InuYasha Fan Fiction / Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Journey Across Time ❯ The Dangers of Horseback Riding and Kirara’s Surprise ( Chapter 9 )

And it was always the hyper ones that gave you the breath of fresh air.

"Here it is, Kagome-sama!!!!"

"Thank you, Shotai." The kid grinned before rushing off with the other kids in the hunt for medical herbs.

"This is the one for fevers, isn't it, Kagome-sama?"

"Right!!! You've got a good memory, Todoroki!" the little boy blushed as I took the herb from him.

"Damn. They turn from terrible little imps to living angels when you're around!" I laughed at Duo-kun as he shook his head.

"I told you before, they respect me." I brushed a strand of stray hair from my face, "the position of any sort of educated person, especially a holy person, is revered and respected in this day and age. Warriors are held in the same respect. The fact that I am both-"

"-turns you into a sort of living goddess," Duo-kun finished for me.

"More or less," I admitted. "But it comes with a price."

"Everything does," Duo-kun said, going surprisingly serious. I looked at him curiously for a second, debating on whether or not to press the matter when I saw a sad, distant look in his eyes, before deciding that I shouldn't pry. Look what it had done to me in the past…

Forcing that thought out of my head, I stood up and gathered the children.

"We need to get back to the village," I told them, "I want to see how far Sango is on the weapons and see if Daku-chan is okay…" I trailed off as a large shadow momentarily flashed over us.

"What the Hell-?!" I looked up sharply and gave a sigh of relief at the sight of the familiar two headed dragon.

"Kagome!!!!!!!!!" the rider of the dragon called down to me. She brought the creature around, landing in the field and hopping off Ah-Un, the shirt of her fighting kimono rustling as she did. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she took off to envelope me in a bear hug.

"Rin!!!!" I laughed, "Aren't you getting a little old for this?"

"Are you kidding me?" She grinned back. "It's so great to see you again!!! It gets so boring at the palace with only papa and Jaken to talk to. Especially since Jaken's so annoying and papa hardly ever talks. How're the children? Sango-chan's doing okay, isn't she?"

"Everyone's fine, Rin," I told the excitable teenager. "I take it you're here with Sesshomaru-sama's reply?"

"Yep! I had to fight tooth and nail to get papa to let me come, too, so be grateful! Anyways, Father say's it's alright to come, and that all the Lords and Ladies are more than happy to help. Is he one of `em?" She asked, looking curiously at Duo-kun.

"Yep!!! Duo Maxwell, At your service!!!" Duo-kun said with a cheeky grin and a playful salute. Rin grinned back.

"Nice to meet `cha! I'm Rin, the surrogate daughter of the Taiyoukai of the West Sesshomaru."

"When does Sesshomaru-sama want us to come, Rin?" I asked patiently. I was use to the behavior of both by now, but I knew I'd be standing there forever if I allowed them to start kidding around with each other.

"Huh? Oh! Whenever you're ready. The Lords and Ladies are already on their way to the West." I nodded thoughtfully.

"Tell him we'll start off on horseback tomorrow."

"Gotcha!" Rin nodded, jumping back onto Ah-Un. "See ya in three days, Kaggy!!!!!!!!!!!!" She called out as the dragon took off into the air.

"Horseback?!" Duo-kun said, a bit of worry in his voice. "Three days?!" I smiled at him.

"Yes, three days. It's a two day travel on horseback to Sesshomaru-sama's castle. Kirara's in no condition to fly us there, and it would be a week walking on foot, so horseback is the easiest and fastest way." I inclined an eyebrow at him, "There's no problem with that, is there?"

"Huh?! NAH!!!" He laughed nervously, "I've ridden hundreds of horses!!! Used to race `em all the time!!!! Nope, I've got no problem whatsoever!!!!"

"Alright then," I said, smiling brightly at him, You won't mind showing me when we get back to the village!" I continued walking, taking Shippo's hand and pretending Duo-kun hadn't stopped dead at my words.

Maybe Sango's right. I can be downright evil when I put my mind to it.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

`THUMP!!!!!!!!!'

