Beauty and the Beast by Cassial_Darkfox

Chapter One

Beauty and the Beast

By: Cassial_Darkfox

I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's charactors. I do own Sitora though and anyone who isn't from Inuyasha. Shinjiru belongs to my sister, so no stealing here.

Chapter 1

Speaking - "..."

Thoughts - '...'

Telepathy - ~...~

Once upon a time in a faraway land

A young prince lived in a shining castle.

Although he had everything his heart desired

The prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind.

But then one winter's night an old begger woman

And offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold.

Repulsed be her haggard appearance the

Prince sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away

But she warned him not to be decieved by appearances

For beauty is found within.

And when he dismised her again the old woman's ugliness melted away

To reveal a beautiful enchantress.

The prince tried to apalogize but it was too late

For she had seen that there was no love in his heart

And as punishment she transformed him into a hidious beast

And placed a powerful spell on the castle and all who lived there

Ashamed of his monsterous form the beast concealed himself inside his castle

With a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world.

The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose

Which would bloom until his twenty first year.

If he could learn to love another

And earn their love in return by the time the last petal fell

Then the spell would be broken.

If not then he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time.

As the years past he fell into despair and lost all hope,

For who could ever learn to love a beast.

*****

Kagome sat next to Sango on her porch. They were bored beyond belief and there was no cure at this point. Sango's father and brother were out checking the forest surounding the village. Kagome's mother and her little brother were at the market, while Kagome's grandfather was cleaning out the storage house. Most of his mess was infront of the well house.

Kagome laid on her back, "This is so boring. There has to be something to do."

"If you have any ideas I will gladly listen to them. As for-"

"Kagome!"

She groaned, he chose this day to come over. Glancing over at Sango she rolled her eyes then looked back at her guest. He was running up to her house with a package in his arms.

Sango leaned over, "What did you tell him last time?"

"Worts."

She laughed, "You sould know not to touch frogs"

He made it up to the porch and stood catching his breath, "Hey Kagome. I brought you some fried newts, it helps worts."

"You shouldn't have." 'Really,' She added to herself. Kagome took the four pack of newts and set them down, 'A new gift for grandfather.' "You can go now, myself and Sango were just preparing to go to the hotsprings."

He blushed, "Oh, I didn't mean to hinder you any. I wll come back some other time." He waved as he jogged down the massive set of stairs that led down from the shrine.

Sango smiled at Kagome then yelled, "See you around Hojo!"

Hojo stopped long enough to wave back, then kept going.

"Are you trying to encourage him?"

She smiled at her again, "Anything to make my day more interesting."

"Come on, let's go."

"Where," Sango inquired, "are we going?"

"Out into the forest of course." Kagome stood up and brushed off her miko garbs. "I hate these things" She straightened up, "Inuyasha and Shippo are supposed to come by."

"Do they know that my father is checking the area for youkai? If he sees them, he will kill them." Sango picked up her hiraikotsu and jumped off of the porch, "We had better hurry."

Kagome went in her house and came back out with her bow and arrows. "Okay, let's go."

******

Kohaku stood next to his father, before them laid a giant centipede. It had attacked them from behind and thanks to Kirara they had killed it. His father walked up to the slain youkai and cut a small piece of something that looked like glass. He held it between his thumb and index fingers.

"Father?" Kohaku looked at the small shard and then at his father. "What is that?"

He glances down at his son, "I don't know Kohaku. With any luck the priest at the Higurashi Shrine will know." His gaze settled on the centipede, "We will take what we need and have the rest blessed by the monk."

So he and Kohaku set to work removing the armor from the youkai and cutting out the poison sack in the youkai's legs. The youkai wasn't very big, just large enough to cause problems. Normally they only see one youkai every two or three months, but lately they had been increasing in number and in ferocity.

"Alright, let's head back. I want you to find that monk and bring him down here immediately."

"Yes, father." Kohaku strapped the armor to his back and tied the poison sacks to Kirara's back.

They walked back with Kirara flying ahead of them. Kohaku turned to his father, "What do you think has made the youkai become more frequent? And brave, before they didn't come this close to the village."

"I don't know son. I couldn't even begin to guess. I hope it is nothing we can't handle."

He nodded, but said nothing. His father didn't know about Inuyasha or Shippo. If he did they would be in trouble and he would probably kill them. Kohaku had to keep his father from seeing Inuyasha earlier in the day. They had come across a small youkai and Kohaku saw Inuyasha hiding in the tree with Shippo.

'They are going to have to be more careful. I can't keep turning my father from an area to keep them safe. We could miss a youkai.' Kohaku sighed, "Are we going to check the Western part of the forest tomorrow?"

He mussed his son's hair, "I'm going to bring Sango with me tomorrow, you can rest. You did excellent work today Kohaku."

A smile lit up the boy's face, "Thank you father."

*******

Kagome looked through the trees and found nothing, "Inuyasha?" She looked at Sango who just shrugged. "Inuyasha?"

Sango saw something in the tree above her and looked at Kagome. Kagome got the message, stepped back, and pulled her bow back, ready to shoot. She wished Kirara was here, things were always much easier that way. Using her Hirakotsu, Sango hit the tree enough to shake it.

Inuyasha fell out of the tree grumbling. "What was that for? I was sleeping!"

"I called you and you didn't answer." Kagome smiled at her friend, "How have you been Inuyasha?"

He stood up and dusted himself off, "Can't complain. You?"

Sango laughed, "Hojo's still chasing after her."

"That is not funny Sango!" she pouted, "Where is Shippo?"

