InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Stardust ❯ Anything ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: If you haven't gotten the gist of these disclaimers yet, I'm frightened for your health. No, I don't own Inu-Yasha!

Author's Note: Hiya! Glad to see you all back again! Here I am with chapter two of this fic. I received a few questions, but none of them can really be answered without some story spoilage. So I won't be answering anything right now. ^_^;

That said, here we go on to chapter two. ^_^

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STARDUST

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"Like our shadows, our wishes lengthen as our sun declines." ~ Edward Young (1683-1765)

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CHAPTER TWO: ANYTHING

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All three humans stared, awestruck, at the bowing curtain of silky charcoal hair before them; wreathed in a crown of rubies. Her arms lifting as her back curved, she all but kissed the sand at Inu-Yasha's feet.

"Uh. . . pardon?" the black locked boy blinked, clearing his throat and rubbing his eyes. Was he seeing things. . . ?

"Oh!" the younger girl snapped to attention once more, her blue gray eyes wide with horror. "No! My master, do not ask for pardoning! You have done nothing wrong! It is I who should beg for forgiveness, for not being clear enough!" She instantly fell to her knees and lowered her forehead to the floor, folding her hands before her.

"She's flexible enough. . ." Miroku murmured approvingly, stroking an imaginary beard with a thoughtful grin- until his wife smacked him upside the head, glaring. "Just kidding!"

"No- wait! What the hell are you doing?!" Inu-Yasha cried in confusion, trying his best to scoot away as the mysterious female before him suddenly crawled closer, slender fingers wrapping around his neck. Finding a comfortable spot between his legs, she beamed innocently and began running her hands through his dirty tresses, stroking his chest as he froze in complete, embarrassed bewilderment. "Uh- - - ?"

"You are much more handsome than my last master," she smiled sweetly, giggling as her ministrations to his body slowed to a stop. "You seem smarter, too."

"What the FUCK are you going on about?!" the teenager forced through his nervously twitching mouth, balling his hands at his sides as he leaned away from her touch. She remained between his knees however, putting most of her weight on her own fists- which were placed between her loosely spread legs. Leaning forward a bit, she continued to grin.

"Why, master- don't play dumb! You must know what I'm here for if you rubbed my lamp!" she laughed airily, cocking her head.

"Wha- - - ?!"

"Don't worry, Inu-Yasha," Miroku suddenly interrupted in a smooth, calming voice. "I know what she means!" Nudging the younger man away, he took his place before the now surprised girl and clasped her hands in his. "Now- I wish- - -"

The magical female instantly glared, pulling away from him. "No."

". . . ?" All three robbers blinked, deservedly confused. "Hm?"

"Sorry- but you have no right to make demands," she informed a bit frostily, pointing an almost accusing, decorated finger at the eldest. "You didn't awaken me. You didn't rub."

"Oh! Well, that mistake can easily be remedied. . ."

Sango frowned deeply as she instinctively caught the sneaky pervert's ear. "NOT like that." Miroku forced a short laugh in response as the girl turned her blank gaze onto each human in turn.

" `I wish'. . . ?" Inu-Yasha repeated slowly, carefully pushing himself up to his knees as the mild pandemonium died away. This had GOT to be a dream. . . "You grant wishes?"

"Hm? Ooo- yes! Of course, master!" she sang, attention once again upon Inu as she hopped to her feet- only to fall into yet another deep bow. "Allow me to properly introduce myself, master. My name is Kagome- and I am here to fulfil your every desire." Suddenly sliding down into a perfect split before him, Inu-Yasha gulped as Kagome's eyes bored into his. "You simply need to ask."

"A- ask. . . ?" he once again echoed, trying to absorb this information with his tired, mushy brain. "You've got to be kidding me!"

She frowned.

"Kid? I do not kid with my master unless that is what he wants," Kagome tilted her face, slowly fluttering her thick lashes. "Is that what you'd like, my master?"

"Er- not really," Inu-Yasha swallowed arching an eyebrow as- once again- his personal bubble threatened to pop. "But I would appreciate if you stopped calling me `master'. My name is Inu-Yasha."

"And mine is Kagome!" she chirped, as if he hadn't heard before. "Ka-Go-Me!" As she bubbled this, Miroku's brow furrowed in observation. She was truly like a child. . . a very well developed child, but a child nonetheless. He had to wonder- how long had she been encased in that lamp?

"Nice. . ." the lavender orbed boy nodded vaguely, still rather lost. "So. . . you grant wishes?"

"Yes!" she nodded, her necklaces tinkling as she did so. "Anything and everything my master wishes, to its fullest extent!"

"Anything. . . ?"

