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Japanese Volcablary:

Baka: idiot, fool, or stupid

Hanyou: half demon

Taijiya: demon slayer

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Episode 19: Return of the Little Voice



The noises of the night filled the air. Owls hooted and night creatures snuffled around in the darkness. The half moon shone brightly overhead, luminating the land below. Half light, Half shadow.



The human Kagome turned her gaze away from the moon as she turned back to look over her human companions. Sango and Miroku had fallen asleep long ago and she was pretty sure Rin had as well. Her dark blue orbs flickered down to her other human companion who had still not awakened.



'Kikyou and her stupid poison,' Kagome thought bitterly, but her expression softened when she glanced down at Inuyasha's sleeping face.



Thinking about Kikyou brought back another memory.



"But I can't just stand on the sidelines while you fight her alone! You're my friend and I'll stand beside you!"



She reached out a hand hesitantly, but took it back as she stared at him. 'Did you really mean what you said Inuyasha? Do you really think of me as a friend?'



Then another memory was brought back that caused her to close her eyes and her face to fill with shame.



'I still can't believe it,' she thought,' I was so bloodthirsty, cold, unfeeling... I truly am what those villagers called me so long ago... a monster...'



She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them as she placed her forehead against them.



'I wanted to kill everyone. Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara... and Inuyasha... How could they still want to be friends with such a terrible creature as me?'



"Kagome?"



Kagome snapped her head up as she heard the voice and saw that Inuyasha was sitting up, staring at her confused.



"Inuyasha... You're awake," she said, unmoving from her position.



"Kagome," he said, brows furrowed. "Are you okay?"



She shifted her eyes away from him and replied," What are you talking about? Of course I am."



He stared at her for a moment before declaring, "You're lying."



"No, I'm not," she said, still not looking at him, as if afraid he'd be able to see her thoughts if their gazes were to meet. "What gave you that crazy idea?"



"You won't look me in the eye," he said. "My mom does that whenever she's trying to hide something from me."



Kagome was silent.



Inuyasha sighed and said, "So, you wanna tell me what's wrong?"



Kagome hesitantly turned her eyes towards Inuyasha's and looked at him.



"Why?"



Inuyasha blinked in surprise. "Why what?"



"Why do you want me to tell you?" she asked.



"Well," he thought for a moment," .....because that's what friends are for..."



There was a pause. Inuyasha sighed and was about to lay back down.



"...And that's the thing..."



Inuyasha stopped and turned around to look at Kagome, who was staring at the floor, still holding her knees to her chest. He waited to see if she would continue... she did.



"Why would you want to be my friend?" she asked," Why would you want to be friends with a monster?..."



"What are you talking about Kagome?" Inuyasha replied, confused," You're not a monster."



"Aren't I?" she said, closing her eyes. "You saw what happened during that fight with Kikyou... I was a monster..."



Inuyasha shook his head. "That wasn't you Kagome. You're not a monster. Why would you think that?"



She shrugged, looking sadly at the floor. "Why wouldn't I? Besides, why should you care? Why should you care what I think?"



"Because Kagome," he said," You're my friend and that's the way friends are. They care what happens to each other and what they're thinking."



"Even after what I became," Kagome said," what I was..." She shook her head. "You don't understand... what it felt like... how bloodthirsty I felt... how much I wanted to kill..."



She lifted her head to look at him with saddened eyes. "You, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara... I could of hurt all of you..."



She turned her head away. "You should hate me..." she whispered.



Inuyasha stared at her, brows furrowed, disbelieving. He continued to stare at Kagome's bowed head before he closed his eyes and got up.



Kagome had her head turned away, but heard him stand and come closer. She closed her eyes, waiting for the words of hate and malice, but when they did not come, her eyes shot open and she tensed as he knelt beside her. Her eyes were frozen wide in shock as she realized what was happening. He wasn't saying he hated her. He wasn't yelling at her. He was... hugging her.



"I could never hate you, Kagome," he whispered, holding her tighter," Never..."



