~Inu-Yasha was created by Rumiko Takahashi and I, of course, own none of
the characters depicted in this shortfic. Really, I don't. Send me C&C,
one or both will do. Go on, or I might keep writing things like this! Heh.
~Set in part of Viz graphic novel volume 3.

Forgetting but forgiven: an Inu-Yasha shortfic.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
10 February 1999

"Let's hear an apology for what you did the last time."

"Huh...? What are you talking about?" she asks me, apparently without a
clue. Yeah, right.

"Don't pretend you've forgotten," I reply, reliving the memory in my mind.
"You boot me aside because I'm in your way and then expect me to help
you?"

"Wh... oh. Oh, _that_."

I stare at her in shock as her dismissive words slash through me. She
really forgot?! Feh... well, she doesn't care does she? Doesn't she
remember how she hurt--no, angered me? Well, I don't care what she thinks
of me, I can't care less. Even though we spend a lot of time together,
it's just a quirk of fate; it's not what either of us wants and we don't
have a choice in the matter. She's made her feelings perfectly clear, oh
yes she has. And I agree with her, of course. She's annoying, impulsive
and quick to judge me no matter my actions.

How her family puts up with her, I don't know. I'm glad that she doesn't
want to spend all her time with me in my time. I don't know what I'd do
without her--with her! With her! What is with all these slips? Why is my
mind so distracted?!

"You mean... you were actually bothered by that?"

I can't believe this girl, of course I was bothered! She cried at me and I
actually felt bad about that. Me, bothered? Me?! Then, she kicked me away
while I was distracted, declaring her dislike of my presence. Not that the
feeling isn't mutual but... for her, that was low. How could she do that?

"No!" I snap back, angry at her for not cari--remembering. "I just felt
like reminiscing!"

Then, to top it all....

"Okay, okay! I apologise. How's that?" her uncaring voice cuts through me
like a sword. I can't say anything back, I can't face her. How can, how
can she not see that I... that I... came here for _her_, to save _her_ and
this is how she treats me? It's like we're from different worlds sometimes
and in a way, we are. I shouldn't have come, I should have just stayed
away and left the ungrateful girl to deal with the....

Movement catches my sharp eyes and that... thing moves from the ground
where I felled it and starts to recite, in a supposedly creepy but really
laughable voice, its history and how it wants the Shikon Jewel. The shards
of which she holds on to. We both know it will be a mistake to let this
pathetic excuse for a demon get it.

"Huh. I'd say you've been devouring too many mortals lately," I speak to
it, vowing to myself that there is one mortal it won't get to even touch.
The demon's so large, clumsy and ugly but even though it's dismembered,
it's still moving and wants to attack her. Before I came along and
shredded it into two halves, it had nearly killed her and I bet that's
what it's trying to do now. Well, it won't even get near her this time, I
won't let it. In front of her, I stand guard. "...They've made you fat!" I
streak across the floor, my claws bared and ready for attack.

Even if she's an annoying, crazy and, occasionally, plain idiotic girl...
I will not let her die. Sometimes, in the most stressful of situations,
she can amaze even me with her ingenuity and bravery. She can be foolish,
yes. But with the best of intentions and somehow, in the end, she survives
these dangerous actions. With my help, of course.

"Always... room... for one more," the demon gurgles hungrily, the voice
coming from deep within its ungainly body.

"Not for this one!" My claws rip straight through the demon as I'm filled
again with a powering desire to kill it, to stop it, to punish it for even
daring to try to hurt her. It falls to the ground, unmoving. Good,
disappointing for a demon but good. Maybe it's this strange place
called a "city" that's filled with grey buildings that's draining a
supposedly fearful demon's power. I can't see what she sees in this place.

It can get boring when she goes home and I'm left to sulk around with
nothing to do. One thing's for sure, it's always lively when she's around,
despite the shadow of an old enemy of mine hanging over both our heads.
For a human, Kagome's not that bad at all.

"Now that's more like it!" I announce as the demon's two halves try to
reform with me at the centre. But I can't let it get me, not me. I've got
more than enough power in my half-demon body to defeat it and save her.

And I, Inu-Yasha, will use this power to protect Kagome. Always.

~~~
Author notes: I just wrote this in a writing blitz today, just now
actually, to kill time. So it might not make much sense. Gomen.

It was something just off the top of my head. I wanted to try to put how
Inu-Yasha feels about Kagome at this early stage. I've only read up to Viz
Graphic Novel Volume 3 so if there's anything I've got wrong about
Inu-Yasha, then sorry. Not wanting it to be just a monologue of his
thoughts, I included that part in Volume 3 when Inu-Yasha got annoyed and
tense because Kagome didn't remember an incident that offended him. In
this story-arc it became clear that his prerogative was to keep Kagome
safe.

I do like Kagome but remember that this was from Inu-Yasha's POV and he
wasn't in that good a mood in this scene.

I just very rarely see any Inu-Yasha fics around on the FFML even though
it's such a great manga! Little stories like this are my fanfic pitch-in
for the Takahashi series. Anyone know of any good I-Y fanfics?

I really like writing author notes! Whee! ^_^
~Kayu-chan.


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