Where the Truth Begins

Chapter two: A Friend im Need

InuYasha moved silently in a crouch along the rounded outside wall of the complex. He had last seen Sango guarding the ammo on the top of the structure. He knew she had a sniper rifle. He knew she had a healthy supply of grenades too. But that was all he knew. He looked to his left. A sprint for the Scorpion was a long shot. If Sango still had the high-powered scope rifle, she’d kill him the second he showed his face. InuYasha looked at his radar. Other players didn’t show up while standing still.

A yellow dot appeared within the complex. “Hold your fire InuYasha, I’m coming out to meet you.” Miroku said quietly and a purple Spartan armed with two needlers emerged from the doorway. “You cover me. I’m making a run for the tank.” He said. Just as the red Spartan turned, both were flung high into the air by an explosion and then fell harshly back to the earth.

“WHOO!!! Double Kill!” Kagome cheered. The guys looked at the screen dumbfounded. Her green armored character stood on a hill in the center of the map shouldering a rocket launcher.

Sango’s pink helmet peered over the top of the complex. “Are they gone?” she asked, jumping down and running out to meet her teammate. “W00t! Score another win for the girls.” Kagome and Sango giggled.

InuYasha sighed. He was happy to see Kagome distracted from the violent events earlier. He was even happier to be distracted himself. he was feeling a myriad of emotions that he didn’t enjoy feeling. He was angry with Kouga, but that didn’t mean much to him. Anger was a familiar emotion to him. He was worried about Kagome. He loved her, he wouldn’t say it because it made him afraid, but he couldn’t deny it to himself. he had loved Kagome for most of High school. Even when he had dated Kikyo he had loved Kagome. But the relationship he had with Kagome up untill now had been an odd one. He and Kagome got a long well. To someone who didn’t know them it wouldn’t look so. They were nearly always quarreling about some likely insignificant notion. But InuYasha and Kagome both knew that the arguments were just sport, just a form of bonding. Occasionally one of them would go too far, and they would avoid eachother for a few days, but that hardly ever lasted longer than a week. But now he was afraid that Kouga had really hurt Kagome. Not just when he hit her, but that he had hurt her heart.

“Hey.” Miroku put a hand on InuYasha’s shoulder. “You okay?” his eyes were deep with concern as they often were. InuYasha had always joked with Miroku about his overly compassionate outlook. He was too caring for his own good.

InuYasha glanced over at the girls who were already in the kitchen, gloating to eachother over their victory. “Yeah, I guess so.” He said, not really sure himself. Miroku was the one person who knew how he felt about everything. They had known eachother since fifth grade when InuYasha had moved into town. Miroku was InuYasha’s closest friend. they were as close as brothers, and they loved eachother as such, though that was something that was never spoken of. Nobody knew InuYasha better than he.

Miroku already knew why InuYasha seemed distant. He had seen his friend like this many times before. InuYasha hadn’t been blessed with a peaceful childhood, and his troubled look was a well-practiced one. Miroku knew it well. “Look on the bright side Inu.” He said, low enough to be sure that the girls didn’t overhear. “Now it’s your chance to make something happen between you and Kagome.”

InuYasha gave an obviously forced smile. “Is that all you ever think about Monk?” Miroku was a very spiritual and deeply religious person. This had earned him the nickname Monk by his friends. InuYasha especially teased him about it. InuYasha believed that religion was pulling society back into the dark ages. InuYasha believed firmly in his own religion of ‘I’m-to-lazy-to-go-to-church-ism’.

Despite Miroku’s compassionate nature and his beleifs, he did have a problem with keeping his hands and his dirty thoughts to himself. usually his mind was off in a gutter somewhere, and his hands were trying to feel up Sango. He pondered InuYasha’s question with mock serious thought. “There was that time…”

InuYasha shook his head. “asked for that one.”

“Yeah. Yeah you did.” Miroku chuckled. “but I’m serious. Kagome’s alone, distrought, confused, and probably afraid. Now’s your chance to make something happen. Let her know how you feel.” InuYasha regarded what he said deeply. Despite his shortcomings, he did know a lot about women. “Just don’t be forceful about it.” InuYasha’s look grew offended. Miroku expected it. though genuine in his intensions, InuYasha was often blunt and somewhat overbearing. He wasn’t the brightest person out there. Not by a longshot. But he had a good head on his shoulders and Miroku had every faith in him to find the right way. “She’s obviously still very shaken and most likely be on the verge of a breakdown for at least the rest of the week. Just give it time before you actually do anything.”

InuYasha growled. “Make up your bloody mind!” he said a little harsher than he intended. Miroku heald a finger to his lips and pointed into the other room. InuYasha grew quiet, his face returning to it’s sullen state. “first you say make my move, then you say wait.” He mumbled, his own confusion beginning to irritate him. InuYasha wanted to punch something, and if Miroku kept confusing him, he was bout to be the target.

“all I’m saying is that right now, more than anything, Kagome needs a friend. She needs a friend to be there for her. She needs a shoulder to cry on, and an open mind to vent on. Be that friend InuYahsa. Be that friend and she’ll see how you feel.” InuYasha chose to remain silent. He looked at the ground. “I know that seeing Kagome like that bothers you, but distancing yourself from it is only going to hurt both of you more.” InuYasha’s mind wasn’t cloudy anymore. He knew that if he really loved kagome, then he had to make her pain his as well. Then suddenly he wished he was still confused. Understanding left him feeling empty and gave him no where to hide from his thoughts.

“Miroku…” he said low and quiet. The monk kept his eyes fixed on InuYasha even though his long black hair hid his face. “What if…”

“Don’t InuYasha. Make it happen. Dwelling on the negatives will only depress you, and make you afraid.” InuYasha had heard the speech before. He knew it was true, but he still couldn’t shake the feeling that he was going to fail.

Miroku watched his friend steeped in his own self inflicted misery with a frown. ‘You’ll see InuYasha. This will have a happy ending. You’ll see.’ He thought to himself. “You’re depressing me Yash. Lets go see what trouble the girls are causing. “InuYasha looked up at him and Miroku saw the turmoil in his eyes. It hurt him to see his friend like this, but he knew he could not interfere. InuYasha nodded and cleared his troubled expression. But the time he was standing he had his usual cocky smirk back and he seemed confident enough. Miroku knew it was an act though.


Whoo. This one was tough. Suffice to say I’v had plenty of experience with the subject… don’t make it any easier to write out. So yeah, lots of drama and angst. My favorite. The next chapter will prolly be just as sad. It’s gonna be basically the same sort of heart to heart talk thing, but on the girls’s side. Oh, yeah, I tried out a new organisation for the writing. Is that what you guys were looking for? R&R as always.
-Guardian Fang