Before the Harvest Moon

Author notes: Sorry about not updating this story, I was so caught up with “ever after” and “lost hopes” that I almost forgot about it. Hope you can forgive me.

Thanks to all reviewers who were so kind as to present their views for the story. I am truly grateful for them.

And to my over worked beta molie who is working so hard to help me out. Cuddles!

Chapter 6

Inuyasha sighed as he landed on the soft grounds of the modern era. He had a promise to fulfil; the shards were his responsibility even if they were shattered by Kagome’s imprudence. He had never backed away from his obligation no matter how much pain it caused him.

Sliding the worn door open he stepped into sunny patch, looking up at the Goshinoboku in front of him. A warm gentle breeze ruffled his clothing playing with his silver mane as he thoughtfully gazed at the Tree of Ages and the painful memories of his past along with it.

“So… you’re back.” the scathing remark caught his attention and he turned to a smug looking Kagome perching on the nearby steps of the shrine. “Have you finally come to senses, Inuyasha?” she inquired, eyes burning with superiority. Inuyasha was her possession and she knew her little game was enough to make the hanyou come crawling back at her.

The hanyou glared. He was not a plaything, certainly not Kagome’s. “I don’t know what you’re talking about Kagome. I merely came here to retrieve you, the shards cannot wait anymore. Naraku…”

“Oh so you’re more concerned of the shards now, are you?” Kagome shot back as she stood up a giant frown etched in her face.

“Of course. What else would I be interested in?” He answered in a vaguely familiar way that his brother would. “You stupid action has caused enough delay and I don’t want any more trouble. Come on, let’s go.”

“What!!??” Kagome was seething by now. No fucking boy had treated her like that, and she would not let a common street mongrel be the first. “You think you’re above everyone, you stupid freak. You can’t just waltz around here with your stupid ideas and expect me to follow like a submissive bitch, you bastard. I don’t…”

“Shut yer yapping, wench! If you had not been whoring yourself over here, our mission would have been long over and I wouldn’t be here ‘pestering’ you. You could have carried on with your… lustful urges for I care. Just come with me and let’s get this over with so that both you and I can have a peaceful life.” He screamed, blood surging through his body. He had far long endured her careless way, forgiving her action out of the love in his heart but he was not going to do so anymore for a conniving harlot. “You’re…”

Slap!

The sound echoed through the silent neighbourhood, as Inuyasha stood stunned, a red handprint gracing his pale cheek while Kagome heaved in anger, her face red and grounding her teeth. “You dare, you stupid good for nothing mutt, to call me a whore? What do you know of courting a woman properly? You, who has lived all his life on the scrapes of food thrown his way? Here I have sacrificed my life, my preference helping your sorry ass and staying with you providing you with food and companionship and what do I get in return, scorn and your foul-mouthed comments? What I do in my personal life is none of your business. Houjo has given me far more than you can perceive. While you wallowed in your lost love, that bitch Kikyou, Houjo had given me stability. While you grumbled and complained Houjo was sweet enough to understand my needs and provide for them. You’ll never be man enough to kiss his feet you idiot, and you dare come stand on the grounds of my home and throw insults at me! Go away, Inuyasha. I never want to have anything to do with you again… never.”

“Fine.” Inuyasha spat. No matter how much it hurt, he now knew that Kagome could never be his intended. So then why should he take anymore of her abuse? “Goodbye, Kagome. I will no longer pester you. But remember that your foolishness will not only affect the past but will have implication on the future as well. I doubt the world would the same with Naraku gaining more power and this is all because of your one silly decision; I wasn’t the one who shattered the jewel. Best of luck Kagome, hope you have enough strength to fight the evils on your own for once, because you will not find me beside you.” With that he stormed off leaving a very stunned Kagome behind.

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Swallowing the lump that rose up his throat Inuyasha stepped into this era. He was not going to cry, he was never a weakling and he never would be, he had suffered enough and he will not break this time. Shaking his head ruefully he stared up at the blue sky in contemplation.

‘Why is it so hard? Why am I cursed this way?’

Lost in his thought he didn’t notice a flash on movement at the edge of the forest until he was promptly showered with dirt.

“What the hell?” He cursed gazing up at a pair of cerulean boring down into his. “What’s the big idea, you lousy butt-sniffer?” He cursed brushing the dirt off his clothes. He was certainly not in the mood for some scrawny wolf now.

Kouga merely smirked before he started looking around frantically. “Hey mutt-face where’s Kagome?”

“Why should I tell you?” came a curt reply. Kouga’s eyes flashed.

“So what I heard was true, mangy mutt. You drove away Kagome with your stupid and incessant ramblings.”

“What do ya mean, idiot?” Inuyasha growled, he was not certainly in the mood for a fight today.

