

�It is getting dark, and Kirara is growing tired so we
should find a place to land soon,� Sango said, trying to lure the subject away
from the monk�s lecherous ways.

Taking on a more professional air, Miroku considered her
words. �We should try to find Inuyasha first. He should have slowed down
slightly toward sunset, which means we may not be far from his location.�

Sango struggled to scan their
vicinity by the light of Kirara�s flames. Something came into view directly in
front of them, and Kirara came to an abrupt stop mid-air.

�What is it?� asked Shippo as he peaked around Miroku�s
robes.

�It is a mountain. A tall one,� Miroku said as he craned his
neck and squinted his eyes, trying to make out the top.

Kirara turned her head back to Sango momentarily, then immediately
continued their flight upward with zeal.

�I guess she senses something,� Sango said calmly when she
noticed the wide-eyed reaction from Miroku and Shippo.

Moments later, they were at the top, and Miroku and Shippo
both jumped from Kirara�s back as soon as her feet touched the ground. Sango
scoffed under her breath as she slid off to join them.

�We should scout around a little before we set up camp,�
Miroku said officially only to find Kirara and Sango disappearing into the
shadows.

�Where are they going?� Miroku asked himself out loud.

He glanced to the small fox cub at his side, who shrugged,
and answered, �Women,� before scurrying off to join Sango and Kirara.

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

Inuyasha could hear something rustling through the
underbrush, and it was getting closer. �Naraku�s henchmen aren�t going to take
me without a fight; human or not!� He managed to pull his battered body up the
trunk of a nearby tree as noiselessly as he could, although the urge to cry out
was great. He crept out onto a limb and waited until his would be assailants
were closer.

The effort he expended in the climb made it difficult for
him to stay conscious, but he held onto the limb with everything he had. He
could have buried himself beneath the foliage in hopes that the strong forest
scents would mask his, but he refused to run from battle--even if he was
hopelessly injured and outmatched.

With the extra shade the tree�s thick leaves were creating
even the moonlit sky could not penetrate, making it nearly impossible for
Inuyasha to see his attackers as they moved into position beneath him. He
gripped his nearly useless untransformed Tetsusaiga in his free hand, ready to
attack.

�I�ve got one shot at this. I better make it count.� Inuyasha twisted his body off of the branch, so he would
fall directly on top of whomever Naraku had sent
after him. �You won�t kill me that easily, Naraku!� he shouted on his decent.

As he plummeted, Sango pulled Kirara and Shippo out of the
way, leaving Miroku to be flattened by the human form of Inuyasha. His staff
had blocked the rusty Tetsusaiga from causing any harm.

�Who are you calling Naraku?� Miroku choked out from beneath
the man who looked much lighter than he actually was.

Realizing his mistake, Inuyasha
tried to push away from the monk, but the fall had managed to snap another weakened
rib, and the pain was too much. Shippo found himself in a fit of laughter
watching the two men writhing against one another, trying to extricate
themselves from the embarrassing situation.

Sango noticed Inuyasha�s strange behavior and immediately
knelt down to gently roll the dark haired man in the bright red robes off of
the monk. �Inuyasha, you are badly hurt. Who did this too you?� she asked as
she quickly inspected his prone form.

�Keh!� he exclaimed loudly and
tried to turn away but found he was even unable to do that.

�Inuyasha, we only want to help,� Miroku said calmly now
that he was free of the human hanyou. �If there are
enemies nearby, we need to know.�

In a very small, almost undetectable, grumbling voice
Inuyasha caved, �It wasn�t anybody.�

The rest of the group exchanged a look. �We don�t
understand,� Sango finally said for everyone.

�NOBODY DID THIS TO ME! I ran into a forcefield.
It threw me against a tree, and this stupid human body snapped like a twig!
THERE! Are you happy now?!�

After his outburst he refused to allow his dark eyes to meet
theirs. �Kami, now they know just how weak I am. They
are human too, but you don�t find them lying on their backs every time we meet
up with a forcefield.�

�Inuyasha, don�t you think you�ve proven yourself enough
times that you are allowed to get hurt every once in awhile? It could have
happened to anyone. We have all witnessed the breadth of Naraku�s abilities.
This is nothing to be ashamed of,� Miroku said in a sincere tone.

�Keh,� was the only reply Inuyasha
could make without saying something nice he might regret later.

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

Kagome was beginning to get frustrated as she quickly rubbed
sticks together in hopes of starting a fire. �This always works on TV! Grrr...Come on fire. I finally convinced Kouga to let me stay here and set up camp while he looked
for food, and now I can�t even start a stupid fire. Where is a lighter when you
need one? Oh yeah, back in the future or in my backpack. I am not a big fan of
this place! Now come on, fire, light!�

One of the sticks snapped, and Kagome wasn�t far behind.
�OH! I said, LIGHT!� A ray of pink energy shot through her hand and onto the
waiting sticks igniting them in flame.