"Does my master enjoy repeating what I say?" Kagome's eyebrows knitted together, as if in mild annoyance. All right- truth be told it probably was mild annoyance. "Yes- anything and everything. You only have to ask."

"I find that a bit hard to grasp," Inu retorted skeptically, grabbing the girl's shoulders and pushing her back onto her behind. She started in surprise as her rear end found the hard ground. "So come on- How long until you spring on us the limitations and restrictions?"

"Limitations?" she murmured, rolling the word around on her tongue as if some new kind of candy. "Restrictions? Whatever do those words mean?"

"Keh! Come on, you know! Like `you're only allowed three wishes and the first two don't count' kind of deal," he rolled his eyes darkly, leaning back on his arms and staring coldly at the confused teen before him. Sango bit her bottom lip, oddly silent as she watched the not-quite-fairy-tale scene play out. "Like in all the stories!"

"I know not what. . . stories. . . you speak of," Kagome nibbled her thumb, appearing to be a bit put out. "But I assure you, my master- your desires are not limited or restricted. And as for three? That is laughable! Just as the stars are infinite, so are the possibilities."

He exchanged narrowed glances with his still semi-shocked friends. ". . . How do we know you're not lying?" Inu-Yasha finally inquired, sounding a bit haughty as well as suspicious. "How do we know you're not a fake?"

The magical female seemed honestly appalled and hurt. "I am not allowed to lie to you! And as for being `fake'. . ." A small smirk tugged on the corners of her painted lips. "You need only ask to find out, don't you?"

She dangled the taunt before him like a lure, waiting for him to bite.

"Fine then," Inu-Yasha readily took the bait, crossing his legs and resting his chin in his hands. "I wish. . . for a feast."

Kagome giggled, mimicking his position- slouched back and all. ". . . Done."

And with a mere snap of her fingers, there was one. A feast fit for royalty. The three poor friends' eyes widened- before closing hard, not daring to believe what they saw. The girl only laughed at the cliché reaction. `Silly master and friends. . .'

Sango was the first to reopen her eyes and truly take in the splendor that lay before them. "Praise the gods. . ." she whispered, mystified. It was impossible- but yet, it was there. Mounds and mounds of the highest quality food. Dates, figs, grapes, and nuts of all varieties poured neatly in fine silver bowls; cheeses and milk, honey and spices randomly dispersed between mountains of perfectly roasted, crystal platters of meat; imported delights of which no one knew the name, but looked delicious; cakes, pies, and breads of warm wheat. . . all set upon the floor before them- the gold that had once hogged the ground carefully moved to the other side of the room by magic.

The woman gasped aloud once more as the two men registered the reality at their feet, shock etched upon their features. Then Inu-Yasha turned his stunned face- staring directly at Kagome. "You. . ."

She simply grinned, now relaxing upon her stomach as she placed her chin on the back of her wrist. "Go on," she urged. "Eat. Or it'll all go to waste."

They didn't need telling twice. Within in instant, Sango, Miroku, and Inu were snarfing down every morsel they could get their hands on, almost crying with happiness.

"Oh! These dates are DELICIOUS!"

"Try the spices!"

"Mmm! Man, what IS this gray stuff?! It's great!"

Kagome simply watched them, grin plastered on her face.

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The next morning, all three still had stomachaches.

"Ugh. . ." Inu-Yasha moaned, clutching his tummy as he leaned against the edge of their wall-wide window, watching Miroku and Sango crawl off to buy some kind of antidote in the market. They had tried to get Inu to wish for one, but he had barely been able to get out any words other then `ugh' all morning. If you could call that a word.

"My master shouldn't have eaten so much," Kagome shook her head, sounding a bit patronizing as she lowered herself next to him and began to gently rub his back. "And so quickly! I don't think I've ever seen a dish of food disappear so fast in all my many years."

Inu-Yasha shot her an icy-hot glare, catching her by surprise. She pulled away a bit. "DON'T even MENTION that word. . ." he groaned, looking a little green in the cheeks as Kagome graced him with a confused expression.

"What?" she inquired, sincerely unsure. "`Years'?"

"No. . ." he ground out, sounding irritated. "The. . . F one. . ."

"Oh!" the girl did a double take, touching her hands to her cheeks; startled. "My master must have misheard! I never say that word! . . . Unless it pleases my master, of course. Or he . . . desires it." She blinked once before finally `understanding,' her mouth forming a perfect `o'. Then, moving a bit closer to Inu; one long leg wrapping around his hip so that she was half straddled over him- she pressed herself into his side. "Is that what you desire, master?" she asked, voice a husky, sensual whisper.

