InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Time Changes Everything ❯ Frustrations and Fears ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

A/N: Just to let you know, I abhor authors notes, so you won't be seeing many from me at all. Ill TRY and update at least once a week, but don't hold me to it, I may update more frequently than that, maybe less. One more thing, in case you don't already know…and this IS the first and last time you'll see me say this; my last name isn't Takahashi.

Frustrations and Fear

"I can't believe you, you're so…mean sometimes!" Kagome yelled, soaking wet.

"What?" InuYasha asked as he gasped for breath, laughing. "You needed a bath anyway, you stink like that stupid wolf." He dropped the bucket near the girl and started to walk away, still chuckling to himself. "Serves you right, not telling that wimpy wolf where to go in the first place."

"SIT BOY!"

"Mnffh, meh muntter run!" InuYasha yelled with his face smashed in the ground.

"What? InuYasha, I can't understand you! It had better be an apology though, or you're gonna be sorry!"

"I said," InuYasha yelled spitting out grass and bits of rock and leaves "Wench, you better run!" He started to pull himself up, giving her a slow, cold smirk.

Kagome's eyes grew wide and she started to back away, dropping the firewood she had been collecting for the night. She had never seen him with that look in his eyes before, that gleam, dangerous and cunning. "SIT, SIT, SIT!" she yelled, running as fast as she could. She ran toward the river, hoping to make it back to the camp before he could get back up.

Her feet pounding, her lungs burning for air, she kept running as fast as her legs could move. She could hear the trees moving, the branches swaying from a heavy form landing suddenly on them. Gasping for air, she could hear his laughter, his taunting her from the trees.

"Kagome, oh Kagome! Did you really think you could out run me, Kagome?"

Kagome saw the river ahead, `How did he recover so fast? He should have been down for at least another five minuets! If I can just make it across that log…'

Kagome had barely made it a few feet onto the log when InuYasha tackled her from the side, sending both of them plummeting into the water below.

Kagome surfaced, gasping at the cold water. "INUYASHA!" she yelled into the air, glaring wildly about, searching for him. `Where the hell is he?'

Swimming under her, he reached up and yanked her under the water. She turned and grabbed his head, shoving him further under the water and pushed off, swimming toward the bank.

InuYasha touched down on the bottom of the river. Using the rocks to push off of, he shot through the water under her and surfaced several feet in front of her.

Kagome could feel the rocks under her feet and started to run out of the water. Pushing the hair out of her eyes, she ran straight into what felt like a brick wall. She screamed as InuYasha picked her up and jumped back into the middle of the river with her, dragging her back under with him.

She struggled out of his arms and started to swim back up to the shore, but he pulled her back down by her foot. Grabbing her wrist, he swam back toward the opposite shore and pulled her to the surface.

Kagome splashed out of the water and dropped, panting on the shore. "Inu…Yasha, "she gasped, "I'm...gonna kill…you!"

InuYasha sat at the edge of the water laughing and gasping for air himself, pulled up and collapsed by Kagome.

"Ya have to admit, that was funny though!" he said, busting out in a fresh fit of laughter.

Kagome sat up and threw her wet shoe at him.

"Great," Miroku said from behind them "the camps going to smell like wet dog all night."

Sango laughed, holding Shippo in her arms.

"Oh yeah?" InuYasha asked, jumping up and tossing the three of them into the water faster than they could react. "Now what?!"

"Oi, Kagome, you and Sango go and get dry, Miroku, you come with me and get the fire wood." InuYasha said.

Miroku sloshed out of the water looking thoroughly irritated and followed InuYasha.

"So, what was that all about?" Sango asked Kagome as they walked the few feet back to camp.

"InuYasha thought it was funny to dump water on me, telling me I smelled like Kouga"

"Kouga! He was here? When?"

"Just a bit ago," Kagome replied, sighing. "I kept InuYasha from killing him, but Kouga just can't take a hint. He isn't all that bad; I think he does it sometimes just to get under InuYasha's skin though."

"So you don't think he really likes you then?" Sango asked.

"Who, Kouga? No, he likes me, I know he does. It's InuYasha I wonder about. He doesn't want me, but he doesn't want me with anyone else either. Look at me, talking about myself like I'm some sort of possession. Anyway, InuYasha has Kikyo, so why would he want me around anymore than I have to be?" Kagome started to cry.

Shippo jumped up into Kagome's arms "Aw, don't worry Kagome, InuYasha's' just stupid. I know he cares for you, if he didn't, he wouldn't get so jealous of Kouga in the first place. Besides, InuYasha's so dense; some times you have to hit him in the head with a rock before anything gets through."

Kagome laughed and hugged Shippo. "You always know just how to make me laugh."

"So what are you going to do, Kagome?" Sango asked.

"I don't know, Sango. I suppose just continue and pretend everything's fine, just like always. Besides, it's not like I can even stay here. One day, this will all end and Ill have to go back"

They changed out of their wet clothing in silence, each lost in his or her own thoughts about what Kagome had just said.

