“One Tale for Two-Tails”

By: M.W. Roach

Ch.1: “You Are Our One Millionth Cat-stomer!”

Inuyasha tore through the sky with his Tetsusaiga. He slashed at the throat of a wolverine demon. The swift creature dodged the giant fang and whipped Inuyasha out of the sky. Miroku and Sango stood in front of Kagome and Shippo, protecting them. As usual, I was at Sango’s side, ready to battle. I was especially excited about this one. I would kill the demon this time. After all these years, I’d finally be rewarded the power of taking on the form of a human.

Sango’s call quickly snapped me out of my dream. I crouched down and began to transform. It always felt weird. Everything got so big so quickly. My surroundings seemed to shrink, and I felt deep anger. I focused my aggression on the wolverine demon, which was charging straight towards a tiring Inuyasha. I had to help him. I ran to Sango’s side and she hopped on my back.

It hurt a little. I mean, it wouldn’t kill her to be gentler. But I paid no mind to that. I ran and leapt into the sky, taking flight. Sango threw her Hirikotsu at the demon. It missed, but I was still mad. Did it ever cross her mind that I wanted to kill the demon? Does anyone care what I think?

Those questions would be answered after I killed the demon. The massive boomerang hit Sango’s arm upon returning. I sometimes wonder if maybe I moved over purposely so the weapon would smack her off my back. Either way, she was gone and now was my chance. I landed on the giant wolverine’s head and dug my claws deep into its eyes. While it screamed, painfully holding its half-empty sockets, I plunged my fangs into its throat. It died instantly, combusting into a pile of smouldering ash. The deed done, I returned to Sango to see if she was okay. She looked a bit angry with me. I quickly shrunk back to my usual cute self, as she never became upset with me in that form. Still, though, she looked peeved.

“What is with you, Kirara? Why did you let me fall like that?” She asked in a serious tone.

I mewed at her, hoping that’d shut her up. It usually worked; and it succeeded again. She lifted me and hugged. I loved it when she was proud at me. She was a nag sometimes, but I still loved her. I couldn’t wait to show her what I had accomplished.

I wanted to change. Questions began running through my head. What will I look like? Will I be as beautiful as Sango? Will she and everyone else accept me? Sango pulled me away from her chest and held me in the air.

“I forgive you. I love you, Kirara.”

I squealed in delight.

I love you, too, Sango.

We all sat around the fire. I jumped from lap to lap, getting as much attention as a cute kitty like me should get. Miroku scratched me at the base of my tail. I’d stretch and put my bottom in the air, encouraging him to scratch harder. Kagome was gentler with her strokes. I never stayed on her very long, as sometimes her caresses were too soft, and it tickled. Sango held me in her lap and rubbed my ears. But, none of them could compare to Inuyasha. His long nails never failed to satisfy my many Myoga bites. He also knew where ‘the spot’ was. Every cat has a ‘spot’. That special place that, when scratched, makes a cat feel like they’ve sniffed an entire plantation of catnip. Mine was between my front legs in the center of the fluffy crest around my neck. I often fell asleep on his lap rather then Sango’s. It didn’t matter though. I loved all of them. I hoped they would love me, too.
 

It had been about 4 hours since I killed that demon. Everyone was asleep but me. I was still waiting. Another hour went by and still nothing. What was going on? Did I count wrong? Was this really my millionth demon? I was worried, now. I didn’t want to go to sleep, but sleep eventually took over.

The Next Morning

I stretched and yawned. I looked down at Sango with a smile. Wait…I looked down? I took a second glance, just to make sure I wasn’t mistaken. She was below me all right. I pinched myself to see if I was dreaming. I squeezed my skin, crushing it between my thumb and index finger. It hurt. I looked at my hands. They were human hands. Four fingers and a thumb. I brought my hands up to my face; a human face. My hands traveled down my sides. I gasped at the sight of my hair. It was cream colored with black tips. It hung around my neck in big, luxurious curls. I quietly reached into Kagome’s backpack and pulled out a little mirror. I gasped when I seen my face. My creamy bangs hung over my crimson eyes. A black diamond shaped marking occupied my forehead. I smiled. Tiny fangs glistened brightly. I really was beautiful. The only thing that stayed the same were my two-tails, which were hidden under the covers I was sharing with Sango. I pushed on her shoulder.

“Sango. Sango, wake up.” I smiled, happy with my soft voice.

Sango groaned and stirred. I waited excitedly for her to open her eyes. My, she seemed surprised. I’d never heard her scream like that before!

Ch.2: “The Cat’s Outta the Bag”

I was beginning to suspect that Sango wasn’t pleased. My first clue was when she started screaming at me,

“Who the hell are you and why are you in bed with me?!?!?”

I was confused. How could she not know who I am? Wasn’t it obvious? I tried to answer, but her yells woke up the others. They surrounded me, questionable looks on their faces. Inuyasha had his hand on Tetsusaiga’s handle. I had to tell them quickly.

“It’s me, guys. Kirara.”

Everyone was silent as they exchanged mutters and whispers. It was then that I realized I was still lying in bed with Sango. No wonder they didn’t recognize me! My tails were hidden under the covers. I got up, the blanket slipping off of me, revealing my two, fluffy tails. Everyone gasped, as did I. I wore a furry tube top and matching furry skirt that reached above my knees. Both garments were the same color as my creamy hair. I smiled at everyone, who were still much too shocked to speak. No one had even noticed that Shippo had fainted. I broke the awkward silence.

“Umm…It’s nice to see all of you from…uh, this height.” I stuttered out.

Sango finally spoke. “Kirara, what happened to you?”

I took a deep breath before I began.