A speechless Kagome stared at the newly lit fire as Kouga ran up behind her holding his findings. �I see you
have everything ready,� Kouga said warmly. Still in
shock, she raised her eyes to meet his.

�Is something wrong, my lo--Kagome?�

�Aww, he is trying so hard to avoid
calling me his love and his woman. That is so sweet of him and yet I find
myself kind of missing it.� This thought made her slightly uncomfortable, but
it had succeeded in taking her mind off of the unusual energy surge from her miko abilities. �Nothing is wrong, Kouga.
Thank you for getting dinner.�

�It is the least I could do. I hope I wasn�t gone too long,
but it took quite a while to find any game at all. I had almost given up when I
spotted this rabbit. Are you still certain you want to cook it?� he asked
hopefully.

�Yes, where I come from no one eats meat without cooking it
first. Well, unless it is seafood or not meat, of course,� Kagome explained awkwardly
as she began to fashion a spit to cook the rabbit on. She was still praying
that Kouga would take it upon himself to skin it.
Everyone else in her group made fun of her for being so squeamish over such
tasks, but she longed for the ability to buy prepared meat from the store.

Kouga crinkled his eyes slightly
as he studied her. �Over time, I�ve heard you and the others make many comments
about where you are from. Is it a distant village?�

Kagome opened her mouth to answer, but she closed it again
when she couldn�t decide how to respond. �Should I tell him? We have always
said the fewer people who know about the well the better, and Inuyasha would
not be happy about it. But, well, why should I care what he thinks? Kouga is my friend, and if it weren�t for Inuyasha maybe he
would be working with us, and our shard hunt would be over by now!�

�Kagome?� Kouga
tilted his head and watched her face go through a range of emotions as she
delayed answering his question.

�Oh, Kouga, right, where I�m
from... You see, the thing is, I�m not really supposed to say.� She averted her
eyes, feeling bad about not being more open.

�I see,� Kouga said while
withdrawing a knife from inside his fur-lined boots and quickly washing it off
before preparing the rabbit.

�He seems hurt, but what can I do? I�m sure it is best this
way. Maybe if I just start talking about something else he will perk up.�

�It, uh, it is really pretty out tonight.� She mentally
slapped herself for her lame attempt at conversation.

�It is,� Kouga said almost curtly.

Kagome bit her bottom lip softly and racked her brains for
another topic. �How are Ginta and Hakkaku
doing?�

Kouga sighed and faced her. His
eyes were strange and unreadable. �You still don�t trust me. I have tried so
hard to be everything you have need of, Kagome, but you won�t let me in. I know
you don�t love me, but can�t I even be your friend?�

Kagome�s voice caught in her throat as she watched the wolf
demon in disbelief. His honest words made her heart hurt. �K-Kouga,� she slowly croaked out.

Kouga turned his intense blue eyes
away from her. He felt guilty for giving her more of a burden to bear. �Never mind. I apologize for my outburst. Ginta and Hakkaku are well. They
miss you and ask about you often.� He was ready to return to their dinner when
two arms curled around his waist.

�Kouga,� was all she could manage
to say as she pressed her body against his back, holding onto him tightly. Her
cheek rested flush against his shoulder blade, and a small stream of tears
leaked from her clenched eyes.

Touched by the gesture, he twisted her around to his chest
so he could return her comfort. They held each other in silence for a few
minutes before Kouga brushed her tears away with his forefinger.
�You have been doing far too much of that over me lately,� he said so softly
she barely heard him.

�Oh Kouga, I�m so sorry,� she said
woefully.

�Shh,� he comforted. �You have
nothing to apologize for. I shouldn�t have been so careless with my words.�

�No, I mean it. I haven�t been a good friend to you. And I�m
sorry. I do trust you. And I...� Kagome�s heart started beating ferociously as she
realized she had almost said she loved him. �It is a good thing I stopped. I do
love him as a friend, but if I said it now he would get the wrong idea. It is
the wrong idea, isn�t it?� Her head swam and her heart was still pounding as
she struggled to sort through her confused emotions.

Kouga had noticed her hesitation,
and was looking to her for clarification. �And I want to tell you about where I
am from,� she finally managed to finish.

�You don�t have to.�

�No, I want to,� she replied firmly.

Kouga smiled affectionately. �Then
I would like that.�

Kagome dried the remainder of her tears, and Kouga reluctantly returned to readying the meal as she told
her impossible story of the future, the magic well, and how their mission for
the shards began. Kouga said very little as she
spoke, but it was clear he was astounded, especially by her details of the
future.