Kagome sat tensely, for a few moments more before she slowly felt herself relax, her eyes softening. 'Inuyasha...'



Unwanted tears filled her eyes and she scrubbed at them with her sleeve of her kimono.



"Kagome?" asked Inuyasha, loosening his hold but not completely releasing her.



"Stupid human emotions," she said, thickly.



"Kagome..." he said, trying to take a glimpse at her face," Are you crying?"



"No," she protested, weakly," I just... just got something in my eye... that's all..."



"Kagome, don't lie to me," he said, grabbing her wrist and trying to look at her face. "Why are you crying?"



"It's nothing," she said, keeping her face turned away from him.



"Don't tell me that," he said, still trying to look at her," Look at me, Kagome."



"No!" Kagome said, growing agitated.



"Look at me," Inuyasha repeated, getting impatient.



"No," Kagome gritted out, forcefully.



Then, Inuyasha grabbed her chin and turned her face towards him. Kagome tried not to look him in the eyes but eventually found herself lifting dark blue orbs to meet golden brown. Inuyasha ran his thumb over her still wet cheek, wiping away the last remnants of her tears.



"I just want you to be able to look at me," he said, softly.



Kagome found herself unable to move as he looked at her, eyes softened. "Inuyasha?..."



Kagome then noticed that the space between their faces had grown smaller.



'Wha-What's he doing?' she thought, staring wide eyed,' Is he.... Is he going to kiss me?'



A silent gasp escaped her lips at the thought. He was closer. Kagome stared at him, waiting for the inevitable....



...when she felt his lips press against her cheek. Her eyes widened in surprise, staring at him as he pulled away.



Inuyasha turned around with his back to her and said, quickly, "You should get some sleep. I know you don't really sleep on these nights but you should try to sleep."



Kagome stared at him, still wide eyed as she nodded. "Um... s-sure."



Kagome gazed at the back of his head for a moment longer confused, before leaning back and closing her eyes.



Inuyasha then took the chance to lay down on the futon he'd been resting on, with his back still to Kagome. His cheeks were still burning red.



'Good thing I turned around before she could notice,' he inwardly groaned,' What is wrong me, baka?! I just kissed a girl I declared my friend!'



'My poor confused little friend...,' a familiar voice said.



'You again?!' Inuyasha groaned,' Another bad thing to add to my list...'



'Humph,' the voice said,' Now is that anyway to greet yourself?'



'Well, you kinda came at a bad time...'



The voice smiled. 'Ah... is the blushing thing bothering you again?'



'I'm not blushing!' Inuyasha cried out, his cheeks still pinked from before.



'Mm-hm, and I'm supposed to believe Kagome isn't the cause either...'



'Shut up,' Inuyasha grumbled.



A figure looking remarkably like a mixture between himself and Sesshoumaru glared at him, crossing their arms.



'Humph,' he grumbled,' I try to help and this is the thanks I get.'



'What the-,' said Inuyasha,' Who the hell are you?!'



The figure blinked before grinning. 'Why I'm you! Isn't it obvious?'



The figure suddenly put a finger to their chin looking thoughtful. 'Actually, if you think about it, it's more like I'm more like Sesshoumaru's soul... Well, now yours... but...' the figure shrugged,' Basically, I'm you so let's leave it at that.'



'So...' he said, grinning in a sneaky way,' How far have you gotten with Kagome?'



Inuyasha flushed, glaring. 'Well, you're still as perverted as when I first met you.'



'Yes, yes,' he nodded,' So true. Now stop changing the subject. How far have you gotten?'



'I haven't GOTTEN anywhere with Kagome, because there's nowhere to get,' Inuyasha growled.



'Ah,' he nodded, once more,' Denial. I remember when Sesshoumaru went through that stage...'



'Will you just shut up?' Inuyasha said, glaring.



'Nope!' he replied, grinning,' So have you even kissed her yet?'



Inuyasha blushed thinking back. 'Yes... I mean, No! I mean....Maybe...'