“Yesterday, I killed my one millionth demon!” I paused to see their reactions. Confusion was written all over their faces. I continued. “When a demon kills a million other demons, we gain the ability to take on human form.”

I paused again, searching for an example. “Now, I’m like…Sesshomaru. I can either turn into a full cat demon, or look human. Do you understand?”

Again, silence. I growled under my breath. Man, humans are dumb. What did I have to do? Sing it for them?

“So,” Inuyasha spoke, “You’re gonna look like this from now on?”

I nodded. “Well, yeah. Except when Sango needs me.” I looked at Sango with a warm smile. “What do you think, Sango? Are you pleased with me?”

Sango didn’t answer right away. This upset me. I did all of this for her, after all. I nudged her shoulder.

“Sango, I promise I’ll be good. Please let me stay like this.”

Sango hung her head. “I…I don’t know, Kirara. This is really weird for me.”

I had to think of something fast. If she didn’t want me to be this way, I’d change back in a heartbeat. After all, I can’t have my cake and eat it, too. I couldn’t be a cute, little kitten and have a human figure. It didn’t work that way. It was either kitten or human, and it was Sango’s choice. I had a plan, though.

“Sango, let me be this way for 3 days, okay? After that, I’ll go back to normal for you. Please?”

Sango thought a moment, then nodded. “Alright. You can stay that way for three days, if it makes you happy.”

I was ecstatic. I threw my arms around her and thanked her multiple times. She hugged back, but not whole-heartedly. I pried myself away from her and faced the others. Miroku was the first to approach me.

“My, Kirara. You are very beautiful.”

Kagome rushed over and touched my back. “This is amazing! Oh, Kirara, I’ve always wanted to ask you some questions!”

I grinned, showing off my sparkling fangs. I was getting even more attention then usual! Especially from Inuyasha. He hadn’t said a word about how I looked, but his eyes were glued to me. I’d never had eyes look at me like that before. His mouth was also slightly agape. Was it my imagination or was he devouring me piece by piece with his hot, desirable stare? I wanted to approach him, though I wasn’t sure why. I went to take a step forward. I tripped and fell. I looked at my Indian-rubber legs. I had no clue how to use them. How do humans walk without two extra legs? Inuyasha unexpectedly came to my rescue. He got behind me, straddled my arms, and pulled me up; his strong body pressed up against my delicate one. I had never had this feeling before. It was early morning, usually a bit chilly, but at that moment my whole body felt like it was on fire. My stomach fluttered and, for the first time ever, I blushed.

“One step at a time, Kirara.” He said quietly into my ear. “Trying to move both legs at once is just plain stupid.”

I growled. He went from irresistible to jerk in 3 seconds. I grabbed one of his arms and, with all my might, flung him over my shoulder. He landed hard on his back and groaned.

“That…was unnecessary, Kirara.” He managed to spit out.

I stood over him dominantly. “That’s for practicing your Wind Scar on me!”

I watched as a tiny smirk crept onto Inuyasha’s face. Gosh, he was cute. I can’t believe I had never noticed it before. I shook my head, throwing out the idea. From what I’ve seen, Kagome was Inuyasha’s mate. Well, sort of. I mean, they are always together. But, on the other hand, I had never witnessed them in an intimate situation before. Of course, it still didn’t make it right. Kagome still had feelings for him, even if the feelings weren’t mutual. I decided it was none of my business anyway...

Ch. 3: “Cat’s Out of the Bag---Inuyasha’s P.O.V.”

I’m not stupid. I knew from the moment Sango woke us up with that pig-like squeal of hers that the woman next to her was Kirara. I also noticed Shippo faint, but that wasn’t my problem. I would’ve said something about Kirara, but I, too, was in shock. I mean, I never expected her to be so...beautiful. I got a weird feeling in my gut when I saw her. I only had that feeling once before. It was on the dock…with Kikyo. But even Kikyo’s beauty was surpassed by Kirara’s. I rested my hand on Tetsusaiga’s handle. I guess I was trying to stop myself from falling over. It felt a little odd just staring at her, so I had to say something.

“So, you’re going to look like this from now on?” I hoped.

When she said yes, I almost smiled. But, I couldn’t figure out what Sango’s problem was. Why didn’t she want Kirara this way? I personally saw nothing wrong with her. After some persuasion on Kirara’s part, Sango agreed. A tiny sigh of relief escaped my mouth. 3 days was the time Sango had given Kirara to explore her new body. My stare intensified.

Boy, I’d like to explore her new body.

I quickly snapped out of it. Where did that come from? I brushed off the thought. I wiped some perspiration from my forehead. It was then that I noticed she was staring back at me. What the hell was she looking at? She started towards me, but she didn’t get very far. She tripped and fell to the ground. I wasn’t quite sure what to do. Before I could think, I felt myself moving towards her. I picked her up and lifted her off the ground. It was hard not to notice the muscles in her arms. Not bad for a female.

“One step at a time, Kirara.” I advised.

I noticed Kagome watching me from the corner of my eye. I had to say something quick.

“Moving both feet at the same time is just plain stupid.” I huffed, trying to be as normal as possible.

It worked for Kagome. She went off to do something else. Kirara didn’t appreciate the remark, though, and flung me over her shoulder. What strength! She tried to say it was payback for me practicing the Wind Scar on her, but I know she was just showing off.

So, yeah. I admit there was a little bit of a crush going on, but I didn’t think anything of it. I 'm allowed to get crushes if I want to. Kagome isn’t my mother…or my girlfriend. To tell the truth, she doesn’t look as much like Kikyo as everyone says she does. Besides, Kagome is a little young for me. I prefer older, wiser females. Don’t get me wrong, I love Kagome. I love her like she was my baby sister. I just don’t feel the same way for her as she does for me...which kinda makes things awkward, to say the least.