Inu-Yasha's already lowered head dropped another inch out of horrified bewilderment, hiding his red cheeks. Okay, he had walked RIGHT into this one. . . "No! Bad girl!" he snapped, trying not to sound as embarrassed and frustrated as he actually was as he carefully removed her leg. "And never mind! But I thought I told you NOT to call me master!"

"Ah!" she gasped, eyes widening in horror as she slammed her head and hands onto the ground before her in her umpteenth bow. "Of course, you are correct! A thousand apologies, Master Inu-Yasha! No- a thousand and one!"

Well. . . that was a bit closer.

"Good enough," he sighed, defeated; pulling his knees to his chin. `This genie might not be worth the trouble!' he mentally growled, eyes panning the far away kingdom. It still glittered in the glow of the early morning sun. `It's not like she could. . . wait.' "Kagome," he began slowly, sounding a rather sly as he glanced towards the groveling teen beside him. She looked up, cautiously finding her original position beside him; sitting on the back of her legs.

"Yes. . . ?" she questioned carefully, as if frightened that he was furious with her.

"What are the rules about making someone fall in love with you?" he inquired, casually examining his chipped nails.

Kagome's eye twitched, but only once. ". . .Rules?" she drawled, on her face an almost comical expression of confusion and exasperation. "I told you, Master Inu-Yasha, there are no rules!"

"But what about the whole `genies can't make others'- - -" he began, but was interrupted by the girl slamming an irritated fist into the ground.

"Didn't you hear a word I said last night, Master Inu-Yasha?!" she glared, seemingly angry at his lacking listening skills. "I said anything, and that is what I meant! How long will it take for you to understand that?! Comprehend that?! Besides, I'm not a- - - Oh my goodness, forgive my outburst!" she clamped her hands over her mouth, disgusted with herself as she- per usual- fell into a bow.

Inu-Yasha blew out his cheeks, running a hand over his face. That was getting really old, really fast. . . he'd rather she yelled than act like the pushover she wa- - -!

Wait. . .

" `I'm not a. . . ?' " he repeated slowly, arching an eyebrow as he reached out a hand and lifted Kagome's chin, frowning down at her. "Not a what?"

She hesitated. He pressed on. "Well?"

Chewing her lip for a moment, Kagome's eyes darting left and right- as if trying to find an exit. But she could not deny her master's question. After all- Even if he had no rules, she was bound to a powerful set of them.

". . . I am not a. . . genie, as you call them," she finally mumbled under her breath. "I am nothing more than stardust."

. . . What?

Inu-Yasha stared down at her, nonplused. "Excuse me?"

Kagome shook her head, forcing a smile back onto her pretty face. "Never mind, Master Inu-Yasha. Thank you for so generously forgiving me!" With that, she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight hug. And, as planned, he didn't continue the conversation.

"Ack! No! No touching!" the boy gurgled out, hardly able to breathe as he wrestled her arms away. "No! Bad girl!"

"Eek! A thousand apologies, Master Inu-Yasha! Please forgive me," she begged, instantly retracting her hands and clasping them together at her heart. "Now- who's heart do you desire?"

"Well. . ." Inu smiled slightly, a pink tinge finding its way to his cheeks as he found a comfortable spot against the edge of the wall once again. Never mind about the non-genie-whatchamacallit named Kagome. As long as she could grant this. . . He'd ponder what she meant later. Maybe. "There's this girl. . ."

"Naturally."

"She's the princess. . ." He swallowed, frowning as a thought came to him. `Wait. . . that's right. She's the princess, stupid! Even if she loved you, she wouldn't be allowed to marry a worthless street bum like yourself! Idiot!'

"The princess?" Kagome echoed, oblivious to his inner turmoil as she lifted her hand- ready to snap her magical fingers. "All right. D- - -"

"No- wait!" he quickly stopped her, placing his hand over hers. "Not yet. I have other things I'd like fulfilled first. . ."

At that, Kagome's lips wavered- but she continued to keep them perked in a beam. "Whatever you desire, Master Inu-Yasha," she whispered softly, "and I shall grant it to its fullest extent."

And so the wishes began. . .

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You know who Kagome reminds me of in this chapter? She reminds me of Shampoo. ^_~ But she is acting the way she is for a reason, don't worry. . .

This chapter is dedicated to Koji-sama, who drew the KAWAIIEST picture of Kagome in her genie outfit, and Saki-sama, who is already obsessed with this fic. -^_^- They both honor me with their sweetness- thank you soooo much!

Also, Sara- I'm sure you know what I threw in for you. ^_~ ::laughs::

I love you all! Please R&R!

Ja ne!