"Oh, he's up there." Inuyasha pointed up at the tree and almost as of he was summoned, Shippo hopped down and landed in Kagome's arms.

"Hi Shippo! I missed you." She hugged him, "What have you and Inuyasha been up to?"

Shippo frowned, "He made me go with him to visit some lady named Kikyo. Then, he made me go away when he saw her. They were kissing."

Kagome's astonished eyes leveled on Inuyasha, "Kikyo? The priestess?" She looked down and blinked back her tears, he had told her there wasn't anything going on with her. He had even said he was starting to love her, not Kikyo. 'What a lier. And I was stupid to believe him.' She turned to him and smiled, "I'm happy for you Inuyasha. I got to go, I'll see you around." With much effort she turned away from him and walked back to the village.

Sango glared at the hanyou, "I am going to kill you later Inuyasha." She ran after Kagome.

Inuyasha's ears were back and as he stared at Kagome's retreating back. 'I do love you, just not like you want me to.' "Come on Shippo. We had better go before we're seen."

Shippo nodded sadly, "Okay. I didn't make Kagome mad did I?"

"No, she's upset with me."

******

Sango held onto her broken friend. The second they were out of Inuyasha's sight Kagome colasped and started crying. She was holding onto Sango like she was her lifeline. "Shh, it's okay Kagome. I'm here."

"How could he do this? He said Kikyo meant nothing to him. Why would he lie?" Kagome's tears fell down her face and to the ground. She didn't understand. Inuyasha said he could love her and was starting to. Was it also lie?

Even more now than before Sango wanted to kill the foolish hanyou. "Kagome I know you love him and I can't say you'll get over him fast, but time heals all wounds. I think you are no exception to the rule, besides he's an ass. You are better than him."

Kagome smiled through her tears, "Thanks Sango. I just-I don't want to see him again."

"What are you two doing out here?"

They looked up at Sango's father as he glared down at them. Sango cursed under her breath, "Kagome got upset and ran out here, I followed her and was about to bring her back to the village."

"Fine, come on. We can't have you two out here alone." He winked at Sango, "You being poor defenseless women and such, you need protecting." He put his arm around Sango and helped Kagome up. "The kit and the hanyou left."

Both of their eyes held shock. Sango said, "Father, I can explain-"

"No need Sango. I know they won't attack the village. If I was worried about that I would have taken care of him long ago." He started to walk, "Come, your grandfather claims it will rain soon."

Kagome laughed, "And you believe him?"

He shook his head, "Maybe."

She grabbed her bow and arrows and Sango grabbed her weapon. "Where is Kohaku?"

"I'd imagine right now he and Souta are bothering the monk. He still wishes to wed you Sango."

"He's a pervert. I want nothing to do with him at this point. He groped me six times, just yesterday! I'd rather not be around him as a wife." She sighed, "Besides he's always asking everyone to bear his children, how can I as his wife deal with that?"

"Easy, you bear his children," Kagome said thoughtfully, "then you don't have to worry about it. Besides we know he's strong and won't keep you from doing what you love. You should consider him Sango, Miroku's a good guy."

"I guess..."

She smiled, "Plus he's not bad looking. Miroku is able."

Sango's father stopped, "Able? What does that mean exactly?"

"Oh, nothing. Just something we say when a guy is handsom." Sango shot an annoyed look at Kagome.

"Kagome!"

She groaned, couldn't she escape him? Putting on a fake smile she greeted him, "Hi Hojo. How are you?"

"I'm fine. I stopped by your home and you weren't there. Did you already bathe?"

Kagome pointed ahead, "Oh, look it's mother calling me. I gotta go Hojo, sorry I can't talk. I have to help my mother bathe." She ran away and waved at Sango and her father.

They waved back and Hojo just looked at her, lost and a little dazed looking.

********

As Kagome laid on her futon in her room she thought about what she had told Sango. It was true Miroku was a nice guy and if he wasn't set on Sango, Kagome would be tempted to snatch him up. Inuyasha came to her thoughts unbidden, "I can't love him if he loves someone else. It will only lead to heartache and I don't need that."

Kagome wasn't ugly, in fact, she had more suitors than any other girl in the village. The only problem was all of them were looking for a woman who would stay in their hut all day and take care of their children. She couldn't live like that, her spirit would slowly die. Inuyasha was her last hope for a real life and now there was no chance of that. He was gone; forever.

"Why can't I be normal?" Being a priestess made her a natural fighter and that intimidated some men. The only one to keep persuing her hand was Hojo and he was, well; a wet blanket. Always tending to her every need and making sure she was okay.

Hojo really aggrivated Kagome, so he was out of the question. 'Maybe I'm better off alone.'

That last thought rang through her mind as sleep finally claimed her.

*********

The rest of the week went on in the usual fasion. Hojo would see Kagome and she would make up an excuse to leave. She went with Sango to visit Shippo a few times; Iuyasha was nowhere to be seen. Her and Souta had practiced their skills with a sword for the last part of each day.

Kagome's specialty may have been the bow but she loved the sword and had her grandfather teach her to wield one. She also had help from Sango with her katana on how to properly defend. Now Kagome was good enough to beat her grandfather and could even beat Sango. For some reason this all came as no surprise to her mother. When Kagome told her she just smiled and said, "I know, it's in your blood."

That had confused her, so she asked her mother what she meant and her mother replied with nothing just a smile. Kagome had since then tried to decifer what her mother meant but came up with nothing. She even asked her grandfather and he said, "You'll understand one day Kagome."

**************