I won't lie; Kagome owns my heart…but I’ve yet to find the one to tame my soul like Kikyo did. I looked at Kagome. My love for her glows. I looked at Kirara, who was batting a pinecone around. I chuckled. Little did I know that my love for her…would burn.

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Ch.4: “Curiosity Killed the Monk”

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Miroku was starting to really piss me off. He was all over Kirara like white on rice. She didn’t know any better. I don’t think she had a clue on human sexuality, and Miroku was taking advantage of that lack of knowledge.

“Kirara, would like me to pet you?” He asked innocently.

Kirara nodded in response and put her butt in the air while Miroku scratched at the base of her tails. I saw where his hand intended to move. I had to put a stop to it. I stormed over and slapped his hand.

“You lecher! How dare you take advantage of Kirara! She doesn’t know what she’s doing!”

Miroku shrugged. “I was only trying to be friendly. Cats love to be stroked, do they not?”

“Don’t be a smart ass! I know you were just trying to get a free feel!”

“I honestly have no clue what you’re talking about.”

“Yeah, I bet.”

I turned to see if Kirara was okay. That was a mistake. That slippery scum Miroku snuck off. Kirara must have followed him. It was then that I knew she needed to be taught a few things. I followed the two into the woods. I wasn’t sure what I would find, or if I’d like it. Miroku is a sleazy dirt-bag. I didn’t put it past him to take advantage of her.

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In the woods, Miroku got down on one knee in front of Kirara. I knew what was coming.

“Kirara, you are beautiful as well as brilliant.”

I rolled my eyes. Here it comes…

“Will you do me the honor of bearing my child?”

I knew it. What a pervert. He was predictable, but nothing prepared me for what was going to happen next. Kirara tilted her head in confusion.

“You’d have sex with a cat?”

I cupped my hand over my mouth to stifle my pain of laughter. What a comeback! Miroku had never thought of that before! His face turned bright red.

“I…umm…uh…”

Kirara giggled and walked away, leaving Miroku to think about what he should or shouldn’t ask certain people.

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We rested with the others. Kagome and Sango were napping near the trees. Me, Miroku and Kirara were sitting by some rocks. Shippo was still passed out where we left him. Miroku and I just couldn’t stop watching Kirara. She was on her back swatting a daisy. She twisted around, purring contently. If only she knew what she was doing to us. To move around like that in that particular skirt was driving us mad. Miroku wanted at her, but my warning stare was enough to keep him at bay. Finally, he couldn’t take the torture. He got up to leave. Kirara lifted her head and watched as he walked away. She watched so intently. She flipped herself over and crouched down on her hands and knees, her eyes glued to Miroku. What was she looking at? I glanced at him. That’s when I noticed a strip of his robe was dragging ever so tantilizingly along the ground. I looked back at Kirara. Her eyes were fixed on the piece of fabric. I had never seen such concentration. The curiosity was eating her up inside. I could see she wanted that strip of cloth. The only thing in the world that existed at that time was she and the cloth. She rolled her shoulders in a cat-like manner. She was preparing herself to pounce. Her eyes followed it until it was almost out of sight. Then, she leapt.

Like all cats, she was quite a jumper. I watched as she hopped high in the air, then landed perfectly on the fabric. It pulled tight and Miroku fell face first into the ground. Kirara hastily bounded away and hid in the tall grass. Miroku got up, cursing. I smirked.

“My, aren’t you graceful!” I teased.

He muttered something and continued walking. I suddenly felt something rub up against me. It was Kirara. I blushed and looked away. What did she want?

“Inuyasha, wanna pet me?”

I almost choked on my own spit.

“Excuse me?” I asked, just to see if I heard right.

I wasn’t expecting her to stretch out over my lap. She thrust her chest up at me.

“Just like the old days. Rub my stomach.” She begged.

I rubbed the back of my neck nervously. Oh, I really, Really, REALLY wanted to.

“I…I don’t know…”

“C’mon, please?”

She began to purr. I bit the inside of my lip. Despite my head screaming “No!” I did it anyway. I brushed my fingertips against her stomach. She shuddered.

“Not so soft!”

She grabbed my hand and began rubbing it up and down her mid-section.

“There.” She said quietly. “You have to feel the muscles to know you’re doing a good job. Do you feel it?”

I sighed. Oh, I felt something all right. It felt so good.

“INUYASHA!” Kagome’s voice brought me out of my unclean thoughts.

I looked up to see Sango, Kagome and Miroku.

“See?” Miroku bellowed. “I told you he was taking advantage!”

My jaw dropped to the ground.

“What?”

“Inuyasha, I’m surprised at you!” Sango scolded.

She bent down and pulled Kirara out of my lap. Judging by the tone of Kagome's voice and the scowl in her eye, I knew what was coming and I braced myself.

“SIT!”

My entire body was roughly yanked to the ground. My face collided with the cold soil. I was immobilized long enough for Miroku to laugh at me and walk away. I pulled my head up from the dirt.

“Miroku, you lousy bastard! I’ll get you for this!”

Ch.5: “Bad ‘Ol Putty Tat”

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Okay, I admit it. I was absolutely clueless when it came to human sexuality. But, seriously. Was it my fault that human males get turned on so easily? I wasn’t doing anything bad; just my usual kitty stuff. Kagome and Sango quickly set ground rules for what I could and couldn’t do.

“Kirara, if you’re going to stay in the human form, you need to know how to act like and treat other humans.” Kagome warned.

“First, people can’t pet you.” Sango instructed.

