InuYasha Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ Shards Of Hope ❯ The Morning After, Part 2 ( Chapter 15 )

Disclaimer: Since I obviously don't own the copyright to Teen Titans or Inuyasha, I'm taking advantage of the Fair Use Clause of the Copyright laws to write a story with them in it. Who knew the government would protect the little guys? Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

 

Author's Note: Full Author's Note at bottom.

 

Chapter 15: The Morning After, Part 2

 

Kagome stirred in her sleep. It had NOT been a restful night; her enthusiasm for friends visiting her time had quickly waned. It was partly her fault: in her enthusiasm, she had forgotten several basic things that people in this age took for granted… like toilets. Miroku had stumbled across the room completely by accident, opening the bathroom door and asking what it was used for. Kagome had been telling Sango about how restful a night's sleep she was going to be getting at that time… and, at that moment; all thoughts of sleep fled her mind. Sheepishly, she had to explain to them that a toilet is… and it's purpose… Of course, it was a mixed blessing. It would have been a far, far worse for her not to tell them and for them to be caught on the lawn outside… Kagome had shuddered at the thought.

After that, just as she was about to lie down, Sota had entered her and Sango's room. In all the confusion of the day, and having to tell Inuyasha that there were more jewel shards she just hadn't thought to go visit her family. Even when she went, her mother and grandfather were already asleep. Sota had been quiet for a moment, and then murmured he had had a nightmare… Kagome couldn't blame him, and had stayed with him on the fold out couch. It hadn't been comfortable, but then again, Kagome had doubted that anything would have been comfortable when she had lay down and had time to think. Sleep didn't come easily or quickly, even though Sota began snoring shortly after she had lain down beside him.

In one day her entire life had changed, as it had once before, but this time for the worse. She had been attacked and her house had been destroyed, as well as everything she owned and was accustomed to. Her family was sleeping in a cramped, uncomfortable room at the request of people who could barely speak her own language. More jewel shards had been found in her own time and she didn't know what to do because the person who possessed them was protecting her… and, of course, the most recent memories of her having to explain what a toilet was for.

She had drifted into sleep despite all the thoughts that flickered through her mind, but it was still far from resting, as that masked man had chased her, flinging fire at her. He continued relentlessly, pursuing her through an open field. It almost resembled the field surrounding the sacred well. With every step she took, another burst of flames came from behind and he continued chasing her, his hands encased in flames. No matter how fast she ran, he wouldn't stop pursuing her. He wasn't even aiming at her, burning the field around her and cutting off all avenues of escape. Ahead of her she saw her family, standing, waiting at the edge of the field, flames belching smoke into the sky behind them. They didn't even notice, simply standing there waiting for Kagome. Another blast hurtled past her, this time aimed towards them.

Kagome winced, pulling the bedding tighter to her as it neared them and then, blessedly, a hand shoved her shoulder lightly, throwing the fireball in her dream off course and hurtling into the fire beside them. She had nearly reached them, when that same hand shoved her shoulder lightly and she awoke, the nightmare ending and her eyes shooting open to reveal Sota shaking her shoulder. For a moment she gaped, then smiled meekly, hugging him tightly to her.

“Sis?”

“Yes Sota?” She said, releasing him and looking down at him. He looked a bit sheepish and confused.

“Inuyasha's on TV.”

She blinked a few times, and Sota pointed back towards the TV. There he was, an odd camera angle from above and behind, barely revealing anything about him outside of the color of his hair and his fire rat kimono and the Tetsusaiga. Still, he was on TV… The picture slid to the side, and a sketch appeared, a mock up of what Inuyasha looked like. Her eyes slowly widened and her mouth began to drop. Below both the still moving film real and the portrait was a phone number asking for information.

Kagome twitched ever so slightly.

Then the picture fell away and the video came back into full focus… just in time to reveal him using the wind scar in the courtyard directly in front of her home.

Her scream woke up her mother and grandfather instantly.

 

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Sango rolled over in her sleep, a peaceful expression on her face. Kagome had certainly been right about a restful night's sleep. It had even affected her dreams, which, considering her meeting with Kohaku should have been nightmares. Instead, all her dreams were filled with memories of Kohaku as a child while they were growing up… long before they had been asked to Naraku's castle.

Her hand moved slightly brushing against Kilala who cooed in her own deep slumber. The miniature fire cat lay on the pillow, sharing it with Shippo who was also sound asleep. The silence that permeated the room was unbroken.

Miroku had already woken up, but hadn't moved from the bed next to hers. After Kagome had left with her little brother, he had decided a room swap was in order. Inuyasha wasn't in the mood for talk and something about sleeping in a room with him while Sango was alone, well, nearly alone, seemed wrong. So, he had quietly made his way into her and Kagome's room, taking Kagome's empty bed. Of course, now that he was awake, and Sango was still asleep. She had just turned away from him too, and his hand began to itch as his eyes began moving further and further away from the back of her head. He frowned lifting his hand slightly to look at it and mentally yelling at it, `Not while she's asleep, I do not wish to disturb her.'