`I wonder when the well won't work for me anymore. I know I have to have the jewel on me, or at least a shard of it anyway, but what happens after that? What happens if InuYasha does make his wish on it? What were you thinking anyway, Kagome, having a major crush on a half demon 500 years in the past! I always knew deep down inside I couldn't stay…'

Kagome sat on the ground and started to build the fire ring out of stones Shippo had collected from around the campsite. With each stone she stacked, her tears fell until there were no more stones or tears left.

Miroku and InuYasha returned to camp with the firewood soon after. InuYasha could tell that everyone, especially Kagome was upset, but he wasn't quite sure why.

"Oi, Sango. What's wrong with you people?" he asked as he pulled her aside. "It was only water."

"That's not it InuYasha. Kagome started thinking about how soon she might not be able to come here anymore and depending on what happens with the jewel, might not be able to even if she wanted to come back."

InuYasha turned away and started the fire deep in his own thoughts.

Since Kagome had come here, there had really been only one time, after they had gotten to know each other that he didn't want her to come back and that was for her own safety Even then, he missed her, thinking she wasn't coming back.

He had taken her shards, threw her in the well and a tree was jammed in it to make sure she wouldn't return. Shippo had found a way to get the shards back to her and she came back anyway. InuYasha had been furious with Shippo, but deep down, InuYasha knew he had been happy to see Kagome again.

Since that day, he had taken for granted that she would always be there or at least come back after a few days.

What would life be like with out Kagome? After years of being with Kikyo, he had been bound to the tree by her and had been woken up by Kagome. How could he deal with being alone again? He wasn't sure he could.

Having friends had changed InuYasha and he didn't want to go back to what he was before. He couldn't go back to that. He had been miserable and craved acceptance and company. The humans that had been his friends taught him compassion and developed his conscience. They made him into the man he was today. He couldn't and wouldn't give his friends or Kagome up.

InuYasha growled, startling everyone and bounded off through the woods in the direction of the river.

"What was that all about?" asked Shippo

"Its InuYasha, so who knows?" Miroku replied. "Maybe the wind blew the wrong way."

Kagome erupted into a fit of laughter, dropping Miroku's wet robes on the ground where she had been hanging their clothes to dry. "Oh! Miroku, I'm so sorry! Ill go rinse these out again for you." She said, starting for the river.

"That's ok lady Kagome, Ill get it." He replied, taking the robes from her. "It's too dangerous for you to go down by yourself. Ill get the water for you as well, Sango, since I'm going down anyway." He said turning to her and reaching for the bucket. "Shippo, may I borrow a light?"

Sango handed Miroku the bucket, shocked by his sudden generosity. `There may be hope for him yet.' thought Sango.

Shippo smiled and pulled a leaf out of his pocket and a hair from his tail. He tied the leaf to Miroku's staff with the hair and lit the leaf with his foxfire. The leaf lit into a blue flame, causing a soft, blue light but never burning away.

"Hey Shippo, that's a pretty handy little trick, Ill have to remember you can do that." Kagome said.

"It'll burn as long as my hair holds it in place." He told her proudly.

"Oh, Miroku, thank you for tending to the water!" Sango called out as she watched him walk to the river.

"Hey, that was really nice of him, huh Sango?" Shippo asked with a smile.

"Eh…Yes, yes it was." Sango replied, already lost deep in a thought or two.

Kagome and Shippo looked at each other and smiled, knowing exactly where her thoughts were.

…..

Miroku steppes to the bank of the river and removed his sandals, setting them aside. He carefully propped his staff against a rock and reached for the water bucket. "Hello, InuYasha." He said, catching a movement out of the corner of his eye. "What brings you back down to the river?"

"How do you do that, monk? It creeps me out."

"Do what, InuYasha?"

"How did you know it was me without even looking? I hadn't said anything and you still knew."

"InuYasha, " Miroku began, putting his hand on the demons shoulder. "Demons are my business. I can tell the difference between a friend and any other demon by just being near you."

InuYasha was shocked. "You think of me as a friend?"

"Of course I do." He said, putting the now full bucket near InuYasha's feet and picking up the robes to rewash. "Do you not think of me that way?"

"Well…yeah, but it never seemed to work both ways for me like that before. I never had any friends, other than Kikyo, and even then she betrayed me."

"Yes, but Naraku tricked her, InuYasha. She had no clue it wasn't you who attacked her."

"Feh! She's been told it wasn't me and she heard that from Naraku himself, but she still refuses to forgive me. She's still talking about dragging me to hell with her. I mean, Ill go, but not till I'm finished here. I owe her that much."

"How do you figure you owe her InuYasha?"

"I wasn't there to protect her from Naraku. He would have never gotten to her had I been there."