“Second, you need to learn how to sit in that skirt.” Kagome added.

“Third…”

I sighed and rolled my eyes. I suppose next I needed to breathe a certain way? I nodded politely, agreeing with whatever they said. I wasn’t exactly clear on everything they were talking about, but it’s not like I was going to follow through on any of it. That was my first real human characteristic; defiance. I don’t have to do what they say. It’s only friendly advice. Once the little ‘meeting’ was through, I went off on my own. In obtaining my new trait, an old one needed to be removed. I chose to eliminate obedience. Who needed to obey when one already has a mind of her own? I stopped by a creek and looked at my reflection. I was beautiful. I was unaware that, at that exact moment, I had gotten another new trait; vanity. I didn’t know at that time the old one I’d rid myself of, but I learned of it and paid for my ignorance later.

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That night, only one thing was on my mind; Inuyasha. I didn’t know why I was thinking about him. I guess I was bored. I looked up at him sleeping in the tree. He looked so peaceful. I got up quietly and snuck under the branch he was sleeping on.

“Inuyasha.” I whispered.

He stirred, but didn’t wake up. I grabbed a stick and poked him in the side with it. He grunted and opened his eyes.

“What’s the big idea waking me up?” He asked quietly, but angrily.

“I…I dunno. You wanna talk?”

I heard him give a low growl.

“No.” He answered quickly.

“Please?” I begged.

“’Bout what?” He groaned after a few moments of silence.

Now, it was I who was silent. What did I want to talk about?

“Stuff.” I said finally.

I heard him moan tiredly. He hopped out of the tree and trudged over to a lake we were near. I could tell by looking in his eyes that he was only half-awake. He plopped himself down at the edge of the water. I sat next to him. He cupped his hands and dipped them into the water to get a drink. I smiled at him.

“So…I’ve always wanted to know, is Tetsusaiga heavy?”

He gave a low grunt, blinking one eye at a time. After a moment, he was out again. He fell into my lap, asleep. I smiled and ran my fingers through his silky hair. I laid down on my back, looking up at the stars. Soon, sleep overcame me.

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Kagome’s shriek echoed throughout all of Feudal Japan. I opened my eyes slowly. I was curled up on my left side, my tails wrapped around my body. It felt like someone was latched onto my waist. I turned to see Inuyasha holding me, sleeping contently. That had to be the reason Kagome screamed. For some reason, her yell didn’t wake him. I decided to wake him the only way I knew how. I pinched his nose until his eyes shot open. Then, it was he who shouted. My goodness, humans are so noisy! Inuyasha released his death-grip on my waist and jumped to his feet, only to be yanked down again by one of Kagome’s ‘sit’ commands.

“Inuyasha, I can’t believe you! You’re such a…such a…DOG!”

Inuyasha murmured something, but the dirt muffled it. It sounded like a curse word to me. I sat up.

“Kagome, nothing happened. If it means anything to you, this was all my fault. I wanted to talk to him last night and we just fell asleep. Please don’t be angry with Inuyasha.”

To Inuyasha’s relief, Kagome focused her anger at me.

“Kirara, didn’t you hear a word me and Sango said to you yesterday?”

Sango and Miroku joined the scene. I wondered what had taken them so long. Perhaps I wasn’t the one Kagome should’ve be yelling at.

“What happened?” Sango inquired.

“I found Kirara and Inuyasha sleeping together in the…” Kagome switched to a whisper. As if I couldn’t hear. “Doggy-Style position.”

“Now, wait just a minute!” Inuyasha shouted. Apparently he had heard her whisper as well. “We didn’t do a damn thing, did we Kirara?”

“Uh…well, actually I don’t remember. We might have.”

Another of Kagome’s ‘sit’ commands rang out. I giggled a little. It was funny how easy it was to get her angry. However, it wasn’t as funny when she was angry with me.

“Kirara, I don’t know what to say to you! It’s like you did this on purpose!” She exploded, gesticulating wildly.

I shrugged. “I did do it on purpose.”

Kagome shouted some words I’ve never even heard Inuyasha say. Once her ranting was done, she stormed away, cursing. Sango didn’t say a word to me, but her expression said it all. I never felt so low, and I didn't even know what I had done wrong.

Ch.6 : “What’s New, Pussy Cat?”

I sat in the forest by myself for a long time, contemplating my actions over the past day. I was trying so hard to comprehend what I did wrong; why Sango and everyone else, with the exception of the still out cold Shippo, was so mad at me. A sudden twinge in my neck snapped me back into reality. I swatted the spot with the palm of my hand. A tiny speck floated to the ground. It regained its composure instantly and hopped on my nose. I squinted my eyes to get a better look.

“Myoga?”

“Ah, Kirara! I was hoping to see your new form today! My, you are stunning!”

I gave him a small smile.

“Thanks.”

“Why the long face? Is something troubling you?”

I looked away. Opening up my emotions to a flea seemed odd at first, but Myoga would probably understand.

“Sango and the others are mad at me because I don’t act human enough. They say I can’t keep this form if I don’t learn how to be human-like.”

Myoga chuckled.

“Is that all? Oh, Kirara, don’t pay them any mind. Well, if they want to be mad with someone, let them be mad at Inuyasha!”

“Inuyasha? Why him?”

“Well, he’s not exactly the ‘perfect human’ actor. He scratches his head with his foot, and whenever they go into a town, he goes down on all fours and sniffs the ground! You can’t possibly be doing anything worse then that!”

As I listened more and more to Myoga’s words, I felt a mixture of feelings. I felt sad that they accepted Inuyasha the way he was and not me. I felt jealous, hurt and most of all…I was angry. How dare they? He walks around town smelling the dirt and I get in trouble for wanting to be petted? What kind of crap was that? I stood up.

