The Herald of Heaven and Earth

Chapter 1: Voices of Reason

A lovely woman dressed in a teal colored skirt and white long sleeve blouse stood angrily beneath a tree. After a recent battle she was pleading with the handsome half-demon with cute little dog ears, who was perched on a branch trying his best to ignore her.

“Inuyasha, come down here and let me tend to your wounds,” she shouted in annoyance.

“Feh,” he scoffed as he shifted around in the tree, turning his back on her. “I’m not a weakling Kagome, I don’t need you bugging me every time I get a little scrape, so just leave me alone.”

Quivering with anger and frustration she balled up her fists and stamped her foot. “Sit Boy!”

Immediately following those choice of words the necklace around Inuyasha’s neck glowed briefly and his body did a somersault out of the tree and he landed on his face. Sputtering with pain he spit out a few blades of grass.

“What the hell did you do that for,” he growled angrily as he looked at Kagome.

She had started to stalk away but came to an abrupt stop when she heard his voice. He watched fearfully as her head almost did a 360 degree turn to look at him and he gasped when he saw one of her eyes begin to twitch. Not wanting to be sat again he quickly scrambled to his feet.

“Calm down Kagome, I’m sorry…”

He quickly sat down next to Miroku with his arms crossed in defeat and Kagome smiled to herself then happily took a place next to him. Miroku eyed Inuyasha and sighed. He reached out to pat his back reassuringly but Inuyasha brushed his hand away. “Save it,” he growled. Sango and Miroku exchanged glances and shook their heads despairingly.

Inuyasha caught the gesture and tried to shake off the wave of guilt that threatened to overwhelm him. “I know what he was going to say,” he thought bitterly as his eyes fell on Kagome who was busy applying bandages to his wounds. “I know she cares for me.”

He watched as she carefully nursed him. She was really quite beautiful. She absentmindedly brushed back a few strands of her long black hair that fell in her eyes and Inuyasha let a breath escape him, realizing that he had almost brushed her hair back himself. Kagome felt his eyes on her and she looked up then for a moment their eyes met. Pure warm brown to deep strong gold.

Quickly breaking out of the trance he averted his attention to the dancing flames of the campsite fire. “I must keep my promise to Kikyo, I have to avenge her death,” he thought fiercely but a small still voice echoed though his mind halting his thoughts of Kikyo. “You love Kagome.”

Inuyasha sighed with worry but his sensitive nose caught the sweet scent of lavender and strawberries. His eyes closed as he inhaled the smell and almost became intoxicated by it. Losing himself he turned his head toward the source and opened them only to see that he was nose to nose with Kagome. Realizing how near he was to her soft lips he blushed and turned away. She had been startled by his sudden closeness but smiled slightly as he turned his head away from her once more. Inuyasha felt her satiny hands continue their work on his body and his mind recalled the first time he and Kagome had been that close to each other.

*Flashback*

It had been the night of a full moon, and every night during that time Inuyasha would shed his demon likeness and strength and revert to his human half. Unfortunately, it was in this weak form that he, Shippo, and Kagome had been deceived by a villainous spider-head demon disguised as a monk and they were attacked. Without the strength and resiliency of his usual state he was quickly succumbing to the demon’s poison and he began to drift in and out of consciousness.

When he awoke out of his fevered sleep he noticed that he was in a small unfamiliar room. Suddenly his mind raced back to the events that had taken place. He remembered being caught in the spider-head’s web struggling to release himself and yelling at Kagome to escape.

“Kagome! Go, get away…” Inuyasha stared angrily at the stubborn girl who continued to try to reach him. He gasped as her eyes grew determined and she leapt toward him.

“I won’t leave you!” The last thing he saw before he blacked out were glittering tears escaping from her lovely eyes.

“Kagome…” he whispered softly.

