Alone by KagomeInuMiko06

Request

Chapter one: Request

He stood alone as the summer breeze warmed his pale face. Centuries of solitude had taught him to reveal neither his emotions, actions, nor his thoughts, nothing. He narrowed his eyes at the thought of the imprudent that base their relations on their emotions and the integrity of others. Surely agreements or temporary unions must be made in order to accomplish certain circumstances of great importance, but to completely trust a potential opponent was ignorant and daft. Perhaps that was why he had no "friends" and preferred seclusion opposed to "mingling". The only acquaintances that he needed were allies and nothing more. Long ago he had promised himself to rely on no one, especially after the death of his mother. He trusted no one, especially the vixens that constantly pursued his wealth and position by using their vulgar tactics of seduction. Clearly his immortal life taught him many things, but was it fulfilling?

"Father, this son of yours may live with your blood, but he will not fall victim to your flaws. Surely you do not believe this gift that you have left me with will change my perception of the world. Father, you clearly underestimate your son even in death." The being continued to concentrate on the "gift" that he held in his hand as the night of the new moon continued.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, forgive this lowly Jaken, but may I inquire as to where you were my lord?"

"Where is Rin?"

"The ningen is asleep, Sesshoumaru-sama."

"We will depart shortly after the sun rises. I am leaving you in charge of Rin, so make sure that she is ready when the time comes, and watch her carefully or you shall pay with your life.

"Ha..hai... Sesshoumaru-sama."

"I shall return shortly."

"Matte kudasai, Sesshomaru-sama... Why must I always watch the ningen? *sigh*"

"Kuso! Another damn night I can't do shit!"

"Inuyasha, please try to get some sleep. I promised that I would protect you, remember? Anyway, you wouldn't want to waste this kind lord's hospitality, I mean, even though Miroku did pull his 'I sense an ominous cloud' rouse, we did manage to kill some minor demons in the area."

"Keh... I feel a whole lot safer."

"Mou... what is that suppose to mean?!"

"Well... it's the truth. It ain't like you can take on a full grown demon or nothing."

" Inuyasha..."

"Hey, I'm still healing over here yah know. Kagome wait a sec..."

"Say that you are sorry then."

"No."

"Osuwari!!" *Thud*

"Teme!"

"Well, that is what you get. *Mumbles* What did you say?!"

"Baka..."

"I'll pretend that I didn't hear that, INUyasha. Now go to sleep. Sango and Miroku promised to be on their guard. Haven't you learned to trust us yet? It's been like... forever."

"*sigh* It ain't that. It's just that I get all emotional when I'm like this. I feel so... well you know. Keh... must be a human thing."

"Inuyasha... it's alright. I promise. I'll be right here next to you if anything happens. Loosen up a little. You know that you can trust me. I'll stay awake all night. Is that okay?"

"Arigatou Kagome."

"Daijobu. Now go to sleep."

Inuyasha rested while Kagome and the rest of the group, with the exception of Shippou, remained awake for the rest of the night. Kagome had managed to lay Inuyasha's head on her lap which reminded her of the first time that Inuyasha had turned into a ningen and was injured as well. She gingerly brushed away several unruly strands of hair and merely blushed when she secretly wished for moments like these, without the fear of looming peril. The miko simply smiled at the hanyou, but little by little it reverted back to its normal position when she began to think about his lost childhood and life of solitude. It never ceased to make her want to cry. He lost both his parents, and his brother was a complete jerk who always made him feel insignificant. He had to fend for himself when he was just a child which both surprised her and saddened her. The closest person that he had to a friend was his first love Kikyo, and even then she felt insecure of his demonic side. Unable to restrain her tears any longer, they started to run freely down her cheeks as she stared out into the night sky.

A single tear managed to go unnoticed and landed on Inuyasha's lips which caused him to stir. Before he opened his eyes, his other senses described his surroundings despite the fact that they were dulled due to his transformation. He heard Kagome's steady breaths and felt the smooth touch of her hand in his. He could feel the warmth of her body and even smell the salt in her tears. When he opened his eyes, Kagome seemed to be too deep in thought to notice that he was awake. He took this opportunity to wipe the tears from her face which broke her trance.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Mmm...nothing."

"Baka."

"Nani! Who are you calling a baka...?!" Inuyasha sat upright and quickly pulled Kagome into a hug. Her eyes softened and she relaxed into his hitori.

"Whatever it is, don't cry anymore. I hate it when you cry."

"Arigatou."

"Looks like the sun is comin' up soon."

"Good. *yawns* Now it's my turn to go to sleep, ne." Something out the window caught Inuyasha's attention and he sniffed the air.

"What's wrong Inuyasha?"

"Feh... probably a bird or somethin'. Didn't yah say that you were going to sleep."

"*sticks out tongue* Yes I am. Goodnight, or would that be morning? Ah... wakaranai."

"Strange girl."

"Hentai houshi-sama! *smack*" Sango woke up to the feel of a certain mischievous hand in an inappropriate position yet again.

"Ah... it is a demon that acts out of its own free will. How my hands have missed you throughout the night." Miroku replied with an all too smug look on his face.

"HENTAI! *thud*" This time a fairly large bump accompanied the red imprint on the side of his face.

"Ohayou minna! It's good to see you all awake and so energetic. It looks like Miroku is taking an extra minute or so to get up." Kagome could do nothing but hold back the laughs that threatened to burst out on the spot.