“Thanks, Myoga. I have to go now.”

Myoga hopped off and called to me from a rock.

“Wait! Where’re you going?”

I stopped and turned to him, eyes burning.

“I have to have a little chat with the others.”

Everyone was sitting around the fire eating fish when I arrived.

“Fish?” Miroku offered, waving a mackerel on a stick in my face.

I growled and swatted it out of his hand.

“No thank you!”

Everyone exchanged confused and concerned looks.

“Is something wrong, Kirara?” Sango asked.

“Wrong? Gee, I don’t know! Let’s see...”

I got down on all fours, lifted my back leg, and scratched behind my ear. I waited for their reactions.

“Kirara, stop! Don’t scratch like that!” Kagome yelled.

I stopped and stood up, hands on my hips.

“And why not? Inuyasha is allowed to do it!”

“That’s because Inuyasha isn’t wearing that skirt!” Sango shouted.

I growled and dropped to all fours again.

“How about this?”

I put my head down and began sniffing the ground in a dog-like manner.

“Kirara, no! Your cleavage is showing!” Kagome warned.

I furiously threw my hands up in the air.

“THAT’S IT! I’M TIRED OF ALL THESE RULES BECAUSE OF THESE STUPID CLOTHES! HERE, MAYBE I’LL JUST TAKE THEM ALL OFF!”

“YES!” Miroku shouted.

“No!” Sango hissed.

“Why?” Inuyasha asked.

“SIT!” Kagome screamed.

I sat and watched as everyone focused their anger on each other rather then me. I growled and walked away. I had had enough. I couldn’t take it anymore. I was going to run away.

That night, I snuck out of the tree I had fallen asleep in. I had gone a mile or so when I realized I was being followed. I turned to see Inuyasha. I was very surprised.

“Kirara, what are you doing?” He asked.

“I can’t take those rules and I’m sick of getting in trouble. I like my human form and I intend to keep it. So, I’m running away.”

Inuyasha laughed and shook his head.

“Come on, Kirara. You don’t want to do that. You’re just upset. Tomorrow, everything will be…”

“No. I’ve made up my mind and no one can change it.”

I turned away again. Inuyasha grabbed my arm.

“You don’t know what it’s like out there! There are demons around every corner! What are you going to do by yourself?”

I thought for a minute. He was right. I couldn’t go it alone. I turned and looked at him, a tiny smile on my face.

“Come with me, then.”

He let go and turned away.

“You know I can’t do that. Kagome needs me. The others need me.”

I scoffed.

“Hmm. The only thing Kagome does is sit you all the time. But, you must like it. Anyway, good bye.”

I started away again. He just stood there, watching me leave. I could tell he wanted to come with me.

“Kirara, wait.”

I stopped and casually glanced over my shoulder at him.

He didn’t say anything. He just stared at me. He finally looked away.

“Be careful out there.” That said, he left me in the dark.

Somewhat astonished and hurt, I turned away, trying so hard not to shed any tears. I ran into the black oblivion of the night, never to return.

Ch.7: “Catty Cornered”

I just couldn’t bring myself to follow her. I mean, it’s not like I didn’t want to. But, she knows I wouldn’t just leave Kagome and the others like that without saying anything. I hoped I’d forget about the whole thing in a few days.

After a week, everyone was on edge. Sango was always crying and Kagome was always mad at something. That something was usually me. Miroku was the only one to keep a cool head, but I guess that’s because he stayed as far away from everyone as possible.

I thought I’d forget about Kirara, but I was dead wrong. Every night since she left, I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Was she okay? Was she hurt? Was she lonely? My mind kept me up half the night; and my dreams, the other half. I had to go find her, but I needed an excuse.

“Sango, I’m going to go find Kirara, okay?”

Sango looked up from her tears. “Really, Inuyasha? You’d do that?”

“Yeah. I can’t stand you people moping around like this! You’re starting to bring me down.”

“Thank you, Inuyasha!”

“Sure, whatever.”

As I started off, Kagome stopped me.

“And just where do you think you’re going?”

“To find Kirara for Sango.”

“I’m going with you!”

“No, you’re not!”

“Why is that?” She demanded.

“Because…you’ll just slow me down.” I said quickly.

She grunted and walked away. I hate when she does that! “What’s your problem, Kagome?”

“Nothing! Take your time! I’ll be glad to be rid of you for a few days!”

“FINE!”

“FINE!”

We both stomped our separate ways. Man, I can’t stand her little temper tantrums! Ugh, it’s so immature. I’d be glad to be away from her for a few days, too. Again, I was interrupted.

“Where are you off to?” Miroku inquired.

I growled.

“WHY IS EVERYONE ON MY BACK TODAY! I’m just going to go find Kirara for Sango! Are going to yell at me, too?”

Miroku just shrugged. “Whatever.”

He started to leave. My left eye twitched.

“What do you mean by that?” I asked slowly, trying to contain myself from tearing his head off.

“Oh, nothing…except I don’t think you’re looking for Kirara as a favor for Sango. I think you’re the one who wants to find Kirara.”

I grunted and looked away. “Hmm. Shows how much you know.”

“Exactly.” He finished with a smirk.

I watched him leave. I hate it when he’s right.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Her scent wasn’t too difficult to follow. Apparently, she hadn’t changed to her cat form, so she didn’t fly anywhere, which made tracking her a lot easier. I followed her scent for miles. She had gone pretty far in a weeks’ time. After about 4 days, her scent became stronger. Another 3 miles and the scent of a strange demon hit my nose. I also caught a whiff of Kirara’s blood.