When she was done, he handed her a piece of flat bark with a
helping of cooked rabbit and a side of berries and roots. Kagome watched him
carefully to see how he would react to such a fantastic tale and partially to
take her mind off of the rustic feast.

�I hope he believes me.� She took a bite of the rabbit and
forced a smile. It was not necessarily an unpleasant taste. Kouga
had done a good job of cooking the meat, but the idea still bothered Kagome. �I
wish I had my ramen or a cheeseburger. Mmmm.�

�I guess that explains the clothes,� Kouga
said at last.

�The clothes? Oh, my school
uniform, yes, I guess it is kind of unusual in this time period. Inuyasha
always tells me I should wear something more appropriate.�

�I knew there was a reason I didn�t like that mutt,� Kouga said as he wolfed down his food--no pun intended.

Kagome blushed at the implied compliment.

Something was bothering Kouga, but
he was reluctant to mention it. �She said the only other person able to travel
through the well is that dog. What does that mean? If she was destined to come
here then does that they are also destined for one another?�

Kouga�s chest rumbled with a low
key growl at the thought. �NO! He is not as attentive as he should be to her.
He still longs for the dead one. Even if she does not want to be with me she
should be with someone who will love her the way she deserves to be loved.�

He gazed lovingly at Kagome as she picked at the food on her
makeshift plate. Sensing his attention was upon her, she looked at him
nervously. �I wasn�t picking at it. I really like the rabbit,� she said far
more defensively than she meant to.

A knowing smile spread across the wolf youkai�s
lips. �Actually, I was just thinking how beautiful you are tonight, even if
there is no moonlight to show it off.�

Another blush overtook Kagome�s cheeks at his charming words,
but before she could respond, another thought entered her mind. �No Moonlight!�

�Kagome?� a very confused Kouga
inquired.

�I had forgotten. It is the night Inuyasha turns human. I
hope he doesn�t do anything stupid to rescue me while he is in that state.�

Looking slightly abashed Kouga
spoke. �I am always willing to comfort you in any way possible, but I am sure
whatever the dog is up to right now, you can rest assured, it
is stupid.�

Kouga released a heavy breath. His
quip at Inuyasha�s expense hadn�t improved his mood. �She
is worried about him again. I can�t let that keep getting to me every time. It
will only upset her, and of course she is worried about him. She has a
remarkable heart, and she cares about everyone. Hell, she probably cares about
Naraku.�

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

Almost as if he heard Kouga�s
thoughts, Naraku smiled a wicked smile. �Well done, wolf. I have long suspected
there was some link between Kagome and the well, but I didn�t expect to come by
the answers so completely and so easily.

�Still, if everything goes according to plan, I may not even
get the opportunity to exploit this new information. But I really must remember
to thank Kouga before I take his shards and his life.
He has become an excellent catalyst for gathering information and distracting
Kagome from the new intensity of her powers. Not to mention, for the fun I�m
going to have playing with Inuyasha�s emotions once
they manage to get through my barrier.

Well, once they are through the barrier and past my pets. I
can�t make it too easy on them, or they would get suspicious.�

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

Author�s Note: Not long after I posted this chapter a
reviewer brought it to my attention that there is no moonlight during a new
moon. A little �phases of the moon� research later, and I made a
revision--thanks Dragon Lady. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please
review!

FF Reviewers: A big thanks to Nichole Hibiki
(Happy 2005 to you as well. Kagome is still figuring things out, but she�ll get
there!), Yoko-obssessor, Llamachick
(I never intend to do that, but I think I must like making readers feel a little
guilty about their pleasures because my other chapter fic
is quite the sordid love triangle as well. Her powers didn�t just jump for Kouga, though he was the catalyst. There will be more on
that as chapters progress.), nunofyorbiz, Nikolyta (I especially hated editing this chapter, so it is
always good when I hear it is appreciated.), BelleDayNight
(I�m so glad you are back from break. Now I can plague you with questions and
feedback again. Bwa ha ha!),
becky, Angel6582 (Santa has
been informed about your technological woes. Make sure to check your stocking
thoroughly next year!)

MM Reviewers: I�ve been having lots of problems with posting
and reading reviews lately on this site. I�ll keep trying for now.

AFF Reviewers: Thanks to Cheshire Angel, kogasgirl_1, and KogasHentaiLuver (Thanks for all the great reviews! There
might be a little tragedy along the way, but there will also be kissing and
sweetness and adventure. So hopefully it will balance out!)

Kouga�s Den Readers: Feel free to
email me reviews at wastedthoughts @ insightbb.com
(remove spaces).
- 4
- 5
- 6
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Journey of the Heart