The grin grew wider. 'So... where'd you plant it? Come on! I need details!'



'Why should I tell you, pervert?' Inuyasha glared.



He brightened. 'Oh, so you mean you really did kiss her? I didn't know you had it in you...'



'What you mean by that?' Inuyasha growled,' Are you saying you didn't think I had the guts?'



'Well...' he said.



'Well, I kissed her on the cheek so HAH!' he said.



The figure grinned, looking much like a Cheshire cat. Inuyasha blinked, realizing what he'd just said. His cheeks flushed red.



'What am I thinking?' he thought, forgetting the figure,' I'm bragging about kissing Kagome on the cheek to myself! What is going on with me?'



He placed a hand over his face. 'I must really be losing it.'



'Or maybe it's something else...' the figure said, vaguely.



'What's that supposed to mean?' Inuyasha asked.



The figure merely chuckled, smiling. 'You'll figure it out in time.'



'Why can't you just tell me?' Inuyasha growled.



'Because it's more fun this way,' the figure grinned.



'I hate you.'



'So you've told me before....'



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



The next day, they all set off again now that Inuyasha had woken up and he and Kagome were healed. Though as they walked, two members of the group seemed more quiet than often while the others puzzled over it.



"Inuyasha and Kagome have been really quiet," Kirara observed, glancing between the hanyou girl at her usual place in the front and the human boy at the back.



Miroku nodded. "I noticed as well."



"Do either of you know if something happened between them?" Sango questioned.



The demon slayer shook his head. "Not that I know of."



"Hmm," Sango said, putting a hand to her chin," This is strange indeed."



Sango glanced back at Inuyasha, thinking hard for a moment. "Hey, Miroku."



"Hmm?" he said, turning his gaze towards her.



"Why don't you try talking to Inuyasha?" she asked," It might be easier to get something out of him than Kagome."



"Why me?" Miroku asked.



"Because you're a guy," the female monk replied," Guys find it easier to talk to other guys."



Miroku raised an eyebrow, amused. "Is that so? Since when have you become an expert on the male species?"



"Well, I'm pretty sure in my thoughts on the workings of the male mind," Sango replied," Don't forget I was surrounded by them for sixteen years and practically raised by them for almost as long. Now, go back there and talk to him."



She turned him around, pushing him towards Inuyasha.



"Alright! I'll go!" Miroku exclaimed," No need to shove!"



Sango smiled, nodding, and turned around to continue walking. Miroku sighed, and turned his head towards his silent companion, before slowing down to walk beside him.



The boy of the future seemed to be deep in thought.



"Inuyasha?" he questioned.



Getting no reaction, he waved his hand in front of he boy's face. "He-lo-o? Can you hear me?"



Inuyasha blinked, pulled out of his thoughts. "Wha-?" He turned his head towards Miroku.



"My, you were deep in thought, weren't you?" the taijiya smiled. "Now what could you have been thinking about?"



"Hmm?" Inuyasha said," Oh, it's nothing."



"Really?" Miroku said," I didn't know anybody could think that hard about nothing."



Inuyasha smiled but shook his head. "But really, it's nothing you should worry about."



"Are you sure?" Miroku asked.



"Yeah, I'm sure," Inuyasha said.



Miroku was silent for a few moments before sighing.



"I hate to pry," he said, looking ahead," but... did something happen between you and Kagome?"



Inuyasha darted his eyes away. "What makes you say that?"



"Well," Miroku replied," You both have been rather quiet and it's worrying the rest of us because we're not sure what's wrong."



Inuyasha turned his gaze downwards. "Like I said before, it's nothing you guys need to worry about. It's no big deal anyway."



'Kissing your best friend is no big deal?' he thought,' Yeah right.'



Miroku sighed. "Alright then. I won't bother you anymore but... if you feel like telling me... you can... alright?"



Inuyasha nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."



Miroku nodded back, still unsure but turned back heading towards the others.



Inuyasha watched him walk ahead before sighing and looking upwards. 'Yet again, my life seems to only get more complicated...'