“Oh, no. I knew she’d get herself into trouble!”

I ran faster. I came to a field where some sheep were grazing. They were on the far side of this giant pasture for a reason. Kirara was in battle on the other side. I continued to run until the scene came into view. She still hadn’t taken her true cat form. I didn’t know how she’d been fighting without her fangs, or any weapon for that matter. The demon she was battling was a fierce scorpion with hard, protective skin. I noticed a few puncture wounds in its back. Did Kirara do that? Finally, she came into view. To my surprise, she held two small swords. Were those suppose to be her fangs? Whatever they were, she knew how to use them. I watched the scene play itself out as Kirara struck into the demon’s flesh at the same time she dodged its striking tail. All didn’t go well, as I had hoped. The scorpion grabbed Kirara with one of its claws and threw her into a rock. The blow knocked the wind out of her and she dropped her weapons. It readied itself to plunge its stinger right through her. Now, it was my turn.

“WIND SCAR!”

Within moments, the scorpion was in little pieces all across the field. I put Tetsusaiga away and went to see how Kirara was doing. When she came to, though, she didn’t seem very pleased.

“Inuyasha? What are you doing here!” She yelled.

“What am I doing here? Just saving your butt from certain death!”

“I was doing just fine on my own!”

“Not from where I’m standing!”

“Then go stand somewhere else!” She turned and walked away.

I couldn’t believe it! I came all this way to rescue her and this is how she thanks me? I didn’t travel all the way here just so she could leave again. I grabbed her by the arm.

“You’re coming back with me right now!”

She yanked her arm free. “No, I’m not!”

I snagged her arm again and pulled a little harder.

“Yes, you are!”

She pulled with all her might, nearly yanking me off my feet. Luckily, I still had her arm in a tight grip.

“No, I’m not!”

Now, it was me who pulled with all my might.

“YES, YOU ARE!”

I guess I pulled a little too hard. We both fell.

She landed on top of me…

Ch.8 : “Cat Got Your Tongue?”

My first instinct was to shove her off of me. However, another part of me told my instincts to shut the hell up. I wasn’t quite sure what she was thinking, but the look on her face said, ‘what are you waiting for? Kiss me already!’ Don’t think I didn’t want to. At that point, I’d have done more then just kiss her. But, I just couldn’t. My decision didn’t deter her one bit, though. She did the job for me. Before I knew it, my lips were glued to hers. I’ve never even kissed Kikyo that way before. I know because my hands never explored Kikyo’s body like I was exploring Kirara’s. Kikyo would never allow it, and I’d never do it. But, Kirara was different. I loved Kikyo, but I wanted to make love to Kirara. I was disappointed when she stopped and looked down.

“Oh, no.” She whispered as she hopped off.

Don’t go...

She looked at my pants in surprise. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

It took me a minute to realize what she was talking about. Man, that was embarrassing! I got up slowly.

“I’ll be back.”

After an icy dip in a nearby stream, I returned to her. She looked so confused.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Are you alright?”

I scoffed at her. “Don’t be stupid. You didn’t hurt me, okay?”

She looked down sadly. I didn’t mean to be so rough with her.

“I…I don’t know what came over me. It must be a new human emotion because I’ve never felt it before.”

I was very surprised to hear that. But then again, I’d never witnessed her going into heat. I sighed.

“Don’t worry about it. Humans, animals and demons feel it. It’s nothing new to me. You’ll get used to it. You just need to know how to control your urges.”

I thought everything would be better now. I was dead wrong. Both Kirara’s eyes and mine went wide at the same time.

“WHAT IS THAT?” She shrieked, leaping to her feet and covering her skirt.

Words failed me. That scent was more powerful then Kikyo, Kagome and Naraku all meshed into one. No amount of ice water could stop me now. Not only did that damn kiss kick her into heat…but it kicked her heat into maximum overdrive!

“Ugh, I feel so…naked!” She whimpered.

I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. There was only one thing on my mind. She totally felt the same way.

“Umm, Inuyasha? Does ‘urge control’ matter now?”

Again, I was silent. The only thing escaping my mouth was drool and my lolling tongue. Hey, I’m a dog after all, right?

“I’m going to apologize ahead of time for this.” I finally coughed out.

“For what?” She asked suspiciously.

I got up, legs shaking uncontrollably. My mind struggled to overpower my animal urges, but it lost pathetically. I knew I was going to pay for this later. I was going to pay big time.

“Sorry Kirara.” I spat before pouncing on her.

Sorry Kagome...

Next Night

It was the next night when that stupid heat finally subsided back into hibernation. We lay near each other, unclothed, for a while, looking up at the stars. We were both too embarrassed to speak to one another. I’m not sure if we were ashamed or what. We would often take a glance at each other, but turned away immediately. Kirara finally broke the silence.

“Inuyasha?”

“Yeah?”

She was quiet for a moment longer, then she spoke.

“We can NOT tell Sango. She’ll kill me for sure.”

“I won’t tell Sango...if you don’t tell Kagome. She’d sit me straight to hell.”

“Deal.”

There was more silence after that. I swallowed hard before getting up.

“We really should get dressed and head back.”

Kirara sat up, covering herself.

“Wait! When exactly did I decide to go back?”

Memories of the previous night and earlier in the day played through my mind.

“Last night, about four times...this morning, early this afternoon, and about twenty minutes ago.”

We both blushed and turned away. As we got dressed, an occasional peek over the shoulder was exchanged.