And then the accursed device Kagome had, she had called it an `alarm clock', began a frustrating buzzing on the table between their beds. Miroku winced, grabbing the glass and metal device, trying to silence it by grabbing the bells, but it didn't muffle the sound and he saw Sango yawn, rolling onto her back.

“Kagome, shut that…” Her eyes opened lazily and she stared at Miroku, holding the clock. “What are you doing here monk?”

He smiled, scratching the back of his head and dropping the still ringing clock onto the bed, “I'm sorry, I thought you might be lonely.”

Her eyes darted to Shippo and Kilala, who were both beginning to rise, then her eyes returned to Miroku, much narrower.

Miroku smiled, hand still behind his head, “It was dark.”

“What are you doing in Kagome's bed, anyway?”

“She left with her brother… I saw her leave and decided not to leave you alone.” He said calmly, sitting up and folding his arms.

“You didn't try to get into my bed first, did you?” She said, her eyes nearly slits at this point.

“No… but if you want me to…” He smiled

“Actually, that buzzing means it's time to get up.” She said, and rolled to the side of the bed, facing away from him and sat up. This time, only distance kept his hand away and Miroku decided it was time to get off the bed, and maybe toss the ringing device away from him since he still couldn't figure out how to turn it off.

“Are you ok?”

Sango turned around and raised an eyebrow, “What?”

“After Kohaku…” He trailed off with a frown, but continued; “You didn't say anything after that until we got back.”

Sango blinked a few times, “I'm fine.”

Miroku nodded and she sat down on her bed, Kilala walking over to her and looking up at her. Despite all the dreams she had, yesterday had been a bad day. She force a smile and lifted Kilala up, placing the fire cat on her shoulder. Miroku sat down next to her.

“If you need to talk about it…”

Sango twitched, that all too familiar feeling had returned, as it always did whenever Miroku sat down next to her. The hand, slowly rubbing her butt. She didn't give him any indication she had felt it until the deep red slap mark appeared on his face.

Shippo lay back on the pillow, “Some things never change…”

 

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Inuyasha was still sleeping when the door to his room swung open. He began opening his eyes groggily, but a sudden startling command hurled him towards the floor.

“SIT!” Kagome wasted no time, walking into Inuyasha's room, pacing in front of him beginning to yell, “THAT'S WHERE YOU WENT!? MY HOUSE! YOU WENT TO MY HOUSE AND YOU USED THE WINDSCAR!”

Inuyasha began extricating himself from the carpeting and glaring at her, “WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!?”

“SIT!” He slammed back down into the floor, “WHY DID YOU USE THE WINDSCAR AT MY HOUSE!” Her hands were balled up into fists at her sides, and she was quivering by the time Inuyasha finally got to look up.

“It's not like I could have damaged it…”

“SIT! SIT! SIT! SIT!” The floor beneath the rug trembled and a crack formed beneath Inuyasha.

“WHY DID YOU ATTACK MY HOME?”

He waited a moment as she glared at him, suddenly shrinking in fear of another sit command. “I WAS ATTACKING KAGURA!”

“SIT!” She shouted and he slammed back into the floor, but then her eyes widened and she leaned down over him, “Ka… Kagura was there?”

He sat up, his back sore and he placed a hand on the floor to steady himself, “Yeah, and Kohaku.”

“SIT!” Kagome shouted, and stood up.

He slammed into the floor with tremendous force and a groan. He twitched on the floor for a moment longer, then finally looked up slightly, catching only her knee socks in front of him, “What was that for?”

“That's for not telling me last night! SIT!”

He twitched and let his head fall onto the floor, just in time for it to be slammed into it again. He twitched, agony spreading through his entire body as he felt every bit of his body dragged into the floor. “And that?” He didn't even bother raising his head this time, simply mumbling into the carpet.
“That was for yelling at me last night for not telling you about the jewel shard, while you didn't tell me about my home.”

Inuyasha groaned.

 

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The insect released the feather into Naraku's open hand. He stared at it for a moment, his face unreadable. Slowly he looked up and to the door, Kanna walking into it as if he had already called out for her. The young girl approached, her face just as unreadable as Naraku's, a mirror held in her pale white hands. There was silence even as the mirror shifted from a reflection to a picture of a far away place, the sacred well.

A man, nearly invisible in the darkness, stood next to the well. A mask, half black, covered his face and half copper colored, but only one eye was visible. His arms were folded across his chest and he was completely still, watching, waiting for the response to his message.

“So this is the one?” Naraku said passively, looking back at the feather, “Kagura underestimated him.” He crushed the feather in the palm of his hand and looked back to the mirror, but the image had certainly changed. Instead of him looking off into the distance, his head had turned towards the spot that Kanna's mirror was scrying from. He was staring directly into the mirror, his eye narrowed as it looked at Naraku through the mirror.

The slightest hints of a smile played upon Naraku's face, “Perhaps he is worthy of my attention…”

 

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Author's Note: Well, the next chapter will go back to normal, having both Titans and Inuyasha/crew in the same chapter. Anyway, I'm glad this all worked out. I hope you all enjoyed this. Thanks go to my friends Paul and Carl for editing. Thanks also goes to EmaniaHilel who helped me edit part of this chapter. Check out her latest work: Comfort.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, and thanks to all you reviewers out there!