"Keh... you guys need to get a room or something and work out your "personal problems." Sango blush at the comment, while Inuyasha merely took a side glance at the unconscious houshi next to him.

"Kagome... I'm hungry. Can we eat now?"

"Stop whining you little runt. You're starting to give me a head ache. " Inuyasha beat the kitsune cub over the head leaving a swelling bump as a result.

"Ka..go..me.." Before Inuyasha got the chance to catch him, Shippou cried and ran behind Kagome.

"Inuyasha, OSUWARI!" The hanyou growled at the cub as he stuck his tongue out from his safe location. "Just wait until Kagome leaves, and then we will see who is safe."

"Wow, it's been weeks since I went home. I think that I am overdue for a test. *sigh* 'I really haven't had time studying with all this shard hunting. Well, it's not like I'm really leaving to take a test anyway.' The shard that we collected from the oni the other day was the last one, other than the one that Kouga posses. I think we should rest after a job well done. I'll leave some stuff for you guys to eat and I'll be back in a week. Well, sayonara minna. Kirara, can you take me home? *mew*"

"Chotto. I can take you home, Kagome."

"Umm... that's okay Inuyasha. Just rest."

"Kago..."

"It's okay. Kirara... let's go. *mew*"

"Hey Shippou, got anything to say to me you little runt!" Inuyasha approached the kitsune cub with a mischievous smirk.

Kirara dropped Kagome off at the lip of the well.

"Kirara, can you wait for me here. I promise to be back within four hours. And this time, I promise that I won't forget about you. I'll bring extra goodies just for you, I promise. So, will you wait for me? *mew* Oh, can you also find Myouga and ask him to bring Sesshoumaru. *mew* Arigatou, Kirara. See you in four hours." Kirara starred at Kagome with a curious expression and left to find Myouga.

"Mama, I'm home."

"Kagome. It's been a while. How are things with Inuyasha and the others?"

"We are doing great. I think we got most of the shards gathered together."

"That's great dear. So, how long are you going to stay this time?"

"Gomenasai, Mama. I can only stay for about four hours. I'm kind of in a hurry. I'm going to go and take a quick shower. Can you tell everyone that I'm here?"

"Alright. Why don't you go and take a long bath instead? I'll go grocery shopping for you. I'm pretty sure that I can get everything that you need. After all, I have watched you bring all that food home. Don't worry, go and relax."

"Mama wa sugoi! Ah, Mama... can you bye some catnip too. Arigatou! "

Soaking in the bath tub was just what she needed. The steam filled the air and seeped warmth into her skin. 'I'm going to miss this. Kagome no baka. I shouldn't be thinking like this. But what if there are unfortunate consequences with the decisions that I make.' Kagome released a sigh and sank deeper into the healing warmth. 'I know that I've been thinking about this for a long time, but I'm still making up most of the things as I go along. Oh well, I suppose there is no harm in trying.' Several hours passed and Kagome managed to get in a quick nap before she decided to go back to the well.

"Thanks again Mama. I'll try to be back as soon as I can. Sayonara."

"Be careful Kagome."

Kagome took a few moments to stare at the well before her. What if she were to never return to this era? Without a second thought, she leaped into the well and vanished in a mixture of mystical light. Once she reached the other side, Kagome saw Kirara patiently waiting for her. The miko gently patted the neko's head and placed the catnip in her mouth. Then, she wrote a little note and attached it to her bag. It explained that she was going to take some time off to study for a test that was going to be administered in the next two days. She asked Inuyasha not to bother her for three days so that she could prepare. She emphasized that she didn't want to relive a certain "hygiene incident." 'That way Inuyasha won't get too suspicious.'

"Arigatou Kirara, you have been such a good help. I hope this makes up for all the trouble. *mew* I'm going to put my backpack on your back. After you show me where Sesshomaru is, I want you to take it to the others. Can you promise me that you won't tell them what happened?" Kirara starred at the girl hesitantly, but nodded in response trusting her decisions.

The clearing in the forest seemed undisturbed so Kagome decided to wait for Sesshoumaru's arrival, which didn't take long.

"Ningen..."

"WAaAaA! Where did you come from?!" Sesshoumaru's ears twitched slightly as he resisted the urge to cover them.

"I see that your miko powers are not as acute as your former self. Why did you call me here?"

"Ano, since we are on the same mission to destroy Naraku, I wanted to ask a favor of you."

*silence*

"Will you join me in a fight against Naraku?"

"What of Inuyasha? Does he consent to this alliance?"

"He doesn't know. No one knows."

"What do you plan to do? Why do you not continue to fight by his side?"

"It was my fault that the tama broke in the first place, and I don't want to risk the lives of my friends any longer. The last time that we fought with Naraku, Inuyasha nearly turned full demon and we were nearly digested. I want to fight with Naraku and focus on him without worrying about the people around me."

"If it is your obligation to fight Naraku and take back the tama, why do you not do it alone? Did you not just say that you wanted to focus on him alone without any distractions?"

"Look, I know that you are stronger than Inuyasha although he can best you sometimes. You have more experience and you also want to kill Naraku. Please, will you help me?"

"Very well, but I will hold no responsibility if you should perish during battle."

"Understood. Arigatou, Sesshoumaru-sama."