Once you’ve been intimate with a friend, it’s difficult to ever be friends with that person again. Inuyasha and I didn’t speak more then two words to each other on the trip back to the others. I finally knew what my lost emotion was; the one I lost when I gained my vanity. I had lost my self-respect, and worse, gotten yet another new human trait that animals do not have; shame. I was ashamed of myself. I felt horrible for being with Inuyasha. Visions of Kagome flashed through my mind. What had I done? What had we done?

“Inuyasha, stop.”

Inuyasha flinched at my voice.

“Why? We’re almost there.”

“I can’t go through with this. I can’t keep this from Kagome. I…I can’t go back.”

I waited for his reaction. He was quiet for a moment, but it didn’t last long.

“Don’t be stupid.” He snapped. “You have to go back. Sango needs you, Kirara. You know that.”

That was true. But, I still needed time.

“You go on ahead, then. I’ll be there in a few days. I just need some time to think things out.”

“You’d better not run off. I don’t want to have to…” He paused. “Find you again.” He finished with a little excitement in his voice.

I nodded.

“I’ll be back, I promise. For Sango, I promise.”

Inuyasha nodded and ran off. I turned and walked away slowly.

Just for the record, I lied. I had no intention of ever returning. Some secrets are too big to be kept secret, and often find themselves floating around a room full of people. So, I thought it was best to just stay away. Both Kagome and Sango would be heart-broken if they ever found out. I sighed and sunk my head into my hands. The weight of it made my elbows sink into my knees, causing some discomfort. I didn’t care. I just wanted to be left alone.

In an instant, a whirlwind suddenly came into view and stopped directly in front of me. I recognized that furry skirt. It was Koga, the wolf demon prince. I growled. I never really cared for him much. He was annoying and self centered; not the brightest crayon in the box. He took a big whiff and gave me a disappointed look.

“Odd. I smell mutt-face, but I don’t see mutt-face.” He stared at me for a moment, then smirked. “Hey, I know you. Aren’t you that cat? Killed your one millionth, I see. Not bad.”

I growled, but nodded. I never really liked being referred to as ‘that cat’, or getting checked out by a wimpy wolf. He sniffed again. He made a face. His eyebrows lowered slightly and he scrunched his nose up a bit.

“Is there a problem?” I asked, beginning to get nervous.

He sniffed again, but this time, he sniffed me. It’s only proper to sniff back, right? He made an odd noise in his throat. I scoffed.

“Yeah, well, you don’t smell like a cherry pie, either.”

To my surprise, Koga snickered. It turned into laughter. I grunted annoyingly.

“What’s so funny? One of the voices in your head tell a joke?”

Koga stopped to wipe a tear from the corner of his eye.

“Oh, geez! I don’t believe it! I never knew mutt-face went interspecies!”

I blushed. Koga could smell it. Even though I bathed, Koga still smelled it. I tried to pretend I didn’t know what was going on.

“What…do you mean?”

Koga slapped his knee and continued howling, so to speak, in laughter.

“Oh, come on, cat! You reek of Inuyasha’s bodily fluids!”

My face turned red, purple, green and blue. No hiding anything now. Koga was nearly rolling on the floor.

“Oh, man! The mutt-face didn’t have a chance with my Kagome so he nailed the cat instead!”

I groaned angrily. This wolf had overstayed his welcome.

“First, my name is Kirara! Second, it was an accident, and third…” I lowered my voice to a whisper. “You can NOT tell Kagome!”

Koga stopped laughing and smirked. “Why not? I think she’d love to hear this.”

I didn’t feel like arguing. It would get me nowhere, especially arguing with this idiot. I lowered my head and turned away.

“Fine. I wasn’t going to go back anyway.”

Before I could get away, he ran ahead of me, blocking my path.

“What do you mean you weren’t going to go back? What about your human?”

“Sango. She’d be disappointed in me, and I can’t possibly keep this from her.”

Koga growled. “That’s the problem with you felines. You give up too easily. That human of yours would die for you.”

I stayed silent. The wolf was right. I couldn’t leave Sango like that. Ever since Kohaku’s death, I was the only thing keeping Sango linked with reality. Without me…she’d go mad. I looked up at Koga with a glare.

“That still leaves me with the problem of the secret.”

Koga grunted. “Yeah? What of it?”

“I can’t have you screw everything up by telling Kagome!”

“Well, if I keep your stupid little secret, what do I get?”

I thought for a moment, then grinned. I had a solution that would fix everything. I smiled at the wolf.

“Come with me and we’ll work something out.”

Ch.10: “Here’s Lookin’ at You, Kitty”

Koga stared blankly at me as if trying to process what I had just told him.

“You’re sure it’ll work?” He asked finally.

“Sure I’m sure. I know Kagome. She loves that kind of stuff. Has she ever seen it before?”

“Of course not!” He snapped. “It’s not like I show it to just anyone!”

“So, it’ll be like a special moment, then.”

Koga rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “I’m afraid it’ll…overwhelm her, ya know?”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh, come on Koga. How big could it be?”

Koga measured with his hands and showed me the approximate size.

“Okay, let me see it.”

“You want me to show it to you?”

“Yes. I want to see how big it is.”

Reluctantly, Koga agreed.

A few moments later, I was shaded by its monstrous shadow. I looked it over and nodded.

“Oh, it won’t bother her at all. In fact, I think Sesshomaru is bigger.”

A second afterwards and Koga put it away. He glared at me for a moment.

“This had better work, or so help me, I’ll spill the beans about you and mutt-face, got it?”

I nodded. “Come by at around sundown. She’ll be ready for you.”

We both agreed and went our separate ways. Little did Koga know, this would be the last time he’d see me like this. As I walked down the path home, I began to transform.

Sango played with her fingers nervously. She glanced up at Inuyasha.

“She said she’d be back, didn’t she?” She whimpered.