"Owie." I shook my head as Chang-kun snickered.

It turned out that Quatre and (Much to everyone's surprise,) Trowa-kun were experienced horsemen. Quatre claimed it was because his father had kept a stable he used to go to as a child and Trowa-kun had simply shrugged when questioned, though Quatre did offer the reasoning that he might've learned traveling with the circus.

Chang-kun and Heero-kun hadn't needed much help. Once they knew the basics, they were pretty much set. Duo-kun on the other hand…

"That makes nine in a row, Duo!" Kome said as she restrained the brown mare, "These horses really don't like you…"

"Hey!!!" Duo-kun said defensively. "It's not my fault these things are evil!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I giggled and led the horse away after it had calmed down.

"Well, that doesn't change the fact that none of them will let you stay on for more that thirty seconds," Sango said as she polished her katana, "Maybe we should've borrowed Ah-Un from Rin…"

"Wha-who?" Duo-kun asked in confusion.

"The two headed dragon," I reminded him looking at all the horses thoughtfully. I eyed the sleek, black stallion with the single, silver highlight in his mainly black tail the longest. He was usually pretty easy going, but he did have his wild moments… Sighing, I saddled him up and led him out, hoping he'd stay calm for Duo-kun.

Sango gave me a curious look when she saw my choice, then shook her head.

"I dunno about him, Kagome…"

"He's one of the only one's we haven't tried."

""Do you really think a beginning horseman can handle him? I mean, Shishu threw him! Shishu never throws anybody!!! Maybe it's best if we allow him to ride double with someone…"

"Well, we can at least give Shi-Ogama a try," I sighed. Duo-kun winced when he saw the horse.

"You're trying to kill me, aren't you?!" He asked me accusingly.

"You're the one who's supposed to be the expert horseman, remember?" He flinched and gave me a sheepish grin.

"Hehe… I might've exaggerated that a little…" There was an unidentified snort from one of the other boys. I rolled my eyes.

"Duo-kun?"

"Yes?"

"Get on the horse."

"Aww…"

Chang-kun seemed to enjoy the look of dread on Duo-kun's as he got into the saddle. Those two acted like they enjoyed to see each other tortured in sinister and cruel ways…

"Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Not a second after I'd let go of the reigns, Shi-Ogama took off, kicking and bucking and taking poor Duo-kun along for the ride.

"Stop- this- cra- zy- beeeeast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Duo-kun yelled as he clung desperately to the reigns. "Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Hang on, Duo-kun," I called out to him, Stopping Kohaku as he went to save the poor guy from his mount. "You just have to show him you're in charge."

"Ea- sy- for- you- to- saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaggggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Come on, all you have to do is calm him down…"

"SOMEONE TURN THIS THING OFF BEFORE IT KILLS ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Duo-kun wailed, drawing chuckles from his friends. "TRAITORS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I guess Duo-kun heard them…

"The REIGNS, Duo!!! Pull on the reigns. Not too hard, though, or you'll go flying… again." More snickers from the boys… and Sango's giggling now, too.

Gritting his teeth, Duo-kun pulled back on the reigns, preparing for the worse. Almost immediately, Shi-Ogama slowed to a stop, snorting and throwing his head gently.

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" I chided Duo-kun.

"Ooooh… My stomach won't sit still…" I rolled my eyes as Shippo, Kohaku and Kome laughed.

"Well, then," I said brightly, "now that you know how to control him, all you have to learn is Stopping, trotting, galloping, how to saddle him, how to feed him and- Duo?"

`Thunk!'

"You're evil…" Duo groaned, rubbing his back and waddling after me back to the hut.

"So I've been told," I said smiling at him. He had finally gotten everything down, though it had taken a while… We started in mid morning and now the crickets were chirping and bright stars were shining overhead in the middle of the moonless night.

"Hey. You okay, Kagome?" I blinked at Duo, then realized I had stopped dead in my tracks at that last thought.

"Fine," I responded, smiling brightly.

How did I manage to forget until now? How?! I usually dreaded the new moon every month, but I hadn't even… how?!?!