"He would have gotten her some other way, you know that, InuYasha. He was out to get the jewel and nothing was going to stand in his way. If it hadn't been that, it would have been some other way."

"Have you thought about Kagome leaving us for good?" changing the already sore subject. Naraku had tried for Kagome as well and he almost hadn't been there for her either.

"I try not to, InuYasha. I know its going to happen, but I prefer not to deal with it till the time comes; I think its better that way. Dwelling on it isn't going to stop it, and it's not going to make the rest of her time here enjoyable either. That constant cloud is something Id rather not have hang over the remaining time that we have." Miroku thought for a few seconds. "Is that what upset you earlier tonight?"

InuYasha nodded. "I just found a place where I belong. I don't want to loose that. Feh! It could be anyone for that matter, not just her. It's still a lost friend no matter who it is." he replied quickly, realizing what he had just told the monk. "I mean, there's nothing special about HER; Just a friend lost, that's all." He continued, blushing a furious red that thankfully didn't show up too well in the blue light.

Miroku wisely just nodded, knowing that InuYasha meant exactly what he had said in the first place. Picking up the now clean robes and motioning for InuYasha to pick up the water he started back to camp.

"InuYasha, "He said, pausing in the middle of the path and turning to face the demon following him. "Just so you know, and it's perfectly clear. Sango, Shippo and I won't abandon you. That's not how friendship works. Well be with you as long as you'll have us."

InuYasha couldn't speak so just nodded. Aside from Kagome, that was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to him.

Miroku gave a quick nod and changed the subject. "Let's get back to camp, shall we. I'm starved and I heard Kagome say something about Ramen tonight."

A red blur shot past him almost knocking him to the ground. "If anything, I would bet, other than Kagome, InuYasha's going to miss the Ramen the most." Miroku said to himself, laughing.

"InuYasha, you have to wait! Its not even cooked yet!" Kagome was yelling as Miroku walked back into camp and hung up his robes to dry.

"Well you were the one that said it was ready!"

"I said it was ALMOST ready, there's a difference, InuYasha. If you eat it uncooked, you'll get a tummy ache."

"Feh! Like some wimpy noodles are going to hurt me. Why aren't they done yet? You're taking too long woman!"

"InuYasha…SHUT UP!"

"Well, you are." He pouted, resolving to the fact that she wasn't going to give in anytime soon.

Kagome handed him his bowl. "Now see, you just had to have a little patien…Hey, you almost took my hand off!"

Shippo and Sango rolled their eyes.

"Do you think those two will ever get along?" Miroku asked, taking a seat next to Sango.

"I'm not sure how much time we have left to figure out the answer to that question, Miroku." Sango's mood fell quickly.

Miroku felt sorry for Sango. `When Kagome leaves, she'll be alone again, but even more so than InuYasha. All of Sango's family and friends died. Kagome was the only female she had to talk to. What's going to happen when Kagome is gone?' Miroku leaned over and gave Sango a hug.

"Don't worry, Sango. Maybe we can figure out something."

Sango closed her eyes and braced herself for a grope that never came. Instead, Miroku sat back up, moving away from her. When she opened her eyes, he was holding a bowl of Ramen out to her. "You need to eat something, you didn't eat much for lunch today and we've had a long day."

Sango took the bowl from Miroku and stared at the monk in disbelief. "Uh...th...thank you Miroku."

Unfortunately, this act did not go unnoticed. "Oi, monk! Are you getting sick or somethin'? Why you bein' so nice all the sudden?" InuYasha called from the head lock Kagome had him in.

"No, InuYasha. It's just better to be nice sometimes; It keeps people on their toes." he answered, turning to give Sango a wink.

Sango blushed and all the sudden, her Ramen became the most fascinating thing in the world.

Shippo shook his head and curled up for the night in Kagome's now empty back pack. "You grown ups sure are weird sometimes. I hope I don't ever get like that."

"No you little rat, you'll be worse!" InuYasha called.

Kagome had managed to get him turned over on his stomach and was now sitting quite comfortably on his back eating her Ramen. "Quit wiggling so much, InuYasha" she said digging her heal into his side.

"I want some more food; do you have any of those chip things?"

"Those are mine Kagome! Don't let him eat those! He'll eat them all!" Shippo called frantically from her bag, trying to wiggle out to defend his claim.

"Relax, Shippo," Kagome told him, getting off of InuYasha to get them. "Ill bring you back more. I swear... I'm turning you people in to junk food addicts!"

InuYasha sat up and took the chips from Kagome, sticking out his tongue out at the little kitsune.

"KAGOME!!!" Shippo wailed.

"InuYasha, that's enough. Shippo, go back to bed." Kagome sighed before unrolling her sleeping bag.

InuYasha took one last glance around the camp before jumping into the tree nearest Kagome. As soon as everyone was asleep, InuYasha jumped down in search of Myoga. If anyone could find a way for Kagome to stay, it would be him.