“For the millionth time, yes.” Inuyasha growled.

Sango looked out on the foggy horizon. She squinted her eyes as something came into view. Two tails attached to a misshapen figure appeared. Sango sighed.

“Finally!”

As the figure got closer, Sango realized it wasn’t in human form at all. Her eyes went wide as she seen me bound over to her in my demonic form, my fur flying back in the wind. Before I knew it, she was running towards me. I hadn’t seen her so happy in so long. She threw her arms around me and hugged tight.

“Oh, Kirara! I was so worried.”

I backed up to look at her.

“Sango, there are so many things I want to say to you.” I told her through telepathy.

Sango smiled. “You can tell me anything.”

I brought my ears back slightly with embarrassment.

“No, I can’t. I can’t tell you everything. But there is one thing I can say. I love you, Sango, and I don’t have to be in the form of a human to let you know that.”

I closed my eyes. I felt my human emotions melt away as I shrunk down to the size of a squirrel. When I next opened my eyes, I was in Sango’s arms. She was crying. She was happy. I could see Inuyasha. He looked happy, too. I know within a few days, my human memories will be erased. I felt much better because I had no shame. I felt free of any guilty conscience I had had before. I sighed and sunk my face into Sango’s shoulder.

Everyone looked up when Koga appeared, which was pretty sudden, as usual. He smiled shyly and fiddled with his skirt hem.

“Hey, Kagome.” He said quietly.

“Umm…Hi?” She responded, not used to Koga being so unlike himself.

“Whatever you want, we don’t care. So take a hike, ya wimpy wolf!” Inuyasha threatened.

Koga glared for a moment, then outstretched his arm with great force, and shoved Inuyasha into a thorn bush. Try as he might, Inuyasha couldn’t free himself of the pesky thorns. Even Tetsusaiga was entangled in the vines. While Inuyasha struggled to get up, Koga turned back to Kagome.

“Listen, Kagome. There’s, uh, something I want to show you.”

“You’d better watch it!” Inuyasha called. He reached over and grabbed the still unconscious Shippo by the tail. “There’s a child present!”

Everyone ignored him. Koga took a nervous breath and closed his eyes. All watched in awe as Koga began to shed his clothes and instead grow fur. He grew taller and wider and his face elongated, creating a muzzle. After a moment or two, Koga stood tall in front of all of us in his demon form, wagging his tail. He had long, fluffy brown fur and lighter tan colored underneath.

“Well? What do you think, Kagome?” He asked telepathically.

Kagome stood there, mouth agape. “Oh my…”

Koga lowered his head and whimpered, his tail wagging continuously.

Kagome slowly reached out and petted Koga’s head. He wagged his tail even faster.

“Look, Inuyasha! Isn’t he adorable!” Kagome squealed joyously.

Inuyasha sat in his bush, growling viciously as he watched Koga flip himself over, exposing his ‘wolf parts’ and his stomach. Inuyasha snarled even louder, but no one seemed to care. His growl worsened when Kagome began scratching Koga’s stomach, causing the wolf to moan in ecstasy and thump his foot noisily against the ground. Inuyasha suddenly burst free from the bush, steaming mad. He snatched Kagome by the shoulder and yanked her away. Koga rolled over onto his stomach to hear what the puny puppy had to say.

“You literal son of a bitch! If you pull that stunt again, I’ll take my Tetsusaiga and neuter you so fast…”

“Blah, blah, blah. Is that all you ever do, Inuyasha? No wonder Kagome never scratched your belly.”

“You wanna say that to my face, ya mangy wolf?” Inuyasha challenged.

Koga laughed as he changed back to normal. He stood behind a rock, hands on his hips.

“As much as I’d love to stay and chat, I must take my leave.” Koga’s attention was now on Kagome. “Next time you get rid of mutt-face for the day, we could continue where we left off.” He finished with a wink.

Kagome giggled and blushed slightly. Then, Koga looked at me. He didn’t speak, but his eyes said, “Good work, cat. Thanks.”

Koga took one final look at Kagome and sped off. Inuyasha glared at her momentarily.

“What the hell was that all about?”

“What?” Kagome asked innocently.

“YOU KNOW WHAT! SCRATCHING THAT MANGY WOLF’S STOMACH! You wanna get fleas?”

“Oh, Inuyasha! Koga doesn’t have fleas! Besides, he was so cute!”

Inuyasha stepped away from Kagome. “You are unbelievable!”

“And you’re just jealous!”

“I am not!”

“Yes you are!”

“Not!”

“Are!”

“Shut up!”

“Sit!”

That ended that conversation. While everyone left, I hopped over to Inuyasha, whose face was still 3 feet deep in soil. When he finally looked up, our eyes locked. He smiled slightly.

“Couldn’t keep a secret, could you?” He asked quietly.

A mewed to him and walked away. My memory of the past few days were already beginning to deminish. I wasn’t quite sure what secret he was talking about, but it must’ve been pretty important if I had to give up my human form to keep it. Inuyasha stood up and followed me to the rest of the group. I stopped suddenly when I heard the now semi-conscious Shippo groan. I hopped over to him. He slowly opened his eyes. He gasped when he saw me.

“Oh, Kirara! I had the weirdest dream that you turned human!”

I tilted my head and purred. Shippo laughed.

“I guess that’s never gonna happen, huh?”

Again, I mewed to him. No, dear kitsune. It won’t happen anytime soon.

I thought for a moment. Perhaps I just wasn’t ready for the human form. Maybe, by the time I kill a million more demons, I’ll be ready to accept it and I’ll know how to use it correctly.

But, until then, my name is Kirara and I’m a two-tailed cat demon and that’s how it’s going to stay.

The End