“I-Inuyasha…” As his eyes focused at the soft voice he realized that Kagome was staring at him, her face etched with worry and concern. “I’m sorry,” she said softly, as if raising her voice would cause him more pain. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

Inuyasha grimaced as he shook his head. “You didn’t,” he said quieting her apology. He closed his eyes and all he could see were the tears she had shed earlier. “Kagome, why were you crying?” He watched as she turned pale and hung her head.

She remembered how helpless she felt when he was so close to death. “I-I thought I was going to lose you,” she whispered.

Inuyasha turned his head slightly and her familiar scent wafted to his nose. “Kagome, may I lie my head in your lap,” he asked quietly. He heard her gasp softly and her body began to tremble. Taking that as a yes he settled himself on her legs and felt her body heat warm him. Feeling more relaxed that he had ever been he inhaled her sweet smell and was almost tempted to throw his arms around her waist and bury his face into her tummy. “You know Kagome, you- you smell kind of nice.” He felt her stiffen and he cracked his eyes open to see that her face had colored.

“Wait a minute,” she said as she placed her hands on her hips looking insulted. “You made a point of saying before that you couldn’t stand my scent.”

Inuyasha smiled as he gazed into her brown eyes. “I lied.”

Kagome sat back stunned and all she could utter was a tiny “oh” as she watched him close his eyes once more. She stared at his handsome features and longed to caress his long dark hair and maybe kiss his tempting lips. Though his eyes were closed he knew she was staring at him, and despite the fact that he had almost lost his life and was in pain he was truly happy for the first time in a long while.

*End Flashback*

I do love her, Inuyasha thought as he smiled at the memory.

But you are bound to Kikyo, said the voice that surfaced whenever his thoughts turned to Kagome.

However, another mind voice interjected. “It’s true you are bound to Kikyo but you can’t deny that you love Kagome and want her. Can you really imagine your life without her?”

Images of Kikyo and Kagome flashed though Inuyasha’s mind and a wave of pain overcame him when the image of Kagome began to disappear. He almost cried out and toppled over when Kagome placed a hand on his chest steadying him. He stared at her and sighed when he saw that she was still there, beside him. “Yes, I can imagine her not being here but, I can’t take that. I need her here with me.”

The other voice suddenly hissed in his ear making him shiver, “What about Kikyo…”

Kagome applied the last bandage and looked at Inuyasha curiously. I wonder what’s bothering him, she thought as she heard him begin to growl with irritation.

It had been several years since she had freed Inuyasha from Kikyo’s spell and she had witnessed him go though all kinds of emotions. But now it seemed he was becoming more agitated around her and she was beginning to wonder why. “Maybe he’s tired of having me around,” she thought sadly.

Shippo, a fox demon child, had been playing with a toy Kagome had brought for him from her home when he noticed that his adoptive mother was on the verge of tears. During the years of traveling together the two had formed an impenetrable unspoken bond and at moments like these he could feel how sad she was, almost as if it were a cloak of pain that had been wrapped around him. Dropping the toy he leapt into her lap and his arms flew around her neck. “Mamma, please don’t cry.”

Kagome gasped when she realized how close she was to breaking down and she hugged her son tightly. “Shippo, how is it you know how I’m feeling even before I do,” she asked softly.

Shippo’s green eyes sparkled with love as he smiled and he brushed away a stray tear coursed down her cheek. “I know your heart.”

Kagome kissed him as she brushed back a red curl on his head. “I love you baby.”

Inuyasha watched the two hug and he smelt Kagome’s salty tears. He could sense her sadness and he wanted nothing more than to comfort her in that moment and tell her what was really in his heart but, suddenly he sensed another presence. Quickly he pulled on his shirt and leapt to his feet and Sango, Miroku, and Kagome all looked to him in alarm.

“What is it Inuyasha,” Miroku asked warily.

Inuyasha growled as he clutched the hilt of his sword Tetsusaiga, and a tall figure stepped from behind the shadows of a large tree.

“Good evening,” Sesshoumaru said quietly.