"If you say so…" Duo said, not sounding too convinced. I sighed and shook my head, smiling slightly.

I guess… I was too busy living in the present to remember the past. I smiled at Duo again, this one more genuine.

"Trust me, I'm fine." I kind of liked this… I know it was wrong of me, but… It made me happy to be around these strange men from a time even further than my own.

It made me happy that they could make me forget…

"Mew," I looked down when I felt someone pawing impatiently at my hakamas.

"Kirara?"

"Wha-? Duo said, looking down too, "Oh!!! Kittyzilla!!!!"

"What's wrong?" Sango and I had seen so little of the neko that we were worried something had happened to her. Right now, though, she seemed excited.

"Mew," she started off towards the forest, looking back to make sure I was following. Curious, I trailed behind, telling Duo to wait in case it was a stray oni or something.

She lead me to the edge of the forest, ushering me towards an old, hollowed out tree. I looked inside, then froze. Once I had gotten over my shock I smiled at Kirara.

"I see…" I said playfully, "I'll go get the others,"

I hurried back to the Duo and grabbed his arm, dragging the protesting pilot back to the hut. I could WAIT to see their faces!!!!!!

"Sango! Shippo! Kohaku! Kome!"

"Kagome, what on earth!" Sango exclaimed from where she sat polishing her oversized boomerang.

"Come quick!!!" I said, letting Duo go and grabbing my sister's arm instead, dragging her out the door Hirakotsu and all. "It's Kirara!!!!"

"Kirara?" Kome said, worried, "What wrong?"

"She isn't hurt, is she?" Shippo asked anxiously.

"She's fine, but hurry, you have to see!!!!!!!!!" Confused everyone followed me to the tree. Once there, I sat down next to the tree and smiled as there was a moment of shocked silence. Then-

"KAWAIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Kome screamed, clapping her hands and jumping up and down, "KAWAIIKAWAIIKAWAIIKAWAII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Kittens?" Shippo said, peering into the hollowed tree, "Kirara's a mama now, too?"

Sure enough, Kirara sat proudly as eight tiny kittens slept around her.

"Kawaii!!!!!!!!!!" Kome said one last time grinning down at the cats. "Can we keep them, Mama?!?! Pleeeeeeease?" Sango sighed.

"Kome, I don't know if we can… Do you know how much food would be needed to feed nine neko youkais?!" Kome gave her mother a pleading pout. "And there's training them, and taking care of them when their sick and-!"

"We'll do that, Mama!!!!!" Kome said, "Kohaku, Shippo and I can take care of them!!!"

"All eight of them?!" Sango said incredulously.

"Plllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssssssssseee eeeeeeeeee?!?!?!?!" I shook my head as Kome's whines woke four of the kittens up. Curious, they wobbled out of the hollow (Kirara watching there every move carefully) and towards us. Shippo eagerly scratched one behind its ear, grinning when it playfully batted at his paw.

Another one simply curled up in my hakamas and went back to sleep, leaving me to wonder how I could stand without waking the little thing.

The other, which seemed more active than it's brothers and sisters, scampered over to Kome and Sango, playing with one of Hirakotsu's tassels and totally melting Sango's resolve.

The last one made its way to Trowa-kun, and sniffed timidly at his foot. Trowa-kun bend down and started petting it, earning an eager purr as the kitten pressed its tiny head into Trowa-kun's hand, a sign that it wanted the pampering to continue.

"I see nothing wrong with a few more residents in our house, do you, Sango?" I asked innocently, stroking the sleeping kitten.

"Yes. I'm sure they'll be a big help once they're trained, too," Sango said, all willpower gone at the sight to the children and kittens, "Besides, Who are we to tell Kirara her children can't stay?"

"YYYYYYYYAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" All the children yelled, successfully waking the rest of the kittens. I bit back a smile and shook my head as they danced around, playing with the adorable beige, black and brown kittens.

I probably would've been more on guard, though, If I noticed the pair of ruby colored eyes watching me carefully the whole time…

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