“You heard what I said. You will never learn proper manners of how to deal with a ‘lady’.” The wolf’s words stung more than it should have. Is it what Kagome had said earlier? Was Inuyasha really that worthless? “I on the other hand am perfectly versed in it. So I want to know if Kagome is finally done with you. If so I would ask you to step aside so that I can claim what is rightfully mine.”

Kouga cheered watching the emotions play so openly on the hanyou’s face. It was fun teasing the hanyou more so when he could feel hurt and vulnerability coming from the inu in waves. However he had other things in mind right now. And arguing with Inuyasha was certainly not one among them. At least the spy was right about Kagome’s disappearance. If only he could play his cards right….

“She’s in her own era, go there if you can.” Inuyasha yelled back, cursing himself for the lack of proper comebacks.

“Oh, she’s gone home then, no worries. I’ll be back to get what I own and this time you’ll not stop me.” he informed with a quirk of corner on his lips. “This time I’ll take your most prized possession.” And without any further warning, the telltale whirlwind consumed him and he was gone.

“Hardly, Kagome has already a ‘man’ in her life. Much more, she appears to think, than you or I could ever be.” Inuyasha snorted, before he turned towards the well where he could smell the familiar scent. “That idiot talks much yet cannot use his nose properly.” He grumbled under his breath before raising his voice. “You can come out now.”

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Kagome was not a complete idiot, she knew that her mistakes could bear ill-consequences even in her world. And letting go of Inuyasha was not such a good idea. True she was more than pissed-off at the hanyou’s choice of words but she knew the benefits of having a strong ally, no, more of a strong beast that needed proper controlling, but strong nonetheless. Losing Inuyasha over a petty fight would only prove detrimental for her so she decided to follow her furry ears “friend”. Perhaps a good sitting followed by some vague apology would do the trick… the hanyou was rather simple in this matter.

Following her decision she hurried to the well jumping into it and feeling the bluish aura as it took her to the feudal era. However as she landed on the other side, she heard heated voices coming from somewhere near the forest edge. Cautiously climbing up she peered over the edge to see Inuyasha and Kouga talking or from the looks of it arguing about something. She chose not to interfere or to make her presence known, as dealing with a drooling Kouga would agitate the hanyou more.

So she chose to quietly observe the twin figures as they raved on about something… damn her human senses. Sometimes she hoped she had possessed keen hearing like that of Inuyasha or Kouga.

However her eyes were not as weak as her ears as she nearly gasped out when she noticed there weren’t any sign of the familiar beads around the hanyou’s neck. ‘What the fuck?’

How come she hasn’t noticed it earlier, the conversion ended abruptly as Kouga took off and Inuyasha grumbled something under his breath before raising his voice to inform her that he was perfectly aware of her presence. ‘Oh shit, perhaps this was not a good idea after all.’

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“What do you want now wench?” He questioned roughly though his voice sounded wearier than irked. “You certainly haven’t been keen on meeting your ardent follower. So what is it that you want now?”

Kagome stared at him for a moment ion a daze. How the hell was she going to punish him or bend him to her wishes without those blasted beads gone? “What the hell happened to your beads Inuyasha?” she blurted out.

Inuyasha smirked. “Oh, is that why you returned?” Kagome couldn’t help but notice that Inuyasha was beginning to sound more like Sesshoumaru, with his nose high in the hair and an air of superiority about him. Since when did this happen? Observing the gobsmacked expression on the miko’s face Inuyasha chose to explain. “While you were enjoying the attentions of so-called ‘man’, I found someone who was friendly enough to do the favour for me.”

‘Not before she turned my life upside down’ he reminded himself with disdain. “You see I am not exactly helpless without your mercy Miko.”

Kagome was still startled enough to not to catch the underlying or rather straight sarcasm in Inuyasha word’s. “Then how can you travel in and out of the well? Only the beads were….”

“Oh, no, no, no you see I am not exactly as gullible as you think I am” Inuyasha sweetly replied before taking out a small piece of shard from his kimono sleeves. “You see I too have a few trick up my sleeves, my little miko. Now”

He reached out before she could react snatching the almost complete jewel from where it lay around her neck. “Since you have no intention of completing this, this might as well remain with me. Now go away” With that she pushed her back into the well, watching with a sad smile as she disappeared in the myriads of light. “Goodbye Kagome forever, be happy” He wished as he slid down the edge, tired and distressed.

The hanyou let out a heavy sigh as his eyes closed slowly and he slid sideways on the soft grass allowing the gentle breeze and the faint forest melody lull him to sleep and take away the pain in his heart. However the inu missed one little detail, he never noticed as the small piece of shard that he had held in his hands slip off as he pushed Kagome into the well.

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